City of Night - Hellboy RPG #1

[Lady Hellgirl]

Edit by jnapper:
Rules for the HELLBOY RPG THREAD are located HERE (http://forums.comicbookresources.com/showthread.php?t=83401).
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Location, B.P.R.D. Headquarters, Fairfield, Connecticut, U.S.A.

“Lights please”

“This is the best photograph we have of Doctor Wihelm Sterne, who achieved some small reputation in 1930’s Germany as a scholar of Arabic and North African history…also as a dedicated member of the of the Nazi Party. He appears to have convinced the hierarchy to finance his researches by rewriting large portions of Near Eastern history, adding an anti-Semitic slant.”

“February, 1941. General Erwin Rommel arrived in Libya to make change of Axis operations in North Africa. I imagine that most of you know something about all that. March 3, Doctor Sterne also arrived in Libya, on a military transport. Orders from Berlin were for Rommel and his staff to provide him with quote, ’All necessary assistance in his scholarship.’ Rommel seems to have given Sterne a bodyguard of second -rate troops and forgotten him. Records suggest that Sterne made a thorough nuisance of himself in the mosque libraries in Libya and Tunis for a few weeks, and then he disappears from view. There’s one final letter from Rommel’s staff, essentially disclaiming responsibility for losing him. It says that he’d wandered off into the desert with his bodyguard and a couple of armored cars, and disappeared. Rommel was doing well just then, so Berlin was disinclined to blame him.”

“U.S. Military Intelligence had a file on Sterne, but the last thing in it was correspondence they found in Berlin in 1946.

“Five days ago. A U.S. citizen named Doctor Reginald Clay telephoned the embassy in Mali. Clay is working on a restoration project in the city of Timbuktu. Two days before his call, a westerner - a very old man - had walked into town out of the desert and collapsed. Clay was one of the first people the man meet, and when he died after a few hours, Clay helped the local police try and identify the body.”

“The man was wearing the remains of a military uniform, and carrying papers in German. Clay thought that this was odd, and contacted the American embassy while the local police called Germans. His instinct was correct. The papers identify the man as Private Rudolph Frankelle pf the German Armey, missing since 1941.”

“You’ll see from this photograph, Frankelle looked his age. First reports suggest that the causes of death were dehydration and old age. The State Department found this odd enough to monitor the case, and discovered that Frankelle was last heard of as a member of Sterne’s bodyguard. He has only distant family in Germany, and we’re assured by the German Police that they’re as puzzled as anyone else.”

“The State Department dug up Sterne’s file, and realized that his known associates included members of Project Ragna Rok. Under the circumstances, they thought it best to hand the file over us. They’ve been in contact with the government of Mali, and everyone is happy for us to pick up the problem. If there is one.”

“Your job is to determine as many of the facts as are accessible. Decisions about further action will be based on what you find.”

“As usual you will have considerable freedom of action while in the field, but you will be required to justify any unusual decisions after word.”

(Taken from Sample Adventures, The Hellboy Sourcebook and Role Playing Game, by Phil Masters.)

Resources and Arrangements that will be provided for B.P.R.D. agents include:

1. Travel to and from Mali and Timbuktu
2. Guns: Each agent can take with them into Mali a pistol (may be concealed if necessary), or 1-2 rifles/light automatic weapons, and maybe some grenades. NO heavy weapons!
3. Radios: one satellite “base unit” to send signals back to headquarters (Keep it in a safe place!). As back up, one heavy portable headset capable of sending direct via satellite.
4. Other equipment provided: Body Armor (if requested, but will be very hot to wear in Mali‘s deserts!)
Rocket packs (if requested)
GPS systems (if you feel the need to go on a wilderness trip)
Vehicles and basic equipment will be borrowed from local government agencies in Mali.
5. A French/Bambara Translator may be asked for from the local government if required

Briefing notes about Mali

This landlocked peaceful country in Africa has about 11 million residents and is one of the poorest countries in the world. Most people living there are peasant farmers along the Niger River. However, there are also a lot nomadic herders found in Mali’s less fertile areas. Mali also has a few big market towns and cities with industries.

Mali’s terrain consists of semi-jungle areas in the south and deserts in the north. These areas are underdeveloped and are ruled by a democratic government. Mali’s capital is Bamako. Its national language is French (due to French rule from 1890 to 1960.)/Bambara and the primary religion is Muslim.

When at this country, be CAREFULL because petty theft is very common, especially from Americans. Who locals believe are all rich.

Agents include:

*Poe Ghostal as Dr. Manning and Hellboy

**Valkyre as Abe and Valkyre of the Fallen (Valkyre for short)
Biography of character can be found in Hellboy RPG thread, post #50.

*Lady Hellgirl as Liz and Narrator

*skinnymikec as Sidney leach, the human metal detector

*BKole as Johann

**Mist as Mist the Soul-Gatherer
Biography of character can be found in Hellboy RPG thread, post #28.

*Otto66 as a B.P.R.D. "redshirt"

[Mist the Soul-Gatherer]

B.P.R.D.
OFFICIAL MEMO

To: Dr. Tom Manning
From: Mist TSG
Re: Mali

Tom,

As usual, I'll be taking my Broadsword and own body armor (for obvious reasons), but will leave Long Spear and Shield at headquarters per your standing order to "Blend In". I also require the usual amount of nuts (unsalted) and/or Trail Mix for Ratatosk. And I have a few questions. Where and when will the Team meet to leave for this mission? And how are we getting there? 'Tosk and I aren't jumping out of that rattletrap B52 AGAIN.

Ever Yours,
Mist

[Lady Hellgirl]

Liz: Tom, I would appreciate it if I could take a pistol and GPS unit along on this mission. I also would not like to jump out of any moving planes either, at least not in this lifetime!

[-=Valkyre=-]

Valkyre: Tom, I'm certain Abe and I agree on this, but jumping out of moving planes is not going to happen, otherwise I will not be responsible for what happens should my demon form go postal.
I will be taking my usual weapons, but will not wear body armor as it will likely get ruined should I shift forms, and I dislike having my wings flattened to my back.
Abe: Don't worry, I wont let Valkyre do anything drastic... yet. I'll take my usual pistol, but I don't think the body armor will be necessary.

[Mike Cross]

::Great. Just great. My hands still hurt, and they itch ...they itch too much. Stupid burns. At least I'm going back into the field. So what if the first time didn't go..quite so well. Look how everything worked in the end? We mostly came home..mostly. Used to be I was the new face, but the way people and thnigs show up here, what use am I? Human metal detector..big deal...that thing's a frickin' winged creature or demon or something..i guess i should read the briefing..
Mali eh? Never been to Asia...i better take my camera. Wonder if they'll give me a gun?::

-Sidney Leach

[Mist the Soul-Gatherer]

MIST: Sid, don't get yourself all worked up. Val's not so bad-he's a real sharp dresser. And it's MALI, not Bali. We're goin' to AFRICA. Don't look so down-of course we need you-you can find more change for the soda machine than anybody!!
Hey Liz, have you seen Johann?

[Lady Hellgirl]

Liz: Not yet, I think he's returning late from his last mission.
Hay Sidney, you know your an important member of the team! Just remember that and how much you've helped in the previous mission. As I’ve said before, I am really SORRY for burning you.
Oh yah some good advice, don't just don't quite every few years like I do. As you get to know everyone in the B.P.R.D. you realize that they become a second family to you.

[-=Valkyre=-]

Valkyre: ::Growls as he's barely held back by abe:: "Watchit, I may have been an angel once, but things can easily change."
Abe: "Calm down will you? We need to work together and keep from doing anything drastic before Johann and Red get here so we can get going..."
Valkyre: "You're lucky this time..." ::sulks off to find something to eat::

[Lady Hellgirl]

Liz: Red's actually in a mission in Africa right now. We will meet up with him there and call upon him if we need assistance or if he feels like it. As long as I've known him though, he's never turned down an opportunity to participate in a good investigation before.

[-=Valkyre=-]

Valkyre: ::Flops into a chair, munching on a sandwich:: "Perfect... and I have to listen to the metal detector whine all the way?"
Abe: ::Sighs and heads off to take a soak to calm his neves::

[Lady Hellgirl]

Liz: Valkyre, don't take it personally, Sidney's kind of mad at me I think.

[-=Valkyre=-]

Valkyre: ::Sighs:: "It's not your fault he tried to help you..." ::swallows the last of his sandwich:: "Besides, He'll be fine, if he stops bloody whining about it... You, however, I'm more worried about... Who knows what could have happened to you after you 'died'... You're lucky Red managed to bring Roger in and give you your powers back, who knows what would have happened to you otherwise..." ::Smiles a bit, showing a bit of a silver tipped fang::

[Lady Hellgirl]

Liz: "I know" SIGH "But that puts one more person on the list who my powers have hurt. However, I am kind of happy Red helped me, at least I'll be able to help the B.P.R.D. fight all the evil forces lurking behind every corner of the world. Hopefully, using my powers for good, as a way to make up for all the bad stuff that they have done."

[Mike Cross]

::under my breath:: Yeah, and she looks normal, unlike some of us...

Mali...Mali...why the heck would Nazis go to Mali..?

Sidney: Hey Liz, have you ever been to Mali anyway? What's the big deal with it anyhow?

[-=Valkyre=-]

Valkyre: ::sighs again:: "Liz, don't blame yourself for what has happened, you are still learning, and should not blame thyself for what happened when you barely knew the powers you have... Evil may lurk around every corner, but unless you see that no one has died or been injured because you WANTED them to be, but because they may have indirectly brought such upon themselves..." ::Glares a bit at sidney:: "Not all germans are power hungry Nazi's, but you're right, why would they be there?"

[Lady Hellgirl]

Liz: "Would you two please stop that, if we are going to work together, we had better start getting along!" :Gives Valkyre and Sidney a pleading look:

"Anyway, I don't believe I have been to Mali before, except I have been on so many investigations that places and events regarding each mission are starting to blend together.

It's probable a big deal because there is a power hungry, occultist/ritual magician on the loss, who used to work for the Nazis, who is possibly connected to a suspicious death of a supposedly "lost Nazi officer from 1941, who just reappears." Need I say more?
However, I believe that this investigation will have more to do with Doctor Wihelm Sterne as a person, then it does with the Nazis. One of the main reasons he joined them, was for his own personal power gain, which had little to do with his actual belief in the Nazis ways."

[Mist the Soul-Gatherer]

MIST: Hey, guys, sorry I just got up and left, but, watching Val eat isn't such a pretty sight, and Ratatosk had some important information he wanted to tell me in private.

RATATOSK: (What everybody else hears) Chit chit zwerb cha chit!

RATATOSK: (What Mist hears) That Manning is one big frickin' liar!!

MIST: During down time 'Tosk runs up and down the Worldtree collecting gossip-

RATATOSK: chit CHIT!!

MIST: Alright, 'Tosk, INFORMATION, and he told me something I think we all should hear. You know how Manning's been saying HB's on a special mission in Africa? Well, he's not. He QUIT- Q-U-I-T the B.P.R.D.-'cause Manning put some kind of BOMB in Roger and gave HB the detonator just before their last mission-told him to blow Roger to kingdom come if he did anything funny--and here's the best part-Manning said it didn't matter, because Roger ISN'T HUMAN. How does THAT make you feel?

[Lady Hellgirl]

Liz: "By the way where is Manning, has anyone seen him?
He has to give us our supplies and tell us when/where we are to leave for this mission.
Thanks for the info ‘Tosk/MIST. Let’s all try and remain calm until Manning gets back. He has some explaining to do.
If Red actually did quite, then I'll have to quite again. :Sigh: See, I told everyone that rejoining the B.P.R.D. for the thirteenth time was bad luck!
Did anyone inform Abe yet?"

[-=Valkyre=-]

Valkyre: ::reclining in a chair:: "He's coming. I believe he went off to see if he could find manning after his 'bath'."
Abe: ::walks in defeatedly:: "I couldn't find Manning..."
Valkyre: ::thinks over what Mist had relayed for 'Tosk, although he loosely understood what 'Tosk had said:: "When Tom shows up, I plan to give him a peice of my mind. Not even a homunculus deserves such inhumane punishment... Sorry for the pun..."
Abe: ::sits in another chair to wait:: "Liz, if Red did indeed quit, and if you quit with him, I'm going as well..."
Valkyre: ::eyes them both, sighing after a while:: "I must concur... and Tom can shoveit if he thinks he can try and bully us out of it..."

[Mist the Soul-Gatherer]

MIST: 'Tosk is very rarely wrong, but gossip IS gossip--

RATATOSK: CHIT CHIT!

MIST: Shove it, 'Tosk-this is important. What we do know, is, HB is somewhere in Africa. I say, we take this mission, don't let on to Mannning we know anything, and while we're looking for the world's oldest Nazi, we find HB and find out the truth. I'd hate to break up our team-our family-if there was any other way around it.

[-=Valkyre=-]

Valkyre: ::Smirks:: "do you want me to mouthe him a bit for you Mist? I've always wondered what immortal squirrel tastes like."
Abe: ::glares at valk for a minute:: "Don't start with that again..."
Valkyre: "what? I know what fish tastes like, but you can't get squirrel in little bite-sized packets at the grocery store!"
Abe: "Valkyre, just drop it, please..."
Valkyre: ::grumbles:: "I will learn what squirrel tastes like, one way or the other..." ::Eyes 'Tosk before running out when a pistol barrel is shoved in his face::
Abe: :: Puts his gun away:: "I'm just glad he doesn't like getting shot... I'd hate to waste ammunition..."

(PS: Abe was bluffing, his gun isn't loaded :p)

[Lady Hellgirl]

Liz: "Great idea Mist and 'Tosk please check to make sure all the gossip that you hear is true before you tell us. :Feeling a little better about the situation, reaching out to pet 'Tosk behind the ears, but he runs away in fear of gun: I've decided that I am not going to quite, Mist's right, you all are the closest thing that I have to a family right now and I appreciate your support in leaving with me.

I do hope that Manning gives us our info so that we can go on with our mission soon."

[Poe Ghostal]

Elsewhere...

It was night. Good. It was easier at night. Timbuktu may have been making steps toward the twenty-first century, but there were still more than a few souls in this old city who had never heard of a red-skinned, cloven-hooved Westerner who went around talking to ghosts and punching monsters.

Hellboy took a drag from his cigarette. It was tasteless, some cheap brand he'd picked up in Libya. He'd had to ration them after taking up with a nomadic Tuareg tribe. He spent two months crossing the Sahara, living the Tuaregs' life and listening to the tales of their elders. It had been cathartic, after that mess up in Austria...to live so much closer to the edge of survival, knowing the whims of Mother Nature were all that stood between you and a cold, hard death. The Tuaregs had accepted him without question; their beliefs allowed room for good as well as evil demons.

Now he was in Timbuktu. Back in the twenty-first century--or as close as one got to it in a poverty-ridden country like Mali, anyway.

He took another drag from the cigarette. He checked his watch. No doubt the BPRD satellite was making a pass overhead. He knew the Bureau were keeping tabs on him; they kept tabs on everybody. Even Liz when she took off for that crazy monastery in the Arctic.

He raised his left hand and flipped his middle finger at the sky. Piss off, Tom.

They'd actually made contact with him here in Timbuktu. He couldn't believe it. He'd quit the damned Bureau, and here comes some CIA hack, looking pissed off and quite out-of-place, angrily informing Hellboy that the Bureau was sending a group to Mali to investigate something and that they'd "appreciate it" if he would offer his consulting services on the matter. Right. Just Tom trying to throw his weight around again. They'd lost their golden boy, their big celebrity, and now they were panicking. It was ironic. Two months ago they'd have blown up Roger without a second thought; now they were broadcasting their acquisition of a superhuman homunculus over the airwaves (while ignoring questions as to Hellboy's whereabouts).

Whatever. He'd planned to spend a couple weeks in the city before heading south, and it might be nice to have one last hurrah with the others. After that, though...

[-=Valkyre=-]

Valkyre: :: lingers about, grumbling at his own stupidity as to run when an empty gun is raised to his face, stopping by one of the display cases, the one with the spear of longinus inside, leaning on the glass and gazing at it sorrowfully:: "If only I could have changed my thoughts back then, who knows what could have happened instead..." :: watches a random agent go into Hellboy's room to feed his multitude of cats, sighing:: "Red, enjoy your breif reprive, whereever you are, I don't think this family of yours will last too long without you..."

[Lady Hellgirl]

Bureau conference room,
Liz: "See you later, I'm going to find Manning to get details about mission and take a nap.":Leaves room:

[-=Valkyre=-]

Abe: :: Decides to get some rest as well, leaving shortly after liz::
Valkyre: ::catches up with liz, wanting to also speak with Manning:: "How are you feeling? Besides being tired?"

[Mist the Soul-Gatherer]

Bureau Conference Room.
Ratatosk has climbed up on Mist's shoulder and is chittering angrily.

MIST: Calm down, Tosk. Val didn't mean it about tasting immortal squirrel, so don't go giving him a taste of your immortal swearing. He CAN understand you, you know.

RATATOSK: Yeah, yeah...but I wasn't lying about HB!

MIST: I know...I just couldn't let the team break up-not that way. (SFX: YAWNS) Liz's idea about taking a nap's a good one. I'm beat. You hang out here. If Manning shows up, come and get me. And, remember, Abe stood up for you, Tosk. He's a good friend.

Mist leaves the conference room.

[Lady Hellgirl]

:Turns in Hallway to talk to Valkyre:

Liz: "Better, but I have a do have a head-ach, how about you? Sidney was pretty nasty to you."

[-=Valkyre=-]

Valkyre: "I'm alright... I could be better. Sidney is likely just a bit nervous, I wasn't raised by some noble soul as Hellboy was, so he's more likely to assume that I have alterior motives and desires than to help all of you. He's half right, but I would NEVER go as far as to harm anyone here, Abe can back me up on that, even though he seems to have a hard time reading me..." ::smiles at her:: "I have some incense that might help you relax and get rid of that headache..."

[Lady Hellgirl]

Liz: "Thanks, I could really use some right about now." :Smiles back at Valkyre, and they walk off together to get the incense:

[Poe Ghostal]

Manning was passing the conference room, lost in thought. He glanced in and saw the agents milling about.

"What the hell are you people still doing here? Didn't I give you a mission? Your equipment will be on the plane. Standard issue--pistols, flak jackets for those who want them, radios, a few grenades--Abe gets those. Anything else, ask Hibbard the equipment officer.

"The plane takes off at 1800 hours. Johann will meet you there, he's running late. You've got five hours to get ready and get to the airport. Now go!" Without another word, Manning stalked off down the corridor and went into his office. The lock clicked behind him.

[Lady Hellgirl]

Just as Manning is stalking down the hall, he runs into Valkyre and Liz. He promptly tells them about the mission details. Turns and huffs for his office, muttering stuff under his breath, goes in his office, and slams the door. All the while Valkyre and Liz are trying not to laugh to loudly as they notice his frustrated and very crabby mood.

:Liz: Some one really made him mad this time! I bet it was Red, he has a way of doing that. I seriously think Manning could also use some stress relief incense too. :They laugh again: Let’s go before he comes back and gives us another one of his lectures.”

:They proceed down the hallway to their rooms to pack/nap, once at Valkyre's room Liz is given the incense and she proceeds to her own room:

Liz: :sighs and shouts down the hall at Valkyre: "Will you come or have someone NOT MANNING wake me up before we have to leave, please?"

:Liz enters her room and shuts door:

[Mist the Soul-Gatherer]

B.P.R.D. Living Quarters

Ratatosk comes racing into Mist's room, leaps onto her bed and does a little tap dance on the sleeping Valkyrie's head, chittering excitedly.

MIST: Ummm, wha-oh, it's you.

RATATOSK: Move your ass, Manning showed. Wants us all at the plane in five hours-standard equipment, no extras. Of course the moron said nothing about my TRAIL MIX.

MIST: Don't worry, I'll pack some. Plus a few other things Manning doesn't need to know about.

[-=Valkyre=-]

Valkyre: ::Growls and half-shifts when he wakes up after a nightmare:: "Damn..." ::gets up, mussing his hair back into place before he grabs his weapons from under his bed and over-coat from the back of the door before going to wake liz, waving meekly at Abe as they pass in the hallway::
Abe: "You'd better hurry and wake her, we're running a bit late."
Valkyre: "Gimme a break here, I haven't eaten anything other than that bloody sandwich from yesterday..." ::musses his hair again as he keeps going and knocks on Liz's door rather loudly once he gets there:: "Hey Liz, better get up, we're running a bit late."

(Edit: god I am so blind...)

