Hellboy had been in many situations involving hostages. It was very rare that he, himself was the one tied up. He sits before eight hooded figures, their robes a dark purple and what seemed to be a projector damn near blinding him for some reason. To his left sits Wednesday who is tied in the same fashion as he is as one of the hooded figures removes the bag covering her head. Hellboy tried to speak, but his words came out groggily, no doubt from the effects of the siren's song. "A-alrite y-yew sunza biches." He groaned as he attempted to stand, being stopped by the bindings around his elbows. He had to guess that these morons didn't know how to deal with the size of his stone wrist. "I'm gonna crack yer skulls if ya don't-"

"Silence!" The cloaked figure in front of him demanded, their voice was distorted. The only reason people do that is if they know that their voice is known. Well, that narrows it down at least. "Who dares breach our inner sanctum?" The same figure demanded.

"Yer uncle Billy Bob." Hellboy chuckled, still a little delirious, but his senses were coming back to him. Wednesday looked to the cloaked figures and pieced together their leader as soon as they spoke, breaking them out of their distain at Hellboy's crass remark.

"You can take the mask off, Bianca." And with that, the girl in question removed her hood with an annoyed huff as the rest of them did the same. Hellboy didn't recognize many of them, but among them was Xavier who stood closest to Wednesday. "Wait, I preferred you with it on." Wednesday quickly added. Hellboy could feel his strength returning as he regained feeling in his limbs.

"How did you two even get down here?" Xavier asked the pair.

"I asked around, it led me to Eddy outside. Thanks to Wednesday, you guys still have a functional door." Hellboy explained as he began to roll whatever part of his body that he could to get the blood flowing again.

"What's that supposed to mean?" A boy with a large bruise on the left side of his face asked. With a grunt, Hellboy stood to his full height as he pulled his arms apart, snapping the ropes as they fell to the floor behind him. Hellboy grinned at the boy's fear as he held up his stone fist, knuckles facing toward the boy.

"Take a guess." He said as he began stretching his limbs.

"Rowan showed me." Wednesday said cryptically, motioning with her eyes toward her jacket pocket. "Left pocket." She instructed Xavier. The boy in question reached into said pocket and removed the drawing done by Rowan. "I tracked the water mark to the Poe statue. Hellboy wanted to take the direct approach. I solved the riddle instead." She explained.

"Wait, there's a riddle?" Both Hellboy and the bruised boy said simultaneously. Hellboy noted at a closer glance that the boy was also a siren. "I thought we just snapped twice." The boy added, to which his friends shook their heads in shame of his oblivious admittance to idiocy.

"Well, aren't you the brightest in the bunch?" Wednesday asked sarcastically toward the boy before turning to Hellboy. "I thought you were better than this." She said with disapproval.

"Hey, I'm tired of the ring-around-a-rosie that is secret doors and hidden levers. The first few times it's kinda cool. After that? It's just annoying." He explained. Bianca interjected, wanting to get back on track.

"The Nightshades are an elite social club. Emphasis on elite." Bianca explained as she faced the pair of intruders.

"I woulda thought it would come with a fancy fish bowl for you." Hellboy remarked, he didn't care much for status. But he still found it annoying when it was flaunted in his face.

"You're one to talk." Bianca snarked. "I would've imagined the sawdust in your cage would at least be good quality." She smirked. Hellboy growl slightly as he slowly made his way toward her, looming over her like a red omen of death

"Yeah it is. And I'm gonna request for you specifically to clean my 'cage'. I hope you like the smell of demon shi-"

"Hellboy!" Wednesday called out, slightly frustrated. She liked seeing Bianca beaten, she had even, deep down, wanted the pair of them to come to blows. But they had made progress that they couldn't lose now because of Hellboy's temper. "Back on topic." She finished as one of the other girls in the group, a vampire, spoke up, still a little bit unnerved by the demon towering over her club leader.

"Uh... Anyway. We have rooftop parties, campouts, the occasional midnight skinny-dip." She added with a sly grin toward her fellow members.

"And Yoko's an amateur mixologist." Another girl added. Before the gorgon boy, Ajax, if Hellboy remembered right.

"She makes a killer virgin mojito. It can get pretty wild." He said in a typical stoner fashion.

