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.*･｡. AN ODE TO CLARK KENT .*･｡.
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044.
WELCOME BACK.
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——

"Woah—"

Stiles, Luna and Peter weren't used to seeing guns being loaded and knives being twirled. For Lois and her father, however, this sort of stuff was getting scarily normal.

Hunter weaponry didn't faze them, anymore.

They barely flinched when Chris aimed a large gun and clicked off the safety, testing it without pulling the trigger, while Stiles and Luna jumped. He put the trigger back on and packed it away in a case, and the couple breathed out in relief. Peter Parker didn't look too worried about the gun itself, more for the fact that Argent was glaring at him while holding it — that part was scary, to him; it had him anxious. Clearly, Chris was still having trouble trusting him on every single level. Which, really, Peter supposed was fair. He didn't expect any of them to trust him, again. Peter was surprised he had even been let into the Argent residence. They didn't have to trust in him, he just wanted to prove that he was on the right side now. His motives were good.

Lois was used to all of the arrows and bullets. She was closer to the Argents as of recent, since they went to France, over summer.

From the day she picked up Allison's crossbow and shot Isaac in the shoulder, Lois' experience with hunter regalia had changed. It changed even more when Chris Argent had trusted her when they fought Gerard and the kanima with a crossbow of her own, and in turn trusted her with his life. Trusting a sarcastic, short teenage girl to have his back in a fight to the death? Bold move.

Sure, Lois was totally trustworthy. She would say that with pride, but that didn't make a difference to the fact that, before their fight, she had only picked up a crossbow once. That time had been oddly successful, although that didn't change her lack of training.

And yet, Argent still trusted her.

Thank god, it turned out well.

From that point on, he'd trusted her — wholeheartedly. She was a kid that was inherently good. Whether she realised it, or not, Lois was as good of a kid as Scott was. One of the best kids around this town, actually.

There was a reason parents liked her. Lois Lane was just so good, it was hard not to. Everyone trusted her. The Argent's, the McCall family, the Stilinski's. Luna's parents, Lydia's mom — there was an abundant lack of literally anyone that didn't trust her. Even Derek Hale was a fan of Lois. They all trusted her, adored her, and she was none the wiser. It was mainly because Lois always proved to be trustworthy; it was entirely rare she did something to show herself undeserving of the trust instilled within her. Time and time again, Lois rose up to the challenge. Everyone trusted Lois. Everyone. Her own father was her biggest advocate. He knew his daughter was an archetypal good kid, and she was trustworthy, and that was why he let her run rampant around Beacon Hills with her friends. Perhaps she had lied to him excessively the year prior to this but he'd finally come to understand why.

He understood that she was protecting him from a whirlwind of supernatural and death. She wanted him to be safe, so she hadn't told him what was going on. And that was okay. He wasn't mad, he still wasn't mad. Because, no matter how much Lois lied to him, he knew that it was all for his protection.

None of that dwindled his trust in her. Matthew Lane knew his kid was smart, and she was strong, and she was totally trustworthy.

And she would do anything for her friends.

   Anything.

   That was Lois Lane.

So, the fact Chris Argent trusted her wasn't surprising. At least, not surprising to anyone in that room. But what was surprising to Lois was that her father seemed oddly comfortable with a forty-five in his hand. Lois squinted at him with narrowed eyes, trying to see if she could recall a time he was a fan of guns in the past.

   Nope.

When did he get so experienced with guns? He was a lawyer, not a mafia leader. She didn't really understand why he hardly blinked when Chris had handed him an even bigger gun. It felt strange to see her father with a weapon. She wasn't used to the image, not in the way she was used to seeing Noah with a handgun, and Chris... well, seeing Chris with any weapon wouldn't surprise her. But Lois' father had never held a gun around her, let alone with such pristine technique. The whole thing was confusing.

Although, there wasn't really a moment for her to question her father on his newfound gunman-ship. She would just have to give him a whole interrogation later on, when there was time for her to.

"I thought you guys were retired...?" Stiles breathed.

   He skeptically watched Allison twirl her twin set of daggers, his eyes like saucers.

