Disclaimer: The humble author doesn't own Hellboy or the characters in this story besides several OCs. The main and side characters names are based off the characters from a Bram Stroker novel.
Authors Note: Because soulmate AUs are my guilty pleasure and thought it was about time I contributed to the generous Hellboy fandom. Also, I was thinking after rewatching the movie (again) that there might possibly be other groups who desire the royal crown and want control of the Golden Army for their own reasons. And I enjoy making things even more difficult for Nuada. He asked for it really.
Chapter I
Mina was sitting at an old Cuban café enjoying her coffee and how lax the atmosphere was around her. The coffee house was tucked in a less popular district where small businesses still managed to thrive without the cluster of tourist. The owners were an old, hard working foreign couple, which had a knack for remembering a repetitive customers name by their coffee order than their face.
To the elderly owners she was 'dark Italian roast, no sugar, no creamer, ' and then finally 'Mina' after the recognition set in followed by a warm, familiar smile by one of the two.
It'd been four months since Mina moved from her small hometown in Virginia to relocate to New York City. She didn't leave much behind when she left her home state. Two years spent at a community college and a retail job where she'd worked to help pay off school fees and buy typical necessities. Most of her friends were scattered about the country, pursuing degrees in different colleges that they enrolled in since graduating high school. She thought about attending a university at the time too, but the lack of knowing what she wanted to study and do with her future held her back.
Her father insisted she made a wise choice by going to community and that by doing so she saved herself a lot of money in the long run. The first two years were great, but after she earned her associates degree she startlingly realized she still had yet a clue what she wanted out of her future from her education. She was stuck again.
It'd been her childhood friend, Lucy, who insisted she move in with her in her small apartment in NYC to introduce Mina to the city and discover new things on her own.
Not so surprisingly her father had been ecstatic at the idea. Moving far away from home and him, not too much since he was divorced and would be living alone, but she knew he wanted more than anything for his daughter to see the world and find herself while she was still young. She had no problem obtaining a job as a receptionist at a small animal shelter with the help of Lucy who worked there as nurse.
She had a friend, a tiny yet homey place to live, and a steady income. Now all she needed was some real direction in life and the mental drive to get wherever the hell that she thought she needed to be.
Finishing school was what he father recommended, so for the past few weeks she'd been reading up on the local universities in the city and searching for scholarships to help pay because tuition would cost her more since she moved here recently from out of state.
Mina flipped through another college pamphlet as she leisurely sipped at her warm coffee. The chilly weather that came with Autumn was starting to creep up on them and the days were steadily becoming more brisk. Mina absolutely loved it. She was ready for change.
A duo walked by her chair and Mina was drawn from her reading when the couple sat down at the open outdoor table next to her own. They were speaking in punitive, low tones as the man kept indicating towards the newspaper he'd set on the table between his woman companion.
"Excuse me," Mina asked the man, who was closest to her, "but did something happen?" she pointed a finger at the paper curiously.
"You haven't seen the papers?"
Mina glanced at the woman seated across from him then shook her head.
"There's been a bloody massacre," he replied with a subtle Irish accent. "Worst part, no one knows who's done it." He picked up the newspaper and held it out for her to take.
Mina took the paper and scanned her eyes quickly over the large title and fuzzy enlarged photo. AUCTION MASSACURE, the blaring title in bold read. Beneath it, in smaller print, carried on to say 'Not a single survivor. A total of 70 reported dead.' She frowned deeply at that. The cover image was a blurred at best photo of the crime scene, which was nothing more than smashed furniture, stained scratched walls, and floor covered in…well, she couldn't quite tell what it was.
"Horrible, ain't it?" he spoke up. "70 rich fellas walk into that building and not a single one of 'em walk back out. Not even their corpses had the privilege."
"Now how can that be possible?" the woman who he'd arrived with exclaimed. Mina was wondering the same thing.
"Because there were no bodies to be bagged and shuttled away, dearie. That's what I've been tellin' ya. Whoever or whatever killed the attendees' shredded 'em to wee bits and scattered their remains along the floor. Bones and all."
The woman set down the muffin she'd been eating and looked as though she was about to be sick. Mina wasn't too far off in comparison of her reaction. She stared at the picture again and suddenly the mushy substance on the floor looked a lot more gruesome now that she knew what it was.
"That's horrible," she finally reasoned and the man nodded along.
