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Songs:

~ Elevate // DJ Kahil, Denzel Curry, YBN Cordae, Swavay (from Into the Spiderverse Soundtrack)*

~ Stroke // BANKS **

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Charlie walks down the hallway at the end of the next day moving to her locker quickly. She twists out the combination, lips pressed tightly together as it opens, the girl putting away her books. She tenses slightly as she senses eyes on her, breathing in slightly.

She then turns around, expression blank as she flicks her gaze to Boyd and Isaac, Derek's betas. The girl then raises a brow, slamming her locker shut with a hand. "What do you want?" Her voice is even, with a hint of steel that makes the two werewolves subconsciously adjust their posture.

The two boys then exchange a glance, Isaac's expression twisting. "Derek wants you to come by the loft at seven," his tone is measured, carefully watching for her reaction.

"And he sent his betas to ask me? I'm not his bitch and I don't love being ordered around, so if he needs me then he has to ask me himself," she replies bluntly, voice now filled with venom. Charlie then rolls her eyes before walking down the hallway, boots hitting harshly against the linoleum.  

It was three hours later, while the girl was in Deaton's guest room, that she had actually got a call from Derek. The alpha was obviously frustrated, his deep voice breaking from her speaker. "I need you at the loft in half an hour," he states, teeth gritted together.

"Why?" She replies blankly, rolling her eyes up to stare at the ceiling. "I'm not your beta," Charlie continues, choosing to substitute her previous expletive with something a little less anger-inducing for the older man. She didn't want a lecture.

"Charlie," he hisses out, barely suppressing a growl. "I need your help here, it's about the alpha pack," the girl deliberates for a second, mind flashing back to Deucalion's threat yesterday. It wasn't in her nature to let something like that slide.

"Fine, but this is it, no more help," she frowns a little, standing up from her bed. Derek lets out something akin to a sigh of relief before hanging up the phone, the line going dead. "Asshole," Charlie mutters, eyes rolling as she drops the mobile on to the bed, getting ready to leave.

She gets to Derek's just on time, if not a little bit early. The girl makes her way up to the apartment, pulling open the door. At the sound, the alpha, Peter, Boyd and Cora all look up from their position on the other side of the lounge, previously staring at the maps laid out on the table.  Charlie shoves her hands in her pockets, walking up to the group who were no doubt planning an attack against the red-eyed werewolves. "Do we know where they're hiding?" She questions with a slight frown, gaze moving between Peter and Derek.

"The house where the Argent's live, this is the floor plan," Boyd replies simply, the girl nodding once in reply as she looks down at the table.

"What's the plan here? Draw them out?" Derek just shakes his head at her question, his bristling anger causing them to all shift their posture a little at the sight.

"We're gonna go right to them, this ends now," at this Charlie frowns a little but nods a few times. Surprising, but she had no complaints.

They all turn at the sound of footsteps coming up the stairs, waiting a few seconds until the person in question reaches the door. The girl raises a brow at the sight of the lone werewolf, the boy looking vaguely worried as he walks through the door.

"I know where they are," Scott states after a few beats, walking further into the room as the group moves aside slightly to allow him space to talk to Derek.

"Same building as the Argents, we know," Derek replies, measured, while nodding minutely. He then folds his arms across his chest, gaze flicking over the younger boy.

"Cora and I followed the twins," Boyd tacks on a few seconds later, drawing Scott's gaze for a second, the werewolf then frowning in thought.

"Then they want you to know," he counters after a few seconds, arms crossing in front of his chest. "They wouldn't have let you follow them if they didn't need it for an advantage," Charlie tilts her head a little before shrugging. It sounded plausible.

"Or more likely, they don't care," Peter replies passively after a brief eye roll.

Scott ignores the man, flicking his gaze over the blueprints on the table as he walks forward. "What is this?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Peter answers for Derek, raising a brow easily. "The schemers are scheming, coming up with a coup de main, better known as pre-emptive strike," Charlie barely covers up a laugh at the man's dramatic statement, choosing just to blink once at him after shaking her head.

"You're going after them?"

"Tomorrow and you're going to help us", Derek then moves forward, looking the younger werewolf in the eyes seriously. "They're one floor above them in the penthouse, right above Allison."

"So, the plan is just to kill them first? Before they kill us?" Scott asks incredulously, gaze flicking over the group and their various nods of agreement.

"They won't even see it coming," Boyd replies after a beat, Cora agreeing by his side. The werewolf's eyes turn to Charlie who just shrugs, arms folded in front of her.

