15Chapter Six
His voice roared like the thunderous skies on which his father sat and ridiculed him. The echoes came crashing into her body as he shouted; she beweeping her fallen son; her favorite son. Oh how Remus had fallen from that wall—a great fall with incurable wounds. His body hit the ground like a rag doll; the blood seeped into the crevices of the valley, into the River Acheron where a pessimistic Charon waited to help crossover his soul. How Virtus's voice screamed in anguish and dismay; a sound of pure horror as she watched her two sons fight and one commit an unforgiving crime. Murder. She could feel him—feel Remus gone and yet, he would not allow her to leave their palace—he had closed the skies.
Mars would force her to watch this sinful deed.
"Betrayal of his own brother," Mars's voice boomed with such disgust and sorrow, "My children—my own two sons."
"You bastard!" She cried, on her knees in such pain, holding her womb where she once felt him kick, "You killed my child!"
"I did no such thing you witch!" Mars spoke coldly. She dared not look upon his face; upon his handsome features that once looked at her with love. No it was not love… it was lust.
"You planned for Remus to take over our new land! Romulus is my son! He is the one I called to lead our people—you deceived me and placed the crown upon Remus's foolish head and now, he is dead because he was not the chosen son! He was made of mortal flesh! Romulus shall serve as the Roman king!"
"You devil! You demon!" Virtus screamed throwing herself on him. She clawed at his chest, swung at his face in a mad rage, unable to open her eyes and see he no longer loved her, he no longer wanted her—he pitied her deity form. He did not move or flinch, but grabbed her wrist and with his other hand struck her down.
Her body was struck still; she could not move as tears poured out of her eyes. Tears of hate.
"You killed my son!" She whimpered, "You killed my Remus…"
she felt the warm blood seeping out of her nose into her golden locks and saw his face distorted into a disgusted expression.
"You are no God you contemptible deity! Escaping the wrath of Apollo because of your deceitful beauty—but I see what you are; A traitorous, jezebel wretch. You used me—seduced me to get into the highest of heavens. You make me sick—a God does not bleed!"
He grabbed her by her clothing and felt them come unloose. She was exposed but could not move as Mars held her up to his face so she could look into his eyes. She cried harder, not for mercy or because of the punishments she imagined her heartless husband could do to her.
"I chose you as my wife—to make a people that were strong so we could outlive when the time comes that we shall lie in the valleys of Rome asleep." He hissed, "But you—you gave birth to twins… one born as a god—your womb danced with happiness. Romulus was destined to be a king," Mars growled, "and the other—Remus— dormant and immovable; surely he had to be a curse from my jealous sister, Diana, and you chose him. Why? Why?"
Virtus tears drenched her cheeks, "Because… he was my son. He had a heart… he has a soul. He is not the heartless monster like Romulus. He had a soul."
Mars shook with anger at her words and she screamed in pain feeling his grip tighten. He stared at her with such intensity she felt her head boiling. But she took it; unwilling to beg for mercy like he desired she would. She was not weak; she was not one of his harlot nymphs afraid of his merciless power. Death would come to him one day even if it was not the same like a mortal's passing. One day Olympus would be barren, empty and dead. No God would live there but she would live, she would live forever in the blood of her people whether it be through the seedlings of Romulus or Remus because they were not Mars's children. They were his children, the God she truly loved. Jupiter.
And Mars saw all of this through her tears. She had never truly loved him because she saw his ruthless nature of lust, wars and infidelity. And he had known he could never truly love her because of his nature because the cosmos had created him this way but his dear father, Jupiter, the ruler of the Gods, a being of true passion had touched her womb and now he started a new race of people—the Romans, who would be victorious in the centuries to come, and he could not understand it all and it made him angrier and confused and hurt and WHERE IN HADES was his sword for this adulterous bitch had to die. And if she could not die at the hands of a God then she would suffer the worst torture he could possibly think of.
