"WHAT HAPPENED TO MY SON?!"
Sierra could hear Melissa's cries from the second floor all the way down in the morgue, where she stood patiently with everyone else. Just like Sierra and Noshiko, Melissa thought the plan carried too much risk. After all, her son was basically faking his death. On top of that, Melissa had been told she needed to really sell the idea of Scott dying, meaning as a mother, it felt scarily realistic.
Sierra felt her stomach twist as she looked down at the lifeless body of her best friend. If it hadn't been for the very faint beat of his heart in her ears, she would've been sold on the idea of him being gone.
"I still hate this plan." Melissa agreed with Sierra when she joined them in the morgue, "I mean, this is pretty, significantly terrifying. He looks dead."
"He's not," Sierra promised, resting a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Here, listen." Sierra guided Melissa's hand over to Scott's heart. When she didn't hear it, tears gathered in the mother's eyes and a shaky breath escaped her.
"Wait for it," Noshiko advised and Melissa let out a giant sigh of relief, feeling the slight beat of his heart.
"Is that enough to keep a werewolf alive?" she asked in amazement, causing Noshiko to answer with a nod.
"Enough for an alpha."
"Okay," Melissa calmed herself down enough to look at the teenagers. "How much time do we have?"
"About forty-five minutes now," Noshiko replied.
"And what happens after that?"
Kira spoke up from where she stood net to Liam, "I bring him back the same way."
Melissa understood, but that wasn't what she meant. She glanced between Stiles and Sierra, "What happens if he stays like this longer than forty-five minutes?"
The pair looked at one another, unsure if they should tell Melissa the truth. Noshiko noticed the exchange and asked them all, "No one told her?"
"What?" Melissa immediately demanded, not enjoying the sudden tension in the room. Her voice hardened as she once again questioned, "What happened after forty-five minutes?"
There was a brief pause, Noshiko not wanting to burden Melissa. However, as a mother herself, the kitsune revealed the truth.
"He dies."
*^*^*^*
SCOTT MCCALL DEAD. PAYMENT REQUESTED.
Argent stared at the screen, waiting for a response to the message he typed previously. Beside him, stood Sierra and Stiles, who squinted his eyes in confusion at the wording. "That's your assassin speak?" he inquired.
Exchanging glances with Sierra, Chris looked a little bemused. "I said he's dead," he stated, furrowing his eyebrows. "What more do you want?"
"Well, it was a little dry," Stiles thought aloud with a shrug. "You could've said something like, 'Target has been neutralized.' You know? Oh, or, 'The crow flies at midnight.' That's always cool."
Sierra rolled her eyes, her arms crossed over her chest. "Stiles, this isn't an action movie about a spy," she pointed out. "People don't actually talk like that."
"Well, how do you know?" he asked, tilting his head. "You're not a spy."
Sierra stopped herself from replying too quickly, choosing to bite down on her bottom lip and shake her head instead. After all, she knew what he was trying to do. He wanted her to talk to him, no matter the topic of conversation. But she wasn't going to fall for it.
His face fell right as the computer beeped, signaling a response.
VISUAL CONFIRMATION IS REQUIRED, it read. Just like the tapes and the assassins stated multiple times before.
"Type this," Argent instructed Stiles, since he was the closest one to the keyboard. "Visual confirmation isn't possible. Police coming to claim body in forty minutes."
Stiles did as told, and hit the enter button.
But the reply came quickly, plainly restating that in order to get payment, visual confirmation was required. Chris huffed in slight aggravation, his tone getting sharper as he directed Stiles to start typing again.
"Tell him number two on the list is dead. I killed him," Chris enunciated. "And if the wire transfer isn't complete in forty minutes..." He moved Stiles out of the way, taking over the computer to finish his message to the Benefactor. Sierra glanced over his shoulder, her eyes widening at the threat Chris admitted.
I'M COMING AFTER YOU.
