LIII. RELICS

Madison had been called to Scott's house early that morning. She had rushed over after quickly brushing her teeth and throwing on an outfit, texting Isaac to inform him that he didn't need to drive her to school that morning.

Madison proceeded to the alpha's house, meeting Liam on the walk over.

Mason and Corey had been waiting inside Scott's kitchen as the couple arrived. Madison was quick to notice the distressed expressions their faces held, and immediately began to worry.

Scott proceeded to lead the four to his living room, pointing upwards at the large, darkly colored crack at the top of the ceiling. They knew it was from the Ghost Riders, a result of the previous night's events.

"That's how he got in?" Corey questioned, completely mesmerized by the pattern in the ceiling.

"What is it?" Liam asked.

"It's a point of impact from a lightning strike. Usually you'd find charred spots like that on the ground after a violent thunderstorm." Mason explained.

"That's how the Ghost Riders got in, they rode the lighting." Scott figured, his eyes scanning over the spot above him.

"If they can use lightning to get past the mountain ash..." Liam began, his eyes locking with Scott's.

"No place is safe."

"What about the others? It's my fault they're marked," Corey stressed, and Scott sighed.

"We'll find a way to protect them," the alpha reassured, "all of them."

***

Later that afternoon, Madison found herself in the library with Liam and Mason. Opposed to doing research off the Ghost Riders, they were doing research in the lightning they traveled by.

"The K-index quantities disturbances in the horizontal component of Earth's magnetic field," Liam read off the page, as Mason nodded in understanding.

Madison watched as Liam pressed his pencil to his lip, deep in thought.

"What's a 'K-index'?" Liam quizzed after a moment, and Madison pressed the back of her palm against her forehead. They were hopeless.

"It's a scale that meteorologists use to measure thunderstorm activity," Mason explained, "so a K-index less than twenty means no activity, and above 35 is severe."

"Well, how bad is severe?"

"Bad enough?" Madison guessed, yawning as she rested her head against Liam's shoulder for a moment.

'Your average storm has about one thousand lightning strikes. In the past three months, the average storm in Beacon Hills had 5,000."

"And what's it reading now?" The beta questioned further.

Mason pressed against his keyboard, "Fourteen. We're clear."

"Okay, so if a spike in the K-index means more lightning then we can tell if they're coming." Liam realized.

"Yeah," Mason confirmed, watching Liam chuckle.

"This is good." Liam chuckled with a grin, feeling hopeful.

However, his excitement lasted but a minute, as Mason's computer began to beep erratically, the K-index increasing rapidly.

"Actually...this is really bad."

"So...a storm is on its way. How are we going to hide 200 students from the Ghost Riders now?" Madison questioned.

"We need to hide them." Mason stated, watching as Liam shook his head.

"No, we need to fight them." The beta argued.

"Liam, my love, the last time you tried to fight a Ghost Rider you were absolutely floored. Wouldn't it be easier just to hide them for one night?" The werewitch suggested.

"Exactly," Mason spoke, "we need to hide them."

"Who's 'them'?" A voice pondered, as Madison turned around to recognize Scott. '

"The Ghost Riders," Liam replied, while Madison said something else entirely.

"The kids at the party."

Madison wasn't focused on the creatures, her main priority was keeping everyone safe. Her and her friends were lucky to have survived the night with minimal damage.

"Got it," Scott sighed in confusion.

"We could get a lightning rod. Attract the Ghost Riders and catch them off guard." Liam suggested, unable to finish his thought process as Madison countered.

"But since everyone from the party is in danger, all we need to do is find them a safe place to hide them until the storm passes." Madison debated, while Liam shook his head in disapproval.

"The Ghost Riders ride the lightning. Nowhere is safe."

"My family's bunker is safe,' Madison disagreed, "if we're underground, the Earth can ground the lightning's electrical charge. A guarantee the storm would pass without the Ghost Riders taking anyone."

