#SH 3x17

[all-eyes-lead-to-the-truth]

All Eyes Lead to the Truth | Pusher (3x17)

Agent Frank Burst, the guy with the great name. Say, Frank, are Agents Mulder and Scully there?

Frank holds the phone to his ear, as the SWAT team sets up the trace. He hears Mulder’s voice come across the line from the other room. “Yeah, we’re here.”

Perfect. Frank, how much do you weigh?

He tightens his grasp on the phone, adding a second hand as if squeezing it against the side of his head would help him find this bastard once and for all. “Excuse me?”

About how much do you weigh?

He’s sick of this cat and mouse game. He doesn’t care if he has to tell him his mother’s maiden name and his favorite breakfast cereal if it means getting his location. 

“Anything to keep you on the line, you stupid piece of sh—” He looks at the computer that’s tracing the call. Another number pops up. “I don't know, about a hundred-ninety, hundred and ninety-five.”

Two-fifteen if you're a day, you're totally the wrong weight for your height. I mean, no offense, Frank, but you're built like a fireplug.

He’s so tired of this guy’s bullshit.

“Yeah, and I got stubby little legs that are gonna kick you right in the ass. You going somewhere with this, Modell?”

Yeah, it's just that it can't be healthy. And you look like maybe you're a smoker, you probably take a little drink now and then, eat greasy fried food... sausage, bacon, eggs-over-easy.

Frank’s stomach swirls as he thinks about the Rooty Tooty Fresh ‘N Fruity he’d eaten that morning. Nearly cleaned the plate and then chased it with burger and fries and a large coffee for lunch. 

“Frank.”

He breathes in, willing the food to stay in his gut. His skin feels too hot and his mouth feels too dry. 

Onion rings that soak those dark stains through the cardboard. And I'm guessing you shake on that salt like a maraca.

“Frank…”

How about it? Am I packing it up on this?

“Frank, hang up the phone.” 

He takes a deep breath, then another, but the air isn’t making it all the way in. His stomach feels full and there’s a sudden tightness in his chest, like an elephant is sitting on it. He remembers the asthma he’d outgrown from childhood, the pack of cigarettes he’d blown through that afternoon. He takes another deep breath but it barely helps. 

“What are you talking about, Modell?” Frank asked, looking at the computer screen. “What's your point?”

Frank, you know what that's doing to your arteries.

Another number pops up on the screen, slow as a slug in tar. Just a little longer. 

Terrible things, Frank. Terrible.

His breaths are only making it to the bottom of his throat and the tightness is turning into pain. He needs these numbers to fucking move faster. 

“Frank.”

There’s a cold sweat on his face.

Waxy yellow chunks of plaque are tumbling through your bloodstream…

He can’t get air in. His whole body is clenched, the pain spreading from his chest to his arms. 

Sticking like glue to your arterial walls…

A strangled sound escapes him as he squeezes the phone. 

One more number. 

“Hang up the phone, Frank!” 

He feels Mulder near him. 

Squeezing shut your aorta... can you feel it, Frank?

There’s nothing but pain and Modell’s voice. Breathing does nothing as the squeezing gets tighter, the elephant gets bigger, the pain gets sharper. 

“Come on, man, hang up the phone.”

He can’t. He needs the number. Jesus, he needs oxygen. 

But not as much as the number. 

Can you feel your aorta...

He can and it’s fucking closed. His blood feels like burning hot molasses backed up in his body as his entire chest compresses on top of itself. 

His knuckles scream in agony from his grip on the phone.  

“Frank, hang up the phone!”

…closing shut? 

“Back off!” He yells with every ounce of strength he has and pushes Mulder away. 

He can live through the pain. He’s been shot. Twice. He’s had his appendix removed. He survived two divorces. This isn’t real.

All those miles of aorta…

“Frank, hang up the phone!”

“I said back off!”

That sonofabitch almost hung up on Modell, but Frank stays on the line. His whole body is on fire. His jaw clenches as the pain radiates up his neck. 

“Hang up!”

The pressure…

“Finish the trace!” 

His throat is tight. His tongue feels heavy in his mouth making every word a struggle. 

Ever hear of pachyemia, Frank?

“Mulder?”