Chris peered at Stiles to his right, raising his eyebrow. "Was that still too dry for you?"
Stiles pursed his lips, keeping himself from responding sarcastically, while Sierra chuckled under her breath in amusement.
Now that the Benefactor had been contacted, Argent sent the teenagers up to an empty hospital room while he traveled to the roof. Sierra and Stiles met up with Kira and Liam, who luckily had already gotten the laptops out and spread them across the bed as if it was a desk.
Sierra held her phone to her ear, on the phone with the former hunter as he fiddled with the wires connected to the security cameras. His goal was to sync their laptops with the feed so they could have eyes all over the building in case the Benefactor revealed themselves. Outside, Melissa and Noshiko teamed up to wait in a car to warn them of anyone suspicious.
"Try it now," Sierra caught Liam's attention, relaying Argent's instructions.
Liam nodded and hit the enter button on the center laptop, the screens suddenly brightening to display all twelve cameras. Stiles and Liam high-fived with relief while Sierra let out a sigh. "It's working," she told Chris with a smile on her face. "The cameras are up."
"Good," he replied, his voice slightly muffled since his mouth wasn't near his smart watch. "I'm going to take my post at the end of the hallway on the main level. Your watches synced?"
Sierra nodded, forgetting for a moment he couldn't see her as she glanced down at her wrist.
Thirty minutes to go...
"Yeah," she finally answered. "And we have an extra timer on one of the computers."
"Keep me posted."
"Will do."
After Sierra put her phone back in her pocket, the hospital room fell silent. All four teenagers kept their eyes on the screens, too afraid to even blink.
While Stiles nervously chewed on his thumbnail with one arm across his chest, Liam stood between him and Sierra tapping his fingers on his jeans. Kira couldn't get any closer to the left screen, her fear causing her to brace her arms on the bed and lean in. Sierra just focused on her breathing to keep herself calm, her blue eyes glued on the camera that was in the morgue.
Only a few minutes passed when Liam noticed some movement. The bottom right camera on the first laptop fizzled, before blacking out completely. "Um, is that supposed to look like that?" he asked, his voice breaking as he pointed to it.
Sierra swallowed hard as Stiles leaned over, replying to him, "No, no it's not."
"Where is that?" Kira questioned.
"The roof," Stiles informed, glancing between them. "Someone is going to have to check it out."
Kira volunteered before anyone else could. "I'll go."
"Whoa, whoa," Sierra grabbed hold of her wrist before she could leave. "This might not just be a malfunction, Kira."
"That's why I'm bringing this." Kira held up her katana in her other hand.
"And as amazing as you are with that sword," Sierra started off, her natural protective stance over her friends speaking up, "you still shouldn't go alone."
"I'll go with her," Liam raised his hand, Stiles looking at him in surprise.
"Liam, I don't think that's a good idea--"
"I'll be okay," Liam cut Sierra off. "All I know is I can't stand to look at those laptops anymore. Plus, this is a good opportunity for you and Stiles to talk."
"Just wait--" Liam darted out of the room before Sierra could stop him, running to catch up with Kira who had already left. "That kid is going to be the death of me," Sierra swore under her breath as she turned back to Stiles.
He stood there uncomfortably, having heard what Liam said before he sprinted away. His head was bowed towards the computers, all the words he wanted to stay stuck in his throat.
Stiles couldn't even look at her, she noticed. And since she wasn't ready to talk to him herself, Sierra didn't bother looking at him.
The silence lasted a full minute, the tension between the pair and the horrible situation mounting.
"So," his voice started off quiet, Sierra's shoulders tensing at the sound. "I tried calling Malia earlier...she didn't answer."
Sierra scoffed before she could stop herself. Her eyes stayed trained on the computers as she replied, "Can you really blame her Stiles? You kind of hid a huge part of her life from her." Stating in a low undertone, Sierra added, "And me."
