A/N: I'm setting it up for a Hellsing/WHR crossover and possibly some AxI later on. And the idea about the songs during the fight scene came from a video I found one night. If you want to see it, just ask.
Disclaimer: If anyone claims that I own any of the non-original characters, may a bed bug find you in the middle of a good dream.
He stalked down the corridor, his boots making soft clicks on the rocks. He could have simply phased through the walls to his destination, but he liked showing his subjects that he was no different than one of them. It inspired loyalty. He only showed his powers when he wanted to show why he was their leader.
Or when he thought they needed discipline.
He heard the tramping of boots behind him and paused. When the messenger had dropped to his knees, he turned and looked at his minion. "Yes," he said, as though nothing was worth his time.
"The forward scout reports that both of the targets are on site, and with the sun approaching, he predicts no deployment forthcoming."
He nodded. Then he picked up the notion in the back of the messengers mind. "And," he said, putting a slight edge to his voice.
The messenger cringed, as he should. "He also reports the arrival of a non-hostile. He has no identification yet, but expects to find out soon. He is awaiting orders."
He waved his hand, dismissing the messenger. A new arrival, how interesting, but it changed nothing. He arrived at his chambers and went in.
They were almost ready to begin the operation.
Hunter heard the quiet rap at his door, but didn't move, didn't interrupt his meditation. "Come," he said.
The footsteps that followed the doors opening creak were almost as quiet as the knock had been. The soft tread of dress shoes. That meant...
"Hello, Walter." he said.
"And hello to you as well, James. I understand you wished to see me in an official capacity?"
Hunter rose, retrieving his pack from the bed and pulled a pistol out, ejecting the magazine and locking the slide back. "I was wondering if you could help me with this. It's been shooting off since a scuffle a few days back."
Walter took the gun. "This is well made." He turned the weapon over in his hands. "A modified Desert Eagle, if I'm not mistaken. Who did the alteration?"
"The blowback minimizer, chamber, and magazine were done by a, friend, at Heckler & Koch. The exterior was custom done at the factory."
Walter looked at the engraving on the barrel, and glanced at the Dhampir, amusement in his eyes. "Abel?" he said.
Smiling, he pulled his other pistol from the jacket draped across the chair. "Of course. Where would Cain be without Abel?" He turned the barrel to the side, showing the side of the weapon. Where Abel had been engraved into the black material, leaving the silver letters glinting in the light, Cain was engraved in the nickel plated side, with blackener rubbed in.
"What do they fire?"
"Abel fires a 13mm explosive round. Cain fires a slightly larger 15mm charge. With the blowback minimizers, these could be called tack-hammers by them alone. Add that to the charge and primers I prefer, there aren't many FREAKS that stand up to these guns."
Walter released the slide, peering down the sights. "How far off is it shooting?"
"About six inches low and two inches to the left at fifty meters. I've had to cut down on my fun and get close to use it." He smiled.
Walter returned the smile. Hunter looked the man over. The hair had a few grey hairs in the jet black strands, a few wrinkles and unfamiliar scars were on his face near his hairline, but other than that, the same figure he had known all those years ago.
"How have you been, Walter?"
"Retirement was enjoyable, but frightfully brief."
Hunter nodded. He had heard rumours of the Valentine attack, the incident with Incognito, and the subsequent reactivation of several retired operatives. They seemed to be true for all intents and purposes.
"Is there anything else, James?"
"No, yes," he said, remembering. He pulled a case from his pack, removing one of the rounds and prying the projectile from the casing. "I had an idea for the rising tolerance that the FREAKS are having to straight silver rounds."
He showed the bottom of the round to the butler, showing the mostly hollow interior. "I thought we could fill the bottom with Holy Water and seal the opening. When the round strikes, the silver casing shatters, the heated steam eats away at the surrounding flesh, and there is more damage to deal with. But since Holy Water affects me the same way it does vampires," he trailed off.
Walter nodded, taking the shell. "I'll see to it. May I have examples of your preferred rounds so that I can replicate some?"
Hunter pulled two rounds of each from his magazines and handed them over. Walter headed for the door. "Walter," Hunter said.
"Yes?"
"It's good to see you again, Angel of Death."
The retainer smiled. "And you as well, Thanatos."
