DISCLAIMER: I do not own any original BPRD character. I just own the plot and the OCs. I do not think I own Ruddy either: he has a kind of life on his own.

Sorry for the delay in the updating but real life sometimes gets on my way...

There is a minor violence warning for this chapter: if you feel squeamish, just leave the part in Italics, which refers to Ruddy's memories. It is nothing too bad anyway.

By the way: Merry Christmas and Happy new year to everybody.



Gaining the boss' confidence had been a harder task than he had expected, but Ruddy made it anyway.
His plan had succeeded.
He was not free yet, but he was not exactly a prisoner anymore, more like a guest or a hostage.

The only annoying thing was having to stay in the kennel for his first night at the HQ.
However warm it might be, the other dogs, black and tan beasts looking like tamer versions of European wolves with ridiculous German human names, turned his stay into a real hell.
Unlike the coyotes, they immediately recognized him as different and not belonging with them.
Reginald, the alpha, an unbearable, pompous, pain-in-the-ass, readily attacked him, for dominance or to kick him out, who knows.
His sidekicks, Gunnar and Rainer, were at his side, ready to lend him a paw if need be.
The German dogs acted like they were though and vicious but they had never seen a real fight.
The scrawny coyotes of his pack would have beaten the shit out of them.
He discharged all his frustration upon Reginald-the-idiot, but the other males promptly attacked him.
Ruddy felt confused: dominance fights were solved privately, the rest of the pack was not supposed to interfere.
His confusion, however short, allowed the two sidekicks to pounce him and press him belly-up to the ground.
It hurt.
"Stupid dogs!" he yelled with his human voice.
This startled the dogs, which let go of him, with a stupid expression plastered on their muzzles.
Ruddy lost no time in retaliating, the pain shooting through his chest temporarily forgotten, wrapped up in a coat of rage.
Soon enough the kennel was resonating with barks, growls and yelps, while the canine equivalent of a royal brawl took place.
Ruddy was having real fun for the first time in days.

Too bad his fun was spoiled by BPRD agents with a strong stream of ice-cold water, which hit the crowd indiscriminately with the force of a warhammer.
The kennel was suddenly filled with distressed yelping and whimpering.
Ruddy got hit among the first, while trying to pounce Gunnar, and was sent flying towards the wall.
He landed ungracefully, sputtering water and cursing under his breath.
He had already been hit with a water stream before, but he did not care for repeating the experience.
Last time he resolved the situation with a well aimed lightning, but he knew he had to refrain from acts of hostility towards the HQ personnel.
Ruddy sighed, turned his back towards the source of the unnatural stream and lowered himself as much as possible to the ground, to offer a smaller target.
Luckily, after long moments the dousing ceased and two agents entered the kennel wearing thick not-leather boots up to their knees.
"What's happening in here?" one of the agents, a bald man with a goatee, yelled.
Since no one else in the room could answer verbally, Ruddy felt like the question was specifically directed to him.
As he felt slightly pissed, he managed to spray the man completely by means of shaking himself to get rid of the excess of water.
"We had a disagreement about permanence rights, Reginald and me." he sneered.
The now-drenched man cursed loudly, his clothes dripping water.

All around the room, the black-and-tan dogs looked with awe at the two, not quite getting how Ruddy could speak the human language.
"I've told 'em you'd cause only trouble." the bald agent grumbled.
Ruddy sniggered. "Trouble is my second name."
The agent sighed.
"Well, now you cannot remain here in the kennel." he stated, desolately.
"It is not my fault that your dogs are so racist." Ruddy replied.
It was strange indeed: the coyotes, which had to fight daily to survive, were ready to accept him as one of their own, but these dogs, well fed and comfortably housed, were not.
His considerations on this interesting topic were interrupted by the bald agent again.
"Come on, furball, - he said, resigned - I'll get you a place to stay."

After a round of permission-getting and much talking, the bald agent, named Tony Brizzi, backed by Margarita and the triton, managed to get him a room in the agents' wing of the complex.
On their way, the triton and Margarita made fun about the incident and commented that he must be feeling better, since he was already getting into fights again.
Ruddy wished he could smile, because he really felt like it.
The two were always friendly to him and yes, he was feeling quite better, but tired and wanted nothing better than collapsing somewhere to sleep.

