Alec had made his way up to the rooftop, taking in a deep breath, he had only a moment to spare to prepare, to collect himself. He sighed, slowly lifting his head, his gase stuck upwards.
The empty blackness above him, unresponsive to his prayers, lacking the beautiful bliss that is the night sky. The moon stood alone, his followers outshined, in hiding.

As if the stars had fallen and drowned, becoming small bright flames on his feet, the city lights.

The hunter felt a small burning sensation on his left palm, Matthias is checking in, a test of connection. Alec moved his stele, piercing his skin just so lightly to draw blood.
He lifted his gaze across, to the opposite building. Mattias stood there with one arm high, giving him a thumbs up, it works, the connection is complete.
Mattias checked on Izzy next before he disappeared within the shadows, going under cover. "Position A, on guard." He noted.

Alec moved at the edge, staring bellow at his sister. If anything goes wrong, all she has to do is cut her palm, Mattias will emerge after sending a fire message to the back up, demanding assistance. Alec is more than aware that two teams of twelve shadow hunters are spread throughout the area, waiting in case for an emergency... But he still felt wary, he had a bad feeling for tonight.

And that itchiness doesn't help at all!
Getting aggravated, Alec readjusted his bow at his back, holding back a grimace, his back hurt like a hundred bees had stang his skin relentlessly. "What the hell..."

Alec didn't even want to imagine what kind of rush his skin is infected with at the moment, he just wishes it won't be too uncomfortable to cause trouble tonight. "...."

The front door creaked opened, breaking the silence, the pent up intensity in the air, suddenly it was easier to breath. "How may I help you?"

Iris Rose stood behind that door, blocking with her body the hallway. Izzy even if she moved or titled her head, she still wouldn't be able to see the inside. Iris had let the door open enough to peek her head out, seeing a beautiful woman, rugged as if having cried her way here, she frowned.

Did she know her? Why is this woman at her doorstep?

"Actually yes... Very much so." Izzy feign shaken relief, her voice weak, her gaze unstable, traveling from side to side in nervousness. "I... I am sorry but... Can I come in? I... Don't feel very well..."

Iris raised her brow in suspicion, needing not to hide her dislike. "It's rude to invite yourself in people's homes... Especially at this hour."

"... You are right... I am sorry, I shouldn't have..." Izzy shook her head, turning around to leave she was immediately stopped. "...Do you need my help?" Iris asked, carefully examining the unknown woman up and down.

Izzy turned, embarrassed. "I do... I had to leave... From my hometown, I had to find you!" Her tone desperate, almost begging. Such act intrigued Iris, for both the right and wrong reasons.

"For what reason exactly did you come here for?" Iris asked carefully, unwavering under that pitiful picture Izzy so hard was playing on.

"Alice Terrin..." Izzy said softly, delicately. She kept on, playing unaware of how stiff Iris grew, how she could feel magic escaping her fingertips. Izzy was more than aware how far she was taking it, how dangerous the situation grew. Time to disable it, give her, or rather make her think, she has the upper hand upon a clueless mundane.

"She was... Is my best friend, my sister. She must be alive, she must be!" She yelped helplessly. "She never gave up... She wouldn't." Iris turned her cold stare deep into the woman's black eyes, seizing the mundane in front of her. "I think you have the wrong house."

"I know she came here... All I want is to speak to her, even for a moment! Just... Just to look at her, see that she is fine! I need to tell her, everything is fine back home too." Izzy took a step forward, her voice trembling, ready to fall on her knees.

Iris relaxed a notch under such pathetic play, what a pitiful sight. "She told me about you..."

Izzy raised her gaze, a heartwarming smile crossing her face. "Really?" Her disbelief a mask of the alarming bells going off in her head, she has heard of me?

"Yes... You must be Laura. You look exactly as Alice described, beautiful." Iris spoke, opening the door wider, inviting the woman in acknowledgment. Izzy gave a timid smile of appreciation, "Thank you... Thank you so much..." Walking inside, Izzy felt stuffy the moment the door clicked close. She had read of Laura, she indeed was Alice's friend back at university, that fact calmed down her worries.

She hasn't been discovered yet. For now, Izzy has to find an opening, give her brother some time to find anything useful.

Alec waited some seconds before moving on, just in case Iris had decided to act the moment she closed the door. Everything seemed to move smoothly.

The rooftop had a door, a fire escape that connected the inside with the outside. The hunter didn't dare to go through, it would be naive to do so, an obvious trap ready to be activated. Warlocks often if not always placed protection spells around their house, they knew when someone forced their way it. Breaking the lock meant breaking the spell, witches and warlocks alike could feel that.

Alec moved along the sides, seeking for a window that is facing the hallway. Protection spells were hard to maintain, Iris most likely skipped some entries to save her strength. She might be powerful but she is not the high warlock of Brooklyn powerful. "Let's see..."

When Alec did find the perfect entry, it took three moves for him to manage to stand inside, closing the window smoothly behind him. All he had to look for was a window at the higher floors, slightly ajar to allow fresh air in. A window that wasn't locked, unmarked by any magic.

The building looks old, Alec had thought when laying his eyes upon it for the first time.

Another thing he noticed was how only the windows up to the first floor were new, the rest just as ancient as the apartment complex, overgrown by nature, flowers and vines crawling down, from the top to the bottom, around the main door, the windows, the wood having aged, weakened.

