✓ | battle wounds, scott m.

chapter ninety.

Ella helped Scott onto his bed, his breathing heavy. "We gotta find them. It's Mason," Scott told her. Ella nodded, "I know. Everybody's looking." Ella went to swipe away the papers on his bed but he stopped her. "What?" Ella asked. "Nothing," Scott said. Ella noticed a paper that said scholarship resumé. "It's just a scholarship. I missed the due date," Scott told her. "We'll figure it out," Ella assured him, "Right now, you're not going anywhere until you heal." Scott groaned, leaning back into his pillows. Ella smiled and grabbed the papers and put them on the table beside his bed. She walked over to his drawers and got out a shirt for her to sleep in then walked over to the bathroom. She quickly changed into his shirt then walked back out, seeing Scott already asleep on his bed. Ella smiled softly and turned off the light before sliding in the covers beside him.

▽

"My dad's got an APB out," Stiles announced. "For a 5'8" 16-year-old?" Kira asked. "Knowing Stiles he recommended nine-foot tall rampaging werewolf," Ella said. "Yes. Yes I did," Stiles nodded. "It still might not be him," Liam said with a sad expression, causing Ella to take his hand into hers and to squeeze it comfortingly, "But, Hayden's at the school looking." "I can keep checking the woods," Malia suggested. "My mom can check all the hospitals in the county," everyone turned to see Scott in the doorway, "We can find him." "What happens then?" Liam asked. "We figure out a way to save him," Scott said. "Okay. Where else could we look?" Ella asked. "Let's ask Corey," Scott shrugged as he turned to the shelf and pulled Corey out of chameleon state. Everyone stood, not knowing the young teenager was there. "Wait. Wait. It's not my fault. They took him and I couldn't do anything. They took him -"

"Who?" Ella asked, furrowing her brows.

"The Dread Doctors."

▽

"How stupid are we to be doing this?" Liam asked as he, Scott and Ella walked towards the locker room to meet Theo and Tracy. "We're not stupid," Scott shrugged. "We're desperate," Ella added. "How desperate?" Liam asked. Ella placed a hand on the doorknob and looked at Liam, "Incredibly desperate." She then turned it and opened the door to reveal the chimera she hated, Tracy, and the one she thought needed help in the right direction, Theo. "I told you we'd end up on the same side," Theo told them with a small smirk. "How about I punch you in the balls to remind you we're not?" Liam asked. Ella raised her brows and her eyes widened a tad. She curled her fingers around Liam's bicep and smacked him upside the head, whispering, "Slim it, baby beta."

Theo chuckled, "I love this kid." "I don't," Tracy said from beside the lockers. Liam and Ella both glared at her. "We know you're not on our side, Theo. You said you wanted to help Lydia, but you left Eichen with something else, didn't you?" Scott asked. "You mean the mask? Are you worried about that?" Theo asked. Scott thought for a moment, "Did you put it on? Who did you see?" "Not Mason," Theo replied. "What's that mean? It's not him?" Liam asked. "It probably means he's a lost cause," Tracy piped. "Shut the fuck up," Ella hissed at Tracy. Tracy snarled at the Stilinski girl and Ella flashed her white eyes, blinding the chimera. Tracy stumbled back into the lockers, covering her eyes. Ella smirked proudly as she looked back to Theo.

Theo sighed, still wanting to smash his lips against Ella's like he did when he first saw her. "We all want the same thing. We want Mason back," he said. "Okay, but the difference is that we want him back alive," Scott said. "Well, I'm open to compromise. You still got the map with telluric currents on it?" Theo asked, Scott nodding, "Bring it to the operating theater in two hours."

They nodded and turned. "How desperate are we?" Liam asked Ella.

"Incredibly."

▽

Ella, Scott and Liam stood behind Theo as they all looked at some sort of organism in a tank. "They called him Der Soldat. That's German for 'The Soldier'. I'm pretty sure he fought in World War II," Theo informed them, turning. "And he was a Nazi," Ella stated. "And an Alpha werewolf. The Dread Doctors were using him to prolong their lives. They've been doing it for decades. Actually, probably longer," Theo stated. "How old are these guys?" Liam asked. "Who knows. But wherever they go, he goes, too," Theo informed.

