Hello everyone, this is the 2nd chapter of this fanfic and I have to say thank you to Kryza M. Kimmel for reviewing, please continue to review and I invite everyone else to review as well. Please, please review. Thank you and hope to see you soon.
"So this is the human world 20 years onwards" Rip muttered to herself as she opened up her umbrella and stepped outside 2012 London, she was truly amazed with the amount of changes that had occurred while she had been sleeping, especially with the thrust and boost to technology. Back then automobiles were all the rage and apparently still are but with the added features of cup holders, cruise control and something called GPS which apparently allows you to track where you are. That was just the tip of the ice berg as Rip found herself confused about things such as ITunes, IPods, IPhones and all that as her head were practically swimming with all the information that was in her head.
"How's it feel to come back to the human world after all these years?" Maria asked, she had been ordered by Satan to accompany Rip on her mission as it would be a shock to the young woman after 20 years in a coma unknown about the world around her.
"Honestly? I feel like I just left it…only for it to march on without me" Rip said, 20 years was a long time to lose time, a long time to sleep…so many things that Rip didn't know about, so many events that remain unknown to her and so many things that she had to learn. Without these knowledge Rip felt so alone and vulnerable and it showed from her body language and behaviour, while others in London wore jeans and shirts Rip was still wearing her usual outfit of a suit and white gloves, she felt isolated and unique to the throngs of people here in addition to perhaps being the only living vampire left on Earth.
"That happens a lot when souls have been sleeping for a long time and they wake up to an entirely different world then they're familiar with" Maria explained, she was still dressed in a maid's uniform though that attracted less attention that Rip's clothes, "most times the souls are then shocked by what happens and they become angry and confused…hence why mortals always seem to tell ghost stories a lot these days."
"So ghosts…are basically souls of Hell?" Rip asked, she herself had never seen a ghost but she had heard plenty of ghost stories when she was in the SS and still human, some of the stories frightened her but now that she was a denizen of Hell she had to think what would she do if she was a in a similar situation like those poor souls…probably go mad within a few years.
"Hell, Heaven, Purgatory…all souls that are unable, or unwilling, to go into either of these three worlds remain here where they stay and wallow in anger and hatred" Maria said sadly, "now come we need to meet with the Duke."
"Y-yes" Rip said as she remembered her mission that was set to her by Satan.
Satan came into the lounge room where Rip awoke to as he then smiled, "Good to see you again Rip, have you been well?"
"Y-yes I have" Rip said nodding, she was still a bit frightened by Satan, although he was nice and he acted nice towards Rip she had to wonder what would happen if anyone displeased him...being the Fallen One most likely something bad and horrible would happen to the offender so she was afraid of displeasing him.
"Don't be so nervous Rip" Satan said with a grin, "I have a task for you to do" he said as he brought over a stack of folders and placing them on the table in front of Rip as she took one and opened it to reveal the details of a small girl, around 10 years old, with blue eyes and blonde hair; the next folder also had the details of a girl and the next and the next.
"They are all girls around 10 to 12 years old" Rip commented.
"Perceptive" Satan said with a small chuckle, "over the last few weeks several girls of similar ages has been taken in London, the police are baffled completely by it and none of our Soul Collectors have been able to find a trace of them" he explained.
"Could your Soul Collectors be..." Rip bit her lip wondering if this was pushing it as she looked down, "i-incompetent?"
Satan gave a wry chuckle, "If you asked me that several centuries ago I probably say yeah but these days" he exhaled as he seemed to be practically glowing in pride, "the answer is no, they're the best I've ever seen them but it does concern me if the Soul Collectors can't find them at all...so I'm going to send you to the mortal realm so that you can investigate it. I'm also sending Maria with you, she knows a lot of things and contacts in the human world and she'll also help you to readjust to the human world since it has changed a lot during your sleep."
"The Duke's the number one person if you want to find anything out, he has a lot of ears and eyes all over London, and Europe in general, so that should be our first stop" Maria explained.
