Part I: Bored to Death

Chapter: Issues!

He woke up at the phone ringing.

Groggy, he shifted uncomfortably, turned around and tried to find his phone.

"Hello?" he answered, yawning.

"Myers, you stud!" that was unmistakable Kat Wagner's voice. "You've been in Europe less than 48 hours, and you're already acting like a Frenchman."

Myers cursed in his mind. He opened his eyes - yeah, he was still in Margot's room, but the bed was empty - where was she?

"What do you want, Kat?" he asked, trying to reach his office voice. "Is everything alright in there?"

"Don't try to change the subject." she snapped. "I got some pretty drunk texts from Margot last night. So it's true then, you slept with her?"

"None of your business." Myers replied and rolled his eyes.

"You've made it my business, by sleeping with my best friend. She's pretty special, you know. If you hurt her, I'll kill you - no offence."

"Yeah." Myers grunted. "Well, not planning to hurt her, quite the opposite, actually."

"So, wanna tell me what is this all about?" Kat inquired, clearly bursting of curiosity. "It isn't really like you, to sleep with someone you barely know."

"Ah." Myers felt his cheeks blushing. "Why don't you ask her, she's your friend, isn't she?"

"You're my friend too, kid." Kat smirked. "Besides, she isn't answering her phone. I tried to call her a dozen times - you keeping her busy, are you Myers?"

Myers sat up in the bed. "Actually I'm not. She's gone-"

"Where?" Kat asked.

"I don't know."

There was a short silence on the line, which Myers didn't like at all.

"Oh, damn that girl." Kat said then. "But don't worry boy scout - I'll talk to her."

"Hey!" Myers replied. "Why should I worry?"

But Kat had already hung up, and Myers was left alone, sitting naked in an empty bed, holding a mute phone in his hand.

As he took a shower and dressed up, he went through the last night in his mind.

After the mind blowing sex in the kitchen, he had carried her to the bedroom. On her bed he had then pleased her to yet another orgasm, this time using his mouth and fingers. God, it had been so easy, feeling everything she felt, knowing exactly where and how to touch her - it had made him feel like the best lover in the world.

And then, another round of lovemaking. This time slower, gentler and more intimate. He'd been on top, holding her in his arms, kissing her lips, her neck, her collarbones, breathing the air she'd breathed. Their bodies had moved as one, and again they'd reached the peak at the same time.

Damn, just thinking about it made him hard again.

He was pretty sure he'd never had it as good as last night, not nearly as good. Plus, he'd given her three orgasms. That must've been nice for her too, right?

So then, why was she gone? And why the Hell had Kat told him not to worry?

When Kat told not to worry - he worried.

He left Margot's apartment and went looking for her in the cafeteria, but she wasn't there, so he ended up eating the breakfast alone.

She wasn't answering her phone either, and little by little Myers' cheerful mood began to fall. It wasn't until a full hour later, when he had already returned to his room and was packing his stuff in order to be ready when it was time to leave, when he heard a knock on the door.

His heart skipped a beat, and he rushed to the door.

"Margot…!" he breathed.

And it truly was her. Just as petite as pretty as he'd remembered - her flaming red hair was on a ponytail, she was wearing jeans and a T-shirt again - and she looked miserable.

Her eyes were reddened as if she'd been crying, and she didn't meet his eyes.

"Hey, John." her voice was quiet and distant. "Can I come in?"

"Sure." he stepped aside to let her pass. "I tried to find you… where were you?"

"It doesn't matter." she was staring at her feet, not looking up. Her whole posture was stiff and she was shifting uncomfortably on her feet. "I just came to tell you, that we'll be leaving to Prague soon. Pack your stuff and meet me in the lobby in one hour."

"Margot, what is this?" he asked. His heart felt heavy and cold as stone. "What's happened?"

"What do you mean, what's happened?" anger flashed in her pretty eyes. "I thought you were here to work - it's time to go."

"But last night." He stammered. "I thought-"

"Well don't." Margot snapped. "It was a huge mistake."

It felt like she'd hit him.

"No it wasn't." he stated. "It was the best thing that has ever happened to me."

"Well not to me." her voice was cold as ice. "I suggest you get over it, and get your shit together, Myers. I need you sharp on this mission, not some drooling idiot, who can't do what he's told."

Her mean words cut through his heart like a spear, and left him speechless. For a few heartbeats they just stared at each other, and Myers felt his heart breaking.

"Fine." he said then. "As you wish."

Without another word she left, leaving him alone in his room, dying inside.

A hollow shell of a man, he finished packing, then carrying his bag he shambled to Red's room.

