Stiles stayed up most of the night picturing a million different situations, a million different outcomes and each one made him more and more scared. He was tense and sad and wished there was something he could do. But he was the most useless member of their small little group. He wasn't a genius like Lydia, and now Jackson, he wasn't strong like Derek and Scott…and Jackson. He didn't even know how to use weapons like Allison, and fuck, probably Jackson. He was just Stiles, he was human, he didn't have any other useful traits or knowledge or abilities. If their group had been Planeteers he would have been the useless one with that stupid Heart ring. Stiles was just the comedic relief, he was always there with a clever quip or a some off hand joke, but he rarely ever did anything useful. He just wanted to help and now, with Jackson missing, he felt more useless than ever.

When morning came Stiles didn't know what to do, he waited for someone to call him, but no one ever did. He waited until noon and then decided that he was going to make himself useful. He first went into his father's room and looked through his files. He found a few about the missing people and read through them thoroughly. He then did some research on those numbers, the ones on the door, and found something online, apparently those doors led to the towns underground utility tunnels. He needed to find a map but he didn't make much head way online. He thought about it for a bit and knew where he needed to go.

He collected his notes and shoved them into his backpack and tossed that into his jeep. He drove to the public library and dug through their card catalogue to find what he was looking for. He finally did, somewhere in their archives the library had a map of those underground tunnels. He asked the librarian and she brought them out from storage. He was disappointed to find that the map was super old, from the eighties, and he didn't know if they had changed.

"Excuse me," Stiles loudly whispered, "you guys don't have like a newer map do you, or maybe something that goes on top of the map that shows if the tunnels have changed…do you?"

"Unfortunately we don't, that's the newest one we have, if you want something newer you would have to go to city hall and request it."

"Thanks," Stiles finished by photocopying the older map and then driving to city hall.

When he got there he was informed that he wasn't old enough to actually look at town records. Stiles reminded the girl behind the desk that he was the Sheriff's son and was actually picking the maps for his dad. The girl reluctantly agreed, she didn't want to be the one who got in trouble for not giving the Sheriff his maps. So she went into the archives and brought out copies for the teen. Stiles left and went back to his house.

He got all his notes together and began by placing all the murders on a map of Beacon Hills, a map he bought at the gas station. He placed pins on the map and marked them with a name and a date, he then put the map of tunnels over the map of the town and pinned the murders to the closest tunnel entrances. It was hard work. He had to take into consideration sewers and where they bisected with the utility tunnels. But he didn't have enough points to come up with anything conclusive. That meant a trip to the police station.

He called his dad and asked him where he was. Stiles told him he was going to take him lunch at the station if it was okay with him. The Sheriff agreed and Stiles jumped into his jeep and passed by a drive thru. He walked into the station and greeted all the officers, he didn't know them personally but his father did, he didn't want to appear rude. He made his way into his father's office and looked through the glass door. His father was hunched over doing paperwork. Stiles knocked on the door while pushing it open and stepped in. His father looked up from his paperwork and acknowledged his son's presence before looking back down.

Stiles sat and waited for his father to stop working. He tapped his feet and slapped his hands against his thighs, he crossed one leg and then the other but his father didn't notice, he was used to it. Stiles waited for half an hour before it became too much. He snatched away his father's paper work and placed them in the seat next to him. He then dumped the burgers and fries he had bought onto the table, he thought his father deserved something good. The Sheriff sighed but picked up his food and unwrapped it. Stiles eyed the entire office and looked for any folders that might be useful, he wouldn't rummage through drawers but he'll take anything out in plain view. He saw a stake neatly piled next to his father's phone. That usually meant the investigation had stalled but was still open, those were probably what he wanted…

"So…what do you want," the Sheriff was no fool, he knew his son wanted something, now he just needed to know what. His son chewed the food in his mouth, in no real hurry to answer.

"Can't I just bring my father, whom I love, something to eat?"

"…"

"Maybe I was lonely…"

"Ugh, okay fine. But don't think I'm actually stupid enough to believe that, but you can stay." The Sheriff took a handful of fries and shoved them in his mouth. Stiles sipped on his soda and enjoyed the time he was spending with his father, even if he did have ulterior motives.

