A/N I'm just gonna do whatever I want otherwise this ain't ever gonna go anywhere, Like it if you Like it :)

Chapter 27 - Earl

Exiting the school, Mickey followed his mother towards her car. They didn't have a plan except to get Stiles but how remained a mystery. He knew his mother had no fear towards Gerard but he also knew the old hunter was ruthless and merciless. Stepping into his own home to confront him wouldn't be well received.

Still, none of them spoke as they entered the car, the radio flicking on at the turn of the keys. It was a song he'd never heard before but was quite good, something to take his mind off of things. Staring out the window as he watched the world fly by in a blur, his mother's silence fueling his own.

''Holy shit!'' his mother suddenly cursed out loud causing him to look towards her, her eyes set in a deep frowned as she slammed down on the breaks. The car gave away a horrible screeching sound, hitting something hard. It flipped the car over, the both of them screaming as it rolled over several times.

And then it stopped.

UNKNOWN LOCATION

The floor was cold against his naked skin, his cheek squished against it. His body felt drowsy from sleep but still, the footsteps walking back and forth sounded like thunder in his mind, every step causing him to squeeze his eyes harder until he finally opened them. The room was dark but he could still see everything, or the few things worth taking note of. It was empty except for a wall of steel bars although the door was open, the actual thing keeping him trapped was a vault door. Bank vault came to his mind, unbreakable.

His sudden movement brought the footsteps to a halt and Mickey finally turned towards them, Boyd. The dark-skinned male was staring down at him with an unreadable look on his face that most likely was mimicked by Mickey, both awkward in the fact that they'd never actually spoken before. Someone shifted across the room and Mickey averted his eyes, his dull green eyes meeting with Ericas mocha brown. It didn't surprise him that the both of them had been captured together if it wasn't the Argents' getting their hands on the duo it was only faith that someone else would.

Opening his mouth to ask what was going on, his words fell short as the locks on the vault door clicked open. All three of them watching as the round door was pulled open with seemingly little effort, revealing a single man stood in its stead. He looked just like the day he'd disappeared, like a military man. Battle-scarred skin that had been roughened through the years, his green eyes stern and posture straight and proud. Broad shoulders draped in a thick coat, working boots making him sound even heavier as they thumped against the concrete floor.

Pushing himself into a stance, Mickey could see both Erica and Boyd move further away from the man as their eyes filled with worry. Still, the man did not frighten him, at least that's what he told himself as he raised his gaze to meet the man.

''This isn't exactly the reunion I'd imagined,'' the man said, the raspy tone of his voice giving the impression of someone who'd been smoked too many cigarettes. Mickeys' silence caused a chuckle from the man, stepping down from the small ledge as he fully entered the room, ''Now don't tell me you've already forgotten about your dad?''

Swallowing, he could feel his jaw strain as he grit his teeth. Of course, he recognized him, it was impossible not to. Yet something didn't feel the same about him, about the whole situation. Still, he'd missed his dad. So he swallowed the lump, ''You still smell like a wet dog.''

''Yea, you always used to say that,'' his father mused as he approached further, a smile finally gracing his lips as he came close enough to bring Mickey into his arms.

Whatever the situation was, Mickey had missed his father. The hug was welcomed and he returned it, burying his face in the crook of his father's neck. It was as if everything fell in place and he was safe again, all mysteries were solved and life became a breeze. He felt stronger then he'd felt in years, grounded by a power he could not see or describe. A power only true family could bring, an identity without any lies.

''What's going on?'' He asked but refused to pull away, his words muzzled by his father's shoulder. His father's hand gently touching the back of his head made him relax, a gentle sign that he was real.

He could hear the person approach before he appeared in the open doorway, the air suddenly growing tense and Mickeys' father pulled away. His expression losing most of its gentleness but his eyes remained on Mickey, the teens' eyes focused on the man stood in the doorway. He looked like a classic middle-aged man but handsome even though he dressed much more casual than most probably expected, tall and lean with sandy blonde hair and a pair of sunglasses. To any ordinary person, he looked nothing special, the perfect disguise to blend into the crowd. If only Mickey had been one of the ordinary, the hairs on his body wouldn't give him the shivers.

