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Theo barely knew much about manticores. He had heard the Dread Doctors talk about them before, mostly through eavesdropping as he’s usually left out of their conversations. They never attempted to create a manticore, deeming it too risky.
He knew that they existed and that was all.
So when a manticore moves into Beacon Hills, Theo finds it to be one of the worst times to have to fight one. Most of the pack was out of town, Scott only being in Beacon Hills just for spring break. A week to relax and rewind from veterinary school, not to fight a manticore.
However, the manticore was here, and they’ve gotten cornered into the smallest crevices ever to exist in the preserve. The creature paced outside waiting for them to come out. He’s pawing at the entrance, trying to get to them. It was bigger than them, unable to crawl inside as they had.
“Why don’t we just go out and kill it?” Theo asks brashly. He just wanted it to stop raking its paws against the stone, the shrill sound making him want to rip his own ears out. Scott's phone was outside, it slipped from his hands as Theo dragged him into the small cave. “It’s clearly trying to attack us.”
“No, wait,” Scott’s eyebrows furrowed, “it isn’t. Look at its left shoulder.”
Theo moves forward, trying to get a better look at the manticore. The left shoulder had something stuck to it, an arrow shaft. Not just one, but two. The second one was a bit further down its back, but Theo could see the fletching at the end of the arrow.
“So what? It’s been shot,” Theo shrugged. “Doesn’t give it a reason to drive us in between two boulders.”
Scott’s quiet for while.
“What if…” he begins, “what if it thinks we hurt it?”
“Like we have any arrows on us?”
“It’s wounded, probably with arrows laced with something. It has every right to think that we hurt it.”
“So what do you suggest we do?”
“The manticore has the head of a man, right?” Scott asked, not needing a reply. “It can probably talk to us. Or at least we can, to it.”
“Talk to it about what? The nice spring weather we’re having?”
“I don’t know, but I can try calming it down and you can slip out, get my phone, and call back up.”
Theo doesn’t like that he’s the one having to risk getting stung by a manticore, but he was willing to give one of Scott’s plans a try. Even if the plan was to make friends with something that’s trying to kill you a.k.a. Scott’s My Little Pony strategy (dubbed and trademarked by the one and only Theo Raeken of Beacon Hills) .
“Fine, go ahead Twilight Sparkle,” Theo teases. “I’ll be right behind you.”
Scott moves closer to the exit of the cave. Just close enough that the manticore can see him but not harm him.
It pauses, going completely still almost as if it’s entranced by Scott.
“I’m not going to hurt you,” Scott said. “I’m not your enemy.”
Theo watches as Scott slowly reaches his hand towards the manticore’s right paw. The manticore's eyes dart from Scott, Theo, to Scott’s hand which was slowly inching closer to its own paw.
It flinches back and Scott moves away.
“I can help you.”
“You look just like the others,” it said. Catching Theo off guard by how its voice resounded inside the cave as it spoke. “Just like those that wounded me.”
“You know we aren’t them,” Scott replied. Theo watched as Scott glows his eyes at the creature. He copies Scott, glowing his own eyes after.
“Werecreatures.” He snorts greatly. “I’ve heard your kind has united with hunters.”
“Not with them,” Theo said. “Those guys back there, not them.”
“We’re trying to stop them,” Scott adds.
The manticore’s face shifts, eyes widening. “You’re him.” He had his gaze on Scott. “You’re the True Alpha.”
Scott smiled softly, bashfully nodding.
“It’s of great honour to meet you,” he tries to bow.
The arrow jabs into him further and he roars, he seemed to have forgotten about it whilst talking to Scott. The manticore moves away from the entrance, trying to paw the arrow out of itself. Except the further movement cause the arrow to move and dig into his flesh. Scott steps out, holding his hands out, “don’t move, it’s causing the arrow to dig further into muscle.”
Theo quickly heads for Scott’s phone as Scott handles the manticore.
“There’s a kit in the jeep,” Scott said. Theo understood what he had to do so he begins to run toward where they parked it.
He grabs the kit from the jeep and runs back as fast as he could. Scott had the manticore lying down on its side, he kneeled nearby, his hands softly running against its mane. Theo didn’t want to admit it, but the scene made him feel a bit jealous.
Scott takes the kit from Theo and the manticore patiently lies on its side.
Watching Scott go full vet mode and focus solely on helping the manticore tugged Theo’s heart.
Scott furrows his eyebrows, “the arrows snagged deep in the muscle. I don’t know if I can pull it out without tearing more muscle but I can try.”
The air tightens around them, and Scott’s hands skillfully start to work the arrow out, Theo watched from a few feet away, holding his breath when the manticore grunted from pain. The arrow comes out, Scott breathes a sigh of relief, and so does Theo. Scott pulls the other one out too, just as gently.
Scott looked happy, proud of himself for pulling the arrows out with minimal damage. The manticore would heal on its own, he stands back up. He bows his head, thanking Scott before it walks away, back into the preserve.
Scott looks at Theo, their gaze meeting. Theo wants nothing more than to pull Scott into a hug. He doesn’t. Part of his mind said that it wasn’t the right time to hug.