Once Upon A Time In Brooklyn

Chapter Two: Ears, Eyes, Teeth

"Let's think about this logically," Alec said. They had left the Curse Room and were now having a strategic planning meeting around Magnus' dining table. Magnus was slightly amused. He was older than all of them added together, and yet he was touched by their concern.

Even if he had the sneaking suspicion that they were helping him only to help themselves in the end.

"The curses can only occur if you let them, right? So you just have to wait out whatever events are sent to test you," Alec suggested. Magnus nodded.

"Precisely. Hence the blanket nest," he said. Isabelle looked thoughtful.

"Wouldn't that have just put you in the role of the grandmother? Laid up in bed and waiting to get eaten?" She asked. Magnus blinked. He had only thought that he could be the main character of the tale, but the Enchantress had never specified that would be the case. Isabelle might be right.

"We can assume you're not playing the role of the wolf at least," Alec mused. It seemed his parabatai was sitting this discussion out. Obviously, fairytales were not his forte.

"So I'm either Red or the grandmother," Magnus said, eyeing his blankets with newfound distrust. Clary rubbed the back of her neck.

"Or the woodcutter but... I don't think you would get to be anything other than the victim. Wouldn't make much sense to cast you as the hero who saves everyone. What would that teach you?" Clary said. She was on her phone, scrolling through article after article on Little Red Riding Hood.

"If I'm the grandmother, I have to stay out of bed," Magnus said, sighing as he banished his blankets back to his bedroom with a casual wave of his hand. "If I'm Red, then surely I just avoid red clothes and running errands to my grandmother."

"You have a grandmother?" The Wayland asked. Magnus raised an eyebrow.

"Well, I assume there is one buried somewhere in Indonesia. I was born you know. I didn't just pop up in a shower of glitter one day to make your life easier," he said. "Though perhaps that would be more believable for you."

Alec put his hand on his shoulder.

"So we've worked out how to get through this one. We've helped you, now you have to help us," he said. Magnus had known it was too good to be true. Shadowhunters, they always wanted something.

"You barely did anything," he commented. Alec's hand dug into his shoulder a little more sharply.

"If it weren't for Izzy, you'd still be wrapped in blankets as a wolf TV dinner," Alec pointed out. Magnus folded his arms.

"Fine, what is it you need?" He asked. Alec nodded and removed his hand from the Warlock's shoulder, taking a step back so that the blond one could make the request. Alec was always deferring leadership, even when he didn't need to. Magnus wished that he would grow a spine.

"There's a demon and we need to... There's something we need to give it but we can't get to it ourselves and we need a warlock for that so..."

Jace rambled about something or other that was far too long-winded for Magnus to be bothered to follow. Instead, he amused himself by watching the play of light and shadow on the Lightwood's face. He sensed that the self-appointed leader had finished speaking when there was an awkwardly long silence.

Alec turned, saw Magnus staring and scrunched his face up in confusion. His sister chuckled to herself.

"Yes, yes, whatever. I'll summon a demon for you and deliver your precious whatever it is in return for whatever it was you said you wanted," he said, waving a hand. "But it is hardly fair trade. I want more."