Congrats to Shadowhunters and Kat McNamara on winning at the TCA's!
Alec peeked out the kitchen door to make sure that Clary really was alright watching Madzie in the living room. Despite not being fond of the idiotic vampire that she considered boyfriend material, he was worried that Simon would get himself killed and Clary would blame herself. So, it was with great displeasure that he decided he would do everything in his power to return her pet vampire in one piece.
Alec sighed and shut the door quietly once he saw Madzie attempting to braid his sister's long raven colored hair. He turned to where Magnus was standing, leaning back against the counter, martini in hand, watching his boyfriend with a still-shocked expression on his face.
"We don't have to, you know." Alec moved towards the island in the middle of the kitchen and leaned forward against it. "It was just a suggestion. I'm sure we could find someone to take her in."
Magnus shook his head. "I don't seem to recall saying 'no.' You have to understand, Alexander. Until you came along, there was no possibility for me of having any of this. Children were on the table for me. No one ever wanted any with me anyways."
Alec smiled a little. "Then those people were fools. Who wouldn't want a family with you?"
"Plenty of people, apparently." Magnus remarked.
Alec rolled his eyes. "So, it's settled?" He asked. "We're going to petition to adopt her?"
"Madzie Lightwood-Bane." Magnus confirmed. "Besides, she already loves Biscuit."
Alec laughed. "That she does."
—
Hours later Alec had been called back to the institute and Jace had made his way to the loft. Magnus, Jace and Clary were sitting in awkward silence in the living room, spread out amongst the chairs and Madzie was playing in the room Magnus, Alec and Clary had set up for her.
Magnus and Jace were staring at each other so hard that Clary was almost certain they were having a staring contest and Clary was staring at the side of Magnus' head. All three were bored out of their minds but too uncomfortable with current company to suggest anything.
Their near painful silence was broken when Clary's phone rang. "It's Simon!" She shouted gleefully. She lunged towards Magnus, nearly ending up on his lap, to show him the phone.
"Answer it, Clary!" Jace said, surging forward to get a look at the phone as well.
Clary hit the green button and instantly an image of Simon tied to a chair appeared. Valentine quickly entered the shot and turned towards the camera.
"No." Clary said in despair.
"Hello, Clarissa." Valentine greeted her as though nothing were wrong. "Wish we were chatting under more civilized circumstances, I'm afraid I've run out of options."
"Let Simon go." She demanded.
"Absolutely." Valentine agreed. "Just as soon as you come back to the institute. I need you to activate the sword for me."
"That is never going to happen." She told him. She leaned into Magnus' side, seeking comfort.
"Oh, but I think it will." Valentine argued. "Because if you don't show up within the hour, they're both going to die a death I wouldn't wish upon anyone."
"Both?" Clary asked.
"Oh!" Valentine cried, feigning forgetfulness. "Did I forget to mention?" He turned the camera to show her Alec in an identical situation to Simon. Duct tape covering his mouth and arms and legs tied to the chair he was sat in. Unlike Simon, Alec did not look scared or panicked. He simply looked pissed off. Also, unlike Simon, his face was bruised and bleeding. There was no doubt he'd gone down fighting.
"Alec!" Clary cried just as Valentine ended the call.
Clary sat in silence for a minute, letting the information process before she jumped out of her seat and headed towards the door.
"Clary!" Magnus called, also jumping out of his seat, but to stop her rather than join her.
Jace turned away to make a phone call as Clary rounded on Magnus.
"What are we waiting for?" She demanded. "Let's go."
"You know if you touch that sword you can destroy the entire Downworld. That's what Valentine wants." Magnus tried to reason with her. "Including Simon. And me. And Madzie."
Clary shook her head. "He needs an energy source. Lightning."
"He's got it." Magnus told her. "Every institute is powered by an Angelic power core."
"Izzy's not picking up." Jace told them. "Let's go."
"Valentine's going to regret ever laying a hand on Simon and Alec. I'll make sure of it." She went to push past Magnus, but he grabbed her and stopped her.
"Woah woah woah." He said. "You're not going to the institute. You're staying with me."
"I need to save Simon and Alec!" She protested.
"The entire Downworld is looking for you. They want you dead. They know you can activate the soul sword."
"I can save Simon and Alec." Jace told her.
"It doesn't work that way." Clary told him, not looking him in the eye. "If I'm not the one who shows up, Valentine will kill them."
