Amplification Part Two
There were many positives that came with the transition into a werewolf; the enhanced strength and ability to heal to name a few. And I fully acknowledged that I routinely took advantage of those attributes in my day to day life, not to mention in my extracurricular activities for the pack. But there were also times that being a werewolf was a bitch.
At the moment my biggest complaint was the sensitivity stimuli; the stench of death and sadness that was clinging to the inside of the plastic body bag was causing me to fight the urge to throw up.
Darkness surrounded me like a cocoon as I listened intently to the world beyond what was in front of me and I thought it was a good thing that I wasn't afraid of the dark. Muffled voices caught my attention as I bit the inside of my cheek to stop myself from yelping in surprise when the body bag I was in was suddenly lifted. My eyes screwed shut as I was gently set down on something hard and I actively fought the urge to adjust my position into one more comfortable.
The sound of a zip echoed loudly throughout the otherwise silent room and I took that as my cue to do the same. I bit my lower lip in concentration as I wiggled my finger into the small hole left in the zipper and gently eased the zip slowly down the length of the body bag until there was enough room for me to fling the plastic off of me.
My sharp inhale echoed throughout the empty morgue, apparently acting as a signal that everything was clear because the three boys immediately started to unzip their own body bags. I rolled my eyes at them, unamused that they had essentially used my as a test canary and sat up on the gurney as I detangled my legs from the black plastic casing. Heavy panting came from three different people as the boys all dramatically removed themselves from the body bags and I wrinkled my nose in disgust at the overwhelming scent of death, sadness and disinfectant.
"Oh, my God! Never. Again." Stiles exclaimed wildly with a grimace as he shook his arms spastically to regain feeling after being locked in a small space and Scott nodded in agreement as he reached into his jeans pocket to grab his cellphone.
"Fifteen minutes starting now." My brother said solemnly with a serious expression marring his features and we nodded in understanding as we started to quietly extricate ourselves from the body bags. It was easy enough for those of us who had werewolf abilities to keep our stability as we climbed out and I hummed in satisfaction as I straightened my shirt from where it has twisted.
A loud 'thump' rang through the otherwise empty room, causing me to spin around towards the direction it came from and a frown touched my lips when I couldn't see Stiles anywhere but then a groan came from the ground where he was sprawled in a mess of limbs. I huffed out a laugh, genuinely amused for the first time in what seemed like weeks, and I walked around to help him up off of the floor.
Stiles flashed me a grateful smile as he dusted off his jeans, causing me to press a quick kiss to his cheek before we both turned around to see Scott pressing his ear against the door that led out to his corridor. I could feel the anxiety emitting from the human next to me and the adrenaline mixed with fear that Liam was trying to mask as he shifted restlessly in front of me. I stepped forward slightly, lifting a hand to rest a calming palm on his back and he immediately settled into my touch.
My brother turned his head back to us with a determined expression, nodding once to silently tell us that the hallway was abandoned. Stiles hurried forward as Scott opened the door, the two of them sneaking out like they were in a Mission: Impossible movie. I huffed in disbelief with shake of my head as I grabbed hole of Liam's arm and dragged him with me out of the room.
Our footsteps were the only sound as we snuck through the general unit towards the gates that led to the closed unit. I made sure to keep the human and the beta in between Scott and myself so that the two of us with the best chance to win a fight were at the outside of the group. I glanced over my shoulder, checking we were in the clear and I crashed into Liam's back when he came to a abrupt stop. I caught my balance before falling, grabbing his shoulder to keep myself upright and the three boys quickly backtracked so we were huddled in the adjacent corridor.
"What are they doing there?" Scott asked in a panicked whisper as he pressed his back against the wall and I figured that there were unexpected visitors around the corner.
"I don't know. Their rounds should've ended five minutes ago." I told them in a hushed voice, anxiously shifting from foot to foot and Stiles nodded jerkily in agreement as he rubbed the back of his neck.
"I can take them." Liam announced quietly, drawing our attention to him as he appeared convinced that it was a reasonable plan and I purse my lips as both my brothers make the same horrified expression on their faces.
"How much time?" Stiles asked in a hard time as he turned away from the younger boy, effectively dismissing his idea and Liam rolled his eyes dramatically as he shook his head in annoyance.
