029 — riddled

season three —
episode eighteen

─────────────────

A COUPLE DAYS later, Marlo and Derek are sleeping peacefully together in their shared bed when Marlo's phone starts vibrating from an incoming call.

She squints her eyes at the brightness of the phone and picks up the call, "Hello?" Marlo asks.

"Hey, sorry to wake you up, but I need your help, meet me at Scott's?" Isaac on the other line of the phone rushes out.

As soon as Marlo hears the urgency in Isaac's voice and the rustle of someone rushing around the room getting things together.

She gets up from her slumber and puts on her pants and a jacket knowing it's cold outside.

"Yeah sure, I'm on my way" Marlo says quickly as Isaac says a quick thank you before hanging up the phone call.

Marlo sighs and grabs her keys before going beside Derek's bedside and writing a note not wanting to wake the sleeping man up.

She kisses his forehead before she leaves the loft and gets into her car downstairs in the parking lot.

Driving towards the McCall's house where she's guessing Scott and Isaac are waiting for her.

She arrives at the house she quickly gets out locking her car in the process and rushing up to the front door.

Before she can knock Scott opens the door wide in panic, "What? What's going on?" Marlo wonders seeing the panic and scared look on Scott and Isaac's faces now.

"Somethings happened with Stiles" Scott answers looking at his best friend's older sister now.

"What?" Marlo asks worried now, "He called me before whispering and scared out of his mind, his hurt too" Scott says.

Marlo gasps and covers her mouth with her hand, "We have to find him" Marlo says tearfully worried for her brother's safety.

Isaac nods and comforts Marlo as she breathes deeply, they rush out from the house.

Scott's phone vibrates as his getting a phone call, "Hey, Stiles" Scott says answering the call as Marlo shakily breathes beside both Isaac and Scott.

"Did you call him? Did you call my dad?" Stiles's voice asks over the phone.

"No, just Isaac and Marlo, we're coming to find you, can you figure out where you are? Try to find something and tell us where to look" Scott asks terrified for his best friend.

"It's a basement, I think I'm in some kind of basement" Stiles answers, "In a house?" Scott asks.

"No, it looks bigger like, industrial, I think there's a furnace, but it's cold, it's freezing down here" Stiles says and Marlo can hear from the trembling in his voice how scared he is.

Stiles continues, "I gotta turn the, I gotta turn the phone off, Scott, it's going to die" Stiles says.

Scott looks at both Marlo and Isaac now scared.

"Wait, wait, wait, what else is there? What do you see?" Scott asks, "The phone's dying, I can't talk, I have to go, please" Stiles replies.

Marlo notices her brother whispering, she puts her phone out for Scott to pass her the phone.

"Stiles, why are you whispering?" Marlo asks getting the phone passed to her.

"Because I think there's someone in here with me" Stiles says hanging up the phone.

Marlo breathes out taking deep breathes petrified for her brother now.

Isaac notices Marlo holding her chest taking deep inhales and exhales and rushes over to help her breathe knowing the effects of a panic attack himself.

Scott does the same as well comforting the older woman, "We need to find and help him" Marlo rushes out, both teenagers nod their heads.

"Let's go to the house and see if we can find anything in his room" Marlo says getting up still having the keys to her childhood home knowing Noah and Stiles wouldn't mind if she stops by whenever.

Both teenagers follow the hybrid out the front door, Scott goes over to his motorbike.

Isaac gets in Marlo's passenger seat wanting to ride with her to the Stilinski household.

Marlo nods at Scott and gets into the drivers seat and turns the ignition on and begins driving as Scott follows closely behind her.

Marlo, Isaac and Scott rush upstairs to Stiles's bedroom to see both Lydia and Aiden already in the room.

"How did you know? Did he call you, too?" Scott asks out of breath from running up the stairs but also still scared for his best friend, "I heard it" Lydia answers.

Marlo cocks her head to the side and realises that Lydia's banshee abilities sensed her brother's disappearance.

"Don't ask, it gets more confusing when you ask" Aiden says looking at Scott and Isaac who have confused looks on their faces.

"Okay" Isaac whispers standing beside Marlo, "Not as confusing as this" Lydia says turning around showing the others the red string tied to a pair of scissors stabbed into the bed.

