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THREE; ABERLONGUE

     EVERYONE WANTED this damn cup. The vampire's negotiation was clear — bring the Mortal Cup and they'll return Simon. They faced an opposition, considering Valentine wouldn't let Jocelyn come back until he had his hands on the cup. Worst of all, Alec felt extra bitter and Ethan wasn't sure the slightest touch of hand could calm his nerves anymore.

"Okay, all of this technology," Ethan pointed directly to the screens. Him and Clary were taking hold of the reigns because frankly, they cared for Simon more than the three other Shadowhunters. "Can we track Simon down with this? Find his location?" They gathered around the main desk in the middle of the room, holding four books on top of it.

"Is he in some kind of crypt in Transylvania?" Clary inquired, resting her hands on one of the chairs and sighing.

"Actually, no," Jace denied. "That was Camille's outfit, right? They're locals."

"They're at the Hotel DuMort, down in Gansevoort Street," Izzy shared, sitting down on the wooden counter. Ethan brushed his hair back before resting across from her.

"And we came back here?" He raised one eyebrow. "Why? We have to go there, obviously."

He had never heard of this Hotel DuMort but now it made sense when there were herds of vampires residing in a desolate place.

"We need a Clave resolution for that." Ethan rubbed his eyes, still assimilating the Shadowhunter vocabulary.

"The five of us can't declare war on the vamps all by ourselves," Izzy reasoned. It would turn into a massive blood bath and she was definite she didn't want to see her brother's new affection get his skull bashed in.

"And we can't react without considering our options. Downworlders are slaves to their impulses. We're not." Ethan rubbed his temples at Alec's words, stressed out to the max.

"Alec, you can't just jump on all the Downworlders," his sister chided. Alec was smug, knowing well of Izzy's affairs.

"Oh, that's right. Seelies have their charms, apparently." Jace laughed but Ethan and Clary were mildly confused.

"Seelies? Is that a cereal or something?" The three of them chuckled but Alec held his pinky out, signifying they would speak about it later. Ethan rolled his eyes and interlocked them before pulling away.

"Don't worry," Alec smiled, talking to Clary. "Izzy can tell you all about them. She's got a thing."

"We've all got our things, don't we?" She retorted, moving her gaze to Ethan, making Alec's smile drop.

Ethan didn't see the interaction, fumbling with his jacket and remembered what Alec said to him earlier. He had to get used to the clothing, whether he liked it or not. Maybe he could sell all of his old stuff on eBay and write in the description on how he didn't need it anymore because he became a crime fighting Shadowhunter.

"How does any of this relate to Simon? You guys remember we're supposed to be saving him, right?" Ethan reminded.

"While we consider other options, our best friend is suffering. Is that something Shadowhunters understand or am I just being a mundane?" Clary stared at Jace and Ethan could feel the tension. He thought they were going to make out right then and there.

"Clary's right." The blonde held out his hand and they all moved in closer. "They made the first move. We're gonna take care of this ourselves, right now."

"This is a bad idea," Alec shook his head in disapproval.

"What, have you got a better one?" Jace challenged. Alec bit his tongue. "Look, the vamps broke the Accords. They kidnapped a mundie. That's a big no-no. The Clave will give us a lecture and then they'll be glad we did it. Come on."

"Hard to argue with that," Izzy agreed, liking the plan.

"Even if we went ahead, I don't see how we get out of here without having to explain where we're going. We need weapons, and we can't let anyone see us get them," Alec said strictly.

"I know where to get what we need."

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"It's okay, you know."

"You're talking nonsense."

"Alec," Ethan whispered lowly. He moved his hand so his pinky would overlap Alec's, but the Shadowhunter jerked at the movement and pulled back. Their eyes interlocked and Ethan felt the wind being swept out of him.

In order to save Simon, they had to find weapons to use. After Ethan went on a rant about how they shouldn't stash weapons in a coffin because they're expensive, Alec took him back to the Institute so he could retrieve his bow and arrow. Ethan couldn't ignore the looks Alec was giving Jace all night. He knew the boy was conflicted with himself and his relationship status, much like Ethan was when it came to his parents.

"We should keep quiet," Alec quickly changed the topic, focusing back on the wall of weapons. He pulled his bow before handing Ethan a sword. The boy shook his head and denied it. He could barely hold himself up, and he wasn't sure how helpful he'd be with a dangerous weapon in his hands. Alec grabbed his arrows and ran his stele over them. Ethan was surprised when he heard someone approach, and flung his arm out as if he was ready to attack.

