( EIGHT )
ouroboros

"They're not really gonna arrest him, are they?" Scott asked Kira quietly, his gaze flickering between her eyes.

"They have to." Kira replied, Alex crossing her arms and frowning as Kira continued. "My dad basically confessed."

"And you don't remember anything?" Alex questioned with raised eyebrows, Kira shaking her head.

"Nothing. It was like...sleepwalking." Kira glanced between Scott and Alex. "Suddenly I'm just standing in the middle of the road."

"Okay...we'll figure it out." Scott spoke with a small nod.

"What about Liam and Hayden?" Kira questioned with a frown.

"We're all meeting at his place to try and come up with something." Alex responded, gesturing to Scott.

"I don't wanna leave you, but I..." Scott spoke to Kira, his voice soft. "I've got to find them."

"I know." Kira replied, Alex glancing between the two.

"I wouldn't leave." Scott shook his head.

"My mom's taking me home anyway." Kira replied, masking the fact that she was a little disappointed. "We have to talk to a lawyer. There's nothing anyone can do right now. You should go."

Scott sighed, as Alex released a breath.

"Guys...you don't think it was me, do you?" Kira questioned, glancing between the two.

"No." Scott shook his head. "No, of course not."

Alex didn't know what to think, although she did know Kira would never intentionally do something like this.

She was conflicted.

••••

"Hey, is Kira okay?" Lucas asked Scott and Alex as the two walked into Scott's living room, joining Stiles, Malia, Lucas, and Theo.

"Scott?" Theo asked with a frown, as Scott walked past the group. Alex stood next to Stiles and Lucas with her arms crossed.

"She's fine. A little confused, but fine, nonetheless." Alex answered, catching the group's attention.

••••

The group walked into Scott's room, only to find Scott taking memories from Corey, the other Chimera, Mason and Lydia watching.

"Don't get too close." Lydia started.

"What is he doing?" Theo frowned in confusion.

"Tapping into his memories." Both Lydia and Lucas spoke at the same time, the two sharing a glance.

"It's usually something only alphas can do." Alex added, the group glancing at her.

"Is it as dangerous as it looks?" Theo asked with a frown.

"Probably more." Stiles answered.

"Does anyone know if it's working?" Mason asked, the boy glancing between the group curiously.

"It looks like it is." Lucas crossed his arms as his glance remained on Corey and Scott. "You can tell by their faces."

Suddenly, Scott gasped, pulling his claws out of Corey's neck.

Alex and Stiles quickly held Scott before he could fall, Corey frowning in confusion.

"Is he okay?" Scott asked in between gasps as he regained his composure, Stiles and Alex taking their hands off Scott once they knew he could stand up properly.

"What the hell did you do to me?!" Corey exclaimed with wide eyes as he glanced at Scott.

"You'll be alright." Scott responded, the boy still taking breaths.

"There's blood." Corey frowned as he touched the back of his neck.

"You'll heal." Scott responded from his position, crouched over the desk, as he needed to catch his breath.

"Scott..." Stiles started.

"He'll be fine!" Scott exclaimed, the group all glancing at the boy as he picked up a pen and paper. "Listen, I think it worked. I saw something. There were tunnels, pipes on the walls, there were these...huge blue pipes at the entrance, two on both sides."

Alex and Stiles both leaned over Scott's shoulder to see what he was drawing.

"Wait a second, I know this, I've seen this before." Stiles frowned, Lydia approaching them. Stiles glanced between Alex and Scott as he continued. "That's one of the tunnels I used to skateboard in. Remember? My dad caught me one time, told me to never go back?"

Alex nodded as she her mind replayed a few occasions when she would be skating with Stiles in the tunnels.

"It's the water treatment plant." Lydia spoke as she glanced between the group.

"That's where they are." Alex finished, glancing at Scott. "That's where we'll find Liam and Hayden."

••••

"Scott." Stiles started as him and Scott ran down the stairs in a hurry, the rest of the group following them close behind. "Scott, slow down. Just think for a second, okay?"

"Liam's my best friend, I'm going." Mason voiced as he stood next to Scott.

"Oh, did you suddenly get super wolf powers?" Stiles frowned at the boy. "I wasn't aware of that development."

"Well, if you're not going, I could use the help." Scott cut in, glancing at Stiles and referring to Mason.

"No, I'm coming, just as soon as I talk to my dad. They're moving the body to make sure no one steals it." Stiles sighed.

"How is he gonna do that?" Malia frowned in question.

"I don't know, but whoever took the last one was strong enough to flip my Jeep." Stiles replied, glancing between the group.

"We can bring Theo." Malia started, pointing to Theo, Lucas frowning at how she didn't suggest him.

Alex noticed the look, the girl glancing between Malia, Lucas, and Theo.

"Maybe I should stay here." Theo replied, denying the offer. "You know, in case the Doctors decide to make a house call for Corey."

"Lucas and I'll come." Alex spoke up as she stood next to Scott, Scott nodding. Lucas nodded too as he stood next to Alex.

"Scott, Stiles is right." Lydia added as she glanced at Scott. "We need to slow down and think."

"I am thinking." Scott replied almost immediately. "About how Liam and Hayden could already be dead."

"You could've hurt him, Scott!" Lydia exclaimed, referring to Corey. "Really hurt him."

"I have to find Liam." Scott spoke after a moment as he began to walk out of the house, Mason, Malia, Lucas, and Alex following him, Stiles stopping Alex quickly by gently holding her forearm.

"Hey, text me. For anything." Stiles spoke, Alex nodding as she planted a chaste kiss to Stiles' lips, the girl following Scott, Mason, Malia, and Lucas after the action.

