Chapter 4: Grimm Physiology

"Grab a water bottle and let's get going".

The light was just creeping through the trees as it was avout five in the morning. The sound of footfalls and early birds was all I could hear, of course, except for my heartbeat in my ears.

I was trailing slightly behind my dad, as he had much longer legs I had to go a little faster to keep up. I was in above average shape but I knew this was still going to be a challenge.

My father's name is Thomas Richter, he was a big dude and faster than he looks so it was definitely an effort to keep pace.

"So how are you personally, compared to a normal person?"

"Oh, I can lift a car".

I stumble over my feet and about eat the asphalt as I hear that, is that what I can do one day? That didn't even occur to me.

"Catch up, and no I'm not kidding, and yes, I can lift it above my head".

"How did that happen?"

"I had almost all the muscle ripped off my body by an insane out of his mind wesen, and thanks to my regeneration from the same event, I got all my muscles back after about two days of pain, my muscles were back and were enhanced more than any human should have."

"Well shoot, hope I don't have to experience that."

"Neither do I, for the sake of you and anyone dumb enough to piss me off".

"Also because of that my muscles as hard as steel and as I've tested, bullets are like beanbags, they still hurt and will leave a bruise but as long I don't get shot in the head I'll be fine".

"Rest assured, he felt as much pain as I did," as he says this is see a pain in his eyes that I feel goes deeper than that, but I don't press the issue.

"So you're saying our adaptability is so strong we can become superhuman?"

"I'm an extreme case son, but with your unorthodox transformation, and being so young, anything is possible."

"So dad how do Grimm normally win over wesen like my friend at school, he was flying all over the place like he was an Olympic athlete".

"The first solution is usually guns, because it doesn't matter how fast you are, you aren't faster than a bullet, and if that doesn't work we try to be as powerful as them under any means possible, usually insane amounts and unusual types of training, the more we expose ourselves to, the more powerful we become".

"Tight".

"So how far does this adaptability go?"

"Basically anything that doesn't kill us makes us stronger, we can't grow back missing limbs unless under special circumstances, that's basically it".

"For example if you get a 3-4th degree burn there's a chance for that to heal and you can get resistance to fire. Healing factor is the most common ability that a Grimm can get, because pain is a good trigger for advancement".

"Limbs can be grown back but it is incredibly painful, you have to drive yourself to near death. Your body will kick into survival mode, which accelerates your healing factor enough to regrow an arm".

"Taking from personal experience?"

"Yep".

"So how did you learn that?"

"I've got friends in high places, remember how I told you that the association was a bounty hunting organization?"

"Yeaaaah?"

"Well they're actually an ancient organization focused on keeping the supernatural peace, they are basically supernatural cops with ties in the FBI going back to the start of america, they are made up of multiple organizations, from the Grimm department to the Wesen Against Malice Incorporated or W.A.M. I.

for short, as well as the Humanity Branch.

Which is normal humans who were most of the time born into it, but sometimes normal humans are added to the ranks".

"The humanity branch is made up of two classes of humans, the Hunters, usually made up of people that use guns and sharp objects to get the job done, or you are a part of the Men of Letters, humans who use magical means to do their job. The Men of Letters, are a type of scribe for the whole of the association and they keep most of the records of wesen".

"The point of me telling you this is, I want you to join the association as soon as possible, the association doesn't have an age limit as long as you pass the test, you can be an agent, which is what they call all operatives. You will be under my tutelage for the time being until the day we take the test and you become an agent. From now on if you do agree to become a part of the association, we will do morning runs and workouts, as well as martial arts and weight training after school".

"This is gotta be the most crazy predicament a guy has ever been in, you learn you're a Grimm and the next day your father is recruiting you to the fanasty cops. But, yeah I think I will join you on this, I've never really known what I've wanted to do with my life after highschool and this sounds like the perfect thing."

"Alright but I'll just have you know after we get done with this 5km run we'll be back at the house doing calithstenics until you can't anymore, I'm going to train you to your limits until you make new limits and get stronger."

"Fuuuuu-"

"Language young man".

"Really?"

"Yes, really who do you take me for, your friend? You just signed yourself up to hell year", he says with a smile on his face.

...

The Depravity of Ma-

"45!"

"46!"

"47!"

"48!"

"49!"

"50 and drop!"

