Disclaimer: All of Hellsing and its characters are copyright to Kouta Hirano. Any original characters belong to the author of this fanfiction.

HELLSING

EREBUS

Here standeth the Bird of Hermes,

Eating my own wings to make me tame...

CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR

Dark Whispers

For as long as Vlad could remember, there has been war, tearing apart the people of each country. With war, came betrayal and self-gain. As he knelt before a stone cross in his own chapel, he reminisced his last thirty years. There were many reasons why he fought. It was for God, his land, his people, his honour, but most of all, it was for his family. He recalled a conversation he had with his wife at one point, asking why she never bore a symbol. Her only response was that symbols were not required to believe in a higher being. It was the same as not needing a ring to prove that you love someone.

The prince stared at the intricate ring on his left hand. Even if he agreed with her, he felt he needed to show the world how much it meant to him, both his faith, and his love. Between him and his loving wife, they had produced a fine son, and in time, Vlad would teach him everything he knew. His armour clinked, a dark silver over black garments, a large cloak draping over his shoulders and arms, billowing around him as he rose to his feet. Azure eyes looked up at the cross, the sun of dusk shining through the stain glass window behind it, his own silver cross shining, dangling over his torso.

Taking his gauntlets and slipping them on, he removed his sword from the crack in the floor, turning towards the chapel doors where his countrymen waited outside. In the distance was his fortress and home. From here, he could see the tower where his wife and child were. A different war was coming, and it required his full attention. He stood before his followers and army, a fierce expression on his face.

Vlad looked upon the soldiers, speaking aloud in a booming voice of steel resolve, "Fight! Every one of you...fight for Our Lord!" Eyes rose to meet their prince, his cape and hair flying around him. "He does not help those who ask for it. He does not save those who ask for mercy. It is not prayers they send Him...merely asking for more from our already generous God." His face sobered, turning to that of disgust for the ones he spoke of. "It is fine if they die. To fight is to pray." Hands rose, as if to embrace his army. "If your prayers are enough to amaze Him...God will descend. Jerusalem will descend!" He watched as his words began to inspire the men, growing restless with joy. "Tearing, destroying, breaking, dissolving... At the end of prayers upon prayers and even more prayers, upon my inferior self—upon our pitiful selves...God will descend from his throne in Heaven."

There were cheers. The shouting was so loud, ringing in his ears. Before he had come to give his respect to God, he had left behind a wife with tears in her eyes, their son just as upset. Still, she gave him her love, telling him to fight and be victorious. And with her blessing, he shall. Following the end of this campaign, he would come home to his beloved family. With God as his witness, he would.

Saturday Early-Morning, January 3, 2032, Ship—Day 2...

Scarlet eyes opened in the dim blue of the Alexandra's room. Alucard was silent, lying in that bed with a young girl half-sprawled over him. Looking down, he noted with amusement that she had drooled a little on his shirt. Alexandra really was the most interesting creature to watch, whether she be awake or sleeping. What was that term humans used? Tons of fun? Comparing Alexandra to how her incarnation used to act like, they were completely different. Katarina had been soft spoken and feminine, but now her reborn self was an outspoken tomboy who rarely indulged in supposed girlish habits.

Bare fingers combed back her hair, the movement causing her to wake a little. Opening her eyes, Alex looked up at him sleepily, not the least bit surprised that he was there, having grown used to his presence. "Mm, good morning," she mumbled, resting her chin on his chest.

He smiled. "Good morning."

"What time is it?" she asked, eyelids drooping closed again.

"It's still early. Plenty of time left for sleep."

Seemingly happy with that, Alex turned her head over again as his fingers stroked her spine lightly, making her sigh. They were quiet for awhile, and Alucard thought she had gone back to sleep. Truth was, she was just lying there relaxing with her eyes closed. The coolness of his body felt nice, and she felt like a cat being petted, nearly purring. After the whole Conley episode, she finally let go of her past and was able to enjoy moments like these without getting distracted. Opening her eyes, she stared at the white shirt covering his torso, briefly wondering what he looked like without one. Being Vlad the Impaler, a warring prince, she imagined he looked quite fit. Făt-Frumos... Well, Alucard was a different kind of prince altogether.

"Alucard?"

"Hm?"

"How do you say Prince of Darkness in Romanian?"

He arched a brow, but said in that accent she was beginning to grow fond of, "Satana."

Well, that was easy for her to remember. "Satana," she repeated with some affection, surprising the vampire a little. "What about your birthplace?"

He leaned his head back, barely remembering the place. "Ah yes, Sighișoara." Looking down at her, he asked, "Why are you so curious about these little words and how to pronounce them?"

Realizing she had been caught, she looked up at him, grinning a little with some shame. "I can't help it. You've got a killer accent." His brows rose a little, then he grinned. "I find it...uh..."

"Yes?" he urged with a purr. "You can say it, my dear. I won't judge."

On a gulp, she managed, "Sexy."

"Really?" he said, amused by her admission. "If that's the case..."

Alex squeaked as he suddenly changed positions, putting the girl on her back like last night while he hovered over her, hands pressed into the bed on either side of her to keep his weight off her as his knees rested next to her hips. The vampire grinned some more, leaning down to brush his nose along her neck, causing her to involuntarily expose it further. Taking advantage of it, he kissed under her ear, moving his mouth to the length of her neck, breathing cold mist upon her flesh. The girl squirmed a little beneath him, releasing a breath she had been holding. His right bare hand moved up to cup her left cheek, his fingers touching the silky strands of her hair.

He continued, whispering against her skin with his native accent, husky and laced with obvious lust, "Perhaps I shall speak this way from now on. It is, after all, most natural to me, my dear princess."

The young woman shivered, feeling something she hadn't felt in years. Damn! If she wasn't a fan girl for Dracula before, she certainly was now! It was no wonder women found him irresistible! The Count continued his gentle ministrations, smiling to himself against her throat, nipping at her teasingly. She jerked a little, and he chuckled softly as her hands shot to the shirt on his chest, gripping the fabric. Keeping in mind that she is human, Alucard licked at her throat underneath her jawline, his body responding to her breathing alone. The warmth she held in her body made him want to sink into it. Not just with his fangs, but with something else as well.

"My beautiful princess..." he breathed, grazing his fangs against that sweet spot, the teasing scent of her blood coming from beneath that fragile layer.

The feel of his fangs awoke her from that daze, though he never bit her. Releasing his shirt, she rose her hands to dig her fingers in his thick locks, fingers running over his scalp. He paused as a calming sensation took over him, the lustful beast inside being lulled. The vampire sighed, closing his eyes as Alexandra massaged his head. Alex watched him with fascination as he almost purred under her touch. Maybe he was more like a cat than she was. She supposed that when Alucard wasn't acting like an insane vampire, he had the disposition of a strangely peaceful beast.

Alex smiled. "And I thought the king of vampires couldn't be tamed." He opened his eyes lazily. "Didn't think you could look so cute."

"Cute?" he repeated, having dropped the accent, half-dazed before smirking. "A creature like me is not meant to be cute."

"Oh, you don't fool me, tough guy," she teased, grinning some, dropping her hands. "Now get off. It's time I got up."

Saturday Afternoon, January 3, 2032, Ship—Day 2...

Like the day before, Alex spent the morning doing her research on various things. She didn't know why she was learning about other stuff when she should have been focusing on vampires. Deciding other supernatural creatures were important, she looked up werewolves, witches, demons, and many others. Very few things stuck inside her head. Werewolves could only be killed by silver, and of course, other well known facts about them, like becoming a wolf on the night of a full moon. Witches were a lot more complicated, as there were lots of different practices of witchcraft. Demons...too many to fucking list and remember. Deciding to take a break, she decided to watch the guys on their own breaks taking turns at trying to kick each other's butts in some older fighting game called Soul Calibur V.

One of them turned to her, offering his controller. "You want to play a bit?" he asked.

Alex heard some of them snicker quietly, and she smiled, taking the controller. The gentleman stood up for her, giving her his seat, which she took quietly. Looking at her choices, she arched a brow, choosing random since she had never played this particular game before. In the match, her opponent had chosen some guy named Yoshimitsu. However, she got stuck with Astaroth, groaning at the size of him. Tank characters were such a bitch to control. They were always slow! And as she expected, despite her button mashing, she lost.

"Dammit! Fucking tanks!"

Her opponent grinned with triumph. "Want to try again?"

She smirked, thrilled by the challenge. "Why not?"

Saturday Evening, January 3, 2032, Ship—Day 2...

As she had expected, her muscles gave out earlier than the day before, still sore, but it wasn't as bad as she thought it would be. After the workout, she took her shower, and went straight to the kitchens to begin dinner, and again, everyone who showed up enjoyed her cooking. Alucard was there, already having washed the pots and pans by the time she brought the empty plates in, putting away leftovers, or clearing off the bones.

"Where's Van been these last couple of days?" she asked, putting the plates and cutlery in the sink.

"He's been keeping himself busy. Apparently, the Bat Boy and that engineer has been getting along rather famously."

Alex grabbed a cloth to dry the dishes, stacking them up as he put each dish in the rack. "I haven't seen him most of yesterday and all of today. I just hope he isn't neglecting his sleep again."

"It would be wise for him to have a coffin. He'd be able to keep up his strength, even out at sea," he commented thoughtfully.

Shoulder's slumped slightly as she put the cutlery away. "You said before that he might not ever be able to become an elder-class." Alucard paused, looking at her thoughtful expression. "If that's the case, then does that mean that Elijah has got an advantage over him, despite being undead for the same amount of years?"

"Not necessarily," he said. "Though his brother has abilities that surpass Van, it doesn't mean he is an elder-class. From the looks of it, he's still very much a regular-class vampire, nosferatu that are still under the rule of their master." Turning back to the sink, he continued on to say, "Besides, with my blood running through his veins, Van should be more evenly matched against that Elijah."

"I guess so, but...if that's the case, then isn't Laura still technically his master?"

Again, he paused, staring at the swirling suds. "Yes. It's why she played with him so much the last time we met. She didn't believe he had the will to harm her, as she does still have some influence over him. However, she seriously underestimated his defiance, which had gotten her head blown off."

"Wait, then how do you know she's alive?"

"Elijah seemed rather calm, despite his master getting supposedly killed. Also, I can estimate that she may be a few centuries old."

"Not as old as you, though, right?"

"No, not as old as me," he confirmed. Turning his eyes upon the girl, he smiled. "That's enough for this evening. A growing young woman like yourself needs her rest."

"I'm twenty-five," she pointed out, slightly miffed. "I doubt I'm going to grow anymore than I am right now."

"Regardless, straining yourself is unwise if you're training your body. Rest is necessary for healing."

Knowing he was right, she sighed. "Fine, I'll go to bed." Then she held up a finger in warning. "Don't try anything funny!" He grinned, eyes gleaming behind his glasses.

Bidding each other goodnight, she left, waving to the remaining dinner guests as she passed through the mess hall. Five minutes, and she was in her room, taking off her clothes except for her sports bra and shorts. After she had slipped under the covers, she grabbed the pirate smut novel, resuming where she left off. The story had some appeal, but it wasn't all that realistic. Ha! Who was she to define realistic? Even the so-called romance seemed rather cliche.

Some called romance novels porn for women, but after last night's and this morning's episodes with Alucard, the smut in the novel seemed to have trouble holding her interest. Pirates were interesting and all, but vampires? Dropping the book flat on her chest, she stared at the ceiling, picturing the characters of the book, and replacing the faces. The heroine was obviously Alex, being seduced by the roguish captain, Alucard, in all of his dark glory. After a moment of picturing this, she shook her head, blushing madly at the idea.

