the storm inside | kitty (boyxboy)

02 | The Trials

Magnus Bane walked out of the Portal, to where they were waiting on the other side. They were outside the Hall of Accords, to where they awaited their trial. Upon arrival, Kit saw Ty's sister pacing nervously outside the entrance, muttering to herself.

"Ty!" she said, looking up as Ty stood, motionless. It worried Kit to see Ty so still; Ty was always moving in some sort of dance to reassure himself. Now, Ty was staring blankly ahead, his expression undecipherable. "I—"

"I'm sorry," said Ty. "I shouldn't have dragged you into this."

"We," Kit added. "We. Ty, don't put the blame on yourself. It wasn't your fault—"

"Yes, it is!" Ty exploded, and Kit flinched. Ty didn't seem the explosive type to him, if not calm and collected. "If I hadn't been trying to raise Livvy, if I hadn't let Livvy die—I—" He stopped abruptly, bowing his head. "I'm sorry."

And that's when Kit saw the unshed tears in Ty's eyes; how hard he'd been trying to keep them in. How hard he'd been trying not to let it all out, his worries, fears, anxiety, everything that he didn't want. He only wanted his other half back. But that, in itself, was wrong already.

"Ty," said Kit gently. "Look at me." Ty angled his head down slightly, fitting his cheek to where Kit's palm lay waiting, open and welcoming. "It's okay. Holmes screws up sometimes, too. But that's why Watson exists, and that's why they've stuck together for so long."

He was about to say more, ignoring the strange looks he got from Magnus and the even stranger looks from Dru. But just then, the doors were flung open, Centurion guards at the ready.

"Enter the accused!" a loud voice sounded, one Kit recognized to be Lazlo Balogh's. He froze. That was a line only the Inquisitor said. His mind fitted the pieces together carefully, the realisation hitting him in full-on shock, like the impact from a train ramming into him. And, from the looks on Dru and Ty's face, he wasn't the only one.

Magnus had a look of resignation on his face, a look Kit rarely saw. It was as if Magnus' age had made him somehow immune to all the chaos of the Shadow world. Yet, at times, his age seemed to have taken its toll on him, making him all the more seem older, and more aware of all the dangers his time in the Shadow world brought him.

The three prisoners entered.

Kit first saw Alec Lightwood, sitting with that same tired look Magnus had clearly written all over his face. He and Magnus both exchanged a look Kit couldn't quite read, and then his attention turned to Balogh.

Inquisitor Balogh. He sat on the chair many Inquisitors, over many generations, had sat on. He had an annoying, pleased, triumphant look on his face Kit itched to wipe off. His mouth had a small smile that seemed to say, "Look, I still win in the end."

Inquisitor Balogh beamed down a fake smile that was so sweet it probably radiated cavities. In an irritating, self-important voice, he said, "You three stand trial today before the Mortal Sword, accused by Barnabas Hale of violating the Accords. Is this true?"

Before Kit could even open his mouth to speak, Inquisitor Balogh held up a hand. "No, no, I don't want to hear it. A trial, by Mortal Sword, would do you all much good."

But then the doors were thrown open again, and in came Emma Carstairs and the Blackthorns.

"No!" Julian cried, his face full of agony. It made Kit's chest tighten and flatten against itself. "Not the Mortal Sword!"

Emma's face visibly twisted. "You know how much it hurts, Balogh. You know it and you rejoice in it."

It was going to hurt... no, not Ty.

"I'll do it," said Kit without even a thought. "Spare Dru. Spare Ty. Let me do it."

Inquisitor Balogh couldn't have looked any happier. Kit noticed that Alec hadn't said a word. "Ah, that's where you're wrong," said Balogh, his face full of euphoria. Kit clenched his fists. "Bring forth Tiberius Nero Blackthorn. He stands before the Mortal Sword, gifted by the Angel Raziel. The Law is hard, but it is the Law."

Kit didn't even know what to feel anymore.

"Balogh, don't do this. He's only fifteen; he's a child," cut in Alec, looking very much withered and exhausted. Kit snuck a glance at Magnus, who looked so pained. They were maxed out, he guessed. The Clave was screwed. Jace was right. "You don't need to use the Mortal Sword."

Kit could almost see Balogh rub his hands together in glee.

"It represents our Law!" he cried. "No matter how young or old or sick, it will bring justice! Besides, my dear Consul, wasn't it you who orchestrated the Downworld Registry? Now we shall show them we treat everyone protected by the Accords fair and impartially, whether it be Downworlder or Shadowhunter!"

Barnabas Hale, who had been sitting in a corner quietly and watching everything unfold before his eyes, grinned up manically at Balogh.

The Blackthorns and Emma thrashed against the Centurions who held them in place, yelling insults and curses, but even they couldn't overpower all the Centurions without causing a fight to occur. And that was exactly what Balogh wanted. Kit saw Cortana twitching at Emma's side, but she refused to use it.

Anger boiled inside Kit.

Centurions shoved Ty rudely towards the Mortal Sword. Ty picked it up, and Kit saw the pain and hurt flash behind Ty's eyes. He saw how the sword burnt his Ty and he remembered how much he loathed anyone who dared to hurt Ty; how much he wanted to protect Ty.

And Kit, who had been silent, who had said no protest, whom no one noticed, charged towards the platform.

He ducked straight out of the stinky Centurions' arms—just like how Ty had taught him. He kicked the Shadowhunters' feet out from them—just like Ty had done to him. And gave a yell and leapt at Ty just as Alec rose to his feet and Balogh pulled a slim dagger from his robes.

But, just as Annabel had killed Livvy, the Mortal Sword wasn't just an instrument of justice. It was a weapon, and Kit, though just exposed to their world, had angel blood in his veins, too.

He was also a Shadowhunter.

He yanked the Sword out of Ty's hands, seeing the burn marks and then feeling it himself, but he was numb with fury. Hale stood up, his hands trembling with energy and his face full of annoyance, but Magnus was already there. His eyes glittered, both literally and metaphorically, and Kit finally saw Magnus how Alec saw him—bursting with energy, ready to fight and awaiting the battle; not afraid of anything that came in his way.

Everyone else watched in amazement.

Kit, fierce and determined to protect Ty until his very last breath, pushed Ty behind him while he wielded the Mortal Sword in front of him. But Ty was a fighter too, and he drew out a seraph blade. As it ignited, so did the memory of their training, and Kit gave Ty a grin.

The other Shadowhunters stood with a great roar as the clattering of chairs falling over echoed throughout the Hall, though it was mostly muffled with cries of anger.

And then, extraordinarily, the doors opened again, and Downworlders and Shadowhunters poured through the doors. Kit suspected they were waiting outside all along. Amongst them, he spotted Jace and Clary, each holding a weapon of their choice. He saw all the familiar faces, protesting and shrieking. Some supported Balogh, some didn't. But regardless, they were all eager for a fight.

It was a battle, raging all over again. Kit could feel the tremble in his bones as he held one of the greatest weapons known to the Shadow world.

Dad, be proud of me.

And then, back-to-back with Ty, he dove headfirst into the storm. 

***

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~𝔂𝓸𝓾'𝓻𝓮 𝓵𝓸𝓿𝓮𝓭, 𝓭𝓸𝓷'𝓽 𝓵𝓮𝓽 𝓪𝓷𝔂𝓸𝓷𝓮 𝓽𝓮𝓵𝓵 𝔂𝓸𝓾 𝓸𝓽𝓱𝓮𝓻𝔀𝓲𝓼𝓮~