When Trouble Strikes

[nvsc123]

(Ignore the horrible title, friend. Here we go.)


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Hector was not the toughest person ever, but when he needed to be, he could look scary. And that was what people told him he looked when he was training. He'd just start throwing knives at the targets and his friends would back away, muttering about how scared they were. He was just thankful that this time, he was alone. He could throw the knives and blades as comfortably as he wanted without anyone bothering him.


Easily, the three small daggers in his hands found their way to the targets. It seemed like he didn't need to focus anymore. This just came naturally to him. He went to pick up the daggers from the target when he heard footsteps behind him. He turned around to see the person who had entered.

 

[Zaryn]

Zedanya had been lost in thought, walking through the Institute almost on autopilot. Earlier she had been brushing up on Vampire Law and after 4 hours of reading, her body decided to revolt and forced her to get up. Working in the training room would burn out the extra energy that had been building up inside her. She was so busy recalling important facts she would need to remember for downworlder patrolling that she didn't hear the swish of air and the thuds of the knives. In fact she wouldn't have even noticed Hector if she hadn't heard the high pitched squeak of his boots as he turned to her.


She had seen the other around the Institute of course, but since for the most part she hid in the various stacks of the Library, she didn't necessarily know him all that well. "Oh...ah. I'm sorry. I hope I'm not intruding on anything." She pointed her fingers to another side of the room, walking sideways over toward it. "Is it alright if I burn off some steam? Or do you want to be alone?" All people had different training habits, she didn't want to ruin his session if her just being there would throw him off.

 

[nvsc123]

Hector let a laugh escape his lips. Was he really that intimidating? He wiped a tear that had formed in his eyes but kept on the smile that he had gotten when he laughed. "Of course you can come and train. This room isn't only for me. I know it appears like it," he said jokingly.


He put the daggers back to where they belonged and took out a spear. Those weren't his favorite way of fighting, but he managed with them. He looked back at Zedanya - he thinks her name was - and said, "Hey, if you need any help, don't hesitate to ask, 'kay?" He was a nice person to people, so when not offer that to her?

 

[Zaryn]

The girl smiled at the other. He seemed like an easy going guy. "Thanks, and I just thought it polite to ask. I've walked in here sometimes and gotten the biggest cold shoulder. Just didn't want to be a bother." She wandered over to one of the various weapon walls and gave it a once over, wondering what she wanted to work with today. Yesterday was the chakrams, sharp circular blades that were like flying frisbees of death. Today she wanted something with a bit more reach. After a few moments she selected an axe and gently took it down from the wall.


When he spoke again she looked over at him and gave him a nod of the head. "Thank you. I will if anything comes up. You do the same." Zedanya then moved over to a practice dummy in the far corner. She started with some controlled swings, getting her wrists and arms used to the wieght and momentum of the swings. Left and right, back and forth; she kept her movements slow and deliberate, there would be nothing gained from wildly throwing the axe around like a mad woman.

 

[nvsc123]

Why not offer that*


Hector shook his head. The other shadowhunters here weren't the friendliest. They were simply selfish. If they wanted anything, they'd have it, but they also wouldn't share. "They're jerks. If they do that again, just don't mind them. Enter. They won't say anything." That was how he had gotten his respect around here. When they saw that he was a determined person, they were actually really impressed with him. They've also become his friends, but that didn't mean Hector didn't find their actions annoying sometimes.


He looked again at the spear and started working with that. He really didn't like this weapon. Anything that was long and needed attention wasn't something he worked well with. He'd miss with the spear once or twice, but he'd get most of the hits. This was not enough. He had to train harder than this.

 

[Zaryn]

Zedanya was used to being alone, only coming out when there was a call to arms or if someone requested her, which was rare. She tended to keep to herself at the birthday and holiday parties. After all, she didn't want to impose her presence on people who barely knew her. For the most part, the only people she talked to were the staff and Dale, the raven haired self-proclaimed "Keeper of the Books" and Sally; a kitchen worker whose strength was enough to earn the respect of any Shadowhunter who saw her in action.


