B.H. High School
Lunch Break
Library
"Hey, Batman." Erica greeted Stiles with a friendly smile as she is currently sitting at a chair at an empty table near the back of the library. She has been waiting for him for a moment and is relieved that she is not alone anymore.
Stiles grinned at Erica. "Sup, Catwoman." He strides toward her with Derek and Isaac following behind. The lanky teen sat down on the chair across from Erica. Derek sat next to Stiles while Isaac sat between Stiles and Erica.
The blonde-haired girl cleared her throat. "I—I haven't gotten a chance to thank you." Her wide brown eyes stare at Derek shyly. "Thank you for saving me. At the gym a few weeks ago."
Derek grunted with acknowledgment with a nod. Erica just smiles slightly awkwardly while Stiles rolls his eyes and Isaac attempt to control his amused smirk. "Sorry about that. Der has some kind of allergy to using words when it comes to strangers." Stiles sarcastically remarked with a sharp grin.
The young Alpha glares at Stiles exasperatedly who sends him his sweet toothache faux-smile. Then the son of the Sheriff turned his gaze to Erica who eyeing at both of them thoughtfully. "So—, Erica. Meet Isaac Lahey." Isaac half-wave with a half-smirk. "And meet Derek Hale." Derek narrowed his eyes at Stiles suspiciously. "The Alpha—" Stiles decided to do bomb-dropped as he pointed at Derek. "—and his first Beta." He pointed at Isaac with a wide grin.
Silence bestows in the library until a smack is heard.
"Ow!" Stiles covered the back of his head with faux-painful as he pouted at Derek who glower at him. Isaac barely concealed his chortle while Erica stared at them with disbelief stunned.
Erica just slowly shakes her head. "I'm sorry. What?" she asked, skeptical and confused. Isaac half-smile at her with an understanding gaze as he went through that experience. Stiles just has that kind of charm—just bomb drop on anyone without any warning whatsoever.
"What if we told you that the conditions, the symptoms, and the side effects... could go all away?" Stiles asked Erica, instead of answering her question. He leaned forward as his arms crossed on the table.
The blonde-haired girl frowned at him. She glanced at Isaac and Derek warily. "...that would be a miracle." Erica desperately wants those. She wants to be free from all those and be who she truly be. She wants to be confident and proud of herself. Erica also wants to have the courage to be with certain someone in her life. Someone she grew to like.
"Well—more like you'll become supernatural." Isaac speaks up, excited to have a possible new packmate. Stiles glanced at the puppy werewolf with amusement while Derek sighed softly.
Erica furrowed her eyebrows at them cautiously. "What are you guys talking about? You—you aren't trying to pull a prank on me, are you?" she wouldn't be able to handle it, especially since this is Stiles who is her friend.
Stiles frantically shakes his head. "Oh no! God no. Of course not. I promise you, this is not—not a joke. We are being serious." He assures Erica.
"Really? You're telling me that— I don't have to worry about anxiety, weight gain, acne, ulcerative colitis, urinary incontinence, seizure, and the taste of blood in my mouth?" the boys made wince and grimace at the list of symptoms that Erica is going through. "—you're telling me, that I'm going to get cure from all of that?" Erica's voice cracks as her eyes teary yet there's a small spark of desperate hope.
Before Stiles open his mouth, Derek interjected with a solemn face. "Yes." All eyes turned to Derek who stares at her. His hazel eyes have flecks of brilliant red. "They all can be cured as long as the bite accepts you."
"Bite?" the blonde-haired girl narrowed her eyes with curiosity and warily.
Derek nods his head. "Yeah... to become one of us." Then scarlet-red glows from his eyes which made Erica gasps in wonder and awestruck. Stiles half-smile at her when Erica turned her gaze at him and then turned to Isaac. She noticed Isaac's original brown eyes shifted to golden-yellow in response to Alpha's trigger out of reflex.
"...holy shit." Erica blurted; she did not see this coming when she agreed to hang out in the library.
Then the phone ringtone interrupted Stiles flailed and winces as he fumbled his phone out. He forgot to silence his phone since the library has some strict rules as the phone has to be either turned off or silent. Derek and Isaac's wolf eyes shifted back to their original colors while Erica was still stunned. Stiles frowned deeply when he receives the text from Scott. "Huh..." he showed it to Derek who peek. "...you think Kanima wants to have a friend?"
Isaac straightens up his spine with interest while Erica eyeing at them with baffled and lost. "Seriously?" the curly-haired werewolf said with skepticism. "Kanima wants to have a friend? The one who is out there God knows where as it was in the middle of murdering people?" he sassily added.
