DISCLAIMER: I own nothing and no recognizable characters from Hellboy. I am just a poor college student who also happens to be a rabid fan and this just happens to be a fanfiction that my mind came up with that I feel like sharing with other fans. I make absolutely NO money from this fanfic. It is merely for fun and hopefully the enjoyment of other fans. Please don't sue and fans please enjoy.

Chapter 10: My Name

"I don't know why we are listening to this fool," a scathing voice spoke through the quiet only before broken by the march of many feet.

"Because Mr. Maddock," Isaac said quietly in reproach as the entourage headed down into the facility. "If what Mr. Ashford here said is true," the older man gestured vaguely to Kyle, "then the creature we have acquired may be of even grater value then any of us could have possibly imagined."

Kyle didn't like the sound of that. The way Isaac spoke almost sounded as if the old man still intended to keep the creature whether it was sentient or not. "Um, sir?" Kyle questioned trying to get Isaac's attention. "We will be releasing the newest addition if he turns out to be intelligent won't we?"

"Well, Mr. Ashford first you need to prove that it is intelligent," the older man said evading Kyle's question expertly.

"Come, let us hurry," Isaac said cutting off anything more Kyle would have said and picking up the pace as the group neared Abe's holding room. "I am curious to see if number 122 can really speak."

---

"Shelby?" Kyle asked as the group came through the doors into the target room.

"Shhh," Shelby said, whisperingly chiding the mass of people from where she sat by the cage watching over Abraham. "He's asleep."

"What is she doing here?" Isaac questioned sharply not even sparing a glance toward Shelby.

"Shelby's the one who originally discovered the creature, number 122 that is, could speak, sir," Kyle answered quietly while hurriedly waving Shelby off behind his back, trying to nullify her anger at being spoken to in such a manner. He knew they would have to keep Isaac happy if they wished any sort of success and luckily the southern girl knew that to. She huffed irritably, but did nothing more.

"I see," Isaac said considering the information. "Fine she may stay. Now wake it up," he continued motioning to the still sleeping form of Abe. "We will get none of our answers with it asleep."

"Wait you don't have to," Shelby said stumbling to her feet before any of the group could move. Isaac glared at her in mild annoyance. He was not a man used to giving orders twice, but even under his relentless glower Shelby continued what she had to say. "Here," she stated holding out a digital recorder she had been keeping in her pocket. "I normally use this to record lectures at school, but… well I also recorded some of Ab- the creature talking today because I thought it might be important."

Isaac looked skeptically down devise in Shelby's hand before picking it up so it dangled from his thumb and forefinger like some dirty thing. "Quick thinking for… well you," he commented still looking at the recorder.

"Thank you, sir," Shelby said through gritted teeth trying her best to keep civil when she wanted nothing more then to strangle the insufferable man in front of her.

"Unfortunately this… recording will prove nothing," Isaac said dropping the devise back into Shelby's palm. "It could easily have been fabricated. Now," he continued glancing back at the people gathered around him not even registering the blonde's look of outrage. "Could someone please wake up that creature? I have other things to be doing besides standing here all day wasting time."

---

Abe heard voices through the darkness of his slumber but was reluctant to go back to his current bleak and imprisoned reality. Instead he continued to simply lay motionless where he was in a state somehow between sleep and awareness, ignoring the goings on around him. He was tired, so very tired. He wished those people would go away, just leave him be, but they didn't. Their conversation grew louder, more heated, becoming harder for the Icthyo sapien to ignore. Abe mentally groaned. Just go away. The voices grew to a peak. "No. Carl… dammit Maddock, don't!" Shelby's angry shout cut through Abe's mind, forcing the Icthyo sapien awake.

"Mmmn, Shelby?" Abe murmured unintelligibly as he stirred slightly dragging his eyes open then his breath caught. Abe froze, his sleepy eyes widening in shock and fear at the sight that greeted him. A stranger was standing over him, leering down at him through the bars. The man gave Abe an ugly, cruel grin and roughly raked the metal bars of the Icthyo sapien's cage with a hand. The harsh noise of the metal pierced the air bringing Abe brutally to full awareness. The vibrations from the bars rang mercilessly through Abe's body causing discomfort bordering on pain. The Icthyo sapien flinched violently away, flinging himself into the air to land defensively crouched on all fours in the center of the cage, his eye darting back and forth as he tried to figure out what was going on.