Stiles's breath hitched at her words, knowing he deserved it the sharp response. He swallowed hard, wanting to justify himself. "I just want to make sure she's alright, Si," he said softly. "Do you even know where she is?"
"Maybe I do, maybe I don't."
Stiles sighed. "Sierra, please."
Sierra let a moment pass by biting down on her lip, trying to gather her scattered thoughts. Finally, she turned her body towards him, her arms braced on the bed. When her eyes met his, Stiles gulped. He could practically feel her anger. However, the words she spoke weren't the ones he expected.
"She's with Peter."
He thought he heard her incorrectly. "I'm sorry, what?"
"You heard what I said," Sierra replied, turning back to the computer screens.
"Why would you let her do that?" His bewilderment caused questions to tumble from his lips. "Did she just text you...or, or did you get to see her beforehand? Talk to her? Tell her everything about what he's done?"
Sierra whirled around to face him once more. "Why would I let her?" she echoed in disbelief. "I'm sorry, I wasn't aware that I have to approve every single decision she makes."
Stiles didn't move, holding up one of his hands to keep Sierra and himself calm. Yet his voice still raised at the end. "Sierra, you know better than anyone how manipulative Peter is!"
"Do you honestly think I want Malia speaking to that bastard?" Sierra cried out, her fingers trembling at her sides. "You don't need to tell me he isn't a good guy, Stiles. I know he's a bad guy! You hate letting me forget how he is a bad guy!"
"You hate letting me forget how over a year ago, my life depended on whether he felt like clawing out my throat! Well, guess what? I don't need the reminder! And yet, you think I want him worming his way into Malia's mind?" Sierra snapped, "Keep your fucking head straight."
By now, the distance between the pair had lessened due to Sierra's angry steps forward. Stiles sighed, "Sierra, you know that's not what I meant."
"Then what do you mean?" she questioned sharply, not afraid anymore to look him in the eye. "Malia is her own person, Stiles, whether you like it or not. Meaning she thinks for herself and makes her own decisions. It's not our job to control who she talks to or where she goes, even if we disagree. Peter is her dad, okay? Her biological father. And she has a right to know about him and the rest of her family."
"So you're not afraid we're going to lose her?" Stiles dared to ask, his voice gentle as he stared down at her.
"No," Sierra stated confidently. "No, I'm not. You wanna know why?"
"Why?"
"Because she has us," Sierra answered, motioning to herself and him. "And Scott, and Kira, and Lydia, and everyone else. She knows we are on her side, but she needs time to process everything. And when she is ready to talk to you, she'll find you and you can apologize to her."
"When are you going to let me apologize to you?"
Stiles gazed at her longingly, his heart breaking the longer she took to answer his question. She wasn't expecting him to just flat out ask and her mouth parted in surprise. Slowly, he moved his hands so he could hold hers, scared at any moment she'd break away.
When she lifted her head, her breath hitched from realizing their close proximity and she couldn't miss the way his gaze flickered between her lips and her eyes.
Just as he leaned forward, just before he could kiss her, her brain caught up to her heart.
And she turned.
She stepped back, quickly letting go of his hands to cross her arms over her chest. Stiles closed his eyes, letting out a deep sigh. "Not, not yet," she said, much to his disappointment.
"Sierra, wait, I'm sorry--"
Stiles cut himself off at the lights suddenly beginning to flicker. He glanced around the room, unsure of what was occurring before he looked back down at her. "Are you doing this?"
"Why on earth would I mess with the lights?" she retorted, just as confused. However, when her eyes landed on the computers, an uneasy feeling twisted her insides. "Stiles?"
"Yea?"
He followed her gaze, panicking himself at the sight of the blank screens. "Where'd they go?" he asked aloud worriedly, messing with the keys to try and get the cameras to show up again. "Oh, you've got to be kidding me!"
"Don't bother," Sierra grabbed his wrist and started to pull him out of the room. "Come on, we gotta find Argent."
