She told them her story---about the Ragna Rok, the mansion, the wizard, Karl---

They were an odd bunch. The three stood with her in a warm library with a fireplace. The woman who found her, Liz Sherman, stood by it. The other two were nothing but monsters.

One was tall and slender, what seemed to be an amphibious man. He was something she might see at a PT Barnum museum, but he was too real to be apart of some side-show. He called himself Abe. The one who scared her most was the large red demon beside him. Even his name unsettled her. Hellboy.

She sat on the edge of a couch closest to the fireplace with her knees tightly pressed together and her hands bunched into fists as she held them on her lap. She kept her head down, refusing to look at them.

After she went over the subject of Karl, she finalized it by saying, "He was never like this. He was nothing but a pussy-cat."

"I hate to break it to you, but your boyfriend's a bastard," the demon said. "Look up the word bastard in the dictionary and there's his picture."

"Stop it! He would never do this."

"People change," Liz said.

"I didn't think he would. Not like this. It's out of character. I cannot even see his face."

"Maybe you can if we bring him in," the demon said. "Tell me where the mansion you told us about us is.

She looked at the demon and thought this over. She could tell them so they would handle the Nazis, and most of all, the wizard, but what about Karl? What would they do to him? He was, after all, apart of them.

"I don't remember much. I got disoriented when I ran into the streets."

"Can you tell us any landmarks or signs?" Liz said.

She shook her head. "No."

"Is it in the city?" Liz said.

"No. It's somewhere farther."

"Is there anything you can tell us?" Abe asked.

"Again, I was disoriented. I was only concerned with getting away. Do you take notes when you're being chased?"

"Actually, I do have a better memory than---"

The demon cut him off. "Abe, not now." He then looked back at Jacqueline. "Listen, Jackie… May I call you Jackie?"

"No," she said in a harsh tone.

The demon frowned. "You better start remembering where that place is. We'll leave for a few minutes and see what you say then. All right?"

She stared at the demon, and then said with some hesitation, "All right."

The demon nodded his head to the side and said to the other two, "Come on." Together, the three left the room and Jacqueline watched them cautiously.

* * *

"I think she's lying," Hellboy said as they left the library.

"Lying about what?" Liz said.

"The whole thing," Hellboy said.

"What makes you think that?"

"I don't know. I think she's with them. She smells like a Nazi, and if she isn't they're rubbing off on her. I think she's a spy. She's giving us that puppy dog look and the wet stray kitten act is working for her. But I don't believe it. She wouldn't even take that hat off."

"Perhaps I'll try to find a file on her," Abe said.

"Yeah," Hellboy said, "Bring that Nazi bastard's file, too, will you, Abe? I'll show it to her."

Abe paused and glanced at him before he left the two.

* * *

First into one hand of evil and then into another. This time she was being kept by only three. She didn't know which way was worse, here or at the mansion. Perhaps the mansion was better. The men there were human, and more importantly, Karl was there.

She watched the three go out the door and she kept her eyes on it. The room went silent again except for the crackling of the fireplace. She glanced at it and stared at the hypnotizing flames---She looked at the door then back at the flames and to the door again. When she looked away again she didn't look at the flames. Instead, she looked around the whole library which surrounded her. It was like a large study. There must have been hundreds of books in the room with her. At least there were books with her, not monsters.

She scanned each shelf and soon she was beginning to convince herself to look for a way out. She'd be crazy if she stayed and pretended the three were her saviors. She didn't trust them one bit, although she gave the other woman a chance. She seemed human enough, unless she was just another creature in human skin.

Her eyes wandered up to the second level of the library, scanned the shelves against the wall and saw on the right, there was a window with blue curtains. Could that be her way out? If that was the case, she had to see for herself. She didn't know when the three would come back.

She quickly crossed the room to a flight of stairs and climbed them. Then, by the time she reached the middle of the stairs, she heard, "Hey!"

She turned her head and saw the red demon. She let out a yelp and ran up to the top level. She ran to the window where the demon jogged in her direction. She nearly rammed into it but she kept herself from hitting the glass by grabbing onto the sill. She pulled up on it but it wouldn't give.

"Hey, stop!" the demon called after her.

She looked back where she saw the demon coming closer. Her heart was pounding harder. She found herself frozen for a few seconds then came to again. She had to get out. Now.

She knew breaking the glass with her fist or elbow would hurt---slow her down even if she cut herself too deeply. So---

She saw a stepping stool by the rail and instantly grabbed it. With one swing she hit the glass, shattering it with shards falling to the floor. She then looked outside and below was a fire escape. She glanced behind herself quickly then vaulted over the sill onto the platform. The skirt of her dress caught on the glass but she pulled away with no effort. She heard it rip.

