If You're Going Through Hell
A/N: So, I know I rushed through the last section, mostly because I got stuck on it and was at a point where I simply wanted to get it done. This, however, is the start of a series of chapters (through about 30 or so), that I have really been looking forward to writing, so hopefully you won't have as long a wait from here on out. Reviews and comments are always appreciated, and good motivation to get back to writing. For now, enjoy!
Chapter 25: Welcome to Beacon Hills
It was a solemn group that trekked through the water treatment tunnels of Limbo. Derek eventually put Theo back down at the chimera's insistence that he was well enough to walk, but the electricity had done enough damage that he still leaned heavily on the wolf's arm for support as he healed. Jackson was half carried as well, supported between the twins with one arm slung across each of their shoulders. Isaac stumbled along next to them, wincing slightly in pain with each step. Hayden, the least for wear of the group, led the slow, steady walk down seemingly endless corridors while Scott and Stiles followed far enough behind that their conversation could be tuned out.
Hayden was surprised, to say the least, to hear about the Pack's adventures in Limbo and the plan to bring everyone back to life, but she quickly came on board with the idea and offered to help in anyway that she could.
"Now that that's settled," Derek said after a lull in the conversation, "Hayden, what was going on with the Dread Doctors? And why were you with them in the first place?"
"Believe me, it wasn't my idea of a good time. I was captured," she replied, gravely, "They are doing experiments again, on all of the chimeras that they can find, even ones like me that aren't chimeras any longer. None of us really knew what was going on though, other than Belasko and Nora – those two sort of replaced Theo as leader of the chimeras. From what I overheard, I think they are trying to bring themselves back to life also, but I don't really know for sure."
"That's just what we need," Theo muttered, "for those three to be waiting for us when we return to the real world."
"Does that mean we should go back and try to stop them?" Isaac asked, glancing furtively from one face to the next.
"We'll need to check with Scott to make sure, but I don't think so," Aiden replied.
"Right, like he and Stiles said earlier, whatever the Doctors do down here is not our concern," Ethan continued. "Our focus needs to be on finding the rest of the Pack and getting everyone safely back to the real world…"
"After that," Aiden picked back up, "if the Dread Doctors return too, we'll fight them. And if they don't, then they really aren't our concern. At least, not until we return to this world again in the future."
"Why'd you have to end on that," Jackson grumbled, "you were sounding so positive there for a moment."
"Just being realistic," the twins said in unison, causing Jackson to groan louder. "Please tell me you aren't going to do that all the time." The conversation became much more lighthearted as they all teased one another and finished filling Hayden in on what had happened in the world of the living after she had died. Meanwhile, a little ways behind them, a much more serious conversation was taking place.
"Ok Stiles, tell me what's going on," Scott said, giving his friend a searching look.
"Well, we're walking down this long and dreary storm drain tunnel at the moment and…" Stiles began before being cut off.
"That's not what I mean and you know it," Scott said, placing a hand on his friend's shoulder and bringing him to a stop.
"Yeah, Scotty, I know," Stiles replied with a sigh, turning to make eye contact.
"Stiles, I know that things are all over the place right now, and dying has…changed…us in a lot of ways, but I'm still your best friend, and I'm worried about you. The stuff the Nogitsune said about what you had to do to take over that demon that's inside you…the way it reacted when we met the pixie…the secrets you're keeping about this plan to bring everyone back to life…and now this thing with Donovan. I mean, what we're you going to do, let yourself be crushed by the falling rocks just so you could take him out also? I'm worried, Stiles," Scott spoke with an openness and intensity that cut Stiles to the core, causing him to turn away as they slowly followed the rest of the group.
"I'm sorry, Scott," he eventually said, speaking at the ground. "I don't know what you want me to say or how to get you to stop worrying about me."
"Just tell me the truth. Please?" Scott pleaded.
Stiles let out a long sigh before replying. "There's not that much to tell, honestly. I know you and Derek don't like this thing I have going on with the demon inside, but its not as big a deal as you are trying to make it out to be."
"Then how did you do it?" Scott asked. "You can trust me."
"I used an old spell that Deaton, our Deaton, taught me," Stiles said, gravely. "I had to modify it a bit to get it to work properly here in Limbo though, and the possession thing was an unforeseen side effect."
"What was supposed to happen?"
"The original spell was designed to make another's will bend to the caster's own," Stiles said, glancing warily at his friend as he said it. "Once it takes hold, the person it is placed upon becomes a sort of…puppet, I guess, for lack of a better term…and does whatever the caster tells them to."
