"Master?" Seras opened her eyes and gazed into the darkness of her coffin-bed. Her borderline senses were probably not as powerful as they could be given her aversion to drinking blood on a regular basis. She could not determine what had awakened her.
"Police girl?" Her master's voice echoed in her head.
"Did you…Are you…nearby?" Seras asked, her fingers sliding the bar that would raise the lid and lift her bed.
"I am everywhere." His deep chuckle filled the space around her.
Seras shook her head, swinging her legs over the side of the bed she sat upright. She saw the bag with the 'medical blood' label chilling on the table in front of her. She grimaced.
"You sensed her as well Police girl?" Her master asked as his chaotic grin filled the room in bizarre Cheshire cat fashion as the rest of him followed behind that grin.
"Sensed who?" Seras gazed at him with the same wonder and awe that she did on the first day when he had given her the choice; The choice to die, or to become one of the living dead, creature of the night, vampire.
"My sister. She has awakened."
She could not read anything into his reply. His glasses and the brim of his hat shadowed his red-rimmed eyes. His crooked smile was the same.
"Your sister…Master?" Seras asked again. On the rare occasions that she learned more about this creature that had made her the more she realized how very little she knew.
"Hellsing summons." He winked at her and disappeared back into the shadows of her room. He was going to meet with the young leader of the Hellsing organization. Lord Hellsing had never actually summoned Seras. Lord Hellsing rarely acknowledged her and if she was, it was merely as some kind of weapon and in the context of an attack. Not even after the Bubboncy incident, had she received much by way of from the proud woman who headed the Organization.
*-*
Integra Hellsing sat behind the large desk, a tendril of smoke rising from the thin cigarillo held between two gloved fingers. Long blonde hair framed the fine patrician features. Her delicate brow furrowed as blue eyes scanned the report before her. She did not acknowledge the shift in the room as another presence filled the room.
"You have news?" The deep voice asked with the same underlying mocking tone she was used to.
The cigarillo was lifted to pursed lips that opened just enough to inhale. After the exhaled sigh she raised her head and looked at the creature before her.
"Arucard. You knew she would awaken." Integra Hellsing's tone indicated it was not a question but rather an accusation. The icy sheen of pale blue eyes was the exclamation point to the statement.
"She is a Category A Prime vampire, none can predict her actions."
"None? Or perhaps you didn't choose to tell me." Integra held Arucard's gaze.
"She is not a threat. She has a distinctly…genteel manner in her view of humans. Far more generous than even I." Arucard replied, sneering only slightly at his final statement.
"Do you forget the purpose of the Hellsing Organization and the Royal Order of Protestant Knights? 'In the name of Good, impure souls of the living dead shall be banished into eternal damnation. Amen.'" Integra spoke the creed that dictated her entire life with the conviction of one who has no other view of the world.
Arucard did not respond, save with a snort of disgust.
"I want her destroyed." Integra stated with finality, placing the cigar in her mouth as she began sorting through other reports.
"I cannot attack without a serious transgression from her in such an instance. There are…laws that you have no place in superceding."
Integra paused before responding, "My authority comes from the highest power, with the Queen's own blessing, you will do what you need to." She ground the cigar out in the round glass ashtray.
Arucard gave a small laugh before turning away to head towards the shadows. "There are authorities higher than the ones you can conceive of. I will wait and see if your request still stands."
When she was alone again she stopped rifling through the papers on her desk and turned her gaze to the large plate glass windows that covered the wall facing out. Her office gave her a spectacular view of the gardens below in the courtyard. She could see the troops training in the small training area.
Arucard's attitude was only mildly disturbing to her; she believed that he would do as she asked. If there was one thing he enjoyed it was showing off how powerful he was. Her entire life was focused on the destruction of the undead scourge that had the audacity to walk the Queen's land. The FREAKS were only the latest incarnation of that scourge. She puffed on her cigar and turned to the large picture that hung on the far wall of her office. Abraham Van Helsing, her grandfather gazed across the expanse of the office. He had not shirked in his duties when it came to dealing with vampires. None of her ancestors who bore the name Helsing had, she would not be the first to start.
"Sir Integra? The commander's are ready to meet to review this afternoon's assignment." Walter said as he entered the room.
Integra grabbed the folder with the day's agenda and nodded as she strode towards him.
