Time skips

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November 28, 2000

Lucian, a mischievous glint in his black eyes, stared blankly out the window, watching the rain lash against the glass. At one year old, pretending to be a normal, innocent baby was a constant performance, a charade he'd grown weary of. His mind, a whirlwind of thoughts and plans, felt like a cage, his soul yearned to do things.

'Should I start exercising?' Lucian thought, a smirk playing on his lips.

He and Cortana had figured out that his body wasn't normal. He was getting stronger at an alarming rate for a baby, an anomaly that had them both baffled. They thought it was because of the Spartan genes stored in his DNA, or maybe because of the connection with the tree, or his mother.

They didn't know about the tree branch absorbing blood.

Suddenly, a miniature Cortana, a shimmering projection of her soul, appeared in his vision, hovering in front of his face.

"No, you can't. Although your body is stronger than a normal human baby, it just means you need to work harder to improve it. Either you won't get it right, or your body will overstrain." Cortana zipped around him, a gold whirlwind of energy.

'The only good thing is we know where we are.' Lucian replied, his voice a quiet whisper in their shared consciousness.

They overheard the conversations of the employees when he was a baby.

'Beacon Hills' Lucian thought. He wondered if he was a werewolf, since his physique was so different. He craved answers, but his tiny body rendered him helpless.

Cortana, sensing his frustration, flew up and landed on his hand, her form solid, a comforting presence.

"You will grow up. You just need patience. And if it's really the world of Teen Wolf, you already know the plot," she said. trying to comfort him.

Lucian smiled. He thought about studying the canine distemper virus.

Cortana's memories didn't include anything about that. It wasn't important to her. She had never even seen a dog in her universe, just pictures.

'I'm going to make them all my bitches, mwahahaha!'

Lucian smirked, his baby face morphing into a mischievous grin. He loved a good villainous monologue.

Cortana rolled her eyes at his antics. "Stop doing your villain monologue because you're bored. Act like a good kid. Stop smirking! The matron is coming." she said, pointing towards the door.

Lucian turned his head and saw Ms. Hawthorne, a kind, elderly woman with a gentle smile, walking towards him.

They both noticed she was carrying a baby.

"Little Lucian, look, you're a big brother now," she said, placing the baby beside him in his crib.

"Name." Lucian said, trying to show happiness on his face, making an effort to speak, even though it was difficult for him to form words.

The matron caressed his head. "Her name is Malia. You take care of her okay?"

"Okay," Lucian said, flashing a wide smile. He was thinking, 'Woman, I'm only one year old.'

"Okay, Ms. Hawthorne. Didn't mean literally. Focus on the kid." Cortana said, her voice a quiet whisper in Lucian's mind. He was the only one who could hear her.

"Malia, Were-coyote," Lucian said through their connection. He had read about her, about her unusual origins.

Cortana nodded. "If what you read is right, then one month from now, she's going to get adopted."

'Investment.' Lucian thought, nodding his head. He was already making plans.

'Malia has got strong potential, with part of her mother's powers. If her full coyote form is an evolved were-coyote, she's much stronger than Scott, the true alpha.'

Lucian nodded again, thinking his plans were good.

"First of all, you don't call an innocent baby an investment. That's horrible. And what I mean is her car accident." Cortana started to lecture him.

"Oh, shit, here we go again," Lucian mentally coughed, already knowing what she was going to say. 'What do you want me to do?' He knew she already knew what he was thinking.

"I know you don't care. Even you know what's going to happen. You know something bad is going to happen, and you still let it happen. Are you sure you won't regret it?" Cortana said, crossing her soul arms, a flicker of disapproval in her golden eyes.

"I know this is our second chance in life, so I'll do everything for the people I care about. But if it's really a stranger, I don't really care. But for you, I'll try to change it," Lucian said, looking at Cortana, a flicker of sincerity in his eyes. He knew she was right. They were soulmates, bound together by their shared past and their uncertain future. He wanted to make her proud of him.

"I'll do it for you, until you have a body, because I know you would help them if you could. Because I won't. I'm going to change to improve myself, you, and the people around me, not for strangers I don't know," Lucian said, his voice firm in their connection. He was learning, growing, trying to become better, for her, for their future.

