To be defeated by a name

Chapter 1

He had often looked at himself in the mirror and thought about what a hypocrite he had been. He had always gone on to Derek about how he never smiled and yet here he was, 4 years since they had last seen each other and they could probably be mistaken for brothers with their incessant bad luck and eternally grumpy exteriors.

He often thought it ironic how just a few years ago he had been surrounded by friends. He had been the geek who loved using wit and sarcasm whenever he opened his mouth and was content to be the defenceless human who still managed to survive against all odds. Yet now look at him, he hadn't cracked a joke since he was 20 and although his sarcasm was still in play, its intentions were a lot darker than they had been when he was younger.

The geek part of him had survived (if only internally) but he didn't think it was necessary for the CIA to know that about him and if he happened to go and see the latest Avengers movie that time they forced him to take time off then that was his business. Well, his and the guy he had bumped into there - Jackson Whittemore.

The fact that Jackson - the one guy who had hated his guts since kindergarten - was the only one from his past that knew he was still alive wasn't lost on him. He found it extremely comforting to know someone from before who wasn't likely to drown him in questions about why he left everyone. Jackson was the type of guy who had gone through enough shit himself to know to allow people to tell him things on their own, unlike how he had acted when they went to high school.

Despite this Jackson had still found it hilarious that Stiles' four years of running from his past was blown because he had seen him at an Avengers movie of all places.

"Avengers? Seriously Stilinski? You are dead for like four years, leave everyone you know behind and yet can't help but keep up to date with the latest Avengers movie? Only you would do that." Jackson had laughed as they made their way out of the crowded cinema.

"Yeah well, who knew Jackson Whittemore actually liked movies that weren't to do with sports or guys with big egos?" Stiles had replied, showing his first genuine smile since Ibiza at Jackson's expression.

He had found it nice to have found someone who knew him - really knew him - around, and not just be surrounded by agents that were either scared of him or had learnt enough to not try and talk in case they pissed him off.

Through some kind of mutual respect (or the fact that Stiles had threatened him with a gun full of wolfsbane bullets) Stiles had explained to Jackson what had happened, his job and the reason why he wouldn't return to everyone in Beacon Hills as long as Jackson didn't breathe a word to anybody about it. On pain of death.

Stiles just hadn't been prepared for Lydia to bring it all crashing down.