5 x 08 ~ Ouroboros
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Leo's POV
Liam and Hayden are missing. Scott's plan failed. Stiles and Theo aren't answering our calls. In conclusion, we're screwed.
Scott and Malia took off to search the preserve while Lydia and I took the search. She tried calling both their phones, but it went straight to voice mail. I decided to get on the roof of the nearest available building, to see if I could catch their scent or even hear a distant roar over the noise of the city.
I stood and listened. Smelled, as the winds shifted.
"Anything?" Lydia asked from the door that lead to the room,
I was about to answer when a distant roar, made me turn to look in the direction. It was coming from the preserve.
"What?" Lydia asked,
"I think that was Scott, he's calling to Liam," I told her, I turned back to the city and listened, but no roar was sent back, "But Liam's not responding,"
"So what now?" Lydia asked, I looked back at her and all I could do was shrug,
"I don't know, and given the fact that I still can't read that damn book, I'm not sure how much help I can be," I said as I jumped off the ledge,
"Still?" Lydia questioned as we made our way back down,
"Yup, being a Kitsune's all cool, until someone puts an 400 page long novel about teenagers getting kidnapped in your hands," I complained, "Each time I tried to read it, the words just blur together, and until I do, I can't see the Dread Doctors, but they can see me,"
"And you still need to get back the memory you lost," Lydia added on,
I huffed in annoyance as we got down to street level and made out way to her car, I got in and rested my head in my hands, the pressure was building to stressful levels, with everything that was happening around us. Not to mention, Theo and his... whatever the hell I'm supposed to call it.
"What was your memory again?" I asked her as she started up the car, she gripped the steering wheel, like she was steeling herself before she spoke,
"It was my grandmother, in Eichen House," She told me,
"And seeing Sydney's hair loss triggered it?" I asked and she nodded,
"There was a build-up to it as well, like it was pushing itself to the surface until it just came out all at once," She explained, I nodded along and tried to think of what my memory could be, but it was harder than expected,
So far Malia, Lydia and even Scott each had memories of their individual childhood traumas, but I could still remember the most traumatic thing that happened to me. So then what could it be?
"I still remember the night my dad died, the lights, the sounds, the broken glass that everywhere... my parents not moving..." I begun to say, I felt Lydia's hand move across my back as she rubbed circles into it, "I thought that was the worst thing that ever happened to me, but now there's a strong possibility that I forgot something even worse..."
There was a silence between us before Lydia, pulled back her hand and begun to drive us back to Scott's house. I leaned back in the seat and watched as the city rolled by. Everything was just pilling onto the already large pile of mental baggage I've been dragged around since... I'm not sure how long.
By the time we got back to McCall residence it was sunrise, the place scent like a horde of other persons were here, and the kitchen smelt like a variety of cleaning products, under it all I got the faint scent of blood, plus the counter had a deep cut through the middle. But I didn't ask why.
Malia was there and so was Mason, and another boy named Corey. Mason wanted to help him with the book, so they went to Scott's room, and Lydia went as well. I stayed in the living room with Malia, and the front door opened, and in walked both Stiles and Theo.
"Why do you guys smell like that?" Malia questioned, the two shared a look,
"Something attack us," Stiles asked, "Flipped Roscoe, and left a trail of fire and smoke in wakes,"
"Took the bodies was the clinic too," Theo added on, I looked up the laid out spot on the couch, they both look exhausted, and smelt just as bad,
"Bad guys 2, good guys 0," I muttered out with a sigh,
"Actually it's 3-0," Stiles corrected, Malia and I looked over at him, he fidgeted with his hands before he looked back up at us, "Kira got arrested,"
"What? Why?" Malia asked him,
"Murder," Stiles muttered, before I could ask he continued, "Here, it was another chimera, Kira's sword was embedded in her chest,"
"That's was the kitchen smells so bad," I said softly as I looked over to the area,
"And Scott must have gone to check on her," Malia added on and the others nodded, I sighed as I leaned back in the seat,
That's when I felt someone glaring at me, but it didn't take a genius to know it was Theo. I glanced up to catch the boy's eyes locked onto me. I scoffed before I pushed myself up.
"I'm gonna go check on the others," I muttered as I pushed pass them, I felt his gaze follow me as I climbed the stairs, I reached Scott's room and found Mason and Lydia standing over Corey as he read, so I placed myself on the chair in the corner and waited with them,
I leaned my head back and tried to just close my eye and let the stillness of the morning wash over me.
It didn't last long. I heard the back door open, it was Scott's scent, but he was anxious, and angry.
