Lacie: *walks in through studio door* Hey guys!
Clary: MWAHAHAHAHAHA DIE CHRIS! TAKE THAT YOU SON OF A MOTHER
Chris: LACIE YOU HAVE TO HELP ME
Lacie: what's going on…
Clary: All I have to do is turn this hill, drop all my bananas and I'll win, you know why? BECAUSE I AM AWESOME
Chris: HOW DO YOU PLAY MARIO KART?! DX
Lacie: You got to be barking kidding me. You guys do realize that you are playing a game that tests all friendships, right?
Clary: YES! YES TAKE THAT FOTHERMUCKER!
Chris: such profanity…
Lacie: That's enough! *confiscates DS's from both of them*
Clary: I WAS JUST ABOUT TO CROSS THE FINISH LINE
Lacie: Well now you'll never make it! We've got a chapter to introduce! Now sit and turn on your microphone.
Chris: Guys, they've been on….
Clary: ….I don't care. Nothing matters. You stole my moment…..
Lacie: Whatever, if you really want a challenge, don't play against the guy who was press the A button like it was a bomb.
Chris: *sarcasm*Sorry for having a limited knowledge on mundane technology.
Lacie: Anywho…Hi guys! Welcome to chapter 19 of this strangely yet kinda cool, but sometimes tedious and occasionally interesting story. Thank you to everyone who reviewed, some of you are guest, and since I can't reply, I'll do it here.
Clary: Okay, first one, to MyQuilNeverRests-
Chris: Who uses quills nowadays? Not even Shadowhunters….
Clary: Shutup. Okay they asked a good question, they said that if my rune does end up being permanent, why don't I just draw another rune, but picture my old red haired self.
Lacie: Oh, that's because Clary's rune magic is weird, and since I have yet to reveal what will happen to her rune, I don't want to say too much, but IF clary's rune is permanent, I'm assuming, it would be like a parabatai rune, once you pick one, you can't pick another.
Chris: next one is from greygirl2358-
Clary: she sounds familiar!
Chris: I think it's because she's reviewed before. Anyway she says, something about Simon telling Maryse off, blah blah hurrah b/c Jace didn't see our hot kiss in the Japan *winks* wouldn't want him to get a broken heart? Blech..
Lacie: Okay you're not reading them. Thank you grey girl!
Clary: Next one is from Emilie Bane. It says she's coughing. Do you need some couch medicine? The she says holy mother trucker, OMG can I use that!
Lacie: haha, thank you guys, here's the next chapter, and I look forward to what you have to say about it. I don't own TMI, but I do own Chris and white haired, rune Clary!
Enjoy!
Alec POV
Alec really should have thought this through a bit better.
In his haste to want to do something right, something instead of just being on the sidelines, instead of having to hear everything from a fifth source, he wanted to be in on the action. He wanted to go to wherever Clary was and help fix this mess, put everything back in place.
Maybe after he fixed everything else he'd know how to fix himself.
When Alec agreed to go reconnaissance before the Clave and the rest of the Institute arrived, he hadn't realized that if he was getting there first, he'd have to go through a Portal first. One made by Magnus. He hadn't thought that he'd have to face the warlock this soon, and the pulse that played in his temple was fueled by nerves and hope. Hope that maybe this could be one of those things where you just looked someone in the eye, and everything was okay.
He honestly doubted it though.
After the meeting, they had to wait all day until evening, making Jace prowl around the Institute like a hungry lion. He kept making texts and phone calls, assumingly to either Simon or Magnus, to see if anything new had come up. Simon had been given the authority to command the vampires that were worked for the head vampire of apparently all of Europe. Alec had felt a bit suspicious about the idea of a powerful vampire just giving all of his power to a new and not so commanding vampire. Not only that, but if the Clave wanted to dig up anything to blackmail them with, using the fact that they had an army of vampires under their power (well not theirs but they could easily tell Simon to make them do things) was definitely a good thing to hold over their heads. Still,, not like Alec could say anything against it, especially since no one had brought up telling this to Maryse. She'd have their heads and he didn't want to be the one to break the news to her.
Anyway, they had to wait until evening for Clary's presence to appear on the map. Magnus had reported that the magic surrounding the house was seriously disturbed, meaning that there was a lot of other magic that was around messing with it so it would take longer to get an exact location. As of last night, they knew that Sebastian was in Greece, around Athens. Maryse had explained that that was probably why there was trouble getting a location. Greece wasn't known for its myths and monsters for nothing. The country was old, and it wouldn't surprise Alec if there were any old cults of warlocks or other Downworlders, or even Shadowhunters, lurking about.
After they saw the map, Isabelle had called Simon, which no one obliged her to, but Alec wasn't going to hold it against her, and informed him of this.
