The Banana Slug: Was it misogynistic that I had Bella Swan get killed by a tentacle monster…and make it somewhat sexual with all the pants tugging?
Well don't think that, if it was Edward, I'd do the same thing, all in the same order, with Edward trying his best to seduce Alucard. I mean it.
Edward Cullen is in the closet AND in denial.
Hellsing's League of Extraordinary Gentlemen
By The Banana Slug
CHAPTER 10: The Detective
Nemo groaned as she slowly opened her eyes, finding herself stuck in the middle of a small island in an ocean of clear blue water. Her head rested against the single palm tree as he boots touched the shore with waves of salt water hitting the bottom of them.
She slowly groaned as she sat up, shaking her head as she was without her coat or her gun, and only one of her swords were strapped to her belt. Nemo groaned as she looks to her left and sees the head of Rudolph Surge, upside down with four long crab legs jutting from the top of his head as two eyestalks poke out of his chin.
She watches as he scuttles around, mumbling, "Nigger, nigger, nigger", over and over again as she stares at it in annoyance.
"…What the fuck is…" she would breath out, before she would see something rise out of the ocean. She saw her Nautilus blast out from underneath in front of her. From the hatch, which slammed right open with a loud clang, would climb out a large dark gentleman in a blue naval uniform, a blue turban, and wielding a long harpoon in hand. The man had dark skin, a hooked nose, a long black beard with a curly moustache, and dark antagonistic eyes like a shark, like Nemo's.
She watches as he hurls the harpoon at the racist Thing, impaling it in the head and pulling it back as the head screams and yells racist remarks. The sea-captain pulls it up, holding it as it writhes around, and rips one of his crab-like legs off. It screeches as he begins sucking the meat from the end of it and saying, "Such a delicious Edward Norton Crab."
"You…who are you?" she breathed out, not wanting to believe in her eyes that this was the original Captain Nemo.
"I am No-One, Captain, just like you!" he boomed out, "When I died, I became the Spirit of the Nautilus, watching you muck it up with your feminine presence-"
"HOW DARE YOU!" snapped Nehal angrily, "I have led the Nautilus perfectly! You are a moron who can't tell an Atlantis from a Terra Austrailis!"
"What!?" barked the original Nemo angrily, "I don't need to take that from such a beastly woman such as yourself!"
"Then why did you come here!?" argued Nehal madly, "I'm sure it wasn't just to eat a Neo-Nazi crab and ramble misogynistic ravings!"
Captain Nemo watched her as he bit onto the chin of the head, which screamed out as it slobbered profusely as the wound only revealed cooked white meat. "Hrm…yes, there is something I came here for other than to bark at your female incompetence. I have come to warn you about a coming danger, that will threaten England, the League, and more importantly...the Nautilus!"
"The Nautilus?" she breathed out, then demanding, "What is it, my predecessor?"
"Your enemy, the New Millennium's master, will soon reveal itself," he warned ominously with his fingers waving around, "and it will bring a storm upon you, England, and soon…the whole world! He will deal a deadly blow to your powerful allies, and prove himself a force to be reckoned with, a titan, a devil, and a-"
He suddenly stopped, dropping the crab and pointing behind Nehal Nemo with wide eyes and a shocked frown, screaming out, "HOLY SHIT! It's a Shoggoth!"
After that, she would see a shadow engulf around her causing her to swerve her head quickly to see what Captain Nemo screamed out. It was a great blue mass of flesh and tentacles, eyes and maws spotting all over as it released a deep guttural and unearthly roar as it jutted from the ocean.
It flew over the island as Nehal watched in horror, watching as it simply fell atop her and engulfed the entire island in its mushy body…
…
…
"Nemo! Nemo! Nemo!"
She opened her eyes again to see Quatermain, his clothes stained with his blood as some dripped from his nostrils and teeth. He was shaking her body by the arm as she was resting over a tree.
"Oh bloody good," he sighed in satisfied hope, stopping and kneeling there in a tired mess, "you're still alive, I thought that skin-head done you in."
She felt the grass touch her forearms and the back of her neck, then turning her head slowly to see the giant sea of green slime to her right as the green grass touches her cheek.
