Well, heres the next chapter. I would respond to reviews right now but I'm way too tired and need coffee. For reference, Wylam is actually a town in Northern England, never been there, just took its name off of a map. Sue me.
This story is almost done. I really want to finish it and just put it behind me, so I can work on other things. I started my internship last week so I'm not sure how much time I'll have once I'm all set up and doing actual work for them.
Well, enough of that. Enjoy.Chapter Twenty Eight: The Protector of Wylam
"You've never lived until you've almost died, for those who fought for it, life has a flavor the protected will never know."
How the hell did I end up here? The question was floating through his mind as he traveled down the dirt roads. The traveler coughed a few times before continuing North in his search for his quarry. It wasn't as if he had a lead and that was the reason he was heading North, far from it. In fact other than giving him his assignment, not much else was given. He had just assumed that if what he was told was true, that his quarry would want to be as far from London as physically possible, something he often found himself wishing more and more for himself.
I still don't understand why they felt I would be able to do this? Couldn't they send Wildcard or one of the others? The man complained internally as he glanced at his watch. It was three in the afternoon, at least if his watch wasn't lying to him. A few more hours until night falls, looks like rain as well. I better find some shelter soon or I'm going to have to spend the night running with wet clothes.
Even as he cursed his situation, he knew that there really was no other choice. If his quarry had gone into hiding as the others suspected, the sad part is that no one would find her unless she wanted to be found. His tracking abilities were good, but realistically speaking he doubted that he could find her. Unlike my usual quarry, she knows how to hide herself from me. Though I doubt he she even thinks I'm still alive.
He broke away from those stray thoughts as the first drops of rain hit his face. He snarled a small curse out under his breath before pulling up the hood on the back of his coat and once again began trotting North along the road that had fallen into disuse, this time a bit faster with his steps.
"What do you mean that she's alive?" Thomas Griphten asked with a hint of disbelief in his voice as he stared at the twenty forth leader of the Hellsing institution. A child, no older than a teenager even. He had been there; watched as she grew up. It didn't surprise him that she turned out the way she did, it wasn't like there was any other choice for her. No... she had no choice, only to become one who could survive.
Alice Hellsing merely scoffed before flicking the photograph towards one of the few non-Division S class agents that were still loyal to her. He had never completed his training, thus he wasn't considered part of Hellsing's special forces, even though his abilities were top notch. His 'vampire-sense', as Wildcard referred to it as, was an invaluable tool that they had no qualms about utilizing, knowing when to run and when to fight. "Come now Lieutenant, you can certainly do better than that. I'd expect a response like that out of a fool that works for Coyote or Perigrin."
The man's eyebrow twitched slightly at the implied insult but merely picked up the photo. It was a picture of Seras Victoria, holding her prized weapons up as some gust of wind was blowing against her. Looks like a dramatic shot... I wonder how the hell they actually were able to take it in the first place... He shook the odd thought off before handing the photo back. "So she's alive after all. We all assumed her to be dead when she never came back from Buckingham Palace after the night the rift opened. The Fallen Priest's story seemed to match that as well." This was true, as Perigrin had once described the damage that had been done to the trump card of the Hellsing institution, chilling some of even the most level-headed men. He looked to the young teenager and asked, "Any idea where she is?"
Alice shrugged. "No." She said it as if she didn't really care for the conversation at all.
Griphten raised an eyebrow once again before asking, "So... you planning on telling me the reason you called me here to show me a photo of Victoria?"
She merely gave him an even stare before saying, "We want you to find her." She must have seen his glance to Wildcard because she continued to speak. "In all reality, I'd rather send Flynn to find her, but in all honestly I doubt he would be capable of doing so."
"Hey!" Flynn cried out as if insulted. He saw the even stare from the young woman before crossing his arms and pouting at her. It almost made Griphten laugh, especially when the girl turned away from the silver stringer who muttered something colorful under his breath.
"The truth of the matter is this: we have no idea where she is, and you're our best tracker. In all honesty, I'd rather send someone else but I don't know who I can spare that would be capable of finding her. Father Perigrin offered to go himself but I doubt his intentions; he would merely find her for the sake of killing her, or trying to at least if even half of what I've heard about her is true."
Griphten sighed before scratching the back of his head. "What of my normal duties?"
She shook her head. "We don't have the resources to launch any attacks or raids for a while. Your absence shouldn't be a problem."
"So, you just want me to find her and bring her back?"
The girl actually smirked before saying, "No, just find her and ask that she returns. If she doesn't wish to, we don't have the capability to force her to. I won't risk any of my cards for the joker of the deck, so to speak."
Without hesitation or any sort of forethought, Griphten immediately looked at Flynn and said, "She's been around you way too long."
"Shut up rookie."
