YOUTH || Liam Dunbar [1]

TWENTY FIVE

The rain poured as Katherine sprinted through the streets of Beacon Hills, trying to keep up with Kira. She kept a tight grip on her baseball bat and a metal garbage can lid, her dark hair whipping behind her. The puddles had long since soaked through her shoes and hoodie, but she didn't have time to worry about that.

Brett and his sister were being hunted.

Courtesy of the Deadpool.

As they neared the school, she watched the lacrosse field lights switch on, and Katherine inhaled sharply. "Kira!" She shrieked, pointing at them.

Kira nodded and they turned in that direction. She could see them huddled in the middle of the field, armed hunters with weapons aimed at their chest a short distance away. Katherine forced herself to move faster, ignoring the ache building up in her chest.

The first arrow was fired, at Brett — who was shielding his sister — but Kira managed to cut it in half before it could hit its target.

"Haul ass, you guys!" Katherine screamed, water flying from her lips as she held up her garbage can lid. "Come on! Move it! Let's freaking go!"

Without a moments hesitation, Brett and his sister were running. Katherine ran backwards behind them, using the lid to shield them from any arrows Kira missed. They ran to the sidewalk surrounding the school, and Katherine began to lower the lid.

Until a shark pain flared up in her palm.

She let out a quiet yelp and stumbled, but otherwise kept running.

Once Katherine thought they were a good distance away, she made them stop. "We need to wait for Kira," she wheezed. Brett and Lori nodded, watching her worriedly as she pulled the arrow from her palm. Thankfully it hadn't gone all the way through her hand, but the tip had definitely broken skin.

Katherine grunted quietly but snapped the head off the arrow and tucked it into her back pocket. "You're okay?" Brett asked her quietly, holding Lori close to his side.

Katherine shot him a lazy grin and gripped her bat in both hands. "I've had so much worse happen to me in the last month," she breathed tiredly. "So it's going to take a lot more than an arrow in the hand to kill me."

Kira came darting around the corner, her eyes blown wide in panic. When she saw them, the panic diminished and she jogged over. "I lost them" she breathed. "So we'd better get them back to wherever they're hiding." Her eyes settled on the blood dripping from Katherine's hand, and she raised a brow.

"What?" Katherine frowned, holding her hands up in surrender. "A garbage can lid can't stop everything, you know. It's not Captain America's shield or anything."

•••

Katherine stood in the doorway of Deaton's, her arms folded over her chest while Scott and Kira made out in the reception room. "Really guys?" She called, grimacing visibly.

Scott immediately let go of Kira and went to Katherine, his hands cupping her cheeks as he looked for injuries. "Are you okay? Did you get hurt?"

"You're a bit late for that," she snickered, holding up the band-aid she'd put on her palm. "Arrows are freakin' sharp, man." Scott rolled his eyes but pulled her in for a hug. "How're Stiles and Lydia?"

She wanted to ask about Liam — where he was, and what not — but she already knew the answer.

He wasn't ready for all of this yet. And that was totally okay. Katherine knew that deep down, if Scott, Stiles and Lydia weren't involved, then she would just look the other way. But now she was in this for the long run, and wouldn't change it for the world.