A Novel Approach:
It was surreal to enter school, acting completely normal, as though the previous night hadn't even happened. Everyone around me still chatted happily, oblivious to the truth of the world, minding their own business as they fussed over who was dating who that week or what they were going to do that weekend. Nobody knew that my world had been shaken to the core in the darkness of the night.
Most of my morning had been spent convincing Stiles to go home and rest for the day, to let his shoulder heal before re-entering the stressful environment of high school. Luckily, I still had some of my clothes at the loft so I hadn't needed to go home before coming to school and I wasn't running late for class.
"Sophie!" I heard a familiar voice call out to me from behind as I strolled down the corridor and I glanced over my shoulder without slowly down as my brother hurried to catch up to me. "Where were you last night? You didn't come home. I tried to call you."
"Yeah, my – my phone was off." I lied easily with a false smile as I linked our arms together and his eyebrows furrowed in confusion but didn't appear too suspicious.
"Why? What were you doing?"
"Stiles stayed with me at Derek's loft. I know, I'm pathetic. Shut up."
"I'm sorry. I know the break up's been hard on you." he mumbled sympathetically with a concerned frown as he tugged me closer to his side and I felt a pang of guilt at lying to him but kept my smile on my lips as I nodded mutely.
Lying to him wasn't nearly as hard as it should've been, but I had years of practice keeping secrets from my brother. Before we were turned into werewolves, we lived completely separate lives from each other and while he was sitting at home playing x-box games with Stiles on a Saturday night, I was going to parties with Lydia, Jackson and our other friends. We'd been sneaking booze with our fake ID's, trying to find the best parties in Beacon Hills, playing 'seven-minutes-in-heaven' and passing a joint around a bonfire whenever we got the chance. I'd always felt that my brother was a little too naïve and moral, so I kept my personal life in a separate category and told him little white lies on the rare occasion that he asked me.
Since we'd entered the world of the supernatural, our two lives had intertwined in a way that I never would've predicted. Everything had we had been through, everything that we had seen and experienced with our friends, it had solidified our sibling bond and strengthened it to a state that was impenetrable.
"So, why'd you call anyway?" I asked him cheerfully as I attempted to change the subject away from any dangerous topics of conversation and back to something that would distract him from my evasive answers.
A troubled expression immediately encompassed his features as he rubbed his uneven jaw with one hand and I frowned at him in return as he took a moment to formulate the right words, "Someone's taking the bodies. Someone tripped the alarm at the Animal Clinic last night. Tracy's body is gone. The lock on the door was broken from the outside. And mom told me Lucas's body went missing from the morgue. They've been searching the whole hospital for it."
"Someone's stealing the bodies." I repeated absently in a faraway voice as I remembered what Stiles had said about Donovan's body disappearing last night and I felt marginally better that the other Chimera's had also been tampered with.
"I don't think the Dread Doctors are the ones stealing the bodies." Scott continued in a distracted tone, completely oblivious to the direction my thoughts had taken and I snapped back to attention at the reference to the novel Lydia and Kira had found among Tracy's belongs.
"Are we really calling them that?" I asked him drily with a touch of annoyance colouring my tone as I narrowed my eyes at him but he either ignored my question or didn't hear it.
"Think about it. They killed Tracy and walked away. They killed Lucas and walked away. Why would they leave and come back to take the bodies? Someone else has to be taking them. But the bodies aren't just bodies. They're... They're failures. So if the Chimeras are all failures, what's the success going to be?"
"Bad. Probably really bad." I told him honestly in a calm voice as I nodded my head slowly, agreeing with my own observation and he shot me a deadpan glare but didn't argue with me. I grinned at him unrepentantly, more amused by his reaction than the situation and he rolled his dark brown eyes at me but a small smile pulled at the corner of his mouth.
"I'm going to go find Kira. I'll see you later." He told me with a warm smile as he detangled his arm from mine and I nodded in acknowledgement as he pressed a brief kiss to my cheek. I scrunched my nose in mock disgust as I batted him away from me weakly and he laughed outright as he started to walk away in the direction of the library.
The mention of my brother's girlfriend sent a wave of unease through me and I couldn't pinpoint exactly why she was causing me distress all of a sudden. Maybe it was the way she acted last night when she nearly beheaded Lucas, maybe it was some left over caution that came from anything Japanese after our encounter with the Nogitsune, maybe it was just the general dismissive attitude I had towards the girl. I had nothing against Kira, and I was extremely grateful for everything she'd done to help us, but we'd never had the emotional connection I had with Allison. Nonetheless, she was a pack member and she made my brother happy, so I would be welcoming and tolerating towards her.
