Opposites of a Different Kind

Hellboy paced in the FBI building hallway as Abe read a book beside him. Everyone was pretty much geared up ready to go they were just waiting for the sun to go down and the angel to return from her outing. A cigar was pinched in between his two red lips, absently he puffed away on the brown tobacco. His stone hand made grinding noises as it made fists of anger and worry. It had been several hours since they left, she should have been back by now. If that Darren character hurt her he’d have his head on a plate.



“They’re back.” He over heard someone call down the hallway.



Before he could turn around to scold her he heard several people gasp. Whirling around he saw her wings outstretched in the hallway bobbing gently behind her with every step. Her large wicked sword slung behind her somehow the handle peeking out from behind her wings as she walked. Agents moved out her way their eyes glued to her feathered wings as she passed. Across her left arm hung a purple cloth and her other arm held a large box of rattling glass.



“Your wings! What happened are you alright?” Abe called out putting his book down but was pushed out of the way as the large red demon made his way to her quickly.



Hellboy’s eyes were trained on the young agent behind her, “Did her hurt you?” he growled stepping beside her confronting Darren head on. The young agent cowered before the giant demon awaiting the first blow.



“Dear lord Hellboy calm down I’m fine Darren was a gentlemen. I saved a little girl today from falling off a cliff that’s why I have my wings. And you know it was kind of cool.” She turned her gaze to Abe. “I actually controlled them I made them come out.”



“That’s wonderful! You’re making progress.” Abe smiled patting her on the shoulder.



Hellboy went behind her and fiddled with the sword and its new holster slung around her back.



“Where’d you get this?”



“Darren had a craftsmen make it for me on the way back. So now I don’t need to carry it in my hand all the time.”



The box in her right hand shifted a bit and her hold on it tightened. Looking back Hellboy was behind her examining the box. His human hand shook the contents slightly getting the bottles to clank together.



“What you got in the box?” his voice sounded curious



“Beer if you must know the best beer ever.” Draping the purple cloak over the box she adjusted the box in both hands holding it close to her body protectively. Swinging her hips away from him Anessa hid the box from his sight with her wing.



“The best beer? Can I have one?!”



Anessa shook her head and began walking away, “I need to get ready I’ll be back in a few minutes.”



Disappearing down the hallway Anessa made it into her room and set the box of beer on the bed and pulled off her sword. Turning around to face the mirror hanging on the back of the door she adjusted herself to see her back. Her once “whole” red hoodie was shredded in the back from her wings. She would need to figure out a system with her wings or she wouldn’t have any shirts by the end of the month. Grabbing the front of her shirt she ripped the rest off throwing the wasted fabric in the garbage. Her suitcase laid just at the end of the bed, unzipping the case she flipped open the top and pulled out a purple tank top. She flipped over the fabric in her hands and looked at the back. She could easily maneuver her wings into the shoulder holes in the tank but it was far too cold here to go in just a tank top. Pulling out a black jacket from the suitcase she flipped it over as well. A quick search of her bag and she found her scissors and cut two holes in the back for her wings. With a shuffle of her wings she was in her tank top then she adjusted her wings to her side to get them in the holes of the jacket. Very carefully she pulled them through the holes and closed the jacket up. Retrieving the sword and holster from the bed she pulled it over and adjusted it on her back. The jeans she was wearing would suffice for tonight so she headed out into the hallway again.



Just as she made it out to the trucks she watched them load Hellboy’s large body into the wooden crate marked “Live Cargo”. Soon after she watched Abe throw a large cloak around himself and got into one of the many Government SUVs. Looking up into the sky she watched what was left of the sunset disappear behind the oceans horizon. Soft blues and darkening purples splashed across the night sky like a painter’s canvas. Anessa stretched her wings into the cooling evening air and pumped them a few times taking her just off the ground.



“Boys I’ll follow you by air. I wanna see what’s going on from up above.” And with that she lifted into the sky and disappeared into the moon kissed clouds.



From the hole in his crate Hellboy watched the angel take off into the sky vanishing into the night. She was going to scout from above he had over heard and was jealous. Here he was in a large uncomfortable crate and she was in the clouds free as a bird. Grumbling to himself he pulled out a comic book and began to read. With a jolt the large truck started forward sending him to the back of the enclosure with a loud “omph”.



Anessa soared through the air directly above the trucks watching the surrounding very carefully. Swooping back and forth through the night air she tried to enjoy the flight as much as possible. Her white and black wings hovered just next to her occasionally moving to keep her body in the air. The green fields ran by below her in a blur, herds of white sheep speckled the never ending green. Then something caught her eye looking to the line of trees running adjacent to the road the trucks were on she noticed the branches moving. Moving quite violently as if something big was moving through them. Reaching for her communicator she called down to the trucks below.



“Hey boys look to your right do you see anything in the woods?”



A short stint of silence and a voice came over the com, “Jackson here, no we don’t see anything its too dark. Why what do you see?”



“It looks like something huge is flanking your vehicles. The tree tops are dancing around violently.”



