Quote: "This trickster demonstrated a hallmark behavior of a smart psychopath: quick recovery once caught in a lie, so as to offer another that seemed more sincere."
-Katherine Ramsland
Published: May 20, 2019
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Chapter 22: "De-Void"
Stilinski walks into the loft as Derek, Allison, Chris, and I stayed hidden on the other side of the loft door.
"Hi, dad." The sound of handcuffs is brought to my ears. "You want to handcuff me?"
I smirk as I realize that none of them know what they're getting themselves into.
"If my son is still here, if there's still a part of him standing here in front of me, then he'll put these on willingly and he'll come with me, because he knows I'm here to protect him from himself and from others." I hear the handcuffs being clipped into place on Void. "You're not my son."
The handcuffs break and clatter to the floor as Derek, Allison, and Chris walk into the loft and I slowly trail behind them.
I stop the closest to Void and I watch in amusement as Allison shoots a taser gun at him and he easily grabs onto the wires. The electricity coursing through them as it doesn't even affect him and he whips the device from her hands, making it clatter to the floor.
Derek roars, shifting as he tries to attack next, but void easily grabs onto his arm and slams him down onto a table before throwing him into a pillar.
The click of a gun goes off and I look to see Chris holding said gun towards Void. Void looks from the gun to Chris as he eyes the situation in interest.
"Argent, listen to me. Don't do this." Stilinski tells him as he plays right into mine and Void's plan causing strife.
"Why not?" Chris asks not even lowering the gun. "I've done it before. Werewolves, Berserkers. I can easily add a Nogitsune to the list."
Stilinski then pulls out his own gun aiming it right at Chris. Void and I watch in delight and amusement.
"You're not gonna shoot my son."
"You said it yourself, Sheriff. That's not your son."
Stilinski orders Chris to put the gun down, but Chris doesn't move an inch.
"Dad, he's going to shoot me." Void says as he adds himself into his game. "He's going to kill me dad."
"Don't listen." Chris tells Stilinski.
"Put it down." Stilinski orders again.
I keep a straight face before adding myself to the chaos. I step right in front of Void making the gun aim right at me instead.
"You want to shoot him, you're just gonna have to shoot me first." I add in my own acting as I make my eyes well up with tears.
"Put it down. Now! Do it." Stilinski continues to shout. "Put it down!"
"Pull the trigger. Come on." Void taunts Chris to shoot both of us and I can feel his breath on my neck, sending shivers down my spine.
"Listen to me, you put that gun down now!"
"Shoot me."
Stilinski continues to order Chris to put the gun down as Void yells and taunts Chris to shoot him.
Night then falls as Allison figures it out.
"Stop, stop it! This is what he wants. This is exactly what he wants."
"Not exactly." Void tells Allison. "I was kind of hoping Scott would be here. But I'm glad you all have your guns out. Because you're not here to kill me." He turns to the large window as four Oni materialize into the loft. "You're here to protect me."
Void grabs onto my wrist as he drags himself and I behind Stilinski and Chris.
I look to Void and he sends me a small nod as we silently communicate. I then flick my wrists upward as my dark magic is able to work on the Oni and I send them back receiving us a little extra time. The other four in the room notice the discoloration in my magic as they turn to me.
"Zoey?" Allison is the first to ask in confusion.
A grin rises up on my face. "Not anymore sweetheart. Not since Eichen House."
"She's given into the dark magic." Chris informs after figuring it out.
The shock on their faces quicky disappear as the Oni advances towards them. As Chris and Stilinski fight on one side of us, Allison and Derek fight on the other side. With their backs facing us it gives Void and I enough time to easily make our escape.
>>> >>> >>>
"Why that kanji?" Void asks as him and I round a corner in the Eichen House basement. "Why self?"
Noshiko Yukimura is crouched down on the ground right at the base of the whole in the wall where the Nogitsune's last hosts body lays.
"To signify that he died as himself. Because Rhys wasn't a monster." Noshiko stands to face us, wielding her last tails. "Not like you... or the dark witch by your side."
"Don't worry about that. I haven't done anything monstrous," I speak with my head held high as a sinister smile grows onto my face. "Not yet anyways."
