▌𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐓𝐰𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐲-𝐍𝐢𝐧𝐞 ━︎━︎ 𝐑𝐞𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐧 𝐓𝐨 𝐄𝐢𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐧 ▌

━︎━︎━︎━︎𝐀𝐑𝐑𝐈𝐕𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐀𝐓 𝐄𝐈𝐂𝐇𝐄𝐍 house, Elaine immediately crossed her arms over her chest, an uneasy feeling crept into her stomach. She seriously hated this place and yet somehow they always managed to come back to it. Kira and Lydia went up to the intercom while Elaine, Stiles, and Scott stood back. Lydia was trying to get someone to answer, but so far no one had. Scott turned to Stiles who was leaning against his Jeep, on of his hands interlaced with Elaine's to keep his nerves at bay. "Are you gonna be okay in there?"

     Stiles looked at him, his grip on Elaine's hand tightening. "Yeah. Why?"

     "You just seem a little off," Scott said.

     "I think we're all a little off."

     Scott gave him a pointed look, worry dancing in his eyes. "Maybe some of us more than others." He then turned his head to look at Kira and Elaine frowned.

     "Wait. What happened?"

     Scott looked back at Stiles. "When the other chimera, Lucas, when he came after us, I heard Kira say something in Japanese."

     Stiles rose his brows. "That doesn't sound too bad."

     "She doesn't know any Japanese."

     "Still not terrible."  Stiles pulled Elaine closer to him, wrapping an arm around her waist. She turned to look at him, a soft smile pulling on her lips. He knew she hated this place, they both did.

     Scott continued, "I also think I might have stopped her from killing Lucas."

     Stiles nodded. "Okay." He paused. "Wasn't he trying to kill you, though? I mean that just sounds like self-defense."

     "It was more than that." Scott softly argued. "I mean, she nearly took off his head."

     "Maybe she had no choice." Stiles' voice grew firmer. "There's got to be a point where self-defense is justified. Tracy killed her own father. And Lucas would have killed you."

     "They're not the bad guys," Scott claimed. "They're the victims. We shouldn't be killing the people we're supposed to save."

     Elaine  swallowed, glancing at Stiles who had grown tense before looking at her brother. "Then what do you classify me killing my mother as?" Scott opened his mouth but before he could say anything there was a loud buzz and the gate opened. They all walked through the gate, heading up the steps only to pause when the gate slammed closed behind them. "If they try to lock us in, I can get us out." Elaine muttered and they all nodded before entering the building.

     They went to the front where an attendant was standing behind the front desk. He placed a plastic container in front of them. "Please empty your pockets into the container."

     "We're here to see―︎"

     The attendant cut Scott off. "Please empty your pockets into the container." They all did as told, placing keys, wallets, and their phones into the container. He looked at Kira and Elaine noticed the way his lip twitched slightly upwards. "Please remove your belt and place it into the container."

     Kira hesitated. "I kind of need the belt. I mean, it's crucial to the outfit."

     The attendant was persistent. "Please remove your belt which patients will attempt to take from you and use to either strangle themselves or others."

     "Right. Got it." She removed her belt. They all turned their heads when one of the doctors stepped out from behind a locked door, the attendant placing their belongings behind the desk. They followed after the doctor and Elaine had to suppress a groan when she saw all of the stairs.

     "I'll remind you that I'm only doing this as a favor to Deaton. And I'm doing it against my better judgement."

     Stiles was the one right behind him. "What's the etiquette for talking to this guy? I mean, do you ever look at the other eye?"

     "I wouldn't," he said. "In fact, while you're down here try not to make eye contact with anyone or anything."

     Elaine took a breath. "Well, that's comforting." She exchanged a look with Lydia before continuing down the multiple sets of stairs. When they finally made it to the floor, Elaine paused when she felt a weird sensation flow through her body. She looked at Scott and Kira to notice they had both felt it too.

     The doctor looked at them. "You didn't think you were all going, did you?"

     "It's mountain ash, isn't it?" Scott asked.

     "Everywhere, but heavily concentrated down here." He swiped his card, pushing open the door. "Valack's cell is the last one at the end of the hall."

     Stiles and Lydia looked at the three of them and Elaine gave small smile, nodding her head in reassurance. "We'll be right here when you get back." The two of them walked in and the doctor closed the door behind them.

     Elaine leaned against the wall, her nerves eating away at her. Scott turned to his sister. "They'll be fine." She nodded, hoping he was right. Scott placed a hand on Kira's shoulder before walking over to her. "Hey, is Stiles alright?"

     Elaine kept her heart beat steady, keeping her body relaxed and not allowing her face to give anything away. "He's fine. Why?"

     Scott shrugged. "He just seemed off. I figured he would tell you."

     "Well, he doesn't tell me everything. Despite all of you believing otherwise." Elaine said, even though it was a blatant lie. He did tell her everything. Usually in explicit detail. She hated lying, loathed it even, and she felt like such a hypocrite in that moment but it wasn't her secret to tell so she wouldn't.

