This was an idea that wouldn't leave me alone. What if Stiles was right and Theo wasn't actually Theo.
FYI, Italics means thoughts. Sorry if this is more tell than show. I am hoping of doing more showing then tell in the next chapters. This was just hard to write without the exposition. So, without further ado….enjoy!
What's in a name? Alex wondered as he crouched in the shadows, watching the figures fighting down below him. If he was really who he would be claiming to be, would there really be any difference? The real Theo and himself were both monsters, in their own way. The only difference was that he had survived, and Theo had not.
That was the one central parameter of Alex's life, survive. Everything else was a variable that either helped or hindered his chances. Theo had been a advantageous variable once, maybe even what could have been called a friend. But he had proven himself to be a psychopathic backstabber who had tried to betray Alex one too many times. Still, maybe he had no cause to judge Theo. He had lived, and Theo had died. He supposed the world was better off without one more monster in it, but that didn't erase the blood from his hands. Hands that he now rubbed together as if trying to wipe the blood from them.
Alex held his hand out to the rain, as if that would help wash it away some of the stain away. He shook his head at his own foolishness and hastily wiped his hand on his somewhat dry jeans, hating the feeling of blood that still clung to it after all of these years. And if the Dread Doctors had their way it would be covered again once more.
He continued to wait in the shadows, a place he was intimately familiar with. The shadows were old friends that never truly left him. He wondered what it said about him that he was more familiar with the dark then with the light of the day. Would he ever belong in the light?
The light, for all of its harshness and revelations that the dark had kept hidden, was also warm and at times gentle. Alex craved that light, and the warmth, as much as he hated it for revealing what he truly was. He knew that monsters like him would never be accepted by those that lived in the light. People like Scott who were not afraid to live in the revealing light of day. Whose goodness only shone brighter, and though they had their faults, yet they did not let the darkness rule them. Rather, they conquered the darkness wherever they went. And they drew others to them with that light. People like Liam, and like Kira. But Scott also drew those like Stiles, Malia, and Lydia. People who were touched by the darkness. People who were almost as familiar with the dark as he himself was. Yet, they had never truly crossed the line. As much as they understood the dark, and were shaped by it, yet they held on to their humanity.
Maybe it was enough that Scott was there for them to. Rather then being totally shaped by the dark, they were instead molded to use that dark for something higher then themselves. Under Scott, and other close influences on their lives, they were able to fight back against the dark. Alex envied them that. Whatever it was that kept them on the side of the light. That allowed them to move freely in it, and be accepted by it.
He knew that for a little while he could walk in the light if he borrowed aspects of the light and cloaked himself with it. Yet, it was never his true form. Like the rest of the monsters he would be banished back into the night that he came from. Warmed for a short length of time, then sentenced back into the cold and unfeeling dark that so readily embraced him. He sometimes felt like that was worse than being banished eternally from the light. He was the tool that could be pulled from the dark to be used, then put back after serving its purpose. He had no illusions that he was more than that to The Dread Doctors.
He shook off his morbid thoughts and watched as Scott got his butt handed to him thanks to The Dread Doctors latest "toy". The guy was effective, he would give the man that. He winced when Scott received a particularly hard swipe of the claws. Just how did Scott manage to survive this long? He asked himself. Maybe it was dumb luck, or maybe it was the pack. The man was smart enough to separate Scott from his pack, he would give him that. Alex rolled his eyes as the Kitsune did her dramatic brandishing of her sword. They were all kids really. Playing at a war that they didn't understand. Not yet at least, but that would change soon enough.
Ah, there. He pounced, enjoying the look of surprise on his prey's face. He supposed that he could have ended it quickly, the guy for all his power was an idiot, and Alex himself was already well experienced in taking life. But, unfortunately, that was not his mission. He slashed and tore with his claws. Disregarding the blood that splattered the pavement. This was the most enjoyment he had had for a while. The Dread Doctors didn't let him off his leash often and this was a straight up fight with a decent opponent. Certainly not a worthy one, but definitely fun. His muscles burned, his nose wrinkled slightly at the tang of blood, and his claws were dripping with warm blood before he allowed himself to be thrown from the fight. The monster in him always relished the adrenaline rush and the sweet taste of blood, but it wouldn't last long. It never did.
Alex watched as the man's claws slid into Scott. He didn't think that the man would be able to take the True Alpha's power if the stories were true, but one never knew. If it worked, great! He would be able to take Scott's power all the faster. If not, no big deal. Just meant the game would go on a little while longer, and that his leash wouldn't be back on for a little longer. This was the closest thing he would have to freedom for a while, and he hated to have to give it up so soon.
He nearly smiled when Scott broke the man's hold and shattered his claws. For the moment there Alex had thought the leash would be back after all. He wasn't complaining that that wasn't the case. He could only hope that the man was smart enough not to return to the Dread Doctors after that. The Doctors were not so forgiving of the mistakes of their experiments, no matter how affective they had been before.
He quickly dismissed any further thoughts on the man.
"You don't remember me do you?" He asked when the pack gathered and looked at him. The blank looks he got back said it all.
"I guess I look a little different from the fourth grade." He said. Come on Scott, fill in the rest. Manipulation 101 at its finest. Let the target come up with the idea themselves and they were hooked.
"Theo?" And success. God, why were people so easy to manipulate? He made sure to add a touch of flattery to his back story just to ensure a little trust. He got the feeling that with Scott, a little went a long way.
Scott didn't seem convinced. Of course, he would be a certified idiot if he trusted right off the bat.
Stiles was the wild card, the unknown variable. It would be a test of Alex's skill to see if he could convince Stiles of all people. It would certainly not be easy, but then, that's what made life fun.
I hope that you have enjoyed this chapter. Please review and let me know what you think! Is Alex too much of a whining loser? Should I go on with it, or should I drop it?