Ashes

Chapter Nine

Chapter Nine

Mac's POV

We got to the basement and were looking around for the entrance when Stiles got our attention.

"Hey, guys... Over here. Look at the cracks in the wall. It's like the entrance outside, it only opens with claws. Anyone's claws, right?" Stiles said and looked at Scott. Scott gave him a look and slightly shook his head. Of course, it had to be someone with Hale blood. The subtly looked at Malia.

"Um... Malia, can you try?" Scott said.

"Why me?" She asked.

"Neither Isaac nor I have control." He said, which was a good excuse.

"Okay. I'll do it. But first, tell me what you've been hiding from me." She said and we all froze. How the hell does she know? We all shared panicked expressions. How were we gonna tell her this? "I know you think you're trying to protect me, but I can handle it. I know I'm on the list."

"Yes," Stiles said slowly.

"So how much?" Maila asked.

"How much what?" Stiles asked confused.

"How much am I worth?" Maila asked

"Four million," Scott admitted. She looked down

"Are you okay?" Stiles asked.

"Yeah. Scott's worth 25, Kira, six. Isaac, 10, and Mac is even more than that. They'll take you guys out way before me." She said and walked up to the wall.

"That's progress. That's progress." Stiles defended as I just shook my head in amusement. She stuck her claws into the wall contraption and twisted it. We all walked in and the door slowly closed behind us.

Stiles and Malia curled up against a wall. Scott sat on a crate. Kira walked around, looking at all the items. I planted my ass in one of the corners where Isaac joined me.

"You shouldn't be next to me. I can't control my flames." I said.

"We might be dying, so I'm not gonna make you sit alone. Plus what's a little burn?" He responded throwing his arm around my shoulder. I smiled in response.

"You know, this is where it all started. That's where the money was. 117 million in bearer bonds." Stiles said. We all looked at the safe that was sitting behind Scott.

"How do you even change bearer bonds into cash?" Kira asked.

"Bank, I guess. They just let it sit there the whole time collecting dust. You know bearer bonds are basically extinct?" Stiles said.

"Why does it matter?" Kira asked.

"You know how many problems that money could solve?" He responded.

"For you?" Kira wondered.

"Me. Mac. My dad. The Eichen House and MRI bills are crushing him." Stiles said and I sighed. I've seen the notices from bill collectors.

"Mom does this thing, she writes down all the items in our budget, and how much they cost, then she adds them all up and figures out how long we have until... We lose the house." Scott said and we all sat in silence for a while

I wasn't sure how much time had passed but I could feel myself getting weaker and weaker. I slumped against Isaac and felt something dripping from my mouth. I touched it and it was a black goo. It reminded me of Gerard. We really were dying.

"Hey, Mac." I heard Stiles say. I looked up at him. "I gotta head out there. They're looking for us so I gotta show my face."

"Okay, Stiles. Be safe, okay?" I said, smiling at him. He leaned down and hugged me. It took such a long time for Stiles and me to get back to being comfortable around each other again after the Nogitsune. He was back to being one of my closest friends and I wanted him to be okay. After everything that happened with Void Stiles, we bonded on a level and in a way no one will ever get. We share trauma and that will forever keep us close.

"Stay alive, okay?" He said.

"You too," I said. I leaned back against the wall and watched as he leaned to talk to Malia. She was laid out on the floor. She probably felt as bad as I did. After Stiles left, I leaned back against Isaac and closed my eyes.

"Mac." He whispered.

"Yeah?" I responded.

"I'm scared." He said and I squeezed his hand.

"Me too," I whispered back. I didn't wanna die. I was finally happy. I was content in my life. I had my brother. I had my father. Melissa and Noah were like parents to me. Isaac was my brother. I've made such good friends in Stiles, Lydia, Malia, and Kira too. I didn't want to leave any of them and I didn't want any of them to leave me.

"We'll pull through this," Scott said from his spot.

We sat in silence until Malia pulled a paper out of Stiles' jacket that she was wearing. Scott jumped up to try and stop her but he was too weak to get to her fast enough.

"Malia?" He asked as she started panting hard.

"I can't see. I can't see anything." She said with panic in her voice. My vision was becoming blurry then went it went black.

"Me either," Isaac said.

"Oh my god. I- I can't see either." I said, shaking in fear. There was noise around the room as we all started moving around.

"What's happening to us?" Malia asked in fear.

"Scott? I can't. I can't see." Kira said. Isaac grabbed my hand, he was shaking. I wrapped my arms around his waist. Was this the end?

"Hey, Scott? Scotty? In the vault, in there with you. It's called reishi mushrooms. Scott? Scott, open the door! It's in there with you. It's in a jar, it's on one of the shelves. Scott! Scott, can you hear me" I heard Stiles through the door. He was pounding and yelling at us. I didn't have the energy to even attempt to move.

"Reishi. Scott, I saw it. In a jar on one of the shelves." Kira said, sounding as weak as I felt. There was movement as someone moved around and then a crash of glass on the ground. Suddenly I could see again and I felt my energy coming back. Isaac and I climbed off the floor. Scott opened the door and Stiles rushed in. He went over to Malia who was still sitting on the floor.

"Hey, Malia?" He said and put his hand on her shoulder. She removed it and walked out without a word. Stiles picked up the paper with the Deadpool from the floor. She must've seen her name. I walked up to Stiles and put my hand on his shoulder.

"Come on, let's go home," I said. When we left the vault and went upstairs, we saw parents and students hugging. We saw Lydia and her mother hugging.

"Scott! Mac!" My dad called and ran up to us. He had on one of the yellow suits. He pulled us into a hug. "I was so worried."

"We were too," I said.

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