Scott and Kira race on Scott's dirt bike toward Derek's loft, Selene chasing behind in her car.

~~~

The sheriff approaches Stiles and asks him to willingly put himself in handcuffs. Nogitsune/Stiles complies but then quickly breaks the cuffs.

Allison, Derek and Chris enter and take turns attacking Stiles. Allison hits him with a Taser which Stiles catches and holds as electricity courses through the line. Derek attacks but is easily tossed aside.

Argent pulls his automatic pistol and levels it at Stiles.

Nogitsune/Stiles feigns distress and begs his father to save him. Then turns to Argent and dares him to shoot him.

Both Allison and Stilinski implore Argent not to shoot. Stilinski pulls his gun and points it at Argent's head demanding that he lower his weapon.

The sun begins to set.

~~~

Scott is still en route with Kira, Selene still behind them, cursing slightly about the fact the sun is already setting.

~~~

Allison points out that this chaos is exactly what the Nogitsune wants but Stiles says it's not exactly what he wants because he'd hoped Scott and Selene would be there. Stiles says he is glad everyone has their guns out because he drew them to the loft not to kill him but to protect him. The Oni manifest and phase through the loft's large main window. Argent finds his gun won't fire, drops it and draws another but the gunfire has no effect on the demons.

~~~

Scott, Kira and Selene arrive to hear gunfire from the loft but when they make it upstairs the demons are gone as is Stiles.

At some point during the fight, the Oni managed to slice into Derek's shoulder and back.

"What happened?" Selene asks.

"They disappeared, they literally just vanished" Allison explains.

"As did Stiles" Chris adds.

~~~

Noshiko enters the basement at Eichen House and makes her way to the wall where the body of Corporal Rhys is entombed. Stiles appears behind her and asks why she carved the kanji for "Self" into the wall. She says to signify that Rhys died as himself and not as a monster.

It turns out that Noshiko called off the Oni at the loft. Stiles asks why and wants to know what happened to the woman who called out for chaos, strife, and pain to descend upon everyone and everything. Noshiko says she doesn't want that anymore. Stiles counters that he does and snatches away her dagger, her last tail, and cuts into his own stomach.

A swarm of flies comes boiling out, briefly surround Noshiko and then dissipate. Stiles is gone.

~~~

At the hospital, we hear buzzing and have a fly's-eye-view of Mellisa carrying a file down the hall. She places it in one of the holders attached to the wall and the fly lands on it. The file is Isaac's.

The fly takes to the air once more and goes into Isaac's room. His electrical burns have healed. The fly lands near the cannula and trocar needle that is delivering intravenous fluids into Isaac's arm. The bug crawls between the pieces of tape holding the gear in place and enters Isaac's body. His eyes fly open and flash golden yellow. (excuse my bad pun)

~~~

Scott has taken Kira back to his house because she doesn't want to face her parents after learning the truth about her mother. He says she can have the bed and he'll sleep in the chair but she wants him to lay with her. After stating it explicitly twice, Scott gets the message and the two lay side by side. They kiss and cuddle as a fly lands outside on the window.

~~~

Allison and her father return home and she asks him if he would really pull the trigger on Stiles. He says he's not sure and then she admits that she'd removed the firing pin from this weapon which is why the first one misfired. He says that's why the women in the family are the leaders.

~~~

Selene walks into her house and sighs. Thinking about what they should do now, what they can do, but nothing comes to mind. She absentmindedly touches her necklace before entering her room.

"Holy heavens! What the hell, Isaac?! You scared the crap out of me" Selene says and Isaac doesn't respond. He's acting distant and distracted. "Are you okay?" she asks while sitting down on her bed.

"All healed" Isaac states.

"That's not what I meant" Isaac leans forward but Selene stops him. He frowns "I thought-"

"Isaac, people tend to get hurt around me. I don't want that to happen to you"

"I don't care" He then leans in again and this time Selene doesn't stop him.

~~~

Peter questions why Derek is messing about with chess pieces and why the gash on his back isn't healing. Derek says "it's from one of their swords" meaning the Oni and says it will heal. He then explains that he wants to figure out what Stiles' chessboard meant. Peter says that the Nogitsune is playing a game without rules.

