It was pure luck that they found their clothing when they did. Not long after they left the store, the wind picked up and it started to hail so hard that it stung their faces, despite the fact that they wore scarves and hats to protect them from the biting cold.
"We need to find shelter!" Jace called out over the roaring wind.
"I won't argue with you there!" Alec called back. "Should we just hole up in a store for now?"
"Too dangerous!" Magnus yelled. "Head to one of the office buildings! There's a good chance that there's food and water in them!"
Magnus had a point. Most people don't scavenge through office buildings because they think there's nothing but machines and paperwork in them but some of Alec's greatest finds came directly from offices themselves. Energy bars, boxes of water, clothes and other supplies were just some of the treasures that he found over the years. They were gold mines just waiting to be excavated.
They filed into a tall building that was once a law firm back in the day. Strewn across the front lobby were mostly papers and a few opened briefcases that blew with the wind as they entered the building. As they shut the doors behind them, it suddenly became eerily quiet as the papers landed to the floor and stopped moving.
"Well. This isn't creepy at all," Simon whispered. "Is anyone else getting chills but not from the cold?"
"I am," Clary shuddered. "I remember this building. My mom delivered a painting here once when I was a kid. In fact, that's the painting right there."
There behind the front desk was a beautiful painting of a knight riding a white horse. The knight held a shining sword above his head while leading an army behind him.
"It's beautiful," Isabelle breathed. "Your mom was an incredible painter."
Clary smiled. "She was. This was one of her favorite pieces. She said the knight represented Justice and the army behind him were the people who stand for Justice. She was a firm believer in the American Justice System."
"As shitty as it was," Jace mumbled under his breath. This earned himself a smack from his sister. "But overall it's a beautiful work of art. That's the main thing."
Alec tapped Jace on the shoulder. "I don't mean to interrupt your art session here but I need you to help me scout up ahead to make sure there's nothing here. Elevators are obviously down so we'll have to take the stairs. Magnus, can you stay here with Simon and the ladies?"
Magnus nodded. "Sure. Shout if you need anything. We'll be able to hear you. If I can hear Simon's erratic heartbeat then I'll definitely hear your shouts."
Weapons raised, Jace and Alec went ahead to see if they were alone or not. Along with the main lobby, there were several smaller offices that probably housed the lower paid employees or office supplies. Alec couldn't tell. Every room they checked looked the same; papers everywhere, chairs tipped over as if people knocked them down in a panic. There were even tables up against some of the windows to bar them off from the hallway. The entire place was chaos.
"Whoever was here before certainly left in a hurry," Jace whispered as they passed a tipped over copy machine.
"Wouldn't you if you worked here and the world ended all of a sudden? I sure as fuck wouldn't stick around." Alec ducked under some electrical wiring that hung from the ceiling. "I doubt anybody stayed here longer than they needed to. Maybe a few of them here and there but they probably wanted to be home where it felt safer."
"I guess you have a point," Jace shrugged. "Still. They left the place in a mess. Just look at this. This file is from 2010. Percival Hawkblue. Persecuted for beating his wife and then killing her. This should be locked up someplace safe. Not laying on the floor for everyone to read."
Alec took a look at the file before closing it. "It doesn't matter now. There's no justice system anymore. Hasn't been for years. Same with laws and the government. Everything and anything is legal-"
The door beside them rattled, prompting both men to quickly raise their guns. Groans could be heard from inside and shadows passed the window. The blinds were closed so they couldn't see inside and whatever was inside couldn't see them.
"It's locked from the outside. The key is still in the lock," Jace pointed at the door. "Grab it. It could be the master key."
Weapon still raised, Alec slowly crept his way toward the door. It rattled even more now so whatever was inside was fully aware that he and Jace were just outside their little prison.
"If anything breaks out, I got your back," Jace hissed.
"My back?! You should have my front, you idiot. That's what they'll go for first."
Jace rolled his eyes. "Just get the keys. The longer we stand here, the more time we waste."
Flipping him the middle finger, Alec slowly reached out and took the key from out of the lock. Once it was out, he backed up quickly. He wasn't sure exactly what to expect; he almost thought something would break out and attack but that wasn't the case. The growls continued but the door remained locked and the window unbroken.
