New Arrival

[LUDMILA ILYUKHIN]

2008 October 17

So the B.P.R.D's headquarters were disguised as a waste disposal facility? That was "encouraging". Ludmila looked morosely at the ugly building with its old gate and ugly walls. The grey, cloudy sky and the rain didn't improve her first impression of the place one bit. She was sitting at the back of a black car, a car who had picked her up at the airport and driven her to this miserable-looking, godforsaken place, and rain was pattering onto her window. The car briefly stopped in front of the gates before said gates opened and let it in.

"I hope you enjoyed your trip miss...?", said the driver, looking at his passenger in the rear view mirror.

"-Ilyukhin", said Ludmila coldly. "The trip was pleasant."

"-Strange name. Russian?"

"-Yes. Russian", said Ludmila before opening her door and stepping out into the light rain. She was wearing her usual black leather trench coat, grey trousers and boots and was carrying a black leather briefcase. The driver also got out of the car and went for the boot to get the rest of Ludmila's belongings, which consisted in two large and heavy suitcases. Her new director's decision to send her to the United States to work with the "Bureau" had angered and saddened her. That was how they treated someone who had selflessly devoted decades of their life to protecting their country from the paranormal?

Her face cold and severe as always, she followed the driver up the steps and into the building's entrance hall. That part was an entirely different story, as the floor was paved with marble and had a brass symbol showing a hand holding a sword. The room clashed violently with the decrepit and depressing scene Ludmila had seen outside. The driver presented himself to the receptionist, and after stating his purpose here and his name, Ludmila suddenly felt the ground shake beneath her.

"Mind your arms", said the driver before they suddenly descended into another part of the building. Ludmila saw the elevator pass several levels filled with activity. Now that was an even more striking contrast with the outside aspect of the building. After a short but memorable descent, the elevator stopped, and Ludmila beheld a series of impeccable corridors extending in several directions. Agents of the Bureau were busying themselves with daily tasks, and the place seemed to exude an aura of professionalism and savoir-faire that made Ludmila smile.

"-Delightful", she said with a happy but cold smile. She liked a place whose atmosphere spelled WORK out in invisible letters in her mind's eye.

The driver was relayed by another agent who told Ludmila that he would lead her to her new quarters. After a quick trip through the facility, the pair arrived outside a pair of very elegant wooden doors. Ludmila's guide stopped and felt his pockets, an apologetic expression spreading over his face.

"-Damn...I'm terribly sorry, Miss, but I seem to have forgotten the key to your quarters. I'll be back in a moment. Could you wait in the library?"

"-Of course", said Ludmila. The agent smiled and quickly left, while she pushed one of the doors open and quietly entered the library. It was a very elegant room with comfortable-looking chairs, a fire and lots and lots of books. Books ranging from recently published editions, to ancient grimoires and tomes that bore the mark of time like a war veteran bears a medal.

In the comforting warmth of the library, Ludmila felt fatigue and jet lag catch up with her. With a heavy sigh, she gently sat down on one of the chairs present in the room, putting her briefcase down on the floor as she did so. As she looked around the library, she felt another wave of bitterness and homesickness sweep over her. What would her father do alone in his dacha? Would she ever be able to adjust to this new country and this new agency? And why, WHY had she so foolishly decided to argue with her superior? Arguing with superiors never brought one anywhere in her opinion, but she did deserve more respect from those goons back at the FSB. She had practically 90 years of experience with her and was once considered as the Soviet Union's greatest paranormal investigator.

To be kicked out so ignominiously made her stomach lurch with anger, but her face never changed expression save for a slight glimmer in her cold blue eyes. Well, what was done was done. The incompetent fools at the FSB had sent her to the BPRD, so she might as well try to work hard for the latter. After all, what was one without work? Without her work she wouldn't be much...

Ludmila took a cigarette case out of her pocket as well as a cigarette holder, and was about to light one up when she stopped herself. Could she even smoke down here? Probably not considering the abundance of ancient books. Frustrated, she put her smokes away and reclined in the chair, waiting for the agent to return.

[ABE SAPIEN]

While it was true that Abraham (more commonly referred to as 'Brother Blue', 'Blue', 'Fishstick', or simply 'Abe') kept a relatively large library in his living quarters, he sometimes took a short venture to the library to sate his thirst for learning. He used this time to socialize on rare occasion, though it was far less rare to find Abraham with his nose buried in a book, getting lost inside the pages.

