WHO Emma Swan & Derek Hale WHERE inner city WHEN directly before this post WHAT Derek and Emma run into a blast from Derek's past. WARNINGS Mentions of injury/fighting STATUS Complete
Emma wouldn’t say that she was enjoying herself, it wasn’t that exactly. Sure, she had a bit more purpose at the moment, and not sleeping wasn’t the same lonely condition that it had been recently. But that didn’t mean she was glad for the chaos unfolding.
Making sure that Morgan stayed safe all night had taken a little of her concentration, but not to the point where she was distracted. A lot of her evening was spent sitting atop a building, watching the rain and feeling out her protection wards. It was oddly soothing, but she grew restless somewhere before dawn, returning to wandering the city and checking on the progress of these beings.
She’d just finished settling fire to a group of what she could only call vampires when something caught her attention. Low growls and … snarling. Interesting.
Venturing to find trouble wasn't really a Dark One trait -why are we even here. a pointless waste of time. such vile things should be left to their fates- and Nimue was vehemently against providing assistance to anyone without something in exchange. Emma did feel like she'd managed to avoid making deals for the most part, although it wouldn't last forever, hopefully neither would her condition. can't escape it, dearie. you're one of us now..
If it would keep Rumple and Nimue quiet though, Emma would walk towards whatever danger there was at the moment. It wasn't like it'd affect her.
At first, Derek had no intention of getting involved in anyone's business. It lasted two days, and then he was going a bit more stir crazy than usual. He needed to run, and the idea was that a quick run outside wouldn't be too bad an idea. He should've known better. Worst idea.
Ever.
He couldn't tell what the monster was, it was nothing he'd seen in Beacon Hills or heard of before, but that didn't mean it wasn't from there. Then again, people were talking about things like wizards and gorillas so who was he to say for sure. It at least meant that he was getting a bit of a work out, until one of these things became two, became three and before he knew it there was a rebar shoved through his ribs as his claws sunk into the throat of whatever the creature was.
It didn't meant the metal through his side didn't rip a growl out of him.
Monster. Monster. Not human. Monster.
Emma wasn't sure what these were, or if this was just a battle of monsters in the city, which seemed possible honestly. All these villains and bad guys roaming around it would make sense that they'd start fighting among themselves. Unless there had been a convention before they all showed up where the formed a union or something. Stranger things could happen.
But there was the chance that the not-human was one of the villa residents, and Emma had been doing so well helping them so far.
With a sigh, she created a fireball to engulf one of the beings, throwing it into an alley and toppling a load of trash cans. It drew the attention of the other one which appeared to be made out of numerous monsters (maybe Victor had shown up and was playing with some toys) with a sword of some kind attached to its arm. Side stepping the wild swipes was child's play, the frustrated stab towards her averted as Emma portaled behind the beast, raising a hand with her open palm to send it flying along the floor. "I take it you are not friends with these beasts?"
Who didn't like a little banter during a fight?
The momentary distraction that the blonds arrival brought meant that Derek could get some distance between himself and the creature that rammed the bar into his side, pushing it back and using that to get a grip on the metal. It hurt like a bitch, but the best thing to do was get it out to allow him to start healing. He might not be an Alpha anymore, but recent evolution meant that he healed at a somewhat more accelerated rate than a Beta.
Bar in hand, ignoring the sticky warmth of his own blood, Derek used it jam into the monsters head, just as his new ally launched the third creature down the street. "Not friends, no." All he'd wanted was a run, that was it. But it was like he was a magnet for some kind of chaos to find him. "Just turned up, like a really bad smell." Which they were, especially when they started bleeding.
"Thanks, by the way." It was better than ignoring the fact that if she hadn't been there, he'd probably have been in a little bit of trouble. There was the chance he'd survive. He'd survived worse. But there was always the risk that he wouldn't too.
"No trouble," she was getting good at waving off these things she was doing, going above and beyond in her opinion -should leave them all to rot, worthless creatures- and since they were all one big happy community, it didn't make sense to just leave someone in trouble. "I don't mind a little barbecue here and there." The fire ball reignited in her hand, a perfect sphere, rotating around her palm as monster number three gave out a shriek and ran towards them.
Emma extended her arm to let the magic go, watching it catch and set the monster on fire, engulfing it and sending it teetering around until it dropped to the ground. The whole thing was somewhat anticlimactic if she were being honest, but people tended not to enjoy being told that she found their drama to be boring.
The not-human did just get stabbed. "Do you need healing?" It wasn't something she was great at right now, and it left her hands sore, dark magic most certainly her forte right then, but she hadn't lost all capability with white magic. Her love for Killian made it easier to use the magic, but it would always be strongest on and around him. Just a small shadow of that skill with others.
Magic had never really been a tangible thing, just something that was around and could happen. There weren't a lot of sightings though -Deacon talked about power and intent and all that, ash circles and spirit walks. But this woman held a ball of fire in her hand like it was nothing. There was a powerful sulphur smell to accompany it, something almost of a graveyard about her, woodsy and old. But Derek wasn't really considering it bad at all.
"I'm fine," without the rebar in his side, he was already healing, could feel it knitting together. His shirt was another loss but that was to be expected at this point. More often than not he was buying new clothes rather than washing them he ended up with so many blood stains and shredded shirts. "I heal on my own." There was a general acceptance of things in this place, something that had made him uncomfortable at first, but he'd gradually gotten over and just dealt with. Witches and vampires and whatever else, they all just were here. So being a werewolf didn't really seem to factor on the 'that's weird' scale of things.
