If You're Going Through Hell
A/N: Hi all! First, I'd like to say thank you to everyone who has favorited, followed, or commented on this story recently. My grandmother passed away the day after I posted the previous chapter, and I'll admit for awhile now I haven't been able to bring myself to continue writing this story since death is such a prominent aspect of it. I do have the rest of this story, and part of a second one, outlined, so I'm not going to give up on it. But, I make no promises at the moment as to how often I might be able to update it. For now though, I hope you enjoy this next chapter!
Chapter 24: Dread End
"Wait," Scott whispered to the group, holding his hand out to both stop their progress and keep them silent. "Listen," he added, causing everyone but Stiles to concentrate on their supernatural hearing. The human/demon simply huffed as he crossed his arms over his chest and waited for them to relay what they heard back to him.
"There are eight of them," the voice of the aswang chimera echoed down the halls, "and they are stronger than we expected."
"Inconsequential," one of the Doctors replied, voice metallic and ringing in the still air.
"I agree. We should be out there, taking them out one by one. I want my revenge on McCall!" Belasko added with ferocity.
"Inconsequential," the Doctor said again, slightly more emphatically.
"More importantly," the first continued, as though she hadn't been interrupted, "both of the ones you wanted to find are there. Do you want us to go after them?"
The Dread Doctor's reply was drowned out by a sudden scream reverberating from the chamber. By the time it had subsided, the three had apparently moved on, far enough away that even supernatural wolf hearing couldn't pick up their voices.
"What do you think that means?" Isaac asked. "Who are they looking for? And what do they want with us?"
"I doubt its anything good," Theo replied, a solemn expression on his face.
"Its also not our top priority at the moment," Stiles said slowly, looking lost in thought. "We have to get Hayden and get out of here. As callous as this sounds, whatever the Dread Doctors are up to is a problem for the people who will still be in Limbo world to deal with."
He had a strange look on his face as he said it, but it went unnoticed by everyone but Derek, who continued to scrutinize the young man.
"Right," Scott added, "and that isn't us. We just need to watch each other's backs and make sure none of us get caught up in whatever it is they're doing while we are here."
"So how do we do that?" Jackson asked.
"I sense Hayden's somewhere in the next chamber over," Theo answered, closing his eyes in concentration. "The Dread Doctors have gone further into their lair, along with Belasko and the crazy girl. That leaves five of the chimeras still here, I think."
"You're right," Scott continued, "Noah and Josh, as well as Tracy, Donovan, and a girl I don't recognize." Stiles winced at the mention of Donovan's name, but otherwise everyone remained still and contemplative.
"So, can we just sneak in and get this Hayden girl?" Aiden asked.
"No, that won't work," Theo replied, "their senses are not exactly the same as a werewolf, but they are powerful enough that they will notice our presence, if they haven't already."
"Ok, so we blitz them," Ethan said, "go in fast, catch them by surprise, and subdue them as quickly as possible before the others come back."
"That might be easier said than done," Stiles retorted, "Tracy is part kanima, just a few drops of her venom will leave any of us paralyzed. Donovan," he winced again, but continued after an encouraging look from Scott," is next to impossible to touch, because he can create lamprey mouths anywhere on his body. Add in Josh's electricity, Noah's berserkerness, and whatever this other girl can do, and well…" He tapered off with a shrug of his shoulders, turning everyone's attention back to Scott. The alpha wolf stood in contemplative silence for a moment as he gathered his thoughts before replying.
"We don't have to defeat them, and we shouldn't try to kill them, or whatever you call it when someone dies in this world," he said, turning his gaze from one to another of his packmates. "All we need to do is hold them off long enough to get Hayden and get out."
"Well," Jackson said, shifting forms as he did so, "this Tracy girl is not the only one with kanima venom. If you can get me close enough, I should be able to paralyze them. That'll give us more than enough time to get away before they recover."
"Alright," Scott replied, squaring his shoulders and preparing for the battle to come, "Jackson, try to take out Tracy first. We need to make sure she doesn't knock any of us out. Isaac, you stay close to Jackson and distract her so he can get an opening. Ethan, Aiden, Theo, you guys hold Josh and Noah back. Derek, Stiles, the three of us will take Donovan and the girl, and then get Hayden. We get in and get out fast, ok? Watch each other's backs and meet back here if we get split up. Everybody ready?" He waited, making eye contact with each before nodding his head once. "Let's go!" he cried out as he led the charge around the corner and into the Dread Doctor's lair.
