by Tim Waggoner
Her features shifted, and for a moment her face was covered with glossy reddish-brown fur, her nose had receded and turned black, and long delicate whiskers protruded from her cheeks. But the moment passed and her features became those of a woman once more.
Hank caught Nick’s eye and raised a questioning eyebrow. Hank couldn’t see Wesen when they involuntarily woged, not unless they were so overcome with emotion that they lost control of their ability to shield their true nature from the eyes of humans. But over the last few months, Hank had gotten good at noticing when Nick got what he called “That Look,” which meant he’d seen a Wesen.
Nick gave Hank a quick nod to indicate Beverly was indeed Wesen, followed by an equally quick shake of the head to indicate she wasn’t one of the more dangerous varieties. She was a Luisant-Pêcheur, an otter-like being more at home in the water than on land, and gentle for the most part.
Blind Bill’s had a good-sized crowd for a Thursday night. Three-quarters of the seats were taken, and while a few people had open textbooks or laptops in front of them, most had come here to hang out, have a good time, and decompress from the pressures of academic life. Right now, though, everyone was paying attention to the drama playing out in their midst. Some were talking and laughing about it, others were taking pictures or filming videos with their phones, while a few looked as if they would’ve preferred to get out of there before the situation took a violent turn, only they were too afraid to do anything other than sit still and stay quiet.
Nick absorbed all of these details in an instant, almost on an unconscious level, and he processed them just as swiftly. His attention was then drawn to a young woman sitting alone at a table—a table with two empty chairs. Like everyone else in the bar, her gaze was fixed on the two angry cousins, but her eyes shone with amusement mixed with a healthy dose of shrewd calculation, and her mouth formed a small smile. Thick auburn hair spilled over her shoulders, and she was pretty in a cold, severe way. She wore a white sweater and jeans, and expensive-looking cowboy boots that were highly polished and didn’t have a mark on them. The woman’s smile and the two empty chairs at her table told Nick everything he needed to know. She was playing the two men against each other, and odds were she was also a Jagerbar. While he wasn’t sure, based on his first encounter with this type of Wesen it seemed the females of her kind were stronger-willed than the males. If that was true, a show of strength and aggression to impress a female might be normal for Jagerbaren. But normal or not, he couldn’t allow them to conduct their mating rituals in public.
Nick raised his hands, palms forward, fingers spread apart to appear the least threatening he could, and took a step toward the two Jagerbaren.
“Take it easy, guys. This isn’t the kind of thing you want to do in front of an audience, is it?”
Neither of the men looked at him, but the one with the beard said, “We don’t have to do it at all. He just needs to walk out of this place and never come back.”
The unshaven cousin made a noise deep in his throat that sounded too much like a growl. He woged, and his features took on an ursine aspect. His eyes blazed with anger, and he opened his mouth to display his fangs. His cousin woged in response, and now two bear-like creatures stood facing each other. Nick could feel the angry energy radiating off them in waves, and he knew he had only a few seconds to act before they started fighting in earnest. So far none of the humans in the bar could see the two Jagerbaren’s true appearance. If they could, they’d be shouting, screaming, and trying to get the hell out of there as fast as they could. But once the Jagerbaren started fighting, they could lose control of their illusion of humanity and innocents could get seriously hurt in the brawl, or in their panic to escape it.
So far, he’d tried to handle this like a cop. Time to try handling it like a Grimm.
He stepped between the two Jagerbaren, placed his hands on their chests and shoved them back a few inches. They were strong in their Wesen forms, but Nick was stronger than a normal human, and although the Jagerbaren struggled to move toward each other again, Nick held them where they were.
Nick glanced back and forth between the two men. This close, their animal scent was almost overpowering to his enhanced sense of smell, and he felt their combined fury as a physical force. As if in answer, anger welled up within him, and he felt an urge to grab the Jagerbaren by the backs of their heads and smash their faces together. It was his Grimm nature—which wasn’t so different from that of the Wesen—urging him to act. These two beasts were a threat, and they had to be put down—now.
