Order 4: Connection
London, England - Present Day
Celes swallowed hard as she looked up at the bright lights of the surrounding building signs. It was the club district of London, a place that she had very rarely visited as a human. Drugs were big here, but she had never been assigned to this area until now where her reasons for being there had nothing to do with drugs. The murder victims had been found in this area and she had been sent to investigate. The sounds of mixing beats flowed out into the crowded streets and Celes wondered how on earth she would find any needle of information within the haystack of people. Taking a deep breath after trying to gather her thoughts, she stepped forward into the crowd, her first move to go to each scene of the murders.
The murders were spread out across the district. Their locations showing no connections as some were in abandoned buildings and others were in public places. All nine murders had happened within a 3 month span and as the death toll went up, no one was any closer to solving the mystery of who was causing the murders and why. Celes leaned back against the wall of an alley connected to the main strip of clubs that was the location of the fourth murder. Looking upwards, Celes frowned at the sight of a completely cloudy sky.
"Master was right… It does look like it is going to rai-" She stopped, something moving not far from in her in the alleyway. It was footsteps but they were almost to light to even be audible. Sinking back against the wall, closer into the enveloping shadows, Celes watched and waited. Something was moving not far from her and within moments she could tell that it wasn't human. There was a feeling emanating from it, a familiar feeling. She kept her gaze locked on it as a hand reached silently for the gun at her side. The figure was back onto her and so all that was visible was long black hair and a black form fitting long black leather jacket. Slowly the figure turned and Celes was started to see that it was a girl. A girl who appeared to simply be standing with her eyes closed. Gradually she continued to turn until she stopped and immediately took a step forward. Reaching down into a pile of trash before her, she dug her hand in deep only to withdraw something that made Celes jaw drop in shock. The girl was holding a vile that held a FREAK chip.
"Stop!" Celes immediately shouted, stepping out of the shadows to draw her gun on the girl. Immediately the girls eyes opened, her gaze centered on Celes. Her eyes were crimson and their gaze was like that of two lasers boring into her skull.
"I was wondering if you were going to remain hidden in the shadows for the entire time I was here." She said as she slipped the vile into one of her many pockets. "But I don't have time to 'stop'. I am sorry, Celes Victoria is it? I have no interest in killing you, you don't have anything I want and by the way you smell you are a kindred spirit. Please excuse me."
"How do you know my name?" Celes questioned, lowering the gun, yet keeping a tight grip upon it. "Who are you? What do you want with that FREAK chip?"
"My name is Rain and this chip belongs to me. As for knowing your name, I can feel it." She whispered.
"Rain…?" Celes repeated. She remembered that that was the name that Walter had spoke of in passing. Snapping out of her thoughts suddenly, she raised the gun again. "You are the one who is responsible for the murders, aren't you? I can't let you leave!"
Silently, Rain turned and without a second thought, Celes shot the gun, but Rain's figure disappeared in a dispersing cloud of black curling mist.
"Damn…" She said, lowering her gun again. Through the confusion of the passing incident, Celes knew one thing for sure - she had to find Walter.
I hold my breath as this life starts to take its toll
I hide behind a smile as this perfect plan unfolds
But oh, God, I feel I've been lied to
Lost all faith in the things I have achieved
I've woken now to find myself
In the shadows of all I have created
I'm longing to be lost in you
(away from this place I have made)
Won't you take me away from me
Treblinka, Poland - February 1944
"Tell me again why you are following me and why you decided to take 'him' with you?" Rain asked, looking over her shoulder at Walter who was helping a partially conscious Christoph. Rain was ahead of both of them, pushing her way through the brush of the forest north of the Treblinka camp. Alucard, whom she had met at the killing hospital, had disappeared off into the shadows in which he had come, but even though he had physically disappeared, Rain could still feel his presence in the close area around her.
"Well to answer your first question, you are much more interesting to be around than fighting FREAK vampires which I have been doing for the last several months. To answer your second question, it's common courtesy to help someone in need." He said. "You never know when you may be the one in need of help."
"I don't need anyone's help and I don't want you following me!" Rain hissed stopping and spinning around to face him.
