chapter twenty-six
❝ i hope you know how proud i am you were created ❞
chaos rising

━━━━༺❀༻━━━━

Kennedy linked her arm with Stiles as they and Scott walked down the sidewalk. Kennedy flipped her curled brown hair over her shoulder, listening to Stiles ramble. The Stilinski looked at Scott. "What?"

Scott looked behind him, almost expecting Stiles to be talking to someone else, "What, what do you mean, what?"

"I mean what, and you know what." Stiles retorted. Kennedy snickered as she watched the two bicker.

"What what?"

Stiles pointed his finger at the McCall. "That look you were giving."

"I didn't give a look." Scott mumbles.

"Oh, there was a distinct look, Scott."

Scott looks at Stiles in confusion; then at Kennedy, "What look?" He asked the girl.

Kennedy sighed, "The look that says that the last thing you feel like doing right now is going to a party." She explained. Stiles pointed at her, agreeing completely.

The McCall slouched his shoulders, "It's not that." He said, "It just seems weird going to a different high school's party."

"What? Would you," Stiles groaned, annoyed, "God, one drink, all right? You'll be fine. I went to nursery school with this girl, okay? She promised to introduce us to all of her friends."

Kennedy weaves around Stiles, linking arms with Scott now as she comforting patted his shoulder. "So tonight, no Allison. Tonight, we're moving on." She waved her hand in the air dramatically, keeping in her usually cheeky smile.

Scott smiled at his friend, "You're right."

"That's right we're right." Stiles blurted.

"Moving on."

"Onward and upward."

Kennedy looked at them both, "You're both losers." She giggled, moving to walk a few steps ahead of them.

Stiles pointed his finger at her, "Hey, you've already been scarlet nerded by us! Don't run away now!" Kennedy laughed as she walked towards the door. Stiles turned to Scott. The McCall looked over.

"How's my breath smell?"

Stiles rubbed his forehead, "I'm not smelling your breath."

Scott approached Kennedy. She waited for them at the door. "Do you have any gum?"

"No gum." She shrugged.

"You're fine." Stiles grumbled. Kennedy smiled at her boyfriend.

Scott looked at his best friend, "Can you at least tell me what kind of party this is?"

Stiles looked back, "It's a birthday party," He explained.

"Stiles! Hi." A blond girl came rushing over.

The human boy smiled, "Hey. There's the birthday girl," Heather made an advance to kiss him, but before Kennedy could notice and tear her apart, he swerved out of the way, turning it into a hug.

Heather smiled up at him. "I'm so glad that you made it." She chimed flirtatiously.

"Me too." Stiles says awkwardly. He turned to Kennedy, "Heather this is my-"

"Come downstairs with me and help me pick out a bottle of wine." Heather grabbed Stiles, pulling him away from Kennedy and Scott.

Scott and Kennedy looked at each other questioningly. "Too bad we can't get drunk," Kennedy muttered to herself.

Stiles followed Heather down the stairs, "Hey, remember when we were little kids and we used to come down here all the time and then we would-" He was spun around, Heather pressing her lips against his. Instantly, Stiles pushed her back, "Nope. We definitely never did that. And we definitely shouldn't ever again." He said, wiping his mouth in disgust.

Heather smirked up at him, "Stiles, I just turned 17 today." Stiles backed up slowly, "And you know what I want for my birthday?"

"A bike, I hope?"

"To not be a 17-year-old virgin." Heather told him. Stiles felt nauseous, wanting to throw up all over the blond's shoes. She looked at his uneasiness. "You've never done it before either?"

Stiles pushed her back as she tried to grab his belt. "Heather, stop it." He stated as firmly as he could. "First of all, I have...done that." The boy gulped awkwardly, "But I'm not doing it with you." He told her.

The blond pouted. "Why not?" She asked him.

He threw his hands up, "Because, that girl that I came with? She's my girlfriend." Heather had a blank face, obviously not caring. "And she's the most beautiful, smart, amazing, kind, understanding person and there is no way I'd want to do anything that would hurt her." He told her. "I'd rather almost drown again then sleep with you." Stiles was surprised by himself. He had never been this stern. But he felt good, stating his love for Kennedy and only Kennedy.

Heather didn't get much else out before Stiles's mumbled a goodbye, walking up stairs. When he opened the door, Kennedy stood by herself, drinking from a blue plastic cup. Stiles sped over there quickly, grabbing her and pulling her along. "Hey, where's Heather?" Kennedy asked, wanting to properly introduce herself.

"Probably mourning over the fact I rejected her, I don't know."

This caught Kennedy's attention. She frowned in confusion as Stiles pulled her into the bathroom, slamming the door shut. "What do you mean?" She asked.

