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["I think she meant against us, Klaus. Not them." Because if they're talking about the hunters, then this is one of the rare moments where he and Stefan are in complete agreement.

But with that, they're off, heading down towards the warehouse. Hayley does her best to keep a direct line straight to Derek, but that doesn't mean the occasional hunter doesn't get in her way and thus need to be eaten.]

( The hunters Hayley doesn't find aren't evenly matched to a Mikaelson and two Salvatores. Klaus takes out one of the lookouts by the fire escape and distracts two hunters who give chase into the woods. Yes, follow Damon, hunters. )

[She eventually is led to the room where they're keeping Derek, and she hesitates just outside the door to try and get a look/listen inside. She can hear another person, a witch, chanting quietly, but she can't recognize the spell.

She crouches low, peering around the edge and catching sight of the telltale line of salt wrapped around the prone werewolf and casting witch.

Boundary spell. Great.]

( Derek is out of it, still sore and bruised from the electricity jolts from earlier. There was a time he was delirious and he thought he might have seen Laura, his sister, and Talia, his mother. But, it is just him and the witch. And the other guards that rotate.

Damon dispatches two of the hunter easily, zooming between them so that when they shoot, they shoot each other. Sucks to be you, hunters.

Klaus, happy with the perimeter, decides the Salvatores can keep watch outside, tells Stefan to stay at the entrance and heads inside to find the mother of his child. )

[The goal is to lure the witch out so she can break her neck and therefore break the spell, but she doesn't know quite how to do that. So time for some spooky vampire shenanigans.

There's a brief whooshing noises as she loops the room, and the witch's head snaps up, eyes narrowing as she scans the room.

"Who's there?"

Hayley doesn't respond. Instead she waits, before doing another loop, bringing the witch to her feet as she tries to find the source.]

( Zooming himself, he knocks over silver cans of what look like might have been coffee once upon a time. They clatter to the ground and a lone one rolls across the entrance, from one side to the other.

Spooky. )

[The witch is standing her ground, hands out and ready to cast. Hayley hangs back, but keeps her voice low, because he's a werewolf. So he should probably have super human hearing.]

It's Derek, right?

[It seems like she's talking to someone right next to her, but hopefully he can still hear her.]

How bad are you doing?

( Derek's head falls forward as the witch faces - what she doesn't know she's facing.

Derek keeps his voice low. His throat dry, and raspy, like it's collecting dust, he forces out words. )

Great. Couldn't be better. Who's this?

My name's Hayley Marshall. Jackson and Lydia sent us to get you out.

[Which, she's hoping he would know her name if he's working with Allison Argent, but either way, who she is is not really the point. The point is, this isn't going to be a solo rescue.]

Look, as long as the witch is safe within the circle, we can't do much for you. But if you think you might be able to force her out, we can finish the job.

( He does, quietly clearing his throat. His eyes dart around him. So, he's not alone. )

It's mountain ash. ( He knows. ) I'm weak. Keeping me within the circle isn't the only spell she cast. ( But. ) What about the ceiling fan?

[Her eyes dart around the corner, up towards the ceiling. She's didn't recognize the substance that made the circle at first, but it being mountain ash would make sense.

Which means they are shit out of luck unless they could get a human to break it for them.

She turns back towards Klaus before pointing up to the fan.]

Would that work?

It's only ash. Wind will displace it. All you need is one break in the circle.

( Klaus is also listening from the hallway, back against the wall. )

[Hayley shrugs, because sometimes you don't need a complicated plan? What in the world is that? She ducks her head back around the corner and spots the industrial fan switches on the far wall.]

Worth a shot.

[And with a whoosh she dashes to the other end of the room, pausing just long enough to flip all the switches - just in case - before zipping back to the door again.

The witch's head darts around, hearing the room coming to life but not understanding what is happening with her sad human ears.]

( Derek sits, innocent. The fans come to life slowly, before kicking in full blast. Before the witch can do anything, mountain ash goes up in a puff, not just freeing Derek, but choking her as she breathes some in, startled.

Derek is still banged up and weak. )

[That's okay, Hayley's got his back. She rushes in, moving quickly to snap the witch's neck so that she drops to the ground without ceremony. Then Hayley turns to the captive, biting into her wrist and offering it to him.]

Here. I know it's not ideal but we need to move fast.

( He just - stares, mouth agape. Take what?

"Drink her blood, Derek," Klaus says, sauntering inside. )

You want me to drink her blood.

( Klaus just steps over the dead witch.

"I'll save you the trouble. We're vampires. With a little something extra. And our blood will heal you. You need your strength. Unless you'd like Hayley here to fireman carry you out the door. She has no qualms, either way."

Derek looks from Klaus to Hayley before deciding, gripping her arm, but using it to pull himself up. )

Let's go.

( He'd rather limp than drink. )

[Before Klaus can force the issue, Hayley intercedes, nodding towards the door.]

Just make sure the way out is clear. We'll be right behind you.

[And once he's gone, she'll shift to shoulder some of Derek's weight easily, and turn to him once she's got him in a position where he can comfortably lean on her.]

You good?

Yeah. Let's get out of here.

( Klaus makes sure the way out is clear, and thanks to he and the Salvatores, it is. He emerges from the door to find them.

"Our rescue efforts proved foolproof." )

Always good to hear.

[Stefan glances up over the building and the blood-soaked remains left behind.]

Assuming we should torch the rest?

( "Once they clear the threshold."

Damon holds up a gas can. )

The things you find in a shed out back. Wildlife should get to the woodsy hunters, don/t you think?

["I'll go make sure there's nothing too obviously body about them."

Mainly, any brightly colored clothing or the like. Maybe drag them closer to some things that are already decomposing. But with that, he'll disappear into the woods, and not long after, Hayley and Derek will emerge from the warehouse.

She doesn't slow, using their momentum to keep Derek moving before they lose it.]

Heading to the car, and then back to Damon's. One of you text Caroline so she can let his friends know.

Edited 2021-01-02 20:27 (UTC)

We're not --

( But, yeah, he lets that lie there. Sure. Friends. Allies, more like, but who is he to make his corrections. )

Stiles should know. He can call Cora. She's ( He winces. ) My sister. Who's Damon?

( "Damon. Salvatore."

Derek just gives him the once-over. )

You are not in a position to be picky about your rescue right now. You're going where the back up is.

[She may not be a full wolf anymore, but she knows that at least makes sense. You recover with the pack, not away from it.

That being said, she sends Damon a look that says not now at the mention of Stiles. She'll cover that once they're safely in the car and driving away from here.

But with that, she'll keep things moving, heading back up the hill to where they parked the cars, hoping that Damon or Klaus will do as she asked.]

( Klaus just gives Damon, mhm, you did almost do that, eyes before pulling his own phone out.

Damon takes the time to cover the perimeter in gasoline. )

Derek Hale has been rescued.

[A minute later, once everything has been sorted at the hospital, he'll get a text back in return: Thank you.

Hayley will leave the warehouse behind, getting she and Derek into the car, and driving a good ways away before she speaks again. He deserves to know, and she'll at least give him the option - hospital or Damon's - because either should be safe enough for the time being.]

There's something you should know, about Stiles.

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