Magnus flinched at the idea of anyone laying a hand on Alec.
"I've got it covered." Jace told her and raced out the door.
Magnus and Clary moved out onto the balcony and looked out over the city. Clay couldn't help but think how ironic it was that it looked so peaceful, yet a major war was going on. If they failed, thousands, if not millions would die.
"I'm not used to feeling so... powerless." Magnus admitted.
It was then that Clary's phone rang once again. She pulled it out and saw that it was yet another call from Simon. From Valentine.
She accepted the call and saw Valentine crouched between her very frightened boyfriend and very pissed off brother.
"Oh my God." Clary gasped making Magnus move closer to her to see the phone. "Simon. Alec. Are you guys okay?"
"They're fine." Valentine answered for them. "We've just been having a nice talk. Y'know, your boyfriend here told me your greatest wish was to get to know your old man. Which is funny because it's always been my wish to get to know my daughter. But, you see, that was taken away from me. Because I no long have a daughter. Because of him." He held a knife to Alec's throat.
"Clarissa." Valentine sighed. "I'm losing my patience." Valentine stood up, removed the knife from Alec's neck and instead moved to stand behind Simon. He covered his mouth and grabbed a sword and slit Simon's throat. Clary covered her mouth in horror and Magnus looked away, unable to stomach the sheer amount of blood that was now soaking the front of the vampire's shirt.
Alec yelled in a panic, "No!" He bucked in his seat as if he were trying to break it.
"If you're not here within the hour the same happens to him." Valentine pointed the bloodied blade at Alec and the call ended.
"Portal me to the institute." Clary told Magnus.
"Clary, we can't." Magnus told her, despair evident in his voice.
"Now!" She shouted.
And so, after portaling his daughter to Catarina's, Magnus accompanied Clary to the institute.
"Well, here we are." Magnus deadpanned.
"Magnus. I want you to know I'm not going anywhere near that sword."
"I don't care what happens to me, Clary." Magnus' face was contorted with about a thousand different emotions. Worry, fear, pain.
"Alec's going to be okay. Simon's going to be okay." Clary told him. "We can do this. You and me. Team Lightwood-Bane for the win, right?"
Magnus held eye contact for a moment before nodding and moving to follow her towards the institute. But just as Clary turned around, Raphael Santiago appeared in front of her and another Vampire grabbed Magnus's hands, holding them behind his back.
Magnus grunted, trying to free his hands in order to protect Clary and himself. "Let go of my hands!" He cried.
"So, you can use your magic against us?" Raphael asked. "I'm sorry, Magnus. None of us wanted it to come to this."
"No. I'm here to save Simon and Alec. I'm not going to touch the sword." Clary protested.
"No." Raphael agreed. "You're not."
"Stop this!" Magnus begged, his bracelet starting to flicker slightly, a weak blue glow illuminating the face of the vampire behind him. "Stop it now!"
"If I don't do it, more Downworlders are on their way to do it for me." Raphael reached up and cupped the side of Clary's face. "You're too close to her, Magnus. You love her."
"Raphael, you don't have to do this." Clary told him, her voice trembling in fear.
She could see the conflict in Raphael's eyes as he looked at her. He didn't want to kill her. She could see that plain as day. He felt that he needed to. He was scared.
"Quick and painless." He promised her. His other hand coming up to frame her face.
He let his fangs pop out as Magnus fought harder against the vampire. His bracelet flashing faster and brighter now as Clary's pendant started to glow. Raphael sunk his fangs into her neck and the effect was almost immediate. He was blasted backwards by a burst of blue magic that originated from her pendant at the same time that Magnus' bracelet blinded the vampire behind him, making her let go of his hands. Magnus blasted her backwards as well, throwing her into a brick wall.
Raphael was up again in no time. He came at Clary again and was about to pounce on her when Jace threw himself in front of her, sword pointed at Raphael's chest. Clary stumbled backwards into Magnus' arms. He held her close and seemed to be breathing her in. She clutched him back just as desperately, she'd almost died. Raphael had almost killed her.
"This ends now." Jace ordered. "Clary May be able to activate the sword but I can destroy it."
"Impossible." Raphael spat.
"You kill Clary, Valentine still has the sword." Magnus added. "There's no doubt that over time he will find another way to activate it. Now we have a chance to destroy it. Why not let Jace try?"
"Why would a Shadowhunter risk his life for us?" The Vampire who'd been restraining Magnus questioned bitterly.
