Chapter 4
"...In The Den"

"All in good time." Manning said leading the way out of his office; Faith shrugged on her duster as she left, followed closely by Agent Meyers.

The trio walked down a narrow hallway lined with glass display cases full of artifacts. Faith carefully studied the artifacts. She recognized several from her infrequent yet intense research sessions she shared with the gang. It was always a disturbing thing to see Faith involved in research; either there was a really big bad that needed all hands on deck to help with the research or Faith was bored and neither was a good thing.

Near the end of the hall, they passed an unmarked door with no handle or latch. It was an original shelter door that looked more like a hatch way from a submarine. Faith stopped a stared at the door. She felt something that shouldn't be there, couldn't be there. She reached out and touched the door with finger tips. "What's in here?"

Director Manning stopped and looked at Faith and the door for a second. "It's a store room with more artifacts."

"Can I see?"

"Perhaps another time, there's still a lot of people to meet and more interesting areas to see."

"Of course," Faith smiled and shook her hair back out of her face. As soon as she got out of here, she had to call B.

They entered a large dark wood paneled room with an old world feel to it. Two walls were covered floor to ceiling with books; a spiral stair case wound its way up next to book case to a walk way two thirds of the way up. The walk way ran the length of a wall with exits from the room at either end. The room was littered with old wood furniture, stacks of books and other items that may have been found in a Victorian library. An old gold lettered sign attached to the edge walkway Faith could barely make out the faded lettering "In The Absence Of Light, Darkness Prevails."

The wall next to the staircase was a wall made up of four large panels of glass holding a very large tank of blue-green water. In front of each panel an old ornate book stand stood facing the glass with an open book on it. A tall thin man swam out from a concealed portion of the tank. He had dark blue-green skin, no hair, large bulbous black eyes, a flat nose and gills.

"Hey Abe," Meyers said. "This is the girl from last night I was talking about, Faith. Faith, this is Abe Sapien, one of our more unique associates."

"Hello Miss Faith." Abe said. "Don't worry, dear Lady, I am not the demon around here."

Faith snapped around to Director Manning. "How'd he know that's what I was thinking?"

"One of Abe's many traits is his enlarged frontal lobe; he's able to pick up what people are thinking and a few other things."

Faith was immediately in front of Abe with just the glass of the tank between them. She slapped her hand on the glass causing the whole take vibrate. "Stay out of my head, Flipper, it's not a pleasant place."

Abe darted to the back of the tank out of reflex from Faith's attack then drifted forward. "My apologies, ma'am, but glancing into someone's mind just comes naturally for me, like smell does for you. Can you choose to not smell something when you wish to?"

Turning away, Faith looked back at him. "You better learn, Flipper, or can you say sushi?"

"Agent Meyers," Abe said looking to the young Agent. "I believe it is best if I make my self scarce. We can have our morning chat later perhaps?" Without waiting for a response, Abe disappeared into his private areas of the tank.

As Abe disappeared, Agent Meyers suggested. "Perhaps it's time to introduce the Big Guy."

"You mean the big red ugly guy with the shaved off horns?"

"He's not ugly." A female voice interjected from one the room's many doorways.

"Ah Liz, come in." Director Manning called to the brunette Faith had seen come in earlier. "Liz, I'd like you to meet Faith, a potential new member of our team.

"Faith, this is Liz Sherman, a very valuable member of the Bureau."

Liz was wearing a heavy dark blue sweater, baggy black cargo pants and brown leather shoes. Her long black hair clung to her head, from the knit hat she'd been wearing when Faith first saw her.

"Nice to meet you." Liz said and held out her hand while looking Faith over. She turned to Meyers before Faith could respond. "You know, that color lipstick looks much better on her then you."

Meyers forced a smile as Faith choked back a laugh. "He wore it that long? He didn't notice and nobody told him?"

"Keep laughing." Meyers said. "It's obvious what a mature group of children I work with."

Liz turned back to Faith. "So what kind of freak are you?"

"What?"

"Well it's obvious you're not already with the FBI, that leaves freak." She pointed to the empty tank. "You've met Abe, and have at least seen H. B."

"So are you an Agent or a Freak?" Faith asked in response.

Liz held up her hand and a nearly invisible blue flame engulfed it briefly. "I am definitely not an Agent."

"Wicked cool." Faith said with a genuine grin. "So what are you, witch or something?"

"Liz is a pyro-kinetic." Meyers offered.

After a blank stare from Faith Liz said "I can start fires with my mind."

This was rewarded with another smile from Faith. "How big?"

"Depends."

"Let me guess, it's tied to your emotions."

"How'd you know?"

"Shit like that always is."

"Of course." Meyers agreed as if it was so obvious.

Faith was sniffing the air and declared "Bacon and pancakes. Where's the cafeteria? I could go for some breakfast?"

"That's H. B.'s breakfast." Meyers informed Faith.

"H. B.?" Faith raised an eyebrow punctuating her question.

"Hell Boy." Director Manning said. "He's the big fellow you saw last night."

"You still didn't answer my question." Liz crossed her arms and stood in the door way to the hall that lead to Hell Boy's chambers.

"I'm a slayer." Faith finally said.

"What's that?"

"You know, I've been asking the same thing." Meyers said.

"All in good time." Director Manning looked as Liz. "Now Liz, why don't you let us by so we can introduce Hell Boy to Faith here?"

To Be Continued.......