"Enough! Lieutenant, you have your orders. You have three weeks. If you don't find her before then, return regardless. Is that understood?"
Griphten merely nodded before saluting, "Yes ma'am."
Of all the stupid things I've ever agreed to... He found himself staring at the small town in the distance, the rain dripping his jacket's hood. Knowing that traveling too much tonight would be far too troublesome, not to mention bring up bad memories, he changed his direction slightly in order to find the path that would lead to the town.
Not more than two minutes later, he came to a halt. An annoyed grimace crossed his face as he lower his arms to the sides. His often used ability, one that had saved his comrades lives more times than he could count, was blaring wildly. There's two... just plain freaks though... "You can come out. I'm alone, and unarmed." He said loudly, forcing his voice to take on an octave of fear.
A few moments later, his eyes instinctively locked on to a figure that was coming out from behind a nearby tree. The figure's amused voice echoed within the moist air, "So, this one knew we were here, eh?"
Griphten turned his head upward as the next freak, this one crouching on a tree branch above, answered him. "Seems that way. No ordinary human." He leaped down from his perch to stand next to his partner before greeting the man. "What brings you this way human?"
Griphten fought the urge to shrug, knowing full well that his indifference wouldn't be appreciated. Instead he focused on an old but good trick. They aren't worth your effort so make it seem like you're not worth theirs. "Just passing through sir. Please... please don't hurt me." He stammered out, trying to put as much fake fear into his voice as he could.
The second freak appeared far more cautious than his comrade, holding his machine gun in a ready position. "Traveling during times like this? Rather unusual, don't you think?"
Griphten bowed his head slightly before stammering out, "Ah... well... yes, I suppose so."
"Heh, the guy's about to wet his pants." The first remarked as if highly amused before letting out a small laugh.
The second one merely glared at Griphten before speaking again. "Even if I believed you, which I don't, it wouldn't matter. No one enters this area without permission from our leader. We're going to have to kill you regardless."
Griphten dropped his stammering and looked down at the ground. He let out a theatrical sigh before asking, "Must we resort to violence?" The sound of both vampires training their guns on him and preparing to fire, obviously shocked by his demeanor change as they gave him his answer. He once again let out a sigh before saying softly, "So it goes..."
The agent's face hardened instantly after those words. With a quick flick of his wrist, a modified pistol slid down from where it had been hidden in his coat sleeve and into his right hand. Before either freak could react he raised the gun and the weaponed barked twice, its discharge echoing in the stormy weather that was becoming far more intense as the night went on. He lowered his gun before slipping it back into his sleeve as he watched the two freaks crumble into dust, their ashes being picked up by the rain infested wind. He replaced his weapon before turning his head towards the town in the distance. He frowned slightly as he tightened the hood over his head and began walking towards the town. I know my mission is to just find Victoria, but its odd to find freaks acting as sentries to such an out of the way location... He had been merely planning to find some place to stay for the night then move on with his search, but the presence of freaks acting like that changed things. An interesting development to say the least. Perhaps I'll take a look after all.
Perhaps an hour or less later, he found himself entering through the town gates. The town seemed empty at first, but he accounted this factor for the heavy rain that began falling some time ago. The further into the town he went, he saw more and more signs of inhabitation, an open window being closed here, a speck of candlelight there. Though, something did bother him about the small town, he couldn't put his finger on it, thus he decided to ignore it for now and seek accommodations.
He eventually came across a building that had a hanging sign that read 'Wylam Inn'. He could hear the sounds of laughter and merriment within and couldn't help but smirk. Perhaps I can sleep inside tonight after all... He walked towards the door and pushed it open gently with one hand. The door swung open easily, a small bell tinkering as Griphten entered. He was surprised to see a full crowd in the establishment. Most were talking in soft voices but as he walked over to the counter, Griphten could feel the many pairs of eyes that were locked on him.
Ignoring the looks of suspicion being tossed in his direction, Griphten walked up to the counter. A wizened old man sat there, giving the strange an odd look before asking, "What'll it be stranger?"
Griphten lowered his jacket's hood before shaking the water free and asking, "Would have to have a room available?" The simple request seemed to stun the room, an awkward silence filling the air.
The old man merely stared back in disbelief. Griphten began to think he may have done something stupid to offend the old man before said old man smiled. "You're the first to come looking for a room in quite some time young'un. Yeah, I can spare a room."
Griphten let out a sigh of relief. At least I won't be sleeping in the rain tonight. "How much for a room old timer?"
The old man laughed before saying, "I haven't made money off those rooms for about a decade, why should I start now?" He shook his head a few times before tossing it to Griphten, "The fact that you're even here says that you took some of those annoying freaks anyway. No charge."
