Chapter Six: Breathe, Desperately
Song Inspiration: Alps By Novo Amor & Ed Tullet(1st), Holy Ground by Banners(2nd), and Supermassive Black Hole by Muse(3rd)
Stiles watches her leave, so many questions beginning to form in his head. As she disappeared from view, a hot flash tore through his chest. He hadn't had the intention of following her, but something deep within his being tugged him along. He could feel something there sitting heavy against his lungs, the urge to breath causing him to gasp for air. It felt like the crack of a whip binding around his heart, beckoning him to chase after her. The feeling slithered inside his body, intertwining within his DNA, altering him without knowledge or warning. And when that sensation coiled around him in intricate loops, it drifted to other places, twisting and carving into his bones until it found a home. A form of suffocation into submission.
But then he takes a step forward. And another. And then another until he's in a full-blown sprint down the hallway. One more step and he can see her retreating figure once he's made it around the corner. Having her in his line of sight gave Stiles room to breathe again, something that didn't go unnoticed by him, but only served to create more and more questions. He sees her standing by her car looking as though the world has done her wrong. To Stiles, that is quite laughable. But just the reassurance that she's there causes a delicate shift inside of him. All of a sudden he is warm. Aching in an almost good way. Stiles feels unsteady and off-balance, the sensation being so deeply, yet terrifyingly comforting like waking up from a dream you've soon forgotten and remembering it again later.
The more steps he takes, the easier it was to breathe and the tugging began to diminish.
What the hell is going on with him?
Lydia runs after him, her yellow sundress flapping against her pale thighs and her red Louboutin heels clacking against the ground. She puts her hand on his forearm, trying to draw his eyes to her. "Stiles, what's going on? Did she do something to you?" She asks concerned, causing him to drop his gaze from Malia and direct his attention to the strawberry blonde. The distraction gives him pause and the lead feeling in his chest disappears as if it were never there to begin with.
He tries to concentrate on Lydia's face like it's the only tangible thing to ever exist but his mind is elsewhere. He can hear Malia breathing, the ruffling of her clothes, and the pounding of her heart from the distance between her car and where he's standing. "I don't know what's happening to me. One second I was fine and then the next I... wasn't." He stumbles out, casting a disoriented glance at Malia in some sense of explanation. "But I'm okay now." He reassures without actually looking at her, his eyes lingering on the tall brunette a little too long for Lydia's liking.
Lydia huffs, annoyed. "Why won't you tell me what she said?"
Stiles rolls his eyes. "Lyds, just leave it alone."
She crosses her arms over her chest, not backing down. "Fine, if you don't want to tell me, I'll just go over there and ask her myself. You can try to leave us all in the dark but I bet Malia would be more than willing to talk, even if only to get on your nerves." She snarks, making a move to walk over to Malia.
"Like hell you will." Stiles says, grabbing her roughly by the arm like a disapproving parent while still conscious of his strength so not to hurt her. His voice turns serious.
"Lydia, that girl over there-" He says, pointing to Malia, "She can tear you apart. You can't just go over there guns blazing with an attitude and an eyebrow cocked thinking you'll get information out of her. You're strong, but she's crafty and clever. She'll get inside your head and use it to her advantage."
Lydia pushes him off, glaring up at him due to the height difference. "First off, don't touch me like that ever again, got it? You can't just manhandle me when we don't agree, Stilinski." She warns, poking him in the chest with fire igniting behind her silver-green eyes. The little to no affect it has on him only makes her angrier. "And second, I don't need you being condescending towards me when it comes to my powers. I am a Banshee. I saved your ass once already, no thanks from you, by the way. I think I can take care of myself. And maybe while you're preaching to me, you should take your own advice Mr. This-Is-Something-I-Have-To-Do-On-My-Own. Look how well that turned out." She finishes, giving him one final glare before marching over to Malia across the lot.
No one tells Lydia Martin what to do.
"Lydia, wait!"
Ignoring him with a flip of her hair, she fixes her dress, puts on her award-winning "Lydia Martin" smile, and stalks over to the alpha-female who had overheard her and Stiles' entire conversation.
Malia composes herself when she sees the Banshee make her way over, not able to hold in the amused smirk at the girl's boldness. She wonders whether or not she should be impressed or laugh at the fact that this girl thought she could actually intimidate her.
The red head stops directly in front of her, that annoyingly-pretty smile still etched on her face. Malia just looks at her when she doesn't say anything, as if inspecting an insect underneath her shoe. She stares her down, daring her to break the silence first.
"Malia." She greets, starting off strong with a neutral tone dripping in confidence. The smile stays steadily even before ever so slightly cracking underneath the other girl's impenetrable gaze.
