Izzy, Madi, Jace and Clary are looking at the monitor, before Alec comes up to them.

Clary faced Alec, "How's Lydia?" She asked. "Better. Magnus is doing what he can to help her, but it's bad. And the Cup is definitely missing." Alec sighed. Madi frowned, "So is Hodge."

"Maybe he was attacked, too." Isabelle suggested, as she opened the security videos from the study. "Maybe he's the one who attacked her." Madi suggested, but Izzy gave her sister a confused look, "Hodge? No way. We've known him our entire lives. He would never do that to us." She said.

Izzy fastforwards the video until she for to the part where Lydia is attacked. They all stare in shock as they see it was indeed Hodge who attacked Lydia and took the Cup.

Jace shook his head in disgust, "I led him right to the Cup!" He blurted. Madi frowned, "No, Jace—" But Alec unintentionally cut her off, "We treated him like family. How could he do this to us?"

Izzy opens another security video of the infirmary where they see Hodge put on a ring. "That's how." Madi pointed out. "What is that ring?" Clary asked. "Looks like he's talking to someone." Izzy added

In the video, Hodge held up the cup.

Jace sighed, "And I can bet who it is." He said before Clary spat, "Valentine."

Alec looked away from the screen, and to his siblings plus Clary. "Well, that explains how he deactivated the Punishment rune, but it doesn't explain where he got the ring." Madeline bit her lip, "You think someone smuggled it past the wards?" She asked. Jace nodded at the Lightwood, "Maybe. Hodge wasn't the only ex-Circle member around here."

Isabelle sighed, "Look, I know I don't always see eye to eye with my parents, but I know they're not traitors." She insisted. "Really? Isn't that what you just said about Hodge? It'd have to be someone we trusted, but if there was an intruder inside the Institute, we would have found them by now." Jace declared.

"What about the Forsaken attack?" Clary suggested, but the eldest Lightwood shook his head, "No. We killed that thing and I didn't see a ring." Isabelle added, "He didn't have one during the autopsy, but maybe there's something in the footage."

Madi stepped forward and began to fast forward through the footage of the Forsaken attack. "Go to the other camera." Alec ordered. "There."

They see Hodge take the ring of the Forsaken's finger.

Madi frowned, "So, it wasn't a random attack." She stated. "He was just the delivery boy." Jace concluded.

Alec crossed his arms, "If he gives that Cup to Valentine, he'll create an army of Shadowhunters. With that kind of power behind him, he'll kill thousands." He said before Madi pointed out, "He'll kill thousands just creating the army. Most mundanes won't survive that."

"We won't let that happen." Clary spoke before Jace piped up with, "I'm gonnna make sure of it."

Jace then walked away, as the group watched. Madi's face fell, as she felt sorry for Jace... she knew he was blaming himself for all of this.

☠︎︎

"You cannot let Valentine's evil poison you!" Clary's voice could be heard, as a portal opened up behind her, Malia soon stepping out of it and into the room. "He's my father." Jace responded.

"Actually, he's our father."

As Jace and Clary bickered, Madeline approached Malia. "What are you doing here?" Madi asked, as Malia's eyes averted from Clary to instead Madi. "I thought I might be of some use to you guys today." She replied as Madi raised an eyebrow. "No offence, but I don't trust you. I'm actually surprised Magnus is letting you tag along with us.." The Lightwood said.

Malia shrugged, "Mags is too busy helping Lydia, he doesn't know that I've slipped away." She stated, before her phone began to ring. Madi watched as Malia took it from her pocket, before showing the screen towards the Lightwood. ".. Until now." She grinned.

Madi just rolled her eyes, before she turned to notice that Jace had left Clary's side. Quickly, she followed after him.

