BETRAYAL IS COLORED RED
"Vatican's special section 13." Integra picked up a white envelope on her desk that only had a label reading 'Not A Bomb' on it. "It's from the Iscariot organization." She turned the letter around and showed Walter the very distinct red wax seal it had on the front. It was the only way they knew was from them.
Walter sighed and wasn't pleased to see that they contacted them, especially knowing the disaster the Hellsing household had just gone through with the ghoul army. "So it would seem."
Integra cut the wax seal and unfolded the letter to see what was written inside.
'To the most worthy, Sir Integra Wingates Hellsing,
As a prelude to the approaching autumn season, a little outing to the National Gallery is perhaps in order.'
Integra was barely able to finish the letter before stabbing the blood-red seal with her letter opener, nearly splitting it in half with how much force she used. The letter was short and to the point, but it was bleeding with Maxwell's sickly sweet and fake nature. It was easy to imagine that worm of a man writing it with the world's largest grin, thinking of how he could've loved the see her face when she opened it to read It.
"Maxwell…that little worm." She knew better than to think this was a harmless meeting. She never liked the man. From his fake smile and long bony fingers. Everything about the man either creeped her out or infuriated her.
Integra thought it over for a couple of hours but ultimately decided that it would be for the best if she went to the gallery. The Iscariots may be troubling to work around, but they did always seem to get their hands on information that not even the Hellsing organization could achieve. As much as Maxwell was a pest to play nice with, Integra needed the Freak Chip situation dealt with immediately.
She arrived at the gallery just as scheduled, but it turned out that Maxwell wasn't even there to begin with and was already running late. After an hour though, Maxwell did finally arrive with Father Alexander Anderson's tall frame trailing behind him.
"Pardon me. So sorry to keep you waiting." Maxwell offered his hand out with a crooked smile resting on his pale face. Integra didn't even turn her head to acknowledge him though and left him standing in that position for a couple of seconds until he pulled back. "Very well. If you're too upset by pleasantries."
"Enrica Maxwell. Head of the Vatican's special division. The Iscariot Organization." Integra spoke up, keeping her voice firm and steady. "What do I owe the pleasure?"
"I'm here to offer my condolences to you and your organization. 125 dead in the line of duty and 24 injured, correct?" he said with a sly smile.
Instantly, Integra could feel rage bubble up in her core that made even her bones quiver and ache. She snapped her head over to him at long last as Maxwell's fake smile dropped into a much sinister one.
Maxwell continued. "Rumor has it that a rather brash ghoul attack left your lot teetering on the brink of collapse. I've come today with my sword sheathed…and information that I think would please you greatly. Information regarding your bug infestation." His smirked stretched far and wide and his purple eyes glittered with dark sin that shouldn't belong to a self-proclaimed holy man. "But…I am unsure whether to give you such information."
"Oh, shut up!" Integra shouted loudly with her voice echoing down the empty gallery halls. "You have no right to talk. Your people have already shattered the peace between us. You've sent Father Anderson to attack us, and he has slain one of my best men. Don't pretend you've forgotten, for we certainly haven't. I won't indulge in this ridiculous farce of civility. Now get out of my county," she sneered.
"Oh? You want me to leave? Are you sure?" Maxwell leered. "Because the information we had obtained is in fact…very crucial to your investigation. There is without a doubt something you should be informed of."
Integra stood tall and refused to grovel on the ground, despite how much he wanted her to. "I don't need it. If you figured it out, then surely so can we."
"I offer you our kindness, but you insist that we be cruel." Maxwell huffed and stared down at the shadow moving around under Integra's feet. He could even see blinking red eyes among the darkness. "I see you've brought one of your dogs."
"Maxwell," Anderson spoke up for the first time and the room finally went silent. "Even though I don't like working with these sorts of people, we are not without trouble ourselves," he said with an unexpectedly calm and serious voice. He held up three separate things in his hands. One being a vial with the Freak Chip in it, and the other containing unknown blood. He also had a black suitcase that was physically handcuffed to his wrist. "Recently, we've had a bug infestation spreading throughout our land like a deadly plague, just like the one that's currently corrupting yours. Throughout our research, we have managed to obtain quite an interesting find. Like…who it is that's behind the chip."
"Oh?" Spoke Alucard's voice from the shadows. The dark pool bubbled like murky water and up from the ground rose the tall vampire dressed only in red. "Then I must commend you for your efforts, little Iscariot," he said with a sharp-toothed grin.
Anderson flinched and his fingers quivered, holding back the automatic reaction of wanting to attack. "Alucard. I see you're not accompanied by your love." He noticed, clenching his hand tightly to remind himself to keep his own blades sheathed.
Alucard gestured his head outwards. "Anna and the police girl can't make it. They're out meeting an old friend."
Integra cocked her brows after listening to Father Anderson's cordial way of speaking. She can tell though that he was doing everything he can to stop himself from striking Alucard down where he stood. He was purposely holding himself back and ignoring the bayonets up his sleeve that must be quivering by now.
"What is it that you have for us?" Integra crossed her arms over her chest and turned her chin up.
Maxwell clicked his tongue and groaned. "If you wish, Sir Integra." He snapped his fingers and Anderson placed the vial of blood in his open hand. "There are two components that make up the chip. One is still unknown, but the other contains blood. Which is the one you see right now."
Integra eyed the vial. "Who's blood? The one who created the chip?"
Maxwell's smirk widened with curiosity. "That is what we find…rather conflicting. What we know at the moment is that the blood is Romanian in origin, but we were only able to confirm it though with an artifact we managed to obtain a very long time ago. Which also had matching DNA present on it."
