Suddenly, the euphoria was gone, and he was back in his tank, blinking drowsily.
Had he just been dreaming? What happened to Locke? He looked around, confused, before he went to the top of his tank. A few white feathers were strewn about, which suggested Locke had been here. He clambered out of the tank, and moved to touch one of the feathers. All he received was an immense feeling of self-loathing and intense frustration from Locke.
He frowned, drying off the excess water and heading out of the Library, looking for anyone. It was obviously quite late, and not even Hellboy nor Liz were awake, though moments earlier he had gone into Lockes' room and it had been barely sunset. He thought then of going to see Locke, and found he couldn't bring himself to open the door leading into the hall to Lockes' room. He then realized that Locke had placed another barrier, one to keep others out.
Abe sighed, trying to reach out to Locke mentally, as he had learned over the past few months from him through using his abilities more pointedly, and found another barrier. Not one keeping him out, but more keeping Locke in. Locke had bound himself away in his own barriers, but why?
Further frustrated and concerned, he went to wake Kate, who didn't answer her door. A brief glance inside using his abilities suggested that she wasn't there. Though he surmised it could be another barrier to keep Locke out that also kept him from snooping.
Locke had told Abe of bloodlust earlier that evening, he was certain, and he must have fed on Abe earlier, and nearly killed him as he had blacked out. Abe felt fine now, if not better than ever, despite the exchange. Remembering what they had done, how he had felt, he blushed furiously, gills turning near purple, finding himself frustratingly aroused just thinking about it. He last remembered Locke leaning against and pressing down on him.
Abe remembered he had recovered quickly after the incident with Sammael, his blood count rising stunningly fast, and skin sealing well, though the muscle beneath took a bit longer to mend. Likely an ability that had gone overlooked until now and inadvertently kicked in when Locke had fed on him. If that had actually happened, which made Abe further perturbed, why hadn't Locke stuck around to make sure he'd be alright? Why did he flee and lock himself away? Had he been just as frustrated as Abe felt right now? Or possibly even worse?
Before he could bring himself to knock on Kate's door, the warning klaxons began sounding, illuminating the halls with red strobes and rousing the rest of the staff within the compound. Abe frowned, turning to the door nearby leading to Locke's rooms, able to feel the strange aura recede and lessen.
He made move to go downstairs, feeling a dismissive response to Abe's concern emanate from Locke downstairs to which Abe simply shook his head, returned to the Library and geared up, meeting the others in the hall outside the briefing room, frown returning when he saw Locke talking with Kate at the head of the table through the glass of the door. No other agents had arrived as of yet, or they had been deployed already as only the two were inside with the door closed.
"Hey Blue, you alright? Didn't see you after you went to talk to Locke last night." Hellboy asked, trotting up from down the hall. Liz followed sleepily, slightly pale and hair slightly disheveled.
"I will be, though I'm not sure how much I really know about him…" Abe groused, arms crossed and practically glaring at Locke. Hellboy and Liz both seemed confused, having seen or heard nothing of what would have suddenly turned the two against each other.
"Alright, what happened?" Liz asked, suddenly fully awake and concerned for Abe, eyeing his throat and looking for marks on his scales. Abe shook his head, at first trying to assuage their concern, Hellboy grabbing his arm gently with his right hand, firmly holding him in place.
"Nope, not until you spill." Hellboy pressed, turning so his back blocked them from view of those inside the room. Abe sighed, relaxing a bit and looking more to Liz, but including Hellboy nonetheless.
Meanwhile inside the room, Locke forced himself to remain still, his hunger for blood sated, but physically severely frustrated. He thought Abe would be able to handle him, his needs, even perhaps take the next step, and he had passed out at the height of his feeding. Locke had been left with a throbbing need and couldn't release, no matter how hard he had tried, even with Abe right there. Only when Abe had stirred did he manage a small release, though it had been more painful and conciliatory to what he had expected.
"So, I know you had him alone, what happened?" Kate asked, excited and happy for Locke. He sighed, shaking his head lightly, feathers fluffing more from embarrassment than shock or frustration.
"He let me feed on him, pushed me to do it…" Locke began, shakily, just speaking about it brought the euphoric feeling back, though much less strongly. "I was nearly finished, he was totally into it, and then…" Locke sighed, wings drooping and crossing his arms almost protectively around himself. "He passed out."
"No. Seriously?" Kate deadpanned, covering her mouth almost in shock. Locke nodded, sighing and feeling a bit neglected. Kate picked up on this, moving to storm out and chew out Abe, Locke stopping her.
"Oh come on, he had to have known what you were expecting." She rebuked, motioning out toward the three waiting outside. Locke shook his head again, frowning.
"I can't push him Kate, not after how he lost Nuala. I still don't know if I can go through with it. I'm just… Frustrated, more than emotionally." Locke sighed, tense and unsettled as he attempted to put the previous evening out of his mind, slight blush on his face showing that he felt extremely uncomfortable talking about this. "Regardless, what is this emergency call?" Kate gave him a long look, then dropped the subject.
"Wendigo, we think. Though it's way larger and took out several off-duty officers at an army rally, then somehow created more like itself and eventually the town went dark. Whenever anyone went in to investigate within hours they lost contact with their long-range dispatchers. We got called in after the last SWAT was torn apart, the camera footage they got from their body cams was not pleasant." Kate explained, Locke nodding at length.
"Sounds fine. Though this is strange, first the Kelpie in a place it's not native, now a Wendigo blatantly decimating an entire town, gaining country-wide notice? We're being drawn out Kate. I don't like it." Locke frowned, taking in a deep breath before sighing. "Let's go, we should only take the Trio." He added, motioning to the three waiting outside and deliberating on their own, occasional almost venomous glances thrown their way.
"I put that case you put together for Hellboy in the SUV, everything inside. Pretty smart." Kate added to further attempt to calm Locke before they went out and confronted their comrades.