"Okay," Scott said, putting his hands out to halt the couple's debate as he sat down in the chair besides Madison, "here's what we're going to do. We'll take everyone to the Argent bunker—it's underground and it's lined with Mountain Ash."

"We stopped the Ghost Riders last night. We can do it again." Liam reasoned.

"We didn't stop them, they retreated. We just don't know why yet," Madison explained.

Liam sighed, an inner debate in his mind on whether he should cooperate. Madison was looking at him, her eyes pitiful.

"Okay, fine," the beta agreed with an exhale, "how do we get everyone inside the bunker?"

***

"Is this a joke?" Nathan questioned through narrow eyes.

"No," Liam stammered, "I mean, you've gotta take this seriously. Once we're all in the bunker, we'll be fine."

Nathan sighed, his eyes flickering to Madison, who was standing with her hands crossed besides Liam.

"If your firecracker girlfriend is there, maybe I'll consider it," Nathan spoke, sending a flirty wink Madison's way. Seconds later, the boy's face dropped again, "I'm not gonna miss the first game of the year so you can make captain," Nathan decided, shoving the paper Liam handed him back to the beta.

"They're a supernatural force coming to erase your soul," Liam warned.

"It was a man...with a hat and a gun." Nathan replied mindlessly, motioning to turn around before Mason's voice caught his attention.

"And he's coming back to shoot you in the head."

***

Mason's threat was effective in convincing Nathan down to the bunker. Madison had rounded up the students from last night, claiming they were rethrowing the prior night's party due to it being cut short. The amount of teenagers that agreed simply because of the 'free booze' they advertised was pitiful.

As the students filed into the tunnels, they began to grow worried.

"Why are we underground?" A student probed worriedly.

"This is the way to the bunker," Hayden replied softly.

"You guys have a bunker? Who are you people?" Nathan scoffed.

"We're the people that know things about the things that most people don't know about." Liam replied, his response clearly catching Nathan off guard.

"What?"

"Exactly. Let's just move along," Madison said, leading the group of students to the bunker as if she was a tour guide.

When she reached the bunker, Madison had taken in its appearance, realizing it was in rough shape.

The students looked around in curiosity, as Madison searched the room for her father.

She felt a weight being lifted off her chest when she caught sight of him. Despite living in the same house, she hadn't seen him for at least two days. It was always reassuring to see her father in good health.

Madison had run up to give her father a hug, to which he warmly returned. The two had worked on building a healthy relationship and working past their traumatic experiences to be the best versions of themselves they could be for the other. So far, Christopher had been holding up his end of the deal.

The werewitch stood by her father for a moment, watching Nathan pick up one of the tools from a desk.

"I wouldn't touch that," Madison spoke, though she was a second too late as the gun had things shooting out from it.

She cringed as Christopher moved towards the boy to disarm him.

"What's all this for?" Nathan probed.

"Your protection," Christopher replied.

"I don't need protection," Nathan scoffed, heading for the door.

"Unless you want to die—and if you do, be my guest, but I really suggest you stay here," Madison spoke faux cheerily, staring down Nathan as he backed away from the door.

The werewitch sent a cocky grin his way as she walked towards her friends who were deep in conversation.

"We're missing three plus Gwen," Liam informed, pointing to the list of names on the sheets he had created.

"They're all the lacrosse players." Scott noticed.

"They were all at the party, so they know what's coming." Corey explained.

'People see what they want to see." Argent sighed from behind Mason, who was staring intently at his phone.

"Guys, we're running out of time," Mason informed worriedly, the K-index on his phone rapidly increasing in numbers.

"Scott, we have to get them." Liam pleaded, but Scott shook his head.

'I'll go, but the rest of you stay here."

"We couldn't fight off two Ghost Riders. Who knows how many are going to be there tonight? We're going with you." Liam decided firmly.

"You're marked," Scott reminded.

"So am I," Mason defended.

"Yeah, me too, but at least I can see them coming."