The brunette continues to stare, looking at the petite, sunshine girl that could so easily be broken like a toothpick between her teeth. While her stance exudes control and poise, her eyes give her away, making her appear so small as if made of glass.
Lydia's eye twitches at her prolonged silence, making the corner of Malia's lip quirk in mirth. She decides to save her from the forming beads of sweat that cling to the baby hairs framing her face.
"Ginger-snap, a pleasure as always. What can I do for you?" She says coolly, the coy arch of her brow rising in question.
"Glad you asked, Malia. You see, I was going to ask you about what went down in the hallway between you and my Alpha, but instead I just want you to stay away from Stiles, period. In fact, the whole pack." She states matter-of-fact, careful to not let her smile slip into a frown when she hears the other girl laugh. Her carefully put together persona begins to falter. For a second, she swears she sees a hint of spite tinged in red reflected in the Alpha-female's eyes, but it's gone before she can decipher it any further.
Malia chuckles. "Aw little Lyds, do you have a crush on Stiles? I didn't mean to step on any toes." She gloats, ruffling her hair with her free hand that isn't already attached to her hip. "But you see, I can't do that. We're all going to have so much fun together. You wouldn't want to spoil all the fun, would you?"
Lydia's teeth clench at the patronizing nature of her voice, willing herself to not let the brunette see how much her words affected her. It was one thing taking it from Stiles, but she sure as hell wasn't going to take it from this girl who didn't even know her. Human or not, Lydia doesn't back down from a fight. In her mind, she knows she should be scared and maybe she is. But she decides to let her instincts lead her, something that's so different from the pretty little box she usually lives her life in. She so used to molding herself to fit what is expected of her, whether that be good grades, throwing the best parties, or always having a solution to the pack's problems. But this time she refuses to give in to the endless voices in her head telling her to stand down. So actually following her instinct scares her more than the supernatural creature in front of her. And while this all goes through her head in a matter of seconds, she forgets to keep up her poker face. Insecurities show themselves in the most unfortunate and untimely circumstances.
"Sweetheart..." Lydia begins, but is cut off by Malia.
"I'd watch who you're calling 'Sweetheart', Strawberry Shortcake. Just because I'm playing nice right now doesn't mean I won't flip my switch in a span of seconds and rip that pretty little head from your shoulders. And trust me, that's me going soft. You should of seen what I did to the last girl who tried to tangle with me."
From across the lawn, Stiles takes a hard step forward, warning Malia with his eyes to leave her alone. Fine, she'll leave the violence to a minimum. He would of intervened already, but Lydia wanted him to trust her. But if Malia pushed him too far, he would step in and things would get ugly.
Lydia acknowledges Malia's threat with her arms raised tentatively in apology. No need for any blood shed today, she had just bought this new dress and blood is a hard stain to get out. "Look Malia, it doesn't have to be this way. Our packs don't have to be enemies. Whatever it is that you're doing here, we won't get in your way. Come on, this can't really be you. What happened in your life to made you this angry and volatile? I know things happen, I've had too many horrible things crash into my life, but you don't have to let the crappy situations you are put through win. Don't give your past power. You feel like you're a monster now and that there's nothing else left to do but to let it consume you. But let me tell you something... Not all monsters do monstrous things. People like Stiles, for instance. He wasn't always a good guy, but he's turned his life around."
Stiles listens on with interest.
Malia lets the words sink in, a creeping sensation lingering on the back of her neck. Her heart flutters unannounced, ever so lightly that she convinced herself that it hadn't happened at all. Her brown eyes somber, just enough that Lydia can see that she's gotten through to her. She's quiet for a moment, the words she wants to say scraping against her throat like dull razor blades cutting her open until it gets so bad that she wants to scream. Her jaw locks, the urge to keep those words from spilling out of her mouth like the blood that drips from the jagged scars that have surely reopened from the invisible cuts mutilating her throat raw. Her mouth stays shut to lock it all away with lips that have become more scar tissue than skin. If she lets herself feel for just a single moment, that little bit of hope will kill her before the prophecy does. She shakes her head to rid herself of those thoughts. There's only one thing to do, so many things to say that will get Lydia to stop talking. She closes her eyes, feeling them click open. And that familiar brown shows itself in the form of angry black pearls that bore into a set of sanguine green eyes.
