"Listen up! Tonight's game is not just a game." Coach Finstock calls out to the team after blowing a whistle. The lacrosse team walks down the hallway of the school with their lacrosse sticks and gear in their bags. The lights were on dim in the school, making it somewhat dark. "This is a preamble to what comes tomorrow, an overture to a symphony of victory!" 

As Imara follows her team, she notices Eli trailing behind, being his clumsy self and accidentally dropping his lacrosse stick and stumbling. He accidentally stumbles into her, muttering an apology. She reassures him it's okay and gets his lacrosse stick for him, smiling reassuringly at him. He takes it, smiling gratefully at her. "This tournament is everything I've dreamed of my entire career as a lacrosse coach. And that trophy is going right here, boys, and girl!" He called out, pointing at a nearby trophy case. "And I know none of you will ruin it for me by losing this game tonight! Am I right?"

"Yes, Coach!" The team replied in unison. 

"Aye, aye, captain." Luke smirked, doing a mock salute when he walked by Coach Finstock. Coach Finstock narrowed his eyes at him, not amused.

"Sorry, sir. He was probably dropped on his head when he was a baby." Alissa quipped, walking up behind Luke and sending Coach Finstock an apologetic look.

"Hey, I was not!" Luke argued, turning around to glare at his best friend.

"I think it's a valid concern. There are studies that support that claim." Imara teased him, raising her eyebrows and fighting back a smirk.

"No, there's not. You two are mean." Luke grumbles, glaring at her. He perks up when he noticed someone walking around the corner. "Grandpa Noah! Tell them I wasn't dropped on my head as a baby."

"He wasn't dropped on his head when he was a baby." Sherriff Noah Stilinski agreed, walking up to the group with a small smile.

"See?" Luke smugly grins, pointing a finger at Imara. "Told you." He then shared a smile at Noah, who chuckled and patted him on the shoulder when he walked past him.

Alissa looks over at Noah with raised eyebrows, putting a hand on her hip. "Okay, you can tell us the truth. We're all friends here. You can tell us he was dropped on his head when he was a baby. It would explain a lot."

Noah chuckles and shakes his head. "I am telling the truth, Alissa. Luke was not dropped on his head," Noah insists with a playful glint in his eye. "But if you really want to hear some fun stories about his childhood, I might have a few."

"Ooh, do tell." Imara chimed in, grinning at him.

"Grandpa Noah!" Luke protests, cheeks reddening as he tries to cover up his embarrassment. "Can you not?" He whined, glancing over his shoulder to glare at his grandpa while he walked away.

"Come on, we were just curious!" Alissa responded as she caught up to him, stifling some giggles.

Eli trails after the group, bumping into Noah by accident. "Oh, it's just you." Eli sighed with relief.

"Just me." Noah nods, chuckling a little. "But I'm here with him." He pointed to Eli's dad, who stood on the steps to the second level of the school.

Imara glances over at Eli with concern, noticing the way he tensed up when he spotted his dad. She frowns, her heart aching for her friend. She glances over at Derek, trying to diffuse the situation. "Hey, sourwolf. What's up? Lurking in the shadows is honestly creepy, by the way. But it sounds like that your thing." After hearing some of the many stories from her parents when they were teens, she heard a few about Derek. So, it wasn't a surprise to her to see him lurking around in the shadows.

Derek sighs heavily, annoyance etching on his face. "I'm guessing Stiles is the one who told you that nickname." He grumbled, narrowing his eyes at her.

"You guessed right." She shrugs, smirking a little. She pauses after realizing she should probably leave. That this was a talk she shouldn't be listening to. "Okay, I'll see you guys later." She waves awkwardly, glancing over at Eli to mutter to him, "Good luck." Before she turned around to catch up with her teammates and other friends.

****

The game eventually started and Derek, Blythe, Josie, and Stiles were watching their kids play. Coach had even let Eli be on the field after some convincing from Derek. But Eli had ended up twisting his ankle and his dad had carried him back to the locker room. The team managed to win thanks to Luke getting the winning shot after he stole the ball from the other team's player and scoring it in the last few seconds of the game.

