Before he could even tell himself that he's being a complete idiot Stiles lurched to his feet, moving toward the screams. To be completely fair, he had been left out here defenseless. At least Derek and Scott had claws and sharp teeth. He had nothing but wit and sarcasm to bite back with. He'd broken into a run and only made it about 20 feet from the tree he'd been ducked behind when a dark shape whipped from behind another tree.
Sucking in a breath, Stiles scrambled to a stop, sliding in the damp earth. His now wide eyes focused more on the barrel of the Desert Eagle than the man holding it, breath caught somewhere in his throat. In all his life around cops and annoying everyone around him Stiles only now realized that no one had ever pointed one directly at him. Hands raised shakily as if to show he's not a threat while slowly looking passed the gun at Chris Argent.
He can see the hardened look in the man's eye slowly fade before the gun shifted out of view, back into the hunters belt. Even with the man's hands empty Stiles lets out a shaky breath because he knew, he knew that if the hunter hadn't taken those few seconds to stare at him his life would have ended right then and there.
Chris stepped forward, voice low. "You should get out of here, kid."
With the threat of the gun out of the way Stiles felt a chill creep up his spine. Less in the way of adrenaline leaving him and more in relief that his brains weren't spattered all over the forest floor. "I can't." He replied quietly, glancing passed the man toward where he can hear Isaac's pained howls.
"You can't save them, either." The defeat in the guys voice should have been enough to cripple him.
Instead the age-old stubbornness reared its head and he scowled. "I can if you help me!" Stiles kept his voice low because if he could hear the Argent's, then they'd be able to hear him.
An almost wounded look crossed the elder man's features while shaking his head. "You don't know what they're like."
"No, but.." another female scream erupted behind Chris, the sound tore at Stiles' heart, "but you don't know what they're like. They aren't.." dangerous? That was a lie. They were werewolves. Of course they were dangerous. Killers? Derek's eyes gave that away. But Isaac's, Boyd's, and Erica's were all golden. "Please! They're my friends. They only want to help people. They didn't have a choice in this!"
He saw a muscle work in Chris' jaw, like he was actually debating it. Another scream ripped through the air and Stiles realized he couldn't stand here anymore. If the guy wasn't going to help him then Stiles had to do something. What? He had no freaking idea.
Seriously, how was this his life?
He didn't give the man another second to think about it, or possibly pull the gun on him again, before he'd shoved passed him. Stiles ran flat out toward the sounds of screams until he could see them. Each of his friends, aside from Scott and Derek, were still suspended from the ground by their wrists. Erica had a long gash across her middle, Isaac down his front, Boyd across his legs. As though Gerard was just toying with them.
It churned his stomach how someone could be so cruel. His feet hadn't been as quiet over the leaves as literally anyone else would have been and Kate turned toward him when the crunch of earth signified his arrival. She was beautiful, in a way. Like a teacher a kid had a crush on or some parent that would be respectively called MILF. The smug superiority that seemed permanently etched onto her features heavily detracted from it, though.
"Well, well. Who might you be?" She quirked a slender blonde brow at him. A shotgun held between both hands, though Stiles was grateful to see it wasn't aimed at him. Less so when he realized it was trained on Derek who stood snarling only three feet from her. Why the guy hadn't gone in for the kill was a surprise.
Decidedly less of one when Stiles registered the thin trail of shimmery black surrounding the Argent's and the three suspended wolves. He took a tentative step closer to that line, the nearer he got the more he could feel that static energy. Chancing a glance toward Derek, who shook his head at Stiles, the younger male still took another step closer.
A smirk flooded Kate's lips, "ah, the token human. Every pack seems to have one."
"Ah, the psychotic bitch hunter. There always seems to be one." Stiles quipped right back. His gaze left her only long enough to search for Scott, then dart over those hanging. Gerard seemed to have stopped his attack to watch the exchange with apparent curiosity. He stepped right up to the mountain ash line and felt it thrumming with electricity, though it wasn't painful or shoving him away in the same way it did the wolves.
"Are you hoping for the bite, son?" Gerard asked, taking on a fatherly tone that made Stiles feel even more nauseated than seeing his friends hanging and bloody.
