Chapter 2: The Bear Hunt and a New Partner
"So, let me get this straight," Nick said, running a hand through his hair, the early morning light doing nothing to soften the lines of exhaustion on his face. "You're a Grimm. A different kind of Grimm. You've got… an aura that makes Wesen spill their guts, and you can turn their blood into… magic juice?"
Adam, perched on a stool behind the counter of The Daily Grind, sipped his own coffee, a blend he'd personally perfected. "Pretty much, yeah. Think of it as an upgrade. Grimm 2.0, with a side of 'don't mess with me, I know things.'" He gestured vaguely with his mug. "And it's not 'magic juice,' it's 'alchemical vials.' Get it right, detective. Precision is key in this line of work."
Monroe, sitting at a small table, nursing his chamomile tea, still looked like a nervous squirrel, but a slightly less terrified one than yesterday. He'd spent the better part of the morning trying to explain the intricacies of Wesen society to Adam, only to be met with Adam's unnervingly accurate predictions.
"But… why now?" Nick pressed, his brow furrowed. "And why hide it? Why not tell Aunt Marie?"
Adam shrugged. "Look, I'm not exactly sure how the whole transmigration thing works. One minute I'm minding my own business, the next I'm here, with a system that basically screams 'main character energy.' As for Aunt Marie… bless her heart, but she was a bit old school. And honestly, I had bigger fish to fry. Like, you know, not dying. And then, preventing you from making all those canon mistakes."
Nick blinked. "Canon mistakes?"
"Never mind," Adam waved a dismissive hand. "Just trust me on this. My knowledge of… historical events… is unparalleled. Which brings us to today. The 'Bears Will Be Bears' case, if I'm not mistaken."
Nick and Hank, who had just walked in, both froze. Hank, ever the skeptic, looked at Adam with suspicion. "How do you know about that?"
Adam gave them his best 'I'm just naturally observant' smile. "Oh, you know. I read the papers. And I have a very… informed intuition. Let's just say, you're looking for a Jägerbär. And they're not just hunting for sport. It's a ritual. A rather gruesome one, if memory serves. And if you don't intervene now, someone's going to end up as a very unfortunate sacrifice."
Hank scoffed. "A Jägerbär? You mean, like, a bear-man? You're serious?"
"As a heart attack, Hank," Adam replied, his tone firm. "And I know where they're doing it. The old logging camp, out by the Tillamook Forest. You need to move. Now."
Nick, despite his skepticism, had learned to trust Adam's unnerving foresight. "Monroe, you with us?"
Monroe wrung his hands. "Jägerbärs? Oh, my. They're… traditionalists. Very territorial. But if someone's in danger… of course, Nick. I'll go." He looked at Adam, a flicker of something akin to awe in his eyes. "You're… surprisingly convincing for a new Grimm."
"It's the voice," Adam deadpanned. "And the sheer, unadulterated truth. People tend to believe me when I'm right. Which is always."
They piled into Nick's car, a strange Grimm-Wesen-Human detective ensemble. Adam directed them with uncanny accuracy, navigating the winding roads like he'd lived in Portland his entire life. Which, technically, he had. Just not his life.
As they approached the dilapidated logging camp, the air grew heavy with a primal scent. Nick and Hank drew their weapons, their faces grim. Monroe, meanwhile, was practically vibrating with nervous energy.
"Okay, here's the plan," Adam whispered, his voice low and commanding. "They're performing the ritual in the main clearing. There's a victim tied to a tree. We need to get to them before they… well, before they become bear chow."
They moved through the dense forest, Adam leading the way with an almost supernatural stealth. He pointed out tripwires, hidden traps, and the subtle signs of Wesen presence that even Nick, with his Grimm sight, might have missed.
They burst into the clearing just as a massive, woged Jägerbär, its fur bristling, claws extended, was about to strike. The victim, a terrified young man, screamed.
"Freeze!" Nick yelled, his gun leveled.
The Jägerbär roared, turning its attention to them. Its eyes, glowing with a feral intensity, fixed on Adam. And then, the Aura of the First Grimm hit it. The Jägerbär stumbled, its roar dying in its throat, replaced by a confused snarl. Its eyes widened, a flicker of involuntary respect warring with its predatory instincts.
Adam stepped forward, his voice dropping to that deep, resonant tone that had unnerved Monroe and the Fuchsbau. "You will release the victim. Now. This ritual ends. You will tell us why you are doing this, and who else is involved."
The Jägerbär, against its will, began to woge back to human form, its imposing figure shrinking, its fur receding. It whimpered, its eyes darting between Adam and the terrified victim. "We… we must… for the honor… of the hunt…"
Adam's aura intensified. "Honor? There is no honor in this. This is murder. Tell me everything. Who taught you this? Who sanctioned it?"
The Jägerbär, now fully human, began to stammer out the truth, revealing the ancient, twisted traditions of its family, the pressure from the elder Jägerbärs, and the desperate need to prove their strength.
While the Jägerbär was confessing, another, larger Jägerbär burst from the trees, woged and enraged. "You dare interfere with our sacred hunt, Grimm?!"
This one was less susceptible to the immediate shock of Adam's aura, fueled by pure, unadulterated rage. It charged, a furry, muscle-bound freight train.
Adam didn't hesitate. "Nick, Hank, get the victim! Monroe, keep an eye on our new informant!"
He met the charging Jägerbär head-on. This wasn't the quick, decisive takedown of the Fuchsbau. This was a brawl. The Jägerbär was immensely strong, its claws tearing at the air, its roars shaking the trees. Adam moved with a fluid, almost dance-like grace, dodging blows, weaving in and out, looking for an opening. He felt a surge of adrenaline, a primal thrill he hadn't known he possessed. This body, this Grimm bloodline, it was made for this.
He saw his chance. As the Jägerbär swung a massive paw, Adam ducked under it, pivoted, and delivered a devastating kick to its knee. The Wesen roared in pain, stumbling. Before it could recover, Adam was on it, a whirlwind of precise, powerful strikes. He struck pressure points, twisted limbs, and finally, with a grunt of effort, slammed the Jägerbär to the ground, pinning it.
"You're done," Adam panted, his chest heaving, but a triumphant glint in his eyes. He held the Jägerbär down until it woged back, defeated.
[System] Wesen Defeated. Initiating Blood Extraction. Wesen Type: Jägerbär. Extracting... Alchemical Vial Created: Jägerbär Potion.
Another glowing vial, this one a deep, earthy brown, materialized in his hand. He quickly pocketed it.
Nick, having secured the victim with Hank, approached, his eyes wide with a mixture of awe and concern. "Adam, are you okay? That was… insane."
"Just another Tuesday, Nick," Adam said, wiping a bead of sweat from his brow. "Though, I prefer my Tuesdays with less fur and more coffee. This guy's blood will come in handy, though. A Jägerbär Potion. Good for durability and stamina. Might want to invest in one yourself, detective. You look like you could use a nap."
Monroe, meanwhile, was staring at Adam with a new level of respect, and perhaps a touch of fear. "You… you really are something else, Adam. I've never seen a Grimm fight like that. So… efficient."
"Efficiency is my middle name, Monroe," Adam said, though he didn't actually have one. "Now, let's get these poor souls to safety and figure out what to do with our new, very disgruntled, bear-men."
Two vials down, a whole lot more to go, Adam thought, a satisfied smirk on his face. This is just the beginning.