And the two took off, sprinting downstairs to the morgue. Argent had moved from his post in the corner, Sierra realized quickly, probably because he knew something had gone wrong. They spotted him in a different hallway, walking cautiously and checking in the windows of every room.
Just before Stiles could grab his shoulder or call out to him, Chris whirled around. With his pistol pointed right at him, Stiles widened his eyes from the sudden change of events.
While he blinked to regain control of his breathing, Sierra sighed with relief. "There you are! We've been looking for you everywhere!"
"The power is out in the whole building," Stiles rushed to explain their panic. "We lost all the cameras."
"Stay with Scott," Chris instructed them sternly, a plan forming in his head as he lowered his weapon. His eyes landed on Sierra, "Text me if you see or hear anything."
Out of nerves, Chris glanced down at his watch to check the timer. Eighteen more minutes.
He exchanged hopeful glances with the pair before taking off, leaving them to guard the morgue where Scott was being kept.
"I don't like him being nervous," Stiles proclaimed. "Him being nervous makes me nervous."
Sierra rolled her eyes, pushing him forward with her fingertips towards the entrance to the morgue. "Just go inside, Stiles. We'll be fine."
Though she still internally prayed out of habit, Please let this all be fine.
*^*^*^*
Above all else, Scott wasn't fine.
Before Kira electrified him, he had asked Noshiko about what exactly he would see. Her answer didn't clarify much, just that it'd feel like a dream and whether it was good or bad, depended on Scott.
However, it didn't feel like a dream. Not at all.
His eyes snapped open, his mouth opening suddenly to gasp for air. A hard metal tray supported his back as he stared up, realizing he was in the morgue. The small cube acted like a prison, Scott hitting the sides to get out.
And then he heard a noise.
He couldn't describe it accurately as it flitted passed his ears, but he felt drawn to it. Turning his head around, he noticed the tunnel extended. Believing it to be a way out, Scott began to crawl forward, every move pounding like an echo.
When he thought he reached the end, he stumbled forward. Scott landed on his back, now somehow fully dressed. He scanned the new area, recognizing the lockers and familiar windows.
"How--" Scott cut himself off, his mind swirling with reasons to explain how he appeared in the high school. He scrambled to stand, his ears perked in caution from the dark hallways that greeted him. The hairs on the back of his neck rose as he started to walk. The lights started to flicker. Scott paused.
"Catch!" A familiar voice called out to him.
Scott's hand shot up to catch the lacrosse ball before he even realized what was going on. He lifted his head, his eyebrows furrowing at the sight of Liam.
The freshman stood a few feet away from him, clothed in his lacrosse jersey. He had a smile on his face, but that didn't ease Scott's conscience. Liam shrugged his shoulders, commenting, "That's why you're team captain."
Then, he jogged away. Scott stayed still for a moment, processing everything before his curiosity caused him to follow Liam down the hallway and enter a classroom. But, when Scott entered himself, Liam disappeared.
The desks were arranged in two sections, acting as an aisle for Scott to go through. At the end, a laptop rested open on the teacher's desk. A white screen greeted him, until it suddenly filled with the code to the deadpool. After it loaded, it asked for a key.
Scott hesitated to type anything, but after he placed his fingers on the keys it was like he didn't have control over what buttons he hit.
S-C-O-T-T
And it worked.
The computer beeped, accepting the name to decode the random arrangement of symbols and letters. The Mute, The Orphans, The Chemist materialized on the screen, showing Scott they were now the victims of the deadpool.
"I can't do that," Scott whispered with a shake of his head. "I can't kill them."
"Someone has to."
Scott turned his head to the right, seeing Liam once more with a somber expression. "Why me?" he asked him seriously.
Liam answered, "Because you're the Alpha."
"I'm not a murderer," Scott justified.
"But you are a predator."
"No." Scott disagreed, remembering a conversation he had with Derek over a year ago. "We're predators...but we don't have to..."