"Not a chance, old man. And don't call me son." Maybe that was how Derek felt when he called him 'dude'. Although he sincerely doubted it sent chills up the guys spine. Speaking of. He caught the faintest movement from Derek out of the corner of his eye and twitched his gaze that way. Those mottled green hues were wide, staring over Stiles' shoulder.
Before he could turn toward it Stiles heard the tell-tale click of a gun behind him. He didn't have to look to know Chris had come back. "I can't let you break that line." Though there was something heavy in the way the man said it, as though he was trying to convey something through tone rather than the words themselves. Stiles didn't know what it was, though.
"I knew you'd see reason, Chris." Kate smirked again. Stiles wanted nothing more than to wipe it from her face, though he knew the chances of coming out of that attempt alive were next to nil.
"We keep to the code, Kate." Chris retorted. "We-"
He didn't get to finish that sentence because Derek interjected suddenly. "She killed them all, you know?"
Chris, and Kate, both turned to look at him. The latter seemed more surprised as her perfectly plucked brows darted up toward her hairline. "Killed who?" Her tone was honey sweet, like she had no idea what Derek was talking about. Derek didn't remove his eyes from Chris' face, or the gun still trained toward Stiles' head.
"My family. She's the one who burned the house down.. With my whole family inside." If Stiles hadn't been staring at Kate he might have missed the subtle self-satisfied smirk that played across her lips.
Chris huffed out a breath behind him but didn't move. "She wouldn't do that." He didn't sound thoroughly convinced.
"She was dating my sister." Derek snarled, still staring at Chris.
That wasn't what he'd expected. At all. Neither was the grin that played over Kate's lips. "Oh, sweetie. I only sweet talked her into telling me where the house was."
"Bullshit! You hung around her for months. You told her you didn't want to be a hunter, that you wanted to find another way. You told her you loved her. And she believed you."
Gerard laughed then, "she did what she was told. She got close enough to wipe out a threat."
Stiles didn't realize Chris had lowered the gun until he moved to stand beside him. His jaw hung open in shock while staring at his family. A family he must have been realizing he didn't know at all. "There.. there were humans in there! People who'd never hurt anyone!"
"And they'd have turned out the same as all the other animals." Kate's eyes were narrowed on her brother. "You think they were innocent? You really-"
"We took care of a problem before it could become one." Gerard interrupted coolly. The scary part was that he really seemed to believe this was all for the greater good.
"What about them?!" Stiles asked, pointing toward the three wolves, "they've never hurt anyone. They don't want to!"
"But they will." Kate's voice held that smugness, as though she knew how this would all end. "Because they all do. So we're taking care of them before they can. In the process we'll get their Alpha and every other wolf in Beacon Hills." She yanked back on the shotgun, arming it before aiming once more for Derek's chest. Whether it was stupidity, anger, or bravado Stiles didn't know but Derek didn't move, only glared back at her.
"Then we'll handle them if it comes to that!" Chris shouted, drawing their attention again.
"Aren't you tired of jumping in after someone dies? If we'd taken care of these mutts when we came to town Victoria would still be alive."
Chris' expression hardened again before the gun that had been held limply in his hand raised again, aiming for Kate now. Stiles noticed the faint shake in the man's hand, accompanied by the one in his voice. "They had nothing to do with that.." The hunter stepped right up to the line beside Stiles.
Out of the corner of his eye Stiles caught sight of movement behind the tree the wolves were suspended from. Scott. Gerard shook his head, clearly done with the conversation, and turned his focus back toward the broadsword held in hand. "Now they'll never have the opportunity to take someone's wife, or daughter, or sister."
Derek snarled again, face contorted in rage, claws at the ready. He couldn't get through to do anything. Stiles pushed himself closer to the line, wondering if he could move over it or if it would throw him back like it did the wolves. Chris looked at him from the corner of his eye, then gave an almost imperceptible nod as though he knew exactly what Stiles was thinking. Less than a second later the gun turned from Kate to the ropes holding Boyd off the ground.
He didn't think of how monumentally stupid it was. He didn't take the second to think that maybe he should have tried to break the line or that maybe it would hurl him away. Worse, it didn't even occur to him that he had no means of protecting himself once he crossed that line. It was just he and the Argent's. Instead, he shoved off with one foot and hurtled forward toward Boyd. The static charge hard enough that he was sure his heart skipped a beat and maybe made his hair stand on end. The mountain ash didn't prevent Stiles from crossing it, though. Something he realized with great relief.