A voice called out from the bar, "You're still too nice for your own good you old coot! Hey young'un, at least buy the old timer a drink!" Laughter followed after the comment, the occupants of the establishment apparently fine with his presence there.
Griphten couldn't help but join in. "I'd be glad to."
After their initial suspicions wore thin, Griphten was surprised to find the townspeople accept him whole-heartedly. It was odd, that they would accept an outsider so quickly after being so suspicions. He thought back to the old man's words and thought that it was perhaps because of the fact they knew he had killed some freaks for them. Just sitting there buying the occasional drink, he learned a great deal about the town he was currently in, as well as the day to day lives of the people who lived there.
The town had reverted from the city suburb that it had once been to something similar to a rural farming community after the opening of the rifts. They had survived the post-rift 'purges', as the hunting parties of freaks came to be called later on, to rebuild what they could of their home. He thought it was strange that they had been able to rebuild to such an extent, considering the state of most of the larger cities in England. They merely laughed and told him that luck and determination helps out plenty.
"It helps that the sad lady can beat the bad guys up too!" A childish voice said next to Griphten as his questioned was answered. He looked down to his right to see a little kid, a girl with green eyes and blond hair smiling up at him. He gave a small smile in return.
The man Griphten had been speaking to merely chuckled at the girl's presence before saying, "Your grandpa is in the back Angel."
She smiled and nodded her head before scampering off. Griphten only smirked before musing aloud. "Cute kid."
"That she is."
He hesitated for a moment before his interest got the best of him. "What did she mean, 'the sad lady?'"
The man to Griphten's left answered, "Some drifter woman who passed through these parts about the time the rifts opened. Somehow she single-handedly gave a walloping to a few vampire goons who were trying to run this area. It was amazing, I've never seen anything like it before."
Another man piped up, drink obviously having affected his voice. "Man... I remember that! Pretty little woman beat them around like 'dey was puppies."
The first man nodded. "Since then, she's helped us out when it came to dealing with the vampires who run this area. She keeps mostly to herself, towards the outskirts of the village but pops up from time to time. She tends to spend most of her time near the little shack by the cemetery near the outskirts. The kids here love her; hell they practically treat her like some sort of super-hero even though she doesn't talk much and always looks like something is troubling her."
"Whaddya' expect? With a wound like the one she has its probably a miracle that she ever reached this place at all. Poor girl, probably had to watch her family die or 'sumthing." Came the other's slurred voice. Griphten remained silent as the three began debating about this 'mysterious' woman. A woman who could slap around vampires like they were children? She could be one of ours, perhaps even Victoria. He let out a small chuckle at that thought before taking a sip of his drink. No way. My life is never that simple.
We've received a strange report sir."
"Oh, and what does it say?"
"Apparently Finks and Luke never reported in. The search party found their weapons but there was no other sign of them."
"You think someone took them out?"
"Its highly possible sir. Our sources inside said that a stranger entered the town earlier tonight. That's the first time that has happened since we set up the blockade. It's probable that the stranger killed them to gain entry into our area."
"Well, looks like I'm going to have to arrange a little trip. Gather the men, we're taking that place down once we have enough bullets."
"Is that wise, with their 'guardian-angel'? She is quite strong sir, everyone who has tried to kill her has been killed."
"Enough. She has been a problem from the start that we should've taken care of. This is as good as a time as any to finish this nonsense. I don't care if she is like us, she's against us."
"As you wish sir."
Griphten awoke the next morning with more energy than he had felt in years. With good reason, for he had forgotten what it was life to sleep in a clean bed. He didn't wait around long, only long enough to dress and check his weapons, before heading out to explore the town.
It was small, seemingly a shadow of its former glory. But even in the overcast late morning air, the town was... alive. It brought a smile to the vampire hunter's face, one day all of England will be like this again. He broke out of his musings when he saw a few children running past him, laughing in the late morning as if they were playing a game. He noticed that the little girl from the inn the previous night seemed to be at the head of the pack, a radiant smile on her face as she ran with her friends. Without really thinking about it, Griphten began following them, musing internally if he should ask the children about their 'sad lady.'
He was surprised that they led him deep into the outskirts of the town towards the graveyard anyway. He turned around one corner and froze in place at the sight he saw. The children were carelessly running through the cemetery towards a single figure. She was standing with her back to her approachers, as if not caring about their presence in the slightest. As they came closer, she slowly turned to face the incoming children and allowed a small smile to cover her face.
