"I had him pegged as a better designer. - mused Pip in a low voice, - What the hell is this thing? It ranks somewhere between Elvis velvet paintings and those pictures with dogs playing poker... Jesus."
The object in question was a small frameless picture, lying on the blood-red rug. Where its place had been on the wall - one could only guess. The room carried signs of heavy trashing. A coffee table had become a pile of planks and splinters by the far wall, as if thrown against it with some wild force. A massive leather sofa was kicked out of its place and turned over, its short legs sticking into the air helplessly. Bookcases stood at an odd angle to the wall. Alucard's coffin was nowhere to be seen, but Integra knew that this part of Alucard's suite was supposed to be a living room. If 'living' was the right term in Alucard's case. Integra looked around, frowning. She could give a rat's ass for the ruined decor, but a couple of dozens of empty blood bags, littering the floor and the remains of the furniture, concerned her. With all restraints back in place he shouldn't have had such cravings...
"Young King Ours... It looks like a cover of a magazine. - continued Pip, still in his acute criticizing spree, - What's with the silly name? Young King, hah. Even retards should know - Old Queen is the name that would appeal to Britons better..."
"Quit it. - interrupted Integra sharply. - I will not tolerate any badmouthing of one of the world's most cherished, most benevolent queens!"
"What? I haven't said a single bad word about Elton John yet! - Bernadotte's tone was rich with pious innocence, but Integra's arctic glare made him heave a sigh and add, - Just kidding. Sorry. Got carried away."
The leader of Hellsing looked at her subordinate and nodded silently, accepting the apologies. She knew what was going on. Obviously Captain knew it too, but couldn't help it. Sometimes people have such reactions in them when they've just ran facefront into a situation, that have shaken them badly. When it's over, verbal diarrhea comes as an aftermath. They lull themselves with the sound of their own voice, giving the fresh memories of fear, shame or pain some time to blunt their cutting edges.
Sheer curiosity made Integra walk up to the art expert-wannabe and look at the defenseless target of his bitching. The picture was pretty bright, but as far as she could judge it was quite a few levels below Bernadotte's acid-trip-gone-terribly-wrong T-shirt pattern on the scale of general monstrosity. She looked at the picture again. It portrayed a man holding a huge gun in his left hand, grinning and clenching a small crucifix in his teeth. Substitute for a toothpick, maybe.
"Don't you think the man in the picture looks like Alucard?"
Pip surveyed the picture for a few seconds. "Nah, - he concluded at last, - There's some resemblance... But just look at this dude! For all I know, Alucard would've rather had himself beheaded than wear such a dorky hat. And what's written on his gun! 13mm Clockwork Giant Pandas! Heh-heh-heh... I wonder who'd drawn it..."
"You may ask Alucard about it later. - Integra's patience manifested its limits. - Alucard, I know that you're near. Come out, come out, wherever you are."
"He's here?! - Pip turned around, following Integra's stare at a large bookcase standing by the wall. Only a few inches of a doorframe showed from behind it. - Oh, I see... Hi."
"I told you he doesn't bother himself with doors... I have news, Alucard. And questions."
The vampire glided through the bookcase, greeting his Master with a formal nod. He was in his usual street clothes, complete with the hat and the sunglasses.
"Figured already. Why else would you come all the way here?"
He walked around the humans, put the sofa on its bottom and motioned them to take a sit. Then he sank into a matching armchair in front of the sofa. The vampire looked composed and solitary, but thrumming undercurrents of power under the calm facade had been strong enough to let Integra feel them even through stone walls, let alone across the room.
"Let's hear your news."
After a short summary of Walter's theories Alucard leaned his elbow on his chair arm and his chin on his hand.
"That operation was hasty. We cleaned everyone we could find, but... There were rumors about Ahnenerbe founding a base somewhere in Latin America. They were never confirmed, though."
"Have you known anybody with Aryan ritual magic among their tricks?"
"No."
Not too much information... Integra was feeling decidedly grumpy. The trip downstairs was about useless. On the other side of the couch Bernadotte fidgeted, pulling his long braid from behind his back. Well, maybe it wasn't completely useless after all... She looked at Alucard and asked:
"Have you been here since we came back home?"
"I've spent some time here, yes." - Alucard's voice was indifferent.
"What about the last hour?"
Now she's got the full attention from the vampire. He took off the sunglasses and crinkled his dark eyebrows:
"You sound like a cop all of a sudden. Should I have an alibi or what?"