The room Tony had hastily arranged for him was small and didn't have any windows, the furniture being just a pallet and a bowl of water, but it was fine.
Ruddy walked to the pallet and collapsed on it, exhausted.
The brawl in the kennel had left him a collection of shallow cuts and bruises, nothing to worry about but annoying nonetheless.
He felt like sleeping for days on end.
"Is it OK?" the bald agent asked, mockingly.
"Bring me a beer and I'd call it perfect." he replied half-serious, lazily opening an eye.
The astonished look on Tony's face was fantastic.
He cursed in a language that sounded much like Latin and left, leaving the door open.
Ruddy laughed quietly and settled more comfortably on the makeshift bed.
He always liked a beer after battle, a strong, red, double-malt beer to calm him down and ease his rage.
It was more than six months since he had last tasted anything alcoholic and he missed the feeling, but today what he wanted most was a good night of sleep.
It had been a tiring day.

The headquarters also known as HQ, as the demon said, were a large set of square buildings made of dark stone and a light gray material which looked like stone but was not.
Their entrance was blocked by an iron-wrought fence with a huge gateway.
A very bored gatekeeper stood guard in a little lodge and waved hello to Ash as they passed by.
"Did you get fun in Texas?" the gatekeeper asked, laughing.
"Awfully!" Ash replied, entering the complex.
The area was lighted by not-torches, which produced no smoke and illuminated the twilight with a yellowish light.
The HQ gave Ruddy an overall impression of severity and righteousness.
The buildings were surrounded by a wooded area, maybe a park.
It was lightly raining and the trees were already bereft of any leaves, signaling that it was already autumn in those lands.
A huge porticullis opened in the side of the building, allowing the truck inside.
Ash stopped the vehicle and yawned.
"We're back home at least!" he exclaimed.
"Finally!" Hellboy said, unlocking the rear door and jumping down.
He offered a hand to his girlfriend and helped her out.
Everybody seemed tired and happy to be finally home.
That was understandable.
How could they call this place home, was much harder to figure out.
Ruddy jumped down the truck and quickly scanned his surroundings.
The trucks, big as they were, seemed nothing more than toys in the huge subterranean chamber.
It was really huge, almost as big as some temples back home, but looked unfinished, its mighty walls completely blank, without as much as a single decoration.
The ceiling also was completely white.
The lack of color heightened his perception of how cold the place was:
Ruddy was not accustomed to cold, having lived most his life in the middle of the desert, and felt uncomfortable.
It was an unfriendly place at least, he thought, trying his best to control his shivering.
He saw two agents getting the not-glass cage out of the truck, and relief flooded him at the thought of not having to be confined inside it anymore.
His relief was short-lived however, as the two agents put it on a strange handcart with tiny wheels and opened it.
"Well, Doggy, it is time to get in the cage again." the demon said, un-sympathetically.

The BPRD agents knew it wouldn't be nice for their prisoner to return inside the cage, but it had to be done.
They could not afford leaving him free inside the building, lest he did something he should not or, more probably, their boss flipped out completely.
But then there was always the possibility that the damned dog would put up a fight, for all the battered and tired he was, Hellboy thought.
For a moment it looked like it was really going to happen.
Ruddy straightened up imposingly and bared his fangs in an indignant snarl, but then he sighed and slumped.
"I am still your prisoner, right. - the reddish creature said, gloomily, with a strained voice – And you have the right to your triumph, I guess."
Hellboy looked confused at this last remark.
He gave a quick questioning look at the know-it-alls of the group, but no one managed to give him an answer as the creature resumed talking.
"It is not the first time I have to submit to the indignity of being paraded in chains. - he commented bitterly stalking towards the cage with all the dignity he could muster – Anyway, it doesn't make it easier in the least extent."

"But it is not as if we are going to boast of your submission. - Abe tried to explain, quite sorry for the misunderstanding. - It is just for safety, Ruddy, try to understand."
"I know, I know. - Ruddy said, quite unsettled, shaking his head – I am sorry for being so difficult, but it feels like I am going to be displayed to your superiors and it brings about unpleasant memories."
Abe was quite at loss about what to say, he just shook his head as Ruddy entered the cage and huddled in a corner.
He winced as Ash closed the lock and lightly shivered.
Daisy noticed it and an alarm shot trough her mind.
He could be in shock or ill, anyway he had one or more broken ribs and had just traveled by plane.
He could have an embolism.
"Are you alright?" she asked in a worried motherly tone.
The creature nodded absently. "It is just cold."
Ash pushed the cart along the endless passageways of the BPRD headquarters but Ruddy didn't seem curious of his surroundings as he had been during the rest of the trip.
His expression, as far as she could judge, was distant, as if he was lost in thought.


