The garbage truck/BPRD vehicle stopped in front of a building and the group got off. With the help of a few other agents, they brought in materials needed. A few of the agents stayed behind while a few others left, and the truck left amongst the crowd. Manning took control of the crowd. Inside, Maizie, Abe, Hellboy, and Liz gathered up their supplies and stocked up.
"Alright, so what's the deal here?" Maizie asked.
Abe replied, "This is an auction house. There was an auction earlier and as much as I could understand, someone came in and released something."
"Okay then," Maizie said. She took off with Hellboy with an agent while the other agent, Liz, and Abe explored another room.
They explored the rooms they were in for a few moments. The radio crackled.
"No one here. No survivors. No bodies," Liz's voiced came through.
Hellboy and Maizie used their flashlight to gaze over the room.
"Same story here, babe-"
"Don't call me babe," Liz sharply said.
Maizie winced.
Hellboy scrambled to cover himself, "I said 'Abe'. Sorry, wrong channel."
Maizie looked at Hellboy who ignored her. She went on further, leaving Hellboy behind. She could faintly hear Hellboy talk to Liz through the private channel. She found nothing so she came back to Hellboy who finished with Liz.
She flicked the radio to mute for a moment, "How'd that conversation go?"
Hellboy gave her a look, "Shut up."
She snickered as she unmuted the radio. They left the room and entered another. The agent with them went ahead. They followed him. Meanwhile, Abe, Liz, and their agent explored the auction room. Abe had some kind of machine that he used to explore the room. Liz gazed down at a downed podium. Liz turned just as Abe picked up a cage. The little door swung open, and a royal seal was seen in the light of the flashlight. The royal seal was gold and round. It had the image of a tree in the center of it. His contraption made noises and spat out a few photos. He gave them to Liz.
They turned their head when they heard high-pitched chittering. Liz gave the pictures back to Abe who pocketed it.
"Red," Abe spoke into his comm. "I'm afraid I do detect some activity." He brought up his webbed hand and scanned the room. Liz and the agent found other similar cages.
"What kind of creatures?" Liz asked.
Liz's question hung in the air as Maizie, Hellboy, and their agent explored the room.
"Hellboy…what creatures?" Maizie asked.
Hellboy shook his head. He turned sharply when he heard a scratching noise. Maizie watched him.
Abe's voice filled the room, "Many, many more."
Hellboy and Maizie's eyes connected. "How many…ten?" Hellboy asked.
"No. Maybe a hundred…or two," Abe said.
Maizie looked around, officially spooked. The noises kept going. Hellboy turned around as he heard them in all the walls.
"Abe…what are they?" Maizie asked.
They waited as Abe stayed silent, then his voice sparked in the room. Maizie jumped. Hellboy looked at her. He was spooked too.
"Ah, I knew it," Abe said. "They're vicious and cruel…"
Maizie sighed exasperated. Abe couldn't ever finish what he needed to say.
"Have you noticed the floor?"
"Huh?" Maizie said. They looked at the floor.
Hellboy looked around and lifted a foot. "Uh…thick rug, deep pile, light brown…"
"Red…there is no rug."
Once they realized what they were standing on, Maizie gagged.
"Aw, crap," Hellboy exclaimed.
"Precisely…these things have a very active metabolism. They…um well, excrete as soon as they eat-"
"Abe, I'm sorry to interrupt. But we are standing in literal shit. So, I need you to hurry it up," Maizie said, frustrated.
"Ahh…well..."
Hellboy sighed. He felt the same as Maizie. Frustrated. He pointed his gun up in the air, and spoke into the comm.
"Spit it out, brother blue. What are they?"
A beat of silence.
"They're…they're tooth fairies."
Another beat of silence.
"What?!" Maizie exclaimed. "Sweet little creatures that exchange money for teeth?"
"Oh no…those don't exist," Abe said. He further elaborated, "These one are from the third century in the Teutoburg Forest. They feed on calcium. And they go for the teeth first."
Maizie moved her flashlight around. It lit up broken furniture. Then she stopped on the agent. He was kneeling looking at something.
"Dude…" Maizie whispered.
The agent spoke, "Hey, this guy is cute. I-"
Hellboy followed his eyesight and he pointed at him.
"No, don't!" Hellboy yelled but it was too late. The little creature that the agent had crooned over became vicious in a second. It sank its' teeth in the agent's finger, and he screamed. It dove into his shirt and the agent scrambled backwards. Maizie and Hellboy watched in horror as the creature gnawed into his body and the agent fell backwards. Abe and Liz had their own experience as they witnessed a swarm of the tooth fairies engulfed their agents. All four of them began shooting at the creatures. Each one swarmed up to them, biting any little skin they could find.
Hellboy shucked off his jacket and went behind a large statue. He pushed on it, and it fell forward. Maizie turned as she heard the loud thud. It broke through a wall, and she followed Hellboy through. She saw Liz engulfed in flames. It helped keep the fairies at bay. For a quick second she almost wished she had Liz's powers. Her teleportation and premonitions weren't really the best in this situation. She reloaded her gun quickly and shot off some more fairies. She spotted Abe going up a stair and she followed him. The other agent had gotten attacked and pulled down the stairs passing her.
"Abe!"
Abe turned, hearing her call him. He stuck out his hand and she grabbed it. He pulled her along and he led her to a large safe. She stepped in. Abe followed in and closed the door. He had gotten a few more bites along the way. Abe lit up the flashlight. The space lit up. Abe and Maizie were pressed up against each other. They were both breathing hard.
"Are you okay?" Abe asked.
She looked down at herself. Her arms were littered with bites.
"They hurt like a bitch," she winced as she touched one. Abe took an arm and inspected it closer with the flashlight.
"I'll take care of it when we get back," Abe said. He looked up and they were only inches from each other.
A pause of silence.
"Maizie," Abe began. "I-"
"No." Maizie said as she pulled her arm from his hands. "Not now. I can't."
Abe opened his mouth then closed it. An explosion rocked the building. Abe grabbed Maizie as they were knocked to the ground.