Another shot rang out and Isaac hit the ground beside Boyd, coughing and sputtering while the larger male tried to grab hold of him with his restraints still in place. Gerard raised the sword and it took only half a second for Stiles to realize he was going to use it on Erica. A feral growl erupted behind him-Derek-at the same time Scott hit his knees beside the two fallen wolves and a much louder bang echoed through the clearing. His friend attempting to yank the other two away.
There was so much happening all at once that Stiles was sure everything was on overdrive. God knew how he was going to process all of this later. For now, the only thing he could think of was to stop Gerard. Keep that sword away from Erica. Stiles aimed his shoulder for Gerard's side, tackling him to the ground as another crack ripped through the air and the blonde bombshell hit the forest floor with a thump.
He could see just enough from his periphery that Derek's front was spattered with blood, his grey shirt a torn and tattered mess, but he held Kate off the ground by her throat. The shotgun she'd been holding lay at their feet as her hands worked to try and free herself. Meanwhile, Scott was hissing and growling in pain as he tried to work the ropes free from their friends wrists. From the angry red welts on their wrists and the way Scott would jerk back every so often, Stiles assumed that they must have been coated in wolfsbane, or mountain ash. Or a combination of the two.
Unfortunately, trying to gauge what was going on around him had provided too much distraction. The next thing he knew stars, exploded in his vision when a fist slammed against his temple. Gerard wasn't out of the game yet. Reeling, Stiles tried to put distance between he and the geriatric hunter so that he could see again. Before he'd managed to scramble more than a half foot away a strong hand gripped into his shirt and yanked him close again.
He lost count of the number of times Gerard hit him in such quick succession. Stiles should have guessed that the old man had more strength than he'd have thought given the ease in which he'd held the sword, but he'd assumed that Gerard was like every other elderly person. More frail than anything. His head throbbed and his chest ached when he was finally dropped back into the dirt.
Spitting a mouthful of blood, Stiles pushed himself up on his arms and shook his head in the attempt to clear his vision again. Which lead him to realize his left eye had swollen shut. Awesome. Another pair of hands gripped him from behind, dragging him across the ground. "I've got you, Batman.." Erica whispered and cradled him against her chest. Soft chest. He almost wished he had a moment to appreciate that. There was too much going on at the moment to even consider it. Stiles exhaled a painful laugh and leaned back against her chest, one hand raising to grip her wrist as though ensuring she kept hold of him.
"Put her down, Derek!" Chris was screaming when Stiles tuned back into everything else.
Derek still held her aloft and Kate's scrambles and kicks held less effort than they had only a few minutes before. Gerard lay unconscious near Stiles legs, a bloodied wound on his temple. Stiles realized that Chris must have run into the fray and hit him with the butt of his gun before training it on Derek.
"She killed my family!" Derek growled, not even bothering to look at anyone else. It was like he was determined to see the life fade from Kate's eyes. Stiles couldn't fault him for that. No one should. He was certain that if he knew someone had taken his father's life, he'd want revenge as well. Perhaps not to that same extent but he couldn't be sure of that.
"And if you kill her, you're no better than she is. What you're proving to them is that you're nothing but the animal they believe. Not a person." Stiles realized Chris was trying to reason with the wolf, but that he also wasn't actively trying to stop him from killing Kate. The gun may have been aimed at Derek but Chris' grip on it wasn't as firm as it had been when he'd been aiming it at his sister. Score for personal growth!
"Then let me be that animal." Peter's voice rang out as he stalked toward them. When the hell did he get here?! Stiles turned to spit another mouthful of blood beside Erica's leg while working himself back to his feet. Erica didn't seem too keen on letting him out of her grip but after a moment she relented and turned her attention toward Boyd instead. Her manicured nails touched his face tenderly in relief. Isaac was still rubbing at his wrists and Scott had gotten to his feet, looking unsure of what he should be doing right now. It seemed Peter's arrival hadn't just confused Stiles, then.
Without a word his friend moved to his side, his expression danced over Stiles' features as though waiting for him to keel over. The pounding in his head and the tilt of the world threatened it but he resolutely remained standing. "Peter! Wait!"
