A/N: Hello! Here I am with Chapter 3.
I apologise in advance if my characterisation of Integra is a bit off, but I find it very difficult to write for her.
But still, enjoy and give me your opinion!
….
CHAPTER 3
THE ANGEL AND HIS MASTER
The gigantic, heavy door opened with a loud creak. She took a deep, calming breath as she stepped inside. It had been years since she'd last been in this place. Forcing herself to ignore the wave of unpleasant memories the eerie dungeon brought with it, she glared at the darkness before her. "I know you can see me."
"Indeed I can, Sir Integra."
"Your demon friend has made quite an...impression on The Wild Geese."
There was a low chuckle, "I thought she would."
That sound - the one that had once made her smile - now sent chills down her spine. She folded her arms, suddenly unnerved that she couldn't see him. "Come into the light."
He obeyed, stepping into the dim light. The claw marks on his cheek had fully healed, she noticed. Neither spoke, until Walter narrowed his eyes. "Your glasses are dirty, Sir." Ignoring several protests, he calmly reached forward and removed her round silver glasses, cleaning a few smudges with his tie.
Blinking to adjust to the odd feeling of being without her glasses, Integra pursed her lips. "Give those back!" she demanded. Even though becoming a vampire had drastically improved her sight, she didn't feel comfortable without them. Certainly not when he was the one holding them.
"Don't be pushy, Integra."
Snatching her now clean glasses his his hands, she slid them back onto her face. "How dare you speak to me like that," she snarled, eyes burning with wrath. "You have no right to address me with such disrespect. Or did you forget your place here?"
"I was only doing you a favour," he teased playfully. "No need to be quite so grumpy."
Her fist slammed into his face.
He groaned and stepped back, placing a hand over his now bloody nose. Fuck! Damn, I forgot how strong she is.
Integra cracked her knuckles. "Now listen carefully, vampire. I need you to do a little...pest control." She watched as Walter's interest clearly peaked. Of course that's what gets his attention. Since his betrayal, it seemed as though killing was the only thing that he enjoyed. Everything else seemed to bore him.
"So we have a little ghoul problem, do we?"
She nodded, "Yes. Ghouls have been spotted nearby. Don't ask me how they were created...but I want them dead. And if there's a host vampire, kill it as well." After a pause, she added. "Seras will be coming with you. The two of you will kill them tonight." She still didn't trust the former butler to be let out of the manor on his own.
"It's been quite a while since Miss Victoria and I have fought together. This should be interesting."
Integra cleared her throat. "You are to kill anything that could be deemed a threat. Leave nothing but body parts and blood in your wake. I want those creatures to know that Hellsing is still a force to be feared. Am I clear?"
Walter nodded, his eyes gleaming with sadistic excitement. "Your orders will be followed to the letter, Sir."
OOO
Seras kept her gaze fixed on the approaching horde, her eyes emitting a faint red glow. The black mass of her arm moved like a roaring fire. "Shall I call on the Captain, Sir?"
Walter grinned from his place beside her. "No, Miss Victoria, your Familiar is not needed tonight." He pulled on his gloves, adjusting them. "This is my first real fight in two years...I plan on enjoying this."
Seras glanced at him, finding the other vampire's expression off-putting. He really was anticipating this a little too much. She swallowed. "Sir...we're supposed to fight these freaks together."
He smirked, "Take the night off, Miss. Just allow me this entertainment." He watched as the horde of unarmed ghouls neared. "Hm...I think that's close enough."
Walter moved forward in a blur, thin wires wrapping around the limbs of three ghouls at once. With a simple tug they were torn apart, explosions of blood spraying around them. But the former butler didn't slow. With a flick of his wrist another ghoul came apart.
Already covered in blood, Walter laughed and spread his arms invitingly at the remaining creatures. "Try again, freaks, and maybe you'll actually hit me."
Seras could only watch from behind him, speechless. He really is enjoying this.
Taking his wires between his teeth, Walter raced through the ghouls, each coming apart in pieces as he passed them. He halted as more approached, one of the mindless creatures managing to knock him back. He slid on the ground, his breathing deep, and locked eyes with the ghoul, silently daring him to do it again.
His wires moved like a whip, wrapping around the ghoul's legs before breaking them off completely. He grinned sadistically as the vile creature fell to the ground and started crawling towards him, seemingly determined to kill.
Walter merely placed his foot on the ghoul's head and pushed down.
The skull cracked, then broke completely, smatterings of blood landing on the vampire's smirking face.
With one last glance down at the motionless body, he turned his attention back to the few remaining ghouls. What a shame...only four to go. Oh well, I best get this over with.
Enemy after enemy fell to the ground, until all that remained was a pile of body parts. Walter stood atop the pile, his wires now coated in blood. His clothes were damp with the same crimson liquid, yet his face and hands had remained surprisingly clean, with only a few splatters here and there.
Wiping his face with a clean section of a sleeve, he jumped down from the pile of dismembered ghouls. "I think we're done here, Miss Victoria."
