Barely a week or two, and already Chapter 11? That's crazy! Like I said, I'm on a writing frenzy and have been really focused on writing this story. Anyway, this'll just be setting the new scene, so don't expect any action. Anyway, here's Chapter 11 of Monstrum Hominis!
Thomas, Walter and Hans were walking on the sidewalk as the staff member was guiding them to their new apartment. As the trio was traveling through the city, civilians took small glances at the three of them, taking note of the peculiar looks of the two men and the man with the suit, who had a name tag from the Hero Association. Some quietly whispered if they were possibly new heroes, and let out small giggles of excitement and curiosity.
"And here we are." Thomas stopped in front of a very fancy building with snow-white texture and decks coming out of each room. The two heroes let out a soft hum of amazement. "Come on in." Thomas motioned for them to enter the building, and the three pushed through the sliding doors, entering an absolutely lavish lounge. The lobby had a white-granite floor with intricate patterns all across it, and in the center dangled a low-hanging chandelier just a few feet from the floor, with a circular seating area just below it. On the right, there was a water fountain with a black granite structure, and all throughout the lobby, there were fancy red, yellow, and brown chairs circled around tables with magazines and pots of very large flowers. Everything about this lobby screamed fanciness. "As you can see," said Thomas, "the apartment complex is quite luxurious. Most of these apartments are for wealthy families, although recently, more heroes have begun to move in."
For the second time today, Hans and Walter walked up to the front desk of a building, where a very handsome African American man with short hair and glasses was diligently working. "Excuse me sir," said Thomas.
The man looked up at the three of them and smiled. "Good afternoon. How may I help you?" The man noticed the Hero Association tag on his jacket, which caused his heart to skip a beat. "Oh! Yes, we received your call. Are these the two S-class heroes who're here to see the villa?"
"Yes. May we have the room key?"
"Of course! I have it right here!" The man opened up a cabinet, grabbed two magnetic key cards, and handed them to Walter and Hans. "I grabbed two just for practicality."
The two S-class heroes gave small bows, which caused the man's smile to widen. "The elevator is right down that hall."
"Thank you. We'll be on our way then."
The man politely gestured to the elevator. "Have an excellent day, and I hope you two enjoy our apartment: it's the best one we have."
"I'm sure they will," replied Thomas, before pacing to the elevator with Hans and Walter, leaving the man alone to resume his work. "Now if I remember correctly," said Thomas, "I'm pretty sure your apartment is on the 21st floor." Thomas pushed the elevator button, and surprisingly, the door immediately opened for them, since nobody was riding the elevator at the moment. The three entered the elevator, and Thomas pushed the 22nd floor button. The elevator doors slowly closed, leaving the three men standing alone in a somewhat awkward silence.
"Mr. Dornez," said Thomas, breaking the silence after a few seconds, as he had something on his mind and figured this was the time to say it, "If I may, I just want to say that I was amazed by your wires."
Walter's face lightened, and his lips formed into a small smile. "Thank you."
"And Mr. Günsche, while I didn't see you show your abilities first-hand, I was able to catch a glimpse of your physical exam, specifically on the firing range," Since Hans had two hand-held guns coupled with uncanny accuracy, he had chosen to select "long-range" as one of his preferred styles of fighting, "and I couldn't believe your accuracy. I mean, you hit every target right on the bullseye! It was unbelievable!" Like Walter, Hans couldn't help but feel somewhat flattered by this man's kind words, and he gave Thomas another small smile.
Then, the elevator dinged, and the doors slowly opened. The hallway had a black desk with two vases of flowers and a mirror hanging above the desk; for the floor, the designers chose to add long, dark oak tiles, and on the wall, there were several pictures of A-city and the nature around it. The three walked out of the elevator, and Thomas began looking at the room numbers to find out which one belonged to Walter and Hans. They continued to walk along the hallway until Thomas abruptly stopped when he reached a room at the end of the hallway.
