Chapter 16
Sera's slammed into the floor as a rocket screamed passed and slammed into the side of the mansion sending debris flying back into the crowd of ghouls that now filled the courtyard and connected city street. Reacting quickly she loaded her cannon, took aim and fired into the crowd of undead monsters. Her cannon fire was joined with the sounds of the Section 80 team opening fire with their own weapons. It all seemed to make no difference as the black portal behind the swarm of zombies continued to pour out more and more ghouls.
A Hellsing solder pulled the pin on one of his grenades and threw it towards the ghouls, enemy gun fire quickly cut him down before he could see the grenade explode taking several of the hunks of flesh with it. Michel took aim with his own rocket launcher and fired. The rocket screamed towards the black portal but at the last minute veered upwards and exploded harmlessly in the air.
Armed with various types of weaponry the army of ghouls made their way to the barricade and mansion beyond. With each of their own being cut down by the gunfire of the strange group of humans, dunpeals and vampires two more were ready to take its place. Slowly but surely the gap was closing and soon the ghouls would force their way into the mansion where the food awaited for them.
DS/
Alucard silently laid David's form into his personal coffin and pressed the button to close the lid. Looking towards Laura he saw a mix of human and vampire tears stream down her face. "You know what you have done, right vampire?"
Alucard could see the grief on Laura's face, if he was wrong about what he believed, than he had just created a monster that could and most likely would destroy every thing in its path. "I'm sure you Section 80 types know how to deal with one of your own if they are turned." He said dryly.
With a slight nod Laura pulled out a single round and gun. The bullet was composed of both silver and gold melted together to form a new metal, the core of the bullet was slivers of silver, nothing close to refined as what David used, but would get the job done if they hit a major vein or artery. Her hand began to shake as she pushed the bullet into the gun.
Another explosion ripped threw the building as several rockets impacted the side of the building at once. Suddenly Alucard could hear his fledgling shouting in his head. With a psychotic smile on his face Alucard phased threw the ceiling leaving Laura alone with David sleeping in the coffin.
DS/
Bullets were flying to and from the ghouls as they forced their way into the manor. The first to enter were quickly ripped apart by the hail of silver bullets, but eventually the defenders were forced change their magazines as the ammo ran out. This provided the surviving undead the chance for the foothold that their masters demanded of them.
The ghouls made their typical repulsive sounds in excitement as they edged closer and closer to a source of food. One of the sources jumped up with a rather large looking gun. One of the undead mindless zombies twisted their head as they futility tried to comprehend the danger that the strange weapon presented. A moment before the cannon fired the ghoul in question noticed the crimson red color of the shooters eyes.
DS/
The resulting bullet that fired from the cannon ripped threw several ghoul bodies before impacting with one in the back and exploding, taking several others in the surrounding area with it. The empty space was quickly refilled with ghouls as they walked threw the dust that marked their comrades.
Seras continued to reload and fire her cannon as her fellow hellsing and section 80 solders unloaded round after round from each ones respected weapon into the mass of undead. Nothing seemed to do any difference, the moment they cut down one of the ghouls in the front, and there stood another taking its place. Looking behind the crowd of ghouls Sam could see the dark portal still remained open and continued to pour out countless undead bodies.
One of the Hellsing solders that had a radio suddenly pressed his helmet to the side of this head as he tried to here his superior over the sound of gun and cannon fire. "Roger that! Ok, pull back to the second floor! Victoria and Section 80 cover are retreat then get back to the second floor!"
Quickly the human solders of Hellsing retreated up the stairs while still firing into the crowd. Seras looked around, she could see in the eyes of the Section 80 solders a kind of coldness that not even her master seemed to posses. This wasn't some sort of game or job for them; this was vengeance, a way of life.
"You undead bastard!" Someone to Seras's right shouted, she turned in time to see Jonathan raise his hand and summoning his powers throw the ghoul that had crawled to him back into the crowd of ghouls, a bowling ball hitting the pins sound resulted. Jonathan noticed that Seras had taken note of his recent action and only nodded as if confirming what she thought before reopening fire with a pair of guns that looked somewhat like her masters jackals.
