Chapter 3: The First Pheromone
The feeling of having a new ability was… strange. It wasn't a physical change, like suddenly having biceps that could crush a coconut. It was a quiet, mental confirmation, a new tab in the sprawling browser of my mind. With a thought, I could activate a pheromone, a silent, invisible force that could ease tension and de-escalate a situation. I decided to give it a test run on the one person who was in a permanent state of high-strung, nervous energy: Stiles Stilinski.
The opportunity presented itself later that day as we were sitting in my new car—an old, beat-up Jeep I knew was affectionately named "Roscoe." Stiles was going on one of his signature, rapid-fire rants about the Kanima. "It's a Kanima, Adam! A freaking lizard monster! And no one knows what it is, and Derek's being all Derek-y, and my dad is gonna lose his mind, and... and what are we even going to do about it?" His hands were gesturing wildly, his voice a panicked crescendo.
"Okay, breathe, man," I said, a small, subtle mental command activating the "Calm" pheromone. I didn't know what it would feel like, but I felt a small, pleasant hum in my mind, a kind of serene energy being released.
Stiles, mid-flail, suddenly stopped. His shoulders, which had been hunched up to his ears, relaxed. His frantic eyes, which had been darting around the car, focused on me. "Woah," he said, his voice now a lot softer. "I... I'm good. I'm okay. What just happened?"
I just shrugged. "I think you just needed a moment. Sometimes, you just gotta take a second to yourself. You know, reset the ol' brain-o-meter."
"Yeah," he said, a look of genuine wonder on his face. "Yeah, I think I did. Thanks, man."
It works, I thought, a shiver of excitement running down my spine. It actually works. It's like a Jedi mind trick, but for emotions.
The holographic screen shimmered into view.
[ MISSION COMPLETE. NEW MISSION ISSUED: DEMONSTRATE TRUSTWORTHINESS. ACQUIRE 'TRUST' AND 'FOCUS' PHEROMONES. ]
[ PASSIVE STAT INCREASE: RESILIENCE. ]
A wave of what felt like... emotional fortitude washed over me. I felt stronger, less prone to being overwhelmed. It wasn't a physical thing, but a mental one. My mind felt clearer, more grounded. The System was a lot more than a fancy to-do list.
The Kanima plot, as I knew it, was about to go into high gear. Scott was going to find out Jackson was the Kanima, Derek was going to get involved, and a whole lot of chaos was about to ensue. I knew I couldn't just sit back and watch. My mission was to build a dominant pack, and that meant I had to get my hands dirty.
The next major event was the confrontation with the Kanima. Scott, Stiles, and I went to the Beacon Hills High School field at night, a place that, in this town, was a magnet for weirdness. The air was thick with tension and the familiar scent of ozone. We heard a noise, a low, slithering sound from the woods.
"It's here," Scott whispered, his werewolf senses on full alert. "It's close."
I took a deep breath, trying to channel my inner action hero. "Okay, so here's the plan," I whispered back. "We've got the Alpha, the human with the brilliant mind, and... me. The guy with the super-chill-out-vibe. I'm gonna use my... well, I'm gonna try to calm it down. You two get a net or something."
They looked at me like I had three heads. "A net?" Stiles asked, his voice incredulous.
"Yeah, a net," I said. "It's a classic monster-catching tool. It works in the movies. It should work here."
The Kanima slithered out from the trees, its scales gleaming under the moonlight. It was a terrifying sight, a hulking, reptilian creature with glowing yellow eyes. Its tail lashed back and forth, and it let out a low, guttural hiss.
"Okay, this is a lot less like a B-list monster and a lot more like a nightmare," I muttered, my heart pounding in my chest. I focused, a mental image of a calm, still lake forming in my mind. With a thought, I activated the "Calm" pheromone, directing it at the Kanima.
The effect was not immediate, but it was there. The Kanima, which had been lunging forward, suddenly stopped. Its head cocked to the side, its glowing eyes seeming to dim for a split second. The hiss that had been on its lips died down to a low rumble. It was still hostile, still a threat, but the frenzied, chaotic energy was gone.
"Now!" I yelled. "Go!"
Scott, using the moment of reprieve, lunged forward, a flash of red Alpha eyes. Stiles, with a surprising amount of speed, tossed a net over the Kanima, which struggled for a moment but was still caught. It was a momentary victory, a brief pause in the chaos, but it was enough.
I felt a surge of relief, followed by a new mental notification.
[ MISSION COMPLETE. ]
"Holy crap," Stiles said, his chest heaving. "That actually worked. You... you calmed it down."
"I told you," I said, a triumphant grin on my face. "Sarcasm and chill vibes. The ultimate combination."
Scott, panting, looked at me with a new sense of respect. "I don't know how you did that, but thank you."
"It's what I do," I said, a smirk on my face. "Now, let's get out of here before this thing decides it doesn't want to be calm anymore."
We ran, leaving the Kanima struggling in the net. The night was still full of danger, but for the first time, I felt like I was more than just a confused guy in a new body. I was a player in the game, and I had just made my first move.