xxviii. MARKED
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"It's eyes were glowing," Scott reiterated, Foster, Scott, and Isaac seated in front of Chris Argent's desk in his loft, Allison by his side and attending to his wounds.
It turned out that he had prior experience when it came to these creatures, which could either be a good or bad thing for them. It gave them a bit more of an idea as to what they were experiencing, but it didn't seem like Argent knew how to defeat what Foster now likes to call demonic ninjas.
Either way, years ago during Argent's first deal back in Japan, he had ran into these creatures. Their green eyes, their soulless figures. The darkness that seemed to billow around them like smoke. He knew of it all too well.
"It was something almost ritualistic about it, like it was looking right into his soul," Argent clarified, Foster still shaken up from what just happened. It was the same thing it did to Aiden right in front of them, Lydia and Kira out on the balcony, Derek out in the garage, and Isaac the night prior. How could if have happened to Isaac without her knowing? It only made her feel like a terrible best friend for not being there.
"Same thing it did to me," Isaac murmured, Foster glancing over toward the curly haired boy.
"Same thing they did to everyone," Allison pointed out softly, Foster gulping nervously, remembering how they were looking straight at her. Like she was the next one.
"Same thing they did to everyone, but me and Scott," Foster pointed out, her voice a little shaky. She wasn't exactly all too pleased about this.
"Anyone in the supernatural," Argent added on, knowing that Foster was like Lydia, not a werewolf, but a creature within the world of all things supernatural. Making it possible for her to still be a target of the demonic ninjas.
"Then who's the guy they went after?" Isaac inquired, bringing the conversation back to Argent's experience in Japan.
"Hakumicho," Argent explained immediately, seeming to have this entire event completely and permanently scarred into his mind. Foster's mind was still racing about everything. She didn't understand what it was that these creatures wanted. What did the marks on the back of their ears mean, everyone who had their souls looked into received a backwards five. Foster had no idea what the hell that kanji even meant. "The Yakuza boss was my first gun deal. I was only eighteen, it was supposed to be a simple exchange except Gerard left out a minor detail of the buyers being the Yakuza. He wanted to see if I could adapt in the moment," he explained, Foster doing her best not to cringe at the mere mention of Gerard. That guy was brutal, honestly. "Testing my ability to uh - improvise."
"Or your ability to survive," Allison corrected, knowing that Gerard was all about survival. It was the sole reason as to why he, who hunted supernatural creatures, was desperate for the bite of a werewolf. To him, it was all about survival of the fittest. Nothing more, nothing less.
"The moment the sun went down it was like they materialized out of the shadows," Argent continued to explain, lost in a memory of a time that once was. "They had swords," he explained, Isaac and Foster sharing a look with one another. "Not curved like katanas, but straight, black steel. Like ninjados."
From beside Foster, Scott inquired the one thing they were all wondering. "What did they want?"
"To get to the Kumacho," Argent answered immediately, Foster's nose crinkling. What the hell was a Kumacho? "They cut down every living thing in their way."
Isaac's fingers instinctively rested upon the mark burned into his skin, inquiring, "Did they mark him like they did us?"
Chris shook his head faintly as Allison tended to a long gash across the side of his face. "Not exactly. When they finally made it to him, they didn't mark him; didn't stop to think. Their blades tore into him, his eyes glowing a rippling white and fangs unlike any I've ever seen."
Foster tried to hide the shock on her face, not pleased with the sound of this. If these creatures were here in Beacon Hills, there was no doubt that whatever this thing was also took residence here. And in all honesty, Foster wasn't sure she wanted to see it for herself.
"I don't know," Argent breathed out, causing Foster's heart to sink. "But I might know someone who does. There were a few others who survived that night, one of them was a man named Katashi. They call him Silverfinger because of an unusual prosthetic, and it looked like he was getting ready to take them all on himself. "I've known for a while that Katashi was in the country. I spent yesterday tracking him down," Argent explained to them all, Isaac immediately gesturing toward his cut and bruised face.
