Writer: Sabaku No Kel
Fandom: Hellboy
Pairing: Hellboy x John Myers
Title: Death
Words: 11.954?
Rating: Overall rating M (This chapter M for blood, violence and character death)
Warning: Blood, violence, character death, angst and some guy on guy kisses
Disclaimer: I don't own Hellboy or it's characters and do not make any money out of writing this.
AN1: Hello lovelies! First thing I'd like to point out is the warning section for this week's chapter. Did you read it? Yes? Well, just in case you didn't I'm going to say it again, just to be sure. This week's story contains
CHARACTER DEATH! That's right someone will die and you can all blame school for that. This started out innocent enough, me trying to type out my frustrations at the total lack of common sense in any of the teacher's (not to mention my class-'mates') heads by throwing our favourite demon/human couple into some battle scenes. As my frustrations and irritations got to the point where I was ready to explode over the tiniest things though this fic sort of escalated and took on a life of its own until, lo and behold, character death took place.
Now I'm not forcing anyone who doesn't want to read character death to read this but if any of you still want to that would be awesome because a lot of time went in this fic (it is well over ten thousand words and all) and despite the sadness and angst in it I'm sorta of glad I managed to write something other than the fluff I usually type up. So I've decided to stop ranting right now and let you, if you still want to that is, read this week's story. See you at the bottom!
000 Death 000
It was well after midnight, a time that most would consider best for resting after a hard day of work, but as one learned rather quickly as a BPRD agent 'evil' never slept and therefore 'good' hardly got a chance to do so either.
Currently Abe found himself in the library, not in his tank as he was supposed to be but at the late Professor Broom's desk still dressed in full battle gear, he hadn't quite found the time to remove it yet after their latest mission. Sitting behind the Professor's old desk was always a strange thing for him, like he was invading a secret place better left undisturbed, but right now he had no other choice. He was filling in the paperwork for their latest mission, as team-leader that was technically Hellboy's job but after the events that took place just a few hours ago the Icthyo Sapien knew the half-demon wasn't up for the job. His friend really didn't have to be reminded of the loss he suffered that night even though Abe was sure he would probably never forget about it either.
Abe rubbed a webbed hand over his eyes, he was tired and sore but he had a job to do and no matter how long he kept putting it off he had to do it eventually. Images of a bloody battle flashed before his eyes, memories that would probably return in his nightmares later, but he forced them away for now. This was going to be hard enough without traumatizing memories circling his already clouded mind.
Abe sighed and reached for the folder he had gotten for the, still unwritten, mission report. There were a number of blank pages inside, waiting to be filled with words so it was within the silence of the night that Abe put his pen to paper and wrote.
'
Casualty rates are one on five, which means that 1 on every 5 agents dies on a mission. Today that agent was John T. Myers.'
- Flashback -
"Crap." Hellboy grunted as he hit the ground, quickly rolling out of the way of the sword aimed for his neck before it could strike again. There was a screech and a whoosh of air as the harpy he had been trying to take down took off into the sky again, flying high out of reach of his bullets and waiting for him to let his guard down.
"You okay, Red?" John called out to him, firing bullets at one of the harpies circling the skies. There were five of them in total, two with black wings which carried spears and two with brown wings which carried large bows. The one with the sword had white wings and was obviously the leader of the small pack of winged warriors which was why he had tried to take that one out first. Unfortunately these things were smarter than they looked.
"Fine, Scout… just a little winded." He called back as he hoisted himself back to his feet. A quick glance around the 'battlefield' was all it took for him to locate the rest of his team. Abe was shooting at one of the brown-winged harpies, he was having trouble with his aim though since he had to keep jumping out of the way of the arrows being fired at him. A couple of feet away from him agent Marchello, one of the regular field agents who had been with the BPRD for almost ten years now, had managed to shoot one of the black-winged harpies, weakening it. This also made it angrier though. The leader was nowhere to be found but the other two were flying much too close to the ground to be coincidence, Hellboy figured they were probably just waiting for the best moment to attack.
John shot at one of the harpies as it came within range of his bullets, trying to chase it off before it could attack but the creature evaded the metal projectile with ease. The agent ran over to him as Hellboy made to meet his partner.
"Try not to get killed, will you? Manning will mount my ass on the wall if I have to file another casualty report this week." John said, eyeing the cuts on his chest from one of the winged creature's claws. The cuts didn't hurt anymore and would probably be fully healed by tomorrow but that didn't stop the agent from worrying over him.
"Don't worry, kid. It'll take more than a couple of humanised chickens to take me out." Hellboy said, only half kidding. Sure, he'd fought some real nasties over the years but sometimes it were the things you least expected to be deadly to do you in.
John opened his mouth to say something, probably another lecture on the importance of self-safety, but before he got the chance to a word one of the harpies swooped down from the skies and flew straight at them at high speed, spear drawn and poised to stab clean through the young agent. Hellboy moved before he even realized doing so, wrapping his arms around his liaison before turning his back to the harpy coming in from the sky. He didn't have enough time to draw his gun to take the thing out so using his own body as a human (or rather demon) shield to protect his partner would have to do.
He felt the cool metal of the blade slicing into his skin before the pain bloomed to life, forcing back the scream of agony threatening to escape. The sound came out as a groan and he stumbled forward, nearly toppling over John, as the harpy came down on his back, claws digging into his skin as the blade was pushed in even deeper. John gasped, eyes wide as the winged creature screeched loudly mere inches from his face, the sound shook the agent from his momentary shock though as his gun was instantly brought up and fired. The bang was loud, his ears ringing, but Hellboy knew without having to look that the blow had to have been deadly, John had the best aim of them all and he hardly ever missed a target. There was no chance he could have missed the creature from this distance though and as he felt the weight of a body slip from his back he knew without a doubt the harpy had to be dead. There was a loud
THUMP as the lifeless body of the winged creature hit the ground, the sound echoed by a similar, yet softer thud as the demon's knees gave out below him as the pain became too much.
"Red!" John yelled, voice full of panic, as he supported his partner to keep him from toppling over completely. "Shit, you're hurt." The agent stated as blood slowly soaked the material of his leather jacket. The knife had sliced in pretty deep and it hurt like a bitch but it was his ego that had taken the worst blow, after all wounds would heal but something like this would hang over his head forever.
"I told you not to worry, kiddo… I can take it." Hellboy said, sentence broken by a pained gasp as he tried to stand only to drop back to his knees again. Okay, not ready to move just yet, great.
