Distractions - Chapter 8: Chapter 8

Everest groaned as she was once again pulled from her very comfortable position to go to the room her friend was in with Camille. She really disliked her, not only because she was the one who ordered the kidnapping of Simon and herself or because she broke Everest's leg in 5 places, but because she was the one who took Raphael from her, and that was unforgivable.
"It will be fine, Escritora. Just don't piss her off too much," Raphael assured her.
Everest pouted, but followed anyway.
"Clary! I'm here!" the purple haired girl heard Simon shout as they entered the room.
Everest sighed in annoyance when Simon tried to run away from the vampires. Did he really not understand that vampires had super speed and could easily catch up to him? Did he not remember anything from the movies he made her sit through?
Raphael pushed the boy back away from the door. "I told you, you're a hostage! Accept it!" he shouted. Everest winced at the volume.
Simon tried to swing at Raphael like an idiot, but Raphael just turned him around and held a dagger at his throat. Everest watched, wide-eyed from the corner of the room where she had moved, not really wanting to be caught in the crossfire.
"Don't move. I know you want to know how this story ends," Raphael warned the mousy haired boy. Everest snorted quietly. 'He talks with me for a few hours and he's already referencing my hobbies again with his warnings,' she laughed mentally. Her friend had said and done this exact thing years ago when someone had tried to mug and attack her in a dark alleyway one night. She thought of the parallel and immediately a scene popped into her head along with a way to include it in one of her WIPs.
"Thank you Raphael, I'll take this from here," the female vampire told him, walking forward.
"You don't have to bother."
"No, honestly. I've had it with this thing. Give it to me. I'll finish it off." Camille had an annoyed and disgusted expression on her face as she looked at Simon.
"Camille, we have a bigger problem. They're almost here, and you can't be caught. You're too valuable. I'll kill it." Everest was flattered slightly that Raphael never once said anything about "killing" her, though she knew he wasn't going to kill Simon either. But still, the thought was there.
"That's a little excessive, yeah?" Simon asked nervously and Everest almost told him to shut up, but her vampire friend beat her to it.
"Shut up. Take the back passage out through the tunnels. Go!" Camille turned and walked quickly out of the room without a single glance back.
Raphael gave Everest a look that told her to stand beside him. "Now, you two listen and do exactly as I say...nothing more." Everest saw his eyes widen as he took a deep breath. "They're coming."
Raphael snaked the arm holding the dagger loosely around her neck, the other holding Simon, as Clary, Izzy, Alec, and Jace burst into the room.
"Simon! Everest!" Clary shouted, rushing forward until Jace caught her arm.
"Clary! That's not going to do any good," he hissed to her.
"Listen to him, Clary Fairchild. Put it away. I've had more than enough of your friends for one day. I'd love to cut his throat, don't give me a reason to. Put it away!" Everest flinched at the sudden shout.
The Shadowhunters put their weapons away, not once taking their eyes off Simon and Everest.
"Simon, Everest. Are you alright?" Clary asked them frantically. Everest shrugged noncommittally.
"I wouldn't say alright-" Simon began before Raphael cut him off.
"Stop talking! Now...if you would all just follow me. Let's go."
Everest had to hand it to her friend, he managed to get the Shadowhunters to follow them, keep hold of Everest and Simon, and keep a dagger to Simon's throat without actually cutting him all while bringing them up a stairwell. It was impressive and Everest also wanted to add the situation to her notebook, after she got a new one at least.
"Come on, let's go! Up here now! That's right, get down there now! Get down there or I'll kill him right now!"
"Look, we're not gonna hurt you. We just want Simon and Everest," Clary told Raphael, who scoffed slightly.
"Glad you do, we don't. We wanted you," he snarled.
"Well here I am," Everest's twin snarled back. Everest mentally applauded the older girl for her reckless bravery.
"Stop!" Jace shouted, shoving Clary in front of him.
"I said wanted. Not my idea. Now, get out! Go!"
"Not without them," Clary protested.
"Shut up! Open that door right now, or I'll kill them both right here." Everest knew Raphael wouldn't actually kill her, and that was the only reason why she wasn't trying to fight him at all, unlike Simon.
"Listen to him," Jace insisted.
"But they'll die if-" Clary was cut off by Alec opening the door, allowing sunlight to enter the hallway.
Raphael hit behind some pipes, using Simon and Everest as shields, though Everest moved to shield him anyway.