"I'll think about it. I prefer to stay out of everyone's way. No need to make other's lives harder than they already are." Her words were laced with a few loud breaths as her swings began to take their toll on her arms. It was a heavier weapon than she was used to, keeping her arms controlled at all times wasn't the most comfortable way to work, but it would ensure strength and help her in the long run. When out on patrol, you had to be ready for anything and the world really doesn't care whether you live or die.

 

[nvsc123]

Hector shook his head, smiling at her answer. Those shadowhunters didn't have much trouble in their lives. No, they cause trouble. That's what he disn't like about them. If anything, Zedanya wouldn't make their lives harder. "Trust me, that's the only way you're going to train in their presence. Just walk in like you own the place." That's also what his mother had taught him. To always get what he wants. He hopes she was alright along with his father.


Seeing as moving the spear fast wouldn't do it, he used a way that he wasn't so used to, which is going slower. Sure enough, as he moved his arms carefully, his hits were more precise. He smiled in victory.

 

[Zaryn]

"I don't mind too much, but again, I'll think about it-" It was then she realized she didn't know what his name was. "I'm Zedanya by the way." She said, a bit embarrassed she hadn't introduced herself sooner. That was always the hardest part in her opinion; she was fine mindlessly chatting, but being polite and actually introducing herself was always a bit weird. She wasn't sure why she felt like that, but it had always been this way. She glanced out of one of the windows, noting the falling darkness. While she was not on patrol tonight, you never could know when something comes up that would pull you out of the safety of the institute.


Zedanya continued to work with the axe, ignoring the throbbing protests of her muscles. To give them some relief, she began practicing throws. The metal sliding into the wood was quite the sastifying sound to her.

 

[nvsc123]

Hector turned towards Zedanya. So he did get her name right. He was proud he remembered it. Being the bright person he was, he gave her a big smile. "I'm Hector. Nice to meet you, Zedanya." He considered shaking hands, but it seemed both were trying to focus on their fighting skills. She seemed like a nice girl. He made a mental note to get to know her better in the future. Or maybe now if they weren't so busy afterwards. He liked talking to people and socializing with them, so this wasn't a problem to him.


Just when Hector was going to get a perfect shot, he heard a girl screaming. His heart started beating faster. But this was good. That meant that adrenaline was coursing through him. Just like they had prepared them, he took out his small dagger and started rushing towards the direction of the screaming. He hoped this was just a false alarm and that there wasn't trouble. Girls tended to scream a lot, right? First, he convinced himself that. But then he remembered that shadowhunters were different. They weren't easily scared. What has happened.

 

[Zaryn]

Zedanya gave him a smile, though it didn't quite reach her eyes. She was a nervous creature when it came to social interaction, though she was always trying to be better. After a few throws, the practice board was in shambles; it needed to be changed. Sighing audibly, she put down the axe and went about changing the board. She chopped up the old one, you never could have too much firewood right? She headed over to the closet, shuffling through its contents until she got to the back. Heaving out a board, she attached it to it's post and collected the chopped up wood. She was about to bid him goodnight when she heard the scream.


It sounded like an echo, most likely from the dining hall or main foyer, the largest rooms in the Institute. She dropped the wood and immediately dashed after Hector, unwrapping her chains from her waist, running down the stairs as quickly as possible. It was clear that they weren't the only two to have heard it, as the shuffling of clothing and heavy footfalls of boots were clearly heard. She swung around the Hall, sliding down a railing toward the lower floor.

 

[nvsc123]

Hector ran upstairs. The voice didn't seem to come from the same level. So all the main room downstairs were excluded. The only rooms that he could think of right now were the dining hall and the library. The closest thing was te library. He peeked inside. Nothing. But then he went to the dining hall and froze.


