Chapter Text
THAT SAME EVENING, BEACON HILLS POLICE DEPARTMENT
The scene opens with Matt Daehler pointing a gun at Scott McCall. The latter was rummaging through files, on the orders of the former. Evidence of Matt's connection to the recent murders had to be expunged. And in this building, where Matt met 5 other boys ten years ago, he swallows the bile that threatens to vomit out, as he fights back memories of his life since then.
BUM bum.
BUM bum. Swish swish swish.
BUM bum.
I hear a pounding in my head. It’s getting louder every day.
BUM bum.
BUM bum.
It’s like a loud beat of my heart, but it’s not mine.
The beating rises above the mediocre cries of my arteries and veins, or the voices of these meat puppets on a string.
BUM bum.
It craves blood, but not within my heart, my flesh.
WAR. DEATH. REVENGE. RETRIBUTION.
Rage needs to be fed, fueled, fanned feverishly until the burnt blood boils over the beating drums of war.
I drowned once, twice, to this day. But, I have been drowning in agony ever since.
Because it is my fault.
“It’s YOUR fault,” his voice resounds.
It is my fault.
“What little bastard doesn’t know how to swim?!”
It’s my fault.
I tell no one what happened that night.
I’d remember it clearly- the lights, the bodies, the gasping for air that wasn’t there. And I’d wake up trying to catch my breath.
My parents thought I was asthmatic. They even bought me a fucking inhaler.
BUM bum.
BUM bum. Glub glub glub.
As I was dying, I saw nothing that night- no light at the end of the tunnel. Just darkness. And the resounding “Why? Why me?” racing through my head.
“This is taking too long. Change of plans. I'll just burn the room down. But before I kill you, give me the bestiary, McCall,” Matt said, pointing the gun to Scott’s face. Time is running out, he thinks. The scales are growing. Why can’t they just leave me alone?
“You don’t need to do this, Matt,” Scott reasons.
“It’s kind of late for that now, isn’t it, McCall?,” Matt scoffs. “I have BLOOD on my hands. There are witnesses present. Not to mention, there’s still one more person on my list.”
“One more?”
“That’s right. Jackson Whittemore. I have to make it look like he did all of this. I need a scapegoat.”
“No more murders, Matt. We can still get you out of this,” Scott reasons once more.
“Ha! Are you the crazy one? I need an exit plan. And unfortunately, everyone here is the bus fare.”
“No, Matt. NO. We can get all of us out of here alive and safe.”
“Oh please. I drop this gun and you kill me. Or they arrest me. There is no other choi-“
“THERE IS ALWAYS A CHOICE, MATT!,” Scott screams, tears in his eyes.
Matt is shocked.
Scott drops to a whisper. “I remember that night ten years ago, you know… Stiles does too…That’s the night we met and became best friends… You were there, too… Don’t you remember?”
“We were playing charades with a bunch of other kids,” Scott continues. “Everyone was sad but we tried to be happy and strong for one another… You all inspired me to cry less, to man up... You taught me that more than my father did-- and he left my mom battered and bruised that night…”
Scott inches closer, hands up and throat dry.
“We were family that night.. And I am not gonna let you get hurt, or be separated from the rest of us…
….. ju-just.. give me the gun, Matt..”
Matt holds back tears. How stupid is this idiot? I SHOT HIM. And, that night was years ago. It's too far away. “NO,” Matt replies, jaw clenched. One of his hands grasp his hair. A searing headache is pushing through. “Not until you tell how you think you can get me out of here safely, and free of this scaly issue.” Matt lifts his shirt to show a smattering of scales forming around his abdomen.
And as Scott was about to open to reply, the lights go out in the station. A window crashes open and a small canister rolls in- it was a smoke grenade.
EARLIER THAT NIGHT, THE ARGENT HOUSEHOLD
The past two days have not been good to Chris and Allison. The two just lost Victoria Argent, for reasons still unknown to them. Added to that, the uninvited patriarch Gerard has twisted Allison's pain to hate. This anger is bringing Allison down a dark road of retribution. Shoot first, ask never. It seems like all the creatures of the night are monsters in her eyes now.
They have just learned that the scaly creature causing the murders over the past few weeks has been sighted at the police station. Their wire into the traffic cameras also show that Derek Hale is also headed in that direction. This leads to the mission briefing. And despite all the pain he's harboring, Chris Argent holds onto a code he swore his life by. He raises a question that disrupts their train of thought:
“What if any betas get in the way?,” Chris asks tentatively.
“Kill them,” Allison orders, after barely a second of hesitation. “Kill them all.”