Marlo and Isaac share a look before looking at the others again, Marlo decides to speak up.

"He uses red for unsolved cases" Marlo explains as Lydia nods along with the older woman.

"Maybe he thinks he's part of an unsolved case?" Aiden wonders, "Or is the unsolved case?" Isaac says looking at all of them in the room.

"Hold on, is he still out there? You don't know where he is?" Lydia questions.

"He said that he was in an industrial basement somewhere" Scott answers.

"We came here to get a better scent" Isaac states, Lydia looks at Marlo seeing the fear in her eyes, "What else did he say?" Lydia asks.

"Something's wrong with his leg, it's bleeding" Scott answers, "And he's freezing" Isaac finishes.

"Tonight's the coldest night of the year, it's going to drop into the twenties" Aiden says showing he's also worried for the young Stilinski.

"What did his dad say?" Lydia asks looking at Scott, Isaac and Marlo.

Marlo inhales remembering she still needs to call her dad and tell him what's going on.

"We kind of, we didn't tell him yet" Scott says, "Stiles is bleeding and freezing and you didn't call his dad?" Lydia asks incredulously.

"He made me promise not to, he didn't even want Marlo knowing either—we can find him by scent, if he was sleepwalking, he couldn't have gotten far, right?" Scott wonders looking at Marlo beside him.

"You didn't notice his Jeep is gone, did you?" Aiden asks, Marlo then grabs her phone out of her back jean pocket.

"You promised you wouldn't call our dad, I didn't" Marlo states

"Wait, Marlo! Hold on I can get more help, I can call Derek, Allison" Scott begins.

"Everyone except for the cops—great idea" Lydia cuts Scott off before he continues listing names.

"You guys remember she only gets these feelings when someone's about to die, right?" Aiden asks.

Scott and Isaac both gulp hoping Stiles isn't going to die anytime soon.

They don't notice Marlo slipping away and calling Noah telling him she and the others will meet him at the sheriffs station because something is happening.

"You don't have to call his dad, it's five minutes to the station" Scott sighs turning around to leave the Stilinski household, Marlo steps back into her younger brother's room.

"Dad knows we're coming" Marlo says putting her phone back in her pocket.

Isaac and Scott nod, "We'll catch up" Lydia says stopping Aiden from leaving with the others.

"What? Why?" Scott asks confused, "There's something here" Lydia says looking around the room.

"Yeah, evidence of total insanity" Isaac says forgetting Stiles's older sister is standing behind him.

Scott looks around the room as well turning to his side when he hears a wince beside him.

Isaac holding his upper arm in pain and Marlo smirking playfully.

Isaac's mouth opens to say something but apologises noticing the subject he just said was upsetting.

"We can figure out what's wrong with him after we find a way to keep him from freezing to death" Scott says.

"Go, we'll be right behind you" Lydia says, Scott softly grabs Marlo's wrist and pulls her to the door to leave.

Marlo looks Scott now with a confused glance.

"Um, you don't need to drag me anywhere Scott" Marlo says, Scott lets Marlo's wrist go and apologies, he didn't realise he was protecting Marlo.

The woman smiles and taps his shoulder blade, "I'll call Derek, and explain things to him as well" Marlo says walking towards her car now as Isaac follows behind the woman.

"We'll see you at the station" Isaac says to Scott, who nods and revs his motorbike engine before taking off towards the sheriff station to tell Noah Stilinski about Stiles's disappearance.

─────────────────

MARLO AND ISAAC ARRIVE at the station, she notices the deputies and her dad running around like crazy.

She walks into the station and runs into Riley before anyone, who startles her, she gasps, "Shit, Marlo, sorry" Riley says softly.

Marlo nods, "That's okay Ri, you didn't mean it" Marlo says smiling at her former friend in front of her.

"We'll find him for you" Riley states walking off as his partner walks out of the station.

"Hey, Riles, be safe" Marlo calls out to the vampire who smiles and waves as a farewell.

Marlo rushes beside her father and gives him a hug which Noah returns almost straight away.

Looking at his daughter he nods and continues working leaning into his desk and taking in the news Scott broke to him five minutes before Marlo and Isaac's arrival.

"Come on, if his Jeep is gone, that's where we start" Stilinski explains looking at the teens and his daughter beside him, he turns to the deputy beside him.