At the thought of his sword, that whorish goddess, Bellona appeared upon her majestic chariot, wielding her commander's heavenly weapon. Virtus's shot daggers into her chest with her eyes as the goddess stepped back waiting to watch sweet revenge upon this deity she so conspicuously envied. Mars threw her to the floor and held up his sword. A clean stab into her chest and maybe a couple more because he needed to vent and regain his honor—he needed to hear her scream so he could feel empowered again.
But as he raised his sword, Bellona placed her hand on her beloved commander's shoulder.
"Mars," She cooed (how dare she call her commander by his first name), "Let her suffer upon earth. Let her reap what she has sown."
He looked at her over his shoulder— irritated he had been interrupted but they shared a moment of brilliance and understanding.
"Ah." He said bringing his arms to a rest. He turned his head, a mad grin growing across his face.
"That is a perfect plan Bellona, my love." He said taking her hand as the goddess threw her head back in lust. Such a fool, Virtus thought, falling for a God who could not love her fully.
"Since you have betrayed me Virtus, I shall throw you to the earth where you will live until it has destroyed itself. You shall live centuries in unhappiness and we shall watch you struggle but you shall not remember the glories of the heavens but you will know how it feels and you will yearn for it, unable to grasp it again and it will send you into madness."
Mars grabbed for again but she was quicker, scurrying away from him into the palace. She had a ten second head start and heard him call for his minions to catch her and hold her down as she readied himself to throw her to the earth.
"Jupiter! Jupiter!" she screamed in the palace, her cries echoing into the skies of Olympus. Surely he could hear her; surely he felt this disturbance in the heavens.
"Save me, love! Save me!" She cried louder as she heard the thunderous sound of a thousand fold army behind her.
"Jupiter! Save me!" she cried louder unable to go on. They were behind her… there was no where to run. The skies of Olympus were dark and grey—thunder crashed around her as the temple where her lover sat darkened in the horizon. He had abandoned her. He no longer had any concern.
She fell to her knees again.
A lost deity of a defeated people, heartbroken and frail. Found on the River Tiberius by Apollo and cared for by a heartless Mars who lusted after her body. But, she had found comfort in the arms of his father—a strong being who promised her the world—a people named the Romans who would always carry the blood of her vanished people and the blood of a king god that they'd always be connected too. And now… as Mars's army dragged her to his feet she felt disconnected from it all.
Perhaps being hurled to the earth would do her some good—to forget all of this. To forget the heartache, pain and grief of watching her favorite son be killed by his greedy brother. Oh what a world it would be, she thought, where I do not remember it all.
And with that she closed her eyes, and felt Mars's tight grip around her throat. Then the golden floors of her palace in the heavens disappeared from under her feet and she was falling from the heavens far down towards the earth.
Where she would land she did not know.
"Meus diligo! Operor non relinquo mihi!" Alice screamed launching forward with her arms flailing but was yanked back by the seatbelt holding her in. Hellboy and Moisey looked in the backseat of the car with puzzled expressions.
"Did you just speak Latin?" Hellboy asked.
Alice's breathing was erratic and so was her heartbeat. She felt sweat pouring down her face even as the Russian arctic wore against them knowing its foreign visitors were not accustomed to such bitter cold.
Alice did not respond but her eyes were round and her pupils dilated. Moisey's eyes had returned to the road but Hellboy was concerned seeing the state she was in.
"Hey. Hey!" he said snapping his hand.
Alice blinked feeling her chest cave in as she closed her eyes now shivering in the cold.
"Alice…" Hellboy called but she didn't respond.
He turned around, disgruntled devoid of an answer. She had been acting weird all day.
Alice opened her eyes to see hands were cracked and dry. She reached into her jacket pocket, sliding on a second pair of mittens to keep the Moscow cold from chipping away at her skin as Hellboy readjusted himself, wiggling in the passenger's seat trying to get his tail from under his ass. The city lights around them rippled to life as the sun descended behind the Moskva River creating a wave of purple and orange glows into the cloudy darkening sky.