He goes on to explain that they're dealing with "the kind of spirit that's lived too long to play by human rules. It's a fox spirit that chose to become human and supposedly that's something they can do only after about a hundred years."

Peter describes the Kitsune as "an annoying pain in the ass" and says the Nogitsune, which is a dark Kitsune, is a frigging disaster. Just before he exits, he points out that Chess is Stiles' game – not the game of a Japanese fox.

A fly enters the loft, lands on Derek's wound and crawls inside him.

~~~

Danny and Ethan have been playing lacrosse at school. They enter the locker room discussing Ethan's prospects of joining the team "next spring" but Danny then questions if the other boy wants to make the team. Ethan halfheartedly says he does but then admits that maybe it's not working out for him and his brother in Beacon Hills.

As Ethan scoops up water to splash on his sweaty face, a fly lands in his cupped hands and is carried along with the water. Ethan's demeanour suddenly changes. He becomes bitter about his brother and then demands that Danny take a shower with him. Danny looks happy to comply.

~~~

Aiden is riding in Lydia's car. He's found a note that has Malia's name on it. Lydia is listening to her GPS voice guide her to take the next right and then the next right until Aiden realizes they're going in a circle. He points out that her GPS isn't actually turned on. Lydia panics and pulls over into a parking lot. Stiles is lying, seemingly unconscious, on the pavement in front of them.

They exit the car and as they approach Stiles, a fly lands on Aiden's ear and enters the canal just behind the tragus.

~~~

Selene awakes and Isaac is gone. She frowns and get out of bed.

"Cheryl!" Selene yells and then faceplams, remembering Cheryl en Reed are out. They're searching for... something. No one really knows what they're doing. Selene then hears her phone buzz and she sees the text from Scott.

We found Stiles, come to my place.

She texts Allison, asking if she could search for Isaac. Allison agrees and Selene thanks her, then getting ready to leave the house.

~~~

Aiden and Scott carry and unconscious Stiles into the McCall living room and place him on the couch. Deaton, Melissa and Lydia follow behind.

Melissa implores them to take Stiles to the hospital but Scott reminds her of the last time he was in the hospital. Deaton checks his wound and says he seems to be healing the way the werewolves do.

~~~

Melissa calls the Sheriff to tell him what's happened but her ex-husband declines the call before the Sheriff can answer. Agent McCall says the Sheriff has to go to a preliminary hearing to determine if he keeps his job. Stilinski grabs his gun and badge, taking them with him "in case I'm turning them in."

~~~

Aiden wants to kill Stiles. Barring that, he suggests they tie him down with really big chains. Deaton says he has something more effective. He produces a brown bottle of liquid from his doctor's bag. As Scott and Aiden hold Stiles' mouth open, Deaton places a few drops of the liquid on the tongue. Stiles awakes with a start and grabs Aiden around the throat. Slowly his grip loosens and he realizes that Deaton has slipped him paralyzing Kanima venom.

Aiden is pissed. He growls at Stiles but the Nogitsune just issues a veiled threat about how twins get a feeling when one of them is in pain and says he hopes the twins "didn't lose that talent too." He then tells him that Ethan is at the school implying but not saying outright that he is in danger. Scott tells Aiden to go.

Stiles then says he likes the twins because of their short tempers and homicidal tendencies. He says they are a lot more fun that Scott, who he calls a "bakemono, trying to save the world" all the time. Melissa asks if Deaton brought something to paralyze his mouth too. The doctor places black gaffers tape over Stiles mouth.

(As with all things within Japanese folklore, bakemono means a bunch of different things. Here though it is used as a catchall term for a shapeshifter that takes on a scary form such as a giant monk or a faceless being known as a Noppera-bō. It's clear the Nogitsune meant this as an insult but without a greater understanding of the underlying myth – it is unclear why it is insulting.)

~~~

At the preliminary hearing, the leader on a panel of three says they want to discuss the Sheriff's successes and failures.

~~~

Deaton says Stiles might be paralyzed but that it feels like he still has them right where he wants them.

"That's cause we are in the palmof his hands Doc" Selene says suddenly being in the house.

