Hellsing isn't mine, although it's lovely territory to take a head trip in.

For example: what if Anderson had been absolutely right?

The world is insane anyway. Everything gets simpler when seen from Anderson's perspective.

+++++++

My new ally sat by me in the passenger's seat, idly watching his hands as he shifted them this way and that. I was driving, and didn't have time to see what he was doing.

"What do you think they'll do first?" he asked.

"I'm not sure," I said honestly. "She'll be furious. What does she do when she's angry?"

"She'll want to know who did that, first," Walter said thoughtfully. "If she checks with the fire department, she'll learn that I called in and delayed them."

"So she'll be after you?"

"Yes, to find out why. Alucard will probably escort her. He's going to be very protective of his-" Walter fell silent.

"What about the little blonde girl?" I asked. I hadn't seen a trace of her.

"Miss Victoria's been gone for a few weeks now," Walter said, head turned to the window. "She'd probably foreseen Sir Integra's decision. She's made things a little less complicated by her scarcity."

"That's true." Three true vampires at once isn't a challenge; it's suicide. Not even I would charge into those odds. "How can we split them?"

Walter frowned. "Trapping Integra will be easier than trapping Alucard-but not for long. She's a fast learner. Binding her would be asking for trouble. We'd have to put her someplace she couldn't get out of."

My mind ticked through a list of possible trap locations. "Underwater. Is she vulnerable to running water?"

Walter nodded slowly.

"Right. You snare her, I push her into a locker, we shove her into the Thames. Alucard comes after us to find out where she is, and then the fun really begins." I grinned.

"Father Anderson-" Walter hesitated, staring between his hands. "I was wondering about this earlier, in the house. I can fight Alucard. I do not think that I can kill her."

I drew one sword and replaced it while turning the car. "I can." I was furious with myself. If I hadn't let the vampire live, Walter would never have spent so much time in proximity to one. Then Sir Integra's transformation would not affect him to the point that he couldn't free her.

"Good." Walter said no more for a few blocks. "Where are we going?"

"I had to have my weapons shipped by sea." I turned again. "We're going to the warehouse they arrived at, I'm loading them into the back of the car, and we're going to the church that's kindly offered me shelter." I glanced at him again. "How long ago did you eat?"

"Sometime yesterday. It's not important right now."

"I need you at your best," I argued gently. He made no response. I decided to push it when there was food available. It was a moot point when we were sitting in the car.

The rest of the drive was made in silence. I picked up my weapons, opening the crates in the trunk to check their labels against the contents. Everything seemed to be in place. I drove to the church and went to my back room, which was usually reserved for visiting missionaries. Walter watched in silence as I began prepping my equipment.

"What's that?"

"The pistol is armed with holy water darts. Meant to be fired at the eyes." I put that little toy in one corner of my worktable. I don't care much for small weapons; I was after big game, not my usual chipped responsibilities.

"What's your business here?" Walter inquired.

"I was supposed to confirm Sir Integra's fate and attack the vampire she freed. At the least, I want him too weak to take any ocean voyages."

"What are those drums for?"

"Containing any part of his essence I manage to remove." Blood, limbs, organs, whatever-if he couldn't get to it, he'd be that much weaker. I intended to split his ashes among them if I ever got him to that state. Better safe than dead.

He leaned forward with genuine curiosity when he saw the rocket launcher frame I was assembling. "Effective?"

I smirked. "So far, yes." I slid the casing shut over the armed launcher, flicked the safety into place, and set it on the floor. "Where will Sir Integra look for you first?"

"We have some safehouses for our men near the outskirts of London. She'll check those."

I nodded. "Is one near a river?"

"Yes. . . a sort of stream. Deep enough for our purposes."

"Pick it and draw me an overhead view of its surroundings. We'll have to think of a plan on our way over if we want it prepped for an ambush. There's paper and pencils in that desk drawer." I opened another crate and lifted out the first weapon. A modified harpoon blade, it still had a jagged edge, meant for catching flesh.

"What's that?" Walter sounded shocked.

"A blessed blade from the Caribbean. There was a creature called a Devilfish they blamed for all sorts of trouble. Simply a harmless ray, but they made a ridiculously overpowered blade to deal with it." I put it at one end of the table.

"And that?" Walter cocked an eyebrow at it, glancing up from his sketching.

"A reforged Roman blade. The original was carried by one of the disciples." I laid it reverently by the first. "It feels to me as though the story were true. It's definitely a holy weapon. It was a bit corroded by the time we found it, so we melted it and recast it with sacred steel. It has its original power." I smiled.

"And that?" He raised an eyebrow at the crossbow.

"Wood from a reliquary that was desecrated by vandals." I stroked it gently. "The stake is compounded from several different sources."

"And that?"

"Axe of a Norman Saint who was a dedicated vampire killer." I stashed it with the rest of my blades, removed the bolt, and hung the crossbow over my back. "Let's get started. We have a battlefield to prepare."