The episode unfurls with the Medicine Woman enchantingly narrating the legend of the Hero Twins and their journey that brought the mysterious Ye’iitsoh to the town. Amidst her captivating tale, Joe Leaphorn (portrayed by Zahn McClarnon) is depicted chasing George Bowlegs (embodied by Bodhi Okuma Linton) across the vast, unforgiving desert. Joe eventually manages to corner George, but before he can escort him back to his truck, an abrupt exhaustion overcomes him, and he collapses in the sandy wilderness.
The next morning, Joe awakens solitary in the desert, his gun conveniently missing. Intrigued, he discovers a trail and trails it to an unconscious man draped in a shadowy black robe. Shortly thereafter, he spots George accompanied by another youthful boy. As they mysteriously traverse through a door that materializes out of thin air, the Medicine Lady's narrative continues, delving into how the Hero Twins sought counsel from their grandmother and were advised to ascend to the heavens to visit their father, the Sun, who would arm them with the means to vanquish the Ye’iitsoh.
Joe finds himself welcomed into the Bowlegs family's dinner table. Amidst the meal, a loud banging disrupts the tranquility, echoing through the window. It's George, urging Joe to awaken as someone approaches. In the blink of an eye, Joe jolts awake, yet he finds himself back at the police station. This time, the enigmatic man clad in the black robe from the desert stands before him. This revelation dawns on Joe that he must return and assist George.
The priest interjects, stating that Joe's exit from this predicament hinges on solving a murder case. Meanwhile, the Medicine Lady continues her tale, revealing how the Twins ascended to the Sun and were gifted Lightning and a Sunbeam as formidable weapons. Throughout her storytelling, George attempts to awaken Joe once more. With growing lucidity, Joe instructs George to seize his service weapon and make haste to the truck. George complies, leaving Joe on the cold, hard floor, which propels Joe into waking up once again, this time in an interrogation room, the scene now more vividly painted.
Emma Leaphorn, portrayed by Deanna Allison, storms into the interrogation room, berating Joe for never fulfilling his promise to construct her a fence. Despite his attempts to persuade her to unleash him from his bonds, she stands firm, choosing instead to dwell on the chaos that has become their lives. Joe, vowing to rectify their circumstances, nearly receives the key from her grasp, only for her to impulsively swallow it. Ultimately, Joe manages to free himself and awakens in a jail cell where Will, played by Enzo Okuma Linton, is busy sweeping.
Amid Joe's efforts to enlist Will's aid, the Medicine Lady narrates about the Twins embarking on a confrontation with a formidable monster. Meanwhile, a mysterious priest from the desert entices Will to depart with him, an action Joe is powerless to prevent.
Joe's consciousness flickers back in the scorching desert as the Medicine Lady recounts the monster's assault on the Twins upon their arrival. Hardly has he regained his bearings when Joe is set upon by a creature resembling a boogeyman. With agility, he secures a rock and narrowly escapes the beast's clutches, much like the Twin Heroes had evaded their own perilous encounters. As Joe stumbles onward, he collapses to his knees upon discovering a trail of blood, which he relentlessly pursues until it terminates at the sight of the priest. In a fierce chase, Joe apprehends the priest and confines him behind bars in his kitchen. The priest reveals that solving his murder is Joe's sole path to escape.
Shortly thereafter, Agent Sylvia Washington, embodied by Jenna Elfman, enters the scene. Joe informs her of the priest's despicable actions of abusing children within his church. However, Agent Sylvia's sole concern is dancing with Joe. During their dance, she confesses her disappointment in him, believing he ought to be focusing on unraveling the priest's murder. Their conversation delves into the realms of justice and the priest's fate, with Sylvia insisting that Joe must solve the crime. This dialogue pivots to BJ Vines (John Diehl), prompting Joe to inquire about her intentions regarding the case. In response, she mimics aiming a gun at him with her thumb and forefinger.
The gesture of the imaginary gun jars Joe awake once more in the desert, this time witnessing George firing at the monster. Joe struggles to pursue them, hampered by his leg injury. George eventually returns, informing Joe that his gun is empty. Joe promptly reloads it for him, while the Medicine Woman narrates the Twins' failed attempt to vanquish the monster.
Joe awakens in the confines of George's room, where George reassures him that no harm shall ever come to them again, subsequently unveiling his father's gun. Joe endeavors to dissuade George, painting a vivid picture of how taking a life irreversibly transforms a person. Amidst this poignant exchange, a chilling suspicion dawns upon Joe—that he might be the one who ended the priest's life.
Abruptly, Joe's mind transports him back to the church, where he holds the priest at bay with an imaginary gun. The priest, almost mocking his desperation, prompts Joe to realize that his hands are empty. A fierce struggle erupts, and amidst the turmoil, the Medicine Lady narrates the twins' triumph over a beast, paralleling Joe's own conquest of the priest in his imagination.
Minutes later, the priest awakens from his simulated plight, gently reminding Joe that his grim fantasy diverges from reality. Joe, adamant in his belief, is confronted with the priest's gentle reminder that, as a twelve-year-old, he was presumed deceased and incapable of such deeds.
Joe's consciousness shifts once more, placing him in the vast, desolate desert where his father is seen finalizing a grave. His father confides that though he listened intently to Joe's revelations about Will, his hands were tied by legal constraints. Desperate pleas to higher authorities fell on deaf ears. Through their dialogue, Joe grasps the profound sacrifice his father made to shield Will, mirroring his own actions with Vines.
Joe's visions continue, finding himself back in the desert with George standing guard. Urging George to hand over the gun, Joe takes aim at a shadowy figure he perceives as a monster. Despite his injured leg hampering his movements, Joe persists, firing shot after shot. The third bullet finds its mark, but upon inspecting his victim, Joe beholds a bloody handprint, realizing that the so-called monster was but a flawed human being. With trembling hands, Joe radios Jim Chee (Kiowa Gordon), his message fragmented by static, announcing that he has been stabbed.
Chee's reception is marred by interference, leaving Joe to collapse once more in the desert sands. As the Medicine Lady concludes her tale of the Hero Twins, Joe's story hangs in limbo, the episode drawing to a close on a note of unsettling ambiguity.
