What are Grimm? In this world it's a question that too few think to ask. If one were to ask however they would probably be met with a quizzical glance and the obvious answer: The enemy of humanity. But is anything ever so simple? Grimm have proven themselves to be humanities enemy, at times jumping into certain death for the chance at ending a single human life, but why? They're evil of course. But is anything ever completely black and white?
I don't think so.
A young Cider Fall watches the Beowolf snarl staring directly at her, wanting nothing more than to tear her limb from limb, it's red eyes staring into the depths of her soul. She stares back. Most ten year olds would be terrified looking directly into the eyes of their natural predator, Cinder fall is not most ten year olds. The child quickly looses interest in the creature and turns away from the thick glass separating the two. She has more important things to worry about. Like why her father brought her here in the first place.
She takes a few quick steps to catch up to the imposing figure of her father. Lucius Fall isn't a very well known name, which is how you know that he's good at what he does. On paper he's a businessman, owner of a shipping company that handles imports and exports. It's nothing special unless you look in the boxes and see what he actually deals in, which is everything. Both legal and illegal there isn't a thing that the man doesn't have a hand in, anything from moving produce to human lives could be on his ledger.
His business normally has him away from home for months at a time, which doesn't bother Cinder in the least, the man is unpleasant at best. Yet for some reason he's seen fit to drag her along this time. She really hoped he wasn't going to go about trying to convince her to follow in his footsteps, Cinder had decided long ago to become a huntress. Not out of any childish fantasies of being a hero or anything, the reason is that she understands the truth of this world.
Strength is power.
Her father seems to think that money is power but that can't possibly be true. Their travel route had them move through the grim infested forest's of Mistral and he had hired several ex hunters as protection. So how could he have power if he needed others to defend himself? Cinder had long ago resolved that she wouldn't rely on the strength of others. Her father is of course vehemently against the idea but what can he do when he's gone so often? Forging his signature on the required documents and having already moved funds into the appropriate accounts she was set to head to a combat school in the fall. By the time he found out there would be nothing he could do.
Perhaps that is why she's more curious as to worried about why her father would suddenly drag her to a strange building in the middle of the forest. She frowns realizing that perhaps he she doesn't understand the extent of his business. Why would a smuggler come to some weird facility in the middle of the woods?
Still she follows, his imposing form leading the way. They go down several flights of stairs. The sanitary white linoleum floors of the ground floor become dingier and dustier as they descend into the bowels of the facility. "Father where are you taking me?"
Cinder can't help but sigh as once again the man refuses to answer her. He's hardly said a word since they arrived about an hour ago, and none of them were to her. Hopefully they can be done with this soon, she had been in the middle of brainstorming what she would use for a weapon when she started school.
When they reach the bottom floor, the floors are cement, with moss growing on the walls barely visible from the few hanging lanterns. The hum of the upper floors is gone replaced instead by a silence that seems to permeate through the entire chamber. Young Cinder wonders, just what is this place, and why am I here?
After walking for a few more minutes it becomes increasingly apparent that this place is old, definitely pre war, she passes what looks like long abandoned laboratories. Is this some ancient research facility? Why would they renovate the upper floors but leave down here alone?
"Cinder." She's brought out of her pondering by her father's voice eager for an answer to any of the questions that have been bothering her. "You haven't changed your mind about becoming a warrior have you?"
Amber eyes narrow in suspicion, Lucian has always been against the idea of her becoming a huntress, but the way he says this makes it almost sound as if he wants her to. "No, I haven't."
"Good." He stops walking in front of a door that seems to still have a working electronic lock and security pad. At closer inspection they're both brand new, the shiny steel must have been installed recently, no doubt by Lucian. Just what has father been doing down here? "While I disagree with this decision, a call from your future teacher has made it clear that you intend to continue without my permission." He found out, there's a flash of fear on Cinder's face before she quickly replaces it with a look of annoyance. Of course he found out. He looks down at her with a grin that would probably look fine on any other face but his, but on him, it looks twisted, you can see the cruelty in his eyes and know that he has nothing pleasant planned.
"Is that why you've brought me here? To punish me?" For the first time Cinder wonders if maybe she's just down here because no one will look this deep for a body. Her father had never beaten her before but she is completely aware of what he's capable of. There's a reason his business goes unchallenged.
"I'm not here to punish you." The words are filled with a strange mirth almost like he finds all of this amusing. His fingers tap out a combination on the keypad and the door slides open with a hiss. Cinder follows him into the room, which contrasts strongly with the dingy hallway. The entire room is crystal clean. Smooth white walls meets an identical looking floor. There are several strange machines and instruments on one wall, and on an opposite wall, there are tubes filled with different kinds of dust. The largest machine is on the roof, it has many tubes and wires coming from the machine to the single chair that lay directly in the center. Already in the room is an old man wearing a white lab coat, grey hair poking out in odd angles as one hand fiddles with his glasses and the other adjusts knobs on a console.
After one glance at the chair and the various restraints attached Cinder has a very bad feeling that she's going to find out exactly what that machine does. She moves to take a step back but winces as her father's strong hand grabs her arm holding her in place. "Father what is this? Who is that man?"
Cinder struggles as her father slowly walks closer to the chair, unfortunately the strength of a ten-year old girl is negligible to the man. "Ignore him. This chair will become your throne. Have a seat."
Tears are beginning to well in Cinders eyes as her fear grows. "F-Father I don't want to! Please!"
"Sit Down." He doesn't yell, he doesn't need to, she can't fight him, and she knows she can't escape. With tears freely falling down her face Cinder begrudgingly takes a seat in the chair.
The second she does there's a loud snap, as all of the restraints clamp shut, Cinder let's out a scream of pain. When she looks down she sees that the manacles on the chair's armrests have spikes that are now piercing her wrists. She can't see them but it's not hard to figure out that a similar thing is happening to her ankles, the pain is immeasurable. Is his plan to cripple her so she can't possibly become a huntress?
Despite the pain she takes a few breaths before calming down. The pain is nearly blinding, and she's afraid of what is to come, but nothing else can compare to her anger at her father and supposed caretaker. Unable to wipe the tears from her eyes she glares at him through the pain. This is a reminder, proof of what she already knows; the strong are the ones who rule this world. She's weak so he can do whatever he wants to her. But that won't always be the case. No, very soon I will be the strong one and I know exactly what I'll do when that's the case.
Lucian meets her glare with an almost disinterested glance, it's hard not to be a little proud of how well she's taking this. As if any child of his could ever be considered weak.
"Mr. Fall?" He looks away from his fuming daughter to the scientist, "It's ready."
Lucian Fall smiles, and that scares Cinder more than anything. She's seen him grin, sneer, and smirk. But never smile, this could mean anything. It doesn't matter though. No matter what, Cinder is determined to survive this, if only long enough to pay him back. She's so intently staring at his face, trying to decipher his intention that his lips seem to move in slow motion when he replies. "Start the operation."
The lab coat nods and presses a few keys. Cinder cranes her neck to look up seeing the machine attached to the chair come to life, on her right the tube with the canister of red dust makes noise as it begins to empty into tubes on the ceiling. She glances at her wrist again and notices that what she thought were spikes are actually needles.
Cinder watches with grim fascination as the needles almost painfully slow start to fill with some sort of golden liquid, and start to move it into her body. At first there's no reaction, and then she starts to feel it. Starts to feel the fire that's consuming her body, grinding her bones and boiling her blood. She screams.
This is hell.