Chapter Text
Immediately after chapter 32 of Rise of the Arcanist
“What do want us to do?” Scott says swallowing down the bile that threatens to overwhelm him if he pauses. He has talked to his mom about this before. About how she manages to not get overwhelmed seeing people hurt and suffering and the memory of that conversation flashes back before his eyes.
“You have to compartmentalize Scott. You feel all of it of course, but you can’t let it control you. You acknowledge the pain, the fear, and everything and just put it to the side to handle later. If you don’t control it, it controls you and I can’t help anyone if I am too afraid or overwhelmed. Once the crisis is over, it usually hits pretty hard. But it is knowing that by staying focused that I have saved lives, or at least gave them their best chance, that helps a lot when you are in the middle of things.” He really appreciates his mom now more than ever.
“Get everyone who can help to the temporary police station. I don’t know who’s left there, but they will need help. I am sure that there are kids whose parents are gone and we need to find them to make sure they are okay” Stiles tells him.
Scott inhales suddenly imagining what seeing his mom dust when he was five or six would have been like and what that would have done to him. He nods and looks over the clearing at the crowd of people looking lost. He spots Alpha Ito and Alpha Delgado and moves towards them. “Alphas!” he roars catching everyone’s attention.
“Alpha McCall?” Satomi says looking confused but also surprised. Leon looks furious but also lost. Like he wants to kill something, but he doesn’t have a target.
As he arrives Scott spots several others alphas approaching and he lets out a roar “Alphas! TO ME!” he yells and in seconds there are fifteen alphas suddenly there with more betas following in their wake looking at the alphas in shock.
“LISTEN!” he yells to quieten the crowd. Everyone looks to him but it is then that he spots Aiden and by the wrecked expression he knows that they must have lost Ethan as well, but he doesn’t have time to deal with that right now. “Stiles and the others have told us that this is not limited to here, it has happened everywhere. That means that we need to act and act now!”
“But who do we fight?” Alpha Anderson growls angrily. His pack is decimated like the others and he is barely holding it together with the pain of so many lost pack bonds.
“This isn’t about fighting” Scott answers and that sets off snarls and furious yelling.
“ENOUGH!” Scott roars, his eyes flashing crimson immediately answered by fifteen pairs of red flashing in the crowd.
“Our Alpha is gone” one of the Marshall packs betas yells out desperately. “Why did no one inherit his alpha powers?”
Scott looks stunned as the rest and the alphas all look around but they realize that many packs were here in their entirety and those packs that lost their alpha don’t seem to have gotten a new one. “I don’t know but we will try and find out why later, that isn’t our top priority.”
“Why not?!” Marcus Reynolds asks looking at the young alpha. “We have over a dozen packs without an alpha!”
“Because it is not just us. How many homes suddenly lost both parents? How many kids are suddenly alone? How many babies?” he challenges and from the looks of surprise he can see that no one thought about that.
“Listen. Stiles and the emissaries are going to try and get us answers but we need to work search and rescue with the local police. To search every home and find those who are in danger. Dave and Whulibela are leading the search for the magical folk, but we need to help the other people. And with our senses, we can do it faster than anyone.”
“What about our homes?” Alpha Roberts asks suddenly looking much more concerned.
Scott pauses and hates that he does but he recognizes the need. “Do you have connections with the local authorities in your territory?” he asks.
Amanda Roberts nods. “My husband is” she pauses and from the look of devastation Scott knows that the man must have been lost “was…he was friends with city leaders. I think they will be struggling.”
Scott nods and makes an executive decision. “Okay, if you have contacts in authority at your home territories, I will ask Master Lyra to send you home. Everyone else we are going to town to start helping.”
“And why should we listen to you?” an Alpha Scott doesn’t remember challenges him. He thinks the man is from up near Seattle. “You aren’t Hale. He was the High Alpha, not you.”
Scott looks surprised but sees several others looking concerned and thoughtful at the challenge. He straightens up. “I am Scott McCall, a True Alpha. And…” he adds when he sees the man start to reply “I am delivering the orders to you from the High Alpha. High Alpha Stilinski.”
That catches more than a few of the alphas off guard. They had agreed to submit to the High Alphas but that was tempered by Hale actually being a werewolf and his family legacy, the teenager left behind wasn’t an alpha or even a wolf!
“Is he still High Alpha?” a female Alpha, Scott thinks she is from Utah, asks. “I mean, without his mate.”
The man smirks at the question and Scott is really tempted to lash out but it is actually Alpha Ito who replies.
“You wish to challenge the Arcanist for his position as High Alpha?” she asks with a quiet tone that manages to chill to the bone and suddenly there is a space surrounding the man as alphas move away as if fearing that being physically close to him is dangerous.
The man suddenly looks nervous and his eyes dart around realizing how the others have moved away from him. “I didn’t mean that!” he yelps.
“Then I think you should clarify exactly what you meant” Alpha Delgado says with a low growl. “I pledged my pack to the High Alphas, not only Alpha Hale. And seeing as how the Hunters have been banned from High Alpha Stilinski’s territory, not the Hale Territory, if you are no longer interested in submitting to his authority, I am sure he would allow you to leave and go live outside it, with the Hunters.”
Alpha Talbot may be brash and headstrong, but stupid he is not and he backs down and his whole body shifts to show it. “My apologies Alpha McCall. This situation has me rattled. I meant no disrespect” he says with a nod towards the teen.
Scott lets out a breath. “I think that rattled is an understatement for all of us Alpha.” He looks at the others around him. “If you are leaving, head over to the tables” he points at one of the food tables that has pretty much been wiped out. “Otherwise get ready and we will be going to town.”
“Alpha McCall” the beta from the Marshall pack steps up as people start moving. “What do we do” he asks and gestures to the wolves who look more than lost and he knows they are the ones who lost their alphas.
Scott looks at the wolves for a moment looking uncertain before he nods quickly. “You stay. We will need help here before we head out.”
“But we don’t have an alpha” he says with almost a whine.
“You do, High Alpha Stilinski.”
“We serve the High Alpha, but we still need our own Alpha” he presses and Scott sees several of the other betas nodding in desperation.
He looks over and suddenly realizes that Allison is standing next to him along with Cora, Erica, and Boyd who have all been silently supporting him without him ever realizing it. He turns to the packs “Then you will have one. Aiden,” he nods at the teen who looks dumbfounded “and I are both Alphas and we will take any who need it and I am sure those Alphas who are still here will do the same. No beta here will become an omega because of this” he declares.
It is palpable the reaction from the wolves who suddenly look anchored just by the promise. Several of the wolves look at Aiden but he only swallows before nodding in agreement. “Later though” Aiden says. “First we have orders to follow from the High Alpha.” The betas look uncertain. “Highest ranking pack member in any pack without an alpha, is currently in charge and answering to Alpha McCall and myself. Let’s get going” he gestures and Scott moves off with a sudden crowd around him.
“Scott” Erica says quietly as she steps to his side “there a lot of wolves here who are in no condition to help.” Scott looks at her about to argue but she cuts him off. “Lucy, from the Howard pack, lost their alpha. Her mate died fighting Gerard and her 2 year old son and her six month old daughter were both lost” she tells him and his face twists at the thought of the poor woman. He nods “Erica, we need Boyd, but you can ask any of the betas to stay and help those that need it. You are in charge” he says to her shocked face. “Cora, can you help her?”
“What? Me? Why me?” she squeaks while Cora nods in agreement.
Scott stops and looks at her and then Boyd, Aiden, Cora, and Allison. “Because we are the Hale Pack. That means that we step up. Each of us.” He stares at each of them. “You may not be alphas, but you might as well be right now. So, if you see something that needs to be done like you just did, you do it. You answer to Stiles right now so if anyone gives you any resistance….” he struggles to finish the sentence.
“Then they leave the territory” Boyd finishes. Everyone looks surprised but quickly nod. Erica swallows, straightens up, and heads over to where the hysterical beta is being comforted by several of her pack members. She spots several others who are in dire straits and spots one of the brownies and calls him over and orders food, blankets, and drinks to be brought. The little man suddenly looks determined and nods calling out for several of his fellows to help, happy for something to do.
Scott doesn’t notice because he doesn’t need to. He trusts the beta and she will be fine. Now he needs to get to town and try desperately to not think about his mother. He will break down later.
“Master Lyra, can you ask several of the sorcerers to help Scott and the others get to where they are going before joining us?” Stiles asks as he tries to hold on. She nods and moves to speak to the sorcerers who were still left. “Marin, can you get everyone with any magic and join us at the circle?”
“I can but what are you going to…” Marin Morrell has been pretty rattled today but she considers herself rather staid and not easily surprised but seeing young Mr. Stilinski vanish without casting any spell or opening a portal was entirely unexpected.
“What the?!?” Lyra gasps at the sudden disappearance of the young man stopping in her tracks.
Marin reaches out and feels it. “He moved through the ley line!” she stammers in shock. The teen slid along the ley line and teleported! That shouldn’t be possible under any understanding the lines that she had ever learned about. If he can do that…no she isn’t going to even try to figure out what his limits are. Especially as even to her limited senses she feels what he was saying earlier. The line below them is raging like she has never felt. A gentle steam before is now the most dangerous of rapids, turning and churning with power she has never felt from even the strongest line.
“I did not know that was possible” Lyra whispers and Marin nods.
“I am not sure it was before. But we must hurry. Tell the others to join us as soon as possible” she says and the sorceress nods and moves to inform her people.
Marin starts gathering the others and directing them to the stones though if she is correct, she is not certain what good it will do. If this ley line is acting this way, then she has every reason to believe they all are, which may mean that the world itself is threatened by whatever horror did this.
Scott jumps through the portal and realizes that he is in an alley downtown not far from City Hall so he heads for where he hears the sound of the most voices coming from. Looking back he spots Aiden standing at the portal and coordinating the others while Boyd and Allison are right behind him. He rounds the building and spots two of the deputies and yells out. In a few seconds he enters the building with Allison telling the others to wait outside.
“Scott!” he turns as his father comes over and grabs him in a hug. “You're okay?” he says looking at his son and searching for any injuries or anything.
“Dad, I’m fine, but we’ve lost Derek, Isaac, Peter, and mom…” he chokes on the words and sees his father pale. He hadn’t known.
“Scott, I’m sorry. We’ve been dealing with calls ever since it happened. We lost the sheriff and half the deputies. We are trying to figure out what’s going on, but it seems to be global” Raphael tells him.
“Stiles said it is everywhere on Earth. Half of all people and animals, everyone is just gone. He sent us to help” Scott says just as Tara comes over looking sick but powering through it.
“Can he do something about it? Can he bring them back?” she whispers, desperation clear in his voice.
Scott shakes his head and sees the hope die there. “No, he said it was too big even for him. We have to focus on rescue.”
Tara frowns. “Rescue? What do you mean?”
Allison steps up “Stiles is worried that with losing people, there may be some kids or those who need help who are suddenly alone.” She sees the sudden realization on Tara and Mr. McCall’s faces at that. “He sent us to go door to door to see if we can find anyone who needs help.”
Tara swears. She moves over to the table and yells out for someone to bring her a city map. A few moments later and a large map is covering the table with the whole town laid out. It is not a good map. “Scott, we have better maps at the loft. Derek has the whole county and it’s much better than this” Allison says looking disappointed but then she remembers that the department’s maps were blown up. He looks up from the map and nods. “Send Boyd to the loft to get it and bring them all here.” She nods and runs out. Scott looks over at Tara. “We have a lot of people who can help. What’s the plan?” he asks her.
Tara looks shocked at the question. “ME? Why me?” she says looking between the McCall men.
“Considering most of your department wanted me dead 24 hours ago, I don’t think I am an option” Raphael says with a sad smile. “You are going to have to step up Deputy. I just heard that Mayor Roberts was one of the lost. Until what’s left of the city council figures out what to do, you need to help stabilize things.”
Scott nods. “Besides, the town knows you Deputy. They will listen” he assures her.
Tara nods. “Okay, we need volunteers. How many did you bring?” she asks just as Allison steps back in.
“About 150” the Huntress replies to the shocked expressions. “I also think we should also recruit students at the high school. We can get everyone to rally there and use them to help as well.”
Tara nods in shock. “Okay, that will speed things up. We need to find out who is here and who is lost. Parrish!” she yells and the deputy, still clad in the sheriff’s old stuff runs over. “Get to the store. Grab all of their notebooks and pens. Take some of the volunteers. I want everyone to have two books to write in. One for those we found and one for those we know are gone. That we have a witness for. If they are not sure, mark it as unknown. Any kids who are alone, bring them to the school. Argent, reach out to the teachers and get them to set up the place to be a shelter with any students that can help them. McCall” she pauses at the FBI Agent’s questioning look “Alpha McCall, break your people up into teams. Once the maps are here, we will start sending people out.”
“Oh my god!” Allison looks suddenly terrified. “What about the airplanes?!”
“What planes?” Scott asks confused.
“The planes! Scott, there are thousands of commercial planes in the air every day. Some of them must have lost both pilots!” Allison says to the sudden horror of Scott, Tara, and several of the deputies.
Surprisingly, McCall senior is not one of them. “We actually got lucky there” he interrupts her, and everyone turns to look at him. “Several hours ago, a spaceship attacked New York…again. Wrecked up part of the town before taking off. There was a new protocol created right after the Battle of New York by the FAA and US Department of Defense, so as soon as the ship was detected, all airplanes were immediately grounded or diverted to the nearest airport. It took a few hours, but they were all on the ground safely and stayed there even after the thing left. With the US locked down, the rest of the world followed suit so there were almost no commercial planes in the air within an hour of it being detected. The rule is now that there has to be 24 hours of clear skies before they would be allowed to fly again, but then there were multiple contacts over in Africa right before everything happened, so when this, whatever this was happened, we were lucky and there were no commercial aircraft flying.”
“So, there was no aircraft in the air when people got turned to dust?” Tara says looking somewhat relieved.
McCall shakes his hand saying not exactly. “The military was flying so I imagine we lost a lot of planes when it happened and I would imagine that some private aircraft, news helicopters, and smaller range craft might have still been airborne, but it was just a fraction of normal air traffic.”
Allison looks better. “Guess we should be grateful for that at least.”
“It is also out of our jurisdiction” Tara says just as Boyd comes in with an armload of papers followed by two guys carrying several more.
In a few seconds they have the maps laid out and Tara and Scott start dividing people up. It takes about an hour to assign everyone and by then Parrish is back and handing out supplies. Tara gives orders and she pretends not to notice Scott flashing his eyes at the crowd. It is significantly more difficult to ignore the red, gold, and blue flashing back, but she still tries. Moments later they head out.
“I will head to the school” Allison says and gives Scott a kiss.
“James, go with her and be our contact there. Take three of the radios and set up a base in the office. Once you get there, get your census started” she orders the deputy handing him several books.
After they leave, she looks back at the map. “Nicely done acting Sheriff” Raphael McCall says gently and smiles at the look she gives him. “Just keep moving forward. What about outside Beacon Hills?” he asks.
“I think I have my hands full” she says with a slight tremble in her voice.
“You do, but you can send word out to others what you are doing so they can copy it. I imagine that there are kids who lost family everywhere.”
She closes her eyes but knows he is right. “Write up a quick summary we can use to call and tell people. Once you are done, I will look it over and we can all start getting the word out.”
Rafe nods and moves to write up instructions. Graeme is a good deputy and he is pretty sure she will end up as the Sheriff after all of this. And he is pretty sure that they are going to need some good people to deal with the aftermath of whatever the hell is going on.
Stiles blinks and is at the circle and he doesn’t have time to deal with what he just did. Riding the lines is supposed to be only theoretical, an idea he was wondering about but now is not the time to think about that, not when the lines are on the way to going critical.
“Lord of the Land” Stiles spins around and sees Iskender step out of the trees looking more than a little ragged.
“Iskender! Are you okay?” Stiles says moving over to the green man who is leaning heavily on his staff.
“No young one, I am not. This assault against the Earth has damaged us terribly. It is not just men who have been lost. All life was targeted.”
“All life? I mean animals I could feel and the magical beings here were affected” Stiles stammers but pauses at the brutalized look on the Leshy’s face.
“All life great one. From the smallest insect to the fish in the deepest oceans were taken. And the magical creatures both here and in the worlds open to this one as well” he says and Stiles with a gesture summons a chair and the man falls into it.
Stiles settles him but then the words he said hit him. “Other worlds. Wait, what other worlds?”
Iskender looks up at the teen and Stiles almost wants to cry. “All worlds my young friend. I can feel this was done on all worlds with life among the stars and even to the fae realms. No world I can reach or hear escaped it.”
Stiles staggers at the thought. All worlds?!? The whole Galaxy?!? The Universe?!? And the fae…that means “Do you mean the Queens’ Courts?” Stiles demands but freezes as the man nods.
“Both Titianna and Arethusa were lost. Orliath lost her mate and both of her children and the courts, both Seelie and Unseelie, are halved.”
“What about Mielikkar? Is he okay?” Stiles suddenly looks around for the Unicorn.
Iskender seems to relax a bit at that. “He is my friend. I think as long as life exists, he will as well.”
Stiles looks uncertain and frowns. “Then I don’t think we are out of the woods yet.”
“You speak of the lines?” Iskender asks him with an understanding nod. “I can feel them raging and bursting. I do not believe the remaining Nemetons can survive the influx of power from all who were lost to us. If the lines are not contained, then I fear you may be right and those that survived this thing will not do so for long.”
Stiles steps back but the green man doesn’t continue and seems to be trying to catch his breath, so he gives him some space. But it only confirms his fears. When he learned about the ley lines, he didn’t understand at first. He thought they were simply geomagnetic lines that moved energy and magic around. But working with both the Morgaine and the Night Lord helped him truly understand them. The ley lines collected the energy of life. Everything that lived shed bits of their life energy simply by existing. This energy moved like water did, collecting and joining with other like energy until it formed little lines which moved and merged over and over again until, like rivers, they formed the ley lines that crossed the planet. The lines moved this energy to one of the five remaining Nemetons where it was cleansed and sent back into the land where it was absorbed by living beings in a cycle of life. And when someone died, that life energy was like a little firework going off that was quickly absorbed back into the system.
The problem was that with half of all life dying all at the same time, the lines were overwhelmed and the already straining Nemetons were pushed even harder. Which is why he had to get back here. Technically he was the fifth Nemeton but the stone circle was also sort of the Nemeton and so there was a bit of stress, kind of like two pictures that were out of sync so they didn’t quite look right. Once he was back inside, it all lined up and he could feel his power trying to stabilize the lines, but he could tell it was too much to handle and he only had a few hours at the rate things were going.
“What can we do?” he mutters looking around just as he spots Marin coming through the woods. The remaining Emissaries, about 16 of them, which means that more of them than Alphas survived, showed up and he spotted Whulibela coming out of the trees with the Centaur Yanlia and the Dryad Princess Eriphise. “Princess, Whulibela, Yanlia, what are you doing here?”
“We can feel the lines Risen one” Eriphise replies, her voice like a summer breeze, but he can feel the sorrow and pain there. The dryads were not spared.
“You are going to try and stabilize the lines, so we are here to help” Whulibela declares firmly with a determined expression.
“Your clan?” Stiles asks gently.
“Like all, we lost half, including Thalin, but luckily Gorval survived and sent me here. They will help with the searching for those who need help but if the lines are not repaired, we are all lost.”
Several of the Emissaries hear that and there is a slight panic for several moments before Stiles finally shouts them down. “Enough! We have to stabilize the lines everywhere if we are going to survive this. Does anyone have any ideas?”
“Stiles, can you call in help?” Marin asks hopefully. “The other major powers?”
Stiles pauses for a moment and suddenly realizes what his magic is telling him. “They are not going to be able to help, they are trying to deal with this too. And we lost half of them too. I can feel that Arthur, Stephen, and Ingo are all gone.”
“We lost the Merlin, the Sorcerer Supreme, and the Night Lord?” Marin goes pale and there are gasps from the crowd.
“We did” Lyra says coming into the clearing followed by the sorcerers who were still here. “I have spoken with the sanctuaries, and they have lost many. I must return soon but if we don’t handle this, I am not sure it will matter.”
“Can you ask the Queens?” Marin asks desperate for any hope.
Stiles shakes his head. “Iskender told me that the fae realms were not spared. The Summer and Autumn Queens were both lost as were many of their people.”
That sets off a reaction from more than a few of the Emissaries including several who begin crying. Stiles shakes his head, if they just had more…he pauses and looks up with inspiration. “I think I have an idea. It’s a really crazy idea and it just might kill us all. But it also just might work.”
“Work how? What?” the Marshall Pack’s Emissary Felisha asks.
“A way to fix the ley lines. More than fix actually. If it works, it might solve a whole lot of problems.”
“If it doesn’t?” she asks quietly.
“Boom.” He isn't smiling.
The crowd looks nervous until a strong voice yells “Then let’s do it!” Whulibela yells. “We don’t have time for careful and slow. We need to be bold. What do you need High Alpha?” she asks.
Stiles would like to think this out carefully. To plan and be precise, but the simple fact is they don’t have the time. They need to do this now. He looks around and sees he has Witches, Druids, an alchemist, two enchanters, and sorcerers but he needs a Necromancer. He also wants the magic folk. “Usilis?” he calls out and the Brownie suddenly appears.
“Yes Great one?” the Brownie replies but his voice is hoarse and Stiles can tell he is suffering from losing so many of his clan.
“I am sorry to ask this Usilis, but I need your help. I need you to get Yvette, the pixies, Keneun, Dave, and Yndriesdi here as fast as you can. It is an emergency.”
Usilis straightens up and with a snap, a half dozen other Brownies appear and he sends them after the missing people. “We will help High Alpha. We will fight for our home.”
Stiles nods but suddenly gets another inspiration. “Usilis, could your people help search the houses that have people who need help? Scott and the others are looking but could your people help?”
He is watching when he sees the change in the Brownie’s demeanor as he looks almost excited. “YES! We can search much faster than even wolves can. We can find all those who need help in your lands High Alpha!”
“Tell the others to look and thank you Usilis. But can you stay here with us” Stiles tells the little man.
“We care for our homes great one!” and several other Brownies appear and he gives them orders, sending them off rapidly before disappearing himself.
“You called?” Dave says a few minutes later stepping out of the trees and shortly after the Thunderbird, dragoness, and pixies show up. Yvette appearing seconds later with Usilis.
“Okay everyone, I have an idea and I really hope it works but I don’t think we have time to go over all of it. So here is the short version. I have a plan to fix the ley lines and save the Nemetons, but I will have to immerse myself in the lines fully. To do that and not get lost, I need anchors. For each of the magics and as much that you can give me. So, Dave, Whulibela, Keneun, Yndriesdi, Usilis, Eriphise, and Yanlia – I need all of you to use whatever magics you have to protect me, shield me, center me. Whatever protections you can do. Everyone else, I need to anchor to your magics. Get together with your magic types and work together. Tie me to your magic.”
“Stiles, that is too much” Marin warns. “You can’t handle that much magic!”
“I’m not going to. I am going to fully link with the lines. Your magic” he looks around at them “all of your magics, will go through me into the lines. If this works, you will help keep me safe while we fix all the world’s ley lines in one go.”
There is stunned silence at that. “Is this truly possible?” one of the emissaries whispers to Marin but the druid is looking at Stiles as he moves over to stand in the center of the circle.
“Does it matter?” she finally replies. “If we fail the world is lost and we have no idea how to fix this. If the Arcanist has even the smallest chance, it is worth taking” she says with a sudden strength. “Guardians, take places within the circle and cast your magics to protect our High Alpha. Emissaries, take places outside the stones. Align the magics within the circle. Druids, Witches, Enchanters, Necromancers, Alchemists, and Sorcerers. Ground the Arcanist” she orders and everyone is quickly moving to their spots.
Stiles appreciates her loyalty and trust. He realizes that Scott will need an Emissary as the new Beacon Hills Alpha and without Deaton, they will need someone who can help him and he is pretty sure she is what they need. Assuming that they survive this that is. He takes a deep breath and sends his mind down to the raging rivers of light beneath him. There are four lines crossing in this place and he feels three others nearby and he reaches out and with a hard yank he moves them to this spot and suddenly there are seven lines crossing. He hears the gasps of surprise from the others as they feel the change but he doesn’t have time to stop and explain to them. There is now unimaginable power here and he is about to basically grab electrical cables. He takes a deep breath and reaches down and grabs. He feels the light engulf him and race through his veins. He feels power flowing, more than he can stand, but he doesn’t have to stand it for long, just long enough.
Chapter 2
Notes:
Author's Note and Warning: In discussion about the reactions to the Snap, there is talk about death, suicide, kids being abandoned and alone. It is done very briefly to try and comprehend for us what the effects of something like the Snap actually happening would be on those who went through it.
Chapter Text
Erica handed a cup of coffee to the beta who was currently helping the nearly hysterical woman. Lucy Howard was beyond broken. Her mate Mitchell had come with his cousin from the Marshall Pack, who he was visiting, for the fight with Gerard. The man had demanded to come when Stiles called and he fought fiercely and bravely, saving several lives but was cut down by the air ship when it opened fire. He was killed protecting his cousin when he pushed the other man out of the line of fire.
Lucy had come to the meeting afterwards bringing her two little children looking lost but hopeful that his sacrifice to stop the hunters might have not been in vain. Her own parents had been killed by hunters so now she was alone and had hoped to ask for sanctuary here since she had never fully fit with the Howards, despite how nice they had been. Then when the tragedy happened, she had been watching and saw Alpha Marshall, who she had hoped to ask to stay turn to dust and moments later her little boy was gone and then her daughter while she desperately tried to hold on to her to no avail. And she wasn’t the only one. There were over thirty wolves who had stayed back because they were too messed up right now. Wolves who lost mates, children, parents. There were at least a half dozen kids under ten who had lost both parents, not to mention all the ones that had lost one. “Lisaira?” Erica calls out for the shy Brownie who had adopted her.
There is a shuffle and the beta looks and sees a young male brownie she doesn’t recognize. “Lady Erica needs something?”
Erica frowns. “Lisaira…” she pauses as she sees the grief on the little man’s face. “Oh, no. Not her” she says with a wimper.
“I am Volka lady, can I help you?” he says softly, his eyes shining with unshed tears.
“Can you get us some more food and drinks, maybe something hot?” she indicates the wolves who all seem lost.
Volka nods and disappears. It is only a few moments before she sees four more of the brownies showing up to help deliver food and drinks to the grieving wolves. “Stiles, I really hope you can do something about all of this.”
“The Vice-President is on TV” one of the deputies is yelling and Tara and Raphael both look at the man with a bit of relief. Maybe they will get some answers. Neither of them address why it is the Vice-President giving the speech.
Seconds later and she appears on the television to address the nation. Everyone is quiet as she speaks and she confirms that the President was among the lost. She informs the public that this has happened on a global scale and appears to have affected not only people but animals as well. Initial reports indicated that the Avengers were fighting an alien invasion in the African nation of Wakanda when their leader unleashed a weapon that was responsible for all of those lost. She shares that there is still a lot that we don’t know but she encourages all Americans, indeed all people, to reach out and help each other. Emergency services have been activated as has the national guard in all states and territories. She ends promising more information as it is found and confirms that she has been in contact with world leaders as we try and figure out what happened and how to go forward.
“That’s it?” someone says when the Vice-President walks away without answering any of the shouted questions. Seconds later the commentators are all talking about it and what they have learned, which doesn’t appear to be much.
“She said a lot actually” McCall says to the stunned crowd.
Tara looks at him with a stunned expression. “You think that was a lot?”
“One” he holds up a finger “they have figured out that what did this was extra-terrestrial in origin and not done by anyone here on Earth. Two, the Avengers were fighting with the ones who did it.”
“So what happened then? Why didn’t they stop it?” someone yells.
McCall looks sad “Because they lost.” The room gets quiet. “Three, what’s left of the governments of the world are scrambling to figure out what to do. Like us they have lost half of everyone it seems. Did you see the ticker at the bottom of the screen? Looks like almost 60 senators and over 200 congressmen were lost. The government is also missing people working in every office, half the military, half of all experts and things are a mess but we have people trying to hold things together. And Four, we can’t expect any help here from outside for some time.”
“You mean we are alone?” one of the deputies asks looking scared.
“Aside from the large group of ‘volunteers’ who are helping us find people?” Tara asks him and they all look a little less worried. “Look people, this doesn’t change anything. We already knew this was bad and this was just confirmation. We have a job to do. That means finding people and getting them somewhere safe and making sure that we know what’s happening and the first thing to do is find out what happened to everyone. So that is our focus until it is done. You have your jobs, so get to it. Let everyone know that we will be having a town meeting tomorrow at 5pm at the High School where we will update everyone. Now move!” she yells, and everyone starts scrambling.
“Good idea about the meeting, any town leaders to worry about?” McCall asks as they gather around the maps.
“We lost the Mayor and four of the six city council members. Councilwoman Mathers lost her husband and son and has locked herself in her house and refuses to leave until ‘it is safe’. Councilman Young had a heart attack and is currently in the ICU. Right now, we don’t have a government” she says with a sigh.
“Martial law?” he asks with a slight smirk.
“Don’t you need an army for that?” she retorts.
“I can ask my son if you can borrow his.”
Tara Graeme decides to ignore the FBI agent. She can’t afford to shoot him right now anyways.
Stiles feels the life energy of the planet burning through his veins, but it doesn’t hurt anymore. He isn’t sure whether that’s a good thing or not, but he can’t stop to think about it. His plan is crazy enough as it is, but if he pauses to think about it, he knows he will screw up.
Instead, he lets go. He lets his mind follow the lines but this time he isn’t concerned about or focused on his territory. No, this time he is using the lines to paint a picture of the world and the map that draws itself in his head may start in California, but it isn’t long before he sees the entire world laid out before him and it is as bad as he feared. Stiles sees the network of lines overlaying the globe with five points shining dangerously bright. He is sitting in Beacon Hills, the brightest of the five but he looks at the others and sees the damage they are taking from the overcharged ley lines. The one in Peru located among the ruins of Machu Picchu is starting to crack the rocks of the mountain and he can feel the tremors, deep in the earth, already starting. Stonehenge is holding, but just barely. The old site of the former Arcanist is still managing but Stiles can tell it won’t last an hour at this rate. The Nemeton in Tibet is already fraying worse than the others, the sudden surge from the deaths of the people there too much for it to manage. The only one that is doing halfway decent is the one near Lake Victoria in Africa and Stiles can tell that that is only because there is more distance between it and the power coming to it. When it comes, it will fall like the others.
No, Stiles and the other four Nemetons can’t survive this for long, it would be different if they had the original twenty-seven Nemetons that Iskender told him about but those other 22 were lost due to people clearing the land, construction, pollution and other ‘advances’ that occurred as humans forgot about, or stopping caring about, the natural world. And the fact is, they can’t be restored. But that doesn’t mean that new ones can’t be created. That’s his crazy idea. If he uses the power that is in the lines to establish new Nemetons, smaller and more widespread, then they could filter the magical life energy back into the planet. And to do that, he is going to have to follow the lines till he comes to a nexus and create an anchor point, like the warder stone he made at his house, but he has to move fast or he will lose his grip. He needs to spread out his work and take pressure off everywhere at once, or at least try to.
Breathing deep he moves to Asia where the Tibetan Nemeton is struggling the most. He follows the lines to Japan and feels the blockages, but he also feels something else, almost like a connection, something that feels like it is waiting for him. Not questioning his luck, he touches the nexus and drives down and finds the link and ties the lines to the hot spring he finds there. Seconds later the ley lines are suddenly flowing and he feels the awakening of a Nemeton as its new awareness touches him in recognition. He laughs. This might actually work!
Over the next hour Stiles’ mind moves across the globe. He finds tangles in the lines and that is almost always the sign he needs and with a quick look he finds an anchor. Sometimes it is a rock or mountain feature, sometimes it is a tree, sometimes water. But he finds something and with a twist a new Nemeton is born. He feels the magic of the other users pouring into to him and protecting him and he knows that they are struggling as he drags them along but he can't stop. But it is working and It is starting to feel like he is actually giving birth as each new one awakens, Stiles feels the primitive awareness of the Nemeton touch him in recognition and thanks before it leaves his awareness and he moves on.
A section of the Rainforest in Brazil. A strange tree in east Africa near a mountain that has a rock that causes his teeth to ache and leaves a metallic taste in his mouth, but it feels rich in history and its roots dig deep into that strange rock. There's a spring in Iceland that sits near a massive crossing of nearly eight ley lines. A mountain in Hawaii. A tree that feels particularly strange in Norway, both young and old at the same time. He even finds undersea vents that he is able to use to create Nemetons in the oceans, deep under the waves and far from any people. And with each new Nemeton, he feels the pressure on him and the other four primary sentinels easing.
Hour two gets a Nemeton in a forest in Poland as well as a small alpine lake in Switzerland. He senses that the others are taxed as he feels several wilt and their power fade away but he doesn't need them as much anymore with the reduction in the stress on the lines. The US and Canada end up with five new Nemetons spaced out between them as well as one down in Belize. By the end of the third hour he is done. 40 new Nemetons are alive and linked to the ley lines, absorbing the power within the lines and filtering it back to the earth the way it is supposed to. And the original four are even healing. In fact, he can feel the whole network of lines calming and stabilizing more than he thinks they ever were before. Full of life energy, but not overwhelming. He pulls back with a serious sense of regret. He knows that he could let go, give in and dive into that energy and never come back. It is so tempting to do so. But too many depend on him and he can’t be that selfish. He focuses on himself and seconds later is opening his eyes.
“Stiles!” Marin’s voice is hoarse and he realizes that she has been calling him for some time, the worry clear in her expression, as it is in everyone’s faces.
“We did it” he says and sags to fall to the ground with a thud. “The lines are safe” he manages to say lying on his back on the ground.
The others pretty much all drop, though Stiles realizes that more than a few had already done so.
“High Alpha” Iskender says with such happiness that Stiles looks up and is surprised by the vibrant and healthy glow coming from the Leshy. “You did the impossible!”
Stiles smiles just as his eyes roll up and he passes out but perversely glad to see that the others had dropped before him leaving the old Leshy alone among the unconscious miracle workers.
“Alpha” a small voice startles Scott and he looks and spots Nasch moving towards him. He hates to admit it but seeing the female Brownie who had been caring for his family survive had been one of the few bright points in all of this. The last few hours have been rough, they have already had over a dozen families who had lost both parents and trying to explain and comfort the kids left behind was not easy. Stiles had been right about the need and once the Brownies had started helping them it was moving faster. They had diverted over a dozen pairs of wolves to homes with kids too young to be alone and they were the first rescued, but it was still taking too long.
“Are there more babies?” Scott asks sounding worried.
“No Alpha. All of the smallest of the younglings have been found, though older ones are still out there” Nasch replied.
According to Boyd, their odds were tough. Assuming two parents, if one parent is A and one is B, then if someone was lost is C or D, then the possible outcomes were: AB – both parents survived, AD – parent one lived and two was lost, CB – parent one was lost and two lived, or CD – both parents were lost. According to his very rough and not at all confirmed math, he really missed Lydia, there was a one in four chance that any family would lose both parents. If they were like Scott or Stiles where there was only one parent to start with, then it was 50/50. Basically, it meant that there were a lot of families with no parents, between a third and half of all kids had lost whatever parents they had. On paper it sounds dry and mathematical, but the reality was horrible when finding kids traumatized by seeing their parents turn to dust.
“The High Alpha has been successful!” Nasch says with a sense of wonder and awe.
“Stiles? Wait, what?” Scott is confused and tired and honestly cannot remember.
“The great one has fixed the ley lines and they are greater than ever before. The world is safe!” she whispers with reverence.
Scott smiles and nods now that he remembers what Stiles had said. He didn’t fully understand but what mattered was a potential problem was solved. “So, everything is good? Can he help us?” Nasch looks nervous. “The great one collapsed Alpha. All of the workers of magic and those that helped him were exhausted and are asleep. They worked a most powerful magic Alpha, a magic like no other.”
Scott nods. Figures that Stiles is out, but all of the Emissaries too…wait, “Nasch, is anyone awake near Stiles?”
She shakes her head. “No Alpha. The grieving wolves are some way away and no one else is near.”
Scott doesn’t like that. He knows that Stiles is bad-ass but if he is worn out, then they are all unguarded. “Nasch, can you go to the Centaurs. Tell them that Stiles and the others need guards. See if they can help protect them until they wake up. Hurry!” he orders but the Brownie is gone before he finishes his orders.
He gets another two houses down before a different Brownie shows up to tell Scott that the Centaurs have arrived and are taking care of the magic users and the beings who helped. He also learns that both Iskender and Mielikkar are also there protecting the exhausted ones which lets Scott relax. If those two are taking an active role in protecting Stiles, then he is safer than anyone else could make it. “Scott!” one of the betas in his group of teams calls out and he is moving to the house where a young thirteen-year-old girl is shouting at the man with two little kids behind her. Running up he smiles and introduces himself and starts trying to calm all three of them down.
One Week Later
“Do you have any new information?” Tara asks looking around the table. She really didn’t want to be standing here leading this whole thing but both McCalls and Stiles insisted.
Stiles stood and everyone turned to look at him. “Things are still holding with the ley lines. The last week has given us enough information that we are fairly certain that the danger posed by the lines has passed.”
“We also have reports from the rest of the Arcanist’s territory” Marin adds with a nod at the teen. “All packs, herds, and representatives of the supernatural and magical communities have checked in except the fae realms. Aerwyna has confirmed that the ‘Snap’ has affected the oceans as well. All fish, whales, dolphins, and the merfolk were affected by Thanos’ action as were those on land.”
Tara nods her thanks despite how strange the report was. The Avengers had officially spoken about what had happened and it appears that it was actually worse than first imagined. The Avengers shared that it wasn’t just Earth that was affected. Apparently, the guy they were fighting, his actions wiped out half of all life everywhere, on every planet. It wasn’t billions that were lost, it was uncounted trillions. It was beyond human imagining and that was before trying to deal with what happened just on Earth, it was nearly impossible to comprehend.
“What about the dangerous beings?” Natalie Martin asks. Lydia’s mother had showed up the day of the Snap and after learning of her daughter’s loss she quickly threw herself into taking charge of the school. Within a day she was running things there and just a few days later she had rather forcefully stepped up and was now unofficially acting as Mayor for Beacon Hills. It is obvious that Lydia got some of her strength from her mom as well as her grandmother. Natalie Martin had pretty much bulldozed through anyone who didn’t step up and Tara was rather happy to have her on their side. The fact that she already knew about a lot of this due to Lydia’s grandmother had been a welcome surprise.
“They were equally damaged” Marin replies. “Though apparently there is some degree of fear that this was partly Mr. Stilinski’s doing” she adds with a slight smirk when the teen reacts in surprise. “Coming so close to the creation of forty new Nemetons around the world has pretty much sent most chaotic beings into hiding or at least making them stay scarce. They are not sure what you will do if they start to cause problems.”
Stiles stares but then smiles. “Any way you can amplify that a bit? Get the word out that I am looking for someone to take my frustrations out on?” he asks.
Marin smiles, especially at the reactions around the table. “We are already doing so Arcanist” she says formally with a nod. Marin had been contacted by the Druidic council the day after Stiles had worked his solution and to say that they were beyond overwhelmed was putting it mildly. She was offered a place on the council which she accepted with Stiles’ approval, and she had already sent several orders, ones that had been approved of by both Stiles and the Morgaine. The Druids in both North and South America that remained were suddenly working with a lot more focus and intention than they had in generations. She didn’t have high hopes it would last, but right now they were scared, and Stiles’ actions had pretty much rewritten the rules of what was possible. The new Nemetons were cleansing the planet like never before, and although they couldn’t help regular people, the land was definitely seeing healing happen.
Scott looked a bit off put by the druid’s report, but he couldn’t really argue with her. He knows that more than a few magical folk here were calling in favors using Stiles’ reputation to get agreement, but he didn’t like it even if he had done it himself at least twice. He didn't really like doing it, but he wasn't dumb enough to bring it up.
“Alpha McCall?” Acting Sheriff Graeme breaks his train of thought. “Any updates?”
“All homes in the territory have been cleared and taken care of. Our teams have finalized the census and based on what we found; it holds with what the Avengers told everyone. We lost half of everyone.”
“And the packs?”
“Of the 30 packs that were present at the Snap, 18 Alphas were lost and their alpha powers did not go to any other wolves. That means that we have 17 packs with no Alphas.” Scott had stepped up with the remains of the Hale pack with Aiden’s support, but the loss of Derek and Ethan didn’t hurt any less.
“What happened to their powers?” Cora asks looking at Marin and Stiles. The druid shook her head and looked at Stiles.
“All gifts, including the Alpha powers, went back to the ley lines and the planet. The magic of the those we lost was a big part of why the lines were so badly damaged. They were hit with almost four billion people and billions more animals, but all the witches and druids and sorcerers and all the others, not to mention the magical beings, they also sent their magic into the lines. Normally the lines would help carry the alpha power to the next heir by combining with the pack bonds, but with the loss of so many pack members and the lines being overwhelmed, the power was swallowed up” Stiles explains sadly.
“So, there will be no new alphas?” Cora says with a sense of defeat but writing out her notes in her new notebook that she has been writing in since the Snap.
“True Alphas perhaps, but otherwise, no” he tells her.
“Then what happens to the wolves without Alphas? Do they go omega?” Allison asks looking worried. She knows that this has happened everywhere. She was contacted by Clarrisant as the Grand Matriarch had survived, which was good considering that three of the other leaders of the Hunters had been lost from the families in Germany, Japan, and England. She was a bit sad that that Araya Calavares had managed to survive this.
“No” Scott says firmly. He is glad Allison is back. Stiles had sent her to France to coordinate with the Grand Matriarch three days ago and delivering his message that their agreement was still in force to all Hunters, which the woman had readily agreed. The Hunters had too much to deal with as it was. “Aiden and I have spoken, and Aiden will be taking a number of betas on as their Alpha, as will I.”
There is some surprise there but not from Stiles who nods in approval. “How many can you take on though?” his father asks. Raphael McCall had officially been assigned to Beacon Hills for the foreseeable future thanks to Coulson and SHIELD and due to the fact that with Sheriff Gaeme’s and his quick actions on ‘SnapDay’, more than a few kids who might have died due to the chaos had been rescued all over the state and beyond. That, and the fact that everything around Beacon Hills, i.e. Stiles’ territory, was somehow significantly more settled than the rest of the country. The fact that a large chunk of the country didn’t need immediate attention made more than a few people grateful enough to not mess with things.
Scott looked tired but determined. “The other Alphas are also taking on pack members as we try to find places for everyone and we have sent word out to all packs everywhere, but Aiden currently has…” he turns to the other Alpha suddenly unsure.
“Twenty-three.” Aiden replies, the alpha only speaking when he has to, but he doesn’t really like talking anymore. He comes to their meetings, but he normally let’s Scott take the lead to represent the packs. Stiles has spoken to the alpha more than once, but losing his twin has been especially hard on the young alpha. “There are another 42 that I am speaking with.”
“Sixty-five?” Allison says with a shocked expression. She is not sure that she is aware of any pack that size before the Snap.
Aiden smiles sadly. “The majority of the Marshall pack wants to stay together. They have asked me to be their Alpha and allow them to go back home to their territory.”
Scott grips the other Alpha’s shoulder in support before turning back to the group. “I still have Cora, Erica, Boyd, and Eddie but a number of those who lost their alpha want to stay in Beacon Hills and have asked to join my pack. Erica and Boyd are helping speak with everyone but a lot of them are struggling with losing so many pack members.” He sighs unhappily remembering the young beta who ended her own life after losing her young children just a few days ago. “We have lost three to suicide, so we are trying to move quickly. I have accepted forty-eight betas and Erica and Boyd feel that we will probably have three times that when we are done.”
That causes a mixed reaction. There has been a number of similar loses, both human and magical, from people who have been unable to manage to deal with the consequences of the Snap. People are struggling and the Brownies have actually been amazing in helping to identify those who need extra support, but they can’t be everywhere, and the grief and loss is too much for many to take.
“Over a hundred!?” Allison whispers at the size of Scott's potential pack.
“It will probably end up closer to two” Stiles says sadly and everyone turns to look at him in surprise, even Scott. “There are many betas and alpha-less packs heading his way looking for safety and new homes. Sorry Scotty, but I think all the alphas in the territory need to prepare for a larger influx than just the ones that were here originally.”
Scott looks sad but he nods in agreement. It has been difficult, but Cora, Erica, and Boyd have been huge supports with everything and they will figure it out, and Eddie has been amazing with the younger betas who are looking to Scott as their Alpha. He looks over at Marin who nods back respectfully. Stiles had pulled both of them aside the other day and suggested they discuss formalizing their connections and Scott had formally asked her to be his Emissary and she agreed. The True Alpha to the largest wolfpack in the US, if not the world, and one of the highest ranking druids as emissary suddenly made the two of them second only to Stiles in authority and that kind of clarity in who is in charge made things much easier for the supernatural compared to the struggles the rest of the people were having.
“What about you?” Stiles asks looking at Tara.
“Acting Mayor Martin and I spoke with the new California Governor yesterday, both to receive his thanks for the help and direction on SnapDay, but also to see about coordinating the selection of new representatives to the state legislature and if we had any suggestions for our lost Congressman.” The loss of their political representative in Washington wasn’t very upsetting as the man was 100% a politician, but he wasn’t a bad guy by any means.
“What did you say?” Cora said looking up.
“We recommended Mr. Whittemore” Natalie replied with a completely bland tone.
There were more than a few raised eyebrows at that. Jackson’s father had not dealt with the Snap very well, not to mention that he was unable to admit to anything even slightly off about the town or the changes. But he was a good lawyer and he was angry. Getting him out of state to deal with the government might be the best idea for everyone.
“We have also spoken with the surrounding towns and we are going to be pooling resources in a number of areas: police, fire, medical and so on. Everyone thinks that Beacon Hills should be the new county seat and they want to use us as the consolidation point.” She looks over at Stiles with a suspicious expression “Your doing I am guessing?”
Stiles smiles sadly. “Unintentionally but yes. People in the territory will think of here as the place for things like that.”
Tara sighs. She really hoped he would deny that but glancing over at Natalie Martin she sees that the other woman is having the same thought:- that they are both glad that they will be in charge rather than having someone else screwing things up.
“What about food and other supplies?” Allison asks. “I mean with the lost people, what’s the plan for getting distribution lines back up?”
Stiles sits up at that. “Actually, Usilis and I have been working on that” he tells the group. “The Brownies have been going into homes and stores and taking lots of the food and moving it to caves created by Dave and his clan members. Once they fill it up, we have been casting enchantments on the cave sealing it in a time lock to keep everything preserved. By tomorrow we should have all perishables secured and safe so we can get to them as needed.”
“Here in Beacon Hills?” Natalie asks surprised. She had been struggling with this since they had not had a delivery to any of the grocery stores or gas stations since the Snap.
“Actually, the whole territory. Usilis called in some favors from other clans. We have also had a number of sprites and pixies helping. We will have about 60% of the food that should go under a time lock by tomorrow. Then we will be looking at the farms. Pretty sure more than a lot will rot without people to work the farms, so we are going to grab stuff before that happens. We will have way more than we need, but at least it won’t go to waste.”
“What about gasoline?” Raphael asks the teen.
“Sorry, that is outside our area. Magical folk don't like it” Stiles says with a shrug.
“Could we siphon gas from people’s cars who are gone?” Aiden asks. That triggers a conversation about a plan to do just that. A few more items finish out the agenda and they have a new plan for tomorrow to start locating and moving cars without owners to the abandoned mall and then draining their gas. That should provide some relief and Tara and Natalie promise to talk with the Governor about when deliveries will start up again.
Ending the meeting Stiles looks around the room at the group and smiles sadly. Derek would have been really good at this, not to mention his father.
Chapter Text
“Stiles?” Erica asks cautiously as she enters the Stilinski house. Stiles had missed the last couple of meetings of the unofficial town council and had just sent word indicating he was busy. But the truth was that no one had seen him in person for at least three days. She had given him some space, but she felt it in her bones it was time to act.
Stepping inside she noticed that the place was beyond clean, like seriously clean. She was pretty sure it wasn’t this clean before but then she spots Usilis as he appears in the kitchen and she feels a rush of sympathy for the Brownie. She knows that all the Brownies are struggling with not only the losses of their own clan, but also with the loss of the people that they cared for. “Lady Erica, can I help you?” he asks in a small, quiet voice.
“I’m looking for Stiles, is he here?” she asks gently seeing the ravages of loss on his small face. She has struggled with the loss of Lisaira in her own house, but her parents both survived which she felt terrible guilt about how happy she was they had been spared. Boyd wasn’t as lucky. Only his little sister Teresa survived the snap. They lost Grandmother Esther, his mom, and his sisters Alicia and Kaley. They even lost Tipsk, the brownie who had adopted the Boyds. Erica had moved in with him and Teresa though she made sure to visit her parents every day.
“The High Alpha is” he pauses and shakes his head “in the Sheriff’s room” he finishes with a whisper.
Erica doesn’t manage to hold her expression and feels the tears gather and she nods and slowly moves up the stairs. She moves down the hall softly even though she knows that he must already know she is here. She gently pushes the door open and sees Stiles sitting on the floor by his father’s bed holding something, his eyes red and his face tear-streaked, looking bad and she crumbles quickly dropping to the floor and embracing him.
He had been so stiff and quiet at first, but then he breaks and starts sobbing and Erica cries with him, shedding tears that they both have been holding back. Stiles has been strong for everyone since this all happened, but the others had been watching and waiting. Scott had spoken to all of the original members of the pack to warn them that eventually it would come down and they needed to be there for their friend. Erica holds him, crying with her friend as they weep for the loss of the Sheriff, and Melissa, for Derek and Peter, for Lydia and Jackson and Isaac.
She doesn’t know how long they sit there before they both run out of tears and just stay together, relishing the feeling of pack. Erica suddenly realizes that she feels safe and protected in more than one way and she inhales deeply and breathes in her pack. Opening her eyes she spots Scott on Stiles other side, holding tight to his brother. Allison right behind Scott, her hand holding on to Stiles’ somehow managing to look both fierce and broken. She turns slightly and realizes that Boyd is holding her with Cora right behind him. She doesn’t know when they arrived but doesn’t care. The house protects them, and they are all here, together. They don’t have to pretend to know what they are doing or be strong for everyone else. They can mourn their friends and families. Their allies and their whole world. She smells the strong scent of salt in their tears and the grief in their scents.
“Sorry” Stiles whispers, his voice hoarse and broken.
“Don’t” Scott cuts him off quickly. “You have been keeping everyone going and staying strong. You saved the world dude. How long did you think you would last before it all hit? Allison and I totally lost it on day three when we went to her house to finally sleep after finding all the kids.”
“When I finally got my sister to sleep the first night” Boyd admits quietly, and Erica grips him tightly remembering how the normally stoic man and wept and shook from losing so much. Erica had not lost her parents and she continues to feel guilty for her family’s survival when so many were lost but losing Esther had hurt more than she had thought was possible.
“Not since the fire” Cora whispered, and she looked over to see Stiles’ eyes shining. “But I had just got them back, my family. And now they are gone again. I begged Yvette to let me speak with them” she says in a hushed whisper.
“None of those lost in the snap are responding” Stiles says confirming that he had tried as well. “It is like instead of dying, they were erased.”
They stay there for a while before Scott and Allison drags off the bedspread and pillows and in moments they are all wrapped up. None of them want to leave yet though they know they will eventually have to. Luckily, they have tonight, and they are going to take it. Aiden can manage the wolves and Billy and Eddie are fine at home with some of the other younger wolves. Teresa is actually staying tonight with Erica’s parents along with several other young kids that the Reyes have taken in. Tonight. Tonight, is for the pack. Tomorrow is soon enough for everyone else and for them to be the strength that others still need.
Scott wakes up to the smell of coffee and looks around and realizes that Stiles is missing so he carefully slips out from under Allison and tip toes down the stairs to find his brother sitting at the table with a cup and his laptop open.
“I thought you would sleep in” Scott says sitting down and blinking at the glass of orange juice that appears next to him. He thanks Usilis as the Brownie blinks away again.
“I think I did enough of that for a while. Will probably break down again in a few weeks” Stiles mutters but Scott still hears.
“Or you can call us first and let us take care of you.”
Stiles smiles slightly. “You mean you will still have time with all your new betas?”
Scott groans. Things were definitely getting out of hand. He currently had nearly 140 betas that he was responsible for. Aiden was at seventy and thankfully Satomi had taken in another 50. Alphas Reynolds, Ferris, and Roberts had all taken in ‘orphans’ and their packs were between 60-70 each. Alpha Delgado in LA was over 100! Luckily the Emissary network was apparently a real thing and they had helped connect people to alphas which made it better in that there were no one forced to be an omega, but the pack sizes were getting crazy!
“Speaking of, did you speak with Rick Flores, Alpha Flores brother?” Scott asks the other teen.
Stiles nods. “He said that they all talked and they want to stay in their territory, but without an alpha he is worried about their stability.”
“That’s a problem in a lot of places” Scott admits.
“I spoke about it with Master Lyra. All of the sorcerers who wanted to come here, those that are still alive that is, have been approved. I have asked them to be stationed here and they have agreed to provide transportation portals for others. I spoke with Aiden, and he will take on the Flores pack as a kind of absent Alpha. He will visit a couple times a week, so they don’t go feral” Stiles explains.
Scott looks thoughtful. “Can we do that with any of the others?”
Stiles looks at his best friend and nods. “I was hoping you would be willing to take on the Bouvier Pack in Reno. They are a small group now, only nine wolves, but they are all a bit older. Youngest is 32.”
Scott sighs. “No kids or teens?”
Stiles gives him a look that causes the young alpha to wince. “How many did they lose?”
“Four. Oldest was 13, youngest was 4.”
Scott shakes his head at the thought of a pack losing all the kids and what it did to the parents. “Maybe we should ask Satomi” he suggests gently.
Stiles shakes his head. “No. Satomi is better with the kids who lost parents as the grandmother type. The Bouvier Pack needs to be reminded of life. Having the most powerful Alpha in the country, if not the world, will anchor them and give them something to focus on. They need the True Alpha” he adds sadly.
Scott nods. More than a few of his new pack falls into that category. Having him, the guy who still hasn’t graduated high school, as the alpha wouldn’t seem to be good enough, but Cora had pulled him aside to explain it to him. Like her mother, Scott’s name had gotten a lot of press. As a True Alpha, he was special. As the near brother of the Arcanist and confidant of both High Alphas, he pretty much was the equivalent of a crown prince. Aiden still had some baggage and if he hadn’t been with the Alpha Pack, he would probably have a lot more betas with him, but the simple fact was that even though they knew they wouldn’t have the same connection to him that they did to their original Alpha, Scott represented security and safety in a time where both were in short supply. He had helped protect packs from Hunters and his leadership during the searching hadn’t gone unnoticed. Even the humans had noticed, and she had warned him that he was probably going to be put forward to run for the city council when they actually got around to having elections.
“Well, if we can teleport there, or bring them here, that should work” Scott says and then Usilis is setting out plates of food, way more than even the two of them can eat. He looks up and hears the others moving around and smiles. Moments later the others join them for breakfast and Stiles and Scott both enjoy their meal with family. This needs to happen more often Stiles thinks and realizes that he needs to finish what Derek started.
Stiles leans back against the stone and stares up at the dark sky, no moon present tonight and stars shining brightly. He doesn’t like this. He doesn’t like keeping things from his pack and his friends, but he knows that he must. If this is to work, he cannot let anyone get even a hint of the possibility because he is not convinced that they can really make this happen and if it fails, it would be too much for any of them. No, his job is hard enough and he is going to have to do one of the hardest things he has ever had to do, keep quiet and be restrained. This is his burden alone to bear. He really hates this shit.
“Stiles?” Yvette comes out of the darkness looking concerned as she enters the circle. “Are you alright?”
He nods with a weak smile. “I’m fine.”
The look the young necromancer gives him is one that clearly shows her disbelief at that statement. Apparently, he needs to work more on his poker face. “I felt you using necromancy tonight. Strongly.” Stiles stares at her for a bit but doesn’t respond as he looks down. “You tried again to reach them?” she asks gently as she takes a seat across from him. She gets it, she has tried almost every night since it happened, trying to reach anyone, trying to make some kind of sense of this.
He sighs. “Only for a moment” he finally admits and sees the doubt in her expression at his words. “I mean it. I did try for a second, but I had other plans for tonight instead. I spoke with some of those who died before the Snap. I was trying to see if there was anything we could do about the lost major powers, trying to figure out how to restore them or at least find successors. Or something. I don’t know exactly what I was hoping for.”
The young necromancer suddenly looks hopeful. She has struggled along with everyone else over the losses. Just because she knows death doesn’t mean she was prepared for this. Losing both the Night Lord and the Sybilline in one moment had been difficult, but the fact that their magic wasn’t able to reach any of the lost had been difficult to explain to others. “Did you get any advice that would help?”
Stiles shakes his head. Yvette feels the hope dwindle a bit more at the sadness in his voice. She is supposed to be one to help others with death and she can’t even do that.
“The High Witch sends her compliments” Lizzie says with a wry smile. Stiles had finally managed to reach the Druid by video call and it had been as emotional as he thought it would be.
“She noticed?”
“After the world’s magic stabilized and we avoided an apocalypse? Yes, Stiles, she noticed” Lizzie says with a small smirk, about all she could manage at the moment. Not only had she lost Arthur, but her oldest son Simon was also taken in the Snap and the damage to the magical communities was extensive. Not to mention the near panic that the druids of the world had experienced with the loss of the Merlin and his knowledge. No new High Druid had risen, and she was now facing the very real possibility that the power of the Merlin was lost, possibly forever.
“I’m so sorry about Arthur” Stiles says again. He has said it more than once, but he isn’t sure what else to say. But he did need to ask, “have you heard from the Courts?”
Lizzie shakes her head sadly. “No. But I haven’t pushed either to be honest. We are still struggling to regain some sense of order in our own places. I spoke with Dionne, and she is dealing with some of the same issues. Her covens are just as devastated and many of them are now dealing with some backlash from people who are looking for someone to blame.”
“What do you mean?” Stiles asks concerned. This is not something he has heard before though he doesn’t really know the High Witch that well.
“There have been a few covens who were attacked by others who felt that the witches were somehow responsible for this catastrophe.
“Watch yourself” Allison warns as she fires three times in rapid succession.
Kira looks worried but she moves perfectly. Her katanna cuts the first arrow right below the arrowhead as she moves out of the way of the second and with a back swing manages to clip the second arrow about an inch above the feathers spinning it out and off to the side. But that puts her right in line with the third arrow. But she had planned that and bringing up her blade, her eyes crackle with orange electricity as her katanna splits the arrow from point to tip right down the shaft and pushing both pieces away from her to fall to the ground as she looks up at the huntress with pride.
“I am going to start charging you for my arrows” Allison says with a sigh but also a smile at how far the kitsune has come. Losing both of her parents had hit the girl hard, but she had pretty much been adopted fully by the others. Kira wasn’t officially in either Scott or Aiden’s packs, but rather she had ended up in Stiles’ pseudo pack. It shouldn’t work, but it somehow did. The original Hale Pack of Scott, Allison, Erica, Boyd, Cora, and Stiles had added Aiden, Yvette, and Kira as a kind of ‘other pack’ that existed outside of the McCall and Carver packs. Sure Allison, Erica, Boyd, and Cora all were part of Scott’s pack, but, well, it just seemed to feel right. Marin had simply stated that they were aligning with the High Alpha as his betas as well, whether or not they were wolves, alphas, humans, or in another pack. The simple fact was that Stiles broke the rules and the druid didn’t really seem to mind anymore. Of course, she wasn’t doing badly for herself with all the changes Allison thought.
“I can’t believe I was able to do that” Kira gushed, and Allison shook off the negative thoughts and refocused on her friend.
“You have worked hard to get to this point. I heard that you spoke with a kitsune who moved to the territory” Allison prodded. Stiles had mentioned the man moving in and that he had spoken to Kira about it.
“Yes. Hisoka. He is a Forest Kitsune and most recently was in Canada when everything happened. He said he felt things happening before the Snap, but it wasn’t until it happened that he came to investigate.” She laughs “Apparently seeing the preserve and everything happening here was rather overwhelming for him. Said it feels more like home than anyplace he has been in several centuries.”
“How old is he?” Allison asks as she packs away their training items before sitting down on the large rock she usually uses as a chair.
“Almost six hundred” Kira answers with a smirk “but he looks barely 21. He made a point of complaining about getting carded more than once.” Both girls laugh happily at that. “But he is really good with the katana and has agreed to give me some lessons. Unfortunately, our magics don’t really mesh all that well so he can’t help me much with it, but he did say there were some meditation techniques that he was willing to teach me.” She sighs. At times like these she really misses her mom, tough though she was.
“One step at a time” Allison advises with a knowing look. “Master what he can teach you, master what we are working on. Who knows, maybe Keneun would be willing to teach you” she says slyly.
Kira looks startled at that. “Are you kidding?”
“Why not?” Allison replies with a shrug. “He definitely knows a lot about lightning.”
Kira laughs. “Sure, since he is the living embodiment of a thunderstorm. Not sure any kitsune has had a Thunderbird as a teacher before!”
Allison shrugs. “We all need to find new ways Kira. If he can help you, even a little, it is worth it. If he can’t, at least you showed that you respect him and his knowledge. He might know someone who can help you if he is not able to.”
Kira looks thoughtful and nods slowly. It is not the worst idea and even her mother would probably not have been as connected with her powers like Keneun was. Noshiko was a Celestial Kitsune, not a Thunder Kitsune like Kira. And while it feels from what Hisoka and her mom implied, kitsune have rarely sought out others to help them master their powers. Maybe it is time to expand her options. Speaking of…. “So how are things going with you and the other hunters?” Kira asks Allison.
Allison glares at the other girls for a moment but surprisingly she doesn’t back down, instead staring impudently as Clarissant might have said. Well, that’s better than her sad expression so Allison will give her that. “It’s going. The American Argents have pretty much fallen in line, what’s left of them. Clarissant really cleaned house after Gerard and Kate went rogue and my dad, he also helped with that a lot. By the time of the big fight, we were fairly okay and now, while there may be a few holdouts, they haven’t been seen in a while. The bigger problem is the other families and the randos.”
Kira looks confused. “Randos?”
Allison nods. “Gerard and Kate had started recruiting random people, those with no real history, but who were affected by the supernatural to be their army outside of the Council's control or even knowledge. Family of those killed or just criminals who liked to hurt people. Gerard didn’t really care, he wanted killers and he would do anything to get them. Dad had even found some evidence that him and Kate had manufactured some scenarios to help recruit people.”
“Manufactured? What does that even mean?”
“He killed innocent humans and made it look like a wolf did it” Allison said angrily. “Usually when a pack had closed ranks and he couldn’t get to them, he would arrange for someone in the vicinity to appear to be killed and then he would swoop in and explain it to the person he wanted. Usually they were ex-military or law enforcement, or just someone with skills he wanted that could be manipulated. Then he would give them some training and weapons and turn them loose on an innocent pack and watch what happened. If the person got killed, it gave him fake justification to launch an attack and if they succeeded then he got another soldier.”
Kira look horrified. “That’s terrible!”
Allison nodded. “Then we have the hunters from other families who are still trying to blame the packs for Thanos and the ‘Snap’.”
Now she looked thoroughly confused. “Wait, what?”
Allison looks equally irritated and pissed. “Despite everything they have been told, there are some who are convinced that it is all a fake-out to cover up that the packs and emissaries were the ones to actually do it and the governments are covering for them. Telling people it was aliens so they don’t find out about werewolves.”
Kira stares at the huntress in disbelief. “But…but there is video of the aliens!”
Allison looks at her friend with a raised eyebrow. “They don’t believe in aliens. Think it was all faked.”
Kira sputters for several seconds incoherently. “Faked!? They invaded New York city!! Twice!! How was that faked?”
“Special effects. Like the moon landing.”
Kira starts swearing and Allison is fairly impressed though disappointed when Kira switches to Japanese and she can't follow along. Based on the emphasis and emotions in her words, she bets the girl is even more impressive in that language than in English.
“How are you not furious about this?” Kira finally demands.
Allison sighs. “I am, but it’s like running into a brick wall. I have also had enough time to rant and rave about it already. Besides, how can you convince someone of something that they refuse to see when its right in front of them? I mean c’mon, Thor? That guy isn’t human by any definition and that’s not counting that he is supposed to be centuries old and was worshipped as a god at one point. And do you know how many cameras recorded the invasion of New York the first time? Then the second time an alien ship showed up? I mean it just isn’t realistic to be faked, but some people don’t want to accept anything that doesn’t conform to their pre-existing beliefs. In some ways it is easier. They are not able to hide their beliefs so we know who they are and can take action.”
“Take action?” Kira asks still angry at people who seem determined to lie to not just themselves, but everyone.
“If they want to sit on their computers and complain, fine. More power to them. If they just want to rant and rave at anyone who will listen, not my business. But when they decide to try and act on this garbage, when they target innocents, then I step in, or at least my people do.”
“Step in how?”
Allison smiles and it actually causes Kira’s heart to react at the predatory look on the normally sweet girl’s face. Several of the others have called her the Disney Princess you don’t want on your bad side and Kira has seen it. She can go from smiling sweetly with dimples and looking like every other high school teenager to a vicious killer in a second and right now, Kira would not want to be on the receiving end of her ire. “Let’s just say I use the same philosophy they use with regards to wolves and other supernaturals.”
Kira looks at her but doesn’t ask the question. She already knows. Allison is not Scott. Kira knows that the True Alpha is kind and definitely forgiving, more so than most of the others in the pack. Stiles is normally nice and friendly too, but it is very clear that he will not hesitate if someone he loves is threatened. Between him and Allison, Kira is fairly sure that Scott never finds out about a number of threats that have ‘disappeared’ before they ever got close enough to be recognized by the packs as a threat. She should be bothered by that, but she isn’t. She thinks it is probably a mix of her mom’s pessimism and her dad’s teaching her history, but Kira isn’t naïve, not like people think. “Good” she finally says after some silence and Allison only smiles.
“Were you able to handle it?” she asks looking at the other woman noticing the lines of stress and strain that they are all feeling and showing more and more.
