CHAPTER 3

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"SO THE WALCOTS were the first. At least the first that we know about. Four murders. Sean, his brother and their parents" Stiles Stilinski began. He along with Scott and his father all stood around the Sherriff's desk. It was dark out presumably the day after Lydia's lake house party. "They were killed by a professional assassin called the Mute. Weapon of choice, a military Tomahawk. But then The Mute was killed by Peter Hale after he tried to blow up Derek with a Claymore mine. Next was Demarco. He delivered a keg to the party at Lydia's Lakehouse and was decapitated outside his car. No witnesses. Another car was found beside his with slashed tyres but no other body was found, yet. The license plate was registered by Parish to a married couple with two children, both alive and wells And then last night, 23-year-old Carrie Hudson."

Scott leaned forward. "It's a dead pool, A-A hit list of supernatural creatures." He explained to the Sherrif as most in beacon hills knew him. Scott whipped a piece of paper out of his pocket and laid it on the desk for both to inspect. "This is only part of it, the rest still had to be decoded"

The Sherrif scanned the different names listed.

David Walcott 250
Michael Walcott 250
Christina Walcott 250
Rosyln Marie 9
Finn Marie 6
Lydia Martin 20
Scott McCall 25
Demarco Montana 250
Derek Hale 15
Carrie Hudson 500
Kayleen Bettcher 250
Kira Yukimura 6
Elias Town 250

"Who found this list," he asked.

"Lydia" Stiles answered.

"How?"

"She wrote it. Actually, she transcribed it. Without realizing it." He attempted to explain in this rushed voice of his.

Confused but understanding would be considerably more difficult if 'it's just supernatural wasn't an answer to any gaps in his knowledge. He used this, but with the word; "Banshee?"

"Banshee," Stiles confirmed.

"Beautiful. All right, why are these numbers next to the names?" He asked pointing to the different numbers on the creased piece of paper.

Stiles pointed at it. "We're getting to that. First, you need to know that the code was Broken with a cypher key."

"Wait. You mean,  like a ... like a keyword?"

"It's actually a name" Stiles corrected.

Scott looked up. "Allison"

The three's faces dropped, none more so than the Sherriff as he tried to be respectful. Stiles continued. "Her name broke a third of the list"

Scott took over. "And now we think there are two other cypher keys"

"Which will give us the rest of the names" He nodded along, understanding more and more as the two teens pieced it together for him. "Okay. So how do we get the cypher keys?"

"Same way we got the code, Lydia. She's been at the Lakehouse all weekend trying to find the other two keywords"

He sighed and shuffled through the crime scene photos of Demarco's severed head and body. "You didn't know about Demarco or Carrie. Hmm?" And uh what about these other four names on the list?" he questioned reaching for the page. "Uh Rosa-Roslnn, Rosiy. I dunno"

"Rosyln" Stiles corrected. The two looked up at him. "A girl next to me in coaches class has that name, pronouncing her name has been half the curriculum this year" he said and then pointed to the sheet. "Wait, Scott..." He whispered, loudly. "We know her!"

Scott examined the list. "I mean yeah but we know half the people on this list"

The Sherrif cleared his throat and continued. "Uh, Finn Marie, Kayleen Bettcher and Elias Town. They werewolves too?"

"I don't know. But Deaton said that the Nematon would draw supernatural creatures here."

"Well, The Marie's aren't werewolves, right? Otherwise, you would have like sniffed them out." Stiles mumbled trying to make a point but the other two ignored him. The answer to it was no, they could not be werewolves.

"Here being beacon hills? Or beacon county? The population of Beacon Hills is just under 30,000.-"

"And dropping" Stiles cut in earning a harsh glance from his father.

He continued. "But if we're talking beacon county, then you're looking at closer to 500,000".

Shaking his head he took a seat at his desk. "Look, how many werewolves, banshees, kitsunes and whatever the hell else is out there are we talking about? And, and what happens if the next cypher key uncovers not 14 names but 100?"

Stiles decided to hit him with some facts. "I don't think there would be that many. There's a limit."

"Because of the numbers, "Scott said.

"We think that once we decipher the names the numbers will add up to 117," Scott said.

"117 what?" The Sherrif questioned.

"Million" Scott told him.

"117 million dollars, dad. stolen from the Hale vault and is being used by someone to finance all these murders."