"Alec and Ethan," Hodge greeted, holding a blue mug in his hands. "Didn't know you two were here."

Alec shoved his stele back into his front pocket and Ethan pretended to act casual.

"We were just-"

"Don't tell me. I don't want to have to report you," he stopped them, walking forward. Ethan shifted uncomfortably, racking his brain for excuses.

"It's just that, you know, Clary is-"

"That girl is Valentine's-" Hodge hissed, stepping backwards when the rune on his neck glowed a bright red. The searing pain filled his body and Ethan clutched his forearm in case he needed help. "The monster's daughter. There must be some reason why the roaches are coming out of the woodwork again, right? I'll leave you to it."

"Hodge," Alec nodded as a friendly gesture. "Thank you."

Ethan narrowed his eyes, not trusting the man. He may have been with the Lightwood family for years, but Ethan could sense something was off.

"You remind me of me, Alec. A loyal friend standing in the shadow of the chosen one." Alec scoffed, turning his head. Personally, Ethan didn't understand why Alec never got enough credit. He was way better looking than Jace in every aspect. "Hey," Hodge slapped his neck. "Don't make the same mistakes I did. Look where it got me." Ethan watched the man depart and frowned, facing his companion.

"If you lived in the human world, I'm sure you'd get a job as a male model," he suggested, hoping it would help. Alec tossed him a seraph blade and smiled.

"Was that supposed to be a compliment?" Ethan shrugged and Alec slung his bow and arrow across his back. He checked his phone and smirked. "Let's go save your mundane."

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"Ugh," Ethan's nose scrunched up. "Where the hell are we?"

"It's an old meatpacker's service entrance," Izzy explained. She was wearing a tight red dress and looked pretty happy with herself. Ethan assumed it had something to do with the Seelie Alec was telling him about earlier. "If we go back there, we come up into the basement of the Hotel DuMort. Perfect, right?"

"Neat," Ethan commented, examining the area. "So what's my job?" He gripped the handle of his blade, the weapon having a familiar touch underneath his fingers.

"We distract the vamps, Clary and Jace have time to find Simon," she confirmed. Ethan's eyes widened.

"Distract? You mean fight them? What if I get torn into tiny pieces?" Ethan inquired. The last time he had done something like this was in the back of the nightclub, where he first met Jace. Even then it was a scary experience, but his spirits lifted a little knowing that Alec and Izzy were fighting alongside him.

"You'll be fine, Ethan," Alec strode ahead. "Just to be clear, I hate being the distraction." Ethan nodded in agreement. One of those vampires could sink their teeth into him at any given time. The thought caused his body to shudder.

"I don't," Izzy had a smug expression. "You know, you'd be a lot happier if you weren't so freaking repressed."

The Shadowhunter paid no attention to his sister, inspecting the area for any looming enemies. Izzy called his name again, becoming irritated by his attitude.

"Already tried. I made him smile once," Ethan offered as a consoling statement.

"You made him smile? Boy, you work wonders," she joked. They jogged to catch up with Alec, who was less than amused with their behavior. "You're really not gonna talk to me, are you?"

"That's because you have no idea what you're talking about."

"I don't think there's anything wrong with liking someone of the same gender. Love is love, whether it would be with a boy or a girl. As long as you're willing to give your whole self to that person wholeheartedly, you've done nothing wrong," Ethan murmured. Alec glanced at him, taking in his words. Izzy grinned, proud of the speech he made.

The three of them climbed up the ladder leading to the basement, and Ethan could feel butterflies zooming around in his stomach. They kept their footsteps light and airy, ducking under pipes.

"This must be the way," Izzy directed them to a door. When she pulled it open, Ethan almost fainted at the sight of the vampires.

"Wrong door!" He yelled, shutting it. They all pressed their backs against it, trying to keep them from entering. Alec started to draw a rune and Izzy took ahold of Ethan's blade, cutting a pole down from one of the pipes. She barred the door and released a sigh of relief.

"I need a nap."

"Join the club, sweetheart."

They stepped back and Izzy handed Ethan his weapon. "Do you think they know where we are?" She questioned.

"That's the idea, right?" Alec chuckled. Ethan twirled the blade, a surge of power flowing through his veins. He wasn't sure if it was the Shadowhunter side of him talking, but he was ready to fight. He saw two hands stick out of the door, gripping the pole that was blocking them. "How long do you think we have to distract them for?"

