Chapter 1 - In the Beginning
Chapter 1: In the Beginning
Plink...plink...a trace of blood...
Stars sing their lullaby
I hear a scream into your head...
I am sorry for your life...I really am
Here in darkness...you're paying for your sins...
- Two Steps From Hell, "Deck the Halls With Blood"
__________________________________________________________________
"Stop."
The car lurched to a halt halfway out of a parking space in an empty lot. The large grey wolf in the passenger seat regarded the driver with a stern expression.
"You need to look before you move," the wolf informed him, "The parking lot may be mostly empty, but for all you know there could be someone right behind you. You should never move at all without looking first."
The younger grey wolf in the driver's seat frowned, ears going flat. "Sorry."
Jacob sighed. His little brother Jasper was a fast learner, but sometimes he could take criticism a little too personally.
"Hey, don't worry. You're doing fine," Jacob reassured him. "Just park and try again."
This is how most of their weekdays went. Both wolves would get up at five-thirty in the morning, eat breakfast, and get to Juniper Hill High School by seven. Jacob would let Jasper drive around for a bit in the parking lot and then later out on the open road. Just before eight, Jasper would go to school and Jacob would leave for work. After work, Jacob would pick Jasper up from school and they would go home. Jacob was always playing the role of parent in their everyday lives, and this was all due to a single key detail.
Jacob and Jasper Grimm had no parents.
They had always been a bit of a broken family. Their father had left them shortly after Jasper was born, leaving their mother to raise two young children by herself. Later when Jacob was 19 years old, and Jasper 13, their mother was killed in a car accident. Jacob inherited all her money and the house, and has been taking good care of Jasper ever since. They had been a reasonably wealthy family, so it wasn't hard to keep Jasper in school.
About half an hour later, it was finally time for Jasper to go to school. After they had arrived and parked at the school again, both wolves got out. Jacob breathed in deeply and stretched his limbs while Jasper grabbed his bag from the backseat. Standing at almost six feet tall, Jacob was a 22-year old grey wolf with an athletic build. His blue eyes squinted in the sunlight as he did a quick assessment of the skies. It looked like it would be sunny for most of the day.
Jasper quickly grabbed his bag and shut the door. He had the same build but was a few inches shorter than Jacob, being only 16 years old. His fur was a darker grey all over his body, except for his tail; his tail was black at the tip. His eyes were also blue, just like Jacob's.
"You have everything?" Jacob inquired once Jasper was finished.
Jasper nodded.
"You've got all your books? And your lunch?"
Jasper rolled his eyes. "Yes Jake, I'm fine. I'm not a kid anymore."
Jacob smirked apologetically. "You're right. Sorry." Then he frowned. "You _do_have your lunch, right?"
Jasper sighed and reached into his backpack, retrieving a brown paper bag. "There. Happy?"
Jacob chuckled and shook his head. "I never understood why you keep your lunch in your backpack."
"I prefer not to carry it," Jasper replied, shrugging.
Jacob smiled and patted him on the shoulder. "Have a good day at school for me, okay?"
Jasper smiled back at him and gave him a nod, then turned and headed for one of the school's side entrances. Jacob sat in the driver's seat and left for work.
............................
Soon he was parked at Books and Crannies, a popular bookstore. He had been working here for nearly three years and had gotten to know the regular staff there pretty well. After he strode through the front doors, he got a few nods in greeting from some of the employees at the registers. Jacob smiled back and continued toward the back of the store.
He went through a door labeled "Employees Only," crossed the room, and went through the next door. In the corner of this room on a small table sat a coffeemaker. Jacob immediately approached it and began making himself some coffee. Despite having already drank a cup before he had left home, he felt he still needed another boost.
He still had about twenty minutes before he needed to start his shift, so he leaned against the wall and enjoyed his coffee. After he finished, he threw away the cup and proceeded to wash his paws at a small sink. Glancing in the mirror, Jacob noticed that some of the fur on his neck and face was sticking out in odd directions; his fur had already been messed up since he brushed it this morning.
Frowning, Jacob licked his paws and began trying to fix his fur. This only resulted in him making it look even worse. Growling, he tried to fix it again, still failing to make any difference. With the fur on his face and neck all fluffed out, he looked as if he had been charged with static electricity.
"That's a good look for you, dude."
Jacob glanced in the mirror and turned around to face the intruder.
"Oh, har har, Nick," Jacob said, rolling his eyes.
Nicholas Hale was a red fox with green eyes who was about Jacob's height. He and Jacob had been best friends since middle school and currently worked at the same bookstore. They never had the exact same shifts because Nick was a student at Kent University studying cybersecurity and thus did not have time to work as long as Jacob did.