Araya snorts derisively. “They were not worth our time nor our limited resources. They do not deserve to be called men, let alone Hunters.”
The Calaveras Matriarch had gotten word of a group of wannabe hunters coming from Texas into Mexico to cross the country on their way to try and infiltrate into California. Word of the new packs forming from those who had lost their Alphas had spread all over and the Hunters Council were now trying to manage the fallout. Instead of the packs scrambling and falling apart, attacking each other for territory or to gain an Alpha’s powers for themselves, the packs were uniting. And despite the losses of pack members, the results were that the wolves had united in a way none of them had ever seen or even expected could happen.
“Not surprising. With the loss of senior family members, some of the less stable hunters have decided to ‘free’ themselves from our oversight” Clarrisant replies with some exasperation. She has been dealing with that here on the continent, especially with the loss of the Silberer Patriarch and the Campbell Matriarch. Kaneshiro had been training her daughter for over 20 years and the woman had stepped into the vacuum easily and regained control there. Rolph had only just begun with his grandson after determining that his daughter was not up to the task, so the boy was nowhere near ready and Penelope’s daughter had been lost with her mother leaving an eight year old heir. The girl’s aunt had stepped in but she was woefully unqualified but thankfully was willing to defer to the Argent Matriarch, so Clarrisant was now nominally managing three Hunting Families and all of their allies. In addition she had lost half of her own but thankfully she still had Philippe and Genevieve, her two gifted youngsters who had become invaluable in helping her keep track of everything.
“We are lucky that we only lost three Family Heads” Araya says with a tired voice. She knows what the older woman was having to deal with.
“What did you do with them?” the Argent Matriarch asks instead of commenting on a sore subject.
Araya barks out a laugh. “Their bones feed the scavengers” she says without a trace of remorse or regret.
Clarrisant looks disappointed, but only a bit. “No chance to redeem?”
Araya shakes her head. “They were little more than dogs themselves. They only wanted to kill things and were planning to run around up there killing anything to ‘cause some chaos’.”
The woman raises an elegant eyebrow. “That was…daring.”
“It was stupid” Araya corrects. “They had determined that since they were human, the boy wouldn’t be able to find them. Assuming that he even exists and it wasn’t some wolf trick” she adds and watches the eldest member of the Council look stunned.
“They thought what?!” she demands.
“They were certain it was all made up by us for some nefarious reason and even if the boy existed, he wasn’t up to handling hunters with their skills” she spits. “They would have risked war with that Brujo!”
Argent smiles discreetly. She doesn’t want to upset her old friend when it isn’t necessary, but the woman has been struggling since the battle and the loss of her son. “Then it is good that you stepped in and dealt with them.”
Araya sees the coddling for what it is and lets the woman know she knows without words. “I don’t like the boy Argent, but I am not stupid either. I have allies that I trust who told me what he did. If my idiot of a son and your insane former regent had actually managed to actually kill the Hales, we would all be dead by now as a result.” She looks pissed off just having to admit that but then she shrugs “But if he keeps them inline within his territory, then I will happy to let him deal with them.”
“Then why didn’t you let the boy handle them?” she asks with real curiosity. “It’s not like he wouldn’t have been able to deal with them, assuming that the first pack they encountered didn’t handle it for him.”
Araya chuckles. She knows about the increase in the Delgado pack, and she is pretty sure the man would have gutted all of them. “If they hadn’t entered my territory I might have” she admits with much guilt or concern “but by doing so they would have implicated me. That alone was enough cause to put them down. I will not have another act that way.”
Clarissant nods in understanding. Araya is stubborn as hell but one thing she is not is stupid. The woman is pragmatic and once the battle was done, she was as well. She wonders how much of the other woman’s disagreeableness was due to her interactions with Rolph and Amelia. Speaking of… “Have you and Amelia had any other issues?” she asks casually.
Araya looks at the screen with suspicion but then just smiles. “Matriarch Parsons is rather occupied at the moment. It seems that her direct family took a rather significant number of losses while some of the families reporting to her came through much better. It seems that are more than a few of those families feel that she should step down to let newer blood have a turn.”
The French Matriarch manages to contain her reaction, but she knows that Araya can spot it by her own smile. It seems that their dear colleague Amelia is occupied for a bit. She thinks it is time for a call to Marie-Amable to discuss some opportunities. Based on her mirth, Clarrisant highly doubts that Araya would be at all upset by the rather snobbish Matriarch of Boston getting kicked around a bit. They talk a bit more before hanging up after promising to speak again before the next Council meeting. She turns to her young assistants waiting out of view of the camera and asks them their impressions of the conversation. She cannot afford not to have more trained leaders in the family if she is lost. Never again will she risk her family suffering what the other families are currently dealing with.
Chapter Text
“Starting to think you weren’t coming” Cora says with a pinched expression. She was standing at the entrance to the clearing for the house with her arms crossed, looking annoyed.
“I was talking with Lizzie about everything that she’s dealing with” Stiles says stepping out of the jeep.
Cora thawed a little at that. “How is she?” she finally asks as they walk together.
Stiles sighs. “Managing. I think she is really having trouble with losing Arthur because it has unbalanced her magic but losing her son is messing her up as a mom as well. She is trying to hold it together despite all the craziness.”
Cora frowns, but Stiles can tell there is no real heat there and doesn’t say anything else. What is there to say? Everyone has lost friends and family. Even Erica, whose parents were both spared, still lost friends and Boyd lost all but one of his sisters. Then Scott, Allison, and Stiles all lost their last parent. She wishes she was still angry, furious at this and wanting to fight, but the fact is that she is just too tired. She finally got a hold of Alpha Alvarez only to find out that his wife Angelica and Cora's friend Esmeralda were both lost along with several others who she considered friends. After finding out about the loss of Derek and Peter, he let her know she could return to them, but she declined in order to stay with her brother’s pack, even if he was gone. She was the last Hale, and she was not about to give up their heritage.
“High Alpha” Dave’s rough but cultured voice breaks Cora’s thoughts and she looks up at the gentle sasquatch standing by a makeshift table with two dwarves, Master Lyra, Usilis, and two of the Centaurs.
“You can call me Stiles, Dave” the teen says in what he knows is a futile request. He had tried to convince the elder to call him by his name, but Dave just smiled and continued as he had before. Actually, he had kept calling him Arcanist until Stiles had finally managed to get him to not use that title, so High Alpha was the compromise. And of course, almost all of the others followed suit and did the same which he really didn’t like too much but he also knew that it was somewhat necessary, but at least his pack didn’t do it unless they were being intentionally annoying.
“Of course, High Alpha. Vorgin has brought the most recent version of the plans” he points to the table and Stiles and Cora come around to see the rather extensive plans and Stiles was surprised at how much more had been done since he last saw them. Derek had taken the lead for some time and Stiles had been busy with other things, but he needed to catch up with this now, thus the meeting.
He whistled. This was incredible. “The main floor is public space” Cora says pointing at the first set of drawings. “Derek put his office down there for pack business as well as the kitchen, dining, storage, living room, game room, and movie room. There are several bathrooms and a guest suite on this end of the house.”
“We have included several storage locations as well as cleaning spaces” one of the dwarves points to what appears to be a rather extensive mud room with a shower attached. Which considering how some of the pack looks coming back from a run, was a great idea. The kitchen though! That place looks like it could feed an army. There are several sinks, a massive stove, and at least four ovens from what he can tell. And the common spaces were even larger!
“Second and third floors are primarily living spaces. High Alpha…” the centaur fumbled for a second “…Hale, said he wanted a suite of rooms for each of the pack members. There is a bedroom, closet, bathroom, and sitting room that each person can personalize. He asked for storage rooms to be placed between them as a buffer for each suite which could also be converted to addition living space if needed.”
Stiles frowned. The suites were huge. If he was reading them right, each one was nearly half the size of his house! “Why would they need more space?”
Dave chuckled as did several of the dwarves. “Kids, Stiles” Cora snorts and everyone laughs at the sudden blush from the teen. Cora rolls her eyes at him. “Derek wanted to make sure if anyone, say Erica and Boyd, decided to stay in the house, they could have kids and not feel like they needed to move to accommodate their growing family.”
Stiles nods and looks at the number of rooms. “That’s a lot of suites” he points out to the beta.
She shrugs. “The Hales were always a large family. Derek figured that in a generation or two we would need it. He was thinking long term” she added with a slump of her shoulders and Stiles could read her thoughts. That the future of the Hale name was now solely on her. He cautiously rests his hand on her shoulder and when she doesn’t pull away, he squeezes gently.
“What the hell?!” he says as the floor plans for the fourth floor are revealed.
Cora laughs. “That would be your floor, mostly.”
Stiles stares at the plans in astonishment. First, there is a suite which he assumes was for the two of them that is beyond amazing. The bathroom and closets are phenomenal as is the bedroom and both sitting rooms. There is also space to add at least three bedrooms if he is reading it right. There are also several rooms on the floor marked ‘magic room’, store room, work room, meditation room, two others he can’t read from this angle and then a library/office for Stiles which is one and half stories tall and he is almost salivating before he frowns. “Wait a second. If that is the library, it isn’t ‘my’ floor.”
“Actually, it is High Alpha” Vorgin the centaur says smiling. “That is your personal library. There is another, smaller one on the ground floor” he points at the still large space “as well as the Hale Libraries in the sub levels. And of course the official library will be part of the school.”
The next few minutes are where Dave, Cora, and the two dwarves are the most excited. Three levels below the ground are filled with with safe rooms, vaults for the Hale properties, Cora’s library, rooms to restrain wolves, indoor training spaces, more storerooms, and smaller suites of a single room and bath that look like they could accommodate nearly thirty more people easily.
After a rather thorough review of the plans, he looks at Dave and the Centaur Elder. “So, what is the plan to proceed?”
Cora smiles. “The three sublevels are about 80% complete. We want to start framing the house tomorrow if you approve. Derek had a final addition he wanted to go over” and she pulls out a space layout that shocks Stiles.
The main house is enormous but several other buildings have been added to create a boxed in square green space with structures on three sides, an enclosed pool/gathering place for outdoor events and cooking and open to the woods, though Stiles doubt it will be easy to get that close. “What are these?” he asks pointing at the buildings.
“This part is an alternative housing option. Derek thought that pack elders might prefer their own space, away from kids and babies and all the craziness. I think he was hoping your dad and Melissa might want to move there” Cora says gently. Stiles feels himself tearing up at how thoughtful Derek had been. His dad would not have wanted to crash in the house, but this might just have been enough to convince him. He nods not trusting himself to reply.
“And this” Master Lyra points to the other building “will be the Beacon Hills Sanctum. It was decided to not make it part of the official house so that in the future it could remain secure, even if the guardian was not the High Alpha. It has everything that is needed for an official sanctum.”
Stiles looks at everything in stunned amazement. “It’s fantastic, I can think of anything better." He pauses and stares at all of the work that Derek had put so much time into. "So, what can I do to help with all of this?”
“Well, Wong had sent the plans and gotten notes from the Grand Enchanter” Vorgin says pointing to a large stack of notes. “If you could ask him to visit soon and finalize what he needs to do for the Sanctum, it would help us. Dave and his clan are working below the surface, and Eriphise has agreed to coordinate the dryads to help provide us Elvenwood for the house.”
Stiles smiles remembering that discussion. The Dryad Princess had demanded some rather significant magical works on Stiles’ part, all of which he probably would have done anyway, but the agreement to provide Elvenwood meant that the house wouldn’t be built so much as sung into being. The dryads could sing the magical wood into any form they wanted, and it was powerful because it was still a living thing. It resisted fire and foreign magics and would provide a level of protection to the home in addition to their other efforts.
“Then we just need the house stone” he says finally feeling that they are ready.
“And I believe we have found the perfect one” Dave says with a deep smile and offers to show him. It still hurts, but Stiles is going to make Derek’s vision, the one he worked so hard on with so many people, a reality.
“Please tell me we are done with new members” Aiden asks looking at the other two teens.
Scott shrugs. “It’s been nearly three days since anyone new showed up.” He looks over at Stiles and sees the look on his face. “Stiles!” he whines.
“Sorry Scotty. I felt four new wolves enter my territory this morning close to border down south. We can send word to Alpha Delgado if you would prefer to have him intercept them” Stiles says with a shrug. The fact that they had had a break was nice, but he hadn’t mentioned that the remaining packs nearer his borders will still getting refugees from packs.
“Stiles, Scott, I am not sure how large our packs can get. I don’t even know the names of everyone in my pack as it is” Aiden says feeling more than a little overwhelmed. Even the worst packs he ever encountered, and he is including all of his previous ones before this, ever got that big.
“I know guys, but the fact is that we lost half of the Alphas in the world and no new ones inherited that power” Stiles reminds them. “The packs are going to have to change. Unfortunately a lot of packs outside the territory aren't as willing to accept refugees so more are coming here.”
“It’s still weird” Scott says with a sigh. “I have betas who are older than my parents. Three who are older than my Abuela!”
Aiden nods in agreement. He has several seniors himself and they are really struggling to adapt to the changes in pack dynamics. The young alpha cannot imagine what it must be like to lose an Alpha you followed for decades and get someone you never knew before and who still isn’t out of high school.
“Look guys, I wish I could help you, but I can’t. I think you should talk with Alpha Ito and maybe Deputy…I mean Sheriff Graeme about it. They may have some good advice.” It still hurts to admit his dad is gone, but Tara is a good person and a good Sheriff. She has really stepped up and between her and Mayor Martin, both of whom have been appointed to finish out the terms of their predecessors, Beacon Hills is actually doing a lot better than most towns in, well, everywhere.
“Tara? Why?” Scott asks and Aiden looks equally confused.
Stiles smiles a bit. “They are dealing with the same things you guys are. Both her and Lydia’s mom were thrown into this and are dealing with people who are scared, angry, grief-stricken, depressed, and terrified that Thanos could come back at any moment. They have to lead their people, just like you.”
“It would help if you would come to some of our pack meetings” Scott suggests, not for the first time. Both Aiden and Scott had asked Stiles to come and meet their packs, but the teen had always declined or had other commitments for some reason. The fact was they needed him there.
Stiles sighs and leans back in the sofa. He had called them both to the loft to talk about that, but he knows that neither of them are going to take this well, but he doesn’t see any other option. He has been thinking it through almost since they lost Derek and he can’t see another way. He even spoke with Alpha Ito to confirm his thoughts and she had been surprisingly supportive of his plan, even enthusiastic. She had confirmed to him that there was some fear among the others that he might do otherwise and what that would mean for the packs.
“That’s actually why I called you both here” Stiles says slowly before looking at the two confused teens. He takes a deep breath before continuing “Scott, Aiden, I’m sorry, but I can’t be in your packs, either of you.”
He pauses as both teens look shocked by his words, Aiden much less than Scott who looks betrayed and almost heartbroken. “You don’t want to be in my pack?” he asks with a broken voice. Aiden looks at the other Alpha but doesn’t say anything.
“Scotty, it’s not that. It’s that I can’t.”
“Why?!” Scott demands, his eyes flashing crimson for just a second, but enough for Stiles to see it.
“Because I am the High Alpha Scott. And you are not.” He wishes he could have softened the blow, but he could sense Scott getting territorial and getting ready to argue with him and that was like throwing a bucket of ice water on both of them based on the reaction. “You, neither of you, are my Alpha. This is my territory, and the fact is that you are Alphas within it.”
“But…but Derek…” Scott stammers.
“Derek was my mate, Scott. He was my partner. Are you planning on leaving Allison for me?” he asks and almost laughs at the look of consternation on his bro’s face at that. Aiden hides a laugh behind a cough.
“Of course not Stiles, but…”
“Then you think you should stand above all other Alphas in my territory as High Alpha?” Stiles asks.
“No!” Scott replies instantly. Just the thought of that was enough to make him queasy. He has enough on his plate with the new pack, even with the help from Cora, Boyd, Erica, and Allison. Not to mention helping Aiden. He looks over at the other Alpha who looks just as resolute in not doing that.
“Then you see the problem Scotty. If I am in your pack, I would not submit to you. I didn’t submit to Derek. We were equals.”
Aiden snorts and Stiles looks at the teen. “Sorry, but that’s bull. Derek submitted to you. We all knew that even if others didn’t.”
Stiles pauses before he replies. “Derek submitted to me as Arcanist on those things that were appropriate. Not on the pack issues. And not as mate” he says but still admits Aiden's point. “But the fact is that even within the Pack, I was not second to anyone. If you and Ally stay together, she will be the Alpha mate, even if she never takes the bite Scott. And with your pack the size it is now, you can’t afford that kind of confusion for your betas. Not to mention how it would impact the other packs.”
Scott struggled with that. He thought that Stiles would be in his pack, why wouldn’t he be? He didn’t think he would join Aiden of course, but with Derek gone, he naturally assumed that he and Stiles would be together. “So, what happens to you?” he asks looking like a puppy.
Stiles smiles wryly. “I am High Alpha and Arcanist. I will be connected to multiple packs, not as a member, but as an Authority. In fact, several of the other Alphas were getting concerned that I might make one of you two High Alpha to replace Derek. That causes both teens to look slightly nauseous. I spoke with Alpha Ito, and she agrees that me staying out of your packs would actually reassure the others.”
“But if you are not in a pack, can you still be High Alpha?” Scott asks only to look at Aiden who barks out a laugh.
“Scott, dude, are you really asking that” the other Alpha asks? But when he sees that Scott is serious, he just shakes his head. “Scott, Stiles is pretty much King Arthur and Merlin all rolled into one. If the defeating the Alpha Pack and Darach wasn’t enough, there’s the battle with Gerard and the Hunters, then kicking the Hunter Council’s ass…most packs are about ready to build shrines to the guy!”
Stiles looks slightly less upset by that than Scott, though both of the teens seem more than troubled. “That’s not funny” Scott says feeling offended and not exactly sure why.
“I’m not joking Scott. Look, I know this is still really new for you, but you have to understand. There are born wolves who have lived for generations dealing with those Hunter assholes killing friends and family without warning. And if you dared to fight back, they would use that as an excuse to kill everyone. Sure, some hunters weren’t as bad as Argent and his ilk, but even the most peaceful packs were wary of them. So then along comes a guy who pretty much unites the packs, kicks out Hunters, and declares a place to live free and safe from all that crap? And then some crazy alien kills half the planet but this guy not only lives, but also manages to save the entire world and all of it’s magic? Scott, dude, right now Stiles could issue a call and I am pretty sure that almost every wolf and supernatural would do just about anything he asked them to” Aiden says seriously. He turns to look at said teen and sees the rather stoic look on his face. “But you already knew that didn’t you?”
Stiles sighs but nods. “Several of the Alphas have talked to me about it. Not to mention Marin, Lizzie, Master Lyra, and the necromancers who came to town. It will die down I’m sure” he adds with a hopeful look, ignoring Aiden’s eye roll to focus on Scott “but even then, I can’t play favorites. The others know you are my best friend and basically my brother, but they know you are not my alpha. That is keeping them okay with the rest, they know I won't submit to you. Derek had the Hale name and our status as mates to make people feel okay about us being together even if they were nervous about it, but the simple fact is that I can’t be in your packs, and to be honest, I don’t want to be.” He sees the hurt on Scott’s face replace the acceptance that was just there. “I’m sorry Scotty but I have an Alpha and I don’t plan on replacing him. Ever.”
Though it has been only a few days since their meeting, Stiles is impressed by the progress that’s been made on the house so far. Standing in the clearing he stares at the wooden framing that has grown from the Elvenwood trees planted. Six of the dryads are dancing and singing around them and Stiles feels the magic weaving out and he watches in fascination as the trees branch, grow, and move into the shapes that the blueprints called for. The main supports of the house are actually trees!
“That is so weird” Cora mutters from beside him.
“Uh huh” Boyd adds from the other side of Cora. “Can we nail things to it?” he asks in a quiet voice so the dryads don’t hear.
“Nope” Stiles says easily. “But we won’t need to. They are going to put up the interior walls using something else. The Elvenwood is for the supports, floors, roof, and outside walls.”
“So, we’re going to live in a giant tree?” Erica asks. “That won’t stand out at all.”
Stiles smirks. “By the time they are done, it will look like a regular house.”
Erica snorts. “Stiles, I have seen the plans. This place won’t look anything like a regular house. Mansion maybe.”
Stiles shrugs but Cora laughs. “Well, I am extremely rich” she says with what is actually a fair imitation of Jackson. It still hurts a little.
“Speaking of” Erica turns to Stiles. “Have you heard what they are going to do about school?”
Stiles nods. “Ms. Martin has decided that they are going to consolidate some classes, but we are keeping the schools apart. We will merge some of the classes, and several people have offered to help out with teaching. I think she has five or six retired teachers who are going to come back to help out. The other schools in the area are doing the same thing. The plan is to come up with a new plan after the school year is over.”
“Then what? They close the school?” Erica asks quietly.
Stiles shakes his head. “Not ours. She agreed that Beacon Hills High will stay open for ‘other’ reasons. We have some new students moving in remember?”
Erica groans and shakes her head. She really thought that Scott and Stiles would be the ones that would have to deal with all of that stuff but apparently that’s not the case. Several betas had hinted at that during the party, but since Scott started taking new betas with her and Boyd’s help, with a little assistance from Cora, things have radically changed for her and Boyd. It seems that Boyd has become Scott’s second while she has somehow ended up as the Left Hand. Stiles had explained it to her and what that role does and to be honest, she is better suited for it than Scott would ever be. He still doesn’t know about the beta that wanted to challenge the teen for his status as Alpha. Erica had found out and when she confronted the guy, he actually was stupid enough to attack her.
He wasn't Alpha Pack evil though, just ambitious and stupid. What he had not realized, though to be fair she hadn't either, was how significant the impact of being #3 in the world’s largest wolfpack really was. Alphas gain power from their pack, Derek had told them that when he offered the bite, but they had been a small pack, so she didn’t really feel it. She did now. Scott was powerful and by extension, so were his betas. Basically, she kicked the guy's ass despite him being a born wolf with over a decade more experience than her. Erica had proceeded to impart a rather painful lesson to the guy in front of several of his friends. He had spent some time healing after their 'discussion' while she didn’t break a nail or even a sweat. By the time he healed, she had a rather pleasant conversation with the man asking that if a ‘little girl’ like her could kick his ass, did he really think he had a chance with facing the True Alpha? Him and his fellows had been rather well behaved after that.
“Why are you looking so pleased with yourself?” Stiles asks the blonde who looks surprised by the question.
“No reason!” she says looking guilty. Boyd and Cora both laugh. She looks at them in surprise.
“What?” Cora asks innocently. Erica shushes her. Boyd looks proud.
“Thinking about that beta from Nebraska?” Stiles asks with a sly smile.
Erica pales. “You know!” she hisses and looks at the other betas who both look equally surprised that Stiles had heard of it.
“Hey! High Alpha here. I know everything” Stiles says with a rather pompous look.
Erica stares for a second before her eyes narrow. “The Brownies!” she accuses, and he laughs.
“They gave me a rather colorful blow by blow of the whole thing. Usilis was rather proud and apparently Beta Adams is not too well liked with his attitude, at least before.”
That seems to mollify her a bit, but she still looks pissed. “I can’t believe they told on me!” she pouts. Boyd and Cora are back to snickering.
“Erica, first, they tell me everything. If a Brownie knows something, and they pretty much are everywhere so just count on them knowing, I eventually hear about it. Besides, you saved me some trouble” he says with a sigh. “If he had actually attacked Scott I would have to step in and Scotty wouldn’t like what I would do.”
“Stiles, wolves do challenge each other for position, and it has happened before” Cora says carefully.
“Sure, I get that” Stiles says easily. “But I would also set his ass on fire, and I don’t mean that figuratively.”
“Can you do that?” Boyd asks looking concerned. Cora opens her mouth to respond when she notices that Stiles’ eyes are glowing white and she suddenly realizes that as High Alpha, she isn’t exactly sure anymore.
“Anyway” Stiles waves it off, letting his eyes return to normal “its a moot point. Unless he tried some betrayal shit with Scott, he wouldn’t stand a chance in a real fight with my bro like Erica told him.”
“I’ve been meaning to ask you about that. We all seem a lot stronger. I mean a lot. Derek told us how the pack makes us stronger, but is it supposed to be this big of a deal? And why didn't he get a boost since he joined as well?” Erica asks and Stiles nods.
“Derek told you alphas get strength from their pack, that's true, but did he also tell you that the health of the pack boosts everyone?” he checks and they both nod. Cora is watching but she knows all of this. “Scott also gets a boost from being True Alpha, then add in his pack size, then his connection to me, and he is pretty jacked up.”
“I thought you weren’t a part of his pack?” Boyd asks. They had been somewhat surprised when Scott had let them know about his talk with Stiles, but they had also understood.
“Other way around. As he has submitted to me as High Alpha, he gets a boost like all the alphas do. It’s not a lot, but I seriously doubt that there is a wolf outside you three that could legitimately challenge him and even you would be hard pressed to win. Not counting Satomi or Alpha Delgado, I wouldn’t count either of those two out. And the guy while he accepted entry to Scott's pack, he didn't really fully submit so the bond was weak and he didn't get the bonus though his place was pretty far down so it wouldn't be a lot, not like the two of you” he added.
“I guess that makes sense” Erica says as she looks over at the crew working on the house. Dave and two of the sasquatch are shaping a hollow which will become the rather enormous pool, though it looks more like a mystical grotto than anything man made. Of course they would do that she thinks, when she notices all of them stop and suddenly sway looking dizzy. “Stiles?” she starts to ask turning to look at the teen when she sees his eyes roll back into his head and his body collapses like a marionette with it's strings cut. “STILES!” she yells out, but Boyd was already moving and catches the teen as he falls to the ground. “Boyd, what happened?” she demands
“It’s not just him” Cora whispers and Erica looks up and sees the beta staring across the clearing. Looking over she sees all of the dryads have collapsed to the ground as have a large group of pixies. Two druids and one of the sorcerers also look like they suddenly have a hangover.
“What’s going on?” she whispers.
“And why wasn’t everyone affected?” Boyd asks looking confused and Erica then realizes that the dwarves, brownies, and centaurs are all as unaffected as they are. What the hell is going on?
“Has there been any change?” Scott asks walking into the living room of the Stilinski house.
Erica looks up and shakes her head and he deflates a little. It has been nearly two days since Stiles collapsed and he still hasn’t woken up. The pack brought him home and have been taking turns keeping an eye on him since no one but the people Stiles made arrangements for can get inside his protections on the house.
Marin had checked on him when he collapsed, and she confirmed that as far as she can tell he is fine, just asleep. But he refuses to wake up. Stiles was the only one to pass out at the site, but he wasn’t the only one affected. As near as they can figure out, every practitioner of magic felt something with most describing it as a wave of dizziness, disorientation, or nausea.
Allison had managed to get ahold of Lizzie and she described having a brief faint and then a migraine for about a day. She recovered but admitted that she has been feeling slightly nauseous ever since. And according to her, that pretty much describes most of the big magic users. None of the werewolves, at least as far as they can tell, felt anything. Dave and the dryads described it as a wave of disorientation, but it passed quickly for them. They had recovered almost as soon as they fell down.
It seems Stiles was the only one affected this way. Marin and several of the others confirmed that the ley lines were all fine with no apparent problems. As far as anyone else could tell, nothing was wrong. Except that Stiles had been asleep for nearly two days. Luckily Scott and the others have been making excuses and things are still pretty crazy, but the Alpha is pretty sure that the whole magical and supernatural community might lose their minds if they thought something had happened to Stiles.
“There’s something on the news” Allison says coming into the room and turning on the television. The pack members gather around and stare at the screen showing the newscaster standing in front of what looks like the Avengers compound in New York. “Rachel, I am here at the Avengers Compound where we have just received word from Stark Industries CEO Pepper Potts that the Avengers have rescued Tony Stark, who had apparently been off-world, and he is currently resting in the medical facility here.”
“I thought Stark was dead!” Erica says in surprise.
“This is shocking news Daniel. Tony Stark has been missing since the fight in New York before the Snap. Have we been given any information about the circumstances of Tony Stark’s return?”
“We have. Apparently, Tony Stark, Spiderman, and another individual who has not been identified were taken during a battle with aliens from the ship that appeared over New York. They then fought Thanos on another planet before he attacked Wakanda. An ally of the Avengers helped rescue Stark, who was the only survivor, and return him to Earth though he did have some minor injuries, mostly exhaustion and some medical stress from his ordeal. We are assured that he should make a full recovery.”
“That’s definitely good news Daniel. Joy, your thoughts?” she asks turning to her co-host.
“Well, I imagine that there are a lot of people who are suddenly feeling better Rachel. Tony Stark has had a convoluted career over the years, but Iron Man has been a source of reassurance for a lot of people. Not to mention the fact that his return probably has made a lot of people in government and the tech industry happy. With the loss of both Jeff Bezos and Elon Musk, Tony Stark is pretty much the last of the modern industrialists still standing.”
“Daniel, are any of the Avengers going to speak to the press?” Rachel asks.
“Not at this time. We actually arrived in time to see a rather advanced looking flying craft take off that did not look familiar as we arrived. Sources indicated that some of the Avengers have left on a mission.”
The news team starts to discuss the impact but Allison mutes the television to look at the others. “Sorry, thought it might be important.”
“Well, they sounded excited about it” Erica says with a shrug.
“Any chance I could get some water?” a raspy voice asks startling the three teens.
“Stiles!” all three shout at the disheveled teen standing there looking like he was recovering from a bad hangover. Scott jumps over to hug him, and Stiles stiffens a bit but then relaxes as his friend guides him to the couch. Seconds later Allison hands him a sports drink.
“Small sips. You have been out for almost two days” she warns him. He nods and sips carefully several times before stopping and leaning back on the couch.
“What’d I miss?” he asks quietly.
The three look at each other before Scott answers. “Not much actually. Everyone else just got a little dizzy but you were knocked out. We couldn’t figure out what happened.”
“Backlash” Stiles mutters. “It wasn’t an attack or anything, magic just lost its anchors and it was a bit too much all at once. But there is no immediate threat” he assures them.
“Stiles, what happened though. What caused it?” Allison pushes just a little.
Stiles frowns before looking at the Huntress. “Its…well, it is really hard to explain. I need some time to process it and I really need to speak with Lizzie and the others.”
Scott and Erica both frown but Allison looks suspicious. “What others?” she asks him.
“The High Witch and the Grand Enchanter. I’m not entirely sure and I need their help figuring it out.”
There is silence at that, and Stiles closes his eyes and takes another sip. He would explain but he really hopes he is wrong. Because if he is right and the Infinity Stones have been destroyed, then they have a whole new set of problems to deal with. “Anything else?”
“Tony Stark is alive and back” Erica offers, and Stiles opens his eyes to look at the blonde to see if she is serious. She shrugs and he smiles. Little bit of good news there.
Chapter Text
“The Avengers are on the news.” That was what one of the deputies had yelled before everyone crowded around the television listening to Captain America, surrounded by the other avengers, explaining that they had tracked down Thanos and fought him. In the battle, Thanos was killed and the weapon he used to kill everyone had been destroyed.
There were some other parts, but it basically boiled down to ‘bad guy dead’ and ‘can’t do it again’. None of them looked particularly happy about it, but Tara assumed that beating the bad guy after he had won really didn’t make that much of a difference.
The station was pretty noisy for a bit before everyone went back to work.
“Does this change anything?” she had asked McCall who just shrugged.
“I guess we don’t have to worry about it happening again, but it doesn’t fix anything” he had replied.
“Sheriff?” Mayor Martin interrupted her train of thought and she looked up at the woman who had become her unofficial partner in the madness of the last three weeks or so.
“Madame Mayor. Sorry, we were watching the news and just thinking. Ready?” she asks directing her to her temporary office. “You wanted to talk?”
“I would like to rebuild the Police Station” Natalie says fairly quickly. “Having you all shoved in temporary space isn’t doing us any good and we need something more permanent.”
Tara’s a bit surprised. One, they have a bit of a labor shortage here in town, not to mention everywhere it seems. The sudden loss of half the population means that there are not enough bodies to do the work that needs doing. “Do we have anyone wanting to work construction?” she asks confused.
“Actually yes” Natalie says with a sigh. “The problem is that just about every construction job has come to a halt. We have more than twice the housing and office spaces that we need unfortunately. Builders don’t really have anything to do, and I need to get them to work. Rebuilding the Sheriff’s station is something we actually need after the ‘accident’ and it would help people feel something normal is happening.”
“Has the city decided on what we are going to do with the empty spaces?” she asks.
The mayor nods with a tired expression. “Any place that still has people living there of course is fine, the city extended this to any house where kids survived. The house will be held for them till they are old enough to decide what they want to do. Those that lost everyone are being closed and secured until we figure out what to do. Scott McCall and Aiden Carver have volunteered their packs to help clean out and secure the buildings. Turn off power, throw away food, that kind of stuff. They are also arranging to pack up the houses and move everything to storage.”
“The city is paying for that?” Tara asks in shock.
Natalie smiles. “No. But we have a rather wealthy citizen who has donated the storage space and is paying the packs to do the work. Bernie in the tax office has been talking about reassessing the value of property and figures there is going to be a major drop in what anything is worth. So basically, everyone’s house is now underwater, probably worth way less than they owe on their mortgages. It is going to take some time to figure it all out.”
Tara smirks. “Cora?” she finally asks.
Natalie nods. “Yes. Mr. Stilinski sent her to meet with me about it all and made some ‘suggestions’. I wasn’t too keen but then she offered to help pay for all of it and, well, I have a feeling that she will be asked to run for the new city council in the emergency election.”
“So that makes two of the pack” Tara says with a smirk. “Surprised Stiles wasn’t dragged in.”
“He has made it clear that he is not interested” Natalie laughs. “However, he was more than happy to recommend not only Scott and Cora, but several others. I’m pretty sure that we will end up with at least half ‘specials’ but at this point, I am willing to work with anyone that wants to help.”
“Too bad we can’t get Dave on there” Tara says with a snort that is following by Natalie laughing out loud.
“Oh god that would be amazing!” she laughs for a moment before suddenly looking sad. “Actually, it really would but it seems there are limits to what they will do.” Natalie Martin knew about wolves and Banshees before all this, but meeting elves, faeries, brownies, sasquatch, dwarves, and gnomes was still a bit of a shock. The dwarven man, Rancolm, that had been helping out and who had already announced his run for the council was actually a bit of a relief. He looks pretty normal outside of his height and thankfully people would not say anything about that, publicly at least. She wasn’t sure anymore how many people really knew what was going on with all the magic in town, but to be honest, she didn’t have time to deal with all of that. While she enjoyed working with Tara, she really wished Noah was here. She is sure that if he was the man would have been chosen as Mayor in a heartbeat and she could focus on the school. Of course, if she were wishing, she wanted Lydia back more than anything.
“Did you want to rebuild on the same spot?” Tara asks bringing the Mayor’s attention back to the discussion. She nods and they start making notes. Maybe the bad guy has been beaten, but they have more to do than ever before.
“Stiles” Lizzie says as she steps through the portal he opened. Walking into the clearing the Druidess quickly comes over for a long hug, both of them appreciating the support of the other.
“Lizzie, I’m…” he starts but she cuts him off.
“I am not sure I can take any more condolences my boy, can you?” she asks him gently but sees the understanding there. She knows how much it hurt losing his father and they have talked more than once about it. As they have talked about losing Arthur and her son Simon and he gets that she doesn’t want to talk anymore right now. “If you are ready, I think Dionne is waiting.”
Stiles nods and reaches into the ley lines and follows his phone’s transmission. Lizzie had dialed the number for him so he could focus and once he felt her presence, he opened the portal and the High Witch crossed over. There was a brief hug between the two women before Lizzie dialed again and he opened the portal.
Stiles isn’t exactly sure what he was expecting but if he had to guess, he would not have guessed right about the Grand Enchanter. He was thinking Dumbledore maybe or Gandalf. Not a guy that looked like a handyman. He was a little younger than his father, heavy set, and with a neatly trimmed beard and mustache. He also had arms and a chest like a weightlifter!
“Last one” Lizzie calls out as the man walks over to the women.
Stiles opens the final portal and the man who steps out looks like he belongs in a lab. His short hair is graying and he is actually wearing a lab coat for some reason. “Hikaru, Dionne, Lizzie” the man says in English with a heavy accent. “It is good to finally meet in person.”
Lizzie smiles as Stiles closes the portal. “Welcome to Beacon Hills California, Qingling.” She turns to the other three with a gesture. “Let me introduce you to young Mr. Stiles Stilinski, our host and the Arcanist” she says looking proudly at the teen.
Both men look at him with polite interest, but Dionne smiles warmly and wraps him in a tight hug before stepping back just a bit. “And the one who saved us all! Your work with the ley lines was fantastic young Arcanist. A masterpiece!”
“You created the new Nemetons?” Quinling asks with what looks like respect. “The effects of that are already changing things.”
“Oh yes, Stephen spoke very highly of you” Hikaru says with a proud smile. “I believe we have some talking to do about the Sanctum you are current building.” He holds up a hand before Stiles can reply “But that can wait. I assume you called for us for something else. ‘Universally important’ I believe you said?”
“Let us sit” Lizzie suggests, and Stiles leads the group over to the circle where five chairs are now growing up from the ground in time for them to sit. Stiles really loves being able to do that.
They all sit and then the five all look to him, giving him the floor. He takes a deep breath. “A little over three days ago, you all felt sick or off?” he asks and they all nod.
“I fainted” Lizzie confirms, and the others share similar reactions.
Stiles nods. “I was out for two days but after some searching, I know what happened.” He looks at them carefully before biting the bullet. “I believe that the Infinity Stones were destroyed.”
There is a moment of silence before all four of them pale and look traumatized, but it is Hikaru who replies first. “That’s not possible! The Infinity Stones are the six singularities from before the birth of the Universe. They cannot be destroyed!”
“What could possibly destroy such power?” Qingling asks in shock.
“I believe Thanos, the alien the Avengers fought and the guy who used the stones to Snap half of life out of existence?” Stiles says and they all nod at that. The news had actually explained that part. “I believe that three days ago, Thanos used them again to destroy the stones themselves.”
Dionne looks sick. Lizzie, who Stiles had already shared his theory just looks tired. Hikaru looks confused but it is Qingling, the Lord Alchemist, who nods in agreement. “That actually makes sense” he says thoughtfully.
“What do you mean?” Hikaru demands.
“Alchemy is all about destruction, creation, and transformation. Anything with the power to kill half of all life would be able to be turned on itself. I imagine that in fact, it probably was the only thing that could destroy the stones” he pauses “that or removing it from our reality.”
Hikaru frowns but looks interested, “The stones are fundamental to our reality, cosmic forces of power tied to the universe. Outside our reality they would be little more than paperweights more than likely. But I am not sure why would anyone remove one of them from the reality that they exist in?”
Qingling just shrugs, he doesn’t know.
“Stiles” Dionne says having recovered a bit. “Your theory is that we were all affected by the stones’ destruction, yes?” she asks, and he nods. “So, since your magic touches all areas, you were hit harder obviously, but what does this mean?”
“I am not sure exactly, but what little research I was able to find suggest that the stones are the anchors of our magic. That they provide a ‘grounding’ for our magic if you will, a stabilizing force.” He pauses and they nod in understanding or agreement, he isn’t sure. “So, if they are gone…?”
“It will destabilize life” Lizzie finishes with a dread tone. “Stiles, how sure are you?” she asks carefully.
“About 30% to be honest. The fact is there are serious questions about whether the stones are really connected to our magic or not, and if so what they actually do to it. There is also a question of whether the stones embody the six aspects of magic and creation or if they are simply receptacles of it. Is the time stone the source of time or simply a tool to more easily access it?”
Hikaru leans back in his chair with a whistle. “That’s a big question young one. Without the stones, I am not sure we can answer it. To my knowledge, the Ancient One had the Time Stone for many centuries but even her understanding of it was limited. However, she explained to me once that the stones create what we experience as the flow of time. Removing them…I do not know what affect that would have on reality.”
They all look concerned, but the High Witch Dionne turns to Stiles. “Are you sensing anything in the ley lines?” she asks him.
Stiles shakes his head. “No. Now that they are stabilized with the new Nemetons, they are actually better than ever before. In fact, they have already sent significant amounts of energy back into the planet itself. As far as I can tell, things are good.”
“Magic is not always clear at first” Lizzie muses. “It may take some time for us to detect any affects from the loss of the stones, if in fact there will be any. We will have to watch carefully for any warning signs” she advises.
They continue to talk for more than an hour, mostly touching base and getting to know each other. It appears that Lizzie and Dionne have met before as have Hikaru and Qingling but that’s it, so this is a first pretty much for all of them. Afterwards they all prepare to leave, and Stiles sends Lizzie, Qingling, and Dionne home first before he stops to look at Hikaru.
“Would you like to see the sanctum?” he asks the Grand Enchanter.
“I would” Hikaru replies carefully but then he stares at the teen. “But I sense another concern weighing on you that you have not spoken of.”
Stiles nods and sits back down in his chair followed by the enchanter. “Could you create a…vessel or something that could hold the power of an Infinity Stone?” he finally asks.
Hikaru definitely wasn’t expecting that question. “I am gifted young Arcanist but creating an Infinity Stone is beyond my skill” he pauses “or anyone’s I would think.”
Stiles nods but looks at the older man. “I understand that sir, but I don’t mean to create an Infinity Stone, but rather could you create something that could hold something that powerful within it?”
Hikaru starts to reply but then pauses. He thinks about this. “Creating a vessel, that would be a different kind of magic. If there was no power within it, it may be possible to create something that could contain that much power, but it would be complex. And without that power, what would be the point?” he asks.
Stiles is silent for some time before responding. “If the loss of the stones is something serious, I was wondering if we could recreate them” he begins and sees the enchanter start to interrupt “but I do not think we could do it all at once or maybe even in our lifetime…maybe not for many lifetimes. But could we create them and pour the power into the stones over time, allowing them to build up. Maybe they would never get that strong again, certainly not to do what Thanos did, but enough to be anchors again?” He looks at the enchanter who looks intrigued.
Hikaru leans back in the chair to really consider before he finally replies. “A vessel, even an empty one, that could contain that much power would be a work of great magic. A forging like nothing before” he says carefully but Stiles senses that he has piqued the other man’s interest. “But it would take much time to research and create, but” he trails off for several minutes and it nearly kills him, but Stiles remains quiet. Finally, the Grand Enchanter starts to smile. “Yes. I think we could do it. It would take several years and many enchanters to do so, but I believe it can be done.”
Stiles looks concerned. “Master Enchanter” he says carefully. “Can you do this with no one knowing what you are truly doing. Can you ensure that only you and I truly know what we are doing?” he asks slowly.
Hikaru looks surprised. “Why would you wish this?”
Stiles looks conflicted but he finally sighs. “Thanos used the stones to do what he did. While these may not be as powerful, I think that there are those with similar ideas who would want to copy him to some degree. If everyone is certain the stones are destroyed, wouldn’t it be better to restore them secretly and place them where they would not be found, serving as anchors and nothing else? If no one knows they exist, then no one will seek them?”
Hikaru stares at the teen for a moment before nodding. “You thought well Arcanist. I only thought of what could be done, not what should be done with it after.” He considers but nods again. “It will make it harder, but if done rightly, it could be made so that those helping do not truly know what we are doing.”
Both men stand and Stiles gratefully shakes his hand and the older mage gestures for him to lead to the construction site. “One other thing, not so serious” he promises the man who nods. “I want to create something that would copy a book from one with writing and drawings into a blank one. Could you help me do that?”
Hikaru frowns for a moment. “You mean a copy machine?” he finally asks and Stiles laughs.
“Kind of, I guess. But I am trying to get copies of the books in the Majestic Library at Kamar Taj and I don’t think they will let me take them out. So I was thinking if I had something that scanned the page and transferred a copy to a blank page, then I could get copies of all the books for my library” Stiles explains.
The Grand Enchanter laughs. “Well, that is a different matter. Some books have magic woven into them as part of their magical nature such as magics to preserve the book and keep it from harm. I would guess that you would want that included in your ‘copy’?”
Stiles smiles and nods “Definitely.”
Hikaru nods with a smile “That is definitely something we could do. I think I would like one of those myself if we make it simple and easy to use. I assume you would like some of my books for your library as well?” he asks and laughs at Stiles excited reaction. “Well, you are offering to help teach enchanters, I supposed it is my duty to make sure you have good information to use to instruct them. I also wanted to speak with you regarding two of my enchanters who have asked to move here. They are a married couple and wish for a place to make their home. I believe they would also be interested in helping instruct others.”
Stiles pauses and then smiles. “I have no concern with them coming here Grand Enchanter, my territory is open to any who follow our rules” he replies with a bit of formality “but I would like to meet them and get a sense of them before any official offer to teach.”
“A wise decision” the man says as they enter the clearing, and he looks upon the scene with happiness. He sees several of his suggestions already present in the work. It will take at least a year or two to make this place a true Sanctum like the others that the Sorcerers maintain, but it is well on the way. “Will you show me your home Stiles?” he asks and sees the teen smile at his dropping the formal address.
“I would love to Hikaru. Have you met a Centaur before?” the man shakes his head no. “Then you will love meeting Vorgin.” They walk over to the Centaur Elder with a wave.
“What are you doing? You know the doctors said you needed to rest” she says stares at him in frustration.
“I am resting. This is restful!” he argues.
“I am pretty sure whatever that is” she points at the holographic image with numbers and symbols that she doesn’t recognize “is not what they meant.”
Tony coughs before replying. “It’s restful to me.”
Pepper signs and rubs the point between her eyes that seems to always be where her Stark headaches seem to originate from. “Tony. You need to find something else. You can’t fix this” she says gently.
Ever since he got out of the medical wing of the Avengers compound, he has been stressing over this. Not even the report from the team that Thanos was dead, and the stones destroyed with him seemed to make a difference. What was worse, the gulf between him and the rest of the Avengers seemed to be worse than ever only now he was the only one on his side. Rhodey was working with Steve and Natasha to try and make some sense of things. In fact, the new President and many members of the UN were working with the Avengers trying to establish some sense of normalcy but the consequences and impact of losing so many people just seemed to keep growing.
“What are you working on?” she finally asks sitting down beside him.
“Alternative energy” he says before getting pulled back into the display.
Pepper frowns. “Is that needed most right now?” she asks. "With half the population but the same number of power plants, it would seem like we have an excess of power."
“You would think so” he says with a trace of his old snark. “But a lot of facilities are being shut down. And because of that, demand for fuel and materials has dropped which has impacted everyone who produces it. I was asked to look into taking advantage of this to see how much we could move to clean energy and if we could figure out how to end our reliance on the old stuff.”
Pepper’s eyes widen at that. “You mean replace fossil fuels entirely?” she asks with shock.
Tony nods. “That and nuclear. With the demand dropped, we might be able to make the shift to wind, solar, hydroelectric and other clean sources with no real resistance. But we are not quite there yet” he adds and tweaks the controls causing everything to shift.
“So, what do we need?” she finally asks.
“Well, we need to do more research and engineering on some technologies, but it’s definitely possible.”
Pepper thinks for a bit before looking back at Tony “Do you remember the green institute idea we talked about setting up in California?” she asks.
Tony pauses and looks over at her with a blank expression for about three seconds before he remembers. “In that crazy magic town?” he asks.
She smiles indulgently at his description of the place. She knows that he is still irritated by the magic guy so now he is apparently going in the other direction. “We had some fairly substantial plans worked up to do that kind of research, but I had figured that we really didn’t need to build something new anymore. We have a lot of space in our current facilities I suppose that could be converted.”
Tony looks thoughtful. “Actually, I think we might want to keep those plans active” he says, and she looks at him with an encouraging expression. “There were other reasons to go there and to be honest, I wonder if the guy that Strange was talking about is responsible for some of the readings I have been getting.”
“What readings?” she asks.
Tony waves his hand and the image shifts to a multi-colored display of the Earth with a patchwork of lines like a spiderweb overlaying the image. “What are those?” Pepper asks looking at the lines.
“Geomagnetic lines” Tony replies. “They are normally very hard to spot. In fact, they are usually not significant enough that you could argue they actually exist. At least until three weeks ago. One of my satellites registered a magnetic surge and all of sudden the lines have not only increased in intensity, but we can spot them from space.”
“What do they do?”
He laughs. “Nothing. It’s like the northern lights. It is supposed to be a harmless phenomenon of the planet, and I would wager than no other satellite could even detect them. I had reconfigured one of the Stark Satellites to look at energy distributions, which required a rather impressive set of remote re-design I might add, to look for what the government was trying to identify when it spotted these. In fact, most instruments wouldn’t even register it if you were standing on it. I went out to the nearest one and I could barely detect it and, as you know, I am pretty much better than anyone else.”
Pepper smiles at the hints of the old Tony arrogance in his story before looking back at the web “So, it’s basically just pretty lights if you use the right camera?” she clarifies.
Tony looks offended. “It is more than a pretty light. It shows magnetic forces in the earth. I thought it might be a form of energy I could tap into as an alternative energy source.”
Pepper sits up. “Wait, is that actually possible?”
He sighs. “Unfortunately, no. Most of the energy is low level EM band so it really doesn’t have enough to do anything.”
Pepper stares for a second before the corners of her mouth turns up. “So, it’s just pretty” she concludes.
He wants to argue, he really does, but he doesn’t reply, and she knows she won the point. He looks back at his display.
Pepper lets him brood for a moment before she interrupts again. “You know, northern California would be very restful” she mentions.
Tony looks over at her for a moment and his eyes drop to her stomach. Finding out she was pregnant had a rather profound impact on the man and they had both been happy but when Pepper suggested that neither Malibu nor New York were the best place for a family, he started to agree.
“It is. Maybe a cabin by a lake?” he offers tentatively and sees the surprise in her eyes.
“Roughing it? You?” she challenges.
“Well, semi-roughing it. I can incorporate some tech into the cabin so we can both work, but we could also unplug. Might be good for little Morgan.”
Pepper smiles. She didn’t object to the name, and actually liked that it would work for either a boy or a girl and getting a place closer to nature could be a really good thing. And if he could put in some tech for them, then she could continue to run Stark Industries from there and Tony could work on his projects. He thinks she doesn’t realize that he has been updating his armor, but Friday talks to her too. “It might be good for all of us.”
“Any new word on the UN?” Steve asks looking over at Colonel Rhodes.
The man shakes his head. “Things are barely hanging on and most governments are still staggering from the losses. With half the government officials gone, the sudden increase in orphaned kids, food stores and farms with way too much food, things are really dicey out there. It is going to take a long time before things even get slightly better since we lost so many who would be the ones who would be dealing with all of this.”
“We are hearing the same thing on other worlds” Carol says and Rocket nods as he absentmindedly tinkers with some piece of equipment that nobody recognizes.
“There are riots and collapses everyone” Nebula adds. “With the destruction on Xandar from Thanos’ attack to obtain the Power Stone and the additional losses from his plan’s success, there has been significant loss of life everywhere. Many worlds subject to the Kree have started to rebel and their military forces are suddenly reduced so much that they cannot maintain their hold. It is getting worse.”
“Or better” Rocket mutters “too many of those uptight bastards.”
Carol and Nebula both look at Rocket but don’t really call him on it. Neither one of them is particularly upset about the losses of the Kree.
“Can Wakanda help at all?” Steve asks looking at the holographic display of Okoye.
“Our hands are full at the moment. We are providing aid to many nations on the continent but mostly it is advice. The Council has made no decision about who will succeed T’challa.”
Natasha looks up from her display. “I thought M’Baku would be the next in line?”
“He has refused. He has said with the loss of the ritual that made our King the new Black Panther, there are some who feel that the line of Kings has been broken. Since there can be no new Black Panther, there can be no new king. Right now the Council is ruling as a group, but the damage done by Killmonger has shaken my people” Okoye admits grudgingly.
“Is there anything we can do to help?” Steve asks the general.
“No. Not unless you can restore what has been lost” she says with the despair that just about everyone seems to be dealing with because of their losses.
“I hate to say this, but I am not able to stay here” Carol says looking at the others. “There are a lot of worlds out there that need help.”
“We can help as well” Nebula says and Rocket looks up at both women and nods. The last of the Guardians is a lot quieter than he used to be.
“We could use you here” Rhodey tells all three of them.
“Not really” Carol says with a sad smile. “You don’t really need us, but there is a lot more we can do up there. We will stay in touch and can coordinate when we need to.”
“I can set you up with communication through the compound” Natasha offers and they all nod.
“Any word on the government?” Steve asks Rhodes.
The colonel laughs. “No. The President has asked for the Avengers to speak to the new Congress once they get replacements and she has also asked if the three of us” he points to Steve and Natasha “will brief some people about things. He looks at Carol “I think it would help if you would come before you head out to give her people some idea about what’s going on out there.”
Carol nods.
“Okay. Let’s make this regular. Everyone plan to check in once a month at this time. If you have information the others need to know, reach out and someone will be here” Natasha says looking around the room and everyone nods. Okoye’s hologram turns off and Rhodey and Carol walk off with Nebula and Rocket.
“Any word on Banner?” Steve asks looking over at Natasha.
She shakes her head absently. “Not since you last asked. He said he needed to figure out how to deal with his ‘other guy’ problem.”
“And Thor?”
“He went to New Asgard, but hasn’t responded to any of my efforts” she says fiddling with the display and changing the information there.
“And Barton?”
She doesn’t reply, just shakes her head. Clint had gone off the map after the Snap, but it appeared that Laura and all three of their kids were lost. His monitor was left behind on the farm though all of his weapons, the ones Natasha knew were there and hidden where not even the government would find them, were gone.
“What are you looking at Nat?” Steve finally says with exasperation.
Natasha looks up and smiles tiredly. “Something we could have missed” she tells him with a shrug, and she shuts down the display, the name Beacon Hills disappearing as the screen went dark. “What do you want to do next?”
Chapter Text
Running his fingers across the cool surface of the counter he smiled at the look of the kitchen. He wonders if Derek had gotten Lydia involved in any of the planning for it considering how amazing it looked but considering how understated and warm it feels he decides that Derek probably did most of it on his own. Stiles wonders how much of it was like the Hale’s original kitchen. Cora had simply looked at it when it was finished and sniffed before leaving. Maybe it wasn’t Lydia but Cora who had helped Derek plan it out. Either way, it was incredible, and Stiles was impressed.
“The kitchen really looks amazing.”
Stiles looks up and sees Allison standing in the door to the kitchen with a warm smile on her face. “The whole place does really. I can’t believe how much they did in six months.”
It was a long six months, but in many ways restoring the Hale House, well it was actually now a whole complex since it was more than a single building, has become something of a cathartic experience for many of those who worked on it. He knew that for many of the magical beings it was done in appreciation for Stiles and all he had done for them, but even the humans who were not supposed to really know about things seemed to take a special interest in the work.
“Are they done?” Allison asks walking in and running her fingers along the stove that looked like it belonged in a restaurant, able to cook for an army.
“The regular parts” Stiles confirms. “Some of the enchantments and magic will take some time, but the structure is done. The other buildings still have a bit to go to finish up” he added glancing out the window at them.
“Scott said you sold your house” she asks in a soft voice.
He shrugs. “Not exactly, but yeah. I offered it to the Nelsons to make into their own home. They have been really great with everything, and they deserve someplace, and I don’t need it anymore” he adds with a sad voice that Allison truly understands.
“So, you are moving in…for real?” she asks.
He nods. “Usilis organized a team and they moved all of our…the stuff from the house and they had already emptied the loft and all of that stuff to here. I’ve put most of it in storage, but with the school and my library here, it didn’t make a lot of sense to stay there alone. I moved the warder stone here but left the minor protective stones for them to use to make their own protections.”
Allison smiled. “They probably won’t need something as bad ass as you had” she tells him with a smirk. He smiles.
“What did you and Scott finally decide?” he asks.
Allison sighs and leans against the counter. “He is going to ‘loan’ his house to the Taylors” she tells him, and he nods remembering the young family of four. Connor and Robin and brought their son and daughter to Beacon Hills shortly after the Snap and had joined Scott’s pack when their Alpha had been lost and their pack crumbled with the loss of her and her mate. With no successor, things got a bit heated, and they left. Stiles was pretty sure that Robin being a nurse was a big part of the reason that Scott had liked the young family so quickly. And Connor had found plenty to do as an electrician. “I know Scott said it, but thank you again for all the help.”
Stiles smiles. The bank in town had lost several of its key executives and the new guy in charge had basically gone stupid. While people were still trying to figure out things, he started demanding mortgage payments and threatening to foreclose on people’s homes. Kids who lost parents were being told they would be kicked out unless they paid for their parent’s loans even though housing values had all crashed massively with the Snap. Stiles had decided that Cora and Marin would be perfect to deal with that. With a dip into the Hale accounts, Cora had quickly moved to buy out the bank’s debts and managed to get just over 50% control. At the next meeting she had fired the entire board, including the miserable little worm and informed the other stockholders that she was going to forgive all the loans. They panicked until she offered to buy all outstanding shares, which considered how much they had lost was far below what it had been worth, but they jumped on it. After securing nearly 100% of the bank’s ownership, Cora Hale was now officially the bank President and had frozen all actions and started adjusting things. With a rather large fund from the Hale Accounts that Stiles had wholeheartedly supported, she suddenly had money, which meant the bank did.
Two months after that? Beacon Hills did not have one foreclosed house, people were borrowing money again, and after a rather contentious city meeting, the Hale Family had bought up large numbers of for sale property in the county and began her and Marin’s revitalization plan. The rest of California, the country, and the world was scrambling, but here in Beacon Hills they were stable.
And Cora had also taken steps to make sure all of the pack’s families were taken care of. The homes of the pack (Stilinski, McCall, Argent, Boyd, and Reyes) were all cleared of all debt. Jackson’s father had been appointed to represent the area to Congress, so he and his wife had kept their place though they weren’t there very much and of course Mayor Martin was doing fine. Cora made sure that no family lost their home which pretty much reminded everyone of how things were when the Hales were there. Which also explains why she was voted onto the city council, over her objections, with over 90% of the vote.
Scott had managed to avoid her fate only because he informed everyone that he would be taking over the vet practice and he needed to focus on that, so he was allowed to decline gracefully as he hired one of his betas who was also a vet to help train him in the practice. Allison was fairly certain that Boyd was going to be asked to join the Sheriff’s office once he graduated based on how he was helping Tara and Parrish.
“You all are moving into your place then?” he asks breaking her train of thought and she nods.
“It makes sense. We have more space there for all of us” she says with a smile. Scott had pretty much moved in within a week after everything and brought Eddie with him. Two days later they inherited Billy whose parents were among the lost and a week after that they had two little girls, sisters aged 4 and 6 who lost their parents in the Snap and were brought to Beacon Hills with some of the refugees. Suddenly she and Scott were parents to two teens who were only a few years younger than them and two toddlers. Not that they were unique in that respect. Just about everyone in the packs had taken in the kids who needed it or just joined up to help each other out. Her house definitely had more space.
“Aiden was busy at the loft” she adds with a smirk. The other alpha had tried to resist Stiles’ push for him to move into the loft, but it made sense. He needed space for his pack as well and with Derek having owned the whole building, it didn’t take much before the entire place was being renovated. He had argued to leave the loft separate but Stiles had the Brownies not only empty the place out but then moved all of Aiden’s things in while he was out training one afternoon. His new pack really liked having their own den.
“Good. His pack needs their Alpha in their own space” he says and decides to show off a bit more of the house as they walked and talked. “Cora and Yvette moved their stuff here last week so he can have the last unit for his pack.”
Allison isn’t surprised. Cora had not been able to adjust to the other pack moving in very well, though she did try to hide it. She ended up staying with Erica and Boyd or Stiles most nights until Yvette finally made the decision and picked out a room for herself and one for Cora. The Hale Chronicler had come home to a horde packing out all their belongings, along with Peter’s, to come here. “What did you do with Peter’s things?” Allison asks.
“We put them in his suite” he says with a shrug. “Malia likes being able to spend time there, says it makes her feel connected to him” he says and she nods. Finding Peter’s daughter had been a bit of a surprise to the rest of the pack. Stiles had showed up one day about two months ago with the were coyote who was nearly feral, looking nervous but hopeful. Stiles had explained what had happened to her and Cora and Yvette had pretty much taken her cousin in and were helping the newly discovered Hale with being human again after Scott and Cora had helped her to shift back to human.
“I’m glad you won’t be here alone” she tells him, and he looks at her with the sad smile that is his normal nowadays.
“I set up a suite for Erica and Boyd, but they decided that they are staying at his grandmother’s so that his sister doesn’t have to move. Not to mention their two new kids” he says with a snicker. The pair had not managed to avoid taking in some of the orphans, though they didn’t seem to mind. “Boyd finally proposed” he mentions and Allison smiles. She knew.
“Erica told me. Showed me the ring too. They decided they wanted to get it done soon” she adds shaking her head.
“I think that we should do it in the clearing” Stiles says with a thoughtful look. “Would be nice if all our friends could come” he adds.
Allison smiles brightly, dimples showing. “That is a wonderful idea. I don’t think Erica would have considered it though I think she was hoping to do something here afterwards. She wanted everyone to come but wasn’t sure how her parents would react.”
Stiles waves that off and opens the doors to the library. “We will work it out. Might be nice to have a new tradition for celebrations.”
Allison agrees and proceeds to ‘ooh’ and ‘aah’ as Stiles shows her around the house. It’s not like she hasn’t seen most of it, but it has been a few weeks since she last came, and the final touches really do help. Scott asked about getting married, but they decided to wait a bit longer. Maybe next year when the girls are more settled in. Eddie and Billy have been great helps, but both of the sisters are still struggling with the change. One human and one wolf, the girls do have great taste in that they have completely attached themselves to her and Scott, but strangely enough Cara, the little wolf, has become Allison’s shadow while Elizabeth gets nervous whenever Scott isn’t nearby.
It’s been a tough time, but things are starting to settle down. Allison still has bad nights where she cries in his arms, but he does too. Losing their parents sucks, but they have responsibilities now. She sighs. She has a phone meeting with Clarissant later today that she needs to get back for. The Grand Matriarch has been pretty open with talking with her. The remaining hunters have been struggling to recover from everything, but the Argent family is staying strong. Allison was formally made Matriarch for the family in America last month so every remaining Argent hunter in North America has been reaching out to report in. She really didn’t think there was this much boring stuff with the job.
“He’s a good ally to have” she says carefully to the other woman’s image. She doesn’t look particularly impressed. “You haven’t noticed anything unusual in your area?”
She frowns. “We have been monitoring some strange events. Animal migration patterns changing, some springs and wells that had gone dry suddenly flowing again, and a rather sudden surge in a number of animals who had a rather unexpected increase in the number of births this season” she admits slowly. “There have also been signs that some of the forests we have been watching are seeing new growth.” She looks at the other woman and sees the satisfaction in her face. “Exactly what you suggested we watch for. But how did he do this?”
“Would you believe me if I said magic?”
She sighs. “You westerners assume you know everything. We know that there is more than science at work.”
“I’m Russian, that is technically Eastern” Natasha says with a smirk.
Okoye glares lightly. “Regardless, how is a boy responsible?”
“I think you might need to meet him to understand.”
“If you truly think so, bring him to us” the general decides.
Natasha laughs “Well, that’s the problem. He can’t leave California. So you would need to go there.”
Okoye frowns. “Wakanda is still unsettled. I cannot leave at this time.” Her tone brooks no concession or option. She lifts up her chin and the ball is back in the Russian’s hands.
Natasha frowns for a bit before she gets an idea that would help her as well. “I could ask Stark to set up a communications station for him so he can talk to us” she suggests.
Okoye looks a bit surprised at that. “I thought you wanted to keep him secret. Even from the others” she reminds the former spy.
“Stark already knows about him. And he’s curious about him too. I will see if Stark can do something to keep him off anyone’s radar, though that’s more for their benefit than his. I’ve seen him and his friends in action and I would not want to get on their bad side.”
“Let me know when we can speak” Okoye says, and her hologram cuts out abruptly.
“And goodbye to you too” Natasha says to the empty air. She doesn’t really hold it against the Wakandan general. She has pretty much become the representative of Wakanda to the rest of the world while also holding a seat on the new Wakanda Ruling Council. The others focused on their own people, but Okoye was more concerned with the security of her country and knew that she needed to keep an eye on the rest of the world. Not to mention that Wakanda was providing significant levels of support to the entire African continent.
Natasha looks over at the screen to see her waiting messages. It would take a few days to get any time to talk to Stark considering how busy they all were, but she could make it happen. The question was what could the kid actually do? She spoke to Stiles about three months after the Snap and he had shared what was happening there which lined up with some strange reports that she had seen, not to mention the information about how the area was rebounding faster than anywhere with people moving there. Well, Stiles said most of them were not technically ‘people’ in the truest sense and she was not going to deal with that. The kid was welcome to handle all the werewolves, ghouls, ghosts, and whatever else was moving there. God only knows how people would react to that news. She hadn’t even talked about it with the other avengers and still wasn’t planning to anytime soon. No, young Mr. Stilinski was a potentially incredible ally and information source that no one in any intelligence community had any idea existed and she was going to keep it that way for the foreseeable future. You never showed all your weapons before a fight.
“Do you think it should be during the day or at night?” Erica says looking at the table and everything laid out there.
Allison and Kira both look thoughtful. “If we do it at night, we could have Stiles do some cool fairy lights. Not to mention the pixies” Kira muses.
“But if we do during the day, I bed the dryads and druids could make everything bloom. Imagine all the flowers and the colors. Not to mention the perfumes” Allison counters.
Erica bites a bit on her thumb. “What do you think?” she asks the young girl beside her.
Teresa Boyd looks at the pictures and points to one that looks like what Allison described “That is really pretty, but can’t we also have lights as well?”
Erica nods and smiles at Boyd’s sister’s suggestion. “Don’t see why not.”
They move some more pictures around before Allison sighs and Erica looks at the sad expression. “I know. Lydia would know exactly what to do” she says and Allison nods in agreement. More than once during the planning both girls have commented on the banshee’s skills and how her absence was affecting all of them.
“Miss Erica?” a small voice pipes up and the beta turns to look at the young Brownie who appeared.
“Yes?”
“Have you thought to ask the Lady of the Woods for suggestions?” she asks shyly.
The girls look confused for a second before Allison gets it. “Princess Eriphise! That’s a great idea!”
“Do you know how to reach her?” Erica asks and the young brownie nods.
