CHAPTER-7

(Jace POV)

"Yes yes, call whoever you want to. Just meet me here in the next five minutes." Jace said, while already making his way to the apartment to get his motorcycle. He was finally going to get what he had worked his ass off for since even before he was six; the official proof that he was an agent, his accession weapon. He wondered if his dad whom he had only seen in photos, would have congratulated him and been proud of him for getting his official identity as the agent of the Clave. He never got the chance to know this person whose stories his mother used to tell him often as a child. He was young and naive and couldn't understand the longing with which his mother used to describe the phantom of a person she seemed to see everywhere but who was invisible to Jace. Once he grew up a bit, he was greeted by the shock that the stories he used to think of as a fairytale were actually the stories of his deceased father.

He was told his father died when he was only 2 years old. Even though his mother insisted that they had many happy memories together, he would never be able to remember any of them, however hard he tried. It was like they had been erased. No one would dare to discuss it. It was an unspoken rule not to bring up that tragedy. Aunt Jocelyn had once, reluctantly, told him about it.

"It was an awful time my dear boy," Jocelyn said to the 8-year-old boy sitting in front of her. "Your mother was devastated by the sudden news and the two-year-old you couldn't really understand what was happening but wouldn't stop crying. We tried to comfort her in every way we could but it was as if she had fallen into a never-ending pit of despair. You were so young but we couldn't do anything for you."

Jocelyn seemed to be controlling herself in front of young Jace but he could see her glassy eyes as she recalled their gruesome past. "I guess your mind couldn't take the psychological weight of that incident and you forgot all about it. It is not surprising. You were much too young." She exhaled slowly, trying to calm herself down. "This never should have happened."

The still young Jace peered at her with big auburn eyes, still trying to find any traces of this horrifying past he was being told about, within himself but there was nothing. He desperately wished he could remember the person he was supposed to love as his father, but his mind seemed to think otherwise. When Jocelyn saw him look so helpless and dejected, she patted his head and the warm gesture comforted him more than he thought it would. "Don't worry Jace. I am sure your father is watching you from above and marvelling at how good of a person you are growing up to be."

"Watch me father," he thought. "Watch me as I make you and mom proud." While he was lost in memories, Jordon had already arrived. A hand suddenly appeared in his line of sight. He had been staring at a point for a while, his eyes out of focus and the surroundings blurry, but Jordon suddenly disrupted his thoughts.

"Alec got a call from his little brother. He will be coming right behind us in a minute, he says he is just about done." Jordon conveyed to Jace who was already standing at the meeting point with his motorcycle. "That's completely fine. I always prod Alec to call the kid once in a while. I wonder how he is doing. He had already started at the academy last month." Jace said, his voice full of affection for the little kiddo.

When he was younger, he would follow Jace around like a lost puppy and listen to anything he said, even more than his brother and sister. This one time when Jace asked him why he liked him so much, the innocent child blushed as easily as he always did. "Because you are way cooler than anyone else," he had said. Jace's boundaries to his pride had ceased to exist at that moment and since then, he cherished him like a younger brother more than ever, especially because he was secretly fond of kids but had never had any siblings.

Maybe he will visit him today after going to Bane's. He was surprised when he got to know from Alec that Max was living in the dorms. He had always been a shy and innocent kid, much like Alec but contrastingly Cheerful and a ray of sunshine. He had had difficulty in making friends as he never had much interaction with kids his age. Yet, he went to live in the dorms, which somehow didn't add up. Maybe he finally had the desire to make some friends. Or maybe what Jace had been fearing did happen.

He had recently got to know that the relation between Robert and Maryse haven't had a good relationship for a while. And the poor kid Max is being crushed in between them, especially when his brother and sister are absent from the house. Maybe he went to the dorms because he couldn't bear it anymore. He honestly wouldn't blame Max because he has witnessed the Lightwood parents' fight himself and he still winces when he remembers the house filled with nothing more than a mayhem of accusing yelling. Max dealt with it for quite long, even though he was in his puberty and would have to deal with his irritable and snarky mood alongside. He is an almost annoyingly sincere child and Jace felt bad for him every time he thought of him.

Jace rode along the busy roads, bustling with people going to their workplaces. It was early in the morning and everyone was rushing to get to their destination on time. The cafe shops were packed with people as always. The sun was up and the weather too dry for Jace's liking. He hoped it would rain soon. He was taking his sweet time, moving at a slow speed despite being excited, so that Alec could catch up to them because he knew that even though Alec doesn't show it, he was just as excited about this. Soon he heard rather than saw a car speeding down the road behind them and within half a minute, the azure blue car came into view in the side mirror of his motorcycle, gaining on them fast.

