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 16

To my reviewers, you guys are great. Sorry this one took so long, I've been having some rough spots in the real world, not to mention my own head. Seron and I are having a spat, so I've taken to keeping my company with Meriquoi and that's just sparked even more temper tantrums, and they won't stop arguing. My muse finds the whole thing hysterical, and there will be much angst as a result in the upcoming chapters. Sorry. A new guy has moved in as well, everyone say hi to Isaac.

Faye – Yes, I have read Anita Blake, all sixteen (?) of the books five times apiece, I love them, I adore them, and they are my life's blood. Jean-Claude should be worshiped as the sex god that he is. Richard must die. Edward is GOD.

Liz - Here's you're much desired shout out, I love your reviews. Seron is my snuggle bunny, even if we're not speaking to each other right now. He'll get more lovable as it goes I'm afraid.

0o0o0

Shadow carefully set aside the folders she'd spent the last hour organizing, and sighed. She'd been left alone in Walter's room with a stack of files on her side of the table and scattered papers on Arucard's side. Seras had left with Malikai, the human trembling with nerves. She wondered what had him so up tight. Arucard had left shortly after, growling something about his child and murder. Sometimes telepathy was a pain in the ass.

She sat back down at the little table and stared at the wood, thinking about the future as her kind were wont to do. When her people were freed, she would return to the Deep. Arucard and Integra would be disappointed, but that's the way it had to be.

She stood and made her way to the wall, seeking the refuge of her home. She sank through the layers of the Shallows and into the Deep, reveling in the power she found there. The sword had stopped moving the energy around in here, so the spell was quiet. The cries of her people echoed less now that the magic had settled.

She floated to her home and sat back at her table, they were going to storm Mauve's castle in a few hours.

0o0o0

Seras was frantic with worry. She checked herself over in the mirror, straightened her skirt and tightened her gloves. She glanced at Malikai and then back at the mirror and then did it all over again. Malikai was sitting on her bed, watching her go through her nervous dance, waiting for her master to give the order to move out. Her halconnen had been replaced by a stressed Walter earlier that day and a fresh supply of shells had been placed outside her door. She had a Beretta in a shoulder holster, tucked under her left arm, the Cassul in a hip holster and extra clips for each stuffed in every other available space.

She was going through her straightening and fixing routine for the umpteenth time when a warm pair of hands rested firmly on her shoulders. She looked in the mirror and found Malikai's soft green eyes, watching her calmly.

"Relax love, you'll be glorious." He told her, wrapping his arms around her thin frame and resting his chin in her silky hair.

"Malikai." She whispered, her nerves slowly unwinding.

"I love you." He told her, squeezing her to him.

"I love you." She returned. She meant the words, but her mind kept drifting.

Arucard.

0o0o0

"Let's go." Said Aramore, stretching his lanky form.

"No."

"No?"

"They're coming here."

"Are you sure?"

"Are you a whore?"

"Will the sun rise tomorrow?"

"Ok, ok, I get it. Geez." Aramore glared at the two men he was currently sharing his bed with. It just wasn't fair when they ganged up on him. He stuck his tongue out at Meriquoi who just rolled his eyes in return.

"So, we're lounging until they get here?"

"Yep."

"Seron darling, don't you know there are so many more, pleasurable, ways to kill the time?" suggested Aramore, his fingers dancing down the red heads back, his tone dripping with sensuality. He very gently rubbed his leg along the other man's side, grinding his hips on his friend's thigh.

Seron groaned.

"Go fuck Meriquoi. I'm not in the mood."

"Oh, c'mon."

"No."

"Please?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"No."

"It'll be worth your while."

"No!"

0o0o0

Arucard stuffed the many inner pockets in his over coat with spare clips. He shivered in anticipation for the battle to come. The fight promised to be one of his most glorious yet, especially if the redhead was there again. A pyrokinetic vampire, he grinned at the thought, a truly worthy opponent. This would be even more fun than blowing Anderson to bits. And that was pretty fun.

He'd been thrilled when Integra had given the order, her face cold and impersonal even after the fright he'd given her not a few hours earlier. He was still yelling at himself for that, but he just couldn't keep the smile off his face at the promise of blood shed. Maybe she wasn't so angry with him after all.

He opened the link between them, feeling the weight of the spell that bound him to her like a giant coil around his entire being. He followed the line mentally, the pentagram above him pulsing with his power as it made it's eternal circle over the house. His precious, meticulous seals, built with blood and power for over twenty years.

He felt the comforting presence of his master's mind as he slipped in unnoticed. Nope. She was still pist. And oh dear, he really hoped that wasn't supposed to be him. He didn't feel like going back into the dungeon, and he really didn't want to be impaled with several hundred, small, blessed blades at the same time. He had this sinking feeling that his skin would eventually grow around the blades and then he'd be horribly deformed and have no chance at all with her. Not that he'd have any chance while he was locked in the dungeon.

He pulled out of her mind and decided against going in to annoy her before the battle, though she usually had better aim when she was angry. Most people get distracted when they're upset, but Integra became obsessively focused instead. She always was kind of weird.