Yet the man remained casual to a point of pleasurable as he turned towards Mickey and his father, looking but not seeing. It didn't make it any less nerve-wracking, ''You'll have to excuse me, it was not my intention to disrupt the reunion.''

Even his voice held a pleasant tone, seemingly uncaring that he was stepping into a cell filled with hostages. Maybe it wasn't so strange, Mickey glanced at his fellow hostages who both did their best to blend into the walls. He glanced at his father who patted his shoulder before turning to face the man, his posture calmly showing that he did not fear the other.

''We got plenty of time to catch up,'' his father said evenly. Mickey wasn't sure if his father even could muster the same polite tone as the other, it just wasn't his style. His father glanced at him and Mickey took a step forward so that he was stood beside him, ''I guess a proper introduction is in order, son this is Deucalion. He picked me up a few months ago and with time it seems we're pretty alike, he's a man of great vision.''

Looking at his father it was hard to read the mans' expression, years apart didn't make the matter any easier. Mickey didn't know much about his father or what he'd gone through during the past years they'd been apart, he just knew of the man he used to be. So whatever it was he had in mind it was nothing good, dragging his son into it was enough proof for his thoughts. Still, Mickey knew that him being there meant one thing, his father was trying to protect him from something. If it was the man in front of them or something else, Mickey did not know.

''So what do you need me for?'' he finally asked as he realized that he'd been quiet for far too long, his eyes flicking between the man Deucalion and his father

''Let's not be too hasty,'' Deucalion said as he took a step closer towards them but soon stopped, resting both his hands on his cane as he stared straight through Mickey, ''To understand what I am about to ask of you, you first need to know where it all originates from.''

A sassy remake often made by Stiles suddenly came to his mind but Mickey shook it away, sass only ever seemed to work for Stiles. So instead he glanced at his father but the man remained silent, neither going against nor supporting the man in front of them. Mickey sighed as he combed his fingers through his hair, giving the blind man a curt nod which he couldn't even see but somehow seemed to sense as he continued.

''I wasn't born blind and neither was I born a killer, quite the contrary I used to believe in a future where werewolves and hunters could come to a truce. No more death on either side, of course, everyone thought of me as a fool,'' a sort of bittersweet chuckle left the mans' lips but he remained stoic, ''They'd killed one of our own, a kid not older than yourself. Ripped his claws out of his fingertips before they cut him in half, revenge for one of their own.''

''Of course, the story got to do with Gerard,'' Mickey realized with a sigh, the way of killing all too familiar. All stories seemed to have Gerard as the antagonist, no werewolf didn't share a deep past with the senior hunter. Deucalion smiled in response, a smile that quickly disappeared again.

''Even after seeing the brutal reality, I still held hope for humanity. I underestimated my enemy,'' Deucalions' voice sounded more strained, his jaw clenched but yet he hid it smoothly, ''I had one of the emissaries set up a meeting, Gerard used it to ambush us. He then killed all witnesses including his men, showing no mercy to those who believed in a truce,'' another bitter look graced his face but he quickly hid it away, ''My pack thought I was no longer fit to lead them, so my most trusted beta who which I watched growing up tried to take my powers. Blinded with rage I killed him, say do you know what happens when an alpha kills its beta?''

Once again Mickey glanced at his father, the man for once returning his glance but he would not intervene. Still, Mickey could remember an old bedtime story his father used to tell him when he was younger and so he knew the answer, ''You took his power.''

''The more of them I killed the stronger I became, stronger than any alpha. I became the Demon wolf and so I gathered other alphas, all having taken the powers of their packs. Forming a pack strong enough to out-rival all others, one that could bring fear to every hunter,'' he sounded proud of his work, Mickey could see why his father had joined hands with the man. A power-hungry alpha not afraid to get his hands bloody, just like himself.

Closing his eyes as he sucked in a deep breath, Mickey tried to even his heartbeats before he opened his eyes to look at the alpha, ''So what does any of this have to do with me?''

