After giving the matter some thought, I decided to repost this old story of mine. The main reason I did so was because I thought I had gone over the top in terms of graphic violence and language. It's still quite brutal, so I toned it down a bit this time. It also no longer contains the "seven words", unless they've been censored. I'd like to avoid an M rating. However, another concern I have regarding this story is that "Vampire Hunter D" purists will likely be disappointed. When I first wrote the story, I based the character off of the Animes and the first few books. Since I continued to read the series, I realized that I neither gave an accurate representation of his abilities as they were depicted, and neither did I reflect the few nuggets of background knowledge that have come to light. I've added a few lines here and there and made some slight changes to make it more "in line" with the VHD and Hellsing universe, although the most obvious difference is that D is here at all, since it's since been revealed in the books that D was born after the fall of mankind's civilization. Another is that it's clear in the books that D's intention is to find and kill Dracula, a fact I omitted. Finally, as much as a bastard as Alucard is, he's still not as bad as Dracula in the VHD series.
Another problem was where to put this. It could actually go in several different categories. Fanfiction dot net was kind enough to create a crossover section, but there are simply too many crossovers in this story to narrow it down to only two. That created a dilemma. Most people looking for crossover fanfiction head there now. I doubt many people bother searching through hoping to stumble on the "Misc." category anymore in the regular fanfiction section, and find the old, general, "Anime X-Overs" category. Nevertheless, that's still the best place for this, as everywhere else is too specific. So if no one ever even finds it to read it...oh well. :/
As you may have guessed from the title or the summary, this story was somewhat inspired by the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, but only so far as having a group of heroes from a wide variety of animes. Essentially, years ago, I took the basic description of the group from the movie, "A hunter, a scientist, a spy, a rogue, an immortal, a vampire, a beast", and I assigned an Anime character from a different series to each position. But later I thought, "How could I get these guys together?" And I decided to write a fanfiction about it. This fanfiction is a crossover not only of the seven Animes each character comes from, but also from other Animes that arise throughout the series.
I'm sad to say this story takes more from the movie version of LXG than I had intended. The sequel is more original, but I'm not sure if I want to repost that one, as violence is far greater and action is more at a premium. Philosophy is more at the heart of that one too.
You'll find out, in short order, despite this being set in the near future in the "real world", it is an alternate timeline.
The League of Extraordinary Anime
Chapter One
March 22, 2015 – Berlin, Germany
The night was cold. A dead, moist wind slowly went by that evening. The partially cloudy sky was misty and lumped, and a small streak of cloud went past the moon. It was full tonight, and a reddish tint was against it as the clouds softly rolled by. To a few passing children, the moon might hold a strange fear to it, a dread and terror and wonder of what it meant. But to one lone figure making his way through the darkness of that street, it simply meant tonight was one of no work.
The city was a fairly big one for Germany. It was old, one of the cities that dated back to a much earlier day and age…one of Germanic princes and castles and a multitude of myths and legends. Most of them had faded to nothing with time. As for the others…it was better that most people did not know whether or not they still existed. The city had been part of the Eastern Germany under Communist control. It still had a well-established industry in operation, and now following the Cold War it slowly regenerated to its former glory. A dark feeling of nostalgia and older times still hung on the city, especially at this time of night. It held an element of fear for all who went through it, a part of mystery that still sat and lurked and circulated through the streets as if it had never truly gone away with the passing of the old day and age. It was like the smell of old houses or the must that was beaten up from their rugs and curtains.
The stranger fit right in. After all, he too was a relic of the past. He remembered walking down this very street hundreds of times before. He remembered it before it was a road…before it was even a path. And he remembered when all around him was enveloped in that aged darkness and feeling of mystery…indeed when the whole world was ruled by it and not just Eastern Germany. Perhaps the day was coming when it would fade, and perhaps he would fade with it. But for now, he lingered. As long as the shadows remained, he would as well.