"That was easy," Jace chuckled.
Alec glared at him. "Speak for yourself. 'I got your back'? Are you kidding me?"
Jace watched as Alec walked away. He made a face of confusion as he followed behind his older brother. "What did I say? I had your back. I only meant that if anything happened, I'd save you."
Magnus was sitting in the computer chair at the front desk when they returned. He ceased spinning and got to his feet. "So? Are we clear?"
Alec nodded. "For the most part. We passed a locked office door with a few Forsaken inside but they seem to be secured in there. Also," he pulled out the key and jingled it with a smile, "it looks like we got a master key."
Clary looked at the key in Alec's hand. "How do you know it's the master key?"
"It says on the key itself. Strange though. How it's just out here in the open like this." Simon took the key and examined it. "I've made some copies of keys in my lifetime and this isn't an original. The original master key would either be up in the big boss's office or in the janitorial room." He looked up from the key to see that everyone was looking at him. "What? Why are you looking at me like that?"
"What were you making copies of keys for, Simon Lewis?" Isabelle wiggled her eyebrows.
Simon blushed. "No-nothing. I kept losing the key to my front door so I made extra copies just in case. What's wrong with taking a few precautions?"
Taking the key from Simon's hand, Alec led the way upstairs. "I think the fourth floor should be fine to stay in for now. It's not exactly near the top floor or too close to the bottom. It's just right in case we need to make a run for it. Any complaints?"
Everyone shook their heads. They continued to make their way to the fourth floor in silence, listening for anything that didn't seem right for a supposedly empty building. So far all they heard were the hailstones that pelted down on the glass windows and on the walls.
The conference room they chose to stay in was empty as Alec pushed open the large door and ushered them inside. A long black table rest in the center along with many chairs surrounding it. There was a projector resting on the table, untouched, but that wasn't what caught the group's eyes.
There on the chalkboard written in messy words was "We are all dead".
"You just had to pick the fourth floor, didn't you?" shuddered Simon. "Can we pick a different room that doesn't have cryptic writing on the walls?"
"This is the biggest room on this floor. Plus if we flip the tables on their sides we can place them against the glass window and sleep behind them. That way anything passing by won't see us." Alec placed his backpack on the floor with a sigh. "I can't move the tables so you guys will have to do it."
Once the tables were moved against the window, they scrounged around to see if there were any supplies worth taking. Clary found the kitchen and brought back a few cans of meatballs, peas and soup. Simon rigged up a heater using the projector and a small generator Jace found in the supply closet. Alec, on the other hand, had shrugged off his shirt to let Magnus check the stitching on his shoulder.
"You tore them open again," Magnus tutted. "I'm not made of bandages and stitches, you know."
Alec groaned. "Sorry. I'm not going to stop just because there's a hole in my shoul-AH!" The veins in his hand and arm bulged as he made a fist to fight through the pain of Magnus stitching him back up. "Son of a....god. Do we have any more booze?"
"Nope. Just grin and bear it, tough guy. At least the pain lets you know you're alive."
Alec looked up into Magnus' eyes at this. The other man had the same idea and was looking right back into Alec's eyes, a chocolate brown gaze holding a hazel one. Neither of them moved. Neither of them breathed. It was as if time itself stopped completely and it was only the two of them in the room. Nobody else existed except them.
"Fuck," Magnus swore.
Alec was finally able to look away. "What? What's wrong?"
Magnus shook his head. "I didn't use green stitching."
A low grinding sound from the makeshift heater brought their attention from each other to Simon. The young man was adjusting his invention with a screwdriver that Jace brought back along with a toolbox filled with other tools.
"Didn't mean to interrupt sexy time!" Simon snickered. "If you two want to snuggle to stay warm instead of using my cool new gadget here, I'll totally understand."
"Shut up Simon," Alec grumbled. If Magnus hadn't been watching carefully, he would've missed the small flicker of a grin that passed across Alec's face.
"Everyone good in here?" Jace entered the room carrying several blankets and cans of food. Isabelle followed behind him with books in her arms.
"Bit of light reading?" Magnus nodded toward the books.
She shook her head. "Not really. We could burn the pages if Simon's new toy here dies on us anytime soon."