"I got it." Alex spoke as she made her way to the door, the girl not facing Stiles as she approached it.

"Anything at all, okay?" Stiles called, Alex giving him a thumbs up over her shoulder as she walked out and joined her friends.

••••

The group all got out of the car and began to walk into the tunnels.

They eventually approached a tunnel in which various poles were lined against the walls.

"Liam!" Malia called.

"Liam?! Come on, dude, give us something!" Lucas exclaimed with a frown.

"Can you catch a scent?" Mason started as he glanced between Alex and Scott.

"There's way too many chemicals, it's impossible." Alex answered as she frowned, her eyes scanning the area.

"Then, this might take awhile." Mason sighed.

The group then continued to walk down the tunnels, all of them scanning the area.

••••

"Liam?!" Alex yelled.

"Liam?! Hayden?!" Lucas added loudly, the boy frowning. "Guys, come on, anything?!"

Alex suddenly bumped into Scott, Scott placing a hand on her forearm to steady her as the boy frowned. "Anything?"

"Nothing." Alex shook her head as she glanced at Malia and Mason, who were next to Scott. "You guys?"

"Nope, nothing." Mason shook his head.

"Fuck." Alex whispered under her breath.

"Okay, we need to make sure that we're not covering the same area." Scott started as he faced the group, the boy beginning to pant from the excessive amount of running and searching.

"You need your inhaler, don't you?" Mason asked, the boy noticing the action.

Scott glanced at him momentarily, the boy frowning as he changed the subject. "Quiet, I think I hear something."

"It's just the lights, isn't it?" Malia frowned.

"I can't hear anything." Lucas added, his eyebrows furrowing.

"Nothing." Alex shook her head with a frown.

"Come on. This way." Scott spoke again as he began to walk ahead, the group following.

••••

Mason and Scott were panting, the two stopping as they began to catch their breaths.

Lucas, Alex, and Malia shared frowns as their gazes were shifted back to the two.

"I'm telling you guys, we've been down this one before." Mason breathed.

"What the hell are we doing?" Scott spoke in between breaths, the group frowning at him.

It was unlike Scott to doubt saving people, especially those he cares about.

Alex could tell he was getting frustrated.

"We're running up and down this place. Up and down tunnels, and there's no way, there's no way that we're gonna find..." Scott continued, the boy letting his voice trail off as he breathed heavily.

Malia frowned in concern, the girl's eyes scanning his body and face. "Scott, you need your inhaler."

Scott shook his head as he wheezed.

"Scott, use it, use your inhaler." Malia's concerned frown deepened.

Scott fell to the ground, the boy breathing heavily as he took out his inhaler, shaking it and taking a puff. His breathing slowly returned back to normal as he glanced at the ground with a frown.

"Scott, you okay?" Alex frowned.

"This is all my fault." Scott responded sadly as Malia, Mason, Alex, and Lucas shared brief glances. "We're never gonna find them. It's my fault."

"Hey." Alex started as she squatted down so she was eye-level with Scott, the girl catching Scott's attention. "This isn't your fault, alright? Stop beating yourself up over it. We're here to save Liam and Hayden, and that's what we're gonna do, okay?"

When Scott didn't say anything, Alex spoke again, the girl's eyebrows raising. "Okay, Scott?"

Scott waited a moment before nodding, Alex standing up again and holding her hand out for Scott to take.

Scott took her hand and allowed Alex to pull him up, the boy now standing up again.

"She's right, Scott." Lucas added, catching Scott's attention. "Liam and Hayden are waiting, alright? We should get going if we want to save them before tomorrow."

Scott glanced at Mason, who nodded, the boy agreeing with Lucas's words. "We should keep looking."

Scott then glanced at Malia, who nodded, the girl's gaze flickering between Scott's eyes.

Without another word, Scott began to walk ahead, the group following him.

••••

"Thank god we found them." Alex released a relieved breath as her and Lucas entered the house, Alex throwing her jacket on the couch.

When Lucas didn't say anything, Alex turned around and glanced at him. "Lucas?"

Lucas wore a frown, the boy's attention elsewhere. "I can't keep lying to Malia."

"What?" Alex frowned in confusion.

"I have feelings for Lydia." Lucas started as he glanced at Alex. "I keep telling myself that I'm supposed to love Malia, but I...I don't..."

Alex released a small sigh. "You have to tell her, Lucas."

Lucas nodded. "I know. I know I do."

Lucas waited a moment before beginning to walk towards the door.

"What? Now?" Alex raised her eyebrows.

"I'll see you later." Lucas spoke as he left the house, Alex releasing a breath as she sat down on the couch and turned on the tv.

••••

"I need to tell you something." Lucas started as he glanced at Malia, who was sitting at her desk.

"Yeah, what's up?" Malia replied absentmindedly, the girl going over her notes.

"It's important." Lucas added, the boy frowning as he hoped she would actually pay attention. "It's about us..."

At this, Malia frowned and turned to face him curiously. "Us?"

"I needed to tell you this before it got too out of hand, okay?" Lucas sighed as he went on. "I...have feelings for someone else..."

Malia's eyebrows furrowed as she spoke softly. "What?"

"I'm sorry, Malia." Lucas spoke as he sent the girl a sympathetic glance.

"It's Lydia, isn't it?" Malia asked quietly, the girl pushing back tears.

Lucas slowly nodded.

When Malia just stared at the wall and forced herself not to cry, Lucas stood up and began to walk towards the door, the boy glancing at Malia again. "I'm sorry."

Malia swallowed, stray tears beginning to fall from her eyes.

Lucas knew he broke her heart. He felt terrible, although he knew he couldn't lie to her anymore.

Without another word, Lucas left the room, leaving Malia alone and heartbroken.