Chapter 2
The Rest of the Clan
Later that night, Abe sat next to Hellboy on the sofa watching cliché black and white movies and discussing that day's events when a dark, young lady and an old grey haired man came through the door and stood in front of the two creatures. The woman had black hair that ran down her back and dark, serious eyes. Her name was Elizabeth Sherman, though everyone at the B.D.R.P called her Liz. She was a pyrokinetic, so she had some control over the power flames. She wasn't born with her powers like Red and himself were. She had gained them when she went into puberty. It had been an awful event in her life, which traumatised her to no end.
As for the professor, he was a father to all of them, but especially to Red. He was his first child. He was getting on in age but deep down he was quite youthful at heart. Although, not youthful enough to let Hellboy get away with his cigars and midnight wanders outside.
"So, how did it go finding the alligators. I came up with a theory." The professor said, starting to pace, "Do you think that perhaps it was their nesting season, give it a couple of weeks and there will be so many sitings, the community wont know what to do with itself." The professor finished proudly, completly positive that his deduction was correct.
"Bzzt! Sorry pop, you are so off. So off in fact, that even Abe wouldn't eat you." Red said, trying to smother his laughter behind his giant stone hand. Abe gave red as half hearted glare, he was too tired and sore to bother with a proper one.
"Let me guess, things didn't go quite according to plan." Liz smirked as she went to clean a graze on Red's shoulder.
"Unless you call a 20 meter basilisk according to plan." Abe sighed whilst sliding down the leather chair so that he was lying across the seat. Man, his ribs were really sore.
"Well, thats rare, Red." The professor stated, glaring at Red who had locked lips with Liz mid medical exam. Said demon pulled away from his smooch with Liz so that he could pay attention. "Could it have anything to do with Hecate?" the professor's brow was all wrinkly and, other than old age, that meant that he was worried.
"Yeah, now you think about it, it could be...Nah, it wasn't spooky enough. Plus, it didn't just go for me, Abe was bashed up just as much as I was." He said warmly, like sharing the beatings was like sharing a chocolate chip cookie. He patted Abe on the leg affectionately, which caused Abe to wake up with a starled, "Uh-what I do!", causing everyone in the room to laugh.
The professor went to the medicine cabinent and grabbed a couple of the Abe friendly asprin and a glass of water. Giving it to the fishman with an encouraging smile, he watched as Abe swallowed both tablets and the glass of water in about three large gulps.
"Go to bed Abe." The professor said kindly, whilst helping the incredibly floppy Abe to his feet.
"Yeah, all right. I'll see you guys in the morning." Abe said, slouching off towards his ginormous tank. Liz gave him a quick peck on the cheek and with that, Abe made the long treck back to his room, which also happened to be the library.
As he walked towards his tank, eyes half closed, he tripped over the stack of books he'd left there that morning. He eyed of the mountain of foreign novels angrily and in the back of his mind he thought 'stuff it. Ill do it in the morning.' With that he climbed the stairs, opened the hatch and slowly slid into his watery heaven. He noticed that the temperature controls had been set to a slightly higher degree than was his usual and for that he sliently thanked the professor. That man thought of everything but when thanked face to face he always pretended it wasn't him, he just like to give unconditionally. With this in mind it wasn't long at all before his large, luminous eyes slid shut and sleep took him away to hazy land.