Creatures from the Ocean (Sciles)

39: A Fatal Shot

A/N: I wasn't originally going to update update today, but then I thought why the hell not, so I updated anyway. I'm going to start exam revision right after this. I hope you guys enjoy the chapter!

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Stiles POV

"Well, well. Very good, Stiles. I'm impressed." Vanessa says with fake enthusiasm and a smirk.

"Now what are you going to do with that? Kill me?" Vanessa asks. I glance around me to see that my friends are now standing by my side. I turn back around to face Vanessa. "Come on, Stiles. You know you want to. I've destroyed your whole life. Surely you want to get some revenge for that. Come on! Destroy mine!" She eggs me on. I place my finger over the trigger. I try to stop my hands from shaking so much. I'm still not sure what to do! My heart beat starts speeding up. "It's okay, Stiles. We are with you. We will support you 100% with whatever you decide to do." Scott assures me, placing a hand on my shoulder for a moment. Suddenly, I have a moment of clarity. I lower the gun slightly, taking my finger away from the trigger. "You want to know something, Vanessa? Remember all those years ago, when you started the war in Atlantia, forcing my father and I to leave our home while my mother stayed to fight you? Dad and I had to live in a whole other world where we knew nothing! It was completely foreign, strange and scary to us. We had to start whole new lives here on land. For a while, I really hated living here. Everything was so different and it was hard to understand the different ways of life and society. That and I really missed my mom, my friends and my tail. It sucked not being able to really go swimming. I was crushed when I found out that you murdered my mother. I was devastated when I realized you had taken my father. I have been living in fear and danger of people and hunters finding out about me and either experimenting on me or killing me. But you know what? Despite all of the stuff that happened, some good came out of it. I met Scott and we instantly became best friends. That was my first ray of hope. My first time thinking that this could actually work. I can't thank Scott enough for being such a great friend and getting me through some of the most tough times, especially when I first moved here. Slowly but surely, I met the rest of these guys along the way, who are also the most amazing and supportive friends ever. I know they will always be there for me. I can't imagine my life without them. My point is that you didn't destroy my life, as hard as you might have tried. You just changed it. I want to thank you because you have made me much stronger through all the pain and grief you have caused me. I also want to thank you for bringing the most amazing people into my life who will support me right until the end." I tell Vanessa. Everyone is stunned into silence, staring at me.

"I am not going to kill you. I am not going to destroy you or your life. I realized that I don't actually want to do that and I don't want revenge. It won't change anything. The only thing that I can do is accept things for what they are and move on. Unfortunately, you weren't able to do that when you really needed to. Now look at what you've become. I'm not like you and I don't want to be." I continue as I kneel down on the ground. I place the gun down gently.

"This probably won't be the last time we meet, I know that, but I ask that we can go our separate ways unharmed tonight." I say as I stand back up. Vanessa  just slowly nods and continues to stare at me. I turn around to my friends.

"Wow, I'm so proud of you, Stiles." Kira comments as she gives me a hug.

"We all are." Scott says with a smile. Everyone else nods in agreement. I can't help but grin back.

"Thanks, guys. Now, let's get out of here." I suggest. We all start to walk away from Vanessa. We're halfway across the clearing when Vanessa finally responds. "Wait! You forgot something!" She calls out. We all turn around in confusion. My eyes widen when I see that she has the gun pointed in our direction. What happened next goes by in a blur of actions for me.  I hear the gun being fired. I hear my friends' panicked shouts. I see Scott fall over, blood quickly forming on his chest. I hear myself calling out his name in shock and fear. I run over to my best friend and kneel down next to him. I press down on the wound, trying to stop the bleeding. All of my friends surround me. Scott's breathing becomes rapid and his eyes fill with pain. I lift up his shirt a little and notice that around the wound there is a deep purple and black tinge. That is surely not normal, especially for a wound this fresh. I look back up at Vanessa, time and events going back to normal again.