Morning came. Magnus woke up with the usual aches and pains but quickly shook them off as he stepped outside. His neighbors were walking down the street, merrily talking to one another. When they saw Magnus step outside they immediately grew quiet. Magnus waved happily at them but they didn't wave back. Rude. He was only trying to be a good neighbor.
"Sleep well?" said a voice.
Magnus turned to see Alec seated on the swing hanging from his front porch, peeling an apple with a pocketknife. "Slept decently, I suppose. Can't say it was the greatest sleep ever. Kept waking up and expected to hear Forsaken growls outside the window."
Alec looked up at him. "I can assure you that this town is very fortified. We check our walls every week. We haven't had an incident in a long time."
"You've had an incident before? Well that's comforting to hear."
"It was before my family and I got here. I heard a story that one of the walls were rusted and some Forsaken got in. Killed a lot of good people. Or so I heard." Alec bit into the apple and chewed. "Want some breakfast? They're making oatmeal today. If we get there early they'll sprinkle some sugar on top."
Magnus rolled his eyes. "Oh I'm so excited. Let's go before it's all gone."
Alec smiled crookedly and jumped up from the swing and trotted down the small pathway. "Max was asking about you this morning, which kind of surprised me to be honest."
"Considering I held him at knifepoint? I'm surprised too." Magnus sneered at a passing resident, which made them walk faster. "What did he say?"
"He wanted to know if you're a convict," Alec laughed. His laugh sounded breathless and whimsical, very unlike his rugged appearance which Magnus drank in like water. Black skinny jeans tucked into a pair of black boots and a light grey long sleeved shirt that clung to his lean muscled frame which was unbuttoned at the top, revealing a bit of chest hair.
Magnus inhaled and had to look away to clear his head. "And what did you tell him?"
Alec shrugged. "What could I tell him? I couldn't tell him you used to be an office worker and then later discover I was completely wrong about you. What if you are a convict?"
Magnus snorted. "Trust me. If I wanted you killed, you'd be dead already."
Alec said nothing in response to this. He was finished eating his apple by now and was just twirling the core around in his hands as they walked side by side. "The Inquisitor expects an answer today. What are you going to tell her?"
Magnus sighed. Since he actually didn't do much sleeping last night, he had a chance to think about whether he should stay or leave Alicante. He weighed out his pros and cons:
Pro #1: this place was well stocked. At least now if he wanted to run away at some point, he knew where they kept their food. Weapons were another story that he'd have to figure out later.
Pro #2: he actually had a home. Despite the fact he completely ignored the bedroom altogether last night, at least it was warm and safe.
Pro #3: in conjunction with pro #1, he didn't have to scrounge around looking for food. No more eating corn from a tin when this community hunted and brought home game.
Con #1: he didn't know anybody here aside from Alec and his scary sister and psychotic little brother. His neighbors didn't seem all that friendly but he hoped that would change if he stayed.
Con #2: they took his weapons. Where they took them he had no idea but he needed his butterfly knife back. It had sentimental value and he didn't want to lose it.
Con #3: he didn't see a way out if he wanted to escape. Climbing over the fence seemed pointless now that everyone knew how he got in. He'd have a look around later to see if there were any weak points.
"So? Did you decide if you were staying or going?" Alec asked again.
"I may need to think more on it over breakfast. Having a bit of food in me might help the whole thinking process," Magnus nodded. "Is that okay with your Inquisitor?"
Alec scratched his head. "Uh, I guess? She's a bit of a wild card. Never know what kind of mood she's in most days."
"That's like most women. And men too....." Magnus gave Alec the once over. "You don't seem like you're starving."
Alec finally noticed that Magnus was staring at his body, so he subconsciously crossed his arms over his chest. "What? Why do you say that?"
Magnus flexed an arm. "You're built. Your bicep bulges when you bend your arm. Do you work out?"
Alec scoffed. "I think you're asking questions that are a little personal, don't you think?"
