Welcome ladies and gentlemen to the newest chapter! I hope your well, and have had a good start to February (this year seems to be going quickly already).

Anyway, before I start, I would just like to say that I am considering starting a blog on my DeviantArt, just so readers can keep up with the projects I'm working on, details and any upcoming projects. But it's just a thought, if you want to say what you think of the idea, please feel free to let me know :)

I am also aware there are a lot of requests for the Q&A fanfic to return that proved to be very popular the last time it was done. Well I haven't forgotten and the new one is getting ready for submission, but right now I have so many things going on that I'm trying to keep updated with that you might have to bear with me just a little longer.

So, enjoy, review, only 29 off the 200 mark...171 so far is so amazing it's unreal, thankyou for everyone who takes the time to review!

'They are near…' as Rasputin walked into the main chamber room where an alter stood tall, shackles hanging from the stone grey walls, with a dull light from the torches shining into the room.

'Master?' Ruxandra questioned

'They grow closer…soon they will explore this place…and their fate shall be met.'

'Master, please allow me to handle them, allow me to bring them to you and to avenge the deaths of those who have previously failed,' Ruxandra asked of him, Rasputin smiling coyly as he turned to face her.

'My dearest…' he uttered taking her chin and drawing her face close to his. 'You have been very faithful to me…but your time is yet to come. Though you will have it. I promise…'

'But master…' she began, when his lips lingered over hers, making the girl falter slightly, her dark hair masking her eyes from view to anyone who overlooked them.

'I will be leaving them in the hands of the sea monster that lays in the depths…the creation of the sea goddess Scylla,' he remarked calmly. 'But, I do have a task for you…it would appear Elizabeth Sherman has been left in safety. Though she will no doubt hear of the…commotion…So if you would tend to her. After all, a woman such as her who is with the child of Anung Un Rama should not be provoked. Wouldn't you agree?'

'Of course sir,' she nodded. Though as Ruxandra shook her head free before Rasputin could lean in any further she stood back with a cautious gleam in her eyes…

'Don't underestimate me Rasputin. I know of your previous love. I also know you would have her resurrected quicker than you would have me…and I am not a force to be tried with,' she remarked grimly, Rasputin nodding finally as he remarked,

'It would seem you are more aware than I thought.'

'As I said; do not take me for granted. I will not be some castaway that you can use at your leisure.'

'Even though it is I that has given you this life…?' Rasputin questioned, catching the glimpse in her eyes and smiling a little wider. 'Now, you have your task…go and ensure that you do not fail me…' he demanded, Ruxandra nodding finally and disappearing swiftly out of the main doors, the girl light on her feet as she moved. Watching after her for a moment, Rasputin stood silently, before turning to look behind him where the alter stood high.

'I take it our guest is comfortable in his new arrangements Kroenen?' Rasputin remarked, the former general of the Nazi's nodding silently as Rasputin then walked with him through a connection of chambers until they came to one where an unconscious figure lay, restrained and beaten.

'You have been very patient with us…' Rasputin noted, running a hand down the bar as he watched the figure before him lift a weak head, 'but soon, you will have your moment of revenge…I assure you…'

~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~

Arriving at Stony Point, the group had spent days exploring the site, searching for the missing FBI agent in the hopes of finding him. But alas, it has so far been to no avail. Though the main source of interest for Belle was the large body of water that Stony Point was known for…she had seen the place so many times before in her dreams. But now it triggered visions for Belle, the clairvoyant feeling somewhat phased by it. Though the day they were permitted to search the depths of the lake was somewhat dark and grey.

'Ya know…the next time we get a chance for a break, I ain't going anywhere unless it's hot and a few hundred miles away from the FBI,' Hellboy remarked as he told Liz he didn't want her leaving the van when they got to the lake.

'…and do what? What if you get yourself into trouble, which we both know, is quite likely.'

'I don't care, you ain't leaving that truck just to hang about and get a cold. Back me up here Blue,' Hellboy remarked, loading his gun as they stood in the specialist truck built for transporting them around.

'It would be advisable. After all, you are quite far into your pregnancy,' he said calmly. 'Besides, I can take care of the big monkey…you did me the favour when you had to travel to face Rasputin. So I'm sure I can do the same for you now,' he remarked.

'What did you just call me?' Hellboy returned, 'it's a good job you're like a brother to me, you know that?' he grinned when Belle joined them.

Her attire however showed a slightly different side to Belle, who wore an attire of all black, with a jumper and long black skirt, her hair being up with a bold pendant adorning her neck.

'I thought ya hated black,' Hellboy grinned, Belle laughing as she adjusted one of her black leather boots.