It was seventeen minutes after six as Moisey, their Russian connoisseur, switched into the left lane as traffic slowed to a complete stop.
Hellboy let out an impatient grunt as Moisey chuckled to ease the tension, "I am sorry Mr. Hellboy but Moscow is a very busy city during the evening time. Everybody is trying to get home or ready for the night life."
"Yeah I know." Hellboy said but it didn't ease his edginess. His tail was throbbing at the base where it connected to his lower back plus he, Moisey and Alice were crammed into a small rounded car that made him feel uncomfortable. His head was scrapping against the carpeted roof and his hooves were pressing into the bottom of the car so hard that if he sneezed he felt he might tear through and feel pavement. The car was so fragile and it was holding his big ass. He only hoped nothing weird would happen or that they'd be attacked because the car would be the first to go.
Alice, now easing out of her scare, was growing more impatient also but as a woman she had a better way of hiding it. Her only worry at the moment was that Moisey's car had a horrible heating system. She couldn't feel anything from the front and the backseat had no vents. She wanted to complain but she knew it wouldn't help to nag. She wrapped the tawny scarf around her mouth and nose to keep them warm as the cars in front of them inched forward slowly. Thirty minutes later Moisey exited and followed the signs to their destination.
Neither Hellboy nor Alice could read or speak Russian and though Moisey was a nerdy short American guy who majored in political studies, he had lived in Russia over three years speaking and reading the language like it was his native tongue and they were thankful to have him.
They had escaped the fight in South America by running down the highway. After Alice blew up the 18 wheeler they just ran glancing only once to see Gavril and Petru standing like statues unsure what to do next.
They found themselves in a small town where Hellboy made a call and got them a flight out of Argentina to California to Moscow, Russia. Now, they were travelling on a whim and in anticipating a sudden attack from the enemy.
Alice knew very well that Petru would find them soon; if he had a strand of her hair left then he knew where they were. This made her uneasy but not afraid. She knew their final showdown would be here in Russia and she also knew they were following her but it wasn't as obvious as last time.
Whispers in the shadows of Old Russia; the walls, and buildings, the concrete that had been here since the early 1900's that they passed whispered to her.
"They follow you Alease. Won't you stop their cat and mouse game and fight?"
"Fight them Alease, for you are the exiled one… you have the power."
"Fight! Fight!"
"The Baba Yaga counts spoons in the home of Dimah Chaikovskaya tonight. She says he has nine spoons and many more but—"
"Fight them! Stop them!"
"They will do horrible things with that stone!"
"Nine spoons and many more! Shall we join her at her chicken leg house?"
Alice covered her ears wincing as the several voices in her head continued to chatter nonsense. Hellboy looked in the rearview mirror, "You okay?"
"Quiet! I am listening no more!"
Hellboy nodded as Moisey raised his eyebrows but didn't ask any questions. Hellboy instinctively turned on the radio; a techno song came on and he didn't mind the annoying repetitious beat at all—as long as those voices stopped.
Alice eased her hands away from her ears and closed her eyes sighing. Hellboy studied her in the rearview mirror. She wouldn't look up to give him a sign she was okay but he knew if those creeps were close Alice would make it known.
Finally, Moisey turned into a company building parking lot which was empty of cars. Moisey parked in the garage on the fourth floor which was empty as well and carried that creepy vibe that something was about to go down.
"We are here!" Moisey announced as the engine died; he grinned when he turned around to look at Alice. She didn't smile but glared, Moisey turned back around startled and addressed Hellboy, "I hope I helped."
"You did as much as you could Moisey. Thanks for letting us crash at your place."
"I know it was small but you are always welcomed to my home." Moisey said.
Small? Small!? Alice thought, Small is an overstatement.
