(A.N. Yes, I know what you're thinking- How long IS this thing?! But, don't worry this is way better than the last one, and it explains a lot too, so Enjoy!)
As the elevator of sorts grinded and jerked to a halt at the floor under the floor, I was greeted by 4 men in suits, and I could sense they were armed. I didn't really fancy guns much- too much experience being the prey, I suppose… I shivered.
The men eyed me warily. I was clad in mostly leather- leather pants, jacket, and paperboy hat, my hair bundled up underneath it. I knew I looked pretty badass, but I didn't think I looked that threatening. Was my glamour fading?
I glanced down at a small patch of exposed skin on my arm. It was starting to look a little green. I focused on supporting the illusion that I was a normal teenage girl a little more, and they seemed to calm down.
One of them stepped forward. "Welcome to the Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense. We understand you have business with Ab- Dr. Sapien, but we'll have to determine you're not a threat, first. We also know you seem to be a little 'Paranormal' yourself." were the words that came out of his mouth, but his real thoughts drifted to me-
What the hell does she want with Abe? 'Something strange about her eye scan' they say! So that's a good enough reason just to let her waltz right in the door, no matter all the hell that could break loose because of it.
Myers, his name was John Meyers. He felt unbearably average, and ordinary here, AND, I thought sarcastically, judjing from his attitude, had some serious TUST ISSUES. He was also an agent of the BPRD, and liaison for… Hellboy? An image of a large red creature, resembling a man, from Myers' memories flashed before my eyes. I frowned. Hellboy would also apparently be coming out to "greet" me.
The men in the suits then led me not far to the left, and halted at the entrance to a corridor that seemed to be exceedingly stretched out, to make it even longer. It had artifacts and talismans in glass cases lining the walls, broken by doors every so often. But the one that caught my eye the most was a huge, gleaming bronze-plated double door with fascinating patterns carved into it, standing twice as tall as me. The door was bursting at the seams with knowledge from the room behind it. But there was something else… it was almost familiar, and yet I knew I had never sensed it before…
My train of thought was interrupted by a loud clanking, and then the screeching of metal on metal at the far end of the hall. A large steel door (more like a safe door) swung open, slowly.
A man of sorts emerged from behind the steel door, all the while having it grind in protest. This must be Hellboy. Besides the enormous stone hand, shaved down horns, and tail, he looked almost like your average extremely tall man, with a comically red sunburn and golden irises. But I knew better. The glamour put out, even unintentionally, by other creatures did not affect fey. I could see what he would be, should he embrace his destiny- the long, curved horns reaching far above his head, the flaming silhouette of a crown stationed just above the crest of his skull, the smoke-like steam pealing away from his lips, and curling upward in small tendrils, as he huffed out each breath. It was truly frightening to see.
Demon, I though, and recoiled in disgust. But, then I warily pondered his essence, and realized that this was no true creature of hell. I could see the constant acts of righteousness he committed (if a little unconventionally), and his resilience to his origins. But most of all, his vast capacity to love, and the despair he felt when someone he loved was lost. I smirked at the irony of the gentle but rough creature before me.
Humf- he was also armed. No surprise there. What? Did no one trust an average teenage girl with slightly green skin and strange eyes these days? HONESTLY. I smiled at my own, untold joke.
I try not to pry in people's minds excessively, but it's like a book containing unbelievable secrets lying right in front of you open, and being told not to even glance at it, while it's screaming at you- begging you to read. It was irresistible. I delved into Hellboy's thoughts. Huh, his comments came through clearly. A girl? Some 15, maybe 16-year-old girl, tall, lanky, maybe wide hips for her age- but her? Not the first thing you think of when you hear there's something threatening… wonder what she does that's so different, looks pretty average to me.
I wrinkled my nose at this. I didn't like people- or Demons- evaluating my appearance, even if they thought I couldn't hear them. It was infuriating. "Oh- I can assure you, I'll be much more interesting than that." I practically spat the words back at him. Hellboy looked at me quizzically- one brow (I couldn't say eyebrow, for he had none) raised.
"So," he began, dismissing my comment. "I know you wanna see 'Dr. Sapien'. His name's actually Abraham Sapien- Abe for short. But, what's your story, first?"
I sighed and rolled my eyes. Quince, (my previously mentioned pal in the FBI) or "Agent Quincey", had given me the all-clear to show these guys what I was fully capable of- all my "talents", if you will. But I was still a little cautious about it. Good things didn't always come of people knowing just how much of a freak you really are. I realized I had already slipped up when I commented on Hellboy's thoughts in my anger. I had played Russian Roulette enough by showing Quince what I was, even if he had brought me a measure safety and companionship. But what if it had gone the other way? I mean, he was an FBI Agent, for God's sake! Then again, they guy in front of me shouldn't be one to judge, in all his red, stone-handed glory.
It's now or never. I thought, and decided I might as well take the chance. I had little to nothing to loose. So, with a slight bow, I extended my right hand, having no fear of taking his stone one, and presented myself.
"Allow me to introduce myself. I am known as Viola, and, well, I don't really know if I have any other name or not; at your service." He took my hand in his monstrous stone one- quite surprisingly, very gingerly, and shook it once.
"Nice to meet you. Name's Hellboy…" he said, slightly more gentle than before. "Well," he said, returning o his original gruff tone. "Let's be straight with eachother- we know you're not your average, what- 16-year-old. And until we know what you can do, you can't see Abe. Make it easier for yourself- just show us all now what about you is so different, or I'm pretty sure some over-eager whack job with a scalpel will find out for us." He looked straight into my eyes with a warning glance.