"Ten more minutes," Izzy guessed.

"Ten minutes?" Alec pulled an arrow from his bag. "Are you kidding? We're liquid lunch in five. Maybe longer since Ethan's with us."

"So let's distract them," Ethan spoke.

The two chorused the phrase back to him until all hell broke loose. Izzy used her whip to take down the first one. Ethan ran and shoved his blade into the second. The monster disintegrated into ashes in front of him. He blinked twice to be sure he wasn't dreaming.

"This is fun," Alec voiced when he had shot two of them down. More vampires came, but stopped behind the wall when they saw who was in front of them.

"Let's hustle, assholes!" Ethan hollered, chuckling under his breath. He didn't know if this would turn him into a potential serial killer, but it felt damn good to jab a magical seraph blade into a supernatural creature trying to kill him and his friends.

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"Hey, bitch! Let him go!" Ethan screamed.

One of the vampires that kidnapped Simon had a knife pressed to his neck. He had a cut on his forehead and was positively frightened. Alec held Ethan back from attacking the vampire.

"It won't do any good," he advised.

"Listen to him, Ethan Aberlongue."

The ring that Jocelyn gave Ethan the night she disappeared began to glow at the last name. He had never heard the surname before. It was always Ethan Marks. His head tilted at the last name, trying to recall if anyone's ever said that name to him before.

"Put it away. I've had more than enough of your friend for one day. I'd love to cut his throat. Don't give me a reason. Put it away!" Ethan retreated the sword and fiddled with the ring on his finger. It had stopped shining, but it still rose questions in him.

"Simon, are you all right?" Clary asked.

"I wouldn't say all right-" The vampire snatched his head back as a warning.

"Stop talking! Now, if you would all just follow me," he walked backwards, keeping his grip on Simon. "Let's go!" Ethan didn't know which direction he was headed, but Alec guided the way. The vampire was shouting at them to hurry up.

"Look, we're not going to hurt you," Clary said. "We just want Simon."

"I'm glad you do. We don't! We wanted you." They approached what seemed to be a back entrance. Ethan grasped Alec's jacket and the Shadowhunter steadied him.

"Well, here I am," Clary lunged at him but Jace held her back. He commanded her to stop, worried by the situation they were all stuck in.

"I said wanted, not my idea. Now, get out! Go!"

"Not without Simon," Ethan refused to comply. He didn't come all this way just to be thrown out and have Simon be drained of his blood by vampires.

"Shut up! Open that door right now or I'll kill him right here," he threatened, lodging the knife tighter around Simon's neck.

"Listen to him!" Jace yelled. Alec obeyed, unlatching the door. He took Ethan with him, despite his protests. Ethan cried out for his friend but his dejection was short lived when Simon stumbled out. He enveloped the boy into a hug, closing his eyes and thanking whoever above that Simon was safe. They were on the rooftop of the hotel and everyone was taking deep breaths.

"Shouldn't we get the hell out of here?" Simon recommended when he pulled away from Ethan. Alec was glaring at him fiercely.

"Why, Simon?" Jace was clearly irked.

"They're right downstairs."

"Buddy," Ethan pointed at the sun. "If they come out here, they'll crumble into dust. Didn't you see that vampire cower away when Alec opened the door?" Alec called Ethan over while Clary and Simon reunited. They walked up the steps to get to the highest part of the roof.

"Aberlongue," Izzy repeated. "Ethan, have you ever heard that name?"

"Not until today. Why did he call me that?" His eyebrows furrowed. Izzy and Alec exchanged glances.

Ethan was touching his ring again, wondering what it could've meant. His mind drifted back to his parents and his mother's words over the telephone. She knew about the existence of the Shadowhunter world. It was evident when she said Valentine's name. He didn't get the idea on why his family would keep such a big secret from him. Were they even his family?

"The Aberlongue family," Alec started after he and Izzy had a brief conversation with their eyes. "They were legendary Shadowhunters, noted for their ability to fight in battle with ease. They had gone into hiding after a particular incident which almost exposed us. No one's seen them since. Not even their guardian family — the Storms."

"Why would that vampire call me by that name? You don't think-" Ethan stopped, darting his head down. He tried to fit the puzzle pieces together but it was like he was jamming his head into a wall.

"That ring," Izzy took his hand in hers, observing the jewel. "Belonged to the family."