Nehal sported scratch marks on her right arm, her right cheek, and the left side of her abdomen. "Did you meet Gwynplaine?" asked Quatermain, causing her to look back at him with a confused glare.
He then elaborated and asked again, "The smiling vampire, the one who keeps making more of himself, you dealt with him?"
"…Yes…" she breathed out, "he just kept multiplying…I thought he was going to win…but then, he just ran away…and I couldn't help myself but rest…"
"Ah, just as well," said Quatermain, scratching his head, "I thought I was done for until he simply ran off too…" He got up and said, "I think he is focusing his attention on Alucard now, apparently that other woman was just there to stall and tire him out."
She slowly rose to her feet as he spoke, saying, "Well then, that means he's busy with Alucard and we have an opportune chance at the Compound. I'll radio my men and we can-"
"No," barked Leonard, cocking his rifle, "I'm going off to help him in anyway I can. I'm sure you can handle the Compound sans one drug-addicted forty-something hunter, hm?"
"You overestimate your abilities…and your irrelevance," she stated with a sigh, "but I won't stop you. If I need your help, I'll be sure to blame you."
He nodded quickly, darting away and rushing into the forests with his rifle in hand. Nemo watched as he disappeared into the forest, rain slamming down onto the island as she was drenched to the bone.
The dreadful Captain glared out in the distance over at her prized Nautilus, grabbing a hold of her radio, pressing it against her lips, and saying to her men just these words, "Men…raid and plunder…"
She walked over to the green slime pile as the Nautilus, all the way seen in the dark grim ocean, began spouting out loud gun-like bangs with red flashes seen at the side of the metal monstrosity.
The green slime would slowly wash away as she'd reach down to grab her other sword, resting it back onto her belt calmly. As she did so, a long harpoon would impale a tree, and another did the same to another tree, and at least three more would stab into the large strong trees.
She'd place her other sword in its place, then reaching for her harpoon gun before noticing something very disturbing. She noticed the head of Rudolph Surge was now non-existent, with no trace of the dead head anywhere in sight.
From the Nautilus, her crew would crawl from the rope with semi-automatics strapped on their backs and large swords between their teeth, getting closer into the island as they sported a bloodlust they were all-too accustomed to under the rule of the dreaded Queen of the Sea.
The town of Elwood was gathering to the large stone church to the distance, all wishing to hear these Laws the League has heard so much about. It was a large stone building of red windows with a bell-tower four stories tall.
Seras looked at it from across the street, with Bugs, Lola, and the two rabbit-children in front of her as the Rabbit-Woman straightened Ruby's bonnet, all holding umbrellas from the downpour. Conan and Jason, and hopefully Mr. Griffin, were walking up to her as she gazed at it. Conan and Seras were holding umbrellas borrowed from the rabbits, with Jason just letting the rain hit him as he stood there like a statue.
"What exactly…are these Laws?" she asked Lola.
"Rules, kinda, just things to abide by to act more…human." she replied, finishing fixing the bonnet on Ruby's head as it was slightly lopsided, beaming to her, "There! Pretty and unique!"
"The Laws are the foundation of life here on the Island," stated Bugs calmly, "without them, we'd be runnin' on all fours and crappin' in the streets."
"Bugs!" snapped Lola, causing Bugs to laugh at her outburst as she clasped Max's ears.
"So, if you…break these laws," said Conan, then asking rhetorically, "what happens? Do you…confess them to someone? To the Sayer?"
"No, you get the House'a Pain, where they drug ya up and mess with yer head," sighed Bugs grimly, shaking his head and saying, "…the system works, I won't lie…but its just dang grim and brutal. All because of Millennium and the Detective…"
He sighed again and said, "Ehhh, I think ya heard'a 'nuff'a me 'fightin' the system', it's time to refresh on our Laws." With that, he patted Max's head as he giggled happily, leading his family to the Church.
Seras and her team would follow them as she looked around at the Beast-People gathering towards along with their trek. She quickly asked Bugs, "Uh…you sure they won't try and tell Millennium that-"
"Don't worry," assured Bugs with a laugh, "I ain't the only one who don't like the new ordah, you're safe. I assure ya."