"I know you can but that doesn't mean you should put yourself on the line like that, you may be pretty damn near indestructible but you're not immortal." John chastised him, sounding every bit the nanny he was. The kid's fingers traced over his back, sending tingles down his spine that replaced the pain, if only for a second.
"This needs to come out." The agent said as he tapped his knuckles against the flat side of the blade etched into his flesh. Hellboy nodded, giving the okay for the kid to go ahead and remove it as he braced himself for the pain he knew was to come. John cautiously moved from his side, slowly to make sure he wouldn't collapse on his own, before taking hold of the hilt of the spear and with one quick yank pulling it out. The demon clenched his teeth together as a fresh wave of pain hit him, fire spreading through his veins as he forced back any sounds threatening to escape. Damn, that almost hurt more getting pulled out than going in.
"
Fuck that hurt!" Hellboy growled as he clenched his hand and pounded his fist into the grass below him to distract himself from the pain.
"Good, maybe next time you'll think twice before using yourself as a shield." John said, hiding away his concern under harsh words. Hellboy knew the kid didn't really mean it though, he could hear how afraid for his safety his partner really was in the tone of his voice. The demon smiled through the pain as he felt John's fingers once again glide over his skin, inspecting the damage. It was nice to have someone worry over you.
"I swear if you keep pulling stunts like that I'll have grey hairs before I even hit thirty." John said as his fingers left the demon's skin, wiping his hand on his jacket to get the blood off his fingers. The wound was pretty deep and he was still bleeding but he knew it wouldn't leave any lasting damage, he had been lucky the blade hadn't etched itself into his spine though.
"Aww, you're just saying that 'cause you're worried." Hellboy said, smile morphing into a smirk as John's eyes narrowed. After years of working together he could read the kid like a book and the one thing that always gave him away were his eyes, John always gave him that look when he was simply concerned for his well being but didn't want to show it.
"Can you blame me?" The agent said as he gave him a look over, eyes lingering on the cuts and scratches littering his body. They hadn't even been out here for that long and he already got stabbed (among other injuries) and though he was more than used to it he understood John's reasons for worrying over him.
"No, I'd be pretty damn worried too if you pulled any of the shit I pull on a daily basis." Hellboy admitted, distracting himself from John's wide shocked eyes by attempting to get back on his feet again. Fortunately, he managed to remain standing this time and aside from a small stumble when a sudden flash of pain moved through him he found his footing to be quite steady. Ready to get back into the battle (because really it didn't sound like the others were doing so well without them) he turned to his partner only to find the look of surprise still on the young agent's face.
Really, he knew it must have come as quite a surprise to the kid to hear him admit not only to his own foolish behaviour but that he too worried over someone other than himself every once in a while but it couldn't have been that shocking, could it? He was fully aware he usually kept his feelings locked firmly away but still, didn't John realize he cared more for him than he did for just any other agent, more than he probably should care for his liaison.
"Just… try and be more careful, okay?" John said, stumbling through his words as their eyes met. The agent's cheeks were just a little bit rosier than they usually were and the image of his partner blushing like a young bride on her wedding night was so strong it made him do the one thing he'd wanted to do for so long. He kissed John. Full on the lips and everything. He pulled the kid closer to him by his tie, just a gentle pull really, and at the exact same moment leaned down to seal their lips together in kiss that sent fireworks igniting behind his eyelids. His eyes were open and staring down into hazel brown, the agent's eyes were full of shock again but it only took a second for them to go half-lidded before closing fully, John moaning into the kiss as he pressed back into him gently. Hellboy's eyes fluttered closed as well after that, lips moving gently against each other as the battlefield faded out of existence as they lost themselves to their feelings.
The kiss was warm and gentle and though Hellboy would have like it to go on forever he knew he couldn't possibly stay lip-locked with his nanny for much longer without the risk of one of their feathered friends noticing. So, it was with a heavy feeling of loss that the demon pulled back, separating their lips with an almost silent popping sound. John's lips were a bit darker and shinier than before and the dazed, love-sick look on his face made him smirk.
He did that, he thought with a small sense of accomplishment.
"Since you asked nicely." Hellboy whispered, a silent promise he'd try a little bit harder to stay safe, just because John had asked him. The kid nodded, glazed look slowly fading from his eyes as his kiss-induced haze left him to be replaced by battle-riddled adrenaline. They broke apart and walked in separate directions without another word or glance back, guns drawn to join the fight they had neglected for long enough already.
Around them the battle raged on undisturbed, the only reason the harpies hadn't attacked them while they were 'occupied' was because Abe and agent Marchello had been keeping them busy but it seemed they wouldn't be able to handle it on their own for much longer. Both of his team-mates were bruised and bloody, several cuts and puncture holes visible even from a distance and though they didn't appear as though they had suffered the same level of injury as he had earlier agent Marchello looked a little paler than he should be, which meant he had probably lost a lot of blood, and Abe was favouring his left leg. All in all things were not looking in their favour but he planned to change that, right now.
"Yo Bird-boy…" He called to one of the harpies shooting arrows at his amphibian comrade, the winged creature simply ignored him though, focusing only on trying to hit the Icthyo Sapien instead. "Catch." Hellboy said as he took aim and fired, hitting the harpy in the leg. The creature let out a pained screech and turned hateful dark eyes on him, the sight of blood dripping down the harpy's leg making Hellboy smirk.
The harpy glared at him and readied its bow, razor sharp arrow now pointed directly at him. "You want a piece of this, Featherhead?" Hellboy muttered as his eyes narrowed. "Then come and get it." He said the moment the arrow sprang free from its bow, the deadly projectile flying towards him at high speed. Hellboy jumped out of the way, narrowly avoiding getting hit as he hit the ground and rolled out of the way. Unfortunately his earlier stab wound played up as he hit the ground, white hot agony shooting through his limbs as he slammed down. He forced himself to keep going despite the pain though, knowing that if he stopped for even a second he
would get hit. Arrow after arrow rained down from the skies above him, every gleaming metal projectile hitting the ground he had been occupying a mere second before. It hurt and he was getting dizzy from constantly rolling out of the way but he'd managed to evade the harpy's arrows, unfortunately for him the arrows just kept on coming without even a moment's pause. Hellboy knew they had to be using some sort of magic otherwise the creature would have run out of ammunition to fire ages ago. He really hated magic sometimes.
