Locke jumped, hitting his head and squishing his left wing painfully against the lid of his coffin.
A light knock came, and Locke carefully slid aside the lid, yawning and blinking sleepily from inside. Abe sat there, looking inside expectantly.
"Can I help you?" Locke asked, still quite tired, leaving the lid only partially open.
"I was wondering... are you going to leave us? Return to your sister?" Abe asked, his voice quivering lightly, as he could see only two small points of green light in the blackened abyss of the coffin. Locke smiled a bit, turning into a small fluffy tuxedo tomcat and hopping out of the coffin, the lid closing on its own behind him.
"I will not leave for good, no. My home is here now." He purred, rubbing against Abe's legs. Abe stiffened, unwillingly remembering the vampiress that had nearly taken his life, Locke stopping and looking up at him with his wide vivid green eyes. "Oh gods, I'm sorry, too soon?" Locke hurriedly padded away, shifting back to his normal form and sitting atop his coffin, looking at Abe sadly, a bit ashamed at having forgotten so soon.
Abe said nothing, looking away as he sat with Locke and nervously rubbing one arm, gills working idly. Locke watched the fleshy structures almost in a trance, finding them beautiful and practical, what other mortal could swim in water and deal with the changes in water pressure at the bottom of the sea? Locke then smirked, Abe's tank maintained fresh water at a fairly level and warm temperature and he knew Abe had been able to go into the Ocean before, yet had no adverse side-effects.
Abe, catching on to Locke's staring and lightly sensing his thoughts, flattened his gills down, each turning a darker shade of what might have been violet. Locke blushed a bit, giving Abe a sheepish smile.
"I apologize for my staring..." He said simply, keeping his gaze averted. Abe blinked, large blue eyes regarding Locke calmly.
"It's alright, I'm somewhat used to being stared at. It's your thoughts that startled me..." He then noticed Locke had slightly pointed ears, paler skin than usual, and his hair had bleached a great deal, and had turned nearly white, retaining the pale golden colour at the tips. Also, and most notably, Locke's wings were not settled against his back.
"Valid thoughts, I'm quite intrigued by the fact you have no problems going from freshwater to saltwater and back." Locke smiled a bit, looking back to Abe.
"Well, if I instantly switch from a saltwater tank to a freshwater one, my gills burn lightly. Other than that, my scales itch in saltwater." Abe replied simply, Locke smiled, chuckling lightly.
"You're very lucky Abe. There are some people that would kill for the freedom you have in the water. Even I have to heavily change my form to be able to even lightly scratch the surface of what you can achieve." Locke said simply, moving to remove one of his black gloves, his nails longer and wickedly sharp, even his toes seemed to have changed, yet Abe didn't comment. He sighed, removing the other and tossing the pair aside to land on his bed, which Abe understood now as being just for show, or if Kate needed to be nearby for him.
They sat in silence a long moment, Aureiahnna flitting from her new perch in the corner of the room to settle on Locke's coffin next to him, preening lazily.
"I am considering returning to England temporarily, to see my sister and explain what happened. That is, once things here are settled and to a relative normalcy. I will not leave, not now that I have a place I can truly call home after so long." Locke lazily looked over his hands, Abe picking up his concern and wonderment at their change. He looked to Abe after a bit, smiling. "I am alright though, now that my strength is returned to me and I am able to freely use my abilities once more. Although there is one thing I must warn you of now." Locke turned deadly serious, catlike eyes trained on him.
"And that would be?" Abe asked, visibly concerned by Locke's change in mood.
"Are you familiar with something called Bloodlust?" He replied, clasping his hands together carefully. Abe thought a moment, having heard the word used in many forms. Some referred to a battle rage that would rip warriors into a frenzy that would not cease until their enemies were rendered to bloody chunks and different variables thereof, where others might refer to worship of different deities through blood rituals and sins of the flesh, as it may be referred.
"Depends on the context..." Abe retorted, narrowing his eyes slightly, Locke chuckling.
"I meant in relation to vampires. It's varied in its effects and causes but in almost all cases, it is in reference to when a vampire may lose control to their instinctual desires. The two things that mean the most to many vampires, and are required in a sense, are Blood, and Sex." Abe blinked, recoiling slightly, gills blushing blue-violet again. Locke laughed aloud this time, a hearty, wholesome laugh that Abe didn't and couldn't mistake for something darker. Abe recovered after a moment, pursing his lips and frowning, although it was quite hard to tell.
"So you've gone through it? This vampiric Bloodlust?" Abe asked after Locke calmed a bit, still smiling.
"Have I? Heavens no. Though I have felt its onset..." Locke looked away a moment, blushing lightly. "It's an interesting feeling, the desire for blood is so strong, and enhances the lustful sensation of 'feeding' and increases the need to mate so strongly it's nearly overwhelming. Though it sickens me to admit, I first felt it once when I was still 'young' vampirically and spending time with my little sister. I didn't know what caused it, nor how I managed to overcome it. I do remember however, that when I looked at my reflection, my eyes had small flecks of bright gold in them."