Chris is angry, for multiple reasons. His wife is dead, for God knows what reason. His authority is being undermined by Gerard, whom is starting to become more of a monster than what goes bump in the night. And his daughter, the one he prepared for the worst but hoped for the best—she’s changing. And, tonight might be one of those nights where she’ll end up doing something she regrets.
And his Dad -no- Gerard is just egging her on. Look at that smile on his smug face, he thinks. Chris just has be there to back up her daughter, and nothing else. Duty calls him to the purpose of defending the night. However, Fate calls him to a higher purpose- protecting his family from itself.
And just as that thought crosses his mind, Gerard falls into a fit of hacking cough.
*COUGH coughcough cough COUGH coughcoughcough*
“Allison, dear…,” Gerard starts. “Could you get me a glass of water upstairs? I need my medicine.”
She complies, without a word. And as soon as she’s left earshot, Gerard grabs command of the room. “Listen to me quick. Listen to me loud and clear. Despite her orders, I am in charge here. And this mission is going to be a purge. No survivors. No witnesses. No mistakes. There is something in that station that is beyond the bastard wolves we normally face. And we have little to no clue which of the occupants are infected. So I repeat- NO SURVIVORS.” He pulls out an incendiary device packed full with trinitrotoluene- a bomb strong enough to decimate a block and a half.
“You can’t do that.,” Chris speaks up. “That is the town’s police station. There are honest law enforcers in that building and-“
“And they are an honest pain in my ass,” Gerard interrupts. “They get in the way of our mission so they must be eliminated. With them gone, we will hardly need to skirt around light footed at night. This is a win-win, boys. Don’t you doubt it one bit.” He puts away the device in a case and hands it to a pawn to his side.
Allison walks in just at that moment. “Did I miss anything?”
“No, dear. I’m just going over the schematics and the team ups with them one more time before we leave,” Gerard lies.
“Good. I expect everything packed and ready in 15,” Allison orders.
“Fifteen? That’s hardly enough time,” one of the grunts reply.
“Oh, I am sorry,” Allison replies. “For that, make it 10. I’m in charge, people. And, this is war.”
BACK AT THE PRECINCT
Matt stares daggers at Scott. “YOU! You planned all this?! You had me monologue-ing until your little backup arrived!”
“NO! No, Matt! I didn’t know about this!,” Scott reacts. “I’m on your side! It must be the hunters!”
Bullets rain through the windows and they both duck for cover.
“Hunters? What has that got to do with anything?!,” Matt screams.
“These hunters don’t hunt animals, Matt. They hunt inhumans. If they catch you, and see your scales, they’ll kill you without hesitation,” Scott explains.
Matt looked scared for the first time that night.
“We have got to get out of here, Matt,” Scott pleads. “Please, we have to go. This is nothing worth fighting and dying for.”
“No! I’ll just sick Jackson at them.”
“Jackson can’t handle all of them at once! You can’t do that!,” Scott replies.
They see another canister roll in- tear gas this time.
Matt just looks at Scott. “Watch me.” He pushes Scott out of the way and runs for cover, headed to the back of the station.
The tear gas fills the room and blocks Scott's view of Matt. Time is running out quick. Scott runs out of the room and voices start to overwhelm him.
His mom is screaming and sobbing down the hallway. “What was that crash? Scott! SCOTT!! Tell me you’re okay! John, please, you have to get me out of here. SCOTT!! Baby, please!! John, open this damn gate!!”
Matt is somewhere else, crashing open doors- trying to get out of the police station.
He focuses for more heartbeats. Soon he hears Stiles, who sounds like he’s dragging himself across a corridor.
And Derek—he sounds like he's fighting Jackson somewhere close.
Meanwhile, outside he hears faint beeping and the sound of Gerard’s voice: “Set the timers to 15 minutes. Go in, salvage what data and ammo you can get your hands on and get out. Kill any witnesses.”
Scott's vision and hearing tunneled. 15 minutes? There may be police officers that had a chance to survive! The building is obviously surrounded. How are they gonna get out of here?!
As that thought crossed his mind, as if Fate didn’t hate him already, 3 hunters show up at the end of the hallway he was in. “A witness! Get him!,” one of them shouted.
Scott ducks for cover in another room as shots are fired in his direction. He overhears one of them say, “You IDIOT! Shoot first! If you yell, it gives them a chance to run away!”
The wolf pup looks around a room and groans. He jumped into a file room. The only exit is through the door he entered. He could go through the ventilation shafts (like all the people in movies do) but that would slow him down and take time—a luxury he doesn’t have. He needed to free his mom and the Sheriff before the hunters find them.
A split second later, he decides he’ll just run through the hallway, hoping his supernatural speed will save him. He shifts and hopes for a miracle. What he didn’t know that his prayer was about to be answered.