"2114, this is it. Now if one of you could just..." Walter took his key card out and slid it across the lock. The lock beeped green, and they could hear the sound of the door being unlocked. Walter turned the knob and opened the door to see his new apartment. Now, Walter had a pretty rigorous standard when it came to luxury, and he had to say, this met it and then some. The first thing he noticed was the expansive windows that showed a breathtaking view of City A and the lush rolling hills just beyond the city border. For the lounge, there was a large white sofa and two white sofa-chairs and a large tv opposite of the sofa. Once they entered, both Walter and Hans began to explore the room out of curiosity, while Thomas stood still and waited for the two heroes to finish their exploring. To the right of the door, there was a kitchen with a granite countertop, with several burners on the counter, a stove below it, a microwave on the upper left, and a stainless steel fridge on the far left. Meanwhile, Walter noticed that there were at least three bedrooms, each with several pillows and fluffy white blankets. He then entered the main bathroom; when he did, he saw the floor consisted of small stone squares with different pattern colors. Not only did the bathroom have a shower with not one, but two shower-heads, but there was also a large hot tub on the far left. "Hmph," uttered Walter. "Not bad at all."
Once Walter exited the room, Hans came in next, and after about half-a-minute, they'd seen everything they needed to see and both met up near the door, where Thomas was still waiting. "So, does this room meet your standards?" questioned Thomas, "Would you like to visit a few other apartment complexes to get a better idea of the options you have?"
"No, I think this apartment will be more than enough. Wouldn't you agree Hans?" The Captain responded by giving a very small head-shake.
"Well alrighty then. I'll just let the front desk know of your decision and leave you gentlemen be. If you have any other questions about your apartment or the building, just contact the front desk below, and the headquarters is right next door. It was a pleasure, but I'm afraid I must be going now." Thomas walked out of the room and quickly said, "Have a fabulous rest of your day, gentlemen." And with that, the staff member closed the door, leaving the two S-class heroes alone in their new home.
"Damn dude, this place looks awesome!" The four heroes in City Y were in marvel at the luxury this apartment building possessed. Just as the two monsters in City A, the quartet were rather amazed by the marble floor, miniature waterfall, and several high definition televisions spread across the lobby.
"Ah hello there!" A woman standing at the front-end of the main desk ran up to them eagerly, as if she'd been waiting for someone. Well it turned out, she's been waiting for them. "The new S-class heroes! It's so amazing to meet such quality heroes in-person. Here, I already have your room keys." In her hand were two card keys which she gave to Alucard and Seras, "Your apartment in on the 19th floor, room 25. If you need anything, just dial the main desk and we'll immediately pick up."
"Much appreciated," uttered Alucard, "And where is the elevator?"
"Oh, it's right over there." The woman pointed to her left, where there were two elevators with gold-painted doors.
"Thanks," said Saitama, and with that, the four heroes made their way to the elevators. "Have a blessed day!" yelled out the woman.
"You too," replied Seras, along with a small salute of praise. Saitama pressed the button and waited for the elevator door to come down. "Which door do you thinks gonna open first?" wondered Saitama, "I call the door on the left." As it by magic, the left elevator dinged, and the doors quickly opened. Saitama let out a small laugh of triumph. "Called it!" All three heroes smiled at the bald hero's enthusiasm. It was rather inspiring to see him so emotional with his clinical boredom. The four heroes entered the confined space, and Genos pressed the 19th floor button. After a few seconds, the elevator doors closed, and the elevator began moving up. After about 10 seconds of silent waiting, the elevator reached the 19th floor and opened up.
"Look for signs that say the room numbers," said Saitama. Once he exited, he noticed a sign with the numbers 13-25 signaling to go to the left. "Well come on!" The four of them followed Saitama's lead and walked through the brightly lit hallway, until they reached their room number. Seras waved the card in front of the electronic lock, and the door unlocked. Seras pushed the door open, and the four heroes were greeted with a stunning apartment room. There were large windows with a deck that showed the expansiveness of Vity Y. There was a very nice kitchen with several high-end appliances. Saitama paced to see the different bedrooms, and there were at least four separate bedrooms with white bedsheets and closets. At least one had an individual bathroom with acceptable features that were still way better than what Saitama was dealing with at the motel. He then went into the main bedroom to look at the main bathroom, and when he did, he gasped: the floor was marble, just like the apartment lobby. The shower had glass doors, and two shower heads: one directly above the drain, and another in the typical position found in all showers. Beside it, there was a hot tub, and he immediately knew he was going to be using that.
Saitama paced back to the lounge area, where Seras was curiously observing everything like Saitama, whereas Genos and Alucard were standing in place. "This place is really nice."