Stiles jumped when he heard something slam outside his father's door, he could see a group of officers bringing in a rowdy group of people. The Sheriff stood up and went out to see what was happening. Stiles took this chance, he stood up grabbed the files and shoved them in his backpack. It was done, he let out tense breathe and finished his lunch. He got up and exited his father's office and looked around for him. He found him in the lobby, he was helping some officers process paper work. Rather than bother him Stiles just waved, his father waved back and with that Stiles got in his jeep and went back home.

He entered his room and went back to his map. He worked hard until he finished and didn't notice that the sun had begun to set. But he was done now, the files he'd taken had helped fill in the map and allowed him to make a series of smart inferences. He knew by the pattern that the killings and kidnappings took place that, who ever the killer was, he'd stayed in a circle of about five miles wide. Underground there were only three corridors that passed through this section, they all met in the center where some sort of work room, or something, connected each of the tunnels. Stiles knew that this had to be the place the killer had made his little lair, the place he hoped badly Jackson was being held. Now all he had to do was tell Derek.

He packed all his notes together and stuffed them in his bag and tossed them in his jeep along with his map. He drove slowly to the Hale house and was surprised to find the activity that surrounded it, Chris had called in his hunters. Stiles saw Derek talking to Lydia on the porch and when he noticed Stiles his face took on the deepest scowl to date.

Derek stalked over to Stiles' jeep while he climbed out and collected his notes.

"Where the fuck have you been! We've been waiting for you all fucking day and you never showed! Do you know how important this is? Jackson's life is at stake!"

Stiles was dumbfounded, he had just assumed that if they had needed him they would have called.

"I thought…well why didn't you call?"

"Why the fuck would I call you Stiles! Jesus!" Derek walked away in a huff leaving Stiles feeling like a brat. Okay, maybe he had over exaggerated his uselessness, maybe he wasn't strong, and he wasn't smart, but he was still needed, if only to provided some human emotion, to be the 'heart' they needed. Damn, stupid Captain Planet…

Stiles ran after Derek and caught him on the porch, "Do you guys know where Jackson is yet…"

"No," answered Lydia, "I know where that door leads but I don't have enough information to place Jackson in that underground maze. We also have to deal with the fact that we can't really fight in those tunnels, their tight and cramped. Chris thinks that if he sends his little army down there they could comb the tunnels and find Jackson, obviously, that is the stupidest plan ever devised. It would take forever. No, the best thing to do is narrow down the search and send in a small group. We don't want to risk the kidnapper killing Jackson…"

"I know where he is," Stiles walked into Derek's kitchen and laid down the map on his dining table. "See I spent all day mapping out the murders and kidnapping and narrowed down the area to this circle. All the sewers led to one of three tunnels and all those three tunnels led to one room were they all connect giving, who ever it is, access to most of the city." Lydia and Derek listened and were impressed by Stiles' work. He did in a few hours what they hadn't even started doing. But it was late…the creature seemed to be nocturnal, all the crimes had happened at night, it would be best to go in the morning. They needed to get Jackson back fast, Thursday was the full moon, Lydia doubted Jackson would survive past Monday.

Stiles found a sewer entrance that would leave them closest to the center room. But now they had to deal with the problem of fighting whoever it was, if it came to that. Chris thought his guns would do the trick, but in that in closed space the chances of friendly fire were exponentially raised. Chris said he could shoot whoever it was long before he ever reached them. Derek said it depend on whether it was human or not. That gave the group pause. Chris sent his soldier's home with strict orders to remain available and ready to deploy on short notice.

Derek was growing tenser everyday that went by and now Saturday had gone and he still didn't have his pup back. Derek thought of their last moments together, the way he had pushed Jackson away, the way he had ignored him and thought that a few stray kisses at night could make up for it. Derek didn't want his pups last thoughts to be about how badly Derek had let him down. Derek didn't want to let Jackson down. He had spent so much time terrorizing the boy, and now they were…lovers, but the memories of Derek's immaturity had held their relationship back and now Derek might not get the chance to make up for it, to tell his pup how much he meant to him. Derek didn't want to have another thing to regret, another ghost in his life, a life he could barely live sometimes.

