I see there's not an abundance of fic in this category, but I always thought this movie was fun.

So I've played with it a bit.

If you're out there browsing the fandom, let me know what you think.

Prelude
"Your best work is waiting for you in an infinity of possibility." -Numb3rs

Hannah Shepherd walked just behind her father down crowded streets. It was evening and many people were going about their business here and there. For her part, Hannah had no idea what she was doing out just then. In fact, she did not particularly even want to be there.

It was not merely a teenager's rebellion- an urge to be independent from a parent's watchful eye. More than that, she simply didn't get along with her father that well. She did not even know how to, really, since he was so rarely around. His job as a detective kept him plenty busy, and he was dedicated to his work. More dedicated than he'd ever seemed to be to his family, anyway. He provided well enough; she didn't go without and she felt safe ...he simply wasn't around.

"Dad, seriously ...can we at least get dinner while we're out here?" the dark-haired girl complained.

"Later, Hannah," Alexander sighed.

He slowed a step and allowed the fifteen-year-old to fall into equal step. She grumbled unintelligibly but continued on. Her only further protest was that of her heels dragging on the uneven sidewalk.

Alexander Shepherd kept an impassive face, never mind his uneasy thoughts. He did not know how this evening would go- it was impossible to say. However, he had put it off long enough. By their law, she could have come here years ago; he had simply wanted to wait until she was older. She was a smart girl, and, at nearly sixteen, he was running out of excuses.

Some of his fellows - friends, a cohort he'd honored for decades- were choosing not to bring their descendants at all. Alexander, on some level, understood this. The life of a Keeper was many things but, on the whole, it was not easy. However, this was Hannah's birthright. Many of her ancestors had lived in this circle and with this knowledge. She had every right to know; it was her job to choose, not his.

"We're meeting some friends," was the only explanation he offered at the moment.

"...great."

Hannah failed to see how it was important that she come along to meet some of his work buddies for dinner and some drinks. She'd been told by her father to "dress smart," but, so far, this hardly seemed worth it ...

They continued to walk for some time. Until they neared the towering edifice that was St. Michael's Cathedral. Hannah had never been inside the massive building- when she did go to church, she only ever did so at St. Martain's, which was a small, unassuming chapel near their home. She did not know if regular church services were even held here. So far as she knew, it was more of an Abbey. She'd heard monks lived there, nuns or priests coming for tutelage.

The front building was open to the public; the rest closed-off. It seemed like a place they would -maybe- go for a holiday service-maybe. It was not currently any holiday, but it appeared to Hannah that she and her father were headed straight to it.

"Dad?"

"You know who Michael is, right?"

Given that her father was staring right at the church and, besides, the looming cathedral was impossible to miss, Hannah knew he wasn't talking about one of her school chums or someone from the police force.

"An archangel?" she shrugged and tugged at her sweater. "You have his pendent- patron saint of police officers?"

"And soldier and the like," Alexander nodded along. "Good, good..."

"Uh-huh ...so we're here, why?"

They'd stepped upon the cobbled way leading up to the front of the church. It was harder for Hannah to drag her feet moodily here because the brick was uneven. Granted, she as curious as to what the inside of the place would look like, but that didn't mean she wasn't baffled.

"This is where we'll meet my friends"

"Priests?" Hannah frowned anew.

"A couple," he confirmed.

"...why?"

"In a moment"

Hannah followed her father way all the way up to the stone stairs and ascended them to the wide, thick wooden doors. He pulled the left door open without hesitation and ushered her in. The foyer lead to a beautiful- if surprisingly simple- sanctuary. It was completely empty; Hannah found this creepy, though her dad was unbothered. She eyed the strain-glass windows lining the right and left walls, all the while following her father straight through the middle of the pews towards the front alter. They crossed the dias to another wooden door against he back wall.

"Dad," Hannah scowled deeper when he pulled a thick metal key out of his pocket. "Isn't this place a monastery? Can we even..."

But his key slid easily into the door, opening it with a thick "click."

"...this is the heard of St. Michaels, Hannah. You'll see in a moment," he told her unhelpfully.

The door opened to a short, dim hall that lead them to a tall, dome-ceilinged entry hall. Hannah lifted her head to look about and admire it.

"Alexander"

Hannah stopped her survey of the room when a deep voice shouted happily. A man with dark, well-coifed hair approached in starched black pants, a fitted black jacket, and a stiff white collar. Her father clearly had not been joking about friends in the clergy, which was odd- he'd never mentioned anything about this place before...

"Father Thomas," Alexander smiled widely and accepted the man's hand.

"You must be Hannah," the man turned his kind gaze to the girl. "A pleasure to meet you."

Hannah glanced at her father but then accepted the man's hand into a firm shake.

"Father," she nodded politely.

