Jim and Blair took a call that would ultimately change their lives forever. They would have to let go of all their beliefs as of now. They were entering the Sandburg/Ellison zone and they had company.
Jim jumped out of his truck and grabbed the patrolmen in the parking lot. "What's going on here?"
"Some type of hideous monster is up there. It killed four cops already."
A voice yelled down, "Well, crap... You big fat liar. I didn't kill anyone. They shot each other because they were scared. Now tell that nice Officer the truth."
Jim almost smiled, keyword being almost. "So, they killed each other?" He looked at the officer's name tag. "Why would they do that, Smith?"
"Because he's so fucking freaky it isn't even funny," Smith said.
"You're just jealous, copper," Came the voice again. "I want to see James Ellison. It's a matter of life or death."
"I'm James Ellison," Jim said quickly.
The man's words were so soft only a Sentinel would be able to hear him. "Come up here and save my partners' lives, and I'll give myself up. Please don't let them kill them."
"What are you doing, Jim?" Blair asked.
"I was listening to what he wanted. What do you think?"
"Think about what? I didn't hear a thing. Oh shit... He must know about you."
"All the more reason for me to go on up and say hello." Jim heard the man laugh and wondered why. "Smith, keep everyone down here. I want no one to blow this."
"Yes, sir." Smith said eagerly.
The two men walked side by side until they came through the doorway. They kept their guns up, but couldn't seem to close their mouths. What the hell is that? Jim wondered.
The big red man walked towards them and asked, "Sandburg, could you look at my partner and see if he's all right?"
"Jim would be the one for that. He was a medic in the army."
"You said 'partners'. Where's the other one?"
"Take care of John first."
Jim walked over and saw the blood-soaked shirt the young man was wearing. He said, "I'm going to have to look at this, okay?"
"Sure... Red, I want you to leave now. I'll be all right with these guys. Won't I, guys?"
"What's your name?" Jim asked the injured man.
"John Meyers, and I know that you are Jim Ellison and Blair Sandburg. We came to ask for you help. But Kincaid found us first."
Blair shivered at the sound of that name.
"So what's the verdict? Is he all right?" the big man barked.
"He'll be fine. It looks worse than it is, they always do. I'm using my shirt to stop the blood flow." Jim answered.
"Meyers, don't be getting any ideas over this pretty man. You belong to me." The large red stranger growled.
Jim and Blair both looked oddly at John. "I'm his mate. He doesn't share. He doesn't even like to talk of sharing. But ask him about Liz."
"I think we should ask him about what he plans on doing now." Jim stopped the discussion post haste.
"I'll give myself to Kincaid if you take Abe and John with you." HB said calmly.
"Who is Abe?" Jim asked. Both men jumped when they saw what looked like an Alien before them.
"My other partner," the red man said nonchalantly.
"I'm not an Alien, as you are no doubt wondering. I'm very, very old. I was found in the ancient ruins of an underwater experiment, and the government has had me ever since," Abe explained.
"He needs to be submerged in water soon," HB said quietly.
"What is your name?" Jim looked at the large red man, not as worried as he'd been before.
"They named me Hellboy almost 60 years ago, but they call me HB. John and Abe call me Red."
"It's good to meet you, HB." Blair put his hand out and they shook hands.
"You're very lucky, Ellison. He's a good man."
"And so, like I'm not?" John whined and Jim laughed.
"He sounds a lot like Sandburg."
"That's because they're both babies." HB said laughing. "Now, we have to figure something out."
Jim pulled his cell out and called Simon.
"Banks!"
"Simon, I need you to keep everyone out of here. It's National Security stuff." Jim said.
"So is that NSS for short?" Simon asked sarcastically.
"Simon, you know I wouldn't ask if we didn't have to. I need a doctor and some time for these people to get away."
"Ellison, they're here to pick them up. It's an old friend of yours."
"Who?"
"Brackett."
"Shit... Simon if he's in on it, you know it's bad news. They're going to kill these guys. We need to get them out." Jim could hear Simon walking away from everyone.
"Jim, there is a tunnel down below the building you're in. The tunnel runs to about a block from your place. I'll meet you there. I'll bring the doctor with me."
"Simon, you can't come. I'm sorry. It would be a high risk security breach, not to mention they'll be watching you."
"Well, that leaves the tunnel out. Look, just get somewhere. Not the loft. Go to my place and hide in the basement. No one would look there. And I'll stay here so they'll never suspect me."
