Bravely Courageous

43

Lydia shook her head. "I didn't ask for it."

Peter smirked. "But you're embracing it now, aren't you?"

Allison's eyes narrowed. "How about the fact that you brainwashed her and used her to bring yourself back to life?"

"So that I could be here today to help you master your abilities. Isn't it amazing how things come full circle?"

Maggie grabbed Lydia's wrist. "I refuse to listen to this. We're leaving. Come on, Allison."

They made their way towards the door and were stopped by Peter's voice. "You want the truth, Lydia? It's not the scream that gives you power. All the scream does is help drown out the noise, allowing you to hear what you really need to. I can help you focus your hearing."

"But you want something in return," Lydia said.

"No, I'm dedicating my life to helping out narcissistic teenage girls. Of course I want something in return."

Peter tossed claws on the table and Lydia stared at them. "These are the claws of Derek's mother?"

He nodded. "My sister, Talia. Before she died, she stole a memory from me. It's something only a very powerful alpha can do. The memory is locked inside those claws."

Maggie frowned. "And that memory would be what exactly?"

Peter glared at her. "Well, if I remembered the memory, I might be able to tell you."

Lydia pulled Maggie back from Peter and let out a sigh. "So what am I supposed to do?"

"Focus," Peter told her.

"I am focusing!"

"You're not! I can see the wheels spinning behind your eyes. Your hearing is attuned to a level of the universe no one else can hear. But only if you're listening."

Lydia's tone turned angry. "I'm trying."

"Try harder!"

Allison raised an electric wand and turned it on as she held it close to Peter's neck. "Your aunt had one of those. Aunty Kate."

"Stop it. Both of you."

"Didn't do her much good as I ripped her throat out, did I?"

"She didn't shove it up you-" Allison began.

Maggie stepped closer to Allison. "Move away." She turned to Peter. "Don't piss off a witch, wolf. I can kill you before you can even react."

He glared at her and Lydia yelled, "Stop it!" She threw the claws into a wall and tilted her head to the side.

Peter whipped around to face her as she slowly walked towards the claws. "Lydia? Lydia, did you hear something? What is it? What are they saying? Is it the memory? What did Talia take from me? Tell me what she knew!"

Lydia stared at him. "You're not just an uncle."

Peter kept demanding to know what Lydia found out and she repeated, "I said I don't know. I don't know its name, if it's a boy or a girl or if it's some mutated wolf baby."

He narrowed his eyes at her. "You're lying. Tell me what you know. Tell me. Tell..." He stepped too close to Lydia and Allison turned on the electric wand. She used it on Peter and he grunted in pain.

She turned to her friends and said in satisfaction, "Now we're leaving."

"Lydia!" Peter cried.

Per Maggie's request, Lydia dropped her off at the clinic.

Maggie saw Scott, Stiles, Caleb and Kira outside. The Oni appeared as Stiles tried to unlock the door. "Stiles! Hurry up!"

He unlocked the door and stepped inside. Maggie turned to Kira and Scott. He was stabbed in the stomach and the sword remained in his abdomen. Scott turned to his friends. "Maggie, Caleb, get her inside. Please. Maggie, Caleb, Kira, get inside. Kira!"

Maggie silently told Kira and Caleb to help her grab Scott and Stiles called to them. "All right, come on. Get him inside! Get him inside!"

Scott let out a groan of pain and began gasping for air. "You okay?" Kira wondered.

He shook his head and said, "Please don't. Stop. It's okay."

Stiles grabbed Kira's arm and slammed her on the table, causing her to fall unconscious. He twisted the sword in Scott's stomach and Scott groaned. "Does it hurt? Hey, look at me. You should have done your reading, Scott. See, a Nogitsune feeds off chaos, strife, and pain. This morning, you took it from Isaac, then you took it from Coach. And then from a dying deputy. All that pain. You took it all. Now, give it to me."

He grabbed Scott's arm and black veins started crawling up. Scott started panting and Stiles smirked. "You really have to learn, Scott. You really have to learn not to trust a fox." A tear slipped down his cheek at the thought that he injured his best friend.

He turned to Maggie. "And you. The little witch. Are you smart enough to outsmart the fox?"

He grabbed her by the arm and pushed her against the wall. Her head hit the wall and she let out a groan. She motioned for Caleb to stay where he was.

Caleb did so, but didn't conceal the rage burning in his soul.

Stiles held a hand around her throat as he said, "No spells, little witch. Don't even try to think of one."

She gasped for air. "Stiles, please. I know you're still in there. Please."

Void smirked at her. "You can't trust a fox." Another tear slipped down his cheek as he was crushing the life out of the one girl he deeply cared for.

Void continued holding her against the wall. "Know why? 'Cause they're tricksters. They'll fool you. They'll fool everyone."

Deaton appeared. "Not everyone." He jabbed a syringe into Stiles' neck, causing him to collapse.

Maggie collapsed to the ground and coughed harshly, trying to get air.

Caleb instantly ran towards her and patted her back. "Are you okay?"

She nodded, holding her throat before standing and pulled the sword from Scott's chest; probably less gentle than she could have.

Scott glared at his friend and asked, "What was that? Was that a cure? Is he okay?"

Deaton turned to Scott. "The fox is poisoned. But it's not dead. Not yet."

Scott walked towards Maggie. "Did you have to pull that sword out like that?"

"Would you rather I did it slowly?" the witch snapped.

"No, but you could have been gentler. Hey, are you okay?"

"I'm fan-freaking-tastic. Now we save him. I am not losing him."