Stiles sighed, leaning against the door. "Heather tried to have sex with me." He blurted. Kennedy rose a brow, surprised. "She didn't want to be a 17 year old virgin, and she wanted to do it with me." He explained as he flung his hands around. "I don't think I've ever said no to something so fast. It made me sick, and I told her all about you and I booked it because the thought of doing anything with her made me sick." Kennedy looked at her heels, processing this information. She thought back to when she dated Jackson. She remembered the day she found out Jackson was cheating on her with Lydia. Before the supernatural infested her life; that was one of her worst moments. The thought of having to go through that again brought out a sense of insecurity in Kennedy. Her and Stiles haven't even talked about having sex since being together. What if he got bored of her? What if it's only a matter of time before another Heather came along and he actually chose her? Stiles watched her, "Ken, please say something."

The Hale swallowed the lump in her throat, trying to push down whatever she was feeling. "Did you want to?" She asked softly.

Stiles paused, shaking his head, "Wait, what?" He looked at her with a crazed look.

"Did you want to have sex with her?" Kennedy asks him. "I know we haven't talked about it, and I know a lot of couples do that. Did you want to do that with her instead because I haven't?" Kennedy looked up at Stiles. He looked at her, trying to figure out where she'd get that idea.

"Kennedy, no." He says, putting his hands on her shoulders. "First of all, thinking of having sex with anyone other than you makes me want to slam my head into the Jeep." He began, causing Kennedy to smile softly. "But we don't need to have sex to have a good relationship. You're my girlfriend, my best friend, and you're literally the best thing that's happened to me. Why would I ever want to jeopardize that?"

She looked down, knowing he was right. Kennedy smiled as she peered up at him again, "You just said you'd slam your head into the Jeep if you had to sleep with anyone else." She acknowledged. Stiles narrowed his eyes in confusion. "So you don't want to sleep with anyone else-"

"KENNEDY DAWN HALE I WILL LITERALLY HAVE SEX WITH YOU ON THIS COUNTER IF YOU DONT SHUT UP."

Kennedy bursted out laughing, kissing Stiles softly. She kept her hands on his face, smiling at him. "Thank you for telling me." She whispered.

"Of course." Stiles said, kissing her again. The bathroom door swung open, a friend of Heather's looking at them.

"Have y'all seen Heather?"

Stiles looked at Kennedy, before back at the friend. "No, sorry." 

Kennedy's phone buzzed, and she opened it. "I think Scott is asking for us."

༺❀༻

༺❀༻

"I don't see anything."

Scott looked at Derek, "Look again."

Derek kept his arms crossed as he looked at the bruises on Lydia and Allison. "How is a bruise gonna tell me where Boyd and Erica are?"

"It's the same on both sides. Exactly the same."

"It's nothing."

Lydia spoke up, "Pareidolia. Seeing patterns that aren't there." Derek and Scott looked at each other in confusion. "It's a subset of apophenia."

Kennedy sighed, standing next to Lydia, "Derek, they're trying to help." She told him honestly. Her cousin looked at her with a bewildered look.

"These two. This one, who used me to resurrect my psychotic Uncle. Thank you." He said to Lydia, before looking at Allison. "And this one, who shot about 30 arrows into me and my pack."

Stiles spoke up; "Okay, all right, now, come on. No one died, all right?" Kennedy rose a brow at her boyfriend as he moved his hand, "Look, there may have been a little maiming, okay, a little mangling, but no death. That's what I call an important distinction."

Allison nodded at Derek, "My mother died."

Derek gave no empathy, "Your family's little honor code killed your mother. Not me." Kennedy pursed her lip, understanding both sides. Derek did what he did to save Scott, Victoria could have easily made it through being a werewolf and surviving. However, Kennedy knew it wasn't easy, especially for someone like Victoria.

"That girl was looking for Scott and Kennedy. I'm here to help them, not you."

"You wanna help?" The elder Hale inquired, "Find something real."

Derek stormed off, and Scott went after him. Kennedy turned to the girls. "I'm sorry. He's just been really tense trying to find Erica and Boyd." She told them.

Lydia nods, "We get it, Kennedy." She said softly. "We know you miss them too." Kennedy sucked in a heavy breath, wishing she had seen Erica one last time before she disappeared.

The Hale grabbed her bag, "I'll see you guys later, okay?" She said before walking away. Stiles watched his girlfriend walk off, knowing he and Scott had to go another direction. He sighed, knowing she was, once again, dealing with a lot. Stiles grabbed his own things, walking off with Scott. After the party, it was discovered that Heather was missing. The basement was in disarray and she was nowhere to be found. Stiles hadn't talked to Kennedy much about it, as they had other things to focus on; like Erica and Boyd.

