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Magnus had a bad feeling about the mission from the very start.
Jace, Clary and Isabelle were out of the institute for the weekend when the alert had come in. A warlock had gone rogue, for good reason, as a certain shadowhunter had unnecessarily killed his girlfriend. Alec could definitely sympathise, he'd kill anyone who even tried to hurt Magnus. The clave's official order was to capture the offending warlock before he could kill the shadowhunter (who seemed like the chief perpetrator in this crime) and bring them both into the institute.
Naturally the mission was time sensitive, and seeing as Alec was the only shadowhunter available for duty, he had to go. So of course Magnus wouldn't let him make it into a solo mission. It wasn't exactly the easiest task and Magnus did know of the warlock in question.
So there they were, traipsing into the suburbs of Connecticut, and Magnus felt even more angry about the shadowhunter they were supposed to protect when he saw his house. For someone who had a perfectly nice apartment in Brooklyn, Magnus was not prone to fits of what he liked to refer to as 'house envy'. But the manor (there was no other word for the monstrosity that lay before them) ignited a pit of unexplored angry jealousy. Why the clave hadn't removed the shadowhunter from his property to use the premises as something more useful he didn't know.
His purple boots and Alec's black crackled against the gravel on the long, tree-lined driveway up to the house. From every window glared annoyingly expensive objects and a collection of unusual magical objects that Magnus wouldn't mind owning himself. And all this was the property of a murderer. Magnus also drew from the fact that he hadn't even tried communicating with the clave that he thought the accords were optional. Assholes like that just didn't deserve to own a mansion as good as this.
As Alec drew up to the front door Magnus tensed, ready for action. He knew that his boyfriend was bound by duty to at least try and peacefully conclude the business. That didn't make relinquishing their element of surprise give them any less of a tactical disadvantage. Goddamn shadowhunters and their pointless codes of honour. Alec knocked on the door.
Magnus was just the slightest bit happy when there was no response. He's more than pleased to drag this motherfucker away with slightly more force than necessary. All for the shadowhunters continued well bring, of course.
Alec readies his bow and stands with his back to the door, waiting for Magnus gain them entry. He jumps a bit when Magnus lets loose with a flying kick, knocking the heavy oak door to the ground with a satisfying thump.
As they draw into the foyer Alec looks to Magnus with a reproving glance.
"Was that really necessary? Magic is slightly less damaging to the property."
"You're right. Though you have to say that was far more satisfying."
At Magnus' words Alec rolls his eyes although he can't help a shadow of a grin from creeping onto his face.
Silence falls between them as they advance. Alec's grip on the bow tenses and Magnus draws a ball of blue fire into his hands.
They reach the end of the long, grand entrance hall where another set of doors stands open, the lock clearly tampered with. Magnus leans down to inspect the intruder's handiwork.
"This is the work of a warlock, most likely the one we're looking for." Alec curtly nods at Magnus' assessment and they creep onwards with more urgency.
Then as they near a sweeping marble staircase they hear a scream. Alec glances briefly at Magnus before he breaks into a sprint, his bow momentarily hanging loosely by his side for convenience. He takes off running up the staircase, his feet slapping against the polished marble. Magnus, after a moment of shock, takes off after him. As much as the rogue shadowhunter should suffer, any murder in this house would just make the matter worse, for everyone involved.
Alec draws ahead as they burst into what looks like the library. Magnus' eyes flick to the gilt embossed spines lining the walls before alighting on the scene before him.
A warlock with glittering black nails (marking him as something more than human) stands against the far wall, those same glittering talons pressed against the neck of a certain douchy shadowhunter.
"Don't come any closer!" The warlock yells, clearly on edge.
Magnus practically rolls his eyes. Could the warlock have said anything more cliche or overused?
"Look, he's not worth it, truly. And I'm sure the clave will find far more inventive ways to torture him with, he will in no way be getting off easy." Magnus assures.
While Magnus goes for telling him what he wants to hear Alec goes for a slow approach, his weapon lowered.
"We just want to talk." Alec says, inching closer to the action while, as Magnus notes with trepidation, he also inches further away from Magnus.
Alec gets within two metres of the scene with Magnus the length of the room away before the situation becomes even more volatile.
Magnus notices the green sparks of the warlocks magic start to bristle around his forearms first. Alec halts a metre from him when he notices them, or senses Magnus' growing sense of unease. He completely abandons his bow, and with that any way to protect himself effectively, and raises his hands in a placating gesture.
"If you let him go now the law will be far easier on you." Alec says, his voice calm and assured but also with a note of caution in it. Patience in the room was starting to run thin.
