𝟎𝟖. 𝐦𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐚𝐬𝐡

·͙*̩̩͙˚̩̥̩̥*̩̩̥͙　✩　*̩̩̥͙˚̩̥̩̥*̩̩͙‧͙　꒰ 𝕤𝕠 𝕙𝕚𝕘𝕙 𝕤𝕔𝕙𝕠𝕠𝕝 ꒱　.·͙*̩̩͙˚̩̥̩̥*̩̩̥͙　✩　*̩̩̥͙˚̩̥̩̥*̩̩͙‧͙ .

✧･ﾟ✧･ﾟ✧

꒰ 𝚖𝚘𝚞𝚗𝚝𝚊𝚒𝚗 𝚊𝚜𝚑 | 𝟐.𝟎𝟖 ꒱

While the group waited for Derek in the reception of the veterinary clinic, the trio brainstormed ideas on how to subdue the Kanima. While Deaton was busy finishing up his last job, they paced the floor. The main door suddenly swung open, revealing Derek and Isaac.

"What's he doing here?" Scott growled, standing across from Isaac. Lucy reached for Stiles' hand, not having very fond memories with Isaac.

"I need him." Derek deadpanned.

"I don't trust him." Scott countered, folding his arms across from him.

"Neither do I." Stiles chimed, squeezing Lucy's hand.

"Yeah, well, he doesn't trust you either." Isaac smirked, crossing his arms.

"You know what? I don't really care." Derek complained, turning back to Scott. "Now, where's the vet? Is he going to help us or not?"

"That depends," Deaton spoke from the doorway. "Your friend, Jackson. Are we planning to kill him or save him?" He asked, looking between the group. Scott said, 'save him' at the same time Derek said, 'kill him.'

The younger werewolf growled and turned to face the alpha. "Save him." Scott insisted before turned back to Deaton and repeating the words.

With a curt nod, he led the group back into the operation area. Directing them behind his worktable, he began placing containers holding various substances in front of them. Isaac reached forward to pick one of the containers up when Derek slapped his hand. "Watch what you touch."

Lucy stayed close to Stiles and Scott, playing with her mom's necklace nervously as she stared at the table. When she looked up, she made eye contact with Derek who stared at the necklace with interest. "It was my mom's." She mumbled, catching everyone's attention.

"What?" Derek asked, his arms crossed.

"My necklace that you're staring at. It was my mom's." Lucy explained, letting go of the jewelry so he could see it better.

"I know." Was all Derek said, leaving a confused look on Lucy's face.

"So, what are you? Some kind of witch?" Isaac asked, leaning down onto the table.

"No, I'm a veterinarian." Deaton replied slyly, making Isaac shut up. "Unfortunately, I don't see anything here that's going to be an effective defense against a paralytic toxin."

"We're open to suggestions." Derek offered.

"What about an effective offense?" Stiles asked.

"We already tried." Derek reminded him. "I nearly took its head off. And Argent emptied an entire clip into it. The thing just gets back up." His explanation caused Deaton to frown.

"Has it shown any weaknesses?"

"One. It can't swim." Stiles said, remembering his experience in the school pool.

"Does that go for Jackson as well?" Deaton asked, fiddling with the lid on one of the vials.

"No. He's the captain of the swim team." Scott deadpanned.

Deaton sighed and turned away from the table, picking up a small coin. "Essentially, you're trying to catch two people." Holding the coin across from them, he showed a small figure sat with multiple strings attached to it. "A puppet and a puppeteer." Placing the coin down on the table, he looked back up, referring to the recent murders. "One killed the husband, but the other had to take care of the wife. Do we know why?"

"I don't think Jackson could do it," Lucy muttered, fiddling with her necklace again.

"His mother died while she was pregnant. I think he couldn't let the same thing happen to someone else." Scott explained.

"How do you know it's not part of the rules?" Isaac asked. "The Kanima kills murderers. If Jackson kills the wife, then the baby dies too."

"Which would make him a murderer." Lucy finished.

"Does that mean your father was a murderer?" Scott asked, looking at the Lahey boy expectantly.

"Wouldn't surprise me if he was," Isaac spoke solemnly.

"Hold on. The book says they're bonded, right?" Deaton asked. He continued when everyone nodded. "What if the fear of water isn't coming from Jackson, but from the person controlling him?" Reaching into a crate, he pulled out a tube filled with black powder. "What if something that affects the Kanima also affects its master?"

"Meaning what?" Isaac asked.

"Meaning we can catch them. Both of them." Scott said triumphantly, looking between the pack as the mood began to lift with positivity hanging above them.

After a somewhat normal day of school, Lucy found herself with Stiles and Scott in Deaton's office once more. Scott knew Jackson was going to a party that evening, which meant they'd need supplies in order for their plan to work. Standing around his worktable again, Lucy's mind flashed to what Derek said about her necklace.

"I know."