"Wait, did that just happen?" Stiles gasps, not believing his eyes. "Did my son just win the game?" He asked the others, his eyes wide in shock.

Blythe chuckles and pats him on the shoulder. "He sure did, Stiles."

Stiles then stands, cheering louder for Luke, who was being congratulated by his team members. "Yeah, that's my son!" He exclaimed, proud and beaming with happiness. Blythe and Josie laughed, watching him with amusement.

"We won!" Alissa cheered, hugging Imara, who couldn't stop smiling.

"I know! I'm so glad we did!" Imara admits. "But I feel so bad for Eli. I think I'm gonna go check on him." She excused herself, not giving her friend a chance to say anything else before she got back to the school. But her werewolf senses were on high alert when she smelt fresh blood in the school. Her eyes widened and she followed the scent, covering her mouth to stop any noise from letting out. Derek was on the ground, bleeding out and trying to crawl away from an alive and well Allison, who was trying to kill him with her crossbow.

She blinked rapidly and pinched herself to make sure she wasn't dreaming. But no, this was definitely happening. She tried to figure out how it was possible, but decided it wasn't the time and that she needed to save Derek. So, she snuck up on Allison, using her werewolf powers to do so. When she was close enough, she grabbed her and threw her to the side, making her hit the wall and give Derek enough time to try to get himself up to his feet. Imara glanced over at Derek with concern, but while she was distracted, Allison had got up and kicked her in the stomach, sending her crashing into the lockers. Imara grimaced at the rough contact with the metal, but quickly recovered and jumped to her feet. She charged at Allison, managing to dodge some of her hits.

"How is this possible?" Imara asks through gritted teeth. "How are you alive? Why are you doing this? Uncle Scott said you were really nice. Trying to kill us is not a nice thing to do."

"I'm not your friend." Allison spat out, her voice laced with venom as she kicked Imara in the stomach again, making the younger girl stumble back.

"I'm going to take a wild guess and say you're not the same person you used to be." Imara mutters, her breath becoming uneven from the sudden fight. "Okay, you know what? I don't want to hurt you." She admits, not wanting to hurt the older girl. She knew she wasn't the same person she used to be, but Imara couldn't find it in herself to want to hurt her. "So, please, just let us help you. Somehow. I'm sure you're confused and we can help." She yelps, narrowly missing an arrow shot at her. "Or not. I can go with not." She quickly corrected herself, realizing that Allison wasn't going to let them help.

"You're a smart kid. Too bad you're an enemy." Allison shrugged, shooting another arrow, but this time, hitting Imara in the shoulder, making the young werewolf fall to the ground.

"I think I'm gonna need an adult." Imara muttered under her breath, leaning back against the wall of lockers as she breaths heavily. She didn't think she could take down Allison by herself. She didn't have the skills and fighting experience to take her down. And now she was shot with an arrow in her shoulder. 

"One that isn't bleeding." She adds, glancing at Derek with concern. Then she realized something and groans. "Crap, this arrow better not be laced with wolfsbane." Her eyes widened and she looked at Allison when an arrow was flying at her. It was about to hit her straight in the head so she squeezed her eyes and braced for impact. She opened one eye though when she sensed someone else in front of her. 

She perks up after recognizing the scent and sighed with relief. "Uncle Liam, it's about d*** time."

Liam Dunbar stands in front of the young girl, eyes glowing yellow and fangs extended as he held the arrow he had caught inches from Imara's face. He narrowed his eyes at Allison and throws the arrow aside. He roars at Allison, who quickly got another arrow ready. But just as she shot an arrow at Liam, loud metal clanging against metal is heard and then a thud as the arrow hit the ground. A brunette-haired girl stood in front of Liam, her kitsune powers evident in her eyes as she deflected the arrow with the fox fire, startling Allison.

"Who the h*** are you?" Imara breathed out, staring at the unfamiliar girl with confusion. She was grateful for being there for help, but she didn't recognize her. She assumed Liam must've known her, but she's not sure how.

"Great job, Hikari. You're getting better." A familiar voice commented followed by rushed footsteps.