"Someone who wants every supernatural in
Beacon Hills dead." Scott added dramatically.

"Okay so. The codes list goes out and somehow these professional assassins get that list." Stilinski stated.

"And the cypher key" Stiles added.

"And then they go after the names on the list. They being killers with no mouths, tomahawks, thermo-cut wires that can take your head off."

"Let me see" Stiles leaned forward and shuffled through the police reports. "Carrie was also stabbed"

They all started asking questions about the stab wound and then about Demarco's death. By the end, they all came to a final conclusion. Whoever killed Demarco was a student at beacon hills.

Stiles looked to the two. "And what about Rosyln and Finn. Do you think they even know?" He asked.

"I don't know. We'll see her in school so I guess we can give her some sort of warning and a dam good explanation about how we know."

|| THE DEAD POOL ||
|| THE DEAD POOL ||

Rosyln woke up early that morning. It had been two days since the lake house incident and she still had not told anyone. she wasn't planning to either. She had locked herself in her room for the entire weekend refusing to believe any of it and just playing it off as if it had all been a dream. The slashed tyres were a hard one to explain to her parents when she arrived home. They had had to go and pick up Finn who she found out had just about as much fun at the party as she had. That Monday, school did not seem one bit appealing to the girl whatsoever but then again when would her parents actually let her not go in because she didn't feel like it?

Rosyln sat is Finnstock's class as he helplessly ranted about the school funding for lacrosse compared to other schools. She was zoned out.

The image of the man's head on the ground next to her, Scott McCall's glowing red eyes and whatever the hell happened to her floated around her crowded mind. As she looked around a boy next to her with spiky brown hair and a blue and red flannel shirt, shuffled through mountains of printed photos. Stiles Stilinski.

Ros had seen him throw her a few questioning looks and almost felt attacked. What had she done?

Intrigued by the mountain of paper photos on his desk she took a quick look and inwardly gasped. Blood and gore everywhere. They were crime scene photos, that much Ros knew, of recent murders in beacon hills. Rosyln recognized the Demarco decapitation incident with a series of photos in the top corner. Maybe Stiles knew something that could help her comprehend everything- she had to talk with him.

Coach also took notice of Stile's lack of attention. Marching forward with his lacrosse stick in hand, Finnstock banged the desk, scaring the living shit out of Stilinski and Rosyln as well. "You know, Stilinski" The coach began as he lifted up one of the sheets on his student's desk. "If I could grade you on how profoundly you disturb me, you'd be an A-plus student."

Rosyln ignoring their little conversation, sneakily reaching forward for the photographs. She picked one of them up without anyone noticing and began examining as Finnstock continued.

"Thanks, coach" Stiles said sarcastically.

"Put those picture away", the coach said as he banged the lacrosse stick on his desk again.

Stiles nodded but then noticed the end of the lacrosse stick. It was as if he had seen one for the first time, in an entirely different light. He grabbed it and started examining the bottom intensely looking from one of his pages to the stick and repeating the process.

"Stilinski! What the hell is wrong with you?" The coach shouted. "Don't answer that". Finstock then stormed off angrily when the boy finally let go.

Scott and Stiles turned to each other and Rosyln leaned in to hear them better.

"It's a lacrosse player" Stiles muttered.

Scott leaned forward, even closer. "The killers on the team"

|| THE DEAD POOL ||
|| THE DEAD POOL ||

Rosyln didn't like to struggle. It made her feel week and unimpressive. When anxiety got the best of her while talking to new people, she knew it was something she couldn't do often. So when the time came to ask and confront Scott about the other night, she got cold feet... and went for Stiles instead. She wanted answers, so answers she was going to get.

She spotted him running someplace, presumably to discuss whatever himself and Scott had been talking about in Economics. Rosyln inhaled deeply. What if he knew nothing? No, he couldn't know nothing, he had a ton of evidence scattered across his desk today. If he was prepared to do it in front of the whole class Rosyln thought he should also take whatever questions may be asked afterwards. "Hey, Stilinski!" She called. It was unnatural. Her being somewhat smooth and chill.

The boy stopped dead in his tracks, did a full one-eighty and began walking a completely different way, ignoring the girl and leaving her to run after him.

"Stilinski!" She called. "Stiles?"

Eventually, she caught up with him which forced him to stop walking and talk to her.

