CHAPTER ELEVEN.
( A RUSH OF BLOOD TO THE HEAD )
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THE quartet stood in an abandoned alleyway, the walls and doors alike marred with vibrant displays of graffiti. Trash cans were strewn throughout, rancid piles of garbage bulging out of the parted lids. Discarded piles of rubbish were scattered across the ground, and Athena had the overwhelming urge to set her hands to work and make the place look presentable.
Jace clutched whatever item he had grabbed off of the burned remains of Clary's desk tightly in his hands, as if it were his lifeline. His eyes were screwed shut in utter concentration, attempting to track the girl. Isabelle paced throughout the alleyway, phone placed in her hands in an attempt to contact the missing Shadowhunter.
"Are you alright?" Athena asked Isabelle, a hand placed on the girl's rune marked shoulder. Isabelle nodded her head, raven hair bouncing on her shoulders. Athena gave the girl a sympathetic smile, tossing one to Jace as well, before pacing nervously around the garbage cluttered alley.
"Dammit, she's not showing up," Jace exclaimed, out of breath from the extensive tracking that had taken place. He turned to Alec, who was also pacing around the alley, feeling that this situation was all his fault. "We need to parabatai track."
Athena clasped Isabelle's hand in hers as they continued to walk around the lot, phones grasped tightly in their vacant hands as they shot continuous calls and texts to any one who might have known what happened to the girl. Athena winced nervously, anxiety blooming between her rib cage like a flower trying to break free from its confines.
The two parabatai continued to attempt to track the red headed girl, but to no avail. Athena and Izzy made their way towards the two men. "Just like I thought, she wasn't arrested," Isabelle informed the group.
An expression of pure rage contorted onto Jace's otherwise passive face as he stormed towards Alec. "It was your job to look after her!" he exclaimed.
"Not another fight," Athena mumbled to the girl standing next to her. Isabelle sighed in response, watching the boys fight over the situation at hand as they had in the scorched remnants of Clary's bedroom.
"I did my best, Jace," Alec countered.
"Well maybe your mother was right, and your best just isn't good enough," Jace argued.
Athena felt that she was about to explode after such a rude counterattack executed by the blonde Shadowhunter. Parabatai were meant to help each other, not argue relentlessly.
Isabelle had grown tired of their fighting and stormed toward the men, the heels of her boots pounding against the concrete. "Jace! Hey!" Isabelle scolded.
Alec scoffed at his childish actions and continued to argue. "Are you so blinded by your feelings for Clary, you've lost sight of us?" Alec asked. The tension boiled in the humid air, and Athena was growing nervous every passing seconds. Her emerald hands quivered in fear of the girl that had gone missing, and anxiety roiled in her stomach. She was not courageous, and she would never be.
Jace looked as if he was about to pounce at his best friend, rage clouding his eyes. Alec's features turned to sympathy as he uttered his next response. "Clary snuck out. I went after her... to protect her. I did nothing you haven't done a thousand times before."
Isabelle was still fuming at the argument that was taking place, and Athena grabbed tightly onto her vacant hand. Jace continued to argue with Alec.
"Yes, you did. You lost her."
Isabelle stormed forward, once more. "Enough! Both of you," she interrupted. Jace gave a slight shake of his head as Alec walked away from him to let his anger simmer down.
Athena sighed as awkwardness filled the small confines of the alley after the heated argument that had just taken place. She scampered towards the concrete steps that led up to a door, placing herself down and burying her aching head into her hands.
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AFTER they had regrouped from Alec and Jace's fight, the group began to talk over the situation at hand. Isabelle and Jace leaned against the frigid railings that led up the stairs, and Alec ran his knuckles against the graffitied metal of a nearby truck. Athena still sat upon the grimy steps as she continued to attempt to get ahold of anyone who could help.
"Whoever took Clary and Simon must be holding them over a body of water. That's why our tracking rune won't work," Jace strategized.
Athena sighed, thinking of anything she could possibly do to help their kidnapped friend. "I could try to track her, but I'm not sure it would work," Athena offered. Jace began to grab the singed object that he had taken from Clary's room, before the shrill sound of Clary's phone ringing pierced the air.
Isabelle tossed her head around to where the object was located, charcoal hair flying about her shoulders. "Clary left the phone in her backpack," Izzy explained. Jace ran forward, rifling through the contents of Clary's bag until he found her cellphone in its confines.
Athena leaned forward, her interest piqued at the sound of a possible lead. The phone let out a beep as Jace pressed the button to answer. "Hello?" he said.
