(A/N: Hi and welcome. Like to remind you that I have nothing against Malec, this was just an idea that popped into my head so please don't hate. Face claim is Peyton List, but feel free to imagine whoever you want.The song up top is Monsters by Ruelle, because what better way to start a Shadowhunters fanfiction than with the song that started Shadowhunters. Hope you enjoy. XxD)
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"Really?" Alec said to his sister as she strode out of her room in a very short white two-piece ensemble, her hair out and a white wig in one hand.
"What can I say? Demons dig blondes. Just imagine if S was here," Izzy smirked as they walked.
"Of course they do, but that's white," Alec pointed out as he strapped on his fingerless gloves.
"Platinum. And they don't exactly like Shakespeare, ok Alec?"
"You're plenty distracting on your own, enough to make up for the fact that your partner in crime isn't."
Izzy smiled as she smoothed down the wig she held. "So, be yourself. Is that what you're trying to say?"
Alec only gave his sister a look. "Never mind. Looking good, let's go."
"We're ready Jace," Izzy announced as they walked into the ops centre where Jace was standing in front of one of the monitors.
"Nice choice, Izzy. Demons dig blondes," the blond said as he observed the wig she held.
"Told you," the raven-haired girl smirked at her brother.
"It's platinum," Alec corrected and Izzy's smirk grew.
"Alright guys, for some reason our demon friends are killing mundanes and draining their blood," Jace informed his siblings as they walked.
"Why do they want blood? Isn't that vampire territory?"
"I don't know, Alec. Lazy vampires maybe," Jace said.
"There must be something special about their blood," Izzy noted.
"What could be special about mundane blood?" Alec asked, almost bored as Jace opened the weapons cache and handed out seraph blades.
"You get me a sample and I'll tell you exactly what they're looking for," Izzy said as she accepted the blade from Jace.
"We'll have more answers when we figure out exactly who the demons are working for," Jace said as he took a blade for himself and they headed back to the monitor Jace was standing at before.
"So, you don't think they're acting on their own?" Izzy questioned.
"No."
"They're not exactly creative thinkers, they're shapeshifters," Alec added.
"This is what our target looks like," the blond explained as the picture appeared on the screen.
"For now," Izzy said as they memorized the face.
"Great. I'll get approval for the mission," Alec began.
"Come on, Alec. I get that you're all uptight and all because Rena isn't here, but by the time you've sent that message, we'll have killed six demons," Jace countered as they headed for the exit.
"Besides, it's more fun to break the rules than to follow them," Izzy piped up as they walked.
"And when Serena gets back in two days and finds out what we've done, it isn't going to be me she's going to kill," Alec pointed out and Jace grimaced.
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"A mundane shouldn't even be here," Alec said as he followed his parabatai into the infirmary where Izzy sat at the bedside of the redhead mundane that had foiled their mission to find out who was selling mundane blood.
"Where is 'here' exactly?" the girl asked.
"She's not a mundane, Alec," Jace said.
"How do you know that?" his parabatai answered back.
"Because the seraph blade lit up when she touched it. Look, Isabelle, can you..." Jace began and the girl complied as she moved from the bed so Jace could sit down.
"I'm Jace Wayland."
"I'm, uh –"
"Clary Fray. We know who you are," Jace finished.
"Am I the only one who finds this unusual?" Alec asked to his siblings.
"You find everything unusual, Alec," Jace replied, a little annoyed.
"I have to report this to the Clave."
"You know what? Dial it down a notch," Jace retorted.
"My brother doesn't have a dial," Izzy piped up from where she lounged on an empty bed. "I love you Alec, but you have a switch that's always on, and only S can seem to flip it."
"I love you too," Alec smiled sarcastically at her. "But this is –"
"Hey, you know what? Give me a minute," Jace asked, cutting off Alec, who didn't move nor respond.
"Here's a word you never hear me say. Please?"
"What is with you? You do realise that she's never going to let you head up a mission again when she gets home, right?"
"Walk with me, big brother," Izzy said as she stood, just as a burned piece of paper flew into Jace's hand.
"Speak of the devil," Alec smirked and Jace just sighed as he handed over the fire message.
"Write her back for me, please. And don't tell her about Clary just yet. It can wait until she's done with her mission," Jace asked, and Izzy took the paper from him.
"Good luck," Izzy hummed as she pecked Jace's temple and walked out of the room on her brother's arm, leaving Jace and Clary alone.
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"Is this the least revealing thing you have?" Clary asked as she stood in front of the full-length mirror in Izzy's room.
"What?" Izzy chuckled. "All the naughty bits are covered. A little too much in my opinion."
"Where's Simon?" Clary asked as she crossed her hands over her chest.