"You have an actual reflection? I thought vampires were not supposed to." Abe tilted his head to one side slightly.
"Only in fairytales. There are a few types of vampires and demons or Daemons that do not, truly, have a reflection, but most vampires do." Locke lazily ran his fingers through some of his hair, picked out a long strand, separated it into three strands, and began finely braiding it as they talked.
"Why did you want to warn me about Bloodlust? Are you worried you might be struck by it?"
"Yes. It's been many years since I felt it, and some vampires may fall into bloodlust more than once a month, or as little as once a year. I would rather warn you now, instead of catching you unawares and possibly killing you or any of the others. Under bloodlust, I'll be acting instinctively, using only the abilities I learned as a vampire, not any of my magicks or summons. It will be highly difficult for even Hellboy to truly injure me in that state, with his aim and preference to brute force."
"So how can you expect me, far weaker and smaller than Hellboy, to fight you in a bloodlust?" Abe frowned again, crossing his arms. Locke smiled, rising a moment, thankfully hiding the blush that rose on his face. He could feel something rising in him, something that had been pretty much put on hold like the rest of him while he had been parted from his wings, that had prompted his desire to explain this to Abe. Locke feared what may happen should it become active, and wanted to be certain he had contingencies in place.
"That is why I want you to have this." He said, going over to a shelf and picking up a rather small black velvet covered box from it, returned to and handed it to Abe. Abe quirked a brow, looking over the box, then looked to Locke, and then back at the box. It felt very light, and was little smaller than a ring box, like the ones he'd seen in cheesy movies that held beautiful engagement rings presented to beautiful women. He opened it, and inside sat a thin and delicate silver chain, on which hung a floating heart pendant with a brilliant red stone in a silver setting next to it on the chain. The oval shaped stone was polished smooth, and felt warm to the touch. Abe looked to Locke, who smiled.
"A necklace? Whatever for?"
"To protect you from me, or for you to call me if you're in any trouble." Locke crouched down before Abe, carefully taking the chain from the box and unhooking the clasp, moving to put it on Abe easily. Locke's hand brushed one of Abe's gills as he pulled back, Abe gasping slightly and flaring them at the sensation granted by this. Locke froze, worried that he'd hurt Abe, eyes wide.
"No, It's alright... It's just... That felt... Odd." Abe blushed, looking away nervously. Locke blushed also, sensing Abe's meaning and snickered lightly.
"Let's just hope, that if I do fall into a Bloodlust trance, that I do not remember that." Locke smirked, rising again to sit back on his coffin and finish braiding the long strand of hair. "That stone, is actually a droplet of my blood. It's magicked to protect you from some spells, keep my scent about you so if you are around other vampires to ward them off, and remind me, if I'm in bloodlust, not to harm you. I hope, if I do fall under its effects, that it will wake me from the trance so I can recover and force it down."
"I hope you're right." Abe stated simply, looking at the small blood stone hanging from its chain around his neck, and the delicate heart pendant with it. He was about to ask Locke what the heart was for, when the alarm klaxons began to sound.
"What now?" Locke groaned, rising and flaring out his wings, which suddenly reformed from his back as he rose, putting on his coat once more as he and Abe left his room, Aureiahnna flitting to settle on his shoulder as they headed up to the briefing room. Abe didn't really wish to bring up why, when his wings reformed, there appeared to be black tendrils of shadow that danced and clawed at the air around him before disappearing, to Locke, as it seemed likely to be a Vampiric thing.
Kate, Hellboy, Liz and Manning all stood in the hall arguing a moment as Abe and Locke trotted up.
"And where do you have proof that I am not supposed to be here? Without me, this organization is-" Manning stopped, eyes going wide when he spotted Locke.
"Doctor Manning. I believe we have met. I'm surprised you didn't realize I was here all this time, right under your nose."
"Sir... Sir Hellsing. I-"
"Nay. My sister is Sir Hellsing. To you, I am Master Hellsing, vampire and high level spell user. You are hereby terminated as per the late Trevor Bruttenholm's will. If you fail to comply, you will be FORCIBLY removed from the premises in fourty-eight hours. Am I completely clear?"
"You can't do that! The pentagon... The white house-"
"Must adhere to President Roosevelt's wishes in reference to the autonomy of the BPRD. You didn't forget about that little tidbit of information did you? That, in the event of the Professor's death, either here or in the field, any will left by him, written or otherwise, must be honoured to the letter. I am here to oversee that, being from the Hellsing organization, and new head of the BPRD, should Hellboy so choose, being the heir of this organization." Manning stumbled, unable to find a proper retort as Hellboy simply grinned. "I want you to clear out your office, say not a word and leave within fourty eight hours or I will physically remove you from this building MYSELF. Am I clear you arrogant, pompous, self-respecting, racist piece of horseshit?" Locke growled, eyes glowing a vivid blood red as he backed Manning against the wall, inches from him.
