Darkest before the dawn (Hellboy / Ask)

[Karl Ruprecht Kroenen]

Somewhere around Eastern Europe. . .

A solitary figure stood atop a hill overlooking an expanse of snow covered ruins. Flakes of snow fell gently to the ground all around him, dancing as they descended with grace.
However, the snow almost seemed to be avoiding the solitary figure, and the epaulets on his long black leather coat seemed devoid of the white that covered the landscape around him.

"Colonel Kroenen!" A grizzled looking soldier, clad in arctic warfare gear, approached the dark figure on the hilltop. His German accent cut through the light winds as he addressed Herr Kroenen, before saluting respectfully.

"Colonel, we think we've found it!" There was excitement in the man's voice, though an undercurrent of fear flowed out beneath the words.
The battle hardened soldier did not seem to be a man who would be so easily worried. Whatever had him so concerned was likely to be very dangerous indeed.

The figure in the black leather coat turned on his heels towards the trooper, revealing his face. Beneath a black, peaked cap, his face was hidden behind the mat-black surface of an unusual gas mask.
The colonel fixed the man with a keen stare from behind the reflective black surface of his mask's goggles - as keen a stare as any man could dream of.
Herr Kroenen returned the salute in a rapid and almost mechanical motion, before he set off down the hill towards the ruins.

Several teams of his well trained and well paid soldiers were combing the snow-covered ruins here, and apparently they had found what they were looking for - the door to a tomb lost in the pages of history, a tomb that had not seen the light of day for thousands of years.

Suddenly, Herr Kroenen stopped in his tracks. The soldier walking behind him stopped dead and looked around nervously, concern evident on his features.
The masked man cocked his head and looked about him slowly, surveying the frozen landscape nearby. Seeing nothing, and not wishing to make his feelings known to any who might be watching, the Colonel continued, and his man followed.

Whether it was from the forest, across the fields or upon a snowy hilltop, he felt as if he were being watched. . .
They were here somewhere - the Americans, but they could not stop him this time. They would all die a gruesome death here today should they intervene.

[HellBoy]

The soft snow rang the sound of wet crunches, as HellBoy was sent to go after the man who had killed the old professor. HellBoy's father. His teeth clenched to a cigar, he let out a puff of thick smoke as is faded through the frozen leaves of the trees he stood under. Doing his best to spy on that bastard. Knowing something was up, an often when its guys with gas masks on, it would never be good.

"Alright.....lets see what you got planned in that tin can of yours..." HellBoy hummed as he took a big puff of the cigar that sat on his teeth. His Stone right hand limped on his side as h used his more human hand to pull out the nearly done Cigar. He took one more step beneath the trees and waited for what might be to come.

[Karl Ruprecht Kroenen]

Colonel Karl Ruprecht Kroenen soon reached the entrance to the catacombs beneath the ruins, or at least the one his men thought they had found. He stood before a crumbling stone altar in what might have once been a site of worship, though the symbols and markings that had survived the ravages of time spoke of black faith and dark practices.
This citadel had once been a peaceful society of men and women who had dedicated their lives and souls to the worship of the true gods - the Ogdru Jahad. They had been branded devil worshipers and invaded many times, but there was no record or indication of their cities being successfully occupied or destroyed. They had, in effect, disappeared.

Karl Kroenen was here for something they had left behind. Something that would return Gregori and his mistress to this plane, and be a powerful tool in combating the American BRPD.

The masked man nodded his head at the soldiers clustered about the stone altar. Without another word they got to work, lifting the huge slab of stone with brute strength and a few levers and pulleys.
The top of the altar fell heavily to the ground, crunching as it struck the snow and cracked the surviving stonework below.

Colonel Kroenen approached the new opening, cracking his knuckles and leaning over as he gazed in. A number of ancient, dusty stone stairs descended into darkness below.
Kroenen turned to the sergeant on by his side and gestured into the exposed pit. The sergeant saluted and quickly moved away, beginning to gather a few men with some climbing and caving equipment. They would ascertain the structural integrity of the passageway to the catacombs before the rest of the men and the Colonel went below.

This was all going quite well so far.

[HellBoy]

HellBoy watched as the man and his men began to head inside the tomb like building. HellBoy took his time to slowly make his way out of the forest that cloaked him of sight.

Starting at a jogging pace to try and avoid sight, till one man heard his feet tap the ground from behind him.

"Crap.." He hissed as he realized the situation. Reacting quickly, he dashed up to th man and gave him a good knock to the head, rendering him knocked out.

"Nighty Night..." He joked as he set the man down in the dirt and began making his way to the entrance. Hopefully no one else would see him. But it'd be pretty hard to miss a big red man...

[Karl Ruprecht Kroenen]

A few minutes later Kroenen and the men assembled on the surface received word from the men who had gone below that the stairs and passageway were safe and structurally sound, and that they had arrived in what looked like a great stone vault.
Kroenen turned to the rest of the soldiers assembled near the altar and made several gestures, indicating that two men would be left topside to guard the entrance to the catacombs, and the rest would enter the vault with him – now.

Karl descended the dusty stone stairs at the head of the soldiers, gazing at the occult images depicting the society that had lived here, their great battles, art and culture, great theologians and of course – the Ogdru Jahad above everything.
It must have been a true metropolis in its time – the one true civilization. Kroenen was not here to find out what had happened to them, but expected it would be linked to the artefact he was searching for.

As they reached the great vault below, which was in fact, the entrance to the catacombs, Kroenen assembled his men. All in all there were twenty four well armed and trained soldiers here. Once the door was opened, they would split up and begin mapping and searching the catacombs in teams of three – one of which would accompany Karl.

With their orders clear, Kroenen turned to the massive, circular metal door that had kept this place sealed for the centuries that had passed. The writings were peculiar, but not impossible to decipher. Karl began to translate. . .

[HellBoy]

After beating down one last guy, Hellboy realized that the men, or most of them, had entered the ruins...Hellboy did not like that idea. He began to stomp his way over to the door, his heavy feet crunching on the rock-like ground. He had no idea what he was walking into, all he knew was to stop whatever was going to happen.

"Alright. Whose first?" He growled with a grin as he started at the two men guarding the main door. He stretched his arms out and began to make a run for them. Instantly they began to shoot at him, Hellboy held his grin as he raised his right hand in front of his face, each bullet bouncing off of it.

"Nice try." As soon as he got in front of them, Hellboy sent a stiff punch to both of their chins, sending them to the ground. "A few down, a lot to go..." Hellboy confirmed as he began to enter the ruins. Who knows what he'll find in there.