Finally the last Hellsing solder made his retreat up the stairs and down the hallway to the next barricade that had been set up. Taking one last shot with her cannon Seras quickly ordered the rest of Section 80 to follow her up the stairs to meet up with the survivors. Fortunately, both vampire and dunpeals shared basely the same body in terms of speed so they managed to get down to the next barricade within a few seconds leaving the rest of the ghouls at least three minutes behind.
DS/
The ghouls watched as their meals ran up the stairs and down the hallway. Slowly they started towards the abandoned barricade intent on following after their meals. Suddenly a form began to materialize in front of the ghouls. At first it was a shapeless glob of dripping darkness, slowly it began to take on human like form. Long black thin material formed around the body as it took on woman characteristics, long flowing brown hair cascaded down the back of her head, long delicate fingers took shape finally a soft face formed at the head of the already stunning body. Her skin was a gentle pail but that worked to complement her features.
With a gentle wave of her hand several of the ghouls slowly began to follow her down the steps towards the dungeon as the rest resumed their match up the flight of stairs to the food source. Slowly the vampire walked the stone cold hallway with purpose, the ghouls trailed behind her obediently as if pups following their mother. Finally she arrived to a closed door, her senses telling her that her target was here, but so was someone else.
DS/
Alucard floated threw the various levels and building materials as he ascended from his chamber up to where the police girl and the rest of section 80 and remaining solders had gathered. As he passed threw the floor a violently loud sound exploded passed him, taking his hat clear off his head and down the hallway.
Looking in the other direction he saw his fledging holding her cannon with her face rapidly turning several shades of red in embarrassment. "Well now police girl, I wouldn't have guessed that hated me that much to try and blow my head off." Alucard said with a smirk as he pulled himself out of the floor.
"Christ master! What did you expect me to do with all the undead swarming around the place? I thought you were another one of the vampires that had come with the ghouls!"
"Another?" taking a quick look around Alucard's eyes settled on several piles of dust, some either littered with silver bullet's or spread about the floor wildly, plainly due to one of Seras's cannon bullets.
"Ah, well then are we having fun?" the respond was groans from the hellsing solders, dirty language from Section 80 and an eye role from his fledgling.
With a deep laugh Alucard looked down the hallway as the first ghouls came into view armed with whatever they came with or had gotten their hands on. "Police girl, you mean to tell me that mere ghouls are giving you such a problem?"
"It's the number of ghoul's smart ass." Michael said in Seras place. "They just keep coming."
"Is that all? Angel of death, your needed once again!" Alucard shouted. Almost as if he waited to be summoned, Walter, aka the angel of death appeared behind the barricade.
"You called Alucard?" Walter said, his head tilted so light reflected off his Monique.
"Please be so kind as to demonstrate to these rookies what a true hellsing solder does."
"As you wise Alucard." A demented smile started to form on Walters face as he flexed his fingers in his gloves, the wires in the tips sprouting from their hiding place and becoming hair thin whips. Walking past his former partner in the job Walters face had stopped being the reserved and grandfather like appearance that Seras and Integra knew well and became the face of the angel of death. His eyes razor sharp, a smile plastered across his face, his arms ready to strike out and let the wire cut threw whatever was unfortunate enough to come in contact with them.
The first group of ghouls had entered Walters weapons range, in an instant his arms snapped sending the wires out, the wires gently haloed and settled around several ghouls necks. With a flick of the wrist the wires went taught, resisted for a moment and finally cut threw the rotting flesh, releasing the poor souls from their rotting prisons.
"wow." Was all that Jonathan could muster as he watched the legend that he had heard so much about by the very mans relative work.
DS/
The woman took a moment to collect her thoughts, what would she say to him when she finally saw him again, would he remember her, would he still want her after what she had done? Of course, she simply had to make him forget past events and virtues inserted by his teacher, only his skills that he learned from Berne needed to remain, the rest would be hers, as it should have been.
Raising a hand to the door a ripple of dark energy flowed from her hand and impacted into the door, sending it flying into the room. A yelp of surprise came from the room. Before the dust settled the vampire heard heavy gunfire and the sound of bullets cutting threw the air towards her. With inhuman speed she sidestepped, the ghouls on the other hand weren't blessed with vampire speed and so the ones in the front took the bullets and turned to dust.
Quickly she mentally ordered the rest to rush into the room. A curse was heard in the room and then the sound of some weapon cutting threw the air was heard. As the dust settled the vampire looked into the room, all the ghouls laid about turning to dust. One of the unfortunate ghouls began was being stabbed in the back by the sole guardian of the room with a weapon.