''You see I've got a vision, one of perfection,'' Deucalion explained as he folded his cane slowly, ''I need you to help me place the remaining pieces.''

Pieces? Mickey didn't get it, what pieces? Didn't he already have a pack full of power-hungry alphas, what more could he need? Then his eyes shifted towards Erica and Boyd all but forgotten in the corner and he realized, ''You want Derek.''

''Not just Derek,'' his father spoke for the first time, fully turning towards Mickey as his expression turned much more serious, ''We want you to get us the true alpha.''

A million thought went through Mickeys' mind but he came out blank, true alpha was just something he'd heard through his fathers' many bedtime stories. It made him realize just how much his father had told him, things that Mickey always had believed was his fathers' imagination. Still, there was only one possible candidate for such a role, Scott. It made sense in so many ways but still, it was hard to imagine, Scott McCall a former asthmatic boy turned werewolf now having the potential to become a true alpha. Things were doomed to become ugly, Scott would never join a pack full of crazy power-hungry killers.

Running a hand through his hair, a nervous tick he seemed to use all too often. Mickey took a step away from his father, ''I can't do that.''

''Seems your son has been greatly influenced by this alpha-to-be,'' Deucalion noted making Mickey wince, having his loyalty towards his father questioned didn't fit well.

His father stared at him, gaze un-readable as he searched Mickeys' face. A smile suddenly graced his lips once more, ''He'll help us.''

...

It felt like days before his father finally appeared in the doorway, the heavy vault door being opened revealing the man stood in its stead. A woman was with him, her distinct way of never wearing shoes an easy way to recognize her. Mickey didn't know much about any of the alphas, just the bits, and pieces he'd picked up whenever one of them came to make sure they were still alive. Kali was one of the more frequent ones, her name having been spoken by one of the twins when they'd come to get her from killing the hostages.

''Do you know the requirement to join this pack?'' his father asked as he stepped into the room, Kali staying back with a satisfied look on her face. His fathers' voice was scaringly even, a no-nonsense tone.

Holding out his hand to gesture for Erica and Boyd to keep back, Mickey slowly stood. Keeping his eyes glued to his father like watching a predator ready to pounce, yet Mickey refused to become prey. His father hadn't taught him fear, at least not for himself. Fearing for the life of a loved one he could do but fearing for himself, he'd rather fight than flee.

Of course, he knew about the requirements to join, he'd been told about them on his first day, it was why he hadn't given up any information on his friends. He straightened his back, appearing braver than he probably was, ''You gonna kill me?''

''Do you have any power worth stealing?'' his father's words were harsh, intended to hurt and they did. Mickey flinched and it made his father smirk, ''You sealed them away didn't you, your powers. You became just a normal teenager but that all changed, didn't? You know why you suddenly started to reject Scott, your childhood friend which you used to spend every night having sleepovers?''

It opened his eyes, what his father said was true. A lot had changed since the night of the full moon when Scott got turned into a werewolf. A part of Mickey that he'd been working so hard to bury had somehow dug itself back up, a dislike he'd never before felt destroying a friendship that had lasted for a decade.

His fathers' sudden chuckle made him snap back, hating the cheer amusement on his father's face as the man raised his hand to gesture into the air around him, ''A true alpha isn't something one becomes out of chance, it's faith. Destiny, God's plan, it was something already set in motion from birth. In normal circumstances it wouldn't matter much, you'd probably just had accepted him as your new alpha and been done it with it. But you're not normal, neither of us is.''

The reality of his words hit hard but knowing it to be true was harder, Mickey didn't want to think of a life where he'd never be able to go back to the way it was. Where he was back at Scotts' house eating pizza while watching him do pull-ups in the doorway, making a rude comment and laughing at the other. Where the three of them would go out into the woods together, carefree as they could be while looking for a body. Could that never return now when Scott was a werewolf?

''So you're gonna kill your son?'' he finally asked, swallowing the lump in his throat as he faced his father. He hated how weak he had to look, feeling weak in not knowing what his future would hold if it couldn't go back to how it used to be.