"I can hear them coming. Their footsteps echo every time they're near me." Madison said, "not to mention, I managed to somewhat successfully corner a Ghost Rider into a corner."

Scott thought for a moment, looking to Argent for advice. The man stared back at him for a moment, before nodding hesitantly.

"Alright," Scott spoke, "but if you see them coming...run."

***

Madison had left the bunker after bidding goodbye to her father. She promised to stay safe, and the man may or may not have threatened Scott with a piece of mistletoe in his pocket if his daughter didn't come back in one piece.

"What's the plan?" Liam questioned, as the group walked down the hallway.

"Convince Okafur, Steinbach, and Wallace that playing tonight is a bad idea," Scott explained, stopping in his tracks as he turned to Mason, "you've read everything there is to know about Ghost Riders, and you're the only one of us who's figured anything out. Have you come across anything that could stop them?"

"Not yet, but I can try. The only thing that I've seen is how the Ghost Riders reacted to Madison last night. It's like they were afraid to fight back."

"Afraid to fight back? What do you mean 'afraid to fight back'?" Scott questioned.

"She had it cornered. Like—literally cornered," Corey recalled, "the Ghost Rider didn't move a muscle until it disappeared with the other one."

Scott nodded, staring at Madison as he tried to take in the information.

"Okay. See if you can find anything that'll help you understand what happened last night," Scott advised, leaving Mason alone to do research as the rest of the group turned to leave.

Madison had entered the locker room with the three boys. It was empty, or at least they thought it was until Coach came out of his office.

He threw Scott's helmet at him, as the alpha caught it in a startled manner.

"You're late, McCall," the man chastised, "why aren't you people dressed? Get your asses moving. Everyone on the field." The coach yelled in the boy's faces to hustle.

When he approached Madison, he yelled at her all the same, in hopes that the lacrosse team's unofficial cheerleader would bring in enough school spirit to score a win for the season.

"We'll never get them back into the bunker now," Liam sulked.

"Get dressed," Scott instructed a moment later, "there's only one way to keep them safe."

"Play the game."

***

Madison stood on the sidelines as she approached the field with her friends. She took in Liam in his jersey, knowing it was an extremely inappropriate time to be thirsting over her boyfriend's looks...but could anyone really blame her?

'I'll take Steinbach and Wallace," Scott spoke. "You take Gwen." The alpha instructed to Liam.

"You're on Okafur," The alpha said to Corey seconds later.

"What if I see Ghost Riders?" Corey asked.

"Yell," Liam replied dryly.

"Then get ready to fight."

Madison sat against the bleachers besides Mason as the whistle rang out. The team had already begun to fail miserably within the first five minutes, as the werewitch watched Coach grow enraged.

"What are you doing out there," he yelled across the field as the boys were seemingly messing up on purpose, "you know what? I'm gonna kill the three of you." He huffed, standing up from his chair as he walked closer to the playing field.

"Do these guys ever practice?" Lori, Brett's sister, spoke while shaking her head.

Madison turned around with a sigh.

"It's just first period," she tried, and Sidney nodded.

"They could still win," Lori added, though she clearly didn't believe her own words.

Mason must've had a realization moments later as the opposing team scored again, the boy hopping out of his seat, screaming out. He noticed the odd stares he was receiving a moment later as he sat back down, "Sorry."

"It's Parrish," Mason whispered to Madison.

She looked at him weirdly.

"What?"

"He's the reason the Ghost Riders left the party." The boy clarified, as Madison turned her head towards him.

"Find Hayden. Tell her to call her sister, Parrish needs to come to the school now. If he can keep the Ghost Riders away, then maybe they won't come tonight at all," the werewitch figured.

"What about you?" Wondered Mason.

"What about me?"

"Why were you able to hold off that Ghost Rider for so long, when Liam and Corey got thrown to the ground in less than five seconds?"

Madison shook her head.

