Chapter Text
Early in the afternoon, Nick enters his Aunt Marie’s trailer, closing the door behind himself. He then takes out something from his pocket, a pendant which he then opens to reveal a key-like instrument. Staring down at the pendant-key, he remembered the night his Aunt Marie came to town, just as his Grimm powers first manifested.
“‘Never lose this… Guard it with your life’.” The woman had said—following an attack by a Reaper called Hulda—as she handed the key over to him.
Said key in hand, Nick then looks up and around the trailer, searching for what it could possibly be for. He then starts looking through the drawers, cabinets and everything else, finding a couple boxes—some having locks but the key didn’t fit in any of them—putting them aside, he continues his search…
Meanwhile, Renard was leaving the precinct for the day, taking out his keys he unlocks his car as he went to get in, when a figure approaches him from behind.
“My apologies, sir.” The mystery man says with a European sounding accent as he holds a silenced gun to the back of Renard’s head, making said police captain freeze in place. “I was told, ‘use force if necessary’. Knowing you as I do, I found it necessary.” He says, taking Renard’s gun before the man turns to face his attacker
“Good to see you too, Woolsey.” He greets.
“Your cousin would like to see you.” The other man, Woolsey, informs.
“He’s here?” Renard inquires.
“Yes sir. And waiting.” Woolsey replies.
“Must be important then.” The police captain remarks.
“Afraid so, sir. And I’m afraid you’ll have to drive.” The man with the gun states.
“Better than having to die, I suppose.” The green eyed man says in response.
“Just between us, sir, I wouldn’t rule that out.” Woolsey states and the two men proceed to get into Renard’s car, which he starts and drives out of the precinct parking lot, the other still holding a gun to his head as he told him where to go.
Nick sighs as he sits down at the desk in the trailer, putting the key on the table top, having just about looked everywhere within the airstream—having practically turned upside-down and inside-out—unfortunately not having much luck in finding whatever the key’s for. He sighs again, reaching for a nearby book—maybe it had something—his gaze catching on the bracelet on his wrist.
“Feel like helping me?” The Grimm asks the saber, but doesn’t seem to get any response. “Of course…” He groans, though wasn’t sure what he was expecting honestly. Anytime the saber would “help”—i.e. give him visions that usually related to current events, in particular to cases he worked on—the things he’d see would usually leave him with more questions than answers…
“Is getting a straight answer for once too much to ask?” The detective bemoans then reaches over for a different book, only to accidently knock over an ink well, spilling said ink right onto the key. “Ah, damn!” He curses, getting up and picking up the ink well, setting it up right, before grabbing a cloth and then the key to the ink off it. As he held it up though, he noticed the patterns on the side were more prominent, most likely because of the ink.
Getting an idea, Nick picks up a piece of paper instead, then sits back down—moving the ink well—he then presses the inked key to the paper, removing it and lifts up the paper to find a strange pattern now on the paper. Looking at the pattern, though it wasn’t complete he could tell it formed some sort of picture. Just then, he hears his cell phone ringing and takes it out with a sigh, then answers it.
“Hey, I’m sorry. Am I late?” He greets the caller.
“You will be if you don’t get your butt home. We have reservations.” Juliette tells her boyfriend.
“My butt is on its way.” The detective replies, though was more focused on the strange picture on the paper.
“Okay. See you soon.” The veterinarian says to him poignantly, then ends the call.
Back with Renard, the police captain drives up and into an abandoned warehouse, following the directions given to him by Woolsey—gun still head to his head— finding another man next to an expensive looking car already there—most likely waiting for them—which he pulls up and parks near. Getting out of his car, along with Woolsey, the third man addresses them, speaking in French.
“I was doing just fine… Till I had a gun pressed against my neck, by a man I’ve known for nearly 20 years.” Sean says in response, glancing at Woolsey.
“It’s nothing personal, sir.” The man with the gun says, apologetic.
“I know, Woolsey, but I’m taking it that way.” The police captain states.
“No hard feelings, sir. Your privilege.” Woolsey says in response.
“Sorry for the blunt force, Sean. Couldn’t take the chance that you might refuse the invitation. My time is very limited.” The unknown man then speaks.
“What do you want, Anton?” Sean asks, getting annoyed.
“It’s not just me, cousin. It’s the family. We’re very concerned. Things are not moving the way that they should be.” The man, Anton, answers.