The tell-tale sound of gun fire rang through the air and for a moment the rain of arrows stopped, Hellboy saw his chance and took it as he jumped back to his feet as quickly as possible. He wobbled on the spot, his vision tilting just a little as he tried to pin-point the location of the harpy that had been aiming for him earlier. He looked left and right but couldn't find anything until something clattered to the ground next to him, he glanced over to see what it was and found one of the large bows the harpies had been using earlier. He looked up and found the creature he'd been looking for almost directly above him, cradling one of its claws to its chest protectively. Someone must have managed to hit the harpy, making it drop its weapon in the process. He glanced back over his shoulder and saw agent Marchello standing a few feet away from him, gun still drawn and aimed for the harpy in the sky.
"Thanks for the save, Marcy!" He called to his fellow agent as the harpy flew off, probably to hide in a nearby tree and nurse its wounds. Marchello smiled at him and lowered his gun as their target moved out of sight.
"No prob, home boy." The agent called back. Their shared victory was short-lived though as another one of their feathered friends came swooping in out of nowhere. The harpy let out a battle cry and threw the spear it carried at Marchello with all the force it possessed.
"Shit! Marchello,
duck!" Hellboy yelled at him, too far away from the agent to perform the same kind of rescue action he had pulled on John earlier. Marchello's eyes widened in surprise and confusion but he dropped to the ground none the less, no place for things like doubt on the battlefield which they both knew could get you killed in an instant. The spear flew over the agent and landed a mere two feet away from him, sharp blade which very well could have cut through the agent's innards like warm butter now firmly embedded into the earth. Marchello stared at the spear, probably thinking the same morbid thoughts the demon was thinking before visibly shaking the disturbing mental images off in favour of getting back to his feet. Near death experiences were quite a regular thing in their line of work but after a few times most agents just learned to put stuff like that aside until after they had completed the mission. It was what kept them from getting killed.
The agent patted some of the dirt off his suit, hands shaking just a bit, before sending a small but thankful smile his way.
"Thanks, Re-
Whoa!" Marchello attempted to say but before he could finish his sentence the harpy that had tried to use him for target practice swooped down from the sky and picked the agent up with its claws. Talons pierced skin and Marchello let out a pained gasp which was quickly drowned out by the sound of flapping wings as the harpy attempted to fly back up into the air. Luckily it was a lot slower with the extra weight which gave Hellboy the chance to bring up his gun and shoot the thing before it could take off with his team-mate. He fired several bullets in quick succession, all of them hitting home as they pierced the winged creature's chest. The harpy screeched and, probably in shock and pain over its new chest cavities, dropped his fellow agent, unfortunately the creature had managed to gain some altitude in the short time it was up in the sky and so the drop was pretty high. Marchello yelled in surprise before hitting the ground, an ominous cracking sound echoing through the air as he landed on his side and in result his arm.
"
Fuck!" The agent cursed, cradling his injured arm to his chest as profanities fell from his lips unhindered. There was a slight pause in colourful swears as the sickening
SPLAT of the clearly dead body of the harpy hitting the ground interrupted him, the silence only lasted for so long though before it was once again broken by the tell-tale sounds of battle raging on around them. Another loud screech penetrated the air (Hellboy was really starting to hate that sound as it was usually followed by something bad) as a sudden flash of white caught his attention. It seemed the leader of the pack of feathered creatures was back and with the way it was looking at Marchello, circling the sky above him like a vulture, it wanted to make the agent into its latest meal.
"Oh no you don't." Hellboy said as he raised his gun high above again to fire at the harpy leader, shots more a warning than an actual attempt to hit. The winged creature evaded every bullet, as he had expected, but didn't attempt to come any closer to his injured team-mate so he simply kept shooting as he closed the distance between him and the other agent.
"You hanging in there buddy?" Hellboy said as he dropped down on his knees beside Marchello to place a comforting hand on his left shoulder. There was a look of pain on the agent's face, his jaw clenched and his eyes closed as he cradled his injured arm to his chest protectively. He seemed to be holding up better than some of the agents he'd had the 'pleasure' of working with in the past though, in his many years as a field agent he had seen even the manliest of men cry for their mommies over something as little as a cut or scrape and was glad Marchello apparently wasn't one of those guys.
"I've had worse though my arm is killing me." Marchello said, taking slow even breaths through the pain burning up his arm and into his shoulder. Hellboy nodded, remembering an incident from a few years back in which he had broken both his arm and his leg, luckily for him he healed much quicker than humans did so he only had to walk around with a cast for two weeks. Marchello probably wouldn't be that lucky.
"Let me see…" Hellboy said as the agent let go of his arm and slowly moved it towards him. The demon gently took the injured limb in his normal hand and started to carefully peel back the layers of clothes so he could better inspect the damage. He grimaced at the sight of the arm twisted at an awkward angle and the skin that had already turned a sickish purple colour as it was revealed. "Oh yeah, that is definitely broken." Marchello groaned.
"Linda is gonna kill me for sure this time! We were supposed to redecorate the bedroom tomorrow, how am I going to do that if I can't even move my arm?" The agent asked him, forgetting all about the pain in his arm and the threat of the harpies above them in fear of his wife's wrath. Not that Hellboy blamed him for that, he'd met Linda once before when she had visited her husband in the BPRD sick ward and though she was definitely a looker she didn't take shit from nobody. He remembered their first meeting like it had happened only yesterday, he'd made a comment about her knockers and a second later she was re-enacting the nutcracker on his balls. She had more than earned his respect that day and he made sure never to get on her bad side again.
"Well if it's any form of consolation to you chicks usually really dig on the battle wounds, maybe you can use it to your advantage and weasel some pity sex out of her." Hellboy offered as he rolled Marchello's sleeve back over his arm, the agent chuckling at his suggestion.
"Nah, Linda will just kick me out of bed and make me sleep on the couch. Maybe if I'm lucky she'll kill me in my sleep, get it over with before I even realize what's going on." The agent said though there was a certain warmth to his voice as he spoke about his wife that made it clear he'd didn't really mean it. Hellboy was pretty sure Linda would doth over her husband like a mother-hen the moment he stepped through the front door, just like John always did for him when he was injured.
"Sucks for you pal. Hey, what do you say I get Abe over here for you, he might be able to help you with your arm, maybe get you some nice pain pills to get you through the night?" Hellboy said after witnessing the amount of pain the agent went through just to shift his arm. Abe might not be able to do much for the guy out here but he could make sure his injuries didn't get any worse and protect him from anything that might want to take a bite out of him.
"Yeah… that sounds pretty good. Thanks, Red." Marchello smiled at him and he smiled back as he reached for his communicator.
"No problem, Marcy." He said as he pushed the button and waited for the static to clear before calling out Abe.
