The Claws
“What exactly are you guys hiding?” Stiles asks aloud as he manipulated five wolf’s claws in an energy sphere. For the past hour after Allison left and Stiles still couldn’t figure out how these steroid-filled fingernails were meant to do anything. Besides looking disturbing anyways. Putting that out of his head, Stiles went back to his task. “Come on, give me some kind of result.”
Running out of ideas, Stiles lifts both of his hands up to the sphere. Focusing his energy around it, Stiles cast a beam onto the claws, each casting a glow. Eyes glowing red, Stiles was taken into a memory of sort.
(Flashback)
The forest was quiet as the sun began setting in the background. The trees and grass were swaying with the evening wind. And Stiles found himself sitting on the branch of an unusual tree. Unlike the other trees that grew naturally, this specific tree was larger in comparison. He wonders why he was here but was soon interrupted when be saw something coming from the distance. It was black and fast. It wasn’t long before that the fast, black mass - now a wolf as Stiles can see -was right in front of him, looking up at him. Or maybe sensing him. A car’s engine was heard somewhere behind him.
Looking over his shoulder, Stiles watches as a black man in his late twenties emerge from a car. Stiles watches intently while the man got closer to the tree, blanket in hand. The boy was more or less surprised when the wolf shifted from animal to man - or more like woman. Like the man from before this woman appeared to be in her late twenties, if not her early thirties, but she was more naked than the other guy. The newcomer just remained unfazed as he drapes his blanket onto her shoulders. Once she secures the blanket over herself, the woman addresses the man.
“Alan, I’m glad that you can meet me here?”
“Well you sounded urgent on the phone.”
Walking up to the trunk of the tree, the unidentified woman began speaking while stroking the rough bark. “It is. On one of my rounds a few nights ago, I caught scent of something. Or someone.”
“Did you find out who it was?”
“As a matter of fact, I think I did. Gerard Argent just came back into town. Call it intuition, but I don’t exactly trust that man.”
“Any idea why?” At her head shake, the man, Alan, tries a different approach. “You come to think of it, the Nemeton seems to be acting up as of recently.” At her questioning look, he continues. “I have notice a distinct change in how the flow of magic has been. Haven’t you notice the change, Talia.”
“Now that you mention it, yeah. Things do seem a little weird around here.” Flexing her fingers, Stiles watches as claws emerges from her fingers before she sunks them into the trunk. Feeling a pull, Stiles waited as he felt the entire tree flow with life. What was she doing, he thought. After what felt like an eternity, Talia ripped her arm away from the tree. Said claws glowed a magnificent gold before it dimmed back to its dull brown. Turning back around she addressed the man. “If my suspicion of Gerard has anything to do with the flow of magic recently, than I have one favor to ask of you.”
“What is it, Talia?”
“When my time comes, take my talons.”
“Excuse me?”
“I just absorbed as much of the Nemeton’s power as I can into my talons. I know I won’t make it if Gerard is involved in this, so I need you to do this for me. I need to know that the true power of the Nemeton stays safe from anybody like Gerard.”
“What, may I ask, would happen if Gerard gets his hands on its power?”
“Who knows. He can harness its powers, make a weapon, create a deadlier version of wolfsbane. The possibilities are endless.”
Right at that moment the world around Stiles began swirling around. The memory was ending.
(End of Flashback)
Blinking the blurriness from his eyes, Stiles allows the claws to fall into his palms before setting them back into its container. ‘Creating a weapon?’ ‘Nemeton?’ What the heck was all that about? The more Stiles thought about what he saw the more his headache increases. And that tree look familiar. Just like the one I saw six-years ago. When those people in masks tested me, locked me away, had me do terrible things. But wait, if the tree gave me my powers, then what can the claws do?
“Stiles,” a voice calls out, disturbing the boy from his thought. Looking up Stiles saw Adrian walk in with men in long white lab coats. “Any progress with the merchandise?”
“One quick question though. What are you planning on doing with these things?”
With a snarl of impatience the man growls out, “Why I don’t think that is of your concern. Now tell me did you access it?”
“You tell me.” Without another word Stiles commands with his hand for the claws to fly out of their container and into the necks of the white coats. With them being distracted, Stiles channels a bright red sphere the size of his head then launching it on the unsuspecting victims. Turning on his heels the boy made a dash out the other entrance while shooting out a red beam of energy directed to his sister. Hopefully she can get here on time. Turning the next corner Stiles bumps into a very familiar man. “Grandpa? What are you doing here?”
“I came to rescue you, Stiles,” said the older man.
Hugging him tightly, Stiles almost missed something. Stepping back slightly he asks, “But how did you know I was here?”
All he got thought was a needle being injected into his jugular. The syringe empties out before Stiles fell into the man’s arms. At that moment Harris came running around the corner, only to stop at the sight of Gerard.
“Gerard, what are you doing here?”
Scoffing he answers back, “Apparently doing the job that I hired you to do? Honestly is it that hard to subdue two children.” Seeing Adrian’s grimace, Gerard growls out, “Where is my granddaughter?”
“We believe that she already gone when we found Stiles. I can have a team go out and look for her.”
“That won’t be necessary,” the older man said as he shifts the boy into a more comfortable position. “Knowing Stiles he has already sent out a message to his sister. If anything, she’ll be coming to us. In the meantime, help me get this boy back into his isolation chamber." Before either could move though, a voice called out from behind Gerard.
“Not so fast, dad.”
Turning around said man plasters a fake smile upon his face. “Why Chris long time no see don’t you think?"