A severe cramp suddenly ripped through Taya's stomach. She braced her arms against the cell's wall, the cold tiles providing light relief to her ever razing temperature. As her body shook she groaned and cursed the pain she was feeling. Her blood boiled in anticipation of the change her being was suddenly forcing her to make. She was resisting as much as her frail state would allow, but as punishment the creature made her suffer terribly. Her now pale green eyes were burdened with unshed tears, from pain, from uncertainty and from her aching heart that was already morning the absents of Abe. If he were here, her human side would not be so weak, she thought to herself. It would have the will to put up more of a fight than this. Pathetic.
Another wave of fire like pain swept its way through her insides. She doubled over, clutching the sides of her stomach like the wanted to rip away the flesh that lay there. She wanted it to stop, but knew that if she gave in it would all be over and there would be no chance of her regaining her humanity any time soon. The beast wanted to run like any wild animal did, run without the sight of walls caging it in. Its obsessed passion for freedom had now turned it against its own host, condemning her to the excruciating feelings she was now experiencing. Without mercy it came down on every ounce of resistance she showed, smashing through her thoughts of hope...until she couldn't take it anymore.
Strange relief came over her as she relaxed her mussels and gave up her attempt to gain control of her body. Her mind settled itself and she felt at ease. The transformation was painless compared to what she had just been though, the cracking of her bones barley felt by her body. The animal was free and there was no fight left in the human. She shook her massive head and realised a mighty bellow, one that told all around her that she would never be locked away again. She tore through the door like you would tear a page from a book, and crashed into the corridor. She pushed past the guards who shot at her, knocking them unconscious and purposefully avoiding hurting them. She had no quarrel with these humans, she just wanted to leave, be rid of her cages and these walls. But there was one more thing she needed to do, the only thing the animal would permit the ever retreating human to do. She had to say goodbye.
The lights in the library were low, no sound to be heard from anywhere. Soon the alarms would be rung, breaking this peaceful quiet but until then, she would stay and watch him. The movements of his muscular body were perfect in water, nothing like the almost clumsy stiffness he sometimes showed when he was removed from his element. His teal blue skin shone in the dim light, showing off his elegant and strong figure. She admired the mussels etched into his body, along with those patterns she had grown to adore. Even as he slept his arms and legs made involuntary twitches that kept him moving slowly, so he did no sink to the bottom of his tank. She still found the little gills that flex lazily cute, but now she was not afraid or ashamed of admitting it.
The feelings she felt for him were now sole deep, leaving her wounded at the thought of never seeing him again. She didn't know if what she was doing was permanent – maybe she would return soon, but that seemed unlikely. With every second she stayed as the beast her thoughts became more and more primeval, only now thinking of the things she needed, not concentrating on the things she wanted. Of course her human side had learned that she did need Abe, but now she was animal. The instincts told her to leave, find somewhere safe. Just to live...not to love.
Red lights flashed above her head, accompanied with the high pitched screeching of the alarm. She watched as Blue's eyes flicked open, still consumed by the haze of sleep. Slowly, she padded closer to his tank.
Everything felt like a dream, the blurry vision of Taya's animal form greeting him as he slid open his tired eyes, the sudden coldness that filled him like he was in a nightmare but wasn't sure why it was one yet. He did not move, unsure of how to react to what he saw before him. They looked at each other for a long time, her stare telling him that she needed to speak but could not find the words to even try. Someone crashed into the room and his eyes momentarily flashed in their direction. It was an agent that he didn't recognise, his gun trained on the creature, whose intense gaze still burrowed into him. The man fired his first shot, hitting Taya in the arm. She grunted, but showed no signs of aggression or real pain. Instead she raised her massive paw and lay it on the cold glass that separated them. One thought channelled into his own brain,
Goodbye, she told him.
Abe rushed forwards in the tank, in an attempt to get closer to her. He couldn't truly believe the words he had just heard, refused to in fact. She could almost feel the fast beating of his heart. He was now fully awake, clinging to every scrap of information he could pry from her brain in search of answers. Both of his own hands were now pressed against the glass, cursing the barricade and desperately shaking his head.
"What do you mean?" he said, panicked. The deadly beautiful creature flattened her ears against her skull. Her paw still lay on the glass, in line with one of his own. Another shot was fired, hitting her again in the arm. This time she gave a roar or fury, not at the fact he had hurt her, but because he was interrupting their last moment together. Seeing the man shake slightly, she turned back to Blue.
We don't have time for love, said the animal, referring to both the human and the beast, we must live on, away from here, where there is no more walls. Trust in me, said the cat, her voice very different from Taya's, I will look after your human. You should know, you and her would have made it, if only these others were not so fickle and erratic. You know she is not like them...but truly her heart is just as soft. But now it is me and I will make it strong.