"Yo Blue, you there? Marchello broke his arm and I think he could really use a doctor's fine touch right now if you know what I mean." Hellboy said into his communicator, settling into silence as he waited for a response. For several long seconds all he heard was static but he didn't have to wait long to hear the familiar voice of his team-mate from the other end.
"
I understand, but I fear we have a situation of our own that needs taken care of first." Abe said, voice interrupted every now and then by the sound of gunfire as the battle raged on without him. Hellboy figured John had to be out there with him, probably distracting the harpies so that the Icthyo Sapien could answer his call. His suspicion was confirmed as he heard John call out to the fish man.
"
Just go Blue, I can handle it." The agent said, voice muffled and far away sounding as another tell-tale screech ripped through their connection. He heard the sound twice, once loud and painful through his headphones and a second softer time as it echoed from a distance.
"
I don't think that's wi-" Abe tried to argue only to be interrupted by John before he could say anything.
"
Don't worry about me Abe, I can take care of these two on my own." The agent insisted as Abe sighed in defeat, knowing there was no way he could win an argument when John had already made up his mind.
"
I understand, I'm on my way." Abe said, addressing the demon who had remained quiet through their exchange. The reason Hellboy hadn't said a word on the matter do far was because he was worried. He didn't really want John to stay behind alone and battle two harpies on his own but Marchello needed medical attention and the only one who could give him that was Abe. He just had to have faith in John's abilities and hope the kid could hold the winged warriors off until he could join the fight and help his partner out. He just hoped his decision to protect one of his team-mates didn't get another one killed.
Hellboy cut the connection and put his communicator away again, not bothering to give Abe info on his location since the amphibian could find him much quicker on his own simply using his weird 'fishy-senses'. He turned back to Marchello to find the other agent staring at him knowingly.
"Don't worry, I'm sure he'll be fine." The agent said cryptically as they settled down to wait for the Icthyo Sapien. Hellboy briefly considered feigning ignorance but then decided it would be useless to even try, Marchello obviously already knew of his feelings for John otherwise he wouldn't have made that comment.
"Yeah, I know but I can't help but worry over him. What if he were to get hurt? I wouldn't know what to do…" Hellboy admitted, secretly glad for this opportunity to talk to someone about his fears. He worried over John every time they were on a mission, he hated to see the kid hurt and it was even worse when his fragile little nanny got hurt protecting him. Unfortunately there wasn't a thing he could do about it, he couldn't tell John he wasn't allowed to go on missions any more because that would jut make him angry. He didn't want the kid to get mad and push him away but he didn't want to lose him either.
"It's perfectly normal to worry over the people you care for but you have to have faith and trust them to do what they think is right." Marchello offered as advice while Hellboy nodded in agreement. He trusted John with his life and knew that out of all of them he would probably make the wisest decision in the midst of battle but the kid was also one of those people who wouldn't hesitate to put himself in a dangerous situation if it meant others would be safe. It was one of the things he both loved and… well, not
hated but certainly disliked about his liaison even if he understood why John did what he did.
"Our line of work isn't exactly the safest so we have to build on each other if we want to stay alive. I'm sure your feelings for agent Myers will keep him safe, at least for a little longer." Marchello continued, his advice spot-on for the current worries on the demon's thoughts. Hellboy snorted at the sappy-ness of it all but smiled none the less.
"Is the pain finally getting to you or have you always been this smart?" The demon asked, making Marchello laugh.
"Maybe it's a bit of both." The agent said just as Abe arrived on the scene, the Icthyo Sapien not even the slightest bit out of breath and as perfectly composed as always, as he dropped down beside the injured agent. Marchello held out his injured arm and Abe took the limb without a word, already in full doctor mode as he tended to the agent's wounds to the best of his abilities. Hellboy watched impatiently as the amphibian did his thing, eyes flicking back and forth between his team-mates and the general direction Abe had come from, the sounds of battle still in the air around them.
"If you wish to confirm John's safety I think it's best you go quickly." Abe said without even looking up from his work as Marchello nodded in agreement.
"Go get your man, Red." The agent said as he made shooing motions with his uninjured hand. Hellboy shook his head and smiled, not having to be told twice to get going already as he rose to his feet.
"Try not to break anything else while I'm gone, will you Marcy." He said in a joking manner which they both recognized as 'guy-language' for; don't get hurt.
"I'll try but I can't make any promises." Marchello answered and with that he was walking away from the scene, picking up into a jog as he ran in the direction Abe had come from. He didn't really know where he was going but he figured he could just follow the sound of gunfire and be lead to his partner eventually. Boy was he wrong when he decided on that for not even five seconds after coming to said decision another one of those damn annoying screeches ripped through the air, a heavy sense of foreboding accompanying it. The demon looked up to find the harpy leader flying overhead, moving in the exact same direction as he was only at a much faster pace.
"Ah crap." He said to himself as he picked up into a full out run, legs burning as he tried to stay ahead of the winged creature above him to no avail. The harpy was much quicker than him and it wasn't long before he was the one following the creature instead of the other way around. He took out his gun, hoping to at least throw it off track a little but every shot he fired was easily evaded, the harpy simply flying on as though nothing could deter it from its goal. Hellboy cursed as the creature moved out of his direct line of vision, luckily the sound of gunfire was much louder now which meant John had to be close by as well. The thought that the harpy could very well have already reached hi partner made his blood run cold. John might have been able to handle two harpies on his own but he certainly couldn't handle three.
Hellboy slipped as the ground below him suddenly changed from hard concrete to soft grass, luckily he didn't fall so he managed to pick up the pace quickly enough until he was once again running at full speed. The sounds of battle were close by now and as he rounded a corner he stumbled on a scene that made his heart freeze.
John had several arrows embedded in his body and was bleeding profusely as he tried desperately to wrestle the spear away from one of the harpies he was fighting. He managed to kick the creature in the stomach and through the force of his kick it let go of its weapon as it fell to the ground, the agent wasn't given the time to relish this small victory though for as soon as one of the creatures fell away another took its place. This time it was the harpy leader who attacked and as it brought up its sword to hack at his partner John barely managed to jump out of the way in time, blocking the attack with the blade of the spear. All this happened while from above a rain of arrows continued to drum down on the agent and though the kid managed to evade some he was unable to avoid them all, leading to pained screams breaking from his partner's lips at every hit.