Shuddering breaths broke through the speakers of the phone as Simon's voice rang out. "Oh, I thought I'd never utter these words, but thank God it's you. It's me, Simon."
"Where are you? Where's Clary?" Jace demanded.
Sinon continued to pant through the speakers of the phone, as if he was astonished that anyone had answered, and that he had gotten into a predicament. "I don't know. Some Chinese restaurant, I think? This cop, Alaric, arrested us, but it was a total fake-out. Him and his buddy, they took us...," Simon stammered, "they took us to their hangout and then they told Clary that they'll kill her if they don't find the Cup."
Athena breathed a sigh of relief, the idea that maybe Simon could get Clary back filling her with utter joy.
"Just calm down, alright? Tell us what you see," Jace answered.
The sound of hands banging against glass filled the air as Simon began to describe his surroundings. "Okay. Uh, we're definitely on a pier. There's a ton of water, uh... I see lockers and...," Simon explained.
"Oh, my..." he said under his breath.
"I'm in some sort of torture chamber. There's claw marks all over the wall."
Athena gasped as that meant that they were in the presence of werewolves. Izzy soon voiced the thought aloud, worry flooding her coffee-colored eyes.
"That's possible," Alec wondered aloud.
Jace shook his head, preparing to speak the frazzled boy. "Okay, Simon, you need to get more specific. Tell us what you see. Help us find you," Jace consoled.
The sound of metal clanging was heard through the speakers as Simon frantically spoke. "There's nothing else that can help. Wait, hold on! Hold on," he panted.
The sound of paper fluttering in his hands was heard as he continued to speak. "I'm at the Jade Wolf Chinese Restaurant on the pier at Greene Street. And they have really inexpensive cocktails. Just hurry, just hurry," he explained.
Jace passed the phone to Alec as he continued to talk. The place Simon and Clary were located was the headquarters of the New York City werewolf pack, and Athena couldn't help but wonder why the pack would do this to Clary.
"You need to create a diversion. Stall them," Jace offered, a plan forming in his head as he gave Simon tips on how to get himself and Clary out of their predicament.
"How?" he said, still out of breath. "All I have are clothes and a lighter."
Jace sighed. "Start a fire, Simon."
By Simon's tone, he sounded appalled. "That never works! Have you ever seen an action movie?" Simon rambled, scoffing as he talked.
"We're on our way," Jace responded. Before Simon could respond with another witty comment, Jace had hung up the phone and the quartet had begun their trip to the Jade Wolf.
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THEY made their way into an area of the Jade Wolf where shipping containers of all sizes and colors lined the perimeter of the restaurant. Luke was walking from an alley between rows of them, Clary slung over his shoulder. Her red hair was pulled into a tight ponytail, strands falling out and attaching to the damp sweat that littered her face.
Alec and Jace threw punches at the werewolf as Alec held Clary safely in his arms. Luke went sprawling to the ground from a particular punch Jace blew as heavy breaths emanated from his mouth. Athena ran forward, pulling the redheaded girl into a tight embrace.
"You okay?" Jace asked.
"I will be as soon as we find Simon," she responded.
The rest of the group began to run away from Luke's knocked out figure, on their way to find Simon Lewis.
-
ISABELLE threw her electrum-laced whip at the bars of a window, electricity spiraling around the argent object as it coiled around a rusted bar. The bars came loose with a tug of Izzy's arm, bits of foundation falling to the ground in a heap along with the bars.
Shrieking fire alarms went off as tendrils of gray smoke funneled around the windows and cooled itself around the bodies of the group. Isabelle went toward the window, surveying the room to see if anyone was inside.
"I'm getting seriously tired of saving your life," Isabelle said to the boy who made his presence known.
"I am not," came Simon's voice through the open cut in the side of the building.
Isabelle and Simon came paced towards the expectant group, as Simon ran into Clary's awaiting arms and wrapped her in a tight embrace. Isabelle emerged from the smokey depths of the alley and went to stand by Athena's side. Athena let a smile grace her lips at the sight of the heartwarming reunion.
"I hate to break up this little reunion, but we've got a bunch of werewolves trying to kill us so maybe we should get going," Jace interrupted.
Clary abruptly spun around to face Alec and Jace, holding a hand out in front of her.
"Wait, wait, the box. My backpack. I think I left it at the loft," Clary said.
Alec responded with a sarcastic remark. "No, we've got it. I didn't screw up everything."
Clary placed a hand on Alec's harm in thanks as Simon began speaking. "Let's get out of here, then," Simon nervously suggested, voice wavering.
Isabelle held an arm out in front of the boy, "Wait, Simon, whatever you do, do not make any fast moves," she warned.