"Wait Saitama, what about your personal belongings?" The bald hero frowned: he had completely forgot about his shit at the motel. Saitama groaned out in frustration and slapped his hand to his face. "Gah, that's a real moodkiller, and just when I was about to kick back and relax. Alright, I'll go run out and come back as quickly as possible. Genos, you stay here with Alucard and Seras, and as your first lesson, I'm demanding you have some conversation with them." The cyborg's fists tightened, and his lips pursed. "Look, these two are pretty cool, and to tell you the truth, I'm getting sick-and-tired of all the awkward silences, so make nice with them!"
Genos grudgingly obeyed his orders. "Yes master."
"Good. When I get back, I'm gonna ask you what you talked about. Got it? Anyway, I'll see you in about 5-10 minutes." Saitama bolted out the door and left the three alone.
Alucard nudged his head to the couch. "You heard your master," said Alucard, "Let's engage in some dialogue. Now, I hardly know anything about you beside that you're a cyborg, so let us begin with that. When and for how long have you been a cyborg?"
"It was four years ago, when..." Genos stopped himself: he didn't care what his master said, he wouldn't be disclosing such personal information and sensitive details to these monsters. Not now, not ever. "When I was in an accident. My body was damaged beyond repair, and I was surely going to perish." The female vampire's body drooped down and she took a seat on one of the sofa chairs, and the other two followed suit as they attempted to ease the tension in the air. "However, I was fortunate enough that a good doctor was passing through and found me. As my internal organs were damaged beyond repair, the only choice remaining for me was to become a cyborg."
"Wow," exclaimed Seras, "I didn't think there were other people forced into a situation where they had to abandon their bodies and their past lives..." Seras quickly trailed off, and Genos didn't understand why. He couldn't get what she was getting at. "What do you mean?" said Genos.
She slowly rubbed her forehands. "Believe it or not, I've only been a vampire for less than a year," replied Seras, "Before that, I was a police officer in-training."
Genos snorted. "You're speaking lies," claimed Genos, "I will not believe that you had a normal life before becoming the monster you are now."
"What reason would I have to lie?" retorted Seras with a shrill voice. "Please just let me go on!" Genos sighed in annoyance and became silent, signifying that he was allowing her to continue. "Alright. Anyway, my life in the police force was tough and rigorous, but I'd adapted and was ready to do my duty as a police officer. But one day, my squad and I were sent to investigate a disturbance in a nearby village. When we arrived, we were attacked by ghouls, which is basically another term for zombies under control by a vampire."
Genos took a moment to piece together this information, and once an idea popped in his head, he darkly stared at Alucard. "I'm assuming you were the one controlling that army of ghouls?"
Seras shook her head. "No, it wasn't him. In fact, it was him who saved my life. The vampire was a malevolent priest who intended to rule the world with his army of ghouls. Eventually, he surrounded me, but just before he was going to turn me into his personal ghoul, my master came. Using his holy weaponry specifically designed for eliminating vampires, he killed the vampire's entire army of ghouls. Being the coward he was, the vampire priest took me hostage and attempted to flee. However, my master shot me in the heart." Genos staggered back; even though she was a monster, and even though she could be lying, if what she said was indeed true, to be placed through such a hell must have been terrifying. And to know that monster Alucard was responsible for such a despicable act! Genos shot Alucard one of his venomous stares and tightly gripped the armrests of his chair. "HOW COULD YOU DO SUCH A DESPICABLE THING?!" shouted Genos.
Alucard spread his hands out wide. "Calm yourself Genos! I was left with no choice. Any other attempt to free her, and that vampire would have most certainly ended her life."
"That's right," added Seras, "I don't blame my master for what he did, so please just contain yourself!" The teenage cyborg was prepared to push Alucard back, but Genos remembered his master's words, so he lowered himself into the chair and allowed Seras to finish her story.
"So I was lying in a puddle of my own blood, on the verge of death, when my master came up to me. He apologized for his actions and offered me a choice: to either die then and there, or to live on as a vampire. As you can see, I chose to live and fight on as a vampire."
"Very similar to you." Alucard continued on from where Seras left off. "You could have chosen to succumb to your grievous wounds and die as a human, but instead, you chose to abandon your human body and become a cyborg to fight monsters and protect citizens. For the cherry on top, you're both 19 years of age."
Genos stared Alucard down and inched his chest forward in the male vampire's direction. "And what about you? Is your story as heart-felt and tragic as your servant's?"
The King of Vampires chuckled, throwing his head back. The teenage cyborg was attempting to push his buttons and get a response from him, yet such tactics wouldn't work on Alucard. After a few seconds, his laughter died down and he looked back at Genos.