Hunter smiled at hearing the old nickname.
"Will you be staying on permanently?"
Hunter shrugged. "It's a temporary transfer for now. But my contract is at my discretion."
Walter nodded, and departed.
Hunter smiled. It was good to be back.
Integra lay half-asleep on her desk in the late afternoon hours, her mind wandering. A pair of eyes appeared in the shadows behind her chair, peering out. Alucard phased into the room and perched on the edge of her desk, looking at her, his dark grey suit blending with the growing shadows.
"Master," he whispered in her ear.
Her eyes opened, taking in the sight of his dark suit, the eye on his tie. Then her brain caught up with her and she sat bolt upright. "I thought I had made myself clear as to my wishes of privacy in my office." she said sternly.
"But you did call me, Master," his voice took on a syrupy texture and his smile left no question as to the reference he was making. "But I should have known better than to think my luck had changed in that matter. Ah well, another time then. Perhaps the Police Girl,"
He phased out of being as the ashtray sailed at him, his laughter echoing in the large room. Temper, temper, Master. You shouldn't throw things.
Integra sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose, fighting off a headache. Alucard, if it weren't for the FREAKS I would lock you in the dungeon for another twenty years.
The voice came back, the laughter evident in his voice. But then you wouldn't have my company, Master.
She sighed, and again wished that she could have had a normal childhood, free of taunting vampires that had free reign of her house like a pet running wild.
Tsk, tsk, Master.
She looked at the shattered remains of the ashtray on the floor, wondering idly if this was why Father had locked him up after he had done his work.
Actually, it was because I made a pass at his wife.
Stay out of my brain, vampire. She shut him out with an effort, but not before that cackling laugh of his rang in her head.
Seras Victoria stood on the top of the training range, watching as her troops ran through, training with the new night goggles. She had a mental flashback: Commander Fargason standing where she had, watching over his troops like a father.
Just as she was watching now. She swiped at the tears welling in her eyes. She was on duty, she couldn't give in to emotion just now. But she did miss the old man. He had been like a second father to her.
She saw one of her troops working the bolt on his MP5. She looked closer. It appeared to be jammed. She wondered if her training had truly made it into their minds. She watched as he slid the safety back on, letting the weapon slide down its strap to hang out of the way and pulled his sidearm from its holster, motioning on of the others forward, taking a rearguard position.
She smiled. He had made the right choice. If he had continued on or took too much time trying to clear the jam, she would have stopped the exercise and the team would have lost points. She had trained them well.
She felt the stirring in the back of her mind, then heard the call from Sir Integra. She sounded the end of exercise whistle, dismissing the men and then phased into her Masters office. Alucard and Hunter were already there.
Integra gestured to a monitor in the corner. Seras thought she recognized the interior of a local dance club she had gone to on one of her evenings off.
Once had been enough.
"This was taken an hour ago at a club in Soho." Integra paused the video and zoomed in on a section near the bar. Four men stood scanning the crowd with the looks typically found in places like that. Which was why Seras hadn't gone again. She disliked the feel of being a piece of meat on display in the market.
Then her mind caught up with her. The four men had red eyes.
FREAKS.
Alucard smiled, standing up. "You orders, my Master? Search and Destroy?"
Integra smiled. "Not quite, Alucard. You will only destroy the ghouls that they may have created and three of the four FREAKS. You will let one escape."
Alucard looked at her as though she had grown another arm. "Let one escape? But why?"
Hunter smirked at his discomfort. "Not all dead bodies tell tales, old man. Especially when their bodies are piles of dust."
Seras realized what was going on. "You're going to have one of us follow the creature back to the nest,"
Integra nodded. "You and Hunter will go in undercover prior to Alucard's entrance and follow the escapee back to wherever it is he goes."
Seras glanced at Hunter. He wasn't unattractive, but he appeared to be forty to her twenty. "I'm not so sure that we'll fit in," she began.
Alucard laughed. "You always did have a thing for younger women, didn't you Thanatos?"
Hunter snorted. "Don't worry, one of my talents is disguising my appearance. We won't stand out a bit."
Integra cleared her throat. "You will leave after changing into more, suitable, attire."
Seras fought back an unladylike snort. She hardly thought that attire suitable for anything.
