Chapter 22: Battlefield part 2

Chris was with Allison in the woods, driving around on ATV's. There was a speaker attached to one of them. Chris signaled for Allison to stop as he moved into a halt about a second later.

"Play it again," he said to her.

Allison pushed a button and suddenly the speaker let out the sounds of multiple howling wolves calling out at once. They had been playing it in the woods every night to try and lure out Derek and his pack. They had found the depot that they believed was his hideout and stormed it but found it empty. However, they did find signs that people had been there so they guessed that they must've cleared themselves out in a hurry. Allison knew that they wouldn't have all left town yet and so they had to come up with a way to draw them out. They decided to try and appeal to their basic predator instincts to be with their own kind.

A plan that seemed to work because Erica and Boyd were now hiding in the trees not too far away from them. They had been trying to find the wolves they heard the other night but instead found fully loaded hunters.

The players all started to move into their positions. Jackson took his position as did Danny over at the goal. Scott stayed on the bench as he watched them all move without him. He had flashes of how it was before he made first line, but, with one difference. He looked over to see Stiles standing ready on the field instead of sitting next to him as he had before. He saw that he was looking at the crowd so Scott followed his vision to see that Stiles' dad and his mom was sitting next to him. She had been looking at him but when his eyes fell on her, he saw her turn to look away to the field. He dropped his gaze to just stare out ahead, not really looking at anything as he let himself look as he felt: Empty.

"Scott? Can you hear me?" Scott's eyes widened. That was Gerard's voice. "Ah, you can. Good. Then listen closely. Because the game is about to get interesting."

Scott looked out onto the field at Jackson. He saw that he was staring ahead and didn't look like his usual lacrosse playing self. He was just staring down at the ground and seemed just like a robot.

Gerard was off to the side as he looked at his pocketwatch. "Let's put a real clock on this game Scott," he mumbled as he knew Scott would hear him. "I'll give you until the last thirty seconds. When that score board clock begins counting down from thirty, if you haven't given me Derek, then Jackson is going to kill someone."

As if on cue, Jackson rose his head up to gaze off at the opposing team. Scott's spine ran cold at the sight.

"So, tell me Scott, who's going to die tonight? Should it be your mother, who so bravely came out to support you?" At that, Scott spared his mother another look and saw that she had been watching him again but she looked off again when he did like last time. "Or the sheriff? Your best friend's father that's been unknowingly digging into something that he shouldn't?" Scott's eyes went to Stiles' dad as he was gazing off at the field to look at his son. Scott saw the sheriff's gaze break as he and his mom were joined up by Lydia who smiled at them. "Or, how about the pretty little red head that managed to survive the bite of an Alpha?" Scott's jaw tightened a bit. "Or how about one of these teenagers that have their whole life ahead of them? Preferably a certain fellow wolf that's been at your side through thick and thin that probably thinks he's frightening us by hammering at our numbers the way he has." Scott then looked at the field at Stiles who was moving side to side and loosening himself up to get ready. It didn't seem like he was hearing Gerard. Stiles seemed to be focused on everything on the field itself as he was keeping his gaze directed off towards Jackson. "Maybe I'll do everyone here a favor and kill that ridiculous coach?" Scott then looked to see Coach was biting his nails in anticipation as the game was about to start. "It's up to you Scott but you are going to help me take Derek down. You know that I'm not one to bluff and I will deliver on my threat. After all, if I could kill my own hunters then I certainly will kill any one of these people to get what I want…maybe more. I will have Jackson rip someone apart right here on this field and drench everyone you love and care about in blood."

Scott's breathing started to quicken. The referee nearby raised his hand and then dropped it while blowing the whistle to begin the game as the clock then started to count down. The game had started.

Peter was with Derek who was trying everything to not have to look at him. Peter however couldn't take his eyes off himself as he analyzed his arm.

"See?" he muttered. "Prime example. I'm not healing as fast. Coming back from the dead isn't easy you know. I'm not as strong as I used to be," he breathed sadly. "I need a pack. An alpha…like you." But Derek still wasn't looking at him. "I need you as much as you need me."