"Hey, is Kira okay?" I heard Stiles ask, but Scott kept coming closer,
"Scott?" That was Theo only called out, but he didn't reply,
I heard his boots hitting the stairs. Then the hall way. My eyes opened as he got closer to us.
"Sorry, I'm only on chapter two... I'm kind of a slow reader," Corey said to the others, I pushed myself up as I heard him outside the wall,
"Oh, that's okay, Corey," Mason said back to him and Scott walked in,
"He's right. We don't have time for that anyway," Scott said as he walked up to Corey, I was confusion as he walked right up to him, my eyes flicked to his hand and I saw his claws coming out, then it hit me,
"No, Scott, don't!" Lydia called out,
"Wait!" I yelled,
Scott's claws dug into Corey neck, and the smell of blood filled the room. Mason moved forward but Lydia held him back.
"We have let it happen, it's too late to stop him," I said to them, and Mason stepped back, it wasn't much longer before the others came running in,
"Don't get too close," Lydia told them as they came in,
"What is he doing?" Theo asked,
"Tapping into Corey's memories," Lydia told him, "It's usually something only Alphas do,"
I felt the others turn to look at me, and I looked back at them.
"I've never done it, well, I've never had a reason to do it," I muttered as I looked back at Scott and Corey, Theo moved around to get a better view of the scene,
"Is it as dangerous as it looks?" He asked,
"Probably more," Stiles answered,
"Does anyone know if it's working?" Mason asked,
I looked down at my hand and watched as my claws came out, with an idea creeping into my head.
"Leo don't!" Lydia scolded, and I looked up to see her glaring at me,
"I could piggy back on Scott's mind, see what he sees," I told her,
"And probably kill Scott and Corey in the process," Lydia retorted, "Don't!"
I held her glare before I looked away, I glanced at Theo and saw him looking down at my claws so I sheathed them and pushed my hands in my pockets. He looked up at and I looked away from him.
It was much longer before Scott pulled away with a gasp, and Corey whaled in pain. Stiles caught Scott and Lydia helped Corey.
"Is he okay?" Scott coughed up,
"What the hell did you do to me?" Corey snapped at him,
"You'll be all right," Scott said to him,
"There's blood," Corey said as he brushed his hand behind his neck,
"You'll heal," Scott said and everyone turned to look at him,
"Scott..." Stiles begun to say,
"He'll be fine!" Scott yelled and everyone flinched back, I looked over at the others but I didn't move from spot, Scott picked up a nearby note pad and begun to draw in it, "Listen... I think it worked. I saw something. There were tunnels. Pipes along the walls. There were these huge blue pipes at the entrance. Two on both sides,"
"Wait a second I know this," Stiles said as he and Lydia moved over to look at the notepad, I stepped over to Corey who was still rubbing his neck, so I reached up and to place my hand on the back of his neck, but he flinched away,
"Trust me," I said softly, he looked me in the eyes before he nodded, I placed my hand on the back of his neck and siphoned away the pain and discomfort, it wasn't much but I could tell it made him feel better,
"I've seen this before. That's one of the tunnels I used to skateboard in. Remember my dad caught me one time and told me to never go back?" Stiles told the others,
"It's the water treatment plant," Lydia told them,
"That's where they are. That's where we'll find Liam and Hayden," Scott said to us,
There wasn't much room for discussion as Scott and Mason both agreed to leave now to find the missing pair.
"Scott... Scott, slow down. Just think for a second, okay? Mason shouldn't be going," Stiles tried to explain to him as all descended the stairs one after the other,
"Liam's my best friend. I'm going," Mason said without hesitation,
"Oh, did you suddenly get super wolf powers? I wasn't aware of that development," Stiles said with a snip of sarcasm,
"Well, if you're not going, I could use the help," Scott said to him and I could hear the exhaustion in his tone,
"No, I'm coming just as soon as I talk to my dad. They're moving the body and he wants to make sure that this time no one steals it," Stiles told us,
"How's he gonna do that?" Malia asked him,
"I don't know. But whoever took the last one was strong enough to flip my Jeep," Stiles told them, Malia looked at us then to Scott, before she looked back at Theo,
"We can bring Theo," Malia said to Scott,
"Maybe I better stay here. You know, in case the Doctors decide to make a house call for Corey," Theo said to him, Scott looked at him then to me, and I shrugged,
"I still can't see them, so I'd be walking in the treatment plant, blind, figuratively speaking," I said to him and he sighed,
"Scott, Stiles is right," Lydia spoke up, "We need to slow down and think,"
"I am thinking..." Scott started to say, "About how Liam and Hayden could already be dead,"
"You could've hurt him, Scott. Really hurt him," Lydia snapped at him, Scott looked back at Corey and just shook his head,
"I have to find Liam," He said before he turned and headed towards the door, Mason followed with Malia behind him,
"Hey, text me. For anything," Stiles said to Malia as she headed towards the door,
"I got it," She said back before she left,
"Anything at all. Okay?" Stiles said, she didn't respond but he knew she heard him,
"I need to check on my dad," Stiles muttered before he turned and made his way to the front door, "If the same thing that took the bodies from the clinic is heading to the hospital he needs a heads up,"
I turned and watched him leave, before I looked back at Lydia, Corey and Theo.