Seras wandered through the Hellsing mansion. She found that quite often she was left to her own devices when there was not an immediate need for her. She knew that the commanders were upstairs in the conference room meeting with Lord Hellsing now. Within the hour she would get her instructions on the latest incident that would have to be dealt with. Ghouls, FREAKS, vampires…She suspected that Lord Hellsing put up with her but only barely. She could still remember the first thing she had said directly to her. "Don't go sucking people's blood without thinking." Sera's had defensively replied, "I would not! I will not." Lord Hellsing had only glanced at her before turning away.
Despite that, Seras had nothing but respect for the enigmatic woman who wore her titles and accepted her role with a quiet aloofness. She sometimes wondered if she was ever lonely, there seemed to be no one that Sir Integra confided in. Unless you counted her Master, Arucard. That wasn't confiding so much as it was sparring. It had been difficult for Integra Hellsing after the Incognito affair, the betrayal by someone from the Round Table. Still, somehow, she had rebuilt the Hellsing Institute and come back to Hellsing Mansion.
Seras sighed as she walked towards the courtyard to watch the elite troops of Hellsing Organization run through their paces. She wondered where Arucard had gone after his conversation with Lord Hellsing. Of course, that wasn't uncommon either.
Seras was used to being on her own. Her brief stint with D-11, the premiere swat team that had ultimately been destroyed in Cheddar by the vampire priest was the closest thing she had had to a family. She couldn't really count Arucard; he was her master and was doing everything he could to help ease her transition into being a vampire.
"Vampire." Seras spoke the word aloud. Even though she had accepted it to a certain degree, her greatest fear was leaving what she considered her humanity behind.
"Have you asked yourself what you think you are leaving behind? Morality? A conscience? There are those that are still human who do not have those things."
Seras looked around, startled. "Master?" She spoke aloud as she always did, even though she knew he could hear her thoughts just as easily.
"I make no such claim." The voice replied. Seras thought she could detect a slight amusement beneath the response.
"Who are you to speak to me such?" Seras demanded.
"Just call me Auntie." Seras felt the amusement of the voice break to the surface.
"Victoria Seras, report for duty." Seras turned towards the commander standing at the top of the stairs. Obviously the debriefing was over.
"Sir, Yes Sir." Seras saluted and took off down the hall to meet up with her unit.
Integra flipped open her package of Henri Winterman's Small Cigars. She slipped one out and lit it as she settled into the chair in her office. She thought about going down to the firing range before she had to get to command central. She had no doubt that Arucard would be present to finish off the mission and she would have to know what powers he used and release those controls.
Walter entered the room, waiting for a moment before speaking.
"Yes?" She finally asked, not turning to look at him.
"The car is ready. Would you like a cup of tea before we leave?" Walter asked, moving towards the tea set against the wall.
"That would be fine." Integra sat bathed in the radiance of the afternoon setting sun. She turned to watch Walter as he prepared the tea. She noticed the slight favoring of his right side. He had recovered as they all had but they were never whole again. She had spoken to the Queen directly about the traitor who sat at the Round Table. They still did not know who it was. Trying to read the older men who made up the various factions did no good, if any of them were surprised at her continued role and the re-instatement of the Hellsing Organization, they did not reveal it.
She tugged at her gloves unconsciously. She had allowed Arucard to use almost the full extent of his power when battling Incognito and she felt responsible for the destruction that the 2 vampires facing off caused. How had it come to that? The Hellsing organization stood for the elimination of non-humans and vampires, yet she had allowed Arucard the power to destroy part of her beloved city protecting it against another vampire.
Walter came towards her with the teapot and 2 fine porcelain cups on a silver tray. He smiled as he set the tray down.
"Lady Integra, you have been especially quiet of late."
"The world has changed so much and not changed at all." She replied as she reached for a cup.
"That is true. It is always that way. Yet, we continue our fight because our fight is just." Walter said as he reached for the second cup.
"May God and the Queen's blessing be w/ you. Amen." She raised her cup to him.
"Amen." Walter replied as he raised the cup to his own lips.
The two drank in silence for a few minutes.
"You are troubled by the news of his relative?" He asked.
"They are not truly related, are they? The same soulless monster created them both. Does that make them kin?" Integra said dismissively.
"Your father once told me of a story he had heard. I believe it was some kind of gypsy myth that spoke of one of their own becoming as the night. Would you like to hear it? I can only recall some of the details."