"Wow, do you guys even have a bedtime?" Wednesday asked, clearly fed up with this situation.

"Seriously, this is like basic stuff. You really want wild? Go tell an Oni that his brew is weak. See how you end up by morning." Hellboy said with a huff. "Besides, last I checked, this clubhouse got disbanded." Hellboy added. It was Xavier who responded.

"Yeah, the group kinda lost its charter thirty years ago after some normie kid died." He explained. Now this was interesting. Thirty years ago, a human dies, after that the club disbands. There was a connection somewhere, he just had to find it. This was something Hellboy would try to follow up on later. Yoko proceeded to explain that it was the wealth of their alumni (whatever the hell that means) that allowed them to reinstate this club and that Weems overlooks their club as long as they don't make waves. Hellboy knew Weems would still be full of crap. Bianca went on to explain that they had removed Rowan from their club last semester, Hellboy noted that she did not mention why this was done. he was brought from his thoughts once she continued.

"Question is, what are we gonna do with these two? Only members are allowed in this library." She spoke, Hellboy did not like the insinuation and prepared himself for a hateful, bloody battle and-

"I say we invite them to the pledge." Xavier spoke with resolution. Hellboy was positive he did it more for Wednesday than himself, but he'd take an out this time. Putting these pampered jackasses in the infirmary was not what he wanted to do tonight. "She is a legacy." He added, pointing toward an olf photo of Morticia Addams. Bianca was adamantly against this.

"After the crap they pulled in the Poe Cup, there's no way in hell." She explained, clearly still upset at her loss.

"Not our fault you boat was made of tissue paper." Hellboy remarked, crossing his arms over his chest.

"And then there's you." She began. "Some giant, red freak with a brick for a hand and jagged horns. We're trying not to make waves and you two are like a tsunami." She explained.

"Jagged?" Hellboy muttered to himself as he reached up with his left hand to feel his stumps. True to her word, his horns were starting to grow out more, giving them a more jagged appearance than he wanted. "Damn." He muttered quietly to himself. Wednesday, noticing his discomfort, stepped in.

"You're mad because we beat you at your own game? Let me save you the trouble. We're not interested in joining." She told them with finality, much to Xavier's shock.

"You're seriously turning us down?" Yoko asked.

"Yeah, you guys are kinda dorks." Hellboy spoke, to Yoko's disbelief at the swift confirmation.

"Untie her." Bianca demanded of one of her lackeys.

"I freed myself not long after Hellboy broke free." Wednesday said, holding up the ropes as proof. Standing up, she walked over to Hellboy, grabbing him by his elbow to turn him around. "We're leaving." She spoke, no room for argument. The male siren stepped in their way, attempting to intimidate them. Hellboy swiftly gut punched the siren with his left hand. Hellboy barely put effort into the strike, knowing that the jackass had never been in a real fight. Still, watching him crumple to the floor was funny to watch.

"That's for hypnotising me... Prick." Hellboy finished as the pair ascended the stairs. "Hey, uh, I hate to ask but... you wouldn't happen to have file would you?" He asked, uncomfortable with the need for assistance with his private matters.

"I have several. Why?" She asked as they entered the main building, refusing to elaborate on her ownership of the tools. Hellboy pointed toward his slowly growing stumps.

"They're getting a bit longer than I'd like and I forgot to pack my electric sander." He admitted.

"Why do you shave them?" Wednesday asked. "In what I've read on the demons, horns are a sign of status." She looked at him expectantly.

"Well... they are, but it makes putting shirts on a lot harder." He gave a fake chuckle, hoping that would satisfy her curiosity. It did not, as she proceeded to stare at him yet again, a ghost of an emotion of annoyance plagued her face. "Fine." Hellboy grumbled. "I don't like them because they remind me that I'm not who I'd rather be." He admitted.

"Who would you rather be?" She continued as they reached the door to her room, Enid was most likely still asleep.

"I dunno. A normal person I guess. Instead of..." He waves his hand up and down in front of his face. "This." Wednesday said nothing for a moment.

"There are a lot of people who would kill to be like you." She said, matter of factly. "To be as strong, or as tough, or live as long." She continued. "Stop wishing for the stagnation of the people around you when you are more than they could ever hope of being." She said, entering her room. She emerged a few moments later, file in hand. "Give that back when you're done with it." She warned him.