He knew it was her mother's necklace. Were his werewolf senses just that good? Or did he know her mother more personally? Lucy had chased after him, hoping for answers but the alpha was gone before she even had a chance.

"Ketamine?" Scott's voice pulled Lucy out of her thoughts, and she looked up to see the small, white canister Deaton was holding.

"It's the same stuff we use on the dogs, just a higher dosage." Scott's boss explained, placing the vial in his palm. "If you can get close enough to Jackson, it should slow him down enough to buy you some time. This is some of what you'll use to create the barrier." Deaton reached across the counter to grab another small container. "This part is for you, Stiles."

"Uh, that sounds like a lot of pressure. Can we maybe find a slightly less pressure-filled task for me?" Stiles asked panicked, glancing between his friends.

"It's from the Mountain Ash tree, which is believed by many cultures to protect against the supernatural. This office is lined with Ashwood, making it difficult for someone like Scott to cause me any trouble." Deaton chuckled, sending an amused look over to Scott.

"Okay, so then what? I just spread this around the whole building and then either Jackson or whoever's controlling him can't cross it?" Stiles asked, wanting to clarify his role.

Deaton nodded. "They'll be trapped."

"Okay, that doesn't seem too bad." Stiles shrugged, beginning to feel more confident.

"That's not all there is," Deaton began. "Think of it like gunpowder. It's just powder until a spark ignites it. You need to be that spark, Stiles."

"If you mean light myself on fire, I don't think I'm up for that." Sarcasm dripped from his voice.

"Let me try a different analogy. I used to golf. I learned that the best golfers never swing before first imagining where they want the ball to go. They see it in their mind and their mind takes over." Deaton explained. "It can be pretty extraordinary what the force of your own will can accomplish."

"Force of will." Stiles shivered, looking across the table to lock eyes with Lucy. She gave what she hoped was an encouraging smile.

Watching their small interaction carefully, Deaton cleared his throat. "If this is going to work, Stiles, you have to believe it."

As soon as they arrived at the party, the trio jumped out of the Jeep and moved to the back. They unloaded everything they would need, specifically the Mountain Ash.

"Are you ready?" Lucy asked, taking some pepper spray from Scott gratefully.

"I'm fine, Luce." Stiles brushed her off, reaching for the other bag of Mountain Ash. The brunette didn't take his action to heart, knowing that his father had just been let go from the station. Lucy nodded, wishing him good luck once more before she followed Scott through the entrance. 

Pushing through the curtains, Scott pulled her inside, keeping a firm grip on his sister's hand. Lucy glanced around, see multiple people crowd together to dance. But she didn't see Jackson yet.

"Stay here for a second," Scott said, catching Allison's eye from across the room. Lucy frowned when she saw her with Matt, but let her brother go after her. She spotted Isaac and Erica, who were technically on their team right now. But she didn't trust them enough to go dance with them, so she found herself standing awkwardly off to the side. She felt almost useless inside and wished she could've been outside with Stiles. But Deacon was adamant that Stiles needed to do his part alone.

From her spot in the room, Lucy watched as Erica and Isaac found Jackson and then danced with him. She realized why they were so close to him when Scott walked over to her empty handed.

"You gave it to Isaac?" She asked, playing with her necklace.

Her brother nodded. "I need to go find Argent and make sure he doesn't mess this up. I hate to do this to you, but I need you to watch and make sure they can do it. Call me if they fail."

"I will." Lucy pulled her brother into a hug. "Just stay safe, okay?"

"I'll be fine." Scott reminded her, squeezing her shoulder comfortingly before he vanished from her sight. Lucy sighed, turning her attention back to the werewolves. She watched them dance for a while as she fiddled with her necklace.

The longer it took for Jackson to fall, the less trust she had in them.

In a blur, both Erica and Isaac fell to the floor. Lucy gasped, pulling out her phone. As she dialed her brother's number, she looked up just in time to see Isaac stab Jackson's neck with the vial.

As the Kanima fell, Isaac locked eyes with her. He tilted his head, nodding for her to follow them. Against her gut feeling, she did, reminding herself that they were all a team. Lucy followed the werewolves until they got to the metal cage. She went inside, watching as they dumped Jackson on the chair.

"Now what?" Erica asked, crossing her arms as she leaned against the wall.

"We wait for Scott or any signs of consciousness from him." Lucy replied, staying by the door.

"Are you afraid of us?" Isaac asked slowly, watching her with interest.

"No," Lucy said, crossing her arms and hoping that she sounded believable. Not that it mattered, they could both hear her heart.

Isaac tilted his head. "That's a lie, Evans."

Lucy sighed. "I don't trust you."

Erica pouted, playing with a blonde curl. "Why not? You were nice to me in the library."

"I thought you were dying. And the two of you poisoned me with Kanima venom."

"I wouldn't necessarily call it, 'poisoned.' It didn't affect you, remember?" Isaac spoke slowly, never taking his eyes off Lucy.

