A Stroll in the Park > The First Victim (Hayden)

[Deucalion Lycaon]

- - - - - - - - - -
a warning to the people, the good and the evil
this is war
- - - - - - - - - -
Problems were made to be solved and this equation was no different. Gerard needed to be subtracted from the picture and Deucalion was on full alert planning his downfall. The Alpha had already taken care of the twins, giving them their new objectives for their ride on the town. That left one of two pieces of a slightly compounded problem. The Argents needed to be stopped. There were two main components that kept them interfering even after all these years. One obviously was Gerard. The second was Chris. Chris was not so much of a threat as he was a meddler, dabbling in things he shouldn't know. With Gerard there as an enabler, he had already gleaned enough information to start predicting Deucalion's moves. While in the grand scheme of things it didn't matter, Deucalion didn't like competing on an even playing field.

That brought him to where he stood today. Things were seeming a bit fast-paced as of late. One moment he was conferring with an aspiring wolf, the next he was spreading new targets to his boys, and then already planning on killing Gerard. The mystifying part about the whole ordeal was that he wasn't even halfway done. He still had at least ten more moves planned and he was certain he'd have more tomorrow. Even now as he strolled down a suburban sidewalk, cane counting steps, he was thinking ahead to ideas he had regarding Scott. That boy was something else; A web of friends with talents far reaching and dabblings in both the Argent family and with the Hale pack, not to mention his affiliation with Deaton and the Kanima incident. He was one aspiring wolf that stood on a pedestal above the others.

But that was a topic for another time and place. Right now the focus was on Gerard and, now that he thought of it, it should have been the entire time. He wasn't one to be lead by driving emotions and feelings that could force him to make misteps and mistakes, but in this instance... Revenge had an eager place in his heart. Gerard had stole his sight and his dream of werewolves and humans coexisting peacefully and he was certain that the old man had done far worse before than steal the vision from peace. The world might actually be brighter once the lunatic fell.

Of course, there was the chance that the Earth turned darker instead - after all, Deucalion was set on conspiring with what he believed was a certified witch. Even though it seemed morbid, the Alpha was certain that, regardless of the outcome, Hayden would be one of the best for the job. If loyalty could be inspired there, he would have a hand in the Hale pack and would possibly provoke the eradication of one of the last threats to Deucalion in this world.

Stopping for a brief moment, Deucalion called on his wolvish nature, embracing an entire new level of power and violence for a brief couple of seconds to get a grasp of his surroundings. Doing so was risky - there was no doubt about it. If anyone saw him - well, if they were human they'd possibly pass it off as an hallucination - but if they were enemies to Deucalion's vision, they'd take his red eyes for what they were really seeking for: That he was actually looking around seeing even though he was supposedly blind.

And then there was the secondary risk - not quite so innately dangerous, but in a way even more so. Every time a werewolf relied so heavily on the wolf side to aid them, they stood the chance of letting the wolf's nature take over, even for just a moment. With restraints removed and the taint of a human's ethos, it was highly likely that a werewolf would tear its claws into whatever was close to it during that moment. Deucalion was no less prone to such a situation.

After the Alpha took a brief picture of his surroundings, he continued his journey forward, resuming his count of the steps. He was close now. Hayden was not far off. The weather was fair, a timid breeze cooled the air, and Deucelaion was confident this was going to go well. Naturally, there weren't very many things he wasn't confident about.

The sometimes-blind Alpha made his way slowly off the sidewalk and onto grass, taking in the change of atmosphere casually and without a change of pace. Several individuals walked by, and the sound of children at play rang in the distance. The park was a cornocopeia of what the rest of the world wasn't. Deucalion had tried to spread this sort of calm to all of the wolves, to make a truce with the hunters. But even there the true nature of the hunters was unveiled in a cruel old man, slaughtering his own people and butchering Deucalion's kind.

Maybe after today things could start taking a turn for the better. One could only hope. After all, there was a much greater enemy to fight and his pack didn't need to be squabbling with some petty hunters.