“You’ve come a long way for nothing.” Renard tells him.
“I never go anywhere for nothing.” Anton rebukes. “So the choices are, give us the key or we will take the Grimm and find it ourselves. We’re tired of waiting.” He then says next.
“What do you think I’ve been doing all this time? Playing croquet? Some of us actually put some thought into what we do before we do it.” The police captain retorts back.
“No one is interested in excuses anymore. We want answers, cousin. We want action.” The blond man—his cousin apparently—states in response. “But, if not the key or Grimm, I did hear an interesting rumor… Something about a certain gauntlet, popping up during one of your department’s investigations…” He says next and notices the way his cousin clenches his fist.
“Oh, so it is true…the saber, not only is it real, you’ve seen it.” Anton deduces, but Sean himself stays silent, trying to keep his facial expression neutral. “You know, it rightfully belongs to the family. It once was in our ancestors’ possession before being lost, now we have a chance to reclaim it, so I suggest you take it. The rest of the family will be more than satisfied.” The blond man tells the police captain.
“All right.” Renard says then turns and proceeds to grab Woolsey by the arm—the one that held the gun—hitting the man in the face, causing him to let go of the firearm than proceeds to shoot his cousin in the head, killing him. The green eyed man then turns his attention back to Woolsey—on the ground—who squats down next to him and starts searching his pockets, pulling out his phone. “My answer is no, by the way. You may want to relay that to the family.” He says as he walks over to Anton next.
“I think the message is clear, sir. If I tell them, they’ll kill me.” Woolsey says then states with a groan, Renard taking his cousin’s phone as well.
“You got a point there, Woolsey. Sorry, it’s nothing personal.” The police captain says as he walks back over to the man.
“I know, sir. But I’m taking it that way.” Woolsey grunts, repeating the other man’s words from earlier.
“Your privilege.” Renard permits.
“Just, one thing, sir… What’s the legendary Knight-Saber, really like?” The other man asks, clearly curious and the police captain thinks back to what he witnessed Nick gain the gauntlet and fought against Marquesa. Admittedly, the concussion he got at the time made the memory fuzzy—particularly him seeing Nick become a knight-like figure—but he still remembered the awe he felt, witnessing the saber in action.
“It’s more than we could ever imagine…” The police captain states with a smile. “It doesn’t matter if the family wants it anyway… Considering it’s already chosen a wielder.” He then adds.
Later that very evening, Nick and Juliette were making their way to a restaurant to meet with Hank for—of all things—a double-date.
“I can’t believe he didn’t say anything. Don’t you guys ever talk about anything but work?” Juliette says with a laugh.
“Yeah, sure we do. You know, he lost 80 dollars on the Blazers game last week. That got very emotional.” Nick jokes.
“He didn’t even mention her name?” His girlfriend asks.
“Not to me.” The detective replies. “Well, you’re the one who set this up. He didn’t say anything to you either?” He then asks.
“I didn’t set it up. He set it up. And he’s very excited. No, he didn’t say anything.” The veterinarian states, just as they arrive at their destination.
“Well, you’d think he’d at least mention the money he lost. Men.” Nick remarks as they enter the restaurant, eventually finding their friend sitting at the bar.
“Hey, guys.” Hank greets with a smile. “Nick, I think you remember Adalind.” The other detective says as his date turn to reveal Adalind Schade and Nick freezes, memories of stopping this very woman from killing his aunt while she was in a coma, subsequently getting injected by whatever the Wesen woman was trying to give Marie.
“Nice to see you again, Nick.” The blonde Hexenbiest greets with a sugary smile.
“And this is the lovely Juliette.” Hank introduces his date to the veterinarian.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you.” Juliette says as she and Adalind shake hands, Nick having to hold himself back from forcibly separating them.
“You too.” The blonde woman says in reply.
“Excuse me. I’m gonna grab our table.” Hank says then walks off to do just that, Nick looking at Adalind with suspicion—clenching his fist with the jewel of the Knight-Saber shimmering like it’s done before—who seems to ignore him and instead focuses her attention on Juliette.
“Hank tells me that you’re a veterinarian.” She addresses the other woman.
“Yeah.” Juliette confirms.
“I have an Egyptian Mau cat. It’s just my best friend.” The blonde says.
“Wow, we really don’t see those very often.” The vet comments.
