Ch 22: Final Battle II
While her soldiers were struggling against an army of regenerators, Integra sat in a small windowless room, listening to the sounds of battle. She silently cursed Walter for bringing her here. She should be out there, facing the same dangers that her people were facing. Instead, she was here, sitting idly by, helpless as a newborn. It was a feeling that threatened to tear her apart.
Outside, a man in a Hellsing uniform had slipped away from the main battle and made his way to his true destination. The spy who had avoided detection for so long had a new vocation. He was now an assassin. With two shots muffled by a silencer, he killed the guards who were guarding his target. Integra Hellsing stood as the door opened, wishing that she had her pistol with her. She was relieved to see one of her people rather than the enemy as the soldier entered the room. This feeling was pushed aside as a bullet from the man's gun ripped through the left side of her chest, ripping through her heart and killing her instantly.
Constance was still struggling to subdue Maxwell. She had managed to down him a few times, but he stubbornly refused to stay down. As she slashed at him and blocked his countermove, she saw something out of the corner of her eye that made her forget why she was fighting Maxwell. Hoping against hope that she was not seeing what she thought was seeing, she turned her desperation into a well-placed kick in the dead center of Maxwell's chest. He dropped to his knees, choking. Constance could have finished him, but what she saw took all her attention away from the priest. She turned toward a man wearing a Hellsing uniform and a triumphant smile on his face. Over his shoulder was a body with long platinum hair and a green suit.
"Integra!!!" The scream that erupted from Constance was enough to get the attention of those around her, including Alucard. He turned to see a man in a Hellsing officer's uniform throw the lifeless body of his master to the ground.
"Behold, the fearless leader of the Hellsing house!" he shouted, still wearing that smug smile on his face. "Your brave leader has fallen like the true coward she was. Now it's time for you to do the same, Hellsing scum!"
Alucard stared at the figure on the ground, paralyzed by disbelief. His master was gone. He could tell that she was dead by the fact that the seals on his powers were now gone. He could tell even more by the fact that he felt that his heart had been ripped from his chest. Alucard's voice seemed to fill the night air as he spoke.
"Lifting final power restriction seal until targets have been eternally silenced." With this, the soldiers from the Vatican found themselves being attacked from all directions by creatures that resembled the hounds of hell. The grief and blinding rage that Alucard was feeling served to make his powers unstoppable. Cries of fear and anguish filled the air as the soldiers of the enemy fell in droves. Maxwell and Anderson took cover until the screaming ended. When they were brave enough to look, they saw Alucard standing in the middle of the ruins of their army, his eyes glowing with the brightness of hell.
"If you do not wish to be sent to hell with the rest of them, I suggest you leave this place now." Alucard growled. "But rest assured, I will send you there one day." Maxwell and Anderson wasted no time in retreating from the apparition that faced them. After they had gone, the aura that had appeared around Alucard dissipated. He slowly walked to the form of his fallen master. Kneeling down, he turned her over so he could see her face. Tears appeared in his eyes and fell onto Integra's body as he saw in his mind the little girl who had released him so long ago and had been the center of his life ever since. Pip and his fellow survivors removed their hats, silent as they looked at the powerful vampire who had been brought to his knees by the death of his master and their leader. Walter stood with Ceras, both of them too stunned to move or speak.
Constance could not bear it. She looked around her to see countless dead men who had willingly given their lives for the woman who had died with them.
"Do you want her to live?" Constance raised her head at the sound of the quiet voice to see her guide standing in front of her as clear as day.
"You have the power to save her, but you know the price." Constance knew the price, but she also knew without being told that this was why she had been come here. Without Integra, the fight against those undead that preyed on the weak would be lost forever. It could not be allowed to end this way.
Constance moved to where Alucard was still kneeling over his master's corpse. She touched Alucard on the shoulder. When he looked up, his eyes resembled those of a lost child. She smiled a gentle smile at him and moved to Integra's side without another word.