I noticed a familiar head of caramel coloured hair as I continued down the crowded corridor and I immediately headed towards the werecoyote standing in front of her open locker.
"Sophie, hey." Malia greeted me casually when she caught sight of me approaching her locker and I offered her a small smile as I came to a stop next to her, leaning my shoulder against the metal locker.
One of the things I liked about spending time with Malia was that we didn't need to constantly talk, we could just be in the others presence without needing to fill the silence was useless chatter. Her blunt personality made it impossible to participate in pointless chit-chat and polite conversational etiquette was completely lost on her. It suited me perfectly well since I had appointed myself in charge of introducing her to everything pop-culture and we spent most of our time together watching movies or television shows.
"Here." she said abruptly as she handed me a worn copy of a paperback novel and I quirked an eyebrow curiously as I accepted the book impassively while she returned to sorting through her locker.
"The Dread Doctors by T.R. McCammon." I drawled in an unimpressed tone of voice as I stared at the cover of the book, my eyebrows drew together in confusion as the sensation of deja-vu hit me like a ton of bricks.
"What?" Malia asked in befuddlement with a frown when she noticed my troubled expression and I shook my head to evacuate the conflicted thoughts as she slammed her locker closed, disturbing several students near us.
"I don't know. There's something about it." I explained truthfully with a small forced smile as we started strolling down the hallway and I flipped the book over read the blurb with a purse of my lips. "Has anyone actually read it yet?"
"Just me. And I didn't understand any of it."
"We should probably all read it."
"Kira's working on that. Stiles says he can't find anything on the author. He thinks it's a pen name."
"'In a small New England town, teenagers are taken in the night and buried alive. Days later they emerge transformed, wreaking havoc and spreading terror, commanded by an ancient order of parascientists known only as the Dread Doctors.' Sounds vaguely familiar." I remarked drily with a quirked eyebrow after reading the description out loud and she hummed in acknowledgement as we approached my locker. "How does it end?"
"It doesn't. This is supposed to be volume one." the werecoyote informed me plainly as she leaned back against the row of lockers next to mine while I spun the lock and opened the metal door, shooting her an amused look.
"Oh, let me guess... There is no volume two?" I asked in a sarcastic knowing voice as I placed my textbook in my locker, a smirk playing on the edge of my lips. My gaze lingered on the photographs pinned inside the door, resting for a split second on the faces of those I loved, of those I missed, of those who I fought for. Seeing them staring back at me every day was meant as a reminder of why I stayed strong instead of crumbling to dust, they were a reference for when I wanted to walk away from everything, they were the reason I lived, I breathed, the reason I was.
"I think we're living volume two." Malia answered with both of her eyebrows raised as she tilted her head to look at me and I slammed my locker closed as I turned to meet her eyes with a concerned frown on my lips.
"Then maybe the real question is... Is this a novel or someone's prediction?" I considered out loud, not really expecting an answer for the girl because knew she had no more of an idea then I did at that moment.
I flipped the front cover of the book open in a curious manner, my eyes glancing fleetingly at the words on the page but not really retaining anything until a particular section stood out. all the blood rushed to my head, causing my to feel faint as I leaned back against the lockers and my stomach metaphorically dropped to the floor as my eyes stayed locked on the words in front of me.
"Why is your heart beating so fast?" Malia asked curiously with a slight hint of concern as she lightly touched my arm to draw my attention and I swallowed past the lump in my throat as I pursed my lips in irritation.
"Look at this. Look at the 'Acknowledgements' page. 'For providing scientific perspective and invaluable insight... this book is dedicated to Dr. Gabriel Valack.'" I quoted solemnly as I held the book towards her so that she could read along with me and she raised an eyebrow at me once she was finished.
"Do you know him?" she asked innocently with confusion in her eyes as I huffed out in exasperation over the situation and her eyebrows drew together in concern as she studied my expression intently.
"Yeah. And I know where to find him." I told her truthfully in a slightly angry tone as I shook my head to myself and I slammed my hand against the locker behind me, causing a loud bang to erupt. Malia eyed me in surprise at the sudden display of anger but didn't comment as I started to walk down the hallway and she hurried to catch up to me.
It was like something out of a horror movie, dark skies illuminated a haunted building far in the distance as five teenagers apprehensively approached and crows cawed mercilessly from their perch on a bare tree limb overhead. One of those predictably clichéd scenes where everyone in the audience shouts at the screen for the teenagers to turn around, not to go inside, because they know only horrible things await beyond the doors.
Lydia fumbled for my hand as the five of us stared up at the rusted metal sign that displayed the name of the facility and I stole a glance at her as I squeezed her hand reassuringly because I was the only one comfortable at Eichen House.
