Scott POV
I hear wind coming from the other end of the phone, followed by a loud thud. Then there is silence. "Stiles? Hello? What's going on?" I ask in a panic. Everyone is looking at me worriedly.
"Stiles!" I shout again. No response. I end the call and put the phone back in my pocket.
"Scott, what's going on?" Lydia asks fearfully. I don't answer. I just pace up and down the room, running my hands through my hair. This could not be happening. Out of frustration, I punch the wall. I hear a creaking and groaning noise, but the wall doesn't crack. "Scott, that's enough! These walls can't stand too many supernatural punches! Tell us what's going on!" Derek yells, standing in front of me. I look down, my sadness finally settling in.
"Stiles... He's been taken." I sniff.
"What?" Kira asks in shock.
"He tried to tell me. He tried to tell me that these hunters were dangerous and would come after us if we interfered. But I didn't listen, and now he's paying the price." I whisper, but I know everyone can hear me.
"It's all my fault." I add, trying not to cry. I wipe my eyes hurriedly. Kira gently squeezes my shoulder. I look over at her.
"Scott, it's not your fault. I'm sure Stiles would say the same thing." Kira comforts me.
"What we can do is get him back and take down these stupid hunters." Isaac joins in. A sudden rush of adrenaline courses through me. "Yeah, you're right. We need to come up with a plan." I say, my mood lifting a little. I still have hope. "We should split up and search all of Beacon Hills." Derek suggests.
"That's a good of a plan as any. If we don't find anything, we'll meet back here in two hours. If we do find something, we will call the others and meet up at the place. We can't take those hunters on by ourselves. It's too dangerous." I add.
"Got it?" Derek looks around at the pack. Lydia, Kira, Isaac, Liam and Malia nod their heads.
"Let's get going." I say. With that, we all run out of Derek's building and split up, searching all over Beacon Hills, trying to catch a scent of Stiles.
Stiles POV
I wake up sometime later with a throbbing headache. I groan and sit up slowly, rubbing the back of my head. I take a look at my surroundings. It's cold and dark. I have a feeling that I'm underground somewhere. I can't see very well, but I can see the outlines of metal pipes several feet in front of me. "Hello?" I ask groggily, starting to crawl forward. I don't want to stand and start running blindly into the dark, since I have no idea what's out there. I wince as I shift my injured shoulder. Suddenly, I look down. I freeze in my tracks. I'm trapped in a mountain ash circle. I gulp nervously. Since the potion has worn off, I can now be affected by mountain ash. I have never really thought about that until this moment. I look around the dim room, trying to find a way out of this. "Hello?" I ask the darkness pathetically. I sit backwards a little, trying to get away from the mountain ash. My breath comes out cold and visible. If I don't get out soon, I might be in trouble of hypothermia. I shiver a little, goosebumps running down my arms. "I know you're out there!" I shout, feeling a little more brave. I hear a chuckle as someone steps into my line of vision. It's Daniel. He kneels down and looks at me. "Not so powerful now, are you?" He smirks evilly.
"Why are you doing this? If you want to kill me, then do it already!" I yell angrily.
"That's just the thing, Stiles. Killing you quickly would just be too easy. I want to see you suffer first." Daniel answers.
"What makes me different from all the other merpeople you have slaughtered?" I ask, trying to keep my teeth from chattering. I eye Daniel's warm jacket enviously. "I'm not stupid. I know that you're the Prince of Atlantia." Daniel snaps, quickly standing up and walks around the mountain ash circle. Suddenly, I think of my father. I lunge at Daniel, but I'm pushed back by the ring of mountain ash. "What did you do with my dad?" I shout angrily, with a hint of desperation. Daniel just laughs at me. "If you have hurt him, I swear I'll-" Daniel cuts me off.
"You swear what? You can't do anything while inside that ring. You are helpless and defenceless." Daniel says smugly. I glare at him. "Besides. There is something you should know. It's going to hurt you so much." Daniel continues as he walks around me. "What is it?" I ask, my voice cracking slightly. Daniel leans closer to me.
"I did not take your father. None of us hunters did." He tells me. I blink rapidly in shock.
"W-what?" I ask, not quite able to believe it.