“Yeah, maybe that’s ‘cause they’re so dangerous.” Nick then says, clearly meant as a jab at Adalind herself.
“They are descended from wild African cats. Good job.” Juliette says, not noticing the tension forming between her boyfriend and lawyer. “Very ancient breed. I’ve only seen one in my practice. They have a really cool mark on their forehead, like a little scarab beetle.” She then remarks.
“Do they have a little mark underneath their tongue?” Nick inquires, in reality referring to the horseshoe-like mark that Hexenbiests like Adalind have on the underside of their tongues.
“I’ve never looked.” Adalind replies, keeping her cool.
“That’s a weird question.” Juliette remarks, starting to notice something off.
“Hey, guys. Got our table. You guys ready to have a good time?” Hank announces as he comes back over to the group.
“Yeah.” The veterinarian replies.
“Good.” The detective says and leads them to their table, Nick not taking his gaze off Adalind, the jewel on his bracelet still shimmering.
Meanwhile, Renard pulls up in front of a house, parking his car, he gets out and then walks towards said house. As he approaches the red front door, it opens to reveal a beautiful woman, (physically appearing either in her 30s or maybe 40s), with short blonde hair, plus a slight resemblance to a certain Hexenbiest-lawyer.
“I was afraid you weren’t coming.” The woman says.
“I was held up.” Renard tells her.
“Everything okay?” The blonde asks him.
“Why?” The police captain asks in return.
“You have the smell of violence.” She states.
“And you have a problem with that?” He asks with a smirk.
“I never have.” The blonde woman says with a smile and lets the green eyed man into her house, closing the door after him.
Back with Nick, he and the others had sat down at their table, with the detective and Grimm keeping a trained eye on Adalind—still finding all this suspicious—Hank and Juliette oblivious to what was going on.
“I started in criminal law. Thought I’d be the next Clarence Darrow. But wouldn’t you know it? I ended up spending all my time with criminals.” Adalind says, telling them about her career. “So I switched to contract law. Still criminals, but they dress better.” She continues.
“And they pay better.” Hank adds.
“Sometimes.” Adalind agrees.
“Must have been pretty tough at the law firm. I suppose you had to hire some new lawyers.” Nick then says.
“I’m still getting over that loss.” The Hexenbiest replies, taking a sip of her martini.
“What loss? I’m feeling a little left out.” Juliette inquires.
“Two of the lawyers from her firm were murdered.” Hank explains.
“Oh, Nick told me a little bit about that. I’m sorry.” The veterinarian says to Adalind, sympathetic, before turning her attention back to her boyfriend. “You were really upset about that case.” She recalls.
“Yeah, I still am.” Nick admits—though not for the reasons she was thinking—when a cell phone then rings.
“I’m sorry.” Adalind says as she takes out her ringing phone. “Oh, you know, this is the office. I have to take this. Could you order me another drink?” She says and requests as she stands up from her seat, Nick narrowing his eyes as the woman touches his partner’s shoulder as she walks away.
“Of course I can.” Hank readily agrees, all too happy to comply.
“Thank you. Hello?” Adalind says then answers the call on her phone.
“I could use one myself.” The detective admits, taking a sip from his own glass.
“She seems nice.” Juliette comments.
“Mm, she is. Thing about her is she’s genuine. Grew up with her grandparents on a farm in Iowa. Put herself through law school.” Hank says.
“That sounds a little too good to be true.” Nick says, not believing a word of it.
“Hey, I put myself through vet school.” Juliette states, playfully slapping her boyfriend’s knee, who was struggling to keep his smile on his face.
“Could you order me another drink too? I gotta use the restroom.” The Grimm says as he gets up and walks towards the restrooms, though actually was following after Adalind.
“Sorry, Nick seems a little edgy tonight.” Juliette apologizes.
“Yeah, he does.” Hank agrees.
“I think you guys have been working a little too hard. Honestly, he seems off these days…” The veterinarian then says.
“Yeah, I’ve noticed…” The detective admits.
“So how long has this been going on between you and Miss Adalind?” The auburn haired woman then inquires, changing the subject.
“Not that long. It’s the weirdest thing. It’s like one day I woke up, and I couldn’t stop thinking about her.” Hank tells her, the two leaning close to each other.
“Yeah, I know how that goes.” Juliette says with a laugh.
