If You're Going Through Hell
A/N: Happy reading! If you are enjoying the story, reviews/thoughts/etc. are greatly appreciated. For those who are curious, I have the rest of this story outlined now…it'll be roughly 40 chapters by the time it's done, so welcome to the 25% mark!
Chapter 11: Friends and Foes
The tunnel they entered was rather dark and narrow, even compared to the others they had been in throughout the Underworld. The artificial light that illuminated most of the caverns with a soft, gray glow seemed unable to penetrate here, and soon the group of four found themselves stumbling in the dark. Derek and Scott shifted, using their werewolf eyes to guide the human and human/demon hybrid. With the darkness also came silence, as eerie and formidable and lonely as anything they had encountered in this world.
"Scott, are you sure we are going the right way?" Stiles whispered to the Alpha wolf in front of him. The words echoed unnaturally down the length of the tunnel.
"Yeah. Isaac's scent is definitely coming from somewhere down here," Scott whispered back over his shoulder, carefully stepping around an outcropping in the floor.
"Why would he come down here?" Derek asked from the back of the group. "He hates confined spaces like this."
"You're assuming he's down here willingly," Stiles replied with a shrug of his shoulders. The group fell silent once more as their tunnel began a steep descent further underground. The way became treacherous, requiring every ounce of strength the wolves had to keep them all from losing their footing and tumbling downwards. Eventually, even that was not enough. One slip of a foot led to all four of them careening down the tunnel, tumbling over one another until they finally spilled out in a giant heap at the other end.
"Ow, that hurt," Nolan grunted from the bottom of the pile, unable to move because of the three older men on top of him.
"Whoa, look at that," Scott said, getting to his feet first and taking in their surroundings. The tunnel had led them to a huge cavern, sparkling with the light of white and green crystals covering the walls and ceiling. It was breathtaking and beautiful, and the others were instantly enthralled as they stood to join their leader.
"Well, well, well, if it isn't the little traitor himself," a voice spoke from their left, calling them back to their senses.
"Gabe!" Nolan squeaked, taking a step behind Scott and Stiles as the others turned to face the newcomer.
"So what, betraying us in life wasn't good enough for you? You had to go and join them here too?" Gabe sneered, seated on a particularly large crystal jutting from the wall. Scott and Derek took up defensive positions, pushing Nolan further behind them as they let their fangs and claws extend fully. Stiles remained unphased, crossing his arms over his chest and leaning against the wall as he watched.
"Monroe was wrong, Gabe," Nolan said, voice quivering slightly but strong nonetheless. "these guys…they aren't the bad guys she tried to make us believe they were."
"No, you're wrong!" Gabe shouted, jumping down from his perch and stalking forward, ignoring the werewolf growls directed at him. "These creatures aren't even human. How could you choose them over your friends?"
"I chose to do what is right," Nolan replied, straightening his posture and keeping his tone steady. "And I'd do it again if I could. These people are my friends now."
"Whatever man," Gabe scoffed, "if that's the side you want to be on, fine. But don't say I didn't warn you when they turn on you or sacrifice you to get what they want."
"We would never do that!" Scott cried out angrily.
"You know, you talk awfully big for someone who is down here all alone," Stiles observed, eyes wandering around the crystal cave.
"Who says he's alone?" a voice from the other side of the cavern called out. Derek and Scott instinctively shifted positions, pushing Stiles and Nolan closer to the wall to keep themselves between the new threat and their pack. Nolan watched their claws apprehensively while Stiles just rolled his eyes, turning his attention to the newcomer.
"And who in the Underworld are you?" Stiles asked, squinting to make out the speaker.
"Oh, I'm sure your alpha remembers us," a second, female, voice said as she and her partner stepped forward into the light of the crystals.
"Assassins," Scott said, hunching down slightly as though preparing to attack.
"Oh yeah, from the Deadpool," Stiles added nonchalantly, "I remember now. Didn't you both get killed by Kate and her Berserkers?"
