Unexpected
Well. This is certainly not what I had anticipated.
I forgot about Walter in my original plans. A foolish oversight, and costly as well.
I review the events endlessly in my mind, trying to see where my thoughtless error could have been corrected, but frankly, I had no chance.
The Angel of Death was merciful, though, and stayed his hand. Maybe more for the sake of the carpeting than anything else. Blood almost never comes out. Not entirely.
It went so well in the beginning, stalking my Master, her constant bored annoyance at my presence. I am a master of the undead, bringing horrors in the night, and yet she treated me as little more than her overeager pet.
The attack was flawless. Grasping her by the throat, mesmerizing her with my eyes as her pin and tie seemingly unfastened themselves and dropped to the floor, telling her why as I moved in for the bite. Her blood was rich and sweet, the blood I have been craving for a decade, the blood I craved for a century before that.
She teetered on the brink of death, would have willingly thrown herself into the abyss if it had been within her power. But in that moment, the power was mine, and I used it.
I fed her my own blood back, her blood, in truth, though irrevocably changed, forcing it into her until I felt truly weak for the first time in ages, holding her against the spasms until the transformation had gone too far to be undone. She cheated Bubbancy of her prize, but the cost was almost to great. I knew she would gladly pay it this time to cheat me of mine.
Once the change had gone far enough and I knew none of her medical miracles could have saved her, I tilted her head back gently, her shell-pink ear coming into contact with my lips. The heat had died in her quickly, turning her skin cool against my own. So like me, and yet so different.
"Integra, my Master, be strong. The worst is almost over, though you may not believe it." The gun came like an old friend into my hand, and I placed it in hers. When she could lift it to kill me, this would be over.
So absorbed had I been in the sight, the smell, the taste of her, that I had ignored the outside world. And this had proved my downfall.
The micro-fine wire slipped gracefully around my neck, the tension pulling me back, away from her and into the real world once more.
"Please don't force me to do anything untoward, Alucard. I assure you I can make you quite uncomfortable, should it be necessary."
Walter. Of course. My Master's loyal retainer. I should have counted on that. And my childe, hovering in the background. Did she find my last message in time to summon Walter, or was it pure luck that they appeared at that moment?
I rose to my feet in response to the insistent tug at my neck and stepped back, exposing Integra and what had occurred. No blood was visible, but the scent still hung in the air, and I could feel the hunger rising in Seres. I did hope she would remember to feed for herself after this was over. Perhaps Walter will remind her.
The wires tightened again, and I resisted slightly, feeling them press in, dangerously close to cutting. I had wanted her to do it, but this might be just as good a way to go.
"Walter, wait." Her voice, faint, weak, but audible. "He's mine."
Those words were a benediction for me, and when she rose shakily and turned to face me, my own eyes stared out of her face. My eyes were beautiful in her.
The Jackal came up slowly, and I stared down the barrel of my own gun. I raised my arms, hands dangling, and let my head drop forward against the pain of the wires. Yes. This was exactly what I wanted.
"Why?"
I had told her, but it wasn't the answer she wanted. "It is the nature of the beast. Good-bye, my Master."
"Good-bye, Alucard." The gun fired, and the tension around my neck broke. I sprawled gracelessly on the floor, the severed ends of Walter's monofilaments still wrapped around my neck.
"Walter," her voice was distant, cold, "take him down to the crypt. Set all the Seals. I'll need some… time to consider this. Officer Victoria?"
"Yes, ma'am?" The wonder in her voice was still all too human.
"Were you aware of this... thing's intentions?"
"Sir Integra, I… He…"
"If I may, Officer Victoria came to me as soon as she was aware of what was happening." Whatever gods exist bless Walter for saving Celes Victoria.
"Very well. Carry on. But I'll be watching you, Officer Victoria."
So I sit, in the dark, in the crypt. I can hear them for now, moving, talking, being. That will last until the blood is gone. Then the silence will fall, until she needs me again. For the sake of her ancestor, I took her life. For the sake of herself, I gave back what pitiful exchange I could, prepared to trade my existence for hers.
But this. This is unexpected.