Oh, and your first uniform was, Police Girl? I rather miss that one. The yellow one went with your hair so nicely.
Only the dim light kept the depth of her blush from standing out. True, the short skirt and close fitting top hadn't been quite, for lack of a better term, appropriate for hunting down vermin, it wasn't as bad as some of the things on that video. She still wondered why she had chosen that outfit design. Had she given in to some urge that hit all female vampires, some primal need?
No, you just wanted to attract a meal, in more ways than one, Draculina.
Oh, let her be, you old leech of a lecher. We all had adjustment phases.
She realized that she had been broadcasting her thoughts to the other two telepaths in the room. She also realized that they were almost to the door and Integra had cocked an eyebrow at her. She saluted and hurried to her chambers to change, another blush burning on her cheeks.
She sat in the car twenty minutes later, her hair slicked back, wearing a pair of close fitting jeans, a mesh top with a vest partially closed over it and a broad choker to cover the scars that she still had on her neck from Anderson's blades. She toyed with a floppy hat in her hands and had a flash of memory: trailing Steadler to the bar, then following him and the reporter to the underground room where they filmed the vampire attack. She looked at her outfit. It was rather similar, though not even as modest as that one had been. There was a bit more flesh shown because of the mesh top.
The driver side door opened, and a thin frame slid in. Long red hair was gathered in a tail, a goatee framed his mouth, and he was a good deal taller. But the eyes and scent were the same. "James?" she ventured. He looked twenty-six.
He looked at her, the smirk that she had seen on Alucard's face so many times on his as well. "Aye, it's me, lass." he said, his voice now with a deep Scottish brogue that had her start a bit in fear. It was so close to that of the hellish priest. He gestured at his outfit. "Not exactly my usual dress, but I expect it'll do, eh what?" He winked at her.
She agreed. The leather pants and vest weren't what she pictured him wearing, and the muscle shirt he wore clung to the thin frame like a skin, and a bullet hung about his neck like a pendant. He put the car in drive and they headed for Soho.
Lust, need, blood boiling and rushing in veins. The fear of the few that had been fed upon. The smells are so exquisite. Alucard waited in the shadows, only his eyes visible. He was waiting for the right moment to make his 'entrance', and keeping an eye on Hunter and Seras. He could hear the Dhampir's opinion of the 'dancing' they were doing through the mental link they were sharing for the mission. It was rather amusing watching him try to dance like the younglings in the room. He was close, but it was obvious that he wasn't a dancer.
It's no more than a blasted mating ritual. I do apologize, Seras.
The blonde shook his apology off. She looked like she was enjoying herself, forgetting that she was on assignment. Her eyes, hidden behind slightly tinted glasses were half closed as they moved to the slow pulse of the song.
Don't fall too much in love, Police Girl. You can't just go back to your flat after this dance.
Seras looked up, her anger apparent even at this distance. He started laughing and her return comment, whatever it was, died as she realized he was baiting her.
Lech, Hunter thought up at him. And what is your point, Half-breed?
Hunter refused to rise to the taunt. He smirked and looked into Seras' eyes. Are you watching the door or taunting us, geriatric? One job at a time.
Alucard glanced at the door. Sure enough, the four FREAKS were approaching the door. Always showing off, aren't you, Thanatos? He smiled. It may not be a complete job, but it would be fun until he had to lay off. He phased into the crowd behind them, drawing the Jackal and intoning the restriction interlock phrase. "Releasing control art restriction to level three. Situation C, keeping the power unlocked until the target has been silenced." He cast an illusion around the people nearby so that they wouldn't notice the gun or the dissolving FREAKS. He brought the Jackal up and aimed at the nearest FREAK. "Going so soon?" he asked.
Hunter saw the confrontation begin, then froze. He was picking up something, some scent or mental vibration. Damn it, where...
Seras saw him freeze, and started looking around as well. What is it? she thought.
You're armed, right?
I brought my Socom.
Get it out. Sweep the room, there's a cloaker in here somewhere.
Cloaker?
A witch. There are more than the four FREAKS that Alucard is facing.
He started moving off, and Seras started to move in the other direction, but strong hands grabbed her and threw her. Her head contacted something unyielding and darkness clouded the edges of her vision.