His face was concealed most of the time. It was dark, despite the eerie white pallor of his skin. It was always paler than normal. Sun devastated it, so he tended to keep his features mostly hid during the day. His face was young, perfectly young. And yet at the same time it seemed incredibly old…so much older than anyone around him…and any building, relic, plant…beyond the age of anything anyone had ever seen. No one ever saw his face fully though. No one ever got a good look. His face stayed concealed always partially at least beneath a long, wide-brimmed hat, pulled down to always cast a shadow over his eyes. A long, black trench coat enclosed his body, with the collar pulled high and enclosed around his neck and lower chin. Black gloves were over his hands, and tall black boots clicked against the stone pavement. He carried every possession he owned upon him. An air of silence and stillness was generated around him as he walked. People passing avoided him, as if getting near him passed into another dimension where things were colder and darker.
The stranger focused his attention on an upcoming bar. Neon lights brightly illuminated the outside, though they were flickering and weak in and of themselves. They showed no specific name of the bar, though they advertised various liquors, all in their respective languages. The bar was sublevel, and it appeared to be a dive at best. But it didn't matter. The stranger had no need or desire for liquor. His sole item of interest was outside the bar. Parked there was a large Harley-Davidson model hog. It was rare in this part of the world, but he knew enough to know it was good quality. He had also scanned the earlier ad in the paper and knew it was for sale. He had more than enough money from his last job to pay the asking price. After losing his last form of transportation two nights ago, he needed a new ride.
With calm movements yet a sense of purpose, the stranger moved to the bar. His eyes quickly found the downward staircase leading to the sublevel doorway. Once there, he quickly trotted downstairs. As he did so, however, his right eye darted to the right for a moment, and took note of a nearby car, parked in the alleyway between the bar building and the next one. Immediately, his sharp reason noticed important things. The car was German model, but it was too new for the town. Passengers were waiting in it, and both of them were staring at him. Any normal human might not have seen that, but he did. Furthermore, one was Japanese and the other was Anglo-Saxon. Noting that, he moved on downstairs, easily opened the door with one gloved hand, and stepped into the bar.
Yellow light pierced his eyes. The tables and chairs were crowded and the leather was peeling off of them. It wasn't too dirty after all, and the interior had the brick façade and the place was clean enough. A few old newspaper titles were hung from the walls. The bartender, a fat, balding man with a mustache and beard, stood in a square bar area at the center of the establishment, dressed in one of the old bow ties, white shirts, and suspenders one expected from an older age.
The stranger didn't bother even taking in his surroundings. He quickly took in and processed everything he needed to know on entry. He made straight for the bar. The bartender was polishing a glass at the moment. He looked up and cast the stranger a glance, but then went back to his work. Other than the bartender, the stranger was the only one there. That was how he preferred it. He came early on purpose. He never delighted in showing his presence off to many people. Soon, he was up at the bar. He didn't bother sitting down.
How much for the motorcycle? He asked in German.
The bartender looked up to him and cast him a brief glance, as if sizing him up and looking him over. 6,000. He answered.
Without hesitation, the stranger reached into the pocket of his trench coat, and a moment later came out with a wad of Euros. He spread them out in a fan shape on the bar right in front of the bartender. At this, the man put down his glass and turned to the money, and his eyes expanded a bit at how quickly the stranger had responded to the sale. He looked up to him again, as if by doing so he could see him again and determine if he was a murderer or crook or gangster. But the stranger showed nothing. At last, he looked back down to the money and picked it up. He counted it twice, making sure the money was there, but 6,000 Euros were all there, all in cash. He then checked to make sure that the money was real, but it was all genuine. How could it be otherwise? It came just from the local pawn shop when the stranger had exchanged his latest payment. That was one advantage over the older days. Finally, the bartender looked back to him. He gave him one last look, but then reached into his pocket. A moment later, the key was thrown on the table.
Enjoy her.
Without saying a word, the stranger reached down and took up the key. Normally, he would have immediately turned and left. But at that moment, he noticed something. He heard the door creak behind him, as if someone else was coming in. Immediately, he smelled them. Their scent was the same as their appearance from outside: Japanese and Anglo-Saxon. The two men from the car had come in. The man reconsidered leaving. Instead, he immediately sat down in one calm movement, as if he had intended to do so the whole time. He pulled out another Euro, a five this time, and threw it on the counter.
