---
"No, no—please stop!!"
"No, someone help!!"
"Please, I have a family!!"
"Please, mercy!!"
"Aaaahhhhhhhhaaaahh!!!!"
"Alex, stop!! Don't do this!!
Alex, please stop—you're killing them!!
Alex, no!!"
Hahh!!
Elena Gilbert gasped sharply as she sucked air forcefully into her lungs, then jolted upright, sitting on the bed as her face was drenched in sweat, anxiety, and fear.
Her breathing was heavy as she looked around the room in confusion. She let out a sigh when she realized it was just a nightmare—only for her expression to turn sorrowful when she remembered that this nightmare was based on real events that had happened just last night.
Elena slowly got up and headed to the bathroom to clean herself.
Half an hour later, she came out wearing fresh clothes and glanced at the clock, only to find it pointing at… 3 p.m?
Did I really sleep that long?
Elena thought to herself in mild surprise. She then left her room and walked toward the dining room.
"Is there still no news about Alex?"
"No, nothing yet."
"Who could have kidnapped him? And why?"
Miranda, Melissa, and Grayson were sitting around the table, discussing Alex.
Melissa looked at Grayson and asked, "Don't you remember anything at all, Grayson?"
"No… no, Melissa, I don't remember anything."
Melissa sighed and said nothing more.
Grayson and Miranda exchanged a sorrowful look, because in truth, Grayson remembered everything that had happened. But how was he supposed to explain to Melissa that his son had been kidnapped by an enraged vampire who had conducted inhumane experiments on him?
"Good morning."
A fourth voice echoed through the room.
The three adults turned toward the source of the sound and found Elena standing near the doorway.
"Morning? I think the correct phrase is 'good evening,'" Grayson said with a sarcastic smile.
Elena smiled shyly and said nothing.
"Good morning, sweetheart. Did you sleep well?"
Miranda smiled as she asked her daughter.
Elena nodded. "It was the longest nap I've ever had."
"That's normal, considering you went to sleep at four a.m. Now, would you like something to eat?" Melissa asked warmly.
"Yes, Aunt Melissa, I'm very hungry. Thank you."
Five minutes later, Melissa brought Elena a delicious breakfast, and Elena began eating immediately.
---
"Okay, what are we supposed to bring again?"
Stiles asked Scott while they were rummaging through Alex's room.
"Alex's clothes or any valuable personal belongings," Scott answered as he searched through the drawers and closets.
"Alright, what's taking you so long? Just grab the clothes and let's go before anyone notices us, Scott," Stiles said, looking at him as if he were an idiot.
Scott sighed in irritation. "I can't find his clothes anywhere."
"What do you mean you can't find his clothes?"
"I mean his clothes are gone. Maybe they moved them to another room."
"Scott, I don't mean to insult you, but your house isn't that big."
Scott shot his friend an annoyed look. "Stiles, you're not helping."
Stiles looked back at him, equally annoyed. "What do you mean I'm not helping? I'm pressuring and annoying you so you'll finish faster."
Scott stared at him coldly.
Stiles raised his hands. "Hey! Don't look at me like that. This is important… I think."
"Stiles! Can you shut up and help me search, please?!"
"Okay, okay, geez." Stiles sighed and started searching with Scott, muttering about how no one appreciated his persistence anymore.
"What's going on here?"
Stiles and Scott froze and turned around to see Elena standing at the doorway.
"Elena! I thought you were having breakfast or something," Scott said nervously, trying to avoid answering her question.
"I was having breakfast, and I just finished. Now can you answer me?"
"We, uh… we were…" Scott hesitated.
"We were checking the drawers and closets to see if they were clean," Stiles replied quickly.
Scott looked at his friend appreciatively and said, "Yeah, exactly. We were just checking the place to see if it needed cleaning."
Elena raised an eyebrow. "I don't believe you."
"That's your problem. Now would you mind leaving Alex's room? There's a lot of dust to inspect," Stiles said sarcastically, scratching his head.
Elena narrowed her eyes. "First, this room is mine now. Second, it's clean—there's no dust. And third, what you're doing here has something to do with Alex, doesn't it?"
"No, it has nothing to do with Alex," Scott replied nervously.
"Then why are you looking for his things?"
Stiles and Scott fell silent.
"I knew it! You're hiding things from me!" Elena shouted angrily.
"Whoa, whoa! Elena, calm down," Scott said nervously as he pulled her inside and closed the door.
