En route, Matthew thought of something he'd wanted to talk to Seras about.
"Hey, Seras. I just remembered something."
Seras snapped out of her trance. "Yeah? What is that?"
"I've been thinking about how long it took for all the vampire enhancements to take form. Did it take long for your eyes and muscles to improve?"
She shook her head. "No, it pretty much happened overnight."
"Hmm..." He thought for a moment. "The night you turned me. How long had it been since you'd had any blood before then?"
After a pause, she replied, "About a week, maybe a little longer."
Matthew nodded. "Yep, that might be it. You were in a weakened state when you turned me, so it must have taken longer for your blood to take full effect."
Seras was silent for a time. "I'm sorry."
He held up a hand to stop her. "Don't. You've got nothing to apologize for. I was just curious what was taking me so long. Now, I won't worry."
::Ten Minutes Later::
Alucard sat on the steps to the residence as Matthew and Seras walked up. They had left the transport several blocks away for stealth. "There is no need for silence. They know we are here."
Matthew shrugged. "Eh, it seemed like a good idea at the time. In through the front door?"
Alucard grinned. "Yes. I hope this 'master' vampire actually poses a challenge. It's been so long since I've had a real fight." The word 'master' had been nearly dripping with sarcasm. "In the name of God," he said, in keeping with Hellsing regulation, "impure souls of the living dead shall be banished into eternal damnation. Amen." With that, the three entered the residence. Alucard made his way swiftly towards the back, and the location of the library. Seras started for the far study.
That left the near study for Matthew. He grabbed both brownings, snapped them into the belt rails, and cycled them both, readying them for action. He gently lowered the hammers on each pistol so they wouldn't go off in their holsters. Sliding them back into the belt, he brought the Valkyrie up and loaded a shot cartridge into it. Holding it into his shoulder, he walked up to the door, turned a little, and gave the door a hard side kick. It flew open and Matthew rushed in. A vampire stood in the center of the room, but he saw no others. Bringing the Valkyrie to bear, he shouted, "Freeze! Don't move!" If Matthew could get any information out of this vampire, he would.
The vampire lazily closed his book and set it down, seemingly unimpressed. He looked at Matthew. "Ah, you must be one of Hellsing's pets. You're not Alucard, but I suppose I'll still have some fun." He drew a small pistol from under his coat.
"Put the weapon down or I will fire!" The vampire sneered and pointed the pistol at Matthew. "I warned you." He fired. The silver shot hit its target, but he was too far to get a good spread. The vampire did not fall.
"Is that the best you've got?" The vampire fired. Matthew flung himself to the side, but felt a bullet slice against his left flank. He grabbed the right mounted browning, pulled it out, and thumbed back the hammer. He landed on his feet, aimed, and let loose a volley of three bullets. All hit the target in the chest. The mercury released, and a moment later the vampire lay on the ground, a pile of ash. Lowing the browning's hammer and sliding it back into its holster, he loaded a slug round into the Valkyrie. Movement from above! Matthew aimed and fired, catching a second vampire square in the stomach. He fell to the ground with a fair sized hole in his torso, but wasn't dead. Again, he yanked the browning, pulled back its hammer, and fired a volley of anti-vampire bullets. The second vampire became ash. He started to reload the Valkyrie, but was suddenly shoved forward as claws tried to puncture the denim jacket. He spun, slamming the Valkyrie into his attacker. It was a vampress. She was knocked back onto the floor, but sprung up quickly. Matthew had no time to load the Valkyrie, so he set it on the floor and again grabbed the browning.
The vampress drew a pair of knives and charged. Matthew spun to avoid the attack, but got slashed across the chest and stabbed in his left arm. After a short yell from the pain, he brought the browning in his right hand to bear and fired the last four bullets. The vampress dropped into ashes. Matthew looked around for another target, but didn't find one. He yanked the knife out and threw it to the floor, then pulled at the tear in his sleeve to survey the damage to his arm. The wounds in his flank and chest were already closing. His arm's puncture wound would start closing in a moment, but for now oozed red. He thought for a moment. 'Well... I'm a blood drinker now... I wonder how I taste...' He paused, then quickly brought his injured left arm up to his mouth and gave it a lick. Matthew considered the flavor. His reaction: "Meh."
