Chapter 2
I: If she was thinking about getting sympathy from him then she was obviously blind, because just from his face alone he was furious that she even had the audacity to-...
His mind somewhat snapped as she mentioned being hurt. He released her immediately. Zack didn't want to hurt the woman, it wasn't his intention. He bit his tongue though, the last thing he would do was apologize to someone like her.
"Just keep walking!" He instructed her firmly and headed for the Subway. He had to make a stop before heading back to the Institute. Gladly he knew that would return with success of obtaining her. He always succeeded where others had failed.
When she began to ask him questions, he ignored her. At least...he tried to. Her voice was saddened, and it only made him wish he had made a rune to not feel sorry for someone who deserved the punishment that was looming in her future. His resolve was solid until she mentioned her brother. Zack did not think his anger could climb any higher, but one word about punishing her brother, the one who actually "followed the law!" that sent him over the edge. Zack placed an arm around her waist and turned her to him, holding her there to not allow her to escape, nor allow her to use the silly excuse of being hurt by his not-so-gentle handling.
"Why did you give a flying damn what happens to Seth? Hmm? How about you start answering questions rather than asking. You have the nerve to come out here and flutter around like a free bird and risk his life, now you wish to know how much danger he is in for protecting you? Fine. I will indulge you. Yes, he's in deep, and I can't even feel bad for him because he could not decide between what was right and doing what could let him sleep at night. Don't pretend as if you care about him now, you had all the time in the world before I showed up. Keep...walking." He turned her around with a simple twist of his hands to her waist and thrust her forward.
Zack marched behind her, his arm now around her waist to guide her since it seemed to hold her arm was harmful. He could not help himself but think...was he truly harming her? That was the first time a woman had ever said it. He was no angel of course, but he lived to fight out-of-line downworlders and demons. He did not want to become someone dangerous. His eyes stared down at her auburn hair as she walked. As his eyes started to drift further, he immediately stopped and looked away. The last thing he would do is indulge in her beauty. What was beautiful to him was a woman who would stand to fight, not a woman who would allow her powers to drift and become vulnerable. He wanted to ask her why she had done this? Why had she allowed herself to be consumed by the mundane world? Why would she allow it to make her brother risk himself to keep her secret? There had to be a damn good reason.
Zack stopped and looked at her. "You know when I bring you back it will be all over for the both of you. They have decided to let Seth off with a warning if he can convince you to rejoin our ranks. We need help. however, I am proposed to strike a deal with you." Zack said nonchalantly. "If your heart truly isn't in it, then don't pretend like it is. You will just wind up getting someone else killed because as of now you don't look strong enough to protect your damn self. Tell your brother to come clean and allow him to continue with us, and then you take the consequences of your own actions. Don't let him lie for you. There's no reason why you both should suffer for your...stupidity." he stressed the last word to insult her.
Zack continued walking, when suddenly...the air seemed to change. He held out his hand slowly to stop her from walking. A demon was near, and he could feel it. Zack immediately reached for his dagger. He turned to her as if he would turn to his Shadow Hunting brothers and sisters, warning them to prepare for an attack. Then he realized she would be useless to him. "Stay here." He directed her and slowly began to walk to inspect the place.
It was interesting that he was able to do more than one activity at a time, especially since his loyalty to the Institute lead to him having more trust and more leeway when it came to handling specifics. They were on the way to a subway station, and he had left Jess at the top of the stairs. He began to descend into the darkness of the station, and the racing train zoomed past as he reached the bottom. His eyes scanned the area, but he did not see anything immediately. Then, out of the darkness, something big and feral came rushing toward him. He had no time to draw a rune before the demon leaped from the darkness at him. Zack charged forward and slid to the ground beneath the demon and it jumped clear over his body. It began to race out of the station toward Jess. Zack got to his feet and bolted after it.
It was a Ravener demon, and honestly, Zack could not figure out why or how it had found them. It chased after Jess and Zack ran with the speed of the wind, his breathing remaining even as he charged in his boots. He knew she wouldn't be able to protect herself.
Despite how he felt. Despite what she had done. Despite his feelings about her childish ways...
He still had to save her life.
