Damnatio Memoriae

The sheriff was recovering well after the doctors removed the bone fragment. Stiles had decided to stay with his dad overnight as Steve headed home.

He woke the next morning to a message from Scott, "Meet me and Parrish at the relay station."

Steve pulled up and Parrish showed him and Scott a video on his phone. "This is from the relay station's security camera," he told them. A large, smoke-covered monster ran through the doors on all fours and was out of the shot within a few frames.

"Wow," Steve whispered.

"That looked big," Scott breathed.

"And too fast for anyone to get a good look at it," Parrish said, "But you already know what it is, don't you?"

"That last chimera," Scott said.

"The success," Steve added as the two looked up at the busted doorway.

They headed into the station and saw that the place had been torn apart. Wires sparked overhead while the ground was covered in overturned switch boxes, and a pool of blood. Scott knelt next to the blood. "You still got a black light?" he asked Parrish. The deputy handed Scott a small flashlight. Scott shined it on the ground near the blood revealing a smoky residue. "Mercury means chimera," he announced.

"Then what was it doing here?" Parrish said as Scott stood and handed him the black light. "Why come here and kill some random communications tech?"

"Maybe it just likes to kill," Scott answered.

"Maybe that's all the Doctors designed for it to do," Steve added, still looking around the station.

"Well that's terrifying," Parrish said.

"Parrish, how many bodies do you actually see when you dream about the Nemeton?" Scott asked.

Parrish paused and looked at one of the metal boxes that had been slashed. "Everyone," he answered.

Scott turned to face Steve. "We need to figure out how to stop it."

Steve followed Scott back to his house. Steve was putting post-it notes on photos while Scot hung them on his corkboard and connected them with a piece of red string. Scott stepped back after adding the last photo to look at his tangled mess when he noticed the string had looped onto one of his jacket's cuff button. He tried to snap it off, but caused all the connected push pins to fly off the board as well.

"Stiles is better at this," Steve stated as he helped Scott pick up the pieces.

"I know," Scott muttered looking down at the photos. "How do I get my pack back?" Scott asked after a moment.

"One by one."

"Stiles would help if you asked."

"I'm sure he would. But," Steve paused, patting Scott on the shoulder, "You need your pack. Not another alpha bringing them to you. You'll have to do it on your own."

Scott nodded his head before abandoning the photos and turning to his phone. Steve left the true alpha alone and headed back home. He had two chimeras of his own to worry about. He walked into the house and watched as Lucas was slammed into the wall by Charlie.

"You can't keep us here," Lucas shouted.

"Wanna bet?" Charlie growled.

"I mean, obviously we can," Steve stated tossing his bag to the floor, "But if you really want to go, we shouldn't be stopping you." Charlie released Lucas, who grinned at the werewolf. "But first, let's see how much you've learned," Steve said as he shifted and cracked his neck.

Lucas charged Steve, but Steve tossed him aside easily. Lucas landed on the coffee table, and it collapsed beneath him. Lucas regained his footing and charged again. Steve slammed him against the wall and held him there. "I'd recommend you stay and train so you can defend yourself," Steve said looking into Lucas's black eyes before releasing him. As soon as Lucas was free he brought his spiked arm across Steve's throat. Steve barely managed to avoid the attack. Lucas shifted back to normal and his eyes widened as he looked at his arm.

"I'm so sorry," Lucas sputtered.

"It happens, you'll get control of it."

Lucas shook his head. "I'm made to kill. How am I supposed to fight when I've got the instincts of a killer and the weapon to match?" he asked letting his spines protrude out of his arm.

Steve observed the spines before he reached his hand behind Lucas's neck, letting his fingers rest along the spine. "We'll have plenty of time to figure it out." Lucas looked at Steve confused for a moment before nodding. Steve walked over to the other chimera. "How's your training going?"

"Good, sir," the boy responded.

"Don't call me sir," Steve laughed, "What's your name?"

"Zach," he answered.

"You can fly, right?"

"I'm getting better at it."