"I'm gonna go and check on Kira, there's not much else I can do until I finish read the book," I told them, I took the copy of the book before I left the house, I made it to the door when I felt a hand on my shoulder, I looked back to see Theo coming up beside me,
"Is that the real reason you're leaving?" He asked,
"That, ad the fact I can't stand to look at you," I said as I shrugged off his hand,
"Really? You're still mad? After everything that happened? That's still happening?" He asked and I scoffed,
"Yes," I muttered, I looked back to see Lydia looking over at us, so I sighed and made my way outside, and Theo followed,
"It was self-defense? Do you want me to apologize?" he asked and I could hear the smirk in his tone, "Are you gonna ask Kira to apologize?"
"Yes! No... I don't know, ugh!" I groaned as I kept on walking, I felt his hand on wrist and he pulled me back to face him, "Theo what do you want?"
"I want, what you want," Theo said to me and I gave him a confused look, "Look, Scott's spiraling, and I get that he wants to save Liam, but he's acting too recklessly,"
"He's scared," I said to him,
"And you're not?" Theo asked,
"I've stared down my fair share of people wanting to kill me, I don't break that easily," I said back to him and he smirked,
"I can see why Derek liked you so much," Theo said to, I glared at him, I was about to speak but he spoke first, "Its one of the reasons why I like you,"
I flinched at his words. That was when I became aware that he was still holding my wrist, I swallowed and tried to step back but he step forward invading my space.
"We are not doing this now," I said as I pushed my hand against his chest and pushed him back, "Our friends are in danger, so whatever this is needs to be put on the back burner,"
"I waited eight years, I can wait a little longer," Theo said to me, I pulled away from but he kept the smirk on his face, I bit the inside of my cheek as the conflicted emotions grew inside me,
I was tired, stressed out, confused, and whole set of other emotions, but right now I needed to just bottle them up.
The walk over to Kira's house was long, but helpful as it allowed me the chance to clear my mind. I walked up the steps and rang the doorbell, and Kira's mother, Noshiko answered the door, and she gestured for me to come in.
I followed her down the hallway as a groan of frustration and a book flew through the door.
"Ugh!" I heard shout with a sigh,
"I can't help but notice your frustration," Her mother said as she reach down and took up the book,
"I'm the only one who still hasn't finished reading it," I heard Kira say,
"Not exactly," I muttered as I stepped into the room, Kira looked up at me and I waved at her, she dropped down on her bed,
"But you're not acting weird, or crazy," She said to me, and I couldn't help but feel guilty, "Everything started going wrong with me, started with them,"
Her mother sighed and gestured for us to sit on the bed.
"If it's the language that's confusing the fox... Maybe you should stop trying to understand it," she said to us,
"Huh?" Kira asked as her mother held out the book to her,
"The story itself is confusing the fox. Try not reading the story," She told us, I looked down at my copy then back up to her,
"How do we do that?" Kira asked her,
"Read it backwards," She told us, I blinked in disbelief before I looked over at Kira,
Kira stayed in her while I went to the living room. I did as Noshiko told me, I read the story backwards, and weirdly enough it was making sense, like a lot of sense.
There was a part where the police were taking a farmer, and the surgeon questioning the other doctors and the girl's screaming echoing through the house and-
"Daddy!" A voice calls out, shaking my mind free from the book, it came from outside, so I moved to the window and saw a family outside, on the lawn of the house across the street,
It was two men and a little boy. There were playing catch. I smiled softly as I watched the two men cheer as the little boy tossed the ball at them.
"Okay, Zach, ready to catch?" One of the dads asked back,
"Yeah!" The little boy shouted,
I watched as the man threw the little yellow ball across the yard into the boys hands. He caught it and they cheered, one of the dads went forward and picked up the little boy and giggled at his father's pride.
My eyes focused on the ball in his hands, it slipped from his hand and begun to roll into the street. The ball rolled slowly, until it moved almost in slow motion. I looked up from the ball and blinked in disbelief.
