Nuala's Rubicon

A The New Ghoul in School prequel

An HB-MH fanfic crossover by: A J

(Standard Disclaimer Applies)

It turned out to take far less than death to stop Nuada. Nualla, seeing that he wouldn't quit, made the decision for him. With a determined glance to her new beau Abraham, she took out her knife and severed her right pinky. Blade, digit, and princess all fell with a gasp of agony. Never had she deliberately dealt herself such harm before.

Nuada, consummate fighter that he was, still wasn't inured to pain from an unsuspected attack. With an angry cry, he back-pedaled from his red-skinned foe long enough to switch hands on his weapon.

Abraham was by her side in an instant. "Nualla, are you..?" His hoarse question died in the asking as he saw what she'd done. "Why?"

"We feel… each others… pain," she managed to pant out, eyes drifting from him to her brother's figure. He was cradling the injured hand against himself much as she was; good, but not enough – he still looked to finish his fight. She took the knife back up with a grimace. "I… must stop this," she told Abe. "Before… we die… or all… was for… naught…"

Nualla braced her good hand against the ground, and turned her trusted blade over in her already injured right hand, blood coursing down the handle.

"Nualla!" Abe cried as his gaze, which had been flying between her and the continuing conflict, caught the flash of her blade as she severed her other pinky. He caught her as she passed out.

Nuada, unable to wield his sword with both hands now maimed by his sister's actions, surrendered it at the sight of her collapsed form.

"Thanks for that," Hellboy grunted, tucking the blade into his trench coat, "Now let's get you two out of here; we can sort the rest out later."

HB – MH

Later turned out to be several weeks, as the newly unaffiliated Hellboy and his teammates had to make their own way in the everyday world now. Nuada's contacts throughout the rest of the paranatural world helped the group to relocate to the American West Coast, where a conclave of monsters quietly co-existed in an Oregon town full of tolerant normies. Upon arrival, they were greeted by none other than Count Dracula and his family, "Velcomen to Salem, my tovarich," The vampire elder said with a fang-baring grin. Nualla narrowed her eyes at him, while Nuada and Liz, who'd both had less-than-pleasant run-ins with less-savory specimens of the species, surreptitiously readied weapons.

"There's no need for that here," the pale vampiress with pink-streaked black hair behind the Count said with a titter. She nudged him out of the way and stepped forward, "We live in peace here. In Salem, all monsters are welcome."

"All, huh?" Hellboy said, eying the tiny girl appraisingly. "Just what other kinds are here?"

"Well, we've got vampires, at least three kinds of were-creatures, gargoyles, golems of all sorts, gorgons, sirens, zombies…"

"That's, wow, that's a lot," Liz gasped, just before the younger vampire ran out of fingers as she was ticking off her list. "So who are you, and what's your affiliation with tall, dark, and fangy here?" Nualla and her brother both looked at her strangely for the last part, while Abe and Hellboy chuckled.

"Father, no introductions whatsoever? How rude! I am Draculaura, scion of House Tepis; this is my father Drakul, and my uncle Vladimir." She smiled sweetly at each man in turn, "So who are you all? What brings you here to Oregon?"

"Well, we're recently disenfranchised, or is that disavowed, government employees looking to settle down and raise some Hellspawn in peace," Hellboy said. "I'm Hellboy, obviously, and these are two of my former teammates, my best friends Abe and Liz, Abe's girlfriend Nualla, and her brother Nuada." He pointed each out in turn nonchalantly, and then turned back to face the three vampires. "You know, I'd swear we've met before…" he started to say to the Count.

"Twice," Abe added, his clipped accent surprising the vampires.

"Pale imitations, no doubt," Drakul sneered. "Pretenders to the throne." His brother coughed meaningfully. "Abdicated, of course! Now I'm merely a humble, if very successful, businessman."

"Of course," Nuada nodded.

"Nuada … surely not?" Vlad asked.

"Also… abdicated," the Elvin Prince sighed.

"My, brother, The Council of Elders' meetings will certainly be livelier now," Vlad chuckled.

"Oh, that can wait," Draculaura said, rolling her eyes. "Let's help them settle in first. So, how many homes will you need? Our little town is always looking to grow, so the more the merrier."

"Hmm, I think one large house could do for us all for now, with an eye to three once we're all working again," Liz said, inching forward to see the hexagonal screen of Draculaura's i-coffin, which the girl was taking notes for them on. Lala looked up surreptitiously as the fire-starter moved next to her, her sharp hearing noting not one but three heartbeats, two of them much faster.

"So when are you due?" The young vampiress couldn't help but ask. At Liz's startled look, she tapped one pointed ear, "They're loud, and very healthy," she added with a mischievous smirk.

"Uh, sometime in October," Liz managed, after mentally kicking herself for forgetting her vampire lore. That did remind her though … "So what do you feed on, if you're trying to abstain from the gen-pop?"

"Oh, those two and the others receive monthly shipments of donated blood," Draculaura replied with a grimace. "I refuse to partake; I am a vegetarian." Her haughty look held for all of five seconds before another giggle burst out. "It's considered quite the scandal," she managed to add around it.

"Only by those who don't know you, dear-heart," her uncle said soothingly. She shot him a thankful glance.

"How does that even work?" Nualla asked, her soft voice belying her frank curiosity.

"Simple dietetics," Draculaura told her. "Since we know what makes blood blood, I just eat the vegetables that supply the same nutritional value. Of course, it's easier nowadays than it was a hundred years ago when I started."

"You look good for you age, kid," Hellboy said, "It must be working." All three vampires laughed heartily, far out of proportion to the joke, and the former BPRD agent asked, "What?"

"You couldn't know it to look at her, but our little girl just celebrated her sweet sixteen hundred." Drakul laughed, and the newest potential Salemites gave her a longer appraising look.

"Well, I'm sold. Sounds like a good town to call home," Hellboy grinned.

"Only you, Red," Abe sighed, trading glances with Nualla.

"I think it sounds lovely as well," she said, "and close enough to the ocean, you'll never have to worry about traffic again," she added with a tentative grin. Banter was still a new skill for her, but Abe's return smile told her she was successful. Nuada's tolerant tutting was the only down note as they followed the vampiric trio into town.

HB / MH

Author's note: All right, y'all can blame my cousin for this one, folks. I'd just gotten done watching the Hellboy films, when she and my niece were over, and niecey was watching the MH webisodes on their i-pad mini while we were talking preschools for my twins. One misbehaving muse, five minutes overhearing the first couple eps, a rabid plot-bunny and some research afterwards, and you get to enjoy the results. Catch ya all on the flipside, A J (& friends!)