As soon as they stepped into the car and drove away from the Argent house, Zach had to listen to the older hunter start giving him tips on how to be a better hunter, even using some of his old 'war stories', as he called them, to explain. As much as Zach appreciated 'wisdom' from the slightly older generation, Zach knew that he had probably seen just as much action as the hunter had in most of his life, in the past couple of months living in Beacon Hills. He had had to deal with two betas, one of them being his friend, and the other being one that would happily see him dead if it weren't for the first. Then there was the Alpha, who just happened to be the uncle of the second beta, only having become the Alpha because he killed his own sister, and the mother of the second beta. If the hunter thought he had a crazy life as a hunter so far, he may have seen a little more, but Zach had at least had his own large share of crazy. While trying to not think about what the hunter beside him was saying, Zach started to worry about the aftermath of what he was about to help do, and who he would probably hurt in the process. He was on his way to kill yet another werewolf in the same week that he helped to kill another werewolf in the forest, only this time it was another student that went to his own school. If Scott had reacted badly to Zach standing by and letting the last one die when they were someone he'd never met, how would he react if it was someone he'd met before, a face that he'd seen in the halls of Beacon Hills High School? Then of course, Zach also had to think about how Stiles would react to the whole situation, knowing that whenever Scott had an opinion about something, most of the time, Stiles felt the same way.
The more Zach started to think about it, the more he had to tell himself he was doing it for his family, doing it to save face in front of Gerard, who Zach knew had quite a temper when he wanted to. The only way he could possibly get through this without pushing his friends away any more than he already had, was to help the hunter get as far as possible, but hang back when the kill comes around, hopefully giving him a chance to explain the situation when he was finally able to talk to Scott. Zach knew that that was a long shot at best, considering what happened last time, but he knew that, if he wanted any chance at getting his life back on track, this was the best he could do. He knew he would have to do just enough that, while getting Gerard's praise, he would also start to regain Scott's trust, no matter how long it took to get himself back to that point. Zach just wished there was some other way to keep Gerard out of his business, then to help kill yet another werewolf. Zach soon started to slowly come out of his thoughts, becoming aware that the hunter beside him was still babbling on about his 'war stories' from his hunting life. How far away was the sheriff's station again?
"…and then, just when it looked like she might not make it out alive, I shot the mongrel right in the face. And that is why you should always have a loaded gun, no matter where you go, even if it's just for a family picnic, like in the story I just told you," the hunter droned on, turning onto yet another dimly lit street, continuing to make slow progress towards their goal.
"Are we there yet?" Zach asked, ignoring the hunter's words to take more of an annoying, teenage approach. He did say he wanted the teenage experience didn't he?
"Not yet Zachary, but we shouldn't be too far away. Speaking of not being too far away, I should tell you about the time I was stranded in the desert with my brother, barely any food between us, and only one gun, the only things standing between us, starvation, and a whole pack of werewolves…" the hunter started to drone on again, leaving Zach to slowly go back into his thoughts. Before he had a chance to zone out again however, he heard a strange popping sound from outside of the car, turning to look at the hunter to see if he noticed.
"What was that?" Zach asked, looking outside the window to see if there was anyone or anything out on the street.
"I'm not quite sure," the hunter replied, taking his own glances around the street, just as another pop could be heard. Before either of them knew it, the hunter started to lose control of the car, forcing him to pull over and park on the side of the road before they crashed. The pair got out and looked down at the car, Zach walking around to see an arrow sticking out of each of the two left side tires, which could only mean one thing. As if on cue, both Zach and the hunter snapped to attention when they heard footsteps nearby, looking down the street to find the source of the sound. Before Zach had a chance to react, an arrow came flying out of the shadows and hit the hunter in the thigh, sending him reeling into the car in pain. Without even bothering to check on the hunter, Zach ran past the car to look further down the street, catching a glimpse of who he knew was Allison, before she disappeared around the corner. A small smile came to his lips and, with an exasperated sigh, he turned back around to the hunter, snapping the arrow away from the leg before he had a chance to do so.
"You okay? Maybe we should head back, get your leg checked out," Zach suggested, opening the driver's side door to help the hunter inside, only for him to push Zach away.
"No, I'll be fine, we have to get this done. Just grab the wolfs bane and follow me. We'll walk to the sheriff's station if we have to," the hunter ordered angrily, pulling his gun from his holster to lead the way down the street. After yet another exasperated sigh, Zach ran around to his side of the car and opened the door, pulling the box off of the floor, closing the door behind him before following after the hunter. The pair walked in silence as they made their way down the street, the hunter having told him they weren't far away from the sheriff's office. As they slowly made their way forward, Zach awkwardly stared around the area, trying to focus on anything but the hunter, almost missing him telling his 'war stories', instead of walking side by side, with the hunter angrily seething beside Zach.
