A Blast from the Past

Chapter Three

Arriving at the Hellsing mansion, well secluded from the main city by trees and high walls, things were feeling tense once again. It was a blessing for the seclusion, Avelina feeling much more relaxed with the surrounding forestry despite the tall mansion before her. Although she had seen grand buildings before this one struck her as a little odd. There appeared to be no reason for its large size but apart for housing a family, and perhaps an army. To her this was a place of nobility. Glancing at Integra who had exited the steel vehicle and moved to address a servant by the front doors, grey eyes narrowed curiously. She did not appear particularly noble but Avelina supposed in this day and age nobility did not necessarily walk around flashing gold and other family treasures, or wore distinguishing clothing or armour. It was undeniable that there was a strong air around the seasoned woman who, like herself, appeared to have seen much more than any other human. The way she held herself told Avelina much about the woman.

A fighter, strong and tall, but she hardly appeared to be the sort that would stand on the front lines in the dirt. No, the straightness of her back and air of superiority spoke of leadership; a general perhaps? Whoever this woman was that had taken her under her wing, this Integra person was someone to be respected and not to be underestimated. Avelina's attention snapped to yet another monster descending the stairs towards Integra, the Crusader once again finding it hard to stop herself from drawing her sword. This monster appeared to have once been a young, blonde haired woman with a somewhat rounded face. Barely an adult and yet she had been made into one of the night creatures, blood red eyes shining oddly warmly at Integra as she welcomed her back. Only to notice the odd one out finally. Like the others, the blonde vampire did a small double take at the sight of her, hardly expecting to see a woman clad in full armour beside the car.

"S-Sir Integra, wh-who is that?" she asked nervously much to Avelina's amusement.

Purposefully she took a step closer, her chainmail clinking lightly along with her sword, succeeding in unnerving the vampire further. Integra seemed to notice, rolling her visible eye lightly before motioning for Avelina to follow.

"Not right now Seras, just get me my tea and cigar and take it up to my office. I'm going to need it."

"Right away! Erm…nice to meet you," the woman named Seras offered the Crusaders warily.

Narrowing her eyes dangerously at the vampire clearly telling her they were not friends, the blonde skittered away quickly.

"Please keep your sword sheathed whilst inside my home," Integra suddenly ordered, an intimidating eye falling back on the Crusader, "although there are two vampires running around I assure you, they are my servants and I will not tolerate you trying to kill them."

Not remarking on the obscene idea of vampire servants, Avelina wisely kept her mouth shut as she followed the woman inside the mansion, eyeing up the insides in hopes of finding some more information. There was very little in the means of decoration but for a few family portraits here and there adorning the walls.

Led through the mansion and its many similar hallways, Avelina soon found herself stood in a large room with towering glass windows to the back overlooking the field and forest out back. The room was poorly lit with the setting sun but by some sort of magic artificial lights appeared at the flick of a switch. There were many wonders it seemed to be had in this world. Integra almost dropped herself into her seat behind her somewhat dishevelled desk, unsigned paperwork still awaiting her along with several folders on new recruits. Avelina stood stiffly before the desk, gauntlet covered hands clasped behind her back wondering what would happen next. No doubt she was to be questioned but would it be an easy conversation or a form of inquisition? Either way there was no point in trying to run away, despite everything she would not last long in the world outside without aid. Upon sensing a sudden shift in the air, grey eyes snapped to the shadowed corner close to Integra's right, noticing a glimmer of crimson amongst the darkness.

"Must you always try to eavesdrop Alucard?" Integra sighed out of annoyance, clearly used to his tactics.

"You think I would miss this, my master? Really, and here I thought you knew me well," the low drawl echoed off the walls, a grin practically heard in his words as the tall, dark vampire melded from the shadows. Crimson coat and all.

To make the Crusader feel even more on edge Seras chose that as her time to enter, carrying a tray with a teapot and cup laid upon it, along with a small mahogany box that smelt vaguely of tobacco. Integra growled quietly as Seras edged around the room towards her desk, despite the fact that Avelina was the most nervous of them all.

"So, Crusader…" standing straighter at being addressed, Avelina's eyes never left Integra, "If you don't mind me asking, just how did you manage to become a stone statue?"

Avelina shifted on the spot, lightly cocking her head, "if you will first explain something to me, what do you know of me?"

The leader of Hellsing took a moment to light her cigar, taking a long drag from the stick of tobacco that had saved her sanity over the many years before finally answering, mostly recalling what she had heard in passing from inside the museum. To the woman's surprise the Crusader chuckled lightly.

"I see, so that is what they say…they would be mostly correct, I did indeed fight among the front lines in most of our battles," as she spoke she slowly unclasped her hands from behind her back and began unbolting the leather cuirass that bound her torso until she tossed it aside into the empty chair, "although they called me a Countess I was but a commoner before I joined the Crusades. They did not find me, as the nobles liked to brag, claiming to have found a woman sent by God to be his vengeful angel among men. I was but a normal woman who wished to fight in God's name for peace, but of course women were meant to be seen and not heard," Avelina next removed the heavy chainmail, the metal ringlets clinking loudly as they hit the chair but the long sword remained belted at her hips, "so they would not take me…until our village was attacked and the King's men fled. I alone defended the homes of those that lived there. They did not laugh after that."