"You heard me. I didn't kidnap your father. It's too bad. He would've been more valuable than you, but I suppose you will just have to do." Daniel shrugs. My heart starts to beat faster.
"If you didn't take my dad, then who did?" I ask, all anger gone from my voice. The anger is replaced by fear. Daniel chuckles. "I knew this would hurt you real bad." He comments with a cruel smile.
"Just tell me." I hiss.
"Fine. It was Vanessa, the sea witch. I saw her come from the ocean on the night of a full moon, becoming human. I knew that she'd be after the King of Atlantia, so I followed her here to see what was going to happen." Daniel answers. I feel like I'm going to be sick. This can't be happening. Dad can't be with Vanessa! I thought I had prepared myself for the worst. It gets a little bit harder for me to breathe. I back away from Daniel again, nearing the other side of the mountain ash circle. "That was so worth it." Daniel comments in a psychotic way.
"You're sick, you know that? You're just disgusting!" I tell the hunter. He just laughs and nods.
"I already know that, but thank you for pointing it out." Daniel grins.
"Can I get him back? Is he still alive?" I ask desperately.
"Jeez, I don't know everything! I don't live underwater! But from what I do know, Vanessa would keep your dad alive. At least for now. Not that you'll live long enough for the chance to see him again." Daniel replies cruelly. I look down at the hard ground beneath me. I don't want to look at that monster's face again. "Look at me." Daniel whispers creepily.
"Look at me!" Daniel shouts suddenly. I jump in shock, quickly looking back up at my kidnapper.
"That's better. I want you to look at me while I explain how you're going to die." Daniel tells me in a more calm voice. I squint my eyes in confusion slightly. What hell is he going to put me through now? Daniel grabs something from his pocket. I gasp and try to shuffle back, but the mountain ash barrier stops me. Daniel laughs at my reaction. "Obviously you know what this is?" He asks, waving the plant in front of me.
"Yes, I do." I answer slowly.
"Good. Might I add that this type of snapdragon will lead you to a very slow and painful death." Daniel comments unnecessarily. "Right, because being poisoned usually means that you'll die happily and painlessly." I sarcastically say, rolling my eyes in annoyance. Daniel looks aggravated for a moment, but then regains his composure. "I'll be back soon. I just have to drain the juice from this plant and put it in a needle. It's the most precise way to do it. More painful too." Daniel explains as he leaves the room. Once he's gone, I stand up. I run towards the mountain ash barrier, but each time I try to step over, I'm forced backwards. I keep on trying, but nothing works. I scream in annoyance. I sit down, panting slightly from the effort. I was getting nowhere. I put my head in my hands. No one is going to find me. I'm going to die down here. After a while, I hear footsteps coming towards me. I look up to see Daniel kneeling next to me, needle in hand. I glare at him harshly. "You don't need to do this," I say in a quiet voice. Daniel just shakes his head. "Oh, but I do." He says just before he leans forward and jabs the needle into my neck. I gasp from the initial pain of the needle and the feeling of the poison entering my bloodstream. Eventually, Daniel pulls the needle out of my neck. Immediately, my breathing starts to quicken. I look at Daniel with horror. He just shrugs.
"This will be fun." Daniel remarks. I roll my eyes. After only a few minutes, I start to feel very unwell. I feel like I'm going to throw up, I've got a killer headache, the world is starting to spin and I can't even sit up. I fall to the ground, gasping for air like a fish out of water. I watch as two Daniels seemingly walk away from me. I close my eyes tightly, hoping it would help. It makes me feel slightly better. However, I don't see how I can make it back from this. I'm going to die here. "I'm sorry I couldn't save you, Dad..." I mumble before I slip into unconsciousness.
Scott POV
I run through Beacon Hills for the tenth time. I'm not about to give up, even if it seems like a lost cause. I quickly glance at the time. It's been two hours. I sigh as I turn around and run back to Derek's loft. Suddenly, I catch the scent of something. I skid to a halt and lift my nose up in the air. It's very faint, but I swear I can smell the ocean... Oh my god, it's Stiles! He's been here! I quickly grab my phone out and text the pack to meet me here. I send them the coordinates. As I wait for everyone to arrive, I take the time to look around a bit. There's not much here. Just an abandoned parking lot. Just up ahead, there's a small, old brick building. I assume it leads underground somewhere. How did I miss that? I guess I didn't pay much attention to my surroundings. I shake my head, refocusing myself. Somehow, I just know that Stiles is here somewhere. I can feel it. After a few more minutes, the rest of the pack come running up to me. "What is it?" Liam asks breathlessly.