"I don't know. Unless we can figure it out in the next five minutes, it's irrelevant. For now, go find Hayden. I have to stay here and make sure the Ghost Rider's don't come back—and if they do...I need to prepare for a fight."

Mason nodded as he took off, leaving Madison alone. The werewitch' s words were true, though she knew she had also been avoiding Hayden. She had noticed that whenever she and Liam were around, she could smell the chemosignals of anxiety—the type of anxiety one would expel when they had a crush.

Madison thought that Hayden had a crush on Liam—but how wrong she was. The werewitch was frustratingly oblivious to Hayden's feelings, and she was even upset with the girl as she assumed she was crushing on her boyfriend. Madison knew that the crush was probably harmless as she hadn't attempted to make any moves on him, but she was still frustrated that those feelings developed in the first place.

However, she had bigger things to focus on for the moment. Madison continued to keep an eye out for the Ghost Riders, though she was also focused on the game, watching Liam growing agitated as he harshly shoved another player.

"Yes, Dunbar!" Coach cheered, "That's the kind of passion I want to see. Unleash hell!"

However, Madison noticed Liam wasn't the only aggravated player on the field. Numerous players were sitting out holding ice packs, while others back on the field were minutes away from getting into a physical fight. She heard the sound of lightning cracking a moment later as she felt her blood run cold, trying to prepare herself for a fight.

Rain began to pour down on the field as she noticed they were quickly approaching. Madison walked out to the field as the red blew the whistle, signaling the end of the game.

"You got all three, right?" Scott confirmed with Liam, who looked at him in confusion.

"Scott, there were four."

Madison blinked nervously as she heard a scream in the distance. She watched a Ghost Rider run away with the missing player caught in its whip, until the two disappeared into thin air.

The sound of metal clanging together in the distance alerted Madison that more Ghost Riders were on the way. The sound of horses neighing was quickly getting louder as she held a protecting hand out and stood in front of her friends.

"Oh my god, they're real!" Madison heard one of the players from behind shriek.

The group began to panic as they drew closer.

"Run!" Scott yelled, but there was nowhere to go.

They were circled at every angle.

"Stay close!" Liam yelled, his hand latching onto Madison's.

The Ghost Riders began to shoot their guns, as one of the players disappeared once the bullet came into contact with them. Scott's moth dropped in shock as he let go of Corey's hand—that he had been holding onto to be able to see the Ghost Riders.

"I can still see them!" Scott panicked.

Madison felt Liam let go of her hand abruptly, turning around so he was face to face with a Ghost Rider on a horse. The beta was quick to tackle the Ghost Rider to the ground.

"Liam, no!" Madison yelled, and Scott was already running after his beta to ensure he didn't get taken.

Madison couldn't move, she had to protect Gwen. Another gunshot sounded as the final lacrosse player vanished into thin air besides her, leaving only Gwen left.

Scott and Liam were wolfed out, she could see their fangs baring and glowing eyes.

"We can't stop them!" Liam cried, and Scott turned to him.

"Protect Gwen." The alpha ordered.

Ghost Riders were surrounding the four, the group had nowhere to run. All they could do was fight.

Madison stood in front of Gwen, protecting her from any potential bullets. Sparks trickled from her hand as flames rose up from her palm, the werewitch angling them to throw at the Ghost Riders. The werewitch stepped forward bravely, her body inches away from the Ghost Rider's. The second she held up the flames to the Ghost Rider, it took its gun out from it's pocket, resting it against Madison's forehead.

The werewitch was terrified, her legs trembling—but she didn't back down. Her eyes were growing a bright green as she heard the gun cock, a bullet shooting out from its gun.

She could hear Scott and Liam's yells as they realized the situation Madison had gotten herself into, but they too, knew Madison wasn't a coward. She'd fight to the death.

Madison flinched at she heard the gunshot, preparing herself for the impact, for the pain. But neither had come.

Gwen was quick to run towards Madison and push her out of the way, and the Ghost Rider fired its bullet when it noticed Gwen charging at it quickly. Madison watched through hazy vision as Gwen disappeared into a green cloud of smoke.

