"Stay where you are, Caleb. Don't move. Bleh…Never mind that its bloody freezing out here and dark and… something could come out any moment to attack you…" I glanced around at the dark alleyways and shivered. Where could that girl have run off to? Longwood, of course. Not exactly a precise location. She could be anywhere in the Bronx. Not a good place to be snooping around.

My face was still sore. I tried not to think about it as I sat waiting for… anyone. It had been a few hours since I called the Bureau and had since gotten dark again. I heard the car before I saw it. It rounded the corner quickly and screeched to a stop in front of me. The door popped open before I could whistle in appreciation for this vehicles make and model. "Get in." A voice prompted. I shivered in the cold. "You aren't dragging me off to kill me, right?" I asked, not totally joking. Now apparently wasn't the time for jokes. "Get in the damn car and tell me where Rai is heading." Came the voice again. Impatient and frustrated, the dark haired agent slammed his foot on the gas the second my door clicked shut. I scrambled to throw a seatbelt on as he flew down the city streets. I opened my mouth to issue a complaint but he cut me off.

"I have a team heading through New York City right now and they need a location for Agent Lightning. Where is she headed?" He sure was a no-nonsense kind of guy. "I already told you over the phone. She went after this guy Garrison and he's in Longwood somewhere." I replied, gripping the seat belt and door as though my life depended on it. It kind of did; who taught this man how to drive?!

"You don't have anything more specific than that?!" The agent barked at me. He turned his heated glare on me. Honestly, I don't know what was scarier; his threatening look or the fact that he wasn't watching the road while flying down a road at 85 mile per hour. "Calm down and watch the road for heaven's sake! I want to find her too! She doesn't know where she's going or what she's getting herself into! She'll ask around and get some info from the locals. My suggestion is that we do the same. Hopefully we can find her or Garrison before they find each other!"

The agent didn't look happy about my suggestion but he didn't have any better ideas. He turned on his little communicator device and radioed his friends ahead of us. Everyone was heading to Longwood. I glared out the front windshield into the dark night. Rai, please wait for us lassy.

Chevy, Ford, Toyota, another Ford, an old pickup truck (how'd that make it into the city? Not important…) one more Toyota and, finally, a nice and shiny BMW. A single manicured finger ran its way down the side of the car, starting from a tail light and stopping as it reached the driver-side mirror. Hell of a time to be car shopping.

Lights flickered in the underground parking structure as he pressed a hand to the door of the midnight blue vehicle. Smug was the only words to describe the expression he carried as the door swung open at his will. Smuggier still, when he patted the roof of the car and grinned at the lights. Smuggier… don't ask for a dictionary reference, imaginary voices in my head. I don't have time for you.

A quick glance was given to the rest of the parking garage, surveying the other cars so as to confirm that this was the car he wanted. Then, as he placed one foot in the car, ready to drive off into the moonlight with his prize, something caught his attention in the car next him. There was movement in the window of the neighboring SUV… a reflection actually. He leaned over to inspect the glass but it was already too late. From the hood of the Toyota to the roof of the BMW and finally smashing into his back I counted maybe 5 seconds. His face hit the SUV's window and went through it. He was probably fine…probably. My knee had landed right between his shoulder blades. After my boots hit the concrete, my momentum sent me into the side of the larger vehicle right next to this well-dressed meat head.

Glass shards hit the ground as he pulled himself out. I moved the second I heard the sound, barely dodging a backhand to the face. Leaving the confined space between the cars, I found my footing in the open street of the parking garage. There was time to breathe and observe. The monkey suit pulled his fist from the back window where my head would have been. Slowly, he turned to face me with no thought given to the glass in his hair and in the fold of his shirt collar.

"Well….how might I be able to help you?" He asked in a calm patronizing tone. "You took something from me." I grumbled as I tried to catch my breath and fake not being winded. The fool laughed at me! "Look at you, as dreadful as I remember." My eye twitched at the sound of his chuckle. He could afford to lose a few of those pearly whites he was flashing at me. "Excuse me?"

