𝟐𝟎 𝒓𝒆𝒑𝒕𝒊𝒍𝒆𝒔

✯☾✯

𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝒇𝒍𝒖𝒐𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒄𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒒𝒖𝒐𝒊𝒔𝒆 𝒈𝒍𝒐𝒘 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒑𝒐𝒐𝒍 𝒃𝒆𝒂𝒎𝒆𝒅 𝒇𝒓𝒐𝒎 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒔, the shadows of lazy ripples sketched across Lizzie's face.

"All right," Stiles huffed, unwillingly starting to explain. "The thing was pretty slick-looking. Um- skin was dark. Kind of pattered. Uh-"

"Kinda like a basilisk." Lizzie offered. She shrugged her shoulders, rocking back and forward on the balls of her feet.

"No, not at all like a basilisk." Stiles reaffirmed. "Uh- I think I actually saw scales though. Is that enough? Because I have someone I really need to talk to."

No response from Derek or Erica.

The Stilinski boy groaned. "Fine. Uh, eyes are, um, yellowish and silted. Um- It has a lot of teeth. Oh, and it's got a tail, too."

Clicking her tongue, Lizzie looked up from the squares of black and white tiles she'd found herself focused on.

There was something weird. Both Derek and Erica weren't watching Stiles, they weren't even listening to him. Instead, their eyes were glued on something above Lizzie and Stiles. A thick, grey cloud of fear crept across Erica's features.

"Are we good?" Stiles persisted.

Slowly, very slowly, Lizzie followed the two wolves gaze, turning slightly so she could get a better view.

She noticed the eyes first. A sinister yellow with obsidian slits cut through. It was crouched but still looked roughly the size of an average human although it was far from it. Mucilaginous, green skin covered in moulding scales glimmered in the dim lighting. From its behind, sprouted a long prehensive tail.

"What?" Stiles noticed the look on their faces as the strange creature began to climb the railings surrounding the platform. "Wait, have you seen it?"

"You have this look on your faces like you know exactly what I'm talking about."

"Sti," Lizzie tugged then sleeve of the boy's red tracksuit. He turned to her, clocking the terror swept across her face, shadowing Derek and Erica's.

At the sound of intimidating hissing, Stiles finally twisted his neck to see the same lizard-like creature he saw at the garage. It shrieked malignantly, bearing it's black teeth that were dripping with some sort of repulsive substance.

Stiles jumped back, dragging Lizzie with him just as the creature dropped from the platform.

Derek crouched, snarling at the lizard. Erica was tossed to the side like she was nothing, hitting the wall and landing unconscious.

"Run!" Derek ordered, pushing Stiles' chest. The creature crept up behind the alpha, using it's steel-grey claws to slash the back of his neck.

Derek stood in front of the teens, facing the creature.

"Derek, your neck." Stiles pointed out. The wolf's hand went to his cut, his limbs suddenly going rigid.

Lizzie and Stiles looped an arm each around his neck. They moved as quick as they could.

Well, sorta.

It was hard to move fast when your lumbering the weight of a bag ass man with you.

"Where is it can you see it?"

"No, just hurry."

"Call Scott."

"Yeah."

It was a scene of panic. Two teens and a werewolf, who for some reason couldn't move, running from a scaly lizard looking thing.

Stiles frantically tried to find his phone, rooting around in his pocket until it fell out, hitting the tiled floor with a worrying smack.

Turns out, multitasking was not Stiles strong suit because as soon as he bent down to retrieve his device, he sent Derek and Lizzie flying into the pool.

The water was cold. Lizzie squinted slightly to peer through the blue abyss. Air bubbles clouded her view as she breathed out. Limbs thrashing, she pushed her way up to the surface.

She emerged and immediately took deep breaths that resonated in her ears. Stiles was stood on the side, gaping at his actions.

Looking around whilst desperately treading water, Lizzie noticed Derek hadn't resurfaced yet.

Probably down to the fact he couldn't move.

She took a large intake of sweet air before diving back down. It didn't take her long to sought out the alpha, locking her hands round his muscular bicep to tug him upwards. Unfortunately, the water had made him heavy and lugging him to the surface was like lugging a very, very heavy weight.

Eventually, they made it up, but things were still not looking good. Stiles was still just stood there, watching the girl struggle to keep Derek's head above the water as well as her own.

