Author's Note:

Summary: People are like land mines, ready to explode at the slightest bit of pressure. And when we explode, we take others with us, not usually whole people, but parts of them. Parts that can never really be replaced. This is where John Green was wrong. We aren't bombs. Bombs are timed. We don't know how much time we have left. We aren't bombs, we're land mines.

So, this is my first Mortal Instruments story. I'm going to add a quote at the beginning of each chapter. Also, this is just the prologue.

Disclaimer: I don't own The Mortal Instruments. It isn't possible.

Quote: "The marks humans leave are too often scars." ~ John Green (The Fault In Our Stars)

Third Person POV:

Hodge Starkweather was born to a poor family in Idris. He went to the Shadowhunter Academy with Valentine Morgenstern, Lucian Graymark (later known as Luke Garroway), Jocelyn Fairchild (later known as Jocelyn Morgenstern, Jocelyn Fray, and Jocelyn Garroway), Robert Lightwood, Maryse Trueblood (later known as Maryse Lightwood), Michael Wayland and many others. The specific individuals mentioned were all part of a group, started by Valentine Morgenstern, called the Circle. Hodge was offered extra training and friendship from Valentine and soon, like many others, became one of Valentine's devoted followers. Valentine told Hodge that he was one of his most trusted followers ensuring that Hodge would not be able to escape the hold Valentine had on him for the rest of his life.

Valentine believed that Shadowhunters should be the dominant race and set out to rid the world of all demons and Downworlders alike. He later became convinced that the Clave was corrupt and decided to overthrow them to create a new generation of Shadowhunters, one led by him.

His followers, Hodge included, helped him stage a rebellion against the Clave. During an annual event, the Accords, when Shadowhunters, mainly the Clave, and Downworlders came together, the Circle and those loyal to Valentine attacked those in the Accords Hall in Alicante. This event in Shadowhunter history was known as the Uprising.

Unfortunately, for those who followed Valentine, they failed. Lucian, formerly Valentine's second in command, now a werewolf, along with Jocelyn, formerly Valentine's wife betrayed them and warned the Clave. The combined forces of those loyal to the Clave in Idris and the Downworlders participating in the Accords, proved to be much stronger than Valentine's followers.

Many were killed and some Circle members were captured, but Valentine, himself, was never caught, nor was his body found among the carnage that remained after the fight. Among those caught were Robert, Maryse, Michael, and Hodge.

Robert and Maryse were exiled and tasked with running the New York Institute.

Michael and Robert's bond as parabatai was broken as soon as Robert was exiled.

Valentine, though, came back hoping to leave no loose ends. He killed Michael and his son Jonathan Wayland, placing their remnants in the ashes of the Fairchild manor after burning it down, making them appear as if they were the remnants of him and his son Jonathan Christopher Morgenstern. At the time, though, no one was aware that what remained of the man and his son was not their actual remains.

Hodge was exiled and cursed to be unable to leave the New York Institute that Robert and Maryse ran after, they too were exiled.

Robert and Maryse, on the other hand, were free to come and go as they pleased due to the fact that Robert was from a very influential family, the Lightwoods and, Maryse, obviously, had married into that family. Hodge wasn't so lucky.

And this, my dear readers, is the start of a story which will be told from the very beginning. This is the story of a very unfortunate man. This is the story of Hodge Starkweather from the very beginning.

Author's Note:

That is just the beginning...

I have a couple of questions for all of you.

Because I may not update every day or every week, would it be better for you if I put some of the previous chapter in the beginning of every chapter I write?

Would you also, in some chapters, like a preview of the next chapter, say a sentence or two?

Anyway, thank you all for reading, please favourite, follow, and/or review! Review to answer my question, please! It means so much to me! Thank you!