"Because you and Raphael are gonna tell your Downworld buddies not to lay a hand on Clary." Jace spat. "That's the deal."
"And they'll listen to me?" Raphael glanced at Clary, looking her up and down before turning back to Jace.
"Maybe." Jace snarled. "You're the leader of the most powerful vampire clan in New York. They respect you."
Raphael glanced back at Magnus before sighing in resignation. He turned back to Jace, looking put out. "What exactly is your plan?"
"I'm going to glamour myself as Clary and save Simon and Alec then destroy the sword while pretending to activate it."
"This," Raphael told him. "Is almost a guaranteed failure." He turned to Clary and Magnus. "Let's do it."
—
While Jace put his plan into action, Clary and Magnus crept down the halls of the institute, Clary armed with a Seraph blade and Magnus, of course, his magic.
"In the video call Simon and Alec were in Aldertree's office. This way." She started to round a corner when Magnus stopped her.
"Careful, Clary. Circle members could be anywhere."
Magnus proved to be right, Circle members descended not five minutes later, and the pair got split up. As Clary was being dragged away, she heard Magnus crying out for her.
All she could think was that Raphael was right.
—
Alec rolled his eyes as he followed Jace and Simon down the hallway toward the ops room.
"I've heard of blood thirst." The Vampire was saying. "Even felt it. But never that badly. Once I started feeding, I couldn't stop. I'm really sorry."
Alec felt for the guy. He wasn't heartless. He sat there helplessly watching as he bled out and Valentine teased him mercilessly. No matter how much he hated the guy, he hadn't wished that on him. But if he didn't stop talking, Alec would have to do something rash.
"Don't apologize." Jace told him. And while Alec was sure that Jace didn't regret helping Simon, he was just as desperate as Alec was to get the guy to shut his damn mouth. As Alec has said many times before: it literally never stops talking.
"I would've killed you." Simon told him. Alec flinched.
"I would've let you." Jace admitted and Alec cleared his throat. He wasn't happy with his Parabatai. If Jace had died, a part of Alec would've as well. That wasn't something that Alec was keen on experiencing.
"You, like, rescued me from actual death." Simon continued talking. "So, thanks, a lot."
"Hey," Jace interrupted. "You know how you can thank me? Shut up."
"Right."
"Thank the Angel." Alec groaned quietly. He peered around the corner with Jace and saw that they had the sword connected to the Power supply.
"The swords tapped into the Angelic Power Core." Alec told Jace. "What's the plan?"
"We destroy it." Jace replied. "As soon as we get back up, we move in."
"It might be too late for that." Simon told the brothers as he spotted Clary being dragged across the room by Valentine and a circle member.
"No! Let me go!" Clary shouted.
"No!" Jace and Alec said in unison.
"Clary." Alec breathed.
"You can't make me do this. I won't do it!" Clary shouted.
Just as Clary was about to touch the sword, Simon knocked her out of the way, having ran across the room with his Vampire speed.
"Clary!" Alec ran to his sister. "Are you alright?" He helped her up.
"I'm fine. Let's go!" They started to run out of the room, Simon following them when Jace stalked towards the sword.
"Jace!" Clary called. "What are you doing?"
Jace dropped his Seraph blade and stared down at the sword.
"Jace!" Clary cried.
"What? What's wrong?" Alec asked her.
"Don't." Clary told Jace as he turned to her. "If you touch the sword it will kill you."
"What?" Alec demanded. Jace turned back to the sword. "Jace don't do it! No, Jace!" Alec yelled.
Jace ignored his siblings and picked the sword up. His veins lit up gold and he was thrown backwards as the sword fell from his hand and clattered to the ground.
"Why didn't that destroy the sword?" Clary asked.
"I don't know." Simon replied.
Alec ran unsteadily to Jace's side and checked his pulse. Alec was clearly feeling whatever Jace was.
"Is he okay?" Clary asked her brother.
Alec looked over his shoulder at her and nodded.
Valentine stood up making them freeze.
"You're nothing if not predictable, son." Valentine said cheerfully.
He picked the soul sword up and grinned as the backup arrived. Dozens of Downworlders charged him as he held the sword up and the room was basked in a hot white glow. The Downworlders collapsed although Simon remained standing. Every single one was on the ground writhing in pain while the Shadowhunters were helpless to do anything but watch in horror.