     Scott nodded, deciding this probably wasn't the best place to have a conversation like that with her. He knew she hated this place, he didn't like it much either. He stepped away from her, turning his head in attempt to try and hear what was going on. "I can't hear anything. Must be the mountain ash."

     "I feel it too." Kira softly said as he walked over to her. "To be honest, I feel a little weak."

     Scott examined his hand. "Yeah, it's like being sedated."

     Kira glanced at him. "This was a bad idea, wasn't it?" She let out a sigh, leaning her head back against the wall.

     "They'll be okay without us. And those two work pretty good together. No super strength, or samurai swords but they stay alive."

     "Barely." Elaine mumbled, but a small smile pulled at the corner of her lips. She let out a small chuckle. "I can't say anything. I've been on the brink of death too many times and actually have died."

     Kira looked at her and her eyes widened slightly. "Elaine. . . your neck."

     Elaine furrowed her brows before a hand flew up to her neck, her fingers running over the three scars that would forever be there. "I guess because of the mountain ash the magic isn't covering my scars."

     "You've always had those?"

     Elaine gave her a sad smile and nodded. "Yeah. I've had them since Peter killed me. I just use magic to keep it covered. That's why I think I get drained so easily because I'm constantly using magic to keep my scars hidden. I kind of forget about them."

     Kira frowned. "Why keep them covered?"

     Elaine shrugged. "To forget it ever happened." She glanced up when the lights flickered and she pushed herself away from the wall.

     "Did you see that?" Scott muttered and Elaine nodded.

     "No," Kira answered, "but I am seeing this." The siblings turned to face her and saw electricity running through her hands. Her entire body began to glow with blue electricity.

     Scott subtly grabbed Elaine, putting her behind him. "Kira, whatever you're doing, please stop."

     Kira looked between them in panic. "I'm not doing anything. It's just happening." The lights above them exploded and Scott quickly covered Elaine, blocking them both from the glass that shattered everywhere. Then, it went completely dark. The two siblings turned to see Kira lying on the floor.

     "Kira?" Scott moved towards her and before Elaine could stop him, a bolt of electricity from touching her sent him flying backwards.

      "Scott!" She ran over to him. "Are you okay?" She looked up when the door opened and the doctor walked out, kneeling beside the siblings.

     "Are you alright?"

     Scott nodded. "Something's happening. And I think she's causing it." They both helped Scott stand. "El, is there anything you can do?"

     "She's already unconscious." Elaine shook her head. "I don't know of any spells that can just make another supernatural creatures powers stop working."

     "We need to get her out of here right now." The doctor urged.

     "Yeah well, how do we move her if we can't touch her?"

     A thud grabbed their attention and they turned, just in time to see the Dread Doctors standing there, killing an attendant behind the gate. The Dread Doctors turned to look at them. "Scott, what do we do?" Elaine whispered as the fear began to creep into her bones.

     "I think you better run." The doctor advised.

     "I can't just leave her." Scott dismissed.

     "I can." And then he sprinted away, leaving the two siblings to stand there.

     Elaine scoffed. "He did not just do that!" She turned to Kira. "Scott, I have an idea. If the wards are down I can use my magic, use telepathy that way neither of us has to touch her."

     Scott nodded. "Do it!"

In an instant she turned to Kira, holding out her hand as purple magic shot from it, circling around Kira and lifting her up in the air. The Dread Doctors broke through the gate and started approaching them. Scott pushed opened the exit door the doctor had run out of, holding it open for Elaine as she led Kira through the door along with herself. Scott kept opening doors, keeping a clear path for Elaine as she lifted Kira through, the electricity still exploding from Kira's body. She clenched her jaw, her nose started to drip blood as she continued to keep Kira a float, making it out of Eichen House and down the steps before she had to drop her.

     Scott ran to Kira as she started softly speaking to him and Elaine fell to her knees, her body aching with exhaustion and pain, the electricity from Kira having occasionally rippled through her own magic leaving Elaine with burn marks on her hands and arms, even a few crawling up her neck. She glanced up when Lydia and Stiles came running out of the building. "Can we go home now? Please?" She begged.

     Stiles pulled her up from the ground and Scott was able to lift up Kira before they all climbed into their cars and left. Elaine hissed as she felt herself start to heal. Stiles kept glancing at her and Lydia sat in the back. "Are you alright?"

     "Fine." Elaine swallowed, opening and closing her hand as the burns began to slowly fade away. "What did Valack say?"

     "He was the one that wrote it. We have to read the book." Lydia answered.

     Elaine closed her eyes and hummed. "I'm still expecting that weekend getaway."

     Lydia softly sighed. "I don't think it's going to happen anytime soon." She exchanged a look with Stiles through the rearview mirror before placing a hand on her best friend's shoulder, none of them realizing how much they were going to regret this.