Alucard, cloaker in the room, keep an eye out. Hunter had taken maybe four steps when he heard Seras' gasp. He spun and saw two men forcing their way towards him. The larger grabbed Seras and pitched her towards the bar, where she slumped, shaking her head. He ducked the punch launched at him by the smaller one, posting his hands and scissoring his legs, dropping his opponent to the floor. He caught the pistol that had fallen out of the man's jacket and fired a round into his skull, dusting the FREAK. He leapt to his feet and swung the pistol in line with the larger vampire heading his way. Seras, find that witch! Before he could fire, the FREAK grabbed the pistol and squeezed, crumpling it in his hand. Hunter barely got his hand from the grip before it was trapped in the trigger guard. He flipped backwards as a new song started. He ducked a kick and threw a punch that connected with the vampire's jaw. He didn't even flinch.
"Oh, bollocks." The return punch threw him back several feet, up against the raised stage area. "Fuck, that hurt," he groaned.
The FREAK came up and threw another punch that he caught, and used the momentum to throw the vampire over his hip onto the stage area. He followed, pressing his advantage. Such as it was.
The FREAK stood up and caught his forward kick, trapping his foot against his chest. Hunter leapt, slamming his other foot into the monsters face and turned the momentum into a back flip. He stood, eyes locked on his opponent as the strains of the song rained down over them. People moved out of the way as the FREAK stumbled backwards. Then the song finally made its way through the ringing in his ears.
Great, fighting to Alt. rock. What movie did I fall into?
He threw a punch that was parried, and he followed up by dropping to his hip and sweeping his legs out, but the FREAK hopped over the sweep and made to stomp down, and Hunter used the momentum of his spin to roll across his shoulder back to his feet, avoiding the smashing appendage. The song hit the chorus as they traded another set of kicks and punches.
Wake me up Wake me up inside
I can't wake up Wake me up inside
Save me Call my name and save me from the dark
Wake me up Bid my blood to run
I can't wake up Before I come undone
Save me Save me from the
Nothing I've become
People started applauding as the combatants separated. They seemed to think it was an exhibition by two friends. Little did they know what was truly going on. I'm fighting for my life and they think it's a Capoeira demonstration. How wonderful.
The FREAK charged in for another attack, and called out. I could use some help here, guys.
Alucard heard Hunter's warning, and even as he whipped the Casull from his jacket, the eye on his tie being joined by countless others, the FREAKS in front of him dissolved in a mist. He spun, weapons out, and spied nine FREAKS around him. Eight spread out while one, larger than the others, stepped forward and began to change, his shadow forming into that of a large hawk, talons sharp and beak jagged.
"Interesting." He tucked his pistols away. "Shall we?"
The FREAK smiled a fanged grin. Alucard took a step back. "Releasing control art restriction to level two, situation A, releasing level one."
He knew it was overkill for a FREAK, but he was bored and wanted to cut loose. He felt the power flowing into him, and he began releasing his servant demons as he finished. "The Cromwell approval in now in effect."
He lashed out, wolves attacking hawks, teeth slashing at wings, talons clawing at eyes. He held his own, and took a few moments to scan the crowd. Seras was forcing her way through the crowd, trying to reach Hunter, who was on the stage fighting a large FREAK hand to hand. He saw Seras draw a bead on the vampire, but she was pulled backwards by a ghoul that appeared out of nowhere.
He returned his attention to his fight. He was amazed that a chipped vampire could summon demons this soon in its unlife. He could sense that it wasn't more than a month old. He sent another tendril out, trying to sneak in the small gap between the various demons snarling in front of him. He was blocked by an upswept wing.
He smiled. This was going to be fun after all. He did enjoy search and destroy.
"Come on, show me what you've got. Hurry up already, the night is still so young, and I bore so easily."
The FREAK leapt at him, efforts redoubled.