"Remember when your mother and father called you the other day?" Alec brought up. "They spoke about Valentine and they asked you if you were okay. Ethan, you're an Aberlongue. Those people aren't your real parents."

"That's impossible," Ethan yelped. "Taylor and Christian Marks raised me."

"There's a difference between someone who raised you and someone who gave birth to you." Alec recalled what he had told Ethan during one of their first encounters.

"How do I find them? The Aberlongue family?"

"They're almost a myth. They leave no trace and are secluded to the outside world. Most likely only a warlock who assisted their disappearance would know." Ethan collapsed on the ground and Izzy sat beside him. She rubbed his back in comfort and he buried his head in his hands.

"I need to see them," he sighed. "The people who raised me."

"Ethan, I don't think-" Jace was going to refuse, but Alec interjected. He extended his hand out for Ethan to take and helped him off the ground.

"I'll take him."

Izzy winked at her brother but he ignored it. He didn't give Jace a second look as he led Ethan down from the building. As soon as they were on the ground, Ethan began walking in the direction of his home. Alec kept his mouth shut for the first few minutes, but couldn't resist what he wanted to ask. It had been on his mind since Ethan's small speech.

"Are you-"

"Gay? Yes."

Ethan had known Alec was pondering that question for a while. He was waiting for him to finally spit it out. Alec was taken aback by the direct answer. Ethan wouldn't usually reveal his sexuality to a stranger, but Alec didn't feel like one. Over the time he'd known Alec, he felt like a friend. An extremely handsome friend.

"Do your parents know?" Alec's voice became timid. He wasn't sure what he was, but he didn't want to have his parents feel ashamed.

There weren't many Shadowhunters that were open with their sexuality, and the fact made Alec more shy to the topic. Ethan didn't seem to mind at all, and Alec becomes envious of his courage.

"No, and I don't think their reaction will benefit me. I believe I need to come to terms with it first before I can freely say it. My parents are very conscious of their status in the world, and being different is not what they want for their child. I'm guessing they never went over the topic of me being a Shadowhunter."

They remained silent for the remainder of the walk.

When Ethan arrived at his apartment, he wanted to turn back. He didn't want to be seen as a coward in front of Alec so he burst into the building. He didn't bother knocking on his door, reaching for the key at the top and unlocking it. Taylor and Christian were up on their feet when they heard the lock click. They were startled by their son's presence.

"Ethan," Taylor exhaled, running to him. "My boy."

Ethan pushed her away, tremor laced in his voice. He paused and raised his finger, pointing at her. "You're a liar. Does the name Aberlongue ring a bell to either of you?" His mother said his name again but he stood by Alec's side. Christian was scrutinizing both Alec and Ethan. He had never seen his son dress in such dark clothing.

"We had to protect you," Christian cleared his throat, disregarding his weeping wife. He noticed the reflection of gold on Ethan's ring and took his hand. "Where did you get this?"

"From Jocelyn," he sneered. "Before she left, she told me to find my real parents. Care to explain, mom and pop?"

"Ethan, my boy," Taylor tried to compose herself. She brushed back his hair and pursed her lips. He flinched at the close contact. "We knew the Aberlongue family long ago. They were so desperate to protect their child. They told us that their actions were coming back to bite them and they couldn't nurture a baby boy during the chaos. We wanted a child and they couldn't take care of theirs. It was pretty easy to see what they had to do."

"And you never thought of telling me I was a Shadowhunter? That I come from a legendary family?"

"It wasn't important, Ethan, because by then, you were all ours. The same warlock who helped your birth parents vanish is the same one who took your memories. Year by year, you forgot you were a Shadowhunter. We were wishing that you could live a normal life. A life without the responsibility. We love you, Ethan, your mother and I. We want you to stay." Christian reached out for him but Ethan wasn't having it. He loved them, he really did, but he couldn't handle the secrets being kept from him.

He doesn't think he can forgive them for holding a secret so important from him. He now understood why he felt like such an outcast in his family.

"What warlock?" He seethed. "Tell me now or I'll find out for myself."

"We should go," Alec murmured in Ethan's ear. The boy waved him off.

"What warlock?"

"Magnus," Taylor said in a hushed tone. Her husband interlocked their hands, both scared that they were going to lose their son forever. "Magnus Bane."

this chapter is shorter than the previous ones, but there's more of an insight into ethan's background!