• The Metachimeras

    Summer 2015.

    Somewhere in Sacramento.

    In this campus special student building with three rooms, five students just moved in. Actually four of them were news, while the fifth was already living here last year and the year before, as it will be his third year of college. But he was the only one who stayed for the fall semester and he needed new flatmates to pay the rent.

    He was planning to take only two as there was only that number of room available but since two guys and girls each answered his offer, he could make it by rooming them while he got one room for himself (because he also roomed for the last two years and it wasn't that small for two people, so they could manage).

    So today, Theo Raeken was waiting to welcome his four new flatmates who will show up at various time since none of them knew the others.

    One of the girl came first. Tracy Stewart, she introduced herself. One would say she's cute, Theo just thought she must be neat with the way she wore her clothes and how she styled her hairs. Really nice hairs. They will certainly bond with how tidy they were.

    He was showing her two of the room she could choose (as she came first) and will share with the other girl, when the second person came in.

    This one started bad. He got just one sport bag and was chewing some gum while introducing himself. Josh Diaz. But when he stretched out his hand, his nicotine patch fell from his arm and Theo wrinkled his nose without taking the hand. He even chastised him to be careful with those patchs as it's forbidden to smoke. The other even dared to retort that's why he used this method.

    The room he'll shared with the others guy was showed unceremoniously at him.

    Said other guy came a little bit later. He didn't have much either but was more presentable and didn't offer his hand even if his eyes did sparkle, to Theo's suspicion and Tracy's curiosity. He introduced himself as Corey Bryant before asking for the way to his room. Tracy pointed it to him but Josh's voice called him from the said room.

    Theo massaged the tip of his nose, already tired. The last flatmate had to be flawless or he gonna snap.

    Girls were a blessing. Hayden Romero was a petite girl but her look inspired trust and confidence of a responsible person. And she was as she promptly told them that she's vegan and the fridge will be separate on five neat parts. Theo liked how she's outspoken and followed her example.

    Once everyone got their stuffs unboxed, Theo made them introduced once more, but properly to each other this time. So, Tracy was 21 and a junior like him and she changed residency because the last building was demolished (it's important to know that as he could determinate their character). Josh was a year younger than them and he had a room in the college campus last year but couldn't afford it for a second year (Theo was content enough to know that he wasn't kicked out). Corey and Hayden were new college students and was majoring in music for the fomer and management and sport as the latter got a scholarship for her soccer experience.

    Theo also learned they're all going in the same university and was somewhat surprised he never saw any of them first hand. Then again, he was majoring in science minoring in history and wasn't really the most friendly person. Tracy was majoring in law and Josh in art, that may explained why they never came across each other.

    "Also, I have a boyfriend who go to the college too. I won't bring him here but I thought that kind of info could be useful," Corey added.

    Theo nodded because that could indeed be an useful if they ever had a problem with him vanishing.

    "I don't," Hayden went on.

    "Well, I may or may not have one night stand. And like Corey, I'll think about not bringing them here."

    "That would be preferable. Because I won't have this kind of problem."

    "I'm OK with either. Even girlfriend," Tracy ended the conversation with a bright smile.

    Theo thought it would be the end of socialization for the day, but then Hayden asked what's the places they could go. And then, everyone started shooting proposition about some place Theo heard of but never go as not having the time neither the want to (and absolutly not because he got nobody to go with). Then, just to have fun and to know each other better, Josh suggested they all go together. And well, he didn't really have a reason to refuse.

    This night, they come home worn, but pleased.

     

    Two days before the start of school, Theo realized they should part chores.

    At first, he just put his own laundry on wash but it was never enough and too much of waste of water, so he asked the boys to put their dirty laundry together while the girls do the same. But as he expected from the guys, they weren't that mindful and Theo usually ended washing his clothes with the girls, parted in light or dark colors.

    But one day, Josh came out yelling he didn't have any clean clothes and summoned a massive laundry day.

    Same for keeping the rooms and dishes clean. Usually, each of them took care of their own, but Corey and Josh ended up with a neglected room even if the laundry were a solved case, and it was also too much a waste of water when they had to wash their silverwares directly after their own meal and the last person who finished rarely want to take care of washing them (a.k.a Corey because he's a slow eater) and the girls refused to eat takeaway so most of the time it's home made by Josh and Hayden (some spanish dishes) so they refused to do the washing too.

    Hence the chores list was established.

    During week day, each of them took run with the laundry, the dishes, the washing up, the sweeping and taking the garbages out. For the week end, they sorted it by a draw. And if really they happened to be too tired to cook something, they could order takeaway but only twice a month.

    They rooming was the best experience Theo could expect, as his last taste with older flatmates wasn't as chill and collective. But being the first and the older was an advantage. That he made sure to not abuse, of course. Not like they won't called him out.

    As the first semester passed, they all got project of their own to spend the christmas holidays but Hayden gave them a present beforehand.

    "Can we opened it now?" Corey asked her excitedly.

    "Of course!"

    They all unwrapped the small package.

    "I thought manual craft was Josh's department."

    "Funny, Theo."

    Theo smirked because he liked taunting Josh and his manual works.

    "Hayden, that's..." Tracy couldn't find the word.

    "I made us friendship bracelets!"

    "At least this isn't some shit like handcuffs," Theo had to add.

    "You knowing those kind of thing still manage to amaze me," Corey muttered.

    Eh, that's an a priori just because he's taciturn.

    "Besides, how could you handcuff five people together?" Tracy noted, always pragmatic.

    "Well, this is even worse! It's made of red string!"

    Hayden showed how wound she's by shouting in spanish, which of course made Josh yelled back in the same language that none of the others three learned (they either chose mandarin -Well, Tracy did- or french).

    "Is it like the one of the fate? Do you want to tie us for life?" Corey brought the attention back.

    "Wasn't what friendship bracelet are for?"

    That... ended up cheesier they expected. Moved, but good to hide it, they just thanked her and appreciated the feeling. Tracy was the one to show the feeling back with a hug, though.

     

    Theo wasn't feeling good.

    And it had nothing to do with his lonely holiday in the building. He will stay alone here for four days only, nothing to worry. But he felt kind of nauseate.

    It wasn't the first time. It's started the last days of school before holidays began. It must be something he ate on the campus. That day, they all chose to eat there for some reason. Wait, no, there was a medical protocol, thus they had to eat on the campus.

    What happened during the check-up, again?

    Weird, he didn't have any memory. And since he never had problem with his memory, something must happen during the medical check-up.

    But knowing that didn't make him feel better, his state even worsened as time flew and when he tried to get up, he was crawling to the bathroom.

    Well, he thought he was crawling. But when he tried to reach the sink, it wasn't a hand that appeared in his vision but a paw. He manly shouted at that.

    However it was a howl that escaped his throat.

    He turned on hismself and discovered that he just...metamorphosed! His hands and foot became black furred paws, he got a (fluffy) tail and a muzzle! He got quite a detent as with one jump he got a look to his face. A black dog. Why did he became a dog?

    At least, his unseasiness vanished at the same time he changed.

    So, he's a dog and he's alone in the apart, chaos ensues.

    When he got back to his human form, he thought everything was just a dream or some sort of hallucination during his sickness as everywhere was a mess, so he quickly tidied the house before the others' return.

    By then, before anyone could enter in, he heard voice outside of the flat. He was violently startled as the voice looked a lot like Tracy having a convo with her dad on the phone. He didn't see her anywhere, and when he tried looking out the window, he was kind of amazed to see that she was there, phone against her ear. Then, he followed her footsteps and how she hung up and pocketed her phone while retrieving the keys to their apartment. It didn't make sense how he could hear all of that so clearly like she's just next to him. Then, she was before the door, putting the key in the lock, and he could hear her heartbeat.

    That was... insane.

    "You OK, Theo?" Tracy asked him as he kept a surprised look on her.

    He tried to recover but the whole thing was incredible. They made small talk while Tracy was putting her stuffs in her room.

    "You had fun?"

    "So much," he deadpanned because he knew it's going to be the main talk between the others as they all had projects contrary to him.

    "Come on, I brought you something. Eggnogs, my granny's special recipe!"

    "You remember to bring your grandma's speciality but you manage to forget your law books? Who's missing who, now?"

    "Oh, don't remind me, now I have to wait my dad to send them to me... Wait, how do you know that?"

    "I heard you talking with your dad."

    That was the wrong thing to say.

    "You heard me...?" Tracy looked strangely at him.

    But the door opened at this moment and Josh came in like a wrecking ball.

    "Hey, I'm home! Did you miss me?" He yelled at the top of his lungs.

    Well, it felt that way to Theo who winced before welcoming the giggy guy. But mostly because he also brought some foods, not because he missed him.

    "Not really, but I did miss spanish dishes and I want that thing that smells really nice in your bag."

    "The... How did you know that?"

    "It smells." Duh.

    But Tracy didn't smell it and the look she exchanged with Josh was unnerving. Theo ignored it by stretching his arm, waiting for the food that Josh did give while still confused. They ended up eating what they brought while leaving some for the others two members of their rooming. None of the two said something again about Theo's oddness but they did end up watching him carefully.

    It was after the next return they couldn't take it and questionned him.

    Because, Theo dead ass opened the door while the other was struggling with the lock and all the bags in his hands and, well, Theo just felt like he should help Corey before the boy let something go. And, as expect, when he turned to knob for him, the younger raised his head to thank him and let go of the key and maybe one of his bag. But Theo caught them all.

