1987

Hans POV:

Sharp finger nails digging down into the back of his neck, yanking him down as Cisa stretched up to bite his throat. A vicious snarl left his throat as he bared his own fangs and shifted into mist form, causing her jaws to snap through thin air instead of his wind pipe. Hans materialized in wolf form as Cisa lunged for him again, shifting into her own lupine shape as she did. He dove to the side as she came down, reaching around her to sink his teeth into her shoulder blades. She squealed in pain as he yanked her from her feet and sent her flying through the wall.

They burst out into the hall in a hail of debris, knocking over several soldiers as they had been passing by. Their barks, snarls, and roars echoed throughout the bunker as they bit at each other, their blood flowing from deep bite wounds. Cisa had improved in her fighting skills, but Hans still had experience on his side. As he gave her an opening, she fell for the bait and Hans clamped his jaws down onto her front leg and sent his entire body into a savage roll. Her tendons, ligaments, muscles, and bones tore apart as they were twisted beyond their capabilities.

The sound of her pained yelp fell on deaf ears as Hans pinned her down and loomed over her, snarling as he eyed her bared throat. There was a fire of hatred in her eyes, as she growled back at him while her foreleg began to mend itself. A crowd had begun to gather around the two wolves, excited to witness as they killed one another. From the corner of his eye Hans could see the Major, a big grin spread across his chubby face.

'Finish me, Hans. I'd rather die by your hand than theirs.'

'Is that why you attacked me?' He leaned down and snatched her throat between his fangs, gripping but not crushing.

'I loved you like you were mein vater! But, you turned your back on me. You owe it to me to end this now.'

'I owe you nothing. Whatever love I had for you, you threw away of your own will. Or have you forgotten the liberties you took of me in the Major's office?'

She whined as he felt his fangs shallowly puncture her skin, the warm blood leaking into his mouth and dripping down onto the floor. He could feel her heart beating wildly and the movement of her throat muscles as she swallowed nervously. The scent of chemicals, rot, and death wafted up from her fur as he took a deep breath and sighed.

'That was your own fault. If you had just loved me back, the way I love you, then it could have been mutual. We could have brought back the entire species if you weren't so fucking self righteous!'

'No, we couldn't have. It takes two wolfkin to birth another, you are just a freak experiment.'

'Fuck you!'

"Captain!," the Major's voice broke through their silent argument and Hans rolled his eyes to the side to glare at the fat human while raising his lips to show the massive fangs as they punctured deeper into Cisa's throat.

"Release her now, Captain."

Hans snarled savagely and squeezed his jaws tighter, causing the younger wolf to sputter for air.

"Tranquillize them both. Now!"

He felt the sting of the needle as the dart embedded into his shoulder, causing him to release his hold on Cisa and turn around to stare at the soldier who held the gun aimed at him. Hans charged the artificial vampire, hearing another pop as Cisa was also hit with a dart. He outraged... Not because they had been interrupted, but at himself for not being able to carry through with his own threat. He should have crushed her wind pipe and waited until the life had left her, not allowing for her to heal.

He snapped his jaws around the soldiers neck and knocked him from his feet. Hans snarled and roared as he ripped flesh, splintered bones, and spat blood with increasingly lurching movements. The tranquilizer was taking its effect, probably more than enough to knock out a horse. As he began to feel himself lose consciousness, he realized he could hear laughter.

The Major was enjoying the show.


Present

Seras POV:

"Not to worry Seras, we didn't find any traces of silver in his blood stream. All that was in the dart was enough anesthetic to take down an elephant. All h can do now is just needs to sleep it off," Sir Integra muttered around the cigar in her mouth.

Seras sighed in relief, her fingers running through Hans' silver hair. It was good to know that nothing else had been in the dart, just something to make him sleep like the dead. She had known it wasn't silver once he just laid there like a dead weight, hardly all appearing to be in pain. He looked so peaceful in that deep sleep, his mouth slightly open and his soft breathing was steady.

"What about the parasite? The Doktor was bragging about it before this happened." She murmured, caressing his warm cheeks without turning to even look at Integra.

"He has already been administered antibiotics through IV. It will continue and then we will test his blood again in about week to make sure. But, frankly I don't know if there is much to worry about. Werewolves don't have a natural predator, they are on the top of the food chain. If he does get infected, it won't be like the humans that tried to get you to eat them. The same is in the concept of the original, unaltered parasite. If it infects the cat that eats the rat, it only has very mild effects on the cat."

She turned to look at Sir Integra for a moment, unsure if that was good news or just blunt honesty. The older woman stood and blew a cloud of smoke from her lips, blue eyes regarding Seras with a knowing gaze, "You have feelings for him... don't you?"

"Honestly? Yes, I do. But, it isn't going to get in the way of my job, ma'am." Seras replied, turning back to stare at Hans as he slept.

"I certainly hope that's true, Police Girl. But, if you get into any lover's quarrels and I see a decline in job performance, I'll have him sleeping in a dog house and you on missions without him at your side for the duration of both of your service to me." Integra waved dismissively as she excited the room, leaving Seras alone with Hans.

She couldn't help but smile somewhat, slightly surprised that Integra was so accepting. Hellsing had completely left the parasitic epidemic in the hands of Iscariot, a mess Integra had been more than happy to dump onto the Catholics' shoulders. At least now that they knew who was behind it all and what exactly it was, they could begin to figure out a counter measure. In exchange for the information Seras and Hans had learned, Iscariot had agreed to not only supply samples of the infected blood but also an open dialogue on research into the parasite.

Seras shook her had and turned her attention back to Hans, he really should have been awake by now. The sun would be rising soon, although Seras was grateful that they were in the underground region of the estate. It been an almost three hours since he had been hit with the dart, luckily Integra was able to send a helicopter to retrieve fairly quickly and return them home. She still hadn't had much time to really ask one of the organization's doctors about the specifics of his condition, only having been able to catch bits and pieces.

One of the doctors came bustling in with a chart in his hands, ignoring Seras and checking several things on Hans. She blushed a bit, suddenly feeling a bit shy about asking questions of people who so obviously felt no need to inform her in the first place, "Excuse me, sir... Shouldn't he be awake by now?"

"No, I believe he received an overdose of the drug in the dart, not to mention the rapid rate it was injected at. He'll be fine, but it will take longer for him to wake up and even then he may exhibit side effects for a while. Luckily it doesn't seem to have affected his cardiovascular system. Judging on where the dart hit and the high dosage it contained, I believe it is mostly effecting the central nervous system. When he wakes up he may feel some chest pain, muscle twitching, disorientation, ect. He probably woke up somewhat during the flight here before passing back out. We already got his blood pressure back up, so he'll be fine once it gets out it of his system." The doctor explained, patting her on the shoulder before leaving again.


Present

Hans POV:

It had been a very long time since he had been thrown into such a deep, drugged sleep. He had always hated it, being knocked out than waking up somewhere completely different. Not knowing how long he had slept or what happened was the worst part of it. And even when he did wake up, there was such a strange leftover fog in his brain. Whatever had been in the dart that hit him, it had knocked him way too fast. Usually it took at least several minutes to affect him, but he had lost control of his muscles so quickly... Then he had finally passed out.

Now that he was waking up, all he could see was a ceiling. His limbs didn't feel like they even belonged to him, heavy and awkward to the point that he gave up on using them. Even laying down, he felt like he was being rocked back and forth, spun around, and flipped over and over for good measure. His ears were ringing non stop and his mouth was dry, tasting like he had swallowed a mouthful of metal powder.

"Hans?"

Seras's voice sounded far away and he could feel his arm moving on its own, picked up and supported somehow. Looking down, he saw that she was holding his hand. His fingers must have been numb... Rolling his head to the side, he stared at her hard while his eyes took their sweet time focusing on her face. Whatever had been in that dart was a real bitch.

"Oh good you're awake. You got hit with a tranquilizer dart full of anesthetic. We're back at Hellsing now, Sir decided to leave the problem to Iscariot for the moment. Anyways, the doctor said you were overdosed on the anesthetic or something like that. You might not feel too good until it gets completely out of your system, but I think the worst is over." Her voice was soft and sweet, waking him up just a bit more.

She was quiet after that, running her fingers through his hair as he lay there trying to stop the world from spinning. He wasn't sure when he fell asleep, but it was a much-needed deep rest. No dreams, no moments of wakefulness... Just blessed sleep.


Present

Seras POV:

Seras stood next to Hans as Sir. Integra leaned against the desk behind her and lit a cigar. Integra eyed them both with stern interest, all business as usual. Both of them stood tall in their Hellsing uniforms, waiting for the debriefing to begin. Integra took a deep drag of her cigar, holding the smoke in her mouth for a moment before blowing it up towards the ceiling. Finally, the older woman turned and picked up a manila envelope with a broken seal.

"The Vatican and its agents, Iscariot and otherwise, have discovered the altered parasite by biopsying the brains of the dead victims from the infected neighborhood. It was difficult for them to identify because of the drastic changes applied to its entire structure, but it is indeed a highly mutated, genetically enhanced form of Toxoplasma Gondii. Usually this parasite infects rodents and cats, tricking the rodents into running towards the cat so it will be eaten. Once the cat eats the rodent, then it will carry on inside the cat in order to reproduce and start the process all over again. But, this enhanced version is much worse. Just like the original, it can infect humans very easily. Ingesting, breathing, or even just touching anything contaminated with it can cause infection. But, this new strain is powerful enough to control humans in the same way it does rodents. It wants them to die and be eaten, so that it can infect the human's natural predator... the vampires, possibly even the werewolves. It's effects vary depending on the host's health status. A healthy human will be more difficult to control, explaining the poor motor control. And one with a compromised immune system will likely go into organ failure and die rather quickly."

