Chapter 26 : The Recovery
Eight days remained until the Reaper deadline.
I spent most of them learning what the new ability actually did.
The Siegbarste durability wasn't flashy—no superhuman strength, no regeneration visible to the naked eye. Instead, it manifested as resilience. Impacts that should have broken bones left bruises. Cuts that should have gone deep stayed shallow. My body had become harder to damage.
"Again."
Angelina's fist connected with my forearm. The impact rattled through the bone but left only a mild ache.
"Better." She circled, looking for another angle. "You're still flinching before contact. The durability only helps if you're willing to take hits."
We'd been training for three hours in Monroe's backyard. The grass was torn, the fence bore several new scratches, and my body catalogued a dozen minor impacts.
[COMBAT TRAINING: SESSION 47]
[SIEGBARSTE DURABILITY: FUNCTIONING WITHIN PARAMETERS]
[DAMAGE REDUCTION: CONFIRMED (23-27% DEPENDING ON IMPACT TYPE)]
[METABOLIC NOTE: CALORIC REQUIREMENT INCREASED 15%]
The metabolic cost was the biggest surprise. The durability burned energy constantly—not much individually, but enough that I needed to eat more than usual. Monroe had started keeping extra food at his house specifically for my training sessions.
"Your footwork's improving." Angelina launched a combination—jab, cross, knee strike. I blocked the first two, absorbed the third against my new defenses. "Still not good, but improving."
"How encouraging."
"I'm not here to encourage you. I'm here to make sure you don't die in the next week."
Fair point.
Rosalee emerged from the house carrying water bottles and a medical kit. She'd been present at every training session since the Siegbarste fight—officially to treat injuries, unofficially to watch how the Pack was developing.
"Scalpel wants to see you," she told me. "Something about your healing rate."
I left Angelina working through forms and followed Rosalee inside.
Scalpel had set up a proper examination area in Monroe's guest room. Charts covered one wall—my vital signs, ability metrics, healing progression. The Geier took his new role seriously.
"Sit."
I sat on the examination table while he checked my ribs. The bones had knit faster than expected—the combination of Fuchsbau remedies and Siegbarste durability accelerating what should have taken weeks.
"The integration is complete." Scalpel made notes on his chart. "Your physiology has fully incorporated the extracted ability. I'm seeing permanent changes to bone density, muscle fiber composition, and pain response thresholds."
"Is that good?"
"It's unprecedented." His vulture features flickered nervously. "I've never seen a Grimm absorb Wesen abilities this way. The old stories mentioned Grimm powers developing over time, but nothing like direct extraction."
[STATUS UPDATE: SIEGBARSTE DURABILITY - FULLY INTEGRATED]
[PERMANENT PHYSIOLOGICAL CHANGES: CONFIRMED]
[ESTIMATED TOTAL EXTRACTED ABILITIES: 4]
[- ENHANCED BLUTBAD SENSES (PASSIVE)]
[- ZIEGEVOLK PHEROMONES (ACTIVE)]
[- HUNDJÄGER TRACKING (PASSIVE)]
[- SIEGBARSTE DURABILITY (PASSIVE)]
Four abilities. Each one extracted from enemies, integrated into my biology, becoming part of what I was. The System tracked them like inventory items, but they felt more organic than that—not tools I used, but aspects of myself.
"The Reapers," Scalpel said quietly. "Adalind told me about the two coming from Europe."
"Der Scharfrichter and der Richter. The Executioner and the Judge."
"I've heard those names." The fear in his voice was genuine. "In the Wesen community, they're legends. Bogeymen that parents use to frighten children. 'Behave or the Executioner will come.'"
"Are the legends accurate?"
"If anything, they're understated." Scalpel set down his chart. "These aren't scouts or enforcers. They're specialists. The Executioner has killed over forty Grimms personally. The Judge has coordinated the elimination of entire Grimm bloodlines."
[THREAT ASSESSMENT: DER SCHARFRICHTER]
[CLASSIFICATION: S-RANK (LEGENDARY)]
[KNOWN KILLS: 43 GRIMMS CONFIRMED]
[SPECIALTY: SINGLE COMBAT, SCYTHE MASTERY]
[THREAT ASSESSMENT: DER RICHTER]
[CLASSIFICATION: S-RANK (LEGENDARY)]
[SPECIALTY: STRATEGY, COORDINATION, MULTI-TARGET OPERATIONS]
[NOTE: WORKS IN PARTNERSHIP WITH DER SCHARFRICHTER]
Two S-Rank threats. Coming specifically for me.
"I need more than four abilities," I said.
"You need an army." Scalpel's voice dropped. "Even with everything you've built—the Pack, the Mellifer network, the alliance with the Hexenbiest—these two have destroyed stronger forces."
"Then I need to find advantages they won't expect."
I left Scalpel's examination room and found Adalind waiting in Monroe's living room. She'd arrived while I was being checked, settling into the armchair like she belonged there.
"Viktor formally requested Reaper assistance," she said without preamble. "The shipment theft, the Siegbarste's death, the message you sent with the scout—he's taking it personally now."
"Good."
"Not good. Viktor taking things personally means resources. Money, Wesen soldiers, political connections. He's offering to fund the Reaper operation in exchange for proof of your death."
"How much?"
"Triple the original bounty. Sixty thousand."
The number landed like a physical blow. Sixty thousand dollars for my head. Combined with the two legendary Reapers already en route, it painted a clear picture.
"I have seven days."
"You have seven days." Adalind stood, moving to stand beside me. "What's your plan?"
"I'm still working on it."
"Work faster."
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