"Thank you, Simon. Talk to you later." Closing his cell he stood tall and said, "All right, here is the plan." Jim filled them in on what they were going to do and where they were going.
They watched as HB lifted Meyers into his arms and carried him gently, then slipped out of the building, unseen.
The large man whispered, "I love you, Meyers."
"I'm not going to die, Red. Stop worrying."
"He lives to worry, John," Abe added.
"So have you all worked together a long while?" Jim asked to pass time.
Abe explained the entire story of how they all met and how close they were. He then said, "Father made us read all about the studies they had done on Sentinel's. Hellboy's Father had been very interested in them. He found out that the government wanted Jim Ellison to experiment on, and he said it was our mission to save Blair Sandburg and Jim Ellison. But Father didn't live to see the end results. Now everyone will have to run for their lives." When he was done, Abe said, "Why don't you tell them about Liz, Red?"
"I'm not talking about an old girlfriend." HB growled.
"So you admit you had a thing for her, right?" John asked.
"Of course. I loved her for years, Meyers. You don't have to be insecure. I like men better."
Jim and Blair snickered when they heard this. HB turned and glared at both of them, making them laugh outright.
"So do you love me more than Liz?" Meyers was pulling out the big guns.
"Differently, Meyers. Will you stop with this? I love you. I'm with you, and I don't want to be with Liz." HB hoped John would drop the subject. He hoped wrong. Today was not his lucky day.
"So if she called tomorrow and asked you to move in with her, would you?" Meyers was very serious.
"You know I live on the compound, I can't live off base for anything."
"Okay, would you be with her if she called and asked if she could move into your room?"
Red thought for a minute and said, "But where would you sleep? I can't sleep without you, babe."
"You are going to get so lucky when we get somewhere. Anywhere. Ellison is something coming up soon?" John asked hopefully.
"Wait here. I have to get a cab." Jim ran out to the street and when he came back he said, "Hurry up."
"Pushy damn Sentinel." HB grumbled, making John and Blair both laugh.
"Jim, where is the driver?" Blair was still chuckling.
"I had to tie him up and take his keys. I'm sorry, but we can't have them find HB and Abe. Hell, we can't have them finding us. Come on, let's move it."
"Jim is in heaven when he thinks he's the boss," Blair kidded.
Jim was using his Sentinel vision, and a block from Simon's house he saw some government vehicles there. "Everyone down. Now." He drove past
They all followed orders and stayed there. He drove past, his left arm resting on the window, pretending he was chewing gum, glancing at the Feds' cars indifferently.
"OK, it's safe. Chief, do you have any ideas for somewhere to go?"
"I'm feeding Sam's cat if we want to go there." Blair offered.
"I hate Sam." Jim growled.
"It's a place to stay, and we can get Abe in some water," Blair argued.
Once they arrived and got inside, they began to relax. "Ellison, is John going to be all right?" HB asked worriedly.
"Yes, he lost a little blood, but not too much. He just needs to rest and relax for a while. I'll go and get some food. He will need a lot to drink to replace the fluids. So we'll get plenty."
HB stood up and said, "Want me to go along?" Both men began to laugh their fool heads off. This came easily since they seemed to be fools most of the time. They both knew that HB could not go grocery shopping. People tend to stare at a 6' 5" red man with horns cut off at the forehead and one fist made out of stone.
Blair watched and said, "I don't see what's so funny. You both are nuts, ya know?"
"We're laughing because HB doesn't get out much for interacting with people. That's only if their lives aren't in peril. Then people tend to forget what he looks like and thank him." John explained.
John slept soundly until Jim got back, and they woke him to eat. Abe came out and tried to eat something, but knew it wouldn't settle as well as rotten eggs. He was missing those like mad. But HB had brought him pickled eggs and they were going to leave them out for tomorrow. John had told Jim about Abe's odd food favorites. Now the poor Sentinel just hoped he could stand the smell.
"Ellison, how would you and Sandburg like to come on board with us? We fight crime. We fight for what's right, and the pay isn't too bad," HB said casually.
"Do you ask everyone to join you?" Jim asked.
"Never."
"Then why?" Jim wondered aloud.
"Because you accepted all of us, even though we look odd and act odd. You just went with the flow. Men like you and Sandburg are hard to come by. And let's not forget the bad guys are looking for you, too. What do you say?"
"What do you think, Chief?" Jim smiled at his love.
"So we'd have a place in the compound?" Blair asked.
