Forty-Eight

SCOTT'S ASTHMA WAS BACK.

That had been made clear. It had gotten so bad so quickly, Scott kept his inhaler in his pocket at all times. Just like he used to before he was bitten.

Except this time it felt different.

It was if the condition carried along a darkness behind it. One that kept people on edge and on guard.

Scott felt it, and he knew the others did too.

Five days had passed with no new chimeras or sightings of the dread doctors. However, it didn't bring relief. It only made things worse.

Scott pretended like nothing happened, as did Sierra and the rest of the pack. Yet while he walked down the hallways, he couldn't catch the usual grins or hear laughter floating through his ears.

It was grimly silent. Like everyone at the school could sense that something was coming and just...shut down.

Sometimes he found himself reaching for his inhaler, as if it would give him all the answers. But Scott knew that no puff of air could help him find a solution. He didn't know what to do; he didn't think anyone did.

He guessed that's why he slowly stopped talking to his friends. Not talking made it easier to keep secrets.

Sierra distanced herself completely, not even sparing Scott a glance during class. Stiles fell into his own hole as well, and from what Scott could tell, the boy hadn't spoken to Sierra as much either. Malia chose to ignore everyone, for reasons she never shared.

Liam kept Hayden away from Scott, still bitter about getting kidnapped. He wanted to keep her safe at all costs. Luckily, she seemed to be doing better. Her cut had healed completely, and now her heightened senses kicked in.

Corey was doing better too. He only talked to Mason and glared at Scott every time he saw him. He didn't want anything to do with the true alpha or the others. Not after the incident at Scott's house.

Then, there was Parrish. No one told the sheriff that his deputy was stealing the bodies. Yet, no one really told Parrish either. He doesn't seem to remember taking the bodies, and Scott thought that he was only dangerous if you tried to get in his way. If Stilinski knew the truth, he would definitely get in his way.

Luckily, Noah was busy trying to find more chimeras. Anyone who had two sets of DNA. No one at the station really knew what they're looking for. Some think it's a serial killer. Some probably know its worse.

So, Sierra and Stiles carried out their plan. Grouping with Lydia, they set out to find the bodies. Which meant finding the Nemeton. They just prayed this time no one had to drown in ice water.

"I still haven't heard from Kira," Scott said next, as he stood in the examination room at the animal clinic. His eyes were dull and his heart hurt. "I'm getting more and more worried about Deaton."

His caring boss had been gone way longer than he promised. He hadn't called and no one had seen him. With everything going on, Scott couldn't help but think negatively.

Scott sighed, gripping his inhaler. "I know something is coming. And all I can think about is how good am I going to be if I can't even breathe?"

"You sound like you're trying to apologize."

Scott raised his eyes to see Theo across the metal table between them. He didn't know why he chose Theo to confide his feelings in, but it felt good not holding it in anymore.

"You came here looking for an alpha," Scott pointed out, his frown deepening. "I'm sorry that you found me."

"I'm not sorry," Theo disagreed, making Scott lift his brows in disbelief.

"You still want to be a part of the pack?"

"Scott, I came back to Beacon Hills for you and Sierra," Theo told him honestly. "I'm with you. For better or worse."

Scott gulped, thinking over the past week before muttering, "Trust me, there's gonna be worse."

A little smirk tilted the corners of Theo's mouth up. "I'm counting on it."

*^*^*^*^*^*

Trees.

Hundreds and thousands of trees.

Sierra glanced around the woods with a huff. The sun shone down over them, the twisty branches offering shade. The occasional breeze blew, naturally tucking Sierra's loose hair behind her shoulders.

Her feet hurt from walking around the molding leaves and dirt all morning. Her stomach kept grumbling at the lack of breakfast (she only drank from her water bottle) and her fingers were stained white from the chalk she carried around.

Lydia walked beside her, just as frustrated in her knee-high boots. Stiles moved at least twenty paces in front of them, constantly looking from side to side in order to find any kind of place for the bodies to be.

