From Ashes ✗ Stiles Stilinski - Chapter 18: Chapter 18

When I was younger, I always wanted to be...something. Something great, I guess. Stronger, faster, smarter. Exceptional. Then I was called. I was, for lack of a better word, chosen.
I thought I would become something greater, that my life would mean something. Something's better than nothing, right?
No. This isn't something. I've become nothing more than a shadow. No, even worse: a weapon.
So, then, why not decide to be a great weapon? I mean, what else am I good for? I've made myself into this – a weapon forged in fire and cold as steel. That's what they see, at least. For all the impenetrable framing I've built, there's nothing inside. I'm hollow. I've got no real interests or hobbies. No friends. Instead I have slaying and training and allies.
For everything I'm told I'm exceptional for, in reality I'm worth nothing to anyone. I'm expendable; a faceless warrior.
We are alone. I am alone – and my mission was done.
So, then, why did I feel the need to stay in Beacon Hills?
Easy.
It had been a month and I hadn't run into a single vampire.
"Not one?" Even the redhead on the other line sounded worried now. Then again, leave it to Willow Rosenberg to wear her emotions on her sleeve.
Maddie plopped down in a chair, across from Chris Argent, who even seemed mildly intrigued by the news. The slayer sighed. "Not hide nor fang."
"Oh boy."
"There hasn't been a death specifically caused by severe blood loss from neck wounds in years," Chris said, his voice low and tired. It had been days since the death of his sister, Kate, and the stress of it all could easily be seen on his face.
The phone had been set on the center of the coffee table and put on speaker. Maddie looked at the device as if she was seeing the witch right in front of her. "So, wait...is that bad?"
"Well, usually I'd go with a big, fat 'no', but Beacon Hills isn't exactly a mystical-energy-free zone. Vampires should be drawn to it. "
"Maybe it's the wolves," Maddie replied, feeling a cold stare on her immediately but not looking over.
"All two of 'em?"
The teenager rolled her eyes at the sarcastic remark. "Right. So what do we do?"
"That's kind of the thing, Mads," Xander spoke up on the other line. "The mission's over. Finito. Done."
"But the vampires!" Maddie argued, her voice growing louder. "And Derek Hale! There's still an Alpha in town. The threat didn't just disappear into thin air. And Allison! Isn't it my job to protect her?" She turned her head to the hunter. "Isn't it?"
Chris sighed and didn't answer.
"Maddie, it's okay. The Argents can take it from here. This is kinda their area of expertise..." Willow went on.
"She's right," Chris spoke finally.
"See? So, we can just-"
"No," Chris cut Xander off. There was a beat. "...Madeline's right. We don't know what's coming next. The extra help might be useful."
Madeline eyed the man suspiciously. She hadn't anticipated him taking her side.
"Ohh...kay."
"We'll have to talk it over on our end," Xander added in an equally suspicious tone. "You sure about this, Hayes?"
The petite brunette studied the Argent, as if attempting to decipher any hidden agenda. "Yeah. Yeah, I'd like to stay a little longer."
"Well, as fun as this conversation keeps getting, we can't really move forward until Buffy gets back." The unease in Willow's voice told the slayer that she didn't seem to trust the hunter either. "We'll go over it with her and, uh...get back to you."
"Sounds like a plan." There was an air of bitterness as Maddie replied but she quickly hid it away again before continuing on. "I'll check back tomorrow."
"Ten-four good buddy," Willow replied and this was soon followed by a beep that let Maddie know that the call had ended.
The slayer looked over at the hunter. "Why did you do that?"
"It was the truth," Chris replied, his stare unchanging. "A Slayer might be useful for a little while."
Madeline stood and grabbed her phone from the table. "And I'm supposed to take that at face value."
"Take it however you want. The bottom line is that you saved my daughter's life."
"So did Scott but you're not extending an invitation to him. So what gives?"
