Hoping for Heroes

Chapter 25

Harley heads home, trying to make her way to her room before her mom notices her. Harley learns her plan has failed once she hears her mom call out her name.

"Harley?" Alayna calls. "Where have you been?" She walks out of the kitchen, drying off her hands. Harley stills, breathing heavily. She didn't speak much to her mother either this summer, having felt too hesitant to tell her what has been going on. 

"Out with Scott and Stiles," she says. Alayna nods, and they stand there awkwardly. "Mom, there's something I need to tell you. It's why I've been acting so weird, I-"

"I was going to tell you." Alayna tosses the towel on the kitchen island behind her and walks to Harley, taking her hands in hers. "I wanted to tell you, but you hadn't developed any of your powers yet, so I was worried you'd think I was insane-"

"You knew?" Harley gasps, tugging her hands out of her mother's. "You knew that I had these-- things going on with me?"

"Is that not what you were going to say?"

"I was gonna tell you!" Harley runs her hand through her hair, tugging at the ends. "I was gonna tell you what was going on with me, but apparently you knew before I did! Oh my God, Mom! Seriously?"

"Harley-"

"No." Harley shakes her head in disbelief before grabbing her things and shoving her way out the front door. Her mom follows her outside.

"Harley, wait, please, can't we talk?"

"I would, but then I wouldn't know if you were hiding something from me then, too." Harley pulls out, leaving her mom standing in the middle of the driveway.

Answering the call from Scott the following morning, Harley meets with Scott, Stiles, Lydia and Allison. Lydia and Allison are showing Derek the matching bruises that they showed Scott previously. Harley sat on one of the desks next to Stiles while the other four discussed.

"I don't see anything," Derek shrugs. 

"Look harder," Scott urges.

"How is a bruise gonna tell me where Boyd and Erica are?"

"It's the same on both sides. Exactly the same."

"It's nothing."

"Pareidolia," Lydia sighs. "Seeing patterns that aren't there." At everyone's blank looks, she rolls her eyes. "It's a subset of apophenia." Harley looks awkwardly between Scott and Derek. 

"They're trying to help," Scott whispers to Derek.

"These two," Derek scoffs. "this one, who used me to resurrect my psychotic uncle, thank you. And this one, who shot about 30 arrows into me and my pack."

"Okay, all right, come on," Stiles soothes. "No one died, all right? Look, there may have been a little maiming, okay, a little mangling, but no death. That's what I call an important distinction."

"Dude," Harley sighs, shaking her head.

"My mother died," Allison whispers. 

"Your family's little honor code killed your mother," Derek says. "Not me."

"That girl was looking for Scott. I'm here to help him, not you." Harley looks away and rolls her eyes.

"Wanna help? Find something real." Harley pushes herself to her feet, leaving out one door as Derek left out another.

"Where are you going?" Allison asks, following her out of the room and shutting the door behind her. "Aren't you supposed to be helping?"

"Helping who, you?" Harley scoffs without even turning around. "I'll pass."

"What's your problem with me? I haven't done anything to hurt you."

"You realize you don't get to play the victim anymore, right?" Harley whips around, eyebrows narrowed. "Your mom died, and I'm sorry for that. I really am. It sucks. My dad did too. That doesn't mean I went around killing anyone associated with the way he died. I didn't get off on shooting teenagers who just want to survive in this world. And I sure as hell do not get mad at werewolves when they try to survive while my family's history included killing them at random, not just the ones who hurt other people."

"My family put down monsters."

"Your family put down anyone who didn't fit their ideas of the right 'human'. Your grandfather killed a child so he could control a different one."

"I am not my grandfather."

"Yet you followed right in his footsteps. I get that you were manipulated, Allison. But when you were out in the forest with your father, just the two of you, you hurt Erica and Boyd as much as you could. No one was there whispering in your ear, telling you to do it. That was on you. Hurting Isaac? That was on you too. You would have killed him if it wasn't for me."

"What's it going to take for you to forgive me?" Allison asks, eyes wide. "I'm sorry. I'm helping you guys now."

"Once you realize this isn't about us, Allison," Harley shakes her head. "This is about helping those who cannot help themselves. This is doing the right thing because it's right, not because you feel guilty." Harley storms away, yet again leaving someone standing staring after her.

Rather than go to class, Harley decides to drive over to Deaton's office. She walks through the front door, waiting in the lobby in case he was busy. She almost laughs at the surprised look on his face when he sees who it is.

"Ms. Rogers," he breathes. "Um, come on in." He opens the gate for her and gestures to the back. They stand in an uncomfortable silence for a moment. "Look, I'd like to apologize for the way that Derek and I treated the situation. It was very inappropriate."

"Water under the bridge if you help me learn how to deal with it?" she proposes.

"Of course." Before he can speak any more, his phone starts ringing. "Excuse me." Harley looks around while he goes out of the room to take a call. A minute or two later, he comes back in, face grim. "I'm sorry, but this will have to wait. They need my help." Harley nods, sighing. 

"Of course they do."

Harley helps Derek, Scott, and Stiles fill the bath tub with ice as Deaton discusses the plan with Isaac. 

"How slow does his heart rate need to be?" Scott asks Deaton.

"Very slow," Deaton sighs. 

"How slow is very slow?" Derek asks, inspecting the water.

"Nearly dead." The group exchanges looks of fear. Isaac dips his hand into the water, immediately jerking it out on contact.

"It's safe, though, right?" Isaac asks.

"Do you want me to answer honestly?"

"No, no, not really." Isaac stands up, sighing. Harley looks at him from across the tub.

"Hey," she says, getting Isaac's attention. "You don't have to do this. We can find another way." Derek and Scott nod in agreement. Isaac looks her in the eye before nodding at Derek and pulling off his shirt. Harley clears her throat and awkwardly looks away, feeling her face flush. "Right, yeah." She looks back as Isaac gets into the ice bath, wincing as Scott and Derek submerge him.

**A/N Harley's fighting with everyone this chapter