"To answer your question, no, my story is not nearly as tragic as the policegirls." Alucard leaned his back into the chair. "Throughout my life, I've spent more than half of it on the battlefield, commanding armies, raiding cities, and slaughtering the enemies. I've committed too many atrocities to count in my 500-year life." Now, Alucard's confident smirk disappeared, and for the briefest of moments, Genos detected the vampire's body shake. Oftentimes, the body shakes when experiencing sadness, but why would this monster feel any sort of sadness? If he pared the lives of thousands upon thousands, his humanity would be all-but-gone. None of this made any sense.
Yet in an instant, Alucard's smirk returned and he straightened his posture. "I am a true monster. I don't expect you to like me. I don't even expect you to respect me, but I find it important for you to know that I respect you. You and your master."
The cyborg's fierce hatred prevented him from appreciating the gravity of Alucard's praise, but these words, Genos believed they were heartfelt. He sensed no trace of trickery, mockery or derision: this monster truly meant what he said.
Seras continued on with the conversation. "So how long have you been fighting as a cyborg?"
Genos turned his head to face Seras. "I've been a cyborg of justice for three years; it took me approximately a year to complete my cyborg body and adjust to my pyrokinetic abilities. Once I did, I set out on a path to eliminate monsters and punish evildoers. Throughout my time, I handled several evil organizations and defeated many monsters with relative ease. It was only two days ago in my fight with the mutant mosquito that I was met with some struggle."
Someone began knocking on the door rapidly, and it was pretty easy guess for who it was. Genos jumped up and opened the door, and sure enough, Saitama was there with his bag of belongings in his right hand. Saitama's eyebrows lowered slightly when he saw his disciple at the door. "So what'd you talk about?" questioned Saitama, hoping his disciple had done something productive while he wasn't there." I know I wasn't gone for long, but I hope you guys did some socializing."
"I did as you asked master," confirmed Genos. Alucard raised his hand up and looked up at Saitama. "I can vouch for his claim. We were conversing about our pasts."
"Cool." With this brought up, Saitama lightly tapped his chin with his fingers. "You know, now that you mention it, I know practically nothing about you guys. Like how did you guys become vampires? And why were you there when that mosquito thing was terrorizing City Z?"
"To answer that question requires an in-depth explanation."
"Master Saitama does not like long stories," said Genos, "If you're going to give an answer, make it 20 words or less."
Alucard innocently shrugged his shoulders. "I can try, although it will be difficult."
Saitama put his hand up to his disciple's face. "Genos, it's cool." Saitama made his way to the large sofa and sat down, slouching down on the comfortable seats. "We've got the time. I'll try to bear it as best as I can, but just try not to drag it on, if you don't mind."
"I'll do my best. Genos, take a seat."
"Yea Genos, sit on the couch," added Saitama, patting the seat next to him.
"Yes master!" Genos briskly took his seat next to his master. Everyone's attention was now directed to Alucard; seeing that he was now on the spotlight, Alucard cleared his throat and prepared his story.
"Now this might sound very far-fetched, but just bear with me: the policegirl and I, we are not of this world."
Saitama and Genos widened their eyes and turned their heads to each other to see if they heard right. "Are you screwing with us?" said Saitama.
"He's telling the truth," replied Seras, "This isn't the home that we're familiar with."
"I understand the disbelief," stated Alucard, "But I assure you that I'm not tricking you in any way. Now, the world we come from is vastly different from yours. Unlike your world, the existence of monsters is considered nothing but rumor, and anyone who believes in their existence is considered a fool. Nonetheless, monsters do indeed exist, and most of them are vampires. The policegirl and I are part of an organization called the Hellsing Organization that is tasked with eliminating vampires. The head of this organization is my master, Integra Fairbrooks Willgates Hellsing."
"Jesus, that's a mouth-full," said Saitama, "Is she here?"