"It doesn't sound so different as it is nowadays," Integra couldn't help but add dryly, understanding all too well the way women were treated when they wished for power that men held.

Avelina inclined her head in acknowledgement, next disposing of her gauntlets revealing lightly tanned hands. With most of her armour gone the marks of her battles became more obvious. They had not noticed the scars that lined her arms at first, but now they could see them clearly, ranging in size and depth.

"As to why I turned to stone…I was cursed by a witch during my last battle...strange," she suddenly frowned over at Integra, "you were the one that was present when the curse broke, yes?"

Integra slowly nodded, "what are you getting at?" she noticed the confused look on Avelina's face and rephrased herself, "is that important?"

The Crusader's mind was a whir of thoughts, staring intently at the blonde seated woman who met her gaze without hesitation. In a way she reminded her of herself. Glancing once again over the two vampires, Alucard oddly remaining silent out of curiosity perhaps, Avelina wondered how much she should speak in front of said creatures. Noticing her sudden silence, Integra narrowed her eye.

"You can speak in front of my servants, they will speak of nothing mentioned unless I state otherwise."

"First I must ask you this, what is your name? Is it not still common decency to introduce yourself?"

The elderly woman bristled slightly, looking somewhat annoyed either due to not having introduced herself, or being chided for not doing so. Nonetheless the platinum blonde nodded lightly in acquiescence.

"It seems only fair, I am Sir Integra Fairbrook Wingates Hellsing, these are my servants Alucard Nosferatu and Seras Victoria."

Avelina could not help but blink in surprise at the woman, momentarily freezing, "…Hellsing?" before she lightly shook her head, running a hand across her face, "things are becoming somewhat clearer now…"

"What do you mean? You have heard the name Hellsing before?" Integra was curious to know, especially considering she had only heard of her ancestor Abraham Van Hellsing who was at least 400 years after the Crusader's own time.

Avelina stood tall once again, steel grey eyes meeting Integra's with an odd light in them, a strange sort of relief but the reasoning behind it was not so obvious.

"Yes I have heard the name Hellsing before, for it is my name. My name is Avelina Hellsing."

"Preposterous!" Alucard suddenly cackled, laughing almost uncontrollably in the thick silence that had fallen, it seemed her words had amused the vampire greatly, "you expect us to believe that, crusader?

"I expect you to believe nothing until my blade pierces your heart," Avelina spat at the vampire, "be silent."

Much to Alucard's horror and anger he felt the sudden burning of his seal mark, forcing him to bend to the steel will of the woman before them. There was no doubt in his mind now. She was indeed of Hellsing blood.

"I am the first of the Hellsing bloodline it would appear," she continued, "it was the name given to me after I joined the Crusades, the name my son would have taken also."

Integra who seemed to still be reeling from the news quietly spoke seemingly random words, "we will not give up and despair…"

On impulse Avelina responded, "we are on a mission from God. I used to speak those words to my son every night. A man may carry on the line of heritage but without a woman, there would be no line."

There was no doubt about it, the woman before them was the first of the Hellsing bloodline, Integra's oldest ancestor. Somewhat reeling from the sudden turn of events, Integra could do nothing but stare at the woman for a long time, breathing from her cigar as if the tobacco induced state would help clear her thoughts and not poison her lungs. For one her thoughts went to why she had never heard of the Hellsing line existing before Abraham Van Hellsing, but then her mind to a darker turn as she perceived the woman as a threat. If she was indeed Hellsing blood then she had as much control over Alucard as herself, a fight for command she had never thought would happen and would not allow to occur. No one could take the one power she had boasted for decades, the control over one of the world's most feared monsters. Could she remove this threat? If so she would stoop as low as her uncle all those years ago, a memory that still plagued her thoughts even now, and that was one thing she refused to do. Her uncle had wanted the power of Hellsing's name all for himself and such had tried to have her removed until she had disposed of him with Alucard's aid. No, she couldn't kill someone of her own blood, but she would have to keep Avelina under strict control if that was even possible. As if sensing her thoughts in the long moments of silence, said steel eyed woman let a small smirk tweak at her lips.

"Do not worry, I have no intention of wrestling for command of Hellsing, my time has passed and it is up to the next generation as it has always been. However I would like to remind you that should you try to control and ensorcell me I will not hesitate to show you why I often lead the charges during battle."

The threat was clear in her eyes that never moved nor blinked as they stared into Integra's, there was no doubt in her mind that Avelina would indeed follow through with her threat and in a way she did not blame her for it. This woman had lost everything after being manipulated and frozen in stone by a witch only to be freed in a strange new world hundreds of years in the future. She was the caged, injured lion given an open door and ready to snap at any hand that dared try and wrong her again. In the back of her mind Integra realised Mukabe must have known about this which was why he had been so eager to get the crusader. Curse that conniving rat bastard.