It was also true, that Abraham could not go for long periods of time out of the water, so he was aided by a breathing apparatus, which at times could cause enough disturbance in the library for him to be forced to leave, determining on how sensitive the guests hearing were. While his apparatus was not all that loud, the constant bubbling in the background could sometimes prove to be too much.

He had spied a new recruit, though knowing the superior advisors of the B.P.R.D. not all “new” recruits were new. She had happened across his line of vision as he had removed a book from a shelf, creating a peak-hole large enough for him to get a clear look at the woman who was no doubt the one called Agent Ilyukhin. While Abe didn't know much about the woman, he had heard she was coming. Had she gotten settled in all right? Abe spied a cigarette case and a lighter. One of the things he greatly opposed.

Stepping out from behind the barrier of shelves, Abraham approached the new arrival, his webbed fingers held out cautiously. “I wouldn't do that if I were you.” He stated in a concerned manner. To Agent Sapien, everyone that worked for the B.P.R.D. was considered family to at least a small extent. “They are terrible for your health, but you look like a sensible woman, and I'm positive I'm not informing you of matters you do not all ready know. I do hope you are not having any trouble or reservations about the B.P.R.D.. As you well know, we've been expecting your arrival. I am Agent Abraham Sapien, and I'll be willing to help in anyway possible should you find yourself lost, or in need of some assistance.” He offered politely. He had seen several new faces over the years, and most of them were very polite. This woman seemed slightly more sinister, or severe based on appearances alone. He wondered what her past was, but it was not his nature to pry. “Welcome to the B.P.R.D.” He added, finally letting his hand fall to his side.

[LUDMILA ILYUKHIN]

Ludmila was trying hard to resist the temptation to just light up a cigarette and smoke when she heard an odd voice nearby.

“I wouldn't do that if I were you.”

Her head snapped up, her body tensing, but she relaxed noticeably when she saw who had spoken. She knew about Abraham Sapien, even though she'd only read a few vague reports and seen a few photographs of him. Still, meeting him in person ignited her interest for strange creatures (despite being a strange creature herself). She observed Abraham like a butterfly collector would observe a particularly interesting specimen pinned on a board.

"-Abraham Sapien, eh?", she said coolly. "I read a few documents on you before coming here."

Ludmila stood up. Even that simple, mundane movement seemed filled with precision, almost as if a part of Ludmila was afraid of committing even the smallest of errors in her movements. She took a few steps and extended a hand in greeting, a sharp, precise gesture with all the aspects of something rehearsed again and again in a military drill. "My 'guide' forgot the key to my quarters and left me here while he went back to get it. As for full presentations, I am agent Ludmila Ilyukhin of the F.S.B.'s Committee for Paranormal Research. I was transferred here to honour the cooperation between our two agencies."

Bitterness gnawed at her, bitterness quickly suppressed. As this short internal struggle occurred, Ludmila's cool, severe expression never changed.

"Mr Sapien, could you tell me about the Bureau's other special agents? The files I had on them were sketchy and incomplete. Well. Except for Hellboy..."

It was a well known fact in Ludmila's profession that Hellboy had visited the Soviet Union back in the early 1960s. The visit had been closely monitored, but the info the KGB had obtained on Hellboy dated back to the late 1940s, during the hunt for Nazi occult archives and research in post-war Berlin. The Americans had exchanged information with the Soviets regarding Project Ragnarok, and this had included information regarding Hellboy as well.

[roseneghana]

From her customary seat in a specially designated hammock strung up upon the second floor of the BPRD's library, Rose had heard the doors open and then shut. Normally people go in and out of the library at random times, searching for reference material on this, that or the other thing. Her hammock had been strung up in an out of the way corner, specifically requested for those who want to relax in something other than a chair. Indirect lighting lit the corner, providing a soft enough light so people could still read without straining their eyes.

In the corner of her mind, she heard the new arival's rustling, and filed it away, but almost imediatly after that she heard Abe's voice, crystal clear but not powerful enough to echo in the somewhat cavernous room.

“I wouldn't do that if I were you.”

At this, Rose's curiosity was touched and she quickly dogeared the corner of the book she was reading, and put it aside on the small table set aside for drinks and other such items. Quickly, she managed to pull herself out of the hammock without too much difficulty and padded her way to the railing where she spied Abe and another woman. Even though she was behind the woman, she didn't recognize anything about her, and assumed it was a truely new arival, not just to the library but to the BPRD as well. When the small woman rose and strode towards Abe in a strict militaristic manner, her suspicions were confirmed, though she had to smile at the accent the young woman spoke with.

