The Bet Part II
So the deal was set.
Days passed and The Bet, which was what the subject was called, was still not put into effect. However, the Major did say that there would have to be a situation just like the one a year ago for Seras to play on, but Integra for the life of her didnt know how one would gain such a gaming ground unless they found a city and demolished it completely, just like a year ago. And since the Major had a plethora of new troops at his disposal, that was not really a problem.
So why the wait? She didnt know. The routine continued as was the norm, and the Major barely spoke of The Bet, other than to ask if she was really confident in her hand. And she answered that yes, she was confident in Seras. One hundred percent confident. The Major just gave her an amused look and resumed whatever activity they were currently doing.
Apparently, the Major was also confident in his own hand. And Integra would be lying if she said that his cool confidence didnt make her slightly uneasy. It gave her thoughts of her elder vampire--about how he had practically inhaled all that blood from London. It also made her remember that Seras was of Alucard's blood; and that she was, in fact, a vampire.... And Integra knew that vampires, no matter how much pride and nobility they had, they were fully suseptable to temptation...especially a temptation as large as the one the Major was referring to... It really made her think about this bet and whether or not the Major was going to actually call her out on the bet.
....And then she thought, of course he would. One of his terms was that she would marry him, and she knew how many times he had offered that to her. And each time, she had refused. Now, she didnt have a choice. And as for her own terms.... Either way, one of them would get what they truly wanted out of this deal; he his Valkyrie, and she her freedom and peace.
It was a month after The Bet was made, and still the Major hadnt done or said anything pertaining to The Bet. The day went as normal: wake up, dinner, walk, meeting, another dinner, pleasant parting words, off to bed. Yes, just another normal, routine day. Quite disappointing, really. So Integra took a shower and went to bed, unaware that the Major was in the airship hanger, giving coordinates to a specific place to the pilot.
It was a nice sleep Integra was having until she was jerked awake by a very loud, obnoxious siren. She almost fell out of the bed, but managed to compose herself and her dignity before leaping out of bed and rushing over to her window.....to find that she was midair. She was on a bloody airship! She looked around her room to find that it wasnt really her room. Nonetheless, she ran to the closet for something to wear, choosing a simple (white, of course) dress to throw on along with some gloves which was habit, since she didnt want to touch him, and rushed out of her door.
It didnt take her long to notice the thin strip of white on the floor leading right from her door and around some corners with obvious intent for her to follow. Cursing the Major a thousand times over, she followed the white strip down the hallways until she found the Kommandantzimmer. Inside was the Major, and no one else, who was sitting down on his chair, his legs crossed, fingers laced, and looking like he had been waiting only but a moment for her arrival.
"Guten tag, mein liebe," he drawled, his golden eyes flashing as he stood up. Integra gave him an ugly look. "Oh, vhat's that look for?"
"I am not in the mood for your games today, Major!" she snapped. "I was just woken up by an obnoxious siren and I want to know why!" The Major just grinned and walked over to her and put his hand on the small of her back, leading her out of the Kommandantzimmer and down another hall.
"It ist time," he said, taking a left to where the noise from outside was getting louder. Integra stared at him.
"Time for what?" she demanded. The Major just grinned more broadly and pressed a button to open a door, and the racket outside escalated to deafening levels. The sound didnt seem to bother the Major; on the contrary, it seemed to please him. He walked forward onto a balcony of sorts while the airship remained still hovering over a city, which was up in flames. Integra's eyes widened as she took in the sights and sounds of the carnage below. The Major stared down with her, the flames reflecting off his glasses.
"Time for our Bet to come into play." He raised his free hand and gestured behind him, and the Doktor walked up to them.
"Jawohl, Herr Major?" The Major didnt even turn around.
"Please fetch me something to drink, Dok," he replied. "Something hot, preferably, it's quite chilly out tonight." He nodded to Integra. "Und vhatever Frau Integra vishes."
Integra looked at the Doktor. "Bring me a cigar," she said. The Major turned to her and arched a brow. Integra just looked right back. "If I have to participate, I want to enjoy it," she said with finality. The Major just shrugged and nodded Dok off.
"Fine," he said. "Though that cigar vill seem useless vhen you lose our bet." Integra shot him another dirty look.
"We'll just see," she said through her teeth. She turned back to the devastation. "...Where are we, anyway?" The Major chuckled and pointed over to a large monument in flames. It was the Roman Colosseum. "...Your sense of humor does not amuse me." The Major just laughed and shook his head.
"My humor ist not vhat you should vorry yourself over," he said, pointing again, though this time much closer down. Integra looked and saw that he was pointing to a clearing where no flames were, but still there was something in there. He handed her a pair of binoculars and leaned forward on the railing.