Deucalion counted another six paces and turned, taking a stride before sitting down in the middle of an unoccupied bench. The one he had come here to talk to was not far away and, from what Deucalion had gathered at a glance, he was coming in a path that would directly inercede past the bench.

The Alpha waited patiently, no rush, no hurry, he could plan everything else to pass the time. He didn't have to wait long before he picked up the near stranger's scent - and even less time before he picked up the motion of his feet, and then the rythm of his breath and his pulse. It was then that Deucalion spoke up.

"Excuse me, could I borrow a small portion of your time? I promise you'll appreciate what I have to say."

- - - - - - - - - -

from the right to the left we will fight to the death
to the edge of the earth, it's a brave new world
- - - - - - - - - -

WORDS``: <sub>992</sub>
STATUS``: _COMPLETE
TAGGED``: <sub>Hayden!</sub>
OUTFIT``:  
i278.photobucket.com/albums/kk109/yuri12344/5ba03cd2-c862-4da6-bfb4-ac09c2f35208_zpsea765914.jpg
NOTES``: <sub>Must... Resist... Editting....</sub>
LYRICS``: _{this is war} by _{thirty seconds to mars}
CREDIT``:
_{this template was made by the amazing} TAYLYNOSAURUS REX! _{of caution 2.0. if you erase this credit && she finds out then she'll either come && steal all your cookies or send you to the realm of eternal tickling: your choice.}

[Hayden Outlawe]

Hayden was at a loss. He had thought things were going perfectly, all according to plan. Nope... He was never that lucky. Why would now be any different? When his locator spell had led him to Beacon Hills, he had figured he was finally going to find some answers, find a lead, something. But no, that wasn't happening. Instead, what does he find? A town overrun with supes and hunters. And not just any hunters... the Argents and their extended family! He knew the rumors surrounding them, knew the speculation of their blatant disregard for the code. Especially the patriarch, Gerard. In fact, Hayden had at some times speculated if those rumors that so often were passed along about such a "respected member" of the hunter community had something to do with the attacks on him. Of course, he had no proof of that, nor did he know the identities of the hunters who had made attempts on his life or any that he had come into contact with since then. But, that hadn't stopped the speculation, or the growing hatred for ALL hunters. Well, all except for one... And his death was part of the reason that Hayden would never forgive them. The reason that he knew they were the real evil, the evil that needed to be removed from the game once and for all.

So, when Hayden had arrived in Beacon Hills and found himself face to face with a family of hunters, he had at first thought he as in for another fight for his life, or was going to end up having to flee until he was more prepared. That hadn't been the case though. Instead, he had found a way in. A cousin of the Argents, a hunter herself... One he had found, gotten to know, and now hexed to fall for him. In truth, Cheverolet Crowe was now basically wrapped around his finger, willing to do almost anything he asked. And she was exactly how he planned on getting to the rest of them. Or at least, that had been the original plan.

Now, Hayden wasn't so sure if it was going to be enough. Chey was strong, stronger than he'd anticipated, and there were figures in her life that he feared may damage the control he has. If Chey was freed, or her family or friends learned of his plans, it could all fall apart, and the removal of the Argent threat may never be taken care of.

With that thought, no, with that fear in mind, Hayden had left Chey that morning and decided on taking this little walk to clear his head, which had somehow led him here. Of course, the walk had so far helped him absolutely none. He didn't know what to do. He had thought that a plan would just hit him, that by some dark miracle that he'd come up with a way to take out the Argent threat with or without the help of Chey, but at the moment, all he had was a long walk back to his apartment and a love for the brisk October air. He needed help. He needed a way in, someone who had the information he needed. And even with a hexed Chey on "his side", that was information he didn't have. Hell, from what he could find, no one had seen Gerard Argent for quite some time now... Ever since an even right here in Beacon Hills, the man had been basically missing in action. So, Hayden was at a loss.