He couldn't hear what was being said but he was far too shocked to really comprehend it anyway. Standing at the edge of the cemetery, he watched his one-time savior bend of slightly to affectionately rub the lead girl's head. One arm? The rumors had been true, her left are was no where to be seen. She no longer wore the uniform that she had worn when leading forces to attack freak strongholds. Now it seemed she wore simple clothing, a pair of torn and faded denim jeans and what must have been a male button down shirt. She still wore her purple sunglasses, obscuring her eyes from the children who would probably have run away in fear if they ever saw them. The left arm of the shirt hung down, lacking the flesh that it would have covered. Her hair was no longer the familiar russet brown color that it had been when he first met her, but seemed to have faded into a sandy color; not blond yet not brown either.
She suddenly looked at him, as if sensing him watching her. She stood up slowly, locking her gaze with the agent's, as if examining him. He finally snapped out of his daze and gave a half-hearted wave. He couldn't see past the lenses of her sunglasses but he somehow got the impression that she was rolling her eyes at him. He lowered his hand before taking a deep breath and then walking towards her. The children shot the two questioning glances but remained silent, as if sensing that no questions would be answered. Griphten finally reached her and then gave a small smile before snapping to attention, giving her a salute. "It's damn good to see you again Victoria."
She only stared back at him in silence, as if wondering why he was there. Finally she turned to the children and bend down. "Guys, can you give us a few minutes?" She asked, her voice surprising soft and gentle. It was shocking to Griphten, he had never heard her speak like that before.
The little girl with the green eyes pouted at the woman until Seras rubbed her head again playfully. The girl gave a small smile and ran off, her little friends going with her. Seras lost her smile before turning back to Griphten. She gave him a look over before turning back to whatever she had been looking at before the children had come. "You look well Lieutenant."
He only shrugged before taking his place behind her to her right. "So do you, all things considered."
She actually chuckled at that before responding. "Bullshit. I look like hell." She then shook her head, as if dispelling some thought. "Ten years without decent blood will do that to a vampire."
He looked at her in disbelief. "You haven't fed in that long." He was stunned silent by her declaration before suddenly blurting out, "Are pure bloods that powerful?"
She scoffed. "Of course not." She paused slightly before clearing up his confusion. "I've been living off the blood of small animals and the occasional freak. Once in a while I sneak into the nearby blood farm and make off with several bags of that wretched plasma."
He nodded in understanding before asking, "Miss Victoria, why are you here?"
"Seras."
"I beg your pardon?"
"My name is Seras."
He only paused for a few moments as if studying her before casually stating, "You still haven't answered my question."
She shot him a glare that froze his blood over before looking away, gesturing with her arm. "Take a look." She ordered curtly, as if becoming annoyed by his mere existence. He did as ordered, somehow feeling that he shouldn't irritate her further. He took a few steps forward until they was standing side-by-side. He then took a look down towards the direction she indicated. A pair of tombstones stared back at him, causing him to raise an eyebrow before glancing at the vampire. He looked back to see what exactly was so interesting about them.
Here lies Seras Marie Victoria. A woman who died in service for the innocent. Living a troubled life, may she now find rest. 1976 – 2000.
He blinked a few times before looking at the other tombstone.
Here lies James Henry Victoria. A man who died in protection of his family. The lord knows no greater love than his. 1953 – 1982.
"Your husband?" Griphten questioned, now realizing that he was staring at what might have been the Victoria family gravestones.
He received another cutting glare; he couldn't see it but he could feel it. She then said, "My father."
There was a bit of silence before Griphten asked, "Should I be offering my condolences?"
"Don't bother. He died in London before your parents were probably even born." There was no irritation or boredom in her voice; just statement of a fact.
"So you've been busy visiting your grave for ten years? Sounds narcissistic to me."
"Shut up rookie." She growled out. Her eyes flickered once to the side before turning back to him. "Come on, we have an audience. Let's head someplace where you can tell me what the hell you want." Griphten followed after her, only noticing the curious expressions of the children as they passed them.
The two found themselves sitting in Victoria's 'home', a small shack that at some point must have been for the gravekeeper. She was lying on her back on a pile of old clothing, a makeshift bed. Her single arm was draped across her forehead, as if exhausted. "So, why are you here?"
He shrugged. "I'm here, specifically because I wanted to get out of the rain last night. On a more broad term, I had orders to locate you."
She moved her arm slightly, revealing her red eyes staring back at him curiously. "For me? Why?"
He gave a cross look before saying with a hint of irritation. "Come on Seras. You can't be that naïve. You know why."
She frowned in response before letting out a sigh. "No thanks. You can go back and tell your little resistance movement that I'm dead and gone." She let out a cynical smile before saying, "The trump card that you so desperately want is gone."
He frowned. He had not expected to find her, let alone find out she no longer wished to fight. He instead changed routes, "So, you're running away from your duties? Even after they took your arm?"
