That evening, Hank had agreed to go with Nick to their off-the-books training area. "Thanks for coming out with me, Hank. Think maybe I just need to blow off some steam."
"Of course. It's been a day. I just can't believe it, but the hikers' testimonies also placed his car in the area." Hank shook his head. "I'm sure we're just missing something. You gonna be okay?"
Nick shrugged and pulled out the kanabo. "We're not missing anything. We have more evidence than we need to prove it. I know you've gotten to like him, but it doesn't change what he did or what he is."
"What he is is your friend," Hank retorted. "It's okay to be upset."
"Murder, Hank. He murdered two hikers and you're trying to defend him!"
"Because I know him!" Hank argued, "And I thought you did, too. And it doesn't make any sense!"
Nick didn't acknowledge the comment, instead nodding toward the cantaloupe. "Just throw it already."
One, two, a third with his eyes closed, and each was obliterated into creamed, orange smithereens.
"Think you've got that one down," Hank declared.
"It's my favorite," Nick admitted and then turned sharply, looking out into the forest.
"What is it?" Hank asked. There didn't seem to be anything there.
Nick put a finger to his lips and motioned for Hank to get back. In the next second, a short, black haired wesen with the face of a scrunched-up bear and long, clawed hands came running out of the woods, directly at Nick. Nick swung the kanabo hard across the wesen's midsection and swiftly on top of of its head.
"NICK!" Hank shouted.
The wesen had gone unconscious and Nick stared at it furiously before bringing the kanabo slowly, but deftly down on top of its head again with a sickening crack as the skull fractured.
"Nick, STOP!" Hank shouted again, pulling back on his shoulder.
Nick swung again, bashing its face in until it stopped breathing and once more for good measure.
"Nick, what the hell is wrong with you?!" Hank yelled, staring between him and the pummeled man on the ground. "I'm assuming that was a wesen?"
"Yea." Nick, wiped off some blood that had splattered on to his face. "And you're welcome. That's a Kleinschlecht, a wolverine type creature that attacks with all the verocity of its namesake.
"You had knocked it out! Wasn't that enough?"
"You're right. I should have kept it alive for questioning. See what it was after. But it's dead now and that's all that really matters."
"Who are you right now?! Man, I know it's been a long a day, but you're way out of line. And how'd you even know it was coming?"
Nick shrugged. "I heard it. And don't tell me how to do my job."
"Your job last I checked was to uphold the law and arrest any threat to it, not kill it!"
"My duty as a Grimm comes before my duty as a cop, Hank."
"Right." Hank announced shortly. "Well, you know what, I think I've had enough for today. I'll see you tomorrow and, Nick, seriously, get it together."
Back at this car, Hank pulled out his phone. "Juliet? Hey, it's Hank. No, Nick's fine…well…he's not hurt. But, Juliet's something's wrong. He just got attacked by a wesen and didn't even hesitate before killing it."
"He killed it? That doesn't sound like him, but… I guess if it was in self defense, he had a reason to."
"No, Juliet, you didn't see it. This wasn't any Nick I know and he's been on edge all day. Look, if this was anyone else besides us, he'd be brought in; but, I want to believe this might not be his fault before I'd do that." He paused, "Monroe got arrested today on suspicion of murder."
"Monroe?! Hank, Monroe wouldn't hurt anyone."
"I know, but it looks bad and Nick already had him booked. Look, all I know are two of my best friends have gone off the rails today without any good reason. It just seems like that's not coincidence. But right now, I just want to make sure you're gonna be safe tonight. If I need to call this in or get you someplace for the night, I can do that."
"Thanks, Hank. I want to talk to Nick myself first. I'll text you later tonight so you'll know everything's okay with us."
"Okay, Juliet. Be careful."
Monroe snorted as the security guard started yawning and promptly dropped his head on the desk a minute later. "Oh, so you're trying tell me you've had a long day? Hey…" Monroe started looking around. The guard was too far away to reach for keys. Before he could look any further, he saw "Rosalee!" She grinned and put a finger to her lips. Monroe looked back at the guard. "Wait, did you do that?"
She shrugged with a sly smile and swiftly lifted the keys off the guard, coming to unlock the cell. "Just a little sedative in his coffee. Come on, we don't have a lot of time." She pulled him along and whispered, "And when we get home, you get to explain what the hell happened."
"I was hoping you might have some insight in that."
