She opened her eyes weakly and saw the strange man kneeling over her. He had strange tattoos on his body and a frown like he had stepped in dogshit for the fourth time that day. Needless to say it was a rather resigned and slightly disgusted look. He grabbed her up by the arms with strength no person should possess. All but manhandling her up and into a car despite her protests. She was sobbing while he drove a short distance and parked in back of some building. Leaning over her, she flinched away, as he pushed open the car door and pushed her none too kindly, out. “Talk to the Grimm’s if you want to live.” Were his parting words as he pulled the door closed and drove away, leaving her there still holding a wrapped up arm. She stared after the car as it all but seemingly disappeared into the distance; just sitting there sniffling for a few minutes in confusion… trying to remember what had happened. She was on her way home from class and she knew that park after dark was rough but she had a tazer and pepper spray. After the rustle in the bushes and seeing the huge dog she had woken up to Mr. Tattoo. The dog had attacked her, which was clear... But the rest…None of this made any sense.
“I want you to know crying on my stoop is bad for business.” She looked up in mid sob and took in the sight of him. The figure was dashingly handsome with white hair, not gray, but shock white. His voice was smooth and cultured as he took a seat next to her. Rather casual though it looked like the suit he wore was worth more than she made in a month. “Now tell me what’s wrong. I promise you’ll feel better if you do.” She told him her strange tale expecting him to call her crazy but he just quietly listened. It was now she noticed a turtle moving her way in the paved walkway with a steaming tea cup on its back. He nodded when she was finished and smiled softly. “I am one of the Brothers Grimm… you are safe here at the Pandemonium club. And as for who you met, well, we call them Nephilim, or Shadowhunters, as they prefer.”
She blinked. “What’s that?” Grimm seemed to think about it and shrugged. “They are as they sound, people descended from angels. They protect the world and hunt demons. Enforce the Accords that make life civilized for all of us who inhabit this wonderful little planet.” She couldn’t help but think he was crazy. He reached for the tea cup that was on the back of the turtle that had just arrived like it was planned. “Thank you, Soup.” He murmured to the amphibian. “Now then I am sure you have a lot of questions. I will try to keep it simple. Demons are real. They invade our world and do a host of not nice things. The children of the moon are werewolves… yes like in the movies. Silver hurts them and they change during the full moon. The children of the Night are what you know as vampires. Ignore the stake in the heart thing but most of the rest of the movies got it right. They have no reflection, can’t stand running water, that sort of thing. The children of Lilith are descended from demons and humans and they are called warlocks. Then there are the Fae. The offspring of angles and demons… no don’t ask how. The more I thought about it the more it hurts the brain.” He paused to sip his tea while she maintained a rather dubious expression. But he continued never the less.
“These are the Downworlders. All are connected to demons by birth or infection. You know them as stories and fairy tales…but I assure you they are quite real.”
After the little monologue she was almost numb. “Why tell me all this?” The words fell unbidden from her lips, she was simply too shook, overwhelmed by so much information so quickly. He took her wrist and turned it so she saw that the bandage on her wrist had bled through a bit. It was a bite mark, she knew. But his voice was eerily calm, soothing as he pointed out. “Because chances are you’re going to be one of them. So I would pay close attention unless you want the Clave hunting you down.”
If her mind was having a difficult time keeping up before, then it all but ground to a halt at that revelation. Swallowing hard she finally looked up to see where she was. They sat on the raised stoop in front of a bar surrounded by strange folks. Two bouncers were off to one side of the velvety cushioned bars that kept a line of fantastically dressed partygoers at bay. She didn’t see most of them as weird looking as the Brother Grimm had explained, and when she questioned that he clarified the natural ability of all Downworlders to hide using “glamour” or the ability to cloud her mundane eyes. A mundane could be standing right next to one of them and either see right through them or only see what their simple little minds wanted to.
“Let me see if I got this right.” She was murmuring quietly to herself, but she cast the Brothers Grimm a look before she started, making it clear he had better assist with this clarification. “The Shadowhunters, aka Nephilim are assholes because all Downworlders are somehow connected to demons. Vampires and werewolves hate each other and I should stay as clear as I can from the fae. The accords are some laws that the league of Shadowhunters enforce like supernatural police. And I have to obey the accords and try not to piss off anything stronger/older/more powerful than me which is about everything. However humans just won't see me or can be tricked out of it.” The Grimm nodded. “That’s about it in a nutshell.”
She was frowning harder and actually turned to glare at him. Confusion had finally given way to anger. And he was a good target. “So that dog was most likely a wolf and I may or may not change on the next full moon?” A quirk of a grin stole over Grimms lips but his expression was just a touch blasé. “Yup.” Her eyes narrowed suspiciously. “Why are you helping me then? From the way you explain it everyone wants something.” He smiled wide. “That is true… and that question will fester in your brain for a long while. So let’s not linger on it for the moment.
Right now, you’re welcome to come here and meet the local pack… which I took the honor of calling for you. And before you think I am throwing you to the wolves… so to speak… they can help you with questions far more important that you have yet to discover on your own. They will take care of you and if all this is nothing more than a month scare come back to me and I’ll wipe that pretty little memory for you.”
“Why in hell would I want that?” She practically snarled and Grimm, despite his cool disposition had to wonder if she was feral like this before she was bitten. “Ignorance is bliss. You know about their world now, which makes you fair game. If you’re not part of a side then you are a mundane. And trust me; I tried to help mankind once. You really don’t want to know.” He watched as two fellows moved past the body guard and over to them. Both looking completely plain, and well they should have, it was only a quarter moon tonight. Introductions were made and Grimm pressed up to his feet to watch the girl leave with the two local pack. They had, of course, thanked him and told him they would pay the normal rate for his help. He gave a nod and once they were safely across the street, he turned to disappear into the bar.
It was just another day in London for the Brothers Grimm.
