𝐕𝐄𝐍𝐎𝐌𝐎𝐔𝐒
you didn't need a weapon at all when you were born one

THE TRIO SAT quietly in their assigned seats in the back of Coach Finstock's economics class. Hope was flipping through the text book with pursed lips.

Suddenly, Jackson's voice flirted towards them, "Hey, testicle left and right, and red head I don't know." Hope rose one brow and slowly turned to face him just as Scott and Stiles only raised their heads. "What the hell is a Kanima?" 

Hope was sitting right in front of the best friends, with some random girl she forgot the name of. And seeing as she was already turned to face Jackson, she was highly amused when the boys swiveled around in their seats with comically wide eyes.

The boys opened their mouths to question him, but the sound a text book slamming against a desk caused them to turn back around to face the Coach. Hope gave a pointed look towards the boys before facing the front, too.

"All right, listen up. A quick warning before we begin our review. Some of you, like McCall, might want to start their own study groups, because tomorrow's midterm is so profoundly difficult...I'm not even sure I could pass it." He chuckled. "Okay, I need a volunteer at the board to answer the first question. Who's got it, huh?" 

"Paralyzed from the neck down. Do you have any idea what that feel like?" Jackson asked in a hushed tone. 

The trio tuned the Coach out and turned to Jackson with shocked expressions.

"I'm familiar with the sensation," Stiles replied with a grimace.

"Wait," Hope spoke up, causing all three males to look at her. "Why would Derek test you? Why would he think that it's you?" 

Jackson gave her a look of bewilderment.  "How should I know?" 

"Wait, do they think it's Lydia?" Stiles asked, frantically looking at the strawberry-blonde at the front of the classroom.

Hope furrowed her brows as she recalled Scott telling her about Lydia being bit by Peter — Derek's psychotic uncle. So, it shouldn't be a surprise that he thought it was Lydia. Maybe it was her.

"I don't know, all I heard was her name and something about chemistry," Jackson answered, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath. 

"Jackson!" Finstock shouted, approaching them, interrupting their conversation. "Do you have something you want to share with the rest of the class?" 

Jackson blinked rapidly, "Um... Just an undying admiration for my — my coach."

Hope quirked a brow at the boy, and then shook her head. He was terrible at lying and plus, everyone knew he didn't care about anyone but himself.

Coach blinked at him. "That's really kind of you. Now shut up!" Jackson flinched back in surprise as Coach shouted, "Shut it! Anybody else?" He asked, looking around at the room.

Scott sighed, reaching out and grabbing Stiles jacket, pulling him closer to his desk. "How do we know it's not her?" 

"Because I looked into the eyes of that thing, okay? And what I saw was pure evil. And when I look into Lydia's eyes, I only see 50% evil. All right, maybe 60. You know, but no more than 40 on a good day," Stiles argued, and grimaced at himself because he knew how ridiculous it sounded.

Hope leaned forward, looking him in the eyes. "Stiles, that's not a very good argument." 

Stiles sighed in annoyance, "I'm aware of that, but I swear it's not her. It can't be, all right? Lydia's fine."

Lydia whimpering and gasping caused her to glance at the front of the class.

The strawberry blonde was facing the class, her eyes were teary and bloodshot and she had scribbled something on the board — all over it, going in different directions and some were upside down.

"Lydia?" Hope asked, slowly beginning to stand up in worry.

"Okay then, anybody else want to try answering? This time in English?" Finstock asked, turning around to face the class as Lydia set the chalk down and slowly walked back to her seat.

"What is that, Greek?" Scott asked, staring intently at the board.

"No, actually, I think it is English," Stiles replied, leaning over to show the picture that he had taken, he pressed the function to flip the picture horizontally.

Hope's blue eyes widened. On the board, she has written; someone help me.

THE TRIO WAS now walking to their Chemistry class.

"Derek's not going to kill her without proof," Scott deadpanned when the three of them entered the classroom.

Hope frowned. "All right, so he tests her like he did with Jackson, right? But when and where?"

Scott looked toward Lydia, who was sitting at a lab table by herself, when Isaac and Erica saunter into the room, dead-set on advancing toward Lydia's table. "I think here and now."

Hope watched in amusement as the two of them quickly rushed over to the table, immediately throwing themselves into the seats, trapping Lydia between them.