"Great! I'll call Atlas and let him know." Simon had responded to the news.
"Atlas? That's the head vampire's name? Wasn't he a Greek Titan or something?" Izzy had asked.
Jace, still staring at the map at the time, had absentmindedly spoken up, sounding distracted but not losing the opportunity to show off his knowledge even though it wasn't his intention to, "You're right. Atlas was a Greek Titan whose punishment was to hold the sky and keep it from meeting with the Earth for siding with the Titans during the war against the Olympian Gods. He often times tried to convince others to hold up his burden, such as Heracles, or as you might know him Simon, Hercules, as is his Roman name, but would always fail because they would always manage to trick him back into holding up the sky. And so is his never ending torment to keep the Earth and Sky from clashing together and making more evil baddies for the gods and goddesses and demigods and heroes to keep under bay."
"….So he was named after a guy who is eternally in pain? The sky's got to be heavy." Simon responded.
Alec had sighed, "He probably named himself that, not a good sign. A lot of immortal beings prefer to change their name into something else. Atlas was a strong guy, who had a lot of responsibility. You can't just let the sky fall against the Earth. So if he names himself after a guy who holds the sky in place, he must think highly of himself."
Jace nodded. "He thinks the world revolves around him, which is not true-"
"Say anything about how it should revolve around you and I'll sink my nails into your neck." Isabelle warned.
Moving on, he continued, "He considers himself to be a main point in the world, he must have endured hardships and now thinks that he's overcome them enough to deserve such a name." Jace faced the general direction in which Izzy's phone was held, "Watch it Simon, he obviously thinks he can keep you in line and order you around. If he thinks he can hold up the sky, he must think it too easy to control one under experienced vampire."
"So in other words he's just like you only older and has my type of diet." Alec could almost feel the Daylighter roll his eyes, "What if his name is really just Atlas? Sheesh, you already pinned down everything about him down to the personality. I'm going to laugh if you've overanalyzed everything."
"Is this what I get for trying to warn you? Just giving you some advice. No one gets that type of name and not know what it means." Jace retorted.
"Okay, I would comment on that because this is coming from the guy who has like four last names, but I have a call to make, so…" before Jace could provide a verbal attack, Simon hung up.
That had been their night last night, and since then, Alec had collected all of his things, and sat in his room trying to mentally and emotionally prepare for this. Not for his actual trip to Greece, but for his possible encounter with Magnus.
The next morning, he had gone outside to the back of the Institute, where the Portal would be opened. He was supposed to be there by seven thirty, as was everyone who would give him some tips before he left. In a way he felt grateful, that way it wouldn't be as uncomfortable with Magnus there.
Imagine his surprise when he got there and the warlock wasn't there, a giant circular Portal leering at him in his place. The Portal was positioned in the same place as the one when the Lightwoods had gone to Alicante, the weeds surrounding the back of the Institute looking like wild grasslands then. Now, the cold pre-winter weather had shriveled up any plant life, giving the back of the New York Institute looking like an asylum for criminals, especially since it was a dark grey morning, making the seem mournful.
Maryse, his mother, was already there, standing a good distance from the gaping opening. Her face looked stern and merciless, but Alec could still remember a younger face that used to tie his shoelaces when he was five. Jocelyn was on the opposite side of the Portal, arms crossed across a paint splattered jacket, hair down her shoulders. The two women appeared to be in silent conversation, and Alec briefly wondered what they could possibly talk about. Their kids? The old days when they thought what they were doing with the Circle was the right thing? Or maybe it's more feminine things, either way, as soon as he was within listening distance they spotted him, and they both looked at him. He felt somewhat uncomfortable, having these two looking at him, two more experienced Shadowhunters, almost like they were sizing him up. Maybe it was just because they both had that authoritative aura that just demanded respect. He didn't know how Clary or Jace or Isabelle or even Simon could talk back to these type of people, one glance from them and he felt like his very soul was being judged. He just didn't have that sort of presence in his heart.
Upon a closer look, they were both in Shadowhunter gear, just like he was. It was agreed that instead of an hour, he'd be heading there several hours before the Clave would be informed, just so that he could have more time. It was a simple task, go in, find Clary, and get out before anyone else arrived. Shouldn't be too hard.
As he approached the two, he asked, "Where are Jace and Isabelle?" Simon had said he was coming too, which is why the Portal was put in the back instead of inside, but Alec thought he heard something about the vampire having to deal with some other things that weren't his problem.
"Looking for us?" Behind him came Jace and Isabelle, both dressed in gear. They were both wearing thick sweaters, but Alec could tell that neither of them were runed yet. That would change in a few hours though.
