031, weaponized
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MIAH LAYS on Scott's bed with a yawn while Scott and Stiles count the money placed in front of them and listen to the tape that fell from the money bag.

"You will be assigned a new IP address if you choose to continue down the list. Remember. Visual confirmation is always required for payment." a man's voice states through the tape.

Miah looks up at Scott and Stiles with a shocked look on her face, "You ever made a wire transfer?" Stiles questions.

"Never had enough money." Scott shrugs answering his best friend before looking at Miah tiredly laid out on his bed.

"So... you didn't understand a word of that, either?" Stiles asks, "I don't understand any of this. Why would someone use all this money just to kill us?" Scott wonders still looking at Miah who sits up with yet another yawn.

"Someone wants you dead, dude... badly. And I mean Miah's worse seventy million. Someone wants her even more." Stiles firmly states earning an annoyed groan from the blonde.

Scott looks at the money sighing placing it back into the duffel bag, "Whoa, whoa. What are you doing?" Stiles asks confused.

"It's late. We've got the PSATs in the morning." Scott shrugs actually wanting some rest for the test in the morning and to spend some time with his girlfriend.

"No. I meant the money. Five hundred thousand dollars, Scott. You know how much money that is?" Stiles exclaims seeing Miah look at Scott amused.

"It's five hundred thousand..." Scott says with a frown, "It's half a million dollars, Scott. What are you gonna do... just slide it under your mattress?" Stiles questions interrupting Scott's response.

"I have to talk to Derek. The money's his." Scott mumbles seeing Miah lay back down on the pillows thinking about her uncle and great uncle's money.

"You mean his and Peter's..." Stiles replies, "What does that mean?" Scott wonders, "It means... maybe we should proceed with caution." Stiles apprehensively states.

"You don't think we should tell Derek?" Scott frowns, "No. No." Stiles mumbles before sighing knowing some of the money might possibly be Joel's as well.

"No. Of course we have to tell him. I'm just... I'm just saying, some of that money is Peter's, right?" Stiles asks, "Yeah." Miah speaks up not understanding the topic.

"Right? Peter? Homicidal killer? Remember? You want to give five hundred thousand dollars to him?" Stiles exclaims looking at both Miah and Scott.

"So, we should give Derek his money back. But not Peter?" Scott mumbles in confusion, "I didn't say that." Stiles huffs.

"Stiles, what are you saying?" Scott incredulously asks looking at Miah sitting up straight hearing someone coming up the stairs.

Malia opens Scott's bedroom door dripping wet from the rain outside.

"Mal?" Miah questions seeing the girl staring at her, "We found Satomi's pack. Derek and I. But, they're dead." Malia explains.

"All of them?" Scott questions shocked, "All the ones we found." Malia nods still looking at the blonde.

"Then where's Derek?" Stiles asks confused.

Malia swallows motioning for Miah to get up knowing she'll want to rush out to the hospital most likely.

"Braeden was injured. Derek's taking her to the hospital." Malia explains seeing the panic run through Miah's figure.

"Was she breathing?" Miah asks anxiously, "Yeah. She was breathing." Malia confirms.

"Okay. I'll text Derek. We've gotta get some sleep for tomorrow though." Miah states looking at Scott who holds onto her hand gently sensing the anxiety and panic running through Miah's bloodstream.

✹

MIAH STANDS in the school hallway sighing in annoyance while getting ready for the PSATs.

"Where's Lydia?" Kira wonders looking at Miah.

"She took it her freshman year." Stiles explains while leaning against the locker in the line leading into the classroom.

"Does that mean I could have taken it some other time?" Malia huffs.

"Malia, you studied harder for this than any of us." Scott voices holding Miah's hand, "Doesn't mean I'm gonna do good." Malia comments.

"'Well'." Stiles voices confusing the girl, "Well. What?" Malia wonders.

"It's 'do well'. Not 'do good'." Stiles mumbles receiving a glare from Miah, "Oh, god!" Malia exclaims.