He looked between the phone on the floor and the pair in the pool before making the decision to jump in. He swam fast, joining Lizzie to take some of the weight that was suffocating her.

"Where is it? Do you see it?" Stiles asked Derek, panting.

Oh shit, the lizard.

Derek, who had barley recovered and was still paralysed, surveyed the area surrounding them, wearily. "No."

"Okay, maybe it took off." Stiles hoped.

There was an ear-splitting hiss that was so strange, so alien-like, it didn't seem real.

"Maybe not."

"Now, will one of you get me out of here before I drown?" Derek ordered.

"Yeah, sure. Stiles, if you could-" Lizzie started but Stiles ignored her and shouted.

"You're worried about drowning? Did you notice the thing out there with the multiple rows of razor sharp teeth?"

"Did you notice that I'm paralysed from the neck down in eight feet of water?" Derek shot back irritably.

"Okay." Stiles panted as he glanced over his shoulder, water swishing around him. "I don't see it."

He nodded at Lizzie and the pair began to swim towards the side, dragging Derek along with them like a puppy on a leash.

"Wait, wait, wait. Stop, stop!"

Movements were halted. The creature made itself known again, crawling along the side of the pool opposite them. It hissed, slimy flesh squishing as it moved.

"What's it waiting for?"

No one had an answer.

It stalked past the diving boards and closer to the edge.

"Oh, shit. Is it coming in?" Lizzie squeaked, Derek's arm wrapped around her neck and her hands clamped onto Stiles' hoodie, legs kicking wildly to keep her above the surface.

The lizard leaned forward, sticking a lamellose deformed claw into the water. The second it made contact with the blue, it jumped back and hissed in what looked like pain.

"Wait, do you see that?" Stiles asked. "I don't think it can swim."

"Thank the lord." Lizzie looked up at the ceiling, sighing a spell of content relief.

Realizing they were somewhat safe, the adrenaline left the teens and they were hit with a wave of weariness from holding themselves and an alpha werewolf up.

"Okay, okay," Stiles was panting like a dog on a hot day. "Okay, I don't think I can do this much longer."

Lizzie's eyes were idly following the lizard looking thing.

"No, no, no! Don't even think about it." Derek protested.

Stiles was set on getting his phone. It would be risky but if he manged to call Scott: everything would be alright.

"Could you just trust me this once?" Stiles snapped, all three heads bobbed upon and down, struggling to keep afloat.

"No!"

"Me and Lizzie are the ones keeping you alive. Have you noticed that?"

Derek clicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth. "I never said I didn't trust Lizzie. It's you I don't trust. And when the paralysis wears off, who's gonna be able to fight that thing, you or the two people with supernatural abilities?"

Stiles scoffed. "That's why I've been holding you up for the past few hours?"

"Yup. You don't trust me. I don't trust you. But, you need me to survive, which is why you're not letting go." Derek maintained firmly.

"You'll be fine, Lizzie's got you." Stiles reassured, his mind holding a debate.

"Stiles, look at her." Derek nodded to the girl who clearly wasn't in he best state. "I'm double her size and bodyweight."

"I've got you, Derek. Don't worry." Lizzie said, weakly, her voice blubbering as water splashed into her mouth.

"See!"

"No, Stiles-"

But Stiles was gone, swimming as fast as he could to retrieve his phone. Lizzie hooked two arms under Derek's armpits and kept him above the water. A cough and a splutter occasionally escaped her lips but other than that, she did not complain.

Her legs kept kicking and her muscles put in extra effort to keep Derek in a position where he could breathe.

"Lizzie."

She didn't answer.

"Lizzie, are you okay?" Derek called out as he couldn't see her face, only the bleak ceiling above him.

Lizzie spat out a mouthful of water. "Don't worry about me."

That wasn't exactly an answer to his question.

Too much time passed but Stiles made it back to the middle of the pool, making no effort to help out. He clicked desperately on his phone which he held at arms length.

"Scott!" Was all he managed to shout in the brief call between he and his best friend as the line went dead.

Stiles gawped, swimming round to Lizzie and Derek. Unfortunately, that meant sacrificing his phone.

All of a sudden, Lizzie felt a small portion of the crushing weight lift.