Chris exhaled loudly and stood from his own seat. "Scott is the reason Allison got involved in this." His voice was progressively getting louder as he spoke. "Now, I don't want to see a sixteen year old kid end up dead but I won't allow him destroy my daughter's life."
"And what does any of that have to do with me?" she answered, sounding exasperated.
"I know you want to keep both of them out of harm's way." There was a long pause as his bright blue eyes narrowed on the girl. "So, I have a proposition for you."
The past twelve hours had been confusing and outright stressful. She hadn't been able to get any shut eye whatsoever, which was more than a little frustrating but that wasn't the extent of her troubles. She now found herself carrying her things – which consisted of a duffel, a backpack, and a messenger bag – down the long, dark hallway. She had already passed the guest room which once housed Kate for several months. It hadn't been offered to her though. No, that was supposed to be for another Argent who was on their way; that was a frightening thought in itself. She was beginning to get tired of Argents.
Alas, Maddie found herself in front of another door. Not hers, of course; a door she did not want to knock on whatsoever.
Yet, she did.
The door swung open, revealing a messy-haired, frowning Allison. She looked down at Madeline's luggage and back up at her face. "Hi."
Maddie forced a thin-lipped smile. "Hi."
Allison seemed to hesitate but took a few steps to the side, opening the door a bit more as a begrudging invitation. The slightly shorter brunette set her things down in the hallway and stepped in carefully as if avoiding a landmine. Allison closed the door and walked back over to her bed, sitting down. "Shouldn't you be moving in?"
"Probably," Maddie said with a shrug as she stood by the vanity.
"Then why are you here?"
The slayer sighed as the question sliced through the thick air. She folded her arms and leaned against the polished furniture. Her posture and attitude did nothing to allude to some sort of apology. Instead, she looked Allison directly in the eye, defiance coming out in waves with the way she carried herself. "I did what I was told: go to a new town, stop a threat, protect someone."
"I never asked anyone to protect me." Allison was becoming increasingly defensive, jolting up from her bed.
"You also didn't know werewolves existed," Maddie countered, her tone and expression not changing one bit.
Allison's mouth opened to say something but it quickly clamped shut as she looked away. "They should've told me...someone should've told me."
Maddie could hear the pain in the girl's voice and, although a pinch of guilt surfaced, her confusion and annoyance boiled over. "What would that have accomplished? What would it help? Would your boyfriend be less of a werewolf? Would your dad be less of a hunter? Would Kate-"
"Don't!" Allison shouted, putting her index finger up before her hand clenched into a fist and dropped back down. "Just...don't."
As the youngest Argent sat back down and silence sheathed around them. Something in Maddie's gut told her to do something – anything, really. Perhaps even not be so...her for a moment. She didn't like the idea of that. Still, she moved forward and sat down on the bed next to Allison. She didn't speak, but instead found herself looking out of window she was facing.
Another minute passed before Allison spoke again, her voice fragile and unsure. "So...what is a slayer?"
Maddie's eyes floated over to the girl next to her, who still looked very much in pain but seemed to still be trying. It was almost admirable. The slayer found herself looking down at the floor. "It's a long story."
"I...think we've got time." There was a small, mirthless laugh that escaped from Allison. "If you haven't noticed, you kind of live here."
"Temporarily," Maddie added. She looked over at the Argent. "Until your dad decides that I'm just as much a threat as Scott and sends me packing. Which should be any day now."
Allison shuffled around a bit uncomfortably. "...Thank you, I guess."
Maddie raised an eyebrow curiously. "For what?"
"Saving my life." The way she said it made it sound like it wasn't very easy to spit out.
Maddie made a quick decision and nudged Allison's shoulder with hers. "I'm not the one who set an Alpha werewolf on fire with a bow and arrow."
"That was pretty awesome, wasn't it?" A grin stretched across Allison's face before both girls laughed quietly. Maddie took a moment to realize in the moment that that was the first time she had shared a genuine laugh with the girl beside her. She was about to take her leave when Allison spoke up again. "So...honesty from now on?"