The air in the room dropped icy cold and Griphten swore he could feel his lungs shrinking in his chest. A pair of ruby eyes glared at him as Seras slowly pushed herself into a sitting position. "I run from nothing boy, don't ever forget that. The fact of the matter is this: I no longer have an reason to serve the Hellsing institution, or what remains of it. My master is dead, thus I no longer need to serve the group that enslaved him."
Griphten somehow was able to escape the cold grasp of fear around his heart and countered. "The institution may have enslaved him to their bidding, but it was the Bloody Countess who killed him."
In less than a second, he was choking and being help up in the air by Seras. Her eyes gleamed with pure rage as her entire body trembled. "How dare you... How dare you even attempt to use his memory against me! He was like a second father to me! I've fought and bled for his wishes, for more than a century. You, a mere human, a child compared to us, cannot even fathom what our existence is life! You never even met him boy!" She then threw him at the ground. Griphten's hand shot to his neck, desperately trying to regain feeling there as he gasped for air. He remained like that for quite sometime before he felt a hand on his neck. "Don't move." As soon as she said that, he felt a rush of some sort of energy rush into his body. The pain in his neck faded as his breathing stabilized.
"Thanks." He said quietly, not really sure what to do now. Odds are she isn't coming back with me. The little Princess never said to make sure to bring her back, in fact she said not to bother to try and force her.
"Sorry... it just slipped..." Seras said, her voice almost cracking over her words. Griphten looked up at her with shock. The woman appeared on the verge of tears. She must have noticed his expression because she took a few steps away before sitting in a nearby chair. "It's just... I practically felt him die as I watched his body collapse into dust. I've just been... so lost without his guidance..." Her hand came to cover her forehead and she just added softly, "I'm just so sick of it all."
"It's okay. We all lost something that night..." Griphten said, trailing off into his own memories. Alarms, sirens, warnings about the facility about some sort of calamity taking place in London. Less than a week later, the facility itself coming under attack and becoming a battlefield. He shook his head and waited for Seras to recompose herself. "How come you're still lacking your arm? I've heard you've recovered from worse before."
She removed the hand from her forehead before looking at the remains of her left shoulder. "I don't know. My regenerative abilities didn't seem to work. I lost an enormous amount of blood before I found something I could use to cauterize the wound. I don't know why my arm hasn't reformed even once in the last decade but if I had to guess, it was probably due to Lysandra's weapon. It's probably the same ability that allowed that blade to kill Alucard."
Their conversation was interrupted by a knock at the door. Seras stood and walked over and opened it without any sort of hesitation. Standing outside was the little girl from earlier and her grandfather. The two of them were smiling as they held out a pot of some sort of soup. "Angel tells me here that you know our visitor. We thought we would bring you some extra food, you barely eat at all Miss." The old man said as Seras accepted the rather large pot.
Seras smiled back slightly. "That's very kind of you but I can't accept."
"Nonsense my dear. Angel says that you barely eat at all, we can't have that! We all owe you far too much for you to drop from hunger."
Seras chuckled slightly before allowing her smile to become genuine. "Thank you sir. I appreciate the gesture."
He shook his head. "It's the least we could do for everything you've done for us. I must admit child, I worry about you. Are you sure that you won't move into the inn, we have spare rooms and the atmosphere in this place can't be healthy." His face showed his concern, as if Seras was a member of the family.
She only countered, "I thank you but I like living in this place. I enjoy the... peace and quiet."
He nodded. "Can't blame me for trying. We'll leave you and your friend alone. Good night Miss." And with that the two left, leaving the vampire and the vampire hunter alone. Seras turned to Griphten and asked, "Hungry?"
Without waiting for an answer, she walked over and left it on the table that he had settled into while she was talking with the villagers. The smell of the soup hit him full force and without waiting for any words from Seras, he opened the top and began to eat, using the provided spoon. He tore into it like it was a downed animal, earning an uninterested look from Seras. Looks like he hasn't had a good meal in a long time. Well that makes two of us.
They didn't speak while Griphten was eating, neither knowing what to talk about. Griphten obviously because he wasn't sure if he could talk more without bringing up bad memories. Seras because she didn't really want to tell him to leave since he was one of the few who still knew who she was and what she was. Finally he put down his spoon for a moment and asked, "Do you know anything about the pair of freaks that attacked me on my way here?"
She shrugged, "A pair of Cisco's brats probably. Cocky little upstart thinks he can break this town down by not letting anyone in."
"Who's Cisco?"
She sighed. "One of Lorenz's dogs. He's more or less in charge of this area, runs a few local blood farms and keeps the cattle in line, so to speak." She then let out a little smirk. "I wonder who he fears more, Lorenz or myself."
"You've met him?"
"In a way. When I first showed up here, I tore apart several of his men for their blood. I was still running off my bloodlust and fed off theirs in order to regain my sanity. I must have passed out afterwards and when I woke, the people here were talking care of me." She sighed before leaning back in her chair and staring at the ceiling. "The balance with Cisco's goons is delicate. Since he won't take direct action because of me, he resorts to indirect measures to try and make life here uncomfortable for the people."
Griphten raised an eyebrow before reaching for his spoon again. "What do you mean?"
She shrugged. "I act as a buffer between the town and the vampires. I don't let them cause damage or hurt anyone here, but in return they come once a month and everyone gives blood for the local blood farm."
"So you're working with them." Griphten asked. There was an odd tone of betrayal in his voice, as if he couldn't believe what she was telling him.
She glared at him and said in a cold voice, "If I hadn't worked this out the town would've been razed to the ground years ago. I don't like it but it keeps the town safe."
"Why not just wipe them out then?"
"Are you an idiot? If one of Lorenz's higher ranking goons goes missing, he's going to just send someone else. If it happens a lot then eventually he and Lysandra are going to wonder just who exactly is killing all of their subordinates. I could last in that fight but this town couldn't." The two went silent at that piece of information, once again the awkwardness of the situation.
"Why doesn't he just tell someone that there's a vampire here killing his men?" Griphten asked, confused. Perhaps they don't know she's a vampire.
She laughed before answering, "At first it was a pride thing. But now he can't contact Lorenz, because Lorenz would slaughter him for letting this go on as long as it has, especially for not handing my head on a platter to him."
Griphten finished eating and placed the spoon in the pot, and once again the strange silence entered the room. Finally Seras spoke, "Stay at the inn again tonight but leave tomorrow. Your presence will cause problems if you remain any longer than that."
Griphten stood, understanding that his being there was starting to become unwelcome. "There is nothing I can say to convince you otherwise?"
"No."
"You can't hide here forever you realize."
She shook her head. "I am done fighting wars against the undead Lieutenant. This town may stand on a teetering edge but it grants me some sort of inner peace. I do not wish to leave it. With Alucard gone, I turn to my original father for guidance."
He nodded before saying, "I understand. I'll leave tomorrow and report to Lady Hellsing of your decision." He then turned and left the cemetery's shack, heading back towards the town.
Seras only watched him leave, her thoughts floating a mile a minute. Eventually one stood out, How much time remains until I must bid this place goodbye?
Griphten watched the starlit sky as he walked away from Victoria's abode, his thoughts wandering on his situation. So much for that idea. Well, at least I did find her. Wildcard and the others will be happy to know she's actually alive, not just rumored to be so. The little Princess probably won't be happy but I doubt she'll say anything about it.
He was broken out of his thoughts as he saw the light in the distance. It wasn't normal; not the light that had spilled out of the buildings the previous night when he came to town. It was more of an orange-red color and it seemed to flicker in the distance. Oh no... Griphten never even finished the thought before he began running full speed towards the center of the town.
The town was burning wildly, the flames leaping high into the air before jumping from building to building. Griphten rushed past the fleeing villagers, trying to get to the source of the flames, ignoring their screams of fear. He rushed past the center of town, heading towards the entrance he had found the previous night. He skid to a stop when he saw what was waiting for him.
Beyond all the villagers huddling in fear and running past him if they had the courage, was a band of what seemed like twenty men dressed in casual clothing. Most held guns in their hands but a few of them held something that looked like torches. The lead two had a pair of flamethrowers, the tanks hanging from their backs, spraying the flammable fuel towards the houses in their intent to burn down the village. He watched in disbelief as the old man who ran the inn, who was holding his granddaughter tightly yelled, "Cisco, what the hell are you doing? This wasn't in the deal!"
The band of vampires began laughing wildly as one stepped forward. He was wearing a dark green bandanna around his forehead and what looked like a sportcoat and tie. He flicked a cigarette away before speaking. "I'm changing the deal old man. I've let this game run long enough, but you broke a cardinal rule." He then brought out another cigarette and lit it using one of the burning buildings before taking a drag and saying, "You housed someone who killed a pair of my men in this village. This is the punishment for assisting a fugitive."
The old man scowled but said nothing as he began backing away with the little girl. She broke out of her grandfather's arms and yelled out. "You monster! Wait until she comes! She'll kick your butts for doing this!"
The vampire merely laughed before reaching into his coat and pulling out a pistol. He didn't raise it but glared at the little human with a hint of amusement. "Is that right precious? Perhaps I should kill you before she shows up then." He then began to slowly raise his gun to point it at the terrified girl.
Griphten didn't wait that long. With a flick of his wrists, a pair of pistols slid out from his coat sleeves and he grabbed them tightly before raising them to fire twice. The tanks that the freaks with the flamethrowers were wearing on their backs. The bullets struck true and the tanks exploded, blowing the two lead freaks to kingdom come as the others were throw back from the blast. Even the vampire in front, who must have been Cisco, jumped back to avoid the sudden attack. After the initial shots Griphten yelled to the two humans. "Run. Run now you fools!"