As Kennedy walked down the hall to her class, she sighed as she dug into her bag for her phone. She wanted to text Peter, letting him know she didn't want to come over for dinner. Pulling out her phone, Kennedy got an overwhelming sense she hadn't felt before. Instinctively, she whipped her head around, seeing the brothers from before. They walked side by side, heading right towards her.

The Hale felt her heart speed up as they approached her. "Hey, I'm Aiden," One said, "Do you know where the library is?"

Kennedy pushed everything she felt aside, smiling. "Kennedy, and yes I do." She turned forwards, leading them.

"I'm Ethan, by the way."

"Awesome," Kennedy chirps. "Welcome to Beacon Hills, the land of the plain and anything but." She said, finding it more than accurate.

Aiden and Ethan chuckled at her as she hit the inside of her cheek. "You lived here your whole life?" Aiden asked her.

Kennedy nodded, "Yep. Havent been around much else." She joked. She opened the doors to the library. "Look at that! Already here, bye!" She didn't give them a chance to answer before she booked it for Allison and Lydia, the two sitting at a table together.

Lydia watched the pair of twins as Kennedy sat next to Allison. "I want one."

Allison looked back, watching the brothers. "Which one?" Kennedy and Lydia both looked at Allison at the same time.

"The straight one, obviously."

Allison looked at Lydia's coffee cup, seeing the logo. She took the cup in thought, looking at the computer she'd been researching symbols on. "What if it's not a symbol? What if it's actually a logo?"

Kennedy nodded, "Like a place instead of a meaning?" Allison nodded, both girls turning to look at Lydia. Unsurprisingly, Lydia was talking to Aiden, flirting away as she pulled out her phone. Both girls rolled their eyes. Allison opened a new tab, searching for Beacon Hills logos.

༺❀༻

School was a peaceful event, and it ended without any dramatic experiences. Kennedy walked into the loft, pausing when she saw Derek, Peter, and Isaac. She closed the door, her bag  sliding off her shoulder as she put it down. "Okay, if you're here to yell at me because I don't want to eat dinner at Dad's, the guys a horrible cook."

Peter rolled his eyes at his daughter. "You just have poor taste."

"Maybe I don't like undercooked meat, even if I'm a werewolf." Kennedy explained to him with her annoyed expression. Isaac looked between them, seeing a mirrored expression on both of their faces. It was obvious that they were father and daughter.

Derek spoke up, still the guardian of Kennedy entirely. "Well it doesn't matter, you're coming with us." Derek told her matter if factly. Kennedy frowned as Derek walked past her, up the stairs. The brunette followed after him.

"Where would that be?" She asked, following Derek to her bedroom.

"Isaac knows more than we think." He informed her, "He just can't access those memories."

Kennedy leaned against her door while Derek goes into her vanity. "Okay, so what would that have to do with you searching in my stuff?" She retorted.

Derek searched a bit more, before coming back to her with her car keys. "We're taking your car."

"What, why!?" Kennedy shouted as he walked past her again.

"You've barely driven it all summer, someone needs to." Derek deadpanned as Isaac waited for them at the door. Kennedy pouted, looking back at Peter before following her cousin and Isaac.

It was complicated for Peter and Kennedy. He wasn't her primary guardian, due to him being supposedly dead, and his new lack of parenting skills. She still struggled accepting everything he did; even if it was for her in reality. He killed people, people she cared about. He hurt her friends. He killed Allison's aunt (though she kind of deserved that). There was so much bad, it was hard to notice the good.

༺❀༻

Scott and Derek poured ice into the metal tub. Stiles grabbed a bsf card following suit. Kennedy stood with Isaac, watching carefully. Stiles glanced at Kennedy, who talked to Isaac quietly, smiling softly. Kennedy wanted to find Erica and Boyd just as bad as anyone, but she also wanted Isaac to be safe. Stiles knew that, and he didn't feel jealous when Isaac hugged her tightly. They were close, but not that close.

Deaton approached the two, Isaac looking over. "Obviously, it's not going to be particularly comfortable. But if we can slow your heart rate down enough, you'll slip into a trance-like state."

"Like being hypnotized." Isaac said as he walked towards the tub.

Deaton nods, "Exactly. You'll be half transformed. It'll let us access your subconscious mind." Isaac kneeled down, looking at the tub.

"How slow does his heart rate need to be?" Scott asked. Kennedy looked at the tub of ice, not sure how Isaac was willing to do this at all.

"Very slow."

Derek leaned onto the tub, "Okay, well, how slow is very slow?" He asked.

Deaton looks between them all, "Nearly dead." He shrugs, nonchalant. Kennedy looks up, her eyes slightly wide in concern. Isaac dipped his fingers in, feeling the cold temperature.

"It's safe, though, right?" Isaac asked, pointing to the tub.

