Chapter Summary: As the dust settles from the night before the stranger in town seeks out a new source of information on his mission, but soon he finds himself crossing paths with the most unlikely of allies.
Author Note:
The Stranger In The Shadows
The early morning air was chilly as Frederick Calvert owner of the Exotic Spice & Tea Shop opened up for the day, news had already spread through the tight knit community of local shopkeepers about Sam Bertram and the break in the night before. After looking around the empty streets he slipped back into his shop, but he didn't see the leather clad figure in the shadows as he slipped from his hiding spot catching the door before it slid shut.
"I'm not open yet" spoke Freddy sternly as the figure took off his helmet and looked him dead in the eyes.
Something about the man before him made shivers run up and down his spine, a feeling of foreboding took over him making Freddy shudder and an involuntary woge come over him. That was when he saw the man before him for who he truly was, and fear took over.
"Gggg Grimm" he exclaimed as he went to take off and hide.
"I'm not here to cause problems, I need information" spoke the man softly as he slowly approached the counter.
Placing something down before Freddy he backed off and smiled calmy making Freddy strangely feel at ease. Taking the object Freddy was taken back at what he saw. Wrapped in a plain cloth was a small, faded crest hand painted on what looked like papyrus.
"So, Will it be as before?" asked Freddy as he watched the stranger in the doorway.
"So Shall it be so again" he answered, Freddy's heart pounded as he nodded and indicated for the man to approach.
"you are Laufer?" The stranger nodded as he took back his artefact with a smile, Freddy began relaxing somewhat.
"Frederick Calvert, you can call me Freddy" said Freddy as he took a chance offering the stranger his hand, the stranger took it and while smiling spoke.
"Nicholas Burkhardt, most call me Nick though. I need some information; I was supposed to meet with Sam Bertram he had an artefact that worried him greatly. He asked specifically for the presence of a Grimm due to the nature of the artifact. When I arrived, I was too late, his body was still walm, but his spirit had long departed. The shop was ransacked, and my artifact was missing…."
"Skalengecks" interrupted Freddy making Nick look at him with both interest and confusion.
"The last few weeks a group of two possibly three Skalengeck's have been ransacking business's, petty crime stuff. Junkies, small time criminals, they even hit my shop a few weeks ago" he added angerly as Nick pushed off from his resting place and unfurled his arms, his face change become a little harsher as he looked at Freddy making his shudder.
"J?" he asked more like a statement them a question making Freddy stutter and nod.
"Legal or not, clear your stock of it. If I see any evidence of it being sold I will…"
"I will be gone; I'll clear it out now. Just stuff to help people from now on" stutter Freddy nervously as he fumble for his keys to open his stock room.
"Good now I'll head out and see what I can find out about these Skalengeck's, you spoke of. I'll be back later. Thank you for your help, Freddy have a good day" with that Nick slipped his hood up and slipped out into the early morning streets.
Freddy who had been pushing himself up against the wall let out a deep breath, before sliding down it and thanking all that was holy that he'd lived through what had only been an hour interaction but had felt like a lifetime. He couldn't believe it he'd been mere feet from a living breathing nightmare made flesh, the Grimm though cool and calm had been open and welcoming too. He'd listened to Fredy and treated him like an equal and not something beneath him.
Completely confused by this fact and still reeling from the interaction that no one would believe, he pulled himself together long enough to walk over and close his shop for the day before walking over to his phone. He needed to make a few calls and hopefully he'd find out enough information to put him on the good side of his visitor.
Captain Renard bid the receptionist at the front desk of the Portland South Pd good morning, he'd been at an early morning meeting with the Mayor over the Sam Bertram case. He'd been spot on with his worry about the political fire it would ignite. As he approached his office Renard stopped momentarily as he sees a familiar figure stood waiting within his office. Setting his mask in place he entered without a word and after he placed his briefcase and coat away did, he turn to face the other man.
"Sam" questioned Renard as he sat down the other man remained upright.
"My Prince" answered the man with a slight bow.
"What brings you before me?" Renard asked cooly as he knew the appearance of his Skalenzahne spymaster was not good news.
"We have received word..." he began as Sam handed Renard a unassuming file.
"…that a unique guest has arrived in your territory…"
"A Grimm why has he not been delt with?" ordered Renard cooly as Sam showed no sign of moving.
"Because if the talk about him is to be believed he's unlike any of his kind before or after him, he stays his hand until attacked, he passes judgment not vengeance. He's just, true and impartial, he lives by his own code and has been known to challenge the views of the royal houses every time they cross his path".
At these words Renard's interest was piqued, very few could challenge the royal families and live to tell the tale let alone send them running back with their tails between their legs. He let out a small chuckle at the thought of his brother's face at the idea of a Grimm being insolent towards him.
"Watch him for now, let see if he's all that's said about him. If so, he may be of use to me" with that Sam bowed again and left leaving Renard staring at a fuzzy black and white picture of a hooded figure.
