Sky stands next to Malia the next day at school in an empty science classroom, both of them staring at Kira, waiting for her to do something as she stands before a lightbulb.

After a moment, Kira notices their stares, feeling a little unnerved by them, "What?"

"Do it," Malia urges. "Do your thing."

Kira's eyebrows shoot up, "What thing? I don't have a thing."

"Your thing is literally why we're here," Sky points out in confusion.

"You did it before," Malia says. "You had to learn how right?"

Kira shrugs, "Actually, no. It just happened."

"Well, how'd you learn to fight with a sword?"

Kira shrugs again, "That just kind of happened, too."

"So, you've never worked for anything, and basically, you're a cheater?" Malia asks bluntly.

"Oh, God," Sky mutters, lifting a hand to her temple.

"This wasn't my idea!" Kira points out hastily. "How are we even getting past the front gate?"

"I have a guy on the inside. And stop changing the subject!" Malia admonishes her. "Do your thing."

Kira sighs, then reaches out to grab the wires connected to the light bulb. Sky subtly scoots behind Malia, peering over her shoulder as the light starts to get brighter and brighter. . .

The bulb explodes.

"It didn't work."

Sky rolls her eyes at Kira, "No, really?" she says sarcastically, stepping out from behind Malia and glancing at the girl, blinking at the shard of glass sticking out of her forehead. "Um, you have a little something . . ."

Unimpressed, Malia reaches up and plucks the glass from her forehead before leaning over and passing Kira a new bulb.

"Maybe we should use these?" Sky proposes, reaching over to the next desk to grab a couple of pairs of protective goggles, shaking them around in her grasp. "I don't wanna lose an eye."

Malia nods, grabbing a pair and slipping them on before settling on the edge of a desk to watch Kira try again. Unsuccessfully. The next seventeen attempts explode the same way, leaving many shards of glass shattered around and a new hole in Sky's jeans, much to her dismay.

Eventually, Kira slouches, seeming to want to give in for a moment, "Can I ask you a question?" she suddenly asks Malia.

Malia sighs, "No."

"Did your mother really try to kill you?" Kira asks anyway.

"Did your mother really try to leave you in the desert with Skinwalkers?" Malia retorts.

"My mother threw her slipper at me the other day," Sky comments idly as she fiddles with the goggles on her face, earning strange looks. "That's practically attempted murder."

Kira shakes her head, looking back to Malia, "Are you really going to try to kill her first?" she frowns when Malia removes her protective gear. "Why'd you take off the goggles?"

Malia stands and steps closer to Kira, "Because this time, you're gonna do it, and it's gonna work. Because this is the only way we're getting Lydia out of Eichen House."

"Yeah," Sky nods, catching on and getting up, stepping beside Malia before tossing her goggles into Kira's arms, making the girl jump as she stares her down with narrowed eyes. "And if Lydia doesn't get out she's gonna die. And if Lydia dies, Ariel and Stiles will be devastated. And if they're devastated, Scott will be guilty. And if Scott's guilty, he won't be able to love your sparky ass, and -- Oh, you're doing it."

Both Sky and Malia watch in anticipation as Kira tries once again, this time the light going dimmer.

Malia almost smiles, "Kira, it's working!"

But then Kira grins in the excitement of her almost success and it channels into the bulb, causing it to explode once again. Only this time, the power in the classroom and presumably the whole school goes out too.

Sky gapes, looking around the darkened room, "So cool," she breathes.

"Um," Malia says nervously, sharing a nervous glance with Kira. "We should go."

Sky quickly turns to them, moving when she realizes they were rushing towards the door, "Right, yeah."

***

"Okay," Stiles starts as he, Ariel and Scott descend the library stairs. "My dad's got the lab working on the shoe prints, but, uh, we're all kind of mystified about how giant clawed werewolf feet turned back into a pair of sneakers."

"Giant clawed werewolf feet," Ariel repeats Stiles' words slowly.

Scott shrugs, "Argent said it wouldn't be like anything we've ever seen before."

"Did he say it was going to defy the laws of physics?" Stiles replies, then almost bumps into Ariel's back when she stops abruptly in front of them once they turn towards a set of shelves, seeing Theo standing casually with a book in his hands.

When Ariel instinctively flashes her eyes and lifts her lip to reveal sharp teeth in warning, Scott's hand quickly reaches out to hold her by the back of her jacket.