“She is at the clearing and is very willing to speak to you.”
They all gather up everything and head out of the Hale House for the Stone Clearing and arrive to see Eriphise and several other dryads dancing in the clearing.
“Join us!” the dryad princess calls out and with Teresa joining in first the others soon follow and dance among the trees as flowers bloom around them before they finally collapse in a heap near the center over 30 minutes later with the other woodland spirits drifting away with the sounds of music and laughter carried on the wind as the dance off.
“You wish to marry your wolf” Eriphise states looking at the blonde who nods after they have all caught their breath again.
“There are several rituals that were done long ago if you would like to hear?”
“Yes please. We just are not traditional or normal and though my mom hates it, I don’t want some stuffy thing. I want something…”
“Affirming” Allison says softly but all of them nod in agreement.
“Well, there are some old rituals of joining that we remember. Let me tell you about the ways that things like that used to be done.”
“The President asked if you would be coming to the White House next week” Natasha mentions looking at the monitor at the man there who, though facing away from her, she could tell he had rolled his eyes.
“I’m busy” he muttered.
“I am aware. 15 new patents in the last week is a bit much even for you.”
He laughs. “Not really. Besides all she wants is for us to stand around and smile for the cameras. I don’t have time for that garbage.”
“People like to see Iron Man. You are one of the things that makes people feel safer” she explains. Again.
He snorts. “Safer? We’re not safer. Not anymore.”
“Thanos is dead Tony.”
There is a slight crash as he reacts and glares at her. “I know that, but too little too late.”
“What do you want Tony? We made a call, each of us did and we lost.”
“If he hadn’t…”
“Hadn’t what Tony? Do you really think if you and Steve were all perfect and happy that this wouldn’t have happened?”
“We could have prepared!” Tony shouts.
Natasha looks him in the eye. “You of all people know that isn’t true. There was no way in the time we had, with the technology we had, with the political situation the world was in…Tony we could not have developed a defense against Thanos in a few years. Carol told us he decimated Xandar to get one stone. And that was a world that was centuries ahead of us technologically with a massive corps of fighters who fought on a galactic scale to actively protect their people with ships, weapons, and more. Even if we had all signed the Accords or we had all refused, the outcome would have been the same and you know it.” She sighs heavily. “We need the two of you working together.”
“I wanted that before he ran off” Tony replies and goes back to his experiment.
Natasha stares for a bit before sighing again. They have this argument about once a month, but he moves a little each time. At this rate he might be ready in five or so years. “So, no on the press tour?” she asks and smirks as he just grunts.
She waits for a few seconds, but he doesn’t seem to be paying attention working on some kind of drone or similar machine. “On another topic, I was wondering if you could set up a holographic communications system for a friend out in California so we can talk more easily.”
Tony grunts showing he heard her but still isn’t paying attention. “Use a phone” he grunts.
“I could, but some of our conversations might be a bit…sensitive and I would prefer not to have them be able to be overheard or monitored. The system you set up here is the best, even Okoye admitted to that, and you know she doesn’t give out compliments very often.”
Tony looks up at the screen and stares at her for a moment. “You are attempting to appeal to my ego” he tells her.
“Not at all” she says innocently. “I mean no one could rightfully have expected you to know how much more advanced than everyone else Wakanda was. Shuri’s technological expertise may have been better than yours, but she does come from a much more advanced country. It would be like comparing Space Age era America and Tsarist Russia. It’s not really fair to hold you up to that level of advancement.”
He stares at the rather casual way she said that and knows she is trying to rile him up, but its’ working. Tony Stark prided himself on being one of, if not the, smartest man on Earth. Dealing with aliens was a struggle and seeing tech that was far beyond him was tough, but he didn’t ever believe that no one else could invent things. He could handle smart aliens. But finding out that a kid from a country no one had heard of was probably the best engineer on the planet had seriously bruised his ego especially as he had not gotten to even meet her! Not to mention that their country had apparently discovered powered flight in 1790! Over a century before the Wright brothers, the Wakandans were working out the bugs on avionics and if they had not been isolationists, could have very easily conquered the whole planet during WWI if they had chosen to. The thing that gets Tony Stark angry is how much better things could be if they had shared their knowledge earlier. The world could be centuries ahead even. Though to be fair, he seriously doubts Europe or America would have been able to accept Wakanda as an equal any time in the last 400 years without being conquered by them.
“But she’s not there anymore unfortunately. But most of her tech was about protecting her people, so I wonder whose side she would really be on?”
Natasha acknowledges the point. Okoye has been helpful, but the Wakandans are not used to taking leadership in world affairs and the world isn’t used to that yet either. “Fair. But since Okoye has said your system is workable” she pauses as he sputters at that description “I was hoping you could add another point like you did for Carol and the Milano. Not to mention keeping the government from worrying about things they don’t need to know.”
Tony perked up a little. He wasn’t too fond of keeping secrets, but he wasn’t entirely opposed to keeping them from the government. “What things?”
Natasha looks disinterested but he isn’t buying her façade. “Werewolves?” she says lightly, and he freezes for a moment.
“Werewolves?” he whispers and suddenly he wants to smack himself. How could he have forgotten all of that stuff from before Thanos’ attack. Sure he was busy with the fight and the loss and then finding out Pepper was pregnant and preparing for a baby, but how on Earth could he have forgotten about that damn crazy town up state where he had modified the video feed of that hospital fight. Pepper had even mentioned going up there to visit it and they had both somehow managed to lose track of the idea entirely.
“I see you remember” Natasha says dryly. “I was hoping you might provide me with the stuff to install it? I could swing by and pick it up?” she offers.
Tony stands up and puts down his tool. “No. I think a visit would be good for me and Pepper. We wanted to check out the place anyways so I can swing by and drop it off and meet our little friend. Send me the details” he says switching off the call before she can object.
Natasha leans back in her chair, the annoyed expression sliding away to be replaced by a smirk. She will wait a bit before letting Pepper know it worked. He had been too long in his lab working on his latest project and she was at her wits end to get him to take a break. They still hadn’t figured out where they were going to permanently live but getting Tony out of his lab was the necessary first step to all of that. And she did need Stiles to have the new system. She wondered for a second if she should warn him about Tony showing up, but thinking to how he reacted to her, she decided not to. Tony has dealt with fans before; this should be fun to see unfold. Besides, if she times it right with Pepper, she might even get to watch.
“We’re home!” Elizabeth yelled happily as she rushed into the door screaming.
“Wash your hands!” Allison called out and smiled as she heard the wail of disappointment followed by the stomping of little feet. “Busy?” she asked in a quieter voice as Scott walked in, came up and gave her a kiss.
“Not too bad. Mrs. Jones dog, Nellie, had her puppies yesterday so we went by to check them out. Six healthy puppies. Elizabeth is in love” he says slyly.
“Absolutely not. Not till they are older. I have enough people here shedding as it is.”
Scott groaned. “Dog jokes, really? You need to stop hanging out with Stiles.”
Allison laughed. “Sorry, but team human needs their time together. Especially since we added Yvette.”
Scott rolls his eyes. “I don’t see how a necromancer and the most kick ass mage on the planet are still ‘team human’ though.”
Allison looks up from the salad she is making. “If you don’t shed, you get invited” she says sweetly and points to the large serving bowls ready to go. “Wash up and call the boys.”
The next hour sees the Mcall-Argent family having a loud and rather boisterous dinner. Eddie and Billy teasing the girls who have really come out of their shells since coming to live with them. Then it is off to upstairs to do homework before tv time leaving Allison and Scott to clean up.
“Shouldn’t we have the boys helping?” Scott asks remembering more than a few times he had to clean up when he was their age. “Or what about” he looks around guiltily “you know?”
“They are helping the girls with their schoolwork and doing theirs too. Besides, I am not putting more work on Nasch. She has enough to do keeping up with the six of us.” Allison smacks him with the towel before getting more serious. “How did the pack meeting go?” she asks.
Scott shakes his head easily. “Pretty good actually. The new system you suggested seems to be working. Appointing a lieutenant to work with about two dozen betas each has really helped. I meet with the eight of them each week and we are going to do monthly full-pack meetings, full moon of course.”
“Of course” Allison says with a smile.
“And everyone knows how to reach me, but I think that a lot of the pack actually likes this better. Especially some of the older members.”
“It’s hard for them” Allison says knowingly, and Scott agrees. He has nearly a dozen betas old enough to be his grandparents and one who is almost 90! But his eight lieutenants, though they have no extra powers, have allowed him to take advantage of some of the experience in his pack. Six of the eight are born wolves with two who were bitten in their teens. All of them are older than he is with four of them his parent’s age, one in their twenties, and one 53. They are good betas and have really made things easier for him.”
“Did Aiden like the idea?” she asks.
Scott chuckles. “Yeah. He had already kind of done something that but liked the formal titles, so he just upped his six to the position. I was talking with Alphas Ferris and Roberts, and they are both thinking about doing it with their larger numbers. Alpha Delgado likes his system, so he is fine.”
“I am surprised to admit I miss some of them. We haven’t had any visits in months” Allison reminds him.
“Well, that is kind of what I wanted to speak to you about” he says sheepishly, and Allison turns to look at him with some concern.
“About what.”
“Alpha Ito reached out and suggested that since we have a big event coming up, maybe we could use it to have a gathering beforehand and then they could celebrate with us.”
Allison looks confused for a moment before she suddenly laughs. “They want to use Erica and Boyd’s wedding to have a pack gathering?” she gasps out.
Scott turns a bit red but laughs along with her. “Yeah. Alpha Ito thinks that it would be good to reconnect everyone and remind us that we all answer to the High Alpha, but she also thinks that the wedding might start some healing, especially when packs can come back together and see old friends again. What do you think?” he asks seriously.
Allison wipes a tear but realizes he is a bit worried. And she knows why. “Scott, if this was before, a gathering like this would draw every hunter on the continent here, but that isn’t going to happen now. It will be safe and as a hunter, I don’t object, especially if Stiles reminds all of the packs of the rules. With Stiles’ territory stabilizing, it probably would be in everyone’s interest. I am happy to inform the Council, but maybe after the fact” she adds thoughtfully.
Scott smiles as he had pretty much thought the same thing. “So, you wanna tell Erica?” he offers and she laughs in his face.
“Not a chance True Alpha. She is your beta so you can spring on her that her wedding list just increased by about 500 or so” and she smiles as he winces. “Don’t worry. She will fuss for a bit but being the bride in the biggest wedding of the year will calm her nerves.”
“You realize this will probably happen again when its our turn” he says with a smirk.
Allison glares for a bit before she sighs. As much as she hates to admit it, he’s right. The fact is that all of the original Hale Pack has had responsibility, duty, and work piled on them since the Snap. Stiles has been managing all of the Emissaries through Marin, not to mention contact with the magical folk. Scott and Aiden have been leading the packs while Erica and Boyd, though not Alphas are pretty much treated as ones by the others. Every beta female under 20 seems to be following Erica around to the dismay of their mothers and the joy of the boys. Cora has six fellow chroniclers that have started managing the library at the school as well as collecting pack histories and she is apparently planning a trip to Mexico where the Hales have some older records in storage. Even Kira has been thrust into leadership when three other Kitsune showed up in the last two months to take up residence in the territory.
“By the way, I think I should let you know about a slight hunter problem that you should probably know about” Allison says with a sigh.
Scott frowns. “What problem? I thought things were settled?”
“You remember William Parker?” she whispers as she slams down a pot rather loudly to make sure no other ears hear her.
Scott frowns but then recognition comes. “Eddie?” he mouths without speaking and she nods.
“His cousin and a few friends decided to get some revenge for how things turned out and left without permission.”
Scott’s eyes flash. “Do we know where they are?”
Allison smiles. “Sort of.” He frowns at her. “Well, I know where they were, but as of this moment I don’t.”
Scott stares at her and the lack of concern and finally gives up. “Okay, I give. Why aren’t you worried?”
Allison smirks. “I have my own sources now Scott. I got word about a week ago that they were coming here and had a team waiting to intercept them. Caught them in Denver.”
Scott relaxes. “Stiles is not going to be happy” he mutters.
“Well…” Allison draws the word out slowly and Scott suddenly looks worried.
“Allie…”
“Hey, Stiles’ territory does not reach to Denver Scott. So technically, he didn’t have jurisdiction yet.”
Scott pauses and admits she is right. “Okay, so since they didn’t do anything, we can’t really take any action I guess.”
Allison snorts. “You can’t. As Matriarch however, I can. I had them beaten within an inch of their lives and broke every finger on every hand. They won’t be pulling triggers or bows anytime soon.”
Scott looks at her in stunned silence before he sputters “ALLISON! You didn’t!?”
Allison looks at her partner and smiles sadly. “Scott, I didn’t want to, but they were coming here to cause problems. If they had crossed the line, then Stiles would have had to act and that could have been worse simply because the hunters would blame the packs. By me doing it, I made sure that they couldn’t blame anyone else, and I reminded them that while I am on your side, I am not to be messed with.” She looks a bit sad before she smiles just a bit “Hesitation or mercy is not needed right now. They weren’t the first ones that have decided to test us, they just got the closest. I have hunters watching all along the edges of the territory Scott. I am not going to allow some morons with delusions screw things up.” She looks at his conflicted expression and sighs. “Scott, Clarrisant and Matriarch Boutin have both caught hunters trying to come here and those hunters didn’t survive their punishments. A few broken bones was a kindness.”
“They killed them?!” Scott yelps.
Allison nods. “They really don’t want Stiles to get pissed at them” she reminds him and then hears sounds of the horde descending.
“MOANA!” Cara yells out racing into the tv room before the others. Both Allison and Scott smile as the fight breaks out over what to watch. The four-year-old beta loves the movie and they are pretty sure that she will manage to convert Eddie in no time and then it was over. They walked into the living room to see the four all grabbing seats and smiled. Allison was never planning on being a teen mother but, oh well.
Chapter Text
“The spell is stable and” Marin says cautiously as she looks around the circle of magic users.
“We just need the final piece” Stiles says and with a mental snap he connects their spell to the large standing stones and once they are in place, he reaches down to the ley lines beneath them to create the final connection and then there is a sudden surge and each of them feel a rush of energy from the feedback before a soft hum takes its place.
“I can feel it” Yvette says reverentially. “Like a tingle all over.”
“I think I hear words, repeated over and over, but they are whispered. I can’t make them out, but I hear them” Lyra add.
“Each type of magic will feel the spell slightly differently" Stiles says finally relaxing on the grass as he feels the weight from the danger and all their working suddenly seems to disappear now that they have done it.
“But will it work?” Christina Nelson asks in wonder.
“I believe so” Martinique tells her looking at the enchanter and her husband. “The combination of our magics are layered like no other spell I have seen or even heard of.”
“We hope” Gwen adds. She had moved to Beacon Hills from Berkeley permanently a month after the Snap and had joined with the other transplants in setting up the new Beacon Hills Coven. “The theory is sound, but as we know, it has never been done before.”
Stiles smiles as he thinks back over the last few months of work as they prepared the spell. Using the core of their magics, each group of magic users focused on a different element before bringing them together. The Nelsons and the other enchanters created a vessel to hold the spell by cementing the elements to the stone pylons. The Witches and Druids created the connections to the living things in the territory with spells that focused their purpose on the memory and perceptions of people within their reach. The alchemists created potions that were used to feed trees around the territory, their effects allowed them to create living amplifiers that repeated the spell through the life cycle of everything. Yvette and the necromancers created a parallel web to the witches and druids’ spells that tied their work to the very life force of the people within the spell's effect. Finally, Master Lyra and the other sorcerers cast spells tied in to the rest that were designed to interfere and confound any technology in the spell’s area.
Once they all had that, Stiles tied the spells to the ley lines to not only provide energy to power the spells but also wove it to repeat them over and over on all levels. Now that it was cast, Stiles could feel the subtle influences of the magic blanketing the area, flowing to the edges of his territory like a fog that seeps into everything. He can feel the effects echoing within each of the spells and smiles. If it works like it should, then people will be inclined to actively disbelieve anything strange that they see and instead see it as something normal, so if they see a dragon this time, they would think it was a bird instead. Gwen got that idea from some of her favorite fantasy books and actually managed to work it in to their efforts. The sorcery cast by Lyra’s team will actually cause cameras, cellphones, and other technology to glitch or loop over themselves so even if someone manages to be aware, it would basically scramble things before they even could try to record what they were seeing. And when people leave the territory, the memories of what they did see for those that did not fully know about magic and the supernatural would quickly fade away like dreams. The only ones unaffected would be those who were completely aware of things, but Stiles had added an extra layer of protection for that as well. Unless the person was magical or supernatural themselves, it would be almost impossible for them to talk about or relay information to those that didn’t know already so if someone did know about things and then left and tried to tell someone, they would garble their words or be misunderstood.
“Since most of us do not speak to others about our magics, it is not unexpected that such an effort would be uncertain as it has rarely been done and even then, any such attempt was long ago and we have only whispers and rumors” Kiran says with a quiet voice “but with the changes our High Alpha is making, it may very well be the first of many new magics.”
Stiles stares at his old friend and teacher with gratitude. The monk was working on creating a temple about 50 miles from Beacon Hills, but he was not in a rush “it will happen when the time is right” he had explained when Stiles had asked if he needed any assistance.
“So, since this is officially done, can we talk about the school?” Martinique asks looking at the teen who smiles happily.
“Let me ask Vorgin to join us” Stiles says and signals the brownie standing by to assist the magic users who disappears with a nod. “The primary structures are done, and I think you will like the layout we came up with. We did a four-story structure with two floors above ground and two below. I would like to spend the next couple of months getting organized and ready with the plan to start to take students at the beginning of next school year, assuming we have enough interest.”
Quite a few of them laugh and smile at that. “Stiles, you do realize that there is going to be a possible blood bath from students wanting in?” Gwen says with a snort. “I know of over 100 witches alone that have been reaching out to express interest and I am pretty sure that all of the rest of us do as well” she adds looking around at everyone who is nodding in agreement.
Stiles looks a bit shocked. It still surprises him when things like this happen. After the Snap, he really wondered if people would even want to come after losing so much. “I guess that we need to figure out who gets accepted then?” he mutters just as the Centaur elder comes up with a satchel of materials to share with the group.
“Patience my friend. You have our support in this as well” Kiran says softly as everyone heads to see what Vorgin brought.
“Can you not speak with him?” Gudrid asks her looking frustrated.
Brunnhilde looks up from the nets she is helping move to the boat at the witch and her colleague. The two of them had been after her for an audience with Thor for nearly three months now. “I have tried, but whether his Majesty chooses to speak with you or not is his decision.” The Valkyrie brushes off her hands as yet another of the refugee Asgardians asks for her intervention.
“We respect Thor’s grief and sorrow for all that we have lost Milady, but we would not push if it was not of great importance to the throne” Arnfinn says desperately.
She sighs. “His majesty is…busy” she says and curses knowing how hollow it sounds. But the last few months she has barely seen Thor except when he was collecting beer and other drink to drown in. The aliens Korg and Miek are the only ones to see him regularly as they live together, and she isn’t up to dealing with either of them right now.
Both of the other Asgardians look at each other for some time before Arnfinn finally looks at her. “As a Valkyrie, you were the hands of the All Father. We could tell you our concerns and then you could speak to the Odinson?” he suggests.
She sighs and wonders again how she, someone who left Asgard for so long, has managed to get dragged back into all of this. But she nods anyway.
“When Thanos Snapped and wiped out half of all life, we had only just arrived here” he begins and she nods. The fight with the Titan had been a brutal one and she had still resented that Thor had ordered her and most of the civilians to flee while he stayed behind with Heimdall, Hulk, and Loki to fight. She had led the band to Earth as planned only to lose half of them barely a day after they arrived.
“But there was a reaction on Earth that we felt shortly after it happened” Gudrid picked up the story. “There was an echo of power in the Earth’s energy that we hadn’t felt from Earth before that reminded us of Asgard. As if some part of the shining realm had come here.”
Brunnhilde suddenly looks concerned, worried that somehow Hela or Surtur may have survived. “Wait. What?”
Arnfinn looks concerned. “We felt the energy of Asgard here and we investigated using our gifts and it took time, but we finally found it.”
“Found what?”
“A branch of Yggdrasil” the druid says with reverence.
The Valkyrie looks caught off guard. “A branch of the World Tree? But I thought that Yggdrasil’s branches were metaphysical not corporeal in the other realms. We could travel them through the gates and portals, and the Bifrost, but they did not have a physical presence on the others of the nine worlds. With the destruction of Asgard, the World Tree should have been lost.”
Gudrid smiles happily at the woman’s understanding. “That is what we believed but it is not the case. We have found a tree, a sapling really, a true physical embodiment of Yggdrasil here on Earth, just a few leagues from our new home!”
Brunnhilde looks skeptical. “Wait, so this branch just happens to be located here?”
The witch nods, her smile growing. “The All-Father died here. Lord Thor told of this when he mentioned this place as a possible new home” she reminds the Valkyrie who remembers but doesn’t look convinced. “We believe that his death, in this place, created a link between Asgard and this land and that the World Tree planted a piece of itself here to wait.”
“And then a powerful magic touched it, touched all of Earth, and caused it to grow. It is nearly an adult tree though it has only been brought forth a few months’ time. But it has power, and that power is growing. It needs to be safeguarded” Arnfinn pleads.
Brunnhilde sighs. Yet another thing to manage. But the fact is that if what the two are saying is true, then they need to act. “I will speak with his Majesty but you two need to figure out what we need to do to secure the tree and keep it safe. I will arrange for some of the guard to be stationed there. Maybe we can create a small settlement there as well to keep an eye on it without raising any attention.”
“We can cloak it with our magic” Gudrid offers, and she nods her approval.
“Do it. Don’t speak of this to any that do not need to know. But keep me informed” she instructs and they both head out seemingly much happier. Now she just had to figure out how to convince Thor to sober up long enough to give her orders a bit of authority, though now that she thinks of it, there have been several of the Asgardians who were looking to create a place on their own, even more so than here. Deciding to just do it, she turns back to the nets. She will speak with them tomorrow once she has more details and set up a small community near the tree to watch over it, even if they don’t know they are doing it. The witches and other magic users can protect the tree while the others give them cover. She, however, needs to figure out what caused the tree to grow like it did. She didn’t miss that part of the mages story. Something caused it to grow, and she would need them to help her figure out what it was.
“Hello, my dear” Clarrisant says fondly as she answers the video call. The Grand Matriarch was not typically a fan of technology but she did like being able to see who she was speaking with. “And how are things going with you?”
“Hello Grand Matriarch” Allison says respectfully. “They are going well for the most part. A few issues with some rogue hunters who haven’t accepted the changes.”
“Ah, you speak of your recent issue with Mr. Parker?”
Allison shakes her head. She was calling to inform the woman of the situation but what a surprise, she already knew. Ever since the issue with Gerard and Kate, Clarrisant had become driven to root out any disloyalty or problems from the family. She had tightened the controls she had and after the Council’s interaction with Stiles before the Snap, she had been determined to walk a line between the supernatural and the hunter communities to avoid a war.
When the Snap hit, the hunters were hit as hard as everyone else. They had lost three heads of the Great Families and lost many hunters and even some entire families. The supernaturals they dealt with were also cut in half, but it was suddenly much more difficult to manage all their work. Paris had dropped from 11 million people to a little over five and France itself had gone from a nation of over 65 million people to just 33 million. Things had changed so much everywhere. Cities felt like ghost towns and villages and towns often did not have enough people to maintain basic services. But even with those problems, the Grand Matriarch had not changed her focus, she was not going to be caught off guard again.
“You heard?” Allison says with a sigh.
“The message you sent was rather loud and clear my dear. I heard from Matriarch Parsons herself” Clarrisant says with a ghost of a smile remembering that call.
“Will I need to deal with her?” she asks.
The elder Argent shakes her head. “She was annoyed my dear, but the greater share of her displeasure was with the man and his idiotic attempts to start a war. She is not unaware of your Mr. Stilinski’s actions after the Snap. Not with just about every witch and druid treating him like a near divine celebrity. Several of the druids I know have pretty much declared him a living saint” she added with a snort at that image. She imagines that they might think differently if they met him, but then again, remembering his aura when he was angry, they probably would be even more enamored with him.
Allison chuckles and resolves not to share that bit with Stiles. “They felt the changes then?” she had not had a chance to talk about this with the Grand Matriarch with all of the other business on their plates over the last few months.
“Oh yes my dear. We have all heard about it from those we ally with. Even those that are not as tied to the different magic users are aware of the new Nemetons, even if we do not know where they are” she says with an expectant look.
Allison laughs. “Don’t look at me” she says with an easy smile. “I don’t even think that those who helped with the Work know exactly what he did. He apparently added some protections to try and keep them from being noticed by people to keep them safe. Considering” she added.
Clarrisant nods. She had hinted at trying to get information about them from some of the people she knew and the praise and joy at Stilinski’s magic had turned at once suspicious and closed down. If any of the druids or witches she knew had any clue where they were, they were not interested in sharing even with her. And she knew some of them for decades and they had still shut her down, hard. “I suppose it doesn’t matter. The important thing is that we are still alive. So, the Matriarch Parsons is not inclined to be too offended by your actions since the men were not only unsanctioned but were on course to cause us significant problems. Of course, I wouldn't plan a vacation to her territory any time soon either" she adds with a chuckle.
“So, you approve?”
The Argent Grand Matriarch didn’t immediately respond instead she stared at the young Huntress speculatively. “You straddle the line between our worlds my dear” she finally said. “You walk a path we have not chosen to walk before but I believe it is necessary now. I am not blind to what is happening in that territory” she holds up her hand to stop Allison from interrupting. “I do not agree with everything he does, but then I do not agree with my fellow council members on all things either. My greatest concern is exposure and I think that danger is becoming of greater risk with each action he takes” she says in a serious tone.
Allison nods. “Then you might be interested to hear what has happened about that” she says before launching into a rather abbreviated discussion of the process but a detailed explanation of the effect of the new spell on the territory. Clarrisant interrupts only a few times for clarification before Allison gets to the end and looks at the older woman with caution.
She’s impressed. Every time she thinks she has a grasp on the boy, he surprises her. She thinks he would be a wonderful opponent in chess with the way his mind works. “If what you say is true…”
“As far as we can tell it is. I have tried to take several photos and videos on my phone of a couple of instances and something always interferes or messes it up. Even though I am not affected by the spell to forget or be confused, I can’t record anything. And I was talking with someone at the school who saw a brownie clear as day who thought it was just a kid out of class.”
Clarrisant smiles. The Council had been worried about all the magic happening in the boy’s territory, but it seems he has taken appropriate steps to prevent any incidents even before they could bring it up. To be honest, she has more than enough on her plate than to spend time and energy to worry about him. Maybe she needs to shift to a more passive approach to him and convince the others to do the same. Who knows, if they leave him alone maybe they will actually be able to deal with everything else that is going to hell around them.
“It seems you have it well in hand my dear so I will leave it to you for the time being. I would appreciate a more fulsome report at the next Council meeting” she says and Ally smiles in agreement. “Good. Now tell me about our newest Argents!”
Allison laughs. “The girls still have their names but, I have started them on some training to at least get them ready to help out.”
“And the young beta?”
“Cara is training alongside her sister so they can learn to work together” Allison assures her.
“Good! Now that would be a team worth having. Now you have pictures?” she prompts, and Allison laughs and pulls up some of the newest pics of her, Scott, the boys and the girls. The Grand Matriarch had been in support of their taking in kids, but then the family had done it as well with many kids in their own communities. Not all of them would be hunter trained but taking in those who lost parents was something a lot of people had done. Allison smiled and enjoyed the rest of the call as she talked about the progress of the girls in school and training with her Grand Matriarch while ignoring the twinge of pain when she thought about how much her dad would have loved to see both of those girls living in his house.
“Next item?” Natalie asks looking up from her notepad at the Sheriff.
“I moved Doug Bowdin to Beacon County Med Center for the next six weeks” Tara says looking at her list.
Mayor Martin frowns for a second. “Can we spare him?”
“Yes. With Ms. O’Brien officially settled in at the hospital and willing to cover a few shifts when needed I figure we are pretty well covered medically, and they really need the help.” Natalie sighs. "They are pretty much short of all critical staff and more than a few are doing double duty. They are really hurting in the fire department but EMTs like Doug are just as in demand. Not to mention a large part of our population are not exactly calling for medical help” Tara adds with a snort that makes the mayor smile. There were some advantages to having a significant number of self-healing residents.
“Speaking of, do you think we could ask for some help with the fire department? Maybe loan out Deputy Parrish?”
Tara scowls. “Not a chance. I am not giving up even one deputy so you can forget that, especially since you won’t let me hire any new ones.”
Natalie looks disappointed but stares at the other woman. “With what money? You know that our budget is pretty much cut in half. Local taxes, not to mention property taxes, are pretty much non-existent and we are running on fumes. Even consolidating the schools and services around the county has barely had enough impact to cover what we have to do.”
“Then I think we need to revisit our earlier discussion” Tara says with a shrewd look that causes the mayor to frown.
“You know we can’t do that. People are not ready to start foreclosing on properties to resell them” Natalie says with some resignation. The fact was that even though it had been months, people were still grieving, and they just were not ready.
“You know that Stiles and Cora would be willing to buy most of it” she says carefully.
Natalie nods. “I know and I appreciate their willingness, but not discounting how much of town they already own, I don’t think the council will approve it.” The new council was still struggling with a lot of things, mostly in letting go of some of the past, but she was determined to make some progress one way or the other.
“What about property from before?” Tara asks suddenly.
Natalie looks confused. “Before? Before what?”
Tara takes a deep breath. “Before the Snap, we had a number of buildings and properties that had pretty much been abandoned by their owners, owed taxes, not keeping things up. What if we seized those pieces and offered them at auction?”
“And who would come here for an auction for…oh” Natalie gets it. “And since it didn't belong to anyone who was lost in the Snap, or at least had been abandoned long before that, then the council would probably not feel the same resistance to taking steps to sell it off.”
“And as they were already problems for the town, say like the abandoned mall?” Tara prompts.
Natalie gets a very nasty smile. “Oh, we can definitely come up with a rather extensive list of some of those properties, especially in the warehouse district. I am pretty sure we have more than a few that have significant delinquent taxes that the city never went after because there was no real chance to get any revenue from trying to sell it, but if we offered them and a generous buyer wanted to purchase simply by paying the missing taxes…”
“Then we would solve both the budget issues and transfer ownership of those buildings to the pack to take care of.”
Natalie’s smile gets even bigger. “And if they are under pack control, then Mr. Stilinski’s friends will probably protect them from fire and other issues” she says with a laugh. She had been rather surprised when Grania had introduced herself to Natalie not long after the Snap. It seems that the Brownie had been living in her house for some time by then after fighting off several others to serve the Emissary of the Hale Pack. It hurt when she had mentioned Lydia, but the much older Brownie reminded her of her daughter in a lot of ways and they fell into a good routine. Tara had given her some suggestions and ever since, Natalie Martin had seriously wondered how she had managed to make it through the day before without the small woman.
“I think we should probably talk with Stiles and Cora about this first” Natalie says thoughtfully. “I would like to present this to the city council with everything worked out, of course we would do a formal auction to give people time to bid, but I believe that we could work out everything in a month or two. But even with the new money in the budget, we don’t have enough people to hire” she reminds the sheriff.
“Unless we take up Boyd’s idea” Tara suggests.
The rather stoic beta had surprised them last month when he sought them out suggesting that in addition to the Seniors graduating, that they go ahead and push through the juniors. And to be honest, it wasn’t a bad idea. The fact was that pretty much anyone 16 or older was working in some way and had been for months. Either in a government role like at the hospital, school, or offices or helping keep the businesses in town afloat. “There is actually some support for that” Natalie admits. The simple fact that Scott McCall, Cora Hale, Stiles, and the others were so prominent in many ways didn’t hurt.
“People are still trying to figure out why so many of our new residents, who never knew Sheriff Stilinski, are so respectful of his son” she adds with a chuckle. She was both glad and disappointed that he hadn’t run for the council, but she was pretty sure that at least four of the six were connected to him. Cora Hale had been elected as the youngest member, Marin Morell as well, and of course the dwarf Rancolm, who apparently was significantly tall for a dwarf, but they were easy. She was also half certain that Dean Jacobs, who had moved back to town to take care of his grandmother, was some kind of magic user but she wasn’t entirely sure which. The kid hadn’t grown up here, but his mother had and so his return after the Snap had been seen by many as more of a missing family member coming back than a totally unknown person moving in. Plus, he was rather easy on the eyes, even if he was a little young for her.
“So, if we can do that, what about also selling that rather large chunk of land next to the preserve that the city bought about ten years ago but never developed?” Tara asks.
Natalie likes that idea too. It had been bought to set up an industrial area, but several financial setbacks had left it sitting there untouched, not even cleared. If the Hales were to add it to the Preserve, then it could be seen as an environmental move as well as generating some more money. “I will add it to the list. What’s next?” she asks looking down at her notes.
“I’m clear” Tara says happily and looks at the mayor who is looking confused. “What?”
“There’s a note about a possible new business venture from this morning. Wanting to meet about relocating here” she says and when she gets to the end of the message from her assistant she gasps.
“What?” Tara asks leaning forward as Natalie looks up in shock.
“Tony Stark is coming here!” she whisper-yells.
Tara heard the words, but she doesn’t seem to be able to make any sense of them. “What the HELL!?!”
“What does he want?” M’Baku growled at the general.
Okoye shrugged. “He did not tell me. Only that he needed to speak to the two of us about something of importance.”
“Why me?” he says with a sigh.
Okoye restrains her smile. The fact that M’Baku was actively refusing anything that looked like the kingship was a bit bitter for her. After the Battle with the aliens, M’Baku had been one of only two of the elders who had survived the Titan’s madness. But even still, he had refused to take up the mantle of the Black Panther. She was sure that the loss of both of his sons was a large part of his changed perspective. He had also admitted that while he was willing to challenge T’Challa when Wakanda was still unknown to the outside world, he was not interested in dealing with other nations and politics.
“General, Chief” Queen Ramonda says respectfully as she gracefully walks into the room.
Okoye bows her head “Your Majesty, did Ukuru ask for you to come as well?
“He did, though he did not explain his concerns. Only that he had need to speak with the three of us.” Ukuru had been a shaman for many years, but was still younger than Zuri had been before his death. The man had been chosen to replace the former shaman by T’Challa after he reclaimed the throne, though he was still cautious when speaking with the Council or leaders since his appointment.
Okoye frowns at that. Since losing the King and Princess, Queen Ramonda had grieved for her children, but she had also been Wakanda’s grief. She was a symbol to their people to continue despite the losses they suffered and to stand proud. The truth was that the three of them had begun to function as a kind of group leadership for Wakanda until a final resolution to the situation was determined. The Elders, old and new, were serving as part of the council again, with each of them taking responsibility for part of T’Challa’s duties. Chief M’Baku had stepped into managing internal relations between the tribes and assuming control over the border tribes and the Wakandan military forces. Queen Ramonda has taken on managing the economic, governmental, and social aspects of the nation while General Okoye coordinates with M’Baku on the military, but primarily has been dealing with those outside Wakanda both politically and increasing through coordination with Natasha Romanov and the Avengers.
“He did not want to speak with the full council?” she asks the Queen.
“No, he was rather clear about that. He only wanted to speak with us” she replies just as Ukuru enters, his flowing purple robes making quite the arrangement of colors in the room with Okoye’s red, M’Baku’s white, and the Queen’s pale pink.
“Your Majesty” Ukuru says respectfully bowing first to her. “Chief M’Baku, General” he follows in strict accordance to rank and position. “Thank you for coming.”
“What is it Ukuru” M’Baku says cutting through all the courtly language that he was sure the man was getting ready to start on. He didn’t have time for this, nor the patience to deal with it.
Ukuru nods and smiles at the abrupt manner of the Chief, unsurprised nor offended by his manner. “We have found a strange phenomenon near the Mountain.”
That gets all of their attention. While there are many mountains in Wakanda, there is only one Mountain and that is where the vibranium is located. “What kind of phenomenon” Okoye says quickly seeking to determine if it is a threat or not.
“A tree has grown on the mountain” Ukuru says.
All three of the leaders pause and wait for a moment for him to continue but when he doesn’t, they look confused.
“A tree has grown? On the Mountain?” Queen Ramonda repeats. “There are many trees on that Mountain are there not?” she asks.
“You called me here for this?!” M’Baku shouts finally gathering his wits and showing both anger and disbelief.
Okoye stares at the man and sees something else. “Why does this tree concern you?” she asks carefully.
Ukuru looks at each of them with a guarded expression before turning to the Dora Milaje General and smiling a bit. “It is a baobab tree General. Standing three times my height and thick with branches.”
She looks at him but his expression suggests something… “I was not aware that the baobab trees grew on the Mountain” she says carefully.
“This is the only one” he replies, and he sees M’Baku about to break in “and it was not there before Thanos’ armies attacked Wakanda.”
That stops the Chief, and the royal advisor sees the Queen’s shock, and though she hides it well, he can tell that the General is not unaffected.
“What do you mean it was not there? It has only been a few months. No tree grows fast enough to be so high” Okoye says looking concerned.
“And yet it has. It was not there two weeks before the battle. I spoke with one who was in the exact spot it now stands who confirmed it. Three days after the Battle it was there, fully grown.”
“What caused this?” the Queen demands. “And why are we only learning of this now?”
Ukuru respectfully bows to indicate his acceptance of her anger but also that no offense was intended. “We were not sure that the report was correct, so we have investigated. When we found it was true, we began studying it to see what we could learn about it, to understand what it means.”
“And what did you find?” she asks.
He looks disappointed. “Not very much, so far. We have sensed nothing harmful from it, though we have prevented any from eating its fruit.”
“It is bearing fruit already?” Okoye says astonished.
Ukuru nods. “It has, though it is…also affected. Exactly how we are not sure. We would have asked the Princess to investigate, but” he looks extremely mournful and apologetic to the Queen. “We have many of the shamans and tenders caring for it, but it is strong and healthy.” He pauses for a moment before adding “almost too much so.”
“What do you mean?” Okoye presses.
“I have been near the tree General, and it is hard to describe. The air is easier to breathe. You feel…better. There is a spring nearby that has flowed with an unpleasantness to it for many, many years. It was undrinkable though fine for plants or animals. That spring now is clearer and fresher than any I have ever tasted. Those watching it have seen birds that are most rare resting in its branches and there is a kind of peace in its presence.”
M’Baku looks at the other two before looking back at the man “You seem to say it is sacred.”
Ukuru looks at the chief with an expression of reverence. “Though, as a group, we are not certain, I believe it is.”
The three leaders all look at each other. “Take us there” Queen Ramonda orders.
Chapter Text
“I hope that you appreciate this” Master Lyra tells Stiles as she walks into the Beacon Hills Sanctum through the large portal door with the retreat of Kamar Taj clear behind her with a smile.
The final work had been done on this room and Stiles was rather buzzed with excitement looking through the door and spotting several of the sorcerers he knew greeting him as Master Lyra and Master Hamir entered his Sanctum. The chamber is similar to the one in Kamar Taj that he visited, though this one sits in a hexagonal room with doors to the London, Hong Kong, and New York Sanctums on three of the walls, the entrance from the Sanctum proper on the fourth, Kamar Taj on the fifth, and a magical map of the world with glowing lights and lines built through coordination with Stiles, Master Lyra, and the Grand Enchanter on the sixth. The large globe in the center is based off of the one Stiles saw in Nepal.
“Are you kidding, this is awesome!” Stiles crows happily as Master Lyra smiles and shakes her head before handing over the bag she brought.
Stiles does not squeal, no matter what anyone says, when he grabs the bag and looks at the books inside happily. “This way. We are all set up and ready in the workroom” he says leading them out of the Passage Room into the main house.
“The place looks much better” she says with a smile, Master Hamir nodding in agreement silently. “The wards are very strong.
Stiles smiles proudly. “Thank you. We have layered different sets on top of each other by different casters and different types of magic to make it really hard to take down. A sorcerer could take down some protections if they are strong enough, but they would miss the ones from the druids or the dryads, or the necromancers. It would take some serious planning and coordination to get through them right now, or at least that’s the plan. Not the only plan though.”
“You are concerned?” Lyra asks curiously.
“Not of anything in specific, just paranoid in general” he says with a shrug. “We may have stalemated the Hunters, but I will never trust them 100% to keep their word, not all of them. Allison is taking action against some before they can get to our territory, though she doesn’t think I know about them” he laughs. “But technically she is doing it outside my jurisdiction or responsibility, so I pretend not to notice unless I have to. I also wanted to add some technological protections, but those that we have are pretty basic right now to be honest, but at least they are something. I plan to upgrade those if I can make some trades with some new friends. Ultimately, my hope is that anyone coming here to cause problems will have to go through a lot to even get here, so the time it takes them to get through the first line of defenses should give us enough time to prepare and be able to handle whatever comes.” He finishes just as they enter the large, mostly empty Library and smiles at Cora and Boyd who are waiting for them along with the Nelsons and Marin.
“Master Lyra, you remember Cora Hale, Chronicler of the Hale and McCall Packs; Vernon Boyd, Second of the McCall Pack; Christina and Gerry Nelson, Enchanters; and Marin Morrel, Druid and Emissary of the McCall Pack” Stiles introduces each of them. “If you haven’t already met them, these are Masters Lyra and Hamir” he points to the two Sorcerers and holds up the bag “and they bring gifts!”
“Loans” Master Hamir corrects softly and Stiles smirks at the man knowing that getting any words from the quiet sorcerer is a triumph for the teen.
Christina smiles happily and takes the bag and respectfully sets out the first of the books. It is a manuscript on Astral Projection. “Let’s see if this works” she says with a deep breath and sets the book down and opens it to the first page but then turns two more pages before the first line of text appears. Stopping she sets down a blank book the same size and opens it to the same place. Once the two books are in place, Gerry comes over and hands her a crystal. It is about 12 inches long with three sides and glowing a soft blue-white. “Here goes” Christina says and holds it over the first book and slowly shines the light across the page.
When she reaches the end of the book, she doesn’t stop moving but she rotates it one turn and the light continues on until it touches the blank book. As she passes the glowing crystal over the page, colors and writing appear. In seconds she is done and the glowing crystal dims as everyone gathers around.
“It’s a match” Marin says with a trace of a smile.
“It even has that water stain” Boyd says pointing to a small stain on the edge of the page.
“Next page” Stiles says excitedly, and Christina turns the pages on the books and repeats the process. It looks the same. With a nod from Stiles, the enchanter continues with her husband helping turn pages and in just a few minutes, they are finishing the last of the scans. “Close both books and make one more pass” Stiles instructs, and she does.
“Holy Crap” Cora mutters as the cover of the once blank book shifts into an exact copy of the original.
“Very Impressive” Marin says in appreciation to the two enchanters.
“Well?” Stiles asks the sorcerers.
Master Lyra opens the copy and flips pages to a seemingly random page before stopping and running her fingers along the page before she looks up with an impressed expression. “It copied the magic as well. You have done well my friend.”
Stiles laughs excitedly and does a little dance of celebration. “YES!” He celebrates a bit more before Cora smacks him demanding to know what is going on. “The crystal creates a duplicate image of the original and passes that into the new book, exactly. If there is a stain, a tear, or even a spell on the page, it copies it. Even if you don't know it is there, it will copy it. So when you are done, you have an perfect copy of the book. This way we don’t have to try and do it all by hand.”
“You couldn’t have just used a copy machine?” Boyd asks with a bland tone.
Stiles looks at the beta with a glare. “No” he says flatly ignoring Cora’s snort. “Actually, some books are protected magically from that, but this way will allow us to still get a copy. And then we can use the copier to help digitize it” he admits and sees Boyd’s small smile of victory.
Master Lyra reaches out and Christina hands her the crystal and she looks impressed. “To be honest, I was not sure that you could do this. This is not a type of magic we use. But you have surprised me yet again. I supposed we can let you borrow a few books at a time” she confesses.
“Or” Stiles says with a smirk and looks over at Gerry who is holding up another crystal glowing that same soft blue “you could take that one back and send us the books after someone scans them” he suggests, and she looks back with a raised eyebrow. “And, of course you could keep the crystal as my personal thank you” he adds with a wink.
Lyra laughs but she tightens her grip on the crystal she is holding. They could copy all the books in the Majestic Library in a few days and then make copies for the other sanctums. The crystal would be an incredible tool.
“FYI” Stiles interrupts her thoughts “if you put more than one empty book out and keep moving the crystal to those books, it will make multiple copies.”
The Sorceress shakes her head at how he went right to where she was thinking. But then he had spoken to more than a few of the sorcerers in all of the sanctums over the last few months and she knew that many of the others wished for copies of books as well. The risk of the books being one place has been a concern since both the loss of the Sorcerer Supreme and the temporary destruction of the Hong Kong Sanctum has them all worried.
“A fair trade” she agrees “but you have managed to acquire several volumes we do not, and I was wondering if we could visit your library to see if there are some we might wish to have copies of. Before the celebrations begin of course.”
Stiles nods happily and pulls her away as Christina and Gerry start on the next book eagerly assisted by Marin. Cora and Boyd just watch them leave before looking back at the magic users and deciding the fun was over, so she jerks her head and leaves with Boyd on her heels. She will make a copy of the Hale books later and return a set to the vault. But for now, she wants to go for a run and decides to drag the beta with her.
“Is there a reason you felt it was necessary for both of us to come on this little excursion?” Pepper asks looking over at him and sipping one of her green shakes while absently rubbing the bump on her belly.
“Well, you did do most of the work on this little project so I thought you would enjoy getting a firsthand look” Tony says happily as he spots the ‘Welcome to Beacon Hills’ sign. “See, we are already here” he says happily ignoring the question and having to admit he doesn’t want to let her out of his sight.
Pepper just smiles and shakes her head. She had a team, even now, who could be doing this, but she is certain that Tony has some plans for after their visit. She knows he has been looking for spots for their ‘cabin by the lake’ and while she thought he would prefer southern California; she found his search results so she knows that there are more than a few locations in the area that he may be considering. Personally, she would prefer closer to LA. “You know we haven’t spoken to anyone about our coming here” she reminds him.
“Actually, I arranged for a house that was for rent before everything happened and Friday confirmed that it was still available. In fact, the woman was beyond excited that someone was interested and has already gone over to get it ready for us” Tony says with a smirk. “And she confirmed that the mayor that Nat talked too was lost, but there is a new one and we can talk to her. Not much has really changed but I am willing to bet they will be very happy to see me, see us I mean" he adds at her rather pointed look.
Pepper rolls her eyes at his smugness, but she likes seeing flashes of the old Tony again. They are becoming more regular and hopefully the grief and loss will fade with time. She hates to think what would have happened if she or Happy had been lost. She truly doesn’t think he would have been able to handle it. “Is she meeting us at the house?”
“No. There is a lockbox on the door with a code. That way we can stay incognito since she doesn't know exactly who we are” he flashes a smile.
It takes about thirty minutes to get to the house and unload. It is a nice place, nothing on their usual level, but definitely a McMansion by California standards. Seems the place was the woman’s house before her kids moved out and she was left alone in a great big house. Rather than selling it, she moved to something smaller and had been renting it for several years before the Snap and had changed it to a short-term rental about three years ago. Nice lady but she would talk your ears off, but luckily that’s what Friday was for. They got unloaded and after about ten minutes of ‘relaxing’ he was antsy. “You ready?” he asks and Pepper just signs and stands up and they head back to the car.
The next hour or so is spent driving around some of the areas that Phil and Nat had indicated were possible locations and Tony was trying to figure out what was setting him off. Something did not seem like it should, wrong on some level but he couldn’t figure out what it was.
“It’s so clean” Pepper mutters and then it hits him. There is no trash or debris anywhere. There are no smashed buildings or abandoned cars. The place looks nice, normal even. And right now, that is what's really unusual. He has spotted people walking and working around town like before the Snap, the only difference is that there are just fewer of them. It's like the town has already started recovering. Spotting an open bakery, and based on the people there a popular one, he decides to pull in.
“Hungry?” he asks and before she can say no Pepper sudden feels a craving and gives up and nods and they get out and walk inside.
Pepper has been in some great restaurants since she met Tony. In Europe, Asia, and all over the world really. LA has amazing places but the smell that hits her when they walk in literally causes her mouth to water and she sways for a moment. “Pep?” Tony looks concerned but she waves him off and is drawn toward the display like a magnet is pulling her.
“What is that?” she says inhaling deeply and leaning forward.
“Walnut cherry bars” a dulcet voice says, and Pepper looks up at a rather stunning woman with a graceful smile. “Unless you meant the chocolate raspberry mini soufflés?”
“I think I died and went to heaven” Pepper mutters.
“Got any donuts?” Tony asks and the woman smiles and points, he sees a rather impressive case of them though based on the spacing, two thirds of what was normally supposed to be there were already gone.
“We only do donuts in the mornings so if you would like to see the full selection you should come by much earlier as they are very popular. Unfortunately, for the next two days we will be on a limited menu as we are working a large private party” she says with a voice that you would describe as joyous. She looks back at Pepper for a moment before her smile widens. “If I may recommend some of our ginger hibiscus tea with mint? It should help settle the little one.”
Pepper looks up in surprise. She thought her outfit was pretty concealing, but the woman spotted her condition easily. “And I would also suggest the lavender creams for now. It is better to go light in the later part of the day and the walnut cherry bars in the morning with a stronger tea.”
Tony is about to argue but the woman has been working on a drink since she started talking and she finishes and hands the cup to Pepper who takes a sniff and gets a look of bliss before she takes a sip. “Oh, god. That is so good” before diving in for another sip as the woman hands a plate with the light purple dessert on it.
“And for you?” she asks, and Tony ends up with a coffee that more closely resembles an Indian Tea in flavor combined with a rich roast and a rather chewy bar of honey, nuts, and dried fruits that pretty much puts any energy bar he has ever eaten to shame. He makes a mental note to see if he can arrange regular deliveries from this place.
After sitting and eating their treats and getting a second cup of both the tea and coffee to go, along with several other items for later, both of them promise to be back in the morning and the owner, Celeste, directs them to city hall to find the mayor.
A short while later
“Cute” Pepper says stepping out of the car and looking at the city hall. One thing she likes about smaller towns is that the buildings have charm and character versus being giant edifices. The white bricks and red trim definitely have some Spanish influences but not like Southern California. It is more subtle here.
“Well, we are looking for the mayor, so let’s see if she is here” Tony says as they walk into the building only to be surprised by all the deputies who have appeared to set up camp there. “Did we make a wrong turn and end up in the police station?”
“Can I help you?” a young deputy says looking up from his obviously temporary desk.
“We are looking for the mayor” Pepper starts.
“Why are all the police set up in here? Don’t you have your own place?” Tony says abruptly.
The deputy looks at them with a confused expression. “The Sheriff’s Office was destroyed in a gas explosion over 6 months ago.”
Both Pepper and Tony look concerned. “During the aftermath? Was anyone hurt?” Pepper asks gently.
The deputy shakes his head. “Just before actually. And no, we were able to evacuate everyone before, thankfully. Uh, the Mayor’s office is on the second floor” he says and points to the stairs. “Do I know you?” he asks looking at Tony and trying to see past the glasses and ball cap.
“It is my first time in Beacon Hills actually” Tony replies “have you ever been to LA?”
The deputy chuckles and shakes his head as Pepper steers him away. They go up the stairs and spot the signs for the Mayor’s Office. Walking in they see an older woman at the desk who looks up and freezes when she sees them.
“Oh dear lord, it’s you” she whispers and grabs her phone. “Mayor Martin, come out here please!” she nearly shouts. Pepper and Tony smile politely and realize that the woman has recognized them without a doubt.
“Mary, I really need to focus on this report” a rather regal looking woman with dark red hair says coming out from the back. “The Governor wants us to…” she breaks off and spots the two guests. “Pepper Potts?” she gasps.
Pepper smiles and steps forward and offers her hand which the woman shakes. “Hello Mayor Martin. I am not sure if you are aware, but two staff from Stark Industries visited here with the previous mayor before everything happened, and I was wondering if you had been informed about their visit?”
Natalie stared for another second before shaking it off and smiling. “Yes, of course. I found Mayor Roberts’ notes about your project, but we figured it was not going to still happen…I mean, considering.”
Pepper smiles. “Well, we have been reviewing a number of plans and while it will probably be smaller than we originally planned, we still think the project is a good one. If you have some time, I would love to speak with you about it. Assuming you are not busy” she says tentatively.
Natalie smiles. “The Governor can wait a bit; this is more important. Even the chance of getting a Stark…” she trails off and looks at Tony with a sudden shocked realization “…uh, I mean…”
“Bit of let down when you actually meet him in person, huh?” Pepper whispers and Natalie looks scandalized while Tony fake pouts.
“That just hurts my feelings dear” Tony says mockingly.
“Uh, why don’t we go back to my office. Can I get you some coffee?” she offers trying to find some balance.
“We just came from Celeste’s” Pepper starts and Natalie laughs.
“So that would be a no. I would not want you to have suffer City Hall coffee after enjoying Celeste’s delights.” She smiles a little more certainly as both of what is probably one of the most famous couples on the planet laugh at the comment.
“Mary, no interruptions” she says looking at the woman who is giving her two excited thumbs up before she shuts the door.
FBI Agent Raphael McCall walked into the FBI building with a slight bit of hesitation. He knows that the word had gotten out that he had been undercover and the busting of Hyrda’s operation against the SHIELD facility had made some significant waves. The situation in Beacon Hills had been significantly redacted, even from his own bosses as McCall was not stupid enough to put anything down about dragons and werewolves, even if they would have believed it.
No, he had managed to work with Sheriff Stilinski and his team to take out a group of Hydra agents attempting to infiltrate a weapons development company to gain access to corporate accounts, contracts, and other items and with the help of the son of the owner who was working with Hydra. Argent Arms had been purged afterwards by the new owner, the teenage granddaughter of the owner, one Allison Argent, after her father was lost in the Snap.
So, between the two operations, not to mention finding Gerard’s data that he had accumulated on Hydra to probably blackmail the group, FBI Agent Raphael McCall had managed to (1) save a SHIELD weapons warehouse, (2) free a company and save the entire police department in the town, and (3) obtain massive amounts of data on names, businesses, and operations of Hydra in the US.
That had translated into a rather glowing commendation and coupled with his quick work with Tara after the Snap, a promotion as well. More than a few agents who had considered him a disgrace were actively trying to cozy up to him. Though Agent Jones had punched him once before congratulating him on doing such a good job with the undercover work.
“Agent McCall?” a rather smartly dressed young agent asks walking up to him.
“Yes” he replies shaking his head. The kid looks his son’s age and should probably still be in high school.
“This way sir” he says with a quick smile and leads the man up to one of the conference rooms on the tenth floor.
“Coulson” he says walking into the room as the young man closes the door behind him. “Surprised to see you here in California.”
Phil smiles as they shake hands before sitting down. Coulson sets out a device on the table that starts glowing with a soft hum. “Jammer” he says with a shrug.
“You think the room is bugged?”
“You think it isn’t?” Phil asks with a snort.
“No, I am sure it is. But won’t they get upset?”
“Probably, but don’t really care. Besides, not sure anyone is actually listening, this is pretty low priority for everyone else.”
McCall frowns. “Why did you call me? There hasn’t been much happening here that we know of. Most of it is cleaning up the messes and dealing with some groups that have been causing problems for local law enforcement. Did you get word of something?”
Phil shakes his head. “It’s not that. Rather I am hoping you might be able to explain something for me.” He lays a folder on the table. “Take a look.”
Raphael opens the file and glances at it. It appears to be a report about trouble with the electric grid about an hour from Beacon Hills and that while there was no sign of intentional vandalism, the odds of so much equipment blowing out was low, but apparently it had been the result of substandard equipment. The inspector commented on the intense thunderstorms in the area had overloaded the poor system and recommended significant improvements for the system. He looks up. “Okay. What is this?”
Phil looks at the other agent with an inscrutable expression. “Well, originally this report talked about a flying ball of lighting that took out a transformer station before flying off. I had spoken with the agent who was writing the original report and planned to intercept it but the next day but when I went to access it, that was what I saw. I spoke to the agent who wrote it, who I had spoken to not a day before, and he had no memory of anything but what was in the report you are holding.”
McCall looks at the date and smiles. It was a week after Stiles had done his thing to keep people from revealing the truth about the place. “Was there any visual evidence?”
Phil nods. “There was. He had told me he had gotten some footage of the incident from a nearby security camera. It was even attached to the report. It showed a rather interesting video of a series of lightning hits on the station. Impressive and completely ordinary.” He looked expectantly at the other agent.
“Well, maybe he was just confused” McCall offered with a smirk.
Phil did not look amused. “This has Mr. Stilinski’s fingerprints all over it. I spoke with several of our agents who have been in the area, and no one has seen anything strange. In fact, the reports we received about phenomenon from even before the Snap now all seem to be either missing, the files mysteriously corrupted and deleted, or now seem to discuss the incidents in entirely different terms.”
“Different how?”
“Well, a report I personally had read reported a sighting of mermaids but it now discusses the sighting of several rare dolphins that hadn’t been seen in the area in decades.”
McCall started chuckling. “Seems the spell he cast is working better than expected.” He looks at Coulson who is waiting patiently so he set out and explained the magic they did and how it works as far as he understood it. Coulson interrupts several times before he finishes.
“So, what you are telling me is that it is nearly impossible for people who actually see something to remember it or tell anyone?” McCall nods. “So, why do I remember it? For that matter, why do you.”
Raphael adds the explanations about the exemptions that are worked in and Phil nods. “Since I know Dr. Strange and already am aware, I can remember but I can’t make any reports or records about it. What would happen if I tried to explain this whole ‘spell’?”
McCall shrugs. “No idea, but I wager it wouldn’t work, but if you were outside the range, I don't know really. The kid is a devious little shit. Not to mention he had a whole bunch of help. I imagine if you were not on the planet, you might be able to manage it as it is tied into those line thingies.”
Phil sighs. This is a bit of a good thing/bad thing kind of situation. He didn’t have to worry about exposure and people freaking out, which while everyone was dealing with the aftermath of Thanos was a good thing. But he didn’t like the complication of it all. Looks like there are two options. One, he could let this go and consider this outside his responsibility and stay out of it, or they could decided to get even more involved. Maybe set up a new division of SHIELD that no one should know about, one that can deal with all of this magic stuff. Assuming he could get anyone to remember it long enough to get things set up and operating. He wonders if he could come up with an acronym that would spell out STAFF?
The cup flew across the room, smashing into pieces against the stone wall before falling to the floor. She snarled looking at it and really wanted to throw something else. She was getting fed up with the man, he was wallowing in his failure, and she wanted to beat it out of him. She grabbed the bottle of liquor and her fingers tightened around it and she was torn between throwing it and drinking it when the anger and frustration seemed to drain out of her. She dropped to her chair, the fury that had been powering her finally spent.
She wanted to be so angry at his behavior, his attitude towards his failures, but that would make her quite the hypocrite, wouldn’t it? How many years did she spend going from one bottle to another on Sakaar? Working for the Grandmaster and finding him bully boys for his games?
But then that damn princeling had shown up and forced her to deal with reality and at times like this she really hated him for doing that. He had showed up, made her remember the loss of the rest of the Valkryor, her sisters in battle and life, to that bitch Hela. She swore never to return to Asgard but she did. She returned to face Hela again, to help save her people once more, and ended up seeing the Golden Realm destroyed by Surtur.
She had argued furiously with Thor when he had ordered her to flee Thanos’ ship with the majority of their people while some stayed behind to fight and give them cover. She hated it but he was right then, he had been the King they needed in their sorrow and grief over the lives lost and the loss of their home. She hated it but she had obeyed because he was right. She took their people and brought them safely to Earth. To the place he had ordered them to come.
But they had only just arrived when half of the surviving Asgardians were suddenly gone. Thanos killed them with his ‘Snap’ and suddenly they were mourning yet again the loss of too many of their few remaining people. But it wasn’t just them that suffered. The people of Midgard did too and the sudden arrival of nearly a thousand alien refugees didn’t seem like such a bad thing anymore. She worked to settle them in Tønsberg, now called New Asgard, until Thor finally returned after the defeat of Thanos.
But their King was not the same man who led them from Surtur and Hela. He locked himself away, rarely seeing anyone outside of Korg and Mieke, sulking in his depression. She tried, they all did, to draw him out, but nothing seemed to work. Discovering that the Lady Sif, the last survivor of Thor’s closest friends, had been lost to the ‘Snap’ had broken something in him that she was not sure would ever be fixed.
“Milady?” a timid voice called out and Brunnhilde looked over and saw the witch Gudrid standing there with a concerned expression, taking in her spot in the room and the remains of the cup against the wall.
“Gudrid” Brunnhilde says tiredly. “Did you need something?”
The witch looks at her and sighs. “He would not listen” she says, it is not really a question.
The Valkyrie shakes her head. “Our King is…uninterested” she finally says with a resigned sigh.
The witch nods with an understanding expression. Thor is not the only Asgardian struggling with coming to Midgard to live and dealing with so much loss. “Arnfinn has found something that may interest you about the tree” she says carefully and Brunnhilde looks at her with a resigned expression, but she stands up. Someone has got to keep their people moving.
“Lead on” she gestures, and the witch leads her out to the edges of the town where Arnfinn has set up his home/workshop before walking in.
Brunnhilde manages a small smile at the inside of the place. Despite all their struggles, the Asgardians were not without ingenuity and resources. Arnfinn was standing infront of a large device that she recognized as a Soul Forge, but it had been pieced together and did not seem to be set up to look at a person like the ones she had seen back in Asgard. “Arnfinn” she says in greeting.
The druid looked up and seeing her with Gudrid, gave a knowing look before nodding in understanding. Thor would not be coming. “We have been investigating the tree and have found something interesting” he says changing the subject.
“What have you done to the Forge?” Brunnhilde asks, unwillingly curious.
“We are still reestablishing much of our tools Milady, but the makers have helped Gudrid and I to modify a Soul Forge and we found something that we think his majesty, I mean,” he stammers for what to say looking at Gudrid.
“Something that may help us understand what happened” Gudrid finishes and nods at her partner who quickly adjusts the controls.
She is watching when the holographic display appears of the Earth, focused on New Asgard with a glowing green dot, when suddenly, as she watches, lines appear moving out from the dot to spread out over the globe. The lines cross on occasion and she notices other green dots appearing. Many of them, including what appear to be five that shine significantly brighter than the one here. And one in particular seems to be shining the brightest. “What is this?”
“It seems that we are not the only location of a power tap on Midgard. In ancient days they were called Nemetons. Places of ancient power that cleansed the magic of the world. Power would flow through the lines to the Nemetons to be purified and returned to nature. These are the major lines and the current Nemetons.”
Valkyrie looked at the image for several more moments, surprised by several in the oceans, and how many there were. “Okay, this is good…I guess, but I do not understand what it all means.”
Arfinn looks pleased to be able to talk and she refrains from rolling her eyes at the man. “Once there were 27 Nemtons on Midgard doing this work, but humans did not take care of them. Over time most were destroyed.”
Brunnhilde looks shocked for a moment. “Why would they do that?” she asks.
“Mortals rarely think long term” Gudrid says sadly. “They cut down sacred trees, destroyed glades and those places that cared for the Earth. We have lost much contact with Midgard but I doubt that there were even a half dozen of the Nemetons left before Thanos’ actions.”
She turns back to the image and sees the dots glowing there “But there are more than 22 right now” she says trying to count up how many are there.
“There are now 45” Arnfinn says happily.
The confusion on her face must be clear as both of the magic users look at each other and smile. “You said that the branch of Yggdrasil here is one of these Nemetons? And that it was new. Are these other Nemetons new as well?”
Arnfinn nods happily. “Yes! These were the five which we believe were the last of the original ones, but the other 40, including our own, are new. And this one” he points to one that sits on the edge of the North American continent, she thinks in what the humans call ‘California’, “is the source of all of this. We can monitor the flows of the ley lines and this one seems to be the center of the new pattern. It may even have been the cause of the creation of the new ones” he tells her excitedly.
Brunnhilde is silent for several minutes. Staring at the image of the Earth, the lines and apparently Nemetons glowing on the projection, and trying to make any sense of this. Mortals of Midgard should not have been able to do this. She sighs. Thor is better at these kinds of things, but she doubts she could get him to listen, even to this.
She sits down and gets comfortable. “Alright. Start over and tell me everything.” Both the witch and druid look surprised at the Valkyrie with excitement and concern. “If I am going to figure out what this all means, I am going to have to go there” she points to the glowing Nemeton in Beacon Hills.
Chapter Text
“Alpha McCall, Alpha Carver” the man says respectfully stepping out of the glowing circle in front of the Hale house proper.
“Alpha Delgado” they both reply accidently in unison and then look rather sheepish at the smile on the older man’s face at their simultaneous reply.
“Welcome back to Beacon Hills” Scott says holding out his hand which the other Alpha takes easily before shaking Aiden’s hand.
“Good to be here. A number of our pack decided to drive up and they should arrive later today in addition to the ones that are coming with me, the rest are arriving tomorrow. I hope that is okay” Leon says easily with a smile that both teens return as they nod to the wolves who have accompanied the Los Angeles Alpha.
“Totally okay. Did you all need housing?” Aiden asks looking a bit concerned.
“No” Leon laughs “we made hotel reservations for the pack. Apparently, the owner was very happy to have us and is desperately trying to figure out why so many people are coming here for the wedding this week. I think all of the hotels in the area are actually booked out for the first time in a while” he adds with a sad expression.
Both of the other men nod in understanding. “Well, we are getting close” Scott says and walks them around the large building as they go. “The team getting things ready are back here, but the ceremony itself will be in the woods.”
Alpha Delgado and the other wolves completely miss Scott’s explanations as they stare at the rather impressive set of buildings that were not here the last time they were. “This place is incredible! You have done all this so quickly” Leon says with a whistle. “Is that the school?” he asks pointing to the Sanctum.
“No, that’s the Sanctum...Stiles’ official office you could say. The school is about two miles from here deeper in the preserve. We could arrange a tour if you would like?” Scott offers.
“I would definitely like to see it” says a woman that Scott remembers as the Delgado Emissary. Their pack had managed to keep both leaders which had greatly helped stabilize their pack and territory. Scott nods happily and makes a mental note to make sure it happens. He also thinks that several others will want to join her on the tour.