Seras fired into the ghoul that had grabbed her arm, flinging it back and turned back to the stage, but stopped as she saw someone by the DJ stand. It was a woman, dressed in brown robes, kneeling and speaking words that were drowned out by the song. She swung her aim around and fired at her shoulder. The witch snapped her head up and the bullet froze in the air, then crumpled like it was squeezed in a fist before dropping to the ground. Before Seras could fire another round, she was up and running for the doorway. She fired, catching her in the shoulder before she was out of sight. She made to follow, but she was grabbed and pulled back by a FREAK. Seras whipped her pistol around and fired point blank into its skull. It dusted, and the people around her, no longer protected by the spell, screamed as the weapon went off and screamed again at the sight of a person turning to dust. They started to run.
Seras looked around, three FREAKS and possibly fifteen ghouls surrounded her. She fired her pistol, emptying the clip and tossing it back over her shoulder. Three ghouls crumpled and the FREAKS dodged to herd their 'snacks' back into the room.
The remaining ghouls attacked. She kicked out, driving one back but another grabbed her from behind. Again, as she had at the mansion, she lashed out, knocking three over in her attack. She felt her nails turn to claws and she swiped to the side, taking the head off one ghoul. She felt her fangs grow as her blood began to rush through her veins, the familiar feeling of bloodlust, only stronger than ever before. She began to understand why Hunter and Alucard always wore grins in battle. She spun, kicking a ghoul over, then leapt over a tackle, landing on the skull and shattering it.
This is exhilarating, wonderful. I never imagined it would be like this. She turned, seeing the last nine ghouls rush her. Her eyes shadowed over.
"Come on," she whispered.
Hunter was anything but grinning as he flew through the air and slammed into the bar, the air rushing from his lungs and he felt a couple of bones snap. He held himself up, on his elbows and knees, fighting for breath. He looked at the FREAK slowly walking towards him. The opening riff of a new song rang through the air.
He was mad, now. He felt something inside him snap. "That's it," he growled, and released the illusion, his body returning to it's normal mass and size, his hair shortening and his injuries healing as he stood. His eyes turned slightly transparent and ceased to reflect the light in the room. The vampire stopped, momentarily surprised.
I cannot take this anymore
Saying everything I said before
All the words they make no sense
I found bliss in ignorance
Less I hear the less you say
You'll find that out anyway
Just like before
Everything you say to me
Takes me one step closer to the edge and I'm about to break
How true, thought Hunter as he lashed out, putting his full vampiric strength and his regained mass behind the punch. He connected with the FREAK's jaw and drove him back.
All of four inches.
"Ah shit,"
As before, the punch threw him back, and this time Hunter turned it into a graceful back flip and landed on the bar. He reached down and grabbed the steel rod that ran around the interior of the bar and ripped a length off. He spun it like a stave and leapt out, stabbing and swinging feints. As the FREAK pulled back, he swung it in an overhead chop onto the monster's skull.
The sound of metal being bent out of shape rose about the music. Hunter backed up, looking at the twisted weapon in disbelief. "Oh, go pull the other one, Fate," he whispered before ducking beneath a punch and rolling backwards, releasing the useless rod. He came to his feet a few feet away, and looked at the FREAK. It didn't show any signs of tiring. He leapt in a roundhouse kick that slowed the monster's approach and came down in a crouch, hand held out.
Seras' pistol leapt into his palm. He ripped the pendant from his neck and slammed it in the breach, thumbing the slide release. He pointed the pistol at the FREAK and pulled the trigger.
The FREAK stumbled backwards, a large hole in its chest. It looked down and then at Hunter. "Oh, hell no. Bugger that," he said, dropping the Socom and looking about for something to use against this monster. Then the FREAK started crumbling into dust and ash.
Hunter slumped with relief, dropping to his back. Bastard, he thought at the dust pile. He looked around and saw that Alucard was in no danger, and Seras was enjoying herself as she slew the last of the ghouls surrounding her.
He went and headed towards Alucard. Stop playing with that whelp, you sadist.
Alucard smiled as Hunter hurled the threat at him. He was right, time to stop toying with this youngling. He leapt back, pulling in his demons. "Is that all you've got? How pathetic. I've faced larger challenges from ghouls." It wasn't true, the FREAK had put up a good fight, but Alucard loved taunting his enemies. It was a sure way to push them over the edge.
And it always worked.
The FREAK leapt forward, sending his demons out towards the No-Life King. Alucard didn't move.
Much.
