Disclaimer: Some scenes in the following chapters can be considered graphically violent and disturbing. I won't be separating disclaimers per part as that would get to cluttered. Read at your own risk.
Whew, 30 chapters, 130,000+ words. This has gone so much farther than I ever imagined, due completely to the support of my readers/reviewers. So a big thank you to all of you guys, you're the best readers I could hope for ^^
Present
Seras POV:
This was not a conversation she had expected to happen, at least not this soon and certainly not to Integra's approval. The upcoming mission was of obvious importance, they were even being given a small platoon of Hellsing soldiers to aid in the infiltration of the underground bunker suspected of being in use by the Doktor. It was strange enough that Iscariot had told them about it, rather than dealing with it themselves, in fact, Iscariot had completely dumped the handling of the situation on Hellsing's shoulders. They were either stretched to thin after all the loses Iscariot suffered during the London Invasion or were no longer pursuing the Doktor themselves. But, even with all those questions, she hadn't expected to have Frank wanting to come along.
She could only watch tight lipped as he stood before Integra, face unreadable and a fierce glimmer in his blue and brown eyes. Seras couldn't quite put her finger on how she felt, but it was definitely a mixture of sadness and a certain degree of revulsion. As little as she knew about Frank and what kind of person he was, she hadn't expected him to be so nonchalant about throwing away the freedom he had finally gained.
"You need me on this mission, Integra. I know how those scientists think and the rest of your team isn't replaceable. I'm expendable, I don't care if I die. I don't have much to live for, if I die then it won't change anything and if I live then I might survive long enough to put that son of a bitch's head on a platter. Either way, it doesn't matter and at least you don't lose valuable people." Frank spoke with such finality, as if he really didn't see himself as valuable.
Despite all the good they had been trying to do for him, Seras was beginning to lose hope in saving him emotionally. He didn't view himself as a person, at least not completely, instead he seemed to just see himself as an expendable object like a weapon or tool. She had at least expected him to care enough about revenge to want to try and stay alive, but he didn't seem to care all that much about it. Revenge was a secondary objective in his mind, stoping other experiments certainly seemed to be numbered in one of his priorities, but above all it appeared that Frank really had no hope left.
"How can you say that?" Seras blurted out before she could stop herself, feeling angry that after all they had done for him he would just throw it all away.
Frank turned towards her, his scarred face pulling into an unreadable expression. It was impossible to read his facial expressions, the thick scar tissue and certain parts where the facial muscles didn't quite work distorted them beyond recognition. He seemed to be giving her something of a questioning look, his one unscarred eyebrow over his brown eye raised and his eyes slightly narrowed. His mouth never seemed to move right with the heavy scar that went from his lip clear down past his chin, as if someone had sliced it completely apart and then sewn it back together poorly. If he had ever tried to smile at anyone since being brought to Hellsing, it was impossible to tell.
"I've been a number all my life, the only name I've ever been given was a sick joke. I don't want to die, but I don't care if I do either. I'm only valuable if I do something worth doing and I won't be able to do that just sitting around here. If I can be valuable, then I would worry more about staying alive. Right now I'm not valuable and my whole life has been about being just that. Being of value spells safety to me. If I can't make myself valuable, then I have no purpose and you have no reason to keep me around." He explained it as if this was all very factual and should have been easy for them all to comprehend.
"He's right, Hellsing isn't a homeless shelter. Everyone here earns their keep and I would expect no less from Frank if he wishes to continue living here. I hadn't anticipated him being ready for this sort of task so soon, but I won't deny that he would be an asset on this mission." Integra's voice silenced whatever other protests Seras was ready to cry out. She hated knowing that this human being really felt like an expendable object, she had thought he had stronger willpower than that.
"I'm glad someone can understand," He spoke pointedly toward Integra, as if she was the only one that mattered in the room. Of course, her word was the last word in any decision around the estate, but usually everyone was respectful of Seras' input.
Seras turned to Hans as he stood beside her, stoic as ever. His intense stare was impossible to read, even to her, and he showed none of his usual body language as he stood stiffly in the semi circle of operatives before Integra's desk. As much as Seras wanted to protest Frank coming along with such a self depreciating attitude, she knew better than to second guess Integra, her master.
"Although, Frank, I will require my medical staff to clear you for field operations. If you are not medically capable, then you will just be a burden on my team and we cannot afford that." Seras let out a sigh of relief at Integra's final words, at least if he wasn't up to the task he wouldn't be cleared for it. "Dismissed, you leave for the mission at six o'clock sharp in the morning."
Present
Frank POV:
He had been surprised when Seras had spoken up, sounding almost offended about his explanation towards his volunteering. It felt strange to have someone show concern for him, even his fellow experiments in the Nazi research labs and later the Doktor's facility had never shown that much interest in each others' well being. Of course, they had all cared for each other in their own ways, hell Frank considered them his friends. But, if it had ever come down to a 'it's you or me' situation, they all knew self preservation would have the final say. Experiments had to be valuable or else they would just be put through a far worse hell, one lacking any of the restraint shown to an experiment that was considered valuable as opposed to expendable. If an experiment not only lost value but also its usefulness, they had all known what would happen. They would have their parts harvested, literally be dismembered while alive and fully aware. After all, what was the point in wasting expensive drugs on someone who was about to be killed and recycled in such a brutal fashion? Frank wouldn't kid himself then and he certainly wouldn't now, he wasn't so self sacrificing that he would allow himself to be killed like that just so someone else wouldn't have to. After having faced those sorts of prospects, being shot or fatally wounded by a gun or knife hardly held any intimidation for him. It seemed like such an easy and painless death by comparison in his mind, it just didn't seem so bad really.
"Frank," he snapped out of his thoughts when a small, chilly hand touched his bare arm.
Of course, he should have known Seras wouldn't just leave things at that. She seemed to mean well, but he just couldn't grasp how to handle someone being so caring and gentle towards him. It was an unknown factor and he hated those. It was easier to put up a wall between himself and Seras than to try and come to terms with having someone give a shit. He just simply turned and looked down at her, feeling a slight pang of fear as her much larger and far more intimidating counterpart loomed in behind her. The tanned skin and silver hair served in stark contrast on Hans' features, but it was that wide eyed, unblinking stare that unnerved Frank the most.
"Listen, I know you think you need to do this to prove to us that you're useful. But you shouldn't push yourself... If you aren't ready yet, then that's ok. There's always the next mission." She said quietly, twiddling her thumbs nervously.
"I don't have anything to prove to any of you. I need to feel valuable for my own piece of mind, if thinking of it as a selfish want eases your conscience than think of it that way. You have to understand, Seras. If I don't know without a doubt that I'm valuable, then I can't keep myself from wondering when I'm going to be hauled off and harvested for parts while I'm still awake and kicking. I'm not saying you would do that, but old habits die hard and my mind still thinks that way." He said, turning himself back around so he wouldn't have to see her reaction. He just couldn't handle that alien expression of concern on her face, not from someone he barely knew. Did she even know that if it came down to a situation where he had to choose between her and him, that he would always choose himself? He might be willing to risk being killed, but allowing himself to be killed by choice was a different thing altogether in his mind.
