Beacon Hills mall.
Her clothes were clinging to her skin. She had done some tests on herself, her baby was only a few weeks old. Lydia had to tell Stiles soon, but when would it ever be a good time. His father the sheriff was fight for his life in the hospital. Everyone was fighting to stay alive. And now she was having a baby. There was no way she was raising a child in this chaos.
For now, she would get more clothes that were comfortable to move around in her condition. When this was over, she would call her mother and tell the pack.
Lydia drove into the mall, hoping to find something she liked. It had been so long since she shopped here. She felt younger just by walking through the halls.
As she walked, she saw Simeon stare at her a second longer than necessary. A hunter, that person was probably looking out for a wolf from a rich pack. Lydia heard stories of how one of them was killed. She was from Gulliver Pack.
Mr. Gulliver had enough to care for his pack members. He spoiled them with funds and advanced training, but they were proud and loud. The young girl had met her untimely death after purchasing a cute designer handbag.
Lydia knew to catch Monroe she only had to say her name and trust in her abilities. It was that easy, yet she was weary. They were battling two enemies, yet they were focused on one.
The mistake all they all seem to make is they all keep underestimating that woman. There were things she did not know, some of which she knew Stiles was keeping from her. She sought that out first.
The store said closed, but the door was unlocked; the lights were on and the clothes were on display. Lydia pushed the door and went inside. She walked around and found nothing she wanted. She sundednly noticed thre was no reception hence the reason for the closed sign. Then why was she in here?
"Who are you?" A woman's voice asked.
"Yous, I know you," Lydia said. "Mrs. Tennyson, is this your store?"
"Did Scott tell you to come here?" She asked.
Lydia saw her hands were shaky, and she was barely keeping her head up. The woman was an Alpha, a wise one too. There was very little that would make her like this.
"I wanted clothes, and I ended up here, it's a surprise that it's you." Lydia answered.
Jophia's eyes shot opened as if she knew something Lydia did not.
"The Nogitsune isn't our only problem. Come with me." Jophia dragged her arm.
Lydia let her pull her towards where she assumed was the Changing room. Her senses told her the situation, but she wanted to see it. She wanted to be sure. She needed to have faith, but from her younger days she knew she could not gamble the lives of her kind on an intuition.
They entered another glass door that led to the dressing room and stopped by the first door. Jophia sighed and placed are claws through a ventilatory hole. Lydia had seen a security system like that before. All the Hale vaults around the world have them, but they would only open for a Hale. The emissaries made these locks for their Alpha.
The door opened.
Lydia struggled to stay on her feet but for Jophia's arm holding her up. Two boys raised their heads up. Dark blood stains covered the floor and two others were being attended to by Jophia's husband. Some were coughing and crying for the pain to stop, but there was little Mr. Tennyson could do for them.
"Their numbers have doubled Lydia, I have lost three of mine this week alone." Jophia walked to assist a young girl struggling to stand. "You must understand, Ms. Martin, they are still children. They can barely fight yet we are not safe even during the day."
Tears found their way to Jophia cheek, but she wiped them off quickly and helped the girl sit down.
"When did this happen?" Lydia asked.
She could barely find her voice. It was hard to talk when she knew one more was going to die tonight.
The pain she had to endure, lose three of her wolves, and now she would lose one more. This woman was stronger than she looked. Lydia knew she could not bear it if she was in her shoes. Scott had lost wolves over the years and they had not been easy to get by.
"This was just last night. They attacked them after the high school's game." Jophia explained. "I cannot kill her because Scott has ordered everyone to stay safe. I know you can do it Lydia, I need you to make that woman pay for this!"
Lydia was still frozen where she stood. Her hands grew colder by the second and it wasn't because of the AC. Jophia held her hand and looked at her with the desperation of a scared mother.
"She is calling the King out. Scott knows this, I'm sure. I have stayed by his decision all this time but this womanis dangerous. How long do we have to suffer? He promised us peace, and it's been nearly 10 years. Don't you think we need to take the war to them?"
"I will go in Scott's place."
"She will kill you and your child." Jophia replied quickly.
Lydia forgot Wolves could hear the extra heartbeat in her belly. Scott probably already knew, but chose not to say anything. The situation was terrifying, but Lydia knew she could always cry later right now. She had to be strong for this woman. She held Jophia's hand in hers and smiled.
"Mrs. Tennyson, do you know why Scott McCall is King?" Lydia asked.
"Because he's the true Alpha." Jophia answered.
"That is true, but anyone can be King even you, Mrs. Tennyson."
"Then why is he King?"
"Because no matter how bad things get, we don't run."
* * *
Few hours later, Lydia met with Peter and Noshiko. She needed to tell them what has happened and also find out what they know. Lydia decided not to find Monroe yet until she knew everything.