"Truly. Police don't even have no leads. The rich folk have tons of enemies, so they're not sort on possible suspects, just the killers motivation and any sort of evidence that could pin 'em."
Mina frowned and handed the paper back to man. "I don't think this case will be solved anytime soon then I'm afraid."
He folded it and placed the bundle on the table then reached for his neglected coffee. "Neither do I. Can't imagine they'd find too many clues left by the culprit at the crime scene with all the, ya know…"
Mina held up a hand to stop him. His companion also looked like she was about reach across the table and shut him up herself.
He chuckled and reclined back in his seat. "Sorry 'bout that, ladies. I'll stop if ya want me too."
"We want you to," the woman snapped.
"I think its time for me to leave anyway," Mina smiled and stood, grabbing her coat and throwing it around her shoulders. "Thanks for lending me your paper. Don't know how I'm just now hearing about this, though." She said and stuffed her items into her bag.
The Irish man smiled and waved her words off. "No problem. Good to have a little small talk with the locals now and again. I value learning the opinions of others when it comes to such things."
She slung the bag strap over head to cross at her chest. Less chance of having it snatched if it were hanging loosely off her shoulder. Came with city living. She yanked at the strands of her tangled auburn hair that'd gotten stuck under the leather.
"'such things,'" the woman repeated. "Do you have any idea how weird that sounds to a stranger?"
"Ah, she knows what I mean." he winked.
Mina smiled at the nice pair as they continued their banter. "It was nice talking to you both. Have a nice rest of the day," she said politely and waved as she turned to walk away.
Interested and quite baffled that she missed the recent news headlines that morning, Mina set to work reading up and learning all that she could about the recent auction house massacre. The gruesome details the online articles that she was able to access weren't that far off or pleasant in the slightest just as the man she met at the café explained the crime to be. There weren't any videos – for she was certain she would've been sick if there were – but a decent amount of crude photos to make up for it. They alone made her stomach constrict.
Lucy came tottering through their apartment door a few hours later. Mina turned from her spot on the sofa to greet her friend. Her eyes immediately landed on the pet carrier in her friend's right hand. Lucy let out an exhausted groan and placed the carrier on the kitchen table.
"What's that there?" Mina asked, closing the laptop and discarding the details of the massacre from her mind.
Lucy set the other bag she'd been carrying in the chair next to the crate then stretched her back. "A heavy little tart, that's what."
Mina grinned then moved to get up and have a look for herself. "Did you bring us back a new roommate?" It was about time if she had. Working at a shelter with animals all week where some didn't have permanent homes was heartbreaking. She was surprised Lucy didn't have an apartment full of them when she first moved in.
"Unfortunately he won't help pay rent, but he might make up for it by catching mice and what not."
Mina's eyebrows went up. "We have mice?"
Lucy shrugged as she rummaged through the bag. "I dunno. Guess we'll find out after a few weeks of having Mr. Binx on patrol."
Mina kneeled down to the level of the cage and tried to catch a glimpse of the cat that hid inside. A pair of yellow eyes stared back at her from under a blanket. She lightly touched the metal cage door to lure him from his hiding spot. After moment the name Lucy had chosen gave Mina pause.
"Wait… Mr. Binx? As in Thackery Binx? You named him after the immortal black cat from Hocus Pocus?"
"Genius, right?" she grinned then finally reached around to unclasp the lock on the cage and carefully pulled out the cat. "Thought it suited him since Halloween is around the corner and who doesn't love Hocus Pocus?"
Mina was going to point out the movie bombed when it first released back in the nineties but the little statistic died on her lips as soon as a ball of black fluff was shoved in her face. Her hazel eyes widened as her mouth was left open in a shocked 'o' shape.
"Oh my God!" she exclaimed and reached the little cat – more like petite kitten – and securely nestled it in her arms. Lucy grinned knowingly at her reaction.
"I take it that you don't mind I brought back a pet without first talking to you about it? I know that's how the whole roommate quota goes, but he was the last of the litter and…"
"Its fine, Lucy," she assured her friend who looked relieved. "Honestly, I've been waiting for you to bring us home a little rescue for a while now. Took you long enough."
Mina rubbed her nose against the kitten's head and tenderly scratched behind its ear. It flickered in response before it started to itch its face against the side of her palm.
