Title: Family Matters
Author: DhampyrX2
Genre: X-over
Series: Impure Souls
Rating: PG-13, just to be safe
Summary: Xander has hidden family. Xander discovers them. Xander's life gets turned upside down in a way that will hopefully help everyone evolve a bit.
Timeframe: After Graduation, but before the College crap starts.
Disclaimer: I don't own these characters. Don't sue me, I'm poor.
Unit commander Alexander Hellsing moved carefully through the Victorian streets that reports claimed to be overwrought with ghouls just hours ago in the city of York. It was his fourth mission since his new civilian based units, now referred to as the 'X-Men' by the older military trained Hellsing units that had become the various team leaders for the newbies, had graduated to active duty. All in all, the experiment of training and incorporating civilian vampire hunters had proven worthwhile thus far. The new recruits had a washout rate less than half of the old system and, due mostly to their familiarity of staying alive against things stronger and faster than they were through teamwork and planning, they had suffered far fewer casualties than any raw recruit class ever.
Of course the fact that they mostly set up and secured perimeters for Alucard, Seras, and him might have something to do with the survivability rates. The troops certainly knew /what/ to do against a mideon or a ghoul. That didn't mean any of either species survived long enough to reach them in the face of Alucard's fun with he and Vicky in tow to clean up the remains.
Tonight, however, was a different matter. Due to the large area they needed to cover, and the reports of several FREAKs, Xander and his compatriots had to split up for the first time in live combat. In the back of his mind, Xander would swear this was a set up of some kind, but that didn't make him back away. It looked like he was due for a baptism by fire in the face of his expanding abilities.
That little metaphor became all too accurate as a pack of eight ghouls shambled out from around the corner, moaning inarticulately as the headed for the White Knight. "In the Name of God, impure souls of the living dead shall be banished into eternal damnation." he coldly recited as he lifted Shenzi, opened fire, and eliminated the putrid, gray-skinned servitors.
Alucard didn't even bother to let his head twitch at the sound of a Casull spewing forth its blessed payload into some hapless ghouls. He knew well enough what was happening. Frankly, he was more interested in the pack of FREAKs he could feel ahead of him than with Xander. The boy would take care of a few ghouls himself without any trouble.
Alucard opened the door to the two story house full of a dozen chipped vampires with a flourish as he gave them his best sadistic laugh and said, "Well, let's see if any of you pathetic counterfeits bear any resemblance to an original."
What followed could not be recounted or repeated for the sake of those with weak constitutions. Suffice it to say that the combination of the No Life King having fun, combined with his dislike of the affront to true vampires he considers the FREACK chip to be made for a truly horrific sight.
Seras moved quietly through the old streets of York, constantly on guard for trouble. She heard the harsh bark of a Casull pierce the night, and cursed the fact she was so far away from her Xander. She was currently walking near where the river Ouse fed the city. She walked on silently as she considered the advisability of going to assist her lover.
Surely Sir Integra knows this is some kind of set up? The reports were far too detailed for it to be anything else. But...I can't let it affect my work. Besides, he's a big boy. He can take care of himself. she assured herself mentally.
The Police Girl's contemplations were cut short as several mermen leapt forth from the water of the river and began to attack her en masse. "Bloody Hell." she whispered through gritted teeth as her Halconnen spewed forth its deadly payload at the fish creatures.
Xander replaced the clip in one Casull, cambering it with his teeth, as he fired the other into the next ten ghouls coming at him. He had stopped bothering to count after the thirty second one became so much dust around him, and was now more concerned with his dwindling ammunition supply. It wasn't like he could teleport more clips to his side like Gramps, after all.
With that in mind, he stowed and holstered Ed, then drew the Vorpal Blade with his free hand. The enchanted sword hummed with a sound eerily reminiscent of a lightsaber as Xander concentrated his power into it, making the blade occasionally leave violet after images as it moved. When the White Knight had spent his current clip in his second Casull, he simply returned it to its sling and started to systematically cut his opponents down in a more traditional manner that Adrian would approve of.
In a matter of a couple of minutes it was over, and Xander was left in deadly silence. Well, he was until he heard the repeated barks of a Jackal and Casull from one direction, and the unmistakable boom of a Halconnen in another. "I've got a bad feeling about this." Xander muttered as all sounds around him seemed to unnaturally cease. "A real bad feeling."
Soon a sound did imprint itself on his ears besides the beating of his own heart. Xander couldn't claim at the time he was glad to hear it, though.
Tick Tock
Tick Tock
Tick Tock
Tick Tock
Tick Tock
When he felt a presence behind him, a fact that was giving him a wiggins in and of itself due to the fact it had to be /powerful/ for him to pick up on it so easily, he couldn't help but quip, "If I turn around and see a worker for 'It's a Small World' behind me, I'm going to be sorely disappointed at all the built up drama."
