twenty-five

    Erica led Winnie and Isaac through the crowd, coming up behind Jackson in the midst of sweaty ravers.


Erica skimmed a hand around his neck, pulling Jackson in close to dance. She took Winnie's hand next, the three dancing in more than just personal space.


Winnie reached out and took Isaac's arm, bringing it to her waist.


They danced to a social high, electro music quaking the ground in a melodic way.


Jackson, beyond himself, kissed Erica's neck as he kept a warm grip on her hips. He was entranced, more himself than the kanima as he was slowly seduced.


Slightly behind Winnie as she danced with a hand in Erica's, Isaac leaned down, kissing the exposed skin on Winnie's neck for himself more than for the plan.


Still close to Erica, Winnie tilted her head with her eyes half shut as she had a hand behind her gripping his shoulder softly.


There was something euphoric about the entire situation.


Isaac slowly removed the ketamine syringe, grinning as he left a kiss below Winnie's ear. He moved around her just barely, getting closer to Jackson.


Both Isaac and Erica suddenly cringed, letting out gasps of pain.


Jackson held the wolves by his claws in their skin, his eyes going directly to Winnie. He leaned in close, noticing Winnie's hand moving to her thigh where the glock remained hidden. With his lips brushing her ear, a diluted voice growled, "She belongs to me."


Isaac and Erica hit the floor as Jackson let go and backed away from Winnie. His eyes taunted her, daring her to shoot him in front of all these people.


Jackson smirked, knowing she couldn't do it. He walked over the fallen betas, heading for the front of the stage. He was going to have his next victim, no matter what it took.


Winnie cursed, dropping down to help Isaac.


"The syringe," Isaac snapped as he winced. "Get the syringe, Win."


Winnie looked across, the metal syringe getting knocked away by a Doc Marten. She jumped up, dodging past people and quickly snatching it up. Without taking it to Isaac, she followed Jackson's path with narrowed eyes.


Nearly to the barrier, Jackson had his eyes on the target.


Winnie approached swiftly behind the kanima plagued boy, jamming the needle into the side of his neck and pushing the plunger.


Isaac quickly came to Winnie's side, catching Jackson as his body went limp from ketamine.


"Behind the tarps," directed Winnie as she removed the needle. "There's a room we can take him to. I'll grab Erica. Go, go." She ducked back through the crowd, finding the blonde slowly getting off the ground. Looping an arm around her, she lifted Erica up. "We got him. Are you okay?"


"Yeah, yeah," Erica painfully said as he skin healed over. "Let's just take care of this."


Winnie guided Erica back through the crowd, the two soon coming across the room they needed. They both slipped in, shutting the door as they found Isaac dropping Jackson in the plastic chair within the room.


Winnie brought out her phone, texting Stiles instead of Argent like she was supposed to. She let him know where they were and to get there as soon as he could.


Erica and Isaac watched Jackson, the rich boy unconscious and sprawled on the chair.


Erica looked back to Winnie as she put her phone in the band of her skirt. "Why didn't he attack you?"


"If he had a third hand, I imagine he would have." Winnie ran a hand through her hair, curls cascading down her back. She dropped the syringe to the ground, not wanting to touch it as she fully comprehended what she'd done to Jackson with it.


The door whipped open, Isaac pulling Winnie towards him as Erica lunged for the arrival.


"No, no, no!" yelled Stiles as he held out his hands to ward off Erica. "Just me, it's just me. Don't freak." He closed the door behind him, annoyed by all of them being so jumpy. He looked towards Jackson, "Is he okay?"


Isaac let go of the protective grip he had on Winnie, heading towards the passed out Jackson. "Well, let's find out." He spread out his hands swiftly, claws emerging almost gracefully.


Winnie jumped, Jackson catching Isaac's forearm as he tried to swing at him.


With eyes still closed, Jackson twisted Isaac's arm, the beta's bones cracking under his grip. He let go suddenly, still unconscious.


Isaac tumbled backwards with a yelp, nursing the shattered wrist that was healing itself.


