(BETA) This Story has not been read through thoroughly so there will be some lingering mistakes, apologies! This will be rectified once read though...when I have time... (BETA)
This is more set on the Hellboy comics/Animations then the movies. I do not own any of the world, or characters besides Alice.
OTHERWISE ENJOY!
xxx
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Abe started walking down the hall from the medic ward slowly, his thoughts placed elsewhere then usual, until a familiar voice broke his train of thought.
"Abe!" Liz called from behind him a slight jog in her step to catch up with him.
"Liz? Back from your mission already?" Abe questioned still walking.
"It was only a routine walk through we found nothing suspicious. But I heard you guys picked up another freak?" She chimed.
Abe turned to her at the word, it was thrown around a little more often then he would have liked. "Yes, an empath?" He explained.
"Really? That's close to telepathy isn't it?" She walked along side him down the hall their speed picking up.
"Not quite, an empathy can sense other's emotions even hear their thoughts and feelings. Whereas, telepathy is merely the purported transmission of information from one person to another without using any known sensory channels or physical interaction." Abe explained into great detail.
"You say that like it's not as impressive." Liz cocked an eyebrow at him.
"I'd say they both were, but to be able to sense others emotions, feelings and to feel them yourself…well it sounds much harder to deal with then simply reading people." His voice drifted off towards the end, his thoughts returning to the newcomer.
"So she can feel anger, hate? All that stuff?"
"Exactly, and more, the tiniest amount of any emotion she would feel herself, can you imagine the amount of hate there is in this city…how she was still alive is beyond me…" Abe's voice took an astonished tone as he spoke of her.
Liz patted him on the back and chimed. "You sound like the perfect guy to help her then huh Abe?!" she smiled before they came to the meeting room were manning and Hellboy were squabbling yet again over the table.
"I don't care who you think you are! We don't need another team member! We're fine just as we are! We don't know this girl!" Red bellowed at Manning.
"Maybe so, but we can't let her back out there she's attracted too much attention to herself already! She will be trained to be a part of your team got it!?" Manning yelled before stormed towards the door.
"Ah! Abe, I'm putting you in charge of this one, it was clear at the house that you can handle her more then any of us can. I'm counting on you." Manning raised a finger to Abe before leaving.
Red lifted his hands in the air. "Great! Just great! Come on Abe you saw what she was like! She's no good!"
"Give her a chance Red, we don't know the full potential of her skills just yet, we've only seen a sliver of what she can do." Abe reasoned.
"And if she can't control it?" Hellboy argued back.
"Hey! Did you give up on me when I first got here! I couldn't control my power either, so suck it up H.B!" Liz crossed her arms over her chest glaring at him her fingertips flickering with flames.
"Fine! fine! Jeez!" Hellboy shrunk in place.
…
A Few more days had passed since Alice first woke up. Abe decided to go check on her, make sure her vitals were still stable. When the door to the medic ward opened he instantly stuttered in place seeing the bed empty. "Oh dear…" Rushing out of the room he called down the hall for the first agent he saw. Myers…
"Myers! Have you seen Alice, the girl that was in that room?" Abe pointed down the hall.
"Oh the new comer! She woke up a few hours ago. Said she needed some air." Myers explained pointed with his thumb behind him.
"You took her outside?! Is she alone?" Panic rose in his voice.
"Well no, there's another agent out there with her. They just took her to the coast just a half a mile away from the Bureau." He shrugged.
Abe sighed with relief. "Take me to her will you, she shouldn't be walking around at this stage…"
Myers nodded and jogged to keep up with Abe who was already stormed down the hall.
…
When they pulled up at the cliff side by the coast Abe got out of the car looking down to the shoreline. Sure enough she was stood there with her feet in the shallow waters and a blanket wrapped around her. The other agent was stood rather far back from her keeping watch.
Worry shot through Abe when he saw Alice take a few more steps into the water.
Thinking it was useless to call for her with this wind he instantly started down the cliff side bounding towards her. When he noticed she stopped once again he relaxed slightly and slowed down to speedy walk leaving Myers still struggling to climb down the hill.
"Miss Jean?"
He walked up to her and placed a delicate hand on her shoulder, she didn't turn around but when Abe got a good look at her face, her eyes were closed and she was smiling.
Abe was panting but felt relief wash through him. He said nothing and turned to look at the open ocean with the sun rising above the horizon.
"I love the sea…I forgot that I did. I forgot what it sounded like." Her voice was softer now as she spoke causing Abe to look at her again.
"I remember coming to the seaside when I was feeling down…I had no idea I was an empath then. But whenever I was by the sea, the sound of the waves drowned out everything…" She opened her eyes and looked down at the bracelet.
Abe watched as she started to undo the clasp. Abe was about to stop her, but it was too late, the bracelet fell form her wrist. They stood there together in the sand waiting for her to collapse and scream in anguish. Abe kept his hand on her shoulder hoping it would be enough to help.
But when nothing happened, Alice looked up at Abe meeting his deep black eyes.
"You are worried…but it's not pity you feel. There is admiration in your heart…" she smiled she could feel what he was feeling, she could also feel Myers and the other agents behind her. She could focus it to just the people around her. She zoned in on Abe's trying to see if she could control it to just focus on one person. But as soon as her smile widened it disappeared her hands went to her head and her face scrunched up a scream building in her throat when she finally knelt to the ground.
Abe quickly fumbled for the bracelet in the sand and clasped it around her wrist again. The other agents had started to make their way over to them, but Abe put his hand up to fend them off giving her space.
Alice panted, her body visibly relaxing her hands fell from her head but were caught by Abe's.
"I…I want to learn to control it…" She panted. Looking up to meet his gaze again.
"Please…" She whispered.
Abe's eyes searched her face for a time before he nodded and helped her up walking her back to the car.