"Oh, of course. You were too drunk to capture much of that night." He seemed entirely unconcerned with the blood leaking from his head and face. Some of the blood was streaking down from a cut over his left eyebrow. He was all smiles and hair jell, not a care in the world. "I don't care." I finally said after a few moments of awkward silence. I thought they were awkward, I'm not sure he did. He was talking during those moments. He was awkward… Now he was confused. Before he could open his mouth to say anything else that was stupid or awkward I shouted at him. "I don't care!" The ground was uneven and my vision was still blurry but I was here now. I couldn't quit when I was this close. I clenched my fists, widened my stance and glared at the source of my suffering.

"You took something from me! I want it back!" I growled at him.

"Yes, you said that; the first part anyway. May I ask what is it you think I took?" He was playing dumb, playing innocent. I couldn't believe this! "You… you took me! You took my power, my energy! Give it back!" I screamed in complete frustration. Another grin.

"Oh, of course. My mistake, my bad. Here." He waved his hands in front of him and then gestured to me. We stood silently like that for several moments. Dazed and confused, I waited for something to happen. Nothing did, not until he started laughing again. He wiped a tear and some blood from his eye with a smile. "You are too fun…"

Well, now I was over this.

I rushed towards him.

My fist was deflected, hitting nothing but air. I tried for a knee to his abdomen. The air left his lungs as he folded in on himself. He brought an elbow down on my shoulder, grabbed a fist full of my hair and threw me back into the body of the car to my right. Pain shot through the middle of my back. I took a second to breathe and sort through the pain. He wasn't going to let me have that. A kick to my hip had me sliding along the side of the car and landing on my face in the street.

"Testy testy…" He wheezed. I propped myself on my elbows. Desperately, I reached for one of his shoes as he walked around me. Locking my fingers around his pant leg, I tried to pull myself to my feet. Either that or pull him down with me. I can't say I had much hope in that second option.

"Honestly…" He sounded so damn patronizing. Why was this so easy for him? Couldn't he feel the building spinning? A swing of his leg set his pants free from my grasp. I took my weight on my elbows, catching myself before I hit the concrete again.

"Give….give it back…" I spit out. Slowly, I got a knee up under me. "How selfish…its all about you. What about me? Do you know how much trouble I went through to get these powers? Planning the stage just right, drawing out the Ornias brothers, setting one of them off with just the right spell and the perfect timing… I mean, don't I get any credit for that? If none of that worked I would have had to fight all of those thugs by myself!"

"Oh what a travesty… imagine fighting those 3 demons… All. Freakin'. Alone!" I swear I will provide the sarcasm until I die…

"I mean, I didn't make you drunk that night. You have your agency you know. I simply partook of a good opportunity for myself." I looked up at him with true hatred. With an eye roll and a good push I got my other knee under me. Silently, I prayed for strength to stand and fight again. For the moment, I just panted like a dog and tried to maintain balance on my hands and knees. "Wow… that looks really hard…" Ever observant he was…

"Garrison…" I choked out. "Yes, dear?" He chimed. I couldn't reply. Focusing on the ground in front of me was the only thing I could do to convince myself that I wasn't dying.

"Well, like I was saying… I went through a lot to get what I wanted. I had to go through the littlest demon, not that I couldn't handle him. I'm very capable… But it was so inconvenient. You were phenomenal however. Hanging on to life even as I pulled the energy from your body; you are impressive. It should have killed you. Knocking the building down on top of you should have killed you. Even right now, as your body deteriorates, you should be dead. But like a cockroach you cling to life."

