Chapter XIII: Trapped.
.
Integral Hellsing did not like the feel of the place. For one, it was too quiet. Nothing stirred. And nothing seemed to feel right.
Over the years, she had developed a sort of "sixth sense" for danger ever since her uncle wanted her dead all those years back. She had accustomed herself to trust her instincts. And tonight, her instincts were on high alert.
"This doesn't feel right," Integral said softly.
"You're right," a man in a dark cloak emerges from the shadows. Hellsing was on her guard but she sensed that this was not right. Actually, she sensed that this whole idea was totally wrong. But she tried to quash her feelings and tried to remain calm.
Which was pretty damned hard at the moment.
"Who the hell are you?" she asked curtly but she sensed that the man was sneering.
"That is a perfect question although a bit flawed in grammar," he said as he slowly walked towards her. "The question is; 'Who in hell am I'?" The man suddenly laughed as he snapped his fingers.
The room immediately illuminated with the outlines of demonic seals and wards. Integral Hellsing felt the power of the wards as the light passed her and she didn't like it. It was too strong. It was almost if...
"Alucard!" she tried to warn him but it was too late.
It was too late for both of them.
***
Sol suddenly stopped in stride as he felt a sudden disturbance. He suddenly felt constricted, as if he was bound in tight searing chains that burned his skin.
He gasped for air as he dropped to the floor with tremendous force that Celes Victoria was by his side in an instant.
"Sol!" she shook him but he was still trapped in his seizure. Suddenly, a woman she never saw before came to her running and knelt beside her.
"Is he okay?" she asked in concern. Celes was taken back by the woman for she looked like her in most accounts but younger. However, her more immediate concerns lay with the suffering Sol.
"He's burning up," Celes said as she lifted him up. "We need to get him into the infirmary. Help me." The woman followed Celes as she carried him with ease.
"What's wrong with him?" the woman asked. Celes didn't know and she feared that it was a relapse from his injuries. She'd never forgive herself if something happened to him.
Suddenly, Celes felt the gentle touch of Sol's hand on her cheek. She paused as she tingled from the touch. How can one man make her so giddy?
"I'm... okay," he took a deep breath and smiled. "Please. Put me down." Reluctantly, she did.
"Are you sure?" concern could be heard in Celes's voice.
""I'm not going to die," he smiled but it didn't ease her tension. "Not yet anyway." He looked up and saw the two women together and sighed. Celes really did looked like her sister, Andrea.
"I should leave you two alone," Sol said as he gave Celes a meaningful glance. But leaving them as they were could mess up things. "Celes, I'd like you to meet Andrea, Andrea, this is Celes." Sol saw Celes froze at the mention of Andrea's name.
"Andrea?" Celes smiled as she shook her hand. "That was my mother's name."
"I know," Andrea said weakly. She had thought that she was prepared for this day but words had failed her.
"Andrea wishes to join the Institute," Sol said calmly to the surprise of both women, especially Andrea.
"However, I do not have any skills I could contribute," Andrea said without missing a beat. She didn't know what Sol was up to but played along. Maybe, just maybe, she could be with the only family she had left.
Suddenly, a flash of silver came right at her and Andrea caught it with her two fingers. Celes was surprised as she was when they found out that Andrea caught a silver knife by the hilt.
"I think a little training would do wonders," Sol smiled as he walked over and took the knife from her.
"What if you hit me?" Andrea frowned and was rather annoyed with him. Celes was miffed too. What if he DID hit her?
"I wasn't even aiming at you," Sol smiled but then dropped it when he saw the seriousness in their features. "I am sorry." He bowed and left the room.
"He's weird at some times," Celes sighed as she faced Andrea. "I'm sorry he did that."
"He knew that I would catch it," Andrea said in a whisper. "He knew it before I did."
Before Celes could comment further, a loud crash of metal could be heard from outside followed by mild cursing and grunts. When all was stilled, Celes sighed.
It was hard to stay mad at Sol.
Turning to Andrea, she smiled as she held her hand.
"Come. I'll show you where you can stay," Andrea smiled as she followed her sister to her room.
***
A being of the shadow knew a trap when he sees one. However, THIS trap had been sprung.
He felt it when the prey had been trapped.
And now he knew not what to do.
A gleam of light redirected his attention to two items on the floor. He walked over and picked up the said items, confused as to why it was there.
It was the Casul and the Jackal.
And he knew that things were worse that it seemed.