"Didn't look like he wanted to be found," Isaac pointed out, clearly stating the obvious.
Argent shook his head. "Not particularly, no."
Scott leaned forward, inquiring, "You think he knows what they are? Or what they want?"
"Maybe," Argent spoke, but nothing was set in stone. There was no way of knowing if Katashi truly knew what the creatures were or what they were in search of, but it was their only hope at this point. There was no telling what was about to come into Beacon Hills, and in fact, that blame would be all on them for reopening the beacon.
From behind him, Allison asked, "What if he doesn't want to talk?"
"What if he doesn't even remember you?" Isaac added on, two questions that could inevitably be their downfall in this sliver of hope they have.
Argent stood up, wrapping his hands around a wooden box with Japanese kanjis carved into it. Spinning it around so the latch faced him, he assured, "He'll remember this."
He then opened up the box, unfolding a cloth which revealed the shattered mask of one of the creatures they saw just last night. Right in front of them was one of the masks, Argent pulling it out and showing a piece of it. "I know I didn't kill it, and I'm not sure if you can, but I slowed it down long enough for us to get out of there."
Foster rose to her feet hesitantly, taking two of the small pieces and holding them together.
It was like staring at the haunting image of an all too familiar kind of sickening villain.
"What was behind the mask?" Foster asked softly, her eyes locked on the steel, black color of it.
"Darkness," Argent said gravely. "Absolute darkness."
Scott's eyes trailed over to Foster, the blonde gulping nervously.
It was the same kind of darkness encircling her right now.
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That morning when Foster and Isaac finally arrived home, the duo was grilled by her father about late. The moment Foster mentioned the words "demonic ninjas," though, he immediately shut up. He went on about clearly not wanting to know. He was only being just introduced to the supernatural, this was already a new enough experience for him without the demonic ninjas running around Beacon Hills.
This, of course, gave both Isaac and Foster less time to change their clothes and spray enough cologne and perfume on themselves in hopes of not smelling like they didn't just come home from a rave.
By the time Foster pulled Ellen, her shitty yet beloved Honda, into the parking space, doing a little fist bump in the air due to getting a spot in the first row, a motorcycle pulled up into the space right beside her. Confusion swept over her immediately, knowing that usually Isaac and herself tried to steer clear of the twins and vice versa. They wouldn't park remotely near her if they didn't want something.
She glanced out the window, watching as Aiden ripped off his motorcycle helmet before casting a glance down toward her. He smirked toward the girl, Foster looking away before rolling her eyes and allowing her head to reach the back of the head rest.
Beside her, Isaac was mimicking her same exasperated expressions.
She turned her head slightly, her cheek rested against the material of the car as Isaac muttered, "I'm going to shoot myself."
"If you go down, I'm going down with you," Foster responded, Aiden frowning slightly as he heard the duo speak.
Reluctantly, Foster opened her car door before climbing out, Aiden hopping off of his bike beside her. She raised a brow at him, Isaac coming up beside her with crossed arms. She couldn't help but sigh, Isaac seriously was like a guard dog to her.
"Can I help you?" Foster demanded, knowing that herself and Aiden rarely spoke let alone walked into school together like best friends. This was new territory for the both of them, and Foster didn't really know how to respond. Not only that, but Isaac loathed the twins, which meant she had to loathe them too. It was in the best friend hand book. A best friend hates those who their best friend hates.
"I'm protecting you," Aiden said as though it was obvious. "This is me protecting."
She blinked in confusion, shaking her head as she tried to process what the hell he was going on about. "And why the hell do you think I need you protect me?"
Quickly, Isaac cut in, "And even if she needed protection, I think I've got the job covered."
She shot him a look before questioning, "Who says I need protection from you, either?"
Isaac had an annoyed look on his face as he pursed his lips, pointing out, "The fact that I have claws and fangs and you have - oh, nothing."