She looked over the railing and saw it was three-story drop to the ground. There was no sense in jumping from here. It wasn't worth breaking her bones, especially her legs. If she did, she wouldn't be able to run. So she bolted down the stairs and zig-zagged through each platform. She nearly tripped but she caught herself.

She ran all the way down to a latter, then dropped down onto the ground. She slipped on her landing, though, and wound up on her hands and knees. It only left her some scrapes. At least the snow cushioned her fall a bit.

She quickly picked herself up and began to run with her head ducked as if it would resist the wind, but then she noticed her hat wasn't on her head. She looked back and saw it lying on the ground under the fire escape. She halted suddenly and returned to it and snatched it up from the ground. She slapped it back on her head as she ran off.

The demon didn't follow at first---at least by her knowledge.

* * *

She kept running until she was out of breath and her body was near to the point of freezing. All she had was her dress, high heels and Karl's hat. It kept her head a bit warm but it was loose. There were times she had to hold it down to prevent it from falling off. But neither the cold or exhaustion stopped her. It wasn't just escaping the demon now, it was where Karl was. He had to be out here looking for her. She knew it. She had her faith in him.

Her running slowed into a jog then to a walk. Just where was he going to be? He didn't sound like he had a straight answer earlier.

It didn't look good, but she had to try, even if it was in vain.

While walking through a park, she began calling with her hands cupped around her mouth like a bullhorn, "KARL! KARL RUPERT KROENEN! GET YOUR ASS OVER HERE! NOW!" Her voice echoed.

There was no answer, but it didn't stop her. She called his name over and over. She stopped to catch her breath and listened. And then---

Nearby, she saw a statue of three rings rising from largest to smallest. Between the top and middle was a set of small figures that looked like cherubs. And on top of the statue was an angel with its wings extended out. The closer she looked, she saw it wasn't a statue but a water fountain frozen in the snow.

She wrapped her arms around herself and walked towards it. It was like a sign. With all their meetings at the University, this could be it, this could be where he was going to find her. She looked around before she sat down on its edge. And there she waited, glancing around and ducked her head a few times.

She didn't keep count of how much time passed, she just waited. But she didn't care. As long as he came, she would wait here in the freezing snow, alone.

Please come, she said in her mind.

It must have been several minutes after that when she heard someone approaching. Oh, could it be Karl? Did he hear her somehow?

She lifted her head. It wasn't Karl. It was a man in a dark bomber jacket and he had the symbols she saw at the mansion on him. His face was somehow familiar, too. It was then she remembered he was one of the young men she saw on the street earlier.

He walked to her and sat down casually as if he knew her.

"Hey pretty girl. Cold, isn't it? Aren't you cold wearing that dress?"

She glanced at him through the corner of her eye and said nothing.

"So, you're the quiet type."

He didn't act like the type of men from the mansion. But what explained the symbols?

He leaned towards her. "What are you doing out here?"

"I'm waiting for someone."

"Ah, so you have a boyfriend. But who would leave you out here all alone?" He then looked at the hat on her head and took it off. "Hey, nice hat." He examined it. "It looks authentic. Where did you get it?"

She grabbed for it, but the man kept it out of her reach. "Give it back!"

He kept it away like she was a dog jumping for a bone. He stood and she followed, clawing for it while he waved it.

"Give it back! Give it back!"

Having enough, she punched him hard in the stomach. The man doubled forward and coughed out a breath of air. It was then the hat fell out of his hand and went rolling into the snow. Jacqueline scooped up the valuable hat and put it back on. She almost screwed it on to make sure it wouldn't fall off again, and then she looked at the man with her lips pursed and one hip cocked to the side in a victorious way. But before her victory was complete, the man lifted his head and glared at her.

"Bitch." He swung his hand and struck her across the face, hard enough to knock her to the ground. He grabbed her by the shoulders after she went down and as soon as she knew it, he was straddling her. She kicked and struggled but he held her down. He let one hand go when he tried to shuffle up skirt of her dress, but had to let go when she had to get control again.

She screamed. She screamed now knowing what he was planning to do. She cried out for help as loud as she could. That help felt like forever to come to her but as loud as she cried out, someone did come. It was the perfect someone.

Ahead, a dark figure came charging out of a collection of trees like an animal bursting out for an attack. He came running towards them at high-speed and once he came up to them, he kicked the man across the face. He was thrown and came inches from hitting the wall of the fountain.

Jacqueline picked her head up to see her hero and saw Karl standing overhead, one fist bunched in rage. He stared across at her attacker. She didn't need to see his face to know what was going on behind his mask; his teeth were bared like a wild animal, his wild eyes set forward and locked onto the stunned man who was just recovering. She was surprised he hadn't lost a couple of teeth or gotten a broken jaw.

