The Awakening ²|Isaac Lahey

12. Paralyzed

Veronica walked up to the auto body repair shop, equipped with an apology for her buzzcut friend. She walked in and seen the worker, already on Stiles's jeep.

"Hey.." Veronica said catching his attention, she gave him a polite smile. "Do you know where the owner to that car is?"

"Uhmm.. he just went back there." he said motioning his head.

"Thank you." Veronica said, she turned around and locked eyes with the panicked boy. She moved to walk towards him but felt something cut the back of her neck.

Veronica's knees buckled out from under her, and her torso smacked hard against the floor. She felt her whole body being crushed by an imaginary, or maybe invisible, force. She turned her head, it was all that she could do. She watched as the man was crushed to death by Stiles's jeep. She had tears falling from her eyes, that were getting more and more blurry. She heard a sound of hissing from behind her, and squeezed her eyes shut. She didn't want to see it. Her breathing was rapid, and she stuck her hand out, closer to her buzzcut friend, expecting to get some form of comfort, but he too was paralyzed. From fear, the creature, Veronica wasn't sure. She wished she didn't open her eyes, but she did. The reptilian creature was in her face, looking at her with a sense of familiarity. Her breathing escalated from that point. Her vision blurred again and the creature disappeared.

Veronica sat on the back of Selena's squadcar, her green eyes were focused on Stiles, he was spurring out some bullshit version of the truth to his father. She had Stiles's jacket wrapped around her shoulders when Selena sat next to her. "So while Stiles's is there, telling his dad that you two just walked in, I'm gonna need you to tell me what actually happened. Off the record."

"That's the thing... I don't know. I walked in to talk to Stiles. I turned away from the guy for a second and he was fine. And then the next thing that I k-" Veronica paused and wiped her eyes, her entire body was shaking, in fear, and especially anger. "The next thing I know is that I'm on the floor, being forced to watch this man get crushed to death by Stiles's jeep. And I couldn't do anything about it. It was like.. all of my magic.. it all went away in a snap of a finger."

"Veronica.."

"What is wrong with me.. Why is my magic literally draining out of me.. I feel different. Like theres- there's something missing in my mind and I don't know what it is." Veronica admitted looking at her aunt with eyes full of tears. Selena stood up, patting Veronica's shoulder before walking away. Veronica looked over and seen that Stiles was walking towards her. She got up from the car and immediately wiped her eyes again.

"You okay?" He asked her. She shook her head softly before pulling him into a hard hug. He hugged her back just as tightly. He seemed huge compared to her tiny, shaking frame. When Stiles had spoken to Scott on the phone, Scott had made it seem like their Veronica was gone. For Stiles, this was his proof that she wasn't gone. Infact, she wanted to be held, for someone to tell her she wasn't going insane, that she was going to be okay.

She watched as a car with tinted windows pulled up,"That's Derek. I have to go." she said pulling away from the boy.

"Call me if you need me, Ronnie." He said.

"I'll always need you, Stilinski." She said to him before she walked away and got in the car. "No, Derek.. I don't want to talk about it. Not yet."

Veronica sat on the stairs of Derek's place, watching as Isaac trained, Derek would catch him in the same spot, and throw him to the floor. Watching the routine, she was getting bored. Erica jumped from ontop of a old aluminum trailer and Derek grabbed her and threw her down next to Isaac. Veronica stood up, and walked passed Boyd, and passed the two other Betas. "Does anyone want to try not being completely pre-" Derek was pushed against the wall, suddenly.

The betas looked up at Veronica. "How's that for unpredictable, Derek." she said in a low dangerous voice. Derek didn't fight against her restraint. "I'm done being treated like a china doll by you. How do I get stronger." she let Derek go.

"Are we done? 'Cause I got about 100 bones that need a few hours to heal." Derek walked passed Veronica and crouched down infront of Isaac.

"Hmm?" He said grabbing Isaac's hand and snapping it back, making the boy scream out in pain.

"Derek!" Veronica called out, protectively as she moved forward.

"101. You think I'm teaching you how to fight, huh? Look at me! I'm teaching you how to survive!" he said before letting go of him. "Because the only one of you that even has a chance out there, is Veronica. And that's only because she relys too much on her magic."

He looked back at the girl that was glare back at him. "If they wanted us dead, why aren't they coming for us now? What are they waiting for?"

"I don't know."

"It's obvious." Veronica said. Derek turned to look back at her, as did the rest of the pack. "Oh come on Derek. Don't tell me you don't realize. They're obviously planning something big. Or... They're making all of you guys sweat it out. I mean it's police interrogation 101. The longer you want in that interrogation room. The more scared you get. Sweat. it. out."

"And you two, especially, not that's not our only problem. Whatever that thing is that killed Isaac's father, I think it killed someone else last night, when Veronica was attacked." He looked over at the green eyes girl.

"Obviously.." She said in a quiet voice. "What else could it have been Derek. It wasn't a werewolf.. Wasn't a witch. It was a fucking huge Lizard thing."

"Okay well until I figure out what it is you all need to learn everything that I know. As fast as I can teach you." he said before getting in the train car.

The three betas turned to look at Veronica,"Don't look at me.." She said uncomfortably. "I have school.."

Veronica stood infront of Allison, who was trying to hold back a giggle. Veronica let out a sigh, already knowing what she was going to say. "I think you mean-"

"No! I mean bestiary. And the two of you, me and Stiles don't want to know what's going on in your heads." She said pointing at Allison.

"Okay." Allison said softly, looking down at her feet and back up at the girl,"Can you describe this thing."

"It's probably, like, a book. Old, worn... Have you seen my grimoire? It probably looks similar to that." Veronica said, thinking.

"Like, bound in leather?" Allison suggested.

Veronica ran down the hallway, and grabbed Stiles's shoulder which made him jump as she looked over to Scott. "Yes. Seen her grandfather with a book like that."

Veronica jumped slightly when Stiles smashed against her locker. She let out a soft laugh. Stiles let out a pained gasp for breath.

"She says it has to be.. office." he groaned and gasped in pain from all the running he was doing.

"Tardus Pulsatio." Veronica said, holding out her hand.

"That sounded cool. What did that do?" Stiles asked.

"Calmed down your heart rate."

Veronica stood next to Stiles as he took a huff of his inhaler. "You know drug dealers have been using disposable cellphones pretty successfully for years." Stiles told Allison as Veronica patted his back, in a comforting manner.

"My parents check every call, email and text message I send. Trust me, they'd find it." Allison said.

"All right. Can you get the book?" Stiles asked.

"Not without his keys."