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-melany. lemi
Alec dropped the mirror.
If you look into the mirror and see some guy that is not you, what do you do?
Alec decided to do one thing he could - call his sister.
He always trusted Isabelle. She and Jace, and maybe Magnus would figure this out. Alec had faith.
He looked around the apartment.
There were random books, and a guitar or two, some random chip packs, and a bottle of beer.
It looked like an apartment of some usual college guy.
Alec checked his pockets for a phone. Course, Lightwood luck ran thin as always, and he found nothing.
He noticed a house phone on the side table. Alec had to take a breath of relieve. He walked towards it, and noticed a photograph of the mirror-guy and some pretty black haired woman.
Alec curiously took a look at it, and on the other side it said: Ansel&Jo - three years.
He couldn't make heads or tails out of it, so he just put it down.
It was a good thing that Alec memorized Izzy's number. After a few rings, he heard his sister's voice.
"Hello?"
"Izzy. Iz, it's me." Alec almost dropped the phone at the sound of his voice. How could Isabelle recognize him?
There was a pause.
"I'm sorry, but who are you?"
"Alec." his voice almost broke. "Isabelle, it's Alec."
"If you call this number again" Isabelle's voice was dark and threatening. "I swear on the Angel, I will kill you."
The line went dead.
Alec stared at the phone. He wasn't sure what to make of it. finally, he decided that if a phone won't work, he had to go there in person.
He would convince her, he would say something only she would know.
Alec walked down the streets of New York. He tried not to think about it too much, tried to tell himself that it will be fine, but he couldn't help but think about Izzy's words.
I will kill you.
The mirror-guy didn't stand out much, he looked like a regular guy.
Or not.
Alec noticed how he could see quite differently now. He could see people a little different, sense things.
Was the mirror-guy a Downworlder?
Alec shook his head. There were more important thing to think about right now.
For example, did they body switch?
That had to be an explanation. Or Jace made him get a major plastic surgery that involved magic.
Then Alec would murder him.
As Alec neared the Institute, he noticed the news stand. He walked up to it cautiously, and tried not to make scene.
It said August 24th.
That's like four months after Alicante, after the war.
Alec sped up his pace. He had to get to the Institute like, right now.
Finally he saw it. A majestic church, where New York's Conclave resides.
Just as he was about to cross the street a hand was pressed to his mouth, a woman whispering:
"Shh, Mr. Lightwood. Do not fight."
Then everything went black.
Shay Mason was having a bad day. First of all, she hated New York. She hated everything about New York. Second of all, stupid Division called, and told her about some Host that was once a Shadowhunter. Like Troy wasn't enough.
Shay had a colorful history with Division, or Section Six - whatever you want to call it. It's a secret government project, that knows about the Shadow World, but are smart enough not to go against it, but use it to their own needs.
Unfortunately they dictate laws of the Hosts.
A single law actually - don't slip up.
Which is why Shay had to do their work from time to time - to not get killed, or worse - freezed.
Hosts are... well, they're people. No one knows why they do that the way they do. They just don't want to die - that's probably a good enough theory. They just simply take another body when they die.
The thing is, it's tricky. People that are hosted - they never come back. Some call it murder, some call it surviving, Division calls it occupation.
Still, if you try to get back to the life you had before, they'll most likely kill you.
"The person you Host did not ask for it. Therefore, you do not have the right to change the habits of the person, or his life to your need. You must live the person's life for him."
That's a bullshit rule, Shay thought. It's not like we asked for it, either.
Which is why she flew to New York, her most hated city in existence, because she broke that rule long ago, and she had to make it up to them.
Division formed in early 17th century, but they didn't have an equipment they have now, so they had trouble tracking Hosts down. Mostly they would just kill them.
New Yorks Central station of Section Six was a place run by Bridgett Womack, which is a definition itself of 'a pain in the ass'. Shay has been on Bridgett's bad side for years, and she wasn't at all surprised that she chose Shay to babysit some young Host.
