From Ashes ✗ Stiles Stilinski - Chapter 21: Chapter 21

"So, you're not going?"
The next day had sprung upon them like any other with one exception - no signs of Lydia still. Aside from nearly getting caught by Allison's father, the night before had been a fruitless one and brought only more infuriating questions. Maddie frowned at the impertinent question as she leaned against the locker beside Allison's. Not only that though; she was frowning at the reaction Allison was giving her. That helpless, doe eyed look she tended to give the slayer every time they didn't agree. Guilt tripping should be illegal, Maddie thought. Still, she held her ground. "Your aunt hated me."
"But-"
"No," Maddie cut in, her dark eyes wide as if to make a point. "I mean, like, hated me. Legitimate loathing. From the moment I met her, she looked at me like..."
As the sentence faded, Allison looked withdrawn. "...A wild animal?"
Maddie's stare hardened and her jaw clenched for a moment. "Like a demon...a monster. Between that and your family..." The taller, fair girl's eyes shot to the floor immediately. The petite brunette struggled to withhold a sigh that attempted to escape her lips. "I just don't think I'd be welcome there."
It took a prolonged silence before Allison hesitantly nodded. There it was again - guilt stabbing through Maddie's gut and nesting there. That was when she heard something that turned her guilt into rage. Girls, chatting idly only feet away. This typically wouldn't bother the slayer all that much until she caught what they were talking about.
"...Not her sister, her aunt. The one who murdered all those people."
"You mean the crazy bitch who killed all those people?"
"Yeah, the fire, all those animal attacks - it was her aunt."
"Are you kidding? I sit next to her in English."
"Find a new seat."
Maddie quickly glanced over at Allison, who was still looking down although now there were tears shining in her eyes. She could hear them too. The slayer's blood was boiling as she turned around and the two girl who were giggling to themselves. She strode over without moment's pause to the two, arching an eyebrow as she sent them a glare. "I'm sorry - is there a problem over here?"
Both girls looked over at her, their own conversation coming to a dead stop. The edge in Maddie's tone was crystal clear as they gaped at her for a second, giving her a strange look. The girl on the right scoffed, "I don't know what you're talking about."
"That's interesting, because I could've sworn I heard you talking about my friend," Maddie tried to keep her voice pleasant but she couldn't seem to keep her own emotions in check. There was a ghost of a smile on her lips, although it felt dangerous - like an animal baring it's teeth.
The girl on the right didn't waver when she turned to her friend and muttered, "What a surprise, the girl with the psycho family has a psycho bodyguard."
Maddie felt her fist involuntarily balling up and unclenching once again. Both girls seemed to notice this, scoffing and giggling as they began walking away. Without hesitation, petite slayer reached and grabbed the collar of the girl's jacket, yanking her back. The girl had stiffened and let out a tiny yelp in surprise as Madeline hissed out, "You should start thinking before you speak while I'm still allowing you to have the ability to speak."
Her upper hand didn't seem to last all that long though as another voice rang out in the hallway. "Miss Hayes!" It was Maddie's turn to stiffen up as Mister Harris came into view, with the same cold stare his usually wore. "Although I'm not particularly shocked that someone with your aptitude is resorting to violence, I feel it's my duty to inform you that brute force will not be tolerated anywhere on school property."
Maddie stared defiantly at the man for an extra second before begrudgingly letting the girl go. The girl spun around and stumbled away, pointing at the angry brunette accusingly as her friend hid behind her. "She- She threatened me!"
"I was defending-" Maddie turned back to the lockers where Allison had been standing, finding the area empty. Her shoulders slumped in defeat as she turned back to the unamused and expectant Chemistry teacher. A sigh passed from her lips and she rolled her eyes before sending him a flat look. "They were making fun of my friend. I stepped in."
"Well, considering there's only three people here and two of them are clearly terrified of you," Harris began motioning to the girls without looking at them. "I'm inclined to believe them. Do you know what that means, Miss Hayes?"
Maddie shrugged. "Should I?"
"Detention. Now."