Malia snickers at her optimism. Little Red had almost been her shining silver lining. It's the closest she's been to giving up in quite a while. But she is the big, bad wolf and she eats girls like Lydia Martin just for the hell of it. "Does it bother you... The disdain that omits off of Stiles whenever you do that thing where you talk and talk like you're the smartest person in the room? And before you ask how I know that, I'll just tell you that I know a lot of things about your pack... I see things and I hear things. It really isn't an attractive quality, Lydia. No one likes a know-it-all." She states, watching the girl flinch in discomfort. "But besides that point, while your feelings for him are endearing and sadly to say... a little transparent, I wonder if he sees the desperate girl in there trying to claw her way out and seeking just a tiny scrap of validation. The girl who is just begging for someone to tell her that she isn't the vapid, walking cliche that she already knows she is..." Malia rambles, knowingly plucking at every single insecurity Miss Lydia Martin has felt her entire life like a puppeteer maneuvering the strings. "Don't try to psychoanalyze me, Lydia, because there's nothing redeemable in me to find." She says, browbeating her until she understands.
Lydia turns back to face Stiles who had heard the whole thing, embarrassment coloring her cheeks. Stiles looks like he wants to comfort her. He starts making his way over, most likely to whisk her away so that they could talk in private, but she holds up her hand to stop him, mouthing a "later" and turns back to Malia. The unspoken bond between the two makes Malia's heart sink. It feels heavy with all the emotional baggage she's tried to expel from her mind. The two most powerful feelings in the world are love and hate. Ironic, how they are walking a fine line. They seem to be melting together to a point that Malia can't distinguish one from the other. So whenever hate flows through her veins, love inevitably follows. It's a confusing situation that renders her into a philosophical mess, leaving her wondering if her soul is really even that far away after all. In her mind, she knows that it's gone, having gone through the traumatic flashes of pain and disembodiment when it was torn from her chest. The Devil's hand prints are all over who she is now, her life essence quite literally in his palms. If there is a soul left to save, would she even want it back when this is all over?
She finds herself going off in these thought-provoking tangents, not realizing where she's gone until she comes back to reality.
To twist the knife of no return even further, she giggles for added affect as if they're simply old girlfriends gossiping at a sleepover, "But between us girls, do you love him?"
Lydia's eyes well with tears threatening to spill past her cheeks like a dam on the verge of breaking. Malia feels a minuscule tear in her coat of armor, but she patches it up quickly before the girl can see. Her heart doesn't have room for anymore people. Stitch by stitch she picks herself apart, seeing her own damnation right before she eyes. Maybe in another life they could of been friends. But she also thinks how in another life she would still be Stiles' mate. And in that other life where maybe she lets him love her, she wouldn't take too kindly to Lydia carrying a torch for him. Not in this life and certainly not in the next, Malia does not share.
She continues to taunt the poor girl, "I'll take your silence as an answer. You know, I pegged you for the conqueror type. You could walk around with your head high, obtaining love and power with only a look. You're beautiful, Lydia, as if that isn't obvious already. But you lack that edge, the kind of self-serving love for you and yourself only that could help a pretty girl like you take over the world. You'd never have to feel small again. A crown would look nice decorating those fiery red locks, but you're too afraid to reach out and take it."
Lydia's jaw clenches tightly causing her bottom lip to tremble while she holds her head high to reclaim some ounce of her dignity. "I don't want power."
Malia sighs, lowering her voice to a volume only Lydia can hear. "Everybody wants power. Whoever says they don't is lying to themselves."
Lydia face turns to stone. "If power leads to loneliness like I see in you, than it's not worth it. No one should go through life with an umbrella of sadness and isolation weighing them down... How else will you ever relish in the rapture only found in the rain?
Malia looks over at Stiles still watching them from across the lot and chooses not to answer her question. "He's waiting for you over there. Better go before he takes back his agreement on our truce. It's already fragile as it is."
"That's what you guys were talking about in the hallway?"
"Wow, you're smarter than you look."
Lydia rolls her eyes and leans in to whisper something in Malia's ear that rattles her whole being. "It must be so hard pretending all the time. Not giving a damn, saying 'screw the world', and hiding behind that red lipstick. I saw my words set off a spark in you. You don't have to admit to it, it's okay if that makes it easier. But don't let that old flame of yours die. I hope one day I get to meet the girl you were before the universe made you think that it had forgotten you. I bet she was beautiful."
With that said, Lydia moves out of her space before Malia can swallow her words, walking back over to Stiles who caught the tail end of the conversation.
Malia infiltrates the assemblage of hushed voices carrying out a conversation when she enters her pack's hideaway. Her thoughts are all over the place but she gives it her best attempt to leave that all at the door. Lydia's words still left an imprint on her and she doesn't know how she feels about it.