"Yeah, I will." He said in contemplation. Wednesday simply nodded curtly before closing the door. With that done, Hellboy returned to his own room and began working on his horns. In the mirror, he looked himself in the eyes as he pondered upon everything that has gone on so far since he got here. He's made friends, enemies, found a monster and got some strangely good advice from someone who he was sure wouldn't bat an eye if he imploded in front of her. He chuckled at the thought. Looking to his stumps, he was satisfied with their smaller size, though he would still need his sander to remove the jagged parts. He yawned as he flopped into bed, thinking about the developments in this new case. What he needed now, was another lead. As much as he hated to admit it, The Nightingale clubhouse was a bust. At least Wednesday found what she needed, but Hellboy didn't care about prophecy, they were usually wrong anyway. He needed to find the creature. Well, that would have to be tomorrow's problem.

The next morning, Jericho, Kimbott's office

"So, Hellboy." She smiled as the half-demon sat opposite her. He wore casual clothes instead of his uniform despite the other students requiring it during this whole volunteer work they had to do. Hellboy wasn't bothered with it. What was Weems going to do? Tell him no after lying to him? Fat chance. "How have you been for these last few days? It's been a while since your last session with me."

"It's been... okay, I guess." He admitted. He wasn't going to get into another argument with her about the creature.

"Just okay?" She inquired. "I thought things would've been more exciting. After I heard about how you helped the Black Cats win the Poe cup this year." She smiled. "You have a good throw from what I hear."

"I better have, because I'm a terrible shot with a gun." He admits with a shrug.

"Well, not everyone is great at everything. Sometimes we have to learn to live with our limitations." She explained. Hellboy fidgeted in his seat, not liking the idea that aiming a piece of metal was something he wouldn't be good at. "So, I'd like to address the reason your father requested that you attend these sessions." Kimbott continued.

"Okay?" Hellboy said, unsure of where she was going with this.

"From what I've observed from your other sessions, you're one of the mildest tempered people I've worked with." She explained.

"What do you mean?"

"You keep an even tone and you don't lash out, even when talking about topics you'd rather not discuss."

"So?"

"It's just..." She pauses for a moment. "What makes you angry? The kind of angry that you were sent here for?"

"I guess... getting hurt usually does it." He shrugs.

"Is that all? I seem to recall your temper rising slightly when it was implied that you and Wednesday were lying about the creature."

"That's because the damn thing is real and no one is believing the ONLY monster hunter in this stupid town!" He rises swiftly, his fists clenched.

"...There."

"What?"

"Your temper flares during moments where you feel like your experience is being questioned or if people seem ignorant to what you alone know."

Hellboy sat down at this, sighing deeply as his shoulders slumped. "It's just... people are really dumb sometimes. They'd rather believe in a fantasy world where nothing is wrong and they're the only ones who're right."

"It's natural to feel that way. Try to understand that these people, at least most of them, don't do it on purpose. Sometimes the truth can be painful so they'd rather not see it."

"Doesn't make it any less annoying."

"No, I don't suppose it does." Looking to the clock, Kimbott notices the time, turning back and smiling warmly to the investigator. "Well, that's all for our session today."

"Alright. It's about time I check on that 'Pilgrim World' I've been hearing about." Hellboy grumbled as he stood.

"Try to have fun... and stay out of trouble." She said with concern. "I know the people around here aren't the nicest, and your heart is in the right place when you act. I just don't want you getting into a situation you could've avoided." Hellboy paused for a moment before smirking.

"No promises." He says as he walks out of the office. It didn't take him long to reach Pilgrim World, and it was just as much of a dump as it sounded. He was about to turn and walk away from the frankly depressing sight when he took note of a commotion by the stocks. It was tweedled dee, dum and douchebag picking on that kid from the bee club. Wednesday had told him about the kid once, he sounded like a good guy, just really weird. "Hey!" Hellboy yelled as he approached. "Let him go." He warned. The tallest of them spoke first.

"Take a look at this freak!" He laughed to his friends. "What's the matter hell spawn? You wanna go in the stocks instead?" He threatened.