The slayer opened her mouth to say something but, alas, it clamped shut once more. There was no getting out of this that she could possible think of on such short notice. Her jaw clenched and she gave a short nod. Mister Harris gave an infuriatingly sarcastic 'after you' motion in the direction of his classroom and Maddie hesitantly obliged. It was a short walk but seemed like ages with her teacher in tow. Once she made her way through the door to the chemistry classroom, she took a brief look around and immediately noticed the room had not been empty.
There, at the table closest to the door, was the instantly familiar pale, nerdy boy she seemed to be finding everywhere lately. Maddie frowned as Stiles noticed her as well with a curious glance.
"Seat closest to the window, Miss Hayes," Mister Harris said, bringing back their attention to him. "Oh, and both of you? Do get comfortable. I suspect we'll be seeing quite a bit of each other this semester."
He was a horrible human being. The Mister Harris that Maddie knew was nowhere near this...sinister, mostly because the Mister Harris she knew just went by Xander and the only torture he devised was repeated viewings of the movie Apocalypse Now.
Detention was, as she understood, supposed to end much earlier than this. It had been nearly an hour and a half since she had taken her seat and she had quietly watched Stiles attempt to leave to no avail. In fact, when it was time to leave, Mister Harris hadn't said a word but instead gathered his thing, got up and left. The two had waited there for nearly five minutes before bolting.
"So, you're not going?" Stiles asked from the driver's seat of his jeep, the same stupid jeep she had become oh so familiar with as of late.
"No, I'm not going," said Maddie. Her head snapped over in his direction. "Why is everyone asking me that?"
Stiles revved the engine and sped out of the school parking lot. "I don't know, because it's friend etiquette 101?"
Maddie blinked and gave the boy an odd – and yet equally annoyed – stare. "What?"
"You and Allison are friends, right?"
"I don't know. I guess." She caught sight of his slightly dead pan gaze and sighed. "Ugh. Yes, okay? We're friends!"
In between steering, he began gesturing emphatically. "And you know what friends do? Be there for each other! And this might've escaped your keen slayer senses but you're pretty much doing the opposite."
Guilt once again churned in her stomach as Maddie folded her arms and looked away, her eyes absently watching the passing scenery. Five long minutes passed between them as she idly drummed her fingers on her arm and Stiles constantly switched his attention from the road to the girl in the passenger seat. She had to be honest with herself; she was being rather difficult but stood by her reasoning. Allison's mother and father did not like her in the slightest and attending the funeral of a woman she didn't like in the slightest didn't seem all that appropriate.
Surely it had nothing to do with the fact that she had never actually attended a funeral. Not a real one, at least.
And the one time she almost did...
She shook the thought out of her head and it was immediately replaced with that same pained expression Allison wore before Maddie had approached the two girls from earlier. Her aunt was gone, she'd been lied to all of her life, and her best friend was missing – possibly a monster somewhere out there, about to be captured. Or worse. She chewed on her lip in thought, or perhaps out of nerves and sunk lower in her seat.
"...I don't own funeral clothes."
Stiles did a double take before his eyes softened a bit and fought the triumphant smile that threatened to spread across his face. "C'mon, you're wearing all black! You'll fit in just fine."
Maddie glowered at the boy threateningly. She was seriously beginning to hate when he was right.
Reporters everywhere.
Cameras.
Lights flashing.
It was absolutely horrific.
Maddie had since left the jeep and Stiles, who had gone around back to hide with Scott who was presumably there as well. Now, the petite brunette found herself fighting through the crowd to enter the cemetery – the very same cemetery she tended to frequent on her dull as dirt patrols. She thought she had just passed the boy from earlier, the one Allison had spoken to, but she passed it off as coincidence. She had more important matters to attend to, anyway.
Once she hopped over the gate, she began to rush over to the small group of people surrounding the open grave. Her nerves, for some reason, seemed to jump from her stomach to her throat. She hadn't even noticed that she was fiddling with her hands until she looked down and clenched both at her side. As she reached the rest of them with no further issues, she reached out and tapped the girl ahead of her with the pretty chestnut hair on the shoulder.
Allison jumped and spun around, eyes wide. Maddie attempted a comforting smile, but failed miserably as she gave a small wave. Allison, on the other hand, gave the girl a wide, grateful smile in return before engulfing her in a tight hug. "Thank you so much."