'Hmm, a Berne assassin staff.' The vampire silently thought, luck for her the guardian had her back to the door as she took out her frustration on the still solid ghoul. With cat like grace the vampire walked into the room, the guardian still didn't sense her presence. With a quick movement of the vampires arm she hit the back of the guardians head, knocking her unconscious.
She looked at her for a moment, the sent of a dunpeal coming off of her. For a moment the thought of killing her crossed her mind but quickly she abandoned such thoughts. Turning her attention to the coffin she summoned more ghouls to her location. Opening the lid she looked down at the sleeping form of her love. Slowly she descended and their lips touched for a moment. "Markus..."
DS/
Alucard soon realized why his fledgling and company had retreated back to the second floor. He watched as Walter soon was not only battling the ghouls but his own fatigue as well. Not wanting to see his old partner to fall to such filth he lowered himself to taking some of the garbage out as well. The loud sound of the jackal's mechanical laughter in such a closed space was enough for even the Section 80 personal to flinch.
Seras jumped from the barricade and arrived along side her master and her friend. Together they began to clean up the mess anew. Dozens at a time began to fall at the unified effort of the two undead and retired Hellsing solder. Soon bullets began to fly from behind them and passed between their legs and above their heads as Section 80 and the Hellsing solders began to advance a few steps behind the true masters of the art. The ghouls began to crumple under the reinforced effort to protect the mansion.
DS/
Finally the ghouls arrived in the chamber, at first they looked at the still unconscious body and made a move towards it for food, only to be stopped by their master. Again silently she directed the ghouls, they moved towards the coffin. With a moan from the wood and the posters the coffin broke free. Taking the lead the vampire, ghouls and coffin left the room and the awakening guardian behind.
DS/
The trio of ghoul slayers kept marching forward as the bullets kept flying from behind them into the crowd of ghouls. Seras couldn't suppress the unnatural smile that had infected her. Her fangs had grown fully at the sight of the carnage as a red haze had colored her sight, she was still in full control of her mind and body but she felt the steady mental hand of her master guiding this new found feeling. Strangely enough she didn't fight it but rather kept steady pace with her master's gentle pull towards the feelings.
She finally began to have of a taste of what her new nature had to offer. Seras finally understood what her master had meant when they were being merciful to the ghouls, no one should be taken against their will and turned into something as revolting as a ghoul. They were nearing the stairs when her cannon fired another shot that removed the last of the undead from their path clearing the way to the entrance way.
Suddenly Walter collapsed, Seras still semi in her blood lust turned to Walter not sure of what just happened. The retainer looked up and grinned and gave a reassuring nod to the police girl. "I'm not as young as I used to be."
Seras returned the nod and followed her master to finish the remaining ghouls in the entrance way.
DS/
The female vampire instantly sensed the closing pair of undead vampires as she and the ghouls that carried the coffin started to exit into the court yard. Dawn was starting to break revealing the still open dark portal. Looking back she saw a man dressed in red with a gun in hand.
A smile formed on her face at the sight of the old familiar, silently she ordered the ghouls to stop for a moment. "My dear Count Dracula, it has been ages."
"You..." Alucard quickly took a look at what was going on, Ghouls acting like paul bearers, his coffin being the one held, this familiar vampiris. David, she had his son!
"Why my count, surely you have not forgotten me, your son's first love?"
"Elizabeth..."
"Yes my count, I have sought out my love, now we will take our leave to finish what you started my lord." Elizabeth turned and gestured to the ghouls, they slowly began to march towards the portal.
"I don't think so!" Alucard leveled his gun at Elizabeth and fired. The bullet came screaming towards her head. A smile crept across her face, raising her hand the bullet suddenly stopped and fell to the ground as if hitting a wall. Alucard unloaded the remaining bullets from his Jackal at her only for the same result to occur. Part of Elizabeth's soft black silk on her arm suddenly became taught and flew towards the Nosfaratu impaling his shoulder. The silky weapon quickly retracted from the wound, leaving a puzzled look on Alucard's face.
The blooded cloth returned to its master, a bottle floated lazily along side her. The blood dripped into the container, when it was full it floated into the dark portal. "I hope that you come to your senses my Count, it would be a shame for father and son to fight to the death next they meet." Elizabeth said devilishly.