"Not at all. On the contrary, I'm curious. Everyone else looks like they're on the brink of starvation. Meanwhile...." Magnus eyed Alec again. The raven haired man looked so subconscious of himself that Magnus wanted to laugh. Alec wasn't much taller than he was, but the other man was slouched to make himself appear smaller. "I think I know your secret, Alexander. The secret as to why your family look so different from everyone else here."
Alec clenched his jaw. "Just drop it. If you know what's good for you-"
"You're hoarding food, aren't you? I know a hoarder when I see one."
Alec grabbed Magnus by the arm and dragged him over to a large oak tree. Someone had shouted "Yeah Alec teach him a lesson!" but Alec ignored them. "Look. I sneak out sometimes and I set traps in the woods. Traps that nobody knows about. Whatever I catch, I bring home to my family."
Magnus smirked. "That explains why you're buff. You're getting the right intake to keep up with the muscle mass. Clever. But why are you sneaking it? Why not just ask for some meat or other food when you're hungry?"
Alec shook his head. "Can't. Not allowed. We ration everything to the point where we have the next two years planned out. The Inquisitor is very strict when it comes to this kind of stuff."
They both fell quiet when a couple passed by. Alec nodded to them. He knew who they were; they were Clary's parents, Luke and Joceyln. He waited until they passed before speaking again. "I advise you to choose your words wisely when talking to the Inquisitor. You don't want to make her angry."
"Why, she'll turn green and start smashing things?" Magnus laughed at Alec's expression. "So serious, Alec. God. Lighten up. The world might be overrun by zombies but you're still allowed to joke every now and then."
Alec closed his eyes when Magnus punched him lightly on the shoulder. "I don't have time to joke around. There's work to be done and people to protect. I'll joke when I'm dead."
As he walked away, Magnus cringed. He had to find a way to get Alec to cheer up a bit. So he did what he always did best. "Knock knock."
Alec stopped walking, turning around and raising a condescending eyebrow. "Are you serious right now?"
"Knock knock, asshole."
Alec sighed in defeat. "Who's there?"
"Owls say."
Alec knew what was coming but his stupid self answered anyway. "Owls say who?"
"Exactly!" Magnus snorted. Alec, on the other hand, never cracked a smile. "Oh forget it. Lead me to this Inquisitor before I lose my damn mind."
Breakfast was indeed oatmeal. The aroma nearly knocked Magnus off his feet as he and Alec stepped into the town hall where people were lined up with their trays, hoping to get something decent to eat. He saw Isabelle and Max already seated at a cafeteria table, with Max playing with some toys as he ate while Isabelle was talking to a girl with flaming red hair.
"Grab a tray and get in line. If they run out of oatmeal by the time we make it to the front of the line, there's always backup breakfast," Alec whispered in a serious tone.
Magnus didn't like the sound of that. "What's backup breakfast?"
"Dog food," Alec mumbled.
"Say that again? I didn't hear you-"
"Dog food," Alec hissed a little louder than before. "It's dog food. Nobody likes it and nobody ever wants it. But sometimes eating that is better than eating nothing at all."
"Preach," Magnus muttered. It wouldn't be the first time he ate dog food. When the zombie apocalypse first started, he was forced to eat the stuff because that was all he could find. He vomited the first few bites but then forced it to stay down. "But it looks to me they have lots of oatmeal there so no dog food for us today."
Once they got their portion, Alec led him over to the table where his siblings were seated. Max had stopped playing with his toy to watched Magnus tie his long hair back into a sloppy ponytail and make a mess all over his beard.
"Why is your beard so long?" Max asked him. "Don't you shave?"
"Can't shave when I don't have a razor. I'd use my knife but that would hurt. Plus there's no shaving cream and it'll dull the blade. Any other questions you'd like to ask before I resume my breakfast?" Magnus rolled his eyes as the boy began playing toys again.
"Magnus is hoping to get a haircut today. Or at least I'm hoping to schedule him in for a haircut," Alec grumbled as he ate. "Think you can give him one, Clary?"
