STILES | AVENGERS

19. All The Truth's Out

He speaks almost absentmindedly at first, so quiet it takes everyone a moment to realise he has started and turn their attention back to the teen.

"Everything was fine until the start of senior year. Scott was studying for AP classes, Malia was out of town with Mr Tate, kira was also in new york, Lydia was trying to find what Perish is, Liam and me were training Liam with satomi's pack and other things. Liam was becoming good friend with Brett's sister Lori. He used to practice with them and satomi's pack's second William. I was planning for senior year but we were safe." Stiles pauses and then scoffs, never lifting his head from his contemplation of his feet.

"That is, nothing attacked us, no one died, you know anything of that sort. I think I already knew it was all for nothing though. The idea of senior year terrified me. The fact that at the end of the year everyone was expected to go separate ways.... I had a hard time making and keeping the friends I had - how the hell was I supposed to make new ones? I became obsessed with planning the next step in our lives - where we'd go to school, where we would live, everything." A bitter laugh escapes Stiles as his grip on his mug tightens to the point of creaking. Bucky carefully pulls the mug free and replaces it with his metal hand. Stiles doesn't even seem to register the change as he continues.

"All the planning ended up useless didn't it? Probably would have been for nothing regardless. They were probably just humoring me. Right before school starts the seniors have this tradition of going to the library and putting our initials on a shelf - a way of making your mark on the school. They have done it for decades. That night was one struggle after another on our way to get to the school. Liam had a slip up with his control so Scott and me were keeping him chained for full moon, We were late to pick Malia then Scott have to go bring kira from middle of traffic jam. once we did and reached school Some... thing attacked Scott."

"Something?" Clint asks quietly. Stiles nods.

"At first we thought he was just a werewolf, but he had these glowing talons instead of claws. He tried to use them to... I don't know suck the alpha out of Scott. Someone else showed up to help in the middle of the fight - another werewolf. It was this kid Scott and I used to know named Theo Raeken." Stiles practically spits the name, and Phil feels the tension in the room eek upward in response. Thay recognise the name, Phil decided to tell Stiles about Noah's warning after he's done.

"Theo?" Tony asks to be sure. Stiles nods.

"Theo had moved away in fourth grade. He said he had heard about Scott being an alpha and had come back to try and join the pack."

"You didn't believe him?" Steve questions, catching Stiles's tone.

Stiles gives another of those horrible, bitter laughs. "I didn't even believe he was really Theo at first. Something about him made me ... uncomfortable."

"You have always had good instincts." Isaac remarks, and Phil studying Stiles. He also remember Noah saying about Stiles being right about Theo.

"You are the only one who thinks so. I also noticed dad wasn't wearing his wedding ring. I tried to talk to him about it. He told me to stop bothering him. I just wanted him to run a background check on the Raeken's and he refused.... So I got Parrish to do it."

"Did he find anything?" Tony asks, not looking up from his phone. Tony didn't do any checks last time, thinking about letting stiles tell them but now Phil was sure they would have a much more thorough background in just a few minutes courtesy of JARVIS.

"A speeding ticket signed by Theo's dad." Stiles answers, finally looking up from the floor. Phil almost wishes he hadn't when he catches the bleakness in Stiles's eyes. "That's it. I convinced Scott that we needed to hear Theo's story - make sure it checked out. His story was good." Stiles pulls a face. "It was too good. Like it was designed. Enough like Scott's to get his sympathy, fairly vague but what details he gave were things we would know - things like his alpha being killed by twins from his pack."