Upon their return to the bureau, Kate advised she would write up the reports, to get them filed and signed later, encouraging everyone to go get some rest. Hellboy carried Liz, as she seemed more spent than normal after her little revelation and extended use of her abilities. Abe and Locke went to Locke's room, Locke first showing him the forge he used to make Hellboy's magicked case and the chain for the necklace he had given him before, then the storage room that served as a drafting and project planning space, the magick used so elaborate that Abe seemed enthralled by Locke's explanation of all of them. They spent hours talking on the different spells Locke had used, even explaining why Locke had seemed to slow time and used a strange incantation for his spells previously, yet now the spells came more fluidly and without the incantations.
"I was using more the magick gifted by Ashtareen and Aureihanna, and had to use the incantations to direct the spell and control it properly. If I hadn't, the spell could have been more volatile and possibly backfired." Locke smiled, stroking Aureiahnna's feathers again, the Phoenix settled on his shoulder still from their early morning Wendigo fight. Locke glanced over at one of the timepieces on his desk, blanching slightly.
"Is it really that late already? I can't believe you haven't said anything about being hungry." Locke joked, chuckling as it was well past dinner-time for most. Abe simply shrugged, watching Locke stroke his companion as one would a cat, Locke chuckling at the sentiment, Aureiahnna opening an eye and regarding Abe coldly.
"A joke, nothing more. Though don't you have more an affinity for felines?" Abe added, smirking a bit at Aureiahnna who fluffed up her feathers and shook herself lightly before gently nipping at Locke's hands lightly as though grooming or preening him in return.
"I have always had an affinity with animals, cats and birds most specifically." Locke smiled, nuzzling Aureiahnna when she clicked her beak as though asking for attention, his wolfish nose bumping her beak before she flitted over to her perch, hanging off a wall in the same corner she had been in before as a crystal runestone. "Though I won't lie, I always enjoyed swimming and watching larger fish like Arowana or Koi. While difficult to tell, they do have expressions, and it's amusing to watch Koi fighting over scraps of bread when there are ducks around." Abe chuckled at the idea of Koi getting upset over Ducks slapping them with their feet or stealing their bread.
Another long pause, Locke watching Abe idly as he looked over the shelf of books and other oddities he kept in his room. He'd gotten rid of the crate his coffin had been moved in previously, the large black object sitting alongside the wall adjacent to the bed, almost enough to remind Abe of the apparent danger he posed. Abe then turned to sit with Locke at his desk, moreso leaning on the edge of it as Locke powered up his computer, raising a brow at the note scrawled next to it on a piece of paper.
"Hellsing manor was attacked?" Abe inquired, Locke perking up and sighing.
"I was aware of it, wanted to do some more reading. Turns out one of the vampires that attacked, looked freakishly similar to me." He brought up an article on his computer, showing Abe the bus that had been used to transport dozens of ghouls in armour with weapons, the carnage that was left behind, and the lie that it had been a drill gone horribly awry. Lastly was an image of each of the assailants, one looking akin to Locke, right down to the green eyes.
"That is troubling, perhaps whoever sent them knows about you?" Abe frowned, crossing his arms thoughtfully. Locke shrugged.
"That, or they are taunting Integra with someone who looks like me to try and unnerve her. She's likely of the mindset that I sent him, or had something to do with it." Locke frowned, seeing a picture further down the page of Integra with the rest of the Twelve before the Queen at a funeral Ceremony for the soldiers who had fallen in the 'drill' as far as the public knew. Locke sighed at length, closing the tab and leaning back in his chair, wings lightly open to keep them from getting squished behind him.
"You still haven't spoken to her?" Abe asked, concerned for how he could be seen by his own sister as a monster to be eliminated.
"No, I want to see her in person before anything is said. With this movement by the Letzes Battalion, I know she is focused primarily on that, and if I suddenly contact her, her focus will shift and she'll be a target. I can't do that to her. Not with what is likely to happen if they have to dispatch Alucard to fight, should he and I cross paths…" Locke stopped himself, scrubbing his face with his hands before sitting up and going dead serious, Abe straightening up and leaning back a bit from the sudden change in demeanour.
"Your Sire? What could possibly happen that you are so worried?" Abe seemed uncertain and bothered by how Locke had kept so much information, despite all he'd shared thus far.
"The seals binding him to the Hellsing bloodline, there's a caveat that if he turns one of the Hellsing bloodline, the seals will weaken. If he fights that same sireling, the seals break." Locke explained, Abe's frown deepening. "If I am a target of Alucard, and she is present, Alucard is without his shackles and will devour a swath of the planet before he's done."
"Is there a way to fix that? Make the seals stronger? I'm certain Ashtareen could offer assistance." Abe softened, he could see how much this weighed on Locke, how much he worried over what could happen, if he became distracted he could lose Integra, could lose everything. Locke sighed, shaking his head, looking to Aureiahnna on her perch, the Pheonix happily dozing and ignoring their serious conversation.
"No, not unless I can get Integra to perform half the sealing incantations and such while I distract him." Locke scratched his chin thoughtfully a moment, grinning lightly. "Abe, you're amazing. I knew I'd need to plan this carefully, but if I prepare some of what we need ahead of time, I think we can reseal Alucard without casualty or significant risk." Locke rose and gently kissed Abe's head, cringing at the slight stickiness as Abe hadn't been in water most of the day.
"Good, I'm glad I could help. I should go soak…" Abe blushed lightly, Locke smiling and chuckling lightly.
"Go on, I'll try and visit later." Locke smiled, watching Abe leave sadly, shuddering lightly as he went to redraw the seals used by his forefather to bind Alucard to the Hellsing family line, with the changes and necessary additions. Before he could complete it, a sharp pain in his midsection announced a change he'd hoped to avoid, rising from his desk and nearly collapsing as his vision swam and tinged with red.