Alec leaned over and placed his hand on Magnus' shoulder, concern tightening his features he gave his husband a slight shake. "Magnus?" Magnus came awake with a shout, sweat pouring off his face, and fear trembling through his body. Alec was up in an instant pulling him into his arms.
Magnus cried out and threw his arms around Alec with a fierce grip Magnus clung to him, and Alec slowly ran his hand up and down his back trying to soothe his fear. "Sweetheart, what happened?" Alec asked softly without pausing his soothing strokes.
"Bad dream." Magnus mumbled into his bare chest.
Alec frowned. Magnus had bad dreams occasionally. He'd had one the week before in fact, but this was different. Magnus always woke up troubled after a bad dream, but this was literal fear. Alec could almost taste it, his husband was petrified. "Magnus?" He questioned him softly.
Magnus pulled back a little bit and looked into Alec's eyes. "It wasn't just that, but I can't talk about it yet. I need a minute." Magnus' voice didn't go above a whisper, almost as if he were afraid someone would hear him. Alec tensed, when Magnus shut down on him it was always bad.
"Physically, do I need to look at anything? Call Cat?" Alec ran a soothing hand along the back of Magnus' head and dropped his hand down to squeeze his husbands neck, disliking the tension in his body and doing his best to wipe it away.
Magnus shook his head. "No no, it's fine, I'm fine, I need to process it." Magnus pulled Alec's hands around and held them tightly. "You go make some breakfast. I'll figure out how to say what I need to say by the time you're done."
The last thing Alec wanted to do was get out of their bed, but he also wanted to respect Magnus' needs, so he placed a kiss on their joined hands, another on Magnus' forehead, and made his way into the kitchen to get the pancakes started.
Magnus watched Alec walk away and barely restrained the need to cry out to him. The dream had been significantly more than a dream. He'd been dropped quite unceremoniously into another reality, and he knew he had the angels to blame, but he was floundering looking for a reason why. Angels did not give visions to warlocks. Period. Full stop. What made his hands tremble, and his heart pound was that he wasn't quite sure if he was looking at the future or another reality. He hoped like hell, selfishly, that it was another reality. He thought it was, but he wasn't completely certain. That uncertainty shattered him.
If there was even half a chance that was their future, Magnus could barely control the rage that threatened to explode out of him. They'd worked too damn hard for it to end like that.
Magnus crouched in their bed and viciously got control of himself. He didn't know what the hell he was supposed to do, but he knew falling apart wasn't going to solve anything. He crawled out of bed and got dressed, walking slowly into the kitchen and into his waiting husbands arms.
Halfway through breakfast he thought he finally had himself well enough in hand to speak to Alec about what he saw.
"Do you remember the night we met?" Magnus asked softly.
Alec arched a brow at him. The "Really Magnus" didn't need to be said.
Magnus rolled his eyes but couldn't stop the serious weight in his tone. "The chaos that surrounded all of us before Valentine's defeat, was like a ripple in a pond compared to the chaos I witnessed in my dream. Shadowhunter's were all but wiped out, and the Downworld was barely holding back the tide. There were demons in every vision, and I could barely protect those I had under my care." The agony on Alec's face was a direct mirror to his own agony. His heart ached for the death he had witnessed.
Alec stood and pulled Magnus to the couch in the living room. "Tell me."
"The vision came from the angels, but Alec they don't….they don't communicate with warlocks. I don't know what I was looking at, and it's not enough just to see it." Magnus said despondently more confused than he had been in years.
"Was that all of it?" Alec picked up his soothing strokes from earlier, and Magnus gratefully pushed into his comforting hands.
"No. The second half of the vision was you." Magnus took a deep breath. "You weren't in our home, and when you crawled out of bed your Parabatai rune wasn't there. You still had a few of your regular runes, but some of them were different." Magnus wasn't sure he wanted to tell Alec all of it, but his husband picked up on that reluctance and squeezed him. A clear command to continue.
"Obviously you didn't have a wedding ring, but you had…." Magnus gasped as he felt a sob coming over him, surprised by the emotion he couldn't hold back. The dream had clearly broken him he thought suppressing a shudder.