''Nah, in fact, I don't even know if that logic applies to us,'' his father said, his tone much more light-hearted as he let his arms slump to his side. Reaching up to shrug off his coat before he locked eyes with Mickey, eyes flashing a rich deep red, ''If it did, you'd at least need something for me to take.''

The air in the closed space shifted uncomfortably as a wicked grin stretched the mans' lips, his eyes on Mickey who instinctively took a step back. The hairs on his arms stood erect, nerves telling him to run. Sweat formed on his skin as his heartbeat picked up, watching as the man in front of him suddenly caved in. Popping bones made him swallow in disgust, the sound of ripping skin flipping his stomach. He'd forgotten all about it, the sight of seeing a man gets turned into a beast. Long arms changing into muscular legs, hands becoming paws. A wolf? No, it didn't share the same grace. Broader and stockier than the ordinary wolf, its body much heavier looking. Its canines longer making it more menacing, an ancient creature created by the hands of dreadful scientists. Saliva dripping from its mouth as it let out a menacing snarl, eyes shining crimson with a promise of bloodshed.

You're scared.

He could hear the voice in his mind, like an unclear echo in a cave. The mouth on the creature didn't move, remained in a threatening snarl. Denying it, Mickey locked eyes with the creature. He knew he couldn't fool his father with his rapidly beating heart, his hands trembling. If only the creature could make expressions, he could hear the laughter in his mind.

Glancing towards Boyd and Erica he could see his fear mimicked in their eyes, how they cowered away from the creature. It was just for a second but his father had always been a true predator, pouncing when least expected. Like a huge blur, the weight of the creature hit Mickey hard, its canines digging into his arm causing him to scream out in pain. He hit the ground hard, his head bouncing against the concrete as the weight of the creature held him down. Tears filled his eyes as the canines sunk in deeper as he struggled to get away, a huge paw holding him down by the chest. Their eyes locked, all love gone. It wasn't his father anymore just a killing machine, exactly what it had been created for.

''Mickey!'' he could hear Erica call out but ignored as he tried to push the creature away, slamming his hand against it but too weak to make it move. Blood dripped from the wound in his arm, staining his clothes and face. It was so painful, his heart aching as his muscled filled with adrenaline.

And suddenly his vision started to spin, his body set aflame. He couldn't see anything, couldn't feel anything. Then it started to tingle, his muscles starting to flex. He could hear the nauseous popping and ripping but couldn't feel it. It all happened so fast, barely a second, and suddenly he was fighting again. Bigger, stronger, and no longer afraid.

Kalis POV

She'd seen a lot of things in her long life, always having been surrounded by the supernatural and the fact that even though looking rather young she was already fifty. She was strong even among alphas, a much-trusted member of the alpha pack. Yet her confident smirk faltered at the sight of the beasts in front of her. Wolves yet more ancient-looking, they were vicious-looking to the point of scary. Huge and strong, she swallowed as they each drew blood. She'd heard from Deucalion that the pair was father and son but watching them fight she would think he was lying, neither holding back as they aimed to harm.

When she was told that Jagger had a son she'd imagined he would be the same, a weaker version of the man but she was proved wrong. The kid didn't look like his father, way more wolfish looking. Not an ordinary wolf either still bigger and sturdier, canines longer and more vicious. Yet the creature held the elegance of a wolf, more agile. Evolving in a way a science rat could never, more natural. It was like seeing Deucalions' alpha form next to other werewolves, more menacing, and demanding respect. Alpha and beta if that even applied to the two of them, she was unsure if any rules applied.

The conversation she'd had with Deucalion at the enlistment of Earl Jagger was clear in her mind. The smile Deucalion had given her for doubting the mans' strength finally explained, the Jaggers wasn't to underestimate.

Ericas' POV

Squeezing the hand holding her own she looked at Boyd, he was just as surprised as she were. They hadn't been part of the supernatural world for long and probably had a lot more to learn about it, learning about all the different creatures and the powers they held. But to be able to see it all they needed to stay alive, the odds were greatly against them. Mickey was doing his best but she knew he was fighting a losing battle, at least he was doing something.