Lucy reached up to pet the little guy on head. "I brought back with me from the shelter a few supplies that they were willing to spare. I was thinking tomorrow we could run to a nearby pet shop and buy the rest of his stuff and have a personalized collar tag made for him. Don't want him getting confused for a stray if he were to get out somehow."
The kitten began to squirm in her arms so Mina gently let him drop to the floor. He stood still at her feet for a few seconds before something on the other side of the room caught his full awareness and he was pouncing away. They both laughed.
"Is he litter box trained?" Mina couldn't help but asking.
Lucy was already sorting through the contents in her bag again, pulling out small wet food packets and stacking them on the table. "Yup. We can take turns cleaning it sporadically. Don't really think we need a schedule or will fight over it whose turn it is."
The kitten suddenly began whining loudly and both young women turned towards the sound. Binx had hurdled himself up onto the window seal and was pawing impatiently at the glass.
Lucy shrugged and went back to organizing. "Small bird or bug must've nabbed his short attention."
Curiosity got the best of Mina as she stood from her chair and walked over to the window to have a peek herself. Gently she picked up the black kitten and held it against her chest as she scanned the darkened alleyway below them. To her human eyes there wasn't anything to be seen. She supposed she could climb out onto the fire escape to look around but she didn't want to risk Binx bounding out after her.
"See anything interesting?" Lucy called from the kitchen.
Mina didn't a double sweep before shrugging and carrying the kitten back into the other room with her.
"No."
Lucy was setting up the buildable litter box on the floor when she returned. "Like I said before, probably just a bug or somethin'. Hey, can you help me with this? I swear Ikea furniture is less complicated than this mess."
Mina grabbed the instruction manual from the tabletop and set the kitten down before moving to sit next to Lucy. Her bum hadn't even gotten halfway to the ground before Binx was once again dashing out the kitchen, through the living room, and straight towards the large side window.
"I hope he doesn't make a habit of that," Lucy muttered as she fastened a piece into place. "Mewling about a bunch of nothin'."
"Yeah." Mina frowned as an uncomfortable feeling trickled down her spine. "Me neither…"
Prince Nuada abruptly stopped. Stopped dead still in the middle of the empty alleyway, the puddle beneath him spattered then swirled around his boots. He remained stock-still and strained his ears to listen. Only silence and the customary soundscapes of the over populated city responded to his awareness.
After a few minutes of remaining in that stance, heavy breathing and low rumbling resounded behind him. He didn't bother to glance over his shoulder as Mr. Wink came to a halt a few feet back. The cave troll grumbled in inquisitiveness as to what he was doing.
"There are traces of old magic here, Wink," he said, answering the troll's question. "Tell me, have we ventured into this part of the city before?"
The troll seemed to inspect the dark, grim alley around them in which they stood. He growled and shook his head in response.
Prince Nuada didn't comment further. He took a few steps deeper into the passage then looked up. The moon was nearly a full one. Magic would soon be at its peak in a few nights. It wasn't unusual that he began to feel its effects premature.
But, as he stood and concentrated on the thrumming pulse that traveled throughout his veins, never had he experienced such potency of the earth's natural magic before. He was no spell caster or necromancer by any means, so he had no explanation as to why the great powers were beckoning so strongly to him now. It was mystifying for sure, but the answer was something he desired for another night. He had far too much to get done.
Soft prodding at one of the higher up windows drew his attention then. He narrowed his golden gaze and focused. Four levels up there was a small feline smacking the glass, its wide yellow eyes scrutinized directly on him like prey. A few moments later there was another shadow at the window but by then the elf and the troll had emerged themselves into the shelter of the shadows.
Wink made an annoying grumble as the prince observed the outline of the woman before she retrieved the cat and departed. The magic in the air pulsed and in response his chest seemed to throb. His heartbeat thundered loud in his ears. An almost uncomfortable heat itched down his arm and encircled his right wrist. He ignored the sensation and removed himself from cover with Mr. Wink right behind him.
"Come, Wink," he instructed as he strode purposely down the alleyway. "The source of the old magic can wait. First, we must learn more of this red demon who alliances himself with the humans. He could be of use if swayed."
Prince Nuada's wrist had begun to grow pricklier the further he trekked through the darkest parts of the city with his companion, but it wouldn't be until he lifted his sleeve to examine the flaming skin to understand why.
And maybe if he'd looked at it earlier that night he would've been more inclined to investigate the source of the old magic.