That finally got Derek to break as he snorted at him. "Why would I want help from a total psycho?"

"First of all, I'm not a total psycho. By the way, you're the one that slashed my throat wide open," Peter reminded him. "But, we're all works in progress, right, so…we need each other," he finished seriously. "Sometimes when you need help, you turn to people you never expect."

"And how could you help me now?"

"You could start by listening," he said taking on a lecturing sort of tone with him as he moved to be right in front of him as Derek sat on the stairs with his shoulders in a slump. "First, let's review what's happened. You tried to build your pack. You tried to prepare for the worst, but, you weren't ready. And, because of it, Gerard is now in the position to make his play. He's toying with Scott. He's going after your wolves. He's striking only where he sees that you're weak and vulnerable. The only reason he's not winning outright is because he's not holding as many game pieces as he would like since Stiles has been seizing and taking them out of play one by one. But's it's only a matter of time before he finds a way around that and it'll be sooner than you would think now that he has Jackson and with him he'll relish in his victory."

"How about you tell me something I don't know?" Derek barked at him.

"Oh, I'm going to. And it's going to prove why you should trust me. Why you need to trust me. Because I'm going to tell you how to stop Jackson and take any chance Gerard has left to win."

Derek narrowed his eyes. "What do you mean? You know how to kill him?"

"No, I know how you could save Jackson. Not kill him, but actually save him."

Derek turned and looked him straight in the eye. He could sense that Peter was being truthful with him on this. "How?"

"There's a myth, that you could cure a werewolf simply by calling out its Christian name."

Derek rolled his eyes. "That's just a myth."

"Sometimes myths and legends bare into truth," he said not losing a beat. "Our name is a symbol of who we are. The Kanima has no identity and no purpose. That's why it doesn't seek a pack."

Derek nodded. "It seeks a master."

"Someone to give it its identity and purpose. Who else grows up without a pack? No identity?"

"An orphan," Derek answered.

"Right. Jackson. And right now his identity is disappearing beneath reptilian skin and you need to bring him back."

"How?!" Derek roared as he was getting impatient hearing this. It seemed so pointless to him.

"His heart!" Peter roared back. "How else?!"

Derek sneered at him. "In case you hadn't noticed, Jackson…doesn't really have too much of a heart to begin with." Again, Derek felt like beating himself for giving someone like that the bite.

But Peter just shook his head with a small smile. "No. That's not entirely true. He'd never admit it but there is one person. One young lady that Jackson shared a real bond. One person who can reach him. Who can save him."

Derek face loosened up. He knew who Peter was talking about. "Lydia."

The first quarter of the game was nearly over with just a minute left on the clock. Beacon Hills was behind by two. With one of their co-captains on the bench and the other one not really with his head in the game, the team was suffering. Stiles tried to play but his mind was too distracted with keeping up with Jackson's odd behavior as over half his mind was focused on watching him and little left to play as well as he wanted. A prime example was when Stiles got the ball, he went to pass it to the nearest player, but with his mind unfocused on anything other than Jackson, that ended up being an opposing player who then went and threw it for the goal and scored. The field was full of boos. That made his dad cover his face and shake his head.

The Coach stomped off and pointed at him. "Stilinski! Get your head in the game!"

Stiles let out a frustrated breath. "Oh dear god," he mumbled.

Scott just sighed and went to stand up but he was pushed down by Coach.

"Sit down McCall," he said as he made him fall back down to the bench.

"But Coach, we're dying out there," he tried.

"Oh, I'm aware of that. Now sit," he said frustrated but wasn't budging as he left him to stew in that fact.

Scott felt so helpless sitting there as he let his head fall into his grasp but looked up when he was joined by someone. Isaac.

Scott's eyes widened. "You came to help?" He thought Isaac had left town with the others.

Isaac just looked over at him with a small smile. "I came to win."

Scott smiled in gratitude before it fell when he saw Isaac loving over his shoulder. Scott turned and the both of them were now staring at Gerard who didn't look happy that Isaac had now joined them. They then looked away.

"Well, with you here, we just might," Scott mumbled to him.

"You got a plan then?" asked Isaac.