"So, how do you want to handle this?" Zach asked, breaking the awkward silence, turning to look at the hunter, who continued to stare right down the street, not bothering to look at Zach beside him.
"It's pretty simple. We walk in, we find the wolf, and we kill him," the hunter answered, a grunt of pain escaping him every time he stepped on his bleeding leg.
"I meant how are we going to get past the people at the front desk? I know it'll be easy for you, since you're dressed up like a deputy and everything, but how am I getting past exactly?" Zach reiterated, starting to feel slightly impatient at how superior the hunter was starting to sound.
"I'll distract anyone that gets in our way for a few seconds so you can sneak past. Then, while I distract them, you go to the sheriff's office and take the keys to the cells. If anyone catches us, I can tell them I'm showing you what will happen to my criminal brother if he ever tries to steal a car again," the hunter replied, stopping at the corner to check the coast was clear, before continuing down the street, the sheriff's station almost in sight.
"I guess that could work," Zach muttered, just loud enough so the hunter heard what he said.
"Do you have a better idea?" the hunter snapped, groaning loudly when he stepped too heavily on his sore leg.
"You're the more experienced hunter here, I'll just follow your lead. Did you want to take the rest of that arrow out of your leg so we can bandage you up. It's not like the wolf is going anywhere," Zach suggested hopefully, hoping to stall for time to let whatever plan he knew his friends had pan out.
"No time for that. It could turn at any second. If we want to have any chance at taking it down, we need to do it before the full moon takes over. Any other stupid questions?" Zach's answer was to stay silent as they continued down the road, the pair going back into an awkward silence as they neared the sheriff's station. Upon stepping inside, Zach noticed a female deputy standing at the front desk, the hunter telling Zach to stand back while he talked to her. When the hunter had grabbed her attention, Zach quickly walked past the desk and into the hall, quickly making his way to the sheriff's office without being seen. Having been told by the hunter where to look for the keys, Zach quickly moved over to a box on the wall covered in switches, trying his best to figure out how to open it. Before long, he managed to pull the front away and pulled the keys out with them, replacing the paneling before heading back outside, the hunter waiting for him.
"Here you go," Zach said, handing the keys over to the hunter, who instantly started making his way towards the cells, with Zach not far behind. As they made their way forward, Zach started to notice how much slower the hunter had become, a lot more blood dripping down his leg then when he first got hit. Knowing he would probably get his head bitten off if he said anything, Zach stayed silent, both of them heading towards the cells, trying to remain as inconspicuous as possible. As they neared the cells, the hunter gestured to Zach, who pulled the box out of his pocket and handed it to the hunter, who then pulled out a syringe full of wolfs bane, before handing the box back to the Zach. Just as the pair stepped into the next hall, they noticed someone else coming their way, Zach looking up in slight horror when he realized Stiles was standing a few feet away.
"Oh, uh, just looking, for the…" he started to say before he realized who was in front of him, his gaze shifting from Zach to the arrow sticking out of the hunter's leg. Before Stiles had a chance to react, the hunter leaped at Stiles and grabbed him, the latter trying his best to pull away, Zach watching helplessly as the hunter pulled his friend away down the hall. Knowing he had to make a quick decision, Zach pulled his gun out and ran after the pair, reaching them just as Stiles pulled the fire alarm, the ringing echoing through the station. Before they got any further, Zach hit the hunter over the head with the butt of his gun, separating Stiles and the hunter, allowing Zach to check on the former.
"Are you alright?" Zach asked, helping Stiles to his feet, ignoring the hunter, who scampered away to get to the cells, probably already thinking about what he would tell Gerard when they got back.
"Are you seriously asking me that right now?" Stiles retorted in annoyance, running after the hunter with Zach not far behind, only for them to realize just after the hunter had, that the cell holding Isaac was wide open and empty. As the realization dawned on the trio, someone jumped out of nowhere and grabbed the hunter, throwing him away to hit the nearby wall, quickly following after him with a low growl. Not wasting any time, the hunter pulled the syringe out and tried to jab who Zach assumed to be Isaac, only for him to grab the hunter's arm, a loud growl escaping his mouth, before he grabbed the hunter's head and smashed it against the wall, knocking him unconscious. Just as the hunter finished sliding to the floor, Zach noticed Derek step into the room, smashing the syringe full of wolfs bane underfoot, before turning to look at Isaac, barely noticing Zach pointing his gun at him. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Isaac turn around at the sound of the syringe shattering, his attention having shifted to Stiles, a blood lust in his eyes. Knowing what would come next, Zach stepped forward and tightened the grip on his gun, standing between Isaac and Stiles.
