If You're Going Through Hell
A/N: Hi everyone! I suppose I should add the customary "I don't own the Teen Wolf characters" disclaimer, since I haven't mentioned it yet. Also, for what it's worth, I don't own the Dingling Brothers' Circus, or any other counterparts they may have. Other than that, I don't really have anything new to say except thank you to all of you wonderful people reading, reviewing, favoriting, following this story. Hope you enjoy!
Chapter 8: Joining the Circus
The three friends trudged onwards in companionable silence, Stiles breaking in on occasion to make a joke or fill the others in on something he'd discovered in his time in the underworld. The terrain soon became much more challenging to traverse as they progressed, until they were forced to all-out climb a small mountain that overlooked the Suicide Pit from a distance. They decided to stop and catch their breath when they finally reached the top.
"It's kind of surreal, isn't it?" Derek said, sitting next to Stiles and looking down the side of the mountain to the plateau leading to the Pit they had just come from.
"What do you mean?" Stiles asked, turning to stare at him. Scott, on Stiles' other side, mirrored his actions.
"Just…all of this, this whole world that exists for the dead. It's hard to believe all of this is truly real," Derek answered with a shrug of his shoulders.
"Ahh, I understand," Stiles said with a small chuckle, "and this is really only the beginning. But yeah, its kind of overwhelming when you stop and think about it. In life, we get so caught up in what we're doing that we don't really think about what's going to happen next, when we're gone. And then you die and come here and realize that life was only the beginning and there's so much more to it than what you knew then. And so much of the stuff that was so important in life is meaningless now – money, power, fame, possessions. Here, all of that is gone. What matters here are friends, family, people. I sometimes wonder what I would have done differently, if I had known what I know now when I was still alive."
"We can't change the past," Scott said, meaningfully, gaining the others' attention. "If I could, there are lots of things I would have done differently. But I know I can't undo that. But I also know, now, that I can make up for it…" Scott paused as he made eye contact with Stiles, something passing between the two of them in silent understanding, "And I don't want to make the same mistakes as before. I want to be better. If I can't change the past, maybe I can at least change the future."
"That is indeed a wise and noble sentiment," a voice said from behind them, startling the three friends out of their reverie. They turned as one to face the newcomer, who had somehow managed to sneak up behind them unnoticed. Both Scott and Derek were unsure of him, immediately taking a defensive stance, but Stiles welcomed the stranger with excitement.
"Deaton!" he exclaimed, jumping up to close the distance between them and shake hands.
"Stiles, what are you talking about? That's not Deaton," Scott said, also jumping to his feet and quickly joining them. Derek moved at a more leisurely pace, connecting the dots as he did so.
"Yes, he is," Stiles replied, amused, "just a different one than the one you know. Scott, Derek, allow me to introduce you to George Deaton, grandfather of Alan Deaton and my Limbo mentor."
"George Deaton?" Scott asked, looking more and more confused by the second. Derek, in contrast, shook hands with the man warmly.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, sir," Derek said, "Stiles told me that you were once the emissary for my family's pack. I want to thank you for guiding my ancestors."
"Oh? You are the Hale that Stiles told me about? Yes, now that I take a good look at you, I can see the family resemblance. Well, it's truly a pleasure to meet you as well," George replied, before turning back to Stiles. "I take it that means the stuff we talked about worked?"
"Oh, yes," Stiles said with a wide grin, "it worked beautifully." Seeing the confusion now permanently etched on Scott's face, he elaborated, "George is the one who taught me about Limbo, but he also taught me a lot about the Druid arts, including the stuff that made it possible for Derek to come here."
"Oh," Scott said, seeing the man in a new light. He took a moment to process and then also shook his hand, relaxing and smiling, "thank you, Mr. Deaton, for helping us."
"No trouble at all," George replied, waving it off, "after 60 years in this place, I'm just glad to have something worthwhile to do. And helping the descendants of my friends and pack seems like a good cause to me."