They'd gotten outside and Rosalee stopped for a second to answer, "Juliet called and said Nick wasn't acting right either. And, well, to be perfectly honest, neither have I." She started walking towards her car. "I do have an idea, and an idea how to fix it, but I'll tell you when we—Nick."
Nick was pointing a crossbow between the two of them. Monroe stepped in front of Rosalee with his hands out, placating. "Nick. Let's talk about this."
"Talk about a blutbad escaping prison and a fuschbau helping him. What's there to talk about?" Nick addressed Rosalee. "Turning off the cameras was clever, I'll give you that. But did you think no one would notice the outage?"
"Nick, I think something's wrong with us. Like, an infection that's making –"
"An infection. Good way to describe what you are."
"Nick! Come on," Monroe pleaded. "Put the crossbow down. You're not gonna shoot –"
In the second in took Nick to lift the crossbow to fire, Rosalee had pushed Monroe out of the way. The shot missed Monroe, but caught her in the hip. "Rosalee!" Monroe yelled, catching her as she hit the ground with her face woged in pain. Before Nick could refire, Monroe woged and charged, knocking him to the ground and slashing his right arm. Nick registered it with a hiss for only a second, before kicking his leg out in attempt to flip their position, pulling out a knife.
"HEY!" Hank jumped out of the patrol car, flying in with lights on, and fired a warning shot in the air. "Nick, Monroe back off!"
When Nick didn't move, Hank ran over and pulled back Nick's knife hand at the same time Monroe snarled and kicked Nick off, sending him across the parking lot.
"Hey!" Juliet called, also pulling up to the scene. She ran over to an unconscious Nick and looked back at them. "What is going on?"
"Juliet, what are you doing here?" Hank called.
"Nick just ran out of the house like a madman, saying something about 'he escaped.' I could only think that meant he was headed here. I was worried." She looked in shock at Rosalee on the ground. "Rosalee. He shot you?!"
"I'll be okay," she answered, more directed at Monroe who had managed to calm down and come back to her side.
Hank had gone over to Juliet and Nick, pulling out his handcuffs and locking them around Nick's wrists. He looked apologetically at Juliet, "I don't know what's going on, but he just tried to kill Monroe. I can't just let him go after that…But…"
Rosalee seemed to be fighting with herself, but said, "I don't think it's his fault. Or yours, Monroe. I…I haven't been myself today either. And I think…I think something's infecting Wesen, including Grimms."
"Can you reverse it?" Hank asked.
Rosalee shook her head. "I don't know. Maybe. I need to see if I can figure out what started all this. I'll need some time."
Monroe was staring murderously at Nick, but seemed to take in what just happened. He addressed Hank. "I…think you should lock me back up. I don't want to hurt anyone else." He looked worried at Rosalee. "But, I don't want to leave you alone."
Rosalee smiled reassuringly to him and snapped off the end of the arrow in her hip. "I can manage. I need to go figure out about an antidote."
"Hank, if this is Wesen related, can I just take him home on lockdown? I'd hate for this to affect his work when it might not be his fault," Juliet asked.
Rosalee answered. "I don't know that'll work, Juliet. If it's like us, his Grimm nature is on overdrive. House locks aren't going to stop him going after every wesen in town."
Juliet looked down at Nick and back to Hank. She suggested tentatively, "I might know a place that'll work. Nick told me about a place his mom had secured as, like, this panic house. We can secure him there so he won't get out and he'll be away from everyone."
Hank considered it. "Rosalee, what do you think?" She nodded in agreement. Hank grabbed Nick's set of handcuffs and turned cautiously to Monroe. "You gonna be good with this?"
Monroe also seemed to be fighting with himself, but shrugged. "Let's go before I change my mind."
Rosalee glanced at her watch. "If you hurry, the cameras will be back on in five minutes and no one has to know about any of this."
Monroe nodded. "Be careful."
"I will." She kissed him. "I love you. And I'll see you soon."
Hank cuffed Monroe and started walking him quickly back towards holding, calling. "I'll be right back."
Just two minutes later, Hank came running back to help Rosalee limp back to her car. He told her. "I need to help with Nick and then I can drive you home."
She nodded. "Thank you, Hank." She reached into her pocket and pulled out a small white pill. "Here, give this to him. It'll keep him down until Juliet gets him there."
Hank nodded, going back to Nick and slipping the pill under his tongue as he helped Juliet carry him into his car. "How far out is the place?"
"About 20 minutes," she answered.
"Ok. I'm gonna get Rosalee home and then I'll be right over to help. You gonna be okay until then?"
She nodded. "I've got him."