A shadowhunter girl stood there, covering her mouth. Who he recognized as her boyfriend was lying on the floor, bleeding in front of her. But that wasn't all. His chest was ripped open and his heart was taken out and put on the side, displaying it proudly. If he wasn't as trained this much, he would have been sick. A proof of that was the new shadowhunters almost puking beside him. "Oh, my gosh," he breathed out.

 

[Zaryn]

Noting that nothing seemed to be going on in the foyer, the only other option was the Dining Hall. The girl ran upstairs, passing a group of stragglers before entering the large hall. Her eyes took in the scene; not one of the worst things she'd seen in her time as a Shadowhunter, but the fact that it happened in their safehouse was unnerving. Zedanya walked quietly through the slowly expanding crowd until she stood next to the sobbing girl. She put a light hand on her shoulder, trying to turn away from the scene. "You don't have to see this...Aileen will be here soon."


She could tell that the girl was about to give her an earful, which she would have forgiven due to the circumstances, but once she mentioned the Head of the Institute, she hung her head and nodded once in understanding. Thankfully Zedanya didn't have to take her back to her room, a group of the girls' friends were nearby and immediately took to escorting her back to her room. With the biggest distraction gone, she took a step back from the area. She didn't want to be too close when the higher ups got here. That didn't stop her from glancing over the body. Blood was slightly coagulated, he'd been there for awhile. His heart displayed next to him, almost like a statement. That bit struck her as familiar, but she wasn't sure why.

 

[nvsc123]

Hector hadn't known the guy much, but he still felt like he missed him. He was a happy type of person. But what was worse was the scene. It wasn't just horrifying in its appearance, but also in the way it had been done. There was someone out there would could do this undetected. It could be someone on the inside and it could be someone who just ... entered the institute. Either way, Hector didn't feel all that safe anymore. It was a good thing that they were taking away the girl, too. She seemed too shaken up. Hector put his dagger back hidden in his clothes.


And then Aileen came with all her glory. Even when she was panicked, she looked as flawless as ever. She looked over the body. For the first time, he could see fear in her eyes. Was this that serious? She talked to the men with her and they started picking the boy and the heart - hesitantly - to get them for examination. Not being able to stand all of this, Hector went back to the hallway to head to the rooms. This was too much on him.

 

[Zaryn]

The crowd calmed and dispersed once Aileen entered the room. Zedanya looked at the other and as the others approached the body she told her where the girl who found him had been taken. Her duty done, she left the room, not wanting to be in the way for the clean up. Something told her that she wouldn't want to be eating in that room for a good while. Aileen's fear worried her, but there was nothing to be done unless they knew more.


She caught a glance of Hector in the Hall, he looked a bit shaken, for good reason. Walking over toward him, she squeaked her boots to let him know she was there. "Hey...you doing alright?" Zedanya herself looked composed for the most part. A benefit of reading about their enemies were quite a lot of pictures in the books of some of the worst crimes certain ones had committed. Seeing it in person was an entirely different experience, especially with the smell, but it and working in the city had prepared her more than she had thought.

 

[nvsc123]

Hector turned around when he had heard Zedanya talk. He gave a tiny smile. "I'm alright." Maybe just slightly. "Don't worry about me. I'm just worried for the other shadowhunters. I don't want to see people get hurt." That part was true. He just didn't want the attention to be on his for now, so he asked, "Are you going to be alright?"


He really should just stay calm and not think about it much. The more he thought about it, the more he'd lost control over his body. And his previous social anxiety had made him develop a bad case of a shaking body, so that wasn't helping at all. And as he looked around, it seemed like he wasn't the only one who looked like he was having a bad day. Some would pass by comforting a friend. Others were hugging themselves or simply looked dazed. Either way, no one was feeling well after this. Any as of now, anyone could be a victim.

