Hunters' Paths

Summary: Strange things happen in New York City. Hunters' paths cross. The world is a small one. OneShot, Cross-over

Warning: Supposed to be humorous. Last chance to run.

Set: Entirely story-unrelated, timely set after City of Glass and Night School vol3.

Disclaimer: I own neither Rese and Team or Jace and Team. I'm still filing the papers.

„Urgh", Ten said.

Rese's face showed equal sentiments. Only Nadya and the boys managed to stay impassive at the garish sight in front of them.

"What is that?"

That was something neither of the Hunters had ever seen, an ugly creature that seemed to have arisen right out of a nightmare of one of the producers of movies like "Saw" and likes. It had green skin, two sharply pointed ears and a horn in the middle of its forehead. Its eyes glittered in a glowing, bloody red. And it had three of them. One horn, two ears, three eyes, four hands and a long, long tongue with a forked end. A hissing noise was heard as the tongue disappeared in a black abyss showing a double row of sharp, pointed fangs. Then, the thing opened its mouth again and the black teeth were revealed in a grin that made even Terrence shudder.

"Hunterzzz."

"Revolting", Rese said, disgustedly, and gripped her knives tighter. "What crazy Weirn has summoned this one?"

"Probably already is dead", Cass suggested and tried to squint at the shadows behind the creature. "Otherwise, it wouldn't be roaming freely."

"You know, I never appreciated the fact that demons in our area look at least remotely human", Jay said dryly and Terrence nodded.

"They can walk the streets like normal humans, though."

"That's a disadvantage", Cass replied. In a city like New York, a city that never slept, nights weren't remotely as dark as he was used to. His night vision was sorely hindered by the street lights and the shop windows' displays. He had started to hate the blinding and blinking lights two days after they had arrived at the East Coast.

"Though I doubt demons that look like that can go unnoticed even here."

Rese snorted.

"Could we just finish it off?"

The only reason the demon hadn't attacked them yet, Nadya guessed, probably was the fact that they had caught it feeding. She really didn't want to know what the lump of red flesh and clotted blood was that was laying on the ground in front of the demon. The moment they finished their conversation, the demon sized the lump and threw it behind him, then, once again, bared its fangs at them. Saliva dripped to the ground. She was thankful they were standing in a small, ugly alley at one o'clock in the morning: no human being was to be seen anywhere. Though the sound of parties and cars still resounded in her sensitive ears, they were currently far away from civilization. Except for the aggravating lights, of course.

Jaq didn't even bother to announce his intentions to his team when he moved forward, so swiftly and quickly human eyes would have had problems following him. As they were Hunters, they saw him duck under the first two hands of the demon that tried to catch him around his throat, slashed at the third hand and cleanly severed the fourth. The demon gave an ear-splitting shriek and doubled over, then launched himself at his opponent. And his hand regrew. Two other Jaqs dove at it, fingers bend like claws, but the demon avoided them and jumped at his first opponent. Unable to duck, Jaq was thrown backwards against the wall. The demon positioned itself on top of him, his teeth black, and lunged at his throat. Quicker than lightning, Jay launched himself at the demon and tore him away while Rese's knives and Ten's flail buried themselves deep into leather-thick demon skin. Again, the demon shrieked, but rather with fury than with pain. Quickly unwinding itself from the chain of the antique weapon, he turned to face the Hunters. His third hand grasped over his shoulder and he removed the two knives without flinching. His wounds healed. Of course. Tossing the knives back at them, it grinned.

"Hunterz. I take your blood!"

"My turn", Cass said coolly and lifted his stakes. The runes engraved into it flared red as he dashed forwards. The demon snarled.

"Foolish Hunterz!"

Right that moment, thin thread wrapped around his arms and legs and he screamed with surprise. A hint of fear crept into his face.

"Impozzible! I've never zeen Hunterz do something like this!"

"We're full of surprises", Nadya said and tightened her hold on the thin, wiry thread. Cass smiled grimly.

"Don't seem to have met many of us."

His stakes buried themselves firmly into demon flesh.

Nothing happened.

The demon laughed.

"What are thoze zuppozed to do?"

Cass creased his forehead.

Rese, Ten and Jay stared in amazement.

Terrence, Nadya and Jaq were equally amazed but managed to hide it better.

"Strange", Jaq mumbled. "The blood runes ought to have killed it instantly."

"What's going on?" Rese demanded to know. Her shoulders shook in suppressed fury. "Cass?"

"I don't know", he answered thoughtful. "Seems like this one is immune to our runes."

"Thoze are markz?" The demon snickered. "You zeem to have lozt the blezzing of the Angel, Hunterz!"

"What is he talking about?"

"Calm down, Rese – Nadya!"