"This artifact…is that what's in the case?" she asked.
"Indeed. Anderson."
Anderson nodded and brought up the case. He undid the locks on the side and slowly opened it to show everyone what was inside. A small book, scorched by fire and worn with age. Alucard eyed the book and picked it up. He was careful to open it and saw the front page covered with a kind of handwriting that he could only describe as lovely. It was easy to imagine how much care this person took into writing in it.
"Maxwell…" Alucard spoke as the atmosphere around him darkened and turned cold. "Why do you have such a thing?"
Maxwell smirked. "Oh? You already recognize it? I expected that much. Then allow me to elaborate a little further. We found this book in the charred remains of an old cottage nearly 500 years ago, containing the same initials that are etched into the chip. We're unsure if this person created the chip itself, but there is without a doubt that it's powered by this person's life's work. This person we speak of…Bridget Vermilion. Or more commonly known as…"
"…Anna," Alucard said in a single breath.
"Mistress? What is this place?" Seras asked and looked up at an old, isolated apartment building.
"It's the place of someone I've known for a very long time. I figured if anyone knew something… then it would be her." Anna held Seras by her shoulders and walked up towards the door. "Just remember to be polite when talking to her."
Seras nodded. "Yes, Mistress."
Anna knocked softly on the door and waited for a moment for someone to answer back. Afterwards, they heard what sounded like a gentle yet monotone voice calling to them from the other side.
"Who is it?" the voice asked.
"Helena? It's Anna. May I come in?" Anna asked politely as she always did. "There is something we need to talk about."
"Anna…? Oh, I see. It seems you're using that name now. You may enter then."
The handle unlocked and the door swung open with no one on the other side to greet them. They stepped into the dim room that only had flickers of candlelight inside. The place was mainly full of bookshelves with a record player resting on a table, playing opera music that wasn't too loud.
Seras didn't know what to do and just stood there as Anna brushed past her like a soundless ghost, walking over to a chair that had a young child sitting in it. She was extraordinarily young but also had a very mature and solemn expression on her face.
"I appreciate you spending your time to see me again," Anna said and kneeled down in front of the young girl.
Helena closed her eyes and hummed softly to herself. "Hm, yes. It seems I always have time to talk if it's you," she said with a mellow voice that didn't sound like it belonged to her. It almost felt like someone was speaking in her stead.
"I have always appreciated your company." Anna smiled but it didn't reach far enough to be genuine. It looked sad more than anything. "Seras, come say hello." She gestured her over without looking.
Seras did as she was told and awkwardly approached the two. "Um, good evening," she said, making sure to remember her manners.
"This young one is Seras. Seras Victoria. She's someone I had taken under my wing," Anna introduced.
Helena stared at Anna curiously. "And you had turned her yourself, it seems. That's quite unexpected, coming from someone like you." Her tone wasn't harsh when she spoke, just mildly surprised.
"Yes, but…I also don't want to deny a person a right to live." Anna looked back to Seras. "This is Helena. As you can see, she is of the same species as you and I."
Seras immediately flinched. "So…she's so young. When did…?"
Anna closed her eyes and nodded her head gently. " It was far too long ago and far too early. Helena is…someone I can call a very old friend. I can put the same amount of trust in her as I do Alucard," she said.
Helena smiled solemnly and lowered her head. "Yes, and I've also been someone who she had spilled all her sins to once before. Hoping for some…catharsis," she said.
Seras blinked. "Sins?"
Anna stiffened and there was an unexpected sharpness in her voice. "Sins that I can't even bring myself to tell Alucard. Sins which had been born during…quite a dark time between us. Shortly after we both were welcomed into the undead."
"What do you mean by…dark times. Did something happen between you and Master?"
Anna tightened her jaw and avoided Seras's curious and worried eyes. "I wasn't my best back when I first became a newborn, but I prefer if those times stay in the dark…where they belong. That's not why I'm here though." She looked back up to Helena. "I'm here to talk about the dangers this country is facing. About how humans are using technology to make fake vampires. They have disrupted my peace…and will surely do the same for you."
"Hm…it appears they had already disturbed my peace," Helena answered, taking Anna by surprise. "They are loud…so loud that I have come to understand a few things. One being…that technology is not the one responsible for this. You have researched it time and time again but still haven't found a single thing of concrete evidence of how it works, right? That's because you're looking at it from the wrong side. You believe humans have created this themselves. That they have the knowledge to make such a dastardly thing."
Anna opened her mouth but then closed it to think. "Are you saying…humans are not the one behind the creation of the chip? What could we be missing then?"
Helena took in a deep breath and slowly let it out. She stared at Anna's face that was far too innocent looking for a vampire such as her. "It seems…you have grown foolish in these past few decades, my dear. You say you wish for the dark past to stay in the dark…but I don't think the one lurking within will stay quiet for long."
It was like the world had slowed down as the words fell into existence and met Anna's ears. Her trembling eyes grew wide with anxiety and dread as she swallowed a hard lump down her throat. "What…but…but…" she tried to speak but her lips weren't moving the way she wanted them to. It felt like she was making nothing but incoherent sounds. Like a child trying to speak for the first time all over again. That's all she felt like...just a frightened child.
"The creation of vampires was only limited to two methods until recently. Now it has become three. The first is how you were created. The second is how your lover came to be. And the third…is by much darker methods. Methods that only you should know of. Methods…that make death follow you. Even to this day."
She wanted to cry. Anna would rather rip her own still heart out of her chest and cry herself into eternity, rather than feel the chilling hollowness that was tearing her apart at the moment. "Black magic? The chip is infused with black magic?"