They were at the Yukimura's house and Peter was pacing the small spaced office. Lydia sat down in a free chair and explained everything Jophia told her. She was rethinking her decision to work with them because while Peter paced around aimlessly, Noshiko had a magazine cover her face.
"Mrs. Tennyson has lost three of hers. Some are still missing. I saw several injured." Lydia concluded.
"Did you say missing?" Peter stopped pacing.
"Yes," Lydia replied. "Jophia said the hunters take them even during daylight."
"They shouldn't be called hunters anymore, only terrorists that need to be eliminated. She has to die, and Argent will pay for making me look like a fool." Peter was livid.
Peter couldn't forget what he saw in the bunker. Lydia had just brought news about Jophia and her pack. It wasn't helpful to reduce the tension but they had to know every to understand what was at stake. Jophia was one of the Alpha's on Scott's side. She was loyal, and he believed Monroe went after her pack on purpose.
Lydia heard about the bunker from Stiles. Amidst this chaos, the best they could do was keep each other informed. What they did not need was a raging Alpha with no control over his killing urge.
"Peter, that's just your emotions talking." Lydia said.
"You saw what she did!" He growls, frustrated. "What do this generation have against using effective violence?" Peter asked with a sigh.
"That is not the answer we need." Noshiko dropped the magazine she was reading. "We are still in the middle of a war with the Nogitsune. We do as Scott says. Both sides will meet, talk things out and sign an agreement. If she doesn't keep her end of the bargain, then we can consider killing her."
Peter continued his pacing while listening to Noshiko even though his mind was already made up. Lydia was used to the look in his eyes. He was ready to rip anyone to bits in this mood. Lydia hated to admit it but she felt the same way. Monroe had gone too far enslaving her kind that way. But she knew they would never win if they killed her.
"Killing Monroe won't do anything, Peter. Another person would take her place in a matter of months." Lydia said. "We should take the diplomatic approach on this."
Lydia and Noshiko would have taken care of this on their own since they were on the same page but they needed to know Peter wouldn't interrupt with violence. Peter was still an Alpha. Argent had stepped in before, but that was all he could do. He stopped his pacing and turned to Noshiko. His eyes bore anger and disgust.
"Since when are you all about diplomacy," he spat. "aggression has always been your forte, why cower now? We need it most!"
"At least in my case I can be aggressive in other way than with my claws!" Noshiko shot back.
"There is a dark fox going around killing people. Never forget you sermon it to this world. Don't ever dream of removing this guilt from yourself." Peter walked away.
"So I take it we're alone in this?" Lydia says breaking the akward silence.
* * *
Underground hill valley, Beacon Hills.
Monroe turned them down. She wouldn't meet anyone that wasn't Scott. While that was reasonable since he was King Scott's hands were tied. The Nogitsune was moving fast and taking out Supernatual families. Scott was using his resources to gather the survivors and provide shelter for them till this war was won.
The Nogitsune had shown them he could attack anytime. He was in control of the game right now. Last time they used a divine move to win, this time was differen. This was their biggest gamble yet but they were going to try uisng their secret weapon. Lydia knew that is why she was led to meet him again after all those years.
It took Lydia and Noshiko three days and six hours to track her down through her bounty hunter. Monroe was a very tricky woman but she was still a human. Death was calling to her door step and would find her soon. It would appear as though they were chasing her but Monroe would soon find herself coming to Lydia. She had over fine her fear and called out to the voices.
The reply Lydia got was one that brought her mixed feelings. The woman was persistent but she could die if she was not care. Lydia thought about Peter as she considered what would be a fitting punishment for someone like her.
Monroe was still a victim of the supernatural. She was also a victim of Gerald's brainwashing and that has led her to this point. They all hoped that after the man died she would stop but that only have yer the drive to increase her numbers. Fighting her for all these years had been fun in some way but it had to stop. Too many deaths have occurred, too many screams for a Banshee.
Lydia was back in at the scary tunnels. She never fully recovered after the incident of the beast but it was necessary. Monroe was using the tunnels to move between bunkers. According to argent she still had a few under her control and like the others they found kids and supernaturals of all ages. Noshiko had her sword drawn from the entrance of the tunnel she too sis not like the energy of this place.
"We should move faster." Noshiko said taking lead. "We need to get there before her."
"You don't have to worry about that, she's coming to us." Lydia told her casually.
"Stop," Noshiko raised her hand up.
Noshiko bent down and used her spare hand to reach for something Lydia could not see. An arrow breezed past nearly taking out Lydia's head and landed on the wall next to her. Lydia's heart trobbed in her chest.