The demon had freed himself – somehow, inexplicably – from his restraints and was coming at them with incredible speed. The Hunters spread out immediately. Weapons glinted in the cold light of the street lamps.

"We're seven and it's alone and we still can't get at it!" Rese panted; fury in her eyes. The demon bared its fangs at her.

"You're no Hunterz. You're babiez."

"Okay, that's it!" Cass said; his voice tight. "Jay, Jaq, get out of here and prepare!"

Immediately, the two dropped from the fight. Cass, Rese, Ten, Nadya and Terrence continued to fight but every cut they placed healed, every time they thought they got it, it slipped away. Then, suddenly, Jay's voice resounded.

"DOWN!"

Immediately, they dropped to the ground.

And a piercing light ripped apart the demon. Literally ripped apart. Parts of dark, leathery skin and green blood and gore splattered the street.

"Whew", Jay said and grinned at his friends as he helped them to stand. "That was fun!"

"You can say about Mr. Scary Roi what you want", Ten nodded grimly. "His tricks do work."

"Nice job, Hunters", Cass said and unsuccessfully tried to wipe the green slime from his jacket. "He's not going to call us babies one more time."

"I wonder how the resident Hunters deal with these kinds of demons", Terrence asked. "Whether Rese's blades nor your stakes could harm it. And runes didn't work, either…"

"That's not our problem, I guess. God, this is so disgusting!"

Rese's hair was already starting to stick together in thick bunches. Giving up on trying to comb the blood from it, she retrieved three of her knives from the ground and handed Cass his stake.

"Damn, one of them is gone. Whatever. Let's get back to our hotel and get cleaned."

Jaq, Nadya, Ten and Terrence followed suit, Cass took a second to bend down and gather up his wallet which had fallen into the green slime. Jay grinned. "That's disgusting."

"Shut up."

They emerged from the alleyway onto the main street. A group of teenagers pointed at them, laughing and calling out, as they passed.

"Damn!" Rese gritted her teeth and her hands balled into fists.

"It's nicer at home", Ten nodded understanding and held her head high as they passed another throng of people. "I hope Teacher lets us return soon."

A cab passed and water from the rain-wet street splashed all over them.

Cass grinned and took Rese's hand.

"Hotel. Hot shower. Breakfast."

"I hate New York", she mumbled.

„Urgh", Izzy said.

Clary's face showed equal sentiments. The alley in front of them was strewn with leathery, black chunks and something Clary believed to be intestines. But she rather didn't want to know exact details. Green demon blood was splattered and dried everywhere, and gore dotted the walls.

"What is that?"

"You'd better ask: What has this been?" Alec grimaced.

Jace let his eyes sweep over the bloody proof of an encounter between something he knew had the potential to be deathly and something – someone – he didn't know and couldn't recognize from what he saw here.

"If you ask me, someone has quite successfully slaughtered a D'antor Demon."

Clary gasped; a little sound that almost was drowned out by the night.

"But…"

"And this someone hasn't even used seraph blades."

"We can ask Magnus", Alec offered. "He might know what has been going on here."

"I don't think we need to know." Izzy pushed aside a chunk of flesh and revealed a knife. "Whoever kills demons, even if he kills them without apparent knowledge on how and with what, is on our side, isn't he?"

A faint buzzing went off from Jace's sensor and he tensed. "No time to wonder, guys. There is more to do."

As they ran down the street, Clary creased her forehead.

"What's the matter?" Jace, who always kept a close look on her, asked. She smiled apologetically.

"It's strange. You know as well as I do that D'antor demons can't be slain without seraph blades…"

She waved her hand.

"Yet it happened here. There must be Hunters in town who work with different weapons than we do. I wonder whether the Clave knows about it? Or is it just because this is New York? This city is strange."

"That's why everyone loves it", Jace grinned at her. "Strange things happen here."

Looking down onto the streets of the never-sleeping city, Daemon saw his students disappear in the rush of the early-morning traffic. He nodded to himself. They had, once again, proven themselves to be the skilled, resourceful Hunters he had trained them to become. A pang of sadness swelled in his chest, but he dismissed it. They just grew up so fast.

A shadow flitted across the roof on the other side of the street. Alerted, Daemon looked up and saw a familiar face staring at him. Dark, red hair flowed down a slender back, a pale face showed underneath the hooded cloak the person wore. When she was sure of his attention, she disappeared into the darkness and emerged from the shadows a few seconds later, standing beside him.

The woman carefully watched his face. She hadn't changed in all those years they hadn't seen each other.

"It has been some time, Daemon."

"Jocelyn. The world is small. Of all places, we meet here again."

She laughed quietly.

"This still is New York."

Daemon grinned back dryly.

"And I still hate it."