"There isn't much left of the Hale pack," Derek said, expression clouding over at the thought.
"So I've heard," George said, "which is all the more reason to help with what you are planning to do. Although, Stiles, I'm sorry to say I haven't been able to locate any more for you."
"Any more what?" Scott asked.
"Any more, um…members of our pack," Stiles interjected, cutting George off before he could answer and casting a sideways glance at the older man. He looked nervous as he did so, and Derek could instantly tell that he was hiding something, again, but he chose not to press the issue for now. A small group of people wandered out of a tunnel nearby and into their cavern, giggling amongst themselves. They seemed harmless, but, as Stiles kept reminding them, not everything in this world was as it seems, so he didn't want to risk being overheard.
"We should probably get back to our search," Derek said, turning his attention back to his friends.
"Will you join us?" Scott asked George, "we could use your help if you know this place and what we're looking for."
"I'm afraid I cannot," George answered, "I am on my own quest of sorts at the moment. But I expect our paths will inevitably cross at some point. I look forward to seeing you again, and I will continue keeping my eyes open for any more…members of your pack." This last part was directed specifically at Stiles, who nodded solemnly in agreement.
"Thank you, George," Stiles said, "it was great running into you. Good luck!" They all shook hands once more, said a quick good-bye, and parted ways – George heading down the tunnel that the group of people had come from and Stiles, Derek, and Scott continuing into the cavern leading away from the mountain side.
As they began their descent, Derek pulled Stiles aside slightly and whispered to him, hoping Scott would be too focused on keeping his footing to notice. "You're hiding something, Stiles." It wasn't a question, and they both knew it.
Stiles sheepishly glanced at Derek before turning to watch his own footing, the terrain steepening as they went. "Yes, I suppose I am."
"Why? What is it? You know you can trust me," Derek tried to keep the hurt out of his voice, but wasn't very successful.
"Of course I trust you, Derek," Stiles whispered, placing a hand on the older man's shoulder, "I trust you with my life…or…afterlife, I guess? You know what I mean. I just, there's something I need to keep to myself for now. Can you find it in you to trust me enough that I have a good reason for keeping it secret?"
"I guess, yeah," Derek said, grudgingly, "if you promise that this isn't something I will regret later on.
"Well, Derek, I'm not sure I can do that either, if we're being completely honest."
"Stiles," Derek groaned, a low growl escaping under his breath as well.
"How far away are Mason and Corey?" Stiles called out to Scott as they made their way down a narrow path descending the other side of the mountain, trying to change the topic.
"Not too far," Scott replied, "the scent is much stronger on this side." Derek scented the air once more, realizing that he too could now smell their missing packmates, though it was still rather faint.
"This conversation isn't over," Derek whispered to Stiles. The younger man simply nodded his head in agreement solemnly. "There are a lot of people down there," Derek added, surveying the valley below them. At the base of the mountain the ground levelled out, extending in all directions for miles. They were still too far away to make out many details other than the constant movement, but as they got closer it became obvious that the tiny, moving dots were hundreds, maybe even thousands, of people. Everyone seemed to be heading to the absolute center of the valley, where a neon red and yellow structure stood.
"What is that?" Scott asked once they had reached the valley floor, pointing at the structure rising above the crowds in the distance. It seemed to be the center of everyone's attention, people flocking to it in groups of twos and threes, laughing and joking as they did so.
"It kind of looks like a tent," Stiles replied, squinting at the thing in front of them, "like the ones they have at the fair every year."
"Whatever it is, its attracting a lot of attention," Derek observed, "we're going to have a rough time getting inside."
"Yeah, there's no way that thing can hold all these people," Scott said, being jostled about as they joined the throngs of people all heading to the tent in the center of the valley. Soon the trio was swallowed up by the mass of people and noise pressing in on all directions, and they had all they could manage just to remain together. "I'm pretty sure Corey and Mason are inside," Scott called out to the others as they began to be pushed closer.