"If I may be so bold, observations usually do well in learning about someone, though to be honest there are a few things we could tell you that wouldn't be prying too much."

[ABE SAPIEN]

Abraham had been taken off guard and tilted his head to the side blinking in response. How had she gotten her hands on classified information? Abe supposed she was of a higher rank than he had anticipated within the branch. Being a people watcher, and a bit of a scholar, the sapien was able to identify that her movements were backed with confidence, and control. Her guide had forgotten the key, and he had a few guesses as to who her guide had been. “That is too bad.” He stated plainly. “I would have hoped that the staff would have made a good impression and prepared themselves to be more prepared.”

Disorganization was never a friend of Abe's and he preferred to have things done by the book in regards to professionalism. The stern looking woman before him introduced herself as agent Ludmila Ilyukhin of the F.S.B. He blinked again in response as he recalled what little information he possessed on the other agency. Before he could pose a question about her company and work, she had taken the initiative to make an inquiry of her own.

His head tilted in the other direction. He certainly hoped that someone such as Agent Ilyukhin was not desiring gossip, though background information seemed plausible. “Ah, yes. Red is rather difficult to keep a secret, he really has a passion to belong to the outside world, Agent Ilyukhin.” Abe explained. “I would be happy to fill you in on any detail you wish to know about the team here, so long as the details remain professional, but would you not prefer to perhaps meet the team for yourself?” He wondered. He didn't mean to be confrontational, though he felt the question was fitting.

He wondered if the new arrival had been keeping up with the latest Hellboy news on the television. While they were supposed to be non-existent to the world, Agent Hellboy had a predictable tendency to be seen by humans. Abe felt sorry for their supervisor, Manning, who seemed to take all the heat. It was even rumored around the B.P.R.D. that there would soon be another supervisor since the higher-ups believed Manning was doing a poor job.

He was taken by surprise when from her own little corner of the library emerged Rose Neghana. One of the newer agents of the B.P.R.D. His eyes wandered to the agent who had joined them about a year ago as she made an observation out loud. “That is bold.” He stated holding up a webbed finger again. He couldn't make facial expressions, so he had come to rely on hand gestures over the years of working as a field agent. While he envied their ability to express themselves, he sometimes felt the inability was a blessing.

[LUDMILA ILYUKHIN]

"Gossip is not what I am here for, Mr Sapien", said Ludmila."And I suppose that meeting the team in person would be good, if that is possible. Hellboy seems to be rather keen on hogging the spotlight..."

Ludmila allowed herself to smile, even though said smile had about as much warmth in it as winter in Siberia. She had seen a lot of the news reports regarding the "devil man". Evidently, the older ones consisted solely in blurry pictures, but with the advent of the internet, digital cameras and phone cams, a few videos ended up on Youtube, an occurrence that never failed to amuse Ludmila. One particularly popular video involved Hellboy stopping in front of a camera and waving at the cameraman before running off again. How the B.P.R.D. coped with these repeated breaches in secrecy was beyond her.

Evidently, Ludmila strongly disapproved of such behaviour. Such insolence and disrespect for authority seemed to her like grossly unprofessional and destructive behaviour. She had never contested or disobeyed on order in the course of her work. Well, except for when she'd argued with the new director of the Committee. The man was a blundering, arrogant and corrupt fool in her eyes, and she refused to take orders from such a poor specimen of humanity. Her attention was caught by a female voice from somewhere on the side, and she turned around to face the person who had spoken.

"Is that so?", she said, raising an eyebrow. "Pray, do elaborate..."

Unconsciously, Ludmila extracted her cigarette case and holder from her pocket, and proceeded to light up. She closed her eyes in satisfaction as she inhaled the smoke. She hadn't smoked in hours. Her pleasure, however, was slightly tarnished when she remembered Abraham's disapproval of tobacco.

"Terribly sorry, Mr Sapien, but I haven't smoked since I left Moscow."

[roseneghana]

Rose simply smiled at Abe from her perch against the railing of the second floor, peering down upon the well known and very well respected agent. Even though she herself knew that it was not 'proper' in any manner, she still loved to tease the tall blue man, and did so with relish whenever she could.

With a twinkle in her eye, she stuck her tongue out at Abraham, making sure it was out of sight of the new agent, then chuckled aloud as she withdrew it. With one hand waving somewhat limply from the wrist, she made her way to the stair case and wound her way down to the lower floor of the library, finally moving to stand somewhat beside Abe.