The elder male cocked his head toward Stiles, eyes flashing blue in the darkness. He was certain that if the guy didn't like him, nothing he could have said would have caused his steps to falter. Stiles knew he had no right to stop them from seeking their vengeance but if he could keep them from being killers, wasn't that worth a try? Peter stopped behind Kate, still suspended by Derek's grip around her throat, his gaze locked onto the token human.
Stiles turned to Chris, "what do you plan to do with them, then? Do you think they'll stop coming after these guys?"
The hunter clearly wanted to say that he could talk to them, convince them, but something stopped him. Probably the knowledge that there was nothing he could do to control his family. Especially since they'd been off the rails longer than he'd even known. "We'll bring them to your father. Have them tried for the murders of everyone in the Hale house."
Peter scoffed, his eyes still glowing blue in the dim light. "There's no proof of it! Only what we know!"
"Then let me handle them!"
"Why, so you can-"
Whatever Peter was going to say had been drowned out by a long, loud, savage howl. Almost immediately all of the turned wolves eyes flashed in response at the same time Derek's eyes snapped toward Stiles. He didn't have to look to know that the hulking figure of the Alpha was bearing down upon them. Or, more appropriately, him.
The large beast tore into the clearing, red eyes flaring. Instead of barreling straight for Stiles, as he'd expected it would, the Alpha bolted toward Kate. Derek unceremoniously dropped her then balled his fist into Peter's shirt to yank him back. The two moved into Stiles' space then. Regardless of their pain the others pushed to their feet and did the same. Chris fired round after round into the Alpha until the gun clicked empty. The wolfsbane bullets seemed to have no effect on it.
Gerard came around to the sound of Kate's screams as the Alpha's claws sank deeply into her stomach, tearing through muscle, sinew, organs and bone. Her screams turned to whimpers as the beast dropped her. The old man lurched to his feet, grappling to haul the broadsword with him. "Oh, Deucalion, you should know better than to come for an Argent." He rasped and leveled the blade.
Stiles could hardly see what was happening through the press of bodies surrounding him. If any of them got hurt, or worse, protecting him he didn't know how he'd forgive himself for it. True, they'd been doing it for weeks on end now. It just felt different now when they were this close to the Alpha. The beast looked even more horrifying up close.
He'd seen the others in their Beta shifts, all pointed ears and claws and teeth and hair. None of them lost the color of their skin, though. Not like the Alpha who's flesh was nearly black, which Stiles had mistaken for fur before. Up close he could see that its teeth were longer and much sharper than the others, it's claws were as well. Though he might not have noticed that right away due to the fact that they were almost black as well. The only different now was that they glistened from Kate's blood. The muscles on it didn't seem right, either. Bulging in some places and almost non-existent in others.
Yes, the others had a wolf-y like appearance in their shifts but the Alpha truly looked otherworldly. The most supernatural thing he'd probably ever seen. Stiles knew his heart was hammering in an erratic rhythm because he could hear the blood rushing passed his ears. A combination of terror and pain. Something the Alpha must have picked up on as it turned its bloody eyes onto him with a vicious growl.
He was sure it would have come running for him too if Gerard hadn't made the next move, that is. The elderly hunter stepped forward, holding the sword at the ready. Stiles could hear Chris reloading his gun just outside of the circle of wolves as the Alpha's attention turned on Gerard. Its upper body heaved forward to let out another roar before rushing toward the old man.
Gerard swung once, twice, three times in expert succession, each swing of the sword slashed its blade across the Alpha's body, sending flecks of blood spraying, but didn't slow it. Long claws sunk deep into Gerard's chest, hefting him off of the ground with ease. Its other hand dug into the same space before retching them apart to rip the man in half, spraying blood everywhere. Stiles didn't want to look at himself to confirm that what landed on his shoulder and in his hair was a piece of some organ. Gross.
Chris made a strangled sound before firing again and again and again. The bullets embedded but didn't even seem to faze the beast as its sights turned back onto Stiles. It must not have thought of Chris as a threat because the Alpha paid him, and his bullets, no mind whatsoever.
All at once the Beta's surrounding him surged forward and Stiles stumbled back toward the hunter. "We have to get back across the line." Chris ordered, grasping Stiles' arm to yank him back, away from the howling, roaring wolves. His friends.