Soon the glow got to be too much for them, and they shielded their eyes. It felt like hours before it was finally over, and they stood up again. Alec left Jace unconscious on the ground and went to Simon and Clary's side.
"Oh my God." Clary gasped, seeing the bodies littered about the floor. They were all dead. The Downworlders were all dead.
"How's he okay?" Alec nodded to Simon.
"I don't know." Simon admitted. "Every other Downworlder in here. They're all dead."
"Magnus." Clary gasped.
Alec tensed. "Where?" He looked around at all the bodies, looking for his extravagant boyfriend and not seeing him.
"Not In here, but he was here with me. Earlier. We got split up. Could he...?" She didn't finish her thought. She couldn't bear it and seeing the look on her brother's face made it worse. She'd been the one to demand that Magnus bring her here. That he stay and assist her. If he was dead, it was her fault. "Hopefully the adamas in the walls contained the blast." She amended.
"Where's Valentine?" Simon asked.
"Gone." Alec said. It was clear that he was only half with them, now. Too worried that his boyfriend might be dead.
Jace sat up coughing making Simon jump back in surprise, bumping into Alec who immediately pushed him away with a glare.
"I don't have diseases!" Simon cried. Alec just raised his eyebrows. "I never accused you. Just your van."
"Jace." Clary said.
"I don't understand." He panted, still gasping for air. "How did I activate the sword?"
"Only someone with pure angel blood could've done it." Clary told him. "You don't have demon blood, Jace."
"I have to go find Magnus." Alec said very suddenly, he'd been acting antsy during the conversation and just wasn't able to keep his patience any longer
"Alec." Jace tried but Alec just held a hand up. Stopping him from saying anything else.
—-
Alec searched all night for Magnus, but it was after Clary deactivated the sword with a rune she created, and Valentine was brought into custody that he was beginning to give up.
He ran outside the institute and looked around at all the Downworlders arriving to take their dead. He didn't see Magnus. He turned back to look at the institute, breathing hard and filled with grief. This was it. He didn't even get to tell Magnus how he really felt. How happy he was that they'd started a family. How the Clave had approved their adoption of Madzie an hour after he'd sent in the request. How much he loved him. How desperately and completely he loved him. He'd never get to say those things, because Magnus was dead.
He didn't hear the footsteps running up behind him, but he did feel the hand grab his arm. Alex wheeled around and found Magnus, very much alive, standing behind him. He lunged at him, grabbing him into a hug. He hugged him tightly before pulling back and starting to speak.
"Magnus. I thought . . ." He was breathing harder now, making the words escape his lips in gasps.
"I went to check on Madzie. She's at Catarina's, she's safe."
Alec nodded, sighing in relief. "Look, Magnus, on every mission I've ever been on, I've never felt that type of fear. Ever. Not knowing if you were alive or dead, I, I was terrified."
"So was I." Magnus admitted. "Knowing Valentine had you. Knowing what he's capable of. I nearly lost you."
"Magnus." Alec panted. "I love you."
"I love you, too." Magnus told him.
They stared at each other for a moment, the passion between them was palpable. Their love for each other evident in their eyes. Alec leaned forward and connected their lips in a passionate, urgent kiss. When they broke apart Alec, we played him in another hug. He just held on, not caring where they were or who might be watching. He almost lost the man he loved today, and he was going to stand there and breathe him in for as long as he would let him.
—-
"How do you know it was the truth?" Alec asked, his frustration fading immediately.
Alec had still been holding Magnus as tight as he could when Jace had come and torn him away from him saying that there was something important they had to discuss.
"He has the soul sword in his hands." Jace sighed.
"So, Clary wasn't your sister?" Alec asked slowly, trying to wrap his head around it.
"She wasn't until she became a Lightwood." Jace confirmed.
"I'm not going to apologize for that." Alec told him as Jace walked past him to look out the window. Alec watched as every muscle in Jace's body tensed. Alec walked up behind him and looked over his shoulder to see what Jace was looking at. He looked down at the courtyard to see his sister passionately kissing her boyfriend in the sun.
"Man," Alec groused. "I hate that thing."
Jace nodded. "Yeah." He agreed looking down at Simon. "Me too."
Vote:
Clary and who?
Raphael (1 vote so far)
Simon (1 vote so far)
Lorenzo
Ragnor
Meliorn
Please vote on the poll, on the chapter and comment. Let me know what you want to see happen.