"Do you want me to answer honestly?"

Isaac looked back at the tub, "No. No, not really." The sound of something snapping causes everyone to look behind Derek. Kennedy giggles as she sees Stiles put on a rubber glove.

Stiles wiggles his fingers, turning to see everyone just staring at him. "What?" He asked. Kennedy smiled as she walked over, pulling the glove off his arm.

"Not the time," She whispered. Stiles awkwardly threw the glove onto the table. Kennedy took his hand, pulling him back to the rest of the group.

Isaac stood up, looking down at the table. "Look, if it feels too risky, you don't have to do this." Derek told the Lahey. Isaac looked down, exhaling sharply before pulling his gray shirt over his head. Kennedy giggled as Stiles playfully put his hands over her eyes, trying to keep her away from looking at the attractiveness that is Isaac Lahey. Kennedy didn't care, though, having lived with Isaac all summer now, she's seen him shirtless plenty, and still felt attraction for Stiles, and only Stiles.

Isaac climbed into the tub, gasping as he felt the cold water biting at his skin. Derek and Scott looked at one another, grabbing onto his shoulders. Kennedy bit the inside of her cheek as she watched them push him down. Ice pulled over the sides, and Stiles instinctively pulled Kennedy a few steps back to avoid her shoes getting wet. Kennedy gasped, looking at Stiles with a smile. Most people wouldn't care, but he did, even if it was something small.

It was only a few moments before Isaac resurfaced, letting out a loud roar. His fangs bared and eyes yellow. Stiles walked over, pushing down Isaac's legs as Scott and Derek tried to push his shoulders. Isaac flung himself back up,

"Get him back under. Hold him."

Derek looked back at Deaton. "We're trying!"

Kennedy watched the terror in Isaac's eyes. She wanted to help him, but she didn't move. It was only a few more moments before Isaac stopped completely. Everyone let go of him, letting him slowly float back up to the surface.  "Now, remember, only I talk to him." Deaton explained, "Too many voices will confuse him and draw him out." Kennedy nodded, pursing her lips as Deaton looked down. "Isaac? Can you hear me?"

Isaac's lips tinted purple as he spoke. "Yes. I can hear you."

"This is Dr. Deaton. I'd like to ask you a few questions. Is that all right?"

"Yes."

Stiles kept close to Kennedy, his shirt now wet from the ice. "I want to ask you about the night you found Erica and Boyd." Deaton began, "I want you to remember it for me in as vivid detail as possible, like you're actually there again."

Isaac shook his head, "I, I don't wanna do that. I don't wanna do that. I don't wanna do that." Isaac kicked his legs, causing Stiles to hold him down.

The storm outside caused the lights to flicker. "Isaac, it's all right. Just relax. They're just memories. You can't be hurt by a memory."

"I don't wanna do that."

"It's all right." Deaton said. Kennedy walked around d Stiles, placing her hand over Isaac's. The Lahey visibly relaxed. Stiles thought of the possibility that maybe Isaac cared for Kennedy more than he believed before. "Good. Now let's go back to that night." Everyone let go of Isaac except Kennedy, she kept her hand over his. "To the place you found Erica and Boyd. Can you tell me what you see? Is there some kind of building? A house?"

Isaac seemed to search his memory, "It's not a house. It's stone. I think marble."

"That's perfect. Can you give me any other descriptors?"

Isaac shivered under the water. " It's dusty, so empty."

"Like an abandoned building?" Deaton asked. Isaac fell silent, and Kennedy looked at Deaton in concern. "Isaac?"

"Someone's here." Isaac mumbled, gripping Kennedy's hand tighter. She winced in pain, but tried to hide it as Stiles looked at her. "No, no, no, they see me, they see me!"

Deaton spoke up, "Just memories. You won't be hurt by your memories. Just relax." Isaac slowed down, his grip loosened on Kennedy's wrist."Good. Now tell us what you see. Tell us everything."

Isaac was silent for a moment as he remembered what happened. "It's Boyd." He says, "I hear him. He's talking about the full moon, about being out of control when the moon rises." Isaac opens his eyes as he speaks, but they could all tell he wasn't with them. He dropped Kennedy's wrist, and Stiles could already see the markings forming on her skin. He didn't say anything, as he could tell Kennedy worried more about Isaac than herself.

"Is he talking to Erica?" Deaton asks.

"I think so, I can't see her, I can't see either of them."

"Can you hear anything else?"

Isaac nods, "They're worried.They're worried what they'll do during the moon. They're worried that they're gonna hurt each other." He explains.

"If they're locked in together on the full moon, they're gonna tear each other apart." Derek said quietly.

Deaton turned to the Lahey. "Isaac, we need to find them right now. Can you see them?"

" No."