"So how do we find him?" Ella asked, raising a brow. "Keeping him alive requires a pretty unique set of conditions. There's got to be a power source. It has to be underground —" "And on a telluric current," Scott cut Theo off, holding the map of all telluric currents in Beacon Hills. Theo looked at the Beacon Hills Preserve and looked back up at the three teens, "Looks like we're going for a hike."

Ella groaned, "Can someone carry me?"

"Where is he?" Scott asked, adjusting his grip on Ella's thighs. "I thought we were looking for him," Theo smartly replied. "You know who I'm talking about," Scott rolled his eyes. "Deucalion?" Theo asked. "You shouldn't trust him, Theo," Ella spoke up, resting her head on Scott's back. "And your boyfriend's the one who let him live," Theo said, glancing at the two before looking straight ahead so he wouldn't get too jealous. "I'm not a murderer," Scott muttered. "You still think you're gonna get through all this without killing anyone?" Theo asked, narrowing his eyes at Scott. "I didn't say that," Scott argued.

Behind them, Liam showed down then stopped, making the three turn. Ella jumped off of Scott's back and took a step towards him. "We're close," Liam told them with a small nod. "You get his scent?" Ella asked to which she was responded with a nod. "Which way?" Theo asked. Liam stayed silent, eyes darting between Theo and Scott. Theo raised a brow as he darted his eyes between Liam, Scott and Ella, "You think you're going to leave me behind?" "Look, he wants to kill him," Liam argued. "I just want his power. You want to fight someone that actually wants to kill Mason? Go fight Parrish," Theo snapped.

Ella took a step towards Theo, "Who did you see when you put on the mask?" "I already told you. It wasn't Mason," Theo said more softly. "Who was it?" Ella repeated, eyes narrowing the slightest. "I saw a man dying in the snow. He was impaled on a spear," Theo sighed.

"It's called a pike," Scott said, the other three turning to look at him, "Lydia told us the story." "Then the three of you know what it means. Time's running out. Where is he, Liam? What direction?" Theo asked. Liam was quiet for a moment before he exhaled deeply and walked past them, "This way."

Liam lead them to a wooden cabin deeper into the woods. "Listen." The boys heard a heart beating, but Ella heard nothing. "What is it?" She asked, eyes darting between the three of them. "It's him," Liam said before opening the door and descending into the darkness. Ella sighed and followed right behind him, Scott and Theo following her down the flight of stairs. The room had a tinted green color because of the light and tanks placed all around. Attached to the tube was Mason, a glowing tube needle in his neck.

Ella's eyes widened in horror at the sight. They immediately rushed over to him, Liam kneeling down in front of his best friend. "It's connected to him," Scott said, eyes following the tube needle in Mason's neck to Der Soldat's tube. Ella's eyes did the same before they landed on Theo, "What is this thing? What's happening to him?" Ella kneeled down beside Liam. "I don't know," Theo replied as Mason's eyes fluttered open for a second. "Liam, I can feel it," he gasped, "It's in my skull."

"Don't move," Liam told Mason once he had shifted, inhaling harshly. "Careful!" "Mason, we're going to get you out of there," Scott spoke and glanced at Liam and Ella, "Hold him still." Liam placed a hand on Mason's shoulder and Ella did the same, bottom lip in between her teeth. "I'm going to try pull it out. Let me know if it hurts," Scott said and wrapped his arm around the metal. He pulled it up just the tiniest bit before Mason let out a pained scream and he removed his hand.

"It hurts! It definitely hurts," Mason groaned. Ella let out a shaky breath. She couldn't imagine the pain he must be going through. "I barely moved it," Scott told them. Ella's head snapped up at him, "Then how're we supposed—"

The sound of static flooded through the building. It made Ella's stomach churn. The dread doctors had arrived.