“Coming through!” a voice shouts and the group breaks up as Cora comes through followed by several others hauling in three large bucks and heading for the part of the yard that is set up with some roasting spits.
“Fresh kills?” one of the betas notes approvingly.
“With permission” Scott says quickly. “We didn’t want to offend any of the forest spirits but luckily our timing was okay.” He finishes just as a large group of teens and kids come around led by Miranda Collins, one of Scott’s new betas and her daughter Jessica. The two of them had joined his pack after losing their Alpha and Miranda’s husband in the Snap. Jessica was a new teacher at Beacon Hills Elementary and Miranda was working at one of the new restaurants in town as their head chef.
“Alpha McCall, Alpha Carver” Miranda says respectfully looking up from the crowd she is managing and spots the new guests. “Hello” she says politely to Leon and his pack. Scott introduces the visiting Alpha and his betas, and all of the kids welcome them to the territory. “We are heading into the woods Alpha” she tells them.
“Why?” Alpha Delgado’s Emissary asks curiously.
That leads to a rather disjointed explanation, with helpful additions from the different kids, that they are gathering plants, herbs, wild berries, nuts, and roots for the wedding feast and so they are going harvesting. Within minutes a dozen of the Delgado pack, including the Emissary has joined the foragers and went off into the woods leaving behind a rather amused looking Alpha. “I had forgotten the effect this place has on our kind” he says wistfully, and both of the teens smile before heading in.
“Alphas Ito and Roberts are already here” Scott tells the man as he leads them that way. The betas all seem to separate and join in the chaos of setting up tables and chairs under the careful eye of Usilis and Allison who are sharing responsibility for orchestrating things. By the time the three alphas arrive in the area where Satomi and Ryan are waiting, another Brownie has brought drinks and snacks for the newcomers.
“Welcome Alpha Delgado” Satomi says easily with a smile. “We were just talking about you.”
He raises an eye at that as he sits down. “Oh really? And what could I have done that’s so exciting all the way up here?” he asks with a jaunty smirk.
The eldest Alpha smiles back. “We had heard you have had to deal with some rogue hunters south of the border.”
He laughs at the expressions of Scott and Aiden who both look shocked. “Well, to be fair, we didn’t have to do much. We chased a group back across the border where the Calaveras took care of them. Which they have been managing for some time with others so it was not really a burden for them.”
“Wait! What?!” Scott yelps looking at the older man in surprise. “I thought we had taken care of the hunter problems.” He seems really let down by yet another example that they can’t let their guard down. He is starting to think that maybe Allison and Stiles have been right after all about keeping things safe.
Aiden rolls his eyes at the other teen but is careful to make sure Scott doesn’t notice and sees the smirks of the other alphas. None of them are naïve enough to trust hunters, despite Allison or Stiles’ agreements with the Council. “Well, not entirely” Leon starts and begins telling his story about the random hunters he has been handling rather easily not to mention the rather forceful hand of Araya Calaveras. It takes a good hour to cover everything with the interruptions and questions but when done Scott is rather disappointed.
“Does Stiles know?” he finally asks and Alpha Delgado nods.
“We keep the High Alpha informed of course, though based on his lack of surprise, he was either expecting this or he already knew.” He frowns for a moment “Not really sure which though.”
The conversation turns to other things when there’s a whistle and they look up to see two more alphas coming over to join them led by one of Aiden’s betas.
Wedding Day
“Where do you want these?” the beta asks coming into the kitchen followed by a half dozen others all carrying crates and large boxes of ingredients.
“What do you have?” Celeste asks as she wipes her hands on her apron and taking a quick peek. “Ah. These go to the tables outside” she indicates to the first three people, “oh, we will take these” she points the two women carrying the dairy supplies over to the prep area where three of her kin are coordinating preparations “and you take that to the spits” she tells the last one who disappears after the first three to get out of the madness of the kitchen.
“Need any help?” Allison asks sticking her head inside, amazed at the choreography of madness that is over a dozen people preparing mountains of food.
Celeste flicks a knife that hits the wall about two inches from the huntress who only laughs. “OUT!” she yells and the Argent Matriarch dances away but not before grabbing the plate of dainties snuck to her by one of the Brownies with a quick wink. Allison heads back upstairs and enters Stiles’ room which he gracefully ‘volunteered’ for the preparations.
“I managed to get some!” she says happily to the group inside to smiles and cheers.
“Oh, thank god!” Erica says reaching for the plate and grabbing one of the dainties before anyone else. “I thought I would have to wait till after the ceremony for anything to eat!” Kira and Yvette both snicker at the blonde she-wolf who tries to glare but she quickly joins in the laughter. “If I ruin my makeup…” she says warningly.
“Then I will be most unhappy!” Kelsey says sternly. Stiles’ tattoo artist friend had shown up last month and offered to do the makeup for the group, much to the girls’ delight, and she had already finished Allison, Yvette, and Kira. Cora had been hiding but Allison had already made arrangements with Stiles to help ‘secure’ her arrival in time to get ready. Additionally, two new betas in the McCall pack that Erica had grown close two had joined in as part of the bride’s escort which made Allison smile at the scene.
Eriphise, the Dryad Princess, had described a variety of ceremonies and Stiles, along with Erica and several others had ‘modified’ the plans to be both more modern, but also to create some new traditions for the packs. The first was that both Erica and Boyd would have escorts to accompany them to the ceremony, but they would not be your traditional bridal party. No. Since Erica was a wolf, a warrior, and a force in her own right, her escort was expected to be as imposing as she was.
Which is why Allison Argent was wearing an outfit that she had never owned or expected to wear. She was dressed in a dark, forest green and black pattern that was a pattern that she could only describe as ‘elven camouflage”. It was beautifully made of a material that felt like silk, moved like leather, and was tougher than Kevlar. According to Whulibela, who delivered her outfit from the Dwarven smiths, it was some of the finest armor made since they arrived in Beacon Hills. And of course, the embellishments of bright Silver in the belts, rivets, bracers, and fine threads were designed to showcase her family name and history.
Kira was dressed in similarly made dwarven armor, but her color scheme had a deep wine-red with highlights of orange, gold, and steel. Her katana was prominently displayed, similar to Allison’s bow and arrows, to indicate her status as a warrior, worthy of escorting Erica.
Yvette was not wearing armor, instead she was dressed in luminescent white robes with black and grey embellishments along the flowing robes that highlighted her status as a conduit to the spirits and the world beyond and despite the color, it looked nothing like a wedding dress. It was strange seeing her out of her typical full on black goth look, but Allison had to admit it looked amazing and she definitely approved. The robes had arrived almost a month ago as part of her formal vestments as the ambassador of the Necromancers to Stiles.
“Is all of this really necessary?” Cora says as she walks in and Allison smiles as she sees the beta and silently thanks Stiles for getting her not only here but dressed as well. Cora was dressed as the two other betas were in a rich chocolate brown leather that was decorated with moons, wolves, and trees, all done so subtly they would be hard to see but was designed to allow their wearer to fight, dance, defend, or celebrate with equal ease of movement. However, Cora’s outfit went beyond the other two somewhat significantly. First, she had a circlet on her head holding her hair that was made of silver and moonstones and shaped like an ivy flower crown representing her status in the pack. She also had a necklace with a golden triskelion that included a single ruby, topaz, and sapphire centered in each of the swirls reminiscent of wolf eyes. It had also been delivered by Whulibela, but the dwarven smith had presented it first to Stiles who had placed some enchantments that he had not shared with anyone, or if he told Cora, she wasn’t sharing. It was the only piece of jewelry that the beta was wearing.
Allison absently stroked the arrow bracelet she had on that she had gotten from that mysterious stranger from the park so long ago and noted that Kira was also wearing the silver fox pendant she had gotten that day. A quick look confirmed that Erica was wearing her silver wolf head on the leather thong, and she was almost surprised because it shouldn’t look right with her outfit, but it did. She sighs thinking that Lydia would have worn her bracelet as well, but she had been wearing it that morning and it was gone with her.
They didn’t look much like a bridal party, at least not that most people would think, but considering Erica, she did not think the blonde objected. Erica, unlike the rest of them, was not dressed for battle because she was getting married, so she was dressed for that. Her mother had not liked the plan at first, especially as she had her own plans for her daughter’s wedding, but Erica had stood firm and when the dress had been delivered by the Brownies, not even her mother objected.
First, it wasn’t white. The dress was lacy, more like a summer dress, but what was incredible was that the threads of the dress were iridescent, like mother of pearl, and depending on how she moved, they changed colors. In one breath it was white with hints of yellow and blue and in the next blushes of red and green could be spotted. There were hundreds of tiny flowers that covered the dress, creating soft and elegant patterns that reminded Allison of the Spring Queen more than anything, which she guesses is probably the goal since the Spring Court governed new beginnings. Erica was barefoot, which was required of everyone except the escorts of the bride and groom. A sign that there would be no one ‘acting up’ here and that everyone was embracing nature as part of the ceremony.
“What is everyone else wearing?” Erica asks looking worried at the archer.
Allison smiles easily. “Like you asked. Some are wearing typical wedding stuff, but most are wearing what Eriphise recommended. Though the non-humans are all dressed…well, you will love the flowers in the manes of the Centaurs. And Whulibela arrived and is wearing a dress that is made of metal threads and panels. It really looks amazing” Allison assures the blonde.
Erica sighs feeling a bit more relaxed when the door opens and her mother comes in, seeing Erica and starts crying. “Mom!” she mock protests but despite the emotions, Marisol Reyes embraces her daughter gently touching the flowers that have been woven into her hair.
“You look so beautiful” she exclaims happily as she sniffs and dabs the handkerchief she brought.
“Your turn mother of the bride” Kelsey says happily looking at the shocked woman holding out a brush with a wicked smile.
“Are you ready?” Scott asks looking at his beta.
Boyd nods as he straightens his jacket. It looks roughly like a tux, but that’s until you get close enough to spot the fact that it is smokey gray with streaks of black, white, and midnight blue threads. His tie is the same gold as his eyes which is both strange and perfect somehow. He looks over at his sister “What do you think?” he asks her.
Teresa smiles happily “You look very handsome” she says with a trembling smile. “Mom and Grandma would have loved it” she adds quietly but Boyd hears of course and sweeps her into a tight hug. She squeals demanding that he doesn’t mess up her dress and he lets her go.
“You look sharp man” Aiden says with a smirk. Boyd looks over at the alpha and smiles at the vision of the two Alphas standing there. Both of them are dressed in black with scarlet red highlights, similar to Erica’s werewolf escorts though both of them have jewelry that showcases their pack symbols. In addition to their own, both of the alphas also have a triskelion on display similar to the one Boyd is wearing.
In addition to the two of them, two newer betas from the pack are there as well in their outfits. “Your bride will be very pleased” Rancolm says with a smile. The dwarf had grown close to Boyd since he had taken a leadership role in Beacon Hills to almost everyone’s surprise and so when Boyd asked him to join his escort, the dwarf had happily accepted and stood wearing a formal variation of his battle armor. Instead of plate armor, he was wearing iron threads woven into panels, emphasized with polished steel plates and rivets that all faded in comparison to the magnificent battle axe he was currently carrying. The double-bladed weapon was etched with gold, silver, and gemstones and covered in runes and reeked of magic. He had shared that the thing had been in his family for centuries. “Daython is waiting downstairs” he added. The centaur had chosen to wait outside rather than try to come in the house, but the last member of their escort was ready to go in his own finery.
“Derek would have been really proud” Scott says softly to the beta who gives a brief nod and a smile.
“Are we ready” Boyd says instead of addressing that emotional stick of dynamite and the group heads down to the back yard, dodging the hordes cooking and decorating and meet up with Daython who nods approvingly before indicating that they need to get going.
“Where’s Stiles?” Aiden asks looking around.
“He will meet us at the circle” Scott says with an easy smile. He had been a bit surprised that the teen wasn’t part of the escort before Stiles had explained that he had another role to fill but he wouldn’t say what it was. “Let’s go.”
They headed out and if Boyd’s scent was full of nerves and anticipation, none of the other wolves mentioned it.
“Are you sure we should be going, I mean we haven’t met anyone there yet?” Pepper asks as she put in her earrings before glancing in the mirror at him finishing up his tie.
“We were invited. Mayor Martin said that pretty much everyone we needed to see was going to be at this wedding, so it would be a good idea to see what we were getting ourselves in for if we were serious about setting up here” Tony replied easily. God knows he has been to more than a few weddings and he could put up with some random one even if it was in the woods. He lived in California after all, probably wouldn’t be the strangest one he ever went to.
“I still feel strange. We don’t know either the bride or groom” she reminds him.
“Sure, but it is still a party” Tony says with a smirk. “Besides, Mayor Martin and Sheriff Graeme both assured me that we had an invite from the very kid we are here to see. Seems that Mr. Stilinski and another young lady are the people who own most of the town apparently, not to mention that he is the kid Strange talked about.”
Pepper looks concerned but then there is a knock on the door and both of them look surprised. “Are you expecting anyone?” he asks as he puts on his glasses and pulls on a bracelet that with a tap expands into one of his power gloves.
“No, but what is that for?” Pepper demands looking at the weapon before heading for the door leaving him running after her. She gets to the door and opens it just as he yells at her and they both freeze.
“You’re going to be late.”
“Nat?!” Tony says looking at the woman in shook while Pepper is speechless.
Natasha Romanov steps in wearing a dark green dress with gold jewelry and her hair done in an elegant style with pins and clips that Tony is fairly certain are actually weapons. She steps in with a smirk as she looks around the house.
“What are you doing here?” Tony finally manages to bark out. He has barely spoken to her since he left the compound.
“Unlike you two, I was actually invited, last month to be precise” she says with a smirk. “Since I heard you were in town, I thought I should escort you to the celebration, so you didn’t get lost. Or freak out” she adds.
“Freak out?” Pepper says worriedly. “Why would we freak out?”
Natasha smiles. “They are a…unique bunch. Wouldn’t want you to get overwhelmed. Besides, I can also introduce you to everyone, including the bride and groom.”
“You know them?” Pepper asks feeling more comfortable with that bit of knowledge.
“Erica and Boyd? Yes. Fought a demonically possessed serial killer with them. They were pretty good in the fight. Of course, most werewolves are.”
Pepper stares at the spy looking for any sign she is joking and not seeing it she turns to Tony. “I thought you were kidding about the werewolves?” she demands as she realizes that he was not joking about this. She is going to kill him!
Tony glares at the smirking Russian before turning back to Pepper. “Honey. I’m not sure I buy the whole werewolf thing. Yes, they have some freaky powers, but so did Wanda. That didn’t make her an actual witch or something, right?”
“What about Dr. Strange?” Natasha asks with a smirk.
Tony glares again at the ex-spy. “Any science, advanced enough, looks like magic to the uninformed. I am not 100% convinced he wasn’t using some kind of tech.”
Natasha smirks and heads out the door as they walk to the car. “Can’t wait to hear how you explain the centaurs” she mutters but neither of the other two hear her. She is really going to enjoy this wedding.
“When you said in the woods, I didn’t think you meant this ‘in the woods’ for a location” Tony says as they get out of the car, and he looks over at Natasha who is smiling happily.
“Oh yes, that part is very important” she says and looks over at the three cars that park immediately behind them and unload a horde of people all dressed in wedding finery with one exception.
“Are they all barefoot?” Pepper asks looking at the adults trying to herd the half dozen barefoot kids in front of them as they move along the trail that is marked with a set of colored lanterns.
“Did I forget to mention that?” the Russian asks as she slips off her heels and picks them up casually.
“But…but why?”
“It is a sign of good behavior apparently. The thought is that people will behave if they are barefoot” the ex-spy says happily just as a jaguar pulls up and Mayor Martin steps out in an elegant burgundy dress carrying matching shoes in her hands. “Or it could be just for fun.”
“Mr. Stark, Ms. Potts” Natalie says easily and greets Natasha easily as she apparently knows the woman and Tony is really getting irritated by that. “Actually, it doesn’t do that for the pack, they fight better without shoes, but the Dryads insisted” she says flippantly and walks off with Natasha chatting happily.
Pepper mouths the word ‘dryads’ silently but Tony just shrugs and follows. At this point, he isn’t going to argue with everyone. Instead, he is going to get data and with a casual gesture he shifts Friday into observation mode. Or at least he tries to. It takes about 30 seconds before Friday informs him in a confused voice that her recordings are glitching and apparently are somehow only getting images of a chipmunk in the trees despite her best intentions. He is about to take steps when Pepper suddenly stops, and he looks at her in surprise but is stunned by her expression and he looks into the clearing and feels the ground drop from beneath him.
In the center of the large clearing is what looks like an ancient stone circle right out of Stonehenge. The massive stones look both out of place and ‘right’ in a way he can’t explain. An anomaly like that he could deal with, even with the garlands of flowers covering everything. The rest? He thinks he finally lost it. ‘And that’s a Centaur!’ he thinks as the being walks by talking to a normal couple. The clearing is filled with hundreds of beings, humans for the most part but when one of the guys in a suit suddenly grows hair, fangs and claws he revises that. “Tony!” Pepper hisses and he looks over and sees what he figures are the dryads. Women, about four feet tall, with hair made from flowers and leaves, and gossamer dresses dancing around and everywhere they step flowers bloom out of the ground. He nods and glances over and sees Natasha watching him with a smirk. He moves them over to the Russian.
“Is this…real?” he whispers.
Natasha takes pity on the man and points. “OH HELL!” he swears in a whisper when he spots the dragon sitting on rock talking to what looks like bigfoot. He turns back to her, and she reaches out her hand and rests it on his shoulder gently.
“You might find it easier to just let it go Tony. Just sit back, watch, and be nice, you don’t have to figure everything out” she suggests. She decides not to mention the spell Stiles warned her would probably ‘edit’ his memories when he left. “Think of it like watching a movie” she suggests.
“Who’s that?” Pepper asks pointing and Natasha looks over but doesn’t recognize the woman in all black with a cloak of what looks like black feathers.
“That is the Morgaine” a voice says coming up behind them and they turn and see a beautiful woman dressed elegantly but who also manages to exude that woodsy feel all around them. “She is the Female Aspect of Druidic Magic, much as Dr. Strange was the master of Sorcery.”
“Druids are real” Tony says, not managing to keep the sarcasm out his voice.
“Well, as far as I know, and I am one. Marin Morrell, Druid, Emissary of the McCall Pack, and advisor to High Alpha Stilinski” she introduces herself. “The High Alpha and Cora Hale asked me to let you know that they would like to speak with you briefly after the ceremony and set up a time to formerly meet tomorrow after the celebrations. They also felt you might appreciate a guide to the festivities today.”
“Thank you” Pepper says before Tony can reply “but this seems a lot for a wedding.”
Marin smiles. “Perhaps it is, but it is also the first time everyone has gathered since the Snap, and everyone decided to use the opportunity to come together after all that we lost that day. There are dozens of wolf packs here, not to mention many others” she says looking at a group of dwarves moving to get a better view of the ceremony.
“So, when do we start?” Tony asks and Marin smiles.
The ceremony was amazing. After most of the guests had gathered in the clearing, just a short time after Tony and his group arrived, the dragon had roared, silencing everyone, and people quickly moved to stand in a circle around the stones in the clearing, respectfully standing back a bit from the actual stones. Then, from the trees, the pixies had flown in, their tiny bodies shining with multicolored lights, dropping flowers on both ends of the clearing and then, from each side of the clearing opposite each other, the two parties entered the clearing at the same time. Allison was leading Erica’s escort, the blonde she-wolf surrounded by her fierce defenders, each smiling happily despite their fierce appearance. Scott was leading Boyd and his escort though the Alpha was smiling way too much to look menacing but the rest of them, especially Rancolm and his axe, made up for that. As the two groups surrounded their charges, they moved slowly until they reached the stone circle and then they spread out. They took up spaces just inside the stones, the escorts creating a circle of their own as the bride and groom walked the last steps to each other alone.
Coming together, they joined hands just as the trees shifted and Iskender stepped out. The Leshy was covered in rich green leaves but throughout his hair, beard, and robes of vines were tiny flowers. His staff was nearly glowing with the life of the forest and the flowers on it were reds, greens, golds, and blues in a beautiful riot of colors. He walked up to the pair smiling happily. The rich perfume of the flowers that came with the Green Man washed over the crowd causing smiles and deep breaths.
Iskender started quietly, but everyone was silent, so his words were easy for all to hear. He spoke of coming together, love, compassion, and care. He spoke of Erica and Boyd and all they had overcome to come together and the life they had made, telling their story. His words were old and how he spoke to them felt both ancient and new as he offered the blessings of the forest to the young couple.
When he finished, he stepped back and the Morgaine stepped forward and gave her blessings to the couple as she glowed with a deep, almost black, green when she touched each of their foreheads. They both smiled and she kissed them gently before stepping back.
Then Stiles stepped forward. There was a tangible reaction to his arrival because he wasn’t there a second before and there was no portal before he got there, he just was. He was dressed a tunic that was alpha red, that looked almost like the top of karate outfit but much more tailored with a hood that rested back a bit from his face but created an affect like a cowl or a crown and somehow allowed him to stand between the Leshy and the Morgaine and look like he belonged there. His pants were a dark gray, almost black, that ended just below his knees with his bare feet standing in the grass as he smiled at his two friends.
“Erica. Boyd. You both have fought and bled for this land and those that live here. You have given kindness to the stranger, strength to the weak, healing to the broken, and safety to the lost. You have created a home for those most in need and fought against those who would do harm to others. You have stood together and been a source for strength for your pack, your territory, your families, and those you have chosen to love. I give to you, on this day, my fullest blessings.”
As he says that his eyes light up with a pearlescent white that spreads through his tattoos that all shine with that same light as he reaches out to lay his hands on both of their heads. The light flows from his hands and wraps around both betas and they both shift to their beta forms in response to the magic. No one is sure who starts it but the single howl is alone for barely a second before the clearing sings out with the voices of hundreds of wolves and seconds later, they are joined by cheering, yelling, hooting, and other joyful noise from everyone else in the clearing. Erica and Boyd kiss, still glowing.
Chapter Text
“I have so many questions” Tony said as they sat down at one of the picnic tables. Mayor Martin and Sheriff Graeme had joined their small group as they walked back from the clearing to a group of buildings that were much more mundane and normal looking after attending a wedding out of Narnia. He had half expected to see torches and a setup that would be more at home in a Harry Potter movie with a castle or some similar nonsense.
Instead, they came back to a rather nice house, not as nice as his Malibu place before it was blown up, but still very nice. There were also three other buildings, two that looked like plain, old normal houses and one that looked less like a house but definitely closer to what he was expecting, though it definitely had electricity and to be fair, in California it didn’t really stand out that much.
“I thought it was a lovely ceremony” Pepper says looking at the other women at their table. In addition to the Mayor and Sheriff, Marin had stayed with them helping to explain things as they occurred. They had lost track of Natasha.
“Still not 100% in the loop on why two teenagers getting married generated so much interest” Tony says looking around the large area filled with people and… ‘sorta’ people. “I mean I get it that they are werewolves, allegedly, but does this kind of celebration happen every time two of them get married?”
Marin smiles. “No, at least it hasn’t been the case, at least not in the past. But things are starting to change and things might be different going forward. And Boyd and Erica are special for several reasons. First, they are both significant heroes to a lot of people here. They fought and helped defeat a rather horrible hunter who killed many innocent wolves and families for far too long. They also defeated a Darach, who was a very twisted magic user at the same time that they eliminated a pack of Alpha werewolves who had pretty much gone insane in their lust for power and killed many in their attempt to gain it. Add in that they are also the original betas of the first High Alpha in centuries and are close friends to his mate, a man who is creating a safe haven for wolves to live free from fear for the first time in centuries. Then there was their work after the Snap, helping so many, leading many of the people here tirelessly. There are a lot of people who admire them very much. Of course, this has also been the first real chance for the packs to get together and celebrate since all that happened so even those who don’t really know them that well came to see others who were coming.” The druid looks happy. “I imagine we will see similar occasions when others of the original Hale pack get married.”
“Argent and McCall?” Tara says with a smirk and smiles at the laughs from Natalie and Marin. “It’s pretty much their turn next, especially now that they are living together and already have four kids.”
“What?” Pepper asks with a shocked expression. That leads to a discussion about how almost all of the different packs and couples have ended up taking in orphans who needed families which leads to a conversation about how the Hales have been taking care of mortgages and other financial issues in the town to make sure everyone has a home and a safe place to stay as well as people looking out for them. “That’s amazing. And this was all done mostly by teenagers?” she says with a look of astonishment.
Tony nods absently to the explanation thinking that these ‘teenagers’ are doing a better job than most of the governments on the planet right now if they want to look at it objectively. Though he suspects that the mayor and sheriff, and some of the other ‘adults’, have probably been as much a part of the place’s success as the kids though he wouldn't be surprised if they are the ones driving a huge amount of the decisions. Months after the Snap and many places are still struggling to figure out who should have the authority to be doing things and this whole part of California is already mostly stabilized and after hearing stories about some of the wolf-packs from other towns, he begins to realize that they are probably behind most of the work being done all over this part of the country. He definitely needs to meet this kid!
“There you are!” Pepper says happily and Tony looks up to see Natasha walking up to their table with a pleased smile on her face. “Where did you run off to?”
“Just talking with a new friend. She is really fascinating” she says as she takes a seat and sips on an actual tankard that looks like it came from a Renaissance Faire or something.
“What is that?” Tony asks looking at the mug.
“Dwarven Ale. Got it from one of the dwarven brewers...tastes like that drink Thor likes” she says smiling as she takes a sip and Tony twitches.
“Is that who you were talking to?” Pepper steps in to ask seeing the difficulty he was having with all this magical stuff.
“No. The lady in question’s name is Yndriesdi. She wanted to be here for the ceremony but was taking it easy because of her condition so she decided to stay in the clearing with some others who are not as comfortable coming here. She lived in Russia a while back, so she was telling me about her time there.”
“That’s nice. When was she there?” Pepper asks.
“Around 1200 AD. Though it was very different then when she was there and the parts she lived in were not actually Russian at that time.”
“Oh. Wow” Pepper says doing the math. “How old is she?” she asks.
“She didn’t say, and I thought it would be rude to ask since she was feeling rather irritable with her pregnancy.”
Pepper looked as stunned as Tony, but the rest were laughing at the two. “Her mate was lost with the Snap” Marin said gently bringing down the mood of the conversation, “but we are hopefully that once she lays the eggs and they hatch, there will cause for another celebration. We think it will be the first births in almost 300 years.”
Tony and Pepper both look confused, so Natasha takes pity on them. “She’s a dragon” she explains and laughs at their reaction just as several plates of food appear on their table thanks to the brownies surprising everyone. “Thank you, it looks amazing” she says to the one who appears to be directing the others who nods shyly before disappearing again.
“Hate to admit it, but you looked pretty good up there” Cora says with an elbow to his side as she steps up besides Stiles as he finally leaves the clearing to head back to the house. Both of them had stayed behind to speak with a number of individuals, including Iskender and Yndriesdi, as well as several of the Sasquatch and Centaurs. Master Lyra and several other mages had also stayed to speak with various people, so a good number had waited while the majority of the crowd headed for the food. They had even seen the Black Widow drinking with Whulibela's brother and the dragon.
“I didn’t look stupid?” Stiles asks with a whisper and looking concerned. She laughs.
“No. Red is a good color for you Stiles” she says roughly before looking back to the path. “Did you see that your man crush was here?”
Stiles shoves her for that one. “One, he is not my crush, but come on, he is Iron Man! The guy’s a genius, billionaire, superhero. Are you really telling me you weren’t impressed with having two Avengers here? C'mon!”
“Maybe if you had managed to get Thor to show up, that would have been something to see” she says with a waggle of her eyebrows “but not for some rich business guy.”
“Not even a rich business guy who wants to talk about buying some of all that property you have been hoarding” he challenges.
She smiles wickedly. “Oh, that. Well, he better have brought his checkbook if he wants anything of ours!”
“Him building here would be helpful” he reminds the beta.
She snorts. “We don’t really need it. I’ve seen the numbers just as you have Stilinski. At the rate we are going we could expand our holdings 50% within a year. Why should we sell him part of our portfolio?”
Stiles laughs. “You have become quite the land baron, huh? You know the point of buying all of that land all is to do something with it? We don't need it sitting empty and not making you any money.”
Cora frowns. She has really gotten into buying up land in the area and, to herself at least, she really likes seeing it all laid out on her maps. Selling some of what they have gotten a hold of seems like a waste of all that effort.
“Besides, if we can sell him some of that commercial property in town that we don’t really need or have a use for, then maybe we can use that money and the desire for him to come here to get the county to sell us the land next to the Preserve that you have been eyeing.”
Cora looks at him appraisingly. She smiles. The town had been dragging their feet despite Mayor Martin’s gentle push but she tries to not take it personally. She knows that people are still uncertain about big changes, but she knows the possibility of getting Stark Industries to set up here could be the lever they need to make it finally happen. “Fine. We will meet with them, but I want something out of this besides money. I’ve got plenty of that. Even with the craziness.”
Stiles nods and smiles at an Alpha as they pass by who nods respectfully at him. He has seen the newest numbers from Cora and since she took over the bank, she has dived headfirst into all of the family accounts, and he knows they have more money than the packs would need for generations. Buying land means they can guarantee homes for everyone who is coming to them for a sense of safety and security that seems like a real thing for the first time in centuries. They have even started buying up some land from the state to give over some easy cash that the government needs. She’s not kidding. At the rate they are going, they could close in on nearly a million acres of land in California, Oregon, and Washington within two or three years. He knows they need to move fast but an influx of some cash from outside sources besides all the Hale accounts wouldn’t hurt. Not to mention that Peter had invested in some businesses that were proving to be critical to the state’s recovery, so they were also making money from sources that they had totally not expected to turn such a profit with so it was time to get strategic and strike while the opportunity was there.
“Stiles! Over here!” Scott calls out happily and the two spot the Alpha waving at them from a group with Allison, Aiden, Alpha Ito, and Alpha Roberts. Stiles smiles happily and heads over to join the group. He will drag Cora over to meet Stark after they eat.
“Is that who I think it is?” Alpha Delgado looks over at the woman’s comment and sees the group talking to the sheriff and mayor.
“You mean Tony Stark and Pepper Potts?” he asks and smiles at the woman’s bewildered nod. “Oh yes, that’s him. Tony Stark makes quite the impression anywhere he goes. Met him once about ten years ago at some charity event in LA. Guy was a total douche. Reeked of alcohol and sex, but he is absolutely brilliant and has no tolerance for stupidity.”
“What do you mean?” the emissary, he thinks she is from Oregon, but he forgot after she was introduced, asks him.
“He’s convinced he is smarter and better than everyone else.”
She looks at him with a curious expression and he just shrugs. “Okay, fine. He pretty much is the smartest guy in any room, and he makes anyone else feel like an idiot by comparison, but he was an ass to just about everyone. The problem was his ego wrote huge checks that his brain was actually able to deliver on, which just made his ego worse. Though to be fair, it seems that since he started his whole Iron Man thing, he apparently has gotten some humility in him and appears to be a lot more serious about some things. But his real secret weapon is Potts. While she smiles nice and politely, the woman has a core of steel herself. She has bested some serious men in the corporate world who underestimated her because she used to be his assistant. They seem to forget exactly how smart and educated she is and that she has done some amazing things with that company. There are whole groups of women in every top business school who would kill for five minutes of her time, according to my niece.”
“Is she here?” the Emissary asks but then stops at the expression on his face. “Sorry” she says gently.
Leon nods, still not used to using the past tense when thinking about Patricia.
“They get off okay?” Rhodey asks walking into the office in the compound that Natasha had claimed as her own.
Steve nods. “They did. They promised they would check in with us in a few weeks.” Carol, Nebula and Rocket had made a quick check on some of the larger planets out there after defeating Thanos but had come back to let them know how bad things were going on other worlds. Now they were going to leave and be gone for some time and although they planned to split up, it would be after they checked out some key spots that Steve understood were good sources of information about what is going on out there. “How’s the President?”
James smiled. “Appreciative. She asked me to specifically let you know that she has signed the paperwork for you, Wanda, Scott, Sam, and Clint to officially clear your records.” He looks at the soldier’s expression and sighs. “I know, it’s kinda late, but it counts for something doesn’t it?”
Steve nods. He supposes it does. They may be gone but at least they are no longer criminals in the eyes of the government. At least most of them. The President wasn't as keen to pardon Bucky due to all his other past problems, but he supposed it didn't really matter. “Any word on SHIELD or what remains of it? Or who is in charge with Fury and Hill gone?”
James laughs. “You think that bunch is telling anyone anything? They are still kicking but between Hydra and Thanos, they are running on fumes. I think the President would like to get them back up, but she is concerned about infiltration again.” He shakes his head. “Where’s Nat?” he asks looking around.
“She went to a friend’s wedding” Steve says and chuckles at the look on Rhodey’s face.
“What did you say?”
“I know, I know, but she said she had some friends she met that were getting married in California and she took some time to go there for the party. Also said she had to check in on some other people.”
James stared for a second. “Tony?” he asks softly.
Steve shrugged but looked at the man. “Probably. She is worried about him, and she thinks...I don’t know, but she keeps in contact with Pepper.”
“Give him time” James advises. “Thanos shook his whole view of the world” Rhodey laughs at the irony of that statement and look on Steve’s face. “Okay, fine. He screwed with all of us, but you and me, we know that sometimes you lose the fight. Goes with the uniform. Tony…he has never really believed he couldn’t beat someone. Even in New York, he always thought he was going to win though he started doubting things. That’s what made him so determined to find a solution to protect Earth. This, this has messed him up.”
“I know” Steve says with a nod. “We got a request from the German government about some missing weapons from one of their bases. Got some time to help me check it out?”
Rhodey smiled and sat down as Steve opened the files. He could do with something tangible to work on. If he got lucky, he could take some of his own frustration out on some bad guys.
Tony spots the bride heading for his table while Nat and Marin are discussing her previous visit to this town and some guy that she helped deal with who was apparently possessed by a fly or a fox, he lost track, and refused to even entertain the whole concept.
She had spotted them and was dragging the large man she just married behind her on their way over. Tony takes a breath ready to ‘play nice’ just as Pepper spots the couple and smiles at them. “Erica!” the mayor says happily standing to embrace the blonde and then the young man “Vernon. You both looked amazing, congratulations.”
Boyd nods with a slight smile while Erica beams. “Thank you, Mayor Martin. It wasn’t too much?” she asks quietly looking a bit worried.
“Not at all” Marin assures the teen. “I imagine we are going to see a lot of outdoor weddings around here in the future. They probably won’t have Stiles or Iskender there, but you know word will get around town and even non-magical folk will be copying you.
Erica smiles before looking over at the table and smiling when she spots Natasha. “You came!” she gushes as Nat stands up to embrace the teen. “I wasn’t sure you would be able to.”
“Wouldn’t have missed it. If only to see this one having to try and explain away everything he saw” she says with a smirk as she looks over at Tony who is rolling his eyes while Pepper offers her congratulations.
“Thank you” Erica says to the redhead with a smile before looking over at Tony. “If you were worried about a gift, I can get registered at the Porsche dealer” she says with a saucy wink which actually causes Tony to laugh.
“Erica” Boyd says with a look of ‘what can you do’ for the man. “He doesn’t have to get us anything. Besides, if you want a car, ask Cora.”
Erica pouts. “But if he gets me one it will probably fly” she reasons. “Or have missiles.”
Boyd looks at his new wife who is smiling happily before turning back to Tony. “How about a toaster?”
“Why on earth would you need a flying car, let alone one with weapons? Aren’t you a bad ass werewolf?” Tony asks her.
Erica smiles, her fangs suddenly appearing, and her eyes flash golden causing both Tony and Pepper to startle. “You better believe it big guy. But spiders can’t fly, and I would like to be able to avoid our local one.”
Tony stares for several seconds trying to figure it out before he gives up. “You have claws, super strength, super speed, and are a creature of the night and you are worried about a bug?”
Erica shudders. “It’s not an ordinary bug!”
“It’s still a bug though.”
“It is eight feet tall, glows, and can walk through walls!” Erica exclaims causing Pepper and Mayor Martin to both let out small shrieks.
“What?! Did you know about this?” Natalie Martin demands looking at Tara and Marin. They both nod.
“It’s harmless…mostly” Tara assures her. “Stiles told us that it wouldn’t bother anyone, and most people can’t even see it, so we didn’t mention it.”
“It can walk through walls? Like Vision?” Natasha asks looking slightly concerned.
“You mean it change its density?” Tony looks astonished.
“No” Boyd says firmly. “It is a ghost. It is always intangible. Just not always visible.”
Tony looks at the man in stunned silence. “Ghost?” he mutters. “Okay, I give up. You people must all be crazy.”
Erica nods. “A bit, but it helps living here.”
Marin shakes her head. “Mr. Stark, the Ghost Spider is a manifestation of an idea or an inspiration. It is brought forth to deliver that inspiration to the one it seeks. It is not harmful, and like the Sheriff said, most will never see it. It simply waits for the one to whom it will deliver its message and will then cease to exist. It is like a dream.”
The table starts arguing about that. Pepper is unhappy that the spider dies once it delivers the message, but Marin tries to explain that it isn’t really alive. Erica gets a bit worked up describing it, but Boyd finally manages to get her to head off to the next group to talk to people leaving the group behind still discussing the possibility of ghosts.
“I like her” Pepper says after she leaves. She pauses and looks at Tony who seems equally impressed. “No.”
“What?” he says failing to look innocent.
“You are not giving her a flying car or worse, one with missiles.”
Tony smiles. “You know, Natasha says werewolves have super-fast reflexes, I bet I could come up with something really fun.”
“And I would arrest you” Tara says easily taking a sip of her drink.
Tony looks offended, more so as all the woman around the table are laughing at him. But he shrugs finally. He will send the couple something else, but definitely not a toaster.
“Mr. Stark?” a high-pitched voice says, and he turns to see a man, about three feet high suddenly standing next to him and he startles. It’s definitely not a kid, the proportions are too adult, but not a short human either and though he has seen them before, it still surprises him.
“Uh…”
“Hello Usilis” Marin says easily. “Did you need Mr. Stark for something?”
“Yes Emissary. The Arcanist and Chronicler would like to speak with Mr. Stark and the lady for a moment at the House.”
Marin nods and looks at Tony and Pepper. “Stiles would like to talk to you both. Usilis will take you to him.”
Tony nods and moves to follow the little guy, Pepper right behind him while the table watches him leave. “So, do you think Stiles will be able to act cool or will he fan boy when he meets him?” Tara asks the group, who chuckle.
“He is in ‘uniform’ today so I imagine he will try to be quick and professional. Tomorrow?” Marin looks skeptical but smiles “Tomorrow he will probably ‘geek out’. But then Cora is going to try and squeeze every dollar out of Stark so she might make him behave.”
They all laugh. They have all seen both sides of the teen and though his more innocent, normal-kid side has been rare since the Sheriff was lost, it was still in there. If there was ever a time for it to show up, it would when Stiles was meeting Iron Man.
Tony and Pepper walk to the main house past other guests, some who seem to figure out who they are and point and whisper and others who seem oblivious to them, and they enter through the spacious kitchen which has calmed down significantly since most of the food has been served. “Hey!” Tony yells spotting Celeste.
“Hello again” she says easily and hands a cup of tea to Pepper who sniffs and smiles happily taking a quick sip with happy noises.
“Your food was incredible” Pepper gushes to the woman who nods in appreciation before turning back to some delicate plate of desserts.
“This way” Usilis says and pulls on Tony’s sleeve and the two walk through the main room down the hall into what looks like a formal office with a teenage girl sitting at a large desk. She is beautiful he will admit. She has black hair, long and straight with dark eyes and is dressed in brown leathers that he recognizes from the wedding. She has removed the little crown she was wearing earlier. Standing behind her was the kid they came to see. His hood was down showing off a rather a messed-up flop of brown hair on his head, pale skin dotted with moles. He is smiling easily but appears to be deferring to the girl. He is also wearing shoes now.
“Ms. Hale, I presume? Mr. Stilinski?” Tony starts looking at the two of them.
“Since this is official business, we should probably be formal” the girl says. “I am Cora Hale, Beta, and Chronicler of the Hale Pack and this is High Alpha Stilinski, Arcanist. You are Tony Stark and Pepper Potts, CEO of Stark Industries?”
“He’s also Iron Man ” Stiles says with the definite sound of giddiness in his voice that gets him a glare from Cora. “C’mon Cora, you got to admit it’s really cool having an Avenger in here. He is like the OG hero!”
She sighs and turns back towards the two humans. She looks at Pepper for a moment before smiling. “Stiles, why don’t you show Tony around while Pepper and I talk business?”
Stiles eagerly steps forward a step before freezing. “I thought we were going to do business tomorrow?”
Cora waves him off. “We will. I just want to take some time to chat with the nice lady. I am sure you would like to show Iron Man around.” She smiles innocently.
Tony frowns but before he can respond Stiles breaks. “You know what, I don’t care. Come on, I want to show you some stuff” he says excitedly and pulls Tony out of the room.
Pepper looks back at the girl who is smiling wickedly and offering the redhead a seat. “Why do I get the feeling you just sent them off to go ‘play’ or something.”
Cora smiles back, “Well, do we really need them for this?”
Pepper laughs at that. “I suppose not. I am guessing that Mr. Stilinski will agree with whatever you and I decide on?”
“As Mr. Stark will for you” Cora confirms. “So…you want to buy some land” Cora says leaning back in her chair as she stares at the other woman. She may be a big shot corporate CEO, but Cora Hale can smell fear, hear deception, and see desperation in others. The woman won’t know what hit her.
“Did we just get sent out to go play?” Tony asks as they step back outside.
“Pretty much” Stiles confirms. “Cora probably thinks that she can negotiate better without us being there to mess things up.”
Tony chuckles. “If she is thinking Pepper is the easy one to work with, she is going to be disappointed. She has had to deal with my board of directors, the press, and all of my messes. She is a way tougher CEO than I was. She can be a shark.”
“I know. I warned her about that, but Cora has her own gifts.”
“Kid, I know you are some magical heroes and all that, but this is the business world.”
“Did you know werewolves can hear your heartbeat?” Stiles asks and sees Tony’s surprise. “Yep. They can even hear the little skip in a heartbeat when someone lies. They can also smell emotions. Ever hear of chemosignals? They can smell when someone feels something strongly. So basically, Pepper is negotiating with a living lie detector that can smell desperation or fear.”
Tony stares for a second before he starts laughing. Stiles looks confused. “Pepper doesn’t have to lie. She rarely does and then it is mostly to me or the press. We aren’t desperate or concerned about coming here.”
Stiles looks at the man for a second before he starts laughing as well. “So, they both pretty much are even again. Well, if nothing else it means we don’t have to sit around and listen to them argue.”
“Boys” they both turn as Natasha Romanov joins them with a smile.
“Romanov. What are you up to?” Tony asks.
“Remember that communications terminal I wanted you to set up for me?” she asks, and he nods blankly before he looks at the kid.
“You want it for him” he says instantly understanding her request and totally agreeing. They definitely should keep tabs on this kid. He might turn out to be more than a little useful.
“And I would like to talk about getting some technological security systems to supplement the magical ones on the houses and some of our other properties” Stiles says with a cheery smile.
“Why? Aren’t all your magic spells supposed to handle all that?” Tony snarks.
Stiles smiles. “Of course, but anyone magical who comes here to start trouble isn’t going to be expecting Stark Tech or be prepared for it. And anyone non-magic won’t expect the spells. I like covering all the bases and doing the unexpected.”
Tony barks a laugh. He likes this kid. Reminds him of…the kid. He shakes his head sadly. Not today. “So, tell me what set up you two are wanting me to put together” he says looking over at the teen and the former assassin. He realizes that he wants to keep this kid off SHIELD’s radar, as much of that group that is left or whoever comes after, so he will work with Nat on it. Stiles leads them to what he calls his ‘Sanctum’ and starts telling him about his ideas and Tony has to admit the kid is smart. Really smart. Wonder if he could design an AI that could do this magic stuff?
Chapter Text
“So, are sure your…friend will be okay with what we came up with?” Pepper asks cautiously as she steps out onto the porch of the large house. “That is a pretty nice piece of property.” She is still not 100% certain of what the relationship is between the young girl and the teen, what they are to each other, but she knows that the Hale family of companies owns it and since the girl is Cora Hale, she figures she is the key.
Cora doesn’t exactly growl but she doesn't look particularly happy. To be honest, she is irritated, but she also has to admit that she is impressed by the woman smiling at her. The beta was counting on getting the upper hand with her supernatural senses, but even with them, she wasn’t prepared for how sneaky the CEO was. She maneuvered Cora into agreeing to selling them a rather nice chunk of land on the edge of the warehouse area in a great location and lots of growth opportunities, much better than what she had originally wanted to sell. She was graceful enough to admit that Pepper’s plans for the land was impressive and would change the nature of that whole part of town, hell the entire town if she is being honest. “It is” she admits with an angry look.
Pepper smiles recognizing the young woman’s disappointment, but is isn't as if the deal isn’t fair. At least for the most part. It’s just that it is definitely tipped in their favor. Ultimately the town will benefit, that she is sure of without a doubt, but despite her impressive work, the young werewolf has a long way to go when dealing with international companies.
“There you are” Natalie Martin says with a smile as she walks up to the two women. “I thought you had left already” she says directly to Pepper.
“No, Tony is off with Stiles somewhere talking which allowed us to have a conversation amongst ourselves about where to build our new facility” Pepper says happily.
Natalie looks exited. “It’s happening? You are going to do it?” she asks looking back and forth between the two.
Pepper nods and proceeds to describe the area that Cora had agreed sell to Stark Industries for the new facility. “When can we announce this?” Natalie says excitedly while looking calculating. This would be a huge plum for the whole area, not to mention the county and town. Enough that the Governor would probably be paying even more attention to what they are doing here, but she will deal with that later.
Pepper frowns for a moment. “Well, I would prefer to wait a few months to get everything nailed down before we make the official announcement and let the cat out of the bag so to speak. This will be the first new thing we have done since..., and, well, we need to get all the paperwork done and I would like to take some time to have some mock-ups created for the site before we make the announcement so people can get an idea of what to expect.”
Natalie nods but looks at the younger woman with a bit of surprise. “I admit to being a bit shocked Cora. That is a lot of prime real estate.”
Cora shrugs. “She’s a good negotiator. Besides, she is right. Them building that facility here will do wonders for the town. She’s also a rather brutal bargainer. Got some of the best property in town we have.”
Pepper smiles generously. “Well, you bargained hard too.”
Cora smiles wickedly. “Yeah, you only paid one and half times what I wanted for it.”
Pepper pauses for a second and then looks at the girl in shock as the smile she has on her face and Natalie laughs at her stunned expression “I’m a werewolf Pepper. I have learned how to lie to my family, and they can hear my heartbeat and all my tells. You were expecting me to be a sullen, moody teenager who was more stubborn than thoughtful. I played into that.”
Pepper sputters. “But you were all emotional over all of that land. You said your family owned all of that property for generations!”
Cora laughs. “Nope. Mom bought it about two years before she died. The original owner went bankrupt in the dot.com bust in the 90s. That was not a part of town we were invested in until then. When land prices crashed, we snatched up a whole bunch of the place hoping to use it to turn things around for Beacon Hills. But the fire ended all that so it sat mostly abandoned though the Hale Trust paid the taxes. But since we have been back, we have started looking for how to use it again. You building your facility is the best idea to come along, so it was a 'no-brainer'. Not to mention, we also own about 60% of all of the land and buildings within five blocks of your new site which, once you make the announcement, will probably be worth at least 10 times what it is now in less than a year. Maybe even more so once you start building and open.”
Pepper stares at the woman for another second before bursting out laughing. “You are definitely a dangerous one Ms. Hale. Any chance you want a job?” she offers.
Cora smiles smugly.
“But why did you blow up all of your suits if you were just going to rebuild them?” Stiles asks leaning forward. “I mean didn’t each one cost millions and you just trashed them?”
Tony groans. Ever since they finished the discussion on the technical specifications the kid at Nat wanted for this place, it seems like any semblance of restraint was gone and he was going a mile a minute with the questions. “It was a statement” he mutters.
Stiles looks at him and snorts. “What, that you have too much money?”
“No, that they were part of the past. That I didn’t need them anymore.”
“And then you went and built a new suit?”
Tony glances over and he can tell Romanov is restraining herself from laughing at him. “It’s different.”
“Because you used nanotech?” Stiles guesses and sees a bit of surprise from the man. “Dude, there is cell phone video of you fighting those aliens with Doc Strange in New York. It had to be nanotech, even with the terrible quality of the video. But I gotta say that I loved the detached weapons array. That was awesome!”
“Yeah, it was” Tony smirks.
“But why did you tell that terrorist to blow up your house?”
Tony is going to get whiplash from this kid’s change of direction. “I didn’t tell him to blow up my house!”
“Dude, you gave a terrorist your address and dared him to attack you. You basically asked him to try and blow you up” Stiles replies looking at the man like he was stupid.
“I needed to draw him out.”
“Uh-huh.”
“Look kid, it’s complicated. Besides, you talked with Strange. You know things are not always what they seem to be.”
Stiles acknowledges that point. “So, if you gave War Machine armor, why didn’t you give any of the other Avengers armor? I mean wouldn’t Hawkeye or Cap or Black Widow have been even better with armor?”
“Do you ever stop asking questions?” Tony demands as Natasha loses control and starts laughing. “Seriously?”
Stiles stares at the guy for a second before smirking. “Actually, Doc Strange taught me to astral project so I can sleep and keep learning at the same time. Makes research so much more efficient!”
“If you don’t give me a break, I swear I will give your buddy Erica not only a flying car, but one with more weapons than a Quinjet” he says looking serious.
Stiles opens his mouth but stops before he says anything and closes it. “That would not be a good plan. If I stop, will you promise not to?” he asks looking at the avenger who is scowling at Natasha who is still laughing quietly.
Tony sighs. “Kid, you are definitely something else. I wouldn’t give that one weapons tech don’t worry.” He pauses, “but you do really need to stay off people’s radars, especially the government's” he says seriously as he stands up. “There are some people who would try and push you or control you if they knew the things you can do.”
Stiles gets serious and nods. “I know. But we have taken steps to hide. I don’t mind people like you knowing, I trust you both” he says looking at Natasha. “I mean if you can’t trust the Avengers to do right, who can you trust? But also, I physically can’t leave my territory, so I am pretty limited and, well, if I am being honest, I have a lot of allies who watch out for me. I can help out where I can, but I am not going to be anyone’s pawn.”
Tony stares for a moment and then nods. The kid explained his story and a lot about what is going on. He isn’t sure about the ‘spell’ that will protect them, but it may be true. Friday still can’t get any footage that isn’t 100% boring. In fact, she couldn’t even see the centaurs or dragons, so maybe he is worrying for nothing. “Okay kid, let’s see what the ladies have come up with. If we are lucky, they will have it all worked out and we won’t have to do anything.”
They walk out of the Sanctum and Stiles and Natasha are talking about the benefits of a Black Widow Armor suit when Tony looks across the field of people happily socializing and tries to remember the last time things felt so…normal. He makes the decision that he is going to build that cabin he was talking about for him and Pepper and their arriving little one and…
“Stiles” he stutters.
“Just a second. I mean it. If you had some cloaking tech, it would be awesome!” the teen says to the woman.
“I prefer the freedom to move and fight, the armor would slow me down” Natasha says easily.
“STILES!” Tony yells.
Stiles looks up in surprise. “What?”
“Erica said that spider was glowing. Was it green?”
Stiles looks shocked. “Yeah, it is. How did you know that?”
Tony manages to point as he activates his tech on his watch causing a gauntlet to form as he looks at the eight-foot tall glowing arachnid.
“Huh? Wonder what she’s doing here?” Stiles mutters but then the spider suddenly accelerates, heading right towards them.
“Oh Hell!” Tony yells and aims his fist at the thing to fire.
“It’s a ghost” Stiles yells as he starts to move, Natasha moving to the side behind them, but it doesn’t matter, the giant spider has already closed the distance and before anyone can react it is suddenly before them, and it shoots out one leg and rams it through Tony’s chest. Someone screams and Tony collapses as his eyes roll back into his head.
“Tony!” Natasha yells and pulls out a weapon, but the spider has already begun to dissolve and in seconds it has faded away. “Stiles, what happened?!” she demands and checks the pulse on the unconscious man. Still strong.
“Seems she was waiting for Stark” Stiles says looking down at them. “She delivered her message.”
Marin arrives to check on the man and Stiles looks up to see Pepper and Cora running towards them. He really hopes this doesn’t cause too many problems.
It did. At least at first. It took them a few minutes to calm Ms. Potts down enough that she would let them move Tony to the main house. They were closer to the Sanctum but Marin felt that putting Tony in the guest room was the smarter decision. Stiles did enjoy that it was Cora who carried him, even though several other wolves showed up to help. They got him settled down and Marin gave him a thorough inspection.
“So, what happened?” Pepper demands trying to stay calm but she is not doing too well. Stiles had sent out everyone but Natasha, Pepper, and himself while Marin did her thing, though several of the other Emissaries had offered to help.
“Just as Stiles said. The Ghost Spider exists to provide inspiration or lost knowledge. Apparently, it was waiting for Mr. Stark and once he was here, it came and delivered it.”
“But why did it dissolve? And why is Tony like this?” Pepper demands looking at her unconscious husband.
“Once the spider delivers the inspiration, it has no purpose remaining, so it fades away. It has accomplished its task. And I imagine that Mr. Stark is simply recovering from the shock of the experience and should wake up shortly. There was no damage done” Marin assures them.
“I’m really sorry Ms. Potts” Stiles says again. “But we had no idea she was here for Iron Man. We thought it was magic related.”
Pepper takes several deep breaths. “And you are sure there is no damage? Nothing harmful?”
“Absolutely” Marin says without hesitation. “I researched the creature thoroughly when we first discovered its presence. The Ghost Spider delivers inspiration, nothing else. In many instances, the inspiration it delivered was considered a precious gift.”
“Somehow I am not sure Tony would agree” Natasha mutters.
Pepper is about to reply but the small groan from Tony pulls her attention as she stares down at the man in the bed and sees signs of him waking up. “Tony?” she says gently.
Suddenly he sits up in the bed, eyes flying open, as everyone jumps back. “The answer is a Mobius strip!” and then his eyes roll back in his head, and he collapses back on the bed.
“Tony” Pepper leans forward just at the man starts to softly snore.
“Uh, what was that?” Stiles asks looking at Marin.
The druid, looking as calm and unperturbed as ever, shrugs “Probably his inspiration. Now they he heard it, he will probably wake up in a half hour or so. Would you like something to drink?” she asks Natasha as she heads for the door. The avenger looks at the sleeping inventor and smiles when she sees Pepper has calmed down a lot. She nods and follows the other woman out.
Stiles walks over to the other side and sits in the chair there. “Just so you know, Marin wouldn’t leave if she was even slightly worried. He really is going to be okay.”
Pepper nods. “I don’t know why but I think I know that.” She smiles slightly. “He looks, and sounds, like he does when he falls asleep in his workshop.” She sighs. “I’m sorry if I was a bit crazy, but after Thanos and everything with the others, it hasn’t been easy.”
Stiles nods. “And it probably doesn’t help that everyone expects him to somehow fix things.” Stiles looks at the guy who pretty much is one of the most famous people in the world. “He does know it wasn’t his fault, right?”
Pepper sighs deeply. “He still blames himself for not doing more to stop it from happening. From not somehow convincing the others. Even though it doesn’t make any sense. We have friends out there” she looks up meaningfully “and we know that if Thanos had invaded it would have been a disaster. His attack on New York was bad enough, but it wasn’t even a tenth of his forces. But it doesn’t matter, he will still think he could have done more if he worked harder at it. That’s just who he is, he won’t rest till he is sure the job is done.”
“The job is never done” Stiles says gently.
Pepper nods in agreement but doesn’t say anything else.
Stiles gets up quietly and leaves the room and the two newlyweds. He will have Celeste send them some food and ask Usilis to keep an eye on things.
“High Alpha?”
Stiles turns and looks at Alpha Ito who is staring at him with some concern on her face. “Alpha Ito. Is everything okay?”
She looks at him for a few moments before sighing and reaching out for him. “Would you walk with me?” she asks gently.
Surprised, Stiles nods and lets the elder Alpha guide them but it only takes a moment before he realizes that they are heading back to his clearing. They don’t say anything as they walk though. They do both nod to and greet some of the others that are still walking around the woods before they reach the clearing that has now emptied out. Even Yndriesdi has left, though Stiles can feel echoes of the Dryads' presence and some of the forest spirits nearby.
“I wanted to make sure that you were okay” Satomi says carefully looking at the teen with clear concern on her face.
“I’m fine” he assures her quickly. “Why would you think otherwise?”
She stares at him without speaking and Stiles quickly becomes uncomfortable with the attention. It is like when his mom’s mom would catch him doing something he wasn’t supposed to when he was really young. The woman had a sixth sense when he was about to get into trouble, though now Stiles wonders if the woman had actual magic abilities back then. But Satomi doesn’t push, she is patient and just stares.
“Okay it’s a bit stressful with the wedding, but that’s only normal, right?”
The elder werewolf continues to watch the teen silently.
“Fine. It sucks. Is that what you want to hear? Erica and Boyd are married and Scott and Allison are next. Everyone has someone and I don’t…again.” He paces as he talks but the older woman remains quiet, listening to him without judgement.
“And it was so cool to meet Iron Man, but it just reminds me that my dad is gone. And that really sucks” he says with a slight hiccup. “My dad would have loved and hated this. He would have been proud but also would have made so much fun of things, ya know?” he says looking at the alpha whose expression is kind.
“I have heard much of your father from the others, especially Alpha McCall. He was a very good man” she says simply.
“He was. You know when all this happened? When Scott was bitten and everything was crazy, I spent so much time lying to him about everything. Trying to protect him, keep him safe. When he finally found out he was happy at first.”
“Happy?” she looks a bit confused at that revelation.
“Yeah. He had thought of a ton of other possibilities that were really bad. Drugs, violence, other crap that he was terrified I had gotten caught up in. Werewolves were a bit of a relief at first. Then when he realized how dangerous it was, he was scared for me. Especially because he didn’t know how to protect me from it all.”
“Every parent wants to protect their children from danger and harm. Learning that monsters are real must have been difficult for him.”
Stiles snorts. “My dad is a cop. He has been dealing with monsters his whole life. They were just the human kind. I always knew when he had a bad situation at work. He would come home and stay really close to my mom and me. Like he wanted to make sure we were okay. He was reassuring himself that whatever happened to those other people wasn’t going to happen to us.” He sighs as he sits down on one of the chairs still set up from the ceremony. “When all this happened, it was a shock. Did you know that Ennis busted down our door and was going to kill us. That bastard had wolfed-out and had my dad by the throat. I don’t remember exactly what he said, I just saw him threatening my dad.”
Satomi frowns. She knew the pack dealt with Deucalion’s Alpha Pack, and Derek had told her that Stiles had dealt with the brute, but he didn’t say how, only that he was gone and not going to be a problem.
“I cut off his arms” Stiles says in a whispered breath.
Satomi’s eyes widen. She hadn’t heard this part before.
“I summoned one of my shields” he says and suddenly the circle of golden light appears around his fist. Satomi watches as it spins faster and faster before he suddenly throws it. She watches as the spinning disk slices through a table without slowing down as passes through leaving behind two cleanly cut halves.
“Impressive” she says carefully as the disk flies back to the teen’s hand before he waves it away. “I am not sure that kind of wound is one we could recover from easily.”
“I wanted to kill him” Stiles says simply. “I almost did. I blasted him, broke both his legs, and was about to tear him to pieces.”
Satomi stares at the teen and understands. “But your father asked you not to” she says simply.
He nods.
“Taking a life is never easy High Alpha. And though you have had fight for your family, for all of us, I understand why your father asked you to give even one so vile as Ennis mercy. He didn’t want you to have to carry such a heavy burden.”
“Didn’t matter in the long run though did it? I have had to kill. I wanted to kill Gerard and Kate.”
“But you didn’t. You stepped back and let others do so.”
He shrugs. “Does that really make a difference? I was willing to do it. Wanted to. To stop them, to keep us safe? I would have done it easily. I would have gladly killed them while they were sleeping to stop them.”
Satomi looks carefully at the young man before her. “I do not believe that it would have been so easy for you to cross that line. Even now, fighting for all of us, you rarely cross that boundary.”
Stiles looks at her with sad eyes. “But I allow others to do so. I know about Allison and what she is doing with the other hunters who try and sneak in. And what Alpha Delgado and the others are doing on the borders. I know they are stepping in and doing things like that.”
She pauses and considers carefully before looking back up at him. “You do. But allowing others to make their own choices is not the same as bearing the responsibility of those decisions. The young Ms. Argent is dealing with her own burdens of family violence. Her grandfather and Aunt did much evil to a great many. By protecting innocents from such hatred, she is seeking to atone for that stain on her family’s name. And she does not seek out enemies, does she?”
“Well, I mean sort of” he says looking a bit off.
“Intercepting those on the way to do violence is not the same as going out and attacking hunters in their homes. Something her Aunt was only happy to do to innocent packs. Ms. Argent understands who she is dealing with, and I imagine she is in regular contact with her Grand Matriarch?” she says with an arched expression.
Stiles snorts. “She is. Clarrisant is very aware of things.”
“And she approves of Allison’s actions?”
Stiles nods. “She does. Even Araya Calaveras is somewhat accepting of the new status quo. Though I am pretty sure she would have been happy if I was the one who was snapped by Thanos, I don’t think she will try anything.”
“No” Satomi says with a gleeful smile. “The Calaveras Matriarch is anything but foolish. She knows that the only way to survive a war with you is if she could wipe out you and all of us in one stroke. And that is nearly impossible. Even now, if she were to strike here, she would face reprisals from many, many others.” Satomi looks around the clearing with a very satisfied expression. “No. You have changed things my young friend much more than I think even you realize. We are not the same as we were even a year ago. You have woken us up to the possibility of what we, the packs, all of us, could be. And I do not think we are willing to go back to sleep.” She looks at him and smiles wickedly. “And in another year, we will be even stronger. The Council may not truly realize what you have done bringing us together, but some of us do.”
Stiles looks at her carefully but then smiles a bit. “You do?”
She chuckles. “Oh yes. You are strategic High Alpha. You are building layers upon layers of allies, brethren, and defenders. Not content with the wolf packs, you make friends with dragons, dwarves, centaurs, and so many more. And now? You bring the Avengers to your side!”
Stiles blushes. “They…I mean, they are just wanting to keep an eye on us.”
She nods. “For now. Though I imagine in a year or two you will be a true friend if not an ally in full. When your burdens weigh heavily on you, know that we are here to share your load however you need us. Noshiko only began to realize how much you did destroying the Nogitsune, but she didn’t understand what you have given us. We have pride again. For that, we will stand with you, always.”
Stiles chokes up. He has never heard the elder Alpha speak like this before, but her sincerity is clear in her voice. He knows and believes what she is telling him. He may be on his own, but he isn’t alone. Not really.
“Arcanist!” Usilis appears at his side with a pop. “Mister Stark is awake.”
“Mr. Stark?” Stiles says carefully, not wanting to startle the man sitting up in the guest room, Pepper by his side. Marin is standing off to the side and nods reassuringly.
“Not that I’m complaining, but shouldn’t I have another rather impressive hole in my chest? I am pretty sure I remember getting stabbed by a spider the size of a truck” Tony says looking up at the teen honestly confused. He woke up to Pepper hugging him tightly. The woman, druid, whoever she is, gave him a quick once over and had him drink some tea that he was going to refuse but Pepper assured him came from Celeste.
The tea was actually really good, by the time he finished the slightly sweet cup, his pounding headache was gone, and the kid was back.
“Technically, you didn’t get stabbed” Stiles mutters loud enough that Tony heard him.
“Kid, I remember it. That spider rammed a very pointed leg right into me.”
“What I meant was that you were stabbed metaphorically, not literally.”
Tony looks at the kid with an expression that has broken lesser men. Greater ones too. To give him credit, he lasts longer than most. “I told you it was a ghost spider. i.e. – no body. So, it didn’t physically stab you, it just…connected” Stiles says trying to describe the situation.
“Connected? So that’s why I passed out?” Tony snarks.
“Well,” Stiles scratches his head and shrugs “that was probably the shock of it. We haven’t found everything about what happens when it delivers the inspiration.
“And that was supposed to mean something. What the hell? How does a mobius strip, a non-orientable two-dimensional surface with only one side embedded in three-dimensional Euclidean space have anything to do with magic, werewolves or any of this craziness?”
Stiles looks at the man impressed. He randomly thinks that Lydia would have loved to have been here before he refocuses on what he said. “It may not have anything to do with that.”
Tony stares at the teen incoherently before throwing up his hands and stomping around the room. “This is insane. You are as bad as Strange and his nonsense. It made no sense.”
“What didn’t make sense?” Stiles asks in confusion.
“Strange said he saw the future. Looked at over 14 million possible scenarios to fight Thanos. Only saw one of them where we win. But then he screwed up. Gave Thanos the Time Stone and we lost. We lost. The whole universe lost. This so-called magic? It’s worthless.”
Stiles sighs and looks at Tony for a moment before he closes his eyes and takes a deep breath. “Dr. Strange may have only seen one chance, but that didn’t mean he could make it work. Unfortunately, we don’t know what he saw or what he could have done to change things. But you are right. We lost. We lost friends and family and it sucks. Every day is hard, but we also have to hold on to hope. You have a kid on the way” he says looking over at Pepper, Tony following his gaze. “Boyd and Erica got married. Scott and Allison are not far behind. So, there are good days too. I don’t know why the spider was waiting for you or what its message means, but I believe, I have to, that it will make sense, that, at the right moment, it will make a difference. Maybe not today or tomorrow. Maybe not for several years even. But when you need the inspiration for whatever reason. You will have it.”
Tony stares as Stiles before looking over at Marin who is smiling slightly but the pride in the teen is clear. He also spots Nat, who snuck in at some point, looking at him rather pointedly. “Maybe you are right kid, but right now, no. I need a break and to reprioritize things” he says the exhaustion clear in his voice. He stands up and heads for the door with everyone following. They get outside when he pauses to look back at the teen. “For what its worth, I hope you are right though. Nat” he says nodding at the woman “I will have some stuff drawn up for you later this week to look over. I will send it all up with our first crew to start working on things up here once Pepper starts work on the facility.”
