A/N: Things get settled in this chapter. Some of you might have problems with the way things went down with the hunters. Peter definitely would have.

"It isn't working."

"How can it not be working?"

"I don't know. It should be." Stiles held his palms to the ground and focused on the energy. He could feel it rising from the Earth and pushing against his hands but it wouldn't follow his commands.

"Something isn't right," he said, looking at Lydia.

"What should we do? They're on their way here. Scott's text came almost five minutes ago so they'll be here any minute."

The wheels in his head started to turn and it took all of his concentration to focus on the solution instead of the problem. He was aware of the resistance to his commands and his inability to focus the energies he needed to direct. Something was keeping him from following through with his plan and the only conclusion he could reach was that their shaman had taught them a few tricks of his own. They knew of Stiles' potential and it was smart of them to not track him without being able to protect themselves.

"I should have anticipated this. They knew I would try something."

"Stiles, we need a solution. You can have a pity party later."

Stiles nodded and he reached into his pocket and pulled out the crystals. He could still feel the wards at the perimeter drawing his energy so he knew that the basic idea would work, just that his plan needed to be modified. He reached for Lydia and shoved them into her jacket pocket.

"Don't touch them. Run them to Allison and have her crush them and stick them to the tips of the arrows somehow. If this doesn't work they're going to have to go hand to hand with them. They're using magic to protect themselves and I can't break it without knowing what it is, probably not even then."

"What about you?"

"I'll slow them down."

Lydia shook her head in defiance. "No. I'm not going to leave you out here to die."

"Time is running out and I can slow them down. Lydia, you have to do this now."

Lydia grabbed him and quickly pulled him into a hug. "Don't die."

"You too."

She took off running which gave Stiles a few moments to think. "Alright," he said to himself, "they have some defensive protection to block me. What can I do instead?"

He began to pace back and forth while trying to think of a plan. When the idea came to mind he started smiling. He had no idea if it was even possible, but that made it a challenge, and he wasn't going down without a fight. He walked over to the nearest tree and put his hands against it. He focused on the image in his mind and willed his power to expand around him. "Abscondo."

When he let go of the tree the area around him grew thick with energy. One by one the trees around him vanished, changing into illusions of him and his friends readying for an attack. The magic would only work until they realized it was a deception but he was short on alternatives. He took off running towards Lydia and group four in hopes of reaching them with enough time to spare. He had one last idea and though risky, if it worked out, it might be enough to save them all.

He ran as quickly as he could, dodging between trees and over rocks, until he reached them. "Derek heard gunshots. I was about to come find you," his father said to him, putting his gun back in his holster.

"I set up a diversion that should eat away some of their ammo, but they're probably already past them by now. How's it coming?"

Allison held up one of the arrows with the arrowhead covered in tiny fragments of the quartz crystal. "Will this do?"

"It's perfect. But I need to do a little programming first."

He held his hand over the crystal fragments and the other pieces laying on Lydia's jacket, which she had placed on the ground as a work surface. He fed everything he had into it and when he was finished, his knees gave out. He fell to the ground but Derek was quickly by his side. "Are you alright?"

"I'll be okay. I just did a pretty intricate spell modifying the program of the fragments tied to the wards. I hope it's enough."

"What can we do?," Allison asked.

"Shoot straight. Allison is the only one that can fire at them. No matter what happens, we have to give her a clear shot to both of the Hunters."

"What did you do to them?"

Stiles leaned his head on Derek's shoulder. "I figured out a way to protect us without having to kill them."

"I see movement," Allison said suddenly, causing all of them to scramble.

The Hunters were visibly tired as they approached, but their weapons supply wasn't lacking. Each had multiple guns attached to holsters. "More illusions?"

"Let's find out."

Derek took a fighting stance and he let out a loud roar as a bullet hit the ground in front of them.

"Well well, it's them after all."

"We were ready for your tricks kid. Although I have to admit, I didn't see the illusions coming," Bob said.

Stiles stood up and smiled proudly at them. "I didn't anticipate the tricks up your sleeves either. It doesn't matter though. Soon neither of you will be a threat to us."

Theo laughed and he pulled a knife out of the sheath attached to his belt. "This one's just for you, kid."

"We could end this now," his dad offered. "Everyone can go on their own way as long as you never set foot in my town again."

"I don't think that's a good enough plan, Sheriff. Not when there are things like them running around."

Stiles looked over his shoulder to Alison and gave her a quick nod. She was ready with an arrow already set up and at his go ahead she fired off the first arrow into Theo's shoulder. He cursed and pulled it out, dropping the gun in his hand in the process. Bob raised his weapon and began to fire at Derek but he dodged the bullets, buying Allison time to reload.

Stiles' father fired a few shots and hit Bob in the leg. He turned the gun towards the Sheriff as Allison's second arrow struck him in the gut. He collapsed on the ground in seconds.

"Is that it?," Allison wondered.

"They won't be much danger to us anymore."

"How can you be sure?"

"I reprogrammed the crystal fragments to erase their memories of the supernatural, including any related memories. They aren't going to remember anything about us when they wake up."

"How can you be sure that it'll work?"

"The wards aren't drawing on my energy anymore. It's drawing on their energy."

"Which means...?"

"The fragments connected them to the wards, tying each to the other. My programming established a use for that connection. It's permanent as long as the wards remain undisturbed. The wards plus their energy and my programming equals no memory for the Hunters."

"How did you come up with that?," Allison asked.

"My dad was right. Killing them was the easy way out."

"I'm proud of you," his dad said. And Stiles knew it was the truth.