Matthew awoke and slowly sat up. That dream... That was the night
everything changed for him. The night his life changed forever. He'd
never been able to remember all the details, but now it was like an open
book. He remembered it all, especially what he'd been thinking at the
time. 'Man, I really didn't know what I was getting myself into, did I?'
He sighed, shut off the alarm, and flopped back onto the bed. Then, he
sensed something. 'Seras... She's troubled, depressed. I've gotta go help
her. I owe her for all the help she's given me.' Matthew left his room
and made his way through the corridors to Sera's room. He knocked on the
door.
"Come in," came the reply.
Matthew opened the door and went inside. Her room looked similar to his with the notable exception that she still had the 'four poster coffin' bed. She lay on the bed and looked towards him. When she saw him, she smiled a bit. "I should have known it would be you." She gestured to a chair and Matthew sat.
"I figured it was high time I helped you with something, so when I felt that you were troubled I came right over." He leaned towards her. "What's wrong?"
Seras sighed. "I'd like a moment before I say it, if you don't mind."
Matthew nodded. "Not a problem. I owe you a couple explanations anyway." Seras paused in thought, then nodded as she remembered. She gestured for him to go on. "First, the whole crisis of faith thing. I already told you about what I think about God. Thing is, before I went to talk with Integra the last time I made a request: to be able to see a sunset again. When you said I could, that pretty much works as His response to my request. Yeah, it's a coincidence, but maybe that's just how He works? Still, crisis of faith solved. Second is what brought you to my room the most recent time; yesterday before the investigation. Integra gave me permission to use e- mail again."
"I know. I felt how happy you were when you left her office."
"Yeah, I figured that. Anyway, I'd sent an e-mail to my dad at the start of all this. He'd replied and Akira had sent one. So, I read both and replied. Dad's told me what I needed to hear: that I'm his son and he'll love me no matter what. Akira's, however... Well, it had some things I needed to hear, how she want to see me again, to be with me. Then... Well, I should have expected this. She mentioned the idea of me turning her so we could always be together. She's been into vampires since I've known her, though in a more fictional sense. Didn't really help my mood, and my reply to her helped even less. So that's why I got all depressed."
Seras nodded. "I understand. I guess this means it's my turn, huh?" Matthew simply nodded back. "Well, it has to do with something you're quite familiar with: finding it hard to drink blood. I've never been very comfortable with the idea, and like you time has only made it worse. I haven't had any blood for about a week, and it's starting to show. I'm more tired, more easily upset, weak. But I still can't drink the blood."
Matthew considered, letting it run through his mind. His eyes widened as the solution dropped into place. It would actually be rather easy. It would help to solve both of their problems. "Give me a sec. I've gotta go get something." Without waiting for a reply, he ran out the door and down the corridor.
A few minutes later he returned, a bag of blood in hand. He stopped by the table and grabbed the other bag of blood, then brought it over to Seras. "Here, take it." Cautiously, she did. "I'm gonna show you how I've been drinking this stuff. It seems to work pretty well, and having company might actually help." Moving slowly so she could see, he bit off the tip of the bag's drain tube and drank it like a pouch drink. He finished quickly, then tossed the bag into the bucket on the table. "Now you try." After a moment, she copied what he did. Soon after her empty bag joined his in the bucket on the table. Matthew had already used his saliva to clean out his mouth, and Seras did the same. "Better?"
Seras nodded. "Yes, thank you. That did help; both the idea and the company."
"If you'd like, I could stop by every couple days. You know, make sure we're both getting the blood intake we need."
"That would work." She laid back down on the bed and gave him a slight smile.
::Later::
"From the information gained from the vampires and Iscariot, we have determined the possible existence if a new threat in England."
Integra Wingates Hellsing sat listening to Fargason's report as Seras and Matthew joined. "Another ancient master vampire," she replied.
"Indeed," Fargason replied. "We've sent our information to Iscariot and are awaiting their reply. However, we do need more time to determine our first course of action. I believe it should be a data gathering mission so we know more about what we are dealing with. The vampires silenced in the previous mission were attempting to get in touch with the new threat and had been given a location to send information. We are attempting to track that location now." He nodded to Matthew and Seras as they approached the table. "I'd like to send Victoria and Jemeth back to the vampire's residence, see if they can find anything we could use in our search."
Sir Integra considered the plan, then nodded. "Approved." She turned to Matthew and Seras. "Go see Walter for some concealed weaponry. I don't want anyone taking any unnecessary risks with this new threat arising. In the meanwhile, I'll speak with Alucard. Anything he knows would be helpful. Dismissed."
"Yes, Sir Integra." Seras saluted and started for the door. Matthew bowed his head and followed.
The two made their way to the armory, where Walter waited patiently for them. "While I'm afraid you cannot take your usual weapons," he said after their usual greeting, "I do have something that will give you some added defense should you need it." From under the table, he produced two conceal carry holsters for wear under a jacket. He passed the smaller one to Seras and the larger on to Matthew. From a case, he produced a pair of pistols. "These are Walther PPKs."
Matthew smiled. "Ah, James Bond guns."
Walter chuckled. "Indeed. These fire 32 caliber silver bullets. Not mercury charge: they are too small for that. There is a magazine already loaded in each. Here are two spares for each of you." He set four magazines on the table. Matthew and Seras each grabbed a pistol and two magazines, sliding them into the appropriate places of the holsters. "Oh, before I forget. Mr. Jemeth, how did the shot shells in you Valkyrie work?"
Matthew lightly bit his lower lip for a moment. "Not so well, I'm afraid. I only got the chance to use one against one vampire, but all it did was slow him down. I'd have to be a pretty close range to take one out, but if enough get close I could probably take out several in one shot. Good for defense. And they'll still work well against ghouls, so I'll keep using them."
