Chapter 3: An Employee and a Hive Mind
A few days later, Adam was enjoying a quiet morning in his coffee shop. The "Bears Will Be Bears" case was closed, and Nick was still processing what had happened. He'd been calling Adam constantly, asking questions that Adam had to carefully navigate, revealing just enough to keep Nick interested without giving away his true nature. Hank was still oblivious, a blissful state that Adam knew wouldn't last forever.
The bell on the door chimed, and a young woman entered, her resume in hand. She was tall, with light brown hair and an observant gaze that took in everything in the room. This was Kathreen Langford. Adam, with his canonical knowledge, knew she was a Grimm, a latent one, but she had no idea. He felt a pang of protectiveness, a desire to keep her far away from the dangerous world he was diving headfirst into.
"Kathreen. My new employee. And an unknown Grimm. This is a bit of a wrinkle in my plan. I need to keep her safe, keep her normal. I can't let her get dragged into this. I can't tell her what she is. But at the same time, her presence here is a constant reminder that this world is bigger and more dangerous than I remember. Gotta keep her safe. Gotta keep her in the dark. For now."
Adam greeted her with a warm smile. "Kathreen, right? I'm Adam. Have a seat."
She sat down, her posture straight and confident. "I'm looking for a job. I'm a fast learner, and I'm very observant. I'm good with people, and I've always wanted to work in a coffee shop."
Adam nodded, his eyes scanning her resume. She had a keen eye for detail and was incredibly competent. He hired her on the spot. "You're hired. You start tomorrow at six AM. And don't be late."
She smiled, a genuine, warm smile that brightened her face. "Thank you, Adam. You won't regret it."
As she left, the news on the TV caught Adam's attention again. A string of bizarre deaths, all from what looked like bee stings. "Beeware" had begun. The Mellifers. Adam's mind immediately went into overdrive. He knew the Mellifers were peaceful Wesen, a hive mind, and they were targeting people who had harmed their queen. He also knew who the queen was after: Adalind Schade. The Hexenbiest.
"Okay, so the Mellifers are after Adalind. That's canon. But Adalind is a huge threat. I need her blood to make a Hexenbiest vial. That's a top-tier vial. This is a golden opportunity. I can use the Mellifers as a distraction, get to Adalind, and take her down before she becomes a problem. I can get a Hexenbiest vial, and a very powerful one at that. The Mellifers are a means to an end. It's a win-win, really."
Adam called Nick, who was already on the case. "Hey, Nick. It's Adam. I heard about the bee attacks. Are you on it?"
"Yeah, we are. It's... weird. We've never seen anything like it. And the victims all have a connection to a specific lawyer."
"Adalind Schade," Adam said, cutting him off. "I know. Listen to me, Nick. This isn't a random act of violence. These are Mellifers. They're a peaceful Wesen, a hive mind. They're protecting their queen. Adalind Schade, she's not a Wesen, she's a Hexenbiest. She's the one you should be worried about."
There was a long pause on the other end of the line. "A Hexenbiest? Adam, how do you know all this?"
"Let's just say my family tree has a lot of branches," Adam said with a sarcastic laugh. "Trust me, Nick. Find the Mellifer queen, talk to her, and she'll tell you everything. But stay away from Adalind. She's far more dangerous than she looks. I'll take care of her myself."
"Adam, no!" Nick said, his voice full of panic. "You can't just go after a lawyer. We need to do this by the book."
"By the book got your Aunt Marie almost killed and Juliette turned into a Hexenbiest," Adam said, his voice hardening. "I'm not letting that happen. I'm going to take care of this my way. Call me if you need anything."
Adam hung up the phone and made a beeline for the door. He had a Hexenbiest to hunt. The Mellifers were just the bait.