No going back now, Derek thought to himself as he followed his alpha into battle.
-o-
"Mase, you're not listening to me," Corey said in exasperation. The two had been arguing for several minutes now, with Corey being adamant against taking the risk to go into town and Mason trying to convince him it was necessary. "We were seconds away from being caught when we went to that toolshed, and that was with them not knowing we were there until it was too late. By now the whole town will know something is up, they'll be ready for us. Its too big a risk."
"I get that, Cor," Mason replied with a sigh, "but we can't stay here for the exact same reason. Monroe, at the very least, knows where the Nemeton is and that it is a beacon for supernatural creatures. They're bound to show up here, sooner rather than later. Doesn't it make more sense to try to gain as much intel as we can on where they are and what they are up to now, while we're waiting for the rest of the Pack to be brought to life?"
"But what if we get caught? Or what if we get killed? We have no way of talking to Scott and Stiles, if we die they won't know they need to look for us…again."
"That's not going to happen, we'll be careful. Its not like the toolshed where we have to keep going until we get what we're after. The moment things seem like they are getting too dangerous, we can turn around and come back."
The two boyfriends continued to argue about it for close to half an hour before reaching a tentative agreement and returning together to the campfire.
"So…what did you decide?" Lori asked, cautiously. The two boys shared a look, a silent conversation passing between them before Corey sighed in exasperation.
"I'll do it," he said, continuing on over the happy exclamations from the others, "but only on my terms."
"What would that be?" Brett asked, receiving a glare from Mason in the process.
"First," Corey replied, holding a finger up in the air for emphasis, "if we're going to do this, then I'm in charge of deciding where we go. And if I say something is too dangerous, or if I say its time to turn around and come back, nobody is gonna argue with me about it."
"That sounds reasonable," Melissa said, interjecting before anyone else could.
"And second, only two of you can go with me," Corey added, now holding up two fingers in the air. He was about to continue when a chorus of groans and arguments broke out among the rest at the campfire. "Stop!" he cried, silencing them all very effectively.
"Look," Mason said, taking over as he placed a gentle hand on his boyfriend's shoulder, "the more people Corey has to make invisible, the harder it gets for him to stay that way. Add in the fact that whoever goes with him has to stay in constant physical contact and it would just be too impractical for more than two to go along."
"That makes sense," Nolan said, thinking aloud. "This is a stealth mission, of sorts. The whole point is to remain undetectable. The more people who go, the harder it will be to remain…stealthy."
"Alright, then who should go?" Melissa asked. Almost everyone immediately responded by saying "Me, I should," or raising their hands in the air. "Ok, ok, settle down, we're going to have to narrow this down a bit."
"I have to stay here," Lydia said, cutting through the rest of them. "It would be unwise for me to leave the clearing since I'm part of the bridge holding the runes and connection to the underworld in place. I also don't think either of you should go." She pointed to Brett and Lori as she said this last part.
"Why not? I have just as much right to see what's going on in the world as anyone else does," Brett said, rising to his feet.
"Because," Lydia retorted, also standing to match him, "you two would be the easiest to detect when it comes to the supernatural world. We don't know what's out there. All it would take is a single mountain ash barrier or some wolfsbane casually lying around somewhere and you both would be down."
"I agree," Mason continued, "we're definitely going to need all of the werewolf strength we can muster when it comes time to fight the hunters. But, for this mission, it would be more of a liability than a help. The rest of us stand a better chance of blending in if we have to and not setting off any alarms they might have."
"Brett," Lori said quietly, placing a gentle hand on his arm and drawing his attention to her. "I think they're right. You and I need to stay here, for now."
"Besides, I think I have a mission of my own for the two of you," Melissa said with a wink. "Like I said earlier, we are limited on provisions. We need someone to help clear out the cellar around the base of the Nemeton so we can see what else is down there, and then we need to start hunting, fishing, and gathering whatever berries and other things we can find in the surrounding forest. Your supernatural strength, speed, and hearing would all be a real asset in those jobs."
