Fading Scars: A Series of Malec One Shots

Stone Cold Killer

This scene takes place when Magnus discovers the body of the first dead Downworlder in City of Ashes (completely made up by me of course. He didn't really discover the body)

Magnus called Alec when he found the body of the warlock child. He was young, very young by warlock standards. He was only 15 when his body was completely drained of blood and left atop a building in Brooklyn.

"So what do you think? Vampires?" Alec knelt down and examined the body.

Magnus shook his head. "No. This is too messy. No vampire would leave the scene of their crime this sloppy. It's too risky."

Alec reached into his jacket and pulled out a pair of rubber gloves. "Newborn, maybe? Or one gone rogue?"

"Still, my answer is no. This isn't a vampire's work. It smells wrong," Magnus sniffed the air and made a face.

Alec did the same. "I don't smell anything. Just a dead body."

"It's disgusting. You wouldn't want to, trust me. See the slit in his throat?" Magnus magically flipped the body over, making Alec yell in protest. "Relax. I'm not corrupting evidence. Look closer at his neck."

Alec leaned in closer. In the boy's neck he could see a small cloud of black smoke rising from the wound. "Demon smoke? Is that what that is?"

"That's exactly what that is. You'd make an excellent CSI, Alexander. We could be on CSI: New York," Magnus winked and began to circle the body. "So, Detective Lightwood. From what you can tell from the body, the cause of death was....."

"A cut to the throat. Then he bled out completely. So blood loss would ultimately be the main cause of death....but how did a demon get into our world? Unless he summoned it-"

Magnus froze in place. "So that's what I can smell. Demon stench. I'd recognize it anywhere. This place reeks of it."

"Still don't smell anything," Alec lift the boy's arm and took out a piece of paper from his left pocket. "Found something. Looks like a note with ingredients written down on it. Know what it's for?"

Magnus took the note and read it. "Let's see....small kittens, blood of a baby-I'm kidding that's not what it says." Magnus read the note, his eyes going wide. "This is a pretty powerful spell he performed. I'm surprised he did it too. He's so young...."

Alec got to his feet. "What's the spell for?"

Magnus snorted. "What do you think? Summoning a demon, of course. A powerful one too. If memory serves me right, this little one summoned a Greater Demon.....and then it killed him."

Alec felt as if he got punched in the stomach. "A Greater Demon? He summoned a Greater Demon?!"

"Is there an echo in here?" Magnus looked around. "Yes. A Greater Demon. We've established this. And now it's loose in Brooklyn. But there's a downside to being a Greater Demon. It needs a master."

"A master."

Magnus sighed and looked up at the ceiling. "You know, when you repeat things, it's really annoying but oddly cute at the same time-"

"Magnus."

"Sorry. But yes, it needs a master. In order for it to exist in our world, it needs someone to control it. Sad waste of energy, really. All that power and it still needs it's mommy and daddy to watch over it as it plays...."

Alec chewed on the inside of his thumb, which Magnus thought was very cute and endearing. "So who's controlling it? They must have some kind of power over it."

Magnus shrugged. "My guess is none other than Valentine. He's hellbent, pardon the pun, on taking control of the Shadowhunter world that he'll do anything. Summoning a demon sounds like something he'd do."

Alec nodded. "True. He's a stone cold killer anyway." Alec took off the rubber gloves and shoved them in his jacket pocket. "I'll have to report this to the Clave. They'll want to know what's going on-" He paused when Magnus gripped his arm. "What? What's wrong?"

"I wouldn't recommend that. This is Downworld affairs. We need to handle this ourselves." Magnus straightened his jacket and smiled. "You run along back home and workout or whatever it is that you do. I'll take it from here."

Alec raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure? I can always-"

"Alec. Go home. Please. I have this under control. If I need your help, I know how to contact the Clave if I need assistance," Magnus smiled and waved his hand. "Go on. Scoot. I'll clean up here. Won't even take a minute."

Alec but his lower lip (causing Magnus to mentally scream in delight) and left the rooftop, pulling the collar of his shirt closer to his neck.

Magnus looked at the body once more and clicked his tongue. "You sad, stupid little warlock. Didn't mommy and daddy ever tell you to not play with things you don't understand?"

He snapped his fingers and the body disappeared, along with the blood. The pentagram remained untouched on the cement floor, mainly because every time Magnus would approach it, it would glow faintly.

"Hmm. Curious," Magnus whispered. "What do you have planned, Valentine? What do you have planned?"

The only answer he received was a loud croak from above. Looking up, Magnus saw a large raven staring down at him with beady black eyes. Croaking again, the raven spread its wings and took flight, flying into the night sky where it disappeared entirely in the lights of the city below.