Chapter 22: Frenemy
Sitting in the backseat of Stiles' jeep, Scarlett kept nervously glancing out the window trying to find Jackson in the Kanima form. From the passenger seat, Scott yells, "There he is!" spotting Jackson before his twin.
Stiles steps on the gas, speeding after the Kanima. Just as they start to close in Stiles slams on the breaks. They come to a sudden stop in front of a parking lot where severe tire damage spikes jut up from the pavement. "What do we do?" Stiles begins to ask Scott, only to look and see that he is already out the door.
Scarlett quickly climbs into the passenger seat, "Go around." As soon as she is properly in the seat, Stiles turns the jeep around, heading around the building to meet up with Scott. He quickly parks the car and both teens jump out of the vehicle and run in the direction they think Scott and Jackson will be.
Out of breath, Stiles and Scarlett run to the side of the building spotting Scott standing alone. "You see where he went?" Stiles asks, gasping for air.
"Lost him." Scott replies.
The three teenagers glance around trying to find any indication that the Kanima is near them. "You can't catch a scent?" Scar asks, still looking around.
"I don't think it has one."
"Any clue where he's going?" Stiles asks.
"To kill someone."
"Right, that's what the claws and fangs are for. Now it all makes sense." Scarlett smirks at Stiles' remark but Scott looks very annoyed. "Sorry. I'm a hundred and forty-seven pounds of pale skin and fragile bone. Sarcasm's my only defense."
"Well I'm assuming he went in this building," Scarlett nods her head towards the building in front of them. "He can't just disappear." She pauses, "Unless Kanima's can turn invisible too. If they can we're all fucked."
"Thank you for that, Scarlett." Scar nods her head with a smile, "Can you both just help me find it?" Scott asks.
"Not it. Jackson."
"I know, I know."
"But does he know? And did anyone else see him back at your house?" Stiles questions.
Scarlett shrugs as Scott answers, "I don't think so. And he already passed Derek's test anyway."
"Yeah, but that's the thing. How did he pass the test?"
"Well a snake can't be poisoned by its own venom but when Jackson is Jackson he's not the Kanima. So maybe that's why it still affected him?" Scar responds, but both boys are distracted. She follows there gaze up the side of the building just in time to make out a reptilian tail on the roof.
"You see that?" Stiles asks.
"He's inside." Scott replies.
"Told you he would be going in there." Scarlett says smugly.
Scott opens his mouth to reply but pauses sniffing the air, "I think I know who he's after."
"What? How? Did you smell something?" Stiles quickly asks.
"Armani." The trio turn to look at the entrance. Danny is using a fake ID to get into the club.
*_*_*_*_*_*
The group make their way around the back alley behind the club to find another door. Stiles turns the handle but it's locked, "Maybe there's a window we could climb through-"
A metallic crunch is heard, interrupting Stiles mid sentence. The handle is now in Scott's hand, "Or a handle we could rip off with superhuman strength. How did I not think of that?" Scar lightly pats Stiles on the shoulder as Scott yanks the door open and hurries inside, Stiles and Scarlett following closely behind.
Once inside loud dance music and flashing lights is the only thing they can make out. Scarlett tries to focus on finding Danny but Scott's voice stops her, "Dude... Everyone in here is a dude. I think this is a gay club."
Scott and Scarlett turn to see Stiles surrounded by drag queens, "Nothing gets past those keen werewolf senses, does it?"
Scar lightly chuckles and turns back around finally spotting Danny by the bar. She nudges Scott, "Found Danny."
She tries to keep her eyes on Danny as he walks away from the bar and onto the dance floor. Scott keeps a hand on his sisters arm so she doesn't walk into anyone as they make their way to the bar. Still keeping her eyes on Danny and trying not to lose him in the crowd, she hears Stiles talk to the bartender, "Three beers."
Scarlett immediately rolls her eyes, before the bartender can ask for their ID's she turns around, "We'll take three cokes."
The bartender smiles and nods at her. He quickly gives the trio the three cokes then points to Scott, "That one's paid for." He motions down the bar to a guy who raises his drink in Cheers.
Scott and Scarlett both smile and turn towards Stiles who immediately says, "Shut up."
"I didn't say anything." Scott replies, defensively.
"Your face did." They all turn back around scanning the crowd to find Danny and the Kanima.
"I found Danny," Stiles and Scarlett say in unison.
"And I found Jackson." Scott says, eyes on the ceiling above the dance floor. "You two get Danny," Scarlett nods already starting to make her way through the crowd. Stiles rushes to catch up, reaching for her hand so he doesn't lose her.
"Danny? Danny!" Stiles calls from Scarlett's left. Dancing guys keep lightly bumping into the duo, forcing them to stand closer. Fog covers the dance floor obscuring the view. One-by-one people start dropping, their bodies paralyzed. When people realize something is wrong, the dance floor turns to chaos.