"Do you know what kind of room it is? Is there any kind of a marker? A number on a door? A sign?"

Isaac sat up straight, "They're here." he stuttered in fear as he slowly sank back.

"It's all right. Just tell us-"

Isaac looked around his memory in worry. "They see me. They found me. They're here!"

Deaton spoke again. "It's just a memory, Isaac,"

"They dragged me to a room! There's a body!" Kennedy felt her chest sink as Isaac flailed. "It's Erica! The body is Erica!"

Everything stopped for a moment for Kennedy.

Erica and Kennedy sit next to one another in the hallway, Kennedy eating a butterfinger candy. "I know your friends don't like me-"

"My friends hate you." Kennedy deadpanned. She wears a pair of blue jeans and a yellow blouse, along with a white leather jacket. It completely contrasts Ericas outfit, who wears black jeans, a purple top, and black leather jacket. Erica purses her lips, and Kennedy sighs. "But, I know that you're struggling with the whole werewolf thing, and I think I can help you."

The blond looks over, "Arent you new, too?" She asks.

Kennedy shrugs, "Yeah, but I know what Scott did to maintain control, and I think I found my own way." She explains, looking at her phone.

"I see why Derek wants you in his pack so much," Kennedy shifts her head, Erica looking at her. "You're a good friend, a good person." Explained the blond.

Kennedy snapped back into reality, "Kennedy! They want Kennedy!" He yelled.

Deaton tried to remain calm, "Isaac, what do they want with Kennedy?" Stiles grabbed his girlfriend, noticing the look of distraught on her face. Kennedy felt sick. Erica was dead. Her friend, was gone. Stiles wrapped his arms around the brunette, letting her cry into his chest. Stiles could only think of what Isaac just said, they wanted Kennedy.

"I don't know, I don't know."

Derek becomes in patient, throwing the plan away. "This isn't working. Isaac, where are you?" Derek shouts.

"I can't see them. It's too dark!"

Derek leans down, "Just tell me where you are."

Deaton looks at the Hale. "You are confusing him."

Isaac screamed in terror, "Isaac, where are you? Just tell me where you are."

"His heart rate, he could go into shock."

"Isaac, where are you? What did you see?"

"A vault! It's a bank vault!" He says, springing up from the water. "I saw it! I saw the name." Derek and Scott help Isaac climb out of the tub, letting him wrap himself in a towel. "It's, Beacon hills first national bank. It's an abandoned bank, and they're keeping them locked inside, inside the vault."  Everyone was silent, and Isaac's eyes landed on a crying Kennedy. "What?"

"You don't remember what you said right before you came out of it, do you?" Stiles asked.

Isaac shook his head , "No."

Stiles looked at Scott and Derek who remained silent. "You said when they captured you that they dragged you into a room and that there was a body in it."

"What body?" Isaac asked, looking at Deaton

Stiles exhaled, "Erica. You said it was Erica."

Isaac looks at everyone in confusion, shocked. "What?"

Kennedy pushed away, "I need some air." She mumbled, walking out of the room. Stiles looked back at everyone, before following after his girlfriend.

"Kenny, wait up," He said, the girl hardly slowing down. "Ken, stop!"

"I never said goodbye." Kennedy blurted as she turned around to Stiles. Stiles stopped, looking at her in confusion. "She- she was my friend. I never said goodbye." Tears rolled down her cheeks as she rambled, "Erica wanted to get her license, she wanted to have friends, she wanted to be good. All she wanted was to be happy." The human boy watched as Kennedy looked up at him, her face flickered in tears and her eyes reddened. "I never got to say goodbye." Stiles pulled Kennedy in tightly, keeping her close as she cried into his chest. Isaac pulled on a shirt as all of them unwillingly listened to her sobs. Out of everyone, Kennedy was clearly the most heart broken, even if she wasn't Erica's alpha, she was still one of Erica's only friends.

Derek paced back and forth as Stiles and Kennedy walked back in. "She's not dead."

Stiles spoke up, "Derek, he said, there's a dead body. It's Erica." He quoted, gesturing to Isaac. "Doesn't exactly leave us much room for interpretation."

"Then who was in the vault with Boyd?"

Stiles rolled his eyes, "Someone else, obviously."

"And maybe it was the girl on the motorcycle." scott offered, "Okay, the one who saved you?"

Isaac sat on the counter, shaking his head. "No, she wasn't like us. And whoever was in the vault with Boyd was."

"What if that's how Erica died?" Everyone looked at Kennedy, who leaned against the door, "What if they put them against each other during the full moons and see which one survives?"

Stiles nodded, "It's like werewolf thunderdome."

Derek looked at his cousin, seeing the look of despair. It was like Kennedy couldn't catch a break, no matter how hard he tried to keep her safe, something always happened. "Then we get them out tonight."

