Agents of the Multiverse

Hellboy was brooding. Admittedly, he always kind of looked like that, but really he was just a kind of quiet guy under all the gruff. He talked when he had something useful to say, and he let everyone else around him run their mouths like they usually did. It was the best way to learn about people. Today though, he really was in a bad mood.

He'd dreamed about Liz last night.

The last time that Hellboy had seen her, he had been on his way out, getting onto a plane to the Andes to have a diplomatic 'talk' with a snow spirit who kept freezing tourists. They had hugged and said goodbye, but it had been brief because he had been late for takeoff. It was supposed to have been a long mission, but not a dangerous one-- just tedious. Hellboy had known for sure that he was coming home, even if it would be a while.

Except the plane had never come back for him, and when he had finally fought his way back home through a world gone to dog shit, Liz wasn't there anymore, and there was no way of knowing exactly what had happened to her either. Would it have been any easier if he knew for sure if she were alive or dead, he wondered? If he had seen the body, would the dreams have come less often? Was she out there somewhere still, scared, starving, alone? Was Abe with her? Or had they--- Had she been scared when--

Damn it! Hellboy's stone fist curled tighter around the mug resting between those rough digits, and the metal creaked warningly as he squeezed. He should have spent longer with her, told her he loved her, he should have--

Hellboy grunted, looking up from his beer. There was someone standing next to his table at his elbow, and the noisy background of bustling servers and cheerful idiots that was the Sparrow and Hare Tavern slowly came back into focus.

"What do you want?" The half-demon growled.