"Try using the water," Nick suggested, chuckling.
Jacob complied, wetting his paws and trying again. He was successful this time, his fur smooth and lying flat again.
"So, how are you this fine morning?" Nick quipped.
"Better, now," Jacob replied, turning away from the mirror. "At least it's Friday, right?"
"You got that right," Nick agreed, sighing. "I swear all the professors have been plotting together to give out as much homework as possible these last couple weeks."
This comment made Jacob remember something. "Hey, I almost forgot! You're graduating this semester, aren't you?"
Nick's expression brightened considerably, his tail wagging. "Sure am!"
"Congrats, man. You'll be out there cracking the codes in no time!" Jacob said with a smile.
The fox smiled back. "Thanks! Four years of hard work and cheap food are finally paying off." Nick frowned. "But it still would have been better if you were graduating with me."
Jacob's grin faded as well. "You know I can't go to college. I have to take care of Jasper."
"I could have done it!" Nick protested. "I babysat for you often enough when he was younger; he already calls me Uncle Nick."
"How would that have been any different?" Jacob inquired. "You're in college anyway. It would have made no difference."
"We could have done it together!"
Jacob raised an eyebrow. "Really? Two college dudes taking care of a kid? Do you have any idea what that would look like?"
Nick rolled his eyes. "Okay, not one of my best ideas." He regarded Jacob with a look of genuine concern. "I just don't want to see you throw away your life for him. Besides, he can handle himself."
"I know," replied Jacob, "I just worry about him sometimes. " He leaned back on
the wall with his arms crossed. "We're supposed to go and get him Branded tomorrow, but part of me says he's not ready."
By this century, science and technology had become so advanced that it was now possible to mimic the forces of nature through genetic operations. Scientists had found a way to "awaken" one's personality traits to give them "magical" abilities. These abilities would be centered around one of the four base elements of nature - Fire, Earth, Water, or Air. In addition to these abilities, one could instantly summon armour and a weapon based on which element they had been granted. Brand technology had originally been initiated for military purposes, but soon became open to the public. This way everyone had access to a weapon, but according to government regulations could only use them in self-defense.
As a consequence of this development, guns and firearms had become all but obsolete. Over the years, all guns either stopped being made or were shipped off to foreign nations in need. While the development of Brand technology was not cheap by any means, money could now be spent on other resources, now that it was a standard.
"Like I said, he'll be okay," Nick reassured him. He gave a small grin. "Worst case scenario, he's a Sealbreaker and you both move in with me."
The Sealbreakers were a very secretive group of people who tried to use Brand technology for malicious reasons. They were especially known for creating ways to control which type of Brand people received. For example, if one wanted to ensure that on the day of the procedure they received a Fire Brand, all they would have to do is contact a Sealbreaker. This activity is illegal, of course. A Sealbreaker's sole purpose was to leak information on Brand technology and use it for their own purpose. Hence, _Seal_breaker.
"You wish," Jacob chuckled. He glanced at the clock. Heading towards the door, he said, "Come on, our shift's about to start."
.......................
That evening, after Jacob and Jasper had returned home, Jacob made lasagna for dinner. It was their mother's recipe, so it was one of many important meals to them. They ate in front of the television while watching a comedy show.
Jacob glanced over at his brother. "How's the food?"
"Good," Jasper replied.
"Better than Mom's?"
Jasper gave a small smile, eyes still locked on the television. "It'll never be as good as Mom's."
Jacob smiled back. This was an ongoing game between the two of them. Whenever one of them tried to make one of their mother's recipes, they would try to do it better than she had. To this day, neither of them had succeeded.
"Jake?"
"Yeah?"
"..."
Jasper seemed to be having trouble figuring out what to say. He'd open his mouth and then shut it again, thinking hard about something. This happened several times before he finally spoke.
"What was Da - I mean," he stuttered. He cleared his throat and finished. "What was Richard like?"
Jacob's eyes widened slightly in surprise before he looked away from the television. Richard Baxter had been their father until he left them. Jasper had been too young to remember much about him, but Jacob had hated him ever since.
"He..." Jacob began. "He was irresponsible. To be honest, I think he only married Mom for the money. And I don't think he ever wanted kids either." Jacob growled. "Hell, he only barely tolerated me." His expression turned into a curious frown. He shifted his gaze toward Jasper and tilted his head slightly in question. "Why?"
Jasper now looked extremely uncomfortable. "Well...Mom always said that I looked a lot like him...I just wondered if..."
Jacob's breath caught in his throat. Was he about to suggest what he thought he was?