"Okay, okay! We're doing this because while we're trying not to die. We stil need to live. If I survive high school... I'd like to go to college. A good college. And get married." Scott states looking at Miah mumbling the last part.

"It's only three hours. We can survive three hours." Miah confirms receiving unsure looks from everyone surrounding her.

Miah steps into the classroom doing the routine sign in and handing her aunt her mobile phone sitting at one of the desks beside Scott.

"Please do not open the test booklet until you are instructed to do so, this test is two hours and ten minutes. There will be two twenty-five-minute critical reading sections. Two twenty-five-minute math sections. And an essay writing portion that will last thirty minutes." the male teacher explains standing at the front of the classroom beside Natalie.

Miah frowns seeing her aunt walking out of the room looking for someone while typing on her phone.

Miah looks beside her seeing Scott already looking at her with a soft smile, "Good luck, gorgeous." Scott mouths.

"You too, handsome." Miah whispers with a smile looking down at her test feeling dizzy all of the sudden.

Natalie returns looking at the teacher mumbling something along the lines of coach and not being able to find him.

"You may now open your test booklets and begin." the male teacher states motioning to the students that open the test booklets starting the test.

After ten minutes of pure silence and focus, Miah frowns feeling the dizziness come over her once again before hearing a loud thud behind her seeing another student─ Sydney passed out on the floor.

"Sydney! Are you all right?" Natalie gasps coming towards the girl who frowns sitting up from the floor.

"I'm okay. I just got kind of dizzy." Sydney explains noticing the rash on her arm.

"Sydney, how long have you had this?" Natalie curiously asks, "I don't know." Sydney mumbles genuinely sounding confused looking at the weird rash on her inner wrist.

"Ms Martin, do I need to stop the test?" the teacher questions.

"No. Um, it's fine. Everybody stay in your seats. I'll... um, be back in a minute. Nobody leaves the room." Natalie states firmly looking at the man sitting at the front monitoring the test.

Natalie looks at her niece nervously before rushing out of the classroom leaving Miah staring at the doorway beyond confused, flinching hearing her aunts shouts outside the classroom.

Miah gets up from the desk following Scott outside seeing her aunt Nat on the phone with someone.

"Aunt Nat?" Miah voices stepping forwards with a squint.

"Back to your seats! Now. Please. Go sweetheart." Natalie demands seeing Miah nod unsurely before walking back into the classroom standing beside Scott listening to her aunt on the phone in the hallway.

"I need the number of the CDC. Yes, the Center for Disease Control." Natalie commands anxiously on the phone.

Miah looks at her boyfriend beside her with a scared look on her face before sitting down at the desk once more waiting inside the classroom for some news.

✹

AFTER WHAT feels like hours Miah stands leaning against her boyfriend's chest listening in on the outside chatter noticing Scott growing pale and taking deep breaths.

"We isolate the sick. And then we wait for instructions. If I'm wrong... they'll be out of here pretty quickly. And then I'm the crazy biology teacher who panicked for nothing." Natalie explains.

Miah gently taps Scott's forearm noticing Sydney staring off into the distance sadly in the isolation tent, "Hey. You're gonna be okay." Scott explains.

"It's not that... it's not that. The PSATs are the qualifying tests for the National Merit Scholarship. My parents can't afford to send me to college without it." Sydney mumbles sadly.

"Well, I'm sure they'll let you take it again." Miah smiles softly getting a small smile in response from their classmate.

Scott excuses explaining he needs to use the bathroom growing pale and sweaty.

Miah watches as he exits the room before standing beside Malia, Kira and Stiles listening in on the outside chatter again from inside the classroom.

"Bet they're thinking smallpox." Stiles mutters wiping his forehead, "Not likely." the male teacher speaks up while reading whatever he's reading.

"Smallpox was eradicated worldwide in 1979. We've only managed to completely eradicate two viruses in history. The other was rinderpest. It killed cows." said man explains once noticing the stares coming from the four teenagers.