"I suppose that's reasonable." I sighed. I took a few steps away from Hellboy, and began removing my gloves. Then moved to my shoes, then my jet-black jacket, revealing to the bystanders that I wore only a- you guessed it- leather, sports bra-like garment for a top. A few of the agents eyed eachother warily, and shifted from one foot to another- a sure sign of unease. When I started unbuttoning my pants, Myers interrupted me from behind.
"Listen, we aren't here for a strip tease. Respect yourself a bit." he said, with a stern, but almost brotherly look on his face.
"I assure you, Agent Myers, I have no intentions of demeaning myself as you suggest- this is essential in showing you what I am." I rebuked, pulling my pants off to revealing snug, leather shorts that came to my upper thigh.
"W-wait!" Myers stumbled over his words, a cloud of confusion crossing his face. "How'd you know my name? I-I never told you that…"
I threw him a smirk over my shoulder, as I finally let my hair fall down out of the cap and settle just below shoulder length. I threw the hat on top of the pile of various other articles of leather clothing at my unusually elongated and slim feet.
My slightly off-color blonde hair rustled in a nonexistent breeze as I closed my eyes, and relaxed my powers, letting my glamour drop completely. I felt it swirl away from my body in lingering fingers of illusion.
I heard a few stifled gasps, and could sense some realization coming about in Hellboy's mind. Apparently, there was a more obvious connection between… Abe and I than I had initially thought. I knew I would find out what that was soon.
I opened my eyes. Ah- that's better. Everything always seems foggy when I have to keep my glamour up, I thought.
"Well that makes more sense…" muttered John Myers again. "So- you're psychic, right?"
I turned around to face him, and my "hair" swirled and tousled at the movement. I gave a nod, and my gills flushed in embarrassment as I sensed an agent or two with prying eyes, and some with fear rolling off them in waves.
"I-I never seen ah… a fish person be-ber-before" one of the more fearful agents stammered, going quite pale.
I rolled my large, gold-flecked eyes at him. I knew I was definitely a sight to see- My skin was various shades of green with an opalescent sheen to it, and I had markings of deep purple and green running up and down my body. I had fin-like extremities about where humans had ears, and gills running along my neck. My hair was actually external gill filaments for absorbing more oxygen in the water, and it moved and acted different than normal hair, sometimes flowing in a breeze that wasn't there, or righting itself when it had been tousled. My eyes were unusually large for my face, and were a solid color- I had one giant iris and pupil taking up each eye- which make my vision sharper, and I could catch things moving faster, and at night. That, plus my 2 extra sets of eyelids (more like clear membrane that slid over each eye) made for some wicked vision. My nose was slightly more a part of my face than a regular person's, making me more hydro-dynamic, and my hands and feet were webbed (along with a few shallow fins on my back and a membrane under my arms). But otherwise- my form resembled that of a "normal" young woman's.
"Please forgive him. He's a new agent, and not near as used to the unusual as most of us." Myers excused him comrade with slight distain (and worry that I was offended).
I smiled, and rather than speaking, sent a thought out to his mind. You could say I'm used to it. His eyebrows shot up as he realized the full extent of my abilities.
"Well, is there anything else we'll need to know about you?" Hellboy questioned me.
"As you can guess from the look on your friend's face, I can speak to people with my mind. I also can read objects, and have an uncanny knack for knowing when something's about to happen. But I suppose that's it." I responded with a smile.
"C'mon then. We definitely can't keep you from Abe after this." Hellboy gestured for me to follow him as he turned on his heel, and headed toward the large bronze doors. I was relieved this was where we were headed, for it was the one place in the whole damned building I could honestly say I wanted to be. I was even more relieved to see that all the agents had been dismissed, and only Myers… John, was trailing us. Good- less guns, and no more prying eyes. Apparently some of them were reporting the situation back to some higher authority hardly anyone actually respected.
Hellboy threw the beautiful and enormous double doors open with little effort, and took a few steps into the room, allowing me to catch up.
I walked into the room and gasped. I had never seen so many books. They lay at every corner, by every chair- the walls were lined with full length shelves of them. It was a private library of someone beloved by many, especially Hellboy- but there was darkness to the outcome. Ah well, a story to ponder another time. I stepped to the side and gingerly ran my fingertips along the spines of a row of books in awe. I knew my mouth must be hanging wide open, and I didn't care.
But as soon as I had my moment of wonder at the magnificent library, with its biblical statues- Gabriel, Christ…-, central fireplace, and Victorian furniture, I felt that familiar presence again. Only this time it was more of a nagging feeling, pulling me to the other side of the room, around the fireplace.
I began to walk in that direction, and Hellboy stepped aside to let me take the lead as he saw where I was going. As I got closer to rounding the corner, the feeling became more prominent, defined. It was more of an urgent need for something- pushing me forward, faster and faster.
God, it was like I was going without oxygen- I had to get there, I needed whatever may be around that corner!
Just before I made the turn, my pace practically at a run, I caught glimpses of blue, and the same urgency I felt now. Someone felt the same way I did, and they were just around that corner. I couldn't more fast enough.
When I finally came upon the reason for my need to virtually sprint to this spot; breath wouldn't come, and my mouth fell open to form an "O" of surprise and bliss, my heart skipping a beat. I knew Quince was good, but I hadn't know he was THIS good…
(A.N. Oooh, cliffhanger! Yes- I know I'm evil)
(Oh- and here's the disclaimer I forgot from the last chapter: I do not own any of the Hellboy characters. If I did, I would be sitting in some cushy house, in a fabulous armchair, in front of a grand fireplace by a baby-grand piano... and I'm getting away from myself again. Anyway, the only character that is mine in this story is Viola, and I will tell you if any other original characters pop up as if you can't guess on your own.)