It was just a pity they didn't get to talk about what magic she could do or not, a scent in the air catching Derek's attention. "You should leave, now." There was no point in other people getting caught up in more of this.
Healing did seem to be a very handy ability a handful of people around here had. It might not be resurrection or immortality, but it was certainly useful to repair the damage inflicted in this place. Emma would've asked about that if they tone hadn't shifted dramatically right after. what a rude mutt, his throat should be split.
Asking why she should go was derailed when the gunshots rang out -three, in quick succession- Emma feeling all three strike her, although they did nothing. Turning from the wolf, eyebrow raised in moderate disinterest and annoyance, she followed the trajectory to find a blond woman, about her height, walking across the street with the gun raised. "I like this coat," and now it had holes in it. These villains were really starting to get on her nerves.
By the time Derek reached the woman the shots had already been fired, but she barely even flinched. Being a werewolf, he understood when certain things didn't kill, but bullets still hurt. More often than not, enough bullets and he'd be a little useless for a while. She just took three to the chest, from a hunter, and snarked it off.
Kate didn't appear too taken with the fact that her attempt was ineffective either, wild hair matching her wild face. "Well, I guess I'll get more creative," the transformation was as slick as any werewolf shift, the claws and fangs elongating, Kate's face shifting from human to werejaguar instantly, her stance coiling with intent.
"She's dangerous," even with his voice low, standing by the woman, Derek was sure that Kate could still hear him. He knew that Chris had stayed with the hunters to track Kate, but he'd never heard how that turned out. Following suit, falling into the easy half-shift towards a beta wolf, not yet shifting fully, Derek matched Kate's posture, both of them growling before they launched at one another.
At some point, Emma was sure she was going to roll her eyes right out of her skull. "Seriously?"
She dusted off her jacket, pulling the bullets from the leather with a heavy sigh. If the pair of them wanted to tussle around, Emma wasn't about to stop them -although she would later point out that killing her would've been simple if he'd just waited. She's dangerous. One of these days she was going to demonstrate her power and people would understand it wasn't hubris when she said she was capable of these things.
The wolf and the jaguar just tore up ground, battered into walls and slashed each other. Growls and snarls echoing around the street while the rain fell. "This is ridiculous." She was literally seconds away from leaving when the woman put a little distance between the pair of them, pulling her gun again.
Emma's hand moved to toss her along the street, but it didn't happen fast enough to stop the shot being fired.
Fighting with Kate wasn't simple. It never had been. She was trained in ways Derek wasn't, instinct couldn't teach that, she was brutal and fast and with her jaguar shift she was strong and lethal. But Derek wasn't prepared to just let her get away, even as their claws tore flesh and knuckles connected with bone, they were frustratingly evenly matched.
Possibly something that Kate knew too, given the instant she had some distance she used the chance to fire again. Derek was numbly aware of her flying backwards -the witch likely behind that- but little else as his senses narrowed on the burning flare of heat in his side.
Wolfsbane.
Of course she was using Wolfsbane. Some hunters just never changed, even when they changed.
Derek's knee gave out first, although he managed to stay somewhat upright, trying to warn the blond, the rain all the more cold on his skin. This was going to get bad fast.
Given the fact that the wolf had just had a piece of metal sticking out of his side, Emma wasn't exactly expecting the theatrics. At least not until he went down, unsteady and the jaguar was getting herself together, raising that fucking gun again.
The shield was instant, Emma's palm flat out to create a barricade around the wolf, stopping each of the bullets from hitting him with the jaguar marched forward, her face still shifted. "Oh, do fuck off." The fire ball didn't have a lot of power behind it, Emma concentrating more on the shield as she sent the blast with her left hand, striking the jaguar in her chest, knocking the woman back.
Using that moment, Emma crossed to the wolf's side, noticing a distinct shift in his appearance and demeanour. Okay, so apparently a bullet is worse than an iron rod? "You're going to need to talk fast if I have to do anything to help."
It had to be fast acting, the numbness was spreading already, Derek could feel his limbs getting heavy and the painful pull of wolfsbane spreading into his system. "Wolfsbane." He'd be surprised if she could hear him, honestly, as he started to slump a little, "Kate's bullets."
If the witch could hold off Kate, maybe there was a chance, but there'd been to be something to burn this out of him with, but the fever was already starting to make it hard to think and Derek groaned slightly as he ended up leaning on the blondes arm, forehead somewhat cool on the leather.
"Poison."
Oh, no shit. Did anyone around here have a brain cell?
Standing up, Emma turned her attention to the woman -Kate- using the water around them to launch a tidal wave, belting her off her feet and into a wall. She got up faster than Emma would've liked, but it seemed clear to her that she wouldn't win right then, and she darted off with a growl. Normally, Emma wouldn't let it happen, but since the wolf was nearly passed out, she didn't have many other options.
"You're lucky I have inhuman strength." Getting his arm over her shoulder, Emma hauled him to his feet, practically dragging him towards one of the abandoned shop fronts -a dentist, they should at least have some things she could use. She'd need to find any of his worlds occupants, she was sure she'd heard of werewolves in the villa, otherwise they'd be having a fun run of trial and error here.
"I don't have time for this shit." She wasn't supposed to be saving people anymore.