I cast a glance behind me at the other three in our group but Kira was staring wide-eyed at the building and Scott was busy scrutinising the micro-expressions that flashed across Stiles' features as he looked around nervously. I couldn't fault the human for being anxious at the prospect of returning here given that the previous visits to the mental institution: the Nogitsune taking control of his body, Meredith having a nervous breakdown in front of us, Brunski attempting to murder him and Lydia. I was surprised that either of them agreed to come along for the trip in the first place instead of opting to stay home like Malia had chosen to do.
The identification key card that gave me access to the facility was hanging on a lanyard around my neck as I approached the speaker box next to the gate and I screened the card, waited for the light to flash green before keying in the security code that was changed weekly. A strangled buzzing sound erupted from the speaker as the creaky gate slowly started to open and I smiled grimly as I backed away, dropped the lanyard so that it hung loosely against my sternum.
"Okay, we're in." I told the girls as I strolled over to where they were huddled together, speaking in low voices and they both looked up at me for a moment before turning their attention to the opening gate.
I cast a glance over my shoulder towards the boys, checking to see if they were paying attention but they were locked in a quiet conversation. Distress was hidden within the lines of Stiles' expression, his jaw locked as his eyes flashed with emotion and I couldn't see my brother's face but his shoulder were tense with stress from behind.
The gravel crunched beneath my feet as I crossed the driveway towards them in determination, curiosity burning a hole in my brain and I turned my hearing onto their conversation so that I could eavesdrop.
"There's gotta be a point where self-defence is justified. Tracy killed her own father. And Lucas would have killed you." Stiles insisted in a hushed whisper, an underling urgency in his voice that only I knew the reasoning behind and I internally swore to myself as I hurried my pace so that I could stop him before he said something to arouse suspicion.
"They're not the bad guys. They're the victims. We shouldn't be killing the people we're supposed to save." Scott retorted in a slightly confused tone but there was no denying the authority in his voice and I suppressed the urge to roll my eyes at his black and white view of the world.
There was nothing wrong with morality, it was one of the traits I most admired in a person, but each individual's version of morality differed. Everyone fumbled through life, making decisions that allowed us to sleep soundly at night and at the end of the day, I believed that morals were more important than ethics and love was more important than the law. I would always do what I thought was right, I would always do what I had to protect to those I loved and I knew that Scott felt the same – he was just too naïve to realise what that really meant.
I watched the small amount of hope in Stiles' eyes completely fade, a hardened glint taking its place and I knew that the doubts, the uncertainties, the fears that were currently flooding through his mind. Scott was his best friend, his brother, and all he wanted was to tell him what happened, to have him understand what happened, but instead he was suffering in silence.
"Guys!" I called to get their attention as I placed myself next to the human, hoping to levitate some of the tension as I slipped my hand into his and giving it a supportive squeeze as I kept my eyes locked on my brother because I didn't want to draw attention to Stiles' emotional upheaval. "Gate's open. Let's go."
"Right, let's go." Stiles repeated in a tight voice as his vice-like grip on my hand tightened until I could almost feel my bones grinding together and I resisted the urge to grimace in pain as I kept my lips from twitching. Scott nodded in agreement as he turned to walk away, heading towards where the girls were waiting at the gate and I waited a moment for Stiles to steady himself before the two of us followed everyone onto the hospital grounds.
Once we reached the lobby of the facility, I took the lead as I confidently strolled towards the main desk in front of the group and I almost grimace as the orderly working the information desk lewdly ran his gaze over my figure. I plastered a fake smile on my lips as I stopped in front of the desk and I was thankful for the bulletproof glass that separated us as I greeted him, "Hello, Schrader. How are you?"
"The prodigal daughter returns. Should I alert the higher ups?" the orderly asked sarcastically in a monotone voice as his gaze lingered on my chest before lifting to meet my eyes reluctantly and I bit back the scathing retort that was on the tip of my tongue with great difficulty.
"We have an appointment with Dr Fenris."
"Please empty your pockets into the container."
"I know the procedure. I didn't bring anything with me." I told him honestly with a tight smile marring my lips, not telling him the real reason I didn't bring my purse or phone inside was because I didn't trust them to be left alone with any of the orderlies. I gestured with my head for the others to step up to the window, moving out of their way as they approach and regarded the orderly with wary expressions on each of their faces.
"Please empty your pockets into the container." Schrader demanded in a low emotionless voice as he pushed an empty plastic container through the opening in the window, his lecherous gaze flickering between each of the girls on the other side.
"We're here to see..." Scott started to explain politely as he stepped in front of everyone else protectively and I closed my eyes with a shake of my head, disbelieving my brother could be so trusting.