Lois clearly recalled Allison slicing Isaac Lahey nineteen times. The thought then lead on to remembering the fight she had with Allison on that night. It was messy, and fairly even considering Lois had no prior experience with fighting, other than fending for their lives in the few times Scott wasn't around to protect them, but that sight mostly brung bad memories to the surface.

Lois almost died, that night.

She stopped breathing, and got CPR from Isaac.

Most of it was a blur, but she clearly remembered smacking him across the face and telling him not to.

The thought brought a small smile to her lips. It was ridiculous to be angry at the beta for saving her life, alongside the many other occasions that he'd saved her life and Lois had been ungrateful for it, but that one might have just taken the gold.

"Retired? Yes," Chris said, "Defenceless? No."

Stiles didn't really believe him, but nodded nonetheless. It was obvious to anyone that the Argent family hadn't really retired. Or, at least, wouldn't stay retired for very long after this event.

They were too good at what they did. Much too good. The ideas and morals they had been raised with weren't the best, especially not with Kate and Gerard spinning their own wheels, but if all of the senseless murdering and corrupt bloodline was put aside, then the Argent's had something good going for them. If they decided to protect instead of torture, then maybe all of the attempts to kill Scott and Derek could be put aside. They weren't bad people, like the pack had originally thought.

Well, Allison and Chris weren't. The same couldn't be said for a large percentage of that family tree. Kate had been crazy, Gerard had been a psychopath, and Allison's mom was a total bitch. Was it disrespectful to say that, since she was dead? Lois didn't doubt that she'd been a good mother and wife, but she had tried to murder Scott at the underground rave, and that didn't sit well with Lois. Scott may have been a werewolf, and that werwolf may have still been secretly dating their daughter when he had been threatened not to, but that didn't mean you had the right to kill a sixteen year old boy. Family code, or not. That just wasn't how the world worked. So, yeah — it wasn't really unfair that Lois thought she was a total bitch. Actually, Lois thought it was justified.

   Screw 'em.

"Make sure your phones are on," Matthew told both Stiles and Luna. "If you guys hear from Scott, you let us know immediately."

"Yeah..." Stiles sighed, looking down at his phone. It was free of texts, and there wasn't a single missed call. "But I'm thinking that's gonna be kinda unlikely."

Lois pursed her lips. She didn't have the guts to check her own phone, she was too scared of the ache in her chest she would likely feel when she saw that there was nothing on her end, either. Scott leaving them for Deucalion hurt, and it made her sad, and it made her angry, as well.

How dare he leave them?

Perhaps he was doing it for the reasons he saw as right, to get to his mother and Noah in the only way he saw possible, but no one else has flaked. Deucalion wanted Lois too, yet she hadn't left with him. He killed her cousin and she still hadn't left with him.

Honestly, it made Lois feel expendable. Like they could easily be left behind and replaced. Unwanted, even.

That wasn't Scott's intention. She knew it wasn't. But Lois didn't know how not to be angry. She missed Scott with her whole heart, the world didn't seem right without him, but she was angry. Angry he left them behind, angry that he hadn't listened to them, angry that now it was up to them to try and catch Jennifer. Lois was angry that she hadn't been able to stop Scott from leaving them; that she just hadn't been enough to make him stay behind.

And the more time that passed, the angrier she got.

Because now it wasn't just the kids fighting Jennifer. Now, Argent had a target on his back, and he was still going to help them. Lois was angry because her father had stepped up, which put him in as much danger as Argent. He was a parent, a guardian, and now he was going to be risking his life to try and save his friends Noah and Melissa, all the while the only actual werewolf was god knows where with their other enemy. Now, Argent and Matthew were in danger and Scott was nowhere to be seen.

Surely that was a good reason to be angry? Lois didn't get angry with Scott very often, but right now, she was positive she had never felt so much anger directed towards one person in her entire life. It was hard not to.

How would she forgive him?

   Honestly, Lois didn't know. It would take some time. She didn't understand how she could feel so very angry with Scott. Her Scott.

She wondered if the others were feeling the way she was, or if it all stemmed from the sting of rejection she felt when Scott had just walked away from her. After she had poured her heart out to him on the roof, after Deucalion murdered her cousin, after she sobbed in grief and in pain. Scott had simply walked away. As if it was the easiest decision he had ever made, in his life.