✯☾✯

It had been an hour. An hour of trying to stay alive. An hour of toe curling shrieks from the strange creature.

Lizzie was cold and tired. Her limbs were aching, screaming at her to stop working.

"I can't stay up any longer," Stiles complained, words strained. "I need something to hold on to."

Then, Lizzie felt herself being dragged along towards one of the diving boards. Stiles reached for a small pole branching off from it to hang on to but he couldn't get a grip.

As he was the only thing keeping the three of them up, they all sunk down into the water.

Well, all except Stiles as he felt something latch onto his tracksuit top as he was flung onto the tiles. Dry land.

Derek was next to be saved, landing painfully on his side.

And then Lizzie, who was salvaged from the depths of the water and placed more carefully.

She coughed, taking the biggest intake of air she could. The air hit her like daggers, wiping out her body temperature.

Scott crouched protectively in front of them, roaring at the creature on the other side of the dreaded pool.

The wolf and the lizard fought whilst Stiles, Lizzie and Derek recovered. The shivering pixie was scooped up by the alpha, who'd started to gain back movement, and held close between him and Stiles.

The lizard, catching it's reflection in a shard of glass, fled, much to everyone's surprise.

✯☾✯

It had taken a while for Lizzie to warm up. She'd been offered kindly both Stiles and Scott's jackets but refused both.

The trinity were outside the school, peering at a laptop screen which showed pages of the bestiary book that had been searched for.

Yet, it wasn't what they expected.

"Is that even a language?" Stiles was so done, he just wanted to go home.

"How are we supposed to figure out what this thing is?" Scott clicked aggressively through the slides.

"It's called the kanima."

Derek and a now conscious Erica strutted up to the trio.

"You knew the whole time." Stiles accused.

"No. Only when it was confused by it's own reflection."

"It doesn't know what it is?"

"Or who."

"What else do you know?"

The alpha shrugged, careful not to give a way to much information to the rival pack. "Just stories. Rumours."

"But it's like us?" Scott persisted, referring to the three werewolves.

"A shape shifter, yes. But it's not right. It's like a-"

He couldn't find the words.

"An abomination." Stiles finished.

Lizzie didn't like that word.

Derek and Erica went to leave but not before Scott's hero complex kicked in.

"We need to work together in this. Maybe even tell the Argents."

"You trust them?" Derek sounded appalled.

"Nobody trusts anyone! That's the problem! While we're here, arguing about who's on what side, there's something scarier, stronger, and faster than any of us, and it's killing  people, and we still don't even know anything about it" Scott ranted.

He didn't understand why Derek would refuse this. It was his town to protect too. They both had a duty.

"I know one thing." Derek grunted. "When I find it? I'm gonna kill it."

Lizzie chuckled. The only thing Derek had to hate the kanima for was the fact that it had created a situation in which he'd had to rely on Stiles to protect him.

✯☾✯

"Again!" Chris Argent yelled louder than Lizzie expected. They were training, as promised, in the basement of the Argent home. Lizzie had pulled the short straw, subsequently bagging the time slot after Allison when Chris was already tired and snappy.

"Mr Argent, I'm sorry but that's literally the biggest I can get it."

In Lizzie's hand was the ball of fizzing light she'd been ordered to conjure. They were working on broadening her abilities, increasing her power.

"Get rid of it and try again."

Lizzie did as she was told, diminishing the light as she clenched her fist. She sighed and closed her eyes, opening her hand again and facing her palm at the shining lightbulb above her.

Spatting sparks flew from her hand, dancing in between her fingers until it created a spherical shape. Usually, that would be where Lizzie would stop however she followed Chris' instructions and focused harder, applying all her brain power.

She could feel the light pulsating in her hand, jumping around like a live animal.

"That's enough."

She opened her eyes, pupils widening when she saw the notably bigger mass of blinding white resting in her palm, not only that, but the room was brighter as well.

"Woah," Lizzie marvelled. "Is this okay, Mr Argent?"

Chris stayed silent for a few seconds before parting his lips to answer. "It's... better."

Lizzie squealed, loosing her concentration and diminishing the light once again.

"Oh."

Chris sighed. "Never mind. You've worked hard today, Elizabeth. Well done. Now, get to school."

