Chapter XX: Regroup

...

"Must you irk her so?" Sol asked as he led Grim and Integra down towards his library lair. The hooded man shrugged as he hefted his scythe.

"It relaxes me," he said with a sigh. "You know that." Sol smirked as he shook his head.

"Playing tag with death is not my idea of relaxation," he sighed.

"But what if she gives in?" Grim smiled. "Besides, you have your clumsiness and I have my... perversity. It is our way."

"I don't want you to see you get hurt," Sol said as he smirked. "She's a tough lady and she's a handful."

"I'm more worried about you," Grim glanced at him. "Two vampires and a halfling?"

"What's wrong with that?" Sol glared at the cloaked man.

"Aside from having three women at the same time?" Grim looked at the ceiling in thought. "Helena's after your blood, Celes is after your... uh... seed and Andrea is... well, she considers you family. Under what capacity is still uncertain."

"They are under my protection, Met. And you know me," Grim sighed as he looked back at Integra. She was looking at him with much contempt that he knew his way was irritating her.

"But three?"

"We'll discuss this later," Sol said. "Right now we must figure a way out of this dilemma we're facing."

"He's always causing problems," Grim groaned. "Nothing has changed."

"She obviously did," Sol nodded in Integra's direction. "I thought you said she's a sweet girl filled with innocence."

"Obviously, those assholes who wanted power marred her," Grim's voice went deadly. "I should have been there with her."

"May I point out that you were dead at that time?" Sol frowned. "And if you did return, they might had shot you in fear that you were a vampire or a ghoul."

"As my apprentice, I should have sent you earlier to take care of her," Grim glared at him.

"One, my apprenticeship only began when you were fully recovered from your injuries," Sol argued.

"Injuries?" Grim exclaimed. "I was dead for crying out loud!"

"Two," he ignored Grim's outburst. "I myself was incapacitated to do anything. As I remember, it was your plan that had us ended up like coleslaw. There is a time for everything, but this is not the time for this argument. Now, shall we forge a plan to release the immortal from his cage?"

Integra was within earshot of the conversation and she couldn't make heads or tails with it. From what she gathered they were older than she was but Sol only looked a year younger than Celes. The rest... she was confused. She realized earlier that these two should not be underestimated.

But what were their limitations?

Sol had bested Andersen almost costing his life. And this... Grim could materialize from one place to another, not to mention the ability to change her clothing at his whim. But somehow she felt that he would do everything to keep her safe.

"Lady Hellsing?" Sol brought her out of her thoughts.

"What is it?" she asked with an air of authority.

"I would ask that you behave yourself," he said in a manner that left no discussion. He then turned a corner and Grim followed. Why should she behave herself? As if he could read her mind, Grim answered.

"You have a tendency to... fly off the handle in unexpected circumstances," he said. He then turned to Sol and nodded. Sighing, Sol opened the door and entered a library. Without stopping, he waved his hand and the farthest shelf opened into another room.

Suddenly, without warning, an object pounced on Sol making him tumble back from the force. Integra was on alert but when she saw Grim shook his head in dismay, she relaxed and looked at the object that attacked Sol.

Celes Victoria was on top of Sol, straddling him as if he was a horse. And where she sat made Integra blush, and it's almost impossible to make her blush.

Celes was sitting on Sol's... groin area. She purred as she sensually leaned forward to taste his lips with a lick of her tongue much to the surprise of Integra.

"What took you so long?" Celes asked as she caressed his chest through his clothes.

"I was only gone for an hour," Sol calmly said as he looked deep within her eyes. Unbridled lust flamed her soul. And when he felt it within her, he swallowed. "Anyone care to explain how she got this way?"

"She smelled the blood inside my regeneration chamber," Helena said as she was pushed on a wheelchair by Andrea. "She recognized the scent and became... hungry."

"And I'm the main course," Sol sighed but was caressing Celes's back, trailing his fingers on her spine. "As much as I want this, we have work to do."

Celes moaned as she wiggled her hips, feeling him with the one part that controlled her thoughts for the moment.

"Your mind says one thing but your body says another," she teased as she felt the betrayal of Sol's lower body. Sol gulped as he tried to get away from her but he realized that it was a mistake to try. Even through the material of his denims he could feel her heat.

And that was not the only thing he felt.

Blushing, Sol sat up and gave Celes a passionate kiss. In the eyes of others, Celes seemed to devour Sol's kiss. It was like a craving she had.

A craving for his blood, a craving for his manhood.

A craving for his soul.

Suddenly, Sol could taste a familiar rusty flavor that was his blood. And just as sudden, Celes withdrew the kiss and blinked at him confusingly.

"Not again," she breathed. "I almost..." she shook as she touched his lower lip which she avertedly bit. Slowly, she got off from him and walked away backwards.

She looked at him expecting him to lash out but instead he looked at her with kind understanding eyes. She would have felt better if he shouted at her but she felt worse for nothing she did seemed to faze him. It was like he always expected her to kill him.

Disgusted with herself, Celes fled into the depths of the lab and tears filled her eyes. Andrea looked at the retreating form of her sister and looked sullen. When she looked at Helena, she was surprised.

The vampire also looked away as if she was in pain. Sadness filled her amber eyes as she looked away from Sol.

"Andrea. Let us find Celes," she said, still refusing to meet Sol's gaze. Puzzled, the young woman followed her instructions and pushed the chair towards the lab.

Sol watched the women go with sadness in his heart. He never wanted them to leave but left they did. Finally, he stood and stared into the darkness of the lab feeling his soul shatter at every receding footstep he heard.

Sir Integra Hellsing watched in silence at what had transpired. Sol had seemed to be willing to give himself to Celes but she woke from her hunger and leave with a full mind. The vampire Helena didn't want to see Sol's kind eyes as she and the girl named Andrea followed Celes. And for the first time since she met him, Grim did not crack a joke or change her clothing.

There was something more to these people than meets the eye.

Something she had yet to understand.