"You should, ah, really be thanking Stiles. He kind of talked me into this," Maddie said, awkwardly returning the hug with a pat on the back. "Or don't thank him. He's kind of annoying when he thinks he's right."
Allison laughed quietly and let go before motioning for Maddie to take a seat. As they both sat down, Chris Argent took notice of Maddie's presence. He gave her a slight nod before turning his attention to the entrance of the cemetery. In the distance was an aged man, balding with a clean cut crown of white hair. His eyes were cold and the frown that lined his face was perhaps his most prominent feature, as it seemed as though it had been for longer than Maddie could possibly fathom.
The man made his way over and stiffly hugged Chris before crossing in front of both Allison and Maddie to hug Victoria. Finally, he stopped in front of Allison with what might be considered a kind smile. No. No, it wasn't kind. There was something...off about it.
"Do you remember me?" he asked, his tone oddly pleasant despite sounds as though it was being dragged through gravel. Allison vaguely nodded before both the man's and Chris' eyes shot over to the far side of the field of tombstones. Something moved. Maddie kept her mouth shut, knowing exactly what it was and wishing she didn't. The old man's attention went back to the youngest Argent, calling forth an air of authority before he even said a word. "Considering I haven't seen you since you were three, I don't suppose I can assume you'd call me grandpa."
Maddie paled a bit as it was Allison's turn to attempt a smile, something she also failed at.
"So, if it's comfortable, call me Gerard for the time being," he continued. There was a pause before he smiled and added, "But I'd prefer grandpa."
He didn't acknowledge Maddie whatsoever. Not a look or a word in her direction. Instead, which was certainly worse, he took seat beside her in the only open chair. She fought the urge to shrink in her seat. He made her feel so small...not physically, of course. He wasn't a large man at all. His presence, though, almost demanded that he remained the most dominating in personality. It was grating.
The service dragged on as each member of the family said kind words on Kate's behalf. Brave, strong-willed, gone too soon. All the same words, over and over. Allison said nothing, which was certainly understandable; she just cried in silence, even when she was nearly pushed to say something.It wasn't only uncomfortable, it was tiresome. It didn't help that she noted Scott and Stiles being pulled away by the Sheriff, which wasn't particularly surprising. What it did mean, though, was that she was all alone once again with these...people. A true pack of wolves surrounding her. There was no escape.
Once the service was over everyone stood and Maddie followed in suit. Even when they were entering the cars, the slayer seemed to be cornered into accepting a ride as well.
By the time they arrived at the Argents', the sun was almost completely set. Allison had yawned and retired to her room and just as Maddie was about to do the same, she was stopped by a hand.
Her eyes widened when she discovered it was Gerard's hand that had stopped her and suddenly it felt like a shackle. He smiled politely but, like Kate, there was something else in it – malice, perhaps. Whatever it was, it filled Maddie with a sense of dread as he spoke. "You, my dear, will be joining us this evening."
Maddie took a moment to find her voice as her unease grew. She threw a glance at Chris, who didn't seem very pleased with this arrangement either. "...For what?"
Gerard's smile grew, which turned the slayer's unease into panic. "For the hunt."
The woods were quiet, dark, and just as lovely as they were unsettling. To be fair, it wasn't actually the woods that were unsettling Madeline.
No, not the woods. It was the people in the woods – the people she was traveling with.
Behind her were three or four hunters she wasn't familiar with; ahead of her were Chris and Gerard. Chris carried a gun, as he normally did. That wasn't the part that unsettled her. It was the bag Gerard was carrying - he hobbled through the thick trees with it. Whatever he was carrying, it had to be uncommonly heavy.
Maddie, in the center of all of these men, carried herself as she normally would. Head up, eyes straight ahead, back stiff – this was her general reaction to fear. She was beginning to wish she was back in her temporary room at the Argents' home or back in that sleazy motel room or, hell, stuck in that stupid, blue jeep-
She was also going to pretend she didn't just think that.
On the other hand, it was still better than this.
"So! The Slayer!" Gerard began virtually out of nowhere at all, excitement drowning his tone. "The most revered of hunters! It's remarkable to see one after all this time!"
