Douglas Army Base, N.M. Christmas Eve, 1955
"My son will you please turn of that ratcheted puppet, brush your teeth. You too, Syrena." Their father said.
39 in his age, Professer Bloom has been raising his two children, Hellboy and Syrena, all by himself. No wife. No other children. Just them.
He found Hellboy when he was at the young age of 28 on the coast of Scotland and then found Syrena when he was 32 while in New York. You see, the professor worked with the Bureau of Paranormal Research and Defense, or the B.P.R.D. for short. Hellboy always dreamed of the day when he would finally be working along side his father when he became old enough.
Syrena on the other hand did not.
Begin a siren, it made it easier for her to fit in with society since she did already look human. Syrena didn't want to grow up being referred to as a 'freak' in the normal world, the human world. She was the very last of her kind. Hunted down by humans and exterminated 1,000 years ago. Her dear departed mother had been the Queen of their small tribe on the south side of Bethmora. And also part of the land outside there and near the water. Making her a princess and next in line for the throne. Her mother helped her escape before being killed. An arrow gone straight through her heart. She'd been only 3 at the time.
The day the humans attacked was the same day Syrena was to get the royal family necklace from her mother that had been passed down from generations in their line. But, after the humans left Syrena returned back and only found her mother's bow and arrows that she used for war. And soon discovered that the necklace was gone from her mothers cold body. Stolen. Years later after, that Syrena started to forget about her memories of her home, but always kept the ones about her mother intact. And that was when Professor Bloom had found her down in a sewer in New York in 1947 when she was 8. At first she wasn't too trusting, scared that he was going to hurt her. But she found him to be the nicest human she has ever met. The Professor ended up bring her back with him, and she soon called him father.
Syrena's older brother Hell boy was sitting up in front of the t.v. watching some puppet show while she sat next to him with her head on his shoulder. But instead of watching t.v. too she was reading a book.
"Don't call him a puppet." Her brother said, not once taking his eyes of the screen.
Syrena looked away from her book and towards her brother with the same replica of the puppet on the television show in his arms. How he was very obsessed with that thing. However, Syrena didn't like it one bit seeing as it creeped her out. She tried to hide it from him once. But then he said that he would hide her books so she stopped and never did it again. That girl really did love her books. Syrena thought it was more educational than that silly show her brother was watching. Hell Boy would call her a nerd. Syrena thinks his head is full of hot air. But regardless they loved each, they're family. Brother and sister. Blood or not.
"Beg your pardon?" Their father asked.
"Look he's not a puppet, Howdy doody's real, he's real!" Hell boy said turning around making Syrena take her head off her brothers shoulder, sit up and continued reading her book.
"Well Mr Dee Dee Doo Doo will have to say goodnight. That goes for you too Syrena, no more reading." Their father turned off the t.v., then taking Syrenas book out of her hands closing it and putting it to the side. That earned him a groan and some whines from the both of them.
"And remember you two have to be asleep when he comes down the chimney." He adds pointing to the small metal fire place.
"It's not even a chimney, pop." Hell boy said and Syrena nods her head agreeing with him.
"Oh, he has his ways."
"Then I want to wait up, watch him do it!" Hell boy said.
"Me too!" Syrena said.
"Nonsense." Bloom said. Hell boy sighed and Syrena pouted.
"Okay. We want a story then." Hell boy says.
"Oh no no no, no stories tonight."
"Just one! And then we'll go to bed right away!"
"And we'll brush our teeth, we promise!" Syrena added with a smile along with her brother who also smiled up at their father. And he smiled back.
Walking over he went to a wooden box and pulled out a very old book. He sat down in a rocking chair and turned open to a page.
"It is said," Professor Bloom started.
That at the dawn of time man, beast, and all magical beings lived together under Aden, the father tree. But man had been created with a hole in his heart. A hole which no possession, power or knowledge could fill. And in his infinite greed man dreamt of expanding his dominion over the entire earth. The blood of many and Elf, Siren, Ogre and Goblin was spilled in the war with man. And King Balor, the one arm king of elf land watched the slaughter in dread and despair. But one day the master of the goblin black smiths offered to build the king a golden mechanical army. 70 times, 70 soldiers that would never know hunger and could not be stopped. Prince Nuada begged his father to agree. "Build me this army!" the king said. So, a magical crown was forged that would allow those who was of royal blood to command the golden army if was unchallenged. "I am King Balor, leader of the golden army. Is there anyone who disputes my right?"
And in his throne room no one challenged his word.
"But wait. What if someone could challenge him? Would they have a fight?" Hell boy asked taking his tooth brush out of his mouth.
During the Professor reading them the story they traveled to the bathroom to brush their teeth liked they'd promised. Syrena was beside him brushing her teeth as well and made her four little fangs pop out and brushed them too, before changing them back to normal.
"Well most likely a challenge must be answered, but do you want to hear the end of this story or not?" He asked.
"Yes please." Hell boy said and went back to brushing his teeth.
"Right, so the world was changed," their father said continuing the story.
And the next time the humans marched they felt the earth tremble beneath their feet and saw the sky darken with monsters shapes. The golden army had no remorse. Felt no loyalty or pain. And King Balor's heart grew heavy with regret. So he called a truce and divided the crown into three pieces. One for the humans and two for himself. In exchange man would keep to the cities and the magical beings would own the forest. This truce would be honoured by their sons, and the sons of their sons until the end of time. But prince Nuada did not believe in the promises of man. And it is said that he went into exile vowing to return the day his people need him most. So the golden army laid dormant locked inside the earth, waiting. And there it is to this day waiting the day the crown is made whole again.
"Silent, still, and indestructible." their father said closing the book. Hell boy and Syrena were now both in their beds as he finished the story.
"What does it mean industrable?" Hell boy asked and Syrena laughed at his error.
"Indestructible. It means that no one can destroy them. Right father?" Syrena asks. He nods his head with a smile on his face.
Bloom still couldn't believe that his daughter, that was many years older than him, but had the body of a 8 year old was so smart and inteligent.
"Go to sleep, my son and daughter."
Syrena did her prayers and looked up at her mothers bow and arrows that was hung up on the wall behind her bed before getting under her covers. Her brother did the same, taking a toy gun to bed with him.
"But it's just a story right pops?" Hell boy asked.
"Is it now?"
"Yeah, come on. Those guys? They cant be real."
"Well my son, I'm sure you'll find out."
Hell Boy nods his head before getting ready for bed. Right when Professor Bloom was about to close the cartian and going into his room a voice stopped him.
"Father, what if there was something else than the crown piece that could control the army?" Syrena asked. He thought about it.
"There is a possibility. I have heard stories about someone that has the power to control the army, but it never said how and and whom." he said. She nods her head and gets comfortable in her covers as she starts to get sleepy.
"Goodnight father." Syrena yawns. "I love you." she says before falling asleep.