People are screaming and shoving others out of the way. Suddenly the music stops and the paralyzed people start yelling in a panic, "I can't move; I can't move my legs. Help, someone. Someone help me. I can't move!"
Stiles tugs at Scarlett's hand causing her to turn to face him, "Go with Scott. I'm going to stay with Danny." He nods and takes off as Scarlett moves to Danny's side.
*_*_*_*_*_*
Scarlett rushes over to Danny, gently grabbing his face, "You're going to be okay."
"Scar? What are you doing here?" He asks.
She gently smiles, "You won't think I'm weird if I tell you, right?"
"I already think you're weird."
"Touché. I was driving around and saw you out front. I was worried about you, with the break up and all. Thought I could be your wing-women. I lost you in the crowd though." Just as Scar finishes talking the EMT's start loading people onto stretchers and ambulances.
"Ma'am we need to get him to the hospital." An EMT tells Scarlett.
"Can I come with him?"
"Scar, you don't have to." Danny says.
"I know, but you're one of my best friends."
The EMT looks at Scarlett then sighs, "Sure just get in."
Scarlett looks back at Scott and Stiles who are standing near Stiles jeep and nods, mouthing, 'I'll see you both later.'
*_*_*_*_*_*
Once at the hospital, Scarlett makes her way over to the nurses station to see if her mom is there. She has to wait a few minutes before she sees her walking towards her, her head in a file. When she finally looks up she looks surprised to see her daughter, "Scarlett? What are you doing here?"
"I came with Danny. Do you know if he's alright." Scarlett replies.
"I didn't know he was here. I was with another patient. We just had seven people come in from a club."
Scarlett nods, "I know. He was one of them." Melissa looks at her daughter skeptically, clearly wondering why she was at a gay club. "I was planning on being Danny's wing-women." Scarlett says before she can ask.
Melissa nods, "We don't really know what happened. Possibly drugs. But they should all be alright." Scarlett nods in relief. Even though she already knew that everyone would be okay since she's seen how the Kanima venom has worked on multiple occasions.
"You didn't take anything, did you?"
"No mom. Promise."
She nods, "Well, I'm almost done with my shift. We can go home together." Scarlett smiles and makes her way over to sit down and text Scott while she waits for her mom's shift to end.
*_*_*_*_*_*
The next day after school, Scarlett went with Scott to the hospital to check on Danny. They were asking him if Jackson was angry with him at the moment but Danny insisted that they were all good, "I was actually doing a favor for him."
"What favor?" Scott asks.
"I'm not supposed to say."
"What if we told you it could be a matter of life or death?" Scar asks Danny.
"I'm not supposed to say." He repeated.
"What if we told you we could get your fake ID back?" Scott asks.
As soon as Danny answers the twins bolt out of the room stopping as their mother calls for Scott. Scarlett hovers nearby trying not to listen but failing, "Did you know if you fail any of your midterms you're going to be held back?"
"He said that?"
"All of your friends, your sister, are going to be Juniors while you're still a sophomore. You understand, Scott? You can't fail."
"I know." Scott nods then makes his way over to his sister.
"I can help you study, ya know." Scarlett says.
"Yeah," He nods once more.
The siblings quickly make their way to the club where Danny's car is still parked. They hurry to it but notice that the trunk lies partially open. The metal around the lock is bent and twisted as if someone pried it open with a crowbar. Scott reaches out his hand to push the trunk open. It is completely empty.
*_*_*_*_*_*
Scott and Scarlett head to Lookout Point where the Prison Transport Van that Jackson is being kept in is now parked. A few yards from the van Stiles, Scott, Allison, and Scarlett stand together talking about their latest discoveries.
"If Jackson doesn't remember being the Kanima he definitely won't remember stealing Danny's tablet." Scott says.
"But why would he steal it if he doesn't even know what's on it?" Stiles questions.
"What if somebody else took it?" asks Allison.
"Then somebody else knows what he is."
"Well didn't the Bestiary say that the Kanima seeks a friend? Maybe this friend is trying to protect him." Scarlett responds.
Scott speaks up, turning to Stiles, "You said the only thing you found online about the Kanima is that it kills murderers. What if that's true?"
"It can't be. It's tried to kill all of us. You, me, Scarlett, and Allison. I don't know about you three, but I haven't murdered anyone lately." Stiles replies.
"But I don't think it was actually trying to kill us," Scott pauses, turning to Allison, "Remember when we saw it the first time at Isaac's? It didn't really go after us, did it?"
"You're right. It just ran off." Allison replies.
Scott then turns towards Stiles and Scarlett, "And it didn't kill either of you at the garage."