The past five days they've searched for the Nemeton. But they never found anything.

"This is getting ridiculous," Sierra grumbled and then raised her voice so Stiles would stop walking. "Hey! Would you get back here?! You're going to get yourself lost."

Stiles ignored her comment, but stopped. Turning back to the girls, he declared, "You know, I'm starting to think this thing doesn't want to be found."

"Maybe it knows we're late for class," Lydia remarked as her green eyes caught something on a piece of bark. She frowned, adding to her statement, "Probably because we've been here twice."

Sierra followed her eye line and groaned at the sight of a two white X's on a tree. "Oh come on!"

"Crap." Stiles, having walked back over to them, noticed the chalk as well.

Lydia looked between her friends expectantly. "Can we talk to Parrish now?"

That was the first idea she suggested, but for some reason, Stiles didn't want the deputy involved. He suggested finding the bodies by themselves. However, to the banshee they obviously needed a new plan.

"Hang on," Stiles held up his finger, thinking. "The Nemeton is covered in bodies, right?" His gaze flicked to Lydia. "Shouldn't you be able to find them?"

"Me?" Lydia echoed, scrunching up her nose.

Sierra chimed in, "He actually has a point, Lyd. You're a banshee, aka a harbinger of death. You've found bodies before."

"Right," Stiles nodded. "It's what you do as a banshee. You find the bodies."

"Well, the banshee is having an off day," Lydia retorted, crossing her arms. "How about we just talk to Parrish?"

"We can't."

Lydia looked at Stiles and demanded, "Why not?"

Sierra turned to her boyfriend as well. She wanted to hear if he was going to tell the truth.

If they found the bodies before anyone else, Stiles would be able to see if Donovan was really alive or dead. However, if Parrish or other cops get involved and Donovan was dead, he was adamant that he would be thrown in jail.

Kind of a ridiculous theory in Sierra's mind, but she understood he was scared. Anyone in his shoes would be. She was just done with him lying to everyone.

"Because one of the bodies," Stiles started, reluctant to answer. Out of the corner of his eye, Stiles saw Sierra studying him and tensed. "One of them could be...."

"One of them could be what?" Lydia questioned, wind gently blowing her hair around her face.

"One of them could be a clue."

Sierra's face fell. Another opportunity to come clean and he didn't take it.

She pressed her lips into a firm line, casting her eyes to the floor while Lydia scoffed.

"I'm leaving now, Stiles," the banshee told him, already backing away towards the direction they came from. "I'm going to talk to Parrish and tell him he's the one taking the bodies. It's always better when they know!"

"Well then, he should know he owes me a jeep!" Stiles called after her, annoyed. His face softened from seeing Sierra still standing a few feet away from him. "Sierra--"

"No." Her voice was cold as she held up her hand. She shook her head, and moved to follow Lydia. "Don't even say a word."

Stiles sighed heavily, watching her retreating figure with a frown. The past five days proved to him she was done covering for the lies he had given. It was time to tell the truth, whether he liked it or not.

Otherwise, Stiles would lose a lot more than Scott's trust.

*^*^*^*^*^*

That morning in the locker room, Scott found himself using his inhaler once again.

He didn't even know what triggered it.

Slowly taking deep breaths, Scott kept his eyes closed and rested his weight against the side of his locker.

Pathetic, the voice in his head whispered, as he shoved the device back into his pocket.

Scott sighed, reopening his eyes. The boys that had been inside were gone, but Scott furrowed his brows from hearing another heart beat.

Carefully, Scott walked across the locker room and turned down a row. Then, he noticed Liam.

The beta didn't notice Scott at first, focusing on filling his bag with random food and water bottles from his locker. Scott wondered if he should say anything at all.

"Hey," his mouth betrayed him as Liam glanced his way. "What're you doing?"