"The group that attacked Hans and I were aggressive, it didn't seem like they wanted to be eaten. It felt like they just wanted to attack us." Seras replied, feeling dread chill her blood again.

"Yes, that is another thing mentioned in the report. It appears that the parasite is very unstable because of all the changes made to its structure and DNA, so it reproduces at a rapid rate. If it cannot get a vampire to devour its host and thus, allow it to transfer into the vampire for viable replication of its cells, then it will start the process inside the human brain. Somehow, and no one has been able to figure it out, that Nazi bastard has figured out how to use the instability of the parasite and managed to turn it into a ticking time bomb as a back up procedure for when it cannot infect a vampire before the human dies. When the Parasite dies after replicating inside the human's brain, it begins to die off in mass. And once it dies, the parasite releases methylenedioxypyrovalerone directly into the brain. MDPV is an intense stimulant which causes paranoia, agitation, violence, and hallucinations in humans for prolonged periods of time. I believe the ones you encountered on the mission were experiencing their parasites dying off and releasing that into their brains. For all we know, they looked at you and saw something completely different, which spurred them to attack it. Once the parasite alters their brain, they will always be prone to chase after a vampire. But, after the die off of the parasite, they have the urge to find and go to vampires along with the effects of MDPV being directly dosed in their brains from the dead parasite."

"That's... horrible." Seras murmured, feeling goosebumps starting to prickle her skin as a chill of fear ran through her spine. She had never been one for science or biology, but the concept of this enhanced parasite and its after effects were horrifying to say the least and disgusting to put it lightly.

Movement caught her eyes as Hans made a few quick motions with his hands, turning those sharply intense eyes to her expectantly, "Hans wants to know if the infected humans are curable?"

"It appears to be almost impossible to reverse the effects on the brain. It could be possible to treat if not for the release of MDPV into the brain when the parasite expires. Typically MDPV is absorbed through inhalation, never directly dosed inside the brain. The effects are so magnified by the direct dose that even with treatment, it is possible that the victim will eventually self mutilate or commit suicide as is the case with many of the normal cases where MDPV is consumed through drug use. The direct dosage almost guarantees the death of the victim in some form within days of the parasite's death." Integra muttered, throwing the autopsy reports from the envelope onto her desk.

"So there is no way to save these people once they are infected..."

"The best thing you can do for those poor souls is to put them out of their misery."


(Author's Note: I have been working on this chapter off and on for over a month, but today (Wednesday Nov. 26th 2013) I got a call and found out my best friend of two years committed suicide this morning. She loved this fanfic and had been getting on me about the cliff hanger and having to wait for it. She had been asking me for another Moon Mother scene. So I would like to dedicate the remaining parts of the chapter to my best friend, although I suppose sister is a closer term to describe her for me).

Present

Hans POV:

The night air was cool, with an icy wind gusting about and causing the tree leaves to rustle. It had been such a long time since Hans had gone out alone to just stare up at the moon. This time of the year, when the leaves were becoming crisp and changing into brilliant shades of oranges and red, the night sky always seemed clearer, as if the moon and stars had crept just a little closer to the earth. The forest around the Hellsing Estate was expansive and reminded him a little of where he was born.

Hans came to a stop at the crest of a hill, paws crunching on dry leaves which had already fallen to the earth. Autumn and Winter always reminded him of the things his mother taught him as a small pup. He could remember her vividly even after all of these centuries a sleek white wolf with bright eyes. This time of year, she had always said the same thing from the year he was born until the year she died.

'Death is natural, my son. It is always around us, but it should not be feared. Even the earth knows the kiss of death. In the Autumn, the earth begins to die and finally finds death in Winter, but in the Spring new life comes up and flourishes throughout summer until the cycle starts again. Even us wolfkin thrive on the death of others, we hunt and kill the caribou, eating them to nourish our lives. But, when we die, our bodies will nourish the earth and the fertile soil where we once took our last breath will sprout fresh grass to nourish the caribou in return. Death should never be feared, my darling. It is only ugly and frightening if you cannot see the truth of it, death can be beautiful. It is only the beginning, not an end,' she would also whisper the same words to him this time of year, or if a pack member passed away.

Hans couldn't help but scoff at himself as he remembered all the times he had asked her what was beautiful about something that made him feel so sad? She had never answered him, only sent him out of the den to go and play saying, 'You'll understand when you are older.'