"Here Alec, allow me." Jocelyn lifted a stele questioningly, asking him permission, and he obliged by removing the thin sweater he was wearing over his gear. He hadn't fully marked himself, knowing that they would want to prep him before he was off. Besides, he had a feeling that Jocelyn's skill at drawing runes were a lot better than his.
As she etched lines across his forearm, Maryse spoke to him. "Like we all know, you'll be going to Greece, Athens, I believe it was. This Portal will leave you in just south of the city, so head north, and try to look along the edges of the capital. I doubt Jonathan Christopher will want to be amongst large crowds." Upon hearing her son's name, Jocelyn tensed a bit, the stele stinging a bit more than usual on his skin, but he didn't complain. He had already heard from Jace exactly how she felt about the son she had created.
Maryse continued to give him advice for when he was there, how to ask people from the Shadow world, if he encounters any, of they knew anything about Sebastian's location, as well as to ask mundanes, just in case.
When Jocelyn had finished, she stepped back. She was so short she had to stand on her tip toes to finish his shoulders, but now she tipped her chin up slightly to look him in the eye.
"I don't think I need to tell you how important this is to me, do I?" she asked him.
He shook his head. "I'll do everything I possibly can."
She cracked a small smile, not a heartfelt one, but just to show her appreciation. Giving his hand a squeeze, she stepped back, separating herself from them.
Next was Maryse, Alec expected to hear some more drills from her, but she tentatively extended her arms, and before she could change her mind he bear hugged her. Maryse was surprised at first, but then warmed up and wrapped her arms tight around back. Whispering into his ear, she said, "Be careful for me, okay? I know you have to get Clarissa, but please don't do anything that'll get you killed. I don't want to lose you too."
Alec was shocked at his mother's request, Shadowhunters were supposed to lay their lives down if it meant saving each other. But he supposed this wasn't a Shadowhunters talking to him. It was his mother.
"Don't worry mom." He gave her a kiss on her cheek, then released her as she returned to her place beside the Portal. Alec faced Jace and Izzy, expecting them to just smack him on the back and shove him into the madness. He was tackled by his sister, she gripped his shoulders and told him, "I know you're not supposed to get involved in any fighting that may happen, but if you get a chance to stab Sebastian, even though I'll probably be jealous that I wasn't the one doing it, do it. Just don't do anything that'll get you killed. Not that I'm doubting your fighting skills, it's just that…." She didn't need to finish, he knew. Sebastian was way out of his level.
Alec looked over Isabelle's shoulder, and met his parabatai's gaze. They had a silent conversation, one that though they couldn't communicate telepathically, it was almost as if they were reading each other's exact thoughts.
Do what you have to, and even though it kills me that I'm not the one going, I know you'll do your best, Jace thought.
Don't worry, that way, you'll be the one shoving the blade down Sebastian's throat, Alec joked.
Jace smiled, giving him Alec a nod. Before he let go of Izzy, she quickly whispered to him, her face concealed in his hair, "I know you're probably wondering this but scared to ask, so I'll tell you. Magnus came about twenty minutes ago. He made the Portal, then he left. About five minutes ago, I think. Thought you should know." She let him go, and gave him a supportive smile. He felt numb inside, Magnus had been here just five minutes ago, had Alec been just a bit faster he would crossed his path. He didn't know whether to feel relieved, or upset.
Going to Jace, he grasped his hand in a firm hand shake and gave him a guy hug.
Standing back, he faced the Portal, and after a look behind his shoulder. He didn't know why he was the one doing this, or why everyone else just let him. But whether it was him or not, the job was the same.
Now let's just make sure I don't get killed and everything will be just fine….
He stepped into the Portal, and gravity lost all meaning.
Clary POV
Clary knew Greek myths. She also knew about the gods and goddesses, the twelve Olympians. Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades were the big three, and the rest were Ares, Athena, Aphrodite, Hermes, Artemis, Hera, Hephaestus, Hestia, and Apollo. She knew about the Greek monsters, the Titans, the heroes, the demigods, and many of the legends. She knew about all of that, but she didn't know Greece.
Modern day Athens was dry and breezy, and she could swear she could taste the Aegean Sea on her tongue when she inhaled deeply.
When Chris told her they were heading stepping out into the capital of Greece, she didn't know she expected to see a Colosseum, though that was Roman, she expected chariots and people in togas and people speaking in somewhat English accents, and old brick buildings with torches to illuminate the night. She half thought there'd be people at places of worship, giving up offerings to their gods and goddesses, market places full of people hustling this way and that. She never thought that when someone said Athens they meant-
"A twenty first century city," Chris explained.
From the top of the Parthenon, in Athens Greece, concealed in glamour so that no one would see them, Clary swore.