Kill. That was the word on the tip of his tongue. Yet, Scott couldn't make himself say it. We don't have to kill.
He tried again. "We don't have to..." But the word wouldn't fall from his lips.
Scott blinked, his chest tightening as he started to panic. In frustration, he slammed the laptop closed, not bearing to look at it anymore. Tears gathered in his eyes as he repeated to himself.
I don't have to kill anyone. I don't have to kill anyone.
The sound of Liam groaning in pain made Scott cast a worried look over his shoulder. On the ground, Liam laid on his stomach with his face scrunched up into a wince. His body was sprawled about, and Liam cried out for help. "Scott! Scott please!"
But Scott was too focused on the tomahawk being lifted out of Liam's back.
The Mute twisted its head towards Scott, its dark eyes gleaming. The assassin didn't utter a sound. He just glared at Scott, before lifting a single finger to his lips to signal his silence.
The Mute lifted the tomahawk once more to deliver the final blow to kill Liam, and Scott couldn't make himself move. All he could do, was shout.
"Wait!"
But it was too late.
Scott's eyes sprang open. His body lurched forward, luckily before his head came into contact with the metal. Feeling the box around him, Scott quickly recognized he had ended up in the morgue again.
He felt repetitive as he crawled his way back through the tunnel, once more collapsing onto the tile hallway of the high school. Scott took the same steps, not knowing where else to go. And then the same lacrosse ball came at him.
"Catch!"
Liam looked exactly the same after Scott caught the ball, standing with his head slightly tilted. Except, Scott didn't have his claws out the first time. Liam shrugged, not at all surprised by Scott's actions. "That's why you're the Alpha."
Scott's head jerked up, noticing the difference in his words.
But instead of being in the hallway, he now appeared to be in the boys's locker room. His reflection stared back at him, Liam standing behind him.
Feeling his fangs grow, Scott opened his mouth slowly out of curiosity.
"There's something different, isn't there?" Liam gathered from Scott's confused expression.
"I've got more fangs," Scott answered, his arms braced on the sides of the sink. "I noticed it during the quarantine." The lights flickered as he stated, "I don't know why."
"Maybe it's part of being an Alpha," Liam suggested, his voice cold. "Like you're becoming more of a werewolf."
"Or more of a monster." Scott spoke his true fear.
"What if it makes you stronger?" Liam questioned. "What if it's like you're growing?"
"Evolving," a robotic voice corrected, the sound of Liam gasping for life making Scott turn around.
Liam shuddered, blood trickling out of his mouth before he completely fell forward. Scott caught him, his heart rate increasing at the sight of the tomahawk in Liam's back.
Just like before, the Mute raised a finger to his lips.
And Scott felt his world once more go black.
*^*^*^*
"Why isn't he answering his phone?"
Stiles mumbled in aggravation, his own device pressed against his ear.
"You know freaking out doesn't solve anything," Sierra spoke up from beside him. Her hand was poised in front of her, both of them standing right in front of where Scott's body was being kept. "Plus, he doesn't have his phone. Remember? He has that watch."
"Still doesn't explain why he's not answering," Stiles replied, pacing out of habit.
The hospital still didn't have power, causing the emergency lights to continuously flicker in and out. Stiles had a right to be concerned. After all, no one really knew what was happening and it had been over five minutes since Argent told them to stay with Scott. To others, it wouldn't seem like a big deal, but since they were fighting against the clock, every second counted.
"Oh my god," Stiles exclaimed at the sound of Argent's ringtone for the fifth time. "Answer the phone!"
The doors to the morgue flew open. Sierra and Stiles jumped, whirling around just in time to see Chris falling onto his back with a painful grunt. "Sierra, Stiles, run!" he yelled. "Get out of here now!"
He didn't have time to explain. But he knew who was coming.
Sierra managed to help him stand, disagreeing sharply, "We're not leaving you behind."