Simon blinked. "Thanks for the vote of confidence. Good to know my inventions are loved and appreciated."
Isabelle just stroked his hair off his forehead and smiled sweetly. "What do we have for food? I'm starving."
Jace counted the cans. "It's not much but we can probably ration the food if we're careful. Hope everyone likes meatballs, gravy and peas."
They ate in silence as the heater continued to warm the room. The generator sputtered but a kick from Simon managed to get it going again. Apart from the low hum of the makeshift heater, everything was quiet on their floor.
"So....I know I asked this before but I just want to double check." Jace looked over at Alec with sad eyes. "You have a plan, right? You know where we're going?"
Now everyone was looking at him. This put Alec on the spot as he tried to find a reasonable answer to give his group a confidence boost. "I'm trying my best here. Our main goal now is to find supplies and a safe place to call shelter. I'd hole up here but we don't know if there's any more Forsaken on any of the other floors."
"He has a point," Magnus agreed. "Even if we decided to clear the other floors, that could take days. Maybe even weeks."
"So what if it did?" Jace leaned forward, hands ready for a debate. "At least we know we have a place to stay. Sure it's a little chilly but we have Simon here to cook us up inventions when we need it."
"So I'm just here for when you actually need me, am I?" Simon yelled. "Good to fucking know!"
The group started yelling at each other, Alec not included. He sat leaned against the wall with his eyes closed, trying to tune out their voices. But the more they yelled, the more it got on his nerves and bothered him.
"ENOUGH!"
Everyone fell silent at the sound of Alec yelling over them. His voice was loud and deep, dripping with authority. Once everyone was quiet, he spoke again but in a more softer tone this time.
"Simon. Jace didn't mean anything with what he said. I doubt any of us would still be alive today if it weren't for your inventions."
Simon blushed. "Thank you."
"You're welcome. Look....I'm trying. Okay? I'm trying to keep us safe and alive and fed but there's only so much I can do. Wounded or not, I can't do everything by myself. You're going to have to pull some weight around here too."
Alec took a shuddering breath to steady himself. He saw Magnus reach out and place a reassuring hand on his good shoulder, squeezing gently.
"We'll pull our weight," Magnus whispered. "A leader isn't a leader without their followers after all. If there's anything you need just tell us. We'll do it."
Alec let out a tired sigh but smiled softly. "Thanks. Now let's get some sleep. I know it's not dark yet but we're all exhausted and we need our strength. How long can that heater run for?"
Simon tapped his contraption with a finger. "Hypothetically? It could give out at any moment. It was a spur of the moment invention so there's no definite expiration-oh. There it goes."
The heater died, the soft humming coming from the generator slowing to a complete stop like a jogger slowing down from a run.
"Well then. Guess we're cuddling up tonight," Jace shrugged. Clary giggled beside him as she leaned in closer to him, causing him to grin.
When Isabelle leaned into Simon, Alec and Magnus glanced at each quickly before clearing their throats in unison.
"Do you need a blanket? Jace found some earlier," offered Magnus.
"No. No," Alec shook his head. "I should be-I should be good. But thanks anyway. Who's taking first watch? I'd do it but I'm exhausted."
Magnus raised a hand. "I'll do it. I'm used to only running on a few hours sleep anyway. You guys get some rest. I'll wake you up if anything happens."
So that was the end of that conversation. When everyone was huddled up in their sleeping bags and blankets and had finally fallen asleep, Magnus sat watch with his back against the wall opposite to the glass window. He held his gun close to him as he watched the hallway with alert eyes. It was only when he heard a small moan did he switch his gaze to the people sleeping across from him.
Alec was sleeping fitfully inside his sleeping bag, shivering from the cold or from a dream Magnus was unsure. When he moaned again, he rolled over onto his wounded shoulder, a look of pain flashing across his face.
Magnus bit his lip. He hated seeing Alec in so much pain. It didn't help that his brother had died not even a day before and got shot the day before that. There was so much weight on Alec's shoulders that Magnus wanted to take some of that weight and carry it for him. But the most he could do right now was be there for Alec. And maybe cover him up with another blanket.
Crawling over to him, Magnus opened another blanket and spread it over the sleeping man. Alec relaxed almost immediately, his shivering easing up as he settled down into his sleeping bag.