It’s Agent Scully, but Frank can’t focus on her. His whole world is knives and steel clamps. Ice picks stab down his left arm. 

“Somebody hang up the phone!”

He squeezes his eyes tight. Need to hold on. That number. Need the number. 

There’s this medical condition called pachyemia? It's when the blood thickens up in your veins like strawberry jam. 

The room fills with commotion but he’s blinded by the pain. He presses the phone to his ear and focuses on getting the tiniest bit of air into his lungs. Sweat drips off his nose. 

“Finish the trace!”

His hand is like lead as he points at the agent. His teeth grind together, the pain moving to his head and down into his legs. 

“Frank! Hang it up! Hang up!”

Your heart flatlines.

He takes a breath, sweet stale air finding its way to his lungs for one blissful moment of relief, before everything stops. The knife in his chest digs in deeper, twisting with a white hot fire. His mouth drops open as he freezes in place, unable to do anything but exist in the most horrible anguish he could ever imagine.

Beeeeeeeeeep….

The floor is falling out from beneath him, pitching him forward into darkness. 

“Frank!”

Darker and darker, numb and black. 

You die, Frank.

Read the rest of All Eyes Lead to the Truth on Ao3!

@fridaysat9

[daeneryskairipa]

[lynne-monstr]

expectations vs. reality

[loonydru]

unpopular opinion probably but i’m actually really glad the ending scene happened and that alec saw how not okay magnus actually is. i would have loved a proposal don’t get me fucking wrong but now at least alec knows the depth of the loss magnus is feeling. i dont want magnus to have to hide how much he’s suffering from the man he loves

[elivanto]

#THEY

[hallowpen]

I’m in...big trouble, aren’t I?

You did go behind the Clave’s back and allow a maniac to concoct a plan to cleanse the world of demon blood... 

[darqueparabatai]

I've already said too much (◕‿◕✿) ↳ Victor Aldertree - Season 3, Episode 17 - Heavenly Fire

[xshazxx]

Two mundanes walked into a bar

The lights were dim and the music was honest to god trashy but Magnus had one too many drinks to care. He hummed out of tune and picked up the single gray hair he'd pluck out earlier that evening.

The bell above the door chimed, signaling the entrance of another patron. From his spot by the bar Magnus could see the whoever had entered, his eyes focused in on the familiar features but he had to blink twice to make sure his mind wasn't playing tricks on him in this drunken state. "Raphael?" He questioned just to make sure this wasn't an illusion. This boy, looked so much like his son, it made his heart hurt, but his Raphael was supposed to be locked away, this couldn't be right. Maybe this was a trick, after all he missed Raphael and he wasn't even there to help or even say goodbye when Raphael needed him the most.

Magnus eyes teared up, when the boy came closer, a fond smile replacing his usual gruff expression. "Magnus"

"Oh my boy, it's really you" Magnus looked into Raphael's eyes, tears rolled down his check "I never thought I'd see you again" he was off of the bar stool, pulling Raphael into a tight embrace "I'm so happy to see you"

"Me too, I'm sorry" Raphael sobbed and buried his face into Magnus shirt.

"Why are you sorry?" Magnus was slightly confused.

"You thought me better, I messed up, I did so much foolish things, I'm sorry I let you down"

Magnus stroked Raphael cheek, gently wiping away the tears "sit with me, lets have a drink"

Raphael sat besides Magnus as he ordered "plasma shot?"

"I-i, I can't, not tonight, just whatever you're having" Raphael smiled sadly, how could he begin to tell Magnus that he was no longer a vampire, that he was going to live and die, another person on a long list for Magnus. Raphael had seen him grieve those losses, it was never a pretty sight. "Remember the last time we were here?" Raphael asked, looking to change the subject.

"Hm we got kicked out, and then Ragnor portalled up to Rio, Catarina was so mad" the memory was one of many that Magnus cherished.

A comfortable silence settled between them, each one lost in thought.

"You know, you can never disappoint me right?" Magnus sipped from his glass, he was becoming increasingly light headed, a soft chuckle escaped his lips "how are you here anyways?"

"Simon"

"Oh the daylighter you have a crush on"

"I do not" Raphael ducked his head to hide his blush.

"Fine you're not, how did he manage to appease the clave?"