Lydia looked up from her notebook, trying to figure out who was so keen on sitting with her, when she saw Stiles' face she rolled her eyes. She then glanced over at Hope who was holding back a smile before the auburn haired girl walked to a seat.

"Einstein once said, "Two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the universe." I myself had encountered infinite stupidity," Harris announced, patting Stiles' shoulder when he mention encountering infinite stupidity. "So to combat the plague of ignorance in my class, you're going to combine efforts through a round of group experiments. Let's see if two heads are indeed better than one. Or in Mr. Stilinski's case, less than one."

Hope looked over at Stiles who rolled his eyes at Mr. Harris. It seemed as if it was an everyday occurrence that someone made fun of Stiles. She didn't understand that; Stiles is really smart and enjoyable company.

"Erica, you take the first station. You'll start with..." Harris trailed off when almost every male hand in the room shot into the sky. Erica glanced around and smirked, proud that she was the new toy that every guy wanted to play with. "I didn't ask for volunteers. Put your hormonal little hands down. Start with Mr. McCall. All right, next two."

Erica smirked as she look over at Scott who glanced at Allison. The brunette seemed to be clenching her jaw at the blonde.

After Harris assigned the partners, Hope was quite satisfied that she was partnered with Lydia. She was glad that she could keep an eye on her.

The two girls sit down next to each other, discussing formulas and chemical reactions. Hope just thought about potions class, but it was without magic.

"How have your first few days been?" Lydia asked as she began pouring things into test tubes, and stirring them with sticks.

Hope glanced at the strawberry blonde as she began mixing things, as well. "It's been different, but good."

"Different how?" She asked with furrowed brows.

Hope frowned as she thought about her old school, old friends, and how — for a very long time — she felt alone. "I was at a boarding school for pretty much my whole life, so it's different to be in a public school."

"I wish I was at a boarding school." Lydia smiled over at her. "Then I could get away from all the idiots that reside in here."

Hope chuckled just as Harris rung the silver bell on his desk, indicating that it was time for them to switch tables.

Hope stood from her stool, giving Lydia a fleeting glance. "Listen to me. Don't talk to Erica or Isaac."

"Why?"

"Just don't."

"Let's go girls," Harris said, appearing behind the two girls. "Next station."

Hope gathered her things and stared the girl in the eyes. "Don't trust them." She then began walking towards the next desk, but spun around when Stiles lets out a cry of pain. He was trying to get to Lydia's table where Isaac's now sitting.

She watched as Harris pulled the ruler he swatted Stiles' hand with away, stating: "If you're trying to test my patience, Mr. Stilinski, I guarantee it'll be a failing grade."

Hope met eyes with Erica, her next partner, steeled her expression, and sat down, head held high. Looking over at the blonde, she asked, "What are you gonna do to her?"

Erica turned her head, a look of innocence on her face as she stared at the auburn haired girl with poured lips. "Don't you think the better question is what's she going to do to us?"

Hope shook her head. "I know what it's like growing up, thinking your a monster, a mistake, and if Lydia is the Kanima, I'm going to make sure she never feels that way. And I'm going to protest her from you and your pathetic pack."

Eric growled, one lip pulling up. "You think you're so powerful, don't you?" She placed her hand on Hope's thigh and squeezed. "Come on, McCall. Girl fight in lab. It'll be hot."

Hope clenched her jaw and narrowed her eyes when Erica's sharp claws dug into her skin. Her entire body tensed, feeling Erica slide her claws down an inch or two, drawing five deep cuts into her thigh.

"If you don't take your hand off of me now, I will rip it off," Hope lowly threatened as she placed her own hand on Erica's, and squeezed tightly.

"Is everything all right over there, Ms. McCall?" Harris questioned, eyeing the two girls suspiciously.

Hope smirked as she turned away from the blonde who was wincing due to Hope's tight grip on her hand. "Everything is fine, just some girl talk."

Once Harris turned away from them, Hope turned around and dug her own claws in Erica's lap. "If you hurt anyone I care about, hell will look like a vacation after what I will put you through." Her eyes flashed their golden hybrid color, and it made Erica gasp and slid away from her. Smirking, Hope released her claws and turned to Scott and Stiles who were staring at her in concern. She nodded and sent them a small smile, telling them that she was fine.

