Twenty-Four

"THERE IS NO WAY IN HELL YOU ARE COMING WITH US."

As soon as Stiles saw Liam, he made up his mind.

Stiles stalked past the freshman, Malia trailing behind him with one of Sierra's jackets in her hands. They had stopped by Scott's house as well, grabbing a strong scent for both of their friends before they headed to meet everyone at an abandoned garage. Stiles felt bad about lying to his father, but he couldn't wait. Not when his best friends were in trouble.

Liam followed them, demanding, "Why not?"

"Oh, trust me I could name millions of reasons why," Stiles snapped back, turning around right in front of Sierra's back door. "The main one being how tonight is a full moon. I don't feel like driving all the way down to Mexico just to have you rip my throat out."

"You can lock me up," Liam tried to reason. "Right? Chain me down to the back seat or something?"

"You tore through the last chains," Malia reminded him, standing beside Stiles.

Stiles nodded his head in agreement, "Right; we would have to freeze you in carbonite to get you down there."

Not understanding the Star Wars reference, Liam didn't see the problem. "Okay, then where do we get carbonite?"

Stiles just stared at him. "Seriously, why do I hang out with you all?" he muttered. "Are Sierra and I the only ones who've seen Star Wars?"

"I've seen part of one movie," Malia spoke up with a shrug of her shoulders. "But you and Sierra turned it off because I didn't understand it."

"Wait!" Liam reeled their focus back in, realizing Stiles was about to leave. He moved forward, blocking the door from the two. "What if we put me in the trunk?" he thought aloud, desperate for a solution.

"You'd get out of that, too," Malia shot him down.

Stiles sighed, rubbing his neck. "Liam, you've been a werewolf all of five minutes," he stated. "You don't have to come with us."

"But I want to," Liam replied seriously, looking him straight in the eye. "After how I treated Sierra...Stiles, you have to let me go. There's gotta be bigger chains, a bigger trunk or something. There has to be."

Something clicked in Stiles's mind, the wheels quickly turning from hearing Liam speak. "Maybe there is," Stiles said, Malia and Liam looking at him in confusion. He raised his head and pointed to Liam. "Fine, you can come, but you listen to me, got it? You're not going anywhere out of my sight."

Liam grinned and nodded his head, "Got it."

"Perfect," Stiles sighed, pulling out the keys to the jeep. "Now come on, everyone is probably already at the garage."

After slightly speeding through the streets, the three arrived at their destination just as a black prison transport van screeched to a stop. Stiles quickly got out of the jeep, Malia and Liam following his lead.

"How the hell did you get a prison transport van?" Stiles questioned Braeden as she stepped out from the driver's side, Derek and Jemma meeting her in front of it.

Braeden stifled a laugh but stated, "I'm a U.S. Marshal."

"Yeah, I just thought that was a cover," Stiles replied, squinting.

Braeden rolled her eyes as Derek eyed Liam cautiously. "Are we really bringing him?"

Liam huffed but stayed quiet as Stiles retorted, "Are we really bringing him?"

Derek turned to see Stiles's glare pointed towards Peter, who just smirked.

"We're bringing everyone we can," Peter said, making Stiles scoff in disbelief as he went on. "And considering, Scott, Kira and Sierra were all taken the night before a full moon we should probably get going."

"What's that mean?" Malia asked him, not understanding.

"If she took Sierra and Scott back to the same temple where she took Derek, how do we know she's not planning to do the same thing to them?" Peter inquired instead, glancing between the group.

"What, she wants to make them younger?" Liam tried to clarify, just as confused as Malia.

"Or take them back to when they didn't have their powers," Jemma answered, her arms crossed as she stood next to Derek, looking at him worriedly.

"A werewolf can't steal a True Alpha's power," Peter agreed with her, slightly nodding. "And I don't know how empaths lose their abilities, but Kate is a Nagual jaguar with the power of Tezcatlipoca behind her. Maybe she figured out how to gain all their power."

Peter watched as everyone exchanged concerned glances, leading him to add, "So, if everyone is sufficiently freaked out, I say we get going."

"We can't," Stiles spoke sternly, everyone turning their heads towards him. "Not without Lydia."

"And why is her presence necessary?" Peter asked as Stiles pulled out his phone to try to call her again. He stepped off to the side, shooting a glare at Peter and ignoring his question.