"One of their own was experimenting on downworlders" the thought alone made Raphael sick to his stomach "I was one of them"

Magnus didn't respond, it took him a little while to piece everything together.

"I'm a mundane now" he couldn't keep Magnus in the dark for long, after all Magnus knew him better than anyone else did.

"Raphael, I'm sorry" Magnus knew what it felt like to have a part of you ripped away.

"It's going to be okay" Raphael downed his drink and ordered another "why are you here?"

"Oh I gave up my magic to my father to help the shadowhunters" Magnus smiled brightly but Raphael could see past it.

"Are you crazy?"

"Maybe so, cheers to being mundanes" the bitterness in his voice was heart breaking. Magnus lifted his glass into the air, toasting to limited life they now had to live "just leave the bottle"

They drank together well into the night, the darkness of the sky had began to melt away to the pink hues of the early morning sky. Raphael and Magnus then stumbled back to Magnus' loft.

They pushed the door open to find Alec laying down on Magnus' couch. "Alexander" Magnus stood up a bit straighter, but his legs still wobbled a bit as he stepped into the living room.

"Have you been drinking?" Alec asked and Raphael took that as his cue to leave, he'd be back later, after all he had nowhere else to go, Magnus was the closest thing to home.

Raphael wondered along the street for a little while until he heard a voice call out his name. The chilly spring air had sobered him up a bit. He turned to face Simon with sleepy eyes and a crooked smile.

"What are you up to?" He turned back and continued down the street, he had a destination in mind.

"I came to check on you, I figured you'd be by Magnus" Simon fell into step besides Raphael.

"I'm fine" but he really wasn't, this would take some getting use to.

"Okay" Simon didn't fight it, he didn't know how someone was supposed to feel when they've suddenly become un-undead. He continued to walk in step with Raphael, enjoying his company.

A sudden burst of cold air caused Raphael to shiver as they got closer to his destination "you're cold?" Simon turned to him.

"A little" Raphael shrugged.

"Here take my jacket"

"I'm not a damsel in distress Simon" Raphael smiled and accepted the jacket, pulling into close to his body, it smelt so much like Simon, he liked it a lot.

"Why are we going by the river?" Simon asked as they got closer to the Brooklyn Bridge.

"It's been over 60 years since I last saw the sunrise, I get to see it again"

[khunvegas]

Those Saphael breadcrumbs?

Magnus finally having the chance to breakdown and let himself feel?

[harlow-mag]

What if Asmodeus shapeshifts into Alec to break up with Magnus because the real Alec refuses to?

[hiddlesgirl]

“What you did today, putting your life on the line for the people you care about? It's pretty badass.”  

“You're pretty badass too.”

[serenaash]

You know what's unbelievable?

I really enjoyed the plot of 3x17. I was into Simon's storyline, he's one of my favorites in this show so I was pleased to watch him being independent character. Izzy was great, season 3B is apparently her season to expand her potential as the individual. Heline is coming to steal my heart, my precious Raphael is human again, that's what he's always wanted to happen. Jonathan was spectacular in this episode, he's really complex character hard to classificate what probably makes him the most interesting antagonist in this show.

So tell me, HOW IS IT POSSIBLE THAT THE ONLY THING I CARE ABOUT AT THIS MOMENTS IS MALEC ISSUES EVEN THOUGH I KNOW AT THE END EVERYTHING IS GOING TO BE ALRIGHT?

[lynne-monstr]

Don’t make me pretend this is just a phase.

[head-of-the-ny-institute]

I was orignally disappointed with the lack of the proposal. I had been looking forward to it and there was all this hype towards it.

And don’t get me wrong, I want to see them have that moment, the one where they look at each other with nothing but adoration, the one where they are glowing with excitement for their future together, the one where they get engaged. I want to see that; however, in hindsight, it would have been odd. It would have been odd to see Magnus question whether his life is worth living without magic last episode to that moment. It would have been odd to see him start this deep inquiry about his self-worth and his identity to suddenly have that answered.

No, there wasn’t an engagement. But that last scene was right. It felt right. Magnus needed that. He needed to let out his frustration, his anger, his grief. He needed this catharsis and I’m so glad he got it.

[elivanto]

[hallowpen]

“So what? You think a couple of runes makes you better than the rest of us?”

“No.”