Frank was thankful that she didn't say anything further, that he didn't have to try and wrap his mind around her inexplicable caring. It felt strange though, he almost felt guilty for rejecting her kindness and there was this odd compulsion to turn around and look over his shoulder to make sure she was alright. As he did so, he realized how foolish it was. Of course she was alright... She had already turned around and was looking up at Hans as his hands moved in a flurry of gestures. As little experience as Frank had in such a department, he knew instinctively that the doe eyed look Seras was giving Hans meant she loved him. An odd pair those two... A vampire and a werewolf, once enemies on the battlefield. Maybe if such a strange couple could find a little happiness together, he wasn't completely without hope. Could the odds of someone coming to love him despite his scars, past, and broken outlook be any more unlikely than Hans and Seras loving each other?
Frank stopped and had to smile lightly to himself for the first time in years, the expression feeling strange on his face. Even if he didn't know how to handle either of them socially, he had to admit he liked them. They gave him an odd sense of normalcy. He wasn't any more unusual than they were. If there was a vampire and a werewolf around, not to mention romantically involved together, would anyone really find a chop shop of a human experiment that weird? Maybe he could do a little more than just be valuable to Hellsing, he might actually be able to fit in.
Frank had to admit, he liked the thought of that.
Present
Hans POV:
Hans still felt uncomfortable around Frank. It wasn't so much that the man was impossible to predict, much less understand, as it was that he had been an experiment of the Doktor's. After everything that he had dealt with regarding Cisa, he just couldn't trust anything that the Doktor had tainted. He felt on edge whenever the man was around, as if expecting him to turn on them at any moment. Logic told him that this wouldn't happen, but his old grudges and prejudices died hard. It seemed as if he hadn't had as much influence from the Doktor as Cisa had, at least not directly. But, that didn't mean he wouldn't eventually turn on them.
As he looked over Seras' blond hair after reassuring her about Frank, Hans caught the man just as he turned away to leave. It was only for an instant, but Hans felt as if he had seen a hint of a sad smile on the man's face. He wasn't sure if it unnerved him or made him feel guilty for being so suspicious. Instead, he chose not to read to much into it. After all, he was bad enough at interpreting human expressions and body language as it was. Frank's scars with various working and non working muscles in his face made his every expression distorted and impossible to interpret.
Seras' soft palm on his cheek brought his attention back down to her bright blue eyes as she gently caressed his cheek, jaw, and neck. It was obvious that she couldn't understand why her attempts at comfort were being met with such strong defensiveness from the scarred human, but she also didn't seem overly put off by it. She smiled up at him sweetly, eyes squinting shut slightly from the expression.
'Don't take him personally, Seras. I think I understand why he acts that way to you.'
He could see Seras' face turn hopeful as she interpreted his hand signs, eyes glancing back up to his as if waiting for his explanation, "Why?"
'Because he doesn't understand it. I didn't either when we first met, remember? He's probably never had anyone treat him with your level of care and the only way he knows how to handle it is to push it away. I'm sure he'll come around.'
As much as Hans felt unnerved by the man's presence, he couldn't help but feel like what he was saying was true. Maybe once he settled in, he would start acting more human and even Hans would feel relaxed around him. That, of course, was just a small chance, but he knew better than to underestimate Seras. Instead of saying anything in reply, Seras merely leaned into him and pressed her face into his chest, obviously much more cheerful now.
The calm was broken that morning however as everyone rushed around performing their various duties. There was a small platoon of twelve soldiers, including their own platoon leader, with Seras and Hans as the mission leads. Frank had also received medical clearance for field operations, but his role put him behind the rest of them as he had no combat training any of them knew of. However, Hans was glad he wouldn't be the one to have to try and understand and interpret whatever hell they found inside this bunker. That job had been given to Frank, who had received orders from Integra that he was to personally study the contents of the bunker once all threats had been eliminated. He would have to catalog whatever they found and decide what was and wasn't worth their closer attentions. It certainly made sense, the man had more experience with the Doktor's research than Hans had ever wanted. Whereas Hans had merely witnessed things here and there, his only up close experience had come from Cisa. Frank, on the other hand, had been in those experiments and seemed to have a surprisingly clear understanding of them, or at least a sensible guessing ability as to their purpose.
As their plane took flight, Hans couldn't help but study Frank as he was seated directly across from him. For the first time since he had been brought back to the Hellsing Estate, Frank was clothed in something other than sweat pants and a T-shirt. Now he was wearing a Hellsing uniform, though it wasn't as tactically geared as everyone else's. He still had the bullet proof vest, helmet, boots, and elbow and knee pads. But, instead of the various sidearms, automatic rifles, knives, and grenades the other soldiers had, he was armed only with a combat knife and a single pistol as a last resort in case anything got through their ranks. That was obviously a very unlikely event, but he had been outfitted for the worst possible case like everyone else had been.
Now that he was dressed for combat, Hans had to admit the human looked as if he could be intimidating to anyone that didn't know his history. With the helmet sitting slightly lopsided on his head, perhaps a size to big, it only accentuated the scarring on the left side of his face. That striking blue eye of his, surrounding by differently colored skin and a thick frame of scar tissue was enough to unnerve anyone on the battle field. Over time, Hans had learned that anything that was out of the ordinary would put the average person on edge. If it wasn't something they were used to seeing, even the most hardened warrior could become unnerved and therefore sloppy. Frank's differently colored eyes and heavy facial scars were anything but ordinary, even surrounded by soldiers who had their own fair share of scars. Whereas their scars were jagged, they were also cleanly healed thanks to prompt and proper medical care. Frank's scars, though obviously surgical, were too thick and raised to pass for injuries that had received proper care. It was obvious to anyone familiar with wounds and scars that he had been cut up, sewn up, and then forgotten. Likely, the lack of consistency in how the scars appeared corresponded to whether or not the scientists performing them had done any follow up exams beyond just yanking out their stitches. The worst scars had obviously had their stitches become infected during the healing process, probably not even treated until it was absolutely necessary, while some appeared thin and likely had not had any issues.
Many of the soldiers fell asleep during the flight, Seras had had to travel in her coffin to avoid sunlight as their flight was scheduled for the daytime. He never saw Frank so much as twitch, but his eyes also never closed in sleep. But, they had a far away look in them that suggested he wasn't mentally in the present right now.
Past - unknown date
Frank POV:
The men in white slinked around the plexiglass windows which surrounded the upper part of the containment cell wall, giving them a perfect view of the entire area. Sometimes, there was a full audience of scientists wearing that stark white and other times there was only a few. But, there was always someone. They were never without observation. The scientists could hear any noise made into the containment area, but no sound from the outside ever got in. That meant the walls were bugged, they probably had a few cameras set up so that the scientists wouldn't have to strain themselves by moving to the other side of the viewing area to see what was below them. Meanwhile, here he was in this control group, exactly where he didn't want to be.
Experiments like this were done to less valuable specimens, which meant this could kill him. It was their first test run, making sure that if it was lethal then their expendable resources would go first. He was expendable now. God, but he had worked so hard to be valuable, to stay alive. What was it that made him less valuable than others? After all, the scientists chose who was used in what experiment. Not only did they dictate the what and why, but also the who. In the end, a subject's value was based solely on the scientists' whims and personal interest. The female subjects had it much easier than the males, if they were remotely pretty then the pent up male scientists would take a shining to them. There weren't many female scientists and no one dared to strike their fancies, they were the most twisted ones in this place.