The redhead nodded. "Sure. Anything you need. Is there any particular hairstyle you're looking for?"
When Magnus realized she was talking to him, he snorted. "No. Never got a chance to flip through some stylist magazines to decide what I wanted."
Clary shrugged. "I'll just cut it short, then. I can shave your beard off too if you'd like. Or if you're uncomfortable with that then you can do it yourself."
Before Magnus had a chance to answer, a tall woman with dark hair pinned back tightly on her head approached their table. She oozed power as she stood next to him and watched him with a careful eye. "Magnus Bane? I assume you were given the two options by Alexander here last night while you were in our cells."
Magnus heard Alec mutter beside him. Guess he didn't like to be called that. "The Inquisitor, I presume? I've heard all kinds of wonderful things about you."
The older woman's lips twitched to keep from smiling. "Oh? Such as?"
"All lovely things. Such as what a wonderful leader you are and how well you're keeping this town protected," Magnus wanted to smirk at how this woman was eating his words up like candy but he didn't break his poker face. "If it's okay with you, I'd like to stay in this fine establishment and contribute as best as I can."
Beside him, Alec coughed to cover up a laugh.
The Inquisitor nodded. "Very well. You'll live in the home that I assigned to you, which is the home Alexander showed you last night. Do with it as you see fit. It's yours to keep. Welcome to Alicante, Mr. Bane."
"Merci, Madame Inquisitor," Magnus smiled as she walked away. Once she was gone, he hissed "She's scary and I wouldn't trust her as far as I can throw her."
"Did you just bullshit her?" Isabelle snorted. "I smell bullshit written all over this."
Magnus shoved a bite of oatmeal into his mouth. "Of course I did. It's how you get on people's good side. Take notes, kid."
Max shrugged and continued to play with his toys.
The blonde haired man that Magnus saw last night with Alec approached their table. It was hard to tell if he was Alec's boyfriend or not. He took a spot next to Alec and sighed heavily.
"Fence duty today. Luke said he has reason to believe the perimeter is compromised due to recent activity. Hi," he said to Magnus. "You're the guy that robbed the food storage yesterday. Pretty ballsy, dude."
Magnus glanced from Alec to the blonde haired man. "And who are you exactly?"
Blondie (as Magnus dubbed him in his mind) looked genuinely offended. "You must be Magnus. I'm Jace. Jace Lightwood. Alec's much more handsome and intelligent little brother."
"Hey!" Max threw his spoon at Jace. "Jerk!"
"I only state facts, Maxwell. Get over yourself," Jace tossed the spoon back and the little boy scowled.
Magnus looked Jace over, silently thanking the Gods to be blessed by the presence of a gorgeous looking family. "You said you're Alec's brother? I'm sorry. I'm just trying to find where the similarities start...."
Jace raised a hand. "You won't. I'm not blood related. I was adopted when I was 10. Car crash. Killed my parents. I'll save you the sob story. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to check the perimeter. Don't want any Forsaken getting in."
Jace walked off, tying his hair back into a bun and naturally, Magnus checked him out. "Is he a cologne or flowers kind of guy?"
Alec choked on his oatmeal. As he began to cough, Isabelle pounded him on the back with a hand. "He's dating Clary. Sorry," she said.
"That proves nothing. Sometimes all it takes is for the right guy to come along...." He winked at Isabelle, who blushed and giggled. "I think I might tag along on this fence thing after my makeover. I'm ready when you are, Little Red."
Clary smirked. "That actually sounds like a badass name. Tiny but mighty, you know?"
"I'll come too! I wanna see what's hiding under all this hair," Isabelle giggled as she tugged on Magnus' long locks.
"A lot of beauty hidden under here," Magnus beamed. "You ladies aren't worried I'll pull a knife on you like I did with Max and Alec?"
"Isabelle can take care of herself," Alec grumbled. "She doesn't need me to hold her hand while she beats the living shit out of you."