"Shit,
Boy Scout!" Hellboy called out as the harpy that had been kicked to the ground jumped forward again, John turning just in time to stab it through the shoulder as it attempted to attack him a second time. The creature let out a pained screech as the blade penetrated skin and hit bone, the harpy took its revenge though as it used its razor sharp fangs to scratch the agents face open. His partner gasped in pain but didn't let the hurt overtake him, instead he acted almost instinctively as he pulled the spear free from the creature's shoulder and sliced its throat open. The move was ruthless and though killing was certainly something John didn't often do sometimes it was just the only way to survive. It was a kill or be killed situation and there was simply no room for compassion or hesitation in this battle. Heck, even now the other harpies paid no heed to their fallen comrade as their attacks just simply kept on coming.
Hellboy knew that if he didn't do something soon it might be his partner's lifeless body lying on the ground instead of that of the enemy and no matter what happened that night he simply couldn't let that happen. He thought of agent Marchello and the advice he had given him earlier, hoping with all his heart his feelings for John really were strong enough to protect the agent from further harm as he un-holstered his gun and joined the fight.
"Hold up, kid. I'm coming!" Hellboy yelled, firing at the harpy leader as it raised its sword in attack again. Fortunately the creature was fully focused on John and therefore didn't notice the first of his bullets until it was already embedded in its body. The winged creature was quick though, much quicker then the other four as it simply abandoned its attempt to behead his partner and flew up into the sky before the second bullet could even come close to hitting it. The harpy glared down at him from high above, a clawed hand covering the bullet wound in its chest. Served the fucker right for trying to take a stab at
his John.
"Thanks Red." The agent said when he joined him at his side. His partner looked ragged and tired but aside from the major cuts on his cheek and the several arrows embedded in his body had little further injuries. Hellboy was grateful for that at the least, the wounds he had suffered now would heal and though some might leave scars (the demon was pretty sure the ones on John's face would leave a lasting mark) at least it wasn't anything severe like a severed limb or something more permanent like death.
"Don't thank me yet, kid. There's still more to come." Hellboy said as he eyed the harpies above them, the attacks had stopped but the two remaining winged warriors looked like they were up to something. He knew from experience though that when your enemies started to plan their moves they were either getting desperate or some real bad shit was about to go down. He really hoped it was the former instead of the latter.
"Yeah, I figured that much when they stopped attacking." John said as he pulled an arrow out of his arm with a pained grunt. "And I know this is gonna sound tacky and all but it's real quiet up there, too quiet if you ask me." The agent added as he pulled one of the arrows embedded in his leg out. "Fuck that hurt." John cursed as Hellboy chuckled, for all that the kid scolded him for swearing John had quiet a potty-mouth on him from time to time.
"Here, let me." Hellboy said as he saw his liaison struggle with one of the arrows in his back, he braced his stone hand on the kid's shoulder and quickly pulled the arrow out with the other before moving on to the next one.
"You're right though, both about that being tacky and the quiet bit." Hellboy said after pulling the last arrow out of his partner's leg, John grunting in pain as he did. "I don't like it." He declared as the agent turned to face him.
"What do you suggest we do to stop them then?" John said as he crossed his arms over his chest while keeping a firm grip on the spear he had stolen from their feathered friends. He didn't know what had happened to the kid's gun but since he hadn't used it in his last battle and it wasn't in its holster he could only assume he had lost it before the demon had arrived on the scene.
"We take them down before they can execute their little plan. They might just be attempting an escape but I'd rather not risk it." Hellboy said as he drew his gun. The harpies might be out of range now but a little provoking had always been his method of choice when he wanted his enemies to come to him instead of the other way around. John nodded in agreement as he took on a battle stance, already fully focused on their upcoming fight.
"You got a battle plan or are we just going to throw ourselves into this heads first?" The agent asked as the demon checked his ammo, he only had four bullets left plus a spare clip which held six extras, he hoped it was going to be enough.
"Yeah, I got a plan. I take care of them when they're up high and you try and stab them when they're down low." He declared, never one for much planning since that had always been more Abe or even John's forte. "Whatever you do though kid don't go after the leader on your own, he's much stronger and quicker than you are and I don't want you getting hurt." Hellboy warned his partner but when he took a closer look at the agent he decided it was better to rephrase his words a little. "Well… let's just say I don't want it getting any worse than it already is, okay?" The demon said as John nodded in agreement.
"I'll try, but if he gets too close I'm going after him." The agent declared with a hint of a challenge in his voice.
"Then I'll just have to make sure he doesn't get too close." Hellboy challenged right back, waiting only long enough to see John's answering smirk before taking aim and firing the first bullet at the harpies above them. The creatures reacted instantly, dual screeches ripping through the air as they charged towards them. The demon fired his remaining three bullets, only getting in one hit, before having to hit the ground as razor sharp claws attempted to rip him open. One of the harpies flew up high again but the leader remained down at their level, John instantly engaging the creature in battle as he quickly reloaded his gun.
"Eat lead, Feather-face!" He said as he fired two shots in quick succession, both bullets hit the creature in the chest, taking it by surprise which allowed John to use its momentary distraction to stab it in the stomach. The harpy wasn't deterred by their hits though as it simply kicked the agent to the side and pulled the spear out of its body to let it clatter to the ground. Instead of attacking him like Hellboy had expected the creature to do next it flew up again, smirking down at him as it gained altitude. The fact that the other harpy was nowhere in sight made alarm bells ring in his head but he ignored the sound for now in favour of helping his fallen liaison.
He quickly made his way over to the agent and offered out his hand. John took it, allowing the demon to pull him back to his feet. "Shit, what will it take for that fucker to die already?" The demon said as his partner gently pressed his fingers to his side only to wince as he touched the tender area. Hellboy already knew the flesh would be heavily bruised by tomorrow and as he counted the other cuts and wounds the kid had suffered before he promised himself he would repay every last bit of hurt those creatures had brought upon his partner in tenfold.
"More than just bullet and stab wounds that's for sure." John said as he picked up his spear again, his movement was slow and as he bend down to retrieve the weapon the kid actually gasped out in pain but he forced himself to go on despite the pain. Hellboy didn't offer to help him even though he wanted to because he knew his partner wouldn't accept it anyways. In the past he had always tried to push John away from the fight, always wanted to protect him but as it turned out the kid didn't appreciate that, he said it made him feel weak to be pampered over, that it was degrading to always be the one needing rescuing. It had clicked in him then, John didn't need a protector any more than the other guys did, he was a trained FBI agent, he had
chosen to be an FBI agent and later he had chosen to become a BPRD agent because he had faith in his own abilities and wanted to protect people, not be protected. The demon had stopped after that, sure he still watched his partner's back a little more than he did the others but he allowed John to stand on his own two feet because he knew it was what the kid wanted, just like he was letting his partner stand on his own right now. He waited until John was once again ready to go before speaking up.