“Wait, when did you find out about that?” Stiles asks confused.
“I didn’t” he shrugs with a smirk. “But Pepper’s in charge so I am sure that it is a done deal by now. Talk to you later kid” he says turning to head out. Pepper smiles at them and nods before leaving.
“That was exciting” Cora says coming over from her seat on the porch having watched the whole departure. “Erica is torn up. Happy the spider is gone but pretty sure she isn’t getting the air assault vehicle.”
Stiles looks at the beta and snickers. “Well, something good came out of it. Where is she? Where is everyone?”
“Scott and Alpha Delgado decided to call it an early night and sent everyone to their hotels or homes. We are having a cookout tomorrow for everyone still here, more casual and mostly just the packs. Boyd and Erica left and are officially on their honeymoon.”
Stiles smiles. Cora had offered up a rather nice house in Belize that the Hales owned for their escape and had arranged for a portal to send them there for their week off. The two had definitely earned it. Scott and Allison had taken on the extra kids for the week though they had all moved into the pack house for the duration. That many at Scott & Allison's would be pushing things and there was definitely more than enough space here, especially since everyone would already be here for most of the celebrations.
“If you have a moment” Marin says clearing her throat “I would like to discuss some concerns with the school that need your involvement.”
Stiles sighs and looks after Iron Man seriously wishing he could run off sometimes as well but he knows that he won’t have time for that for a long time yet. He nods and looks at Natasha “Any chance you need me too?”
She laughs and shakes her head in the negative. “Actually, I need to head back east. Steve and Rhodey are going on a mission so I want to get back to the compound.”
Stiles nods as Natasha says her goodbyes and promises to visit. Stiles and Marin head out to walk over to the nearly completed school.
Chapter 12
Notes:
Sorry for the slight delay with this chapter, needed to polish off a bit and set some things in motion. :)
Alert: Random death occurs in final section.
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
“You have news?” she asks as she walks into the building hut that the guardians had set up a short distance from the tree.
“Yes Valkyrie” Arnfinn nodded happily escorting the warrior into the small space and through the entry room to the stairs leading to the basement. The Asgardians had done quite a lot of work making this village work for them while hiding any signs that it was anything out of the ordinary. Take the basement of the small hut they were in. The upstairs looked fairly typical for a building in this part of the world, with a few minor decorations that showed who the new residents were.
The changes were below. The cellar was two levels and twice the size of the total space above, each. Arnfinn and Gudrid and their group had established tools to guard and hide the branch of Yggdrasil from others while monitoring what the thing was doing through its connection to the network of energy lines on the planet. “We are certain now what happened” Gudrid announces happily from her position by the holographic display of the thing.
“And?”
“As we expected, this extension was created within a day, two at the most, after Thanos’ actions. And the energy flows came from this source” she says shifting the display to an visual of the planet with the lines highlighted. She points to the spot on the west coast of America. “The energy created by Thanos' actions entered all five of the remaining Nematons, but it was directed from here to create the new ones. When whatever...”
“Or whoever” Arnfinn interrupts.
“Or whoever,” Gudrid acknowledges with a slight show of irritation at the man, “used the energy pouring into the lines to make the new sites, we believe that there was enough Asgardian energy here to create a bridge to the World Tree and establish a new nexus.”
“But we had barely arrived. How could our presence have done this?” Brunnhilde asks them. She had originally planned to check the place out when they first found it but other problems had come up and this had been pushed back on her list of things to deal with.
“We didn’t. Even our presence at that time would not have been enough to provide the connection” Gudrid says with surety.
“Then what?”
“Two things” Arnfinn says looking satisfied. “The death of the All Father was here in this land, a short distance from this spot actually. There were echoes of his passing that would have been able to be detected with the level of energy flowing, but the real link was the Uru.”
Valkyrie sits up. “What?”
“Thor Odinson’s hammer. He fought Hela here, right after the death of the All Father. He told us she destroyed his hammer before they tried to return to Asgard. The fragments of Mjölnir were left behind on the ground. Those fragments were imbued with the power of Asgard. When the energy from the lines was creating new Nematons, the fragments served as the connection.”
“But he didn’t fight Hela here” she gestures around them. That battle was on the coast, she is sure that Thor told her that. "Why didn't the tree grown where the fragments were?"
“Irrelevant” Arnfinn says easily. “The fragments created the link to the World Tree, the force that used them moved them to this spot as it did with the others to create safe and protected Nematons. The link would not have been protected at that place.”
Brunnhilde stands up and begins pacing. This suggests that the connection was possibly accidental? “So, this means that it is just chance that we are here, next to the only one of these things that also happens to be tied to the power of Asgard? How is that even possible?” she demands.
“We are not certain it is entirely accidental” Gudrid says cautiously. “There is one other thing.” She waits for a moment before she shifts the display to zoom in on the Nematon of interest and she sees hundreds of colored dots appear.
“What is that?”
“Those are non-human energies” Gudrid says slowly.
“Non-human? But Midgard shouldn’t have any non-humans besides us, and certainly not that many. Can you tell what they are?”
“Not all” Arnfinn says before nodding to Gudrid who changes the display and over half disappear while the remainder are highlighted. “But these? These we do recognize.”
“What are they” Brunnhilde asks suddenly not liking where this is going.
“Their energy signatures match those of the descendants of Fenris.”
Brunnhilde’s eyes widen. ‘The wolves who walk as men?!’
Stiles walks into the Sanctum and lets out a sigh as the door closes behind him. For the first time in a while, he is pretty much alone. The other four resident sorcerers are out for the day taking care of other business at the school and back at Kamar Taj. Scott and Aiden are both meeting with Satomi and her pack out of town for their monthly “Alpha meet up” that they think he doesn’t know about.
Stiles knows because three alphas in one place pretty much sets off an alert to his senses so when they met up for the first time three months ago, and then every month since, it wasn’t hard to figure out. That and he asked Usilis who gave him a summary of their conversation from Satomi’s brownie. Once he found out, he made sure not to let on that he knew. He was pretty sure that both of the guys would never live it down if it got out that the elder werewolf was basically giving them lessons in running a pack. The fact that they were taking it so seriously was a major plus in Stiles’ view, and he knew that Satomi had much more experience dealing with different personalities in a pack, something that both of the teen alphas needed with their enormous packs. Even with the new structure, they were still the ultimate authority so they couldn’t just half-ass it.
Cora was at a town council meeting and then she said she had work at the bank. Once the word got out about the Stark facility, which of course happened before the official announcement though Stiles thought that trying to keep that under wraps after Tony and Pepper visited town was a lost cause before it started, there was a surge of interest in their town. Mayor Martin had actually done a TV interview with Pepper last week about the new research center and that had made more than a few people happy.
Cora being the happiest. She had already turned down three offers for a piece of land from a developer who was getting more and more desperate to get a foothold but there was simply nothing available in the area that was a good as what she had. Three small start ups had already visited here and in Beacon Valley looking to relocate from Silicon Valley to be nearer to the Stark Facility and to take advantage of cheaper prices for land. The bank was finally finished working with the families who lost members in the Snap to make sure that everyone was able to stay secure. Though surprisingly, more than a few kids had decided to sell family homes and bank the money while they lived in new places. There had been a few opportunistic people who tried to swoop in and steal houses at greatly reduced prices which infuriated Cora who then just countered and bought the places out from under them. She only had to do it a couple of times before they gave up and started giving fair value to the sellers.
Erica and Boyd had returned from their honeymoon and Stiles was sure that she hadn’t stopped smiling since she got back. And he figured that at best, 20% of that was due to the spider being gone. Boyd was as solid as ever and they were seriously considering moving the whole Reyes-Boyd family into the pack house, though he wasn’t ready to give up his grandmother’s house quite yet. Stiles had suggested renting it out to one of the new families and he was seriously considering it. Cora had offered storage space in one of her warehouses for anything they didn’t want to move to the Hale House or sell.
Probably the biggest surprise of the last two months had been the arrival of Allison’s cousin Jacqueline from France. The girl had arrived for a visit, but within a week had officially asked Stiles for permission to not only remain, but to bring in several new hunters for training. Apparently Clarissant had the idea to train a new generation of hunters to work in partnership with stable packs from the beginning instead of trying to fix them after the fact. She and Allison had been working on a plan and in a month, the first group of 12 hunter trainees would be arriving to be under the direction of Allison, Jacqueline, and surprisingly Kira. The kitsune had been working with the other kitsunes who had come to Beacon Hills and had developed fast. The three women were looking at setting up a school of their own to teach humans and non-humans how to protect the innocent and police their own. Stiles liked the idea and had suggested some land, on the opposite side of Beacon Hills from his school to create a buffer, for their place even though they would still interact a lot. He wasn't 100% convinced of their sincerity though he recognized part of that was his own tendency towards gloomy thoughts.
But now, now it was time for him to give some attention to his territory. Stiles still managed to spend a bit of time every morning seeing to the magical health of his lands, but despite his best efforts, he had not been able to reach any of the Queens or the Courts. Celeste had assured him that they were managing, but she warned him that it would be at least a year or more before they came out of mourning to speak again and it might not even be for decades. The Fae looked at time very differently than mortals.
Taking a seat in his study, Stiles dropped into a meditative trance and began moving along the ley lines. Feeling the presence of individuals he now recognized, he quickly moved past them on the look out for anyone new. He paused a few times to clean up some areas that needed a bit of a push of energy, but for the most part, everything was going well. After an hour he came to and took a sip from the glass of water at his side, murmuring a thank you to Usilis for the attention. Things were quiet. Natasha had confirmed that the Stark team would be there to set up his communications array in a few weeks, but otherwise he was satisfied that things were going well. Which meant something had to be wrong somewhere. He really didn’t want it to be, but he wasn’t about to trust fate at this point.
“You really should try to be more positive” a voice says and Stiles looks up and smiles.
“Aren’t I supposed to have to summon you or something?” he asks the ghost that has appeared in his room.
The ghost smirks “I didn’t listen when a king told me what to do, I doubt you will fare much better.”
Stiles snorts. “Fair point. If King Arthur couldn’t get you to behave, how could I?”
The ghost drifts across the room and ‘sits’ in one of the other chairs. “If we are being honest though, you did summon me.”
Stiles frowns. “What? I didn’t do anything?”
“Boy, you are a Necromancer and the Arcanist sitting in your place of power. You are worried about what dangers are coming and how to be ready. You may not have said the words of a spell, but intention matters as much as execution for one such as you. You wanted someone to talk with who could advise you, so I came.”
Stiles realizes the former Arcanist is right but then he pauses “Wait, can I summon other things without knowing it?”
Merlin laughs. “It is not impossible. I once summoned an earthquake when I had a particularly disturbing dream, but even for us there are limits. Calling one of us is very different than trying to call someone or something else. As the spirits of the Arcanists, we are still tethered to this world so we can make our own choices. We could not have simply come to this plane freely before, but you being here now is akin to a door that has become unlocked. We can visit you if you are open, but it is too much otherwise.”
Stiles relaxes a bit at that. With his luck he would probably summon some nightmare thing without realizing it and he really didn’t want to have to explain that to the others. He already attracts enough problems. “So, any advice you want to impart on me oh mighty one?”
Merlin gives him a look that Stiles manages to ignore for a few moments before he snickers and Merlin sighs. “You are the Arcanist and so issues and events of great import will find you wherever you go and whenever the circumstances align. It is your nature. So why torment yourself with worry or anxiety? Prepare your defenses as you would to keep you and yours safe, but remember to enjoy life as well. We do not exist solely to be the Arcanist. You have many who care for you my boy. Even if you have lost the one you were tied to, it doesn’t mean you have to be alone.”
“I am so not ready to date” Stiles says with a bit of smirk. He knows that the others have been hinting at it but they just don’t understand. “Besides, now is not a good time. Maybe in a few years.”
Merlin shrugs. “Perhaps not. But do not deny yourself when it is a good time. Now, since I am here, what is something you wish to discuss? You are always full of questions.”
Stiles smiles. “Tell me about Excalibur” he says with a twinkle in his eye.
Walking into the office, Natasha glances at the computer to see if there is any new alerts or messages and holds back the sigh when nothing is there. The last real communication she got from Steve and Rhodey was three weeks ago as they were dealing with an arms ring trying to sell stolen weapons. Unfortunately for the thieves, there was a surplus of weapons available, so they were definitely not getting they money they wanted and were making considerable ‘noise’ which led the guys right to them.
Steve’s last brief message was that they would be back in a few days once everything was dealt with. Apparently more than a few agencies in Europe were trying to get them to help with issues, even if it was just being present for people to see that the Avengers were still around and fighting for them. A number of places had opened their nations up to refugees to help fill shortages of jobs and managing that whole process was fairly complicated.
Tony and Pepper had apparently bought their ‘cabin by the lake’ and were in the process of modernizing the place to meet his standards. Natasha smiled at the thought of her last communique from Pepper sharing the updates and letting her know how Tony was doing. Natasha was sure that Tony knew about it, but at the same time, he was pretending he didn’t so he could maintain his distance from the rest of them. She would give him space to figure things out.
Sitting at the computer she pulled up Bruce’s number but after a moment changed her mind. She knew that he was trying to manage his other self after the battle, and she was at least glad that there had been no incidents with the big guy since the Snap. Apparently losing to Thanos had messed up both of them pretty badly, but she trusted that he would work things out. The truth was they didn’t really have any other options.
Opening the program, she accessed the SHIELD commands to back door into their satellite systems. While she might have been annoyed at Stark’s meddling at one point, she was actually rather enjoying being able to access just about any computer on the planet using his systems and resources. She didn’t have JARVIS or FRIDAY, but it was pretty close.
The next two hours were filled with looking for anything they needed to address. Trying to find patterns in the missing persons’ files, reports of theft, infrastructure damages, and other reported issues, but there wasn’t much there. She was about ready to call it a night when she received a notification of an incoming transmission.
Suddenly alert, she hit accept just as she recognized the user code.
“Natasha.”
“General. Is there a problem?” she asks Okoye looking at the hologram that has appeared in front of her.
“Not exactly. We spoke earlier about a boy in your country who was affecting nature. Certain things have happened here beyond what you told us to watch for and I need to know if he could be involved with it.”
“With what?” Natasha asks looking concerned. She knows that Stiles will be a target for a lot of people and while she likes the general, being suspicious is too ingrained with her.
Okoye looks off to the side for a moment before she looks back, face impassive and Natasha recognizes that the general is not going to be 100% honest before she even speaks. “I am not at liberty to be fully open as it may directly impact Wakandan security, but I can say it involves unusual plant growth.”
Natasha might have tried to withhold her reaction, but it wasn’t worth it and she looks at the other woman with some skepticism and disbelief. “Plant growth? Are we talking about something violent? Taking over? Crop failures?”
Okoye’s expression looks very uncomfortable. “No.”
“Honestly General, I am not sure I can help you with this one. I don’t even know how to ask him about this without more information. You say it is national security issue but what kind of plant issue could be significant enough to affect Wakanda?”
Okoye’s image freezes and Natasha leans forward to look at the controls when she sees that the general has frozen the transmission on her end. She leans back in her seat to wait, realizing that she must be speaking with the other Wakandan leaders to find out what to say in response to her questions. While she waits she tries to think of how a plant would be causing this much concern. Nothing in her conversations with Stiles gave her any clue to this kind of issue, especially one so far from the kid’s home. He was pretty insistent that he was not able to go anywhere, even when she offered a tour of the compound and his face fell in disappointment. She didn’t think that reaction was false. It killed him to decline. If the kid could have come to New York, he would have been there in seconds. Knowing that, she was sure that he didn’t have the ability to be going to Wakanda to cause trouble.
“Natasha” Okoye’s transmission resumed. “Her Majesty does not want this to be known, but the concern is a spiritual one for our people.”
The ex-spy freezes at the look of consternation on the general’s face. This isn’t a conversation she wants to be having and now she understands why. Natasha knows that the Wakandans have a rich spiritual belief system unique to their country, as uninfluenced by other nations as the rest of their culture, but they have not been very open about many of the details. Despite being revealed for their technological advances, the secretive nation is still very closed to outsiders, even after the last months dealing with the aftermath of everything. She can see very easily that they do not want others making assumptions based on wrong information about what they believe, which would be the nearly guaranteed outcome. Not to mention that the Snap has caused significant religious turmoil in just about every nation. “Okay, I can see this is a difficult issue, but I have to ask is it pressing? Tony is setting up a communications system for him and it should be up and running in a few weeks and you could speak with him yourself. Assuming you don’t want to come in person?” she asks wryly.
To her surprise, the general doesn’t automatically dismiss the notion of coming as she did before. Instead, she looks to the others in the room with her, that Natasha cannot see and appears to be listening to their discussion. Finally, she turns back to look at her. “We will wait a bit more. It is not an immediate concern, but we may indeed come in person if things change.”
Okay, that was unexpected. She is also fairly sure that if she does come, it will not be an official visit by Wakanda to the US. If the US government found out she, or any of the leaders of Wakanda were coming, it would be a rather complicated mess of diplomatic protocol and maneuvering. No, Okoye would more than likely sneak into the country in a stealth ship and be gone before anyone had any idea they were there.
“Let me know if you decide to do that. I can provide some assistance in making sure you can get in and out without raising any flags or alerts.”
Okoye smiles, a real one this time. “Your offer is appreciated” she says easily, and Natasha can definitely read the unspoken ‘but not needed’. She may not be in SHIELD anymore, but the ex-spy has a lot of connections around the world, and she knows that world governments are still uncertain in how to deal with the African Nation. And the fact that their technology so far outstrips everyone else’s really makes the various intelligence and military agencies nervous. The Wakandans really seem to enjoy that.
“I will let you know once he is up and running” she says instead. Okoye nods and disconnects. Her hologram disappearing.
Standing up Natasha feels the need for exertion. She hasn’t been able to find Clint, Bruce, or anyone that she has been tracking and getting to do some damage will help. She heads to the training room to break things.
The buzz of electricity provides a near constant background noise that fills the room in counterpoint to the gurgling of liquids that move through the tanks and tubes lit by the sickly green light. An occasional flash of green light accompanies the sparks that leap from the network of metal pipes surrounding the tank in the center of the room.
Moving towards the side of the tank, the figure inserts the large hypodermic needle into the channel that allows them to pull out the silver fluid that has helped them get closer and closer to their goal.
“Moving back to the site would be inadvisable” a mechanical voice says.
Looking over at his partner, the first figure gives barely a glance to them before moving towards the table with the unconscious young man on it. Without a pause, he inserts the needle into the neck causing the subject to spasm, eyes flying open, before screaming. There is a series of spasms before the man’s body collapses, silver fluid slowly oozing out of his eyes and ears.
“Another failure” the third one says without emotion, the voice as mechanical as the other two.
The first looks down at the dead body unmoved. “But we are getting closer.”
“We need actual subjects to use” second says. “Fresh subjects if we are to succeed in the objective.”
“It poses too much risk” third says. “The increase in the subjects and their organization risks exposure prematurely. The manipulation of the hunters to remove them has failed.”
“It was unexpected” first agrees “but the hunters removed the originals. The influx of new subjects was unanticipated, but not a concern that cannot be managed. Failed subjects can be introduced to test parameters of new organisms in the test ground. The project must continue!”
“Subjects previously unknown have been detected” second reminds them. “Unknown variables have been added to the equation. Additional research is necessary. Subject material must be obtained and analyzed to determine any potential impacts on the Plan.”
“Interception of new organisms outside observed area would provide that” third suggest clinically.
“This will delay implementation” first concludes.
“Necessary” third says before turning to leave the room followed by second.
First looks down at the dead body on the table. Another failure. They must succeed! The prophecy will be fulfilled and the Beast returned. Walking away and through the stone walls, the labs lights go dark leaving two bodies in the gloom. One on the table and the second floating in a tank of green liquid, eyes staring after the three figures who left before the drugs overwhelmed him again.
Notes:
So, it has been a busy year so far, but the next few weeks are going to be even busier, so this may be the last update in December. Things will pick back up in January not to worry. - G
Chapter 13
Notes:
Okay, I am still here but this has been a crazy year so far. A bit of life getting in the way, some minor writer's block/slow down, and not a lot of free time has messed up my plan. So though I won't be posting as regularly, for which I totally apologize, I hope to get my mojo back this summer. So here is a chapter to help say sorry for the delays.
Chapter Text
“Today we will discuss the seven noble metals in Magecraft. Can anyone tell me the name one of the seven?” Christina Nelson asks the room full of students.
“Gold!” Mickey shouts out loudly before anyone else.
“Very good Mr. Jackson. And what are the mystical properties of Gold in spellwork?”
Mickey suddenly looks a lot less excited and nervously glances around. “It’s expensive?”
The group snickers and Christina sighs gently before looking around. “Anyone else?”
“Gold often is used to represent the sun and purity. That means that it is good to use for protection spells” Maya offers after raising her hand.
“Correct. But it is more than that. Gold is often associated with the sky gods: RA, Zeus, Apollo, Odin, Helios, Huitzilopochtli, Surya, Amaterasu, Arinna, and others. It is commonly used as a primary component for amulets and charms of protection, and when you use gold, it has additional power when protecting children. Does anyone know why?”
There is silence for a bit before “Since gold is associated with Purity, the purity and innocence of children is reinforced by the gold’s protections.”
“Exactly. Thank you, Mr. Stilinski” she says nodding at the teen and ignoring the rather awed looks from her other students at their rather famous classmate sitting in the back of the classroom.
“Gold is also a conductor in science which is an aspect that it shares with magic. It allows spells to be woven into items with greater strength and durability as well as making the magic within more effective. We use gold when we want to highlight these aspects of our working. Knowing this, what items would not be effective with gold?”
“Curses or destructive spells?” one student offers hesitantly.
Christina shakes her head. “No, gold is actually rather effective with some kinds of curses. We have only to look at the curses on the tombs of the Pharaohs of Egypt to see that. And there is a way to make gold into a rather effective material for weapons. Can anyone tell me how people have done that?”
There is silence again. “Imperial Gold?” Stiles offers after everyone has had a chance to speak up.
Christina smiles. “Yes! And can you explain that?”
Stiles nods though he doesn’t like to be too active in the class, the fact is that he needs to learn the basics of magecraft even if it freaks out the students who came here to study at his school. They all expected him to be this ‘Dumbledore’ type, but he learned a lot of his magic at a rush because he was dealing with one crisis after another. Once they started classes, he makes a point to drop in whenever he can to fill in the gaps in his own knowledge. “Imperial Gold was created during the Roman Empire. Priests of Jupiter would pray to the king of the Gods to bless a bunch of gold and if he agreed, the gold would be struck by lightning. Once it did, it was forged into weapons that could fight the supernatural and even the divine. Imperial Gold was highly magical for other purposes as well.”
“Correct. So, while you were on the right track” she says looking at the student who offered the answer “you need to be much more specific. Gold, in fact, does not do well with spells based on corruption or corrosive magics. Power, even destructive power, can be very successful when using Gold, but the purity of Gold means that it stands out. So, magic of a dark or corrupt nature will likely fail if you use Gold as a primary element. How about we try another metal, anyone?”
“Silver?” Mickey offers again.
“Correct. And do you know the properties of silver?” she asks.
Mickey frowns for a second. “Silver is associated with the Moon and is more neutral in character than gold. So, it can be used with more types of enchantments. And I think it is also associated with psychic magic” he says not entirely sure.
“Very good!” Christina says happily. “Silver is in fact associated with the Moon, and it is a neutral power base to use. And you are correct about its use in psychic enchantments. In fact, its reflective nature is also highly useful in protections that defend from mental attacks. Silver is associated with the third eye or the sixth chakra and its susceptibility to corrosion means it can be a good material for truth spells and divinations. Because if it is still unblemished, then there has been no corruption. Very good Mickey. Now, a third metal?”
“Mercury” a girl offers. Christina nods and raises an eyebrow. The girl grimaces, “Quicksilver, or mercury, is often used in healing works, but it is dangerous as it can also be poisonous. It’s association with the Roman God Mercury means it can be used in communications and healing magics.”
Christina nods. “Well said. Mercury’s motion, due to its liquid form, means it is viewed very differently than the other metals, and while it is much more difficult to work with, it can improve enchantments in a number of ways. Another metal?”
The class manages to guess copper and iron, but none of them remember the final two, lead and tin. “So, for the next several weeks we will spend learning more about each of the metals in greater detail. Let’s begin with Gold.”
“Oh, Mr. Arcanist sir, would you be in our study group?” Allison asks as Stiles walks back into the Sanctum with a laugh.
Stiles groans. “Thanks Allie. Like I really need that today.”
“Ah, don’t be mad. But you have to admit it is kind of funny that one of the most powerful magic users in the world, is taking classes with a bunch of kids. You know you are freaking them out, don’t you?”
He sighs. “I know. And I have talked with some of the teachers about maybe just doing some one-on-one tutoring instead. The problem is that I have these huge gaps in the basics” he says flopping into a chair. “I hate to take up their time though.”
Allison frowns. “Can’t you just read this stuff in a book? I mean you taught yourself a bunch of stuff before.”
Stiles nods. “Some stuff I can, and I do a lot, but I learned from Kiran and Martinique and Wong that having a teacher makes a huge difference. You learn a ton from the books but having someone to talk to and explain things better helps a lot. And even with the books, some of the domains are more trial and error than teaching. Druids mentor their apprentices with little bits of information spaced out so they ‘learn slowly, like the growth of the Oak Tree’. Alchemists seem to learn more from mistakes than actually teaching and prefer you to mess around and if you manage not to kill yourself, you finally ‘graduate’. And Enchanters all seem to hoard tricks and techniques and refuse to write things down. Only the Sorcerers and Witches seem to really have good systems to pass on knowledge. But to be fair, I am surprised by how many of them seem to be willing to try new ways, but even so there are not many good sources yet. People are trying…” he trails off.
“But they are slow to change” she finishes knowingly. She sits down beside him. “I definitely get that. Dealing with Hunters who are really struggling with the new rules…it is very similar. I remember when my dad had me kidnapped and tied up.”
Stiles looks at her in shock, but she laughs. “It was to see how long it would take to free myself. I really didn’t like some of his methods back then, but some of them did honestly work and looking back they make some sense. It is hard to change people’s minds about things that they are used to, but this place, your school, it is making those changes. At least you didn’t have to go back to High School” she says with a chuckle.
Stiles laughs but then realizes that they would have graduated soon if things hadn’t gone crazy. It has been a long year since the Snap, but life has moved on. In fact, his new communications system, courtesy of Tony Stark, is supposed to be finished next week once Stark figures out some problem he is having so he would actually have the Black Widow’s personal digits. Well, he technically had those already, but this would allow him to holographically talk with her which is really cool. He hasn’t met any of the other remaining Avengers yet, but Natasha had promised to introduce him at some point. “Small blessings, huh?” he finally says with a smile.
“Stiles?” Yvette says respectfully walking into the main room.
“Yeah?”
“Dave wanted to see if you were available to discuss some work being done on the Wildlife Center?” she asks, and Stiles smiles happily. Peter’s idea for a cover story doesn’t feel as necessary anymore, but it really was a good idea, so they decided to make it happen. Not that they needed work for anyone, they had way more than they could manage even with all the people moving here, but the Center was really needed.
“I have a good two hours before I need to speak with Whulibela, so I am all his” he says jumping up and smiling his thanks to the Huntress before walking out after the Necromancer. Another day, another something else to do.
Stiles stepped back and smiled as he looked at the globe in the center of the room. “It looks amazing” he said looking at the man next to him. “Will it work?”
“Of course,” Hikaru said easily. The Grand Enchanter had come to personally oversee the final installation of the gateway system in place. “You are now connected to the other Sanctums” he says pointing at the doors “New York, Hong Kong, and London. As well as Kamar Taj” he finishes pointing at each of the doors with the sigils for the different locations above their doors.
“Why not just use your ring?” Allison asks looking at the set up. “I mean you can open a portal to these places, so why go to all the trouble to make these?”
“The sling rings use the magic of the sorcerer to open the portals, however these doors are already created so they do not require anything else” Hikaru answers. “Additionally, it will allow you to open the door and provide significant travel between the locations without concentrating on the magic or using your reserves. It is more efficient” he adds.
“And smoother” Master Lyra says stepping out of the Kamar Taj door.
“Welcome Master to our new Sanctum!” Stiles says happily and the woman smiles and nods as she looks around the room.
“It is well done my young friend. Stephen would have been proud” she offers and nods her appreciation to the other man. “And on behalf of the sorcerers, thank you again for your work on the London Sanctum.”
Hikaru nods back. “Has a new Sorcerer Supreme been chosen yet?” he asks carefully.
Lyra sighs. “No. And I am not sure we will have one any time soon.” Stiles and the Grand Enchanter both look concerned, and she shakes her head. “The Ancient One served for so many years and selected her successor personally. That means we have nothing to guide us in choosing a new one. In the past it was simple, there was no real debate or doubt who would be the Sorcerer Supreme, but now…now we have nothing to help us find Stephen’s successor. None of the remaining sorcerers are particularly powerful, not like Stephen was. So, we are unable to agree on how to proceed. I think that we are hoping for some kind of sign.”
Stiles looks uncomfortable but finally he looks at his old teacher. “Maybe, until you figure it out, you should come up with something new?”
Lyra looks at him confused. “What do you mean?”
Stiles looks at the group but pushes on. “Instead of finding a single person to be in charge, why not do a council? You are going to be taking responsibility for the New York Sanctum?” he asks and she nods. “So, why not have you and the other Sanctum leaders and Master Hamir at Kamar Taj form a team and run things as a group? The four of you working together until you find a better answer?”
Lyra looks thoughtful. “It is not a bad idea” Hikaru advises thoughtfully. “I believe the Necromancers are doing something similar for their numbers.”
Lyra nods. “I will bring it up with the others. But right now, I would like to see everything in your home Arcanist.”
Stiles nods happily and heads out as she follows as he shows her the Sanctum. It is an hour later when they are back at the gateway room that Stiles looks at Allison. “Hey, what do you say about grabbing some of the best pizza for an impromptu party?” he asks.
Allison laughs. “I take it you want me to go pick it up?” she asks and pulls out her phone. She texts Scott and Cora to see if they want to go. A pizza night would be a great way to celebrate the Sanctum being officially open.
“Are you sure you wouldn’t rather be at the hospital?” Boyd asks looking at Erica with some concern.
“No” she replies “this has got to be something wolf related. It can’t be a human illness, remember? We heal from all of that so I shouldn’t be dealing with dizziness or feeling so tired.”
He looked uncertain but he doesn’t argue. The fact is that he noticed that her scent had been different for the last week or so and he can’t figure out why. Erica has been taking naps and last night almost fell in the kitchen when they were cleaning up. None of the kids were there so they didn’t notice, but they were both a bit worried about it.
In some ways he wishes Deaton were still around. He would be able to confirm if it was magical or not and if it was something normal, then they could go see a doctor. But even though the town was improving, things were not the same. And Morrell wasn’t exactly like Deaton, she was a psychologist, not a medical person. Luckily, they had a new option.
Alice Walters had moved to Beacon Hills last month and set up her practice in one of the vacant medical offices on the edge of town. So officially, she was a family practitioner with a limited client list. Unofficially? She was a witch, and a nurse practitioner. She had joined the Beacon Hills Coven after getting called by her former sorority sister at Berkley and was now happily balancing serving non-humans and humans alike. This was the first time they would be seeing her in her medical capacity and neither of them knew what to expect.
“Morning” Alice says walking into the office “I hear you had some issue last night?” That leads to Erica and Boyd explaining the issue and Ms. Walters nodding as she takes measurements of Erica’s blood pressure, temperature, and oxygen levels. She pauses for a second. “Hold on, I will be right back” she tells them before stepping out of the room.
“So, what do you think?” Erica asks when she walks back in.
“Everything seems normal. Okay” she says setting down a beaker filled with a green liquid. “I want to rule something out so I will need a few drops of your blood to check” she explains and pokes Erica’s thumb and holds it over the glass, dropping several drops of her blood in the beaker before moving to the little table and taking a wooden tongue depressor to stir it up.
Both betas watch as the liquid sudden turns a bright blue. Alice laughs. “Well, that explains that” she says happily before turning to look at the two. “There is nothing wrong with you Erica. At least nothing that you won’t be over in about nine months or so.”
Erica stares. “What?”
Boyd’s eyes widen. “What?”
Alice smiles at their reaction. “Congratulations, you’re pregnant.”
“How much longer Tony?” Natasha demands looking at the hologram of the man.
He looks at her with irritation. “You know this is delicate work.”
“Too much for you? I could ask the Wakandans? They are really anxious to talk with Stiles.”
Tony doesn’t growl but she definitely enjoys the reaction that gets. “I have the systems there, we are just having some minor issues that are messing with the software.”
Natasha stares at him for a few seconds, noting how much he is trying to avoid talking about something and she gets a smirk. “His magic is messing things up?” she asks innocently.
She smiles openly as he starts cursing. “There is no way his ‘whatever’ he does affects my system. It is probably some bug that has developed. Friday is working on it.”
“Have you thought about going and asking him to help?” she says restraining her desire to laugh.
Tony frowns. “The kids smart Nat, but not this smart.”
“Really? Did you know that he managed to ‘magic’ his cell phone to draw power from the ‘energy of the earth’ so that he not only has a permanent full charge, but he always has maximum reception?” she asks.
Tony looks intrigued. “No, I didn’t. How did he pull that off? Wait” he stops her before she can reply, “are you saying he has a permanently powered cell phone? That shouldn’t be possible.” He starts pacing. “Unless he is tapping into the Earth’s geomagnetic fields. But they are too low energy to provide that kind of power. Of course using quantum entanglement he might be able to….”
Natasha watches Tony as he paces around talking to himself, pulling up holographic images and manipulating data. The man is fascinating to watch as he proceeds to break down how he can use this information as his mind races through the science and what it all means.
He suddenly stops. “I need to talk to the kid. I gotta run to Beacon Hills. Will call you later” he says cutting her off without waiting for a reply. Natasha shakes her head. She pulls out her phone and opens up her photos and stares for a second before deciding this isn’t going to help. She closes the picture of Yelena and turns off the phone, another family member lost to Thanos. She opens the report from Melina and Alexei about their efforts in freeing the last of the Black Widows. At least there is some good news to go through.
“So….any exciting news that you might want to share?” Kira asks coyly as they walked through the woods heading towards their preferred sparring area.
“And again, no” Allison replied with a laugh. Ever since Erica and Boyd’s wedding, everyone had been looking at her and Scott as the ‘next couple’ in line. And to be fair, they pretty much had been married this last year. Living in her dad’s house, sure it was officially hers now but it still felt like she was living in her parents’ house, taking care of the kids, sharing a life, it was marriage for all intents and purposes, just not officially.
Kira tuts. “Seriously? Come on Ally. I need a something to celebrate. A party. Something!” Kira says with exasperation.
Allison laughs. She gets it, but she also knows that once they make the announcement, it is going to be insane. The Argent Matriarch for America marrying the True Alpha of the largest wolf pack in the hemisphere? Both friends of the Arcanist and High Alpha? The ties Scott’s pack has to the now legendary Hales? It is going to be out of control. Even Clarissant has been asking more forcefully about setting a date.
“You know that you are not going to be able to avoid this” Kira says shrewdly. Allison looks over at her friend. “Even if you managed to elope, you do know that you would still have to go through the ceremony with everyone. In fact, I am pretty sure that the longer you take the bigger it will get.”
Allison had to acknowledge that point. Over the last year they had been visiting by representatives from a number of packs outside of even’s Stiles’ ‘expanded’ territory. The first had been rather a surprise. A brother and sister from a pack in Finland had arrived to pay their respects to Stiles, but to also meet with the Alphas who had pledged to serve the new High Alphas, now Alpha. And discovering Scott’s status as a True Alpha had sped up the gossip and they had visitors from just about everywhere. Not all of them were respectful though.
“Remember those betas from Brazil?” Allison asks looking over at the Kitsune.
Kira rolls her eyes but snickers. “Oh yes. You would think that a pack living in the Amazon would be more connected to nature, at least enough to recognize Stiles’ power when they showed up.”
The Huntress smiles. First the betas had tried sneaking in. Which they had actually been moderately successful in doing as they had a witch with them. They had hidden themselves to enter California but once they crossed the ley line border where Stiles’ territory started, they set off an alert.
While Stiles wasn’t perfect, he also didn’t make the same mistake twice. In fact, he had really been furious with himself after the whole Gerard fiasco. Which is why, after securing Beacon Hills, he had created new wards, powered by the ley lines, to alert him when someone new showed up. He had learned how to mark people so they wouldn’t retrigger them when say Alpha Delgado came up to speak with Stiles, but the first time someone entered the territory, they were marked by his magic until they had been ‘cleared’. So when six betas and a witch entered and then kept coming, avoiding all other supernaturals, it set off alerts. Stiles officially ‘noticed’ them about an hour after they entered. Three hours later he had initial reports from several of his new network of slyphs, pixies, dryads, and others. By hour six, he knew who they were, where they were from, and what they were doing. And they had barely gotten inside the territory as they were moving slowly to avoid detection. It might have worked before Gerard.
It turned out that their pack had heard about the new High Alpha and the packs that were serving him, but they had gotten their info messed up. They thought Stiles was actually Derek, another werewolf and they were not prepared for what they came up against when they crossed into a rather peaceful glade about 200 miles from Beacon Hills to find Stiles standing there with five wolves standing beside him.
The leader of the Betas had been surprised but he reacted quickly to attack. Which was last mistake he made. Stiles had brought Aiden, Alpha Delgado, and three of the biggest, meanest, and strongest fighters from the Marshall pack. The leading beta didn’t get in a single punch before Alpha Delgado gutted him. Aiden took out the number two and the remaining three went down almost as fast as they were unwilling to surrender. The witch tried to attack Stiles but she was unfortunately a moon witch and his ring was still as effective as the first time he used it. He stripped her of her power and she went insane and tried to attack him with a dagger. Aiden’s claws ended her as well.
Stiles then had located their pack in Brazil and opened a portal above their camp and dumped the bodies on them from about 100 feet in the air. Allison had heard Aiden’s description of the rather upset pack when the corpses of their packmates came raining down. It was pretty much agreed among Aiden, Alpha Delgado, Stiles, and Allison that Scott really didn’t need to know about the situation. He was much better about dealing with threats, but she is pretty sure Stiles’ return of the bodies would have upset her fiancé.
She smiles. The truth is that Scott had officially proposed to her a month ago. He even used his mom’s engagement ring, but neither of them were really ready to tell anyone, so she was wearing it on a necklace secured safely under her clothes.
Kira stops, sniffing as she looks around. “Do you…” she trails off looking uncertain.
Allison glances over and sees the look of confusion on her friends face and suddenly gets a feeling of being watched. And not by friends. She is used to the dryads and other forest spirits, but this is different. She pulls her bow and notches an arrow as she starts looking for signs of something that shouldn’t be here. “What do you sense?” she whispers to the other woman who has managed to pull out her katana and start watching her half of their ‘circle’.
“I don’t know. I feel energy, like some kind of machine, but I can’t see or hear anything. But I smell something…metal…leather, maybe? It is different from anything I have encountered.”
Allison nods and reaches for her phone to call it in when she hears a sound and turns and pulls back her bow just as a small round rock lands a few feet from her and rolls towards her. Not a rock…a marble? Black and…purple? She frowns and starts to yell for Kira when the marble flashes and she is hit by a shock wave. She tries to twist in the air as she moves but she can’t move fast enough before she hits the tree and everything goes black.
Kira is much faster though and she not only avoids the trees, but she is able to redirect some of that strange energy so while she hits the ground hard, she manages to roll up and with a flick of her katana her eyes flash orange and she sees four or five human shapes and that’s enough for her. She lets loose with a bolt of electricity, channeled through her sword and she smiles as she sees two of the human shapes get hit by her lightning and go flying back to hit trees as hard as Allison did. She moves to aim at the others when two of those black marbles land to either side of her. She has about a second to realize the danger before they both flash. If the kitsune thought the first time was bad, getting hit by two at the same time from different directions is much, much worse. She slams to the ground unconscious, bloody, and banged up.
“How did she do that” a female voice says from the trees.
“Enough” another voice cuts off any chatter. “Secure them both. Yama, check on the others. We need answers and I am no longer willing to wait.”
“Yama, you stay with the ship and watch those two” she said looking at the unconscious teenagers “we will investigate and return shortly.”
She stepped out of the craft and once the last of her troop cleared the ship, Yama activated the cloaking tech.
Directing her team silently was almost unnecessary as they were among the best of her soldiers, but she was still going to err on the side of caution. Things around that damn tree were getting complicated and the council was not happy with the state of things. Not to mention that Romanov kept avoiding giving her a direct answer to what she knew about it, only that she did not need to worry and that it was centered here and that she would coordinate a meeting with her once everything was set up, but she was done waiting.
It had been over a year and while at first the tree was merely a potential concern, things had escalated. Now it appeared that it was affecting both the minds and tech of her people, clouding its existence and presence from all but a few. Nearly none of the guards posted there remembered even an hour after leaving its presence. Outside of the core council, she would guess that less than four others even remembered it and yesterday the Queen had temporarily forgotten about the thing until she had reminded her of it.
No, Okoye was done with waiting. With a gesture she sent two of her Dora Milaje to the left, two to the right and the remaining two to stay with her. She would have them spread out and head to the structure they detected about a mile away.
The woods were thick and vibrant and she saw signs of growth and life everywhere. She was a bit surprised at the feel of the place, she did not think the Americans had any places like this truly left, especially so close to their cities.
“General” Ayo whispered to her as they entered a small clearing. “There is something here” she said looking around with concern.
Okoye pauses and considers her soldiers words. She cannot detect anything but she agrees, something is here.
“You are trespassing” a male voice says and she spins around, the other two soldiers behind her bringing their spears to position as they all look towards where the voice was but they see nothing. She doesn’t look to her troops on the sides, trusting that they are watching and waiting to act.
“Show yourself!” Okoye yells out staring ahead, where the man’s voice was.
"I thought we were hiding, like your ship” the voice replies in what she recognizes as a sarcastic tone that causes her to adjust her estimate of the voice’s owner down. A youth. “But if you wish” he says and suddenly she sees the lanky teen in front of her. There was no de-cloaking or sign of any kind of technology in play. One second he wasn’t there, the next he was.
Okoye narrows her eyes at the teenager she would guess and is about to demand he identify himself when she hears commotion to the right and suddenly her two soldiers come flying from the trees landing hard and only one is moving, though cautiously. Ayo spins her spear to where they came from but suddenly three horses come from the trees? Okoye stares for only a second in shock before dismissing them. There are no signs of riders and while she cannot figure out what they are doing here, she isn’t concerned.
“General!” a voice shouts and Oralu bursts from the trees on the left looking very upset. “The trees attacked us. They have Marube!”
Okoye doesn’t understand that but she determines the boy probably knows what is happening and spins on him, spear at the ready. Her now three remaining Dora Milaje soldiers lining up with her. She narrows her eyes but freezes when the boy’s eyes start glowing white. He is a Meta Human. She slams her spear on the ground, unleashing the EMP across the clearing but he doesn’t react in any way. Instead, he raises his arm and she sees illuminated tattoos appear on his arm. She starts to yell when the wall of wind hits her and she finds herself flying backwards.
Stiles watches as all four of the standing women go flying and he takes a moment to consider what’s happening. He was alerted to the attack but there is no sense of magic around these women despite their look. All bald, all armed, and to be honest, pretty bad ass looking. He is more concerned because if they are not magic, they are normal and if so then the Stark sensors should have detected them, but they also showed nothing. He glances over and sees the woman who got away from the herd was now unconscious after Vorgin knocked her out.
Looking back, he sees the four women come back to their feet looking a lot more cautious and concerned. He might be willing to talk, but these women invaded his land, attacked his pack, and have kidnapped two of his friends. “I want answers but since you attacked my home, I am going to send a message to whoever sent you.” With that he throws out his arm and his tattoos light up.
Okoye is watching, not sure how he caused the wind, but she was not expecting the stream of fire that came shooting out of his other hand. Her eyes widened but this was something she could deal with. Ducking and rolling she dodged the fire and threw her spear at her opponent. She was expecting to see him move, instead he didn't and her spear to slammed into him and sent him flying backwards into the ground.
“General?” Ayo says carefully looking at the body across the clearing. She doesn’t like such a quick resolution though she knows that Okoye is one of the best with a spear.
“Careful” Okoye says accepting a spear from one of her guard. “He may still be alive.”
“I am” the boy says and she looks at the body but knows it isn’t the source of the voice. Just as she steps back, she feels the ground tremble and she has a moment to look down before the earth beneath her feet explodes and she flies into the air. Twisting she manages to control her fall and rolls back to her feet to see all three of her soldiers hitting the ground much harder than she did. She knows that all of them are out for the moment.
She looks over and sees the boy’s body dissolve into nothingness, her spear falling over. Illusion! Just then the boy appears about ten steps to the right of where she thought he was. “My turn again” he says just as there is an explosion of sound in the sky above and a flash of light before something slams into the ground in front of her. Looking up she is surprised by the man in the armored suit slowly standing up.
“Stark.”
“General Okoye. Any particular reason you are skulking around California without calling?” he asks as his visor opens up, the smirking expression on his face clear as he turns back and looks at the teen. “Stiles. Everything okay?”
The teen stares at him for a second before his eyes glow again. “No.” his voice is flat and toneless.
“Whoa kid, dial it down. I’m pretty sure this is all a misunderstanding.” Tony looks at the teen and can see the kid is radiating fury and considering the four unconscious Dora Milaje, he figures things have gotten out of hand. “General” he turns to Okoye “why does my friend here look like he is about to knock you all the way back to Wakanda?”
“Wakanda?” Stiles asks confused.
“There is a threat to my people and you all are not giving us the answers we need. The Council sent me to find the answers.”
Tony rolled his eyes. “And you didn’t call first? We have that whole holograph communications system that no one can spy on. Why didn’t you ask?”
Okoye frowns unhappily. “We have been asking but you have put us off for over a year. And the concerns have escalated. We will get the answers we need. Now.” She looks at the teen who’s face suddenly hardens and she tightens her grip on her spear just as those damn horses move behind her. She doesn’t like that but will not turn away from the threat the boy poses.
“Uh, Stiles. Those horses…are they the same ones that I saw at the wedding?” Tony asks the teen who smiles wickedly. “Oh. General, you might want to lower your weapon. You are outnumbered and at a serious disadvantage.”
“By one boy? He may be gifted, but even he can be stopped.” She watches as he gestures, and a flare of lights forms strange symbols in the air and suddenly she smells leather and steel. Something catches her attention at the edge of her eye, and she spins to see the horses behind her. But they aren’t horses. Their heads are replaced with human torsos, wearing armor with two very large bows and arrows pointing at her while the third half man, half horse is holding a rather large cudgel, wrapped in bands of iron, in easy striking distance.
“That really is not natural” Tony mutters and Okoye turns back to see the teen suddenly flanked by two creatures, covered in thick hair, nearly one and half times his height! Not even Banner in his hulk form was that large.
“Oh, I think we have you safely under control. Not to mention the other two in the woods. You are all that’s left.”
“Not all” the general starts but stops as she hears a sound and sees the two prisoners they captured earlier walk out of the woods looking furious. She narrows her eyes at them, but they take up their weapons and suddenly she realizes how outnumbered she is an she moves her spear back to rest position. She looks at the boy. “You freed them.”
“Not me” he says smiling. “Some friends, of course your ship is probably pretty damaged by now. The little guys really love messing with machines.”
Tony groans. “Oh no, you keep those little nightmares away from me!”
Stiles shrugs. “Gremlins. They like their fun. But now the question is what to do with you” he says looking at the general.
“Kid, I know she screwed up, but the General is one of the good ones, really. Let’s hear her out before you call down your dragon or something worse.”
Okoye starts to snort when she realizes that Stark is serious. A dragon!?!
Chapter 14
Notes:
TW: Canon typical violence with monster of the week and fight (blood and gore) and stuff.
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
“This is the third one we found Alpha” Luis says looking at his uncle. The body is not easy to look at even for those used to violence.
Leon Delgado leans over the remains of the poor man and inhales trying to get some sense of who might be doing this. Three bodies in less than four days, all brutalized and partially eaten, have been found by his pack with no sign of a killer, let alone something that would do this. But that scent…it is familiar somehow. “That scent…”
“It's familiar,” Maya says with a snarl. “I know I have smelled that before, but it isn’t right.”
Leon nods and looks at the wounds. He stares at the marks and wounds when he realizes it. He has seen this kind of damage. “It started eating while he was still alive” he mutters.
Maya swears and Luis blanches and all three of the other betas step backwards in revulsion. But one of the older betas, new to his pack in just the last few months steps forward. Robert has been struggling to find his place in his new pack. He lost his Alpha in the Snap and had finally found his way to the Delgado pack from his home in Wisconsin. It was very different in LA, but that made it easier for the older man. He scents the corpse and reels back. “Wendigo” he snarls.
Leon looks at the man and nods. He thought so too…but something isn’t quite right with that either. “It looks like one Robert, but the scent is not quite right.” He stands up and thinks of the other two victims. The first was the roughest as there was a lot less of the body left. “The first victim was dead when it was devoured, not living.”
Maya frowns. “I thought Wendigos liked ‘fresh’ kills?”
Robert nods. “They prefer it, but they will eat flesh that’s already dead.”
“True” Alpha Delgado says slowly “but the first victim had been dead for more than a day when he was fed on. Wendigos will eat the dead, but not like that. He was exposed and not preserved. That is the mark of a scavenger.”
“Then we have two different killers?” Luis asks looking concerned.
Leon looks at the marks and shakes his head. “I don’t think so. The wounds are almost the same. Somehow we have something that feeds and smells like a Wendigo but also scavenges the dead.” He looks at his betas. “Alert the pack that I want everyone on alert. Luis, Maya, I want you to create a search pattern centered around the three victims. We have gotten lucky that the victims have not been found by the human authorities yet, but if we don’t stop this they may and we don’t need that right now.”
“Can we ask the High Alpha for help?” Luis asks.
Leon shakes his head. “We are officially outside the magical territory of the Arcanist so he can’t sense whatever this thing is. But I will reach out to see if he has any other suggestions if we don’t make any progress.” The next few minutes involve the assigning of tasks and calling in the various members of the pack. Once his niece and nephew have a job they are focused and moving. He watches in satisfaction as they start their planning. His pack will never again be at risk because of losing their alpha or second. No, the packs had all learned that they needed many leaders who could step up when needed. He pushes aside the pain of losing his son and heir in the Snap, he must focus on the living and that means dealing with this creature before anyone else is lost.
Stiles glared across the field at the General, despite Tony’s reassurances. “You want me to just forget that they snuck into my territory and attacked two of my pack? What gives them the right to pull that crap?” he demands.
“Kid, I said she messed up, but let’s at least hear her out. To be honest I am surprised that she is here at all” Tony says and looks over at the Wakandan General. “I thought you had told everyone that you were not leaving Wakanda anytime soon?” he asks her.
Okoye frowns. “The situation has become critical. That tree is affecting the minds of my people, even the Queen!”
“Tree? What tree?” Stiles asks looking confused. He glances over at Kira and Allison but both of them look equally lost.
“A tree appeared out of nowhere on our sacred mountain over a year ago and has been affecting the land around it and the people who come near. Now people are having their minds altered” she says angrily. “There have been suggestions to cut it down, but the Queen and priests are hesitant to do so.”
Stiles pauses. “A year ago? Wait, when exactly?”
“We are not entirely certain. It was not there before Thanos’ forces attacked Wakanda looking for the Mind Stone and we discovered it a week after the battle was lost. But we are not certain when it actually appeared. Only that it was not there one day and within a week it was fully grown.”
Stiles winces. Tony notices and frowns at the kid. “Mr. Potter? You have an explanation?”
Stiles ignores the giggles from Kira and Allison. “Maybe. I am not sure exactly, but where exactly is Wakanda?”
Tony smirks and activates a holo projector of the globe and zooms in on Africa and then the secretive nation. “Not sure where the mountain the General is talking about, there are several in the area.”
Stiles nods. “Yeah, that’s close enough. I am pretty sure it was me and the others on the day of the Snap” he tells them.
“You?” Okoye looks confused. “What did you do? You said you did not know where Wakanda was. How could you have planted this tree?”
Stiles rubs his temple. “Okay, this is going to take a bit to explain. Let’s go back to the Sanctum and we can talk. He gestures and a portal opens up before the group.
Tony smirks and looks at the general with a smile. “After you” he gestures but sees the hesitation on the woman’s face. “Okay then” he says and steps through right after Allison and Kira walk through.
“You coming?” Stiles asks her and she signals two of her guard to follow her and she walks through with Stiles right behind her as the ring closes.
“Where are we?” she asks looking around the rather ornate room in surprise. Even Wakanda does not have teleportation technology. “How did you create that portal? Was it that device?” she points to his sling ring.
“Magic” Stiles says with a cheery smile that the General does not return. He sighs. “How about we sit down and I will explain things?” he suggests and they all take a seat. “You see it all began on the day of the Snap when we realized that by eliminating half of all life on Earth, Thanos set in motion a series of evens that would have destroyed the Earth itself if it wasn’t fixed.”
“Thank you for all of your assistance Colonel” the General says with gratitude. “We have been dealing with this for some time but this one was different, much more coordinated.”
Colonel Rhodes nodded with a smile. Their chasing down of the weapons smugglers in Germany had led them through France and into Belgium before they finally managed to catch a big piece of the chain. He didn’t have any false hopes that they got it all, but it definitely was going to be a major blow to the operation. “Glad we could help. Any luck so far on getting the guys we caught to turn?” he asks the French General with NATO.
The man sighs and shakes his head. “Not so far. Most of them are mercenaries and other quick hires. You and the Captain managed to catch a few of the higher ups but they are refusing to talk. We shall see what happens.”
Rhodey nods. Him and Rogers had followed the trail and managed to do some serious damage to the smugglers, and he had to give the old man credit. He was good at this. Not to mention smart. He knows Tony doesn’t want to hear it, but Rogers has a military mind, and he was able to see connections and patterns that even he had missed, and he technically has more experience, not to mention more recent experience. “Well, if you find anything more, please let us know. If we need to come back, we can.”
“Thank you again Colonel” the General said as they walked through the headquarters building.
Looking around the open space he frowns “Do you know where Cap is?” he asks the General.
The man smiles and chuckles and nods and heads for the side door. Rhodey follows trying not to make too much noise and careful of the floor. He doesn’t want his armor to cause any damage. They get outside when the General points to a hill about three miles away. “He went there” he says with a small smile.
James frowns. What is he doing up there? he wonders. “Thank you General” he says as his faceplate drops into place and he activates his rockets lifting him into the air. It only takes War Machine about a minute to get to the hill and he slows as he recognizes what this place is…a cemetery. He lands and looks around before he spots a small crowd surrounding Rogers. He walks over.
He is quiet, the benefit of walking on grass, when he hears the people talking and realizes that most of the crowd are old, like really old. He is surprised some of them are standing. But they are all staring at Rogers with something like awe. The younger people in the crowd are definitely awed. He notices one lady who must be at least 90 standing next to Steve holding on to his arm.
“We never forgot all you did for us” the woman says and Rhodey spots the obelisk, and he finally spots Cap’s shield engraved on the monument. “You freed our village from those horrible men.”
“It wasn’t just me ma’am” Steve says softly but the woman snorts.
“I may have been young Captain, but I remember. You led those men. You stopped their evil and their cruelty. We have told our children and grandchildren and great grand children what you did for us. The Americans may not appreciate you, but we have never forgotten. I was only 14 when you freed us but I remember it so well. You were so handsome and brave” she smiles a slightly wicked smile “still are. It isn’t fair that I never got to kiss my young hero back then” she says with a sigh.
“Grandma!” one of the younger women whispers scandalized.
Steve just chuckles and leans over and kisses her cheek causing the old woman to blush and smile radiantly. “Oh you!” she says but doesn’t let go of his arm.
“Well, I owed you a kiss” Steve says easily.
James watches Rogers talk to the crowd for another half hour before they start to break up, getting tired and the younger ones herd their elders back home leaving the two heroes behind. “So how did this happen?” Rhodey asks.
Steve shrugs. “One of the officers is from here. He told me about the monument they put up after the Howling Commandos and I freed the town from Hydra. Asked me if I wanted to see it so I said yes. The group was waiting. They were all kids during the war” he says shaking his head. “Hard to believe.”
Colonel Rhodes doesn’t reply, but he is pretty sure that the man isn’t particularly looking for one. There have been a few times on this mission that James has picked up on a sense of melancholy as the Avenger sees places he remembers from his previous life. “Ready to head back home?” he asks.
Steve nods but then frowns. “You know, since we are in the neighborhood, we should probably stop by and say hi.”
James Rhodes frowns for a second before he realizes where Steve is going and nods. This should be interesting to say the least.
She stares at the boy for a few moments before closing her eyes and taking a deep breath. Opening them she looks for any sign of deception or delusion, but she senses nothing. “You created the tree, from here” she says carefully.
“Technically” Stiles replies “there were many of us who were involved. I guided our efforts.”
“And why did you choose Wakanda?” she asks again. The boy told his story, but the General is struggling to make it all make sense.
“I didn’t” Stiles says gently. “When we were repairing the ley lines, we were looking for new anchor points to create the Nemetons we needed. Place naturally called to us that we could use. To be honest, I don’t really remember much of that one besides it being in Africa and having a strange taste to it.”
Tony blinks at that. “Taste?” he asks looking a mix of confused and grossed out.
Stiles sighs. “The Nemetons were…different…this time. In the past they were typically groves of sacred trees with the Nemeton being the center. This time we looked for ‘nodes’ of power. Places where the ley lines crossed and connected. The more lines, the stronger the connection. We looked for something nearby to connect to and create a new kind of Nemeton.”
“And they were necessary to save the planet” Okoye says skeptically.
Stiles nods. “When Thanos did his snap and killed half of everyone and everything, all that life energy had to go somewhere. And it wasn’t just people. The animals too, but more critically, all of the magical people as well. They were also hit and their life energy as well as their magic was…untethered.”
Tony squints. “Wait a second. People die all the time. Why did this cause such a problem? Was it just the volume?”
“Not entirely” Stiles explains. “The amount of energy was bad enough, but it was the way it was done that was the real problem. If Thanos had just killed everyone, say that he exploded them, then the results would have been rough, but not a planetary danger. Life, and death, are natural and normal in the cosmic scheme of things. But your purple guy didn’t do that, he erased half of all life. Instead of killing people, he ‘poofed’ them. That means that their life and magical energies were scattered. If it had been even a couple of million, the Earth could have handled it, but it was half of everything and everywhere. It was too much.” Stiles watches and sees the two struggling. “It was like when it rains” he says. “If the ground is dry, it will soak it up. But if it has been raining for days and weeks before and then you get a massive storm…”
“You get floods wiping everything out” Tony finishes with an understanding look.
“So your anchors, they pulled the ‘water’ out of the sky?” Okoye asks.
“More or less. They filtered the energies from being all over and channeled them back into the natural lines. Like putting the water back in rivers and lakes” he continues the metaphor. “But each of the new Nemetons, they had way more magical and life energy than we have seen in thousands of years. So they have been affecting their local environment to protect themselves.”
“Which is why people are forgetting that the tree is there” Okoye says understanding his point.
“That, and one other thing” Stiles mutters but the General and Stark both hear him.
“What other thing?” Tony asks first.
“Remember that spell that messes with your tech?” he asks.
“You mean the thing you did that makes Friday only record squirrels when she sees bigfoot?”
“Sasquatch. But yes. We tied a kind of ‘forget me’ spell to the ley lines here so that if people saw something magical or supernatural, that they would either ignore it or forget it. We also made sure that technology would react the same way. And the further you get, the more you forget. Unless you already know and know with certainty, you can’t hold on to it.”
“But how does that effect us in Wakanda?” the General asks.
“It was a few months after the spell that I realized that the other Nemetons were acting as a kind of ‘booster signal’ for the spell. They couldn’t have the same level of effect, more like an echo, but it acted as a kind of camouflage for the Nemetons. It won’t hide them from those that know, but it will be really easy to forget or not think about it.”
“Then why do I remember?” Okoye asks.
Stiles looks at a loss. “Because you are looking for danger” Allison suggests, and the others look at the Huntress. “You are responsible for the safety of your people, and with the loss of King T’challa, you probably feel even more concern about things. Since it is an unknown, it could be a risk, so you were constantly worried about it. You said it was near a sacred mountain?” she prompts.
Okoye nods. “Then it was probably even more of an issue.” She looks over at Stiles with a curious expression. “Since she knows now that it isn’t something threatening or something to worry about, will she start to forget it?” she asks the teen.
Stiles looks thoughtful before he nods. “Probably. She won’t really forget it, but since it isn’t an active threat in her mind, it will probably become clouded like you described how the Queen reacted. She remembered when you pushed, but she wasn’t thinking about it.”
Okoye looks unhappy with that. “I do not like you tampering with my mind” she says in a voice that suggests significant violence.
Stiles shrugs his shoulders and looks sad. “It’s not about you General, I am sorry, but I am not going to change anything. The magic is protecting itself, like it should. It is not a harm to your people or your country and in fact is a good thing. You said it yourself that the area around it has improved. Water cleaner, air cleaner, and all that?” he prods, and she reluctantly admits his point. “And can you guarantee me with 100% certainty that everyone who might ever serve in your government could be trusted with this information?”
Okoye doesn’t react but the boy makes a very real point with that question. Killmonger did significant damage to her nation and her people with his actions and even M’Baku was less than trustworthy at one point, at least it was very possible that he could have been a very different leader. Maybe this was something that did not need to be known by others. “I do not disagree with you in principle” she says diplomatically, “but magic of this kind is not something my people have much experience with.”
“Take a number” Tony mutters. Stiles smirks at the man and both Kira and Allison snicker.
“But I am willing to accept Natasha’s assessment of you and your explanation. If this is not a threat for Wakanda, then I can let it go to focus on the problems we still have to manage.” She pauses for a brief bit before looking at Stark “but I would prefer to have the ability to speak with this young man when needed.”
Tony smiles. “Luckily, I can help with that. I have been having some problems with all his hocus pocus stuff so I can to see if I couldn’t solve the problem, but I think you might have inadvertently given me the answer.”
Okoye frowns. “How so?”
“Vibranium. If you can provide some, then I think I can use that to get around the ‘interference’ that we have been struggling with.” He pauses and suddenly looks even more animated. “Actually, if we use it to create a quantum resonance…Friday?”
“Yes boss?” the female AI replies.
“Pull up the communications schematics for the holographic communications system” he says and suddenly an illuminated image appears in front of him.
“What are you doing?” Stiles asks with excitement at the glowing images.
“General, can anyone tap into Wakanda’s communication systems?” he asks.
She smirks. “No.”
“Because it is based on Vibranium” he says, not asks and sees the General’s eyes narrow. Answer enough. “If we redesign our system using Vibranium as the central system process, then the communications would operate in an entirely different set of frequencies of the electro-magnetic spectrum. We would have a system that no government could listen in on” he says as he manipulates the images.
“What’s going on?” Kira whispers to Allison.
Allison looks delighted. “He is building a phone no one can tap or listen in on” she explains.
Stiles laughs and sees Okoye nod. “So, when can you get it running?” he challenges. Tony smirks and gets back to it. Less than a week he bets.
“How long has he been like that?” he asks looking at the woman.
“A few months” she replies. “He struggled when he came back from killing Thanos but it has slowly gotten worse. He is not doing anything but sitting in that house and drinking.”
Steve frowns and looks back at the house struggling to make sense of his attempt at a conversation with his friend. “I’ve never seen him like that.”
“We are all struggling with this” Rhodey says with a touch of exasperation “he needs to shake it off.”
“It’s not that simple” Valkyrie says with a sigh. “You all lost to Thanos and lost half of everyone, but we lost Asgard and of the few survivors, we then lost half again. The Odinson lost everyone. His brother, the All-Father, Queen Frigga, the Warriors Three, lady Sif and he ultimately blames himself for all of it.”
“What?” Rhodey says shocked. “That’s crazy.”
“Not really” Steve says sadly. “You know what it’s like when you lose men under your command” he reminds the Colonel who gets a look of understanding. “Now magnify that by I don’t know how much. I know he fought with Loki, but they were brothers for what, a thousand years?” Steve looks around at the rest of the small community. “To be honest I am surprised that more of your people aren’t feeling the same. A lot of people everywhere are struggling to make this all make some kind of sense.”
Valkyrie nods. “We are struggling, but what else can we do? We lost our King, our home, our fellows, everything. We are refugees on a primitive planet.”
“Hey!” Rhodey protests but when she looks at him, he gives in. “Okay, point taken.”
“We are trying to find our new purpose, but it will take time. But there is still too much about what Thanos did that we are still trying to understand” she tells them as they walk through the village.
“He killed half of everyone. What’s there to understand?” James asks.
“It’s what happened afterwards. There were some…effects that our people traced to your northern California that we don’t quite understand.”
“What kinds of effects?” James asks and glances over at Steve and spots a strange expression on the man’s face. “Do you know something?”
“I may. Nat has a friend out there that she has been talking to. A kid who can do some things.”
“What kind of things?” the Colonel presses.
“Do you really expect that Natasha told me everything?” he challenges and sees the colonel concede the point. “Apparently he is some kind of magic guy. Said he did something after the Snap to make things better.”
“Better how? What did he do?” James asks in disbelief. Has anyone looked around, things are definitely not better.
“The boy fixed the energy lines?” Valkyrie asks looking at Steve with shock. “He created the new Nemetons?”
“The what and the what?” James mutters.
“I think we should talk with Natasha about this” Steve says carefully. He looks at the Asgardian for a moment before he smiles. “You up for a visit to New York?” he asks.
“Die!” he roars at the creature slashing with his claws, tearing the monster’s side as it screams and drops the girl it was holding on to. “Get her!” he orders as he ducks beneath the thing’s backhand.
