Stepping around the corner, she tried to ignore the persistent footsteps which followed her. They'd been following her since within the store and now she was ready to punch them except she wasn't going to do that because she didn't want to die. Whilst she knew the basics of how to fight she also knew that compared to a trained hunter she was probably going to lose and potentially die. She really didn't want to die.
Making it to the car park, she rolled her eyes before turning around to face the people and five men stepped out all of them carrying guns. A couple of them had sadistic smirks on their faces and others looked completely fine. Like they were void of emotion. "We finally caught you Mama Hale," that brought another roll of her eyes.
"Well that's quite tragic for you since I wasn't running," she scoffed crossing her arms as she looked over to them. "And as I've said before...if it's mama anything it's Mama McCall."
"Come on, you know you don't want to fight us," one of them droned.
"You're right I don't," she sighed out, "but he does," she added on and they looked around confused. She looked up to the floor above them and they all followed in her sight just as Derek leapt down his eyes glowing blue and the hunters swung around to face him. Derek pulled two of them back instantly and they flung to the floor unconscious. One of them made an effort to shoot his gun but he'd already caught hold of the barrel and he forced it up so that the bullet went into the ceiling at the same time breaking the man's hand. One punch knocked him out. Grabbing the last two, he slammed them together and as their heads made contact they fell to the floor once more.
"Are you done getting into trouble?" He asked looking over to Hayley who rolled her eyes for the third time.
"You're getting slower," she countered, "God, can we go so we can get back to our child?" Due to the nature of their adventure they'd left the now the almost two-year-old Talia with Cora. It had been a week and it was killing her now.
"The vaults around the corner from here. We should be good to get home soon," he promised and she nodded as they went towards the vehicle.
"I still can't believe you stole this stupid car," she scoffed. It was sleek, it was black, it looked like a cool car that he would have had ages ago and he'd found it in a warehouse under a tarp where a dead pack was. A cheeky proud smile formed on his face encouraging her to shake her head in dismay, "you're a child."
Night had fallen by the time they made it to the area where the vault was. They were in North Carolina and they were in what looked to be a shanty town due to the fact it was littered with a multitude of sheds and small buildings made from scraps of corrugated metal and wood.
Sensing someone following behind them, Derek's hand pressed on Hayley's lower back nudging her forward and she looked up to him with a frown but already knew what it meant. Turning down an alley, the pair hid in the shadows as another figure clad in a leather jacket entered. He was walking slowly and deliberately as if waiting for any threatening danger, but they were the only danger there.
Hayley was the first to recognise him. She opened her mouth to announce it when Derek had grabbed onto Argent's coat and slammed him against the wall with the latter hitting it with a grunt. She sighed throwing her hand out gently, "by the way it's Argent," she announced as the two men stared at each other in shock, relief, and annoyance.
"Derek," Argent greeted.
"You could've called," Derek reminded and both Hayley and Argent looked at him as if he was stupid.
"You don't have a phone!" They both snapped simultaneously.
Derek froze slightly as he realised he was right before he gave a gentle nod, "I should probably get one."
Derek then let go of Argent and stepped backwards. Hayley sighed stepping forward and she wrapped her arms around Derek's as she looked up at him amused, "fatherhoods slowing you down big guy," she teased and he rolled his eyes before they continued on their small personal mission.
Derek was in the middle of unlocking a gate in a large chain-link fence whilst Hayley was looking around to see if there were any incomers and Chris was only watching in surprise. "There's another vault?" He asked, and Derek shrugged as he looked to him.
"More than one Hale, more than one vault."
He finally unlocked the gate and opened it. There were multiple signs dotting around that read "Do not enter - private property" as the trio walked through it being lead by Derek. There was a few moments of silence before Argent spoke up again.
"I get the need to keep your feet from the fire, but I also don't think you wanna see Beacon Hills burn to the ground. Especially not with your brother," he added on looking over to Hayley and she raised her brow confused whilst Derek gave him a look knowing full well what he was asking.
"You're asking us to come back."
"How about admitting with great difficulty that we need you?" Argent countered.
Hayley hummed as she thought over it, "I prefer that version," she admitted.
"Well, that sounds more like an Argent."
"And protecting Beacon Hills sounds more like a Hale," Argent reminded and Derek stopped turning around to look at Argent.
"And if I go back, it's not for Beacon Hills. And there's something I've gotta take care of, first," he said reaching into the pocket of his jacket and pulling out a large vial of yellow liquid, which immediately made Argent's eyes widen in alarm. It was a known thing that yellow wolfsbane was hard to come by especially that much.
"Where did you get that?"
"Whoever murdered that pack in Brazil? They were looking for this. Now, I'm gonna make sure they never find it," Derek urged and Argent frowned not understanding the statement.
"Get rid of it!"