"Parrish, let's get an APB out on a blue 1980 CJ-5 Jeep" Parrish nods writing down the words the sheriff just told him, Noah then turns towards the other deputy standing beside Parrish.

"Cordova, I want a list of any kind of industrial basement or sub-level of any building that he could've gotten into while sleepwalking. It's the coldest night of the year so far, so, if he's out there barefoot in just a t-shirt, he could already be hypothermic, let's move fast, let's think fast" Stilinski orders.

Cordova nods and rushes off to do what his boss assigned him to do, Marlo smiles at Jordan tapping the desk as a thank you.

The younger deputy nods and smiles softly at the brunette and continues working.

"The three of you, come with me" Noah says pointing at Marlo, Scott and Isaac who rush behind the sheriff into his office.

"Okay, is there anything you need to tell me that I can't tell anyone out there?" Noah asks.

"Lydia knew he was missing" Scott explains, "Can she help find him?" Noah asks.

"Well, she's working on it" Isaac states looking at the older man in front of them.

"Anything else?" Noah asks, "I called Allison and Marlo called Derek for help" Scott explains.

Marlo nods signifying Derek will do the best he can, "Can you find him by scent?" Noah asks looking at the werewolves and hybrid.

Marlo didn't even think of that, she sighs to herself, as a knock on the office door is heard, all four heads turn towards the doorway.

"We got it, sir, we found the Jeep" Parrish says peaking his head around the door, Isaac notices how Parrish is eyeing off Marlo.

Stilinski runs off towards his car and gets ready to head to the destination.

Marlo quickly jumps into the police car alongside her father nodding at him.

Noah exhales and turns the sirens on, screeching out of the parking lot.

─────────────────

THE OTHERS MEET NOAH and Marlo at the destination which is the hospital.

Sheriff Stilinski quickly rushes towards the jeep opening the door and trying to start the vehicle.

"It's dead, he must have left the lights on" Noah explains; "Why would he come here?" Scott curiously asks.

"Let's find out" Noah states closing the jeeps doors and rushing into the hospitals emergency room.

Marlo pulls Scott back, "Derek's here by the way" Marlo quickly says to the teenage alpha who nods and says thank you.

Noah rushes up to Melissa who is walking towards them, "Security's doing sweeps of every floor, nothing yet" Melissa states.

"What about the basement?" Noah asks knowing that's what the others explained to him.

"Follow me" Melissa says leading the sheriff and the other deputies to the basement floor.

Marlo, Scott, Isaac rush up towards the roof to meet Derek, who's looking around the roof to see if he can find anything on Stiles.

Marlo sees her boyfriend first and quickly rushes towards him wrapping her arms around him in a hug, which he returns.

"He's not here, not anymore" Derek states, "You mean, the whole building?" Scott wonders.

"Gone" Derek states still looking in the distance before looking at the Marlo sadly knowing this would be stressing her out, "I'll go tell Stilinski" Isaac says.

"And see if you can find Allison, she's not answering her phone" Scott responds.

Isaac nods running off saying a quick goodbye to Marlo also—who waves from beside Derek.

Scott walks over to where Derek and Marlo are standing, "Notice how strong the scent is up here? Ever hear of chemo-signals?" Derek asks as Scott looks at the male confused.

"Chemical signals that communicate emotion and just our sweat can give off anger, fear, or disgust, take a deep breath and tell me what you feel" Derek explains to the alpha beside him.

But also Marlo as well, "Stress" Scott answers, "And anxiety" Marlo states, "What was he doing up here?" Scott asks.

"I don't know, but there was definitely some kind of struggle" Marlo says quietly.

Derek looks at her impressed, "With who?" Scott asks.

"Himself" Derek states looking into the distance feeling his girlfriend beside him take a massive inhale and exhale.

They plan to do more research on how to find Stiles, Marlo and Derek set off to the high school together.

Isaac goes to find Allison and Scott decides to stay with Noah.

─────────────────

DEREK DRIVES MARLO and himself to the high school, Marlo decides to put some music softly on and starts humming calming herself down, "Sorry I didn't wake up baby" Derek says softly.

Marlo just looks at the handsome man beside her and grabs onto his free hand that's not steering the vehicle.

"Babe, I didn't wake you up because you looked so cute and snuggly" Marlo explains earning a eye roll off Derek.