*-*
"I know the story. It was only a short time before the glory and grace that would become England."
It begins on a darkened road, as all stories of this kind do. If one had to select a time, we could say it was over 1000 years ago. A girl, no, more of a young woman really, walking along the road. Older for the life expectancy in these times but it is inherent to her people that they live longer than the general populous. She was walking back towards the encampment where her tribe was settled for the evening.
The first thing she saw when she entered the small flickering circle of light was him. He turned his glittering red eyes towards her and smiled a feral smile.
"Upir[1]." She hissed in response.
"Camilla!" Her father scolded her.
She turned towards her father. "Poppa…What is this?"
The creature smiled. "She is perfect. You have done well Nikolas."
The creature looked over the young woman standing before him. She was as close to a daughter as he could conceive. She was proud. He could see it in her dark eyes gazing at him in anger.
"Ariana? Where is she?" The creature asked
Nikolas lowered his eyes. "She fell ill last spring. We could not heal her."
The creature looked away from Camilla towards the swarthy man. "She became ill? How is that possible?"
Nikolas shook his head. "We know not."
Camilla glared at the creature. "How dare you speak of my mother as if you knew her."
The creature looked back towards her. "I knew her very well." He replied without affect.
"Camilla, go back to the wagon. Allow us to continue our discussion." Her father spoke to her, motioning her towards their traveling wagon.
Camilla looked around the fire; the rest of the encampment was nowhere to be seen. They must all be within their wagons. This was not the norm. Hers were a people who lived beneath the stars.
She glanced back uneasily towards her father and the creature. Their murmuring did not reach her ears.
She did not know it then but it would be the last time she would see her father or her tribe.
"It is not nice to eavesdrop." Arucard thought to the presence he could feel nearby.
"It is not nice to reprimand your elders either. How many times do they tell that romanticized story of my origins? Ever since I told Abraham that story, I imagine she was told?"
"Really, not like the source didn't have a penchant for romanticizing her origin. Wasn't that how you told the story to begin with? He wasn't the only one enamored of your mystery. The story of your 'Victorian' friendships with all those young women."
"They were completely platonic, I assure you."
The thought took form beside Arucard as Camilla appeared. She was not as tall as he but still had the presence to seem taller.
He turned to look at her. His normally chaotic grin mellowed into something akin to genuine affection. Her jet-black hair was pulled back and up into a loose bun, the ringlets framing her beautiful face. Her dark eyes revealed very little of the red blaze that his did.
"You should not have come." He said as he touched her arm lightly.
"And miss the opportunity to see you? I have met your progeny. She is an interesting choice." Camilla smiled at him as she put her arm through his.
"It was her choice. I offered her freedom and she chose not to take it." Arucard replied. Despite his own preferences for being alone most of the time, there was something comforting with her standing beside him. It was she who had taught him most of the Control Methods.
"Perhaps she likes serving your master as well. She is a cold one, that one. She does not share her grandfather's passion for our breed." Camilla said teasingly.
"She does not understand what a true vampire is." Arucard replied, his attention drifting towards the battle engaged in the warehouse below them.
"Pay attention little brother. It is impolite for you to drift away from the conversation. She is troubled by the old myths as well. In her mind a vampire is only a beast." Camilla said as she also turned her gaze towards the warehouse.
"Not unlike those below. They are the new breed I have been told about?" She asked, her eyes narrowing slightly as she watched the humans in uniform surround the building. She watched the quick moving figures within the warehouse.
"They are the vermin that dare to think they have ascended to our level." Arucard sneered. Camilla's penchant for calling him by familial ties was something he had always tolerated from her.
"Then why do they have need of you? If they are not true vampires, why waste your talents?" Camilla asked.
"They have bought in one from the Dark Continent, some true vampires are involved in this. There are many involved in this most likely."
"In the trappings of men and our kind, it is never uncomplicated, I know. It was your battle with the nameless one that wakened me from my slumber. Is there a House involved or was he rogue?"
"Arucard. Now." He heard Integra's voice from the car that had parked near the entrance of the street leading to the warehouse. Arucard did not answer Camilla's question.
"Target has not been sighted. Moving into position now."
"She calls you by that name? You have given to her one of your oldest names. There may be more to this than I thought." Camilla said as she followed Arucard with same breath taking speed, until they were both stopped out side the warehouse.