Shay was seated in the room with the ex-Nephilim she just brought here. She went through his file, and it wasn't much, considering he was probably the second or the third Shadowhunter Host.
And he was probably gonna be under a close watch.
See, no matter who you are - a Nephilim, a Downwolder, a Mundane - if you're a Host, you host a mundane. That's just the way it always happened.
Alexander Lightwood hosted a werewolf.
Ansel Mufort, one of the new ones, still under a secret watch of Preator Lupus, has been hosted by a Shadowhunter.
'Poor kid' Shay though. 'Division isn't going to leave him alone.'
Alexander stirred. Shay composed herself, and was a bit sorry for sedating the kid, but she didn't have the time to brawl with him.
Alec was confused at where he was, and what happened. then he remembered - he was going to the Institute, then someone grabbed him, and then he felt something in his neck, and everything went black.
He felt groggy, and he realized that he still looked like the mirror-guy. He looked around, and spotted a girl in the room. She had short, shoulder-length hair, brown eyes, and was dressed all in black.
And Alec was completely unarmed.
"I'm not who you think I am." he said, scanning the room for some possible weapon. There was a mirror, but he doubted he could smash it before she got to him.
"I know that, Alexander." she said. "But please - take a seat."
Alec was a bit taken aback, but sat down.
"You know my real name."
"We all have an original backstory." she smiled. "Call me Shay."
When Shay said that, Alec noticed that strange whitish circle that really stood out against her dark eyes.
"Where am I?" he asked.
"New Yorks Central station of Section Six." she snorted. "Or just Division. No need for their fancy names."
"What's a Division?"
"It's a secret government organization, that is aware of the Shadow World." Shay said, glancing at Alec's file.
"There are mundanes that know?" Alec asked, looking mortified.
"Vampire feeding, werewolf killing, some foolish demon summoning - how do you think the government covers that up?"
Alec was silent for a moment - he never really thought about it.
"What happened to me?" he asked quietly.
"You're a Host." Shay stated.
"A what?"
"A Host. It means you take over another body when you die."
"What?"
"Do you need me to repeat that slowly, so your slow brain would comprehend that? You. Are. A-"
"But why?!" Alec interrupted her. "How did this happen?"
"No one knows." Shay looked bored. "We just don't die, but keep living. Division tracks us down, and sends older Hosts to explain things to new ones. In my opinion, they're just lazy."
Alec stood up.
"I don't want to be a part of this. I want my life back!" he shouted.
"Well you can't!" Shay shouted back, standing up. "We all would love that, but there are stupid rules we need to follow and you'll follow them, because someone was stupid enough to create them!"
"I don't care about your stupid rules!"
"Do you want to be put in a coma?" Shay growled. "To hear everything around you, but not being able to move? To be trapped in your body? Because that's what they'll do to you if you don't obey. They can do that, and when you finally die of old age, and probably be insane from waiting all those years, you'll Host another body, and if you don't obey - they will freeze you again. Is that what you want?"
"But why..?" Alec's voice broke.
"We take other people's lives away. They don't die, possibly, but no one knows what happens to them after they're hosted. That's the reason Division takes control of us like that. We need to live a life of a person you host. It's not a complete freedom, but you get to live."
"What if I don't want to live like this?"
"You don't get a say in this." Shay sighed and put a hand on his shoulder. "We're survivors, Alec. We've been granted another life. A new life. All you have to do is forget your old one."
Shay walked to Ansel's file and gave it to Alec.
"Better get acquainted with yourself."
Alec took it with shaking hands.
"Not everything is in there." Shay continued, sitting down and making herself comfortable. "Division can't hack people's brains to get some info on them, and sadly, neither can Hosts. You'll have to improvise. don't worry, I'll have your back most of the time." she flashed a grin, but it didn't reached her eyes.
"Ansel Mufort." Alec read out loud.
"Um, I think it's pronounced Mu-FORT, not MU-fort." she said.
"Okay." Alec looked up. "I'm Ansel Mufort."
'No.' Alec thought. 'I'm Alec Lightwood.'