She walks in without being noticed. It's a trick she'd mastered over the years."What's everyone whispering about?" She asks, plopping down on one of the couches. Everyone goes quiet for a moment until Theo speaks up. "The Dread Doctors are on our tail, Malia. They must of followed us here somehow."
Her eyes flash a dangerous red. "Excuse me, I must have misheard what you said, come again?" She barks, jumping to her feet until she towers above the others sitting down.
"They're here, Mal. I saw one out in the woods after school. I was going for a run to clear my head and I saw one them near this tree stump in the middle of a circle of ash. He didn't see me though, I made sure of it." Theo explains, trying to calm down the storm he can already see brewing behind her eyes.
Malia blows out a breath. "That's impossible, I made sure that our backs were covered at every turn, starting with precaution A going all the way down the alphabet to Z. You all know what I gave up to protect you guys." She says earnestly without an ounce of regret, looking at each one of them in the face as their gazes drop in guilt. "Hey..." She pries, using her index finger to tilt Corey's chin to look at her. "Don't do that, you guys. You know I'd do it again. It's the best choice I've ever made because you knuckleheads are my people. You're the only real family I've got." She reminds them with a ghost of a smile crossing her face, almost reflecting a sliver of the girl she used to be before she gave everything up for the ones she loves.
She redirects her attention to her most trusted Beta. "But that doesn't answer why you didn't bring someone with you, Theo. You know we always go everywhere in pairs. That's my one most important rule. What made you stupidly believe that you are above that?" She asks seekingly with a threatening edge, getting up into his face until their noses were almost touching. "You could have endangered all of us. What do you have to say for yourself? I'm hoping it's something good." She harps on, zeroing in on the stench of fear radiating off of him and reveling in it.
"I went by myself because I was in a bad mood, okay? I just wanted to be alone. I didn't think anyone would be out there, I swear. You know I would never put the pack at risk on purpose. I was barely gone an hour." He says, trying to diffuse the situation.
Malia's eyes roll. "What made you so emo that you disobeyed me, huh? Did you need privacy to go write your feelings down in a diary like a little girl?" She asks half-jokingly, but unknowingly hitting it right on the nail.
Theo diverts his eyes until he can't take the awkwardness and looks at her dead on, unrequited emotion coloring his expression. It was the same look she'd seen a thousand times: The numerous rejections, the same tired declarations of love that she'd throw back in his face, and the endless ways she's broken his heart.
Malia scoffs, rubbing her hand down the side of her face in frustration. "Oh god, come on Theo, give me a break! That's what's been bothering you? That we're just fuck buddies? I told you from the very beginning that it was just about the sex and that is all. Why are you trying to complicate things even further?" She complains, throwing her hands up in the air.
Theo rolls his eyes at her antics. "Uh hello, there are children present with ears highly susceptible to being influenced by your crude language. What kind of Mama Wolf are you?" He states, gesturing to the younger pack watching them with growing interest.
"Hey, we're not kids!" Hayden and Tracy scream simultaneously, looking at each other strangely when they finish.
"I don't have time for this. " Malia groans, sitting back down on the couch. Everyone follows suit, making a circle around the rectangular coffee table.
Malia notices the worry on Hayden's face. She silently pulls the dark-haired girl's head into her lap and runs her fingers through her wavy tresses. "I'm scared." Hayden says suddenly, capturing Malia's attention in a nanosecond. She looks around at the others resembling similar expressions. "Don't you guys know how ridiculously powerful you all are? I saw something in each of you that day that I rescued you from that hellhole of squalor and depravity the Dread Doctors had y'all locked up in. I hand-picked you guys because I just knew that we were all meant to be together, that you were worth saving. Right here, right now, and a long list of forevers. I'm not going anywhere and I will give my life protecting you guys."
It's been a journey getting here. When Malia had inevitably given up her soul, those first couple of years had been hard. She'd lashed out, broke stuff... Broke people, namely Theo. Her aggressiveness had heightened, anger and hate being her only companions. At first, she had felt virtually nothing. No love for her pack, no love for herself. She was made of ice. But as the years progressed and with lots of help from the pack, her stoic nature begin to thaw, even if only slightly. With help from the witches she had met on her travels, she was able to retain a little bit of herself back. Nothing big, really. A sparkle of emotion here, a smile every so often. She went from completely and utterly soulless to a sense of muted feelings. While it was hard for her to feel anything most of the time, that little sliver inside her could never abandon her pack. They are what motivated her to sell herself away in the first place, and it's the one part of herself that she got to keep, her love for them.
"This shouldn't be all on you, 'Lia, we all are responsible for carrying our weight. You've already given up so much" Josh butts in, giving her a look of respect and cautious not to bring up the hellish sacrifice Malia had made that would forever have an impact on who she is.