Liam quickly zipped up his bag before straightening his back. "Nothing."

Scott stared at him, knowing that he was lying. But he didn't want to fight. "Okay," he changed the subject. "Just remember there's a full moon tomorrow, and you're probably already starting to feel it."

"I know."

"It's a super moon," Scott continued, though Liam barely met his eyes. "It's gonna be a lot closer to the earth--"

"Yeah," Liam interrupted. "I know what it means."

Scott pursed his lips, but nodded his head. "Okay."

It wasn't a secret Liam had been ignoring him since being kidnapped by the dread doctors. The two had barely exchanged glances let alone words.

Liam wouldn't even talk to Sierra. He was too focused on protecting Hayden.

Though Liam didn't know how to define their relationship, Liam knew he cared about her. A lot. And since the dread doctors were out to get her, Liam wanted to keep her as far away from danger as possible. That included Scott. He was the reason Hayden got kidnapped in the first place.

"Just remember I'm here for you," Scott told Liam seriously.

However, Liam's jaw just clenched. He turned away from Scott to slam his locker door shut, showing the true alpha he wasn't in the best of moods. Raising his head, he asked, "You gonna chain me to a tree again?"

"All I meant was that it might be a good idea if we stick together," Scott clarified, concerned by the anger radiating off of his beta. "So we can protect each other."

Liam shook his head, picking up his lacrosse bag and throwing it over his shoulder.

Then he muttered, "We can't protect anyone."

Without another word, he stalked out of the locker room, leaving Scott completely stunned.

*^*^*^*^*^*

"You guys are sure that's where Parrish is taking the bodies?"

Sierra and Stiles walked into the library, Theo following behind them closely.

"There's no other place, Theo," Sierra repeated what she said in the parking lot. "If it's happening in his dreams, it's probably where he's taking them in real life."

"Well, you know if Lydia finds the Nemeton she's going to find Donovan," Theo pointed out the obvious.

Stiles stopped walking, whirling around to narrow his eyes at the werewolf. Was Theo serious?

Sierra looked surprised as well, considering they were currently in a condensed area filled with students. And Theo didn't exactly whisper.

Theo seemed to realize his mistake. He glanced around before apologizing quietly. "Sorry."

"Yeah, well she's also going to find Josh," Stiles shot back, making Theo tense.

He looked down at the ground, letting out a sigh. "Maybe...maybe she should."

Stiles eyed him, wanting to know the angle he was trying to play. For someone who desperately wanted to be a part of their back, he seemed too eager to admit to murder.

"I think things are different now for Scott," Theo explained himself. "Especially after what he did to Corey."

Stiles looked bewildered. "Are you guys sharing thoughts now or something?" he asked Sierra, whose lips parted.

"What?"

"You literally said almost those exact words to me a week ago," Stiles stated in annoyance.

Sierra glared at him, crossing her arms. "Maybe because it's the right thing to do, Stiles. Theo and I haven't done anything."

"All I'm saying is that I don't think Scott would get blame us for defending ourselves," Theo interceded the argument he could sense brewing between the pair. He focused on Stiles. "I know he won't blame you."

"I've been trying to tell him that since it happened," Sierra muttered, but Stiles didn't reply to either of them.

He was too lost in a vision.

One where he ended up impaled. His clothes covered in blood. Silver mercury dripping down his chin as he stared aimlessly forward.

It wasn't that he didn't want to tell Scott. He did. His best friend deserved the truth. But in Stiles's mind, it was too late. He had already lied about everything. If he came clean now, Scott would never trust him again.

That was something Sierra didn't seem to understand.

"Stiles?"

Two fingers snapped in front of his face, making him blink. Theo looked at him worriedly. "Dude, you okay?"

"I'm fine," Stiles shook his head to clear his mind. Noticing the sudden absence of a short dirty-blonde, he asked, "Where's Sierra?"