Deaton looked over, "Be smart about this, Derek. You can't just go storming in."

"If Isaac got in, then so can we." Derek said. Stiles pulled out his phone, typing away in thought.

"But he didn't get through a vault door, did he?" Deaton pointed out.

Scott stepped forward, "We need a plan."

"How are we gonna come up with a plan to break into a bank vault in less than 24 hours?" Derek asked.

Stiles spoke up, "Uh, I think someone already did." Everyone looks at him as he reads off his phone. "Beacon Hills first national closes its doors three months after vault robbery." He looks up, "Doesn't say here how it was robbed, but it probably won't take long to find out."

"How long?" Derek asked.

Stiles rose a brow, "It's the Internet, Derek. Okay? Minutes."

༺❀༻

Kennedy walked into the main portion of the loft, raising a brow at Derek. "What are you looking at?" She asked him. Isaac was upstairs still sleeping, which he definitely needed after last nights events. Kennedy adjusted her bag, waiting for Derek to answer.

"I'm sorry." Derek said, "I know you're upset."

Kennedy scoffs, "Okay." She stated, walking away.

"You know you can talk about your feelings sometimes." Derek called out. Kennedy paused, turning to Derek.

"I'd rather not." She retorted, walking away. Derek sighed, leaning into the table in front of him. Kennedy had so much going on, and the wall she built around herself was getting taller and taller. Derek didn't want this for her. He just wanted her to be safe.

༺❀༻

It was hours later when Peter sat on the stairs as he watched Kennedy do her homework. She looked up at him. "Do you need something?" She asked, annoyance tracing her tone.

"Just admiring the genius I created." Peter chimes, standing up and walking over. "How was school?"

"Boring considering the fact in five minutes I'm going to be planning a break in at the bank." Kennedy looked up, "How was your day, Dad?"

Peter sighed, patting Kennedy's back. "Remarkably plain." He countered. The loft door opened, and Scott and Stiles walked in, holding lots of papers and things.

"God, this place is dark and gloomy." Stiles mumbled, "Is your room like this?"

"You'll never find out." Peter remarked, scolding Stiles. Both Stiles and Scott made eye contact, worried.

Kennedy shook her head. "Derek just sucks at decor." She commented, elbowing her dad as she walked around the table. Derek came down the loft steps.

Derek ignored Kennedy standing close to Stiles. "We ready?" Stiles and Scott nodded, the three of them sorting everything out. Peter sat on the stairs, watching.

"Okay. You see this? This is how they got in. It's a rooftop air conditioning vent. Leads down inside into the wall of the vault, which is here." Stiles explains,  circling the area on the map he drew out. "Okay? One of the robbers was lowered into this shaft Now, that space is so small, it took him about 12 hours to drill into that wall, which is stone, by the way. Then throughout the rest of the night, they siphoned the cash up to the guys back on the roof through that one little shaft in the wall." He smacked the table. "Boom."

"Can we fit in there?" Scott asked.

Stiles nods, "Yes, we can, but very, very barely. And they also patched the wall, obviously, so we're gonna need a drill of some kind. I'm thinking maybe a diamond bit-"

Derek speaks up. "look, forget the drill."

Stiles stops, "Sorry?"

"If I go in first, how much space do I have?"

The human boy turns around, "What do you think you're gonna do, Derek? You gonna punch through the wall?"

Derek crossed his arms, "Yes, Stiles, I'm gonna punch through the wall."

"Okay, okay, big guy. Let's see it. Let's see that fist. Big, old fist. Make it, come on. Get it out there. Don't be scared." Stiles began. Derek held up his fist, and Kennedy rose a brow. "Big, bad wolf. Yeah, look at that. Okay, see this?" Stiles holds his hand up to his fist. "That's maybe 3 inches of room to gather enough force to punch through solid co-" Derek his fist, punching Stiles's hand.  The boy practically falls over, yelling in pain, "He could do it."

Derek leaned onto the table. "I'll get through the wall. Who's following me down?" He looked behind Kennedy, eyeing her dad.

Peter shrugged, "Don't look at me.I'm not up to fighting speed yet, and honestly, with Isaac out of commission, you're not looking at very good odds for yourself."

"So I'm supposed to just let them die?"

Peter shrugged, "One of them is already dead."

"We don't know that," Derek argued.

Peter looks at her. "Do I have to remind you what we're up against here? A pack of alphas. All of them, killers. All of them, after my daughter." Kennedy looked down at the table, "And if that's not enough to scare your testicles back into your stomach, try to remember that two of them combine bodies to form one giant Alpha." The eldest Hale explained. Kennedy sighed, knowing he was right. "I'm sure Erica and Boyd were sweet kids. They're gonna be missed."