Stiles is proud of Isaac's sassy remark while Derek just shakes his head. "We need to discuss this more in person with them." He said, slightly tired. Derek wants to learn everything about Kanima as much as he could because there has to be a weakness for this creature to have. He wishes he could remember everything that his uncle has told him stories, but it was too long ago when he was only a little pup.
"Well, Allison suggests we all go have a study group in Scott's place?" Stiles said, offering an idea which Derek nod with approval. "Cool. And you can come with us, if you want to? There's a lot going on and it would be best if Derek could explain to you everything about the bite and supernatural stuff." He offers the invitation to Erica who looks grateful and relieved.
"I would like to know more. Plus, what the hell is a Kanima?" Erica blurted it out with confusion.
The lanky teen raises his index finger. "We'll explain that as well later. Promise." He assured Erica.
The blonde-haired girl sighed but nodded her head. Who would've thought the world she knew, now has change everything.
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Somewhere in Library
Meanwhile...
Jackson sits with Danny at the computer stations as they were whispering for a while until Matt slips in behind them, his battered camera wired to a hard drive. "So, who do you know that can get into your house?" he asked, curious.
"What do you mean? Like, break in?" the jock retorted with disbelief.
Matt sighed as he exchanged glances with Danny. "Or someone who has a key... who also knows how to edit out two hours of footage out of a tape and knows how to loop it." He pointed it out, calmly.
"I can do it." Danny speaks up with a charming smile. "I write my own software, and I know your mom forgets to lock the kitchen door." He sends a joking glance at Jackson who rolls his eyes.
"I could've done it, too, considering it's my camera. Actually, we could've done it together." Matt jokingly said as he playfully bumped his shoulder against Danny's with a grin.
The Hawaiian teen chuckled nervously. Jackson narrowed his eyes at his best friend with realization. Matt cleared his throat and continue. "All right, I gotta go to my next class, but, uh, I'll be back later to help if you guys want it." He stood up and pats Danny who nods his head.
"Definitely." Matt shrugged his backpack over his shoulder and left.
Danny turned his gaze to Jackson who stares at him with a bemused smile.
"What?"
Jackson huffed. "Got a little crush going on there?" he asked, mockingly.
"No." the Hawaiian teen evasively said then return his attention back to the computer. Jackson made skeptical noises. "Shut up. It doesn't matter anyway."
"Why's that?" Jackson frowned at Danny, confused.
Danny sighed. "Because, if you haven't noticed, he's completely obsessed with Allison, so..." he trailed off disappointedly while Jackson grimaced. "Whatever. Anyway, this is gonna take a couple of hours."
The popular jock sighed loudly and impatiently. "So, you can't tell me who did the editing?"
"Is there anyone else you know who can get into your house?" Danny asked, instead of typing on the keyboard quietly.
Jackson was about to give a negative response but paused when he noticed Lydia walking inside the library with confidence. The popular jock suddenly got his answer. "Yeah..." his blue eyes harden with a cold stare at oblivious Lydia. "Actually, I do."
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Beacon Hills
McCall's Residence
After School
Later...
Stiles, Derek, Isaac, Erica, and Allison gathered in the living room on the couch with backpacks on the ground. They've been informing Erica about werewolves, hunters, and Kanima for a while. They went ahead to explain to Erica, that Scott has to stay at school to help clean up the chemistry since he was one of the students who failed the experiments. "...so... you need another strength in your pack?" Erica asked Derek with curiosity.
Derek nods his head. "But it's more than that. My wolf chose you, way before Kanima even exist." He doesn't want Erica to think he picks her because he wants power and using people. Derek refuses to be that kind of Alpha.
Erica smiles with appreciation in response. "So this bite... if I get to accept it, then my illness will be cure?" she asked, just to be sure.
"Yeah." Stiles answers this time. Erica bit her inner cheek as her brown eyes sparkles with excitement and hope. This could be her chance to finally be free, confident, and brave. Especially she wants to be with someone without being useless and a burden. Derek and Isaac turned their heads to the doorway that leads to the foyer in unison which caught humans' attention.
Just in time, a doorbell rang. Allison pushed herself from her seat. "I think that's Lydia." She proclaimed, sauntering to the foyer and the door.
Isaac made a face while Derek sighed. "Jackson's here too." The curly-haired werewolf said, bitterly. Stiles made a sour face and Erica wrinkle her nose, showing her dislike of a certain popular jock. None of them likes Jackson Whittmore.