So, Peter turned to Malia and Liam.

"We have Kira's sword," Malia explained, holding up the katana, "but we need something with a stronger scent. While Stiles and I went to Sierra and Scott's house, Lydia went to grab Kira's jacket from her locker."

"Nothing," Stiles rejoined the conversation. "She's not answering."

"If she has a car, she can catch up to us," Braeden suggested, exchanging knowing glances with Jemma and Derek.

"That's a good point," Peter liked the idea. "We'll call her from the road."

"No," Stiles stopped them from taking off. "What if something happened? What if she's in trouble?"

"Fine," Peter responded sharply. "You stay, you find her. We're gonna go on without you."

Stiles narrowed his eyes at the werewolf, not dismissing the anxious behavior. Peter seemed on edge, for reasons Stiles didn't know yet. Stiles knew Peter couldn't actually care less about Scott, Sierra or Kira. No matter how 'changed' he claimed to be, he was still the man that murdered many innocent people over a year ago. He was still the same, hardhearted Peter.

So why was he so desperate to go to Mexico?

His thoughts were interrupted as Liam called his name, making him blink. "I'm sorry, what?"

"I said that Mason has a study group at school," Liam told him. "If I call him and ask, maybe he can look for her."

Stiles pursed his lips, not sure of the idea. He glanced at Derek and Jemma, who both shrugged, and led him to sigh. "Alright, fine," he nodded though his heart knew they shouldn't leave without Lydia beside them. "Call Mason and we'll get on the road."

Everyone parted ways, Liam heading with Derek towards the back of the prison transport van. Derek would be the one to help him work through the full moon. And since she held the authority, Braeden would be driving with Jemma in the passenger seat. Peter would lead the way in a black SUV with Malia.

Stiles managed to snag Malia by the elbow, lowering his voice. "I need to be back there with Derek and Liam," he told her. "I've got some experience dealing with out-of-control teen wolves. You'll be okay riding with Peter?"

Malia didn't look too keen on the idea, replying, "Yeah, I guess."

"Look, I know you'd rather be hearing this from Sierra, but listen to me," Stiles kept her attention as he spoke. "If you don't want to talk to him, you don't have to. Sierra told me you didn't want father-daughter time, and I get that. Just play the radio, and play it loud. Okay?"

Malia cast a look over her shoulder to see Peter standing beside the SUV. Sighing, she flicked her gaze back to Stiles. "Okay."

Stiles smiled reassuringly, squeezing her hand, "Everything's gonna be fine, Mal. We're gonna find them."

"Are you saying that to calm me or yourself down?"

Stiles shrugged, answering honestly, "A little bit of both actually."

"Remember what we're dealing with here," Peter's voice made them turn around. "It's not just Kate," Peter recalled, shrugging on a jacket. "It's Berserkers. You might see human eyes behind those skulls but do not assume there is any humanity left."

Peter noticed how Liam tensed and cast his gaze to the floor. "Oh, this little one is terrified of them, aren't you?" Peter asked him. "Don't worry, my friend. It is that fear that will keep you alive. A reminder to everyone: you do not fight Berserkers to survive, you fight to kill."

*^*^*^*^*

"So where is Lydia again?"

Sierra turned towards her friend, her eyes flickering away from the many flavors of ice cream on view before her. "She's on her way. I'm pretty sure her mom was scared to let her out of the house," Sierra teased lightheartedly. "I understand Natalie's worry though; her daughter was almost strangled to death."

"True," Allison nodded her head in agreement, and tucked her brown hair behind her ear. "Let's just be glad that chapter of our lives is closed. We never have to open it again."

"Hence the ice cream," Sierra grinned. "To celebrate not dying."

Allison chuckled, shaking her head in disbelief at the girl. "I think I'm going to go with coffee," she decided, focusing back on the flavors to change the subject. "You know, to wake me up a bit? I haven't been sleeping well the past few days."

Sierra frowned upon hearing her confession. "That's strange; I haven't been sleeping that great either." Sierra waved her hand once Allison raised her eyebrows in concern, not wanting to dwell on it. "Oh well, I'm sure we're fine. With the lives we live, I'm pretty sure a few sleepless nights are normal."

