Rafael brought up the rear as they arrived at the cemetery. It was no longer light and there was a bitter twinge in the air that made the hair on Max's neck stand on end. Something wasn't right.

"Why would they hide in a graveyard?" Clary wondered aloud.

"They probably raided an old weapons cache." Isabelle justified.

"Doesn't explain what happened to everybody else here." Jace added. The six of them scoped their surroundings for any clues.

"I don't think they left." Alec commented as he spotted a bloody tombstone. Rafael also spotted a bloody handkerchief nearby and stepped closer to Max.

"Another demon trap." Isabelle suspected.

"Let's split up in teams of two." Alec instructed.

"I'll go with Alec"

"I'll go with Izzy"

Jace and Clary said at the same time. Alec and Isabelle looked confused as Max smirked at Rafael. "Something so happened." He muttered and Rafael shook his head with an amused smile.

"Okay." Alec frowned and turned to the others. "Rafael you go with the girls as backup, Max with us." Alec instructed and the boys nodded before both teams split up, surveying the perimeter as they approached. Izzy, Clary and Rafael went through the back whilst Jace, Alec and Max went round the front. As Alec and Jace went through the door Max stopped in his tracks at a familiar sound. He whipped round, blade ready as he scanned the area for the source. The growling got worse and the sudden surge of fear told him that he was right. The hellhounds were nearby.

"Max!" Alec hissed from the doorway.

"I'll cover you, there are demons lurking!" Max insisted, keeping his eyes trained on possible shadows moving through the gravestones. Alec found himself reluctant to leave the boy alone. He looked young and the dread of something happening to him under Alec's watch weighed heavily on his mind all of a sudden.

"Alec, we need to go quick." Jace urged and Alec paused before he gave a reluctant nod, casting one last glance at the blue-haired Shadowhunter. Max gave him a quick reassuring smile over the shoulder but it didn't ease the worry in Alec's chest.

Max flinched when he saw the familiar sight of amber eyes that tore at his soul. He gritted his teeth and held his defensive position. This was going to be a lot harder without back up, he wished he'd stuck with Rafael but that would have raised suspicion. Everything grew quiet for a moment and Max held his breath, hair raising in dread.

A large figure lunged out from behind two gravestones, jaws snapping. Max ducked out the way, turning to face the beast which snarled and swerved back on the Shadowhunter-warlock. It made another dash, movements quick, and clawed at Max's side, which he only just managed to deflect with the side of his blade. He kicked the creature in the side, sending it flying into the church wall. Before he could catch his breath, he heard the slightest of movement behind him and whipped round just in time to dodge the jaws of the second hound that came close to his neck. Max lunged forward, slicing a gash in the dog's side that coaxed it to hesitate long enough for Max to focus his attention on the other hound charging towards him. "Shit" Max yelled as it barrelled into him. He plunged his seraph blade in the dog's stomach and kicked its whimpering form off of him. He knew that wouldn't slow it down for long. He needed to use the spell.

The second hound came at him when he was still down, Max grabbed a dagger from his belt and jammed it into the dog's skull, hearing the skull crack under the pressure. The hound howled in pain but, still, it didn't go down. Reaching for a spare dagger as both demons started to recover, Max quickly started chanted the spell provoking white and scarlet flames to violently claim the adamas in his blades as he backed away from their preying forms. Finally one lunged at him once again, jaw prepared to clamp down on his arm but Max punched his dagger in its throat and kicked one of its front legs, breaking it, and sending the beast to the ground.

He didn't react fast enough to the second and it bit down hard into his shoulder. Max screamed but grabbed the creature's jaw. He took a breath and used as much strength as he could muster to ply the teeth from his flesh, successfully breaking the muzzle in the process. Without further hesitation Max whipped round, flames burning at the end of his sword and plunged it into the beast's centre. It let out a gut-wrenching scream and its body evaporated into amber and black sparking smoke. Adrenaline still pumping through him, Max turned to the other hound as its leg bone snapped back into place. The growling increased, black seeping from the corners of its mouth in rage.

However instead of attacking, the hound glanced at the pile of ash that was its double and decided to gather its strength for another attack. Max frowned as it retreated and he turned to the once-hellhound smattering the path. He caught sight of something glinting amongst the ashes. He reached out to grab a purple shard-like gem before stuffing it in his pocket. He could worry about it later, he needed to take the other hound down before it could gain its strength back. He hissed at the stinging in his shoulder but whispered a quick spell to seal the wound and sprinted in the direction he saw the hellhound retreat.