"Well, right now it's just…keep Jackson from killing anyone."

"Oh? That might be easier if all of us were in the game. I mean, I see Stiles is there but he can't do it alone."

"Actually, he's doing fine," Scott mumbled. "Mostly. He's just having trouble concentrating on everything else because it's just him."

"Not anymore," Isaac started putting his gear on. "We just have to make it so Coach has no choice but to let you play."

"How are we going to do that? He's got a bench full of guys that he could use before he ever puts me on the field," he said looking at them all. But then Scott had a flash of memory of when Isaac had hurt those guys for their rave tickets and sure enough, he looked back to see a small mischievous smirk on Isaac's face. "Can you do it without putting anyone in the hospital?"

"Well…I can try." He then put his helmet on and moved for the field.

Isaac went on the field and made a small amused nod in Jackson's direction as the puppet player followed his movement. Isaac then saw that Stiles was watching him too and seemed surprised to see him. Isaac sent him a smile and a small wave before he took the spot on the field. The whistle then blew and Isaac then charged and rammed his stick into one of their own players to the whole field's shock. The player was laying on the ground motionless as Isaac stood over him.

"Lahey!" Coach roared at the field in warning. He then looked to one of the benched players. "Ramirez, you're up!" he said moving an alternate off the bench.

Stiles narrowed his eyes. Isaac tackling one of their own was no accident. He could sense that Isaac wasn't out of sorts or controlled by rage. He knew perfectly well what he was doing. But why would he intentionally attack one of their own players. If it was the other team's, he could understand but not one of theirs. He then noticed that Isaac was eyeing another player. Ramirez, who had been coming in to replace the last one. No, Isaac wasn't eyeing him. He was marking him.

When the whistle blew, Isaac charged for Ramirez this time but instead found himself getting collided by another. Coach's voice sounded off again.

"Lahey! And now you Stilinski! Knock it off or so help me or I'll knock you both out!"

They both spared him a look before they turned to each other.

"What the heck do you think you're doing Isaac?" Stiles spat as he gave him a shove.

"I'm just trying to help," he spat back.

"Help?" Stiles didn't understand until Isaac turned to look over at the bench in Scott's direction. Then he understood. "Scott? You're trying to take out players so he could play."

"It's the only way to get him out here. We need Scott with us to stop Gerard."

Stiles glared harder at him. "No, we don't."

"What?"

"You heard me. And Isaac, if you hurt one more member of our team then so help me, I'll hurt you. Again. And harder," he growled.

Isaac moved to stand in his face and smirk at him through his helmet. "You can try."

"Don't tempt me," Stiles said moving forward to shove him a bit.

"Hey! Lahey! Stilinski!" The two of them snapped out of their staring contest to look at Coach. "Save that for the other team."

Isaac glared at Stiles but then backed away and moved to the other end of the field.

Stiles turned in Scott's direction and glared. "Scott, what are you up to now?"

"Stiles, I need to be out there." Scott said back to him for Stiles to hear with his super hearing.

"Why?" he said back to him.

"I'll be able to stop Jackson should anything happen. Gerard is controlling Jackson now, you must know that."

"Yeah," Stiles barked lowly. "I guessed it a while ago. I didn't think that Matt had drowned himself that night and Gerard had left to 'take care of him'. Why do you think I've been watching him all this time? You don't need to be out here."

"Stiles, I can't just sit here and do nothing," Scott argued.

"Oh, and why not? Because, now you want to stop Gerard?"

"Yes," Scott barked at him. "I have to!"

"Uh huh. And you playing is going to do that? Scott, you're last in line and that bench seems pretty crowded or does that not matter to you either?" he asked with a savage bit of sarcasm. "You scolded me about hurting people trying to kill us and now you're risking our team mates being sent to the hospital, so you could be off that bench and play? That's not going to stop Gerard. It will only get innocent people hurt and I think we've lost enough already thanks to Matt. I'm not going to let more get hurt or worse because of you and Gerard. None of them deserve that Scott."

The whistle blew and the next set began. Isaac was at the other end, far away from Stiles as he ran to charge another of their players from behind.

"Isaac, stop!" Scott roared at him.

Isaac instantly stopped charging and looked over at the bench. "Scott?"

"Just…stop," Scott said softer. "Don't hurt any more of them."

"But what about Jackson? I thought you said that you had a plan and you needed to be out here"

"The plan's changed," he said with finality. "Just play but keep an eye on Jackson. We don't need anyone more people to get hurt. You and Stiles are out there and maybe two wolves will be enough. Just be careful." That had Isaac move and start to play the game normally.

Scott was looking at the field morosely before he looked down at his hands resting on his legs. Stiles' words got to him. He looked over at the other teammates on the bench, all of them watching with nerves but ready to step in if needed next to Coach that had his eyes glued to the ball. He then looked up at the stands in his mother's direction and saw that she was looking at him again. But, she was not turning away this time. She was just eyeing him nervously. He then dropped his gaze. What was he thinking? What was he doing? He didn't know anymore.

As Scott had his gaze off the field, Gerard was eyeing it with a small and amused grin.

"Come on!" Erica shouted to Boyd as they kept running with the ATV's following after them. "Run!"

"Go!" he yelled as he looked back for a second at the bright headlights of their pursuers.

Chris and Allison Argent were moving through the trees as they tried to keep them in their sights now that they finally got them out of hiding. Erica and Boyd tried to run and losing them by going uphill but they kept up the pursuit with Allison in the lead. When she got to the top of the hill, she saw that they had entered a small clearing so there were no trees to interfere. There was a clear shot. She dismounted and brought out her bow. She aimed and let an arrow loose which found its mark right into Erica's arm.

She fell and made Boyd look back. That made Allison move and run for them on foot.

Chris held his hand out. "Allison, wait!" he cried.

But Allison didn't stop.

Boyd was moving back for Erica but she waved him off. "No, go! Run!" she yelled at him. "Go!"

Boyd spared her another look and then just took off into a run. Erica then turned around to face who shot her and found Allison stepping out of the dark. Allison was looking back at her with a hard and cold determination in her eyes. Her bow was ready in her hand and she raised it and pulled on the arrow. She then let it fly. It wound up in Erica's leg. She went and pulled it out but found that she couldn't move. Allison readied another arrow and let it loose at her but it was grabbed out of mid-air, by Boyd. His eyes were glowing as he eyed her angrily but she didn't falter. She just readied another arrow and let it loose where it went into his torso. Boyd roared out in pain as his fangs appeared. Allison didn't stop. She launched arrow after arrow, with each one finding its way in a different part of Boyd's body. From his arms, to his legs and his stomach. Allison's face didn't break. It was blank as each arrow hit him.

Erica was watching Boyd start to falter from all of them. "Stop!" she cried out. "Please Allison, stop!"

But Allison just readied another arrow but a shot ran out and her bow shattered. Her father had fired his pistol to break it and end her barrage. He then pointed the gun at the betas as Allison then brought out a knife. Boyd was finding himself unable to keep on his feet and fell to his knees as the pain started to build and weigh on him.

They then tied the two of them up and readied to send a message for a pick up.

"You owe me a new bow," Allison said shortly to her father as she eyed her destroyed weapon.

But Chris glared as he turned to her. "And you owe me an explanation."

"For what?" she said throwing her bow off to the side. "I caught them. Me."

"Caught came pretty close to kill. And that's not the way we do this."

"Maybe it's not the way you do it but I think my way worked out pretty well," she shrugged.

"Allison," Chris started but he was cut off by his daughter holding up her hand.

She was now on the phone. "Hey grandpa, it's me. We got our two runaways. Call us back," she said as she then ended the message with a push of a button. She smiled but then froze when she caught the way her father was looking at her from the corner of her eye. "What?"

He wasn't glaring at her anymore. He was now looking at her in concern. "It's just the first time I heard you call him that."

The other team had the ball before Stiles charged in suddenly and made the player lose his footing as well as the ball. It rolled on the ground for a second before Stiles quickly scooped it up and ran. He saw that Isaac was open so he quickly threw it to him. Isaac saw that one of the other team's players was running to try and catch it instead and was ready. He caught the ball and was ready to knock the guy down but he was collided by someone running behind him just as the other guy came and rammed him at his front. The force had all three of them fall to the ground and the whistle blew. The one that had hit Isaac from behind was Jackson and he took his helmet off and started to walk off with a small smile on his face. The opposing player also got up but Isaac was still on the ground. Scott ran from the bench to the field and dropped over at Isaac's side.

"It's not broken," he coughed out as he knew what Scott might be thinking. "I just can't move it. I think Jackson nicked me because I could feel it spreading." Isaac grit his teeth at that as two nurses moved in to take him off the field.

Scott looked over and saw that Gerard was standing off to the side and had his eyes on him. "You want to play chess Scott? Then you have to be willing to sacrifice your own pawns, like I did. Anything you need to do to put your opposition in checkmate."

The Coach came over and the nurses gave him the official call that Isaac had to be taken out. He hit the air and stomped his foot. "Murphy!" he shouted at the bench. "You're in!" Another one of the guys got up from the bench and moved to take Isaac's place. The Coach looked back. "McCall, back on the bench," he said as he headed off himself.

Yet before he could do that, his mother ran to him. Scott would've been happy had it not been for the scared and freaked out look on her.

"Something's happening, isn't it? Something more than a lacrosse game?" she asked.

Scott exhaled. "You should go," he said.

But his mom shook his head. "Oh, I'm not going anywhere. Look, I'm not going to pretend that I understand everything but I'm not leaving you boys to face everything alone. Now, I know Stiles asked me not to but maybe we should bring his father in. He can find your principal and put a stop to this."

"He's not going believe us," he argued.

"He will…if you show him proof," she said nervously but determined. Scott then closed his eyes a bit and cringed. "What is it?"

Scott shook his head and looked to the field. "Stiles. He's listening in on us. He just said no. Not to tell his dad." At that, the both of them looked over at the field where Stiles had his helmet off and was staring at them. He was shaking his head at them. "He doesn't want to risk anything happening to him. And we won't have the time for the truckload of questions his dad will ask. Besides, I don't think he would be able to help, not with this."

She let out a huff. "Alright, then forget about what I said before. If you can do something to help stop this then you do it."

Scott caught his mother's eyes as he sensed the faith that she was now putting in him. He nodded fiercely at her. "I will." His mom then left the field and Scott moved over for the bench. He was stuck here but that didn't necessarily mean that he couldn't do anything. Gerard was off on the sidelines but still was controlling everything. Why couldn't he do the same? "Stiles," he said as he focused on his friend. Stiles had his helmet and was looking back at Jackson but still turned to look at him. "Look…forget about watching Jackson. Concentrate on the game." He then looked over in Jackson's direction. "Leave watching Jackson to me." He let a soft breath loose. "The bench actually gives me the best spot to watch his every move. Just watch for my voice. I'll tell you if anything comes up. Trust me."

"I did." He said back to him simply.

Scott felt his stomach contract as if he had been punched. He closed his eyes and nodded. "I know you did. You always did, from the moment this all started, you trusted me even when anyone else wouldn't have. I know that I can't expect you to do that now," he said a little regretfully. But his eyes then narrowed in determination. "But you still had my back all those other times when I was playing and when I was in trouble. I played and you covered for me even when you weren't on the field with me. Every time and you always came through. That means I could too."

"You trusted me to do that for you Scott. Every time," Stiles pointed out.

Scott could hear what Stiles wasn't saying by saying that. Stiles would need to trust him to do that like Scott had and he couldn't trust in him the same way, not now. Scott realized that Stiles had really given up a lot when it came to lacrosse. And it was all for him. He was also realizing that he hadn't thought twice about what Stiles did any of those times. Stiles missed his chance at final tryouts to learn what was happening to them and didn't make first line and Scott had nearly hit him and brushed him off. Stiles went out of his way to find a way to help him during his first game when his control was weak even if he only could play in the last 30 seconds of the game and hadn't even said a word about it as he let him be lost in kissing Allison. Stiles had made first line and missed his first game of the quarter final to try and learn about the Alpha and its connection to his mother but hadn't told him so that he could enjoy himself. Then Stiles missed his last game because Scott had asked him to and was attacked and Scott had ignored him. That was the first time that Stiles said anything about it and Scott had complained at him. Not only that but he had been kicked off first line and Stiles didn't even let himself feel bad as he focused on the other things they had to do.

