Chapter 4: The Strategic Mind
The partnership between Stiles and me was, for lack of a better term, beautiful chaos. He was the paranoid genius with the red string and a corkboard, and I was the walking, talking cheat sheet. My meta-knowledge, combined with his relentless research, was a force to be reckoned with. We spent the next few nights in my new room, poring over books, laptops, and the internet.
"Okay, so we know it's Jackson," Stiles said, a frantic energy fueling his typing. "But why? Why him? Why a Kanima? It's not a werewolf, it's not a Kitsune, it's not a... whatever you said about a talking raccoon."
"It's a whole thing," I said, leaning back in my chair. "It's a creature that reflects its host's personality. Jackson is insecure, he's a control freak, and he's desperate to be a hero. He's the perfect host for a creature that needs a master."
Stiles's eyes widened. "A master? Like, someone tells it what to do?"
"Exactly," I said, "and that person is probably the dude who bit him. But the real question is, who is that person? And why is the Kanima a Kanima and not a werewolf?"
"I don't know!" he yelled, throwing his hands up in a classic Stiles gesture of exasperation. "The internet is a black hole of useless information and fan theories about Taylor Swift being a vampire."
I laughed, a genuine, hearty laugh. "See? This is why we're a team. You're the human Google, and I'm the guy who knows what to search for. Now, let's focus. The Kanima is a weapon. A masterless weapon is dangerous. A weapon with a master is a nightmare."
[ MISSION UPDATE: DEMONSTRATE TRUSTWORTHINESS. ACQUIRE 'TRUST' AND 'FOCUS' PHEROMONES. ]
The System, in its quiet, unassuming way, gave me my marching orders. The more I worked with Stiles, the more I demonstrated my reliability and knowledge, the closer I got to unlocking my next abilities. I could feel his trust in me growing, a subtle shift in his demeanor. He wasn't just my friend's friend anymore; he was my partner.
Our work was interrupted by a new, more intense threat. Derek Hale. The brooding, leather-clad werewolf alpha burst into my room, his face a mask of anger.
"Where is it?" he growled, his eyes a dangerous shade of gold. "Where's the Kanima?"
Stiles, ever the brave one, jumped up. "Woah, easy there, Derek. We're on it. We're doing research. We're being, you know, smart about this."
Derek's eyes narrowed. "Smart? You're just two teenagers sitting in a room full of pop-culture garbage. You're not helping. You're getting in the way."
This was my moment. My first interaction with the brooding alpha. I stood up, a small, sarcastic smile on my face. "Hey, man," I said, "just because our research methods don't involve brooding in a dark, empty loft and punching things, doesn't mean they're not effective. We've figured out more in two nights than you have in two weeks. So, you can either sit down and listen, or you can go back to your angsty corner and keep being angsty. Your choice."
He stared at me, his face a study in utter disbelief. He was a creature of intensity, and I was the physical embodiment of a sarcastic shrug. He was used to being feared, and I was treating him like a moody teenager. It was a beautiful, chaotic moment.
He didn't say anything, but he didn't leave either. He just stood there, his arms crossed, a muscle twitching in his jaw. We had a truce. A silent, tense, and utterly hilarious truce.
Stiles and I, now with a very intimidating audience, got back to work. I pointed at the corkboard. "Okay, so we have the Kanima, Jackson. We have the venom, which paralyzes. We have the desire for a master. And we have a bunch of weird incidents that all point to the same thing."
"What's that?" Derek grunted.
"The lacrosse field," I said. "All the incidents are centered around the lacrosse field. Jackson is a star player. The Kanima is a reflection of his own personal struggles. It's not just a monster. It's a tragedy. A super-creepy, super-dangerous tragedy."
Derek looked at me, a flicker of grudging respect in his eyes. He didn't say it, but I knew he was impressed. The holographic screen shimmered into view.
[ MISSION COMPLETE. PHEROMONE UNLOCKED: TRUST. ]
[ PHEROMONE UNLOCKED: FOCUS. ]
I felt two new ability slots open up in my mind. I could now, with a thought, make people more inclined to trust me and help them focus on a task. I had a whole arsenal of chaotic, mind-bending abilities at my disposal, and a new partner in crime who could help me make sense of it all. The stage was set. The game was on.