Chapter 7: Brothers in Arms
At the time I am writing this Author's Note, I am currently working on both this chapter, as well as the next update for "A Trial by Heroism."
I know that I said I would focus solely on "A Trial by Heroism," but I had a strike of inspiration the other day for this story that I simply had to get down on text as soon as possible. Other major authors can probably relate to having this feeling sometimes as well.
This chapter will expand the story's universe, and we will be introduced to several new characters from yet another series. See if you can guess what it is before the ending Author's Note.
I hope you all enjoy!
AlucardsBro Out!
"Sir Integra, in light of your recent request to bolster our overall manpower in the wake of the attack, I have taken the liberty of contacting a group of professional mercenaries."
Integra internally scoffed. She had dealt with mercenaries in the past, and if there was anything she had learned from her previous encounters, it was that there was no such thing as a true professional merc. Mercenaries held no sympathy or care for any one cause, and would simply bite at the first opportunity they were presented with to make a quick profit.
"Mercenaries, Walter? Men who are simply motivated by an insatiable lust for money…can we trust such soldiers?" the blonde mused with a touch of sarcasm.
"Normally I would share you doubts Sir," the butler replied with a small smirk. "However, these particular men appear to be proper professionals; so long as they have a contract, and are paid the specified amount, the Wild Geese will never go back on their word."
The Hellsing matriarch remained silent for a moment, deep in thought. After several minutes of mulling over her options, Integra finally met Walter's gaze once again. "How soon can they be here? If I am to trust these men with the safety of my home and other field agents, then I want to at least be able to evaluate them personally."
Walter grinned a bit cheekily. "That's the beauty of it Sir, they're already here. I have them waiting for you down in the main lounge; Master Ichigo and Miss Victoria have been keeping an eye on them so far."
Smirking in return, Integra dusted off her suit and rose to her feet. "Well then, I suppose we should not keep our guests waiting any longer, now should we?"
Ichigo scowled.
He had dealt with many things over the course of his tenure as a Substitute Soul Reaper, ranging from Hollows, other Soul Reapers, and rogue maniacs bent on becoming their own twisted version of a god. As such, there had been many times when he had felt enraged beyond belief.
Yamamoto angered him because the old man was way too uppity for his own good, even if his actions were still in an effort to protect the Soul Society.
Grimmjow pissed him off due to both his cocky attitude and overall brutality.
Uryu was just really annoying.
However, the type of anger that he was currently experiencing was something unlike anything else he'd ever felt before. Sure, his basic overall character trait was that he wanted to protect those close to him, and he was well aware of that. But the kind of protective fury that was whirling around in his chest right now was somehow…different…than how it usually felt.
Maybe it had something to do with the fact that a group of at least twenty men somewhere in their mid-twenties to early thirties were nearly all eyeing his best friend and field partner like a piece of meat…
Seras was fidgeting in clear discomfort, and several minutes ago she had maneuvered herself behind Ichigo in an attempt to block the varying stares she was receiving. The orange-head himself was giving the Wild Geese a glare so cold and fierce that it could have frozen every volcano on the planet.
Byakuya would have been proud.
"Oi, come on you trou du culs; show the lady a little respect eh?"
Ichigo's eyes snapped to the man who had spoken, who was lazily sitting backwards in a chair with his chin resting on top of his arms. Reddish-brown hair was tied into and extremely long braid, and was wrapped around the man's neck and shoulders like some sort of comical noose. An Australian slouch hat was fitted on the top of his head, and an eyepatch obscured his left eye.
The former Substitute had a sneaking suspicion that he was looking at the leader of this group of assholes…
"I feel as though I must apologize for my idiotic friends, they have not seen such beauty in over a month," the man smiled in a relatively friendly fashion.
Ichigo remained stone-faced.
Seemingly undeterred by the cold shoulder he was receiving, the Wild Geese's leader continued speaking. "I am Pip Bernadotte, and this group of morons is the Wild Geese. But you probably already knew that, eh? Seeing as how your boss hired us and all."
Ichigo continued to remain silent.
Seras whimpered softly from behind him, sensing the mounting tension in the room.
Pip frowned and opened his mouth once again, but whatever he was going to say was quickly cut off when the doors to the lounge opened. In walked Integra Hellsing herself, with Walter dutifully following along behind her.