"Please empty your pockets into the container." The orderly interrupted him harshly as he narrowed his eyes into a glare and everyone exchanged a concerned look before emptying their pockets of their wallets, keys and phones. "Please remove your belt and place it into the container."
"I kind of need the belt. I mean, it's crucial to the outfit." Kira lied unconvincingly with a nervous smile on her lips as she rested a hand on the buckle and Schrader shot me look that read 'Really? These are the people you're associating with?' before turning his attention back to the other girl.
"Please remove your belt which patients will attempt to take from you and use to strangle either themselves or others."
"Right. Got it."
Kira quickly removed her belt before placing it carefully in the container, casting an apprehensive glance towards my brother in the process. I knew why she didn't want to leave it behind, it was the belt her mother and I had worked on during the summer, the belt that housed her chosen weapon of the katana.
"Come on, guys, this way." I told them quietly as I shot Schrader a pointed glare before heading towards the double doors marked 'personnel only' and I scanned my key card over the electronic reader as I inputted the passcode.
There was a definite chill in the air as we entered the dimly lit corridor, the overhead florescent lights flickering ominously and I blindly reached out to grab Lydia's hand in mine as we headed towards the door with the nameplate 'Dr Conrad Fenris'. The office door swung open as we approached and the familiar middle aged man appeared on the other side as he shut it behind him.
He turned around to face us with an apprehensive expression as he inhaled deeply and I smirked slightly in amusement as I greeted him warmly, "Hello, Conrad. Thank you for organising this visit."
"I'll remind you that I'm only doing this as a favour to Sophie. And I'm doing it against my better judgment." Conrad practically spat at us as he lead the group into an empty stairwell and we started to descend into the lower levels of the hospital where the supernatural ward was situated.
I could feel everyone glance at me in confusion when he mentioned doing this for my benefit but I didn't want them to know the current head of the institute was grooming me into taking over once I'd finished my studies. We didn't have the time for the probable lecture about what an incompetent hell-hole it was or my rebuttal that with me in charge I could sculpt it into a proficient facility that would actually help people in need of a safe place to recover.
"Hey, what's the etiquette for talking to this guy? I mean, do you ever look at the other eye?" Stiles asked after a tense moment of silence as we traipsed down the stairs and I almost cringed as flashes of patients in the past that had done exactly that, either not knowing or not believing the consequences.
"I wouldn't. In fact, while you're down here, try not to make eye contact with anyone or anything." I recommended solemnly with a blank expression as I glanced at them over my shoulder and I noticed them all exchanging a look, a mixture of confusion, concern and suspicion.
"What happens if you look?"
I turned back to face in front of us as I swallowed past the lump that had grown in my throat and I kept my shoulders from tensing as I licked my lips, unsure of how much to reveal to them before deciding that they should be informed of the consequences. "It differs from person to person. Some experience a hallucination-like vision of the past, or the future. Some are able to speak to the spirits residing on the other side of the veil. Others become catatonic, unable to handle the turmoil they're put through, while others become what would appear to be schizophrenic to the uninformed eye. And worst case scenario, you die. It depends on the mental capacity of the individual."
"Have you ever done it?" Kira asked curiously as we came to a stop on the bottom stairwell landing and I placed my hand on the handle to the door blocking the exit as I turned to look at her blankly. A sheepish expression crossed her features as everyone else eyed me expectantly and I fought to keep the emotionless mask plastered on my face as I nodded my head once, silently dissuading them from asking anymore questions on the matter.
Screaming echoed in my ears as I tried to block out the memory of the vision I'd experienced and I turned around to hide my expression as I squeezed my eyes shut to collect myself. I took a deep breath to steady myself before I opened the heavy door to the supernatural ward and Fenris held the door open as we all passed through into an empty hallway.
A wave of nausea swept over me as I came to a sudden halt in the middle of the corridor and I watched Fenris stroll past with a knowing look in my direction, followed closely by Stiles and Lydia. Scott frowned deeply in confusion as he was forced to a stop next to me and Kira looked around with wide eyes as though she would be able to find the reason to why we were unable to continue forward.
"You didn't think you were all going, did you?" Fenris asked with a slight sneer on his lips as he narrowed his eyes at them mockingly and I rolled my eyes subtly as I placed my palm on the solid invisible wall in front of me.
"It's mountain ash, isn't it?" Scott asked knowingly as he glanced at me from the corner of his eye and I could detect the slight hint of accusation in his voice, the anger that I didn't tell him.
"Everywhere, but heavily concentrated down here. I didn't tell you because, well, would it really have made a difference? You would've insisted on coming anyway." I said nonchalantly without looking at him as I started to push against the barrier with my full strength and I felt the pressure inside my head increase painfully as I gritted my teeth.