It was a few seconds before Harris called for time and rang to little silver bell. "Time. If you've catalyzed the reaction correctly, you should now be looking at a crystal." Hope glanced down at the beaker and saw a small clear crystal. "Now for the part of that last experiment I'm sure you'll all enjoy you can eat it."

Hope's back instantly straightened when she noticed Isaac was holding his and Lydia's crystal in the air with the forceps.

Lydia grabbed the crystal and went to bite into it, but before she could, Scott jumped out of his seat and yelled, "Lydia!"

She stopped and looked over at him. "What?"

Scott glanced around and noticed all of the students confused expressions. "Nothing," he mumbled, slowly sinking back down onto his stool.

Lydia rolled her eyes and placed the crystal in her mouth. The trio, plus Erica and Isaac watched closely as nothing happened to Lydia. The Kanima venom didn't affect her. That meant something. And it wasn't good.

THEY MADE THEIR way into Coach's office; Allison, Scott, Stiles, and Hope.

"Derek's outside waiting for Lydia," Scott rambled out as soon as the door to the office was completely shut.

"Waiting to kill her?" Allison asked, running a hand through her long hair.

"If he thinks she's the Kanima, then yes," Hope spoke up, understanding people like Derek. He was like her father; kill first, ask questions later.

"It's not her," Stiles protested sternly, shaking his head.

Scott's mouth fell into a frown. "Stiles, she didn't pass the test, man. Nothing happened."

"No, it can't be her."

"It doesn't matter, because Derek thinks it's her," hope started, looking between her new friends.

"So, either we convince him that he's wrong, or — or we've got to figure out a way to protect her," Stiles spoke up and looked to Hope who seemed to be the most powerful between them all.

"There is no way he would do anything at school," Scott stated, glancing between the three of them.

"What about after school?" Allison opted, raising her dark eyebrows at Hope and Scott.

Scott sighed, a look of defeat on his face. "What if we can prove that Derek's wrong?"

Stiles stepped forward. "By three o'clock?"
"There could be something in the bestiary."

"Oh, you mean the nine-hundred-page book written in archaic Latin that none of us can read?" Stiles exclaimed, getting more and more frustrated the longer they spent in the office.

Hope let out a long sigh. "I know Latin, but not archaic." She crossed her arms and bit her lips. "Of course it would be in a language I barely know."

"How different can it be from regular Latin?" Stiles asked, raising his arms up.

Hope gave him a look. "More different than you think."

Allison pursed her lips, thinking. "Actually, I think I know someone who might be able to translate it."

"I can talk to Derek," Scott suggested quietly, looking over at Hope. "Maybe convince him to give us a chance to prove that it's not her. But if anything happens, you guys let me handle it, okay?"

"What does that mean?"

"It means you can't heal like I do," Scott stated, "I just don't want any of you getting hurt."

Allison turned away from them, shuffling through her bag, looking for the crossbow that was hidden in it. She pulled the weapon out, armed it, and held it up next to her head. "I can protect myself."

Hope stood tall — well, as tall as she can be when she's shorter than them all — and stared up at Scott. "I'm coming with you. It won't help to have a powerful witch on your side."

Scott looked her in the eyes for a few seconds before nodding. "Alright."

HOPE FOLLOWED SCOTT out onto the lacrosse field, head held high. There was still some blood on her thigh due to Erica, but she ignored it.

When they got close enough, Hope noticed Boyd standing in the middle of the field, no one else.

Scott stopped Hope from walking forward anymore and slightly stepped in front of her. "We want to talk to Derek."

Boyd didn't move, instead, he said, "Talk to me." He began moving towards them, and Scott began moving forward too, but Hope grabbed his arm, stopping him.

"We do not want to fight, Boyd," Hope told Boyd, sighing. She was tired of fighting, she just wanted to have a normal conversation without having to save someone or stop someone.

They were now standing in front of one another, having a stare off.

"Good, 'cause I'm twice the size of you," Boyd said matter-of-factly, eyeing Scott. "The both of you together." He eyed Hope's smaller form with a smirk

"True," Scott agreed, "Really, really, true," he continued, sizing up Boyd. "But you want to know what I think? I'm twice as fast." He lunged forward, easily and quickly tackling Boyd to the ground.

"She failed the test," Derek appeared out of nowhere, causing Hope to turn around, one hand out, ready to cast a spell of needed.