“Yes. Okay.” Adalind says on the phone, currently at the bottom of stairs that led to the restaurant bathrooms, flinching when she notices Nick coming down said stairs, approaching her. “I—can do the deposition between 3:00 and 5:00 tomorrow. Just let me know what you—” She continues her call until her phone was snatched away and the call ended, the culprit being none other than Nick, who didn’t look happy.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” He questions, barely keeping his cool.
“Falling in love. I didn’t know that was against the law.” Adalind replies, clearly playing dumb.
“All right, I’m gonna say this once. You stay out of his life.” Nick demands, but the blonde merely turns to leave, taking back her phone. Not done with her, the man grabs her by the arm. “Hey. I hope you’re listening.” He says, threateningly.
“Did it ever occur to you that this is exactly what it looks like?” The witch asks.
“No. Never. You’re a liar.” The Grimm states, not falling for her “innocent act”.
“Because I’m not telling him everything? I guess you speak from experience.” Adalind retorts.
“I’m not gonna let this happen.” The dark haired man swears.
“Try and stop it.” The woman practically dares, turning to leave but once again was pulled back by an angered Grimm. “Maybe I should scream.” She suggests, only to gasp instead as she’s pushed against the wall and finds a blade against her throat, attached to a silver gauntlet with a blue jewel on the back of the hand.
“Don’t, tempt me.” Nick warns, more than a little tempted to slit her throat.
“Well, look at that. It does exist… Das Hexenmeisterschwert.” Adalind says—keeping her cool despite the situation—the detective was stunned.
“How did you know?” He asks.
“Let’s just say; word gets around.” The blonde replies, intentionally vague, annoying the Grimm, who presses the blade closer to her neck. “Really, Nick? You’re going to cut me? Here?” The woman questions, unfortunately having a point and the man backs off, the blade retracting. “I have to wonder; was that you, or the gauntlet?” She then says and walks back up the stairs.
Nick was left alone with his thoughts, which were starting to run wild along with his emotions. He ducks into the men’s restroom, trying to make sense of all this. Not realizing the saber was still in its gauntlet form, he clenches his fist then proceeds to punch the nearest stall door, breaking it off its top hinge. He sighs, admittedly feeling a bit better but still was concerned about this situation, not to mention angry at Adalind, gritting his teeth at the thought of her.
“Don’t let her get to you.” A voice says and Nick turns to the mirror, freezing as he sees not himself reflected back, but a slightly younger-looking man with longish black hair and dark eyes. “Hexenbiests like her have a way with words, which they use to their advantage… I should know.” The mysterious man says, his face then shifting into a grotesque visage with rotted flesh and burning amber eyes that were staring right at him—or more like through him—rooting him in place, but then jumps when the door is thrown open.
“Man, can’t believe it. We got a damn call.” Hank bemoans, but then notices his partner’s clearly rattled state.
“Jesus! Hank, you scared me!” Nick snaps at him—the saber thankfully having gone back to its bracelet form—trying to calm his racing heart from the fright he just had, also noticing the man in the mirror now gone.
“Sorry…” Hank apologizes, a little surprised at the other detective yelling at him like that. “Anyway, we got two dead bodies.” He then informs.
“Okay. Good. I’m taking Juliette home first.” The Grimm says in response.
“Hey, man. What’s the deal?” The older detective questions.
“Look, it’s just… Something going on between me and Juliette, and I don’t really want to get into it.” The blue eyed man answers, though that wasn’t all it was…
“Okay, I get it. I’ll take care of things till you get there.” Hank agrees and leaves the restroom, closing the door behind him.
Nick sighs, then notices the dented stall door and remembers punching it—god did he really do that?—then turns to the mirror, only seeing himself reflected back this time. Now that he thought about it, that man was familiar… It then hit him; Zackariah, the former Zauberbiest saint and past bearer of the Knight-Saber. He looks down at the bracelet as he was also reminded of that strange knight he saw back when he faced the two Dämonfeuers…also the times he’d see his grandfather. Wait, was every figure he was seeing a former wielder of the saber?
“Is this what Kolt meant when he said their spirits reside in the saber?” He can’t help but wonder, then recalls the encounter with Adalind. Okay sure, he hates her guts, but was he really willing to use the saber against her in a public setting?
