Left For Dead [malec fanfiction] [complete]

Twenty: The Institute

It was pure luck that they found their clothing when they did. Not long after they left the store, the wind picked up and it started to hail so hard that it stung their faces, despite the fact that they wore scarves and hats to protect them from the biting cold.

"We need to find shelter!" Jace called out over the roaring wind.

"I won't argue with you there!" Alec called back. "Should we just hole up in a store for now?"

"Too dangerous!" Magnus yelled. "Head to one of the office buildings! There's a good chance that there's food and water in them!"

Magnus had a point. Most people don't scavenge through office buildings because they think there's nothing but machines and paperwork in them but some of Alec's greatest finds came directly from offices themselves. Energy bars, boxes of water, clothes and other supplies were just some of the treasures that he found over the years. They were gold mines just waiting to be excavated.

They filed into a tall building that was once a law firm back in the day. Strewn across the front lobby were mostly papers and a few opened briefcases that blew with the wind as they entered the building. As they shut the doors behind them, it suddenly became eerily quiet as the papers landed to the floor and stopped moving.

"Well. This isn't creepy at all," Simon whispered. "Is anyone else getting chills but not from the cold?"

"I am," Clary shuddered. "I remember this building. My mom delivered a painting here once when I was a kid. In fact, that's the painting right there."

There behind the front desk was a beautiful painting of a knight riding a white horse. The knight held a shining sword above his head while leading an army behind him.

"It's beautiful," Isabelle breathed. "Your mom was an incredible painter."

Clary smiled. "She was. This was one of her favorite pieces. She said the knight represented Justice and the army behind him were the people who stand for Justice. She was a firm believer in the American Justice System."

"As shitty as it was," Jace mumbled under his breath. This earned himself a smack from his sister. "But overall it's a beautiful work of art. That's the main thing."

Alec tapped Jace on the shoulder. "I don't mean to interrupt your art session here but I need you to help me scout up ahead to make sure there's nothing here. Elevators are obviously down so we'll have to take the stairs. Magnus, can you stay here with Simon and the ladies?"

Magnus nodded. "Sure. Shout if you need anything. We'll be able to hear you. If I can hear Simon's erratic heartbeat then I'll definitely hear your shouts."

Weapons raised, Jace and Alec went ahead to see if they were alone or not. Along with the main lobby, there were several smaller offices that probably housed the lower paid employees or office supplies. Alec couldn't tell. Every room they checked looked the same; papers everywhere, chairs tipped over as if people knocked them down in a panic. There were even tables up against some of the windows to bar them off from the hallway. The entire place was chaos.

"Whoever was here before certainly left in a hurry," Jace whispered as they passed a tipped over copy machine.

"Wouldn't you if you worked here and the world ended all of a sudden? I sure as fuck wouldn't stick around." Alec ducked under some electrical wiring that hung from the ceiling. "I doubt anybody stayed here longer than they needed to. Maybe a few of them here and there but they probably wanted to be home where it felt safer."

"I guess you have a point," Jace shrugged. "Still. They left the place in a mess. Just look at this. This file is from 2010. Percival Hawkblue. Persecuted for beating his wife and then killing her. This should be locked up someplace safe. Not laying on the floor for everyone to read."