"Thanks Moisey but I don't think I'll be back in Russia for awhile."
"That's fine! Oh, and tell Professor Bruttenholm I'm looking forward to his lecture at Harvard in September."
"You and every other paranormal freak." Hellboy said jokingly as Moisey laughed.
"Right." Moisey said getting out the car. "Let me get your luggage."
He got out the car to go open the trunk. As he did, Alice glanced out the window looking for anything suspicious in her view.
"You okay?" Hellboy whispered.
Alice didn't look up, "I heard voices."
"Me too." Hellboy said, "Old Russia… this place is filled with mythological beings and unsettled ghost."
"Did you hear what I heard?"
"They're warning us about the Black Hand."
"Did you hear the one about the spoons?"
"No. No I didn't." Hellboy said leaning back in his seat.
Alice grinned as Moisey opened the door for her.
Moisey led them through the office building to the room where they'd meet the Professor.
When they arrived on their floor Hellboy turned to Moisey, "Thanks again kid."
"Oh no problem." Moisey said a bit stunned as he checked the piece of paper that had led them to this particular room.
"Sorry you can't come with us in here—it's for the best." Hellboy said, "But just know you really helped us out I mean—really."
Moisey nodded as Hellboy placed his right hand on the guy's shoulder. Moisey flushed with excitement as Hellboy spoke, "Now what we need you to do is get the hell out of this building, safely. You're at a big risk being with us and I don't wanna sound like some jerk who just used you to get what he needs and put you in harm's way but yeah—I did."
Moisey shook his head 'no', with a sparkle in his eye, "Oh no Hellboy it was all my pleasure. If you ever need me again—"
"Trust me. We won't. Now go home, stay there and don't come out till the morning."
Moisey nodded a yes and left them standing at the door enthralled by the idea that he may be in danger and Hellboy was warning him.
Alice watched him walk away and waited until they heard the elevator buzz before she spoke, "Weird kid."
"I know." Hellboy said, "He's obsessed with the Bureau. He's met the professor a million times and goes to all his seminars and lectures when ever the professor has one. I didn't tell him that the old man's the one who we're meeting—he might've shitted rainbows."
Alice's distant demeanor cracked some as she grinned. He saw the creases unthaw on her face, "Well you ready to go in?"
"Are you?" Hellboy asked, "You haven't seen this person in over 40 years."
"I bet he hasn't aged a bit." Alice joked.
And later, she wished she hadn't said that.
When they entered the office building it was just a single floor with dozens of cubicles and computers. Every monitor was left on with their perfunctory buzzing to keep the dead silence at bay. The office lights were off except for one cubicle in the middle of the room where a desk lamp was on and the slim shadow of Professor Bruttenholm moved on the ceiling.
Professor Bruttenholm was the exact mere size of his skinny frail shadow—an old pale British man sitting in the spiny chair of a tax collector, reading the numbers off the papers left on some bloke's unorganized desk.
He didn't hear them come in and didn't notice when they were standing in front of him which gave Alice a chance to regain her posture when she saw him. The short, young, brown hair bookworm she had met all those years ago was an old man. A really old man.
Professor broom had white hair, liver spots, and wore his pants up high like every old timer. His glasses were thick and so was his mustache which looked a bit unkempt since his arrival in Russia.
It frightened Alice to see him because she knew… she knew where he would be one day soon. In a box in the ground six feet under. Maybe not today or tomorrow… but there was no real future for the elderly man pushing 90.
Their last conversation replayed in her head and she could see him clearly in that bloody kitchen at the Plaza in 1951.
"I can't marry this man! He's a mortal and you what mortals do Trevor."
"We grow old, we grow sick. We die."
Alice gasped which drew the attention of the old man. He looked at Hellboy first then saw her.
"Ah ha." He said charmingly flashing an amiable smile Alice's way. He stood up slowly but moved with a speed which did not fit his aged physique.