A strange sound interrupted her train of thought, turning her brown eyes to the door. Sitting up, she strained her hearing, focusing on the sound. Was that...whispering? It was coming from outside her room, she realized, getting out of bed. Opening the door just enough for her head to poke through, she looked down the hall, dimly lit by the fluorescent bulbs. The moment she stuck her head out, the sound ceased, and she blinked, brows drawing together in confusion.

"Hello?" she called out. "Anybody there?"

There was no answer. Perhaps it was her mind playing tricks on her, she mused. After all, she was actually rather exhausted. After one last look down the corridor, she closed the door, making sure it was locked before going back to bed, slipping under the covers. With a sigh, she reached up, turning off the light and rolling onto her side, facing the rose, smiling to herself. Alex then closed her eyes, briefly wondering if Alucard might slip in to check on her later.

Sunday Morning, January 4, 2032, Ship—Day 3...

Just as the sun was beginning to rise, Van let out a sigh, putting down his tools and closing up a steel case. Thankfully, they had some industrial tools on board for metal work, so Van had asked Shamus if he could use them. The vampire turned his eyes toward the small window, the waves of the sea being calm. Soon they would be in London, he mused somewhat happily. After today, they would be halfway there. He put aside the case and tools, flipping up the table and clicking it in place so it would out of the way. Putting away his own gear by slipping it under the bed, he then stood, grabbing the card key and leaving his room.

The last couple of mornings, he spent his time going down to the lower areas where the machinery was. With today's technology, the design of the ship's inner functions was somewhat archaic, but modified to keep up with other ships. The afternoons, he slept restlessly, slightly uneasy with being on a ship. It's not that he had a fear of ships, but it was because he didn't like the feeling of being trapped, having nowhere to go.

When he got down to the engine room, he first noticed that the usual workers weren't around. Shamus was usually here, as well as a couple of others that worked the night shift. "How odd," he said, looking about the room.

"Good morning, Van," Shamus greeted from behind him.

Turning around, he replied, "Good morning. Where are the other two that are usually here?"

The mechanic grumbled some. "Playing hooky, looks like. They were supposed to be here all night, make sure everything is running smoothly. Those assholes are probably sleeping by now...pricks." Resigned, he shrugged, walking past Van. "Ah well, I'll just tell the Cap they've been slacking. Or tell them that I'll tell him. Maybe they'll think twice about skipping out on the job next time," he declared, the vampire smiling after him, quite amused.

Other than the slacking men, the morning proved to be uneventful. Maintenance in the engine room was also becoming slightly dull, and Van was glad to leave the room, where Shamus felt at home. Heading towards his personal quarters, he stopped suddenly, turning around as he felt a flicker of something nagging at his instincts. Down the corridor lined with pipes, he peered into the darkness, but saw nothing. Whatever that feeling was, it was gone now.

Suddenly, somebody's voice blared out on the intercom, "Captain, please come down to Gregory's and Hanson's rooms. We have an issue."

Silver pools narrowed some. Gregory and Hanson were the names of those two other men that were supposed to be in the engine room this morning. Did something happen? Striding towards the cabins, he suddenly had a bad feeling. Sure enough, a few crew members were gathered near a couple of doors. Just as he approached, Lamarr showed up, descending the nearby stairs. Van stood closer, peering inside to find both rooms empty, but looking like there had been a small struggle.

"Okay, what the hell did you interrupt my lunch for, Wilson?" Lamarr demanded, quite irritated.

Wilson just pointed into the rooms. "Gregory and Hanson were supposed to be up top, but they never showed, and I came to kick their asses out of bed. When I got here, their cabin doors were open and this is what I saw."

"They might just be pigs, you dumbass. They could be elsewhere on the ship. Did you think to call them on the intercom?" When Wilson sheepishly shook his head, the captain sighed. "Then do it and stop wasting my time with this nonsense."

