Chapter 5

Family

I flip myself upside down, smiling. I don't know why, but Professor Broom's talk actually did reassure me. Hellboy isn't the only one who thinks of him like his father.

Does that make Hellboy and me brothers?

It sort of fits, I mean, I've been taking care of him for as long as I can remember.

I dive into the new tank at the BPRD. I don't trust anyone, not really, but they seem to want to help me. At least, that's what they think for now. They don't know the extent of my telepathy. In fact, they know very little about me.

The tank is so huge, I can swim all around. I've never felt this free in my life. It feels wonderful.

I look at the glass window. I can see a deep purple form there. It must be red, through all this blue water. I swim gradually closer, and see who it is.

A five year old sized demon boy has his nose pressed against the glass. The horns coming out of his forehead also touch it. I swim up to him, and he jumps back, startled by my sudden appearance. His hands are uneven, one is made of stone. I blink at him, and he smiles shyly.

"Hullo, m'Hellboy, and got you a 'welcome to BPRD' present"

His grubby hand holds up a little package. In it is a small rubix cube. I smile at the child.

"Hello Hellboy and thank you"

"Wha's yer name?"

"I don't have one."

"Oh. You need one. This card says Icthyo Sapien, is that yer name?"

I shudder and shake my head.

"Not really, no."

"Well, April 14th, 1865. What's that?"

"My birthday"

"Oh, you're older'n me."

"I imagine so, yes."

The child looked sad.

"I'm older than lots of people here. Dunno why. Why do I remember April 14th 1865?"

"I don't know, did something important happen then?"

"Dunno, think's history. Let's make this a test."

I smiled and spoke in a formal voice.

"What occurred on April 14th of 1865 that influenced history?"

The boy smiled his face lighting up.

"On April 14th, 1865 the President of the United States of America, Abraham Lincoln, was assassinated by a man named blah, blah, blah, boring textbook answer"

"A death, that doesn't sound very promising."

"How about Abraham, then?"

I thought about it, rolling the name in my head. It sparkled blue, almost the same colour as my skin. I smiled and nodded.

"Abe Sapien, pleased to meet you Hellboy"

I opened my eyes again and smiled. My brother was a new and official member of my skewed and deranged family. Not to mention my soon to be now sister in law. Liz and Hellboy are meant for each other. He's head over heels for her, and she is too, even if she doesn't know it. Besides, I suspect she may burst into flame at inconvenient moments. She needs a fireproof boyfriend.

A father a brother and a sister, my life sounds almost normal.

Sometimes I wish I could have an ordinary existence.

I mean, go to the grocery store, and walk down the street, swim in the ocean, not have to hide from everyone. Some people would accept me, like the ambulance attendant. But then I read the news, and see racism, and hate crimes. The Ku Klux Klan? If humans can't accept those with dark skin, what about blue skin? Of a different religion; what about gills then? I would be lynched in an instant, and I probably wouldn't even have my murderers judged, because 'Human Rights' don't necessarily apply to me, do they?

But I'm not out there, so it doesn't matter. I'm here with my brother and sister, and my father, who honestly cares about me.