"She went to class," Theo informed him, confused on how he didn't see his own girlfriend leave. "Said that she wasn't going to make a decision for us, but that we needed to decide soon."

"That...does sound like Sierra, yeah."

"So what're we going to do?"

*^*^*^*^*^*

In math, Scott couldn't focus.

He anxiously clicked his pen, giving up on the worksheet placed in front of him.

His eyes could've glared a hole into his desk from how long he stared at the wood.

Sitting in front of him, Theo noticed how spaced-out the alpha seemed. So, he turned around.

"Hey," he whispered, grabbing Scott's attention. "I need to talk to you about something."

"Are you okay?" Scott asked in concern.

Theo waved it off with a vague response. "Yeah, it's not really about me...but it's something I probably should've told you a long time ago."

Scott stiffened in his chair. Immediately, his mind went to the worst scenarios. He forced out a response, scared to hear the answer. "What is it?"

Theo looked hesitant, but said, "It's about Stiles--and Sierra actually."

Scott's eyes widened. What could've they done?

His ears perked before he could question Theo further. "Wait," he uttered, tuning into the wailing sirens growing closer. "Do you hear that?"

"Is that the police?" Theo asked, scrunching his brows together.

"It's an ambulance."

Without waiting, Scott jumped out of his chair and bolted out of the room. Theo quickly followed, leaving behind very confused classmates and a frustrated teacher.

The two burst through the side door of the school, just in time to see Corey being wheeled on a stretcher. Mercury completely drenched his shirt, dripping down his chin and swirling with black blood.

"What the hell happened?" a familiar voice demanded, and Scott turned to see Sierra staring at the scene wide-eyed. She was in English when she heard the sirens.

Mason, who had been with Corey before, also had Mercury on his clothes. He stuttered out in shock, "He, He just started bleeding e-everywhere--I, I don't--"

"Don't!" Corey begged as he was put in the ambulance. His face was scrunched up in pain, silver tears falling from his eyes. "Don't let them kill me!"

"Scott, we need to follow him," Theo said sternly while Sierra moved to Mason.

The boy was trembling, staring at his bloodied hands in disbelief.

"You're okay," she whispered in assurance, resting a hand on his shoulder. "Everything's going to be fine." She turned to Scott, who never replied to Theo. He was just watching the scene unfold with his jaw dropped. "Scott, come on!"

"Scott, this is what you do," Theo pressed so he'd snap out of it.

And he did.

Scott blinked, turning around quickly to rush back inside. Sierra went with him, Theo trailing behind.

"Okay, you two go to the hospital and make sure Corey is okay," Sierra instructed, slurring her words to get them out in time. "I'm gonna grab Malia and try to find Hayden. If Corey's hurt, she probably is too."

Scott nodded multiple times. "Okay, I'll tell you if anything happens!"

Then, they parted ways--unaware that everything was about to change.

*^*^*^*^*^*

Sierra found Malia easily.

The two practically collided in the corner of the hallways.

Sierra caught herself before she fell and looked up to see if Malia was alright.

"Thank god I found you," Sierra expressed, sighing. "Something happened--"

"Yeah, I know," Malia nodded, "I was just chasing her but she flung me into the lockers."

Sierra couldn't believe her ears. "Wait, what? Hayden flung you into the lockers?"

"Hayden?" Malia echoed and scrunched her nose. "No, Beth."

"Who is Beth?"

"The girl I was chasing," Malia quickly explained, confused on how their stories had gotten mixed up. "She's in my science class. She was chewing on her fingers and talking about her condition--"

"Malia, get to the point."

Malia huffed. "My point is that she's a chimera. I saw the mercury on her hand."

Sierra's eyes widened, "Are you serious? Where is she?"

"She went down the hall." Malia pointed out, and Sierra took off.

First Corey, now Beth. How many people were the dread doctors going after today?

Malia kept up due to her long legs, scanning the school for any signs of her blonde classmate. They just turned a corner when Sierra flung her arms out, coming to an abrupt halt.