"Greetings gentlemen; seeing as how you all arrived without so much as a complaint, I will do you the courtesy of cutting right to the chase. We here at the Hellsing Organization do not deal with petty criminals, nor do we involve ourselves in international warfare. No, we are far more preoccupied with a much greater threat," the blonde smirked.
One of the mercenaries scoffed. "Oh yeah? And what might that be?"
"Why, the forces of darkness of course," Integra replied without so much as batting an eyelash. "Vampires, Werewolves, Ghouls…you will most likely experience combat with at least all of these monsters if you agree to work under my employ."
The Wild Geese remained silent for what seemed like an eternity before simultaneously bursting into roaring laughter.
Integra's smirk simply widened. "I understand that all of this might sound too fantastic to believe, but for those of you who require further convincing, I present to you a genuine vampire." With that statement, the blonde woman raised a hand and pointed directly at Seras, who was still attempting to make her presence scarce behind Ichigo.
"Wait…wait wait wait wait wait."
All attention in the room was drawn back to Pip when the Frenchman abruptly stood up from his chair and marched directly towards the blonde vampiress and orange-haired human. "You're telling me that this frail looking girl is an honest-to-god vampire?"
"Y-yes, I am…" Seras stammered shyly.
Ichigo merely growled.
Once again, the entirety of the Wild Geese erupted into laughter, and Seras shrunk even further behind her partner.
"Stop cowering behind Ichigo Police Girl; if you want them to stop laughing at you and start treating you with respect, them give them reason to doubt you no longer," Integra suggested calmly.
Ichigo felt the Draculina's grip on the back of his shirt tighten briefly, before she finally stepped out into the open once again and faced the mercenaries with a look of determination. "Yes Sir! You're right!"
Pip rolled his one good eye. "Oh come on now chéri, if you're a vampire then I'm Frankenstein's Monst-"
The green-eyed man's words were almost immediately silenced when Seras closed the distance between them faster than he could see, before reaching out to flick him squarely in the middle of the forehead. The flabbergasted Frenchman was sent careening back a good ten feet or so, and his momentum was only halted when he collided with his comrades; they in turn were all staring at the blonde girl with slack-jawed expressions.
"W-what the hell?!"
"You would do well not to make assumptions based off of first appearances," a deep baritone voice resonated throughout the room, before none other than Alucard phased through the wall and fully stepped into view. "The Police Girl may be the lowest of the low, but a vampire is still a vampire."
The Wild Geese let out multiple gasps of terror, confusion, and downright disbelief.
The elder vampire let out an amused chuckle. "What a pathetic bunch of sniveling cowards…do you really think they'll be of any use to us? If these are the men who are to be guarding me while I sleep, then I want to take their measure personally…"
Integra raised an elegant brow. "I thought I told you to remain in your quarters?"
Alucard simply grinned toothily.
Coughing to gain the Hellsing matriarch's attention, Walter reached into his back pocket and fished out a letter. "I was going to wait to bring this to your attention after introductions had concluded, but I suppose now is as good a time as any. We received a post this morning from a rather curious sender."
Frowning, Integra took the letter and glanced at the seal on the front. "From Vatican Special Forces Division Thirteen, the Iscariot Organization. Signed and written by…Enrico Maxwell?!"
Ichigo and Seras both flinched at their employer's uncharacteristic outburst of fury.
"What time is it Walter?"
"It is currently just past three o'clock in the afternoon, ma'am."
Integra scowled. "They were the ones who arranged this meeting, and still they manage to be late…do you think it's a trap, Ichigo?" Turning towards the orange-head, who had been tasked with serving as her bodyguard during this little outing, the Hellsing matriarch raised an eyebrow in question.
Frowning, the former Substitute shook his head. "I doubt it; I might not know Iscariot as well as you two, but they'd have to be dumber than a rock to stage an attack in a public place like this, especially in broad daylight. That's just poor tactics," he replied, gesturing to the art museum around them in which this so-called meeting was supposed to take place.
Integra smirked appreciatively, and Walter nodded in agreement. "My thoughts exactly, Master Ichigo."
The sound of footsteps echoed from further down the hallway, and the three Hellsing agents looked up in time to see a rather tall man with long white hair pulled back in a ponytail approaching, along with another rather plain looking older gentleman.
The man with the ponytail smiled kindly and lowered himself into a polite bow once he was several feet away. "I do so apologize for our tardiness, so please allow me to introduce myself; my name is Enrico Maxwell, the head of the Iscariot Organization…it is an honor to meet you, Sir Integra."
Integra internally sneered. "I really don't care who you are, just tell us what you know about the intruders who attacked my compound and slaughtered my people."
Maxwell raised his arms in a gesture of placation. "There is no reason for such harsh words; we did not travel all the way to England to pick a fight with you, My Lady."
"I don't believe you! You have shown absolutely nothing but contempt for our treaties, and the latest incident with Anderson in Northern Ireland was absolutely inexcusable!" the blonde woman replied heatedly. "He killed two of my best men in Badrick, and I barely managed to escape with my head still attached!
"Would you just shut up already?!"
Ichigo's hand immediately went to Manus' hilt on his back, and his eyes narrowed when Maxwell's kind and polite attitude crumbled away in a matter of seconds. He noticed the glimmer of Walter's microfilament wires out of the corner of his eye, but didn't acknowledge it any further.
"You really expect us to just let you do as you please?" the Italian man asked, his tone laced with incredible amounts of sheer disgust. "Two men? Even if he had slaughtered two million of your Protestant pigs I would not have shed a tear. I am only here under direct orders from His Holiness, otherwise I would not bother with you filthy creatures! So just shut up and pay attention, you miserable English sow!"
Ichigo let out an audible growl, and was about to draw his blade to defend his boss' honor, when a sense of utter foreboding washed down the hallway like a tidal wave of misery and suffering.
"A sow?" Alucard's deep voice echoed everywhere, while the vampire himself stepped through the wall behind the Hellsing group and out into the open. "Nothing like the Iscariot Organization to instill the fear of God in those who don't believe…such fearsome insults you spit. Two thousand years of your inane prattle is all I believe I can truly stand; although, I do suppose it is good to see that some things never change."
Maxwell smirked. "Ah, the great vampire Alucard, the Hellsing family's pet creature; I don't believe that I've ever actually seen you in person before. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance."
Alucard's seemingly permanent condescending smirk widened. "It's a pleasure to meet you as well, although now I must say goodbye. You call my master a sow and expect me to let you live?" As he spoke, the elder vampire reached into his cloak and withdrew the Jackal before aiming it directly between Maxwell's eyes. "I'm afraid I'm just going to have to put a bullet in you, you foolish little man."
The Iscariot leader appeared to remain completely unconcerned, if the confident grin on his face was anything to go by. "Oh my, how can a simple ordinary man such as myself ever hope to cope with having a gun waved around in my face? I hope you'll agree that turnabout is fair play, so why don't we make this fight interesting? Come on out Anderson!"
Further down the hallway, behind the Iscariot group, the sound of metal scratching against metal and heavy footsteps sounded off, and none other than the Vatican's most dangerous agent appeared seemingly out of nowhere. "I shall break them with a rod of iron…I shall dash them in pieces…be wise now therefore, ye kings…be admonished ye judges of the Earth…serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling! Cast the son lest he be angry, though his wrath be kindled but a little…"
Maxwell's smirk slowly morphed into a look of apprehension, and he moved to block Anderson's path. The towering Exorcist barely acknowledged his superior's presence, and he pushed past the shorter man while keeping his gaze locked firmly on Alucard.
The vampire simply continued to smirk, and withdrew the Cassull alongside the Jackal before aiming them both directly at Anderson's head.
In response, the maniacal priest readied his blessed bayonets and adopted a battle-ready stance.
Ichigo slowly slid Manus out of its sheath, and held the holy sword in preparation for any conflict that might arise. The tension in the air was so thick that the orange-head doubted even a full powered Getsuga Tenshou would be able to cut through it, and just when it felt like a fight was about to break out, the mood was ruined both spectacularly and ridiculously…
"Right this way everybody!"
An extremely chipper Seras suddenly appeared out of nowhere, wearing what looked like a tour guide's outfit, along with a group of about twenty elderly Japanese tourists. They seemed completely unaware that they were standing directly between an undead monster and a mentally unstable priest.
Ichigo nearly dropped his sword at the absolute absurdity of the situation. Had Integra actually planned for Seras to intervene? Where the hell did she get that outfit? And how in the world did she get registered so quickly in the museum's records enough to be trusted with a group of senile foreigners by the rest of the staff?!
Honestly, sometimes it felt like his life was an anime…
The interruption apparently had the desired effect, as Alucard reluctantly lowered his weapons. "This isn't the time or place for an all-out fight, it would seem."
Anderson's bayonets disappeared back into the sleeves of his overcoat. "Aye, you might have a point there…"
Turning around, the elder vampire walked away from the scene. "I'm going back to sleep; waking up in the middle of the day is utterly exhausting."
The Vatican exorcist turned to make his exit as well, although his paused briefly next to Maxwell. "If you'll excuse me Sir, I must really be getting back to Rome. I must say though, this truly is an excellent museum; perhaps next time you'll allow me to bring some of the children from the orphanage?"
The Italian man smiled weakly, and sweat dropped in relief. "O-Of course, that won't be a problem."
As both the Hellsing and Iscariot trump cards vacated the premises, Integra couldn't help but let out an amused chuckle. "It appears with both have to contend with unruly subordinates. Now then, are we done with this little game of 'mine is bigger?'"
Maxwell sighed in resignation. "Yes, I am quite done…perhaps now that the violence has concluded, you would like to join me in the café garden to discuss our business?"
As the two leaders of the opposing organizations made their exit, Walter, Ichigo, and Seras all let out various sounds of utter relief.
In the privacy of the café, Maxwell and Integra sat at a table in the middle of the courtyard.
"We at the Iscariot Organization are aware that you have been attempting to research a particular word in connection to your recent troubles," the Italian man began. "We also know that you have thus far been unsuccessful in uncovering anything of value."
"Yes, that is more or less true," Integra admitted carefully. "Before his death at the hands of Alucard, the individual known as Luke Valentine uttered a single phrase that has plagued us ever since…"
"Millennium, correct?" Maxwell smirked, drumming his fingers along the briefcase he had brought with him, which currently rested on the table. "Normally, this type of information would be handled by our more special operations oriented members, but we do have a bit of information regarding this 'Millennium' that troubles you."
Integra's eyes narrowed. "I'm sensing an impending 'but'…"
The white-haired man across from her let out an amused chuckle. "How right you are! Do you truly wish to possess these files? Do you want to know what we know?"
Being a very prideful woman, it took absolutely all of Integra's willpower to summon forth the words she knew that the Italian bastard wanted to hear. "Yes…please…"
The absolutely shit-eating grin that formed on Maxwell's face nearly made the blonde get up and leave.
Turning several knobs on the front of his briefcase, the Iscariot leader opened it up and placed a hardback folder on the table. An all too familiar symbol was etched onto the cover.
"Good Lord…" Integra breathed.
"Indeed, allow me to bring you up to speed," Maxwell replied. "The Millennium Organization began almost half a century ago, during the Second World War. Nazi party loyalists were preparing to flee from Germany; an extraction operation began just as Allied forces invaded the country. Understandably, they needed enough time to evacuate while still standing their ground long enough not to be considered traitors."
Pausing briefly, the amethyst-eyed man let out a sigh before continuing. "The majority of these party members and soldiers ended up in South America, where they found refuge with a considerable number of Nazi sympathizers."
Integra paused from her review of the folder to look up and raise an eyebrow. "Those survivors were the Millennium group, correct?"
Maxwell nodded. "Yes, that's right. Millennium also refers to the classified operation to move these individuals to South America, as well as the military unit that carried out the orders."
The blonde woman's eyes widened in a moment of absolute revelation.
"Ah, I see that you've just figured out how we know all this! That's right, we helped the Nazis do it!" the Italian man admitted freely. "The Vatican gave them full support and helped create the Millennium group!"
Several hundred feet away, yet while still being in earshot of Integra and Maxwell's conversation, two individuals listened in; completely unseen by the Hellsing and Iscariot leaders.
"Oh my, Herr Major…" one of them, a tall bespectacled man chuckled. "It seems as though they are beginning to piece it all together; they know about Millennium."
The other man, a short and portly German, simply waved a hand in casual dismissal. "Piece it together, you say? No Herr Doktor, they don't know anything about anything yet."
The Doktor grinned and cocked his head to the side in mock curiosity. "Is it my imagination, or do you seem to be enjoying this?"
"Enjoyment is hardly the word I would choose to describe this feeling," the Major chuckled. "I'm utterly ECSTATIC! Giddy beyond comprehension with anticipation! Just think of the bloody struggle that awaits us; it will be the greatest struggle of them all!"
Ichigo, Seras, Alucard, and Pip all stood at attention before Integra's massive wooden desk.
"In light of some new information I have received regarding Millennium, I have decided to send both Alucard and Seras to South America," the blonde woman explained. "It would stand to reason that they would have no need to abandon a hiding place that has served them to well for nearly fifty years. Therefore, the two of you will be tasked with flushing them out and killing them; after you recover any available information of course."
The Draculina cast a glance in Ichigo's direction, which did not escape Integra's notice.
"Well, what are you waiting for? Gather whatever supplies you feel you might need and get ready for your flight," she ordered firmly.
Alucard bowed deeply before leaving the room. "As you command, my Master."
Seras looked as if she wanted to speak up, but after one final glance at her partner she relented and followed after the elder vampire. After the two supernatural figures had left, Ichigo cast a speculative look in his employer's direction. "I'm assuming you have something different in mind for us?"
The Hellsing matriarch grinned wryly. "Right you are. During the ride back to the manor, I received a call directly from her Royal Majesty's office. Apparently, the Japanese government has requested the Hellsing Organization's aid with a matter that appears to have been giving them trouble for quite some time."
Ichigo frowned; he wasn't aware that the Japanese general public knew about the supernatural. Even if it was simply the government who knew, it still basically put a big gaping hole in Soul Society's goal to keep the World of the Living ignorant of the supernatural world. Then again, vampires could be seen even by people who weren't spiritually aware.
Pip chose this moment to speak up. "Correct me if I'm wrong boss, but isn't the overall point of your organization to fight against monsters?"
Integra nodded in affirmative. "You are correct, Mister Bernadotte. Normally, we would not even give a random request like this a second glance, but the reports that have come out of Tobioka suggest that there are individuals running around the city with capabilities that far surpass those of any ordinary human. Japan may not be within our jurisdiction, but due to this personal request, along with the fact that Millennium has been making bolder moves, if there is even a one percent chance that these people in Japan are involved with that organization, then we have to treat it as an absolute certainty."
Leaning back in her chair, the blonde let out a sigh. "However, given that we don't have as much solid proof for this theory as we do for Brazil, I have deemed it safe for the two of you to accept this mission. I have already spoken with the Police Commissioner of Tobioka City over the phone, and he has agreed to lend two of his officers to accompany you in this case during the course of your stay there."
Ichigo's eyes narrowed. He had only been to Tobioka once before, when he and his sisters were much younger and they'd been forced to accompany their Old Man to a medical conference. It had also been only three months after their mother had died…
He couldn't remember hearing about any major issues with crime in the city, aside from the typical gang violence and petty theft that infested every moderately-sized city on the planet. Admittedly, Tobioka did have a higher crime rate than the surrounding areas, but that was simply due to the fact that there was a well-established Yakuza hideout somewhere in the city. And wherever the Yakuza went, they were bound to draw in their rivals.
The orange-head's inner musings were interrupted when Pip slung an arm around his shoulder and pulled him in roughly. "Well, looks like it'll just be us young studs on an undercover mission eh? The ladies won't know what hit them!"
Integra rolled her eyes, while Ichigo let out a groan.
As it turned out, the eleven-hour flight from London to Tobioka was not as unbearable as Ichigo's first trip to England had been.
Integra had been kind enough to buy both him and Pip first class seats, and the service had been exemplary. Still, it was rather annoying that the self-proclaimed French ladies' man attempted to flirt with literally every stewardess that approached them.
Their weapons and gear had all been given the proper permits, so there had been no real issue at the boarding gate. Currently, the orange-head had changed into a plain white shirt with a black long-sleeved jacket over it, and a pair of blue jean pants to cover his lower half. Pip was dressed similarly, but for whatever reason he had been vehemently against the very idea of forgoing his hat.
A bump against his arm brought Ichigo's attention away from the window to his current partner. "Yeah, what is it?"
Pip simply grinned. "Oh nothing, just wondering if you had a special Dame back home."
The former Substitute shook his head in the negative. "No, I don't have a girlfriend."
THAT certainly got a reaction out of the Wild Geese's commander, and Ichigo's eyes narrowed in suspicion.
"So…Miss Victoria is available then? I'll admit, she caught me off guard with that whole vampire thing, but she's still quite the looker wouldn't you say? And can you believe the size of those ti-"
"No."
Pip raised a brow. "What?"
"Seras is not looking for relationship," the orange-head stated firmly.
"How can you be so sure mon amie? I think I still have a pretty good chance of-"
"No."
"But…"
"No."
"Alright, alright!" The Frenchman relented irritably. "Hell, someone might get the impression that YOU want to take that chance…"
Ichigo grumbled under his breath and turned a light shade of red, prompting Pip to smirk triumphantly. "Did you read the case report that the Tobioka Police Force sent us?" the orange-head asked in an effort to change the subject.
Pip's expression went from joking to serious so quickly that Ichigo couldn't help but be impressed. "Oui, as far as we know, this shadowy group of people seemingly prefers to operate under the cover of night. They are also typically comprised of five field members; four female and one male, yet there is occasionally a fifth woman who accompanies them. The ages of the members is all unknown, but based off of civilian reports and survivor accounts, the oldest of them appears to be somewhere in her mid to late twenties."
Ichigo nodded. "Right, and they've all got various weapons ranging from handheld pistols to damn anti-tank rifles. The one thing that I think is weird though is that nearly every encounter that the TPF has had with them seemingly indicates that they were trying to put down criminal operations."
Pip shrugged. "It's not all that uncommon for rival gangs to try and take out each other's businesses. But yeah, I agree with you; considering that one of them was able to lift a car with her bare hands, and another was able to cut through fucking steel with a katana, we can probably safely assume that they're not just ordinary criminals."
The rest of the flight went by relatively smoothly, but Ichigo still couldn't help but get the feeling that they weren't going to end up dealing with vampires. Millennium seemed way to organized and secretive to constantly send out operatives into the open, and there was little possibility that they would benefit from stopping sex traffickers or drug lords. Whatever the case might have been, these people were still dangerous vigilantes, and the orange-head wasn't about to let people like that continue to run around freely in his home country, especially now that he once again had the capabilities to put a stop to it.
After about another hour the plane landed, and the two Hellsing agents gathered their gear and disembarked the aircraft. Entering the main portion of Tobioka International Airport, the Japanese native and one-eyed Frenchmen looked throughout the crowd for their escorts.
"Miss Hellsing said that the representatives from the police force were supposed to pick us up right outside of the terminal, but I'm not seeing anyone…" Pip mused aloud, annoyance clear in his tone. Ichigo found himself agreeing; Japanese people were stereotypically considered to be extremely punctual, and for once he found himself wishing that was always true.
"Excuse me? Mister Kurosaki and Mister Bernadotte?" A distinctly feminine voice asked cautiously. The brunette and orange-head turned around as one, and each reacted quite differently.
Ichigo himself was at a near absolute loss for words. Standing in front of them was undoubtedly one of the most well-endowed women he had ever seen, and coming from someone who knew Rangiku and Harribel, that was definitely saying something. She wore a green turtleneck sweater without sleeves, with a white long-sleeved jacket covering that. A black business skirt covered her thighs and stopped just above her knees, while the rest of her legs were covered by black nylon stockings. Black high heels adorned her feet, and green-rimmed glasses fit snugly on her nose.
His was pretty sure Pip was outright drooling.
The orange-haired woman smiled pleasantly and reached out with a friendly hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you both; I'm Konomi Suzue, the representative from the TPF tasked with bringing you to your hotel."
Seeing how his French companion was still in a state of seemingly catatonic silence, Ichigo took it upon himself to accept the beautiful woman's handshake. "Nice to meet you too, but how did you know who we were?"
Konomi chuckled good-naturedly. "Well, Miss Hellsing told us in her call to look out for a young man with bright orange hair and a slightly older man with a strange hat, and seeing as how you two are the only ones I've seen so far who fit that description…"
Ichigo and Pip simultaneously sweat dropped, and an image of a smugly smiling Integra crossed through their minds.
Regaining his bearings, the leader of the Wild Geese frowned in confusion. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but weren't we told that we were going to be accompanied by two officers from the TPF? Do you have an invisible partner?"
The former Substitute elbowed the Frenchman in the ribs, much to the older man's annoyance.
Konomi let out a slightly resigned sigh. "Yes well, my superior officer, Isoroku Tatara, was supposed to be here as well, but he got held up at the office. I'll just go ahead and warn you ahead of time…he can be pretty intense when it comes to the vigilante group we're going to be hunting."
"Why is that?" Ichigo frowned.
"Because these people have been managing to slide past all of our attempts to apprehend them for the past three years," Konomi replied. "It only got bad fairly recently, but Tatara has become absolutely obsessed with bringing them in. He can get pretty upset whenever the topic comes up, so you guys should be prepared for that."
Ichigo raised an eyebrow, but Pip nodded in understanding. "I've seen a lot of good men become obsessed with their work; it consumes them almost entirely, even to the point where they begin to abandon all other aspects of their lives…"
Konomi shrugged. "Whatever the case may be, we can't allow it to affect our investigation. If Tatara won't cooperate, then we'll simply have to do everything without him. Now then, we best be going; you two need to get checked in before it gets too late."
After getting settled into their hotel room, which turned out to be the damn penthouse, Ichigo and Pip had accompanied Konomi to what she claimed to be her favorite local coffee shop in order to further discuss the details of their mission.
The green-eyed young woman pulled out a pathetically empty folder and placed it on their shared table, in full view of her male partners. "Based on accounts delivered by survivors of this vigilante group's attacks, they appear to refer to themselves as 'Black Label.' They very rarely target civilians, and their main focus appears to be on bringing down the numerous illegal activities and gangs all throughout the city. Normally, the police department would be grateful for this assistance, but Black Label seems to consider themselves as judge, jury, and executioner. They kill their targets without any form of a trial, and that kind of brutal judgement makes them criminals as well."
The former Substitute and Mercenary Leader both absorbed this information slowly while reviewing the scarce papers contained within the file Konomi had produced. Looking up from the documents, Ichigo decided to ask the question that had been gnawing at his mind ever since they had accepted this mission.
"We were told that at least two of the individuals in this group are capable of superhuman feats…is that true?" he questioned curiously.
Konomi squirmed awkwardly. "Well, I'm not really keen on acknowledging 'superhuman' abilities, but I'll admit that several reports of encounters with Black Label have been extraordinary. One woman seems to be capable of incredible feats of strength, and another was reportedly witnessed slicing directly through a car with nothing more than a seemingly ordinary katana."
Both Ichigo and Pip shared an amused look at the young woman's blatant disbelief in the supernatural, but neither chose to speak up on the matter.
"So, you have no idea where Black Label's base of operations is located, you haven't the slightest clue as to their identities, and there is absolutely no concrete pattern to their attacks aside from the fact that they strike heavy crime rings. Does that sound about right?" Pip drawled sarcastically.
Konomi flushed a light shade of red and coughed in embarrassment. "Y-yes, that's right…"
"Well then, how do you propose we find them?" the Frenchman asked with a raised eyebrow.
The orange-haired woman perked up, actually seeming to be prepared for that particular question. "We have a man posing as a member in one of the city's local gangs, and according to his information there will be a major drug and weapons trade at the harbor tomorrow night. Black Label would be going against absolutely everything we know about them so far to not show up to such a big exchange."
Ichigo scratched his chin in thought. He was all-too familiar with people acting as if their decisions were superior to those of absolutely everyone else. Central Forty-Six had always believed themselves to be more qualified than even the Gotei Thirteen when it came to passing judgement, and it seemed that Black Label was no different. "Is there any preference for their capture?"
Konomi nodded. "We would prefer to detain them if at all possible, but if not, we have explicit orders to kill them."
The orange-haired young man grimaced; he would prefer not to stain his sword with human blood, but if Black Label proved to be too big of a threat to the general populace, then he supposed he wouldn't really have choice.
Masamune Mochizuki was a simple man.
Well, perhaps not…but nevertheless, he still liked to think of himself as a promoter of the greater good. The wealth that he had amassed over the years had gone into bettering the community, and he had helped found local buildings such as the Mochizuki General Hospital, of which he was the current Chairman.
However, it had not been until the death of his beloved son that he realized that he had an even greater calling to answer. The world was polluted by despicable people who were only motivated by the prospect of personal gain, and who would do absolutely anything to reach their goals. Murderers, thieves, rapists…the list went on and on. These criminals continued to defile the planet, even despite the efforts of law enforcement.
Truly, they were tumors on society in every sense of the word…
"Doctor Mochizuki?"
Looking up from his desk, the wheelchair-bound man was welcomed by the sight of one of his most accomplished doctors, as well as one of his most lethal agents. Yuuko Sagiri was an incredibly well-endowed young woman of twenty-eight years of age. She was well respected within the hospital, and her kindness was rumored to know virtually no limits.
"Yes, what is it Yuuko?" Mochizuki questioned.
"Fiona has just informed me of what sounds like a rather large exchange between multiple gangs. The data she was able to gather suggests that this transaction will take place between nine and ten o'clock tomorrow night, near the harbor," the brown-haired woman listed off, folding her arms underneath her large breasts.
