SIDELINES; liam dunbar

50. {theo raeken returns}

"it may as well have." hayden shrugged. "we can't get to it."

"we don't know that. not for sure."

hayden stopped in her tracks, her heart beating faster than usual. "what are you saying?"

"you know what i'm saying." liam sighed.

"liam-" franchie began.

"if you're saying what i think you're saying, you're insane." hayden shook her head.

"i know it's insane... but i need you guys with me on this." liam begged.

franchie sighed, wrapping her arms around his left arm. "moonee is going to kill you if she comes back and sees him."

─── ∙ ~εïз~ ∙ ───

"almost there. last chance to bail." hayden said from the middle of the two.

the three planned to meet kira yukimura's mother in the underground bunker, where they would make an exchange of the sword that kira used to trap the chimera underground.

"if we're gonna stand a chance, we have to do something drastic." liam shrugged.

hayden scoffed. "there's drastic, and then there's this."

"theo is impulsive, liam. he murdered only people that were loyal to him." franchie spoke up.

"i know, fran. but we need the bad part of the plan to make the good part work."

"you think she knows it's a bad plan?"

"anyone would know this is a bad plan." noshiko yukimura sooke as she unsheathed her daughters katana. "which is why i have to ask you one more time- are you sure you don't wanna change your minds?"

"honestly, i'm not a hundred percent sure-" franchie began to consider her offer to back out.

"we don't know what else to do. it's like the ghost riders are unstoppable." liam explained.

"they are unstoppable." noshiko agreed. "they've been riding the storm and taking souls since long before i was born."

"yeah, we won't survive them. not without your help." liam tried to convince her.

"kira entrusted me with her sword while she's with the skinwalkers." noshiko announced. "and now, i'm trusting you, because i believe she would want me to. do not mistake this for me agreeing with your decision."

"i understand. kira just... stabbed her sword into the ground." liam instructed the kitsune.

"if you want to do this, you'll have to do it yourself." noshiko told him, holding the sword out for him to take.

liam oddly bowed to her, gently allowing the weapon into his grasp. the boy stepped behind her and raised the sword, ready to complete phase one of their plan.

"once it's done... whatever happens will be your responsibility." noshiko warned as she exited the scene, turning into a dark part of the bunker.

"liam, wait!" hayden called out at the worst time possible, the glowing azure sword had already penetrated the floor.

they watched as cracks of the same florecent colour paved through the ground. a clawed hand flew out of the interior, followed by debris and dust. the hand then flat on the solid ground and the person used it to pull themselves up. a werewolf-shifted theo raeken emerged from the cracks, his whole body covered with dirt.