After their investigation into the blood banks and the vampires were secured at S.P.E.A.R for further questioning about the Seraphim. Tom and Alexa decided that they needed to see if they could find anymore information. Lucky for Tom, Alexa said she knew of a place.
"So, what exactly is this place we're going to?" Tom asked sitting in the passenger seat as Alexa had taken the wheel.
"Sorry partner, can't tell you until we get there." Alexa said with a grin.
"It's not a Succubi brothel is it? Because I don't think my family would really like to know that I went to one of those." Tom asked with a slight chuckle.
"Come on, you've seen S.P.E.A.R, not every succubi wants to be a prostitute. Besides we're not going to one of those. Like I said, I can't tell you everything until we get there." Alexa said as she drove to a more sleazy part of town.
Alexa drove to a building that looked like it had seen better days and parked behind it. She motioned for Tom to follow her to the door. Alexa looked around before shifting into her Nekomata form before knocking a certain number of times and Tom was a little surprised to see part of it open like an old speakeasy door.
"Password?" The voice on the other side of the door asked.
"Trolls are the GOAT." Alexa said as the person on the other side of the door looked over at Tom.
"He's my plus one." Alexa quickly replied.
"Welcome to Gertrude's." The voice said before opening the door.
Alexa and Tom stepped through to where Tom was very surprised to see a full operational bar with almost entirely supernatural creatures and beings. There were werewolves, vampires, a couple of succubi and a few others either having a drink, talking, playing cards, or making out in the corner.
"So....I take it not many humans come around to this bar a whole lot." Tom said as he and Alexa made their way over to the counter.
"Yeah, that's because Gertrude's is pretty much a...." Alexa began.
"A need to know basis. As in only the supernatural community is supposed to know about this place, unless they're a plus one." A woman said as Tom looked behind the counter to see a woman who dressed in 1880s attire with her cleavage very much visible. But that wasn't the most notable thing about this woman. It was the fact that the woman behind the bar was a troll.
"It's okay Gert, he's with me." Alexa reassured the woman behind the bar.
"He is? Didn't know you had gone and found yourself a guy." The troll woman joked.
"NO! Uh....no, Gert. He's...(ahem)....he's not my boyfriend. He's my work partner. I work with S.P.E.A.R now." Alexa explained to the troll woman.
"Ah, working for the government now? I always thought thought you'd go to Hollywood or something." The troll woman joked.
"No, I wanted to help out people in our community. Anyway, let's start over. Gertrude, this is Tom Harris, he's my partner at S.P.E.A.R. Tom, this troll woman before you is Gertrude, the owner of the bar we're currently in." Alexa explained.
"Eh, nice to meet you." Tom said shaking the troll woman's hand.
"First time meeting a troll, huh? I can tell. Short history on me and this place. I was just an average beautiful gal back in the 1880s America. One day, I....said some rude remarks about this one old troll woman and she cursed me into being a one. I had a whole episode where I thought my life was over, blah, blah, blah. Learned to accept myself and decided to make a bar for those in the supernatural community who usually feel oppressed by humans. Didn't want any humans coming in at first, but I let it slide if they had someone to accompany them who are supernatural like your friend Alexa here." Gertrude explained as Tom nodded and looked around seeing almost no other humans in the bar at the time except himself.
"If Alexa brought you in, I'm trusting you, for now. But just be warned, I got my eye on you." Gertrude said almost as a threat looking at Tom directly with one eye.
"Aw, lay off of him ma, he doesn't look so bad. Looks kind of cute even." A troll woman who looked more human than troll said as she came over to Alex and Tom, holding up a serving tray with a few drinks on it as she set the tray down.
"Cora! Oh, it's been too long." Alexa said going over and giving the troll woman a hug.
"Tom, this is Cora, Gertrude's daughter. I met her in College. She's the one who actually introduced me to this place." Alexa explained.
"Yep, been helping mama run it for years and serving the not so good customers and the good looking customers. Which reminds me...." Cora said as she poured a glass of beer for Tom.
"On the house just for you cutie." Cora said winking before picking up her drink tray.
"Cora!" Gertrude hissed at her daughter.
"Oh let it go mama, I'm sure he's a nice guy. Handsome face like that can't be all bad. Back to work for me." Cora said as she playfully swayed her hips while walking away.
"Ugh, that girl. Anyway, why'd you and your partner come in anyway Alexa? It can't be just because you wanted to show him the place." Gertrude asked as she began to pour a drink for another customer who motioned for a glass.
"Yeah, see, we're on a case and we wanted to ask you if you have any information about someone named 'Seraphim'." Alexa asked as Gertrude in shock dropped her glass onto the floor and the entire bar grew suddenly silent as everyone now looked up in fear at Alexa and Tom.
"Cora, can you please work the bar? I....need to discuss something with our patrons in my office, now!" Gertrude said as she motioned for Tom and Alexa into her office.
Cora went behind the bar as another troll girl took to carrying the drinks for her. Gertrude led Tom and Alexa into her office as her rubbed the bridge of her troll nose.
