(idk who that random girl is 🤨 pretend it's ryder)

—

Isaac walked into school with Malia and Lydia in front of him. If you asked him how he ended up in the company of the two girls, he'd easily mention how he didn't want to sit in the backseat of Austin's car while he and Ryder made out before class.

It would have been uncomfortable on both parts if he and Josie stayed.

"The Dread Doctors by T.R. McCammon." Lydia read, slowly down her steps,

"What?" Malia popped up from behind her.

"I don't know. There's something about it."

"I would assume so. I haven't even heard of a dread doctor." Isaac mumbled.

"You haven't heard of a lot of things." Austin scoffed as he and Ryder skimmed past the three, his words earning a confused look from the other teen,

"What does that even mean?"

Austin was gone with a childish giggle as his answer. Lydia shook her head at their antics and finished her question, "Has anyone actually read it yet?"

"Just me." Malia spoke up, "And I didn't understand any of it."

"We should probably all read it."

"Kira's working on that."

•••

"Stiles says he can't find anything on the author. He thinks it's a pen name."

"In a small New England town, teenagers are taken in the night and buried alive. Days later they emerge transformed, wreaking havoc and spreading terror, commanded by an ancient order of parascientists known only as the Dread Doctors." Lydia read off the back of the book.

"Sounds vaguely familiar. How does it end?"

"It doesn't. This is supposed to be volume one."

"Oh, let me guess..." The Martin trailed off, "There is no volume two?"

"I think we're living volume two."

"Then maybe the real question is... Is this a novel or someone's prediction?"

•••

Turns out the Dread Doctors book just so happened to be dedicated to the weirdo doctor from Eichen House, who just so happened to now be locked up in Eichen House. Unfortunately, Ryder had a heart and didn't want her 'colleagues' going to a place she was convinced was haunted.

Scott and Kira would be there but she was sure that if they got attacked, Kira would get blindsided and Scott wouldn't fight to his full potential. Isaac would also be going, which meant she had a bit of company incase things got awkward, however Austin was stubborn and refused to let his girlfriend go without him.

So, it was safe to say Eichen would be a full house. No pun intended.

"Lydia, I'm going with you." Stiles told the girl that stood by his bedroom door trying to convince him not to leave his house.

"I thought you said you were sick."

"I'm slightly under the weather."

"You don't have to come. Malia's not going either." She shook her head softly.

"Malia's not going because she knows that that place is a nightmare asylum of insanity and death, okay? Let's go." He said as he put his jacket in, grunting in pain as he moved his shoulder.

Lydia noticed, "What was that?"

"What was what?"

"You winced."

"I have a bad elbow." He brushed it off.

Lydia wasn't having it, "It was your shoulder."

"Pain radiates. It does that." He let out a sigh, going to walk out only for her to slide in front of him, "You are not going without me. You remember what happened to Deaton when he talked to Valack?

"Scott and Kira are going to be there. So are Isaac, Austin and Ryder."

"Okay... If it comes down to it, Ryder's protecting Austin and Isaac's protecting Ryder." He pointed out. It made them seem like assholes but he knew that worst comes to worst, Lydia is the least of their concerns, "I'm not letting you go to a place where one of the orderlies almost killed you."

"He almost killed you too."

"And we're both still alive. See? Teamwork."

Stiles walked past the girl, leaving her to huff quietly before following him. He wasn't completely lying to her. He was concerned for her well-being, but part of the reason he was going had a lot to do with the single person that knew what happened just the night before.

•••

"You okay?" Austin spoke softly to Ryder, the couple pulling up to Eichen in his car, the others seemingly waiting for their arrival. Isaac refused to get stuck with them (again), opting to ride with Lydia and Stiles in his jeep, much to the Stilinski's annoyance.

"I'm alright." She nodded, clearing her throat while unbuckling her seatbelt.

"You sure?" He gave her a concern smiled, reaching over to gently rub a hand against her tattooed wrist, "You're a little quiet."

"Am I not always quiet?" She glanced at him, fingers fiddling with Marco the Monkey's tail.

His brows creased, "Not with me."

"I'm okay." He looked uncertain, leaving her to press a sweet kiss to his lips before pulling away, "Promise."

"Hey." He called out before she could exit the car, "I love you."

Her eyes squinted as she smiled, her voice softening in almost nervousness, "I love you."

Austin chuckled, the couple simultaneously opening their doors to meet the rest of the pack.

Ryder could feel Stiles' eyes boring into the side of her face but she refused to look at him. She knew that if she did, she would only make it obvious that she knew something. If she didn't speak, her facial expressions surely did and she didn't want to mess things up.

She knew that a secret like this could only be kept in the dark for so long because things like this eventually come to light.

•••

"Hello?" Lydia pressed the buzzer, "Anyone there?"

"You think they're genuinely going to give you an answer?" Isaac questioned in a bored tone, his words leading to Austin sassing him, the two engaging in a small argument over literally nothing.

Scott ignored the two, instead looking towards his bestfriend, "Are you going to be okay in there?"

"Yeah. Why?"

"You just seem a little off."

Stiles took a discreet glance towards Ryder, the girl looking like she'd rather be anywhere but here, "I think we're all a little off."