"What are you doing here?" Stiles asks coldly.

"I still need to graduate," Theo answers nonchalantly, though his eyes quickly glance to Ariel, just in case.

Stiles' face scrunches up in disgust, "No. No, what you need is to be beaten. Severely. With a lead pipe wrapped in barbed wire. In fact, even better, Ariel's claws seem to be inching to claw out your vital organs for what you've done --"

"Okay," Theo cuts him off. "I admit, mistakes were made."

Stiles scoffs, "Murders. Some murders were made!"

"And lies. Horrible lies," Ariel glares.

"Oh, come on Ariel, that part was just funny," Theo smirks, then turns to his book. "You know how the Soviets helped us win World War II? They knew how to make it through a Russian winter."

"That it? Okay. Thank you, Theo. Very informative," Stiles mutters.

"If you're planning to break Lydia out of Eichen House," Theo continues, unperturbed. "You still need to get past the mountain ash. We can make it through. You can't, Scott."

Scott's eyes narrow, "What do you really want?"

"I know you saw the fresco. Two seriously pissed off creatures, the Hellhound and the Beast, fighting over a pile of dead bodies? I don't want to be one of the bodies. It's that simple," Theo tells them. "I can get you to Lydia. Or, we can see who gets to her first."

"Ugh! Asshole," Ariel growls quietly at Theo's back when he walks away, then spins around to face Scott, almost pouting. "Please --"

"No, you can't kill him," Scott says with a sigh.

"Not even just a little bit? I don't wanna get blood on this outfit." 

"Maybe after we save Lydia?"

Ariel frowns, "Fine."

"There's no way he knows what Valack's doing," Stiles says, frustrated. "Why's he so interested in Lydia."

"He probably thinks what we're all thinking," Scott muses. "That Lydia's got something bigger to do with this. That maybe she's the only one who can actually save us."

***

"She took out the whole school?" Scott says in disbelief, glancing between the three girls as they all stand in the McCall's house.

"She took out the whole grid," Malia corrects.

Sky rocks forward on her heels with a grin, nudging Kira, "It was awesome though."

Kira sighs, "Look, I failed every single practice try," she tells them. "This isn't going to work."

"It has to work," Ariel stresses with a frown. This was their only way in to get Lydia. It was this, or they lose her to whatever Eichen had planned for her.

"How far can we get without the brownout?" Liam wonders.

"The front door."

"We're going," Scott says firmly.

Kira shakes her head, "Scott, we went through boxes of light bulbs."

"It doesn't matter," Scott disagrees. "You can do this."

"The key card won't work unless there's a reboot, and there's no reboot without a brownout."

"You got super close with the last one, though," Sky points out. "You just got a little excited."

Scott lights up at that information, "I know you can do this," he tells Kira, still trying to reassure her. "Anyone here think she can't?"

"Not me!" Liam adds optimistically.

Ariel steps over to Kira, squeezing her shoulder, "I believe you can do this."

"I'm the one who put you in the plan," Stiles shrugs.

There's a weird awkward silence, Sky eyeing them in confusion when everyone looks between her and Malia, "What are you looking at us like that for?" she asks.

Malia stares blankly, also noticing the attention, "What?"

Stiles gestures to them, "I believe in you, too, Kira . . ." he prompts quietly.

"Oh, seriously?" Sky questions, side-eyeing the Kitsune. It wasn't that she didn't like Kira, but she definitely knew the girl hadn't mastered her power yet, proven by the glass that had landed in Malia's face when she had tried it.

"We're the ones who are going to be locked in an electrical room with her!" Malia exclaims, getting overwhelmed. But she looks to Kira anyway. "You can do it."

"Okay, I'll be an optimist for five seconds," Sky nods to Kira.  "You'll do it. But if you're gonna fry anyone, fry Malia first."

"Hey," Malia frowns.

"Is it a good idea to put Sky and Malia together?" Ariel murmurs to Scott, who shrugs helplessly.

"You guys are all crazy," Kira declares, feeling so out of her depth. "We're gonna die."

Sky points to her, "So what you're saying is that it's a win-win situation," she smiles between them all. "See, optimism."

***

The plan goes ahead later that night.