Foster rolled her eyes, watching the two boys skeptically. She then looked back toward Aiden, her blue eyes piercing into his. She didn't need him following her around like a lost puppy when she could barely even stand him. He annoyed her to no ends, especially after almost killing Isaac multiple times and then actually killing Boyd and Erica. She wasn't going to be getting all buddy - buddy with him anytime in the near future.
"Last time I checked, demonic ninjas were facing you and trust me, having them look into the depths of your soul is not fun," Aiden assured, Foster grumbling profanities as she retrieved her back pack and strode into the direction of the school, both Aiden and Isaac trailing behind her.
Her nose crinkled, questioning, "Is this about you getting into Scott's pack?"
"No," Aiden was quick to answer, shaking his head at the accusation. "This is about me protecting you."
She rolled her eyes. "This is so about you getting into Scott's pack."
He shook his head at her. "Doesn't matter what you think because I'm protecting you all day and all night. Twenty four seven I'll be by your side."
She turned around, causing both of the werewolves to stop in their stride.
Foster crossed her arms as she faced Aiden, inquiring, "And what if I don't want your protection?"
He merely grinned devilishly. "Foster, you don't have a choice."
She released a bitter sigh, turning around and making her way toward the building as Isaac and Aiden began to banter amongst themselves. She buried her head in her hands as she entered the front door, knowing that this was going to be an extremely long day.
By the time Foster made it to her locker, Isaac and Aiden were both standing on either sides of her. When she glanced down the hall, she saw Scott with a slightly exasperated expression as Ethan followed in pursuit of him. Looks like she wasn't the only one with a guard dog today.
She rolled her neck, an annoyed expression on her features as she made eye contact with Aiden. "Isn't this a little excessive?"
"No," he deadpanned, Foster feeling herself roll her eyes for the umpteenth time.
She would have absolutely no problem with this if it were Isaac (which it already kind of was), or Scott (but Scott knew when to ease off), or even Derek of all people. But Derek and Foster only rarely spoke, although they do have a silent respect for one another. Foster knew she could full heartedly trust Derek if need be, and hopefully vice versa.
But as of right now, Foster felt the desire to punch Aiden and the face. Although she knew that would go absolutely nowhere since he was a werewolf and she was a. . . well, no one knew the answer to that.
Across the hall, Scott went through the same motions as herself; going into his locker and groaning in slight irritation. It was a kind and noble gesture of the twins, but it was also borderline of invasion of their privacy.
After grabbing her needed textbook, Foster shut her locker and turned around before crossing the hallway, Isaac and Aiden following in pursuit. She bit down on her lip to fight her frustrated groan and she shook her head at her desire to slam it against the row of lockers in front of her.
By the time she rested against the lockers behind Scott, he grinned - only to have it fall when Isaac and Aiden followed behind with equally bright ones plastered on their faces.
"Oh," Scott mused, a rather unamused expression plastered on his girlfriend's face, "it's not just me."
"You're the only two who haven't been the target of demonic ninjas yet," Ethan pointed out from the other side of Scott, Aiden nodding in agreement. "And since this is our first time dealing with them, we're playing it safe."
Scott released a noisy sigh, both Scott and Foster wearing replicas of the other's expression.
"Okay, if this going to work, then first, we need to talk to Stiles and let him know everything that happened last night," Scott began, his words directed toward the three werewolves following his and Foster's every footstep. "Without you."
"No," Aiden immediately spoke, Foster whipping her head in his direction and shooting him a look. He sent her one right back.
"Yes," she pressed back, raising a brow at him.
Scott nodded in agreement, making Foster smile triumphantly in Aiden's direction. "And I don't want you listening in either. No wolf hearing."
From beside Foster, Aiden deadpanned, "How would you even know?"
Scott smirked smugly.
"I'm a true alpha. You have no idea what I can do."
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When both Scott and Foster managed to shake Ethan, Aiden, and Isaac off of their backs, the duo were immediately lead into Harris' former chemistry classroom by none other than Stiles. It's not that they didn't trust Isaac to come in, but Isaac was currently in a battle of masculinity against the twins.