Perhaps he did understand now. After all, how many times had he longed for the embrace of death? He had even come close on many occasions and there had never been anything frightening about it. The Fade was eternal rest and peace, communion with their beloved goddess. When he had died and gone back while he and Seras had been in that horrible cellar, he could still feel the emotion of being torn between two places. He had things to do in life that he could not in death, yet... his family was there, waiting for him to come and be at peace with them. The closeness he had felt while in the presence of the Moon Mother in the Fade had been beautiful and calming, no pain or hurt.

Hans leaned his head back and raised a lonesome howl up to the moon and sky, his baritone starting deep and rising on the musical scale then faltering slightly and going back down the scale upon hitting the high note. Again and again he called out, singing of his soul's longing for the ones waiting for him on the other side of the Fade. There were so many there waiting for him. His mother and father, the siblings he had love and lost, some siblings he had never known, aunts, uncles, cousins, friends, Snotra the ancient and wise leader, along with her pack were there as well. His final companions would also be there, ready to welcome their last surviving war comrade home. And there was Nakita...

She had been his family after he had lost his parents and family, she may have been a cowardly beta, but she had been his dearest friend. And she had been taken from him, right before his eyes. Old sorrow that he had been burying deep within for centuries started to bubble up in his chest. He had never had the chance to properly mourn her passing, nor had he wanted to after the pack and then her death. That was something he regretted greatly, they had all been brave in their final moments. To deny them traditional lamentations had been a sin he had been in denial of committing for far to long. Again Hans threw his head back and wailed to the moon, something between a sob and a howl. Mourning was a thing that his species had done since the dawn of time, long before humans and vampires had even learned to use language.

The wolfkin had no literal language, but their songs were the closest to words they had. It was something sacred and ancient, the soul's voice. Every ounce of emotion and feeling went into the song, a chorus that needed no words to convey the truth of their souls. Hans' voice was pain and sorrow this night, his eyes locked onto the moon as if just by looking hard enough he might get just a glimpse.

'My warrior sings of a sea of sorrows, pain and suffering even a goddess cannot ease.'

Hans knew the voice before he turned to gaze upon the ethereal Moon Mother, standing just behind him on the hill. She was far less solid than when he had last seen her, having been in the Fade. But, now... She seemed to be nothing but mist, a ghostly figure in the autumn night. The mist which made up her form seemed to swirl about, like smoke trapped inside a small space. Never had he seen her like this, while fully awake and healthy.

'Mourn while you can, warrior. There is a storm coming, even I cannot foresee the outcome. We deities have existed long before there even was existence, we simply are. But, even the divine beings of this world make mistakes. And I fear that some of my fellow gods have made grave mistakes indeed. You cannot stop the storm, my child. But, you cannot simply weather it either. Be vigilant, Hans.'


Reviews are all loved and appreciated

Quick reply on a review noting some of Seras' abilities that I have left out of this story:

I have seen the vampires in both the anime, manga, and OVA showing a full set of sharpened teeth but they don't always appear that way. So I personally took it as a stylized way to convey emotion visually by the artist, rather than that their teeth literally change from dull to sharp constantly depending on emotion. I know I'm probably a little weird saying this, considering this is a work of fiction based on Werewolves and Vampires, but I'm a stickler for anatomy. So for me, having Vampires only with the sharpened canine teeth that can elongate slightly(like a snakes to a degree) when poised to strike, makes more sense. While for me, werewolves having a full set of sharpened teeth just makes sense in my head. It's all an anatomical use sort of thing for me. Vampires don't need a full set of fangs, they only need the four pointed canines that work like a snakes' hypodermic fangs in order to suck blood, considering how enhanced their muscle strength is they could still easily break bones by chomping down with their dull teeth. Wolves use their teeth for combat, when they eat they rip off the meat and swallow it without chewing. They don't need dull teeth whatsoever, so they don't have them. It's just a little hangup of mine, but that's just how it is xD

Now about Seras' abilities over shadow and flight, this just goes into my own theories once again. She was able to use her power over shadow after losing her arm, it was only out of the exposed flesh of the severed limb that she was manipulating the shadows from. And it was the shadow manipulation that allowed her to fly. Her arm is regenerated after the battle as seen in the final scenes of the series 30 years later. While, Seras probably did hone her new abilities in that time to the point of not needing to have exposed flesh or any other traumatic experience to jump start the abilities, this story takes place directly after the attack on London. Seras has not had the time to hone such abilities to a point of control without the same circumstances that brought them out in the first place(severed arm, brutal injuries, death of a lover, ect). I do, however, plan to touch on these abilities along with her having Pip as a familiar in the future of the series.

Well so much for a quick reply xD. But, I hope that explains a bit of where I'm coming from on some of the biological aspects of the werewolves and vampires in the liberties I have taken that do deviate from the series. Again it's all just my own opinion and theory. It made me very happy to get feedback about it along with questions, helps me to think things through and make sure I have it how I want it to be. Keep the constructive criticism and questions coming, they help boost my thought processes :)