CHAPTER FOURTEEN
A SERIES OF UNFORTUNATE EVENTS
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The day, despite being only half over, was starting to go downhill very quickly for one Lena Roth.
It didn't take long for another problem to weigh in on Scott and Lena. The former, being the one with the advanced superhuman hearing, picked up a small abnormality in the classroom just down the hall. And, as the latter wouldn't second guess for a moment, that abnormality had to do with one Lydia Martin and her developing abilities- and again, they were running.
Scott's hand enveloped Lena's out of habit, and instantly the two were on their way to Lydia and whatever problem was occurring just doors away. Lena, more so than Scott, was immersed in her own thoughts; while Scott was hell bent on finding the Martin girl, Lena was pondering over chess and Morrell's connections to what had now plagued their lives. In a way, Lena found, Marin Morrell wasn't very far from the truth.
But for now, the Roth girl was more focused on the fact that Lydia Martin nearly shattered her eardrums with a deafening, shrill shriek that practically shook the linoleum floors.
As would be expected, a small crowd was casually growing outside of the classroom as students began to file outside and into the small room. Lena, through the bodies, could see Aiden standing by Lydia's side, and Scott swiftly shoved past the teenagers in his way, Lena following suit.
"I don't get why no one's calling the police," were the first words that Lena heard the Martin girl utter upon entering the room. The pint sized girl's eyes were trained on their English teacher, who was standing before she and Aiden with her arms folded over her chest. Lena's eyes trailed over to the chalkboard as the two argued.
"They're gonna make an announcement over the P.A.," Blake assures the strawberry blonde, her voice holding an artificial calmness to it, as if she was trying not to lash out on the girl before her.
"That's not gonna do anything!" Lydia exclaims exasperatedly, "I told you, he's gone. Like the others: taken." Another sigh on the strawberry blonde's part. Lena shoves a bit past Scott, her hand still entangled with his as she stepped by Lydia's side.
"Okay," Blake voices. "Look, we're just trying to understand, okay? All we know is that Mr. Westover didn't show up for class."
"Like Mr. Harris," Lena mumbles. Lydia shoots the teacher an expectant look, gesturing to the brunette beside her.
"Anyone heard from him lately?" - Lydia pauses for effect - "He's gone. And he's going to be the second murder." Tearing free from Aiden's arms, Lydia marched up to the board. Determination was written clear across her face as she jammed a thumb in the direction of the board.
"But, Lydia, you wrote that number."
"Okay, fine," Lydia relents. "I'm psychic."
"You're psychic?"
The disbelief was evident in Jennifer Blake's tone, and Lena wanted to scowl. Lydia was something- whatever it may be. Something that was leading them to the answers they needed, only, they weren't seeing what they needed to; and the battle wouldn't end until the misfit pack of teenage supernaturals (and the human) realized this.
"I'm something!"
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Lena found herself, for what seemed like the umpteenth time that week, leant up against the side of Scott's bike. The McCall boy was inside, Lena assuring him that she didn't mind waiting as he searched for another helmet- despite the fact that she didn't need one in the first place. The chill air was doing nothing to calm her nerves; but, the warm smile splayed across one Scott McCall's lips as he held up a second helmet, with a triumphant gleam to his eyes, lessened the worry just a bit.
Scott stepped over to Lena, their bodies nearly touching as his smile faltered. "You ready for this?" He asks, Lena's grin fading away altogether.
"I don't know," Lena replies truthfully. "I just feel like we're doing everything wrong at this point. That maybe Cora's right. Maybe we are just a bunch of stupid teenagers."
Scott's small smile turned sympathetic, his head nodding slightly. "No, Len, don't think like that. We're trying. I'm trying. You're trying. But, uh, if anything happens tonight- anything at all- you find me, alright?" He spoke quickly, as if he thought she wouldn't agree. "I'd probably turn into that monster Morrell was talking about if something happened to you."