    "Woah, that was fast."

    "Really, fast. Will you explain us what happened?" Josh inquired.

    Theo eyed him unappreciatedly to be called out that way.

    "Wha- what's happening?" Corey asked, feeling caught between two fires.

    But Theo just let him in and was closing the door when a hand stopped him.

    "Wait, I'm right here!"

    And with much more force than necessary, Hayden pushed open the door, nearly knocking Theo off.

    "Well, that was faster and much stronger than needed," he muttered.

    "Sorry, I just... I don't know what happened."

    "Well, me neither!"

    And they all turned at Corey's sudden raised voice. But surprise, the boy wasn't anywhere to be seen.

    "I'm here!"

    A set of bag fell from nowhere of the floor while there was nobody there.

    "What's happening?" Tracy chocked.

    "Paranormal activity. You guys shouldn't have leave this place."

    "If it's your way to say you missed us, well, I miss you too, Theo," Hayden recovered, still looking at the empty place where the bags fell.

    "Where the fuck did Corey go?" Josh just asked, more and more confused.

    "Right here, I said!" Came his voice but still nowhere to be seen.

    "Are you pulling a prank on us?"

    Clearly not, as a huff is heard then the set of bags just start being pulled up by an invisible force and set on the kitchen table. Then, one of the cupboard was winded open and things started to fly in the air from the bags to the cupbaord. Tracy pressed herself agains the guys while retreating from the kitchen. Hayden, bracing up, walked into the kitchen and stood on her foot while things stopped flying.

    "Corey?"

    "Yeah?"

    "I think you're invisible."

    "Yeah, kind of guess it as you can't see me," he was grumbling, unpleased.

    "OK. I'm gonna try something. Just, don't be mad if it didn't work."

    They heard a huff but Hayden extended her arm and her hand was raised in the air before stopping short. She contoured something lightly and exchanged a look with the others (still hidden behind the wall) before tugging it softly. She vanished too.

    "Oh, great, now, Hayden disappeared too."

    "Is it some spirit thing? They're going to take us all?"

    "Well, I hope not. I still have to pass my biology course," Theo said before adventuring in the kitchen too.

    He concentrated his hearing on the heartbeat, aside from Tracy's randy one and Josh's more even, there were two others heartbeats and scents in the kitchen, two presences that weren't visible to the eyes. He raised his hand slowly like Hayden did and once sensing a touch, he yanked it away. Hard. Corey stumbled into his arms, while Hayden took appearence a feet away.

    "That's crazy," Josh let out, breathless.

    "You don't say, I just turned invisible!"

    "I heard you. Or more like, I heard you heartbeats, Corey."

    Theo raised his brows to Hayden. "You too?"

    "What do you mean, 'you too'?" Tracy mumbled while touching Corey to check if he's really here.

    "Well, I think you suspected it earlier. I happen to hear and smell something than an average human couldn't."

    "I can't say much about smell, but I definitly can hear heartbeat, like my hearing is enhanced. For a while, actually, it started when the holidays started."

    "Yeah, exactly. I think it has something to do with the medical check-up."

    "So what? You develop some...power? And what?"

    "Well, don't look so frightened, you're not the on who got missing at random."

    "You can't even control it?"

    "Do you think it pleases me?"

    "Could you tone down? You're not the only one with super power," Josh grumbled back because Corey's just being bitchy, here.

    But then, he got a unnecessary motion to tap the younger guy's arm and...

    "Ouch! What was that?"

    "What was what?" Tracy stepped back, because everything starting to weird her out.

    "There was a blow of electricity when he touched me!"

    "That's called an electric shock, you ignorant," Theo rolled his eyes.

    "No, it was more than that!"

    "Stop being so dramatic," but when Josh went to the microwave, the machine just explode.

    ...sparks flew.

     

    "OK, OK, so, since the medical check-up, some of us got some... thing, that changed us and the law of physics. What do we do now?"

    "We could be vigilante and became superheroes!"

    A beat of silence crawled up at this statement.

    "Let's no kid ourself, we're still students."

    "Yeah, besides, I do not have 'power'."

    All of their eyes landed on Tracy as she air-quoted the word.

    "Maybe not all of us got the change."

    "Certainly, I mean, all the student of Sacramento City College couldn't all have changed, right?"

    They just had to find out.

     

    Winter 2016. 

    So, not all students were touched by the gain of power, but others civilians were concerned. As Hayden witnessed some man displaying wings in the middle of the park during her morning run. Corey just saw his boyfriend Lucas poisoning those poor pigeons because they were too loud with a sting out from nowhere (he did have some history with the nowhere). Tracy, for her part, noticed one of the trainee law enforcement open his mouth with many, many row of sharps teeth and then proceeding to munching a wooden stick.

    Theo and Josh didn't saw anything, but that's probably because they were too busy with their power like explaining why the lightbulb of art class explode or how to help Theo's nose from suffering the scent of the experiment in biology class because of the dead animal they had to dissect.

    "This is beyond normalcy."

    "I think we passed this state with Corey's invisibility, yes?"

    "But Corey's invisible, and can in addition take someone else, but I just saw a man displaying wings!"

    "And my boyfriend just unfold a sting to kill innocent pigeons."

    "To be fair, they're not that innocents."

    "Don't project your despise of bird on those poor pigeons."

    "And that one law enforcement trainee got sharp teeth and seemed to have some pleasure to eat anything and everything."

    "Which, put in this light, does seem unsafe."

    "Completly dangerous! I don't even want to go in law class, now. And I got nothing like you guys to protect myself."

    "Well, I too rather not go in biology class for now if that means I will be scent-attacked."

    "This can't be worse than me, I can't go near any place with electricity."

    "Stay outside?"

    "Very helpful."

    They're doomed. Why did it happen to them? Why not the others? (19.04.2020)

     

    They thought about trying to operate with their new found ability.

    If they couldn't do anything about the others, they could at least control themself and help each other in danger (a.k.a Tracy who didn't have any...extra). So Theo could now change at will (into a huge black dog) and even control his hearing and scent and agility, Corey could camouflage himself whenever he wants (and he didn't abuse it to avoid his now dangerous boyfriend, since Lucas didn't want to see how abusive he's using his ability for), Josh could actually absorb electricity (which made him high more than nicotine did) and manipulate it (without making any appliances explode), while Hayden kept her speed and strentgh in check (so no to cheat with in soccer) and could sense another with ability.

    Like the one who could extand bones through his skin that were as sharp as spikes.

    "I'm scared..."

    Tracy's voice cracked and Hayden felt the urge to do everything in her power to reassure her friend, but her attation was entirely turned on the new person.

    "Maybe if we play dead, it will let us go?" Corey suggested in low voice.

    "Good one, buddy. But we can't turn invisible," Josh whispered back.

    Then, he got an idea and nodded to Corey. The latter stepped closer to Tracy and took her hand, they disappear from sight instantly. But it triggered the worewolrine-like person who charged to them. Hayden charged too, because she felt it was her job. Using her new strentgh, she put her hand onto the man's chest, where she hoped no extra bones would extende. It did seem to stop them partially, but as she was the one to witness it, Theo charged behind her in his canine form. He jumped into the creature that stumbled back, spitting dark fluid.

    A growl excaped the creature and the group of friend thought they just angered it instead of putting him down. Josh, who didn't have any electricity beside him, yell to Corey to run wherever he was with Tracy. And the walking bones started to turn berserk and clawed at whoever on his path, so Theo went flying across the campus and Hayden ended up rolling on the ground while Josh tried a mission kamikaze by leaping on it. A scream that looked a lot like Tracy distracted him and was send flying too.

    With how he land on the floor, he saw Corey and Tracy took appearance back and the boy immediatly hit the ground. But it wasn't the fall of someone scared, even if he did look scare and paralyzed, it was more like he was attacked and couldn't move now. Tracy was frozen on the place and wasn't better. The creature couldn't care less about her state as he zapped a bony (as in with a lot of bones) hand on her.

    Yet, Tracy stood on her foot like nothing happened.

    She wasn't even injured. The creature noticed it and went to give a second strike, but this time, Tracy reacted and just raised her hand to touch the osseous arm first. The creature ended up on the floor.

    "What... just happened?" She sobbed.

    "Good question," Theo groaned while taking back his human form.

    He checked on Hayden first, she was alright but shaken by the hit, then they came help him and Corey to sit up. Except, if Josh recovered, as he got super healing like Theo and Hayden, Corey rested paralyzed.

    "Well, Tracy, I have the honour to tell you that you also have some ability. Paralyptic one," Corey informed her, being one of the victim.

    "And some shelter against sharp bone."

    A sudden move coming from the bony creature put them on the edge and they quickly stood to go home, while helding a paralyzed Corey. They didn't get the chance to see some mysterious figures coming from the shadows and downing the paralyzed creature who was already struggling with his black barf.

     

    "Yeah, OK, so now that we're all have special ability, what do we do?"

    "I stand we could play the heroes and stop others people who got too high of their own power."

    "You call that power, now?"

    "It does look like it."

    "But we're not running street at night to stop them. I mean, one of them is my boyfriend."

    "That you're avoiding since the start of the semester. Why not face him about it rather than let him commit other fellony?"

    "That we're meant to stop!"

