( video 17 )

[studmuffin]

Fuck you --.

[ Stiles' out of breath voice bursts through the network just before the video feeds in. He's holed up in a sports store and brandishing a baseball bat in his free hand. He didn't really want to announce his return via video (the state of his face and general mental welfare being the main reason) but it's easiest, quickest. Because from the sound of it the ghouls have already found him.

Stiles swings the bat with a sound like a snarl, winces when it connects and climbs higher up the metal shelving. ] I can't believe you guys had a freaking zombie apocalypse and didn't invite me.

[ One of them groans and the device dips down as Stiles reaffirms his grip, arm curled around the metal bars. ] Yeah, yeah. Brains, got it. [ He sucks in a breath as the creature starts to climb after him. ] Oh holy god. That's cheating.

Derek? If you're going to save me, now might be the best time. [ Please still be in the City. Please. ]

Comments

[lupusalpha]

[He doesn't reply right away because he's running to find Stiles - yes, on foot, because he was in the middle of the forest when he got the message.

He grabs the ghoul just as it is about to grab Stiles and roars, throwing it across the store. He's totally wolfed out, ears, no eyebrows, eyes glowing red.

This much, he knows how to do]

[studmuffin]

[ He's not sure what he should be feeling -- it's like two warring time lines melding in to each other. Everything he knows about home and here twisting so he just settles for the out and out relief he feels when Derek's roar fills the shop.

His feet hit the floor again, brandishing the baseball bat in both hands. ] Zombies versus Werewolf. Huh. Never thought I'd be living it.

[ He twists to hit the one creeping around the back, blood and bone going flying. ] What's going on?

[lupusalpha]

Don't know, it started a few days ago.

[Derek snarls and swipes with his claws before he turns]

Run, just run! I'm right behind you!

[studmuffin]

I'm keeping this.

[ But he does take off, knows that if he doesn't hear Derek he'll come back for him. That's just how they are now - hate turned into a mutual life saving exercise. Maybe that's why he held out on the hope the Alpha would come and save him from the zombie hoards. ]

[lupusalpha]

[Good enough. Derek follows, grabbing a lacrosse stick and slamming the door shut behind him, and wedging the lacrosse stick to hold the door close. It won't hold them forever but long enough for the two of them to get away.

And he follows, running]

[studmuffin]

[ His whole body aches, his mind a mess as he runs. It's been seconds since they all parted, since he watched Jackson change and Gerard slithered away and now this - now zombies?

Glancing behind him, at the dark shape of Derek. ] Are they everywhere?

[lupusalpha]

[He can smell that, smell the creeping exhaustion, and it's not that he doesn't care but they have to get somewhere safe right now.]

Not near the cabin. I've been keeping them away.

[studmuffin]

Cabin, gotcha.

[ He wonders maybe if werewolf is a zombie deterant but he doesn't ask, just tries to keep going. It's like lacrosse, it's fine, they're fine. ]

[lupusalpha]

[They cover a lot of ground because Derek sets a pretty punishing pace, but once they're in the perimeter that Derek's been patrolling he looks at Stiles]

You went back.

[studmuffin]

[ Stumbling a little. ] Yeah, I did.

[ Because he'd been hurt and confused and he'd missed his dad and Scott too much. And then he'd forgotten about this place entirely and wound up even more messed up.

It's like a panic attack ... ]

You weren't kidding about our awful lives, huh?

[lupusalpha]

I wasn't.

Get in the cabin.

[He's brusque because even though he doesn't smell anything, he thought he saw Laura the other day, and it messed with his head.]

[studmuffin]

[ He does as he's told ... and really he can't have been gone long if half of his decorations are still there, if the book he'd been pouring over is still wedged in under the couch. ]

[lupusalpha]

[He closes the door and bolts it, and turns to look at Stiles]

What happened?

[studmuffin]

[ He twists, looks at him with eyes a little too wide. ]

Do you mean the zombie apocalypse? 'Cause I just got back, bro. I know I'm good but I can't figure it out in seconds.

[lupusalpha]

No, back home?

What's the last thing that happened?

[He's stripping off his leather jacket, looking at Stiles' injuries]

[studmuffin]

Jackson and his Beauty and the Beast routine.

[ The hint of bitterness feels heavy in his throat. It's like he watched his life unravel, his dad stopped trusting him, Scott kept things to himself, Lydia won't ever want him back.

But then again, he got the shit kicked out of him by a ninety year old. Who would? ]

[justamessenger]

Are you okay, Stiles?

[helsmaiden]

[ Stiles! :) ]

You have picked quite a time to return.

[studmuffin]

Yeah, yeah.

[ Slightly strained. ] Got my ass rescued, don't worry.

[studmuffin]

Yep.

[ He doesn't really remember much of the curse - well, he does. But he's not entirely sure what he said to people. For him it was an age ago. ] How long was I gone?

[justamessenger]

As long as the rest of you got rescued, too.

[helsmaiden]

Days.

[ He basically admitted to kissing Derek. Via Katy Perry references. ]

[studmuffin]

All important parts covered. Though not literally.

[studmuffin]

Huh.

[ It feels like forever. ] Wow. When did the creepy half dead people get here?

[lupusalpha]

Right.

[He puts his hand on Stiles' shoulder, and black lines snake up his arm.

But on the plus side, Stiles' pain should go away.]