"Ah, then I'll not abandon the idea. Good luck Ms. Victoria, Mr. Jemeth."
"Thank you, Walter," Seras replied.
"Come in," came the reply.
Matthew opened the door and went inside. Her room looked similar to his with the notable exception that she still had the 'four poster coffin' bed. She lay on the bed and looked towards him. When she saw him, she smiled a bit. "I should have known it would be you." She gestured to a chair and Matthew sat.
"I figured it was high time I helped you with something, so when I felt that you were troubled I came right over." He leaned towards her. "What's wrong?"
Seras sighed. "I'd like a moment before I say it, if you don't mind."
Matthew nodded. "Not a problem. I owe you a couple explanations anyway." Seras paused in thought, then nodded as she remembered. She gestured for him to go on. "First, the whole crisis of faith thing. I already told you about what I think about God. Thing is, before I went to talk with Integra the last time I made a request: to be able to see a sunset again. When you said I could, that pretty much works as His response to my request. Yeah, it's a coincidence, but maybe that's just how He works? Still, crisis of faith solved. Second is what brought you to my room the most recent time; yesterday before the investigation. Integra gave me permission to use e- mail again."
"I know. I felt how happy you were when you left her office."
"Yeah, I figured that. Anyway, I'd sent an e-mail to my dad at the start of all this. He'd replied and Akira had sent one. So, I read both and replied. Dad's told me what I needed to hear: that I'm his son and he'll love me no matter what. Akira's, however... Well, it had some things I needed to hear, how she want to see me again, to be with me. Then... Well, I should have expected this. She mentioned the idea of me turning her so we could always be together. She's been into vampires since I've known her, though in a more fictional sense. Didn't really help my mood, and my reply to her helped even less. So that's why I got all depressed."
Seras nodded. "I understand. I guess this means it's my turn, huh?" Matthew simply nodded back. "Well, it has to do with something you're quite familiar with: finding it hard to drink blood. I've never been very comfortable with the idea, and like you time has only made it worse. I haven't had any blood for about a week, and it's starting to show. I'm more tired, more easily upset, weak. But I still can't drink the blood."
Matthew considered, letting it run through his mind. His eyes widened as the solution dropped into place. It would actually be rather easy. It would help to solve both of their problems. "Give me a sec. I've gotta go get something." Without waiting for a reply, he ran out the door and down the corridor.
A few minutes later he returned, a bag of blood in hand. He stopped by the table and grabbed the other bag of blood, then brought it over to Seras. "Here, take it." Cautiously, she did. "I'm gonna show you how I've been drinking this stuff. It seems to work pretty well, and having company might actually help." Moving slowly so she could see, he bit off the tip of the bag's drain tube and drank it like a pouch drink. He finished quickly, then tossed the bag into the bucket on the table. "Now you try." After a moment, she copied what he did. Soon after her empty bag joined his in the bucket on the table. Matthew had already used his saliva to clean out his mouth, and Seras did the same. "Better?"
Seras nodded. "Yes, thank you. That did help; both the idea and the company."
"If you'd like, I could stop by every couple days. You know, make sure we're both getting the blood intake we need."
"That would work." She laid back down on the bed and gave him a slight smile.
::Later::
"From the information gained from the vampires and Iscariot, we have determined the possible existence if a new threat in England."
Integra Wingates Hellsing sat listening to Fargason's report as Seras and Matthew joined. "Another ancient master vampire," she replied.
"Indeed," Fargason replied. "We've sent our information to Iscariot and are awaiting their reply. However, we do need more time to determine our first course of action. I believe it should be a data gathering mission so we know more about what we are dealing with. The vampires silenced in the previous mission were attempting to get in touch with the new threat and had been given a location to send information. We are attempting to track that location now." He nodded to Matthew and Seras as they approached the table. "I'd like to send Victoria and Jemeth back to the vampire's residence, see if they can find anything we could use in our search."
Sir Integra considered the plan, then nodded. "Approved." She turned to Matthew and Seras. "Go see Walter for some concealed weaponry. I don't want anyone taking any unnecessary risks with this new threat arising. In the meanwhile, I'll speak with Alucard. Anything he knows would be helpful. Dismissed."
"Yes, Sir Integra." Seras saluted and started for the door. Matthew bowed his head and followed.
The two made their way to the armory, where Walter waited patiently for them. "While I'm afraid you cannot take your usual weapons," he said after their usual greeting, "I do have something that will give you some added defense should you need it." From under the table, he produced two conceal carry holsters for wear under a jacket. He passed the smaller one to Seras and the larger on to Matthew. From a case, he produced a pair of pistols. "These are Walther PPKs."
Matthew smiled. "Ah, James Bond guns."
Walter chuckled. "Indeed. These fire 32 caliber silver bullets. Not mercury charge: they are too small for that. There is a magazine already loaded in each. Here are two spares for each of you." He set four magazines on the table. Matthew and Seras each grabbed a pistol and two magazines, sliding them into the appropriate places of the holsters. "Oh, before I forget. Mr. Jemeth, how did the shot shells in you Valkyrie work?"
Matthew lightly bit his lower lip for a moment. "Not so well, I'm afraid. I only got the chance to use one against one vampire, but all it did was slow him down. I'd have to be a pretty close range to take one out, but if enough get close I could probably take out several in one shot. Good for defense. And they'll still work well against ghouls, so I'll keep using them."
"Ah, then I'll not abandon the idea. Good luck Ms. Victoria, Mr. Jemeth."
"Thank you, Walter," Seras replied.
