As it has always been, the sun sets upon another day. What makes it so unique, however, is that it is setting upon a changed world. Not a week ago a grand war between the Vatican, Millennium, and Hellsing took place and London became the shores of Hell. The great and immortal No-Life-King himself was one of the victims of this battle alongside most of Iscariot, the Wild Geese, and one young woman's humanity.
Seras awoke in her coffin remembering the fact that her master wasn't here anymore. To be sure, she had no doubts he still lived but felt it would be awhile before she would see him again. She wasn't sure why she knew he wasn't really gone but she knew like one knows that the sun rises and sets, it was something known down to the bones. She was still adjusting to being a full vampire now as she would have to do so rapidly. She may still be a servant but her master was gone for now so she would no doubt need to carry his burden until he returned. She left these somewhat heady thoughts when the thirst made itself known. The last drops of blood she had had were from the battlefield that day and she knew that she needed to eat. The hesitancy was now gone but she knew that most medical blood would be needed at the moment for soldiers and civilians alike. Not enough left over to tide over nightwalkers in these kinds of moments. Still, she would have to ask Sir Integra permission to either hunt or steal at this point. Her draining of Pip had helped her to accept what she was much as he had accepted that he was a murderer for hire. His spirit wasn't talking to her anymore as she somewhat expected. She had no doubt she could call forth his skills or body when needed but would probably never quite feel him anymore. The soul had already merged too much with hers for there to be that separation any more.
She left her room in the dungeons of the ruins of the Hellsing agency and went straight to speak with her Master's master. She found the woman irritably sitting at a desk in what had once been the council room of the Twelve. Her bed against the far wall so she would be able to sleep when needed. It would seem she either needed one of her cigars or some tea but there was no longer a butler to fetch them. It was the most secure point in the building and though it looked like hell it was the safest place to place the leader of the anti-vampire agency until things cooled down. While Millennium was good and dead there was always the chance of true undead coming to settle scores. Unlike before Seras did not hesitate to walk straight into the room.
"Sir Integra, I need to bring up a pressing issue." Seras hoped that the woman is not too tied up in her mind at that moment as she was already feeling the effects of the siren's song that is the iron virgin's blood flowing in her veins.
Integra cut her eyes away from some hand written reports to look up at Seras. It would seem that due to the destruction there hadn't been any time to return to more formulated reports. Admittedly little of what was in them concerned her as they were reports of looting and such by humans and not much a problem for her to concern herself with. Still she felt it best to be up on the current state of the kingdom. "What is it, Seras?"
"Sir, our saved up blood supply was taken during the raid last week. I have managed to make it for a week but if it goes much longer I fear I will not be able to keep myself under control. It would seem that the transformation made the thirst much worse than it was before. I would like to request permission to raid a blood bank."
Integra starts momentarily. It would seem the loss of her servant had bothered her more than she had realized as she had not thought of Seras's need to feed. At current there was likely little blood to go around for the injured much less enough to feed a full blooded vampire. She then remembered the report she was reading. "I can not allow you to do that, Seras. However, I believe we might have a solution to your problem already on the table, if you will. Here, read this." She shifted the papers across the table to the guest's side
Seras picked up the paper and read through it. The report covers a gang of would be post-apocalyptic raiders making their way across the ruins and outskirts of London. Raping, looting, and killing as they went simply because they felt there were no longer rules to obey. "So some people are trying to profit off of all this mess? I understand this is a problem but how does this help?" Even as she said it her eyes shift as she realized the answer.
Integra smiled as she observed Seras's eyes. "Exactly as you are thinking. This gang believes itself to be in a world where the laws of men no longer apply. As such, rather than letting the crown spend precious resources trying to hunt them down, I believe we should allow them their wish. They will not be punished by men's laws at all. So Seras, I have tonight's mission for you. Search and destroy."
Seras nods her head at the order. "As you wish, Sir. They will not live to see the sun rise." In the next moment Seras was no longer in the room. Integra looked around for a moment. "Such speed… she truly is his fledgling."
As night spreads its cold embrace over the world and the sun of the dead rises across the land, Seras flew through the ruins of the city. Her left arm was still somewhat nebulous in form, somewhere between shadow and flesh as she needed more blood to truly restore it to normal. She however had found its loss a learning experience as she now realized she was no longer truly the human looking thing she appeared to be on the outside. Below her she could hear the sounds of a rowdy crowd and the screams of one unfortunate woman. She settled upon a nearby roof to see what was happening.
On the street level a gang of no less than eight men were drinking beer as if it was the oxygen they needed to breathe. In the midst of them was a tall and muscular man who was probably their leader. He had been hitting some middle aged woman around. From what Seras could see, it was obvious the woman had already been sexually assaulted and was currently serving as the punching bag for the evening. The leader of the gang tells the woman to shut up and draws a knife. In a movement he slit her throat to silence her cries as he had had enough. "Damn bitch. If she had only been quite we might have let her live."
One of his men responded to his statement. "Don't worry Bro. It's not like the cops are around anymore so it didn't matter how much she screamed. If anything, that makes it all the more fun."