"No!" Madison screamed, her hands reaching out for the girl that was nowhere to be seen.

The Ghost Riders were gone in a flash, and the raining had stopped.

Madison had been shaking when the group walked back into the school. Mason and Hayden were waiting for the teenagers when they arrived inside.

"So, uh—I think I figured out why the Ghost Riders had been so attracted to Madison at the party. They were curious about her, yet scared. They don't know what she is...since she's there first and only of her kind." Mason explained, scratching the back of his neck.

"So that's why the Ghost Rider didn't try to attack me like he did with Corey and Liam," Madison realized, running a hand down her temple.

Her eyes flickered to Hayden, who quickly looked down. The werewitch raised a suspicious eyebrow, but soon averted her eyes to her left. She looked across the hallway, noticing Scott was on the phone, and by the look on his face...it didn't sound good.

"Everyone from the bunker's been taken." Scott said solemnly.

"Everyone? How?" Mason questioned in disbelief.

"It doesn't matter how." Liam sighed, pausing as he looked down.

The beta's breaths were coming down harshly, guilt emitting from his words. His negative emotions were morphing into anger, as Madison stepped past Hayden to grab Liam's hand. She had taken some of his anger as she would take his pain, like she had done numerous times before.

The beta shot her a grateful look and squeezed her hand. Madison nodded.

"Scott," Liam spoke softly, defeated, "tonight..."

"No, hey," Scott interrupted, "tonight wasn't your fault. It's mine. We should've done both. Defend the bunker, and use the lightning rod. It would've given us a better chance."

Liam nodded solely.

'Malia and Isaac are at the hospital," Scott informed a few seconds later, though he paused. He turned to Madison crouching down slightly, "and, um...Argent's been hurt. My mom's with them," Scott explained, and Madison's heart sunk down to her feet.

"Hurt? Hurt how?" The girl worried, taking a step forward as she could feel her heartbeat beating wildly from inside her chest.

Her hand slipped away from Liam's. She could tell he the previous guilt was building up all over again, and a new disappointment and sadness had been added into the mix. She wanted to tell him it was okay, that it wasn't his fault.

But her father was hurt. She couldn't waste time at the school, she'd run to the hospital by foot if that's what it took. Her father was all she had left, she couldn't lose him.

And so the werewitch took off running.

***

Madison had sprinted with Scott to the hospital. She was sopping wet, her cheeks wet from rain and tears. From what Scott described, her father's injuries were bad.

When the two arrived, Madison saw Melissa wheeling her father into a private room on a gurney. Isaac had been trailing behind the two, and Madison immediately curled into Isaac's side when she saw him.

"Is he okay?" Asked the werewitch through labored breaths, her voice shaking.

"He has blunt force trauma to his temporal bone, three broken ribs and multiple surface lacerations which seem to be from...whip marks?"

Madison blinked back tears as she stared down at her father. She held his hand tightly.

"What is needs is a lot of rest," Melissa informed, soothingly running a hand through Madison's hair.

"What happened?" Lydia's voice sounded from a few feet away.

Isaac filled Lydia in, his heart racing and voice shaking.

Madison and Isaac had spent the entire night in the hospital with her father. The werewitch didn't care that she was freezing cold due to her soaked clothes, she knew she looked a mess but she refused to leave her father's side for even a moment. The man hadn't woken up yet, and Madison was worried that he wouldn't wake up at all.

Isaac had been in and out of the hospital throughout the night to stay updated with the pack. While he was gone, Scott, Lydia, and Malia took turns staying with her. Lydia had informed her that her research led to nothing, that Stiles couldn't have been Claudia and Noah's son. No relic had been found, and the banshee was questioning if there even was a Stiles to begin with.

— argentsires
i just finished writing 6A and im so excited to publish it 🥹, but at the same time im not ready to start writing 6b because i don't want this story to be over
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