Well. This is certainly not what I had anticipated.
I forgot about Walter in my original plans. A foolish oversight, and costly as well.
I review the events endlessly in my mind, trying to see where my thoughtless error could have been corrected, but frankly, I had no chance.
The Angel of Death was merciful, though, and stayed his hand. Maybe more for the sake of the carpeting than anything else. Blood almost never comes out. Not entirely.
It went so well in the beginning, stalking my Master, her constant bored annoyance at my presence. I am a master of the undead, bringing horrors in the night, and yet she treated me as little more than her overeager pet.
The attack was flawless. Grasping her by the throat, mesmerizing her with my eyes as her pin and tie seemingly unfastened themselves and dropped to the floor, telling her why as I moved in for the bite. Her blood was rich and sweet, the blood I have been craving for a decade, the blood I craved for a century before that.
She teetered on the brink of death, would have willingly thrown herself into the abyss if it had been within her power. But in that moment, the power was mine, and I used it.
I fed her my own blood back, her blood, in truth, though irrevocably changed, forcing it into her until I felt truly weak for the first time in ages, holding her against the spasms until the transformation had gone too far to be undone. She cheated Bubbancy of her prize, but the cost was almost to great. I knew she would gladly pay it this time to cheat me of mine.
Once the change had gone far enough and I knew none of her medical miracles could have saved her, I tilted her head back gently, her shell-pink ear coming into contact with my lips. The heat had died in her quickly, turning her skin cool against my own. So like me, and yet so different.
"Integra, my Master, be strong. The worst is almost over, though you may not believe it." The gun came like an old friend into my hand, and I placed it in hers. When she could lift it to kill me, this would be over.
So absorbed had I been in the sight, the smell, the taste of her, that I had ignored the outside world. And this had proved my downfall.
The micro-fine wire slipped gracefully around my neck, the tension pulling me back, away from her and into the real world once more.
"Please don't force me to do anything untoward, Alucard. I assure you I can make you quite uncomfortable, should it be necessary."
Walter. Of course. My Master's loyal retainer. I should have counted on that. And my childe, hovering in the background. Did she find my last message in time to summon Walter, or was it pure luck that they appeared at that moment?
I rose to my feet in response to the insistent tug at my neck and stepped back, exposing Integra and what had occurred. No blood was visible, but the scent still hung in the air, and I could feel the hunger rising in Seres. I did hope she would remember to feed for herself after this was over. Perhaps Walter will remind her.
The wires tightened again, and I resisted slightly, feeling them press in, dangerously close to cutting. I had wanted her to do it, but this might be just as good a way to go.
"Walter, wait." Her voice, faint, weak, but audible. "He's mine."
Those words were a benediction for me, and when she rose shakily and turned to face me, my own eyes stared out of her face. My eyes were beautiful in her.
The Jackal came up slowly, and I stared down the barrel of my own gun. I raised my arms, hands dangling, and let my head drop forward against the pain of the wires. Yes. This was exactly what I wanted.
"Why?"
I had told her, but it wasn't the answer she wanted. "It is the nature of the beast. Good-bye, my Master."
"Good-bye, Alucard." The gun fired, and the tension around my neck broke. I sprawled gracelessly on the floor, the severed ends of Walter's monofilaments still wrapped around my neck.
"Walter," her voice was distant, cold, "take him down to the crypt. Set all the Seals. I'll need some… time to consider this. Officer Victoria?"
"Yes, ma'am?" The wonder in her voice was still all too human.
"Were you aware of this... thing's intentions?"
"Sir Integra, I… He…"
"If I may, Officer Victoria came to me as soon as she was aware of what was happening." Whatever gods exist bless Walter for saving Celes Victoria.
"Very well. Carry on. But I'll be watching you, Officer Victoria."
So I sit, in the dark, in the crypt. I can hear them for now, moving, talking, being. That will last until the blood is gone. Then the silence will fall, until she needs me again. For the sake of her ancestor, I took her life. For the sake of herself, I gave back what pitiful exchange I could, prepared to trade my existence for hers.
But this. This is unexpected.