It felt like a breakup, or something.

The loss, the anger.

Honestly, it felt like Scott McCall had broken up with her.

He had broken up with her, with Stiles, with Allison and Luna, as well as everyone else who he had left behind. And it hurt. A lot.

If this was what breaking up felt like, Lois hoped she never gave someone the ability to break her heart. She wasn't sure she would be able to deal with this feeling, all over again.

   How did people survive?

There was a deep cavern at the bottom of her chest, and it felt like her heart was going to be sucked into it. An abyss. Because as much as she missed Scott and wished he was there, Lois couldn't help but hope that she would never see him again. Not seeing him again meant that she wouldn't have to be angry — it was better to never see him, than it was to see him and hate him with everything she had. Because, in that moment, Lois did hate him, and it would only grow when she eventually saw him. Scott McCall had up and left them and Lois hated him for it, and she really didn't know how she would deal with feeling that anger. She had never hated Scott, and it hurt to think that she would ever.

   But she did.

She was even more scared that when she did see him, she would just forgive him. As if he hadn't left them; Lois would just forgive him, and she would run into his arms, and beg him to never leave them ever again, because he was Scott and she was Lois, and Lois couldn't hate Scott. At least, not forever. Lois could never hate him, for too long. It was impossible.

Lois didn't want to forgive him. He left, and now Lois and Stiles had no choice but to work through the heartbreak and pick up the pieces. He wasn't going to, was he? So, now it was up to them. The fight to get back Noah and Melissa was their fight now.

It was up to Luna and Stiles to go to school and act like nothing had happened, and meet up with Lydia— who was bruised but all safe and sound— to see if there was any way to stop Jennifer Blake.

And it was up to Lois, Allison and Peter to go with Chris Argent and Matthew Lane on their escapade to the bank. To see if where she failed to kill Deaton would be where Jennifer was waiting for them, if they could catch her. It was up to Lois and Peter to be the heroes because, while Allison and Argent were hunters, both were still only human, as was Matthew. Because Lois and Peter were the only ones with supernatural abilities, because Scott was gone. Now all the saving was on their shoulders.

    "All of you, try to remember Scott's just doing what he thinks is right." Chris told them, his eyes trained on Lois Lane.

   They could all tell that she was taking it hard. But none of them knew that Lois was wanted by Deucalion as well, and that she had a feeling she would be the next target for the alpha pack. Peter had said that if she wouldn't join them, then she was even worse than a threat, and the alphas couldn't afford letting her get in the way; his eyes flickered to her almost instinctively, but Lois avoided the gaze.

   She'd tell them... eventually.

   No one didn't know that she was starting to regret the choices she had made. Not leaving with Scott had been a freaking terrible idea, in hindsight.

Truth be told, Lois didn't really want Deucalion's alpha pack to come after her. He had killed Peter right in front of her and to say it was traumatising might have been putting it lightly. She still had no clue how he was alive and standing, but for now, she, Peter and Stiles had silently agreed not to say anything. It was confusing, not to mention terrifying, and completely impossible! But, despite that, it had definitely happened. Stiles had watched it happen. Deucalion had killed Peter and then Lois brought him back to life. He wasn't sure how, he wasn't sure he'd ever know how, but he watched it with his own two eyes.

Plus, Peter Parker was walking and talking.

Even after they'd seen him die, he was now alive. He was right in front of them, for heavens sake! Peter was very alive, and the alpha pack presumed him to be dead.

That could work in their favour. Or, it could result in him being murdered all over again. Regardless, there was every chance that the alphas would come after Lois and find out she had resurrected Peter, and that would only strengthen their vendettas against them.

But what else could she do?

   She hadn't wanted to go with Deucalion. And, as far as she was concerned, that had been the right decision.

   Although, maybe she then could have brought Scott back to the pack. Maybe she wouldn't have let Peter die; and, maybe Deucalion wouldn't want her dead too. It could have been better for everyone. Maybe Lois had made the wrong decision. Or maybe for once, she was doing the right thing and Scott wasn't.

"Lois?"

She jolted.

   The girl turned to look at Argent with a single brow raised.

    "Yeah?"