"Does that mean you're getting the coffee too?" Allison joked.

"I was actually thinking about their peanut butter Oreo mix," Sierra answered with a shrug. "It's literally my favorite combination in the world."

"Speaking of perfect combinations," Allison started as the two stepped forward in line. "How are you and Stiles? You haven't told me anything about your date last night."

"Mostly because I promised I'd tell you and Lydia at the same time," Sierra reminded her with a smile, feeling her cheeks heat up. "But it well...really, really good."

"I'm glad," Allison told her genuinely. "After you all left the coffee shop, Scott wouldn't shut up about becoming an uncle."

Sierra rolled her eyes, "Of course he wouldn't."

The pair continued to make small talk until they ordered, taking their ice cream outside to sit on a small bench. It felt nice for them to do something normal, such as getting ice cream and just hanging out. But to Sierra, it didn't feel as complete without their strawberry blonde friend beside them. She frowned, glancing around the parking lot. "Okay, Lydia is never this late."

Allison sighed, shifting to face her properly. "Sierra, she's not coming."

"What do you mean she's not coming?" Sierra brushed off Allison's words. "Don't be silly; we literally just talked to her. She's on her way."

"No," Allison whispered, barely shaking her head to disagree. "She's stuck at the high school with Mason...because of Peter."

Sierra scrunched her nose. "What're you talking about?"

"Sierra, I absolutely love that I get to relive this memory with you," Allison spoke honestly, resting her free hand on Sierra's knee. "It was one of my favorite days, but you and I both know what is really going on."

Sierra disagreed. "No, stop it Allison. We're having a fun afternoon, like normal kids. What's so wrong with that?" She looked at Allison with tears in her eyes. "Is it so bad I just wanted to see you again?"

"Of course not," Allison rushed to assure, pulling Sierra into a hug despite their strange posture from sitting on the bench. "Don't ever think I don't miss you."

Sierra didn't notice how their ice cream had disappeared, and instead clung to her friend tightly. "It's been so hard," Sierra cried out to her, closing her eyes. "After you left, it felt like everything just...it just became too much."

"Do you remember what your mother told you?" Allison asked her gently, leaning back to offer her a small smile. "She said you didn't have to do this alone, Sierra. So why are you acting like you have no one to turn to?"

"I..." Sierra hesitated, unable to come up with one excuse. "I don't know."

"You have Scott, you have Stiles, you have Jemma," Allison listed off. "Everyone in the pack is on your side. Since I left, I've only seen you open up a few times and then you build your walls again."

Allison advised seriously, "You can't bear the weight of the world on your shoulders. You're worried about Malia? You have Stiles. You're scared for Liam? You have Scott. And if you need relationship advice or fashion tips, Jemma and Lydia are only a text away."

"Your mom told you to rest," Allison reiterated, and added, "I'm telling you that it's okay to depend on others. The world can be dark sometimes, but the only way you get through is by staying together."

"You say that and I believe you, I do," Sierra replied, casting her gaze to her lap. "But what if I open up and they get hurt because of it?"

"Scott and Stiles love you too much to leave you alone," Allison assured her with smile. "And even if it hurts for a little while, that doesn't mean it's going to hurt forever."

"When did you become so wise?" Sierra asked her, her lips turning up.

"Honestly I think it's because I've been hanging out with your mom," Allison commented, both girls chuckling to themselves. "And as much as I would love to stay here with you and catch up, I can't let you."

"Why not?"

"Because right now, Stiles is on his way to come find you," Allison shared, her voice clear. "As is everyone else...everyone except Lydia."

"Well, that's good, right?" Sierra asked her, squinting slightly from the sun. "She won't get hurt if she stays in Beacon Hills."

Allison shook her head, "Not necessarily. Peter sent a Berserker to keep her home. If she left, she would've been able to warn everyone about Scott."

"Peter?" Sierra echoed in disbelief. "No, you mean Kate."

"Kate might've been the one to bring you here, but all of this was Peter's plan," Allison stated, both of them looking out to the small town around them. "Deep down you've known that for awhile. You even brought it up with Kate, but you've also gotten your head knocked in a few times since then."

"Don't remind me," Sierra groaned, rubbing her skull gently. "When I wake up, I know Im probably just gonna pass out again."

