For Grace, via GGE. Enjoy, darling.
It takes only a moment, a blink of an eye. Isabelle shoves him roughly through a side street, her whip out, eyes narrowed.
Under certain circumstances, this might be exciting, even sexy. But in the middle of the street, Simon knows immediately that danger is near. He wants to remind her that he's a Shadowhunter now, too, that he's had enough experience fighting, and that she doesn't have to protect him like he's a mundane. But he sees the alert in her eyes, the sheer terror, and he knows that whatever it is, he's not ready for it.
"Run," she orders, her voice leaving him no room to protest. "I'll hold it off. Run, and get Jace. If you can't find him, Alec will do."
"But-"
Her eyes are fierce as they meet his. "Did that sound like a request? Because I'm pretty sure I used my commander voice."
Simon nods nervously. He doesn't want to leave her alone to face whatever she's seen. His instincts scream to protect her, even though she's stronger and far more experienced.
Isabelle presses a quick kiss to his lips. "I'll be fine," she assures him, as though she can read his mind. "Just go."
He tries. Really, he does. But his feet feel glued to the spot, and his legs are suddenly made of lead and refuse to carry him away.
"Simon!"
It happens in a flash. One moment, Isabelle is at his side. The next, a blur of grey knocks her to ground. She lays there, unmoving, her body limp.
Simon swallows dryly as he tries to recall his training. He draws his seraph blade. "Atheed," he names it, and he can feel the angelic power radiating from it.
The demon quickly loses interest in Isabelle. Its glossy yellow eyes focus intently on Simon as though it's just found a tasty snack.
"Yeah," Simon says, grinning in spite of his nerves. "You don't want any of this, buddy. I'm trained in the ways of Mortal Kombat, Magic the Gathering, and the sacred art of Yu Gi Oh."
The demon makes a clicking sound, it's mouth opening wide. Simon tries not to gag as a wave of breath, hot and stinking like rancid garbage, washes over him. "You know, my dentist supposedly has a miracle cure for halitosis. I could give you his number, if you'd like," Simon offers, desperately stalling.
His stalling doesn't last nearly long enough. The demon lunges at him with surprising speed for something so bulky. Simon is on his back in an instant, his fingers curled so tightly around his blade that his knuckles turn white.
The demon opens it mouth, revealing row after row of needle-like fangs. Globs of hot, sticky, putrid saliva fall, saturating Simon's hair. Simon groans at how gross it is. His stomach rebels, threatening to spill its contents. For one giddy moment, he wonders if anyone has ever actually thrown up on a demon. He makes a mental note to ask Jace, assuming he survives.
Simon swings the blade, but the demon is quicker, and Simon only slices through air. He climbs to his feet, surprised by his on steadiness. "Where did you go, buddy?" he calls. "I thought you wanted to pla-"
The taunt sticks in his throat when he spots the demon by Isabelle again. Apparently it only likes food that doesn't fight back.
He does the math in his head. In theory, he could charge it, run it through. But it's so fast, and its mouth is so close to Isabelle. If he isn't quick enough, the demon could snap her in half and disappear before Simon could even work up a good run.
Standing there and doing nothing is definitely not an option. He doesn't like the idea of remaining idle as a demon eats his girlfriend.
He studies the blade in his hand, biting the inside of his cheek. Only one option left. He doesn't like the odds, but they're greater than the other two.
Simon takes a deep breath, holding his arm out and taking aim. He still doesn't know if praying to the Angel is actually a thing, but he gives it a shot. "Guide my hand," he whispers, putting all his strength into the words before sending the seraph blade sailing through the air.
It isn't like throwing a knife. The weight is off, and it doesn't have the same balance. Simon realizes this the moment it leaves his hand, and he holds his breath, hoping and praying that he does not fail. If this doesn't work, Isabelle will die.
The Angel seems to hear him. The blade buries itself in the demon's skull. There's a shrill, ungodly shrieking as greenish black ichor flows from the wound.
"Please, die," Simon asks, hoping that if he requests nicely the demon will be more cooperative.
The demon falls back, writhing. It bursts into dust, vanishing from view.
Simon doesn't have a chance to marvel at his miraculous victory. He rushes to Isabelle, drawing his stele. He pulls her shirt down slightly (only slightly because if Isabelle wakes and thinks he's trying to undress her, she might kill him herself) and traces the iratze rune by her collarbone.
Her eyes open, and she groans, sitting up and rubbing her head. "The demon?" she asks, her eyes suddenly alert again, her hand twitching toward her whip.
"Taken care of," Simon says proudly, helping her to her feet.
"You found Jace!"
"Uh, no…"
"Alec?"
Simon shakes his head.
"Clary defeated it, then?"
Simon scowls. "No. I did!"
Isabelle laughs. "You defeated the demon singlehandedly?" she asks in disbelief.
"Do you have to sound so surprised?" he asks, folding his arms over his chest. "Yes. I went into super badass mode and destroyed the thing. What is so funny?"
"I'm sorry! It's just, it's you."
"I'm a Shadowhunter, too."
"A new one. Six months of training. You couldn't have actually-"
She trails off, and he can practically see the gears turning in her head. There's no demon. Jace, Clary, and Alec are nowhere to be found. They are the only Shadowhunters around. Simon grins, waiting patiently for the praise.
Instead, Isabelle slaps him hard on the chest.
"Ow! What was that for!"
"Let's get one thing straight. I'm not the damsel in this relationship. You are," she says, her voice low and dangerous.
Simon holds up his hands defensively. "Okay, okay. I promise that next time I will let the demon try to kill me so you can rescue me. Happy?"
Isabelle glares at him before grabbing him by the shoulders, kissing him. "That was for saving me."
"I would say that maybe I should save you more often if that's my reward, but you've made it clear that that's not an option."
She grins, taking his hand and leading him back onto the main street. "Well, you learn fast, don't you?" she laughs.