บท 9: Chapter 6
Once everything was explained, Nick and Menace left the place. They made sure to be discreet about it as they returned to the precinct.
"You go ahead. I'll drop my things at the store first, then come back here." Menace stated, looking at her car parked on the opposite road. Her things were in the backseat, a mess after leaving the apartment she rented in a rush after the attack.
"Do you need me to escort you?" Nick offered, to which she shook her head.
"It's okay. I can manage, Nick." the latter nodded at her, before proceeding to the steps, as Menace ran across the road, making sure there was no car coming.
As she was about to open the door to the driver's seat, her phone started ringing from the back pocket of her jeans. An unknown ID caller showing on the screen. She had a feeling who it might be and answered the call.
"Meisner?" she started, getting inside her car.
"Fast thinking, I see." His deep baritone voice reverberated through the phone. Authority coated his tone even though he wasn't making a command.
"What do you need?" she asked, putting the key in the ignition, before landing back on her seat.
"Get back here once you're free, and when I say free, I meant not being called by Nick or disturbed by anything." Menace rolled her eyes at the sound of his tone. It was commanding this time. Telling her what to do.
"For what?" she barked back. Her tone matched his.
"You'll know once you get here." Menace felt suddenly annoyed at the fact that she could hear the smirk in his tone and that he hung up the call before she could say anything.
Letting out a sigh, she threw her phone into the passenger seat, before finally starting the car and getting on the road.
✓
Menace decided not to drop her things in the shop yet, instead, she went inside the precinct. She searched for Nick, but he was nowhere to be seen, Hank wasn't there too.
"You looking for Nick?" she smiled at Wu, the other officer who's also always with Nick and Hank, then nodded at him. "The Captain called for them. Something important I guess," he stated, pointing at the office where the curtains are drawn down, making sure no one can see inside.
"Thanks," she said, smiling at the officer who smiled back before going back to his desk.
She sat down at the chair where she sat just this morning. Her phone vibrated through her jeans. A familiar name registered on the screen upon checking it.
"Hello, Uncle." she started, a smile sliding across her lips.
"How's it going? Have you settled down?" the man replied from the other side.
It's been almost a week since she called him, telling the man that the mother she was trying to find had passed away, and instead, met his cousin who turned out to be a Grimm too.
Her Uncle, Henry Beckett, is the brother of her adoptive mother who was also adopted when she was a baby. Henry, a Hundjager had always known Menace was a Grimm. He saw himself through her eyes when she was seven. He was sure she hadn't known anything by that time, and it only happened because she was in distress after waking up from a nightmare the night she spent a night at his house. Thankfully, after seeing his Hundjager form, she also took it as a Nightmare at that time.
The day his sister died, he adopted her. Making sure to give her proper training and knowledge about what she is, and what she can and can't do. He can't keep that truth anymore, not after what Menace told her the night of the accident. Giving her the knowledge she needs will keep her alive. Whether it means a Hundjager teaching a Grimm to be the person that hunts his kind.
"Yes, Uncle. Don't worry. I am doing fine. I managed to land a job here as an intern once again. Though it's not through papers." Menace replied, smiling upon hearing the chuckle his Uncle did from the other side.
"That's good to know. I'm sorry I can't stay too long on the call. My partner is here." Menace nodded, forgetting the fact that the man couldn't see her.
"Be safe, Uncle. If I find out that you're causing trouble there, I'm gonna haul your ass." she playfully answered, earning a laugh from her Uncle.
"I should be the one saying that you menace." she laughed at how her Uncle made a joke using her name. "Make sure to call me again once you're free, understand?"
"I will. I miss you already," she mumbled, hearing an I miss you too on the other side before ending the call.
"Menace. Perfect. We're going."
"Okay!" she blurted out in a hurry upon seeing Nick and Hank's rush movement.
The two men just grab their jackets and they're out, Menace on their tail.
They all get in one car, Nick's, and then out on the road.
✓
Menace roams her eyes around the place. Making sure to take in the surroundings along with the faces of people gossiping about the dead body ahead.
She watches Nick and Hank talk to the Sheriff of the small town while leaning on the front of the car. Her arms crossed against her chest. Only straightens up when she notices the two detectives walking back to where she is. She rushes to their side when they walk past her.