"Why are they doing this?"
The sudden break in silence made his gut turn flips as he spun around and looked dead on at a younger female subject who sat in the corner hugging her legs, rocking back and forth against the wall. She was muttering to herself, losing it to the drugs which had been administered. They all knew what was happening, it had been explained to them after all. This was a control group for a potential bio-weapon and he had been a part of these sorts of experiments enough to know why they had been given details. It was a psychological stress factor, he had seen it before. The words rang in his head as they had all huddled together in the center of the containment cell as a voice over an intercom had explained to them.
"Congratulations Control Group A-1, you have been chosen to participate in the testing of our experimental formula for Chem67-J. As you can see on your new armbands, you have each been assigned IDs 670J-679J. Learn your ID, when it is called proceed to the holding cell to receive your first dosage. Five of you will receive the Chem9-J and the rest of you will receive a placebo. The hypothetical results for those receiving the Chem9-J compound on first dosage is nausea, loss of hair follicles, and paranoia. You will be observed for the next 48 hours before secondary dosing will be administered for testing of more concentrated doses."
He knew that voice all to well, one of the female scientists. She was feared by everyone, a real sadistic fuck. The way she cheerily voiced all the introductions and rules for every experiment that took place in this entire facility. It was voice every subject in here knew and dreaded, that happy sing song way she said such gruesome things was terrifying. None of them had ever actually seen her, but in their minds she was the most horrifying being in existence. At least the other scientists typically took no joy in their work, merely interested in results and nothing else. This woman, The Voice as she was known, she loved her job and it was impossible to miss that fact.
There was a big timer on the wall of the containment cell and if he was reading it correctly, it had been nearly an hour since the announcement had been made. It wouldn't be long before they were called in for their dosing, the scientists had been scurrying around inside and about the sealed off holding cell. This particular one appeared to be air tight and when the scientists were in it, they were on step ladders messing with the air vents. That meant the chemical would be administered as a gas. He knew better than to hope he could just hold his breath, they would likely have a very convincing method of insuring everyone took a few good deep breaths when they got gassed.
Finally the intercom dinged and that ecstatically happy female voice chimed, "Dosing procedure is now underway, would Subject 670J please enter the holding cell immediately. Failure to comply will result in disciplinary measures."
Everyone checked their metallic wristbands with the engraved ID on them. They all had two IDs at any given point in time. One was etched on their inner forearms, though they all appeared differently if compared to one another, and the second would be the control group ID given to them for every experiment they were involved in. He was only half relieved when he discovered that his own ID was 673J. Which meant he got to watch two other subjects go before him into the holding cell.
Hesitantly, the first person headed toward the holding cell as the plexiglas door slid open with a hiss as the airlock was broken. The apparent 670J was a male subject who appeared to be used to this, he had been around enough to know to stay calm. Panic only made you more expendable, an unreliable specimen was a useless one. As the man stepped inside the holding cell and the door slid close, hissing again as it resealed the airlock to insure nothing escaped the air inside. He could see the fumes as they flicked down into the once clean oxygen of the sealed off room from the vents in the ceiling. The man inside showed no signs of being effected by them besides glancing up toward the vents, likely reacting to the sound of the fans turning on.
The scientists in this place were very good at deception. If they were using a control group with a mixture of placebos and real dosages then they would make absolutely certain the placebo couldn't be told apart from the real thing during the dosing procedures. Usually, their idea of a placebo was hardly a sugar pill or harmless injection. Many times, they used something they could easily discern from the other item being used both to insure nobody knew which symptoms were from what. Of course, that was a strictly off the record fact. None of the scientists ever said anything more than that placebos were harmless, false drugs... yeah right.
The airlock unsealed and the next ID was called as the man exited the holding cell, his face a little paler than before. The next ID appeared to be that of the whimpering heap rocking against the wall, likely a brand new subject. This was probably the poor girl's first participation as a control group experiment. But, he knew what would happen if she didn't get up and move soon. There was now quite a crowd up in the viewing area above them, notepads were being written on and heads were shaking in a decisively unhappy manner.
"If 6701J does not enter the holding cell for dosing in the next three minutes, then we will choose three subjects at random to test what constitutes lethal dosing for testing compound." The Voice snapped over the intercom, obviously amused by the situation.
He felt his own survival instincts kick into overdrive just as the others in the control group did too. This was going to be one of those experiments where if one individual fucked up, others would pay for it. It was a way the scientists insured cooperation without having to send personnel into the containment cells. The subjects would do the dirty work for them if it meant saving themselves a slow, agonizing death. The girl shrieked as she realized several considerably larger than herself males advanced on her and forcibly lifted her up. By now she was kicking and screaming, trying to escape.
As a countdown from 30-0 began over the intercom he could only jump in and help, anything to keep from upgrading to a control group for lethal dosages on a gas based bio-weapon. Violently, he grabbed a handful of her hair and yanked away from the others, dragging her wailing and crying toward the holding cell. With one last heave, he threw her in just before the Voice counted zero. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief, but he could only feel guilt and anger as the airlock was sealed and the girl threw herself against the door, trying to get out as the vents turned on. She didn't understand why they had turned on her, he knew the feeling. Everyone felt that confusion the first time their fellow prisoners turned on them, but it would soon become second nature. Self preservation was all that mattered in this place, there could be no alliances or group mentalities. Martyrs didn't get remembered in this place, they were chopped up and forgotten or poisoned or God only knew what else.
Once the gas was sucked back up into the vents, the door unsealed and she all but fell into a heap outside the door. That look of contempt and hatred she gave him would have chilled him to the bone if he hadn't known what she had almost brought on them all. By the time this was over, she would understand that the only person on her side in this was her. No one was going to tell her it would be ok and no one was going to sacrifice themselves for her, ever. Not here, not now, not ever.
Another ID was called and woman with surgical scars on her throat quickly moved into the holding cell, stepping right over the wailing heap still just outside the door. It would be his turn next, would he be dosed with the known gas or with some other horror? Would the so called placebo be better or worse to be dosed with? Once the gas vented a third time and the woman with the throat scars stepped out, his own ID was called and he quickly took his own turn at stepping over the girl still lying there on the floor.
The door slid shut and the airlock sealed. It was very cold inside the holding cell, and he could feel the distinct feeling of residue beneath his bare feet. It was likely the cleaning agent used to create a sterile environment between subjects' dosing. The harsh hissing and whirring of the air vents overhead made him twitch slightly and the fumes had a distinctly chemical odor to them. He had to wonder if the bio-weapon was meant to be odorless. If so then he was receiving the placebo, an unknown chemical. For all he knew, he would be bleeding out of his ears by tomorrow. It was probably the case of a placebo gas, it wouldn't make sense for them to neglect creating an odorless gas for chemical warfare.
The smell and taste alone of the gas in the air burned his lungs and made his mouth and throat feel dry and sting. The others had appeared unaware of any affects, though the hysterical one was impossible to take notes from, he was either the first to receive a placebo or the first to get the actual gas. The vents stopped and began a reverse affect, sucking the fumes back up into them and blowing fresh oxygen inside. The air was frigid, but clean and took the burn from his lungs.