In short, this was their opportunity to finally breathe without someone dong the same, but down their neck.
Stiles was talking in a frenzy, almost like it was in tongues. Foster and Scott shared a look with one another, the couple finding it difficult to keep up with Stiles' words. Or the speed at which he was saying them.
"So, then she starts talking about phosphors and the key having chemicals on it," Stiles continued on, Scott shutting the door as Stiles tossed his backpack to the floor. He was referring to Caitlin, the girl who kissed him last night. It turns out the two found themselves in a heated make out session before he noticed his key glowing green. "So that made me think of the chemistry closet and the fact that someone had to let Barrow in."
Stiles continued to make his way toward the chalkboard in the back of the room, the same one himself, Lydia, and Foster found the coded messaged saying to kill Kira on.
He froze in place as his hazel eyes fell upon the blank board, breathing out, "It's gone." He let out an airy breath, backing away as he jingled his set of keys as he murmured, "That's okay. It doesn't matter, though. It doesn't matter because I've still got the key - "
Stiles darted toward the closet of the chemistry room, Foster and Scott whipping around as Stiles searched for a certain key on his chain. As he searched for it, Stiles grew even more frustrated before fumbling around with the keys. Foster watching nervously, growing worried for the boy in front of her.
Turning to face them, Stiles muttered, "What the hell?" He continued to sift through the keys on his chain, eyebrows kitted together. "I - I had it here. I had it here this - this morning. I swear to God I had it this morning."
Realization crossed Scott's face, his best friend questioning gently, "The key you were talking about last night?"
"Yeah, I showed it to you, right?" Stiles questioned, a horrified expression slowly coming onto his features. "Didn't I show it to you?"
Foster gulped nervously, breathing out, "No, you only mentioned it, Stiles."
His eyes widened even more than they already were, the boy now on a mission to prove what he saw earlier. He darted back toward the chalkboard, Foster watching him nervously. The bags he had before were even more dominant on his face, the tender, pink color able to be seen from a mile away. He was so deprived of sleep that it must have been starting to effect him in more ways than one.
"I was here a couple of hours ago and the message left to Barrow spelling Kira's name was on the board, right there, in my handwriting, and I had the key to the chemistry closet," Stiles explained, his voice shaky as it cracked towards the end. Although she didn't want to tell Stiles he was wrong, she also didn't believe he let Barrow into the school or left a coded message for him to kill Kira. Stiles would never do anything like that.
From behind him, Scott clarified warily, "So, you unlocked the chemistry closet so Barrow could hide in it from the cops and you. . . wrote him the message to kill Kira?"
Stiles released a frustrated sigh at Scott's tone, knowing that this was going to sound completely out there and insane.
"I know, I know, I know how it sounds, but look at this," Stiles began, digging into his pocket and retrieving a news paper article before holding it out in front of his two friends. "It's the news report that came out about Barrow when they caught him about the shrapnel bomb that he used. See this? See what he did? He put nuts, bolts, and screws, and then he hid the bomb and the detonator in a box he wrapped as a birthday present. What does that sound like to you?"
Foster shook her head back and forth in confusion, her brows now knitted together as she breathed out, "Isn't that what you two did to Finstock on Halloween?"
Releasing a shaky breath, Stiles nodded in confirmation. "That was my idea. You remember that? Scott, that was my idea. That's no coincidence, it can't be."
Scott was at a lost for words, his lips parted as he stammered without even putting words together. Finally, he spoke, "I I don't want to sound like that I'm trying to tell you that you're wrong, but I don't think you're trying to kill people either."
Stiles' face was unwavering, the same terrified expression still written on his features. His eyes strayed back toward the board, continuing to repeat all of the evidence in a mantra within his own head.
The news paper article was soon crumpled up into a ball in Stiles' fist, the Stilinski boy stammering, "It was here - it was all here."