DS/
Seras quickly arrived along side her master after dispatching the last of the ghouls inside. Her master seemed wounded in the shoulder but didn't seem to care, the vampiris stood there looking quiet pleased with her self. Seras quickly leveled her cannon and took aim of the ghouls; her master would want to take out the vampire. As she pulled the trigger Alucard became animated and kicked the gun in time to send the round flying harmlessly away. Seras looked up in shock.
"Ah my count, I see that you do care for your son, until we meet again my dear count Dracula." Elizabeth turned and followed the marching ghouls into the dark portal as Alucard ran towards her and his son. As Elizabeth stepped threw the portal instantly closed, leaving Alucard standing in the courtyard.
DS/
Integra stood watching the small scene play out in her courtyard. A shiver had crawled up and down her spine, like something had come to pass that would shatter the world. Silently she reviewed the night's events. David and some of Section 80 had gone on a mission, they returned but David was in Alucard's arms. Shortly after the attack had happened, now she watched the ghouls carry away a Hellsing coffin. The blood seemed to pour out of her as the realization that the enemy now held a prisoner.
Regardless of what she felt towards the abomination, her servant was protective of his son. That meant the enemy had leverage and that was unacceptable. Like hell would she let these bloodsuckers have any control over her family and those that fought under its seal.
DS/
"But you can't just pick up and leave." Integra stammered at what her American counterpart had just said hours after the attack. The sounds of construction ran threw the house in a maddening attempt to repair several collapsed walls. Every now and then a gun shot was heard in the courtyard signaling the silencing of another ghoul.
"I have no choice, I have to report this back to Section 80 in person. Not only about the loss of one of our own kin but the dammed fact that Dracula is not only around and well but is in your service!" Jonathan replied, anger building up towards the end.
"One of your own kin? I'm sorry; I didn't realize that one of your solders was killed. Now about Alucard..."
"Dam it; none of my people were killed! I'm talking about David; we dunpeals take it personally when something happens to our own."
Confusion flashed across Integra's face, then understanding and finally anger. Jonathan was another abomination. Slowly her hand went for the gun held under her desk. Before she could pull it from its hoister a black and silver Jackal was pointing at her forehead.
"Go ahead Sir Hellsing, try and pull your gun or call for the true abomination that you call Alucard. Either way you will be dead, but this bullet is not meant for you." Jonathan said as he studied Integra's face for any clue to her trying to reach Alucard. He watched as her face turned several shades of angry red as she looked at the barrel of the familiar design of the gun. Reluctantly she slowly nodded her head and returned her hand to the top of the desk. As if business as normal Jonathan returned his weapon to its hoister hidden under his coat and returned his gaze at Integra.
"I believe what your servant has failed to mention is his part of the vampires so called prophecy. Perhaps I should enlighten you, His son, David, was born for his twisted purpose of creating the ultimate vampire. Imagine a vampire that was linked to all others, that could devour both human and undead. With power that never faded in the sunlight. That's all that we have found I'm sure that David will develop even more abilities. He's used you Integra, he's used your entire family in his own sick game!"
Softly Integra whispered the name of her servant in disbelief. Jonathan had to be mistaken. Alucard could never do something like that to her, could he? His methods screamed insanity but he never once in the time she had known him laid a figure on her. "W-why is he such a threat to you?" Integra demanded, her control over her emotions rattled at the thought of Alucard deliberately trying to harm her.
"The agents of Section 80 have been around far longer than the Iscariot, Hellsing, or even Section 80 itself. Before we became Section 80 we hunted down Dracula and his kingdom."
"That was you!" A voice boomed from the walls, darkness seemed to take on a form as Alucard walked threw the wall, clearly pissed by the recent revelation.
"Take one more step and I'll finish the job that we started regardless of Sir Hellsing's wishes." Jonathan said as he brought out his weapon once again. "Your kind has done far worse to your abandoned children than our little revenge that we get when we kill off one of our ancestors."
Both seemed ready to jump at each others throats, literally. "Enough! Both of you, this is my house and ill be dammed if any more blood will be spilled in vain today on these grounds!"