Malia stopped, both of them breathing heavily.

They stared forward in horror, seeing Beth on the other side of the double doors. Her eyes were round in fear, tears running down her cheeks.

But she wasn't alone.

A dread doctor, the Pathologist, clamped its gloved hand over the girl's mouth. Then, it snapped her neck.

Sierra watched helplessly as Beth collapsed, her legs giving out from beneath her.

"No," Malia whispered, somehow finding the ability to run to the doors. "No, not again."

Sierra knew it was too late. Yet her heart caused her to chase Malia down to the end of the hall.

Both of them were on the verge of tears from seeing Beth's body on the concrete, her lips dripping silver.

Sierra backed away from the doorway, her fingers trembling at her sides. Malia swallowing hard, letting the door close.

The bell rung.

They were too shocked to process what just occurred. Another chimera--another innocent teenager....gone in the blink of an eye.

Sierra found herself walking away, sucking in a sharp breath. She honestly didn't even know if Malia was still behind her.

Students poured from the classrooms, chatter filling the air. But Sierra didn't say a word.

Stiles saw his girlfriend from where he had left his science class. Yet he quickly grew concerned from the way she kept her head down, lips pressed in a firm line. He didn't know how hard she was trying not to cry.

Then he noticed Malia, matching Sierra's crestfallen expression.

"Hey, hey, hey," he grasped onto Sierra's hands, speaking under his breath. He worriedly glanced between them. "What happened?"

Malia answered him, lifting her eyes. "I hate this."

Stiles didn't understand and stared at her, puzzled.

"I hate losing like this," Malia shook her head, blinking away her tears. "I'm not like Scott. I can't deal with another body. Another failure."

Then, she brushed past him and walked away.

Stiles looked to Sierra for explanation, wondering what caused them to be so shell-shocked. He wiped a tear from her cheek and tilted her chin so she would meet his gaze. "What happened?" he repeated his question quietly.

Sierra sniffled, pushing his hand away and taking a step back from him. His face fell. "The dread doctors happened, what else," she quipped.

"Hey, I'm only trying to help," he told her, hurt by the snarkiness in her tone.

"Are you?" she snapped back at him. "Because to me, it's like you're only concerned with making sure no one finds out about Donovan."

"Sierra, that's not true--"

"Then tell Scott the truth," she demanded, her voice thick and unwavering. "I can't take the lies anymore, alright? Because none of us are talking, more people are dying."

Stiles parted his lips in surprise as she took a deep breath.

"I just...." Sierra struggled to find what she really wanted to say. "Forget it. I have to find Hayden."

"Let me help," he tried to offer but she shut him down.

"You've already done enough."

And then, just like Malia, Sierra left.

Stiles walked away, his head spinning with a million questions. But Malia mentioned another chimera. That meant another body.

He quickly dug out his phone, calling Lydia. While he and Sierra came back to school, Lydia found Parrish and tried to help him find the Nemeton.

Stiles groaned at the sound of her voicemail.

"For the love of god, Lyd, answer your phone!" Stiles rushed out in urgency. "There's another dead chimera, so right now is probably not a great time to be alone with Parrish. If he's coming to get the body, you can't get in his way. Lydia, do not get in his way."

*^*^*^*^*^*

On the way to follow Corey to the hospital, Scott remembered something.

"Hey, what did you want to talk to me about?"

He sat on the passenger side in Theo's truck, the other werewolf behind the wheel.

Theo glanced at him, but barely shook his head to dismiss his question. "It can wait."

"If something's wrong, you should tell me," Scott urged him. "We've all got to start talking to each other again."

Theo remained unsure. "This might not be the best place to start, Scott."

"You think I'm going to be angry?"

"Not with me."

"You can talk to me," Scott promised.

A moment of silence passed, Scott noticing how fidgety Theo turned before he finally spoke. "Open the glove compartment."