In a couple of minutes, Lydia and Jackson stroll into the living room. Lydia crossed her arms slightly annoyed. "I don't understand why we all can't just stay in the library?" she has been invited by Allison to do study group in McCall's house.
Allison runs her fingers through her hair while trying to find some words. "Because it's comfortable here?" Stiles pointed at her as he agreed.
"Okay... then where's Scott?" Lydia scanned around to spot a co-captain of the Lacrosse team, however, he wasn't there.
The brunette girl cleared her throat. "He has to stay back to help clean up the class. He'll be here." She assures Lydia who sighed but nods her head.
Stiles eyeing Jackson warily and suspiciously. "Why are you here?" Derek, Isaac, and Erica watch them quietly, curious as well.
Jackson glares at Stiles then shifted his gaze to Lydia who raises her eyebrow at him, puzzling as well since Jackson follows her in his car. "I'm here because I want to talk to Lydia." He reluctantly admitted as he stares at Lydia who frown at him, puzzling.
"Can it not wait?" the redhead asked, bemused.
The popular jock shook his head. "No. It cannot." Then he turned his head to Stiles. "Hey, idiot. Where can we find a private room to talk." Derek, Isaac, and Erica glare at Jackson who insulted Stiles who looks like he is so done with it.
"Second floor, down the hall, and third door. That should be plenty enough private." Stiles offered as he doesn't want to deal with the jackass anymore than he has to.
Jackson jerked his head, then grabbed Lydia's arm not unkindly to drag her upstairs as she quietly obeyed.
The others wait until two teenagers are out of their sight and hearing shot. Derek turns his hazel orbs to Stiles with a raised eyebrow. "You do realize that Isaac and I—" he waves his hand at himself and Isaac. "—can hear, right?"
Stiles just shrugged his shoulders, uncaringly. "Inform me if that jackass did anything to her without her consent." He said, with a serious frown as he doesn't want Lydia to become a victim of Jackson's abuses.
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B.H. High School
Corridor
Meanwhile...
Scott adjusted the straps of his backpack as he is prepared to leave while quickly power-walk down the hallway. "McCall!" he paused and jerked his head over his shoulder with confusion.
Coach Finstock frowns deeply as he is standing in the doorway of his office. "Get over here!" he shouted, stern. Scott obeyed, quickly lightly jogged over to the coach who held up a set of lacrosse pads. "You know there are certain responsibilities to being a captain of a lacrosse team."
"Co-captain." The werewolf reminded the coach not unkindly.
Coach Finstock sighed loudly as if this is a pain in the neck for him. "Okay, partial responsibilities." He corrected it.
"Where did you find these?" Scott asked with a frown while studying the pads that are ripped, nearly shredded by something or someone.
"Under the bleachers, and you know somebody's gonna have to pay for them." Coach answered, with a stern frown.
The McCall werewolf gives another careful examination of torn lacrosse pads in a better light. His brown eyes spotted black inks, so he presses the torn fabric together, the two halves of the tag form the owner's last name: Mahealant. "They're Danny's."
Coach Finstock grinned widely. "Oh, great! Mystery solved. Why don't you tell your buddy Danny to take care of this equipment, or I'm gonna make you take care of his equipment for him. Now, do you really want to be taking care of Danny's equipment all the time?"
"...that depends—" Scott eyeing at his coach with bewildered. "—are we still talking about lacrosse pads?"
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McCall's Residence
Scott's Bedroom
Meanwhile...
Jackson closes the door of Scott's bedroom while Lydia stride in as she observed the bedroom with a neutral gaze. The redhead turned around and noticed Jackson has his eyes squeezed shut while his hand reached up to his temple as if he has a migraine.
"You okay?" Lydia asked, slightly concerned for the jock. Jackson nods his head quietly. "So..." the redhead drags out awkwardly.
Jackson moved his hand over to the back of the scars on his neck, rubbing them. "So, you never gave me back my key." He retorts to Lydia who raises her eyebrows at him in incredulity.
"What? Wh—y-your key? That's what you wanted to talk about?" Lydia rebuked in astonishment.
The jock frowned, confused about why Lydia becoming upset. "Why didn't you give it back?"
Lydia scoffed. "Are you kidding? I'm attacked by some lunatic who bites me— a lunatic who, by the way, still hasn't been caught—" she snapped while Jackson rolls his eyes. "—I spent two days freaked out of my mind, walking around the woods naked, all my friends are acting like total nutcases, and you expect me to be worried about some stupid key?" she retorted furiously.