"Does the air smell familiar?" I ask with a small grin. The wolves and coyote all sniff the air around us. Isaac is the first to come to the realization. "That's Stiles' scent!" He gasps. The others exchange hopeful looks with each other. Suddenly, Lydia's face falls. Dread races through me. "What is it?" I ask, fearing the answer.
"It's Stiles..." She answers slowly.
"He's dying." Lydia finishes. I shake my head furiously.
"No he's not." I run ahead of everyone and barge through the door of the old building. There's a large stairwell that leads underground. I was right. I wait for the others to catch up before I race down the stairs. "Scott, be careful!" Malia calls out as I keep on running. I don't slow down. I'll be fine. As I round a corner, I find two hunters leaning against a wall. They look at me in shock. I shift into my werewolf form, ready to fight. I roar fiercely at them before charging. They manage to throw in a couple of punches, but I manage to take them down easily enough. Once I knock the second guy out, the rest of the pack arrives. "Woah," Kira breathes. I smile and do a little bow. Then, we all walk forwards. I listen carefully for anything that's out of the usual. Finally, I hear three heartbeats coming from around the corner. I press myself against the wall gesturing for everyone else to do the same. I peak around the corner at the hunters. These guys seem a little more prepared. They are looking around, holding weapons up, ready to fire. I quickly move back to my position behind the wall. I give Kira a knowing look. She nods and pulls out her sword. Without needing to say it, all of us charge out from around the corner, surprising the three guards. They start firing arrows at us, but Kira's sword slices them all in half. Lydia walks up to one of the men and starts fighting with him. She's gotten really good. She also knows how to use her voice, which can also be really useful. I turn my attention to the strongest looking hunter and run towards him. The hunter manages to shoot me with an arrow and I hiss in pain. I pull the arrow out of my chest, realizing there is no wolfsbane on it, so I'll heal quickly. I toss the arrow away and start kicking and punching the hunter. Within a minute, we have taken out the three hunters. Unfortunately, there was enough noise to alert anyone else in these tunnels that we are here. Several more hunters show up and they take a little bit longer to take down. One guy manages to slice my arm with a sword. It heals quickly, but it makes me stand in front of Lydia and protect her. She can't heal like the rest of us. Eventually, we have taken care of all of the hunters. We smile at each other in relief. Suddenly, I hear evil laughing coming around the corner. I growl and stand in front of my pack protectively. Suddenly, Daniel walks around the corner. However, he has no weapons. Daniel holds up his hands in surrender. He smiles at me. "You think you have won, don't you? That's cute." Daniel says viciously. I growl at him again, clearly showing my fangs towards him. "What have you done with Stiles?" I ask, not in the mood to play around.
"Why should I tell you?" Daniel asks.
"Because we could kill you." Malia replies menacingly.
"Ah, silly girl, you can't kill me. I'm smarter than any of you. Do you really think those guys were the best I've got?" Daniel raises his eyebrows. I suddenly have an uneasy feeling in my stomach. This was way too easy. "What do you want?" I ask, letting my uneasiness show a little. Daniel smirks at my response.
"You know what I want. To kill the creature that doesn't belong here and sell its scales, but you know I'm not above killing anything that gets in the way. Like you guys." Daniel tells me. I shudder slightly. What creature? A dragon? How could a dragon hide itself in Beacon Hills? I pull myself out of my thoughts and focus on the situation in front of me. "Why did you take Stiles?" I continue. This time, Daniel laughs for a long time. Once he stops, he wipes the tears out of his eyes. I narrow my eyes at him. "I guess I just wanted to see how fragile that human was." Daniel finally replies. All the werewolves growl and so does Malia. "What do you know about Stiles' father?" I continue to question the hunter. I might as well get the most information I can out of him. "If you're suggesting that I've taken Stiles' dad, you're very wrong. That's all I can say." Daniel responds mysteriously. I sigh and roll my eyes. I guess that's all he will be telling us.