"Sorry about that, but I have a few rules in my bar. But one of my rules is to never mention two names and one of them is 'Seraphim'. They've been around for years now, killing or murdering creatures in the supernatural community and claiming it to be a holy justified doing. It's shameful is what it is. Maybe I would've agreed with what they're doing when I was human a long time ago, but not now or ever. Especially with my Cora to protect." Gertrude explained with a sad sigh.
"You mentioned two names, just out of curiosity, what's the other name?" Tom asked.
" 'Little Ann'." Gertrude replied as Tom's face now showed a little fear on it.
"I take it you're familiar with her?" Gertrude asked as Tom just quietly nodded.
"Yeah, I....uh....I....am." Tom answered almost unable to reply.
"Came to my bar, I don't even remember how long ago now. Wanted one of my strongest drinks called 'A Witch King'. I gave it to her and then she went around the bar fighting just for the fun of it, leaving many beaten and bruised but surprisingly no one dead. Then she asked for another glass before leaving. I guess she just didn't consider anyone worth killing at the time, so many were lucky to get out of there alive." Gertrude explained.
"I'm sorry you had to go through all that Gert, but listen, I know trolls can hear a lot of talk in the supernatural community. So any information you have on....'Seraphim' would be very helpful." Alexa said as Gertrude sighed.
Gertrude got up and opened the door to her office seeing everyone looking happy again. But she looked over at Cora to see her making as many patrons as happy as she could.
"I'll give you all the information I can on one condition." Gertrude began before going back and sitting down in her office chair.
"I'd like you to take my daughter out on a date in her troll form." Gertrude said looking up at Tom.
"I'm sorry, I don't....I don't think I...." Tom began to say.
"Cora has dated in the past before with other guys, but she's always wanted to go on a date as herself in her troll form. No other troll boy has really ever peaked her interest, but you seem like a pretty nice guy. Now, please understand, I'm not asking you to date my daughter. I'm just asking you to go out with her to make her happy." Gertrude explained.
"Uh....well......" Tom said unsure of just what to say next.
"Tom, it's only one date like she said, and it's more of a formality than anything." Alexa explained.
"Alright, I'll go on one date with her." Tom finally agreed.
"Okay Gert, what information do you have regarding the 'Seraphim'." Alexa asked her as Gertrude took in a deep breath.
"As a bar tender and bar owner, I tend to hear a lot of things that go down. But something that stuck out to me when I heard someone trying to have a secret conversation about the Seraphim was that.....most likely they were someone from the church." Gert finally revealed as Alex and Tom looked surprised at this notion.
"Are you sure? Even for the church, what this person is doing is definitely not something the church would agree to. Have you tried talking with them?" Tom now asked.
"No, if this Seraphim person is working from within the church, I just can't go in and ask them. I wouldn't know how many people are actually working with the Seraphim or how deep this conspiracy goes, all I know is I want my daughter to stay safe. That's all the information I can give you, and if you want my advice? Don't trust anyone in the church. Hunters and fairies? Maybe. But I warn you to be careful when talking with anyone in the church these days. Now if you don't have any more questions for me, you both can leave my bar." Gertrude said as Alex and Tom now departed Gertrude's office before stopping over at the bar.
"We're headed out Cora, it was nice to see you again." Alexa said as Cora nodded to her friend.
"Before we go Cora, your mother wants me to....take you out on a date, just as a formality. She also said she wants you to go in your troll form. So I guess just choose a time and place." Tom said as they saw Cora blush a little bit before getting a piece of paper and writing a phone number down.
"This....this is my phone number. I'll call you tomorrow to let you know where to meet." Cora explained while still blushing and handing the paper to Tom.
"Thanks, I'll talk to you tomorrow." Tom said as he and Alexa now left Gertrude's with a few people looking at them as they left.
Once they exited the bar, Alexa shifted back into her human form before they both got back into the car. Tom got in the driver's side this time as they drove off back to S.P.E.A.R.
"Looks like someone's got a date." Alexa slightly teased.
"It's just a formality thing, you heard her. Besides I'm sure there's a guy out there for Cora who will love her for who she is." Tom said.
"Maybe, but Cora usually dated human guys in college and never told any of them about her troll side." Alexa explained.
"What about troll guys?"
"Have you met many trolls? Many of them are kind of rude, Cora on the other hand is one of the sweetest girls you could ever meet. I think you'll like her more after talking with her." Alexa said as Tom nodded.
"So....we have to be cautious with the church now." Tom said changing the subject.
"Well S.P.E.A.R. and the church haven't exactly seen eye to eye since what happened with Lord Wyatt, Director McMillan, and Caleb Moreland. Gertrude's right about not trusting them right now, and what she told us does make sense. Whoever Seraphim is working with has ties to the church, and it may not be just one person they're working with." Alexa said.
Tom agreed as they reached S.P.E.A.R. and would certainly have something to tell Director Myers about once they got inside.