Left For Dead [malec fanfiction] [complete]

Twenty One: Faster, Better, Stronger

"Is this....spaghetti?!" Isabelle squealed in excitement.

As they lined up in what was supposed to be a cafeteria, the food that was being served ranged from potatoes and some kind of meat, spaghetti, and mac and cheese. Alec nearly drooled at the sight of it all. His stomach even gave a deep rumble in agreement with his mouth.

"You can choose one of the three," the cook behind the counter told them. "You also only get one plate. No seconds."

"I'm fine with that. Just as long as I get a warm meal in my belly," chirped Simon. He chose the potatoes and meat (which they discovered was veal).

Isabelle chose the spaghetti. "I can't even remember the last time I had spaghetti let alone a hot meal."

"I'm with you on that," Alec said as he chose a plate of mac and cheese. "Don't forget that we have a hot shower to look forward to after we eat. That's a bonus after the shitty day we've had up until now."

They sat down to eat their meal. Nobody seemed too bothered by their presence, seeing how they were newcomers, so they were allowed to eat peacefully. It didn't take long for them to inhale everything on their plates. They just wished they could have more.

"Holy. Sweet. Jesus. That was the best meal I've had in years," Jace said through a burp.

"Agreed. The veal was," Simon kissed his fingers Italian style, "delicious."

Before they could get up to bring their trays to the return bin, a young man with blonde hair and blue eyes approached their table. He had a smile on his face as he introduced himself, also sporting an English accent.

"Hello. You must be the new group. I'm Sebastian Verlac. Head of security here at The Institute." He shook each of their hands. "I trust your meal was adequate?"

"More than adequate," Magnus responded. "Are the meals like that everyday?"

Sebastian chuckled. "Only on Fridays. We like to end a hard week with something special for the people who work here. As a way of saying thanks." He pointed to the empty chair beside them. "May I have a moment of your time? I won't keep you long. I know you must be excited about a hot shower."

He took a seat beside them, opening a binder that he'd been carrying in his hands. There were papers inside with something written on them, but Alec couldn't tell what it was. As they were each handed a sheet, he could finally see that the words were a list of available job positions.

"Lydia has asked me to give you our current open job positions. Most of them will provide training if needed but we highly recommend choosing one that suits any talents or background experience you might have had in the past."

Alec scanned the list. Mechanic. Cook. Engineer. Doctor. Nothing on the list appealed to him. He wanted to be a scavenger. It was one of the things he knew for certain that he was good at.

"She'll need a decision by 9 am sharp tomorrow morning. So take a shower, relax and sleep on it tonight. Pick wisely," Sebastian told them, "because we don't normally let people jump from job to job. We don't have the resources or the time." He paused, eyeing them all carefully. "Do you have any questions?"

When no one said a word, Sebastian rose from the table with a quick goodbye and left the cafeteria. A moment later a guard came in and led the group to the shower rooms. They were co-ed showers but Alec was relieved to see stall doors that they could close once they were inside.

"We laid out some clothes in the change room. The sizes vary but hopefully there's something there that fits you guys." The guard nodded curtly. "Enjoy your shower."