"But they'll be trapped in here with it!"
"Better them than us," there was a remorse in the way he'd said it though. As if he didn't want to leave throw them to the wolves-literally.
If Stiles head weren't pounding so hard and he weren't so utterly terrified he might have argued more or fought back against the hunters firm grip. Chris shoved him back across the line then crouched and tugged a handful of mountain ash from his pocket to trail it over where he'd broken it previously. Dusting his fingers off Chris moved back to Stiles' side, reaching out to grasp his chin. He turned Stiles head one way then the other to inspect the damage his own father had inflicted on the boy. "I don't think anything's broken."
"Yeah, try telling my dad that. He's going to want names and reports and everything when he sees this." Stiles murmured without taking his eyes off of the fight. The Alpha had thrown Boyd against the mountain ash barrier and Stiles winced when the larger Beta crumpled to the ground. Erica had clambered onto its back, her claws sank into either side of its neck to keep herself in place while Scott, Isaac, Derek and Peter all launched themselves in attack. "It's going to kill them.." He realized as the Alpha swung out one arm, batting all of them away like irksome flies.
Chris nodded, taking time to reload again, his tone morose. "They're no match for it."
"Then, we need to do something!"
"What do you suggest? You go in there and it's going to tear you apart. They have a chance to heal. You do not." Chris snapped, his gaze flickering toward his father and sister as though to illustrate just how fragile humans were compared to an Alpha werewolf.
"So, we just leave them?! Do nothing!? And you're okay with that?" Stiles flailed his arms expressively, catching sight of the fight again as Derek and Peter jumped toward the Alpha. The beast sunk it's claws into Peter's stomach the same way it had Gerard's. Thankfully before it could wedge the other hand in Derek yanked it away and slashed across its chest.
"I'm not!" A familiar voice rang out behind him. Allison stood with her bow in hand, an arrow knocked and drawn. Stiles let out a breath of relief to see Lydia standing beside her, Jackson at her other side. Allison released the arrow and drew another as it sailed into the clearing. The moment it struck the earth a blinding light erupted from it.
Lydia drew up against Stiles side as Jackson prowled closer to the mountain ash line. "Let me in.." he growled, turning golden eyes toward Argent.
"We're not breaking the line! It's our only defense."
Allison glared at her father as she launched the next flash-bang into the clearing. After stalking passed him she kicked at the line to break it. "Go!" Jackson didn't need telling twice.
While the others were banged up and injured, he was fresh and ready for the fight. He didn't hesitate for even a second before rushing passed the rest of them into the battle. That little movement, however, was enough to alert the Alpha that it was no longer contained and before Chris could reform the line his daughter had broken it lurched outside of the circle. Allison drew another arrow and aimed it for the Alpha while Lydia pressed against Stiles' side, her wide green eyes dancing over his bruised face.
"You heard me.." she whispered.
"I've heard you for days." Stiles nodded, though didn't allow his attention to waver from where the Alpha had run, the rest of the wolves ran after it. Some a little slower than others. Chris rounded on his daughter.
"Do you have any idea what you've done?!"
"I gave them a chance!" Allison was resolutely not looking at her father, instead she had the next arrow loaded while waiting for the right time to strike.
Scott and Isaac came jogging back to them, standing guard while staring into the trees. They could hear the growls and snarls from further into the forest but still close enough that none of them should relax. "Derek said to get you guys out of here." Isaac informed while looking over the arrow Allison had trained on the trees.
"Not until it's taken care of." She said without a trace of fear. Stiles had to admit, she was far braver than he would have thought after they'd told her about the Alpha and werewolves and everything else. Allison had, at the time, seemed to be on the verge of a mental breakdown. The girl standing here now was strong and ready to take on the world. Or an Alpha werewolf at any rate.
"Stiles," Scott implored, using every ounce of those puppy eyes, "it's after you. You need to go."
Stiles hesitated for all of one second, just long enough to hear a howl of pain not far away, then shook his head. "I'm tired of running and hiding, man. I'm sick of it. This ends tonight."
"It could kill you!" Isaac reached out to grasp his arm, pinprick claws digging into his bicep.