Chris clucked his tongue at her, "What did you expect? Gods walking across the pavement? Hermes delivering messages to civilians, or Zeus striking down non-believers? Or perhaps Satyrs and such frolicking about?"
Something like that…
"It seems so," Clary said, bewildered, "Normal. Modern, and un-ancient like I would thought. Except for this beauty right here." She jerked her thumb toward where they stood, in between two columns, overlooking the city and a vast forest. The Parthenon was atop of a large hill that gave them a good view of everything around them, and was the location where their house decided to take residence.
They had awoken that morning, still in her room, yet somehow magically transported to her bed. They slept on top of the covers, and Clary had been the first one up. She had been the one to ask if they could go out to see the world, eagerly wanting to see what was out there.
"Where are we anyway?" she had asked him then.
Chris had answered somewhat reluctantly, "Athens."
Clary had been very excited, she threw on some camo pants and a fleece sweater. The weather was dry yet pleasant, a not too hot not too cold type that she could appreciate.
Now as they stood surveying the city, Clary's sweater rippled in the soft wind. She walked closer to the edge, placing her hand on the column next to her and looking outward.
"Athens is trying to become a better city. They used to be very polluted, but have managed to fix the problem." Chris went on. He wore a brown leather jacket over dark jeans and a grey T-shirt. He hadn't sounded very enthusiastic as Clary was when she said she wanted to see the city, as if he was reluctant to step outside of the house at all. He was sort of tense, his eyes vigilant around every corner. Though they were concealed in a glamour, he stayed hidden in the shadow of the columns.
"Well then," Clary said, extending her arm toward the city, "Give me the grand tour."
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At a last minute suggestion, Chris removed their glamours. He insisted they stay within large groups of people, which would be thought of as easy. Athens was a pretty touristic spot, but around this time of the year, though the weather was still comfortable, tourists were sparse.
Clary suspected that Chris was worried that someone would find them, considering the message from the Ouija board saying that they would be caught soon, but Clary was starting to doubt the whole thing. Really, what did a wooden board know?
Either way, they still managed to stay within large crowds, following the busy groups of people. If she let her mind wander, she could almost believe that she was just a teenaged girl, traveling the world with her older brother and that there was nothing abnormal going on around her. A couple of people would pause and stare at them for a few moments, and then keep moving, as if they were trying to make sure of what they were seeing. Looking at themselves through a shop window, she tried to see what they all found so captivating. They were mostly girls stopping and starring, most definitely because of Chris, who she had to admit was stunning, though it annoyed her a bit that they did it so openly.
I never drooled over any guys I saw out on the streets, did I?
Then again, she couldn't remember crushing over any guys before Jace, except for this one brief crush that she had on Johnny Depp a few years back, but let's admit it, every girl has had a crush on a much older guy before.
As Clary was contemplating this matter, a girl walked over to her, one who was staring at Chris, and Clary was just amazed at her straightforwardness and ability to just come up to a guy and say hi, when she actually tapped Clary on the arm.
"Umm…" the girl struggled with her English, "Your hair is very, pretty. Nice." She blushed and laughed at her own attempt at speaking to her.
Clary was stunned at first, and gave a quick smile and weird bobbing nod, "Ugh.. thank you." It sounded more like a question though, so she said it again, with more confidence, "Thank you."
The girl rejoined her group of friends who were not so subtly hiding underneath a café table umbrella, glancing at her from there.
As they distanced themselves from the café tables, Chris chuckled.
Clary playfully slugged him in the arm, "What?"
He shook his head, "No, nothing."
They walked through beautiful streets with houses painted cheerful colors and walked on cobblestone streets. Though there were tall modern buildings that obstructed their view of the hills where the ruins were, Clary could feel thousands of years' worth of history beneath her booted feet.
Around three in the afternoon, they went in search of something to eat. Instead of looking for a Shadow world restaurant, they went to a busy fast food restaurant, which happened to be underground, where the crowds and fast paces of people suited their needs.
They sat themselves down at a table, chowing down on their wrapped cheeseburgers and greasy fries. Chris looked somewhat uncomfortable with the food, considering that he wasn't used to mundane junk food.
"Not hungry?" Clary teased as she dipped a fry into ketchup.
"It's just, this food makes me sick just watching you eat it."
"It's because I grew up around this stuff. You can't go more than a few blocks around New York and not see the big McDonald's sign eventually." Clary said.
"This is unsanitary Clary. Aren't you worried you'll get fat?" he smirked.
Clary made a pshhhh sound. "Don't even try to guilt me. I've seen the videos, including Super Size Me, and just about every one of those videos on what they do to the animals of where this food comes from. You can give me all the gross and disgusting facts, I'm still eating this." She proved it by taking a monster bite of her cheeseburger.