"What are you not telling me?! I have a right to know! Alex is my little brother!"
"Okay, calm down, Elena, and we'll tell you," Scott said gently, opening his mouth to speak.
"Scott's boss—who turned out to be a weird wizard—wants Alex's underwear," Stiles blurted out before Scott could speak.
Elena's eyes widened as she stared at Stiles in shock.
Scott slowly closed his mouth and turned toward Stiles.
"What?! Why would Deaton want my brother's underwear?!" Elena demanded.
"No, no! Deaton doesn't want Alex's underwear, Elena. Stiles is just being an idiot," Scott said sharply, glaring at Stiles.
"Hey! He said he wanted Alex's clothes, and last time I checked, underwear counts as clothes too," Stiles said dramatically, raising his hands.
Scott sighed deeply, convinced his cause of death would be a burst blood vessel because of Stiles.
"Yes, Stiles. Deaton said he needs Alex's clothes, but he didn't specify which kind."
Stiles crossed his arms. "Then how do we know he doesn't need Alex's underwear for some mojo-jojo ritual of his?"
"Mojo what?" Elena asked, confused.
Stiles waved his hands in the air. "You know—magic, witchcraft, that kind of stuff."
Scott slapped his forehead. "For the last time, Stiles, Deaton does NOT want Alex's underwear!"
"Fine, but when he asks why we didn't bring them, you're going back home alone to get them," Stiles said stubbornly.
Scott ignored him and turned to Elena. "Deaton is planning to perform a locating spell."
"A what spell?" Elena looked at Scott as if he'd grown a second head.
"It's GPS spell". Stiles answered sarcastically.
"Its name is location spell Stiles. And its Used to find missing people or objects,".
Elena closed her mouth and didn't know what to say.
"I know this sounds crazy, but after what we saw last night, I think our definition of what's possible needs to expand," Scott replied while resuming the search.
"So to perform this spell, Deaton needs some of Alex's belongings?" Elena asked.
"Yes—either clothes or important personal items."
Elena looked at Scott and Stiles. "You won't find what you're looking for here. Mom and Dad took all of Alex's belongings and put his bags in their room."
"Wait, your parents have a room in Scott's house?" Stiles asked in surprise.
"Yes. Aunt Melissa gave them the other guest room last night."
"Another guest room?" Stiles turned to Scott. "Your house had two guest rooms? How did I not know this when I've been coming here for almost a decade?"
"Stiles, focus. We don't have time for this. The longer Alex is free, the higher the chances he'll hurt—or kill—people," Scott said seriously.
Then he looked at Elena. "Okay, Elena. Go to your parents' room and bring us some of Alex's belongings."
"No."
"What do you mean, no? Do you want your brother back or not?" Stiles asked, staring at her like she was a monkey.
"Of course I want my brother back! But I want to come with you if I give you what you want. You just tried to lie to me and do everything behind my back," Elena said angrily.
Scott sighed. "Elena, we can't take you with us."
"Why?!"
"Because your life is constantly in danger," Scott replied calmly.
Elena stepped back slightly. "What do you mean?"
"What Scott means is that you might be targeted for another assassination attempt. Think about it, Elena— a vampire tried to kill you last night. We don't know if there's another vampire who might try again," Stiles said seriously for the first time.
"There might not be any other vampire trying to kill me, and I'm completely safe right now," Elena said uneasily.
"We don't know that, Elena. The best way to ensure your safety is for you to stay home," Scott replied.
Elena crossed her arms. "I can take care of myself."
"Pfft, yeah, sure," Stiles laughed sarcastically.
Elena snapped. "I don't care about your reasons, Scott. I'm coming with you if this is about my brother, and I won't take no for an answer. Otherwise, I'll tell my parents the whole truth about Alex."
Stiles and Scott fell silent, not knowing how to respond.
Scott took a deep breath, trying to calm himself.
Elena was really starting to get on his nerves.
"Fine, Elena. You can come with us," Scott said in defeat.
Stiles looked at his friend but said nothing.
Elena smiled proudly and walked over to a small drawer, opening it.
She picked up a small necklace and said, "This is what you need. Now let's go."
She opened the door and left.
Scott sighed and followed her.
Stiles stood there for a moment, lost in thought, then followed them as well.
-------------
[ Beacon County Jail ]
Sheriff Noah Stilinski stood staring at the scene before him with a grim, confused expression.
One hundred.
One hundred prisoners had escaped last night, and until now, the way they had escaped baffled him and his men.
"What the hell happened here?"
