Void of Life [Steo]

Chapter 7: Scream For Me

Theo had decided that the kiss didn't matter. He had been drunk after all. The new bout of emotions Theo had been feeling needed to be suppressed. If he was really feeling what he thought he was feeling, it seriously scared him. He hadn't truly felt anything for years.

Soon Stiles would be gone, leaving only the Nogitsune in his wake. Then the next phase of the plan could begin. Theo had gone back in to the room after he had sobered up a little to find Stiles, mumbling to himself, tears rolling down his cheeks.

Theo had contemplated helping him with whatever turmoil he was in. Then he remembered that he was not in this for that; to help people. Why was he in this at all any more? Instead, Theo decided to clean up the food off of the floor and get himself out of there.

Now Theo was on his way back to the asylum after the usual training session with the usual training session with the chimeras. Hayden was still laid up when he got there and he was certain he wouldn't have any of that. He told her to fight and to train or she would have to leave the pack. There was no room for weakness when Theo was the aloha.

Hayden did as she was told, after a bit more convincing from Tracy. Tracy seemed to be getting more and more attached to Theo, doing anything and everything he said and wanted. But lately she seemed to be doing things for him, even when he hadn't asked her to do them. It was making him annoyed and if her silly crush got in the way of his plans, it would have to stop.

Upon entering the asylum he went straight to the room with Lydia in it. It had been a while since he had had prolonged contact with the banshee, unless you counted escorting her to the bathroom. He didn't really like her if he was honest. Her fire and her passion were too full on, too suffocating for him to handle. The fire in him had long gone out, had it ever been there at all. None the less, she was necessary to break down Stiles. Theo was hoping she would be the straw that broke the teen boy's back. He had threatened her and now it was time to pay the piper.

Unlike Stiles, Lydia had remained strong, her fire still burning inside her. Theo counted himself lucky that Lydia was not the one who he had to break down. That would have made the process a bit longer.

"Feeding time again?" Theo shook his head and a furrow appeared in her brow. he held up the tape recorder he had in his hand as if to answer her silent question.

"I told you that the time would come when I would need you to scream. Now is that time."

"Why?" she asked, not showing any sign of fear, just plain curiosity.

"I need you not to ask that, because if I tell you I will have to kill you. Now scream." Lydia didn't make any motions and Theo was about to threaten her again when she began and he hit record.

The scream was not that of a banshee. Instead, Lydia managed to hold back and produce the screams of a teenage girl scared for her very being. Theo almost smiled at the sound, because it was perfect. It would do the job just fine. But Theo didn't want just fine, he wanted more. "Beg!" he commanded.

"Please Theo, don't... stop... please..." Lydia screamed some more in between her fake 'begging'. It was the cherry on the cake. Theo hit the stop button on the tape recorder and Lydia stopped screaming immediately. "Happy?" she asked.

"Thanks Lydia. You are quite the little actress, aren't you?" With this he left that room and went in to the other.

Stiles was already awake for once, but his eyes were all glazed over. He looked as if he had had the life sucked out of him. Perfect. "Okay Stiles. I have another thing that I want to play you, seeing as you enjoyed the first one so much." Stiles looked up at Theo weakly, begging him silently. It was pathetic. Theo put the tape recorder on the desk and pressed play. As soon as the screaming started, what was left of the colour in Stiles' face drained away completely. By the time she started begging he gave up and let loose his sobs.

"You know, I kind of feel guilty for being so ruthless. Lydia begged and she begged, but I still slit her throat anyway. Made quite a mess unfortunately.

"No! You're lying!" Stiles shouted through his tears.

"Oh, don't you wish that was true." It was then that Theo felt the change in the air. It was a vibration, almost audible but not quite and it tickled his skin slightly. It made Theo's face drop. The Dread Doctors had come for a visit.

Theo left the room suddenly, the recorder still playing and sure enough there they stood, all three of them in their usual strange attire. The sight of them filled Theo with fear and hatred simultaneously. "Theo Raeken," one of them said, the robotic voice chilling, "we require an update on the plan."

"Stiles will be ready soon, the Nogitsune has almost made a return." Theo tried and failed to keep a slight quiver out of his voice.

"Good. Then the next phase will begin shortly." The Dread Doctors turned and began to trudge away in a menacingly slow manner. It wasn't until they had rounded a corner and he could no longer hear them that Theo breathed again.

The tape, which was still on loop, continued to play Lydia's screams. Stiles had stopped sobbing now and sat in the chair, his head hung low. Theo hoped it was in defeat. "Given up yet Stiles?"

Stiles raised his head slowly, his eyes meeting Theo's with more bravado than he had ever shown before. There was something new in them. Something different. "Please. I'm a thousand years old, I've learned to be persistent. And could someone please tell me, what exactly is a Stiles?"