"You got your ass handed to you by a girl a foot shorter than you." Hellboy reminded him as he got right in his face with a glare. "What do you think I'll do?" The response was the pilgrim swinging a right hook into Hellboy's cheek. The strike was barely registered by the half-demon as his head barely moved. "That it?" He asked, grabbing him by the back of his neck with his stone hand and throwing him ten feet into the air behind him, across the road, causing him to land in a cart of hay which soon collapsed. He turned to the next one. "Hey there potbelly!" he laughed, jabbing the boy in the stomach with his left hand. The force dropped him to the floor, curled up and holding his aching gut as he groaned. The final one, the mayor's son, if Hellboy had to guess, took off like a bullet at his friends being dispatched in such a way. After his little scrap, Hellboy turned to the kid, he was caught off-guard by the vile stench that hit his nostrils. "Dude... did you puke?" Hellboy asked with a cringe as he saw the aftermath of his chunder on his pilgrim outfit. It wasn't long after that Wednesday arrived and began to clean up the mess Eugene made of himself, commenting that he reminded her of her brother before announcing that they would be breaking into the meeting house to learn more about someone named 'Cragstone'. Hellboy figured it was the guy on all of the posters. Reaching the door, Wednesday was halted by the thick lock.

"Hellboy." she said simply, stepping back.

"Thy will be done your majesty." Hellboy muttered sarcastically. Raising his fist, he brought it down upon the lock, shattering it into several pieces as well as ripping the entire latch out of the door. "Damn. This shed is old." Heading inside, Wednesday ordered Eugene to keep watch. Likely for the boss of this place. "So, what's so important about this guy anyway? How the hell does it help us catch a monster?" He asked as she continued to snoop around.

"It doesn't. The prophecy Rowan talked about shows me facing Crackstone while the school burns around us." She explained, slightly annoyed at being questioned while she worked.

"Are you still obsessed with this crap?" Hellboy groaned as he pinched the bridge of his nose. "Prophecies are never right. They're always misread or just not real. You're better off-"

"This is her." Wednesday interrupted. "The girl from my visions. She even has the same book." Coming over to see what she was talking about, Hellboy noticed the freaky blonde girl that was almost the spitting image of Wednesday. It didn't take her long to find the same book within a display case. To her disappointment, the book was a replica, no words graced its pages. They made to leave the meeting house, but the Mistress of Pilgrim World barged in, dragging Eugene with her. After a few minutes of lying through their teeth and being left at yet another dead end, Hellboy agreed to meet Wednesday at the Weathervane after she ditched the watchers. So, there he was, sipping on a hot chocolate with extra marshmallows provided by Xavier, who was doing volunteer work there.

"Hey, Hellboy, can we talk?" Xavier asked as he made his way to Hellboy's position.

"Sure, what's up?" Hellboy asked, taking another sip of his drink.

"What's going on with you and Wednesday?"

"What do ya mean?" Hellboy raised his brow at that.

"It's just, you two are always together whenever I see you around."

"You want the truth?"

"Well...Yeah."

"I'm hunting a monster. She's trying to decipher a prophecy. We are the only ones who believe each other because we both saw the damn thing so we're sticking together until I can kill it." Hellboy said, finishing his drink as Wednesday arrived. She had a short interaction with Xavier before bringing Tyler over to Hellboy's table, laying a map of Jericho out.

"You know the original pilgrim meeting house, the one from the 1600s? Do you know if it's still around?" Wednesday asked the barista.

"What's left of it is out in Cobham Woods, but it's pretty much a ruin." He explained, unsure of why they wanted to know. After pointing it's location out on the map, he began to warn the pair, although Hellboy was sure the concern was for Wednesday only. "It's pretty sketchy. Squatters and methheads use that place as a crash pad."

"Good, at least it won't be boring." Hellboy said, finally bored of the conversation as he began to set out. "I'll meet you out there." He called back to Wednesday, much to her annoyance at once again being left by the only one she deemed capable of fighting the creature or assisting her with the prophecy.