"Too bold huh? Yes Mother."

Finally she turned to the new agent, performing a mental checklist of the young looking woman, noting a few things here and there before nodding to herself.

This woman seems rather... strict with herself. Should be fun to try and break her out of her shell, as it were.

"My name is Rose, and I shall be happy to show you around here if you wish. I'm sure that Abe here will be most happy to show you around too if you want."

With an amused tone in her voice, she slung one arm around Abe's waist, being too short to do so around his shoulders. She gave a playful squeeze before releasing the man to his own devices.

"As you can probably tell, we arn't quite as strict here regarding regulations and military manners as you may be used to. More or less, as long as you do your job you are welcome to be yourself, so long as it doesn't affect anyone else. At least, thats what I've gathered in my time here."

[ABE SAPIEN]

Abraham's reluctance immediately was diminished when Ludmilla seized the moment to reassure him that her intentions remained professional. “Well now that the possibility has been alleviated, I would be more than delighted to brief you on the agents within the B.P.R.D., Miss Ilyukhin.” He had a million places he could start. Laying a webbed finger against his chin as his form of displaying that he was in a thought process he added a bit less sure, “But where to start?”

He could start with Hellboy, but of course anyone with the patience to watch the news would know mostly everything there is to know about Agent Red. Ludmilla had indeed all ready informed him that she knew much more about him than the rest of them. Well safe was safe, he could always start with himself first.

“Is there anything particular you wish to know about the team? Or shall I attempt to brief you on all of them?” Abe wondered. He feared he'd reveal too much, or perhaps to little. The woman appeared severe, and Abe had a feeling he would be on good terms with her. He wasn't one to invest much in a first appearance, but Ludmilla seemed to be on the same page as he somehow. He liked that she got straight to business, the ability to take charge in situations or initiative in conversations always made for a very skilled partner.

Providing your skilled partner wasn't a media hog, this complex was actually encouraged among agents. Professional display of such conduct pleased Abraham. It seemed that she would be the type to prefer sticking by the books, but as Abraham had not known her for longer than a few minutes he was left to wonder about the endless possibilities. He looked forward to working with all the new arrivals, one could never have too many allies in this field.

Abe would not be able to lay an honest claim to being surprised by Rose's accusation. He shook his head and lowered his long forefinger from his chin to gesture to his side. “This is Rose Neghana. She's been a member of the BPRD for approximately a year. As you can see she can be a bit clingy at times, but that is a trait she presents among everyone at the B.P.R.D.” Abe briefly introduced, ignoring her playful, yet childish gesture, and sarcastic remark. After working alongside Red, such comments were easy to push off.

Just then the severe woman had created the familiar sound, and smell, of smoking habits. “You should bear in mind that your body is your temple.” He stated quietly. “It is not my place to say what you can and cannot do to your own body, so I will not state anything further.” Abe often showed signs of concern toward his work mates. Smoking was not only unhealthy, it was a sign of stress, depression, or even a bad background. Whatever the matter, Abe did not believe alcohol or death sticks were leisure pleasures or addictions.

When Rose had stated that the B.P.R.D. wasn't that strict Abe turned to face her. “We are only less strict, Miss Neghana, when we are not on the field. The field operations would run smoother if we all took a page out of Manning's book and stuck to it. Red may not like following the rules, but they are there for a reason.” Agent Sapien reminded her.

[LUDMILA ILYUKHIN]

"Rules are meant to be followed, not broken", said Ludmila, her voice sounding like the falling blade of a guillotine. There was an expression in French which she liked for its clarity: "trancher", to slice. A synonym for "decide". Ludmila was someone who liked clear, strong decisions who sliced right through all the nonsense and babble and enabled people to get things done. "Of course, through my many years as a paranormal investigator, terrain work sometimes requires improvisation and ignoring the rules. I've been in this line of work since the 1920s...", she added, inhaling more tobacco smoke and exhaling it a few seconds later, carefully avoiding blowing it in the direction of Abraham and Rose. Blowing smoke in the face of people was an affront to social etiquette after all.

Ludmila looked at Rose again. She looked human, and around her thirties. Pretty young then, but youth was not something she disapproved of. Youth meant room for innovation, whereas age too often meant immobilism and attachment to obsolescent customs. Rose seemed cheeky though, and Ludmila was not very fond of cheeky people. Cheekiness usually indicated insolence and insubordination, and those were two traits Ludmila could not stand.