"Clary go!" Simon shouted, and Everest winced again. Simon was shouting right next to her ear and it hurt.
"Go! Go! Go!" Jace shoved the other three out before him.
Raphael shoved Simon towards the exit, though his already loose hold on Everest didn't loosen. "Go! Take him! Go!"
Simon turned back to Raphael as he ran backwards to the door, not realizing Everest was still being held by the vampire. "I don't know how to thank you."
"Don't thank me. You mean nothing. This is about Valentine and the chaos he can bring," snarled Raphael.
"Come on," Jace yanked Simon out into the sunshine. He turned back to demand Everest be returned, but before he could say anything, she was in his arms, stumbling from the sudden feeling of having to walk on her own without any support. She probably should get a healing rune or something for her head.
"Jace Wayland!" Raphael called, making Jace pause in the doorway. "Remember who your friends are!"
...
"Shouldn't we get the hell out of here?" Simon exclaimed once everyone was out of the hotel safely.
"Why, Simon?" Jace looked at him like he was stupid and Everest suppressed a snicker.
"They're right downstairs."
"Let them come after us," Jace began, but Everest cut him off.
"What's gonna happen Simon? It's daytime. If they come out here, they'll turn to ash and dust." Everest gave him a weird look. "I know you watch vampire movies, you've made me watch all of them with you. I thought you'd at least remember that fact...detail. That's the word; detail."
The Shadowhunters walked up to the second level of the roof, giving the twins and Simon a little privacy.
"Oh my God. Oh my God. It's over, it's actually over," Clary said in relief as she grabbed Everest in a tight hug.
"You're okay. You're okay," she breathed into Everest's ear. The purple haired girl wrapped her arms around her twin, her shoulders drooping slightly at the loss of a tense situation.
"Yeah, I'm alright. Just a slight headache," she assured the redhead.
Clary released her and gave her a smile before she dove at Simon. Everest ignored their conversation and made her way up to where the Shadowhunters were.
Izzy dove at her and wrapped her in a tighter embrace than Clary had. "By the Angel, Sunny. Don't do that."
"Don't do what?"
"Almost die!" Izzy exclaimed.
Everest rolled her eyes slightly. "Dusk, I almost die multiple times a week. You can't exactly stop me."
Izzy pulled back, though she kept her arms on the shorter girl's shoulders. "Watch me." When Everest just raised her eyebrows, Izzy gave her a stern look. "I will call in Roslyn for backup if I need to."
Everest sucked in a breath. "You wouldn't."
"I would."
"Alec, stop!" Jace suddenly shouted, making the other four look at him in surprise.
"Just, stop," he said softer.
"I'm older than you, Jace. I'm not in your shadow," Alec told him. He was upset, Everest could see it in his eyes just as clearly as she could recognize the hurt and broken expression as one that commonly showed in her and her friends' expressions, clearest in their eyes.
"If you really feel that way about her, why did you help us tonight?" Jace stared after his Parabatai as he walked away.
Everest turned to the girl in front of her. "I'll go after him," she told her.
Izzy didn't ask why she thought she could help Alec, and for that she was grateful; she wasn't sure how to explain it in her own head, much less out loud for others. The purple haired girl walked away from the others, towards where Alec stood at the edge of the roof.
"You're really not in his shadow," she whispered as she stood next to him. "No matter what anyone says."
Alec didn't say anything at first, just looked at the short girl beside him. "What would you know about being in somebody's shadow?" he asked, copying her soft tone.
She smiled softly, but it was bitter too. "A lot more than you might think, Alec."
She looked at him, her head tilted to the side as she looked up. "I'm heading back to the Institute. You don't have to, but just remember you have people you can talk to, like Izzy."
She had started to walk away, but was stopped by his voice.
"What about you?"
"What about me?" she asked with the same soft voice she used before.
"Can I talk to you if I want to?"
She smiled, even though he couldn't see it. "Yeah, Alec. You can talk to me if you want to."
Everest continued walking and found that Jace, Clary, and Simon had already started walking back to the Institute. She smiled at Izzy, who gave her a curious look before the two girls started walking back to the Institute. All the while, Everest had no idea that Alec Lightwood was watching her go with a smile on his face. His sister did however, and gave him a grin before she looped arms with her best friend and started talking about how she wanted to mess with Everest's hair sometime soon.