CHPT 27: Blue Eyes/Purple Wings

Well. One mission had been accomplished.

Scott found Boyd-- hidden in a supply closet holding a mop as if it were the deadliest weapon on earth. It seemed like centuries had passed since he first entered the Ice Rink in search of the high school student. And finally, he found him.

Mission accomplished indeed.

A new mission had risen in it's place-- like the endlessly replacing heads of a Hydra. Hydra-- like a dragon. How fitting..... considering they were being chased by something that looked horrifyingly similar to one at the current moment.

"WATCH OUT!" Stiles yelled as he shoved Scott, Boyd and Derek out of the way of a fireball rocketing toward them.

They stumbled as the flames ate away at the tile floor with a deafening sizzle. It lit up the dark halls and illuminated the entrance back into the ice rink. The smell of blood was dizzying-- even so, Stiles' mind raced and hyper focused on two things.

It was the same Monster he and Stiles had ran into before. On the night of the Full Moon. He knew the extent of it's abilities-- at least that it could've caught them in their current state with ease. But it didn't. It stayed behind them. He checked, turning around to aim his glowing yellow eyes at the creature.

"RAHHH!" It screamed at him, purple-black spirals of steam escaped it's humanoid mouth full of black teeth as it leapt and bounded, gliding on dragonoid wings.

"AH-- god." Stiles mumbled before turning back around.

His mind continued to race as they headed toward the entrance into the ice rink. Only one idea entered his mind repeatedly. He needed to test it's validity.

A cut off leading down another hall came up on the group. Stiles looked back at the creature.

"Hey! HEY! Look!" Stiles yelled.

In response, the scaled Monster's slitted eyes flicked over to him just as he moved to split from the group and head down the left corridor.

"NRAHHH!!" The creature screeched and sent a stream of flames past stiles and down the hallway he attempted to enter.

He skidded to a stop, sneakers squeaking and sliding on the bloodied floor before he successfully rejoined the others. In a rush, they busted through the entrance doors, nearly tripping over the endless piles of bodies stuffed into the chairs and blocking the walkways. Boyd visibly gagged at the massacre, causing Derek to snap at him to focus.

When they finally reached the rink, Boyds stamina waned.

"Wait-- hold on...." He said, bending over to place a hand on his knees and take deep mouthfuls of air.

"We've been running for at least twenty minutes." Derek groaned as they huddled up on the ice.

"I know why." Stiles replied.

They others looked at him.

"It's herding us. It wanted us here..... probably because of the open area, easy access and lights. Reinforcements are coming. I don't think the thing is supposed to kill us."

"Why does that sound worse than it simply coming to kill us?" Boyd asked with frightened eyes.

"Because it is." Scott interjected beside him, suddenly remembering how the Hunters tortured Derek-- and skewered the Omega.

Speaking of Hunters....

"AHHHHHHH!!" The scaled creature screeched as it flew through the entryway, twisting in the air like a bullet. It landed on all fours and slowly stalked toward them. In the shadows, it's scales reflected the scarce amount of light-- it looked horrifyingly magical.

Derek growled and forced himself to shift, causing the Scott and Stiles to do the same as Boyd backed away frightened.

"Come on..... come on." Derek whispered.

The creature let out a hideous croaking sound that sounded similar to a laugh as it's wings began to slowly flap. A prelude to violence-- like a Lion in the longrass preparing to pounce.

"RA--"

The scaled creatures screams were cut short by a deep chested roar behind it. Back in the hallway. It sounded familiar-- but different.

The scaled creature spun around with a hiss.

Another roar echoed-- higher pitched and ending in a feline hissing sound.

"What is that?" Scott whispered.

Before Scott could get a reply, a metal spear whistled through the doorway and slammed into the creatures' shoulder, knocking it off its feet and into the ice rink. It flapped and rolled on the ice, spitting tufts of flame and dripping slime from its nails while it screamed in pain at the removal of the primal weapon.

Before it could finish recovering, an animalistic bark sounded, followed by three arrows being fired from the hallway and slamming into the creature. Each hit wet and gruesome.

It tried to get up again, causing Scott and Derek to move in and kick it in the back. It hurled forward, sliding on the ice chest first. It got up just in time to see its attackers entering the area.

One was tall. Inhumanely tall at seven and a half feet. It wore the front half of a torn knight's helm over its face. Black metal on leathery black skin. A loose hood covered it's head along with sectional poorly fit armor, clearly stolen from the Warlocks. Even without the haunting blue feline eyes glowing from within the mask, everyone inside the rink knew it was the Blue-Eyed Beast.

At it's left, Erica stood-- transformed and made anew. She had grown, her legs long and lined with steel cords of muscle that burst through her leather pants and showed the beginnings of golden-brown fur beneath. Her face was nearly unrecognizable with her feline muzzle and sabered fangs.