There was a very long pause after that statement, Scott's face betraying a whirlwind of underlying emotions and questions. "Why would Deaton even teach you that?" he finally settled on.
"Because," Stiles said, closing his eyes so he wouldn't see Scott's reaction, "we were planning on using it on Monroe."
"You were what!" Scott exclaimed, causing a few of the others to glance back towards them curiously before he waved them off. "What do you mean you were going to use that on Monroe?"
"We were running out of options, Scott," Stiles replied defensively. "Everyone around us was being killed off one by one. We had to do something. It's not like Deaton or I wanted to control Monroe. And it wouldn't have been a permanent thing anyway. We were just going to use the spell long enough to get her to call off her forces and go somewhere far, far away. That way we could get everyone out of Beacon Hills safely, regroup somewhere else, maybe create some new identities and start new lives in anonymity. It was the best plan we could come up with!"
"Ok, ok," Scott said, backing off slightly. "So, why didn't you do it then?"
"Never had a chance," Stiles answered with a shrug. "Deaton had only just started teaching it to me when we got separated. And then he was killed. I wasn't able to master it before I was killed too." Scott looked lost at that, pained by the memories. "Incidentally," Stiles continued, "that's why you shouldn't worry about the demon taking me over and why the pixie thing wasn't a big deal. The spell can be ended, but it can't go in reverse, meaning I can control the demon but he can't control me. And I was successful in casting it, so the demon's will is completely bent to my own. I just wasn't expecting that to mean it would come to share a body with me."
"And you're really ok with that, even after…" Scott began before trailing off.
"It wasn't my first choice. I admit I kind of freaked out about it for awhile until George Deaton helped me get a better understanding of it," Stiles said. "But yeah, I'm ok with it. It's not like the Nogitsune, at all. I can tell where the demon's consciousness is inside me, and I can tell that it isn't doing anything to me. You should know I would never allow something else to take over my mind or use me like that again."
"Yeah, I get that, its just…I don't know, you've been different since, well…" Scott began again, once more trailing off.
"Since dying?" Stiles asked, grimacing at Scott's reaction to the word. "You've been different too. We all have. I think that's part of what happens when we die; we also change. I know we keep saying everything is going to go back to the way it was, but I don't think that's true. Everyone we bring back to life will be different than they were the first time, changed by their experiences here. As Alpha, that's something you'll have to guide them all through, once this is all over."
"And I will. Or, at least, I'll do my best," Scott replied solemnly.
"Then I know it will be alright. You're best is enough," Stiles said with a wistful grin. The two shared a moment of silence, something passing between the two of them that only they could truly understand.
"So, what about Donovan?" Scott asked, carefully. Stiles groaned but didn't turn away this time.
"I…lost control for a moment."
"Of the demon?"
"Of myself," he said with a grimace. "I almost lost everything because of Donovan when we were alive. He tried to kill my dad. He tried to kill me. And then, when I killed him, something changed inside me, and because of pre-reformed Theo's manipulations, I almost lost you and the rest of our friends. Seeing him again, here…I don't know, all of that just kind of came back to the surface and I wanted to make him pay for what he took from me before. The thought that he is still back there, somewhere, with his chimera friends and Dread creators, it really bugs me. But I am sorry, I didn't mean to get carried away in our fight, and I definitely don't want to get revenge on him if it means sacrificing what we are all working to do here."
"Ok," Scott said after taking another moment to think about it.
"Ok?"
"Mmhmm," Scott murmured, "I believe you. Don't look so shocked," he continued with a laugh, seeing Stiles' reaction, "I get it. After everything we went through, knowing that the Dread Doctors are here, planning something and doing experiments, it bothers me too. And seeing how you reacted to Donovan, that scared me. I thought I was going to lose you all over again. But, knowing that you can admit you made a mistake, and seeing that you are here with us instead of back there still fighting, I trust you. I know you'll do the right thing." Scott stopped to pull Stiles into a one-armed hug, which Stiles sunk into in relief.
"Thanks," he breathed out in relief, "that means more to me than I can say."
"So," Scott said, pulling away slightly so they could continue walking, "no more secrets?"
"I…" Stiles stuttered out before a shout down the corridor interrupted them.
"Derek? Derek!" Isaac called out, a hand on the older wolf's shoulder shaking him gently. "What's wrong? What's going on?" Derek didn't answer, instead groaning in pain as he held his head between his hands and doubled over slightly. Scott and Stiles rushed to join them, calling out as they did.