"I had what?" Alec demanded.
"You had a pair of cat eyes tattooed over your heart, a necklace with a ring on it not ours but something you never wore here, and Aku Cinta Kamu on your collar bone. You had others, but I couldn't see everything because there were so many scars. You were scared so badly Alexander. I couldn't keep the vision. I couldn't bear it." Alec wiped the tears from his face and kissed him softly.
"Sweetheart I'm fine. You're fine. That's not going to happen."
"I think I was looking at other realities, but if I'm wrong..." Magnus said in a watery wobbly voice.
Alec looked thoughtful for a second. "Is there anything we can do to confirm the other realities?"
Magnus sniffed. "Maybe. I was going to speak with Cat. I really want it to be another reality, but I also can't stand the thought of you hurting like that in any time or space."
Alec frowned but looked thoughtful. "Magnus, I'm just guessing, but I'm pretty sure you were dead. It's a miracle I was still walking at all. Without you and Jace, there's a very real possibility I'd give up, so whatever Alec you were looking at has a spine of fucking steel."
"But he was so, so empty." Magnus threw his arms around Alec and squeezed as hard as he could.
"But he was still living, even if it's a shit life, he's still waking up every day. The angels showed you that for a reason. Let's figure out what it was. The quicker we do this, the quicker they leave us the hell alone."
Magnus nodded on his shoulder. "You're right, as always Mr. Inquisitor. I love you."
"You are the literal love of my life, and I'm not going to let this destroy us. We'll get through it, and you're going to be careful." Alec demanded as Magnus stood and magicked himself presentable. All traces of vulnerability and tears long gone. He had his armor on and he was going to get answers.
"So a vision from an angel, I swear Magnus we can't go a week without something blowing up around here." Cat said as she sat beside him on her couch.
Magnus sighed, she wasn't wrong. "So let's lay out what we know about other realities."
Cat ticked off her fingers, "They exist, they have versions of us, some have magic and some don't, the Seelie can travel between them though not reliably, and if we fall into another reality we share a host body."
Magnus stood abruptly and began to pace around the room. "And we know that too long in that reality means we can't come back."
Cat made herself more comfortable on the couch. "I think I know how we can be certain your dreams are other realities and not our Angels aren't stupid, they do actually want you to solve this, so they would have given you something to work with. Focus on the feelings of difference, and tell me what you immediately bring to mind."
Magnus went over every detail in his mind. He couldn't shake the memory of Alec's scars. His back, his arms, his legs, he'd had one along his stomach that looked fatal. "Scars. I can't let go of the scars." Magnus said rubbing his chin.
"Does Alec have any scars?" Cat asked quietly.
Hmmm Magnus hummed. "He's got rune scars, they all do." Pacing to the window he felt the realization dawn on him. "He has a scar on his thigh from Jace when they were kids. The Alec that got out of bed in my dream didn't have that scar. We are absolutely dealing with other realities. Oh thank Lilith, well not that bitch, but you get my meaning." Magnus waved his hand and drinks appeared for them both. Cat grinned at him.
"Okay so that's one worry out of the way. Now what the hell am I supposed to do with that?"
"Well, they showed it to you for a reason. Looks like you're going to be visiting with the Fae."
"I hate everything."
Alec and Magnus both bowed to the new queen. She was at least reasonable.
"Viewing the other realities is of course possible. Finding the needle in the haystack that is the reality you seek...that's far less likely." Magnus watched as Alec rubbed a hand across his face. Both of them were frustrated.
"It would be far to easy for them to just tell us what we need." Alec grumbled.
The queen walked before them on the path. "Stay the evening as our guests. I will call upon our sages. Perhaps they can give you advice, but angel matters are not something we've traditionally concerned ourselves with."
"That is very generous of you majesty. We do appreciate your efforts." Alec said graciously.
"As I said angel matters do not concern me, but the reality in question may suffer from something we should worry about. It would not do to avoid the answers to questions over something so trivial as Shadowhunter affairs. If there is danger of demon invasion, we should all be on guard."