"If that is the case," Integra finally spoke up after much thought, "then I know not what to do with you. I cannot let you wander free for your own safety as much as those around you, and I cannot give you up to the Vatican as they would most definitely leap at the chance to find some way of using you against me," Avelina bristled almost imperceptibly but to Integra's relief kept silent and awaiting like any good soldier, "if I may suggest, perhaps you would remain with us not as a prisoner but as a guest until I know what to do with you, maybe you would even be inclined to join my forces in ridding the world of evil as you once did."

Avelina dipped her head slightly, politeness in her gesture but her back was still stiff, hands clasped behind her back as she stood dressed in her simple black tunic with emerald detail around the hems, the same design as was on her shield stitched into the fabric over her heart.

"I shall take up your offer graciously however I cannot fight alongside you while these creatures remain at your side," the biting edge to her voice didn't go amiss earning her a wicked fanged smile from the side of the room, "if I was to rid the world of evil those two creatures would be the first to go."

Integra didn't raise to the bait nor did she acknowledge the threat, instead she merely calmly exhaled the smoke from her cigar, still meeting her ancestor's eyes.

"Until you change your mind, you are welcome to wander the mansion, I shall have someone show you to your quarters and the layout of the building."

Nodding in understanding, Avelina simply waited to hear what would happen next. Integra beckoned one of her soliders, Captain Harrison of her first squad, through the intercom at her desk. Upon his arrival, the sandy haired soldier stood to attention at the door, saluting as he evenly gazed across the scene without remark to the towering vampire he was well acquainted with, or the now un-armoured crusader who eyed him up and down almost as calculatingly as Integra often did.

"Captain Harrison reporting for duty, sir!"

He stood tall, although not nearly as tall as Alucard, around six foot and topped with sandy, short hair that had been pushed backwards from his eyes, everything about his spoke of a soldier clear to the cause. Hard blue eyes offered an insight into the things he had seen, and the scar across his throat beneath a square, chiselled jaw offered a glimpse at the hardships he had probably faced. Looking no older than thirty it was no mean feat for one so young to have risen to the rank of Captain amongst the small army Hellsing boasted, not when most soldiers barely lived long enough to see a rise in rank. Integra inclined her head to the soldier.

"Harrison, show our guest to one of the rooms on the third floor and then show her around the mansion well enough to have her acquainted with the main halls and rooms."

If he thought the task was beneath him he said nothing as he nodded, saluting again before stepping over the threshold to gather the armour that Avelina had dumped into the chair. He seemed surprised by the weight as most were unaccustomed to traditional armour. Despite Avelina having shed her armour, something that most would not do lightly in a house of people unknown to her and with unknown intentions, she had not removed the sheathed sword from her hip. Perhaps she deemed them not enough of a threat for her armour but Integra doubted the lack of armour would make the woman any less formidable.

Avelina looked slightly amused at the man who struggled a little under the weight of her armour, although usually she would take insult that a man would try to carry her things as if she was too weak to do so, the sight was too amusing to pass by. Instead she watched him head out of the door awaiting her trying to show as little discomfort as a well trained soldier could. Moving to follow, her eyes darkened as a sudden red cloaked demon stepped into her path. Behind her she could hear the sharp intake of Integra's breath before a low growl emanated from her throat, teeth grinding against her cigar.

"Move aside Alucard."

Instead the grinning vampire merely stared down at Avelina with burning crimson orbs. She stood almost a head shorter than him and yet her eyes met his as fiercely as if she was the one towering over him. This was a woman not to be trifled with and yet, that only made his blood boil with excitement; not only was she a woman of the past, a crusader and warrior of God no less, but also the beginning of the line of Hellsing. Beside him he could feel Seras stiffening like an animal sensing impending danger, her large red eyes darting between her master and Integra worriedly.

"Tell me vampire," Avelina finally spoke, cool and evenly despite the iron look in her eyes, "do you wish to die and reach eternal sleep?"

"Do you think you can, crusader?" he almost purred, his dark hair curling like shadowy tendrils around his pale angular face, casting his eyes into shadow but for the glowing crimson.

"I would not cease until your existence had been wiped from the face of the Earth, this is how much I despise your race," she almost spat, "now move aside Nosferatu before I make you."

Alucard almost said 'make me' before Integra's hand slammed against the hard wood of her desk, her single eye furiously burning at her servant. Instead he decided to merely smirk down at the woman in front of him.

"I look forward to seeing you try, crusader," before he dissolved into the shadows the cast from the open door, his crimson eyes and fanged smirk vanishing last almost like an image burned into her eyes.

Without so much as another word Avelina strode out towards Harrison who quickly reshuffled the armour in his arms before hurrying his way down the hall heading for the staircase to the next floor with their silent, stone eyed guest in tow. Behind them they left behind Seras whose shoulder's visibly fell in relief as Integra retook her seat with a long sigh.
"Blast that arrogant bastard for stirring up trouble where there need not be any."