'I find it dull to wear without any colour, but as the occasion calls for it…' she began, 'it just makes me look pale.' Though as Abe watching her, he couldn't help but notice how it highlighted her amethyst eyes.

'Ah you look great Tinks,' Hellboy smirked, the door lifting behind them to close them in as they began the short trip to their location.

'A few Agents are already there to make the preparations for Hellboy and Belle so they can dive into the depths,' Abe remarked, 'I went down there yesterday and the picture shown is quite far beneath surface level.'

'I've never seen you wear that necklace before Belle,' Liz noted as Belle flicked through a book whilst Abe and Hellboy talked about the search they were undergoing.

'This? Yes, it's quite vintage, but beautiful…my Mother gave it to me when I was eighteen,' she mused thoughtfully. The pendant itself had two feathers that crossed over each other, one having a pearl like quality to it, whilst the other had a faded onyx quality to it. Beneath the wings was then a stunning stone that shone an array of colours in the light. Though as Belle stood looking out of the window in the van, she couldn't help but feel anxious about what they were travelling into. Yet as the truck turned sharply, following a bang, Belle gasped as she careened into Abe's lap, the pair blushing deeply at the close proximity.

'I'm sorry,' she began quickly.

'No, it's alright, are you okay?'

'Yes,' she nodded, deciding to sit down for the remainder of the journey, her face becoming hidden mostly by her hair as she continued to look over her book, checking her phone every once in a while as she tried to hide her deepening blush.

Though as Liz and Hellboy shared a passing glance, both of them smiled slightly as Hellboy looked back to Abe about to say something when Belle's phone started to ring…

Pulling up at their destination, the team got off the van with Liz waiting in the back, though she voiced her opinion on the matter quite loudly as they walked around the corner.

'Yeah, love you babe!' Hellboy called back with a grin, turning to a couple of FBI agents and muttering, 'she stays in the van,' before going to talk to the driver without Belle and Abe overhearing as he slipped the driver a fifty dollar bill.

'Cheers for that Gray.'

'Yeah, anytime Red,' the Agent nodded, Hellboy lighting up a cigar as he went to join Abe and Belle who were preparing for the dive.

'Hey Abe, looks like were coming into your territory now,' Hellboy smirked.

'It would seem so,' Abe nodded, removing his apparatus and anything else that was now unnecessary for the underwater search. Though as Abe passed a glance to Belle who was being fitted with the right equipment for breathing underwater; he couldn't help but smile softly as she laughed with the Agents who were getting her ready. It had to be said that Belle had gotten on well with those who had watched over her personally in the recent months. But as she lit up a locator on her belt, it triggered the memory of Abe doing the same before being faced with Sammael…Sammael…he thought quietly, it had been a useless fight, and it had rendered him severely injured. Though as Belle looked over to Hellboy she sighed as she took the cigar from his hand…

'Red, I thought you said you'd give up,' she remarked, her eyes looking silently pleading as she looked into his golden gaze.

'You've got good puppy dog eyes, you know that? But once the babies are born I won't ever touch another cigar again…I promised Liz that…not that I needed to. No children of mine are being brought up around that…'

'I'm glad,' Belle smiled, 'but surely starting sooner is better than later?' she remarked, Hellboy seeing how she meant well as she finally nodded.

'Okay bright eyes, I get the hint,' he nodded, though a slight disturbance in the water distracted the pair as their gazes fell on the water's surface, Belle's nerves being renewed as she breathed a sigh…

~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~

Swimming under the depths of the lake, Abe, Belle and Hellboy lowered to a level of thirty feet before seeing anything, when, as they moved nearer to the east wall of rock, they noticed the large circle of steel that covered a large diameter of the rock face. So as Abe turned on the underwater video camera, the three moved closer to it. Though as Belle raised a hand to the steel door, it was like she could feel a pulse of energy moving within it, this only seeming to be noticeable to her though as Abe rested his hand against it.

'It would seem that it is passable…' he murmured, Hellboy and Belle glancing to him, though neither spoke, both Hellboy and Belle having specific earpieces to work underwater. Though as Abe brushed Belle's shoulder calmly, he offered her a sympathetic expression, Belle smiling appreciatively as they moved closer...

Running a hand along the surface of the chamber's entrance, Belle looked at the symbols upon it with curiosity, knowing how she had seen it before. Though before she was able to say anything a vision sparked before her; Belle seeing a flash of memories before her eyes though she recognised no one within them.

The images had gone almost as quickly as they came, though one thing Belle instantly picked up on was the wings.