"An overview of the team and its members would be enough, Mr Sapien, just something to fill in the blanks. I don't like going somewhere without sufficient preparation and information."

Ludmila took another drag on her cigarette. She smirked inwardly at Abraham's assertion that her body was a temple. He'd probably have a heart attack if he found out about her consistent abuse of tobacco, alcohol and caffeine, habits she'd perpetuated for decades. Alcohol was the only substance she'd started avoiding, since the effects it had on her behaviour had become truly detrimental. The 1989 party they'd thrown to celebrate the anniversary of the October Revolution had ended very embarrassingly for her, as she'd ended up vomiting into the gutter as well as mysteriously losing her shirt. She'd never been able to find her shirt again for that matter.

"Oh, but asking for information about my new colleagues and not giving any information about myself in return would be very rude and counter-productive. As I said, I've been working as a paranormal investigator since the 1920s. I worked for the GPU, the NKVD, the KGB and the FSB..."

Ludmila paused. She hated to admit she wasn't human, as it simply made her feel ridiculously inferior and inappropriate. She managed to force the words out, but she was unable to prevent herself from twisting her lips in what could be seen as self-disgust.

"...and I am...not human. Evidently. I'm a Rusalka."

Ludmila carefully avoided mentioning the year she was born in. That could lead to questions about what she'd been up to before 1920, and that was always a touchy subject for her. After all, she had been imprisoned for impossibly long periods of times twice during that period.

[roseneghana]

At the seemingly self despising revelation Rose blinked to herself, withdrew slightly into her mind to search for whatever information she knew on the word, but returned drawing a complete blank. She cocked her head to the side and pondered, looking upon the woman with interested eyes.

"I must apologise, I do not know what that word implies. Is it your people's name, your race?"

To be completly honest, Rose did not know much about the periferal species that practically littered the Earth, from the Himilayas to the depths of the ocean black and back again. She wasn't stupid, there was just a lot of particular information on each species, culture and rituals and it was alot to take in. So hardly suprising she didn't know about the Rusalka, but she was trying to be polite about it.

Suddenly, something clicked within her mind and she let out a soft whistle before chuckling in amusement.

"You've been an agent since the 1920s... Damn, I wish I'd look that good when I'm your age. Anyway, to resume our minor introductions as Abe here said, I am named Rose Neghana. I am a mid level agent, and my various specializations include sharp shooting and various... other tallents."

With that finally spoke from her own mouth, Rose placed a single cupped hand over her left collar bone and bowed from the waste, lowering her head slightly before righting. It was a ritual she had come to secretly enjoy when meeting someone of importance, it showed respect and courtesy, all of which were important on first impressions.

[ABE SAPIEN]

Abraham's appreciation for Ludmila increased seemingly instantaneously. “I would like to second that.” He tossed in, as soon as there was a pause small enough to welcome his words. There were enough rule breakers in the B.P.R.D. to account for. While some members were valued and praised, he felt as though some of the, quite literally, larger members... Were let off the hook to easily. While Red's heart was in the right place, he certainly had a habit of intentionally putting his toes out of line, seemingly just to spite his superiors. His head tilted to the side as his usual response to others speaking to him, While the tilt was nothing unusual, his “Oh!” Came as means to express his surprise. For someone who had been around, possibly longer than even the 1920's, Ludmilla was certainly treated with care by the years.

“Ah, Rusalka.” He stated, curious. He had never actually been in contact with one before. Before he could say much, Rose had interjected. Holding up his hand once more he stated simply: “In lore, a Rusalka is of Slavic origins. It is suggested particularly Ukrainian and Russian heritage.” Abraham explained calmly. “They are supposedly fertility spirits, or water spirits, and seem partial to the “Unclean” dead. They seem partial to drowned females and unbaptized infants.” He felt embarrassed and one of the rare moments of shame for knowing information that was perhaps uncomfortable for Ludmila, then sharing it. “Oh my, I'm sorry.” He said feeling for her, although unable to show it so well. He instantly felt her sense of, was it inferiority? “Ludmila, you cannot help what you are.” He stated softly, soothingly.

Abraham wished that there were more in the BPRD that exhibited the same sort of respect for the rules. Insubordination was to be expected of new recruits, but there were several of the more established members who presented the illusion of inability to even read the rules, so much as obey them. Abraham thought briefly. Overviews shouldn't be so complex.