 

[Zaryn]

Zedanya watched the other carefully, it was clear he wasn't fine, but there was no point in pushing. It was a dangerous situation and everyone is on edge. "I'll be fine, unfortunately that's not the worst I've ever seen, so I have at least some buffer." She slipped her hands into her pockets, the metal chain around her waist clinking together lightly. Something told her one of the next courses of action was to have everyone remain in the Institute or going a bit further; their rooms.


"I wonder what will happen next. If this is isolated, it's one thing, but if something else happens, it's going to get big." She noticed his body shaking slightly and nodded slightly to herself. "Hector, want me to walk with you back to your room? Or maybe a friends?" The woman didn't think the other should be alone right now, not considering his state. Not to mention that the last one killed was alone when it happened. Very strange though that it was his girlfriend of all people to have found him. Maybe they'd had plans to meet? Who knows, she was sure that Aileen would figure it out. She was the best leader they'd had. She'd gotten them through a lot, this was sure to be the same.

 

[nvsc123]

Hector shook his head immediately at the offer. Gosh, he was a man. He couldn't let a girl pity him. How embarrassing was that? "I can go to my room alone. But thanks for the offer." She really was sweet. He really shouldn't brush her off easily. But what could he do when he was already embarrassed? Well, not admit to weakness, his mind has suggested.


"But we really should head back to our rooms. I don't think anywhere is safe anymore, but being around your roommates is better than nothing, right?" he said. "Nice meeting you, Zedanya." He gave her a wave before he started walking backwards, expecting her to say her goodbye too.

 

[Zaryn]

Ah. Right. She'd forgotten that some people would take that the wrong way. Zedanya sighed audibly, taking a few steps back from him. "Alright then, you're welcome." She shrugged at his comment about roommates. "You're probably right, I was imagining we would be told to go back shortly anyway. I'll probably barricade myself in my room." Slipping one hand out of her pocket, she raised it in goodbye. "Same to you mate."


With that she turned and started heading down the hall. Her room was on one of the lower levels, closer to the main Library area. She wondered what it was like to have roommates. Zedanya never had roommates, most likely due to her sleeping issue and how she tended to have very...interesting reading material strewn about her room on every surface. Not to mention the various trophies and trinkets she'd collected over the years. While it did get lonely sometimes, she preferred to be alone for most of it.

 

[nvsc123]

Hector returned to his room, returning to his gloomy feeling. He knew there were worse things around, but still, a horrible threat was given to them. That anyone could die the same way as well. That they'd be murdered like this. And really, he hadn't ever been sent to help with worse crimes. This was the first time he'd been faced with these kind of things. He hated himself for not having any experience. Why did he have to be so weak?


When he got to the room, he kicked the nearest thing to him - a table. That was the biggest mistake he did because it hurt. He should've kicked the trashcan, but he didn't want to exhaust anyone with cleaning. His roommates noticed his rage and put him on his bed. "You alright?" they asked. He shook his head and then lied down. "You've all solved a few crimes, right?" he asked. They nodded. "Why haven't I?"

 

[Zaryn]

Zedanya returned to her room with no issues. There were a few people just learning of the news, she could see tears from friends and squared jaws of those who were ready to fight for justice. It was clear the boy killed was popular at the Institute. For the most part, this particular Institute was a halfway point. Shadowhunters from all over the world came through, staying for a short time before heading off to other countries.


She herself were one of the permanent residents. She had only come here two years ago, but she couldn't honestly see herself anywhere else. It had been strange to have regular meals at first, but soon she came to realize this was what regular people did. People wondering where she was, what she was doing. It wasn't a normal occurrence, but it was nice to know that if she went missing she would be noticed. Zedanya looked around the book filled room, wondering just what she would have to use as a barricade.

 

[nvsc123]

In a few seconds, Hector's roommates got the message and left him alone. He wasn't having a particularly good day. He wasn't really a brat. If anything, his family raised him to be humble and kind. Though at the moment, he felt so forgotten. How could he not when everyone accomplished something yet he didn't? He breathed in and out in an attempt to calm himself down, but it didn't work. He wanted to move and walk around, but that was dangerous now.