Nick gritted his teeth and fought the anger down. He was still a cop and couldn’t let his emotions get out of control in a tense situation.
Hank caught his eye and gave him a questioning look. They’d been partners for so long that Nick had no trouble interpreting it. Hank was asking if Nick needed him to step in and help. Nick shook his head slightly, the gesture a reply which meant, Not yet, but stay ready. Hank acknowledged it with a brief nod.
“You guys know who I am?” Nick asked the cousins. “Or, more importantly, what I am?” He kept his voice low, so only the two Jagerbaren could hear him.
Neither replied, but both took a second to glance at him, and while he didn’t see fear in their gazes, he did see acknowledgment.
“I’ll take that as a yes. Tell me your names.”
The cousins returned to glaring at each other, but the clean-shaven one growled, “Josef,” and his bearded cousin growled, “Thorsten.”
“Now we’re getting somewhere.” Nick jerked his head toward the girl at the table. She didn’t seem distressed at seeing her two suitors confronted by a Grimm. If anything, she looked even more amused by the development. “And what’s her name?’
“Sylvia,” Josef said.
“Okay. So you two are trying to put on a good show for her, right? You each want her to see you as the strongest and meanest.”
Thorsten’s gaze flicked to Nick for an instant.
“That’s the general idea.”
“So how impressive is it that you’re standing in the middle of a bar with a Grimm between you, holding you back like you’re a couple of little boys caught fighting on the playground?”
Nick watched both of their faces to gauge their reaction to his words. Thorsten looked uncertain, and Nick could tell he’d scored some points with him. Josef, however, narrowed his eyes at Nick and bared his fangs.
“Nice try,” Josef said. “My cousin might fall for that crap, but I won’t. There’s only one way this ends, and that’s with one of us on the ground. Preferably him.” He turned back to glare at Thorsten.
Despite their bestial nature, Jagerbaren—modern ones, at least—tended to be peaceful enough. They reserved their aggressive tendencies for their work, choosing professions in law and politics. But under the influence of alcohol, Jagerbaren could be incredibly dangerous, and Nick could smell that these two had been drinking. And even if he couldn’t, the empty mugs on their table would’ve tipped him off. Nick wasn’t sure exactly how alcohol affected them, but he knew one thing: these two were determined to fight, and it didn’t look like there was any way to talk them out of it.
Time for Plan B.
“You know, it seems to me that there isn’t anything particularly special about one Jagerbar fighting another. If I were you two, I’d be thinking about how much more impressed Sylvia would be if I knocked a Grimm onto his ass. How many Jagerbaren can say they did that?”
Josef and Thorsten exchanged looks, and then their features shifted as they assumed human guises. For the first time since Nick had entered Blind Bill’s, he could see the cousins’ anger ebbing, replaced by thoughtful calculation.
“I don’t like where this is headed,” Hank said.
“Me neither,” Beverly added.
Up to this point, Sylvia hadn’t said a word, but now she leaned back in her chair, crossed her legs, and said, “Well I love it.”
And just like that, the Jagerbaren’s minds were ma
de up for them.
Josef looked at Thorsten, and the two nodded in silent agreement. Josef turned to Nick and said, “You’re on.”
“Let’s step into my office.”
Nick removed his hands from the Jagerbaren’s chests and started walking toward the door without another glance at them. Nick knew he was taking a gamble by turning his back on the cousins. Without him standing between them, one or both might decide this was an opportunity to catch the other off guard. Or they might decide to attack him inside the bar, hoping to gain an advantage by surprise. But Nick had something going for him that the Jagerbaren didn’t. He had a partner. He knew Hank would watch the Jagerbaren for any sign that they intended to renege on their agreement. And even though Nick knew the last thing Hank would do was draw his Glock in here—not with so many bystanders—the cousins didn’t know that. And while Jagerbaren might be tough, they weren’t bulletproof.