"Try it, see what happens," Zach snarled, aiming his gun right at Isaac's head. Just as Isaac was about to attack Zach, Derek's eyes turned red and he let out a loud roar, seeming to frighten Isaac, who shrunk away into the corner, like a scared little puppy. When he turned his face back to look at the others in the room, Isaac looked like a normal teenager again, all of his wolf like features having vanished.
"How did you do that?" Stiles asked, pulling Zach's and Derek's attention away from Isaac.
"Because he's the Alpha," Zach replied for Derek, who only let out a low growl in response to Zach's words, nodding his head in agreement. Without another word, Derek pulled Isaac to his feet and dragged him out of the room, stealing an angered glance at Zach before the pair vanished, leaving Zach and Stiles alone with the hunter. The pair of them were silent for the next few seconds, both of them starting at the currently unconscious hunter lying on the ground nearby, not sure what to do next.
"You should probably get out of here, my dad probably isn't far away," Stiles told him, pushing off of the ground to walk over and stand beside Zach.
"Are you sure? I don't want to leave you here to explain what happened," Zach said, shifting his gaze away to look at Stiles, who gave him a half smile in return.
"It's fine, don't worry about me, I've had to talk my way out of worse," Stiles reassured him, pushing him away to leave the room. With a nod of his head and a thankful smile, Zach walked out of the room, only stopping when Stiles called after him to stop.
"Was there something else?" Zach asked, hearing distant footsteps further down the opposite end of the hall.
"Thanks, for hitting your hunter friend to help me. You didn't have to do that," Stiles replied, making Zach smile again.
"As much as Scott might hate me, and as much as you might not trust me like you did before, I still care about you guys. I'll choose you over them any day." And with that, Zach quickly ran away from the room, disappearing around the corner, just as the sheriff and some of his deputies appeared, leaning against the wall to hear what Stiles would say.
"He did it."
After calling a taxi to pick him up, Zach was soon back at the Argent house, cautiously stepping up to the front door to head inside, dreading what Gerard would say when he saw Zach, so soon after failing to take Isaac down. After mentally preparing himself, Zach opened the front door and stepped inside, finding Chris waiting for him on the other side.
"He wants to see you in his office," Chris informed him, walking away to go to the kitchen, leaving Zach to take the long walk of shame to go see Gerard. When he stepped into his office, Gerard was seated behind his desk, facing away from Zach as he stepped into the room.
"Close the door behind you," Gerard told Zach, who instantly turned around and closed the doors, looking back to Gerard, who had turned around in his seat the stare at his grandson. "What happened?"
"When we got there, Isaac had already gotten out of his cage. We didn't have much time to react before he jumped us. Before I had a chance to help, the Alpha had shown up and destroyed the wolfs bane, before taking his beta and leaving. It happened too fast for either of his to react quick enough. I thought it would be better if at least one of us got away, so we wouldn't both get in trouble," Zach informed Gerard, who had stood from his seat and walked around his desk to stand in front of Zach, who was starting to feel a little worried.
"So in other words, you failed?" Gerard asked, his face remaining neutral the whole time, which only made Zach more worried as he nodded his head.
"We didn't get there fast enough, I'm sorry." Just as the words left his lips, Zach felt a sharp pain against his cheek as Gerard slapped him, sending him down to the ground in a heap. Without looking up at Gerard, he felt his cheek where he had been hit and his hand came away slightly bloody, having been cut when Gerard had struck him. When he was finally able to look at Gerard, he noticed the ring on his finger, which Gerard removed in one swift motion to started cleaning, leaning against the desk as he watch Zach slowly push himself to his feet, his previously neutral face becoming one of anger.
"Don't ever say you're sorry, sorry means you will never do something again, and that is something that is pretty hard to promise, when you've already failed me once tonight. Next time, just remember the consequences that will follow if you fail me, to motivate you to never fail me again. When you fail in your mission, you're not only letting me down, you're letting the family down as well. So, this will never happen again, are we clear?" Zach stared at Gerard silently, feeling the blood on his cheek slowly sliding down the side of his face, a single drop hitting the ground before he finally answered.
"Crystal."
I HAVE FINALLY REACHED A MILESTONE OF 50 CHAPTERS, THIS IS SO EXCITING!
Thank you guys for sticking around for so long, I know I've been jerking you guys around a bit with how long it took me to come back and keep posting, but I'm glad that I still have people reading this story.
So yeah, here's the next chapter, ready for you all to read.
I thought I'd end in that last moment in the chapter, just to show how cruel Gerard is, even to his family, never being able to accept that failure is an option, or even in anyone's vocabulary.
Hopefully now, with helping Stiles get away from the hunter, and not actually killing Isaac, Zach may finally have a chance to make up with Scott, if only to get back on speaking terms.
Thanks for your reviews through this story, and the most recent ones, they have really helped me develop this story as far as I have gotten it.
See you guys next time ^_^