The Jackal cleared his jacket and fired, the round slamming in between the FREAK's eyes. It dusted almost immediately, the demons dissolving. He turned to the FREAKS surrounding him and started firing and felt surprise as the Casull leapt from his pocket and landed in Hunter's palm. As the last FREAK fell, he sent out a taunt to his old friend.
Can't you use your own equipment, Half-breed?
Hunter released the hammer on the Casull and lofted it back to Alucard. "I would have if there had been a place to hide it in this infernal costume. I'm still trying to figure out where Seras stashed that Socom."
"The Police Girl is always full of surprises," the vampire said, turning to watch his fledgling rip the head from the final ghoul, panting, eyes darting back and forth, looking for another target. "It seems she's grown up a bit," he commented.
"Yup," said Hunter. "Like Sire, like Fledgling."
Alucard chuckled. He could sense the fading bloodlust in Seras' body. "Are you done playing, Police Girl?" he called out.
Seras looked up, her eyes returning to normal. "Playing?" she said incredulously.
"Yeah," said Hunter. "We've been waiting on you for ten minutes."
"Ten minutes? Christ, how did I loose track of..." She caught the barely hid grin and smirk and realized she was being toyed with. "Damn you, don't do that."
Hunter let his grin blossom, fangs retracting somewhat. He held out his arm. "Shall we, milady?" he said as a slow song came on the PA. "I do believe our last dance was interrupted."
Alucard snorted. "Kiss up," he said. As Seras took his arm, he sent out a taunt to her. Don't have too much fun, Draculina. We still have to report to our Master.
Butt out, lech.
Hunter's laughter at Seras throwing his retort at her former master echoed through the mental link. Alucard smiled. She was starting to show some backbone. Maybe this was what she had needed. Maybe now she would start growing stronger faster.
The witch left, the bandage on her shoulder soaked through. He sat back in his seat, considering the implications.
"Three vampires. Fascinating. Most fascinating. Gerard," he called out.
A beetle bodied man entered the chamber. "My lord?"
"Signal the forward team that they are not to move forward tonight. We'll be sending a second team to assist. They will wait until that backup arrives."
"That will delay our plans by at least a day, my lord."
"Not catastrophically so," he returned. "We'll just have to move faster to break our guests will." He chuckled. "Sent the orders."
The short man left, and he sat back, considering the new turn of events. Perhaps he should go with the team tomorrow night to oversee the operation personally. Yes, he would. He hadn't been in the field for far too long. He didn't want his men to think him an armchair commander.
Soon, very soon now. Alucard and Integral Fairbrook Wingates Hellsing, your time here is coming to an end.
His laugh echoed out in the room, and any who heard it felt a chill run through their bodies.
Integra sat back, considering what the reports from the three supernatural creatures in her employ had said. It wasn't good. There had been fifteen FREAKS in all, and nearly twice that many ghouls. It was a vast mistake in intelligence, one that could have been deadly if she had sent in human troops.
She picked up her teacup and held it to her lips. The steam fogged her glasses as she sipped. A hint of berries floated in the somewhat bitter taste of the black tea leaves. It was, all in all, an exquisite blend. She wondered how Walter came by these different flavors. A quiet tap on her door broke through her thoughts. "Come," she called.
Walter stepped in. "Sir Integra, is there anything else you require this evening?"
She shook her head. "No, Walter. You can retire for the evening. Get some rest." When he didn't move, she looked up at him in mild surprise. "Yes?" she asked.
"I had a thought on the witch that escaped from the club earlier this evening." he said. "If witches and FREAKS are starting to work together, than this could be more than we know how to handle by ourselves."
Integra nodded. She had been thinking that herself. "What do you propose we do?" she asked her long-time confidant.
"I have a, contact, for lack of a better term, in a Japanese group similar to ours save that it hunts witches. I was thinking that we could call him and get his input."
Integra raised an eyebrow. "How is it you came by all these, 'contacts', Walter?"
He hesitated. "You are aware of my history with the Organization, Sir Integra. I carried out several missions for your father. I went to quite a few countries in my time."
She nodded. That was probably the closest he would come to telling her the nature of his contacts. Very well.
"Get some rest, Walter. It's still dreadfully early in Japan. Call him first thing tomorrow morning." He nodded and left.
She sipped some more of her tea. After some thought, she made a choice. Alucard, she thought.