The trees began to sway as a steady wind arose, accompanied by a bright light. As the light faded, the soldiers and staff of Hellsing saw Constance in her true form. Her whole body was enveloped in a warm glow and her wings were those of an eagle. Her face was a picture of unearthly beauty and peace. Kneeling at Integra's side, she placed a hand over the wound that had taken her life.
"Constance, don't," Alucard whispered, knowing what was taking place here. Constance opened her eyes to look at him and shook her head.
"It is not her time to leave this world yet." Constance said in a voice that echoed in the air. With that, the air shuddered as it had in the dungeon. Alucard felt the seal over his powers return as Integra gasped and began coughing. Walter and Ceras ran to his mistresses side, overjoyed that the woman they had devoted their lives and loyalty to was among the living again. Their relief and happiness were cut short when they saw Alucard still kneeling, holding Constance in his arms. The mortal wound meant for Integra was now spilling the blood of the doctor onto Alucard as he lifted her head.
Alucard. Constance's voice echoed in his head, unheard by those who had witnessed her bring Integra back from the dead.
Why? he asked, speaking to her telepathically.
It is what I was meant to do. It is why I was sent here. The voice was fainter in his head and he could feel Constance's body grow cold in his arms. His arms tightened around her body as if he thought he could keep her in this world by hanging onto her with all his might.
Don't leave me, please. Alucard begged silently. If you love me at all, don't leave.
I do love you, she answered, Alucard now barely able to hear her. I wish I could stay. But my time here is done. Goodbye, my friend.
Goodbye, Constance.
Alucard could hear no more. A blast of wind passed over him and when he looked up, the feathers that rode the air as Constance's wings disappeared surrounded Alucard. Looking down again, he saw that her body had disappeared as well, leaving no trace that she ever existed save the those she had left on the minds and hearts of those who now stood at Alucard's side.
"I wish I could have stayed. I rather liked all of them." Constance said to her guide as she watched the scene from above.
"You did well, child," her guide said, looking at her with the eyes that she was now able to see clearly. "Let's go home." Casting one glance back at those she had loved, she took the offered hand of her guide as he led her back to eternity.
While her soldiers were struggling against an army of regenerators, Integra sat in a small windowless room, listening to the sounds of battle. She silently cursed Walter for bringing her here. She should be out there, facing the same dangers that her people were facing. Instead, she was here, sitting idly by, helpless as a newborn. It was a feeling that threatened to tear her apart.
Outside, a man in a Hellsing uniform had slipped away from the main battle and made his way to his true destination. The spy who had avoided detection for so long had a new vocation. He was now an assassin. With two shots muffled by a silencer, he killed the guards who were guarding his target. Integra Hellsing stood as the door opened, wishing that she had her pistol with her. She was relieved to see one of her people rather than the enemy as the soldier entered the room. This feeling was pushed aside as a bullet from the man's gun ripped through the left side of her chest, ripping through her heart and killing her instantly.
Constance was still struggling to subdue Maxwell. She had managed to down him a few times, but he stubbornly refused to stay down. As she slashed at him and blocked his countermove, she saw something out of the corner of her eye that made her forget why she was fighting Maxwell. Hoping against hope that she was not seeing what she thought was seeing, she turned her desperation into a well-placed kick in the dead center of Maxwell's chest. He dropped to his knees, choking. Constance could have finished him, but what she saw took all her attention away from the priest. She turned toward a man wearing a Hellsing uniform and a triumphant smile on his face. Over his shoulder was a body with long platinum hair and a green suit.
"Integra!!!" The scream that erupted from Constance was enough to get the attention of those around her, including Alucard. He turned to see a man in a Hellsing officer's uniform throw the lifeless body of his master to the ground.
"Behold, the fearless leader of the Hellsing house!" he shouted, still wearing that smug smile on his face. "Your brave leader has fallen like the true coward she was. Now it's time for you to do the same, Hellsing scum!"
Alucard stared at the figure on the ground, paralyzed by disbelief. His master was gone. He could tell that she was dead by the fact that the seals on his powers were now gone. He could tell even more by the fact that he felt that his heart had been ripped from his chest. Alucard's voice seemed to fill the night air as he spoke.