Before the brunette could respond, the door next to her unlocked. Stiles rushed in, waving his hands manically as two supernatural and a can of pepper spray descended upon him. "Woah! No, no! Just me, it's just me. Don't freak." Straightening out his jacket as everyone calmed down, he moved next to Isaac and watched Jackson. "He okay?"

"Let's find out." Isaac grinned and extended his claws, swinging his hand towards the Kanima but was stopped as it grabbed his wrist and broke it with a sickening crunch. "God-" the taller boy groaned, pushing away from Jackson. Erica reached forward, moving it back into place for him.

"Okay, no one does anything like that again, okay?" Stiles ordered, pointing to the werewolves.

"I thought the Ketamine was supposed to put him out." Isaac groaned, leaning against the wall.

"Maybe we just needed a bigger dose?" Lucy suggested, staying as far away from Jackson as she could.

"Let's just hope that whoever's controlling him just decided to show up tonight." Stiles sassed, rubbing the back of his neck.

Jackson's eyes flew open, catching the group's attention as he revealed his lizard-like eyes. "I'm here. I'm right here with you."

"Jackson, is that you?" Lucy asked, staying in place.

"Us. We're all here."

"Are you the one killing people?" Stiles questioned the creature from a safe distance.

"We are the ones killing murderers."

"So, all the people you've killed so far-" Stiles started.

"-deserved it." The Kanima finished.

"See, we got a little rule book that says you only go after murderers." Stiles bent down so he was in the Kanima's line of sight.

"Stiles," Lucy whispered, shaking her head when he looked at her. "Don't get closer."

The creature's voice made Stiles break eye contact with his crush, pulling everyone's attention back to it. "Anything can break if enough pressure's applied."

"All right, so the people you're killing are all murderers then?"

"All. Each. Everyone."

"Well, who did they murder?" Stiles interrogated.

"Me."

Lucy looked to Erica and Isaac, who looked equally confused. That shouldn't be possible.

"Wait, what?" Stiles gawked. "What do you mean?"

"They murdered me. They murdered me."

His claws grew, making Lucy lurch forward and pull Stiles back. The buzz-cut boy gently laid his hand on her arm, keeping her behind him. "Okay, all right. More Ketamine. The man needs Ketamine."

"We don't have any more," Isaac said sheepishly, holding up an empty bottle.

"You used the whole bottle?" Stiles groaned, turning back to Jackson who was continuing to shift. "Um, okay. Out. Everybody out!" He pushed them all out of the metal cage and slammed the door behind them. "Okay, find something to move in front of the door."

Before anyone had a chance to move, the Kanima burst through the metal wall. Stiles pulled Lucy close, shielding her from the flying metal shards. "Well, shit."

Pulling Lucy with him, Stiles ran towards the line of Mountain Ash to Derek who was on the other side. His hand fell from hers, however, when Lucy crashed into an invisible wall.

"What the-" Stiles said, turning around to find Lucy on the ground looking dazed.

"Damn, Stiles. I know Deacon told you to believe in it, but I don't think he meant that much." Lucy groaned as she rubbed her throbbing head.

Stiles let out an airy laugh, glad that she was okay. Derek, however, frowned but didn't say anything.

"Hey, so, Derek. Funny thing. We kind of lost Jackson inside but hey, it's working! I did something!" Stiles yelled excitedly as Erica and Isaac also couldn't make it across the line. His excitement was short lived when Scott's roar reached the group's ears.

"Break it," Derek demanded.

"What? No way!" Stiles shouted.

"Scott's dying!" Derek roared, convincing Stiles to break the line. Derek ran across it, Isaac and Erica on his tail. Lucy stayed behind with Stiles, now able to cross over the line.

"I cannot believe my imagination is that good!" Stiles cheered before his smile fell. "Wait, how come I was able to cross it?"

"I don't know, Stiles." Lucy answered honestly, looking down at the Mountain Ash. "But I think Derek might."

·͙*̩̩͙˚̩̥̩̥*̩̩̥͙　✩　*̩̩̥͙˚̩̥̩̥*̩̩͙‧͙　꒰ 𝕖𝕟𝕕 𝕠𝕗 𝕔𝕙𝕒𝕡𝕥𝕖𝕣 ꒱　.·͙*̩̩͙˚̩̥̩̥*̩̩̥͙　✩　*̩̩̥͙˚̩̥̩̥*̩̩͙‧͙ .

✧･ﾟ✧･ﾟ✧꒰ 𝚙𝚞𝚋𝚕𝚒𝚜𝚑𝚎𝚍 𝚘𝚗 𝙼𝚊𝚢 𝟷𝟷, 𝟸𝟶𝟸𝟻꒱

✧･ﾟ✧･ﾟ✧

𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘳'𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘦: don't be a silent reader! comment, let me know your thoughts, and always remember to vote!

✧･ﾟ✧･ﾟ✧

𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝕤𝕠 𝕙𝕚𝕘𝕙 𝕤𝕔𝕙𝕠𝕠𝕝 | 𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐬 𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐤𝐢