Long black hair, flowing against a subtle breeze. A red dress flowing down the form of a woman, gently splaying out above her bare feet. A smile that showed a familiarity that took years to build but that same smile also held a mischievous glint of someone who would only do something if and only if they wished to. All of these features culminated to a set of eyes; deep, powerful, aged, red. These were eyes that did not fit with the current image; they were striking, eyes that dared someone to look away. They were eyes that could make anyone flinch away from their hungering stare and their piercing gaze. This gaze was leveled at the unfortunate form of a tall young man who could only look back, fear, uncertainty, and a look of near recognition locked within his own blue orbs.
The boy continued to stare at the woman, trying to put a name to the face; he knew her, someone so familiar and yet distant. He took a step forward, a hand extended as he tried his best to put the pieces together, he had to. It gnawed at him in the back of his mind, telling him the woman was important to him but he simply couldn't think about it; there was something ever so slightly off about her that he couldn't think of anyone, but the woman didn't seem to care. She moved a hand up and brushed her hair behind her ear before she opened her arms awaiting embrace from the boy. He took another step, letting his arm fall as he felt a warmth wash over him, compelling him to embrace this strange woman without question.
As his foot fell to the ground he felt weightlessness overtake him. His face contorted into a look of shock and confusion as he turn over in the air a hand outstretched to the woman who looked down at him and watched him fall, the same smile gracing her features. He watched her fade away until he felt the sensation of falling into freezing water, cold blossoming from his back as he let out a silent scream as the sensation spread.
Will awoke, cold seeping into his limbs as he stared up at the stone ceiling. He blinked a few times, almost expecting to see the woman when his eyes opened but his view never changed. She was gone, lost to the nether where dreams go after their occupants awoke. He sighed and sat up, rubbing his head lightly as he tried to remember her features, but they were already lost, all except for those eyes. He sighed as he relented the fact she was lost to him and decided to get the night started, he had plenty of work to do.
It had been two days since his mission with Seras, and they were to give their reports to Integra today. He sighed as he got up, stretching before heading to his dresser to pick out some of the clothes he had been provided, thinking about what had happened the previous day. He awoke with a start, coughing and groaning, covered in injuries that he was surprised weren't more numerous. When he finally managed to move, he realized that he was covered in what looked like dirt. No, it wasn't dirt, he grimaced, it was blood. Blood that had caked onto him from the previous night. The thought of what had happened shocked his system; he had killed, and even more importantly he was alive. Well, as alive as vampires could get. He didn't understand how he had gotten out alive, but after his memory seemed to black out he just assumed that Alucard had come just as Seras had promised and had taken care of the vampire.
He shuddered slightly as he pulled his shirt over his chest. Thinking about the vampire, no freak, he corrected himself as he was told by Seras. He was an artificial vampire, one made with technology. One could tell by the eyes; the sickening yellow that pierced into his soul, the mere memory reminding him of the feeling of staring him down. He shook his head free of the memory as he finished dressing himself, lacing up his boots as he finalized what he would say. Letting out a sigh, he pushed himself from the single chair in his room as he walked out, heading to Integra's office.
When he arrived Seras was returning to her seat, seeming to have finished her report. He swallowed once before he walked in, eyes turning to him as he stood in front of the open chair next to his master. Integra looked at him, a single eye with curiosity and a fierceness that belied her concern after seeing him carried by Alucard, covered in blood. He stood there and recounted the events, talking about how he entered and cleared the upper levels and his confrontation with the freak. When he was finished, he sat down, wringing out his hands as he looked to his master with a slight sigh seeing that her vampire blood had healed her quickly. She smiled at him slightly before returning her gaze back to Integra and he followed suit.
