Opposites of a Different Kind

As the large garbage truck connected with the docking bay Hellboy opened the back door and stepped into the loading area were Manning was waiting. Thick file in hand Manning patted the large demon on the shoulder as he huffed by.



“Good job Red.” The balding man grinned pulling a glowing stogie from his mouth.



A curt grunt was Hellboy’s only response as he disappeared into the main hallways of the BPRD.



Myers exited his SUV and handed the file he had prepared on the plane to the bald agent .



“What’s Red’s beef?” Manning asked taking another long drag from his cigar.



“I told him the news.”



“Ahhh.”



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Trudging in his room Hellboy slammed the thick metal door closed and dropped his duffle bag on the ground scattering a few cats in the process. His large brown duster dropped to the floor as the demon fell on his bed turning on his many TV screens. The once quiet room now filled with the sounds of cartoons and reality shows. Rubbing his flesh hand over is weary face he let out a deep sigh. Another guy he could handle but a woman that was a completely different story. He was almost over Liz and now another female to get attached too. Sitting back up he looked into the mirror across the room. Running his large digits over his growing horns he smiled a bit, still new faces could be good. Blue was getting uglier by the day. With that thought of his wet friend he made his way back out into the hallway.



Shoving open the doors to his father’s library he strode into the large room and placed his red fleshy palm to the glass of Abe’s tank and waited for a smart ass remark from the gilled man.



“I see you’ve returned safe and unharmed once again. Quite disappointing really I was hoping for a show.” Abe smiled as he made an appearance in front of Red’s palm. Watching Red’s face remain solace he burst forth a few bubbles and placed his palm over the red one on the other side of the glass.



“Good to see you too blue, miss me much?” Hellboy laughed pulling out a cigar from his duster and lit it. Turning around he flopped down in one of his leather couches placed in front of the huge tank for conversations with his blue friend. Taking a long drag he let out a grunt and flipped off his boots.



“The entertainment value went down when you left. Clay can only do so much now, him being in a wheel chair in all. But I sense something is bothering you. Mission go alright?” Abe settled in front of the panel that stood before the red demon.



Hellboy leaned his head back on the couch took another pull and closed his eyes. “We’re getting a new special agent Blue and it’s a dame.”



“So I’ve heard.”



“When you get the news?” Hellboy’s head popped up.



“Mannings informed me of the new addition only an hour ago. She should be arriving shortly I suspect. It’s all very mysterious if you ask me. They won’t tell me much about her. The only thing they’ll give me is that they found her in Iraq. She was pretty badly beaten and malnourished. She hasn’t talked much yet, a few words here and there.”



A pang of regret hit Hellboy like a ton of bricks he had been whining and bitching like a little child when this poor kid was beaten and abused. Could he feel any worse?



“Don’t feel too bad Red you didn’t know.” Blue cut in his thoughts.



“Hey I thought I told you not to do that messin with my head and crap.”



“Sorry Red.”

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Scenery flashed by as she stared out the moving vehicle. It was much less bumpy then the agonizing long plane trip but with her broken arm it hurt all the same. The men who had found her informed her they were taking her to a special facility called the BPRD. Someplace where they could figure out what was going on with her. And help her deal with it. Finally the large truck rolled to a stop in front of a garbage facility. After a quick scan of the drivers face the large metal gates opened and the SUV was allowed admittance into the grounds. They pulled around the back and a hefty door opened and the vehicle pulled inside. A rotund balding man came to her side of the truck and gently opened her door.



“Good afternoon, my name is Tom Manning and I am the President of this facility. We welcome you with open arms and hope your stay will be pleasant. Please come with me our doctors are waiting.” The bald man extended his hand to her and after a few uncomfortable seconds she reached out and let the man help her from the car.



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A knock at the door of Hellboy’s room woke the demon from his sleep. Getting to his feet he opened the door to find Abe standing in the doorway, his breathing apparatus in place.



“She’s here. They’re having a look at her in the infirmary.” Abe looked down and smirked at the nearly naked demon. All he had on was a pair of black boxer shorts and his tail swinging behind him lazily. “Um you might want to put some pants on first though. Don’t want to scare the poor thing.”



Hellboy looked down and groaned slamming the large metal door in his friends face. Quickly grabbing a pair of leather pants that were hung loosely over a lazy boy and a black tank top he put them on and rushed out the door.



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Abe and Hellboy peered through the window into the infirmary. There she was lying on the med bed she was tall with long dark crimson hair. She was very malnourished and looked as if she hadn’t had a decent meal in months. Her eyes darted around the room frantically as she tried to observe her surroundings. They could tell she was frightened and unsure of the whole thing. Her left arm was being examined by Laurel the doc of the BPRD. From her curt facial expressions it seemed the arm was broken. Manning was hovering around the back of her head watching intently on the progress. His eyes moved about the room momentarily and stopped on the two sets of prying eyes. The boys realized they were caught and tried to play dumb. Hellboy looked into the glass window as if it was a mirror pretending to fix his goatee. Abe turned from the window and began adjusting his air intake valve. Manning moved from behind the woman and made his way to the observation window. Raising a chubby finger he twitched it back and forth as if to scold a child and closed the curtain.



“Crap.” Hellboy puffed leaning against the wall.



Just then the door pushed open and Manning entered the hallway. “Well hello boys, so nice of you to stop by for a spy on our guest. I don’t want her to see you guys yet. She’s been through enough, she’s already on edge and I don’t want her to freak out even more by seeing a large devil boy and a man fish. Now she will meet you both in due time when she is rested, well fed, better acquainted with the building and well prepared to see your ugly faces.”



“Do we know anything about her yet? Why is she here? She looks normal to me.” Abe spit out at the retreating Manning. Before he disappeared back into the infirmary Manning looked back at the agents. “You’ll find out what we know soon enough, but for now you’ll have to wait like the rest of the staff.” And with that he was gone leaving the boys with more questions then they began with.



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“Ms, do you think you would be up for answerinf some questions now?”



She looked over to the balding man who was addressing her again along with the young man she had heard people call Myers. She looked down at her arm which they had realigned and put into a cast. The young agent named Myers placed a bowl of soup before her and handed her a spoon. She looked down at the bowl and back up to the handsome agent.



“Something small first we don’t want you to get sick. Then after a little bit we’ll give you something more substantial something that will stick to your ribs.” He smiled sweetly.



She dipped the spoon in the broth and brought the liquid filled utensil to her mouth. It was warm and soothing not to mention excellent. It had been several months since she had anything besides bread and water. She quickly began to shovel the contents of the bowl into her mouth. Her mouth watered at the taste.



“Whoa, slow down it’s not going anywhere.” Manning laughed as he watched the frail woman inhale the soup.



Slowing her pace she returned her gaze to the helpful agents and smiled weakly, “I think I’m ready to answer some questions now.”



Shocked by her lengthy responses since it was the most she had said since she was discovered, Manning and Myers quickly pulled up chairs and sat next to her before she changed her mind.



Swallowing her mouthful of soup she set the spoon down and turned to the patient men, “My name is Anessa Davis”



Myers extended his hand, “Pleased to meet you Ms. Davis.”



“Please call me Anessa.”



“What do you remember Ms. D…. Anessa before you were found? What happened?” Myers asked pulling out his note pad.



“Well,” she started twirling her spoon around in the cooling soup, “My unit was doing a routine raid of abandon houses on the outskirts of Baghdad when we were ambushed. Most of my unit was killed but four of my best men and myself were captured.”



“So you’re part of the group that was reported dead six months ago? They found what was left of your tank in Babil.”