Tenth Chapter! Read+Review

The pounding on the door was enough to make my splitting headache even worse. I crawled out of bed regretfully and opened the door to find a red faced Manning.

"You and Hellboy are going to get it!" He shouted in my face. I almost passed out right then and there. I replied with a sigh. "It was Hellboy's idea and you're lucky I went with him. He had this bipolar attack last night the minute he laid eyes on this creepy institute place." I said, half asleep.

Something flickered through Manning eyes at the mention of an institute but it was too quick for me to decipher.

"It doesn't matter. I had a private interview planned for today but because of you two, there was another Hellboy sighting!" Manning screamed, oblivious of all of the other sleeping residents on this floor.

"Well good, you won't have to go then. You're welcome, now if you don't mind I have some 'Zs' that I would like to get back to." I started to close the door but Manning slammed it with his fist. That's going to bruise. I smiled when Manning winced in pain. It didn't keep him from yelling at me though.

"Oh no. It's not a private interview anymore. It's a damn Television broadcast!" Manning wiped some nervous sweat off his forehead and took a deep breath.

"I need an agent to go with me and seeing as Hellboy has already been punished, I've decided that you are going to do it." Manning didn't even smile as he placed the order. My jaw dropped and I stared at him in utter dismay. He gave me a time and place to meet him before turning and leaving without so much as a thank you.

I cursed aloud for everyone to hear before slamming my door so that I could get ready for this 'assignment' that Manning had given me.

Once Manning had 'briefed' me on all of the tricks that talk-show-hosts use to screw with their interviewees, we found our ride and headed in the direction of the studio. I guessed that I looked awful, seeing as that was how I felt, but Manning assured me that I looked fine, for a bodyguard. I rolled my eyes at his pathetic compliment and stood backstage while Manning talked with the producers and host.

The host was fairly normal. He looked like every other slimy celebrity in the city. He was tall and thin with neatly combed hair. I watched him sit at his impossibly neat desk on stage while Manning sat in the one chair that was farthest away from the host's desk. I couldn't help but roll my eyes at that. As the rest of the employees worked on the lights and helped the audience to their seats I turned my attention elsewhere.

There was really nothing interesting backstage. Only a few cans of paint, a few pair of interesting looking painter's goggles and a lost pair of painter's gloves were present. They were most likely used for some other studio show. I picked up a pair of the goggles to examine and decided to keep a pair. They were cool and by the look of them they seemed to be pretty expensive as well. I slipped a pair into my pocket and watched the crowed fill the studio.

I could obviously guess the theme of today's show. Fans had 'Hellboy' T-shirts, hats, posters, toys, and comics with them as they entered the room. Well I see where he gets his big ego. I looked at Manning and found some enjoyment in the sight of his face turning pale.

It was at that moment when I was silently laughing that I realized the show had started.

"Well today we have Director Tom Manning with us. Now tell me Tom, you've been on a multitude of other shows like this and everyone seems to ask you the same question, is Hellboy real?" The host paused for dramatic affect and the crowd cheered at the name of their comic book hero.

"He sure knows how to get to the point." I mumbled from my position off stage. I could see the show and I was sure that the host and Manning could see me, but the crowd couldn't.

"Well Kenton, I only have one answer for you and it's the same one that I give everyone else, there is no such thing as Hellboy." Manning lied smoothly, or at least it would have been smoothly if he wasn't sweating so much. I face palmed and apparently the host saw me.

"I see… well the last sighting seems to say differently. If it's alright with you Tom, I would like to ask your assistant a few questions." Kenton Johnson smiled at the crowed and waved a hand at me. An employee gave me a shove and the next thing I knew I was stumbling onto the stage in front of a national audience.

I stood frozen in surprise and stared at the crowed of people and cameras.

Manning, who was at first confused as to who his 'assistant' was, glared at me as I made a complete fool of myself. He cleared his throat and I tore my eyes away from the crowed to look at him. He gave me a warning glance and then turned back to Kenton with a smile. I took that as a sign to sit down. I took the seat closest to Kenton's desk in hopes of looking better that Manning did.

"Now what's your name beautiful?" Kenton asked in what he thought was a charming voice. I would have rolled my eyes if I wasn't so nervous. I did my best to focus on him rather than the crowed.

"My names Lightning." I replied without smiling. Kenton laughed, causing the audience to laugh as well.

"Lightning? Really? Are you some sort of an agent for this mysterious BPRD?" Kenton asked with a smile still plastered on his face. I raised an eyebrow and tried to look as innocent as possible.

"British Pancake reserve and development?" I asked making up whatever random words popped into my head that the acronym could stand for. While the crowd laughed, I said it over again in my head to make sure it made sense. Wow, it almost did.

Kenton was not amused. "Well what do you think, my dear? Does Hellboy really exist?" Kenton smiled but it was obviously forced just like the polite voice. I tapped a finger on my chin, pretending to think.

"I don't think so." There was a sound of disappointment in the audience. "I mean, the comics are good and all, but I don't know anything about a real Hellboy working for the government and I've been a US soldier for almost five years." My lie was smoother than Manning's but Kenton Johnson still wouldn't accept it.

"What if you were given photographic proof?" Kenton asked with a sly smile. I shrugged my shoulders and watched as Kenton pulled a small remote from his under his desk. A screen behind us flickered to life and I mentally smirked, for I was going to ruin this man's day.