Alec rolled out of bed almost before he was aware of the movement. Something was in his room. He pulled his blade from the sheath hanging on his bed and had it against the neck of the intruder on his floor before he had even had a chance to take a breath. A muffled oomph had woken him up, and his reflexes had kicked in unconsciously. Demons didn't wait for you to wake up when they gutted you.
"Who are you?" He said fiercely at the man on the floor. What the hell, how had he got passed the wards on the house? Had to be a warlock thought Alec. Any other day he would have just slit his throat, but he held back.
Dressed in a black silk pajama set, the man tried to look around but Alec pushed the sword in closer drawing the smallest amount of blood. The intruder had black hair that was probably a Mohawk when he had it styled, dark eyes, and caramel skin. No obvious warlock mark. Alec shut down his thoughts when they started to drift toward how attractive the man was. It wouldn't stop him from neutralizing the threat.
"Who are you?" He put more heat in his tone and leaned a little closer. A curious spicy scent tickled his nose making him rub the tattoo on his chest. It wasn't a Shadowhunter rune, he shouldn't feel anything from it but the minute he smelled whatever the hell that was his tattoos had begun to tingle. He'd gone to bed last night in his work out gear, but even through the shirt he could feel the slightest tingle along his collar bone and over his heart.
The man's eyes went a little wider, and Alec realized he was barely awake, sleep still clung to him making him look softer than he probably wanted to look in front of a Nephilim. Didn't matter. He could be a spy, even if Edom was no more, relaxing his guard was just stupid.
"Magnus Bane." He said quietly, easily.
Alec startled and felt his grip loose, lowering the blade by an inch. "Magnus Bane is dead."
The man wrinkled his nose and Alec glared, it wasn't cute...this man….wasn't cute. And if he didn't start talking he was going to be very dead. His bedroom floor had seen more than one dead warlock, he wasn't shy about adding another one to it.
"Well that is most unfortunate, how did I die?" The warlock said nonchalantly.
Alec frowned. "Magnus and several warlocks sacrificed their lives three years ago to destroy the hell dimensions. They wiped out the demon threat, so that we have very little to do these days as Nephilim. Now, who the hell are you and what are you doing here?" Alec's arms were getting tired, but he'd be damned if he gave an inch.
"And did you ever meet Magnus?" The man on the floor asked, completely ignoring his question.
"No." Alec said shortly, and shifted his stance. Tired of the confusion and lack of answers, he was just giving the warlock time for his backup to come charging through the door. It was stupid to let himself be drawn into conversation. He couldn't force his hand though. Despite how dangerous he could feel the man under his blade actually was.
Many warlocks were out for Nephilim blood these days. The demon threat had been eliminated, but that didn't stop the Downworlder from fighting Shadowhunters. They were using Magnus' sacrifice as a catalyst, saying the Nephilim had driven him to it and they needed to be punished. The fake Magnus lifted himself into a seated lotus position and pushed Alec's blade away with a finger, but not before he twisted the ring on his left ring finger around. Alec glared what the hell. Had Magnus been married? Did he just like to wear a ring on that finger? Why had he turned it to hide it?
"Shadowhunter, I am not here to harm you. I know very little about what I'm doing here, I am a warlock. I am Magnus Bane. And I did not come here by choice. So rather than glare at me, gorgeous though you are, how about you have seat and lets talk this out?" Magnus gestured to the floor.
Alec continued to tower above him and glare, stiff with his indecision. "Why did you hide the ring?"
Magnus smiled at him, an odd reaction thought Alec. "Oh Angel, you never miss a beat do you?" He sighed.
Alec glared, the man was speaking like he knew him. What the actual hell."What, and I really am tired of repeating myself, do you want?" He was growling at this point. Alec watched the man frown, and then sigh. He lifted his hands quickly twisting them and before Alec could shove his sword under his neck further, his magic had wrapped around him and Alec was sitting on the floor, absolutely fuming.
