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Lacy here with our next Effie chapter. Time to get to the root of just who and what Jordan is. And unfortunately, that means Effie has to be within arms reach of Gerard once more. As we know, when season two ended, she was done with him. As far as she was concerned, he could go crawl in a hole and die. Painfully. So she draws her line for him and she does it so it sticks. And Coach picked a really bad time to relocate his spine. Come on, man. Read on!

Disclaimer: I own only Effie.

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~'~'~'~'~'~'~'~'~

'On the move'

Effie gave Derek a nod as the text came through and they took off in her jeep. They were covering one side of town while Stiles, Scott and Liam covered the other side. Wherever Parrish ended up going, someone would have eyes on him. Even if it was just Chris tailing him the entire time.

"I was looking through the journal and Aunt Talia's Bestiaries," Effie said as Derek drove. "And Hellhounds are almost as rare as True Alphas. In the last few centuries, only fifteen have been documented."

"So any information is for much older 'Hounds," Derek figured. "And we have a modern 'Hound on our hands."

Effie nodded. "Yeah, unfortunately." she looked at her phone as it beeped. "He's heading for the school."

Derek frowned as he changed their direction. "The school?"

Effie shrugged. "We really shouldn't be surprised. Somehow, it always leads back to the school. Like Sunnydale, but in real life."

Derek rolled his eyes. "I regret asking Cora for her DVDs the first time you referenced that show and confused me."

Effie grinned as they pulled up behind Stiles's jeep. Just in time to hear Liam slam the passenger door. They both cringed.

"He's worse than Isaac." Effie commented. "Never thought that'd be possible."

"I think we all hoped it wouldn't be." Derek pointed out.

They headed through the courtyard and met up with Chris, who was looking around.

"Where's Parrish?" Scott asked the hunter.

"I lost him." Chris answered. "He's moving too fast."

"Scott," Liam called their attention. "That guy's not moving at all."

Down the corridor was the body of a man, his chest ripped open. The six moved around him, following the trail of even more bodies, being led right to where the buses were parked in the back of the school. And inside was so much worse.

What looked like dozens of bodies were ripped apart and splayed out inside one of the buses. Effie clamped a hand over her mouth, fighting the urge to be sick.

"Help. Me." one of the victims was still alive, reaching out to them. As the group stepped forward, Parrish appeared, eyes glowing and cinders flying from his body.

"It's a trap." came the distorted voice of the deputy.

"Please," the man pleaded again.

Parrish glanced back at them. "You can't help him."

A snarl followed by the man being ripped in half, his torso falling onto the pavement, showed just how right Parrish was. The Beast growled, appearing over its victims. Its eyes glowed a bluish white and smoke seemed blur the edges of its body.

"That's big." Stiles commented. "No one said it was that big."

"I did." Liam pointed out.

The Beast roared, causing Parrish to return it in kind as he burst into flames. The flaming deputy took off running as the Beast ran through the bus and out the front window. And just like that, the two creatures ran off into the night, leaving the group with nothing but fear and bodies.

"What the hell's happening?" Scott asked.

"It's getting smarter." Chris confirmed their worst fears.

Effie exchanged a look with Derek and Stiles. That was the last thing they wanted to hear.

~'~'~'~'~'~'~'~'~

Effie sat in the library with Scott, Lydia and Stiles as they listened to Liam fill them in on what Mason and Corey had figured out.

"Mason says it's not just to transmit frequency." Liam said. "It's high powered. Like it has to be a really strong signal."

"And that's causing it to shift?" Lydia asked.

"No, I don't think it's just that." Scott said. "Last night Argent said it was getting smarter. What if the Dread Doctors are trying to make the Beast grow faster?"

"With frequencies?" Stiles questioned.

"No, by shifting." Scott cleared up. "The frequency is just the trigger. The important part is when it shifts into the werewolf."

"Like Peter." Lydia said.

Effie nodded. "Right. When Peter was an alpha, he got stronger every full moon. Eventually, his burns healed and he was back to normal." she shrugged. "Or as normal as Peter gets."

"So the Dread Doctors don't want to wait for the full moon." Liam figured.

"They want the Beast to be as strong as possible, as fast as possible." Scott finished the thought.

"Because of Parrish." Liam nodded.

"So if this is happening tonight," Lydia said. "What are we gonna do?"

"Uh, we got one clue to go on." Stiles said, pulling a picture from his bag. It was a shoe print from the night at the hospital. "This came from the hospital. Whoever's lurking inside the Beast is wearing a size ten of indeterminate make."

"Indeterminate?" Lydia questioned, almost bored.

"Means it's a partial print." Effie said.

"Basically," Stiles picked up. "It was all we were able to get considering all the fire, blood and carnage."

"How many size tens are out there?" Scott asked.