"Okay, no one does anything like that again, okay?" ordered Stiles as he pointed to Isaac.


Winnie kept a hand on Isaac's back, the wolf sat on the sink with a throbbing arm. "I thought the ketamine was supposed to put him out. Deaton told us it would."


"Yeah, well," remarked Stiles, "apparently this is all we're going to get. So let's just hope that whoever's controlling him just decided to show up tonight."


Winnie's hand tensed, seeing Jackson's eyes snap open. "Guys."


"I'm here," a dark tone said. "I'm right here with you."


The words left Jackson's lips, but the voice wasn't his own.


Shivers snaked up Winnie's arms, she and the others with their full attention on the monster in front of them.


Stiles stepped forward, crouching down. "Jackson, is that you?"


"Us."


Winnie stood next to Isaac, suddenly finding his hand taking her comfortingly as he could sense the small pulses of fear radiating off of her.


"We're all here."


Stiles hesitantly looked back to the others before asking Jackson another question. "Are you the one killing people?"


Jackson stared off distantly, a blank expression on his face. "We are the ones killing murderers."


"So all the people you've killed so far-"


"Deserved it," he snapped to finish Stiles' statement.


"See," said Stiles, "we got a little rule book that says you only go after murderers."


"Anything can break if enough pressure's applied," whispered Winnie.


"Exactly."


Stiles narrowed his eyes at Jackson, "All right, so the people you're killing are all murderers then?"


"All..Each...Every one."


"Well," asked Stiles with a bare quake in his voice, "who did they murder?"


"Me."


Winnie let out a tight breath, her head starting to hurt.


"Wait, what?" Stiles cautiously and confusedly asked. "What do you mean?"


"They murdered me."


But it wasn't Jackson who said it.


Winnie hit the floor on her knees, cradling her skull. "Get him out of my head!" she yelled out with a pained scream.


Isaac knelt down quickly, both he and Stiles concerned for her.


"Guys," Erica nervously said as she kept her eyes on Jackson. "We've got an issue."


Jackson's eyes reverted to snake like slits, his neck cracking as his shift began to overpower the ketamine. "They murdered me."


Winnie cried quietly in pain, unresponsive to Isaac trying to console her.


Isaac glanced back and forth between Jackson and Winnie, the kanima beginning to show more of itself.


"Okay, all right," Stiles nervously said. "More ketamine. The man needs more ketamine. Come on."


Isaac, while keeping an arm around Winnie, removed the empty bottle from his jean pocket. "We don't have anymore."


Stiles closed his eyes, "You used the whole bottle?" He snatched it from the beta, glaring at Isaac's stupidity.


With wide eyes, Erica tapped Stiles' shoulder as a half shifted Jackson rose from his chair.


Isaac quickly picked up Winnie, holding her bridal style as they moved closer to the door.


Jackson lost all control, letting out a roar that shook the room.


"Okay, out," Stiles quickly said, "everybody out!"


They all darted out, slamming the door shut behind them.


"Okay, find something to move in front of the door," ordered Stiles as he, Isaac and Erica held the door closed with their bodies - Isaac still holding the slowly calming Winnie.


However, the fully transition kanima decided to bust out of the steel plated side of the room and run for its target.


"That's...not good," mumbled Stiles as the kanima went out of sight in a flash.


Isaac quickly moved, setting Winnie down on the ground. "Hey, hey, look at me," he softly said as he kept her propped up. "Winnie, what happened in there?"


"Kara," Winnie said with desperate eyes as she looked up. "Kara Simmons." She covered her mouth, tears spilling down her cheeks. "That's who he's after next. She's running the rave."


Both Stiles and Erica dispatched, leaving Isaac with Winnie.


"What happened to you, Win?" Isaac asked as he used his thumb to wipe tears from her face.


"I-I," Winnie stammered, "I was in his head, past Jackson, I was in his head." She was shaking, horrified as she search to answer questions she didn't know. "He - he knew I was there. He made me -" She covered her mouth with the back of her hand, shivering with watery eyes. "I didn't have control."


It seemed like no one had control. No one but the master.

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