Seras blinked nervously. "Um, y-yes Sir," she stammered.
Noticing her wary expression, Walter smiled. "Worried I'll try and kill you?"
She flinched, "W-Well...y-you did...you did try and k-kill...M-Master just two y-years ago."
He tilted his head to the side, his smile only faltering slightly. "Seras, I didn't intend to hurt you or Integra. My fight was with Alucard."
She didn't miss the condescending tone to his voice. "Don't talk to me like I'm a child, Walter."
His expression grew serious. He narrowed his eyes, watching her face change as he spoke. "There's no point in saying anything with any sincerity. You and Integra wouldn't believe me anyway."
Seras drew a sharp breath, meeting his cold gaze with one of her own. "Here's the thing about trust, Walter. It's easy to break...but it's bloody hard to ever earn back. I won't say it's impossible, but it might as well be."
A sudden voice came from inside her head. "You said it, ma cherie. Own that traitorous son of a bitch."
Seras stilled, "Pip?" she whispered. "I...I didn't summon you by accident, did I?"
"No, ma belle, I woke up on my own. It seems I don't need to wait until you call me to talk to you. Just as well really. The battlefield tends not to be the best place for a conversation."
Walter raised an eyebrow. The blonde appeared to be talking to nothing, but he knew better. "Talking to the Frenchman, Miss Victoria?" He scrunched his nose. He doubted Pip had anything favourable to say about him. In fact, he was grateful that only Seras could hear the deceased mercenary.
Shaking his head, he began walking in the direction of the manor. "You may be able to absorb blood through your body, but I need a shower. Coming, Miss Victoria?"
Seras glowered, grumbling to herself as she followed behind him. "Self-absorbed, arrogant, conceited..."
"Those all mean the same thing, ma cherie."
She growled, the sound low in her throat. "I know that," she whispered. "I'm just not too good at insults."
OOO
She stands in the middle of a burning city, flames flickering around her. She looks around frantically, but she only fire and crumbling buildings. She tries to speak, but the only sound to come out is a tiny whimper.
She walks forward, before her foot hits something. She looks down...
Seras lay there, motionless in a pool of her own blood.
She breathes heavily and steps back, unable to look away. But then she turns around, to see red writing on a wall: 'YOUR FAULT'
She turns away, her breathing becoming more erratic. Her eyes land on another dead body on the ground...her uncle Richard, with a bullet hole in his head.
She looks around again, voices starting to speak in her head. "You failed," they whisper, over and over. She runs, only to come face-to-face with another figure. Her father, slumped against a wall, his glazed-over eyes looking directly at her.
Suddenly someone grabs her from behind, and she recognizes the voice near her ear. Walter...but darker, more sinister...more evil. "You did this all...it's all because of you." He laughs, taunting her. "You're useless!"
She looks down, and sees her hands covered in blood...
Integra woke up screaming.
She shot up from bed, hands clutching her mattered golden hair as her heart thudded in her chest. Images from her nightmare flashed through her mind. She gripped the bedsheets so tightly her hands began to hurt.
She drew her knees up to her chest, wrapping her arms around her legs. She hadn't had ordeals like that in two years, but it seemed as though she wasn't free of the nightmares yet.
She heard her bedroom door creak open, a soft light coming in. Then a voice, gentle and concerned. "Integra?"
She didn't raise her head, listening to his footsteps as he walked closer. "I'm...fine." She sighed upon feeling the bed dip as Walter sat beside her. Stubborn, that's what he was. Completely stubborn.
Carefully stroking the top of her head, he frowned. "There's no need to fear, it's over now. It wasn't real."
Integra raised her head, resting her chin on her knees. She could see the vampire perfectly, and took in his fresh clothing and the scent of soap. "You don't have your monocle," she mumbled.
He smirked, "I don't think that's the most pressing issue right now." His expression growing serious once again, he held her hands and ran his thumb over the soft skin comfortingly. He looked into her eyes, asking gently. "Integra...whatever frightened you, it's gone. It never happened."
A feeling of embarrassment suddenly washed over her. Here she was, the leader of the Hellsing Organization, curled up in a fetal position after a nightmare! It was ridiculous! Reefing her hands from Walter's grasp, she snapped, "I know. I'm not a little girl anymore."
Walter merely watched her face. She was holding back tears behind her steely facade, he could see it. Whatever had been in her nightmare had absolutely terrified her.
Breaking her gaze away from her former butler, Integra lay down and turned onto her side. She would just try and get back to sleep. She didn't need anyone to comfort her.
Realizing Integra was refusing to speak to him, Walter patted her head. "Very well." He stood, and began walking towards the door.
"Wait."
Walter stopped immediately. There was quiet soon after, and he wondered for a moment if he'd imagined her command. But then Integra's voice came again, soft and scared. "Can you...stay with me? Until I fall asleep?"
Giving a gentle smile, Walter sat down in a chair beside her bed. "Of course."