“I'll start with myself to keep things professional.” Abe stated, recalling relevant information. “I am an Ichthyo Sapien, which of course makes me a strong swimmer.” He shared, matter-of-fact. “I was actually found in 1978 and moved to the BPRD. I didn't have my first mission until 1981, when Red.. I refer to Hellboy obviously... saved me from the various tests the BPRD was running on me at that time. I'm an empathetic telepath.” Satisfied that this was the basics about himself, he turned his attention to a rather close friend of his: Elizabeth Sherman.

While Elizabeth was pregnant with Hellboy's children, Agent Sapien was determined to keep to the basics. That would be most professional, and it seemed that Ludmila took her job very seriously to him. “Moving on...” He transitioned while recounting the past missions he had been on, and which members he felt needed covered, aside from his best friend of course. “Elizabeth Sherman, we call her 'Liz' is from Kansas, and she joined in 1974.” Abraham explained. “She is known for being pyrokinetic... She's left the agency a few times, but she always returns. She's a bit on the emotional side, but does keep emotion out of field work. Hellboy and Elizabeth are the team I usually work with.”

As if it had been inspired, Abraham felt that Thomas perhaps should be mentioned. “An important figurehead for our unit is our coordinator, or director, Thomas Manning. He follows the book and is a pretty reliable person, but he has a pretty short fuse with Red, because he gets a lot of grief from his superiors and is caught in the crossfire, one might say.” Pausing briefly he decided that without a further inquiry, it was safe to draw a conclusion. “Shall I inform you about anyone else in particular?” He wondered.

“Oh, we are supposed to be getting a new member from what Manning has informed us. Johann Krauss, I believe is his name, perhaps you've crossed paths with him having been in the agency so long?” He inquired.

[LUDMILA ILYUKHIN]

"How very...accurate, Mr Sapien", said Ludmila, keeping her face somewhat cold and straight despite the wave of conflicting emotions which was slamming around within her like storm waves. She liked the fact Abraham knew his facts, that was always a good thing, but the rest made her feel even more inappropriate. Her hand fidgeted with her hair slightly, as if to check that everything was in place, and her teeth clenched around her cigarette holder. “You could say that my real ‘mother’ was a young woman who drowned herself in the Niva around 1233…I still have shreds of memory from her life…”

Those shreds never ceased to annoy her. They were vague and blurry, but branded into her mind so clearly that she could never shake them off. They triggered the kind of stimuli that used to rule her early life, causing confused grief and anger. However, those emotions were hollow. They were not hers, and she detested them. They were also traces of her old life, and made her feel like a freak most of the time. She hated herself. All her life she had been in admiration of humans, with their creativity, their independence and their will to overcome all obstacles through force and ingenuity. She, on the other hand, was a member of an inferior species, a by-product of someone’s death by suicide. Rusalki were not free, they were chained to their mother river and were incapable of feeling most emotions or having complex thoughts. They were drones, cold and shallow, who only felt sorrow and anger without even knowing why. Evidently Ludmila was different. From the moment she had set eyes on that young knight on the banks of the Niva all those centuries ago, she had overturned the order of things and had broken free of the shackles that tied her to her life as an inferior. Of course, this meant she had been badly uprooted. She had betrayed her mother and her sisters, and would therefore never be able to return to her former life.

From the moment Antonov had taken her under his wing she had tried to become more human. She had tried to talk and act like them, she had imitated them along almost the entire line, but still, despite her efforts, she was still “something in between”. Human, but not quite human. Never properly accepted on either side of the river, be it human or magical. Desperately striving for something she could not possibly hope to achieve.

“I am reassured by the presence of someone so well instructed in the occult and mythical”, said Ludmila, regaining her composure. “And Mister Bruttenholm…I met him many, many years ago. In 1946, or was it 1947? He was very young then, and a member of the American delegation sent to Berlin to tackle the mess of occult research left by the Nazis. I was with the Soviet delegation. Needless to say, there were many tensions between the two teams. The Cold War was looming in the distance already, and I think Mister Churchill was already making plans to strike at my country…not to mention that Stalin was also making his own dirty little projects.”

This little trip down memory lane helped Ludmila regain some of her aplomb. That, at least, was something she could hold on to: her life in the USSR.