The structure turned out to indeed be an old, slightly tattered tent. The red and yellow striped pattern completely circled the entire thing, providing a stark contrast against the gray and black stone found everywhere else in the giant cavern. The tent seemed to be attracting the people to it like moths to a flame, and as they neared the entrance they could hear old carnival music and laughter coming from inside. The three friends finally managed to squeeze their way through the narrow entrance before stopping dead in their tracks at the sight before them.
Limbo world was definitely not always what it appeared to be. From the outside, the tent appeared to be rather small, at best the size of a two-story house. From the inside, it was another world entirely. Grandstands stretched on in both directions, encircling the entire edge of the tent's interior with thousands upon thousands of seats, most of which were occupied by the people flocking inside. The grandstands surrounded what could only be an old-time three ring circus with a large, open area in the middle where various animals and acrobats were performing for the captivated audience. A small stage had been erected in the very center of the tent around a wooden pole as thick as a redwood tree that stretched to the roof of the tent hundreds of feet above them.
The three friends were mesmerized by the sights before them, but quickly snapped out of their reverie by the crowd of people pushing them forward into the grandstands. "Are you sure Corey and Mason are here?" Stiles asked, reassessing their surroundings.
"Yeah, I'm positive they're here somewhere. But there are so many people, I can't tell where specifically," Scott replied, turning his head in all directions with his nose lifted into the air.
"Come on," Derek said, grabbing them both by the arm and dragging them off into the stands. "Let's grab some seats up top so we can be out of the way and figure out what's going on."
"Good idea," Stiles said, allowing himself to be whisked up to the very top row of seats, "I've always wanted to go to the circus." They found a spot crammed into a corner that was partially blocked by a mezzanine balcony but that afforded them a little bit of privacy from the throng of people here to presumably watch the show. Before they could discuss any further plans of action, the lights in the tent dimmed and a man wearing a bright red trench coat and pants with a gold vest underneath and matching red hat stepped out onto the stage in the center of the tent and grabbed a microphone that looked at least a century old.
"Ladies and Gentlemen!" the man began with overdramatic flair, "welcome one and all to the world-famous, stupendous, death-defying Dingling Brothers' Circus!" The crowd thunderously applauded as the three friends exchanged curious and confused glances with one another.
"The Dingling Brothers' Circus?" Scott asked. Stiles just shrugged and returned his attention to the announcer.
"Here in this very arena, you will see wonders beyond anything you could possibly imagine. We have gathered the greatest performers and most marvelous creatures available here in the afterlife for what can only be called: the Greatest Show in Limbo!" The crowd erupted into applause and cheers once again. Even Stiles and Scott joined in, though not quite as enthusiastically as the rest of the people.
Derek alone seemed to be immune, crossing his arms over his chest and glaring around at the audience. "Don't forget that we are here to find our friends, not enjoy some weird freak show."
"Hey, don't be such a sourwolf. There's no reason why we can't do both at the same time," Stiles replied, playfully punching the man in the arm. Derek simply rolled his eyes before returning to scanning the audience for familiar faces.
"Before we bring you tonight's main attractions, please welcome the clown troupe led by our very own Master Clown himself, Frosty Little!" The crowd went wild, cheering on as a tiny car veered into the arena being driven by a clown in a red checkered coat.
"Argh, I hate clowns!" Derek exclaimed, turning away from the action happening in the center of the arena.
"Really? How come?" Stiles asked, a glint in his eye suggesting he wasn't asking just out of curiosity.
"Bad birthday party experience when I was 8," Derek said gruffly before catching the look Stiles was giving him, "and if you ever repeat that to anyone or try to use it against me, I will rip your throat out…with my teeth…regardless of whether you are already dead or not." Stiles and Scott both busted out laughing as Derek tried, unsuccessfully, to remain completely stoic next to them.