"Well, if you say so…" she would let out. The road they walked on was sandwiched between the buildings and a cliff overlooking the ocean with a wooden fence barring those foolish enough to get close to it.
Seras stopped right at the doors, thinking to herself as she looked nervously at it, not sure the rules of churches for her, even at her level of power. "…Uh…I…I think I'll stay out here," said Seras with a bit of unease.
Bugs turned to her and asked, "Ya sure ya don't wanna hear the Laws?"
"Just give me a run-by after your done," sighed Seras calmly as she smiled and waved her hand lightly, "I never been one for churches. Too cold."
"Vampire!" beamed out Max happily, causing Seras to jump in shock like she was accused a witch.
"No, Max," calmed Ruby with a smile, "No vampires. No such thing." She watches as Bugs and his 'family' walk into the church, with Jason following and causing Seras a bit of worry, knowing how unpredictable this beast was.
Conan stopped and turned to Seras, "I'm gonna go in, I'm actually quite curious about their rendition of the Laws. Maybe they modernized it."
"Right, I'll keep'a look-out," she stated with a smile, "make sure no one gets the jump on us." She then said aloud, "And Mr. Griffin, I need you out here helping me…if you are still out here."
Conan looked around and asked, "Do you ever…get a strange feeling about that V in Bug's house?"
"Feels ominous, not sure exactly what it really means," she stated, "I was half-expecting a swastika instead of a letter."
"Same here, I mean, people like them are…" he stopped and thought for a moment, "…wait…I think I remember where I saw a symbol like that now."
"You have?" she let out curiously.
"Seras, you know about Ingsoc…right?" he would ask her.
"…Of course, English History 101," she replied grimly, "a time where ignorance was bliss and intelligence was discouraged, under pain of death. Created right after the second World War…" She then paused a bit, then asking the Boy Detective, "Wait, what does Ingsoc have to do with Millennium? Are you saying that they are-"
"Yes, both are socialist parties, and both rely on fear and brutality," explained Conan, "I guess the new leader is a firm believer of Big Brother and not Adenoid Hynkel. Only time will tell what their full plan will turn out to be…but one thing is for certain…" He turns around to head inside, and finishes his deduction with, "…they'll attack London again, but not to destroy it…but to conquer it."
She watches as he walks right into the church, with organs blazing out as it opens then dying as soon as it closes. She sighs and rests her back against the wall of the church, folding her umbrella as she looks into the cloudy sky as it overlaps the ocean, hearing a rolling thunder in the distance as it makes itself known for only a second.
"Ingsoc, eh?" hissed out a voice, "First time I heard 'bout it."
"That's because you're an uneducated thug, Griffin," said Seras calmly, "it just means the ideology has changed, not the organization as a whole. Still the blood-thirsty monsters that pretty much destroyed London."
She watched as his invisible hand touched the rain, watching as the clear water bends around his palm and drips from the bottom of it. "I always hated rain…and it is a bitch when yer invisible," he sighed, she watched him whip the water off as she began pondering to herself.
With that, she then began closing her eyes, thinking deeply as she attempted to use her third eye to see. She tried to see if her mind will help her, see if she can be able to catch the Invisible Man.
She opened her eyes again, with her irises crimson red as she sees a feint brown outline in the form of a man, slouching as he looks at his hand with an unreadable blank face. Seras smiles and turns her head, choosing not to tell Mr. Griffin just in case she'd need to use it on him.
"Oi…who's that?" she would hear Mr. Griffin suddenly point out. She looked to around, catching a glimpse of Griffin pointing at her. Seras looks at that direction to see a tall lanky figure in the middle of the road, standing there like a dead statue with something in his hands.
She'd inspect the man as he simply stands there, looking at them with wide dead eyes. Black circles were around them as he stood there calmly, with a deep frown under his button nose. Atop his head was a tuft of a black frizzle that rested only at the top of his skull.
The man was tall, almost nine feet tall, and was as thin as a skeleton. He wore a black leather outfit that looked like it was made from the same stuff used to make garbage bags. Over his wrists were four belts wrapped together tightly on both wrists, and the same was used on his ankles.
His feet and hands were bare, showing off his white-pale skin. His nails were long and dirty, with his inhumanely long fingers hanging from his hands. Actually, only one hung there, with his right hand gripping something covered in a plastic wrap.