~

"Thank you for not asking any questions about Clary." Jace pointed out as he and Alec scoured one of the rooms.

"I figured you'd talk when you're ready." Alec replied, focus unwavering as they prepared for the attack.

"I knew there was a reason you were my parabatai." He replied with a hint of mirth. Both of them turned as they heard a grunt on the other side of the door. As they approached it got louder and suddenly forsaken burst through and snarled at them.

Quick to react, Jace threw an axe at the first one's head, taking it down immediately. This didn't deter the other possessed being as it pushed the other out the way and wretched in anger. It made a grab for Jace who kicked it into the wall, blade raised as it stumbled. It lunged once again and Jace sliced across its throat.

A new forsaken entered the fight as it came in from behind. Alec backed up and dodged its swipe, plunging his seraph blade right through its middle. Jace turned at the sound of wood breaking in time to see a forsaken grab Alec from behind.

"Alec!" Jace exclaimed, blade raised to strike.

"Jace!" Alec grunted as he was pulled back through the wall. Jace went to help but suddenly felt a pressure round his throat and was hauled backwards. He choked as a gruff voice taunted him, "Hello brother! Mind if I take you outside for a moment?" Jonathan snarled and Jace wheezed and grunted as he tried to escape the chains round his neck.

~

Rafael got his bow out, arrow at the ready as he covered their backs. He frowned at the blood stains on the walls as they proceeded further. "Wanna talk about whatever happened between you and Jace at the institute?" Isabelle asked, not breaking focus for a second.

"There's no point talking about any of that until we figure this out." Clary evaded and Rafael smirked to himself. His uncle and Auntie were rather dramatic themselves and, from what he's heard, were rubbish at communication at the start of their relationship.

"Stop!" Izzy warned as she noticed the figure at the altar.

"Is she hurt?" Clary questioned as she saw the old woman clasping rosary beads.

"No, she's forsaken." Isabelle stressed and got her weapon at the ready as the figure turned her attention on the three Shadowhunters. She let out a screech and lunged at them. Clary wasted no time, slicing the woman across the stomach and Isabelle sent her flying out the way with her staff. Many forsaken started filing into the room, spittle flying, vacant eyes wide and pale.

Rafael let off a succession of arrows, sometimes needing two to slow them down. Isabelle and Clary dodged and attacked those that got through his range of fire, slicing and stabbing until they stopped moving. Clary kicked two away from her and sliced the figure coming behind her. As she turned back she froze as the forsaken were inches from her face. However they never reached her as an arrow embedded through one's skull into the other, demonic energy spewing from their mouths due to the adamas. Clary let out a breath and thanked the new recruit for his bow-skills. Isabelle noticed as well as she chopped off a head, surprised at the level of skill that she only knew was possessed by her brother and few others. Rafael reminded her more of Alec as time went by and when she had a moment to think it through she'd try discover why.

Isabelle turned, pushing a forsaken behind her with her staff for Clary to take down and used the other end to plunge into his chest. She caught sight of Rafael fighting two forsaken on the steps, bow forgotten as he used duel seraph blades to take them out. Clary was slicing through a chest when Isabelle turned back to her. They took a moment to breath but both turned as three forsaken appeared at the altar and made their way towards them. Isabelle still heard Rafael struggling in the background and readied her staff to continue the fight. Clary following suite.

As the three forsaken approached in succession, they suddenly stopped in their tracks, an arrow lodged through the first forsaken head - the clear through the other two. As the dropped to the ground it revealed Alec lowering his bow and Isabelle once again pondered how the two Shadowhunters were so similar. She turned round just in time to see Rafael plunge both blades in a forsaken's centre and pull apart its torso.

Rafael let out a breath and watched as Alec approached them with a grim expression. "I think that's the last of them." He frowned and immediately went to wrap Isabelle in a hug who leaned into the embrace. Rafael smiled a little and remembered times after hard missions where his father had done the same to him and Max.

"Are you okay?" Isabelle breathed.

"I'm okay." Alec replied firmly, pulling her in tight.

"Where's Jace?" Clary frowned. Rafael looked around and realised Max was also no where in sight.

"Sebastian. We gotta find them." Alec urged but Clary and Rafael's head jerked as he saw shadows moving towards them.