The rest of the show passed by uneventfully. The audience laughed at the clowns' antics, were captivated by the acrobats flying through the air, awed by the trained elephants, lions, and tigers performing with their caretakers, and mesmerized by the troupe of daredevils juggling chainsaws, swallowing swords, escaping straightjackets, and contorting their bodies into weird positions. At first, Derek was confused by why the whole circus seemed to be so monumentally popular with the people of Limbo, but eventually he decided it must simply be because there didn't seem to be very many other forms of entertainment in the afterlife. He was forced to reconsider when time came for the final act.
"Ladies and gentlemen!" the announcer from before returned once again to his podium, "it brings me great pleasure to introduce you to our final act of the evening. But I must warn you, what you are about to witness cannot be explained by the wonders of science or learned by even the greatest of students. What you are about to see are some of the most terrifying creatures to have ever walked the planet above, creatures that are the stuff nightmares are made of. I must ask you to remain in your seats, where it is safe, and cover the eyes of your children while the Dingling Brothers' Circus proudly presents to you: the Greatest Freaks in Limbo!" Instead of cheering and applauding, the crowd of onlookers gasped, oohing and aahing as the stage began to expand outwards, leaving an opening in its center. They could hear roars and screams coming from inside and below the stage as a series of what looked like giant boxes covered in brightly colored cloth slowly ascended upwards through the gap in the stage.
"Ladies and gentlemen! Behold, the amazing wolf-woman!" The announcer's voice was drowned out by the chorus of screams, cheers, and applause from different members of the audience as the first cloth was swept away to reveal a giant steel cage containing a female werewolf in full beta-shift. Derek and Scott both clenched their fists in anger as they realized the woman was clearly being held prisoner against her will, heavy chains stretching from her wrists and ankles to keep her in place. Derek sniffed and noticed there was also an electric current running through the metal, keeping her shifted for everyone to see. The woman was scantily clad, apparently to reveal as much of her body as possible so the audience would know they weren't being deceived, if the announcer was to be believed. "It is a horrendous sight to behold, but I assure you, ladies and gentlemen, you are safe from this beast. I can also assure you that this is no trick, no sleight of hand nor smoke and mirrors. The wolf-woman is a real creature, one who once roamed the earth in disguise as an ordinary person like you or me. But, below the surface, her true nature is revealed. See her fangs, her claws, her glowing yellow eyes, and all completely real! But she is only the beginning!"
Derek, Scott, and Stiles all exchanged glances once more, leaning forward in their seats to get closer looks. None of them liked the sound of what the announcer was suggesting.
"Our next beast is not so much a freak as he is a complete monstrosity. Behold, we give you, the terrifying…Man-Eating Master of Mayhem!" The cloth was swiped away to reveal a very frightened looking teenage boy dressed only in a pair of underwear. Like the werewolf, he was chained up with electricity coursing through the metal, forcing him to shift and revealing several rows of razor sharp teeth and glowing white eyes.
"A wendigo," Derek said under his breath, jaw clenched tightly in anger at the abuse going on below.
"Wait, I recognize him," Scott said. The others tuned out the announcer's description to focus in on Scott instead.
"Really? Who is he?" Stiles asked, nudging his friend in the shoulder.
"Sean…I think that's what his name was. He was killed during the Deadpool. Actually, he's the primary reason I ended up biting Liam."
"What? What do you mean?" this time it was Derek asking the questions.
"It was after I hurt Liam at lacrosse practice and we took him to the hospital. Sean took Liam up on the roof to eat him I guess, and I was trying to stop him, but Liam got knocked over the edge and I was trying to keep him from falling and also holding off Sean's attack. I ended up biting Liam's arm in order to drag him to safety, and by the time I got him back on the roof, that assassin without a mouth had killed Sean."
"So…it sounds to me like he deserves to be punished here in the afterlife," Stiles said, looking back down at the spectacle before them with mild interest.