[Lady Hellgirl]

Liz: :Groggily wakes up and yells back: Hmm, ok. thanks, I'll be out in a minute I just have to grab my bag!"
:She hurriedly gets out of bed, picks up her stuff, grabs a brush to fix her hair on the way out of her room, and meets Valkyre:

[-=Valkyre=-]

Valkyre: ::smiles at her, his twin swords strapped to his back and hidden by his coat, his large rifle slung over a shoulder, chuckling almost mockingly:: "nice hair..." ::doesn't give any indication that his insanely long hair is more than likely tangled beyond belief::

[Lady Hellgirl]

Liz: "Thanks, but I think you may need this more then me."

:She hold up her brush to him, while smirking at him:

"Let's go."

[-=Valkyre=-]

Valkyre: ::chuckles, gently taking the brush, walking with her towards the exit where everyone else is:: "How about this, I brush your hair you brush mine? I wont squirm, and I promise to be gentle."

[Lady Hellgirl]

Liz :Smiles: "Hay, that's not fair, brushing your hair would take all week. I could cut it shorter for you though." :She begins to chuckle:

[-=Valkyre=-]

Valkyre: ::Hisses at her:: "I refuse to have my hair cut... I brushed my hair yesterday morning, it only took ten minutes... Honest." ::Stops for a minute:: "Or are you avoiding getting close to me because of Red?"

[Lady Hellgirl]

Liz: :Blushing, looks away: "No, I'm not trying to avoiding getting close to anyone. I was actually just joking about your hair."

[-=Valkyre=-]

Valkyre: ::smiles, gently resting his free hand on her shoulder:: "That's alright, I've expected cracks about my hair getting cut for a while. But I can assure you, if you have any doubts about some things, don't hesitate to ask me, I can say this much; if I so much as growl at you in a threatening way, Red'll pound my head in. I meant what I said though, I'll brush your hair for you, I don't expect you to try and brush mine." ::chuckles::

[Lady Hellgirl]

Liz: : Smiles: "Thanks, I'd like that."

:She turns around to allow Valkyre to brush her hair:

[-=Valkyre=-]

Valkyre: ::Smiles, gently brushing out her hair, enjoying the silky feel of it on his hands as he does:: "How'd the incense work? I hope the smell wasn't overwhelming..."

[Lady Hellgirl]

Liz: "The incense worked very well and it even allowed me to sleep without any nightmares, for once, and No, the smell wasn't overbearing, you should have smelt the stuff they used in the Arctic monastery, theirs smelt bad."

:She sighs, liking her hair being brushed and remembers how her mother used to do it for her all the time when she was little. It was one of her favorite things that they would do together.:

[-=Valkyre=-]

Valkyre: ::chuckles a bit, picking up on her thoughts and sighing a bit, saying nothing of it, preffering to let her keep those good memories to herself:: "I'm glad that you did not have a nightmare, It's unfortunate that I couldn't let you sleep more." ::Finishes brushing out her hair, admiring how it shines in the light:: "Your hair is so beautiful. Red's a very lucky man." ::smiles::

[Mist the Soul-Gatherer]

Mist comes rushing down the hallway in the Agent's Quarters area. She's dressed in her traveling clothes. Worn jeans, sneakers, and a white short sleeve t-shirt, even though she knows it won't stay white for long. Her usually loose, flowing red hair is tucked under a black baseball cap with B.P.R.D. on it in white letters.
Strapped around her is her work gear, a large, overstuffed backpack that contains who-knows-what, with what appears to be a canvas golf bag sticking out from it. In the golf bag is her broadsword. As always, Tosk is perched on her shoulder. Mist stops when she comes to Liz's open doorway taking in what is unfolding before her between Liz and Valkrye.

MIST: (Clears her throat to get their attention) Ahem. If you two lovebirds can shake a tail feather, we've got a plane to catch. Last one in the limo gets the jump seat-and it's not gonna be me.

With that, she turned and walked briskly down the hall toward the exit to the outside world.

[-=Valkyre=-]

Valkyre: ::Blushes furiously, stopping brushing his hair through for a second:: "Did she just say what I think she said?"
Abe: ::Meanwhile is busying himself in his room with getting his disguise on while hiding his pistol and ammunition on him::

[Lady Hellgirl]

Liz: "I hope not. Let's go!"

:She picks up her gear and runs for the exit sign to meet up with Mist:

[-=Valkyre=-]

Valkyre: ::Follows quickly behind her, thankful his hair brushes easily, making little noise as his shoes hit the floor as he runs::
Abe: ::is waiting for them there, wearing his usual disguise, a backpack half slung over one shoulder::

[Lady Hellgirl]

Liz: Decides to just run ahead of Mist and get a good seat in the limo. When she gets there she asks the driver to open the limo's trunk so that she can put her bag inside, he does. She then proceeds to find a comfortable seat in the limo, sits down, and waits for everyone else.

[-=Valkyre=-]

Valkyre: ::Tosses his weapons into the trunk, taking a seat next to Liz, Abe following suit:: "Where's Sidney? Is he coming?"
Abe: ::shrugs slightly:: "I haven't seen him since I went to bed last night. He hasn't said anything of if he is or isn't coming."

[Mist the Soul-Gatherer]

Mist and Tosk walk up to the limo. The driver tries to help her as she shrugs out of her backpack, but she refuses his help, flashes him a smile and very carefully puts her oversize pack with protruding golf bag in an out-of-the-way area of the trunk. Then she and Tosk slide into the spot across from Liz in the limo's ample rear seat, Mist's long legs raised up on the few inches of seat between Abe and Liz.

MIST: Whew! I'm glad that part's over. I hate this rushing around. Reminds me of Valhala, when we used to scramble to get down to the battlefield to pick up the dead guys before they got carted off to Hades, or whatever mythology they believed in.

[Lady Hellgirl]

Liz: Sits silently watching everyone else, while thinking about her past encounter with Valkyre and Mist, wishing that they would understand that she REALLY DOES NOT have any romantic involvement with Hellboy or any one else at the Bureau, except possibly Abe.

[Mist the Soul-Gatherer]

Unconcerned by the lack of response-talking about dead guys frequently left mortals, even team members, speechless- Mist leaned back on the plush limo seat, closed her eyes and focused on the map in her head. The twenty-first century wasn’t so bad, compared to some of the others she’d been through. Laptop computers gave instant access to information it used to take weeks to research. Just go to Google, type in Mali, and in seconds you were as smart as a Travel Agent. Not that many would send you there. Hunting through Mali for traces of Sterne would be no day at the beach. Hot, dry, and landlocked, Mali was situated in West Africa and bordered Algeria in the north and northwest, Niger in the east and south, Burkina Fasso and Ivory Coast in the south, Guinea to the southwest, Senegal to the west and Mauritania to the west and northwest. A lot of neighbors. And a lot of places to get into trouble if one of the team stumbled across a border.

Funny that such a landlocked piece of sand should be dominated by two huge rivers, the Senegal and the Niger. After flying in to Bamako, Mali’s only airport, Timbuktu would be a good distance away. Manning said there’d be transportation, but he didn’t say what kind. Typical. If the team got to Mopti they could hire Pirogues, the locals name for canoes, and paddle up the Niger 8 miles to Timbuktu. Or they could hire a car and driver. If HQ hadn’t made arrangements in advance, the odds of getting that form of transportation was slim to none-and you know who just left town. So the team would have to hoof it-literally- by camel. That wouldn’t be so bad. The camels would be willing to tell her a lot more about what was going on than the natives.

Why in the world would HB want to go to such a god-forsaken, desolate place? Well, why not? It was a good place for a man-or half-man- to get lost in. Mali had reached its pinnacle of power and wealth in the 14th century, extending over almost all of West Africa and controlling virtually all of the rich trans-Saharan gold trade. It was during this period that Mali's great cities, Timbuktu and Djenne, became fabled centers of wealth, learning, and culture. After that, it was all downhill. In the 15th century Mali fell to the Songhai, who established their own capital at Gao. The Songhai ruled until the end of the 16th century. The collapse of their empire also marked the end of the region’s history as a trading centre, when sea routes replaced the trans-Saharan trade routes. Timbuktu wasn’t much better than the rest of the country. A city of mud-walled buildings in the middle of a harsh desert, Timbuktu was captured by the French in 1894. In 1960 it became part of the independent Republic of Mali, a strange and desolate city in a strange and desolate country.

Abe shifted in his seat, already uncomfortable in his disguise. The movement interrupted Mist’s thoughts, and she wondered how Abe would fare in the heat, with very little water, under all those clothes and that itchy beard. Hopefully, they’d soon get to a place where he could take them off and be himself. With all that reading, maybe he could speak French. She certainly hoped so….

[-=Valkyre=-]

Valkyre: ::Watches abe with some concern, eyeing Liz every so often, trying to keep his thoughts from drifting::
Abe: ::Is slightly worried that he'll be caught in the middle of the desert without water, already feeling hot and uncomfortable under his outfit, catching the worried thoughts from both Valkyre and Mist, along with the thoughts from liz, smiling a bit to himself::
Valkyre: ::Eventually sits back, uncomfortably sitting nearly doubled over in the limo, cursing himself for his height and eyeing ratatosk a bit::

[Mist the Soul-Gatherer]

Ratatosk had been sleeping curled up on the ledge between Mist's shoulder and the glass wall that separated the driver from the passengers, when he instinctively felt Val's less than wholesome thoughts. Opening one eye slightly, Tosk shot out a telepathic communication that only Valkyre and Mist could hear.

RATATOSK: Keep your teeth to yourself, Fang Face, it's going to be a long trip.

Mist suddenly felt like she was the teacher of a third grade class on the field-trip-from-Hell.

MIST: (spoken) Tosk, that was BAD. Val is just getting hungry. We all are.
Where's that frickin' Leach? We can't wait much longer. I wouldn't put it past him to show up at the airport in a cab, so he doesn't have to ride with the "wierdos."

[Mike Cross]

Where's my damn baseball cap? I can't go anywhere without my lucky blue hat...ah, there we go. I can find anything metal, but dang if i can track down the little things..
Ok, got my glasses..check...
passport..check..
Kitkat bars..check..
Ready to go, where's the car pickup? Ah, there's the note..

I walk up to car, everyone's already there..looks like i'm late as usual..Everyone's patient enough, except for that one..grr i grr to myself. Hopefully, we won't get teamed up..

Sid

[Lady Hellgirl]

Liz: Calls to the driver "We are ready to go to the airport now."

The limo starts up,Sidney to gets in, and they leave for the airport.

:Liz is happy to see that Sidney hasn't decided to quite this mission, even though his first one hadn't gone so well.:

[Poe Ghostal]

GAMEMASTER BREAK

The agents (and Johann) are driven to Logan International Airport in Boston, where they board a private plane to Mali's capital district of Bamako. In Bamako's airport they are met by an American attaché named Mr. Grennor.

If the agents want, Mr. Grennor will take them to see Frankelle's body. If not, he will usher them onto a smaller plane and send them on their way to Timbuktu. Only Frankelle's body is in Bamako; his belongings are being held in Timbuktu. Manning's orders make it clear that inspecting the corpse is optional.

The agents are gathered in the airport lobby to vote on what to do next. Mr. Grennor waits patiently.

[-=Valkyre=-]

Valkyre: ::Still growling a bit to himself, eyeing Ratatosk as though he looks like steak until he's elbowed in the ribs by abe::
Abe: ::glares at him, whispering:: "You'll eat when the rest of us eat, you might be able to coax sidney out of a kit-kat bar, if he has any left."
Valkyre: ::Grumbles, his large armored suitcase in one hand, feeling uncomfortable around so many people:: "What to do now? Anyone feel like just getting some rest?"
Abe: ::thanks god that valkyre's finally dropped trying to eat Ratatosk, for now, shifting the backpack on his back slightly:: "I wouldn't mind getting a good look at Frakelles body, who knows, I may find something that was overlooked."
Valkyre: ::nods:: "I'll go with you."

[Mist the Soul-Gatherer]

Mist and the remaining agents were standing around the airport lobby in a loose semi-circle, their belongings piled in a heap. Ratatosk was sequestered in a small piece of hand luggage Mist took from her pack, so the sharp toothed squirrel wouldn't be too conspicuous and too tempting to Valkyre. From the looks on her friends' faces as they watched Val and Abe walk off, Mist could tell they were torn between wanting to move on to Timbuktu, where some small amount of comfort awaited, and the obligation to look at the body. What she was about to say wouldn't make them any happier.

MIST: Well, so much for a vote. Looks like Frick 'n Frack want to go it alone. As for me, I've never seen a 100 year old Nazi before, so I think we ought to take a look. Who knows what we'll find? And Sid and Johann certainly should check it out. Just the fact that Manning doesn't care, makes me want to go over that body inch by inch. A full autopsy couldn't hurt, either. Maybe Val could tell us what's in his blood. What do you guys think?

[-=Valkyre=-]

Valkyre: ::Can hear and sense the thoughts of the others, stopping abe for a minute by the door leading to the loading area where the vehicle is waiting, turning to wait for the others::
Abe: ::stops, waiting with Valk, becoming increasingly uncomfortable in his outfit, his skin starting to dry out underneath:: "I wish they'd hurry up..."

[Lady Hellgirl]

Liz: "Even though I am not very keen on visiting any mortuary, I think we should all go and check out the body."

:She grumbles while looking for and picking up her pack and a few other major bags of equipment that Manning supplied them with. Thinking that it would be nice if the air port staff could treat their things with a little respect! Possibly they would, if their lives depended on the equipment carefully packed in to each bag, as they do for each mission. (Such as a sole satellite base unit phone that the unloading guy had just chucked on the floor a few moments before). Who knows, maybe the contents inside would eventually save them from being stuck in some god-forsaken desert.

:She heads for the waiting car, wades outside, and yells over her shoulder.
"Let's get this over with before Abe dries up."

[Lady Hellgirl]

GAMEMASTER BREAK

Agents enter Mr. Grennor's car after all the gear was loaded into the trunk and Mr. Grennor takes them to Bamako's Mortuary. Where they are being shown the body, by one of Mali's finest medical examiners Dr. Boko.

She explains her findings to them.

"Frankelle was in a good shape, considering that he was 80 yrs old man. His thin hair, as far as I can tell used to be cut in a military like style, but has not been kept up.

He was also not overfed or starving.

The body, as you can clearly see, :She pauses pointing out the effected areas to agents.: has clearly spent some time in the sun."

"Unfortunately, that's about all the information that I could interoperate from the body." She sighs, takes off surgical gloves and tells agents "When you are done viewing the body, please tell my assistant and she will put it away. Nice meeting you all, but I must go attend to another case. Feel free to leave when you are ready." She leaves the agents to talk over results to themselves.

[Mist the Soul-Gatherer]

Mist, Abe, Liz, Valkyre and Stan made a neat little circle as they stood around the corpse looking for anything that might mean something. Mist was the first to break the silence.

MIST: Well, that was enlightening. However....How long has it been since this Kraut said auf Wiedersehen?

Her eyes narrowed. A sure sign that she was trying to get two and two to come up five.

MIST: The briefing said he was dead two days before they called the embassy...then five days before they called us...and two days till we got here...hmmmm, nine, ten days.....

She began circling the body, leaning in closer and closer, singing a little tune from the Rocky Horror Picture Show under her breath.

MIST: (to herself) Come up to the lab...and see what's on the slab...

Turning to the other agents, she said something so obvious, they had all overlooked it.

MIST: There's no smell. The body doesn't smell. Dead ten days, rotting in the sun, and this guy looks like he's sleeping. No dehydration. Nothing. Maybe we should slice him open.

[Lady Hellgirl]

At the thought of cutting him open, Liz almost hurled.

I can just barely stand the sight of dead/dying people in the field, especially after particularly gruesome fights or attacks on innocent people.
However, this is no innocent guy, at least I don't think so. Liz thinks unconsciously.

She says "Go ahead." to the autopsy that Mist suggested.

But in her own opinion this morgue did smell, it smelt of death and chemicals used to preserve to the corpses. Those corpses used to be human beings, now lost forever, awaiting their final resting places. In the mean time they must first rest in the little square refrigeration cubicles and be subjected to constant prodding and poking by eager forensic analysts and medical examiners. Who are trying to get the now lost person to release their secretes that got them in to their present state.

To think this could have been me, just lying there and open for all to see. I guess having my powers is much better then this poor soul's fate. She thinks to herself as Dr. Boko prepares her next "victim" across the room.

[Mike Cross]

::My hand started to tingle..this time it wasn't from the burn.::

Sid: Uh,excuse me, but how in depth did you guys do your autopsy? There's something in there.

::I put my hand just below the nazi's abdomen..yup, i was definitely picking something.::

Sid: I agree with Sparky...there's definitely something metal in there. I think we should cut him open..

[-=Valkyre=-]

Valkyre: ::shrugs at a glance from abe:: "I'll do it..." :: picks up a scalpel from a tray and gingerly opens a deep vertical laceration along the center of the abdomen, wrinkling his nose:: "I think there's something amiss about his blood as well... It smells different from anything I've encountered before... I'll have to run some tests on it later.::
Abe: ::watches Liz quietly from under his disguise, worried for her::

[Mist the Soul-Gatherer]

Ratatosk was napping, curled up in the bottom of the hand case Mist had placed in the far corner of the examining room, out of harm's way, and out of sight. As Valkrye gingerly began his first incision, the smell of Bad Blood awoke the sleeping squirrel who peered over the top of the case and began chittering excitedly to Mist.

RATATOSK: Chit, Chit-Hey Mist, that blood-sucking moron could get us all killed. Don't stand there with your thumb up your butt, GET READY.

Quietly, so as not to disturb Valkyre, Mist backed up to where TOSK had his head and shoulders out of the bag. She reached in to a zippered compartment and took out what looked to be a Derringer, only with fatter barrels, two instead of one. She reached in again and took out two pellets with greenish liquid in them and placed them in the chambers. Mist had worked with Hellboy on missions when Abe was occupied elsewhere, and she had quickly realized the Big Red Guy knew more about killing demons than any mortal aught to know. She learned from him, and HB was happy to make the snub nosed "Pacifier" for her along with a supply of his special brand of ammo. Mist used it sparingly now, knowing that when it was gone, she may never get another new supply. But Tosk was right. It looked like this was going to be bad. Very bad.

[-=Valkyre=-]

Valkyre: ::has heard the exchange between tosk and mist, growling a bit despite the overwhelming smell of putrid blood mixed with something else, something he couldn't place, he looked at the others breifly:: "I suggest moving back, I don't know, but something is quite amiss here and I don't wish anyone to come to any harm..."
Abe: ::goes over and gently pulls Liz and Sidney out of the way, sensing some semblance of fear from the fallen angel turned vampire, which meant that something quite dangerous was to come::

[Lady Hellgirl]

Liz: One thing that she has learned while in the field, is to always trust her intuition. This moment was one of those times. Needless to say, as soon as Abe guided her out of the way, she hurriedly ran over to Dr. Boko

(who had stopped her autopsy a while back and was watching the ready for action agents with a certain curiosity, listening to their conversation, and wanting to know what she had missed. In her 23 years as chief medical examiner she had never failed to miss any single detail regarding autopsies, and was well renowned for being very thorough in all her work/cases. What had she missed?) while thinking about these thoughts she absentmindedly took a few steps forward toward the agents. But was caught and is being dragged out of the room by Liz.

Liz: "I insist that you leave this room immediately!" :Getting very annoyed Liz keeps shoving her out while thinking, doesn't Dr. Boko realize that her life was in danger, apparently not.:
Br Boko: "I am the chief medical examiner of this place and you have NO RIGHT TO THROW me out of my own LAB! Aghh!!" (Liz just manages to push her out of the room, slamming the door behind her and locks it. Then proceeds to return to the spot where all the other agents were standing-a few feet away from Valkyre and the dead body.

All the while Br. Boko is frantically beating on the doors window and screaming. "I Have a right to know WHAT”S GOING ON!" She is so upset at the moment that she completely forgets that she has the key to open the door in her top desk drawer. Which is a good thing for the agents sake.