Scott then exhaled deeply. "I know," he said. "Look…Gerard said that he wouldn't have Jackson make a move until after the clock started to wind down at the thirty second mark. He wants me to give him Derek by then. He only had him attack Isaac to get to me." Scott folded his hand into a tight fist. "If you don't trust me Stiles, I understand, but I have to make this right. I owe you. At least trust that I need to pay you back. It's my turn to cover for you from the bench."

Stiles was silent for a moment. He could hear that Scott was completely sincere with everything he just said. He weighed it with the pain he been feeling for what Scott had been doing…until finally, "Fine."

Stiles looked away from Scott and he moved to get ready for the next set. Sitting there watching, Scott couldn't help but think it all ironic. In the beginning of the semester, he had said that his whole life was being on the sidelines and he wanted to be where the action was and not be stuck there. Now, actually being stuck on the sidelines, he was finding that everything hinged on him.

The game started up again. Scott watched as the opposing team had the ball on their side of the field. They were behind by five points and now the last quarter of the game was starting. He watched as Jackson got in that player's way before he could run too far so he tried to throw it to one of his fellow players. However, as the ball flew it was quickly intercepted by Stiles. He had the ball and there was nothing between him and the other side's goal. But instead of making the shot, his eyes seemed to be on Jackson. Scott saw that there were two players from the other team moving to charge at him.

"Stiles, focus," Stiles stiffened as he heard Scott talk at him. "Don't worry about Jackson or Gerard. I can handle watching them, trust me. And SHOOT!"

Stiles took his eyes away from Jackson and made the shot. The ball flew and hit the net. The crowd went up and exploded with cheers and roars.

Stiles threw his arms in the air. "I scored a goal," he said to himself. Then he roared out. "I scored a goal!"

Stiles had never done that before. He may have made the ball go into the net in practice but never scored a goal in an official game with the crowd screaming and cheering for him. He liked it.

After that, there was a significant change. Now that Stiles wasn't dividing his attention and was focused fully on the game, the tide of the game started to change. Stiles managed to make good steals and knocked away any opposing player that came at him. He wasn't messing up his passes anymore and even scored two more times.

"He's my son! That's my son!" he heard his father shout out through the collective shouts from the crowd.

He smiled at the sight of his father jumping in his spot in the stands as well as Scott's mom clapping enthusiastically for him alongside Lydia who was looking straight at him with a look he never got from her before. He felt a warmth spread across his body that made it to his fingers and toes to the top of his head. Stiles charged into an opposing player to make him fall and lose the ball to him. Stiles then ran and made a jump as he launched the ball to make another goal.

Scott stood up and fisted the air as he smiled wildly. He did it for a moment before his eyes went right back to Jackson who he noticed just stayed off by himself as he just walked to go back in his position calmly. So far, there was nothing noticeable from him since he struck at Isaac. Scott's face fell a bit and his ears twitched when he heard his name.

"I'm impressed Scott. It seems that you are a good Co-Captain after all." Gerard was speaking to him again. "It seems that there was some failure to cooperate among your teammates but you soothed it over and turned it all around. Now you're employing a bit of Divide and conquer. Your friend Stiles concentrates on the game while staying in close to Jackson and you oversee the field as his eyes and ears from afar. A classic and effective strategy." Scott looked over to find that Gerard wasn't at the spot that he'd taken since the game started anymore. But he was still talking to him. "But you aren't the only ones that can utilize that strategy Scott." Scott looked over and saw that Jackson seemed to be behaving normally now. He was moving around more freely and wasn't looking like a puppet now. Was it because Gerard had left the field? Why? But he started speaking again. "Don't you want to know what you're really bargaining for Scott? What the real offer on the table is? It's Allison. It's always been Allison. You give me Derek and I'll let you have Allison."