Malia took this opportunity to answer her brother's call. "Hey Magnus." She said into the phone. "Malia... Where are you?" Magnus asked. Malia shrugged, "At the Institute. I'm gonna do something good and.. tag along with your boyfriend and his team. I might be of some use to them." She stated as Magnus protested, "I don't really trust that you're going to help them. I'm coming to get yo—"

"Have some trust, big brother!" Malia groaned. "You summoned a heap of demons into Manhattan." Magnus responded dryly. Malia shrugged, "That's in the past.. I... want to spend time with Clary." She admitted, her eyes reaching the orange haired girl. "And if that means I'm gonna help her find some lost white book, I guess that's what I'll be doing today."

"You've.. taken a shine to Clary?" Magnus asked, as this surprised him. Knowing Clary would be a good influence on his sister, he felt a little more relaxed. Malia shrugged, "You could say that. She uh.. passes the time on this boring spinning blue world.. and she is definitely easy on the eyes." The warlock declared.

Magnus tried not to chuckle, knowing this was Malia's way of saying that she liked to spend time with Clary, or more so that she wanted to get to know Clary.

Magnus then thought about something that Alec had told him... the moment Clary confronted Alec and Madi..

"Maybe she would stop acting so dangerous if you guys would treat her like a person, and not some psycho!" Clary insisted. "Well.. it's kind of hard when she is acting, y'know psycho." Madi replied as Clary frowned, "She clearly has been through a lot.. and has a lot of trauma that she needs to work through!"

Maybe Clary was right.. Malia needed to be treated like a person, not like some prisoner. It was clear she needed help, Malia needed to be reminded of how to be good.. at the moment she didn't really know the difference from good to bad.

The Warlock chose his next words carefully. "Can I trust that you'll stay on task and help Clary?" He asked. Malia shrugged, "Yes."  Malia soon ended her call with Magnus and overheard Alec, Madi and Jace talking amongst eachother.

"How are we gonna find Hodge? He didn't leave anything we can track." Madi admitted, as she placed her hands on her hips. "I might be able to ask Magnus for help." Alec suggested. "No need." Malia spoke up, as she approached the Shadowhunters. "I would be happy to be of assistance."

☠︎︎

Sometime later

Izzy, Clary, Malia and Simon entered Hotel Dumort, before they were approached by Raphael. "For Shadowhunters, you don't seem to do a lot of Shadowhunting." He spoke, before he looked to Malia, who offered him a grin. "There is more to the job than killing demons." Isabelle confessed.

"Now that is a face I haven't seen in years." Raphael admitted, ignoring Isabelle, as Malia gave Raphael a wave. "Long time no see, bloodsucker."

"We need to talk to Camille. We know you have her here. We tracked her to the DuMort." Clary spoke up, as Raphael looked to her. "It's true, but I'm afraid she's a bit tied up at the moment. Is there something I can help you with?" He asked.

"Just a second." Simon said, before he dragged Raphael away from the group to talk to him, leaving the girls alone. Malia looked to Isabelle, then to Clary. "You look a bit cold, sunshine." The warlock said, as Clary shook her head. "I'm alright, honestly."

Malia stifled a laugh, amused, as she took off her leather jacket. "Yeah. I've heard that one before." The Bane said, placing the jacket gently over Clary's shoulders. Malia could have sworn she saw Clary blush before she responded with, "Thanks." Isabelle watched this interaction, as a slight smirk tugged at her lips.

Raphael and Simon walked back to the girls. "I'll bring you what's left of Camille's things, but speaking to her is out of the question." The older vampire spoke, as Clary asked, "Her things?"

"This isn't the kind of book she would've just left sitting around, Raph." Malia spoke as Raphael looked to the warlock. "I'm sorry, but that's the best I can do." Clary protested, "We're supposed to be allies!" Raphael looked from Malia to Clary, "And we are. But Shadowhunters have no business interfering with the Night Children's affairs. You may look to the Clave for justice, but the vampires look to me. Camille stays where she is."

The Fray girl shook her head in disgust before she spat, "You're making a huge mistake."