All Shades of Blue

45

As soon as Nora entered the sheriff's station, she saw Derek and Argent.

Derek smiled at her and she offered him a small wave before turning to Sheriff Stilinski. 'Yes?'

The sheriff spoke and Derek signed for her. "As you know, I saw the specialist in L.A. He told me the same thing every doctor says when they're trying to avoid a lawsuit. "We can't say for sure." Then, I spoke with Melissa. These are the brain scans. My wife's and Stiles'. I knew they were similar. But these are the same. Exactly the same."

Argent showed her the papers and as the sheriff said, they were identical. Derek met the sheriff's eyes. "And I'm guessing this isn't possible?"

Sheriff Stilinski shook his head. "Not even remotely."

Nora frowned. 'Okay, so clearly the trickster is still toying with us. But why this one?'

The sheriff let out a sigh and looked at her. Derek once again signed for Nora. "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.""

Argent looked Sheriff Stilinski. "You don't look like a man who gives up hope easily."

"But Stiles might. If this thing inside him, if it's using his mother's disease as some kind of psychological trick, then this isn't just a fight for his body. It's also a fight for his mind. Right?"

Argent frowned. "You know, he's left people severely injured."

"And several others dead," Derek stated bluntly.

Sheriff Stilinski looked to each of them. "That's why I need each and every one of you. I need people who are experienced in this kind of thing I need you to help me stop him."

'And by stop him, we're gonna trap him,' Nora signed. 'I won't harm a child.'

They made their way to the Argent penthouse so they could gather weapons. Once Allison had picked up a reasonable amount, she said, "This is everything non-lethal I could find."

"Take all of it," the sheriff ordered. "What's the plan here?"

Argent took a moment to think. "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."

"Should all five of us be going to the same place?"

Argent turned to his daughter. "Where else has Stiles been showing up?"

"School, the hospital."

Derek frowned. "Okay, hold on. We did this already. He disappeared. We started looking for him. Then walked right into a trap at the hospital. He's getting us to repeat the same moves."

Allison let out a sigh. "So, what do we do? Wait for him to come to us?"

Sheriff Stilinski met my eyes. "Scott's working on them, the Oni, right now, with Kira and your father."

Argent glanced to the others. "That's the problem. We're all trying to outfox the fox."

"Listen. I'll understand if anyone wants to back out."

Derek grabbed a weapon from the table. "I wouldn't be the first wolf to run from a fox."

Argent picked up a stun baton. "Apparently I'm carrying the lightsaber."

Allison said to her father, "Dad, you and Derek hit Eichen House. Sheriff, you, me and Nora will hit the hospital. We all meet in the school."

Allison, Sheriff and Nora, after getting her son, headed to the hospital and in the elevator, the sheriff turned to them and sighed. "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."

"I am failing Econ," Allison replied.

Sheriff Stilinski let out a soft sigh. "Isn't that Coach's class?" Allison nodded and he continued. "Well, I'll have a talk with him."

A breath escaped Allison's lips and Nora turned to her.

As though the sheriff sensed something was wrong, he stopped the elevator. Allison started tearing up. "I'm not... Fearless." She began sobbing. "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 how Nora is so brave. I don't know... I don't know anything."

She sniffled and the sheriff hugged her. "You know what's funny? You sound just like a cop."

Nora said nothing, but hugged Allison and Mateo put a hand on Allison's cheek and smiled.

Sheriff Stilinski's phone caught their attention and Allison asked, "What is it?"

His phone beeped and he looked at it. "Someone's breaking into my house. After Stiles started sleepwalking, I had some security precautions put in. Motion sensors. Cameras."

He clicked the camera and a room appeared. "Is that his room?" Allison asked.

Void was sitting on Stiles' bed looking directly into the camera and was waving.

Nora frowned, wondering what he was doing. Nothing good, she figured.

They made their way to Stiles' room as quickly as they could, and Argent looked at the sticky noted chess pieces. "What is all this? What are these sticky notes for?"

Sheriff gestured to the chessboard. "This is what Stiles used to try and explain to me about all of you."

"Cool. Maybe it's a message from Stiles. The real Stiles."

Derek noticed a particular chess piece. "You think there's any reason my name's on the king?"

Sheriff looked at the king Derek was holding. "Well, you're heavily guarded. Though, I guess the alarming detail is that you're one move from being in checkmate."

Nora studied the board and suddenly realized something. 'This isn't Stiles' doing. This is a threat from the Nogitsune.'

Allison nodded at what she was seeing. "She's right. He's at the loft. That's what he's trying to tell us. And he wants us to come there."

"Night's falling," Derek said.

Nora let out s sigh as she looked between everyone. 'Tell me if if I'm wrong, but this seems like a trap to me.'

Sheriff Stilinski glanced at her. "I don't think it is."

Argent turned to the sheriff. "I think your opinion might be slightly biased, Sheriff."

"Hear me out. What we're dealing with is basically someone who lacks motive. No rhyme, no reason, right?"

"And that means what?"

"It's a trickster," the sheriff answered. "The killing is just a by-product."

Derek thought for a moment. "If you're trying to say it won't kill us, I'm not feeling too confident about that."

"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 punch line."

Nora peeked outside. 'We don't have a lot of time. The sun is already setting. We need a plan. Now.'

They made our way to the loft and Nora, holding her son tightly, stood next to the sheriff. Void turned around and smiled sarcastically. "Hi, Dad."