"Fine," Brett relented with a sigh, dragging the word out as he plopped back down to the ground next to his sister, "we'll stay here and help with that stuff. But I want to go on record as saying that I still think it's a bad idea to not take one of us with you."
"Noted," Mason replied. "Now, as for who is going, I think it should be me, since I have the most experience working alongside Corey while being invisible…"
"I can't imagine why that would be" Brett interjected sarcastically.
"And Nolan," Mason continued, ignoring the interruption.
"Me?" Nolan asked, looking surprised, "why do you want me to go with you?"
"Because you have the most experience dealing with the hunters, so you're our best shot at being able to avoid them and whatever traps they have laid out," Mason answered.
"I suppose that makes sense," Nolan said, contemplative, "but I've been dead awhile. A lot could have changed since then."
"You are still the best option we have, especially if we have to figure out a fast escape," Corey said, giving the boy a stern glance.
"Alright, count me in," Nolan said, standing to join them.
"We'll take the backpacks along too," Mason added, "that way if we come across anything that might be helpful we can bring it back with us. At the very least, we can gather some more food along the way."
"Sounds like a plan," Nolan finished with a small grin, going over to retrieve his own backpack from the rune circle while Corey and Mason gathered the ones Lydia had used to carry the few possessions she and Derek still had when they came to the Nemeton a few days earlier.
"You boys be careful," Melissa said, giving them each a tight hug as they prepared to set off. "What you are doing is important, but nothing is as important as making sure all three of you make it back here safe and sound. Is that understood?"
"Yes, Mrs. McCall," all three of them said in unison, still a bit embarrassed by the motherly attention.
"Hey," Brett interjected, coming over to join them as they were just about to leave, "if something does happen, give your best howl. I know it's a bit of a longshot since none of you are wolves, but Lori and I will keep our ears as focused as possible while you are gone, and we'll come running if we think you need help."
"Thanks Brett," Corey said for all of them. "Ready?" he added, turning his attention to Mason and Nolan. They each nodded their heads, taking one of his outstretched hands and shimmering into invisibility.
"This is so weird," Nolan's disembodied voice said.
"You get used to it after awhile," Mason's voice carried over their almost silent footsteps. Soon, the three were past the barrier and heading off towards town.
"Be careful," Melissa whispered, quietly enough that even the nearby wolves almost couldn't hear her. "Alright, you three," she said with a clap of her hands as she turned back around, "let's get to work on this cellar."
-o-
The chimeras were momentarily caught off guard by the sudden appearance of the eight packmates, but the surprise didn't last long. Josh and Noah recovered first, quickly charging head on at the twins and Theo, who had split off from the others.
"Stilinski!" Donovan shouted, transforming as he barreled his way forward as well, "its time you pay for murdering me!" A few of the packmates faltered slightly at the pronouncement, having not heard the story of what happened between the two, but there was no time to explain. Scott and Stiles continued to dash forward, meeting Donovan and the girl (Beth, Scott vaguely recalled from his school days) in the center of the room.
The Dread Doctor's lair was indeed far larger than they had known. The operating theater that Scott and the others had encountered during the days when they were alive could be glimpsed through an archway off to one side. This is where Hayden was currently kept, strapped down to a metal table with several tubes and wires intersecting her body and the various implements surrounding her. But the room itself was a small nook compared to the huge cavern-like area they had just entered. It looked as though it had, at one time, been a water storage room, with high, vaulted ceilings and several feeder tunnels splitting off in all directions. The usual drab gray of Limbo was tinged green in this part of the world. The floor was sloped in places, with stairs in others leading to other rooms. Giant support pillars dotted the area, looking very worn and chipped but still managing to keep the ceiling above their heads. Tracy used these to her advantage, quickly shifting into kanima form and darting up one of the pillars far out of reach of those on the ground.
"How are we going to get her when she's way up there," Jackson muttered to the wolves on either side of him as they raced towards her.
"Leave that to me," Derek replied, taking the lead as they charged forward. He rammed, shoulder first, into the pillar, crumbling the lower section to pieces almost instantly. The aged, dilapidated rock, was no match for the werewolf, and without the base the rest of the pillar quickly collapsed as well, sending Tracy plummeting back to the ground with huge pieces of rock cascading down around them all.