Before me stood a grand house, a mansion, would be the better word to call it. It was at least four stories tall, and I'm not to sure how long. A brief breeze blew against my cheek and it made me look around, only to notice I was in the woods, that this house was in the middle of the woods. To the left of me was what looked like a driveway, and on it sat scores of cars, jeeps, and trucks over various shapes and sizes.
But one car stood out, as it was the one I drove today, Baby.
"Leo!" Someone yelled, "Where are you, you little trouble maker?"
I looked back to the house and the front door opened. A man appeared in the doorway.
"There you are!" he said with a bright smile, "Tommy, I found him!"
The man descended the few steps and made his way across the leafy path towards me. As he got closer I realized how tall he was, and how familiar he looked. My arms went up and I felt my hand doing a grabbing motion, the man let out a deep chuckled before he reached down and hoisted me up, he placed me on his hip and I got a clear view of his face.
"You are going to give Uncle Peter, one hell of a heart attack you know that kiddo?" He spoke to me, Peter spoke to me,
His face was clean shaved, and his hair was longer. His eyes held a bright glimmer that I never saw before, he was smiling and happy, like genuinely happy. This was different to the man I knew, he was dark, scarred, bitter, and his heart and mind were still plagued with malice he though he could hide it, under his killer smile, and unmoved eyes.
"You found him!" Another voice called out, it was a man as well, this one was familiar as well,
"Yeah, I think he went for his ball," Peter said back as he moved us towards the stairs, "Huh? Did you come back out here for your ball? Huh? Giving your daddy, and Aunty Talia, a scare out their worlds, for a ball?"
Peter asked and I felt a warm kiss planted on my cheek, it made me giggle. He skipped up the steps, as the man appeared in the doorway.
"I'm gonna put a bell on you Little Lion," the man said as I turned from Peter to look at him,
Strangely, enough he looked just like Dean, no, this is Dean Winchester, I guess this is how he knew my family... But, did Peter just call him-
"But then he wouldn't be a Lion, now would he Tommy?" Peter asked as he shuffled me a bit, this is him, my dad,
Tommy. My dad, broke into a wide smile as he looked at me.
That's when it clicked. Dean Winchester and Thomas Prince, didn't just look similar, like everyone had pointed out, they were the same, freaking, person.
"Nah, then I guess he wouldn't," he said with a soft smile, and I smiled back at him,
"Uncle Peter, Uncle Dean, mom said time to come and eat," another voice called out, my dad stepped aside and I looked pass him to see a young boy, with bright eye looking over at us, he was about 8, maybe 9, and he too was familiar to me,
"We're coming Derek," My dad said to him, the boy looked at the two of them, then to me before he took off in a run,
"No running in the house!" Peter called out to him, but he was already gone,
A bright flash filled my eyes and I was turned to see my dad looking down at a polaroid camera, with a grin on his face.
"That's a keeper," He muttered as it printed out, he pulled out the picture, and fanned it until it came out clear,
Peter and I held in tight embrace.
"My two favorite guys, what could be better," My dad said to us, his smile was intoxicated, and I couldn't help but smile back at him
"Remind me to put that in the vault, you have a bad habit of losing things, remember those ID cards?" Peter asked with a grin as we moved in side the house,
"Lemmy Kilmister, Hector Aframian, Wedge Antilles and Dean Winchester," My dad said with a humorous chuckle, "May all my fake personas rest in peace, in those pants, that I accidentally threw in the incinerator,"
Peter let out a soft laugh as well walked through, what I now recognized as the still standing Hale House. The faint noise of people filled my ears as we got closer to the others.
"Leo!" A voice shout me awake, I blinked and saw Kira and Noshiko standing before me,
"Are you okay?" Kira asked, Noshiko handed me a tissue, and that's when I felt the tears rolling down my face,
"Yeah," I blinked as I took the paper and wiped my face, "What about you?
"Yeah, I had my memory, the Dread Doctors did something to me," Kira explained,
"And as a consequence, your fox spirit lashed out," her mother explained, I looked at her then blinked, my wolf eyes came out and I saw her orange fox spirit blazing as it surrounded her, I stepped back unconsciously at the sight, I looked at her mother and saw her spirit was pink and calm, then down at mine, and it was calm and held its blue color,
"Forget lashing out," I muttered and they both turned to look at me, "It's a full on inferno,"
"Mom," Kira said in low voice and her mother stepped over and her hugged her tightly,
My phone begun to vibrate in my pocket. I reached for and pulled it out, and Theo named flashed across the screen.
