Lydia watched as Stiles added on to his crime board. Most of the board had been taken up with the information they had found on Percy. Stiles had placed a picture of Percy near the center of the board and had written his full name above it. Next to it had the question "What is he?" and guesses underneath it. Stiles had also included things like fast reflexes, enhanced durability, and ADHD to pictures and articles of the schools and some of the accidents that had gotten him kicked out of them on the board. He had even managed to find some criminal charges on Percy who had evidently blown up the St. Louis Arch and a Greyhound bus. Although, it seems Percy was cleared of them as he and a few other teenagers had been kidnapped by a man or terrorist who had really been behind it. Now, Stiles was adding information on the body Lydia had found. Sheriff Stilinski had called not too long ago, telling them about his encounter with Percy and causing Stiles to write "How many?" under the question "What killed him?" on the board. The word "Dreaming?" connected Percy to the victim.
They had already told Scott about the fact that there could be more than one killer, and were waiting for him and Malia to come back. Soon, Stiles finished adding things to the board, and was now staring at it as if the answer to all the problems would just pop out. Lydia, however, was already getting bored. This was not how she wanted to spend her Saturday. She looked around Stiles' room for something to entertain her, and she saw some books on the bedside table that she decided to look through. Lydia picked up the books one by one and briefly looked at the descriptions on the back before putting them down. They were mostly assigned readings for school. She paused on the second to last one, staring at the cover. It was a blue book, with a sketch of a fish jumping out of the ocean. As she stared, the fish started to change with its upper body turning into a man, a bald, old man with a bushy beard.
"The Old Man of the Sea." Lydia mumbled, reading out the title.
Stiles turned back to look at her. "Did you say something?" He asked.
"Hm?" She replied, looking up. "No." She said. When she looked back down at the book, it had went back to normal with the fish man turning back into a whole fish, a marlin in fact, and the title being The Old man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway. She had even read the book before.
Stiles stared at her for a while, but when she did nothing more than put down the book and take out her cellphone, he went back to staring at his board. Lydia wanted to search about the Old Man of the Sea that had appeared on the book with her phone. She was surprised when Greek mythology popped up, causing her to glance up at the name Perseus on the board. She began to read more. The Old Man of the Sea was actually a type of sea god, there were several of them actually with each one being a shapeshifter and a prophet. Although, Poseidon wasn't included Lydia noticed, thinking of the other sea god she had read about in the library.
Lydia wondered if being a prophet had anything to do with visions or with dreams.
"A tree stump?" Scott asked, trying to sound casual even though both he and Malia had tensed up. They both wanted to know what Percy had to do with the Nemeton.
"You know," Percy said, shrugging. "a tree that's been cut down."
"Why do you want to know?" Malia asked, scowling at Percy. Her claws had come out, but she kept them hidden in her fists.
Percy saw how they reacted, figuring out that the two of them knew something about it, possibly about what it is and where it is. It also probably meant that they might not be human considering the power he had felt off that tree stump in his dream. Percy gripped Riptide tighter. He wanted to know why he had dreamt that it had been calling him. However, he didn't want the two of them to be too suspicious of him, so he said, "I heard some people talking about it and just wanted to see for myself."
Neither Scott or Malia looked convinced. Both of them could hear his heartbeat, and both of them had heard the lie. Though, they couldn't quite tell his emotions as Percy's own scent was too overpowering. Nevertheless, Scott didn't want to fight unless they had too. "It's kind of far from here." Scott said. "I could take you there some other time." He continued, ignoring the look Malia gave him.
Percy smiled. "Cool." He said.
The three of them continued walking, though all of them were a lot more tense than before. Each side was guarding against the other. Malia was itching to fight Percy, but she held back. They had other things to do, other people to find and fight, but it would be hard to do if Percy was still here. Scott also realized they couldn't use all their powers when Percy was with them.
"I don't think we'll find anything." Scott said, stopping as he did. Both Percy and Malia stopped too. "Whatever it was is probably long gone. I think we should head back." He said, saying that last part to Malia.
"You're probably right." Percy agreed. He had been walking in the woods for a few hours, and no monsters had been drawn in by his scent. He doubted that would change just by staying longer. "I guess I'll go home. You guys want a ride?" He asked, looking towards the two.
"We'll be fine." Scott answered. He had brought his motorcycle when he had come with Stiles. Percy just nodded, okay with it.
The three of them looked at each other before separating. Percy going in one direction while Scott and Malia went in another. Malia kept an eye on Percy as they walked until he went out of sight. They didn't go too far before they heard Percy yell for Scott.
Scott and Malia looked at each other before jogging in Percy's direction. They soon reached him, and saw what he had stumbled upon. Scott and Malia hadn't noticed it before, the scent in the air, as Percy's own had covered it, but they smelled it now. The smell of blood.
They had found another body.