Remember me? You hate me. Yes. I know. I apologize as many times as you deserve. I'm sort of back; anyway, it's time I took this FREAK fic down. Anyone got a depleted uranium shell?
Disclaimer stickergoes here!I don't own Hellsing or any characters; I don't have anyone's permission to use these characters or setting, and I don't get any income out of this.
She became dimly aware that she was not only tired, with the bleary exhaustion of insufficient sleep, but sore.
Integra shot a glance across to the porthole. Weak attempts at daylight filtered into the room. She pulled herself out of the chair, wincing as she stretched. Of all the idiotic places to fall asleep.
Breakfast wasn't for. . . she picked her watch up off the bedside table. . . another hour. She stretched again, flexing her fingers. Well, she might as well go find out if the breakfast room was at least open.
She was encouraged by the smell of coffee as she went down the hall and found the small room off the dining hall. Pastries sat out in open cartons by containers of coffee and hot water. Close enough. She collected tea and an apple and sat with her back to one wall, trying to ignore the pop music filtering over the sound system. Evidently someone thought the hour was early enough to get away with it. She was too tired to bother complaining. Although once she'd had her tea--
"Well, hello again."
She glanced up, catching the sympathetic expression of the pregnant woman who had come by lost the previous day. She took in sparse makeup, messy hair, and a simple dress. Not a likely agent, even without the woman's bulk. She allowed herself a cautious glance about to see if the husband was in the area. No.
"Thought I should get down here early to escape the patters." She said the last two words in the sort of overly loud whisper that overly concerned parents use to express the fears of their children. Integra tried to look as though she had some degree of understanding without committing to sympathy. Then she realized that a woman prone to admitting her fears might also describe morning sickness in far too much detail. She dunked her teabag into her silly styrofoam cup, trying to pick out an escape route.
"I'll just leave my purse here. You'll watch it, won't you?" Integra nodded, remembering this part of the ritual from her experience with the school system. She watched the woman go to the table as she sugared her coffee.
Some days, once or twice, while handling the day's paperwork, or supervising a drill, or speaking to the troops, or debating once again if they should be using shotguns or rifles, she'd wanted to be an anonymous traveller to foreign lands.
Another boy band took the place of the previous one. The only obvious change was in the angst level. Integra rolled her eyes, both at her former attitude and the lyrics. She rubbed her temples as she sipped her tea. The sensation of eyes on her distracted her from her headache. She felt the hairs on the back of her neck rise. That sensation triggered the first tingle of adrenaline as her brain automatically mapped nearby potential weapons and escape routes. She'd never really needed escape routes before. She felt naked without a gun at hand.
She remained cool, letting her gaze skim the room without resting. Her pregnant ally stood with her back to Integra's half of the room, debating over whether or not she wanted a gooey chocolate doughnut. A man was getting coffee, half turned towards her. There. A girl, a stewardess. As expected. She was very dark-skinned, with long, straight black hair and a round face. She was watching Integra. There was something hungry in her eyes. Integra resisted the urge to touch the crucifix around her neck.
The crewmate turned back to her work, refilling the coffee and slipping out. "So how do you like sea travel so far?" Integra's new friend resumed her seat. "Oh, we don't know names yet! I'm Melody Westhaven. I'm a schoolteacher." Westhaven giggled as though there were some sort of humor to this announcement. "All my friends say I'm a natural for el ed."
"Amanda Wingates." She was proud of her lack of hesitation. "El ed? Sorry?"
"Elementary education. This is my first baby, and I've already got his room painted, and his books, and toys, and everything!"
Integra felt her eyebrows pull together. Should she have toys yet? No. No need to get carried away. She had months before she needed those. She heard the woman continue, with a few digressions into how this was her first trip besides the honeymoon. Integra enjoyed the company, but she also had a tolerance level for chatter. They were rapidly approaching it. She kept Westhaven going while she glanced around the room again. Only a few people were present. But, there. Another crewmate, looking her way. . . no, watching Melody. He was much less obtrusive than the girl, but Integra was quite good at picking out predators. She was also better at pretending not to be watching. He left soon, and Integra relaxed fractionally, watching the door for further events.
The room started to fill up as Westhaven began to exhaust Integra's last reserves of patience. Several more crew members arrived on the scene, although these all appeared fully involved in their work. Deciding action was better than watching for another slip, Integra excused herself.