"Then you better at least get out of my way," a voice hissed. Stiles froze, his eyes locked on the entrance to the morgue. Kate stood tall with her dark eyes narrowed into a sinister glare, a low growl emitting from her lips. "Get out of the way, Sierra," she repeated. "I'm taking the body."
"Why?" Sierra demanded, her hand raised and ready to strike if Kate made any sudden moves.
Stiles asked what everyone else was thinking, moving closer to Sierra and the compartment where Scott was. "Visual confirmation?"
Kate smirked, taking a step forward. "Oh, don't worry, handsome," she mocked him. "I'm not the Benefactor."
"Then what do you want with the body?" Chris snapped.
Kate retorted without hesitation. "I wish I could tell you." Her eyes flitted over Sierra, her smirk widening. "You'll find out in due time."
Chris had heard enough. Within a mere seconds, he managed to push Sierra behind him and press his pistol right under Kate's neck. She stood ready to strike as well, her claws stretching out from her fingertips. Kate chuckled, "I always forget you carry two."
"Back off!" Argent yelled at her.
Kate wasn't even fazed. She teased, "Are you sure you can pull the trigger fast enough?"
"I don't want to," Chris stated truthfully.
"You're not going to kill me."
Chris retaliated, his voice sharp as stone. "And I'm not going to let you take his body!"
Stiles uncomfortably cleared his throat, and spoke up, "Well, obviously you all have a lot to talk about, so, maybe, I saw some coffee, a vending machine outside--"
"Stiles?" Sierra called out, watching the siblings grapple and positioning herself to step in if Chris asked for it.
"Yes, dear?"
"Shut the hell up."
"Listen to me, Kate," Chris barked to grab his sister's attention. "We have a plan."
"If killing Scott was part of it, you're worse than me," Kate replied smartly.
"Kate, he's telling the truth," Sierra intervened, desperate to get her to go away. She could ruin the entire plan. "We're trying to get to the Benefactor."
"If you didn't notice, you're on that list too," Chris reminded Kate. Even after all she's done, she was still his sister. The only family he had left. "And worth more than most."
Kate glared at him, raising her voice as she responded, "That's why I'm here!"
"Then back off and let us do what we planned!"
Keeping hold of his wrist in her grasp, Kate turned her brother's arm around. Only three minutes remained on the timer. Not understanding at first, she glanced back up at Chris. He looked completely desperate as he stated quietly, "Take the Berserkers, and go." Sincerity laced in his tone as he pleaded, "Kate, please. We have a plan."
And luckily for Scott's sake, Kate actually listened.
*^*^*^*^*
The nightmare kept repeating.
Scott had tears in his eyes when he once again opened them to see the top of the containment unit in the morgue. Already, he had watched Liam die over and over. He couldn't take it anymore. Every time, the Mute tried to get Scott to murder the freshman, and if Scott refused, he'd still throw the tomahawk in his back. He couldn't win.
All he wanted was to wake up.
There wasn't a way to change the course of the dream. Scott had tried. The only way out of the morgue was through the tunnel that led to the high school. And once there, Liam appeared every time to throw a lacrosse ball at him.
Except, now Scott felt on edge. His subconsciousness played on his fear of becoming a monster. It made his heart race and the hairs on the back of his neck raise. His enemy twisted a dream he thought he became used to, and launched a tomahawk right towards his hand.
Just like the lacrosse ball, Scott caught it with ease. His breath hitched at the dark blood dripping down the blade.
As the sound of whimpering, Scott swallowed hard and looked down towards the ground. Liam stared up at him in horror, pressing his hand to his wound. "Why did you do that?" Liam cried to him.
Scott didn't respond. Whether from shock or the anger building in his core, Scott couldn't tell. "Let me help you," the robotic voice of the Mute spoke up again, his hand covering Scott's fingers on the handle of the tomahawk. "Let me show you how."
Scott remained quiet as the Mute demonstrated a few swings, all the while Liam begged from the floor for him not to do it. And then, Scott's eyes swirled red and blood splattered his face as he gave into the pressure.