"Actually," Van put in, "according to Shamus, they were supposed to be in the engine room by the time either of us got there. Also, I don't recall seeing these doors open when I passed by them this morning."

"Well, there you have it," Lamarr said. "They're playing hooky and don't want to be caught. If any of you guys can find where they're hiding, then give yourselves the day off they wanted to take for themselves." That wasn't what he meant, Van thought as the others grinned some, getting back to work, with that side quest in mind. Seeing the look on the vampire's face, Lamarr smiled, patting him hard on the back. "Don't worry, Mr. Drake. It's not like they suddenly went missing. Sometimes, these goofs pull off some pranks to lighten up the claustrophobic atmosphere, being out at sea and all for days on end."

The small talk had Van sorely reminded of his own predicament. "I suppose..." he replied wryly. "I'm cautious by nature," he admitted. "Comes with my job, I guess."

"What did you say you did again?"

"Security."

"Right, right." He rubbed his neck, cracking it. "Listen, you need to relax. After all, the worst that could happen is that a storm hits us." Lamarr smiled, patting Van on the shoulder. Somehow, the gesture had the opposite effect of being reassuring. For some reason, Van actually felt very strange. "Get some sleep, Mr. Drake. I hear you're a bit of a...night creature."

The comment startled the vampire, but he hid his surprise. "Well, it's because I'm a night person that I'm fit for a job like security."

Lamarr nodded. "Well, have a nice nap, kiddo."

The man removed his hand, and that disconcerting feeling ebbed away, making Van blink. The captain walked away, going up the stairs. Was it just Van's imagination? Looking back at the open rooms, he frowned, noting the way a lot of the clothes and other personal items were scattered across the floor. Eyes narrowing, he spotted a broken picture frame of one of the crewmen with a couple of children, presumably theirs. Messy or not, a father wouldn't leave a picture frame, broken, on the floor. Some would argue that they got drunk and accidentally knocked it over, but the possibility didn't sit well with him.

Sunday Afternoon, January 4, 2032, Ship—Day 3...

It was too much. Her muscles were about to give out as Alex nearly dropped to the floor after releasing the chin-up bar. Panting, she sat upon her knees on the mat, sweat dripping from her chin and the tip of her nose, hair slightly damp and sticking to her face. Distractedly, she thought of cutting her hair shorter. As soon as the idea crossed her mind, she instantly crushed it. For some reason, Alucard seemed to like her hair, not that she should allow his preferences interfere with her own, but still. Honestly, it had been years since her hair had ever been longer than past her shoulders. However, letting it grow out would just cause it to be more in the way, especially if she was going to be hunting vampires in the future.

"The future..." she repeated aloud. Being a hunter wouldn't be so bad. Still, she wondered what was to happen once this was all over. "Will it ever be over?" she wondered aloud once more.

Alex heard a metallic flick, turning her attention to the door to find Lamarr standing in the doorway. He smiled, lighting a cigarette before pocketing the zippo lighter. He inhaled, blowing out smoke in a long exhale as his eyes never left the girl. The smell of smoke mixed in with the scent of sweat, and she instantly felt nauseous, but said nothing about it, not wishing to sound rude or anything. It was his ship; he could do whatever he wanted.

"You're really something, Miss Alex," he said, walking deeper into the room. "I wonder if there's someone's ass you plan on kicking."

She smiled a little. "Maybe one or two. Haven't seen you the last couple of nights, Captain."

Lamarr took another drag. "I've been dining earlier because of my...diet." He nodded his head towards the chin-up bar. "Any reason behind the work-out?"

She laughed nervously. "Oh, just keeping in shape and all that. Plus it goes with my job. I'm just a trainee, but eventually I'll be told to do patrols and whatnot." In other words, she might go hunting for vampires and ghouls. "So, I want to get in shape beforehand."

He considered her, putting the cigarette to his mouth again. "You sound as if you're hoping for trouble. Perhaps you're missing some excitement in your life."