[-=Valkyre=-]

Valkyre stops breifly once he finishes making his incision, breathing deeply and he withdraws the scalpel blade from the dead flesh and places it on another tray, taking off his coat and handing it to abe, thankfully flicking out his cramped wings.
'I wonder what sort of metal Sidney's found... perhaps just a bullet, but it's not likely, as there is no bullet hole or even a scar to suggest this...' He thought, thanking Liz soundlessly for pushing out the doctor. He reached over to the tray again, picking up a pair of clamps to spread open his incision, idly facinated by the innards of the man, frowning as he uses another claw-like tool to move aside the intestines and stomach.
'This can't be right... He has no kidneys, pancreas or spleen... Something is dreadfully wrong here...' He was about to relay his discovery when something moved within the dead mans stomach.
"Oh bloody hell." He groaned.
"What is it?" Abe asked moving to take a look, worried and oddly ethusiastic, having heard of nothing like this before.
"Don't move. I've only heard of this kind of creature, and thought them only to exist in colder climates..." Valkyre, worried and slightly frightened, put down the utensil he held and reached into the corpse, finding a large round hole in the bloated stomach and pulling out what seemed to be a massive worm with a red and black hide, large sharp teeth and seven beady eyes on it's lower jaw. It shreiked it's protest as it writhed in Valkyre's grasp. Abe froze in fear, nearly losing his footing.
"Infernal flesh worm... I never thought I'd see one personally..." Valkyre explained, holding up the wriggling creature to get a better look at it.
'I never thought they'd try this... What the hell are you doing so close to the equator dear creature?' He thought. It seemed to pick up from his thoughts that he wouldn't harm it and calmed, staring back at him with its seven eyes.
"Now I see how the good doctor over looked this, but it doesn't explain his death, long life nor the metal Sidney detected. If memory serves, these little creatures lie dormant in a host until it dies, then feed upon some of the body tissues, grow to nearly one hundred times their size, and pupate in their host's stomach before finding a place to lay their eggs. I've never seen one mature before, but I have learned that they'll listen to and befriend demons..." Valkyre explained, holding out his other arm and placing the worm on it. It then curled around his arm and made a low purring noise.
Abe let out a sigh of relief.
"Almost like a demonic cat..." he joked, trying to loosen the tension.

[Mist the Soul-Gatherer]

GAMEMASTER BREAK


AS IN A MIGNOLA ARC, WE PAUSE HERE A MOMENT TO SAVOR THE TENSION. IMPORTANT GAMEMASTER PLOT INFORMATION TO FOLLOW. ALL AGENTS PLEASE STAY AS YOU WERE UNTIL NEXT GAMEMASTER POSTING.

[Mist the Soul-Gatherer]

GAMEMASTER BREAK

B.P.R.D. AGENT HANDBOOK
CHAPTER 28, SECTION 5.

AFRICAN DEMONS.

There are many kinds and classifications of demons that exist on the African continent. Most notably Sand Demons,Ghuls (from which the word "Ghoul" is derived), Djinns and the Ifrit.

HOW TO IDENTIFY AFRICAN DEMONS

SAND DEMONS-Appear as a whirlwind in desert regions and burrow into the sand, where they lay in wait for unsuspecting travelers. Rising to heights of 20' or more, Sand Demons have black lizard like skin, three spike like talons on each hand, and 4 rows of razor sharp teeth. Sand Demons have been known to devour a camel and its rider whole, in one gulp.

GHULS-Appear only at night and disappear with the first light of dawn. They can make themselves invisible or shape-shift into the forms of animals at will. Ghuls are very dangerous because frequently they appear harmless, even friendly-until it's too late.

DJINNS-Spirits of Fire, Djinns are particularly nasty as they have the characteristics of other evil entities as well as those indiginous to them. Highly intelligent, the Djinn are master shape-shifters and use this ability to confuse their enemies, often forming a close bond with those they mean to kill, transforming into their real form when least expected. Djinns can inhabit the body of living beings of "weak spirit" or of dying humans by entering during the point of "barzakh" or separation.

THE IFRIT-Demons that frequent mountainous areas, riverbanks or desert oasis, Ifrits can read the minds of humans and use that information to transform into the shape of friends or loved ones, luring their enemies close enough to kill them by sucking out all of their blood.

WHAT YOU SHOULD DO

AGENTS CONFRONTED WITH AFRICAN DEMONS SHOULD

1) DETERMINE WHAT KIND OF DEMON YOU ARE FACING
2) TAKE PROPER PRECAUSIONS
3) KILL THE DEMON USING THE METHODS DESCRIBED ON PAGE 91 OF THIS HANDBOOK.FAILURE TO USE THE PROPER METHOD CAN BE FATAL
Unfortunately, page 91 is missing. Good Luck.

[Mist the Soul-Gatherer]

Mist watched Valkyre's and Abe's almost hypnotic fascination with the small purring creature. It DID seem harmless. But harmless and Mali didn't go together. DAMN! Something was pushing at the back of her mind...something she should know, but just couldn't remember.

MIST: Any of you actually go through all that stuff Research gave us on Mali? Didn't they say go to the Handbook and read some kind of chapter on demons, or possession or something like that?

[Lady Hellgirl]

Liz: :Walks closer to where Valkyre is and says:
"Mists right, I think that you should put that "thing" (She points to the wiggling creature on Valkyres arm. down. KNOW! (she emphasizes) at least until we know for sure what it is."

After she finished saying this, the "thing" looked up at her with all six of its beady eyes and made a hissing noise. Which sounded a lot like "back off or I'll kill you" to her.

Some how Liz couldn't place or understand how in the world she could actually understand what this creature was saying, maybe it had more to do with the way the "thing's" expression or body language. She shook off these thoughts and instinctively took a giant step backwards.

[Mist the Soul-Gatherer]

As Mist watched Liz step back, she began to feel more and more uneasy.

MIST: Well, I guess nobody read the briefing.

She tried making contact with the worm, but got nothing. "It's not an animal," she thought, "That's for sure." Mist kept wracking her brain. Africa. Where had she heard about Africa. Oh, yeah. The thought suddenly hit her. About a year ago. In an airport in Cleveland. She and HB had just finished up a Satanic Witchcraft thing. They were socked in. A lotta fog and rain. Airport shut down. Most passengers left to find a hotel room. The two of them sat at a small table at the far end of the bar and drank cheap booze all night. They talked. Not that HB was much of a talker. But he liked that she asked him questions about what he did and not who he was. And one of the things he talked about was Africa. Had been there years ago. Hunting demons. "They're not all alike," he told Mist. "African demons are highly specialized." He'd had about two dozen beers by then, not at all drunk, but talking was becoming easier. "An' they like to fool ya. Make you think they're one kinda demon when they're another. Gotta flush 'em out, Mist, make'em show themselves. Once you know what you've got-kill'em quick." At that point he had leaned in towards her and put both forearms on the table. Mist thought it would shatter, but it groaned, teetered and held. "Cause if you don't, they'll kill you."

Mist thought it was time to flush'em out. She held up the "Pacifier" and walked towards the worm that was purring and cooing and charming the pants off of Abe and Valkrye.

MIST: (TO ABE & VAL) Boys, I hate to spoil your fun, but I need your help.

She aimed the "Pacifier" at the worm. It stopped purring.

MIST: I think it's time we said 'bye 'bye to Wilber the Worm.

[-=Valkyre=-]

Valkyre growled and thought, 'what the hell is she doing?', backing away slightly. He looked at the small creature again, its seven beady eyes looking back at him pleadingly, then he realized what was wrong. 'Nice try, you nearly had me. I'm not falling for it again.' He thought grinning, knowing the creature would hear him. He was right and it shrieked it's outrage as he threw it across the room, withdrawing his swords.
"I've got it mist, no worries." He growled as the small wriggling worm reformed into a lumbering beast, like a cross between a Tiger and a man. 'Never thought I'd see a ghul in my lifetime. Oh well, It's been fun.' He lunged at it, his large swords glowing with swirling white flame, striking the beast and causing more damage than simple cuts, as their motions would allow. It howled in agony as it was slowly maimed and burned by Valkyre's enchanted weapons, falling to the floor in a heap as Valkyre managed to get behind it and slam both blades through the back of it.
Valkyre stood atop it for a minute, grinning gleefully, his eyes red and glowing faintly, his skin nearly black in the low light, sharp black claws where his fingernails should be, his elaborate horns glinting slightly in the low light and tail whipping from side to side agitatedly. He wanted more to kill, and everything around him was little more than a red haze.

[-=Valkyre=-]

Abe stared as Valkyre stood atop the fallen ghul, his heavy and rapid breathing sounding like growls. He moved to get closer to the bloodthirsty Demon, and ended up freezing only a moment later, a swordblade at his throat. He looked pleadingly up at Valkyre, into his glowing red eyes, slowly reaching out to touch Valkyres' mind with his own. 'Don't do this, please... You aren't yourself...'
As if in reply, the blade was removed and the demon slumped to his knees, the white glow of the swords fading. Abe moved to kneel next to him, resting a hand on his shoulder. 'Thank you...'

[Lady Hellgirl]

Liz: Umm, Valkyre are you ok? Liz was about to take a step forward, then stopped. Thinking that it may be best to let Abe handle this one. Until an unsettling thought crossed her mind.

"Valkyre I know that you have a good understanding of demons and stuff, but I must ask you, ARE you sure that "thing" is dead/gone?"

Finally remembering what the briefing papers said about African demons and realized why she was able to hear it's thoughts.

"I also don't think that was a ghul. It doesn’t make sense. First, it's broad day light outside and ghul's only appear at night. Second, if you knew were going to be kill, if you had the ability to become invisible, wouldn't you use that as a way to escape death? Finally, I didn't want to tell every one, but that "thing" actually talked to me and the scary thing is, I understood what it was saying when it growled at me. However as you all know I am NO psychic!

Pauses for a second to see if the they think she is nuts and to emphasize this last point.

"I think that was really a Djinn! I could hear it because we both have the same ability, that "things" essence is of fire. If that really was a Djinn, I don't think you killed it, even with your special swords Valkyre. They are very smart beings who use this intelligence in battle all the time, and are exhalent shape shifters, which leads me to think it "acted out it's own death, by showing us what it thought (emphasis’s this point) we wanted to see." I get this feeling, that it may still be in this room somewhere."

Liz changes her gaze from her fellow agents and surveyed the room.

[-=Valkyre=-]

Valkyre calmed slowly, his nearly black skin lightening a great deal as he listened to Liz. He nodded to abe and stood, flicking his wings slightly.
"You're right. I should have been paying attention..." He mutters kicking the carcass, watching it turn to a pile of ash. He turns to abe, then looks around the rest of the room, inhaling and exhaling slowly, concentrating on where the Djinn could possibly hide, looking for it's sentience.

[Mist the Soul-Gatherer]

Just then, the door to the examination room opened and Dr Boko burst into the room. After a few futile minutes of pounding on the door, she realized she had the key in her office desk drawer, and here she was, full of fury and indignation.

DR BOKO: Look what you've done! This room's a mess! And the body-you've ripped it to shreds-how will I ever explain this to his family??

The closer she walked towards the team, the more she seemed to take on stature and authority.

DR. BOKO: I don't care WHO you work for, I'm calling the authorities and having the lot of you DEPORTED-unless you leave on your own volition right now!!!

MIST: And suppose we don't leave-then what?

Dr. Boko seemed to double in size right before the agents' eyes. At the same time she grew larger, her body began to lose form and pieces of her started to protrude out at odd angles, like she was made out of Playdough. It was clear this was not Dr. Boko. And whatever it was turning into next was not going to be good.

The agents watched in horror as the form of Dr. Boko shifted and grew till it reached the ceiling-a height of 15'-and before their eyes, Dr. Boko transformed into a huge snake-like creature with coils five-feet wide and a head with a hundred blazing red eyes. When it opened its mouth it bared rows of stiletto sharp teeth.

I AM AHRIMAN, it hissed at them. AND I WARN YOU. GOOOO BAAAAK.
MY MASTER IS POWERFUL. DEATH AND DESTRUCTION AWAIT. Ahriman looked at each one of them with his hundred eyes. AND FOR OF EACH OF YOU, A HORRIBLE, AGONIZING DEATH.

Mist looked at Dr.Boko-Ahriman. "Kill'em quick." That's what HB had said.
She raised her gun.

MIST: Sorry to disappoint you. But the only one leaving is you.

She pulled the trigger and let Ahriman have it with both barrels. The Djinn's
head blew up, eyes flying out everywhere. And then the coils started to shake.

The agent's looked at each other. This was going to be bad.

KA-BOOM. Ahriman's body blew up, hurling the agents against the far corners of the room and sending ectoplasm flying everywhere. When the goop stopped flying, the team looked around. Ahriman had disintegrated.
And so had the body of the dead German soldier.

MIST: We better get out of here before we have to explain what happened to the body-AND Dr. Boko.

[-=Valkyre=-]

Valkyre dusted off his suit, growling a bit.
"You have no argument from me Mist..." He snarled, the otherworldly smell hitting his hyper-sensitive nose and nearly overwhelming him as he quickly crossed the room, twirling his swords up over his head and into their scabbards on his back without a sound. He was starting to feel ill, not from the smell or death of ahriman, but from his lack of sustenance, if he did not feed soon, he may turn on one of the others, and he hid this from the group by putting on his heavy jacket and hiding any and all emotion. He wanted to tell them, to warn them, but knew that if he did, he'd likely end up in a cage or getting sent back to the bureau. He had reason for being here, not just for these newfound allies and, hopefully, friends, but for something else that he thought he'd never get the chance to look for, and this mission would take him right to it.

[-=Valkyre=-]

Abe was thankful he wore his disguise, the beard blocked any possible smell, save for his own, and kept the weapons and such hidden in his coat from getting filthy. He watched everything happen with little interest, but knew that something about Valkyre was amiss, he blocked his mind from even him, which was usually as open as any book, and alerted Abe to some hidden plot and danger. He could sense that there was little they could do further and went off to follow Valkyre, wanting to see if there was anything he could do.

[Lady Hellgirl]

Liz: "YUK! THIS (She stagers to get up off the now sticky floor, where she was thrown. Reaches up and pulls out a glob of ectoplasm stuck in her hair and chucks it across the room.) is one part I HATE about missions, you always get demon goo all over you!" (She continues to flick off the remaining goo stuck on her clothes.)

"I think we should go to the hotel, get cleaned up (She discovers another piece of goo stuck on her arm and peels it off), and find some dinner. (She hold up the piece of goo for everyone to see) Yummy. (Pauses for effect, and chucks it.)

"We also had better contact headquarters later and tell them what happened before they learn it from another source. (She points over to Dr. Boko's assistants). Manning isn't going to be happy with this."

Looks up at the other agents, waiting for their responses.

[-=Valkyre=-]

Valkyre gently pulls the sole strip of demon flesh from his hair, sighing and going over to the assistants of the doctor, looking them each in the eye breifly, saying nothing, and one by one, they fall unconscious, slumping to the floor.
"That should take care of our little problem. They'll remember nothing of what happened, or of Dr. Boko and the body. As far as the mess goes, I'm sure they'll assume it was little more than an accident of some sort and clean it up without rhyme nor reason. I will call Dr. Manning later and tell him what happened." He then placed each of the assistants in chairs, making it look like each had done little more than fall asleep on the job, and head outside to their trasportation vehicle. He remained emotionless in appearance, but his eyes, still more of a red colour than usual, betrayed his feelings and hunger.

[Lady Hellgirl]

Liz: "That's settled then, lets go." She motions for the other agents to follow her, wanting more them ever, to take a shower and get cleaned up at the hotel. On her way out, she goes and meets up with Valkyre and Mr. Grennor.

[Poe Ghostal]

GM BREAK

Mr. Grennor is waiting by the car. Without a word, he ushers the agents into the car and to a small local airport.

At the airport, he hands them over to a young Irishman named Declan. Declan is slender, of average height, with short brown hair and unkempt stubble on his chin. He always wears dark sunglasses that completely obscure his eyes.

"Oh aye, it's you Yankee chaps," says Declan in a very thick accent. "I like Yanks. Not a lot around these parts though. Usually I'm just ferryin' them Egyptian business types, you know?

"Anyway, you're all going to Timbuktu, aye? Timbuktu, y'know, means 'the Well of Buktu,' Buktu being the lass who found the well, see?"

Declan continues to chatter away as the agents pile into his small prop plane--and throughout the entire flight. By the time they land in Timbuktu, the agents know more about African colonial history, the mating habits of camels, and the travails of the Irish soccer team than they could ever have imagined.

At the airport they are met by Mr. Drewberg, who takes the tired agents to the American embassy.

After a night of peaceful rest, the agents have a room service breakfast. Then Mr. Drewberg takes them to the office of Dr. Clay, a local Middle Eastern scholar who the police have turned to for help in the investigation.

Dr. Clay is a black man in his mid-thirties. He's dressed in casual, light khaki clothing, appropriate for the warm weather. He wears glasses and has the rumpled, stressed-out, but friendly attitude of the lifelong intellectual.

"Ah, there you are," says Dr. Clay as the agents enter. "You are from the Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense, yes? I'm Dr. Reginald Clay. I'm a scholar in folklore and mythology here at the university.

"Before we go any further, let me show you what you're here to see: the late Mr. Frankelle's possessions."

Clay goes to a corner of the room and takes out a small bundle. He lays it out on his desk.

Among Frankelle's things are a genuine 1941 vintage German infantry uniform and a batch of brown and crumbling papers which identify the bearer.

The uniform is in remarkably good condition for its age, even disregarding the desert conditions.

END GM BREAK

[Lady Hellgirl]

Liz: "HMMM." She looks over each one of Mr. Frankelle's possessions, he had very few indeed, but she didn't think that was too surprising. Especially since this man was gone from the outside world for so many years, how would he have gotten anything new? Most of the stuff he owned probably would have disintegrated (like the papers that have his identification on) over the 40 plus lost years spent in the desert.

But then there was the condition of the uniform. It looked in her opinion to good to be 40 plus years old. This last observation was troubling her at the present moment.

"Isn't it strange that his uniform is in such good condition?" She remarks to no one in particular, while backing away from Mr. Frankelle's possessions to allow the other agents a chance to view them. Waiting to see their responses.

[Mist the Soul-Gatherer]

Mist stepped forward to take a closer look. Like Liz, she too thought it odd that Frankelle's papers were almost dust but his clothing was remarkably well preserved.

MIST: Funny how Frankelle's clothes look a lot like his body-not all that bad for almost 60 years of wear and tear.

She turned to Dr. Clay.

MIST: Doctor, I believe you were the one who found Frankelle. What can you tell us about that?

[Lady Hellgirl]

GM BREAK
Dr. Clay: "I was in the market place checking out the local goods, when this band of Taureg came riding into town on their camels and demanded that some one take this man to the hospital. They also demanded pay for their work in transporting/saving him. I obliged, seeing the man's age and condition.

I promptly got him to the hospital, on the way there he was conscious. Unfortunately, since I don't speak German, I couldn't understand most of what he was saying. I could make out "Doctor" and "Sonne is gut-sun is good" this last one confuses me somewhat because that is what killed him. However he did keep on repeating some words though. I contacted a college friend a few hours ago who's a German translator. He was able to help me and this is what we came up with." Show agents an e-mail printout with translations on.

"Zikenug is Volstandie"= drawing is complete
"Stadt"= city
"Mauer"= wall
"Zerschlagen"= broken or smashed

"Then he died.

That is all I know."