Cisco merely scoffed before running towards the two humans and snatched the girl out of the air. He quickly held his gun at her neck, causing the old man to cry out in fear and Griphten to curse under his breath. Cisco merely sneered as he greeted Griphten. "Ah, so you must be our guest. Welcome to Wylam, thirty-second blood district under Lord Kilten." He did a mock bow as if welcoming Griphten who stood there with his guns raised ready to fire. Damn coward... My aim isn't as good as Crackshot's... Shit. "I am the district ruler here, Cisco Hemlock. Who might you be?"
"Thomas Griphten, part of Hellsing's trash removal division. "
Cisco scoffed, "I would like to ask you a few questions about a pair of my men who went missing."
Griphten spoke immediately. "You must mean those two idiots who attacked me for no reason. Yeah, they're dead. You might be able to find their ashes if you start looking."
Cisco merely shook his head, unimpressed by the human's bravado. "I suppose I should say that such a thing is impressive, for a human."
"Put the girl down and I'll let you live." Griphten said calmly, his eyes flickering back to see the other freaks starting to recover from the blasts.
Cisco merely laughed out loud before tightening his grip on Angel's neck. "You're only a human, skilled or not. You honestly think you can kill me and my men here and save the girl? I think you need to rethink your strategy fool."
A female voice, cold and distinct cut into the opening. Even the sounds of the flames seemed to go soft as she spoke. "He probably can't, but I can." Griphten felt the tenseness ease from his body slightly as he recognized that voice. It was the sound of Seras Victoria ready to tear someone a new asshole. He kept his guns raised but didn't say anything as Seras stepped past him. She was still dressed in the clothing she was wearing before, including her purple sunglasses. "I assume you're the dog that Lorenz sent to this area, Cisco is it?"
Cisco's eyebrow twitched at the insult to his master but said nothing until he saw a few of his men take steps back in fear, as if recognizing who it was. It dawned on him as he sized her up and smiled as realization hit him. "Ah, so you must be the mysterious woman who seems to have no trouble killing my men. The one who started this idiotic little game in this town." He once again bowed mockingly before saying, "It's an honor to finally meet you. I have to say though, from the reports I heard of your power, I find it hard to believe that you're a gimp."
Griphten immediately took a step back, almost feeling the pure rage that must have been in Victoria's eyes. Seras ignored the jab but spoke again, "You are breaking the agreement, to a level I never would have expected... Are you that eager to die trash?"
He shook his head before saying, "The people of this town harbored several criminals, including yourself. This has been coming for a long time. Don't tell me you're surprised about this."
"Bastard, release my grandchild!" The old man yelled at the vampire. The girl struggled wildly to break free from the strong hold but Cisco remained standing firm.
Cisco scoffed. "I don't take kindly to insults old fool." Without any more hesitation, the vampire pointed his gun at the old man and fired. The man took the bullet directly in the chest, his body flying backwards as the child screamed out in horror.
Griphten felt the chill race through his body as he could feel the dark power emanating off of Seras. Damn, that's even stronger than I remember it. She's pissed alright. "Lieutenant, leave them to me. Take the girl to a safe location until I come and find you."
He knew instantly not to argue and holstered one gun back in his coat sleeve. "Yes ma'am." With a nod, Victoria suddenly vanished. Less than a second later the girl was falling to the ground, the arm that had been wrapped around her turning into dust as Seras tore Cisco's arm from his body. Griphten wasted no time in rushing the girl and picking her up at full run, leaving Seras to clean house with a bellowing Cisco.
Cisco stumbled back, grabbing the stump where his arm used to be before growling out. "You bitch... You're not human."
She only looked back at him as the arm began to reform before an eyebrow raised above her sunglasses. "Ah, so you're a subservient pureblood. Perfect, I'll leave you for last." And before anymore words were said, she once again vanished. Cisco tried to track her in vain as she tore through the ranks of his gathered men. The panic overtook them as they began firing wildly, hoping to somehow hit the woman who seemed to move like a phantom.
It wasn't long before the remains of their forces were gone, leaving only Cisco Hemlock standing in the burning entrance to the town of Wylam. Seras stood there, glaring at him from behind her sunglasses before reaching up and removing them from her eyes. She tucked them into her collar before opening her eyes, revealing the glorious blood red of her irises. "Are you prepared? I haven't had a good source of blood for a long time. Yours will do."
He stumbled back in shock as he stared into those eyes. Those eyes, she's... "You're one of us? Why are you fighting us then?" He cried out in shock, raising the pistol and firing several times.