"The rooms are very nice, very large, and you can decorate to your liking." John answered.
"Jim, we could do more than we ever could in Cascade. Say yes, big man." Blair's blue eyes were bright with excitement.
"You might have to change that now. Whoa, this one's a big boy for sure." Jim clapped HB on the back, laughing.
"I'm sure you're a big man where it counts," HB said seriously.
Once John recovered from the shock, he said, "Red, what the hell kind of thing is that to say?"
HB looked at him and smiled and said, "Meyers, get your brain out of the trash can. I'm talking his heart. I bet he's got a heart of gold. Does he Sandburg?"
"Oh yeah. And he's big in the other area too." Blair snickered and Jim blushed furiously.
John picked up the phone and called the new Superior. "Mason, we need a pickup in the truck." John then told him where they were. "OK, Mason says we should just sit tight."
"Ellison, you want to go home and get some things?" HB asked.
"No, they'll see me and follow back. We'll buy new wherever we're going."
"Jim, I think you will make fine fellow officers for John and Red. Welcome to the club." Abe stuck his webbed hand out and both Blair and Jim shook his hand. Pulling away, they tried not to make icky faces.
"So, Sandburg, you have any special talents, like Ellison?" HB asked.
"No, sorry. I'm just his Guide."
"Does it count that he can control me in any situation?" Jim almost whispered and Blair burst out laughing.
It never ceased to amase the Guide that his Sentinel told people what control he had over the big man.
John moved wrong and felt it and said, "Fuck..."
"Meyers, I really wish you wouldn't talk that way," HB said.
"How come Ellison gets to say it?" John asked.
"I'm not sleeping with Ellison. I don't want you talking that way. All right?" HB was very serious.
"Holy crap... Is that better?"
"Much. Thank you, babe." HB kissed him quickly.
John smiled and said, "Fucking A."
Everyone laughed, even HB. They got ready for a night of rest with Jim and HB keeping watch.
The two men talked at the window all night long. HB filled him in on what he might be in for with this new job. Jim had to admit, it sounded a lot better than his old job. Excitement was the first word that came to mind. Thrilling was the second, and idiot was the third.
At noon the following day, a huge garbage truck pulled up and Jim said, "Wow. Now that's a garbage truck. Is it cool inside?"
"You won't believe it. It's great. Welcome to our little family." HB patted Jim's back softly.
Four men walked into the apartment with coats and hats for all of them. Jim leaned into Blair and said, "My first real disguise." Blair smiled at him and knew that Jim was very excited about all of this. So was Blair. This would be their new life. They would miss family and friends, but they couldn't live a life being experiments.
Once inside the truck, Abe was put into a tank and they all went to sleep. Jim knew he was going to have to call Simon, but not right now. He and Blair lay side by side cuddling with the slight rocking motion.
When they arrived at the compound they helped get John into the clinic, and Jim and Blair were shown to their rooms.
"Jim, do you believe this? This bedroom is as big as the entire loft. Way cool."
"I agree. Way cool. Can we put it to use now?" Jim wiggled his eyebrows and Blair was all over him in two seconds.
HB was smiling and John asked, "Are you listening to them?"
"Yup. Nothing beats the sounds of men in love." HB kissed John and pulled him on top of him. "I used to always think of myself as Hellboy and that was all. But now I'm part of a team. We're Hellmen. And I'm proud to be part of the team, Meyers."
"Me too. Now could you stop talking and make love to me?"
"Are you sure you're all right?" HB asked.
"The doctor said I was dandy. Get busy."
"That I could do." HB proceeded to remind his love of how treasured he was.
In Jim and Blair's room Jim whispered, "He's a Sentinel."
"Who is?" Blair almost fell off the bed.
"HB. He's a Sentinel. We were talking last night, and he told me some things. You could help John be his Guide. Is that all right with you?"
"Whoa, two Sentinels. Way cool. No problems?" Blair kissed him again.
"No problems. Alex wasn't a good Sentinel. HB is. We'll all be fine." Jim assured his Guide.
"I'm sure we will."
"He just told John that we're now Hellmen. That's our title."
"Way cool again. Now could you make love to me?"
"I could do that." And Jim made sure he left no part of Blair unkissed, unlicked or unsucked. Life was good and it would only get better.
The End.
[ Tell the author what you thought. ] [ Back to Index! ]
Author's Acknowledgements: Betaed by Tinnean Thank you, darlin.