"We were set up." Hellboy declared but after seeing the confused look on his partner's face knew he had to explain further. "The leader let us attack him, he didn't do anything to stop us and he didn't fight back either." He said, only having to wait for a moment for realization to replace the confusion on his liaison's face. "What I really want to know is why though. Why take such a huge risk even though there was nothing to gain?" He wondered aloud as John quickly searched the skies for something before locking eyes with him again.
"The other one got away. Maybe that's why the leader let us attack him so it could escape." John offered but there was something in his voice that told the demon he didn't fully believe that himself. They were grasping at straws here and it was annoying the hell out of him.
"I don't know. It just doesn't make any sen-" Hellboy attempted to say only to be interrupted by a sudden whoosh of wind. He barely had the time to look up let alone bring up his gun as the harpy they thought had gotten away swooped down from above and picked him up, sharp claws digging into the flesh of his shoulders as the creature's wings flapped quickly as it lifted him off the ground.
"HB!" John called out as he tried to grasp on to him but the harpy was quicker and flew higher, out of reach of the kid's grasping fingers. Hellboy raised his gun, grunting at the pain shooting down his arms as he did so, and was just about to blow the creature's brains out when the harpy, probably alerted by his pained grunt, quickly knocked the gun out of his hand with its bow. He watched it fall to the ground and as it clattered upon collision knew he was royally screwed.
"Ah, crap." He mumbled (mostly out of habit) as he was taken higher and higher, now completely defenceless and only a drop away from falling to his death. Just when he was convinced it couldn't possibly get any worse he had to be proven wrong once again as another one of those goddamn annoying screeches ripped though the air, the sound echoing in his head. Almost instantly after the sound was emitted he saw something white flash by out of the corner of his eye and as he looked over to see what it was he wished he hadn't done so simply so he could tell himself he hadn't really seen what he'd seen, that it was just a twisted illusion or a nightmare even. In a way it was a nightmare, one he knew he wasn't going to wake up from.
It was the leader and he was heading straight for John.
"Shit! Boy Scout, run!" He called out but before the agent could even get a chance to escape the winged creature was already attacking him. The harpy's sword clashed with the agent's spear again and again and though John managed to keep his own well enough, having been trained to fight with all sorts of weapons, he couldn't block all incoming attacks. Hellboy knew why though, the kid had been weakened during their previous battle and this topped with the fact that a sword against a spear wasn't exactly a fair fight, especially not when your opponent was much stronger, quicker and had the advantage of flight over you, put him at a disadvantage. So after one particularly unfortunately aimed slash brought the kid to his knees he knew he had to do anything he could to help his partner even if it cost him his life.
Without thinking he twisted around and latched on to the harpies leg, ignoring the pain radiating through his body as he did so in favour of pulling at the limb until the claws attached to it came out of his shoulder. Now that the sharp talons were free from his skin he had better movement in at least one of his arms but there was also a bigger risk of falling since he was now hanging by only one pair of claws instead of two. He didn't care about that though, he figured there was about a sixty percent chance he would die if he were to be dropped but this also gave him a forty percent chance of survival and in result that would help John survive. He wrapped his stone hand around the creature's leg so he would have something to hold onto in case the harpy decided he wasn't worth the trouble anymore and wanted to let him fall as he searched his utility belt with the other.
His belt was full of all kinds of magical trinkets, some to keep him safe and others that could do the greatest harm imaginable but that wasn't what he was looking for, no what he searched for was a knife, nothing special about it just an ordinary butterfly knife one of the army guys had given to him back in the day. The guy had called it his good luck charm and said that if he was ever in a dire situation he should use it, well if there was ever a dire situation it was right now.
Just when he thought he might have lost the thing in one of his battles over the years his fingers grazed across cool metal and as his hand closed around what was definitely the handle of a knife and pulled it out of its holster he found it was still in good condition, a little rusted maybe but it would do. He flipped it open, the shine of the rising moon reflected back at him on the flat of the blade, and quickly brought the knife up in an arch, stabbing the harpy in the leg. The winged creature screeched and, as he had expected, retracted its claws in an attempt to drop him but since he had a firm grip on the creature's leg that didn't exactly go as planned. He pulled the knife out only to stab it back in again.
"Put. Me. Down. You.
Shithead!" He said, punctuating each word with another stab wound but no matter how hard or how many times he stabbed the harpy refused to fly any lower. He wanted to cry out in frustration, wanted to curse till his ears bled and just pray to anyone who would listen for a miracle, anything to save John but nothing happened. He was still up in the air, John was still down on the ground, far out of his reach and alone with an enemy far stronger than him. He was about to give up all hope when he heard something.
"Red!" A familiar voice called out to him followed by the almost liberating sound of gunfire. He looked down and found both Abe and agent Marchello running towards them. Abe was focusing his attacks on the harpy leader, firing bullet after bullet until the creature couldn't stand the onslaught of projectiles any longer and had to fly up again, out of reach of the Icthyo Sapien's gunfire. After making sure the harpy wasn't going to try and attack them again Abe made his way over to John, who despite the large number of injuries he had sustained was still very much alive.
Meanwhile, agent Marchello, his injured arm wrapped in a make-shift sling fastened from his jacket, was firing at the harpy holding him hostage. His shots didn't aim to kill though as they were focused solely on the creature's wings. It wasn't until he noticed that the ground was slowly coming closer that he realized what the agent was doing, by only hitting it in the wings he might merely be injuring the harpy but he was also slowly making its wings useless. Unfortunately since the wings were constantly moving they were hard targets to hit so it was going to be a slow process getting him down. At least that's what he thought but when the amount of bullets fired suddenly doubled it was going a lot quicker than before. He followed the sound of gunfire to the source, finding Abe as he quickly made his way over to them, constantly firing well aimed shots as both he and agent Marchello got him almost half of the way down in a matter of seconds.
He was glad to be going down, no longer having to worry about the risk of falling to death, but he was far more relieved to know that John was still alive. If it hadn't been for Abe and Marchello arriving when they did… well, he would rather not think about what might have happened. He looked over at his partner and caught the kid's eyes, a smile instantly on his face. John was fine, he was alive and intact, that was all that mattered.
