Chapter Text
1.
"Get away from me!"
Unfortunately, this was not a cry that was unfamiliar to Magnus in the darkened streets of New York City. Nor one that he made the habit of ignoring.
Stepping into the alleyway he paused at the sight, startled to see a young girl smash her large textbook against the side of a man's head. It was certainly a vampire, he knew by experience and also by how little the rather aggressive strike threw him off. The man, baring his fangs, pulled up straight and took a step towards the young girl who didn't flinch in fear as Magnus would have expected.
Magnus cleared his throat and the vampire froze on the spot, glancing at him out of the corner of his eye then switching from a snarl to what could almost be construed as a pout.
"Magnus," he spat out, "what are you doing here?"
"I should be asking you the same thing. I'm sure you can see yourself out." With a flourish he gestured to the opposite end of the alleyway, fingers wiggling in a gentle reminder of where exactly his powers would come from if the vampire chose to fight back.
The vampire's fangs withdrew and he stomped away, leaving Magnus and the young girl alone in the alley.
He turned to her and took a good look to see if she was injured. He seemed to have arrived quickly enough as he found no traces of blood on her ill-fitting lilac sweater or any bite marks anywhere on her person. Her bag was thrown on the ground and she held what he could now see to be a book on anatomy (not the fun kind either, just a veiny and red human-shaped figure on the front).
There was a strand loose from her high ponytail and her black-rimmed glasses were askew, but otherwise, she was completely undisturbed by the sudden attack.
If he had to guess she probably hadn't reached her teens yet; which raised the question of why she'd been walking around at dusk all by herself.
"Are you alright?" He asked mostly as a courtesy, already knowing the answer for himself.
"Yes, I'm fine. So what are you then?" His head tilted in confusion at the wording, and she added, "Didn't seem surprised by fang boy over here, and I thought vamps only listened to their own kind, so... What does that make you?"
"Magnus Bane, High Warlock of Brooklyn," he introduced himself, holding out a hand that she shook eagerly.
"I've never met a warlock before! You're much more pleasant than the others I've met. Though you're the first one that hasn't tried to murder me, so, the bar isn't really high. My name's Isabelle, and thanks for saving my life. Wish I could repay you, but unless you accept library books you're all out of luck." She took her seemingly decomposing bag that, once thrown over her shoulder, was clearly being weighed down by other books of varying sizes.
"Not letting people be munched on in my city is payment enough. And what might you be then?" There were many mundanes that had partial Sight, catching strange things out of the corner of their eyes but never in plain view, but those with full Sight were rare. And even more rare were those that had the resources to know what they were seeing.
"I'm a..." Isabelle looked at her watch and cursed in Spanish, "I'm a girl who's going to be killed by her big brother! I've gotta go - bye Magnus!" With surprising speed she dashed out of the alley with a wave over her shoulder.
He waved back, though doubted she'd seen it in her haste. Per policy he kept a tab on her to make sure she arrived home safely; it would be such a waste if he'd saved her just for her to be attacked a second time.
It was a rundown apartment complex in the deepest recesses of Brooklyn; a little nook that Magnus deemed the shame of his city. Isabelle climbed up the fire escape to the fourth story and slipped in through an unlocked window. Strange, but not his business. She got home alive and in one piece, his self-proclaimed task was complete.
By the next morning, he had mostly forgotten the encounter.
2.
The second time he saw Isabelle was a couple of months later. She was in jeans and a big red sweater with some sort of sports team logo on the front, colours faded and sleeves a bit frayed from wear. It was similar to what she'd worn last time, but having an idea of her living conditions he chose not to comment or give unwanted fashion advice as he was normally prone to do.
Her smile was wide as she popped up in front of him, "Hiya Magnus!" She brushed her hair back, a few strands loose from her messy bun, and caught her breath from the short jog she'd taken to catch up with him.
"Hello." She'd caught him by surprise and it was all he could say around his mouthful of coffee.
After working out a contract with the most boring client he'd ever had the misfortune of dealing with he'd treated himself with a grande vanilla latte. It was helping to bring a bit more cheer to his day, though this encounter might be what he really needed.
"How're you doing?" she asked politely, but her smile revealed her genuine giddiness at getting to see him. Magnus couldn't fathom why.
"I'm doing well, and how are you, dear Isabelle?" They were in the middle of the sidewalk, and they stepped off to the side to let people walk past. It was still light out this time, and the threats were minimal.
"I'm good!"
"I'm glad to see you weren't killed by your big brother," he teased, a reminder of their last conversation.
She laughed, "Alec is overprotective; doesn't like me being out at night."
"Sounds like a smart boy."
"Very. I think you'd like him. Are you busy? I'd invite you for coffee, but you have some, how about just a walk?"
"I... suppose we can do that."
Isabelle was forceful for what he later learned to be a 12-year-old, and he couldn't deny her request. Mostly it was curiousity. Who was she? What was she?
Turned out there was still a lot she didn't know about Downworlders aside from the basics, and she was a well full of questions. Magnus answered everything and quickly learned she was not as forthcoming with her own answers. Secrets made sense in the kind of world they lived in, but it left him troubled and wondering if he should have said no to her request.