Scott bit his lip as he checked the time in his phone before sighing with a nervous frown and he meet my eyes as he answered soberly, "Three minutes."
"I'll just knock them out and hide the bodies!" Liam interjected hastily as he stepped forward to further press his point and Stiles rolled his eyes in exasperation as he gave the beta an irritated look.
A loud thump drew my focus across the hallway, causing me to remember where we were and I quickly rushed towards the noise when I saw the agitated visage that appeared in the small window of the locked cell. A young man a few years older than us was banging his fist against the bulletproof glass window, drawing all of our attention to him and I pressed one finger to my lips in the international known sign for 'shh' as I plastered a calm expression on my features.
"Did you take the doctor?" he asked in a panic with silent plea in his eyes and this development froze me for a moment as I shared a horrified look with the boys behind me. "Did you take the doctor? I haven't had my medication. I need ten milligrams at 8AM, fifteen milligrams at 1PM, and no more than twenty at dinner."
Scott gently touched my elbow as he moves to stand beside me, drawing my attention towards him but his gaze was locked on the patient needing our help and I saw my own helplessness mirrored on his face. I swallowed past the lump in my throat as I turned back towards the window, trying not to show my expressions so I didn't upset the man even more and I drew strength from my brothers warmth next to me as I spoke loud enough to be heard but low enough not to draw attention, "We'll get the doctor."
"Dr. Fenris. Dr. Fenris. He took Dr. Fenris!"
"I'm Sophie McCall, I used to work with Dr. Fenris. I'll look from him while we're gone. And if we don't find him, once we're done I'll come back and help you. Okay?"
"You're Sophie. Sophie can help. Okay. Okay. You're Sophie. Sophie can help. Okay. Okay." He muttered to himself in a distracted tone of voice, like he was repeating something someone had told him. I frowned in confusion as he repeated the same mantra under his breath over and over, his eyes growing distant as he crept slowly to the opposite side of the cell. Scott tapped my arm to gain my attention, his brown eyes sympathetic but determined and I nodded once to let him know I was alright as he led my towards the others.
Liam shifted nervously as he waited for me while catch up, walking by my side as we followed my brother and Stiles through the hallway. My breath caught in surprise as the fluorescent lights briefly went out, leaving us all in darkness for a moment before the backup generator started working and all of us sighed in relief as the corridor illuminated.
"She did it! Kira did it!" Liam crowed happily with a grin as he bounces on his toes slightly and I had to stop myself from giggling at the childlike excitement that seemed so out of place given the circumstance. I patted him on the back as I wandered past him, following the other boys towards the gate to the closed unit and I shifted restlessly as Stiles pulled the keycard I had been given out of his jacket pocket.
A frown appeared on my lips as I waited for him swipe the card through the reader and he mumbled to himself distractedly, "Five minutes to get to Lydia. Where's the card reader? It should be here. It has to be here."
My breath caught in my throat at his words as I pushed past the boys with wide eyes and my gaze searches the entire gate in hopes that it has simply been moved. Fear flooded through my veins as I blinked to stop the onslaught of tears and I slammed both my palms on the gate as I let out a frustrated shouted before guessing, "They must have taken it out when the Dread Doctors got through."
"Are you telling me that we came all the way down here, just to be stopped by an ordinary key? Are you kidding me?" Stiles asked in a slightly raises voice as he waved his hands around to empathise his point and I sighed heavily as I leaned my forehead against the cool metal of the gate, trying to come up with a viable alternative course of action.
"We don't need a key." Liam stated in a faux confident tone of voice after a moment's hesitation and I lifted my head to look at him in confusion, my eyebrows furrowed with a frown on my lips before he continued, "Not if we can break it down."
I hummed in consideration as I took a step away from the gate so I could study the frame and in my peripheral vision, I saw Scott look at Stiles who seem to shrug as if to say 'may as well try'. I duplicated the movement when they glanced over at me for my opinion before the three of us with supernatural strength and healing grabbed hold of the wire fence. The otherwise silent corridor caused the sound of our pained groans to echo as we focused on breaking open the gate and Stiles paced anxiously behind us as I felt a wave of nausea sweep through my body but I swallowed thickly without losing focus.