His partner smiled back at him, despite the pain he must obviously be going through he was still smiling, and waved at him. He waved back, knowing how absolutely ridicules he must look hanging up there with a smile on his face but he didn't care, he was happy damnit and he was going to show it. John indicated to him, silently asking how he had gotten himself into such a strange situation where he was hanging from an over-sized chicken leg while their team-mates tried to get him down. He simply shrugged, not really sure himself how their mission, which they had all assumed was going to be a cake-walk, could escalate into something unusual like
this. He knew he was going to have a hard time explaining this one to Manning though, especially if their director wanted both mission and damage reports written that same evening. He always got so cranky after missions in which too many things went wrong that he simply resorted to calling the older man every name in the book instead of getting any work done.
He would worry over that later though since right now it seemed like the others were almost done with getting him down. The ground was only a few feet below him now and though he could probably let go and jump the rest of the way he decided not to, the landing probably wouldn't do much to him now but his knees would be killing him later. His knees had always been the weakest part of his body, strangely enough.
Knowing he was going to have to be patient and wait for a little while longer he looked back at John. He had expected to find the same sight as before, his partner smiling happily at him and far out of the clutches of danger, but instead he felt the familiar feeling of dread fill him as the ever strange sense of dejavu came over him.
The goddamn harpy leader was heading for John again, only this time the creature had his sword drawn, poised in such a way that it would stab straight through the kid's chest, and the agent had no way to defend himself. He wanted someone to turn around, Abe, Marchello, even John so they could do something to stop it, to kill it before it could kill his liaison but no one did. He was the only one who could see the creature coming since both Abe and Marchello were too busy saving him to pay any attention to the other agent and John had his back turned to the threat. He wanted to yell but it was too late, before a sound could leave his throat the harpy had closed the distance and he watched the scene unfold in slow-motion, the stab of the blade entering the agent's back, John's eyes widening and mouth opening in shock, as the blade came out on the other end, bloody.
"
John!" He called in a panic, the sound escaping him before he even thought it as he immediately let go of the other harpy's leg, dropping the last few feet down to the ground. The moment he felt solid ground underneath him he was running, running as fast as he could, running so fast it had to undo time and return everything to the way it should be. It didn't though, and as he watched the harpy leader pull its sword out of the agent's body again, John first falling to his knees before hitting the ground as the blade slipped free, he knew things would never be the same again.
He closed the distance between him and his fallen liaison in a matter of seconds and as he dropped down on the ground next to him he caught the same flash of white as the harpy leader flew up and out of sight again as he had earlier. His focus was fully on John though and as he pulled the kid's barely living form into his lap he was so relieved to find him still breathing that he could have cried. The light in his eyes was dimming though, the kid was dying and there was nothing he could do to stop it.
"No, no John you can't leave me, not like this!" He whispered, voice cracking as his eyes burned with still unshed tears. He cradled the agent's skull in his stone hand like it was made of the finest glass and might break at the smallest touch as he rubbed his thumb over his partner's cheek, pained tears leaking from the kid's eyes.
"Red… it-it hurts." John murmured, gasping for breath as shaking hands clutched at the demon's coat like it was his last lifeline. More tears dripped down the agent's face and it only took him a second to realize they were his own.
"I know scout, I know. Just hold on for a little longer, okay? Abe is gonna get here soon and he's gonna fix you up and then everything will be okay again." He said, hoping that if he believed it it might come true. Even if Abe wasn't busy with killing the two remaining harpies while he was breaking down he knew there wasn't anything he could do for John now though. He knew but he didn't want to listen to what his brain was telling him, he just wanted John to be okay again. The agent was shaking in his arms as blood slowly soaked the material of his clothes, skin rapidly cooling with every passing second.
"Hellboy… I need t-to tell you s-something." John whispered, teeth clattering. Hellboy knew his partner must be cold after losing so much blood so in an attempt to keep him warm he hugged the agent's form closer to him. He cradled his liaison's head to his shoulder as he cried, shaking his head in refusal of the other's request. He knew it was selfish but he didn't want to hear what John had to say, didn't want the agent to think this might be his last chance to say whatever it was he needed to say.
"You can tell me later, okay? We'll have plenty of time to talk after all this is over." He begged, wanting nothing more than for John to believe him. He felt the agent's shaking hand let go of his shirt, the almost freezing cold limb coming to rest on his tear-stained cheek instead. He looked into John's eyes and felt himself break down all over again. There was just so much pain in those eyes but even through that he could see so many emotions, emotions he had never seen in the eyes of another and emotions he saw within his own whenever he looked in the mirror. That's when he knew he couldn't deny his partner this, John
needed to do this, and Hellboy didn't have any right to take that away from him, not now.
"Please HB, just let me… do this, okay?" John requested him a second time and this time he could only nod, not trusting his voice to say what the other needed to hear.
"I love you, Hellboy. More t-than I've ever loved a-anyone else in my life…" The agent said the words he had wanted to hear for so long but now that he was actually hearing them he wished it was under different circumstances. This was supposed to be something happy, something they would reminisce about together many years in the future but instead John was forced to say it as he laid dying and broken on the cold, unforgiving ground in his final moments. The demon wouldn't let his words go unheard though, John had to know his feelings were returned before it was too late or he would never forgive himself for having been given the chance and not taking it while he still could.
"I love you too kid, more than you can possibly imagine." He said, his voice cracking just the slightest bit as his throat closed around the words. He forced himself to say them though, knowing it was something they both needed to hear. John smiled at him, actually bloody
smiled, before covering his mouth to cough. When the hand was pulled away again it was covered in blood and John was having trouble getting more then a few short gasps of breath in. The agent's vital organs were giving in and they were running out of time.
"Just try… and think of me... every once in a while… after I'm gone." John forced himself through the sentence, gasping for breath every few words but still smiling despite it. He put up a brave front for the kid as he smiled back, just a tiny quirk of the lips all he could really muster but it was enough for the other.
"I'll always think of you, kid. Every second of every day for the rest of my life." He promised as he wiped the blood off the kid's lips with his thumb before leaning down to cover the agent's lips with his own in a gentle kiss. The kiss was short and heart-breaking but it spoke of all the love they felt for each other, both of them expressing their feelings one last time through the last kiss they would ever share. When Hellboy pulled back the kid was crying again though this time the tears were of genuine love and happiness as he shuttered through his final breaths.
"Thank… you…" John uttered as his laboured breathing ceased and his eyes lost their light, his heart no longer beating within his chest. Hellboy was completely still for several long seconds, floating in a Limbo-like state of mind, before the tears started to fall and he lost it. He cried, he bawled, he fucking screamed his lungs out as he desperately clutched at the lifeless form of his love.