"Hhmm… after what both of you and Alucard have told me, it worries me to see that these Freaks have returned." She turned her eye over to Seras. "I am worried about what you told me though, if his speed outmatched your own, then that means someone out there is not only creating freaks, but has improved upon the technology and that can become a grave problem." She sighed as she snuffed out the end of her cigar only to pull out another one and light it, taking a worrying drag on it. Smoke flooded from her mouth as she exhaled and returned her gaze back to Will. "Is there anything else that you might have left out?" She asked. She had heard from Alucard that the vampire was already dead before he arrived but kept that detail from the other two, at least for the moment. Will looked at her, his brows furrowed in concentration as he went over every detail in his mind until the moment he blacked out.
"N-no ma'am. I told you everything I could remember. I cleared the upper levels, I heard Master scream and then I went down to see her laying on the ground. I tried to engage the freak, but lost terribly." He said, looking away from Integra and into his lap as he wrought his hands together, sickened by his own uselessness. He wracked his brain, trying to remember anything at all that could shed some light on what happened when a line crossed his mind, something that he didn't even realize was said at the time. "A-actually, there is one thing." He said as he looked up at Integra. "When I was laying on the ground, and he was about to….t-to kill master, he said something strange. He said something along the lines of me being a ruler?" Integra looked at him, taking another drag on her cigar as she leaned back in her chair.
"Strange, but he could have simply been talking about the feud between the freaks and real vampires." She turned around as she looked back out at the moon, watching it rise over the trees. It's a fact that something had been off last night; someone fed incorrect information to her and the organization, and she would make sure that this mole is snuffed out. Beyond that, it's worrisome that Seras was unable to keep up with this freak. She was taken by surprise, form what she said in her report, but that doesn't change the fact that he was powerful. Another long drag of her cigar filled the silence as she mulled over what to do. Finally she turned around and looked at the two sitting in front of her. "Seras, you will continue to train Will, push him further and see that he improves. Alucard, find that mole and make sure that it isn't a den. We will continue regular mission status but we will have to affirm all information that comes to us." Her firm voice rang out, not hesitating for a moment. They were dismissed and set off on their respective tasks as she turned back to look at the sky out of her window.
Seras and Will went about their usual training course, new convictions had in both of them. Seras refused to let this new wave of freak technology get to her. She would be more vigilant, she would be faster, stronger; she would grow as much as she had to so that she could never feel helpless again. Will realized that his life was no longer just some game, not just some type of easy life that he was pulled into by chance, but something akin to a war. He was a soldier and he would have to fight if he wished to live.
As they made their way outside for their usual run around the compound, chased by the literal dogs of Hellsing, Will groaned, taking extra time to mentally prepare himself for the pain once the dogs grabbed hold of him. He watched as the familiar handlers brought out the large black dogs, his eyes locking with theirs for a moment before the barking began. He hated those dogs, and they made sure that he knew they hated him too. He groaned lightly as he took his starting position, next to his master, a grin on her face as she gave the count down.
"Alright, ready? Set, Go!" She yelled, her legs pushing out and sending her leaping forward, claiming her lead right away. Will followed suit, the sound of chains being loosed as the dogs began their attempted assault on his life. He grimaced as he kicked off, sure that the dogs were going to be able to catch him since they had two days of rest on him and certainly had a vendetta against him since he had gotten away the last time. To his surprise though, he didn't just kick off, he was launched forward by his legs, much further than usual. He nearly tripped over his own feet as he regained his composure as he fell into his usual path of running, but something was off. He looked at his master and she seemed to be closer than usual, which wasn't too terribly odd, but it was out of the norm. Perhaps she was taking a little pity on him and giving him some hope that he was improving, or maybe she still wasn't completely healed after their mission. He paid it little mind as he continued to run, the scenery rushing past him as he ran, but something still seemed a little off.
He watched closely, letting his near month of endless training take over as he watched the way the grass rushed under him, the hedges fly by and the sound of the dogs barking invaded his ears, reminding him that he was under pressure, but had they always been that quiet? He looked back, and saw the dogs were much further behind him than normal, even if he had a good start. Something was different, something just wasn't…right. He watched as his master took a glance back and her eyes changed from their usual confidence to one of surprise, apparently she was as shocked to see his development as he was.
He was faster. Something happened, maybe it was seeing the freak move so fast that he was a blur, maybe it was his near death experience, or maybe it was something else entirely, but for some reason he was faster, and by quite the margin. Seras turned back forward and picked up her pace, widening the gap between them just as before, the only difference being that the dogs weren't nipping on his heels any more. In fact, he took another glance back and saw that they were quite a fair distance behind him, probably twenty meters at this point. He grinned as he turned back forward and continued to run, pushing forward and matching his master's pace so she was no longer getting away from him, or at least not as quickly. He grinned, amazed at this new development, not believing that it was really happening.
Soon the pace that they were going began to take its toll; Will was panting and sweating, lungs crying out for air as his muscles strained at the new found speed, but he didn't dare stop, somewhat afraid that this was a one-time deal, but he doubted that it was. He panted as sweat poured from his face as he ran, wetting his hair to his face but he didn't care since this was the usual. His heart pounded as he continued on their run and before he knew it, it was over. He still stood, hands on his knees panting as he felt like he was about to throw up, but he was feeling great. His master came over, her own breaths coming a little deeper than normal and a few beads of sweat covering her forehead as she put a hand on his back patting him lightly.
"Wow that certainly was something." She said, slightly breathless as she beamed at him, proud to see him improving, but a slight twinge of curiosity sparked in her. "Have you just been holding out on me?" She asked once he started to recover. Will shook his head breathlessly as he straightened up some looking at his hands.
"No…I'm…just as surprised…as you are." He panted as he smiled at her, Seras continued to beam as she talked about getting to the rest of the night of training, but Will's mind focused on what had changed and what he did. He let his smile begin to fall as he looked down at his hands, he wasn't strong enough, but perhaps he will get there, maybe he can do something that will mean something and make his father proud. He took a final deep breath and sighed as he walked back inside, thinking that someday, maybe someday soon, he could tell his father that he was alright and making a difference.
"Yes, I'm sure of it, I watched him with my own eyes. He's growing stronger by the day." A whispered voice claimed, dark receiver pressed against the owner's face as he glanced out of a window on one of the upper floors of the mansion, watching the two vampires trudge back inside after their run.
"I knew it. We can't wait much longer. If he continues to grow, he might be too much for us to hold." A crackly voice replied from the receiver. "Those idiots don't understand the trouble this will cause. They're too timid to make a move. They've been silent for so long they forget how to speak."
"What do you want me to do master? They know there's someone who means to undermine Hellsing, but they don't know who. My time is now limited. I can strike at any moment." Silence prevailed over the outdated communication device before the voice responded.
"No. If we make a move while they are still alert, it's possible we will fail and then the others will have even more reason to go against my plans. No, as much as I hate it, we have to wait. If the others hear that I was building an assault, the master would kill everyone in my family. You will have to go back to sleep, for now at least. I'll wake you when you're needed." The voice concluded before the line went dead. The man who sat on the other end sighed and returned the phone to the radio pack. As old as it was, it worked wonders nowadays; radio signals that not only were encrypted, but most technology for intercepting them was already decommissioned. He placed the pack back into the carved section of the wall, returning the section that was cut away and covered it back with the furniture. It was a great hiding place for something that was only used once every month or so.
The Hellsing soldier looked out the window once again at the rising moon as he pulled a small syringe from his pocket. He looked down at the small medical instrument with distaste. He hated having to return to his sleeper agent state, but his master ordered it, and so he must. It would block his memories of being contacted by his master and his subsequent change from loyal soldier to spy. He sighed once again before jamming the needle into his neck and pushing the plunger down. Soon he would be back in a state of blissful oblivion, where he would no longer be aware of his transgressions against Hellsing.
Hey, so little note here. I was going to put this last little bit at the beginning of the next chapter, but it didn't exactly flow well. I was planning on starting right at the end of this chapter, but after getting through it, and thinking about where I wanted the story to go it didn't fit well. So, I'm tacking it on here in a little update after the fact. I'm terribly sorry for this, but I hope that you guys can understand why I chose to do this when the next chapter comes out.