Angels… she thought, looking at the symbols and feeling as if the meaning was instantly entering her mind as she unconsciously drifted back.

"For those who choose to enter this holy resting place, do so in understanding what they are awakening within…"

'Belle, are you alright?' Abe questioned in Belle's mind, the clairvoyant nodded as she began to respond.

'There is something inscribed here…can you read it?'

'No…I think it may be-' Abe began when suddenly a dull gunshot sounded in the water, Belle and Abe spinning around to see an entity raising from the depths. The creature looked to them like a huge octopus, its body being completely covered in algae and seaweed, its eyes blood red as it suddenly attacked.

'Oh crap! Abe get Belle outta here!' Hellboy yelled in the earpiece, 'get backup; whatever, just move!'

~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~

Meanwhile as Liz sat in the van contemplating a few things, her hands tenderly rubbing the bump where her unborn children slept and grew, she heard commotion outside. Though as she stood up, she heard a sound of heels along the top of the roof, Liz looking to the open door with a gun in hand as Ruxandra suddenly landed before her in the entrance…

'Well, well, all alone?' she asked in a patronising manner, Liz glaring at her as she raised her gun.

'What the hell do you think you're doing here?'

'Hmm, merely a distraction I guess…but then again, I consider this to be an easy task,' she smirked, placing a hand on her hip as she leaned to one side. Ruxandra was now dressed all in a dark shade of violet, black heels adorning her feet as she watched her opponent.

'Well…what are you waiting for?' Ruxandra challenged,

'You just don't know when to back off do you?' Liz said in an acidic tone, Ruxandra laughing humorously as she withdrew a long blade.

'It's more like you don't know when to walk away…we could have left you out of this…but you continue to look after that rather precious girl and associate yourself with Anung Un Rama…honestly. Do you have no shame?' she grinned maliciously, Liz holding her hand up as flames began to form in a vicious way around her hand.

'Shame? You don't know the meaning of the word,' she returned darkly.

'Pregnant and so willing to fight...hmm, you make an interesting fight, but hey, if you can get past me, maybe I'll let you get a last glimpse of your precious partner before he meets his fate…' she remarked, Liz moving forward with no intention of backing down.

~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~

As the underwater fight ensued, Belle had gotten near to the surface when she saw how Abe and Hellboy fought the creature, Hellboy wrestling with one of its arms as it braced his gun, preventing Hellboy from pulling the trigger as Abe fought nearby. Though as Belle realised they needed help, she was seized and dragged down towards the beast only to be thrown to the side, Abe trying to get to her as they were joined by other FBI agents, though Belle only realised as she swam deeper in an attempt to work out what to do whilst staying out of harm's way, as she was nearly hit again that her only means of oxygen had been destroyed in the attack. Time was running short. As Abe shot at one of the arms, making it screech in pain, Abe was affected severely by it, Hellboy not being as sensitive as he pulled his arm free and took a chance shot at its body.

Having reached a small crevice, Belle had found that for the time she remained unseen, but with minutes of oxygen left, she knew she couldn't safely remain there for long. Yet as she looked down into the crevice, Belle looking up as she heard the creature shriek again, Belle realising she needed to move quickly as she then made a distraction the creature to give Hellboy and Abe a chance, discarding the empty oxygen tank to allow her a faster chance of swimming to the surface. But it was then that the creature seemed to back down, a cloud of undisturbed ink covering Hellboy's vision as he saw Belle swimming up and proceeded to do the same.

As Belle swam more desperately, trying to break the surface with no oxygen left to aid her breathing, her ankles were suddenly caught by a rope of seaweed, it threatening to drag her back. Though as she turned to face the large creature, a scream escaping her lips, she then saw from below a bright golden light that almost blinded her, and with it a strange sensation happened as the grip on her legs loosened. Though with the fading ink she saw a spear struck into the creature, the girl threatening to lose consciousness as Abe dove back under in an attempt to bring her to the surface, feeling her aura so close, yet he was unable to see her.

'What's happening?' Belle gasped, water spinning around her body, her legs disappearing from sight within the whirlpool that threatened to consume her, when as she tried to swim from it something unexpected began to happen. As a light emitted from her chest, it drew tiny silver orbs from her body before plunging into the depths Belle breathing heavily when she realised it...she was breathing underwater. Looking down in disbelief as the last of the water that masked her body from the waist down faded; she was shocked to see a long golden tail in its place. However she was not given a chance to take it in enough to believe what was happening. As the light began to dim from the coral below, she saw the creature again, still alive, Belle being about to scream, though suddenly an arm was around her bare waist. 'Swim,' was all she heard muttered in her ear as she was drawn up at a fast pace, Belle complying, her tail allowing her to swim swiftly upwards. Looking to her support Belle asked, 'who are you?'

