Stiles is changing. His humour fading, the light in his eyes turning darker with everyday, he was becoming more and more like the dark spirit they just defeated. His friends notice it. His dad notices it. Stiles knew this.
But what he didn't know...
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"Focus, Stiles."
Sierra walked slowly around the teen, her hands resting behind her back as her eyes were narrowed in concentration and thought. Her long brown hair tied tightly in a low ponytail behind her head to keep all attention on the task at hand, the training that needed to be done.
"You have to focus or this will never work." The brunette commented patronisingly. She watched as Stiles grimaced as he pushed his hands in front of him, his nose crinkling in frustration.
"I am!" Stiles shouted back at her, his eyes flickering black for a moment. The bringer of Famine raised an eyebrow in challenge. "Okay, okay I'm sorry." The teen relaxed his shoulders as he fell to his knees in a heap. He rested his head against his hands as he watched the soil beneath him angrily. "I can't do this." He muttered sourly, flicking the dirt of the clearing in defeat. "I can't summon it, I don't have that much control."
Sierra sighed, knowing his look all too well from the past few months. The kid gave up way too easily and that had to change. Walking purposefully up to him, she flicked him harshly on the ear, causing him to flinch and jump back in shock and hurt.
"Ow!" Stiles shouted in pain, rubbing his ear as he looked upon his mentor with an expression of utter betrayal. "Why would you do that?" He raised both his arms in the air in question. When she didn't reply, he turned around in frustration, kicking the soil beneath his feet aggressively.
"Okay, no need to throw a tantrum." Sierra held up her hands in surrender as she smiled mockingly at his immaturity. "Why don't you try this one more time?" She took a step back, giving him some space. Stiles nodded reluctantly, ready to get the session over.
"Repeat the words, Stiles." Sierra soothed, watching intently as Stiles stood up, closed his eyes, and readied his hands in front of him. Stiles took a deep breath, his entire being focused on the one task before him.
"Ego conjuro te particeps mortis. Consurgetis de tenebris sedeant mecum equo." Stiles chanted below his breath, the words flowing out of him like cool water. He could feel the dark burning of his power growing beneath his eyes, as his chanting became louder and stronger with it.
"Yes! You're doing it!" Sierra shouted with delight. But Stiles eyes remained closed and focused on the task at hand. Suddenly Stiles could feel something rough and cold in his fingertips, not unlike a rope or a belt. Surprised he opened his eyes slowly to discover dark leather reigns entwined in his hands. Shocked, he begun to look up, following the long reigns to where they ended, only a few meters before him.
Stiles froze at his gaze fell on the creature that stood in front of him. A pale grey horse, so dim in colour that the teen was sure that he could almost see straight through it. It's dark black void-filled eyes gazed down on him curiously, as a stream of ice-cold air protruded from its nostrils.
"Dabria." Stiles whispered in awe, raising his hand slowly as he stroked the face of the horse in a fond manner. "It's nice to meet you." He greeted her, his eyes glistening with wonder.
"You can ride her if you want." Sierra smiled, watching the interaction happily. "I can call Euna, and you Dabria and I can have a fly around. How does that sound?" Stiles eyes widened in shock and excitement.
"Wait, Dabria can fly?!" Stiles shouted, gesturing to the horse madly. "Oh my god, what the hell. Yes, yes!" The teen squirmed with excitement as he was quick to jump on the back of his companion. "Come on, let's go!" He commanded extremely eager to take to the skies.
"Alright." Sierra laughed at his antics. Shaking her head with a smile, she took a dark silver ring out of her pocket, and slipped it elegantly onto her finger. Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath as Stiles watched her confused. "Euna, voce te." She whispered lowly. And as commanded a horse as black as night appeared behind her.
"You ready?" Stiles asked, beaming with excitement. Sierra grinned back as she gracefully climbed on the back of Euna, giving the horse a soft nudge as she did so, and then both took off in a fierce sprint onto the clearing.
"Hurry up!" Sierra shouted back at the two, her hair flying back with the wind. Stiles stuttered in disbelief, quickly shaking himself out of the daze, he kicked his horse lightly as his fingers tightened on the reigns.
"Let's go." He whispered into Dabria's mane. The horse obeyed the command gladly, and both took off quick on the chase of the woman on the black horse that had just kicked off into the air. "God I love this." Stiles smirked as the wind blew through his messy brown hair, and Dabria kicked off the ground, the pair flying up into the clouds.
"Hey!" He called up to Sierra. "Wait for me!"
——————
"Hey Mr Stark!"
Peter called down the corridor to the billionaire. "Mr Stark!" He waved his hands frantically trying to get the man's attention as he jumped on the spot. Eventually though, Tony turned around, a tired expression on his sleep-deprived face.
"Yes, Peter. What is it now?" He asked, running a hand down his face in frustration. Peter's smile fell in an instant, as his eyes fell to the floor like a wounded puppy at his mentors reaction.
"Sorry sir." Peter mumbled, shuffling his feet sadly on the concrete tiles. "I just wanted to know if there was any news on Stiles." The teen looked up hopefully, only to be met with a disappointed look from Tony.
"I'm sorry kid." The billionaire gave Peter a comforting smile as he placed a hand on the teen's shoulder. "Nothing yet, we're still looking." He patted the teen lightly before turning around, trying to stifle a yawn behind his hand.
Peter smiled knowingly. He could tell that Tony was doing his best, the man looked exhausted from all the late hours searching. When he said he wanted to find Stiles, he meant it. The billionaire hated seeing the lost look in Peter's eyes whenever Stiles' name was mentioned. He had to find the teen, and he had to do it soon.
As Tony turned the corner he nearly tumbled over as he bumped into someone walking the opposite way. Rubbing his head from the impact he looked over at a distressed Nat with concern.
"What is it Romanov?" Tony asked, intrigued as he regained his posture. "Another lead?" He questioned as Natasha pushed a strand of scarlet red hair behind her ear with a bony hand. Tony's eyes narrowed suspiciously as he looked over her gaunt figure, her normally muscular build had slimmed worryingly as her normally skin-tight clothes hung loose on her frame.
Natasha was taking Stiles' disappearance worse than the rest of them. Whilst many of the Avengers merely saw Stiles as a lost, confused kid, Natasha has begun to look upon the teen as her own son. The son she could never have. She had been spending every waking hour searching, and every sleeping hour worrying. She would not rest until the teen was home and safe. She needed him home with her.
"A possible lead." Natasha answered, looking up at Tony as she bit the corner of her lip. "It could just as well be a trap for all we know. But it's worth a shot, it's always worth a shot." She muttered, crossing her arms over her chest to keep warm. Tony smiled sadly, nodding his head in understanding.