“I suppose you are aware of the Doomsday Projects of the Third Reich?”, said Ludmila. The subject was one of her favourites when intellectual conversation was involved, and she’d even done a real pile of research on it back in the 1950s. “Ragnarok being the most prominent and well known…however, we discovered the Nazis had been doing much, much more than that…although a lot of the info we could have had was mostly destroyed in the war, and later by Nazi sympathisers after peace was declared. We found files pertaining to a project “Himmelmacht”, aimed at gaining God’s support in the war. We also found a few documents on the Nazi space program. No, the Germans did not have flying saucers, like most of those conspiracy theorists on the internet claim they did, but they did launch a rocket into space from Hunte Castle in 1939. I made an extensive report on the whole subject back in 1953, maybe you’d like to read it, Mister Sapien? Well...if you can read Cyrillic that is..."

Ludmila now looked enthusiastic. She had dropped her cold expression and was actually smiling slightly, and her eyes were also shining from intellectual pride and pleasure. She loved discussing that subject, as well as most of the intellectual material her job required, and she was not afraid of showing it. The fact that Abraham also seemed like a very knowledgeable person pleased her immensely.

[roseneghana]

"Actually... that bit about the Nazis not having flying saucers is not entirely true. They were working on a prototype at the end of the war, using ducted fans and external combustion for lift and propulsion. The only real prototypes they managed to get off the ground was due to improperly ballanced fans and some rather nasty explosions. Currently, we have a couple projects, personal by the way, that include some various findings as well as some... radical designs.

"The specs on the engines are easy enough to describe, a circular accelerator coupled with a ducted fan and particle accelerator device. The particulars arn't really nessesary for discussion, but I'd like for you to come by my lab. I have a prototype built and ready for testing if you want to see it."

Rose was immensly proud of her prototype, for it was something that could indeed revolutionize various industries. The only unfortunate part was it had a bad bleed off problem, meaning it generated too much energy for long term deployment. She was a mechanic by heart, all the talk of mystisism and fantasy deployments by the Nazis did not interest her very much if at all, but get her talking about her toys and well... there was no stopping her.

[ABE SAPIEN]

Abraham felt empathetic toward Ludmila, comprehending only fragments of what justified any factor of self-loathing hinted in his colleagues tone. He remained silent as the woman explained a bit behind the ghost of her past, “You can't help what you are. Correct me if I am wrong, but you do have the freedom to make your own choices, do you not?” Inquired an empathic Abe.

Although well educated, Abraham did not know much about the Rusalka, though he was familiar with them in some lore. The problem of course, with mythology and mythical creatures, is that the background information had a habit of fluctuating. The knowledge he did possess however would place them in Slavic origins, as a female ghost, water nymph, mermaid, or a form of demon, usually dwelling in a water way. In accordance to most traditions, these captivating creatures were fish-women, in some ways his opposite, whom lived along the bottom of rivers. It was said, in lore, that these creatures during the twilight hours, would emerge from the water and dance in the moonlight. When a handsome man was in sight, it was written that these creatures would captivate them with their charm and lead the man to the river floor, leaving him there to die.

Abraham, although keeping much of his knowledge on the back of his tongue, recalled that in most stories rusalka lived without men, and depending on the country telling the story, their habitat would change. While often affiliated with water, they were also linked with caves and forests. In areas of Great Russia it was documented that they appeared as well endowed amazons, and in the north most stories claimed they were hairy and ugly. There was even a week devoted to these creatures during which it was believed they were more dangerous than the rest of the year. This week was early June and it was renowned as Rusalka Week, or Rusal'naia. During this time, swimming was absolutely forbidden. The week would end in a ritualistic banning of said creatures.

The woman stated that she had shreds of her mothers life, while she had been a young woman who drowned in the Niva near 1233. Abraham held up his hand again, a familiar gesture to those who knew him. “1233, Oh my. That would make you...” He cut himself off, he did not want to take guesses at the womans age, it would of course be considered rude. However, the woman seemed quite ancient, how much knowledge, history, and background did this woman obtain? Her life alone would be enough to write volumes of encyclopedias on many possible subjects. He wondered if she had considered this as an option, though refrained from suggesting it himself. “Forgive my interjection. Please, go on.” He encouraged, interested.

Abraham perked up instantaneously at the mention of the professor, it had been a shame that his life had been ended. Though flattered by her compliment, he was still completely fascinated by the amount of history Ludmila had seen with her own two eyes. He listened, her story completely captivating. He was familiar with the age of the Cold War and who wasn't familiar with the figureheads such as Churchill and Stalin. Although, many youth within the BPRD seemed to neglect their history lessons, even if history was taught differently once one had entered the agency. After all, those working within the BPRD did not exist to the outside world, so neither could it's history. Some things were better kept silent.

