Clockwork City (The Mortal Instruments / Infernal Devices Fanfiction)

Chapter Three : Parabatai

Alec and Jace ran down to the main hall, followed closely by Jem and behind him Clary. There was someone stood by the doors when the elevator opened up to let them out. They turned at the sound and smiled, showing piercing white fangs. Jem stopped and Clary walked into him, he wanted to turn and utter an apology, but the vampire stood in front of him required all his concentration. How was he in the Institute? How was he on hallowed ground? Jace had approached the vampire and was talking in low whispers, using his hands to emphasise points that he was making. Jem watched him as he interacted with the vampire, wondering how this was possible. When Jace walked back to them he shrugged at Alec, “He wanted us to help with the vampire killings” Jace used used quotation marks in the air when he said killings.

“Oh, so it’s not just disappearances now is it?” Clary said, walking back to the elevator.

“Nope,” Jace said, following Clary.

“So, why aren’t we doing anything? Isn’t it against the Accords not to act?” Jem asked Alec, who shrugged.

“The first time they came, we dispatched a team of Shadowhunters to Hotel Dumont and found nothing,” Alec confessed, walking over to the elevator, Jem followed,

“Of course you’d find nothing. If someone is capturing and killing vampires without wanting attention drawn to them then they’d burn them in the sunlight. It’s not difficult to knock out a vampire and stick them in Central Park.” Jem said, and Alec stopped in his tracks.

“That,” he said, thinking it though in his head, “is a very good point. I’ll talk to Jace.” Jem smiled, glad to have helped. “Are you joining us for training later?”

“Sure, Tessa mentioned it this morning - well, this afternoon.” Jem laughed and followed Alec into the elevator.

“Well,  me and Jace will be in the training room from three,” Alec told him as the elevator clanged upwards. “There’s gear in your room, some for Tessa as well if she wants to join us,”

“Thanks, but I don’t think she will. I’ll let her know that the offers on the table.”

*

At three o’clock, Jem made his way up to the training room in his gear. When he got there, he took a dagger from the wall rack and began to get the feel of it. He practised throwing it up in the air and catching it point down, then threw it lightly across the room where it collided with the wall but not with enough force to embed it, as it fell to the ground next to the target board that he was roughly aiming at. Someone cleared their throat behind Jem and he turned to see Alec and Jace in gear pants and a white training top. Suddenly, Jem felt small. Jace was well built and muscular with marks standing out under his shirt. Alec too was muscular, but he was taller in height, allowing his muscle to spread out. Jace picked up a bow and handed it to Alec, who already had arrows on his back.

“Sorry we’re late,” Alec said, tightening the bow string, “Jace is in a mood.”

“I am not in a mood.” Jace snapped, Jem tried to hide a smile.

“See?” Alec pointed at Jace over his shoulder before walking over to Jem and swapping him the dagger for a seraph blade. The pair didn’t name their blades because they were only sparing, but Jem felt the rush of battle all the same.

In the time that they were fighting, Tessa and Clary turned up and when Jem’s seraph blade was knocked out if his hand, Tessa picked it up and advanced on Alec. At first he was taken aback when she swung at him with a smile, but quickly got back into the game and Tessa managed to knock the blade from his hand, Clary picked it up and brought her own with her, advancing on Tessa, who laughed and battled on. Jem and Jace found themselves sat on the bench whilst Alec - who had taken his blade back - and Clary battled Tessa.