"Only one with Parrish's blood on the sole." Stiles pointed out.

"So," Liam looked between the older ones. "Are we gonna try to get the game canceled?"

"No," Stiles said. "No, we're gonna play, but we're just gonna hope really hard that it doesn't turn into a blood-soaked massacre."

"Okay, but, um," Liam frowned. "Aren't we kinda missing out on a chance to catch this thing? We don't have the 'who', but we have the 'where' and the 'when'."

Scott seemed to hesitate answering, biting his lower lip. "There's too many people."

"And we still don't actually know if it's going to happen." Lydia tried for the positive side of things. "It just might end up being a regular lacrosse game. It's possible, right?"

"That's absolutely possible." Stiles granted.

"Extremely unlikely," Effie threw in. "But possible."

"So we're still getting the game canceled." Liam threw out.

"We're getting the game canceled." Scott confirmed.

They all stood, grabbing their bags and made for the exit. Effie noticed Lydia had stopped and turned back.

"Lyds?" she called to the Banshee. She saw Lydia start towards the shelves and knew better than to leave her alone. A quick glance over her shoulder told her the boys were already gone, not having notice their lagging friends. With a small sigh, Effie followed Lydia around the shelves and stopped short.

Parrish was on the ground, covered in dirt, blood and open gouges from claws.

"I'll bring my jeep around." Effie said without any hesitation.

~'~'~'~'~'~'~'~'~

Keeping an eye on Lydia and Parrish in her back seat, Effie focused driving to Chris's bunker, while pulling out her phone. She hit the first speed dial and waited.

"Effie?"

Derek's voice soothed her fox. "Hey, I'm tied up with Lydia and Parrish. Can you join the others at the game? We'll get there when we can, but I don't feel right without as much backup as possible."

"Of course. Are they okay?"

Effie glanced at the Hellhound. "Uh, Lydia's fine. Jordan's, well, he's alive."

"I know you were trying for comforting, but you failed."

"Mmm," Effie agreed. "Comforting seems to be in short supply right now. You just head to the game. I'll call if things get worse."

"Like I need a call to know you're in trouble."

Effie smirked. "Pretend, babe. Pretend."

"Yes dear,"

With a shake of her head, Effie ended the call and refocused on her driving. She could hear Lydia whispering to Parrish as they went, but purposefully tuned them out for privacy.

As she pulled up to Chris's place, Effie swore violently at the sight of just who was waiting for them.

"Bring it in, Effie." Lydia muttered. "We have bigger things to worry about."

"Alright," Effie felt her claws recede. "But one wrong move,"

"I'll hold him down while you tear his throat out." Lydia promised.

Moving quickly, but carefully, the girls got Parrish out of Effie's jeep and into the bunker, where Chris and Gerard were waiting. Once Parrish was sitting and his sweatshirt open to reveal his wounds, the two hunters stepped forward to inspect him.

"Ah, he's healing." Chris said as he squatted down with a light aimed at Parrish's wounds. "Slowly." He stood up, looking at Effie. "Did you try?"

Effie shook her head. "Nothing. I'm not so good with non-shifter. Unless they're human."

"Can you tell us what you remember?" Gerard asked the Hellhound. Effie had a hard time not growling at the old man. Lydia's nails digging into her hand helped, though.

"Just bits and pieces." Parrish said. "Moments when I caught up with it."

"What else do you remember?" Chris asked rather forcefully.

"I was losing." Parrish admitted.

"You said you could help him." Lydia spoke, looking at Chris.

"We have an idea or two." Gerard said, arms crossed.

"We've been wondering if resolving this internal conflict you're having," Chris said. "Could help resolve the external one you're losing against the Beast."

"Deputy," Gerard jerked his head to the side and led them out of the room. "It's time you and your alter ego had a proper introduction."

"How are you going to do that?" Effie asked, arms crossed tightly now that Lydia had released her hand.

"With this." Chris opened a fence door to reveal what had to be a seriously tricked out cryo-chamber. Effie didn't know whether to be impressed or revolted that the hunters had one. So she settled on cautious optimism that it would help Parrish. "It'll bring your body temperature down to a level that would kill a normal human being." Chris started explaining.

"Why down and not up?" Parrish asked.

"Something happens to someone like you," Chris said. "When the body cools to extreme temperatures. Everything slows down. The heart, the mind. It lets you consciously access a part of you that's usually unconscious."

"The supernatural part." Gerard threw in.

"But that's dangerous, isn't it?" Lydia questioned obviously.

"Well, it's far less dangerous than if the Deputy can't evolve to face the Beast." Gerard said.

"Evolve?" Parrish asked.

Chris shook his head. "The Beast is not just getting smarter. Imagine it this way. Each night the teenage Chimera,"

"The success." Lydia and Effie chorused.