The local draft, please. He told the bartender.
This made the man frown. He had been eager for this mysterious stranger shrouded in darkness to take the bike and leave. Instead, he went about filling a clean mug with beer. In reality, the stranger hated beer. Alcohol had no effect on him, so drinking it was bitter and a chore. Only one substance excited him…but he doubted he could get it here or anywhere.
The beer was placed before him and the five Euros swept off the table. Without a word and methodically, the stranger took up the glass and took a long drink from it. He heard the door close behind him, and two sets of footsteps began to approach him from behind. He never turned. His dark gaze burned before him to some invisible spot in the bar. The sets of steps came right behind him, until he could feel the presence of both men behind him. Then they stopped, and stood erect behind him.
"Herr Dracula." One of them addressed in a German accent.
The stranger knew better, however. "…I speak English." He responded. His voice was calm, not disturbing the air with the slightest vibration of an echo, yet having the penetrating force of a biting blast of icy wind.
A pause behind him. "Mr. Dracula." The voice addressed again. "We'd like a word with you."
The stranger did not respond. He took another drink from his beer.
"We represent the United Nations."
The stranger didn't answer.
"We've come to seek you out to enlist your help, Mr. Dracula."
The stranger took another drink.
"We're willing to offer you a deal for your cooperation."
The stranger set his drink down with a clink. "…I go by the name of D." The man corrected in his calm voice. "My business is vampire hunting. I doubt that the United Nations has much need for me, nor even believes that my occupation exists."
"I assure you," The other man suddenly spoke up, his accent more Japanese. "That our superiors regard your occupation very seriously. We have proof from the bodies in Sydney, the Romanian countryside reports…"
"Then I wonder," D broke off. "Why the governments for those countries saw fit to let me be arrested and subsequently sentenced to mental institutions?"
Another pause. "…We couldn't alert the public, Mr. Dracula. We've known for years, but we cannot allow the general public to know that there was actual truth to the stories about vampires. There'd be pan-"
"Why did you find me?" D interrupted.
Another pause after that. After a few moments, however, D heard a rustle of paper. A folder was then thrown down in front of him. D looked to it. It had some text and CONFIDENTIAL markings on it, but what was of most notice to D right off the bat were the pictures. He saw a few pictures of what looked like a dome facility connected to numerous pipes and ventilation systems. A sealed set of doors were in front of them. A large 26 was marked on it. There were also a few pictures of what looked like children in various stages of progeria. One of them, however, was a teen…and had a wild look in his eyes. It unnerved even the old stranger to see that. However, after looking it over, the Japanese man spoke up.
"How familiar are you with the Neo Tokyo Incident of five years ago, Mr. Dracula?"
D looked over the pictures a moment longer. His memory brought out what he had seen of it. Normally he didn't watch the news, but there was nary a man alive who had passed through the civilized world and hadn't heard of this story. It was the biggest thing in years. Soon, he began to recount his own knowledge.
"It had to do with the weapon that started World War III. It was some sort of new weapon far more powerful than any previous thermonuclear device without the residual radiation. Somehow another one went off in Neo Tokyo. After that happened, the survivors began some sort of insurrection against the rest of the Japanese government. It was youth organized for the most part. Somehow they commanded control of two orbital laser platform satellites, one for the US and one for Japan, caused a lot of destruction with them, blew themselves up into even more pieces with at least another one of those blasts. But after that, the military eventually came and wiped it all out, killing almost all the survivors left. Since then the entire metropolitan area has been condemned and abandoned by survivors and rebuilders."
"Yes." The Japanese agent responded, already sounding pensive. "That is what most people believe. However, there were several important details left out. I am not at liberty to disclose this information to you, nor am I totally informed of all details. I can tell you that the blast was not due to a thermonuclear weapon, but to a sort of biological weapon. The weapon and all data and materials regarding it was finally destroyed in one of the blasts. It has been a fear of the Japanese Government, however, over the past five years, that some of the data would have escaped."
"We now have reason to believe that is the case." The Anglo-Saxon spoke darkly. "The American Government managed to gather data independently during the incident. Somehow they managed to fill in the holes in the data since then. We calculated a comparable reading to those discovered in the original incident, though much smaller of course, within Iraqi demilitarized zone. We believe it was a test run conducted by the USA."
