Title: For Every New Beginning
Author: Essie Aster
Rating: PG-13
Category: Hellsing/Dracula
Genre: Alternate Universe, supernatural
A/N: This continues with Part II of the story started based on random role-play by myself and Thess. I've since lost all of the original conversations, so unlike "The Circle Continues" this really only loosely follows what I remember and like from the role-play. There are no romantic pairings, so don't ask. Not much else to say. Read on.
Chapter 1
It was amazing, this new world. With technology beyond his imagination, teeming with people everywhere, so much more vibrant than it had been in his time, this new England concealed within it deeper and greater challenges than he had ever thought possible. It was not so very different in many ways, however. The street lights that had illuminated the stone paths of London's deep night were now electrified. Instead of carriages there were automobiles and motorized bicycles humming the familiar roads. There were more people, and the air was not nearly so foul in places it had been. The weather seemed a bit cooler than he remembered, but that could be simply age and memory fading into the waters of time. Yet, despite any superficial change, the landmarks of the city of his dreams remained constant, and the people still beautiful and enticing. If this was to be his new home for a time, that was something he would be more than willing to cope with.
It was almost amazing to him how fearlessly the people of London roamed the city's dark streets, but perhaps that could be attributed to the more commonplace use of the electric light. Brightly coloured signs enticed these beautiful people to fulfil their dark urges. Taverns vomited their most drunken patrons, but welcomed an ever increasing flow of night time revellers. It was comical in a way, the change in the society in scarcely a century, but it was bound to happen. He knew, even in his brief visit to the island in what to him only a few months prior, of the desires in the hearts of the populace, the frantic sexuality bursting to be released from the oppression of a frigid theocracy. The desires of a people long kept at bay only remain dormant for a time before they explode into this, this beautiful and raucous chaotic depiction of hell's paradise. As he observed the vibrant grazing grounds he almost regretted not being present to see the eruption. What life would have sprung violently from the womb of repression! What a birth, and what an infancy! It was almost a pity he would only be here for a short time.
Organized chaos had erupted in the Hellsing Manor at the return of its lord. Resident physicians rushed to the respective resting places of Sir and Professor van Hellsing as Seras hurried to find her Master to find some rather elusive answers, to no avail unsurprisingly, but despite her attempts to stay out of the way she still managed to somehow interfere with everybody working. The troops were just starting to ready for their nightly patrol, shifts were changing, and the ever dutiful butler had gracefully directed the seemingly disorganized play going on in the estate without pause as he attended his charge's bedside. All of it being over Seras did finally manage to find her Master in his retreat below the earth. Upon her arrival she unnecessarily informed him of Sir Hellsing's newly acquired stability before taking a few shy steps into his room.
'Master –' she called quietly.
Alucard stood facing the brick wall silently and unmoving, as stance Seras knew better than to interrupt.
'Who is she?' the young vampire dared to express her thoughts to her master. Not fully expecting a response, and certainly not a prompt one, Seras waited quietly and patiently in the entrance a few moments before slinking quietly away.
'Someone you need to watch,' Alucard answered, startling Seras. 'A scheming viper who cannot be trusted.' The elder vampire turned to look at his childe. She looked surprised, as may well be. On the surface her new charge was a weak fragile woman barely possessing of herself, hardly a threat to anyone. The girl had so much to learn. 'You should know that flesh deceives by now.'
Momentarily irate at his words Seras puffed up her chest and stood tall, ready to defend her judgement before quickly deflating into submissive subservience. 'Yes, Master,' she replied, lowering her eyes a little.
Alucard laughed, a short, biting criticism of the fledgling's barely existent self-confidence. Without a glance he tossed a half-empty blood pack to the girl who only barely caught it. Turning and walking toward her he spoke as a master to a pupil. 'You'll need more strength for the coming war, if you wish to survive it.' As he spoke he continued his strides till he faded through her and vanished.
'What war?' Seras asked aloud to the empty room, holding the blood pack as one would a soiled rag. Frustrated at her master's silence and ambiguity Seras clenched her fists and muttered to herself as she ascended the stone staircase into the foyer, remembering the blood pack only after several curiously disgusted looks from the mercenary guards at the door. With a nervous chuckle Seras smiled and waved as if it was no big deal and then double-timed it across the manor to find Walter.
'It's hardly something to be worried about. Really,' a commanding but feminine voice stated obstinately. 'I'm feeling better now and I would prefer it if you would stop hovering about me as if I were a child, Walter. There's really nothing to worry about.'
'If it's not interfering too much, Sir Hellsing, I would prefer to stay here for the night.'
'Walter, I promise you there is nothing to worry about. The doctor said my blood pressure is returning to normal, and besides, there are only two vampires able to enter this estate and neither of them is going to do this to me,' Integra pushed, trying to find some way to rest in peace and alone.
'Three, actually. Though I doubt she'll try anything, Lady Integra, I would be more comfortable keeping a guard nearby through the night.'
Integra frowned. She had forgotten about Alucard's stunt, the reason she was in this state.
'Katrina is harmless,' Alucard's voice tore through the silence in the bedroom. Integra's frown deepened at the unwelcome intrusion as Alucard's body began to form at the end of the room. 'I give you my word.'
Integra's laugh was muffled and bitter. 'The word of a vampire –'
'Is as constant as the celestial lights,' Alucard finished for her.
'Or as fickle and vague. Poetry hardly suits you, Alucard,' Integra snapped back.
'For having just saved your pathetic life, you're not exactly overflowing with gratitude,' Alucard replied icily.
Integra's mouth opened to fire a retort, but she was still too exhausted to throw out a proper attack. 'If neither of you mind,' she said crisply, 'I would like to rest, if it isn't too much trouble.' Integra turned her glare to her servant who merely chuckled and bowed.
'As my master wishes,' he said quietly as he disappeared.
'Walter,' Integra turned to the butler, absently rubbing the edge of the tape holding the IV in her vein, 'would you check on the professor before retiring.'
Noting the tone that left little room for debate, Walter conceded and bowed slightly. 'The doctor should be in occasionally throughout the night to check on you,' he informed the young aristocrat. 'Good night, Sir Hellsing.'
'Good night, Walter,' Integra called after the retreating butler. At last alone she let her head fall back into the pillow on her bed. The last few days had been uncommonly crazy, even for her already abnormal lifestyle. She had so many questions that needed answers. There were so many riddles, so many inexplicable events that had to have logical explanations. Time travel, dimensional travel for one thing was far from a common accidental occurrence, and why to Dracula's castle? More disconcerting than the events transpired was the question of who set them in motion, and why. There were easier ways to kill a general, and any worthy adversary capable of such distortion of time would had to have known that Hellsing, with their wealth of knowledge in science and mysticism, not to mention the weapons they had created, had the ability to respond in kind. But all of her questions would have to wait, regardless of her taste in the matter. Ninety percent of war is planning and waiting for the battle, and it is difficult to fight an invisible enemy.
A/N: In the tradition of "The Circle Continues" in which no chapter ever exceeded 4 pages, that's all you get. And because I'm insanely moody at this current point in time I don't know when I'll continue, so don't bother asking. As always, questions and comments via e-mail are acceptable. I hope you all remember my dislike of one line reviews. If that's all you have for me, please don't bother. By the way... I hate this new system FFN has. －＿－；