"When did you get a key?" Scott asks.

"Okay, 1) We got bigger problems, 2) You're mom gave it to me" Selene explains.

"What are we gonna do?" Lydia asks.

~~~

Chris opens the door and Derek is outside waiting for him. He claims he needs to show Argent something and walks into the apartment.

Derek throws down Talia's claws onto Argent's desk. He says it's all that left of his mother after "your psychotic sister burned her and the rest of my family alive." He then moves to attack Argent.

~~~

At the McCall's, Melissa is tending to Stiles' wound. His mouth is still taped but he looks sad and a single tear rolls down his face. She removes the tape and the Nogitsune shakes his head at her saying that all it took was a single tear. He says she can't crumble that easily or "how you gonna hold up when Scott knows the truth."

He goes on, in a truly cryptic manner, to suggest that whatever went down with Scott's father resulted in Melissa calling the sheriff and Stiles overhearing what happened. He never told Scott because he knew that Scott would never forgive his mother and how much he would hate his mother. Melissa returns the tape to Stiles mouth.

~~~

The chairman of the panel at the preliminary hearing addresses the Sheriff as "mister" Stilinski. He points out that he hasn't yet been relieved of his title. He goes on to basically say that he's got better things to do than waste his time in their little hearing. Agent McCall then steps forward and says he wants to make a statement.

~~~

"We need help" Lydia then says.

"I hope you don't mean what I think you mean" Selene replies.

"He can help"

"We've had this conversation. He doesn't help, he manipulates"

"We need him"

"I will never in my life admit I need that a-hole"

"Selene..."

"No, he almost killed you. My answer is and will remain no"

~~~

The doorbell goes and Selene opens, Peter standing in front of her.

"Wel, you don't look happy" Peter points out. Selene forces a samile, obviously fake. Peter walks in and walks over to Stiles.

"Why is he hear again?" Selene asks after Peter made his third circle around the couch Stiles is sitting on.

"Maybe to point out to you that this is a war of the mind, not the body"

"I'm not sticking my claws into his neck"

"Then what do you suggest we do"

"Fine! I'll stick my claws into the back off his head"

~~~

Danny is dressed and leaving Ethan at the door to the locker room, he asks if can tell coach that Ethan is trying out for the lacrosse team. Ethan says he'll think about it but Danny says that sounds like a "yes" to him.

(This is the first mention of Coach since his "arrow to the gut" injury in Riddled. We choose to discern from Danny's off the cuff reference and his overall demeanor that Coach is still with us and will be coaching again in future)

Aiden is waiting in the shadows outside the locker room. They get into a fight about the fact that Scott doesn't trust them. Ethan says he'll probably cut them loose or put them down. He goes on to say that he'd probably be in the pack already if it wasn't for Aiden's violent tendencies. Just as they are coming to blows, Isaac shows up and shoots them with a super taser dart fired from a shot gun that he stole from Selene. For some reason she has a lot of weapons in the house with the excuse to always beprepared and to know your enemies.

Isaac points out that he should say something witty then decides he's not witty and just punches the twins with a the butt of the shotgun.

~~~

Peter and Lydia have struck a deal of some sort. Lydia agrees to his terms if Peter will help Selene and Scott enter Stiles mind.

"...So, do we have a plan?" Deaton asks

"Selene is going to try and dig through pale and sickly Evil-Stiles' mind to unearth pale and sickly Real-Stiles... Then, guide him back from the depths of his own subconscious. But, she's not going to do it alone" Peter explain.

"What do you mean?" Scott asks.

"Somebody needs to go in with her" Peter explains and everyone looks at Scott.

~~~

Isaac mumbles to himself about revenge for everyone as he searches through Coach's office for a lighter. He's prepared a Molotov cocktail and lights the end of a handkerchief and takes the liquor-filled bottle out to the hall. He is surprised when the flaming cloth is ripped away by a katana. Kira is waiting in the hall with sword drawn.

