Chapter 19: The Unstoppable Force Meets the Immovable Object
The air vibrated with the raw, brutal force of the Siegbarste. It was a whirlwind of concrete dust, shattered glass, and primal roars. Hank, cornered in a collapsing warehouse, was facing down a nightmare. His pistol, useless against the hulking Wesen, felt like a toy. Nick, desperate, was trying to find an opening, but the Siegbarste was a literal immovable object, and Nick, without his Grimm strength, felt like an unstoppable force meeting a very, very hard wall.
"This is it, Wanda. Go time," Adam muttered, his eyes narrowed in concentration. He pulled out a small, intricately carved wooden dart from his pocket – an expensive purchase from the Library shop, designed to deliver a powerful, non-lethal sedative. He aimed, not at the Siegbarste, but at a loose support beam above it.
Wanda, meanwhile, was a blur of crimson energy. As the Siegbarste lunged at Hank, she extended her hands, and a powerful, temporary force field shimmered into existence, just for a split second, deflecting the blow. The Siegbarste roared in frustration, momentarily disoriented. Then, Wanda subtly manipulated the environment, causing a stack of heavy crates to topple, creating a momentary obstacle. She also created a subtle psychic "static" around the Siegbarste's head, making its senses swim, its single-minded rage momentarily clouded.
"What the hell was that?" Hank gasped, seizing the precious seconds to scramble away, his mind reeling from the impossible sight of the shimmering barrier.
Adam, seeing his opening, flung the dart. It flew true, striking the loose beam. The beam, weakened by the Siegbarste's earlier rampage and Adam's subtle manipulation, splintered. A cascade of debris rained down, forcing the Siegbarste to stumble, its attention momentarily diverted.
"Now, Nick! Its neck!" Adam yelled, knowing the Siegbarste had a vulnerable pressure point there, a piece of obscure lore he'd found in the Library.
Nick, his Grimm instincts kicking in, despite his earlier struggles, saw the opening. He moved with a speed and precision born of desperation, striking the precise spot on the Siegbarste's neck. The massive Wesen roared, a sound of pain and confusion, then collapsed, its immense body hitting the ground with a shuddering thud. It wasn't dead, but it was out cold.
[MISSION COMPLETE: Hank Griffin protected. Siegbarste neutralized. Reward: 500 System Points. New Skill Unlocked: 'Enhanced Striking'.]
[TIMELINE INTEGRITY: Maintained. Hank Griffin's awareness of Wesen world not yet fully triggered, but significant doubt introduced.]
Adam felt a rush of exhilaration, quickly followed by a wave of concern. Five hundred System Points. Massive. But at what cost to Hank's sanity?
Hank, panting, stared at the unconscious behemoth, then at Nick, then at the lingering shimmer in the air where Wanda's force field had been. His eyes were wide, bordering on manic. "Nick… what… what was that? What just happened? I… I saw it. It was… impossible."
Nick, trying to maintain his composure, struggled for an explanation. "I… I don't know, Hank. It was… luck. A coincidence. Maybe… maybe I just got a really good hit in." His words sounded hollow even to him.
Adam watched Hank, his heart aching. The man was on the verge of a breakdown. His world, once so solid, was now a shattered mosaic of impossible truths. "Well, that's one way to introduce someone to the supernatural," Adam muttered, a grim humor in his voice. "Less 'subtle reveal,' more 'full-blown existential crisis.' He's going to need a lot of therapy. And probably a very strong drink."
Later, back in the Library, Wanda looked at Adam, her face etched with concern. "Hank… he is not well. He saw too much."
"I know, Wanda. I know," Adam replied, running a hand through his hair. "He's going to be questioning everything. His sanity, his reality, his choice of detective partner. But he's alive. And that was the priority." He looked at the new skill, 'Enhanced Striking'. "Well, that's useful. Maybe I can finally win an arm-wrestling match against Monroe." He sighed. "This job… it's never boring. But sometimes, I wish it was. Just for a little while. For Hank's sake." He poured himself another lukewarm coffee. "Time to figure out how to put Hank's shattered mind back together. Or, at least, how to get him to believe it was all a very, very vivid dream. This is going to be fun. Said no one ever, especially not Hank."
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