"...never mind."
Jacob still stared at him. "Jasper, what - "
"I don't want to talk about it."
Jacob wanted to press further, but didn't. Reluctantly, he got up and offered to take Jasper's plate. After receiving a silent nod from his brother, he took their dishes to the kitchen to wash them. Thinking back to their rather short exchange, it reminded him just how badly the loss of their parents had hurt both of them. He still remembered how hard it was for them the first few months after their mother had died. Jacob had promised himself that he would do what their mother had always done for them; he would take good care of Jasper and try his best to retain what they had lost. As he watched the water run from the faucet, his mind went back to that day when he took the first step to fulfilling that promise.
.......................
_ A nineteen-year-old Jacob stood in a dark alleyway, umbrella in paw and shielding him from the harsh downpour the morning had brought about. His heart beat rapidly, not because he was supposed to get his Brand that day, but because of the reason he was there in the first place. His eyes were fixed on the entrance, scanning the people passing by._
_ Someone turned into the alleyway and his heart began beating faster. As the stranger got closer, he saw that it was a shifty coyote; his dark fur and unusually light strides made him all the more intimidating. He stopped and stood near the wall opposite Jacob, lighting a cigarette and sticking it into his mouth._
"Terrible, this weather, isn't it?"
_ Jacob noticed a discolored patch of fur on the coyote's right arm. It was what looked like a tattoo of a flaming crimson sword: the Fire Brand._
_ Jacob looked back up and noticed the coyote was still waiting for a response._
"Only because my umbrella's broken," he said, trying to hide his nervousness. "I've always preferred rainy days."
_ The coyote quickly plucked the cigarette from his mouth, threw it on the ground, and stomped it out._
"Hate those things," he muttered under his breath.
_ Reaching into a bag that hung around his shoulder, he retrieved a small, black square box that looked as if it could carry jewelry. He gave it to Jacob._
"It's in there," he explained. "Drink it within two hours of the procedure."
"This'll give me a Water Brand?" Jacob examined the box carefully, not daring to open it in public, even if they were hidden away from most eyes. "This actually works?"
The coyote scowled. "Look, kid, I didn't make the stuff. I just sell it. Now, where's my money?"
_ Jacob reached into his inside coat pocket and brought out a large wad of cash. He shoved it into the coyote's paw and continued to stare at the box._
The coyote gave a small chuckle, flicking through the money quickly. "All this money and I hardly get any of it."
Jacob looked up. "You don't keep the money?"
The Sealbreaker shook his head. "Nah, I only get a small bit of it. I keep tellin' them I don't get paid enough for this, but they never listen."
"How much do you get paid?"
The coyote raised an eyebrow suspiciously. "Why you askin', kid? Lookin' to join?"
Jacob looked away, watching the morning crowd again. "Maybe. My life's just recently dissolved into chaos; I'm kind of desperate."
The coyote scoffed. "You don't know what chaos is. Billions of people complain nowadays 'cause somethin' ain't goin' on the way they want it to and they call it chaos. They don't know the half of it. Once you've got nothin' else to lose -_that's_chaos."
_ Jacob looked back at the coyote, startled at his sudden break of character. As he began to think about the Sealbreaker's words, the coyote began walking away._
"Well, I gotta go. I don't get paid to talk to customers." He headed back toward the crowd. "Take care of yourself, kid."
_ Just like that, he was gone. Jacob glanced back down at the small box in his paw, pondering whether he really wanted to go through with this. Then he quickly shook off his doubts. He needed to do this. For Mom. And Jasper._
_ Determined, he set back off into the open._
.......................
Jacob gently brushed his fingers against his Brand on his right forearm. It was a tattoo of a blue trident - the mark of a Water Elemental. He had ended up contacting a Sealbreaker in order to fulfill his duty as Jasper's guardian. His mother had been a Water Elemental and he wanted to take her place and continue her job. Jacob could only hope that he could be a good enough "dad" for Jasper.
.......................
The next day, Jacob and Jasper sat in a waiting room at the hospital. They were waiting for Jasper's Brand procedure after all the preliminary measurement had been taken. Jasper was noticeably very nervous; he seemed fidgety and was staring blankly at the floor with his ears flat.
After a while, Jasper asked quietly, "Does it hurt?"
Jacob smiled at him reassuringly. "Just a little. The Brand stings a little once you first get it, but after that you won't feel a thing."
Jasper gave a small nod and went back to staring at the floor. Jacob wasn't sure what else to say. Jacob hadn't been this nervous when he had gotten his own Brand.
"Jasper Grimm?"