Stiles looked around the table. "Could someone kill him again, please?" He asked. Kennedy sent a glare, and Peter spoke up.

"Derek, seriously? Not worth the risk."

Derek looked over, "What about you two?"

"Yeah, if you want me to come-"

"Not you." Derek said to Stiles.

Scott looked at the Hale, "I don't know about Erica. But if Boyd's still alive, we have to do something. We have to try."

Kennedy spoke up, "I know me going is a risk, because we know they know who I am," She said, eyeballing her dad. "But I'm getting Boyd out of there. No matter what." She stated.

"But?" Derek inquired.

Scott looked over, "Who's the other girl? The one locked in there with Boyd?"

༺❀༻

Kennedy walked up to the building, "Why did I leave my boyfriend with my killer dad?" She asked quietly.

"Because he's less likely to die there than here." Derek added. Kennedy huffed, not sure if she agreed. The three wolves looked up at the building. Scott had an odd expression on his face. "What?"

Scott shrugged, " There's just something I can't get out of my head."

"The moon's rising, Scott. What is it?"

"Risk and reward."

Kennedy looked at her friend, confused. "Which means what?" She shrugged her shoulders, unsure how that was important.

"We're not measuring the risk with enough information. We don't know enough." He said.

Derek argued, "We know time's running out."

"Yeah, but think about it. They put the triskele on your door four months ago. What have they been doing all this time? Why wait until now?"

Derek shook his head, "We don't have the time to figure out every little detail."

"Okay, but what if this detail, the reason why they waited, what if it's the most important one?"

Kennedy shrugs, "Then if we do nothing, Boyd and Erica are dead." She told the McCall, "We know what we're risking, Scott. Our lives for theirs." Derek began to climb up to towards the top.

"And I won't blame you if you don't follow me." Derek said. Scott looked at Kennedy, who sheepishly shrugged before going after him.

༺❀༻

The wall broke open as Derek punched through it. Derek rolled in, Kennedy and Scott following. Kennedy looked around as she saw the figure of what she knew was Boyd. "Boyd?" Derek called. The werewolf boys low growls caused her to become uneasy. "Boyd? It's me. It's Derek."

Scott's phone began to ring, and he picked it up. "Stiles, now is not the best time."

"Scott! No, listen to me, okay? Look, you gotta get outta there." Stiles said. Kennedy looked over in confusion. "Look, the walls of the vault are made with a mineral called hecatolite. It scatters the moonlight."

Kennedy looked over, "What does that mean?" She asked wearily.

Derek stepped towards Boyd, "We're here to get you out, okay?" His voice was calm and collected, he was trying to be, at least.

"Look, it keeps the moonlight out, okay? They haven't felt the full moon in months." Stiles explained.

Peter spoke up, "Okay, think of it like the gladiators in the Roman colosseum. They used to starve the lions for three days, making them more vicious, more out of control." He explained, "Deucalion has kept them from shifting for three full moons, diminishing their tolerance to it." Kennedy glanced around the room, looking over at Boyd.

"Guys, they're gonna be stronger," Said Stiles, he wished he could reach through the phone and get his girlfriend out of there, but he couldn't.

"More savage, more bloodthirsty, Kenny, they're the lions." Peter explained to his daughter. "They're the starved lions, and you two and Derek just stepped into the colosseum." Kennedy watched as the moon began to pile in from the hole.

Scott looked over, "Derek, we got a problem, a really big problem."

Another growl caused Derek and Kennedy to look over. It felt like air was ripped from Kennedy's lungs as she looked at the other wolf. Derek tilted his head, "Cora?"

Scott looked at the Hale's. "Who?"

"Cora?" Kennedy whispered in shock.

"Derek, Kenny, get out." Cora said lowly, "Get out now!"

"Scott? Hey, Scott! Scott!"

The vault door opened, and Kennedy watched as the counselor from school placed down Mountain Ash. "No! Wait!" Scott shouts, but it's too late. Kennedy comes to the dark and not so pleasant realization that they were all trapped.

Cora roars, running at Derek. Kennedy yells out as Boyd runs after Scott. Her eyes flash gold, and she runs to Derek's aid. She grabs hold of Cora's arm, flipping her backwards completely. Cora growls, tackling Kennedy.

Stiles yells into the phone, "Scott? Kennedy, are you hearing this? Kennedy!" The female werewolf's back lands onto the phone, ending the call entirely. Cora scratches Kennedy's arms, but Derek quickly rips her off. Derek pulls Kennedy up, and the two run to help Scott. Scott ducks, and Derek lifts Kennedy over, letting her kick Boyd in the face. Boyd and Cora back up to one another, before going after them again.