GM BREAK ENDS

[-=Valkyre=-]

Valkyre looked over the deceased German's belongings with mute interest. To him, they smelt of sand, old cologne and oddly enough, blood. The uniform seemed to be strangely well aged, almost like Hellboy from what little he knew of the other Demon. He sighed, finding little in the belongings that would aid them, turning to the others, cringing at how he could smell the blood in their veins and hear the beating of their hearts. His hunger was beginning to get the better of him, and he turned to stand by the door.
"If anyone needs me, I'll be waiting in the car..." He made a hurried exit, not wishing to cause any unneeded attention to be drawn to his condition.

~~~~~~~~~~

Abe could get little reading from the belongings left there, feeling much the same as the Fallen Angel next to him, finding only the traces of odd and fractured memories that he could not find meaning for. He sighed slightly, feeling increasing levels of hostility and hunger from his tall companion, nearly jumping as his eyes met the red orbs of Valkyre's own. He moved slightly, as if to stop him as he walked away, looking almost pleadingly at Liz to go and see what's wrong, knowing that she's likely the only one he'll talk to, and envying him with every fibre of his being.

[Mist the Soul-Gatherer]

Mist was puzzled. The sun is good, yet the sun killed him. Seeing Valkyre's strained behavior and quick retreat to the car made her think of the agent's other nature. Jeez, she thought, I hope he doesn't turn into something else RIGHT NOW. But it did remind her of his vampire side. And that brought her back to the sun. The sun that kills vampires. Maybe this guy WANTED to die..

At that moment Ratatosk chose to leap out from Mist's hand case, where he'd been concealed all this time, and jumped onto her shoulder. Dr. Clay was startled. But his shock quickly turned into a smile as the folklorist recognized something he never thought he'd see.

DR. CLAY: Good lord! But...why yes....it's Ratatosk, the mythological rodent that runs up and down the Worldtree spreading gossip and picking up bad language. How marvelous!

Ratatosk was incensed. Rodent, he thought, who's he calling a RODENT!!??

Chit, chit chit, Ratatosk spat out at Dr. Clay. Mist's ears were burning.

RATATOSK: I'll whup your boney ass you--

Mist yanked him off her shoulder and threw him forcefully into the bag.

MIST: Stay PUT, or you WILL be Val's next meal.

She turned to Dr. Clay.

MIST: I'm sorry about that. Tosk sometimes gets overexcited in new places.
You say the Tuareg's brought in Frankelle?

[Lady Hellgirl]

GAMEMASTER BREAK

Dr. Clay: "That is correct." He tries to sneak another glance at Ratatosk in Mists handbag, finding the creature quite fascinating.

"Now, I know your superiors have instructed that you follow Dr.
Frankelle's trail into the desert. I have arranged for Mr. Declan--I
believe you've met him--to fly us out. Of course, first we have to
figure out exactly where Mr. Frankelle's trail is. To do that, we'll
talk to the Tuareg nomads who found him.

"Since, my Tuareg is a bit rusty, I've managed to find someone who's
had time to brush up quite recently."

The side door to the office opened and Hellboy stepped out.

END OF GAME MASTERS BREAK

[Mike Cross]

::Well, this is already shaping up like my last mission...why can't i get the easy ones like Agent Willis..all he had to do was destroy some skeletons. Demons and ghouls and ghosts and nazi scientists and nomadic tribesmen..what's next?::

Sid: Um..i'm still detecting something pretty strong in there...

[Poe Ghostal]

Hellboy stood in the doorway, feeling a little foolish. He'd thought it'd be funny to have Dr. Clay introduce him this way, but now it just seemed juvenile.

He waved his stone hand at the group. "Uh, hi, everyone," he said. "Long time no see."

[-=Valkyre=-]

Valkyre turned and stared at the building, how hadn't he sensed Hellboy before. He couldn't have been aware to his senses to conceal himself.
'Strange indeed. You are a marvel even now...' He thought, smiling a bit, safely in the air-conditioned vehicle. He had two seats between himself and the driver, just as a precaution to his hunger, and didn't mind the sun, despite the rumors that Vampires were destroyed by it, but continued to remain in the shaded side of the vehicle, fighting with himself as to go inside and meet Hellboy for the first time since joining the bureau, or wait until he's fed so he doesn't make a bad impression. He gave in eventually, his curiosity getting the better of him, and headed back inside quickly, concealing himself until he was in the room, standing in a dark corner and watching the others, and the marvelous red demon before him. He smiled, glad that his choices in the past were right and just.

~~~~~~~~~~

Abe smiled, happy to see his old friend again. He stayed where he was though, nearly jumping when Valkyre was suddenly in the room once more. Abe had never seen or heard him do that before, and could feel the cold gaze of the Vampire passing over the group to land on Hellboy, and remain there.
'What is so facinating about Red that he would risk returning and possibly injuring someone?' Abe thought privately, guarding his thoughts from Valkyre. He sighed, lazily going back to looking for anything useful in the old belongings strewn about on a table before him.

[Lady Hellgirl]

Liz: "Hay, Hellboy, how are you doing? We're glad you could come and are willing to help us with this mission. It's a baffler. (She points to the uniform.) Did you get any clues off it as to why it looks so good for it's age? (She pauses, hopping he has the answer.) Then adds jokingly before he could respond. "By that way, you missed a fun chance to fight a Djinn yesterday." (Knowing that fighting anything was always his specialty.)

[Poe Ghostal]

Hellboy stared at Liz. It had been years since he'd last seen her. She'd left for the monastery in the Ural Mountains a year before Hellboy had even quit the Bureau. He didn't know she'd returned to the BPRD until now.

Then there was Abe. Good old Abe. Mist the Valkyrie--he'd forgotten she'd joined the BPRD. Her and that annoying squirrel. And a man in a suit with a clear dome for a head--that had to be Johann Kraus.

...and--was that a vampire?

"Uh, it’s good to see you too," he said. "A djinn, huh? Haven’t seen one of those in a long time. As for this guy--" he fingered the uniform, “I’ve already looked it over. Nothing unusual, except this…"

From his massive stone hand hung a pair of men’s silk underwear.

"Pretty nice for a Nazi who’s been lost in the desert for fifty years, don't you think?" said Hellboy. "In fact, I'd say these came from a store maybe a month ago. And the tag—" he pulled it out with his left hand and handed it to Liz--"says it was made last year."

[Lady Hellgirl]

Liz: Grabs the underwear with her thumb and pointer finger. Trying to touch it as little as possible. Gross, this mission is getting better and better she thinks, first I get slobbered in demon goo and now I'm holding worn men's underwear.

She frowns,
"I see your point. But that still doesn’t explain the good condition of his uniform if it was really vintage. She then hands it to Abe, now even more confused about this mission's clues.

"How do you suppose he got the modern underwear?" She asked the group with a puzzled expression on her face.

[-=Valkyre=-]

Valkyre watched the other demon warily, yet with a great deal of interest, sensing his thoughts and glad that he had managed to hide his wings under his jacket and shift back to his more humanlike form. He smirked at the reactions regarding the mens undergarments from Liz and Abe, watching them breifly before locking his gaze upon Hellboy once more. He felt like going over and opening his wings to show off, but remained still and held his calm, emotionless visage until Hellboy decided to come over and say hello.

~~~~~~~~~~

Abe quickly put down the undergarments, catching a flash of the previous owner of said undergarments, and another he hadn't seen before, who had likely given them to him. He didn't dare do anything else though, smiling at Hellboy. He wanted to hear Hellboy's story, and possibly continue to the next destination. Hopefully sometime soon he'd be able to get out of the hot and restricting disguise and take a long soak, his skin was desperately needing moisture and it was slowly becoming hard to breathe. Again he felt the icy gaze of Valkyre on him and shivered slightly, an almost unnoticable motion to those who weren't tuned to such subtle movements.

[Mist the Soul-Gatherer]

While the other agents were pondering the underwear, Mist took the opportunity to approach Hellboy. The last time they'd seen each other she was still a fledgling Agent, learning from him whenever he gave in to her cajoling and took her along on a mission.

MIST: Hi, HB. I guess you're a bit surprised to see me here. A lot's happened since you left. The Bureau's my home now. I only go back to Valhalla once a year, to renew my immortality. It figures you'd find SILK UNDERPANTS. Made a year ago? Looks like somebody went shopping.

[Poe Ghostal]

Hellboy nodded. "Yup. I wonder who, though," he said, absently rubbing the stump of a horn as he eyed the silk unmentionables.

"I've seen about as much of this guy's Underoos as I want to, though. What say we go talk to the Tuaregs?"

[Lady Hellgirl]

Liz: Fine with me. (She was feeling a little relieved because she wasn't the only one who couldn't figure out this mess either.)

[Mist the Soul-Gatherer]

Mist looked up at Hellboy. Even though she was close to six feet, he still was significantly taller.

MIST: You speak Tuareg, HB? When did that happen?

[Poe Ghostal]

Mist looked up at Hellboy. Even though she was close to six feet, he still was significantly taller.

MIST: You speak Tuareg, HB? When did that happen?
Hellboy grinned. "I just spent a few weeks with them in the desert, and I picked up a few words here and there."

Hellboy looked at the other agents. "Anyway, let's go find out where our mystery man came from."

[Mist the Soul-Gatherer]

Hellboy grinned. "I just spent a few weeks with them in the desert, and I picked up a few words here and there."

Hellboy looked at the other agents. "Anyway, let's go find out where our mystery man came from."

MIST: Yeah..uh, HB?

Hellboy was getting antsy. What the hell did she want now?

Mist turned and gave him a quick, warm hug.

MIST: That's from all of us. I think we're still in shock from seeing you come out from behind the door like the prize on "The Price Is Right."

[Poe Ghostal]

MIST: Yeah..uh, HB?

Hellboy was getting antsy. What the hell did she want now?

Mist turned and gave him a quick, warm hug.

MIST: That's from all of us. I think we're still in shock from seeing you come out from behind the door like the prize on "The Price Is Right."
Hellboy's lip twisted into a half-grin. "Yeah, I guess that was pretty corny," he admitted. "But it's good to see you guys, too. Anyway, let's go."

[Poe Ghostal]

GM BREAK

The agents bid farewell to Dr. Clay and meet Mr. Drewberg outside. They pile into a pair of jeeps and are driven to a Tuareg camp a few miles outside the city.

There, Mr. Drewberg and Mr. Dinar, the BPRD's Mali liason, locate the group of Tuaregs who found Frankelle.

Hellboy and Mr. Dinar spend a few minutes with the nomads, who gesticulate wildly and shake their heads. They seem to be trying to talk the Westerners out of something. Finally, they give in, and one man speaks quickly and at length, pointing out into the desert.

Hellboy comes back over to the agents. "They really advise us not to go out there," he said. "But one guy finally broke down and said--well, basically he said 'your funeral' and gave some directions. He said to follow the dirt road for about eighty or ninety miles north toward Arouane, then turn left and follow a few landmarks. And then...well, with any luck--good or bad--we'll come across the 'place where travelers become lost.'"

[Lady Hellgirl]

Liz: "You know HB, every time someone says "don't go somewhere" (she makes quotation marks in the air) during a mission. That’s were we usually go."

She smiles at him, thinking that it was nice to see him again. When he left the Bureau, she was never even given the chance to say good-bye to him. She was at the monastery working on trying to controlling/find peace with her powers. Heck, the stupid Bureau didn't even tell her that Hellboy had left until she rejoined!

[Mist the Soul-Gatherer]

Liz: "You know HB, every time someone says "don't go somewhere" (she makes quotation marks in the air) during a mission. That’s were we usually go."

She smiles at him, thinking that it was nice to see him again. When he left the Bureau, she was never even given the chance to say good-bye to him. She was at the monastery working on trying to controlling/find peace with her powers. Heck, the stupid Bureau didn't even tell her that Hellboy had left until she rejoined!

MIST: I don't know about you two, but the "place where travelers become lost" doesn't sound too good.

On Mist's shoulder, Ratatosk chittered weakly. He was recovering from the mild concussion he suffered when Mist threw him into the bag.

MIST: Tosk doesn't like it, either.

[-=Valkyre=-]

Valkyre, who had remained quiet since before Hellboy showed up, decided to choose this moment to speak.
"Wether we like it or not, we have to check this out." he said calmly, he was hoping that he'd be able to sneak away from the group later to catch a meal. He eyed Hellboy a bit, his slowly cramping wings still hidden beneath his coat.
'I wonder when he'll say something?' Valkyre thought, half grinning to himself. He wanted to know what Hellboy thought of him, and how he'd react, so he decided, after a few minutes, to open both pairs of wings, through the two slits in the back of his clothing. He did this slowly, not wishing to scare the Tuaregs nor damage his cramped wings.

~~~~~~~~~~

Abe was happy to see Red, but seemed reluctant to go, although this could be partly because of how dry his skin was becoming and how hot he felt. He stood near Red, speaking little, just listening to those in the group. He could sense that Valkyre wasn't the only one who was hungry, but said nothing still, barely able to stay on his feet.

[Poe Ghostal]

Hellboy eyed Valkyre warily. "I don't believe we've met," he said.

[-=Valkyre=-]

Valkyre smirked, holding out his left hand in greeting.
"Valkyre. I recently joined the BPRD and look forward to working with you. That is, if you come back." He grinned, showing off a bit of a silver tipped fang, his white feathered wings shining a bit in the sunlight. "You were right in your assumption earlier, I am indeed a Vampire, but I am more than that as you can plainly tell. There is naught to be worried about though. I hope to speak more with you later once this investigation is finished with." He added calmly, an amazing feat for a vampire as ravenously hungry as he.

'He's amazing, grander than I thought he'd be. He's still a bit shorter than I imagined, but oh well.' Valkyre thought to himself.

~~~~~~~~~~

Abe watched as valkyre spoke with Hellboy, smiling a bit under his disguise despite his apparent weakness and the ill feeling in his stomach.

[Poe Ghostal]

Valkyre smirked, holding out his left hand in greeting.
"Valkyre. I recently joined the BPRD and look forward to working with you. That is, if you come back." He grinned, showing off a bit of a silver tipped fang, his white feathered wings shining a bit in the sunlight. "You were right in your assumption earlier, I am indeed a Vampire, but I am more than that as you can plainly tell. There is naught to be worried about though. I hope to speak more with you later once this investigation is finished with." He added calmly, an amazing feat for a vampire as ravenously hungry as he.
Hellboy nodded, smiling pleasantly, then sidled over to Liz and leaned over. "Does he--y'know--drink innocent people's blood or anything?" he whispered out of the corner of his mouth.

[Mist the Soul-Gatherer]

Hellboy nodded, smiling pleasantly, then sidled over to Liz and leaned over. "Does he--y'know--drink innocent people's blood or anything?" he whispered out of the corner of his mouth.

Mist, from a short distance away, couldn't help but overhear him. HB's whisper was frequently like another man's shout. Casually she sauntered over to the two of them, a slight smile on the corners of her mouth.

MIST: HB, you and "quiet" don't go together.

She spoke softly, so the others wouldn't overhear.

MIST: I think half of Mali heard that subtle remark. No, Valkrye doesn't drink innocent blood. Actually he gets the leftovers from the local bloodbank-Manning arranged it. Out here, a very rare steak should hold him just fine.

Mist's voice level changed to her regular tone.

MIST: Speaking of eating, we haven't eaten since we got up this morning.
What do you say we all grab a bite before we take off? I'm sure Val could use that steak-or what passes for one.

[-=Valkyre=-]

Valkyre perked up a the mention of food.
"Mist? You just read my mind." He licks his lips at the thought of a steak, flicking his wings a bit.

~~~~~~~~~~

Abe sighed in releif.
"I wouldn't mind eating, and possibly getting a chance to swim..."

[Mike Cross]

Good to see Mr . Boy again, he looks redder than ever. The nazi's pretty underwear threw me for a loop though..those nazis could get anything...I wondered what about the djinn would make me hands tingle..there was nothing metallic in one of them were there?

Sid: Uh guys..why would the djinn make me think it was metal?

[Mist the Soul-Gatherer]

Good to see Mr . Boy again, he looks redder than ever. The nazi's pretty underwear threw me for a loop though..those nazis could get anything...I wondered what about the djinn would make me hands tingle..there was nothing metallic in one of them were there?

Sid: Uh guys..why would the djinn make me think it was metal?

MIST: That's an interesting question....why don't we talk about it while we're eating? I don't think the answer's all that simple.

Liz looks at Hellboy and gives him one of her famous sarcastic smirks-the kind she reserves exclusively for him.

LIZ: I bet Mr. Wizard can tell us, right HB?

[Poe Ghostal]

MIST: That's an interesting question....why don't we talk about it while we're eating? I don't think the answer's all that simple.

Liz looks at Hellboy and gives him one of her famous sarcastic smirks-the kind she reserves exclusively for him.

LIZ: I bet Mr. Wizard can tell us, right HB?
"Don't look at me. I'm a fighter, not a lover--or an academic."

[Poe Ghostal]

GM BREAK

The agents grab a bite to eat at a restaurant. They sit around a large table. eating local food, which is spicy but filling.

[-=Valkyre=-]

Valkyre grumbled as he ate the spicy local food. He hated spicy food with a passion, but ate it nonetheless. He half glared at mist, who had made the comment about rare steak, but likely had been the one to make a mistake about ordering him one. it wasn't until he was elbowed in the ribs by abe, wether by mistake or intentional, that he sighed and went back to eating.
'I swear if I loose control, I'll make it my buisness to bite her... Or her rodent...' He thought openly to Abe.

~~~~~~~~~~

Abe, unhappily eating as well as spicy food didn't agree with his system and he still hadn't gotten to take a bath, woefully glared at Valkyre for a moment.
'And If you did Red'd definitely beat you into the ground... If you can't get any 'sustenance' before we head out, I'll give you some of mine if you're so bound to have your fill...' Abe thought back, although he was sure he would regret it later.

[Lady Hellgirl]

Liz: "Hellboy, what is this that you ordered me? She points to a bit of food left on her plate. To her, whatever it was it tasted good, despite the fact that it looked rather revolting. "It's pretty good!"

She takes another bite and was glad she let HB order for her. At least she got something edible. She did feel bad for Abe at the present moment though. It looked like he hadn't liked his food much. At least that’s what she thinks, reading Abe’s face is a really hard thing to do, but while he was eating it he looked like he was going to hurl or something.

[Mist the Soul-Gatherer]

Ratatosk remained concealed in the travel case at Mist's feet. He was remarkably silent, not wishing to incur her wrath a second time. Instead, he occupied himself with his Trail Mix, picking out and eating the finest morsels, throwing those he didn't care for over the top of the bag. Mist traveled a lot with Ratatosk. She didn't bat an eye. It was good the restaurant was none too clean. No one would notice his leftovers.

As for her, Mist ate with gusto. She loved spicy food ever since HB introduced her to Kung Pao Chinese take-out. While she ate, she looked at her friends. It was great having everyone back together, even though Abe was looking pretty bad. He'd have to get to a bathtub, and soon. And Stanley-what WAS that metal he felt in the Djinn. How did it get there? And the silk skivvies on the dead guy?? It was too much to think about. Like the shifting sands that waited for them in the desert. But there was one thing she knew she could always count on. She raised the glass bottle to her lips and took a deep, satisfying swig. No matter where you went in the world, you could always get a Coke.

[-=Valkyre=-]

Ratatosk remained concealed in the travel case at Mist's feet. He was remarkably silent, not wishing to incur her wrath a second time. Instead, he occupied himself with his Trail Mix, picking out and eating the finest morsels, throwing those he didn't care for over the top of the bag. Mist traveled a lot with Ratatosk. She didn't bat an eye. It was good the restaurant was none too clean. No one would notice his leftovers.

As for her, Mist ate with gusto. She loved spicy food ever since HB introduced her to Kung Pao Chinese take-out. While she ate, she looked at her friends. It was great having everyone back together, even though Abe was looking pretty bad. He'd have to get to a bathtub, and soon. And Stanley-what WAS that metal he felt in the Djinn. How did it get there? And the silk skivvies on the dead guy?? It was too much to think about. Like the sifting sands that waited for them in the desert. But there was one thing she knew she could always count on. She raised the glass bottle to her lips and took a deep, satisfying swig. No matter where you went in the world, you could always get a Coke.

Valkyre ate the rest of his meal, a definite look of disgust on his face. He sipped idly at a glass of coke, thankful he could drink anything at all, but eyes abe every so often, looking to take him up on his offer later. Little did abe know that when Valkyre would bite him, he would also share his memories with the vampire, and part of his soul. He smiled despite himself, and went back to his meal, finishing quickly and drowning the spicy taste with the last of his coke.

~~~~~~~~~~

Abe eventually stopped eating, his plate still more than half full, feeling increasingly sick and dry. If he didn't get a bath soon, his skin would likely begin to dry out to the point of cracking, and that would be the end of his trip on this mission. He wanted the rest to eat though, waiting to let them finish. He knew that Hellboy, Liz, Valkyre and Mist could see he's quite obviously worse for wear, and tried his best to keep them from worrying too much.

[Poe Ghostal]

GM BREAK

Having eaten their fill, the agents get back into the Jeeps and head to the airport, where they're met by Declan.

"'Ey, it's the man himself!" says Declan, eagerly shaking Hellboy's left hand. "I've been 'earin' about 'oo for years now. Or readin' about 'oo at least. It's good to meetcha, Mr. Hellboy."

Hellboy, unsure of what has just been said to him, simply nods.

"So where're we headed?" asked Declan, grinning behind his dark sunglasses.

"North," said Hellboy. "Head toward Arouane. Once we're there, we've got to follow a few landmarks--something called the Devil's Spine, and the Stones of Dahar--"

"Shite and onions," said Declan. "Ninety miles. I've really only got aboot three hun'red miles of gas, plus a tank in the cabin that'll give us another hun'red, but I sure 'ope we won't be goin' much farther than that."

"Uh, I'm not really sure," said Hellboy. "Hopefully not much farther."

"Right then," said Declan. "Let's go!"

The agents pile into Declan's prop plane. After a few false starts, the excitable Irishman gets the vessel into the air.

Within a few moments, they're soaring three thousand feet over the dunes.

"Should be just a 'alf hour before we reach Arouane," said Declan. "'Till then, just set'le in and enjoy the ride."