"Thought you could do with another one of these," Chris said, and it wasn't until then that she noticed what he was holding. "We saw one in pieces, in the elevator. Care to explain that?"

She sent him a sheepish look.

   Honestly, Lois didn't really care to explain. He didn't look mad, more curious as to how her weapon had ended up in such a state, but Lois didn't want to say. Nobody else knew that Lois had been basically held hostage by the alpha pack; only Peter did. Lois' eyes trailed over to him, subconsciously. He was already looking back at her, his gaze having not shifted from before.

Another secret, amongst many. It felt like all Lois was doing was keeping secrets, even if she didn't mean to. They just kept piling up on top of each other. Things she hadn't intended to be a secret were being hidden, and there was no time to dish them all out. All of them weren't being hidden on purpose. She just... hadn't had the chance to reveal them, yet. If it was only going to make her father and friends worry about her, then was this really the best time to be sharing? She would tell them, later. She promised herself she would.

"Uh..." she blinked, "I tripped?"

Chris nodded.

    "Right."

Lois smiled bashfully, knowing her excuse wasn't being bought by anyone, but it would do for now. They had bigger issues.

"Here," he spoke again, after a second. Lois watched him hold the new weapon towards her. It was more modern than the one he had given her before, more advanced, and it made Lois nervous. It seemed like Chris noticed her slight caution, "Some minor technical changes, but it works more or less the same."

"I dunno..." Lois didn't reach for it, "I'm not sure."

"You've got natural talent, kid. I've not seen someone so good with a crossbow in years." His words were flattering, and honest. It had been a long time since Chris had seen someone so effortlessly good with a crossbow, without any of the necessary training. "You saved our asses with one of these things more times than any of us can count. I know you've got your... other thing now—" it was very weird to say it, "—but you'll always be good with a crossbow. Might even work to your advantage,"

For a moment, Lois remained apprehensive. Her eyes lingered on the crossbow, and she could have sworn she fell in love. It was a beautiful weapon.

"Take it," he encouraged her, softly.

He could tell she wanted to, judging by her twitching fingertips.

And, with no more apprehension, Lois did.

She reached forward and took the crossbow in her hand, and it all suddenly felt very right, again. As if her anger had diminished, like she had nothing to worry about, like she was in control. There were a lot of things that Lois loved about crossbows, but the power and control she felt had to be the best of them. With a crossbow, it felt as though she could take on the world; she loved that feeling. So much.

Lois held it up, taking it in and relishing in that feeling, and held it in front of her as if she were aiming at a target. For what felt like the first time in hours, she smiled; everything felt right with a brand new crossbow in her hand.

Crossbows were her mode of defence before any of her freaky water shit had happened. Sure, she didn't always have a crossbow, but since fighting the kanima, crossbows were normal for Lois. It was scarily natural to have the hunting weapon at her side. Only a minute in, and she already adored the upgrade.

    "You'll be needing these," Chris passed her a set of arrows that she slung over her shoulder. "Still got the other ones, I gave you?"

    "'Course," she nodded.

    "Good." He smiled, "That's yours, now."

   Lois froze.

   Wait—

    "You think it was my crossbow. in the elevator?" She asked with a frown, to which Chris confirmed. She laughed, awkwardly. "Um, yeah... that was totally my crossbow. Yeah— totally, duh."

His eyes squinted in her direction, and she had a feeling that he was going to say something about his trunk getting broken into at the recital and a missing crossbow, but he didn't get the chance as another voice came from the doorway. A voice they all recognised.

"I can't shoot a gun, or use a crossbow, but I'm getting pretty good with these things."

Lois span on her heel and watched the werewolf flash his claws and hold them up in the air. His eyes glowed amber and then went back to their beautiful blue, and a short breath escaped Lois as she stared at him.

Isaac.

Without warning, before anyone could stop her, she held up her new crossbow and shot an arrow at Isaac. An entanglement of old memories filled the air as she did so, memories both good and bad that neither of them would ever forget, and for the first time, Isaac caught it in his hand without even flinching. He looked between the arrow and Lois with a fond smile tugging at his lips.

   He caught it! He freaking caught it!

Slowly, Lois lowered her crossbow, ""Welcome back, Lahey."

"Thanks, gumdrop."

——