NUMB

9 - A burning past

!W! Use of strong language.

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With a loud thump, Magnus let himself fall back on the bed, heart pounding and breath quickening with every passing second.

"I can't believe this. Alec's..." Victoria trailed off and sat on the chair, still holding the paper that has now no trace of ink over it.

"That's why he's been like this all these years. Someone... I can't believe it." Elijah heavily sighed.

"Emmanuel, you've been with him for over a year, do you-"

"Before you complete that question, Vic, no. No, I've never seen or witnessed anything that could give us any clue about what's going on. I had doubts that someone tried to put a crack in our relationship, framed me for cheating, but I never imagined that it would..." Emmanuel ran his fingers through his hair and looked at Magnus. "Can't believe you were framed for murder just because you have feelings for Alec. That man clearly has some dark shit going on in his life."

"So?" Magnus said tiredly. "Am I supposed to just accept this... offer and live like nothing happened? I'm sorry but as I said, it's my decision to make whether I am supposed to live or die."

"Mr. Bane," Victoria said, "you want to-"

"I don't think you all understand what he's going through, but I do."

"And how in the world do you know that?" Emmanuel asked through gritted teeth.

"Because Mr. Stewart, we may have different pasts but I know when I see a person like me. Broken, empty, numb but still existing because God isn't ready to accept your soul. I may have told you about my military background but you know nothing about my past, my childhood. What struggles I've been through.

And I see the same emptiness in his eyes. The same shielding behavior, the same not giving a fuck kind of persona I was years ago. I know that feeling and if I'll be able to help even one person like I used to be, I'll feel that I completed the purpose of my existence."

"And you're willing to risk your life for it?" Elijah asked.

"I don't have anything to lose anyway, Mr. Stalkweather," Magnus said, voice low and flat.

The group exchanged worried looks. "But what about your friends, Mr. Bane?" Victoria's brows drew in together as she straightened her posture. "Or your family? There must be people who care about you, love you."

~~I can't lose you too. You've suffered a lot in the last six years and I hate seeing you so broken.~~ Asmodeous's voice echoed in his mind and a teardrop fell on his face. "My friends have seen me on death bed more than they can count and they're well aware of how I feel about it. As for my... parents, I don't have one. My family died when I was nine. So no, I really don't have anything to lose and I'll do anything, even if it means dying in order to help Mr. Lightwood. I know he needs someone in his life even if he pretends that he doesn't."

"You're a stubborn one." Emmanuel's nostrils flared as he crossed his arms in front of his chest.

"I still have a doubt," Elijah said, "if this is about Alec then why go after Herondale family, they could've murdered anyone to frame him, say maybe Emmanuel because he was the security head. Why specifically them?"

"Unless they were trying to kill two birds with one stone." Victoria trailed her eyes on the floor before looking at her colleagues, chest rising and falling in rapid motion now.

"So we still need to look into Herondale's family background!?"

"Obviously Emmanuel! This case isn't that-"