"So, we should be comforted by that, right?" Stiles quizzes, "Unless it's something worse." the male states.

"Whatever it is. They're taking it pretty seriously. There are a lot of cars and trucks out there." Malia explains seeing Miah close her eyes and grimace holding onto her head hearing Sheriff Stilinski and her dad outside together.

"Your dad and Miah's are with them." Malia mumbles, "Hey. I should probably call him." Stiles huffs going to get his phone from the paper bag.

"Don't bother. They would have shut off any access to all outside communication by now. No cell service, no WiFi. No one starting a panic." the teacher states not noticing the glare Miah's giving him for being highly suspicious.

"Looks like we're all just going to have to wait here and see what happens." said male suggests flipping through the magazine his currently reading once again not noticing Miah's glare staring at him.

"I need to find Scott." Miah speaks up after a while of silence leaving the classroom explaining to the suspicious and creepy teacher she's gonna go and check on her aunt in quarantine.

✹

SCOTT STANDS in the locker room groaning while losing control of his shift thinking about Miah and all the calming things.

"Scott? You've been in there a long time, you all right? Hey, you need to come back with the others." Natalie suggests knocking on the locker rooms door.

Scott grunts releasing a low growl into the mirror with his canines on full display.

Begging the woman to find Mr Yukimura and Miah as soon as possible.

Natalie rushes off finding her niece first, "Locker room. Scott needs you." Natalie explains seeing Miah nod and smile at her wiping the sweat from her forehead.

"You feeling okay sweetheart?" Natalie asks worriedly seeing the symptoms starting to show on Miah's fatigued figure.

"Fine. Thanks Aunt Nat." Miah confirms with a nod rushing towards the locker room letting herself in hearing grunts and groans coming from inside.

"Scott?" Miah asks seeing her boyfriend hunched over one of the sinks.

"I don't have control." Scott explains groaning in pain hearing Mr Yukimura entering from Coach's office suggesting for the two of them to meet the others inside the small room.

Unaware of what happened in the hallway with Kira sparking a hole through the woman's bodysuit alerting everyone into some panic.

"Get Stiles." Scott weakly demands seeing Mr Yukimura nod and gesture for Stiles coming into the Coach's office already aware that Scott would want his best friend.

Miah latches onto Scott's hand showing him she's not afraid he'll hurt her or anything.

"It's still happening." Mr Yukimura states noticing the supernatural beings with something happening to them except for Miah.

"I can't make them go back." Malia explains showing her claws on her hands.

"Obviously, the virus is affecting the two of you in a way it won't hit any human being." Mr Yukimura voices seeing Miah grimacing beside her boyfriend again.

"You guys have to stay out of sight. We have to quarantine you from the quarantine." Stiles suggests.

"Yeah. But where? I mean... what if they get violent, like on a full moon?" Kira questions.

"We shouldn't stay in here. Not in the locker room." Scott voices looking down at his and Miah's hand laced together feeling sudden warmness coming from the blonde girl's palm.

"A classroom is not going to hold us." Malia states frowning feeling the heat coming from the mage hybrid beside her.

"What about the basement?" Miah suggests with a shrug feeling like her skin is on fire.

"Too many ways out. We need something secure. Somewhere nobody can find us." Scott mumbles.

"The vault," Stiles comments looking at Scott.

"The Hale vault." Stiles explains seeing the others except Miah sharing confused thoughts.

"The Hales always have an escape route. Like their house. There has to be another way in." Scott suggests looking at Miah who nods her head feeling herself growing extremely weak and sweaty all of the sudden.

"This is where the high school sign is. So the vault's got to be right about here." Stiles explains grabbing a map of the school from Coach's office and placing it on the desk.

"I suppose... if there's a second entrance. It would probably be accessible from the basement." Mr Yukimura─ Ken states.

"It's probably somewhere in this hallway. West corridor," Stiles explains beginning to fall forwards growing dizzy.

"Whoa." Stiles mumbles looking at the person who caught him from falling which happened to be Miah with a thankful nod.