"Ugh…" Christoph whispered as he slowly began to come to, leaning against Walter for support. For a moment he was groggy, but once he realized that he was no longer in the captivity of the Nazi's, his head shot up to look at Walter and then to Rain.
"Y…You!" He gasped, suddenly pushing away from Walter, so that he could get a better look at them both. "You saved my life!"
Christoph dropped to his knees, clenching both his hands together in almost worship of both figures. Tears were welling up in his eyes. "Thank you. If ever you need anything, call on me, I am in your debt."
Rain was looking over her shoulder at him, her eyes unnoticeably softening. There was a moment of silence as Rain clenched her fists together.
"We have to get you to a save place for the time being until we can find a more suitable place for you." Walter said.
"And WHERE do you propose we put him? The entire country side is crawling with Nazi worms. He would never survive. He would be shot on site." Rain growled.
"Please do not worry about me; my family grew up in this area. I know of a safe place I can go for the time being."
It was less than Walter had expected. Christoph's idea of a safe place appeared to be an old abandoned farm house several miles from the Treblinka camp. As both Walter and Rain followed Christoph into the building, they were surprised to what they found.
"This was my family home. I didn't have time to return here before I myself was capturers by the Nazi's." He said as he walked into the kitchen of the home. Both Vampire and Hunter stopped in the doorway and watched Christoph. The Jew stopped next to the woodstove near the wall and with a few good pushes, managed to slide it several feet to the side. Beneath it was a trap door which he quickly opened.
"Aunt Hinda!" Christoph said his face brightening up as he peered down into the hole.
"Christoph?!" A voice suddenly spoke out and to Walter and Rain's surprise; a face appeared out of the darkness of the hiding spot. "You're alive!"
An older woman rose up from the hole to wrap her arms around the boy. Rain's heart lifted slightly, but quickly she turned and began to walk away.
"Wait!" Christoph shouted out to her as he hugged his aunt, but broke away from her to stop his savior from leaving. Stopping to look again over her shoulder, she stared at Christoph, eyes full now of impatience. "You saved my life. I owe it to you. Please call on me at any time."
Turning back, she continued to walk without saying a word but soon stopped, looking up at the sky. It would soon be day and it would be far too dangerous to search for a place of rest now. "Allow me to sleep here. I cannot travel during daylight."
"Of course, mien Retter. Please come inside." He said, not really knowing that the reason that she couldn't travel during daylight was because she was a vampire. She and Walter followed Christoph down into the sanctuary below the woodstove, surprised to find that it was much larger than they had first thought. It was a basement with several more Jews seeking refuge. Bringing them into a back room away from the others, he offered the room to Walter and Rain.
"You may sleep here." He motioned to a cot in the corner of the room.
"Thank you; do not disturb me until the night has fallen." Rain whispered, moving into the room. Removing her guns from their holsters, but keeping one in her hand, she wasted no time in lying down upon her offered place before she was hauled into a deep sleep, not caring whether Walter was watching or not.
Crawling through this world as disease flows through my veins
I look into myself, but my own heart has been changed
I can't go on like this
I loathe all I've become
Lost in a dying world I reach for something more
I have grown so weary of this lie I live
'Do you believe that you will find him?'
Rain felt herself floating, yet it did not feel odd. She felt something brush against her hair and chin and immediately her eyes flew open. She was suddenly standing in the hallway of some castle. No longer was she wearing her long leather coat and black dress but instead she appeared in a black formal Victorian gothic dress. Onyx flowing sleeves folded over the pale skin of her arms. Quiet she scanned the area around her.
'Do you believe that he is still alive?'
It was nothing but an echoing voice in the halls. No matter where she ran, she couldn't pinpoint its location.
'Would you search for him forever?'
'Yes! I would search for him until I drew my last breath.' Rain replied, stopping and turning as she tried to find the face to the voice. 'I will not stop until I find him.'
'Even if he is dead?'
'Yes.'