Not a second after the words left her lips a large shadow leapt from the trees and tackled one of the large SUVs sending it careening into the empty field. It rolled three times before coming to a stop upside down. Soon after the shadowy creature lunged at the truck carrying Hellboy’s crate sending that as well into a barrel roll. The large crate flew through the air and collided with the ground shattering the wood. Hellboy was launched from the crushed rubble and did a summersault into the grass. With cat like reflexes he was on his feet with the Samaritan poised and ready.



Anessa watched from above waiting for the right time to strike. Hidden behind clouds the moons light was dulled leaving the creature in shadow. It was huge no doubt but she needed to see it before she could attack. As if on cue the dense night clouds moved from the moons light illuminating their attacker.



“It’s the giant!” diving into a roll she descended onto the earth with great speed. Reaching behind her she pulled out her sword and readied it for the attack.



Hellboy watched the moons light creep over the creatures face illuminating its ghastly features. The site made him want to loose is early dinner. The giant stood nearly sixty feet tall its head was far too big for it body. The size left it hanging to the right side of its body bobbing with its tremendous weight. It eyes were far apart and uneven its pupils a milky white color. From the site of its disfigured nose it looked as if something had bite it clean off leaving a jagged stump behind. A mighty roar from its huge mouth revealed the loose and decaying teeth. Each brown tooth went its own way in its mouth some swinging with the movement of its massive head. Drool ran occasionally down the side of its mouth dropping haphazardly on its crooked shoulders. One of its giant hands clutched a large stump from a tree, he swung it threw the air roaring his warning.



Hellboy wasted no time and took several shots at the giant, each oversized bullet finding its mark. With an angry howl the giant stumbled back as the bullets made contact with its flesh. Each bullet hole exploded with its blood sending it to the green grass below staining the innocent field. The giant quickly recovered and lunged for the red demon missing him barley. Hellboy tucked and rolled away from the creature’s oversized grasp and shot again sending a few more projectiles into its putrid flesh. Again the giant howled in pain but didn’t falter this time and grabbed for Hellboy once again and found purchase. Wrapping its crooked fingers around Hellboy’s waist the giant hoisted him into the air and started to squeeze.



In the mess of it all the Samaritan was dropped to the ground and the red demon reached for it in vain as his body was lifted into the night air. Soon after Hellboy could feel the pressure from the monsters hand. It slowly began to crush him sending an uncontrolled roar of pain ripping from his throat. He could hear the agents firing upon the monster but it did nothing to stop it from crushing him.



Quicker then he could think the giant roared in pain releasing its devastating grasp on the giant demon sending him back to the earth with an ‘oomph’. Looking back up he saw the angel perched on the monster’s shoulder her sword embedded into its chest. The creature’s finger grasped at the sword and angel fiercely trying to ride itself of both. Anessa’s wings reached to the sky and pulled down taking her from its shoulder. Her hands reached for the handle protruding from the monster’s flesh and yanked it free, getting another scream of agony from it. When the angel came into the giant’s view his eyes went wide and began to grasp for her wildly his lips moving without sound. She dodged each awkward hand expertly and drove forward yet again embedding her sword into the other shoulder.



Hellboy and the agents watched from the ground as the Angel waged her assault on the giant. Her large wings were agile enough to keep her from harms way but eventually the creature would get wise and find a away to grab her. Hellboy wasn’t going to wait for that to happen. Grabbing hold of the fabric of the giants tattered pants he climbed up the length of him. Now on top of the shoulder Hellboy took out the Samaritan and placed the muzzle of the gun to its neck and pulled the trigger. An ear piercing bellow erupted from the thing’s throat. Its arms began to grab wildly at its own neck trying to cover the injury. This gave Anessa enough time to retrieve her sword from the giants shoulder. With a sickening sound the metal ripped free of the flesh.



Now the agents standing below decided they had waited long enough and began firing their fire arms at the creature’s legs. Several bullets bite through its skin sending the giant stumbling backwards. His hands up in defense trying to get away from his attackers.



“Oh no you don’t” Hellboy growled still perched upon the giants shoulder blade. Grabbing the back of the giant’s shirt he dropped down ripping the decaying fabric with his descent. Reaching the knees Hellboy took several more shots each bullet ripping into the soft flesh behind its knee caps. Toppling backwards the giant connected with the ground hard. Doing a backward summersault he landed on his stomach his arms outstretched before him. Hellboy rolled just behind him taking his own dirt bath. Getting to his feet Hellboy brushed his duster off and strode towards the unmoving goliath.



“Now stay down!” he spat getting to the monsters side kicking its large exposed toe.



Anessa landed beside him gracefully her bloody sword still in hand. Soon several agents gathered behind them still on edge.



“That was a little too easy for a thing this big.” Anessa whispered making her way up the side of the thing. She watched the back of the monster rise and fall with each raged breath. He was defiantly still alive but was it awake. Tapping the monster’s exposed side with the tip of her sword she got no reaction. Hellboy made his way up the other side to its face. With out warning its hand shot out and wrapped around Anessa. From sheer surprise she dropped her sword and let out a yelp. Faster then anyone’s reaction time it was on its feet and high tailing it towards the woods Anessa still in it’s grasp.



“Oh crap!” Was all Hellboy could muster as he took off after them.