CHAPTER THREE
TREASURE HUNT.
"Red…" Abraham whispered when seeing the demon leaning against the wall as his golden eyes looking down at the kitchen floor.
Nobody said anything.
Nobody even dared to breathe.
Hellboy looked so fragile; like the gentlest touch could break him into tiny little pieces.
How could such a strong creature look so vulnerable?
His eyes slowly looked up to look at Abe's dark ones. He smiled sheepishly.
"Abe…"
And before anyone could say or do anything else, the demon fell down on his knees, leaving huge craters on the kitchen floor.
He looked defeated.
Abraham quickly knelt down, placing one of his hands on the big man's back and the other on his shoulder, making a foolish attempt of pulling the big red man back up…
But, not only was he too heavy to be lifted by such a skinny creature like Abe, the aquatic being felt himself being pulled away from that kitchen.
Suddenly the small room was replaced by green fields and tall trees and a beautiful red sunset.
Abe stood there as he watched Liz walking away from Hellboy,
His eyes widened as he heard the demon's voice screaming and echoing through the entire country,
His arm stretched in the man's direction as he started running after Elizabeth.
That was one thing Abraham hated about his 'gift'.
He couldn't do anything besides standing there like a fool and watching all those events happening in front of him.
Both of his eyes blinked when coming back to the present and he simply stared at Hellboy with a concerned expression.
"Oh…Red…I'm so…"
"She's not here is she?"
That wasn't a question. Hellboy already knew the answer before he even walked into that house.
The horned man glanced at his aquatic friend…and Abe simply shook his head, incapable of looking him in the eye.
Hellboy's head was hanging from his neck once again, his lips curling into a pained smile.
"I gotta find her, Abe."
He said while slowly getting up, letting Abe think that he was the one supporting his weight.
"I'm gonna find her and bring her back."
Abraham blinked and reflected on that idea. Liz didn't want to be with him. She needed to be alone, to think.
If Hellboy went after her, things could only get worse.
"Red, I don't think that's a good idea. I know y…"
The once fragile and depressed man became an aggressive demon.
The way how he stood up straight forced Abe to press his hand against the wall to keep him from falling.
"You don't think it's a good idea? You don't think?"
His voice was loud as he gave a step forward, looking down at nervous Abraham who now gave a small step back, afraid of being squished like an ant by the red man.
"I've almost unleashed the goddamned apocalypse on earth, I've fought against a freaking ballerina elf prince, practically destroyed the whole forest around our house, swam across the loch outside your house twenty times, killed two freakin' wild bears and left a few Scottish goblins unconscious…I did all of this for her. And you think I shouldn't try bringing her back?"
His voice was loud enough to be heard all through the house.
Abe was afraid he'd wake up Ms. Greenrow…but he didn't make a sound.
He simply stared at the red man, trying to disguise just how nervous he was.
Hellboy paused for a moment. His frown softened. And he finally sighed.
"I…I know I shouldn't Abe. I know Liz needs to be alone. But I need to find her. I need to…"
Hellboy gritted his teeth.
"I need to know that it ain't over."
Silence spread through the kitchen once again as both Abe and Johann stared at the heart broken Anung un Rama.
"I gotta get going Abe…Say hi to Ms. Greenrow for me, will ya?"
He finally said before turning his back to the blue man and waving a hand at him.
Abraham could have stayed quiet.
He could have just stood there and let his friend walk out the door so he'd go on that crazy 'treasure hunt' of his.
Perhaps he'd learn how to be more sensitive and gentle through that journey. Perhaps…
But Abe was sick and tired of just standing around and watching everyone else around him change.
"You honestly think…" His voice was strangely loud, louder than Hellboy had ever heard it, but also extremely insecure.
"…That I'd just let a big red ape like you go on some crazy quest through Scotland alone?"
Hellboy would be lying if he said that he wasn't surprised by his friend's tone.