“I have to wonder; was that you, or the gauntlet? …the saber has a will of its own, if you don’t learn to properly control it, it will take control of you.” The Hexenbiest and Steinadler’s words replay in his ears and he couldn’t help but worry. Was it possible he was, losing control?
Over with Renard, the man had taken a seat on the blonde woman’s couch as she made some refreshments for the two of them.
“If Adalind does this, my debt is paid?” The woman, Catherine, asks as she hands the man a mug of tea.
“Yes.” The police captain replies, putting down the mug on the table.
“And if she doesn’t?” Catherine poses the question, Renard staring at her with a hard look. “Just kidding.” She says with a playful smile, the man looking away. “But I’m disappointed.” She adds and the man looks back up at her.
“About what?” He asks.
“You used to be a lot more fun.” The blonde says touching his leg, sliding her hand up when it’s grabbed and yanked up by the police captain, who pulls her in close.
“I could still be fun if I want to.” Sean states with an intense stare, before letting the woman’s arm go. “All right, now there’s too much riding on this. I need you to make sure this happens the way it has to.” He states next.
“Well, it’s a good thing you came to a pro.” Catherine says back and the man gets up from the couch.
“Sometimes Adalind has a mind of her own. I don’t want any mistakes on this, Catherine.” The green eyed captain reminds, grabbing his coat as Catherine gets up herself and walks over to a mirror, looking at her reflection. “You may wanna spend a little less time gazing at that mirror, mirror on the wall.” He advises while putting on his coat.
“I’ll dagger, dagger in my heart.” The blonde woman waves off before turning to face Renard. “What happens when you find the key?” She asks.
“Well, those who help will be remembered and rewarded. Those who don’t will be forgotten.” He answers.
“There’s something else, isn’t there? It’s not just the key or the Grimm at stake, is it?” Catherine notes and the man looks away, confirming her suspicions. “Tell me, Sean, what’s really going on?” She questions.
“Ever heard of the Hexenmeisterschwert?” Renard asks in turn.
“The Warlock Sword? Of course, every Hexenbiest-Zauberbiest grows up hearing about it. You’d know yourself… You’ve seen it, haven’t you?” The blonde woman recounts, then trails off as she realizes, the man’s expression all the confirmation she needed. “Are the stories about its power true?” She inquires, interested.
“Hard to say… I’ve only seen it in action once, so far.” The police captain replies, recalling when he saw Nick receive then use the saber against Marquesa.
“It didn’t choose you…? That’s surprising, given your background.” Catherine remarks and Renard sends her an annoyed look.
“By the time I laid eyes on it…it already set its own sights on another.” He replies.
“The Grimm.” The blonde woman puts together. “Will Adalind be okay?” She then asks with a look of concern.
“He hasn’t had it for very long… I doubt he even truly understands what he has…” Renard states.
“So, even if your family gets the key, you’ll still have an ace up your sleeve.” Catherine then says with a wicked grin.
“Indeed, I will.” Sean says with his own smug smirk then proceeds to leave. Once outside, his smile drops and is replaced with a serious frown as he reaches up and places his hand over his chest, specifically where a certain mark was located.
After taking Juliette home, Nick drove down to the crime scene, finding his fellow policeman already canvasing the area. Parking his vehicle, he gets out, just as Sergeant Wu approaches him.
“Two dead bodies. Two guns. One Mercedes.” He reports, then takes a bite of his chapstick, much to Nick’s confusion.
“Wu?” The detective asks.
“What?” The sergeant asks.
“You just ate your chapstick.” Nick states.
“No, I didn’t.” Wu denies.
“I saw you.” The saber-bearer states, the other officer laughing.
“That’s crazy, why would I do that?” He questions, sounding genuinely confused, adding to Nick’s own befuddlement.
“Okay, so the older guy’s a brit, Thomas Woolsey, and the other guy is Anton Krug. He’s Swiss.” Hank announces as he walks over to the two.
“They both have guns in their hands, so a simple-minded sergeant would surmise they shot each other.” Wu theorizes, Nick keeping an eye on him. “Fortunately, that’s not my job. I’m gonna run prints.” He says next then leaves to do just that.
“What do you think?” Hank then asks his partner once they were alone.
“I don’t know. I just got here.” Nick replies, carefully throwing a glance to the saber, hoping it would provide aid to this case since they didn’t seem to have much to go on at the moment.
“About Adalind.” The other detective clarifies before turning and walks over to the two dead men, Nick following after him.