I gasped in pain as I bent over at the waist with my hand resting on my stomach and I hissed through my teeth as I clenched my jaw with my eyes screwed shut. I ignored the pounding in my head that felt like a jackhammer attempting to crack through my skull as I took a deep breath and forced myself to continue walking down the corridor. All of my muscles convulsed as I walked forward slowly like I was moving through quicksand and my vision blurred with tears as I struggled to catch my breath, suffocating on the thick air.
The relief was instantaneous when I made it through to the end of the corridor and I collapsed against the wall in liberation as I panted for breath with my eyes closed. The pain slowly eased until it was just a dull echo and my legs were trembling as I stood up straight with a resolved expression plastered on my face.
I released a sigh as I held my head up in determination and turned to look at Fenris, who was standing by the next locked door. His face was paler than normal but his eyes were knowing because he had witnessed the same incident each time I came here. I could feel everyone's eyes on me, but I didn't want to see the horror on their faces because they had never seen me pass through a mountain ash barrier and I offered the doctor a small nod as I walked forward to join him at the door.
"Sophie….Are you okay?" Lydia asked tentatively in concern as she reached out to place a hand on my arm and I offered her a small smile without actually answering her question because I didn't know the honest truth.
"Valack's cell is the last one at the end of the hall. Sophie, you know the way." Fenris said as he used his key card to open the door to the ward, giving me a significant look and I took the warning to heart as I inclined my head in acknowledgement.
"We'll be right here." Scott told us in a meaningful voice, a silent promise and an earnest desire to protect us shining from his dark brown eyes. He met each of our eyes individually, personalising the statement with an unspoken declaration of affection and devotion to keeping us safe from harm in a way only an Alpha could.
My lips stretched into a genuine smile as I nodded in understanding and Lydia slipped her hand into mine while Stiles placed a hand on the small of each of our backs from behind, quietly guiding us through the open door to the ward. The heavy door slammed behind us, causing the strawberry blonde to jump in surprise and squeeze my hand tightly in fright as she looked around with wide green eyes.
"It's okay. They can't get out." I assured her softly with an understanding twitch of my lips, even though I knew that wasn't her issue with being down here. Seeing the inpatients was a reminder of what awaited if she ever stepped out of line or if she let herself get lost in the dark abyss that came from being a banshee. And knew exactly how she felt, because I felt exactly the same.
I kept my gaze locked in front of me, doing my best to ignore the cries for help and the faint screams that echoed off of the walls as I walked the familiar route. Looking into the small windows of the patient rooms would only draw attention to their inhabitants and I didn't want Lydia or Stiles to be confronted with something they couldn't handle.
Stiles paused momentarily in front of the cell containing a Sluagh, a distressed expression on his face and I quickly grabbed his elbow as I forcibly dragged him away before he could be even more troubled. Lydia latched onto his arm when she noticed his paler than usual complexion but didn't say anything as we approached the plexiglass cell at the end of the corridor.
Gabriel Valack stood up from the bed to the side of the room when he caught sight of us outside his room and his gaze fleetingly examined each of us before landing on the human as he demanded in a firm voice, "Tell me what you just saw. The creature in the previous cell. The Sluagh. The myth is that they can take on the appearance of the lost souls that have become inextricably bound to it. Happen to have seen any lost souls, Mr. Stilinski?"
"Everyone down here." he answered quietly after a moment of hesitation as his flickered to me briefly before turning back to the man in the cell and I frowned in confusion as I made a mental note to ask him about it later once we were done.
"Don't give up on us yet. We're all works-in-progress." Valack responded easily with a smirk marring his lips as his gaze flickered pointedly in my direction and I almost scoffed out loud at the veiled allusion to Peter but kept my expression from wavering as I narrowed my eyes at him.
"Where did you hear that from?" Lydia asked in a quiet demand, a haunted quality to her normally confident voice and it took me a moment to remember that she spent most of sophomore year possessed by Peter's volatile spirit.
"Wise words from a former cellmate. Did you bring the book?" he asked inquisitively as he focused his gaze on me, not one to converse with someone he didn't know and I remembered that it had taken months of stony silence while playing games of strategy like chess before he started to speak to me about something as pointless as literature or scientific theories.
I maintain eye contact as I pull our copy of the book out of jacket pocket, holding it up for him to inspect the cover and he made a show of leaning forward to read the writing with a deliberate smile, "Very nice. First edition. Of course, there was only one printing."
"There is no T.R. McCammon, is there? No. You wrote the book." I stated knowingly when I noticed the amusement dancing in his eyes, the glint that told me he was aware of something we weren't and was enjoying having the upper hand.