"Lydia run they're coming. They were here."Noshiko shouted.
"Too late! Light them up!" Monroe appeared.
She stood at the entrance of the tunnel with a grin on her face. Lydia and Noshiko ran for the end of the tunnel to use a s a shield from the bullets. Noshiko cut down the two men blocking their path with her sword.
The shots rang out through out the tunnels. They were so loud Lydia had to cover her ears and stay down. Noshiko held on to he and protected her form stray bullets. Suddenly the shooting stopped.
"Doesn't this feel familiar Lydia?" Monroe spoke. "Years ago Scott and Malia were in this same position. I'm sure you remember."
"All he wanted was peace." Lydia said but it sounded like a whisper.
"You can still talk if you're alive you know." Monroe mocked and her men laughed.
Lydia nodded to Noshiko and they came out of hiding and walked back into the tunnels stopping few feet's away from Monroe and her five men ambush. It seemed like a trap but it would be easy to fight any attack when they were closer and Monroe had lost the element of surprise.
"I said, Scott only wanted peace." Lydia said louder.
"There can only be peace when all of you are gone from this world." Monroe spat back. "What has Scott been doing lately to keep the peace? Building an empire? I heard they call him king now is that true?"
"This is still a negotiation so I will tell you our demands." Lydia ignored her rude nature.
"This is no negotiation I told you I will talk to Scott and no one else."
"You just said he was King. Did you really expect a king to come to you after throwing tantrum last like you did?"
"Tantrums?"
"If you haven't noticed we have bigger problems."
"Ah, the Nogitsune."
"Scott demands that if you must operate as a hunting society you much follow the rules agreed to by your founders the Argents. You and your successors will follow the hunter's code or it will be considered treason."
"Treason? This isn't the 19th century Lydia."
"You seem to misunderstand your position here. Lydia here can kill you with just a scream."
"Like I was willing to let that happen." Monroe answered with a Smile. The furs on Noshiko's back raised in alarm.
"Lydia watch out!" She screamed.
There was a man at their back holdings jar of what looked like powdered mistletoe. Lydia screamed and the man flew across the room his head hitting the walls. Noshiko went for the men with Monroe cutting two of them down with a slice. One of the hefty sent a blow to he head making her trip. She tried to get up but the impact was too heavy. Her feet were shaky and she was losing breath. The last thing she remembered was Lydia's loud scream and Monroe's hun to the back of her head.
"I tried to make sure you lived," Lydia told her. "I'm not on your side but Peter wants to kill you. Peter is not my Alpha and Scott is against taking a life even when you are not innocent." Lydia turned around and watched her eyes.
The men that once stood beside her were immobile on the floor. Lydia had used up a lot of energy. There was no telling what this woman would do but her yes would give it away.
"The voices I hear, they don't like you very much and they listen to everything. They have heard what you did, all he screams of those you killed and they are eager to suck you up in your guilty."
"Why would they do that?" She scoffed.
"Because I told them so." Lydia smiled
Noshiko had lost consciousness and Lydia could barely fight more people. She kept her head up stepping over a man she knocked out as though she had given up the fight.
"I can see it all now, why I wanted to come after you myself. I thought it was because I wanted to help. You cannot be a liability for my baby all I had to do was say your name and now they say you must die."
"You don't know what you're talking about."
Monroe's hand on the gun did not shake she brought them even closer to Lydia's head. She was sweating from the heat of the tunnel and from the exhaustion of running for so long. All this couldn't be true. There was no way she would die now. She had come to far to die in the hands of a banshee.
Lydia could see the confusion setting in. She has to drive in the nail and make he give up before the final part of the show she had prepared.
"Would you bet that I wrong? I'm a harbinger of death." Lydia whispered.
It was a tricky card she was playing since she still had a loaded gun to her head but this woman did not fully know that rules of supernatural. She was not strong enough to know. She did things because she was brainwashed to think they were right. The supernaturals were simply beast to be hunted in her eyes. That is what she believed to be the other way around.
Lydia in the other hand saw things differently. As a woman of science, she understood that the world of the supernatural however flawed were the predators in this game. Scott has always taught them that predators do not need to be killers.
"Stay away from me." Monroe muttered.
"No, You stay away from my kind." Lydia spat back.
"Never!" She screamed.
"Then accept your fate and do not hurt the messenger."
Lydia pushed Monroe to the wall pulling the gun from her hands. She fought back with all her strength though Lydia could feel her getting weak. Monroe to grab Lydia's hair but she pulled away and responded with a high kick and sending the gun off her hands.