Being reminded of their deaths wiped the grins off the two teens faces. They each pulled weapons out and took up defensive stances a few yards away from the rest.
"Gabe, you're working with actual assassins?" Nolan asked, incredulous.
"It's the enemy of my enemy and all that," Gabe said with a smirk, using the distraction to inch forward slightly and reveal his own weapon.
"We have waited a long time to get revenge on you, Scott McCall," Violet said.
"And, though we can't actually kill you, being able to send you to the next stage of the afterlife will do just as good," Garrett finished.
"You all seem to be forgetting one thing," Stiles said with a sigh, picking at his fingernails slightly in a bored sort of way.
"And what would that be?" Gabe asked, narrowing his eyes.
"You're all still outnumbered," Stiles replied, standing straighter and turning to look at him with a smirk, "five to three."
"Five?" both Gabe and Nolan asked, confused. Just then, a loud shout rang throughout the cave as someone hurdled down from the ceiling towards the teen assassins and Scott darted forward to join her. Derek and Stiles leapt towards Gabe while Nolan alone remained rooted to his spot. And then it all went crazy.
-o-
"That was delicious," Mason said happily, leaning back on his elbows contently as Corey snuggled up next to him.
"I agree, you are excellent cooks," Corey added, passing his and Mason's bowls to Melissa.
"I'm sure just about anything will taste good if you haven't eaten in a year," Melissa said with a smile, "But I'll take the compliment anyway."
"It's just nice to be able to share a meal with friends again," Lydia said from across the campfire, staring wistfully into it. "We've been alone for too long." Her face took on a haunted sort of look, though none of the others chose to comment on it.
"Leave it to Stiles to come up with something this crazy," Melissa said, gathering up the rest of their dishes and setting about cleaning them. "Not that I'm complaining or anything, of course. It's just…well, it all sounds a little too impossible and weird, you know?"
"Trust us, Mrs. McCall…we know," Mason said, Corey nodding in agreement. "And we were there."
"I think there is more to it than what he has let on though," Lydia said, absentmindedly twirling a strand of hair around a finger. "I know he has been pressed for time and hasn't been able to explain everything, but I feel like there are some important missing details."
Corey and Mason shared a look, both remembering their strange conversation with Stiles just before being sent back to the world of the living. "He said…some stuff," Mason started slowly, watching his boyfriend for encouragement. "Stuff about how he's making sacrifices to keep the Pack safe."
"He made us promise to look after everyone and do what we can to protect the Pack while he's not here," Corey added.
"Well, I mean that makes sense," Melissa interjected, clearly not wanting to doubt what was going on in the world of the dead. "He's not here yet, so he asked you to hold down the fort. That's perfectly reasonable."
"Yeah, but it didn't sound like that," Mason said, "it sounded like there was something else going on, something he didn't want us to know because we would be mad at him."
"Well, we'll just have to wait," Melissa replied, returning to her work. "And ask him the next time he shows up in that mist stuff."
"Hmmm," was Lydia's only reply. She turned back to the fire, lost in thought.
"I think we'll head out to that tool shed now," Mason said uneasily, standing and pulling Corey to his feet beside him. "That way we can get Nolan's marker ready as soon as possible.
"Be careful you two," Melissa was on them immediately, hugging them both as if they were her own sons going off to war. "And remember, to get through the barrier you have to be determined. Focus on wanting to reach the Nemeton, that's how I did it. And watch out for hunters, there are still a few of Monroe's people hanging around. And watch out for one another, keep each other safe. And promise me you'll come back if it's too dangerous. Don't go in if you can't…"
"We'll be fine," Mason interrupted, finally pulling himself out of her grip. "I promise, Mrs. McCall, we'll be careful."
"Thank you," Corey said simply, waiting for her to let go of him, just as reluctant to pull away.
"We'll be invisible the whole time. As long as we're quiet, no one will know we are there," Mason said. Melissa still looked nervous, but she nodded her head, giving them her blessing. "You ready, Cor?"
"As I'll ever be," he said with a sigh, taking his boyfriend's hand and fizzling them out of visibility.