Kicking a large pebble across the concrete path, Hayden watched it bounce around, ignoring the building headache that had come and gone so often since he'd arrived in Beacon Hills. Between his constant attempt to keep the spell strong and his psychoscopy under control, Hayden was facing constant migraines. He had never felt so much supernatural energy in one place before... And it wasn't just werewolves. There was something else going on in this town, something powerful. He didn't know what, but Beacon Hills was definitly turning into a magnet for the supernatural.

'And that might be just what I need to draw Gerard and his hunting clan out into the open...' Smiling to himself at that thought, the witch chuckled silently as he moved forward. For a moment, his thoughts were calmer, his fears had subsided. That is, until he noticed the man ahead of him. He could sense something from him, something dark and strong. Something about it was familiar, but the strength was something that made him unsure what it was. Trying to control his breathing as his headache became a little worse, Hayden looked away from the man, his confusion lessening slightly after taking notice of the sunglasses and cane.

"Excuse me, could I borrow a small portion of your time? I promise you'll appreciate what I have to say."

Stopping in his tracks just a few feet ahead of the man, Hayden moved his hand to his jacket, instinct making him fear random strangers once again. Sure, after Alek he had begun to figure that maybe this town was just friendly like that and people just talked to whoever they met, but this time... He wasn't so sure. Something about this man was different. Gripping the small silver Ring Dagger hidden in the inside pocket of the brown leather jacket he had put on, Hayden waited before doing anything, unsure how to react.

Taking the blade from it's hiding place, Hayden slid it into the sleeve of his jacket, hiding it there in case of need. With that, he took a silent breath before turning to look at the man he had previously assumed was blind. He took a little longer to look him over this time, looking around to see if there was anyone with him. But it didn't seem that way. The man seemed to be simply sitting alone on the bench... Waiting. Waiting for him? No, surely not. The man didn't seem to be a hunter, not with the energy flowing off of him. No... But Hayden did feel SOMETHING there. Almost... Hell, if he wasn't so unsure with the man being blind, he would say the man was lycanthropic. With so many werewolves seemingly running around this town, it wouldn't shock him... But this guy was different. The energy... His presence, even from his place sitting on a bench... There was an air of power around him.

"I'm sorry... Were you talking to me?"

Keeping a wary eye out, Hayden raised a brow at the man, but kept his distance. He didn't figure the man would try anything, if that was his plan. Not here, not with civilians (children included) in the park so close to them.

[Deucalion Lycaon]

- - - - - - - - - -
a warning to the people, the good and the evil
this is war
- - - - - - - - - -
"There's not very many 'Hayden''s in Beacon Hills - I should know, I checked - and certainly none quite like you." The Alpha took his time leaning his cane on the edge of the bench, seeming to be blissfully unaware of Hayden's possible malefic intent or of the silver blade hiding in his sleeve. "So... Short answer, yes. Directly to you." Deucalion's glasses transversed over to fix on his purveyor. He clasped his hands, sat up, and took a good five seconds to register everything he could about the witch without ever opening his wolf's eyes.

Scenting didn't take the experience of a hunter with decades behind him to derive everything there was the know about Hayden; especially not when it was done by the Demon Wolf. Magic and the supernatural had a funny way of shifting and warping the scent of what would normally have been a simply human aroma into something... extraordinary.

Within seconds - before Hayden had even the chance to pass Deucalion really - the Alpha knew he had caught the perfect specimen for his undertaking. The bait had already been set, the direction of the rod merely needed to be guided.

All the reassurance the unknowing accomplice needed from Deucalion was the accuracy of his information - and perhaps a sponsor's support. The Alpha had a pack of Alphas behind him, so that problem was solved before it ever came to fruition - and he doubted if any person alive on this Earth would be brave enough to question the validity of his sources of information.

If he didn't like the words that came from the witch's mouth, he could always tear them from his magical throat. Deucalion expressed a severe amount of skepticism at the idea. Hayden seemed like an intelligent man, unlike some fools he had the unfortunate circumstance of working with.

"The offer still stands - I've got a tidbit of information I need to discuss with you..." The Alpha gestured slowly with a nod to the vacant spot beside him before focusing on the male witch again, " -but I'd much rather have our conversation with a relative amount of subtlety."

