Hellboy: Back to the Beginning

Chapter 8: Lost

It felt like Hellboy was walking through a dream.  An everlasting nightmare.  Everything fell deaf to his ears, the blinding flashes of the cameras filled the Bureau as the agents and employees surveyed the scene.  The crime scene. Time felt like it was slowing down as he drew closer to the office, everyone was there, taking samples, pictures, examining the body.  Kat was right behind him the whole time, but she couldn't offer any support.  As soon as she sees Travis lying there in a pool of his blood, she fell to her knees with a scream, sobbing her eyes out.  Hellboy walks towards Travis' body, barely glimpsing at the agents who respectfully move away.

With tears in his eyes, a disbelieving Hellboy looks at his dead uncle.  His face held such grief as he falls to his knees next to Travis' body.  He gently holds him in his arms, weeping softly. 

"Uncle.  I'm back.  I'm back.  I'm back." He chokes up. 

Kat sobs as she watches Hellboy.  She crawls towards him and holds on to him and Travis.  Hellboy could only hold on to Travis.  He lost Liz.  He lost his father, now he lost his uncle.  Everyone watches as the red giant held the cold body in his arms.  Like a dog with a lost master.

"I wasn't here. You died alone..." Hellboy says softly, regretting everything.  How he acted with Travis.  Like a spoiled brat.  He should have been there for him.  He should have spent more time. 

Hellboy and Katherine continue to weep over Travis body until they were forced to let go.  Hellboy raged at the agents to leave him alone, he even fought a few men until they tranq him. 

On the day of Travis' funeral, as if Heaven was weeping with Hellboy and Travis' loved ones, the storm clouds rolled in and poured heavily over the mourners.  In a sea of black umbrellas, the pallbearers, Manning and Myers among them, load Travis' casket into a hearse. Flanking it are two rows of B.P.R.D agents. The hearse doors close and the vehicle pulls away.  Everyone slowly made their way towards the cars and limos to ride towards the graveyard.  Kat, who wore nothing but black and held her umbrella as she blends with the mourners. She stops and look up. 

Watching like a gargoyle from a distant roof was Hellboy. Rain bounces off his wet overcoat as he watches them drive Travis' body away.  In his human hand, he carried Travis' rosary in a tight fist.  Worry filled Kat's soul for Hellboy. 

After the funeral, Hellboy has been incredibly distant towards everyone, even Katherine.  As badly as she just wanted to tend to him and heal him, but she couldn't.  He needed space and time to mourn.  He has known Travis longer than she has, but Travis always treated her like a daughter.  She grew close, but not as close as Hellboy.  From how Hellboy use to talk about him, he was like a second father to him.  When Trevor needed a babysitter, Travis watched over Hellboy for him.  He was the 'cool' uncle...for a while. 

Sitting in the med bay, next to Abe's tank, Kat informed him about Travis passing and Hellboy's situation.

"He hasn't spoken to anyone in three days. Not a word. He doesn't eat, he doesn't sleep..." She says as she watches Abe float upside down as he tries to solve a Rubik's cube.  She carried a lost look as her eyes were littered with bags from the lack of sleep.  Without Hellboy sleeping next to her at night, she couldn't without him.  "I've never seen him like this. Never." She sighs, "What should I do, Abe?  How can I help him?"

Abe stops fumbling with the cube and sighs softly, "Listen...I'm not much of a problem solver..." He holds up the cube, "Three decades and I've only gotten two sides." Kat gives him a faint smile, "But I know this much...if there's trouble...all we 'freaks' have is each other. And I'm stuck here." He gestures at the tanks, "So...Take care of the big monkey for me, will you?"