Chapter 3 Time!
This takes place three years after chapters one and two. Before Clary.
I don't own anything by Miss Cassandra Clare.
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Song: Dynamite Steps, The Twilight Singers (A.K.A. the next U2) - The first 2 1/2 minutes of this are unspeakably beautiful. Just listen to that guitar. I know it doesn't really fit the mood, but I think that along with being violent, this chapter is really sad. To tell you the truth, I have no idea why I wrote this. I must be depressed. Well, maybe not. Okay. Rant over.
Alec tugged an arrow from the quiver strapped to his back and nocked it to the bowstring, completely focused on the dummy. Alec took a breath, aimed for the throat, and let go of the string. The arrow sliced through the air and buried itself deep in the dummy's button eye. "Shit" Alec whispered, and nocked another arrow.
"You still would have killed it."
Surprised, Alec let go of the arrow without aiming. It sailed between the dummy's legs and bounced off the concrete wall behind it. He whirled around to find a laughing Jace standing in front of the only other target in the room. The boy's chuckles echoed in the Institutes' rather small archery range for a while. Then they subsided as Jace realized where he was standing, and what Alec had in his hands. Jace quickly stepped away from the bull's eye.
"I thought we were sparring today," Jace accused. "Shooting things does not go under the category of sparring in my book."
"Number one, archery is one-sided sparring. I intend on being on the one side. Number two, it doesn't matter whether I killed the dummy or not. The problem is that I missed by one foot. One whole foot. That can be the difference between life and death. What if that one foot could have saved Izzy? Or you… That's why I can't spar today. Besides, you're just going to win anyways. You always do." Alec shrugged and turned back to his one-eyed dummy. He sensed the disapproval coming off Jace in waves. Hearing the silence behind him, Alec instantly regretted those words. I am a Shadowhunter. And Shadowhunters spar, no matter how suck they are at it.
Jace's voice grew soft. "Alec, do you really think I would let you give up fighting because I beat you every time? If you really think that, you're mad." Then, returning to his usual snarky and sarcastic self, Jace added, "Anyways, even if I do kick the crap out of you, I am an exceptionally good fighter. So maybe you're just average. Come on. Spar with me."
"Again."
Alec inwardly groaned as they resumed position. Jace started to circle Alec on the balls of his feet. Alec slowly turned, watching him, waiting for the inevitable attack. Suddenly, Jace sprung. Alec blocked him instinctively, only to realize that he was grappling with air. Alec spun around to find Jace crouched on the floor kung-fu style, his leg swinging out towards Alec's face.
Hello ground, my old friend. Pleased to make your acquaintance. Alec clutched his newly blackened eye, groaning and spat out blood.
"Jesus, Alec. I'm sorry. Here, you need an iratze." Jace pulled his stele out of his back pocket and drew the rune on Alec's bruised cheekbone, pushing down too hard. The battered boy hissed in pain as the char-colored mark sank beneath his skin, taking the battle scars with it. Once the marks were gone, Jace sat back on his haunches, leaving Alec to sit with his head in his hands.
"Are you okay?" Jace asked him.
"Yes."
"Then have another go."
"No."
"What?"
"No, Jace. I'm done." Alec ran his hands through his sweaty hair, completely spent. They had been at it for hours and Alec had not won a match yet. They always ended with either Alec on the floor, bleeding, or in one rather more memorable case, Alec on the ceiling, bleeding. When I was younger, I thought this was going to be horrible, or at least awkward, having to keep my little secret with Jace continually pinning me down and pushing me up against walls, but it's just gotten tiring.
"Come on. Fight back, Alec."
"No," whispered Alec.
"Come on. Fight back!"
"No," Alec said more forcefully.
"FIGHT BACK, GODDAMNIT!"
Alec looked up. The figure towering over him was terrifying. Jace looked livid. His beautiful face was twisted into a glare that could melt metal. And it was directed at Alec. Staring at Jace, Alec suddenly couldn't suppress his rage. At Jace for tempting him, at his parents for not understanding, and at the Clave for suppressing him. But Alec was mostly mad at himself for being ashamed. Jace's fury had set fire to the dry kindling that was Alec's mind and heart. Alec was sick of hiding. He just wanted to be free.
Bellowing his frustration, Alec jumped the unsuspecting Jace and wrestled him to the floor. Alec grabbed the collar of Jace's black shirt and screamed at him.
"I'M TIRED OF FIGHTING BACK! I'M TIRED OF FIGHTING, JACE." Alec was almost in tears. I will not cry in front of him. I will NOT.
"Why do I always have to fight, Jace? Why?"
Jace just stared back, unable to speak.
"I…I'm…What?" Jace finally choked out.
"Never mind. You wouldn't understand." Alec let go of Jace's collar and moved off from on top of him, still fighting back tears. Jace stood and brushed his gear off. He looked at the broken boy on the ground and turned to leave. Alec made a sound that could almost be a sob.
Jace walked halfway to the door and suddenly turned around, heading back to Alec. When he reached him, Jonathan Christopher Wayland crouched down and looked into Alec's eyes.
"You think I've never had to fight, Alec? You think that you're the only one? Well, I'll tell you a secret. I had to fight my father every day. You know, I actually thought that what he said was right, that to love is to destroy, but now I don't think so. I had to fight him for what I thought was right. Hell, Alec. I had to fight him for my sanity. But I learned something from him. I learned a very important thing. People should not hold you down. It's wrong. And yet they do. It is your job to rebel. To teach them the error of their ways. This is why Shadowhunters fight, Alec. Alec, this is why you must fight. And even though we spar, you know that I'll always have your back. Parabatai forever."
Alec stared at Jace, in shock. "You didn't say one sarcastic thing in that speech."
Jace held out his hand to his adoptive brother, helping him up. "Don't worry big bro, it won't happen again." Alec laughed. They started walking companionably out of the sparring ring and through the weight room.
"I guess we'll stop fighting for today and go play some Mario Kart."
"That sounds perfectly fine to me."