Stitch in time

Searching for a familiar face

Will strolled around the city a bit more and even asked a few people if they knew anyone by the name "Magnus Bane " yet no one did, or they were too mesmerized by his presence to answer properly.  People in America are the oddest creatures, Will thought.

But after walking for what looked like hours, he stopped and glanced at the old building nearby. He could take shelter here perhaps, he thought. He was tired, thirsty, and hungry. He had no one here and knew nothing about the city or the big motor cars. Or about tall buildings that looked like they would fall off right onto his head. The hopeless lost feeling slowly crept over him, while he looked around at the city. The more he observed the buildings, motor cars, and people, the more vulnerable he felt. He should stop. He should rest and start searching for Magnus tomorrow. Will turned back to the old building and walked towards it. It had the same structure as all other buildings,  tall and massive yet, abandoned. Will stared at the building for two more seconds, before the building started to change. What looked like an old building is now, in fact, a church.
It's been glamoured. An institute.
The New York Institute. 

Will thanked the angel and went through the gates to the door. He didn't know anyone of the New York Institute, but every institute is open to any shadowhunter in need of help.

Will walked up the steps to the door and knocked twice. It was getting dark outside, sky was a dark shade of pink mixed with the low glow of the fading sun. No one seemed to respond, so Will knocked again, but this time with much more force than before. A few seconds later, the door was opened by a young man with brown hair, a shadowhunter man, who was wearing ridiculous clothes like he had seen people in America wearing. He was probably around his own age, Will thought. The Shadowhunter was gaping at him, like every other American he met so far did.

"Alec?" The Shadowhunter man squinted at him and whispered and then glanced back inside the institute.

"I- Pardon me, I don't have the slightest idea who Alec might be, but I am lost, you see. And I need help to find my way home." Will said to the young man who was still gaping at him.

"Oh okay yeah. You can't be Alec. Alec's taller. And your hair is more..." he squinted at Will's hair like observing an endangered animal "...wavy"

Confused, Will had no interest in learning who Alec was or how much alike they looked. "Can I meet the institute head?" Will asked at last.

"Oh. Yeah ofc sure." Said the young man nodding his head, snapping back to reality. " Come with me"

He gestured inside and Will followed.

"Well, I doubt if the institute head would be able to help you, because right now he needs help himself. " the shadowhunter said, with a laugh. "But the consul is here and he can probably help you"

"Charlotte? Charlotte is here??" Will asked in surprise, relief washing all his anxiety.

The man looked at him in surprise again and kept on walking. "I don't know who Charlotte is but I was talking about Alec. Consul Alec."

Will was confused. He didn't know America had a separate consul, which was against the law. Shadowhunters had one Consul. Just one.

He walked behind the shadowhunter and finally, he opened a massive door and led him inside. It was a library, with bookshelves full of all different kinds of books, just like back in London Institute. Inside were three more people, wearing the same ridiculous American clothes. A small girl, who looked about 15 was arranging paintings around the library. There were dozens of beautiful paintings, probably painted by herself. They were beautifully done, Will thought, and she was very talented for a girl that young. Beside him was a young man with blonde hair, his whole body covered in different colors of paint, but mostly orange. There was orange paint all around him as well, and aside was a paint bucket that was lopsided. Aah. Will thought, this must be the institute head, who probably needs help himself.

There was another girl, who looked much like Cecily but had eyes of brown chocolate. She had her hands on her hips, clearly annoyed by the mess.

She turned as the young shadowhunter and Will got closer to them.

"Simon, where did-" she gasped at the sight of him, her eyes full of surprise and amusement. "Who is this?"

"He says he's lost and needs help. He said he wanted to meet the institute head"

At the mention of his title, both Jace and Clary turned around to look at Will. They too, stared at him for a while before Jace started talking.

"By the angel, are you an imposter demon? Alec's lost twin maybe? Did Alec have a twin brother, Izzy?

"Not that I know of" the girl, Izzy, answered who was still gaping at Will in surprise.

"Okay, so, wait. What are we going to do to him?" Asked the shadowhunter who escorted Will inside, whose name was Simon, as Will had heard.

"Maybe we should let Alec deal with him." Said the little girl. "Where are you from?" She asked Will, as she came towards him. Though she was small, she had confidence and power in the way she walked and talked. She is probably older than she seems to be, Will thought.

"I am from London. I am the head of the London Institute. " Will answered. He was very tired, had no energy, and was very hungry.

"Wait here, I'll find Alec. He went to the weapons room" said the young man, covered in paint.

"Seriously, Jace? If anything,  please don't spill those all around the institute. Mom's going to be so mad. All of you stay here. I'll get Alec" Izzy, the girl who had long raven hair, left the library.

Will sat in the nearby chair, exhausted and tired.

"Are you okay? Don't worry, I'm sure Alec can help you" said Simon, with a look of worry.

"Yes, I hope he could. I cannot understand how I am here, in America! I was patrolling in London and then..then I was here."

"Wow that sounds like a sci-fi movie," said Simon in excitement. Wil understood nothing of what he said.

"Don't annoy him, Simon. He looked so exhausted." Said the man in the paint, Jace.

"Do you need some water, maybe?" Asked the little girl, whose red hair and green eyes reminded him of Henry.

"Yes, please. That would be nice" Will could feel his throat dry, and he could barely talk.

The girl left the library and two new figures appeared. It was Izzy and another man, probably as same age as Will himself. And when he saw Will, he froze. It was like staring into a mirror, blue eyes into blue eyes, the same dark shade.

This must be Alec. Will was impressed as well as surprised. He could understand why everyone was shocked to see him. It was like some sort of a warlock magic or a demonic power creating a copy of himself. Alec walked forward and stood a few feet away from him.

"By the angel. Who even are you? How did you get here?" Alec asked in a threatening voice.

"My name is Will Herondale and the head of London Institute. I am lost, you see. I don't have the slightest idea how I ended up in this place, but I want your help to get back. Maybe you can get a warlock to open a portal?"

At that, Will saw Alec's face change completely; from surprise and curiosity to recognition and some sort of a sudden realization.