It took a surprisingly long time for Hellboy to reach the ruins. It was just as he expected, there was nothing here. "Hey!" A raspy voice called out from the corner. It was a dishevelled old man with a scruffy beard. "What're you doing here devil!? It ain't my time yet!" He yelled, drawing a knife and slashing it left and right in Hellboy's direction. Hellboy's response to this was to grab the knife in his stone fist and crush it into a ball of metal and plastic right in front of the homeless man's face. The silence was defening as Hellboy drew closer, his strides slow and deliberate until he was face to face with the man.

"Boo." The half-demon said as the old man yelled in fear, tripping over himself as he ran out of the ruins. Hellboy scowled as he watched the man run away into the forest.

"Hellboy." Wednesday spoke as she opened what was left of the decrepit door. "Have you found anything useful?"

"Just mould and mildew." He shrugged, looking around at the state the ruins were left in by the squatters. "I still don't know why you're bothering with this prophecy." He admitted as eh began her own search.

"It was important enough that Rowan tried to kill me because of it." She reminded him, as Thing began tapping out a message to Wednesday. "No, I can't just touch something. My visions seem to happen spontaneously." She explained to him.

"It's worth a shot ain't it?" Hellboy asked as he kicked an empty beer can against a wall. "Just... I don't know. Run your hands over some of this junk. It couldn't hurt, right?" Hellboy didn't like psychics, they were unreliable and always gave too little, too late.

"Oh, you want me to prove it to you?" She asked, clearly annoyed as she proceeded to place her hand upon several pieces of the structure before finally stopping. "See? They are random and unpredictable." She looked around before giving a swift sigh in defeat, "There's nothing here." She conceded as she walked to the door, reaching out for the handle. "Let's go be-" Her head flings back as her hand connects to the door, she collapses in a daze.

"Wednesday!" Hellboy called out, running up to her and dragging her into the main area. Thing began tapping out a message to the half-demon. "Fine, dammit. I owe you ten bucks." Hellboy growled, he had made a bet with Thing the night before about these visions and their usefulness. "How long is this gonna take?" Hellboy asks as he sits next to Wednesday.

Thing taps out the response for 'I don't know.'

"Great." Hellboy groaned as the rain began to pour. He put his hood up over his head, but it did little to stop the cold. He wasn't sure how much time had passed, but he was soaking wet right now. Thing had taken to hiding underneath his coat in order to avoid the rain as Hellboy continued their game. "Eye spy with my little eye, something beginning with- Holy shit!" Hellboy yelled as Wednesday finally darted awake with a gasp. "Well? What did you see?" He asked quickly. He may not like visions, but he would be dumb to ignore the ones he got.

"I saw her. The girl from my visions. I believe she's my ancestor from 400 years ago." She spoke, turning quickly to face a gap in the wall, rising and walking cautiously toward it.

"Damn. A monster, a prophecy and now ghosts? Why can it never just be one of them?" He grumbled as he placed his hands on his hips, looking to the floor in contemplation, trying to piece together what he had and where it was leading. A snarl catches his attention from Wednesday's direction as she quickly steps away from the wall. Through the gap, he saw the eye of the creature... and it saw him. With a growl it lunges away from the wall and takes off running. Wednesday made for the door in order to pursue when splintering wood caught her attention. Hellboy had already begun the chase by smashing through the wall, what was left of it collapsed soon after his departure.

"Come on, come on!" Wednesday yelled to Thing as she began to chase after them. "Hellboy!" She called out after him as he disappeared through the treeline, his focus purely on the creature that he was slowly gaining on. It was not long until she lost sight of them.