Ha! Trouble always finds her, not the other way around. As for excitement, she got plenty of it. "Not exactly," she said, getting up and going for the mini-fridge, grabbing a bottle of water. "It's more complicated than that."

"I guess you've already found it," he said as she took a gulp of water. "Do you enjoy it?"

She blinked, turning to face him. "Enjoy what?"

Lamarr smiled mysteriously, watching her. "I mean about facing your fears." Her fingers clasped the bottle more tightly. "What are your fears, Miss?"

"Fears?" she repeated quietly.

He took another drag, and as she stared, transfixed, as the smoke swirled slowly through the air. "People have a natural desire to seek out the exciting and dangerous. Isn't that why you took on such a job?" Alex said nothing. "There are two things everyone has thought about...life and death. The question is what will happen when someone chooses one over the other."

"What are you talking about?" she asked, slightly taken aback by the sudden turn in conversation.

"I'm talking about when someone chooses to live...or die. Naturally, our instinct to survives usually overpowers our desires for death, but the curiosity remains. People who face danger almost everyday are those kind of people. If they don't, they seek it out." She watched the captain, uncomfortable with where this was going. "If there's a fire, people are there. If there's a car accident, people are there. If there's a shooting, again, people are there. If there's a murder...people are there. And do you know what the link is between these incidents?" She said nothing, making him smile as he inhaled more of his cigarette. "People are always watching the scene, but rarely do they help, because in actuality, they don't care about the people who are dead or dying. They're more interested in watching the show."

Where the hell was he going with this? Where did this come from all of a sudden? Alex's eyes narrowed some, brows drawing together. Then again, she hadn't known him long, so she wouldn't know much about him. Still, the topic proved to be off-putting and she had no way of responding to his meanderings. Was this some kind of dark and philosophical side to the captain she was just witnessing now. Perhaps he was just slightly eccentric for a sailor, having been out at sea for too long.

He chuckled, dropping the cigarette prior to crushing it under his boot. Slowly, he walked towards her. "We're easily mystified by death, making us question life. There's a fine line between life and death, and rather than cross the line, we'd rather stand on it." He stopped once he was a couple feet away, looking down at her. "So tell me, Miss Alex, are you the same as those people? Are you curious about the dangers of standing on that line? Is that why you took on...security?"

She took a step back. "I..."

He smiled in a way that didn't suit his face for some reason. "No one can blame you if you do. Everyone has a guilty pleasure. Seeking adventure and death just happen to be the most common."

Alex stared into the man's eyes, a feeling of caution in her gut. Maybe she was just looking too much into his words, comparing it to her own situation. Ever since discovering that vampires were very real, she had been made cruelly aware that monsters existed in the darkest sense of the word. Still, even as she tried to determine the true cause of her uneasiness, she didn't feel any less uncomfortable. Something didn't feel right. The moment she thought that, there was a shift in atmosphere, and Alex looked past Lamarr. Following her gaze, he stared over his shoulder to find Alucard standing there.

There was a cold silence as the vampire watched the captain, and Lamarr smiled, turning back to Alex. "Well, I guess I rambled on a bit there, Miss Alex. Sorry about that!" he said, laughing heartily. "I have a tendency to do that. Years on a canoe like this will do that to you!" He turned to leave. "I've got to get back to the bridge, so have a nice day."

The sailor passed by the silent vampire, barely sparing him a glance as Alucard noticed the man smiling to himself. Behind his purple-blue shades, scarlet pools narrowed, listening to the footsteps that drew away from the room. When he was truly gone, Alucard turned his gaze towards Alex, who looked confused by the whole conversation in general. Having sensed her shift in mood, Alucard had awakened. Though she was in no danger, he felt something odd in the atmosphere of the room she was standing in, but now it was gone. The Count would have to watch that man.

Sunday Evening, January 4, 2032, Ship—Day 3...