"So, was it Wesen, or was it truly a lake monster?" Menace asked under her breath, making sure no one other than the two would hear.
"We still don't know yet." Nick started, pausing in the middle of walking and turning to face her. "I want you to look around, while Hank and I interview some people. Note anyone or anything suspicious you find. Don't go too far and don't engage in anything dangerous."
Menace nodded, watching the two leave before moving herself. She was planning to move closer to the lake and see if she'd find something, but then she saw a man talking to the wife of the victim.
Her eyes squint as she watches him intently. The talk didn't take long. Maybe just a few minutes, before the man turns around. A smirk on his lips as he walks away. She felt something odd about him, so she decided to follow him, hoping that nothing would escalate as she did so.
Menace made sure to follow him a few meters away so that the man wouldn't notice him. But as she does so, she starts noticing that the path the man is taking becomes more secluded. Trees get thicker as they head deeper into the forest. Far from any eyes.
She wasn't feeling good about the situation anymore. She stopped walking, at the same time the man did. Cursing under her breath, Menace ran to the nearest tree as the man turned around. Missing seeing her by just an inch. She wanted to follow him more, cause she felt like she'd find out something, but she couldn't afford to cause trouble for Nick.
The man was already gone when she peaked out, sighing to herself, Menace turned to face where she came from, stopping when she felt a presence behind. She felt that whoever it is, doesn't want to have any proper talk, so asking is out of the question.
Then she felt movement, ducking her head, she swiftly turned her body towards the person, swinging her elbow in full force. Whoever it was caught her elbow in time. She winced as the hand tightened around her elbow. She turned to the side, this time swinging her free elbow, and she felt it collide with a solid bone. She jumps back, creating as much distance as she can.
"Now, that's good. But slow." A frown settled on Menace's face upon hearing the familiar deep voice, confirming who she thought it was when she was greeted by a stern look.
She glared at Meisner. Her fists balled on her side, not letting her guard down. She knows better than to. She already deduces what he can do after seeing the bruises on Trubel's face, along with the fact of the place they put the latter in.
"Are you following us?" she questioned, teeth gritted as she watched Meisner's movement.
She felt a throbbing ache on her elbow. She subtly glanced at it, getting angrier when she saw the already bruising skin, proving just how strong the man could be. She glares at him and receives nothing but the stern look the man seems to always wear on his face.
"Only you. Your training starts from now on." He replied, not even moving an inch from where he was standing.
"Training? I can take care of myself."
"Against feeble Wesens, yes. But that's not enough. Whatever you can do to defend yourself won't be enough against the higher-ups of the Black Claw." he explained, taking a step closer to Menace, who quickly stepped back.
"I don't care what you think. I didn't come here for you."
"Well then, I'll show you just how right I am."
Menace's eyes widen when Meisner charges forward. She was able to block his fist with her arm, but she still felt a pang of pain upon the impact. She swung her right fist, aiming for his unguarded face, but he was faster. She tumbles backward as his foot collides with her abdomen. She ducked after seeing another fist incoming, but it was a feint. Instead, he grabs her head, kneeing her face before tossing her to the ground.
Menace's vision is covered with black spots as she lands on the ground with a thud. Wincing when she felt a throbbing pain in her nose. She lifted her fingers to touch it, cursing when she saw blood on it. She felt them, thankful that it wasn't broken.
"You held back," she muttered, pushing herself into a sit here leaning her back into the tree beside her. She wasn't confident she would be able to stand without collapsing again.
"I told you. You're slow." Menace raises an eyebrow upon noticing the intent look he was giving her. The stern disappeared for a moment, but it was back after just a second. As if it wasn't even there.
"Fine. I'll attend you're training sessions, but you better not tell Nick, 'cause he will kill you. He's already pissed about what you guys did with Trubel. I bet you didn't notice that." she remarked, standing up and dusting herself off of the leaves that stuck on her clothes.
"I don't care what he feels. There's something more important than whatever you guys are doing right now." Meisner answered, turning his back from her.
"You know you're an asshole, right? I'm telling you in case you don't." Menace stated, wiping the blood on her nose with the sleeve of her jacket, groaning in irritation when it just made more mess. "Also, I'm not going tonight since you already beat me up. See you tomorrow night?"