Nick's bike came to a halt outside a rundown abandoned apartment block on the wrong side of town, after a long morning of running down names and addresses. He suspected that Freddy Calvet had somehow had a hand in the ease of cooperation he'd been receiving from the local Wesen Community, he was more than aware that he was the living embodiment of all their combined nightmares. This often made his enquires harder to make, but the wesen of Portland though still timid were more willing to speak to him out of sight.
He'd come to learn that this was because of the fact that Portland was a Protectorate, this had taken him back at the time. It had been centuries since a Royal had lived outside of Europe without making themselves know, not to mention working with the wesen community to make a better and safer place for them. Or at least that's how it appeared, there wasn't blood in the streets or fear in the air as it had been for the few Royal ruled area's Nick had passed through in the past.
Shaking off his thoughts he decided to look into it more at a later date, for now he had a mission to attend to. Popping the lock on the old, abandoned apartment entrance door was easy, as he slipped silently into the fowl smelling hallways as he made his way up to the 2nd floor. Hood up and glasses covering his eyes he moved with the grace and focus of a big cat on the prowl, his prey still unsuspecting but very much in his sights. The lights were out, and graffiti littered the walls as he passed silently through, he could hear the suspects in the distance as if they were stood right beside him.
Years of training and survival had honed his skills to that of a perfect hunter, not that he'd ever used it as many of his kin would have. This had outcast him from them for the most part, Nick wanted nothing to do with those who saw life human or wesen as theirs to toy with freely. He even suspected to a part that his own parents thought as his kin did, but he'd never know. After all they may have survived the one near death car crash but even, they'd succumbed to the blade eventually. This was not the life Nick wanted, he despised being hated by all, having people shun him in fear just for the mear sound of his name. No, he'd vowed that if someone was in true need wesen or human then it was his duty to do all that he could, when there was nothing humanly left that could be done.
Breaking out of his musing Nick came to a stop in what appeared to be the Skalengecks den, emptied bottles and left over food was scattered throughout the room. On what could only barely be able to be classed as a table Nick found two badly scuffed Id cards, picking them up he brushed off whatever substance was clouding the picture with his gloved hand.
'Clint Vickers and Joshua Hall, at least now I have names to go on'.
Nick thought to himself as he continued looking around, glass vials littered every surface and the floor. picking one up carefully he popped the cork and took a small sniff as the familiar smell made him shake his head.
"J, dam junkies" he growled to himself as he picked up the few remaining filled vials as well as the large copper pot and two goat horn looking things in the centre of the busted table. Throwing them into his rucksack he was just zipping it up, when suddenly his hearing picked up the faint sound of a gun cocking. Throwing the bag on his back he pulled a small handheld crossbow from its holster on his belt, taking aim he fired two shots. The first knocked one weapon from the first junkies weak grip, the other hit its intended target as it lodged in the wall mere inches from the second man's head. The warning shot imply that it wasn't time to do something stupid, not that Nick believed that the two junkies high on J would heed it. At least he could say he tried, so when the first guy had finally picked his weapon up and started firing at him Nick had already switched into Grimm mode. He dodged the incoming shots from both men like a dancer in the ballet, not that it was hard with how sloppy these two were but before he could deal with them the sound of the door being kicked in rung through the empty hallways making Nick turn to face its origins.
"PORTLAND PD, PUT YOUR HANDS BEHIND YOUR HEADS" A group of armed Portland officers burst through the door and began searching the building.
Nick was impressed, usually wherever he'd gone in the past the law enforcement was slow on the up take. But it seemed here they were competent enough to have tracked Sam's killers within hours of the crime.
Making sure not to be seen he used the commotion to slip out the open window and down into the streets below. Hopping on his bike he was pulling on his helmet when a SUV with darkened windows pulled up at the scene, it looked both out of place within the sea of lights and sirens and as if it belonged at the head of all the chaos. As the door opened, he was taken back at the occupant that removed himself from the driver's seat.
Standing easily over 6ft and dressed in a full-length brown coat, the man gave off an aura of power and control. He stance and fixed expression could cool even the most hardened of criminals sending shivers down even his spine. The man was a sight to behold, for a second Nick wondered who he was and how he commanded such a presence, then suddenly as if reading his thoughts, the man turned his head and locked eyes with Nick. He should have been worried, but a sudden curiosity stayed his hand from swiftly placing his helmet back on.
The man had an equally curious and confused look upon his face as he went to take a step towards Nick, but as if the gods themselves were telling Nick to haul ass a uniformed officer approached the man distracting him from his current objective. Nick pulled on his helmet and stayed long enough to hear the other man being addressed as Captain before putting rubber to road and taking off into the bustling streets of Portland.
As the confused Captain cast a look over the shadows where Nick had once been he turned to enter his crime scene, neither man nor the scores of officers saw the semi glowing eyes in the shadows. Coming slightly into the light stood a man dangerous in stance and emotionless in appearance, his tattoos stood out as he watched over the controlled chaos all around. Opening and closing his fists the man cast one last look out towards the scene before disappearing once again into the shadows.