"I thought you all quit?" Locke smirked, leaning on the doorway of the library with his arms crossed as Liz, Abe and Hellboy stepped off the lift. They'd just returned from the caverns of Bethmora, leaving the old goblin to his abandoned Golden Army, their magickally crafted and maintained systems sitting idle as the crown to control them had been melted and left behind. The remains of the elves, which became some strange porcelain as the life fled their bodies, turning to dust to be whisked away by the breeze created by the still active magick machinery built under and into the very island the Golden Army remained trapped within.
"Hey squirt! Did ya miss us?" Hellboy asked, moving to wrap his right arm around Locke and lightly give him a noogie with the left. The boy chuckled, shaking his head and lightly tapping Hellboy's arm in defeat, idly making certain that his right forearm didn't touch Hellboy in any manner.
"I knew you'd come back, although I did enjoy the quiet. Nice scar." Locke replied, shivering slightly, feeling the residual touch of the angel of death on him.
"Yeah, the only thing that has ever left a scar... Something I really want to forget." Hellboy muttered, straightening up and giving himself a good shake.
"Forget the past, and one is doomed to repeat it." Locke smirked, patting Hellboy's right arm again gingerly. "It's good to have you three back. Oh, did you tell him Liz?"
"I did... How did you know?"
"Over curiosity. I went through the lab files while you three were gone, they really needed an administrative eye, and I know Manning would never do it. I assume Johann is in Germany then?" Locke seemed happy to change the subject, and his hatred toward Manning seemed oddly similar to the other's hate for him. Almost as though he knew firsthand how horrible the man could be, not to mention racist.
"Yes. He went home, as he quit also. He's leaving the equipment he brought here to the bureau." Abe said simply, never making eye contact with Locke. The boy caught on quickly, knowing better than to ask what happened to Nuala. He bowed his head, moving aside, watching Abe almost sheepishly.
"I've fixed up the Library a bit, but I've left the Professor's things undisturbed. Your tank is clean, I've updated the files for your speaker system and I set a few books for you, I'll come in periodically to turn the pages, if you like..." Hellboy and Liz gave their brief thanks to Locke for taking care of the cats as well, leaving the two be. Abe moved to stand next to Locke, a hand on the large golden door before him. Locke watched him almost expectantly, nervously moving closer before speaking again. "I hate to bother you, knowing what happened… However, I'm running out of time Abe... Where was that stone block you mentioned? The files on it have all been corrupted and the physical backups are elsewhere." Locke sounded as though it hurt him to ask Abe after what happened, understanding Abe had lost the one he truly loved with all his soul. Locke held his own feelings tightly, not wishing to bother Abe after such heartache to explain his own.
"I'll show you in the morning... Don't worry about the books, I'm going to try and sleep..." Abe then opened the door, slipped inside, and closed it behind him. He remained there a moment, leaning with his back against the door, eyes closed for a long moment as images of Nuala briefly flashed through his mind, fresh tears threatening to streak down his face. Locke frowned a bit at the dismissal, moving closer to where he could still sense Abe.
"Abe. I know you're listening..." Locke paused, placing a hand on the door briefly, sensing Abe's hand on the other side. "If what I'm looking for isn't there, I want you to know, Nuala wasn't the only one who cared for you. We all need you here, I don't know what I'd do if…" Abe took a long, drawn-out moment to realize what Locke meant, his unfinished sentence carrying on in Abe's mind, flailing comically before swinging open the door.
Locke had long since gone, and Abe banged his head against the closed door lightly, feeling horribly stupid for not understanding Locke's words before, when he was talking with Nuala. Why Locke seemed so forlorn and lost after he woke in the infirmary after Nuada had left with Nuala and Abe had been so headstrong and single-minded in his intentions. Intentions that could easily be read by another psychic, like Locke, who seemed to have similar feelings toward him that Abe had not even acknowledged.
Locke cared for him. In what manner, Abe was not certain, and he would forever beat himself up if Locke died. Or gave himself to the patron, which would be the same in this case, and Abe couldn't see another close to him die. Not now, not like that. Not again. He shook lightly, reminded of how stunned and heartbroken he had been, seeing Nuala stab herself to stop her brother.
"That's it..." Abe angrily closed the door again and quickly dashed up the stairwell to the top of his tank, stripped off his dry land gear, tossing the garments aside haphazardly and dove into his pool. He took a deep shuddering breath, saying to no one in particular but hoping and praying to whatever powers that be, that the patron would hear him. "Patron, tell me, please, I beg of you, how can I save Locke?"
Abe waited, swimming in circles for what must have been hours, for a response, falling asleep slowly as his exhaustion finally caught up with him.
Almost as soon as his eyes closed, allowing his physical body to rest, his eyes opened, and he found himself within the patron's temple. This time, he wasn't alone with the patron, as two figures, cloaked in white but hidden from his view, so he couldn't see their faces, stood against the far wall of the large chamber.
The patron's long neck and upper body formed from the turquoise rune-pool in the centre of the room, and its violet eyes trained on Abe in an instant.
-Locke must save himself. You can only guide him to what he seeks.-
"What is he looking for? How can I guide him if I don't know what it is?" Abe cried, startling the patron. The great one hissed, more warningly than angrily, shaking her large head as Abe frowned deeply.