"Who?" Izzy asked before she laughed as she saw the look on Clary's face. "Kidding. He's in good hands with the boys.
"So, um, you, Alec and Jace are...what, like family?" Clary questioned as Izzy reclined on her bed with a teasing smile on her face.
"Translation, you wanna know if Jace and I are a thing."
"Why would I care?" she scoffed.
"Because you do. Don't worry. In every way, he's like my brother. Our parents took Jace in when he was 10. We trained together. Learned to fight side by side."
"A few days ago all I had to worry about was getting into art school. And now..."
"Is this the part where I give you the pep talk about harnessing your inner Shadowhunter and accepting your true destiny?" Izzy smirked.
"Was that the pep talk?" Clary asked with a small voice, still slightly overwhelmed.
"Basically," Izzy said with a dazzling smile.
"Clary, remember you were born to do this," Izzy said as she stood, tucking a piece of the girls' fiery red hair behind her ear and then resting her hand on her shoulder. "No matter what has happened, this is who you are."
"Not exactly feeling that."
"Yet," Izzy grinned as she stepped back from the girl.
"Ok, but now we just have to find Dot."
"And track and kill the most dangerous rogue Shadowhunter in history before he kills us all," Izzy said gravely.
"You really know how to ruin a pep talk, don't you?"
Izzy smirked, changing the topic entirely.
"Don't worry, Jace is all yours. But Alec, he's taken."
"By who?" Clary asked surprisingly, amazed that a person as uptight as Alec had someone.
Izzy's smile was nothing but loving.
"Just wait till you meet her. She takes badass to another level. Come on, let's go," she said as she began to leave before stopping in front of Clary again.
"Oh, and Simon, is kind of nerd hot," she laughed as she sashayed out of the room and Clary let out a heavy sigh.
What had she gotten herself into?
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"What about my memories? They can't just be gone?" Clary said frantically as she, Simon and the three Shadowhunters stood in a circle inside the Pandemonium club where they'd first met, and where they had been hoping to find Dot, the warlock they hoped could return Clary's memories.
"There is another option," Jace voiced and the Lightwoods were instantly against it.
"Don't even!"
"Absolutely not!" Izzy and Alec said in unison, Izzy pointing a finger at him in warning.
"I'm not afraid of the Silent Brothers," Jace said with his arms crossed over his chest.
"But are you afraid of Serena when she finds out?" Izzy pointed out and the blond winced but shook it off as Clary asked,
"Who are the Silent brothers?"
"They're Shadowhunters with superior powers," Jace explained.
"Who possess the ability to recover memories," Izzy added.
"A process that can also kill you, so there's that," Alec pointed out.
"Your bedside manner is abysmal," Simon said to Alec.
Alec glared at him before moving closer to Jace. "We've broken at least 18 Clave rules and now you want to go to the City of Bones? There's no way. I won't allow it."
"This isn't our choice to make. This is Clary's decision," Jace said as he turned to the redhead.
"You can't ask her to do this. She doesn't know what she's facing. She's not prepared," Izzy agreed with her brother.
"If anyone can tell me another way to recover my memories and still get the answers we need, I'm listening," Clary said defiantly, and everyone stayed silent.
"That settles it," she said.
"See? I told you she's one of us," Jace smirked as he patted Alec on the shoulder and walked out, Clary followed as she glared at Alec.
"Serena is never leaving for three days again," Alec muttered as he followed.
"Amen to that, big brother," Izzy said as she linked arms with Simon, and they headed to his van.
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"Valentine is Clary's father," Jace explained as he and the shocked redhead walked out from the City of Bones to find Alec.
"Wait a minute," Alec said, stunned, angry and worried at the same time. "You're telling me this girl shows up out of nowhere and she's Valentine's daughter? Did it occur to you that she might be a spy?! This might be part of her plan?" Alec asked his parabatai, outraged.
"That's enough Alec," Jace admonished.
"Her father murdered yours! Murdered Serena's! And you still want to defend her?!"
"Do you think I planned for my mom to get kidnapped?" Clary interrupted before Jace could, eyes lined with tears as a few trickled down her face. "Or... or for Dot to be taken? Or to have a giant sword dangle over my head and find out that my father is one of the most dangerous people in the world?! Really?"
Alec stilled wasn't convinced as he pulled out his stele.
"I'm telling Serena, everything. She'll probably cut her mission short and be here within the hour," Alec said but Jace grabbed his hand.
"Leave her out of this! That mission is important to her and she'll be home in half a day anyways, and this can wait. Alec, please," Jace begged but Alec didn't get a chance to reply before Clary spoke up, ignoring this mysterious Serena that they all kept speaking about.