"What's wrong?" "What's happened?"
"I don't know," Isaac answered, fearfully. "He was fine a second ago, we were all just talking. Then he screamed and now he's like this."
"I'm…ok…now," Derek huffed, leaning heavily against the wall as he lowered his hands slowly from his face and breathed in deeply. "It was…just…a headache."
"No," Stiles said grimly, shaking his head, "I was afraid of this."
"What?" Scott asked, tearing his gaze from the former alpha to pierce his best friend instead, "do you know what's going on?"
"It's a side effect of splitting Derek's spirit from his body. Those two things can't just stay separate forever. And the longer it goes, the worse it will get," Stiles replied.
"Does that mean we need to all go back now?" Theo asked, cautiously.
"What about the others? We still have a bunch of people left to find," Ethan added.
"I said I'm fine, it was just a little headache and now its gone," Derek said, straightening back up and crossing his arms across his chest.
"But for how long?" Isaac asked, turning from Derek to Stiles to Scott and back again.
"Stiles?" Scott asked. Stiles sighed once more before replying.
"I guess as long as Derek feels up to continuing, we can keep going," he said, studying the older wolf as he did so. "But these headaches, muscle aches, and so on are only going to get more frequent and more severe the longer he stays here. My guess is we have maybe two or three days left before the pain simply sets in and doesn't go away. George Deaton said this spell wouldn't be able to last longer than a week, and it's already been over three days."
"Ok then," Scott said, glancing at each of his packmates in turn. "We've known all along we would have a deadline on this. Now we know basically when it is. We need to pick up the pace and get the rest of the Pack before we run out of time. Agreed?" Each one nodded his or her head in approval, before turning as one to continue down the tunnel at a much brisker pace than before, each lost in his or her own thoughts along the way.
-o-
Corey, Nolan, and Mason ambled through the woods in relative peace, unhindered by any obstacles. "What do you think is going on down in Limbo?" Corey finally asked, breaking the silence as they trekked carefully along a narrow path.
"It's hard to say," Nolan answered. "There was only one door still remaining in the Portcullis when I…left. I guess the others would have gone through it, but I have no clue what would have been on the other side or where they'd go from there."
"As long as they make it back here, that's all that really matters," Mason finished with conviction. The others nodded their heads in agreement.
"So, what do you think has been happening here in the real world while we've been dead?" Nolan asked, changing topics.
"I can't imagine its anything good," Corey replied, disdainfully.
"We know that Monroe's still around, and she's been increasing security," Mason added, ignoring Nolan's inquisitive glance as he continued. "Corey and I overheard a couple of security guards talking on our way to that toolshed. I don't think she knows what we are doing, but she is expecting some sort of attack, and specifically from the McCall Pack."
"Oh," Nolan said, after a pause. "That's…not…how does she know to expect the McCall Pack to attack her? As far as she knows, they're…I mean we're…all dead." He blushed slightly as he corrected himself, but it went unnoticed by the others.
"I don't know. They said something about the guys guarding the Nemeton freaking out. I think that would have been when Stiles first did that mist-appearing thing. Other than that, who knows," Corey said, motioning for silence as they neared the road that ran through the middle of the Preserve.
"Alright, be on your guard," Mason whispered, unnecessarily as both Nolan and Corey were already glancing furtively in all directions. The three stepped forward cautiously, staying to the edge to avoid being hit by any cars passing by. None did, however. They walked the couple of miles to town in silence, undisturbed by anything but the hoot of a distant owl and the occasional rustle of the wind.
As they rounded the final bend in the road to reach the outskirts of town, they stopped in shock. "No way," Mason said, gaping.
"They couldn't," Nolan said, shaking his head in bewilderment.
"This is bad," Corey finished, "maybe we should just head back."
"We can't," Mason retorted, "if anything, this just proves how much we need to get into town and see what's going on."
"Mase, read the sign!" Corey exclaimed. "We're just asking for trouble if we go down there."
"I am reading the sign, Cor," Mason replied. "But it doesn't change anything about our plan. We still need to get information, and the three of us are our best shot at doing it. Especially now."
"I'm just glad Brett and Lori didn't come," Nolan added, "otherwise we'd be stuck for sure." The others murmured in agreement.
At the bottom of the hill stood the old "Welcome to Beacon Hills" sign. Attached to the bottom of the sign was a new addition boldly proclaiming "A Supernatural Free Zone," and below that, in fancy script, were the words "Mayor: Tamora Monroe." Placed next to the sign was a new guard station, connected to a short, wooden fence that presumably continued around the entire town and a wooden beam extending across the entire road.