It screams at him in rage, interrupting his meal Luis Delgado supposes, but he doesn’t care. His cousin Maya has already run in and grabbed the girl and is already out of the thing’s reach. The girl passed out from the shock and blood loss but that was for the best. Less work in dealing with the human if she missed most of the attack. But now he was going to finally deal with this thing. “NOOOO!” it screams as he realizes that his meal was taken and his fangs, still dripping blood and his eyes completely white show that even though its claws don’t match, it is some kind of wendigo after all. But Luis will let his uncle deal with what it is once it is dead and the beast made the mistake of looking after his cousin and that gave him the smallest opening, but it was enough. He strikes and his claws tear through the monster’s throat in a spray of blood but it doesn’t drop like it should and Luis can’t dodge his claws as he strikes bad but there isn’t much strength behind it. But it still hurst like hell as the thing rips across his chest.
But Luis isn’t some monster, no matter what hunters may think. No, he is a beta werewolf in a powerful pack. His Alpha may not be the High Alpha but he is still the most powerful Alpha in Southern California with two decades of experience and he has trained his family and his pack well. So Luis and Maya are not alone, they are part of strong pack which means that while Maya rescued the girl and Luis distracted the beast, the rest of their team was closing in and when Luis was hit by the beasts claws his packmates struck and the wendigo, wounded from Luis, was hit from both sides by the Delgado Pack and he went down in a flurry of claws and fangs and the beast was dead before it hit the floor.
“Damn, it was a wendigo” Hector growled looking at the body. “It was a kid?”
“Teenager” Luis corrects with a frown. He looks at the body and the kid’s fangs and realizes they are wrong. “And this thing is wrong. Look at the claws and teeth. I thought the fangs were wendigo but they are…off.”
“They look like a Hyena’s” Marta says with a frown “but not exactly.”
Luis suddenly realizes the problem. “It’s half wendigo and half hyena” he says softly but the others hear.
“God! You have to be kidding. There is no such thing as a hybrid like that. Not that I ever heard of” Hector swears looking sick.
And Luis would have agreed before this whole fiasco started. They couldn’t get a clear scent or see marks that made it clear, which is why their Alpha had started to think it was in fact two threats they were dealing with, but this changes things. One, it was the threat but not one they had ever seen before. And two, what hell did this thing come from?
“What do we do?” Marta asks.
“We take it to the Alpha and let him decide but I imagine that this will involve the High Alpha.”
“The subject failed” one says.
“Ineffective combination” second replies.
“Initial assessment promising” third counters.
“Proceed to next subject?” second asks.
First and third consider and look at the tank and agree. Third inserts the syringe and withdraws the fluid from the subject before moving towards the table with the unconscious form on it. “Preparations complete?” third confirms.
“Adjustments made. Subject to be sent to target area” first replies and watches as the next subject is prepared. They will succeed and return to Beacon Hills to complete their work and restore the Beast.
Notes:
Hey everyone. Sorry about the hiatus, but a new place sometimes manages to knock free the cobwebs so getting some more work done. Hope you enjoyed this chapter. The next couple are going to be fun I think!
Chapter Text
“Welcome to the Avengers Compound” Natasha says to the woman walking in with Steve and Rhodey.
“Nice” Brunnhilde says glancing around “very different from the human buildings in Tønsberg” she notes as she looks around the building.
“I hear that it’s now being called New Asgard now” Natasha mentions and sees the Valkyrie smirk.
“The locals who welcomed us have suggested it. Something about tourism?” she replies.
“She has an issue of concern that I think you can help us with” Steve says as he glances around.
Natasha stares for a second before nodding and turning to lead them to the meeting room that the team is using. There are still Stark people around, not as much anymore, not since the Snap and since Tony closed down his part of things, but a few who have stayed because they didn’t have anywhere else to go to. Natasha has listened in on more than a few conversations among the staff who stayed who feel safer being here than out there. She knows that won’t last and they will slowly depart, but there are still people here and it is obvious that Steve wants this conversation to be private. She gets to the elevator and walks in the doors, pushing the button as the other three walk in, and they take off.
“How was the mission?” she asks Rhodey.
“Basic. We tracked down the dealers and shut down their operation. Interpol and NATO forces teamed up and we were able to recover almost half of the missing items” he tells her.
She raises an eyebrow, “Half?”
James sighs and glances at Steve who is struggling to hide his smile. “We might have blown some of it up, but some did get away. One trail led to Madripoor and that is complicated.”
Natasha nods as the doors open and they walk out. Madripoor is a criminal hive, the city state is home to some of the richest and most powerful people and slums of unbelievable poverty. Crime groups pretty much run the place and the rest of the world all pretty much have a ‘hands-off’ approach because no one wants to pay the cost of taking it out and cleaning it up and more than a few governments use the syndicates and gangs there to handle the less reputable work that ‘honest’ politicians don’t want to be seen doing. Even Russia leaves the place pretty much alone since they use the groups there often. Not to mention that she is certain that more than a few of those criminals have dirt on a lot of world leaders to keep them from officially acting against the place.
They all sit down, and Natasha looks over at Steve. “So, what’s the problem?”
Steve looks over at Valkyrie to offer the woman the chance to go first but she doesn’t seem interested in talking just yet. She leans back, watching and evaluating the other woman. “It’s about a tree” Steve finally says.
Nat smiles and chuckles a bit. Brunnhilde’s eyes narrow. “Something funny?” she asks.
The Black Widow waives off the woman’s distrust, “Just that this is second discussion about a strange tree in a short while and I am willing to bet that it will end the same.”
“The kid?” Steve asks. Rhodey frowns.
“What kid?” James asks. He looks at Natasha and sees the agreement there. “Really? You two are still keeping secrets?” He looks ashamed of himself for a second "of course you are" he mutters.
“We didn’t want to compromise you” Steve says looking at the other man. “You are still active duty with certain responsibilities to the military and the government. If you know something, you are pretty much obligated to report it” he says carefully. “This is something that might be tough for you.”
“And again, I disagree” Natasha retorts. She turns to James. “Remember the sorcerer from New York?”
“Dr. Strange?” James answers. “The guy who upset Tony? Wait, wasn’t there something about a kid who was supposed to be the next Merlin?”
Natasha nods and Steve looks surprised. “Wait, you know?”
“Perhaps you all should talk more often” Brunnhilde says sarcastically. “So since you all know, who is this boy?”
“Stiles” Natasha replies. “He is a friend of ours. Was a student of the Sorcerer Supreme. He has been doing a bunch of magic out in California.”
Brunnhilde leans forward. “Northern California?”
Natasha nods with a smile. “Let me guess. You had a tree show up by surprise that is having some kind of magical effect on things?”
She nods and leans back. “Very much so. I think I definitely need to speak with this young sorcerer of yours.”
“We should all go?” Natasha says looking at the two men.
Steve nods but James shakes his head. “Rain check, unfortunately” the Colonel replies. “I got a call on the way in that I need to head to DC to speak with the Joint Chiefs. If I get free, I will join you” he tells them.
Steve and Natasha both nod but know it won’t happen. Colonel Rhodes, known to many as War Machine and the government’s own Iron Man, rarely gets time to himself. If he is being called back, he will be dealing with something significant and since neither of them were called, it is not Avengers’ business but US government work. “Next time” Natasha promises as they start making plans.
“You know, there was a time that seeing that would have really freaked me out” Allison says in amazement.
Erica’s eyes flash gold before she groans and takes another bite causing the other girls in the room to wince. “I’m hungry” she mumbles around the food.
“But rare steak with pickles?” Yvette whispers to Cora. Erica glances at the necromancer who suddenly remembers that she wasn’t quite quiet enough.
“It’s embarrassing” Erica complains as she grabs another pickle and with a burst of inspiration, she wraps the steak around it and takes a loud bite.
“That is truly unbelievable” Allison mutters.
“I wouldn’t be quite so smug” Cora says with a snicker. “Werewolves typically crave red meat and lots of sour food like pickles, lemons, and pickled vegetables.”
Everyone looks at her in surprise. “How do you know that? Weren’t you the youngest?” Kira asks looking confused.
Cora snorts. “I was, but when I was with the Alvarez pack several members were pregnant and you would not believe how much a pregnant wolf can put away in a single meal, or even a snack” she adds with admiration in her voice. “Seems that baby wolves are hungry” she says with a smirk.
“So, you think I’m having a wolf?” Erica asks nervously. She and Boyd had talked about it and she really wanted that so that her baby wouldn’t have to deal with the health issues she had faced for most of her life.
“There’s no way to tell right now” Cora said with a shrug. “It usually takes a bit for anyone to figure out whether or not a kid is a born wolf or not.”
Kira frowned. “Why? I mean, shouldn’t two werewolves have a werewolf baby?”
Allison shook her head. “Not with bitten wolves.”
Cora looked at the Hunter with a closed expression and suddenly Allison looked uncomfortable. “It was part of the training that Clarrisant provided when I was France, not Gerard or Kate” she explains.
Cora nods accepting the difference. She doesn’t like any hunters, but she is less concerned about the old woman, especially after seeing how she acted around Stiles. She looks back at Kira “Allison’s right. Two bitten wolves have an even chance of having a human or born wolf as a kid. Two born wolfs will have a wolf four out of five times.”
“So there is no guarantee that a baby would be a wolf? I mean, a kitsune will always produce a kitsune even if one parent is human” she says looking sad.
“Actually, if an Alpha wolf has a child with a born or bitten wolf, the child is always a born wolf. The Alpha Spark breeds true” she explains. “The only thing that changes the odds is if one parent is another were, like a were coyote. Then it’s usually a 50/50 chance which parent the kid will take after. Unless it is an Alpha wolf of course” Cora says with a trace of pride as she looks at the blonde she-wolf who has been following the conversation with rapt attention even though she didn’t stop eating.
“This is fascinating but probably unnecessary” Yvette says with a chuckle.
“Why?” Erica demands looking offended.
Yvette looks at the others before smiling. “Because you could probably ask the Arcanist and he could tell you.”
Erica looks stunned. The others do to for a second before Allison bursts into laughter. “I can’t believe we didn’t think of that” the Huntress laughs. “He can sense any supernaturals, he could probably tell you now if you asked” she says to the beta.
The blonde blushes for a second and then gets a wicked look in her eyes before she starts laughing. “Oh I will, but I guess you won’t need to worry about that” Erica says with a smirk.
Allison looks confused. “huh?”
“Didn’t you hear Cora? Alphas always have wolves so that means you and Scott…”
Allison freezes for a second in shock before the rest of the girls burst out in laughter. “Wait, she said if the partner is a wolf. I’m human.”
Cora laughs. “And Scott is a True Alpha and Alpha of the largest wolf pack in the US if not the world. It is the Alpha Spark that makes wolves so I wouldn’t bet against any kids that you two have being wolves” she says between laughs.
“Really?” Allison says looking stunned. She hadn’t really thought about, not really. She did talk with Clarissant about it back before the Snap, but she hadn’t really thought about it since then.”
“Is that a problem?” Kira asks gently causing Allison to look startled at the question.
“What? No. I mean I knew it was a chance, a good chance. But I didn’t realize that it was pretty much a guarantee” she says looking thoughtful. “But it doesn’t matter to me” she says.
“Huh” Erica says with a look of mild surprise. “You aren’t lying.”
Allison looks confused before she remembers. “My heart?” she shrugs. “No, I wasn’t lying. I had thought about it and decided it didn’t matter, not to me. But it does mean that our branch of the Argent family will end with me” she says a little sadly.
“Why?” Yvette asks. “If things are really changing, what does it matter?”
Allison sighs and looks at the other women. “It hasn’t been easy” she admits. “Even Clarissant hasn’t been able to fully change things. Too many hunters don’t believe werewolves can be trusted. They see Stiles as an enemy, someone who is keeping them from their ‘sacred’ duty. They have accepted it more in the way that they can’t figure out how to deal with him. Think of it like the cold war with the Soviet Union. They still think of them as enemies, just enemies that they can’t risk attacking.”
That pretty much kills the good mood in the room. “So, what? They are just waiting for an opening?” Cora asks.
Allison shakes her head. “Honestly, I don’t know. I know that the Argents are looking at changing. Clarissant and the family leaders see this as a chance to become something better. A supernatural police force, but one that is honorable. We know that there are still threats to regular people out there that need us. But the other families?” she trails off.
“The Calaveras?” Cora says with more than a bit of venom.
“And the Parsons” Allie agrees. “Right now they are still trying to figure out how to adapt to the Snap. Not only do they have less members, but many of their informants and the packs they were watching have disappeared.”
“Whole packs?” Yvette asks confused.
“Not snapped” Erica tells the necromancer. “But lots of packs have moved to join the packs where the Alpha survived. Like here” she reminds the girl who nods in understanding. “So they are disorganized and angry?” she asks the huntress.
“Exactly” Allison agrees. “They blame the supernatural world for the Snap despite all the evidence that it was an alien who killed half of all life in the universe. And since they don’t know that Stiles is the only reason that Earth didn’t ‘overload’, they are just looking for someone to blame and he is the best target. If it wasn’t for the fact that the family heads pretty much surrendered to him, they would be uniting. But unlike the run of the mill hunters, they know better, so they are making sure to keep them under control.”
“But they are not to be trusted” Cora says flatly.
“No, not really. If they thought they could win, they would attack. But they don’t think they can right now.” She smiles a rather evil smile “and they don’t realize that Stiles isn’t sitting back. He is making friends, allies, and strengthening his defenses. In two years’ time, I don’t think the hunters will be able to fight him, not without all-out war that would expose everything. By the time they figure it all out…”
“It will be too late” Erica says viciously as she tears into a piece of the steak with glee.
Everyone laughs but Allison nods in agreement. “So Allie, speaking of…when are you and Scott going to make it official? I mean you already have four kids!” Kira says poking the woman and laughing. The others join in.
“Well….” Allison says with a blush before pulling out her ring on the necklace “we were thinking of this spring.”
There is a chorus of screams and demands to see the ring before everyone starts making plans. Allison smiles happily and winks at Erica who is already planning her warrior outfit that she didn’t get to wear at her own wedding. Assuming that she delivered before the wedding!
“You have made significant progress” Satomi says as they walk through the building. “May I ask why there are no walls to the place?”
“We are not fond of being enclosed” Kreyna says looking at the space proudly. “The roof will do for keeping off the rain and sun when needed, and the interior rooms will provide the storage we need, but we do not need much more than that.”
“When the herd is together the cold is a minor inconvenience” Vorgin adds proudly. The centaur elder smiling at the sloping roof and columns holding it up. “And if we want to change it would not take much.”
“Adding walls to an existing building might take some time” Boyd says soberly.
“Not really” Dave says happily and the beta looks at the Sasquatch for a moment before shaking his head in comprehension.
“Forgot about that” he replies.
“That and I could help too if needed” Stiles adds with a wink towards Yanlia who winks right back. The healer of the herd had been very involved in the work.
“And we do have a more traditional building for other work” Yanlia adds and points at the other similarly designed building that actually has walls and rather large doors. “That will be used by the healers for us and any others that need it. Once we settle a bit, we will add another for the herd artisans and crafters.”
“It is impressive” Aiden says honestly to the herd elders. “But wouldn’t you like something more…uh, nice?” he says lamely and looks embarrassed by his word choice.
Vorgin laughs while the other centaurs smile. “No Alpha Carver. We prefer not to be inside structures anymore than necessary. We are more than satisfied with this. Some of our kind have to endure it, but since we do not we will enjoy this.”
“I have been meaning to ask you about that elder” Stiles says with a look. “I have been doing some reading and I learned that your illusion can go in both directions?” he asks with a smile.
Kreyna laughs. “It is true High Alpha. Though we prefer the other, we can appear fully human if needed. But as it is an illusion, not a shape shift, it is rarely as helpful as appearing as a wild horse.”
“I wondered about that. I mean I know that you appear to be horses unless you want to be seen so I figured it was intentional as well. But not being able to actually transform does put some limits on the illusion” Stiles admits.
“Indeed” Dave says with a chuckle causing Stiles to look at the Sasquatch and laugh.
“I guess it is like yours, huh? As long as you don’t look too hard it holds up” Stiles jokes.
“Actually, our illusions are significantly better now” Dave replies easily.
“Better? Why?” Boyd asks.
“The High Alpha’s spell of protection from discovery. It amplifies our own natural magic that hides us. Combined with his magic, I do not think we would be revealed if we did not truly intend to be seen. I imagine the same is true of the herd.”
Stiles looks surprised but pleased. “Well, that wasn’t the intention but a happy coincidence” he says proudly. “I wish I had thought of that before I had to make the charm for Allison to be able see through the illusion. Might have done things differently.”
“Different how” Aiden asks the teen.
“It is all about intention and…” Stiles looks suddenly thoughtful and calculating. “You know…since the spell is already pushing the idea of hiding your true forms…I think I might be able to make a charm that would push it all the way.”
The others look confused at his words but the excited look in his eyes causes the elders to look a bit concerned. “What do you mean High Alpha?” Yanlia asks when no one else does.
“The spell is powered by the ley lines, right?” he says to them but really talking to himself as he starts to pace around the pounded earth floor of the building. “Using that and the spell's preference to disguise magical beings, I think I could create a charm that would actually allow you to take human form in reality, not just as an illusion!”
Kreyna and Vorgin look very concerned. “Wait. You mean you could make them human?” Aiden asks shocked.
Stiles shakes his head. “No, not really. I mean they would be humanlike, I guess you could say. As long as they had the charm, they would have the shape of a human, but their essence would still be a centaur.” He pauses for a few seconds before nodding. “I am sure of it. I would need to do some research to do so but I think it could be done.”
“I do not think such a thing would be necessary High Alpha” Vorgin says formally. “We do not wish to be human.”
Stiles opens his mouth to respond but stops when he sees the looks from the two elders. “Vorgin, Kreyna, I mean no disrespect” he says sincerely. He notices that both Aiden and Boyd look slightly angry and that is directed at the centaurs.
“I do not think they thought that Arcanist” Dave says solemnly in his deep voice. Stiles notes that the sasquatch elder used his magical title which definitely had an effect on the two centaurs. “Shocked perhaps at something they had not considered.”
“Elders” Yanlia cuts in “I do not agree.” Both of the older centaurs, along with the rest of the group look at the healer in shock. “This could be a good thing. I would learn more about human healing than I can now. A gift such as this would allow our herd to do much more than we ever have before.”
“At what cost?” Kreyna demands, her voice trembling slightly. “We are not humans, nor have we sought to be. You would have us forfeit that?” she demands.
Yanlia’s eyes flare and she stamps her hoof hard, echoing throughout the building. “You insult humans in the home of the Arcanist? The one who rescued our herd? The one who makes for us a home that we have not seen the like in a thousand years? The one who has allowed us to be ourselves more in the last year than in decades before this?” she demands of the elder.
“Peace healer” Dave says gently seeing the shock on the two elder centaurs’ faces. “We elders are not as flexible as the young.”
Yanlia snorts. “Bull. You are one of the great elders here and you are learning new things and trying new things. Whulibela is an elder dwarf and she is learning computers from the humans. Yndriesdri has started a blog or whatever it’s called.”
“Tik Tok” Stiles says quietly. He actually was to blame for that one. But Stark had actually helped him build a computer that was dragon friendly with a serious set of filters to hide her identity.
Boyd and Aiden snickered at that, but Yanlia nodded. “We are learning new things. To have the chance to observe human medicine in their house of healing? To be able to visit their places of learning? I am interested in this. Would you call me less a centaur for that!?” she demands.
Both of the elders look shook but Stiles can see them becoming angry at the young mare. “I am confused as well, is it my magic you object to or being human?” Stiles asks them.
Kreyna starts to respond but Vorgin stops her. “Arcanist” he starts respectfully “we would not object to your magic in any way.” Kreyna’s face goes pale at the realization of how close she came to insulting the teen before her. It is hard to remember that the boy, though young and seemingly harmless, is anything but. “But like ĜřĦœdžǣɮɉʨ said” he nods at the Sasquatch who smiles at the stallion’s correct pronunciation of his name, “we have had many shocks since before coming here. We lost our herd only to find them and lose them again. When you reach our age, peace and calmness becomes more important than new things. We forget that the young still have challenges and adventures ahead of them that they desire.” He sighs deeply. “It is not that we would ever object to you working with the Arcanist Healer” he says looking at Yanlia “but such magic is similar to that which was practiced on our kind without our consent.”
Yanlia frowns. “What? What are you talking about?” Aiden asks.
“Human magic users have ‘experimented’ on our kind before. Used us” Kreyna says quietly.
Yanlia pales and looks at Stiles who is equally shocked.
“Human, Centaur, wolf, dwarf” Satomi says quietly. “We are all capable of good and evil. It is not in our natures, but through our choices. Humans have done terrible things to each other. The Alpha Pack terrorized innocent wolf packs. A friend called a void kitsune to enact vengeance on humans for their crimes. I think there are not many who could claim that not one of their kind has ever done evil.”
“The brownies?” Aiden suggests and is surprised when Stiles shakes his head.
“Not even them” Stiles says sadly. “Satomi is right. Everyone is capable of choosing to be good or bad. For some it is simply easier to be one or the other, but they still choose. Wendigos feed on human flesh, and they prefer to kill to get it. But they don’t have to. Vampires can find alternatives as well.”
“Wait, vampires are real?” Boyd asks looking shocked.
Stiles rolls his eyes but nods. “Yes. But they are nothing like Stoker’s book. The point is, anyone can be good or evil.” He looks at the two centaurs “including centaurs.”
Kreyna looks offended but Vorgin nods in agreement. “And they have been. There have been those among or kind who were killers and cruel. You speak wisely Alpha Ito” he says to the elder wolf. “Perhaps this is not something to dismiss outright, but to ask our herd for their feelings and thoughts” he suggests.
Yanlia nods forcefully and Stiles smiles. “I think that would be good. I would not want anyone to feel that they are not in control of themselves here. Or that they were being forced to follow rules that they don’t agree with.”
“Except yours” Aiden says with a smirk.
Stiles shrugs. “Only if they want to stay. I have never demanded that everyone be subject to me simply because they are magic. Only if they wish to live in my territory” he says simply.
Boyd snorts. “Stiles, you know that’s not exactly fair. Who wouldn’t want to live here?”
Stiles smiles. “I think we got distracted from our tour” he says and looks at Vorgin and Dave. “What about the animal rehabilitation center and the educational center?”
Vorgin relaxes, glad to back on safer ground. “Ah, those. Those are much more human friendly” he says and heads to the rather modern looking building that still manages to blend in. “The initial plan has been expanded thanks to the Argent Matriarch and Beta Reyes-Boyd. They want to make it a destination for school children to see the importance of the natural world” he starts explaining the design of the place.
Stiles hides his smile at the rather proud look Boyd has on his face at the praise Erica received. He imagines Scott would feel the same way.
“I do not believe that this is going to work” Wong said looking at the other masters.
Lyra sighed. “Then do you have an alternative? How do we select a new sorcerer supreme? We all know that Stephen was being prepared to take over for the Ancient One.”
Wong frowned. “That is true, but we have never been guided by a…a…committee.”
“One who is too insistent on his own views, finds few to agree with him” Hamir says wisely.
Several of the others nod in agreement. “What would you suggest then Master Hamir?” Lyra asks.
“Mastering others is strength. Mastering yourself is true power” he replies serenely.
Lyra smiles. “If you would take, you first must give, this is the beginning of intelligence.”
Hamir smiles as do several others. Wong nods in agreement. “He who knows does not speak. He who speaks, does not know” Wong adds and sees the agreement in Hamir and Lyra’s eyes.
“Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished” Hamir says with satisfaction.
Lyra suddenly relaxes at the master’s words. She looks at Wong. “Do you agree?”
Wong nods. “It is not yet time to choose a path. When the circumstances demand a decision, we will not only know it is time, but the decision to make.”
Lyra smiles. “It is not that I disagree old friend. I am not comfortable with this solution as well, I could think of no other that would serve.”
“Then we should discuss the other concern” Wong says sitting down and looking at the other masters who had traveled to Kamar Taj. “Dormammu.”
Lyra nods. “The London Sanctum has been rebuilt so the three Sentinels have been restored. In addition, the Beacon Hills Sanctum provides additional reinforcement to the Earth’s protections.”
“Mr. Stilinski’s work, as well as the Grand Enchanter’s, have been well done” Wong agrees. “I would not have expected such strength from the boy when we first met” he admits with a chuckle. “But he has surprised me.” He looks discomforted. “I am sorry that I have not been able to assist you in the work there” he tells Lyra.
She nods in acknowledgment. “You had your own tasks to do and the work in London was critical. We were not unaffected by the mad titan’s actions.”
Wong accepts her words. “But I am still concerned that the dark one will see the absence of the Sorcerer Supreme as an opening, a weakness to attack.”
“Did not Stephen secure a bargain with the dreaded one to leave Earth, never to return?” Hamir asks him.
Wong nods. “Yes. But I do not trust the dark one. He may choose to interpret that agreement to only be with Strange and no longer binding.”
That triggers some concern from the others, even Hamir. “What can we do in that case?” Lyra asks after a few moments of silent contemplation.
“What of the Book of Cagliostro? The spell that Kaecilius and his zealots used to make their pact with Dormammu?” the Master of the Hong Kong Sanctum asks.
Wong relaxes as bit at that. “That spell was lost. Kaecilius removed it from the Book and used it to empower himself and the zealots, but the pages were lost. We have found no trace of it.”
“If no one else can summon Dormammu, he would have no agents who could act on his behalf to destroy the Sanctums” Hamir suggests.
Wong and Lyra look thoughtful but eventually both of them agree. “I would still feel better if we improved the defenses of the Sanctums” Wong told them. “Limiting the access to the Sanctums and strengthening the protections on them.”
Lyra agrees. “I believe that this would be a good task for us. Many of our novices and newer sorcerers are lost and this would give them purpose again.”
“Then we will start immediately” Wong says with determination. “Where should we start?" he asks the others as they lean forward to offer suggestions.
Stiles looks up at the beep and moves over to the console. Looking at the light he smiles. “Hey BW!” he says when he flips the switch. “No hologram?”
“Sorry Stiles. I am in route so audio only” she tells him.
He frowns. “Wait, are you coming here? Is something up?”
Natasha smiles at the sudden change in the young man’s voice. “Got a couple of visitors that want to talk to you about what you have been doing.”
She can hear Stiles’ sigh over the com link. “Well, at least they aren’t sneaking in and attacking us.”
Natasha winces. “I am sorry about that Stiles. I did not think that Okoye was quite at that point yet. I tried to let her know that it was not something dangerous, but she is suspicious enough to be Russian.”
“That is a very weird kind of compliment” he replies. “Is it about the same thing?”
“Mostly. The one you did in Norway” she tells him, “and someone wants to meet you as well.”
“Meet me? Who?” he says sounding nervous.
“Don’t freak out” she warns “but Steve Rogers.”
Natasha is really glad that Steve is not on the radio at that moment. Though he will later deny it, the rather shrill squeal that comes over the radio justifies her dropping the volume down so he didn’t deafen her. “ARE YOU KIDDING ME!?!? CAPTAIN AMERICA IS COMING HERE!!?!” he yells.
She would have replied if it had been necessary but seeing as how Stiles was carrying on an entire conversation entirely on his own without her involvement, she decided to let him continue on until it suddenly went quiet. “WAIT! When are you arriving?” he suddenly demands.
She smiles. “We arrive in two hours.”
“WHAT!?! TWO HOURS?!? I HAVE TO GET READY!!” he yells and then disconnects the call.
“Everything okay?” Steve asks as he walks up to the front of the Quinjet.
“All good. Just letting him know about our arrival” she explains.
“It won’t be a problem just dropping in?” Steve says sounding concerned.
“No problem. He is completely fine with us stopping by” she says without any hint of amusement.
“Stiles, I cannot understand you. Slow down bro” Scott says when he finally gets a word in with Stiles. “Why are freaking out that someone is coming?”
“Scott! It isn’t anyone! Natasha is coming” he says and Scott hears banging of drawers and cabinets which tells him that the other man is in the kitchen.
“Dude, that’s great. But why is that freaking you out?”
“She is bringing HIM. Captain America!”
Scott freezes and feels his brain short circuit. “What?” he stutters. “ARE YOU KIDDING?!”
“NO!”
“OH MY GOD!”
“I KNOW!”
“CAPTAIN AMERICA!"
“I KNOW!”
“Dude. Captain America is coming to your house!” Scott yells jumping up.
“I KNOW!” Stiles yells back.
Allison watches Scott with a look of amused affection even though she is pretty overwhelmed as well. She has already texted Erica, Cora, Boyd, Kira, and Aiden to give them a heads up. She also asked Eddie if he and Billy can watch the girls tonight and gave them money for pizza. Erica had already replied that she was bringing their group of kids over to hang out and eat here freeing both of them up to join Stiles. Cora had replied that she was very much aware of what was going on. She could hear Stiles’ panic from across the house. She and Yvette were going down to help them as apparently Stiles had decided to cook dinner for the visiting Avengers and they were going to help, i.e. takeover.
Allison grabs her bag and gently pulls Scott along until they get to the car and the Alpha gets in absently still talking to Stiles about their visitor. The fact was that the two of them were total fan boys of Captain America since kindergarten and that was before he came back from the ice. Meeting Iron Man was very cool, but Tony Stark was still a guy that had been a drunken womanizing weapons developer for years before he became a hero. Steve Rogers had been a hero for generations of kids and adults since the 1940s and he became a legend over those 70 years. Coming back and saving the world from an Alien Invasion and leading the Avengers pretty much sent a whole lot of people into shock. And then his legend just exploded. Saving the crowd in Germany from Loki, fighting Ultron, and then helping to kill Thanos. No Steve Rogers was not like the other avengers. Allison was pretty sure that she had seen Scott’s Captain America pajamas from when he was a little kid in one of the boxes that they moved over to the house. No, Scott and Stiles had been reading Captain America comics, watching his cartoons and movies, and buying his merchandise as long as they could remember and now they would finally get to meet him. She really hoped that the guy was ready for this.
Pulling in front of the house she smiled as she saw Kira climbing out of her car and waving. Erica and Boyd looked to be already here. Stiles came running out just as Scott finally ended their call. They grabbed each other before running back inside talking a mile a minute. “Wow, they are really excited” Kira says with a laugh.
“STILES! GET OUT!” Cora screams from the kitchen just as they enter and see Stiles and Scott beating a hasty retreat just as a pot lid comes flying after them.
“C’mon. Let’s see if we can get them to calm down so Cora can make sure we have dinner ready when Natasha arrives” Allison says smiling at Kira as she diverts towards Scott and Stiles. She is not about to risk the kitchen if Cora is in charge.
Allison manages to divide up the group with Kira, Boyd, and her helping out with the dinner while Erica joins in the geeking out with Scott and Stiles. Aiden arrives and takes one look at the three of them and makes a beeline for the kitchen. “How long have them been going on like that?” he asks carefully.
“Too long” Cora snarls. “How long do we have?” she asks looking at Yvette.
“TWENTY MINUTES” Erica and Scott yell out and Cora snarls in their direction.
“We are pretty much done” Allison assures the she-wolf who, despite her protests, appears to be just as freaked out about their guests as Stiles and Scott but is channeling that into preparing for dinner.
“We need to set the table!” Stiles yells running in only to have Boyd grab him and spin him around right back out of the room.
“Already done” he says with a heavy sigh. Stiles runs to the dining room to see it all ready and looks like he is about to take off in another direction. “You know, you might want to play this cool. Maybe you should meditate to get your game face on” he suggests with a look.
Stiles pauses and looks thoughtful for a second before he narrows his eyes at the beta. “You just want me to be quiet” he accuses.
Boyd doesn’t reply, he just stares. Stiles glares but he finally stops and takes a deep breath. “Fine” he mutters and he walks for the back door. “I’ll be back” he grumbles before going into the grass and dropping down. Getting in position, he sinks into the ley lines and sends his thoughts throughout his territory.
“Wow. I would never have thought that would work” Allison compliments the beta while looking out the window at the young mage. “I was sure he would only get that quiet if he passed out.”
Boyd smiles slightly but doesn’t reply, he just moves to help Yvette with the salad.
“What if he is vegetarian?” Scott suddenly asks coming into the room.
“We have two options Alpha” the Necromancer says without concern and just a touch of disappointment which has an immediate effect.
“Right” Scott blushes. “You got this. Sorry guys, but this is Captain America!”
“We know Scott” Aiden says with a smile seemingly unaffected.
“You didn’t read his comics?” he asks in surprise.
The alpha shrugs “We didn’t really get to read comics or do stuff like that growing up in our pack. Our alpha was pretty anti-human” he says simply, and Scott is suddenly reminded of how rough the twins had it growing up. It really sobers him up. “But I am curious to meet him.”
“I want to know who is coming from Norway” Kira says to the group. Her eyes widen “Do you think it could be Thor?” she whispers the name as she looks around.
Allison, Erica, Cora, and Yvette all stare at the kitsune in surprise before looking around. “That is where the Asgardians settled” Erica squeaks. She looks down at her outfit. “I need to change!” she yells and heads for the stairs only to stop when she feels a pulse run through her. She looks at the pack and they all felt it and spin around and see Stiles standing up.
Allison is the first at the door and sees the teen, eyes glowing, looking east. “They’re coming!” he says and they all look in that direction. The wolves are the first to spot the smudge against the clouds but Allison isn’t far behind. “There is someone on board who isn’t human” Stiles suddenly says looking concerned “and very powerful.”
“Stiles, this is Natasha. Can you authorize our entry?” she says into the mic as she looks at the screen that indicates that there is a missile lock on them.
“Shit! Hold on a second” she hears his voice yelling as runs in the house to the control panel. Suddenly the warning goes away and she rolls her eyes. She would have thought that Stark would have programmed them with authorization but then again, maybe not since he was still pissed off. “You are good to go” he says needlessly.
“Problems?” Steve asks as he leans against the bulkhead looking out the window at the sea of green trees in front of them.
“No. Stark set him up with some security features so I let the kid know to let us in without problems.”
Steve frowns. “What kind of security?”
“Well I am not entirely sure, but a rather sophisticated version of radar since we are in stealth mode and it still spotted us and the missile lock was a bit concerning” she tells him.
“Stark gave a teenager guided missiles?” he says in shock.
She smiles. “I am pretty sure he gave him some restrictions on using them.”
Steve stares at the woman for a few seconds. “Well, that’s good to hear. Any idea why he is okay with this kid having weapons tech to protect his house?”
She shrugs. “Probably a trade off so he won’t send out the dragon” she says off-handedly.
He snorts at that and then sees her expression. “Wait. Are you being serious?” he demands.
Natasha doesn’t answer but just smiles.
“Right. Make fun of the old guy” Steve says shaking his head.
Natasha waits till she is pretty sure he is convinced she was joking. “Her name is Yndriesdi and she is pregnant, so if you do meet her, be polite. Apparently, dragons take a long time to lay their eggs so she can be easily irritated.
Steve stares but then hears chuckling behind him and looks at Valkyrie who suddenly tries to look innocent. “She’s right though. Pregnant dragons are definitely easily annoyed so you want to be respectful.”
“Dragons.” Steve says looking at them both trying to figure out if they are messing with him. “You have seen them?”
“Many times” Brunnhilde replies. “There are several kinds that lived on Midgard. The one that Natasha spoke with is of a kind I have met. The most unique thing is that they can shapeshift. From the size of a sheep to larger than a building. Very useful in battle” she adds absently.
Steve decides that he will wait to see if this is really real or another one of the Widow’s games. Looking out the window he spots a clearing with several houses that appears to be their destination. He spots several figures in the yard watching them and nods in satisfaction as Natasha maneuvers the Quinjet into landing on a patch near the driveway. The crowd is entirely teenagers and that causes him to frown, they must have lost so many in the Snap.
Stiles is standing in front of the house with Scott, Allison, and Erica watching the Quinjet land. Kira, Boyd and Aiden are on the porch and Yvette and Cora are still inside though Stiles has caught both of them peeking out the window every few seconds. The aircraft lands easily enough on the grass before the engines wind down and Stiles watches carefully. He is kind of annoyed that Natasha has parked sideways so he couldn’t see inside very well, but he can definitely feel the supernatural being with them and they are very powerful. Something he has not felt before.
The landing ramp drops and the pack watches as Natasha comes striding out in casual clothes, but Stiles notes at least three weapons he can spot as well as the fact that her outfit, while looking simple, is anything but. She smiles as she sees everyone and then he sees the second figure walk out.
“Oh my lord, look at those shoulders” Erica whispers and Allison nods in agreement as Steve Rogers, The Captain America, hero extraordinaire, and living legend, walks out.
“Dude!” Scott whisper yells at Stiles grabbing his shoulder in excitement.
And really, Stiles gets a quick view of the original Avenger, but his attention is quickly drawn to the woman who walks out next. She glows with power but nothing like he as ever seen before. There is an air of ancient power around her even though she looks like she is in her late twenties or early thirties at most. Her clothes are nothing unusual and unlike Natasha, he doesn’t immediately see any weapons, but he definitely senses one. Though, like her, it is nothing he recognizes. The closest comparison he has is the fae queens or Lizzie in her Morgaine aspect, but neither of those are right either. Stiles hears the faint echo of singing, swords clashing, and yelling voices.
Brunnhilde steps off the ramp and glances over at the group spotting the wolves and even a fox before she spots the boy and blinks. She’s stunned. “A Seidr? With the air ancient magics?” she turns to Natasha, “what is this?”
Natasha looks confused for a moment before turning to Stiles. “This is Stiles. The one we came to see, he’s the one who is probably responsible for the tree.”
The warrior turns to the boy who looks confused but also tense, like he is bracing for something. “Calm down boy, I am not angry, only confused. I had not heard of one of the Seidr among humans in centuries, not anymore, only the other kinds of mages and your magic echoes something that should not be possible.” She frowns for a second, “Which magics do you wield?”
“What?” Steve asks her looking confused. “What do you mean which magics?”
“All of them” Stiles says carefully and watches as the woman looks stunned.
“All? A Stjarna Seidr? Show me!” she demands stepping forward just as Scott and Allison step up to block her but Scott freezes looking at the tip of a sword that is now pointing right between his eyes that wasn’t there before. Allison looks shocked at the speed of the woman.
Stiles frowns. “Okay” he says and blasts the woman with a column of air throwing her away from them. Natasha and Steve both dive out of the way but Brunnhilde twists and lands on her feet, sword at the ready and shakes her head.
“Elemental magic is not one of the disciplines” she says with a tilt of her head.
Stiles smirks and casts a spell he learns from Wong and suddenly a whip of light comes out from behind the trees and races for the woman, but she spins and her sword shatters it without slowing down. “Sorcery” she acknowledges.
Stiles frowns and gestures and the ground around her explodes as tree roots reach for her but she is already moving and dodges them easily. She races for Stiles but he spreads his fingers and blasts her with smoke and electricity.
“Druidic and Witchcraft” Brunnhilde says shaking her head. The boy has three of them.
Stiles really wants to hit her with a fireball, but he realizes that she isn’t really fighting him. He sees her speed and strength and that sword glows like a mother with power. So, he will play fair. He smirks and grabs the small metal blob on the chain around his neck and throws it at her. The trap explodes with tiny ribbons of metal that should wrap her up like a mummy if she hadn’t cut a path through them with her sword and with a flourish, she drops her sword to her size. “Magecraft?” she asks.
“It was supposed to restrain you” he mutters.
“As you have demonstrated four of the magics, I will not ask you to demonstrate Necromancy or Alchemy. Neither smells particularly pleasant.”
“Hey!” Yvette yells from the porch looking offended. Stiles looks over and spots the entire pack in front of the house having watched the display. Natasha and Captain America are standing next to Allison who appears to be trying to explain something.
Brunnhilde sheathes her sword. “No offense Shadow Priestess” she calls out before looking at Stiles “but it is true. The dead never smell pleasant.”
“Who are you?” Stiles asks finally.
She smiles. “I am Brunnhilde, former Valkyrie and Shield Maiden of Odin and Asgard.”
Stiles’ jaw drops. “You are an Asgardian Valkyrie?!” he says in shock.
“Is the fight over?” Steve calls out.
She laughs and walks towards the crowd. “It was not a fight. It has been a very long time since I have even heard of a star mage, and never on Midgard.”
Stiles frowns. “There were three before me” he says feeling like he needs to stand up for Earth.
Brunnhilde blinks in surprise. “Huh. Never heard of them. The last one I knew of was a Jötunn, the brother of the High Father’s mother, Bestla.”
“Wait a second” Stiles says confused. “Aren’t the Jötunn the bad guys? I mean they were the giants in Norse mythology that…” he trails off looking at the very real Valkyrie standing there. “I mean, in our Norse legends.”
She smirks at the cover up. “Yes, the Jötunn were Asgard’s foes in times, but this was before then. Bor, Odin’s father, married Bestla and they had three sons; Odin, Villi, and Vé. Betstla’s brother was a star mage who taught Odin many magics that he used to come to power. You might have heard of him” she says looking smug. “Mimir” she offers at his confused expression.
“What?!” Stiles screeches. “Mimir of the ‘Well of Mimir’? That Mimir?” he demands.
“Only Mimir I know of” she says with a shrug.
“But he was the one who taught Odin the nine songs of power and the formula for godly mead. Odin sacrificed his eye to drink from Mimir’s well. And in some legends, Odin carried Mimir’s head around to give him advice.”
“Ewww” Erica looks a little green at Stiles’ excitement.
Brunnhilde looks at the teen with a chuckle. “Remember that the humans on Midgard back then were pretty much drunk all the time. Not a lot of safe drinking water. So, they made up a lot of things in the name of a good story. Mimir did teach Odin many things and some say his magic came to Frigga through one daughter and the other was the grandmother of Loki, though that is mostly rumor” she adds with a shrug. “It’s really hard to keep up with all that.”
Stiles looks totally gobsmacked. “Not be rude, but what does all of this mean? Does this involve Thor at all?”
Brunnhilde pauses but then shakes her head. “It should, but it doesn’t. Since the loss of Asgard and our people and the death of his brother by Thanos, the Odinson is…burdened. But this does explain how this mortal from Midgard was able to summon and establish a branch of Yggdrasil here on Midgard.”
“Wait, what? The World Tree? I didn’t do that!” Stiles protests.
“Are you sure?” Natasha asks in a tone that pretty much tells Stiles he is wrong.
“We created new Nemetons, sure. But Yggdrasil? That is way above my pay grade. The World Tree is beyond magic. I am not sure any magic by mortals could do that, heck even the Queens probably couldn’t affect it” he protests.
Valkyrie shakes her head. “Our mages have said that near New Asgard, the All-Father’s death and the destruction of Mjolnir caused the place to connect with Yggdrasil. Your magic mixed with it and created a new Nemeton that is an offspring of the World Tree” she says simply.
Stiles sways on his feet in shock and doesn’t mind when Scott grabs his arm and steadies him. He looks at his brother in shock. “Oh. Wow.”
Chapter Text
“This is really good” Steve says looking at the young woman who was introduced to them as Cora Hale. “What did you call it?”
“It is Argentinian style steak with chimichurri sauce” Cora says looking embarrassed.
“It is very good” he says in appreciation.
“Is it very different from what you are used to?” Erica asks nervously.
Steve laughs. “Food nowadays is much better. Lot of boiled meat back then” he tells them. They had sat down to the dinner that Cora and Yvette had made, and the pack’s restraint lasted only until Steve had asked about how they had met Natasha. That had let to a very expansive discussion of her helping them with a problem they had with a serial killer.
“A serial killer?” Steve had asked his fellow avenger.
“Possessed by a fly. Apparently” Natasha had replied. Steve had paused at that.
“I am curious about how you all came together” Brunnhilde had asked. “How did the children of Fenris come to be with a fox, a Shadow Priestess, and a Sjau Seidr?”
Steve frowns. “Okay I don’t understand any of those terms. You called Stiles a shaju say-der, if I am saying that right, and Yvette a Shadow Priestess, whatever that means, but what are children of Fenris and there is no fox that I see.”
Brunnhilde smiles at the discomfort in the teens faces around the table before she turns to the Avenger. “A Shadow Priestess is one with the power of Necromancy, a speaker with the dead. The fox I believe is called a kitsune among her people and from the look of her” she looks at Kira thoughtfully, “I would say she is a Thunder Kitsune?” she asks. Kira nods in shock. “The others, except that one” she points at Allison “are what I believe your people call werewolves.”
“Wait, what?” Steve says looking at the fairly normal teens and not seeing anything strange. “Are you serious? Werewolves. They are real?”
“Aliens and Norse gods are real, but you draw the lines at werewolves?” Stiles says sarcastically.
Steve looks at the teen and frowns. “I’ve met Aliens and I while impressive, I am not willing to call even Thor a god.”
Stiles smirks and looks at the pack with a wicked smile. Erica smiles back and Steve looks at the blonde and startles when her eyes sudden flash gold. He glances around and sees all of the teens’, except Allison and Yvette, eyes are glowing gold except the boys, Scott and Aiden, who's are glowing red and the girl, Kira, who’s eyes are more orange.”
“Whoa” Steve mutters just as Erica’s claws and fangs pop out.
“Boo” she says sweetly.
Steve shakes his head. “Just when I think I’ve see it all” he says with an exasperated expression. “So, a killer fly?” he asks looking at Stiles and Natasha.
Stiles looks embarrassed. “Well, it wasn’t a killer fly. See there was this kitsune, kinda like Kira, but instead of being good, it was evil. It was actually a Nogitsune, or a void kitsune. It feeds on chaos and pain and it wanted to cause a whole lot of trouble. But we managed to stop it and get rid of it. Natasha was here spying around, and she helped us out and saw everything, so we became friends.”
Steve shakes his head as he laughs. Looking at his fellow Avenger “And this was never mentioned because?” he asks.
She shrugs. “You didn’t really ask. And you were on the run when it happened and afterwards it didn’t really come up. Besides, I like them. No need to keep records on them where Hydra or someone could get them.” She looks entirely guiltless about keeping it all secret and Steve knew that when she believed something, she could be as stubborn as the rest of them.
“Let’s talk” Stiles says looking at the Asgardian as they walk through the main room of the house and away from the group of teens still gushing over their guests. She looks back at the pack who has been completely absorbed with Steve and Natasha and show no sign of stopping. The two Avengers seem to be enjoying themselves as well asking about what they have been doing and showing genuine interest in what they say and showing more than a little surprise at some of it. When the pack told about fighting the hunters and Hyrdra, both Steve and Natasha were surprised and grateful for their efforts.
“Where?” she says softly as they walk away from the group.
Stiles smiles, “My office” he says opening the door and stepping outside and heading to his Sanctum.
Brunnhilde steps out and looks at the building and pauses in surprise. The place reeks of magic and would not be out of place in Asgard itself with the amount of magical energy in every inch. She had been impressed with the magic that she could sense in the house, and though she was no witch like the Queen or Loki had been, she was not ignorant of what that power could do. But this place was far and away above the house. Here the magic seemed to pulse through every surface and structure. And was that…. “Is that a world ward?” she asks in shock.
Stiles chuckles. “It is. The Grand Enchanter helped us set it up, but the other Sorcerers and I linked it into the planet’s mystical defenses. Adding it to the protections provided by the Hong Kong, London, and New York Sanctums” he tells her.
“The what?” she asks him looking intrigued. “I was unaware of any such protections in Midgard.”
He nods. “The Ancient One, maybe even Agamotto himself, helped protect earth from eldritch threats by creating overlapping wards on the planetary level. Unfortunately, they don’t protect us from physical threats like asteroids or alien invasions, but they do keep out most mystical threats to the planet. When we built this place for me, we wove this Sanctum’s power into the other three.” He looks proud of the place “it is not be as strong as the others, but it contributes and can help if we ever lose one again like we did recently.”
Brunnhilde looks impressed. If this place is the weakest, then the other three must be truly impressive, and she can tell that the boy is proud. Walking in she feels the magic touch her and senses it evaluating her for any threat. Passing the test, it moves on, but she can tell if she had been an enemy, it would have been an entirely different experience. “Nice defenses” she says quietly.
Stiles frowns. “Yeah, I really don’t get why the others are so open. When I visited the New York Sanctum there were mystical defenses but no real protections against those with bad intentions, which explains why some rogue sorcerers were able to attack them so easily, But I am not going to make that mistake. I want every defense I can get. We even have some tech defenses too. I don’t want anyone or anything coming here that doesn’t belong.”
She nods in agreement, too many people don’t prepare. Even in Asgard they had dropped their guard and ultimately paid the price. The Seidr leads her into a nice room with several floor to ceiling windows that distracts her. Mostly because the view out of them is not of the forest that the building is located in. “Interesting view” she notes.
Stiles smiles widely as he sits in one of the chairs. “Thank you. Part of the cost of my magic is that I cannot physically leave my territory, but these allow me to see places even if I can’t go there.”
“And is that the Avengers building?” she points to the one window that shows the place that she first came to with Steve and James.
“Yes, and this” Stiles gestures and one of the windows changes views and she smiles.
“New Asgard. Or Tønsberg as it used to be called by the villagers. That is a very good image” she notes staring at the scene and recognizing both the buildings and boats.
“It’s actually a doorway if I want it. You could step through and be right there” he says, and she looks impressed before she looks suddenly thoughtful and interested.
“Are you limited to only seeing places in Midgard?” she asks him.
Stiles looks surprised and then totally blank. “I have no idea” he laughs after a second. “I mean I only know Earth; I have never been or seen anywhere else. I’m not sure how to even begin to look and I am pretty sure that these windows are tied to Earth’s magic so I doubt they would see into other worlds.”
She looks disappointed but not exactly surprised as she leans back in the chair.
“But…” Stiles says looking intrigued “there may actually be a way to see other places.” He gets up and starts walking out of the room and after a second, she gets up and follows him. They go upstairs to a large set of doors before walking into a rather extensive library. The young Seidr goes over to a shelf and starts looking.
“Are all of these magical books?” she asks looking around.
“mmhmm” he says absently looking through the books, taking down one apparently at random, glancing at it and then putting it back before grabbing another.
“Where did you get them all?”
“What? Oh, I made a deal with some of the masters at Kamar Taj, where most sorcerers train. They let me copy their books in exchange for a magical device that allows them to make more copies. Over the last few months they have been sending copies of the books in the Majestic Library to all the Sanctums. I have also been making copies of some books from the other areas of magic slowly but surely. In time I hope to have a lot more.”
“Interesting. What is this device you gave them?”
“That” he says pointing to a triangular shaped crystal rod. “It scans the pages and reprints them on a blank book. You can make some great copies fairly quickly with that.”
She nods and suddenly looks regretful thinking of all the books that were lost when Surtur destroyed Asgard. All that knowledge and history lost.
“AHA!” Stiles yells. He looks at the surprised warrior “there is a way to make a connection! We just need to use the magic of Thaumaturgy to help us.”
“And what is that?” she asks looking both confused and amused.
Stiles looks at her before flushing. “Sorry. I get excited sometimes. It is a very old magical theory that explains the connections that exist within what we call Sympathetic Magic. Basically, it lays out how two people or objects that have been in contact at some point, remain connected. The contact they had creates a magical link that is formed until something either breaks it, like a cleansing ritual, or overwhelms it like a more powerful link.”
She frowns. “But if they just had to be in contact, wouldn’t that mean that there were hundreds of links?”
Stiles nods in agreement “Yes, but that just the first part. The contact makes the link but as you said, the more contacts, the more links, and the weaker each one becomes. But the second part tells us of the intensity and depth of a contact means a different kind of link.”
“Different kinds of links” she says looking less than on board.
He says excitedly as he sets the book down and gets into his explanation. “Right. The first and most powerful link is the Link of Creation. That connects an object or person to the place of it’s beginning. For example, a sword would have a Link of Creation to the forge where it was created. A person has a Link of Creation to their birthplace. A painting to where it was painted, and so on.”
“Okay, that makes sense.”
“The second kind of link is the Link of Affinity. This link is the connection of purpose or meaning. So, if we look at our hypothetical sword, it could be the sheath that holds it. Or the quiver that holds arrows. Or the cover of a book to its pages. For living beings, it is also called the Link of Blood. It would include family members, those that share your blood. I actually used this before the Snap to help locate the missing members of a herd of Centaurs. Four of them had come here looking for sanctuary and we were able to help find their surviving members after the herd had been scattered.”
She nods and he keeps going. “It also includes blood that has been spilled. A battlefield or anyplace where you lost blood would create a Link of Affinity for someone. This also includes death as well as life. If you kill someone, there are links to them, the place, the weapon, and so forth. Really a lot of possibilities but it all comes down to intensity. I cut my finger cooking dinner would create a link but it would be ‘washed away’ by other links of more power. I have this with my Territory and in several places in town as well.”
“That also makes sense. Does this mean that the links are not consciously made?”
He frowns but then shakes his head. “Yes and no. A link forges for many reasons but there has to be something there to create the kind of connection needed. There is also the Link of Association. This explains the idea of ‘once together, never apart’.” He sees the confusion on her face and adds “it means that a piece of a thing is always connected to that thing no matter how far apart they are. It is the basis of Vodoo where you take a lock of hair and attach it to a representation of a person and then use it to cast spells on so the spell affects the person the hair came from.”
“Not sure of what voo-doo is, but if I understand you, then a piece of a rock is always connected to the rest of the rock?”
“Yes! Of course the link isn’t as strong as a random rock as it would be for say part of a wall. If you get a piece of a wall, then you could use Sympathetic Magic to damage the rest of the wall by damaging the small piece. Or if you get a sliver of wood from a house, you can use it to cast spells on the house.”
“This sounds like it would be only useful for destructive magics.”
“Oh, no. It can do all sorts of things. Imagine you want to lift a huge boulder to help you build that wall. You can lift the smaller fragment and with magic, the bigger piece moves into place. Some magics even use models or representations of things to affect the larger world. Interesting sidenote, some of our world’s scientists are looking at this in the realm of Quantum Physics. How two particles that were once connected remain in communication with each other so that if you affect one, the other reacts even if they are not in contact.”
She nods. “I have heard of that I believe. Some planets use something like that for communication between worlds.”
“Exactly! It is postulated that will eliminate the time delay that happens over a great distance. But for us, it means that if we have a piece of something from a place, we should be able to open a portal to wherever its other part is located.”
She suddenly looks hopeful. “So you could open one of these portals to any of the Nine Worlds? Including Asgard?”
Stiles looks stunned but nods slowly. “Yessss, but I thought Asgard was destroyed?”
Taking a deep breath, she nods. “We believe it to be so, but I wish to be certain. Will you help me?”
Steve talks with Aiden and Scott about leadership and being alphas. They ask to train with him and are amazed at his stories of how he trained both in the army and with the Avengers. Boyd, Erica, Kira and Allison also ask for tips from him and Natasha as well. Steve very surprised but they explain they are tied to the territory and are not able to go to other places because of Stiles Magic.
“Would you like to train with us?” Scott asks looking hopeful. Steve blinks in surprise and glances over at Natasha who looks intrigued.
“Train how, exactly?” Natasha asks cautiously.
Scott looks confused and looks at Aiden and the others before he smiles. “Hand to hand?”
Natasha looks worried. “Oh, I don’t know if that is a good idea” she says looking at Steve with a concerned expression. “You are all werewolves and Steve is human. Not to mention, you and Aiden are both Alphas.”
Scott puffs up and preens a bit looking over at Aiden who is smiling back at his fellow Alpha. “We can take it easy if we need to.”
Steve raises an eyebrow watching his teammate. He glances over at the others watching and catches the girl, Allison he thinks, watching him with a calculated expression before she suddenly smiles and then quickly covers it up with her hand before wiping it away and looking neutral again. “Maybe we should limit it just you and Aiden. Alphas vs Avenger” Allison suggests innocently.
Erica and Kira both glance at her feeling somewhat confused. “What?” Erica says sounding disappointed. “Why not all of us?”
“Aren’t you pregnant” Cora reminds her.
Erica flushes but then growls. “I can still fight.”
“No.” Boyd says simply. She looks at him but catching his eyes she deflates. “Fine. But what about the rest of the pack.”
“We can watch and learn” Allison says easily.
“So, what? We all get left out?” Cora asks with some heat.
Steve watches the one human look at Natasha and quickly realizes that they are in this together. He wonders if they planned it beforehand or are just on the same wavelength. “I am okay if others want to join us” he offers.
“Nah” Aiden waves the offer away. “Allie’s right. Alphas v Avenger. I like that.” Cora growls at the alpha but doesn’t push it.
“I’ll referee” Natasha offers with a smile.
Steve shakes his head but walks over to the Quinjet before going inside. “I’ll be right back” he tells them as he goes.
Scott and Aiden walk out to a large open area behind the house and start stretching. Boyd, Erica, and Yvette move to the back porch while Kira, Cora, and Allison all set up around the edges of the training area. Natasha heads over to the two alphas.
“Allie, what are you up to?” Cora asks in a whisper making sure that Scott and Aiden won’t hear.
Allison just smiles but shakes her head. “Oh, we should have popcorn!” she says suddenly.
“On it!” Erica yells and the girls turn and see the blonde talking to one of the Brownies who suddenly disappears.
It is only a few minutes later but when Cora glances over to the airship she suddenly gasps. Allison, Kira and the ones on the porch all turn just at Steve Rogers steps around the vehicle and Allison very much agrees with the little ‘wuf’ that comes from the beta. Now that is Captain America! He is wearing tactical gear that makes Allison a little faint but the thing that makes her heart sink is the black diamond shaped shield on his arm. The round, red, white, and blue one is gone. “What happened to his shield?” Allison whispers.
“Long story” Natasha says from beside her with a sad voice. “He left it behind when he felt he could no longer carry it like he used to.”
Allison looks at her and sees nothing. The woman’s face is completely closed off but somehow Allie knows that she is feeling guilty about it. The huntress looks over and sees Scott and Aiden both looking excited and awe-struck at the same time.
“High Alpha” Usilis says quietly as he appears next to Stiles.
Brunnhilde looks at the small man with a smile. “Yes Usilis?” Stiles replies.
“I thought you would want to know, Alpha McCall and Alpha Carver are going to train with Captain Rogers.”
Stiles pales. “WHAT!?! Are they crazy?” he demands.
“Lady Allison and Ms. Romanov felt it would be a good thing after the alphas suggested it” the brownie says with a small smirk.
Stiles stares at the brownie before bursting out in laughter. “Oh god, we have got to watch this. Follow me” he says heading back down to the room with the windows.
“Are we not going outside?” Brunnhilde asks.
“Oh no, we want the best seats” Stiles says as he gestures at the large windows which all shimmer and are now giving three different viewpoints of the training field. “This is going to be good” he says rubbing his hands together as he sits down.
Valkyrie looks confused but sits in the chair just as another brownie appears and hands her a mug of mead and a bowl of some white puffs of something.
“Yes! Popcorn” Stiles says taking his bowl and a coke.
“Okay boys, before we start let’s talk a bit about what being a werewolf means” Steve says. “I want to better understand what you are capable of.”
“Getting an unfair advantage?” Natasha teases all traces of her earlier concern gone.
Steve looks at her with disappointment. “I want to make sure there is no serious injuries.”
“Wolves are strong, much stronger than humans” Cora says quickly. “Alphas are even stronger as they get strength from their packs. Scott and Aiden are Alphas of two of the largest packs, ever. So, they get a lot of strength from that. We also are faster and more durable and heal quickly from even life threatening injuries. Claws and fangs” she says demonstrating both with a smile before they disappear. “Heightened senses, especially smell and hearing. Those are the most relevant.”
Steve looks confused. “Magic stuff” Kira says “we won’t use those today” she assures him and he sees arcs of electricity dance up her arms. He nods in agreement.
“Okay, so let’s start with some basic sparring” Steve says and takes position just as the two teens flash their red eyes and jump at him.
Erica had really wished that she was down there, right up to the point that Aiden took Cap’s shield to the face. She heard his nose break from the porch as he went flying into the dirt. Scott barely had time to register when his wrist was grabbed and he was flipped and landed on his back about ten feet from where he started staring at a sky that suddenly appeared out of nowhere.
Boyd looked over at Allison who was wincing and shook his head. That is one dangerous girl! he thought and smiled before looking back to the show.
Scott didn’t stay down long and jumped out and raced back towards the Avenger. Claws out he roared as he dove and blinked as the man was no longer in front of him. He landed and spun around just in time for the foot that was flying at him to connect and send him crashing into a tree, his shoulder popping out of the joint loudly.
Aiden however had learned that the man, human though he was, was not weak or slow, so he was approaching a lot more cautiously. Steve watched this change with approval but seeing Scott getting up he leapt forward towards the alpha who reached out, aiming for his chest with his claws, but the avenger spun in mid-freaking-air over the alpha and that damn shield hit him again and sent him flying away.
“Ouch” Kira winced at the sight of the alpha flying off into the dirt.
“There are two of you, why are you fighting as individuals?” Steve asks the alphas.
Scott looks at the man for a second before looking over at Aiden who nods in agreement. The two wolves spread out and it is quickly obvious they are getting on opposite sides to be able to come at him from two sides together. Steve watches and nods in approval and waits. The two scent the air and realize that there is almost no chemo-signals from the avenger. He is not afraid or concerned. It is like he is out for a walk. Then, working invisibly, they both launch their attacks, Scott going high from the front while Aiden goes low from behind.
Allison is watching the move and wants to shout a warning, but she knows it wouldn’t matter. The two alphas were so pumped up with excitement that they didn’t think about the fact that Captain America was a super soldier, not just a human. His strength was probably as strong or even stronger than they were, and he was much better trained. Hunters had studied the effects of the serum, and many had wanted it for themselves to better fight the supernatural. They had learned that the serum amplified you. Steve Rogers was a good man, so he had all of that amplified; his courage, his convictions, his desire to protect others, all in addition to his strength. They were not thinking of him like that. They were trying to show off.
Their attack would have worked on most opponents. Not him. He flipped and twisted so that his feet came down on top of Aiden driving him into the dirt while swinging his arm with the shield so that Scott got a face full of metal moving way faster than before. The sound of his jaw breaking as he went flying caused her stomach to drop as her boyfriend crashed into the ground with a long groan. She ran over.
“You know what, I am suddenly okay being left out” Cora mutters at the scene.
Stiles sits down on the floor and connects to the ley lines, shutting out all of the distractions now that the show was done, still wincing at that last hit Scotty took. But shaking all of that off, once he is ready, he reaches out and picks up the leather gauntlet that Valkyrie had given him. As he connects, he casts the spell to connect with the item and feels the first and strongest link, the one with the Asgardian in front of him. That was expected, the time she spent using it makes it the most meaningful link, but he wants something else and so he tries to move through the connections but nothing else comes even close. He lets the spell go and opens his eyes. “Sorry. But the link to you is the strongest. I can’t sense any others that are enough to provide a usable link.”
Brunnhilde sighs. She had hoped the creation of the gauntlet might have been enough, but she isn’t surprised. “I would have brought other things if I had known” she says clearly disappointed.
Stiles blinks and looks over at the window to New Asgard. “You want to go get something?” he says pointing and enjoys the look of surprise she gives him. Feeling foolish, she stands up. “How long can you keep it open?” she asks.
“No limit. I will watch for your return so take all the time you need” Stiles tells her. He watches as she walks to the window, pauses for a second, and then steps through.
Stepping into the much cooler air catches her off guard. She was not certain it would work, but she is actually here. She looks back and sees the teen standing there and the room behind him. “I will close it so no one accidently sees it, but I will be watching. How long do you need?” Stiles asks.
Brunnhilde pauses, “An hour, no more” she assures him and moves off at a fast pace.
Stiles waves the door closed and moves to sit in the chair to wait.
“Should I be worried that our guest is not here?” Natasha says walking into the room and looking at Stiles who smiles back.
“She went back in New Asgard to grab some stuff, should be back soon” he says.
Natasha looks at the young man for a second before looking at what appears to be a window that looks on what seems to be somewhere in Norway on the water. “You opened a portal?” she guesses.
“Similar. These are windows to look, but you can also step through” he says pointing at the three scenes in front of them.
“Is that the Avengers’ compound?” she asks him with a smirk.
“Yeah. I was showing it off to Brunnhilde as part of the tour.”
Natasha gets a wicked look. “Can you see Wakanda?” she asks.
Stiles looks surprised but then smiles. “Since there is a nemeton there, should be easy” he tells her and takes a few moments before the third window shifts to show a Baobab tree on a hill. “There it is” he says.
“Nice tree” she compliments as the view shifts around before settling on what she recognizes as the capital.
“HOLY SHIT!” Stiles gasps looking at the place. “That’s Wakanda!?!” he shouts looking at the calm redhead.
“Impressive huh?”
“Are you kidding? That looks like it should be the set for a Star Wars movie or something. I mean I heard they were more advanced than people realized and after meeting them, sure, but that? It is…wow” he finally says. “Does the government know about this?” he finally asks.
She nods. “To an extent. The rest of the world is still not fully aware of how advanced Wakanda really is or the fact that just about everything we know about history and technology is skewed. The Wakandans have been ahead of everyone for a very long time. I think they didn’t go to the moon simply because they were not interested, not because they lacked the ability to do so. A lot of politicians are in denial” she adds with a chuckle.
Stiles leans back in his seat shaking his head. “Wow. So, General Okoye really must have been pissed off with the tree if she if from a place like that?” he asks with a smirk.
“You could say that” Natasha replies acknowledging the teen’s pride at being the one to tweak the general’s nose, so to speak.
“So what are you doing here? I mean you are welcome, but surprised the pack let you out of their sight.”
Natasha smiles. “Well after Scott and Aiden ‘trained’ with Steve...”
“You mean after he handed them their asses” he says laughing and sees her surprise. He waves at the mirror showing Avengers HQ which shifts to show Steve talking to the rest of the pack. “We were alerted to the event. Usilis even brought popcorn.”
She laughs. “It was fun for everyone…even the boys, but once he did that, they were even more determined to get him to help. The others all joined in, even Erica. Steve has been giving them lessons both in combat, but also leadership. Seems that they all are soaking up every word. He is good with people” she adds warmly.
Stiles nods and watches for a few moments as Steve seems to be splitting his attention. He has got Allie, Scott, and Aiden in a small group talking about something while he watches Cora, Boyd, and Erica moving through some stances. Yvette is watching everything with a smile on her face. “Derek would have really loved meeting him” he says sadly. “I think he was a bigger fan than I was. He told me about how his sisters used to tease him, but he and his brother Daniel were big fans, comics and all. Peter thought he was too flashy, but I think he was protesting too much” he says with a soft smile. “Sounds like lessons in leadership” he adds listening to Steve talking to the Alphas and Matriarch about integrity and honesty. “Are he and Tony still mad at each other?” he asks.