He punched the magazine release on the browning, allowing the empty magazine to slide out of the gun and clatter to the floor. He stuffed in a new magazine and hit the slide release. The slide slid forward and locked into place. After again lowing the pistol's hammer, he slid it back into the belt.
Suddenly he felt something... 'Seras is in trouble...' He tried to confirm, but a new voice entered his mind.
It was Alucard. 'Young Jemeth, your master is in trouble. Perhaps you should help her?'
There was no further delay. Matthew ran, picking the Valkyrie off the floor and shoving his way through the door. Running down the corridor, he popped the hatch of the Valkyrie and allowed the spent round to eject and ting off the floor. He stuffed in another slug round, closed the hatch, and lowered his right shoulder to bash through the door. The door nearly exploded with the force he put into it. He brought the Valkyire around in front of him. There, on the floor, lay Seras with a vampire above her. Matthew yelled to distract the vampire, aimed, and fired. The slug caught the vampire's middle and sent him flying across the room. Matthew grabbed the right browning, thumbed its hammer, and fired three shots. One missed, the others hit. The first vampire was down. Knowing from the last battle he would have little time to reload, he bumped the Valkyrie's sling off his left shoulder and slid the weapon to the floor. He grabbed the second browning, thumbed its hammer, and brought both pistols to bear on a vampire leaping down from the upper level of the study. He fired three rounds from each. The first two missed, but the last four connected. The last vampire fell in a pile of ash. Matthew gave a quick look around the room, then slid the pistol in his right hand into its holster. He jogged over to Seras. "You ok?"
"Yeah," she said. "I got the first vampire, but the second hit me from behind before I could react..." Her eyes went wide. "Look out!"
Matthew spun around, bringing his still out left browning to bear. The vampire was almost upon him...
Seras snapped out of her trance. "Yeah? What is that?"
"I've been thinking about how long it took for all the vampire enhancements to take form. Did it take long for your eyes and muscles to improve?"
She shook her head. "No, it pretty much happened overnight."
"Hmm..." He thought for a moment. "The night you turned me. How long had it been since you'd had any blood before then?"
After a pause, she replied, "About a week, maybe a little longer."
Matthew nodded. "Yep, that might be it. You were in a weakened state when you turned me, so it must have taken longer for your blood to take full effect."
Seras was silent for a time. "I'm sorry."
He held up a hand to stop her. "Don't. You've got nothing to apologize for. I was just curious what was taking me so long. Now, I won't worry."
::Ten Minutes Later::
Alucard sat on the steps to the residence as Matthew and Seras walked up. They had left the transport several blocks away for stealth. "There is no need for silence. They know we are here."
Matthew shrugged. "Eh, it seemed like a good idea at the time. In through the front door?"
Alucard grinned. "Yes. I hope this 'master' vampire actually poses a challenge. It's been so long since I've had a real fight." The word 'master' had been nearly dripping with sarcasm. "In the name of God," he said, in keeping with Hellsing regulation, "impure souls of the living dead shall be banished into eternal damnation. Amen." With that, the three entered the residence. Alucard made his way swiftly towards the back, and the location of the library. Seras started for the far study.
That left the near study for Matthew. He grabbed both brownings, snapped them into the belt rails, and cycled them both, readying them for action. He gently lowered the hammers on each pistol so they wouldn't go off in their holsters. Sliding them back into the belt, he brought the Valkyrie up and loaded a shot cartridge into it. Holding it into his shoulder, he walked up to the door, turned a little, and gave the door a hard side kick. It flew open and Matthew rushed in. A vampire stood in the center of the room, but he saw no others. Bringing the Valkyrie to bear, he shouted, "Freeze! Don't move!" If Matthew could get any information out of this vampire, he would.
