Chapter Six
Cruelty commands respect. Men may hate us. But, we don't ask for their love; only for their fear. — Heinrich Himmler
Heinkel prowled down a London alleyway, melting into the shadows as adeptly as any vampire. Andersen's voice echoed in her ears: Become one with the dark, or it will eat you alive. For the first time, she wondered if her mentor's words had a hidden meaning. What darkness had driven Andersen to use Helena's Nail, transforming himself into a monster whose hideousness rivaled Alucard himself?
Annoyed with herself for becoming distracted—Andersen had also taught her to always remain alert—Heinkel dismissed these qualms with a shake of her head, forcing herself to focus on keeping her footsteps silent and posture perfect, though both had long since become second nature.
She flinched as her earpiece emitted a burst of static. Given her family's vast fortune, surely Hellsing could afford espionage equipment that worked…
"Report." Integra snapped.
Rolling her eyes, Heinkel bit back a sarcastic retort. At the same time, however, her irritation mingled with a grudging respect. Integra might be a bitch, but at least she never pretended otherwise. Unlike Maxwell…
Unsettled by the implications of this observation, she glared at the microphone attached to her robes as though it were responsible for all her woes. "There's nothing to report." So much for avoiding sarcastic replies.
They'd been roaming London's seediest districts since sundown, but so far, all Heinkel had to show for it was aching feet and a headache from her partner's incessant chatter. At least Seras had the sense to whisper—though that didn't make her frivolous remarks any less annoying. While Heinkel had never cared much about clothing, it was quite aggravating to endure a lecture on fashion from someone who was hardly dressed. She almost missed Alucard's eerie presence; at least he knew when to shut up.
The only thing that prevented her from telling the draculina to shut her pie hole was the knowledge that it would be strange for a pair of young women breaking curfew to do so in silence; girls foolish enough to take such a risk usually lacked the intelligence to keep their mouths shut. That didn't mean she had to respond to Seras' blather, though; the blonde talked enough for both of them.
As if in response to her thoughts, the vampire materialized at her elbow; Heinkel swallowed an oath at Seras' sudden appearance as she discovered yet another reason to despise her new partner. Adding insult to injury, Seras, despite her lack of training, was far better at camouflaging herself than Heinkel would ever be; somehow, she remained invisible even while jabbering away, only reappearing whenever footsteps signaled the approach of a possible suspect.
Heinkel, by contrast, required careful concentration to stay hidden—a focus sorely tested by Seras' prattle. How unfair that invisibility had been squandered on someone who would never appreciate it!
If she possessed such a gift, Heinkel vowed, she would hide her face from the world, carrying out her divine mission from the shadows. No one would see her ruined features, and she would avoid the pitying expressions she had come to despise, the fear and suspicion in the eyes of those she fought to protect. If she were invisible, people would recognize her for what she truly was—an avenging angel, God's holy warrior—rather than treating her like a freak, a monster.
Seras grinned, seemingly oblivious to both Heinkel's annoyance and the grim nature of their mission; Heinkel didn't know whether to be exasperated or amused at her blasé attitude. From the way she's acting, you'd think we really were on a girls' night out.
Seras must have had friends once, she mused. Did they still wonder what had become of her? Did someone care for Seras like a sister, the way she felt about Yumie? For some reason, the thought made her throat tighten.
"Hello, Master!" Seras beamed, despite the fact that Integra couldn't see her. "Heinkel is right; the streets are quiet tonight."
Integra harrumphed, as though the killer were deliberately wasting her precious time by failing to attack them punctually. "Very well. Inform me at the first sign of trouble."
Seras saluted, prompting another eye roll from Heinkel. "Yes, sir!"
As they passed one of the few functioning streetlamps, carefully skirting the pool of yellow light it cast, Heinkel bowed her head, eager to throw her face into deeper shadow despite the glamor Seras had placed on her. Though she couldn't physically feel the magic covering her, the mere knowledge of its presence made her skin crawl. The Church forbade all forms of sorcery…but she was playing by different rules now.
3 Hours Earlier
Heinkel squirmed under the draculina's gaze as Seras painstakingly constructed her disguise; when the vampire was finally finished, she lifted her gaze to the mirror to see a dark-eyed brunette with smooth, white skin staring back.
Her crucifix, guns, and robes had vanished, seemingly replaced by a little black dress that barely covered her, though Heinkel could still feel their weight against her skin. Reflexively, she reached for her weapons, only relaxing when she felt the shock of cool metal.
She scowled, the girl in the mirror glaring back. "I look like a prostitute."
Seras' eyes widened; clearly, it had never occurred to her that Heinkel might object to dressing as skimpily as herself. "I had to make it look like you were going clubbing. You'd attract much more attention in that. Besides," she added, with a conspiratorial wink, "being a lady of the night isn't all bad."
With that, the vampire vanished to perfect her own disguise.
Alone once more, Heinkel gazed at her reflection, trying to imagine what life would have been like for the girl in the mirror: a girl with a mother and father who loved her, brothers to protect her and sisters to share secrets with. Would that girl have fallen in love? Gotten married? Had children?
With an effort, Heinkel tore her gaze from the image, clenching her fists until the knuckles whitened. Her nails dug into her palms, causing the scabbed crescents there to bleed, but she hardly felt the pain.
That girl never existed—and she never will. Indulging in such fantasies would bring nothing but pain and disappointment; she knew that better than anyone. The less time she spent staring at this false face, the better.
After what seemed like an eternity, Seras returned, sporting dark hair and grey eyes in an unsettling echo of Yumie. "We'd better get going; it's almost curfew."
Heinkel nodded, eyes locked on Seras' new face. The draculina's features were far from identical to Yumie's, but in the dimness of the room, she half-believed her friend had returned, that her death had been an illusion, a clever sleight of hand she would brag about for months.
I can't believe you thought I was dead. Yumie would say, with her signature smirk. What can I say? It's your fault for being so gullible…
Suddenly Heinkel missed her so much it hurt, grief sending a stab of pain through her heart. Yumiko was gone forever; and no one could ever replace her—especially not some half-witted heretic.
Seras stared back; and then her hair lightened to a strawberry blonde, eyes changing from grey to sea foam green. Was she trying to be thoughtful? No, of course not. Since when did a vampire care about the feelings of a human? Far more likely that such an unremarkable appearance failed to satisfy the vampire's vanity. All traces of Yumiko gone, the draculina melted into the shadows.
"Keep your eyes peeled." Seras' disembodied voice reminded her—as though Heinkel needed reminding.
She scowled. Heinkel had always hated that expression; it conjured images of eyeballs in a jar, plucked from their owners like fruit from the vine. The hair on the back of her neck prickling, she whirled around, throwing caution to the wind—but there was only cracked cobblestone and cigarette stubs.
Her earpiece crackled, the foreboding vanishing as quickly as it had come. The lack of sleep must be getting to me. "Oh, and Heinkel."
What did the insufferable woman want now? "Yes?"
"Be careful."
Unable to determine if Integra was genuinely concerned about their safety or simply being sarcastic, Heinkel acknowledged this statement with a grunt before hurrying after Seras, oblivious to the dark shape slinking after her.