"Good," Steve said as his phone buzzed. It was Scott, he couldn't talk to Stiles and was going to see if Malia could help him. "Take them into the woods so they can move around more. And there'll be less furniture to break too," he told Charlie, looking back at the table.

"Jay!" Steve shouted up the stairs as the three headed out the door. The werecheetah was in front of him almost instantly. "I need you to find Malia. If she's going after the Desert Wolf, she's not going to want Scott's help. Get her to safety if things go south."

Jay nodded and took off down the road. Steve went upstairs to and walked into August's room where the rest of the pack had converged. "We need to figure out how Theo disappeared the other day."

Jay slowed as he neared Malia's house. He heard Scott's voice and hid behind a bush.

"What if I told you that you're the only one I have left?" Scott asked.

"You're not going to want my help," Malia answered him.

"If something happened between us—"

"I'm talking about something that's going to happen. Something I'm going to do, and you're not going to like me much after I do it."

"Is that why I hear two other heartbeats in there? Why yours is beating so fast?"

"Scott, go home. I can't help."

Jay heard the door close and Scott drive away. He ran towards the house and heard grunting and furniture breaking. He put his back to the door and listened as the commotion started to end.

"What if we paid you ten thousand dollars?" a woman said.

A man chuckled. "You don't have that kind of money," he commented in a Russian accent. His laughter stopped at the sound of briefcase clicking. "The Desert Wolf was last seen close to the Canadian border," he told them as he flipped through the money. "She won't travel by plane. She'll stay away from surveillance cameras when she can."

"Then we still have some time," the woman announced.

"There is another reason she won't fly. She's not traveling alone," the Russian man stated.

"What do you mean?" Malia asked.

"She has a hostage, an animal doctor."

"Deaton," Malia whispered.

The Russian man walked out of the house, carrying a metal briefcase. He looked at Jay for a moment before heading down the road. The two that remained inside started to pick up the broken furniture, but stopped when Jay walked through the door.

The woman spun around and cocked her shotgun at him.

"Wicked," Jay said smiling.

"Who the hell are you?" the woman asked Malia.

"Don't know," she replied before Jay could respond. The werecoyote shifted and growled at him.

"I'm here to help!" Jay shouted as Malia tackled him to the ground. Jay's eyes turned amber and his skin developed spots as he shifted beneath her. He lifted his legs and shoved her off, jumping to his feet in the same motion. Malia ran at him again, but Jay deftly sidestepped her rush, causing her to fall into the sofa. "My skills include being fast and witty," he smiled at her before she tried to grab him again. He dodged her attack again and elbowed her in the back she passed, knocking her to the ground. "You're pretty fast too," he mentioned as she started to rise again.

"What do you want? Money?" the woman asked, the gun still aimed at him.

"No, my help comes free of charge," Jay laughed.

"We don't need your help," Malia growled, "Right, Braeden?"

"I won't say no to free help," Braeden said lowering her gun. She leaned into Malia and whispered, "Plus he beat you."

"He didn't beat me," she hissed. "He's just fast."

"Speed wins fights too," Braeden said. Malia scowled at Jay but Braeden nodded. "You have any issues with killing?"

"I don't like to get blood on my hands, but won't stop someone else," he answered.

"Good, cause the kill is mine," Malia growled before shifting back to normal.

"I'm in," Jay thought to Steve.

The pack wasn't able to find anything about werewolves or werecoyotes having the ability to vanish like Theo did. Steve's phone buzzed by his side.

"I couldn't get Malia, either. I'm heading home. I'll see what I can figure out on my own." Scott sent him.

"I'll be back," Steve announced as he headed back to Scott's house. Steve knocked, but there was no answer, so the alpha stepped in. He followed Scott's scent up to his room.

Scott was in the bathroom removing the dressing on his wound. He jumped slightly when he saw Steve approach. "Oh, hey," he breathed, recognizing the other alpha.

"You should be fully healed by now," Steve commented looking at the wound.

"It's happened before," Scott mentioned. "The last time I felt guilty about a friend's death."

"So, you feel guilty now," Steve said as he grabbed a couple alcohol pads.