His fingers were shaking. Why were his fingers shaking? Excitement, hunger. Yes, he'd skipped his blood ration; he'd have plenty on the battlefield tonight. Mauve would have lots of fresh meat on hand. She always did. She was crazy but she was also paranoid. Blood would be easy to find, and he'd feast the way he was meant to, the way he'd done before his capture. He'd have fresh, hot blood, filled with fear and pain and power.

Oh yes, let the blood bath begin.

0o0o0

Mauve tapped her foot impatiently; her master was refusing to leave the throne. She wanted to play, why couldn't she play? She growled and left him behind, he was always right where she left him anyway. She stalked the hall and found one of the many humans she'd kidnapped. They were allowed to roam the castle and do whatever they wished.

It was kind of fun to watch them try to escape. They never made it out alive, not a single one. Some of them got creative once in a while and a few actually discovered the tunnels under ground, but none of them ever made it out.

She grabbed the girl's arm and ripped it out of the socket, ignoring her sharp scream of pain and her tears. She drank the blood delicately, swirling the severed limb like a martini glass. Hmm, a little too sweet for her tastes, but it would do. The girl was screeching at the top of her lungs, wailing piteously at the stump that use to be her arm. Mauve just left her there, walking along the halls distractedly, the detached hand bouncing along her leg as she walked. She took another dainty sip of the sweet blood and decided to go find Seron.

She always felt better after beating on him for a while.

0o0o0

"The tunnels are the only way in or out, and I'd bet my cigars that they're filled with traps and dead ends. Try not to die before you reach the target." Snapped Integra angrily.

"Lady Hellsing. Wouldn't it be easier if we just walked the Shallows?" Asked Shadow as she studied the blueprints.

"You can get all three of you past the tunnels?"

"I can. The Shallows are a much safer route."

"Do it then. May God and Her Majesty go with you. Dismissed."

Shadow turned on her heel and walked through the door, Arucard right behind her. Seras had to open it to get out. The three of them walked down the stairs, a madly grinning nosfaratu leading them. The two girls flanked him, Shadow looking dark and seemingly unarmed, Seras looking like a cute twelve year old loaded for bear.

Arucard cackled at the thought, this was going to be fun.

0o0o0

"Up."

"Do I have to?"

"Get off me Ahram. We have to get ready to fight now."

"Aww….."

The white haired vamp rolled over and let his commander up. The redhead peeled himself off of Meriquoi's lap and swung his legs over the edge of the bed, cracking his neck.

Meriquoi silently padded over to where his sword was leaning against the wall and strapped it to his waist. His clothes were actually quite clean.

Seron sighed and looked at the bloody holes over his knees, the pants were ruined. He shrugged them off his hips, and began to dig through Aramore's closet while the almost blonde sprawled himself seductively on the bed and stared at him. He found a pair of pants that weren't skintight and tried them on. Aramore whistled and he immediately took them off.

"You have such a cute butt Sear." Complemented Aramore, even as he caught the bundle of see through material that the pyro threw at his face.

Seron sighed and pulled out a pair of flaming red pants and struggled into them. Aramore was laughing at him, he just knew it. When he finally got all the buttons, laces and zippers securely fastened, he walked to the wall and stared at his reflection.

The slut of their little group had a mirror taking up his entire left wall. Typical.

The pants made his hair stand out even more starkly against his black vinyl shirt and looked painted on. He wasn't quite sure what they were made of and at this point wasn't sure he really wanted to know either.

"You are so hot. Can we please just have a quickie before we go get ourselves killed?"

He was never wearing Aramore's clothes ever again.

0o0o0

The castle was actually bigger then they expected. But she guessed it would have to be pretty big to house a demon-worshipping cult of vampires and enough humans to feed them all. Seras briefly wondered what demons ate, if they ate anything. She glanced expectantly at Shadow as the mysterious woman studied the castle's outer walls.

She turned her attention to the huge stone building and was slightly surprised to see that there wasn't a single window in the entire thing. Who builds a castle without windows? Oh right, vampires.

"Ready to kill police girl?" asked her master, turning his blood red eyes on her. His smile was more psychotic than she could ever remember it. It was frightening to look at; the sheer amount of raw blood lust that one expression contained was enough to turn her stomach.

"Master." She said, her eyes sliding away from his gleeful face.

"Let's go." He said, his arm reaching out to take Shadows hand. She glared at him and he grabbed for his guns instead. He was almost bouncy with excitement, joyfully anticipating the fight to come like a child on his first trip to Disney Land.

Shadow scowled at him and turned to give Seras a reassuring smile. She held out her hand to the young vampire and squeezed it comfortingly when it came. Seras smiled back, her hands ceasing the mindless pawing of her weapon.

"Ready?"

She nodded and then looked around as the world faded to black. The castle walls melted around them and they were suddenly standing in a hallway with torches lining the walls, and a blood red carpet beckoning them forth.

0o0o0

End part 16

I'm thinking that this will be finished in 18 parts. Next part will be the big fight and stuff and one more to wrap everything up, sound good?