"Well, if you want to kill us, do it now." I say, getting into a fighting position. Everyone else in my pack does the same. Daniel merely shakes his head. "No, I think I've had my fun for today. I'll let you all go." Daniel says, staring straight at me. There is something about his gaze that sends shivers down my spine. It's like he knows something that I don't. Something big. However, I decide to push this worrying thought to the back of my mind. Daniel walks up to us. Everyone shifts uncomfortably, resisting the urge to tear him apart. If I'm being honest, I have to stop myself as well. "Good day, gentleman. Ladies." He says, nodding his head towards us as he walks away and out of sight. God, what a creep. I blink twice before pulling myself back to reality. I turn to everyone else. "I don't know what the hell that was about, but what I do know is that we need to find Stiles. Fast." I tell everyone urgently. They all nod in agreement. I turn back around and continue walking through the tunnel. The more we walk, the stronger Stiles' scent gets.
Stiles POV
I wake up to find myself having a coughing fit. My lungs feel like they are being burned in oil. I roll onto my stomach, placing my hands on the ground, balancing myself. I continue to cough, feeling like there's something caught in my throat. In the next second, I cough up a gooey black liquid. I realize in horror that it's my blood. I groan as I lay down on my back again. I'm losing energy fast. I can't see properly. I still feel like the world is spinning. My whole body screams with pain. What tops it all off is the disgusting black blood that keeps oozing out of my mouth. Whenever I cough, a whole lump is spat out. Even when I'm not coughing, there's a constant drizzle dripping from the sides of my mouth. The liquid is all over my face, hands and clothes. Suddenly, I lean on my side and throw up. Of course all that comes out is the gooey, thick, black blood. My whole body shakes. I feel extremely weak and sore. This a horrible way to die! Why does Daniel want me to suffer so much? I wish he just shot me or something! It would be quicker and a lot less painful. I groan, closing my eyes. My head throbs in agony and my eyes sting, even when they're closed. I decide to open them again. Another wave of the black goo pours out of my mouth as I throw up again. Once I'm finished, I lie flat on my back again. I notice that it's very hard to breathe now and my lungs scream for air, but they are so clogged up. The snapdragon's venom makes my blood boil and burn. I can tell that I have got a very bad fever as I am sweating like crazy. I let my head roll to the side, looking at the open door. Even if there wasn't mountain ash here, I don't think I can make it. Not now, anyway. I'll just continue to get weaker. I can barely even move. The only thing I can do is just throw up more black blood, but that's disgusting. I notice that some of it is pouring out of my nose now. My vision goes blurry and my breathing hitches. I almost lose consciousness again. Almost. The thing that keeps me grounded is the faintest sound of footsteps.
"Stiles!" I hear Scott shout desperately.
"Stiles, where are you? Can you hear us?" Lydia yells loudly. I can't believe it. My friends are here to save me! The footsteps get closer. Suddenly, I see several figures enter the room. They all stop around the ring of mountain ash. That is, until Lydia kicks the mountain ash, breaking its magical ring. Everyone kneels down around me. "Move away," I croak in a very quiet voice that I'm not even sure the werewolves and werecoyote heard. However, they move over a little when I start gagging. I lean over to my left and throw up another heap of black blood. Everyone looks at it in shock. "Sorry. I would have chosen a nicer color if I had the choice." I try to smile.
