Monroe and Sean silently made their way through the forest area. Taking great care to keep an eye out for anyone that would be placed on guard. They had been forced to avoid three so far and Sean was feeling frustrated. Trubel had mentioned their own trouble in getting close to the building. They were taking no chances. Monroe grabbed his arm and pointed to the right and they stepped the other way as they closed in on the large building.
Sean and Monroe crouched down and the Zauberbiest cursed silently when he realised that they were on the other side of the building that Trubel and Josh were on. Sean looked at Monroe and tapped his nose and the Blutbad woged before they crept closer. Sean kept an eye out as Monroe focused. They came to the side of the building and Monroe looked up before scaling the side and slipping through the second-floor window. Sean woged and followed shortly after.
They looked around the unused space that might have been office in a past life and silently slinked towards the door. Monroe sniffed before placing his ear to the door, Sean held still and waited. Monroe nodded and carefully eased the door open. They slipped down the hallway and to the stairs then paused again. Sean couldn't hear anything while Monroe tilted his head to the side as he listened. After a while, the Blutbad nodded.
They silently crept down the stairs to the first floor and Sean eyed off the shipping container in the large warehouse. Sean tapped Monroe's shoulder and pointed to the left as he tapped his chest and pointed to the right. Monroe nodded, his red eyes flashing as they used as much cover as he could. Sean crouched slightly as he made his way around the room until he met Monroe on the other side. They hid behind an old car as Sean looked into the darkness of the inside of the shipping container.
"Anything?" Sean whispered in Monroe's ear.
"Can you cover me?" Monroe countered and waved to the container.
Sean slipped his gun out and nodded sharply. Monroe glanced around before weaving forward through the junk laying around. He paused before hurrying out of his cover and towards the container's open doors. Monroe crouched down just inside the doorway before sneaking further inside. Sean held gun at the ready as used his nose and hearing to make sure that no one was around. Monroe appeared quickly and crossed the floor silently.
"I can smell him," Monroe whispered in his ear. "What do you want to do?"
Sean slipped his phone out and sent a few text messages to get things into place. He couldn't leave Nick behind. Both men froze when they heard a car pull up outside. He tapped Monroe's shoulder and the Blutbad looked at him, he used his finger and signalled a half circle. Monroe nodded as Sean tapped his ear and signalled for Monroe to watch and listen. Sean got a few messages back on his phone as Monroe slipped away without a sound.
Sean focused on the doors as they opened then cringed as Bonaparte and Steward walked in. He could see another five at the doors but only those two men walked in.
"Come out," Bonaparte called. "We saw you on the cameras, Captain Renard."
Sean silently cursed and glanced at his phone once more before slipping it away. He adjusted his hand on the gun and made sure that his mask was firmly in place before he stood up. He strolled out from behind the cover of the car and Steward twitched. Bonaparte gave him a sharp look as Sean came to stand a few meters before them.
"What a shame," Bonaparte tutted. "We could have worked well together, Captain Renard."
"I don't believe so," Sean purred with hard eyes.
"We could give you a place within our ranks," Bonaparte tempted. "You could even run this city."
"There are only two things I want at the moment," Sean replied evenly.
"Ah, yes." Bonaparte said with a thin smile. "Mr Burkhardt. Weston, could you get our guest?"
Sean tensed his grip on his gun and watched every move that Stewart made as he walked across the room towards the shipping container.
"That Royal blood could have got your far," Bonaparte continued. "We could still work something out, you would have to keep your relationship with the Grimm quiet, of course. I'm sure that you've had a lot of practice of that."
They both looked over when Stewart yelped and they heard a shuffle. Sean went to lift his gun but found himself frozen as Bonaparte used his power to hold him. Sean woged and pushed back against the other Zauberbiest. He broke through the spell just as Stewart and Nick tumbled from the entrance to the container. Nick rolled free of the Agent with Weston's gun in his hand and pointed it at the Hundjäger. Nick then froze and Weston growled as he rolled to his feet.
Sean felt his stomach drop as Nick just stood there with the gun still pointed at the ground. Stewart smiled widely and stepped towards the Grimm.
"Leave him," Bonaparte ordered sharply and Stewart glared over at him. "I have plans for him."
Nick shifted in jerking movements while Sean felt that coldness settle in his stomach. Nick slowly pointed the gun at him. He looked into Nick's eyes as his hand shook and he knew that the Grimm was fighting against the spell on his mind. Steward laughed coldly as he stepped back towards the Zauberbiest. Sean heart clenched as he just kept his eyes on his lover and the gun.
"Yes," Weston cried in glee. "A much better idea!"
xXx
Nick's hand shook slightly as he held his gun up and pointed at Sean. Everything in him tried to push his hand to the side but that slimy feeling had a hold on his mind and movements. Sean looked at him evenly with his own gun in his hand but by his side and that just made it worse.