Holding his arms out, Alice hugged him, careful not to squeeze to tight. Professor Bruttenholm held on slightly rocking and released her still smiling.
"You don't look a day over 30."
"You don't look…old." Alice mumbled, unsure how to respond.
Professor Bruttenholm laughed patting her hand, "My dear I understand. It's not everyday you get to see your friends look their age and you don't."
Hellboy chuckled as the Professor finished his laugh and coughed a bit in his handkerchief.
"How was your flight, sir?" Hellboy asked.
The Professor nodded, "Right." And sat back down in his seat, "It was a pain in the ass, if you really want to know."
Alice smirked as Professor Bruttenholm whirled around the spiny chair, "With the Soviet Union and The United States rivalry, it was hell getting in here. They don't welcome most American tourists with some hot coco and a slice of pound cake. I had to book my own hotel once I arrived off the plane and besides that, I was followed there and here by a black car."
"A black car!" Hellboy said.
"Yes its right outside, sitting across the street at the deli." Professor Bruttenholm said hitching his finger towards the glass windows. Hellboy proceeded to go and take a look. He returned nodding, "Yep. They're still out there."
"It's really pathetic they're acting like this. I followed protocol and called in to the highest government official I could get in touch with." Professor Bruttenholm explained, "I told them of the danger and they gave me a haughty laugh and said yes only because I'm so well respected but I never thought—"
"We're in a Cold War, professor." Hellboy said.
The professor's mind seemed to wonder as he stared off then nodded, "Of course."
"I wouldn't be surprised if they had cameras and microphones in here."
"Of course, of course." Professor Bruttenholm said nonchalantly. Alice looked around as if she could see these cameras and microphones everywhere.
"There's no reason to be paranoid my dear." Professor Bruttenholm reassured Alice, "You are safe here. The minute you entered this building, you were blessed by a protective charm I learned from a well respected sorceress from Indonesia in 1967. Who ever is tracking you by carrying a lock of your hair can't find you or see you here. You are safe."
A weight on Alice's heart seemed to be lifted. To know she had a sanctuary, even if it was some crummy office building, put her mind at ease even if it was only for an hour.
"They're called the Black Hand, professor." Hellboy explained, "And they've got some powerful stuff—I witnessed it Brazil."
Professor Bruttenholm raised his hand lazily, "Yes. Most of these cults do have some powerful magic but at last, they are still human. They have flaws and weaknesses."
"Trevor," Alice spoke up. Professor Bruttenholm looked at her curiously. This was the first time she had said his name. "They are after the Philosopher's Stone and I know where it is."
"Do you know where it is?" Professor Bruttenholm asked looking at Hellboy.
He frowned, "No. she won't tell me exactly—"
"In the Ural Mountains." Alice said, "Sweeney wrote on his papers that he buried them up there on the mountain where Atlas's hand keeps the sky at bay."
"What?" Hellboy asked.
Professor Bruttenholm closed his eyes and clasped his hands together to think.
"Who's Atlas?" Hellboy questioned loudly, "What does 'keeps the sky at bay' mean? Is the sky falling."
"Quiet, Hellboy." Professor Bruttenholm scolded. Hellboy's tail tucked under him as he bowed his head a little in embarrassment. He glanced over at Alice who was watching Professor Bruttenholm.
"Atlas was a Titan who sided with the Titans in the Titanomachy. The Titans lost to the Olympians and as punishment, Zeus sentenced Atlas to stand at the edge of the earth and hold up the sky on his shoulder to keep the two from mixing back into the chaotic world where the Titans once reigned." Professor Bruttenholm explained.
"But the Atlas Mountains, my dear, rest in Northern Africa. If Sweeney was referring to him, then we are on the wrong continent."
Hellboy sighed, rubbing the top of his balding head as Alice collected her thoughts and memories on the decoded sheet.
"No." Alice replied, "It clearly said the Ural Mountains."
