Disclaimer: I don't own Hellboy or any of it's characters, they belong to marvel...NOT me. I just like playing in their realms of the supernatural! :)

~1~

Chapter One

From the Darkness

"In the coldest regions of space, the monstrous entities Ogdru Jahad - The Seven Gods of Chaos - slumber in their crystal prison, waiting to reclaim Earth... and burn the heavens."

Des Vermis Myseriis, Page 87

~1~

October 10th, 1944, Scotland

It was raining intensely as soldiers ran through a dark tunnel carved into a mountain. A man signaled the soldiers to spread out, and came alongside an educated looking man.

"Sgt. Whitman, your men-they'll need these," the educated man said, while holding a small box containing rosaries.

Sgt. Whitman scowled and huffed before asking, "You are a Catholic?"

"Amongst other things, yes, but that's hardly the point," the man said, as Whitman locked and loaded an automatic.

"Here, you'll need one of these." Whitman said, handing the man the automatic.

"I abhor violence," the man said, as Whitman moved away. "Sgt. Whitman, I hope you don't think me mad-"

"Three days too late for that one, Professor!" Whitman interrupted. As he moved away, the Professor looked up at the wooden Christ and a disgusted shiver ran through him. The eyes were missing.

The men continued to move, while the Professor caught up with Whitman.

"You're wasting our time! There's nothing on this island, but sheep and rocks," Whitman complained.

"Ruins, not rocks. It's the remains of Trondheim Abbey. Built on an intersection of ley lines, the boundaries between our world and the other -" The professor started.

"What a load of crap. Hell, a week ago I hadn't even heard the word parabnormal -" Whitman interrupted, before being interrupted himself.

"Paranormal," The professor corrected, as Whitman continued walking, "but-you read the transmission," the professor interjected.

"Half transmission... nonsense - German ghost stories!" Whitman exclaimed.

"I've seen ghosts, Whitman."

"Oh, I'll bet you have." Whitman said skeptically, reaching a slope. One of the men set his camera down, turned and saw lights.

"Sweet Jesus," the man with the camera said.

Drenched, Whitman and the professor look down upon an impressive Romanesque ruin. Under worklights, dozens of Nazi soldiers swarmed among thick stone walls and archways.

"They must be here for the sheep," the professor said, sarcastically.

~1~

A dozen German soldiers swiftly assembled a large steel machine. The work was monitored by a spindly Nazi in black leather, his face covered by an odd gas mask.

~1~

"The freak in the gas mask-" Whitman asked

"Karl Ruprecht Kroenen, one of the Reich's top scientists. Head of the Thule Occult Society," the Professor answered, as he lowered a pair of binoculars and passed them to Whitman. "If he's here, this is worse than I thought."

"Air and sea backup, what's closest?" Whitman asked the radioman, as he cranked the transmitter to life.

"Londonderry, sir. Forty minutes away." The radioman said.

"We don't have forty minutes." The professor responded.

~1~

Kroenen threw a switch, and the machine came to life. Dozens of gears responded, and steam pistons thrust copper rails upright, lifting two mighty, metal rings, not unlike a gyroscope. Kroenen grunts, and signals for more floodlights to be turned on.

~1~

The lights flooded an ancient sacristy, lined with eroded stone saints. Grigory, tall and gaunt, stood naked, with his arms fully extended.

"No matter what happens to me, you must carry on with the work," Grigory ordered.

Ilsa, an ageless, Aryan beauty, reverentially draped an embroidered robe over his bony shoulders.

"I will not leave you," Ilsa whispered.

"Yes, you will... Leave me. Deny me," Grigory said.

"Never -" Ilsa answered.

He handed her a small leather-bound book. The book contains hand-drawn notes and illustrations.

"This will guide you back to me," he told her as he pulled her close, the clouds of their breath mingling. "I grant you everlasting life, youth, and the power to serve me."

Von Krupt, an acrid German General, wearing dark scarlet glasses and leather gloves, appeared, looked at his gold pocket watch.

"It's time," Von Krupt said.

Grigory walked towards the machine, its colossal, steel and copper clockworks gleamed in the floodlights.