"Unfortunately not. The main members are myself, Seras, and Master Integra's butler, Walter C. Dornez. Now, there is also an opposing organization known as Iscariot is tasked with the same job, and their most powerful warrior was Alexander Anderson. Unfortunately, we didn't get along very well due to being vampires ourselves. We ran into each other quite a few times, and it was often very ugly. Anyway, we discovered the existence of an organization of vampires under the name of Millennium. Heading this group of monsters is a pudgy, short man of pure evil that goes by the name of "The Major." Now you believe you've seen psychopaths? This madman brings an entirely new meaning to the phrase, "Some men want to watch the world burn." After arrogantly attacking our manor, we began our quest in tracking down and eliminating this organization. Throughout our endeavor, we encountered several of their highest-ranking members and killed them. Eventually, they initiated their main assault on a city capital with a population of around 3 million. At the same time, the Iscariot Organization and Anderson invaded the city to eliminate Millennium; all-in-all, there were about 4,000 soldiers. Due to the sheer number of soldiers, I was forced to release my Level Zero restraint, the same release level I unleashed upon you Saitama." Saitama remembered it all-too-well. "Anderson soon went on the offensive, paring through the army of familiars alongside his footsoldiers. To sum up the battle, I was victorious." The way Alucard said this last sentence sounded like he wasn't happy about his victory. Saitama noted this but decided to keep his mouth shut for now.
"Once I defeated Anderson, a new fighter came to fight me, and to all of our shock, that fighter was Walter." Once again, Saitama and Genos widened their eyes, while the female vampire's bottom lip momentarily jutted out. "It turns out he'd been a double agent working for Millennium. He'd underwent a surgical procedure that turned him into an artificial vampire, doing so in the hopes of ending my life. My master ordered with great sadness I kill him, yet just before we were about to do battle, he, myself, and Seras were suddenly enveloped in a bright light. Before we knew it, we were transported to your world, and in the afternoon, we ran into you."
"Damn." Alucard had quite the story to tell. It sounded hard to believe, but then again, with the crazy world of monsters they lived in, it didn't really sound that ridiculous. "Do you have any idea how you were brought here?" asked Saitama.
"Not the faintest idea," replied Alucard. With nothing left to talk about, the four of them fell into a momentary silence. "So..." Once again, Saitama broke the silence, "D'you guys wanna head out to get a bit to eat? I haven't eaten anything all day."
Seras and Alucard didn't see any problem with that. "I'd like to eat some dinner," said Seras, but then she caught a little snag. "But master, will we be able to eat anything? Since we're vampires, our tastes have changed so that we can't stand regular food."
"It does limit our options for meals, but we can still eat most forms of meat. Steak cooked rare in particular would be the next-best option for dining in public."
"Understood."
"I have enough money to pay for all four of us," said Genos, "So don't worry about having to find cash, Master Saitama."
"Thanks Genos. Well then-" Saitama stood up and waved his hand toward the door. "What're we waiting for? I'm starving!"
While the four S-class heroes in City Y had just left their new apartment, the two S-class heroes in City A were already out prowling the streets, searching for someplace they could possibly find to eat, although it was pointless. They'd been on the search for about an hour now, but unfortunately for them, they didn't have any cash to pay with, and it was very unlikely that any one would just give them free food. They could maybe try to use their new status as S-class heroes, but they'd just registered today, meaning nobody would know about their registry until a few days, so they'd just call them liars.
Walter sighed. "Let's just return to our apartment. We can wait a few days before eating; our bodies can handle it."
"Oh my god! I think I'm gonna faint!" Walter and Hans were drawn to the crowd of people surrounding someone, admiring them and drooling over them like hungry dogs being given treats by their master. The crowd was getting closer and closer to them, until the crowd merged with them, revealing the man they were admiring. The first thing that drew their attention was his extremely handsome appearance. He was a tall and lean-built young man with messy, shoulder-length light blue hair and luminous yellow eyes. He wore a white jacket over his gray shirt with a green circle necklace and black trousers. When he saw the two monsters, he shone them a dazzling smile.
The man opened his arms and eagerly said"Hans! Walter! It's such a pleasure to finally meet you!"
Hans and Walter didn't understand what this was. "How do you know our names!" asked Walter, still uneasy and hesitant to reciprocate the pleasant aura this man was emanating.
"Ah! Forgive me! Allow me to introduce myself." The man held out his hand, and Hans was the first who reached out to shake it. "I'm from the Hero Association. My name is Sweet Mask. I'm Class A, Rank 1, and I'm a member of the hero rank evaluation." Sweet Mask tugged a lock of his long hair behind his ear. "I noticed your perfect scores and I was very impressed, so impressed that I wanted to come out and greet you personally."
Once Hans released his grip from Sweet Mask's hand, it was Walter's turn to firmly shake the A-class hero's hand. "Thank you. But how did you know where we were?"