They didn't waste any time once they entered. Erica leapt and cleared the entire set of seats and dead bodies, landing in the rink in a single bound. The Blue-Eyed Beast followed. As soon as it landed on the rink-- shaking the floor and cracking the ice, Stiles, Derek and Scott backed away.

And the Shifters went to work.

The Beast retrieved its spear, Erica caught one of the Warlocks blades that the Beast threw to her, and they began cutting into the winged monster like it was a training dummy. Their combative synchronization was otherworldly. As if their minds were connected by chain.

Every time the Blue-Eyed Beast lunged in with its spear, Erica was bounding away and readying herself for another attack with the blade she used as if it were an extension of her limbs.

The hideous scaled creature held its own with incredible healing and power, but they were wearing it down.

All the while Scott watched; he couldn't help but question.

"Who shot the arrows?"

***

"AHHH!" The scaled monster screamed as The Beast threw its spear into the winged monster's leg.

It turned and dodged Erica's blade-- understanding their way of combat finally, before leaping in an attempt to fly away. Scott couldn't believe they were making it attempt to flee.

The Blue-Eyed Beast roared and jumped after the creature, grabbing hold of it's spear and using it to pull the creature back down with a bone shattering slam.

The ice split and cracked from the impact. The Beast didn't care, stomping on one of it's wings to crack the thin bones lining it. The crunch made Derek cringe.

"AAAACKK!!!"

The Blue-Eyed Beast roared in it's face, relishing in the pained scream. Suddenly the dragon-like shifter opened it's mouth again and steamy spirals of sparking smoke emerged. It didn't take a genius to understand what that meant.

The Beast's hand moved at untraceable speeds, grabbing it's face to lift it's head and slam it into the ice.

After no fire came, the Beast lifted it by the throat until it dangled overhead. It raised it's spear, aiming the blade at the creature.

"... DiEeeeE...."

At the sound of the Beast's voice, the creature regained movement, swiping at the barely exposed skin on the Beasts arm to be released.

And then it was on the move again. Erica moved to chase only for the Beast to shove her aside just as the creature spun around and expelled a massive wave of fire from it's mouth.

"OH my--" Stiles, Scott, Derek and Boyd shielded themselves in response to the bright blast. It felt like the sun had fallen into the ice rink for a second longer than was bearable. And then it was cold again, and the sound of wings in the wind told them the creature was fleeing.

Scott opened his eyes to find the Blue-Eyed Beast standing over the busted ice. Erica lay behind it, staring at the massive creature, steaming and burned all over. Blood leaked from it's limp arm as it straightened with a tired grunt.

Something about how it stood-- how it took in long deep breaths with it's face to the sky. It looked so human in that moment. So easily understood in it's tiredness. Not a simple tiredness, but a true exhaustion. Deep enough to touch the soul.

When it finally began moving again, Scott took a second to notice, it was moving towards them.

He tried to get up and failed, his body to exhausted from all the adrenaline rushes and running, leaving them to watch as it approached, Erica close behind like a feral apprentice.

It stopped suddenly, looming over them like a shape-shifting armored brute. Derek growled. The Beast looked away from him to face someone else.

"...I thought.... I thought you were a serial killer...." Boyd said in a shaky voice.

The Blue-Eyed Beast didn't confirm or deny. It simply stood. Staring, as Erica watched it's back.

"You.... you saved her.... and us."

The Beast grunted. Seemingly dissatisfied with such an idea. But a result of its actions, nonetheless.

"You saved us all. Why? Why do you fight them?...why aren't you scared?" Boyd fired off questions he seemingly had stored for longer than anyone knew.

The Beast leaned forward and sniffed at him before it tapped it's spear against the ice with it's only good arm.

"oN.... yOuR.... fEeet." It's voice came out like metal on metal.

Hesitantly, Boyd rose up to stand, slightly at an angle to face away from the Beast as it studied him. The interaction was bizarre-- so many words unspoken, so many thoughts fired off. So innately intimate.

And then it was over, with a single word that both horrified and confused Scott.

"FolLOw...."

As the Blue-Eyed Beast walked off, slowly beginning to jog and then run, Erica followed. And Boyd followed Erica. A hesitant and fearful run that gained more confidence with each step.

Scott moved to follow only to find a hand seize his arm. "Leave him. He's gone. He made a choice. We need to get out of here. We lost, Scott. On all fronts. We lost."

The night had never felt so cold in those moments. And for the two WereWolves and WereCoyote, even as they lay in a building full of mutilated Hunters corpses and broken weapons, they'd never felt so utterly weak. So, so weak.