Battle Scars ❦ TW/TO

❦THE DEPARTED

WHICH Stiles was the real one?

It was the question on everybody's mind. And even though Hope was almost positive that the Stiles in front of her was the real one, nobody wanted to take any chances. They were done being tricked by the fox. On the plus side, however, the Stiles that was  in front of them seemed to comply with anything that he was asked to do. Even if it wasn't the real him, the obedience was a refreshing change.

As Melissa finished a medical examination of Stiles, Mrs. Yukimura arrived in Scott's living room. It was a big risk of Stiles asking her to come because if he was somehow still possessed by the Nogitsune, her Oni would kill him without a second of hesitation.

The Oni arrived a few moments after she and Stiles moved toward them, his hands shaking in anticipation. Maybe this would be it, his last moments of life. The shadowed creatures moved toward him, their cloaked hands reaching out and wrapping around Stiles's face. After a moment, however, the Oni were gone and Stiles collapsed onto the floor with an echoing thud.

"Check behind his ear." Mrs. Yukimura ordered and Scott rushed to his best friend's side, pushing back his hair to reveal the five inked into his skin.

It was a sure relief that Stiles was himself again, but now they needed to find Lydia--and the Nogitsune that had taken her with him.

MAYBE it didn't matter that they were facing an evil double of Stiles possessed by a dark fox because when morning came around, Hope was still required to attend school. Truthfully, she didn't really mind though. High school was just about as interesting as her everyday life--and that was saying a lot.

She had math first which had quickly become one of her favorite classes. While she never could quite remember the facts of chemistry or history, the equations, and problems in math always seemed to prove as a challenge to her--and she loved a good challenge.

Her next class was Coach Finstock's class with Kira, and although Scott and Stiles were usually in attendance of the class, Hope told Coach that they had both come down with the same stomach bug that was terribly contagious.

Before class began, Kira told Hope about how her mother was teaching her about the game of Go that Stiles and the Nogitsune had been playing when Scott and Lydia had gone inside his head. It was a game of strategy in which the player and his opponent would try to obtain more territory without being surrounded by the other player.

It was the game the Nogitsune was playing and they had to beat it.

Their conversation was interrupted however by Danny who informed Coach that their class had a visitor in the back of the room. All heads turned to see a girl at the farthest desk back with her head down as she muttered incoherent words to herself.

Hope had never met her, but it wasn't very hard to tell that the girl in the back of the classroom was Meredith-- the girl from Eichen House that Stiles and Scott were searching for. Hope's eyes met Kira's and she could tell that the two girls were thinking the same thing. "I'll call Scott." The hybrid said and Kira nodded with worried eyes.

Scott picked up after the second ring.

"Hey, what's up?"

"Meredith is here. In coach's class. And you should probably come quickly."

He promised that he would be there soon and Hope hung up in time to hear coach asking Meredith what "nuthouse" she escaped from. She replied with Eichen House and the students in the room either moved away from her, whispering to each other.

"Want to tell me what you're doing so far from there?" Coach asked slowly.

"Trying to help," Meredith said slowly. "I can hear them screaming."