This is a one-shot side-story to the Fan Fiction "To Be A Monster". It takes place between chapters 1 and 2 of the main story. The reason it's not posted with the main story is because the events aren't necessary for the main story, and the style of writing is significantly different. It was also posted as a separate story by the suggestion of several followers of the main story. This was my own experiment in changing from a third person, past tense narrative to a first person, present tense narrative.
I'm very eager to hear opinions on this style of writing and overall commentary on the story itself. If you've read the original "To Be A Monster" story, I'd love to hear how you would compare the two stories.
Anyway, enjoy the one-shot!
This mission is in London. God, I hate that.
Nobody else on the team is in good spirits either. Tristan doesn't say a word while he drives the van. In the back, Seras is pretending to be occupied with the cleaning of her sniper rifle, which is already spotless and even Brock refuses to crack any of his usual idiot jokes. I'm in the passenger seat next to Tristan, just watching the ruined buildings pass by.
It's been three months since the vampire attack on London, or as the civilians have been told the "Bioterrorism Attack". Most buildings still have scars of battle and the streets are emptier than I thought possible. This part of the city should have been crowded, but I barely see one person walking outside in a single block. Guess that's what happens when half the population is wiped out, and half of the remainder decides to leave for good.
"We're here" Tristan announces as he brings the van to a halt. We're in front of a house that looked more torn up than most. Half the building has collapsed on itself and the untended grass has grown to knee height. It looks completely abandoned, but that's the point, I realize.
We park the van and step outside, leaving all our combat gear in the vehicle. We're dressed like civilians to blend in; first time I've worn casuals since joining Hellsing. I feel naked without my sidearm. Tristan probably feels the same way. He's been in the army for years, and even in jeans and a t-shirt he stands too straight and looks too disciplined. Brock's more likely to be taken as some sort of wrestler or gangster, with his sleeveless shirt making his massive arms just look bigger. Seras pulls the look off best. She's wearing jeans and a pink hoodie. Nobody was going to think she was a soldier, but did she need the hoodie? My medical instinct is kicking in as I worry about Seras overheating in the Summer warmth.
An older man opens the door for us and ushers us in while looking warily down the street. It was the kind of paranoia this field work gave you. Working alone, embedded in various organizations on a constant vigil for the perfect predator disguised in plain sight. Lieutenant Doyle and people like him are how Hellsing finds its targets, but I don't envy him.
"Tea?" He retrieves some mugs from a drawer. Probably the only mugs in this entire house. Seras is the only one who accepts. I look from the kitchen table where we're seated, into the next room. Well, it should have been the next room but instead was a mound of rubble.
"Have you been living here?" I can't help but ask.
"Only for the last two weeks" Doyle smiles, "Nice and private. You get used to the dust and rats after a little while."
Yeah. I don't envy him at all.
"Parker didn't give us many details before we left." Tristan was straight to business. "What's the mission?"
"Oh, the usual." Doyle takes a sip of his tea, "Well, uh, mostly. I mean, you're still hunting a vampire, it's just not the usual…hunt."
"How's that?" Brock asks.
"I've found a vampire who's been hunting in London, and I know what it looks like and where it is." Doyle's getting nervous. "But Parker wants you to capture it alive."
"Fuck that." I swear, unprofessionally. I can't help it. Not the best first impression with the lieutenant, but we're here to kill those things, not capture them. This was going to make the mission way more dangerous. Brock makes a similar statement, with a little more grace, and Tristan stays quiet even though how he feels is written all over his face.
"Why does Parker want it alive?" Seras is the only one unfazed.
"Glad you asked." Doyle gets up and starts rinsing his mug. "It's because I don't know what he's been doing with the bodies. They just disappear. I haven't found any sign of ghouls in the city. This thing is hiding its tracks well."
"Maybe it's hunting virgins, creating other vampires?" Tristan suggests.
"That's exactly what Parker's worried about." Doyle sits back at the kitchen table. "If this creature is part of a coven, then we need to find out where the others are before we have a major outbreak."
"So we're just going to, what? Ask this thing nicely what it's doing with all the corpses? Maybe give it some tea?" I don't really bother to hide how stupid I think this is. "Has anyone ever captured a live vampire before?"
Seras looks like she's about to say something, but Brock beats her to it.
"I heard Sir Integra's done it before."
"Well that doesn't help us." I mutter. Of course the legendary Sir Integra Hellsing has captured a live vampire, but it's not like we can call her up for tips. Parker is the only one who works directly with the vampire hunter. I've only seen her once.
"That's enough." Tristan cut-in, "We have our orders, so let's start on a plan."
The plan needed some rare supplies, so we split up. Tristan and Doyle tailed the target to find our opportunity. I met with an old friend in London who got me some Diprenorphine. The drug was a hundred times more effective than human tranquilizer but God knows if it works on vampires.
He asked how the family was. I had to tell him I'm the only one left.
Brock got us some custom, silver handcuffs and Seras acquired two police uniforms.