"That's right, Sophie. Maybe you've already guessed that it's not just a book." He explained with a hint of pride in his voice, a smirk on his lips as he regarded the three of us almost arrogantly and I placed the book safely back in my jacket pocket as I frowned curiously at him through the plexiglass.
"What is it?"
"A tool. Designed to open your eyes."
"To what?"
"To them. The Dread Doctors."
"Why did you use a pseudonym?"
"I had a professional reputation once. I wasn't interested in ruining it by putting my name on a second-rate piece of trash."
"Then why write the book in the first place?" Stiles asked suddenly in a confusion as he crossed his arms over his chest with a deep frown, his whole body radiating tension and I shifted on my feet so that I was slightly closer to him as I gave in the urge to protect him for Valack's probing gaze.
"You haven't read it yet, have you? I wrote it because no one believed me. Because no one listened." The doctor told us in a bitter tone as his eyes narrowed subconsciously and I watched warily as he clenched and unclenched his fists out of anger. "They're here, aren't they? In Beacon Hills."
There was no need for us to answer him when he already knew the truth and his shoulders seemed to slump in defeat subtly, a pained glint in his eyes that the other wouldn't recognise. But I did. It was hopelessness, and it was there for a fraction of a second before being replaced with dry humour and arrogance.
"What are they?" I asked quietly in an inquisitive manner, my genuine scientific curiosity vastly outweighing the need for caution when it came to dealing with someone so manipulative.
"Not entirely human. At least, not anymore. They were scientists once. Scientists who worshipped the supernatural. Tesla said, 'If you want to find the secrets of the universe, think in terms of energy, frequency and vibration.' They found their secrets in electromagnetic forces. Ways to prolong their lives, give them power, and most importantly, making you forget you ever saw them." Valack explained solemnly with a blank expression on his face as he held eye contact, knowing that I could evaluate the truth from the lies was some degree of accuracy and I inclined my head slightly as I combined my training with my ability to hear his pulse fluctuate if he decided to lie.
"What do they want?" Lydia asked gravely as she wrapped her arms around her stomach protectively, her lips pressing into a tight line as she regarded him guardedly through narrowed eyes.
"Good question, Lydia. Everybody wants something, don't they?" he asked rhetorically in a cheerful tone of voice as he rocked back on his heels with a half-smile on his lips and I resisted the urge to roll my eyes at the obvious direction he was leading the conversation.
"Okay, so what do you want?" I asked him pointedly with a small trace of amusement in my voice as I quirked an eyebrow in question and I could feel the other's looking at me in surprise, but I kept my stare on the man in front of me.
Valack met my gaze evenly with a smirk on his lips as he blindly pulled a digital voice recorder out of his pocket and slid it through the opening in the plexiglass wall separating us as he turned his head to look at Lydia. "Hit record."
"What do you want me to say?" she asked warily as she crossed her arms over her chest, symbolising that she wasn't going to taking demands from him and I smirked at the determination in her expression as I matched her stance in solidarity.
"I don't want you to say anything. I want you to scream."
There was a shocked silence that followed his admission, each one of us stunned by the obvious answer, because what else could someone want from a banshee? My mind was whirring with thoughts, the academic in me trying to figure out why exactly he would want a banshee scream while incarcerated and the protective friend part of me wanted to drag Lydia out of there kicking and screaming before she could give him what he wanted.
"No way. Not happening. Sorry." Stiles snapped impatiently as he grasped the strawberry blonde's wrist and started dragging her backwards, away from the cell with a fierce expression on his face. She allowed him to move her a few pacing from the wall, putting distance between them and the man, rolling her eyes dramatically in the process. I followed them so I could be a part of the conversation as she forced him to a stop in the middle of the hallway and she levelled him with a deadpan glare as he turned to face the two of us incredulously.
"He's the only one that knows anything." Lydia whispered almost pleadingly with a soft expression as she curled her hand around his where it rested on her wrist and his gaze dropped down momentarily to their joined hands before shooting up to meet her green eyes.
"The guy is a nut-job who drilled a hole into his head. He's probably lying his ass off."
"How many have died so far? All of them teenagers. Am I right?" Valack called out knowingly with a hint of urgency in his voice, drawing our attention back to him and we carefully made out way back to stand in front of the plexiglass wall of the cell. I felt my stomach plummet at the mention of the teenagers, dread swelling in my chest until the pressure was enough to make me squirm uncomfortably. "Want to know how many died the first time they came here? Wonder how many will die if they succeed?"
"This did happen before." I stated more than asked as I took a step closer to the glass, my head tilted to the side curiously and he snapped his around to look at me with a dangerous glint in his eyes.
"And now they're back. All because a few teenagers, who never even considered the consequences, decided to reignite a supernatural force they barely understand."