"Don't be so sure about that," Allison remarked.

Sierra furrowed her eyebrows. "What do you mean?"

"You're not asleep, Sierra," Allison made her point in different words, her steady heartbeat informing Sierra of the truth. "Kate thought the Terrigen crystal would kill you...but it didn't."

Sierra blinked, only more confused than before. "So what did it do?"

"It's changing you," Allison answered simply, a smile growing on her lips. "Genevieve said your body wanted to give you rest, instead of revealing your new powers. Right?"

"Right," Sierra agreed, though she still felt like her head was swimming. "I can't unlock them until I stop living in fear."

"Based on the way you stood up to Kate, and how you've talked to me, I think you're doing pretty well," Allison chuckled. "The crystal could've taken your powers away altogether, but it didn't. Because it recognizes the abilities you hold within, in your heart. So, in a way," Allison paused to find the right phrase before she grinned proudly. "You're evolving."

"Into what?" Sierra questioned.

"Into the person you were meant to be," Allison stated. "All you have to do is break free."

Sierra raised her eyebrows. "Break free?" she asked, not believing her. "That's it?"

"That's it," Allison nodded once. "Because if you don't, Peter is going to kill Scott, even if everyone realizes the truth. It'll be too late."

"Don't go all morbid on me now," Sierra joked, pulling Allison into a another right hug. "Thank you, Alli," she expressed gratefully. "I love you so much."

"And I love you too," Allison hugged her back. After they pulled away, she smiled optimistically, "So you're going to save our friends?"

"I'm going to save our family," Sierra agreed, raising to her feet with determination in her blue eyes. "I just gotta break free."

Break free, the words bounced around her head repeatedly.

BREAK FREE.

*^*^*^*^*

Mason knew Liam had been going through some stuff, even though he didn't know the specifics. At first, his anger at Liam's sudden change in attitude clouded his senses. Mason hadn't done anything wrong to his friend, and couldn't think of a reason why Liam acted so different. But after finding out two of his old friends, Garret and Violet, were professional assassins, Mason's mindset changed.

He couldn't be angry at Liam because he didn't know what Liam had been through. If he let his frustration get the best of him, he'd lose another close friend. Mason learned he just needed to be there. Whenever Liam wanted to open up or wanted a distraction through video games, Mason would be there.

That is why he assured Liam he'd check the school to find Lydia. Mason didn't know how Liam became friends with some of the most popular juniors like Lydia, Scott, Stiles and Sierra, but he didn't question it. All he cared about was that Liam seemed worried about the girl, meaning Mason would look for her.

Her blue Prius was still parked in the school's lot, telling Mason she had to be inside. Ending his phone call with Liam, Mason put his phone back in his pocket and headed for the front doors.

All the lights had been shut off, as school ended awhile ago. However, natural light allowed Mason to slowly walk down the halls and search any classroom where Lydia might be. He was ready to give up after checking the library to no avail, until he passed the main stairwell.

There, on one of the steps, was Kira's jacket. "No wonder she's not answering," Mason mumbled to himself, picking up Lydia's abandoned phone. He clicked the screen, expecting the battery to be completely dead. Yet instead, a frightening picture greeted him. "What the hell?"

A shadow cast over Mason's face suddenly, confusing him further. A snarl entered Mason's ears and he slowly lifted his head, terrified.

A tall man--well, Mason assumed it to be a man-- stood before him. His face had been masked with a giant animal skull, worn and sprinkled with blood. Its hair underneath was matted and its body was covered in a variety of bones and animal pelts.

And after it growled, Mason couldn't remember anything.

*^*^*^*^*

"Do you mind if I turn the radio down?"

Malia heard Peter's question clearly, despite the loud volume of the song playing in her ears. Instead of actually replying, seeing him glance at her, she simply nodded. Peter turned the knob, Malia casting her gaze back out towards the window so she didn't have to look at him as the music softened.

"You worried about Stiles?" Peter asked her next, wanting to make conversation. Malia might've been a fierce warrior, but she hadn't quite mastered how to hide her chemo signals quite yet. "Or are you worried about Sierra at the temple?"

Malia answered curtly, "I'm worried about everyone."