And then, of course, the stupid shadowhunter decides to make his move. He rams an elbow into the solar plexus of the warlock, paying no heed to the scratches that are gouged into his neck in the process.
Alec dives into the fray immediately, there is nothing that can be do with a generally long distance weapon at such close range, so taking the bow would just slow him down. That doesn't change the fact that Magnus would much rather see him with it, just in case.
Alec takes a few hits when he first gets between the shadowhunter struggling to escape and his captor. Alec succeeds in shoving the shadowhunter away from the action and towards Magnus, effectively halting his progress towards Alec. The man at Magnus' feet is already stunned, so it's almost a kindness to let a small ball of blue energy enter his forehead and send him into unconsciousness.
Alec has a nose streaming with blood as he turns to face the warlock, who is letting off green sparks in droves. The masonry is shuddering around the alcove where Alec and him spar. Even as Magnus straightens up from the shadowhunters prone body his way is partially blocked by rubble.
It's hard for Magnus to judge who is winning the fight. The warlock is clearly trained in hand to hand combat, but not to the extent Alec is. If it was just due to fighting skills then the fight would already be over and Alec would be hauling the warlocks sorry carcass back to the institute.
But adding in the deadly green sparks of magic that hinder Alec's speed and litter his body with wounds it's a miracle Alec isn't the one slumped to the ground. So it's only natural that Magnus sends his magic ahead of him, trying to even out the fight. This turns out to be the biggest mistake of the mission.
As Magnus' benevolent stream of blue energy arcs into the fight sparks of the warlocks own magic, inevitably, glance against it. Where Magnus' magic meets the alien force a small explosion occurs with a resounding boom.
Of course, Alec is protected from the fallout of these collisions by Magnus, and the situation even benefit him if they were standing in an open space. But instead they are fighting in an enclosed space which already has weakened walls.
After only a few seconds the walls and ceilings shudder and it all comes crashing down. Magnus sees Alec dive on top of the warlock, in some misguided attempt to protect him as a chunk of masonry hits Magnus.
The wall of protection Magnus sent out in an attempt to protect Alec spins away from him due to Magnus' momentary lapse in control. When Magnus next looks to the pile of rubble he can't see any movement.
Magnus has seen his fair share of disturbing and violent acts. He's seen things enough to make anyone puke and lost so many people he should be numb to the pain by now. But not knowing if Alec was dead alive, that never ceased to make his heart constrict in his chest.
Before he realises it he's digging through the rubble, trying to ignore the twinge in his shoulder. He uses his magic to dig, but he has to beware of damaging the bodi— no, the people- who are buried in the rubble.
When he spies a dust covered hand, a voyance rune staring out at him, Magnus' heart both lifts and contracts with an even bigger sense of unease. His chest hurts as he frantically uncovers the rest of Alec.
His hair is messed up, but luckily blood free. His body is curled around that of the warlock he was trying to protect from the brunt of the impact - stupid self sacrificing idiot that Alec is - and as he is uncovered the warlocks wriggles around and coughs. But not Alec.
"Alec, baby, open your eyes." Magnus commands, his voice imploring Alec to respond.
In seconds he is free of the rubble, his head resting in Magnus' lap. He doesn't so much relax as flops into Magnus' embrace, and Magnus is stricken with yet another wave of worry when he finds a particularly nasty gash near Alec's temple.
Magnus gently cards his hands through Alec's hair, his magic healing Alec's wounds as he goes. He might regret the use of his energy later, but for now he just really needs Alec to open his eyes.
"Alexander Gideon Lightwood, you'd better say something soon or I'll—" Magnus breaks off, his voice failing him. "Come on Alec. See, I'm even abbreviating your name, it's a big admission, you'll wanna be around to hear it."
Magnus squeezes Alec's hand with his free one, hoping for a twitch. But it's nothing like a romantic film. No magic power of love can break through unconsciousness.
For almost ten minutes Magnus kneels there, until his knees cramp and his body starts to tire from the constant flow of magic. But that's nothing compared to the agony of knowing that this was his fault.
And then Magnus hears Alec breathe slightly less deeply, and feels his limbs lighten just a little. Then Alec lets out a groan and Magnus could just about cry with joy. He bundles Alec up into a no-doubt uncomfortable half-sitting half-lying-down embrace, knowing that it's selfish but needing the contact.
"Don't you dare do that to me again Alexander." Magnus mumbles into Alec's hair.
"It's Alec." Comes the faint reply, and Magnus smiles, even as he nearly crushes Alec against his chest.