AN: I wrote this more than a year ago while we still didn't know what to expect from our little cute and fat apostle Hirano. I don't really like this story myself, but since Lavinia Lavender did such a wonderful job editing it, it would be a shame not to post it:) Thank you for reading! ^^
In the front, environed with a few trees stood an old, almost broken-down house. A few streets to the right was a residential quarter. Some houses were built of red brick and all of them had a solid green fence around every yard. In the middle was still a bit of green park on a hillside. On the other side of a hill should have been a cemetery. Now you could say that the cemetery was all over the place. Integra was looking around, trying to remember other places of this city. In the end, there was nothing left but ashes. With one foot she trampled upon burned grass, thinking that it would be nice to have a smoke, but she hadn't anymore with her. A minute later she raised her face to look at a misty noon sun. It would be nice to go home, but she didn't know if she still had one. At least there still was a sooty bench, on which she was sitting and listening to the thumps of heavy footsteps behind her back. But Integra didn't trouble herself to look behind; she was a bit too tired to care. After all, she's only a human who tried to do God's duty. But the real reason she didn't turn around was that she didn't really want to look at that well-known face which would remind of burnt carrion and screams. She already remembered it all.
"Is that all?"
"Yes, Master. Are there any other assignments?"
"No. And there probably won't be for a while now."
There was a pause for some time. Alucard had also lost his home. For a third time.
"What's now?" Integra asked silently.
"Even if I knew, I'm just a monster, Master."
"So who else could I ask if not you?" Integra smiled a bit. "What else have I to ask besides monsters, zombies and other closely-related souls?"
Alucard leaned closer to Integra, almost touching her neck, so she could see a few black strands lying on her shoulder.
"In that case -" In a mellow voice and ignoring the last sentence, he started to whisper. "I want you to promise me one thing."
"I'm neither obliged nor about to promise you anything, vampire." She was too tired to be sarcastic. Alucard didn't care anyway.
"I want you to promise not to die before me. That's all. When the time comes, just finish what your ancestor has begun."
Integra didn't reply. She didn't see that broken-down house nor the few wretched acacias. Indeed, it looked like a fair deal. She was already quite tired, so then how unbelievably overwrought her vampire must be? It wouldn't be fair to leave him like this, without any secure future.
And Alucard with a smile on his face disappeared into a shadow. Maybe he should run around the city for a time or two, just to make sure. He was much calmer now, even if his master didn't say anything; they both knew that she would keep the promise.
***
A cold and fresh morning was breaking. Some time had already passed from the London catastrophe and most of the city was newly rebuilt, although there were few people who wanted to live here. Integra was looking through a window covered with steam; she was again living on the outskirts. This one wasn't damaged but the house was much smaller than her previous one. She was eager to go back to HQ; this house had no proper dungeons, not even a suitable basement, so Alucard kept his coffin in a constantly locked-up room. Most of the time he was somewhere outside, wandering in the city, even during the day.
Integra looked at her handkerchief, smeared with blood. There was still some time, she decided. All who knew her well also knew that she was incurably ill, but only she knew exactly how all of this would end. And so again in her mind she remembered those yellow pages, in which were written all the biggest secrets. You couldn't keep the strongest vampire under your foot if he knew everything, so even Alucard had no idea how many attempts were needed to finally turn him to dust. Integra took a deep breath. No matter how it had started, now that she was looking at her slightly bloody handkerchief, she finally had to admit that it was too late and she was already physically too weak. What was most terrible was that she wouldn't be able to keep the promise the way they both were thinking. But Alucard would wait; he still has a lot of time.
AN: Yes, that's it =D I got a lot of questions about this so I'll explain a little, I'm sorry I tend to leave all not extremely necessary details out xD We all know how touchy the subject of death is in Hellsing series. Here Integra promised she won't die before Alucard, but she overlooked possible endings. Now she has nothing left of her lungs, because she eats cigars for breakfast and dinner. And her health is not enough to kill Alucard, meaning she would have to die before him. That's where I'm hoping with all of you that she will decide to go with Alucard into eternal crimson night~~, because obviously he cannot kill himself =D But honestly, I don't have any idea how the characters would solve this kind of situation xD