"You know it's not just a poison," Derek reminded and Argent considered this for a second. Derek had already had to spend lengthy amounts of time explaining it to Hayley and so it was rather questionable as to whether he wanted to even bother with it again.
"Maybe they want it...because it's an antidote," he said and Derek raised his brow as if he was expecting it.
"Is that why Gerard wants it?"
"Well, it sounds like you already know the answer."
"So you want me to help you stop him, when you're the one who brought him back," Derek clarified.
"Well, it's not like he died necessarily," Hayley interrupted, "I mean not like Peter...and we all love Lydia despite her bringing him back," she pointed out and Derek and Argent shot her a look, "just saying..."
"Gerard knew more about the Beast than any of us. So, like it or not, he was the ally we needed at the time," Argent said and Derek nodded although he rolled his eyes whilst doing it. It was obvious he still wasn't happy over the situation, "But you're the one we need right now."
Large floodlights turned on behind them and several FBI agents all with their guns drawn surrounded them. Hayley sighed knowing that they were after Derek after he'd been caught at the scene of a murder and in this second she wanted to kill his carelessness and ego.
"Don't move! Put your hands in the air!" One of them shouted and the three of them did.
Bullets shot around them and three of the agents fell to the floor before Derek was shot as well. He groaned in pain throwing himself over Hayley and knocking the two to the floor so that there was no way that she could be hit. Argent was shot in the left arm. All the agents were shot down to the floor and Derek when he'd leapt over Hayley had dropped the vial of wolfsbane.
A woman stepped forward and they all looked over to her to see the familiar long, blonde hair, and when she took off her baseball cap, they were all frustrated by the fact it always seemed to be her. Derek crawled away from Hayley trying to get to the vial before Kate could. She stepped on it before he could get to it.
"Hey, handsome," she mused as she held up the vial in order to further rub it in Derek's face, "miss me?" Kate cocked her shotgun before standing to her feet with the yellow wolfsbane still in hand. "Well, you're just as popular as ever, aren't you? Must be those blue eyes." She kicked Derek in the face in emphasis, and he groaned in pain as his head snapped back. "And those perfect cheekbones..." she took the opportunity to use the shotgun to hit Derek in the face again.
He held out his hand in a non-threatening manner, "I thought it was my smile," he joked and Hayley rolled her eyes. She remembered this same conversation happening the first time Kate had locked them up.
Kate chuckled out of amusement before holding up the vial. "Where's the rest?"
"Why? It's not enough to save Gerard?" He shook his head in disbelief, "You really think that's gonna make a difference with him? You're what he hunts, Kate."
Kate, angered by the words, continued holding up the wolfsbane with her left hand whilst aiming her shotgun at Derek's forehead with her right. "I know that you can heal from one or two shots, but a direct hit to the head? I don't think so."
Derek said nothing. He didn't even try to fight against it. He only glared at her furiously. Argent, who had been silent like Hayley all this time, sat up and began to shoot at Kate. At least two of the shots hit her and she roared out in pain and fury stumbling behind one of the FBI agents' SUVs.
"Ugh, you always gotta ruin a good time, Chris!" Kate shouted and Hayley sat up knowing they were going to end up moving again. Argent emptied the clip out of his handgun before replacing it with a full one from his pocket.
"You think someone with that much hate is gonna have any love left over for you?" He shouted.
"You're the one looking for a father to love him, Chris. All I want is some good old-fashioned revenge! This wolfsbane is going in a bullet-- a bullet for Scott McCall," kate shouted and Hayley gritted her teeth together as she pushed herself to her feet along with Derek.
Kate, still healing from her gunshot wounds, limped away, and Derek, still recovering from his own wounds, got up to follow her. "Derek!" Argent shouted in warning.
"Get back to Beacon Hills. Warn Scott," Derek urged before he took off running.
"God I hate the running," Hayley scoffed before heading after them.
Ducking into a warehouse behind Derek she looked around trying to think what they were doing or where they were supposed to be going. Kate was trying to get the door open and they were about to take a step forward when a flash of bullets poured out around them and in every direction. Reacting faster, Derek grabbed onto Hayley's arm pulling her to the side to keep them out of harm's way as the bullets continued.
Kate had disappeared.
Instead, they were surrounded by FBI agents who were all looking for them or more specifically Derek. "You're going to have to stop getting into trouble," Hayley scoffed knowing full well that he could hear her over the bullet fire.
"Oh my god! My toe! My toe!" A familiar voice screeched out and the pair whipped their heads around to look in the direction of the anguished overdramatic cry. "My toe!" The voice continued and Hayley's brows furrowed. They could recognise that dramatic cry from anywhere and it didn't take a genius to know who it was. Even so, it was hard to believe.
"Is that..." Hayley began.
"Stiles."