10 Things You Didn't Know About Max Lightwood
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We worry about what a child will become tomorrow, yet we forget that he is someone today.
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1. He always liked Isabelle best. Always.
2. When he was two, his older brother found great fun in carrying him on his shoulders and walking around the Institute, pointing at paintings and explaining them. Max has heard every single explanation, has seen the way Alec tried to be a big brother.
Max sees Alec more than a big brother.
He sees Alec in a new light that Alec, even if Max were to breathe it out loud, would not believe.
Alec was his hero.
3. His first meeting with Jace wasn't at all friendly. The older boy had taken his toy frog – which had three heads and only a single red eye, as well as sharp teeth and a snake's tail for its behind – and had torn it to pieces.
"W-why did you do that? That was a gift from auntie!" Max yells, tears forming in his eyes as his little fists balls up at his side. He looks at Jace with such contempt, the older boy's smirk falters.
"It was a demon. You can't play with demons," Jace tries to explain, he tries to be gentle with the young one and places a hand on Max's shoulder.
The boy brushes it off and glares up at him.
Fierceness ran throughout the Lightwood blood.
"It was a toy! You're mean! I don't like you! Izzy!" And Max Lightwood runs away from Jace Wayland, seeking the comforting touch of his sister.
4. The first thing Max Lightwood learned to write (except for his own name) was: Alexander and Isabelle. He idolizes his siblings.
It's only a real shame that he didn't get the time to be trained under them.
5. Jace Wayland was playing the piano in the Institute. It had been a few weeks since his arrival, and brought to stirring by the soft trill, Max decided to sneak up on the blonde. It was not when Jace had finished playing that he noticed, there, just behind him, was a sleeping Lightwood child, his dark curly hair a mess on his head.
Max remembers being taken in Jace's arms and being put back into bed, covers and all.
The morning after that, he tells Jace – "You play nice."
It was the first time since the boy's father had died that he smiled.
Max liked him ever since.
6. When he first met Clary, he tried to picture out his sister, Isabelle. He didn't see Isabelle in Clary. He didn't see a warrior in Clary.
He wouldn't see a warrior in Clary.
He wouldn't get to live that long.
7. When he left with his parents for short trips to Alicante, Max realizes that he's also leaving something behind – another part of him.
He worries every night whether his siblings – Jace included – would be okay. He worries about Hodge and about the multitude of books he has in the library.
Most of all, he worries about the Naruto manga he slept with – he couldn't understand the story.
8. They were back at Alicante, and he wasn't alone – he had his siblings with him, his entire family. This time, he felt like they would be staying here for good. But sitting around the Penhallow's living room, he notices that everybody isn't at peace, as if they were disturbed greatly.
When they send him up to read in the library, he gets annoyed.
He was part of this family, too.
Just because he was young doesn't mean he couldn't do anything!
I'm just as much a Shadowhunter as you guys are! Hmph!
8. On the rare occasion that they allowed him to hang around in the living room, he always took note not to sit too closely to Sebastian Verlac. There was something about the teenager that made Max afraid.
Max didn't like him.
But this was not like his dislike for Jace.
This was different – fear mixed with suspicion.
9. He told Jace about Sebastian scaring him.
"Jace, Sebastian is creeping me out." Max murmurs as he plays with the toy soldier Jace played with when he was a child.
"It's okay, Max. Sebastian won't hurt you," Jace reassures him, he tries to put up a brave front and smiles down at Max. Jace pats Max's mass of dark hair.
"But I don't like him!" Max tries to argue.
"That's what you told me when we first met, remember, kiddo?"
Max tries to forget about that day.
"But I know there's no way I'll ever learn to like him...He scares me..."
That night, he saw Sebastian sneak out of the house.
Hours after, he saw a distinct shadow on top of the Demon Towers.
And he knew.
10. He tried to run away when Isabelle told Sebastian to mark the house. He tried to hide from Sebastian. Because he just knew.
He ducked, fingers curling on the toy soldier. His face heats up but he tried to hide from Sebastian. He knew a protection rune when he saw one – and Sebastian's was wrong.
Max ran into the kitchen – he planned to run after Isabelle and tell her about Sebastian, Jace didn't believe him. And now here was Alicante, infested with monsters.
His hands flew to his face when Sebastian entered the room.
The sickening smile he wore made Max want to cry out for help.
But he didn't.
When Sebastian's blade came to his neck, the teenager hesitated before he brought his fingers down and snapped Max's neck.
Max was the first to know.
And nobody believed him.
His blood was not spilt.
And the tiny toy in his hand screamed for him.
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Maybe Alec next...Or someone else.