    "Please, chill the F out. We can bearely keep up with a bony creature, let alone a poison stinging creature."

    "Stop calling Lucas a creature."

    "We all are creatures. We're part of the human creature, who happened to gain some extra, uh, faculty."

    "Reassured by your own science explanation?"

    "What are you going to tell me, then? It's...magic?"

    "I'd use the word supernatural."

    "Paranormal."

    "Unnatural."

    "Anyway, as you all define all this abnormality, I object the suggestion to play heroes."

    "Ow, come on."

    "No, like, I could see you as being superheroes with capes and masks, but me? In my human form, I can just hear sound farther away or smell scents like no one else, and didn't those aptness remind you some animal? Yes, a dog. And jokes on you, I actually transform into a dog."

    "That does remind me of a certain gang."

    "If you're comparing us with the Scooby gang just because I can take the form of a hound, I'm gonna strike you so hard that you'll regret the bony creature didn't hit you hard enough."

    A minute of silence for even thinking Theo as Scooby.

    "Come to think about it, the strike did hurt so much.... I mean, I'm not saying I want to try it again, but didn't you guys noticed how we heal rather faster? Except for Tracy who had her own protection, of course."

    "Uh, yeah, now that you say it. I mean, I did feel a sharpness cutting through my face and I'm not disfigured... right?"

    "Absolutly not. Still beautiful."

    "Not the time to flirt, you two. So we got super healing and extra capacity?"

    "Just call it power, please."

    "Still not doing the superheroes thing."

    Worth a shot.

     

    Life kept going on.

    Corey did face his boyfriend and start to avoid him more now that he threatened him to sting him if he kept bugging him about not using his 'power' like a cheat code. Josh tried to find a way to keep an electricity devise beside him so he got to use his power at anytime, not such luck. Tracy was now more reassured to have some durability of her skin and didn't tensed so much while seeing the shark teeth-like creature. Hayden didn't come to sense the bone creature again and remained concentrated in her soccer training and science class.

    Theo carried on his life, now that he won't have to worry to change into dog just for the sake of being a pseudo band of superheroes.

    Till that one friday night.

    There were two girls fighting. Or kind of fighting, not sure. Black barf that reminded something to Theo were dripping from their mouth and nose, and that must be the proof they're already drained. But they kept on their slacking hit like they had to. And Theo didn't know what to do because last time he crossed the path of a uncrontrollable creature, it attacked him. And he rather not do it again.

    He didn't get much choice, as the girls seemed to sense his presence as much he could hear their heartbeat. They both charged onto him. He managed to ward off the firts strikes, but then the hits were multplying and he had to transform and bark at them to at least warn them he could bite too. He just didn't expect to develop more about his ability. Claws unfolded from his hands and he made a show to scratch them. They were surprised and jumped back, more wary about how to attack him now, so he pushed his luck by howling.

    Another howl answered him.

    And then two figures jumped out from nowhere. The girls felt threatened, thinking they were his reinforcement, he too was hoping on that, and chose to fight them off. They just didn't think the newcomers would be that strong by overpowering them with just one blow.

    Theo was speechless as two wolf-like creatures saved his life (which already took an unexpected turn since the medical check-up).

    They both approached him carefully. And he was taken by how their eyes were glowing red and blue while their features took more a human face. Theo blinked several time and checked his hands that lose the claws.

    "Are you OK?" The guy asked him.

    The red in his eyes lingered sometime before fading, and Theo nodded slowly at the insistent look.

    "Do you know them? Why were they attacking you" The girl questionned.

    "Malia, be gentle, he was just attacked," the guy reminded her.

    Gee, thanks, he almost forgot he was asaulted. By two assailants nonetheless.

    "I don't know them. Neither do I know you, but thanks for the help. Now, if you excuse me..."

    He made a step to leave, but he heard clatter that stopped him right on the spot. Seconds later, three black claded people came to the scenes and, not even glancing at them, they injected the two girls.

    "What are you doing?" The guy roared.

    Like, for real.

    The three steam-punk dressed get up and barely looked at the duo of human-wolf and walked to Theo. He stepped back instinctively, but they didn't approached more.

    "Condition terminal, they were failures," one of them said with a sizzling voice.

    The two others nodded and they vanished into the night.

    Struck, Theo turned to the two others. The guy was leaning to the two girls, dead.

    "What was that?" The girl blurted.

    Good question.

     

    And not the last one. As they were arguing about what to do with the corpses. Because even though they were...put down, their appearance were too abnormal to let the local police work. Theo did say a word as they seem to have to be used of that kind of thing (paranormal, unnatural, supernatural, your pick) but when he made a move again to go, they shot him a look.

    And that's how he got two (dead) bodies and two (alive) creatures in his apartment. Tracy and Hayden were so going to yell. Josh and Corey would argue about difference between heroes and undertakers (as heroes have to defeat villains, sometimes). And Theo already got a headache.

    That was not the worst part, the guy and the girl called another person and soon the flat was filled of strangers, that knew more about what's happening than him.

    "Sorry to bother you so late, Mason, but did you get something?"

    "Well, for one, I'm not sure to know what kind of creatures they were, but what they were injected is the same composant that we found on the guy that tried to attack you," Mason said examining the corpses.

    Maybe the verb would be autopsying.

    "So, you guys already come across of that kind of thing?" He had to ask.

    Because, hello? They were in his flat (now empty but when his flatmates will come home it would be so hectic they wouldn't remember there are corpses) and he didn't know any of the people here (just the name of two of them: Malia and Mason) and there are two undeterminated dead creatures. The night's gonna be long.

    "We, uh, did have to deal about the supernatural a lot, but that thing? Is kind of new."

    "What? The death or the black barf?"

    "The black barf. We had our set of death," Malia was quick to say.

    He nodded, because what could he do?

    "And you are?"

    "Right. Sorry. I'm Scott, this is Malia and Mason. We're a pack."

    "A pack of?"

    The three tilted their head and squinted at him.

    "You're new to this?"

    "Oh, I didn't say it? I thought I was pretty clear with my surprise of seeing you so calm! I mean, it's not everyday you got to see two lunatics girls attacking you, then said girls being put down by three steam-punk horrors and having to deal with the corpses with three strangers in your flat!"

    He was being dramatic. No scratch that, he was totally reasonable to burst.

    And to add more about his case, the door of the apartment opened on Tracy.

    She glanced at the corpses on the kitchen table, then at Theo, then at the three strangers, then outside of the flat and closed the door before her.

    Scott bit his lip and shot a worry look to Theo. Theo sighed and went after Tracy.

    "Tracy, I can explain."

    "I don't know, Theo. Was that really our house because I have a doubt with the corpses in the kitchen!"

    "Corpses of chicken. Surprise!" He made up quickly a story to the annoying neighbor who passed them. "Well, can you really say you didn't expect it? I mean, we crossed the bony guy!"

    "He was alive!"

    "Who was alive?" came Hayden's voice.

    Theo hated when his friends did that. You know, coming one by one.

    "I need a group talk."

    "Yes." Tracy hissed.

    "OK, but can we go in, first? I'm kind of worn."

    "Oh, I don't advise you to."

    Hayden frowned at her roommate and shot a questionning look to Theo. He wanted to shot that look to the three strangers in their kitchen. And bingo! The door of their place opened and Scott's head appeared shyly.

    "You can come in, it's decent, now."

    "You got guests?"

    The shock in Hayden's voice would be funny if the situation wasn't. Tracy did have a dry laugh, though.

    The kitchen was free of corpses, to Tracy's relieve. But when Hayden looked at the three strangers, she frowned her nose.

    "Theo, why does it smell funny?"

    "Funny? I think it's totally the opposite."

    "I would say, you all smell weird too," Malia sniffed.

    "How dare you? If you're going to be disrespectful in our place, you're invited to get out to not smell our weird scent like you said. But I was actually speaking about some rotten stuff that... oh, my god! Are they dead bodies?"

    So they hid the corpses in the lobby. Gonna stink.

    "Hayden, is that you?" The black guy suddenly shout. "I didn't recognize you at first, it's me, Mason!"

    His intention was to distracted Hayden from the corpses, and it worked as Hayden lessened her frown.

    "You know each other?"

    "Liam Dunbar's friend," Hayden muttered, little unpleased.

    Theo and Tracy shared a look, because they didn't know any Liam Dunbar they should be aware of.

    "You know Liam?"

    But Scott and Malia knew this guy, it seemed.

    "We went to the same junior in Beacon County."

    And that picked Theo's interest. "Beacon County, as Beacon Hills? Wait, so, you're Scott McCall!"

    Scott nodded at the guy's apparent recognition.

    "You know him?" Malia asked, even more surprised.

    But Scott was hesitant.

    "Oh, wait, Theo? As in Theo Raeken?"

    "Yeah."

    "Yeah, OK. Happy reunion. But could we go back to our main problem? Why are there two dead bodies in our house?"

    Right.

    "None of us did it." Was Theo's answer. (20.04.2020)

    "You bet you didn't! But that does not explain their presence."

    "They were creatures-"

    "Yes, were, as in now they're not, because they're dead!"

    "Let me finish! They were attacking me!"

    "Again?"

    "What do you mean again? I thought you were new to this," Malia interrupted their yelling.

    "We already encountered a similar situation, to be attacked by some unnatural creature, but that's the first time I had to witness a death. Yeah, no, two death in a row!"