Ariel's heartbeat is rapid in her chest, tensing as she tries to stay as still as possible whilst also trying to not breathe too hard without suffocating herself, the firm body next to hers only making it more difficult in the enclosed space of the body bag she found herself in. Parrish had one job -- to get them in under the guise that they were dead bodies and then deliver them to the morgue, where they would be able to make their way to Lydia from there.

After a painstaking amount of time, all movement seems to come to a stop, and the sound of footsteps start to recede, leaving them alone in what she hopes is the morgue in Eichen. 

The zip to their body bags open, and they sit up with a gasp. 

"Oh, my God!" Stiles heaves for breath when he sits up from his respective bag, Liam next to him. "Never. Again."

Ariel grunts, "Get your elbow off my hair!" she whisper hisses, struggling next to a disgruntled Scott.

"Sorry!"

Ariel sighs in relief when she manages to scramble off the table, straightening herself and flipping her hair back once her feet touch the ground, before turning back to the boys, "No offence Scott, but we're never sharing a body bag ever again."

"No complaints here," Scott agrees, then lifts his phone, which displays the time. "Fifteen minutes starting now."

***

"We're in!" Kira quietly cheers as soon as the door to the electrical room is closed behind them, leaving them alone and out of sight. "We did it!"

"Honestly, I wasn't expecting us to get through the front door," Sky comments, impressed.

Malia sighs, "Don't get too excited-- getting out is the hard part," she lifts her phone to check the time. "Twelve minutes."

Sky quickly moves over to one of the panels and makes short work of prying it open, revealing endless sets of wires.

"I am so glad this whole plan doesn't depend on me," she mutters, glancing at Kira. "Why am I here again?"

Kira steps closer, looking at them, "To get us out if things go wrong. I think it's these," she says uncertainly, gesturing to larger black wires. "But they're covered in rubber."

Impatient, Malia quickly runs over to the nearby desk and grabs a pair of scissors before running back, intent on cutting the wires quickly, but Kira quickly stops her before she can.

"You want to electrocute yourself?" Kira admonishes her.

"I'll heal!"

"Not if you die," Kira argues.

Malia flicks out her claws, and Sky barely has time to get out a 'Malia, no' before the girl flick them at the wires, slicing the rubber and almost electrocuting herself. With a grunt, she flinches back.  

"Mm. I didn't die!" she points out she says gleefully, then checks the time. "Four minutes."

Sky claps suddenly, making Kira jump slightly, "Okay, it's your time to shine, Kira. Or, you know, Lydia might die. No pressure."

"I can smell how nervous you are," Malia tells her.

Kira groans, "Both of you. Not helping."

"Sorry," Sky mutters.

"Okay. You can do this," Malia tries to encourage instead. "It's just like we practised."

Kira scoffs. "You mean, like when I caused a major blackout?"

"Not like that, no," Malia mutters, then looks down at her phone, seeing their time running out. "Ten seconds. Nine. Eight."

"Please stop counting."

They quieten, and watch carefully as Kira takes the wires in her hands . . . only for nothing to happen.

"Why isn't it working?" Malia asks.

Kira groans, "Because I have no idea what I'm doing," she rushes out, trying again.

"This is awkward," Sky mumbles, crossing her arms as she watches Kira struggle and Malia pace.

"Nothing is happening!" Malia exclaims.

"I'm aware of that," Kira replies irritably. "I don't want to lose control, because I'm scared I might fry the entire system."

Her negative thoughts were getting her nowhere. The girl needed a pep talk and Sky almost sighs out loud, wondering where the only positive speechmakers of the pack were when they needed them. But no, Ariel and Scott had to do the fun part of the plan with all the sneaking and action. So quickly, Sky turns to Malia at the same time Malia turns to her.

"Oh," Sky says in surprise, seeing Malia had the same thoughts. "Rock paper scissors?"

Malia narrows her eyes and nods, holding her hand out, "One, two, three --"

"Ha," Sky cheers, smacking her flattened palm over Malia's closed fist. "It's your turn to motivate her."

"But --"

"I'm right here, you know," Kira points out in frustration.

Sky waves her off, "Go."

With a huff, Malia steps toward Kira, "Stop worrying about what you might do. This isn't about you, or me-- it's about Lydia. We're here to save Lydia. We're here to save our friend."

Taking in her words, Kira takes a deep breath and tries again. This time, her eyes glow and her powers kick in, channelling through her hands and into the wires.