"Just answer the damn question!"
"I couldn't sleep. So I've just... wandered around."
"Wandered, huh... - she exchanged glances with Pip. - Interesting choice of words."
"You've seen vagrant dead? - Alucard was staring at the mercenary intently, - And they've tried to touch you? Impressive."
"Quit looking at me as if I've sprouted a second head. - grumbled Pip. - You're beginning to give me creeps."
"Just beginning? - Alucard smiled coldly, fangs deliberately peeked into view. - I must be losing my touch."
"Enough already. - Integra felt dead tired. She rummaged her pockets for a cigar, found it and looked around for an ashtray. It was nowhere to be seen, probably buried under the debris of the coffee table. Oh, well. Life sucked in so many different ways. She put the cigar back and raised her eyes on the vampire. - What the hell was all that? I felt cold too."
"You felt cold because our dear Captain... - Alucard's palm rose lazily and pointed at Bernadotte with a flourish, - ... turns out to be a medium. A strong one."
"Nice try. Am I supposed to believe that New Age bullshit?" - Pip sat straight and glared at the vampire.
"Actually, that's pretty Old Age. As for your instant judgment..." - the vampire's tone dropped to utterly sarcastic, - ...no doubt, it is based on your profound knowledge and experience."
"Whatever. Vagrant Dead 101, Alucard." - demanded Integra quickly, preventing an opportunity of another squabble.
"As you wish, Master. - emotions vanished, his expression and voice betrayed nothing again. - There are souls, who cannot move on after their decease. They refuse to accept the fact of death and stay bound to this world... They cannot go far away from the place their bodies are. Eventually most of them give up and go on."
Hellsing leader raised her eyebrows.
"There're no cemeteries around this place. No morgues either. How come Captain saw them here if they are tied to their graves?"
"Something disturbed their quiet community. Made them really vagrant, and that takes some doing. - the vampire crossed his arms, thinking, - If Walter is right, those three with broken ladder signs are trapped between the worlds forever. That, combined with recent straja de sange could be the reason."
"Could? You sound as if you're not sure."
"I'm not an expert. I can't see vagrant dead - it takes quite a special talent to do that. – the vampire nodded in Pip's direction, - Maybe they are the factor that affects my senses, but again, I'm not sure. They are a rare phenomenon."
Integra bit her lip, thinking.
"What else can disturb the dead that much?"
"If a soul's will power and determination to return is really strong, it can force itself back into the body and rise as an undead. A true vampire. - Alucard fell silent, as if recollecting something. - I was told that it always tends to make the ghosts restless. Envious, maybe."
Integra made a deep intake of breath, trying to digest the news. FREAKs creation technology was still a mystery, but she'd been sure she knew all about how true vamps are born. Surprise, surprise.
"Why haven't you ever told me about that?"
"You've never asked." - something glittered in Alucard's gaze. Arrogance? Amusement? Integra made an exasperated sound and rose from the sofa. The mercenary glanced at her and leaned forward.
"If that's true, what should I do not to see the ghosts again?"
Alucard shrugged.
"Every sense works better when the others are dulled. Avoid darkness and silence."
"Thanks, man." - Bernadotte nodded seriously and got up too, following his commander to the door. He almost bumped into her, as frowning Integra turned on her heels to face the vampire: "One more thing. Investigations' personnel reported that the cat's body is gone."
Alucard was suddenly on his feet in one smooth motion. Shields were dropped, power flowed from him, filling the room like rising water. The irises of his eyes glowed blood-red, and the weight of his fierce stare was crushing. The leader of Hellsing didn't flinch. "I'm sorry, Alucard." - she said.
"When did it happen?"
"Nobody knows for sure. About twenty minutes ago they opened the fridge and saw the empty evidence bag."
"Wait. Empty?"
"McNeil said it's as good as new..." - Integra trailed off in mid-sentence and blinked, looking at her undead servant dubiously. Alucard slowly covered his eyes with eyelashes, his face smoothened. The choking tinge of rage abruptly disappeared from the air. With ethereal red fire of his irises hidden he could pass for a human.
"Good kitty." – said he fondly and smiled.
Author's note: Young King Ours is the magazine, where Hellsing is serialized. If you want to see the picture Captain Bernadotte bitched about, just look at the cover of Hellsing manga vol.1. 13mm Clockwork Giant Pandas, eheheh… I like that.