"If we're such a monster, why'd you call off the Oni?" Void asks as we step closer to her. "What happened to the woman who called out for chaos, strife, and pain to descend upon everyone and everything? What happened?"
"I don't want that anymore."
"I do." Void replies as he quickly grabs onto her wrist. "Did you bring this here thinking you could hide it from me?" He grabs the dagger from her hand. "Bad idea." With the dagger in hand he uses it to slice open his own stomach.
I just stand there watching in confusion, yet intrigued by his action.
"What have you done?" Noshiko asks in shock.
The dagger falls from his hands and lands on the ground with a clatter. Before I can do anything he stumbles back and falls to his knees.
"Chaos is come again." Flies pour out of the open wound and buzz around Noshiko. As she's distracted Void and I disappear out of sight.
>>> >>> >>>
A groan escapes passed my lips as I lay with the hard ground beneath me. I slowly sit up as my body tries to register where I'm at. One minute I was with Void and the next all I see is black. As I stand and walk out of the bushes surrounding me, I find myself in an empty parking lot.
I wipe the dirt off of me that littered my clothes as best I could and I stumble into the middle of the the parking lot. The pain radiating throughout my body disappears as I heal. I abruptly stop as I see a small pool of blood by my feet. I crouch down to look at it closer and I hover my hand over it letting the black magic float out of my palm.
"Hm, Void." I sense him and easily find his location as my magic fades away. I quickly stand fully to my feet and make my way to the McCall house.
>>> >>> >>>
As I walk up the porch steps, I place my hand on the door and can hear the voices inside. Void is here and so is the rest of the pack. I put on an innocent face and enter into the house.
"Scott? Scott!" I call out making it inside the living room to see Void paralyzed on the couch with duct tape over his mouth and goody two shoe Zoey's mom cleaning the wound on his stomach.
"Zoey." Scott's voice rings through my ears.
I turn my head as I see Lydia, Deaton, and Scott walk out of the kitchen and to my line of vision.
"Wait! It's me." I quickly lie, holding my hands up before Scott can advance towards me. "Scott you know me. Whatever Allison told you, I was able to get back into control."
I feel eyes on me as I look at Deaton who's standing right next to Scott. I follow his eyes to my left wrist where my Vegvisir Compass mark is, except instead it's faded in different spots making it look like blotches on my arm.
Without thinking I quickly flick my wrists out in the intention of throwing everyone back and escaping with Void. But my arms are suddenly restricted by Scott and Lydia as large, thick cuffs are placed around my wrists.
A small pain spreads through my arms and I gasp at the sudden feeling. My legs feel like a weight was added to them and my blood feels heavy under my own skin as I fall back from the sensation of it, landing on the couch right next to Void.
"Wh - what the hell are these?" I ask as my chest feels like it's tightening up.
"Iron cuffs. They're like a weight to make sure you don't go anywhere." Deaton simply answers. "And they're also marked with an anti-magic symbol."
I look down at the symbols on both cuffs to see a star carved in a circle, but the points are outside of the circle and an x is crossed out over it.
As I try to use my magic small flickers of black come from the center of my palms, but nothing else happens.
"Your magic isn't going to work with those on, sweetheart." Lydia says as she tries to keep a brave face up.
"And what's your guys' plan going to be now?" I ask with a smirk as I think of a way to break free and escape with Void.
Scott eyes me as he takes a step forward.
"Now it's time to get my best friend and sister back."
>>> >>> >>>
I watch as Melissa bandages Void's wound on his stomach and I catch her sending glances my way.
"Hasn't anyone told you that it's impolite to stare, Melissa?" I watch as she flinches when I call her by her name. "Oh, you definitely didn't like."
I look over at Void when I hear a sniffle come from him and Melissa stops what she's doing to look at him.
"Stiles?" Void nods his head and the tape is removed from his mouth.
A tear slides from his eye as he stops crying. "Really, Melissa? I shed one tear? That's all it takes? Come on now, you can't crumble that easily." I let out a small laughter at his trick. "How are you going to hold up when Scott knows the truth? Or when Zoey knows, if you ever get your daughter back."
"What?"
"Well this should be interesting." I say with a smirk as I put my full attention to Void.
