Drowning in Darkness.

By: Lazeralk.

Standard disclaimers apply.

In the name of God, impure souls of the living dead shall be banished into eternal damnation. Amen.

Part 14

0o0o0

To my reviewers, life is good when you're 18, staying home from school and getting awesome reviews from wonderful people like you. I spent Saturday night at a club raving for three hours straight and I'm sore beyond belief, but because of all of you, I'm writing. I should be sleeping, but I read your reviews and I get all glowy inside and I have to update. Slave drivers, the lot of ya!

Plaid cat – of course you can call me Laz, it's much easier to say than Lazeralk anyway.

0o0o0

"Sear, I can't see."

A flame lit the darkness, casting shadows across three faces.

"Why is it that all pyros are red-heads?" asked Aramore, playing with a lock of his commander's hair.

"Genetic flaw." Answered Seron as he gave a jerk of his head, tugging his hair from the aerokinetic's grasp.

"Aww." Said Aramore, pouting.

Seron rolled his eyes. They walked along the darkened halls underneath the castle, the tunnels were the only way in and out and acted as a line of defense. They were filled with traps and hidden passageways.

The large gold and crystal ankh around Seron's neck was the only thing that could guide them through the stone labyrinth, lighting a path for them in red along the floor. The redhead extended his arm, the ball of fire in his hand glowing brightly.

"C'mon. I want to get this over with."

"Sure you do Sear." Said Aramore with a laugh.

"Shut up Ahram."

Aramore just laughed again.

0o0o0

Arucard couldn't remember when he'd fallen asleep but he didn't care. He rolled over onto his back and stared at the ceiling, tucking an arm behind his head, the other thrown over his stomach.

He drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly.

So this is what hell felt like.

"I want her back." He told his light fixture.

Ah, but why Arucard? Is it just to sooth your bruised ego? Do you really love her, or is it is nothing but pride? Would I really sacrifice what little happiness my child has made for herself for the sake of my pride?

And what of my master? Integra loves me, I can feel that. And yet I ignore her. Is that pride also? Because she loves me, she is no challenge, and therefore I will not pursue her?

I have no answers and that's not good enough.

I will wait. I'll just leave it alone until I can understand my own feelings. Maybe then, if it's not to late, we can all be happy.

His thoughts turned bitter then, his inner voice filled with scorn.

And isn't that just what we want?

His light fixture didn't answer him.

0o0o0

Malikai pulled his trembling lips from that of his love and gave her a smile that warmed her heart. He lifted her up into his arms and sat down in the chair she'd just vacated, cradling her small body in his arms.

Seras relaxed against him and let her thoughts wander. She felt her master distantly, his mind dark and brooding as it usually was, but sad instead of bloodthirsty. She reached down the cord that bound them together and felt him stiffen.

-Do you want something police girl? –

-Master. Are you angry with me? – She asked.

-No. I'm not. – He said. Then she felt his body go ridged, and was suddenly aware of the pentagram above her, turning slowly.

-On your feet police girl. We have company. –

-Company? –

0o0o0

Seron looked up at the Hellsing mansion and smirked. Meriquoi and Aramore flanked him, gazing at the house with animosity.

"Well boys, shall we say hello?"

The front door opened to reveal Aramore's target. The little blonde had a halconnen slung across her shoulder; a box of ammo strapped to her back and a Cassul in her other hand.

"Aramore?"

"She's mine." Answered the scythe-wielding vampire.

He sauntered up to her, Black Siphon coming to his hand like a dog to it's masters call. She glared at him, her ruby eyes gleaming with determination.

"Hello little one. I'm Aramore and I'll be your executioner today." He said with a seductive smile.

"Bite me." Hissed Seras, bringing the gun up.

"Oh certainly!"

He lunged at her, deftly avoiding the bullet from the Cassul. She swung her cannon around and caught him across the temple, sending him skidding on the grass.

Arucard chose that moment to phase through the wall, his Jackals naked in his hands. He watched the fight between his child and the mysterious ruby eyed vampire and resisted the urge to help her. He could only spare her a glance before the only green-eyed vampire he'd ever seen was on him.

Seron's fingers had grown into claws and he was slashing his target's coat to ribbons but not doing much else. Arucard brought up his gun and fired. The pyrokinetic jerked his head to the side and bullet severed a few strands of his fire red hair. He growled and caught the Hellsing vamp across the face, ripping huge gashes in his pale skin.

Meriquoi stood absolutely still, extending his senses to their limit as he searched for his target. The Shadow Walker had to be around here somewhere. He knew that killing her would not be possible; the most he could hope for would be to trap her within the Deep with her kin. He'd focus his energy on finding her first, then he'd worry about trapping her.