Peter pursed his lips, barely nodding before he inquired, "Do I need to be worried about you?" He referenced the conversation he held with her at the lacrosse game. Malia had blatantly stated she didn't want him there, but after Stiles left, Peter showed up anyways.

In exchange for more information about the Desert Wolf, Malia's mother, Peter had a mission for his daughter. He wanted her to kill Kate.

"We have to go through the Berserkers to get to Kate," Peter explained his question. "Then we have to go through Kate to get to Scott, Sierra and Kira. Trust me, it's going to get messy."

"Sierra told me we don't kill people," Malia replied what she had learned since becoming human again. "Her and Scott."

Peter waited a moment to answer, trying to find an angle where murder was justified. "Do you think," he started off, acting like the question suddenly came upon him, "Sierra would kill to save Stiles? Or Scott would kill to save Kira?" He pushed the topic quietly, "Would you...kill to save them?"

Malia fidgeted in her seat from the change of conversation and she let out a small sigh, glancing out the window. The moon hung high overhead, casting dark shadows across the Mexican desert. Malia focused on what Stiles and Sierra taught her, closing her eyes to stay in control.

"What's wrong?" Peter asked in concern.

"The full moon."

"Good," Peter nodded once. "You'll need that power."

Driving straight behind them, Braeden and Jemma both cast worried glances over their shoulders. Derek nodded to assure them everything in the back was fine, Stiles sitting beside him. Liam had been handcuffed across from them, his fingers clutching the triskelion.

Derek gave the medallion to Liam to help him control the shift, and even forced Stiles to convince Liam the object was extremely powerful. At first, Liam seemed perfectly okay. But then his thoughts started to drift, his breaths getting heavier.

Derek and Stiles exchanged nervous glances as Liam grunted, his claws sprouting from his fingertips. "Whatever...whatever you were gonna teach me--" Sweat dripped down his forehead as his now golden eyes narrowed at them and glowed. "I think you better start."

Derek noticed how he seemed at war with himself, his irises flickering in and out as he fought for control. "Liam," Derek said his name slowly. "Are you with me?" Liam managed to spare him a glance, his breathing patterns still uneasy. "We have a mantra that we use," Derek explained the triskelion in Liam's hands. "You repeat it, you focus on the words. It's like meditating. You say the words until you feel control coming back to you."

"Okay," Liam groaned, a sharp pain echoing in his ears from his hypersensitivity. He rushed out, "Okay, okay! What are the words?"

Derek instructed him to look down at the triskelion. "See the symbol? I have a tattoo on my back, it's the same thing. Each spiral means something."

"Alpha, Beta, Omega," Stiles stated quietly, Derek nodding his head.

"It represents the idea that we can always rise to one and fall back to another," Derek agreed, speaking with slight pauses to help Liam calm down. "Betas can become Alphas. Alphas can become Betas."

"Can Alphas become Omegas?" Liam asked, trying to focus.

Derek nodded once more. "All you have to do is say the three words," Derek told him. "With each one you tell yourself you're getting calmer, more in control. Now, go ahead."

"Alpha, Beta--"

"Slower," Derek commanded, interrupting the slurred words.

Liam huffed, but attempted to say it again. "Alpha," he hesitated between each like Derek said. "Beta...Omega." Stiles eyed Liam carefully, Derek coaching him. "Alpha...Beta...Omega."

"Good, now say it again," Derek said. "Remember, each time you tell yourself you're getting calmer."

Except he wasn't.

His breaths got ragged, his anger got worse. He could think of nothing but horrible memories, fights between his parents or the intense conversation he had with Stiles only a day ago. "Alpha...Beta...Omega," Liam repeated sharply, his voice growing deep with rage.

"Oh, God," Stiles whispered under his breath, seeing Liam's eyes swirl golden yellow. He looked at Derek and remarked, "I don't think that powerful talisman of self-control is working."

Derek demanded Liam to say the mantra again, but it was too late. Liam growled, his fangs in full view as he fought against the handcuffs keeping him down. Braeden swerved the van from the sudden chaos, Derek shouting at Liam. Stiles struggled to stay in his seat, his body crashing into the side from the sudden turns just as Liam broke his chains.

"Derek?" Jemma looked over her shoulder worriedly.

"I think we're gonna need to go a little faster!" Stiles yelled over the commotion, making Braeden slam her foot on the accelerator.