Natasha sighs. “There was a lot of things said, a lot of loss, anger, and frustration. They both made mistakes but when the time is right, they will come back together when it is needed. I am certain of that.”
“You know, with your skills, you would be very helpful in a number of places” Steve says watching Scott and Boyd sparring.
Allison nods absently as she smiles when Scott gets a hand on the beta and flips him over and throws him, but Boyd lands easily on his feet and crouches defensively, not giving an inch. “Might be nice, but we are pretty busy with our responsibilities here.”
Steve frowns as he looks at her. “Sorry, but you are all so young, what could be keeping you here?” he asks.
She sighs. “Politics mostly. Of all of us, only Yvette is probably as free to move as she wants. She is here but can go whenever she needs to and has gone on some trips for her fellow necromancers. I have gone to France for short visits with my family, but that is thanks to Stiles opening a portal for me so I can go back and forth. But the rest of us are pretty much limited in being able to leave. Scott and Aiden are Alphas so they stay close to their packs and they have two of the largest packs in the world. Dealing with all the personalities, issues, problems, and everything takes a lot of time. Not to mention Scott is training to be a Vet and Aiden is working with the wildlife center. Boyd is Scott’s senior beta so he does a lot with the pack, is training to be a cop, and works as a go between with the city leaders. Erica is pregnant but is also working on establishing our wildlife center. Cora is the Hale pack chronicler so she is responsible for recording the history and records. Not to mention she pretty much owns the bank in town and runs a large chunk of the Hale financials. Steve looks stunned by the Huntress’ words.
“Then add in that Scott and I have taken in four kids, Erica and Boyd have his sister and several other kids that they are caring for. Cora and Yvette didn’t adopt any kids but they still do a lot with the packs to help out. So between pack work, working with the town, and taking care of people, we don’t have a lot of leeway to go running around like the Avengers” she says without any hint of bitterness or anger.
“Are you okay with that?” Steve asks gently.
Allison doesn’t immediately respond but actually thinks about it. “To be honest, I wish we could have been normal. Well, as normal as we could be. You know, graduate high school, go to college, get married and have my dad there” she says sadly before straightening her back. “But that’s not what happened. So we stepped up.” She looks over at him and smiles “we are doing good. and I am proud of everyone” she looks back at the pack members sparring “and we will do more. We may not save the world, well not recently, but we are helping to make it better.”
Steve nods feeling a bit of pride. Natasha had explained how the kid had saved the world after the Snap, though he didn’t completely understand exactly what they did, he trusted his teammate when she said it. And it seemed like these kids have done a lot for their town and beyond to make things better, a lot more constructive than more than a few political leaders he has had to work with. “What about Stiles?”
Allison smiles wondering when he was going to ask. “Stiles is a special case. His magic, when it became fully realized, was too much for him. We had to do a ritual to help stabilize him and it had the side effect that he cannot physically leave his magical territory.”
Steve looks at the brunette in surprise. “What? He can’t leave town?”
She smirks. “Well, he can now. For the first year he was pretty limited to Beacon Hills. Apparently anytime he got more than a few miles from the house, every magical being around told us that it felt like the very ground was swaying or even trembling. Made all of them queasy when he did it. Once the house was finished and he stayed put, things were better. After about a year after the Snap things were stable enough that he can move around anywhere in his territory for short periods of time, but if he stays gone too long his magic causes things to start moving to follow him.”
The Avenger looks totally confused and Allison laughs. “I don’t get all of it, but he told me that he is basically like the sun, so everything centers on him and moves around him. If he moves, then it makes things wonky but now he can go for short hops and come back before the magical environment reacts. It is supposed to get more stable as time goes on and he can go anywhere in his official territory. But at best, he will never leave Beacon Hills for more than a few days.”
“What is his territory?”
She smiles. “Well that depends on which territory you mean" she says with a laugh at his confused expression. First, he is a member of the former Hale Pack, and sort of still is. As the Alpha Mate, his territory was the Pack territory and covered Beacon Hills and most of the Preserve. But he is also the Arcanist so he has a magical territory. That is that magically, part of the land recognizes him as being the boss of the magic. That territory goes south almost to LA and north to Oregon. East to parts of Nevada and Idaho and west to the Pacific. And that is his magical territory, the area where magical beings will recognize his authority as the Arcanist.”
Steve stares for a moment. “Any more?” he asks.
Allison looks surprised but nods. “Then there is the political one. In the supernatural world there are many forces in addition to supernaturals like werewolves. There are also werewolf hunters.”
“Like your family” Steve says remembering Natasha’s briefing.
“Yes. There are nine major hunting families in the Hunters’ Council. Dozens more families all align with the major ones. Then there are the Druids and their Council and Covens for the witches. But Stiles got into a fight with the Hunters’ Council about them in his territory.”
“Since you are all still here, did you win?”
“Oh yes. See when Derek and Stiles bonded, his magical territory was much larger than the Hale territory. In fact, his territory includes many werewolf packs, witch covens, and lots of others. So the Alphas of those packs were feeling his magic and it could have caused significant problems. But they revived an old title of High Alpha for he and Derek, which meant that Derek was Alpha of his own pack, but also in a position of authority over other packs who swore allegiance. So basically, the wolf packs agreed that they would be High Alphas over the same territory as Stiles' magical one. But the Hunters didn't really like this and decided to challenge him and while it wasn't sanctioned by the Council, they pretty much attacked without caring who they hurt. At that point, he pretty much threw down a challenge and threatened war” she says.
Steve looks surprised and wonders why she seems more on the wolves’ side than her family’s. "You didn't agree with their actions?" he asks her.
“No. The hunters in America had become corrupt. They didn’t care about guilt or innocence, they just hated anything that wasn’t human. They killed on the slightest pretext, even going so far as to create lies to justify their killing. Stiles threatened war and the Council realized that he and Derek could unite the packs like no one ever had and with his magic, he could wipe them out.”
“Because even though he couldn’t go places, he could open the magical portals and send his troops behind enemy lines” Steve says realizing the advantage they would have.
Allison smiles at the analogy. “Exactly. They realized they had to make peace and Stiles made them agree to rather significant concessions.”
“Which were?”
“To leave his territory and never return. That any hunter in his territory would be subject to his authority just like magical beings were. And that he would not tolerate any abuse of non-humans in his territory.”
Steve frowns. “Those are not too significant” he says thoughtfully.
“He also claimed everything west of the Mississippi and north of the Rio Grande as his territory to the Hunters.”
Steve’s eyes widen in shock. “He controls half of the United State?” he demands.
“And Canada.”
Steve thinks for a moment. “Does the government know he's in charge?” he asks after a moment with a small chuckle.
Allison laughs. “No. We didn’t think they needed to. Stiles’ is busy enough with the supernatural and magical worlds. He lets the governments manage all the normal stuff.”
Steve looks off for a minute. “There are a lot of people in SHIELD and the military, not to mention Washington, who would not be happy with all of this,” he smiles “but then again, they are rarely happy about anything, and we have heard about all the progress being made in this part of the country. Which I would bet you all had a hand in” he says looking at the huntress who smiles innocently. He laughs “but they have enough to deal with as it is. They don’t need to know about this as well.”
Allison nods serenely. She wonders if Natasha has warned the man about the spell that will ‘encourage’ him to forget about them and everything he learned, but even if he remembers, she isn’t worried. It seems that his time in the present has taught the hero from the past to be a bit more pragmatic than he used to be.
“Is that her?” Natasha says looking at the mirror showing Norway.
Stiles looks up and smiles. “Yep” and gestures and Valkyrie suddenly sees them and speed up. She steps through the door and he closes the portal. “Did you get what you needed?” he asks.
“I did. I had to speak with several of the others, but we wanted to start with this” she says pulling out a small branch with several small flowers and berries on it. “This is from the tree” she says.
Stiles takes it and jumps “Wow! That is…these are mountain ash berries. Yggdrasil is a Mountain Ash? No, wait. That actually makes sense. It is the most magical tree in mythology so that would mean that Ash trees on Earth are probably somehow connected either by seed or something. And since Mountain Ash is so connected to magic, as is the World Tree, then this makes total sense.”
Brunnhilde glances over at Natasha as both women watch the teen pace back and forth talking apparently to himself. He doesn’t seem to need their participation in his conversation.
“But if this is a direct offshoot of the tree, then it would be much more powerful which also means that since it is connected to the ley lines as a nemeton, then it must be connecting to all of the world's Ash trees making them…” he looks up at the Asgardian and Russion with a stunned expression. “That means Earth is the new center of the realms.”
Natasha looks confused but Brunnhilde does not. “Yggdrasil connects the nine realms, are you saying that Midgard is now that connection?”
Stiles nods in excitement. “Yes. Well, I think so. I mean, it should be. It makes sense, doesn’t it? In the stories Yggrdasil is semi-sentient, having some kind of awareness of the world, it was even supposed to know the future. If it somehow knew Asgard was going to be destroyed, it could have created a new tree to maintain the connections between the realms.”
“I thought you created the nemetons” Natasha says looking concerned “at least that is what you told General Okoye.”
“I did, well we did, it was a team effort. But the two are not mutually exclusive” he looks excited. “It may be that while we were using the massive power that was threatening the Earth because of the Snap, and since the World Tree transcends time and space, it may have been able to save itself by taking advantage of having a connection to New Asgard, us needing to create new nemetons, and enough energy to bring it all together. If all of that didn’t happen pretty close together, then it wouldn’t have worked.”
“But Asgard, and Yggdrasil, was destroyed before we came to Earth or the Snap happened” Brunnhilde reminds him.
Stiles waves her off. “How do trees come to be?” he asks.
“From seeds” Natasha says simply.
“Exactly. Yggdrasil sent a seed to Earth to wait. Asgard was destroyed and all of its…let’s say essence, came here and was kept inside until we ‘watered’ it with our spell. If Asgard had survived, then maybe nothing would have happened.” He looks thoughtful. “You know, if I was doing it, I would have had seeds in multiple places, on each of the nine worlds, just in case.”
“That actually raises an interesting point” Natasha begins. “You said that the Snap would have destroyed the Earth because of all the energy from the lost life would have been too much to handle.”
“Yes?”
“But I have spoken with Nebula, Rocket, and Carol and they have not seen that happen on any other world out there” the Avenger says confused. “Why was Earth in danger?”
Stiles frowns in thought. “To be honest, I don’t know. But based on my readings and a lot of guessing” he says looking at them to show his lack of certainty. “It was probably several things. One a lot of life energy, two, a lot of magical energy. I don’t know if other worlds use magic as much as we do. Third we were the epicenter of the Snap, so this is where the stones’ effects were the strongest. The wave would have spread out and had the effect, but it would have been diluted at least a little. Finally, Doc Strange told me that Earth had at least two of the stones here for centuries. Of the other four, only two were not on Earth for some time in the last few years. So maybe there was some residual energy that magnified the effects. I also know that the fae realms were affected too and they are in a different dimension though connected to Earth. That could have contributed to it.”
“So, it was a whole bunch of random things that all got together to almost screw us over” Natasha summarizes.
“Yeah. Or at least that’s my best guess. I can’t say for sure since we can’t exactly test it.”
“Does that mean we can or can’t see the other realms?” Brunnhilde asks.
Stiles smiles. “If I am right, it means it should be really easy.” He stands and moves over to the windows and sets the branch down on the ground before sitting down in front of it. Centering himself he reaches for the ley lines that are his and feels the rush of ‘light’ that he gets when he connects. He takes a moment to feel them and let them sense him before he picks up the branch and reaches through the lines until he touches the Nemeton in Norway. When they first created it, he remembers the uniqueness of the tree, but he didn’t really know what it meant. They were all different in some way but now, touching it, he feels the sudden rush of what he can only describe as ‘awareness’. There is a moment of hesitation before he is ‘judged’ and then accepted, and Stiles feels a sense of questioning. “Asgard” he whispers.
His eyes open at the sudden gasp from the women and he looks at all three windows that are showing a field of stars with what looks like an asteroid belt. “What is that?” he asks.
“Asgard” Brunnhilde says, the pain in her voice clear.
“It really is gone” Stiles says looking at the debris floating in space. There is a kind of silence among the three of them that feels like they are walking in a graveyard, a sense of profound loss.
“Right” Valkyrie says, “we knew this after Surtur’s actions. We are on Midgard and the Odinson told us that Thanos killed all but Eitri of the Dwarves of Nidavellir. Thor and Loki also destroyed Malekith on Svartalfheim when they with dealing with the Aether.”
“That was the battle in London” Natasha clarifies to the teen, and Stiles looks both confused and excited. “Thor briefed us about it after the fight with Thanos.
“Can you find Vanaheim?” she asks.
Stiles is about to ask about an item but then realizes he doesn’t need it for this. Since Yggdrasil is connected, he reaches through the lines and says “Vanaheim” and the windows shift to show a rural village in a forested area.
“Those are the Vanir” Valkyrie says easily. “How about Jotunheim?”
Stiles repeats and the windows shift to a field of darkness and near endless ice. The dark blue and white dominates the scenes but they can see figures moving around.
“Jotuns. Very well done. How about Muspelheim?”
The windows shift to show red rocks, volcanos, and fires. Ravaging beasts run through the scenes. “That does not look like a good place to visit” Natasha remarks.
“According to some historians, the stories of Muspelheim were the origins of the early Christians descriptions of hell. Though others argue that stories of the afterlife in many cultures have darkness, fire, and ice as common themes to theme.” He smiles “seems there was a lot of plagiarism going on back then about a lot of things.”
“Alfheim” the Asgardian says when they have all had a good look.
“Wow” Stiles says looking at the fairytale images in the windows. “Those are the light elves, right?” he asks.
“Yes. They were the enemies of the Dark Elves but were one of the nine realms under Asgard’s rule. Freyr’s palace was there, and he rules Alfheim. He wasn’t in Asgard when Hela attacked so I am not sure if he survived or not. Can you see if you can locate him?” she asks Stiles.
He shakes his head. “Sorry. I have to have something to guide me. I can see the place, but other than randomly bouncing around, I can’t find someplace I don’t know or are familiar with. Unless you have something of his?”
Valkyrie shakes her head before pausing and taking a deep breath. “Niflheim.”
Stiles feels a chill, but then Niflheim is supposedly the realm of the dead so he thinks he should be forgiven his reaction, but he says the name and feels the pulse of magic. Suddenly a dark landscape of jagged mountains and storms dominate the windows. This does not look like a good place.
“What is this place?” Natasha asks.
“Niflheim is the land of the dead” Stiles tells her.
“I thought that was the fire and ice worlds” Natasha says looking at the other two confused.
“Technically Jotunheim is the world of ice and Muspelheim is the world of fire. Svartalfheim is the world of darkness and Alfheim is the world of light. Then you had Asgard, and Vanaheim, the homes of the gods, Midgard the home of mortals, and Nidavellir the home of the Dwarves. Niflheim was the land of the dead. Some researchers think Dante and others used the different realms in Norse mythology to describe heaven and hell by smushing some of it together to better sell it” Stiles explains but then pauses, “but that is just one possible explanation. It may be wrong.”
“It is not wrong, but it is also not right. There are bits and pieces that are true but that is our perspective” Valkyrie says staring at the windows. Stiles notices that she is holding a torn piece of leather and rubbing it with some intensity. He feels the anxiety coming off of her but decides not to push. He looks over at Natasha and sees she has also noticed and catching his eye she shakes her head. They wait.
“Can you. Will you see if you can…find a…connection, with this?” she finally asks looking at Stiles and handing him the piece of leather.
He takes it and feels it. Rough, the ends are torn, not cut, but he can see stitching and a pattern in the leather. It also feels different from any leather he has touched before and he suddenly realizes that it probably isn’t from a cow, but some alien creature. But he doesn’t loose focus, he instead draws on his magic and sinks into the leather, looking for the links of sympathetic magic. He has a flash of a vision of Brunnhilde sitting on a bench, pulling a large needle through the leather. “You made it. Or sewed it?” he says not opening his eyes.
“Both. I tanned the hide and made it, yes” she says.
Stiles keeps pushing and sees a flash of white and then red. Blood! Death! He gasps and opens his eyes. “Death! Lots of it. There was a battle” he gasps out and then looks at her with a sick feeling. “You lost” he says with pain in his voice.
She nods but doesn’t reply. Stiles can feel the sense of loss, anger, and grief pouring off the ancient woman. He feels a strong connection through his bridge to the World Tree and with a flick of his magic, the windows shift to an outcropping of rock spires and mountains. Stiles feels sick when he realizes what he is looking at. Bodies. Dead and rotting with swords, spears, and armor scattered among the rocks.
“Bozhe moi” Natasha whispers in shocked reverence. “What happened?”
“Hela” Valkyrie says in a flat voice, a fight between grief and rage, but neither fully coming out at the sight of her sisters.
“But…the Valkyrie were supposed to bring the honored dead to Valhalla” Stiles says confused. “Why would the Goddess of Death kill them?”
Brunnhilde closes her eyes for a moment, steeling herself before replying. “Your myths are not correct. Hela was Odin’s first born. She helped him conquer the nine realms before her madness was too much. Odin banished her from Asgard, imprisoning her on Niflheim, to contain her lust for death and destruction. But her power continued to grow. Odin sent the Valkyrior, his finest warriors, to stop her, but she wiped out all of us.”
Stiles and Natasha both look sick at the sight of the battle and at their friend’s painful words, but Stiles feels something from the piece of leather. Something…pulling him from this place. “I feel something” he says quietly and focuses on the link he is sensing, letting it guide his magic and the view on the windows moves faster and faster until it suddenly stops on what looks like a bowl in the mountains. A flat plain mostly in shadows.
“What is this?” Natasha asks staring at the windows but not seeing anything. She looks at the Asgardian.
“I don’t recognize it. We arrived and attacked Hela. We didn’t explore Niflheim” she explains.
“There!” Stiles shouts as the window moves to a shadow that moves and suddenly there is white and both humans are shocked at the animal that appears. It would be surprising if it was simply a horse, but the large white wings are stunning.
“Is that a…” Natasha whispers.
“Pegasus?” Stiles finishes.
Brunnhilde shakes her head, but she is trying to contain her own reaction to seeing the stallion. She let’s out an ear-piercing whistle and sees the stallion’s head rear up in surprise. “Aragorn” she whispers. Then turns on the teen. “Open a portal. Now!” she yells.
Stiles backs away in surprise but seeing her face he turns to the window and makes a gesture with his hands as he whispers the command words. The three windows glow and suddenly flow together and connect and form a single window and then they feel a blast of cold air. Brunnhilde immediately moves to the window and steps through and Stiles and Natasha both watch in amazement as the winged steed runs up to her and she embraces it. Stiles notices bits of leather still attached to the animal and realizes that the leather he is holding was once connected to it. Part of the saddle or reins. It was her steed.
“Is she bringing it back?” Natasha asks as they watch the Asgardian Valkyrie walk up to, and into the portal alongside the rather impressive steed, which is now in the Sanctum. “Well, this is unexpected.”
Brunnhilde smirks. “This is Aragorn. My stallion” she says rubbing the beautiful horses’ neck. “He somehow survived the massacre with Hela.”
“Uh, he wasn’t the only one” Stiles says in a strange voice. Brunnhilde looks at in him confusion before she realizes that he is not looking at either of them but behind them. Turning back, she looks and sees the windows, but the scene is no longer empty. There are four other winged horses there staring at them through the open portal. She stares at them in shock before regaining her composure. With a sudden look of determination, she lets out a complicated whistle and they watch the winged horses all run towards them.
“Oh shit!” Stiles says and moves his hands, and a fiery portal opens right in front of the window. The four horses run through the window and disappear through the portal.
Valkyrie spins around and stares at the Seydr in fury. “What did you do?” she demands. “Where did you send them?” she pulls out a green sword from nowhere. Natasha jumps back and Stiles sees her moving for her weapons.
“Relax” he says holding up his hands. “They are right outside the door” he points at the main doors as he closes both his portal and the windows. “I didn’t want them in the house.”
Brunnhilde looks furious but she quickly moves to, and opens, the doors and her hold body relaxes as she sees the winged horses standing there surrounded by a rather gobsmacked group of teenagers and one very old soldier who is staring at the three coming out of the Sanctum.
“Uh, Stiles. What did you do?” Scott says staring at the horses as they come down the stairs followed by the fifth winged horse.
Chapter Text
“This is so cool” Erica says not for the first time.
“You’re not even a little freaked out?” Cora mutters staring at the winged horses.
“Are you kidding? Odin’s Valkyries were the elite warriors of Asgard. They were the ones who chose the worthy to go to Valhalla” she tells the other beta. “Not mention they are beautiful!” she swoons.
“Yeah” Yvette and Allison both say with a sigh.
Aiden looks at Scott who, while impressed by the winged horses, does not seem to get it either.
“Girls have a special thing about horses, don’t ask me why” Boyd explains causing both of the alphas to look at him in surprise. “I had sisters; I know” he adds quietly.
“But I thought there was only supposed to be one of them, you know, Pegasus” Scott asks the girls.
“That’s Greek mythology” Allison says easily. “In Norse mythology, all of the Valkyrie rode winged horses. Different myths entirely.”
“Actually, almost every culture that had horses had some version of a winged horse in their mythology. Usually associated with special heroes, gods, or other divine beings” Yvette adds. “Those are just the two most famous examples, but there are a lot more. It makes you wonder if they all come from the same sighting of real winged horses or was it all just a coincidence?”
“Huh” Allison says looking back at the meadow in wonder. They had wanted to get closer but one sniff of the wolves and the horses almost bolted. Valkyrie had managed to calm them down, but only once they got some distance away and stayed in sight of the steeds. Stiles, Natasha, and Brunnhilde were all over there while the rest of the pack was exiled to the porch. Well, technically only the wolves and Kira were, she and Yvette could go over, and she knew that Yvette was dying to go, but they had decided to stand in solidarity with their packmates, though she was really regretting making that offer when Erica and the others were so upset.
Brunnhilde had apologized and said something about the blood of Fenris and sensing danger, but it was something that she didn’t quite get.
Allison looked back at Stiles who seemed to be gesturing rather widely at their visitors.
“Why can’t they go with you?” Stiles asks looking at the Asgardian.
Brunnhilde sighs. “I would love it, and I can keep Aragorn with me in New Asgard among my people as they will respect him, but the others are unbonded. They will not bear the touch of any but a Valkyrie, and I cannot manage all of them, not with my other responsibilities.”
“Your woods are magical, aren’t they?” Natasha asks the young mage. “I mean isn’t that what all those spells you did were for, so magical beings could be safe and undetected here?”
Stiles nods but looks unhappy. “Well, yeah, I mean it is supposed to be that way. But those horses are different!”
"Winged Horses" Brunnilde corrects.
“How?”
He takes a deep breath. “My magic, the spells we cast, and the ley lines all work together to hide everyone. The magic is part of us because we are from Earth, so it has even amplified some folks’ natural magic like the sasquatch and dwarves, who are now even harder to see as they are because those spells have magnified their natural camouflage. But those horses…”
“Winged Horses” Brunnhilde corrects again.
“Winged Horses, fine. They are not of Earth; in fact, they have their own natural magic, and it doesn’t really like ours. You can’t see it, but the spells here are basically sliding right off of them. So, they are not hidden and anyone who sees them, will see them as they are.”
“Oh” Natasha says suddenly less enthusiastic about the idea.
“Exactly. And what do you think is going to happen when they are spotted, and suddenly northern California is discovered to be the home of a bunch of winged horses?”
“Every nut who wants one will descend to hunt them down” Natasha answers.
The Asgardian’s eyes widen in shock and disbelief. “These are the sacred Winged Horses of Asgard!”
“Which makes them 100x more valuable” Natasha tells her. “There are enough people with money and power who will see them as trophies, things to own. They will stop at nothing to possess them.”
The Valkyrie looks ready to kill someone, lots of someones, but doesn’t have a clear target. “Which is why they can’t stay here” Stiles says sadly looking over at his pack who are in awe of the creatures. “I’m sorry, I would be happy to let them stay if my magic could hide them, but they will become a real beacon, drawing danger and risk here that will endanger everyone else. I can’t do that, not even for you and them” he says sadly.
“Your windows,” Brunnhilde asks after a moment’s thought. “Could we use them to send them somewhere safe?”
Stiles frowns for a second. “Well, yeah. But where is safe? They may hide out for a bit, but eventually they will be spotted. They are flying horses!” he exclaims. “Where on Earth could we…oh!” he goes quiet.
“What?” Natasha asks looking between the two. “Oh, I get it” she says looking at the Asgardian. “But where? Asgard is gone.”
“But Vanaheim is not” she replies. “And there are herds of winged horses there.”
Stiles looks relieved. “So, we can send them there. But we don’t need to use the windows. Since Yggdrasil Jr. is tied to the ley lines, I can open a portal here to Vanaheim now that I have felt it. Do we need to ask them?” he says looking at the horses.
“No. Open the portal. Can you make it larger?” she adds sounding concerned.
“I opened one that fit a dragon, I can manage a few horses, wings or not” Stiles huffs as he slips on the sling ring and starts gesturing, the fiery sparks creating the circle that opens to a green meadow with trees and a rustic village in the distance.
“Jesus!” Stiles yells as he winces at the piercing whistle that Valkyrie lets out. But it is effective as all four of the winged horses who have been watching the pack nervously look up and suddenly rear and race towards them.
Natasha moves aside as they run through the portal, into the field, and then take to the skies. They hear some voices yelling but Stiles closes the portal before they see anything. “Well, that was somewhat easy” she says.
“Says you” Stiles says slumping down to sit on the ground. “I am worn out” he says, starfishing onto the ground, arms and legs flung out wide.
“Are you unwell?” Brunnhilde asks with real concern. She was determined, but she didn’t intend for the young Seidr to be harmed.
“I'll be fine” he says with a wave before reaching down and touching the line, drawing in energy. “Just tired. I will be fine after some food and good sleep.”
“We just had dinner” Natasha reminds him.
“You open multiple magical portals to multiple realms of existence across the galaxy and you can decide when to eat” he mutters.
She nods at his point just as the group runs up to them demanding to know what just happened. Taking mercy on the teen Natasha starts explaining everything to the group and really enjoys watching the stunned expressions from the teens and Steve as Stiles enjoys his rest as Brunnhilde brushes down Aragorn.
“Stiles!” Yvette calls out from the porch. “Your computer is asking for Agent Romanov.”
Stiles looks confused for a second before looking over at the Avenger and raising an eyebrow. “Did you forward your phone?”
She smirks and walks toward the house, Steve and Stiles following her. The girls are all staying behind with Valkyrie since apparently Aragorn liked the female members of the pack, even though Erica & Cora were wolves and Kira was a fox. He did not let the boys near however, much to their disappointment.
Walking into the house they go to the communications system that Tony had finally gotten working with some help from Stiles. “Go” Nat says as a hologram of Rhodey appears.
“Finally. You might want to actually carry your phone” he says testily.
“I don’t use a phone” she replies flippantly.
Rhodey glares.
“Is something wrong Colonel?” Steve says cutting the two of them off before this goes any further.
James glances at Steve and nods. “Unfortunately. Are you done there?” he asks and when they nod, he continues “We have been asked to go to Columbia to investigate a situation.”
Stiles looks at the two Avengers to watch their reaction.
“What kind of situation?” Natasha asks.
Rhodey looks at the teen standing between them. “A classified one. Sorry kid” he says apologetically. “I guess you are the guy who is helping out Valkyrie?”
Stiles waves at the hologram. “Yessir.”
Steve stares for a second before taking a breath. “Colonel, who exactly is asking us to go?”
The colonel looks surprised for a second before looking sad. “This is an official ask from the Columbian government to the State Department. We have been invited” he assures them.
Steve nods and glances at Natasha for a second and sees agreement in her expression. “Want us to come get you?”
“Nah. I am heading out in 20. We can meet up near San Diego” he tells them.
“See you in a bit then” Steve confirms.
“Sorry to break up your party kid” James says to Stiles “we’ll make it up to you.” The hologram disappears.
“Sorry Stiles” Natasha says. “We will need to leave pretty soon.”
Stiles frowns. “Can his armor really fly that fast?”
Steve smiles. “Tony made some improvements. It is fast enough that we don’t have a lot of time to spare.” He frowns. “What about Valkyrie?”
Stiles waves him off. “I can send her home” he promises.
After that they head out to say their goodbyes to the pack. Steve talks to both Scott and Aiden again privately as Natasha says goodbye before heading to prep the jet.
“Problems?” Brunnhilde asks the young mage as they watch the Avengers leave.
“They were called by the Columbian government for help with some problem. I can send you and Aragorn home whenever you want. I could also introduce you to some friends who have come here if you would like. You are welcome to stay around for a bit” Stiles offers.
The Asgardian nods. “Actually, I would like to talk to some of your people. Our own mages have told me some things so I would like to let them know about you and the people of your realm.”
Stiles flushes. “Realm?” he sputters.
“I like that” Cora says with a snort. “Sounds better than territory since that is for the pack.”
Stiles glares at the smirking wolves. “C’mon. I will introduce you to Dave. He is much nicer than these guys” he says trying to recover some dignity.
Brunnhilde smiles. She likes the young Seidr and his pack. Which is a surprise. She has not had the best experiences with the descendants of Hati and Skoll but despite that, she finds herself liking these youngsters. She would never have imagined a huntress, wolves, a fox, and a Shadow Priestess all being what looks more like a family than anything else. She knows that the wolves of Midgard are different, but these are much more noble than she was expecting. She definitely wants to learn more to discuss further with Arnfinn and Gudrid. She might even send either the Druid or the Witch here to learn more than she will probably get with her limited knowledge of the magic arts. She sighs, this is really the job of Asgard’s King.
“This is getting way too complicated” Scott says looking at Allison for support. She nods but more in resignation than in agreement.
“I am sorry Alpha McCall, but surely you must have expected this” Jacqueline Argent says looking at the man with some degree of sympathy.
After word of his and Allison’s engagement had spread, it seems that there were traditions that neither of them were aware of that suddenly made everything so much worse.
Allison’s cousin had showed up a few weeks after their visit with Captain America with congratulations and gifts for their engagement from Clarissant. She had also been sent with some rather strict instructions to share with the young couple.
“You must understand Alpha…Scott” she says as the wolf is about to correct her, again, “that you are marrying a Matriarch in one of the nine hunting families. As a ruling Matriarch, there are certain…expectations, and protocols, that must be followed.”
“Really? You think having representatives of all nine hunting families coming here, to Beacon Hills, is a good idea?” Allison asks in disbelief.
Jacqueline shrugs “You could get married in France at the Argent estate” she suggests.
“Right. And our pack would be welcome there?” Scott asks, doubt clear on his face.
She smiles. “We have a treaty.”
Scott snorts and Allison rolls her eyes. She loves her family but there is no way that will work. “Besides, what of our friends here? They can’t go to France, especially Stiles!” Scott exclaims. There is no way he is getting married without his best friend there!
Jacqueline looks at the two with frustration. “Then we have it here, with the representatives from the families” she says easily.
Scott slumps back into the couch. Allison doesn’t look much happier, but he realizes that Jacqueline is simply the messenger, and she isn’t exactly wrong.
“Besides,” the Frenchwoman says “no hunter has ever wed an Alpha wolf, let alone one with a pack and territory of such size” she looks at Scott.
“But hunters have married non-humans before, even wolves” Allison points out.
Her cousin waves that off. “A minor hunter and a beta wolf? Not the same thing. If you were not Matriarch, you might be able to argue for something simple. But you have not only formally accepted your role as the American Matriarch of the Argent family, you have also acted, rather forcefully might I add, as a Matriarch. You are a leader of our people. You even have an honorary seat on the Council!”
Allison winces at that one. She had been to three meetings and while no one was impolite or outright disrespectful, she was very aware that she was tolerated, not welcome. A necessary complication that they would happily be rid of given the chance without pissing off Stiles.
Scott groans in disbelief. How are they going to make this work? There is no way they can have dozens of Hunters come to their wedding!
“Why are you so on edge?” Erica asks looking at Stiles who is pacing the room. She realizes that she really wants to slap him, but she feels that is probably due to the rather cranky mood she has been in recently with her pregnancy. Boyd had not said anything, but Cora had finally snapped at one point and threatened to disembowel the she-wolf, pregnant or not, and that had made the blonde recognize that maybe she had pushed it a bit too far. She still snapped, but now she was quick to apologize when she did.
“Allison’s family is visiting” Stiles mutters.
“Her cousin? The one who helped with the Alpha Pack?”
“Yeah.”
“So, what’s the problem? I thought Allie said she was cool.”
“I know she did, but I received a formal request for her visit from the Argent Grand Matriarch. That means that this wasn’t just a social visit, but she did not say what it was about. Just that she had some Argent family business to discuss with the Matriarch” Stiles explains.
“Okay,” Erica says struggling to sit up and growling at the rather ungraceful state of her body. She was ready for this to be over. She smiles at that thought. Rubbing her stomach, she remembered when Stiles confirmed that her baby was indeed a werewolf and Dr. Walters had later informed them that they were having a girl! Now she was just waiting for her to arrive, and it was killing her, but she was so excited. She looked up and saw Stiles watching her with a proud expression. “Oh, shut up” she snarls and stands up.
Stiles just chuckles, recognizing his friend’s mood swings before he sees her remember their conversation before she went into ‘mommy-mode’.
“What kind of business?” she asks moving towards the kitchen and the wonderful smell of Cora cooking.
“She didn’t say so I figure it is Hunter business. Allie will let us know if she can.”
Erica frowns. “Why wouldn’t she tell us?”
Stiles sits on a stool, carefully out of Cora’s reach as the beta does not like people ‘helping’ or offering suggestions when she is running things. Erica can get away with snatching bites, but he isn’t willing to risk it. “Politics” he says and smiles at the disgusted look he gets from both Erica and Cora. “Seriously. Look, Allison knows a lot of stuff because she’s pack to us, right?” he asks looking at them as they both nod slowly “Well, she doesn’t share all pack stuff with Clarissant and the other Hunters. And there are some things that we specifically don’t tell her so that she doesn’t have to lie or feel compromised. So that means that the same is true for her. She doesn’t tell me and Scott everything, but she does tell us if we need to know it.” He sighs at the insanity of it all. “But, since this was a formal visit, with notice, and not one where they snuck in or something, I am guessing that they are telling Allison first with the knowledge that she is going to talk to us about it sooner or later.”
They both nod in understanding just as Yvette walks in with Kira, arms full of groceries. “What’d we miss?” Kira asks happily.
“Scott, mi sobrino, I just heard from your cousin that you are engaged!”
Scott freezes for a second before swallowing. “Tia Selene, uh…yeah. I mean yes. Allison and I are getting married.”
“Oh mijo, this is so wonderful. I know your mother would have loved this. Maybe not so young of course, but with the world and everything, I think she would understand.”
Scott nods helplessly looking at Billy and Eddie who are snickering at him and he can tell that Eddie is whispering his Aunt’s words.
“Now my boy, we are going to make sure that you have a wedding that would make your mother proud. We have to show your Allison that she is welcome in the family.”
Scott suddenly pales. “Oh, that’s not necessary…” he tries to say.
“Hush, it is not a problem. Now your Aunt Felicia and I will be coming up next week to see you and meet your fiancé. We will bring some of your cousins so that we can figure out everything. What about her parents? Did they…I mean are they still here?” she finishes awkwardly.
Scott sighs. “No. Her mom died a few months before and she lost her dad on the day...you know” he says.
“Oh. Oh that…I am so sorry mijo. Does she have any family that made it?” she asks delicately.
Scott looks at the two boys who are no longer smiling. “Her aunt and grandfather died right before the Snap, but she has some cousins who she has connected with from France. In fact, one of them has come to visit to talk about the wedding.”
“Oh! Well, that is good then. She has family here. And you say from France, are they coming to the wedding? Will she be there for a while? We can coordinate with her on the planning. Get both families involved!” she says excitedly.
“Uh…yeah. I think so, I mean she is here for three more weeks” Scott mutters.
“Oh, that is wonderful. Then we will see you next weekend. We are not going to leave you alone my boy. We will have everyone from the family there…even your father’s side. I mean he and your mom split up, but they are still your family so we will make sure you are surrounded by all of your family for your wedding.”
“Aunt Selene, you really don’t have to make a big deal of this. Allison and I were going to do something really simple.”
Selene cuts him off. “Scotty, I am not letting my sister’s only son get married in some courthouse ceremony or something. She may not be here, but I know she is watching over you from heaven and she will get to see her son married right. I won’t hear another word, we are coming, and we will be there to support you and your Allison, not to mention those little ones that you have brought into your home. I know Mel would have been so proud of you for taking in those in need.”
Scott mostly listens to his aunt for a few more minutes before she finally has to go promising to call him with all the details for their visit before hanging up. He stands there silently, looking at his phone before he stares over at the boys. “This keeps getting worse” he mutters.
Neither of them challenge him on that.
“This is impossible!” Scott nearly wails as he paces in front of the sofa at the pack house. He and Allison and had come to talk with Stiles and the others about the nightmare that their wedding was quickly becoming.
“Scott, bro, calm down. You are wearing a hole in the floor” Stiles says trying to get him to just pause for a bit.
“Calm down!?!” the young alpha says in disbelief. “Stiles are you even listening to us?” he demands.
“Uh, yeah.”
“Then how can you say calm down. We are going to have a disaster on our hands!”
“I thought Jacqueline’s visit was bad enough, but Scott’s family is coming down and now it is even more messed up” Allison says throwing her head back on the sofa’s back. “We should have eloped” she mutters.
“Hah” Cora snorts. “That would not have saved you from the Argents, you know that. They would have demanded a second wedding.”
“Oh!” Kira says sitting up “Why don't we just do that?”
“Do what?” Allison asks looking at the Kitsune.
“Have two weddings?”
Scott and Allison look shocked. “What?!” Scott yells. “Two!!?”
Kira shrinks back but Boyd leans forward. “Yeah, two. That is a great idea Kira” he tells her, and she smiles in surprise before he turns to his Alpha. “Why not have two weddings?” he asks.
“What do you mean Boyd?” Allison asks.
“Have a wedding for the hunters, and Scott’s family, in town. Typical church kind of thing. Keep it human, or mostly so as we will be there, but then have a wedding like ours” he smiles at Erica who is beaming at her husband “after they all leave.”
Scott and Allison look too stunned to reply but Stiles smiles. “Actually, that might be perfect” he says and when everyone turns to him in surprise he laughs. “Boyd is right! Look, we can have Jacqueline and Allison’s family work with Scott’s family to have an official wedding here in town. We will limit it to humans and a few of us, but mostly it will be a nice, simple, ordinary ceremony. The Hunters get to attend the wedding as witnesses, I can portal them in that morning, ceremony after lunch, and off they go after the reception. Scott’s family and people in town can all come and celebrate and have fun. Say we do it on a Saturday. Everyone leaves and then we bring in all the packs and do the pack wedding with the non-humans the next week and I send you off to your honeymoon right after. That way there is no cross over with the hunters and the packs and Scott’s family is at the ceremony that only has normal people.”
Scott is looking hopeful and he turns to Allison, “Can we do that? I mean, would you want to?” he asks her.
Allison has been thoughtful since Kira and Boyd raised the idea and Stiles expanding on it did seem to make it more manageable. “It would solve all of our problems and concerns. But would your new pack be okay with not being at the first one?” she asks.
Erica snorts. “Skipping out on a Hunter Conventions? Sorry Allie, but even though they like you since you are the Alpha Mate, the others are not too keen on your family or the rest of the hunters. Besides, we can have everyone preparing for the ‘real wedding’ instead” she says actually making finger quotes.
Allison rolls her eyes, “They will both be real. I mean we will have an officiant at the first one too so we will be married there.”
“But not to the packs” Cora says looking up from her ever-present notebook. “Since it won’t be a pack ceremony, I doubt they will see it as the ‘real’ one. They will see the second as the real one, so they won’t care. This also means that we can invite lots of the town folk who are not as in the know but should be included.”
Stiles smiles at her, proud of her seeing the optics of Scott and Allison getting married. Despite their attempt to stay in the background, the fact is that most of the pack is seen as leaders in the town whether or not they have an official role or not. The fact that so many supernaturals look to them has caused others to do the same.
“So…we have to plan two weddings?” Scott says sounding a bit defeated. The rest of the group starts chuckling and he growls rather pitifully.
“Divide and conquer” Stiles tells him. “Let the families plan the wedding and the packs handle the ceremony. You two just make sure that both are what you want, but let’s avoid overlapping anything.”
“What do you mean?” Allison asks.
“Well, your bridesmaids should wear dresses at the wedding. Save the armor for our ceremony” he says with a smile.
Scott suddenly looks ecstatic, “Stiles! This means you can be my best man!” he yells, and Stiles suddenly looks stunned before being pulled into a tight hug.
“So, are you qualified to officiate at regular weddings too?” Allison asks looking at Yvette with a smile.
“We have a trail!” Luis yells for the others. Racing after the twisted scent he dodges through the warehouses and abandoned buildings after the thing.
They had nearly two weeks of calm before a new body had turned up that stank of the same scent as the Wendigo-Hyena hybrid they dealt with, but different enough to make them doubt their senses. First it smelled both feline and ‘buggy’ and the victims had been injected with some kind of venom before being ripped apart. The Arcanist had sent the Argent Matriarch and Alpha McCall when they reported that and both of them had showed up in what Luis could only describe as a cold fury.
It seemed that they had actually dealt with a Kanima before!! Luckily, at least for the pack, they had quickly determined that whatever this was, it was not a Kanima. First of all, the venom was completely different. It killed; it didn’t paralyze. Luis wasn’t keen on working with a Hunter, even though their pack had a rough understanding with the Calaveras before the Snap, but he was actually impressed by her and how she worked with McCall. And when they found out she was to be the Alpha Mate, it was a huge shock.
Luis’ mother and his aunt, who was their own Alpha Mate, had spoken with her and appeared to actually like her. But it was watching her and McCall in the field at the site of one of the bodies that had surprised him the most. She was a hunter, surrounded by werewolves, but she had no trace of fear of any of them. He first thought she was arrogant like the other hunters he knew, but then he realized that she wasn’t afraid because she considered them allies, even family. She trusted her mate and Alpha to protect her as well as any wolf in the Delgado pack without reservation. After determining it wasn't a Kanima, they had stayed for a bit to help look but had returned when they didn't have any luck. Then they caught a break.
“Keep your mind on the job” Maya snarled as she ran past him, whacking him on the head, hard. “We are tracking a killer. What are you doing?”
He snarled back at his cousin before swallowing down his anger. “Nothing!” he growls.
She smirks but doesn’t push. They are too close and suddenly she smells that ‘wrong’ scent. “THERE!” she yells before letting out a howl and dashing for the shadows.
Luis is right behind her, howling for their pack, as he moves to flank the figure in the shadows that turns towards them with a hissing snarl. “A girl!?” he barks right before she throws a dumpster at him and he is rolling out of the way.
“A girl that will kill you!” Maya screams before launching herself past the woman, raking her claws down her sides before bouncing off the wall out of reach. “What!?!?” she yells, twisting to dodge something and coming down hard on her side and rolling.
Luis hears her leg snap, the sound of the breaking bone loud in the industrial space, echoing off the walls. “MAYA!” he roars and goes for the woman.
“She has a tail!” Maya screams and Luis’ eyes widen as he sees the thing come around her back, but the warning is enough that he ducks and rolls, forfeiting his own attack, but dodging the stinger on the end of the tail. A scorpion’s tail! He spins around and the clouds break enough for him to see the spotted fur on the woman’s face and arms, claws extended. Some kind of cat.
“It’s another Hybrid!” he roars, ducking the woman’s strike, trying to lure her away from his cousin.
“DIE!” she screams but seeing what he is doing, she turns to go after the wounded beta, but that is her mistake as the moment she isn’t looking, Luis strikes and he feels her blood splash under his claws as he manages a strike to her left leg causing the woman to shriek in agony, her scorpion tail flashing at him and ripping his jacket but just missing the skin. He can feel the wet slick of the poison on his clothes.
He rolls and roars at her, right in her face, and sees the woman’s rage and fury blinding her to anything but revenge. He manages to dance just out of reach of her claws and tail, taunting her every chance, and making as much noise as he can. She never hears the rest of the pack coming until the last moment when her eyes widen and she turns just as Alpha Delgado’s claws tear out her throat almost before she realizes he is there.
Luis pants as he watches the hybrid crumble to the ground, but he doesn’t drop his guard, not with that damn tail until it finally drops and stops moving. He looks at his Alpha as he spots the other pack members appearing and helping Maya up, her leg already healing. Looking back at the creature he shakes his head. “This isn’t like the other one” he says carefully.
Leon shakes his head, his eyes still burning crimson, “A hybrid, it’s the same. I don’t know who or what is doing this, but this is worse.”
Luis frowns. “Worse? How?”
“Combining a hyena and a wendigo is bad enough, but this? This is a scorpion and jaguar hybrid. That means whoever is doing this can shove all manner of creatures together to create their killers. They are not limited, rather they are experimenting.”
“Experimenting with what?” Maya demands as she hobbles over.
Alpha Delgado stares at the hybrid before replying “How to build a better killer.”
“So will you have a lot of family coming my dear?” Selene asks Allison as she looks down at her notes before looking back up at her and glancing at Jacqueline.
“Oh, Oui” Jacqueline responds quickly before Allison can. “Our family’s matriarch is coming, Clarissant Argent has declared that it is time for the family to come together and this is a wonderful opportunity to do so. We also have a number of families that we are close to for…business, that she wants Allison and Scott to meet and know so they will be sending people as well.”
Selene smiles happily at that. She had been worried about the two ever since she had heard about them to be honest. She had struggled losing her Nico on that horrible day but her own son and daughter had survived which gave her the strength to go on. Her mother, Scott’s Abuela, had also been lost, much of their family had, but as the eldest sister, she was determined to keep them connected. She would not lose anymore of her family. Melissa had gotten busy after moving to Beacon Hills with her husband and then after the divorce, she refused to return after the divorce as she had made the place her home and honestly Selene did not really disagree. Mel had bought the house outright with her inheritance from their great uncle right after her divorce so moving from a house with no mortgage or rent didn’t make any sense even with her struggles as a single parent. “So how many do you think will attend?”
Jacqueline smiles and looks at Allison with a questioning look before seeing the defeat in her cousin’s eyes and takes pity on her. She looks at Scott’s aunt thoughtfully. “Well, the other families will probably send three or four of their younger members, those most likely to be close to Allison’s age, and of course Clarissant will assemble the Argent family back home in France as well as some close family in Louisiana” she pauses thoughtfully before nodding “one hundred, 150 at the most would be my guess.”
Scott pales and Allison looks at her fiancé with sympathy. Selene however looks both happy and concerned. “That is wonderful. With our family, the cousins as well, not to mention Raphael’s family, I have already reached out to him to get his sister’s number and she is gathering their family, I would estimate that we will have another hundred for the list.” She looks at Scott and Allison who both look overwhelmed. “You two have friends here that you would want to invite too?” she asks.
“Oh yeah” Eddie snickers as he and Billy try not to laugh while watching the girls who are totally enthralled by all the planning. The four kids had been a surprise to Scott’s family even though they ‘knew’ about them, but actually meeting them was different. The boys were okay, but Scott’s Aunts and cousins absolutely adored Cara and Lisabeth and had really driven home how much things had changed. The others looked at him and he smiled “Scott and Allison are both really popular and looked up to in town. I think the Mayor and lots of people will want to come.”
Scott sighed. “Eddie’s right. We should probably count on another 100 or more from here” he said trying to sound excited. He was definitely trying to figure out who would come to this wedding vs the other one and who would be invited to both?
Allison nods. “There are also some business associates of my family’s company that we should also probably invite, to keep up those connections as well” she adds and sees Jacqueline agree.
“So” Selene looks at her notepad “we are in the 350-450 range?” she asks.
Scott’s eyes bug out. “What?” he croaks as Allison looks like she will faint.
“Tout à fait!” Jacqueline laughs. “We would expect nothing less for you cousin! And you too, of course Scott” she says smiling happily.
Selene blinks but smiles. “A big wedding…” she looks at Scott and he can see and smell the tears forming in her eyes “your mother would be so proud of you mijo” she says grabbing and pulling the teen into a tight hug. “We will make this a celebration to remember! Now” she let’s Scott go and looks at Allison and Jacqueline “let’s talk about the really important thing...food” she says smiling.
“The subject was terminated” Second informs the other two.
“The Pack in Los Angeles?” Third asks.
“Yes” Second replies.
“Disappointing” Third determines.
“Successful in primary objectives, other test elements are irrelevant” First tells them.
“Primary objectives?” Second asks in confusion. “Subject was unable to eliminate any of the target pack.”
“Termination was unnecessary” First replies. “Disorientation and distraction were primary objectives of subject. Any casualties on local supernaturals is of minor value.”
Third turns to the cannister in the room before looking back at their colleagues “Subject 43-C has been released?” Third asks.
“Affirmative. Subject 17-D’s presence drew attention from 43-C and allowed it to proceed to target location unhindered” First confirms.
“Information suggests potential alert system at target location. 43-C is too valuable to waste testing whether true or not” Second says in disapproval.
“Subject 27-A crossed target area two days ago unnoticed. Presence of serum does not appear to trigger alert system” First replies.
“And status of 27-A?” Third asks.
“Unsuccessful” First says simply. The finality of the word needs no further elaboration for a failed experiment.
“Target for 43-C?” Second queries.
“Subject Alpha McCall” First informs them.
Chapter 18
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
“But what about the wedding? And Erica? She is due probably any day now!” Cora says looking at the other girl with frustration.
Yvette smiles. “I will be back before the wedding Cora, and I am pretty sure Erica will be fine. Besides, she probably doesn’t want a necromancer on her delivery team” she adds with a laugh. “Besides, you know she is due a full two weeks before the wedding.”
Cora glares with what Stiles has declared as the patented Hale “I’m done with your bullshit” expression. She has to admit that it is a near perfect description of the look on the beta’s face. “You know that’s not what I mean” the beta mutters.
Yvette smiles again. “I wouldn’t be going if it wasn’t important Cora. The new Council of Shadows is gathering and they have requested that I speak with them, and even though it is still not official among our kind, if it is to be successful in governing all Necromancers, I must show respect to them and honor the request, no matter how inconvenient” she laughs again.
Cora frowns. “Hey! Don’t say stuff like that. Did you think that maybe they want to be on this council of theirs? I mean you have as much right to be on that thing as anyone else.”
The necromancer shakes her head. “Cora, I know two of the new council and they are both decades older than I am. The majority of us simply want stability.”
“Ingo wasn’t that old” she reminds her.
Yvette nods. “No, he wasn’t. But he was more powerful than anyone, younger or older. I admit that I don’t know exactly how Night Lords have been chosen in the past, but it was never an issue before. It is not like in politics where people campaign for the position. The spirits know and they give us the sign. But since we lost the Night Lord, there has been nothing. So, the others are looking for something to keep our people calm and reassured.”
“And they think that a bunch of old geezers is the answer?” the beta snorts.
The other girl chuckles. “Something like that. Remember that we necromancers, unlike most other people, listen to the past and learn from those that came before us. We don’t seek power or dominion like others, we have simpler needs.”
“Not seeking power? What about creating zombie armies and raising the dead?”
Yvette glares at the she-wolf before sighing. “Okay, fine, there has been a few who give the rest of us a bad name, but we usually handle those ourselves. Believe it or not, the great majority of us are rather happy being in the background and giving comfort to the dead and the dying. We don’t need to be in the front of things or be in charge. I imagine that the council just wants to keep things as they are.”
“So then why are they calling on you?” Cora asks.
Yvette frowns as she looks at the other girl. “I don’t know. I am not very powerful, and I am relatively inexperienced.” She pauses for a moment and Cora can tell she is mentally debating something before she seems to make a decision and looks up “but I am close to someone of significant power.”
“Stiles?” Cora says straightening up. “You think they are calling you about him? Why? What would they want?”
Yvette takes a sip of her tea before replying. “It may be that they simply want to establish formal lines of communication between Stiles and the Council and will ask me to be that line. They may want to know more about him and what he represents. He did help your family come through and then find rest, both of which are pretty impressive feats of spiritual magic to us. Then you have the fact that the Night Lord and the Sybiline also came to speak with him not long before Thanos' actions, they may want to ask about that.” She sighs, “It could be any of those, or something else. I won’t know until I get there.”
“Have you told Stiles?” Cora demands and looks at the expression on her friend’s face before she throws up her hands in frustration. “Of course you did! And you two came up with all of this on your own? Why didn’t you talk about it with the pack? With us?”
“Because it isn’t pack business” Stiles says from the door as he walks into the kitchen surprising both of the girls. “Cora, this is magical politics, not pack matters. I’m sorry but this is my responsibility to manage this” he nods at Yvette “and Yvette, assuming that it affects us and isn’t internal necromancer business.”
“Fine! It is your job to do it, but that doesn’t mean we can’t help!” she yells.
“Help with what?” Stiles asks her calmly.
Cora looks at him before looking over at the young necromancer for some help, and not seeing any, snarls at the both of them. “I don’t know, but we could have done something!”
“Cora” Stiles says gently. “These guys aren’t our enemies. Ingo and the Sybiline both came as friends, and this new council know that. Yvette is here and she knows we are a good pack so she can talk about what we are doing here for the people and all of those in our territory.” He looks like he is about to laugh “I think the odds are that they simply want to stay on our good side and are looking for help from Yvette to make that happen.” He smiles broadly “though we do disagree on one thing” he adds with a mischievous look.
Yvette groans and shakes her head. “No! You are not right about that Stiles” she declares and stands up and leaves, head held high, to finish packing. Leaving no time to argue with her.
Cora looks confused and raises an eyebrow at Stiles. He smiles. “I think she will end up on the Council and that is why she is being called as well. She doesn’t believe me.”
Cora looks thoughtful. “Why?”
He shrugs. “Well, Marin is on the Druidic Council, Allison is on the Hunter’s Council, Scott and Aiden are both part of the Alpha Council…”
“Wait, what?” Cora says shocked. “Alpha Council?”
Stiles laughs. “Don’t tell them I call it that. And don’t tell them I know, but I found that they and Alphas Ito, Delgado, Ferris, and Roberts started having meetings once a month some time ago. I am pretty sure that they have been adding more Alphas every time, but I haven’t figured out who all is involved yet.”
“They are all meeting together? How did we not know about this? How do you not know?” she demands.
“Zoom” Stiles says with a shrug. “They are talking on the computer so unless I want to use the Stark tech to eavesdrop, I have to wait until they decide to tell me.”
She frowns. “Shouldn’t you be there as High Alpha” she says sounding offended.
Stiles shrugs again. “I think it is mostly wolf stuff and deciding what they can deal with and what they want me to know about. Kind of like the strange killings that Alpha Delgado has been dealing with in LA. They think that it is not Arcanist business, more likely pack business and ultimately, I will hear about it one way or the other. Remember, no one is really used to coordinating together like this. Even your mom when she was one of the most respected Alphas wasn’t always told everything and she certainly didn’t tell everything she knew...I also think there is a lot of maneuvering going on too.”
Cora narrows her eyes and stares at him for a few seconds before she gets it. “You think they are still figuring out Scott and Aiden” she says clearly.
He nods. “Despite everything that’s happened, they are both very young to be alphas, let alone as powerful alphas as they are. A lot of other wolves have trouble recognizing that, let alone accepting it. I have it on good authority that more than a few older betas planned to come and challenge Scott and Aiden for their alpha spark.”
Cora looks stunned before she barks out a laugh. “Are you joking?” she says between gasps of air trying to contain herself. “They would beat the hell out of any beta who tried!”
Stiles’ eyes sparkle as he laughs along with her. “Oh, I know. With the power from their packs, being in Beacon Hills, and their connections to me, any official challenge would literally be a suicide mission. Something Leon and the others have had to point out more than once.” He shakes his head. “It’s not something to really worry too much about, but with no hunters officially operating and things going so quietly, I think they get nervous. So if their monthly video chat makes them happy, who am I to judge?”
Cora snorts. “Especially since you are video chatting the Black Widow, Tony Stark, and General Okoye, not to mention Valkyrie in New Asgard whenever you get the chance…”
Stiles shoves her and then pulls her forward. “C’mon. Let’s help Yvette pack. Faster she goes, the faster she will get back and I am feeling that Erica’s pup will be here soon.”
“Great, more babies” Cora says dramatically.
“Well, at least she won’t start off by eating a full buck deer” he says looking happy.
Cora gut checks him with her elbow. “Okay, godfather of dragons. Enough bragging” she says without any heat. Yndriesdi’s eggs hatched last week and all five of the little drakes were pretty damn adorable, not to mention absolutely gorgeous in their coloring. She reminded herself to make a trip to visit with some fresh meat for the greedy mouths, that way momma dragon won’t feel the need to grab some poor farmer’s livestock again!
“Where is she?” Scott demands, his eyes flaring crimson as he listens to the sound of his beta in pain.
“Scott, she is on the way” Stiles tries to reassure him, again. “We just called her.”
“Why don’t you open a portal?” he roars.
Stiles doesn’t reply and takes a deep breath and counts to five before responding. “Because Alice said there was no need. Erica is fine and she is nowhere near ready. Alice is finishing up with her patient and then coming to the house.”
Scott looks stunned. “Here? Why isn’t she meeting us at the hospital?” he demands.
Stiles looks over at Allison and silently signals her to tag in. “Scott, Erica and Boyd want to do it here, in a safe place for the pack, remember?” she gently prods him.
“But…” he tries to argue, the light fading from his eyes.
“Do you want to try and force Erica to leave here?” the brunette asks her fiancé.
“But she’s yelling” he tries to explain.
“She hasn’t started yelling yet” Cora says with a snort. At his disbelieving look she chuckles “Scott, I know this is your first beta to give birth, but you have got to step back” she says and then rolls her eyes when she sees him start to react. “Fine! Go ahead and go in the room Scott. You try and tell a pregnant wolf in labor and her mate that you want to move them out of their safe place. You think you and your big bad Alphaness will survive that stupidity?” she roars at him.
“SHUT UP ALL OF YOU!!” Erica screams out from her room followed by Boyd’s roar in agreement.
Stiles doesn’t snort at the sudden look of worry on Scott’s face. The ‘True Alpha’ certainty just left, and he spots Allison also trying to hide her smirk. “Scott, if that was Alison, would you let us move her against your will?” he asks.
The sudden snarl at his best friend surprises even himself and he catches himself in shock just as the door opens. “Alpha McCall, Alpha Carver” Satomi says serenely as she walks in. “Do you not think that you should get some of your packs and run the borders to make sure things are safe.”
Scott and Aiden both look confused. “You think someone may try to attack? Now?!” Scott asks in shock.
Satomi, her face completely relaxed, smiles. “Probably not, but it would be both helpful and reassuring for the mother to be to know her Alpha is protecting her by keeping the territory safe. It may not be necessary with the High Alpha here” she says giving a respectful nod to Stiles before looking back “but instincts are strong. You are probably feeling them as well. You need to make sure your beta and her new cub are safe. Running the borders will help reassure you” she says easily.
Scott looks at Allison for a second before nodding and heading out, Aiden right behind, as several of their betas follow behind and take off. Satomi looks back at Stiles, still smiling.
“Nicely done. I take it you have dealt with that before?” Stiles asks.
She nods. “It is worse the first time. Luckily it is not his cub, or he would be even more unbearable. Besides, running will burn off some of his energy and allow Erica to focus.” She turns and heads for the bedroom with the pair.
“The only bad thing is that with his energy, he will probably be back in less than a half hour and still worked up” Cora says shaking her head.
Stiles stares at her for a second before getting an evil grin. “Usilis?” he calls out.
“Yes, Arcanist?” the Brownie says appearing beside the teen.
“Can you get the word to Princess Eriphise, Dave, and Misanthra to see if they could maybe help distract the wolves during their run?”
Usilis smiles and laughs, ignoring the reactions of Allison, Cora, and the others, he nods. “Oh yes! We will also get the pixies to play. We can keep the wolves running all night if you wish” he says before disappearing in a blink.
There is a moment of absolute silence before everyone breaks into laughter. “STILES!” Allison yells, her face red with shock and laughter, “that’s terrible!”
“I think it is perfect” Kira gushes as they start giggling right as Erica let’s out another yell.
“Is everything alright?” Alice asks looking confused.
“Yes? Why?” Kira asks the witch as she walks into the house.
“I was driving in and at least a dozen werewolves ran across the road like crazy. Alpha McCall was in the lead, and he just waved as he ran by. One of the betas said they were tracking an intruder or something.”
Kira and Allison start laughing as they explain the distraction Stiles was providing. “Oh, that’s just perfect. I need to remember that. I wonder if Pika could do that with some of my other patients!” she says with a smile. “So, how’s the patient doing?”
“GET THIS OUT OF ME!” Erica screams from the bedroom.
Alice smiles at the other two girls before nodding respectfully to Stiles who is preparing some tea for Alpha Ito before heading to the back room. About thirty seconds later both Cora and Alpha Ito are summarily ejected from the room, though only Cora looks offended. “Tea?” Stiles offers and Satomi accepts happily.
“How are the boys?” Cora asks.
“You didn’t hear?” Allison chuckles and explains what Alice told them much to the beta’s amusement. She then turns to Satomi “Any idea how long?” she asks.
Satomi shrugs. “Not that long if I am right. Though first-time mothers tend to take longer, I think that little one is in a hurry.”
Stiles smiles and does a slow blink so that no one realizes that his eyes are glowing as he sends out his awareness into the territory. Since Erica’s labor began, he has been tracking any presence within 10 miles of the house to make sure no one is getting near them. In fact, even before he arranged for the distraction, he has had everyone on alert since Yndriesdi’s eggs hatched, just to safe. He knows that there is no one within 100 miles of Beacon Hills who shouldn’t be, magically speaking, and between the Dwarves, StarkTech, and Wakandan defenses, he is not really worried. But after Gerard, he isn’t going to drop his guard and let anything else slip through.
“All is well?” Satomi says in a whisper so soft that even Cora and Kira miss the question. Stiles opens his eyes and looks at the knowing expression on the elder wolf’s face. He nods. “Good. It will be a nice night, and a good one for a new wolf to be born.”
“Oh!” Cora says suddenly. “That's right. Tonight is not just the full moon, it is the Flower Moon” she says with a sparkle in her eyes.
“Wait, what’s the Flower Moon?” Kira asks looking at her.
“This month’s full moon” Cora says looking at the Alpha who is smiling in encouragement “is called the Flower Moon because everything is blooming. New life. It is said that a wolf born on the Flower moon is a special blessing not just to the pup, but to the pack. Because it reminds all of us of the renewal of life.”
“It is when the world’s flowers are full. It helps us to remember the beauty of the world” Satomi adds.
It was almost two more hours of snarls and growling before things got really quiet. The others started looking nervous.
“Do you think it will be tonight?” Kira asks just as there is a sudden roar from Erica that is half pain and half triumph.
“Oh wow!” Stiles says his eyes glowing bright. “She’s here!”
It was another hour or so before Scott, Aiden, and the others returned, beating the mass of people that descended on the pack house that night. Most stayed outside, but Boyd did bring out a tightly wrapped bundle for the pack to ‘oo’ and ‘ah’ over. Erica rested for a bit and then Boyd and the pup were back before she woke, the occasion of the new pack member having led to an impromptu party in the yard.
Alice and Satomi had gathered with some of the elders of the pack, not to mention quite a few of the Centaurs and Sasquatch who had showed up with gifts.
Scott and the others had taken their distraction rather well, despite rather significant teasing from the female members of both of their packs. Allison was giving him support as he was still certain that something was nearby. Apparently, several of the towns’ druids and witches had joined in to help with some of the illusions that they had been chasing down so the wolves were still uncertain that it was all just a distraction.
“Have they picked out a name yet?” Cara asks Scott and Allison. The little girls they had taken in had showed up with Eddie, Billy, and Teresa Boyd, who had got to go in to see Erica and Boyd much to the others’ disappointment, when the pack had arrived.
“Erica said it was a secret” Stiles says cheerily. He was very happy because the little girl had arrived safe and sound and there were enough people here that no one would be stupid enough to try anything.
“Do you know?!!” little Beth demanded of him, eyes pleading.
“Nope!” Stiles replied happily. And he didn’t so he didn’t even have to try and lie. “They wanted to wait and meet her. Besides, tomorrow is the official day” he confides in her.
Beth frowns and looks confused. “What happens tomorrow?”
Stiles smiles. “That is the day she will get her name and be part of the pack, officially. We will go to the circle, and Erica and Boyd will introduce her to us, and we will all ROAR a welcome” he says growling loudly causing the little girls to scream happily.
“And to receive her Alpha’s blessing” Satomi adds “and the High Alpha’s of course” she adds with a wink at the teen.
Stiles doesn’t sigh, but he really hates every time he hears of some new ritual or tradition he needs to do even when it is something he might like. They really make him feel self-conscious and they make Derek’s absence that much more painful. He knows how much the man would have loved to be here to welcome his betas’ first pup.
The rest of the party is kept short tonight mostly because Cora chases everyone off after two hours of visiting. But Stiles and Scott both sneak into Erica and Boyd’s room to find the newly expanded family asleep together while Teresa glares at them and motions them to ‘get out’. They slip out quietly so as not to waken their friends or the little family that they have made and adopted.
“She’s so little” Scott whispers while smiling.
“Don’t let that little face fool you. If she is anything like Erica or the women in Boyd’s family, that little girl is going to be a handful!”
The naming ceremony is simple and informal, even though a lot of guests show up. It happens right as the sun is setting and Erica has had a good rest. Werewolf healing is a real blessing for new moms apparently. Nearly all of Scott and Aiden’s packs show up along with Satomi’s and representatives from several other packs who made friends with Erica and Boyd.
Add in all the folk in Beacon Hills that they know, plus she was one of the first babies born since so many were lost, meant that the ‘simple’ ceremony ended up with a huge crowd of several hundred! But despite that, it all went off without a hitch.
Erica and Boyd walked up with their new little girl in Erica’s arms, surrounded by all of their other kids as they approached Scott and Allison, both dressed in their outfits from the wedding. Stiles stood off to the side with the other Alphas.
“You bring new life to our pack and our family” Scott says with a huge smile. “We welcome our new member.”
