This is written as a way to lay foundations for some of my own characters that appear in later stories. There are all O.C.'s in this chapter, though in chapters to come there will be some cameo appearances of familiar faces(I'm not going to give it away, I'd rather keep you hanging!) This takes place in the Hellboy comicverse. I can promise lots of monsters, as well as the appearance of some B.P.R.D agents in the next few chapters. So, if you're hoping for pages full of your favorite H.B. characters, try a different story? Otherwise, please enjoy.


July 1969 - Arizona

A shadow landed on the stucco tiles of the roof with a velvety thump, sliding into the shadow of the wall. It crossed toward the gutter and made another leap onto the stone patio below. Moonlight reflected from the surface of the swimming pool, painting the night around it a shivering, slivery blue. The shadow slipped around the pool, blending into the darkness at the edges and making its way toward a window. Soft, golden light lit the room within. The window was open slightly, letting in the cool night air. The darkness was warm and still. Somewhere, away from the suburban homes, a coyote yipped and a dog returned the remark, barking. These sounds blended in with the light traffic on the highway and the insects humming in the Arizona summer's dusk.

Sarah looked up from her book, hearing a coyote's song someplace outside. She yawned and looked at the clock and the desk, surprised to see it was nearly 1 o'clock am. A slight noise near her window made her spine stiffen and she felt cold, even in the warm night. She whirled, images of strange men from the evening news inevitably crossing through her mind. Her fears redoubled as a black shape came stealthily through her window toward her.

As the form crossed into the arc of light shed by her reading lamp, she recoiled by instinct, reaching for something heavy, then stopped as she recognized the visitor.

"You were trying to frighten me on purpose! That's so typical!" She smirked. The black cat sat back on its haunches and licked its paw nonchalantly, watching her from the corner of its eye.

"Don't flatter yourself," He said, voice tinged with mockery. Then his voice became more serious and he looked straight at her, emerald eyes sinking into hers and once again making shivers creep up her spine. Sarah sat down on her bed, metal coils creaking slightly as she drew her knees to her chest and crossed her arms over them. Her own eyes gazed out warily at the cat. "Long time no see."

The cat stopped bathing long enough to cast her a silent, baleful look before returning to the task of his personal hygiene. The girl waited, too, knowing that trying to get the cat to speak before he deigned to do so was a futile task. The moments drew themselves out and, after a few minutes, Sarah sighed impatiently.

"Something's happening," Remarked the soot-black feline. He raised a paw again, coral pink tongue flicking out once more. Sarah narrowed her eyes – waiting was one thing, toying with her was another.

"Well? That's not exactly a lot to go on. You'd better have a more solid reason than that for climbing in my bedroom window in the middle of the night," She remarked.

"Something bad," He stated flatly. Sarah waited.

"Something's stirring in the desert. It's not something we're used to dealing with. Ruth won't admit it, but I don't think she knows what's going on. She says you're to come at once."

Sarah frowned. "Ruth doesn't know what's happening?" she asked, then, "what do we know?"

The cat sat a bit straighter, his eyes piercing hers. "We've got to go. Pack something quickly. We'll talk on the way."

Sarah sighed and crossed to her closet, snatching her backpack from the door handle where it'd hung since June. She went to her closet and grabbed some other things, throwing them in. Then, on an after thought, she pulled on a sweater over the tee-shirt she was wearing. Sitting down on the bed, she pulled on her shoes. She'd never changed into her pajamas that night and was still wearing jeans and socks. She looked at the cat and stood up, slinging the pack over her shoulder. She'd been annoyed earlier. Now there was a challenge laid in front of her, and she felt the slight touch of adrenaline in her system she'd come to associate with these visits. Maybe that was what made her good at this.

"Let's go," He said. He leaped to the window ledge and then out into the night, and she followed him. Within seconds, they were gone.