Melissa listened carefully until she could no longer hear their footsteps rustling in the grass before she went back to cleaning. "Be careful, sons."
Lydia continued to stare into the fire, listening to what was going on around her but deep in thought about what secrets Stiles might have hidden from them all.
-o-
The crystal cave erupted in screams and yells. Satomi had jumped down from somewhere above them, charging straight at Garrett and Violet with Scott quickly joining her for the battle. Derek and Stiles had used the distraction to charge after Gabe, but he still had one more trick of his own up his sleeve. Hidden from view, obscured by the giant crystal he had previously been sitting on, were two more of Monroe's hunters. They stepped out of the shadows just as Derek was taking a swing at Gabe, who had stepped back, and the hunters were able to latch onto him. Nolan, finally breaking out of his stupor, ran to help Derek and Stiles against the new attackers.
"Do you know how many of my pack you murdered?!" Satomi yelled, swiping claws fiercely at the teen assassins. "Do you know how much pain and suffering you caused us all?!"
"What was it, Violet? Six?" Garrett replied, tauntingly, swinging a knife in each hand wildly.
"No, I thought it was seven," she said with an evil grin, ducking Scott's punch and rolling to get behind him with her trademark wire.
"I should rip you limb from limb," Satomi cried, a murderous rage building inside her as she charged at Garrett once again, who dove out of the way behind a rock column.
The two assassins seemed fairly evenly matched against the two alpha wolves, using the terrain they were obviously familiar with to their advantage. At the same time, Gabe and his hunters seemed to have the upper hand against one wolf and two humans. Nolan joined the fray, breaking the hold two of the hunters had on Derek, only to be knocked to the ground and pinned at gunpoint by one of them.
"Stop!" he ordered, "or I'll shoot this good-for-nothing runt." Derek immediately stopped struggling, allowing himself to be forced to his knees by Gabe and the other hunter. "That was too easy," the hunter said with a smirk.
"Wait," Gabe replied, looking around, "where'd Stiles go?"
"Oh, did you miss me?" the much deeper voice of Stiles' demon asked, emerging from the shadows.
"What the…" the hunter with the gun started before a quick chop to the back of the neck by the demon knocked him to the ground unconscious.
"It's about time," Derek snarled, jumping to his feet and knocking his captors to the ground.
"You know me, I like to make a dramatic entrance," Demon-Stiles said, picking up the other hunter and tossing him into a pillar, where he immediately went limp.
"What should we do with this one?" Derek asked, picking Gabe up by the neck.
"Well, we could always…" Stiles began before being interrupted by an ear-piercing scream. Their group turned as one to look at the other battle going on.
Scott was still fiercely fighting, now going toe-to-toe with Garrett. Satomi, meanwhile, had managed to gain the upper hand, or in this case claw, on Violet. Violet continued to scream as Satomi finished slashing across her midsection, blood beginning to pool at her feet at an alarming rate. Satomi took a step back, composing herself as she watched her enemy collapse to the ground.
"For 200 years I lived on that earth," she said, her voice like ice. "I dedicated myself to peace and non-violence, even when it meant I was shunned for my heritage and locked away from the rest of the world in an internment camp. But always a werewolf's rage burns inside, and I cannot sit by and let those who destroyed my pack go free."
"NO!" Garrett cried, watching helplessly from where Scott had pinned him down as Violet's afterlife drained away. "No, Violet, don't leave me!"
"I'm sorry," she rasped, reaching a hand towards him shakily before it fell to the ground and she went still. The air itself went still as well, no one daring to breathe as they stared transfixed at the now lifeless body of the young woman. Then, as they watched, she began to fade away, dissolving before their eyes.
"No!" Garrett shouted once more, breaking free of Scott's grasp to run towards his girlfriend's body. But he was too late, by the time he reached the spot where she had lain there was not even a drop of blood left to suggest she had ever even been there. He collapsed to his knees, sobbing into his hands. "You!" he shouted, pointing a finger at Satomi as grief turned to rage. "You…foul creature! You murdered her!" He jumped to his feet, stalking towards her.