"Yeah, which doesn't prove anything. Lydia's different," Scott spat, moving back so he could stand next to Hope.

"I know, at night she turned into a homicidal walking snake!" Derek snapped, eyeing Hope who slowly lowered her hand to her side.

"We're not going to let you kill her," the auburn haired girl snapped, sterling her gaze.

Derek raised his eyebrows in amusement before glancing over at Boyd, and then returning his attention back to Hope. "Who said I was going to do it?"

Scott and Hope glanced to one another and then to the school, their eyes widening as they realized what he was saying. But, before either of them could do anything, Boyd had slammed Scott down onto the grass.

"Boyd!" Hope shouted, holding out her hand and clenching it into a fist. Boyd rolled off of Scott, shouting in pain as he gripped at his head.

Derek clenched his jaw as he watched Hope who lowered her hand. "I don't know why you think you have to protect everyone now, Scott, but even so, Lydia has killed people and she's gonna do it again, and next time, it's gonna be one of us."

"What if you're wrong?" Scott spat, wincing as he stood up.

"She was bitten by an Alpha. It's her!"

Hope stared Derek in the eyes and frowned. "You saw that thing up close. You know it's not like us."

"But it is!" Derek exclaimed, glaring at the auburn haired teenager. "We're all shape-shifters. You don't know what you're dealing with. It happens rarely and it happens for a reason."

"What reason?" Scott asked, looking between Derek and Boyd who reached his side, sending Hope cautious looks.

"Sometimes the shape you take reflects the person that you are," he told them, pursing his lips. "Even Stiles calls her cold-blooded."

"Well, what if she's immune?" Hope asked, tilting her head up at the older male who also reminds her of one Damon Salvatore. She had met the former vampire only a handful of times when he came to visit his nieces — Lizzie and Josie. "What if she's got something inside of her that makes her immune to the bite, which is why she didn't get paralyzed?"

Derek clenched his jaw at her, moving closer to her so now he was looming over her. "No one's immune! I've never seen it or heard of it. It's — it's never happened."

"What about Jackson?" Hope countered, smirking. "That's why you tested him, isn't it? Because you gave him what he wanted, and he didn't turn." She studied him and came to a conclusion really quick. She knew that look in his eyes — she had that look once. "Scott told me the bite either kills you or turns you." She took a small step closer to him, satisfied when he took a step backwards. "You were probably hoping that he would die. But nothing happened. He somehow fought it. And you have no idea why, do you?"

"No," Derek snarled at the 5'3 teenager, clenching his jaw.

Hope leered at Derek, knowing she was getting to him. "Well, I have a theory." She rose one brow and relished in his annoyed and angry expression. "Lydia's immune and somehow she passed it on to Jackson. You know I'm right."

"No!" Derek disagreed.

"You cannot do this!" Scott intervened, giving Hope a sideways look. She seemed to be able to hold herself very well in every situation, and he keeps getting surprised by her.

"Look, I can't let her live!" Derek hollered, stepping forward, but paused when he saw Hope lifting her hand up with a challenging expression.

Hope nodded and gave him a smug look. "Scott and I were hoping we would convince you, but then, since I know you so well, Derek, we weren't counting on it." She then grabbed Scott's wrist and began dragging him back to the school.

HOPE WAS RELIEVED when they all piled out of Stiles' jeep, rushing into the McCall household.

Once the door was closed behind them, they all turned around when the sound of heavy-duty locks turning gained their attention.

Letting out a forced laugh, Stiles coughed and said, "Uh...there's been a few break-ins around the neighborhood."

Silence fell upon them, but Stiles quickly breaks it by grabbing a chair and placing it under the doorknob.

Lydia gestured toward the chair, raising a brow.

"And a murder," Stiles replied, and grinned when Hope let out a small laugh. "Yeah, it was bad."

Hope, nonchalantly, looked over at Jackson and nodded towards the hallway. Jackson narrowed his blue eyes at the auburn haired girl in front of him before rolling them and saying, "Lydia, follow me. I need to talk to you for a minute."

Lydia stiffened, letting out a sigh, and muttered, "Seriously? What is going on with everyone?"

Jackson made his way down the hallway and began waking up the stairs, Lydia trailing right behind him.

As Allison used Stiles' phone to call Scott, Hope looked over to Stiles who pulled the white curtain back, looking at something outside the window in panic. She moved to stand next to him, and groaned when she spotted Isaac, Boyd, Erica, and Derek outside.