"Unless my higher ups tell me otherwise," came Maddie's blunt reply. Allison rolled her eyes and Maddie shrugged her shoulders. "What? This is me being honest."
Allison shook her head slowly and exhaled a deep breath. "You're impossible."
"Wait, okay..." Stiles began slowly. "Why are you telling me this?"
Maddie sat a few chairs down from him in the waiting area of the hospital – and she was sure he was wearing the same clothes as the day before. Ignoring the sarcasm and the smell, she finally answered. "Because you have a car."
He narrowed his stare at her from his seat. "So you're using me for transportation."
"What else would I use you for?"  Maddie paused and analyzed Stiles shocked look before thinking over her words again. She quickly sent a glare his way. "The answer to which is absolutely nothing."
"So...you want me to drive you all the way to the next town over because why?"
"Because I need to actually patrol." She sunk lower into her increasingly uncomfortable seat. "And Allison's dad won't drive me."
Stiles scooted up in his chair. "See, here's the thing: I'm not a cab service! You know who I give rides to? Friends. Nice people. Not people who insult me and-or put me in pain."
"That was only, like...twice. Besides, I know that's not true." She poked him in the arm accusingly several times in a row. "You've given Derek rides."
"Yeah, well, Derek has the ability to kill me!" he argued back in a hushed tone. "And I value my life! It's actually very precious to me, okay?"
Maddie blinked and gave him an unenthusiastic stare. "I have the ability to kill you, too. Does that count for nothing?"
"You totally wouldn't even kill me! It's against your Slayer code or whatever..." It took him another second before he violently shook his head. "And can we please stop talking about my death?!"
"You don't even know what the code is..."
"But there is a code!" He pointed at her, his whole face lighting up. He was even grinning the nerdiest grin she'd ever seen - only slightly beating out Xander the time Willow gifted him a Comic Con three day pass. "So cool."
Maddie rolled her dark eyes and looked over to the door, behind which was Lydia's room. A pang of guilt spread through her but she promptly shook it off once more. This wasn't the time. "I'm giving you the chance to see a real, live vampire from the safety of your car. I slay it, you can stop calling me crazy, and we head back. I mean, Scott already agreed but he told me to ask you, too."
She noticed his stare go toward the room as well as he stayed silent.
"It won't be long," she added, feeling the sudden need to soften her words, no matter how awkward it seemed to do so. "We'll be back by midnight – one at the latest. Then you can stay here for the rest of the weekend for all I care. It's just this once." He still didn't answer or moved his gaze. Maddie held in an exasperated sigh. "Stiles, please."
She hated using that word – please. It made her sound so helpless, like she had no choice but to beg. Then again, the fact that she needed to make such a request seemed absurd to her still. She was sure her expression didn't match her words, even when Stiles finally turned to face her again. There was a prolonged moment where he simply studied her – maybe to find out if she was being sincere, but she wasn't quite sure. Suddenly, it was his turn to sigh dramatically. "Fine. When are we leaving?"
"You know, when I asked 'when are we leaving', I didn't think you meant immediately!"
They had only just passed the 'Now Leaving Beacon Hills' sign moments ago and found themselves surrounded by trees on either side of the road.
Maddie found herself watching the trees pass by idly and refraining from kicking Stiles' seat which was directly in front of her. "It wasn't immediate; there was like an hour before we left."
"That's pretty immediate!"
"We didn't have time to plan. My dad would get suspicious," Allison said, sitting beside Maddie and behind Scott.
Maddie snorted a short, bitter laugh. "I breathe and your dad gets suspicious."
Scott looked positively worried sick in the front passenger seat. "Allison, are you sure that this is a good idea? I mean..."
"It's okay, Scott," Allison said, her voice gentler. "I'll be fine. Maddie and I have this all worked out."
"What does that even mean?" Stiles asked with an exaggerated shrug.