“You know, I gotta be honest with you, Hank. I, uh… I don’t see this one working out.” The blue eyed detective says, not sure what to say in this situation without sounding nuts.
“What are you talking about?” Hank asks, kneeling down to get a better look at the two victims. “Look, I know you’re afraid I might take advantage of her because we saved her life, but it’s not like that.” He then says, but that wasn’t the issue…
“Well, what if she takes advantage of you?” Nick suggests, walking closer to his partner.
“Works for me.” The older detective says dismissively, not getting the problem.
“Look, Hank, we’re cops. We can’t do this. We’ve gotta keep it separate.” The Grimm states.
“On the other hand, life is short, buddy. And I’m not getting married tomorrow.” Hank states as he stands back up. “Just get to know her. You might like her.” He suggests and Nick almost scoffs. The older detective then walks over to the car and lays down on the ground, reaching under and picks up a phone. “Hey, got a cell phone. Somebody bring me a baggie.” He announces and requests. Wu then walks over and hands the detective said bag, before proceeding to eat his entire chapstick, Nick staring at him in surprise.
“What?” He asks, appearing oblivious, then turns and walks away, leaving the detective confused. The Grimm sighs then turns around, approaching Anton Krug’s body. As he studies the dead man, the jewel of the saber shimmers and he’s pulled into a vision.
He witnesses a battlefield, men in medieval armor on two sides charging at each other, blood and fire soon engulfing the scene, a banner with what looked like a crest of same kind waved in the air. Then a family tree that has the same symbol with names and dates, including present day.
He then sees two men sword-fighting one-on-one, noting the glint from a silver bracelet with a blue jewel on the wrist of one of them. The two clash blades and their faces then became clear, his own and the other was the face of his police captain, Sean Renard…
“Nick…?” An outside voice says and the vision fades away…
“Nick?” The detective shakes his head—coming out of the vision—and turns to the confused face of his partner. “You alright?” Hank asks him. Nick glances back to Anton, then his eyes flicker to the saber on his wrist, more than a little confused by the strange vision.
“Yeah, just… Let’s get back to the station and find out what we can about this.” The Grimm replies and heads back to his car. Sighing as he sat in the driver’s seat, running a hand through his hair, trying to make sense of what he’d seen and figure out what it had to do with the two men, and his captain…?
Arriving at the precinct, Nick made his way to his desk, taking his seat and quickly sketches out the mysterious symbol he saw in his most recent vision, swearing he saw it before but couldn’t quite pin-point as to where.
“Making any progress on the double homicide?” He looks up at the sound of his captain’s voice as the man himself walks over. The image of himself and the police captain clashing swords flashes in his mind, which he shakes off, also hiding the drawn image of the symbol and picks up a file to look at instead.
“Not much. We’ve got two foreigners, one Swiss, one British, who decided to shoot each other in Portland.” Hank informs their boss.
“According to the rental agreement found in the Mercedes, it was rented to Anton Krug, but the keys were found in Woolsey’s pocket.” Nick says next, more than a little confused himself.
“Right, so they either knew each other, or one was trying to steal the car from the other?” Renard questions, playing the fool.
“Well, they had to have known each other. According to the airlines, they both flew in together today. And there was only one car, so obviously they drove together.” Hank then states.
“Uh-huh. Well, makes sense.” The captain says in agreement, when something then occurs to Nick.
“Unless, there was a second car, and somebody drove away.” He theorizes, Renard turning his full attention to him.
“What are you saying, a third man? You got any evidence of this?” Sean questions with a skeptical tone.
“Not yet.” Nick admits, the vision honestly not helping in this particular case.
“Could have been a business dispute that got out of hand. Can you connect them to anybody here?” Renard suggests then asks.
“We did find this cell phone underneath the car.” Hank replies, holding up the bagged phone. “We think it must have fallen out of Anton’s pocket when he hit the ground.” He then informs.
“You, uh, access that yet?” The police captain inquires.
“We haven’t been able to turn it on. We think it broke when it hit the ground.” Nick replies and informs.
“Lab will be able to get that information.” Hank states.
“Good, good. Keep me advised.” Renard says then walks away.