Karl took a step forward and while he did, he drew a gun from under his coat and fired a shot at the ground beside him. The man screamed when the bullet struck the ground and curled up. Then when he looked up and saw Karl, his eyes grew in horror. He scattered backwards and screamed: "Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit! DON'T KILL ME! DON'T KILL ME!"

He got to his feet and ran. But he didn't keep his back on Karl long. He spun around and pinned his back against a tree. He stared at him, his eyes just as huge when he first saw him, then he held his hands up in surrender.

"So that's how you treat women?" Karl said. He shouted it. She had never heard him shout like that before. He was indeed a changed man. "You're a disgrace! You're a disgrace to my nation! You think you're worthy of the Nazi cause? You wouldn't be worthy of the cause I'm now apart of! Tell me, boy, how many rounds are there in a Luger?" He pointed his gun at him.

The man stood there shaking in the middle of the trivia question. He then stuttered, "S-six?"

"Wrong. It's eight. Let me prove it. I used one already. Here's number two." He pulled the trigger. The bullet struck the tree beside his head and threw chunks of bark and wood. He screamed like a girl but he didn't run.

"Three! Four! Five!" He fired on each count.

Each hit the tree and the man stood there, shaking.

"Six!" There was a long pause after he fired his sixth round. Then Karl said, "Do you want me to test if there's another round?"

"N-no."

"Good. Now, get out of here, boy. Go home to your mother."

"Y-yes, sir." He then ran off into the trees with a puff of snow following him when he hit bushes and branches. Jacqueline's eyes wasn't on him, though, they were on Karl. He watched his opponent until he was out of sight, and then turned towards her. When he turned to her, it seemed like it was in slow motion. Despite wearing that eerie mask he looked beautiful. She saw his face behind her eyes.

He stared at her, then walked to her as she sat on the ground. He held a hand out to her. "Are you alright?"

"Yes."

He then held a hand out and helped her to her to her feet. The two stood face to face with their hands in one another. Again, she saw his face, not the mask. She smiled but there was no smile on his face. Instead, there was serenity.

She lost that image when he turned his head and took a few paces away. He stooped then returned to her, carrying the hat. "Did you loose something?" He dusted it off on his pants and put it on her head. She adjusted it, trying to get it at a spot where it wouldn't fall off again. Karl found it too tempting and yanked the visor over her eyes.

She fixed it, glaring at him and then softened her features. "How did you know I would be here?"

He shrugged. "I had a gut feeling."

The water fountain, of course. Staying by the water fountain had been a good idea afterall, even if---

She then looked him over. "I didn't know you had a gun," she said.

"Well, you know now. But what's important is why did you leave? Do you remember what I said? When I say run, run. And I didn't say run."

"I'm sorry, but that man came into the room looking for me. I didn't want to know what he wanted. I was afraid."

"Well, your tour of the modern world is over. We're going." He began to pull her but she stopped.

"Wait. Does that mean you're taking me back to the mansion?"

"Sadly, yes. I have no choice." He began to pull again but she stopped him again.

"What are you a dog playing fetch to them now?"

He didn't say anything at first, then said, "Would you rather have the others looking for you?"

It was Jacqueline's turn to go silent now. She recalled the demon and the others and her escape. She stared out. "I think I'm being followed either way."

Karl cocked his head. "Pardon?"

"I think I'm being followed by a red demon. He told me he was going to help me and that he knew about you and the…what was it called? Ragna Rok? But I got away. I still think he's following me."

He stared at her. "Now we run." He suddenly yanked her into a run.

* * *

When his bleeding nose began to slow, he was nearly crawling. It was probably broken from the boot to the face. There were also shards of bark in his hair after being shot at.

He stopped and sat on the ground with his legs drawn up and ducked his head deeply. He held a hand over his nose to keep it from bleeding.

"Craig. Hey, Craig, what are you doing on the ground?"

He looked up and saw three men approaching him. When they came closer they noticed his beaten face and bleeding nose. "What happened to you?"

"I saw a Nazi."

The others laughed.

"No, it was a real live Nazi!"

You idiot, it was just someone in a uniform. What did he look like?"

"I couldn't tell. He was wearing some weird mask."

"What did he do to you? Wouldn't he be on our side? He beat the living hell out of you."

"Remember the girl we saw earlier with the hat? She was there. I was trying to mess with her and he showed up. I wasn't going to hurt her! I was only going to mess with her!"

A couple of them laughed. "Well, that's what you get when you mess with a Nazi's girl." They laughed again.

"Shut up! It's not funny! I got a broken nose!"

Above, in a tree, they were being watched. Hellboy found it oddly entertaining. An enemy---a member of the Ragna Rok, and a Nazi at that, basically beat the living hell out of a Neo-Nazi and probably scarred him for life. If only he had a video camera, he would have grabbed a bag of popcorn and watched it over and over.

"Well, that handles him."

Too bad he was still the enemy.