𝕊ℍ𝔸𝔻𝕆𝕎ℍ𝕌ℕ𝕋𝔼ℝ𝕊

ᗷᗩᗪ ᗷᒪOOᗪ

Same Night
The Institute - Main Room

Clary, Jace and Alec were all standing around the ops center. Alec was standing near the monitors, staring at the screens, scanning for any threats. Jace was leaning against a table with his arms crossed over his chest, watching Clary who stood in front of him with the Mortal Cup in her hand, staring at and studying it.
“It just looks like a wine glass.” She said, with a smile which made Jace smile back at her.
“That wine glass saved your life from a horde of Shax demons that had been ordered to bring you and the Cup back to Valentine.” They heard Alyssa say as she walked into the room.
“You okay?” Jace asked her.
“Yeah, just…nothing. I’m fine.” She replied.
“What if…what if I hadn’t gotten the Cup out in time?” Clary asked. “That demon…”
“Which one? The Shax demons or the Ravener demon? Because either of them could have gotten to you. And let’s be honest, if their intent had been to kill or in the case of the Shax demon, breed you, then you wouldn’t be standing here right now.” Alyssa said, giving her sister a sarcastic smile.
“Breed?” Clary asked.
“Yeah, you don’t wanna know. But if you do, you’re free to read up on them in the library. I won’t stop you. Fair warning though, it’s super gross and you might lose your stomach.”
“Point taken.” Clary said.
“The point is, you did get the Cup out in time and that’s what really matters.” Jace said, nudging Alyssa with a smile. “First rule of Shadowhunting…when something explodes, just keep walking. Never think twice. Never look away.” Alyssa rolled her eyes.
“And what is the second rule, O great sensei?” She asked in a mock respectful tone which had Clary giggling. Just then, Izzy’s whip snatched the Cup from Clary’s hand and into hers.
“There’s nothing a Shadowhunter can’t do in heels.” She said, walking down the steps and walking over, giving the Cup to Alyssa.
“Somehow I doubt many Shadowhunters would agree with you on that rule. There’s a reason most of the female Shadowhunters wear boots most of the time. Not all of them have the same grace you do when fighting while wearing 7-inch heels.” Alyssa said.
“As if you don’t have that same grace.” Izzy retorted playfully.
“Yes, but not as much as you. You own it.” Izzy just smirked at her. “Where’s the card?” Alyssa asked Clary. Clary took out the card the Cup had been in before and gave it to her sister.
“Here.” Alyssa took it and held the Cup over it. “I don’t think it…” Before she could complete her sentence, a portal opened up in the card just like it had when Clary first pulled out the Cup, and Alyssa placed the cup inside the card then withdrew her hand, making the portal close. She looked up to see Jace, Clary and Izzy staring at her in disbelief. Even Alec looked away from the screens to look at her.
“I thought you said you didn’t remember how to do it.” Izzy said.
“Yeah, I lied. I’ve been using this gift to hid things from people, Magnus and my dad for years. ”
“Why? Why would you lie? Do you realize how selfish that was? Do you realize I could have died if I hadn’t been able to pull the cup out? We could have gotten to the Institute a lot earlier, had you not lied. Instead, we got chased by demons that could have been ordered away by the Cup if you had not lied. How could you be so…”
“Clary!” Izzy exclaimed, cutting the girl off from her rant.
“Are you done?” Alyssa asked. “Good, my turn. In case you’d forgotten, we were right outside the NYPD, a place that was crawling with demons and Downworlders who would have come after us if I had pulled the Cup out at the time. We’d have had to fight our way through them to get back to the Institute and we could have even probably lost the stupid Cup in the process. The Cup in the hands of a Downworlder is just as dangerous as it would be in Valentine’s hands due to the resentment they feel towards the Clave. Not to mention what would have happened if it had been the demons, who by the way were working for Valentine. Inside the card it was safer because, no one else could pull it out to use it but us. For anyone else, it would have been just a normal tarot card.”
“Ok but…”
“Secondly, Clarissa, if I hadn’t lied about not being able to pull the Cup out, you’d have never been able to learn how to. Our gift isn’t something that can be taught. It comes naturally. I wasn’t lying when I said you’d need some kind of emotion to trigger it. The reason why you were able to the first time was because you were in shock from what Dad had told you. The second time was triggered by the fear and panic you were feeling from being chased by the Shax demons. I hardly ever lie, Clary. And when I do, it’s for a reason that I find would benefit someone in the end. Here.” Alyssa said, giving the card back to her younger sister. “I’ll be right back. I’m gonna get some water.” And with that she walked away. Clary huffed and looked down at the card. Jace walked over to stand by Alec who had gone back to staring at the monitors.
“Alec, what are you doing? You can stare at this monitor all you want, they need angel blood to get past the wards. You know that.” Jace said. Alec didn’t turn to look at him. “No Downworlder can come into the Institute.”
“Not without an invite by a Shadowhunter.” Izzy answered.
“Last I checked, Valentine is a Shadowhunter.” Alec said to both of them, turning to face them. Alyssa came back with a bottle of water and sat on the table next to where Izzy was. “The Cup is not safe here. We have to give it back to the Clave.”
“Give it back to the Clave?” No!” Clary said, her eyes widening in alarm at what he said. “Not after everything we went through to get it.” Alyssa rolled her eyes knowing this was only going to end one way no matter what anyone said. Izzy sighed.
“My brother is right. The Cup is extremely important.” She said, surprising her brothers.
“Are you agreeing with me?” Alec asked.
“I’m full of surprises.” Izzy said with a smirk.
“This Cup is the one chance I have at getting my mom back.” Clary said.
“I agree with Clary. We can’t give the Cup to the Clave, not now. We need it. It’s our only bargaining chip.” Jace said.