Chris gave them a nod. "This teenager goes out into the night and transforms. Whether it's a young man or a young woman, they become a werewolf. A very large, very powerful werewolf the people of Gevaudan called the Beast. Every night it transforms, it remembers a little more of who it used to be."

"It yearns for its identity." Gerard picked up. "Its name. Not just The Beast of Gevaudan, but the man."

"The man of Gevaudan who want to live too. He wants to exist. So imagine that one night the teenager goes out and transforms again. But when the Beast transforms back, the Man of Gevaudan stands there instead."

"Fully realized. Alive once again."

"That's what Valak meant." Lydia said. "He said, 'When the Beast remembers, the teenager would be gone.'"

"Gone?" Parrish looked at Lydia. "Like no longer exists? How's that even possible?" They all stayed silent and Parrish shook his head. "Forget I asked."

Chris stepped around Jordan to open the cryochamber for the 'Hound. As he stepped into it, Effie couldn't help but notice how he and Lydia locked eyes and either couldn't or wouldn't look away. As Chris sealed the door, Effie stepped closer to Lydia and put her arm around the Banshee. They watched together as Chris turned the dial for the chamber, activating it, and watched the cold mist slowly surround Parrish.

It only took moments before the chamber beeped, signaling that the optimal temperature had been reached. Suddenly, through the mist, Parrish's hand pressed hard against the glass. Lydia shot forward, but Gerard grabbed her arm, stopping her. Effie retaliated before even thinking about it, gripping the Argent in a clawed hand.

"Keep your hands off of her." she growled.

"Effie." Chris and Lydia cautioned.

"I'll tolerate your presence." Effie ignored them, her eyes glued to Gerard. "But that's all I'll tolerate." she squeezed harder, hearing the grinding of Gerard's bones. "Are we clear?"

Even if he fought to keep a straight face, not even Gerard could fight the pain Effie was inflicting. His brow creased under the pressure and his arm began to shake.

"Are we clear?" Effie asked again.

Gerard gave a jerky nod. "We're clear."

In one quick move, Effie released him, stepped back to Lydia's side and smiled politely. "Fantastic."

Chris shook his head. "Can we focus? We've got a Hellhound waiting on us."

Looking at the chamber, they saw Parrish's eyes were glowing, watching them with interest.

"That's a little unnerving." Effie muttered.

Chris nodded his agreement and stepped aside. Lydia took his place before the chamber, ready to speak with the 'Hound.

~'~'~'~'~'~'~'~'~

'Coach didn't forfeit the game.'

Effie shut her eyes as she looked at Derek's message. For a man who spent seven months hiding in rehab because he was afraid of getting supernaturally attacked, again, Finstock picked a bad time to locate his backbone.

'Smack him for me when you get a chance.' Effie replied. 'Working w/Parrish now. Update you later.'

Shoving her phone back into her pocket, Effie re-entered the chamber room, arms crossing as she stood beside Chris.

"Do you know who I am?" Lydia asked the 'Hound.

"The Banshee." the creature answered.

"What about Jordan Parrish?" Lydia asked. "Why is it you and not him? What happened to Parrish?"

"Jordan Parrish died." the Hellhound said. "There is no Jordan Parrish."

Effie's breath froze in her chest as the 'Hound's words sank in.

"What are you talking about?" Lydia nearly whispered. "How is Parrish dead?"

"He's a body." the Hellhound explained. "A means to an end. I am beyond life and death. I am infinite. I have no use for your Deputy."

"But we do." Lydia argued. "We need him."

"Your Deputy won't kill the beast."

"Neither will you." Lydia shook her head. "I'm a harbinger of death too. I know people are going to die. And if you do not let Parrish in, he will die too. You'll die! You have a chance with Parrish. You need him."

"Lydia," Chris spoke up. "Tell him to remember."

Lydia looked at them. "What?"

"Tell him to remember the moment Parrish died." Effie said. "If you make him remember, maybe we can get Jordan back."

Lydia exhaled, stepping back from the chamber a couple of steps. "When did he die?"

"When I was born." the 'Hound said.

Those words seemed to be just the trigger they needed. The Hellhound started roaring inside the chamber, shaking it where it stood. Lydia stumbled backwards, right into Effie's arms. The fox held the Banshee close, both never taking their eyes off Parrish's body. They watched him struggle and shake before the door finally flung open and Lydia shot forward to catch Parrish.

"Are you alright?" she asked the shaken deputy.

"I know who I am." Parrish panted. "I know what I have to do. I have to leave."

Effie ran a hand through her hair. Not the answer they were hoping for.

~'~'~'~'~'~'~'~'~

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Uh, Jordan, can you not run away? Please? You're kinda our last chance. Seriously. It's getting messy from here, kids. Let me know what you think, flame policy stands and thanks for reading!

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