Stiles is always the first to find out any good news. Scott's not really sure how he does it, but he always seems to know everything that's going on without having been there. He thinks part of it's because Stiles' dad is headmaster and he's got his office wire-tapped, but that seems a little unrealistic. After all, no one's ever been able to get anything past the legendary Headmaster Stilinski. Of course, if anyone could, it would be the Chameleon.

But Stiles is the first to know that they're getting a new instructor, and not just any instructor. Derek Hale, unknown to most of the world, but one of the most famous graduates of Beacon Hills Academy for Exceptional Young People. Derek Hale, one of the last surviving members of the Hale Family, famous for their long history of being the best in the spying business, until Kate Argent went traitor and burned them to the ground.

The school is abuzz with the gossip before there's even been a formal announcement and no one even knows where the information came from, because no one knows who the Chameleon is. Stiles claims he does his best work from the shadows. Which is really annoying sometimes because Jackson Whittemore might be able to talk his way into closed societies and have mastered the quick change, but he's nowhere near Stiles' level. People notice Jackson, and he turns that weakness into a strength, but Stiles is so much better. Stiles can get the same information without anyone having noticed he was there.

Scott appreciates that, because it means he's able to spend a fair amount of time cozying up to the new girl, Allison Argent, before any of the other boys notice her. He knows that Allison is the niece of the infamous Kate Argent, but doesn't really know anything beyond that, doesn't really care. He's more worried about whether or not she'll like him back, not to mention he's still kind of failing Applied Chemistry, which, as a teenage boy, is something that should not be allowed. It's an entire class all about how to blow stuff up, he should be excelling. But the science and knowledge stuff was always more Stiles' kind of thing, his is more the people.

It's why they make such a good team. They've been a team since they were in the elementary section and making playdough explode and finding every last secret passage to be found in the entire school. Stiles and Scott know they're going to be partners after they graduate, just as they know that no spy worth their salt works alone.

So Scott feels a little bit badly that he's dragging Allison into this, but not that much. It's pretty obvious that Stiles likes Allison too, maybe not in the same way, but he likes her. A fact which is actually super important to Scott because Stiles' opinion is possibly the one that means the most to Scott. After all, they're the only ones who know all of each other's secrets.

And they're a team, which is good because everyone else in this school has no idea just what they can do, just how much they know. Well, Lydia Martin might know but that's because she's a genius and sometimes likes to partner with Stiles because he's the only one that can even attempt to keep up with her, although the three of them are the only ones who know that.

But Stiles should really never be allowed to handle sharp implements because he will injure himself and innocent bystanders, even if he is on CIA list multiple times. His spots on that list have nothing to do with his physical abilities and everything to do with his ability to slip into any situation undetected. To gather information that no one else should be able to get, even Danny who's the best hacker that the school's ever seen, and the school's seen the best.

So Scott does not feel guilty at all for abandoning Stiles as his partner in their latest field exercise in favor of Allison. Stiles totally understands, because it's not like he wouldn't do the same if Lydia ever acknowledged him.

And then the exercise turns into deadly reality way too quickly and Scott finds himself wishing that his best friend was at his back instead of his maybe girlfriend as he and Allison hide behind some crates in a back corner of some warehouse. Because Allison is all kinds of awesome and amazing and he could go on for hours (has gone on for hours) about her, but she is not Stiles. She's really good with anything that could conceivably be used as a weapon, which, come to think of it, makes an awesome addition to the little team of Scott and Stiles, but they don't need a weapon right now.

They need information and a plan. Because Scott can sweet talk anyone into anything, including a delegate into dressing in drag and using liquid nitrogen to fake a pregnancy, but he can't do that unless he knows what he's getting into, unless he's got Stiles in the shadows. And just when he's thinking that is when they're caught.

"Look what we got here, Nate, some little kiddies," the man with the rifle in his hands sneers at them as he stands over their crouched bodies. "Trying to find a nice place for some action and found a bit more than you thought you would, eh?"

Scott stands slowly, his hands out in front of him, angling his body to shield as much of Allison as he can. "Look man, we didn't know anyone used this place. We'll just go and we won't say anything to anyone," Scott tries, because he has to do something.