"It's happening to you, too. You're getting sick. You all are." Mr Yukimura realises seeing everyone growing pale except for his daughter.

"I don't feel sick." Kira shrugs confused, "I think it's affecting you differently. Neurologically. I found your test answers here in a pile with the others." Mr Yukimura explains showing the test sheet and sharing a look with the others.

Miah nods gesturing for everyone to follow her into the basement grabbing onto the wall catching herself feeling a wave of magic run through her veins along with dizziness.

"Woah, Mi." Scott gasps catching the blonde as she nearly tumbles down the stairs.

"I'll be fine. Come on." Miah demands walking into the basement looking around for an entrance.

"Hey, guys? Over here. Look at the cracks in the wall. It's like the entrance outside. It opens opens with claws. Anyone's claws, right?" Stiles mumbles looking at Scott who looks at his growing worse girlfriend leaned against Malia.

"Um... Mi, can you?" Scott mumbles motioning to the carving, Miah nods stepping forward before Malia grabs onto her forearm gently.

"First, tell me what you've been hiding from me. I know you think you're trying to protect me. But I can handle it." Malia speaks up shocking the others sharing looks.

"I know I'm on the list!" Malia exclaims, "Yes." Stiles answers, "So, how much?" Malia asks.

"How much what?" Stiles frowns, "How much am I worth?" Malia questions.

"Uh... I don't actually know. I haven't seen the list." Miah speaks up wiping sweat off her forehead once more.

"Four million." Scott states shocking Miah and Malia, "Are you okay?" Stiles asks unsure of his girlfriend's answer.

"Yeah. Miah's worth seventy. Scott's worth twenty-five. Kira, six. They'll take you guys out way before me." Malia shrugs hearing Miah scoff in disbelief.

"That's progress. That's progress." Stiles repeats quietly while Miah uses her claws to open the vale vault looking around the surroundings.

✹

MIAH FEELS herself fading pretty quickly laying her head against Scott's shoulder weakly staring around the dull and grey walls of her families vault.

"You know... this is where it all started. That's where the money was. One hundred and ninety-three million in bearer bonds." Stiles voices pointing in the direction of the safe.

"How do you even change bearer bonds into cash?" Kira asks.

"The bank... I guess. They just let it sit here the whole time. Collecting dust. You know bearer bonds are basically extinct?" Stiles voices.

"Why does it matter?" Miah asks groggily, "You know how many problems that money could solve?" Stiles questions, "For you?" Kira wonders.

"Me... my dad. The Eichen House and MRI bills are crushing him." Stiles explains.

"My mom does this thing. She writes down all the items in our budget... and how much they cost. And then she adds them all up and figures out how long we have until... we lose the house." Scott mumbles sadly smiling softly at Miah when she rubs her fingers along his hand lacing them together in comfort.

✹

ISAAC AND Lydia rush towards Sheriff Stilinski and Joel seeing them in the crowd alongside Agent McCall.

"Sheriff! Joel!" Lydia shouts capturing Noah and Joel's attention.

"Whoa, hey! I know this girl. Let her in." Sheriff states firmly, "My mom and Miah are in there. What's happening?" Lydia asks panicked looking at her uncle.

"We're working on it." Sheriff firmly states patting Isaac's back before looking to his side seeing Joel mumbling something under his breath about losing his daughter.

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MIAH COUGHS and groans holding onto her stomach in agony after Scott placed her gently on the ground near Kira who's also resting finally feeling the pull of the virus.

After a while of Stiles and Scott talking in front of the vault wall Miah lifts up her hand seeing black blood leaking from her fingernails and wiping away the wet substance underneath her eyes seeing the same gooey liquid.

"Mi?" Scott frowns noticing Miah grimace again before placing her hand on her hand rubbing her forehead.

"I'm so tired, Scott." Miah whispers seeing Scott rush towards her and place her on his lap.

"Stay awake for me. You need to stay awake gorgeous." Scott pleads staring down at his girlfriend's face.