But she didn't understand. Most of her dad's friends who she'd met were gruff men around his own age who he drank or played cards with. This man was polished, friendly, and notably his junior, yet her dad was greeting the younger priest with what seemed like respect.

"Leanore awaits us in the inner chapel ...if you're ready," the reverend looked between the pair.

Alexander nodded and scrubbed a hand over his chin. He'd shaved today and so was not met with his usual salt-and-pepper whiskers to itch at.

"Uh-huh - come on, hon," he nodded to Hannah and ushered her along with a hand between her shoulders. "You called this place a monastery ...you weren't so far off..."

Father Thomas fell inline right behind them; Hannah glanced back at him momentarily before focusing again.

"Okay," she looked back toward her dad.

"Men and women live and work here to do an ancient work. Their duty is sacred..."

It was unprecedented to hear her dad discuss nuns and priests in such reverent tones. She started to worry that he was dying ...maybe he was sick.

"So ...a seminary?"

"No ...you're going to learn some things tonight that might scare you ...no, no," he propelled her on when she tired to stop walking. "But you're not in danger here - you never will be."

"Dad," Hannah twisted away from his herding hand. "What is this place?"

Alexander sighed and glanced at Father Thomas. When his father had brought him here, he'd simply been introduced to Leanore on his twelfth birthday. He felt obligated to do something more for Hannah, though he seemed to be doing poorly.

Maybe sooner would have been better, after all ...he thought he'd had a plan.

"A home for the most sacred of beings," Thomas interjected when his friend seemed to balk.

Hannah cut her thoughtful, dark eyes to him, then.

"You have read the Bible?"

"Yes"

It was the only proper answer to give a priest. She did not peruse it regularly, but she'd ben to Cadichism and Catholic school.

"Then you know of Lucifer's fall from grace. He and his hoards were defeated by the archangel Michael and cast to earth..."

"Okay"

"So where did satan and his hoards go?"

"...hell?"

"Not directly or exclusively. What if they walked among us?"

Hannah looked away to her dad, who could not meet her eye.

"But a loving, judicious Got would not leave us to such an end - in a one-sided war with evil. He would send us defenders, would he not?"

"Dad?" Hannah complained.

She didn't care she was whining. His friend made her uncomfortable.

"There's no reason to be afraid, Hannah," Reverand Thomas smiled. "God's favored angel, Michael, commissioned warriors on humanity's behalf- they walk these halls daily."

"Dad," Hannah snapped again because she wanted him to make his ole pale here stop.

"I know it sounds insane," Alexander spoke up again.

"It was easier now that the other man had cut through the introduction of the ordeal. Now, Alexander could work with his daughter. Because it did sound crazy. He had not raised Hannah in this knowledge like a few did because he wanted her to have a normal childhood. They were not these people- superstitious or overly religious- and this was a big pill to swallow.

Hannah scoffed.

"It's why I've brought you ...so you can see and we can talk..."

"About what?"
"About the future ...you're becoming an adult and you have the right to know"

"...know what? Demons's and angels? What is this? ...no," she dug her heels in when he nudged her forward again.

"Let me show you ...remember what I said. You are safe here, hon. I've tread these halls most of my life, like my father and his mother and brothers"

"Grandpa Gerry comes here?"

"No. He's retired"

"From The Postal Office"

"Come on ...trust me a little longer"

Hannah thought about snapping 'why should I?' but she clamped her mouth shut. She thought this was something of a joke ...or he was unstable. She could always go back to living with grandma Jane like she had when her mother passed. That was always an option...

She followed him down arched, stone hallways and then through an open dorway into a wide sanctuary. For a single moment, Hannah noticed the huge stain glass window extending to the ceiling on the opposite wall- then she was distracted by others in the room. They wore ...armor? With capes? Oddly, they made Hannah think of gladiators.

Despite that he might be crazy, Hannah took a step closer to her father.

"Hannah Shepherd"

A woman with long, reddish hair stepped from between two men at the edge of the room. She wore a long, blue dress with elegant sleeves, and Hannah thought she stepped out of Medieval Times ...or maybe Lord of the Rings.

Joke. This was definitely a very odd joke.

"I am grateful to meet you- I have known Alexander a long time," the woman said in a calm, smooth tone. "My name is Leanore."

"Hello," Hannah tried to smile politely but couldn't quite manage it.

"DO you know why you're come here today?"

"...no"

"We began to explain," Alexander sighed.

"And what were you told?" Leanore smiled on, watching Hannah patiently.

"They ...talked about...angels and demons ...and that my family has been here."

"Indeed. I have known many members of your lineage," the woman nodded.

Hannah thought that sounded strange, but kept her eyes on the woman. She seemed calm and nonthreatening, though, which was nice.

"For centuries, your ancestors have been part of an establishment to aid in our work here and, most importantly, keep the secrets of our Order."

"Your Order?"

"The warriors commissioned by Michael," Reverend Thomas quietly reminded her from behind.