And so would Abe. His eyes blinked repeatedly in surprise as he stared at the demon.
"…No. That's out of question. We're coming with you."
And, suddenly, Hellboy was smiling.
It was not an awkward or fake smile.
It was a true and sympathetic one; he'd never seen Abraham so aggressive and frustrated before.
And that made him, for some reason, quite happy.
His big rock hand patted the aquatic being on the shoulder, making Abe almost lose his balance.
But soon they'd both be smiling. And Abe realized then that they'd reached an agreement.
Hellboy, however, quickly stopped smiling and wrinkled his nose.
"We?" He whispered, as if it was a foreign word.
He slowly peeked over Abe's shoulder to find Johann waggling his fingers at the horned man.
"Ho' do you do, Herrboy?"
Anung un Rama frowned at that sight and swirled his head in Abe's direction.
"What the hell is fishbowl doing here?"
Now, Johann wasn't a violent or reckless man…But that had been the second time today that the word 'fishbowl' had been associated to him.
And that made him feel like swinging a fist in Hellboy's direction.
"Erm…Johann is here to deliver my contact lenses. The BPRD usually sends them to me by mail…But Johann decided to deliver them personally…"
Abe explained, tried to lighten up the mood.
But the ectoplasmic man and the demon glared at each other in a way that made Abe feel a small chill on the back of his neck.
"…Just to catch up. You know?"
He added, giving a nervous laugh. Johann seemed to give a small nod in agreement, also deciding that it would be better to calm down a bit.
"Zats right, Herrboy. Ah haven't zeen Abrraham forr a long time, so ah thought…"
"HEY!"
Hellboy yelled while pointing a red finger in the German's direction.
"Say herr anything one more time and I'll smash through your german head."
The red man growled, making Johann give a small daring step forward, as if they were two lions ready to jump on each other.
Abe was the one standing in the middle.
"Uh…I'm…Sorry to interrupt. But shouldn't we…er Perhaps be looking for Liz?"
Both men paused and glanced at Abe. The blue skinned man continued.
"It's…getting dark. And it seems that she is all alone out there in the woods…"
His huge dark eyes shifted between the two angry creatures who now stared at each other.
"Abrraham iz correct. We must find Liz. It'z not safe to be out therre at ziss time."
Hellboy eyed Johann from head to toe and ended up nodding in agreement.
"Right. Let's get going, then."
Abe nodded and exited the kitchen, grabbing his black coat.
Johann was about to leave too when suddenly a red finger pressed against the glass sphere that kept his soul from flying away.
"And don't you dare bossing me around, fishbowl."
Hellboy said with an angry smirk.
"Ah have no intention of bossin' anyone arround, Herrboy. Now take yourr digit off of me."
Johann replied.
Hellboy narrowed his eyes at him and stepped back, letting him pass.
Which he did, leaving the demon alone in the kitchen.
"It's Hellboy, you prick."
His nose suddenly wrinkled with disgust.
"And why does it smell like rotten eggs in here?"
Hellboy asked with outrage as the three of them left the house, gently closing the door behind them.
The place suddenly went silent; one would think it was empty.
But inside her bedroom, Ms. Greenrow sat on her bed, her pale eyes staring blankly at the door in front of her while holding her cane with both of her hands.
Her head was shaking as if disappointed with something. Or someone.
"I told that boy not to leave without tellin' me first."
She calmly said, sighing a bit.
"Now he and his friends are all goin' to die, aren't they?"
The room was dark, and all that illuminated it was the pale moonlight that occasionally would light the bedroom.
A tall figure stood right in front of her, the moonlight hitting against the strange creature, making it the shiniest thing in the room.
Its teeth showed in a large mischievous grin.
"Yes." It simply answered.
"And in return you shall keep living, Katherine Greenrow."
It smiled. "As always."
The old woman opened her mouth to speak again. But she knew it was too late.
The Angel of Death had left.
