Chapter 1: Goddess of the Water

Abraham Sapien awoke again with a start for the third night in a row; gills flapping as he sucked in great lung fulls of oxygen converted from the water he was currently floating in. The damned dream had been plaguing him on and off for months now, but these last three nights had been unbearably real to him; more a vision or foretelling than a dream. He shook his head and sped to the surface of his tank, climbing onto the deck surrounding its top and toweling off irritably. The Chronometer mounted on the wall told him that it was 4:10 AM and the continued racing of his pulse and agitation at himself told him that he would not be getting anymore sleep tonight. He wrapped himself in a long fleece navy blue robe and descended the stairs atop his tank to the main floor of the library. Professor Broom had dozed off on a settee before the fireplace; a heavy leather bound tome across his lap and his spectacles barely clinging to the edge of his nose. Abe crept passed him and snatched up one of the books that were perched in front of his tank from its stand, making his way out of the library quietly and heading down the hall towards the cafeteria where most of the human agents took their meals. Abe figured that if he had to be awake, then he may as well have proper tea as well. The cafeteria was always a hub of activity no matter what time of day it was due to the Bureau of Paranormal Research and Defense being staffed round the clock with agents and researchers and interns alike. A clatter of plates and glasses and a hum of chit chat from the seated diners greeted him as he entered, the smell of eggs, bacon, sausage, and pancakes making his stomach rumble. Perhaps he would have breakfast too. Abe's favorite delicacy was the 1000 year old rotten eggs he consumed regularly, but at Hell Boy's persuasion he had been varying his diet of late to include some human cuisine as well. Finding that he had a particular fondness for omelets and cheese and bacon as far as breakfast fare was concerned. Abe could still not stomach overly sweet tasting dishes; so pancakes and waffles and French toast were out. Abe ordered a pot of strong black tea with lemon and a spinach, cheese, and bacon omelet; taking a seat at the back of the cafeteria and opening the book he had taken out of the library with him. He read and reread the same two verses of the same poem before he realized that it was hopeless and gave up completely, closing the book as the waiter came with his order and he sipped his hot tea while letting his mind wander back to the dream….

He had been running after something, chasing it across the sandy shores of a beach he did not recognize. Wherever it was, it was a gray and foggy morning and it was bitterly cold as an icy mist whipped relentlessly across Abe's face, biting into the ichthyo sapiens skin and chilling him to the core. Abe nearly fell as the creature he was chasing changed direction sharply, heading into the shallows and getting swallowed by the waves quickly; the dense seaweed and white capped waves disguising its shape and providing camouflage. Abe dove into the water after it, his powerful legs kicking as he tread water at breakneck speeds and nearly caught up before searing pain seized him; halting him mid swim and making it hard to breathe as his gills froze in place as though paralyzed. He struggled in place, the sight of long electric purple tendrils in his peripheral vision telling him that he had been caught by some kind of monstrous jellyfish-like creature. Abe's lungs protested as his gills failed to convert oxygen from the water around him and just when he felt he might explode from the pressure as the tendrils squeezed tighter; he saw her. She was human; or at least that's what she appeared to be as she swam towards him unnaturally fast, halting feet away from him and raising her hands, palms outward and outstretched. Abe tried to see her face more clearly, but her long black hair swirled around her with the tide, partially obscuring his view. He scrunched his eyes shut as a blinding light surrounded him, emanating from the mystery girl and he knew blissful relief as the tendrils loosened their death grip and freed him; leaving him gasping, gills fluttering desperately as he heaved in lung fulls of oxygen. Abe had sunk to the ocean floor on his knees, too weak to even try to swim to the surface, much less the shore. He was then aware of her touch on his shoulder as he managed to lift his head and gaze up into her still partially obscured face as she stared down at him, her brown eyes piercing and curious as they met his obsidian ones. Abe wanted to reach out to her, but he was far too weak from the attack and subsequent lack of oxygen. He felt his vision darkening around the edges, the last thing he would see was her dark and beautiful gaze piercing into his soul….

Then he would awake in his tank the same way he had earlier, the feeling of the pressure from lack of oxygen combined with the burning and searing from the feeling of the phantom tendrils of his dream still haunting his first waking moments. When he had begun having the dream months ago, he had thought that it was merely the product of his overactive imagination and boredom from little to no activity on the field of late. The repetition of the dream and its intensity and persistence was driving Abe mad lately though, and he had to get to the bottom of what was causing these repetitive nocturnal forays. Who in the world was this mystery girl? She appeared much too frequently and with far too much intensity to merely be a figment of Abe's imagination. He made up his mind to finish his tea and return to the library; where Professor Broom would hopefully be awake and ready to help Abraham find the answers to his questions.