Some things including the next topic of choice. The Doomsday Projects. Abraham listened far more intently, it was a subject one could not usually discuss, though he feared his knowledge on this topic was possibly limited in comparison to Ludmila's though there was always more to be learned even for the well-versed. “Ah, I must admit I am quite surprised that this has creeped into conversation.” Abe admitted, expressing what interest he was capable. “Project Ragna Rok I presume?” He inquired. The project itself had been named after the apocalypse in Norse Mythology, “Ragnarok”. It had involved a team of occultists, and Nazi scientists led by Rasputin, all in whom aimed toward creating a doomsday weapon which would end World War II, in favor of the Third Reich.

Abraham had read the case files, which stated that during the final threshold of the second world war, Hitler had launched numerous Doomsday projects to secure the victory of the Nazi's, by means of science or the occult. They Third Reich was known for the building of weapons of mass destruction. It was documented Rasputin promised Hitler a “miracle” to win the war. His real objective: Bringing about a new Eden. The final phase of said project ended in 1944, on Tarmagant Island. During the time when Rasputin called forth the key obtained directly from Hell. The project failed, in a sense, because the Key arrived in East Bromwich, England. The key of course, being Hellboy.

When she went on to Himmelmacht he was slightly lost, however. “I would be very delighted to read it. My library contains some documentaries on Project Ragna Rok, to which I admit I am a bit more informed, however, I have not heard of Himmelmacht, unless of course it is the same project, which I sincerely doubt from what you've stated, correct? The problem with the “Doomsday” projects, I'm afraid, is so many were launched I do not even know if we have a full archive of the actions that were taken or attempted. Perhaps you know more about this than I do, I do hope that you will educate me to the history of such events. They intrigue me so.” Abe stated excitedly. “I can read, I assure you.” He said holding up his hand wiggling his fingers, semi-showcasing the palm of his hand. If Abe were capable of smiling he would be beaming with pleasure. It had been a long while since an informed agent had arrived, and he foresaw the possibility of intellectual conversations as a breath of fresh water.

Rose had caught his attention however when she had stated her bit on flying saucers. He listened intently wondering about how much of what the girl had stated was true, he turned his head tilting in an odd angle to Ludmila to hear what her point of view was about the subject. “Are you quite sure, Agent Neghana?” He wondered.

[LUDMILA ILYUKHIN]

"Oh, I'm not saying they didn't have prototypes", said Ludmila. "However, whether or not said prototypes actually worked is disputed. The Nazis blew up a lot of their work when the Red Army made its offensive across Poland, but we did find a lot of documents pertaining to something called 'Die Glocke'. 'The Bell' in German. It's a very mysterious device, since we...well, I mean the Soviets, combed Poland and East Germany very carefully and never found anything."

Ludmila made a small clicking noise with her tongue. The fact they had been unable to find the Bell irked her greatly, since the Soviets had been able to root up a lot of stuff pertaining to Ragnarok, Himmelmacht and Vampir Sturm. That meant the Bell was still out there somewhere, maybe stored deep in some unmarked bunker, waiting for a bunch of Neo-Nazis to retrieve it and try to bring about the Fourth Reich.

"I saw a lot of strange things after the war", said Ludmila. "The Nazis had destroyed a lot, but they had also left boat loads of stuff behind them, and whenever we searched an important military or governmental building, we'd stumble across something strange, sinister or downright frightening. Have you ever visited Wewelsburg Castle, Mister Sapien? Very interesting place...although I only visited it in 1947. They'd performed some occult experiments involving human sacrifice in the crypt before they tried blowing the place up, and the Americans hadn't cleaned the blood and paraphernalia up yet..."

Ludmila drifted off into her memories. Those were the first of her "glory days", when she was in high estimation for her talents, experience and skill. It was soon after those years that she became known as the greatest Soviet paranormal investigator of the 20th century. She felt a pang of sadness and regret as she thought about that period. Now she was just an undesirable. She suddenly remembered Abraham's question regarding her capacity for free will.

"Yes, I have free will, Mister Sapien", she said reluctantly. "But there was a time when I did not have it. Something happened that tore me free from my condition, but in order to keep it, I had to abandon my mother river. I was effectively banished."

Banished to chase after some knight who had subsequently walled her up in a church. Ludmila still had mixed feelings regarding said knight. He still came across as a pure, beautiful ideal, and Ludmila had to admit that she was still partial to the knight in shining armour after all those centuries.