The rest of the dosing procedure was uneventful, everyone knew the drill. Afterward they all found their own little space and claimed it as their own, sitting or lying down in it and glaring at anyone daring to walk through their proverbial bubble. There was no social connections here, nobody bothered to create any illusions of normalcy anymore. Only the newcomer who had nearly killed three of them seemed unaware of the unspoken ban on conversation. Much to his annoyance, she invaded his space and glared at him as if he had done something wrong.
"Why did you do that?" She asked, her voice demanding and a bit pitchy from her continued crying over the past few hours.
"Don't talk. They'll punish us." He replied, hushing his voice and turning away from her. The sooner she learned that fighting back was a losing battle, the better.
"Why the fuck did you throw me in there?!" Her voice rose to a near shriek, causing everyone in the containment cell to cast disapproving glances their way.
"As opposed to what? Having three of us given lethal doses of that shit? If you want to get someone killed, kill yourself, nobody will care. But, if you're going to kill one of us, don't be surprised when we do something about it." He hissed under his breath, not wanting to gain any more attention.
"So that's it... You gave up? What a coward, why don't fight back? What's the worst they can do? Put us out of our misery?" She demanded, obviously she had no idea what these scientists were capable of.
"Put us out of misery? That's what you think they do when they kill us? You stupid little shit, they don't kill us for no reason. We have to be useful, even when we die. They don't do anything unless it affects research. If they have to kill us, they'll do it in a way that serves their research. For all we know, or they know, a lethal dose of that stuff will make us slowly fall apart piece by piece over the next week. Now shut up, I'm not taking a punishment for you."
His angry words seemed to quiet her down, make her think the unthinkable. He knew how horrible it was to realize the gravity of the situation for the first time, but nobody had shown him any form of mercy and he understood why now, so would she. But, she just wasn't ready to give up yet. Instead, she sat down inside his space, deliberately positioning herself in his line of vision.
"My name is Lily."
He felt his blood freeze, nobody in this place had a name. Names did not exist here, memories from before did not exist here, nothing existed outside of this place. He began to chew on his lip, feeling panic overtake him for the first time in many years. Why was someone with a name in this place? That shouldn't be possible, the scientists were thorough with taking away their names, their identities until nothing but a number was left. How the hell did she get through that process?
"I said my name is Lily, what's your name?" His head hurt way to bad from this, it was like even thinking about names, much less his own, triggered some sort of pressure in his brain like there was a hammer just banging on the inside of his skull over and over.
"Shut the fuck up. You don't have a name, nobody has a name. They take them away. You can't have one. Nobody can have one," It had been a long time since he had heard his own voice sound so terrified. Just speaking the word 'name' was grounds for serious abuse and punishment and this place was obviously bugged, she was going to get him killed for this. But, his panic just made it impossible to react properly, the way the scientists wanted him to, the way that made him useful and valuable to them.
"They... take them away? Then what do you call yourself?" She sounded as if she had no idea what he was talking about.
"B3622. That's what I am. There is no who, there is no name. We are numbers, things. We are either useful, therefore valuable, or we are expendable." He growled, jerking his arm up to show her the tattoo which etched his only identity into his forearm.
Then she leaned in close and whispered directly into his ear,"I'm undercover. I'm with the government, I'm going to shut this place down. We have agents who have infiltrated the scientists' ranks, they are also on this experiment. They ensured I was gassed with a placebo, I had to be convincing. I didn't know they would actually kill you... I'm sorry."
He felt everything freeze up, like his blood flow had just suddenly changed directions. This was going to get them all killed. When they found out about this person, this non-thing with a name, they would know he had talked to her and punish him for it. They would kill him. The promise of shutting this place down was empty, he knew that much. There was no escape from this place. There had been others who had tried to infiltrate it and the ends they had met, along with any subject that so much as looked at them, were nothing short of torture. They became playthings for the scientists, a no rules no purpose experiment with no other purpose than to see how much pain they could inflict without killing them. If they passed out, then they would administer a drug to jolt them back to their senses. Then they hung the bodies up around the non-active holding cells where all the subjects were kept in their own little cages packed together in between experimentation. They were made examples.
"You're going to kill me. They'll torture me and hang me up for everyone to see. You too. But... if I tell them about you now, they won't punish me. I'll be valuable to them if they know I'll obey..." He muttered, barely able to understand himself. The need to save himself overrode any concept of hope or even just sitting back and seeing what happened. It was no different than the time he had been chosen for a obedience control group and they put that collar on him. Even now that those drugs were completely out of his system, he still got a warm feeling when he did what he knew would make the scientists see him as valuable, a controlled element.
"What? No, I'm here to save you."
"You have a name, no number. You're a person, not an it. You can't be here. You'll kill everyone you talk to. You don't know what they'll do. You aren't the first, you won't be the last." His own voice had risen and despite her attempts to quiet him, he had an uncontrolled need to do what he had been literally trained to do. Be obedient, be valuable, be a controlled element. He couldn't be expendable, he had to be valuable. He had to be!
"She doesn't have a number! Get her away from me!" He yelled, despite her even going so far as to try and cover his mouth.
The other ones in the containment cell were already gathering around them, looking for the number that should have been on her arm. There was none. She had a name after all. She was a person, people didn't exist here. They couldn't exist here, they were killed and everyone they touched were killed. The only way to save yourself from a person, from a name, was to sacrifice them for the sake of yourself. That was how you proved that you were valuable in hell.
Present
Seras POV:
The familiar jostling of an aircraft landing woke her up, finding nothing more than the darkness of her coffin. She hoped it would be dark outside, so that they wouldn't just carry her coffin to their base of operations. It always made her motion sick when she was carried around inside the coffin. And puking inside a coffin, was not a pleasant experience. To her great relief, the lid of her coffin was opened to reveal the pleasant dusk of that happened just after the last of the suns rays went dipped below the horizon.
Hans' handsome face greeted her as she sat up, obviously he had been the one to open her coffin for her. He offered her his hand and helped her to her feet from the the floor of the airplane. Once she was up, he patted her shoulder and then went back to helping the other soldiers with unloaded their equipment into a waiting truck that would get them into the general area of the target in the least suspicious way possible.
As she looked around to see what was left to do, she noticed Frank seemed to have fallen asleep and either nobody had noticed or no one was brave enough to wake him up. With a soft sigh, she climbed over the various crates of items to where he sat, still strapped into the seat as he had been at takeoff when she had been sealed into her coffin. His head was drooped forward as he slept, chin resting against his own chest. His breathing wasn't even, as if he were having a bad dream. No wonder no one had woke him up, they all knew better than to wake him up if they even thought he was dreaming. Frank was prone to what could only be considered flash backs if he was woken up during a nightmare and good God did he ever fight back when he had one of those. It was as if he saw something completely different from reality when he had them.
Carefully, she laid her hand on his shoulder. Shaking him awake was a bad idea, but maybe if she squeezed his shoulder and called his name he would wake up a bit more gracefully and without any nose breaking. He twitched in his sleep when she called out to him, then muttered something incoherent as she gave in to the need to gently shake him.
He awoke with a jerk and would probably have jumped to his feet if he hadn't been still strapped to his seat by the buckle, though the fact that he was restrained seemed to only scare him more. His blue and brown eyes were open wide, looking at her as if she had sprouted a second head and horns to boot. The way he just recoiled from her, terrified made her feel guilty for waking him like that. Maybe she should have had Hans do it instead, another a man might be easier to wake up to for him. Or at least, Hans was too big and bulky to look anything like a scientist. Seras was small and slim, which she imagined was closer to a scientists general build.