Magnus raised his hands in defeat. "Alright. Scariness confirmed. Don't mess with Lady Lightwood," he opened the town hall doors for the girls. "Lead the way. I'll follow you."
Alec watched them leave and rolled his eyes. "How long do you think he's going to last here before making a run for it?"
Max set down his toys. "I say two weeks. Give or take. Wanna make a bet out of it?"
Alec leaned forward. "You're on, little man. Two weeks time. If he's still here, you win. If he's gone before then, I win."
"Deal. Winner gets extra helping of food for a week," Max shook Alec's hand and laughed when his older brother ruffled his hair.
"Now get to school. Tessa's going to be cross if you're late again." Alec smiled as Max grabbed his books and took off outside towards the building that housed the classrooms.
Deciding to meet Jace by the fence, he slipped on a black jacket to beat off the cold that suddenly swept across the town. The sky had grown dark and the wind picked up a little bit. It looked like a storm was brewing. Sooner rather than later.
Jace was talking to Luke when Alec approached them. When he saw Alec, he stopped and pointed to the ground. "Luke says the ground is cracking and we need to fortify the walls before the storm."
"Storm? What storm?" Alec said as he crossed his arms over his chest. His fingers had gone numb with the cold.
Luke pointed to the sky. "I've been keeping an eye on it for days. Big storm coming. High winds and a lot of rain, quite possibly hailstones."
"And the damage?" Alec had to shout now because the wind had picked up drastically.
"It's bad. We'll have to board up the barn and storages. Tell folks to stay away from windows and board them up if they can. It's gonna be a big one," Luke shouted back.
A big storm. Not even with the amount of supplies he'd brought back yesterday would be enough to help people recover from this. They barely had any wood now as it was for people to burn in their fireplace (considering they had one) or to heat their stove at the town hall for cooking. This was a major setback in the town plan.
Alec sputtered when a loose branch hit him in the face. "I'll make my rounds around town and let everyone know. When's the storm supposed to hit?"
"By the looks of things right now? Soon. Like real soon," Luke picked up a large beam and leaned it against the wall. "If this thing falls that's it. We're done. Forsaken will be crawling through this place like ants in minutes."
"Fuck," Alec cringed. His hair was now soaking wet from the rain, as was the rest of him. "I'll go warn everyone now. Make sure the wall is secure and then get inside as quick as you can!"
As Alec went to warn the rest of the town, Magnus was finished getting a haircut at the Lightwood residence and was now shaving off his hermit beard, as Clary called it. Isabelle had done her hair first, shaving half her head. This new style made her look even more badass and more scary than she already was.
"You almost done in there? I'm dying to see what you look like," Isabelle said from outside the bathroom door. "Can you shave faster or something?"
"Isabelle, this thing runs on two double A batteries that are half dead. I'm going as fast as I can," Magnus replied. Which was true. He was buzzing all this hair off as fast as he could. He wanted to see what he looked like too. It's been so long since he last got a good look at himself.
The door suddenly opened and Isabelle and Clary looked up. Isabelle was the first to react as Clary just stared in shock.
"Damn. You're actually kinda cute, Magnus! Look at this squishy face," Isabelle squeezed his cheeks and smiled broadly.
"Kinda cute? I take offence to that. I think I'm sexy as hell." He felt his face with both hands. "Holy shit. It's been so long since my face has been this smooth. Does it look okay?"
"Dude. It looks way better than having a dead carcass on your face," Isabelle snorted as Clary gave her a fist bump. "And your hair looks amazing too-"
The front door burst open and the girls screamed in fright. Jace and Alec had rushed in, with Jace holding tools and boards in his arms while Alec carried Max in his.
"What the hell is going on?" Isabelle yelled.
"Storm coming. Big one. We have to stay inside and board up the windows and front door. Quickly!" Jace held a board to a window while Isabelle started putting nails in it. He looked up once and saw Magnus standing in the archway of their living room and cocked his head. "Magnus? Is that you?"
Magnus nodded. "Yeah....why? Does it look bad?"