Integra looked through the binoculars and adjusted them until she found what he was pointing at.
It was Seras. Integra's eyes widened a little as she took in the sight. Seras was lying down on her side, apparently unconscious, but seemingly unscathed. She was wearing what remained of her old Hellsing uniform; what remained was the skirt, the stockings, which were stained red, and a white sleeveless undershirt. "What is the meaning of this, Major?" she demanded. "What did you do to her!?"
The Major scoffed. "I didnt do anything," he replied. "I merely had Dok gif her something to keep her sedated until our bet could take place...und here ve are." He grinned and picked up another pair of binoculars for himself to watch Seras. "She should be vaking up any moment now...ah! There she goes!"
Integra looked back down and saw that Seras was indeed waking up. The girl shifted around and sat up, looking like she was just waking up from a nap. Integra heard the Major make a soft sound of anticipated joy.
"...So it begins...!"
Seras could hear the loud racket around her, but it seemed to fall dull on her ears as she woke up. She rubbed her eyes and looked around...and immediately knew that all was not right. She was not in her room; she wasnt even in the damn Nazi HQ! She shot up and looked around wildly. "Wha....what's going...!?" It was then that all the fire, the screams, and the smell of carnage hit her. She could smell rivers of blood everywhere, and she could hear the screams of people that were still alive and the groans of the ghouls about to eat the living. It was confusing and infuriating, and she wanted to know what was going on!
Standing up straight, Seras flexed her left arm to summon her wing....but nothing happened. She looked down at it and saw that it was in its normal flesh form with no sign of it shadowing for her power summons. She had run low on power, and she needed nourishment. The smell of blood smacked her in the face once more, and she almost staggered at the strength of the smell. There was nourishment everywhere, she realized. She could just find a spot with enough blood to take into herself, and she would be strong enough to fly back to Sir Integra and the Major...
"Here you are, Herr Major, Frau Integra." The Dok returned with a small silver tray with a small cup of cocoa for the Major and a pack of fine cigars for Integra.
"Danke, my brilliant Doktor," the Major said, taking his cup from the tray. Integra nodded and picked up one of the cigars, but paused before she lit a match. Seras had gotten up and was walking over to the edge of her clearing. "Oh, vould you look at zat!" the Major said before sipping his drink. "She's moving toward ze smell of blood!"
"She's finding some nourishment!" Integra shot back. "Our deal was that she would take an entire city's worth, NOT a few mouthfuls!"
"I know zat, Fraulein, just give her time." The Major gave her a charming yet sickening smile.
Seras looked around, smelling for a fresh source. Of course the freshest source would be from a human, but right now, she didnt want to imbibe upon that. Blood off the ground would suffice more for her taste. As she took a few steps forward, she felt rather woozy, and held her head as a slight nausea overcame her. It felt like she was starving. How long had she been unconscious for, anyway? She put a hand on her stomach, which screamed from it's unhappy hollow emptiness in begging to be filled.
It only made the smell of blood that much more tantalizing. She was hungry, and she wanted.....she needed blood!
A soft sound that seemed to pass over even the screams caught her ears. It was a sound that she'd heard before, back over a year ago. It was the sound of blood flowing little creeks into a river. It was such...a sweet sound...like the sound of a vampire's version of Heaven's everflowing waters--or in this case, blood. The sound alone made her empty body quell its screaming and instead gently implore to be filled. To take it. All of it. All. Of. It.
....................No.
No, she couldnt take all of it! That would be........so tyrannical! All of those people.....they didnt need to spend their existences inside of her! She didnt need all of it, just a little......
The soft, sweet sound grew louder, and her thoughts were gently cut off.
Integra's eyes widened as the obvious movement below her--the rivers of blood--cascaded down buildings, over rubble, and through the streets toward the subconscious call of the vampire. She could hear the Major's insanely happy giggling beside her.
"Oh, you might vant to start picking out your vedding dress right now, meine leibe," he said, smirking triumphantly. Integra only shot him another glare, but couldnt say much else. From the looks of things....it would seem that the Major was indeed.....right......
At the moment, Integra didnt even feel like having her cigar anymore.
As with most things that would cause inevitable terrors, Seras first heard the blood....and then she saw it. From the small distance away, she could see the red blood cascading up, down, around, and toward her. She turned around a 180, then 360, and saw the same thing from all angles. The blood was coming to her. All of it...this entire city's worth! It was coming to feed her! A small sense of relief rose from the pit of her being...
No!
Once again, she shook her head. No! She didnt want the whole city! All she wanted was just enough to get out of here! She turned to run away from it, only to be met with the edge of a blood river, the tips seeming to reach out for her like a child to be taken into her vampiric womb. "Wha--!?" She stepped back, beginning to feel sick again, and turned when she heard another cry to be fed behind her. Seras began to feel overwhelmed by the sight, the smell, the sound....