"I thought there were rules about vampires attacking mundanes." They were nearing her home, and also the place they had met, and it seemed to bring forth the less than pleasant memories of her attack.
"The Accords," he supplied, "And... times are changing. Not for the better. I know all of this might be interesting to you, a whole other world of things that are said only to be stories all in front of you to explore, but times are dark. I recommend you assimilate into the mundane world as best as you can and pretend you know nothing - it's the only way to keep yourself safe. In the future, it'd be best that if you see me, or any other Downworlder, that you pass them by without a word."
She stopped walking then, and turned to him, "I know," she mumbled, "that's what my brother says, too. I've heard... things. People are getting hurt and it's terrifying, but... It still feels like a world I'm a part of, in a way. Hiding feels like... Like being a coward. Does that make sense?"
"It does, but maybe things will fall into place and then this can be your world too. Right now it's no place for..."
"I can protect myself."
"Not against these people. But whether or not you follow my advice is up to you, but at the very least be careful."
"That much I can promise. Thanks, Magnus. You're super awesome. I've gotta get home before my brother gets there. But can I... See you around sometime? I just want to understand and know more. I won't do anything."
"I suppose if our paths cross then... Yes, feel free to say hello. Goodbye, Isabelle."
For a minute he watched her climb the fire escape and crawl through the fourth story window. This time, he hoped for the chance to see her again. Their talk had done little to sate his curiousity and, truthfully, a part of him had doubts about her confidence for her safety. That attack had not been the first; he knew this without her having to say so.
3.
"Isabelle!"
I won't do anything.
She probably hadn't meant to lie, she was a child and curiousity was one of the strongest forces of nature, but it didn't really sooth his frustration at the sight before him.
"Hey, Magnus!" She greeted cheerily, her hands bloody and poking at a corpse in a way that would have made a weak stomach turn.
"What are you doing here?"
"Heard the commotion from inside. Don't think anyone else did though. Or they don't want to be arrested." Her brows knit together thoughtfully as she pointed at the dingy corner store they were hidden behind with a bloody index finger.
"You shouldn't be here, you need to leave," he told her sternly in his best High Warlock voice.
She didn't look up from the corpse, "I know, I know, I just... I'm thinking werewolf on werewolf?"
"A clan dispute, and not your business." With a wave of blue magic, the corpse disappeared from in front of her.
"Hey!"
"You said you wouldn't do anything. This, this, is doing something. Best case scenario you get brought into custody by the police, worst case scenario... This guy's pack catches you and tears you apart for touching their property."
She stood then, her face morphed into shame, "I'm sorry, Magnus. I'd just never seen one in real life before and..."
"I told you to reel in your interest on Downworlders, Isabelle."
"No, I've seen werewolves, I meant a corpse. Did I tell you I want to study forensic pathology when I go to university? It's so fascinating."
Of course, this strange young girl would want a career in dissecting dead bodies.
"Your interest is understandable, but keep it for bodies you're allowed to look at, alright?"
"Okay," She acquiesced, "What did you do with it anyway?"
"I was called in by a friend to be clean up crew today. Can't let mundanes get their hands on that or they'll start spreading all sorts of stories."
"Wouldn't the werewolves clean up after themselves? Seems a bit careless to just leave him here."
"It was. Likely an unofficial dispute of some sort, it's not really my business to know."
She invited him over for coffee. After debating over the propriety of the request he accepted. He cleared the blood from her hands, and they walked to her apartment. The body had been moved to a grave and he had no other tasks, he figured answering a few more of her eager questions wouldn't hurt. It would also give him the opportunity to see a bit more of her life, gather more information she wasn't willing to share.
Magnus wasn't much of a climber, but he followed her up the fire escape begrudgingly. She must have known he'd seen her do this the other day as she provided little instruction and simply expected him to follow her.
"Home sweet home." There was a forced joy to her words.
She pushed up the unlocked window and slipped through the frame. Magnus followed after, though much taller than her he managed to fit through without too much difficulty.
The apartment was bare.
There was a rickety looking coffee table and a few cushions around it that he assumed they used to sit on. In a corner was a large stack of books, some with library stickers on the side and other's were schoolbooks; Isabelle seemed to be quite the scholar. That was it. The only other things to look at were the off-white walls, yellowed in certain areas and nearly brown in others from past cigarette smoke.
"We have instant, is that alright?" She asked, stepping through a doorway to what must be the kitchen.
"Yes, that's fine." It wasn't his favourite, but offering to summon some seemed rude. He followed her to the kitchen, seeing her turn on some sort of generator to start up a boiler.
"We don't have electricity here, so we have this thing. I charge it up at school and we can make it last a day or two for the little things."
"That's... nice."
It had been a long time since he'd known poverty or any form of financial struggle, though it seemed at least that Isabelle and her brother were doing alright for themselves. He'd avoided asking about parents as it was obvious there were none to speak of.