"What kind of man is the Duke?" Rip asked, the image she got was a young man with long hair, a cigar in his mouth and a top hat as well as a charming personality but judging by how things have changed during her sleep it could be somebody completely different.
"Well he's kind of a charmer and playboy" Maria said with a slight giggle, "but in truth he's just a manipulative and cruel person who isn't above killing innocent people" she said with a slight growl; it seemed that Maria's personality could change from playful to aggressive at a drop of a hat, Rip wondered if all demons were like this or was it just Maria as she followed her through the modern streets of London. The layout had changed dramatically since she was last here, it seemed a lot has happened in 20 years, some of the streets that Rip once knew were no longer there as they had disappeared while others had replaced it making Rip very confused as to where they were going right now.
Eventually they arrived at a posh house that seemed to have been built in the 1990s, perhaps even after or before the Major's invasion, it was quite simple with white walls and a roof and several statues of Aphrodite adorned the gardens as Maria and Rip walked into the garden, "Maria" Rip said, "since he's a Duke and all...any ideas how I should act?" she asked as she had no idea how to deal with nobility, the Major had offered Rip once to a ball but Rip refused citing that she wasn't feeling well but in truth Rip was just afraid of nobles because of her past...the nobles used to look down on her family and Rip especially and she still had a bad feeling in her mouth about that even today.
"Oh don't worry Miss Van Winkle" Maria said, "although he may act like one he's not much of a Duke, just leave the talking to me and we'll be just fine~" Maria said as she then went and knocked on the door as an old man wearing a butler's uniform answered the door, "we're here to talk to the Duke" Maria said bluntly as the butler looked at them with suspicious eyes.
"And who might you be?" the butler asked politely.
"Oh come on Jasper, you know it's me Maria" Maria said impatiently as Jasper did not show any signs of knowing Maria as he simply bowed and ushered them in, "honestly Jasper you can quit the butler act, you've been one for almost 200 years."
"And I intend to continue being one for another 200 years" Jasper said with the smallest of smiles, "and who might this young lady be?" he asked looking at Rip.
"Rip Van Winkle, excuse me, I mean First Lieutenant Rip Van Winkle" Maria said.
"No need for the rank...I'm not in the...army anymore" Rip said as she almost said that she wasn't in Millennium anymore, that would've made the hurt much more real, she wasn't a soldier anymore...just a simple soul working for Satan and therefore she would have to ditch the rank if she wanted to be her own self, to be free of the shackles of Millennium.
"Ah...the vampire sniper" Jasper drawled as he nodded, "lots of talk in the Underworld about you...being the Dark Lord's favorite."
"I'm hardly his favorite, I'm just a new soul" Rip said.
"Still, to have the Dark Lord be interested in you is enough to interest all of us, even my lord is excited to meet you Miss Van Winkle" Jasper said as he led them down a hallway that seemed to be trapped in time as the pictures did not looked modern at all and it looked more like they were taken in the 80s or 70s as Rip took a look at them with interest before they were led to a lounge room where there were several black sofas postiioned so that all the sofas made a circle as well as a blazing fire while other pictures adorned the walls, "please come in...I shall ready some tea" Jasper said as Maria thank him as she and Rip sat down.
"Comfy place" Rip commented, she sometimes dreamed that she had a home like this back in Germany, of course that dream was short-lived as she found herself still fighting on even 50 years after World War II had ended as she sighed, Hell would be her home now and what a home that was...
"Jealous?" Maria asked nonchalantly as she made herself comfortable on the sofa.
"A bit...but I guess you can't have everything in life, or in death it seems" Rip said with a small smile.
"It is possible to have everything, it's just the matter of how you get it" Maria replied, "if one really wants it and works hard for it then you'll get it...or alternatively one can get it through other less moral means."
"As expected of a demoness such as yourself Miss Maria" a more younger male voice exclaimed as Rip turned to see a man with a black tuxedo, fair skin and brilliantly white perfect teeth as he walked towards them as he looked at Rip, "ah...this must be the infamous Rip Van Winkle" he drawled as he bowed, "I am the Duke, and it is a great honor to meet you, I have heard of your...achievements" he said as Rip shivered, for some reason she didn't get a good feeling from this guy at all.