He remembered the sun blinding him and, over all, he remembered being in terrible pain.
He was presently chilled to the bone, but he recalled the stifling heat of the midday and the hardness of the wood he was kneeling upon.
His arms and neck were locked by a heavy yoke, bound by chains to the wooden planks.
The cart, pulled by two white oxen, paraded along the main street, between two wings of cheering crowd.
They were commemorating: the war was over and the kingdom would be finally united under a legitimate king.
Some profited of the occasion and insulted him, throwing pieces of rubbish and mud at him.
He was in such pain that he didn't even notice.
He closed his eyes and tried to drift away but he could not, because every jolt of the cart on the uneven road sent agonizing pain through his whole body.
His wounds were re-opening and blood was slowly trickling along his legs.
The cart finally stopped, in front of the throne.
Baba and his hennchmen took hold of the chains and pulled him roughly down.
He lifted his eyes and looked at the young dark-skinned man sitting on the throne, flanked by two beautiful, majestic women.

His eyes were still bandaged and he hoped they hurt like his own wounds did.
Then the guards shoved him roughly, forcing him to kneel.
He cried out in pain and heard the dark-skinned, blinded man commanding him to submit to his power.
He remembered not being able to restrain himself and giving him a sarcastic reply, something along the lines of "I recall you liked being the one on bottom..."
The crowd gasped in shock at his words and he felt an odd satisfaction as the man's face distorted with fury, then the man recomposed himself and gave a commanding gesture.
One of the guards kicked him hard in the ribs, making him gasp for air.
Another kick caught him on the side and soon he was being savagely beaten.
He fell to the floor and curled upon himself to protect his wounds, hoping to pass out, wishing for it to stop, wishing to be able to defend himself and fight, hating to be so weak and helpless, then the beating ended.
Everything hurt in his body.
He caught his breath and painfully, agonizingly slow, got on his knees again.
He raised his eyes again, ready to defy his enemy anew, but his beloved sister's gaze met his for a brief, endless moment.
She silently pleaded him to stop fighting and suffering.
Two big teardrops fell from her eyes, "I do not want to lose you too." she mouthed soundlessly.
He lowered his gaze to the floor, and swallowed his own coming tears and the last remains of his pride.
He could not disobey her.
He lifted his head proudly once again and tried to straighten up.
At least he would do it with all the dignity he could muster.
"I submit to you as my rightful king." he said in a loud clear voice.

It was over, finally.

Ruddy was pulled away from his memories by the sudden stop of the cart in front of a big metallic door.
Ash fiddled with a strange apparatus stuck on the wall beside the door and it opened slowly but without anyone touching it.
It was amazing, but still he didn't like the place.
It was too blank, it looked unfinished, without any decoration on the walls.
The place badly needed the caring attentions of a gang of painters.
Ash turned the cart into a new but equally white corridor at the end of which stood another iron door.
Ash did something equally mysterious with this one as he did with the previous one, but in this case the door did not open on his own again.

"What do you want, now?" asked an voice unknown voice coming from above and on his left.
It did not belong to anyone in the group.
He shook his head, remembering the strange trick the man in the weird hat had done on the plane, talking without being in the same room with them.
"Ah, our boss is always so gentle..." Ash sighed, smiling.
He approached the strange symbols on the wall and answered quite loudly.
"We're back, boss! And there's someone who wants to talk with you!" he exclaimed gleefully.
"Well, come in if you have to!" answered the gruffy voice of the man from the other side of the door.
With a metallic noise and a flashing red light the door unlocked
Ash grinned. "I can't wait to see his face when you talk to him, Rud." he whispered in a conspirative voice, shortening his recently acquired name.

Rajeev pushed the door open and they finally entered the boss' office.


Sorry for the cliffhanger, ladies and gentlemen, but I could not finish the chapter properly and preferred to split the action in two separate blocks.
Next chapter is coming soon, after New Year I hope.

Tanks to everybody who read and reviewed this story so far (especially Hoodoo and MetalMyersJason): your appreciation and critics mean much to me.