Nick also had a personal reason for wanting to take the fight outside. Not long ago, he’d encountered a Wesen who called himself Baron Samedhi, after the legendary voodoo priest. Samedhi had been a Cracher-Mortel, a puffer-fish-like creature that could spit a type of venom that put its victims into a deathlike state. But the venom had a different effect on Nick due to his Grimm physiology, and he’d become an enraged, near-mindless madman, wandering through the city at random and committing acts of violence. His memories of that time were hazy at best, but he knew that he’d gone into a bar and, predictably enough, a fight had broken out. One of the patrons there that night had pulled a knife on him, and Nick—unable to exert any sort of self-control—had hit the man with all his strength. The strength of a Grimm. The man had died, and even though Nick knew that it was a terrible accident, the incident still weighed heavily on him. If he had to fight tonight, he wasn’t going to do it inside a bar. No way.
Nick pushed open the bar door and stepped out into the night. The cool air came as a relief after the stuffiness inside. He looked up, hoping to see stars, but the cloud cover was heavy. Typical for this time of year. He smiled. All in all, not a bad night to fight a couple of monsters.
He continued into the parking lot. He heard the door open again, and he glanced over his shoulder to see Josef and Thorsten following. Hank came after them, followed by Beverly and then Sylvia. No one else came outside, and Nick was glad. The last thing he wanted was an audience who didn’t understand what was really going on. He could see the headline in tomorrow’s Tribune: PORTLAND POLICE OFFICER IN BAR BRAWL! Captain Renard would just love that.
Nick picked a spot where there was enough empty space to give him room to maneuver, and sufficient illumination from a nearby streetlight to see clearly. In a fight, every little advantage mattered. He turned around, and as if that was signal, the two cousins started running toward him, hands curled into fists, features contorted into masks of rage.
At least they’re working together, Nick thought.
They woged as they came, and although it might have been his imagination, he thought they appeared even more bestial than before. He’d once seen a female Jagerbar transform all the way into a bear, and he had no idea if she was a special case or if all Jagerbaren could do that. He hoped for the former. Fighting a pair of enraged alcohol-fueled Jagerbaren was bad enough. He’d rather not have to deal with a couple of full-grown, pissed-off bears.
His senses, normally heightened, sharpened even further, and a deep calm settled over him. At the same time he felt a surge of energy rush through him, as if somewhere inside him a switch had been thrown. Rather than clashing, these two sensations complemented one another in a strange way he didn’t fully understand. All he knew was that it was moments like these, just before battle, that he felt truly himself.
Hank ran behind the Jagerbaren, drawing his Glock in case things got out of hand. Beverly jogged behind him, looking scared as hell. Sylvia walked at a measured pace, as if she were in no hurry. Too cool for school, Nick thought.
Nick watched the Jagerbaren approach and tried to get a quick read on them. Would one reach him before the other? Would they attack in unison or take turns? They spread apart as they drew near, and Nick knew they intended to strike at the same time. He doubted they’d planned it that way. At this point they were acting on instinct rather than thought. He’d have to use that to his advantage.
Jagerbaren were fast, but not agile, and as the first one reached him—Thorsten, as it turned out—Nick grabbed hold of the man’s wrist with both hands, spun him around, and let go. Off-balance, Thorsten stumbled several stops and then fell, hitting the asphalt hard. Nick didn’t wait to see if he got up. He turned to meet Josef’s charge. When the Jagerbar was within several feet of Nick, he leaped toward him with a deep bellow, clawed hands outstretched and ready to rend flesh.
Nick started to sidestep to avoid the Jagerbar’s claws, but as fast as his reflexes were, they weren’t quite quick enough this time. The claws on Josef’s right hand clipped his shoulder. The blow would’ve knocked down a normal man and probably broken his shoulder, too. But Nick managed to stay on his feet, and although he could feel sharp pain where the claws had scratched him, he was otherwise uninjured.
Josef landed on all fours, spun around, and straightened into a standing position. He bellowed a challenge, the sound as much human as it was animal, and came at Nick again. Nick felt a tingling on the back of his neck, and he jumped to the side just as Thorsten made a leap at him from behind. The cousins slammed into each other with a sound like two sides of beef colliding. They staggered backward, stunned, but neither went down.