"T-thank you" Rip said with a slight bow.
"Now what can I do for you two ladies?" Duke asked as he sat down on one of the sofa, taking the one right in front of the fire so that the fire gave him a soft red glow.
"We're here to talk about the girls that have gone missing over the last few weeks" Maria said, "do you know anything about them?"
"Blunt, straight to the point and a bit aggressive" Duke with a grin, "I like that in a woman" as Maria looked to be slightly angry, "women these days...they may act tough and dominant but in truth...they're still as subversive and weak as they were since the beginning of time."
"Enough chatter" Maria said angrily as she rose as Rip did the same but put a hand on her shoulder as Maria looked at her with eyes of anger and hurt.
"Do not do it Maria" Rip said as she looked at the Duke and now knew why she didn't like the man, he reminded her too much of the bullies that always picked on her when she was a child; his manner, his posture...even the way he smiled at them all reminded Rip of the way the children back in Germany used to treat her...like she was weak and could break at any minute and if the Duke was what she thought he was...then he would have had centuries of seeing that firsthand. Rip stood tall as she approached the Duke, "Duke, I'm sure it is in your best interest that you tell us any information you know about the girls, I'm sure if Jasper went missing then you would do anything to find him right?" she asked.
"How do you know that Miss Van Winkle?" the Duke asked, "What you are saying are mere speculations though I will not deny that I would look for Jasper if he were to go missing but what is the point you are trying to make?"
"That the parents of the missing girls...would they not know the pain you would go through? The pain of losing a loved one...I'm sure in your life there have been a few people who you would tear through the heavens to find" Rip continued to say as there was a slight tremor from the Duke as he looked at a picture briefly as Rip glanced at it, it depicted a ballerina with light brown hair and white as snow skin, before looking back at the Duke as he exhaled.
"You do not know what I have suffered...even though you a vampire you are still too young by my standards to know true pain and suffering" the Duke snarled but his expression softened as he sighed and sat down, "I don't know all the details but sometimes I've heard that there are...unsavory people that sometimes hang around the docks though I do not know what they do there" he said as Rip nodded.
"Thank you" she said as the Duke simply waved them away, his eyes misting with tears as the two of them left, Rip was surprised to find that she was able to extract the information from him easier then expected though in retrospect the Duke could simply be lying and just playing it up but it was the only information he was going to give them as Rip looked at Maria and nodded as Maria sighed and went out with her.
"What was that all about?" Maria asked when Jasper showed them the way out.
"What do you mean?" Rip asked, "I talked to him and I got the information that we needed."
"You know what I mean Miss Van Winkle...I have known the Duke for a long time and not once have I seen him like this, like his heart had been wrenched apart" Maria said as Rip gave a small laugh, "what's so funny?"
"Only that you are the first person that I've know that is able to make the Duke reveal information without him insulting you afterwards...in fact I think you've made him cry a little" Maria said as her eyes betrayed not only surprise but also laughter as well.
"Yes well..." Rip said uncomfortably as she looked away as she did not want to talk about it since she knew that the Duke must've lost someone very dear to him, whether Maria knew that or not she did not know and she had no wish to let Maria know if she had no idea about it, a man is entitled to his secret and this is one secret that Rip knew would leave him very vulnerable if people knew about it.
"I see...it's that private huh?" Maria said as sighed and shook her head, "very well let us go to the docks as the Duke said. Perhaps we can find some clues as to what is happening here."