Professor Bruttenholm looked at her skeptically, "are you sure."
"Yes." Alice said stressing the word, "I know what I read! Sweeney hid them in the Ural Mountains where Atlas's hand keeps the sky at bay!"
"Perhaps he means where the sky and the earth seem to fuse." Professor Bruttenholm pondered out loud. Hellboy nodded, "Yeah… like a horizon line?"
"Well there's got to be more than just one spot for tourist where the sky and the earth seem to form into one." Professor Bruttenholm said, "It has to be a flat surface and that could be valleys, steppes, glaciers, rivers…."
"Oh god, we're never going to find this thing." Hellboy said.
"Don't say that!" Alice retorted, smacking him on his left arm. Hellboy smiled, pleased with himself but caught the eye of Professor Bruttenholm.
"Well Alice, if the stone's really in the Ural Mountains, we have to think about the climate and geography; the stone could be under 100 feet of snow!" Professor Bruttenholm exclaimed, "Or buried under sliding rocks, carried into a river by melting snow, covered up by mineral deposits in a riverbank or—"
"Fine!" Alice shouted, "If you don't want to help me find the Philosopher's Stone, Trevor, I will go and look for it myself!"
With that Alice stormed out of the office, slamming the door.
Professor Bruttenholm watched her walk away without a word, and then he reached into his pocket and took out his pipe.
"It's sad to see how restless she is over this stone." Professor Bruttenholm commented, "Why I remember an Alice of fine taste and dignity. The only thing she cares about now is dying."
Something in Hellboy pinged as the Professor said this.
That was all she was looking for—he had totally forgotten. Not an adventure or to meet her old friends and see the world. Alice was looking to die.
"And you shouldn't get so attached to her, boy. She's a man eater." Professor Bruttenholm said.
Hellboy looked at his father and shook his head no, "I'm not attached, sir. I just want to help her."
"Hellboy I'm no fool—I was in love once." Professor Bruttenholm said. He looked at the door Alice had exited out of longingly, "I once met a woman overseas who destroyed a very priceless statue we found from the Roman times. It had moved once and she was so overwhelmed by this she pulverized it saving hundreds of lives and she came back to the States with me only to be swept away by another man."
Hellboy had never heard his father talk about a woman like that or himself in his golden days.
"I never stopped loving her though she continues to break my heart…" He mumbled off. The professor shook his head and stared at Hellboy, "Don't play the fool son. She is out for only one thing and when she gets it she will disappear."
"No she won't." Hellboy said, "I'm going to talk to her about coming back to the Bureau with us and meeting the guys. I think she'd get a kick out of seeing Abe and—"
"Hellboy give it up. You're setting yourself up for heartbreak." Professor Bruttenholm said standing up. He yawned and stretched, apparently tired from his work. He bent down and reached for a suitcase under the desk. He handed it to Hellboy, "I know she doesn't want any military support or backup from the Bureau. This is Alice's last stand Hellboy—hers, not yours. Don't get yourself killed."
"Yes sir." Hellboy said.
"As for me—I have a plane to catch in an hour. I'll be back in Connecticut when you decide to come back."
"Do you need some help getting to the airport—"
"No my boy I'm just fine." The professor said smiling, "I have been to Russia before and I know where I'm going."
He took off his glasses to clean them, "In that suitcase you will find two train tickets to West Russia to a small village called Peklo. The village sits at one of the lowest points of the mountains and the village is known for its paranormal sightings such as a yetis and ghost and the occasional naked ghoul so I thought that would be a good place to start looking."
"Thank you sir."
"Oh and another thing Hellboy." Professor Bruttenholm said, "There are some files in there about that Virtus woman you asked about over the phone. It's very interesting to read. I hope it helps."
Author's Notes: So I am really apologetic about leaving you all hanging for almost three months. It wont happen again. By Wednesday (And i swear this) i will have chapter 7 up and ready. Happy Holidays.