"Frank? It's me, it's Seras. Are you ok?" She asked, taking a step back to give him some room to breath.
To her relief, he blinked and brought his hands up to rub his eyes heavily before looking at her again as if he was trying to reassure himself she was something besides what he had seen. Once he relaxed and seemed to know who she was again, she reached out and patted his shoulder.
"I'm sorry, Seras. I thought you were someone else..."
"Who?" She asked before she could stop herself and regretted it immediately.
Even though his facial expressions were nearly impossible to read due to the extensive scar tissue and the way it seemed to pull his muscles in distorted ways until his facial features were completely abnormal... Right now, she had the impression of a shamed expression. His brows were furrowed, though his left one didn't go as far down as his right when he did this, almost making it appear that he was raising an eyebrow as opposed to frowning. And his mouth was a firm line, more so than usual. That heavy scar that literally split his lip kept his face in a perpetual frown, she imagined even if he tried to smile it would be completely crooked, only the unscarred side turning upwards into the expression. She had to wonder if he would ever smile.
"When I was still just a number... There was someone that had gotten into the labs, she didn't have a number. Before that, I had never met anybody with a name. She did everything she wasn't supposed to do, she stuck out. I don't know how she got passed the screenings without an ID number. She said she was going to save us all." He whispered, just barely load enough for her to make out the words.
"What happened to her?" Seras asked, although she had a bad feeling that she didn't want to know the answer.
"I...we... killed her. We were in a control group for an experimental chemical weapon. She told me she had a name, wanted to know mine. She had already nearly gotten three of us put down with lethal doses, we were all scared of her because of that. Then... she went off about having a name, about us having names. We all knew what would happen, the cell was bugged. They had tested us on this stuff before. It was either a test or she was really trying to save us. It doesn't matter, we killed her. We had to be valuable. Scientists don't put down valuable subjects... If we hadn't killed her ourselves, they would have tortured her and killed over a matter of months. We were quick, painless. Better us to kill her then turn her into the scientists alive."
Seras swallowed heavily, digesting the gravity of what he had just told her. The level of psychological abuse that would result in that sort of obedience toward their tormentors, people that literally tortured him and treated him like a lab rat... For him to literally give up a potential savior for the sake of being valuable to them, it was beyond her comprehension. What was that term people had coined for a victim to grow attached to their captor? Stockholm Syndrome? Or was this something far more sinister?
"Is that why you kept thinking us saving you was just a test?" She asked gently, leaning down to look him in the eyes.
"Of course... That would have been a more likely scenario than you actually saving me. But... it was different there. The Doktor's scientists... they were different from the ones I was used to. They considered different things valuable. They never punished us for cooperating with people who pretended to rescue us, just would suddenly stop the charade and put us back in our cells. A person who had talked to me and told me I was going to be ok, that I was safe. The same person who would try to make me feel better after saving me, would throw me back in my cage and never looked back, never come back. No explanations, no expectations, no purpose... They just did things for no reason." Frank sounded mechanical again, lacking emotion as he regained his self control.
"Frank... Those scientists were...are monsters. They're not like normal people. That's not how its supposed to be. That's not how we are. You don't have to be valuable or even obedient, just be yourself. That's all we want." She said softly, giving his shoulder a squeeze.
"You don't understand... I'm not a person. I'm a number. I'm either valuable or I am expendable, there aren't any gray areas," Frank's scarred face didn't betray any sorrow about such thoughts, though she noticed the tightening of the muscles around his mouth, forming a thin line with his lips, "I'm more comfortable with seeing myself as B3622 than I am with being Frankenstein."
Seras swallowed the lump that was forming in her throat, uncertain how to feel about all of this. He really did seem to feel that way about himself. That he was an object to be used, a tool to be either useful or useless, rather than a human being with a right to just exist without a need for an explanation. It had obviously taken a great deal of time for him to develop such total lack of self worth, likely it would take twice as long to reverse it.
"Why would you rather be a number than a person? I know the name Frank wasn't your choice, but at least it's a name." She asked, trying to keep her voice calm and collected.
"This tattoo with my ID... It's the only thing that has been mine since the beginning. In the labs where it all started, where I first woke up, my first memories... Well, every single experiment had its own set of IDs for the subjects. What we were referred to changed constantly, everything did. At any given time, we had two sets of ID numbers to identify us by. One was the tattoo on our forearms, it never changed, and the other was usually put on a metal bracelet we got before every experiment. It was the only thing that was constant, when we were allowed to talk to each other, we called each other by those ID numbers. It was normal for us. The very idea of having a name back then was alien in our minds, it was a negative not a positive. I spent more of my life as a B3622 than as Frank."
"It sounds like your ID isn't from Auschwitz like we thought. Maybe that lab you were in used the same concept, but they weren't the same... What was the first thing you remember there? When it all started?" She asked, finding her curiosity was getting the better of her. Now was obviously a bad time, but the questions and thoughts had left her mouth before she could stop them.
"It was like waking up somewhere new and forgetting that you had gone to sleep there, so you're disoriented at first. Only, this didn't clear up as I woke up, it just got more confusing. I woke up and, it's hard to explain, but I knew things. I knew how to walk, talk, and read but I couldn't remember how I learned to do those things. The tattoo was there from the start, I don't remember getting it and I don't remember not having it." His explanation was vague, though she suspected he didn't understand it himself.
Taking a deep breath, Seras decided to just let it go. Now was not the time to be distracted by trying to understand the methods and motivations of a bunch of mad scientists... literally.
Present
Hans POV:
The bunker was obviously built during the war, before the death of Hitler. It was actually setup almost as a compound with multiple bunkers hidden inside of what appeared to be an old, out of use train tunnel. Any tracks that might have once led through it had long since been pulled up and likely re purposed. There were a total of five military grade bunkers inside the mouth of the tunnel, flanked by what appeared to be a cave in but had likely been caused on purpose for the sake of the charade. The first bunker they entered appeared to had once been used as a barracks and had also been partially converted into a control room with the large generator used to power all of the bunkers.
It took some time, but eventually they were able to fix the generator and get the compound powered up. It was plainly obvious that they were too late to apprehend any enemy operatives, the place had been abandoned and the generator had had wires cut. With the lights back on and the security interface online, they would be able to manually override the locking mechanisms on the other bunkers rather than blasting through them with C4.
However, with the typical nature of the Doktor's experiments, they all took a moment to attempt to review security footage and logs in recorded in the mainframe. From the smells inside the control bunker, Hans could tell it hadn't been abandoned for long. There wasn't even a layer of dust coating everything yet and some of the scents of humans and chemicals were lingering around the place. He wandered around the various bunks and opened the footlockers, which were mainly empty, while the tech specialist on their team attempted to break through the security protocols to view the logs and video feeds.
Whoever had cleared this place, had done a very good job. There weren't any loose items left, despite the fact that their departure was rushed. The bunks still appeared as if their occupants had just gotten out of bed, without the time to put the sheets back neatly into place. The trash bins still held empty MREs and protein bar wrappers. They hadn't even been in there long enough to start to give off an odor yet.