"Don't be such a sour-wolf handsome" Marlo giggles, Derek smiles looking at his girlfriend beside him.

"We'll find him, darling, I promise" Derek whispers kissing her palm as she looks at the man beside her in pure love.

Marlo's phone goes off in her pocket, she looks at the text off her dad explaining Lydia could've found Stiles at Eichen House.

Marlo gasps as tears fill her eyes.

Derek looks at her now confused and worried noticing the tears, "Baby, you okay?" Derek asks.

"Yeah, Lydia might've found Stiles at Eichen house, but dad said don't stop looking as there might be more clues around town" Marlo says reading the text to Derek.

He nods as they pull into the schools parking lot, "Well, this is giving me some strong deja vu" Marlo mumbles playfully.

Meaning the time they trapped Cora and Boyd in the boiler room and they met Jennifer who ended up being a complete psychopath.

Derek chuckles as they exit the car together, "He hasn't been here recently, I can't catch his scent" Marlo states.

Derek nods as he can't either and Marlo would have a much stronger scent as well being a hybrid.

"Okay let's go back to the hospital and wait for news there?" Derek asks.

Marlo walks back towards his car, "Yeah, let's do that" Marlo answers smiling, adjusting her hair over her shoulder.

Derek can't help but look at his girlfriend's figure in lust and love, "Come on, Der-bear" Marlo says softly bringing up the nickname he secretly loves.

Derek gets back into the drivers seat to start the car but is interrupted as Marlo's hand meets his scruffy face and her lips smash against his.

Derek immediately kisses her back passionately, he grabs the back of her neck pulling her in more.

The kiss grows more intense and soft moans are heard in the car, Marlo gasps as a phone vibrates startling them both—cheeks laced with pink tones and puffy lips.

Marlo reads the text she just got sent and gasps in relief, Derek looks at the phone screen reading the text over.

"Stiles has been found, my mom and father found him in the coyote den, meet you at the hospital — Scott"

Derek smiles softly seeing his girlfriend's eyes fill for the second time tonight with tears only this time in joy.

She looks at her boyfriend who nods starting the engine and driving them both to the hospital to meet the others.

"His safe" Marlo softly whispers to herself, "His safe baby" Derek says as Marlo's breath grows happily and she cries out with relief.

Derek allows Marlo to run into the hospital to reunite with her brother, telling her he'll be in a minute.

Derek walks over to the jeep to jump start it and keep it running for a few minutes, it's the least he can do for Marlo and Stiles and Noah.

Aiden walks over to help the former alpha as well, "So, you think he was just sleepwalking, or is there something more to it?" Aiden asks Derek who's pulling the jumper cables off the vehicle.

"In this town, there's always something more" Derek replies not looking at Aiden.

"What if I told you I know something more?" Aiden asks as Derek raises his eyebrows significantly to continue.

Aiden just shrugs, "I kind of overheard, well I listened in on Stiles talking to Scott, how he thinks he was the one who wrote that message in the chemistry room, the message telling Barrow to kill Kira" Aiden says.

"You think Stiles—skinny, defenseless, Stiles, is the Nogitsune, a powerful dark spirit?" Derek asks.

He feels a hard smack on the back of his head, he turns his head noticing an annoyed and hurt Marlo beside him.

"Don't call my brother those things" Marlo growls, "I'm not the only one thinking it, I'm just the only one saying it" Aiden shrugs looking at Marlo in front of him now who's looking at the ground in thought.

"This thing wants to possess someone and chooses Stiles? Why wouldn't it take someone bigger? Stronger? Someone with a little more" Derek wonders curiously before realising.

"Power" Derek finishes before looking at the cables in his hands adjusting them and making them spark.

Marlo sighs, "Dammit, when is this shit going to be over" Marlo mutters before throwing her arms in the air and walking into the hospital again.

Annoyed at not only her boyfriend but all of this supernatural activity happening around them.

─────────────────

MARLO WALKS BESIDE her dad now after getting some updates, "He's sleeping now and he's just fine, he doesn't remember much, it's a bit like a dream to him" Noah explains to the others waiting for the news.

Noah looks at Agent McCall beside him, "Thank you" Noah says.

