Phoenix || Malia Tate

38

The first thing Phoenix does is lose his mind. Ever since Stiles got the call, Phoenix can only think about one thing – terrorists. And being the history buff he is, there's a lot to think about. The Gamboru Ngala attack, 9/11, the Anthrax Letters, the Massacre of Trujillo, the Beslan Massacre, the Salmonella attack of 1984, the mid-air Pan Am bombing... and now Beacon Hills High School. And it's not Al-Qaeda or ISIS or Boko Haram who's invoking the terror. It's a group of hunters lead by twenty-three-year-old pharmacist, Eleanor Rosary. Phoenix was raised in a system where terrorism had a certain face, and now that that face is his sister... he's lost. Truly, utterly, lost.

He sits in the car now, on his way to the school his sister currently holds hostage, unsure of what he will do – unsure of what he can do. They have to stop her, but how? She's prepared, armed, and deluded. Ellie is so sure that her way is the right way, how can they convince her otherwise?

Phoenix leans his head back against the seat. He feels a headache coming on.

No.

Wait.

It's already here.

Phoenix groans.

Beside him, Malia watches cautiously, intently. He's worried about Ellie and Malia is worried about him. She saw the way he was when he came back from seeing Ellie. If he was that affected then, Malia can only imagine what the next few moments will do to him.

"Phoenix," she says, though she does not know what she will say next. He opens his eyes and looks at her, and once again she's hit with just how green they are. Such an odd thing to be noticing at a time like this, but still. They're a forest. They're her forest. After everything, he is a home to her. It's then that Malia realizes that she – or maybe not her, but maybe the pack, maybe someone, anyone, has to be a home for him now that Ellie can't be. "Whatever happens, it's not your fault."

Phoenix is still. He wants to tell her that it is, but can't find himself to argue with her. Not now. He doesn't have the mind space for it.

The police radio's static in Stiles' Jeep goes off, updating the station on the situation at the school. Beacon Hills High School is on lock down. An unidentified female has everyone in the gymnasium. She's situated two bombs, one by the front entrance of the school, and one at the back. They suspect she's in her twenties. All they know is that she's white, armed, and out of her mind. Malia tells Stiles to turn it off. Phoenix tells him to leave it on. An officer asks if she's made any demands, another responds that she hasn't.

"What is she waiting for?" Phoenix asks so softly that he doesn't expect anyone to hear.

Apparently, he's forgotten who his in the car with. Malia's the one that answers. "She's waiting for you."