"Where's Simon?" she realised. "Where's Simon?!"
"I told him to stay in the van. I've searched everywhere," Izzy said as she appeared, slightly out of breath.
"He's gone?!"
"I can't find him," Izzy continued.
"You were supposed to protect him! SIMON!" Clary yelled, first to Isabelle and then out into the night as she ran for his van, the others on her tail.
"These mundanes are killing me," Jace huffed as they followed.
"Is that the mundane's name?" called a male voice as they all turned from the van, to where a man and a woman stood on the concrete bridge supports, dangling Simon upside down in the air. "I'm afraid Simon's coming with us."
"No!" Clary yelled. "No, he's not a part of this!" Clary yelled as Jace held her back.
"And it'll be my pleasure to kill you until you return him," Jace fired back.
"Careful. We'd be violating the Accords, not to mention angering Serena," Alec informed.
"I'm afraid your sidekick is right!" the man called out. "The Night Children have broken no laws. We're negotiating. Though, it's a shame that Sweet Little Serena isn't here for this. Now, the mundane, unharmed, in exchange for the Mortal Cup. And the clock is ticking. Tick-tock people."
And the last thing that could be heard as they vanished was Simon calling out for Clary.
"Simon! No! SIMON!" she screamed, and Alec turned to Jace.
"Would you like me to tell the Envoy to the Downworlders that you plan on killing a representative of one of the Downworld factions now, or do you want a head start first?"
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"Where is Simon anyway? Some kind of crypt in Transylvania?" Clary asked as they gathered around a table in the ops centre, the girl somewhat calmed now that she'd ranted at them all.
"Actually, no. That was Camille's outfit, right? They're locals," Jace said.
"They're at the Hotel DuMort, down in Gansevoort Street," Izzy informed as she sat on the table, foot resting on a chair.
"And we came back here? Why? We have to go there. Let's go, now. Come on!" Clary said in disbelief.
"We need a Clave resolution for that. Or at the very least the Envoy to the Downworld, but she's on mission for at least a few more hours," Alec said.
"The four of us can't declare war on the vamps all by ourselves," Izzy added.
"And we can't react without considering our options, or again, at the very least, contacting Serena," Alec said pointedly to his parabatai.
"Alec, I told you to leave Rena out of this," Jace growled, and Clary couldn't help the twinge of jealously that grew in her as Jace passionately defended this woman.
"Jace, Alec is right. We should tell her. If we do insight a war, she'll have all our heads. You know how she is about her job," Izzy agreed with her brother.
"Ok Izzy, so do you find vampires as endearing as the Seelies, or is it just them?" Jace asked and his sister smirked.
"You can't talk," Alec smirked to Jace who grinned.
"Seelies?" Clary questioned.
"Like faeries. The Fair Folk. Add pixies, nixies, elves... anybody half-angel, half-demon. It's pretty much a catch-all term," Jace explained.
"Izzy can tell you all about them. She's got a thing," Alec said to his sister who smiled knowingly at him.
"We've all got our things, don't we?" she replied to her brother who rolled his eyes.
"Ok, I can't listen to this. Simon's been kidnapped by vampires. I guess I'll just take care of it myself," Clary huffed as she began to walk out.
"Clary, you're gonna get yourself killed," Jace warned, but she kept walking. "Clary. Simon, too."
She stopped.
"Then help me," she said storming back over to the desk. "While we consider other options, my best friend is suffering. Is that something Shadowhunters understand or am I just being a mundane?"
"They won't hurt him. Serena would have Raphael's head if they did," Izzy said.
"Alright, who is this Serena person?" Clary asked, but she went ignored.
"They made the first move. We have to take care of this ourselves," Jace said to Izzy and Alec who'd huddled together at the end of the table.
"This is a bad idea. I –"
"What, have you got a better one?" Jace interrupted Alec.
"Wait for Serena. If we screw up her relationship with the vampires, we screw up her relationship with the Downworld. And you don't know how hard she's fought for it," Alec reminded him.
"We can't wait a few hours Alec. Look the vamps broke the Accords. They kidnapped a Mundie, that's a big no-no. The Clave will give us a lecture and then they'll be glad we did it," Jace explained.
"Hard to argue with that," Izzy admitted.
"Even if we went ahead, I don't see how we get out of here without having to explain where we're going. We need weapons, and we can't let anyone see us get them," Alec pointed out.
"I know where to get what we need," Izzy piped up and Alec sighed.
"Fine. But Serena's gonna be back in a few hours and if you won't let me tell her now, then I'm going to leave her a note to tell her where we are when she gets here."
"Deal," Jace said.
And just like that, they were off into the night again.