"Where do I fit in?" D asked at last.
"We wish to employ your services to neutralize this threat." The Anglo-Saxon answered.
"Since the incident five years ago, we have been searching for certain individuals possessing…unique talents." The Japanese agent further explained. "Such individuals we believe to be the most effective at neutralizing this threat. Past experience has shown non-affiliated individuals worked best in this situation, and the United Nations does not wish to risk open conflict with the United States over this matter."
D inclined his head slightly behind him. "…I thought the US was allies with you."
"Ever since the more aggressive stance of the US was adopted," The Anglo-Saxon sourly responded. "The United Nations has been growing apart from them. Basically, this conversation isn't happening. None of this operation is."
D showed nothing, but returned his head to his previous position. "My business is vampire hunting. I don't tend to affiliate with governments. Why do you need me?"
"Aside from your…abilities…" The Japanese went on. "You possess a great deal of ingenuity, skill, and experience, Mr. Dracula. More so than is present in the rest of our potentiates. We believe you are best suited to lead this group."
D paused himself for a moment at that.
"…I'm afraid you're very mistaken then, gentlemen." He answered, taking another drink. "When I do work, I work alone."
"We did mention a deal, Mr. Dracula." The Japanese agent answered.
"You are wanted internationally for several crimes." The Anglo-Saxon went on. "Harassment, trespassing, first degree murder, assault, breaking and entering, fraud, theft, property damage, vehicular damage, fire damage, battery, destruction of property, smuggling, traveling without a passport… Not to mention the breaking of countless treaties. This is to name a few."
"If you men have come to arrest me, I'm afraid you'll only end up as injured as your predecessors." D calmly answered.
"Cooperate with us," The man went on irregardless. "And the United Nations will grant you total amnesty: past, present, and future. From now on, you'll have immunity from any crimes committed in your line of work in any of the United Nations countries. Vampire hunting will be a totally legitimate business for you. In addition, we are willing to give you a gift: 5 million Euros."
D paused for a moment after hearing that. As a hunter, he lived mostly for the purpose of eradicating vampires from the face of the earth. But through the ages, he had determined that he had to also be shrewd from time to time, and he had to recognize a good deal when he saw it and call a bad one in advance.
D now considered his options. It did have many plusses. Traditionally, he accepted a wide variety of payments. He could demand a lot…his services weren't cheap in general. But he could also be reasonable to some poor frightened family scared out of their minds not knowing what to do when a family member came home one night with teeth marks in their neck. There were some jobs he just didn't carry out no matter the price. When D took a job, he realized his employers usually expected him to finish it no matter what, and that was what he expected of himself. If he didn't think he could finish it, he never took the job. This job, however, sounded right up his alley. There was nothing immediately that came to mind that he couldn't conceivably kill. He had experience killing far fouler, nastier things than vampires. 5 million would also be one of his largest bounties on record. Furthermore, free of the nuisances of governments would help out his occupation.
Liabilities were also a factor, however. He was supposed to agree to do a job before knowing all the details. That was always bad. Furthermore, his primary target wasn't a vampire this time. That was very unusual for him. Lastly, he had to work with a group. In all the centuries he had lived, D had never worked with a group. He was a loner in all things. He had trained himself specifically to be that way. He had no room in his life to try to even pretend he was human. Everything around him would eventually die and fade. He would live on. Only the hunt kept him going. One day, the governments that were giving him amnesty now would be forgotten, and then he would be right back to where he was again. The group was a bad idea.
And yet, there was always that one human part of him on the inside. Perhaps it was what was responsible for irrational behavior, but he listened to it from time to time. And right now, it was definitely pointing him in one direction.
D tilted his glass back and emptied it, then set it on the table. He ignored the change the bartender put before him, and stood up.
"…When do we leave?"
NOTE: The Akira references in this story are from the manga version of Akira, which was quite a bit different from the movie.
Also, in case you haven't guessed, D, the hunter, is from the Vampire Hunter D movies. Who else will I pick next? Read on...