Scott eyes widened at that. Gerard had said that they weren't the only ones who could Divide and Conquer. He was talking about Isaac, he had to be. That was his true target. He was defenseless and alone now and was one of Derek's betas who Gerard wanted. Then there were Gerard's other words. He looked over at the bleachers to where his mother was now clapping and cheering alongside Stiles' dad. Next to them was Lydia, who was clapping and smiling at Stiles who had just scored another goal and let out a howl in victory. He also looked to everyone else playing on the field like Danny and even looked at Coach who fisting the air and shouting praise. At that moment, he made up his mind. Scott went to move back for the school but went a few steps before he looked back at the field. He should probably tell Stiles what just happened. But he stopped cold as he saw his friend smile in the direction of his father and Lydia. He could sense Stiles' happiness and excitement from there and decided that he better not. There was still over five minutes left in the quarter and the difference in their score was now them being behind by two. Stiles was in the moment and enjoying himself. He owed Stiles three games. Letting his friend finish five minutes was the least Scott could give him. And he would let him have it…even if it meant doing something that he was uncomfortable with doing.

Isaac was crawling on the floor of the darkened locker room as he tried to distance himself from Gerard and a hunter that he had with him. The venom hadn't spread to his upper body but it was still preventing him from using his legs. Gerard was slowly waltzing after him like a lion stalking a wounded gazelle.

"It was a good effort Isaac," he said to him. "It was, but." Gerard then turned to his associate as he held out a bundle to him. Gerard reached for it and pulled out a shiny and long sword. He admired the shine of the blade as he made it ready in his hand. "This would be so much more poetic if it were half-time," he said amusingly.

Gerard then started to move quicker for Isaac as he dragged the point of the blade against the floor as to make a mild scratching sound as he got closer. It heightened Isaac's breathing as he made it to the sinks and pulled himself up to a semi-standing position to gaze back at the hunters. Gerard moved to ready the sword for a swing when he stilled. Isaac was smiling and looking over his shoulder. Gerard's eyes went to the mirror next to the boy to see that they weren't alone.

Scott was quickly hit with a taser from the other hunter and he grit his teeth as he felt the electricity surge into his body. Scott fought to stay on his feet as he reached up and took the taser stuck at his chest and yanked it off. The hunter went to pull out a gun but Scott moved and knocked it out of his hand. Scott saw that his other hand was reaching behind his back and went to grab his arms and squeezed it and he then heard the sound of a knife hit the floor as the hunter lost his grip on it. He didn't want to hurt this man, or Gerard, but they would kill Isaac and anyone else to get what they wanted and knew he had no choice. He had to stop them…like Stiles had stopped the others. Scott let his eyes glow gold as he let his claws extend and pierce the skin on this guy's arm. Scott then went and threw him across the room to hit the wall as hard as he could. Scott then turned to face down Gerard next, ready to take him down and stop this once and for all but saw that he wasn't there. It was only Isaac who was watching everything nervously.

"What happened? Where is he?" he asked him.

Isaac just shook his head. "He's gone. Ran off."

"What?" Scott's face fell in confusion. Why would Gerard just bolt that quickly? He didn't even put up a fight. Was it because he knew that with only one hunter he couldn't win? But then his eyes widened. "Oh no," he whispered as he took off. He realized that Gerard would be heading back for the field. The field where Jackson still was and now had no one to stop him. Stiles didn't know that Gerard was coming and that Jackson would be going after someone. Gerard had known that Scott would leave to try and save Isaac because he was vulnerable. That's why he had left but said those words to him; to lure him away. He tricked him!

Beacon Hills was now trailing by one point with just over two minutes left. A player tossed Stiles the ball and he moved through two opposing players with the speed and grace of being a werewolf before he went and took the shot where it went right into the net. The crowd hopped off their seats and started to scream and cheer as now the score was tied. Stiles could hear his dad's cheers and shouts of praise while he zoomed his vision in on Lydia smile. She looked so happy and excited and her sight was on him. He let a shout loose as he raised his stick up in her direction.