"I did no more than what you did to seven members of my pack," she replied, a steely resolve to her voice as she extended her claws and fangs once more, eyes glowing a deep red. "And I'll do the same to you if you do not back off."
"I'd like to see you try!" Garrett screamed, pouncing at her with his knives.
"Satomi, wait!" Scott shouted, darting forward to pull the two apart. But it was fruitless, they were both fast and out for blood now. Garrett swiped haphazardly at her face and arms, causing several deep gashes in them. But, in his rage, he left himself defenseless, and Satomi was quickly able to get a couple of jabs in below his reach, straight into the stomach. It was over in seconds. Garrett stumbled, falling backwards onto the ground as Satomi and Scott both came to stand over him, one wearing a vindicated look and the other remorseful.
"Vi…Violet?" Garrett asked, staring at a point above their heads transfixed. He too reached out, this time to seemingly thin air, before coughing up blood and going still. A few moments passed, and then his body also dissolved, until there was no longer any evidence that he had ever been there.
"What just happened?" Scott asked, eyes darting between Satomi and Demon-Stiles.
"They have died the second death," a new, though familiar, voice answered, "and they have gone on to the next stage of the afterlife."
"Ms. Morell?" Scott said, turning to watch as she approached from another tunnel that they had missed.
"Hello Scott," she replied, turning to take in the rest of the group. "Stiles, I had heard from my grandfather that you had acquired the ability to turn into a demon. However, I must say, I did not believe him at the time."
"Is that so?" Demon-Stiles asked as he transformed back into his human self. "So, seeing is believing?" He added cheekily.
"Something like that," Morell replied, turning her attention back to the alphas. "What are you doing Scott?"
"What do you mean? They attacked us. We were just defending ourselves," Scott grumbled, taking a step back.
"That's not what I meant and you know it. What are you doing here, in this part of the Underworld?" her eyes seemed to pierce him as he shifted uncomfortably before her.
"We're looking for Isaac. His scent led us down this way," Scott said, daring to make eye contact.
"If Isaac Lahey is down here, it is not without purpose," Ms. Morell said cryptically, turning again to survey the rest of their group.
"What is that supposed to mean?" Derek growled, still in wolf form as he approached her.
"I understand what you are seeking to do," she answered, dismissively, "but I also know that what you are doing is upsetting the balance of this world. You've brought the soul of a living being here. You've sent the souls of dead beings back to the living world. These things will not go unnoticed for long, and I believe they will only cause you more problems in the long run. This world for the dead has existed since the foundation of the world of the living. Do not assume you can mess with something so ancient and powerful without consequence." She turned to look at each of them in turn, watching to see what affect her words would have on them.
"Your grandfather didn't have a problem with it," Stiles retorted, taking a stand alongside his wolf-friends, "he's the one who taught me how to do those things in the first place."
"From what I can tell, my grandfather was always a big risk-taker. It is what ended up getting him killed in life before his own children graduated high school, leaving the Hale Pack with a 16-year-old, untrained emissary. He's hardly someone I would place my entire future, and that of those I love, on."
"We appreciate your concern, Marin," Derek said derisively, "but we will continue to do what we feel is right."
"Oh, I know you will," she said with a smile, "I just hope you understand what is at stake here." With that, she nonchalantly began to walk off, towards another tunnel opposite the one she had come through. The others simply watched her go, unsure of what to say. "Oh, and Stiles," she said, turning back as she reached the tunnel entrance, "I hope you remember our conversation from a few years ago, after Matt died. Winston Churchill once said, 'if you are going through hell…keep going.' Those words are especially true for those of us who now live here. I hope you keep that in mind." With that, she disappeared into the dark of the tunnel, footsteps fading in the distance.
"What was that all about?" Nolan asked, breaking the silence and turning to his friends.
"I…have no idea," Stiles said, shaking his head.