    "And there are more. Death, I mean," Mason added after checking his phone.

    "You're not bringing it in out place," Tracy shot immediatly.

    "Of course not. But, uh, could we told the others to come here, too?"

    The pre-law student sighed heavily. "How many?"

    "Three?"

    "You're not sure?" Hayden frowned.

    Scott and Mason shared a look, like they knew the answer wouldn't please them.

    "Four, they're four," Malia finally responded.

    "Whatever, maybe we should also call Corey and Josh to come back," Theo mumbled while checking the his phone.

    "But Corey's at work and Josh at this frat party."

    "Yeah, well, soon, they couldn't do anything else with a three serial killers targeting us!"

    "Okay, okay, I call them to get home," Hayden said.

    But Tracy questioned him. "How do you know we're targeted?"

    "Tracy, I know you kind of in denial, but those people? The two dead? They were like us and the bony guy because they gain some sort of extra ability after the medical check-up, and I'm pretty sure the three steam-punk killers were the cause and now they're putting us down for some reason!"

    "That's a lot to register."

    "Well, try undorgoing it! I thought I was going to passed out when they appraoched me!"

    "But you're alive..."

    "For how long?"

    "Don't be dramatic. I can...We could defense ourself now, remember?"

    Theo wanted to believe her.

    When everyone was there, it happened they all came together. And the fourth person from the pack was indeed someone they wouldn't appreciate. Well, Hayden especially.

    It was the infamous Liam Dunbar.

    "Oh, that Liam Dunbar? Your nemesis from junior high? Well, the world sure is small," Josh guffawed at Hayden's expence.

    "How come you told Josh and not me?" Tracy took offense.

    Because, the hell went the girl power?

    "I told you! You didn't listen!"

    "Yeah, in spanish maybe. Excuse us for not being bilingual like you!" Corey snorted.

    "Right, and who are you?" One of the new people asked.

    "Well, first, you're in our flat, so the respectful thing would be to decline your identity first, and are you all unfazed to see a dead body or what?"

    Of course, Hayden would snap. It was just a question of time, and the presence of Liam Dunbar didn't help. It seemed the guy triggered some nerve.

    "Oh, how I wish I could be fazed by the sight of corpse, but I had to be used being me," a red hair girl said melancholically as she checked one of the corpse.

    "Right. So, Theo, Tracy, Hayden, this is Stiles, Kira, Lydia and Liam."

    "Corey."

    "And Josh."

    "And two dead bodies on our kitchen table," Corey noted thoughtfully. His look was considering about buying a new one.

    "Yeah, sorry. There wasn't anywhere else to put them..." Mason said with an apologetic smile.

    Tracy had to smile at that. At least, they didn't put them to one of their room.

    "So this is your pack," Theo resumed at Scott. "You still didn't tell me of what."

    "Well, that's the funny thing. Usually, a pack is a bundle of wolf, or other canine like animal, you know? But in supernatural way, it's about pack of werewolf, or werecoyote."

    Theo eyed the guy that explained him all that, and the guy, Stiles, took his silence as to pursue his explanation.

    "So, what's funny with us is that we're a mix of all that. Like me? Human." He pointed at the Asian girl, Kira : "Kistune, or fox for you English folks," at the red hair, Lydia : "Banshee, harbinger of death," at Malia : "the famous werecoyote," and at Liam : "the only beta werewolf of our Scotty!" Finally, he turned to Mason and introduced him with more emphasis : "And this is our emissary in training!"

    "Human," Mason added because that he had too.

    "OK, and what's an emissary?"

    "A druid. A human who know about the supernatural, sort of secret guardian that practiced a little bit of magic."

    "A magician," Josh translated.

    "A druid. Magician sounds like they know a lot of prestidigitator trick, which, I don't."

    Well, knowing how to pronounce this word was already a trick, so yeah.

    "And the pack of you, what do you do? Travel the California and stop the dangerous creatures that threatened the secret of supernatural?"

    "Or solving mysterious death that cross your path?"

    "Like a Scooby Gang?"

    Theo shot his friends a look, not liking where the conversation is lead.

    "No, we're just a bunch of student minding their own business till one day, our leader is attacked by some weird creature that we never heard of."

    "So, not some secret superheroes?"

    There was disappointment.

    "We could."

    "But what are you guys?" Liam spoke up "You didn't smell like werewolf, and come to think about it you do share some scent with them..."

    Designating the corpses. 

    "Like what? Death?"

    "No! No. That wasn't what I was implying! I just mean..." The poor guy shot an alarmig look to his pack, but nobody was looking at his way.

    "You all smell off," Malia intervened.

    Liam sighed, relieved. "Yeah, that."

    "Well, concerning were creature, Theo could be one."

    Like Theo expected, the subject was leading to this way.

    "Yeah, you did shift like a werewolf or a werecoyote," Scott reminded him.

    "I did?"

    "You don't remember? You extracted claws and fangs."

    "Fangs?" Corey chocked.

    "Yeah, and you disappear, what's the odd," Tracy reminded him.

    "Wait, what?"

    "OK, that will wait. What do you mean, claws and fangs? I thought you just transform into a d- a hound?" Hayden asked quizzically.

    "You full shift?"

    "Full shift into what?"

    "Well, a wolf!"

    "Theo said it's more like a hound." Josh thought it would be useful to pip up.

    "A huge black hound. That totally look like a wolf!"

    "So you wolf out and full shift like werewolf but do not smell like one."

    "I do not?"

    "Unless you're inhibiting your scent."

    "How do we do that?"

    "Are we sure he's not a werewolf? He howled."

    "You howled?"

    "Yeah, that I did. Is it that important?"

    "We need to know what you are so we could prevent and stop those three killers."

    "And what they're creating you to. Because that guy that attacked Scott with those glowering claws was attempting his life!"

    "They were talons," Mason corrected Stiles.

    "Same."

    "Not really. Claws belong to mammals whereas talons go to raptors," Theo explained.

    Lydia aknowledged it with a nod. "and those two got sharps claws like needle."

    "The only thing that match them all are those black liquid their body rejected. And that must be the sign they had to be put down, right Stiles?" Kira noted it.

    "Right! Scott, you know, just after we part with you and Malia, we got attacked too. There was this guys that couln't stand me after he heard my name and then he opened his mouth, there was way too many row of sharp teeth! Thanks god, Kira was there to gelp me!"

    "And then, he died, which make me retrieve you," Lydia added in the story.

    Kira was quick to defend hersef, as there was only one conclusion. "But I didn't kill him! An arrow impaled him and Liam said there were this strange sound like sizzle."

    "It must be those three killers."

    "Three in one night."

    "And that guy must be the law enforcement trainee," Tracy recognized the shark-like teeth.

    "Now, his body couldn't even be treated by the law enforcement."

    "Why not? I mean, they just got little extra...?" Hayden prompted, unsure.

    "Yeah, because of course the cops will believe his extra teeth are from surgery and that arrow landed in his back by accident!"

    "Could it be they're hunters?" Lydia suggested. "I mean, they did put down only the uncontrollable creatures."

    "Of course, there are hunters." Theo scoffed, outpassed by the events. "But they must be really great at camouflage because they passed for medical service. That's how they got us."

    "They also injected something to put them down, not really hunters method."

    "Rogue hunters?"

    The hunters suggestion was too good to be forgotten, so they kept it in mind.

    "We should analyze this black stuff, it's the cause of death it seemed. And maybe extract some of their blood, and then our, to see what's in common."

    "Dude, does that mean we're lockdown? Because I signed up for some extra hours to the club," Corey pouted.

    "Do you not have any survival instinct? Our life is threatened."

    "Yeah, well, I didn't met any weird clad serial killers, so..."

    "Didn't you hear anything we just said? They attacked from a distance."

    "Then, we could be targeted in here too."

    That...wasn't reassuring.

     

    Fortunately it was on the week-end of Winter Break and the Pack decided to stay longer in Sacramento. While most of them went to San Fracisco college, with the exception of Scott who studied at Davis, hence the creature got to attack him in his Sacramento shirt, he took a quick trip there, but as he got great friends (pack) they came too.

    Theo and Lydia did their science research of the black barf and their blood, bonding through their sciences knowledges, with Mason assiting them. Scott was helping Hayden developing her sense and strentgh and everything she gained, with sometime the help of Malia (as female figure for boosting the girls power) while refusing coldly the presence of Liam. After learning about the type of Kistune is Kira, Josh trained with the Japanese girl and inspired from her belt-katana to have a pretty same tool with him (so he could always have some electricity which was, you know, the source of his power). Since Corey insisted on working, Liam acompanied him, as a bodyguard, even if both of them insisted that Corey could manage, being invisible and all. But no, leader's voice's louder than their, plus prevention is better than cure. It left Stiles and Tracy, and since her power looked a lot like the Kanima venom that the pre-law enforcement -another one!- already had experiences with, they stayed together. Besides, both of their major will most likely led them to associate in the future (you know, law and law enforcement). And Stiles did dig some common point that Tracy could have with another law kid that got the Kanima poison power.