"I should have listened to what you and Stiles had to say. What you said that night. . ."

Steve paused. "I don't think it's true. Not after yesterday."

"Yeah, but what about Stiles?"

"I don't know." The two started to work on the wound.

"What happened that night?" Scott asked as he winced from the alcohol.

"I think it would be better if Stiles told you," Steve answered, handing him a gauze pad lined with tape.

Stiles walked in right before Scott was about to cover the wound. The two looked over at him. "Hey," Stiles said, "Still not healing?"

"Sometimes it just takes a little longer," Scott told him. "What're you doing?"

"Uh, I heard about the guy that got killed down at the communication tower."

"Yeah, we heard about it too," Steve said as Scott pulled his hoodie on.

"I think I may have figured something out," Stiles added.

"You want my help?" Scott asked.

"Or Steve's," Stiles said. Scott looked back to Steve, "Or, y'know, you and Steve's," Scott turned back to Stiles. "You said you could find the clues that I can't." Scott nodded. "Here, take a look," Stiles said as he pulled out his phone and played an extended version of the video the alphas had seen earlier. "This is when the technician first arrives. You see him go in. Then Deputy Clark goes in. And then something really big and fast comes charging out. Out comes Clark. Eventually, the technician's body is carried out by paramedics." Stiles finishes and looks at the two alphas.

"Okay," Scott said, "What're we missing?"

"Two people go in, three come out," Stiles stated, "I checked all the footage not a single person enters that building before the technician the entire day. So, where does something really big and really fast come from?"

"There's another way in," Scott said as the two head towards the door. Scott stopped and turned back to Steve who was still in the bathroom. "You coming?"

Steve looked up and shook his head. "Go ahead, I'll meet you guys there."

Scott tilted his head as Steve headed out of the room. Steve headed home as Scott and Stiles headed to the relay station.

"Get ready," he announced to the pack that had moved back downstairs. Charlie and the chimeras were sitting in the living room with the others.

"What?" August asked.

"Unless, you guys want to keep trying to figure out how a werewolf and werecoyote can disappear into thin air," the alpha said tossing the hunter his bow. "I think we'd be better off doing some field work."

The pack jumped off the couch and headed out the door, Zach and Lucas in tow.

"I'm going to stay behind for now," Fiona told Steve at the door. "I hope you know what you're doing," she added looking at the two chimeras.

Steve nodded before turning to face the rest of the pack. "Zach it's dark enough now. Think you can fly while carrying August?" Zach nodded in response. "Good, the rest of us can run there."

Zach spread his wings and took off with August while the rest of the pack ran beneath him. Steve saw Stiles's Jeep parked outside the relay station and headed inside.

Scott and Stiles were nowhere to be seen. Steve looked around and noticed one of the boxes that had been on the ground earlier was now standing up. He moved past it and found a large hole had been torn through the grates that covered a ladder into a series of tunnels. "Over here," he called as he gestured for the rest of the pack to follow as he started to climb down the ladder.

The pack quickened their pace once they heard fighting break out deeper in the tunnels. "Scott, behind you!" they heard Stiles shout as electricity crackled followed by grunting and a thud. After a moment the fighting had stopped, but they Scott was still growling. Steve slowed the pack when he heard Theo's voice.

"Okay, maybe they're not ready to take on an alpha," Theo said, "Especially one that can smell fear."

Steve and his pack rounded the corner, facing Theo with Scott and Stiles between them. "I think all alphas can smell fear, Theo," Steve announced as Tracey and Corey lifted Josh off the ground. Theo took a slight step back. "Wanna see how you fair against a tightknit pack?" he added.

August fired an arrow at Theo, but Theo caught it. "That's all you got?" he sneered. The rest of Steve's pack shifted and growled in response. Theo glared at the pack as he stepped forward. "I'm sure you'd love to kill me, but wouldn't it be better if my pack was in fighting shape? More blood there'd be more blood for you to spill," He taunted as he smashed the ground, shattering the concrete. Scott reached towards the shattered ground.

"There's only one person's blood I'd like to spill right now," Steve growled.