Tracy interrupts, "It's our vow to protect you, just like you've always protected us. None of us would be alive without you, just a list of failures drowning in mercury." She deadpans, sadness evident in her voice.
"Yeah, we love you Malia... You're our last standing miracle." Hayden chimes in, giving her a shining, innocent smile that almost makes Malia's dead heart leap.
Malia smiles softly, something very rare to witness."No more doubts. Remember our code: "Choice runs thicker than blood. We protect our own and we bare the scars of that choice like a badge of honor." She reiterates. " I'll continue to choose you guys every single day... and I hope you guys choose me, too."
"I say we go out and find the Dread Doctors. It's six against three. The odds are in our favor and we're a lot stronger now than we were the last time we encountered them. Lets give them a taste of what happens when you mess with the Tate pack." Theo preaches, earning appreciative glances from the others.
"Malia, are you in? You're the Alpha, we'd follow you through hell and back if you asked. So tell us... Are we going to war tonight?" Josh fishes, leaning into her to hear her response.
"This ends tonight." She says ominously, a slow smirk dancing across her face as a perfect eye brow raises in challenge.
"Carpe Diem, bitches!" Tracy shouts, causing the room to fall into a fit of laughter.
"Now, lets go hunt down some Dread Doctors. Here's the plan."
The pack sits around the table and discusses battle tactics, going through the alphabet of backups starting from A all the way down to Z.
"We'll lead them to the school and trap them there with the stakes that mess with their frequency. Their power will be contained. Theo, you're in charge of the stakes that will pick up the Dread Doctor's frequency. They may not have seen you, but I'm sure they probably know that we're here by now. Our scents are all over this town and they're excellent trackers. They found us unintentionally, most likely drawn here by the Nemeton."
"Malia, you never did tell us why you chose to come here." Corey states, looking up at her expectantly. "Do you think it was the Nemeton, too?"
Malia stills. The pack didn't know about the Prophecy. She hated keeping secrets from them, but it was for their own good. While the Nemeton probably had something to do with the attraction to this town, she knew the real 'beacon' was a certain stubborn Alpha with scattered moles and anger issues. If they knew that Stiles is her mate and the key to restoring her soul, they'd do everything they could to make sure it happened. She couldn't let them do that. They just don't understand, she's feels safe if she knows that they are safe. But they are teenagers and they can be reckless and stupid, never looking at a situation from all angles. All it takes is one flicker of determination for it to spread to the others like a domino effect. She couldn't and wouldn't let them sacrifice their protection for her. Because in the end, she would lose them. Either way you spun it, her intentions were inherently selfish. But she was okay with that if it kept them alive.
She has done deplorable things throughout her years on this earth, some that she can't even make herself say aloud. The devilish deeds were part of the bargain, another "perk" of making a deal with Lucifer, himself. She's gone on killing sprees up and down the California coast, patterns of massacre and slaughter staining her hands red with the blood of hundreds of souls. She remembers each of their names, some good and some bad. But nevertheless, she recites them before she goes to sleep and writes them down in a journal so that she doesn't forget. On the off chance that she ever does get her soul back, she thinks that maybe she can find a way to memorialize them. She thinks immortalizing a ghosted version of who they once were that survives long after they are dead would be fitting. Perhaps she'll carve their names into stone and take it to the Grand Canyon so the sun can shine bright against the script and they can get a taste of what Heaven could have been like. She thinks she'd like to know, too.
She whips up a quick response to Corey's question. "I suppose that's possible."
She had learned to control the upticks of her heart, mastering the art of deception. No one knew any different, so they were never able to catch her in a lie, one that she's been carrying on for a few years now. The exhaustion weighs greatly on her shoulders, but it's her burden to carry.
"I'll be the bait." Hayden offers, so easily willing to put herself in the line of danger.
"I think the fuck not." Malia growls defensively, her maternal instincts kicking in.
"Why not, Mal! Someone has to do it. I can take care of myself, you taught me that." She whines, pleading with Malia to give her this chance to prove to her that she's not a little kid anymore.
"How can you ask me to let you do this?" Malia asks in disbelief.
"Because I know that you would do it for me." She deadpans, looking her straight in the eye. "Let me do this, please. I can't feel good about this unless I have your blessing."
Malia hesitates. She wants so badly to say no, to use her Alpha command and forbid her from ever leaving the compound. Hayden is like her annoying little sister, but she realizes that she has to let her spread her wings sooner or later.