The vampire lazily closed his book and set it down, seemingly unimpressed. He looked at Matthew. "Ah, you must be one of Hellsing's pets. You're not Alucard, but I suppose I'll still have some fun." He drew a small pistol from under his coat.
"Put the weapon down or I will fire!" The vampire sneered and pointed the pistol at Matthew. "I warned you." He fired. The silver shot hit its target, but he was too far to get a good spread. The vampire did not fall.
"Is that the best you've got?" The vampire fired. Matthew flung himself to the side, but felt a bullet slice against his left flank. He grabbed the right mounted browning, pulled it out, and thumbed back the hammer. He landed on his feet, aimed, and let loose a volley of three bullets. All hit the target in the chest. The mercury released, and a moment later the vampire lay on the ground, a pile of ash. Lowing the browning's hammer and sliding it back into its holster, he loaded a slug round into the Valkyrie. Movement from above! Matthew aimed and fired, catching a second vampire square in the stomach. He fell to the ground with a fair sized hole in his torso, but wasn't dead. Again, he yanked the browning, pulled back its hammer, and fired a volley of anti-vampire bullets. The second vampire became ash. He started to reload the Valkyrie, but was suddenly shoved forward as claws tried to puncture the denim jacket. He spun, slamming the Valkyrie into his attacker. It was a vampress. She was knocked back onto the floor, but sprung up quickly. Matthew had no time to load the Valkyrie, so he set it on the floor and again grabbed the browning.
The vampress drew a pair of knives and charged. Matthew spun to avoid the attack, but got slashed across the chest and stabbed in his left arm. After a short yell from the pain, he brought the browning in his right hand to bear and fired the last four bullets. The vampress dropped into ashes. Matthew looked around for another target, but didn't find one. He yanked the knife out and threw it to the floor, then pulled at the tear in his sleeve to survey the damage to his arm. The wounds in his flank and chest were already closing. His arm's puncture wound would start closing in a moment, but for now oozed red. He thought for a moment. 'Well... I'm a blood drinker now... I wonder how I taste...' He paused, then quickly brought his injured left arm up to his mouth and gave it a lick. Matthew considered the flavor. His reaction: "Meh."
He punched the magazine release on the browning, allowing the empty magazine to slide out of the gun and clatter to the floor. He stuffed in a new magazine and hit the slide release. The slide slid forward and locked into place. After again lowing the pistol's hammer, he slid it back into the belt.
Suddenly he felt something... 'Seras is in trouble...' He tried to confirm, but a new voice entered his mind.
It was Alucard. 'Young Jemeth, your master is in trouble. Perhaps you should help her?'
There was no further delay. Matthew ran, picking the Valkyrie off the floor and shoving his way through the door. Running down the corridor, he popped the hatch of the Valkyrie and allowed the spent round to eject and ting off the floor. He stuffed in another slug round, closed the hatch, and lowered his right shoulder to bash through the door. The door nearly exploded with the force he put into it. He brought the Valkyire around in front of him. There, on the floor, lay Seras with a vampire above her. Matthew yelled to distract the vampire, aimed, and fired. The slug caught the vampire's middle and sent him flying across the room. Matthew grabbed the right browning, thumbed its hammer, and fired three shots. One missed, the others hit. The first vampire was down. Knowing from the last battle he would have little time to reload, he bumped the Valkyrie's sling off his left shoulder and slid the weapon to the floor. He grabbed the second browning, thumbed its hammer, and brought both pistols to bear on a vampire leaping down from the upper level of the study. He fired three rounds from each. The first two missed, but the last four connected. The last vampire fell in a pile of ash. Matthew gave a quick look around the room, then slid the pistol in his right hand into its holster. He jogged over to Seras. "You ok?"
"Yeah," she said. "I got the first vampire, but the second hit me from behind before I could react..." Her eyes went wide. "Look out!"
Matthew spun around, bringing his still out left browning to bear. The vampire was almost upon him...