He pushed his food away and ended up buying a salad instead, as well as bottled water, making Clary feel like a pig.
A satisfied and filled pig who had a damn delicious meal.
She excused herself to go to the bathroom, walking past several families where children played with their food and parents scorned them in Greek. Clary smiled as a little girl kept trying to get her father's attention.
In the bathroom, she was washing her hands, when a girl who could be no older than her walked in. The girl wore a long black dress, low on the shoulders, and wavy brown hair that practically glowed around her. She walked over to the sink next to Clary, and she couldn't help but wonder what a girl like her was doing at a greasy place like this. Discreetly glancing in the mirror as the girl removed her rings to wash her hands, Clary saw flawless pale skin, a delicate face, and dark brown eyes. Clary would have guessed she was vegan.
As Clary dried her hands, she heard a clink on the ground and heard the roll of something on the tiles. The girl's ring had fallen and landed next to her feet. Stooping down to get it, she extended her arm to the brown haired girl.
"You dropped this." She told her.
The girl shook some water from her hands, then reached to take the ring from Clary. In a Greek accent, yet in perfect English, she said, "Thank you so much." She gave Clary a small smile, showing little teeth. Her hand brushed Clary's palm, and Clary noticed how cold it was. Yet somehow familiar.
She must wash her hands with cold water, Her first thought was, but as she was just about to push through the door she saw the girl turn on the water again. It was all the way hot.
It wasn't until she got back to the table that she recognized why the cold had been familiar. She felt that kind of cold skin before, and very often, especially during the two weeks that Jace had been missing. Whenever she would hold Simon's hand, his cold, dead, hand.
Just like this girl's.
Trying not to look distressed, Clary began casually, "Are you done yet?"
Chris looked at her first, then glanced at his half eaten salad, "Yeah, even the salad tastes like grease."
They stood up slowly, taking their time wrapping up their food and finishing their drinks and throwing away napkins. As they walked out, Clary tried not to see the vampire girl stroll out of the bathrooms, cell phone in hand.
It's just a vampire, Clary thought, Just a Downworlder who probably want nothing to do with you….
Yet she couldn't shake an awful foreboding sense in her stomach.
As they went above ground again, Clary noticed that the sky was getting dimmer it was still bright, but she could feel the impending sunset approach.
Wait, if it was still light outside, why was there a vampire out? Unless she was also a Daylighter, which Clary doubted, considering that Simon was the only one. It could be that Clary had only imagined the whole scenario, probably from eating the unhealthy fast food.
As they steered for the heavy crowds, which were now starting to get bigger, since it was almost rush hour, Chris asked her, "A penny for your thoughts?"
"Actually, a penny for a question. Can vampires come out even when the sun is still out? I mean like underground." The crowd was getting thick as they clashed through people, Greek accents resonating in her ears.
"Of course they can be awake, your Daylighter friend is living proof of that, it might be harder for other vampires though, considering they don't have the immunity for sunlight, and they're drawn to the darker hours. It takes a lot of will power, but strong vampires can wake themselves up during the daylight." He gripped her elbow and pulled her out of the way as a couple of kids ran past them, laughing to themselves.
"So, a vampire who looked wide away in the day must be pretty strong, right?"
"What happened in the bathroom that you're not telling me?" Chris gave her a sidelong look.
Clary sighed, "It's probably nothing, but there was a vampire in the bathroom. She didn't do anything, but I'm not sure whether or not to be more or less suspicious because of it."
They entered a park, where many families and people were out having picnics in the enjoyable weather. Chris and she went to a park bench under the shade of a tree with branches hanging so low, it obscured their faces from outside, but from within, they could see all around them.
Chris thought for a second, then cited, "Well if it's that vampire you're worried about, I doubt she'll come after us now. It's still light out, even though only for an hour or two more. The sun sets early this time of the year, so we better finish up whatever you want to see before then."
"Agreed."
Chris tapped her cheek slightly, making Clary look his way, "Hey, we're two trained Shadowhunters, we can take one vampire."
Clary thought the look she gave didn't display that her worries weren't so much for the vampire, but for something she couldn't place. Something felt wrong, and she knew Chris felt it too, but wasn't showing it for her behalf.
Stepping out from underneath the shade, they were about to rejoin the crowds and head to see what was left of the city, when a women tapped Clary's shoulder.
The women looked nice enough, average even, just a house wife. She was about to speak to Clary, and she thought for a second the same struggled English would escape from her, but the women's English was impressive, "Excuse me, but are you lost? Are you looking for someone?"
"Lost? No, why would I be?" Clary asked.