A mass of people stood in front of Abe, peering at him with inquiring eyes. Oh lord there were more then twenty of them. Abe felt his heart speed up simply at the sight of all the strangers. What could their presence mean? One of them, an elderly gentleman standing towards the front of the group, was looking at the human who had woken Abe up with a bit of a scolding frown. "Gently next time," the older man said in reproach. "Wake it up gently."

More was said but Abe was really too distracted to notice. The Icthyo sapien's eyes searched frantically through the crowd for a friendly face, but he couldn't find anyone. Shelby was standing glaring around her in outrage lost in the middle of the group while Kyle stood along the fringe looking unsure of what to do and avoiding Abe's eyes as he felt shame come over him at the Icthyo sapien treatment.

A sudden lightheaded feeling came over Abe and he swayed a little almost falling to the floor. The Icthyo sapien cursed himself silently for losing control again so easily. Gathering himself up Abe curled into a ball and closed his eyes to take a moment and collect his wits about him. He simply refused to faint again. At least not until he knew what was going on.

Abe took a deep breath, calming himself, and tried to think through the situation. That's right, his mind reminded him after a bit, Kyle was supposed to go talk to his colleagues so I could be released. After a few more moments the Icthyo sapien open his clear blue eyes again and looked up ready to face the crowd. Okay so now what?

Abe saw in the short time he had taken for himself the humans had spread out in front of him, but now, instead of staring at him, they where watching what looked to be an argument going on between Kyle and the elderly gentleman. Abe could also see Shelby once more through the sea of heads glancing worriedly back and forth between himself and the heated conversation. The blonde's brow furrowed in concern upon noticing Abe watching her. She silently mouthed 'sorry' to the Icthyo sapien who nodded slightly back to her in acknowledgment before turning his attention to the argument.

"If you cannot prove number 122 is sentient then there is absolutely no reason for us to even consider its release," Abe caught the elderly man saying. A flame of anger lit in the Icthyo sapien at those words, he had had just about enough of this.

"Excuse me," Abe said a little irritably, hauling himself up off the floor to stalk over and stand with his hands on his hips directly in front of the man who had just spoken. Abe smirked inwardly a little as the man became speechless, his eyes widening in surprise at the sound of Abe's voice before the Icthyo sapien continued in his carefully over-calm voice. "My name is Abraham. I am not a thing, an item, a specimen and certainly not a number. I am an individual with a name so use it." And with his two cents in the Icthyo sapien turned his back on the group to drop into one of the far corners with his back resting against the bars and his face turned away as he mused over his predicament. Abe had not liked what had seen in that mans eyes. The Icthyo sapien had found them rather… certain, almost as if that man was positive he was right. Always right. No matter what and that pertained to Abe's imprisonment too. The Icthyo sapien might have managed to startle the man with his speech and even his intelligence, but Abe doubted that fact was really going to matter in the long run. That person didn't care whether Abe was sentient or not and he had no plans to release the Icthyo sapien. Not now and Abe doubted ever. Abe let out a sigh. He now knew that if he wanted to get free he would have to find another way.

Kyle was the first one to recover from Abe's minor outburst. "Um so you see there Mr. Crawford, this… um, Abraham is obviously sentient and, well –"

"Kyle you might as well give it up," Abe sighed from the back of the cage still not looking at the group. "These people have no intention of letting me go no matter the circumstance."

Shelby heard the defeat in Abraham's voice and thought her heart would break at the sound. "Oh Abe," she whispered sadly circling around the cage until she was crouched next to the Icthyo sapien again, but he would not look at her. "Abraham," the blonde called softly cradling his face in her hands and lifting his eyes to meet hers. The southern girl felt her heart sink even further at the sight that greeted her. A great sadness had settled in Abe, dimming his beautiful blue eye. All of the kindness, laughter and life Shelby had seen in them just minutes before had disappeared leaving those eyes with a flat, hollow look. Abruptly, Abe broke eye contact, turning away almost as if he didn't want to pain Shelby with his suffering, but it was too late for that. The blonde felt tears brimming in her at the Icthyo sapien's plight and she looked up beseechingly at the silent crowd on the other side of the cage.

"Please, please tell him what he thinks is untrue… Tell him you'll let him go." Her voice broke as she spoke, but her resolve was strong enough to let her finish. "Please."

TBC…

Hey everyone. We've finally made it to chapter 10! Double digits yay! As always please review.

P.S. Chapter Title: "My Name" from the song "You Know My Name" sung by Chris Cornell