    As expect with the research, the science team (Mason studying anthropology) got a result by the end of the weekend. The black liquid contained mercury, a corrosive material in silver color while on the ambient temperature, that of course was the cause of death. But what stood out is that the blood of the three deseaces all got mixed with the mercury, and the same goes for the five friends. Discoveries didn't stop there, they got medical info on them, and all of them got tissue or organ transplant which make them react unnaturally with the modified mercury. Because, of course, every other mundane people got a shot of the modified mercury that didn't make them anything, but once a generic chimera (that's how people with graft are called scientifically, they possessed two set of DNA) got in contact with the silver liquid they develop supernatural power, yet aren't supernatual creatures.

    "I second we call ourself metachimera."

    "Your love for comics is what make you an enjoyable person," Stiles complimented.

    As a Batman fan, thus DC, the future law enforcement totally get the reference of metahuman. Human that got superpower, y'know? And since only generic chimera got superpower, the term metachimera just made sense.

    "Still nothing heroic as we're targeted by serial killers."

    "Dude, don't you read? Or watch show? It's when we're targeted for our power, that makes us heroic."

    "Then, I don't want to be a hero."

    "You don't have choice, here."

    "Isn't the whole point of life? We don't have any choice?"

    "Are you all so depressive?"

    "When you know that your life will end in the near future and unable to help it, it's kind of reaction to have."

    "But you guys didn't reject the mercury yet," Kira tried to cheer them up.

    "It's just a question of time."

    "Maybe we could talk with those three people and make a deal with them?"

    "They don't seem to be the talkative one, if you remember," Malia said dryly.

    "We could try."

    "It's not like we got others options. But let's see how we proceed. From what we gathered, the metachimera got superpower, that they could lose control. They could sense a fellow peers, and not just because they lose control of their shift. Said phenomenon is accompanied by black barf, and this is when the three horrors show up. Did I forget something?"

    "Nop, everything's there."

    "Let's just wait to see who will lose control first, then."

    "That wasn't very conforting."

    Well, the whole story wasn't conforting at all.

     

    Turned out, neither of them did first. But Corey was the one who saw it.

    As being on holidays, he got an entire shift in the club where he performed some songs. Liam witnessed some of his performances during his watch and had to admit the guy's great, and now that everyone was free to entertain themselves in Sacramento, he invited Mason to enjoy the show too.

    Maybe it was some heteronormative thing to do, knowing that Corey and his best friend Mason were gay, but Liam thought they could bond or get along if not romantically. And boy, Corey's voice was a pleasure to the ears.

    And Mason wasn't the one to notice it as during Corey's break, some guy approached him.

    It just happened to be Corey's boyfriend (statue to be undeterminate), Lucas, who's also a metachimera. That Mason didn't know, what he saw was that the unknow guy was bothering Corey while the latter didn't want to have anything to do with him. As a decent person, Mason had to intervene, you know?

    But Lucas didn't appreciate and lost it. A sting appeared and was aimed to Mason.

    "Lucas, no!"

    Corey, knowing it would eventually happen, jumped on the druid and made them invisible. When Lucas regained conscious, he swore and begged for Corey to come back, that it wasn't his intention, he just lost control. That only should be a hint about his state, but Corey was too shaken and ignored him while still hidding against the wall, pressed against Mason. It was a moment, but the cry just increased to an alarming rate of scream.

    "Corey, you had to help me! They're coming for me! Don't let them take me!"

    And then, in a slow motion, the three horrors came in the club and yanked Lucas on the floor. Grey-silver drops splashed everywhere and some splattered on Corey's pant.

    "Corey, help me! Help me!"

    But Corey didn't move and the scream stopped abruptly. The three people shot a glace to the hidden duo like they could see them, but eventually turned their heels and vanished the crime scene. Leaving a lifeless body and two traumatized young men.

     

    "I could have done something."

    "Not really, your power had nothing offensive."

    "I could have try and help him."

    "Don't be so hard on yourself."

    Hayden shot a pleading look to Theo but he just shook his head. Corey had nothing to blame himself, nobody could have react properly face to those three killers. They were unexpected, they were imposing, they were murderous. But Corey was faulting himself because he had refused to even listen to his boyfriend when he was seeking his help. He let him die, and this will stay with him forever.

    On the other side, Mason was also blaming himself. Saying stuff like he should have been ready, they planned it like the day before, merely few hours passed and he just sort of forget he could have done something. But what?

    "Why are you so moody? We planned something, sure, but we didn't expect it to happen so fast. So we failed, but sack up, we're still alive, so we're gonna fight next time, right?"

    "Right, like the old man said : if you have time to blame yourself, use it to plan your next move!"

    "...What old man would say that?"

    "Every veteran that lost someone."

    That was insensitive.

    Lydia sighed after hanging up her phone call. "I called Jordan to retrieve the corpse and since there isn't a Nemeton here, he's going to guard all the corpses."

    "Starting to grow rather quick the number."

    "You don't say, that was the sixth one."

    Stiles had to count all the dead bodies they had known till then.

    "How come? We knew there were the two girls, the one that attempted me, this one and...?"

    "The guy that attacked Scott and some Berserker-like creature."

    "What's a Berserker?"

    "A mystical warrior that wear bone armor that incread his strentgh, they're like, really tough and strong."

    "The bony guy!" Josh hissed.

    "Why are you calling him that?"

    "He extended extra bones from his body."

    Fair.

    "Where is Tracy? Didn't we say to stay together?" Hayden asked walking out of the room area after helping Corey to walk to the boys room.

    "Chill, she's with Kira."

    Theo's phone rang and he went to answer it. Hayden quitted the kitchen after reconforting Mason and asked Malia to go for a walk. She wanted to check on the wing-guy, since it rested just this one they didn't have news. Since the others didn't mentioned him, he must still be in control and not in the killers' list. But better safe than sorry.

    But Theo opened the door violently before the girls could make a move.

    "Oh, my god," Hayden let out breathlessly.

    On the door step, Kira was supporting Tracy who was vomitting dark-gray substance.

    The check up on some unknow guy had to wait.

    They placed her on the couch and tried to clean out the liquid from her nose and mouth so it wouldn't impede her breath. But the fluid kept spilling out and she started rambling, panickly. She reached for the first arm before her and pleaded with fear in her voice.

    "They're coming! They're coming! Don't let them take me!"

    Theo tried to break out from her grasp but she was using her unexpected strentgh.

    "Be careful with her venom!"

    But too late, Theo was paralyzed and locked between her shaking arms when she passed out. Silence fell on this scene and no one risked a move.

    Kira eventually stood up and explained to her boyfriend what happened when they were out. Scott tried to reconfort her as the Kitsune was quite shaken by the events that came quickly. She could only make a call to Theo while helping Tracy to their apartment. But the metachimera was weakened and totally scared and Kira didn't have super strentgh like her shape shifter friends, so it took longer and the fear of being attacked while running was draining her, because then Kira couldn't even defend them. But they did it, now they just had to wait for their arrival.

    When they came back to the living room, everyone gave the convalescent some space while Theo was recovering from the venom. But he didn't move from his spot even then. He was just wrappping his arms around his friend's slight frame and stayed unmoving.

    Mason suggested to put mountain ashes before the door. It'd be an adding protection plus the muscle of the pack and it'd give him something to do and be useful.

    Lydia get up and help him with the task, like she couldn't bear to be close to a sickly person. The rest of them just decided on the tactic to deal the attack. Maybe Kira should be placed against the window, in case they really do attacked from a distance. Josh would be put on the other side of the flat, if they send them some flying weapon then he could reject it with his control of electricity. Malia and Scott were the brawn and will be ready by the doors. Hayden suggested that they coud also place someone outside of the flat, just to weaken them if they do appear like civilized people and use the front door.

    But it was risky and that also meant they had remove the mountain ashes as none of the supernatural creature could passed it.

    So, for the night, the pack was on watch. But it turned it wasn't Tracy's time yet.

    The following morning, Theo found some of the pack asleep on various place of the house, while Corey was prepping breakfast.

    Hayden hold out a cup of coffee and he accepted it gratefully. He then watched her tend Tracy's hair on the side as sweat was accumulating on her forehead. She wiped it slowly, like fearing to wake her up.

    In the kitchen, they heard the pack discussing about the next move. They first thought the three killers would act up at night, as they could move easily in darkness, but maybe they will try to get them in daylight. Or maybe, Tracy got some delay. Maybe they were waiting till the modified mercury would entirely invade her system and reacted then. Because the silver stain onf Corey's pant was still a clear-grey, even 24h after. And Tracy's barf were darker. There were a lot a suppositions but no answers.

    By the next day, when there was still no sign of attack either from the distance or directly, they started doubting.

    "I can't take it," Hayden huffed. "I had to get out of here."

    "I don't think it's a good idea. Maybe they were waiting for us to part way and attack at this moment."

    "Even so, we can't stay here and do nothing. Besides, the food is running low."

    "I could do the grocery," Stiles proposed.

    He shot a look to Lydia, as they were human and could pass the barrier against supernatural. But the Banshee shot him an annoyed look, while designing the determinate look on Mason. Which was unfair, because Mason got some trick in his sleeves and Stiles couldn't do anything without his bat.

    "I appreciate, really. I'll just get out quickly and check on the guy if I can, then I'l be back, OK?"

    But Malia was reluctant to leave, certain that something could happen if they go out. And they should never look down supernatural instinct. But Hayden was also stubborn so Liam proposed to go with her. Hayden bargained internally but eventually let it go. They weren't in the best moment to have an argument and he's the only one OK to get out while she need assitance. Not like she couldn't take care of herself but she could start puking up dark liquid whenever too.