"Nick," Sean uttered, as his eyes ran over him.
"I can't," Nick gasped, his whole body shaking now.
"This is even better than when I shot you," Weston cried. "Killed by his own lover!"
Sean's eyes didn't leave him as Nick fought as hard as he could against the push on his mind. Sean then flicked his eyes down slightly. Nick tried to push the gun down to point it at his chest instead of his head. Each millimetre was hard won as sweat trickled down his back and forehead. Since the gun was still pointed at Sean, that feeling on his mind didn't sharpen. He just prayed that Sean had a plan in mind.
"Shoot him!" Weston snapped.
"He is strong," Bonaparte purred. "But he will give in, in time."
"If he doesn't hurry up, I'll shoot him!" Weston retorted.
"Then Nick will kill you," Sean stated coldly.
"Before or after he shoots you?" Weston taunted.
"You do realise that he will turn the gun on you the moment that I hit the ground," Sean shot back.
"The next bullet in his gun," Bonaparte cut in smoothly. "Will end up in his head as he turns the gun on himself."
"Murder, suicide!" Weston cackled with a grin. "Police Captain killed by his own Detective and his lover as well. It will be all over the papers!"
Nick's hand was shaking even more but he'd pushed his aim down but it was taxing him. His skin slick with sweat at the strain. He locked eyes with Sean and hoped the man acted quickly. For the next few seconds could mean both their deaths.
"Sean," Nick warned, and pulled the trigger.
Sean felt the bullet slam into his chest and he went down with a cry.
Nick's arm snapped up and another gunshot spilt the air. Nick went limp as pain exploded in his head and he staggered.
Sean gasped at the pain in his chest from his vest stopping the bullet. He quickly rolled and brought his gun up and fired. Bonaparte hit the ground with a bullet through the head at the same time that Nick hit the floor limply. Sean's heart stopped in horror as Nick lay still. He quickly brought the gun around then pulled back as Monroe slammed into Weston.
The two men went down in a jumble of limbs and snarls. Sean scrambled over towards Nick, his hands and legs slipping on the floor as he saw the blood. He couldn't feel that burn in his chest, beyond where the bullet had hit his vest, and he felt fear flood through him. He grabbed Nick's shoulder and pushed him onto his back. He cursed at the blood on the side of his head and the floor.
"Nick!" Sean yelped and quickly pulled his shirt off.
He pushed the garment to the side of Nick's head. Blood started to soak into the cloth. He fumbled his phone from his pocket and glanced over as Monroe won the upper hand and tore into Weston's throat. His blood coating his face and clothes as the Blutbad took his revenge.
"Monroe!" Sean yelled.
Monroe looked up with red eyes and blood dripping off his chin. Sean called in the ambulance and backup and prayed it would get there in time. He still couldn't feel that burn in his chest, all he could feel was numb and horror.
"Oh, man." Monroe gasped and looked down at Nick's pale face. "Did he shoot himself?"
"Let's hope not," Sean replied. "Clean yourself up."
Monroe lifted a hand and grimaced and hurried to his feet.
"Nick," Sean uttered softly and cupped his other cheek. "Nick!"
Nick's eyes flickered before he went still again and Sean felt a sinking feeling in his stomach. He sighed when he heard sirens and hoped they were the paramedics.
"I'll met them," Monroe announced.
Sean looked back down at Nick's slack face and bowed his head. He held his shirt to the wound tightly and could feel the warmth of Nick's blood on his hands. He didn't acknowledge the amount of blood that had already soaked into the cloth. He looked up when the medics arrived and rushed over to him. He stood back as they turned Nick onto his side and he flinched at the sight of the wound. He wasn't sure if it was a glancing blow or not, either way, Nick was losing a lot of blood and fast as they worked on him.
"We have him stable," one paramedic announced. "We can move."
Sean kept pace with them and they didn't stop him as he stepped into the ambulance once Nick was loaded. He settled in the seat beside his lover and felt numb, only the beeping of the monitor beside him indicated that Nick was alive. Sean shifted then winced as a pain shot across his chest and he felt an ache but it wasn't from his left side. He pulled the velcro taps of his vest and the paramedic looked over.
"Were you shot as well?" The man asked when Sean pulled the vest off. "That's some nice bruising. Let me check to see if you have broken ribs? Does your chest feel tight?"
Sean just sat there as the paramedic poked, prodded and asked questions but he could only focus on Nick. How pale his face looked against the white of the bandages. He could see the red of his blood already darkening that whiteness. His eyes just locked on that as the vehicle rocked slightly.
"Sir?" The Paramedic whispered and Sean focused on him. "You're going into shock, just breath and we'll be at the hospital soon. Let me get you a blanket."