Nobody asked me where I got the drug, and I didn't ask how they got their equipment. It wasn't a secret from each other. It's just, compared to all the shit that we see on this job, there are better questions worth asking.
Two days later we have our opportunity.
The vampire's at the cemetery with a human woman. I'm standing at the edge of the cemetery, dressed up like Brock in a police uniform. We're pretending to be paying our respects at a tombstone, but I'm watching our target from the corner of my eye. I can't be too obvious. It's nighttime, and even though I can't make out details, that thing can see clear as day.
"Is Doyle sure this is the guy?" I whisper into my radio. Doyle didn't join us on the mission. He was intelligence only. I wonder if he thinks the same about our job as I do about his.
"We're sure." Tristan responds. He's a lot closer to the vampire, dressed in casuals pretending to be another mourner.
I prefer the "get in, kill it, get out" approach but considering we need the monster alive, this plan is simple. Tristan will walk up to the woman and pretend to be a little drunk. He'll make a loud nuisance which will attract Brock and me. Brock will put a pair of false handcuffs onto Tristan and I'll ask for the woman and the vampire to come with us to the police station. I'll make up some lie about how I need to handcuff the vampire for appearances sake, maybe pretend I don't know who was being the drunk. Those cuffs will be the silver ones, and as soon as their locked, Brock will tackle the thing.
If it struggles too much I use the tranquilizer. If something unexpected happens, we all have pistols and Seras is watching us through the scope of her rifle on a rooftop a mile away. We'd only been on three missions together, but I know Seras has our backs. She's one of the best shots in Hellsing.
"Okay, I'm going in." Tristan's whisper comes through my earpiece.
He starts to make his approach, adding a little clumsiness to his step to sell the role.
"Hold on." Seras says over the radio. "People approaching."
I see them coming from the opposite direction. Three men who have a lot more than a little clumsiness in their step. One of them is holding a mostly empty bottle of liquor in his hand. Just what we needed, a bunch of civilians getting in the way.
"Their moving towards our target." Seras continues.
We have to stand back and watch as those three drunks started accosting the woman and the most dangerous creature they've ever met. They're making some lewd comments and being a general nuisance.
"Valerie, Brock, proceed with the plan." Tristan orders.
I look at Brock and nod. We move up to the group. I have to actively keep my hand from my gun as we get closer. When we arrive I'm just a few feet from the thing.
"What's going on here?" I get everyone's attention. One of the drunks whispers to their ringleader about the 'coppers'. They already look ready to back away.
"We were just going for a stroll, when these men approached us, officer." The vampire says. Jesus Christ, he sounds so normal. No, wait. He's too calm. Too smooth.
"I'm going to have to ask you to leave." I'd rather have said get the fuck out of here before you get disembowelled and eaten.
"How about you come with us, sugart-"
"Okay." I interrupt. I've dealt with a hundred men like him. "How about you get out of here, before me and my partner take you down to the station." I step forward to make my point.
Shit. I realize too late that now my back is to the vampire. I try to stay calm, but if that thing decides to attack…
"Ha, you're not gonna arrest me." The man gloats. The idiot probably thinks I'm nervous because of him. "I haven't done anything wrong."
I don't have time for this. I'm starting to sweat, and my heart's racing. Can the vampire hear my heart rate? Does that make them hungrier? Shit, it's right behind me.
"That's it." I take another step forward and suddenly the man throws his bottle of liquor at me and bolts. I react, but it was too slow. I was so concerned about an attack from the vampire, I never thought this drunk would be so stupid. The bottle hits me in the side of the head, and for a moment I'm disoriented. Then I'm angry. He barely stumbles a few steps when I tackle him to the ground, and have him handcuffed. His buddies are long gone by then.
"Didn't think I'd do it, did you?" But even as I say those words, I make another terrible realization. The handcuffs I just used were our only silver pair. As I turn to Brock, I see two things. The first, is that blood has started to drip down my face and is covering my eye. The second is that the man is now far from ordinary, and is barrelling towards me with claw and fang.
I see Brock behind him, trying to draw his weapon. I reach for my pistol, but I know I won't get it in time. I can see Tristan breaking his cover and running towards us. The vampire is three steps away, about to rip me apart, when suddenly a bullet from a mile away punctures its shoulder. Seras has our back. I get showered in blood as the creature loses its footing. That's when Brock barrels into it with over two hundred pounds of weight. Tristan's on it as well, keeping its mouth pinned shut with all his strength.
"Tranq it, Val!" Tristan shouts as they both struggle to keep it still. I fumble with the syringe. Damnit, there's blood all over me. I get in close to the creature, which is snarling like a caged animal before I get the syringe in its neck.
It's a perfect injection. There's enough tranquilizer in the vampire to knock out an elephant. For a moment the creature relaxes and its struggling weakens. Then it suddenly fights back, breaking free of Tristan and Brock. It's running for me again.
