Chapter 20: Mouse and Snake, and Social Hierarchies
The stench of death was bad enough, but it was the unsettling precision of the murder that bothered Adam. A high school student, found dead, and the initial suspects were… well, they were the usual suspects. But Adam knew better.
[CASE ALERT: Murder, Mauseherz suspected. Actual perpetrator: Lausenschlange. Dynamic: Predator-Prey (social). Objective: Expose true killer, protect Mauseherz.]
Adam grimaced. "Oh, for crying out loud. It's the 'mouse and snake' dynamic again. Seriously, can't these Wesen come up with some new material? It's like they're stuck in a perpetual, very violent, high school drama. And the Mauseherz is always the bullied kid." He glanced at Wanda, who was already looking sympathetic.
"I feel… fear," Wanda murmured, her senses reaching out to the crime scene. "And a cold, calculating malice. The boy… he is terrified. But the other… he is like ice."
"That's the Lausenschlange, alright. The snake-Wesen. Masters of manipulation. They love preying on the timid Mauseherz," Adam explained, mentally pulling up files from the Library. "System, give me everything on Wesen social hierarchies. Specifically, the predator-prey dynamics between Mauseherz and Lausenschlange. Any historical accounts of them framing others? Because I'm pretty sure our timid mouse-boy is being set up."
The Library responded with a grim history of exploitation. Lausenschlange, with their cunning and subtle influence, often used Mauseherz as scapegoats, exploiting their timid nature and their ability to control rats to commit crimes. It was a brutal, unspoken rule of the Wesen underworld: the strong preyed on the weak, and the cunning preyed on the naive.
"So, basically, it's the food chain, but with more deception and less actual eating," Adam summarized, a cynical edge to his voice. "And our poor Mauseherz is at the bottom. Again. It's like the universe just hates rodents. Or, you know, just loves a good villain who can manipulate everyone."
They discreetly observed the police investigation. Nick and Hank, still reeling from the Siegbarste incident (Hank especially, who was looking like he hadn't slept in a week), were focusing on the Mauseherz teenager, who was a bundle of nerves and fear. He was timid, easily intimidated, and seemed to have a natural affinity for rats, which, in this case, was not helping his alibi.
Adam saw the Lausenschlange, a smooth, charismatic figure, subtly influencing witnesses, planting seeds of doubt, and generally being a slimy, manipulative snake. He was good. Too good. He was playing Nick and Hank like fiddles, using the Mauseherz as his unwitting pawn.
"He is… very clever," Wanda observed, her eyes narrowed. "He twists the truth."
"That's their specialty, kiddo. They're basically the lawyers of the Wesen world, but with more scales and less ethics," Adam replied, a grim smile touching his lips. "This isn't just about solving a murder. This is about exposing a manipulator. About showing Nick that not all monsters are obvious. Some are just really, really good at playing the victim. Or, you know, framing the actual victim."
He considered the Library shop. An item to detect manipulation? A truth serum? He mentally added a few items to his list, knowing this would be a subtle, intellectual battle. This wasn't about brute force; it was about outsmarting a cunning predator.
"Alright, Wanda," Adam said, a strategic glint in his eye. "Time to play 'Wesen Detective.' We need to find a way to expose this snake without alerting him to our presence. And we need to protect our little mouse-boy. Because if there's one thing I can't stand, it's a bully. Especially a scaly, manipulative one." He grinned. "Let's go catch a snake. And maybe, just maybe, teach him that karma's a bitch. Even in the Wesen world."
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