For a tense moment it looked like both failed to here Integra's demands, slowly Jonathan lowered his weapon to his side, Integra took note that he didn't return the weapon to its hoister or even broke his gaze with Alucard. "Sir Hellsing, you have my report, we are not under your command and given recent events it would be in both are best interests to distance our two respective parties."
He turned to look at Integra; she still held contempt for him but slowly nodded in agreement. While he had his head turned towards Integra, Alucard slowly advanced, suddenly a thunderous gunshot broke the silence in the office as smoke billowed out of Jonathans Jackal. He returned his gaze towards Alucard and the large hole in his shoulder. "Next time, I wont miss, monster. Take that as a warning, the next time you run across Section 80 it will be as pleasant as when you first ran into Iscariots Paladin!" with that he turned towards the door way and walked out as he returned the gung to its hoister.
DS/
Laura went about the room putting her belongings, which weren't ever many, into her suitcases. Every now and then she would glance up and see her friends doing the same in their little spot of the room. David' s staff now laid on her bed in its compact design along side her own collection of weaponry, the sword that David had given her included.
On the outside she was indifferent to the fact that they were returning home. On the inside however she was screaming and restraining herself from taking her commanders head. She had failed the one person that had been a father to her; no something more, and it sickened her to the core. Then there was there was the recent discovery of the true identity of Alucard. The thought of that monster still being alive hardly compared to what she was feeling now about David but it didn't help her mood.
The door opened and Jonathan walked casually into the room towards his belongings. He seemed to be taking the situation rather well, the smell of gunpowder and a slight smile on his face being the obvious clues. Once again the door opened, this time Seras carefully walked in. The sight of the vampire made several of the others go for their weaponry but quickly shifted their stance in a vain attempt to look like they were reaching for something else.
Seras looked uneasily at the others and quickly crossed the room towards Laura. "Master told me that your leaving, is that true?"
Laura took a quick glance at the vampire fledgling, she was young, ignorant, and a spawn of Dracula, but then again David was a spawn of the same monster. Laura quickly noticed Seras's gaze led towards the staff weapon that lay on her bed next to her personal assortment of weaponry. Instinctively Laura pulled the staff from the pile and returned it to a suitcase that was specialty designed for transporting large numbers of personal weapons. "Yes, its true that were leaving, so much has happened now. We have been away for far to long as it is from our own country Seras as it is."
"What about David? Don't you care about him?" Seras asked.
Laura looked straight into the vampires blood red eyes, her face twitching at the question as she moved closer so that only the fledging could hear her. "More than you can possibly know vampire. David was the one that took me in and made me who I am today. I owe my life to him in more ways than yours to your master."
"Then tell me the truth to why you're leaving." Seras whispered in kind.
Laura glanced around the room, the others were supposedly getting ready to return home to the states but she knew that they all had their ears trained on them straining for any sound that they could hear. To hell with it Laura thought to herself, she needs to know this. Once again in a whisper she spoke to Seras "Your master has started a chain of events that if David survives, will most certainly spell the end of humanity. Section 80 is about to become something worse than Hellsing and the Iscariot combined, this isn't business as usual Seras, its vengeance."
DS/
The van pulled away carrying the team from Section 80. Seras watched the van with her vampire eyes until it turned a corner and disappeared from view. In one hand she held Laura's sword, in the other a simple note. She had found the items remaining in the room moments before the van pulled away, taking any explanation to why it was left and the cryptic note. Looking down she read the note once more.
Seras, Keep this sword with you at all times. While I may despise you for what you are I cannot deny the fact that you are related to David. In the days to come, Section 80 will not be able to know who is friend or foe that has crimson eyes unless proof can be given on the spot. Present this weapon to any dunpeal that fights under Section 80 and your life and the lives of your comrades will be spared. Feel free to use it in battle as well; it is what David would have wanted. Within the container are several vials of the mixture that David and I are able to create, don't bother trying to figure out how to create more.
Seras looked at the weapon, in its current state it looked like a thick dagger, fingering the button the spring-loaded weapon shot out a full additional three feet before locking in place. A glaze of the mix began to form on the edge, remains of the last vial still in the weapon. With a sigh she thumbed the button once again. The weapon retracted into itself leaving a puddle of the mix on the floor as the sections tightly slid across each other. She decided to head down to her masters room, hopefully he could help her understand all this. As she turned away from the window she didn't notice the black storm clouds come into view all across the horizon. It was going to be one hell of a storm.