"It choked me!" Scar exclaims.
"But you said it let go before you even blacked out. And you literally said it had the chance but didn't. You were trying to help the mechanic, it probably just didn't want you too."
Scarlett frowns, subconsciously rubbing her neck, thinking about all the times she's encountered the Kanima. "But it tried to kill us and Derek at the pool." Stiles says, gesturing between Scar and himself.
"Did it?" Scott questions unsure. "Scarlett, you were the first person who said that you think the Kanima wasn't killing just anybody."
Scar nods, "Okay. Well, what are you trying to get at, Scott?" She questions, wanting him to get to the point.
"There's something else going on and we don't know what it is. We don't know anything about what Jackson's doing. Or why someone's trying to protect him.
"Know thy enemy," Allison mumbles. The others all give her questioning looks, "Something my grandfather said."
"All right, I got it. Kill Jackson. Problem solved." Stiles replies.
"He risked his life for us against Peter. You remember that?" Scott asks.
"Yeah, but what did we just find out? He got the bite from Derek. Funny how he got exactly what he wanted by supposedly risking his life for us." Stiles says.
"It doesn't mean he's not worth saving."
"Scott's right. He's definitely an asshole. But I've been friends with him since kindergarten. We have to at least try to save him." Scar speaks up.
"You've barely even talked to him since Lydia and him and you and Nate broke up." Stiles rolls his eyes.
"True. But that doesn't throw away all of the years of friendship we had."
*_*_*_*_*_*
A little while later Stiles and Scarlett head to Lydia's. Stiles said that he needed to check in with her and try to apologize for ditching her at her car the night the Kanima attacked them at the pool. She still hasn't forgiven him for leaving her after he promised he would talk.
Scarlett waited outside her room as the two talked. About three minutes later he walks out, "She's all yours."
"Thanks. You don't have to wait for me, I can have Lydia drive me home." He nods and heads downstairs as Scarlett heads inside Lydia's room.
"Hey Lyds. How are you?"
She sighs, "Honestly? Not good." Her eyes start glistening with unshed tears.
"Oh Lyds." Scarlett quickly moves to her friends side and pulls her into a hug. Lydia chokes back a sob and grips onto Scar's shirt tightly, fighting back the tears. It's not long before she can't hold it back any longer and tears pour down her cheeks soaking the brunettes shirt.
Scarlett rubs her back and kisses the top of her head, "You're going to be alright. I'm here for you. I always will be." Seeing her so broken almost brings Scarlett to tears too but she blinks them back as she waits for Lydia to calm down.
It takes a few minutes before she settles down, "Thanks, Scar. I needed that." She stands up, moving to her vanity to clean her face.
"Did you want to talk?" Scarlett asks, watching her through her mirror.
She nods, "Yeah but, can we go to Allison's? I want to talk to her too. It will be nice to get advice from more than one person."
Scar softly smiles, "Of course."
*_*_*_*_*_*
Lydia and Scarlett sit in Allison's room for an hour before she gets home. Scarlett tried to ask Lydia what was going on but rather than telling her about the issue she only told her best friend about the cute older boy at school that she has had a few conversations with.
Breaking the duo from their conversation, Allison's door slams open. "You both scared the hell out of me."
"We've been sitting here for an hour waiting for you." Lydia replies.
"I can't hang out right now." Allison says, glancing at Scarlett.
"I don't need someone to hang out with. I need someone to talk to. I wanted it to be both of you but I'll just talk with Scarlett if you're really that busy." Lydia snaps.
Allison turns back to the girls, finally getting a chance to really look at Lydia. "Okay, I know it's important. And of course I want to be there for you. But if it can just wait."
"Why does everyone except for Scarlett ask me to just wait? Why can't anyone be available right now?"
"Because you can't have everything right now." Scarlett glares at Allison. She understands what is happening with the Kanima is important but it doesn't give her the right to be rude to someone who she considers a friend. "You know what I need? Someone who can read five pages of Archaic Latin. Obviously, that's not going to be happening any time soon."
"I know Archaic Latin." Lydia speaks.
At the same time Scarlett says, "Lydia knows Archaic Latin."
Allison glances at Scar, probably just remembering that she has said that before. She then looks back at Lydia as she asks, "How do you know Archaic Latin?"
"I got bored with Classical Latin."
Allison grabs the printed out pages to show Lydia. Lydia sits at Allison's desk transcribing the pages. "Are you sure about that? Ms. Morrell said that word meant friend. The Kanima seeks a friend."
"She was wrong. It means master."
"The Kanima seeks a master." Scarlett repeats in disbelief, glancing at Allison.
"What? Is that important?"
"Yeah. It means someone's not protecting him..." Scar trails off.
"Someone's controlling him." Allison finishes.
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