Chapter 7

The three stayed until night in the town. Waiting in the car parked in a dark spot not too far from the shop of the two brothers. Nick made sure that if they ever peeked out of the windows, they wouldn't see the car at all.

Sipping on the hot coffee in her hand, Menace leans her head in between the two detectives in front. Watching as Nick zooms on the image she took that morning, focusing on the man she told them she tried to follow and run it on the database scanner. It didn't take that long. A few loading and one record zoom into the screen.

It was a picture of the same guy, along with the name 'Logan Cobb' beside it, along with records of assault charges.

"Is this the guy?" Hank asks, tilting the laptop closer for her to see clearly.

"Yup. That's the guy." Menace answered, leaning back in her seat, and taking another sip of the coffee.

"What we need now is to know what's his connection with the two brothers," Nick stated, leaning his arm on the window, then rubbing the slight stubble showing under his chin.

"I bet you, Logan's the Wasser Zahne, and that the brothers are using him to gain more attention to their shop," Menace remarked, swallowing the last sip of her coffee, before placing the empty paper cup on the cup holder between the two men.

"How do we confirm that?" Hank turns her head to Menace for a moment, looking back at Nick who remains silent.

"I got the perfect plan!" Menace blurted out, stepping out of the car in a rush Nick almost missed her arm when he tried to grab her.

"Where are you going this time? You need to stop doing this. You're putting yourself in danger." Nick stated his hand still on Menace's elbow.

He hasn't realized this before, but he does now. Menace makes her own beat. She doesn't dance with others. He just fears that one day, she might miss one step.

"Trust me on this one," Menace answered, shrugging his hand off just like she did that morning.

She runs ahead. Nick is unable to stop her once again. All they can do now is wait in the car and hope that Menace won't kill the brothers if she gets pissed off.

Menace ties her hair in a messy bun as she approaches the shop. She then saw the newspaper lying at the foot of the front porch, grinning as she grabbed them. She now has a lie to tell the two brothers regarding what she needs with Logan Cobb.

She stepped up to the door, clenching her hand into a fist and banging at the door loudly.

"Open the door," she demanded when no one answered, even though she could hear small movements coming from inside the shop. "I'm not here to buy any of your crap. I'm here for the Wasser Zahne." she continued, getting irritated as seconds passed by. "Open the fucking door!" she demanded, slamming her fist on the side of the closed door.

"Okay. Okay." Someone answered from inside, carefully opening the door.

"We don't know what you're talking about. Can you just go away?" the younger brother started as he stepped inside, grinning when she noticed their unsure looks.

"Oh, but you guys do. That's him, though I bet he looks much worse in person." Menace pointed at the small picture of the lake monster painted on a jacket the younger brother is wearing, practically poking him as she keeps moving inside the shop. "I guess people just buy anything." she continued, marching towards the counter where the older brother was standing from behind.

Then stopped in her tracks when she saw the gun the guy was holding, through the see-through glass shelves of the makeshift counter.

"Don't be stupid." she started, watching intently as the older brother slowly hid the gen behind him. " I'm not looking for any Luisant - Pêcheur. I'm looking for the Waster Zahne." she continued, getting more mad and mad by the second.

When none of the two spoke up, Menace slammed the newspaper down on the counter.

"There's a contract on his head and I'm gonna collect!" she turned to the younger brother, in time to see him change.

His face tilted to the side as dark brown fur covered his face. White fur surrounds the mouth, alongside appearing long whiskers. His black beady eyes are wide as he stares straight into Menace's eyes.

"Oh my god! She's a Grimm!" he blurted. turning to his older brother, who quickly shifted too when Menace turned to him.

He lifted the silver revolver that Menace quickly grabbed before he could even point it at her. Shifting back to his human face.

"Do you truly think this will work?" Menace questioned, waving the gun at his face. The latter backed up away from it.

"No. I-I wasn't planning on using it. Thank god you're here." the older one started, faking a smile even though deceit filled his eyes as he watched Menace. "The Wasser Zahne's name is Logan Cobb. He set us up. He came up with the idea of bringing back the lake monster. He attacked those innocent people on his own. If we don't sell this up, he's gonna kill us. We're just patsy selling trinkets. He's taking all the money."

Menace listened to the man's blabbering. Not believing everything he said. Part of them might be accurate, but she believes that the part screaming no involvement is all bullshit. After all, no matter what Wesen you are, you're still human. And humans always have little greed in their hearts. Some just have massive enough to engulf everything.