"Maybe some of us more than others." Scott said, turning around to peek at Kira.

"Wait. What happened?"

"When the other Chimera, Lucas, when he came after us, I heard Kira say something in Japanese."

"That doesn't sound too bad."

Scott raised his brows, "She doesn't know any Japanese."

Stiles shrugged, "Still not terrible."

"I also think I might have stopped her from killing Lucas." The McCall continued.

"Okay." He blew out an anxious breath, completely unaware of Ryder tucking her hair behind her ear to listen in on their conversation, "Wasn't he trying to kill you, though? I mean, that just sounds like self-defense."

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

"Maybe she had no choice. There's gotta 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. They're the victims. We shouldn't be killing the people we're supposed to save." Scott's stern voice almost startled him.

He knew it. He told himself and Ryder told him they Scott wouldn't care. A mere glance at the girl was enough for him to know that even if it were self defense, even if it saved his life, Scott would still see him as a killer.

•••

"Please empty your pockets into the container."

"We're here to see—"

The orderly cut Scott off, "Please empty your pockets into the container. Please remove your belt and place it into the container."

Kira took a hesitant step forward, "I kind of need the belt. I mean, it's crucial to the outfit."

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

"Right. Got it." Kira did as told.

"Oh wow." Isaac muttered.

"You should probably tell him to remove his scarf as patients will attempt to take from you and use to strangle either themselves or others." Ryder mocked both the orderly and Isaac's poor fashion choices.

"She's right." The man in front of them looked Isaac in his eyes, "Please remove your scarf as patients will—"

"Yeah, I got it." He cut him off, placing his belonging in the bucket and walking over to stand near Ryder, nudging her shoulder in annoyance.

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

Stiles' curiosity got the better of him as he began to ask questions, "Hey, what's the etiquette for talking to this guy?"

"I mean, do you ever look at the other eye? I wouldn't. In fact, while you're down here, try not to make eye contact with anyone or anything."

•••

Ryder jumped back as she got stopped from walking with Austin, Lydia and Stiles, looking at Fenris, the orderly, in confusion,

"You didn't think you were all going, did you?"

"It's mountain ash, isn't it?" Scott asked, making Ryder roll her eyes as she figured it was obvious.

"Everywhere, but heavily concentrated down here. Valack's cell is the last one at the end of the hall." He told the humans and Lydia.

Scott reassured them, "We'll be right here."

"I'll staying."

All eyes snapped to Austin at his statement. Ryder looked like she wanted to argue but she didn't, feeling they maybe it'd be easier if he was in her sight and she knew he wouldn't feel as comfortable with Lydia and Stiles.

"Okay." Stiles nodded, "We'll be quick."

•••

"I can't hear anything. Must be the mountain ash."

It was almost expected that Ryder responded with a witty comment but the girl seemed to focused on getting service to check on her family.

Kira spoke up, "I feel it too. To be honest, I feel a little weak."

"Yeah, it's like being sedated." Scott agreed, glancing at Isaac to see the Lahey slumped against the wall.

"This was a bad idea, wasn't it?"

"Probably the worst idea any of us have ever had." Ryder said, her voice booming throughout the silent room. She seemed a little more energetic than the other supernaturals but Austin chalked it up to them being different types of werewolves.

"They'll be okay without us. And those two...They're pretty good together."

"Yeah, they are."

"No super strength or samurai swords, but they stay alive." Scott configured.

"He still likes her, doesn't he?" Kira asked.

"Yeah. Yeah, but it's different now." Scott failed to mention that difference was that he wasn't in love with Lydia anymore but rather the girl who stopped trying to get service and instead cuddled up against her boyfriend. It's not like he noticed, though, Scott was far too in his own world to realize what his friend was going through.

"I mean, you should've seen the way he used to be around her."

"Was it bad?"

"It was horrible." Isaac mumbled under his breath, "Kid threatened to turn me into a jacket."

"It was a fur coat." Austin corrected jokingly.

Scott chuckled, "He was kind of obsessive, but not all bad. You know, Lydia used to pretend not to be smart."

"Our Lydia?"

"Yeah, Stiles was the only one who knew."

"How?"

"He paid attention. He listened to her. He remembered..." He trailed off, "Did you see that?

"No, but I am seeing this."

Isaac stood up, slowly backing away from Kira as her hands glowed brightly, flickers of electricity zapping around them.

"Holy shit."

•••

"Kira?"

Electricity crackled as the girl looked to be in pain,

"Kira..."

Fenris ran towards them, "Are you all right?"

Scott grew concerned, "Something's happening. And I think she's causing it."

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

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

"I think you better run."

"I can't leave her."

"I can."

With that, Fenris ran off, leaving the teens in shock. Scott shouted for the others to leave, letting them know that he would be behind him.

Lifting Kira up bridal style, the McCall screamed in pain as he walked through the room, sighing in relief as he eventually made it out the doors.

—
A/N: yall, believe it or not, the drugs and money franchise is coming to an end soon. my sister literally pointed that out to me the other day and i lied and said i wasn't upset.

also... no stydia around these parts. sorry not sorry

luv ya <3
(ps. y'all should go check out my newest teen wolf book- let the light in)