B: When he said that she did not care about her brother she snapped. Everything inside her changed. "YOU THINK I DON'T CARE ABOUT HIM?! I have done everything in my power to keep him from coming after me. I try to tell him to leave me alone. Hell, I even put a rune on the back of his neck so he would forget me!!! Don't you dare say I don't care about him? He is all I have left of my family."
Her body shook with anger. All she could see was a small tunnel of black and Isaac's face. She stopped in her tracks and looks at him. She followed him closely. She reached into her bag as she did and drew her stele. She knew she would hate herself for this and she sighed. She quickly drew the defensive rune and looked at Isaac. "SWORD!" She yelled and waited for it. She knew he had more than one on him as do all good shadowhunters. She caught it with grace and swung at the demon. They fought side by side. She knew he was a good fighter and she had been at one point. The demon lashed out at her and struck her with its poison. She fell as Isaac finished it off.
"You want to know why I did all this? Why I reject my true self? Why I hate who I am inside and out?" She said the words softly. Her body sweating and her heart racing. "Because after my mom and dad died….I couldn't continue their works like they wanted me to….I was always weak..." She said as her eyes closed. Her heart slowed but did not stop.
I: When she spoke, it made him want to ignore her. What could she possibly say to convince him? What could she possibly do to make it right again? Absolutely nothing would spare her brother from the Institute, so she should not be spared at this moment from the one who had to capture her and bring her back. Though what was strange to him, was how her voice could go from soft to fierce so quickly. It was as if something was eating at her inside and she needed release. Zack had to simply careless. Even if it hurt.
When they finally slaughtered the creature, he was eager to engage in battle again. Zack always felt a rush when fighting, and it made him glad that he wasn't alone. However, he could not count on this woman forever, especially since she would eventually be "dealt" with when they returned. After the fight, he decided to give her a break. He went to help her from the ground with a sly smile on his face, then he realized she was hurt. As he bent low to help her, she burst at him, and his body stiffened.
"Your parents?" He asked, but before he would not have cared to know. Did she think she was special because her parents died? Whose parents weren't dead in this type of world. Everyone had a story. What the hell made her tale so special? He rolled his eyes at her outburst, but then she mentioned that her weakness is what caused her to give up. "Listen...I..." He wanted to give her his own two cents. But seeing the poison takes her over, he could not be so insensitive. He growled angrily. "Don't make me regret this!" He quickly reached his arm beneath her body, and the other beneath her legs and he lifted her to his chest. Zack determinedly carried her, preparing to get her wounds healed and back on her feet so they could return to the institute. He was not going to let her wiggle out of this.
He walked for a moment before he used his silver Stele to put a rune on the wall for transport. He didn't know what the right place was to bring her, so he decided the safest place was his loft. He shared the loft with his younger brother, but since the kid was still in training, he would not be home for a few years unless to visit. Zack cradled her close to his body as he went up the three flights of stairs. He entered his home by a kick of the unlocked door and once inside he gently lay her on his couch. The room was comfy but empty as if no one lived there. Zack was never actually in the house. He merely used it for basic reasons.
The first order of business was helping her heal. He used his rune of faith and the rune of simple healing on her body to extract the poison and let her body rest. As she slept, he prepared a simple meal for her, not sure if her time in the mundane world had left her weak and in need of mundane necessities. Zack kept himself quiet as he put down his weapons and contacted the Institute.
When he was asked how the mission was fairing...he lied. "I am on to her. Once I obtain her, I will bring her in. Be sure her brother is kept busy until I bring her in. I don't need him interfering to save her. The mission when be completed within a fortnight." Zack sighed as he disconnected with the institute. He should kick himself for lying, but he had to find out how far this was going to go. Seth was an excellent hunter, and the last thing Zack wanted was to lose a hunter because of a woman. That went against what Zack stood for, I mean really. He hunted down Shadow hunters who skipped their post to make them rejoin the fleet, not to make them suffer. If there was a better way to get Seth and Jess back into hunting, then that was what Zack had to do.
Zack grabbed one of his chairs and sat in it. He stared at Jess as she slept and folded his arms. He closed his eyes and silently waited for her to wake.