After my third set of 50 pushups I swear if I have to do another one my arms are going to fly right off my body. He also had me doing, sit ups, burpees, planks and agility exercises such as shuttle runs and exceedingly higher box jumps.

"Time for school, young man".

"Damn it, I forgot about school".

"Load up in the Chevelle, you're in the back seat, try to get as much rest on your muscles as you can. Recovery is key in Grimms because that's where the breakthroughs happen".

Grabbing, my lunch, my bag and two bottles of water, I slump out of the house and take a fat nap in the back seat which I am promptly woken up from because of the short time to get to school.

I walk, half limp into first period and when I get to my seat both Scott and Stiles are looking at me with worry.

"What?"

"You look like shit, are you alright dude?", says Stiles.

"Dude you don't even understand, my dad has got me doing this insane training regimen every morning and afternoon when I get out of practice. Like dude you don't understand, coach's workouts are like a warm up compared to my dads workouts."

"Don't let him hear you say that", says Scott.

"Oh I won't I don't need any more pain than I already have".

"Can you do my notes for me Scott? You've got better handwriting than this doofus"

"Why can't you do it?"

"Because I am about to pass out, *zzz* *zzz*". I slump over on my desk, dreaming about sleeping in my bed and working out after school, taking the bargaining off the table.

"I got you bud", he says while patting me on the back.

The rest of the day sails by, until around lunch time when a dumb mother comes up to me literally trying to take my lunch money, but I just look at him like he's a dumbass and hold up my lunchbox, implying, why would I need money, you idiot.

This earns me a clean punch on the nose. Now I would like to be one to sit back and say I have control over my emotions, but I really, really don't.

I answer back with a headbutt. Cleanly breaking his nose, I kick him in the stomach hard enough to have him land on his ass. I throw a flying knee to him while he's on the ground, further screwing up his already broken nose. Then I straddle his upper body, knees on his biceps so he can't move. I lay into him, black eye, broken tooth, blood gushing out of his nose like a water fountain. The only thing that stops me is when the SRO tackles me off of him putting me in a sleeper hold, which is when my body promptly gives me control back and I black out.

I wake up roughly a minute later slumped up against a wall with the SRO sitting in to the side of me and in front of me is a scene of blood and gore. There's a tooth on the ground and EMT's are crowding the kid that irked my ire.

I look down at my hands and I see that their shaking, and blood on my knuckles. I knew I had anger issues and they've always been this bad, I just didn't have the strength to act on it. Now that I do it's a problem that I need to fix.

This is bad. I'm going to be expelled. Just another state another school y'know I'm used to it, it'll be alright.

The SRO grabs my arm as he leads me into the front office and sits me down in a reception chair.

Twenty minutes later my dad comes in through the front door of the school. I look at him with a look of sadness and disgust, disgust in myself, that I've ruined our chance at a happiness once again.

On the contrary he looks at me with an honest and strong smile, coming from his ears. I look back at him like he just told me the sky was purple.

"It'll be just fine son, don't you worry about a damn thing. I hear, that kid hit you first, is that right?"

"Yeah, that's right, but what difference will that make, it hasn't mattered in other schools when I've been in fights, I'm going to get expelled, dad just like every other school".

He answers back with an even bigger smile and says," I'm telling you- "and he leans in and whispers in my ear "When the entirety of the board at this school is in the association it's gonna take some serious dumbassery to get you expelled".

I try my best to conceal my smile in front of the reception ladies, but I'm smiling not because I have a get out of jail free card, but because I get to keep some semblance of a normal life if I'm not hopping around america, case to case, state to state. That ain't really a life in my opinion.

"That means a lot dad, thanks".

"Don't thank me, thank the association and your principals".

"But we do need to do something about that anger, because when you get stronger and stronger as a Grimm you could kill someone in a rush of anger, not just injure them. We as Grimm are very dangerous beings given time and training. I know this is cliche but with great power comes great responsibility".

"Yeah, I understand, I was thinking the same thing".

"We'll go to a friend of mine to not only to control your anger but to capitalize on it, don't worry I've got you covered".

"First, I'm calling you out of school today for appearances, because trust me you're getting off scott-free this time, but in the future if this happens again, there will be consequences".

"Understood".

"Just so you know I've got a nice surprise for you when we get home, just in case you forgot".

"Let's get going already", I grunt as I head to the door at my dad's chagrin.