Had Jace brought his car, they would have been speeding down the road, trying to get ahead of each other. He knew it was childish, but he couldn't not do it. Once, they had to get an earful from Luke because they had been driving too fast and some people mistook it to be street racing. Alec was smiling as he got off the car, probably having the same thoughts as Jace. He was clothed as simply as always, in jeans and shirt but there was something sophisticated with him today. He wasn't wearing something like those shabby, faded shirts he wore everywhere, but a nice black shirt. It looked good on him.

The Bane residence was an ordinary place like any other from the outside (as ordinary as a huge manor can get). But if you were from Jace's world, you would know it is no ordinary house (huge house). It was a place where all your desires could be obtained. Though Magnus's prices were quite high, one would find everything they needed there, no matter how rare it was.

In simple words, it was heaven, ironic to how downworlders were referred to as half-demons. As a downworlder, Magnus's place was frequently visited by all kinds of people. Normally, downworlders make it a point to have no business with Shadowhunters, but Magnus, known as the High Warlock of Brooklyn, was one of the very few downworlders who were affiliated with the Shadowhunters. To enter Magnus's place, one needed a confidential code, which didn't apply to Jace and Izzy at their volition. They would just burst through the door. Magnus didn't particularly like this habit of theirs but he had gotten used to it, like everyone else.

Alec politely rang the bell but with no answer after one minute, Jace grew impatient. "Magnus!" he called out as he flung open the door. "Jace! Don't be rude," He could hear Alec yelling from behind him but he ignored it. He wasn't particularly known for his manners. Magnus was nowhere to be seen. So Jace made himself at home in the living room and Jordon followed suit, much to Alec's discomfort who was fiddling with his hands in nervousness, standing in the corner of the room.

Bored, Jace stood up and went for the stairs, completely ignoring Alec's protests. He was wandering on the first floor, trying to find something interesting. Magnus's place was like a mystery box, where you didn't know what you would get and would be surprised every time you put your hand inside it. This particular area was filled with racks displaying an array of glass containers containing unusually coloured liquids. Jace marvelled upon the fact that some of them may be just a sweet drink while the other may be the deadliest poison one can get their hands on.

He picked up one of the containers to examine its peculiar shade of blue, which seemed to be almost glowing. "Ahem." Someone cleared their throat from behind Jace. "If I were you, I wouldn't inhale its odour. There is a reason why all glass containers are covered here." Magnus who had suddenly appeared out of the blue, said as he grasped the container from Jace.

He then nonchalantly whispered to Jace, "It can give you rat features," and began rearranging the rack as if nothing had happened. Jace let out an awkward chuckle, partly because he wasn't sure if Magnus was joking and also because Magnus seemed as glamorous as always and he had a feeling he wouldn't get used to his 'sparkly' aura, however many times he met him. His hair were as spiky as ever, eyes highlighted with a layer of glitter. His clothes were quite ordinary if you leave out the fact that they had dozens of metal rings attached to his leather jacket, and multiple rips in his faded black jeans. All of him was covered in glitters and looked too bright for a morning.

"I don't remember inviting the Children of Nephilim today. You do know you aren't supposed to be here in the daytime right?" Then he sighed and gave in. "So of what assistance may I be to you today?" He asked, without looking at Jace. He seemed to be in a foul mood. Jace had a feeling Magnus would have very violently kicked him out if he were to tell him that he was here alone. Jace might even have rat features when leaving this place, if not for Alec.

A voice was heard from the staircase, which answered Magnus's question instead of Jace.

"We are here to look at some weapons, our accession weapon to be exact," Alec said, pretending to look around the house, a faint blush on his face that he couldn't conceal.

.o0o.

(Magnus POV)

Magnus was having a great day watching soap operas with Mr Chairman Meow when Graymark called him. Now, there was a special rule between them because of which Magnus was willing to sign the contract with shadowhunters. It required that the parties may not interfere in each other's business if they choose not to. And also they weren't allowed to call him before night time. Graymark was a goody-two-shoes. He wouldn't call him if it wasn't a pressing matter.

Maybe involving that Lightwood kid. With that possibility in mind, Magnus picked up the call, brimming with anticipation. "I greet the High Warlock of Brooklyn, the immortal one." Oh yes, Magnus had forgotten about this code. It has been forever since he talked to this guy. "Greetings accepted Graymark. Now hurry up and spit out what you want. You disturbed my bonding time with Mr. Chairman." Magnus said, putting the phone on speaker while leisurely leaning back on the sofa. "I am sure I did, but it is a matter of concern." There was a disturbance from the other side and then Graymark spoke again.

"I will be short. Kidnappings. Have you heard anything interesting recently?" Magnus narrowed his eyes at the relic of a phone beside him which was totally falling part. "Is this your 'being short' Lucius? You need to be more specific." That smart-ass, he was asking about the situation more than telling about it. Luke sighed and then started explaining. "Kidnappings have been becoming too frequent in Idris. Obviously, it might be because of the increase in crime rates. But I noticed something strange. This sudden fluctuation has happened in many regions, especially for children aged from one to four, which is to say, quite bizarre and unusual."