"Aunt Kira!" Imara beams when she saw the familiar kitsune, who sent her a warm smile. "You're here too?" She was so confused and relieved and surprised to see her aunts and uncle. She had no idea they were coming and didn't expect to see them tonight.

"We'll explain later." Kira assures her, holding her katana tightly and aiming it at Allison, who was backing up with wide eyes. "Allison, you're really alive." She breathed out with surprise. She had heard rumors she was alive, she just couldn't believe it.

"Right?" Imara agrees, staring at Allison in shock. "And she tried to kill us." She said, pausing before she shrugs. "Well, mostly Uncle Derek. But I was almost a target too. That's why I have an arrow stuck in me. Speaking of which, help." She pleaded, pointing dramatically at the arrow in her leg. She watched worriedly when Allison ran off. Kira went after her, followed by Malia.

Liam went over to Imara's side, kneeling down to carefully inspect the wound. "That's not going to come out easily. Do you want the good news or bad news?"

"Just rip it out, I'll heal." Imara muttered, closing her eyes tightly and preparing herself. 

"Okay," Liam nods, looking down at the arrow lodged in her shoulder. "Here we go." He said, his voice calm as he carefully gripped the arrow. With a swift motion, he yanked the arrow out, causing Imara to pain, her body jerking slightly as she flinched at the sharp sting. She bit down hard on her lip, trying to suppress the urge to yell, but she quickly relaxed, already feeling the familiar sensation of her werewolf healing kicking in. The pain dulled, replaced by the rapid regeneration of her wound. 

She let out a whimper, tears filling her eyes. "That really, really, hurt. But thanks, I guess." She breathed out, blinking the tears away and looking at the arrow with distaste.

Liam's expression softened with sympathy, though he was clearly still focused on the situation at hand. "You're welcome," he said, his voice gentle. "Can you stand on your own? Or do you need help?"

"I'm fine, I got it." Imara takes a deep breath, trying to steady herself as she attempted to stand. She pushes herself up, but as she shifted her weight, her legs wobbled, and her body swayed dangerously. "Okay, maybe not as steady as I thought." She muttered under her breath, panic creeping into her voice.

Before she could catch herself, she stumbled, nearly falling to the ground. Her body jerked forward, and she winced at the sudden movement, the pain in her shoulder making her knees buckle. Liam immediately stepped forward and caught her before she could hit the ground. His grip was firm and steady, pulling her back into an upright position. "I've got you." He said assumingly, supporting her weight. "Take it easy, Imara."

Imara let out a shaky breath, her heart racing from the brief moment of panic. "Thanks." She mutters, her voice tinged with frustration. "I really thought I could handle it."

Liam smiles softly, his eyes filled with reassurance. "It's okay. You're still recovering. You don't have to do everything on your own right now." He adjusted his hold on her, making sure she was balanced.

Imara gave him a sheepish look, then slowly nodded. "I hate feeling weak, though."

"You're not weak," Liam replies, his voice gentle but firm. "It's okay to need help. Especially after something like this." He gave her a small smile. "We'll get you somewhere safe, alright?"

Imara took a deep breath, trying to steady herself once more, and with Liam's support, they slowly began to move. She still felt the sting of the arrow wound, but her werewolf healing was doing its job. The worst of the pain had subsided, and now it was just a matter of getting back on her feet. Liam helped her walk over to Scott, who was trying to stop the rapid bleeding Derek was dealing with. Derek kept trying to say that they needed to get to Eli, that they had a plan and that Eli would be at the shop. Imara knew what he meant. Eli would be at the mechanic shop Derek owned.

"Imara!" Imara perks up when she heard her mom's voice, glancing over her shoulder to see her, Josie, Stiles, Luke, and Alissa running down the hallway. "What the h*** is going on here? We just caught sight of Kira and the girl she had been mentoring/training going after Allison?" Blythe demands, gasping when she noticed Derek now passed out on the floor. "That's not good." Then she grew even more panicked at noticing her daughter's wound on her leg and how she's leaning heavily on Blythe's eyes widened, her motherly instincts kicking into full gear. "Imara, what happened to you?" She asked, rushing over and taking a quick glance at her daughter's injury, her hands trembling slightly as she hovered near the wound.