“Alpha, please accept into our pack our daughter” Boyd says formally looking down at the smiling baby in his wife’s arms.
“Her name is Lily Esther Boyd” Erica says loudly. “She is named Lily to honor being born on the Flower Moon and in memory of our lost packmate Lydia Martin.”
“And Esther in honor of my grandmother” Boyd finishes.
Scott and Allison had been fine until Erica shared her naming in honor of Lydia and both of their eyes shined with tears as Scott’s eyes flashed red and Lily’s eyes flashed gold at her Alpha.
“Welcome Lily Esther Boyd!” Scott called out loudly to the crowd and then reared back he let out a roar that shook the trees that was followed by the loudest roar from the assembled alphas and betas. Stiles later found out that the Sheriff's Office had gotten more than a few nervous calls about that in the police office. But like Stiles predicted, the noise of the wolves’ roars didn’t seem to bother baby Lily one bit as she bubbled happy and content while everyone cheered.
Stiles came over and gave his blessing to Lily, kissing both her and Erica’s cheek and whispering that Lydia would be so honored. Erica had looked nervous when he had approached and seemed to deflate that he wasn’t mad. Then it was a total party after that. Everyone wanted to see, sniff, or coo at the baby and an impromptu bonfire was set up and contained by Stiles’ magic, much to the relief of the dryads.
“You know, you are next” Stiles later told Scott during a quiet moment.
Scott groaned and put his head in his hands. “I really hate you.”
Stiles laughs.
“Seriously. How did I ever agree to do two weddings?” he groans.
Spotting Allison coming over after getting to hold Lily, Stiles stands up. “Buckle up bro. In a month, it will all be over.”
Allison glares at him as he scoots away. “So, your aunt had an idea…” she says as Scott looks after his friend in barely concealed desperation.
Stiles looks up from his book with a curious expression on his face. “What the hell?” he mutters and opens his minds to his senses and follows the nagging that had intruded on his awareness. It only takes a few seconds before he finds what drew his attention: the sudden gathering of werewolves at the wilderness center…seriously? Aiden, Boyd, Erica, Cora, and at least two dozen others. And he is pretty sure that Yvette and several of the magic users are there as well. He looks for Scott and finds him at his house with Allison though their ‘kids’ are all with the others. There are people there, but they are completely human…though there are a lot of them. He blinks before standing up suddenly.
“Usilis?” Stiles asks to the empty room.
“Arcanist?” the little man asks from Stiles’ side. It is telling that the sudden appearance of the Brownie doesn’t even startle him anymore. The fact was that the house spirits magic had developed significantly since coming to Beacon Hills. They were now so well camouflaged that unless he was really looking for them, he often didn’t notice them at all. They were just that good at being unnoticed and their nature and magic helped hide them. Add in all the magic and protections Stiles himself had put in place and most of the other magic users in the territory couldn’t even find them with magic, much to the delight of the guardian spirits.
“Usilis, do you know who is at Scott and Allison’s house?”
The little man hides a smile, but Stiles still sees it. “Yes Arcanist. The Alpha’s family is here to coordinate with Matriarch Argent’s cousins and family. They arrived yesterday” he adds with what Stiles assumes is a cross between amusement and pity.
“That explains it. Thank you, Usilis. Oh, is Nasch okay?” he asks of the Brownie living with Scott and Ali.
“She is well. With so many humans she has slipped away to avoid them, though she will be there tonight when the Alpha and Matriarch need her” he replies without hesitation.
“Right. Well then, I will go see what the others are doing” he says walking out of the house and heading for the Center. Sure, he could portal there, but he has been cooped up all morning reading some of the Ancient One’s journals. She was an amazing person even if she had compromised her own rules somewhat by using the energy of the Dark Dimension to help protect the Earth.
Walking through the woods he breathes deeply of the forest air, so clean and sharp. It only took him a year before he no longer needed to sending healing into the land around Beacon Hills. He also felt the stabilization of the Nemeton so his movement no longer caused the magic to go all ‘jiggly wiggly’ as Eriphise had described it to him. The Dryad Princess was rather relieved that he was no longer causing the magic to wobble anymore. He had gone and visited Alpha Ito for a few hours once and he even visited Martinique in San Francisco for dinner, and no one had been adversely affected. He had started working on a plan to visit all of his territory now that he could. But they first had to get through the politics and craziness of Scott and Allison’s wedding. Speaking of…he spotted Cora and Erica sitting at a table surrounded by several Centaur mares and, okay, he hadn’t expected to see Yndriesdi here with her dragonets, she was also rather tough to locate with his magic, but there she was, laying there looking relaxed as the little ones tumbled around her. Her casualness was not real as Stiles could feel the anxiety of the Dragoness. She was hiding it well, but she was very protective of those little ones.
“Stiles!” Erica says looking up in surprise. “What are you doing here?”
“Well, I was wondering why a large portion of the magical population of Beacon Hills was suddenly hanging out together at our Wilderness Center, so I thought I should investigate.”
“Uh…We were just letting Lily meet the dragonets” Kira offered badly. The girl just couldn’t lie to save her life.
Stiles raised an eyebrow in what he hoped was a good impression of Derek but judging by the disappointed snort from Cora, he didn’t succeed. ‘Okay, you want to play it that way?’ he thought. It wasn’t much, just a fraction of his power, but he let it out. He connected to the ley line running under the center and pulled. The reaction was instantaneous from everyone with a trace of magic. They didn’t exactly flinch, but it was like they remembered that he wasn’t a goofy teenager anymore.
Cora’s look shifted to one of approval, and he saw the small nod and a hit of a head tilt that bared a bit of neck. Not much, but it was enough. The other wolves, save Erica, were more pronounced in their reactions. Erica’s eyes widened in surprise before she flashed her eyes pulling Lily closer without thinking. Stiles watched as she realized what she was doing, she suddenly blushed and looked flustered.
“Aiden. Boyd.” Stiles turned from the new mother to give her some time to recover. The alpha and beta came over looking at him nervously. “Care to explain?”
“Explain what?” Aiden asks him, straightening up. Despite Stiles’ rank as High Alpha, he knew that the instincts of the alphas did not like showing submission to any human. Stiles knew that it was against their nature. They would have yielded to Derek without hesitation, but since he was human, it was difficult for them. Both Alpha Ito and Alpha Roberts had explained that to him. They knew, intellectually, that Stiles was High Alpha, but instinctively, it was a challenge to their very authority. Stiles had worried that it might be a real problem, but the Alphas had assured him that it would not be an issue. The simple fact was that an Alpha might react badly, but they would immediately realize their mistake and correct things. If not, the others would make sure of that.
In fact, they already had. Stiles had known that the older Alpha who had come to visit Alpha Reynolds in Monterrey hadn’t believed what he had heard about Stiles and when they visited, he had been coldly polite to the teen, despite his rather glowing acceptance of both Scott and Aiden. He wasn’t rude, not in any way that Stiles could really complain about, in fact he had missed most of the guy’s actions. It wasn’t until Cora snapped and almost attacked the man that Stiles had realized that something was wrong.
Alpha Green had been surprised at Cora’s snap and was about to react to the Beta’s rudeness when he froze, his nostrils flaring and a look of surprise on his face. He had turned to see Aiden, Scott, and Alpha Reynolds all growling, their eyes burning red, claws out.
“Marcus?” Alpha Green had looked at his old friend in shock, but then the man had noticed that every wolf, except his own two packmates, had suddenly gone into attack mode and the three of them were the target.
“You threaten the Hale Chronicler?” Marcus demands with a snarl.
Ian Green was beyond shocked. He and Marcus Reynolds had been friends since they were teens. Their mothers had been from the same pack and grew up together. Though they were not blood related, they had gotten very close despite living on opposite coasts of the country. He looks back at the young she-wolf, and suddenly remembers that this is the Hale territory which means that she must be a blood Hale. And maybe the last one left. That means that he insulted her on her family’s ancestral land. “My sincere apologies” he says looking at Cora “I meant you no disrespect in your home” he says honestly.
The others seem to relax, but Cora doesn’t. “You have insulted my Alpha” she growls back, causing the man to look both shocked and stunned. He looks at Scott in confusion.
“I have not!” he protests and even Scott looks confused. “I have nothing but admiration for Alpha McCall and Alpha Carver. Though they are young, they have done much to admire.”
“No” she snarls out “my ALPHA” she snarls and her eyes dart to Stiles who suddenly gets it and looks at the man who glances at Stiles before dismissing him as irrelevant. This time Stiles sees the insult clearly. The others do too if their shocked looks are anything to go by. Unfortunately, Ian Green missed their reactions.
“You have an honored family Ms. Hale, but a pack’s Alpha is the authority for any wolf, not some human, however gifted.”
“Oh, really?” Stiles said in a deceptively harmless tone.
Alpha Green looked back at him, not quite a sneer, more like a dismissal. “I appreciate your magical gifts Mr. Stilinski, but being part of a pack is not something you can really understand.”
Stiles smiled at the man. How he didn’t notice the shock on Alpha Reynolds face nor the sudden shift in the crowd at the insult.
“High Alpha” Stiles corrected.
Green looked confused. “What?”
“You addressed me as Mister Stilinski. My rank is High Alpha. As in every Alpha in my territory has submitted to my Authority. As you have come into my territory, it is only polite to honor the forms” he says deceptively calm. The fact was that he was getting really pissed and the magic was reacting to his emotions.
Alpha Green waved his hand in absent dismissal. “I am not going to entertain that absurdity. It might have worked with the hunters and Deucalion’s diseased pack, and I will admit it fooled them, but no Alpha would submit to a human, let alone a child!”
“IAN!” Alpha Reynolds barks in shock, popping his claws and visibly on the edge of shifting to his Beta form. “Have you gone mad, you idiot!?! You would insult the High Alpha in his home?”
Alpha Green actually looked surprised. “Oh, for god’s sake Ian, you surely are not going to try and tell me that you buy this BS? This kid? Would you stop with all this garbage about High Alphas.”
Stiles can tell the man is completely convinced he is right by the reactions of the other wolves. But Stiles can also see that his two betas are not as sure. They are looking very nervous. Time to bring this to an end.
“If you don’t like High Alpha” Stiles started his voice gaining depth and power “you may address me by my other title.”
Looking back, he is more than a little embarrassed by what he did, but he is also honest enough to admit he enjoyed it. And, though she refuses to admit it, Cora really enjoyed it.
Alpha Green suddenly looked less certain than he was seconds ago. He wasn’t sure why, but the boy somehow wasn’t what he was before. Ian Green had considered himself a fairly progressive werewolf. His pack lived in the woods of northern Maine and though he had dealt with some hunters, the simple fact was that his pack hadn’t had a hunter bother them in over 40 years. He had heard of the accomplishments of the Hale pack and the unification that had apparently happened and how they had driven out the hunters with the aid of some magic users, but he had been certain that his friend Marcus had be greatly exaggerating the boy’s role in all this. Derek Hale was the son of the Hale Pack, one of the most respectable lines of wolves on the continent and he could almost believe the man had managed to pull it off, but a human teenager? Even with magic it simply wasn’t possible.
But the boy…something was making his wolf wail inside him. He felt a danger like he had never before. The hair on his neck had risen and he felt overwhelmed. The boy’s eyes glowed white!! No one’s eyes glowed white! That was bad enough, but there was an aura around him that made his wolf retreat. He heard his betas whimper, and it was then that he realized that the very air was charged with a power that scared him. He glanced at his old friend and froze. They were not affected like his pack members were. They were showing throat, but to that boy, no...the High Alpha! It was a sign of respect and recognition of authority and so it didn’t impact them.
“Alpha Green” Stiles’ voice had been steady. Clear and firm, but there was an otherworldliness to it that challenged everything Ian Green had believed. “You came into my territory and disrespect me. Do you seek to challenge me?” the question was innocently asked but there was steel behind it, and he felt his wolf cringe at the thought of challenge. This was the ALPHA!
Ian Green dropped to his knee, baring his throat fully and closed his eyes. He would accept whatever came next.
“Alpha Reynolds. Perhaps you should take your friend for a walk and…talk” Stiles’ voice was normal and when Ian had looked up, he was once again the lanky teenager wearing flannel, but the Alpha was not going to make the mistake of thinking that was all he was again. Without another word, Stiles turned and walked off.
“Jesus Ian, you really screwed up this time” Marcus muttered grabbing him by the shirt and yanking him up. “C’mon!”
It was only an hour or so before Alpha Reynolds had brought Alpha Green back and the man was respectful enough that even Cora was mollified. Stiles had accepted his apology, but it was clear to everyone that he had not forgotten the man’s behavior.
Ever since, the pack had joked with him about his “Alpha Aura” and he had never really had to use it like that again, but even the hint of it was enough to remind them when he was being serious. He would not abuse that with his friends, but he knew that occasionally everyone needed to remember it, especially among those outside the original Hale pack.
Letting just a bit of it out he saw the immediate reactions of Aiden and Boyd as well as the others by the immediate look of awareness on their faces.
“Stiles!” Aiden whined “c’mon man. That is not cool.”
Boyd managed to contain the groan but not the whack to the back of the teen’s head that he made. Boyd might be a beta, but he could get away with that with both Scott and Aiden whenever they did something particularly stupid. They might be Alphas, but both of them knew that the original core pack had different rules about things. “Sorry, we had to get away from Allison’s family” Boyd said looking sheepish. “They make my skin crawl” he said in a low voice.
Stiles frowned. “Did they say or do something…” he started but the beta shook his head.
“No, nothing, that is they didn’t actually do anything wrong…it is just knowing that there are all those hunters in our territory that makes all of us anxious” Boyd clarifies.
“Not to mention Scott’s Aunt is just as scary” Aiden mutters.
Stiles blinks. “What? How?”
Aiden looks at the girls who all won’t meet his eye, intentionally. He growls lowly but finally gives up and looks back at Stiles. “She is too…much” he answers lamely.
Stiles looks over at Kira who is trying to hold in her laughter. “Kira?” he prompts, and she busts out in giggles which sets off more than a few of the others.
When she recovers, she looks at Stiles. “She is a lot to take at one time” she says with a laugh. “She has a lot of ideas about the wedding and every time she sees one of Scott’s or Allison’s friends, she gets new ideas for us to do things for the wedding. It is getting kind of crazy to be honest. Last I heard she wants a three-day party.”
Stiles looks stunned. He hasn’t met her yet, to be honest he has been working on some other projects but figured that he had the least involvement with this part. Just wear a tux and show up, right? But it sounds like things have gotten a bit out of control. “So, you are all out here hiding?” he finally asks.
Erica snorts and smiles when he looks at her. “Feel free to stop by their house oh mighty High Alpha. I have heard his Aunt Selene has asked about you more than once. I am sure she has all sorts of tasks for you to do once she gets you in her sights.”
Stiles almost agrees to go over before he remembers that this is Melissa’s family and he knows that when she was determined about something, the woman was unstoppable. “Well, I don’t think they need me quite yet, right? I mean, they are still figuring out all the details. Once they have it down, then Scotty can let me know and we can take care of things.” He looks at the others for a moment before frowning and looking at Kira again, “Aren’t you going to be bridesmaids?” he asks with a bit of confusion.
She smiles easily. “Yes, but we are the bride’s side, so she isn’t as focused on us.”
“No” Erica says with a smirk “That would be the Argents. Luckily, Allison decided to avoid any potential issues by having Cora or I in her bridal party and instead chose some of her cousins along with Kira. We decided that except for Scott and Boyd, no other wolves will be too obviously there. I mean we have invites, but we will be in the crowd with our families and friends.”
Stiles nods at that reminder. Even with the changes, none of them wanted to press their luck. It was going to be tough enough with all of the representatives from the Hunter families. He didn’t think Clarrisant would allow for any funny business at Allison’s wedding, let alone risk the treaty with him, but it was better to not push things too far. Having Scott’s family there was actually the best thing to keep everything nice and civil with everyone. Besides, there were going to be a ton of plain old regular humans just from their friends in town and with the second ceremony, none of the supernaturals really felt slighted. He sighs. At least it would be over soon. Speaking of, he looked around but didn’t see Satomi. Nodding to the others, he headed back to the house. He wanted to go over the plans for the second wedding with her too.
“Stiles! Glad you could make it” Scott said forcibly smiling though Stiles could spot the strain around his friend’s eyes as he opened the door.
“Uh, sure. No problem, bro” he said walking in the door before stopping at the scene in the living room. Two rather striking women, both who looked a lot like Melissa, which caused a significant jolt to hit him rather hard, were smiling and laughing with Allison’s cousin Jacqueline. Additionally there were another 10 people scattered about, mostly women, with three men who looked woefully out of place. Two for McCall and one for Argent if he was any judge. “Hi” he said with a nervous smile as the group all turned to look at him.
“Is this your best man” one of the women who looked the most like Melissa asks coming over. “I was beginning to think you were Scott’s imaginary friend” she said with a trace of annoyance.
Stiles stared for a second before Scott elbowed him. “Sorry, I’m Stiles” he says sheepishly before looking a little ill. “Sorry, it’s just you…you really look like Melissa” he says with a thick voice.
The woman’s eyes soften, and he can see the tears start before she swallows them down. “My baby sister” she says simply but with none of the irritation that was there before. “You knew her?”
“Yeah…she and my dad took care of Scott and I after my mom died and Scott’s dad left. They kind of tag teamed us” he says looking at Scott with a shrug and saw the other teen nodding sadly.
“Ah, the one with the jeep then” Selene said with a smirk causing both teens to startle. “You think your mother never talked about you, mijo?” she asks looking at Scott. She laughs. “When you two started driving on your own, she freaked out more than once. But today, today we are going to talk about my nephew’s wedding” she declares and pulls both of them into the circle. Stiles spots Allison and glares at the girl’s smirk and laughing at them with her cousin. Oh, he will get revenge!
“How? How can there be more to a regular wedding than a magical joining of a Hunting Matriarch and a True Alpha werewolf?” Stiles demands collapsing in the chair and looking at Cora and Erica who are pretty much ignoring him to play with Lily.
“Huh?” Erica mumbles not even pausing in staring at her daughter.
“I think I will just see if I can get Yndriesdi to attack the town and give me a distraction. A flaming dragon would do that, right?” he says sarcastically.
“Good idea” Cora replies absently as Lily giggles at her ‘aunt’ Cora while grasping at her hair.
“Yeah, I thought so” Stiles deadpanned. “Maybe have Dave and the gang roller skate through town.”
“That should be beautiful for the wedding” Erica says reassuringly before she pauses and looks up. “Wait! What did you say?”
Cora looks annoyed but then she glares at Stiles. “Oh, ha ha. Very funny Stiles” she replies while rolling her eyes. “Just suck it up. It can’t be that bad.”
“Oh, it is not bad, it is beyond nice. Every time Scott or Allison try to object, their families turn on the emotional thumbscrews. ‘Oh, your mother would have loved this Scott’ or ‘The family would be so proud Allison’. I swear they can’t say no anytime they do that” he tells them.
“Is it really that bad?” Erica asks looking sympathetic.
Stiles sighs. “I guess not, but it just sucks that they keep suggesting things that, if they knew everything, they never would.” Stiles smirks “For example, Scott’s cousin kept asking why all these people from overseas were coming when Allison didn’t know them personally. Her cousin said they were business partners of the family but they kept pushing till she told them it was through Argent Arms, the family weapons business. You should have seen the shock on their faces when then learned that. I swear I thought Scott’s Aunt was about to grab him and run if she didn’t like Allie as much as she did.” He chuckles. “They also want to stretch out the ceremonies for a full week!”
“Uh, that won’t work” Cora says looking unhappy.
“Luckily Allison nipped that one pretty quickly. She made it clear there was no way. They compromised on two days before the ceremony for events” he adds with a frown.
“So we are going to have hunters in town for three days instead of one?” Erica says, her eyes flashing.
“Pretty much. I am going to talk with Scott and Aiden but I think a visit to some of our neighboring packs might be in order” Stiles shares.
“Leaving home unprotected?” Cora demands.
Stiles leans back in his chair “No. Every person who comes to town will have multiple watchers on them, don’t worry. I just don’t want any more wolves to be within their reach than we have to. But not so far away we can’t reach them.”
“Besides, I think it about time that my dad’s aunt by marriage comes to join in the festivities since she likes Scott and Allison both so much” Stiles says with a wicked smile.
Both of the betas look confused. “I didn’t know your dad had an Aunt, let alone one that knew Scott and Allie” Erica says looking at the equally confused Cora.
Stiles smirks. “Come on now, surely you remember Aunt Ito?” he asks.
Both of them look confused for a second before Cora barks out a laugh while Erica literally snorts before looking mortified. “Oh god Stilinski, you are evil!” Cora roars in approval.
Stiles leans back looking smug. He may not have it in him to manage all those women but Satomi is more than a match for Aunts, and cousins, and hunters…oh my!
Stiles happily accepts Scott’s enthusiastic thank you hug the day Satomi shows up. The elder Alpha werewolf appeared at the McCall-Argent house with all the delicateness that she could muster and managed to cut through half the conflicts inside of three hours. Three hours! They had been arguing for days and she out-guilted Selene and Felicia and actually shamed Jacqueline and the cousins on multiple occasions.
“Melissa was so proud of Scott, I know she would have wanted him to be happy” was used on the family more than once. With the Argents she just looked at them with complete and utter disappointment. She didn’t even have to say anything. Stiles figured that the hunters were so conditioned to obey elder women with that aura of power that they conceded fairly quickly.
Not to mention that Satomi decided any major concerns with a rather easy method. If it cost too much, she made Stiles pay for it. If it was too outrageous for the hunters, she told them to check with Stiles, if it was too flamboyant she reminded the families that Scott and Allison were pillars of the community now and had to set an example in such times.
The final result? Everything was settled within three days and now it was just waiting for the actual event. Both families had gone home, and they were in the quiet before the storm, so to speak.
“So eloping is completely out of the question?” Scott asked, not for the first time. Allison looked like she was now seriously considering it as well.
“After everything Alpha Ito went through? Not on your life” Cora snapped. “Besides, haven’t you heard the gossip around town?”
Both Scott and Allison looked confused. “What gossip?”
“With Allison taking over her family’s business officially, the Mayor wants to ask her to step up to be the new President of the Beacon Hills Chamber of Commerce” Cora says happily.
“Are you serious!?” Allison demands.
Cora’s smile widens. “Oh yes, and with your connections, she is certain you will be the absolute best person to be the official liaison for Stark’s new facility and program.”
Allison stares for a second looking shocked before she gets a calculated look. “Huh. That’s not exactly a bad idea” she mutters.
“Really?” Scott asks looking surprised.
“Gives us a good cover story and it would help with another idea I had for Argent Arms. Working with Stark, I would like to create a line of non-lethal weapons for law enforcement. More containment and immobilizing types of devices. Make it so less people get hurt” Allison says.
She looks over at Stiles. “Your idea?” she asks.
He shrugs. “I figured you needed something to do after the wedding.”
Allison leans back. This could be fun.
Notes:
Hi Everyone. It has been a while, but this has not been forgotten. Mostly life got in the way and I never seemed to have much free time. Also since I started writing this, SO much new stuff came out with MCU and even Teen Wolf that it kind of worked against me as our story was going from 'it could be happening at the same time' to its now a different universe entirely (Thanks Loki & Kang!).
So, new plan is to get maybe smaller chapters and move the story along a bit more, so there will be some time skips before we get to year 5 and the RETURN! Thank you for hanging in there with this story and all the kudos and kind words that have meant a lot and brought me back.
Chapter Text
“How was your flight?” Allison asks as she hugs Clarissant.
“It was fine ma cherie” the Grand Matriarch replies easily. It actually was, but that’s the benefit of having your own plane. Since she was flying here with a number of family members including Philippe, they took the nicer of the Argent planes. It would have been quicker and easier if the boy had used his magic like he did after Gerard’s attack, but she knew that courtesy was not going to be offered easily. “Long, but comfortable” she adds with a smirk.
Allison nods knowingly. She had asked Stiles about using the portals but after the plans kept expanding and the hunters were now coming for much longer than an afternoon, he had politely declined providing any travel for the families. While he was willing to allow them to visit for the wedding, he was not willing to make it any easier for them. “And you confirmed everyone’s understanding of the rules about weapons?”
Philippe nodded “Yes Matriarch. Personal weapons were allowed but no wolfsbane, no iron, and no blessed salt. No devices of offensive nature and nothing is to remain in the territory. We confirmed with all of the representatives of the families.”
“Good” Allison nods still tense. She knows of the terms that Stiles had set, and she really stressed them at the last Council meeting she attended but she didn’t share that Stiles had gotten sensors from both Stark and Wakanda that would scanning every vehicle entering the county with any of the wedding guests. Any contraband would be spotted and removed, forcefully. She really hoped that no one broke the peace this week. She was torn between being excited for everything and just wanting it over.
Clarissant stares at her for a moment before smiling, “Relax my dear. They will behave. This is mostly for appearances. I will be the only council member in attendance and from the other families, the highest ranking representative is no higher than fourth in their family.”
Allison nods but hears something in the woman’s words. “Are you unhappy about that?” she asks after a moment.
The woman shrugs a bit but Allison notices that the others all seem rather irritated. “Normally that would be a significant insult. Sending less than the actual heir would be to suggest that your family is not important enough to warrant a true representative.”
“But since I am marrying a wolf…”
“And you are in an Interdicted territory we needed permission to enter…it is a complicated situation. They could not fail to send a delegation and it could not be meaningless, but by sending a fourth or fifth they walk the line of insult and politeness. No heirs or the backups but still significant to the family.” She sighs. “But amid everything this last year or so? I think it is probably for the best.”
Allison smiles. “I would have been okay with a toaster and a nice card” she says with a chuckle.
“Oh no! The Argent Matriarch of the US? You will get rather significant gifts to make up for their absence I am sure. But where is Jacqueline?” she asks.
Allison chuckles. “She has the cars out front” she tells them as she leads them from the airport. It won’t be a long drive from San Francisco but she is actually glad for Clarissant’s presence. Since her dad can’t be here, at least she has someone she can look up to.”
“You really need to calm down” Yvette says to the beta wolf who is currently pacing in the living room. “Your anxiety can be picked up on” she glances at the baby on Erica’s lap who looks unhappy.
“Do you know how many hunters are here?” Cora demands in a very soft, sing-song voice. An interesting display to be sure.
Erica smiles at the baby. “The last update was that the final two families’ representatives arrived an hour ago. That brings the total number of hunters to 72, including the Argents.”
“SEE!” Cora whisper yells. “That’s an army!”
“Hardly” Kira says as she dangles the charms in front of Lily. “At least ten of them are over 60 and another 18 are under 20. Subtract the Argents, who only had 1 of that number means that there are only 27 potential threats. With 20 Argent family members, though I would not count on Clarissant or her secretary to be much in a fight, so let’s say 18, that is nowhere near enough to make trouble.”
Cora glares for a second before losing some of the tension. “Okay, when you put it like that I suppose there isn’t too many of them.”
“And all of them, including the Argents are being watched by more than one watcher each, not to mention that everyone of their vehicles has a tracker on it” Yvette says with a smile.
“What?” Cora asks. “What do you mean trackers?” she demands.
“Stiles arranged to put trackers on all of their cars, vans, SUVs, whatever. Allison also helped with that I believe. He is using all that tech that Tony and General Okoye have given him to keep an eye on the hunters. He even has drones and spy cameras on all of their hotels, the church, reception, and I am betting at least half of Beacon Hills” Yvette says happily. “I think we probably have more cameras watching the town than they have in London!”
“Why didn’t he tell me?” Cora demands.
“Stiles apparently got advice from Natasha” Erica explains. “She offered her expertise when he called and explained the situation to her a few weeks ago. I think he doesn’t want anyone to get lazy by trusting any one option. The pixies and brownies are watching them, but Stiles is still messed up about Gerard’s attack. He is not going to tell anyone everything.”
“Which means he probably has a few other things keeping an eye on the hunters that he hasn’t told us about” Kira adds.
Cora flops into the chair. “He might have shared with the rest of us a bit more. Would have been reassuring.”
“Which is why I didn’t” Stiles says as he walks into the room. “We got sloppy before. At a time like this, everyone needs to be their most aware. We can relax a bit once they are gone, but while they are here…we will be on guard.”
“I thought we had a treaty” Cora says sarcastically.
Stiles snorts. “That and five bucks will get you a coffee at Celeste’s. Besides, can you even imagine what we would have gone through in one of their hometowns? I love Allie, and I know she trusts her family and I am fairly sure that the old boss lady will keep her family in line, and while the chance of them betraying us may not be high, it will never be zero.”
“Besides, have you even thought about what Allison would do to any Hunter who causes problems during her wedding?” Yvette asks slyly.
There is a moment of absolute silence broken by loud laughter. “Oh god, I almost hope someone tries something just to watch that” Erica manages to cry out. “It would be insane!”
Kira giggles before assuming a thoughtless expression “Oh, you didn’t know you couldn’t cause trouble?” her face shifts “then I will just have you beaten and dragged out of town by a herd of centaurs” she says in a sweet, Disney-princess voice.
That sets off the rest of them and Stiles catches Yvette’s eye and mouths ‘thank you’. The Necromancer smiles and nods noting that not only is Cora significantly calmer, but baby Lily is happily giggling along with the rest of them.
“Why do I have to go?” Cora says glaring daggers at Stiles.
He smiles. “Surely you want to support your Alpha?”
“And Allison” Yvette adds.
“What about the rest of them?” she demands pointing at the others in the room.
Stiles just chuckles. “Because we are not going to press our luck tonight” he says carefully. “Besides, this won’t be too bad.”
Cora looks at him with disbelief. “Not bad? Have you lost your mind Stiles? This is going to be a nightmare of biblical proportions.”
Kira rolls her eyes. “It won’t be that bad Cora. It’s just a dinner with lots of people there. Everyone will be on their best behavior” she promises.
Cora’s look at the Kitsune has caused braver men to tremble but Kira shrugs it off. “I’m serious. Yes the hunters will all be there, but so will Scott’s family, the Mayor and most of the town council, Sheriff Graeme, and tons more ‘regular’ people.”
“That’s my point. If they are all there, why do we need to show up?”
“Because you are one of the respectable and valued members of the community Cora” Stiles says seriously. “I know you know how many people love you. Since you took over the bank and have been using your family’s money to improve things, everyone just ignores when you get all irritated and consider it part of your charm.”
Cora looks really uncomfortable. “It is pack money” she mutters.
Stiles nods at the point. “Fine. Pack money. But the point remains the same. You are the lost Hale family member who returned right before tragedy struck again. Then you stepped up and kept people in their homes, helped negotiate a new investment by Stark Enterprises, restored the economy of a large part of the area even beyond Beacon Hills, and has been keeping scammers and vultures out of our town and away from our people. The fact is, people see what is happening around the world outside of our little corner of it and they realize how good we have it” he says seriously. “And you get some serious credit for doing all that.”
Cora squirms while staring at Stiles. “It wasn’t just me, you did a lot of that too” she says and looks at Kira and Yvette. “The whole pack did!”
Stiles smiles. “I know. Everyone has done something, but for most of the town, those not in the know, they don’t see everything we do. They get pieces and that means that they only see what we allow them to see. They don’t know about the brownies, but they know that Scott, the visiting packs, and Tara all took charge and rescued all the kids left abandoned. They know that Erica is working on the wildlife center with her new baby. They see Allison working with all the businesses in town, not to mention her company, to keep people employed and the town going. That means that even though the pack and a lot of our magical friends are doing stuff, we need someone to get the credit so it makes sense.”
“And that means I have to attend the rehearsal dinner?” she asks with a resigned sigh.
He laughs. “Well, from what Scott and Allison have said, it kind of spiraled out of control. Instead of a dinner with the two families, it is now a full dinner and reception two days before the wedding for all the guests to mix and mingle and have fun. Besides, with Satomi and Alpha Reynolds both being there tonight, you know it is going to be a show. Marcus is fairly well known by hunters, but Satomi is not recognizable, even if they know her name. The two of them, both of whom are very connected to the Mayor and a lot of the bigwigs of Beacon Hills, are going to make things interesting.”
Cora nods at that thought.
“Did you know that Congressman Whittemore is going to be there?” Kira adds with a wink surprising the other three. “Mayor Martin told me this morning that he was coming for the wedding. She thinks that there will be a lot of donors coming, not to mention that some other big time state leaders may show up as well.”
Stiles looks surprised. “Who?”
“The governor” Kira answers.
Stiles groans. “Oh god, don’t tell Scott and Allie. That’s the last thing we need…wait a second” he suddenly looks excited. “That is the best thing! If the Governor is coming we will have to beef up the security on the ceremony and we can do it with no one being suspicious!”
Yvette laughs. “And I believe that with two Avengers coming, that also will make them all behave like angels.”
Cora snorts. Stiles had gotten word from both Natasha as well as Tony and Pepper and the three had said that they were coming to town for the ceremony, though not the other events. Tony and Pepper were going to combine it with a meeting with the town about the facility and the Governor will probably be involved in that as well. Natasha had decided to play it cool so she would probably be in disguise. Though she had warned him to never count 100% on them as trouble had a tendency to wreck social plans, even for them.
“Okay, fine!” Cora finally gives up. “Let’s all go play nice with the hunters. But I swear if I smell wolfsbane…”
“There you are my boy” Selene says with a deceptively happy tone to her voice. Stiles looks at the woman feeling a bit of surprise by the tension she seems to be under. “We were wondering where you were.”
“Uh, sorry. I thought we were on time. Didn’t it start at 6?” he asks looking for help and frowning as he spots Kira and Cora slipping away from them. “Is everything okay?”
Selene smiles at a couple who walks past them speaking Spanish before moving on with a rather tight grip on his arm. “Stiles. Who are those people?” she whisper yells casting a rather nervous glance at him while still smiling.
“Who? What people?” he asks looking around in confusion before he spots them. The hunters. Dear god they couldn’t stand out more if they tried. “Oh hell.”
“You see? Are those Allison’s family?” she demands.
He shakes his head. “No. Not them. You’ve met Jacqueline, they are not quite so…” he trails off.
“Insane? Dangerous? Just plain crazy?”
Stiles shrugs. “Well, yeah, exactly. Based on their outfits” he glances over at the group of people looking widely out of place, “I would bet that is the German and Boston families…maybe some of the British as well.”
Selene pulls him into a space away from others and looks at him very seriously. “Stiles, you tell me the truth. Is Allison’s family…are they some kind of criminal family? Because if they are…”
Stiles snorts. “Ha! No, that would be manageable. Not that they are above committing crimes. If you ask them, they are the heroes. And to be fair, Allison's family is not all bad, the others...” he shrugs "it is hard to explain."
Selene looks confused and very worried. “Scott…”
Stiles cuts her off. “Is safe. Trust me. The issue is that they do not like that Allison is marrying him. At all.”
Selene’s eyes narrow. “They do not like mi sobrino?” she asks in a dangerous voice.
Stiles loves this lady. “No. They do not think that your nephew is good enough for her.” He watches as the emotions race across her face with some amusement. “Have you met Clarissant?” he asks suddenly catching her off guard.
Selene pauses in what he would guess is a rather elaborate plan to do away with some hunters and looks confused. “Allison’s great Aunt? No, not yet.”
Stiles looks around and spots the rather impressive Grand Matriarch. “Well I don’t know if that is the exact relationship, but why don’t we go say hello?” he says as he takes her arm in his and begins to walk over. He notes the exact moment that the hunters realize who he is. The Argents straighten up but don’t look too worried. There are several around Clarissant that he is pretty sure are not her family but friendly, so he would guess they are the New Orleans and South American families. He hasn’t spotted the Calaveras, the Japanese or the Indian groups yet either, though they may not come tonight. Then again, he sees Scott’s Aunt Felicia talking to a woman who looks rather uncomfortable with a five man entourage that pretty much screams hunters. He would bet that they must be the Calaveras.
“Bonjour Stiles” Jacqueline says happily as she steps up to his other side. “So happy to see you tonight.”
“Jac” Stiles smiles and nods at the girl. He actually likes her. “I thought I would introduce Scott’s Aunt Selene to Clarissant. She is a little concerned about some of the Argent’s business partners” he says glancing over at the group from earlier.
Jacqueline sighs. “They are prétentieux!” she mutters while smiling. “No fun at parties. All business.”
“I heard that they don’t approve of Allison marrying Scott” Selene says with clearly repressed emotion in her voice.
“Hah!” Jacqueline laughs. “Of course not. One, and most upsetting, he is American. That pretty much makes him low class for the Silberers and the Campbells. And he is from California, which is worse for the Parsons. Two, he doesn’t come from the right family.”
“Like the Calaveras?” Stiles asks with a smirk.
She laughs again. “On non! They are almost as bad as Scott. They are too ‘common’ for their tastes” she adds with a sneer. “Besides. You see the tall one with the black hair in that horrible yellow shirt?” she points out casually. “That is Dietrich Silberer. He is a cousin of Rolph, the former head of the family. Distant but still related. Rolph had floated the idea of marrying Dietrich to Allison a few years ago.”
Both Selene and Stiles looks shocked. “Wait, really?” Stiles asks.
“Oh yes” she assures them. “He was sent to Clarissant to discuss it. Of course this was before all the business with Gerard and Kate came out and Allison’s part of the family was ‘tainted’ by their actions.”
Stiles scoffs. “By their actions or by getting caught?”
She shrugs while Selene looks thoroughly confused but he can tell she is listening intently trying to figure it out. “Allison’s Aunt was a serial killer and her Grandfather was a killer too. Racists.” He sees the woman go pale and look like she might pass out. “They both tried to kill Scott last time they were in town.”
“Dios mio! I am getting Scott out of here” she suddenly looks scared. “Wait, where are they now?”
Stiles smiles. “Not sure. Kate went running into the woods after Allison shot her, but she only wounded her. Her dad Chris, missed when he shot. Gerard was running from the family of some people he hurt and well…they were a whole lot scarier than those two were.” He looks at the woman seriously. “Allison and her dad were going to be killed by her Aunt and Grandfather” he says and when he sees how shocked she is he tightens his grip. “Clarissant is a mean, feisty, and cranky old broad who, when she found out, put a rather large price on both their heads.”
Selene’s eyes widen at that statement. “Are you saying that she offered money to…”
“Yes” a rather cultured voice with a French accent says firmly.
Selene spins and sees the rather small elderly French women who is looking at Stiles with concern. “Not exactly dinner conversation my boy” she adds with an elegant arch to her eyebrows.
“No one else heard anything” he says with smile, and she nods and he can see her restraining her laughter.
She turns to Selene. “Perhaps we should talk away from the children my dear” she says taking Selene’s arm “they think themselves so amusing with their lack of manners these days. Saying such upsetting things.”
Stiles watches the Grand Matriarch skillfully maneuver Selene to her table and start introducing her to her family and friends. He isn’t worried about Scott’s Aunt anymore, especially as he spots Satomi walking over to join the two women. While Scott might be mad he said anything, there was too much in the news about Kate and Gerard to hide it forever and its better that she learns about all of that now rather than later. There is still time to smooth things over before the wedding and assuring her that Allison, Jacqueline, and Clarissant are all very approving of Scott will help a lot. Now…time to deal with the other hunters as he starts walking to the group that has been watching him closely since Clarissant came over to talk to him and who look very nervous as he approaches.
“Mr. Stilinski?”
Stiles turns to look at the rather hard featured woman, two men standing behind her looking extremely uncomfortable but trying not be too obvious about it.
“Elena Calaveras” he says politely with a nod.
She smiles and looks resigned. “I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised that you know who I am.”
“No, you shouldn't be. I make it a point to know who enters my territory, let alone gets near my home” he says simply. He looks at her for a second before smiling back. “Please pass on my thanks to your Matriarch for handling that group of Hunters a while back.”
She nods, acknowledging the appreciation and silently agreeing to pass it on. “Tia Araya does not tolerate fools easily and those idiots were only going to cause problems.” She pauses, “We also want to make clear that we are not supporting such actions.”
Stiles raises an eyebrow at that statement. Elena smirks. “I’m serious. My Aunt has been rather vocal about our family taking care of things in our territory and staying out of yours. If I am being honest with you” she leans into whisper “she is still furious at my cousin’s stupidity in coming here.” She leans back, “she has made it clear that if you don’t manage to deal with anyone coming to cause problems here, she will.” She looks back at her escort who both nod with a rather strained look. “I was also asked to let you know that the others” she glances over at the other group of hunters “have been warned rather severely that if they try anything, they will be left on their own.”
Stiles rolls his eyes. “Meaning you won’t do anything. Just wait and see what happens?”
Elena smiles. “Of course not. We will disavow it most loudly.”
“Just hope that they succeed?”
Elena’s smile broadens. “Do you really think that they have even the slightest chance of success?”
Stiles smiles. “Not even a ghost of one.”
“There! You see? We know that you have allied yourself with not just other packs and beings. The magic folk and the like. No, we know you are friends with Stark and his Avengers. And we definitely want nothing to do with them. They are too close to the government for our liking” she adds.”
“Especially some of your family ‘business’ ventures?”
She shrugs. “Hunting isn’t cheap. We have to pay the bills. Besides, many of our soldiers are not family and only used for actions that do not require them to know what is going on. So, keeping out of the notice of police and other law enforcement works best for us. As you are too tied up with the FBI, the Sheriff, and the Avengers, we would rather avoid any problems between us.”
Stiles watches the woman and senses no deception. A quick glance at Cora, who has been listening far enough away that others would think she wasn’t listening, nods at her words confirming his impression. “And her son?”
Elena sighs. “She is unhappy with what happened, but she is realistic about it. The only way she could get revenge that would have a chance of success would be to wipe out you and every ally you have in one move and I truly do not believe that even if the entire Council were to try that we could pull it off. I would advise that you avoid Mexico for the next several decades, but otherwise she will not take any action against you and yours. A truce if you will.”
“You stay out of my business and I stay out of yours?” Stiles asks.
Elena looks thoughtful. “I would instead say that we each do our own business and avoid bothering the other. And if we can keep the peace by preventing problems…say you keeping your kind out of our area and we keeping others who want to cause problems from using us as a backdoor to you, then isn’t that what good neighbors do?”
Stiles smiles, sincerely this time. “I can live with that lady Calaveras. Let Araya know that is a peace I can accept. I would add one other request.”
Elena looks interested. “Yes?”
“There may be some who wish to travel through your territory to come here. I would hope that you will allow them to do so unmolested.”
She frowns. “And who or what might those be?”
Stiles shrugs. “I don’t know. But many are coming here, so I imagine that some will come through your territory.”
Elena looks thoughtful. “I will have to speak to my Aunt, but I believe something can be arranged, assuming of course that they are not acting in such a way as to threaten others?”
Stiles nods easily. “Agreed. If they are killing or something similar, I don’t expect you to ignore it, but I know that hunters tend to be a bit loose with the definition of threat.”
She acknowledges the point. “True. Some of the men are…quick to act. Perhaps we can discuss this before we leave after I have spoken to Tia Araya?
Stiles agrees and she leaves. “That was interesting” Cora says sliding up beside him. “Can we trust them?”
“Did she lie?” he asks.
“Not that I could tell, but you know that some hunters can hide it” Cora says watching the woman talk to other guests.
“And if she was sent here, she is probably one of them” Stiles says. “But logically, it makes some sense. What say we have her talk with you about it after she gets her instructions. And Boyd” he adds.
Cora frowns. “Why Boyd and not Scott or Aiden?”
“Everyone underestimates Boyd. They would be on guard with an Alpha, but I doubt they realize that Boyd is as strong as any Alpha they would have known before. But they won’t see that. One flash of golden eyes and they will be focused on the Hale, they will dismiss him as muscle. He will also be suspicious as hell.”
Cora smirks. “Using that new father distrust of everyone?”
Stiles chuckles. Ever since little Lily Esther was born, Boyd and Erica have been on high alert, especially around strangers. And Boyd was way worse. He would watch the hunters like a hawk.
“Time to eat” Yvette says happily as she grabs them and moves them towards their tables. She and Cora sitting at theirs and shoving a sputtering Stiles off to the main one to sit next to Scott and his father.
‘At least the food looks amazing’ Stiles thinks as he sits down and smiles at Clarissant who is sitting next to Allison.
“Seriously?” Stiles asks, laughing at the other man.
“STILES!” Scott whines.
“Dude, it’s just a tie.”
“But it’s lopsided! I can’t get the damn thing to work. Can you do it?” he asks plaintively.
“Me?” Stiles holds up his hands. “I don’t know how to tie a bow tie.
“You took Lydia to the dance!”
“Yeah but I wore a regular tie. The only bow tie I ever wore was a clip-on” Stiles says not managing to hold in his laughter.
“This isn’t funny” Scott growls, just a bit, but Stiles takes pity on the guy. Everything for the last few days has been stressful but now they are finally here at the big day. Scott and Allison’s wedding. Well, their first one. The public one. Surprisingly things have been going rather smoothly. The hunters who were sent by the families apparently were not only smart, but rather sternly given instructions not to cause problems. Stiles’ spies had managed to confirm Elena’s story and it turns out that Clarissant had let it be known that this was a wedding for a senior member of her family and that any disruptions would be considered a personal insult to her, so the other families, still distracted by the damages from the Snap, had chosen to play nice.
“I know, and I asked for help” Stiles says with a sigh of relief as he hears the door to the room open and Raphael McCall walks in with a smile. “Know how to tie a bow tie?” he asks.
Raphael just chuckles and walks over and quickly ties his son’s tie before turning to look at Stiles. “Who did yours?” he asks pointing to the other man’s tie.
Stiles ignores Scott’s look of betrayal and hurt. “Selene” he says simply and both McCall men wince but smile.
“Your mother would be proud” he says looking at his son. “Well, she would not be happy that you are getting married so young but I know she would be okay after everything.”
“Thanks dad” Scott says softly and turning towards the mirror so that his father and Stiles won’t see the unshed tears he’s holding back. “Have you seen Allison?” he asks to change the subject.
“I tried but her cousins and Yvette chased me out and while they did not say it, there was a definite threat there. Even Nasch chased me out” Stiles says sounding offended.
Raphael smiles. Though both his son and Stiles may be powerful supernatural and magical bigwigs, they are still very young men, and it manages to show up on occasion. He sighs. He really doubts that Scott truly understands how bad things are outside of Stiles’ territory. Honestly, he isn’t sure the government would be standing if it wasn’t for the stability of California serving as an anchor for the entire western US. The resilience of the place, not to mention the quick recovery of a lot of services and businesses has demonstrated that people can get through this disaster. It also allowed for resources to help others. Stiles knows though. The agent is pretty sure that Stilinski has been providing aid and support through Stark and the Avengers even if the packs are not aware of it. The kid has his fingers in a lot of pies even though literally no one knows about him. Stark is getting massive credit for things that McCall is pretty sure Stilinski is doing. He is also sure that both of them are very much in favor of that arrangement.
“It's time to go” he tells them and they walk down to the limo waiting for them. Allison and her family are at Mayor Martin’s house as she had insisted that she had the space and in a way, it meant that Lydia was there in spirit.
Scott and Allison had wanted to have a smaller wedding party, especially since many of their closest friends wouldn’t be comfortable at this service, but instead of reducing the size, it just meant that a bunch more people were getting the chance, thanks to the families. In addition to Stiles as Best Man, Scott’s groomsmen included Boyd, who had made it clear that he wasn’t leaving his alpha alone there, two of his cousins, one from the McCall side and one from the Delgado side, Michael from the Lacrosse team, Billy, and Eddie.
Allison was being escorted by her cousin Jacqueline as Maid of Honor as well as Yvette from the pack. She had five other cousins who had all been chosen and Stiles is pretty sure every one of them were as deadly as Allie and Jacqueline. Cara and Lizzy were flower girls and Selene’s grandson was the ring bearer.
Stiles takes a quick magical check as they arrive at the church and head inside. He senses the pack members who are on patrol runs around town, away but close by if needed. He feels Dave’s clan and the dwarves as well as a few gnomes underground about a half mile away just ‘hanging out’. But everything seems calm and natural. His only regret is that neither Tony nor Natasha was able to make it for the ceremony due to last minute emergencies but they promised they would be there for the second ceremony. He wouldn’t mind some tech back up, but the security system was up and running, Erica was monitoring things, so maybe this will just…nope, not even going to think that and jinx things. He smiles at Scott’s look of confusion and shakes his head before pushing his bro to the door. “Time to get married bro!”
Stiles and Raphael share a look of amusement at the sudden facial shift to dopey lovestruck that Scott’s been slipping into more and more as the wedding progresses. He just wonders if the guy is going to survive seeing Allison in her gown, which Stiles knows is phenomenal. They may be good at keeping teens out, but his astral form did get a peek earlier and he knows Scott is going to be stunned.
Stiles smiled standing next to Scott with Boyd on the other side as they waited next to the preacher, whispering assurances to his brother to keep him from freaking out too bad. They had finally seated all the guests when the music changed and signaled the beginning of the procession. Everyone looked back and the collective ‘aww’ was well deserved as Cara and Lizzy came through the door, white dresses with soft pink flowers on them as they very carefully walked down the aisle tossing flower petals. They had very determined looks on their faces as they whispered to themselves, ‘step, toss, pick up more, step, step, toss’ and continued that pattern. Scott’s smile was huge as he looked at the two little girls that they had adopted in the McCall-Argent household.
Stiles stared at the silver tiaras adorning both little girls and smirked, wondering what the people of Beacon Hills would think if they understood the significance. Each of the bridal party wore one of the silver tiaras, the simplest for the flower girls, an elegant one with fleur-de-les and sculpted crosses on the bridesmaids, a gorgeous one with arrows and trees for Jacqueline as Maid of Honor, and then Allison’s which was a family heirloom. The silver tiara she wore combined elements of all the others with an upright arrowhead at the crown. The amazing thing about them was that there were no gemstones of any kind, just polished silver. Selene and Felicia has asked about it but Clarissant had explained that the family’s ties were to silver, not jewels, so the tiaras had been made to remind the women of their family of their duties, not their privileges and wealth. But he workmanship put that slightly to disbelief as despite being only silver, they were impressive.
Stiles watches as the bridesmaids walk down the aisle, each looking beautiful with an air of competence that makes more than a few men pause. Unlike other ceremonies, the Argents had categorically rejected having Scott’s groomsmen walk with the bridal party. Once again, Argent family tradition held that the women arrived solo. This was to remind everyone that the women were the leaders of the family which often required them to walk alone. And while she didn’t share that reason, her reliance on ‘old family traditions’, and Scott’s agreement, had prevented any real disagreement. Besides, it meant that Scott and his side were able to escort some of the honored guests. Scott had walked with his Aunt Selene and Stiles had brought in Aunt Felicia. The rest of the women in the McCall house had also been escorted by his groomsmen in addition to Mayor Martin. Once they were all there, the bridal party had come.
A slight nudge from Boyd drew his attention back to the door where Jacqueline was entering the room. Stiles smirked, willing to bet that Allison’s cousin was armed even though she had been forbidden weapons by her Grand Matriarch. The look of rebellion in the girl’s eyes confirmed it but he wasn’t worried. She and Allison had grown very close since she permanently moved to Beacon Hills and Stiles was certain that her knives were for anyone who would cause Allie trouble. God protect anyone who tried.
Standing silently he nodded as Jacqueline took her spot opposite him and the music changed and everyone stood up. He could hear the sudden gasp of breath from Scott as Allison appeared and Stiles smiled at the memory. He might not have seen her today, but he had seen a lot before then.
(FLASHBACK)
“The problem is we don’t have enough time” Erica says looking defeated. “I mean there are tons of options for dresses Allie, but to have it fitted and ready for the wedding is next to impossible.”
Allison nods. “That’s okay, we can just get something that doesn’t need much. Something ready to wear.”
Jacqueline nearly spits. “Non! You are an Argent! You will not buy a...a…discount dress!” she is completed offended.
Stiles smirks. Still not sure how he got roped into going dress shopping with the gang. He glances at Cora who looks unhappy, but he hasn’t missed her occasional glance with glee at the salon. They had come to San Francisco and the owners were more than happy to help them. They had lots of dresses and the number of weddings had dropped significantly since the Snap so having them there was very important to the business. And finding the dresses for the bridesmaids, flower girls, and maid of honor was easy in comparison.
Allison kept moving to something simple, Jacqueline wanted couture, Yvette and Erica were looking at everything, Cora just glared, Lizzy and Cara were dancing in their dresses, and Scott’s Aunt Felicia was quietly drinking more and more wine as the day went on.
“Jacqueline, those are beautiful, truly, but it’s just not possible. We need six months, and we don’t have that” Allison reminds her as they look at another dress that is truly stunning.
“Allie” Stiles interrupts “why don’t you try it on. In fact, let’s stop thinking about alterations and time and just find something you love. If we can figure out your style preferences, then we can worry about the details.”
It takes another hour to finally convince her, but she tries one of the special ones that Jacqueline approved and that opened the flood gates. The next two hours were a flurry of dresses until she finally found the one. It was a ball gown style with lace and tulle appliqué over a 100 inch cathedral train. It had a sweetheart neckline with illusory bishop sleeves that gave her sleeves without it seeming real. It was amazing and Stiles could see that Allison was in love. Everyone loved it. Then the blow came. They could get it to the show in her size in one month, but there was no way they could get it altered in that amount of time. Allison nodded politely but he could tell she was heartbroken.
“Not a problem” Stiles says happily surprising everyone.
“Stiles?” Allison asks quietly.
“Well, you may not know this Allie, but there is a really amazing seamstress in Beacon Hills, retired (he says that to the bridal consultant), that said she could do it. So, if we could rush the dress, we can manage the alterations” he says glibly.
“Stiles…” Yvette and Erica both look uncertain.
“Can you see if it can be rushed?” Cora says to the consultant standing up. “We can cover a rush charge” she adds pushing the lady to the computer.
“Stiles” Allison says looking confused the other women all surround him.
“Allie, trust me. Between the amount of magic we have, it won’t take long. I had to promise Eriphise that she could help ‘embellish’ your dress since we couldn’t have the Dryad’s making you one, at least not one that everyone would see, so she is willing to help. We can get it adjusted no problem” he assures her.
She holds for a second, just to make sure he is serious before grabbing him in a hug. Stiles enjoys the hug for about three seconds before he is shoved off as the girls all start gushing over the dress again.
“Two weeks” Cora says coming over. “And they will deliver to the pack house” she adds.
“So, we done?” Stiles asks.
“Well, the dress is new, do we have something old?” Erica asks.
“The cameo my mother wore” Allison says with a sad smile. “My dad’s mother gave it to her when they got engaged, it’s a family heirloom so I am going to carry it with my bouquet.”
Jacqueline looks very happy and approving. “We also have the Argent tiaras as well. But I was also to tell you that the Grand Matriarch is bringing the veil she wore at her own wedding for you to wear, as a loan.”
“So, that’s our something borrowed” Cora smirks. “Now we just need something blue?”
“Ribbon?” Cara asks.
“Flowers?” Lizzy suggests.
Stiles coughs causing them to look at him looking sheepish. “Stiles?” Allison asks slowly.
“Well…Whulibela asked me what she thought you might like and when I mentioned the ‘something borrowed, something blue’ she rejected the borrow because they wanted to give you something so she said they would provide you the blue, if you were okay with it” he tells her.
“What is it?” Jacqueline asks.
“She wouldn’t tell me” Stiles shrugs and the girls start trying to guess. But they never did.
(END FLASHBACK)
But it seems that Whulibela had delivered big time. Because Allison was wearing a pair of sapphire and diamond earrings, bound in sliver of course, that were absolutely gorgeous. Each sapphire was 2 carats and shaped like a teardrop surrounded by a band of diamonds were brilliant against Allison’s skin. Her brunette hair was softly curled and styled with thin chains of polished sliver, almost like tinsel, that made her hair sparkle in the candlelight of the church even under the antique lace veil she wore.
Stiles hears Scott’s beath catch and he notices Boyd’s smirk as he guesses the Alpha’s heart probably skipped a beat and is going crazy as Allison walks down the aisle, escorted by Clarissant Argent, the Grand Matriarch who looks regal in a blue and sliver gown with a much subtler tiara that is silver with diamonds. Guess the boss gets the gems, he snorts.
Clarissant walks Allison up to a stunned Scott and gently hands Allison to him before she surprises everyone and bestows a gentle kiss on his cheek, whispering something Stiles misses before turning and taking her seat in the front row.
Scott takes her hand, smiling like an idiot in love, which Stiles grants is pretty much his default when he looks at Allison, but he deserves it today of all days, and they turn to the preacher. “Dearly beloved,” he begins.
“You okay?” Stiles asks looking at Boyd who definitely looks grumpy.
“Ready to go home” he mumbles too low for most anyone to hear.
Stiles smiles at the beta. He looks to the dance floor where Scott and Allison are happily dancing along with a number of the guests. The ceremony was beautiful and thankfully completely normal. They exchanged vows and rings and kissed to rather loud catcalls, even from the hunters, well…at least the Argent side. The trip to the reception was equally simple and since arriving, they had been celebrating for nearly three hours.
Dinner was amazing, not Celeste amazing, but still a great meal. Then came the first dance, which Stiles admitted to getting a bit emotional over, which was shared by more than a few others. Mayor Martin had cried happily and Scott’s aunts had gushed over Allison and how proud Melissa would have been. Even Scott’s dad was seemingly forgiven by the Delgados, at least for tonight.
Scott and Allison had a wonderful dance and then they brought up others. Scott had danced with both of his aunts, Jacqueline, Cora, Yvette, Mayor Martin, and even Clarissant. Stiles would love to know what the two of them talked about as Scott had blushed furiously the entire time and nearly ran from the room afterwards before coming back. Allison had danced with him and Boyd, as well as some of Scott’s cousins, Parrish, and a number of male hunters from the other families. Stiles could easily spot them as their dancing was extremely formal, with the exception of Martin Boutin, the representative of the New Orleans’ hunters. He managed to make Allison blush almost as hard as Scott had. Stiles had talked to the young man and found he actually liked the guy. He was apparently very happy with Stiles taking care of things in the west, leaving them free to deal with ‘real problems’ as he put it.
The absolutely adorable part was when Allison danced with Eddie and Billy and Scott danced with Cara and Lizzy. Seeing that new little family a bit more secure made a lot of people smile. And the girls were beyond wonderful. He glances over to Cora’s empty spot and makes a quick sense check and senses her and the girls back at the pack house, having left early to get them to bed. The boys were still hanging out.
“Things should calm down now” Boyd says looking around and Stiles groans.
“Seriously!?! Did you have to say that?”
Boyd smirks at the mage. They had been entirely too preoccupied with the wedding. Things needed to get back to normal now.
“I hope you will both be happy.”
Allison and Scott smile at each other before Allison steps in and hugs her honorary grandmother. “Thank you for all the support Clarissant” she tells the woman. “You helped make today possible.”
Clarissant snorts. “Don’t flatter me child. I do not believe for a second that you would not have married your wolf no matter what I said or did.”
“No” Allison says with a smile “but you definitely made it easier for us to do this.”
“Even if it was stressful” Scott adds.
The Grand Matriarch chuckles. “What a line you walk boy. One family full of former foes, one blissfully unaware, and a new one that challenges every tradition, history, or assumption about our world. But then, our world has suffered much from all the damage we have taken.”
Allison frowns, “Is it that bad?” she asks carefully.
Clarissant sighs. “In some ways. The loss of so many has been a terrible blow in so many ways, but it has also made some changes that were needed. People are much quicker to help each other, at least those not weighed down by grief. The rest of the world is not as well cared for as your home. We do not have a powerful mage who protects and heals the very Earth.”
“There have been reports of problems” Allison says cautiously, looking nervously at Scott.
The older woman nods. “Yes. Some old foes have gotten bolder and those that have lost much are often easy targets. It is easy for authorities to dismiss a few deaths when they are already overwhelmed. We have dealt with more than a few omegas who have lost control.”
Scott looks confused and angry. “What do you mean? I thought that the packs were taking in the betas who lost their alpha.”
Clarissant looks sad. “Many did. But packs are not simple. There is fighting for position, fitting in, new and old members. Some of those that joined a pack have left because it wasn’t right. And if they didn’t find a new one…well, you know what happens then.”
Allison looks at her husband (and she loves even thinking that) and reaches out. “It isn’t so bad here Scott. You and Aiden and the others took in so many that needed a place, which was good. And those here are also bound to Stiles, so even the betas who feel somewhat disconnected have chosen to stay in the packs because they want to be here where it is safe. But outside of Stiles’ reach, things are harder.”
“Did you know about all of this?” Scott demands in surprise.
“I have gotten some grumbling about some wolves who have not fit in with new packs” Allison admits and sees Scott start to anger “but not here or really anywhere on the West Coast” she quickly adds. “Most of what I have heard has come from South America, the Midwest and East and eastern Canada.”
Scott tries to find fault, but he knows that they can’t do everything. “But…” he tries to find something and sees sympathy in the older woman’s expression.
“Scott, I have asked both Stiles and some of the other Alphas closer to send someone to talk to them, to help them find a pack that fits better. And to remind them of the danger too. Not hunters” she adds with a smile “but solid betas with good Alphas. In fact, Alpha Delgado has been a great help with that. Since he technically is outside Stiles’ jurisdiction, he has been acting as a kind of wolf ambassador.”
The alpha pauses “Wait, is that what he was talking about when he asked about moving betas around? He was saying that he was working on getting wolves that joined new packs after that day if they weren’t settling in, but I thought he meant just among us.”
“There is some of that, I think. The truth is most of the betas that joined you, Aiden, and Satomi are doing okay. You are all supported by Stiles, and each other, something most Alphas are not used to doing. Javier is trying to get Alphas to talk to each other more, but it is hard to change old ways of doing things” Allison tells them.
Clarissant laughs. “It is not just the packs that have trouble changing. But we are trying, and the ones sent here for this were some of the more willing to embrace change.” She looks at Scott and smiles “I do not think that the hunters will ever truly like you Alpha McCall, but right now? Right now, they respect you and are not afraid of you, and that is a good place to be. Once they have time to settle and realize that they cannot act with impunity anymore, that may change. But until then, you have time to build your defenses, gather your allies, and be ready so that it will not be worth the cost to change the peace.”
Scott looks at the Grand Matriarch “Should you be telling me this?”
She laughs. “I am old, boy. I may not live to see things return to some kind of ‘normal’ but I am not convinced that this change is bad, despite the grumblings of others. If regular people are protected from the supernatural, then I am satisfied. Your friend has done much to stop the wild magic and danger that packs can bring, so for now I am content. If he becomes a danger” she pauses before looking unhappy “then I think it will be bad for everyone.”
“Stiles isn’t a danger to anyone” Scott declares instantly.
She raises an eye “Gerard and his daughter might disagree.” She shakes her head “Anyone with power can become a danger; human, magic user, or supernatural. I hope you are right, for all our sakes, but do not delude yourself by thinking that contingency plans are not being developed.” She sighs, “I am sorry to say such things when we should be happy for your wedding. Consider this an old woman’s worries and instead focus on family and friends.” She looks at Allison “A few new Argents would be most welcome to the family” she smiles.
Allison blushes, as does Scott. “Clarissant!”
The Grand Matriarch laughs, sweeping away the last lingering shadows her words had created. “It is time Grand Matriarch” Jacqueline says coming into the room. “The cars are waiting.”
“Finally,” Clarissant says looking at them both. “I wanted to make sure the others had left and were on their way before we left. It is tradition, but also, I don’t trust most of them.” She laughs and walks out.
“Your family is weird” Scott mutters.
Allison snorts. “You know we are meeting your aunts for lunch?” She smiles in victory at her husband’s groan.
“Oh mijo, your mother would have been so happy” Selene said, tears threatening to start up again.
“That is enough Selene” Felicia gently scolded her sister. “You are going to embarrass both of them” she added looking at Scott and Allison. “Besides, they managed to set a family record.”
Everyone else looks confused. “What record?” Scott asks.
“The couple to add children to the family the fastest” she says laughing. “Day of your wedding and we have four new kids in the family!”
Selene laughs at the looks on the newlyweds’ faces. “Oh true. Even Angelo only added three when he married Teresa. Now, you know we will be expecting you to visit with the whole family next summer.” She looks at Allison seriously. “We have a big family gathering each year in June and we really want to see all of you there now that you are part of the family. And you already know everyone!” she adds with a laugh.
Allison snickers. Scott’s family was definitely more fun than hers was, louder too. Both Melissa and Raphael’s families had shown up in large numbers though she was still trying to remember everybody’s names.
“And who knows, maybe there will be a seventh McCall ?” Selene coos looking at them knowingly.
“TIA!” Scott yells while blushing.
Both of the women laugh, way too knowingly for Scott’s comfort and he glances at Allison who is smiling, but still blushing, though not as bad as he is. “We’ll see” she says coyishly and winks at Selene causing him to start to freak, much to the amusement of all three women.
“Hey, look at the time” he says suddenly trying to move them along. All of them laugh, but they go along with him as they move to their car after lots of hugs, kisses, and then Selene is tearing up again.
“Oh no, in the car” Felicia demands and looks at Scott and Allison happily. “Welcome again to the family my dear, we will talk soon. Have fun on your honeymoon….oh no, the children” she suddenly looks ashamed.
“It’s okay, they are staying with our friends Boyd and Erica to pay us back when their kids stayed with us for their honeymoon” Allison assures her.
Felicia looks really disconcerted by that but then she sighs. “You know, before the world…you know, that would have sounded so much more upsetting. Now, it actually makes sense.” She sighs looking around. “Melissa would really have loved this” she says sadly.
After another ten minutes of goodbyes, they finally head out. The last of the guests from both sides finally leaving Beacon Hills.
“I am so glad this is over” Scott says with a heavy sigh as he pulls Allison into his side.
“So…” they both turn and see Kira standing there with a smile. “Cora says you need to come to the house to talk about the ‘real’ wedding. Now” she adds with a devilish smirk.
“Are you kidding me?!” Scott wails.
Allison rolls her eyes. She knows that Erica, Cora, Kira, and Yvette were not happy with how things ended up even if they agreed that they had to be done that way so now it was time for soothing their family here. At least it is going to be wild. No disrespect to Felicia and Selene and Jacqueline, but there is no better party than a Beacon Hills special and god only knows that this one is going to be insane. She wonders if they will manage to keep it under a thousand.
“So, Cora added a few packs to the guest list…” Kira began as they walked to the car.
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