[-=Valkyre=-]

Valkyre shifted uncomfortably in his seat next to abe, by now anyone with blood looked like a walking meal to him, and he didn't want to hurt anyone or make abe give up some of the water in his system, knowing he was getting low. He kept his eyes closed and envisioned one specific person in his mind, someone he had lost when he was cast out long ago. He fell into a partial trance, a meditative state, and kept his calm as best he could. He knew that if he was woken up too soon he'd likely shift partially to his demon form, which Hellboy and the pilot knew nothing about, so, needless to say, he wanted to avoid this.

~~~~~~~~~~

Abe was beginning to become worried now, his skin was beginning to crack beneath his clothing, and would wince slightly every so often. He was greatly worried, as he knew any scent of blood was likely to set off Valkyre's feeding instinct and he was closest to him. He calmed, to keep his heart rate down and hopefully lower the movement of blood to keep his skin somewhat moist, but he knew this was futile and decided to speak.
"Is there any chance we'd be able to stop at a body of water for a bit when we land?" His rhaspy and strained voice betrayed his calm exterior, and he knew it.

[Lady Hellgirl]

Liz: "Abe, you really look sick, I think there were a few water bottles packed in our supplies bag, you can have one until we find you some water ok."

She unbuckles and makes her way to a little pile of their belongings. Most of the bags were packed where she could not reach-them. "Shit" she swears, "I know the food bags were here somewhere!" She finds a bag with tent gear in it, the B.P.R.D. satellite phone bag (Better grab that one for later,(she murmurs to herself) just incase Abe passes out from lack of water. Of course the last bag she finds in searches has the water bottles in it.

She grabs a water bottle and the satellite phone bag, makes her way back to her seat, and promptly hands Abe the water bottle. "There you go, I hope that helps a little bit at least.”

She sighs , buckles back up, and thinks that Abe can‘t go on much longer this way.

[-=Valkyre=-]

Liz: "Abe, you really look sick, I think there were a few water bottles packed in our supplies bag, you can have one until we find you some water ok."

She unbuckles and makes her way to a little pile of their belongings. Most of the bags were packed where she could not reach-them. "Shit" she swears, "I know the food bags were here somewhere!" She finds a bag with tent gear in it, the B.P.R.D. satellite phone bag (Better grab that one for later,(she murmurs to herself) just incase Abe passes out from lack of water. Of course the last bag she finds in searches has the water bottles in it.

She grabs a water bottle and the satellite phone bag, makes her way back to her seat, and promptly hands Abe the water bottle. "There you go, I hope that helps a little bit at least.”

She sighs , buckles back up, and thinks that Abe can‘t go on much longer this way.

Abe nodden thankfully, drinking down the water and removing his gloves to rub some water into them, his arms and his face, sighing a bit as the water slowly soothes his skin.
"Thank you Liz..." He muttered, much improved, but still not out of the woods.

~~~~~~~~~~

Valkyre remained in his meditative state, his subtle breathing and heart beat nearly indetectable as he sat in the plane seat.

[Mist the Soul-Gatherer]

Mist loved flying. But she hated single engine props. Especially when they had to switch fuel tanks. The pilot had to turn the engine off while he flipped from one tank to the other. With the engine shut down, the plane would begin to drop like a stone. With the load in this one, Mist thought, we could drop maybe 50-feet before the engine started up again. And if it stalled..... she didn't want to think about it. Instead she concentrated on the passengers. Thankfully Liz got some liquid in and on Abe. Valkyre looked like he was in some kind of stupor. And Stanley was in a hyper-sensitive state from of all the metal on the plane. Hellboy, sitting next to Declan, was peering intently out the window. Maybe he actually knows where we're going, she thought.

[Poe Ghostal]

I have no idea where we're going, thought Hellboy.

The dirt road was still clear enough, but the terrain was getting more and more sandy and barren. Soon they would be getting into the Sahara proper--a desert larger than the continental United States. And somewhere in that desert was the place where the Nazi that Time Forgot had come from.

Of course, it was hard to concentrate when the plane was dipping and rolling like a Welsh bus. Hellboy was fairly sure his stomach had traded places with his throat at this point.

"We're getting close to Arouane," said Declan next to him. The Irishman had been talking non-stop for the entire trip, but Hellboy had stopped listening after the first five minutes.

Then Hellboy noticed something. He frowned. What the hell is that?

"Declan," he said, "what is that?"

The Irishman leaned over Hellboy to look out the window in the direction the demon was pointing. "Huh," said Declan, "looks like a body. Want to take a closer look?"

Hellboy looked at him, alarmed. "Do you think that's really a good--"

But it was too late. Declan was already nosing the plane down toward the dirt road.

"Don't worrah," said the Irishman. "I've doon this plenty 'o times. In fact I--"

He stopped abruptly. A red light was flashing on the instrument panel.

"Oh, that's not good," said Declan.

"What?" Hellboy said sharply.

"The first tank is out," he said. "But we're too low--I can't switch now--we'll have to land...hold on!"

There were shouts from the back of the plane.

"Hold on!" Hellboy shouted at them.

The plane hit the dirt hard. They bounced for what seemed like an hour, but was really no more than sixty seconds. Finally, the plane rolled to a stop.

"Three-point landing, aye?" said Declan, grinning.

"Yeah," said Hellboy. He pried his left hand off the armrest. "I need some air."

The agents got out. Miraculously, Declan had managed to land the plane a few dozen feet from the body.

"Looks like another Nazi van Winkle," said Hellboy. "What do you guys think?"

[Lady Hellgirl]

Liz: She was VERY happy to be on sturdy ground again and in one piece. While waiting for her pulse to return to normal, she managed to say, "Let's check it out."

[Mist the Soul-Gatherer]

I have no idea where we're going, thought Hellboy.

The dirt road was still clear enough, but the terrain was getting more and more sandy and barren. Soon they would be getting into the Sahara proper--a desert larger than the continental United States. And somewhere in that desert was the place where the Nazi that Time Forgot had come from.

Of course, it was hard to concentrate when the plane was dipping and rolling like a Welsh bus. Hellboy was fairly sure his stomach had traded places with his throat at this point.

"We're getting close to Arouane," said Declan next to him. The Irishman had been talking non-stop for the entire trip, but Hellboy had stopped listening after the first five minutes.

Then Hellboy noticed something. He frowned. What the hell is that?

"Declan," he said, "what is that?"

The Irishman leaned over Hellboy to look out the window in the direction the demon was pointing. "Huh," said Declan, "looks like a body. Want to take a closer look?"

Hellboy looked at him, alarmed. "Do you think that's really a good--"

But it was too late. Declan was already nosing the plane down toward the dirt road.

"Don't worrah," said the Irishman. "I've doon this plenty 'o times. In fact I--"

He stopped abruptly. A red light was flashing on the instrument panel.

"Oh, that's not good," said Declan.

"What?" Hellboy said sharply.

"The first tank is out," he said. "But we're too low--I can't switch now--we'll have to land...hold on!"

There were shouts from the back of the plane.

"Hold on!" Hellboy shouted at them.

The plane hit the dirt hard. They bounced for what seemed like an hour, but was really no more than sixty seconds. Finally, the plane rolled to a stop.

"Three-point landing, aye?" said Declan, grinning.

"Yeah," said Hellboy. He pried his left hand off the armrest. "I need some air."

The agents got out. Miraculously, Declan had managed to land the plane a few dozen feet from the body.

"Looks like another Nazi van Winkle," said Hellboy. "What do you guys think?"

As the plane started dropping, Mist yanked Ratatosk out of his bag and strapped him against her body by fastening the seat belt around them both. "Damn", she swore, "I knew it, I just knew it."

With every bounce she wanted to wring that pilot's neck. What was a guy with a brogue like a bad "B" movie doing in Africa in a country that speaks French, anyway?

Being out of the plane was great. Being in the heat of the Sahara was not. Mist walked towards the body, her feet sinking into the sand. She looked at Hellboy. His hooves were buried and the sand was swirling around his ankles. She remembered when they were in the Amazon chasing down jungle ghosts that liked to suck the marrow from the bones of local tribesmen. The heat had felt like a blast furnace. When she asked HB if he was sweltering in his trench coat, he looked at her with a hint of a smile and said, "Nah, I've seen hotter".

Well, this body was something to see. The new dead guy had a lot in common with the last one. Uniform in good condition. Except for being in his 80's the guy looked pretty well preserved. Mist was tempted to pull his pants down and peek at his drawers. But she figured Hellboy would do that.

[Lady Hellgirl]

Liz: Walks over to the body and takes a look. At least they were out in the desert and not in the morgue she thinks. Although it was harder to walk in all the sand and it was hot as hell.

"Who wonders how long he's been dead." she asks. Just before reaching out to check the state of the body's rigor mortis she instinctively pulls her hand back.

"I think we should contact the local police or B.P.R.D. and tell them to pick him up." Hoping that they wouldn't have to carry the body with them through the rest of this mission, but guilt crept inside her head at the though of leaving him there. She frowned and stated "We can't just leave him there."

[-=Valkyre=-]

Liz: Walks over to the body and takes a look. At least they were out in the desert and not in the morgue she thinks. Although it was harder to walk in all the sand and it was hot as hell.

"Who wonders how long he's been dead." she asks. Just before reaching out to check the state of the body's rigor mortis she instinctively pulls her hand back.

"I think we should contact the local police or B.P.R.D. and tell them to pick him up." Hoping that they wouldn't have to carry the body with them through the rest of this mission, but guilt crept inside her head at the though of leaving him there. She frowned and stated "We can't just leave him there."

Valkyre, who had remained calm and collected through the landing, stopped abe from coming outside and went out himself. He could smell the body and ambled over to the others. He knelt next to the corpse and tried to get anything off of him.
"Nothing different between this one and the one that exploded on us. Although I'm not smelling anything out of the ordinary... yet..." He looked the body over thoroughly, finding nothing out of place that he could detect, but something was definitely wrong. Valkyre stood and looked down at the corpse. The sand and heat were beginning to claim it and there was little to no blood in it, not that he would drink the blood of the dead at any rate...

~~~~~~~~~~

Abe was suffering backlash from the sudden landing of the plane and watched the others idly. He wanted to be out there, but knew that he'd be useless in the heat and sand in his currrent state. He could hear everyone clearly and shifted to get more comfortable in his seat.

[Mist the Soul-Gatherer]

Mist stood over the new dead guy's body wondering if she really had to pull down an 80-year old Nazi's trousers to see if he also had a predelection for French undies. Just as she was about to undo his belt buckle, Fate stepped in and saved her. A gleam of something on the Nazi's wrist caught her eye. "Well, well, well," she said. It appeared this member of the Desert Brigade was wearing a very new Cartier watch.

Mist slipped it off his wrist for a closer look. One of the advantages of looking normal, especially for a female, is that you can go to the mall just like mortals. Mist had even brow-beaten Manning into getting her a credit card and driver's license under the name Mist Northlund. "This will make the old tight-wad happy," Mist thought about Manning. Her shopping sprees had run her card up quite a bit, but one thing Mist now knew was a real Cartier from a fake. And what she was looking at was as bogus as a three dollar bill.

"Must have bought it on the local blackmarket." Mist told the others."Looks like this little piggy went to market, too."

[-=Valkyre=-]

Valkyre eyed Mist as he stood up, smirking at her underlying thoughts.
"Okay, why do you get a credit card and no one else?"

[Poe Ghostal]

Hellboy, who had been bending over the corpse, stood up quickly.

"Well, I guess we'd better get back in the air--if we can," he added. He started to head back toward the plane to ask Declan how soon they could take off again.

"Leaving so soon...?" asked a voice behind him.

Hellboy stopped. Slowly he turned around.

The corpse was standing up. And grinning.

And then it grew. Its skin turned black, and two large horns sprouted from its head.

"I am Azah," the creature intoned.

"Oh, crap," said Hellboy.

[Lady Hellgirl]

Liz: As soon as the body started to move she jumped back, "Oh no, not this again." She grumbles under her breath, as her pulse begins to rise.

"Hellboy do something!?" She yells at him as she backs away farther from the newly resurrected body.

[Poe Ghostal]

"Hellboy do something!?" She yells at him as she backs away farther from the newly resurrected body.
Hellboy rolled up the sleeve of his stone arm. "All right, fella," he said, "I don't know what you are, but I'm gonna--"

Azah raised a hand, and a huge boulder lifted into the air nearby. Someone started to shout a warning, but Hellboy--intent on the djin--never saw it coming.

The boulder smashed into Hellboy, sending him flying into the air before crashing into the ground. He was out cold.

[Mist the Soul-Gatherer]

Hellboy rolled up the sleeve of his stone arm. "All right, fella," he said, "I don't know what you are, but I'm gonna--"

Azah raised a hand, and a huge boulder lifted into the air nearby. Someone started to shout a warning, but Hellboy--intent on the djin--never saw it coming.

The boulder smashed into Hellboy, sending him flying into the air before crashing into the ground. He was out cold.

The instant she saw that boulder take off, Mist yelled at Hellboy, but he never saw it coming.She grabbed inside her handcase where Ratatosk was trying to stay out of the sun, feeling for her twin barreled derringer. As she loaded two of the few remaining demon demolishing bullets Hellboy had made for her,she turned her fury on Valkyre.

MIST: EXCUSE ME, but with dead guys turning into demons and Hellboy getting cold conked, all you can think about is a CREDIT CARD-is something WRONG with your BRAIN!!?? Stay out of my head, wimp wings!

By then, the black monstrous figure of Azah was almost on top of her. She fired the "Pacifier" and Azah burst into thousands of ugly black fragments. But instead of continuing to catapult through the air, the pieces began to hover, shimmering in the desert heat, and then reversed direction, coming together to form an even bigger, nastier Azah.

"Fools," said Azah, "You were warned. Now you will DIE!"

"Liz, FRY'EM!", Mist shouted.

[Lady Hellgirl]

“Ok, I can do this“, she whispers knowing that her friends lives were at stake. She takes a deep breath to focus her concentration and to ignite part of her soul.

Suddenly a great fire arose from within her, it encompassed her and shot forward at the now towering Djinn. To her, this fire felt good, really good. It had been so long since she was able to release it her full force and for a good reason too.

“Just a little longer, I have to save my friends” She pleaded to herself, noticing how weak she was beginning to feel. “Just a little bit longerrr,” she was having trouble trying to see if she had managed kill the Djinn, as her eyes were losing focus. “Just a littllleeee bbiiittt llllloooonnnggggggeeeeeeerrrrrrrrrr….”

The last thing she remembers is hitting the sand.

[Mist the Soul-Gatherer]

GM BREAK

We pause here a moment to consider the nature of Good and Evil. As there is "no rest for the wicked" those on the Hellboard must be good. 'Night 'Night to all. Action will resume tomorrow (Sunday).

[Poe Ghostal]

Hellboy shook his head groggily.

"Did anyone get the license plate of that truck?" he muttered.

Then he saw Liz hit the sand. The scattered brush flickered in flames around them. He didn't see Valkyre or Sydney, but Abe was on the ground a dozen feet away. His skin looked awfully dry...

And in the center of the chaos stood Azah, laughing.

He was still laughing when the wing of the plane hit him in the back of the head. Azah crumpled with a shout.

Hellboy wielded the torn-off wing again, holding it over his head. "I'm not sure what sort of djinn you are, so I thought I'd just wing it," he said, and he smashed the wing over Azah's head again.

The djinn let out a wild howl. Suddenly its body shrunk and collapsed. Below Hellboy lay the corpse of the Nazi, its head smashed to a bloody pulp.

Hellboy tossed the wing to the ground. "Yeah, it was a pretty bad pun," he agreed.

[-=Valkyre=-]

Valkyre woke, buried beneath the sand. The last thing he remembered was Mist yelling something and Liz trying to use her powers on the new Djinn.
'What the hell happened to me?' He thought as he clawed his way out of the sand, when he broke the surface he realized that he wasn't quite himself.
"Shit." He growled, although the sound was horribly garbled and was little more than just an animalistic noise. Instinctively, he had shifted to his full demon form when he was buried beneath the waves of sand kicked up by Liz. He shook his head to clear it, groaning a bit when the sudden smell of blood hit his hypersensitive nose. He recognized it as abe's, and could do nothing as he was driven by his bloodlust to amble over to the fallen merman, his four glowing red eyes locked on him as he easily padded over the sand on his six large taloned paw-like hands.
'Abe wake up! Run!' He thought hurriedly, likely even Hellboy could hear his hurried thoughts, but he wouldn't know what he's looking at, save for the long scar over the right side of his face and his wings.

[Mist the Soul-Gatherer]

The power of Liz's fire-blast had picked up Mist and hurled her over the front end of the plane, away from the sandstorm that had followed in its wake. For a minute everything went black. She came to just in time to see Hellboy whack the Djinn with the wing of the plane, and Valkyre begin clawing his way out of the sand. One look at him and she knew they were in big trouble. The force of the blast had pushed Valk over the edge and he was in full blown demon form--walking towards Abe.

The Merman must have seen the Nazi transform from his seat in the plane. Rushing out to help his friends, Abe had been thrown senseless by the fire-blast. Hellboy was focused on digging Liz out of the sand before she suffocated. He didn't notice the newly changed demon emerging from the sand pile behind him.

Mist ducked into the plane and grabbed her broadsword from her pack. "Just in case," she told herself. By the time she got to Abe, Valkrye was standing over the agent's prone body, salivating.

"Hey, Valk," Mist said. "You don't want to munch on Abe, I think you'll find he's pretty tough."

Valkrye did need to feed, though. Even a few swallows of fresh blood would be enough to let him regain control of himself and turn back to human appearance. But who could make that sacrifice?

Mist viewed the scene in front of her, and, bingo! She had it.

"Valk, how would you like a fifth of Scotch-or is it Irish?"

On the ground, towards the rear of the plane, Declan lay unconscious. Whether it was on account of the fire-blast, or he had fainted when he saw Hellboy rip the wing off his plane, Mist didn't know. But she hoped he'd remain out cold a little while longer.

Valkrye eagerly turned his attention from Abe to Declan.

Hellboy, who had freed Liz from the sand, was gently wiping granules from her face when he saw Valkrye's demon form for the first time.

"Oh, crap, didn't I just kill him?"

"Actually, no, HB." Mist was following Valkyre to Declan's unconscious body. "This is Valkrye when he's a demon. If he can take a few sips from our friend Declan, he'll revert back to the sweet guy we all know and love. Declan won't feel a thing, and if he notices the tiny puncture marks, we'll tell him it was sand fleas."

Hellboy thought about it as he helped Liz to her feet. He had no desire to kill a B.P.R.D. agent. But if Valkrye stayed a demon he'd probably have to.

"Ummm...well....outa sight, outa mind. I'm gonna go check on Abe. Make sure he's finished whetting his whistle before I turn around."

"Looks like we got through the worst of it, " Mist thought. She was wrong. From somewhere behind her she heard a crackling sound. The scrub brush that had caught fire when Liz ignited the Djinn was now in full blaze, the tongues of the flames dangerously licking the plane's fuel tank.

"Take cover", Mist shouted, "the plane's gonna blow!"

Mist grabbed the bag with Ratatosk in it and dove into the sand with her hands covering her head. Hellboy shielded Abe with his body. Valkyre dragged Declan as far away as they could get.

And Liz ran frantically towards the plane.

"Liz, get back!," Hellboy bellowed.

"The radio and phone," Liz shouted, "We can't lose them."

Impervious to the flames surrounding her, Liz raced into the plane, grabbed the satellite phone bag and radio and dashed out, just as the plane exploded.

[Mist the Soul-Gatherer]

GM BREAK

That was a lot of action. Even Mike Mignola would take a break about now.

[Lady Hellgirl]

Liz: The force of the blast had thrown her off her feet, causing her to drop the phone and radio. As another wave of sand engulfed her, she made contact with the ground.

“Oww, that hurt!” She groans as she frees herself from the sand and stagers to her feet. Thankfully she was not buried to deeply like the last time.

“Is everyone o.k.?” She yells to her friends and waits for their replies.

While scanning the surroundings for them, she spots a corner of the satellite phone’s case sticking out of the sand; only a few feet in front of her. Thank goodness she tells herself, runs over to it and starts to unbury it frantically. Praying to herself all the while that it wasn’t broken. Now, thanks to her, it was their only means of getting help. She felt a surge of guilt run through her entire body, just the thought of the new destruction caused by her powers made her feel sick.

“Heck I hadn’t even hurt it!” She mumbled to herself angrily. “The plane’s gone along with all of our supplies and we are stuck in this stupid desert!” She screams these last few words, fighting back the tears now forming in her eyes. Once the case is freed from its sand prison; she grabs it and heads toward everyone else. Hoping that they were not hurt to badly. Knowing that if they were, it would again be her fault.

[-=Valkyre=-]

Valkyre was horribly confused about what had just happened, but happily obliged when Mist had changed his attention to the unconscious Declan. The pilot's blood seemed so much more enticing to him than abes had been, but when he heard Liz's yell, he stopped mere millimeters from goring him with his massive fangs, turning to make sure she was alright.
"Liz?" He cocked his head to the side, his highly garbled voice sounding strangely familiar to him. He left the pilot and trotted over to her slowly, looking up to see if she was alright.

[Lady Hellgirl]

"It's good to see that you are unharmed Valkyre", she takes a step back seeing him in his new full vampire form. "Umm (not knowing if he could hear her or how to say this), could you go finish your dinner.(She points to pilot) By the way, please don't kill him." She eyes him cautiously wishing that he would turn back into his normal form. But knowing that he wouldn't until he finished his feeding.

She turns and refaced the others again, feeling uncomfortable with him staring at her. Hoping that if he couldn't understand her words, he could at least understand her body gestures.

[-=Valkyre=-]

Valkyre cocked his head to one side, even more confused. He made a low whining noise before turning and heading back over to Declan. He hunched over him and opened his massive jaws wide to bite down on the man's throat to kill him when he hesitated.