A wave of uneasiness washed over Scott right then and there. His eyes drifted to the box, and every part of him screamed to leave it shut. But he chose to listen to Theo.

A wrench. A simple, silver wrench stared back at Scott.

He furrowed his eyebrows but slowly picked it up. Upon closer investigation, he noticed dried blood stained on the metal.

His breath hitched.

"It belonged to Stiles," Theo said first, keeping his eyes on the road. "He dropped it at the school."

"Dropped it when?"

"When he killed Donovan."

Scott instantly lifted his head, looking at Theo with wide eyes. "What--" Scott couldn't speak. Hell, he could barely think. "What're you talking about?"

"You know he hurt his shoulder, right?" Theo asked quietly. "You smelled the blood."

Scott started to shake his head. "That was the jeep, he, he said the hood fell on him," he sputtered.

"No, no, no, that was Donovan," Theo corrected, sneaking a glance to the alpha. Scott just stared at him. "He went after Stiles at the library." Theo let out a sigh, and continued, "I only saw the end of it. And when I saw what Stiles was doing I couldn't stop him."

Scott couldn't breathe. He sat, completely frozen, unable to believe Theo's story. His eyes accidentally glanced down to the wrench and he felt like he was going to throw up.

"I shouldn't, I shouldn't even be telling you this," Theo was saying. "You should be hearing this from him."

"Tell me," Scott commanded. He needed to hear the truth. The whole story.

Theo looked at him, his eyes glistening and rimming red. But he listened to Scott. "I saw Donovan go down," he said, emotions thickening his voice. "Stiles hit him with the wrench...but he just kept hitting him."

No, Scott thought, it couldn't be true. Stiles wasn't like that. He wouldn't hurt anyone. Not unless...

"Maybe it's because Donovan threatened to kill his dad, that Stiles thought he had to keep going to defend himself but...when he mentioned Sierra, Stiles lost it," Theo stated, confirming Scott's fear. "He just kept hitting him."

His best friend had been protective over the girl since they met. The only times Scott had seen Stiles get truly angry is when Sierra's life was on the line.

"That's not possible," Scott whispered, his fingers starting to shake from the reality striking him.

Theo expressed, almost like he had been traumatized by his memory, "Scott, he practically crushed that kid's skull. I heard it cracking and, and it splintering." His voice broke in two, Scott close to having a mental breakdown himself. "By the time I pulled Stiles off of him, half of Donovan's head was caved in....it didn't even look real."

"I kept telling myself that it was self-defense," Theo recalled, shaking his head as a tear rolled down his cheek. "It was self-defense but...Scott, I'm sorry."

"I've never seen anything like it and I've never seen anyone that angry."

"Sierra," Scott said shakily, feeling his heart pound. "You said Sierra was involved while we were in class. Was...was she there?"

Theo responded lowly, "No, no Sierra wasn't there." Scott almost sighed with relief until Theo finished, "But she knows what happened. Stiles told her."

"What?"

"Neither of them wanted to tell you," Theo lied, seeing the stunned expression on Scott's face. "And when I found out...I can't believe I'm telling you this...she threatened me."

"No, Sierra wouldn't hurt anyone," Scott didn't accept his reply. "Not on purpose."

Theo defended himself, "Scott, I'm telling you the truth! She told me that she was protecting Stiles, she was protecting him from you, but the way she glared at me...her eyes were glowing and she used her powers to lift me into the air. She wouldn't let me down until I swore I wouldn't say anything."

Scott remained silent, digesting another part of a horrific story. He knew Sierra was capable of some incredulous things...but threatening someone?

However, the more he thought about it the more everything made sense.

For the past weeks, something shifted in his relationship with his best friends. He never could place it and blamed himself. But it wasn't him.

They were lying. They were the ones at fault.

Straight to his face, they came up with excuse after excuse. Any hope he had at reconnecting with Sierra shattered--not when she kept secrets from him.