"One of the Hero Association staff members gave me the address of the apartment you were staying in, and I was just on my way to meet you."
"I see. Well, we were searching for a place to have dinner, but unfortunately we don't have enough money to purchase a decent meal, so we were just about to head back to apartment."
Sweet Mask took in a sharp breath. "What? That's absurd! I won't allow two new S-class heroes to go to bed hungry!" The A-class hero gestured his hand to himself. "Allow me to take you out! My treat!"
Taken aback by such a generous offer, Walter put his hands out to dissuade such an idea. "No, don't worry about us, it's really no big-"
"No no! I insist!" Sweet Mask repeatedly waved his hand to the two heroes. "Come with me, I know a very fancy restaurant we can go to. I'm sure you'll love it!" The admirers crowded around Sweet Mask ooed and let out gasps of amazement. "He's so generous!"
"I want to marry him!"
"You're the best hero ever!"
Sweet Mask closed his eyes and put his hands up. "Stop, stop. While I appreciate your admiration, I'd also appreciate it if you let us be: I have some things I'd like to talk about with them." The crowd's attitude instantly changed, and several of them groaned out. However, they also understood this was a big deal, and they dispersed, but not before taking a few quick snapshots for the road.
While the crowd of people was leaving, Walter nudged Hans in the ribcage and whispered in his ear. "Do you think we should?"
Hans craned his head towards Walters ear and softly replied, "I see no reason we shouldn't." Having reached a quick consensus, the two of them nodded and walked behind Sweet Mask as he led the way to the restaurant. As they walked through the street, several citizens recognized Sweet Mask and were frozen in place, while others let out dreamy sounds and admired the hero from afar.
Walter took note of this and rose his voice to say to Sweet Mask, "You seem to be quite popular among the civilians."
Sweet Mask's lips slightly curved upward. "I am indeed. Due to my handsome appearance, my status as an A-class hero, and appearing on several public broadcasts, I am one of the most, if not the most, popular hero in the world. It's a title that I bear with pride."
"Interesting..." They continued walking for about 5 minutes, while Sweet Mask politely asked the civilians to step away and clear a path for the three of them. Finally, Sweet Mask stopped walking when they were standing in front of a very luxurious restaurant. Through the windows, the three of them could see several customers wearing fancy clothing dining and making chit-chat. "After you." Sweet Mask opened the door for Walter and Hans, who accepted the gesture and entered the restaurant. Upon entering, they saw a woman standing at the podium. She pulled her head up, and her heart skipped a beat. "M-M-Mr. Sweet Mask! Good evening!"
"And to you as well." Sweet Mask walked up to the podium until he was only half-a-foot away from the employee, causing her face to mildly blush. "I'd like a table for three."
"We have a table in the upper wing available. I'll escort you." The four of them walked through the room, where the customers stared in awe at Sweet Mask's presence. They scaled up a flight of stairs, and then entered a room with only five tables and no one eating there. The room had large windows to see City A and the setting sun, and on the tables there were lit candles that only accentuated the high-class nature of the restaurant. The three of them took their seats, and the employee stood with her hands in front of her. "I'll get a waiter up here right away."
"Thank you. That will be all." The employee gave a quick nod and almost sprinted out of the room. "Now..." Sweet Mask turned around and kindly smiled at the two heroes. "I just wanted to use this golden opportunity to get a chance to talk to you."
"About what?" said Walter. Instead of replying to Walter's question, his eyes directed themselves toward Hans, whom he was more interested in at the moment. "You know, I never got to see your face since you were wearing your hat and kept your mouth covered in your photo. May I... have a better look? I'm just curious to see the man behind the mask." The werewolf took his hat off and lowered the collar of his coat. Sweet Mask had to say, he was rather impressed. While the red eyes may've been a little off-putting, his face was very well-sculpted with no visible flaws, and his white hair also had a very soft and silky appearance. This was a handsome man indeed. "I like what I see," exclaimed Sweet Mask and continued to further delve into the history of these two. "If you don't mind me asking, what made you want to sign up with the Hero Association, and why wait so long to register?"
Before Hans could give an answer, Walter interjected with, "Just a fair warning, he's not a very talkative individual."
"I only talk when it's important." Hans gave an icy glare to Walter before looking back at Sweet Mask. "We had to train for quite some time in order for us to become this strong, so we didn't want to register before we felt we were ready.