Monroe ran to reach for it but Lydia pulled her by the hair and dragged her up while twisting her body backwards. She had forgotten the banshee could fight. Her skills did not seem dangerous all these years it was only now that she knew Lydia was the one to be feared all along. She was more power than she looked. Monroe nearly gave up the struggle. Lydia was tried to cuff her to the pipes in the tunnels. From above she could hear the shouts of men and footsteps. The police were here.
"Now is your chance," Lydia whispered. "Beg Scott to spare you."
"You, what did you do." Monroe growled while struggling to get up.
"I met someone recently, who taught me more about my powers. I spent the last ten years figuring out how Merideth did it. It turns out the voices hear me too."
"Let me go!" She shouted and struggled even more.
"I can't do that." Lydia answered. "Don't try to run, you have no where to go. The military should have raided all your base by now."
"Why would the military be here?"
"Oh, haven't you seen the news? They have deemed your movement a terrorist organization and have plenty of charges to face, including the siege of the Beacon Hills police department ten years ago."
"Let her go!" A male voice called from the men on the floor.
Lydia questioned him with her eyes and he stood up and walked to her. He had blood coming out of his left ear.
"We'll take the deal." He said.
"Johnathan what do you think you're doing?!" Monroe screamed.
"My friends took a vote. I will succeed her and make the deal with you. My successors will follow I will make sure of it."
"How dare you?!" Monroe shouted.
"Hunting is a source of living for most of us," Johnathan explained. "Someone needs to look out for them and if we need to follow the rules, then we will."
Monroe grabbed a broken pipe with her feee hand and hit Lydia's arm with it. Lydia let donbut wa spilled back by... before Monroe could pick up her gun. Monroe pointed her hun at Lydia but her own men stood up and protected her.
"How could you take her side?" Monroe screamed in disbelief.
"You would send any of us to our deaths without care. We've seen it countless times. Lives are scared and we should be protecting people not killing them."
"They are not people!"
"Nobody made you the judge."
Monroe could here the voices getting louder. Now was not the time for this. She had to pull away and get out of here. Her bounty hunter should have arranged everything by now. She ran and Lydia did not stop her neither did the hunters.
Lydia felt a tear roll down her cheek she knew what would happen to Monroe when she got to the other part of the tunnel. She had not been sure but during the shoot out she had seen a vision. Monroe would fight back and she would be killed. As if I'm response to her thoughts the sound of gunshots ran out followed by the screams of a dying woman. Lydia hugged herself on the floor of the tunnel as she began to cry. The voices were here again the itchiness the constant disturbance.
"Step away from her." Noshiko shouted to the men reaching to Lydia to find out what was wrong.
"Lydia," she called. " look at me. It's alright we made it. You're safe."
Lydia looked by from her crying. Her eyes were red and her lips bleed where she bit them trying to stop herself from screaming.
"But she's not." She said.
"We need to get out of here," Noshiko announced.
Two men helped Lydia get up and they all followed her out of the tunnel.
When they had reached the surface Scott and Stiles were waiting. The agreement was sealed by blood over seed by the banshee Lydia. If the promise was broken it could lead to their deaths. Lydia looked drained after everything she was just about to fall when Stiles caught her in his arm and took her to the car.
She did it noticed she had hurt her ankle while running from the tunnels. While performing her duties she could barely hear what was said her ears were hurting from all the noise she needed sleep but she couldn't fall asleep without yell Stiles.
"I have to tell you something." Lydia breathed out stopping stiles from taking her to the car.
It was a cold night but Stiles' body close to her made her feel warm. She almost gave into sleep just thinking of it.
"We can talk later, let's get you to the hospital."
"Stiles it's important."
"What could be more important than getting you to a doctor?"
"I'm Pregnant."
"I know now let's go."
He carried her in her shocked state and walked even faster to his car.
"Wait what?! How could you know?"
"You've been acting strange since San Diego so I picked around. I freaked out. You know how I am when something's bothering me."
"I know."
It surprised Lydia he was able to keep the secret that he knew for that long. But Lydia felt lighter now that she told him. The voices were happy they got what they wanted. Stiles put her in the car and made sure to put the seat belt on for her before going to his side of the door.
As they drive to the hospital Stiles held her hand with his free hand.
"You wanna know what is so strange about this?" Lydia asked.
"You think you killed her?" Stiles asked.
"I may not have pulled the trigger but I did predict her death. I called her name and they accepted it. But that's not it."
"Then what is it?"
"We've been after this for the past ten years. Why don't I feel good now that we have it?"
"Because you can feel what's about to happen. Lydia you are strong. I don't know how you ignored the many deaths these past few days to catch this woman but I am so proud of you. So please stay awake till we get to the hospital. Can you do that?"
"Yes, anything for you Stiles."
Lydia turned away from the horizon of the full moon amidst the clouds and turned on the radio.
- # # # -