AbeSapien99
09-23-2008, 10:56 PM
Chapter 2, excerpt:
Hellboy could hear footsteps echoing from somewhere down the hangar; a stack of boxes hid the culprit from his view. He didn’t need to see it, though – he knew it was that man he had seen for that split second. That old man. And even from the sounds of his foot-falls he could tell the stranger wasn’t going all that fast. No geezer was going to outrun him. HB charged after and Abe followed, though now with a little more distance between them; he knew not to stay too close to Hellboy if it came to a fight, plus it just allowed for better cover-fire.
It was nothing to catch up to the old man. HB could run faster than most people even on a slow day and today definitely wasn’t a slow day. He dashed around the stack between him and his target, saw him hobbling towards the huge door, which thankfully was closed right now, at the end of the hangar, and pushed himself even faster. As he neared the man, dressed in a soiled lab coat and sporting a pair of broken glasses, he slowed and reached out to grab his arm.
The geezer stopped and spun, drove a withered old fist into Hellboy’s chest. The blow was surprisingly strong and the impact sent him flying backwards. He soared a good two or three meters through the air, hit the floor, and rolled into some barrels – which of course fell on top of him. Fortunately they were fairly light and just bounced off, hardly even hurting. His chest certainly hurt, though. He reached a hand up to rub the spot where he had been hit. How could such an old withered corpse like that punch so hard?
Abe caught up and passed him, sparing only a quick glance before he rushed towards the old man. HB tried to sit up, to warn him off, but the ache in his chest was still lingering. He winced and fell back to the floor while his partner closed in.
“Stop!” Abe shouted, holding his gun directly at the geezer’s back. “Don’t move or I shoot!”
The man reached the closed hangar door and had to stop anyways. He banged both fists on the metal in a futile attempt to break through, though he did create two slight craters in its surface. Even with whatever superhuman strength he did possess it didn’t seem enough for him to smash through the door. He turned slowly to face Abe.
The amphibious man held his ground. “Stop right there. Last warning.” He tightened the grip on his gun.
The geezer was either insane or just stupid, or perhaps a little of both. He glared at his would-be captor and started to slowly advance. Abe didn’t hesitate, fired a single round into his shoulder. The man’s body shifted with the hit and blood sprayed from the exit wound but otherwise he seemed unaffected. Abe shot again, this time in the gut, and still no response. He started to back away and emptied his entire clip, yet still the man kept walking.
Blood pouring from seven different bullet holes, the man started to laugh. He stopped a few feet from Abe and began to inspect the wounds, laughing all the while. His grinning face turned to stare directly at his opponent. “Forty-nine of your human years,” he croaked. “Forty-nine years have I lived in this decaying shell on this pathetic rock.” His stomach convulsed and he made to vomit, but instead spit out a glob of blood. “You think your projectile weapons will stop me now?”
Abe frowned, or as closely as he could with his facial musculature, and reached for another clip of ammo. He kept his eyes on the old man – or whatever it was now – and kept up his slow retreat. The possessed man grinned at him again, blood and spit and bile covering his lips and mouth, and continued to advance towards him again.
His focus was misplaced, though. Abe Sapien was only half of the threat to him, if he could even be called half. Hellboy had gone unnoticed – something that normally never occurred anywhere – and had managed to sneak around and to the side of the man. He carried one of the steel barrels with him and brought it down on the back of his head and neck. The geezer crumpled forward to the ground, Abe barely getting out of his way in time.
Hellboy dropped the barrel and stepped over him, looked down. He wasn’t moving at all, not even breathing. “I’d say he’s down for the count.”
“Red, you’ve been at this for, what, fifty-five years now?” Abe asked. “How many things that you have beaten in that time have actually stayed down?”
HB actually seemed to count in his head. “Well, there was that Satyr thing in ’83, and the…”
He trailed off, noticing the skin of the fallen old man had started to shift and bubble. Something or somethings were moving under the flesh, like cockroaches under a carpet. Hellboy leaned in for a closer inspection, then backed up as the body started to expand. The geezer’s skin was swelling rapidly all over, his torso expanding the most. There was definitely something still alive in there… and it wanted out.
“Ah crap,” HB muttered.