The remote flipped through some pictures and when he finally found what he was looking for I sent a twitch of electricity into his device.

"Behold, real evidence that Hellboy exists." Kenton declared causing Manning to gulp nervously as he awaited the picture to appear on screen. A picture did indeed arrive but it wasn't the one that Kenton wanted. A quick internet search brought up a picture of a steamed lobster that was going to be someone's dinner.

The entire room erupted in laughter and Kenton franticly tried to change the picture. Manning heaved a sigh of relief that went unnoticed by everyone because of the Kenton's quick announcement that they were taking a break for commercial. I smiled at the crowed and realized how much fun it was to mess with people that weren't Hellb…well I didn't really want to think about him at the moment.

I watched Kenton get up from his seat and leave the stage, most likely to talk to maintenance. I got up as well and Manning stretched out his tense muscles.

Manning gave me a pat on the back and told me to keep up the good work but I wasn't paying attention. I had an idea for the next section of the show, a wonderfully, awful idea.

The three large flat screens were on in the conference room and almost every agent in the BPRD was sitting or standing in the tight space in hopes of seeing the show. I even spotted Abe and the professor on the other side of the room. I looked up to the screens and couldn't keep the smile off my face.

When Manning picked Rai to be his "bodyguard" for the interview, I felt sorry for her. Of course, she was Manning's favorite, even if he was mad about her leaving with Hellboy the other night. She had to take the punishment and yet there she was, enjoying herself on national television. I shook my head and laughed.

On screen was Manning's talk-show interview. That didn't seem all that interesting until Rai appeared on stage, then all hell broke loose. When they finally cut to commercial I moved across the room to stand by Abe.

"She sure knows how to make things interesting, doesn't she Clay?" Abe said without looking at me. I nodded and laughed.

When the show came back on I spotted a very large grin on Rai's face and doubted it meant anything good. Manning also seemed to be looking better, less nervous.

"Alright, well unfortunately, we can't show you our photographic evidence because of some technical difficulties…" Rai cut him off. "Oh, but wasn't that the photographic evidence that you meant to showed us?" There were several laughs from the audience. The host brushed off her remark.

"Moving on, Lightning you told us that you don't believe Hellboy exists. Why not?" Rai rolled her eyes at the question.

"If Hellboy really existed I'm sure that it would be great news for you. But he doesn't. He's a made up character in a comic book. People all over the world like to make up stories like this. It's a tourist attraction." The audience at the studio began to mumble and whisper to each other. The host just laughed at her.

"That's all you have to say about it? Oh come now, that's not a very convincing statement, dear soldier." Rai smirked at him.

"Well, sorry, but I think it's stupid. I'm not going to just throw away my dignity and start announcing to the world: There's Hellboy! There's Hellboy! No, over there!" Rai stood during her dramatic rant and walked towards the host's desk.

Manning seemed to be getting nervous again as he watched Rai and the host smiled at the audience as if he knew what was going on. Rai reached into her pocket and produced a pair of clear painter's goggles. Before the host knew what was going on Rai slipped the goggles onto his face.

She didn't even give him a second to react before she lifted a bucket from behind the hosts chair and tipped the contents of it onto his head.

He stood up in surprise as he was hit by a large amount of red paint. The audience and everyone in the BPRD conference room couldn't believe their eyes. The host pulled the goggles off his eyes and rested them on his forehead while he tried to wipe paint off his face. Rai had a large grin on her face and even Manning couldn't help smile at how ridiculous the host looked.

The room quieted as they waited for someone to speak. The host fell back in his chair and Rai leaned forward to rest both of her elbows on his desk. She rested her chin on both of those hands and gave the host a big smile before jumping up in fake surprise and screaming, "There's Hellboy!"

People in the conference room held their sides as they laughed and some even cried. Rai just stood there and was almost hit by something that someone had thrown on stage. She reached down and discovered a 'Hellboy' plushy that some fan had sacrificed to show their love. Rai smiled and hugged the plushy. After several minutes of watching the employees try to contain the situation, Manning and Rai were escorted off the stage and out of the studio.

Manning wouldn't shut up on the entire ride home. You would think he would be mad about the little stunt I pulled but no, he was ecstatic. He believed that it would be a long time before anyone asked him to do an interview or give a quote.

I sat in silence and hugged the Hellboy doll to my chest. It looked a lot like him and that made me want to strangle it. I hadn't slept well. I had a huge headache and the last thing I wanted this morning was to be woken up by Manning's lovely… scratch that there's nothing lovely about Manning.

I sat there and stared out the window, allowing myself to give in to my thoughts.

Maybe Hellboy believed otherwise, but I considered us friends. I had thought about it all night and I honestly believed that he was the best friend that I had in the BPRD; the best friend that I'd ever had. He was the one that made me laugh, made me frustrated, saved my life, and then turned around ruined everything. I found myself caring about him and worrying for him. Why couldn't he see that? The answer was already clear.

Liz.

She was who he was always thinking about, the reason Hellboy hated me when I first arrived. I had already come to the conclusion that the 'institute across the street' was hers. I felt a little bit of pain when I realized that he would always pick her over me. I hated it.

Everything, it was all about her.

I swear if I ever meet her I'm going to kick her ass, no matter how much Hellboy is going hate me for it.

Happy Holidays everyone! Reviews are greatly appreciated!