"I'm so tired." Miah repeats sighing feeling Scott's hand wiping the sweat from her forehead feeling a strike of deja-vu.

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ISAAC PACES beside Joel before walking towards Noah and Lydia talking away from the public eye a little bit.

"Lydia. As all this is still very new to me... and I don't know how it works. I still have to ask. Do you have any kind of... indication? Any kind of feeling about this? Is someone in there going to die?" Stilinski whispers.

"Yes. And it's not just a feeling." Lydia mumbles feeling the time ticking for someone's life inside praying by some miracle that the life isn't her cousins.

✹

MIAH SHIVERS hearing her own teeth chattering looking up at Scott sadly.

"No! Don't look at me like that, Mi." Scott states firmly noticing the look of dismay on the blonde mage hybrids face.

"I'm so cold and..." Miah gasps noticing the lack of her sight along with Malia.

"Malia. Malia?" Scott frowns seeing the look of confusion on the girls face.

"I can't see. I can't see anything!" Malia exclaims panicked, "I can't either." Miah mumbles before gasping feeling another bolt of electricity and a different feeling flowing through her veins.

"What's happening to us?" Miah whimpers, "Miah? Scott? I can't... I can't see." Kira cries out panicked on the floor.

Miah winces wanting to let out the wail that's stuck in the back of her throat hearing a banging on the other side of the vault door.

"Hey, Scott? Scotty? Miah! There's a cure in the vault. In there with you. It's called reishi mushrooms!" Stiles shouts from the other side panicked.

"Scott? Scott. Open the door! It's in there with you! It's in a jar. It's on one of the shelves." Stiles shrieks punching one of his fists on the cement wall.

"Miah! Scott! Miah, Scott, can you hear me?" Stiles questions scared his too late.

"Reishi. Scott, I saw it. In a jar... one of the shelves. Reishi." Kira states in whisper not hearing any verbal or gasps coming from Miah's direction.

Scott grunts using his alpha red eyes looking around seeing the jar glowing in the distance and Miah's unmoving figure in the corner.

Knocking the jar off the shelf shattering the glass and gasping in relief feeling the air and vision coming back into his senses crawling towards Miah's figure on the ground.

Before facing the door and opening it gasping beside Stiles who takes a deep breath relieved seeing everyone's okay before dropping the relief noticing Miah's still not moving body.

"Baby! Come on, gorgeous." Scott gasps placing her head into his lap seeing her breathing and exhaling in relief.

Miah groans after a while of regaining her strength opening her eyes seeing Scott looking down at her, "Hi." Miah mumbles softly.

"Oh thank god." Scott states embracing her tightly, "I'm here. I'm okay." Miah soothes wrapping her arms tightly around Scott's torso.

Not noticing Malia walking towards her before hearing said girl clear her throat and hand her the list before walking out of the vault.

"Did you know?" Scott questions, "I did. I had my suspicions since Lydia whispered Malia's name to Peter months ago," Miah explains standing up catching her balance looking at Stiles looking at the ground sadly.

"She'll come around." Miah voices firmly placing her hand on Stiles's shoulder.

Exiting the vault seeing Lydia running towards her along with her father and Isaac embracing her tightly as well as sharing an embrace with Scott.

"Where's Aunt Nat?" Miah asks seeing Lydia tilt her head towards her mother standing in the hallway looking at her family with so much love.

Miah rushes out of the school seeing Malia waiting for her at her vehicle.

"I'm so sorry. I didn't tell you. To be fair Mal... I didn't know for a fact." Miah explains seeing Malia smile and nod.

"Always thought we were related." Malia chuckles hugging the blonde mage hybrid who happens to her cousin tightly.

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MIAH WALKS into her bedroom gasping at another bolt of pain shooting through her veins making her body feel like it's on fire.

Miah cries out grabbing a hold of her chair at her desk before collapsing on her bedroom floor staring up at the ceiling blankly before the world around her fades into black.

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TO BE CONTINUED...