“Gentlemen,” Wu says as he walks over to the two detectives. “And you two as well.” He adds in a deadpan tone, his fellow cops silent in response to the remark. “Waits for laugh, doesn’t get it, all right… According to the airline records, which I just received and happened to peruse while in the restroom…
“Both of your victims cleared the guns they used to shoot each other when they checked in for their flight from Zurich. So my guess is, the two guns knew other.” He tells them, again getting nothing but silence in response. “Waits for laugh again, taps on fake microphone. Is this thing even on? Hello?” He jokes.
“Oh, man, it must be late. Look, let’s pick this up tomorrow. I’m beat. Plus, I’m pissed I missed my dinner with Adalind.” Hank says as he stands up from his chair, grabbing his jacket to leave.
“Hey, don’t worry, I’ll take that phone down to evidence.” Nick promises the man.
“Ah, yeah, thanks. See you manana.” The older detective says then walks out of the bullpen. The Grimm goes to bring out his sketch, when he notices Wu still at his desk, grimacing.
“Hey, you okay?” He asks.
“Yeah.” The sergeant answers. “Well, no. I’ve been having some stomach problems lately.” He then admits.
“Well, maybe it’s something you ate?” Nick suggests, subtly indicating the chapstick he saw Wu swallow earlier.
“No, I’ve been eating pretty good lately. Although I have gained some weight.” Wu says in response, then jokes while patting his stomach, before turning to walk away. “Hey, Nick, you know what?” He says.
“What?” Nick asks.
“I think I’m gonna pass out.” Just as the sergeant says that, he falls to the ground, unconscious.
“Wu?” Nick says as he turns to see the man on the ground. “Hey! Somebody call a medic!” He yells, getting up from his seat and rushes to the passed out officer’s side, joined by others of the department just as concerned. With the majority of the bullpen distracted, Renard discreetly swipes the phone in the evidence bag, then calmly walks back to his office.
Meanwhile, Adalind returns to her apartment following the canceled double-date, though as she took off her coat she sensed something was off. She woges into her Hexenbiest form with a growl, just as a second Hexenbiest walks out into view.
“Mom.” Adalind says as she shifts back to her human appearance, the other witch-Wesen doing the same, revealing it to be Catherine.
“Hello, precious. I hope you don’t mind, I let myself in.” She greets and says.
“You’re lucky I didn’t rip your throat out.” Adalind says playfully as the two approach each other.
“As if you could have.” Catherine rebukes as she takes her daughter into her arms. “I heard you got yourself a new beau.” She then says.
“It’s not like that. I’m working.” The younger blonde states as she leaves her mother’s embrace and walks off.
“Of course you are. The captain?” Her mother says then asks, though already knew the answer.
“Yes.” Adalind confirms.
“Then you better make sure that everything goes the way he wants.” The older Hexenbiest advises.
“I am, Mom.” The lawyer replies and sits down on the couch.
“You still love him, don’t you?” Catherine states as she walks over and sits down next to her daughter.
“What difference does that make?” Adalind questions defensively.
“I taught you well.” Her mother says with pride.
“There’s another thing…” The younger Wesen then says, more serious. “My new beau, is the partner of the Grimm.” She admits.
“Then this is about more than just the partner.” The older blonde woman puts together, though was already aware of this.
“This is about getting the key… Which isn’t going to be easy considering the Grimm has the Hexenmeisterschwert. He nearly used it on me already…” Adalind then says, remembering Nick pinning her to the wall with the Knight-Saber’s blade held against her throat.
“Well, well… You’re really going all the way on this one.” Catherine says, bringing her daughter back to the present.
“All I know is this is gonna get ugly.” She admits, a bit fearful.
“Don’t worry. You do ugly so well. Just be careful, though I doubt the Grimm truly understands how to use such a weapon.” Her mother encourages, caressing her daughter’s hair, their moment interrupted by the ringing of a cell phone.
“Just a second.” Adalind says, getting up and walks over to retrieve said phone. “It’s him.” She says, taking her cell out of her purse, while Catherine rises from her spot on the couch as well.
“Well, what did you expect?” She asks rhetorically as she walks over to her daughter. “Go ahead, answer it. Put on a smile. They can hear it in your voice.” She advises while walking to the kitchen as the younger blonde answers her ringing phone.
“Hank, hi.” Adalind greets with a smile like her mother told her to.
“Adalind, sorry we had to duck away. We had a double homicide.” Hank apologizes over the phone. “Anyway, you don’t want to hear about that. Uh… I was on my way home and thought I might stop by for a few minutes.” He offers.