Goddamn it all to hell and beyond, it just wasn't fucking
fair! He loved John and John loved him! Weren't they supposed to have a fairy-tale ending? A fucking happily ever after riding off into the sunset together? Why did it have to end this way, why damnit? Didn't he deserve a chance at happiness? Didn't John? The kid had been nothing but good and pure and fucking perfect and this was how he was rewarded, with a cold and bloody death that was just years too early.
He cried until his eyes burned, he screamed till his throat was raw and when he just couldn't cry or scream any more he silently rocked back and forth, still clutching at the body in his arms, as the realization of the matter slowly settled in.
No, it wasn't fair but no matter how hard he cried and no matter how hard he wished things weren't going to change. John was gone and though just thinking that thought brought a fresh wave of tears to his eyes he knew it was the harsh truth. He continued to cling to the last remnant of his lost love until a comforting hand placed on his shoulder shook him out of it. He looked up, uncaring of the tear streaks on his cheeks, and saw Abe looking down at him, his eyes a little glassier than they usually were.
"Abe…" He said, throat hurting and voice sounding broken to his own ears as he forced out that single word. He didn't know what he was trying to tell the amphibian but apparently that one word was enough as the other simply nodded in understanding, already knowing all he wanted to say but couldn't.
"I know, Red…" The Icthyo Sapien said softly and it was then that he realized that all was quiet around them, no sounds of gunfire or foreshadowing screeches in the air anymore, just silence. He looked around the open clearing and saw agent Marchello standing over one of the bodies of the dead harpies, the other one laying a few feet away from him. He felt guilty for leaving his team-mates behind in the midst of battle but he had just been so pre-occupied with getting to John he hadn't even given the others a second thought. He knew that wasn't the proper attitude a team leader portrayed but even if he could have done things differently he wouldn't have because then John would have been alone in his final moments and that was something he didn't want for anyone, especially not John.
"It's okay, Hellboy. I understand and I'm sure agent Marchello does too." Abe said, probably reading his thoughts like a book right now but he couldn't muster up the energy to care, it was easier this way anyways. The amphibian's hand was still on his shoulder, a strange contrast to the numbness in his own body and the freezing cold of his deceased partner's body in his arms, as the sound of a standard regulation BPRD truck arriving on the scene pulled his eyes to the large metal vehicle. It seemed the clean-up crew had arrived and as he watched one of the guys talk with Marchello as four others zipped the harpies up in body bags he knew they were coming for John next.
"Do you need more time?" Abe said, catching Marchello's eye from across the field as he signalled for him to wait just a little bit longer. Hellboy considered the offer but as he looked down at the cold, lifeless body of his partner he knew he didn't want to. John wasn't there anymore, he was gone, hopefully to a better place, and he wouldn't be honouring the kid's memory by clinging to en empty vessel.
The demon shook his head no as he closed John's eyes and hugged the kid to him one final time.
"Goodbye, John. Until we meet again, someday." He said as he pulled back, lifting his partner's body into his arms as he rose to his full height once again. Abe's hand slipped from his shoulder but the Icthyo Sapien stayed close to him none the less, his presence comforting in the cold night as he made his way over to the truck. Marchello saw them coming and though his mouth opened and closed a few times he didn't say anything, if he had to guess the agent probably wanted to apologize for giving him hope earlier even though there was nothing to apologize for. John always said hope got him out of bed in the morning, that hope helped him face the evils of the world day after day and though this time hope hadn't been enough to save the kid he wasn't going to give up on it, without hope he would have lost it years ago and he would certainly have lost it today as well.
He bypassed agent Marchello for now (he would have a talk with the other agent later when all this was over) and instead placed John's body on the last remaining empty stretcher. There was a body bag on the stretcher and as he stepped away two other guys took over and zipped up the bag for him, hiding the agent's body from sight. He watched until John fully disappeared behind the zipper and was wheeled away inside the truck before moving without another word back to their own truck to wait until they would return to headquarters. Abe and Marcy let him go, both knowing he needed to be alone right now, and as he walked he though about John and everything they had been through together. Their rocky start and even rockier partnership, their growing friendship and their shared laughter, their past and what could have been their future together and, of course, their love. The love he would never forget, the love that could never be replaced and the love he would always treasure no matter what happened. He would carry his love with him every day and though it was going to be hard he would keep on living and honour the kid's memory, just like he'd promised.
- End Flashback -
Abe dropped his pen as he finished the last paragraph of his report, glancing at the clock to find almost two hours had passed already. He yawned as he placed the report in its folder, deciding he would give it another look over in the morning before going to deliver the report to Manning.
It had been hard, writing down the events of the night through the eyes of another but he knew their director wouldn't be satisfied with anything less. It was true, Hellboy had been present for most of the fight and therefore had the most knowledge of the things that had transpired that night but some things even he felt were meant to be kept private. He had not meant to intrude on such an emotional moment shared between the demon and his now deceased partner but when he had touched the other his thoughts and emotions had been so strong they had more or less been pushed upon him. He knew it was something he would never forget and even though he had felt the pain of Hellboy's suffering he had also felt the intense love and passion he held for the other. Love as strong as theirs was rare and though they hadn't had much time together it was a love that reminded him all too closely of that of the great romantic tragedies of Shakespeare.
Abe stood from his chair and organized the files on the desk for tomorrow before removing his breathing apparatus and battle suit, ready to retire for the night. It would be a short rest, it was mere hours before dawn and he would have to rise early if he wanted to get his reports to Manning before the man left for Washington for a finance meeting. After making his delivery he would go see Hellboy and offer him his support like he had been unable to do after the death of his father. He knew it wasn't much but he would be there for his friend, after all, no one deserved to be alone after suffering such a loss.
Abe left the library in favour of his tank and as he settled his thoroughly exhausted body down in the water for a few hours of rest quickly drifted off to sleep, leaving his troubles behind for another day.
000 Death 000
AN2: Oh how it killed me inside to kill John! I had just written so much for this story though so when I got to the actual part where I realized I was gonna kill off John I just sorta went with it because I didn't know what else to do with it. Then I made it worse by throwing in that confession and having Hellboy cry as John died was just so awful for me to type I kinda hated myself for doing it. It's over and done with now though and I will try not to kill off people too much in the future (though I do have a lot of character death planned for the Apocalypse fic…) so hopefully next week's story will be happier. Okay time for me to go now and study for the upcoming test I have this week as well as work on a major project they decided to dump on us at the last second! God I hate school!
~~~Read long and prosper,
Sabaku No Kel~~~