"No dude you look good-Alec! Check Magnus out! Doesn't he look different or what?"
Alec did look at Magnus. For a little too long, in his opinion. Magnus looked so different without all that hair on his face and head. In fact....he looked really good. Like really good.
Magnus saw Alec's throat work a long swallow before the black haired man turned and set Max down on the couch. He didn't want to say anything or force Alec to say anything, so he kept quiet and helped with the windows instead.
"Max. Don't be scared, okay? It's just a storm. We're going to wait it out like we always have," Alec told his baby brother.
Max whimpered. "It's gonna be a bad one. Isn't it?"
Alec kissed his forehead. "Yeah, buddy. It is. But you're with family, okay? We're all together. So no matter what happens, at least we have each other."
Touching, Magnus thought to himself. He noticed that Alec was very gentle and sweet with his siblings, so unlike the way he fought dirty last night when one of them were threatened. He really admired that about him.
"Simon!" Isabelle shouted. She opened the front door and a man with curly hair and glasses literally blew inside. It took three of them to close the door and lock it again. "What the hell are you doing out there? Are you crazy?"
Simon smiled broadly. "No. I'm not. I came to make sure Clary was okay-"
"I'm fine, Simon. Where's my mom and Luke?" Clary looked out the unboarded window for a sign of them. "Are they okay?"
Simon gulped down as much air as he could when he tried to speak. "As far as I know, they are. I came running when I realized you were here and not at home-oh Magnus. Nice hair."
Magnus half smiled. "Thanks. Now can we cut to the chase and start putting up boards on the windows? I'd like to survive this storm, thank you very much."
"Well what about your place?" asked Alec. "What if something happens to it?"
Magnus shook his head. Of course he'd considered this but that wasn't the issue right now. "Don't worry about it. If we make it out of here alive, I'll sleep in the barn I saw earlier. It'll be just as nice as that house."
The window suddenly shattered and everyone screamed in fright as the wind rushed in, hailstones hitting the floor like golf balls and bouncing. They were big enough to hurt their skin.
"Everyone in the basement! There's no windows there!" Alec yelled over the roar of the wind. "Go! Hurry!"
He ushered everyone down into the basement that belonged to Jace and slammed the door shut behind him. It was somewhat cold and damp down here, but Jace was soon tossing old magazines into his wood stove once everyone was settled in. The girls were seated on top of Jace's bed with Max between them, a blanket around his small shoulders as he shivered violently and cried to himself. Alec was leaned up against the wall, a serious expression on his face as Simon just rambled on about how insane this all was.
"Luke was right all along. Can you believe it? And the Inquisitor didn't even listen to him. Not once. She's known about this for days. We could've been better prepared for this. Gotten more supplies. Prepared the houses for impact. But noooo. Inquisitor Herondale does what Inquisitor Herondale wants to do. No offence, Jace."
"None taken," Jace grumbled as he stabbed the fire with a poker.
"Wait. Why would there be any offence to Jace?" Magnus asked.
Jace answered. "Inquisitor Herondale is my grandmother. Blood related. I first met her when we arrived in Alicante five years ago."
Magnus clicked his tongue. "Oh. Well then. I'm sensing that your mom and dad didn't want anything to do with her? And that's why you didn't know she existed?"
Jace shrugged, meaning it was the end of the conversation.
Alec spoke up, his voice going into leader mode. "Okay. Let's get some rest. Hopefully this storm will wear off by tomorrow. If it did, we'll check the house for any real damage. Then we'll check on the residents. See who survived. See who....." His voice trailed off. "Just try to sleep. We could be here a while."
"What if we get hungry?" Max asked in a small voice.
"Luckily, Jace keeps some energy bars down here for safekeeping in case of emergency. I'd say this is an emergency, right buddy?" Alec nudged Max with an elbow as he sat down on the bed. "The girls and Max will sleep in the bed. The rest of us will take the floor. Any complaints?" Nobody said a word. "Good. Now let's wait this storm out. Can't be any worse than what we've already been through, right?"