Abe pounded a fist against the glass, angry that the beast thought it was all just that simple. Why did no one understand? He was left as only half a man when Nuala died, but slowly he had rekindled the pieces that had shattered, learned that his heart had not broken, only scarred. His trust in love had been misplaced and her, that woman that was about to leave him was the one that had found it again. How dare the world allow him to hope, to think he deserved and held something so precious in his possession, only for it to be snatch it away from him with cold, greedy hands. He now learned that he was not strong enough for love and its side effects.
"I want to speak to Taya," he said flatly. The animal thought for a moment, ignoring the presence of more agents, then nodded her head. A flush of warmth filled Blue's body when he felt the woman he knew break into existence and she wanted to say so much, but the animal would not allow it, her body still in its shape. "Slower, slower," he told her, the thoughts she was trying to get across to him being too many in their numbers. They overlapped and replayed coming out in nothing but a confusing murmur that over took his head. Over time she did as he requested, ordering the things she needed to say, too aware that the beast wanted complete control again.
I'm sorry, was her first words, as clear as crystal ringing in his mind, There is nothing I can do now, but run. Abe shook his head, he couldn't understand how it had come to this. Just hours ago he had fought for her freedom...but she didn't care. She couldn't cope with the prospect of being locked away, even though she knew Blue would never stop until she was free. But he realised that didn't matter, the human was not the one making this decision. She only went along with it. Abe had always thought she was stronger than that, but then she told him something else,
She wants to hurt you because you're the only thing that keeps me here. So I must leave. I will miss you Abe.
He was not given chance to respond, though his mouth opened and closed as if to speak, but the sound did not come. She spun around and the agents, who had seemed to be in some kind of trace, snapped back to life guns at the ready. They fired bullets which should have killed but left the animal virtually unharmed. As she charged towards them, they cleared the door in a panic. She stopped at the boundary and looked back to Blue. He saw her eyes, Taya's beautiful lush green ones, not the beast's sickly pale ones. To think he might lose that sight forever left him so close to tears it was unreal. With a powerful, almost mournful howl, she was gone.
Christmas Day
"Not now," complained Hellboy, sticking a knife furiously into the turkey he was so looking forward to eating. Red flashing lights had taken over, along with the alarm. Him, Liz, Johann and a few other agents who were all seated around a large table, about to have Christmas dinner, sighed in frustration. The demon get to his feet, followed by the rest. His amber eyes shot to Liz. "Not this time babe," he told her, wagging a finger in her direction, "Your staying here," she was about to protest but decided he was right. Her belly was so huge she felt like she wouldn't be able to fit through the door. Slowly she lowered herself back down into the seat, giving Red a very serious look.
"You don't do anything stupid, or I'll find you and kill you myself," she warned, eyes flashing dangerously. Hellboy shrugged his massive shoulders,
"Me? Do something stupid? Never," she razed a dark eyebrow at him as he left the room, the others on his heels.
Out in the corridor he spotted Abe walking slowly ahead of him, also answering the summons. His friend had not recovered at all from what had happened a few nights ago, condemning himself to silence and exile from everyone around him. He still answered if you spoke to him, still did all that was required of him but everything was hollow. Red got the impression that if someone took a gun to him, he wouldn't do the slightest thing to protest. When Nuala had died he at least tried to remain the same as he was before, but now the same stone had hit him twice...he was beside himself with grief. Both Red and Liz and tried to tell him that it wasn't all over, that they'd go out and search for her (Which Manning had already decided to do, sending a few teams out already,) and that they'd find her and bring her home. But it was plainly obvious that Abe didn't believe a word of it. It was like he had surrendered before the war was even started.
"Hey Blue!" yelled Hellboy, waving to the fish-man's back, "wait up!" Abe stopped and turned his head to Hellboy, doing as the demon requested. The red man was soon by his side and they set off again without a word. Red hated the heaviness in the air and gave Blue a light elbow in the ribs,
"Let's hope it's just Santa trapped in a chimney," he laughed. Abe nodded,
"Yes," was the only word that escaped his lips. Hellboy was left defeated, he had never been the best at comforting people, that was Liz's job. But he didn't like the feeling he was getting off Abe...or the lack there of. He was a zombie really, just going through life because somewhere at the back of his mind he knew he had to.
"Cheer up buddy," he said, grasping one of the smaller mans shoulders and giving it an encouraging shake, "If we're lucky, you can used someone's head as a stress ball. It always helps me," Blue said nothing as they rounded the corner that lead to the briefing room. He didn't need to, his thoughts on the matter clear. He simply couldn't be bothered to do anything.