Lena sucked in a breath, nodding quickly. Scott smiled in return, a way of reassuring both himself and Lena that they'd both come out unscathed, and unfazed after the darkness of night fades to the calm hint of sunrise. The McCall boy's smile faded, however, because he knew his attempts were failing and Lena felt no better than she had five seconds ago.
Ditching the conversation topic altogether, Scott raised the spare helmet over Lena's head, placing it gently over her head as the girl cracked a smile.
"This might just be the first time we've been alone - without Stiles - in over a week."
Scott stopped his movements, the helmet not even halfway onto Lena's head. She took a nanosecond to analyze his eyes, trying to see what it was the halted his actions. Scott, on the other hand, was fighting a battle against his own insecurities. And, in such a small amount of time, Scott's inner teenage boy took over his mind, and still, Lena had no idea what idea was running through his mind.
Lena peered up at Scott through the helmet, which was soon pulled back over her head. Scott let the helmet drop to the ground, and the instant his hands were free, they were holding Lena's face gently. The girl, in spite of her badass persona, felt as if her heart was about to splinter her ribs- what with its excessive beating that Scott, no doubt, could hear clear as day. Lena's nervousness seemed to give Scott another burst of confidence, the boy moving to close the space between their lips.
Lips connected and Scott had to refrain from pulling back and screaming out of joy (and relief). Lena's hands swung around his neck, and she tried to ignore the bike's handle jamming into her back as Scott stepped forwards, his cheeks burning a bright pink. Scott's eyes were clamped shut, both his and Lena's faces heating up as the former deepened the kiss.
Eventually, it was Lena who stepped backwards, her words laced with constant breaths as she grinned up at the boy before her. While Lena decided to speak her mind, Scott instantly became worried that he'd done the wrong thing.
That this irrevocable moment was one that, despite his wanting and unhinging impatience, was one that shouldn't have ever occurred in the first place; but, his worries were subdued when Lena's hand came up to hold his face, tracing light patterns with her forefinger while mumbling faint words that meant nearly nothing to the McCall boy until she reached her definitive sentence.
"I'd cheer, but I was never good at it. So I'm going for a different tactic:" - the boy smiled so wide he swears he can feel his skin tearing - "Finally. Honestly, McCall, I thought you'd never do it." - The girl pauses to examine the light in his eyes - "And I'm really glad you did." - She bites down on her lip, contemplating the effects of her next words, and decides to screw it, what have I got to lose? - "I, for the first time in a very, very long time, realized that I like someone enough to let them like me. I like you, Scott. I like you a whole hell of a freaking lot."
Lena instantly let her head drop, heat spreading like wildfire over her facial features faster than she could work to suppress it- so much so that she felt her eyes begin to water. She bit down on her lip, refusing to meet his eyes. She swears she hears him mumbling to himself. He hasn't left, so that must be a good sign, she thinks bitterly. And with the next words to leave his lips, Lena feels the puzzle pieces of her life seem to slip right into place.
Slipping into the cracks right where they needed to be - right where they were meant to be - and right where they'd stay- as long as Scott McCall stayed with them.
"I like you a whole hell of a freaking lot more."
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Ten minutes later, the still blushing duo made their way into the auditorium. Lena stayed by Scott's side, the boy listening in as Ethan spoke to Danny, voicing almost the same words Scott had uttered to Lena earlier. They weren't the only ones taking precautions for those they care about.
Lena was the one to spot Lydia Martin standing around by the seats, and she was the one who nudged Scott in her direction. Both the boy and girl approached the strawberry blonde, each looking more concerned than the next. Scott spoke lowly, to be sure that no one could hear him, and Lena found herself reaching furtively for his hand.
"I thought you were going home."
"I can't," Lydia sighs. "I don't know why I am the one that keeps finding the bodies, but maybe if I just stopped trying to fight it, I'd find them before it happens- maybe with enough time for someone like you to do something about it."
Scott's expression hardened, and Lena gripped his hand tightly as he replied. "You get me the time, and I'll do something about it. I swear to God, I will."