Seras eyed it intensely as she'd notice the plastic wrap was covering a pile of papers. She also noticed the plastic was wet, damp even. He was damp, he was completely soaked and dripping with sea-water.
"Wait…are those…" breathed out Griffin.
Seras tensed up as shadow leaked from her bandaged arm, her eyes flaring red with shock and anger. She breaths out, in utter terror and minimal rage, "…Oh shit…"
The church was filled with animal-people, with Conan passing through many with a tiny bit of fear, wondering if they'd find him a tasty snack, especially the carnivores. He took a seat next to Bugs and between Jason, who stood there like a dazed child as he stood at the painted glass, shining red with a black V with a white hand and a black hand shaking each other in harmony…only cementing Conan's proof on the New Millennium's new belief.
He watches as a small yet rotund Goat-Man, dressed in a ragged 30's era suit and large wide glasses over his happy eyes. He sported a calm smile as he walks over to the podium, standing on a box to get over it and bleets happily.
"Oh, oh, oh!" he stated, this Sayer of the Laws, calling out with a bleeting tone, "Welcome, welcome, to the House of Joy and Peace. Where we learn to become like man, and that is no lie. Old Doc Yak does not lie, no siree." He then holds his cloven hand out, with the old goat then calling out, "Enough of my prattling, don't you agree? Now…now is the time for Laws, yes?"
He holds his hands out as the Beast-People, even Bugs, Lola, and their adopted children, clasped their hands together and closed their eyes. Conan slowly did the same, keeping one eye open to watch their actions. He noticed even Jason did the same, only clasping his hands but keeping his gaze and posture.
And after that, the Animal-People began to chant loudly in a monotone, all together, they began to recite the Laws:
"Not to go on all fours, that is the Law. Are we not men?"
"Not to suck up water, that is the Law. Are we not men?"
"Not to eat raw flesh or fish, that is the Law. Are we not men?"
"Not to claw the bark of trees, that is the Law. Are we not men?"
"Not to harm a man, that is the Law. Are we not men?"
And then, after chanting the same thing almost three times, Conan would hear a new chant ring out only once. This one held more fear in their mouths, this one was a terror to them in a spiritual and emotional level:
"His is the House of Pain. Hers is the Hand that makes."
"His is the Hand that wounds. Hers is the Hand that heals."
"His is the deep salt sea. Hers is the lightning-flash."
This call to the He and Her were haunting, invoking fear from the man and intimidation from the woman. The Adam was apparently their Satan and their Eve was their God, a male Destroyer and a female Creator of these animal people as they call out to them in prayer.
The Sayer held out his hands at the end of their mass, nodding his head peacefully and bleeting out wisely, "…I am sure I speak for all on how scared we are. How frightened we are of our protectors, of the Detective. Some say he is watching us, all of us, watching us until he finds enough proof to send us to the House…some even say he can enter our minds."
Beast-Men began chattering in fright before Old Doc Yak held his arms out and silenced them swiftly, continuing his preaching to his Beast-People. "I assure you, please, that he is not a psychic or a spy, no he's not, but a gate-keeper from the horrors of the world, I assure you. He sends us to the House of Pain to help us be Man. Men do not murder each other, men do not eat raw meat, and men do not walk on all fours. We are Men, and we need to remind ourselves what it takes to be a man. Which is what the House is, a reminder of what the Mother has given us! The Doctor reconditions us to further beat the nail into our minds and saving us from ourselves."
The Sayer of the Law took a moment to breath, with Conan listening intently to this Beast-Man's words. Old Doc Yak turned back to them, saying calmly, "I can…understand why many fear our new protectors. They have never given us any real proof to trust them, no they have not. But the Evil you know is better than the Evil you don't know. They have done their jobs to protect us, yes they have! The Detective and the Doctor, both frightening yet needed in our society to keep the peace, to keep the order."
He sighs and says, "And…the less you know about our House of Pain…is the better. We don't want…to scare our young 'uns, no siree." The Sayer of the Law then coughs loudly and says, "But…if you must talk to me about that…I'd rather do so alone, I sure do."
He smiles, clapping his hands once and finishes with, "Now! Let us hope this silly old storm blows off soon, hm? You are welcome to stay and have some refreshments for as long as you want, this is your house too. Amen."
"Amen," replied every Beast-Man, bowing their heads in respect before getting up to the refreshments resting on a long table pressed against the right wall. It was filled with cakes and sweets with a large punch bowl in the middle.
Lola led the children by the hand over to the table, with Jason getting up and following them, with him looking down at Max as he smiled warmly to the undead beast. Conan was shocked to see Jason so…approachable to these people, wondering if he finds more solace with beast than man.
However, his inspection was cut short by a tug to his arm. He twirled his head around to gaze at Bugs still sitting next to him and asking, "You wanna know more about the House? Old Doc Yak will fill ya in…"
Conan nodded and jumped off his seat, with Bugs following him as Conan made way across the horde of Animal-Men as they chattered amongst themselves to the point they actually seemed human. The children giggled as they ran around, playing inside the House as they also acted so anthropomorphically.
"H-3! H-3!" called out H-22-D, seeing the Sayer conversing with a family of Aardvark-People, a husband and wife, a young daughter, and B-1 amongst his family. Sayer looked over to Bugs, smiling and waving his hand before turning to the Aardvark-People and concluding their visit with a handshake and a pleasant goodbye.
He walked over to Bugs with a loud, "Why, hello! What can I…Ah!" He was surprised when he saw Conan, who was almost his size as he looked at the detective with large eyes and an open smile.
"Oh! Never had a human so young amongst us! No siree!" he giggled happily, "Did the Mother send you? Or perhaps…the Detective?"
"Uh, no," replied Conan nervously, "in fact, I needed to talk to you about…Millennium."
"Oh…I see…" he breathed out, looking around and asking quietly, "…have you come to free us from Millennium? Have you come to stop the Detective?"
"Yes," he replied curiously, "but didn't you say-"
"To calm the nerves, boy, to calm the nerves. Lies soothe their worry hearts," hushed Old Doc Yak quickly as he led Conan to the back of the room, "they don't know, they could not know of the horrors Millennium has done in the past. I do. I remember the old Major before he died…a horrid man, just as bad as the Detective, he was."
As they discussed, a loud commotion could be faintly heard from outside. Some were quite nervous of it to begin with.
"Sayer…can you tell me anything about the Detective?" Conan asked him.
Old Doc Yak sighed nervously, saying to him, "Yes…he's going to strike again. He's going to finish what Millennium started. But he's not going to destroy the world with war and blood…he's going to enslave it with shadows and terror. Starting with the city of London."
One of the beast-people, a red Squirrel-Child wearing a blue jacket, walked out the front door nervously from the curiosity the commotion created as Conan would ask the Old Doc Yak the obvious, "Millennium…is going to attack London again? Do you think that they'll succeed this time?"
"Not with Zeppelins," confided H-3 nervously, "with something unknown…something aerial."
The doors once again opened with such force and power to reveal the Squirrel-Child run in nervously and scream to the Beast-People, "Something is fighting the No-Man! Woman! Woman fighting No-Man!"
Conan watched in wide-eyed shock as the Beast-Men yammered in shock, rushing outside as Old Doc Yak watched in horror as they stampeded out in curious fear. He'd also see the tall Man with the Mask follow with an emotionless gaze walk with the wave of Animal-Men, with Conan racing to the door, knowing that Seras has engaged one of the enemies…just not sure which one.
The rain slammed onto the asphalt and any who got in its way, with Seras standing in the middle of it as her left arm was a mass of red shadowy tentacles as it writhed around as she glared at her opponent. The tall gaunt skeleton man simply stared at her with absolutely no emotion, unharmed as he was like a statue, not breathing as he was glared at.
"Alright! You give me back the Notes or I will kill you!" she snapped angrily at him as a mass of animal-people began gathering from the church. They all watched in horror at the strange invader and the familiar fear was facing off in the middle of the road, both equally terrifying.
Conan watched as Jason walked past the Animal-People to join his companion, pulling his machete from a strap on his pants as he was slightly deterred by a tug to the arm. Max could only hold on for a second as Jason kept moving and his sister Ruby did her best to pull her brother off.