The pixie groaned, no words could describe how much she loathed school.

She was soon ushered out the house and sent on her way.

✯☾✯

Lizzie could hear Harris' voice before she even opened the door and when she did, his dull tones only pained her ears more.

"Ah, there she is. Late again, Miss Brown." Mr Harris raised his eyebrows expectantly.

"Yeah, sorry, I got a bit lost." Lizzie lied, forgetting she was holding a Starbucks cup in her hand.

"Sure you did." Mr Harris didn't seem impressed. "Take your seat, I will not have you disrupting this class any further."

Before complying, Lizzie took a quick scan of the room and boy was she glad she did because sat in the middle of the room beside Erica was Isaac.

"Holy shit!" She exclaimed a little too loud, making eye contact with Scott and Stiles who were seated either side of Lydia.

"Right! That's it. Out!" Harris ordered. He attempted to usher the girl out as she stood on her tiptoes, trying to mouth stuff to Scott.

The door slammed and the sound of muffled arguments could be heard by every student in the class. Most of them exchanged amused looks.

The door reopened and in came a very red face Mr Harris and a very triumphant looking Lizzie.

Since her seat was taken by the blonde she-wolf, Erica, Lizzie found a place on the end of a table next to Danny Mahealani.

"Einstein once said, 'Two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity,' and I'm not sure about the universe." Mr Harris began the lesson, taking to his usual pacing between desks.

Lizzie leaned forward in her seat, poking Allison, who was in the seat in front of her, with her pencil.

"Psst, Ali. Hey, Pocahontas."

Allison turned with a sweet smile, one that was always present for Lizzie.

"What in the jesus, mary and joseph is going on?"

Allison bit down hard on her lip. "I'm not really sure, something to do with Lydia, i guess? She freaked out in economics this morning."

Lizzie frowned. "Is she okay?"

Before Allison could answer, Mr Harris interrupted them.

"Elizabeth, you are already walking on extremely thin ice. We wouldn't want it to crack now would we?"

Lizzie stopped, mouth hung open. "Uh, I don't know how to answer that."

"I suggest you shut up then."

Harris clicked his tongue before continuing his lecture. "I myself have encountered infinite stupidity."

He clapped Stiles on the shoulder as he walked past, encouraging hushed giggles throughout the lab.

"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 to heads are indeed better than one. Or, in Mr Stilinski's case, who is very similar to Miss Brown in intellectual level, less than one.

Stiles and Lizzie exchanged both annoyed and 'we're fucking dumb and we know it' looks.

"Erica, you take the first station. You'll start with.." Harris trailed off. Every boy apart from those that were the respective McCall pack members raised their hands, bar Isaac. As did a few girls, including Lizzie who shrugged as she raised her arm just a little.

"I didn't ask for volunteers. Put your hormonal little hands down." Harris rested his hands on his hips, looking almost like a soccer dad. Funny, since his personality proved he was quite the opposite.

"Start with Mr McCall."

Erica smirked to herself, swiping anticipating gazes between Scott and Allison.

"Next, Isaac"

This time it was almost every girl who put their hand up. As much as she'd love to raise her hand, Lizzie was trying her very best to keep her promise to her best friends.

"I said put your hands down. Isaac go work with Elizabeth. I apologize in advance."

Isaac stood up almost immediately. "Oh, trust me, sir. I'm not complaining."

Lizzie's eyes, piercing firmly into the hard wood of her table, widened bashfully.

The beta took his seat, replacing Danny.

"I'm guessing I'll be doing most of the work then." Isaac sighed. The pixie didn't say anything, her leg jumped up and down erratically underneath the table.

"You okay?" Isaac spotted her agitation.

Lizzie blinked, turning to the boy but not meeting his eyes. "Me? I'm totally fine."

"Totally?" Isaac didn't seem to by it.

"T-O-T-A-L-Y." Lizzie spelled out the word, stilling avoiding eye contact out of fear she'd become a blushing mess.

"It's double 'l', darling."

The girl's insides melted, every bone, vein, organ becoming a gushing waterfall of awe-struck butterflies. Nicknames like that were dangerous, only to be used with extreme caution.

Isaac observed the crimson creeping up Lizzie's innocent face proudly.

"Are you sure? I swear it was only one."