…
The next couple of days had flown by; Abe had been spending more time with Alice helping her to focus and control her skills. They started slow and gradually worked up her fighting skills as well. Alice had mentioned she practised martial arts before she became a full empathy, to deal with the stress she felt everyday.
When Abe started to test her skills in this area he was surprised to learn she was much better then she was letting on…
They had been sparring for a few hours now, Alice was panting, sweat beading off of her exposed skin. She wore a pair of thin leggings and a black tank top for training.
Taking her stance across from Abe before he commanded. "Again."
The Bracelet on her wrist jingled slightly and she moved forward towards him. Abe started to throw a few jabs in her direction, but it was almost impossible to land a hit, it was like hitting water, his moves just flowed straight past her.
Ducking down at his last jab Alice flushed around and landed her palm flat on his sternum throwing him backwards.
He landed with an 'Oof' and Alice was instantly at his side. "I'm so sorry Abe, are you hurt?" Her voice was panged with panic.
Abe just chuckled and sat himself up on his elbows. " I am much tougher then I seem Miss Jean."
Alice smiled her worry fading. "Please Abe, how many times do I have to ask you to call me Alice?" She teased.
"Sorry..Alice…" He corrected, his gills fluttering momentarily.
Alice smiled and helped him up. "We should maybe take a break, I don't want to over exhort you…" Abe reasoned as he reached for a towel to throw in Alice's direction.
Alice caught the towel and started to run it along her skin wiping away the sweat form her forehead, neck and chest. "Is that your way of saying you've been beaten?" She teased.
Abe only chuckled as he grabbed a bottle of water taking a deep drink before peering over at Alice who was running her hands through her short brown hair.
"Your skills are definitely much better then you were letting on…I feel I've been cheated…" Abe teased in return as they started walking out of the training room.
Alice chuckled before taking a drink of water form her bottle, her bracelet jingled as she lifted her arm. "I was thinking of going down to the coast again. Would you like to come with?" Alice hesitantly looked up at him.
"You know it's not a good idea going outside, if someone sees me…" He drifted off towards the end.
Alice just raised an eyebrow. "That whole area is sealed off as part of the bureau if I'm not mistaken?"
Abe felt slightly defeated. "Well yes but…"
"Then there's not much of an excuse to be had Abe. Not that I'm pressuring you. I'll be down there once I've washed up, come and join me if you feel up to it."
Abe stopped in his tracks and watched Alice disappear around the corner heading to her personal quarters.
Abe shook his head and headed back to his library where he found peace and quiet.
…
Alice had made her way down to the coast, her feet making impressions in the newly wet sand, her shoes dangling from her fingers as she walked.
Every so often the tide would come up and just touch her feet swallowing her ankles, before it drifted back out. The sun was still high in the sky, which glittered the small waves making Alice squint at the magnificent light. She stood on something that made her pause, backing up a step she knelt down to dig it out of the sand. It was a pale pink shell as large as her hand. She smiled and dipped the shell in the coming wave to wash off the remaining sand revealing its beauty.
She lifted it up to the sky to get a better view; she was taken off guard by a voice from behind her.
"You know people say if you hold it to you ear you can hear the waves of the ocean…" Abe's soft voice came form just behind her. Alice turned to see him with his hand folded behind his back looking in her direction; his deep black eyes met hers.
She smiled at the sight of him.
"Though of course, it is actually the sound of your own blood rushing through your body echoing in your ear drum…" He continued walking up her.
Her noticed he was wearing a loose white shirt with his usual black shorts and bare footed.
"Not such a romantic notion after all then." Alice teased.
Abe took her hand with the shell and held it up to her ear gently. "If you close your eyes it's hard to imagine anything but the waves."
Alice obliged and closed her eyes, instantly smiling at the rushing sound that echoed in her ear from the shell. Standing this close to the sea, it did sound just like the waves beating against a sandy shore.
Abe watched her lips stretch smoothly into a small smile. It was heart warming to see her so relaxed, after the state they found her in…well it would have torn anyone's heart apart.
Alice opened her eyes and looked up at Abe noticing his gill fluttering slightly. "You're so lucky, I've always wanted to be able to breathe underwater naturally."
"I wouldn't say 'lucky' is the correct term to use…" He jested.
Alice's brow knitted. "Why, because you're different? There's nothing wrong with different. People are just afraid of different, but everyone is, in some way…and others are envious of their differences. In my eyes, you're the luckiest man in the world." She turned to the sea.
"I would give anything for just an hour in the sea, to be able to swim and breathe naturally…"
Abe didn't know what to say, he had never looked at it that way before.
"You know they do have scoober kits that allow you to do that." He said casually watching strands of her hair blow ever so slightly in the breeze.
"It's not quite the same, and I doubt it would feel as natural as how you experience it." She smiled again and started to walk back towards the cliff side.
Abe followed. "If you would like to take up swimming I could have a pool arrange to be fitted in the training room?"
Alice smiled at his kind gesture. "I'm not much for the chlorine pools, the waters stings my eyes. But thank you…" She was about to continue when Abe pressed further.
"Then perhaps you could use my tank, it's not quite as large as a pool, but it's deep, and the water is fresh…"
"Are you inviting me into your tank Abe?" Alice teased raising an eyebrow at him.
"Well, I-uh..I just thought…" Abe stumbled over his words, unsure how to continue.
Alice grinned. "I may have to take you up on that offer." She smiled looking forward closing her eyes once again to take in the gentle breeze that washed over her.
Abe said nothing more and continued to walk with her, folding his hands behind his back.
"I'm glad you came, thank you…" Alice finally said her eyes still closed as they walked.
Abe looked at her for a moment before looking forward again. "It was my pleasure…"
...
I hope you enjoyed more to come!
xxx