OUTSIDE THE STATION
JORDAN/”TROY” POV
Jordan arrives a block away. He checks his ammo (6 ‘tranq’ shots, and 14 lead alloy) and his utility knife and runs on. He can't have his vehicle near the scene of any crime.
He stops right before turning into an alley when he senses something is wrong. He peeks around the corner and sees 4 SUVs, their headlights pouring through broken windows. At least 4 gunmen are taking a perimeter, and a laser light from one sniper is beaming into the east side. Main power seems to have been cut off the building.
Jordan then notices something on the dashboard of the biggest SUV: a digital clock with 12:27, no 26, no- SHIT.
Timers ticking down never mean well.
He locks, loads his tranquilizer gun, and aims for the snipers head. She was out in the open, and that was a mistake. *THWIP* She’s out.
The gunmen outside are the problem. He readies his pistol. Dual wielding is inaccurate, but it will have to do. He gets two in his sights (the idiots have their guard down and are talking to one another). Shooting them both would be the fastest option. *THWIP* *BLAM* One dead, one out and two to go.
Unfortunately, one of the other guards see the two fall and proceeds to shout “INTRUDER! TAKE CO-“
*THWIP* And he’s out.
One guard left. The smart bastard hid behind an SUV and is starting to call for backup. How many of these pigeons are there? Time check = 11:43.
Jordan crouches and sees the rookie’s legs. This is gonna be a waste of bullets, he groans.
*BLAM* Through the ankle. The guard falls on his arms in pain.
*BLAM* Through the elbow. The poor sap lands on his face, and rolls on the floor in pain. The poor pigeon, who can’t decide whether to clutch his leg or arm, saw Jordan’s eyes and knew what’s coming next.
*BLAM* Right between the eyes.
TIME = 11:25, 3 tranq darts, 3 and 7 lead alloy bullets left.
3 out, 2 dead.
Jordan runs toward the two unconscious guards and disarms them. He sheathes his tranquilizer now that his cover is blown and grabs a shotgun. He hurriedly bashes the headlights off the SUVs and runs in the building.
Jordan really doesn’t know where to go. Scott and Stiles could be anywhere. In that moment of frustration, he hears shots in the hallway to the left. Hoping the shots missed their targets, he follows the hallway. He sees three men unloading clips towards an empty hallway. They haven’t noticed him yet.
Time for his favorite tactic: The Trojan Horse.
INSIDE THE FILE ROOM
SCOTT POV
Scott was about to jump out when he heard a vaguely familiar voice call out down the hallway.
“Hey! You three! What are you shooting at? The boss says we have 10 minutes left to get what we’re looking for,” said the familiar voice.
“What are you talking about? We’re supposed to catch the stragglers. Boss said nobody gets out, not even a mouse,” one of them replies.
“And how are we holding up?,” the familiar voice asks. Scott hears footsteps going closer to the group. The not-so-strange stranger’s heartbeat is normal, unlike his pursuers.
“There’s a kid at the end of the hallway and we’re closing up on him. No witnesses or survivors, right?”
“Right.”
*BLAM* *BLAM* BLAM* Three groans and thuds follow.
“Bastards. Targeting kids.”
3RD POV
Jordan reloads his second and last clip, and puts away the shotgun. He picks up two pistols from the bodies; they each have 3 bullets left. These gunmen will get their own rules back at them. NO SURVIVORS.
“Scott?! Stiles?! Is that you down the hallway?,” Jordan calls. “It’s me, Troy!”
Scott comes out of the room with a found bulletproof vest covering his face. “Troy?! What are you doing here? Are you one of the hunters?,” he asks.
“Hunters?? I’m here to get you and Stiles out of here. Do you know where he is?,” Jordan answers.
Scott takes a moment to look him over. No sign of lying, no scent of anger, just concern. He starts to reply, “There’s no time, you have to get out of here there’s a-“
“Bomb. I know; I saw a timer outside. Look, I think I can defuse the bomb. I just need to find it. But, I have to get you and Stiles out of here first.”
“We’re not leaving without our parents. Don’t ask why, but they’re trapped here, in a jail cell.”
“I’ll get them out. Just lead the way.”
Scott starts to jog when he hears, “Hey Scott, wait.” He turns around to face Jordan.
“Do you know how to use one of these?,” Jordan says holding up a gun he took from his victims. “Take it. You might have to learn how to use one quick.”
Scott: 3 stolen bullets
Troy: 3 stolen bullets, a full clip of 7, 3 tranq darts, and a shotgun.
Time left: 9:28
ELSEWHERE
Matt was closing in to an exit, Zombie Jackson on his tail as a precaution. When lo and behold, Derek pops up to block the way. “No, get out of the way! I have to get out of here!,” Matt screams.