Alec had to be careful, he couldn't use the invisibility rune, it won't work under Iris' fortress, warlocks could feel runes when formed, activated.
Either because runes have a strong presence under the sensitivity of a warlock's senses or for another reason Alec wasn't aware of.

Alec moved steadily, trying to listen in on the people within the apartments.
The hallway is pretty narrow without any space for hiding, he is open, no cover, simply vulnerable...

If Jace was only here, it wouldn't be that unbearable.

The hunter sighed lightly, he never got to ask Izzy why Jace didn't make it. Though, it wasn't hard to imagine. Probably Robert thought to make a better use for him and assigned the Herondale boy elsewhere for tonight, an excuse.

Robert was against the idea of Alec having a parabatai, believing to make him lacking. The idea of being better at the battlefield simply because another person is there with you, had Robert laughing. "That isn't true strength!" He had said back then, adding with just as much humour. "Rather, a made up lie for the weak, to make them feel better for their flaws."

Alec winced suddenly, a sharp pain throwing his thoughts in disarray. The hunter felt sweat forming on his forehead and back, a ringing numbness spreading from the back of his head. "Get it... Together." Alec hissed at himself lowly, his vision becoming blurry momentarily.

'Why is it so quiet?' Alec thought, alarmed, he can't loose his senses now, that would be futile for him and his team. A new concern arose among the many, what if that thing that hunts him wishes to mesh with him while on a mission? The danger he will cause, the lives he will put at stake... He had to do deal with it before it's too late. How? Alec isn't sure.

He gulped down his anxiety, his gut has been screaming and his consciousness calling for him to do something, anything. Why us it so quiet? Are the women dead? Did they arrive too late? What has happened to them?

Alec moved infront of door after door, every single one unlocked. There stood nothing within the four walls, not even furniture, no one stood behind those doors. They were all empty. Alec started feeling his blood turning cold, what did Iris Rose do to all the women that stepped in her fortress?

Where are they?

Alec made his way at the last door, this one was locked. A glimmer of hope emerged, he knocked, softly, just enough to hear it. For a while there was nothing, contemplating if he should force his way in or not. The hunter was startled not to only to see the door open but to see a little girl, a child standing behind that door.

Alec was left momentarily speechless, he had heard nothing, not even a single step coming from that apartment. "...Hi?"

As if no one lived there.

The little girl simply stared up at him, her face calm. "... Are your parents home?" Alec tried, his voice dropping into a gentle whisper. "I need to talk to them."

The hunter waited, hoping to see one of the missing girls. The child remained there, staring up at him, her face nonchalant, divided of any emotion. Alec frowned lightly, kneeling down slowly as to not frighten her, was it normal for a child to act like that?

"I'm sorry." He apologised, making the girl title her head, probably in confusion or interest, Alec couldn't tell. "My name is Alec," he begun, his voice soft. "I'm here because I need to talk to your mother, it will only take a moment."

The girl kept her gaze steady, studying subtly the person in front of her. "..."

Alec didn't have much time, he couldn't let Izzy be alone with that woman for too long. He doubted that child is a threat but he did find himself concerned. Why is this child alone?
Alec glanced over the little girl, there was little to no furniture, just a couch and many toys laying around... No sight of any adult.
Alec decided to move on to another apartment, but what should he do about the kid? "It's fine if she is not home... I will come another time." The hunter got up, "Goodnight."

He can't move with a kid on his heel, it would be too dangerous. The idea of leaving her behind still bugged him though, relentlessly. Alec just couldn't bring the child with him, what if she got hurt? Caught in the middle. No, he can't allow such thing...

Why was the girl alone in the first place? What about the kidnapped women?
What is going on under this roof and how is black magic involved?
Mattias mentioned Iris lurking around places with high demon ratio. What was she doing there?

So many questions with not a single answer.

What if the girl is the answer? Alec shook his head, if he decides to take her with him then what? Bring her to the Institute? To the Clave? She is a child, Alec wished to not involve her as much as possible with the downworld. Maybe she still has a chance of a normal life of mundane bliss.

He moved towards the stairs, wondering what he should do... The hunter proceeded to the floor below, knocking on doors. Non of them opened this time, they were all locked. When he did force his way in, nothing stood there, neither furniture nor people. "What is Iris doing with them...?"

Dazed of what may be happening here, Alec felt a light tug at his pants, small and delicate. Looking down with a fright he gasped to see the little girl holding into him. "You? No no."

Alec kneeled down, picking up the kid. Holding her with one arm at his side, above his hip, Alec begun to scold her. "You can't just follow strangers, that's dangerous! Your mother will be so worried to find you are gone, don't make people worry!"

Alec moved up the stairs, putting down the child gently, in front of the open door she once stood behind. "Stay inside, hide if you can... I will come get you when it's safe. I promise I will do everything to get you and your mom out of here."

"... My mom...?" The girl spoke so lowly, Alec almost missed it, he would have if it wasn't so quiet. The girl moved inside, not waiting for answers, were her words even a question? Or a declaration?

Alec with a light frown followed her, settling beside her on the carpet. "Where is your mom?" He asked carefully, gently. "Is she okay?"

The girl shrugged, lifting her shoulders subtly, she didn't know or she didn't want to talk about it.

"...What's your name?" Alec proceeded then to ask, concerned.

"Madzie." The girl spoke, again her tone low, like a muffled whisper.