"Dude, are you feeling okay?" Scott asked, both Foster and Scott worried that he was losing too much sleep at this point. She knew Stiles' problem with the nightmares. Hell, she was getting them every night too, but she had yet to get to this point. "You're looking really tired."
"Yeah, I'm fine," Stiles murmured, finally breaking his stare on the board and looking toward Scott. "I just. . . haven't been sleeping really."
Foster sent him a faint, reassuring smile, offering, "How about you take the day off? Go home and get some sleep, and if you can't, then just chill out for a while."
As she spoke, Scott patted Stiles' shoulder in a comforting manner, Stiles releasing a soft sigh.
And maybe that was all he really needed.
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When Stiles finally agreed to take the day off much like Foster advised, Scott and herself exited the room only to be met up with Ethan and Aiden once again. This time, though, Isaac was no longer there and Foster was left with a text explaining he was with the Argents searching for Katashi.
"Did you tell him?" Aiden asked immediately, right back at Foster's side as Foster laced her fingers with Scott's. She squeezed his hand rather harshly, but he could handle the pain. Besides, Scott knew this was how she was releasing her frustration without lashing out at Aiden.
"No, he's got enough on his mind right now," Scott stated simply, neither herself or Scott wanting to get into the details of it. Especially with the twins.
"Well, they're coming for you in a few hours so, so do you," Aiden pointed out, Scott whipping around to face the twins, pulling Foster along with him.
"What if it's not me?" Scott demanded, Foster releasing a short sigh.
"Then it's me," she cut in quickly, trying to hold herself together. She bit down on her lip harshly, shrugging as she struggled to keep from breaking down. Ethan and Aiden watched her in confusion, completely unaware of what Scott saw around her last night. Completely unaware of what was around at her all times of the day. "You said it yourself, Scott, there's darkness around me. And these things are made of nothing but darkness, it only fits."
"Foster - " Scott opened his mouth to speak, but she was quick to cut him off.
It didn't matter what he said, it didn't change the harsh reality of what was happening. Each and every sign pointed to herself, and Foster didn't know how to react or even adjust to it. All she knew is that she needed to put on her brave face and face this head on, despite how much she didn't want to. She was terrified to the core, but nothing could change the outcome of this situation. She wasn't God, she didn't hold life and death in her hands.
She was merely a game piece in this world of the supernatural, and it was time she faced that fact instead of wanting to run away from it all at all times.
"It's me. They're after me."
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With the confirmation done by herself sank in, Foster knew that in order to get through this nice with demonic ninjas, she needed to put a distance between everyone she loved and herself. To keep as many people as she possibly can out of the crossfire.
Keeping Scott out of the mix, though, wasn't an option because once she told him her plan, he did and didn't agree to it. He still believed deep down that these creatures were still going to come after him regardless, just like they did to Aiden, Ethan, Derek, and Isaac. He thought there was no point in avoiding the inevitable, which was why he said that if she was going to do this, he would be doing it with her.
Which was why Foster currently held the nuts and bolts of Ethan's and Aiden's bike in her hand.
Disregarding Ellen, Foster hopped on the back of the bike behind Scott, wrapping her arms around his torso happily while Ethan and Aiden appeared right beside them.
"Guys," Scott began with a slight chuckle, "I appreciate you wanting to protect me, but we have to be alone for a bit, so. . . sorry about this." He grinned, Foster releasing a chuckle before pulling her helmet off, Scott revving the engine.
The motorcycle took off, the sounds of Ethan's and Aiden's engines dying repeatedly sounding from behind them. As they sped away, Foster finally dropped the nuts and bolts in the middle of the parking lot, the duo leaving the twins alone.
But also leaving them in safety.
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AUTHOR'S NOTE: so i managed to whip up another one today holy crap wow. that took way more determination than i'd like to admit tbh. anyway, i hope you all liked this! i'm seeing that a lot of you think that foster is also possessed by nogi, guess that'll be revealed if she is or isn't in the next chapter.