He drops the bottle and begins advancing on Kira. Allison attacks from behind and hits him in the head with her crossbow. She calls his name but he completely wolfs out. The twins, now recovered, rise and attack Isaac while Kira and Allison lock themselves in Coach's office.

~~~

Selene has her claws out, five of them ready to piarce in Stiles' neck and w-five ready for Scott's neck.

"What if this is just another trick?" Scott then asks.

"When are you people going to start trusting me?" Peter asks"...I meant him." Scott explains. "Oh." Peter sighs.

"And never" Selene answers Peter's question. "Scott, we're running out of time..." Deaton points out. Selene and Scott make eye contact and then Scott nods.

~~~

At Argent's apartment, Derek has him tied to a chair and douses him with lighter fluid. He says that he'll burn his family just like the Argent's burned the Hales. He plans to wait for Allison before lighting him up.

~~~

Whatever Agent McCall said in the hearing, it saved Sheriff Stilinski's job. McCall admits that Beacon Hills is the "Bermuda Triangle" of "homicides, disappearances and strange occurrences" but that the real reason he came back wasn't to get Stilinski fired – it was so he could stay and talk to Scott. The Sheriff says McCall can't wait any longer and that he should grab Scott the first chance he gets and just tell him everything.

~~~

Selene and Scott arrive in Stiles' mind and find themselves strapped into beds with a modified "five point restraint" in a room that looks like Eichen House.

Selene pops out her claws and starts to escape her bindings. Scott does the same.

"What now?"

"I don't know. It's my first time in someone else's head" Selene explains and then sighs. "Just stay together, alright?" Scott nods and walks out of the room. They try to exit the room together but are separated when the door slams shut.

~~~

Selene turns around and finds herself at the warehouse of her nightmares. Turning around she sees her dad.

"Dad?" she chokes out and embraces her father.

"I missed you, mea illa-lupus (my she-wolf)"

"What are we doing here?"

"Training of course" He hands her a sword, having the sword she ussually usses in her hand. Selene looks at the sword in her hands and frowns. "Don't think about it too much" Selene nods and gets in a fighting position.

~~~

Scott is suddenly in the closet at Allison's apartment. They're hiding from Allison's dad and she tells him he has to stay quiet. They make out. He begins to realize that something is wrong.

~~~

In the real world, Selene's nose begins to bleed.

"She's bleeding. Why is she bleeding?" Lydia and Melissa ask at the same moment. Peter walks in front of her.

"Selene can you hear me?" he asks. "Selene, you are stronger than this! Okay? You need to concentrate! Selene!" He takes a deep breath. "SEEEELLLEEEENE!"

~~~

"SEEEELLLEEEENE!" Selene drops her sword and covers her ears. She looks up at her 'father', her expression furious.

"You're dead!" She yells at him. She turns around and runs towards the massive doors which she escaped trough all those years ago.

~~~

Scott also hears Peter. They both push through doors into the "white room purgatory" Scott, Stiles and Allison saw during the surrogate sacrifice.

They meet up and see Stiles and the Nogitsune sitting on the stump playing Go.

~~~

Allison and Kira prepare to face the twins and Isaac. Kira manages to slash Ethan. Allison loses the upper hand with Isaac when she has trouble reloading her crossbow. She kicks him out of the way but then Aiden attacks. Kira tosses her the katana and the girls stand back to back prepared to take on all three werewolves.

~~~

Derek is rambling about how many werewolves Chris must have killed. Chris is calm and explains that he's been trained since he was a child and the first thing they do to train their kids is to tie them to a chair. He flips over backwards, breaking the chair and freeing himself. He grabs a weapon from under the desk and draws on Derek, placing the weapon right under his chin.

~~~

No matter how far Scott and Selene run they never get any closer to Stiles.

"Stiles is part of our pack..." Selene mumbles to herself, only just realising it herself.

"What? What do you mean?" Scott asks. "He's human... But he's still part of the pack, right?""Yeah. Yeah, of course!""So, how do wolves signal their location to the rest of the pack?""They howl." Scott says and they half transform. Then they roar. Stiles hears them and upends the game sending the Nogitsune into a rage.

This has the effect of releasing all his "puppets." Ethan, Aiden, Isaac and Derek collapse simultaneously each has a black viscous liquid pouring from their mouth and nose.

Selene and Scott snap back to reality.