For once, Van showed up for dinner, but he didn't eat. It was around this time that Alex had found out about the missing shipmates. It was the main topic for dinner conversation as nobody had found them at all. Even with multiple calls through the comm system, they showed no clue that they were around. Throughout supper, Alex sat beside Van, both of them saying nothing. Before, Alucard had asked her what Lamarr had said to her, but she waved it off, saying it wasn't important, and he didn't pry further, even if he was obviously not convinced.

Shamus held a bottle of beer in his hand, frowning some as he pitched into the conversation, "I'm getting sick of this shit. Even the Cap has given up on them. I wouldn't be surprised if they popped out of hiding when we dock and had their asses fired."

Wilson didn't seem so certain. "I don't know, man. Even if they'd rather sit on their asses, they do take their jobs seriously."

Finally, Van spoke, expressionless, "I can see about looking for them myself." Everyone looked at him. "You could say I have a background in private investigation."

Shamus smiled. "Nah, don't worry too much about it, Van, my man. They'll show up eventually. No point in making a big deal out of it."

Van almost rolled his eyes, giving him a sceptical look instead. Then why do you keep talking about it like we're in some kind of mystery novel? "I see." He heard Alex shift beside him, getting up from her chair as she went to gather the plates, but he placed a hand on her shoulder. "Let me get it. Why don't you go back to your room and get some rest?"

"Huh? I'm fine," she said.

He smiled. "I insist. I wanted to talk to Bram about something anyway."

"Oh," she said, pursing her lips as she sent him a slightly miffed look, making him smile in that whoops kind of way. "Boys only. I see how it is."

He chuckled. "You need to rest your body. Perhaps if I have time tomorrow, I can help you a bit in the workout room."

Suddenly feeling playful, she clapped her hands together, sending him very excited and puppy-like expression. "Really?! You'd do that, big brother?!"

"Har-har," he said, poking her forehead, making her grin and the others at the table to laugh lightly. "Go to bed, brat." Despite himself, he too smiled.

"Fine, fine. Tell Bram I said goodnight."

Van watched her leave, gathering the dishes afterword, going into the kitchen. The sight of the No-Life King standing at a sink doing dishes was no doubt the weirdest thing he had witnessed in his two-hundred years of life. The hunter found himself just standing there, staring in amazement until Alucard looked over his shoulders. Having learned to drive was one thing, but domestic chores? That was just somehow wrong.

"You have a tendency to surprise me, Alucard. I never thought I'd see the day where you'd be doing dishes." The young man grinned. "I guess Alex really has tamed you in these last couple of months. Or did it only take her a couple of weeks?"

"Careful, boy," the Count warned. "I'm Hellsing's trash man for a reason."

Dropping the topic immediately, Van walked up to the older vampire, throwing out the bones. "You've heard about Gregory and Hanson going missing?"

"What about it?"

"Don't you find it odd?" Alucard said nothing. "I walked into their rooms, completely in disarray. To me, it looked more like a struggle than a regular bedroom mess." The Count turned back to the sink, staring at the whirlpool that formed as the water drained. Van sighed. "Maybe I am being paranoid." Alucard said nothing still, but he knew a vampire's instincts were almost never wrong.

Meanwhile, Alex wandered back to her room, her mind stuck on her conversation with Lamarr. Today, he acted so strange. Maybe she should have told Alucard after all. Still, she shouldn't worry too much. It was likely that she was just overly cautious and thinking too much into it. Just before reaching her room, ready to slide the key through the lock's reader, she went completely still from the sound of a whisper in her ear. The girl spun around, but no one was there. What had they said? Was it her name? It was so faint, yet it was so close to her ear, that she felt goosebumps.

"Alexandra..." it called out from down the hall.

Alex stared into the dim corridor, eyes unblinking as she waited for some kind of movement. Something shifted in the distant darkness, and she wondered if it was either of the two crew members that had been deemed missing since this morning. As if compelled, she moved towards it, walking past the open cabins, but stopped when the lights flickered, the girl staring at the failing bulbs. She gasped when she was suddenly put in complete darkness, the only light coming from the top of the stairs behind her. Normally, she didn't fear the dark, but she couldn't help feeling nervous, her breathing much louder to her ears.