Isaac was pretty sure she was telling herself rather than justifying.

There was a prolonged beat.

"So," Lizzie coughed. "Crystals."

Whatever attempt of veering the conversation in an alternative direction was unlikely to work.

"What about them?" Isaac tilted his head, it wasn't the experiment he was interested in.

"Well, you know. They're shiny." Lizzie cringed. "Is it hot in here?"

She tugged on the collar of her shirt. Isaac smirked.

The ding of a bell rang somewhere in the lab, coaxing a proud Isaac to his next station.

Stiles, from his own seat, was quietly watching Lydia, luckily it had been Scott to get to her next. For some reason, Derek had decided Lydia was the kanima and due to unnecessary violent needs and unreliable sources, if Lydia was the kanima, Derek was going to kill her.

Happy with the extent of Lydia's safety, Stiles turned back to his new partner. He sighed aggressively when he saw who it was and took to taking care of the work.

"If you harm one perfect strawberry blonde hair on her head, I'm gonna turn your little werewolf ass into a fur coat and give it to her as a birthday present."

Now, considering who the threat was coming from, it was surprisingly menacing.

Yet, Isaac didn't seem fazed. "Huh, really?"

"I've never actually been to one of her big, invite-only birthday parties. I did ask her out once, though..."

Stiles scoffed, this was not something he wanted to hear about third period on a monday morning.

"Sounds like the beginning to a heartfelt story. I'm gonna pass, thanks."

Isaac ignored the offense worthy remark and continued on. "It was the first day of freshman year-"

The anecdote came to a roaring halt as Stiles interrupted. "And you thought everything was gonna be different for you in high school, but she said 'no.'"

Smirking, a common thing for the new Isaac, the beta laughed falsely. "Yeah. Yeah, she even laughed. Told me to come back when the bike I rode to school had an engine, not a chain."

"Mmm. Unrequited love's a bitch. But, now you've moved onto little old Lizzie. Emphasis on the little,"

An inkling of fire flashed through Isaac's eyes, jaw clicking into place.

"What is the deal with that, huh? You two can't act upon whatever romcom worthy feelings you have because it would just make this whole rival pack situation into an even bigger mess. And by the way, Lizzie's like mine and Scott's sister, actually no, she's like our child. So you hurt our baby and we will come for you, got it?"

Isaac only rolled his eyes.

Stiles took that as a win. "Maybe you should write about your love for her in English class, you know? Channel all that negative energy..."

Voice smothered with easy confidence, Isaac traced his tongue across his bottom lip. "Nah... I was thinking I'd channel it into killing Lydia. I'm not very good at writing."

Stiles gawped, Harris' voice snapping him out of his dumb-founded state and making him squeal.

The final bell sounded for the last step of the experiment. Lizzie made a bee-line for Lydia's desk however she was just pipped to the post by the boy she had a sickening crush on.

He stood in her way, catching the frantic pixie before she crashed into his chest.

"Woah, watch where you're going, tiny. Don't wanna ruin that pretty little face of yours."

Lizzie gulped, jerking at the feeling of two veined hands clamping around her upper arms, her feet left the ground for a brief second, the world spinning before she was set back down again by the table Danny was sat at. She'd come full circle.

The mode of transportation which she did not ask for set a grumpy cloud above Lizzie's head as she huffed and took her seat beside Danny, Isaac taking his beside Lydia.

Now, Lizzie still had no idea what was going on but what she did know was to keep the beautiful red head as far away from Derek's bitches as possible.

Lizzie and Danny worked quickly, completing the experiment with seconds to spare.

"Time!" Harris called out. "If you've catalysed the reaction correctly, you should now be looking at a crystal. Now, for the part of that last experiment I'm sure you'll all enjoy... You can eat it.."

Danny offered the odd looking crystal to Lizzie but she let him have it so's not to be rude.

"Lydia!"

Scott's voice silenced the class as Lydia held the crystal to he lips under Isaac's awaiting gaze.

"What?"

Scott sat down in his seat.

"Nothing.." He spoke awkwardly.

Lydia rolled her eyes, popping the crystal into her mouth like a piece of candy. Lizzie knew Isaac had tampered with the crystal somehow but she wasn't sure what was supposed to happen after because right now there was nothing.