🪐

"Sorry, but I can't let you walk out with this. It's way above the legal voltage limit." Parrish says
"I only use it for hunting..." Argent says looking over at Derek who gives him a look
"Yeah, well, I'm pretty sure you could use it to jump-start a 747..." The deputy says.

"This property belongs to me, and the charges were dropped." Argent says
"Although, I'm not exactly sure who's responsible for that." He says
"I am." Noah says walking with Rayne.

"I'll take care of this, Parrish." He says
"Stilinski, I'm not kidding-- this thing's a few watts from being a lightsaber." Parrish says and Rayne lets out a laugh
"I said I'll take care of it."

🪐

They all stand in his office with the stuff
"The specialist I saw in LA told me the thing that every doctor says when he's trying to avoid a lawsuit-- 'We can't say for sure.' And then, I spoke with Melissa." Noah says handing the scans to Argent.

"These are brain scans-- my wife's, and Stiles'. I knew they were similar, but those are the same. Exactly the same." He says
"And I'm guessing this isn't possible?" Derek says
"Not even remotely." He says.

"So, the trickster is still playing tricks." Argent says
"But why this trick?" Derek says
"When I was in the Army, an officer told me, 'If you want to defeat your enemy, you don't take away their courage-- you take away their hope.'" Noah says.

"You don't look like a man who gives up hope easily." The hunter says.
"But Stiles might." Rayne says
"If this thing inside him... if it's using his mother's disease as some sort of psychological trick, then this isn't just a fight for his body. It's also a fight for his mind. Right?" Noah says.

"You know, he's left people severely injured." Argent says
"And others severely dead." Derek says
"That's why I need the two of you." Noah says.

"I need people who are experienced in this kind of thing. I need you to help me stop him."
"And by stop him, you mean trap him." Argent says
"Exactly." Rayne says and he nods.

🪐

They all walk into Argent's office in the apartment
"This is everything non-lethal I could find..." Allison says
"Take all of it." He says.

"What's the plan, here?" Rayne asks
"Our best shot right now is for Derek to try to pick up Stiles' scent at Eichen House-especially if he went through something stressful there." Argent says.

"Should all four of us be going to the same place?" Noah asks
"Where else has Stiles been showing up?" Argent asks
"School... the hospital..." Rayne lists off
"Okay, hold on-- we did this already. He disappeared, we started looking for him... then walked right into a trap at the hospital." Derek says.

"He's getting us to repeat the same moves." Chris says
"So, what do we do? Wait for him to come to us?" Allison asks
"We can't. Not if the Oni find him when the sun goes down." Derek says.

"Scott's working on that right now with Kira." Rayne says
"That's the problem-- we're all trying to outfox the Fox." Chris says
"Listen... I'll understand if anyone wants to back out." Noah says.

"I won't be the first Wolf to run from a Fox." Derek says
"Apparently, I'm carrying a lightsaber..." Chris says
"Dad, you and Derek hit Eichen House. Sheriff, it's you, Rayne and in the hospital. We all meet in the school." Allison says and they all nod and the three of them leave.

🪐

The trio walk into the hospital and into the elevator
"You know what? I don't know how you guys do it. You're all so strong. You're fearless. Hell, you even manage to keep your grades up..." Noah says
"I am... failing Econ..." Allison says.

"Is that Coach's class?" Noah asks Rayne and she nods
"Well, I'll have a talk with him." He says and Rayne smiles
"Hey, you okay?" He asks as he stops the elevator.

"I'm not... fearless... I'm terri-terrified. I'm always terrified. I... I act like I know what I'm doing, but I don't. I don't know if Isaac is dying right now... I don't know if I made a mistake with Scott... I don't know what my dad is thinking... I don't know if we should trust Derek... I don't know..." Allison says with tears in her eyes
"I don't know anything..." Rayne and Noah give her a hug.

"You know what's funny?" Noah asks
"You sound just like a cop." He says and they chuckle
"Hey... You're gonna be okay." He says.

"Okay." And she nods and his phone starts going off
"What's that?" Allison asks
"Someone's breaking into my house..." He says
"After Stiles started sleepwalking, I had some safety precautions put in-- motion sensors, cameras..." He explains.

"What?" Rayne asks
"Is that his room?"
"You didn't put one in my room, right?" Rayne asks and they look closely at the footage.

It was Stiles.

Waving directly at them.

🪐

They were all in Stiles' room looking at a chess board
"What is all this? What are these sticky notes for?" Argent asks
"This is what Stiles used to try and explain to me about... all of you." Noah says.

"Well, maybe it's a message from Stiles-- the real Stiles." Allison says
"Do you think there's any reason my name's on the king?" Derek asks
"Well, you're heavily guarded... Though, I guess the alarming detail is that you're one move from being in checkmate." Noah says.

"It's not a message from Stiles-- it's a threat from the Nogitsune." Chris says
"He's at the loft. That's what he's trying to tell us. And he wants us to come there." Rayne says
"Night's falling..." Derek says.

"This couldn't sound any more like a trap." Chris says
"I don't think it is..." Noah says
"I think your opinion might be slightly biased, Sheriff..." Chris says.

"Hear me out! What we're dealing with here is basically someone who lacks motive-- no rhyme or reason, right?" Noah says
"Meaning what?"
"Our enemy is not a killer... It's a trickster. The killing is just a by-product." Noah says.

"If you're trying to say it won't kill us, I'm not feeling too confident about that..." Derek says
"It won't. It wants irony. It wants to play a trick-- it wants a joke. All we need to do is come up with a new punchline." He says
"The sun is setting, Sheriff... What do you have in mind?" Chris asks.

🪐

Noah opens the door to the loft to see Stiles there and he turns around to face him.

"Hi dad."