"Why is the default plan always murder?" Scott then questions, a tinge of weariness to his tone as he frowns. He sounded tired. "Just once, can someone just try to come up with something that doesn't involve killing everyone?" Derek exchanges an unreadable glance with Peter whose gaze was flicking over the boy.

"Do you have a suggestion then?" Charlie tilts her head at Scott who blinks once in surprise at her question. "What's another option for someone in our situation? Deucalion threatened Derek, his pack and me, are we meant to let that slide?" Her voice wasn't as harsh as it could be, but there's an underlying note of steel that causes the boy to shift uncomfortably.

"Why do we even need this kid anyway?" Cora then breaks in, eyes flicking over the boy quickly.

Derek just sighs in reply, closing his eyes for a second. "This kid helped save your life," Derek walks forward, stopping in front of Scott who frowns. "And you know we can't just sit back and wait for them to make the first move Scott."

"You can't beat a pack of Alphas," the werewolf was still trying to protect but the group could tell that he was slowly changing his mind.

"That's why we are going after Deucalion, only him," Cora adds on with a nod, Scott frowning even more.

"Cut off the head of the snake and the body dies," Boyd furthers, walking up to the table, leaning on it with both hands.

"Only this isn't a snake, it's a Hydra," Peter breaks in as well, somehow now on Scott's side of the discussion. "They're all alphas."

"Deucalion's still the leader," Derek pauses for a few seconds before shaking his head, the need to defend his pack winning out. 

"Let's hope so, because you know what happened when Hercules cut off one of the heads of the Hydra?" Peter warns his nephew who tilts his head a little, jaw tight.

"Two more grew back in its place," Scott finishes before letting out a sigh before nodding reluctantly. "Fine, I'll help."

---

After a brief deliberation and another run-through of the plan, Derek's pack, Charlie, Peter and Scott all drive to Argent's close to midnight. It's doesn't take long and the apartment building was surprisingly unguarded, making the girl wary. She feels her abilities running under her skin, just below the surface as they head up the stairs, heart rate accelerating a little.

The moment they walk into the room, Charlie realizes that she should have taken Scott's side. He was right the whole time.

The alpha pack were standing in an attack formation, waiting for them, along with the twins fully melded and ready to lunge. She exchanges a look with Derek who just sets his jaw, letting his eyes glow with a growl. Her gaze then moves to Cora, her friend giving her a minute nod before letting her face shift quickly.

At Derek's movement they all run forward, spreading out a little to take on each of their respective alphas. There's more of them, something that would normally settle the girl's mind but she knows that it won't be that simple. Her suspicions are confirmed as she and Scott run at Ennis, one of the alpha's who barely looks concerned, easily taking on both of them.

Scott is thrown backwards without a second thought, the man then turning onto her in no time at all. This causes her to run at the alpha, who quickly grabs her throat, slamming her into the concrete. Her head snaps backward, causing her vision to fade out. He then moves to crush her windpipe, Charlie barely able to prevent his claws from simultaneously raking across her middle. She lets out a growl, eyes now glowing bright as she then kicks out her leg, feeling his ankle snap at the force which sends him a few steps backward. It heals instantly but give her just enough time to launch herself upright, letting her claws lengthen to defend herself. Charlie then blocks the man's fist that he throws at her face, ducking under his other arm as it swings at her head again.

She quickly darts her eyes around, spotting Scott running up behind her after fighting with Cora again Kali, Ennis being the more dangerous of two. He nods at her a few times and they both gang up on the alpha whose chest was now heaving in exertion. But with a few well-timed punches, Scott is knocked backward, Charlie then running forward to cover for the boy.

She throws a fist at his face, smirking a little as it lands solidly. She then does it again, Ennis stumbling back a few steps and she throws out her leg to knock him down. Unexpectedly, the werewolf catches her leg and uses the momentum to send her spinning to the ground. He then lifts her back up, fist closed around her neck and throws her into the concrete forcefully.

She then blacks out a little again, blinking slowly before raising her head, eyes now wide as she sees Derek trading blows with the werewolf. Charlie stumbles upward and toward the two, heart beating fast as they move backward. **

Scott seems to realize the same time that she does but he's a lot faster, hand reaching out to grab Derek just as he and Ennis fall down the hole in the floor and toward the ground.