"Lifting final power restriction seal until targets have been eternally silenced." With this, the soldiers from the Vatican found themselves being attacked from all directions by creatures that resembled the hounds of hell. The grief and blinding rage that Alucard was feeling served to make his powers unstoppable. Cries of fear and anguish filled the air as the soldiers of the enemy fell in droves. Maxwell and Anderson took cover until the screaming ended. When they were brave enough to look, they saw Alucard standing in the middle of the ruins of their army, his eyes glowing with the brightness of hell.
"If you do not wish to be sent to hell with the rest of them, I suggest you leave this place now." Alucard growled. "But rest assured, I will send you there one day." Maxwell and Anderson wasted no time in retreating from the apparition that faced them. After they had gone, the aura that had appeared around Alucard dissipated. He slowly walked to the form of his fallen master. Kneeling down, he turned her over so he could see her face. Tears appeared in his eyes and fell onto Integra's body as he saw in his mind the little girl who had released him so long ago and had been the center of his life ever since. Pip and his fellow survivors removed their hats, silent as they looked at the powerful vampire who had been brought to his knees by the death of his master and their leader. Walter stood with Ceras, both of them too stunned to move or speak.
Constance could not bear it. She looked around her to see countless dead men who had willingly given their lives for the woman who had died with them.
"Do you want her to live?" Constance raised her head at the sound of the quiet voice to see her guide standing in front of her as clear as day.
"You have the power to save her, but you know the price." Constance knew the price, but she also knew without being told that this was why she had been come here. Without Integra, the fight against those undead that preyed on the weak would be lost forever. It could not be allowed to end this way.
Constance moved to where Alucard was still kneeling over his master's corpse. She touched Alucard on the shoulder. When he looked up, his eyes resembled those of a lost child. She smiled a gentle smile at him and moved to Integra's side without another word.
The trees began to sway as a steady wind arose, accompanied by a bright light. As the light faded, the soldiers and staff of Hellsing saw Constance in her true form. Her whole body was enveloped in a warm glow and her wings were those of an eagle. Her face was a picture of unearthly beauty and peace. Kneeling at Integra's side, she placed a hand over the wound that had taken her life.
"Constance, don't," Alucard whispered, knowing what was taking place here. Constance opened her eyes to look at him and shook her head.
"It is not her time to leave this world yet." Constance said in a voice that echoed in the air. With that, the air shuddered as it had in the dungeon. Alucard felt the seal over his powers return as Integra gasped and began coughing. Walter and Ceras ran to his mistresses side, overjoyed that the woman they had devoted their lives and loyalty to was among the living again. Their relief and happiness were cut short when they saw Alucard still kneeling, holding Constance in his arms. The mortal wound meant for Integra was now spilling the blood of the doctor onto Alucard as he lifted her head.
Alucard. Constance's voice echoed in his head, unheard by those who had witnessed her bring Integra back from the dead.
Why? he asked, speaking to her telepathically.
It is what I was meant to do. It is why I was sent here. The voice was fainter in his head and he could feel Constance's body grow cold in his arms. His arms tightened around her body as if he thought he could keep her in this world by hanging onto her with all his might.
Don't leave me, please. Alucard begged silently. If you love me at all, don't leave.
I do love you, she answered, Alucard now barely able to hear her. I wish I could stay. But my time here is done. Goodbye, my friend.
Goodbye, Constance.
Alucard could hear no more. A blast of wind passed over him and when he looked up, the feathers that rode the air as Constance's wings disappeared surrounded Alucard. Looking down again, he saw that her body had disappeared as well, leaving no trace that she ever existed save the those she had left on the minds and hearts of those who now stood at Alucard's side.
"I wish I could have stayed. I rather liked all of them." Constance said to her guide as she watched the scene from above.
"You did well, child," her guide said, looking at her with the eyes that she was now able to see clearly. "Let's go home." Casting one glance back at those she had loved, she took the offered hand of her guide as he led her back to eternity.