~~~~~~~~~~

Abe woke, his skin so dry and lightly burned, coated with sand. He groaned painfully as he sat up, shaking, and looked around. He wasn't certain what exactly had happened after Liz's powers kicked into overdrive, but when he saw the lumbering form of an unknown demon over the pilot, he was suddenly filled with the strength he needed to alert the others to it.
"Declan! He's going to kill Declan!" He cried, before falling unconscious again.

[Lady Hellgirl]

Valkyre I'm sorry I... She just turns and faces him sitting next to the pilot to finish her apology, but was cut off by Abes warnings.

She went on "Valkyre, I know you can fight the urge to kill him if you try. PLEASE don't kill him, we need him to give us the coordinates so that we can get help! See, I blew up the plane, everything’s lost, if we don't get help we will all dye out her! She screams back at him, starting to loose her composure. Knowing that if she didn't fix the mess her powers created soon all hope of survival for her friends would be lost, especially Abe. She started to walk towards him. Hoping that he was not merely killing in revenge.

[-=Valkyre=-]

Valkyre stopped and turned back to her. The look in his eyes were a mixture of anger, hatred and sorrow.
'Help me...' He called out to her telepathically as he screeched and rose up on his hind legs, well over seven feet. He raised a massive taloned hand to strike her and stopped, trying to regain control.
'Liz! Get out of here! I don't want to hurt you! I don't want to hurt anyone!' He cried out telepathically once more as he shrieked furiously, falling back to the ground holding his massive head in two of his four hands, his long powerful tail whipping above Declan kicking up dust and sand.

[Lady Hellgirl]

Liz: Upon hearing his thoughts in her head, she momentarily freezes thinking what to do next.

If he stayed the way he was now, Hellboy would have no choice but to kill him. Then she yelled back at him as a plan finally occurred to her "I"M NOT GIVING UP ON YOU -GO EAT!" She points forcefully to Declan's body while stepping closer. "JUST PLEASE DON'T KILL HIM! Seeing her opportunity, she runs around Valkyre, grabs Declan and with all the muscle strength she has in her tries to lift the thankfully unconscious Declan up to the hungry Valkyre.

[-=Valkyre=-]

Valkyre looks up at her sadly.
'I can't liz, if I try I'll gore him with my massive teeth and take so much blood he will die. but... I can also get his memories, including our coordinates, if I drink from him.' Valkyre replied telepathically, shaking from his crouched position in the sand.
'Liz... if this is anyone's fault it's mine, I couldn't counter the djinn's abilities, it's MY fault anyone's gotten hurt here today!' He then snarled and took a swipe at her, knocking Declan from her grip and accidentally cutting her before pinning her to the sand.
'Don't struggle...' He thought once more to her before using his long tongue to lick over the four rather deeps cuts, lapping up her blood making a deep rumbling purring noise as his saliva slowly yet visibly healed the wounds while feeding on the shed blood.

[Lady Hellgirl]

Liz: "AHH, Valkyre, get OFF me, your crushing me!" She screams at him and trys to get away from under him.

"Hellboy DON'T" She screams to Hellboy, seeing out of the corner of her eye that he had drown his gun and was focusing his aim at Valkyre. "He's had blood now, he'll be fine, and he couldn't help it! AHH will you stop that Valkyre!" She pleads trying as he licks her again to push him away.

[-=Valkyre=-]

Valkyre finishes cleaning off Liz's cuts, watching them finish sealing over before moving to sit next to her, shifting back to his half-demon form with some effort, his bulk slimming down and his usual suit replaced by leather bellbottom-style pants, t-shirt and long jacket, with slits for his tail and wings built in. He stood on his plantigrade feet, wobbling a bit, wings flared out for a bit of extra balance.
"I'm sorry about that liz... Are you going to be okay?" He asked, ignoring Hellboy and the others for the time being, still quite weak, despite having fed on her blood. He reached down a hand to her to help her up, his eyes a deep blue, showing his inner pain and sadness.

[Lady Hellgirl]

Liz: "I think so, but please DON'T ever do that again! Yuck, (She wipes the slime off her newly healed wounds) now I'm drenched in your drowl." She was still in shock and slightly confused from Valkyre's demon attack on her. She got to her feet with Valkyre's help and faces everyone else with a shocked expression on her face.

[Poe Ghostal]

Hellboy's gun was still leveled at Valkyre.

"Explain--to my satisfaction--what just happened," said Hellboy in a low, steely voice, "and why I shouldn't blow a bullet tipped with silver and white oak shavings through your heart."

[Mist the Soul-Gatherer]

Hellboy's gun was still leveled at Valkyre.

"Explain--to my satisfaction--what just happened," said Hellboy in a low, steely voice, "and why I shouldn't blow a bullet tipped with silver and white oak shavings through your heart."

The blast from the exploding plane knocked Mist unconscious. She woke up dazed and confused. What she saw was even more confusing. Instead of taking a few sips from Declan, Valkyre was on top of Liz. She was bleeding and screaming as Valkyre lapped up her blood.

Behind her, Mist heard Hellboy speak in a low, cold tone. The calm before the storm. In seconds he'd become enraged, as wild and deadly in his fury as any Berserker Mist had seen in Valhalla.

"Valkyre, I think you better answer him. Now."

[-=Valkyre=-]

Valkyre sighed, looking at Hellboy frustratedly.
"Alright... Alright, look, this doesn't go past the lot of us alright? Manning doesn't know most of the stuff about me, and I'd rather it stay that way." Valkyre replied, calm and collected. "I am a vampire, as you noticed earlier, but the form I just shifted out from is one that was the result of my being dragged into the pits of hell by Lucifer and losing two of my four pairs of wings. I'm not asking you to believe me when I tell you that I was once an angel, but instead, I'm asking you to give me a chance to earn your trust. I was at fault for losing my head and not feeding on medicinal blood before we came to africa, although I hadn't much choice given the circumstances. I can tell you more in private later if you wish, I'm usually very level headed and easy to talk to, I just get rather punchy when I haven't fed..."
Valkyre, as he spoke in his low, calm voice, had managed to shorten the distance between himself and Hellboy to gently use a hand to grab the barrel of his gun and slowly lower it from his chest, looking into his eyes.
"Silver and White Oak have no effect on me either. Thus, is my ongoing punishment, I cannot physically die unless it is dealt by the hands of an angel, or someone I love." He added after a long pause, his deep blue eyes lightening to an eerie ice blue colour, reflecting his wanton desire to die at the hands of the latter, yet his fear of death would likely keep him from this.

[Poe Ghostal]

Hellboy took a few steps back, regarding Valkyre. He still had his pistol in his hand; abruptly, he jammed it into its holster.

"Fine," he growled. "If you need blood, find a way to get some without hurting anyone, but stay the hell away from my friends."

He turned and regarded the group. Then he spotted Abe, crumpled to the sand.

"Abe!" He ran over to his friend and picked him up.

"He's in bad shape," said Hellboy. "He never should have come out here. It's a desert, for chrissakes..."

He stood up. "Liz, get on the horn to HQ and tell them to send a chopper if they can. They should have one with enough gas to pick up Abe and take him back to Timbuktu, at least."

He noticed his trenchcoat was fairly torn up and burnt from the fight. He took it off and tossed it to the sand. Then he started walking away in the direction they'd come.

[Lady Hellgirl]

Liz: "Sure" She runs over to the satellite phone, sets it up and calls Manning.

"Liz to B.P.R.D. Headquarters is Manning there?" the operator checks for him. "Get him quick, we need help!" Liz commands.

[Mist the Soul-Gatherer]

Liz: "Sure" She runs over to the satellite phone, sets it up and calls Manning.

"Liz to B.P.R.D. Headquarters is Manning there?" the operator checks for him. "Get him quick, we need help!" Liz commands.


As Liz was contacting Manning, Mist looked around, surveying the damage. The plane was gone, along with everything in it, except for things that were not of this world. Mist's golden chain mail lay on the sand, glistening with an unearthly glow. It was as light as air, but impervious to weapons made on this planet. She was glad she had taken her sword, scabbard and belt from the aircraft when Valkrye had transformed. Forged in the fires of Asgard, the broad two-edged killing sword could not be broken. Quickly Mist picked up her chain mail and stuffed it into her handcase, empty now, as Ratatosk was stretched out beside Abe, trying to use his small body to create some shade for his friend's head. He chittered anxiously.

Hearing Ratatosk, Mist looked over at Abe. He looked bad. Then she saw Hellboy, slogging deliberately and with great strides through the sand away from the agents. That was bad, too. And odd.

"Hey, Hellboy," Mist shouted, "Where are you going? We need you!"

[-=Valkyre=-]

Valkyre sighed, hiding his shock as he watched Hellboy amble off into the desert sands. Hellboys' words had seared him as though he was stabbed through with Michael's holy spear. Tears welled up in his eyes and he quickly wiped them away with a hand.
"Red!" He called, frowning. "Oh to hell with it."
Valkyre could feel abe's pain as though it was his own when he tried to reach out to the unconscious merman. Otherwise, he could get nothing. He suddenly caught the smell of water and turned, digging into the sand near where abe had fallen before, he unearthed a large pack, smiling. In it were several bottles of water and some other supplies, including the extra clips for his rifle he had brought and some small rations he had packed just in case.
'Looks like abe was thinking ahead...' He thought to himself. He turned back to the retreating demon, but thought twice about saying anything further. He stood managing to locate his twin swords and rifle, pulled the extra ammunition clips from his bag before he went back over to Liz, dropping the pack at her feet.
"I'm going to head north, see if maybe I can find what we were looking for. I don't want to be around if Red doesn't want me." He told her quietly, gently raising a hand to her face. "I'm sorry... For all of this..." He gazed into her eyes for a long moment before turning and heading north, as he said he would.

[Poe Ghostal]

"Hey, Hellboy," Mist shouted, "Where are you going? We need you!"
"To find us a ride," Hellboy shouted back. "Get Abe to safety. I'll be back in a bit."

[Lady Hellgirl]

Meanwhile Liz is waiting impatiently for the operator at Headquarters to get Manning. "Oh, FORGET Manning -she yells at operator, and turns around to Valkyre (She muffles phone receiver with her hand) and says "NO ONE is leaving this area- except Hellboy, get back HERE!" she shouts at Valkyre.

She returns to phone conversation "Just send us a helicopter, FAST, Abe’s hurt bad, and send us some more supplies too!"

Operator: "What are your coordinate?"

Liz: "Hang on- DOES any one know our coordinates?" She shouts to everyone. Upon seeing that the pilot was not awake yet she shouted "Wake Declan up, ASAP!"

[Poe Ghostal]

"'Ey, what's all this then?" Declan muttered, dragging his sorry Irish ass off the ground. "What happened?"

[Lady Hellgirl]

Liz: "What are our coordinates!" She yells back to Declan.

[Poe Ghostal]

Declan mutters the last coordinates he can remember, then slumps back into blissful sleep.

[Lady Hellgirl]

Liz: Repeats everything Declan tells her to the B.P.R.D. operator and pauses as she hears him impute the info in a computer.

Operator: "Ok, got it, a helicopter should be arriving shortly for Abe along with some supplies. Stay where you are."

Liz: "Thanks!" she hangs up phone and goes over to where everyone is standing. “Helps on the way. Hang in there Abe.”

[-=Valkyre=-]

Valkyre heard liz call after him and sighed, looking to the clear blue sky.
"Sister... I know you're there, stop trying to help me..." He sighed, turning and going back to the others and dropping his weapons by liz and going to move some of the larger remnants of the destroyed aircraft to form a shelter for his friends, taking off his coat and lying it on the sand, moving abe to lie him on it in the shade, sighing and moving Declan next to him before going back to liz.
"Liz, can I talk to you?" His voice was calm, yet filled with sadness, his eyes still a deep blue.

[Lady Hellgirl]

"Liz, can I talk to you?" His voice was calm, yet filled with sadness, his eyes still a deep blue.

Liz: "Sure." She turns and faces Valkyre.

[-=Valkyre=-]

Liz: "Sure." She turns and faces Valkyre.
Valkyre sighed, amazed at how calm and innocent she looked, despite everything.
"Liz... Have you ever felt like there was someone watching you, someone who took care of you when you were in trouble like what we've gotten into now?" He paused, moving to sit in the shade, looking forlornly up at the sky. "Those 'someones' are angels, they really do look after people... but me, I don't have an angel... at least I shouldn't, as it is forbidden for an angel to help one of the fallen..." He closed his eyes and breathed deeply before continuing, opening his eyes again. "I have a twin sister. It's quite uncommon amongst my kin, but not unheard of... she... she risks her life for me when she watches over me and helps me... There's an alterior motive to my having come here..." He looked at liz sadly. "I was hoping that I'd be able to get a chance to see her, as there is, or at least was, a temple below ground somewhere on this continent that angels use to come to the material plane and assume mortal form, wether animal or human... I was hoping that I'd be able to catch up with her, but too much has gone wrong, and I missed my chance..."
He hung his head then, staring at abe idly.
"Liz... if it wasn't for you, I, and likely declan and abe, would be dead now..."

[Lady Hellgirl]

Liz: "That’s ok Valkyre, did you see what I really did." (She points to what was left of the plane and then Abe.)

"I was just trying to fix the things that my powers messed up, so that we can go on with this mission, finish it, and get the heck out of this stupid desert.” She kicks at a pile of sand.

[-=Valkyre=-]

Valkyre couldn't help but smile. Liz's personality was filled with the firey life she didn't know she had, and he could feel this radiating off of her. He stood and turned her to face him, gently taking her hands in his and pulling her close, staring down into her eyes with his.
"Liz, I want you to know this, you've likely heard this before, but just listen. We all - by we I mean, Abe, Mist, Sidney and Hellboy - Are behind you all the time, when you need us most. You and I, we have things we neither want nor can get rid of, so we must help each other cope and learn. I want you to promise me that you'll never give up on yourself, as I will never give up on you..." His voice seemed to radiate a warmth and calm to those around them, but it was directed mostly at her. His care for her helped him keep a level head, and helped him deal with his internal conflicts and no longer wish to go off on his own, as hellboy had done.

[Mist the Soul-Gatherer]

"Valkrye, Liz, Sidney's in trouble." It was Mist, leading a dazed and confused Sidney by the hand, guiding him towards the group. "We were so involved with the plane blowing up, and Valkyre becoming a demon, and poor Abe, we never noticed Sidney. He's been wandering around in circles on the other side of that sand dune over there.

Liz and Valkyre looked, and sure enough they could see a single pair of footsteps leading away from where the plane had landed, going over a little rise in the sand.

"I think he's in shock," Mist said, "A touch of sunstroke, too."

Gently the team led Sidney over to where Declan lay prone on the sand and sat him down beside the pilot who had probably suffered a mild concussion himself.

Mist shielded her eyes with her hand and looked up at the blazing sun. Hellboy had better get back here with help. And fast.

[-=Valkyre=-]

Valkyre frowned. Out of everyone here, only three of the seven would get out of this completely unscathed. He sighed, sitting down again in the shade in a lotus position and concentrated, tapping into his usually dormant empathic abilities and relaying his calm to the others to keep them calm, and vice-versa. He used his long tail to grab the bag with the water and rations in it, pulling out a few bottles and handing them out followed by the rations.
"We might as well sit it out..." he muttered, pouring a bit of water onto his hand and gently rubbing it on the unconcious and burned abe. He smiled when one of abes damaged gills twitched, continuing with his empathic waves of calm to help the others.
'Just hang on Abe, help's on the way..."

[Lady Hellgirl]

Liz just sat there in the sand hoping and praying that the helicopter would come soon, very soon. Abe was getting sicker by the second. "Poor Abe" she mutters to herself wanting to reach down and hold his hand to alleviate some of his pain and show him that they were all there for him. But she knew this would only cause him more pain. He was so badly burned and dried out now, that his skin was cracking - even though he was in the shade.

On receiving her bottle of water, she immediately gave it back to Valkyre and told him to use it on Abe.

[-=Valkyre=-]

On receiving her bottle of water, she immediately gave it back to Valkyre and told him to use it on Abe.
Frowning again, valkyre sighed and did as he was told, sighing and looking at abe gravely. Blood seeped from the deeper cracks on his arms and legs, his gills seemed so dry that they were stiff and would otherwise have broken off. Valkyre gingerly applied the water to the burns and cracked areas hoping that would slow the progression of his injuries.
"Damned Manning... I'm sure he's just sitting with his thumb up where the sun don't shine and not giving dickall for effort... I should've killed him when I met him... bloody pig..." Valkyre snarled, he was really angry at himself for not stopping abe from coming along. He then smacked his forehead hard, why hadn't he remembered his minor powers over the elements before?
"I am so braindead... do you think it would be helpful to freeze the water over abe to keep him from drying out further?" Valkyre grinned, turning to liz.

[Lady Hellgirl]

"I am so braindead... do you think it would be helpful to freeze the water over abe to keep him from drying out further?" Valkyre grinned, turning to liz.

Liz: "No, don't do that, it can actually worsen the burns."

[-=Valkyre=-]

"No, don't do that, it can actually worsen the burns."
Valkyre groans.
"Liz, He's mostly a fish, on a human it would, yes, but he can take the temperature change better, and it'll keep him cool and keep his wounds from worsening..." Valkyre poured some water onto his hand, forming it into a small ball on his palm before turning it to ice and gently placing it on abe's skin, it melted slowly, but abe's dry skin seemed to darken around the ice.
"See? It's one of the best chances he's got... It may or may not make it worse for later, but it'll keep him from getting worse RIGHT NOW, as opposed to getting worse when there's doctors and shit around..."

[Lady Hellgirl]

Liz just looks at Valkyre, shakes her head and goes back to her previous thoughts.

[-=Valkyre=-]

Shakes his head also, pouring the water onto abe slowly, keeping it frozen and away from his gills and face to let him breathe, coating him over with plenty of a botle to spare handing it to Liz.
"He wouldn't want you to dehydrate yourself on his behalf... Nor do I..."

[Lady Hellgirl]

Liz: "Thanks, but I am not really that thirsty at the moment."

After seeing the look on Valkyre's face, she decides to take a little drink anyway. After doing so she sets the water bottle in the sand and watches Valkyre care for Abe’s wounds.

[-=Valkyre=-]

Valkyre smiled a bit at her when she drank some of the water to humor him, raising the wings on one side to add some extra shade for her as he kept a hand on the ice on abe to keep it frozen, the effort starting to show as an increasing number of white streaks in his hair.

[Mist the Soul-Gatherer]

Valkyre smiled a bit at her when she drank some of the water to humor him, raising the wings on one side to add some extra shade for her as he kept a hand on the ice on abe to keep it frozen, the effort starting to show as an increasing number of white streaks in his hair.

Mist was glad to see Liz drink.

"Good, Liz. We all need to take a drink or we'll start hallucinating.
Seeing pink elephants. Valk, if you could spare a little water,
I'd like to get some down Sidney and Declan, and a capful for Ratatosk.
Then you and I should drink, too."

[-=Valkyre=-]

"We all need to take a drink or we'll start hallucinating.
Seeing pink elephants. Valk, if you could spare a little water,
I'd like to get some down Sidney and Declan, and a capful for Ratatosk.
Then you and I should drink, too."
Valkyre nodded and fished around in his bag for a moment before handing mist another bottle of water.
"I'll be good for a while. I'm a demon remember? I'm used to hellfire... This, is nothing." Valkyre smiled a bit as he went back to monitoring abe and keeping the ice on him frozen.
His tail curled and uncurled idly as he thought again to what hellboy had said. Were these people not his friends as well? Why does Hellboy assume they are not? Valkyre hated people who acted like they were above others, and to him, Hellboy had done just that. He also left 'his' friends alone, semi-lost in the middle of a damned desert with no shelter or water.
Valkyre sighed again, he was going to leave them, but was thankful for Liz stopping him as he looked down at the unconscious merman. If he hadn't decided to countermand Liz's words, abe would likely have overheated to the point of death by now, and the others were looking worse for wear.
'Damnit where the hell is that evac?' Valkyre thought to himself, looking at the far horizons of desert. When he could see nothing but sand and the odd dried up bush, he sighed again. Even with his heightened senses he couldn't see or hear anything coming over this sandy wasteland.
"I thought hell was barren, this is almost worse..." He chuckled, looking around again for any sign of anything or anyone heading towards them nearby.

