38 CHPT 37: Beasts of Beacon Hills Vs. Kanima of Cold Blood….

The power of The Alpha. The spark that swallows all others like a drop of rain in the face of a tsunami. That power was Scott's own. Not from taking the magic of the Spark from someone else, but from his own force of will. A malfunction in the curse of Lycanthropy placed on Lycaon by Zeus.

Scott was a True Alpha. And his truth seemed to be helping those he deemed innocent.

Ironic.

Marco growled in anger as he fought against the Alpha Sparks influence, it's power locking his joints in place as all hell broke loose ahead in the darkness.

Jackson shook and convulsed against his silver restraints. At first they were fine, but over time sizzling sounds accompanied the squeak of his sneakers on the stone floor. And the smell of burnt scales filled the warehouse.

When was a Kanima not a Kanima?

Scott shoved past him and tried to help Jackson. Naive and afraid, moving nonetheless. He reminded him of himself…..when he was a child. And the Warlocks were the boogeymen trampling over his world.

He too had moved despite his fear. It was for nothing. But it was a sign of strength if nothing else. But strength was nothing if not honed for purpose.

Marco focused, ignoring Scott as he tried to hold down Jackson and speak reasoning into him. Thick spirals of steam rose from the markings on his arm. Varying familiar colors bloomed as sparks of lightning against his dark skin. Intensity ran across the room like physical reverberations from a bass drum.

Scott's hold on Marco shattered like a brittle snare and he was on his feet.

"You fucking cow-brained American!" Marco kicked Scott off to the side from behind just as Jackson shed the final remnants of his human skin like a snake and burst through his silver chains.

A Kanima was a nightmare unlike the other Shifters. All bits of Humanity wiped clean and replaced by reptilian monstrosity. Like scales and glowing malicious eyes painted over the vaguest skeletal frame of man. And that was without getting to the paralyzing claws and evolutionary stages.

The creature roared loud enough to dizzy Marco and turned to climb the support beam.

Kanima's liked walls more than floors. Marco liked a good chase.

He was up on the support beam climbing after it in a heartbeat, using his claws as climbing hooks in the concrete to jump and dodge it's swooping tail.

"Grab a weapon and get ready for a grudge match!" Marco yelled down to them.

"Go!" Derek snapped the others into action before grabbing an old curved silver blade off a shelf often refereed to as a Khopesh.

The others found similar weapons except for Scott.

"Do you still speak of his innocence?" Marco yelled in between swiping at the Kanima's backside from sixty feet up. "Do you not see how he is afflicted? Saving him costs the lives of many others— who are you to put their futures in the balance? WHO?!"

The Kanima roared as if it understood it was being spoken about.

"We have to do better! We can help everyone, then no one dies!" Scott pressed.

Marco roared, transforming as he pounced on the Kanima that hung from the wall above him.

He landed on his back in his true form, sinking his massive fangs into the back of its head. The backend of its skull split from the power of its jaws before it let go of the wall and they both fell.

Marco flipped off the creature and landed on his feet with the Kanima recovering close by.

As soon as it was up, it was fighting. It moved straight for Isaac on the left as they circled it. Scott intervened and sent his fist across its face.

The creature lost a tooth and rolled, only to recover and attack Stiles. Marco didn't move to save him. Even as it swiped at the WereCoyotes ankles and the paralysis began.

Scott attacked from behind. His lunge was halted as his face smashed into its tail hard.

He was out. For how long he didn't know. But the moment he regained consciousness he was up. Isaac and Stiles were on the floor as Derek faced off against the Kanima with claw and sword.

He looked tired. So did the Kanima. But for some reason it wouldn't run or try to take the high ground.

Derek needed help. They all did.

Scott took off in a blur and tackled the Kanima. As soon as he collided with the scaled creature they rolled, raising dust and pebbles in a shockwave of violence.

He wrestled for topmount only managing to hold its face from his throat.

"Jackson…. Please!" Scott growled.

"That isn't Jackson, Scott! We lost Jackson— and they'll use what's left to kill us. Why don't you get it. THIS IS REAL LIFE!" Marco snapped.

Scott didn't let up. Stubbornness was in him like stamina was in Wolves.

Eventually he kicked the Kanima off. But he didn't get up to chase it. He let it run, off to go kill more innocents. The ones Scott seemed so adamant on protecting.

Before the Kanima could reach the far walls leading up to the slim windows, Marco slammed the creature into the floor from behind and ripped its throat out with his claws.

Scott's was too stunned to yell. Too tired to relent. His head fell to the floor like the rest of them.

Marco shifted back to his human form in the blink of an eye. Sweat beads dripped down his massive back and veiny arms. His chest rose and fell in the silence with intense animation.

He didn't have the endless stamina like fully synthesized Wolves of the North. His people were powerful— explosive and hardy. But everlasting like the Wolves they were not.

Even so. He'd stay ahead.

He turned to face everyone else. Their silence was deafening.

"Let this be a reminder to you all. The Warlocks want this across the entire city. The Argents seemed to oblige." Marco explained as he walked over to a certain red eyed WereWolf. His crooked jaw felt more crooked in the silence. His muscles strained with tiredness beneath his skin. Growing and changing to fit his new power.

" You're foolish, Scott. You contradict yourself. But you're learning. A True Alpha isn't an idiot forever. Either he grows into his potential, or he dies…. this time by me. Pick one before I do it for you."