"Look out!" Isaac shouted as Stiles and Scott jumped out of the way of the falling debris. A cloud of dust quickly enveloped them all, making it next to impossible to see apart from their enhanced vision. Tracy managed to use the dust cloud to her advantage, keeping low to the ground and out of sight from the others.
On the other side of the cavern, the battle between Theo, the twins, Josh, and Noah gained intensity. The berserker seemed to have taken full control of Noah's body, and he fought without any sense of self-preservation. Aiden tackled him from behind while Ethan came at him from the front, but their hits did little to slow the chimera down. Josh, meanwhile, was out for blood, particularly Theo's.
"I'm going to enjoy taking your afterlife from you Theo," Josh said, gathering as much electricity as he could until the hairs on Theo's arms stood on end.
"Josh, look, if you'll just give me a chance to…"
"There are no second chances, Theo, not for you," Josh shouted as he darted forward, an electric arc jumping between his hands as he moved to sink his claws into Theo's chest. Theo just barely managed to jump out of the way at the last second, countering by tripping the electrified chimera and sending him to the ground.
"Josh, please, I don't want to have to hurt you," Theo pleaded as he regained his footing, standing above the younger boy.
"That's too bad, cause I really, really want to hurt you," Josh replied, pouncing back upwards, claws first. Theo fell back to the ground in his effort to get out of the way, Josh sailing over top of him to land a few feet away. Unfazed, they both stood once more, Theo on the defensive with Josh charging at him with everything he had.
A mighty shriek drew their attention for the briefest of moments back to the center of the room. Tracy had tried to use the cloud of dust to her advantage, but had forgotten that it would offer the same advantage to the others. She stalked closer towards Derek, and was just about to lash out at him with her claws when the swipe of another kanima tail, Jackson's, drew across the back of her neck, instantly paralyzing her. She continued to scream obscenities at him as she collapsed to the ground, but was unable to do any more than move her head and watch the fight that continued to rage amidst the rubble surrounding them.
Donovan had singled out Stiles, instantly going on the offensive with wendigo teeth bared and lamprey mouths covering every inch of visible skin.
"You know, that is a really ugly look, just saying," Stiles quipped as he ducked around the flailing punches thrown at him.
"Well, you'd be the one to know, wouldn't you?" Donovan retorted. "I've heard all about the beast that you become these days."
"Oh, you mean this?" Stiles asked, quickly switching to demon form and letting out a roar that shook the whole room. With a burst of speed from his wings, he managed to tackle Donovan to the ground, the two rolling across the dirt and dust locked in a ferocious wrestling match.
"What are you going to do, Stilinski? Kill me again?" Donovan asked, causing Stiles to stumble just long enough for him to get a lamprey-mouthed palm attached to the demon's shoulder. The pain and memory of their last battle on earth snapped Stiles out of his reverie, and he quickly threw the chimera off, causing him to crash into another of the support pillars, which crumbled to the ground around them both.
"Beth, you don't have to do this," Scott called out, trying to keep the girl at bay as the battles raged around them.
"No, no, no, no, no. Tracy, Donovan!" Beth shrieked, watching her friends fall in horror before turning her gaze on the alpha wolf. "You won't get away with this!" She shrieked again, a terrible, piercing sound, as her body slowly morphed and grew. They soon discovered she was an even greater monstrosity than the others, part lowenmensch and part garuda, giving her the appearance of the griffins of Greek mythology.
Scott tried again to calm her, but she attacked before he could say anything. Isaac darted forward, redirecting her attack and receiving a giant gash across his chest from one of her talons in the process. Derek and Jackson quickly joined the battle also, and it devolved into complete chaos.
Soon a third support pillar came crashing down as berserker Noah was pushed back by the tag-team of twins. They used the moment of reprieve to catch their breath, surveying the landscape around them. Theo was caught in a game of cat and mouse with Josh, dodging the electrified attacks rather than meet him head on. Demon-Stiles had managed to get the upper hand on Donovan, near the center of the room, but the two seemed locked in battle with one another and several more mouth shaped wounds had begun to appear on the demonic skin. The battle between Beth and the others raged off to the other side of the room, the Packmates dodging her fierce talons and snapping beak as they tried to land a hit. Jackson had been knocked to the ground, stunned for the moment and unable to help.
