Clad in the usual yellow attire as assigned so many years ago, the vampire Seras Victoria hovered casually around a wide array of windows overlooking the exterior grounds of the rebuilt Hellsing Manor. She was young, dramatically so when compared to her master, Alucard of course, but even with the relatively few years between the attack on London and the present day, Seras was beginning to understand a little bit about why Alucard ran that line between aloof and bizarrely whimsical.
There was a certain amount of freedom associated with being one of the strongest manner of living dead, and yet there also came a degree of boredom and want. Integral Hellsing was old now, and surely Alucard and Seras wouldn't stay chained into the walls of Hellsing Manor forever, even for being as much of a violently familial ensemble as they happened to be. A whisper of uncertainty passed along the vampiress' face as she considered the idea. No doubt her master had dwelled and moved on from the thought on and off for the hundreds of years of life he possessed, but now it began to process in her own mind.
What comes next? Shall the two vampiric agents of Hellsing carry on the legacy into tomorrow? When Sir Hellsing has died, and lay beneath the Earth, will they continue fighting the random undead they discover hiding in the dark corners of the world? Do they carry her legacy through their unlife for the next ten years? Twenty? One hundred? What if they never meet another enemy half as strong as those in Millennium? Alucard has seen several hundreds of years of technological progression between his days as Lord Dracula, and his servitude. What if the next half a century of unlife takes them into the stars? Are they to be expected to keep their shadowy crusade into the realm of science fiction as it would be known today? What if the Earth is ended in an apocalypse and few others, if any, survive?
'No.' The Draculina mumbled to herself, attempting to force a manner of dignity and optimism back into her mind. True, she had grown considerably. Not only in strength as expected, but in personality and willpower. Miss Victoria stood a far cry from the young, tentative, human police girl she started as. Her lips often bore and angle that shifted between a pleasant smile of genuine content, and a smirk of arrogance and superiority. Certainly a trait passed down from her beloved sire.
As though having been dwelling within the young Englishwoman's own mind, the baritone voice of Alucard erupted from what seemed like shadows behind her, though the room was lit well enough. Sunlight filtered through the windows, playing across the tiled and carpeted flooring. Another thing Seras had gotten used to in what could be called her forced growth spurt, courtesy of Millennium forcing the agents of Hellsing to raise themselves to unmatched levels.
"Seras. You're brooding." The red-clad count hummed. "It's unlike you."
Years ago, she would have jumped, but instead she just released a deep exhale, and turned her body enough to face her master, while her head remained somewhat window-bound, viewing the mild breeze in the foliage, as well as the birds flittering about the overcast, but otherwise pleasant enough sunlight.
"This must have been how you felt, when a young Sir Integra stumbled into you when she was growing up." Seras spoke, giving jest while keeping an honest outlook.
Alucard laughed, genuinely amused and yet not unkind. "Trust me, Miss Victoria. You have a long, long way to go before you get near the kind of thoughts I have." His footsteps echoed while smooth, black boots clacked around her form. Long arms folded upon one another, white gloves locking in place while his famous red long coat met with the wall beside the window sill. His eyes were trained on Seras' face, but she still did not meet his gaze. "Go on then. What is it that you aren't saying? There's really no point in keeping it to yourself."
She knew he was right, of course. And if there was anyone to talk to, she knew that he'd have already been there long, long before she had. Despite his taunting and strange frivolities, she recognized his extensive familiarity with all manner of life experiences. Internal and otherwise.
"It's stupid." The vampiress expressed, voice still steady, but undoubtedly uncertain within her thoughts.
"It isn't." Alucard answered bluntly. "I've watched you grow from that confident, but weak police girl, into a night walking killing machine. A predator that made the enemies of humanity quake in fear. But you're still young. Nobody grows up that fast, Seras."
"Fine." She submitted. "What happens next? Overall, I mean. I guess I never really gave it too much thought, but we destroyed a war machine. We've done everything from save individual people, to towns, to the entire world. Are we supposed to just stick to our guns, even after Hellsing invariably dissolves one day?"
"That's awfully deep, my little Draculina." Acluard cooed in simultaneous play and affection alike. "Do you remember that I was once chained here? Bound and kept in a state of living death, unable to move or think or feel, yet also unable to die?"
Seras nodded, knowing the story of what happened between his binding and subsequent unleashing by the young Sir Integra.
"What do you think I would have been doing if I hadn't been kept that way? Without any doubt, I would have walked the Earth itself, making my own way. Perhaps I would have reverted to the more self-serving ways that I preferred when I was known by another name. Maybe it wouldn't really have mattered, and I would have behaved as we do now. Really, there's no point. Because what happened happened."
Seras remained silent, and listened to her master.
"My point, Seras, is that we are still ourselves. Long after the Hellsing house withers and dies, so long as we stay together, nothing will have changed. Humans age and die. It is the fate of Sir Integra, and all other humans. That is their fate to meet one day, but it isn't ours. When we no longer have anyone here to stand with, all we will have is one another. The day I embraced you and turned you into what you are, is the day we became bound together by our very blood."
Seras gently tilted her head towards Alucard, her expression unchanged, save for the mildest tint of understanding, and a softness of trust and affection on her brow. Her master's arms unlocked from one another, and a gloved hand floated down upon her shoulder. It was surprisingly gentle, in betrayal of the legendary vampire's appearance. Her eyes drifted to the glass panes again, the Draculina suddenly feeling that old comfort she remembered from after the night in Cheddar. Standing, and still appearing quite small compared to her towering master, Seras felt the corners of her mouth curl just a little bit, as the comfort of her masters words and presence gave her reason to have faith in the days far ahead.
