15Immortal Brutality
Prologue
Manhattan, New York August 18th, 1951
Alice Babik didn't like the big city. She didn't have anything against the towering sky-scrappers, the busy lifestyles of it inhabitants or economic differences she was familiar with; she just didn't like the big city. And yet she found herself standing in front of one New York's busiest hotels, the Plaza with her suitcase, a file and police tape plastered behind her separating her and the Plaza from the inquisitive reporters pestering the police with questions.
A woman standing 5'9 alone without the help of her four-inch red heels, wearing cream and red pin-striped slacks and matching tailored jacket with her newly-dyed raven hair pinned in a poodle-curl, she was a site to see even in the big city but the current events at the Plaza had overshadowed her arrival. A bit annoyed by the current state of disorder, Alice strolled through the doors into the main hall of the Plaza where various cops stood around waiting patiently as three important gentlemen exited the elevator. Heads finally turned when the shortest of the three men spotted her and called waving his arm, "Ah! Ms. Babik!"
Professor Bruttenholm greeted Alice in his usual British manner with a peck on her right hand and taking her suitcase before she smiled with rouge lips, "It's good to see you to Dr. Bruttenholm."
"Who's this?" asked a larger man walking over with his chief of police badge pinned high on his broad chest.
Alice looked up narrowing her eyes instinctively at the man in front of her. Another stereotypic-tough arrogant guy stereotyping her as a clever, know-it-all feminist. Luckily, both were correct.
"Sorry sweetheart but no reporters are allowed on these premises." Said the man waiting for her to shoo.
Alice folded her arms stepping forward, "I'm sorry to tell you this sir but I am not reporter; I am here with the Bureau."
The man looked over to his friend then professor Bruttenholm, "Who is this?"
"Chief Warren this is Agent Alice Babik—the Bureau's finest field agent to date. She will be taking over from here tracking down the beast in the sewers."
Chief Warren grinned maliciously, "The sewers of Manhattan? In a suit? Do you think you can handle it, sweetheart?"
Alice frowned choosing to ignore the chief and began to study her perfect cuticles, "I'll do it without breaking a nail."
Chief Warren glared at Alice as he spoke, "Well Professor Bruttenholm we'll leave Manhattan's fate… in the hands of you and Ms. Babik."
The Chief of Police signaled his men to leave the crime scene, Alice waited until they were out of the building before expressing herself, "What an asshole."
"Ignore his crabbiness Alice we have more urgent things to attend to. Forgive my swiftness while I talk but time is running against us now. Please, follow me."
Professor Bruttenholm spoke rapidly as he led the way into the authorized employee areas of the hotel, "Around 4:38 P.M. yesterday a man by the name of Jean Desmarais checked into the Plaza without a reservation for a presidential suite. He had at least twelve pieces of luggage but the largest was a cage snuck in by two hired thugs through the back up nine floors into his suite. Around 11 that night screaming and unidentified noises were heard from Desmarais' suite and complaints followed before a hotel manager was sent to see what was going on around 2:15 A.M. The manager has said he went to the suite and that the front door had been ripped from it hinges with large claw marks in the center. The manager stepped in to find Desmarais and an unidentified woman torn into gory shreds. He went downstairs to call for the police but of course the beast had already found its way into the kitchens where it killed eight chefs and three employees.
It was last seen running into the streets of Manhattan where it fell down an open storm drain. That was in the wee hours of the morning. It is already 9 A.M. and God only knows what kind of damage this thing has caused. We've sent search dogs down there to pick up a scent but they're too scared to go past 44th Street so we know its defiantly resting there." Explained the professor.
"What is defiantly resting there Trevor." Alice asked, "You never told me what this thing is."
Professor Bruttenholm stopped at the double-doors in front of them with a somber expression, "You've seen a handful of gruesome scenes Alice. You tell me what this thing is."
Professor Bruttenholm pushed the doors open to reveal the kitchens and the dead turn bodies on the floor. Blood splats were on the walls and utensils, the bodies were ripped and disfigured by what looked like teeth marks and claws. Alice flinched closing her eyes to control herself from vomiting before stepping into the scene with her professional poise. Investigators from the Bureau were already there looking for whatever they could find under the mess of blood and flesh. Alice walked over to one particular man wearing a tawny suit studying an Asian female lying facedown on her own gastrointestinal tract.
"What do you think it is Jerry?" Alice asked.
The man looked up, stone-faced with his hair swept back and dazzling blue-eyes, "I say it's gotta be a werewolf."
Alice could not hold back a chuckle as she placed her hands on her hips, "Well Jerry the suspect's body is upstairs ripped to shreds."
Jerry hunched wiping his hands on his handkerchief as he stood up to greet her.
"Jeez, Alice can you get anymore taller in those things?" Jerry asked grinning, "And your hair…"
"Do you like it?"
"I preferred the blonde color cause' you reminded me of Marilyn, babe." Jerry said with laugh. Alice gave a haughty laugh as the Professor joined them, "I think it's a hybrid of a dog, coyote, and wolf."
"Sounds serious Trevor." Jerry mused.
"Well that's what Desmarais has written on some of his lab testing sheets. He was defiantly a scientist. He came from France to show this thing off on the Ed Sullivan show. Too bad he did not accomplish that." Professor Bruttenholm said with a sigh, "It is often the greatest minds who mess with the balance of nature."
"So who's the unlucky guy going down there to kill this thing?" Jerry questioned.
"Me of course." Alice hummed smiling. Jerry frowned placing his hand in his pocket, "Are you serious, love?"