That was one thing she promised to never do. But she did it anyways.

"You need to talk to them," Theo's voice entered his ears. "You need to talk to Stiles and Sierra."

"Don't worry, I plan to."

*^*^*^*^*^*

When Scott and Theo arrived at the hospital, Scott managed to push his feelings aside.

There wasn't time for him to be upset. Not yet. Not when Corey was in danger.

Scott stopped soon after they entered, his eyes sweeping over the chaotic area. Chairs were overturned, paperwork scattered. Nurses ran back and forth, some patients seeking attention on the hallway ground.

"They were already here," Scott realized, walking forwards.

However, his view changed when he spotted two EMTs receiving medical help from a doctor.

"This wasn't them," Theo caught on.

"It was Corey."

The two took off split apart, keeping their eyes peeled for the teenager. After about twenty minutes, they met in front of the elevator. Neither of them found any leads to where Corey could be hiding.

"Security is still looking," Scott said, catching his breath from his sprint.

"I didn't see anything either," Theo replied.

Before they could say anything more, the lights glitched. On and off they switched, the elevator continuously opening and shutting without warning. Scott recognized the signs and swore under his breath. "Now they're here."

The clock started to tick. They needed to find Corey before the dread doctors caught him. Scott knew they didn't just want the boy for a check-up.

But once again, they were too late.

Scott and Theo found him slouched against an ambulance. His dark eyes wide open, the dried mercury and blood staining his pale skin.

"We should go," Theo said after a minute.

Scott stayed quiet at first, but raised to his feet. Too many thoughts swirled around his head. Doubt and fear flooded his senses as he thought about everything from the past day, but had one thing clear.

"We need to find Hayden."

"Sierra told us at school she was going to find her," Theo reminded him.

"Well, then we're joining the search."

*^*^*^*^*^*

From: Sierra

Hayden, please text me back. I need to know you're safe!

The girl sighed when she read another text message from Sierra. The moment Hayden left school with Liam, Sierra started blowing up her phone. She felt guilty from ignoring her; after all, Sierra was just trying to help.

But Hayden's life was in danger. And at the moment, she'd rather stay with Liam. They had a plan.

From: Sierra

Seriously, Hayden, just listen to me!

"What's she saying now?" Liam asked.

"The same thing she's been saying for the past hour," Hayden frowned, and decided to shove her phone back in her pocket. "How far are we going to go?"

The two stood in Sinema, Hayden getting the cash she earned out of a safe. Liam told her the best idea was to get out of Beacon Hills. And even though she hated leaving her older sister behind, Hayden agreed.

"Wherever is far enough I guess," Liam said.

"What if I turn out like Tracy?" Hayden kept asking questions. "What if I hurt you?"

Liam offered her a small smile. "I'll get over it."

Everything went black, interrupting anything Hayden might've said. The projectors flicked on and off, and Hayden moved closer to Liam. A static electricity filled the air.

"Oh, god," she whispered. "They're here."

Liam wrapped a protective arm around her waist, his body tensing in alarm. "Hide," he urged her, pushing her towards the drink counter. The two wasted no more time, making their bodies as small as possible.

Both anxiously held their breaths, Liam listening intently to find out where the dread doctors were. He could hear the boots stomping on the ground, the familiar hair-raising clicks.

They were close.

Then without warning, broken glass rained over their heads. The dread doctor had known exactly where they were, shattering bottles to make them come out.

But Liam didn't wait for them to find Hayden. He grabbed her hand tightly and made a run for it. The darkness provided a cover, but only for a few seconds.

One appeared right in front of them, Liam stumbling to a stop. Before he could react, the supernatural scientist swung his gloved hand--colliding with Liam's jaw.

Liam collapsed instantly, spitting up blood. However, he scrambled to get back up. He wouldn't go down without a fight.

But the dread doctors weren't going to leave until they got what they came for.