The paramedic stood and pulled out a blanket and wrapped it around Sean's shoulders. He lifted his hand up and touched the left side of his chest but couldn't feel that burn of the connection. Did something happen to break it? Did Nick just look worse than he was? If it had broken, how did he fix it? The questions just kept running through his head, without answers.
"Are you having problems breathing?" The paramedic asked in concern.
"No," Sean said roughly.
"Are you his partner?" The man asked. "Or is there a family connection?"
"He's my partner," Sean whispered and gently tangled his fingers with Nick's, clearly stating in what way.
"How long?"
"Longer than I realised," Sean answered, knowing that the other man was just trying to take his mind off what was happening around him. "More than I thought I would."
The man gave him a small smile before checking Nick over then they were pulling up at the hospital. Sean stood to the side as Nick was wheeled out and taken away and he was directed to a room to wait. He just took a seat in one of the chairs as he wrapped the blanket around himself tightly. He then noticed the blood on his hands and stared at them blankly.
"Sean."
Sean slowly looked up to see Hank, Wu and Monroe looking down at him. Monroe held out a clean shirt and jacket and Sean slipped into them, gratefully.
"Thanks," Sean said roughly. "No one has said anything since he was brought in."
"I'll go harass someone," Hank stated and stalked off.
"You look like you need coffee, Sir." Wu added and wandered off.
Monroe settled next him and laid a hand on his arm in comfort.
"I can't feel that burn," Sean confessed, hoarsely and touched his fingers to the left side of his chest. "I don't know if the connection is there."
"Maybe it just isn't as bad as we think," Monroe tried to reason. "Nick only felt that burn when you were shot."
"Nick shot me, Monroe." Sean pointed out. "Could that break the connection? We don't even know how it happened in the first place!"
"You were just shot," Monroe reasoned. "I bet your chest is hurting from that, maybe that's why you can't feel it."
Sean nodded as he ran a hand through his hair then grimaced at the dry blood flaked off his hands. He didn't have the energy to get up and wash it off.
"He'll be moved soon and they will tell us more when he's settled," Hank reported as he walked over. "He has a fractured skull but the bullet didn't penetrate. The doctors said he was very lucky but he's lost a lot of blood. They have him sedated at the moment and the chance that he could fall into a coma is there."
Sean took that in as Wu walked back with four coffees and handed them out. Sean just held the coffee in one hand as the other came up and touched his chest. He still felt numb and a little disconnected to everything going on around him. He was normally in control of everything but at that moment he barely felt in control of himself.
"Sean," Monroe whispered and he slowly turned his head to look at him. "Just think about Nick and try to give him strength."
Sean nodded, unsure what those words meant. He sipped on the coffee, feeling tired and drained as the others spoke around him. He heard nothing of what they said. He reached up and rubbed his chest where the bullet had been stopped by his vest. The image of Nick trying to fight against the Zauberbiest's spell filled his mind.
"Sean Renard?"
All he could see was Nick staring at him with that pleading look on his face, of pain and desperation.
"Sean Renard…sir?"
Monroe nudged him and Sean snapped out of it and looked up at the doctor before him. The man gave him a look of concern.
"Are you alright, sir?" The doctor asked. "Have the nurses looked at you?"
"I'm fine," Sean snapped. "What about Nick?"
"We have moved him to room two twenty-six on the fourth floor." The Doctor replied. "He isn't out of the woods yet but we are doing everything we can. You can go up and see him."
"Did-" Sean started to say then paused. "Did the bullet…"
"No," the doctor said quickly. "It glanced off his skull but the impact was enough to fracture his skull and caused a bleed on the brain. He was both lucky and unlucky."
Sean nodded slowly and the doctor shifted slightly.
"This is a difficult question, sir." The doctor broached, nervously. "But should we have him on watch?"
"No," Sean replied, his voice rough. "He did not try to kill himself."
"Sir-"
"I was there," Sean snapped, his eyes hard. "It was not a suicide attempt."
"Yes, sir." The doctor replied and wrote something on the chart in his hand. "Feel free to go and see him, good afternoon."
Sean just watched the doctor walk away before pulling himself to his feet. His legs collapsed under him on his first step. He grunted as his knees hit the ground hard.
"Whoa!" Hank yelped and quickly grabbed his arm as Monroe grabbed his other one.
He felt like all the energy had been drained out of him and his legs wouldn't hold his weight. Hank and Monroe eased him back into the chair behind him.
"Wu," Hank barked. "Get that Doctor!"
Sean felt lighted headed and dizzy. He closed his eyes as he felt sick in the pit of his stomach. He reached up and touched his chest as it suddenly felt tight.
"Sean," Monroe whispered. "Is it the connection?"
That was the last he heard before the darkness closed in around him.