The strong beta roared ferociously, leaping towards Derek. Derek kept Liam at bay, gripping onto his wrists. However, Derek didn't have the same strength he used to. He didn't have his power.

"We're almost there!" Braeden announced as Liam's claws edged closer to Derek's neck.

Even though he couldn't do much, Stiles grabbed one of Liam's arms and allowed Derek to focus on the other. "Liam!" Derek tried to get his attention back. "Keep focus!"

Stiles replied, his voice wavering from the intense situation. "Derek, I don't think Alpha, Beta, Omega is resonating with him!"

"Well, do you know any other mantras?!" Derek snapped back.

"Actually, I do!" Stiles retorted, turning towards Liam, who grunted and tried to swipe at him. He remembered the question Satomi's pack used to subdue their natural, violent impulses. "Liam, Liam! What three things cannot long be hidden?"

Liam glanced his way, but still didn't want to listen.

"Liam!" Stiles tried again, wrestling to keep him in his grasp. "Liam, look at me! What three things cannot long be hidden? What three things?"

Liam finally heard him, his heart pounding against his chest. He grunted, panting as he answered slowly, "The sun...the moon...the truth."

"That's it," Stiles encouraged him softly. "Say it again."

"The sun," Liam lowered his voice, his fingers trembling as he started to pull away from Derek. "The moon...the truth." His eyes flickered back to light blue, the golden rage fading once he could breathe again. "The sun...the moon...the truth."

"Derek?" Jemma asked him once more, checking in to see if everything was okay.

"We're okay," Derek assured her, seeing Liam mumble the mantra under his breath over and over. Stiles let out a huge sigh of relief, Derek relaxing as well. A few moments passed, Derek recognizing the area outside despite it being dark. He turned to Liam, "How ya feel?"

"I...I can't believe I did it," Liam exhaled, a small smile on his lips while he looked up at Derek and Stiles. "You know, for a minute there I thought I was gonna tear the two of you apart."

Stiles withheld from rolling his eyes, but quietly scoffed. "Yeah, that would've made for an awkward ride home. So, thanks."

"Think you can bring the same level of control and strength inside La Iglesia?" Derek questioned Liam, feeling the van coming to a stop.

Liam didn't answer verbally, but flicked his hand to reveal his sprouted claws. Stiles nodded, impressed, as he commented, "Alright....We might actually be able to do this."

"I hope so," Braeden spoke up from the front seat, the boys turning towards her curiously.

"Because we're here."

*^*^*^*^*

"Are you okay?"

Mason blinked at Lydia's soft spoken question, only able to let out a groan in response. His heart echoed in his ears as she helped him sit up, him holding his forehead with his hand.

Lydia pursed her lips at his reaction, recognizing the concussion the freshman had gotten from the Berserker knocking him out. "Yeah, it's probably going to hurt a lot."

"There was this guy," Mason remembered bits and pieces of what occurred before he blacked out. Though, describing the creature only made him feel worse. "He...He was huge, really huge. He had a, a skull on his face."

"Yeah, I know," Lydia sighed, though didn't offer any explanation. "I saw it too."

Mason recognized his surroundings after he took a second to glance around. A metal shelf kept himself and Lydia hidden, the dirty concrete floor telling him they were in the school's basement. Figuring he needed to call someone to help, he searched his pockets for his phone. However, he came up short. "My phone's gone."

"I think that's the point," Lydia replied to him, her eyes focused down the hallway. She understood Mason's confusion and worry, but she didn't have time to explain the entire supernatural world to him. The less Mason knew, the better.

When he asked what the man was going to do to them, Lydia answered, "I don't know, but it definitely doesn't want us to leave."

The pieces fell into place pretty quickly for Lydia. If a Berserker didn't want her to leave the school, then it meant it didn't want her going to Mexico with everyone else. Her intuition and sixth sense told her one of her friends was going to die, and she couldn't do anything to stop it.

"Why do you keep saying 'it?'" Mason questioned, puzzled as Lydia snapped out of her thoughts.

Both of them froze at the sudden sound of the Berserker growling, Lydia straightening her back in alarm. Mason found the courage to stand, his back pressed against the cement wall while Lydia mimicked his position. "What is that thing?" he whispered to her, afraid.

"Not human."