kinkfest | A step beyond the rain [Monster, Grimmer/Tenma, PG-13] (Reply)

Title: A step beyond the rain
Author:

lurk_stiltzkin
Words: 1088
Rating: PG -13
Prompt: 25th - Monster, Grimmer/Tenma: hurt/comfort - not a good day for a picnic

[The Hidden Chapter - Kenzo Tenma part-2, January 2002, Düsseldorf]

The man called Wolfgang Grimmer was buried at the Düsseldorf cemetery, a place covered by the shades of giant maple trees. His gravestone was only engraved with a name given by 511 Kinderheim and the years he’d spent. There was no mentioned detail at how he was once married and had a son.

Kenzo Tenma was the first to arrive, and as he reached the grave, placed his picnic basket aside, saying that he once promised a picnic with Grimmer, with good cheese, sandwiches and wine. The doctor talked about his new job at MSF, the children at the orphanage, the people both of them knew, and the fact that it's such a nice day to have a picnic.

At the time the sky began to rumble, he finally stood up, dusted his trousers and called up to me.

After sending another letter to the MSF, I finally received another reply. Dr. Kenzo Tenma had agreed to be interviewed for my research, under some terms that he insisted because of a delicate time constraint. I was allowed to give him only one question, and somehow made it relevant to the Johan case.

There was a much dire need for me to picture the man’s face, since it’s only a couple of years has passed since the Johan case, but his current look differed greatly from his initial mug shots that appeared on the headlines a few years back. He appeared wearing a simple tanned coat over a white shirt and grey pants. How his MSF wage could actually out rule a job as chief surgeon at Eisler Memorial Hospital was beyond me—they must have paid a handsome amount for all of his skills and talent.

He shifted his hold on the picnic basket, and looked at me in the eyes for the first time. "Now, Mr. Weber, I recall you have a question for me?"

I only have one shot with him, the only man that probably knew Johan the most and live to tell about it. I informed him all about the case of the serial killer Gustav Kottmann, and the high probability of someone controlling his last actions, murdering people that wasn't his usual target and his last words of, 'One, two, three...My mission is complete.'

"So you're concluding that another man--someone much more sinister--harbored this axe murderer and used him for a clean up job. Is that right?"

It was a deduction after a thorough research, but Dr. Tenma was slowly losing his smile after I informed him.

"I will tell you something that happened," Tenma drew a breath, and looked somewhere over my shoulder. "After I told him the truth about his mother, about his real name, Johan got up, he opened his eyes and spoke, telling me that their mother once chose—made a difficult decision on which of her children that was unneeded."

The doctor pulled the collar of his coat tighter. "It could have been a dream, but the next day, Agent Lunge called and said that Johan's disappeared--he's no longer at the hospital and nobody could find him."

He glanced at his wrist watch, and said, "I hope that answers your question, Mr. Weber. I must be going now to catch my flight.”

The drizzle intensified as he stepped over to the cemetery's gate, but he turned around before leaving. "To tell the truth, I agreed to this interview because Mr. Verdeman informed me you're researching the ending of Magnificent Steiner."

A 1960's cartoon show that depicted a weak boy that turned into a muscular man that would knock down every enemy. Apparently, it was Grimmer's favorite show as a child. Officer Jan Suk had refused to discuss about the cartoon at all, and Fritz Verdeman had requested information about the last episode. The cartoon had played a major role on Grimmer’s childhood and later influenced him greatly as an adult. From little information I have from Grimmer’s victims, they have said how he broke bones and ripped out flesh with his bare hands when he was driven to the breaking point. The way they’re picturing him, it was as if he had turned into another person—a monster, to be exact. It was later I discovered that such split personality cases rise occasionally from the research objects from Kinderheim 511 and shared a similarity to the personae of Magnificent Steiner. Most of them have been lost to suicides very early; Wolfgang Grimmer’s last actions have been identified as one as well.

I told Dr. Tenma how the main character, the-supposed-to-be-hero, stood by his enemies himself and live the rest of his life in peace after discovering the truth about Magnificent Steiner.

"I see...thank you," Tenma’s voice was gradually drown out by the rain, but his expression has brightened considerably, as if the cartoon series’ ending has brought him much relief. "I'm sure Grimmer would be very happy to hear that. It's a pleasure meeting you."

He continued walking after nodding at me for the last time, passing a blonde young man with a bottle of wine in his hand. All the while my eyes were trained on Doctor Tenma's back, as the young man passed him, they didn't glance at each other or make any signs of acknowledgement.

The young man nodded at me briefly, walked straight to Grimmer's grave, placing the wine bottle - Forster Ungeheuer - on the ground, next to Dr. Tenma's sandwiches. "I hope this goes well with the food," the young man said, pushing his wet bangs from his eyes. "Such a shame to not be able to drink a good wine at a day like this."

Due to his medical condition, no photo of Johan Liebert was ever released to the public, but I have talked and met with his twin, Nina Foertnerr, and memorized every contours and shape of her face as I drew her sketch. Though my research was already done even before I interviewed Dr. Tenma—it had reached the conclusion before he agreed for this interview. I had not brought any cameras or any kind of recorders with me, and the details of this day would be taken with me to the grave. It will never become a published chapter of my Another Monster book.

I left the cemetery and didn't turn back, following the path that Dr. Tenma had taken earlier.

A/N: written based on the Another Monster novel by Urasawa Naoki, the translation can be found here.