Of course it couldn’t be that easy.
He took advantage of the cousins’ momentary confusion and hit Josef with a hard right cross, then advanced on Thorsten and hit him with a left. He didn’t pull either punch, for the Wesen were far tougher than ordinary humans and could withstand a great deal more punishment. The impact of the first punch knocked Josef onto his behind, but Thorsten managed to stay on his feet.
Got to work on that left, Nick thought.
Thorsten bellowed and charged, all anger and no finesse. Nick easily avoided the man’s attack and caught him on the back of the neck with a savage chop. Thorsten grunted in pain and fell face-first to the ground. Just then Nick’s instincts screamed at him to turn around, but before he could do so, Josef wrapped his powerful arms around Nick’s chest and squeezed.
Bear hug, Nick thought, and he might’ve smiled if his ribs hadn’t been on the verge of being snapped like toothpicks. Josef had grabbed him from behind, and his arms were pinned to his sides. To make matters worse, Josef leaned back and lifted Nick off the ground, depriving him of the leverage he’d need to fight back.
“Need some help?” Hank called out, sounding more than a little worried.
Nick shook his head once, and although he could barely breathe, he managed to choke out, “Thanks, but I got this.”
He dipped his chin to his chest and then threw his head backward with as much force as he could muster. The back of his head slammed into Josef’s face, and Nick felt as much as heard the Wesen’s nose break. Josef moaned in pain, but while his hold on Nick slackened, he maintained his grip. Nick had to slam his head into Josef’s face twice more before he finally released him and slumped to the asphalt semiconscious, his features shifting to human once more.
Nick’s ears were ringing and gray nibbled at the corner of his vision, but he wasn’t concerned. He knew he’d recover soon. Right now he had more important things to worry about. Like Thorsten.
Nick spun around to face the other Jagerbar, but the man—who like his brother had reassumed his human aspect—was standing still and looking straight past Nick. Nick turned to look in the same direction, and he saw Sylvia walking away. She pulled keys from her purse, thumbed the remote, and the locks on a Lexus clicked open. She got in, turned on the engine, flicked on the headlights, backed out of her space, hit the gas, and roared onto the street without so much as a backward glance.
Hank joined Nick.
“I think it’s safe to say that lady wasn’t impressed by either of her would-be suitors,” he said.
“Yeah.” Nick looked at Thorsten once more. He expected the man to take out his frustration and disappointment on the Grimm who’d embarrassed him in front of Sylvia. But the man seemed subdued, all the fight drained out of him. He walked over to his cousin, who’d risen to one knee but didn’t look ready to stand up yet. Thorsten held out his hand, and after a moment Josef took it and allowed his cousin to help him to his feet. His nose was swollen and crooked, and blood had spilled over his mouth and chin, and onto his shirt. Thorsten’s face looked equally as bad, scraped and bruised from where he’d struck the asphalt.
The two regarded each other for several seconds.
“Buy you a drink?” Josef said.
Thorsten shrugged. “I guess. After you get yourself cleaned up, that is.”
Josef nodded and the two men started walking back toward the bar, their bruises, cuts, and scrapes already in the process of healing.
“Hey,” Nick called.
The cousins stopped and turned to look at him.
“Stick to club soda this time, okay?”
The men nodded and resumed walking back to Blind Bill’s.
Beverly had hung back during the fight, but now she joined Nick and Hank.
“Thank you so much for coming, both of you! You’re real lifesavers!”
Nick smiled. “You’re welcome, but all we did was break up a bar fight.”
“Between two guys with fangs and claws,” Hank pointed out.
“There is that,” Nick agreed.
“Well. I really appreciate it,” Beverly said. “And you won’t have to worry about those two. Not for the rest of the night, anyway. They’ll stick around and have a couple sodas to save as much face as they can, then they’ll go home and lick their wounds. Metaphorically speaking.” She grinned, thanked them again, and started back toward the bar. Halfway across the parking lot, she stopped and turned back around to face them. “You know something? You’re not what I expected from a Grimm.”