.
Integral Hellsing did not like the feel of the place. For one, it was too quiet. Nothing stirred. And nothing seemed to feel right.
Over the years, she had developed a sort of "sixth sense" for danger ever since her uncle wanted her dead all those years back. She had accustomed herself to trust her instincts. And tonight, her instincts were on high alert.
"This doesn't feel right," Integral said softly.
"You're right," a man in a dark cloak emerges from the shadows. Hellsing was on her guard but she sensed that this was not right. Actually, she sensed that this whole idea was totally wrong. But she tried to quash her feelings and tried to remain calm.
Which was pretty damned hard at the moment.
"Who the hell are you?" she asked curtly but she sensed that the man was sneering.
"That is a perfect question although a bit flawed in grammar," he said as he slowly walked towards her. "The question is; 'Who in hell am I'?" The man suddenly laughed as he snapped his fingers.
The room immediately illuminated with the outlines of demonic seals and wards. Integral Hellsing felt the power of the wards as the light passed her and she didn't like it. It was too strong. It was almost if...
"Alucard!" she tried to warn him but it was too late.
It was too late for both of them.
***
Sol suddenly stopped in stride as he felt a sudden disturbance. He suddenly felt constricted, as if he was bound in tight searing chains that burned his skin.
He gasped for air as he dropped to the floor with tremendous force that Celes Victoria was by his side in an instant.
"Sol!" she shook him but he was still trapped in his seizure. Suddenly, a woman she never saw before came to her running and knelt beside her.
"Is he okay?" she asked in concern. Celes was taken back by the woman for she looked like her in most accounts but younger. However, her more immediate concerns lay with the suffering Sol.
"He's burning up," Celes said as she lifted him up. "We need to get him into the infirmary. Help me." The woman followed Celes as she carried him with ease.
"What's wrong with him?" the woman asked. Celes didn't know and she feared that it was a relapse from his injuries. She'd never forgive herself if something happened to him.
Suddenly, Celes felt the gentle touch of Sol's hand on her cheek. She paused as she tingled from the touch. How can one man make her so giddy?
"I'm... okay," he took a deep breath and smiled. "Please. Put me down." Reluctantly, she did.
"Are you sure?" concern could be heard in Celes's voice.
""I'm not going to die," he smiled but it didn't ease her tension. "Not yet anyway." He looked up and saw the two women together and sighed. Celes really did looked like her sister, Andrea.
"I should leave you two alone," Sol said as he gave Celes a meaningful glance. But leaving them as they were could mess up things. "Celes, I'd like you to meet Andrea, Andrea, this is Celes." Sol saw Celes froze at the mention of Andrea's name.
"Andrea?" Celes smiled as she shook her hand. "That was my mother's name."
"I know," Andrea said weakly. She had thought that she was prepared for this day but words had failed her.
"Andrea wishes to join the Institute," Sol said calmly to the surprise of both women, especially Andrea.
"However, I do not have any skills I could contribute," Andrea said without missing a beat. She didn't know what Sol was up to but played along. Maybe, just maybe, she could be with the only family she had left.
Suddenly, a flash of silver came right at her and Andrea caught it with her two fingers. Celes was surprised as she was when they found out that Andrea caught a silver knife by the hilt.
"I think a little training would do wonders," Sol smiled as he walked over and took the knife from her.
"What if you hit me?" Andrea frowned and was rather annoyed with him. Celes was miffed too. What if he DID hit her?
"I wasn't even aiming at you," Sol smiled but then dropped it when he saw the seriousness in their features. "I am sorry." He bowed and left the room.
"He's weird at some times," Celes sighed as she faced Andrea. "I'm sorry he did that."
"He knew that I would catch it," Andrea said in a whisper. "He knew it before I did."
Before Celes could comment further, a loud crash of metal could be heard from outside followed by mild cursing and grunts. When all was stilled, Celes sighed.
It was hard to stay mad at Sol.
Turning to Andrea, she smiled as she held her hand.
"Come. I'll show you where you can stay," Andrea smiled as she followed her sister to her room.
***
A being of the shadow knew a trap when he sees one. However, THIS trap had been sprung.
He felt it when the prey had been trapped.
And now he knew not what to do.
A gleam of light redirected his attention to two items on the floor. He walked over and picked up the said items, confused as to why it was there.
It was the Casul and the Jackal.
And he knew that things were worse that it seemed.