"...Fine." She relents, choking on the words as they come out of her throat. She glares at a dark stain on the table, digging her claws into her thighs underneath it to where no one can see how much this is going against every single nerve in her body. "Corey, you'll use your powers to camouflage yourself with Josh and catch them by surprise. Josh will electrocute them with his highest voltage until they're weak and at the brink of death. Tracy, that's when you come in and inject them with your kanima poison. From there we'll tie them up and lock them away in the cellar down stairs. I'll decide what to do with them when we have them here. Until they're gone, Theo, I want you to take the rest of them to a hotel to stay at for the night. I'm not taking any chances. Does everyone understand the plan?"
Malia waits for affirmation and receives a nod from everyone in the group.
"Okay, lets go."
Stiles and the pack huddle together inside the school gym. Liam had stolen the key from coach at lacrosse practice and Stiles already had a master key to the school due to his dad being the Sheriff. He's sure his dad won't miss it. He hadn't gotten a chance to talk to Lydia yet about earlier. She's been avoiding him ever since. He knew he shouldn't trust Malia, but he wonders if there is any truth in what she said. He wasn't sure what he felt for Lydia... If he even felt anything. He knows that he used too, back when he was a silly human with buzzed head and a shallow perception of who Lydia was in the first place. He'd always idolized her, putting her on this unattainable pedestal that was so high up, even God couldn't see it. But he doesn't see her like that anymore. He sees her flaws and quirks and finds that he likes them so much more than the idea of her he built in his head. But no matter how long he thinks about it, his thoughts somehow travel back to Malia... And he doesn't know why or what that means. Before he'd come here, he'd climbed up onto his rooftop to think and catch a glimpse of the moon. And the whole time he kept seeing Malia, a fading trail of her swimming around in his mind as he looked up at the sky. She'd tried to kill him, threatened his pack, and already caused way more drama than he needed. All he wanted was to finish high school alive. But in the back of his mind, he sees glimmers of something real inside Malia, something authentic and drizzled in haunting, dark beauty. She's the most ethereal creature he's ever encountered, eyes so wild and lost that he instantly sees himself in her. The old him. And part of him wonders if that's still who he is and all this bravado he puts up is a mask. Since meeting her, Stiles has been more in touch with his primal instincts then he has in a long time. He misses the passion etched in being so unforgivably himself, such a grey area to delve into. He feels like he can't share those darker parts of himself with his pack which is silly because they've loved him despite his distorted pieces, even sharing some of their own with him. But for some reason he still feels guilty, like he is corrupting them. What if Malia sees him and doesn't wish for him to smooth out his edges, no matter how barbed and broken? He'd seen it in her eyes the day she stabbed him. For a single moment, it was just them. Just a boy and girl, not enemies on opposite ends of the spectrum. She looked into his Alpha eyes and told him that red looked good on him. Something in the air shifted in that little infinity, but then her gaze turned cold like the flip of a switch and she was back to her hollowed self again. And then there was the incident this morning...
Why are girls so complicated?
Allison holds her bow and arrow at her side, inspecting the unique silver arrow head she had designed and forged herself with the help of her dad.
She holds the sharp tip up for everyone to see. "The point is going to be dipped in kamina poison. Jackson was nice enough to leave us some behind for emergency purposes. This should hopefully immobilize the Dread Doctors when they arrive. Kira also has her Katana laced with it just in case we need some extra girl power." She explains, giving Kira a little fist bump as the two girls wink at one another. "And if that doesn't work, we always have Lydia's scream to do some damage." She adds, pulling the petite girl into a side hug and resting her chin on top of her head.
Isaac raises his hand. "What am I suppose to do? I want to help."
Stiles inserts himself into the conversation. "Isaac, really, it's okay. You don't have to do this to prove something to me or yourself."
"I want to help, Stiles!" He explodes, eyes burning a gilded honey. "I'm tired of being scared all the time. My dad made me feel so weak and powerless for a long time, but today I'm going to be strong for you guys." He clenches his jaw and his nostrils flare, eyes still shining a liquid gold.
"You sure you want to do this?" Stiles reiterates.
"Yes. I want this more than anything." Isaac assures, towering over Stiles head by a good 4 inches.
He claps him on the back. "Alright buddy, you're on. I want you to distract one of the doctors while Scott deals with the other. Allison, Kira, and I will take care of the one in charge. Derek is going to lure them here, he said he'll text me when he's almost here. Liam is here for extra strength, and then Parrish will finish the job." He reveals just as a half-naked Parrish walks through the door sporting a pair of ripped jean shorts and flaming orange eyes.
"How is he going to finish the job?" Liam asks. Somehow he was always the clueless one.