He got out his stele. He needed to calm down, so he drew on the anger calming rune, and in a second, he found himself calmed. But he also discovered that the feeling still remained. But it wasn't anger. It was sadness. He sighed and lied down again in bed.

 

[Zaryn]

Zedanya moved her four poster bed to the door, shifting the heavy wood frame across the floor. She struggled at first, but once she got momentum and a better grip, it was easier. That would most likely be good enough for the time being. Anything trying to get through that door would have to work for it, at least giving her a few moments notice to arm herself and get ready to fight. Feeling like it was good enough for now, she plopped right back onto the bed, pulling out one of her older books, one based on ritual sacrifice. The heart displayed like that was familiar. Hearts were big in many rituals, but for this one to be shown the way it was wasn't normal.


She flipped through the book until she got to the index and then began looking up any references to ceremonial hearts. She'd been reading for awhile when she heard a knock on her door. The woman frowned, closing her book gently before picking up one of the knives she kept under her mattress. "Yes?" She answered calmly. It turned out to be one of the elders. Apparently the patrol for the Royal Mile was more affected by the boy's loss than most and wouldn't be able to work. Seeing as she was due to walk it tomorrow, they came to her. She was directed to take another Shadowhunter with her, her choice. "Great...just who am I supposed to take?" The only people she really knew were some of the older crowd, but many f them were out on missions or dealing with the current crisis. After a moment, a name came into her mind, causing her to sigh. Worst he could do was say no right?"


Pulling the bed away from the door was far more irritating than getting it against it. Zedanya then quickly changed into gear before heading out. She asked around a bit before finding out which room he had. If he said no, she'd just go on alone. The Royal Mile was normally pretty well populated, plenty of restaurants and bars to keep the locals out and happy all night. It shouldn't be too much of a problem. Mustering her courage, she knocked on the door.

 

[nvsc123]

As it appeared, Hector couldn't go to sleep. He was too distracted by his thoughts. He should definitely calm down. He sat up, taking away the earphones he had put in his ears with all the relaxing music, but was surprised when he saw that all three of his roommates were asleep. That was unfortunate. He wanted to go outside to walk the sadness off for a bit. Going alone wasn't wise.


Instead, he decided to look at the runes and study them. Not as if they'd help him. He opened the book and ignored the thought. But his mind kept reminding him of how he was never asked to go outside the institute to do anything. The runes wouldn't do much. He slammed the book shut and took out another one. It was about human nature. That was good enough for him. Somethng mundane would do.

 

[Zaryn]

She frowned, there was no answer. Maybe she should knock harder. Readying herself, she knocked a bit louder, calling out. "Hector, are you awake?" Zedanya put her hands on her hips. She'd wait a bit longer, but she wouldn't wait forever. A few people passed her, she gave them a few nods but returned her attention to the door. A part of her hoped he was awake, but if not, she really would just go on her own. She knocked once more. "Hector?"


She looked at her watch, it was almost time for her to go. Zedanya hoped she wouldn't wake any of his roommates. Her gloved hands twitched, she didn't want to be caught here by an elder, being chastised would not make a good end to her night.

 

[nvsc123]

Just when he opened the book, Hector heard the banging on the door. He closed the book again and opened the door. "Oh. Zedanya. Hey," he said. What was going on now? And why was she alone? He was becoming worried for her. "Don't stay out here alone. It's dangerous." But he was a bit glad she was here. He supposed that if something bad happened, they'd say something, but seeing her here, safe, was satisfying.


But something bade him curious. "Why are you here, anyway?" he asked. She didn't seem like the type of damsel in distress who needed a knight, not necessarily in shining armor, though. He could be a dirty bastard yet he'd still be the one to be helping. But that didn't matter. He was just curious as to why she was here.