"How much do you want to bet that the new fence is made of mountain ash?" Corey asked.
"I'm sure that much is a given," Mason replied.
"How could they possibly elect Monroe as mayor?" Nolan whispered, incredulous. "Where did she get that kind of support?"
"I guess a lot can happen in two years," Corey said with a shrug.
"She would have been the only one who seemed to 'know' what they were up against, once they started revealing the supernatural world to everyone in town," Mason continued. "I suppose it makes sense that most people would see that as a good thing if they didn't know any better."
"Yeah, but still," Nolan replied, blindsided by the implications, "that means…well that means things are going to be a whole lot more difficult for us."
"Guys, maybe we should just give up on Beacon Hills," Corey said, cautiously.
"What do you mean?" Mason asked. "We can't give up on bringing everyone back to life. Even if we wanted to, we have no way of contacting the others anyway."
"No, I didn't mean give up on life," Corey replied, exasperated. "I mean, once everyone is here, maybe we should just find somewhere else to live. Let Monroe have this town. Why can't we go somewhere else, somewhere where the people won't be actively trying to kill us all the time?"
"Well, for starters, the 'beacon' is here. The Nemeton will always draw supernatural creatures to this area, and it's not fair to them if they get drawn into a trap like this one," Mason said, thoughtfully.
"Besides," Nolan continued, "if this is now town-wide, I doubt it will remain a secret elsewhere for very long. We'll probably run into the same attitudes and problems anywhere we go. We'd just be trading Monroe for some other power-hungry hunter."
"But I have no idea how we are going to fix this one," Mason finished, looking over the sign and guard station with disdain. "Things just got a whole lot more complicated."
"I suppose that means you want to sneak into town and see what's going on?" Corey said with a sigh, glancing at his boyfriend for confirmation before continuing. "Alright then, but my rules still stand. If I say we're leaving, then we're leaving."
"We're with you," Nolan said, giving Corey's hand a gentle squeeze. "Lead the way."
"Welcome to Beacon Hills," Corey said sarcastically as he led the others to a secluded section of the fence away from the guard station.
-o-
The group, led by Hayden, soon reached their destination, a spot where the tunnels came to an end with a ladder and hatch leading to the surface.
"Talk about déjà vu," Isaac said as they gathered at the base of the ladder. "Isn't this exactly the same hatch we went through when we found Brett and Lori?"
"It definitely looks the same," Scott agreed.
"Eh, it's Limbo. The real question is: what are we going to find on the other side this time?" Stiles added.
"Let's find out," Ethan said, climbing up the ladder to force the hatch open. "Whoa, no way!"
"What? What is it?" Aiden called to his twin.
"You guys gotta get up here and check this out," Ethan replied, scrambling the rest of the way up and disappearing through the hatch. The others quickly followed suit, altogether surprised by where they had landed.
The hatch opened up into the middle of the road next to the welcome sign for Beacon Hills. The area looked nearly identical to the town they had all once called home, except for the ever-present drab-gray sky of Limbo.
"At least its nice and open," Isaac said, breathing deeply and visibly relaxing as he peered around at the nearby trees and buildings off in the distance.
"Yeah, but why is it here? Is this normal?" Theo asked, glancing to several of the others.
"I'm not sure there is such a thing as 'normal' around here," Stiles retorted.
"Well, you got that much right at least," a new voice said, causing the group to whip around and notice Braeden casually walking down the road towards them.
"Braeden? What are you doing here?" Scott asked, stepping forward to welcome her.
"Waiting for you," she replied, smirking at the looks of confusion her answer brought. "I heard rumors – something about McCall putting his pack back together. Figured you'd show up here eventually."
"Why would you assume…" Scott began before trailing off as he scented the air. "Oh? Oh! Wait, who all is here?"
"I don't know for sure. A few of them, at least," Braeden said, nonchalantly pulling her gun from its holster to check something. "Getting them isn't going to be easy though."
"It never is," Stiles replied, mournfully.
"Hey! Don't get complacent. This place is way weirder and way more dangerous than the Beacon Hills of the real world, and its crawling with Monroe's dead hunters. I'm sure they'd just love to take another crack at you all," Braeden scolded as she put her gun away. "They've got sentries covering all of the main ways into town. If you want in, you're going to have to figure out a way to sneak in without being seen." They all contemplated that in silence for several moments, occasionally tossing out ideas, only to have them be rejected.
"How about the school?" Jackson finally asked, cautiously. "The property backs up onto the forest, we could get there through the trees. From there we all at least know the terrain well, so that would help us avoid being seen."
"It's not a bad idea," Braeden replied thoughtfully, "I don't think the hunters have as much of a presence on that side of town anyway, and the school would offer some protection in case we are attacked."
"Well then, let's go," Derek said with a huff, earning an inquisitive glance from the Pack's newest recruit. They set off through the dense underbrush as silently as possible, cautiously picking their way through the trees and bushes. Eventually, the silence became too much for Stiles.
"Braeden," he queried from his position at the rear of the group, "can I ask you something?"
"If I say no, are you still going to ask me anyway?" she muttered from her spot near the front.
"Yes," Stiles immediately replied, cheekily.
"Fine, what is it?" she grumbled.
"Earlier you said you heard rumors about what we were doing, and that's how you knew we'd show up here. I just want to know where you heard that, and if its something we need to worry about," Stiles asked, becoming more serious as he spoke and gaining the others' thoughtful attention as well.
"Morrell is where I heard it from," Braeden said, glancing back briefly. "She passed through here yesterday, said something about needing to stop something before it got out of hand. Anyways, I asked if she needed help and she said I should be trying to find you all instead. My guess is she is hoping I'll talk you out of trying to resurrect all your friends."
"Are you?" Scott asked, curiously.
"Of course not," she replied with a grin. "I'd like to go back too, enjoy some of the peace and quiet I never got to enjoy the first time 'round. I believe I have earned it after all I went through, between the Desert Wolf and you guys. And who knows," she said with a wink towards Derek, "maybe I'll find someone to enjoy that peace and quiet with me."
"Um, yeah…maybe," Derek said awkwardly, blushing slightly as he turned away. His gaze fell instead upon Stiles, who wore a very odd, almost hurt, expression on his face as he watched the exchange.
The group soon lapsed back into silence, hiding in the bushes and concentrating on not accidentally drawing any hunters' attention as two armed men passed by on patrol. When they had gone, Scott and Braeden led the way down an embankment alongside the service road that would lead them to the back of the school.
"Alright, from here on out we have to leave the cover of the forest," Braeden said solemnly to the tight huddle of friends, "stay sharp out there, keep your eyes open, and don't take any unnecessary risks."
"It's possible the hunters won't recognize us," Derek added, "at least not at first. Stay in human form unless you absolutely need to shift."
"All we need to do is find our friends and get out of here," Scott said.
"Somehow I have a feeling that's going to be easier said than done," Theo finished as they heard a loud hiss come from nearby.
"What was that?" Aiden asked, cautiously.
"Another kanima," Jackson replied with a grimace.
"Wait? Tracy? Did she follow us here?" Hayden asked, slowly extending her claws in spite of Derek's warning.
"No, its not Tracy," Jackson answered, eyes narrowing at the reptilian creature. It stood on the fence encircling the lacrosse field, eyes roaming over the tree line slowly as though it was searching for something.
"It's Matt," Scott added, scenting the air once more.
"Matt? As in, freaky-stalker-psycho-killer Matt? Kanimatt?" Stiles asked, incredulous.
"As in, the guy-who-controlled-me-and-made-me-murder-a-dozen-people Matt," Jackson finished, hunching down to the ground. His breathing became heavy and his skin began to take on a reptilian tinge of its own.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Ethan cried out, noticing the change and quickly jumping in front of his mate. "What do you think you are doing?" Aiden stealthily crept closer, in case his brother needed assistance while the rest of the Pack watched warily.
"I'm gonna kill him and get revenge for what he did to me," Jackson replied, tone icy and dripping with venom. "Get out of my way." Kanima Matt hissed again, his attention now focused on Jackson and the others. He jumped down from the fence and began slowly crawling his way towards the group.
"Jacks, I can't do that," Ethan said, desperately trying to force eye contact with his boyfriend. "We've worked so hard to move past all that. You're so much better now, I won't let you throw it all away."
"Jackson, he's right," Scott said quietly, "Remember, we have to prioritize. And right now, Matt isn't our concern. We should just leave him alone and get back to our mission."
Jackson took a moment to respond, before letting out a sigh and almost visibly deflating. "Yeah, you're right. Come on, let's get out of here."
"Aww, that is a shame," someone called from the shadows near the entrance to the school. "And here I was hoping we could have some fun, like old times."
"Gerard!" Scott, Derek, Stiles, and Isaac all exclaimed in unison while Jackson and the others stared at the man in horror.