He'd already packed his things and was waiting for Myers.

"Took you long enough, boy scout." He smirked. "Tired after last night?"

Myers rolled his eyes, and cursed in his mind. He so wasn't up to this right now.

"Gods, you've been talking to Kat, haven't you?"

"So was it the suit, or the roses?" Hellboy was still grinning. "About time you got lucky, whimp. Must've been some time since the last time."

"I'm gonna tell you exactly what I told Kat - That it's none of your business." Myers's voice was strained. "So for once, would you please just shut up?"

He didn't notice it himself, but he was actually shouting the last words.

That finally told Hellboy, that something was amiss with Myers.

"Hey, what's wrong, kiddo?" he stated.

"Nothing." Myers turned his back at Red. "We should be going."

"Fine." Red muttered, picking up his backpack. "But I'm just saying, that if this is your mood after getting laid, I'm damn glad it's not happening more often."

"You really can't do it, can you?" Myers stated.

"Do what?"

"The shutting up part."

Red chuckled. "Nah."

They were walking on the hallway, leading to the lobby where they were supposed to meet Margot and the rest of the team.

"Just…" Myers was searching for words. "Just don't say anything to Margot, please. Tease me all you want to, but leave her be."

Red shrugged. "Alright. But why?"

"Because she made it pretty clear to me, that we're done."

"What?" the red man seemed puzzled. "That's nuts."

"Apparently she thinks this was a mistake, and we should concentrate on the job." Just saying it out loud made his heart ache, and he felt a lump in his throat.

Damn it, he was not going to cry!

"Oh, crap, kid. Were you that bad?"

That was it. He'd heard enough.

"Red, with all due respect, this is a conversation that can only end in a gunshot."

"Fine, fine!" Hellboy muttered, and finally shut up.

About time, for they had arrived at the lobby, and Margot, accompanied by two other agents, was waiting for them.

It took a few hours to fly from Brussels to Prague, and during that time Margot didn't say a word to Myers. It didn't make him feel any better, to notice that she wasn't speaking to anybody else either. She was just staring out of the window, wearing a pair of sunglasses that hid her eyes from view, her lips a hard line and her posture stiff.

When they arrived at Prague, it was early afternoon. Margot's mood seemed to improve immediately after the plane landed, which didn't go unnoticed by Myers. And as soon as they stepped out, he realized why.

There was an agent waiting for them. A young man, a really good looking fellow with long, wavy brown hair and big dark eyes. He was wearing jeans and a band T-shirt and he looked like he'd escaped from a rock band. Myers disliked him immediately.

Margot hopped down the stairs, and ran to the wannabe rocker, threw herself on his arms and he hugged her tight. He kissed her on the cheek - and Myers felt a horrible stab of jealousy cutting through his heart.

It was unbearable to witness the moment, knowing that right in front of his eyes these two were sharing their innermost thoughts.

"Damn, Myers." Hellboy noted. "It looks like you've got competition."

"Shut up." Myers replied, and for once Red did as he'd asked.

The man, who had the physics of an athlete, and the face of a male model, approached them smiling, Margot hopping contently on his side.

"Welcome, welcome!" The man said with fluent English. "So glad you could come to our aid. My name is Marco Dornak, and I'm in charge of our tiny paranormal unit."

"John Myers." he stated flatly.

"God, it's awesome to meet you!" Marco exclaimed, staring at Hellboy. "I've heard stories, of course, but I never thought they were real."

"Because my dad told they weren't" Margot rolled her eyes. "I'm not believing him about Iku-Turso anymore either."

"Still going on about that?" Marco laughed. "You haven't changed a bit."

"Neither have you, handsome." Margot returned his smile, and snuggled to his side. Marco wrapped an arm around her petite form, and Myers got a sudden desire to start shooting people.

They had hardly gotten to the black car waiting for them, that Myers sent a text to Kat.

"Who is Marco Dornak?"

It didn't take long before she answered. "Crap."

"Yeah, he's crap, but who the hell is he?"

"Her ex. I'm sorry, Myers."

Myers couldn't reply anymore.

It all seemed to make sense now, that he was watching Margot happily chatting with her ex boyfriend. Myers realized now, that Margot had really meant it, when she'd told him it was over. He had been nothing but a toy, something to play with, and then thrown away when something more interesting showed up.

He felt used. Betrayed. Cheated.

"Myers? What's going on?" Kat sent another text. And another. "ANSWER ME!"

But Myers closed his cellphone, and stuffed it deep into his pocket.

There was absolutely nothing Kat could say, that would make this better.