Jason moved up next to Seras as she looked over at him in relief, breathing out happily, "You have no idea how tough this guy was alone." Jason only glanced at her before returning his attention to the tall ghost-like abomination.
"Cesare!" screamed out Old Doc Yak, calling to the leather-bound man, "Please! No more carnage! I implore you!"
However, the man known as Cesare simply ran at the two, his arms flailing behind him as he ran at them and flipped over and over before giving both Jason and Seras in the face. Both were pushed to the floor, with Seras flipping back up with a snarl as Jason slowly got back up.
Her gaze was set to the Notes strapped to his belt, dangling around by a chain. She looked to Jason, getting to his feet and shouting, "All together! He can't dodge both of us! Do you understand me?" She took a quick glance from the survivalist as a 'yes'.
Both of these powerful warriors rushed at him, with Cesare standing there waiting for them to try. This tall limber beast would dodge every blow struck at him, every slash of Jason's machete, every shadow tendril whipping around at him. Not a single blow would hit him as he contorted and bended out of the way, his body seemingly rubber as he would move away from every blast.
"Will! You! Stop! MOVING!" screamed out Seras, her eyes glaring red as she did her best to attack this Cesare. However, she was dispatched by a grab to the head by his monstrous spider-like fingers and was flung across the street, with her body tumbling around violently as the animals watched this horrid battle unfold before them.
"Seras! Seras hold on!" shouted Conan, running to her as Jason was now the only one that could deal with this contorting demon.
Jason would simultaneously slam his fists down along with his machete slashing with it, but his wrists were both grabbed by Cesare as he did his best to hold Jason back. His arms would tremble from Jason's strength, trying to hold him back as Jason breathed angrily as Cesare stared at him without a shred of humanity.
But even though Jason was strong, Cesare found the strength to tug Jason from his footing and swing him around until finally flinging him at the cliff.
Max watched with tears in his eyes as he saw Jason being flung to the cliff, with a loud crack from the wooden railing as he'd fall down to the reef below. Jason's body would impact with a rock with a violent bash as blood spurted out and covered the jutting spire, with Jason falling into the ocean depths, for the moment deterred.
"Seras!" shouted Conan, helping her up as blood seeped from her mouth, "Are those…"
"I think they are, Conan," she finished, "…they have to be…" She watched as Cesare walked slowly to her direction, getting up and stammering around a bit before Bugs rushed over and helped her footing.
"Gotcha back, kid," he reassured, helping her back up as she panted and looked at the thing as it stopped only ten feet away.
"How did you…no, scratch that, that isn't the question I want to ask," called out Conan, "the real question is why bother with us? Isn't it more important to get these Notes to the Detective?"
"So why waste your time on us?" continued Seras spitefully, "Why risk the chance to have the Notes taken back…unless…"
"You weren't expecting us, we are in the way," added Conan in realization, with Bugs justifiably confused by all of these questions to Cesare, "…you were going to meet the Detective…here…weren't you."
Cesare didn't breath a word, but what they did hear was an amused chuckle from behind. "Hmhmhm, how astute…for a moron."
They turned around to see the phantasmal herald of the New Millennium stand there with his coat swaying in the wind as he glared at them with his robotic ever-glaring eyes. "…I must say, you all are an interesting lot…quite different from the other Leagues before you."
He walks forward with Seras and Conan staring at him with brave contempt, the Detective unable to show any emotional weakness of any kind. He stops just ten feet from them and finally says to them, "Allow me to…introduce myself. I am the Detective, Leader…of the New Millennium."
Conan cleared his throat and gave a forced reply, "It seems so, I am sure you are already aware who we are…correct?"
The Detective stared at Conan for some time, causing a slight chill to climb up his spine. The Detective would give him another amused chuckle before saying, "Yes, I do, Jimmy Kudo."
"And what kind of Nazi would just walk up to an enemy like a friend, hm?" interrogated Seras, "It doesn't seem very bright to me."
"Not if one wishes to mend wounds and try a little diplomacy, Miss Victoria," continued the Detective, clasping his hands together, "and please…unlike the Major, I am no Nazi. I follow a different view of socialism, English Socialism to be more exact."