    And then, surprise : she could pass the barrier.

    "Oh, another problem to add on the list," Stiles sighed dramatically.

    Liam tried to pass too, in case Mason and Lydia let a breach. But nop, the mountain ashes barrier was on.

    At least, now, they're sure the metachimera weren't supernatural.

     

    In the late afternoon, they had to admit that something happened to the two young thug that insisted to go out. They didn't received any messages from them and neither was answering.

    "Could it be they were abducted? But by who?"

    "Corey, my dude, this is not the best time with hypothesis. We had enough problem on the hand."

    And as a cue, Tracy started coughing badly. Like the last two days, everytime she coughed too long, she ended up throwing the dark-grey-ish mercury and this time wasn't exception. Except... except, it was an exception as the substance was clear enough to pass for silver. They tensed and the air started crackling. Or maybe there was actual sizzling like anouncing their arrival.

    Nothing passed throught the windows and the door was savagely destroyed. Three steam-punk clothed killers came in one by one like a parade, a horrifying defile where they took all the obstacles one by one with just reaching out a hand and shocking each of the member of the pack in some sort of trance. One of them turned to Mason who was trafficking something in the corner of the room, but before he could reach him, an invisible force stopped him. Not too long, as a shock wavered before the killer and Corey's body fell on the floor. Still, Mason was unreachable to them as a thunderbolt was shot at them. And to be more dramatic and menacing, they absorbed the lightning into their gloved hands. But Kira wasn't deterred as she used her katana to send them other lightning bolt again and again till Mason finished what he was doing.

    An ultrasound broke the apart and the three horrors finally fell. Kira ran to her boyfriend and her friends to check their state. Except Scott, they were all regaining conscious from some sort of illusion. The alpha was having an asthma attack, thing that never happened since he turned into a werewolf. While Kira and Josh were helping their friend, Theo used this opportunity to question the freaks that threatened their life.

    "What did you do to us? Where are Hayden and Liam?"

    The one with the helmet of gaz mask tilted his head, while the others two were struggling with the aftermath of an ultrasonic emitter. Even though Theo was feeling the result too, he stood his ground and tightened his grip on Tracy who was rattling against him at the sight of her assaillants.

    "Theo, help me! They here for me!"

    "Tell me how to cure her!"

    "You have to choose," the sizzling voice came up.

    "Between what?"

    "Tracy or... Hayden."

    What.

    "You got the nerve to negociate when we defeated you?" Theo growled while snatching the ultrasonic device from Mason to threaten them.

    "Hayden or Tracy?"

    "Why would I get to choose?"

    "Hayden of Tracy?" They stood their ground.

    "Theo..." Tracy was imploring.

    Theo exchanged a look with Mason, he was as frightened as him, then he glanced at Tracy's mercury-bloodied face.

    "Lead me where you kept Hayden and Liam."

    He grabbed tightly the ultrasonic emitter to push them. With the device with him, he got some pressure on them and if he kept them away from Tracy, she got some delay. But he had to find what they did to Liam and Hayden. So, he asked Mason to tie two of them and keep them incapacipated while he went with the one who can still talk. He didn't have much time to check on the others, but they're basically all breathing and he couldn't wait any longer to see if they're safe, so he quitted the flat with the enemy without looking back.

    Hayden and Liam were kept in some basement, confined into a cell. But the place he was brought looked like an operating theater and there was a body on a seat. A lifeless body, probably the wing-guy. The seemigly doctor stood there even if Theo keep threatening them with the emitter.

    "There is a cure to fight what you did, right? What is it?"

    The other didn't anwer and just pulled out a syringue from his stuff.

    "Answer me."

    He got his thumb on the button so he could disable them with the conflicting frequencies, but before he could act, the syringue was shove at him. Not inside him but before him.

    "What do you want me to do with that?"

    "There is a cure to save your friends. But," He cut Theo who was eager to know what. "But, you had to do something for me."

    "You're not in position to bargain."

    "You're in no place to refuse."

    Something inside Theo made him freeze on the spot and he wasn't able to argue.

    "What do you want me to do?"

    "Inject that to your friend Mason."

    "Why? Isn't it modified mercury? I don't want to create other metachimera and have their death on my conscience."

    "Chimera," he corrected "and only failure got to die. This one is the success."

    "What about me?"

    There was no answer for this.

    "You can save your friend once you inject Mason, the perfect chimera."

    "So your objective wasn't to kill Tracy?"

    "She will die anyway. We rather supress the failure before they go rampage."

    Theo tensed. "Why should I believe you?"

    "Go inject him and I'll give you the cure you want for you friend."

    "And me."

    "Go inject him."

    "I need something to stabilize Tracy's state."

    There was a pause and Theo feared they would refuse, but they retrieved another syringue from their stuff and shoved to him again.

    "What's that."

    "Something to delay her imminent death."

    "Will it be enough for Tracy and Hayden."

    "If you're fast to inject him, you won't need the stabilizer since I'll trade you the cure."

    "Is there really a cure?"

    The doctor walked out from his threatening stance and stopped in front of some tank with green water and a humanoid inside.

    "This is the cure. The green serum could save a million of life if I allowed it."

    "And why wouldn't I just kill you there and take the green serum for Tracy and free Hayden?"

    "Then I had to kill Hayden in her condition terminal."

    With that said, he extracted a crossbow from his sleeve and targeted the cell he said Hayden was. Theo didn't know if it's true, but he couldn't risk it because he didn't stand a chance against them even with the ultrasonic emitter with him.

    "Go inject him."

     

    He freed Hayden and Liam to their surprise.

    "Come on, we had to return beside Tracy."

    They didn't question how he came here because the mention of Tracy made them guilty to be abducted while the metachimera was on her lowest point.

    When they came back, Stiles and Malia were owerpowering the two doctors but the interrogation didn't go the way they want as they two remained silent. Corey, Lydia and Scott were OK, but still shaken and Kira, Josh and Mason were helping them as much as they could while glancing time to time at Tracy.

    They were so glad to see them coming back.

    "Hayden, Liam, you're OK!"

    While they're reuniting, Theo went to Tracy's side. Her heartbeat was slow and her breath was even more difficult to catch. She was sweating and could barely keeping herself from coughing. When she felt a presence against him, she forced her eyelids to open and she smiled when recognizing him.

    "Theo, you saved me."

    "Yeah, I won't let anyting happen to you guys. I promise."

    He patted her hairs gently and passed an arm under her neck. She humed, content at the touch and closed her eyes again.

    "I know, dad, thank you," she whispered, not with them anymore.

    Theo gulped and injected her in the neck.

    "What are you doing?" Came Hayden's voice.

    He didn't respond and placed Tracy back on the couch, she was still breathing and her heartbeat got a more even pace. Hayden noticed it and breathed once again.

    "I thought you were... euthanizing her," she shrugged as it explained her doubts to him.

    "I know. Do you need a shot, too?"

    He pointed at her mercury nose-bleed and she just wiped it.

    "What's that?"

    "A sedative."

    "That's what he give you?"

    He nodded.

    "Isn't there anything else?"

    He hesitated.

    "So...We just had to make them talk."

    He nodded.

    "We'll find a way. There must be a way," Scott assured him while panting heavily.

    "Yeah."

    This night, he passed a call to Jordan Parrish, even if he didn't even know who is that. Lydia said he's a hellhound, a creature that guard the supernatural from the humans and he's the one that retrieve the dead bodies from the doctors' experiment. He gave him the address to go to the basement so he could collect the corpse in the operating theater. Of course, neither the tank of green serum nor the doctor's stuff were in place anymore. But Theo wasn't counting on that, he knew the doctor will move because that's what they agreed. So he walked to Scott who was on watch and injected him the sedative, a black wolfsbane the doctor said. It was a natural protection against supernatural, and even an alpha like Scott would be passed out at this content. Once done, he walked to Kira's sleeping body and shot her Josh's electric device. It owerpowered her so much that her kitsune spirit fight for control inside her. Then, he went to Mason's slumber and unprotected form and injected him.

    All of that, under those two doctors' eyes.

    The following morning, Scott and Kira were feeling off, like devolved.

    While Josh was prepping the food, Stiles and Lydia took the rest of the interrogation on the hostage, even though the word would be too high as the third one didn't have much thought for them since their goal were close. Hayden and Liam, feeing guilty to be taken and missed them the occasion to have them all, stayed in the apartment when it was decreted there was no reason to staying inside when they caught two of the badies. So Mason, Corey and Theo took a walk outside with Malia. As the metachimera was still feeling weak from the fight and the illusions he was send by the doctors, a little air would be good.

    Theo, to entertain him, full shifted (as Malia liked to say) and helped Corey and Mason change their mind. Malia was watching them, a little envious as she's still learning to full shift again. They did some grocery, that Hayden and Liam couldn't do as they were abducted, and was retreating back to the flat when Mason said he had to do something. They parted way, and it was probably the best as chaos was raising inside.

    Kira lost control over her Kitsune spirit. She was slashing with her katana and sending thunderous attack to Josh whenever he was too close to her. And she was speaking Japanese, something she didn't know how to, as being a Kitsune made it difficult to learn languages. And Scott couldn't stop her because he was feeling dizzy. Then, the worst happened, one of her thunder bolt touched the two doctors and seconds after they were free.