Maddie stayed silent as they walked through the wooded area.
"You know, I knew a slayer once! Long before your time, of course," he went on amiably. "Fantastic reflexes! And the that strength and prowess in battle...it's certainly a sight to see. She put my most skilled brothers to shame! Truly a magnificent specimen!"
She was gritting her teeth. The older slayers and the watchers always spoke of the slayer line as prestigious warriors. Heroes. Gerard spoke about a slayer like a pure bred dog. Still, her mouth stayed shut even as her emotions stirred. Her rage settled and her fear rose once more as she heard something in the distance – fighting, growling. She sucked in a shaky breath.
Gerard had turned and for the first time, looked her dead in the eye. His smile had vanished. "I expect the same from you."
There was yelp of pain and every head turned in the direction of it. In a flash, everyone went running with Maddie trailing behind. Her nerves were going haywire now as her fear throttled her, making it harder and harder to breathe. In no time at all, she found herself in a clearing with the rest of the hunters as something up head flailed helplessly. As she neared the creature, she realized that it wasn't quite so helpless to begin with. Strung up by it's wrists was a werewolf fighting to free itself.
It growled as Chris got closer, snapping at him with its canines. Chris instantly pulled out a metal rod and jabbed firmly into the wolf's torso as electricity coursed through him. Maddie's insides twisted painfully at the scream the creature let out. The wolf's face shifted to an ordinary man's visage and suddenly, the word helpless sprang to Maddie's mind once again. She stayed stock still as the hunter interrogated the man.
"Who are you?" he asked. The man stayed silent. "What are you doing here?"
The frightened man shook his head. "Nothing. Nothing, I swear."
"You're not from here, are you?" Chris hardly waited for a response before his voice boomed throughout the clearing. "ARE YOU?!"
"No," the man finally answered. "No, I came- ...I came looking for the Alpha. I heard he was here, that's all." Her eyes widened at the answer before he continued on. He knew what was coming "Look, I didn't do anything! I didn't hurt anyone! No one living! He wasn't alive in the ambulance! He wasn't, I swear!"
The was a short lived ease to Maddie's nerves before another voice echoed through the woods – Gerard's. "Gentlemen! Take a look at a rare sight! You want to tell them what we've caught?"
"An Omega," Chris answered as he stared the creature down.
"The lone wolf!" Gerard went on. "Possibly kicked out of his own pack or the survivor of a pack that was hunted down...or maybe even murdered. Possibly alone by his own choice." The Argent patriarch examined the wolf with great interest and amusement. "Certainly not a wise choice."
Gerard went over to the bag he had been carrying and revealed a large, two-handed sword. He turned to Maddie in that moment as he unsheathed it. "Would you like to do the honors?"
Maddie's brow furrowed as her body froze. "...what?"
Gerard watched her for only a moment as if he had been expecting this reaction. "As I am about to demonstrate..." He gripped the sword tightly as he reached the helpless man. "...an Omega rarely survives on his own!"
In one fell swoop, Gerard's sword cut through the man smoothly and the man's lower half dropped to the ground. Pieces of organs dangled and dripped blood from the open wound as the man's head went limp.
Maddie's mouth hung open and her entire brain had gone numb. The man had been frightened and helpless – innocent as far as they knew. Yet, he had just been severed at the torso. He still hung there by his wrists, bleeding profusely. She had seen people die before – and she had certainly seen innocent people murdered. Never like this. Never...by someone whose side she was on. She felt like she was going to be sick.
She could hardly even hear the men in front of her shout about the code. The code, the god damned code.
"From now one these things are just bodies waiting to be cut in half. Are you listening? Because I don't care if they're wounded and weak. Or seemingly harmless - begging for their life with the promise that they will never, ever hurt anyone. Or some desperate, lost soul with no idea what they're getting into."
This can't be happening. No, this isn't right! This...this...I have to...
"We find them. We kill them."
Maddie's horrified gaze turned to the old man, and for a moment, she felt as helpless as the man who had just been killed right before her eyes.
"We kill them all!"
And in the moment, she wanted to run and tell Scott or Buffy or someone who would listen. There was no one – only the bloody thirsty animals who had forced her into their war.