There was a pause. My battle for air and balance occupied my mind. I wasn't concerned with what he was doing or thinking about. A hand gripped my chin suddenly, forcing me too look up at him. He had knelt down in front of me and was watching my struggle in dark amusement. "I'm going to end your struggle. Then I'm going to end New York City's struggle. It will be my city. All of this, mine. No longer will there be any quarrels over power and territory. No longer will we have to deal with outside interference and meddling from that organization of yours. This power is going to help me bring it crumbling to the ground. I'll destroy them all and then, when I'm finished with that red skinned abomination who they call upon as a hero, I'm going to place his head on a pike-"

A right hook cut off his venomous rant. His whole head flew to the side, leaving him wide open. All the strength I had been focusing on surged through me and down to the soles of my feet. I launched myself up and into him, tackling him into the back of a car. There wasn't enough air in my lungs to scream but my fists got the point across. If Garrison thought I was going to let him get anywhere near Hellboy…

The electricity stung when it hit me. I stumbled backwards, shocked that I had just been…well… shocked! Garrison was pissed and ready to make his threat a reality. Our forearms collided as I blocked a shot aimed for my head. I blocked another by my side, ducked, turned and caught his fist with both my hands. He wrenched back his fist and I side stepped, bringing a boot up to kick him. He caught my foot, gripped it tightly and… uh, oh…

With little effort, he lifted me by my leg and slammed me into the back of a nearby mini-van. The back window shattered as I was sent through it and I landed awkwardly in the cramped trunk space.

Rolling in glass, I frantically tried to figure out my next move. I clicked the trunk door open quickly. It flew upwards and smashed into Garrison's face on the way up. Ignoring the shrill chirping of the cars alarm, I gripped the floor cover of the trunk and scrambled to open the spare tire compartment. Flinging it up and open, my eyes singled in on what I had prayed for: a tire iron. Garrison gripped the back of my jacket and I was jerked backwards. I hit the ground again but used the momentum of his throw to roll back over onto my knees and then to my feet. I backed into the BMW ready to keep fighting. This time I was ready with an equalizer. Nothing had ever meant as much to me as this piece of metal that I gripped with my fists.

Agitation was clear in his eyes when he turned to face me. They were blue and human. But I knew better. "Testy. Testy…" I wheezed pathetically. Well, my attempt at taunting was a bust…

Garrison moved inhumanly fast, he crossed the street in an instant and brought a fist of energy with him. Whelp… Stop. Drop. Roll. Without the stopping part, of course. I couldn't even manage the roll part either. I found myself caged in as he towered over me. Terror streaked across my face as he stared down, his hand imbedded in the body of the car. Those eyes were cold and murderous! I snapped back into motion when he ripped his hand out of the metal of the BMW. I swung with all my strength at his knee.

There wasn't enough space to make the blow as forceful as I wanted but it got the job done. With a scream, he backed up. I scrambled out of his space and onto my feet. Giving him no time to recover, I brought the tire iron down on his back once, twice, three times. He took each blow with a howl of pain. Two more swings smashed into his side. Hope sparked inside of me right as my third blow came to a sudden stop. Before I could connect, his hand shot out and caught the tire iron. He held one end, I held the other, and we just stared at each other for a moment. On a good day, I wouldn't be able to win this tug of war.

We were both huffing and puffing now. For whatever reason, that gave me some satisfaction. I flinched as his second hand came up to grip the other end of the tire iron. He pushed forward and I stepped back, not relinquishing my grip.

"It's over. You are just the first of many to fall." He hissed, leaning closer to my face. I pushed with everything in me but he was too strong. He forced me to take another step back. "Your home, your family, your friends, I'm taking all of them with the power you gave me." He continued, driving me two more steps.

"I don't even know you. Why? Why are you doing this to me?" I asked, fighting to keep tears from spilling out of me. I'm going to die…

"Right place, right time. You were convenient, nothing else. I would hardly consider us meeting important. I don't care who you are. Die."

Before I could form a response he released the electricity. I saw it as it raced down his arms and across the metal in our hands.

Every muscle in my body clenched, my jaw locked, and my nerves lit up. It… hurt…

I couldn't move. I couldn't look away from his eyes, filled with malice and sick humor. He opened his mouth to laugh but I couldn't hear it over the chirping electricity. My hands were turning red as the skin started to burn. Unbearable heat licked at my face. I still had some resistance to the energy but it wasn't enough to stop the inevitable. I'm dying.

Dad… I'm scared.

Tears set themselves free.

Hellboy… Help.

…

I'm sorry…

"Just die already! I have places to be!" The guy couldn't even allow me to die in peace. This prick…! This stupid…!

