Maizie Myers sighed as she adjusted her seat on the couch. Her body was strung like wire, so tight it could almost snap. She wasn't sure why she was feeling this way lately. She set down the small hand-held drawing pad on the table in front of her, closed so nobody could see it. She had picked up the habit of drawing, a natural skill she didn't know she had. She stretched her arms over her head and then dropped to her hair. She let it out of the rubber band. Another streak of white had appeared in her dark hair in the past year.
Has it only been a year?
She ran her fingers through her hair thinking about the year since she joined. She never thought she'd have gone through so much. Broom really chose the right person to be Hellboy's bodyguard. Few more scars earned just to keep him alive. Maizie looked up to where there was a Christmas tree standing beside a fireplace. Colorful lights twinkled at her almost as if it knew her secret.
Her little girl.
Her eyes dropped to the drawing book. She had almost filled it with pencil drawings of the little girl she had seen in her vision last year. Nobody knew she was the mother. Her eyes darted over to the large tank where she knew Abe resided in. She could see the shadows of him floating, enjoying the music only he heard.
The sound of a door opening caught her attention, and she turned her head to see Tom Manning walking towards the glass with a folder in his hands. She got up, picked up the drawing pad, and slipped it into her back pocket with the pencil. She didn't trust anyone to see it yet.
"Hey, fishstick," Manning said as he slapped the folder against the glass. "We gotta talk."
Abe glanced at the folder then to Maizie as she appeared by Manning's side. She dropped his gaze. He floated up and got himself dried off. He put on his new specially designed breathing apparatus and climbed down the winding stairs. Once he joined them, they went walking out of the library. Manning opened the folder and handed Abe some of the papers.
"Look at that," Manning said as he handed the other few to Maizie. "Each photo costs a fortune to suppress. And of course, they still pop up on the internet."
Maizie sighed as she skimmed through the photos of Hellboy.
"Oh, Lord," Abe said. "He's smiling in this one." Abe showed Maizie the picture and she rolled her eyes.
"I know. It's not just the money. It's the provocation."
They stopped at a door. Manning leaned forward. "Man-ning." He spoke into a mike. The door opened to a hallway barred by another door. It opened as they got closer.
Manning continued, "His ego is out of control. And it's deliberate."
A pause. Another door opened.
"He hates me."
Maizie and Abe glanced at each other.
"No! You know he has a problem with authority, Manning," Maizie said.
"He doesn't hate you. He's just…enthusiastic," Abe continued.
Manning scoffed, not really believing their words. They approached Hellboy's room. "How are things between him and Liz?"
Maizie looked at Abe, curious to see what he says. Liz had talked to her a lot lately about Hellboy.
"Oh, you know…the usual," Abe said as he handed back the pictures. "Since they moved in together. There's been good days and bad."
Maizie almost snorted in reply. Good days? Sure. Just as Abe finished speaking, the wall in front of them exploded. A ball of fire smashed the door open. Maizie grabbed Manning and Abe's arm and wisped out of the hallway and to behind the pillar. The smoke dissipated as they watched around the pillar.
"Then again, there are the really bad days- "
Hellboy rose from the floor, his jacket smoking with flames licking his arms. He turned as he slapped the flames down. He turned and saw the three.
"Oh, hi Blue, Manning, Myers," Hellboy said before the turned and went back into his room.
The three stepped out from behind the pillar and walked to the doorway. Hellboy's voice was loud.
"Well, I'm not afraid of you! You hear?" Hellboy yelled.
They watched as Hellboy stepped around the burning debris. He held few blackened LPs and 8-track cassette tapes. "Look! I have one rule! 'Don't touch my stuff'-"
Liz went up to Hellboy engulfed in blue flames and watched Hellboy as he rummaged around in their garbage can.
"You have the same album on CD, LP, and an 8-track!"
Maizie sighed as they continued to argue. She looked at Manning.
"It's been a long year."
An alarm sounded above their heads.
"Oh, thank god!" Hellboy exclaimed.
The two stepped out of the room, not even glancing at each other. Liz's body still radiated heat. Manning led them all in silence to their weapons area. Once they arrived, he went off on his own to manage the new mission. Abe and Hellboy went into the room. Maizie grabbed Liz's arm and held her back.
Liz looked at her, "What?"
Maizie raised her hands.
"Girl…direct that fire somewhere else."
Liz took a deep breath. "I'm sorry. I'm just frustrated."
"I know. Take a beat before you go in there," Maizie said. Liz nodded and Maizie went into the room.
After a moment, Liz followed. They all changed out their clothing for mission suits. Liz picks up a small handgun and slipped it into her belt. Maizie did the same but added finger-less gloves on her hands. She gathered up her hair into a ponytail. Once they were all ready, they headed out. Hellboy opened the door for them. Liz went out first then Abe. Maizie stopped in front of him.
"Dude…you really gotta chill out. We've had a long year and it's been tough on some of us," Maizie said.
Hellboy sighed, "I know. We're all frustrated."
Maizie stepped into the hallway and Hellboy let the door shut behind him. Together they walked.
"Hey," Hellboy said. Maizie turned to him. "How's the nightmares?"
Maizie shrugged, "Still going."
"I'm sorry."
She shook her head, "It's not your fault I've had these recurring visions of you being a terrifying King and the world ending."
"Still…"
"I know," Maizie stopped before they got to the transportation. "Look, last year you made the choice to have that beautiful future. I know what vision you chose. I know what future we're all working towards."
"What happened last year with Rasputin was big. Liz died. I was practically in a coma. It's going to take more than a year to recover from that," Maizie said. "And the thing with Abe…"
Hellboy pulled Maizie into a hug, and she chuckled. She embraced the hug and relished in the squeeze. Then he let her go.
"Let's go kick some ass," Hellboy said.