After several strings of curses from the tech specialist as he tried to break through the code, he finally appeared to be successful and called both Hans and Seras over to view what he had been able to recover.
"Sir, Ma'am, it appears that this was used as a base for two separate research teams. The main one, which was given three of the five bunkers for use in their research appears to have been working on something called Project Origin. Unfortunately, someone seems to have performed a memory wipe on the system and I was only able to recover partial logs and data. Whatever this Project Origin was, it must be highly classified. They didn't want to leave any tracks if they could help it. But, I don't think they expected anyone to be able to salvage anything from their mainframe." The soldier explained, fingers still typing at the speed of light as walls of code and text flew across the screen. "I'm downloading everything I could find onto a flashdrive, I won't be able to analyze anything until I have my own computer and certain software after we get back and I can clean up all this code and data. What I can make out right now is very limited."
"How old is this system?" Seras inquired, peering over the tech's shoulder.
"Well the hardware itself appears to have been built within the past two years, but whoever maintained it had alot of resources and know how. Everything in here is modern, sophisticated software. Before whoever flashed the hard drive and sabotaged the wiring, it appears that whoever manned this thing was able to literally control every aspect of the compound. There wasn't a door in this place that could be locked, unlocked or even opened or closed without direct input commands into this system. Frankly, it's an amazing setup. This mainframe is even more sophisticated than the one used to operate security functions back at Hellsing."
Hans tapped Seras on the shoulder, grabbing her attention so that she could translate his question to the rest of the room, 'What was the fifth bunker used for?'
After Seras repeated the question for him, he felt uneasy as the man sitting before the screen hooked up to countless hunks of hardware began to chew his lips and type various commands into the system's code before answered, "I'm not completely sure, the data and logs on it are severely corrupted, I don't even think I could clean them up with my equipment back at Hellsing. All I have on it are some broken coding and small pieces of logs that barely make any sense even when put together. What I can tell you is that the security coding for that bunker is way heavier than any of the others. If I had to make a guess, I would say that it was designed to keep something inside while the other four were designed to keep everyone outside. There aren't even any moniters inside that bunker, but there is on the outside. They didn't keep tabs on what happened in it like they did the others and it appears that was a three step unlock process just to open Bunker 5. It needed a personal password input from the two head scientists and the head of security just to unlock the door and they have a timer coded into it so that the door automatically closes and locks again within 120 seconds of being opened. There is also what appears to be a failsafe where if the door is forced open without the proper protocols a reinforced door will close off from inside the bunker permanently. And by reinforced I mean it's four feet thick of solid titanium. It would take enough C4 to level the enter compound just to open that failsafe door and it runs on its own generator, its impossible to break through without destroying everything inside. They didn't want anybody without clearance getting in or out of that bunker."
Hans nodded and stepped back outside into the now lit tunnel, eyes scanning the other four bunkers. Each had their number clearly painted on the outside and an out of commission security camera angled down to view the comings and goings of each one, though they all plainly had their wires cut. Hans couldn't deny the uneasy feeling he had in the pit of his stomach over this place, there was something very wrong here. It was far to well cleaned up, every track covered. The only loose end that hadn't been tied up was the mainframe and even that had been difficult for their specialist to boot back up and get only partial bits of information from.
The sound of uneven footsteps behind him pulled Hans from his thoughts, turning to find Frank walking up behind him. Since they had first found him, the human seemed to be faring much better. His limp was less pronounced, now only caused by the lack of feeling in it rather than any pain or discomfort, and his thoughts seemed far more clear as well.
"This place reminds me of a smaller version of the labs where I came from. Not the one you found me in, but the place where I started at the beginning. It's clean and organized, it has a purpose. I'm not sure what the purpose is, but this wasn't built for the Doktor to play around with subjects on a whim like he did at the facility you found me in. This was serious research, they took great care in it and didn't risk anything. Whatever happened here, its important to the Doktor for some reason." Frank explained, voice sounding rather dull and lifeless as he spoke.
Hans could only nod in agreement, knowing the human wouldn't understand sign language. As far as he could tell, Frank appeared to be trying very hard to keep everything they were doing on the mission in a non personal manner. He was being purely factual, impersonal, and not allowing his own feelings to affect how he processed what they were finding. It wasn't the most normal manner for a human to act, but Hans had to admit he knew that that would be the best way for him to carry out the job Integra had assigned to Frank.
"If I had to guess, I would say that each of the three bunkers used for the research housed a different phase of it, each one more advanced. The first level in one bunker would contain the least valuable test subjects or whatever they were working on. It may have been living creatures or something as small the genetic structure of microscopic organisms. But, the least valuable specimens would be the ones they would experiment on and take risks with, because they would be the easiest to replace if it killed them. The next phase of the research would be more controlled, nothing would be done to those specimens unless it was proven not to cause negative effects on the first control group. And then any positive resulting procedures would move to the final group, strengthening the overall structure of the final subjects. It can take years of research to reach the level of having three separate control groups for one single project with a perfected specimen at the end." Frank explained, crossing his arms and gazing around at the bunker doors lining the rock walls of the tunnel.
"But, I can't figure out Bunker 5. It's almost an afterthought. It doesn't appear to have any connection to the others and it was built to contain something and keep it inside. The only thing I can think of that makes any logical sense is that bunker 5 is where they dumped their failed subject matter, dead or alive."
This thought gave Hans a bit of a chill down his spine. If Frank's idea of what bunker 5 was, then they were likely going to enter a mass grave by the time they finally opened it. They would need to be very careful once they opened that door, for all they knew walking into it without full hazmat gear would turn them inside out. Hans glanced back at the ominous door with the large number five painted on it in red, as opposed to the black used on the other doors.
The sound of multiple footsteps caused him to turn around and find Seras followed by the rest of the Hellsing soldiers and their platoon leader. Her face was all business now, blue eyes slightly narrowed in thought as she gave a nod to the officer in command of the soldiers to speak. A quick salute and the soldier spoke loud enough for everyone to hear, "Ok men, we have our orders. Tech Specialist Monroe will stay in the control room of bunker 1 with two armed guards for backup. The rest of us will provide cover fire if necessary for Hans and Seras as they clear bunkers 2-4. We have a potential bio hazard warning so everyone needs to bring out their gas masks and we will have hazmat decontamination protocols at the end of this operation! After Hans and Seras give the all clear, those of you with bomb squad duty will sweep for potential threats. Once bunker is cleared as safe, we will move on to the next one while the two assigned to guard Frank will stay with him as he examines the cleared bunkers behind us. Any questions?'"
The platoon leader was all business, obviously a career soldier before being assigned to Hellsing. Hans liked that type of human, they knew their place in the big scheme of things and that was that. If they wanted to rise in rank, they earned it, and they didn't stand for disobedience in their subordinates. They might not have been alphas, but they were certainly were up there. They typically fell into the support role of insuring that everything the alpha wanted done went smoothly, in this case that meant the Hellsing soldiers obeyed Integra and did as they were told without fail or attempts at shortcuts.
Once the soldiers answered with a resounding 'yes sir', everyone fell into their place. Hans and Seras led the way as the locking mechanism on bunker 2 rattled and opened, the backup lights in the ceiling flickering on as part of the power from the generator was diverted to it. Once they were inside, they found what appeared to be a state of the art laboratory. It was very different from the facility they had found Frank and his fellow experiments in, which had been dirty and appeared to far less professional in nature. This place however, locked like something that might be found in highly funded government science labs. Which brought up the question of where the Doktor's funding came from.