"So, do you have the key, or not?" Jackson ignores her problems as he stares at her coldly.
The redhead just shakes her head with a humorlessly smirk. "Not." She snipped, angrily. Jackson carefully examined her for a moment until he scoffed out loud.
"You just lied to me."
Lydia's eyes widen in shock.
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B.H. High School
Library
Meanwhile...
Alone in the library, Danny glances at the screen where the video of Jackson continues rendering. A message underneath the window reads: restoring data sixty percent. Then he heard the door open, he glances up and saw Scott walking toward him with determination.
Scott drops lacrosse pads on the table, Danny set his notebook on the side and leaned over to examine the numerous tears with confusion. "Dude, what did you do to my pads?" Danny sends his bewildered to Scott who looks exasperatedly.
"Me? You're the one who was wearing them!"
Danny shakes his head. "No, I wasn't." he denied while examining his ruined equipment.
"What?" the werewolf blinked in confusion.
The Hawaiian teen glanced up. "I was in goal, remember? Different pads." He reminded Scott, not unkindly.
"Then who was wearing these?" Scott asked, curious.
Danny huffed. "Someone who owes me a new set of pads." There is no way he is going to buy a lot of money on the set of equipment when he wasn't the responsible one to destroy it.
The werewolf furrowed his eyebrows, bemused. "Do you have any idea who could borrow your pads?" he asked, hopeful for any hint.
The Hawaiian teen continues to examine the damages with a thoughtful frown on his face. "...Couple of my friends but not often. Jackson borrows it sometimes." He replied while studying the pads with disappointment.
Scott's eyes widen in incredulity. Then a realization hit him. "Oh my God—" He quickly rushes to get his phone out and hurries out of the library to call Stiles.
While Danny is still busy looking over his lacrosse pads, never notices what transpires on his computer screen.
In the restored video, Jackson slowly sits straight up in bed almost as if pulled by an unseen string, with robotic stiffness. He swivels his head to face the camera, revealing a blank but distinctly stare. His eyes suddenly open to reveal his ominous glowing eyes.
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McCall's Residence
Scott's Bedroom
Meanwhile...
Sun almost set through the window as Jackson calmly approaches Lydia, closing in on her as Lydia stares at him in frozen shock. "Where's my key, Lydia?" Lydia was hesitant. "It was you, wasn't it? You edited the tape." He accuses her, harshly.
Lydia furrowed her eyebrows, confused. "What tape?"
"The night of the full moon—the recording. You came into my house—" Jackson pointed to himself. "—into my room—and you saw what was happening to me, so you took the tape from the camera and you edited out the most important part!" he snapped at Lydia who is staring at him wide eyes. "I don't know why. Maybe because you wanted to take that from me, my moment, like you take everything. Or maybe you just thought you were protecting me. But it was you, wasn't it?"
The redhead stares at him, utterly bewildered. Jackson slowly falters as he noticed her confusion is truly genuine. "I don't know what you're talking about..." she shakes her head as she sniffed. "...but if you need it so badly, fine." Jackson's eyes widen in surprise when Lydia reaches into the front of her dress and draws up her necklace as the key hangs from the end of it. She carefully removes the necklace from her head and silently set the key in the palm of his hand.
Jackson stares at the key quietly, his lips part to speak but he has no response. He shifted his gaze up and notices her eyes are glistening as she tries to hold back tears. "I hate you. I hate you so much." She whispered, furiously.
"No. No, you don't." the jock denied as hurt appeared in his blue eyes.
Lydia just nods her head. "I should. I should hate you." Tears slipped over her flawless cheeks. In a rare moment of empathy, Jackson steps forward and brings his hand up to touch her cheek. "Don't—" but he ignores her and placed his hands on her cheeks gently. His thumb pushes away the tears, bringing her face closer, and places his lips on hers.
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McCall's Residence
Living Room
Meanwhile...
The teenagers have been studying their notes and reviews for the mid-term tomorrow. Stiles noticed Derek and Isaac's discomfort as they tried to focus on their textbooks. The lanky teen wondered what was going on with Jackson and Lydia but then he doesn't want to. Although, he is curious. Maybe he should ask Derek what they are saying... it's only because he is concerned for the redhead. He cares about Lydia. He does.
Before Stiles could ask Derek, his phone alerted him and he fumbled out of his pocket. He frowns at the caller ID, answers it with curiosity. "Hey Scott—"
"Jackson! Jackson might be the Kanima!" Scott warned him loudly in fear and worry as two werewolves jerked up in bewildered while Stiles blinked a few times, attempting to process the sudden information in his mind.