    In the middle of the havoc, no one paid attention as they were more worry about their life being taken by one of their friend. Stiles was shouting at his best friend to do something, Scott was yelling he couldn't even control his shift and Liam suggest Lydia do something. Lydia refused by saying that if she use her banshee scream, she didn't know if it wouldn't wound Kira too badly. Malia argued that as supernatural, they're weak against electricity and oh, Kira's a Thunder Kitsune, too bad. Hayden was shielding Tracy with her body and Liam shielding her whenever the blade came too close. Corey asked Theo if the sedative would work on Kira and the two made up a plan.

    Theo was distracting the Kitsune with Josh, while Corey went invisible to inject her.

    After being electrified and some injured, Kira was finally inconscious. And then, Hayden was spitting out mercury.

    While they tried to maintain her condition, Lydia received a text and Stiles finally noticed the absence of their prisonners.

    "Guys, we got a problem."

    "There are numerous death outside."

    "The two horrors escaped."

    Easy to connect the dot.

    "Wait, Mason is missing!" Liam shouted.

    "He said he had to do something," Corey explained.

    "That's such a bad timing!"

    But fortunately, Mason came back allright.

    Except they got three unconscious allies with them now.

    Or maybe, they still got some chance as Jordan Parrish called Lydia. But they should be aware of bad new first. So he started texting her about being careful as there were several death in only one evening, like, some beast striked. Then, he called her to report that among the victim (23), four were werewolf and they were a pack of five members. Meaning that the fifth member was now the apha and was running for his life. And then, he was just outside of the appart with a newly beaten werewolf, because the newly alpha bite an innocent and got shot by a passing hunter that was now investigating about the slaughter.

    "And here we thought you were telling us you're joining the fight against those three horrors."

    Stiles grumbled as he watched the newly werewolf sitting on the kitchen table, the one two corpses were on it, sipping a glass of water.

    "I'm still working on that," Jordan said. "I got a call that give me their address and after searching closely their lair, I find wolfsbane and crossbow, very dangerous to the supernatural."

    He brandished the two exhibits wrapped in some transparent bag. The wolfsbane was in liquid form and in the color of black, that looked a lot like the sedative Theo used. He received some glanced but no one commented. Tracy, Hayden and Kira were still breathing and their heartbeat were correct, nothing wrong.

    For some reason, after discussing with the new beta, Alec, Scott felt his strentgh came back, probably some pack mentality, even if Alec didn't actually said he wanted to be part of the pack. Which was understandable as they were fighting a beast. That Jordan knew about.

    "The hellhound inside me knows what it is. He's known as the Beast of Gévaudan and lived 250 years ago. The legend said it was killed by a maid living at Gévaudan with a silver spike that she forged herself."

    "OK, and what your hellhound said about defeating him?"

    "He's the one to stop him but there still will be someone to empale him with the spike."

    "And where it is?"

    Jordan shrugged. Which wasn't really helpful.

    "But wait, if it was aready been killed, and here he appeared again, that means it was ressurrected?"

    "Which means the three horrors were the cause."

    And Theo knew who the beast ressurrected into. Mason. He was the one that part way with them earlier and then 23 deaths were announced, four werewolf, who one was the alpha of the alpha of Alec here.

    "How will us find the beast if we never saw him?"

    "It's like tag again, but instead of three horrors freaks, it's an horrifying beast that we had no chance against!"

    "Stop whimpering like a child, you're scaring the atual kid."

    Aec jumped in the kitchen, recognizing they were talking about him.

    "We should send him off, the poor kid. He had nothing to do with that."

    "Yeah, we neither."

    "We kind of do, now. The guy that attacked me was the experiment of the three killers that ressurected the Beast, that killed a bunch of werewolf, one who happened to turn Alec."

    "I still don't see how it concerned us. This is not Beacon Hills."

    Oh, because they were Beacon Hills' protectors?

    "Wait, do you all come from there, too?" Josh asked.

    Theo didn't think it was the time, but now their life were threatened, they won't got other chance to chat, so why not?

    "Yeah, the pack was created there and Parrish was deputy of Beacon County." 

    "What do you mean 'too'?"

    "Well, I come from here too," Josh shrugged.

    "I also lived in Beacon Hills outskirts, but didn't school at Beacon Hills High," Corey said.

    "That's a good thing," Stiles muttered.

    "Come to think about it, I did see Tracy during senior year," Lydia recalled.

    And Hayden lived in Beacon County and went to the same primary school with Liam and Mason. And Theo lived in Beacon Hills prior to fourth grade. Like it was a condition to be chosen by those killers' aim and being a genetic chimera.

    "Did you guys never notice how mess up the town was?" Malia said.

    "I must be high most of the time."

    That didn't surprise Theo, knowing Josh now.

    "I was kind of avoiding all problem." 

    And now, Corey would be the one to be avoided with his power of invisibility. Tracy and Hayden would say the same excuse, the former being shy and close-off and the latter being just a resident of the County. 

    "Well, I moved out of Beacon Hills, so I dont' know it was that bad," Theo admitted.

    The pack shrugged, because it was. 

    "Whatever, I can't leave the city without doing anything to help," Scott was determinated. 

    If it could help him relieve, if the pack leave the city, the Beast would likely get out too. But Theo couldn't say that because that mean he helped ressurrect the Beast, which was totally the case, but he had reason!

    He had to take the green serum the doctor promised. Thing was he didn't know where to find them as they moved their lair out to not be caught by the hellhound. Maybe he shouldn't have call Parrish. That was stupid.

    He sighed heavily, tired.

    "Hey, you OK?" Scott took him apart.

    He nodded casually, not feeling talking and be caught in his lie.

    "We're going to save them, I promise. Don't lose hope, OK?"

    Theo had to smile at that. Even with his uncontrollable girlfriend, Scott's reconforting the other. And thinking about that made him more uneasy. He was also the one that provoked this case. And the doctor knew, he manipulated him until the end.

    So, this night, when everyone was asleep, he got out and went too the lair, he didn't have much to lose at this point, so why not trying. The doctor was there.

    "So, the serum?"

    A recipient of green serum is thrown at him, it was as much as he could get from a bottle of water and he had some doubts if it was enough. If he didn't mistaken, all four of his friends were failures as the doctor said only Mason was a success. Which meant...

    "You did a great job, for once."

    He tensed.

    "What do you mean?"

    And he froze, because he wasn't the one who said it. Scott stepped out of the shadow and walked to them. He wanted to say the Doctors weren't surprised but the thing was he had no idea how the doctors were reacting as they had a mask-helmet.

    "Now the beast is ressurrected, we don't need you anymore."

    "It's not like I want to work with you."

    "The Beast will kill all of you like he did 250 ago."

    "What's your objectif? Why do you want to ressurrect him?"

    "Because his story is unforgettable. and the man behind him even less."

    "The man behind him?"

    "Sebastian. Sebastian Valet, the identity of the Beast."

    A chill ran through Theo as he got what the doctor meant. The Beast may be ressurected but he was only hosting Mason's body for now, but once he got to remember he used to be Sebastian Valet, he's going to answer only at this name and Mason will be dead. But it wasn't his problem, right? He just wanted to save his friends.

    "Now you got what you want, you can go."

    And Theo just complied. Even though, Scott was following his steps, he knew he wouldn't let him go.

    "Theo, will you explain me what was that?"

    "Look, I'm sorry, OK? But they didn't leave me choice! They promised they'll cure them but they want me to... help ressurrectin the Beast."

    Though he didn't know it was the plan. Albeit, even knowing wouldn't have stopped him to save his friends.

    "I'm not blaming you, but you had to admit that what you helped doing wasn't good. Because excuse my language but the Beast will kill us too if we don't do anything."

    "We can't do anything! We better leave this city once I'll cure them with that serum!"

    "No, Theo! I know you know who is the Beast! Or the person they're hosting, I need you to tell me save them."

    "This is not possible!"

    "How would you know if you don't try?"

    "Look, I injected the person, OK? and I know they didn't know they're the Beast, but if you tell them they are, you'll just remind them that Sebastian Valet is under their skin and that person would definitely disappear under the Beast! So we better run now we still have the time."

    "Are you for real? Like, do you really think we could escape the beast? He killed 23 people just because they were on his path! And Parrish said the first time, the amount of death was around 500!"

    "It rested enough for a city, in my opinion."

    "Theo!"

    "Scott. You wouldn't appreciate the answer of your question."

    "I will be the judge of that."

    "It's Mason."

    Scott sucked a breath and stopped walking. Theo didn't know why but he stopped his track too, while he should hurry to his friends' side.

    "But he isn't a genetic chimerism, he would have said something."

    "How would I know?"

    Scott turned his heels and rushed to the doctors' lair.

    "What are you doing? They're probably not there anymore!"

    They weren't, but the Beast was.

    "What he's doing here?" Theo swore.

    "Mason!" Scott called him.

    Of course, the Beast didn't aknowledge the name and chased after them, wanting to make them the 24th and 25th victims. Using their super speed, the two managed to escape the Beast but it was probably because the hellhound intervened too.

    They stumbled into the flat, a huge mess now they looked at it, but it wouldn't be a problem because Theo will save his friends get out of there. He injected a quarter of the serum to Tracy and waited for the result, because he didn't know if he could trust the doctor. But when Tracy's heartbeats pumped at a normal speed, he breathed and injected the same amount to Hayden.