Noah asked his officers as he looked at the shredded electrified barbed wire and the destroyed prison wall.
"We don't know, sir. The breach happened last night,"
one of the officers replied.
"And how exactly did they manage to disable the electric fence, blow up the wall, and escape without anyone seeing them?"
Noah asked, his expression growing darker.
"We don't know, sir. All systems shut down for ten minutes. Then we heard a loud explosion. When we arrived, there was no one there."
Noah groaned in anger. Things in his county had begun to spiral out of control. Two days ago, he had received a report about a body cut cleanly in half deep in the woods. No matter how hard he searched, he never found the other half.
And now—an alert from the county jail about one hundred prisoners escaping in a single night.
One hundred prisoners.
The number refused to leave his mind. How they had managed to escape and disappear from the prison perimeter within minutes without being seen troubled him even more.
He couldn't imagine the consequences if those prisoners managed to spread into Beacon Hills.
---
[ At the same time – Unknown Location ]
"It was a risky move last night,"
Angel said as she looked at Peter Hale.
Peter glanced at her and replied,
"It was necessary. Thirty members make a pack—not an army. And I need an army if I'm going to fight a legion of insane vampires and their witches… and take revenge on the Argents. Especially if they've started making things like this."
Peter picked up a shotgun shell lying on the table and stared at it with hatred.
It was a silver shotgun slug, engraved with the Argent family crest.
"But a hundred prisoners is still a huge number," Angel said.
"That will draw too much attention. And I don't think turning hardened criminals into werewolves is a good idea. What if you can't control them?"
Peter smiled cruelly at Angel, his pupils glowing red.
"Oh, don't worry, my dear. They'll be very obedient. Otherwise… they'll face a fate worse than death."
"Now analyze this bullet using your magic," Peter continued,
"and see if you can create a spell that makes me and my army immune to it."
He tossed the bullet to Angel. She caught it and examined it carefully.
"What exactly is this bullet made of again?" she asked.
"A shotgun slug made of pure silver," Peter replied darkly.
"The gunpowder is reinforced with blue wolfsbane and mountain ash residue."
"How did they manage to create something like this?" Angel murmured in disbelief.
"I don't know. And the worst part is—I'm certain this isn't the best they have. If the Argents possess weapons like this, defeating them may be far more difficult than I thought."
Peter touched the right side of his chest—the spot where the bullet had pierced him.
> 'When you mess with my family, you mess with me, you motherfucker!'
Boom!!
Peter groaned in anger as the memory of being shot by Alex resurfaced.
Angel looked at him and said calmly,
"Are you still angry about being injured by a child?"
"Yes. Very much so," Peter replied bitterly.
"That boy—Alex—is impressive, I'll admit. I don't even know where he learned to fire a shotgun one-handed with that level of accuracy. If he hadn't gotten in my way at the last second, I would've killed two Argents… including their leader, Victoria."
His eyes glowed brighter red, filled with rage.
"How is your injury now?" Angel asked.
"I'm healing faster than expected. I'll be fine by the end of the week—maybe sooner—thanks to my growing pack."
Peter looked down at his chest and touched it again.
That bullet would have killed any other werewolf—alpha or not.
Driven by years of suppressed rage and a thirst for revenge after his family's fire, Peter had surrendered to his inner wolf—becoming more monstrous and powerful, embracing his predatory nature and unlocking immense strength, speed, and a horrifying form.
Peter smiled mockingly as power surged through him.
The Argents had thought burning him alive would break him.
Instead, they had made him stronger.
"You bit that boy, didn't you?" Angel asked quietly.
"Yes. I bit him and his friend. They were the first ones I ever turned," Peter replied calmly after checking his wound.
"So what will you do about them?" she asked.
"I can only feel one of them now," Peter said with a cruel smile.
"Unfortunately, it seems the boy named Alex died as a result of my bite."
"What about the other boy?" Angel asked.
"Won't you add him to your pack as well?"
"Oh no," Peter replied.
"I have other plans for Scott McCall."
He smiled savagely.
"Now, excuse me. I need to go welcome my new guests."
Peter's eyes blazed red as he transformed rapidly into his monstrous form—
a massive creature with thick black fur, nearly four meters tall, with bestial features and dark crimson eyes.
He slowly exited through a massive door, each step shaking the ground.
Peter stared at the one hundred trembling prisoners before him.
Some had already wet themselves in terror.