'Splendid.' She heard a voice say behind her. Quickly she spun around only to find Alucard holding a gun aimed directly at her forehead. She had enough time to see him smirk before he pulled the trigger and then there was darkness. I
London, England - Present Day
Celes swallowed hard as she looked up at the bright lights of the surrounding building signs. It was the club district of London, a place that she had very rarely visited as a human. Drugs were big here, but she had never been assigned to this area until now where her reasons for being there had nothing to do with drugs. The murder victims had been found in this area and she had been sent to investigate. The sounds of mixing beats flowed out into the crowded streets and Celes wondered how on earth she would find any needle of information within the haystack of people. Taking a deep breath after trying to gather her thoughts, she stepped forward into the crowd, her first move to go to each scene of the murders.
The murders were spread out across the district. Their locations showing no connections as some were in abandoned buildings and others were in public places. All nine murders had happened within a 3 month span and as the death toll went up, no one was any closer to solving the mystery of who was causing the murders and why. Celes leaned back against the wall of an alley connected to the main strip of clubs that was the location of the fourth murder. Looking upwards, Celes frowned at the sight of a completely cloudy sky.
"Master was right… It does look like it is going to rai-" She stopped, something moving not far from in her in the alleyway. It was footsteps but they were almost to light to even be audible. Sinking back against the wall, closer into the enveloping shadows, Celes watched and waited. Something was moving not far from her and within moments she could tell that it wasn't human. There was a feeling emanating from it, a familiar feeling. She kept her gaze locked on it as a hand reached silently for the gun at her side. The figure was back onto her and so all that was visible was long black hair and a black form fitting long black leather jacket. Slowly the figure turned and Celes was started to see that it was a girl. A girl who appeared to simply be standing with her eyes closed. Gradually she continued to turn until she stopped and immediately took a step forward. Reaching down into a pile of trash before her, she dug her hand in deep only to withdraw something that made Celes jaw drop in shock. The girl was holding a vile that held a FREAK chip.
"Stop!" Celes immediately shouted, stepping out of the shadows to draw her gun on the girl. Immediately the girls eyes opened, her gaze centered on Celes. Her eyes were crimson and their gaze was like that of two lasers boring into her skull.
"I was wondering if you were going to remain hidden in the shadows for the entire time I was here." She said as she slipped the vile into one of her many pockets. "But I don't have time to 'stop'. I am sorry, Celes Victoria is it? I have no interest in killing you, you don't have anything I want and by the way you smell you are a kindred spirit. Please excuse me."
"How do you know my name?" Celes questioned, lowering the gun, yet keeping a tight grip upon it. "Who are you? What do you want with that FREAK chip?"
"My name is Rain and this chip belongs to me. As for knowing your name, I can feel it." She whispered.
"Rain…?" Celes repeated. She remembered that that was the name that Walter had spoke of in passing. Snapping out of her thoughts suddenly, she raised the gun again. "You are the one who is responsible for the murders, aren't you? I can't let you leave!"
Silently, Rain turned and without a second thought, Celes shot the gun, but Rain's figure disappeared in a dispersing cloud of black curling mist.
"Damn…" She said, lowering her gun again. Through the confusion of the passing incident, Celes knew one thing for sure - she had to find Walter.
I hold my breath as this life starts to take its toll
I hide behind a smile as this perfect plan unfolds
But oh, God, I feel I've been lied to
Lost all faith in the things I have achieved
I've woken now to find myself
In the shadows of all I have created
I'm longing to be lost in you
(away from this place I have made)
Won't you take me away from me
Treblinka, Poland - February 1944
"Tell me again why you are following me and why you decided to take 'him' with you?" Rain asked, looking over her shoulder at Walter who was helping a partially conscious Christoph. Rain was ahead of both of them, pushing her way through the brush of the forest north of the Treblinka camp. Alucard, whom she had met at the killing hospital, had disappeared off into the shadows in which he had come, but even though he had physically disappeared, Rain could still feel his presence in the close area around her.
"Well to answer your first question, you are much more interesting to be around than fighting FREAK vampires which I have been doing for the last several months. To answer your second question, it's common courtesy to help someone in need." He said. "You never know when you may be the one in need of help."
"I don't need anyone's help and I don't want you following me!" Rain hissed stopping and spinning around to face him.