"You need to get here right now," Allison told Scott urgently on the phone before hanging up.

HOPE WAS GROWING annoyed. She wanted to put up a boundary spell on the house, but Scott needed to get into the house, so until he arrives, there is nothing else she can do. Well, other than go out there and fight. But that's the thing; fighting back home usually resulted in killing the monster. Here, they are people with lives and families, so she wasn't going to turn into a monster by killing them.

Stiles sighed loudly, his finger bouncing on his thigh. He then turned to Allison with furrowed brows as she held his phone close to her, looking ready to call someone. "What are you doing?"

"I think..." Allison paused, rubbing her nose with her sleeve. "I think I have to call my dad."

"But if he finds out you're here—" Stiles began, but Allison cut him off.

"I know," she breathed out, her voice cracking. "But what are we supposed to do? They're not here to scare us, okay? They're here to kill Lydia." She sighed in exasperation.

Stiles stared intently down at the crossbow in Allison's right hand. "I got an idea. Just shoot one of them."

"Are you serious?" Allison hissed back.

"We told Scott we could protect ourselves, so let's do it," Stiles stated, glancing to Hope for support. She tilted her head side to side, listing the pros and cons. When she realized there was more pros, she nodded. "Even Hope thinks it's a good idea!"

Allison looked to Hope, biting her lip. "Guys—"

"Look, they don't think we're gonna fight, so if one of them gets hit I guarantee they'll take off. So just shoot one of them," Stiles instructed, basically bouncing in his spot. His ADHD was really showing and it's probably the reason why he couldn't wait for them to make a move anymore.

"Which one?"

"Uh..." Stiles mumbled, and then grinned. "Derek. Yeah, shoot him, preferably in the head."

Hope gave him a pointed look. "If Scott and I can catch a stupid arrow, Derek can as well."

"Okay, uh, just shoot one of the other three then."

Allison shook her head. "You mean two?"

"No, I mean three." Stiles and Hope both pulled back the curtain to see that one of the pack members was missing. "Where the hell is Isaac?"

Allison stepped back, getting her crossbow ready to fire while Hope held up her hand, ready to blast anyone.

Right when Allison was about to shoot, there was a loud thud, and both Stiles and Hops looked back to see Allison was on the floor, her crossbow discarded while Isaac towered over her. Stiles stepped forwarded to help, but Isaac gripped his shoulders and tossed him down the hallway.

"Oh, come on," Hope said, rolling her eyes as she blasted ball of light at Isaac who did a backflip, missing it just on time. "Seriously?" She was irritated now. "Let's get this done." She sent an uppercut to his jaw, and sent a kick to his stomach at the same time. So while he dodged the uppercut, he got a kick to his gut.

At the same time as he stumbled backwards, Scott appeared and slammed the blonde into the wall who then slumped to the ground, knocked out.

Hope nodded at Scott before turning to Stiles and helping him up. "You alright?" She asked gently, eyeing him for any injuries.

Allison walked down the stairs — which made Hope wonder when she went up there — and walked over to Scott. They exchanged a few words before Scott went upstairs.

Hope smirked when Scott came down seconds later, Erica slung over his shoulder. She then grabbed ahold of Isaac, and they both walked towards the door when Stiles opened it.

"I was told to take the trash out," Hope called out loudly as both her and Scott tossed Erica and Isaac outside, in front of Derek and Boyd.

Derek looked up from his unconscious Beta's, and then them. "I think I'm finally getting why you keep refusing me, Scott. You're not an Omega. You're already an Alpha of your own pack. Even if one member is an unknown species with a questionable background." He then smiled. "But you know you can't beat me."

"I can hold you off until the cops get here," Scott stated, and almost instantly the sound of sirens filled the air around them, but something else caught their attention. It was the sound of hissing.

Rushing over so that they could see the roof of the house, all of them watched as the Kanima crawled across the shingles, whipping its head around to make eye contact.

And then it disappeared.

Derek turned to Boyd, gesturing to Erica and Isaac, saying, "Get them out of here."

The sound of heavy and rushed footsteps broke the silence, and everyone was shell-shocked to see Lydia frantically running out of the house. "Would someone please tell me what the hell is going on?"

The Kanima wasn't Lydia.

It was Jackson.