Integra frowned, massaging her temples. The mass funeral had worn on her nerves, and she was desperate for a few hours to herself. No sooner had she escaped to her office and lit a much-needed cigar, however, than Walter was tapping politely at her door. She heaved a sigh, pinching the bridge of her nose to relieve some of the tension in her head.
"Come in."
"Sir, I have the medical report on the Valentine boy."
Her eyes betrayed a hint of curiosity. "The transmitter?"
He nodded, handing the report over. She scanned it fully, eyebrows lifting.
"Combustible? That's a new trick," she muttered, not really needing an answer. "Probably a measure to ensure that, should their mission fail, no-one could betray any secrets."
"Indeed," Walter agreed, "I suspect, had Mss Victoria not been so rough in her handling of him, we'd be left with ashes to interrogate."
"How is the interrogation going, by the way?"
The Hellsing version of interrogation usually involved shutting the victim in a room with either Walter or Alucard until they sang like a canary. He had been unfazed by the butler, and so Alucard had volunteered, with an unusual amount of enthusiasm. Within an hour, Alucard had described the death of Yan's older brother in vivid detail. Yan had raged and swore, vowing to decimate Hellsing brick by brick, body by body until there was nothing left, and then fallen silent. Alucard left him for a day or two, reporting to Integra rather gleefully that the light had gone out in the young vampire.
"Alucard remains insistent that he will give in soon, Sir," Walter said. Integra allowed a small frown of irritation to crease her brow.
"He said that last time I asked," she observed. "Perhaps it's time I see for myself."
She rose smoothly then, stubbing out her cigar and smoothing down her suit, though it was free of wrinkles.
"Do you wish me to accompany you, Sir?" Walter asked.
"No. I'm expecting some important calls later."
"Very well, Sir."
"Alucard, wake him up?"
Alucard, master of subtlety, kicked the body lying in the filth of the dungeon.
"Oi. Dog."
Jan raised his head, and a spark of defiance shone in his weary amber eyes.
"...Fucking...kill you..." he bit out. Then he caught sight of Integra, and an insolent grin tugged at his mouth.
"So," his voice was weak, but his tone infuriatingly belligerent, "the head bitch has finally come to take a gawp."
Alucard kicked him again, and Integra heard a rib snap.
"Alucard!" she reprimanded him. "How do you expect him to talk with your boot in his lung?"
Now her own vampire's eyes burned into hers.
"Go make sure Seras isn't doing anything stupid."
When he didn't move, she fixed him with an icy stare and the barest lift of her eyebrows, as if to say "Well?" Alucard shrugged and turned on his heel, warping through the door. Then Integra turned her attention back to Jan. Since he had lifted his head, those curious amber eyes hadn't moved from her face. Having his eyes on her felt somehow indecent, and Integra felt her cheeks flare. Brushing that aside, she turned to business.
"I commend you on your stamina," she told him in an almost friendly tone, "and your gall in attacking the Hellsing mansion. But then, I suppose, you had no choice after they put that transmitter in you."
His eyes widened barely, before he could pretend nonchalance, and she chuckled.
"Oh yes, we knew about the transmitter, although the combustion is something new. Sort of an elaborate kamikaze." A pause, then she added, "you must have been wondering why you hadn't died yet. Poor dog."
Jan finally stopped staring at her like a lab specimen in a jar.
"All dressed in black," he commented boredly, "did someone die?"
She let out a snarl before she could stop herself, and he smirked.
"Oooh yeeaaah...those boys of yours. The ones I slaughtered."
She clamped down firmly on her temper, clenching her fist until her nails bit into her palm. The pain helped clear her head.
"They were delicious," Jan continued conversationally, "shame they screamed so much. Gave me a fucking earache."
"The Hellsing soldiers died as heroes," Integra growled, "your brother died like the dog he was."
Jan's mocking expression froze, and his lips twisted into a bitter snarl.
"You shut up. You fucking shut up about my brother," he grated out, and Integra laughed. Then she turned her back on his vulgar epithets and walked out.
"Alucard." Her voice betrayed barely a hint of surprise as she saw him walking towards her.
"The Police Girl is asleep, Master," he reported. "May I return to my interrogation?"
"No." Integra stared at the door over her shoulder, as if she could still see him glowering at her.
"No?"
"Let him stew." She tore her gaze away. "He thrives on attention. He acts out, just to have someone notice and react to him. So we leave him."
The look Alucard gave her was something Integra could only hesitantly call a pout. Feeling a smile tug at her lips, she sighed.
"You may hunt tonight. Live prey. But if you kill any civilians..."
She let the threat tail off, rewarded with an almost gleeful grin from her servant.
"You're dismissed," she nodded, and he disappeared. With one final glance at the dungeon door and a self-reprimanding tut, Integra made her way back up to her office.