    When their condition was good enough, he sat and just looked at their even breath. He's broken of his stance when Scott moved beside him and was gazing at his girlfriend.

    "I'm sorry what happened to her."

    "The doctors too?"

    "Yeah. They need something to distract us, I think Kira's power was conflicting with their, I guess."

    Scott stayed silent.

    "What actually happened?"

    "I'm not sure. I think it has something to do with Josh?"

    "What about Josh?"

    "I don't know, his power's about electricity, right? Her thunder Kitsune must sense a boost of power or something and now the spirit is overpowering her."

    "Well, I knew that Josh's electricity could boost her the first time, but I didn't know he had to be close to trigger it. Maybe if she coud learn to control it, we had a chance against the Beast. As all supernatural fear the electricity."

    "Oh, now you think we got a chance?"

    The snark was too unexpected for Theo who shutted up.

    "Well, if we work together, we could have a chance. I mean, I wouldn't want to lose Mason, his death would devaste Liam, which would trigger his anger, and unablanced his control over his wolf."

    And Scott would end with two uncontrollable were creatures under his tutelage, who also happened to be the closest member of his pack, his girlfriend and his beta.

    "First, we should maybe estrange him of Sacramento for a while, just to be sure. Besides, we also have to take Alec away of there too. Do you know someone who could take care of a newly bitten werewolf?"

    "Assuming that we're not target by the hunter? Yeah, an old and Buddhist alpha at Beacon Hills. Her motto is non-combatant werewolf."

    "Even better, Liam knew the alpha?"

    "He knew some of her beta."

    "It's set then. And Stiles could drive them here, since he doesn't want to be involved in the battle. Now, about the hellhound. He said he could restraint the Beast, but it need someone else to put it down and the better woud be with the spike."

    "Yeah, but where to find a spike that date of 250 years ago.... Oh, wait, doesn't the doctor know personnally the Beast? That means he knew where is the tool. Maybe he had it with him!"

    "Why would he keep it with him the weapon that killed the Beast? I would had  get rid of it at his place."

    "Don't jinx! We better hope the spike is with the doctors."

    They stayed silent.

    "You do realize that we're planning on how to defeat the Beast but not how to separate it from Mason, assuming Sabastian's spirit didn't already invade it."

    "Yeah, well aware."

    "Did someone at least have an idea about the real story of the Beast of Gévaudan? Did the maid really existed?"

    They didn't got the chance to deepen the conversation as Mason came back. And it was Mason and not the Beast, even if his clothes were soaked in blood and got burnt then and there. The three men carefully watched each other.

    "You OK, Mason?"

    The younger man nodded silently and walked to the bathroom.

    "I'm not even sure he even recognize himself as Mason."

    "Maybe, Lydia could call him."

    "Isn't Lydia calling for the dead...? Oh, yeah, make sense."

    "Then, we're ready?"

    They still didn't know where the spike was, if the Hellhound was OK as Mason/Sebastian came back unscathered and how to help Kira or even if Corey and Josh need the cure or not. He also wasn't even sure the cure was a cure.

     

    So, they didn't have to worry about the hunter, Joran Parrish came earlier this morning to tell them that the Beast made another five victims during the night and the hunter is one of them. The others were the three doctors and the guy inside the tank. Jordan had to get rid of them. Scott lost his jaw, but recovered and quickly asked Stiles to acompany Liam and Alec to Beacon Hills asking for alpha Satomi's help.

    Once that done, he asked a war council with the members still there, minus Mason who was the threat and Kira who was unconscious.

    Theo discovered happily that the serum worked and the girls wake up healed, with not even a hint of mercury inside their body.

    "So, how do we help take down the monster?"

    "We better not call it a monster," Theo said warily while shooting a glance to Mason who was chatting with Corey.

    "The beast killed 28 people."

    "Yeah, and the first time, there were close to 500, nothing to be scared of."

    "Well, we should be on warning stance..."

    Right at this moment, Josh coughed and thrown up silver liquid. That worry Theo very much as the shade meant how bad his body was. He quickly injected him the quarter of green serum but the bad was done.

    When Josh fell, his body produced some lightning at the end of his hand that touched Kira. The kitsuna's body must have healed from all the black wolfsbane as she stood and fastly draw her katana belt. Thunder clattered everywhere and touched Mason and Corey. If the first snapped to a survival instinct, the second didn't got much luck and ended to be victim of the Beast's claws. And before he could make more victim, he escaped from the thunder kitsune, who still speaking in Japanese, who went after him.

    Scott was quick to go after them.

    "Well, that was fast," Lydia mumbled before following the supernatural creature.

    Good gried, because a banshee remained firstly a human with human endurance.

    "OK, I go retrieve the spike if I find it on one of the body," Jordan said before bursting in flame.

    Malia was running in the other sense from everyone and rushed out of the room with the talons of the first metachimera Scott met. Apparently it was a key thing for her to bring it on the battlefield. But Theo didn't have the time for that, he had to save his last friend from the mortal wound and the modified mercury.

    And well, if he didn't believe the doctor, now he had to as even his eyes showed him the truth. Corey's injuries healed in a blink thanks to the green serum and he stopped puking up mercury instead of blood.

     

    Later, when two guys of their rooming woke up matched the moment where the pack came back.

    Like in their totality.

    Even though they tried to drive away (literally) Liam and Stiles, the two managed to come back as the battle ended. Mason was saved thanks to Lydia's Scream of his Christian name. But first, it was Kitsune Kira that stopped the Beast with her divine thunder that nearly electrified the entire city, but with the power of love and Scott's alpha roar, Kira regained control and even got her third tail (something of about Kitsune's nine tail) and during that time Malia used the talon to steal some of the Beast's power (now she can use the extra power to full shift again). So when, Lydia called Mason's name, the Beast separated from Mason and Parrish came with the spike which was actually one of the doctor's sword-cane and then using his hellhound power he caught the soul of the Beast and Scott empaled it with the spike. End of the story where Stiles drove him and Liam in the middle of a finished battle.

    At least, Liam found his best friend again (even if he didn't knew he was losing him).

    And Theo got his friends safe too.

    (Mason broke himself in apology to Corey, because the last image he got of him was a bloody Corey hurt by his-the Beast's claws.)

    Everyone returned to their life, with the McCall pack meeting up time from time to fight against some enemy otherwise they're wide spread in California. Scott at Davis, Lydia at Stanford, Stiles and Kira at San Francisco and Liam and Mason at Santa Rosa.

     Everything's fine. 

     

    Except, he had to admit something.

    He knew the doctors before this story. They're called the Dread Doctors and the three of them got a title each. The surgeon, the pathologist and the geniticist. The first was the one who lived 250 years and wanted (and succeed) to ressurrect the Beast of Gévaudan because he had his own story that nobody will know, now that he's dead.

    But like the Surgeon said, Theo finally done something for them, as in they knew each other for a long time.

    They were the reason why Theo's a Chimera, the first succesful one, actually. But he wasn't enough to ressurrect the Beast.

    They first met when Theo was eight. For some reason, he got their attention and they lured him into power and a better life. Having abusive parents who ignored him for his older sister Tara, Theo was really pleased to hear that kind of speech. So when they said that everything would change if he got Tara's heart, he didn't think twice and let his sister die of hypothermia, leaving him be transplanted of her heart.

    The fact that one got two set of DNA made them genetic chimera was the condition to be metachimera (or just chimera), but if the genetic chimerism was made with two look a like DNA the chimera would be a succesful one. But the Doctors never found the perfect subject again so they took Theo with him from Beacon Hills. Since the Raekens were devasted by their daughter's death, they totally forgot they had a son and Theo's vanishing just counted as another lost child. Theo's life with the doctors started from there.

    They weren't particulary fond of him but when he wanted something they gave it to him, so he ended up having spoiling surrogate parents and fake friends whenever he asked to. But growing up with three crazy scientifics wasn't the best childhood, so when someone who called him out and made him bad, he'd ask the doctor to supress his memories so he could start over. It was like a game he could reset, whenever it pleased him.

    So, at the start of the year, he wasn't a third year college student, in fact, he never went to university till this summer, when the Doctors choose to experiment in Sacramento. He just write his own story and memory before being set again. He woke up thinking to be a science studen living in this decent flat and wanted to room with other people. Because at this time, he just wanted friends.

    The doctors allowed him and even gave him sedative to slow down the four chimeras close to him so he wouldn't lose them too quickly even if they were failures. They overlooked his freegoing for a semester, but had to trick him about the medical check-up because he was starting to be so fond of the subjects he's going to throw a tantrum if he just find them dead. But they let him go way too much and he finally believed he was never part of them. But well, the Dread Doctors were good to spoil things up.

    One of the most vivid memory he got was two years ago, the last reset before this one. He was in that small town with a lovable pack, he bonded with the beta and wanted to have them in his pack. Except, when he took the power of the alpha, the beta rejected him. And enraged, he let them all die to the hands of failed chimera, who then were put down by the doctors. To avoid a similar case, he set his new character as a nerdy student who just want friend. And just friend, not pack because he wouldn't think about failing their relationship. With them, the Metachimeras' born. 

    (It was his sort of redemption.)

    He just hoped they will still accept him even after his story.

    Because he really just want to be their friend.

    (21.04.2020)

    End