Stiles rolls his eyes in annoyance. "Parrish is a Hell Hound. If all else fails, he is our last resort. He was able to take on the Beast, so hopefully those rock hard abs and good physique will prove useful once again." He says sarcastically, looking at a seemingly offended Parrish.
"Is that all you think I'm good for, my looks?" The deputy asks, feigning hurt.
"Nah, you're good for other things too like getting me out of speeding tickets." Stiles says wittily with a silly grin.
His phone buzzes in his pocket.
"DD on my tail. Be there in 5 mins. -Derek"
"Alright guys, it's show time." Stiles says, rubbing his hands together in anticipation. He hoped this plan works.
Like delivering the punchline to a joke, Malia bursts through the gymnasium doors with a group of teenagers in tow. There was a tall, dark-haired Latino, a small girl with chestnut hair who looked to be of Asian descent, a fair-skinned boy with a big eyes and a small mouth, another guy with black hair and no other obvious distinguishable features, and then lastly Theo. This must be her elusive pack.
"Hayden, what are you doing here?" Liam asks, shock written all over his face.
"Wait, you know her?" Stiles asks, wondering why he never mentioned a new girl.
"Yeah, she's my lab partner in biology." He says sheepishly, pink tinting his cheeks.
Oh... So he likes her.
"Stiles, what's going on. Why are you guys here?" Malia asks tensely, eyes shifting back and forth between him and her pack.
"I could ask you the same question. Were luring the Dread Doctor's here so we can capture them." He says, gesturing for her to explain her side.
She grins, impressed. "I guess great minds think alike."
"Well we were here first so you should just skidattle, cupcake. I've got this covered." He sasses, narrowing his eyes in her direction.
She balks, "You must be joking." She spats, giving a new meaning to 'if looks could kill'.
"I don't need you or your pack getting in our way," He explains, half-joking, half-serious. He mostly just said it to irritate her. Her facial expressions are the best form of comedy. If she wasn't so evil, she could be a meme.
"Stiles, she should stay. That's more strength and speed in numbers." Lydia chimes in, instantly meeting Malia's eyes with vague reverence before moving back to Stiles. Wow, the first time she's talked to him since this morning and it's to side with Malia? Did he miss something this morning in their conversation or what?
Unspoken deference passes between the two girls and they nod at each other in mutual understanding.
Weird.
Malia steps forward. "We'll take the lead Doctor and you guys take care of the other two. We have way more experience with these guys, so just let us do what we came here to do and this will all be over with before you know it."
Stiles coughs, cutting her off. "That's my job, I'm the Alpha."
"So am I." She growls. The two were caught in a power struggle, neither of them wanting to submit.
"Could you guys quit arguing like a married couple and just work together? Allison and Kira can help the rest of us with the other Doctors." Liam pipes out, rolling his eyes at the obvious sexual tension festering between the two. It was so palpable and thick, they could fog up the entire boy's locker room with the amount of testosterone and estrogen levels shooting through the roof. He'd hate to see what their sex lives would be like. Both of them wanting to top and neither of them wanting to be the little spoon. What a sight that would be.
"Shut up Liam." They say simultaneously, only making them glare at each other harder.
Liam chuckles. "See? Married."
Josh elbows Liam in the shoulder playfully. "I give it one week before they finally just fuck and get it over with. They say hate sex is the best sex."
The duo's boisterous laughter fills the room.
"SHUT UP!" Stiles and Malia scream, both of them embarrassed by where the conversation was going.
"Everyone be quiet, I think I hear something." Allison reprimands, everyone going silent to listen.
Stiles gets another buzz from his pocket.
They're here.
The doors burst open in slow motion. Derek takes uncoordinated steps inside as he sprints through the entry.
"Theo, the stakes!" Malia yells, motioning for everyone to get on the ground. When the stakes first capture the frequency and stabilize with the wave of the Dread Doctors, it will make a piercing whistle-like sound that could shatter your eardrums if left exposed. "Cover all the human's ears!" She shouts just before Theo stabs the stakes directly into the floor.
Scott leaps to cover Allison, Stiles lunging for Lydia, and Isaac protecting Kira. When the sound goes off, all supernatural eyes in the room respond to the call as all of their heads raise. Reds, blues, golds, and oranges illuminate the room in a celestial uprising like an explosive supernova going off in blinding, iridescent colors. Malia and Stiles' familiar red eyes undoubtedly find each other in the chaos. He's never felt so connected to someone in his life more than he does in that moment.
