Left For Dead [malec fanfiction] [complete]

Twenty Two: Warehouse 7

Despite Isabelle's protests, she eventually gave in and allowed herself to be led back to the infirmary. Jace decided to go with them to make sure his sister was okay.

"I have to head back to the coal room. Are you staying here to wait for Alec?" Clary asked Magnus.

"Yeah. I want to see what he has to say about the scavengers here." He smiled as Clary said goodbye and left the cafeteria. By now it was completely empty apart from Magnus himself and the cooks behind the counter. Alec was still nowhere to be found.

After waiting for twenty minutes, Magnus finally rose from the table and made his way out to the hall. People passed by him, talking in hushed voices and passing papers back and forth between them. No one acknowledged him or the suspicious sandwich shaped bulge in the front of his shirt.

"Magnus!" A voice yelled from the other end of the hall. Magnus turned to see Alec jogging towards him, his face pale and distressed. "I was looking all over for you. Where were you?"

"Where was I? Where were you? The group and I already ate-here. Let's go in here to talk," Magnus whispered as he opened a door and peered into the room. It was empty.

When they were inside, Magnus reached inside his shirt and took out the sandwich, his hand outstretched for Alec to take it.

"That was in your shirt?" Alec screwed up his face. "It's warm."

"I smuggled it from the cafeteria. Would you rather I shoved it down my pants instead?" Magnus handed Alec the sandwich. "Eat it. You haven't eaten anything yet today."

Hesitantly, Alec took the sandwich and unwrapped it from its plastic. "Sorry I didn't make it to lunch. I was busy with something."

Magnus nodded. "We know you were talking to the scavengers so you can skip the cryptic answers. Just tell me what they told you."

So that's what Alec did between bites of his food. He told Magnus about how the Forsaken were evolving and getting smarter and how the Institute were studying their abnormal behavior through cameras set up around the city.

"So apart from the scavenging for supplies, you're also studying these things?" Magnus asked once Alec was done explaining.

"I suppose. It's a good opportunity for me to learn how and why the Forsaken are evolving. We'll be better prepared that way. All of us."

".....but why? That seems like a job for a different group. A scavenging crew hardly seem the type to sit down and take notes as they watch the undead in their natural habitat."

"I know. But I can't complain. I got the job, didn't I? This way I can learn the routes they take and which ones to avoid." Alec straightened his back. "Think about it, Magnus. If we ever need to make a quick escape-for any reason at all-this is the job for me to get you all out alive and unharmed."

Magnus huffed. He didn't like this idea one bit but Alec did make a valid point. "Fine. Just....don't try to play hero. Don't risk your neck for these people that we don't even know."

"Noted. Speaking of, where did you decide to work?"

Magnus shrugged. "The warehouse. The agriculture one. I always wanted to have my own farm so this is the closest I'll ever get to becoming a farmer."