Progress was still on edge because of what had happened. As the night quickly went by he couldn't get over the fact that maybe he was not suited for this world after all. He made his was to school, Eli and Talia could see that something was wrong with their friend,...as soon as he walked into the classroom. "Hey, what's wrong?" Eli asked, noticing the dark look on Progress's face. Talia nodded in agreement, her eyes filled with concern.
Progress hesitated, unsure of how to express the turmoil brewing inside him. "It's just...I don't know if I'm cut out for this," he said finally, his voice barely above a whisper.
Eli and Talia exchanged a worried glance. "What do you mean?" Eli asked, pulling Progress aside to talk.
Progress sighed, trying to put his thoughts into words. "Look, yesterday I got attacked by something. It wasn't a werewolf like you and me, Eli. It had Pure black eyes and sharp fangs."
Talia's eyes widened in shock, and Eli's expression turned serious. "What happened?" Eli asked, his voice low and urgent.
Progress hesitated, unsure of how much to reveal. But something about his friends' concerned faces put him at ease. "I don't know what it was," he admitted. "It was fast, and it was strong. I thought for sure it was going to kill me."
Talia's grip on Progress's shoulder tightened. "We're glad you're okay," she said. "But what makes you think you're not cut out for this?"
Progress shook his head. "I don't know. It's just...I've never seen anything like that before. And I don't know if I can handle it. What if it comes back? What if I'm not strong enough to protect myself?"
Eli nodded understandingly. " Well, you're not. No offense, but you just became a werewolf. Yes you're supposed to be the strongest, but as long as you can't use you're powers to the fullest than it's no use.So, We'll help you, Progress. We'll teach you how to defend yourself. You're not alone in this."
Talia nodded in agreement. "Yeah, we're in this together. We'll figure it out, okay?"
Progress smiled weakly, feeling a small sense of relief. Maybe he wasn't alone after all. Maybe with his friends by his side, he could face whatever was out there.
Talia's curiosity got the better of her. "So, how did you manage to get away from it?" she asked, her eyes locked on Progress's face.
Progress hesitated, unsure of how to explain the strange events that had unfolded. "To be honest, I didn't exactly 'beat' it," he said. "I was actually about to die when...when someone saved me."
Eli's eyes narrowed. "Someone? Was it another werewolf?"
Progress shook his head. "I'm not sure. The person who saved me moved so fast, I couldn't even see who it was. One minute I was about to get killed, and the next, the creature was gone. I didn't even see the person's face or anything."
Talia's grip on Progress's shoulder tightened. "That's freaky," she said. "Do you think it was a good guy or a bad guy who saved you?"
Progress shrugged. "I don't know. I didn't get a chance to thank them or anything. But I'm just glad I'm alive, I guess."
Eli's expression turned thoughtful. "This is getting weird," he said. "First, you're attacked by some creature with black eyes, and then someone saves you without you even seeing their face. We need to be more careful, guys. There's definitely something going on in this town that we don't know about."
Progress's eyes locked onto Eli's, a hint of curiosity in his voice. "Hey, Eli, has your dad ever spoken about creatures like that before?" he asked, his mind racing with possibilities.
Eli's expression turned somber, and he shook his head. "No, my dad never mentioned anything like that. When he was alive, he told me about his days back in Scott McCall's pack, but they never faced anything like what you're describing."
Progress nodded thoughtfully, his eyes cast downward. "I see," he said. "I was just wondering if maybe there was some connection or something."
Eli's voice was tinged with a mix of sadness and nostalgia. "My dad was always tight-lipped about certain things, but I know he trusted Scott and the pack. If he'd known about creatures like that, I'm sure he would've mentioned it to me or Scott."
Talia's grip on Progress's shoulder remained firm. "We'll figure this out, Progress. We'll research and try to find out more about what happened to you."