Cortana held his finger with her tiny hand. "Thank you for trying to change for me."

It was enough for her that he was trying, that he was making an effort. He was a complex being, filled with contradictions and desires. But he was also good, and he was trying to be better.

They both noticed little Malia trying to move, sensing her awakening.

Cortana dissolved, her form fading into the Soul Space.

"Wait, take me away with you," Lucian said, but it was too late. He covered his ears as the sound of a baby's cry echoed through the room.

"Uwaaaahhhh." the baby Malia started crying, her small voice filled with distress.

Malia didn't stop crying until she was picked up by the Matron.

Lucian, lying in his crib, stared at the ceiling, feeling defeated.

Then he heard a stifled laugh, and Cortana's voice whispered in his mind, "0-1, baby wins."

"Cortana." Lucian called her name softly.

"Yes." Cortana answered, her voice tinged with amusement.

"Fuck you." Lucian said.

"Oh, fuck you too, sweetheart," she said, both of them mentally laughing.

Lucian lay there, a mischievous glint in his eyes. This was only the beginning of their new life.

•-----•-----•-----•-----•

December 8 2004 7:34PM

When the Nemeton Tree recovered and grew stronger, the stump transformed into a towering trunk, its branches reaching toward the sky. The nemeton was a beacon, pulsating with power, attracting supernatural creatures from far and wide.

From a Gorgon, a Siren, and a Were-Lion they had come, their presence, a testament to the nemeton's growing strength. But this time, it wasn't supernatural creatures who trespassed on Beacon Hills, but humans.

These were not ordinary humans. They had reached the peak of human physicality, their bodies honed to a razor-sharp edge. They weren't here because they hated supernatural creatures or sought revenge. They were here for one thing: assassination.

They blended into the shadows, killing without mercy, their movements a blur of motion. They were ninjas, masters of stealth and death.

•-----•-----•-----•-----•

Outskirts of Beacon Hills, Hale House

The Hale family was having a party, celebrating the relative peace that had descended upon Beacon Hills.

"Looks like there won't be any more hunters coming to Beacon Hills if they know they'll die," Talia said, glancing at Satomi Ito.

"They shouldn't be killed to begin with," Satomi said, shaking her head.

Her pack was Buddhist, and she believed in nonviolence, even against those who threatened their existence.

The supernatural creatures kept coming to Beacon Hills, of course, but the hunters would follow, seeking to eradicate them. Then, six months ago, it all changed. The hunters started dying, one by one, seemingly attacked by wolves.

"And we didn't do it. Someone is killing them after we defeat them, and making it look like werewolves did it," Talia said, her voice laced with anger. They were being framed, their reputation tarnished.

"Do you have any idea who it is?" Satomi asked, her eyes scanning the party, a mix of their betas and friends enjoying themselves.

"My best guess is Gerard Argent. That's what he did to Deucalion," Talia said, her face grim. She remembered that the once hopeful and peaceful alpha wolf had killed his own betas to absorb their power, a dark betrayal that still haunted her.

Talia shook her head slightly, trying to push away the distracting thoughts.

"Did your friend find out about the kitsune?"

"She doesn't know any kitsune that can strengthen a Nemeton tree like this. The nemeton was connected to Yggdrasil," Satomi said, repeating what Noshiko had told her.

"Unless it was the Seishin Kitsune that sided with Yggdrasil at the Battle of the Gods. But that was a myth, even for her."

Talia shook her head. "That's just bedtime stories for children. Even if it was real, someone as strong as that, we couldn't possibly smell her scent," Talia said, incredulous.

Just as they were about to continue their conversation, Laura walked in, holding an envelope.

"Mom, a letter was sent to you," Laura said, holding the envelope out to her mother.

"Thank you, honey. Can you check in with your sister? See if she's fallen asleep?" Talia asked.

"I know," Laura said, heading towards the second floor to check on Cora.

Talia smiled and opened the envelope. Instead of a letter, she found black sand. The lights suddenly went out, plunging the Hale House into darkness.