-I cannot tell you Abraham. Locke must be the one to do so. However, I believe there is someone here who wishes to speak with you.- The large form moved, looking over its supposed shoulder at the two figures, both walking along the pool as though it were solid stone. Where their feet touched, beautiful ripples of coloured light formed along the surface and dissipated quickly.
"Damn you! You know he won't tell me, and you will do nothing to help me help him? How are you intending to make yourself known to the human world again without him?" Abe boomed, infuriated at the patron's lack of action. He was also angry with himself, for not assisting Locke beforehand when he had intended to. Damn his intentions, he realized now that he had been selfishly doing as he pleased for far too long, to the point where he felt he would give himself to the patron if it meant helping Locke.
"Abraham stop... It is not that she doesn't have the power to help him more or the truth to share with you... It is that the other gods, her superiors, forbade her from doing so." Came an ethereal, distinctly feminine voice from one of the figures. She moved closer, always remaining on the surface of the rune-pool, Abe's attention suddenly changed from his swirling thoughts and concern, to the figure before him.
Abe's heart pounded in his chest, almost recognizing the voice. The figure raised her hands and pulled back her cowl, looking up at Abe sadly with her Golden eyes as pale gold hair fell to frame her face.
"Nuala?" He choked, shaking slightly. He swam a bit closer, but she raised a hand to stop him from touching her, as he so desperately wished to.
"Yes... Sadly, touch is beyond us now. Know that I'm always here in spirit, for you and for Locke. He knows how deeply saddened you are by what happened. This is not important for now, we can talk more in the future, given that Locke can be saved." She explained haltingly, her appearance slightly more pale and otherworldly than Abe remembered. The Patron kept her horned head close, glowing violet eyes watching Abe closely.
"What must I do? Where, what am I looking for?" Abe reached, shaking again, feeling utterly useless for not being able to help Locke as much as he would wish, so much so that he felt his inability to predict Nuada's attacking Hellboy after winning against the lithe elf for control of the Golden Army, led to Nuala's inevitable choice. That she could have been saved if he had been attentive enough. Nuala's spectre shuddered lightly, watching Abe sadly before sighing and looking to her companion, who nodded, the two looking to the patron briefly before turning back.
"On the Professor's old desk is a tablet, one you saw appear as though out of thin air. That tablet, and the brilliant Turquoise Runestone will help you." Nuala added lastly, smiling at him. "I know you can help him Abraham. We believe in you."
"I know the tablet, but what stone?" He asked, feeling himself being dragged away. "Wait, please, I don't understand!"
"I'm sorry Abe. I wish there were more we could say." Said the other spectre, an old masculine voice he heard loud and clear, and knew all too well. As his eyes snapped open to reality, Abe whispered shakily.
"Professor?" As his vision cleared, he was greeted by the familiar space of his tank, and could see that the pyre in the main Library had been lit. The windows let in no light, suggesting it was still well before dawn, and, though he knew he had rested little, he could sleep no longer.
Abe, acting on impulse, quickly swam up to the ladder and clambered out of his tank, towelled off the excess water hastily and proceeded down into the Library. He carefully moved toward the Professor's desk, looking over it. Locke had been true to his word, and things were left untouched, even the journal, which sat open on one corner, to the owner's last entry.
Hesitant yet curious, Abe moved to look at the entry, intending not to touch the book itself. As he read the beautifully rendered script, Abe's already large eyes widened. Here, clear as day and left untouched and ignored, was Trevor Bruttenholm's will.
At first the entry seemed simple, Hellboy would become the head of the BPRD, Abe would remain steward of the Library and the many artifacts within the compound and Liz would do as she pleased and would be welcome to come and go.
After this and a brief expression of Trevor's caring for the three Agents and friends, now also family as Trevor expected would happen, mentioned another party. This one was young, about Liz's age, from London. This mysterious party was to have been informed immediately of the Professor's death and come to assist in the forceful removal of Dr. Manning from the premises, if the Doctor would not leave of his own accord, and would take over administration of the BPRD in Hellboy's stead, should it be turned down by the Professor's heir.
The last line was addressed to this party specifically, and stated that he would know what the Professor meant. Abe frowned, reading the last line aloud to himself.
"I should have taken your offer, my friend. I still have so much to do." Abe shook, closing his eyes, a tear streaking down his face before it fell, and landed upon the tablet, which had, last Abe saw it, been on the other side of the desk entirely. "I don't understand what you're telling me... Professor, I promise, this will be acted upon soon. I hope you understand." Abe sighed, hesitantly running his fingers over the runes on the tablet, which felt warm to the touch.
He recognized the ancient runes to be the name of the patron, a name better left unspoken for now, as Abe carefully picked up the small tablet, turning it over to see a picture of the patron, more a small detailed carving of its head, and a depiction of a shard, like the one the Daemons were channelling from the first -and only- mission Abe had seen Locke on. Only this stone was a brilliant Turquoise, and he realized it was what they meant.
The stone, and this small tablet, would serve as the keys Locke needed to retrieve whatever he was missing. Abe smiled, he would be able to help Locke after all.