“I’d love that, Hank.” The Hexenbiest replies.
“Oh, great.” The detective says, pleased.
“But my Mom’s here, and we haven’t seen each other in a while. Maybe some other time?” She ends up turning down.
“Sure. I understand.” The man agrees, though was clearly disappointed.
“You know, I like that Juliette. I hope we can finish that dinner sometime.” Adalind then says as Catherine comes back into the room with two cocktails in hand, giving one to her daughter.
Outside the apartment, Hank was parked in his car, watching the blondes through the window of Adalind’s apartment.
“Me too. I’ll call you tomorrow.” He says.
“Don’t forget. Bye.” Adalind replies then ends the call and the detective puts his phone away then starts up his car’s engine and drives off.
Meanwhile, Wu was rushed to the emergency room, Nick going with him to make sure the police sergeant was okay. Upon arriving, Wu was taken in for medical exams and even surgery.
“There’s an eating disorder called Pica. It usually involves consuming non-edible substances, dirt, coins, and other small objects. We discovered some gastrointestinal obstruction. Fortunately, there was no tearing of the stomach. And this is what we got out of him.” A doctor tells Nick, showing him a dish full of stuff, including paperclips, string, buttons, etc.
“He ate all that?” The detective says in surprise, turning his attention the sergeant currently resting in a hospital bed.
“Well, now you know why he wasn’t feeling so good.” The woman replies with a bit of a humor to her tone.
“Why would he do this?” Nick then questions.
“Lots of reasons. You’re in a very stressful job. That could be enough.” The doctor says in response, having a point. “We’ll keep him overnight. He should be good to go home tomorrow, but he’s gotta get some help.” She says next then advises. Nick sighs, glancing to his colleague, wondering what could have caused this.
“You should have killed her when you had the chance.” Monroe says when Nick comes over from the hospital, explaining the situation to the Blutbad, who got them both a beer.
“You’re telling me.” The Grimm agrees, honestly wishing he did more than just threaten Adalind with the Knight-Saber.
“So just warn him off her, dude.” The clockmaker advises as he sits on his couch.
“Yeah, well, I’ve tried. But he won’t listen to anything I have to say about her. You know, plus, how do you tell your partner he’s dating a witch?” Nick replies then points out, Monroe chuckling in response.
“You mean so he doesn’t hate you? Not easy.” The bearded man understands. “But this is not normal… You don’t date a Hexenbiest lightly. And you break up with one at your own peril.” He then states, making the younger man think.
“Could she have done something to him?” The Grimm ponders.
“Hell yeah. That’s what they do.” Monroe states, confirming the detective’s suspicions. “Looks like somebody took a bite of out of the wrong apple, dude. Classic witch’s brew. Mojo, juju, hocus pocus, booga-booga, whatever you want to call it. They got some pretty potent concoctions that can seriously mess with your brain chemistry.” The Blutbad says next as the other man takes a seat.
“That would explain it.” He says with a sigh. Of course his partner was bewitched, he should’ve known sooner.
“Rosalee would know about this. I could call her.” Monroe then says, while also checking his watch for the time. “Oh, she’s probably asleep by now. Not that that ever bothered you.” He remarks.
“Call her.” Nick practically demands, groaning.
“You okay, man? I know this thing with Hank and Adalind is pretty bad, but you’ve been tense for a while now.” The older man asks, concerned, the detective sighing while running a hand through his hair.
“I just… Honestly I’m questioning, this.” He says, holding up his hand with the saber, the Blutbad quickly understanding.
“Visions messing with your head again?” The clockmaker guesses, the Grimm huffing out another tired breath.
“Among other things…and I’m kind of starting to wonder if I’m still, myself…” The dark haired man replies. “Call, Rosalee. We need to get on top of this.” He then says and the wolf-Wesen picks up his phone, dialing the Fuchsbau woman’s number.
Meanwhile back at the bullpen, Sean Renard was in his office, putting on a pair of latex gloves, taking the phone from the crime scene out of the evidence bag then proceeds to switch out its sim card, not willing to take the chance it could lead back to him. No one can know he was there with Anton and Woolsey, or that he was the third man who shot them both dead. Especially not his own police force, in particular a certain detective, Grimm and wielder of the Knight-Saber. Finishing the switch, he puts the phone back in the bag, as if nothing happened.