"There was a boy, earlier today, and he asked me of I'd seen a girl that looks somewhat like you, though I think the picture he showed me was with a girl with green eyes. And her hair was somewhat different too."
Clary exchanged a look with Chris, who was giving a wary eye to the area around them, noticing that they were out in the open.
"What did this boy look like?" Clary tried to sound completely clueless, yet trying to help the woman a bit.
"Tall, very tall, with dark black hair, and the most beautiful blue eyes I've ever seen. He said that the girl was a friend and that he was looking for her. Are you her?" the women peered into her face, as if matching up Clary's features with the picture she'd seen.
Alec. Here. But looking for her? How?
She did her best to lie. "I'm sorry, but I don't anyone like that. I think you have the wrong person." Just to make the lie more convincing, she added, "I'm not lost, I'm touring with my boyfriend." She nodded her head towards Chris.
The woman looked embarrassed, "I'm so sorry, I was just trying to help, sorry for the inconvenience."
"It's alright," Clary smiled at her, looping her arm through Chris's just for the heck of it.
The woman walked away, and Chris grabbed Clary's chin, jerking it up to face his eyes, "Boyfriend huh? If we say it anymore times it'll have to be official."
Fighting the blush that crept its way to her cheeks, she starting walking towards the groups of people, and tried to look past the huge buildings in search of the hills where the Parthenon was located.
She couldn't see them, but she knew where they were. "I think we should go home. Now."
As they zoomed through crowds, Chris muttering 'excuse me's and 'sorry's in Greek as they elbowed through some people, he assumed, "The boy she described was Alexander Lightwood wasn't it?"
"Alec, but yeah, the one and only."
The had gone a far ways away from their house, and it took a while to get there because they were walking with the crowds. Clary had suggested once or twice if they should just wear some glamours and race to the hills.
"If someone's looking for us, they're going to be looking for signs of us trying to hide. They'll be looking for the smallest of details that they won't notice that we passed right underneath their noses." He had argued. It wasn't until the crowds started thinning and the street lights blinked on that he considered again the glamours.
By the time they were anywhere near the Parthenon, the sun had set, some last rays still fighting their way to the edges of the horizon. The hid themselves in glamours, as to not attract attention from any mundanes, and ascended towards the white columns that rose above everything.
Clary was just starting to see past the top of the hill, when Chris suddenly threw himself to the ground, and instead of wondering why, Clary immediately mimicked him. Boosting herself on her elbows, laying on her stomach, she mouthed, "What?"
He pressed a finger to his lips, and slowly crawled up the hill. Clary followed suit, and it wasn't until she reached the top that she saw why Chris suddenly dived.
Vampires. They were surrounding the Parthenon, a few were inside, poking at the walls of their home, but they couldn't find the door. Chris had made it disappear, so that only he could make it open to them.
They looked like they were waiting for something, as if they were told to find the house but not what to do afterwards.
"How many," Clary mouthed again.
Chris's eyes scanned the whole areas. "Dozens." He mouthed back.
He signaled for her to follow him, as they quietly slid back down the hill, distancing themselves from the vampires. It wasn't until they were far away enough that Chris deemed it appropriate to talk.
"Okay, they've got the whole place surrounded, but they're obviously waiting for something. They may look off-guard, but don't let that fool you, they're ready to pounce whenever, but it doesn't look like they're expecting us, so if we use this time now to-"
"Hold that thought," Clary muttered, she looked over his shoulder, where a form was just barely visible at the edge of her demonic vision. The form was tall, and that was all she was able to discern for now. Chris followed her gaze, and the silently agreed the vampires could wait. Creeping in a wide arc, feet light as a breeze, they went forward, getting closer to the form.
As her eyes gathered more and more details, Clary internally gasped.
It was Alec, this time in the flesh though. He was leaning against a boulder, not seeming to notice them, though they were only about ten meters away. Clary saw his form dressed in gear, a weapons belt strapped around his waist. She cursed herself for not bringing more than just a seraph blade and Chris's stele, because she forgot hers at the house, which were tucked safely in her boots. Alec appeared to hold something in his hands, and it wasn't until he put it to his ear that she recognized it as a cellphone.
"Hey, it's me." Pause. "What's taking you guys so long, you said only a few hours, the sun's already set." Another pause. "Well whatever complications you're having, fix them. We found their safe house, it's in the middle of the Parthenon." A familiar, bewildered voice sounded from the phone, and Clary inched closer to hear it better. "Yeah, the Parthenon, your vampire friends found it and first, meaning they're still here." And closer than you think….
Alec grunted, "I am not going to talk to the vampires, I'm trained to fight them, no offense, but that many in one place gives the creeps."
A few more words came from the phone, and Clary recognized the voice. It was Simon.
What the hell is going on?