The Cheshire cat grin appeared before her. "You called, my Master?"
"I want your opinion on what happened tonight, not just your report."
The vampire settled into the chair opposite her desk, his long legs crossed. "I thought it was a cleverly disguised trap that would have worked if it had just been me and the Police Girl or Hunter. With three of us, it crumbled quickly. However, it wasn't meant to endanger us, it was meant to delay us."
"Delay you?"
The vampire spread his hands. "Consider, Master, fifteen FREAKS against two true Undead or an Undead and a Dhampir? It was a doomed trap if that was meant to kill us. The only other reason would have been to distract us from some other operation."
Integra nodded. "I'll pull reports of any other activity from last night. What do you think they are planning?"
The smirk slid across his face. "That is more than this 'pet' can tell at this moment, Master." he said, mocking one of her thoughts from earlier that night. He stood, smoothing his tie and buttoning the dark grey suit coat. He glanced at the window briefly. "If there is nothing else?" he said.
Integra looked at the window and saw the slight pink of an early sunrise. She had lost the entire night. "Yes, of course. Thank you." The figure started to fade. "Alucard," she said.
"Yes, Sir Hellsing?"
"Be careful tomorrow night. I don't like the implications of this, and I don't want to loose you."
Alucard looked at her, surprised. "Of course, Integra," he said before fading.
She started. He called me Integra, not Master, not Sir Hellsing or any of a hundred taunting names he's used through the years.
She thought back on the years they had known each other. Did I even thank him for that night in the cellar?
Not in words, but they are hardly needed between us. His voice glided through her mind. They have never truly been needed.
She smiled. Who would have thought, us becoming...
Friendly? His chuckle rang in her ears. Who indeed? Us, least of all.
Thank you, she thought.
His voice floated in her ears. I should thank you for waking me from those dark dreams. Let us consider it even. Good night, Integra.
She smiled as she went about the remaining paperwork she had, resisting the urge to hum like a schoolgirl.
Seras heard the song faintly as she went down the corridor. She knocked on the door, gently. At first she thought she wouldn't be admitted, and then the voice came. "Come,"
She went in, Hunter kneeling cross-legged on the floor, hands in his lap and his eyes closed. The song playing softly on the radio caused her mood to lift slightly.
The night is long but the Day will come
With promises for the chosen ones
Sown the seed, sweet taste the rain
Fall dead of night into the light of day
Heroine, heroine
"It's called Heroine. Sinead O'Connor and the Edge."
"What?" she was startled by his voice. She looked down and saw his eyes locked on her.
"The song. Its title and the group that sings it."
"Oh," she blushed.
"What can I do for you, Miss Victoria?" he asked.
"I wanted to ask how you knew Alucard and Walter." She sat on the edge of the bed, crossing her ankles.
Hunter smiled. "Knowledge, the ever addictive drug. It was back in the last half of World War II. Walter had come across me fighting off a group of Nazi ghouls. He asked me to join him on a mission on behalf of an English organization, and I accepted. To tell the truth though, Alucard and I didn't quite hit it off at first."
She cocked her head to the side. "What do you mean?"
He chuckled ruefully. "We tried to kill each other." Seras burst out laughing at the picture. He joined her laughter. "Needless to say, it was Walter that kept us from each other's throats long enough to get to know each other. Alucard was the one that gave both of us our nicknames."
She nodded. "What does Thanatos mean, anyway?"
He looked at her with brows raised. "Why, Miss Victoria, are you telling me that you have no knowledge of Greek mythology?"
She shook her head, cheeks reddening.
He smiled. "It's quite alright, I suppose it was more of a subject that you would have learned about at the university, had you gone. Thanatos was the god of Death, more specifically gentle death and the brother of Hypnos, Sleep. Alucard thought that it fit with my peculiar personality. It was fabled that Thanatos was a child of Erebus and Nox. Darkness and Night," he clarified at her confused look.
She mulled this over. She realized that he had spoken to her again. "I'm sorry, what?"
"Do you know what it meant when you burst into that bloodlust tonight?"
She shook her head.
"Your powers are beginning to expand. As Alucard will tell you, your familiar will show up soon and you will be able to summon your inner demons. Your journey is almost complete."