"There's more." Rafael warned pushing down his worries for his brother and grabbing his bow, he let an arrow fly through a forsaken's throat.

"Izzy you go, we've got this. You've got the whip, the electrum, we know it can hurt him! Go!" Clary insisted and Isabelle retreated, letting Rafael step forward and take her place. He swapped his bow for his duel blades when Alec drew his own. Once the first arrow was released, Rafael and Clary rushed forward, slicing down any forsaken that got close enough. Alec was quickly and cleanly taking them out until no arrows remained. Rafael kicked a forsaken down and thrust his blades down. Once was sure the last one was dead he turned back to Alec.

"Where's Max?!" He demanded in fear.

Alec looked conflicted. "He didn't follow us in, he said there were demons outside and that he'd handle them. I doubt Jonathan wouldn't have found him if he was nearby though." He explained, feeling his stomach sink at the boy being in danger. He felt like he made the wrong decision when he saw the terror on Rafael's face.

"That idiot taking on more than he can handle." Rafael growled.

"Hey, come on. Our best bet on finding both Jace and Max is if we find Jonathan." Clary urged and both Lightwoods followed after the red head as she sprinted out the church.

~

They arrived just in time to see Jace stab Jonathan through the chest. Jonathan, although wounded, didn't stop and grabbed at Jace's throat. Jace's struggled and Rafael held his breath as he slammed down on Jonathan's arm, breaking free of his hold. He used Jonathan's stumbling to his advantage and his kicked him in the chest and off the bridge. Alec, Clary and Rafael slowed to a halt as Jonathan hit the water. Everyone breathed heavily and watched as the body drifted downriver.

"Hail and farewell." Isabelle said bitterly. Rafael turned away and frantically searched for another body.

"Where is he?" Rafael breathed before whipping round to the others. "Where's my brother?!" He exclaimed frantically. Alec walked over to Rafael and put a hand on his shoulder.

"It's ok we'll find him." He reassured.

"NO you don't- just ... please, I need to find Max." Rafael rambled, feeling fear grip him tight. If anything happened to his little brother under his care he'd never forgive himself.

"He's probably back in the cemetery." Clary suggested shakily. Rafael took off running once again, adrenaline and fear driving him onward despite the exhaustion making his bones ache.

"MAX!" Rafael shouted, throat sore from the urgency. He circled the church twice and scoured the gravestones. "MAX!" He was pleading now, begging for his brother to be okay. He felt his eyes sting with tears.

"RAFAEL!" He heard Isabelle call and he turned to see her waving him over. He rushed to her and froze when he saw Max's body slumped against a mound of dirt.

"Max, by the angel!" Rafael swore and dropped to his knees, abandoning his weapons in the process. There was blood all over his shoulder and black ooze on his clothes. His face was bruised and trousers ripped due to a tear in his leg.

"He's been bitten." Isabelle assessed his shoulder as Rafael gripped his brother's hand. Alec, Clary and Jace arrived, their breathing heavy with exertion.

"Oh no, Max." Clary breathed and Alec stiffened when he saw all the blood. He felt fear rise in him - if Max died it would be his fault for leaving him alone. That terror from earlier lodged itself in his throat. Rafael wiped his eyes to stop the blurring, he needed to check his brother was okay. He exhaled in relief when he saw Max's chest moving. He lightly patted his bruised cheek to wake him.

"Maxie, Maxie hey! Stay awake buddy you may have a concussion!" Rafael soothed, making his brother face him. Heavy blue eyes looked up and Rafael laughed in relief, hugging his brother close. "Oh thank the angel!" Rafael cried, stroking through blue strands. Alec felt all-consuming gratitude that the boy made it through and wondered why he cared so much about the brothers in so little time.

"Rafa." Max croaked and Rafael lay him down.

"He and Jace need medical attention." Isabelle warned, watching Jace put his weight on his parabatai and clutch his stomach.

"They were here. B-both of them." Max said weakly, ignoring Isabelle.

"You stupid idiot for facing them without me! You always need back up!" Rafael snapped but he wasn't really angry. Just scared. Clary created a fire message and sent it to the institute for assistance.

"One ... got away." Max breathed tiredly. "S-searched everywhere for the other b-but ... but it got ..." Max trailed off, feeling light-headed.

"I understand Maxie, let's just get you healed first." Rafael insisted and shakily drew an iratze to heal the leg wound. It wasn't long until the medical team found them.