'Your saviour by the looks of it,' he responded, 'don't worry, we'll get to the surface quickly...' The man lifting her up, was no less than a merman, his long tail being a dark blue, with his hair being jet black and his eyes the same colour as his tail, his body being lean and muscular as he helped her swim to the surface.

'How did you know?'

'I had been watching you swim amongst the coral, you interested me as to what you were doing,' he responded, 'not many come as far as our depths...But when we break the surface, understand it's wise to stay calm,' he instructed, Belle about to question what he meant when a flash of light shone through the waters, which were becoming increasingly unsteady.

'What happened to me? I mean I'm a-'

'Mermaid…? Yeah, the ruler of our tribe knew you wouldn't make it out alive at the rate you were going. So until the next full moon, you will remain in the form of a mermaid…' he remarked, though before Belle could respond, they broke the surface, Abe having just reached it as well, and swimming to her.

'Belle, thank god you're safe,' he remarked, relief washing over him as Belle turned to find she was alone, though as she tried to breathe, dryness entered her lungs.

'Abe!' she gasped, 'I-I can't...breathe!' Abe's eyes widening in worry as he dived in the water without hesitation.

'Belle...' he began seeing how frightened she was as she tried to catch her breath, when he noted something on Belle's neck...looking in disbelief Abe took her arms, bringing her to submerge under the water. Belle...what happened to you? He remarked in his thoughts, seeing her begin to calm as her breathing levelled though her vision started to cloud.

'Abe…' she muttered, the merman moving forward to support her, as the merman caught sight of the other that had saved Belle, a grave look in his expression…

~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~

'Fishstick come on your intelligent, what can we do? If her parents see her like this I will not be keeping my job,' Manning said in exasperation.

'I have told you all I know, Belle will be like this until the next full moon, I suppose if you do not want her parent's to know, then it would be advisable to not let them see her,' Abe remarked, feeling tired and weary. Since the trip beneath Stony Point, Belle and the others had to be transported home, Liz also needing constant care following her fight with Ruxandra in which the latter had finally retreated without warning. Though as Abe predicted, the birth was going to be sooner rather than later as the twins entered the final stages of Liz's pregnancy. Though as she was feeling more rested, she sat quietly with Hellboy whilst Manning talked to Abe. Belle at that moment lay in Abe's tank, her sleeping form on the floor of it as she rested peacefully.

'I don't know what you can do, but Abe please you need to do something. Belle's father already is having trust issues as it is and as I said, we don't want me out of a job, right?'

'Ya know I really want to meet this guy,' Hellboy remarked,

'Who?' Manning responded.

'Belle's father, he's got a great impression on you,' Hellboy grinned, Manning looking incredibly heated as Belle began to come round, having heard small snippets of the conversation. 'Mm…' she muttered weakly, lifting her head as she looked down and realised everything that had happened before she lost consciousness was true…

Belle was a mermaid. With her long tail stretching out from her waist, the long translucent fins at the end of the tail floated gracefully in the water, another fin being a little father up on the back of the tail. With the scales fading at her waist, they also covered around her bust and chest that too fading out leaving her otherwise the same as before. Though as Abe looked up to see her awake, he became attentive, going up the stairs and to the surface of the tank as Belle looked up, Abe telling her to remain below it for the time being as Hellboy looked at Belle with a grin.

'Nice tail, your making me jealous,' he smirked, Manning sighing in exasperation as Belle found herself speechless, unable to know what to say about the situation…

~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~

Back at Stony Point however, the merman that had saved Belle swam down to the crevice where she had been, a pendant lying on the seabed beside it as he reached down to pick up Belle's necklace.

'I recognise this…' he murmured, turning to see a majestic figure before him, who took the pendant and observed it… 'Sire…?'

'So…' he began; his voice deep as he rested his tail calmly on the seafloor, running a hand over the pearl sphere that he held. 'The time is truly upon us…'

So Belle has had a slight transformation, but how will she deal with the next month, and just what is so meaningful in the pendant? Next chapter will have more to come with that...

I hope you've all enjoyed, and before I end this, I have one very special thing to say. It was AngelProtectress's birthday on the 26th of January - which was just after I submitted my last chapter and so I just want to wish her a very Happy Birthday on here, your a very talented writer, a lovely friend and I hope you had a lovely day :)

Thankyou and Goodnight!

~x-xMasqueradeAngelx-x