"I repeat: one way or another, this ends tonight." His voice sounded much stronger than he felt as he jerked his arm away again. Stiles was tired of having near constant bodyguards. Of feeling unsafe everywhere he went. Of feeling like someone was incessantly watching him. Stiles just wanted to feel safe and normal again. Something he knew couldn't be done while the beast was still hunting him.
It wasn't like Stiles would have had the time to run anyway, because the words had barely left his mouth when a roar resounded around them. So loudly that the leaves above them quaked from its force.
Allison fired another arrow, this one stuck into the beast, while Isaac pulled Lydia and Chris aside, and Scott charged ahead toward the Alpha that rushed them. Stiles moved before he even realized where his feet were leading him.
Ignoring the carnage and blood-slick leaves, he ran for the sword that lay next to Gerard's mangled remains, which was something else he had to try not to look at. This wasn't the time for his stomach to churn. His hands fumbled with the swords grip for a moment as it was slick with blood, too. The sword was much heavier than he'd have initially thought. He didn't know why he'd expected the damned thing to be light. If he survived the night he would need to start hitting the gym and build that upper body strength. It was beginning to look like a pretty big if.
"Stiles, run, you idiot!" He heard Derek's voice from somewhere in the distance.
He whipped around, the weight of the sword nearly kept him spinning, to face the Alpha as it flung Scott aside like the dude weighed no more than a paperclip. The Alpha's movements slowed when it was only feet away, like it was stalking him. Strangely, the vibe Stiles got wasn't predator/prey. It stared at him almost curiously. As though something about him made it pause.
Was it the sword? He was inclined to believe so because he could think of nothing else. Stiles' grip on the weapon was slipping, both due to the blood and its weight, and he quickly readjusted it. Whether that was what changed the beast's mind or not, he didn't know but just as suddenly as it had slowed a low growl issued from it before it launched itself at him.
He swung. Instinct. Self-preservation. Habit from years of baseball. He didn't know what and didn't care. The blade slammed into the Alpha's side resulting in a howl of pain just as a sharp, stinging ache began in his shoulder.
Peter leaped onto the beasts back, claws raking deep into its neck which spattered Stiles with warm, black blood. Another sharp pain ran through his side. He lost his grip on the sword as the Alpha collapsed on top of him, sending him sprawling to the ground. His arms and legs flailed uselessly to try and get out from beneath it. Wincing at the pain it caused in his shoulder, his side, his back. Everything ached at this point.
When did his life become a series of terror and pain? When he started hanging out with werewolves apparently.
He was on the verge of resigning himself to suffocation under the Alpha when that weight was lifted as someone rolled it off of him. A hand reached out to help haul him back to his feet and Stiles stared at it for a long moment before looking passed it to Derek's face. The guy looked much less broody than normal. Was that relief he saw?
Stiles took the hand and grunted when pulled upright. The sudden motion made his head spin, presumably from lack of oxygen after nearly being crushed, which caused him to stagger slightly. Derek's hands cupped his cheeks, eyes roaming over his face to try and see just how injured he was. Stiles shrugged him off with a "'M fine."
Derek refused to vacate his position, his hands rose to grasp Stiles' shoulders. Which brought out another wince. The pressure caused another pang through his shoulder. Derek's brows knitted together, looking down at him. "This… this isn't just the Alpha's blood." He sounded stunned.
Chancing a look down at himself, Stiles exhaled heavily. Claw marks raked across his right side from near his hip and then up toward his ribs, moving across his chest. There were also clearly teeth marks encompassing his left shoulder. "Oh." Stiles murmured, feeling lightheaded all over again. Both wounds were flowing freely, staining his shirt and dripping to the ground below.
He reached out to grasp Derek's arm when he swayed, the world tilted on its axis. His other hand pressed against his side, blood pulsing passed his fingers. Everything took on a hazy, dim quality causing him to sway again. "Well.. shit.." he barely heard himself say. Stiles forced his eyes shut then open again in an effort to make the blackness swimming at the edge of his vision clear.
It was only made worse. In that haze he saw inky black tendrils running up Derek's arm, the elder teen making an effort to take the pain from him. Unfortunately, that pain was what kept Stiles awake. The more of it that left him the faster that darkness closed in on him. Several pairs of hands grabbed at him when he went down to keep him from hitting the ground. The last thing he heard was a chorus of worried voices.. and Lydia scream his name.