Brothers by Blood (Alec Lightwood twin)

Chapter 24

ALEC'S POV

Honestly, I don't know how and when everything went crazy. Just as we were beginning to get back to having a shred of normality, well, the new 'normal', back, this demon attack happens and the Institute has been turned upside down.
"Alec? You ok?" I heard the voice of my parabatai ask from next to me.
"Yeah, I'm fine." I replied. Jace raised his eyebrows and looked at me with a "Don't bother trying to lie to me. I'm your parabatai, I can tell" look. I sighed in defeat. "I was just thinking about when everything turned upside down. You know? As soon as everything gets back to the new normal, a huge curveball, this time in the form of a demon attack, is thrown at us and knocks us all down again." I told him. I felt Jace put his hand on my upper arm.
"Everything's gonna be fine. I promise." He said with a comforting smile. I smiled back and nodded slightly.

*A few hours later*

Jace and I were training when I noticed Ben, Izzy, and Clary walk into the room. Jace must have noticed them as well since, a moment later; I had him pinned to the ground because of lack of concentration.
"You get distracted, you lose." I said simply. He rolled his eyes and shook his head, not saying anything. He knew I was joking. I got off him and offered him my hand in order to help him up, which he gladly accepted. We then walked over to the three, the poles that we were using still in our hands.
"Hey, what's up?" Jace asked the three people coming towards us as the two of us put our weapons away. "Meeting in the Ops Centre now. It doesn't sound good." Izzy announced. Both Jace and I frowned at each other simultaneously before following the three out of the training room and towards the Ops Centre.

*At the briefing in the Ops Centre*

Everyone was standing around the Ops Centre and we were being given a briefing on what our path forward was going to be.
"The demon attack on the Institute earlier this week was a diversion to ensure that none of us could get to the City of Bones whilst it was under attack from Valentine. However, we face a new threat. Valentine has the Mortal Cup and now possesses the Soul Sword, two of the three mortal Instruments. Our mission now is to find out what he plans to do with them, and when.
Tomorrow's right of passage will take the total number of dead to 26 fallen Silent Brothers, and two Shadowhunters. Take this time to grieve, and plan for what lies ahead. Your orders will follow." Aldertree stated. Everyone then began to go back to what they were doing.
"I'm going to visit Magnus. I'll see you all later ok?" I said to the others. They all nodded and we went our separate ways.

BEN'S POV

"Wanna go train?" Jace asked the three of us as soon as Alec had left. I could tell that he wanted to make sure that both Izzy and I were ok.
"Sure!" Izzy replied enthusiastically. I could tell that Jace knew something, and I could also tell that he was getting us to train because he wanted to make sure everything was ok and she was ok.
"Can I see your wound?" He requested. She sighed dramatically before she showed him where the wound on her back had been just a week earlier. She was healed, but she had told me her shoulder was now just a bit stiff. Like me, she sometimes gets a bit of pain, but it is pretty much healed.
"Ben, Clary, you two together, and I'll spar with Izzy." Jace said. We all went off with our respective partners and began sparring.

*Insert training between Jace and Izzy in 2x05 – minus dialogue*

Clary and I had finished sparring and we were now watching Jace and Izzy. Jace tripped Izzy up and she landed on her shoulder, letting out a small sound of pain. That would hurt even without a wound on your back, but probably hurts even more after what happened.
"You alright?" Jace asked. "It's the demon wound on your back isn't it?" He asked. "Look, if the runes aren't healing it, you need to get it fixed." He added
"It's healed! You saw it! It's just a little bit stiff and hurt a little bit when I fell on it. But if it makes you feel better, I'll see a medic later." She replied defiantly.
"Alright. But you might want to see one now." Jace suggested. "They're sending a team to the Iron Sisters after the Rite of Mourning." He added. So that's what this was about.
"No way." Izzy said in awe.
"You always wanted to be an Iron Sister when you were a kid, huh?" Jace said. All three of us knew this was true.
"Until I realised I had to swear off boys." She replied, a smile on her face. "When do we leave?" She asked.
"You're not going anywhere until you get that shoulder checked out." Jace said.
"I need to get my chest checked out anyway, so Izzy can come with me." I offered.
"Sure. The sooner, the better." Izzy replied.

CLARY'S POV

Jace and I watched as Ben and Izzy made their way to the Infirmary for a checkup.
"So, who are the Iron Sisters exactly?" I asked Jace, knowing that he would know.
"The Iron Sisters have many responsibilities, but their main one is crafting all the weapons, tools, and battle gear that Shadowhunters use. They craft seraph blades, steles, and all manner of other things. Due to sacred runes that they receive when they join the sisterhood, they have the ability to shape pure adamas." Jace said. "As their name suggests, they are all female, and they only speak to female Shadowhunters." He added.
"They sound very impressive." I commented.
"Yeah. As you might have heard earlier, Izzy always wanted to be one when she was younger." Jace reiterated.
"Yeah, I heard." I replied. "I can see why now." I added.
"Anyway, we should probably finish up." Jace said. We put the remaining weapons we were using away and headed out of the training room.

*Later*

ISABELLE'S POV

Ben and I had gone to see a medic so they could check up on our injuries to make sure they were healing nicely. As soon as I had been given the all clear, I headed straight to Aldertree's office in order to ask him about the Iron Sisters with Ben trailing after me. Once we got to his office, I knocked on the door. "Come in!" I heard echo from inside the room. I looked back at Ben and he smiled at me.
"I'll be waiting here. You go." He said with a smile, ushering me inside. When I entered, Aldertree was standing on the threshold of his balcony, looking out at the sun. He turned around to look at me.
"Isabelle Lightwood. To what do I owe the pleasure?" He asked smoothly.
"I would like to make a formal request to lead the mission to the Iron Sisters." I said formally.
"Weren't you wounded in a demon attack?" He asked, knowing full well that I was, and the demon attack was only a week and a half ago.
"Yes, but I'm all healed up now. I feel fine." I replied firmly. He rounded the sofa in the middle of the room to come and stand next to me.
"Your wound, may I take a look?" He asked. I hesitated, not knowing exactly what he was going. "You know, I wasn't born a diplomat. I used to be a field medic, sometimes I wish I still was." He told me.
"Really, I'm ok." I replied, trying to get out of it, despite the fact I was completely healed.
"I can't let you on the mission without an exam." He said. I sighed in defeat before sitting down and letting him pull the back of my top down so he could see where my wound had been. "Seems you've healed up quite well. Very well, I will grant your request to lead the mission, but you have to take at least one other person with you and, for obvious reasons, it cannot be a male." He told me.
"Thank you." I replied, attempting to hide my smile.
"Do you have anyone in mind to take with you?" He asked.
"I will probably take Clary along. Why?" I asked.
"If that is the case, once you return, you must tell me everything that Clary Fairchild says and does whilst you are there. Do we have a deal?" He asked. I hesitated for a brief moment before nodding.
"Yes." I replied. Honestly, I would only tell him the things that would not implicate Clary or cause her any trouble, but he didn't need to know that.
"You may go." He said, gesturing towards the door and sitting down at his desk. I turned around and made my way out of the room.