"I was made aware of that as well," the elderly man nodded in acknowledgement.
A small smirk tugged at the corner of Yuuko's lips, but she fought back the urge in favor of retaining a serious expression. "Do you wish for Ampoule One to intervene?"
Mochizuki remained silent for a brief period as he mulled over the information in his head. If rumors were to be believed, then this operation had the potential to be one of the largest criminal exchanges in Black Label's history. If team Ampoule One was successful in bringing down this operation, then they could finally be rid of several of the biggest names within the criminal underworld that had polluted this city for over five years.
The sickly man's eyes hardened, and he finally returned Yuuko's expectant gaze.
"As medical professionals, it is our duty to excise the tumors that plague this society. Don't you agree Doctor Sagiri?"
The busty woman smiled marginally, and leaned forward in a respectful bow. "As you command, Sir."
Leaving her superior to his solitude, Yuuko turned on her heel and proceeded to exit Mochizuki's office. Unsurprisingly, she barely walked twenty feet down the hallway before she was intercepted by one of her teammates.
As far as the general public was concerned, Sayo Hitsugi was simply the head nurse for Mochizuki General Hospital. The voluptuous bluenette was also the heavy hitter of Ampoule One, and her physical prowess was second to none.
"I take it the Chairman gave us the green light for the mission?" Sayo asked, although her tone labeled it as more of a statement than true question. The excited grin on her face also gave away her knowledge of the answer.
Yuuko smiled in return, and gave an affirmative nod. "Yes, Doctor Mochizuki has labeled these tumors as black, and ready for removal. I was just on my way to contact Oriha, and I would appreciate it if you would inform Mikoto and Arashi as well."
The busty nurse waved a casual hand through the air in acknowledgement. "Sure thing boss lady. Aw man, I can't wait to bust some heads!"
As Sayo walked away, Yuuko couldn't help but shake her head in a small measure of amusement. The bluenette's enthusiasm was certainly commendable, but that often translated to sadism and unnecessary brutality in the field. Even so, that never stopped her from getting the job done, so there was so real reason to reprimand her too harshly.
Shaking her head, the well-endowed doctor continued on her path.
Black Label had a surgery to prepare for.
And thus ends the Introductory Mini-Arc, which transfers into the Triage X Mini-Arc.
Overall, I have at least two major Arcs planned for this story, which in turn will be filled with a multitude of various Mini-Arcs. The only reason I label them as such is because of the change in focus.
And yes, the additional series that I have decided to include is Triage X. Despite the fact that it is largely meant to be an ecchi series, I could see the possibility of the Hellsing Organization suspecting that Hitsugi and Yuuko might be vampires. They weren't certain though, and that's why they took the risk of only sending two human agents to deal with the threat.
Besides, as an Englishwoman, Integra can't really refuse a direct request from the Queen.
Governments assist each other all of the time in the real world, and they do so with the idea of future favors in mind. So, it really isn't too much of a stretch to suggest that the Japanese Government requested Hellsing's aid, especially since they deal with possible and confirmed supernatural threats.
Now then, I'd like to address a question that I seem to be getting quite often in the review section. As I've said before, the Quincies WILL appear in this story, but their involvement hasn't come yet. Be patient, and you shall be rewarded in time.
And don't worry everyone. Once Ichigo and Pip's adventure in Japan has concluded, I will devote some time to writing Alucard and Seras' expedition in Brazil; that is simply too major of a plot point to ignore. I just thought it would be both humorous and good for character development to have our favorite Strawberry and Frenchman have a little bonding period of their own.
In order to avoid confusion for anyone who has not watched or read Triage X, Black Label is the name of the secret organization that operates out of Mochizuki General Hospital. Ampoule One is the name of the team that carries out the missions. Oh, and get ready for a lot of medical references…
Pairing Poll:
Seras Victoria (Crimson Soul): 30 votes
Integra Hellsing: 18 votes
Zorin Blitz (Blood Orange): 11 votes
Kalawarner: 9 votes
Raynare: 8 votes
Yuebelluna: 7 votes
Rias Gremory: 7 votes
Akeno Himejima: 7 votes
Tiamat: 6 votes
Katerea Leviathan: 5 votes
Rip Van WInkle: 3 votes
Yumiko Takagi: 3 votes
I hope you all enjoyed the longer chapter.
AlucardsBro OUT!