Kennedy deflects Cora's punches, her claws digging into her cousins skin. Boyd throws Scott to the ground, and Derek quickly shoved his beta back. Cora swings her claws, Kennedy ducking easily. Scott grabs Cora's waist, throwing her into a pilar. Cora crawls away. Derek, Scott, and Kennedy back to a wall.

"You know her?" Scott asks.

Derek speaks up, "She's my sister, my younger sister." He tells him.

Scott's eyes widen. He looks between Cora and the Hales next to him. "What the hell is she doing here?"

"Like I have a clue. I thought she was dead!"

Allison Argent runs over to the entrance of the vault. "Look out!" She yells. Derek and Kennedy run, and Scott is grabbed by Boyd.

Kennedy turns, grabbing Boyd by the shoulder and flipping him to the ground. Kennedy gasps as Cora slashes through her back, and tosses her to the side. Kennedy rolls to Allison's feet. "That hurt." She mumbled. Allison looks up, seeing Scott lifted into the air by Boyd's claws. Allison looks down, seeing the trail of Mountain Ash. A thought crosses her mind.

"No! Don't break the seal!" Derek shouts, knowing exactly what the Argent was thinking.

Allison looks up, analyzing the situation. Scott was going to die. Kennedy was injured. Derek would die without any help. She kneeled down, "Boyd!" Scott falls to the ground, the werewolf's running out of the vault.

Derek runs at Allison, Scott running after him. "Don't touch her!"

Derek grabs the human by the wrists. "What were you thinking?" He shouts.

"That I had to do something." Allison snapped, pushing him off. Kennedy walked over, her hair a disheveled mess.

"She saved our lives." Scott said, leaning next to Kennedy. His mouth covered in his own blood.

Derek looks over, "Yeah, and what do you think they're gonna do out there? Do you have any idea what we just set free?"

Allison scoffs, "You want to blame me?" She shouts, "Well, I am not the one turning teenagers into killers."

"No. No, that's just the rest of your family." Derek said as Allison started to walk away.

"I made mistakes." She countered, "Gerard is not my fault."

"And what about your mother?"

Kennedy looked up at Derek's words. The night that he bit Victoria resurfaced in her mind. Allison tilted her head, "What do you mean?" She asked him.

Derek looked at the two teen wolves. "Tell her, Scott."

Allison looked at her friend, "What does he mean, Scott?" Her eyes shifted to the female Hale. "Kennedy?" Scott sighed as he leaned back on the vault. "What does he mean?"

"I just want to find Erica and leave," Kennedy whispered, passing by the three other people as she trailed off. Erica's scent was still there, all three werewolves could smell it. Derek followed his cousin, leaving Scott to explain the truth about Victoria Argent.

A small closet room stood in front of Kennedy. The smell of death overflowed her lungs as she looked at the handle. Guilt filling her gut. She failed Erica. Her friend. Kennedy reached for the handle, Derek grabbing her wrist.

"You don't have to do this." Derek said. "You don't need to see her like that."

The youngest Hale stared at Derek's hand on her arm for a moment. Everything was so much. So many emotions that she didn't know how to handle. The memory of Erica's smile, the little time the two girls shared when they weren't fighting. It made Kennedy realize that this was necessary. She needed this. "I have to." Kennedy whispered, pulling her arm from Derek's grasp. Derek stood still as Kennedy stepped closer to the door, grabbing the handle with her now bloody fingers.

The door slowly opened, and Kennedy's heart sank in her chest as she looked at the corpse of Erica Reyes. Her face crumbled as she stepped into the closet, kneeling down. Pushing Erica's hair out of her face, Kennedy looked into the teenage girls dead eyes. The memory of the life of Erica still swimming in them. Kennedy felt tears rolling down her face as she pulled Erica's body closer, holding it protectively. Derek clenched his jaw, guiltily looking away.

"I'm so sorry," Kennedy cried into Erica's shoulder, knowing she'd never get a reply. "I love you, I love you so much." She sobbed. Her fingers ran through Erica's knotted hair. "I'm so sorry."

Scott and Allison looked at each other, turning to see Derek walking over with Erica's body in his arms. Scott's eyes found Kennedy, the girls eyes puffy from tears. The McCall walked over, pulling Kennedy into his arms. She closed her eyes, letting her best friend hold her the way she needed in this moment. She just wanted her best friends, and that's all she ever wanted. Allison looked down at her shoes as she heard the cries of Kennedy Hale. It seemed that was all Kennedy could do these days, was cry.

"We're going to find them," Kennedy said slowly, looking up at Scott. The McCall kept his hands on her arms as he looked down at her. "We're going to find who did this to Erica, and we're going to make them pay." She looked at the vault, sucking in a sharp breath. "But we need to find Cora and Boyd."