"It was that repellent we sprayed in the coyote den to keep other animals out, I couldn't go near it without my eyes watering, it's just a good thing he mentioned it over the phone" Rafael says.

"No, it was more than that, thank you" Noah says, "It was a lucky connection" Rafael says.

"Oh my god, accept the thank you and shut the hell up" Marlo grumbles earning a smile off her dad and soft smile of Rafael as well.

"Accepted" Rafael says shaking Noah and Marlo's hands, "All right, you two, you've got school in less than six hours, go home, go to sleep" Melissa says to Scott and Lydia beside her.

"Okay" Scott says hugging his mother, softly grabbing Lydia's hand noticing her gaze somewhere else, "I don't know what happened, I was so sure" Lydia begins to say.

"Yeah, I wasn't much help, either, doesn't matter, if he's okay" Scott softly responds to the strawberry blonde, noticing her looking at the hospital in confusion.

"Lydia, do you hear something?" Scott wonders, "No" Lydia responds as the clanking she heard stops in her head, "I didn't hear anything" Lydia finishes.

─────────────────

THE NEXT MORNING Scott messages Marlo who's at the hospital alongside her dad and Stiles.

Updating her that Deaton's still working on something to help Stiles and the others as well.

Scott however ignores Kira's calls behind him, also not noticing Derek talking to her.

"He's a little preoccupied, but I can help you" Derek says with his hands in his leather jacket.

"Why would you want to help me?" Kira asks anxiously noticing Marlo's not around anywhere.

"Because I want you to tell me everything that happened at the power station with William Barrow, actually, I want you to show me" Derek says looking at the nervous girl.

Kira accepts as Derek follows the teenager out of the school.

─────────────────

AT BEACONS MEMORIAL hospital, Melissa and Noah stand outside the room Stiles is currently asleep in with Marlo beside him in the chair.

"It was the other day, Marlo and I asked him some questions, just symptoms, and, um yeah" Melissa says sadly looking at her friend.

"It's okay, I think, I, uh, I think I know what you're talking about" Noah replies pulling out in his notepad from his jacket.

"I've been writing these down for the last two weeks" Noah says handing Melissa his notes which are the symptoms Melissa also labeled in his file.

"I think we need to do some tests" Noah says looking into the room where Stiles is asleep and Marlo sitting to the side watching him sadly.

─────────────────

KIRA LEADS DEREK INSIDE the power station where she was attacked by Barrow a week ago.

"It was around here, I think—but everything kind of looks the same now" Kira explains.

Derek looks around and notices a scrape like mark on the ground before them frowning his brows and walking towards it, "What is that? Is that a baseball bat?" Kira questions.

"It's Stiles's bat" Derek answers walking towards the bat stuck on the steel object and pulling on the bat and getting it off the steel object only to realise one thing.

"It's magnetised" Derek explains turning around and going to the start of the scrape again and putting the bat on the scraped ground.

Derek gets pulled along with the bat to the steel wall again sticking there due to the strong effect of the magnet.

He looks at the confused teenager behind him, "Kira, I'm going to need you to tell me everything you know about foxfire" Derek demands softly as Kira looks at him confused.

He nods towards the high voltage sign behind them, Kira looks at the sign behind her now before looking back at the older male.

─────────────────

STILES IS GETTING TESTS ran on him all afternoon, so Marlo sits beside him during half of the easy ones comforting her little brother.

Although they're now standing inside the room for Stiles to get a MRI.

The doctor looks at the paperwork confused before looking at Marlo and Noah standing beside one another.

"I'm not sure I know how to pronounce this or if it's not actually a misspelling" Dr Vandenberg says.

Noah looks at his daughter beside him, "Just call him Stiles" Marlo demands impatiently but politely to her work colleague.

Dr Vanderberg nods at the woman, before looking at Stiles now—who's sat on the bed with Scott beside him.

"Okay, Stiles, just to warn you, you're going to hear a lot of noise during the MRI, it's due to pulses of electricity going through metal coils inside the machine—uh, if you want, we can get you earplugs or headphones" Dr Vanderberg explains to the teenager.

"Oh, no, no, I don't need anything" Stiles says, Marlo notices Scott fidgeting and stands between him and Stiles now trying to comfort them both as much as she can.

"Hey, we're just on the other side of that window, okay?" Noah explains to Stiles, "Okay" Stiles mumbles.