"Oh hey! Rosyln I didn't see you there!"

She rolled her eyes and continued with her short declaration. "Not to sound weird of condescending but I want to help"

Stiles was trying to act some-what cool but at her words, his eyes widened and he looked into her soul. "what?!"

"About the killer, I want to help" she repeated with more information.

"Wait how do you know about the killer?" He asked surprised and excited.

"well you're really loud and it's sort of a long story but some shit went down last week and I want answers"

"how do you know?"

"I heard you in economics... As I said, you're really really loud"

Stiles stomped his foot. "Shit, Scott always says we're loud, first time its backfired"

Offended she continued. "Backfired?!"

"Yes, Backfired," he said. Stiles knew that she was going to get messed up in all of it eventually, how could she stay away? Her name was on the Dead Pool and they needed her help as much as she did theirs but for some reason, he felt resilient to give in just then. "Why do you want to get messed up in all this shit?"

Somewhere deep down, Stiles was hurt by everything that had happened to him. Maybe just maybe, he could save someone else from his fate.

Rosyln paused. See, she could tell the truth but she could also say that she was just interested in the murders. Nobody knew about her presence at the murder scene, because her car had been moved and not spotted But- in order for Stiles and his gang to trust her she needed to tell the truth. "Because- because I saw Demarco before the murder. I-I was there" she whispered, leaning in.

"What, seriously?!".

"Shhhhh, keep you're voice down!"

"And you haven't gone to the police yet?!" He practically screamed. "you need to go to them, you're a witness, this changes everything! Did you see who done it? Or did you do it!?"

"What! No of course not! Look long story short, I'm super confused. I saw some real traumatizing shit out there and I, I just think it's going to get worse. I don't know why but I have a feeling I'm next. My tyres were slashed same as his and if I hadn't run away, I think, I think it could have been me."

Stiles knew that Rosyln probably was next. She was on the Dead Pool so obviously, she would be in danger but she needed to know everything. Covering someone's eyes in a time where you don't know who to trust is more dangerous than actually being blind. He nodded his head. "Okay, come with me, I've got some explaining to do and some things that you can help with"

|| THE DEAD POOL ||
|| THE DEAD POOL ||

Rosyln stood around a table piled high with lacrosse sticks, stacked left right and centre. The sticks had been dismantled in search of a hidden dagger Stiles had explained very little about. The girl was still on the fence about why she was searching for this dagger but she needed answers and felt like Stiles knew more than he was so far leading with. He had said he'd got some explaining but so far hadn't said a word to her. She'd just followed him to this room where Scott McCall and his girlfriend, Kira had already begun looking for through the sticks.

Scott threw another stick onto the table. "This... this is pointless. Most of the team plays with their own gear."

Rosyln had so far stayed quiet and neither Scott nor Kira had taken much notice of her. "Maybe instead of trying to find the lacrosse stick with a hidden dagger in it, we should be trying to get the game cancelled," Kira said.

"The game's the best way to catch him red-handed."

"but what if he's red-handed because his hands are covered in the blood of the person that he just stabbed to death," Stiles said, waving his hands manically around him. "Which by the way could be any of you guys" He warmed pointing to the three.

"I don't play lacrosse" Rosyln reminded him, her hand in the air, awkwardly. Stiles shot her a glance as did Kira who hadn't completely taken notice of her until then.

"Or Liam" Scott muttered dully in response to Stile's statements. "Well, we don't have the whole list and he could be on it"

"We don't know anything about the list," Stiles said. "How it's made, how it's updated. I mean who's been out taking a supernatural census anyway?"

What was this guy talking about? Ros thought. "What list are we talking about exactly" Rosyln inquired cluelessly. Obviously, the others were on a different information level. She was looking at Stiles for the answers but he was looking at the other two.

Kira looked from Stiles to her and then to Scott. "Sorry, I know this may sound rude and I'm sorry if it is but why are you here exactly?" Kira questioned, innocently and Rosyln did not take it in an offensive way. Kida looked more to Stiles and Scott for the answers.

"She's on the list" Stiles answered.

Rosyln nodded along. "I'm on the list- wait I'm on the list?!"

She threw eye- daggers at Stiles."You never said anything about that! "

"yeah well, I said I had a lot of explaining to do, alright?" He defended quickly.