Maddie sighed. She already didn't like this plan – especially if she turned out to be right about the vampires. "...Allison and I agreed that I'm not here to protect her anymore."
Scott turned back to the two girls, his own dark stare full of concern. "Then what are you here to do?"
Maddie remained stoic as even Allison looked over expectantly. This was a bad idea; she could feel it in her bones. The rest of their conversation the night before had gone as smooth as she wanted it to. Allison had gotten this mixture of rage and pain stuck in her voice and Maddie had given in begrudgingly, just like she was now. "Help her train."
The vampire slayer stayed silent for the rest of the ride, watching the scenery outside her window. She could feel someone's eyes on her now and then but shrugged it off. She felt as if she was getting pulled in so many directions – by Allison, by the other hunters, by her guilt, by HQ. All she wanted was to find out of the vampires and make sure Lydia was okay. Instead, she kept making deals with everyone. Yes, she indeed did not feel like a person here – just a tool to meet everyone else's ends. She rested her head against the glass and felt as if someone was watching her again. Her eyes flicked over from the trees to Allison, then to Scott. That was when she noticed the rear view mirror and a set of curious light brown eyes looking directly at her – but just as quickly looking away. She huffed and directed her stare back at the window when something caught her eye.
The dense trees had stopped instantly, leading to a wide, grassy field. The way the moonlight hit it reminded her of something though. That was when her eyes widened and fear gripped her. ...The dream.
"Stiles, stop the car."
"But we're in the middle of-"
"Stop the car!" her voice boomed, causing Stiles to abruptly swerve and stop on the shoulder of the road.
Maddie suddenly cursed under her breath, waiting for the boys to get out first so that she and Allison could climb out. As her shiny, black boots touched the asphalt, the slayer immediately found herself walking towards the vacant lot and across the empty road.
She knew this place; she had seen it time and time again. "How far out of Beacon Hills are we?"
"Uh, two miles?" Stiles answered, still standing by his jeep. "Where are you going? We're not even in the next town yet."
"We don't need to be," she muttered almost involuntarily.
Scott, who seemed on alert himself, looked at Stiles and Allison with caution. Allison, who's face had drain of color, gripped her bow tightly and nodded. The three moved forward carefully, catching up to Madeline.
"Stop!" Maddie shouted, whipping around. "Stay by the car!"
Allison's mouth hung open for a second. "That wasn't our deal! You said-"
"That I'd train you, not get you killed..." Her voice trailed off as she looked back at the trees. Something was rustling in them now – and it was getting closer. The petite brunette smoothly took the wooden stake out of her sleeve. "Training begins now."
From the thick woods, leaves rustled. Maddie's vision snapped back over to the looming darkness, focusing as her grip on her stake became so tight that her knuckles turned white. Instinctually, both she and Scott managed to maneuver in front of both Allison and Stiles, although Allison still managed to have a shaky arrow at the ready. As their eyes adjusted to the blackness, in the distance, something began moving. Shadows perforated the cracks between the trees, moving forward towards them.
"Remember that conversation about vampires not being real?" Maddie asked, her voice harsh and unyielding as she did well to ignore her pounding heart. Her gaze went over to Scott, whose eyes were glowing a bright yellow and features had shifted as a growl rumbled in his throat. Her head turned back to the shadows that were coming closer.
"Uh, yeah?" Stiles managed to answer from the back, his voice shrinking.
Another growl sounded but this time from ahead of them. From the woods, figures emerged – pale and deformed. Maddie's blood was pumping furiously in her veins as adrenaline took over. This was what she lived for. Anyone could make plans and deals – Maddie preferred to leave those to others. She was a weapon and now was the time to show it. Her dark brown eyes narrowed on the creatures coming towards them and her lips tugged upwards in a grim smile. "Lesson one – it's always real."
"It's real. It's the only lesson, Dawn. It's always real." – Buffy, 07x22: 'Lessons'