"Kira, it's working," Malia says quietly, she and Sky look around the darkening room. "Keep going!"

***

"She did it!" Liam cheers quietly as they walk down the corridor to the gate. "Kira did it!"

Scott smiles slightly, hearing Ariel let out a sigh of relief, "Five minutes to get to Lydia."

They come to a stop at the gate and Stiles lifts out the keycard, only to come to a stop. "Where's the card reader?"

"What?" Ariel looks at him sharply, only to look down and see.

There was no card reader.

"It should be here. It has to be here."

Scott frowns, "They must have taken it out when the Dread Doctors got through."

"Are you telling me that we came all the way down here, just to be stopped by an ordinary key?" Stiles exclaims in a hushed whisper. "Are you kidding me?"

"There's no way we're being stopped by a piece of damn metal," Ariel scowls, gesturing between them. "How many werewolves does it take to open a gate?"

Liam nods, realizing what she was thinking, "We don't need a key. Not if we can break it down."

"Together then?" Ariel says, bracing her hands on the gate beside Scott and Liam.

"Three, two, one, push!" Scott starts with a grunt as they push against the gate. 

It doesn't budge.

Ariel blows a piece of stray hair from her face, turning to the boys with bright violet eyes, "Are you even trying?" 

"Of course we are," Liam huffs.

Stiles fidgets anxiously, "Guys, we're running out of time."

Scott breathes heavily, "We can't. The mountain ash. It's too much."

"I thought you'd done this before?" Ariel retorts, frustrated. His eyes weren't even holding his usual red tinge. He wasn't putting his power into it. "You're not even transformed."

"I have, I just --"

"Hit me," Liam suddenly blurts.

Scott whips his head around to him at his words, "What?"

"Hit me!" Liam urges. "I'll get angry, then I'll get stronger."

"You heard the boy," Ariel encourages, willing to do anything to get to Lydia. "Punch his face in."

Liam quickly sends her an alarmed glance, but then quickly nods to Scott, "I tried to take your powers. I tried to kill you. Hit me!"

"He also left you for dead," Stiles points out.

Liam nods rapidly, "I wanted you dead!" he grits out, then almost falls back when Scott actually punches him. "Do it again!"

"Really Scott?" Ariel scoffs, hands on her hips. "I can almost hear the ghost of my dead grandmother saying she can hit harder than that!"

"Do it! Do it!" Liam yells, grunting as he's hit again.

"Yeah!" Stiles cheers.

Scott growls, seeing Liam transformed, riled up himself now, "You angry?" he asks Liam, receiving a jerk of the head. "Me too."

"I've been angry since Theo bashed my head against the lockers. Nice of you to finally catch up," Ariel mutters, turning to the gate. "Ready?"

Scott's chest rumbles, and then the three of them push forward sharply against the gate, and between the three of them, the strength sends it flying off its hinges.

 "Stiles, go!" Scott instructs straight away, the boy running quickly. 

"Two minutes."

***

"Don't make a sound," Sky murmurs as gently as she can with her ear to the door leading out of the electrical room. Holding a finger up to Malia and Kira, she gestures for them to listen. Outside, in the reception, is the sounds that couldn't be mistaken as anyone but Theo, along with at least two more of his pack.

She keeps her hand in the air and waits for their footsteps to get further away before she lets out a breath, nodding towards the door. 

"Coast's clear."

Slowly, the three make their way out of the room and walk to the entrance, taking in the sight of the only person in the room, an unfortunate orderly that looked either paralyzed, unconscious or dead. Sky watches Malia crouch down, and then proceed to slap the man to see if she received any sort of reaction, but Sky is quickly distracted by the crackling buzz of electricity that starts to sound out through the room, and glances at Kira, her alarm increasing by the sight of her powers starting to go out of control.

"It's started," Kira breathes. trying not to panic.

Malia stands, "We need to get you out of here."

"What about the others?"

"They should already be back at the morgue," she brushes off, pulling her along. "Let's go!"

***

Scott pants heavily after trying to get through the mountain ash barrier once again, only for nothing to happen. 

"We're never going to get through."

"You've gotten through it before, though. Right?" Liam asks.

Scott hesitates, "Uh," he glances at Ariel, who leans against the wall tiredly. "It was a