Talia and Satomi frowned, hearing something. Footsteps, so fast, so silent, that they barely registered. Then, one of Satomi's betas screamed in pain, his head severed, his body collapsing to the floor. All the werewolves in the room partially transformed, their instincts kicking in.

In the darkness, Talia and Satomi saw figures, shadowy silhouettes that seemed to blend into the very walls of the house.

The ninjas were masters of stealth, their movements swift and deadly. They even scaled the walls with inhuman agility, their bodies a blur of motion.

"What the…" Talia muttered, her eyes widening in disbelief. "They move like shadows, like phantoms."

Satomi, her own senses heightened, echoed Talia's surprise. "I've never seen anything like it. Their speed, their precision..." She shook her head, trying to grasp the impossible grace of the ninjas' movements.

Suddenly, a shuriken, a deadly throwing star, flashed through the air, aimed at one of Satomi's betas. The wolf yelped in pain as the shuriken pierced its flesh.

"Wolfsbane!" the werewolf howled, its eyes wide with fear. The scent of the deadly poison filled the air. Panic surged through the room as other werewolves, their senses heightened, began to react.

The werewolves, weakened by the Wolfsbane, staggered, their movements sluggish and their strength diminished. But their numbers were overwhelming. The ninjas, despite their deadly skills, were outnumbered by the werewolves, who, even in their weakened state, still possessed immense strength and ferocity.

Talia, her eyes blazing with a primal rage, snarled, "They may be fast, but they're not invincible. We'll fight them to the death!"

Satomi, her katanas drawn, added, "And we have one advantage. They may blend into the shadows, but our eyes can see them in the dark."

The werewolves, their senses heightened, began to pick out the ninjas in the darkness. They were no longer just shadowy figures, but deadly enemies, their movements a blur of motion, their blades a deadly dance of steel. As the strength of the wolves cannot be fought by the bare strength of a human.

The ninjas, trained in the brutal methods of the Ozunu clan, moved with a terrifying precision, each strike calculated and deadly.

The battle raged on, a symphony of snarls, screams, and clashing steel. The werewolves, despite their weakened state, fought with a ferocity born of desperation. They were a pack, a force of nature, and they were not going to be denied. But even their ferocity was no match for the ninjas' deadly skills and precision. The ninjas, like shadows in the night, moved with a terrifying grace, their blades a deadly dance of steel, each strike a testament to their mastery of the art of combat.

The werewolves, though powerful, were no match for the ninja's speed, agility, and ruthlessness. The ninjas, trained to kill without hesitation, moved with a cold efficiency that chilled the very air. Their movements were a blur of motion, their strikes precise and deadly.

The battle raged on, a symphony of snarls, screams, and clashing steel. The Hale House, once a haven for the werewolves, was now a battleground, the air thick with the scent of blood and fear.

The ninjas, their movements a blur of motion, suddenly halted. Even with the Wolfsbane weakening the werewolves, the pack's ferocity and strength were proving to be a formidable challenge.

The ninjas, accustomed to swift and decisive victories, found themselves struggling against the relentless onslaught. They realized they were outnumbered, with only seven remaining out of the original twenty, while the pack of thirty-one werewolves had dwindled to sixteen.

Recognizing the tide of the battle was turning against them, the ninjas made a tactical retreat. They were masters of stealth, disappearing into the shadows with an agility that defied the werewolves' attempts to pursue them.

As the last ninja vanished, Talia heard a desperate cry echoing through the darkened house. Her daughter's voice, laced with pain, pierced the chaos.

Talia rushed towards the stairs as she hurriedly entered Cora's room.

She turned to see her eldest daughter Laura, her face pale and her leg and arms bleeding, but still managing to stand as she hugged her sister as Talia saw her youngest daughter Cora was in shock looking at her brother.

As her son, however, lay crumpled on the floor, a sword protruding from his belly.

He whispered, his voice weak, "I didn't let them take her away."

The scene was one of utter devastation. The werewolves, though victorious, were battered and bruised. The house, once their sanctuary, was now a battlefield, stained with blood and littered with the remnants of the fight. But the true cost of the victory was etched on Talia's face, her daughter, her son was hurt and her youngest daughter was almost taken and the overwhelming sense of loss that gripped her heart.

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Next Chapter 16: Kidnapped

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