Marlo goes to leave the room with her dad and Melissa but Stiles grabs onto her wrist and shakes his head not wanting her to leave just yet, she softly nods and walks and sits beside him now.

Scott cracks his knuckles and looks at the floor before him, Stiles notices the fear and worried look in her best friend's eyes.

"You know what they're looking for, right?" Stiles asks Scott who doesn't make eye contact or answer the question nervous for his best friend.

"It's called frontotemporal dementia, areas of your brain start to shrink, it's what our mother had, it's the only form of dementia that can hit teenagers, and there's no cure" Stiles says.

Scott closes his eyes and wipes the tears starting to form, Marlo looks at the two best friends sadly.

"Stiles, if you have it, we'll do something" Scott says looking at Marlo who nods tears falling down her cheeks, "I'll do something" Scott firmly states.

Stiles looks at him in question, Scott nods confirming that what he just said will happen.

Stiles looks at Marlo beside him, seeing her softly nodding.

Scott immediately wraps his arms around Stiles in a brother hug as Marlo tries not to sob.

She lets both of the boys have their moment before she hugs them both as well.

Stiles looks at his older sister and hugs her a bit more longer than he hugged Scott.

"I love you" Stiles mumbles, "I love you too, little man" Marlo sobs softly.

They exit the MRI room together, she looks at her dad and her mother figure in sadness.

Scott takes a step out of the room to wait in the waiting room for news.

Marlo nods at her dad and Melissa then points to where Scott went, "I'll go sit with him" Marlo says sadly.

Noah nods as does Melissa, Marlo exits the room and sitting beside someone who's a younger brother to her and hugging him.

"He'll be alright" Marlo says not wanting to accept what's happening around her.

Scott sobs in Marlo's arms, they don't realise Derek who just arrived with Kira outside walking up beside them.

Until Marlo catches his scent and exhales, Derek sits there in silence for five minutes letting the two calm down together.

Marlo wraps her arms around her boyfriend now—emotional because her brother's in pain and hurting.

Scott looks at Derek and Marlo across from him, "You know the stuff you were telling me about chemo-signals earlier? It reminded me of the time you were teaching me to use anger to control the shift" Scott says.

Derek softly smiles, "I think you ended up teaching me more about that" Derek says.

Scott smiles before looking back at Derek and the calmed down Marlo beside him.

"Are you teaching me again?" Scott asks smirking, "Think of it as sharing a few trade secrets" Derek says as Scott nods.

"You know, we took Cora back to South America, right? It's where she spent most of her time after the fire, but that's not the only reason I left—I needed to talk to my mother" Derek says, Marlo looks at her boyfriend above her.

Since she's lying in his lap sideways across the seats, Scott looks at the male now confused, "Your dead mother?" Scott asks.

Derek nods, "She told me something that changed my perspective on a lot of things, she said that my family didn't just live in Beacon Hills—they protected it, this town needs someone to protect it, someone like you" Derek says as he goes into detail about seeing his mother.

Marlo looks at the man now in adoration, "And someone like you to teach me a few trade secrets" Scott says smiling at Derek.

Who nods and smiles before looking down at his girlfriend in his lap who is looking at him with love in her eyes.

Scott looks around figuring out something as does Marlo as they've started realising what's going on.

"Oh my god" Marlo mumbles sitting up now, Scott looks at her, "What?" Derek asks confused.

Both Marlo and Scott stand up, "He was trying to protect us—Stiles was protecting us" Scott starts.

Derek looks at Marlo now realising what's going on as well.

"From himself" Derek says, Scott and Derek go up to the roof where the Stiles's was the other day.

Marlo rushes outside towards Kira as Derek told them she was waiting outside.

Kira smiles at the older woman before looking at her in horror seeing one of the cut power cords from the roof comes rushing towards the ground.

Marlo jumps from being hit as Kira helps her off the ground but they don't notice the cord coming closer and closer like it's drawn to Marlo and Kira, both for their supernatural abilities.

Marlo pushes the teenage girl away from the electricity cable only to be hit with it and left injured and electrocuted.

▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄
𝖊𝖑𝖘 𝖘𝖕𝖊𝖆𝖐𝖘 ⛧
it'll make sense
soon, *evil laugh*