Looking at Chris's face, she could tell he was thinking the exact same thing.
Alec wasn't done. "Have you contacted the Clave yet? No, I haven't seen Clary or Sebastian. I wandered the city all day, if they're here I must have missed them." Simon spoke again, and Clary caught some words from the bad reception Alec was having, "Vampire…earlier…..saw….restaurant…bathroom…find…hungry."
The vampire from the bathroom. She was spying for Alec, or Simon, or someone? Wait, why did Alec have all these vampires under his command? If they were even his, the vampire girl probably reported them, causing all the vampires to come here. But wait, The Clave. They were contacting the Clave! They were all going to be here, all of them, maybe even….
Maybe even Jace and Jocelyn and Isabelle and Simon…..
Clary understood that much about what Simon said, not so much about the hungry part, maybe the vampires were hungry, but either way, they had to do something. Now.
Alec hung up on his phone, and without a clue as to what she was doing, Clary stepped in his way.
His eyes widened in disbelief, his mouth slightly open, his eyes taking in her appearance, shocked by her look, but he quickly regained his composure. "Clary, what the- where-, ugh, never mind, let's leave the explanations until later. You have to come with me right now, before the Clave-"
"How many people are coming Alec?" She inquired, "Who did you call for?"
"What?" he was confused, "I don't know, a lot, but that doesn't matter, we have to take you away now. Where's Sebastian, how did you even escape?"
A heartbeat passed before Clary drew out her stele, "I didn't escape Alec."
His eyes rounded, and before he could say more, Clary moved as fast as Chris taught her, and almost pinned Alec down, trying to complete an immobilizing rune on his shoulder.
Clary didn't know why she was doing this. All she knew was that Alec was trying to get Chris, getting the Clave, and she couldn't let that happen. She was almost done with the rune, when Alec's surprise wore off, and he was fighting back, and in their struggle, he broke her stele in two.
She swore, and used her strength against him. Clary was surprised at how easy it was. She expected fighting Alec to be like fighting against a brick wall, but she was so used to fighting against Sebastian, that she found someone like Alec easy to go against.
She didn't want to hurt Alec, only use him to maybe blackmail the Clave, if it came to that. She was going to immobilize him, the put him to sleep. But since he broke her stele….
Alec rolled underneath her, trying to use his size against her, but she kept him pinned. Grabbing his head between her hands, she lifted it up, then pushed it down hard.
He gasped, his eyes dazed, and before he could recuperate, she gave him another whack, sending him into unconsciousness. Alec lay limp before, hide head was slightly bleeding, and Clary ripped a part of his sweater off to wrap it around his head. The last time she had seen Alec like this was when Sebastian had terrorized the Institute, now he was like this again, because of her.
Guilt rolled in waves across her conscious, making her hate herself.
So this is what I would do when the Clave showed up…..
Looking back, she saw Chris leaning against the boulder Alec had been on. She was surprised he'd let her handle things, she'd think he'd be the one who would want to shut him up, but he looked like he trusted she could handle the situation.
"I never would have expected you to do that," he astonished, "You want to tell me how you plan on taking care of this, because I feel like you have an idea, especially since you broke our only stele at the moment." His lips were in a smirk, one that Clary could feel in her own mouth, but suppressed it.
She did have a plan, she didn't like it, but she supposed that if it was their only plan…
She internally sighed. I can't believe I'm saying this…..
"Remember those Demon Shadowhunters that you said you could contact?"
Simon POV
Just because I have a badass head vampire lending me his army suddenly I'm the one to blame for everything that goes wrong…
Simon behind the Institute, waiting for their High Warlock to appear.
Magnus had been late, three hours late, that's a lot of time when your enemy could appear from one spot of the world to the next in about a second. Magnus had claimed that it had been because his 'fab-mag-ulous' self needed some time in a spa before wasting himself on Portals. Everyone was pretty ticked, which was why when Alec had called saying that they found the safe house Sebastian used, he'd tried to ease everyone's nerves a bit. Tried to loosen some of the tension. It only made them more determined.
It occurred to Simon that perhaps he shouldn't be amongst a group of people who have trained their whole lives to kill Downworlders like him.
All in gear, Jocelyn, Maryse, Isabelle, and Jace were all prepared, each one of them with a part to play. Not only that, but Simon had called Jordan, asking him if he could come along as well, maybe call Maia and some more of his werewolf friends if they had any willing to come. Jordan said there was already a small pack of werewolves in Greece, pretty near Athens, and that they were already on their way.
The more the merrier, right?
Simon hadn't been there earlier that morning because he had a phone date with Atlas's daughter, but he didn't tell everyone else that though.