"No one deserves to be treated like that," Scott replied, also turning to watch as the announcer was now tormenting the young man with a long pole of some kind.
"Yeah, I suppose your right," Stiles sighed. "What's he saying? It's too far away for me to hear."
"He's crying, and he's begging the announcer to make the pain stop," Derek said, mirroring Stiles' sigh.
"Oh," was all Stiles could say in response before he was interrupted by the announcer once more.
"Well, ladies and gentlemen, we have reached the final of our freaks for the evening. This one is a new acquisition by the circus, a rarity unseen by any before today, an oddity I myself have never come across before in my 120 years as master of ceremonies for this circus and its counterpart in the world we came from. This creature is an abomination unlike any other, so don't let his demeanor fool you into believing he is an innocent boy. Without further ado, ladies and gentlemen, the Dingling Brothers' circus proudly presents to you: the terrifying, the mesmerizing, Invisible Boy!"
The cloth was pulled away and the three friends could only stare on in agony at the sight before them. This cage contained two people. Strung up in the center with chains like the others was none other than Corey. Also like the others, he was clad in only his underwear. The skin on his entire body had turned beet red from what appeared to be a combination of pain and embarrassment. Electricity coursed through the shackles holding him in place, but at a much lower voltage than the other captives. Chained to the floor of the cage directly in front of Corey was Mason. The two were positioned so they would be forced to watch one another without obstructing the view of the audience on the scene as a whole. Mason's back was to their packmates above, so it was impossible for their friends to see what condition he was in apart from the chains binding him to the floor and his similar lack of clothing.
"Now, you all may be wondering why we have two beings in this cage," the announcer's voice tore Derek, Scott, and Stiles back to the reality of what was happening. "Well, not only is this creature an abomination against nature, he is also an abomination against society. The boy in the cage with him is his lover, an atrocious crime on so many levels." The crowd began to boo and hiss, mocking the boys caged up below them. Corey began to cry, his whole body shaking in rhythm with his sobs while Mason leaned forward towards his boyfriend as far as he could, presumably to comfort him, though the din from the audience made it impossible for even the werewolves to hear.
"But don't fret, my dear friends," the announcer continued, "none of these abominations can get out of their bindings. Now watch, and be amazed as our final attraction is able to turn himself completely invisible!" Derek could almost feel the shift as the electrical current coursing through Corey's shackles was increased. He yelped in pain before ever-so-slowly fading out of sight before their eyes, the only indication he was still there being the shackles still hanging tightly in mid-air. The crowd went wild at the sight, jumping to their feet, cheering, applauding, and carrying on.
"Well, I've seen enough," Stiles said, standing as well, but ducking out of sight behind the mezzanine, "cover me."
"Stiles, what are you doing?" Scott hissed, nevertheless standing as well alongside Derek to hide the view behind the mezzanine from the audience.
"Simple," he replied, his voice deepening with each word, indicating his shift into demon form, "I'm going to go get our friends. Climb up on top of this contraption once I have everyone's attention down there and I'll swing back by and pick you up on our way out."
"Whoa, Stiles, hold on," Derek tried, but it was too late, Demon-Stiles was already taking off into the air, circling the giant wooden pole in the center of the tent to alert the audience to his presence before quickly descending to the stage. The sudden and dramatic appearance of the demon changed everything. Pandemonium broke out as various people began screaming and running for the entrance while others remained rigidly frozen in their seats. "Come on!" Derek called to Scott, grabbing him by the wrist and dragging him up on the mezzanine in order to escape being trampled by the crowd.
"What are you doing here?" the announcer shouted at the demon, unaware he was still holding the microphone and amplifying his voice for everyone to hear. "I thought I had a deal with Dekak! You can't just fly in here and interrupt my show!"
"I have business with these two," Demon-Stiles said, pointing at Corey and Mason.