He knows Allison is already assessing the quickest and easiest way in which to take down the three men surrounding them, but he also knows that the likelihood of that happening without injury to one or both of them is too low to risk.

"Oh, you won't tell anyone?" the man in the middle, the one who seemed to be the leader, asked. "I don't believe you, Beacon Hills Brats."

And that's when Scott knows that the jig is up, because anyone who calls them that knows just what the Beacon Hills Academy really is. He can feel Allison stiffening behind him, somehow becoming even more impossibly ready to deal with this threat. And Scott's not as good as Stiles, but he can assess this situation well enough to know that they're not getting out of there whole. Not unless some back up shows up pretty quickly.

"Aren't you breaking your spy rules?" the one with the rifle sneers at them, making the simple question unbearably condescending. "I thought they taught the best at that place, guess even Beacon Hills turns out a few duds every now and then. Makes our job easier, though."

The third one, the giant one who looks like he's just there to be muscle sniggers and Scott wants to roll his eyes at how stereotypical that is, mainly because Stiles isn't here to do so. And Scott had never really noticed before just how much his life revolved around his best friend, which was weird, okay, and he liked it better when Stiles was always there so he didn't have to notice that. He really needed to start focusing on the situation at hand.

"Look guys, we were just here for a little school project, we didn't mean any harm. The lady and I can get out of your hair and everyone will be happy," Scott cajoles, knowing it won't work but that he's got to try. He's at his best when he's convincing people to do stupid things (it's more than half the reason why he and Stiles have had so many misadventures growing up). "There's no need to get violent."

"Violent? We haven't even begun to get violent," the leader says and now Scott can feel that cold pit of dread tightening in his stomach.

With as little movement as he can possibly manage he surveys the warehouse. It's not that big, and pretty much empty except for this back corner where all the boxes were stacked. They'll be shot before they get anywhere near an exit. Their only choice is to try talking themselves out of this situation, and that's not looking too likely to happen.

"I got dibs on the girl," the nasty, small one with the rifle says and Scott really wants to take him apart for that, especially because he licks his lips and gives Allison a once over. "Come on, Nate, let us have a little fun.

"No," the leader says, and Scott presumes this is the one called Nate. "We've got our orders. That's the Argent girl, she's on the no touch list."

Scott supposes all his training must be good for something because that sets off all his warning signals. He'd thought he'd just stumbled into some gang territory at first, but with this and the fact that they know what Beacon Hills Academy really is, he knows something is going on. Something big, if there are underlings with no tough lists.

He keeps his mouth shut though, hoping they'll spill just a little bit more information. Stiles always likes as much information as he can get and Scott knows that the second he's alone with Stiles, he's going to tell the other boy everything. And they'll be dragging themselves into another adventure, but they'd never claimed not to be adrenaline junkies.

Unfortunately, Nate is smarter than he seems because he stops talking and gives them a suspicious look. "Search 'em and then cuff 'em to the center pole where we can keep an eye on them. If things don't start picking up soon maybe I'll let you have a little fun with the boy."

Scott's running out of ideas fast and is more than just a little worried, but that's all cured when a voice carries through the warehouse before the two thugs can grab him and Allison. "I really, really wouldn't want to do that if I were you."

Scott's never been so grateful to see Stiles in his entire life. He has absolutely no idea how Stiles knew they were here or that they were in trouble, but he's grateful. Until he thinks about the fact that Stiles appears to be alone and then Scott's pretty sure that the number of captives just went up by one.

"Another Beacon Hills Brat?" Nate laughs, gesturing for the big one to go take care of Stiles. Scott tries to move, tries to do something, but that's quickly aborted when the mean one points his rifle right at Scott's heart. "Should have brought backup, kid. I thought they taught you that in your fancy school?"

Scott's so angry and scared right now that all he can do is growl, low in his throat, at this stupid man. But then Stiles lets out the laugh, the one he uses when everything is going according to his plan and no one else even realized it and Scott's growl dies, slowly being replaced by a smug smile.

"They do," Stiles quips and out of absolutely nowhere Derek Hale has just taken down the big one and disarmed the nasty one.

And Scott thought he was getting pretty good at martial arts but it's like watching some kind of dance as Derek takes down the big one with just a few well-placed punches and then advances on the second, disarming him so quickly that Scott suspects there are friction burns on the man's palms. Derek's literally taking apart the gun the entire time he's taking down the guy and then he just stands over their bodies, pieces of gun lying on the ground at his feet.