"When they find out why their dad really left? You know he overheard it, right? You had no idea." He says from the look on Melissa's face. "You called Stilinski right after it happened. You didn't tell Scott and Zoey, but you told the Sheriff. Hmm. But Stiles heard it like he hears everything. But you wanna know why he never told Scott.. or Zoey? Because he knew that they would never forgive you. He knew how much they would hate you."
"This isn't you, Stiles." Is all Melissa could say.
"It is now."
I watch as Melissa puts the tape right back over Void's mouth.
>>> >>> >>>
Less than half an hour goes by and I hear the doorbell ring.
"Ooh. Sounds like someone else came to join the party." I smirk and honestly wonder why they haven't duck taped me yet, but I'm not complaining.
Void and I hear footsteps behind the couch until the person comes into our view. "He doesn't look like he would survive a slap across the face, much less the bite of a werewolf." My amused expression never changes as I look up at Peter Hale.
"You don't think it would work?" Scott asks as Peter crouches in front of Void.
"This is more a war of the mind than the body." Peter stands up straight with Scott right next to him. "There are better methods to winning this battle."
Deaton steps closer. "What kind of methods?"
Peter takes Scott's wrist in his hand and makes his claws flick out. Void and I look intrigued.
"We're going to get into his head."
>>> >>> >>>
"So, do we have a plan?" Deaton asks as Lydia and Peter walk back into the living room.
"Scott is going to try and dig through pale and sickly evil Stiles' mind to unearth pale and sickly real Stiles. Then guide him back to the depths of his own subconscious. But he's not going to do it alone." Peter explains.
"What do you mean?" Scott asks.
"Somebody needs to go in with you." I feel eyes staring at the back of my head.
I smirk as I look at everyone staring down at me. "Hm. This should be fun."
I watch as Scott walks behind the couch and out of my sight. Within a few seconds his claws are placed on the back of mine and Void's neck.
"So what do we do if we find him?" Scott asks.
"You mean what do you do if you find him? I'm not helping."
"You won't have much of a choice, little witch." Peter says.
What the hell is that supposed to mean?
"You're going to have to guide him out somehow." Peter answers Scott's last question. "Try to give him back control of his mind and his body."
"Could you elaborate on the somehow?" Lydia asks. "It's not feeling very specific at the moment."
"Improvise."
"What if this is just another trick?" Scott asks.
"When are you people going to start trusting me?"
I laugh at Peter's question as I nod my head over to Void. "I'm pretty sure he meant him."
"Oh."
"Scott." Deaton says getting his attention. "We're running out of time."
Within a few moments I gasp at the sudden feel of his claws in my neck and everything goes black around me.
>>> >>> >>>
I open my eyes and my vision clears as I stare straight up at the ceiling. I feel a weight on my chest to see that I'm strapped down to a bed in Eichen house. I hear a sound from my left to see someone else strapped down as well.
"Scott?" I ask confused and he looks in my direction. "What happened? What are you doing here?"
"Zoey? Is that really you?" He questions.
"Of course it's me dumbass, who else would it be?"
"Prove it. Use your magic."
"My magic? What does..."
"Will you just do it."
I roll my eyes and twist my arm as best I could with it strapped down so my palm is faced up. A green glow emits from my hand before disappearing.
"Now do you want to tell me what is going on? The last thing I remember is being down in Eichen House's base-"
I cut myself off as I remember being strapped down to a chair and Stiles staring down at me with an evil glint in his eyes.
"No. No, no, the Nogit-"
"That's why we're here." Scott stops me. "We're gonna get Stiles back."
Scott starts to struggle with the restraints again as I will the tears away with a look of determination on my face.
"Do you actually need me to remind you that you're a werewolf?" I ask Scott as he stops struggling with the bonds to look at me.
"We're in Stiles' head."
"Yet, I have magic that you just saw me use not even a minute ago and you're a supernatural creature with supernatural strength. So quit complaining and break free."
As Scott breaks free from his restraints I twist my arms a little to grab onto the restraints around my wrists and I use my magic to melt the bonds.
"What now?" Scott asks as we both stand from the beds.
I look at him with a dumbfounded look. "How the hell am I supposed to know. This is my first time in someone else's head."