As he and Seras went through the motions of making sure there weren't any threats left inside. Once they had cleared it, the bomb squad came in wearing their gas masks to search for explosives. As the group of four went through, Hans took a moment to look around at the various equipment that had been left behind. With his own gas mask secured on his face, he couldn't smell anything beyond the faint chemical scent of the air filter just beneath his mouth. Given the past experiences with the Doktor's genetically enhanced parasites and other biological weapons, not even Seras was taking chances with not wearing a gas mask.
Hans had never spent much time learning about scientific equipment or what it did, but he was sure they would figure it out before this operation was over. The entire concept was so foreign to him, even after being around it with Millennium. He just couldn't fathom why humans were so fascinated with altering the natural structure of things. Curiosity about how things worked at least made sense, but altering it... It just felt so wrong to him. All of these machines in this place were designed to do something, either a way to observe or a way to tamper with.
However, a series of what appears to be small glass tanks lined along one of the back walls caught his eyes. There was fluid inside them, with what appeared to be several mechanisms on the side which allowed for canisters to be inserted. Some of the tanks had these filled with a canister while others were empty. Inside the strange tanks which probably held about five gallons of fluid each, was what appeared to be a tiny organism of some sort about the size of a grape. Whatever they were, it was apparent that they were now dead. They floated motionlessly inside the liquid, appearing strange and alien to his eyes.
Finally everything was cleared and they had to move to the next bunker while Frank examined everything in this one, Hans only hoped that they wouldn't contain other things like the tiny creatures in the tanks of bunker 2.
Present
Frank POV:
So far, the bunkers used as research labs appeared to be fairly straight forward in what sort of experiments had been held there. Now that all three bunkers had been cleared and the air tested for traces of chemicals, they could now walk freely in them without the precaution of a gas mask. Everything was as Frank had expected from the beginning, each bunker held a more advanced phase of the project than the one before it. Bunker 2 had held the base line of it, though any notes or samples had been either destroyed or taken when the compound had been abandoned. But, they had left enough behind for him to figure out the basic idea of it all.
Bunker 2 had one thing that gave away its purpose, the tanks lining the back wall. They were artificial means of simulating the environment of a womb, with nutrient rich fluid to keep the organism inside alive. Everything about the contents of these small tanks was highly monitored, temperature, vitamin and hormone levels, vital signs, everything. If he had to make a guess at what was in them, they were fetuses of some sort. However, at this stage it was impossible to tell if they were human or some kind of mammal. All of the ones in Bunker 2 had died, unable to cope with the sudden lack of consistent temperature inside. If it hadn't been for the cold, they likely could have survived for at least a weak on the nutrients still in the fluid.
Frank had already instructed that the tanks be cataloged and taken back to Hellsing for analysis, contents and all. There were other bits of equipment not taken when everything was packed up, minor things like microscopes, and other equipment that was familiar and yet had unknown uses to Frank. If there was a scientific use behind something, Frank was sure he had at least seen it at some point in his life. Understanding its uses on the other hand was a different story, unless he had been able to watch it in use and experience it, then he couldn't even make a logical guess.
But, he knew the difference between important and not when it came to lab equipment. In Bunker 2 he quickly picked out the machines and items that would have been used for data or analysis, things that a scientist would be able to name and explain its use, thus narrowing down the possibilities. Bunker 3 was a bit more complicated, whatever they were attempting to do, the next phase involved similar tanks, though much larger and containing more developed fetuses in the nutrient fluids. They were still distinguishable from human or animal yet, barely big enough to compare to fit inside the palm of his hand. Yet they had begun to develop their limbs a bit more and had a slightly more distinct body shape to them. He could see their underdeveloped organs through the fragile skin membranes, and the large dark circles that were likely the eyes. Like the ones before, these were expired from power being cut off from their tanks.
It was bunker 4 that was able to catch even Frank off guard. There was a huge jump in stage between the specimens in bunker 3 and bunker 4, enough to keep both Hans and Seras standing there in a mixture of disgust and morbid curiosity. What was in these tanks were either blatantly human or something similar, but they were highly developed. Frank wasn't familiar with children at all, he knew what they were, but not anything beyond that. He had never seen one in his life, at least until now. Bunker 4 had five large tanks, big enough to fit an adult inside, each housing the body of a child.
"They look about five or six years old," Seras murmured, the tremble in her voice impossible to miss.
Frank could only stand next to them and stare as they floated there in the nutrient rich fluid. Unlike the the others, they had tubing and wiring inside the tanks connecting to their bodies since they had developed beyond a stage of being able to survive in such a state. They were receiving air and food through tubes and had a series of IVs in their arms, likely to keep them in a sort of twilight sleep.
It was strange, how revolted he felt by this. He had always had a countenance of steel towards all things mad science, yet looking at what he now understood to be children in these tanks made him feel nauseous. It was an instinctual thing, something he rarely felt, to want to put their well being above his own. Was that the family dynamic of humans he had heard about? That concept made more sense to him now that he could experience it rather than just know about it without context. It wasn't a logical, conscious decision to put someone else above his own survival. It was instinctual and primal, it just was. At least that, he could understand somewhat.
"This place has only been shut down for a few days from the looks of it. And their air supply doesn't appear to be automated, if they haven't died of starvation they may still be alive or able to be revived. I've seen them put adults into tanks like this, as long as there is a food supply they can survive without power assuming no major temperature rise or drops occur. Normally I would say to leave these tanks untouched, but if we can save them the best bet is to break them open. If they've already expired then we'll have to put the bodies on ice, but if they are alive some food and warmth will put the life back in them. These tanks were designed to run in facilities like this, with the risk of power outage or minimal power during reserve situations. The air supply reaches the subject in the tank by the tubes, but is connected to the outside air supply with a filter in place, their own lungs have to do the breathing to get the air. Food goes through a tube directly into the stomach, fluid is administered with IV along with sedatives." Frank explained, unsure why he was risking losing valuable data for Hellsing just to make sure these children were either alive or dead. It wasn't logical, but it felt...right.
Without hesitation, both Hans and Seras jumped to action. It didn't take much to shatter the glass, carefully catching each small body before it could yank on any tubes or fall on the broken glass. All five were removed and handed to various soldiers, laid on the floor as the medic soldier sent with them quickly checked for vital signs and removed the various tubes and wires.
The first three were expired, no pulse or breathing. But, to their absolute astonishment, the last two the medic checked were both still breathing on their own and had faint pulses. They had to act fast to keep them that way, drying them off and wrapping them up with warm blankets, while the medic went to work. It was a strange feeling for Frank, he had never seen children before. The ones who had died, made him feel extremely sad while he was beyond pleased about the two survivors. He had never felt that way before. Until now, his own survival had been paramount and everyone else was secondary. He had felt no sorrow or joy at the passing of those around him in the past, at least not at this level. But, here he was, genuinely happy that he had been able to save two lives. He could have easily not bothered with going through the logical possibility of their survival and done nothing. He had gone out of his way for this possibility, it was against everything he had ever known about survival. But, it felt good and it felt right. It was a warm feeling, maybe even a happy one, no drugs involved. Was this what joy was?