And then, the three teens stood still together. Scott holding Lena's hand, and Lena holding tight to Lydia's. The three were unbreakable at that moment, a force to be reckoned with as they stood their ground. To anyone else, they looked like three teenagers comforting one another. But to them, to anyone who understood- this was a sign of a strong alliance. It said that Scott would never let anything happen to Lydia and Lena, and that the other two would do anything in their power to keep the same promise.
It was Lena Roth learning the true meaning of family, and accepting it for everything it was.
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"It better be."
The words were mumbled from Lydia's mouth just before Allison, Isaac, and Argent entered the auditorium. The band and orchestra had started playing just moments before, and Lena found herself watching the looks passed between Aiden and Lydia intently. That is, before the strawberry blonde took off with only the three words as a departure sign.
Allison and Isaac, on the other hand, both looked equally nervous, whilst Argent had the same, stern expression plastered onto his face. Scott looked downright confused, but still a frown ghosted across his features long enough for Lena to learn that he was getting more upset with each passing second. She didn't like seeing him upset, because it made her heart ache. And a heart like hers wasn't supposed to ache.
The music began to crescendo, and the twins shifted uncomfortably in their seats within the audience. Scott and Lena were shoved into one another as Stiles made his way between them, offering a small smile before staring wide-eyed at the stage. Lena missed out on the quick exchange between Stiles and Scott, but she didn't have the time to blink before Scott was tugging her out the front doors, with Stiles following suit. As soon as Stiles began to call her name, Lena knew something had gone terrible awry.
"Lydia!"
"Anything?" Scott and Lena turned to Stiles, the both of them utterly failing when it came to using their abilities to aid them in the search for their friend. Lena shook her head sadly. Scott merely kept his gaze from Stiles', brown eyes wide as they frantically scanned the parking lot.
"She's not answering texts." Stiles observes, running a shaky hand through his hair. Lena took a step towards Scott, placing a hand on his shoulder and instantly calming him down a bit. With another shake of the head, Scott moved away from Lena, his neck nearly snapping as he looked this way and that, trying to catch a scent- or anything that would clue them in on Lydia's whereabouts.
"What do we do?" Stiles asks aloud, though he knows perfectly well that Lena didn't have the answer to that, and Scott was too distracted to answer him whatsoever. The one girl he needed to protect, the one girl whose death would ultimately kill him while simultaneously killing her - that girl was put in peril somehow. And Stiles was all but supernatural. He couldn't do anything other than run laps around the school, looking aimlessly until she turned up - and it'd be too late; it would always be too late. Cora said it how it was; they'd just been finding the bodies. If he had to look at Lydia's body, well, he might not make it to her wake. And the two people who could, in the end, figure out where the damn girl was were compromised. Or, in a way, occupied elsewhere
Lena could hear the music inside getting louder, yet slightly creepy at the same time. And, before Scott had the chance to answer Stiles, their answer was laid out before them on a silver platter. Taking form of the scream that could shatter glass within seconds, Lena dropped to the ground instantly, her hands pressing tight over her ears. Stiles bent down to help the girl, while Scott groaned out in pain. Once again, the human unbelievably bemused as a scream so shrill it could take down an army took residency within their heads.
"Scott? Lena?"
Stiles didn't know what to do.
He couldn't hearanything. He could only hold tight to the Roth girl as she writhed in pain, hands wringing within her plait as she let out cries here and there. He didn't know that Lydia's calls were causing detrimental side effects to those with supernatural origins. And he sure as hell didn't know how to help his two friends as they groaned and cried out in pain before his eyes. And he hated that.