"A Nazi by any other name," retorted Seras with a dark frown.
"Such a simplistic and juvenile view, Miss Victoria," scoffed the Detective, "but I do understand why you are so hostile to the Organization, what with the tragedy they gave you…but that was the old…in with the New." He then turned his attention to Bugs, who looked back at his cold red eyes as the robotic creature scanned him.
The Detective returned his attention to the League and said, "I only wish to…invite you. I agree that it was cross to send men to kill you in Mexico and in Dimmsdale…but I was under much stress and quite cross with recent events, I needed to get you out of my hair quickly." He chuckles lightly and adds heartfully, "I mean, would you not do the same thing in my position?"
"I'm not a murderer or a terrorist," snapped Seras.
"Oh? A terrorist, perhaps not, but a murderer?" scoffed the Detective, "You murder your own kind like a self-loathing crusade, you revel in blood like a madwoman and damn anyone who says otherwise. To call me worse than you is…hypocritical."
"So I have things to answer for, I will give you that much," she replied, "…but you are not allowed to judge me, because I am not a socialist…I am British."
"As am I, Miss Victoria," scoffed the Detective, then turning to Bugs who scratched his chin nervously as he turned his head away. The Detective then asked him suspiciously, "So, is there anything you'd like to say to me? Anything to confess?"
"Eh, no Doc, nuthin' at all," replied Bugs with a forced smile.
"H-22-D, I don't take kindly to liars…or traitors," growled the Detective, "perhaps you need to be re-educated? A visit to the House of Pain, yes? Perhaps your whole family needs re-education."
"He didn't know we were intruders, Detective," defended Conan angrily, "so stop bullying him with your dated ways, you fascist."
Detective looks down at Conan, who gets a chill every time those red eyes stare down at him, "Trying to insult me by telling me what I am? You know nothing of fascism, you half-rate replacement." He then flicks his hand at Bugs' direction, ordering, "Return to your family, and pray I believe the pretender's claims here."
Bugs groaned and looked at the two, with Seras nodding her head and saying, "We'll be fine, I'm not exactly human either."
H-22-D looked at her shadowy arm, swirling like fire as he nodded and said, "Yeh, I can see that." She watched as she ran to his family, seeing Lola throwing her arms out and holding Bugs closer to her as Max and Ruby did the same. Seras could tell how scared they were, fear of the Detective.
"Now…I can see now that there is no negotiating with you pathetic leptons," snarled the Detective coldly as he stares at the Beast-Men, "I tried to reason with you lot, but oh no, you had to try and glorify your dying system."
"You think that living under a socialist state with ignorance and fear as its only way of keeping order any better?" argued a proud and defiant Conan, "England has outgrown Ingsoc, it has outgrown Big Brother, and it has-"
"BE QUIET!" snapped the Detective, glaring at Conan with his constantly antagonizing eyes. The Boy Detective jumped back lightly, seeing Seras' hand acting as a shield as she glared at him, ready for battle.
The Detective was angry, it couldn't be told by his face, but by his tone, "…You bloody self-important little catamite. You think you have any business here, well you don't. You make me sick, walking around as if you are the Great Detective. That man was more of a detective than you could ever be, seeing you idolize and fail to emulate him makes me sick! I have half the mind to rip your smug little smile right off-"
"Eh, doc," called out Bugs, inching closer to them, "look, I'm sure we can just-"
"AND YOU!" roared the Detective, facing him as he pointed his finger at him and yelled, "I told you to shut up and obey me! Do any of you pitiful things now the definition of OBEDIANCE!?"
Suddenly, a loud beep was heard and Seras would hear Bugs cry out in agonizing pain. She spun to his direction to see him on the road, yelling out in pain as he trembles on the ground. All the Beast-Men would watch in horror and sympathy, crying out as they stood their ground for fear for their own safety.
Lola held Max and Ruby close to her as she turned their attention away, her own cries deafened by H-22-D's. Conan would see The Sayer of the Law look in horror as he groans in sadness at Bug's pain, knowing no one can save him from his punishment.
"STOP IT!" yelled Conan to the Detective. He'd watch helplessly as the Detective continued to point his finger at the agonized Rabbit-Man, possibly enjoying the pain he is causing.