[Mist the Soul-Gatherer]

Ratatosk drank his capful of water slowly, letting the liquid flow into every inch of his diminutive frame. Then, feeling refreshed, he sat up on his hind legs and let loose with his assessment of the situation. Due to the importance of the subject matter, Tosk, who could make anyone understand him if he chose to, made certain each of the uninjured agents could comprehend his words.

"That Manning blows. I'd like to shove this entire desert up his friggin' arse. He's-"

"TOSK! That will do." Mist admonished him. "Remember, things weren't always peachy keen back home."

Ratatosk rolled his eyes. "Here comes the Old Homestead story again..yadda, yadda..."

Mist settled down under the shade of one of Valkrye's extended wings, and began speaking, purposely ignoring Tosk.

"Well, Liz and Valk, you probably don't know this, but being one of the Valkyrie isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. We’re really celestial flight attendants by day, and glorified waitresses at night. Basically, we’d hang around a battlefield, and when the limb hacking and throat cutting was done, we’d go down and pick out which heroes got to go to Valhalla. Well, there is some finesse to it. You can’t just go over and say, “Now that you’ve won the battle, where are you going next?” Very few dead guys will jump up and shout “Valhalla” like they yell “Disneyworld” on the Super Bowl ads. In fact, a lot of dead guys didn’t even WANT to be dead. You had to convince them that dead was a Good Thing, then whisk them off to Valhalla before they could think too much about it.

At night, Asgard was one hellova party town-if you were a GUY. All the heroes would file into Odin’s huge hall, where they’d feast and drink Mead until they passed out in a drunken stuper. Next morning, they’d wake up without a trace of a hangover, put on their armor and go fight all day, slicing and dicing each other into little pieces. At night, all the pieces would come together and the heroes, now whole, would march back into Valhalla where the feasting and drinking would start up again.

And guess who had the honor of serving those illustrious warriors their food and drink? The Valkyrie! All night long it was “MORE MEAD! MORE ROASTED BOAR!" And it WAS a bore. My sister Hrist and I had the supreme honor of serving Odin himself. Every five minutes it was," MIST, MY HORN! FILL MY HORN!" Odin loved to drink Mead from his horn.

Well, after 27 centuries of that, you can see why a few days in the desert isn’t much to complain about. Hellboy will be back soon....I wonder if he gets sunburned? And how could you tell if he did?"

[-=Valkyre=-]

Mist settled down under the shade of one of Valkrye's extended wings, and began speaking, purposely ignoring Tosk.

"Well, Liz and Valk, you probably don't know this, but being one of the Valkyrie isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. We’re really celestial flight attendants by day, and glorified waitresses at night. Basically, we’d hang around a battlefield, and when the limb hacking and throat cutting was done, we’d go down and pick out which heroes got to go to Valhalla. Well, there is some finesse to it. You can’t just go over and say, “Now that you’ve won the battle, where are you going next?” Very few dead guys will jump up and shout “Valhalla” like they yell “Disneyworld” on the Super Bowl ads. In fact, a lot of dead guys didn’t even WANT to be dead. You had to convince them that dead was a Good Thing, then whisk them off to Valhalla before they could think too much about it.

At night, Asgard was one hellova party town-if you were a GUY. All the heroes would file into Odin’s huge hall, where they’d feast and drink Mead until they passed out in a drunken stuper. Next morning, they’d wake up without a trace of a hangover, put on their armor and go fight all day, slicing and dicing each other into little pieces. At night, all the pieces would come together and the heroes, now whole, would march back into Valhalla where the feasting and drinking would start up again.

And guess who had the honor of serving those illustrious warriors their food and drink? The Valkyrie! All night long it was “MORE MEAD! MORE ROASTED BOAR!" And it WAS a bore. My sister Hrist and I had the supreme honor of serving Odin himself. Every five minutes it was," MIST, MY HORN! FILL MY HORN!" Odin loved to drink Mead from his horn.

Well, after 27 centuries of that, you can see why a few days in the desert isn’t much to complain about. Hellboy will be back soon....I wonder if he gets sunburned in the desert? And how could you tell if he did?
Valkyre smiled. He had heard much about valhalla from some poor souls in hell during his time there when he had nothing better to do and was amazed at how accurate those men had been. He shifted his wings to better shade mist and the others, listening intently.
"I'm sure Loki would've LOVED in on those parties." He joked, referring to the slender, dandylion haired greek god he had met once. "Bloody boozer that one."
Valkyre sighed, he was starting to get tired from pushing his elemental control so much to keep the water covering abe frozen. His normally blond hair was almost completely white and his vision was beginning to swim.

[Lady Hellgirl]

Liz looks over to the others and notices how Valkyre's hair was changing.

"Valkyre are you all right?"

[Poe Ghostal]

Declan stirred. One half of his face was still pressed in the sandy dirt; the other one felt like it was on fire. It had burned in the hot sun.

"Oi," the Irishman murmured as he got up. The sun-side of his face was beet red. He touched it, then pulled it away in pain. "Ouch," he muttered.

He saw the others sitting on the ground ahead of him. "'Ey, what--" he began, looking around.

Then he saw his plane. It was little more than a smoking wreck by this point.

"Nooooo!" he cried, falling to his knees in a theatrical show of emotion. "My plane! It took me years to pay for her!"

He covered his face in his hands. "My plane...it's all I have..."

[-=Valkyre=-]

"Valkyre are you all right?"

Valkyre sighed.
"To be frank, no... keeping this up is putting an immense amount of strain on me... This is the first real test of my abilities since I escaped hell... I'll be alright once that damned evac gets here..."
Declan stirred. One half of his face was still pressed in the sandy dirt; the other one felt like it was on fire. It had burned in the hot sun.

"Oi," the Irishman murmured as he got up. The sun-side of his face was beet red. He touched it, then pulled it away in pain. "Ouch," he muttered.

He saw the others sitting on the ground ahead of him. "'Ey, what--" he began, looking around.

Then he saw his plane. It was little more than a smoking wreck by this point.

"Nooooo!" he cried, falling to his knees in a theatrical show of emotion. "My plane! It took me years to pay for her!"

He covered his face in his hands. "My plane...it's all I have..."

Valkyre sighed. This man clearly had his thoughts in the wrong place.
"Declan, you're still alive, so no, the plane wasn't all you had. You'll be able to start over, hell, the bureau will likely be responsible for getting you a new one. I'm to blame for what happened, and why your face has been burned... You would be dead though if not also for my friends and I, so please, try and stay calm and perhaps move over here, my wings are plenty big enough to cast enough shade for everyone..." Valkyre's voice was calm and reassuring, but inside he was angry and annoyed. Men like declan who held personal belongings, even those that are rather unorthodox, above themselves and those they love and care for, are oftentimes those that are dragged into the pits of hell to be disembowled day after day by demons. Demons like him. He shuddered at the thought of killing the same person day after day for enjoyment as his 'brethren' had, and nearly fell over.
'That evac better get here soon...' He thought, closing his eyes to concentrate. He managed to keep his wings up and spread open despite his increasing weakness and fatigue while harnessing the sun's strength as itbeat down on his white wings to keep him from falling unconscious and keep his powers from failing.

[Poe Ghostal]

Declan stared at Valkyre. "Stay calm? It's my plane, ya great feeb!"

With that he stalked away, muttering a string of Gaelic curses. He plopped down in front of his smoldering plane and watched the smoke drift into the sky, an empty expression below his ever-present sunglasses.

[-=Valkyre=-]

"Stay calm? It's my plane, ya great feeb!"
Valkyre growled, it was one thing to be insulted, it was another entirely coming from an absent minded and ill mannered human.
"Excuse me human? but I'd change my disposition if you want to live. Your blood is smelling highly appealing to me, and currently, you have no purpose. I am not in the mood to deal with humans who don't know what stupid things, like fretting over such an unorthodox material possession as your plane, will get them landed in hell, and I know what happens to them when they end up down there. Now, if you stay over there and burn, I'm not going to be blamed, but you're perfectly welcome to come over here and share the shade."
Valkyre's physical appearance then changed drastically, his light grey skin darkening to nearly black, the pupils of his now red eyes turning to mere slits, and his fingernails turning to wicked claws.
He hadn't willed this change, but instead his anger did. It had once been his job to save humanity from destroying itself and ending up in hell, but now he was a death and torture bringer, but tried to atone for this by killing others like him, and destroying those other beings that would otherwise destroy humanity.
After he had managed to calm himself, he sensed declan's empty feeling and sighed, he shook violently all of a sudden and turned to liz.
"Liz, call HQ and ask them where the hell that evac is... I can't keep this up for much longer and something else is starting to tug at the edges of my senses that can't be good..."

[Poe Ghostal]

Declan, lost in his sorrow, didn't hear Valkyre's comments--or didn't care. He sat on his knees in front of the ruin of his plane, his head in his hands, as his livelihood turned to smoke and dust.

[Lady Hellgirl]

Liz upon hearing Valkyre's call home request, gets up, and walks past Declan.
"Uhmm, I am really sorry about that (She points to plane) Declan, I didn't mean for it to happen." Liz looks down on the ground, "some times my powers get out of control, but don't worry, the Bureau will get you a new one, maybe even a better model." She adds as she grabs the satellite phone's receiver and dials the Bureau’s number.

Liz eyes Declan again as she hears the operator pick up the phone;
"Hello this is Manning?"

Liz: "Oh shit!" She swears into the receiver, knowing what was to come.

Manning: "What was THAT for, are you Liz?"

Liz: "Uhmm, yes. I just need to know when the helicopter will be here. Abe's in bad shape, and it also looks like Sidney should go back too, I think he has a concussion."

Manning: "DO YOU KNOW HOW MUCH TRUBLE YOU'VE CAUSED!" He screams.

Liz: "I just NEED to know when the helicopters coming, you can yell at us when were back at the Bureau."

Manning: "I WILL YELL AT YOU WHEN EVER I DANG WELL PLEASE! I HAVE BEEN WORKING FOR THE PAST TWO DAYS CLEANING UP AFTER YOU!"

Liz: "I"M SORRY!" She screams back at him "WHEN IS THE HELOCOPTER GOING TO BE HERE?"

Manning goes, ignoring her apology and question. : YOU LOST THE GERMAN BODY, ONE OF THE BEST MEDICAL EXAMINERS IN BAMAKO, A PLANE, AND NOW YOU ARE TELLING ME TWO OF YOUR OWN AGENTS ARE DOWN!"

Liz: "ACTUALLY IT IS TWO GERMAN BODY'S KNOW (She hears Manning scream "WHAT" , but goes on) AND I WANT THE TIMING ON THAT HELECOPTER NOW!

Manning was at his breaking point and Liz could hear that he was starting to loose his voice.

Manning: "You people are going to be the DEATH OF ME YET!" He replies trying to get his blood pressure back down to its normal percent as soon as he feels a tight pain in his chest. "Where's Hellboy?"

Liz: "He went to get use some more supplies to finish this mission."

Manning: "Well anyway, I'm sending another agent to watch over and straiten you all out, IF ANYTHING ELSE GOES WRONG WITH THIS MISSION, you all will be in suspension once you get back Here! Watch the skies, the chopper should be at your location in about five minutes."

CLICK.

Liz Puts the reviver down, takes a long deep breath and addresses everyone,
"That whet well!" She goes back and sits next to Valkyre. "Helicopter will be here in about five minutes, can you make it?"

[-=Valkyre=-]

"Helicopter will be here in about five minutes, can you make it?"
Valkyre nodded, sweat was starting to form on his brow from pushing himself and his hair had lost all of its colour. His entire body shook and his wings flopped into the sand, the muscles in them taking too much of the strength he would need to keep going for abe.
"I may have to ask you for something later..." He said weakly, shaking still. He hated to have to take blood from her at all, let alone twice in one day, but he didn't know what Mist's blood would do to him, and he didn't want to creep out Declan after all of this. He closed his eyes to concentrate more on what he needed to do to keep abe alive.
He hated times like these, eternity really was nothing more than a period of five minutes...

[Mist the Soul-Gatherer]

Sitting in the shade of Valkrye's giant wing, Mist leaned in closer, so she could whisper to Liz and Valkrye without Declan overhearing.

"You know, we only told Manning to evac Abe and Sid. But we've got three down." Mist shifted her eyes in Declan's direction, then back towards the agents.

"There's a good chance he'll send a chopper that can carry two, plus the pilot. Declan may have to come with us, whether he likes it or not. Let's not say anything yet, but be prepared in case we have to tell him he's not flying outta here."

[-=Valkyre=-]

"You know, we only told Manning to evac Abe and Sid. But we've got three down." Mist shifted her eyes in Declan's direction, then back towards the agents.

"There's a good chance he'll send a chopper that can carry two, plus the pilot. Declan may have to come with us, whether he likes it or not. Let's not say anything yet, but be prepared in case we have to tell him he's not flying outta here."
Valkyre groaned again, what next? a sandstorm? He looked up and cursed soundlessly.
'Get any ideas up there and I get nasty...' He thought to himself. He could feel his body being slowly destroyed by his overuse of his powers, his skin lightened back to it's usual light grey and most of his demonic features dissipated, leaving only his tail and usually saurian feet. His eyes took on a more human appearance, small round pupils instead of his slitted cat-like ones, as he waited for any sound of the coming helicopter.
"If they have to, they'll fit Declan... Right now, he's not too horribly injured but he'll have to be careful and breifed if he sticks around..." Valkyre said, trying to keep his mind off of the growing numbness in his body.

[Lady Hellgirl]

Liz looks up at Mist. "Dang it! I forgot about getting him out of here, yes, we will have to be more careful with him around. By the way, I think we had better give him a bottle of water. We really don't want him any more crazy then he is at this moment."

[-=Valkyre=-]

"By the way, I think we had better give him a bottle of water. We really don't want him any more crazy then he is at this moment."
Nods, having enough trouble as it is without trying to talk, motioning weakly with his tail to his bag, which still has two bottles of water in it, then to Declan before wincing, feeling his heart is starting to give out under the strain.

[Lady Hellgirl]

Liz grabs one of the water bottles laying in the bag next to Valkyre and picks it up, calling for Declan. "Here drink some of this. If you get to hot, please come and join us in the shade." Then she gets up, drops the water bottle next to him, and returns to her seat in the shade.

She notices Valkyre's jerky movements and tiredness. "If you can freeze a ball of ice a little extra cold, I can take over for a while and rub Abe down for you. Then you can rest a bit."

[Mist the Soul-Gatherer]

Liz grabs one of the water bottles laying in the bag next to Valkyre and picks it up, calling for Declan. "Here drink some of this. If you get to hot, please come and join us in the shade." Then she gets up, drops the water bottle next to him, and returns to her seat in the shade.

She notices Valkyre's jerky movements and tiredness. "If you can freeze a ball of ice a little extra cold, I can take over for a while and rub Abe down for you. Then you can rest a bit."

Mist looked concerned.

"Liz is right, Valk, even YOU need to rest. When HB gets back, we'll be doing some hard traveling."

[Poe Ghostal]

Declan eyed the water bottle. He reached out tentatively, grabbed it, pulled off the tab and began to drink greedily--then stopped, abashed, and sealed the bottle again.

[Lady Hellgirl]

Liz hears something in the distance.

"Do you two hear that too? She stands up trying to pinpoint where the sound was coming from.

"I think the helicopters almost here, finally (she adds impatiently)!"

[Mist the Soul-Gatherer]

Liz hears something in the distance.

"Do you two hear that too? She stands up trying to pinpoint where the sound was coming from.

"I think the helicopters almost here, finally (she adds impatiently)!"


Out of the corner of her eye, Mist saw Declan cap the water bottle.

"Hey, Declan," she called to him softly, "It's Ok. You had a rough day. Take another swallow. I won't tell." She gave him a quick wink, then turned her attention to the sky.

"Yep. From the sound of the blades they should just be coming into sight."

[Poe Ghostal]

Declan looked at her. "Thank you," he said in his thick Irish-by-way-of-Scotland accent. "I'm sorry I was so...emotional earlier. I've had her"--he gestured toward the smoldering plane--"for ten years. She was my first plane."

He smiled and stood, brushing himself off. "I've got another one back in Timbuktu, though," he said with a grin.

[Lady Hellgirl]

Just as the helicopter came into sight, Liz began to wave it down. It seamed like she had waited an eternity for it to finally begin its decent onto the sand.

"OVER HERE!" She screamed as the winds from the rotating helicopter’s blades created a mini sand storm.

[Mist the Soul-Gatherer]

Declan looked at her. "Thank you," he said in his thick Irish-by-way-of-Scotland accent. "I'm sorry I was so...emotional earlier. I've had her"--he gestured toward the smoldering plane--"for ten years. She was my first plane."

He smiled and stood, brushing himself off. "I've got another one back in Timbuktu, though," he said with a grin.

As the chopper came into sight, Mist turned her gaze from the sky to Declan, a slight smile on her lips.

"Faker. I thought you'd lost your only love."

Then she moved toward Liz to help her wave down their salvation.

[Poe Ghostal]

Then she moved toward Liz to help her wave down their salvation.
Declan watched her go, still grinning widely. She was a fine bit of stuff, that bird...but something was very strange about her...and that squirrel that followed her everywhere, that was a bit odd...given her friends, it was quite possible she wasn't really human.

Well, he hadn't thought much of the demon that talked like a stevedore or the creature from the black lagoon, so why start getting the willies now?

Suddenly he noticed that grinning hurt; half his face was badly sunburned, he remembered. He had some aloe in the--

--plane.

Damn.

[Lady Hellgirl]

Liz runs up to the now landed helicopter, shielding her eyes from the blowing sand around her and helps open the door. "Let's go" She yells to the B.D.R.D. doctors waiting inside.

"This way!" Liz orders them and grabs one of their medical bags, leading them to where Abe was lying on the ground.

B.P.R.D. Doctor: "He doesn’t look to good he's presenting severe dehydration, no wonder Manning demanded that we get here ASAP!" He checks for Abe's vital signs.

"Very low, GET THAT STRETCHER OVER HERE NOW!" He calls to his partner, who obliges. "We need to get him back to Headquarters as soon as possible!"

They strap Abe up to the stretcher and carefully carry him back to the helicopter.

The partner asks Liz about other the agent lying in the sand. "Is this Sidney-what are his symptoms?"

Liz quickly replies "Possible concussion, heat stroke or shock."

Partner grabs the other stretcher, straps Sidney down, and takes him back to the helicopter.

[Mist the Soul-Gatherer]

"We've got a third man who needs attention," Mist called to the doctors, "The pilot." She pointed towards Declan, still beside the ruins of his plane, now feeling none too chipper as his face and the other parts of his body exposed to the sun hurt like hell.

[-=Valkyre=-]

Valkyre had watched the entire scene unfold, he recieved not one thank you for his efforts and was nearing the point where he too would likely have to be picked up and returned to base, but he didn't want this. Not while liz is out here. He had managed to stand and get out of the way when the doctors ran out to collect abe, his wings flopped weakly on the ground on either side of him. He hadn't the strength to keep them up, and was surprized he had managed to stand. after a few minutes he collapsed, not unconscious, just exhausted from overexerting himself. He managed to prop his head up off the sand with an arm, but could do no more breathing heavily, the sound of his heart beating in his ears.

[Poe Ghostal]

"We've got a third man who needs attention," Mist called to the doctors, "The pilot." She pointed towards Declan, still beside the ruins of his plane, now feeling none too chipper as his face and the other parts of his body exposed to the sun hurt like hell.
"Ach, no, I'm oll right," said Declan, waving off the BPRD medics. "I'm not lavin' now, noot until I see what was so bloody important that I had to lose my plane. But maybe you've got a bit 'a aloe?"

One of the agents fishes around in her case and pulls out a tube of some sort of cream. "This'll take care of it," she said, handing the tube to Declan.

"Cheers," said Declan, nodding.

[Lady Hellgirl]

Liz continued to help the B.P.R.D. doctors get Abe and Sidney into the helicopter and began unloading the new supplies Manning had sent them.

B.P.R.D. Doctor: "Hay Liz, before I forget, Manning told me that one of you were to receive this." He lifted up a white handled cooler with biohazard stickers on it and handed it to her.

"Ok thanks." she takes a quick peak inside and goes over to the very tired Valkyre. "Sorry I was so intent on getting Abe out of here that I didn't even say thank you for helping him. But I do have a present from Manning for you that may give you back some of your strength." She sets cooler next to him.

"A gift from the local blood bank. Enjoy." Liz smiles at Valkyre and returns to help finish unpacking the helicopter.