Two werewolves emerged from the depths of the Jade Wolf, silky pelts shining and emerald eyes piercing the fog that shrouded the restaurant. They both bared their teeth, low growls escaping from their jaws.
"We are in deep shit," Athena grumbled.
Isabelle held her arm out in front of Simon, Clary, and Athena, stopping them from moving anymore. Jace slowly inched his way forward, muttering, "This can't be good."
Athena clutched Clary's arm tightly in fear of the coming events. More werewolves began to show themselves atop crates and from the shadows, each growling and baring their pointed fangs at the group.
Jace drew his seraph blade from its sheath, preparing for a fight. As Isabelle shot out her electrum whip, Alec readied an arrow from its quiver, and Athena raised her hands, the werewolves continued to advance.
They began to form a tight circle, ready to protect each other from the fight at hand. "We're surrounded," Alec announced. "Everyone, stay together."
"Believe me, I'm not going anywhere," Simon remarked.
Athena's hands were quivering in anxiety as she began to prepare to shoot spell after spell at the werewolves who were placing her friends' lives in danger. She may not have been the most valiant out of the group, but she would do anything for her friends.
The alpha of the pack emerged from the door of the restaurant, nudging it open with his furry head. His emerald eyes glowed in the fog as he made his way towards the group.
"Everyone, get back, it's the alpha leader!" Jace demanded. He suddenly broke out into a run, ready to attack his prey. They backed up, shuddering breaths escaping their parted lips.
"Jace, behind!" Clary yelled. Suddenly, a howl broke out among the starry night, and another werewolf appeared behind them, bounding over crates towards the alpha on nimble paws. He began to attack the alpha behind the cover of a car in the lot.
The two snapped their jowls at each other, rolling among the grounds as they fought in their skirmish. Cries from one of the wolves broke out as they crashed against metal crates.
The five of the group backed behind Jace and his shining seraph blade, hairs blowing in the wind. More cries of pain broke out as Alec alerted them of the happenings. "He's challenging the alpha."
Clary explained in astonishment, "He's helping us." Athena's breath trembled in anxiety about the outcome of the battle.
"Or cutting in line to kill us," Simon offered.
Crates tumbled over and crashed on the ground as the group hesitantly made their way forward. Wolves bounded among the shipping containers and crates to see what had happened. A man lay dead, face down in the ground. Blood seeped from various cuts in his body.
Clary let out a squeak of horror. "The alpha's dead," Isabelle declared.
The werewolf that had challenged the alpha emerged from behind some wood, beaten and bloodied by his opponent. He began to transform back into his human form in a flash of swirling emerald lights.
Luke appeared, clothes torn as he let out a groan of exertion and pain. "Oh, my God, Luke," Clary exclaimed.
Athena gasped as she heard the sound of the pack mourning their leader, their howls filling the air in the moonlit night. They all transformed into their respective personas, Alaric among them.
Luke stood panting behind them, blood spilling out of the gashes in his chest. The pack all kneeled unto their new alpha, Luke, as he had killed the old alpha. "What? What is it, what's happening?" Clary questioned.
"When a werewolf kills the alpha leader, he becomes the new alpha," Jace said, as he led the majority of the group to turn back to the tattered and bloody Luke. "Your friend Luke's the leader of the pack now."
Luke nodded at his pack members as they all lowered their heads, strands of hair spilling over their eyes. "Clary...," Luke said.
Clary began to walk towards him, but Jace rejected her. She replied with, "It's okay," and ran to him.
"I promised your mother I'd always protect you." And with that, Luke collapsed upon the ground. Simon and Clary ran to steady him and stop him from falling.
Athena walked to Clary and Jace as they were talking about healing the wounded werewolf. "I could heal him, but I would recommend Magnus over myself. I could help you take him to Magnus?" She offered. Jace gave her a thankful smile, but shook his head as they lugged Luke off to a vehicle in order to get him medical attention.
Athena, Isabelle, and Alec were left, watching as they hauled Luke into the car and drove off towards the glittering New York skyline.
Isabelle dragged Athena over to the edge of the pier as they looked at the moon shining over the rising towers and shimmering waters. "Well, we just almost died, so, would you like to go on a date with me?" Isabelle asked the girl.
Athena laughed, lightly smacking Isabelle's exposed shoulder. "Are you serious, Izzy, this is hardly the time!" She scolded. "But, yes."
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a/n: i did discontinue this and i'm very sorry but i wont ever be finishing it haha i wrote this a long time ago and now i'm a senior in high school so i don't even want to reread this or finish it because it's too cringe