"Our purpose has never wavered, yet the world we live in is ever-changing. We first made ourselves known to the most dedicated monks of the day; these ordained few passed on their secrets. Eventually, trusted parishioners were charged with assisting our holy work and ensuring we are connected to an evolving society. Humans enmeshed in civilization, see and hear what we do not ..."

"Right..."

"Proof," Leanore smiled softly. "Society takes so much less on faith now than they once did. Gideon!"

There was a small commotion in the corner of the room. A few strangely-dressed men and women shifted to create a gap, through which a tall, burly man dragged a suited man who was in chains and ...well, a costume mask.

Because the too-large eyes, deformed face, and small spikes over the eyebrows had to be a mask...

As this Gideon, stony faced and similarly dressed to the others, came closer, Hannah stepped back. Those sharp, needle-like teeth couldn't be real, but they were disconcerting all the same. Her retreat ran into Reverend Thomas, who did not move to let her back-off further.

"Fresh meat!" The man- it must be a man, right? - hissed at her, spittle flying from his mouth.

Gideon bent forward and forcibly yanked on the chains he lead The Man with, sending him forward onto his knees. Her father swiftly kicked hhim in his strange face.

Hannah jumped but couldn't move away through the unflinching priest behind her. In fact, no one was batting an eye...

"Proceed," Leanore commanded levelly.

Gideon thrust his jaw out and pulled a knife from somewhere on his belt. Before Hannah really even processed that move, his cape fluttered out of its own accord and stiffened out into ...wings...or stone. She watched this with eyes and mouth wide, and the rest of the man expanded and morphed to stone, as well, until he looked like a ...a...creature.

The creature rose his knife and drove it into the jaw of the masked man. Hannah gasped but was otherwise silenced again by the shock of the stab wound glowing orange, then the head, neck, and chest glowed like an ember and the body immediately burst into flame, which disappeared through the stone floor.

With barely a sound, Gideon reappeared as normal as every befor eher. Hannah hardly noticed, for she was busy staring at the space the man had been.

Because. He. Had. To. Be. A. Man.

Except men did not crumble into flame and disappear. Additionally, men did not turn to stone.

"Holy shit..."

"Hannah"

She stepped away from her father's comforting hand and also past Reverend Thomas. Too afraid to turn her back on the room, she backed away until she met the door.

"Hannah..."

"That was ...he was..."

"A demon," her father gently offered. 'They hide amongst humans..."

Hannah shook her head slowly.

"Yes"

She ignored that.

"And he's..." she looked at Gideon standing stoic beside Leanore, his knife hidden away again.

"...a gargoyle."

"...no..."

"Yes, Hannah; you've seen," he continued.

"What are we doing here?" she whispered. "Why..."

"We're Keepers ...I've been associated here since I was younger than you"

"You're a detective," Hannah argued, back still flat on the wall.

"I am. And ever since I"ve been a street cop, I've been in a perfect position to know what's going on in this city. What's normal, what's strange, where things happen, who does what - that's the knowledge I can lend here..."

"Stop"

"I've been schooled and trained by the Order since I was a teenager. I continued to live my life, chose a career, and chose how to use that skill set for my work here - mine was a no brainer, but you don't need to be a detective," he promised.

Hannah's eyes darted fearfully around the room because what she could process of what he said sounded like a cult.

"You don't have to do this at all," he added.

Hannah squeezed her eyes shut in hopes of waking from a dream.

"Leanore," Alexander diverted his attention. "I'll take her home, now. I'll explain the details and history when she's ...had some time."

"Of course," the woman moved forward but paused when Hannah's reopened eyes widened. "I hope we will see you return here again soon," she bid.

Hannah didn't trust herself to respond.

"I"ll be in touch soon"

"Certainly," Leanore responded to him. "And if she declines, she will still have to return once more whenever that time comes..."

"I know," Alexander nodded. "Hannah, hon, c'mon..."

Hannah felt she was shutting down the longer they stayed there, so she let her dad take her arm and lead her away. Reverend Thomas followed soundlessly.

"Now we wait and hope she will return to us," Leanore breathed deeply. "I do not wish numbers to continue to dwindle..."

"She did better than some," Gideon remarked.

"She did not cry," Levi commented from where he'd chose to come watch by the wall.

"Or vomit," Someone else added.

A few laughed.

True enough; there had been more visceral reactions to the first sightings of a gargoyle and a capture and executed demon. Even an odd child who'd been raised knowing their history and lore were overcome when they were first allowed to see the reality of thigns.

"Enough," Leanore commented but did not seem truly upset. "Let us no disrespect our human comrades - many once shocked have proven brave. We need Keepers to support our purpose."

The laughter died, all gathered considering various ways past and present Keepers had offered aid to the efficiency of their cause and gone to lengths to keep the secrets entrusted to them. Human through Keepers may be, they were essential and revered.