"Yes sir." Manning squeaked, seeming to have shrunk slightly under Lockes advance, clinging desperately to the folder in his hands. Locke stood over him, wings flared and mantled over himself and Dr. Manning.
"Good." Locke snatched the folder from him then, baring his fangs. "Now get your shit and get out. Take any files or information on this building and I will track you down if I have to."
"Understood... Master Hellsing." Manning nodded, stumbling a few feet as Locke backed up a step, allowing him to move. He soon began to run down the hall, Locke smirking lightly to himself, paging through the folder. Hellboy, Liz, Kate and Abe simply stared at Locke, Aureiahnna having flitted to perch atop the back of one of the chairs in the briefing room. Locke looked over his shoulder, grinning at the four.
"Now that the trash has been taken out, let's get to work on this mission hmm?" Locke stepped into the briefing room as the other agents inside rose from their seats and began giving a round of applause. Locke chuckled, thanking them as Hellboy, Liz and Abe entered and took seats near Locke, Kate standing closeby. Once all within the room had settled down, Kate dimmed the lights and a projector dropped from the ceiling, clicked on and projected an image of a very blurry, yet obviously equine creature with what appeared to be fins and seaweed for a mane.
"It seems that recently, a rash of disappearances have begun occurring around lake Ontario, on the Canadian side, that led to old folklore being dug up and this cell-phone photograph was taken before the owner of the device was dragged into the water." Locke began, looking into the folder as the others listened, looking at the blurry picture.
"A horse?" asked one of the attendees at the table, a younger agent.
"A Kelpie. A species of maneater that was thought to have died out, what with humans not only hunting them and becoming wary of the water in their usual hunting grounds, not to mention that humans have contaminated much of the water on this planet. No matter, it seems that, somehow, a herd of Kelpie, exactly how many has not been confirmed, has moved into lake Ontario and has begun picking off the local populace." He paused, quirking a brow. "Further curious is how Kelpie are native to Scotland and Ireland. No matter, I need three volunteers to go with the main team and myself, as well as two more to gather some things for me." Hands shot up everywhere, and Locke laughed. He chose two of the veteran agents and a new hire from Sinagpore, an empath who would prove very useful, to go with their group and instructed them to gather their gear and a weeks-worth of clothes. Two others, twin girls from Vancouver British Columbia, went off to gather some items for Locke which he gave them a blue-silver crystal shard and directions to a hidden building.
"Locke, do you have a moment?" Abe asked, padding over to him when the twins ran off, giggling excitedly. Locke turned, smiling a bit.
"Anything for you." He purred, still holding the file folder, barely keeping from laughing at his own cheesy comment. Abe blushed lightly, gills flattening.
"Where are those two off to?" He asked, stalling for the other agents to head off on their own mission, a report of a group of cultists trying to bring back some big nasty using a ritual on the US-Mexico border. His true question was quite personal, and he wasn't certain if he should even ask it.
"I've asked them to gather some spell components for me. Nothing illegal, but they need to come from a very particular source. They'll be meeting us in Toronto, then we'll be heading to Port Hope. Our sources have stated the kelpies are gathering there on the next full moon." Locke stated, sighing and pushing some of his hair behind an ear lazily, which allowed Abe to observe that Locke's ears were further pointed, a bit more noticeable than the Elves he had previously encountered. Abe saw the motion as more thoughtful, and nervous. Locke's hair remained almost white, his nails darkened, almost like haematite, and sharp, akin to talons.
"Oh." He replied simply, gills fluttering once, nervous about his next question. Locke blinked, watching Abe calmly, waiting for him to speak. After a few excruciatingly long moments of silence, Locke let out a nervous chuckle.
"Yes, I do have romantic feelings for you Abe. I understand if you are hesitant or do not wish for such a relationship. I-" Locke stopped, Abe pressing a finger to his lips which caused him to spread his wings instinctively from the sudden motion. Both shuddered once, looking into each other's eyes.
"Thank you for being honest." Abe said, backing away. Locke's expression saddened, he could see by Abe's reactions that it was too soon, that his straightforward answer confused and offset Abe's inner calm. He had just lost the first love of his life, his soul mate, and she had shown herself to him in his dreams that helped him save Locke. He couldn't betray her now, it was too soon. Abe turned to leave, Locke at first making move to stop him, sighing.
"Abe. Just think on it. Do not let this affect you in the field." Locke's voice held an underlying sadness that chilled Abe, but his seriousness and tone let him understand that Locke only wanted the best for him. He left, Locke sinking into a chair, resting his elbows on the table, holding his head in his hands.