"I SAID STOP IT!" screamed Conan, his face flushed with anger as he hit the top of his voice but was unable to get into the Detective's range of attention. He could swear her heard a chuckle from the Detective, but it was so dampened by Bug's constant screaming.
Suddenly, Seras snarled and whipped her shadowy arm back, screaming at the Detective, "HE SAID! LEAVE! HIM! ALONE!" After that outburst, she swiped her arm at him like the weapon it is and it would collide right at his white blank face. The pain would stop as Bugs gasped, sweating madly as Max ran to him and tried to help him up.
Old Doc Yak waddled over and helped the Rabbit-Man up as Bugs groaned in intense tire from the pain the Detective gave him via such unknown yet devious means.
The Detective stood there, frozen in recoil as his hat flew off and fell to the ground as he clenched his fists. He was only deterred by the powerful shadow slap as he slowly straightened up, with the two watching surprise from what was under his top hat.
What they saw was a red glass dome covering what was obviously grey matter, and it was apparent that this automaton was once a human like the Major. The blank white face would reach to the top of his forehead, with the red dome reaching down to the back of his head just above his black robotic neck.
The Detective chuckled as the sound of automobiles racing in the distance was heard getting closer and closer, rubbing his head from his forehead to his dome. "Well, well…did I strike a nerve, my dear? Perhaps I need to beat a lesson into your thick female brain, yes?"
"You'll try, you socialist son of a bitch," she growled, "and I will humiliate you in front of your gimp over there." As she said that, Cesare, who stood completely still throughout the meeting of the Detective, would leap into the air and land right next to the Detective.
As he handed the Detective the Notes, the two would see a dozen black jeeps race down the road and quickly screech and park right behind the Detective and Cesare. Instantly, armed men in black trench coats leapt out and pointed their rifles right at them, with Conan wincing in defense as Seras stood her ground.
"Hold your fire, men," commanded the Detective, holding his hand out with the Notes up high, "I will be dealing with the girl by myself, then kill the boy and put out a search for the invisible freak."
He walks over to one of them as he hands him the covered Notes, then grabbing the sides of his coat and slowly taking it off. Underneath revealed his red shirt's sleeves pulled up to his forearms to reveal more of his mechanical arms.
As he gives the drenched coat to the man, he slowly turns to Seras and says, "For a moment, I would think you…American. Your need to prove your own self-worth, your defiance against change, and your overall intelligence is quite lacking."
He chuckles and cracks his mechanical knuckles, saying, "I mean, you act like you are the star of a Western…standing in the middle of the road ready to die for a bunch of misbegotten half-men that you only just met…admirable…but naïve."
"Yes, yes," sighed Seras in annoyance, "now, can you stop talking so I can kick your robot ass?"
"Oooh, how beastly," chuckled the Detective darkly, "I guess I really must put you in your place, woman. Such ugly behavior is not appropriate for such a lowly creature."
"Nice," hissed Seras as her shadow arm turned into a gargantuan mess of tentacles, "just don't cry to mommy when I send you back to her in Hell."
Conan backed away, with Seras looking back at him and ordering, "Conan…hide, just in case I don't win."
"But…you will win, right?" he asked her.
"Of course, but doesn't hurt to be prepared," she said in a near-lie with a warm smile under her flickering blue to red eyes. He nodded and ran began to run off, with Seras glaring at the Detective as a small army was at his back. She could not see an emotion but this thing seemed to emanate with a proud and violent nature, a killing machine of any caliber.
She also knew that this new leader would prove a challenge, as only a foolish one would think he was any challenge to her…and he was no fool. The Detective knew what he was doing, and Seras knew that.
A flash of lightning descended from the east, a perfect element to a stand-off such as this. A lone hero versus the over-bearing villain, facing off in the middle of the road as the villagers stood on the sidelines and his posse behind him.
She would admit something, in her head so not to give the Detective anything to gloat or mock about, that she did feel like a Western character…and it felt good.
The Banana Slug: Okay, last time, there will be TWO MORE chapters after this one set in the Island of Dr. Moreau. I know that it was going to be ONE MORE chapter left, but I think we're gonna need more chapters for this trip.