They began to walk towards the docks as per the Duke's instructions, Rip was wondering what kind of things would Rip see, if the Duke was the one telling them then it was most likely that there would be some sort of useful information that would be worth seeing or finding out, Rip couldn't wait because she did want to know what was happening...she remembered the Hitler Youth organisation and she remembered how the children had been treated in that organisation, how they had been brainwashed into believing that they were superior then anyone else, at the time Rip had welcomed it because it meant new blood was always around but now...now for the first time she had to admit that despite the short time she had been alive since her 'death' she had a change of heart...perhaps what they did, forcing people to join the Third Reich, was wrong...children should remain children not becoming soldiers at such a young age. Rip had joined the Third Reich when she was 18 so she wasn't a child then but...she was reminded of Schrödinger and how fanatic he was, she had heard from Maria that instead of allowing himself to be captured he apparently committed suicide and decapitated himself...a victim of a merciless and cruel regime. By the time they had arrived at the docks Rip was beginning to wonder if her joining the Third Reich was a good idea...
"Hey we're here" Maria said as Rip looked up and nodded, the docks were quite and with the half-moon light shining on it Rip felt a bad omen was about to happen as she sighed, she then took out her musket and loaded it as Maria watched her, "do you think we need weapons?" she asked nonchalantly.
"I don't know...but my training says it's better to have a weapon when going into unknown territory" Rip said quoting the old training maxim that was beaten into her when she was a human during World War II as Maria simply nodded and took out a longsword as the two of them began to proceed towards one of the warehouses. The night was quite and only the sound of the waves betrayed that there was anything there as the two of them sneaked slowly and quietly not wanting to attract any attention as Rip and Maria arrived at one of the warehouses; using her supernatural senses she could hear soft voices coming from the warehouse as she gestured for Maria to follow her...knowing warehouses there was most likely a back entrance which they could use to sneak in. She had been in her fair share of warehouses and she knew that most warehouses would have similar structure and features as they found the backdoor, thankfully unlocked, as they heard voices of children inside as Rip and Maria stayed low in case whoever was kidnapping them saw them and they decided to kill the children as the voices of the children became louder and Rip could hear what they are saying.
"This is unacceptable" one of the children was saying, a male judging by its voice and also with a slight German accent, "we cannot keep taking girls all the time, the police are beginning to suspect something is wrong."
"But we don't have a choice Hans" another one said, this time a girl also with a German accent, "only girls are going to accept our offer, none of the boys have taken it."
The boy, Hans, seemed to have then slapped the girl as she cried out in pain, "It was your plan Marie! Yours! If we fail to reignite the glorious Third Reich I will know who to blame!"
"Y-yes Hans" Marie whimpered as she sobbed lightly. At this point Rip had a very bad feeling that something was wrong, the way Hans and Marie were talking, the fact that there were no adult voices so far...a breath hitched in Rip's throat as she shuddered at the thought of what she thought was happening as she began to stand up slowly.
"Miss Van Winkle what are you doing?" Maria asked as Rip continued to go on, "Please come back, they're going to see you."
"I want them to see me" Rip said as she accidentally knocked a steel bar as it echoed all over the warehouse before the unmistakable sound of MP 40s and Lugers being cocked resounded soon after.
"Who is there?" Hans asked as Rip stepped out of the shadows and for the first time her fears were correct, in a circle were several girls that were tied up and looking with frightened expressions at Rip and surrounding them were no more then 10 or 15 children, their ages ranging from 10 to 16, all armed with either MP 40s or Lugers trained clumsily at Rip, "Who are you?" Hans asked again.
"First Lieutenant Rip Van Winkle" Rip replied which drew some gasps and mutterings amongst the children.
"Impossible" one of them remarked, "Obersturmführer Van Winkle perished more then 20 years ago during London's invasion."
"Well...things changed" Rip said admitting that she had no idea why Satan resurrected her and not her comrades though truthfully she had never asked him, "can I ask who you people are?"
Hans then stood tall and proudly as he smiled, "We are the remnants of the Hitler Youth Group, we are the ones that will usher in a new dawn on all the world!" he said as everyone else cried out 'Heil Hitler!' as Rip simply looked on wondering how on Earth they could still be existing before a familiar voice then echoed across the warehouse.
"Rip? Is that you?" as Rip turned to face none other then Warrant Officer Schrödinger.