[Mist the Soul-Gatherer]

"Ach, no, I'm oll right," said Declan, waving off the BPRD medics. "I'm not lavin' now, noot until I see what was so bloody important that I had to lose my plane. But maybe you've got a bit 'a aloe?"

One of the agents fishes around in her case and pulls out a tube of some sort of cream. "This'll take care of it," she said, handing the tube to Declan.

"Cheers," said Declan, nodding.

Mist was shocked. Not too much could surprise her after 27 centuries, but a human who had no stake in what the B.P.R.D. was here to find out, who held the agents responsible for losing his plane, and who knew the hardships of trekking through the desert, wanted to stay and throw his lot in with the team? How curious could he be?

"You want to STAY?", Mist looked at Declan, flabbergasted, "Liz, Valkyre, Hellboy and I are all equipped to defend ourselves and survive out here."

"But you, if the sun doesn't fry you, where we're going could kill you," she looked towards the plane, "I think they can squeeze you in, GO!"

[-=Valkyre=-]

"Ok thanks." she takes a quick peak inside and goes over to the very tired Valkyre. "Sorry I was so intent on getting Abe out of here that I didn't even say thank you for helping him. But I do have a present from Manning for you that may give you back some of your strength." She sets cooler next to him.

"A gift from the local blood bank. Enjoy." Liz smiles at Valkyre and returns to help finish unpacking the helicopter.
Valkyre managed to sit up, opening the cooler and picking up one of the packages of medicinal blood, tearing off the top with his fangs and drinking it hungrily. It infused him with a sudden strength he thought impossible for packaged blood, but cared not, finishing it off and working on another, closing the cooler and holding the packs small straw-like top in his teeth, sucking on it a bit and heading over to help liz, his hair darkening to black with the sudden return of his strength. He wandered over, folding his sore wings to his back again and calling to the pilots and doctors.
"Thanks guys. Make sure abe pulls through and send manning my 'love'..." He grinned, the pack still in his teeth as he drank down the blood in it idly. When he heard Mist yell he turned and skimmed over their minds to find out what the hubub was about, snickering.
"Mist, if he wants to come, let him. He's made the choice to risk his life like the rest of us, and we could use the extra hand...

[Poe Ghostal]

Mist was shocked. Not too much could surprise her after 27 centuries, but a human who had no stake in what the B.P.R.D. was here to find out, who held the agents responsible for losing his plane, and who knew the hardships of trekking through the desert, wanted to stay and throw his lot in with the team? How curious could he be?

"You want to STAY?", Mist looked at Declan, flabbergasted, "Liz, Valkyre, Hellboy and I are all equipped to defend ourselves and survive out here."

"But you, if the sun doesn't fry you, where we're going could kill you," she looked towards the plane, "I think they can squeeze you in, GO!"
Declan chuckled. "Ach, lass, I've been through the desert more times than you have, prob'ly," he said. "No offense, but you look like a Northern-type to me. An' I talk a bit 'o Tuareg, so I may be of help to you. As for taking care of myself..."

He reached into one of the side pockets of his huge, voluminous khaki shorts and withdrew a Colt Python--one of the largest handguns in the world. "Doona worry about me," he said, grinning, before carelessly dropping the weapon back into his pocket.

[Mist the Soul-Gatherer]

Declan chuckled. "Ach, lass, I've been through the desert more times than you have, prob'ly," he said. "No offense, but you look like a Northern-type to me. An' I talk a bit 'o Tuareg, so I may be of help to you. As for taking care of myself..."

He reached into one of the side pockets of his huge, voluminous khaki shorts and withdrew a Colt Python--one of the largest handguns in the world. "Doona worry about me," he said, grinning, before carelessly dropping the weapon back into his pocket.

Well, well, thought Mist, two surprises from Declan in one day.

"I'm impressed," she told the pilot, "Just don't shoot yourself."

Abruptly she turned to help Liz unload the supplies.

[Lady Hellgirl]

The B.P.R.D Doctor finishes giving out the extra supplies to the agents and turns to tell the pilot to leave.

Pilot: "Hang on one minute, we have an incoming call...It's Manning, he wants to talk to the agents and get their status NOW!"

Pilot looks at Liz: "You want to take this?"

Liz shakes her head. "I've already had one delightful conversation with Manning today, two would be asking too much. I can't wait until he hears about Declan! That will definitely make his day."

Liz looks pleadingly over to Mist.

[Poe Ghostal]

The B.P.R.D Doctor finishes giving out the extra supplies to the agents and turns to tell the pilot to leave.

Pilot: "Hang on one minute, we have an incoming call...It's Manning, he wants to talk to the agents and get their status NOW!"

Pilot looks at Liz: "You want to take this?"

Liz shakes her head. "I've already had one delightful conversation with Manning today, two would be asking too much. I can't wait until he hears about Declan! That will definitely make his day."

Liz looks pleadingly over to Mist.

Abruptly, a red hand reached into the cockpit of the helicopter and hung up the radio receiver.

"I'll apologize to Tom later," said Hellboy. He turned to the BPRD doctor. "Get on the chopper and get them out of here. When you get to the city, call Manning and tell him we'll file our reports when this is all over."

With that, Hellboy strode over to the five camels he'd brought with him. "Got 'em from a Tuareg trader," he said. One of the camels was loaded with water and other supplies. "I think they'll do. Now let's go find out what the hell's going on out there."

[-=Valkyre=-]

"I think they'll do. Now let's go find out what the hell's going on out there."
Valkyre withheld his urge to growl at hellboy for showing up, drinking the last of the blood in the plastic gripped in his teeth and tossing it into a wastepouch on his bag and went over to a camel. It regarded him warily when he strapped his bag, rifle and cooler to the saddle on it's back before going over to gently stroke it's long nose. It groaned at him and lay down so he could get on, which he did, taking it's reins in one hand and watching the chopper for any other surprizes. His black hair was being warmed by the sun and his newfound strength was making him a bit euphoric, he wanted to get going already, but knew they'd have to wait a bit for everything to get packed up and for everyone to get ready. He watched, glad that he hadn't had to take blood from liz and that his strength was back to normal. What he wasn't fully happy about, what Hellboy's sudden return. He felt some strange hatred for him, when he seemed to have so much in common with him at the same time. What was he to do or say to him now?

[Mist the Soul-Gatherer]

Mist helped Hellboy load up the camel carrying the supplies with the rest of the gear they'd gotten from Manning.

"Glad you're back, HB. But it looks like we've got a little problem.
There are four camels with saddles, and we've got five riders."

[Poe Ghostal]

Mist helped Hellboy load up the camel carrying the supplies with the rest of the gear they'd gotten from Manning.

"Glad you're back, HB. But it looks like we've got a little problem.
There are four camels with saddles, and we've got five riders."
"Mist, I weigh almost four hundred pounds," said Hellboy. "Did you think I was going to ride one of these poor things? Camels aren't the fastest creatures on the planet. I'll just walk.

"I suppose it's just as well Syd is out of it, though--Declan can have his camel."

[Mist the Soul-Gatherer]

"Mist, I weigh almost four hundred pounds," said Hellboy. "Did you think I was going to ride one of these poor things?

"Camels aren't the fastest creatures on the planet. I'll just walk."

Mist shrugged her shoulders. "What do I know? Where I come from we ride wolves."

Mist finished up her packing, then walked over to one of the camels who shook his head and nuzzled her as she stroked it's long neck.

"He says his name is Musa," she told the agents," and he's the leader of this group of camels. He says they are happy to be of service, and wish us a safe journey."

With that, the camel knelt, and Mist climbed on board. She guided Musa to stand near Valkrye and waited for the others.

[-=Valkyre=-]

"Did you think I was going to ride one of these poor things? Camels aren't the fastest creatures on the planet. I'll just walk.
Valkyre chuckled.
"At least you're thinking about these poor creatures." He mocked, grinning and licking a drop of leftover blood from his face with his rather insanely long tongue. "Camels can go faster than horses on sand Hellboy, I just hope these guys don't decide to take off running."
He rode over to liz, one of the other camels following for her.
"Thank you for bringing the cooler over to me earlier... I don't think I would've lasted long if you hadn't." He smiled at her, the other camel kneeling down to let her on. "If you're worried for abe, I'm certain he'll be fine, a little cold for a while, but he'll be fine... but we should get going. We don't want to end up getting stuck here in the middle of the night without gear to keep us warm..."

[Lady Hellgirl]

"Your right Valkyre, Abe's in good hands now. Thanks again for helping him, I know that it was hard on you." She waves to the helicopter as it began its accent into the sky and starts heading back to the Bureau.

Liz looks over to Hellboy." HB, you always knew how to ride in style!" She smirks at him as she gets on her camel.

[Mist the Soul-Gatherer]

Mist guided her camel over to Liz, Ratatosk riding before her, in the indentation where the camel's neck connected with its body.

"Well, let's get this show on the road."

[Lady Hellgirl]

"Does anyone know which way to go?" Liz asks, as she stops her camel and scans the area.

[-=Valkyre=-]

"Does anyone know which way to go?" Liz asks, as she stops her camel and scans the area.
"I do. I'm pretty much a walking compass..." Valkyre joked, turning his camel north and easing it into a fast walk, lightly holding onto the reins, his long black hair flowing out behind him. He was tempted to show off by sitting in a lotus position on the back of the camel, his tail twitching idly as a smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. He decided against it, raising a wing to shade himself from the sun, although he didn't really mind it.

[Mist the Soul-Gatherer]

"I do. I'm pretty much a walking compass..." Valkyre joked, turning his camel north and easing it into a fast walk, lightly holding onto the reins, his long black hair flowing out behind him. He was tempted to show off by sitting in a lotus position on the back of the camel, his tail twitching idly as a smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. He decided against it, raising a wing to shade himself from the sun, although he didn't really mind it.

"Uh, Valk," Mist called after him, "Musa says you're wrong. The "Place Where Travelers Become Lost" is that way." Mist pointed in a direction more to the South. " He also begs us not to go there. It smells of death."

Mist turned her camel in the direction Musa had communicated to her. "It's easy to become disoriented out here. That's why I'd trust a local."

[Lady Hellgirl]

GM BREAK

As the agents are making their way on their camels to the Forbidden Area, they come across another German soldier body. He was in his 80's like the others, in good shape, and was wearing a modern baseball cap.

Fortunately there was no Djinn in his body and Mist was able to pick up on his ghost before it crossed over. He told her that "The Wall is Broken."

Taking the body as a sign that they were heading in the right direction, they precede at a quicker pace to their final destination.

As they stop for a little break on top of a sand dune, Hellboy scans the scenery ahead of him and notices that there is something strange in the landscape ahead. However, the agents couldn't figure out what it was though, and they proceed with caution forward. Mist and Valkyre also note that there is some strange powerful supernatural forces ahead.



All off a sudden the agents cross another sand dune they are plunged into sudden darkness. (Despite the fact that if was afternoon in the desert.) The large area ahead of them was lit only by a strangely dim light reflected from the surrounding dunes.

GM Ends

[-=Valkyre=-]

Valkyre said nothing through the entire trip, slightly annoyed that they hadn't seen this place when they flew over before as he KNEW that they had been heading north before, he could sense it. When they passed into the sudden darkness, he shivered.
"This can't be good... I guess we only have one option..." He muttered, riding toward the entranceway, pulling another bloodpack from his cooler and tearing off the top easily with his teeth, drinking down the cool red liquid, feeling much better overall, his entire body fully healed, his wings feeling a bit sore still. He felt uneasy though, like something tugging at the back of his mind, which brought him to quickly retrieve his rifle and check it over for any sand still in it, pulling out the full clip and shaking the sand from it a bit angrily.
'Damn I'm going to have to clean this thing when we get back to base... crap...' He thought to himself, grumbling as he worked to get the worst of the sand out of it.

[Lady Hellgirl]

Upon entering into the strange and sudden darkness, Liz immediately grabs her camels reins as it began to stomp angrily around; obviously flustered by the new surroundings. She gave a gentle tough on reigns, which caused her camel to jerk to a stop, nearly thronging her off.

“It’s going to be ok.“ She whispers to her camel, as she regains her composure and pets the back of the camels head.

After taking a long look around, she noticing that unlike the outside desert, this area was completely flat. No sand dunes anywhere.

"Strange very strange.” Liz mutters to herself.

[-=Valkyre=-]

Valkyre eased his camel to lie down, continuing to use his empathic abilities to share his calm with it. He dismounted quickly and went over to gently wipe some dust away from one of the walls of a ruined building, there were some egyptian heiroglyphs, but nothing to out of the ordinary, he sighed, wanting to get in on some action, but sensing he would regret it later. He hooked up the scope to his rifle and easily climbed up to the top of the tallest point he could find, easily staying there and looking around. It was like a massive dome covered this area with a cloak of darkness and held some power of ther surrounding landscape. To him, all the plants seemed to flourish better in the night locked place than anywhere else in this desert. He could feel it was far cooler here to, but was still warmer than normal saharan nights.
'Now this I like...' He thought, lowering hir rifle to look around with his own eyes. It was night even at the farthest reaches of his enhanced sight, which was well beyond the way they had came, but could only see dim light outside the strange dome they had entered.
'That's strange... This is definitely not something good. I better get to fight at least one Djinn this time... Damn Mist and Hellboy got the ones that really pissed me off...' He let his mind wander, eventually looking up, feeling like he was being watched, sighing.
"Sister... I want to see you again... Don't give up on me..."

[Mist the Soul-Gatherer]

"This is weird. Very weird," Mist said to herself. Sliding off her camel, Mist reached into the backpack behind the saddle. Manning had sent each agent a few personal items and a new change of clothes. But what she took out was centuries old.

"Excuse me, while I dress for the occasion."

The others waited as Mist used her camel for concealment as she got out of her worn jeans and tee-shirt and into something that shimmered even through the strange darkness. Covering her from just below her fingers to the top of her neck and down to mid-thigh was a tunic woven of the finest, thinnest chain mail the Armorer at Asgard could forge. Leggings of the same material covered every inch of the lower portion of her body. On her feet, soft leather boots. Strapped to her side was her broadsword, so heavy most men had a hard time lifting it out of its scabbard. And in it's tiny holster, her double barreled derringer, "Pacifier." It was said Thor himself had woven a spell into her armor so that nothing on earth could penetrate it.

Looking around her, Mist wasn't so sure they were on earth, so the spell might not hold. Well, it couldn't be helped now.

"OK," she said. "I'm ready for the dance."

[Lady Hellgirl]

As Mist began to change into her battle clothing, Liz dismounted her camel, grabbed a flashlight, and walked around to check out the ruined wall Valkyre found. It did have writing on it, but it was no wall.

"Valkyre I think you're actually standing on some sort of bolder." She circles the stone, gasps, and yells to everyone. "I think you guys may want to see this!"

In front of her positioned at regular intervals were many boulders lined up in what looked like an intricate linear geometric pattern. She shined her flashlight over the line of boulders in front of her, and spots a large break in the stone lines. She walks over to the break and noticed two tracks.

"Someone's been using some kind of vehicle in here too!" She calls out.

[Mist the Soul-Gatherer]

As Mist began to change into her battle clothing, Liz dismounted her camel, grabbed a flashlight, and walked around to check out the ruined wall Valkyre found. It did have writing on it, but it was no wall.

"Valkyre I think you're actually standing on some sort of bolder." She circles the stone, gasps, and yells to everyone. "I think you guys may want to see this!"

In front of her positioned at regular intervals were many boulders lined up in what looked like an intricate linear geometric pattern. She shined her flashlight over the line of boulders in front of her, and spots a large break in the stone lines. She walks over to the break and noticed two tracks.

"Someone's been using some kind of vehicle in here!" She calls out.

Mist covered the distance between her camel and the stones with fast strides.

"Liz, be careful. That Nazi's ghost said "The Wall is Broken.."

"This could be a wall...and it's sure broken."

[Lady Hellgirl]

Mist covered the distance between her camel and the stones with fast strides.

"Liz, be careful. That Nazi's ghost said "The Wall is Broken.."

"This could be a wall...and it's sure broken."

"Mist I don't think this is the wall he was referring to, I think it looks to perfect to be broken, like it was made this way on purpose. All the spaces between each rock are almost exactly the same distance from the next one."

She points her flashlight to illustrate this last point. "And if it was really broken apart wouldn’t the stones jagged edges have to match up, kind of like a puzzle? Perhaps this is some sort of symbol?" Liz asks back.

[Mist the Soul-Gatherer]

"Mist I don't think this is the wall he was referring to, I think it looks to perfect to be broken, like it was made this way on purpose. All the spaces between each rock are almost exactly the same distance from the next one."

She points her flashlight to illustrate this last point. "And if it was really broken apart wouldn’t the stones jagged edges have to match up, kind of like a puzzle? Perhaps this is some sort of symbol?" Liz asks back.

Mist looked at where Liz was pointing her flashlight.

"Yeah....you're right. But a symbol of what?"

[Poe Ghostal]

Hellboy watched the agents work, hanging back for a few minutes. He was tired from the walk, and he took the opportunity to smoke another one of those awful Libyan cigarettes.

Something about the place felt really wrong. But that was nothing new to him--not in his line of work.

[Lady Hellgirl]

Mist looked at where Liz was pointing her flashlight.

"Yeah....you're right. But a symbol of what?"

"I honestly have no idea. Should we walk through it?" Liz asks Mist.

[Mist the Soul-Gatherer]

"I honestly have no idea. Should we walk through it?" Liz asks Mist.

"All those years, the Bureau made HB go in first. It's time we did something on our own."

Mist drew her sword. "Let's go."

[Lady Hellgirl]

"Ok" Liz gets closer to Mist and takes a step into the unknown symbol.

[Mist the Soul-Gatherer]

"Ok" Liz gets closer to Mist and takes a step into the unknown symbol.

Suddenly, there's a flash of flying fur as Ratatosk leaps onto Mist's shoulder.

"Hold tight, Tosk". Mist strides forward into the darkness.

[-=Valkyre=-]

Valkyre listened to the dialouge between Liz and Mist carefully. What indeed was held between and within these stones? He hopped down next to Liz, his rifle at the ready. He started following Mist, keeping quieter than any human could possibly acheive. He was thankful his hair changed to black, as it helped him keep hidden even though there was little to no light here.
He sniffed the air and wrinkled his nose, the air reeked of blood and rotting flesh. Something was definitely wrong here, Hellboys damned cigarettes weren't helping him concentrate either. He hated cigarette smoke.
He heard something move that wasn't any of the agents or the camels and froze, using his exceptional night vision to scan the area, seeing it with little difficulty. Something was hiding nearby, but what?

[Mist the Soul-Gatherer]

Valkyre listened to the dialouge between Liz and Mist carefully. What indeed was held between and within these stones? He hopped down next to Liz, his rifle at the ready. He started following Mist, keeping quieter than any human could possibly acheive. He was thankful his hair changed to black, as it helped him keep hidden even though there was little to no light here.
He sniffed the air and wrinkled his nose, the air reeked of blood and rotting flesh. Something was definitely wrong here, Hellboys damned cigarettes weren't helping him concentrate either. He hated cigarette smoke.
He heard something move that wasn't any of the agents or the camels and froze, using his exceptional night vision to scan the area, seeing it with little difficulty. Something was hiding nearby, but what?

Seeing Valkrye freeze, Mist stopped and touched Liz's shoulder to stop her as well. Stepping through that opening was like stepping into another world. In the eerie darkness it was hard to make things out. Mist couldn't tell if they were inside of something or out in the open. And the sand. It was flat. And hard. Like a floor. Or a roof. What the hell was going on here?

"Valk," she whispered, "See anything?"

[-=Valkyre=-]

"Valk," she whispered, "See anything?"
Valkyre could sense Mists uneasiness, not unlike his own, he crouched down, the ground had changed to a patterned stone floor, like in an underground chamber, but they were not inside anything, looking up, the sky was black and empty as a bottomless pit, around him, he could sense eyes on him and his group. Something was watching them, or several somethings. He soundlessly moved closer to them, sticking low to the ground.
"I can't see much more than you truthfully... There is something watching us, but if I don't see it, I can't identify it..." He whispered back. He flicked the night vision setting on his rifle scope and looked through the lens, scanning the area. Something small, like the size of a large rodent glared at him from a rock several meters away before sticking out its tongue and disappearing. Valkyre growled. He knew that creature.
"Fink..." He whispered the name like a curse. "Now I know why I've been feeling uneasy... Or at least part of it... Bloody Hell's been watching me, and therefore the rest of you..." He hated the messengers of Lucifer following him around, especially the badmouthed one known as Fink, who would not cease until Vlkyre told him what he was up to, or threw the creature out a window from several stories up. Why the hell would he show up again here and now?