He felt powerful, using the weapon again and again. Roars of frustration escaped his lips until everything fell silent, not even the sound of Liam's heart filling his ears.
"Scott, what did you do?!"
He blinked, as if snapping out of a trance. His head lifted, his eyes widening at the sight of Sierra standing there, absolutely brokenhearted, "What did you do?!" she screamed again, shoving him away from Liam's lifeless body. "How could you do that?!"
Scott couldn't speak, though a million apologies were on the tip of his tongue. "W-Wait," he reached out for his best friend desperately, watching her fall to her knees. She cradled Liam in her arms, begging for him to wake up. "Sierra! Sierra, please!"
Her head whipped around, anger evident in her eyes. "How could you?" she repeated, her voice cracking. The soft whisper felt like a thousand stabs to Scott's heart. "You were supposed to be my best friend."
"I am your best friend," he defended weakly, shrugging away as she pushed his hand off her shoulder.
"No," Sierra shook her head. "You're nothing but a monster."
I'm nothing but a monster, Scott echoed the words. I'm nothing but a monster.
"Scott?" someone called out to him but it sounded a million miles away. "Scott, wake up!"
"Scott!"
"WAKE UP!"
His screams filled the morgue as his eyes snapped open, his body lurching forward. Scott's chest heaved up and down as he tried to remember where he was, feeling arms keeping him from escaping.
Liam. The Mute. Dead. Monster.
"Hey, hey, hey," the sound of a familiar soothing voice made him take a deep breath. "You're okay, Scott. You're okay, you're alright."
He gripped onto Sierra's arm tightly, finally registering he was finally awake. He wasn't dreaming anymore.
When he looked up, Sierra's concerned eyes stared back at him. Though, she didn't question him. "Welcome back, buddy," she greeted with a small, relieved chuckle and leaned forward to press a kiss on his forehead.
"What happened?" he demanded, loosening his grip on her only slightly. She helped him sit up, his voice breaking from dehydration as he asked, "Did it work?"
No one replied to him, but the glances exchanged between his friends told him everything he needed to know. Before Sierra could explain anything to Scott, Liam entered through the double doors.
Sierra looked down at Scott in confusion, as he tensed from seeing the boy. But the way Liam's face seemed crestfallen took her focus away from Scott. "What's wrong?"
Liam's gaze, filled with pity, shifted to Kira. "It's your mom...she's hurt."
A Berserker had been the reason behind Noshiko's injury, having attacked her and Melissa in a hallway before Kate disappeared. Unfortunately, the cut to the stomach was bad enough where she had to be airlifted to a hospital in Palo Alto. Kira informed her friends she'd be gone for a few days, to be with her mom and dad.
Noshiko would be alright; she just didn't heal like she used to. And since she was still on the deadpool, Kira needed to be her protection while she got better.
"Just promise us you'll be careful?" Sierra asked Kira later.
Kira smiled in assurance, "I promise, Sierra. I'll be fine, and so will my mom."
Sierra looked hesitant to let her friend leave but sighed. "Okay, but come give me a hug before you leave."
Kira chuckled, but stepped forward to give Sierra a quick hug. Scott watched the exchange with a soft smile on his lips from beside them. "Text me as soon as you get there," Scott stated, even more worried than Sierra was.
"I will," Kira nodded, holding up her phone to show him she wouldn't forget.
It was quiet for a second, until Sierra noticed the looks being sent between the couple. "Okay, I get it. Three's a crowd," she dramatically sighed, Scott rolling her eyes while Kira giggled. "I'll be in the car," Sierra informed Scott, patting his back before stepping away. "But hurry up though, I'm hungry and I can't remember if our McDonald's is twenty-four hours."
"You're the bestest friend ever!" Scott called out to her gratefully as she walked away, already pulling Kira closer to his side.
"Tell me something I don't know!"