"First I destroy the vermin, then we can talk." Arucard said, the feral gleam sparking his eyes as he turned his attention to the half dozen FREAKS inside the warehouse.
"If that is all it takes, wait here." Camilla said and disappeared from his side.
"Damn you." Arucard muttered as he followed her in.
"I heard that, and you know I already am." Camilla replied.
Seras watched the swirling figure materialize in the midst of the FREAKS in the warehouse. She waited for the mist to materialize into the recognizable form of her master. She was surprised to see instead a woman with dark hair appear. Dressed in a beautiful Victorian styled dress, she looked so out of place standing amidst the feral FREAKS, which naturally turned towards her with glee.
Seras watched as the woman lifted one hand and began speaking. If Seras were looking only at the woman alone, it would appear as though she were reciting a poem in a sunny park somewhere. Seras had seen a painting once, the one that as you got closer it was nothing but dots of paint. This woman looked like she could have stepped out of that painting. Instead, the FREAKS stopped cold in their tracks.
"Is target neutralized?" Seras was startled back by Integra Hellsing's questioning voice in her earpiece.
"Negative. There is a woman in there. Unable to determine if she is a hostile." Her commander's reply crackled back.
"Destroy her." Hellsing said.
Seras saw her master appear in the warehouse as well.
"Unable to gain clear shot of new target. Oh my god…" Seras heard one of the snipers. She knew exactly how he felt. She watched as the woman turned smiling towards her master and what looked like a red sheet streaming towards them. Seras turned her head away. The woman was pulling the FREAKS blood out of their very bodies.
"This is new." Arucard said as he watched Camilla craft the blood into weapons that decapitated the FREAKS.
"Blood magic. You didn't think I spent all my time watching humanity evolve did you?" Camilla replied smiling.
"You should leave. She has issued a command for you to be destroyed as well." Arucard said, a tinge of something crossing his face.
"Little brother, I came to see and talk with you. Surely all work and no play make you very moody. How long has it been since you've enjoyed yourself?" Camilla continued to smile. Despite himself, Arucard smiled back.
"Come on. We have the entire city to see and lifetimes to catch up on. I am intrigued by your new master." Camilla dissipated back into the misty shadow.
Arucard shook his head. "You mean you want to bed her. Your persistence in the physical manifestation when dealing with humans…"
"You make it sound so distasteful. It is nothing more than helping them realize the joys that exist within their mortal coil."
Arucard felt her presence disappear. He would never admit this but he felt the overture of a very dangerous dance beginning. He walked towards the Silver Cloud Rolls Royce, stepping through the remains of the FREAKS. Part of him thrilled, Camilla back with new skills, he wanted to learn those skills. Camilla, despite all outward impressions of being a demure, quietly commanding presence, took mastering the skills of being a true vampire very seriously. Of all the 'siblings' he could have learned from, she was the one he always sought out. She alone had the kind of power that Arcade strove to achieve.
Inside the car, Hellsing listened impassively to the descriptions being fed back to her via the strike teams. It was as she suspected, this creature under the guise of being a woman could be very dangerous. She rolled down the window. A small tendril of smoke made its' way towards the outside air.
"You let her go." She said to Arucard.
"She was never trapped. She likely means no harm. She finds your kind…intriguing." Arucard replied, the same sneering tone he had displayed back in her office surfaced again.
"I gave the command to destroy her, I expect it to be followed." Hellsing said, rolling the window back up. She nodded towards the driver indicating he should leave.
Arucard shrugged his shoulders and turned back towards the path he had arrived on.
"Master! Who was that woman?" Seras ran up to walk beside him.
"In your terms? My sister." Arucard kept walking, away from the carnage that the clean-up crews were now processing.
Seras gazed up at the striding form of her master. He was unreadable a large amount of the time anyway but he seemed even more removed than usual.
"I think I met her. She said I could call her Auntie…" Seras said softly.
Arucard snorted by way of a response. "I am sure she did…"
"What is her name?" Seras asked.
"Camilla."
Seras did not realize it, but she felt like she had been holding her breath until he told her that name.
"Camilla…" She repeated softly.
Arucard shook his head in amazement. His breed, by nature, had compelling presence, but Camilla seemed to affect both mortals and immortals alike. He did not like to admit his own fallacy in this area.
[1] First appearance of the word "Upir" in a document in 1047 referring to a Russian prince as "Upir Lichy", or wicked vampire.