"What did you just say?!" Stiles flailed his free hand as he jumped onto his feet in horror. Allison and Erica were startled by an unexpected shout from Stiles as their gazes on him confused and concerned.
"Danny's lacrosse pads are completely damaged, shred by claws! Jackson borrowed them and I think he might be it."
The lanky teen opens his mouth and shut a few time in dumbfounded because he has no idea how that could possibly be true. His whiskey-brown eyes snapped to werewolves with fear. "Lydia." He whispered, frightened for the redhead.
Quickly, the werewolves rush up the stairs while Stiles follows—stumbled them behind, and Allison chase after them closely. Erica stared at the empty space in surprise and confusion.
When the werewolves reaches the second floor, toward Scott's bedroom and pushed the door open inward. Lydia and Jackson breaks off the kiss and whirled around to the teenagers who suddenly barged into their private moment.
Jackson glares at them for a brief moment but then he winces when he lifted his hand to his head as Lydia steps forward with a confused yet irritated frown on her face. "What's going on?"
"Um... Lydia... could you come with me, please?" the brunette beckoned Lydia over to her with faux smile. Stiles noticed how much agony Jackson is in with eyes wide in shock while the werewolves eyed Jackson warily.
"Allison?" Lydia paused, not understanding what was going on. Allison decided to step forward and grabbed her best friend's hand not unkindly. "W-what's going on? Allison?" the brunette drags the redhead out of the room to the hallway and descended the stairs.
Stiles and two werewolves watch Jackson pitches forward and drop to all fours. "Oh my God—" Stiles gasps when he saw something strange begin happening to his skin. It ripples up, darkening, flesh seeming to harden, the surface becoming reflective. Jackson hisses as his blue eyes shifted to reptilian eyes of dark yellow glowing.
Derek's eyes shifted to scarlet-red as he growls warningly while step front of Stiles protectively and Isaac crouches defensively as his eyes glow in golden yellow.
The lanky teen couldn't see the transformation well because of the darkness in the bedroom, only the moon provides the light through the open windows. He could only see a sinewy, jet-black body with glowing eyes. Thin lips curling back to expose a double row of teeth, he opens his jaws and unleashes an inhuman shriek. Stiles stumbled back in fear as the werewolves instantly grew their fangs and emerges their claws.
However, the Kanima darts to the window and gave the last peering at them as he perched on the windowsill. The Kanima releases his inhuman shriek then leaps off out of the window and disappeared into the darkness.
Silence in the bedroom. Isaac hesitantly steps forward to the window slowly while Derek stays protectively in front of Stiles.
When the curly-haired werewolf peers cautiously, he spotted a clear, viscous liquid drips from the claw-marked open sill. His golden-yellow eyes glanced at the darkness but there wasn't Kanima out there. "I—I think he's gone." He informed his Alpha and packmate as he returns to his human form.
"...holy shit." Stiles whispered with stupefied.
Derek returns back to his human form as well, except his eyes remain scarlet-red as his inner wolf was tense with protection and edgy.
Then they heard loud slammed doors from the first floor. Stiles darts down and Derek growls a mixture of exasperatedly and worried. The young Alpha instantly chase after Stiles and Isaac followed closely. When they all reach the bottom of the stairs, met with Scott who is heaving in the entrance of the doorway. Allison, Lydia, and Erica were standing near the foyer.
Lydia scanned the teenagers' faces bemused and bewildered. "Would someone please tell me what the hell is going on?" she waves her hands, frustrated.
The huntress, human teen, and three werewolves glance at each other while Lydia raises her eyebrow impatiently for the answer and Erica just stood back silently contemplative.
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Beacon Hills
Road
Night...
Just beyond the glow of a streetlight, a car sits parked on the side of the road. An ordinary vehicle with one distinguishing detail which is a bumper sticker that reads: "Imagination is more important than knowledge" — Einstein.
A shadow approaches, tail flicking into the light as the Kanima inches toward the car. Behind the closed window, the driver silently waiting. The Kanima begins to rise, claws moving up to lays gently against the window.
The driver's gloved hand pressed against the glass, two hands on either side of the window. One human. One not. The Kanima blinks as their eyes glow brighter for a brief second. A connection was made. Pulling his claws from the window, twisted around and broke into a run as fast as he can. Acting like he was on an urgent mission.
The car's engine roars to life, with a squeal of the tire against pavement and bullets into the darkness until the road became empty.