It's pretty damn impressive and suddenly Scott is much more willing to be taking lessons from the guy who's only a few years older than them if Derek can teach him to do that. "Stiles, I told you to wait at the truck," Derek barks out but Stiles just shrugs. He never does what anyone tells him to do, except occasionally when it's his dad, and even then it's a pretty rare event.

"I want to hear how this guy knows about Beacon Hills and why someone hired these three to get ahold of Scott and Allison," Stiles argues, walking calmly over to Scott and Allison, as if there isn't a threat still in the room at all.

"Who said anything about getting me and Scott?" Allison interjects, stepping fully out from behind Scott as Derek walks calmly over to Nate.

Stiles just snorts and rolls his eyes in response, as if because it was obvious to him it should be obvious to everyone. Then Nate chooses that moment to make himself a threat once more by pulling out a handgun and pointing it at Stiles, the easiest target, especially after Derek made the comment that he should have stayed in the car. Everyone else freezes but Stiles kind of flinches as he stops walking. He might go to a spy school and he might be used to weapons, but every time they're openly pointed in his direction he can't help but to react just a little, totally involuntarily.

But that flinch is just what Scott needs to distract Nate long enough to fling himself forward and rip the gun from the man's hands only to pistol whip him in the temple with his own weapon. Nate just kind of crumples to the ground and everyone is still for a beat.

"That was kind of awesome, dude. Have you been practicing behind my back again?" Stiles accuses him as he moves to stand next to his friend. Scott grins at him before turning to make sure that Allison is alright.

She is and she's already examining Nate's unconscious body. Derek's doing the same with the other two so Scott just asks the question that's been bothering him since Stiles showed up only a few minutes before. "How did you even know we were here?"

Stiles just fixes him with this completely incredulous look. "Dude. I've been following you guys all day. That was my assignment." And of course he was, because Stiles has taught Scott well enough that he would have noticed their tail if it had been anyone else. He's kind of kicking himself right now for not realizing it sooner, he might have at least managed to pass the exercise if he had.

"How?" Allison demands and Scott had kind of forgotten that Allison didn't know just how good Stiles was. "And how did you get Derek here, too?"

"Greenberg's got pink eye again so I was his backup. He called it in right after you guys came in here and then I came over to get you out. Stiles, though, was not supposed to enter the warehouse," Derek explains as he ties the three would-be kidnappers together and gives Stiles a pretty intimidating glare. "But Allison's right. How did you get in here without any of us noticing?"

Stiles grins and opens his arms. "I'm the Chameleon," he says, just as cheekily as when he's talking back to his dad. Allison's eyes go wide and her mouth drops open while Derek kind of looks like he wants to hit his head against the wall.

Scott kind of snorts, trying not to laugh at their reactions. He was not expecting Stiles to come clean about this, but it kind of makes sense. Stiles has been planning something for a while now, Scott might not know what it is but he knows his best friend well enough to recognize the signs and to prepare for anything. Besides, they're sophomores now and Stiles has been complaining lately that the quality of their education would be so much better if they could just take some more advanced classes.

"He is, really," he says, because they were never going to believe Stiles unless someone backed him up. "It's why we make such a good team."

"We'll be discussing this when we get back to campus, but in the meantime, congratulations. You've all earned yourselves a place in the Pack," Derek says and pulls out his cell phone, heading out towards the front of the warehouse as he talks to whoever's on the other end of the line. Scott's pretty sure it's someone from the school, but he doesn't really care.

He's too busy grinning at Allison and bumping a fist with Stiles. The three of them would be the first ever sophomores to make into the Pack, the most exclusive group in the entire school. They would be learning directly from Derek Hale in a small group instead of in huge classes without any real individual attention, would be moved up into the more advanced classes, and would get to start going on actual missions by the end of term.

This was going to be the best year at the Beacon Hills Academy for Exceptional Young People ever.

A/N: I gift you all with happiness. The original idea came from rodenn. tumblr .com who graciously allowed me to write it. This was so much fun to write that I might go back later and write a sequel. Who knows. Probably not though.