CHASING PHANTOMS // TEEN WOLF [bxb]

THIS IS A DANGEROUS GAME WE PLAY

***

With Peter high as a kite on epinephrin, he and Scott left to distract the twins and lure them away while Derek, Jake, and Stiles headed to the basement with Cora and Jennifer.

"Thank god it's still here," Stiles breathed in relief as they approached the ambulance, acting quickly and opening the back doors. He climbed up and sat on the bench for more room to turn and help Derek ease Cora in and get her properly situated on the gurney.

He didn't realize Jake had walked off until he heard him call for Derek, looking up in confusion and peering out of the back only to swear under his breath at the sound of the new voice.

Jake noticed that Jennifer started to stray while they were getting Cora settled so he gravitated after her and abruptly stopped when he followed her line of sight to the dead EMT laying face down in a pool of blood.

"Derek, we have another problem," he informed him warily, unaware of how much of an understatement that would be in a second.

"Looking for these?" Kali asked tauntingly in almost song-like tune as she walked into view, spinning the ambulance's keys around her finger for emphasis.

Derek walked around the corner of the vehicle just in time to see Kali appear, his gaze flickering between her and the dead boy. "Get in the ambulance," he sternly ordered Jake with a push to his arm.

"He stays with us, remember?" Jennifer stopped him from going anywhere as she carefully placed herself slightly behind Derek for protection. "And I hope you know you can't take her on your own," she said to see if he had a different plan.

Derek clenched his jaw as he weighed his options, which weren't very many and none of them promising. "That's why we're gonna run," he decided as he started backing up.

Jake had no choice in the matter because Kali's growl made it for him. Jennifer took off as soon as Derek said the word and Jake wasn't far behind her, sparing a quick glance at Stiles on the way to make sure he stayed there.

"Wait— dammit!" Stiles cursed and leaned back into the ambulance against his wishes, silently pulling the doors shut and hunkering down to avoid being seen until they were in the clear.

While he wanted to help, Cora would be defenseless if he left and Derek was counting on him to protect his sister. Stiles just had to trust that Derek would look out for Jake in return.

"If your attachment issues get me killed, I swear—" Jake threatened as they ran, nearly bumping into the woman he was speaking to when she suddenly slid to a stop to go left at the hallway intersection instead of right like Derek.

"The elevator!" Jennifer exclaimed in lieu of a response, making the decision for them by running for it. "Come on, Derek!" she yelled at him when she turned and he still wasn't inside.

With Kali appearing in the doorway that blocked off the hall Derek had been about to run through, he shoved a gurney in her direction to delay her and turned to run into the elevator with them. Thankfully, it bought them just enough time for the doors to close in her face right before she could jump inside.

As if their luck couldn't get any worse, the moment of reprieve lasted all of two seconds. The three occupants shared look of concern and confusion as the lights flickered out and they felt the elevator come to a stop probably not even a few floors up from their starting point.

"You're shitting me," Jake deadpanned in the darkness, looking up when the backup generator turned the emergency lights on but the elevator still refused to move.