"Scott!" Ethan cried above the chaos, gaining the alpha's attention. "You need to hurry…" he was cut off before he could finish by a flying kick from Noah, which was countered instantly by Aiden. The twins were caught in battle once more and unable to say anything else, but the message had been received.
"You guys hold her off, I'll go get Hayden," Scott said to Derek and Isaac, darting around the chimera before they could reply. Isaac's gash continued to bleed unchecked, but he nevertheless dove headlong into the battle, managing to knock Beth to the ground long enough for Derek to jump on top as well. Together, they kept her pinned, shrieking and shouting, while Scott ran full tilt into the operating theater. He was a dozen feet away when he slammed headfirst into a wall of mountain ash, which knocked him flat on his back. He stood, reaching out for the invisible barrier, and found its presence. He pushed against it, trying to muster the strength he had used before in life to get across one of these, but to no avail. Either the mountain ash owned by the Dread Doctors was stronger than usual, or he was simply too exhausted from battle to be able to break through the barrier. "I can't get to her!" he cried out in frustration, turning back to see how his Pack was doing.
Things had devolved quickly in the brief moment his attention had been diverted. Josh, tired of chasing after Theo, had simply electrified the whole surrounding area, sending shock waves through the floor, walls, and nearby pillars. Theo was caught in the crossfire, convulsing wildly as the electricity coursed through his body. The twins were still managing to hold their own against Noah, but the berserker showed no signs of slowing down anytime soon. Beth had managed to regain her footing enough to knock Derek and Isaac off, and the three were locked in battle once more, a tangled mess of claws and fangs and talons. Jackson had recovered enough to stand again, but still looked a little wobbly on his feet, and was obviously in no condition to fight. Meanwhile, Stiles had managed to get Donovan pinned to the ground, though it meant enduring the bites of the lamprey mouths at every point their bodies touched.
Turning back towards Hayden and the mountain ash barrier, Scott took a deep breath, calming his nerves and centering his self. He slowly placed both hands on the barrier, wincing slightly at the pain the contact gave him. "Hayden!" he growled, the low rumble echoing through the chambers and shaking the room slightly. More rock from the ceiling plummeted to the ground as another of the pillars collapsed near the operating theater.
At the alpha summons, Hayden stirred, blinking into consciousness. "Scott?" she said, drowsily, turning her head to watch as he continued to push forward, the barrier almost physically warping around him. She struggled against the bindings strapping her to the table, managing to break free and jump to her feet. A few seconds later, with a thunderous shout, Scott broke through the barrier, mountain ash blowing everywhere as the shockwave reverberated through the chamber. Scott fell to his knees, panting, as Hayden rushed forward, draping one of her alpha's arms across her shoulder to drag him back to his feet.
The shockwave brought two more pillars crashing to the ground, dust and debris now littering the whole area. The ceiling began to creak and groan, sagging inwards at the loss of the support structures. All eyes in the room turned upwards as cracks began to crisscross the whole surface, drawing an intricate and ominous web above their heads.
"Retreat!" Beth shouted as she flung Derek and Isaac to the ground, barreling through Jackson to grab the still paralyzed Tracy. Josh and Noah didn't wait, their footfalls echoing through the cavern as they darted towards one of the antechambers off to the side.
"Come on, we need to get out of here!" Aiden shouted as a piece of the ceiling larger than a person came crashing down a few feet from where he stood. He didn't wait for a response, quickly grabbing his brother and dragging him back towards the tunnel they had come through. Isaac hobbled after them, clutching at the wound in his chest as he darted around the debris. More rocks began to fall as Derek raced to grab a still convulsing Theo, picking the chimera up and hoisting him over his shoulder to carry him out of the cavern. Hayden followed quickly behind, still supporting Scott as the alpha's breathing began to even out. Jackson came next, staggering slightly and now in human form. Ethan broke away from his brother's firm grasp to race back and grab his mate, supporting him as they jogged back towards the entrance. Another slab of stone came crashing down, as big as a car, echoing through the chamber.
"Stiles! Come on!" Derek called out to the lone remaining Pack member, who was still pinning Donovan to the ground in the center of the chamber.
"You have to let go of me," Donovan cried, eyes bulging in terror as he watched the ceiling above them continue to crumble. "If you don't, we'll both be crushed!"