The group worked well into the night and planned. It was decided that a small group would go in, Chris, Derek, Stiles and Scott. Chris would be allowed to take one gun and a few grenades…just in case. Derek and Scott would follow behind and take the lead when they neared the center room. Stiles was there to lead them through the twisted tunnels. The others would watch the exits in case the person got past them and tried to escape. The plan was set, now they had to wait for the next day when they could be sure the person would be in his room.

Jackson's arms were slowly bleeding, the ropes had begun to cut deep into the flesh of his wrists and blood slowly oozed out of the wounds. It ran down his arms to his shoulders and head and made him itchy. He hung there, trying to recover, the man had brought a blow torch and took pleasure in hearing Jackson scream as he placed the hot blue head of the flame against Jackson's flesh and watched the skin ripple and bubble into deep burns. If Jackson had been human he would have died the first day, but his accelerated healing left him like new, he didn't even scar. The man informed Jackson that most wolves didn't heal nearly as well as Jackson. Most wolves could barely heal minor wounds, let alone all the shit he had done to the boy.

The man burned away at Jackson's flesh until he had carved his name into the boy's chest, and all the names of every member of his family. He would stop here, the sun had set, he could feel it, and so it was time for him to hunt. Before he left he picked up the bottle of alcohol off a table and dosed the boy in the burning liquid and enjoyed the way he scream and groaned.

Sunday morning Stiles led them to the manhole cover that would lead down to the sewers. Luckily it was found inside an alley in between two buildings and most people didn't notice the van that parked in the street or the three people who climbed out. Derek lifted the manhole cover with one hand and Chris dropped down into the dark hole. Stiles looked at Derek and took a step back but Scott just grabbed him around the waist and jumped down with him. Derek followed.

Scott was not prepared for the smell of the place or the oppressive heat. Chris turned on his lantern and cut a small swath of light into the darkness. At intervals they could see the low ring of light that leaked through the manhole covers. Stiles pulled his map out and started walking, Chris walked next to him, his pistol was out and its laser sight shined a small red dot out in front of him. The wolves were directly behind them and together they all followed Stiles. They twisted and turned around the looping sewer tunnels until Stiles led them to a door.

Derek kicked the door off its hinges and looked into the new tunnel that wasn't as hot, smelly and actually had low lit lights brightening the passage. Stiles told them it was the entrance to the utility corridors. Stiles took a few seconds to situate himself and plan out the rest of their path. They were all sweating heavily and Stiles was trying real hard not to freak out and swat away at his body. He never imagined he would see so many bugs in one place in his life. It was like a thick carpet that lined the sewer floor and Stiles was so disgusted and tried real hard to stop the crawling on his skin, but Scott had maybe sensed his distress and held onto his elbow which helped Stiles keep calm.

They walked on, quietly and slowly, while the wolves listened for any noises that didn't belong. After an hour they came across a bloody article. It was a t-shirt, dried hard with blood. They continued past, Stiles sickeningly sure that they were now on the right path, Derek anxious to get his pup back.

"Stiles…how much longer…" Scott needed to know, he was scared now, he had never fought anything, he had barely fought Peter, and now he was expected to fight something he didn't even know. He was afraid that he was going to find the mangled corpse of Jackson Whittemore the way he had found the corpse of Derek's sister.

"I…give me a moment," Stiles looked at his map and tried hard to estimate how much they had left to reach the center room, "maybe…maybe an a hour… two hours, tops."

The groups slowly walked on, feeling strangely fatigued. They marched on and on and would occasionally passed some bloody article of clothing left strewn on the path like breadcrumbs leading them back to their home. Derek smelled it first, the stinking sickening sweet smell of flesh as it rot. Further down the path the tunnels darkened, Chris handed Stiles a Mag light. Stiles shone the beam into the dark area of the passage but they were still too far to see anything.