Present
Hans POV:
His heart was beating in chest hard and fast enough to burst out and fly across the room. Two of the children they had found were still alive and had a very good chance of staying that way. What they were or why they were hear were just questions that pushed at the back of his mind every minute or so, while the instinct to care for the small beings overpowered everything else. He couldn't determine what they were by smell, since they were covered in the odor of whatever foul smelling fluid had been in the tanks. They looked human enough, but that meant very little in this situation. Looking at them now as the medic had them bundled in blankets and held tightly by one of the other soldiers to give them some body heat while he checked their vital signs, they reminded him of the small pups in the den before their eyes and ears opened. Helpless and in need of total care, the most important members of the pack from the moment they were born until they were mature enough to join the hunting parties.
Finally both of the children gained a slight flush to their cheeks as they warmed up. All they needed now was a close eye to watch them and some food in their bellies. Tearing his gaze from their now flushed cheeks to Frank, he found himself reevaluating the scarred human. He had seemed so emotionally aloof and strange that Hans had felt unnerved about him. But, now he had done something that Hans had not thought in his interests, saved two other lives. Until now, Frank had been very clear that he didn't understand the concept of helping or protecting others at his own expense. Perhaps it wasn't a natural thing for him to feel that way, but it was deeply ingrained.
Now here he had gone out of his way to suggest the possibility of these children still being alive. He taken a risk and gone out on a limb that he hadn't been required to. Frank had literally sacrificed potential research samples, the reason he had been sent by Integra, for the sake of seeing if they were alive. It wasn't expected of him, quite the opposite. The usually flat, almost mechanical tone of the man's voice had even pitched slightly as he had spoke about the possibility, as if he had hoped he was right. Maybe the human wasn't as screwed up as they had thought, he might still have his humanity deep in that overly logical, 'self-preservation is the top priority' mindset of his.
Once they had called in the same Hellsing operatives that had flown them out here to be ready to rush the two survivors back to hellsing for medical treatment and observation, they had left them in the care of the medic and two soldiers as they waited for extraction. All that was left now, was Bunker 5.
It had taken hours for their tech specialist to break through the coding and trick the system into positive activation, making it think the three passwords had been given and bypassing it to open the door. The main problem with this was the automatic re locking after 120 seconds, which would leave them locked inside as soon as they entered. As the door swung open, Hans and Seras were the first to slip inside, finding themselves in a very different setup than the other bunks. They entered into what appeared to be a decontamination stage, which activated once the 120 seconds were up and the door was shut again. Whatever process happened to decontaminate them was lost on their gas masks and covered skin, nothing was exposed. The next door opened, the hiss of an airlock apparent as they passed through it.
The passageway led into a downward spiral, urging them deeper into the ground until finally they came to the main room of the actual bunker. There they found a mixture of what they were and were not looking for. The first thing they found was a heap of body parts in various stages of decomposition on the floor, bringing them nearly knee deep in the parts and liquid that stank even through the air filters of their masks. Hans could only assume the liquid was the last bit of decomposition, all the fluids from the dumped bodies mixing together into a pool of gore.
Meanwhile, at the center of this was was a large cylinder of glass. At first, appeared as if it were filled with water, but he quickly realized that there were two layers of the glass, with the water poured in between them. The center most part was dry. He turned to the side when he noticed Seras came to a sudden halt, her breathing loud and mechanical with the mask.
"Hans, this place is sanctified... I don't think I can go closer... Something in that glass thing is... holy." Her voice sounded strained as she took a few steps back, her hands holding her masked face as she took a few deep breaths to catch her breath.
Hans turned back to the water encased cylinder of glass, standing close and trying to view what was inside. His view was distorted both by the double layers of glass and the water between them. But, he caught a hint of movement inside, like smoke blown by the breeze. As he reached out and placed a gloved hand on the glass, he realized it was vibrating slightly and it filled him a hum that made his ears ring painfully. Internal alarms began going off in his head, telling him to take Seras and get out, sealing this place shut and never coming back. Whatever was contained inside that glass, was not meant to be seen by mortal eyes. This place wasn't sanctified to keep the unholy out, but rather in.
Before he could make himself turn around, a thump on the glass made him jump as he realized there was a face on the other side. Distorted by the glass and water, he could just barely make out a flash of white fog and pale skin in a human shape underneath a dark hood that shaded the rest from view. The lips on the face were moving, the glass vibrating with every word as if the creature's voice was nearly able to shatter its prison. It made him feel compelled to break the glass, as if those vibrating hums were taking over his senses.
He couldn't remember drawing his gun or even pulling the trigger as the glass shattered and the holy water flooded down to mix with the gore filled mush beneath his feet. He was vaguely aware of Seras yelping in surprise, having to rush back to the entrance to avoid being splashed with the holy water and unable to enter back because of it. As the hum inside his head suddenly stopped and he was back in control, he found himself confronted by a being he had never before seen.
She was tall and overly slender, almost appearing malnourished beneath her tattered dress. Beneath the dark hood that was pulled low over her forehead spilled out long locks of pure white hair, framing a human face with skin so pale it looked as if it had been years since the sun had touched her. She certainly was beautiful, ethereal and ghostly perhaps but still beautiful. She had high cheek bones and a square face with large pouting lips and a small, straight nose that fit her face. What marked her as not wholly human was her eyes, which were so black it looked as if her iris and pupils were made of jet black ink. Beneath the dark, hooded cloak she wore a soft grey dress with a tattered hemline. From beneath the flowing sleeves emerged slender, pallid arms with hands that elongated fingers that ended in talon like nails. Her hands with their long fingers were twice the length of a normal humans. She looked extremely fragile and yet something about her told him she could be dangerous.
"You... you freed me? Are you with those men? Or are you someone else?" Her voice was barely above a whisper, but it hit his ears like the chime of a soft, beautiful bell on a clear morning. Even when she spoke in those soft murmurs, it was as if her voice was singing a lullaby.
"The scientists that ran this place are gone, we're here to help you. What is your name?" Seras' voice came behind him as she waded back out into the foul smelling liquid on the floor which had overpowered the holy water and destroyed its sanctity.
"My name is Miriam... I don't know how long I've been down here, they stopped coming what feels like an eternity ago. Those men with the needles and knives, they wanted to turn me into a weapon. When they discovered I wouldn't be of that sort of use, they brought me here as their test subject. Please, take me with you away from this place! I don't want them to take me back!" Her voice rose in volume, rattling his eardrums now that it was above a whisper. It was like listening to someone trained to use their voice and was hitting a high note with a great deal of vocal power. It was strange how her voice sounded as if she was singing even when she spoke.
"Don't worry, you're safe now. You can come back with us to Hellsing, you might be able to help us stop the people that did this to you." Seras replied, stepping towards the ghostly woman and placing a hand on her shoulder. Hans almost felt surprised that the woman was solid, she just seemed so... ethereal.
Can anyone guess what Miriam is? Hint hint she's not a vampire or werewolf(and obviously not human) :P
Guesses on what's going on with the two children they found are also welcome.
Along with any other reviews ^^
Considering how much brainstorming I've been doing with this chapter, I doubt it'll be a month before the next one is up. Maybe I can finally get back into my once a week or once every other week posting schedule instead of once a month xD