Scott POV
I stare at the black goo in horror. When I hear Stiles' response, I turn quickly back around to him. Stiles attempts a smile, but it looks more like a grimace and his teeth are coated in black blood. My heart pounds against my chest and I feel very afraid. What the hell did they do to him? It takes all my effort to not break down right then and there. This was my fault. Stiles was in this mess because of me. I suddenly notice that Stiles' heart rate drops incredibly. Isaac holds Stiles' arm and takes away some of his pain. Isaac gasps in shock. "Guys, we need to get him to Deaton's immediately." He says as he takes his hand away. Isaac holds his own hand, almost as if he had burned it. I guess Stiles is in more pain than he is showing. I look over to Lydia who is crying into Stiles' shirt. "It's going to be okay, Lydia." Stiles says barely above a whisper, his voice cracking several times in that one sentence. "Don't talk. You'll strain yourself too much." Derek instructs Stiles. "Scott, you carry him. We'll meet you at Deaton's." Derek turns to me. I nod. Everyone else stands up and backs away. I shuffle forwards, almost slipping over in the pool of the black liquid. I put my hands under Stiles's back, slowly lifting him up. He breathes shakily in pain, so I try to make it quick. Within a few seconds, I manage to pick him up in my arms bridal style, as well as stand up myself. I look around at my friends. They look between Stiles and I with worry. Especially Lydia. I remember what she said about Stiles dying. I decide right now that I won't let that happen under any circumstance. "We'll meet you there." I assure them with a smile. I glance down at myself quickly. I'm already covered in Stiles' blood. Speaking of which, he starts throwing up again. The blood drips down onto my shirt and hands, but I don't care. I take this as a cue to leave.
I jog out of the room and find my way out of the maze of underground tunnels. Stiles grips onto me tightly. It breaks my heart to see Stiles this fragile. I've always seen Stiles as a strong, kind and courageous person. A surge of anger sweeps through me as I think about Daniel, the man who did this to him for no good reason. Eventually, I find myself back outside. I take all the shortcuts I know to the Beacon Hills Animal Clinic. I really hope Deaton isn't busy right now. Stiles' breathing becomes more shaky. Something warm and sticky coats my arms, which tells me Stiles has coughed up more of that black blood again. Eventually, we make it to the clinic. I breathe a sigh of relief as I barge through the doors. I see Deaton at the front desk. His eyes widen in shock at the sight of Stiles. I don't even need to say anything. Deaton leads me into a back room. He quickly clears the metal bench. "Lie him down on this." Deaton orders. I do what I'm told. As I let Stiles go, I realize how shaky my hands are. I look down at myself. I'm drenched in the black substance just as much as Stiles is. I look down at my best friend and take in his appearance. His eyes are red and puffy, but not from crying. His skin is extremely pale and sweaty. Dried black blood mixes with fresh blood on Stiles's face. The blood dribbles down his neck as well.
"Take off his shirt." Deaton instructs me. I quickly pull Stiles' shirt off and toss it to he side. Again, his body is extremely pale and drenched in blood and sweat. About two minutes later, the rest of the pack arrive. All of the girls are crying. "Is he going to be okay?" Liam asks worriedly.
"I'm not sure. I don't know what did this yet." Deaton answers as he examines Stiles.
"All of you need to go home. It is no good if all of you stay here. There'll be too much stress and anxiety on both Stiles and myself. I'll call you once I've got him stable." Deaton informs everyone. The whole pack nods. Well, except for me. Everyone exchanges their goodbyes as they head out of the door. Soon, it is only Lydia and I left. "I'll see you later." Lydia sighs, blinking back tears. She seems very reluctant to leave, but she leaves anyway. Deaton turns to me. I shake my head. "No. I'm not leaving my best friend here like this." I say forcefully.
"Alright. Just do as I tell you." Deaton gives in. I nod in response. As Deaton attempts to treat Stiles, I notice that Stiles' breathing sounds more broken and his heart slows down even more. Deaton leaves the room for a moment. I rush to Stiles' side and watch sadly as he coughs up even more blood. "I'm so sorry Stiles, I wish it was me..." I admit, looking down at my feet. Stiles slowly turns his head to look at me. "Don't ever say that, Scott. I would never wish this on anyone. Especially you." Stiles says sternly. Suddenly, Stiles' eyes roll back into his head and his body relaxes. I close my eyes for a moment, trying to get a hold of myself. I open my eyes again when Deaton comes back into the room with a bunch of things, including various herbs and rare ingredients. "How... How could Daniel do this to him? This looks like a supernatural illness, but how could Stiles get it? Unless he wasn't human..." I ask in confusion. Could Stiles really not be human? Deaton shakes his head. "There are some supernatural plants in this world that can give even humans these reactions." Deaton explains to me. It makes sense. Suddenly, I only hear two heartbeats in the room. I rush over to Stiles in horror. "No!" I scream. His heart has stopped!