Magnus smiled to himself. He even brushed a strand of dirty black hair off Alec's forehead with a finger, much to his mind's protest. He didn't want to become attached to Alec. He wasn't looking for love. Especially not in a society like today. Life was too short and he had to look out for #1, aka himself. There was no time to be worried about someone else. Trying to protect yourself was hard enough-
There was a noise from the hallway. Magnus ducked and found himself face to face with Alec. Their noses were so close that if he even leaned in another inch, their lips would be touching.
Get a grip Magnus, Magnus thought to himself. Now was not the time to thinking about kissing the beautiful man that was inches away in front of him.
The door to the conference room slowing opened. Footsteps entered the room. Magnus slowly pulled himself closer to Alec, not daring to turn around to see who or what came into their safe place. He did, however, grip his gun tighter to his chest and readied his muscles to whip around to shoot the intruder.
When he clicked a round into the chamber, he could see the intruder jump in fright and raise their hands in the air in surrender. At least he knew that it wasn't a zombie. Forsaken didn't surrender.
"Don't shoot!" The intruder squeaked. They sounded young and when Magnus got a good look at them, they looked to be about 15 or 16 years old. Wearing a tattered old winter jacket and a wool hat, the intruder reached up and pulled off the hat from their head to reveal faded dyed red hair.
"Don't shoot," the young girl whispered. "Please. I only want to talk."
Magnus eyed the girl. She had a thick English accent and obviously wasn't from the United States. "What's your name?"
"K-Keeley," the girl stuttered. "I don't mean you or your group any harm. I was watching you earlier at the clothing store. Followed you here and thought you'd be good candidates."
"Candidates? You better explain yourself before I get trigger excited," Magnus said as he lift the gun higher.
Keeley nodded. "Right. Okay. You might want to wake up your group. They'll want to hear this too."
Magnus did as he was told, shaking everyone awake. When he got around to Alec, his heart thudded faster when a tired pair of hazel eyes blinked sleepily back up at him. "Alec. We....have a guest. She wants to talk to us about something."
"What?" Alec croaked, his voice deeper than usual and laced with sleep. "What's going on here?"
He sat up in his sleeping bag to get a better look at their guest. Keeley waved as he laid eyes on her, a scrutinizing look on his face.
"Now that we're all awake, I guess I should start talking," she chuckled. "Okay. Right. So my name is Keeley. I'm from a place not far from here and my boss sent me out to find new recruits for our....residence. I think you'll all make nice additions."
"Nice additions? You make it sound like you're collecting people and putting them on display," Jace growled. "How do we even know that we can trust you?"
"You don't," Keeley shook her head. "But why not take a risk? We have food. Shelter. Weapons. We're heavily guarded and we offer jobs to those that come to stay with us. There's something for everyone there."
The group glanced at Alec expectantly. He sighed heavily. "No offence but the last place we stayed was against our will and belonged to a psychopath. He murdered my little brother."
Keeley bowed her head. "My condolences. It's tough losing someone. I lost my best friend not long ago and it still hurts to think about her. But this is an opportunity of a lifetime. How often is someone going to come along and extend an olive branch?"
She had a point. Alec knew they were struggling enough now as it was. If he made the choice to stay put, they would more than likely starve to death or die from the cold. If they followed this stranger to wherever place she was talking about, there was a good chance they could survive just a bit longer.
"Fine. We'll go. But if I feel that we're at risk or put in a dangerous situation, we're leaving immediately. Is that clear?" Alec put the full force of his gaze on Keeley to make sure she knew that he meant business.
"Loud and clear. We should get moving. Now, in fact. Those Forsaken on the first floor kinda broke through the glass window and are wandering about. But we can take the side entrance to get out." Keeley got to her feet and clapped her gloved hands together. "Bundle up. It's nipply out there."
They collected whatever gear and supplies they had and followed the teen downstairs to a side entrance as she mentioned. She wasn't kidding about the Forsaken breaking through their prison. Alec could hear them wandering around the hallway on the first floor and was thankful they didn't have to go that way.
"So why were you the one that got sent out to recruit people?" Simon asked once they were outside. It had stopped hailing and the wind died down somewhat but it was still cold enough for them to see their breath.