"The Nemeton."
"How do you even know about that?" Stiles asked in a demand as he stepped protectively in front of us with a hardened expression and I felt my pulse racing, my heart pumping furiously within my chest as the memory of the night we accidently reignited the Nemeton. The feel of the icy water on my hands as it seeped into my skin, the way my brother's shoulders tensed as he thrashed under my hold, the accelerated beating of his heart before it become so faint it wasn't audible at all.
"I know because I saw it." Valack hissed in an angry tone of voice as he glared at us through narrowed eyes and I held my breath as he carefully removed the bandage wrapped around his forehead to reveal the self-inflicted hole drilled into his skull where his third eye was visible.
Lydia shuddered delicately next to me at the sight of the minuscule eyeball and Stiles gaped in shock as he paled slightly, curling his fingers around her wrist as he pulled her to his side protectively. I made sure to keep my gaze away from the appendage, no matter how compelling the temptation was and there was a bitter taste in my mouth as I rubbed my jaw roughly to distract myself.
The fluorescent lights overhead began to flicker suddenly, causing us all to look around in a mixture of confusion and concern. I cried out in shock when one of the overhead light fixtures exploded, covering my head with my arms to avoid the sparks that flew over me. I spun around on my heel to make sure that none of the electronic locks were disengaged due to a malfunction, even though I knew it was unlikely for that to happen, and I sighed in relief when I saw all of the cell doors still locked soundly.
"Who did you come with? What are they?" Valack asked suddenly in a panic as he looked around at the fluctuating electricity with a horrified expression and I frowned in confusion but stayed silent as realisation spread across his features, "You brought a Kitsune."
"What's happening?" Lydia asked loudly as she grimaced at the glass littering the ground beneath our feet and I flicked one of the shards off of my arm as I turned my attention to the man behind the glass because I honestly didn't know what the hell was going on.
"She's disrupting the building's defences."
"It's not just the mountain ash that keeps this building secure. It's the electromagnetic energy. Eichen is built on the convergence of Telluric currents. Ley lines. It's what allows it to keep certain supernatural creatures in. And certain others out. Kitsunes should be able to come in, or otherwise I wouldn't have brought Kira." I insisted passionately in a strong voice as I glanced around at the still flickering lights, my knowledge of the security of the facility coming in handy but I didn't know how to explain what was happen.
"But the Dread Doctors manipulate the currents. The presence of a kitsune already has the currents taut and stretched thin, a tiny manipulation and they'll weaken. They knew you were coming. They're here. And you unlocked the door for them." he continued for me when it became clear that I couldn't, his voice strained with the gravity of the situation and I inhaled sharply in realisation as my eyes widened in horror at the importance of what he'd told us.
Valack shot a quickly glance behind us, obviously checking to see if they'd found us before looking directly into the banshee's eyes and implored her beseechingly, "Hit record. Do it now. It costs you nothing."
"But it's worth something to you, so you're not getting it for free. What does the book do? Tell us." I demanded harshly as I curled my fingers around Lydia's wrist to keep her at my side and I narrowed my eyes at him dangerously to let him know I wasn't playing around when it came to this.
"I told you. It opens your eyes."
"How?"
"It triggers the memory centres of the brain, clearing the fog and bringing the images of the Dread Doctors into focus. I wrote the book in an effort to find out if anyone else like me had ever seen them before. I thought I could circulate it, an effort to trigger someone... Anyone else's memory. They'd see the cover, a hint of memory... They pick up the book, read it. The suppressed memories surface, and they'd find their way to me to discover more. Just like you did."
"Did it work with anyone else?" Stiles asked insistently with eager eyes as he stepped forward subconsciously and I bit the inside of my cheek to stop from repeating the question.
"You didn't see it on The New York Times best seller list, did you? So all we have to do is read the book? If you've seen them, if they've done something to you, then the book will help you remember." Valack informed us firmly in a no-nonsense tone of voice as he glared at the human heatedly and then turned his attention to the strawberry blonde as he demanded, "Now give me what I want."
Lydia hesitated a moment as she looked at me for guidance over what to do, silently asking my opinion with a purse of her lips and I deliberated on the pros and cons of the situation in my mind before offering her a subtle nod. Her hand was shaking as she reached out to take the digital recorder from the tray and she licked her lip in calculation before taking a deep breath as she pressed down in the record button.
An ear piercing scream escaped her lips, echoing off of the walls as the plexiglass in front of us shook slightly from the vibrations and I winced in pain as I covered my ears in a feeble attempt block the sound. I stumbled away from her with a grimace as she slowly faded out of the scream and I rubbed the side of my head as the alarms to the facility started blaring overhead, indicating that someone unauthorised had entered the restricted area.