The first Dread Doctor attacks, grabbing Hayden and Liam by the throats and throwing them against the wall. They bang their heads hard and collapse against the concrete ground. Isaac attacks next with Scott flanking him while Theo and Allison take on the other one. One sneaks behind Malia and is about to go for her. Lydia sees this and lets out an ear-splitting scream, knocking the doctor 10 feet in the air and crashing against the mirror on the other side of the room.
"There's my little firecracker, I was wondering if she'd ever come out to play." Malia grins, giving Lydia a grateful look before meeting up with Stiles in the middle. "Okay, you take his left and I'll take his right." The two grab hands, looking down at them interlocking and realizing that they'd both done in without thought. Deciding to go with it and fuss about it later, they sprint towards the leader. Using Stiles as a catapult, she whips around his body, springing off of him and delivering a round-kick to the Doctor's mask. The damage is significant, but they don't stop there. Stiles lets out a bark, swiping at him with his claws. They tag team him together, Malia going for his mask while Stiles catches him off balance. They weaken him for a moment, focusing their attention on the others to see their progress.
Malia goes to help Hayden while Stiles continues to fight the Dread Doctor.
Allison pivots left and right, aiming arrows and releasing her bow with precision and accuracy. In the middle of the chaos, she doesn't notice the Doctor Isaac and Scott thought they had defeated creeping up behind her.
"Allison, look out!" Scott wails, being held up against the wall by the third Dread Doctor. Derek tries to free him, but a low blow to the knee immobilizes him.
Malia is only a short distance away, close enough that she could intervene if she wanted to. Stiles lets out a strangled growl when he sees that Allison is exposed, giving the Doctor an open opportunity to strike.
"Allllllisoooonnnn!" He cries, trying to get her attention over the loud noises of everyone fighting but she doesn't hear him.
Malia has a decision to make and fast. She could save her and prevent Stiles from mourning the death of a beloved, fallen friend or she could look out for herself and let her die. She doesn't know when she began to care or even sympathize with him, but she knows that if she were in his shoes, she would pray that someone would do it for her. With all the blood on her hands, it's the least she could do.
Malia's boots squeak against the gym floor and she sprints over to the unsuspecting hunter. Allison's eyes widen as he sees her coming, not realizing what she was about to do for her. Kira's sword had gotten scrambled in the wreckage which the Dread Doctor now held in his grasp. The Katana came slicing down through the air, cutting it in half with the sharpness of the blade. Just as it's about to pierce Allison's heart, Malia pushes her out of the way, catching the brute of the sword in her right shoulder.
Allison lands hard against the floor and Malia howls in unimaginable pain. White, hot lacerations cut through the nerves, skin, and bone, anguish erupting through her body like lava spewing out of a volcano. She's paralyzed by the agony, pangs of adrenaline shooting up her arm. Chills run down her spine like being bombarded by a cold faucet and then kanima venom starts to spread throughout her body.
She hears her name being shouted by a cacophony of different voices, but her hearing is starting to fade due to the ringing in her ears.
Theo, Josh, Isaac, and Scott battle the Doctor that stabbed her, slashing at it relentlessly. Parrish soon joins in.
Before her body can hit the floor, Stiles catches her, whooshing the air right out of her lungs.
The Doctors are adapting to the venom, getting to their feet and attacking all over again. Stiles has Malia in his arms, shielding her from the onslaught of fights while cradling her body against his chest and putting pressure against her shoulder. If not in this situation, she would be thinking way too deeply about the feel of his hands on her body, this time not wrapped around her throat. Her one regret is that with the venom intact, she can't even feel him.
Another one comes at them and Stiles fights him off, forming a protective stance over Malia as goo and blood splatter across his face.
He takes him down before returning, watching over her and running his fingers through her hair dampened with sweat.
She shivers, her lips tinged blue with cyanosis. All circulation starts to leave her hands and feet. Her brown eyes phase him with the naive curiosity he finds there. Wide-eyed and long lashes dipped in surprise, she looks so much younger. She asks,"Why did you save me?"
He meets her adamant gaze and something astronomical happens. Stars explode behind their eyes as they once again light up red in the presence of one another.
Why did he save her? He's been asking himself that question ever since his feet started moving to get to her before she hit the ground.
"I don't know."
Author's Note: OK wow that turned out a lot longer than I expected. So this is a treat for you guys! Please return the love by leaving some reviews! The positive feedback has given me a lot of inspiration so if you like this story, keep it coming. So much stuff happened, what are you guys thinking about it? Do I sense some Malydia friendship vibes forming? Possibly some Mallison in the future? Was the Stalia to y'alls liking? I'm trying to build a huge web of relationships, platonic and romantic, throughout this story. Give me some good feedback! Xoxo, Etherealmindss.