Magnus stayed silent. Yes, he did hear about it. After all, nothing stays hidden from Catarina Loss. "But of course, I may not be the only one who has noticed." He was implying it intentionally. Hah that guy, of course, he would notice because he wasn't a normal human being. He was a shadowhunter, and also..

"What do you want me to do?" Magnus said, resigning to his fate. "Well, it is not a big problem. Yet. The higher agent groups wouldn't take such a trivial task and we don't have any newbies who might be up for it as it could turn out to be an increasingly dangerous case. So it was given to a team who is not much experienced, but quite suitable for it." He paused and then spoke with caution. "The main issue is, that team is currently handling another mission. So I want you to investigate this a bit beforehand and help that team. This might be asking too much but-"

Magnus interrupted in between. "Yes it is asking too much Lucius, I don't know what you are thinking asking this of me." There was silence from the other side and when he spoke his voice was quiet as if giving Magnus a warning. "It probably involves the same illegal weapon trade as seven years ago."

Magnus froze at his words. His doorbell rang but he didn't move or respond. As he thought, Graymark was too much of a smart-ass. "Why didn't you start the conversation with that?"

In the end, it was decided that Magnus would be helping out in investigating the kidnappings. "Oh and the team you will be working with should visit you soon." And he drops a bomb when he leaves. Did he send them before the night? Magnus's peace was at risk.

There was a ruckus downstairs in the ever quiet Bane residence. So they were here already? Magnus descended down the stairs, determined to kick the people out. When he reached the first floor, he saw a familiar head. He should have known. Who else would just barge into someone else's house.

He had no desire to talk to this uninvited guest and still wanted to kick him out but remembering what Luke said, there was a possibility that he wasn't here alone. He sighed and asked what he needed. But instead of Herondale, he heard the answer from behind him from a familiar hoarse voice. Now that was an interesting person whom he wished to talk to.

"We are here to look at some weapons," Alec said with a blush on his face that Magnus couldn't help but notice. He wondered how his surprised, flustered face would look like. Or his happy smiling face. He was curious to see the different expressions on the face which appeared cold in front of everyone. It was a bit frightening seeing how he never had such mundane desires before. " Weapons? Is it time for your accession already?" Magnus asked, puzzled. Weren't they not being given a case due to the incident with their parents?

"You dumb-as-" The Herondale started but the black-haired boy interrupted him. Herondale's face was a sight to see as the usually quiet and non-interactive Alec cut him in between. Magnus wanted to smirk. "We are already on a case. So, we are actually a bit late." Alec said, scratching the back of his head nervously. "My dear Alexandar, it's never too late." Then he stepped a little closer to the tall, slender boy standing in front of him and whispered in his ear, "So call me this time, will you?"

The cute boy blue-eyed jumped backwards, startled, just like an adorable kitten, and turned the other way, probably to hide his face. Magnus wanted to have a closer look but he decided, taking in consideration Herondale's stare as well as the almost wobbling Alec, that this much teasing was enough for today. For a flash of a second, Alec glanced at Jace and then jerked his face in the other direction in an instant. So this was how it is going to be. An interesting person indeed.

Magnus passed Alec and descended to the ground floor and then turned to the right, entering a big room. He pressed some buttons and the side cabinets on the left side opened up. They were filled with guns. "How very pretty they are," Jace said dreamily. Jordon who had followed them, let out a whine. "Would you please stop talking about them as if you are talking about some pretty girls?"

"Well, they are prettier than girls. I hadn't seen this place before but I was correct. This is heaven alright."

A/N: Hey guys...? Yea I am alive and well. I am so sorryyy. It has been a while since I updated. I assure you I was really busy and not just ditching writing this. I really wanted to but I had so many exams. But I did write quite a big chapter to make up for it. Updates will be a little slow. If I knew I was going to be this busy, I might not have started writing this, because I really know what it is like waiting and waiting for a chapter. If you want to ask me something, please do say in the comments or DM me!

Individual replies:

blondechicka: AWW thank you! Your comments are really appreciated. This chapter doesn't mention Roxy but I will be trying to fasten up the pace. So hopefully, you will find out soon!:)

Samtmilover: Hey! Bestieee. Did you miss me? I get overwhelmed reading your comments, seriously. Thank you for your appreciation. I also wish I could give you people the story in one go but then again, I am broke on time and postponed this chapter..what, two months? I hope this chapter was satisfactory though:))

daniM2004: Here's more. Hope you liked it!

GUEST(Ksenia): Wow that's such a unique and nice name. Thanks for commenting. Clary's history though. You will have to wait for that. Make do with Jace's for now? I will be pacing up a bit so you might get to know more about Clary soon!:)