There was only one irregularity that coincided with this scream. This scream, unlike the others, lasted longer. The opacity of the sound didn't dilute for what felt like years, and Lena let out one final cry before collapsing in on herself- or, rather, onto Stiles. He wrapped his arms tightly around her frame, Lena falling completely limp as she succumbed to the noise. Scott was stronger yet, but it didn't take longer than a few seconds for the beta to follow, falling to his knees much in the fashion that Lena had. And then, all at once (and to Stiles' utmost confusion), it was over. The scream was gone, and Lena was opening her eyes slowly. Her makeup was in ruins, and her breathing sharp and heavy and erratic, but if Scott was the one holding her, he would have called her beautiful- even then.
Once they'd collected themselves, and were fully aware of what had just happened. Both Lena and Scott turned to Stiles. With a brief explanation and a few choice details, again, they were running. Lena's hands were free, what with Scott yards ahead and spiriting at a speed so fast that all that could be seen by the bare eye was a blur. Lena was still moving faster than Stiles, but she hung back as to assure the boy that he wasn't the only one that couldn't keep up with the pack.
The growl started it all.
It was animalistic, yet coming from Scott, it couldn't seem to scare the Roth girl off. In fact, she merely flashed irises of firefly yellow before her skin began to darken. She wasn't sure if she'd be fighting, but she hoped she wasn't being overcome by a faint feeling of wickedness for nothing. She hoped that the ruining of all of the light she'd managed to become in one sole day wouldn't be hollowed out by the spirit raging within her.
That the light eyes could, for once in her extended life, mean exactly that- light; good, not wicked - pure, not corrupt.
On the floor, John Stilinski was questioning his sanity. Surely two of the teens he'd grown to care for couldn't be- well, whatever it was they looked like. Lena Roth, skinny, defenseless-other-than-her-wit Lena Roth couldn't be what it was that she was morphing into. Her eyes weren't yellow as the stars, but merely a trick of the light. And her skin was black like coal, merely a hoax of the darkness.
And Scott- the boy he raised as a son. Scott McCall was, in no way shape or form, the beast he appeared to be. Scott wasn't built enough to grow facial hair, much less within the time span of about point-three seconds. And last time John checked, Scott didn't have fangs. Could Stiles, his Stiles - the I-played-pranks-all-throughout-my-childhood Stiles - be telling the truth when he spoke about the monsters that one would hear strictly within the confines of fairytales?
But at this moment, there were bigger tasks at hand.
Scott was the first to make a move. His feet left the ground in an instant, the boy frenzied as he bounded before Jennifer Blake. Lena followed suit, her body positioned just beside Scott's. Jennifer glared a stare so fierce that Lena felt even her glowing orbs couldn't rival. Scott swung his claw-clad arm towards Jennifer multiple times before Lena stepped in, her foot impacting the skin on Jennifer's leg. The woman was severely pained and severely outnumbered (only by two, but those two were stronger than they were perceived to be), but it didn't stop her from sending Scott across the room with a simple shove of her arm.
Lena was between her fingers next, the woman holding the Roth girl above the ground with tight fingers wound around the delicate neck of the teenage girl. Lena tried to cry out, but instead opted for kicking and wounding Jennifer as best she could in her current position. The woman merely smirked, propelling Lena's body into the stacked chairs above Scott's frame with ease. Lena and the chairs came down upon Scott, who coughed up crimson, and set his head down on the linoleum, defeated.
Lena stirred, oxygen still forcing its way into her brain as her view became slightly clearer. Her leg was beneath a desk and a few chairs, preventing it from movement, as it ached so. Her arms were useless until she could see and comprehend what was happening around her, and all she knew was that her head was resting on Scott's arm, and that she needed to get up and save him the trouble.
And so, she did.
The moment Stiles caught up and distracted the woman, Lena was pulling the chairs weakly away and was at the woman's front. Jennifer had already created a barrier between herself and Stiles, and Lena was sure her head was gushing ebony as she tried to contain her balance. It didn't work. Jennifer lifted Lena's frame high above her height, slamming her down with a force that could reckon with that of (as Stiles would put it) Voltron Wolf's.