Once the water had finished boiling she poured it into two styrofoam cups, using creamer cups and sugar packets she had likely stolen from restaurants to flavour them to their liking. She handed one to Magnus and made her way back to the living room and sat down on one of the cushions in front of the coffee table.
Magnus gently sat across from her and sipped his coffee in silence. He knew she would fill in the empty air shortly.
"Has it always been this way?"
"What do you mean?"
"Have Downworlders always been so... angry? Feels like it's always threats and violence, except for you, but... You know what I mean. It's like everyone's on edge, ready for a fight of some sort."
"It's because they're frightened. They're the ones being threatened right now. I've lived long enough to know that this isn't new, but for a lot of them, it is. Since the Accords came to be things were pretty alright for a century or so, and Downworlders got used to it, most have grown up in a time of awkward peace with the Shadowhunters. Now... It's the worst I've ever seen it. Fear drives people to anger, and that's what you've been seeing."
"What are they scared of?"
"Shadowhunters," he said bluntly, spotting the grimace she was quick to hide.
"They have Angel blood right? And think they're super awesome because of it?"
"A very accurate summary"
"What's changed? Why are people scared now?"
"The Accords have been broken. The Shadowhunters have a new man in charge and he wants us all dead. Enough of them believe in his ideology to outnumber those who don't. Or at least he frightens them into obedience. Either way, we're being hunted now. The worst part is that he tries to justify it, says that we're the ones at fault. I've had to bury too many innocent Downworlders killed for crimes that didn’t happen in the first place."
"That's horrible." Her eyes were wide with horror, her hands shaking around her cup of coffee.
"It's... It's our new way of life. We're learning to survive. Right now he's at a stalemate, he needs something and he can't find it, so he's staying mostly quiet."
"What's his name?"
"Valentine." The word was sour on his tongue.
"Is he... Does it have something to do with the... Circle? I think it was called."
He watched her cautiously, reminded once more how little he knew of her, and nodded once, "Yes, he's their leader."
"I see," she mumbled.
"How do you know about the Circle?" He asked and caught her eyes glance to her left, a subconscious action as she tried to come up with a lie.
"I've heard things, that's all."
He wouldn't press her; she was twelve, it was not his place to push for secrets that may not be her's to begin with.
They sipped quietly at their coffee for some time, both of them lost in thought. Isabelle soon broke the silence to change the topic less than smoothly yet still successfully.
The air shifted into something more fun and comfortable, and they sat for a while even once their coffee was done. It began to get dark and with a bit of magic he brought electricity to the lightbulb above them to keep the room illuminated. She mentioned supper and the arrival of her brother, but time passed so quickly and they were startled by the sound of the window opening near them.
"Alec!" She greeted her brother cheerfully.
A boy, hardly older than Isabelle, climbed through the frame and closed it behind himself. He wore ratty jeans and an old sweater, similar to those Isabelle often wore and were likely some of his hand-me-downs, and he also had a backpack over his shoulder but his didn't seem to hold any books. The two siblings shared the same silky black hair, but Alec's eyes were bright blue and cold whereas Isabelle's were a warm onyx.
"Who's this?" Was the greeting he returned, eyes trained on Magnus.
"This is my friend Magnus. I invited him over for coffee."
"The warlock?" He questioned with a quick glance up to the magic powered light. She nodded happily. "Make a habit of hanging around with underaged girls?" This he directed to Magnus.
The boy was on edge, but judging by Isabelle's nonchalance it was likely his normal state of being. He wasn't very pleasant.
"Alec, don't be gross." She admonished before Magnus could defend himself, "Magnus, this is my charming brother, Alec."
"Hello, it's a pleasure to meet the infamous big brother."
"Sure," he grumbled and rolled his eyes. He threw down his bag, "Are you staying?"
"You can stay for dinner if you want." Isabelle lay out the invitation for him, but he shook his head.
"As much as I would love to continue our chat, I do have some work to get done at home. Maybe next time." Magnus stood from the cushion, body aching from having sat in the same position for so long. Spending time with a twelve-year-old sure had a way of making him feel really old all of a sudden.
"Oh, okay. Well thank you for coming over, this was fun." Isabelle opened the window for him and saw him out, waving goodbye with a bright smile on her lips. Once he was out of her sight she closed the window then turned to her brother with a disappointed pout, "Couldn't you have been nicer? He's been really nice to me."
"You shouldn't be bringing strangers here Isabelle. Especially not a Downworlder. You have no idea how many would kill to get their hands on us."
"I have an idea," she mumbled, "he doesn't seem... It's not their fault, they're just... They're scared, Alec."
"I care more about your life than their fear, Izzy. He's a High Warlock, his priorities are obvious. Don't let him take advantage of your kindness."
"I won't, he doesn't know anything. I'll keep it that way - promise. How was work?"
Alec grabbed his bag and placed it on the coffee table, unzipping it and taking out some basic non-perishables, "It was fine. I got us some more food, should be good for a few days until my next paycheck."
After dinner, her brother went to sleep before his night shift, and she moved onto her homework, her mind filled with Magnus Bane's words.