Rolling her eyes, tired of listening to all the crap, she then pointed the gun she grabbed, at the older brother who quickly lift both his hands in surrender.

"Where do I find him?" she asked, glancing at the younger who raised both his hands as well.

"He's coming back here at midnight to pick up his money. But if you get rid of him, we'll give it to you. And you can still collect on his head. It's a win-win. He's an old drunk. Should be no problem for a Grimm."

"Midnight, huh?" she asked, gripping the revolver in her hand, holding her annoyance, and stopping herself from punching the guy.

"Yeah, but you gotta be here earlier," he replied, greed coating the look in his eyes.

"I'll come back at 11:30. Logan better show or it's both your head that I'll be taking." Menace threatens, glancing at the two brothers before finally heading to the door. She took the revolver with her and put it on the back of her jeans as she stepped out of the shop.

She glanced behind her to see if any of the two followed her and when she was sure they didn't, she ran off towards the car where she left Nick and Hank waiting.

She heads straight to the backseat, closing the door after she gets inside, while the two men in front watch her. Their eyes followed her every movement. Waiting for her to spill out any information she got after doing whatever the hell she did inside the shop.

"Well, I was right. The brothers are working with the Wasser Zahne named Logan Cobb." Menace started, leaning in front between the two seats of Nick and Hank.

"The same guy you were following," Nick replied, glancing at the laptop where Logan Cobb's records are still pulled up on the screen.

"He's been doing the killing, they've been collecting the profits. But they claim Logan's taking all the money. He's coming back at midnight to collect it. How do you want to do this?" Menace continued, feeling the cold metal of the revolver against the skin of her back.

"Carefully. This guy's got a violent record and a lot of assault charges." Hank answered, his eyes reading the records.

"And now he's killed two people." Nick continued, glancing back at Menace who nodded at him. "What time do they expect you to be there?"

"Told them 11:30."

"So I guess we'll have to crash the party a little early," Hank remarked, his grip tight against the steering wheel.

"How far do you want me to take this?" Menace questioned Nick, making sure that if he ever killed anyone tonight, it wouldn't be a problem for him.

"Well, he's murdered two people. And we can't arrest him for it." Nick replied, looking back to the front.

"That's all I need to know."

✓

"I see Logan. I guess he couldn't wait till midnight." Hank exclaimed, putting down the binoculars from his eyes, before glancing between Nick and Menace.

"Something else is going on here." Menace started, her eyes focused on Logan's truck, parked just outside the shop. The owner of the truck is already inside.

"Could be he doesn't trust them. You ready?" Nick asked, turning to face Menace from the backseat.

"Yeah," she replied, opening the car door and stepping out.

She glanced back at the car before heading to the shop. Rushing when she started hearing shouts coming from inside.

"Hey!" she called out, slamming the door open. In time to see the younger brother on the floor with Logan Cobb towering over him. "You're early." she continued, staring at the tall man.

"So, you're the little girl he hired to kill me?" Logan questioned with a sick grin on his face, clearly told another thing by the older brother.

"I didn't hire her. Wayne did. Okay? Wayne did everything. I didn't even want to do any of this." the younger brother cut in, wearily looking between Logan and Menace.

"Whatever," Logan replied to him, turning to Menace before shifting.

Blue scales all over his body save for his face and neck which is white. Fanged mouth and five fish-like fins lining his head, the center of which is the tallest.

He then took a step forward toward Menace's direction, stopping upon seeing his reflection in her eyes.

"You didn't tell me she was a Grimm," Logan asked, turning to the older brother still standing behind the counter, two stacks of money placed in front of him.

"Oops." the latter only replied, feigning ignorance.

Logan shrugs it off, turning back to Menace who grins at him.

He charges at Menace with full force. Menace steps to her right, grabbing Logan's shoulder and pushing him to the merch shelf on the left. His body crashed into it, scattering all the stuff on it on the floor. Logan immediately regains his footing. Swinging his right hand, Menace dodges, ducking before kicking him on the side. Logan once again came crashing to another shelf, sending splinters all over the place.

He charged again at Menace, wrapping his wide arms around her waist, trying to stop her movement. Menace got a hold of his hoodie, before kneeing him in the gut, sending him on fours on the floor. She then grabbed his head, one hand under his chin, then twisted his neck with all force. A sickening crack echoes inside the shop. Logan spits out blood, sprawling on the hard wooden floor after Menace kicks him in the chest.