Lena couldn't lift a finger if she wanted to. Having been utterly rusty when it came to fighting, Lena knew only the solitary fact that she was bleeding out, probably suffering from a severe concussion, and not worried about these things because she was more focused on getting to Jennifer and then getting to Scott. Lena, though, was useless and in far too much pain to proceed with that plan.
And now, Sheriff Stilinski seemed to want in on that plan.
"There was a girl," he began, voice weak with one arm holding his only method of defense up to Jennifer, the bullets holding what seemed to be his life in their figurative hands. A hard expression had twisted its way across his features, taking residency as disgust. "Years ago, we found her in the woods- her face and body slashed apart. That was you, wasn't it?"
"Maybe I should've started with philosophers," Jennifer pondered, taking minimal steps over and then pausing to step over what was now Lena's unconscious body. The blood had left her body too quickly, the girl's inner demons fighting to keep the shell of a girl they'd used as their current abode alive and well functioning. Jennifer continued with a soft, yet vindictive air, "With knowledge and strategy."
She began walking faster, Lena's fingers subconsciously curling after the woman as the Oni worked to bring her back to life. The sheriff shot at her, and the wound did nothing but summon a hiss and simply heal within mere seconds of being inflicted. "Healers," she grunted, her soul case now upon the one man in the room who was finally seeing things in a different light- well, technically speaking, darkness. She easily plucked him off the ground with stamina, holding the man upright by the dagger in his chest. He cried out in pain, Lena's eyes shot open gingerly.
"Warriors," she now had him backed up to a bank of chairs. He cried; Lena writhed. Scott was still gone, and Lena was healing as fast as inhumanly possible. Her mouth parted slightly, the dark mist of an Oni spirit taking shelter within her. Her eyes swirled to a luminescent yellow, and her skin began to char. From her fingertips to her hands, and so forth, the darkness was spreading.
Jennifer tweaked the sheriff's badge from his shirt, crushing it easily within her closed palm. The sheriff still cried out, and Lena refused to think of Stiles in this moment. She couldn't focus on his reaction while she was too busy trying to both suppress hers and get herself strong enough to, well, beat the living shit out of Jennifer Blake.
"Guardians," she dropped the badge; it chimed upon colliding with the floor. "Virgins," Jennifer Blake leaned forward, lips meeting those of the sheriff's. A nanosecond passed before the sheriff's eyes shot open like Lena's had, and when they did, Jennifer was no longer Jennifer.
By this time, Stiles was close to tears and Lena had rolled onto her side and began a short crawl over to where Jennifer - or, well, the Darach - was now standing. Finally, Stiles had managed to shatter the glass window that belonged to the door and was pushing his way into the classroom. Lena had made it mere feet away from the sheriff and was so close - so, so close. She looked insane, what with her hair sticking out and her skin ebony except for a small portion of her face, and her eyes being firefly yellow, yet flickering like the bug would as it died. Scott had finally risen to his feet, the contours of the boy's jawline covered in crimson as he rose to his feet. Stiles pushed past the both of them, skidding to a halt before a broken window and a splay of shattered glass.
"Dad?"
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not edited.
hola guys, so this is much shorter than a normal chapter would be but tbh i had that scena kiss sitting in my drafts for a month and wanted to share bc yAY SCENA KISSED WHO WAS PUT OUT OF THEIR MISERY? it's not like we're fourteen chapters in and all.
lol but honestly, what did you guys think? did i do justice to the scena kiss? (was this chapter as awful as i think it is?) let me know what you thought!
also before i forget (because i actually almost did), right now i'm facing severe writer's block with my teen wolf fics, and that's why this is as short as it was (3.8K as opposed to the regular 6-7K). i'm going to, now that this has been posted, work on my marvel fics (and only them) until school lets out (june 17th [send help pls]). even then, i don't know if i'll be back to teen wolf for good. i'm working on an original/teen fiction story as well, and it might be posted on this account - so keep an eye out for that!
i love you guys so much, and i can't wait to see what you all thought of this! x