Tiger Stripes and Lightening Strikes

29: Hunt

Central Greens was eerily silent in the early hours of the morning. The only noise was the whisper of the wind through the trees. The moon was full and still in the skies, it's light contouring every sharp edge and shiny surface. Sebastian, Santana and Mason had collected in their little grove. A single torch resting on the bench was the only light they had in the depths of the thick forestry. Despite being bundled in thick clothes, he could feel the sharp chill of the winter air. Huge plumes of frozen breath were illuminated by the harsh light of the torch. The three of them were standing facing one another.

"So what?" Santana arched a brow at Mason. "You want me to just hulk out?"

"Try and recreate the way you felt when your eyes were glowing," Mason prompted her, his arms stiff by his sides. "Relive the pain," he shrugged.

With a loud huff, she closed her eyes over. Sebastian's breath caught in his throat. Time dribbled by. Her brows pulled in, tiny wrinkles appearing on her forehead. It didn't take long before her eyes snapped back open. "I can't do it," she told them blankly. "I can't just summon emotion from nowhere."

"You barely tried," Sebastian retorted.

"I'm just not angry," she shrugged. Sebastian and Mason traded a long look.

"Try one more time?" Mason asked softly. She closed her eyes and rolled her shoulders. "Think about something that really pisses you off," Mason tried to guide her. "Like Sebastian." Sebastian rolled his eyes.

"Or maybe you could remember the time I nearly blinded Blaine, photoshopped Finn and blackmailed Rachel," Sebastian stared blankly. Her jaw jutted to one side. Nothing stirred. Sebastian pressed his lips into a thin line. "Do you remember that slushing I threw at you?" he asked. "Do you remember how cold and gooey it was?" Her eye twitched. "You have no idea how satisfying it was to watch your pretty, little outfit being permanently destroyed by red dye number six." Her hands curled into fists. "I really hope you weren't fond of the blazer. Or the shirt. Or the skirt."

Santana's eyes snapped open, sending him a foul glare. "Shut up, I'm trying to focus," she snapped.

"Focus on your anger," Sebastian took a step towards her. "That's how you'll get the beast out."

Santana pressed her lips into a thin line. "I still don't think this is a good idea," she shook her head. "What if I hurt one of you?"

"We won't let you," Sebastian promised her. His eyes flicking to Mason to prompt a promise from him too, but his face was taut with uncertainty. "If I have to, I'll make you stop," Sebastian returned his sights to Santana.

"I don't know dude," Mason shook his head. "Maybe we should just be taking what we know to the Flash." His lips pressed into a thin line. "This is his kind of thing."

"The Flash?" Sebastian narrowed his eyes.

"He's a superhero," Mason threw his arms out to the sides. "He can run faster than the speed of sound."

"He is Central City's hammer of Justice," Sebastian spat. "What do you think he'll do if he finds out you killed somebody? Give you a pat on the back?" Their shoulders drooped. "What if he throws you in a metahuman kennel to rot for the rest of your lives?"

"He wouldn't do that," Mason weakly shook his head.

"The Flash is working the same case we are," Sebastian continued. "But he really hasn't made much progress."

"That's not fair," Mason snapped. "He doesn't know what's going on, but we could tell him. We could give him the chance to fix this. He can fix this."

"We still don't even know for certain if this isn't one big coincidence," Sebastian argued. "We haven't seen either of you take the shape of a beast. Can we really know for sure that You're really the ones killing people when you don't even remember doing it?" Mason's lips pressed into a thin line, his eyes dropping to the ground. Santana wouldn't meet his stare. "Look, guys," he let out a long breath. "If we find out tonight that Santana really is a serpent, then we'll have no choice but to go to the Flash." Sebastian bit down on a knuckle. "I don't think it's right to give up just yet."