"But the thing is, we're actually all on the same side now," Theo stated, moving around Scott towards another tunnel. "Because that thing. That's," Theo pointed to the destroyed pipes. "what we need to worry about. We're all going to go back to school, but at night, we're going to be fighting for our lives."

"What is it?" Stiles asked from the ground.

"It's not a chimera."

"It's just a kid underneath, someone like us," Scott said.

"Not anymore," Theo told him as Corey and Tracy helped Josh to his feet. "Speaking of chimeras," Theo added looking back towards Steve's pack, "You don't think a werewolf can't teach a chimera how to use his powers. Do you, Lucas?" Lucas paused for a moment before stepping towards Theo. Charlie started to growl as Theo smiled and tapped his nose, "Not as tightknit as you thought, huh?"

Charlie moved forward, but Steve held him back, not taking his eyes off Theo. Lucas turned back with an apologetic look on his face before disappearing with Theo and his group into the tunnel.

"You brought Lucas back? How?" Scott asked looking at Steve.

"Yeah, and Zach," Steve pointed towards him, "Combination of super moon and pack's healing capabilities."

Scott went to open his mouth, but was interrupted when Stiles asked, "Anyone want to help me up?"

"We can go after him, they'll be slowed down," Charlie whispered behind Steve as Scott helped Stiles up and leaned him against the wall.

"No, I don't think Theo was lying about this last chimera. He could be helpful against it. At the very least, the chimera could take care of Theo for us," Steve told him as they moved closer to Scott and Stiles.

"So, who's everyone else?" Scott asked Steve once he got Stiles settled.

"Charlie, werewolf. Leonard, werelion. Zach, harpy," Steve said pointing everyone out, "You guys met August. Fiona, a banshee is back at home. And Jay, a werecheetah is running an errand. They already know you," Steve added with a smirk when Scott went to introduce himself.

"How?" Scott asked.

"They share some kind of telepathic link," Stiles told him from the ground.

Scott looked up confused, "It's a special ability of our alphas. Kind of like how the Hales can turn into wolves and Deucalion can alter memories," Steve explained.

"Yeah, he's ran into them in the past," Stiles added, "Allison too, they adopted her code, but in Latin," Stiles told Scott.

Scott's eyes widened as he looked towards the cracked concrete. "Theo smashed it, and I can't remember the words."

"Damnatio Memoriae," Stiles recited.

"Condemnation of memory," August translated.

Stiles nodded. "It means whatever the Dread Doctors created. Whatever this last chimera really is. It's not something new, it's something old. Really old."

"So, they didn't create a new creature," Scott said.

"They resurrected one," Stiles finished.

Scott and Steve looked at each other. "Look into it," Steve told the pack. They nodded and walked back towards the exit.

Steve knelt down to the other two. Scott drew a small circle in the dirt. "We need help," Scott told Stiles, "If Theo's got his own pack now, then we need ours. We have to get the others back."

"The others? You mean Kira, who's currently battling a homicidal fox spirit inside her, Malia, who isn't even speaking to either of us, Lydia, who's stuck at Eichen House, and Liam, who almost killed you?" Stiles stated.

"Also known as our best friends," Scott replied.

"Okay, how?" Stiles asked.

"One by one," Scott looked towards Steve, who nodded. Scott looked back at Stiles and nodded towards the circle.

"You're not seriously going to make me do it?" Stiles asked.

"Well you're a part of the pack, right?"

"Okay," Stiles sighed and traced a larger circle around Scott's.

"I'll have my pack watch over everyone while you two get to work," Steve told them. "We'll keep them safe, but I can't tell you what they're doing if they don't want you to know."

Scott nodded before looking back down at his pack's symbol. He set his finger next to it and added a lightning bolt. Steve shook his head but smiled at Scott.

"We need to find Kira," Scott said as the two alphas helped Stiles to his feet.

"I still hate that tattoo," Stiles told them as they started walking away.

"I know," Scott told him.

"Yours too," Stiles added, looking to Steve.

Steve chuckled as they rounded the corner.