She could see the message in Boyds' eyes, don't do it. She'd already made up her mind, she was gonna fight. So she let go of his hand as she got up, Boyd tried to stop her but she evaded his touch. Her gaze falling onto the woman by the vault door, the attention taken by the fight exposing an opportunity for attack. All the lessons she'd been taught by Derek fueled her courage as her facial appearance morphed with her werewolf blood and she attacked, screaming as she aimed her claws at the other woman's neck in hope for a clean kill.

Another inch and her claws would have connected but Kali wasn't dumb, her gracious fingers wrapping around the younger wrist as a wicked grin formed on her lips, ''You should have stayed put.''

Suddenly she was pushed, gasping at the strength as his feet lifted off the ground. Erica could hear the snarling closing in, tried to get her feet back on the ground but was falling forward towards the ground. She connected with something hard, pure muscles hidden under the softness of a thick coat. Catching it off guard, she could sense the emotions within it as it turned around. Lashing out from pure instincts, its teeth digging into her flesh causing her to scream.

It hurt, terribly. Panic wrecked through her mind as she felt the blood pour out of the wound and the beast let go instantly, its eyes meeting hers as he recognized his dire mistake. She coughed as blood filled her airway, her hand pushing at the wound in her neck as he vision blurred. Strong arms wrapped around her, Boyd was staring down at her with tear struck eyes. She smiled, said that this was how her life would end. Her hand trembled as she held it out towards her best friend and he took it, she wanted to tell him how much she loved him but the words were caught on her tongue. The pain was dissipating but she didn't feel any fear, maybe it was all for the best.

Mickeys' POV

His back hit the wall hard, with bits erupting like a cloud of smoke as it burst out of the impact. He coughed, aching all over as his body finally gave way. His naked feet touched the ground only to let him fall, just breaking the fall as he slumped against the ground. Glancing at his arm he could no longer see the wound caused by his father, only fresh blood remaining. His hands trembling as they reach up to touch his jaw, feeling the fresh warm blood. He couldn't look at her, had no words that would ever allow him to be forgiven for what he'd done. Monster, he'd always said that about his father and now he'd proven that they were the same. A beast drove by the instinct to kill, doing exactly what he'd been created to do.

A familiar melody suddenly broke out from the vault door causing him to glance in its direction, his father was shrugging his coat back on as he grabbed the device from Kalis' grasp. Not a single wound was left on his skin, just the specks of blood on his cheeks of which he didn't bother to wipe away as he stared down at the phone.

''You think they're gonna accept a monster like you?'' his raspy tone echoed through the room as he glanced towards Mickey, his face un-readable yet with an edge. Mickey looked away causing his father to snort, ''McCall's a good kid, he ain't gonna accept a killer like you.''

''Fuck you,'' Mickey snarled, eyes closing shut as his head twinged in pain. He deserved it, no pain in the whole world would be enough to make up for Ericas' death.

''There's only one person who will take you now,'' his father smirked causing Mickey to glare at him, ''Welcome home, Kiddo.''

''I ain't gonna kill anyone,'' Mickey said but his gaze fell on Erica and winced, her death would haunt him for the rest of his life.

''We're not like werewolves, we can't hold back,'' his father explained but Mickey already knew that it was the reason why he'd never used his powers. Even in human form, he was afraid to make a mistake, turning had never been an option. He could hear the footsteps, the shuffling of his coat as his father crouched in front of him. A gentle but calloused hand gripped his chin to force him to meet the eyes of which he'd gotten his green, although his father's green eyes were much more alive, ''Help us and we won't have to kill anyone else.''

He was gonna tell him to fuck off, that they wouldn't be able to hurt his friends anyways but then his father's eyes shifted to the corner of the room and Mickey realized. Ericas' death had been sudden, without a single thought made. A split-second decision made by Kali, no one had been able to stop it.

''You're a physio,'' he snarled but his father merely smirked, a strong hand clamping down on Mickeys' shoulder before he straightened up and left.