“Look, I know how powerful this Cup is. It has the power to create new Shadowhunters, control demons and even kill a mundane if they drank from it. But I promise you, I will not let that monster get his hands on it.” Clary said. Alyssa gave a very unladylike snort that sounded like a mix between a scoff and a laugh.
“There you go. You have her word.” Jace said. Alec turned to look at Alyssa who was just looking on with a disinterested look.
“What about you, Alyssa? What do you think?” He asked.
“I don’t think I need her opinion, considering how biased it could be. I mean she could care less if I got my mom back or not.” Clary said, throwing a look of spite towards Alyssa. The older girl just gave her a bored look.
“Am I supposed to be offended by that remark? Well, sorry to disappoint but I’m not. At this point, I’ve learned not to take accusations like that to heart. But you’re right. I could care less what happens to Jocelyn. What I do care about is you, which is why when I was told you were looking for her, I came out of seclusion from the Shadowhunters. to help you find her.”
“Yeah, well you’re a little too late to start caring about me, 12 years too late.”
“Mmm…and whose fault is it that you feel that way? Mine or your mother’s?”
“How can you even sit there and say that? She’s your mother too.”
“I’m only going to give this warning once. Don’t ever call that woman my mother.” Alyssa warned, her eyes hard and her tone cold. “The next time you do that, you won’t like me so much and you will definitely regret it. That woman could never be my mother, not after she abandoned and left me to fend for myself with no prior training whatsoever.”
“I don’t believe any of that. Mom would never do something like that. How do I even know you’re not lying? That you didn’t run away and…”
“Clary, I am not doing this with you. If you don’t believe, ask Jace if I’m telling the truth, since you trust him so much and you hang onto his every word like a thirsty man after a drink of water. He’s seen all my memories past and present. Bottom line is, I never want to hear you refer to Jocelyn as my mother. Capice? The only reason why I’m even carrying her name is because I can’t use my dad’s since he was disowned from his family, the Graymarks. If I had it my way, I would have never taken her name but Dad is the one who convinced me to take it.” Alyssa then turned to Alec. “Alec, since she’s not ready to give up the Cup for reason that we all know of and mostly disagree with, why don’t you just help her keep it somewhere safe? That way, she can stop whining about it and not attempt to do something stupid, like steal it before it gets to Idris and take it to Valentine herself.”
“I’m not going to do that. I’m not an idiot.” Clary protested.
“Previous actions tell me otherwise. Your brain shuts off whenever it comes to your mundane friend or your mother.”
“So what, I should become cold and distant like you, void of emotions?”
“Sure, if you want to become a sociopath like your father. No one is saying you should be without emotions. What we’re saying, is stop letting them rule and control your thinking and actions. But thanks a lot, for saying that the rest of us are complete sociopaths like your father for choosing to not let our emotions rule over us.”
“I didn’t say…”
“You implied it and you didn’t have to say it, Clarissa. The message was clear.” The others remained silent as the sisters argued back and forth. “Alec, would you please…”
Alec sighed and looked to Clary.
“Follow me.” He said, turning around and walking away with Clary following. Alyssa pushed her hair behind her ear and listened in to Clary and Alec.
“Alec, I realize I couldn’t have done any of this without your help. I wanna thank you.”
“Don’t misread this as friendship, Clary. Since you’ve arrived, our whole world has been turned upside down. Not to mention, how much you seem to always want to find something to accuse your sister of, even when all she’s doing is looking out for you.”
“What has she got to do with anything?”
“Your sister cares about you. She has issues with your mother but she’s putting them aside to help you find her. And yet all you do snub and accuse her of things without getting an explanation first. You’ve heard her story from Magnus and from your sister herself, what more proof do you need? Try to remember the reason why she’s like this towards your mother is because of your mother.”
Alyssa stopped listening then. A moment later, Alec walked in just as the alarms began to blare loudly. All their attention went to the monitors as a red dot appeared on it.
“What the-” Alec began to say, watching as the red dot appeared to be heading towards the Institute. Jace, Alec, Izzy and Alyssa stood together, looking at the monitor.
“There’s something outside the perimeter.” Jace said.
I told you…” Alec began to say, shaking his head but Jace cut him off.
“Don’t say it.”
“What’s happening?” Clary asked, walking over.
“Looks like someone’s trying to break in.” Izzy said. Jace, Izzy, Alec and Alyssa began to walk away.
“Could be the Circle.” Jace said.
“Told you so.” Alec muttered.
“Too soon.” Jace said with a sigh.
“And a little bit immature, Alec.” Alyssa remarked, earning a sarcastic look from the tall dark-haired Shadowhunter. Clary joined them as they walked towards the main doors and went outside.
Once outside, they held out their weapons, scanning the grounds, looking for the threat or intruder. They spotted a figure walking towards the Institute, carrying something in their arms, facing away.
“Don’t move.” Jace ordered, making the figure stop moving and look towards them.
“Raph?” Alyssa said in a confused tone, dropping her guard and stepping toward the figure but was stopped by Jace. “Raph, what are you doing here?” The figure turned out to be Raphael Santiago, a vampire of the New York Vampire Clan.
“Drop what you’re holding. Put your hands up.” Alec ordered. Raphael turned around to reveal himself carry a body, a dead one.
“Raph, what…?” Alyssa trailed off when she recognized the body. “Oh no.” Jace, Alec, Izzy and Clary recognized the body too. It was Simon.
“Oh my God, Simon.” Clary said, horrified and heartbroken.