"Ok clearly you're just as stubborn as ever. Do hush darling." Magnus, fake Magnus, thought Alec was entirely too familiar with him. He rubbed his tattoo again, it wouldn't stop tingling like his skin in those areas had gone to sleep. The man looked him over and then he looked around the room. "I've seen this room in my dreams, so I guess the other Magnus has my…" He trailed off and looked over at Alec. He sniffed. "Alright so we need to establish a baseline. Do you know that alternate realities exist?"
Alec struggled against whatever hold Magnus had him under. He should have just killed the bastard. "Yes," He said sharply. "though they're more the Seelie's jurisdiction."
"Yes exactly. I'm a Magnus from another world." He said with a grin.
Alec stared. Was it possible? What was he doing here? Did that mean he was going to settle the Downworld down so the war could be avoided? Alec frustrated with all of the questions and not getting any answers, couldn't help the shout that came out of him. "Aggh but what are you doing here?"
"Well I'm not entirely certain. Your angels have been giving me nightmares, and then I went to bed last night and woke up here." Magnus released his hold on Alec and stood up. Alec didn't charge him, but he wanted to. Magnus stood there and raised a condescending brow at him. "Are you going to behave and help me figure this out?"
Alec was reminded of his Parabatai and had to choke on his anger. Jace had been gone for so long, a deep ache built inside of him. God damn it. "I need a drink." The warlock's eyes lit up.
"Oh a man after my own heart." He snapped his fingers and two glasses appeared. One looked like a martini and the other looked like one of Izzy's red drinks. The warlock handed him the red one.
Like hell he was drinking that. He set it on his nightstand and walked into his kitchen. Grabbing his liter bottle of gentleman jack from the cabinet he poured three fingers into a glass and shot it, watching the warlock the whole time. It went down smooth and he welcomed the heat.
A dark brow arched in contemplation. "I do take requests darling, you only had to say."
Alec rolled his eyes and poured more whiskey. Sipping it this time. "Say I believe you. How do you know it was angels? They don't really…."
"Talk to warlocks. Yeah I'm well aware, and I've been in the presence of Angelic power before. It's a pretty distinctive energy signature." Magnus smirked, then waved his hands again. Before Alec's eyes he was transformed. Black button down shirt with some grey designs, with a black vest and tight black pants. His hair was in fact a Mohawk, and he lined his eyes in black liner. Alec's eyes went wide. "There much better. Now we need to…" Magnus trailed off and whirled around. Shoving Alec against the counter top behind him, he held his hands out and pushed out a magical barrier.
Alec grumbled, grabbing a kitchen knife from the counter, "I have wards. Are they worth nothing?"
Magnus woke up with a groan, then rolled quickly to his feet and called his magic forth.
The air tasted of metal, it was heavy and magic exploded through him uncontrolled and without reservation. A grey cast shrouded everything around him, and a chill ran down his spine. He was on the first floor of some kind of warehouse for shipping it looked like. Not wanting to alert anyone to his presence, Magnus very quietly and deliberately cast a shroud and silence spell.
His team had been clearing the warehouse district of demons when he'd been blasted with a spell from one of the demon warlock thralls. Had they brought him here?
"Oh thank Christ you're awake." Came an unfamiliar voice behind him, Magnus whirled around and nearly collapsed to his knees.
"HOW, it's not possible…." He said shakily. "You can't possibly…."
"You know who I am?" The stranger asked excitedly.
Magnus shook his head and said slowly reverently. "A Nephilim."
The man's eyes went wide and then a little squinty. "Magnus do you know my name?"
Magnus stepped back confused. "No. How do you know mine?"
The Nephilim ran a hand through his dark hair. "Damn it, just perfect." Before he could say anything else a group of shax demons dropped from the rafters. The man didn't even blink, just raised his weapon and fired. His reflexes out stripped anything Magnus might be able to offer, and in minutes the demons were dead at their feet.
The man shifted closer to Magnus. "How many more are out there Magnus?"
Magnus let his sense drift out. He didn't feel anything. "It's clear around the building."
"Great. What do you know about dimensional travel?"