Aramore was not liking the halconnen; he'd been smacked upside the head with it a total of six times so far and it was beginning to make him dizzy. He flashed his fangs at her and swept Black Siphon up and across, neatly slicing the barrel in half.

"Hey!" cried Seras, looking at her now useless weapon.

"Hey yourself!" returned the snow haired vamp. He dissolved into shadow and rematerialized behind her. He slashed at her back, removing the ammo box and a good half of her shirt.

He pinned her in place with his scythe and his hands, using his tongue to lick along her spine. Seras screamed out of shock, surprised by the lack of pain. She tried to turn and look at him, struggling to free herself.

"You're so pretty, no wonder the no life king brought you over. Has he had his way with you yet little girl?" he whispered, bringing a blush to her cheeks. He licked his lips and plunged his fangs into her neck.

0o0o0

"Sir Integra, I do believe the house is under attack, yet again." Said Walter calmly, a hint of sarcasm in his otherwise banal voice.

"And here I thought we'd met our quota for the year." Said Integra bitterly as she rubbed her throbbing temples.

"Deploy the troops, lets get this over with." She continued, rising and tucking a second gun into her coat pocket.

"Right away Sir Integra."

She watched him walk out of her office and sighed.

When this is over, she thought to herself, I'm going on a vacation.

0o0o0

Shadow emerged from the darkness, her figure pushing itself from the blackened ground. She watched as Arucard put a bullet into the knee of a red haired vampire and saw Seras' eyes widen in pain as a snow-white head worried at her neck like a dog with a bone. She finally saw her own opponent, waiting calmly for her arrival.

"Sorry to keep you waiting." She told him, shifting into a comfortable stance.

"It's no trouble." He returned politely. He gave her a small bow, sliding a long sword form a sheath across the small of his back.

"I'm Meriquoi, in case you're wondering, and we've been sent to subdue you and your friends." He told her, slipping into his own crouching stance.

"I see. Shall we?"

"If you insist."

They seemed to slide along the ground, feet never really moving. They crashed into each other, their blades screaming as they met. She turned her weight into the blades and backed away as he slashed downward. He was amazingly fast, weaving intricate patterns with such a large sword.

She did her best to keep up with him, but is was all she could do to just block.

Arucard was absolutely ecstatic. His redheaded friend was simply amazing. He was reforming his face for the third time in the last five minutes as a result of the other's claws. He'd shattered Seron's kneecaps and was aiming for a headshot when his opponent stuck a hand in his face and lit him on fire.

Arucard howled with fury, dissolving into shadows to quench the flames. He reformed himself and watched as the redhead did the same, using the respite to heal his knees. Seron stood up straight and launched himself back at his target.

Seras drove the back of her fist into Aramore's head, causing him to let go of her. The space from neck to shoulder was red ruin, blood pouring down her uniform.

She dropped what remained of her halconnen, the nerves in her fingers twitching from the injury. She whirled around and caught her attacker in the face with the Cassul, throwing him backwards. She shot him twice in the chest and he screamed, but didn't turn into ash like she expected.

Seron froze when he heard his friend scream and pulled back, leaving a howling Arucard behind.

"Fall back!" he roared, watching Meriquoi speak to the woman he was fighting before vanishing in a spout of water. He threw flames at the child vampire and saw her shrink back in terror, hissing at the wall that separated her from them.

Seron carefully lifted the withering form of his comrade and teleported them both to the entrance of the tunnels in a pillar of fire. Meriquoi was waiting for them, nursing a gash on his arm that hadn't stopped bleeding.

He lay Aramore down on the ground and pulled a knife out of his boot, he plunged it into his friend's chest and dug for the bullets, hoping to take them out before they did any real damage.

"Hold on Ahram, don't you dare die on me." He whispered feverently.

0o0o0

Arucard watched as the last of the flames died down under the care of the Hellsing troops. They'd arrived too late on the scene, the three assassins already gone by the time Integra had shown up.

Seras had been rushed to the infirmary to see doctor Cunningham, who was waiting with a fresh supply of blood for her. Shadow stood beside him, cleaning her blades.

"So." She said.

"I'd never seen a vampire with green eyes before." He mused out loud.

"The one I fought, Meriquoi, had blue eyes." She said.

"Really?" he asked.

"Yeah."

"I'm going to sleep. Wake me if they come back." He said, turning to walk through the wall.

"Sure." She said, twisting her wrists and letting her blades vanish into the Deep.

0o0o0

End part 14

I know, this one's short, but I'm sick and lazy and going to sleep now. Oh well, at least you met my babies. Seron, Aramore and Meriquoi live in my head and they are mine. My own personal bishis who are protesting quite adamantly their roles as bad guys. They usually aren't this evil, really. Although, Ahram really is that much of a slut.