Thursday

My face felt tight and sticky from the dried up blood still splattered across it. I stood uncomfortably in front of a desk in a mostly empty, though quite large, room. The floor-to-ceiling windows made for quite the view of the Hellsing estate and I could imagine wandering the ground for a good portion of the day. The door opening brought my attention back to reality and I turned to see a tall, blond haired woman marching towards the desk, a butler following suit.

The woman sat behind the desk and opened a file. While she read over whatever the contents were, the butler offered her a selection of expensive looking cigars. She chose one and he lit it for her. After taking a few puffs, she finally turned her attention to me and I could feel the intensity flowing freely from her being. I shifted uncomfortably, wanting nothing more than to be at home, in my shower, away from the world.

"Oliver Jonathon Slater. 28 years of age, Caucasian, 5 foot, 8 inches. Financial adviser to a multi-million corporation at only the age of 23. Studio apartment with only 1,500 pounds rent per month. You are quite unextraordinary, Mr. Slater, save for your IQ," she commented, fingers bridged.

I paused a moment. So my life story was in that folder? Man, this was the wrong time to realize how small it really was. I felt like maybe I should say something, but I glanced over at the butler and he lightly shook his head, so I turned my attention back to the woman.

"My name is Sir Integra Hellsing. I'm owner of this organization and estate. You seem to be appearing in a lot of incidents as of late and have lived. You're not a vampire. You don't even seem anything abnormal, so what is it? Are you controlling these new freaks?"

I opened my mouth to protest, but glanced over at the butler. He quirked an eyebrow and I sighed.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," I admitted quietly. "I-I don't... I didn't even know vampires were real until tonight."

"Not surprising, but there's something that keeps drawing these freaks to you. Assuming you'd like to keep living, we have to figure out what's going on," she told me, leaning back in her chair. "There are half breeds coming out of the wood work. These creatures are supposed to be very rare, meaning most don't even make it through the vampire process due to already mutated genes. Something is allowing the process to go through unhindered."

"Wait, you're saying half breed, like... like they're already something... inhuman?"

"Indeed," Integra answered, puffing her cigar. "Take your boss, Samantha Juniper. Upon further investigation, she turned out to be part werewolf, part vampire. The man at the club, Frank Jillian, was half elf, half vampire. See the connection?"

"What about the guy that jumped me in the alley?" I asked, starting to feel queasy again.

"Half gargoyle."

I stood silently, feeling the blood rush to my head. What in the actual fuck? Vampires? Werewolves? Elves? And even... Gargoyles? Some things were simply too much to handle and I'll be the first one to admit that I fainted a lot, but this was surely enough to defend another spell. I felt my body move backwards and I just didn't have the energy to catch myself. Thankfully, someone else did. I fell back against someone and I looked up to see that grinning face again, long black hair falling over his shoulders.

"Red... we really need to stop meeting like this," he teased, one arm wrapped around my waist.

My cheeks tinted pink, more so than before, and I tried to right myself.

"No need to rush," he commented, though helped me stand a little bit straighter. "This makes me thing we shouldn't add that other piece of news, hm, Master?"

A heavy sigh came from the blond's lips and she shook her head.

"For once, you might be right. Oliver, I would like you keep you here for the time being, until we can figure out why you're being targeted," she told me, watching me closely behind round glasses.

I snapped out of the spell that was Alucard's eyes and moved away from him and her. This all felt wrong. There was too much wrong. I shook my head quietly, stepping back towards the door.

"I'm sorry, this is... this is too much," I murmured, shoulders hunched and gaze averted. "I'm sorry I-"

"I understand," Integra interrupted, sitting up now. "We are here if you change your mind."

Nodding in understanding, I quietly turned to leave.

"We can have a car take you back," Integra offered.

"Or I can take you myself," Alucard purred.

I felt his eyes boring into my body and I could have sworn he was practically stripping me bare. It took a lot not to turn around and go back to him and I had to wonder how much his being a vampire had to do with my yearning. I finally shook my head.

"A car would be nice, but I'm pretty sure I was almost sick from our last inter-dimensional venture," I commented, turning back somewhat to look at him briefly, then his Master.

She nodded and the butler escorted me outside to the front. The building was quite large and somewhat intimidating. I felt my stomach churn and my cruel mind flashed images of Jake, lying helpless in that chair. I repressed the tears that so desperately wanted to fall and I leaned against one of the railings to the large stairs leading up to the Hellsing Mansion.

"Is something the matter, Mr. Slater?" the butler inquired.

I looked over at him, berating myself for forgetting he was even there.

"N-No... well... yes... What uhm... what are you guys going to do with my friend's body?" I inquired, willing my voice not to quiver.

"He will be properly taken care of, sir," he reassured, voice surprisingly gentle. He came closer and handed my a card with a couple of numbers on it. "The first one is Integra's direct line, the second is my personal line and the third is Alucard's."

"He... has a phone?"

"He has a phone in his room," he responded, taking a step back. "Please feel free to call any time, Mr. Slater."

"Oliver, please," I offered quietly. "And thank you, so much, er..."

"Walter is fine."

I nodded. Soon the car showed up and Walter opened the door for me.

"Take care, Oliver," he told me, voice low and inviting. "And believe me when I saw, we will take care of Jake to the highest of our ability."

I watched Walter walk back up into the Hellsing mansion as the car left. Exhaustion pulled my eyes closed and I curled up in the back of the car. My best friend... He was gone, forever.