No…NO! I am not about to die to him! I had promised someone that I would take care of myself. I had promised him that I wouldn't leave. He would be strong right now. He would beat this! Hellboy…

"It's my business if you get hurt because I care about you." He had said that. He cared. I couldn't lose now…

Garrison couldn't kill me. Especially not with my own power! This is mine…

"Th…this…" Pushing with everything I had, I willed my mouth to move. Garrison was caught off guard and waivered for just a moment. It was an opening I desperately needed.

"This… is…" The muscles in my hands tightened with my command, no longer constrained by the shockwaves coursing through them. Feeling came back to my legs as I shifted my footing.

"How…?!" Garrison's voice rose above the chirping lighting surrounding us.

All the muscles throughout my back and into my shoulders loosened. The feeling of electricity was familiar. My muscles and nerves had experienced it before. A part of my mind was screaming about the pain but I boxed it away. Squeezing my eyes shut and gritting my teeth, I forced my nerves to remember. Remember the sting of the lighting. Remember the ease of releasing it.

Father had taught me how to control it. He had taught me not to be afraid of lightning storms. I hated the rain so much. He always saw it as beautiful. He would sit and watch it while I hid behind him, not wanting to see and hear the lighting crash to earth. I hated that sound. He would laugh at me. "That light exists in you. You are special, Rai." It was comforting. It was encouraging. To him, I didn't have a destructive force in me. I had light. Light that could compete with the shadows. That could warm the world. I think he was drunk one time when he said some of those things but I think he really believed it. He always said he was so proud of me. Dad, can you see me now? Can you help me do this?

My hands were still burning but I felt the worst of the heat stop there. Focusing hard, I could see in my mind the lightning wrapping around both Garrison and me. The flashing energy was darting back and forth between us. Choose me… I begged. Please, for once… choose me! I felt the energy lash at both of us. Garrison didn't have a firm hold on it. Because…

"THIS IS MINE!" Screaming the words had my throat feeling raw.

For the first time, fear shot across Garrison's face. Realizing what was happening, he tried to pull back the energy but he wasn't quick enough. The electricity was already in the open and I could feel it shooting through my arms again. It was just as painful as before but I was ready for it. I felt the light twisting through me, filling the space that it knew as home. Wrapping itself around my veins, muscles and bones, it felt like an excruciatingly painful but welcoming hug.

"NO! YOU CAN'T!" Garrison's composed façade cracked.

The energy fill me and for the first time in weeks, I felt like myself. I could survive this. I could go home.

But first…

"You… will never hurt Hellboy." I locked eyes with him one last time. He would not win. His threats were empty now. This man, this thing, would never take anything from me again.

"Please…" Garrison pleaded. I'll forever deny hearing him. My powers were mine again. Our hands were still wrapped around the warped metal between us. Letting it act as a conduit just as he had, I let loose the electricity with no hesitation. I knew it would come back to me afterwards. It had chosen me over him. It was mine.

I felt more power than I could ever remember having. It lit the entire parking garage, shattering car windows and the florescent lights above our heads. A flash of hot white light filled my surroundings…

…

…

…

Then I was alone.

Releasing my hands, a molten metal rod hit the pavement in two pieces. Looking down at it, I found a blackened form crumbled at my feet. Stepping around it without a second glance, I stumbled through the parking garage.

Not much distance was gained before I felt my exhaustion take over completely. Leaning against a small box car, I pulled myself into the narrow space between two parked cars and slid to the ground.

I wondered if I fell asleep if I would wake up afterwards. It was a frightening and strange thought. Pulling my hand up slowly, I let the energy flow so that I could see it. Relief flooded through me as I saw the lightning dance across my fingertips. It came back.

When my eyes finally slid shut, they were wet with tears.

Dad, Hellboy, Thank you.

...

Holy hell! How is this my thirtieth chapter?! Oh boy... everyone hang in there. Well, thank you for hanging in there as long as you have! For thirty whole freaking chapters! R/R I really like reading your comments, makes me motivated to keep typing away with these ideas.