Scott tells me to stay behind him and he opens the only door in the room. He looks back at me and starts to walk again, but before I can follow him the door slams shut.
"Scott! Scott!" I repeatedly slam on the door with the palm of my hand.
I slowly turn away from the door to see the whole room disappeared and I'm now standing in a long hallway. I turn back to the door to just see it gone as well and a dead end in my way.
I just turn back around and start walking down the long white hallway. It feels like forever until I make it to the end. I look to my left and then to my right to see a door on each side of me.
Following my instincts I open the door to my left and everything goes white before it clears up and I find myself right in the middle of one of the hospital's hallways.
I flinch when I hear a loud scratching sound and I look behind me to see the Nogitsune down at the end of the hall. My heart speeds up as he scratches a nail along the wall and he walks towards me.
The Nogitsune makes a loud sound as I quickly walk backwards away from it terrified.
"Zoey!"
I can hear the echo of my name and I quickly turn around to run down the hall. I make it to the door that leads to the roof and I bust right through it.
My eyes sting a little from the sudden brightness and when it clears I see that I'm in a big white room.
I look around the room and I see Scott come right to me. I turn back around as Scott comes up beside me and he looks at what I'm seeing. I look at the Nogitsune and then at Stiles to see them both playing a game called Go right on the Nemeton.
Scott and I start to run towards them, but we don't even end up getting any closer and we stop in our tracks.
"Stiles!"
"Stiles! Stiles, over here!"
Scott and I both call out to him, but it's like he doesn't even hear us.
We both try running towards him again and after a couple minutes we stop again as we realize that we still are not getting any closer.
"Stiles is part of our pack." I state as Scott and I pant for air.
"What? What do you mean?" Scott looks at me.
"He's human. But... he's still apart of the pack, right?"
"Yeah." Scott answers as we both stand up straight from our hunched over positions. "Yeah, of course."
"So how do wolves signal their location to the rest of the pack?" I ask with a smile.
Scott shifts as he looks up from the ground and I notice the Nogitsune watching the both of us. "They howl." He loudly howls and I watch with a smile when I see Stiles look over to the both of us.
Stiles glances back at the Nogitsune for a split second and he then swipes the game pieces off of the board. The Nogitsune roars back in anger.
>>> >>> >>>
My eyes snap open and I gasp at the feeling. My body feels like its weighed down and I slightly groan in pain as I look down at my left arm to see my Vegvisir mark reappear to normal.
"Did it work?" I can barely hear Scott ask as I slip off the couch.
"Ugh, someone get these damn things off me." I say motioning to the thick metal cuffs around my wrists. Once they're off I feel relief flood throughout my body.
"Zoey?" I look up to see my mother looking down at me.
"Mom." I smile as she helps me up on shakey legs and pulls me into a hug. I pull away from the hug to look back at Stiles still on the couch. "What happened? Why didn't it work?" I rub the back if my neck as the claw marks heal.
"What name?" I hear Scott ask as Peter pulls Lydia away. "What are you talking about?"
I ignore his questions as I still stare back at Stiles' still body.
Out of nowhere, Stiles shoots up, ripping the tape off his mouth and starts pulling bandages from his mouth. I watch in horror and disgust along with worry as he falls onto the floor. He vomits up a whole pile of bandages that seemed to keep going on for a long time.
As the last of the bandages leaves his mouth he gasps for breath. We all watch as black smoke comes from the pile of bandages and a hand emerges from it. Soon enough the Nogitsune crawls out of the pile and he advances towards us out of nowhere.
Peter and Scott quickly tackle it and hold it down on the couch.
"Hold him." Peter says.
"I'm trying." Scott replies as they try to keep him down.
I step closer and watch as it keeps trying to grab at the bandages on its face. "Wait, wait, stop." I tell them as they slightly loosen their hold.
I walk between them and unravel the bandage a little and pull it off of the face to reveal Stiles underneath.
"Zoey, Scott?" Stiles looks over at the both of us and tears are brought to my eyes.
"Guys." Deaton calls to us.
We turn to look at him and he points out that the other Stiles, which is the Nogitsune, is gone.
The front door is wide open and I look around to notice someone else gone as well.
"Where are they?" I ask and I quickly run out the open door looking around my surroundings.
"Lydia!"