"What?" I answered,
"I know where they are," Theo said, I heard the sound of wind blowing pass him,
"What?" I asked as I listened harder,
"Liam and Hayden, they aren't at the treatment plant, there at the house where Parrish was attacked," Theo said to me, I looked back at Kira and her mother, "I could use some help, like you said, our friends are in trouble,"
"Okay," I said to him, then I turned to others, "I have to go,"
I made my way outside and moments later Theo's truck pulled up and I got in the front.
"So did you get though the book?" Theo asked, as we drove off
"Yeah," I muttered,
"So, what was it?" He asked, I looked over at him and he kept his gaze on the road,
"Personal," I said to him, he looked over at me but he didn't ask anymore,
We got to the house and made our way downstairs.
"Liam? Hayden?" Theo called out as we got to the basement, the scent of that black ooze filled the air, along with fear, anxiety and sadness,
I saw them behind a metal fence, Theo moved to open it.
"Theo, wait... Don't!" Liam called out, but Theo grabbed the fence and electricity crackled along the fence then up his arms and he fell back,
I caught him as he collapsed.
"Theo, Theo," I called out as I tried to shake him awake, his heart jumped but was beating softer, "Theo!"
He begun to wake up.
"Theo, you all right?" Liam asked him, I moved to help him up,
"Yeah," he said with a grunt, we stood up to face the fence, "Yeah, I'm fine,"
"He's fine," I said as I steadied him,
"You think you can get help?" Liam asked us,
"I am the help," Theo said to him as we walked up to the fence, "Leo wait!"
I touched the fence but couldn't feel anything as the electricity just danced up and down my arm.
"How?" Hayden asked,
"Why does everyone seem to forget that I'm a kitsune?" I questioned as I looked back at Theo, who just shrugged in response,
He gripped the other side of the fence and we pulled it apart. It was heavy, like it was weighted to prevent something that couldn't be affected by the electricity from pulling it apart.
Sparks flew through the air and to the down as Theo and I shifted to pull the gate open. Theo let out a roar of frustration as I knew he was in pain from the act.
"Let's get the hell out of here," I said to them, Liam and Hayden held hands as they ran out and Theo and I followed,
We got in the truck and Scott begun to drive us back to Scott's house. I leaned back in the seat as Hayden's soft whimpers of pain and discomfort filled the truck.
"It still hurts?" I heard Liam ask, I turned my head slightly and caught sight of Hayden's torso, and the black ooze that covered it,
"Everywhere. I'm not healing. Not like it did before," She said to him softly, she looked back up at him, "That means I'm a failure, doesn't it?"
I expected Liam to answer but instead in leaned in and kissed her.
I looked forward and held back the smile, at the two lover birds kissed in the back seat. I glanced over at Theo and saw his approving smile as well, he looked over at me and I rolled my eyes at him but kept the faint smile on my face.
"It's gone. The pain's gone," I heard Hayden say softly, "How did you do that?"
"I don't know," Liam told her,
"Ahh, young love," I said with soft laugh, I could smell Liam's embarrassment and Hayden's timidness,
In the corner of my eye, I saw Theo's hand creeping over the console, I looked over at him and saw the corner of his lips twitch upwards. Theo smelled like hope, and it was a better than most scent I got throughout the day. So I held his hand, just for the remainder of the ride back to Scott's house.
"What's that so bad?" Theo asked, I glanced at him and squeezed his hand until a few faith cracks and crunches came from his hand, and Theo winched, loudly,
"You tell me," I said back to him, he looked over at me and I held a bright smile on face at his pain, "Your the one who waited eight years, was it worth it?"
Theo let out a airy chuckle, as he smirked at me with wicked glimmer in his eyes.
We got back to Scott's house and told the others who came back in a hurry.
Hugs went around, before we went our separate ways for the night. I went back to my house and walked inside and found Dean (which I remember now was a fake name) sitting by the kitchen island, he looked up at me with a stunned look on his face. The more I looked at him, the more it slowly dawned on me that the man before me was my father.
I bit the inside of my cheek and he stood up to full height.
It was just like the memory, but he was older now, more facial hair, his shoulders were broader, face aged with experience, not time. Because it was still him, it had always been him.
"Leo, is um, is everything okay?" he asked, a person appeared in the door way and Sam came inside behind me, he looked from me to Dean, but I kept my gaze on the man before me,
"Dean..." I said softly, and he looked at me with the same eyes, he did when I was a baby, I just needed to hear him say it now, my mouth opened and closed as I tried to force the words out, and it felt like the hardest thing I ever had to do in my life, but I needed to know, for my own sanity, I needed to know,
"Leo," Dean said softly, his face morphed with sadness, as if he could read my mind, and I could smell the fear coming off of him, but I just needed to the truth right now, he looked at Sam, then back to me,
"...are you my dad?"