Jasper jumped a little when his name was called. The speaker was a female cheetah in a lab coat. Jacob gently nudged his brother to follow him and approached the cheetah with a smile.
"Hi," he said, offering his paw. "I'm Jacob Grimm, Jasper's brother."
"Hello, Jacob," she replied, shaking his paw. "I'm Dr. Sanders. Hi, Jasper."
Jasper offered a weak "Hi."
With a small chuckle, Dr. Sanders replied, "Please follow me, gentlemen."
She led them to a room all the way down the hallway and into a room. This was a large room separated by a wall of glass; on the other side of the wall was a single chair. On this side of the room were several computers and medical devices. Another doctor, a grizzly bear, was typing away at one of the computers and turned around when they entered.
"Hello," the bear greeted them. "I'm Dr. Thomas. I'll be helping administer the procedure today."
After everyone had been properly introduced, Jasper had to get some blood drawn for the procedure to work. He didn't seem to have a problem with that; he had never been even slightly afraid of needles. Jacob could have been wrong, though. Jasper's face had been expressionless since they had first checked in.
After she had applied a bandage to Jasper's arm, Dr. Sanders announced, "Okay, now we can get started. Jasper, would you please go sit in that chair? We'll be ready to begin momentarily."
Jasper complied and went through the door to the other side of the room.
"You're free to stay and watch, sir," Sanders continued. "As long as you stay behind the window."
Jacob thanked her and watched them prepare. At one point, Dr. Thomas approached Jasper with a small cup of blue liquid. After a few muffled instructions, Jasper took the cup and drank its contents, making a face as he did. From experience, Jacob knew that the purpose of the strange liquid was to make the body tolerant of the radiation from the Brand energy. Afterward, Dr. Thomas retrieved a cord that was lying near the wall. At the end of the cord were plastic flaps that he wrapped around Jasper's right wrist, just below where his Brand would go.
Dr. Thomas returned his station in front of the glass and spoke into a microphone, "Are you ready, Jasper?"
Jacob caught his eye and raised his eyebrows in question. Are you okay? His brother gave a small nod.
"Commencing procedure." Dr. Thomas stated, performing a few keystrokes with one paw. "Try not to move too much."
A small machine against the wall began whirring loudly. Before long, a small ball of white light appeared at the end of the cord connecting to it and began travelling down it. As soon as it entered the part of the cord on Jasper's side of the room, his eyes became fixed on it. When it reached his wrist, the plastic flaps flowed with the same bright light...and then quickly turned completely black.
...That's not normal, is it?
Jacob heard the doctors muttering amongst themselves frantically. Something was definitely wrong. Once the energy reached the plastic, it was supposed to change depending on the patient's element - blue for water, green for earth, white for air, and red for fire. Black didn't fit any of those descriptions.
A strange shadowy substance that resembled black smoke began radiating from the plastic and spreading across Jasper's body. His fur seemed to turn completely black and then back to its normal dark grey as he absorbed the energy. Soon he was back to normal except for a small bit of energy that lingered on his right forearm. It sunk into his fur and reshaped itself into a dark shape that Jacob couldn't make out at this distance.
The two doctors suddenly bolted into the room, quickly detaching the cord from his wrist. They very roughly pulled him to his feet, shouting indistinctively. Jasper stumbled to his feet, eyes wide with fear.
Suddenly enraged, Jacob burst into the room as well, activating his Brand as he did so. His trident tattoo tingled and would have been glowing brightly if the sleeve of his hoodie were not hiding it. Water began pouring out of it and flowing all around his body. Starting at his right arm, it hardened and materialized into a gauntlet and bracer. These were mostly silver except for a blue tint around the edges. Next came the right pauldron; three round slabs of metal rose out of the water almost in a fish-scale pattern, each one a deeper shade of blue, creating a gradient effect from silver to a mild azure. A large breastplate with a blue trident symbol appeared on his chest before a suit of chainmail emerged underneath the existing armour. Lastly, the rest of his armour on his other arm and his legs appeared with the same design, leaving him in a full suit of plate armour, minus the helm. A large silver trident materialized from the water as well, the handle adorned with dazzling jewels of aquamarine.
He raced over to the trio and attempted to separate them.
"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?!?!" Jacob roared. "GET YOUR PAWS OFF HIM!!!"
Jacob roughly shoved the two doctors away and leveled his trident at them, keeping Jasper behind him.
"STAY AWAY FROM HIM! WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?!" Jacob inquired, baring his fangs.
"He sabotaged the system!" Dr. Thomas retaliated, shaking with fury. "He's a damn Sealbreaker!"