They entered the room, to see Manning tapping his foot irritably at an agent that was trying to explain something. Again the screens that framed the room were bearing readings. This time Hellboy understood what they meant – Psychopath was at it again.
"Ah!" exclaimed Manning as the agents streamed into the room, "You are all here, good. As you can all see there was another power cut, this time over England," he paused and surveyed everyone in the room whilst he pointed to the huge map on the wall. Yes, he thought his agents were stupid enough not to know where to UK was, so he had to be sure, "It was smaller, only lasting a few seconds, but all the power went out. It was him." If Abe wasn't so numb, he'd be happy that the map he had produced was right, he knew where the chamber was.
Just an hour later, the team was strapped into a plain, flying their way to England. Blue once again distanced himself from the others, whishing he was alone. He had told them that he was not feeling well, that's why he hadn't attended the Christmas celebrations with the rest. It was a lie, of course, but he didn't care. He was so tired, so sick of everything and all he wanted to do was find her, but he couldn't gather enough strength to do so. She probably didn't want him with her now anyway, she was free, no bonds, no ties, no nothing. Yet, he yearned for her and it hurt even more that he knew that if he tried hard enough, he would track her down. Unlike Nuala, which had been a short bitter stab at his heart, this one was prolonged, dragging out the pain because the possibility still lay there.
He watched the setting sun from the window with little interest, only taking in its beauty when it reminded him of her eyes. Deadly and fiery and calm all at the same time. He sighed, he had to stop thinking about her, but it was proving impossible. Just to catch her scent, hear her voice, feel her skin, anything would be good enough. Just to know she was safe and happy....Abe closed his eyes. The sleep that followed was filled with emptiness.
The plain set down in the vast emptiness of...somewhere. There was nothing for miles, just fields that turned into cliffs that met with the sea. Even in the dark he knew it was a breathtaking spot, seemingly forgotten by humans. The team set up a small camp, taking their time because they knew what was there to meet them. Mostly. They would lessen the risks this time and try their hardest to preserve some knowledge of the place...not just let it get blown up.
Soultar scraped two blades together almost affectionately, smiling at the sound it created.
"They are here, aren't they?" He spoke softly to Chryses, who, as ever was watching him closely. She nodded her beautiful head, flexing her claws at the promise of a fight. She had ordered all her children into hiding at her masters commands, who didn't want to lose numbers this time, only to catch the ting he supposedly needed. The sphinx knew this would be no easy task, but she would do anything for the man that paced slowly before her. He had watched him train earlier in the day with one of her less grotesque creations and her heart had swelled with pride. Golem was indeed an amazing fighter, using wits rather than brute strength. He got better with each passing year, as his magic grew stronger. She prayed he would not fail tonight.
"Very well, prepare yourself my dear friend, for tonight will be a challenge for the both of us. They will come better equipped this time, and they knew we'll be waiting," he sheathed his blade, also attaching other smaller weapons to his belt. He stared at the chambers main entrance, as if already expecting an attack. Without looking at her, he ordered her to check the dragon. Chryses bowed slightly and moved silently out of the room, leaving Soultar to his thoughts. His plan was slipping from beneath his feet, even he could see that. Out of the seven original immortals, he was only going to use four now. One he had lost, one was his Sphinx and the other was the elf, which he couldn't use even if he wanted to, because of her tendency to disappear. He needed Hellboy, on the off chance he was indestructible, to replace the one he had lost.
He continued to pace the ground, plotting the twisted thoughts that seemed so normal to him. Somehow he would get his revenge on humanity and its cruel ways, what it had done to him. Noting else would soothe the terrible rhythm of his heart, that beat like the drums of war. Everything he needed was now so close, so touchable, to fail now was simply not acceptable.
No chimers greeted the team, no monsters, no sound. They had made their way along the sandy white beach, though a very narrow pass and into the dark cave. They split into two, one half that was lead by Hellboy taking the obviously more used rout, Abe taking the other team with him down another. There seemed to be nothing, until Red met a weeping dragon.
A/N:Howdy people! ^^ Hope you're a bit happier with this chapter, the last one kinda sucked XD We seem to be in the right direction now...and I'll be making sure to focus a lot more on Abe and Taya's feelings from now on, though I think he'll be in a bit of a huff with me for taking her away! Poor Blue, I'm such a horrid person :3 Most of this chapter was based on the song 'Run' by Snow Patrol, hence the title. It's a beautiful song, I recommend it XP Thanks for reading folks!