"Five years of research and construction, Grigory. Five years!" Von Krupt exclaimed as he strode alongside Grigory and Ilsa. Ilsa held an umbrella to shield her master from the pouring rain.

"The Fuhrer doesn't look kindly on failure," Von Krupt warned.

"There will be no failure, General. I promised Herr Hitler a miracle. I'll deliver one," Grigory said.

Kroenen muttered excitedly as he opened a polished oak box containing a massive gold, and copper mecha-glove. Grigory extended his hand so that Kroenen may fit him with the contraption.

~1~

The Americans fanned out, unseen. Broom and Whitman dive into a ditch, barely in time to avoid a German foot patrol. The other GIs take up positions below a machine gun nest.

~1~

Grigory walked to the top of the altar, cables trailing behind him.

"Tonight, we will open a portal, and awaken the Ogdru Jahad: the seven Gods of chaos. Our enemies will be destroyed. In an instant, all impurity of this world will be risen and from the ashes a new Eden will arise," Grigory announced as he looked down at the machine and whispered "Ragnarok, Anung Ia Anung." He flexed his fingers and in response the two metal rings swing around the machine's central axis. Steam escapes from the ducts and pipes. An invisible blast of energy forces the falling rain to swerve momentarily away from Grigory's body. Ilsa signals two Nazi scientists standing at a control panel.

"More Power! Don't let the level drop!" Ilsa yelled.

One of them inserted a gold cylinder into the machine. Two openings remained vacant next to it. A blade of light opened in the air, like living serpents of fire. Burning symbols slash the air.

~1~

The six-foot work light tumbled by the massive Ogdru Jahad. Within their translucent walls, the horrible creatures lie slumbering. As the light swept by, one of the giants opened a filmy eye, and then another, and another, and another... Fleshy tentacles moved lazily within their crystalline prison. A red blur passed by the crystalline prison, followed closely by a darkish violet haze.

~1~

Grigory screamed as his body was raised. Veins swelled in his neck, his face was distorted by ecstasy and pain. -Click-

~1~

Matlin, snapped pictures for all he was worth. Whitman pulled him down and grabbed a large bayonet blade.

"Listen to me, you moron. You do that again, I'll carve you a new-" Whitman began, but he was too late. One of the Nazi scientists had heard them. The Nazi approached the men, pausing next to the box with the gold cylinders.

"Listen to me! The portal is open! We have to stop them!" The professor whispered fiercely to Whitman.

~1~

Grigory dangled like a marionette in a new surge of energy. Even the skeptical Von Krupt was in thrall. The Nazi scientist reached for a second gold cylinder, but a grenade landed next to him. He turned to shout at the others. The explosion blew him to pieces. After the blast, the squad of Allies stormed the area. A hail of bullets cut down a bunch Nazis. The Allies overran the machine gun nest as grenades exploded everywhere. Von Krupt shot wildly, hitting the professor in the leg, but Whitman's bullets rip into the old Nazi's chest. Leaving a trail of blood, the professor crawled to a dead G.I. and grabbed a grenade from his belt.

Kroenen extends two gleaming blades from twin steel bands on his wrists and takes on an entire group of soldiers, moving through them with swords spinning like deadly rotors. The steel chops clean through their weapons. Broom pulled the pin and threw the grenade at the generator. It wedged itself between two moving tie rods. Kroenen squealed and -retracting his blades- lunged after it. The gyrating rails sliced through his leather jacket. As his fingers reached the grenade, it exploded. Kroenen flew through the air, hitting a stone wall, where two long pieces of shrapnel pin him like an insect. Another rail plunged like a javelin into the earth right next to Matlin.

"Grigory!" Ilsa shouted.

Grigory's face was distorted, pulled like ectoplasmic taffy, his body contorted and broken. The cosmic portal suddenly imploded. Nothing was left but a few burnt rails, and the metal glove- empty and smoking. As the Allies approached, the fighting raged on. Grigory and Ilsa were gone, and then, so was Kroenen, embedded in the wall where he was pinned, two bloody rails, nothing more.

~1~

Allied soldiers searched the ruins. Matlin helped Broom up.

"It's over!" he shouted.

"No, it's not," the professor said as Whitman approached.

"Cordon off the area, something came through." The Professor ordered.