The three friends sat in silence for a moment, each lost in their own thoughts. The mystery surrounding Progress's attacker and mysterious savior had just gotten a lot deeper.....As lunchtime rolled around, Progress pulled out his phone and began scrolling through the international newspaper's archives. "Guys, I found something," he said, his eyes lighting up with excitement. "It's about Amélie's family history."
Talia and Eli leaned in, curious about what Progress had discovered. Progress showed them pictures of an old newspaper article, featuring a family portrait of the Duponts. "This is the first Dupont who helped form Beacon Hills," Progress explained, pointing a beautiful lady in the photo.
As they scrolled through the article, Talia's eyes widened in surprise. "Wait a minute," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "Amélie and Aurélia Dupont look...identical."
Eli's eyes narrowed, his brow furrowed in concern. "Yeah, it's like they're...clones or something," he said, his voice laced with skepticism.
Progress's eyes darted back and forth between the two Duponts' pictures. "That's what I thought at first, but I figured it was just a coincidence," he said. "But now that you mention it, it does look like they've been...replicated or something."
Talia's grip on Progress's arm tightened. "This is freaky," she whispered. "It's like Amélie is Aurélia's clone or something."
Eli nodded in agreement. "My dad used to tell me about a group called the Dread Doctors," he said, his voice low and serious. "They were supposed to be a group of scientists who did some pretty freaky stuff in the supernatural world."
Progress's eyes locked onto Eli's. "Like what?" he asked, his curiosity piqued.
Eli hesitated, his eyes darting around the cafeteria to make sure no one was listening. "They were rumored to have created Chimeras from supernaturals like us. If they're capable of that, cloning wouldn't be completely impossible."
The three friends sat in stunned silence, the implications of what they were discussing sinking in. Just as the three friends were processing the implications of their theory, Amélie suddenly appeared out of nowhere, a sly smile spreading across her face. "A clone? That's the best you can come up with?" she said, her French accent dripping with sarcasm.
The group instantly froze, shocked that Amélie had overheard their conversation despite their whispers. Eli's eyes widened in surprise, and Talia's grip on Progress's arm tightened.
"How did you...?" Progress started to ask, but Amélie cut him off with a laugh.
"Oh, please, I have ears everywhere," she said, her eyes glinting with amusement. "And I must say, I'm flattered that you think I'm worthy of such an intriguing theory."
The group's shock wasn't just due to Amélie overhearing their conversation; it was also because she had managed to sneak up on them without anyone noticing. One minute they were sitting there, discussing their theory, and the next, Amélie was standing right behind them, a knowing smile on her face.
Talia's eyes darted around the cafeteria, wondering if anyone else had noticed Amélie's sudden appearance. "How did you get so close to us without us seeing you?" Talia asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
Amélie's smile grew wider. "Let's just say I have my ways," she said, her voice dripping with mystery.
The group's eyes locked onto Amélie, their minds racing with questions. How did she manage to sneak up on them? And what did she mean by "I have ears everywhere"? Was she somehow monitoring their conversations? The more they thought about it, the more they realized that Amélie was full of secrets, and they were determined to uncover them.
Eli's eyes narrowed, his curiosity getting the better of him. "So, are you a werewolf?" he asked, his voice direct.
Amélie's smile faltered for a moment, and she looked at Eli with a hint of surprise. "Non, I'm not a werewolf," she said, her French accent thickening slightly. "But my mother was one."
Talia's eyes widened in shock, and Progress's jaw dropped. "Wait, what?" Talia said, her voice barely above a whisper. "You're saying your mother was a werewolf, and you're not?"
Amélie nodded, her eyes glinting with amusement. "Oui, that's right. And for the grandson of the great Talia Hale," she said, her eyes locking onto Eli's, "and son of Derek Hale, Eli, you sure aren't very smart."
Eli's eyes narrowed, his face tense. "You know about my family?" he asked, his voice low.
Amélie nodded, her smile growing wider. "Oh, yes, I know all about your family, Eli," she said, her eyes glinting with amusement. "It's not every day I meet the grandson of Talia Hale and the son of Derek Hale."