He had done his best to go through the two hours that Sharon, the vampire who was actually a lot older than Simon but still had the mindset of a thirteen year old, talked on and on about her favorite things: favorite color, black and red, favorite flower, the bleeding heart flower, which was actually a pretty cool flower, favorite people to feed from, teenaged boys.
"I wasn't old enough to date yet, but I met in secret with this guy all the time at night. One day he dumped me though, and I was all alone in the night, I almost got raped but Atlas saved me! Yeah, he said that in payment he had to turn me into a vampire, but I don't say it's his fault for who I am, it's all that stupid boy's! Good thing you're nothing like that, right?" Sharon sounded very sweet, but underneath Simon could hear a malice that even he when he was digging out of the grave couldn't compare.
They ended it on a good note though, and even though Simon knew it was going to kill him breaking it to Sharon that they couldn't be anything but friends, he could deal with that later.
A sudden poof came from his left, and Simon saw Magnus appear.
"Well then, is everyone ready?" He said this as though they've been the ones making him wait.
Just as he appeared, Jordan and Maia walked in.
"Hope we're not too late," Maia waved at Isabelle and the two hugged each other. Jordan fist bumped Jace and nodded at Simon.
"We're all ready Magnus," Jocelyn announced.
"Good. Now, let's get you guys to Greece! Which by the way, is lovely this time of the year, maybe I should go vacationing later on…"
While Magnus set the Portal up, Simon gave Alec another call, but was met by voicemail.
He must be busy….
He dialed Atlas this time, also met with voicemail, but he knew that the vampire never answered calls. He made them. He was probably listening to Simon on the machine as he spoke.
"Hello Atlas, it's Simon. We are on our way to Athens right now, tell your vampires that we'll meet up with them when we get there." Before he hung up, he decided it was best if he added, "Oh, and tell Sharon I said hi."
Staring at the massive Portal on the wall, Simon watched as Jocelyn and Jace were the first to storm in, followed by Isabelle, Maryse, then Jordan and Maia, both looking uncomfortable traveling by Portal, but the walked in hand in hand.
Simon was the last one left, but before he stepped through, he looked at Magnus in the eye.
"What?" Magnus said, perplexed, "You haven't gotten all day, Simba! Go in and save the little red head."
The name's close enough…
"I know not a lot of people say this to you Magnus, but thank you, for everything. These guys have no idea how much they need you, and they don't appreciate you nearly enough for it. Really, thanks."
Magnus's eyes softened, "Get in that Portal now."
Simon was just about to step through, when Magnus spoke again, "Not many people say that, but it's an honor to know I'm living eternity with you, Daylighter."
Simon chuckled, "Same. But while we're at it, how about using my name for the rest of eternity too?"
Then he stepped in, ready to join the people he knew and cared for to find his best friend.
Lacie: THE BATTLE BEGINS
Clary: OMG WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN VIRVBIUBRVNCEJ D:
Chris: So are Clary and I dating now, or…..
Lacie: No, you're not.
Chris: Dang
Clary: Thank the Angel
Chris: You know you love me
Lacie & Clary: Eww Justin Bieber
Clary: Not to bash him but he doesn't suit you
Chris: Wait, what beaver?
Lacie: Nevermind. So my lovelyfantamazing readers, what did you guys think of this chapter? Review it! Or review the chapter before this one, and the one before that,, and the one before that.
Clary: 19 chapters! Can't believe we're this far in!
Lacie: YOU'RE TELLING ME. I STARTED THIS FANFICTION ABOUT FIVE MONTHS AGO, AND I ALREADY TYPED ABOUT 400 PAGES :0
Chris: How much time do you spend typing?
Lacie: A lot more time than my parents would like…
Clary: That's cool though bro! I wish I could make stories, but I'm just the artist…
Chris: We could make a story, I'll make it, you draw it.
Clary: A comic book! NO a manga! I could be a mangaka!
Lacie: That's comic book artist in Japanese.
Chris: Story begins: There was a man one day,
Clary: Can he be a samurai? :DDD
Chris: Sure? Anyway, the samurai lived in an era where war dominated the land, and he was selected by the ruler to assassinate the king of their enemies-
Clary: OOOH! What if the king is actually a queen and no one knows that but when he gets there to kill her he sees her and they fall in love!
Chris: What? That defeats the purpose!
*they start arguing*
Lacie: those two aren't going far in the manga business… *sigh*Anyway, thank you guys for reading, we hope you enjoyed this chapter, and hopefully I'll see you guys soon!
Clary: WHAT IF THE SAMURAI IS ACTUALLY GAY BUT THE QUEEN OF THE ENEMY LAND DOESN'T KNOW AND HE WAS ONLY TRYING TO GET TO HER HUSBAND.
Chris: *facepalm*