"From where?!" Whitman shouted.

Broom glanced at a 13th century fresco depicting heaven and hell. They moved into the church rounds. It was still raining. A group of soldiers spread out using flashlights to scour through the rubble. Every one of them had a rosary hanging from their bayonets.

~1~

The professor hastily bandaged his bleeding leg. Matlin and Whitman roamed over the debris. Rain poured through the broken roof.

"Do you believe in hell, Professor Broom?" Matlin asked.

"There is a place - a dark place where evil slumbers and awaits to return. From there it infects our dreams. Our thoughts. Grigory gave us a glance tonight -" Broom started.

"Grigory - That's Russian, right?" Matlin asked, Broom nodded, "thought they were on our side..."

"Grigory Yefimovich Rasputin -" Broom started.

"C'mon - Rasputin?" Matlin interrupted, skeptically.

"Spiritual advisor to the Romanovs," he paused, "In 1916, at a dinner in his honor, he was poisoned, shot, stabbed, clubbed, drowned and castrated," Broom finished.

"That makes him more than a hundred -" Matlin began before a rustling sound reached their ears.

Matlin readied a handgun as Broom scanned the walls with his flashlight. Something moved, accompanied by a loud scrape. Matlin cocked his pistol, and nervously approached a crumbling statue. -Screech!- A red blur jumped into the air. Instinctively, Matlin shot at it. The red blur leaped from arch to arch, followed by a trail of bullet hits. Whitman and other soldiers joined them.

"What the hell was that? An ape?" Matlin asked Broom.

"No, it was red, bright red," Broom answered.

"What are you two talking about?" Whitman asked to the room.

"A red ape," Matlin exclaimed.

"It's-not-an-ape -" Broom shouted. They heard the labored breathing of a living creature.

"It's got a big stone - in its hand -" Matlin observed.

"I think that is its hand," Broom supplied.

Hissing, the blur cowers between a gargoyle and a stone saint. Whitman pointed his gun at the scarlet shape above, as a dark violet shape jumped in front of the red creature. Broom stopped him from firing, before he could hit either of them.

"Wait!" Broom shouted.

In deep shadow, the red creature observed with bright, golden eyes veined with streaks of burnt sienna, while the dark shape glared with glowing violet eyes veined with streaks of silver. Broom slowly fished a Baby Ruth candy bar from his pocket. Peeling back the wrapper, he slowly waved the candy. The red beast shrunk back, while the dark creature leaned forward somewhat curious. Broom bit into the candy and chews noisily, smacking his lips. He offered the candy again, this time, out of the dark came two small faces, one not very different from the stone demons around it, the other looked dragonesque. The red creature extended its right arm, which was solid stone with tiny runes engraved around the thick, cylindrical wrist. Four articulated stone fingers wiggled, reaching for the chocolate. The dark beast leaned out further, revealing a humanoid face with reptile features, reaching out a dark tail.

"Jesus! Would'ya look at the size of that whammer!" a young soldier exclaimed.

"Is that a tail?!" another exclaimed, as Whitman moved closer. On the wall behind him, a shadow showed the red and dark creature climbing into Broom's arms. Broom tenderly covered one with a blanket, while the other perched itself on his shoulder. The stubby fingers of the red one snatched the candy, while the one perched on his shoulder stretched out its (her) neck to snatch a bite of the candy, before the red one could eat it all. Broom smiled.

"Just a boy and a girl, they're both just babies." Broom said.

The soldiers clustered around, curious to see them. Matlin prepared his camera and directed them into a group shot. Broom smiled, like a proud new father, and embraced the creatures, as the one formerly on his shoulder curled up next to the red one, patting them gently. -Click!-

"Hellboy," Broom smiled down at one of the creatures. Inside the blanket, Hellboy blinked his bright golden eyes and chewed his candy; his devilish red tail twitching happily. Broom looked to the other one, "Nix," He said as he turned his smile onto Nix's silently munching form.


A/N: Hey there tell me what you think of my first chapter! Also I may not be entirely regular with my chapter posting...meaning I will post when I have the chapters done OR when ever I have the chance. On another note if you notice any spelling or grammar mistakes, please tell me so that I may improve my writing skills! :)