This time, he didn't stand up anymore. His face changed back to his human one.

"Wow." the older brother blurted out, an amused smile on his lips. "You're really good," he said, his eyes focused on Menace. "Here you go. I'll double it if you kill my brother." he continued, sliding the stacks of money closer to the edge.

Menace gritted her teeth in disgust. Just how much greed do you have to want to have someone kill your brother? she thought.

"Oh, come on, Wayne!" the younger brother shouted, standing in the corner of the room.

"The killing's over." Menace turns around, in time to see Nick and Hank bursting through the open door.

"Yes! We saw it all. She killed him." the older brother started, twisting the situation again.

"Didn't give me much choice, did he?" Menace questioned, glaring at him.

"He killed two people. We couldn't arrest him with the way of his murders." Nick chimed in, glancing at Menace for a brief moment to see if she was okay, and when he didn't see anything wrong with her, he turned to face the older brother once again.

"Yeah, I guess you should know. He's a Grimm, just like her." Hank steps in, a sly smile plastered on his lips.

Fear crept into the older brother's eyes, glancing between Menace and Nick. Shifting to confirm what Hank said, and when he did confirm it was true, he bolted into a run. Slamming the office door close behind him.

Nick runs after him, trying the door, and cursing under his breath when he can't open it.

"It's locked."

"He's just gonna go out the back door. You should go around." the younger brother said, not even attempting to help his brother escape, but instead getting him caught. After all, who wouldn't? No one will after they practically told someone to kill them.

"Stay with him," Nick told Menace, as he and Hank ran out of the shop, in pursuit of the other one.

Menace raised an eyebrow at the younger brother when he tried to step over Logan's dead body. When he noticed Menace's looks, he stopped moving. Averting his eyes, practically looking everywhere aside from her direction.

On the other hand, Hank and Nick chase after the older brother, who strips out of his shirt, and shoes. Fully shifting, glancing behind him before diving into the lake. Nick and Hank stopped in their tracks.

"There's no way I'm going in there after him," Hank muttered, panting.

"He's got to come out sooner or later," Nick stated, standing beside Hank with his hand on his hip.

"I see him."

"Yeah, it's right there."

"You see him yet?"

"It's the monster."

Nick and Hank look ahead, seeing the people in their boats with their guns. Hunting for the said Lake Monster. Unfortunately for the older brother, they thought it was him since it was already dark, and they started emptying their guns on the movement in the water. Gunshots ripple through the silent night.

"How are we gonna explain this one?" Hank muttered, glancing at Nick who only shook his head.

Both of them turned around to head back to the shop where they left Menace with the younger brother.

The next morning arrived. Police cars once again surround the place. The Sheriff shakes his head as he looks at the two dead bodies lying on the ground. One was the older brother pulled out of the lake, bullet holes all over his pale cold body, and the other, Logan, with a broken neck.

"Why was this idiot swimming in the lake at night with all that's going on? No wonder he got himself hot." the Sheriff started, glancing at the tree in front of him. Nick, Hank, and Menace standing side by side.

"Maybe he wanted to make people think he was the monster. Drum up a little business for the shop?" Hank suggested. "Maybe that's what he and his brother were doing all along." he continued as the Sheriff looked at the younger brother who was being escorted to the cop car with his hands cuffed behind him.

"Yeah. Maybe. But how'd this local drunk wind up in the water with a broken neck?" the Sheriff questioned, glancing at Logan's body before looking at the three.

"As you said, he's a local drunk. Maybe he was drunk last night. Tripped himself on something, broke his neck, and fell on the lake." Menace cut in, laying out the smooth lie.

"Or maybe this Diamond Lake Monster is real." Nick grinned at Menace, turning his back away from the scene, with Hank and Menace following behind him, leaving the Sheriff staring at the three bodies.

"Guess it's better to believe in a monster than know the truth," Menace stated, walking beside Nick as they headed back to the car.

"Yeah. 'cause you can always convince yourself a monster's not real," Hank replied, fumbling with the car keys in his hands.

"Reality's definitely not what it used to be," Nick said, going ahead with the three of them.

"Well, someone gotta make sure they don't turn into monsters themselves while they convince others that monsters aren't real," Menace muttered, looking at her hands, remembering how easily he twisted Logan's neck last night.

✓