"Nothing I can't handle," Imara reassures her, trying to stand a little straighter, though the pain in her leg still made it difficult. "I'm fine. Mostly." 

"What happened to sourwolf?" Stiles gasps, his eyes wide. He glances at Liam and Kira with surprise, not expecting to see them here. "Oh, uh, hey guys. Probably bad time for a reunion." He awkwardly chuckled. Of course he was happy to see them, but the situation was too dire for anything resembling casual conversation.

"Allison happened." Scott replied to Stiles with a sigh.

"Scott, it's not just Allison." Liam speaks up, earning a surprised look from everyone but Kira and Hikari. "It's the Oni. It's Nogitsune."

"Oh, crap." Stiles sighs heavily, his shoulders slumping in defeat. "That evil thing who possessed me before is back. Great. This night just keeps getting better and better." He sarcastically quipped.

"They're coming." Hikari added as she joined the group with Kira and Malia after not being able to get to Allison quick enough. They had overheard the conversation and knew what they were talking about.

"I don't like the sound of that." Luke nervously muttered, standing closer to Alissa, who held onto his arm for support.

"Scott, what do we do?" Liam questioned worriedly, letting go of Imara once she assured him she was okay to stand. Her leg was healing already thanks to her fast healing abilities. 

Scott stares down at a passed out Derek worriedly and he's quiet for a moment. "Scott," Stiles speaks up, moving closer to put a comforting hand on his best friend's shoulder. "We're here to help. Okay? We've got this."

Scott lifts his head up, revealing his eyes now glowing red. As he looks at his friends, his eyes return to their normal color. "Josie, you, Liam, Kira, and Hikari find Noah and find Lydia and Isaac and tell them we need their help. Tell them we need everyone." He glances at his daughter and her friends. "Alissa, Imara, Luke, you guys go to the shop, find Eli. Stay with him and keep him safe, watch out for each other and keep each other safe, keep us updated. Imara, take it easy with your leg." The trio nod with determination on their face and after sharing a look with her friends, they turn and head down the hallway to head to the Hale Auto Shop. Scott glances at the ones left with determination. "Blythe, Stiles, Malia, let's get him out of here."

****

"How's your leg doing?" Alissa asked Imara with concern as the three of them head to the Auto Shop. They had also borrowed, well, stole her mom's car and she was driving it to the shop. They figured it would be faster for them to drive there and it was the closest one they got to. Plus Alissa was the only one who has her drivers license.

"It's fine." Imara insists, waving it off. "Don't worry about it."

"We're always going to worry about you, Immy." Luke pointed out, turning in the passenger seat to look back at her with a concerned expression.

"I know. But I'm serious. It's fine, guys." Imara insisted, trying to reassure them despite the lingering ache in her leg. She shifted slightly in her seat, trying to make herself more comfortable, but the sharp sting of the injury reminded her that it wasn't as "fine" as she was trying to make it sound. Still, she didn't want to worry them any more than she already had.

"Thankfully this wasn't a wolfsbane arrow. That would've made it worse." She shivers, shuddering at the thought. She had never been injected with wolfsbane before (thankfully) but from what she heard from the others who had got it in the past, it was one of the worst things a werewolf could endure. The idea of having her body slowly shut down under the poison made her stomach twist.

"We just need to get to Eli, okay? We'll worry about me later." She said in a more serious tone, looking out the window with a worried look on her face. 

She was worried for her family and friends, especially Eli, who was out on her own and it seemed like Allison might be out to get him. Plus Eli was still injured. Though he wouldn't be injured if he just used his healing ability. But she knew he had been nervous and even scared with using any of his werewolf abilities, so she understood his fear. But that didn't make her worry for him any less.

Alissa and Luke share a look and sigh, deciding not to press on the topic anymore. But they still did worry for her, no matter what she said. They were glad that she was okay now and that they were on their way to Eli, to protect him and keep each other safe. And they hoped nothing bad would happen to him, to any of them.