"What's this about you returning souls to the world of the living?" Satomi asked, laying a hand on Scott's shoulder.
"It's a long story," Scott said, before he, Stiles, and Derek took turns explaining their mission to her.
"You are a good alpha, Scott McCall," she said with a smile when they were finished. "While I agree with Marin that the balance of the world must be preserved, you have my support in what you are trying to do. Your Pack is young; you deserve another chance at life."
"Thank you, Satomi. That means so much, coming from you," Scott said, gratitude overflowing.
"Will you come with us?" Stiles asked, "You seem like you'd be pretty handy to have around in a fight."
"No," she said with a small shake of her head, "I have my own pack to find and put back together. But, should our paths cross again, I will do what I can to help you."
"I promise we will do the same," Scott said, extending his hand to her so they could shake on it. She accepted graciously, before turning and running down the tunnel that Ms. Morell had originally appeared from.
"Well, that was weird," Stiles said, watching her go.
"Completely," Scott agreed.
"Where's Gabe?" Nolan asked. They all turned to look at the spot where their fight had taken place. The two unconscious hunters were still strewn about the ground, but Gabe was no longer anywhere to be seen.
"He must have used our conversation to sneak away," Derek growled, claws slowly extending once more.
"It doesn't matter," Scott said, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder to calm him down, "I think we've proven he's no match for us. Leave him alone. Let's go find Isaac."
"Fine," Derek rumbled, closing his eyes as his claws retracted.
"Which way do we go, oh great one?" Stiles asked, turning to look at the various tunnels that all fed into the crystal cave.
Scott took a moment to scent the air once more, ignoring the giggles from his best friend and new friend. "This way," he said after a moment, pointing down another narrow corridor that had been partially obstructed by rocks.
"Of course," Stiles grumbled. "It couldn't be one of the easy ones, it has to be the one that's almost completely caved in."
"Well, come on," Derek said, grabbing his arm to drag him along. "We won't accomplish anything by standing here and staring at it." The group began shifting rocks out of the way, Stiles transforming into demon form once more to provide some added muscle. They remained uninterrupted as they worked, which they all agreed was for the best. Slowly but surely, they were able to move enough rock and rubble away to be able to crawl into the tunnel.
"Guys…I don't think I like this," Nolan called out as he crawled in behind Scott and Stiles, Derek once again protecting the rear. "I mean, I'm not like, claustrophobic, or anything, but this is a little too tight, you know."
"No, Nolan, I have no idea what you are talking about. I think it's absolutely perfect," Stiles replied sarcastically from in front of him, cursing under his breath as he scraped his elbow against the rock wall.
"It's not much farther," Scott called from the front, "I can see some light up ahead."
"No Scotty! Don't go into the light!" Stiles said, cackling slightly.
"Stiles, I'm already dead. It's too late to warn me about that," Scott replied, trying and failing to keep his voice straight.
"You guys are weird," Nolan said, laughing at them nonetheless.
"Obnoxious is more like it," Derek said with a deadpan voice, though it just made Scott and Stiles laugh harder.
"Don't be such a sourwolf," Stiles called over his shoulder once he caught his breath, "we've talked about this before. Besides, you know you love me exactly the way I am!" Derek remained silent, thankful that no one could see him blushing. "Don't let him rub off on you, Nolan. Our Pack thrives on obnoxiousness."
"Ok!" Nolan said, struggling to continue crawling through the rock because of his laughter.
"We're here," Scott said, ending the laughter as he straightened upright at the end of the tunnel and took in his surroundings.
"Yeah, but why…here?" Stiles questioned as he too reached the end of their cave and stood up.
"Where exactly is this?" Nolan asked, taking his place alongside them.
Derek finally reached the end of the cave himself, curiosity driving him mad as he listened to the others talking about something he could not see. He stood, taking in a sharp breath as the smells of fear, blood, anger, and grease all hit him at once. He looked around, foreboding skyrocketing as he took in his surroundings. "It's the Lahey's basement," he said, quietly. They took a step forward into the basement, and that is when the screaming started.