The closer they got the worse the smell got and soon Stiles and Chris were trying hard not to gag on the odor. Stiles pointed his beam on the walls and was shocked still. The whole area was soaked in blood. He could see the half eaten torso of a man just ahead. The head was facing them and Stiles looked into the empty eyes of whoever this man was. Derek pushed Stiles forward and together the group gingerly stepped over the torso. The rest of the tunnel was pitch black, Stiles' flashlight was the only light. As they walked, they passed different mangled body parts that were slowly rotting and had to place their feet careful on the ground that was slick with blood and other bodily fluids.

Stiles couldn't help it, he leaned against he wall and puked, luckily he hadn't eaten a lot but his stomach still churned. Scott placed his hand on Stiles' shoulder and waited for his friend to get over his sickness. They moved forward.

Half an hour later, they were near to the room. They could see one of its metallic doors far in the distance. The wolves switched places with the humans and they took the lead. They walked slowly, their odd fatigue switched to nervous energy as they walked forward hurriedly but quietly. The closer they got they could hear a strange sound. It reverberated off the walls and pipes and distorted into something haunting, eerie. Derek's heart was pounding in his chest, he was close, so fucking close. He placed one foot in front of the other and watched as the space between him and the door slowly shrunk.

They were so close now, just a few yards away. The closer they got, the more the sound changed, it stopped echoing off the walls and finally sounded normal. It was someone yelling. It made Derek's hair stand on end and made his eyes blaze red. He felt himself losing control, that was his pup, someone was hurting his pup. Stiles chose that instant to trip on a slick strip of blood. As he fell he slammed the flashlight against one of the pipes lining the wall. They all stopped as the loud metallic clang vibrated all the way down the pipe. The screaming reached a crescendo before stopping entirely. Derek turned and fixed Stiles with the angriest look he was capable of before barreling forward and using his whole weight to slam the metallic door open.

"Stop right there!" Yelled some man, he was wearing jeans and just that. His body was covered in blood, Jackson was pressed against him facing Derek. The man held a gun up to Jackson's head, "don't move, or his pretty little brains get splattered against the walls, think he can heal from that?"

Derek roared. "Oh shut up!" the man yelled back. He walked slowly down another corridor. The entire time facing Derek, gun placed firmly against Jackson's head. Derek took in his pups face. It was slack, he was unconscious, the man was dragging his heavy weight slowly away from him. Derek noticed the patches of skin that were missing from his chest and arms, could see the strips of flesh on the floor in front of him. The man reached the bend of the tunnel, tossed Jackson over his shoulder and ran. Derek roared, and ran after him.

He could hear the group behind him trying to keep up. He ran and ran and rounded corner after corner. Finally he noticed that the tunnel was angling up, they were headed up hill. Jackson's blood helped him stay on the right path. Finally he could see the man ahead, and the door to an exit. He saw the man slam against it and then heard something completely unexpected, a loud roar. He could hear a fight, could smell the adrenaline but then he heard someone shout, heard the man laugh and run off.

He jumped through the door and saw Lydia splayed out on the ground unconscious, but she was still alive. Derek turned and tried to see the man…but he was gone. He allowed himself one more roar before turning to Lydia and thoroughly checking her over. She was fine, other than a wound on her head. The group ran through the door and stopped next to Derek. But he didn't know what to do now, he needed to track and that would take time. He began sniffing the air and watched Scott do the same. He began moving through the woods, the group followed. Chris called Allison and told her where Lydia was, said what they were doing.

Derek would have to hurry, the man knew they were coming, he would kill Jackson when he thought he was safe. Derek swore he would find him before then. He turned to the humans and told them there would be no stopping, no resting, they would run until they saved Jackson, he wouldn't blame them for staying. Chris and Stiles just nodded and together the group plunged into the forest. Stiles had been able to forget his feeling for Jackson when he noticed him and Derek slip into whatever it was they were doing. But with Jackson missing, Stiles realized that forgetting how much he liked Jackson wasn't as easy as just ignoring his feelings. He loved Jackson, he realized that, and he had been a coward and lost him to Derek, but Stiles would save him, Stiles would be the man that Jackson needed him to be and maybe just maybe he and Jackson could have a future together. Stiles knew he was delusional, but he still hoped.