Not this time. Now I'm ready, and as it comes close I shoot it six times in the chest. The creature drops to the ground, limp. I stand there, panting and covered in blood for a moment. Then I take a deep breath as the adrenaline dies down and I holster my weapon.
"So much for catching it alive." I offer my hand to Tristan who's on the ground. Brock can help himself up, I probably couldn't lift him.
Tristan looks like he's about to say something when his eyes grow wide. He's looking at the ground behind me.
"Watch out!"
A hand, the vampire's hand, wraps around my ankle. Then there's a flash of light in the distance and a coin sized hole is in the creatures head. Now it's dead for sure.
"Thanks, Seras" I call into my radio. The adrenaline just came back with a vengeance. I feel like I just ran a marathon. If it was anybody else, I would yell at them for taking a shot so close to me, but Seras I can trust.
I hear crying behind me and remember we're not alone. On the ground is the drunk, still handcuffed and now sobered by the gunfire. Curled in a ball on the ground is the woman, likely in shock from what she just saw.
"I'm going to call Doyle, you two take care of the civilians." Tristan pulls out a satellite phone and walks away.
I want to say something. I know that Tristan is going to assume responsibility for the failure. He's going to get grilled by Parker even though it was me who took the shot. I already know what he's going to say if I mention it. It's his responsibility as our team leader.
"Brock, you take care of the woman." I gesture towards her.
"Shouldn't that be you? You're the medic."
"She's in shock." I pick a cloth out from my jacket and start wiping my face. "Last thing she needs is a medic covered in blood. Just keep her warm, talking and hydrated. Make up a cover story, Doyle will make sure it sticks."
Brock isn't just a big guy. He's surprisingly good with people, and at making up cover stories. Out of the four of us, I could see him being best undercover. Seras would've been my first pick, but she's just too honest.
"What about the other guy?" Brock nodded at the drunk who was still struggling to stand up with his hands cuffed behind his back.
I look down on the man, the pain in my forehead still coming strong.
"I got it handled."
I hit him in the back of the head, knocking him out. Brock raises his eyebrow and I glare back. I know what I'm doing, the guy will be fine. Probably.
"Val!" a voice calls from behind me, "Are you okay?"
It's Seras. Damn, she got here fast. Doesn't even look tired.
"I am thanks to you." Except for this stinging in my head. "Come over here, I want to teach you something."
"I don't think now's a good time." Seras looks nervous. Is it the blood on me? For a soldier, she's really squeamish about blood. Then again, she probably hasn't seen it as much as I have.
"Now's a perfect time." I sit on a grave. Hopefully that won't earn me bad karma. "How does the cut look?"
"Not deep, but you'll probably need stitches." Seras leans in, her hands are covering her mouth and nose. It doesn't smell that bad, does it?
"Perfect." This will make a good lesson for Seras. "What's the first thing you do?"
"Disinfect." Seras is already retrieving the alcohol. She pours it on a cloth and begins to dab at my cuts. I wince as it touches my skin.
"Sorry." She mutters.
"You're doing great."
Tristan comes back, not as grim as I expected.
"Good news?" I ask, trying not to move as Seras applies more disinfectant.
"Found the bodies." Tristan taps his foot on the ground. "Right below you."
Seras and I look down.
"The grave?"
"Freshly dug up." Tristan picks up a pile of dirt. "Just below the surface. Nobody notices an extra body or two after…you know." Tristan turned to the woman Brock was tending to. "I figured the vampire lured his victims here, drained there blood then buried them in a grave. That way there's no trace."
"Clever." I comment. "But if it was so concerned about hiding, why attack me?"
"I have a theory about that." Brock says as he walks back from the woman. "Probably that cut you got. Couldn't resist once he saw the blood."
"Fucking animal" I want to spit on its body. I see Seras retrieving a needle for the stitches. I'm not supposed to have a wound stitched this recently, but I've done it before. Should be fine. Besides, Seras needs to get used to a fresh wound. She's having trouble threading the needle because she keeps looking at the cut.
"Hey, boss," Brock looks at Tristan, "Doyle is on the way. He says he'll take care of the civilians and the body. Clean this all up. How about we take the night off? I know this great pub downtown…if it's still standing."
"Let's make sure Doyle doesn't need any more help." Tristan smiles, "Then after we clean ourselves up we can go."
"Yeah" I hold up my blood-soaked cloth. "The only people I'm going to attract are more vampires. One's enough for tonight."
Brock lets out a deep, hearty laugh. Tristan can't help but grin with me.
"Hold on, Seras," I gently push her hands away from my face. "We can save the stitches for tomorrow."
She looks visibly relieved as she puts away the needle. Maybe I was too hard on her. She deserves a drink on me.
"Pub sounds great, Brock" Seras smiles before noticing her hands.
I got some blood on them, and for a moment Seras looks petrified. She grabs a cloth from the medkit and wipes her hands until their spotless.
I hide a smile as I watch her tuck away the bloody cloth. Seras would make a terrible vampire.