"Perfectly understandable," responded Sweet Mask. The sound of quick footsteps filled the room, and a waiter paced up to the three heroes. "Hello there, my name is Steven, and I'll be your waiter today." He gave the three fighters menus he had in his hand. "May I start you off with something to drink?"
"I'll have some water," said Walter.
"I will as well," continued Hans.
"I'd like some water too," finished Sweet Mask.
"Right away gentlemen." Steven jogged out of the room to get them their water. "As I was saying, with your remarkable power and handsome appearances, I believe you'll make amazing heroes." Sweet Mask could tell they weren't quite getting Sweet Mask's reference of appearances, so he backed up his logic. "A hero must always be a beautiful symbol of justice." Sweet Mask's jovial tone became more serious and deep, "That is my philosophy, especially if you're S-class."
Walter could see where Sweet Mask was coming from. During his time as a butler, appearances were essential to maintain their social image in society, and they were also important in their work. A messy scene with blood and guts only made things more troublesome for the Hellsing Organization. "Understandable perspective. In my line of work, we had to keep up appearances."
"Finally! Someone who understands!" Sweet Mask let out a short laugh and placed a hand on Walter's shoulder. Walter nervously chuckled and stood in place, a bit off-put by his sudden openness and kindndess.
"Here is your water." Steven came rushing up from behind them with a platter of water. He put three glasses for each of them and poured the water into each of the glasses. "Have you decided on what you'd like to order?"
"Just give us a couple of minutes, if you would."
"Yes sir." Once again, Steven walked out to leave the three heroes alone. Sweet Mask withdrew his hand from Walter's shoulder and opened up the menu. "Pick whatever meal you find most appetizing, cost is no trouble at all. I'm sure we'll have a great night ahead of us."
"Man, that was an awesome meal!" Traveling up the elevator after a hearty meal, the four heroes were conversing with one another with smiles on three of their faces, while the sole mood-killer stood with a lifeless gaze, playing the part of a machine. "Thanks again Genos for paying for the meal."
Now, Genos actually smiled for the first time since the vampires had met him. "Of course Master."
"The steak was actually pretty good," said Seras.
"You could really taste the blood," joked Alucard, eliciting a chuckle from Saitama and an uncomfortable expression from Seras. The elevator bell dinged, and the doors opened up for them. Once they made it to their apartment, Saitama ran up and jumped onto the couch. "God, this is so soft!" exclaimed Saitama, "It's awesome!"
"Alright, if you don't mind," Seras walked into the master bedroom and locked the door behind her, "I'm going to take a well-deserved hot shower."
"Sounds good," shouted Saitama. The bald hero lifted his head up from the couch and looked at Genos. "Genos, you can go now." The cyborg didn't move a muscle; he didn't like the idea of leaving his master behind with two monsters. He still didn't trust these two. Saitama immediately sensed this and sat up. "Genos, it'll be fine."
"Genos, your concerns are noble but ultimately pointless." Alucard chimed in and spoke to Genos, "There isn't a single thing I can do to Saitama that can harm him. If there was, I would have tried it already in our battle. Trust me."
"You heard the man! No go on! Skidaddle! That's an order!"
"But-"
"No buts!" Genos tightened his fists in frustration, yet he knew there was no point in arguing, and walked toward the door. But before he made his way to the door, he fished something out of his pocket and put in on the table. Saitama extended his next out to see what it was, and he faintly gasped when he saw Genos put money on the table. "Here is some money for you to purchase breakfast and any other groceries. Please accept it."
Saitama chuckled in disbelief. "Th-Thanks Genos." Genos gave a small smile and resumed his walk to the door. When he had his hand on the knob, he turned around and said to his master, "Good night master."
"G'night Genos." With one final glance, Genos opened the door and exited the apartment, leaving Saitama and Alucard alone. "Well Alucard, what bed do you want?"
"It's irrelevant to me."
"In that case, I'll take the master bedroom. I've been sleeping in a freaking sleeping bag for more than a year, I think I deserve to sleep in an actual bed."
"You most certainly do, Saitama." Saitama got up from the couch, grabbed his bag of belongings, and threw it onto the master bed. "I'm just gonna doze off and leave the door open for Seras. Can you tell her to close the door when she leaves?"
"I'll be sure to."
"Thanks. Well then, good night Alucard."
"Good night Saitama. I'm sure tomorrow will be even more thrilling than today."
Saitama let out a laugh. "Sure buddy, sure."
HAHA! Until Chapter 12!