"Ugh…" Christoph whispered as he slowly began to come to, leaning against Walter for support. For a moment he was groggy, but once he realized that he was no longer in the captivity of the Nazi's, his head shot up to look at Walter and then to Rain.
"Y…You!" He gasped, suddenly pushing away from Walter, so that he could get a better look at them both. "You saved my life!"
Christoph dropped to his knees, clenching both his hands together in almost worship of both figures. Tears were welling up in his eyes. "Thank you. If ever you need anything, call on me, I am in your debt."
Rain was looking over her shoulder at him, her eyes unnoticeably softening. There was a moment of silence as Rain clenched her fists together.
"We have to get you to a save place for the time being until we can find a more suitable place for you." Walter said.
"And WHERE do you propose we put him? The entire country side is crawling with Nazi worms. He would never survive. He would be shot on site." Rain growled.
"Please do not worry about me; my family grew up in this area. I know of a safe place I can go for the time being."
It was less than Walter had expected. Christoph's idea of a safe place appeared to be an old abandoned farm house several miles from the Treblinka camp. As both Walter and Rain followed Christoph into the building, they were surprised to what they found.
"This was my family home. I didn't have time to return here before I myself was capturers by the Nazi's." He said as he walked into the kitchen of the home. Both Vampire and Hunter stopped in the doorway and watched Christoph. The Jew stopped next to the woodstove near the wall and with a few good pushes, managed to slide it several feet to the side. Beneath it was a trap door which he quickly opened.
"Aunt Hinda!" Christoph said his face brightening up as he peered down into the hole.
"Christoph?!" A voice suddenly spoke out and to Walter and Rain's surprise; a face appeared out of the darkness of the hiding spot. "You're alive!"
An older woman rose up from the hole to wrap her arms around the boy. Rain's heart lifted slightly, but quickly she turned and began to walk away.
"Wait!" Christoph shouted out to her as he hugged his aunt, but broke away from her to stop his savior from leaving. Stopping to look again over her shoulder, she stared at Christoph, eyes full now of impatience. "You saved my life. I owe it to you. Please call on me at any time."
Turning back, she continued to walk without saying a word but soon stopped, looking up at the sky. It would soon be day and it would be far too dangerous to search for a place of rest now. "Allow me to sleep here. I cannot travel during daylight."
"Of course, mien Retter. Please come inside." He said, not really knowing that the reason that she couldn't travel during daylight was because she was a vampire. She and Walter followed Christoph down into the sanctuary below the woodstove, surprised to find that it was much larger than they had first thought. It was a basement with several more Jews seeking refuge. Bringing them into a back room away from the others, he offered the room to Walter and Rain.
"You may sleep here." He motioned to a cot in the corner of the room.
"Thank you; do not disturb me until the night has fallen." Rain whispered, moving into the room. Removing her guns from their holsters, but keeping one in her hand, she wasted no time in lying down upon her offered place before she was hauled into a deep sleep, not caring whether Walter was watching or not.
Crawling through this world as disease flows through my veins
I look into myself, but my own heart has been changed
I can't go on like this
I loathe all I've become
Lost in a dying world I reach for something more
I have grown so weary of this lie I live
'Do you believe that you will find him?'
Rain felt herself floating, yet it did not feel odd. She felt something brush against her hair and chin and immediately her eyes flew open. She was suddenly standing in the hallway of some castle. No longer was she wearing her long leather coat and black dress but instead she appeared in a black formal Victorian gothic dress. Onyx flowing sleeves folded over the pale skin of her arms. Quiet she scanned the area around her.
'Do you believe that he is still alive?'
It was nothing but an echoing voice in the halls. No matter where she ran, she couldn't pinpoint its location.
'Would you search for him forever?'
'Yes! I would search for him until I drew my last breath.' Rain replied, stopping and turning as she tried to find the face to the voice. 'I will not stop until I find him.'
'Even if he is dead?'
'Yes.'
'Splendid.' She heard a voice say behind her. Quickly she spun around only to find Alucard holding a gun aimed directly at her forehead. She had enough time to see him smirk before he pulled the trigger and then there was darkness. I