---

It's the cross country meet the next day and Charlie has her hands tucked in her hoodie and sunglasses shoved on her face. She looks up at the sound of footsteps, expression tightening as she sees Isaac and Vernon standing in front of her. There are a few beats of silence between them, the girl shifting on her posture before taking off her sunglasses, holding them in a hand. "I'm sorry, about Derek," she offers, gaze moving between the two betas, the former sagging a little before nodding in acknowledgment. Boyd just bristles a little before turning his head behind him to spot Ethan walking with Danny toward the bus.

"Is that why you're here?" Charlie frowns in thought, noting the werewolf's tense posture and narrowed gaze. "For revenge?" Isaac looks slightly uncomfortable, but Vernon just releases a tight breath before lifting a shoulder.

"We'll see," he then stalks toward the bus as the team begins to pile on, both of the teens watching the movement before spotting Scott staring at them with a tight jaw. He definitely heard that conversation.

"Are you going to get in our way if we are?" Isaac questions, voice emotionless and Charlie just smirks a little before shaking her head.

"I'm not like Scott," she replies with a shrug, head tilted. "In fact, I'll probably help," the teen tacks on before moving past the werewolf to get on the bus, ending up sitting behind Boyd toward the front. A few minutes later, Isaac gets on, sitting next to the other beta while releasing a heavy breath.

Scott and Stiles then take up the rear as the last two people to get on, the werewolf trying to catch Isaac's eye, who in turn, pointedly looks out the window. Charlie then leans forward with a raised brow, head between the two boys. "Did he tell you to not go after Ethen?" She questions and Isaac nods a few times. "And?"

"You think I'm gonna listen to Scott?" His voice has a little steel in it, the girl now grinning slightly.

---

It's about an hour into the drive when the bus suddenly jolts and comes to a full halt, sending the entire team flying forward. Yells echo around the bus at the motion and it takes a few minutes for all of the teens to settle down, Isaac pulling out his phone and checking the traffic at the lack of movement.

"There's a jack-knifed tractor a few miles ahead," the werewolf pocks his phone before letting out a slight sigh, turning his head to the beta. "We could miss the meet...Boyd?" The name causes her to raise her head from where it was resting on the window, staring at the boy who seemed to be struggling to contain a shift. His chest was heaving and heart beating rapidly, the girl leaning forward in concern.

"Boyd?" Charlie also questions, frowning as she spots his eyes beginning to glow a bright yellow. The beta then releases a snarl, turning slightly towards Ethan who was talking with Danny a few seats away. He reaches his hand over her seat, claws digging into the red leather.

Her jaw tightens as she watches the situation spiral, unsure if she should let the werewolf avenge his alpha. Charlie then looks up to see Scott making his way towards them, looking a little worse for wear but reaching out to grab the boy by the arm.

"Let go," Boyd grits out tightly, teeth locked together as his nails begin to grow into claws.

"Do you have a plan?" Scott asks after a beat, gaze flicking between him and then to Isaac who was watching the interaction. "Tell me your brilliant plan and I'll let go," the werewolf pauses, staring into Boyd's glowing eyes. "What are you going to do? Kill him right here? In front of everyone?"

"I don't care," Boyd growls, pulling his arm as he tries to tug it from Scott's tight grip.

"I do," Scott counters, voice becoming more serious. "I care."

"Whoa, whoa, you're still hurt," Isaac breaks in noticing the blood that was staining the werewolf's shirt. This seems to break Boyd out of his train of thought as well, the trio all looking at him.

"I'm fine," he breathes out, gaze not leaving Vernon. "Give me a chance to figure something out, something that doesn't have to end with someone else dying," it's as if something shifts in the beta, all the anger leaving him in one exhalation. Charlie blinks once in shock, eyes moving between the two quickly as Boyd nods.

"Okay," he sounds reluctant but is wildly calmer than before Scott arrived, face relaxing back out of the shift after a few seconds. Charlie's gaze follows the werewolf as he returns to the back of the bus, looking towards Isaac with a raised brow.

"He's not fine, is he?" She asks and the beta just shakes his head. Charlie then returns to her original position, the back her head resting against the window with a boot up on the seat.

---

This is the first redone chapter after finishing the last book and I gotta say it's weird. It's weird to write Charlie without her character development, to put myself back in the mindset of her when she first arrived. But I also love it? I get to re-explore everything with me actually knowing how to write properly and convey meaning in a better way. I'm also not afraid to go off script or plot, so keep an eye out for that because I'm literally gonna change TONS.

love xx