Stiles wrapped an arm around her waist when she stumbled backwards from the force of her scream and she was panting slightly from exertion as she lifted her head to glare at him while hold up the recorder. "Tell us what they want."
"Sophie, Lydia, I think we need to get out of here." Stiles warned us apprehensively as he turned his head towards the main entrance, keeping an eye on the path we needed to follow if we didn't want to be caught unaware.
"What are they trying to do?" I asked in furious voice as I slammed my fist on the plexiglass between me and the doctor, a scowl twisted on my lips as I glared at him heatedly. As a scientist and a supernatural creature, the Dread Doctors took everything that I believed in and were fabricating it into something they could manipulate to their individual will.
"Read the book. Anyone who's come into contact with them. Read the book!" Valack ordered sternly in a desperate tone of voice as he spread his palm out on the glass, meeting my gaze evenly with one of the most emotion filled expressions I had seen on his face since I started my session with him.
Warm fingers curled around my wrist, tugging me away from the cell with all their might and I stumbled after them in surprise as I turned my head to see Lydia's tight grip latched onto me while Stiles held on to her hand in front. The three of us ran out down the hallway, ignoring the loud pleas coming from the inmates behind closed doors and I internally cursed myself for wearing a skirt that day because I didn't think we'd be running for our lives.
"Wait, wait, wait." I whispered harshly as I pulled the strawberry to a stop in the middle of the corridor, effectively forcing Stiles to stop as well and I held my finger to my lips as I mouthed at them to stay quiet. I focused my supernatural hearing on the other side of the think door in front of us and heard the familiar clunking of metal boots, the fuzzy sound of static and a clicking that reminded me of Predator from 'Alien'.
My eyes flew open wide in horror as I immediately started pushing the couple in front of me into the closest room and I was grateful that it seemed to be a meeting room, not a patients that could potentially harm, maim or kill us. I pressed my back against the wall, silently urging them to do the same and Stiles immediately wrapped an arm around Lydia's shoulders from behind so that she pressed against his chest as he backed himself into the wall.
The three of us held out breath collectively as the noise increasingly got louder. I could tell that both the humans heard it because Lydia screwed her eyes shut tightly as though she could block it out completely and Stiles pulled her tighter against as though that was enough to keep her safe from harm. I felt one of my hands encompassed in warmth suddenly and I looked down in surprise to see one of Lydia's hands in mine while the rested on Stiles forearm. I tried to offer them a reassuring smile, feeling like it was my responsibility to protect them since I was the one with mystical powers but I was just a frightened by the possibility of the Dread Doctors as they were.
I heard the loud clicking sound just outside the door to the room we were hiding in and held my breath as though that would stop them from discovering our whereabouts.
Fear crept through my veins, slowly like a poison infecting my blood and leaving a burning trail in its wake. I could count on two hands the number of times I had truly felt afraid: the night I witnessed my father push Scott down the stairs, the night I first heard about the Hale fire, when Peter bit Lydia and I didn't know whether she would survive, when I thought that Jackson had died on the lacrosse field, listening to Scott's near suicide at the Glen Capri Motel, Allison's death, Aiden's death, watching Simon hold the barrel of a gun against Stiles' forehead, Derek bleeding to death in front of me, Tracy attacking Lydia at the sheriff's station. And now this moment where we might to left at the mercy of the Dread Doctors.
My fingernails dug painfully into the palm of my hand as I listened the clicking fade into the distance until it could no longer be heard by my supernatural ability and I released an exhale of relief as I turned my head to look at my friends without moving my body from the wall while I whispered, "I think we're okay."
The muscle of Stiles' arm was taut around Lydia's chest as he held her pressed against his body but he stayed uncharacteristically quiet and the strawberry blonde shot me a concerned look as she reached up to lay a hand over his while tilted her head to look at him, "Stiles?"
"No, it's not okay." He stated in an emotionless voice as he gazed at something unnoticeable to our eyes, a troubled set of his jaw as he clenched his teeth and I felt my own eyes start to water at the unbelievable guilt I saw reflected in his, because I was sure it mirrored mine.
"All of this, it's on us. Everything that's happened, everything that's going to happen." I added in a monotone voice that wavered slightly over the last sentence, images of the Dread Doctors victims flashing through my mind as further evidence of my culpability.
Tracy, Lucas, Donovan. Tracy, Lucas, Donovan. Tracy, Lucas, Donovan.
"It's our fault. It's our responsibility." Lydia finished the conclusion in a strained voice, her hand instinctively tightening around my own as she held her head up in determination. I swallowed past the lump in my throat as I nodded my head absently, agreeing with her even though I had no idea how to proceed.
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