"No way!" the announcer shouted, running to place himself between the demon and the cage. "I just purchased them! There's no way I'm letting you waltz in here and take what is rightfully mine!"
"That's ok, I wasn't asking for your permission," Demon-Stiles replied, swiping the man aside like a rag doll and grabbing the cage, ripping it out of its frame and tossing it aside. "I'm going to get you out of here, guys, please don't freak out on me."
The audience was now in full panic mode, stampeding towards the narrow exit in one chaotic mass of screams and cries and shoves. Derek and Scott seemed to be the only ones still watching the stage, which was for the best since Stiles had stopped acting in demonic fashion in his attempts to reassure their terrified friends. He made short work of the chains binding both boys, effectively freeing them and grabbing one in each arm. He was just about to take off into the air again when he seemed to second-guess himself.
"Come on, come on, come on, what are you doing Stiles?" Derek cried out nervously as he watched the scene below him unfold. Scott nervously chewed his bottom lip as he followed the demon's movements.
"Don't move," Stiles commanded the two boys as he let go of them. They obeyed without question as he quickly ran over and made short work of destroying the other two cages, releasing Sean and the female werewolf from their captivity. The two quickly ducked out of sight into the crowd as the announcer began to stir, shaking his head slightly as he pulled himself off the ground. "Now, let's get out of here. Hold on tight!" Demon-Stiles said to Corey and Mason, grabbing one in each arm once more and taking off into the air with a mighty thrust from his wings.
Stiles flew directly towards Derek and Scott, shouting "grab on!" as he approached. They both did so without a second thought, Derek grabbing hold of Mason's free arm and Scott clutching one of Corey's legs. Stiles didn't stop, allowing his momentum to catapult the odd group straight through the wall of the tent behind the grandstands.
"Scott? Derek? What's happening?" Mason called out, his voice thick with fear. Corey's whole body was still shaking, the boy clearly being too traumatized to form words.
"Don't worry, everything's going to be fine," Scott shouted out in reply, "I promise you're safe now."
"We'll explain the rest when we land," Derek added, cutting them off.
"Which will need to be soon," Demon-Stiles said with a grunt, "I can't keep all five of us in the air for very long. Corey, it'd be really great if you could turn us all invisible so no one can follow us."
Corey didn't audibly respond. For a moment, it didn't seem like he even comprehended what was being said or going on around him. But eventually it must have gotten through, as the group became translucent, the grey light of the cavern shifting to a dull green as they literally disappeared into thin air.
"Alright, anyone got a bright idea?" Demon-Stiles asked, descending slightly under the strain of keeping all of them in the air.
"To your left, there's an outcropping about halfway up the cave wall," Derek called out to him. Stiles veered in that direction without a word, making a beeline for the opening. He didn't bother with a proper landing, instead crashing all five of them to the floor of the outcropping, obscured from view by those on the ground below as they all blinked back into the visible spectrum.
"Ohhh, that was a nightmare," Demon-Stiles groaned, rolling over onto his back and pushing himself up against the wall. "I don't think my wings will ever be the same."
"What is going on!" Mason cried out, eyes darting back and forth between Derek, Scott, and the demon as he hovered over his boyfriend. Corey wasn't paying attention; instead, he had curled himself into a tight ball at Mason's side the moment they landed, his whole body still shaking with sobs. "And who, or what, are you?" Mason added, focusing his full attention on the demon and shifting slightly to place himself between Corey and the creature.
"What, you don't recognize me?" Demon-Stiles asked cheekily, before sighing dramatically and shifting back into human form. "How about now?"
"Stiles?" Mason whispered. The look on his face suggested he was either running every scenario imaginable in his head to figure this out or his mind was simply shutting down altogether.
"Of course!" Stiles replied, "did you miss me?" Mason could only stare on in wonder, dumbfounded by what he was seeing. "Oh, and…to make it official," Stiles continued, giving a meaningful, mischievous glance towards Derek and Scott as he said it, "welcome to Hell!"