The gun flew away as his hand was once again cut away, leaving him grabbing the end of his arm. Seras stood there, arm thrust out into its striking position. She only stood up before slowly looking at him, "We are similar, I will give you that since you are a pureblood. However, Lorenz and his master are fools who will destroy this world if things remain the same."
Cisco merely scoffed. "Humans are merely cattle to us. Why do you protect such vermin?"
She raised an eyebrow before replying. "Vermin? You, one of the many who helped turn England into this living hell have the balls to call humans vermin?" She let out a loud laugh before punching him in the face, sending him flying. "I should kill you for being so god damn arrogant as a fledgling."
"Damn bitch. Fine, kill me. My master will sense my final thoughts and come for you." Cisco said as he slowly rose to his feet. He then pulled out a switchblade before adding, "Fuck that. I'll kill you and bring back your ashes to my lord myself."
Seras only laughed hysterically at that before pointing to one of her eyes and saying, "I was the one who took your master's eye. From what I've heard, its never grown back, has it?"
The vampire dropped the knife in shock. She's... she's... "You're... Seras Victoria... of Hellsing?"
She only grinned savagely before vanishing and appearing behind him to sink her fangs into his neck. "Now and forever trash. Tell your master that I will come for him now that he's gone and fucked over my retirement." And with those words, she drained Cisco Hemlock dry, his body collapsing into dust once she finished.
Seras replaced her sunglasses before walking over to the old man. She bent down to see his chest rising in heavy gasps, gasps that were getting smaller and smaller. His eyes were glazed over as his head turned to look at her. The sunglasses were at the edge of her nose, revealing her eyes to him. He didn't seem too shocked, nor did his face show any sign of hatred. "I kinda figured you weren't human." He said incredibly softly.
She only nodded before saying. "I did not wish to deceive you or the others. I just wanted to be left alone."
He nodded weakly before reaching up towards her face. She grabbed his hand with hers and held it softly, anticipating his end. "Take care... of my ... Angel."
With that his chest stopped moving and his hand fell limp in hers. She lowered his hand to his chest and crossed the other on top. She tenderly closed his eyes before planting a small kiss on his forehead. "As you wish old man. I will treat her like my own." She then stood up and looked at the burning buildings. It looks like this is the end...
Griphten was able to find where the rest of the townspeople fled to outside the village with the girl. He placed her gently on the ground with some of them before turning and withdrawing his weapons again, waiting for someone to pursue them. He could hear the people weeping and wondering what was going to happen to them but he zoned it out, there were far more important things to worry about.
It wasn't long before a single figure began approaching them from the distance. Griphten recognized the shape and holstered his weapons as he watched Victoria come closer. She reached them soon enough and many of the townspeople huddled around, looking to her for some sort of guidance. Griphten couldn't help but feel slightly sorry for her.
She spoke, her voice even. "Today is a day that you will never forget. The town of Wylam is gone. Your fields can't be saved. You must flee before more of them come."
One voice rose and yelled out, "Flee? Run where? Those damn vampires are everywhere!" There were several voices of agreement.
Seras didn't even bat an eyebrow. "Cisco Hemlock is dead if its any consolation, but you can't remain here. I am not staying, so you will have to protect yourselves for a change."
"But!" One voice shouted out but Angel run to Seras and yelled out before anyone could continue.
"Where's grandpa?" She yelled out frantically, grabbing Seras' leg and shaking it.
Seras dropped to one knee before embracing the little girl with her arm. "I'm sorry Angel. He's... he's gone..." She held the girl against her chest as the girl began weeping heavily into her chest.
Griphten spoke to distract the rest of the populace from the scene. "She is correct. This was bound to happen sooner or later, the way things had worked themselves out. You must find a new place to live." There were murmurs of men and women as they began muttering back and forth about what he said. He didn't care to listen but turned to Seras. "Seras, will you return?"
She nodded. "On two conditions."
"Being?"
"One, Angel comes with. I know it's foolish but it was the old man's last wish that I take care of her."
Griphten nodded. It shouldn't be a problem, there are other children at the base as well. "And the other?"
She looked him dead in the eye through her sunglasses. "Once this is all over, and Lorenz and Lysandra are gone... Find someone capable of killing me. I can't handle this anymore and my own god damn instincts prevent suicide." Her voice was harsh, cutting even as Griphten studied her. The little girl in her arm was still crying, oblivious to what was being said around her.
Griphten only looked at her with slight concern before closing his eyes. "As you wish..."
"Thank you..." She said, her voice expressing true thanks. She turned her head towards the South; towards London. Her face settled into a stony expression, one thought on her mind.
This shall end. All the pain, all the suffering, all of it. It will end, I swear on my father's grave.