He bared his massive jaws filled with deadly fangs and said in a voice that shook the air:
"Sorry you had to see me like this so soon…
Shall we begin?"
"Please!! Leave us alone!!"
one prisoner screamed in terror.
Peter grinned cruelly—then roared and lunged at them.
"AAAAAAAHHHH!!!"
The screams of over a hundred men echoed throughout the area.
[ Meanwhile with Scott, and the others ].
"Scott, why are we going to Derek's house? That place gives me the creeps."
Stiles asked his friend as he drove his Jeep through the trees.
"Because Derek will help us find Alex, Stiles. And if Deaton has some kind of plan to capture Alex, Derek needs to hear it,"
Scott replied while guiding him toward the ruined Hale house.
"Are you seriously planning to honor that deal with Derek?" Stiles asked, staring at Scott as if he'd grown another head.
"You realize that means helping him find a monster that can tank bullets, move faster than a car, and is strong enough to rip through metal, right?"
"Yes, Stiles. I intend to keep that deal with Derek—even if it means helping him hunt the Alpha who killed his sister," Scott answered.
"You've lost your mind, Scott! If you have even a shred of common sense, stay away from Derek. His obsession with revenge is going to get you killed. You barely survived the first time you faced that monster," Stiles said anxiously.
Scott sighed. "I appreciate your concern, Stiles. But you saw what Alex could do last night. We need all the help we can get to bring him back to who he was. Derek is a powerful werewolf—he knows how to fight, unlike me. He'll be a huge help."
"I still think this is a bad idea," Stiles muttered as he struggled to drive along the rough forest path.
"Don't worry, Stiles. We'll succeed," Scott reassured him.
Stiles sighed and said nothing.
"So… Scott," Elena asked from the back seat, curiosity in her voice,
"how does it feel being a werewolf? What changed?"
Scott looked down at his hands. "Honestly… I feel power."
"What do you mean?" Elena asked.
"I feel like I can lift anything, do anything—like nothing can stop me. My senses are amplified too. I can smell things from miles away, like I can see smells in front of my eyes."
"You… see smells?"
"Yes. Every scent has meaning now—a color. I can hear things I never could before. I can hear conversations outside the school while I'm sitting in class. I hear every whisper. I can hear people's heartbeats."
"Wow, Scott… that's amazing," Elena said in awe.
Scott sighed. "But with all that power, I also feel amplified anger. New instincts. New urges I never had before."
"Urges like what?" Stiles asked cautiously.
Scott stared at his hands, his voice dark.
"Killing."
Elena and Stiles fell silent.
"I can feel an overwhelming desire to kill… to spill blood," Scott continued.
"It's like every part of me is calling for it."
"How… how have you stayed in control until now?" Elena asked fearfully, her voice trembling.
Scott shrugged. "I don't know. I just… can. Like my willpower is stronger than those urges."
No one spoke.
Elena stared at her hands, remembering how her younger brother had tried to kill her the night before.
Stiles remembered how Derek had nearly torn him apart when Alex issued the Warlex Challenge—and how Scott had broken Alex's control and saved him from certain death.
Stiles looked at his friend.
"Then sharpen that willpower, Scott. We're going to need it."
Scott nodded silently.
"We're here," Elena said, her voice shaking.
Stiles stopped the car, and the three of them stepped out.
They stared at the burned Hale house, now riddled with fresh, massive holes—scars from the brutal fight between Ciri and Derek.
Elena shivered as memories of last night flooded back:
Ciri kidnapping her, trying to kill her, Derek rescuing her, Derek's defeat, Ciri's death at Alex's hands, and the massacre Alex had unleashed before her eyes.
Scott shuddered when he looked at the tree where he'd been pinned by five arrows fired by the Argent hunters.
Stiles trembled when he looked at the ground where countless bodies—Alex's victims—had once lain.
"Wait… guys," Stiles said in confusion, pointing at the empty ground.
"Where are all the bodies that were here last night?"
"I don't know, Stiles," Scott replied.
"Maybe Derek buried them… or burned them."
He paused. "Now let's find Derek."
"I'm right here."
A cold fourth voice cut through the air.
All three spun around in alarm to find Derek standing nearby.
"How did you do that?" Stiles asked in shock.
Derek stared at him coldly, said nothing, then asked,
"What are you doing here?"
Scott smiled awkwardly. "Hey, Derek."
After Scott explained everything to Derek, Derek agreed to help them and go with them to Deaton's clinic.
The four of them then headed to the veterinary clinic in Stiles's Jeep.