The youngest Hellsing turned around slowly his blade at the ready as he faced what he knew was behind him. "Hello, Lieutenant Rip van Winkle." he greeted evenly.
"Good evening, nephew." Lilith replied with a shark's grin.
Master, I keep coming up against fish people, Golems, and these strange demonic looking bat things. What in the name of all that's holy is going on? Seras asked mentally as she took out another demon bat by tearing off its head and stepping on it.
I don't know, Police Girl. It sounds as if you are encountering many of my old minions and cannon fodder from Castlevania. I myself am finding an ever increasing throng of FREAK chipped imposters coming after me, along with whatever ghouls they might turn out of either stupidity, or a desire to overwhelm me with simple numbers. Alucard responded in irritation as he put his hand through another FREAK with delusions of grandeur.
Have you heard from Xander at all? Seras asked after taking the time to eliminate another merman.
...no. But that means little. If he were in immediate danger one of us would sense it whether he could call out telepathically or not. the No Life king answered.
I hope you're right. Seras responded worriedly.
"As do I, Seras. As do I." Alucard muttered aloud while he dispatched three more FREAKs.
Xander tried not to fidget as the, by all accounts insane, half-sister of Adrian looked him over. His first impression was how much she looked like Gramps, or like Xander himself, truthfully. In fact, in one subtracted her freckles, red eyes, and spectacles, and added some weight, a shorter haircut, and...well...he supposed a phallus, although he had no intention of checking what kind of plumbing the androgynous looking woman had in order to be certain, then one might think them twins.
"Does everyone in the family look like Gramps in the face but the Bartley woman?" Xander asked, more to fill the tense ensuing silence than for any other reason. He knew good and well that the vampiress in front of him could tear him apart like tissue paper, and have fun doing it. for whatever reason, though, Alucard was ignoring his mental cries for help.
"I am not certain that is actually related to us." Rip replied in a voice strangely tinged with both German overtones, and the subtle Transylvanian timbre that Adrian still possessed in regular speech, and Vlad let loose when he felt truly passionate about something.
"Well, that's actually a load off my mind. I wasn't looking forward to a surprise like having kids someday with green hair." Xander babbled in response.
"Oh, are you planning to raise a get with Father's little servant?" Lilith asked with what sounded like genuine curiosity.
"Uh...well...isn't that kind of personal to ask someone you just met. Even if we are family?" Xander replied nervously.
Rip van Winkle seemed to mull it over for a few moments before she nodded and replied, "I suppose it is. Forgive me for my lack of manners. It has been too long since I was around anyone but dad Millennium and it sometimes show. Very few of them were as mannered as Father and his court." After a pause, she distractedly commented, "You can stop bothering with trying to contact them. This area is sealed and sanctified against such things. That's what those sheaves of paper on the doors and lamp poles are." as she looked over the buildings around them, before she settled her gaze on his face again.
"I, uh, don't suppose you come here in peace, do you?" Xander asked with equal parts fear and grim determination.
Lilith seemed to mull that over as well before she admitted, "I don't know. Hurting you would bother Adrian, but it would also anger Father. And you look more like Father than the traitor. You have never betrayed him for the Belmonts. Yet, because of Adrian, you /are/ a Belmont. But he cares for you. He trains you. And you are not...as he prefers. You are not Aryan. You are a quandary, nephew. I do not want to anger Father. I do not want to tear apart his loyal family and allies. And yet...hurting you hurts mein bruder as well."
"So you set all this up just to look at me and decide if you wanted to gut me?" Xander asked in confusion, even as he screamed in his head to shut up and not giver her ideas.
"I did not arrange this. I just took advantage of it. In the house to my right you will find a corpse of what looked like a gross between a chipped vampire and a gargoyle. I killed it so I could look at you without getting you too mussed." Rip replied as she cocked her head to the right to regard him.
"Um, thanks." Xander responded lamely.
"You're welcome." Rip replied, before her faced blossomed into a bright smile. "I guess I do still have some manners after all, eh?" she asked, which earned a worried nod from the son of Jessica Belmont. "I don't think I will kill you tonight. I'm still not sure of you. You do have nice fangs though. They come out when you are nervous. Father would be proud. Good night, nephew." Rip van Winkle said before she faded into the shadows of the night behind her, leaving Xander alone to contemplate what the hell just happened.
"G'night Aunt Lilith." he replied in a bewildered tone as he sank to his knees from the emotional strain of the last few minutes. His relief was cut short be the shuffling sound of more ghoul steps. Xander sighed in irritation as he headed toward the noise with the Vorpal Blade in front of him. "Back to work, I guess." he commented rhetorically as he leapt into this batch to eliminate them.
END PART 19