Deucalion had to be honest with himself: If anyone was really looking out for him today and in this area, they would find out his place and plan regardless of the slight precaution, but he didn't need to spark the unbiased attention of the human population in the park as well. That would only succeed in drawing the type of crowd that was sure to infuriate and taint any plan that the Alpha could conceive better than any aspiring werewolf or vengeful druid could.

The quiet chat wasn't only for the spectators either. There hadn't been much more of an obvious case of unease and nerves taking over than was thriving in Hayden's concealed blade and Congo-line heartbeat.

- - - - - - - - - -

from the right to the left we will fight to the death
to the edge of the earth, it's a brave new world
- - - - - - - - - -

WORDS``: <sub>478</sub>
STATUS``: _COMPLETE
TAGGED``: <sub>Hayden!</sub>
OUTFIT``:  
i278.photobucket.com/albums/kk109/yuri12344/5ba03cd2-c862-4da6-bfb4-ac09c2f35208_zpsea765914.jpg
NOTES``: <sub>At Last...</sub>
LYRICS``: _{this is war} by _{thirty seconds to mars}
CREDIT``:
_{this template was made by the amazing} TAYLYNOSAURUS REX! _{of caution 2.0. if you erase this credit && she finds out then she'll either come && steal all your cookies or send you to the realm of eternal tickling: your choice.}

[Hayden Outlawe]

"There's not very many 'Hayden''s in Beacon Hills - I should know, I checked - and certainly none quite like you.So... Short answer, yes. Directly to you."

Those words almost made Hayden's blood run cold. He took a step back almost without even realizing he'd done it. Who the hell was this guy? What the hell was he? Hayden couldn't stop the earthquake like beating of his heart, each beat feeling like it was going to shatter his ribs and come out of his chest. The guy was obviously no fool. He knew who Hayden was. He knew WHAT he was. Or at least, thought he knew. Many had made the mistake of mistaking him for some petty kitchen witch before. He wasn't. He was something far different. That gave him a little bit of courage in the situation, but this guy had sought him out for a reason.

"You checked on Hayden's in town, huh? To find me? Must be a reason you'd seek me so directly. Must be a reason you know my name to begin with," he added, swallowing nervously. He could feel the air thicken around him as his fight or flight instincts tried to overtake his mind. "So wanna explain to me just HOW you know who I am?"

This man was no druid, and he was no witch. So how did he know about him, and who had told him? Hayden avoided covens, so only a druid would have known him. And even then, he didn't know any well enough for them to be passing his name around, did he? So how exactly had this... Man, if he WAS a man, come to find him? This smelt more and more like a trap as the moments passed. Either the werewolves didn't like him moving in on their territory and he was about to be threatened, or this guy was some VERY strange hunter and this was a trap by the Argents. Either way, he wasn't sure he wanted to stick around to find out.

Mustering up his bravery, Hayden took a deep breath.
"And who..." The question nearly came out as what. "Are you?"

Hayden watched him nod his head, as if attempted to guide him to the seat beside him. Hayden couldn't lie. The offer was very tempting. Very. Information was hard to come by. Even with Chey under his finger, willing to do nearly anything for him, Hayden was having a hard time bringing himself to harming her, or even attempting to use her to get to the Argents. Instead, he just found himself dragging her along. And sadly, it was about the closest thing to a relationship he'd had in years.

Shaking that thought from his head, Hayden sighed. His grip on the ring of the dagger in his sleeve tightened and loosened a few times as he thought it over. He couldn't deny the man was tempting him with an offer he truly couldn't afford to pass up, but he also couldn't deny the overall sense of unease about this whole situation. Narrowing his eyes at the man, he focused in on him once more, trying to call on any energy he could from the earth around him to sense the truth about him. But it wasn't clear. No... But it was dark. And it felt like... Death.

Nodding his head, Hayden made up his mind.