She went up on deck, hoping that the sunlight would be her ally. Chipped vampires had a low tolerance for the varied radiation of sunbeams. She checked that her hat wouldn't blow away and stood leaning against the railing, watching people go by. A dismal dawn was attempting to reform itself into proper day. The morning mist was fading rapidly. Integra watched one last seagull, far at sea on some mysterious errand, skim by towards land. People began to wander by, talking in groups, taking pictures (Integra took a step to the side and turned her face away) and otherwise disturbing the morning's tranquility.
She was still pondering while the girl who'd been watching her came up for a cigarette break. First she walked through the patch of sunlight between her and her friends. Then Integra watched as she relaxed slowly. Hmm. Hopefully, what she was seeing was the lingering psychological effects of a smoke break. Otherwise, her instincts were entirely wrong and the girl wasn't a chipped vampire at all. The girl flicked her cigarette butt overboard and headed back belowdecks. Integra's gaze followed her back through the patch of sunlight.
Damn. Damn. Hopefully Seras would have some answers (very advanced sunblock?) She waited until more people were circulating, and went along one of the larger hallways back to her room. She got in some more reading before she decided she might as well wait for Seras while she read. She strode from her room and down the hallway. The secret to get away with something she shouldn't be doing was to act as though she should be doing it. She knocked before she tried the knob. Seras opened it a moment later with an expression of relief.
"They're everywhere!" she hissed.
"Yes, I've noticed," Integra said, glancing over the room as she closed and locked the door. It was small and simple, just a few steps away from being a closet. The only noticeable furnishings were a table and a cabinet. The cabinet stood open. She crossed the room and closed it. The air was musty. She reached up for the air vent's cover, hesitated, and left it closed. "Do you have backgrounds?"
Seras kept her voice low, too. "Some. Belita's a talker. Only she doesn't talk about the day shift. I'm not even sure they're undead."
"They're hunters," Integra said, startling herself with her conviction. "What have you learned?"
"They were all brought in by Yan and Luke. You'll remember Yan. Luke was planning something else with them, but practicality took over. Someone hadto help hide and maintain the ghoul army. The two couldn't control the ghouls very well until that last battle."
"Where were the girls while we were killing the brothers?"
"It sounds like they pushed off the battle and regrouped when the two were dead. They weren't in the castle. Master would never have let them go."
"True." Integra still could happily have locked him in the basement again for not going after them when they were in the vicinity of the castle, but she supposed they didn't offer sufficient drama. "Have they made any other vampires? More to the point, are ghouls anywhere on board?"
"No, and no. From what I've heard, they can't afford 'distractions.' And this ship is too small to hide an undead army. I checked. You know they had me sleeping in a travel trunk?" Oblivious to Integra's expression, she finally got to what she'd been thinking. "How are we going to handle this? You've only got one gun.I've got the heavy artillery you can't use, but I stillcan't kill everyone without causing panic aboard the ship. Not to mention I can't do all the stewardessing alone."
"Miss Victoria, you're thinking the wrong way. You believe it's coincidence that I got packed away on a ship full of them?"
"Oh. Oh!" Seras frowned. "You're right. I was so busy thinking like Wa- a bodyguard I didn't consider that. So, how are we going to handle this?"
"We don't have to act decisively quite yet. They believe they've got me. Do you believe anyone's onto you?"
"No. . ." Seras was obviously thinking in terms of comparison now. "How well do you think they were briefed?"
"Possibly, they weren't warned about this at all. In that case, I'm simply a traveller, without companions or friends, and therefore a good target. That would be the simplest course; just put me on a ship full of undead, send you on another mission, and wait."
"No. . . the Valentines won't kill the pregnant women, but your departure was set because you announced you were pregnant. So unless someone's had contact with the Valentine girls to tell them about you, you're safe. It's careless to put you on a ship packed with us and just expect the odds to get you. Especially considering your experience."
Integra closed her eyes, putting together all the information she had so far. She came up with a sort ofpatchwork that didn't represent a devious plan as much as it did an attention-deficit risktaker. Nobody on the Round Table fit that description.
"Well, if they're onto you, they're onto me." Seras jumped off her train of thought and folded her hands. "I'll quit sleeping unless I've oozed into somewhere hidden. And we should go secure your room, next."
"You're right. We can't start killing everyone." Integra frowned. "We've got our experience and our knowledge as our allies. I'll stay armed, you'll stay ready, and we'll find out who messes up first."