Do it.
Drink the blood.
Seras.
Seras's eyes widened when she actually heard the blood talk to her! No, no no! She was going crazy!
Hear their pleas...
Just going crazy was all...!
Feel their essence......you know you want it....
Fuck, it was getting closer! She backed away, putting her hands over her ears to drown out the sound, feeling her fangs elongate and her shadows fighting to break through the skin of her left arm.
...To own the souls.......to dominate them...
Tears of confusion, pain, and frustration welled in her eyes as she dug her fingernails into her scalp.
...They WANT you to do it!!!
God why wouldnt it shut up!?! It was one chorus of voices melded into one perfect, tempting medley...the temptation sounded like Alucard, the Major, and even herself, all in one....they all wanted her to do it...to drink it....
...So accept the blood...
Tears ran from her eyes as she felt her defenses slip away.......
...And DRINK!!!
"Let is face it, meine Fraulein," the Major said as he watched the blood flow within three feet of Seras's body. "...I haf vone."
Integra turned away, biting her lip to keep from crying, pushing the Major over the railing, or both. He was right........he was right....
"NOOOOOOO!"
Both the Major and Integra shot their gazes down to her, where her cry was heard over all the conflagration. Seras had been forced to her knees from her inner battle and was surrounded by the blood......which had stopped their flow to her and now formed a ring less than two feet all around her, showing that she had stopped it herself with sheer will.
Seras slumped forward so she was on both her hands and knees, feeling her body shake from the struggle. It was so painful......hurt so bad.....! But she didnt waver.
"I...." she said, her voice quaking, "...I'm not.....a tyrant....." Her voice carried through the dead silent, which had unexplainably fallen over the city. Seras clenched her teeth and shot her head up to scream into the fiery Hell before her.
"I!!! AM NOT!!! A TYRANT!!!"
Letting her tears flow freely, she clenched her hands into fists and stood up in the middle of the circle, and took a step forward, her foot stepping a mere inch from the ring. As she stepped forward, the blood ring instantly parted and drew away from her, as though being thrown back from sheer will.
Up on the airship, the Major's hand actually trembled as he watched with pure disbelief at what he was seeing. "...Vhat ist this....?" he murmured to himself as he watched his Captain walk out of the circle and toward the direction of the airship, the river of blood parting to make a perfectly clean path for her to walk on; it was like watching an unholy version of the Bible take place before his eyes.
To his left, he heard a match strike as Sir Integra lit up her cigar. The woman had a passive look on her face, though her blue eyes were shining more brightly than they had in over a year. "...She didnt take the blood," she said, looking at the Major as she exhaled the smoke.
"Which means...I win."
The Major just stared down at his Captain, who was still walking away from the battle she had won and he had lost.
........He had lost.
"......how......?" he muttered quietly to himself, so quietly that Integra didnt quite catch it. The cup trembled in his hand until it slipped from his fingers and crashed to the floor. "How could I haf lost?"
He had bet everything. Everything! He had a full house in his hand, but his Fraulein had the Royal Flush. His hand had lost, and his cards were burning before his eyes. Since when? Since when were his cards worthless!?
Integra merely arched a brow at the stoic, very uncharacteristic silence her companion was exhibiting. "...I'll be getting my things," she said. "As per our deal, you will drop me off in London and leave. Forever. Tell Seras that I'll be waiting for her." She turned to leave.
That last bit lit a small bulb in the Major's head. ".......Nein," he said, turning to face her, his eyes hidden behind the glare of light on his glasses. Integra paused and turned to face him, her teeth clenched around her cigar.
"We had a deal!" she shot back, her fists clenched. "You agreed that if I won--!"
"Then you vould be set free," the Major finished for her, his visage still unhappy, but his eyes regaining a slight spark. "You said absolutely nothing about Seras joining you in freedom."
A cold dread and a look of shock fell upon Sir Integra. And then she knew that he was right. No, she couldnt have been so stupid as to forget that detail! She couldnt have been! The Major took his leave before she could.
"You vill be sent back to London," he said, putting his hands behind his back. "You vill be free. The British Isles shall be kept immune from my var, und nothing else. Captain Seras Wictoria stays vith me. Those are the rules." He walked away from her. "Auf Wiedersehen, my Valkyrie......Auf Wiedersehen...."
Integra stood silently on the balcony, looking down on the fiery inferno. After a moment, she took her cigar out of her mouth and threw it into the chaos below. There was nothing to celebrate. Nothing.
Part III epilogue soon to come.