Strapping the dagger back to the sheeth on his forearm, Hayden walked forward. Looking closely at the man, he nodded his head once more before taking a seat on the bench. In that moment, as he sat dangerously close to one of the most deadly predators on the Earth, Hayden felt only one thing... Felt only one connection to taking that seat and anything else... And it felt just like making a deal with the Devil.

"I'm listening."

[Deucalion Lycaon]

- - - - - - - - - -
a warning to the people, the good and the evil
this is war
- - - - - - - - - -
Game, set, and match. The deal was struck. To Deucalion, the nails were already being driven in to Gerard's coffin. The last stretch of the race had broken down to convincing Hayden in the Alpha's cause. With enough information, and a tantalizing bit of revenge dabbed in, the bait had been set perfectly. With the witch on his side, even so much as giving him an open ear, the climb was over. Now drew the time to make his next move.

"Excellent." Deucalion flexed the fingers of his right hand before settling his palm on the head of his cane. "There are two things you need to know before I let you in on my little secret."

His black veiled eyes traveled off into the distance of the park before settling on the edge of the bench between them, talking sideways to the witch in an articulately enunciated set of sentences. "One -- My name is Deucalion. I am the Alpha of a pack of Alpha werewolves. Two -- As tempting as it may be, refrain from mentioning to anyone else about the conversation we are having."

"With those formalities out of the way, I'll jump to the meat of the subject: How I know you, what I want from you, and where Gerard makes his home." The last he tossed on casually, without a care - as if the topic had already been decided on. He could almost taste the already palpable disbelief in the air. How could Deucalion know so much about a wanderer who had only recently entered into the town? What was Deucalion's scheme -- not only that, but what was his angle on Gerard, why would he seek a witch out about the old man?

Some mysteries weren't meant to be solved.

Deucalion relied on those secrets just as much as he did on the information he shared. The Alpha raised his head, letting the cool breeze rustle through his hair before continuing. "I've been on a scout for new and upcoming talent. My eyes and ears have been open and I've made certain I haven't missed any of the coming's and going's in Beacon Hills. After all, with the new outburst of evil settling in just on our borders, it's better to be safe than dead." Deucalion digressed, "But that's a story for another time -- For now, Gerard is issue enough."

Deucalion's lips tightened, "Suffice to say that the man is as much an issue to me as he is every living being in this town. He is a virus, spreading lies and corrupting people with fanciful ideas before he stabs them in the back. His time was over a long time ago -- he has just spent a long time dying." The black glasses turned toward Hayden, "This is where you come in. Gerard needs some guidance, it seems he can't find his way to the grave. I want you to help him."

Deucalion left a purposeful silence at the crux of the conversation. Hayden had to have been brooding over all the Alpha had spoke of so far. He'd have questions, he'd have doubts. This was the time to address them. He would not reveal the Argent's leader-from-the-shadows without faith in Hayden's ability to kill him without question. This was one piece of a much larger formula. If he could remove Gerard from the equation - and this was important - he could strike a blow at the ill-informed; Those that self-righteously sacrificed lives just to get back at him. There were a number of antsy teenage werewolves out of Beacon High that he had to deal with as well. Overall, it was a tentative situation, every move relying on another, but all planned in advanced. He was going to win in the end, but there were plays still to form; deals still to make.

- - - - - - - - - -

from the right to the left we will fight to the death
to the edge of the earth, it's a brave new world
- - - - - - - - - -

WORDS``:<sub>644</sub>
STATUS``:_COMPLETE
TAGGED``:<sub>Hayden!</sub>
OUTFIT``:_{i278.photobucket.com/albums/kk109/yuri12344/5ba03cd2-c862-4da6-bfb4-ac09c2f35208_zpsea765914.jpg
NOTES``:At Last...
LYRICS``: this is war by thirty seconds to mars
CREDIT``:
this template was made by the amazing TAYLYNOSAURUS REX! of caution 2.0. if you erase this credit & she finds out then she'll either come steal all your cookies or send you to the realm of eternal tickling: your choice.}

[Hayden Outlawe]

Hayden settled uncomfortably into the seat, keeping a wary eye on the man beside him. The man said he had information he needed, but how did he know anything about him to even know what he might need? It all seemed to easy, and that never turned out well.