She snorted at this. "I'm not so sure that he'll show me all that much. He seems to regard me as a joke most of the time, though he's not as bad as when I was just his servant."
Hunter stood. "Do you know why he treats you as such?"
She looked at him, the first hints of tears in her eyes at the difficult thought. "Because I don't live up to his expectations, I'm afraid."
"Because you have exceeded any of his other fledglings to date and he is pushing you to be the most you can be." He leaned against the table and crossed his arms. "He may not always show it, but there is a great deal of respect in his black heart for you. He's just an old fool, from a time that showing too much emotion was anathema to the elite, and Walachia no less. If he thought you were a joke," he said, eyeing her closely. "He wouldn't have given you the choice in that church in Cheddar."
She looked at him. "How did you know where we met?"
He smiled. "Dear girl, you would be amazed what two men will discuss while a lady retreats to the restroom." She giggled.
He stood, glancing at the clock. "The sun is coming up, if it isn't up already. You should be off to bed."
She stood and started for the door. "Seras," he said as she put her hand on the handle.
She turned.
"Remember what you have engraved on the side of your Gravedigger. Free yourself from fear."
She nodded and left, leaving him to his meditations.
He looked at the door for a while after she left, then pulled a cigar from his pack and went upstairs, finding Walter fixing a kettle of tea in the kitchen. Several tarts sat on a plate on the counter. He gestured at the kettle. "Earl Grey?"
The butler shook his head. "Japanese Green with ginseng. Would you care for some?"
He nodded, accepting the teacup and saucer from the man. He sat at one of the chairs across from Walter. "When did you give up the pipe?" asked Walter.
"When it kept getting smashed in the field," he said, lighting his cigar. "Walter," he began after a few puffs. "What do you know about Miss Victoria?"
The older man raised an eyebrow at the question.
"You know I don't mean it like that, ninny."
"She is a very capable young lady and has served this house with great distinction for several years now. Her acclimation phase was very tumultuous though. It took her nearly two weeks before she would feed enough to sustain herself. Then with that business with Incognito and Sir Integra's imprisonment, the rebuilding of Hellsing and her subsequent release from Alucard's service, she hasn't really had a lot of time to adjust to her new life, such as it is."
Hunter sighed. "That's what I thought, as well. Some of the questions and doubts this girl has she should have worked out in the servitude phase of her unlife. It seems she's had to grow up faster than we did, doesn't it?"
Walter looked at the Dhampir, his monocle shining in the overhead lights. "Considering that you grew up a good five hundred years before I was even born, I would have to take your word for it."
Hunter laughed.
"Do you remember Amon?"
Hunter thought back. "He was that witch hunter from Japan, wasn't he?"
"The same. I was going to give him a call today and see if he could come out to give us a hand, but my Japanese is a bit rusty."
"And you thought that I would be better suited to working through the red tape and levels of bureaucracy that we would need to before we even got to speak with Amon. I swear, Walter, you are such a child sometimes."
"Coming from you, I'll let that slide."
"Like you could do anything about it, old man."
Walter smiled, and the tip of Hunter's cigar fell off, landing in his tea. Hunter glared at him. "I was enjoying that, you know." He relit his cigar and stirred around inside his teacup for the tip that Walter had cut off with his threads.
Walter just smiled. "Just reminding you of the fact that there is quite a bit I can still do, despite being a bit older than I was when last we saw each other." He stood. "I'll bring you the number around nine o'clock. Will that be enough time to rest a bit?"
Hunter nodded, giving up on trying to get all the ash out of his tea. "More than enough."
Walter smiled and picked up the kettle and pulled another teacup and saucer from a cupboard. "I'll take my leave then. Sir Integra will want her morning tea now, I warrant."
He left after setting the kettle, cup, and two tarts on a tray. Hunter picked up one of the remaining tarts and popped it in his mouth whole, chewing around the mouthful. Just like he remembered Walter's tarts: perfect.
He stood and turned to leave, and stopped as his pants dropped about his ankles, his belt, fastener, and zipper all sliced apart.
Drat that butler, he thought. "Walter, I'll get you for this. These were my favorite jeans!"
He was left with Walter's soft chuckle as he gathered the remains of his dignity and his pants.