"Don't call me that." Alice said in a low whisper, "And yes. I am the Bureau's finest field agent."
Jerry continued to frown then addressed the Professor, "Are you serious Trevor? Sending Alice down there to do a man's job?"
"It's not my call. They said send the best so I am."
Jerry looked to the Professor then at Alice, "Well I don't care what they say she ain't going down there in no sewer chasing after a killing werewolf." Jerry shouted before storming out of the kitchens. Alice rolled her eyes, "Sometimes I just wanna tell him Trevor, but when he says stuff like that—"
"I understand Alice." Professor Bruttenholm said, "But I have a surprise for you."
Professor Bruttenholm gestured her to follow him to the back of the kitchen area. Here, there were no dead bodies or blood; it was completely clean and normal except for the large red demon sitting on the sink reading. He didn't notice them when they came in but it gave Alice a scare as she grabbed for her gun in her jacket-pocket but the Professor stopped her.
"Do you remember the little secret I said the Bureau didn't want to get out?" the Professor asked.
Alice nodded, "Yeah."
"Well, besides you this is him—Hellboy."
Alice studied the red brute that sat before with a childlike smile on his face. Alice was well aware that the Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense had fundamentally been designed around one thing: the demon from the Nazi Project Ragna Rok that the professor had adopted and relocated to a base in New Mexico. Even in the Bureau he was kept hush-hush but as a field operative Alice had heard the rumors about the demon but didn't think much of it since she had seen her share of demons and clairvoyant creatures way before the Bureau was created. In fact she cared very little about it but now that she was seeing him for the first time she was very curious.
"The government did not want me to bring him along but he insisted." Professor Bruttenholm whistled, "I think he's going to follow in my footsteps."
"What's he reading?" Alice asked.
"You file?"
"My file?"
"Yes, your file."
"When did I get a file? I haven't had a file in centuries."
"I took the time to make you one seeing that you're well… an antique of some sort with knowledge of legends and individuals that we can only read about now. I'm sure one day you will want to sit-down and discuss your many adventures through the centuries, when you're ready of course."
Alice rolled her eyes, "Yeah like that'll ever happen."
Hellboy then looked up from his reading with curious eyes. At the ripe age of 6, Hellboy already stood a towering 6'5 with little to no scars and childlike expression on his face. It seemed his horns had been filed down but had grown into uneven stubs since his last visit to the barber had his large right stone hand was glistening like marble. He stood up to greet the Professor and Alice with enthusiasm, his voice had yet to reach the deep baritone rumble it would be in later years but it was somewhere near it, "Good morning father. Good morning Ms. Babik."
"Good morning Hellboy." Professor Bruttenholm replied and looked over at Alice who was gawking. She finally stopped after five seconds and nodded in response, "Hello."
"Alice this is Agent Hellboy." Professor Bruttenholm introduced, "He will be accompanying you down in the sewers."
Alice looked at the professor, "Oh no. I don't need any help killing this thing."
Hellboy frowned at the rejection as Professor Bruttenholm laughed awkwardly patting Alice on the shoulder, "She is just kidding Hellboy. Here, Alice. Can I speak with you privately?"
Professor Bruttenholm ushered her around the corner speaking in a whisper, "Alice you must take him."
"What? I'm not a babysitter Trevor and besides I can take care of myself. Don't you know who I am?"
"Yes I do and that is exactly why I am asking you take him along. He's going to replace you when you leave." Professor Bruttenholm replied. Alice gasped at the professor and looked around to see if anyone heard him, "How did you know I'm planning to leave Trevor?"
Professor Bruttenholm's face was like stone, "You told me four years ago Alice when I found you in Greece that you began to change when you feel you're getting attached to something or somebody. That's why you're wearing suits and dying your hair a darker color. You're going to disappear without a trace and we'll never see you again."
Alice looked around for some inspiration to lie to her friend but she couldn't, "Ok… so you're right."
she took a deep breathe to keep from crying and bit into her lip, "Trevor you've been a good friend of mine since they day we met and you know me better than anyone here. Yes, I was planning to put in my resignation after this mission to go and marry Jerry but I'm getting cold feet! I can't marry this man! He's a mortal and you what mortals do Trevor."
"We grow old, we grow sick. We die."
"And he doesn't know about me. What do you think he'll say in forty years when he's grey and wrinkled and I still look twenty-five? I can't do it Trevor, it's not worth the pain."
"So you're going to just leave?"
"That's what I've been doing for centuries and I can't let the Bureau stop me. If I stay I won't be happy."
Professor Bruttenholm took Alice by the hand and kissed it.
"Then you have my blessing dear." Professor Bruttenholm said, "If you must leave to keep your sanity then do it. I will tell no one."
"Thanks."
"And what about Jerry?"
Alice hunched, "Jerry will be okay besides, gentlemen prefer blondes."
Professor Bruttenholm smiled patting her hand, "But you will take him along with you down in the sewers, right, and show him the ropes? He's already accompanied me on a few missions within the last two years and he's smart and well-trained Alice but I have a feeling that he'll be great if he just trains with the best."
"Yeah I get you Trevor and you're right… when I'm gone you'll need someone to watch your back." Alice said wiping the tears from her eyes, "So I guess we should be heading down there now before this thing eats someone else?"
Author's Notes:
Hehehe, yeah i know... this one's out of the freakin blue. Been uber busy. Dislikes school a lot. Going to be working on this story, two more Hellboy comic-fics and my one about Edward all week since it is Thanksgiving Holiday. Rar, rar, Pilgrims!
Reviews, please.