"Two things, huh? There's always a catch," Hayden's reply was dry as he softly shook his head. This was the moment in the story when the Devil asked for something, his soul or his firstborn or... Something. "Well, what are they?"

"One -- My name is Deucalion. I am the Alpha of a pack of Alpha werewolves. Two -- As tempting as it may be, refrain from mentioning to anyone else about the conversation we are having."

Hayden blinked hard at that. An Alpha werewolf, that wouldn't have been so shocking. But... How could an Alpha lead other Alphas? Didn't that defeat the purpose of BEING an Alpha? And of course there was a silence clause to all this. How could there not be? Whoever this... Alpha of Alphas was, Hayden didn't figure he wanted his presence known to the hunters anymore than Hayden did.

"Deucalion, huh? The Greek Noah? Guessing you aren't here with your pack to save us all from the wrath of the gods. And as you pointed out, I guess there is no need for me to introduce myself... You know all about me. So, what's this about then?" Hayden wasn't exactly able to hide the slight edge of nervousness to his voice. Whatever he had sensed about this man before made sense now. But it was so dark... So overwhelming... Like a vast curtain of darkness spreading around him. This man was something else, something far beyond any wolf he'd ever met.

Deucalion's next sentence caused Hayden to let out and audible gasp, turning to stare at the seemingly blind man with shock and awe. First, the man knows who HE is. Now he knows who he is after? It was all too much... Hayden just shook his head, unsure whether to stay or blast the man and run. It was like the air had become too thick, or gravity too heavy. Plotting to go after the man had been one thing, but now, someone else knew? The guilt Hayden had been ignoring became thick in his throat, threatening to choke him.

"So... You know where Gerard is, huh? And just how does some random blind werewolf know where a hunter that doesn't want to be found is hiding?"

Hayden tried to sound threatening, tried to sound like he wasn't scared at all. Whether it was working or not, he wasn't sure. But he couldn't let this... Thing know how he felt. "I've been on a scout for new and upcoming talent. My eyes and ears have been open and I've made certain I haven't missed any of the coming's and going's in Beacon Hills. After all, with the new outburst of evil settling in just on our borders, it's better to be safe than dead.But that's a story for another time -- For now, Gerard is issue enough."

Hayden sighed and nodded his head, trying to keep up with the man.

Deucalion's lips tightened, "Suffice to say that the man is as much an issue to me as he is every living being in this town. He is a virus, spreading lies and corrupting people with fanciful ideas before he stabs them in the back. His time was over a long time ago -- he has just spent a long time dying." The black glasses turned toward Hayden, "This is where you come in. Gerard needs some guidance, it seems he can't find his way to the grave. I want you to help him."

Hayden couldn't help but feel the darkness in him begin to bubble, begging to be let loose. His once fearful look slowly turned into a smirk, his arms crossing as he thought on what the man had said. The man was right. Gerard's darkness had surrounded them all, corrupted them all, for a long time. He and his group of marauding psychopaths had often come in, guns blazing, and torn apart life after life. It was about time that SOMEONE put a stop to that. Who better than one of the men his hunters had sent running?

"I can't deny that I'm intrigued, Mr. Deucalion... But, I do have to ask... What's in it for you? Or better yet, what's in it for me? Not to say watching Gerard choke on his own lungs won't be fun, but why would you help me? Why not snap his neck yourself?" Hayden looked him over as he questioned him. "Not to mention, who's to say that as soon as my hex bag has done it's work, you won't, oh I don't know... Bring out those bloody red eyes of yours and rip my heart out?"

Hayden was unsure where the arrogance and snark was coming from. For all he knew, the blind Alpha could very easily do just that, kill him without a thought, but Hayden had a few tricks up his sleeve too. And he wanted to know just what the plan was. This wouldn't be an easy feat. Gerard was most likely protected, wherever he was, and Hayden wasn't going to go into one deathtrap just to have to face another afterwards.