“I’m not leaving until I take care of a certain scaly situation,” Derek grunts, cracking his neck.
“You can’t beat Jackson, Derek.”
“Who said anything about Jackson, Matt?” Derek lunges for Matt, when Jackson grabs him mid-leap.
The two behemoths are duking it out in the hallway, slash for slash, kick for kick. Jackson tries to slide between Derek’s legs to get behind him, but Derek saw that move before.
He grabs the snake’s tail and uses it to throw him into the ceiling then back to the floor. Derek was about to stomp on Jackson’s chest with his boot when the Kanima uses his tail to yank Derek’s other foot off the floor.
They both recover instantly into a crouch position, staring, hissing, and growling. Jackson was first to pounce, aiming to slice at the Alpha’s face and neck. Derek, on the defensive, hefted a strong uppercut to the reptile’s neck before the envenomed claw lands. He then uses his momentum to heave a bicycle kick, sending Jackson out through a window behind him.
In that small, short reprieve, Derek hears Matt laugh out loud. He scans the hallway and sees the teen was already out the door. Goddammit, he curses under his breath.
Matt starts to pout. “I’m sorry for using Jackson as a distraction, Derek. I really am,” he whines. That frowns turns into a smirk. “Actually… I’m not.”
Jackson’s form slithers closer to its master, outside the police station’s double doors. Matt pats its head slowly and sweetly.
“You’ll find it hard to believe, Derek, but I’m not after your pack. I actually, deep down, wanted to be part of it. The strength, the bond, the power. Oh, but this little scaly issue is putting everything on hold.
You see, Derek, I just want to live my life. But, my life HAD to start with the swim team’s deaths. So, if you and your pups will just leave me alone, the murders will stop. Everyone lives happily. Ever. After,” Matt ends with a drawl.
“The deaths will not stop once the change starts, Matt. I don’t know how, but I can still save you.”
“And why on Earth, would you do that, Derek?,” Matt asks, intrigued.
“Because I promised.”
“I don’t remember you making that promise with me, Derek.”
“No, I didn’t. I promised my father.” Derek starts to walk tentatively closer to Matt. The boy clenches his fist, tempted to run away.
“I remember that night I first met you, Matt. Do you?” Another step closer.
“You were cold, shivering, wet and scared. You told the police nothing. You were broken,” Derek continues.
“Well, almost drowning does that to you, Derek,” Matt spat out.
“Oh, I know, Matt. I’ve almost died before. Multiple times.” Another step.
“It creates a sinking feeling. It isolates you. No one else would understand.” Another step.
“But, the thing is, some people do. Other people who are broken. Just. Like. You.” Another step.
Matt holds his breath, looking unsure. His fists loosen slightly.
“I made my dad a promise that night, Matt. That I would take care of this town.” Another step.
“It started that night with 5 kids. One of them was you.” Another step.
“That is when it all started. When we all tried to save the world, together.” Another step.
“Let me save you, Matt. Let me in.”
Matt replies, trying to be snarky. “Huh. Well, don’t you have a lot of words today, Derek.” His hands are shaking, his fingers rubbing his thigh. “Aren’t you acting out of character? You’re supposed to be the silent biker type.”
“I figured words will get to you faster. A certain ADHD kid taught me that.”
“What happened to the thought of trying to kill me?,” Matt asks.
“You didn’t hear me. I said I had to take care of you.” Another step.
“Let me help you, Matt.” Derek was barely 4 steps away. He could bridge that gap if he wanted to, but he was waiting for Matt to do it for himself.
“Please,” Derek whispers.
*BLAM* “INTRUDER TAKE CO-“ *BLAM**BLAM**BLAM*
They both heard the gunshots and the scream. Matt pushes Derek away, and runs for cover.
Derek curses to himself and has to make a choice: run after Matt, or save Scott and Stiles.
“GODDAMMIT. Those idiots are getting in trouble again,” Derek says as he runs back into the police station.
BACK BY THE JAIL CELLS
Scott and "Troy" run into the room to find Melissa and John, still unable to escape.
“Mom!”
“Scott!”
The wolf pup runs to embrace her mom through the steel bars.
“Let me check your gunshot, baby. Please. I have to patch it up.”
“No, Mom. You don’t have to. I’ll explain later. Just wait until I get you out of this jail cell.”
Scott runs to desk and the walls searching for some kind of key ring to let her out.
“You won’t find a key ring, Scott,” the Sheriff chimes in, groaning.
“Sheriff,” Troy chimes in, nodding in his direction, announcing his presence. Troy points a gun at the Sheriff. “I’m sorry to do this, but-“
*THWIP* *THWIP*