I felt a drop of sweat rolled down my temple, my eyes stinging with tears as I slowly released the pressure I was exerting and I leaned my weight against the gate for support as I whimpered sedately, "We can't... The mountain ash... It's too much."
I could feel a sob building in my chest at the thought of leaving my best friend in place of her nightmares and I could hear the muffled voices of the boys behind me as I tried to regain my strength, both physical and mental.
"Hit me." I heard Liam demand in a determined tone of voice, causing me to frown deeply as I turned around to face him but he was staring at my brother resolutely and repeated himself, "Hit me! I'll get angry, then I'll get stronger."
Scott stared at the beta as though he was insane, his dark brown eyes incredulous but Stiles was tapping his bicep like he was wholeheartedly in support of the plan. There was an excited gleam in the humans eyes as I hummed in acknowledgment to the idea and Liam took this as encouragement as he took a step forward before continuing in a tight voice, "I tried to take your powers. I tried to kill you. Hit me!"
"He also left you for dead." Stiles added helpfully with a deep nod, his voice rising slightly so that there was no mistake they could hear him and Liam took another step forward so that he was crowding the trembling alpha.
"I wanted you dead!"
A shocked gasp escaped my lips as my brother threw punch, hitting Liam in the face hard enough that the younger man fell onto the floor momentarily before climbing back to his feet and nodding frantically as he yelled angrily, "Do it again!"
I winced sympathetically as I watched my brother throw another punch; Liam doing nothing to defend himself from each fist that landed and I grimaced at the familiar scent of blood as Stiles cheered encouragements with a tad too much enjoyment. Both werewolves grunted under their breath from the exertion as Scott struggles to keep his powers under control while throwing one last punch and Liam slumped against the gate with blood marring his features.
"You angry?" My brother asked in a low growl as his eyes flowed a brilliant scarlet and Liam turned to face him with glowing amber eyes while snarling menacingly., which was an answer in itself. "Me too."
The scent of rage burned my nose, their familiar chemo-signals surrounded me in an almost suffocating manner as I channeled my own anger and frustration in order to enhance my strength. The three of us grabbed a hold of the gate as we coordinated our movements without making a sound and I could feel my blood boiling in my veins as we wrenched it off the hinges, shoving it past the mountain ash barrier. My muscles were aching from the strain as I collapsed onto my knees, the weight of fighting against the mountain ash stunning me momentarily while I caught my breath.
"Two minutes." Scott reminded us breathlessly from where he was sprawled on the ground near me and I grunted in acknowledgment as I shakily climbed to my feet, flinching when Stiles grabbed my elbow to help me. He kept an arm around my waist as he helped me stumble forward, my muscles still trembling with aftershocks that caused me to reach out to place a hand on the wall for balance every now and then.
"You know, this is a nice change of pace; me dragging your ass around. Mmhm, big bad werewolf Sophie needs to be carried by helpless human Stiles. It's just great, is what it is. It's life affirming for me." he murmurs sarcastically under his breath as he frantically looks around for the correct door we need, fidgeting with the keycard in his opposite hand.
"Yeah, well, enjoy it while it lasts because I can already feel my strength coming back." I told him pointedly as he tightens his arm around my waist so I don't collapse while he swipes the keycard through the slot and I take a deep breath to steady myself as I start to carry my own weight. Stiles opens the heavy metal door to the surgery wing of the closed section, holding it so that I can pass through before letting it slam close behind us. I blinked a few times while my vision adjusted to the dim lighting of the hallway and I made sure to keep a hand on Stiles arm as we hurried forward, the sound of our footsteps on the laminate flooring and our rapid breaths the only sound in the otherwise silent environment.
There was the faint buzzing of the overhead lighting as we stumbled down the hallway of the patient surgery wing and I glanced in the window of each room on the right side while Stiles checked on the opposite side. I gulped nervously when I noticed a speck of dried blood on the floor, unable to stop myself from imagining the worse but I cleared my throat as I forced myself to move onto the next room.
"Sophie!" Stiles called out frantically from further down the corridor, banging his palm against one of the doors to get my attention and I snapped my head in his direction before rushing to his side as he fumbled with the keycard to open the door.