"Alexandra..."

"Hello?" she called out. "Is somebody there?" Alex waited for a response but got nothing. Swallowing hard, she announced firmly, "If somebody's there and this is a joke, I'm not laughing. So either turn the lights back on, or I'll have to come a kick your ass!"

There was a resounding laughter, the echoes bouncing off the pipes and walls, the sound chilling her blood. Once it died, the lights flickered back on, nearly blinding the girl. However, as her eyes adjusted, she was greeted by the sight of blood on the walls and floors, having been sprayed. Alex gasped, taking a step back, a tiny splashing sound causing her to look down at her feet to see she had stepped in a puddle of blood. Brown pools continued, looking back at the rest of the corridor, finding corpses littered all over the place. Chest constricting, her eyes widened, jaw dropping in a silent scream, breathing hard to the point she was close to hyperventilating.

"S-s...some...somebody...m-make it s-stop!" she pleaded to no one and everyone. Not willing to see it, she closed her eyes.

"Alexandra?" Her eyes shot open at the sound of his voice, looking up to see Alucard looking down at her, an uncharacteristic concern in his features.

"A-Alucard," she breathed out, her body shaking.

Looking around him, she saw that all the blood and corpses were gone. Alucard peered over his shoulder, wondering what had gotten Alexandra so frightened. His eyes narrowed when he saw nothing out of the ordinary, but felt a weight pressed against his front. Looking down, he saw her face buried in his shirt, hands clutching at the fabric. Hands rose to her shoulders, a deep frown on his features. What happened?

"Alucard, I know this is weird, but can you stay with me tonight?" she asked weakly. When he said nothing, puzzled by her sudden request, she quickly added, embarrassed that she allowed her fear to make her ask such a thing, "Sorry, never mind. I just..."

"Alexandra," he said, lifting her chin to look into her eyes, "you only needed to ask. I'll stay." Relief relaxed her shoulders, and he saw the exhaustion in her eyes. "What happened?"

"I...thought I saw something. The lights went off and when they came back on, there was blood everywhere." Alucard's piercing eyes narrowed some. "But I guess I was just seeing things. I'm sorry...I must be more tired than I thought."

"Don't apologize. Here," he said before picking her up, cradling her, to which she didn't argue, resting her head against his shoulder.

As far as Alucard was aware, and according to her file and medical files, there wasn't any history of mental illnesses. So why did she see such a thing? Perhaps they were not as safe on this ship as he had originally thought that they would be. However, even if he tried feeling out for another vampire, he sensed nothing. Bringing her into his own cabin instead of her own, he closed the door, and an hour later, she was asleep next to him on the bed, more peaceful than she was earlier. All night, he watched over her while pondering the events of that day. Later, the Count would have to have a chat with Van about looking into multiple things. For now, he kept Alexandra close to him.

A/N: Well, that's two chapters out of...er, about 8-ish? For this particular arc anyway. Rewrote the conversation between Alex and Lamarr a few times before I settled on what you read. Things start to pick up in chapter 35 or 36. Getting antsy yet? Muwahahaha! That's about all I've got to say on this chapter.

On a random note, I've been a bit of a PewDiePie fan for a couple of months or so, and I just found out yesterday that he's become the number 1 subscribed channel on YouTube. So, congrats to him. He's so ridiculous that I can't help but smile when I watch his videos. Another unrelated note, I've been watching lots of Family Guy. I'm in the middle of season 4 right now. Stewie is undoubtedly the best character on that show. I prefer evil world domination babies to regular babies funnily enough.

Anyway, please leave a review, your thoughts, and any questions you might have. And, if you're also a PewDiePie fan, feel free to send me a brofist. If you haven't seen his videos, I'd recommend at least looking him up. Bros of the world unite! Thanks for reading, favouriting, and following!