"I'm not sure. I have felt like someone has been over my shoulder most of this evening. Well boys, pack up and move on out. We might as well raid that gun store a few blocks down. May only carry stuff for hunting but it will be good enough to help set us up nice and pretty." His men began to do as he had requested though not without grumbling. Some of them remarked that it seems as if the night had gotten darker recently.
Suddenly they noticed there was another amongst their group. This intruder was leaning over the dying woman and they were sure it was checking to see if she was alive. "Shove off. That bitch is dead and you are about to join her." He and his gang drew down on the figure leaning over the woman. The figure did not answer except making a slurping sound. It was then that he noticed that its mouth was wrapped around the slit woman's throat and drinking greedily. It merely tilted its red eyes up at him, red eyes filled with the look of a wolf that has cornered its rabbit dinner. "Damn its one of them buggers. Fire boys, fire now." His gang began shooting at the figure until all they could see was some of the stirred up dust. After a moment the shooting ceased as he and his boys needed to reload and they spotted nothing but the torn apart remains of the woman. In the next moment the two men on either side of him where whipped up into the air with shadowy tendrils poking out of their chests before they were pulled into the shadows. He turned and began to fire at those eyes that were staring at him from only two feet away. His men joined him in his attempt to stop the creature from dining upon them. Again the dust cleared and this time he saw a young woman in a rather red skimpy military uniform standing there with holes in her body.
She simply smiled at him showing her fangs as the blood from his men swirled into the air and into her body. He ran for his bike as did two of the others. Another member with a spiky hair style rushed to his to get a shotgun and turned to shoot the woman they had seen. Suddenly he realized something was amiss when he noticed he had a smoking shotgun in his hands. Spiky looked to either side and found two of his comrades lying dead on the ground from having their heads blown off by his favored weapon. He then saw the woman standing next to him. "You did well my pet." His eyes expanded into fear as she bit down and into his shoulder tearing it loose while draining him. His last sight was that of the blood from his comrades rushing into the woman much like his own was no doubt doing.
Seras stood there for a moment and allowed the blood to aid her in finishing the regeneration of her missing arm. It felt nice to have it back though admittedly she had found it kind of interesting to go around with it in its previous state. She spotted the three motor bikes as they careened down the streets trying to get away. "Seems I'm going to have a bit of fast food tonight after all. Still, I doubt Hellsing would like me bringing home leftovers." She paused long enough to tear the head from the woman and the man not needing to bother with the two shotgun victims. No need in leaving behind ghouls after all. With a thought she took to the air finding that she could now form the wings with a thought. Much like the first time she had used such a thing these were again seemingly made of a fusion of shadow and blood. Either way, it would work for her and she took to the air to begin pursuit. She flew up behind the two who had taken off with the leader first. She would land on their bikes and drain them dry before sending the bikes to careen into the nearest wall insuring the destruction of the bodies.
The leader of the gang noticed in his rear view mirror that there were no longer any headlights of the other bikes behind him. He didn't feel much sorrow for the loss of his men as they had insured he got away alive at least. With any luck he would flee the city and live to see another day. Perhaps he would have a tale, albeit edited, to tell his future grandchildren of an encounter with one of those vampires back during the day. At least that was what he told himself as he reached the outer limits of London. Sure he was off the hook the leader began to chuckle to himself until he noticed something. He wasn't the only one laughing. He looked to his right and spotted her, that same young woman from before. She was flying beside him and turned to give him a look. "Top o' the morning to ya." She said before taking off like a shot ahead of him. He only had time to mutter "Oh shi..." before he was stopped. What stopped him was the young vampires standing in front of his bike and punching the front of the bike. Her fist went not only through the metal and started to send his bike into the air but he noticed that his chest was caught on the end of her hand. As he hung impaled on her fist he noted the explosion in the background and the eerie lights of the fire.
"Please, let me go. I beg you to release me. I will be a good person from now on. I'll never, ever harm another person so long as I live." He begged the young creature before him for mercy.
"Somehow I feel that the woman back there and several others have said similar to you. I am afraid I can't show you such mercy though. You see it has been decided that you have acted outside the acceptable boundaries of men. As such, you are to be punished. Prepare yourself for this will be unpleasant." In a moment, Seras's body shifted into shadows and teeth as she pulled the man to her. He began to cry.
"Sir, mission complete." Seras stood before Integra's desk once again that night. "The targets were silenced. They were going to hole up in one of the cathedrals and use it as a base of operations later."
"Good job, Seras. Just don't expect this to become a habit. I've already secured a source of blood for you by next month. Do you believe you can hold out that long?"
"I do believe so, Sir. Tonight's exchange has me set up well enough for the next while I believe."
"Job well done, Seras. Get some rest as the sun is rising."
"You too, Sir. You have been awake far too much of late. It isn't good for your health. Master would be unhappy with me if your health goes south in his absence."
"Worry not about it Seras. I, and no doubt others, will sleep well tonight knowing the city is a bit safer. I just need to send in a report and then I will turn in. I promise."
"Good morning then, sir." Seras turned and left the room returning to her own. She was somewhat proud of herself for tonight. She had proven to herself that she could survive this new unlife of hers after all. She just hoped it would be awhile until she would be asked to take the draught straight from the source. She settled into her coffin and became still as the dead as the sun rose once again. She never even noticed that she had given no second thoughts to what she had done this night.