Chapter Five: The Decision
Mr. Yanivich stepped foreward determinedly, but Hellboy had remained where he was, his massive bulk blocking the human's path to the car. The Polish man stopped in front of him, frustrated but too intimidated to try and go around. With no other choice, he resigned himself to looking up into the demon's burning yellow eyes. He tried not to flinch.
"Look, Mr. Yanivich," Hellboy began, but Yanivich stopped him again.
"My first name is Janus, Mr. Hellboy. You may call me by that name. If we are to travel together, surely we must release ourselves from the bindings of formality."
"Uh…sure," faltered Hellboy. "Look, first thing's first. While we're on the subject of names, why don't I suggest something? Don't call me 'Mr. Hellboy' again. I'm not too partial to 'sir' either. Okay?"
Yanivich nodded respectfully. Hellboy continued. "Second thing is, I can't allow you to come with us on this trip, for two reasons. One: you're a human, and thus, you're more fragile. That makes you what we in this profession call a 'liability'. Two: you need to stay here and resume doing whatever it is you do in this museum, like Professor Cook wanted you to. Someone needs to look after this place, and I don't really see anyone more capable of doing that than you."
Yanivich considered this for a time, mulling over Hellboy's words as the demon and his friends stood patiently, awaiting the outcome of the disagreement. Then he slowly shook his head.
"I am sorry," he said, and truly sounded it, "but I am afraid I must continue to insist. I must help you defeat that which killed Professor Cook; he raised me when I was orphaned, trained me when I was ready, gave me paying work when my training was complete. I feel I must, at the very least, repay him for that. You bring up the fact that I am human…" He pointed at Liz and smiled at her. "Is she not human? And does she not accompany you nonetheless? I am capable of operating a firearm, Hellboy; I have done so in the past. With all due respect, humans are not so delicate as you seem to think. As for the museum, I have already spoken to my colleague Ivor, who will look after my section while I am away, and will take it over in the event of something unforeseen. All is ready; I must go with you. Please. I will never forgive myself if I do not do something about this, Hellboy. He will never be avenged."
Hellboy's hands had dropped to his sides. He turned to look at Abe and Liz, a defeated look on his face. When Hellboy was unwilling to ask for something, his eyes always did it for him. They did so now, asking them for help, for an answer. He was not a diplomat; had never really given any sign that he even knew how to be diplomatic. He knew what Yanivich was going through; he remembered feeling the same way when his 'father' had been killed, though he had been much less restrained about it. He remembered how good it felt, defeating Rasputin and Kroenen, and right before the Behemoth had swallowed the deadly nest of grenades he had thought, This is for you, Father. This is the end. A peace had come over him after that; Professor Broom had not died in vain.
And yet, this man was a human! Delicate, easily breakable…Sure Liz was human too, but she was also an agent, trained and powerful. She had other methods of defence than a firearm; she had fire itself. She was used to things both paranormal and very dangerous. Yanivich had no experience here; he was trained in the quiet of a museum; Hellboy doubted whether he had ever encountered anything close to paranormal before this.
So, he needed help. And Abe, gods love him, provided just that when he stepped between Hellboy and Yanivich and placed his hand on Hellboy's arm. Liz was behind him, watching. Hellboy wondered whether or not she had an answer too; her face was unreadable.
Abe said: "Mr. Yanivich—Janus--, we cannot deny you the closure to Professor Cook's death. No one can. If you feel this closure will only come if you fight, then who are we to deny you? But you must realise the dangers you are about to face. There will be hardship, perhaps even death. There will be creatures the likes of which you have never seen nor dreamed of seeing. Plus," he added, the hint of a smile on his serious face, "Red here can be a real pain to have to tolerate for long periods of time."
That somewhat broke the tension, and the all laughed a little save for Hellboy, who stood there looking vaguely miffed. He sniffed and lit a cigar. Yanivich seemed relieved.
"I am aware of the dangers," he said. "I am not afraid. I am grateful for your generosity in letting me travel with you. I promise I will do nothing to hinder you; I understand that it is your job to kill this thing. I simply request that I might help you."
"Then we leave now," said Abe, turning. "The car is waiting."
***
The beginning of the ride occurred mostly in silence. Abe and Yanivich sat up front while Liz and Hellboy squeezed into the back, the struts complaining loudly under Hellboy's considerable weight.
"Need to go on a diet or somethin'," he grunted in a vague, lazy attempt at humour. He was feeling less and less in the mood for comedy, however, for with each rotation of the wheels the car seemed to get more cramped, the ceiling lower. Great time to get claustrophobic, he thought irritably. This sucks.
"So how many miles from the city is this supposed dropoff point, driver?" he called up.
"I dunno," the man responded in a Russian accent. "Twenty miles, mebbee thirty."
Everyone groaned.
They had been driving for two and a half hours before the driver called out, "Break!" and pulled the car to the side of the road. Everyone piled out to stretch, and immediately Hellboy, Liz, the driver, and Yanivich all shoved cigarettes into their mouths.
"Guess I'm the odd man out," shrugged Abe, smirking. Breathing smoke had never appealed to him; breathing air was hard enough.
The driver's jowls shook every time he smacked his cigarette pack on his hand, and Hellboy quickly found himself entranced by it. Liz caught him staring and smothered her laughter behind her hand. Both looked away as the driver finally stopped shaking his pack and regarded them with a sort of distant, professional curiosity. He had only seen them in the light a couple of times, and Hellboy and Abe were curiosities, all right. However, he did not gaze at them for long. He was not the type to stand and gawp until offence was taken.
Especially by a seven foot, five hundred pound Hellboy.
He ground out the stub of his dead cigarette with the heel of his shiny black shoe, and got back into the car with a grunt. Everyone took this as his lead and followed, scrambling back in and settling down for the last leg of the car trip.
It was longer than anticipated, but not by much. Abe conversed quietly with Yanivich as Liz whispered to Hellboy in the back seat. It was about as comfortable as it could get, considering, and by the time they arrived at their destination it was only Hellboy who was excited by the prospect of being let out. For a while it had been okay; with Liz whispering things to him he could take his mind off the screaming of his cramped muscles, but she had quieted after a while and he was aware of how sore he was again.
When they pulled into the gravel turnout he threw the door open and leaped out, grateful that he could now stand at his full height, and that his tail could roam wherever it wanted instead of being all smashed against the door. He lit a cigar and grinned at Liz around it as Abe and Yanivich unloaded the supplies.
"You big puppy," she chastised. "Your tail's wagging, you know."
Hellboy looked behind him and noticed his tail lashing back and forth. "Huh. So it is. Guess it's as happy as I am to get out of that car. What I would have given for the old garbage truck for that ride."
"Poor Hellboy," Liz said, flicking his arm. "Now go help them with the supplies."
"Oh. Right." He trotted back over to the car and reached into the trunk, grabbing the last of the supply packs and shutting the hatch. He gave the driver the go-ahead with a jerk of his head.
"Good luck, my strange friends," called the driver. "From what they have told me, you're going to need it!"
In silence they watched the car until it disappeared.