"I thought that was obvious," Keeley snorted. "I'm small. Which means I'm fast and I can get to places that most people can't. Besides. If it wasn't for your handsome scruffy friend over here, I could've easily snuck in and took some of your supplies without being heard."
Magnus scratched his chin. "Well I am kind of getting scruffy."
"You can shave when we get to The Institute. We have hot water and showers so you can wash off all that dirt-"
"Wait. Did you say Institute? Like a....mental institution?" Clary barely whispered.
"No. Nothing like that. The Institute is a society of humans that are working together to rebuild humanity. That means planting crops, farming animals, repopulating the earth. That sort of thing."
At the mention of repopulating the earth, Jace nudged Clary and winked. Alec caught sight of this and gagged.
"How come we've never heard of this Institute?" Isabelle called out from the back of the group. She coughed, prompting Alec to rush back and wrap a blanket around her shoulders.
"We're pretty low key for the most part. We only let in those who we think will make a nice contribution to our goal. Like Tiny over here. He builds stuff. We can benefit from that."
"Tiny?!" Simon sputtered. "I'm a solid 5'10. That's average height for a male."
Keeley shrugged. "Whatever. We're almost there. Just around the corner."
As the group made the turn around a coffee shop, they were surprised to be greeted by what looked like a very large church surrounded by a tall steel wall. As Keeley whistled, the gates in front of them opened up and they were led inside by armed guards.
"Like I said. We're heavily guarded here. Nothing gets in or out without us knowing. Follow me. Let's go meet the boss lady."
Inside the church was a different story altogether. Where it looked small on the outside, the inside was absolutely humongous. The ceiling looked like it touched the sky, with angels holding swords painted on them. The walls were made of dark oak and lined with computers. Actual working computers. Simon had to be dragged away from them as they made their way down a long hallway.
Keeley knocked on a door. "Boss? I found a group. I think you'll want to talk to them."
A voice answered from inside. "Bring them in. I'll decide whether or not they're good enough."
Keeley opened the door and ushered Alec and his group to follow her inside. Behind a large wooden desk sat a woman with high cheekbones and blonde hair tied back in a neat ponytail. She smiled tightly as the group stood before her.
"Welcome to The Institute. I'm Lydia Branwell. Leader of this place. You are?"
Alec stood with his back straight and arms behind his back. "I'm Alec Lightwood. These are my siblings Isabelle and Jace. This is Clary Fray. Simon Lewis. And Magnus Bane."
Lydia nodded to each of them. "Pleasure to meet you all. It's rare for Keeley to find a group as big as yours. Usually she finds a pair or a single. Excellent find, Keeley. Would you do me a favor and fetch my head of security? I have concerns about the northern warehouse."
Keeley nodded. "Okay. Be right back."
As she left the office, Alec cleared his throat. "I don't mean to sound rude or anything, but what's a 15 year old doing out on the streets by herself? She can get killed."
"Keeley is one of my brightest students. She's smart and capable. She's also 16, by the way. She can handle herself." Lydia got to her feet and stood beside Alec, looking him up and down. She was a foot or more shorter than him but exuded an authoritative presence. "You look strong. Do you have any talents of any sort? Gifts?"
"I used to be a scavenger back in my old home. Most us here did, actually. Though Simon is a really gifted inventor. He can make you a generator with a stick of gum and tin foil."
Simon laughed. "I'm no MacGyver but I get by."
Lydia nodded before turning to Magnus. "And what about you?"
Magnus beamed. "You asked if I had any gifts?" He indicated his body. "You're looking at it. I'm a gift. With a gorgeous face like this, it's impossible not to love me right away."
Lydia raised an eyebrow. It was obvious that she wasn't impressed. "You'll bunk in the dungeon for now until we can find a more suitable place to put you. Right now you'll take a hot shower and enjoy a hot meal. You'll be debriefed in the morning."
They were dismissed after that, being led down to what looked exactly a dungeon in every sense of the word. When they laid their supplies down, Simon's head shot up in realization.
"Hold on. Did she say....a hot meal?"
Isabelle nodded. "I think she did."
And with that, they all scrambled back upstairs; practically climbing over each other in hopes to be the first one to get their first hot meal in what felt like forever.