The other team now had the ball and one player threw it for the goal but Danny caught it. He then threw it over in Stiles' direction and he ran down the field. He moved and jumped over a guy that to gore him and passed the ball in mid-air. The player he passed it to moved down the field a few yards before he passed it to another one. As soon as he got it he threw it down the field to one of their guys waiting there. He pushed his way passed an opposing player before he passed it to Stiles as he was running across him and Stiles launched it for the goal and the whack of the net rang through the field. They were now in the lead. The team started to crowd and jump together around Stiles as they roared in his face and gave him good hearted pats at his shoulders and back.

Scott ran into the field and quickly looked at the scoreboard. The timer was now at thirty seconds and he remembered Gerard's warning.

Jackson was just walking outside the circle of their cheering teammates, with a blank look about him. He went to take off his helmet and it hit the ground along with his gloves.

The counter on the scoreboard was now at ten seconds and the referee readied his whistle. As soon as the timer hit zero, he blew it. That made the crowd start yelling and jumping. The sheriff, Melissa and Lydia were screaming out in glee. The two parents went in for a hug while Lydia threw her hands up in victory.

As Stiles separated from everyone he felt a chill at the back of his neck. He lifted his helmet off and turned to see that Jackson was close by and by himself. His reptilian eyes made an appearance and they were locked on him. His hands then down to reveal his Kanima claws. Stiles inhaled deeply as he dropped his stick and quickly moved to take off his gloves.

Coach was beside himself. "We did it! We won!"

Scott looked around but didn't see anything out of the ordinary. "Nothing happened," he muttered. "Nothing?"

Before he could even begin to relax in that fact, the lights went out, one by one. Then there were screams but not of excitement, of panic. Scott tried to move through the sea of people to try and find anyone he could.

"Scott! Scott, where are you?!" That was his mother's voice. He followed it in the dark and soon collided with her as she grabbed him.

"Mom, are you okay!" he cried.

"I'm fine. I'm fine but somebody is hurt. Somebody is down on the field."

Scott looked off and saw that there was indeed a body lying flat on the lacrosse field. He could make out some people already there. He didn't have time to wonder who as the lights started to come on.

Coach was already running for it. "Get out of the way! Move! Back off!" he yelled to the team members that were there.

They cleared off to reveal that the one on the ground was Jackson. Scott and his mother took off and ran over.

"Jackson? Jackson! Would somebody, please! Jackson!" Lydia cried as she ran over and then pushed the players crowding him out of the way and looked down at him. "Jackson! Jackson! What's happening?!"

"We need a medic over here!" Coach shouted.

Melissa moved and knelt at Jackson's side as she went to check his pulse. Scott came over and saw that he was joined by Isaac who limped towards him as the venom seemed to be wearing off. Melissa looked to the two of them with a worried gaze. "He's not breathing," she said softly. "No pulse."

She then lifted his jersey and flinched at what it was hiding.

"Oh my god," Lydia screeched. "That's blood. It's blood," she said starting to cry.

Isaac then grabbed Scott's shoulder and pointed off to Jackson's hands. "Look." His fingers were caked with dried blood. "He did it to himself."

Melissa then started to try and resuscitate him. She looked up at Lydia. "Get down here." But Lydia just stared back at her in tears. "Get down here!" she said more forcefully. "And hold his head and tilt it up." Lydia then knelt in front of Jackson to follow her directions as she looked close to falling apart.

Scott was shaking his head. He didn't understand. Jackson wouldn't just hurt himself, try and kill himself like this. It had to be Gerard but it didn't make any sense. Why would Gerard have Jackson do this on himself? He couldn't be the target that he had in mind. Scott felt he was missing something and he found out what when the sheriff stomped over. He looked over at Jackson's body before he scanned the area and noticed it was missing a certain person that would be all over this.

"Where's Stiles? Where's my son?" he mumbled. The sheriff then started to get frantic. "Where's Stiles?" he said louder. "Where's Stiles! WHERE THE HELL IS MY SON?!"

Scott mouth fell open. It was Stiles. The one person that truly challenged the hunters. He was the true target. It was him that Gerard had been after the entire time. And he let Gerard take him.