Time heals all wounds.
"The first order of business is to weaken its will."
"But sir? Isn't it in all practical purposes of the word, 'dead' to the world?"
"Not quite," the leader smiled sadistically. "Asleep, yes. But it's mind is quite busy."
"I thought vampires do not dream?"
"No!" He moved beside the casket. "They don't. But they remember. And they contemplate. It's part of their curse." He reached a hand over and stroked the vampire's cheek, cooing, "You, my dear, hold the key to everything."
"Um, Father," another of the researchers timidly caught his attention. "The tank is here."
He straightened and cleared his throat. "Then, get started. Submerge the beast!"
They all watched as the vampire, no longer the angel she was before, but a shrunken and dehydrated husk, was lowered into the tank of holy water. They watched as the vampire began to writhe, trying to escape the clutches of the chains suspending it there.
"Is it awake? Won't this kill it?" his assistants clamored.
"Do not worry, friends. It is merely under unconscious duress. And as for killing it, I'm afraid we still haven't discovered that clue."
One of the assistants, more practical than the others crossed his arms. "What then, if the vampire is to one day escape its bindings?"
A chuckle spread throughout the room. "Impossible," their boss declared. "We are under God's protection after all."
The same assistant turned his attention back to the seemingly human form struggling in the water. He watched as bubbles escape its mouth, obviously under much more than plain duress. He wondered if God truly would protect them after this.
Seras blinked her eyes. Sitting up swiped her bangs to the side from where they had been clinging to her damp skin. Strangely she felt around her neck to find what felt like cloth. Looking down, she jumped. Her entire body was covered. "What is this?" she wondered.
Then all of it came back to her in full clarity. Way back when she decided to simply sleep. Followed by waking up somewhere...she could not tell. But sharp things poked her, and knives carved out pieces of her flesh. It hurt. And all along she could not move or talk or see. It was hell.
At last the pain stopped coming. She found herself flying over land and sea. It seemed like she was a million times hungrier, and much of that hunger was satisfied. But then, half the time she felt like she had been shot. A cycle of constantly dying, it was torment and freeing at the same time.
And lastly, the memory of waking up with an overwhelming hunger. She was angry and delighted at the same time. It was a weird sensation. One that she was not opposed to experiencing again.
She stood up and appraised her body again. The bandages itched to be honest. The first order of business would be finding clothes. Unfortunately, she had very limited options.
"I can't believe I'm doing this," she muttered, picking out a lab coat and a pair of slacks. The blood stains would've bothered her if not for the fact that it was really food stains to a vampire.
Carefully she unraveled the bandages from everywhere except her chest and hips. The feel of her full and healthy flesh was refreshing as opposed to the mummy she was before. And her hair had been restored to its blonde color. She was back. But more importantly, she was motivated. She was aware of what she had been forced to do, of how the Catholics used her. They would pay for attacking her home and using her to do so.
They didn't have guns. "Useless brainiacs." She dug around for anything else that might be useful but came up empty.
Placing her hands, she thought she might as well get going when a black dog with silver eyes slunk through a wall.
"You look like you have the mange," Seras frowned.
The dog simply quirked its head.
"Don't look at me like that. You're the one who came out of nowhere."
The dog quirked its head the other way.
"I'm already beginning to hate you," she pouted.
Alucard inspected himself in the bathroom mirror. The bunker was not hard to find. He'd know the scent of his master anywhere. It was too intoxicating to miss.
He glanced to the side at the cupboard where his victim lay. By the time his body was discovered, it would be too late. His infiltration will be complete.
The image of an androgynous young man wearing a dark cowboy hat and night camouflage gear passed the mirror on by. His reflection seemed to shrink away, disturbed by the shit-eating grin on the stranger's face.
"A lovely night, I can tell."
Seras was able to pry an HK MP7 off the first guard she killed. It was a matter of simply sneaking up behind him using her vampiric speed and stealth. Before the other guard had a chance to turn around to see about the commotion, he already had two bullets through his ears.
"Pip, are you with me?" she wondered aloud, as she retrieved their extra magazines.
"Oui, it's been a long time has it not? Mon cheri has been feeding well, I see."
"Too long," she smiled and for the first time in 50 years, she felt relieved. "What is going on out there? I sense a lot of disturbance. A lot of people are dying. Almost like the Vatican is being attacked."
"Hmm, I think it would be better if you see for yourself," he replied cryptically. "Take a look." And he shoved her consciousness into the many different consciousnesses of the birds. From their different perspectives, she was able to survey the whole battlefield.
"That is the uniform of the Crown," she muttered. "England is fighting back!" Intrinsically, she seemed to know how to manipulate the flights of the birds. Where before they were attacking all without distinction, she was able to focus their energies on the Catholic soldiers.
"C'mon, Seras. Before your little pets take care of all the sport," Pip suggested eagerly. He had been cooped up for too long, and his nature demanded action.
"Hold on," she frowned. "That's impossible."
"What? I wasn't paying attention. What did you see?"
"I thought I saw Integra. On the lowest floor actually."
"Well then, mon cheri. What do you say we check it out?"
"Gladly," she determined.
Alucard could barely keep the grin off his face, looking at the back of his master as she led their men into glorious battle. There was only three of them left, and Alucard wasn't ashamed to admit, he had surreptiously helped lower that amount. But these dogs didn't deserve to fight by his master's side. Meanwhile, he imagined her expression when he finally revealed himself. It was going to be a savory sight.
Gunfire, and then there were two of them. Sir Hellsing retreated behind some cartons of wine, and he followed her. She hurried to catch her breath, and Alucard was once again reminded of just how frail humans were. Even his master.
"So," he began, changing his voice to sound more like his real one, but not overtly so. "Is this really all the great Sir Integra Fairbrooks Hellsing, Knight of the Round Table, and hunter extraordinaire of the supernatural could come up with? A suicidal plan with no hope of success? Are you to die here," he continued, "never to know whether this offensive even pays off? Never to know if your sacrifice was worth it?"
"I didn't ask for your opinion, soldier. Our army will succeed whether we die or not. That is how foolproof my plans are."
"Oh," he found himself pleased with her answer. But time to push the envelope. "Then what of your vampires when you're gone? Will you let them roam the earth, sowing destruction and pain as is their nature?"
"I haven't told anyone about the vampires. Not even Winston or the Queen. Wait a minute," she glared at him. "Now I know who your voice reminds me of. Alucard, will you stop with the pretensions!"
He began to laugh maniacally as his body transformed into his old self, with red suit and hat. He even held his stomach, he was enjoying himself so intensely, and all to Sir Hellsing's disdain.
"I was wondering when you'd notice. But you never disappoint, my old Master. Indeed, you won't be dying tonight. For now, the time has come. Give me your orders. Let me slay all of thine enemies. Simply say the word, and I shall trample upon thine opponents. Point your finger and I shall leave a wake of death in that direction."
Integra was silent for a moment, probably contemplating his punishment. But a crash interrupted their mental stalemate, and Integra was forced to conclude:
"Search and destroy, Alucard. I repeat, search and destroy! Leave nothing and no one, alive!"
I went back and edited a lot of mistakes out, spelling and grammar and what not. There's still some left, but they are a lot fewer. I also made some minor changes to the organization of the chapters. I also added some notes about the timeline throughout the story in case it was confusing. THANKS FOR READING.