Meisner stopped walking for a moment, considering what to say. In the end, he didn't say anything and started walking again. Menace shakes her head, walking back out into the road.
"There you are. Where did you- Is that blood? Who did that?" Nick started the moment he saw Menace walking towards them.
She was a complete mess. Drops of blood on her clothes, and more stains on the sleeve which she used to wipe her nose. Not to forget that there's still dried blood on her face.
"I'm fine, Nick. I fought with this guy who thought I was stalking him." she lied, earning a raised eyebrow from the two men.
"Who is it?" Nick demanded, his tone coated with underlying malice. Obviously for the guy who supposedly hurt Menace.
"Nick, I'm fine. Nothing's broken. Besides, I beat up the guy. If the Sheriff finds out about it, it'll just cause trouble." Menace replied, hoping that Nick would take her lies and calm down. If the man finds out about Meisner, it won't end up well.
Everything will be a mess even before the enemies get to them.
✓
They went back to the place the next day after being called by the Sheriff. Turns out, there's another body. This time Menace stands by their side, listening to the Sheriff as he tells them that the victim was swimming that night, and a particular girl saw how he was dragged under by what they call the monster lake.
Nick lifts the cover on the body revealing a pale man with wounds on his face down to his chest and torso, resembling what looks like a shark bite. The problem is, there are no freshwater sharks.
Nick covered the body again. As he talks to Hank with a hushed voice, Menace looks around. The same thing she did the first time they were there. Then she saw the same guy she followed from yesterday, standing in the corner behind them.
She decided to follow him once again, but as she stepped away from them, Nick grabbed her elbows.
"Menace, where are you going?" he asked, his brows furrowing as he looked at her.
"I'm just gonna check something out. I'll be back shortly and with no wounds or anything. I promise." Menace blabbered, pushing Nick's arm off her and running after the man.
She thought she lost him for a moment, but then she saw him entering the merchandise shop that was growing more famous because of the killings. Rushing after him, Menace was greeted by a lot of people in line. Either t-shirts, mugs, frames, or keychains in their hands.
Menace saw the man walking towards the counter, where the two brothers were standing, tending to the people. Nick saw one of them woge into a Luisant-Pêcheur, or Otter-like Wesen, so she was completely sure the other one was too.
She moved to the side, hiding behind the shelves as she eased forward. The man she was following then slammed a shirt on the counter, leaning his face closer to the older brother. Menace turns her head to the side, inclining her ear in their direction. Zoning other noises coming from inside the shop and focusing on the conversation happening in front.
"24 dollars for a t-shirt. 15 bucks for a mug?! We need to talk." the man demanded, making the two brothers lean back in fear.
"Wayne? Wayne." the younger brother called to the other, grabbing his attention.
"All right. I'll handle it. let's talk in the office." the older answered, pointing his thumb toward the other room.
The man she followed threw the shirt into the younger brother's face as he walked behind the counter. Menace quickly pulls out her phone from her jeans, goes straight to her camera app, and takes a picture of the man with the older brother as they go inside the room. She quickly sent the picture to Nick's number, before rushing out of the room.
Nick and Hank waited for her outside the car. they met her on the way when they saw her running towards them.
"Who's the guy?" Hank started, letting Menace get inside in the backseat before he did on the passenger seat, followed by Nick in the driver's seat.
"When you guys left to interview the two brothers yesterday, I saw the guy in the picture I sent you Nick, talking to the wife of the victim. It felt odd that out of all the people there, he was the only one who approached the woman. I followed him, but he kept going deep into the forest. I felt like he knew someone was following him, so I stopped."
"Is he the one that hurt you yesterday?" Nick asked, turning on his seat in a rush to face her.
"No, Nick. Calm down. I told you it was a fight-"
"Yeah. With someone who thought you were stalking them. Isn't he the one you were following yesterday?" Nick cut in, raising an eyebrow in her direction.
"Oh, for fuck's sake, Nick. I'm not a twelve-year-old kid. I can take care of myself. What's important is to find out who the guy is and what's his connection with the other two. After all, I think they're all much closer than what they're showing since the older brother and the guy went inside another room together." Menace continued, watching as the two men looked at each other.
"Fine. I'll run through the database and see if I can find him there. For now, we wait."
✓
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