VISIONARY ↠ A. LIGHTWOOD

T H R E E || Valentine's Alive

Adelaide had to part with Simon as she followed Clary, Alec and Jace to the weapon trainer Hodge Starkweather, who apparently could help Clary find her mother. He was tall and blonde covered in those strange tattoos which all of the people dressed totally in black seemed to have.

"Jocelyn." The man spoke out softly as he turned around to face the redheads.

"Uh, I'm Clary. Jocelyn Fray is my mother." Adelaide's eyebrows bunched up in confusion looking at the weapons trainer who looked like he'd seen a ghost when his eyes laid on her best friend, Adelaide stood back with Jace as they both watched the scene unfold before them.

"Well, she was Jocelyn Fairchild when I knew her, she was one of my best friends."

"She's been kidnapped by someone named Valentine and his men. Clary really needs your help, that is if you're willing to give us your guidance." Adelaide added standing adjacent to Clary, trying to help resolve the situation.

"By the Circle, Hodge."

"But that's impossible, Valentine's dead and the Circle died with him." A red circle appeared on the right side of Hodge's face as he started to talk more about Valentine. He bent down in pain and Adelaide shot to his side, holding his shoulder and rubbing his back and he continued to double over in searing pain.

"What's happening?" Adelaide asked in concern looking towards Jace and Alec for some answers.

"I swore a vow never to speak of what we did. This is the Clave's way of making sure I keep that vow." Adelaide saw this as a form of new found torture and told the man to sit down and not mention anymore.

"We can't torture him, Jace, is there anyone else we can ask?" Clary was desperate not to cause Hodge anymore harm. Despite her detest of the situation, Hodge stood up going against what Adelaide had said and continued to spare his knowledge to the situation.

"If the Circle really is back and they've taken Jocelyn, our leader of the Circle was Valentine Morgenstern. We thought he wanted to protect humans, like all Shadowhunters; we never realized the lengths which Valentine was willing to go and the people he was willing to sacrifice. Most of humanity would die if we carried out Valentine's plan." Hodge remained in control as the red circle began to burn bright again.

"But I...I still don't understand. How does Clary's mother relate to any of this?"

"Jocelyn was a member of the Circle as well." The apprehensive tone in Hodge's voice showed that he clearly didn't want to dispense this information to any of the people present as it could be taken in the wrong way. "The important thing is that Jocelyn left the Circle; so none of this even matters, because Valentine died in a fire years ago."

"What if he didn't? I hate to be the one to impose this question but people lie and people can easily fake a death, he could be lulling you all into a false sense of security and then when you least expect it. While all of you are still thinking he's dead and poses no harm he could be building up an army, and you're all vulnerable to the battle, Valentine wins."

Adelaide's speech saw sense in Hodge and Jace and while they decided to set up a plan to have spies keeping an eye out for anything Valentine related, Alec was looking at Adelaide with a little less hatred as she seemed to be the only one around here with order and sense, something Alec had but others lacked. 

"Nice speech, looks like you're smarter than you appear." Alec walked off in the direction which they came, Adelaide followed the Lightwood boy and bumped into Isabelle who had Simon trailing behind her like a lost puppy.

"Hey, how's it going Simon?" The boy pushed his glasses higher up his nose and stood up straighter.

"Adelaide, where's Clary?" 

"She's with Jace and the weapons trainer. I may have mentioned something about Valentine possibly being alive and well they've gone full blown army techniques."

"Boy's and their toys. My Big brother must be quite impressed, you're the only one other than Alec to pose the question." 

Isabelle left Simon with Adelaide and they decided to wonder through the institute, that was until Alec pulled the two towards the main room as he explained Jace and Izzy were going to take their best friend on a dangerous mission.

"I don't approve of this mission. I spoke with the Clave, they're sending Seelie scouts to search for Valentine, but they made it clear, the little girl does not leave the premises." Alec said striding over, arms folded as he stopped in front of many weapons.

"Hey, my name is not "little girl", okay? I don't care what that Clave thing or you want, I'm going to find Dot."

"Alec, this warlock could have the answers we need. With Valentine's people out there searching for Clary, she's not safe outside alone."

"Jace has a point, big brother."

"Et tu, Izzy?" Alec sighed in exasperation looking at Adelaide and Simon for help they looked away pretending not to understand whats happened. 

"All right, since you have all the answers, where do you suggest we search?" He looked at Clary this time, eyebrows raised at the nervous girl.

"Uh, well we should start at Dot's apartment in Greenpoint, and there's this thrift store that she -" 

"What's wrong? Adelaide, what is it?" Jace asked as the girl started to blink as she snapped back to reality.

"I, um Weirdly, I think I know where Dot is. I have a strange feeling, I can't explain it but you have to trust me." Looking at the group of young shadowhunters, they all seemed to be content with the idea and nodded.

"I'll drive. Unless you have, like, a Shadowhunter-mobile or something."

---

As the group walked beside Pandemonium, Adelaide stopped. Simon grabbed her arm trying to grasp her attention, she seemed to shake profusely causing Jace to pull Simon away from the girl who looked like a ticking time bomb.

"Everyone cover your ears!" He signaled just before Adelaide erupted in a loud scream, piercing through the air and shattering a few glass bottles huddled by the dumpsters by the club. Adelaide took off running as fast as she could round a corner.

"Where are you going?" Alec yelled as he tried to catch up to the girl.

"Two men, Circle members the same ones who came to Clary's house, the ones who took her mom. They have Dot, they're gonna hurt her or kill her. We have to stop them!" As they rounded the corner of the alleyway, the spot where Adelaide saw Dot and the Clave members was now empty.

"She's gone."