The girl rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. "So can you get on with it?" She huffed. Rosyln really was willing to believe everything. From what she'd seen in the woods to what the trio in front of her had been talking about, images in her head so far seemed far worse than the truth.

"Okay have you ever heard of a Dead pool?" Stiles asked.

"It's a comic right?" The girl said innocently.

Stiles sighed. "Not what we're talking about, no"

"I thought Deadpool was a comic"

Scott took over for Stiles and ignored her statement. "Its basically a hit list. And you're on it"

Her eyes widened as many questions formed in her mind. That had escalated quickly.

"Well, a supernatural hit list" Stilinski added. The boy put a hand over his mouth and dragged it down quickly. "Okay so how much do you know?" he began, hopeful. They all turned to look at her but Rosyln stayed quiet. She didn't know anything. Was she really supposed to? Stiles elaborated. "about the supernatural? Werewolves, banshees? No?"

Rosyln's head went up at werewolf and she looked to Scott. "Okay, You're all really being serious about all this supernatural stuff?" they nodded. She took a step back. "Really?" They all nodded again simultaneously. It was a lot to take in in only a few minutes but Rosyln was a focused and not easy to crack soul so she tried to not sound sort of unsure of everything. "Okay well, Scott and Liam. They're werewolves right?"

"Yes! Yes!" Stiles confirmed, pointing at her with satisfaction. "..How do you know that?"

"I sort of saw both of you in the woods last weekend after I dropped my brother off at Lydia's lake house and I sort of freaked out. I don't know what happened or how but you didn't see me but you did hear me and I swear I thought you were a cult." Rosyln rambled, one bit of information after the other.  She could have sworn she saw Scott smirk at the last bit of her sentence but it was only a  split second. Nobody said anything after she had finished so she added to her rant  "So. if I'm on the dead pool, am I one too?"

"probably not," Scott said.

"What?"

"We can explain more of this later, it's very intricate." He said although it most likely wouldn't have taken much longer.

"So what am I?"

"We don't know," Kira said trying to comfort her. "I don't even know how they knew about me. How did they even know about me?"

"They know about everyone" Scott sighed.

"What are you?" Rosyln asked Kira, trying to learn as much as she could before the conversation was over and she would not have any more chances.

Kira smiled kindly. "A kitsune, Japanese fox spirit" she explained shortly. Rosyln's face dropped. Kira was nice enough to explain it but it only made her more worried.

"So for all I know, I could be like a Hungarian bull spirit?" She exclaimed.

"No probably not, again," Scott said. "Lydia could try and figure it out for you later, but at the moment we have a few more pressing matters. I think it could be anyone of us tonight, Hungarian bull or not"

"I think Kiras right. I think we should stop the game" Stiles announced.

Scott shook his head slowly. "I'm, I'm not afraid."

Stiles's mouth hung open similar to Rosyln's. How the hell could they not be afraid? This was the most she'd ever spoken to any of them and let me tell you, the girl had been hit with many mind bombs but this was just getting worse by the second.

Kira looked Scott dead in the eyes. "Neither am I" She whispered.

Stiles stuttered, taken aback "Well I'm terrified and I'm not even on the list! Guys, these are professional killers. It's their profession! One of them's got a Thermo cut wire that cuts heads off. Who knows what else they have"

"A necklace"

The three looked to Rosyln, confusion perfectly etched and preserved on each of their faces. "What?" Stiles asked extremely confused.

"A necklace. Not a wire. The killer used a necklace."

"How do you know?" Scott began but was cut off by the girl.

"I was there. When he was killed. It wasn't a wire I think. I saw them wrap it around their neck after they yunno" She told them, finishing her sentence with a series of awfully detailed hand gestures.

"Great, just great!"

|| THE DEAD POOL ||
|| THE DEAD POOL ||

Hey everyone! I hope you liked this chapter. [really sorry if there's spelling mistakes especially in names, my editing tool is acting the hell up] It's a lot longer than some of my other ones [3300 words] but it was sort of necessary. I've been rewatching the twilight series and I'm kinda bummed because it being taken off Netflix at 12 which sucks lol.  The twilight New Moon soundtrack is so good like- Also I know the number on the dead pool doesn't add up with Finn and Rosyln on it but just act like it does lol. Bye!

-Malefecently, 30/4/2020