Continue reading here. Be sure to check for updates as more chapters are finished. (http://www.fanfiction.net/s/4559994/1/Between_Heaven_and_Hell)
Hellboy could hear footsteps echoing from somewhere down the hangar; a stack of boxes hid the culprit from his view. He didn’t need to see it, though – he knew it was that man he had seen for that split second. That old man. And even from the sounds of his foot-falls he could tell the stranger wasn’t going all that fast. No geezer was going to outrun him. HB charged after and Abe followed, though now with a little more distance between them; he knew not to stay too close to Hellboy if it came to a fight, plus it just allowed for better cover-fire.
It was nothing to catch up to the old man. HB could run faster than most people even on a slow day and today definitely wasn’t a slow day. He dashed around the stack between him and his target, saw him hobbling towards the huge door, which thankfully was closed right now, at the end of the hangar, and pushed himself even faster. As he neared the man, dressed in a soiled lab coat and sporting a pair of broken glasses, he slowed and reached out to grab his arm.
The geezer stopped and spun, drove a withered old fist into Hellboy’s chest. The blow was surprisingly strong and the impact sent him flying backwards. He soared a good two or three meters through the air, hit the floor, and rolled into some barrels – which of course fell on top of him. Fortunately they were fairly light and just bounced off, hardly even hurting. His chest certainly hurt, though. He reached a hand up to rub the spot where he had been hit. How could such an old withered corpse like that punch so hard?
Abe caught up and passed him, sparing only a quick glance before he rushed towards the old man. HB tried to sit up, to warn him off, but the ache in his chest was still lingering. He winced and fell back to the floor while his partner closed in.
“Stop!” Abe shouted, holding his gun directly at the geezer’s back. “Don’t move or I shoot!”
The man reached the closed hangar door and had to stop anyways. He banged both fists on the metal in a futile attempt to break through, though he did create two slight craters in its surface. Even with whatever superhuman strength he did possess it didn’t seem enough for him to smash through the door. He turned slowly to face Abe.
The amphibious man held his ground. “Stop right there. Last warning.” He tightened the grip on his gun.
The geezer was either insane or just stupid, or perhaps a little of both. He glared at his would-be captor and started to slowly advance. Abe didn’t hesitate, fired a single round into his shoulder. The man’s body shifted with the hit and blood sprayed from the exit wound but otherwise he seemed unaffected. Abe shot again, this time in the gut, and still no response. He started to back away and emptied his entire clip, yet still the man kept walking.
Blood pouring from seven different bullet holes, the man started to laugh. He stopped a few feet from Abe and began to inspect the wounds, laughing all the while. His grinning face turned to stare directly at his opponent. “Forty-nine of your human years,” he croaked. “Forty-nine years have I lived in this decaying shell on this pathetic rock.” His stomach convulsed and he made to vomit, but instead spit out a glob of blood. “You think your projectile weapons will stop me now?”
Abe frowned, or as closely as he could with his facial musculature, and reached for another clip of ammo. He kept his eyes on the old man – or whatever it was now – and kept up his slow retreat. The possessed man grinned at him again, blood and spit and bile covering his lips and mouth, and continued to advance towards him again.
His focus was misplaced, though. Abe Sapien was only half of the threat to him, if he could even be called half. Hellboy had gone unnoticed – something that normally never occurred anywhere – and had managed to sneak around and to the side of the man. He carried one of the steel barrels with him and brought it down on the back of his head and neck. The geezer crumpled forward to the ground, Abe barely getting out of his way in time.
Hellboy dropped the barrel and stepped over him, looked down. He wasn’t moving at all, not even breathing. “I’d say he’s down for the count.”
“Red, you’ve been at this for, what, fifty-five years now?” Abe asked. “How many things that you have beaten in that time have actually stayed down?”
HB actually seemed to count in his head. “Well, there was that Satyr thing in ’83, and the…”
He trailed off, noticing the skin of the fallen old man had started to shift and bubble. Something or somethings were moving under the flesh, like cockroaches under a carpet. Hellboy leaned in for a closer inspection, then backed up as the body started to expand. The geezer’s skin was swelling rapidly all over, his torso expanding the most. There was definitely something still alive in there… and it wanted out.
“Ah crap,” HB muttered.
Continue reading here. Be sure to check for updates as more chapters are finished. (http://www.fanfiction.net/s/4559994/1/Between_Heaven_and_Hell)