Hellboy continued to run after the creature, ignoring Wednesday's calls. He wanted to wait for her, but he wanted to kill this thing more. Once he was sufficiently close to the creature, Hellboy leapt up to a tree, kicking off of it's trunk to gain more height above the creature, bringing the entire weight of his right hand in a falling hammer fist upon its back, forcing it to the sludge with a grunt. "That's right, fugly." He snarled as he gripped it's ankle in his stone fist, despite it's attempts to scratch his forearm with the talons of it's feet. "I gotcha now." He growled, swinging the creature around, spinning in the process as he brought it's head across the trunk of a tree, knocking a large chunk from it as he let the creature go, throwing it into another tree. He wasted no time in his advance as he leapt into the air, raising his fist for an overhanded punch, eager to see it's head wrap around his stone fist. To his dismay, the creature retained enough cognition to roll out of the way, leaving Hellboy to punch the floor instead, his fist sinking into the mud up to the wrist. Taking advantage of this, the creature roared, raising it's left claws and slamming them into the back of Hellboy's left shoulder. Hellboy grimaced at the pain as the creature used it's dagger-like claws to lift Hellboy up and slam him, chest first, into the ground. He did not get a reprieve from the punishment as it proceeded to throw him high into a tree, the branches breaking or scratching him as he sailed through them. Landing hard on his back, Hellboy groaned in pain as the creature descended upon him, it reeled back it's left claws at it swung them down toward his throat. Swiftly, Hellboy rolled to his left to avoid the no-doubt lethal attack. As he rolled back, he drove his elbow into the creature's cheek, leaving him just enough room to bring his right arm back and jab the creature in the nose, if the sound of breaking eggshells to to be believed, Hellboy had broken it. As it staggered back and turned with a pained growl, clutching it's face, Hellboy rose to his feet, trying to ignore the searing pain in his shoulder. Hellboy reached out and grabbed the creature by it's shoulder, forcing it to face him as he slammed his right fist on top of it's head, forcing it to it's hands and knees. Not nearly done with the monster that has caused him so much trouble, Hellboy grabbed a fistful of its hair it his left hand, lifting it up and pushing it backward onto its staggering feet as he swung his right hand as an uppercut into the creature's chin with a force so hard that the collision sounded akin to a gunshot as the creature's feet left the ground as it soared backwards through the trees and rolling towards a small cliff, overlooking a waterfall. Hellboy ran to it, he wasn't about to let it disappear again. As the creature stood, it faced Hellboy with unchecked fury. The two began to slowly circle one another, each silently daring the other to make a move.

The creature swung first, delivering a swift left hook across Hellboy's head. Spittle and blood flew from Hellboy's mouth. "You sonova-!" He returned the gesture with a right handed back hand to the creature's temple. To Hellboy's surprise and frustration, the creature ducked the swing, like it was anticipating it as it spun quickly and delivered it's own backhand into Hellboy's chest, throwing him into a backwards roll as he struggled to remain stood despite the speed. Looking to the creature, Hellboy snarled as he marched back into arms reach of it. It snarled back but he swore he though the thing was grinning at him. It swung again, with a right hook. This time, Hellboy ducked as he jabbed the creature in the eye with his left fist. Using it's disorientation, Hellboy took his chance to swing a right hook into the creatures cheek. The force of the blow spun the creature to face away from its adversary, collapsing to its knees in a daze. Its breath was ragged. Too late did it notice the crushing pressure around its abdomen as Hellboy gripped his hands together, growling as he suplexed the creature behind him, cracking the stones of the ground beneath them as its head made contact. Quickly standing, Hellboy glared at the slowly rising creature that has been a thorn in his side from his first week here. It faced the half-demon and roared in a last attempt at intimidation. Only to be met by the demon in question slamming a right handed haymaker into the creature's face, the pale skin undulating, its skull cracking and its eyes feeling as though they were being forced out of its head as the force of the blow swiftly threw it off of the cliff and into the plunge pool below. Taking a moment to breath, Hellboy walked to the edge of the cliff to look for any sign of the creature. He could see no tracks or strange movements in the water. Muttering to himself "With any luck, the bastard will just drown." A snapping twig brought him from his thoughts as he turned quickly, only to be met my the creature, now soaking wet, as it uppercuts him off of the cliff with a savage snarl and a wicked grin. "CRAP!" Hellboy roars as he falls into the murky water below.

END OF CHAPTER

And that's another from me people! I know this is comparatively short compared to the last chapters, but I couldn't find much room for Hellboy in this episode and other situations kinda felt too forced or it would've made the timeline harder to maintain. Seriously, I didn't notice how many time skips were in this show until I started writing this fanfic.

But, in any case, I hope you enjoyed reading and as always feel free to comment and criticize, because I am always wanting to improve. And for a new thing, if you have any ideas that you would like to see implemented or just have general ideas on how this could be made better, do not be afraid to let me know because I thrive on feedback and if I get it from people who like the story but see potential for more it will help me make this fic even better.

As always, have a fantastic day/night!