A horrified gasp escaped my lips when I saw what was on the other side of the door, my hands starting to shake and I bit back the urge to vomit at the sight of my best friend strapped down. Cuffs were wrapped around her wrists and ankles to keep her bound to the bed rails and she was wearing a flimsy hospital gown, her normally luscious strawberry blonde hair was tangled and matted to her to her forehead. A soft whimper escaped my lips as Stiles pushed open the door, rushing into the room with clumsy steps until he collapsed on his knees at her side.
There were few times that I had ever felt paralysed; so frightened that I couldn't feel my extremities to even contemplating moving a muscle. My feet stayed firmly planted on the ground as I watched Stiles reach towards Lydia's pallid face before stopping himself before actually touching her. My vision blurred with unshed tears as the scent of blood suddenly overwhelmed my senses and I blinked in confusion, seemingly knocking out of my incoherent state as I looked around the room for the reason.
A choked gasp echoed in the quiet room when my gaze landed on the electric drill laying on the table beside the bed and it took me a moment to realise that the sound had escaped my own lips. My gaze lifted towards my best friend; my eyes locking almost instantly on the stained mixture of dry and fresh blood that painted the area above her ear. Strawberry blonde strands of hair were drenched in sweat, plastering itself to her pallid skin and her green eyes held a glassy sheen as she blinked at the intruders in a combination of relief and horror.
"Stiles? Sophie?" Lydia asked in an almost inaudible whisper as her eyes narrowed, sharpening as she took in who it was breaking into her room. Her face crumbled in despair as she started to frantically shake her head back and forth weakly while speaking in a rushed manner, "You can't be here. You'll die if you stay. All of you. Stiles, he's coming..."
"Lydia, I'm not leaving you here!" Stiles told her anxiously as he fumbled with the leather straps binding her wrists to the bed frame but his panicked movements were causing him to fail and he swore under his breath as I stood guard at the door.
"You have to!" she insisted persistently with an obvious break in her voice as she weakly fought against him and I bit the inside of my cheek to keep myself from crying as I made sure that we weren't interrupted in the middle of our rescue mission. A familiar beeping sound indicating that someone has just entered the closed unit registered faintly as I inhaled sharply and twisted my head around towards my friends, meeting Stiles' startled brown eyes looking back at me.
"Stiles, we have to go. Now!" I told him firmly as I hurried over to where he was kneeling next to the bed, grabbing him tightly at the elbow and dragging him towards the open door. I ignored the burning sensation of shame that erupted in my stomach at the prospect of leaving my best friend at the mercy of whomever was torturing her but I had to prioritise and plan in the spare of the moment.
It was one of the worst parts of being a leader; sometimes you had to do what you could to protect the most number of people and sometimes that meant leaving someone behind, even momentarily. I heard the gate to the closed unit on the opposite end of the hall open, followed by the sound of five sets of footsteps as I hastily pushed Stiles behind the connecting hallway so we were both out of sight. I could feel his pulse racing where I grasped his wrist, his erratic heartbeat as he tried to steady his breathing so that it wasn't easily detectable in the quiet hallway. I pressed my finger to my lips in the universal signal to keep silently and waited for him to nod rapidly in understanding before I closed my eyes in order to emphasise my other senses.
"I can't believe this is actually a medical establishment." I heard Theo murmur from somewhere down the hall, causing me to assume some of other footsteps must have belonged to the other chimeras and I internally hoped that I didn't end up needing to defend myself against them.
"Now, what would a pack of Chimeras want with a Banshee?" The familiar voice of Valack echoed off the hospital walls, causing me to bite back a gasp as a chill ran down my spine and my hold my Stiles wrist like I was subconsciously protecting him from the doctor.
"I don't want a Banshee. I'm looking for a Hellhound."
A loud rumbling roar suddenly ripped throughout the otherwise silence, like Theo's words were some kind of cue that he was waiting for on the sidelines and I met Stiles shocked expression with one of my own before chancing a peek around the corner out of curiosity and necessity. The familiar features of the hellhound drew my attention towards the entrance to the closed unit, his clawed hands gripping the edges of the gate and his entire body seemed to glow a vibrant orange as the fire twisted the metal until it was nothing but a pile on the floor.
A somewhat satisfied expression crossed Valack's expression to the development as to turned to address a surprised Theo with a familiar arrogance in his smooth voice, "You wanted a Hellhound? I think you found one."