"I've survived a cave-in in Limbo before," Demon-Stiles replied sinisterly, a slight smirk on his terrifying features. "I will be just fine." Donovan gulped, fear coursing through his veins and nearly palpable in the air.
"Stiles! Leave him, we need to go!" Aiden shouted across the din. The cloud of dust and rubble now obscured the demon and his quarry from view.
"Please!" Donovan shouted, "please, just let go!"
"Why should I? Do you know how much suffering you've caused me? Do you have any idea what you took from me?" Demon-Stiles growled menacingly in the chimera's face, causing him to turn away and whimper. Another stone crashed to the ground, narrowly missing the two by inches. Donovan trembled, staring at it while another pillar collapsed on the other side of the room.
"Stiles," Scott called out, just barely loud enough to be heard across the chaos. "Stiles, I need you. We need you. Let him go."
"Scott," Demon-Stiles said with a sigh, turning his head to face the direction the others were in, desperately waiting and calling out for him. "Fine," he said, jumping to his feet. He took one last look at the chimera on the ground, who was quickly scrambling to get away, before taking off and flying across the cavern, dodging the debris still falling all around him. He made it back to the others, practically colliding with them all in the narrow tunnel just seconds before the remaining pillars finally gave way and the entire ceiling caved in. "Brace yourselves!" Stiles called out, as the force of the impact sent them cascading to the ground. The rumbles of the cave-in and the shaking of the ground kept them sprawled across the tunnel floor for several minutes, until finally the chaos subsided and the dust began to settle.
"Is everyone ok?" Scott called out, turning to each of them one by one. They were definitely battered, sporting several injuries from the battle with the chimeras and their escape. But none of them were critical, and they each answered in the affirmative. They would heal, in time. Scott stood and took in the entrance to the cavern, now completely covered by fallen rock. "At least we don't have to worry about them following us."
"How do we get out of here?" Isaac asked, a note of trepidation in his voice as he glanced furtively around the narrow corridor.
"I think I might know a way out," Hayden replied, clambering to her feet as well and taking stock of what was going on. "Although, you all have a lot of explaining to do along the way," She added, watching with a mixture of curiosity and terror as the demon transformed back into Stiles and the twins helped support an injured Jackson between them.
"Well Hayden, let me be the first to…" Stiles began, before being interrupted.
"Stiles, we need to talk," Scott said, quietly but with a look of determination.
"Yeah, I suppose you're right," he replied, after a moment of taking in his best friend's expression.
"Hayden, lead the way out of here, we need to keep moving, just in case the Doctors and chimeras try to come after us again," Scott said, turning back to the rest of the Pack. "Everyone else can explain on the way what we are doing and answer your questions." Hayden nodded solemnly, before turning an inquisitive eye on Derek, who was still carrying Theo.
"Yeah, yeah, alright," Derek replied, chagrined, beginning the story as they set out, with Scott and Stiles hanging back far enough behind the rest to give their conversation some privacy.
"Ok Stiles, tell me what's going on," Scott began, giving his friend a searching look.
-o-
"You let them escape!" Belasko cried out, incredulously. He, the aswang chimera, and the three Dread Doctors had all watched from an upper chamber as the battles raged below them, up until the main cavern's ceiling had collapsed. "And now the lair is practically destroyed!"
"Inconsequential," the Surgeon replied.
"Is that the only thing you are capable of saying?" Belasko shouted in frustration. The Pathologist, standing nearby, quickly knocked him to the ground, holding him there with an electromagnetic pulse.
"They are of more use to us if they believe themselves to be free," the Surgeon said with disdain, watching as Belasko struggled to get up but was unable to do so. "We will observe from the shadows, and wait until the moment is right to make our next move. Nora."
"Yes sir," the aswang chimera replied, stepping forward.
"Follow, but remain hidden," the Surgeon ordered, turning to watch the dust settle in the cavern below and follow the progress of the remaining chimeras stumbling through the tunnels.
"Of course, sir," Nora replied, bowing as she shifted forms. "You can trust in me." She silently scaled the wall nearby, scurrying across the ceiling unnoticed by the five chimeras bursting into the room below her. Soon, she was out the door and racing down the tunnels where she knew she would be able to intercept their adversaries. After all, she thought to herself, it's the only way out of these tunnels. They have no choice. It'll be all too easy to pick up their trail and see where they go next. I will make my masters proud.