Order 17: Swordplay
By: SleepyNinja
Disclaimer: Don't own Hellsing and not making a dime.
A/N: Review or I'll cry and stuff.
A month passed without much incident. After the raid on the FREAK chip lab vampire activity had decreased dramatically and intelligence was busy sorting through all the evidence. The timing for the lull was perfect for Jack because Walter still hadn't received the sword from whoever Walter gets his weapons from. Jack's aim was steadily improving; Alucard had been helping him and figured he would have an almost perfect shot in another month. Seras had started materializing into Jack's room, though still only one person knocked, Walter.
Seras was currently lazing on Jack's couch watching the BBC while Jack was playing solitaire on his computer, or what he liked to call "the most expensive deck of cards I ever bought". His room was now more or less transformed into the Hellsing vampire break room. Jack even swore that he caught Alucard sitting on his couch a few weeks ago. The last month was full of Jack's good humor, sarcasm, and wit. Seras rarely went twenty minutes without laughing.
A knock came on the door and Walter entered. "Good evening Miss Victoria, Mister Owens. Mister Owens I have something for you." He walked up to the desks and placed a long brown leather case on the table without the computer. Seras walked over and leaned on the back of Jack's chair to see what was going on. Walter opened the case and revealed a long sword in a plain black metal sheath with a white cross in the middle. He removed the sword with two hands and pulled the blade from its resting place. Metal reverberations sounded through the room as the blade glimmered in the light. "The blade is 87cm long and the hilt is another 23, bringing the total length to 1.1 meters. The blade is perfectly balanced and it weighs 2.4 kilograms. The blade was made by the finest sword maker in Japan and is made titanium alloy. It was shipped over last night where it blade itself was blessed. The guard on the blade is also made of titanium, but the rest of the hilt is constructed with 440 grade stainless steel. All created in the traditional katana form." He offered the sword to Jack. Jack grabbed the black hilt and was awed by the craftsmanship. The hilt was black leather; the bottom of the hilt was covered with a plain steel cap. The guard was perfect shining titanium, and a metal ring right below it matched perfectly.
He stood and waved the sword around a bit. Walter was right, it was perfectly balanced. He barely touched the blade and quickly pulled back. He looked at his index finger at the small cut as blood oozed out. "That's what I call sharp." His voice was in awe. "It's perfect. It's absolutely perfect. Walter, you are the man."
"Thank you sir. I'm glad you're pleased."
"I'm more than pleased."
"Yes well, I must be going. There are other things I must attend to." Walter bowed and took his leave.
Jack sheathed his sword. It made a metal snap when it went all the way in. Jack smiled.
"From what intelligence has gathered," Walter said, pointing to the projector's image of the FREAK chip, "the freak chip acts like a virus. It is placed in the human body and starts programming the tissue around it. The infected tissue then releases an unidentified substance which makes its way through the circulatory system infecting the entire body. Once the entire body has been infected the chip shuts down and destroys itself. The lab workers that were captured still have refused to talk, but we're becoming increasingly…creative in our methods. We expect some sort of information before the end of the month."
The projector turned to a different picture, this one of crime scene photos. "We have recently had reports of a vampire rampage. From witnesses and the evidence, there are apparently five of them. We currently have a unit separating the vampires and luring them into areas in red." The picture changed again, this time showing a map with red areas about two or three blocks apart. "Alucard, Miss Victoria, and Mister Owens will go after one vampire each, Colonel Ewell, and Colonel Bolton's unit will neutralize that last two. In the name of God, impure souls of the living dead shall be banished into eternal damnation. Amen."
Amen could be heard from all around the table.
Jack walked down the ally with gun drawn. He could hear his target's ragged breathing up ahead. It didn't matter. Hellsing units were blockading every possible exit he could have, so all he had to do was drive him towards them, or take care of him by himself.
"He should be up about twenty meters when you turn the corner." Walter's voice said in his earpiece.
"Roger." Jack ran and turned the corner. His target fled down the ally. "Coward." Jack pulled the trigger on his Hellcat and the Vampire's head shattered and the vampire disappeared into dust. "Target neutralized. Send in the-" Jack's communication was interrupted by a ear piercing shriek. "Seras!" Jack sprinted in the direction of the scream, where Seras was supposed to be.
Seras shot at her target, placing holes the size of soda caps in her target, but this did not impede Paladin Alexander Anderson's progress. His blessed swords raised, he charged at the Hellsing vampire. Seras dropped her gun and grabbed his wrists before he could strike. They battled for supremacy for around thirty seconds, each pushing with all of their might. The stalemate however was broken with a well placed foot to Seras' stomach, sending her into a dumpster. Seras struggled to get up, but the kick had knocked the air out of her and the pain was agonizing.
"Tha divine punishment o' tha Lord is swift midian!" He said in his Scottish accent as he prepared the death blow. Anderson never quite got to launch the attack, because a roundhouse kick caught him in the throat, dropping him like a sac of bricks.
"I just crushed your trachea." Jack said, watching the catholic rolling on the ground in pain. "Unless you are promptly treated by medical personnel you will die in a matter of minutes, but unfortunately I think they'll be late." He kicked Anderson in the ribs, sending him another five meters away with a satisfying crunching noise. "I just broke you ribs. It has no real consequence other than the fact that I'm pissed off." He turned away from Anderson and rushed to the side of his master. "Master are you alright?"
Seras struggled to say something but she had not quite got the air back in her lungs. "Behind you…" she whispered.
"What?"
"He's not dead…" she tried to say.
"Master I can't hear you."
Seras sucked in all the air she could and yelled "Behind you!"
Jack spun around as he took his sword from its sheath on his back, blocking the duel blades from Anderson. Jack was pushing him back. "Paladin Anderson I presume," Jack said slyly as he continued to push back the attack.
"Filthy demon! I will send ye to the deepest pits o' Hell!"
"You first!" Jack broke the clash, and spun around and cut at the Paladin. Anderson moved out of the way and threw a knife as he turned. The knife lodged itself in Jack's stomach, causing him to buckle slightly. He pulled the weapon out and threw it back, though it was deflected by one of Alexander's swords. "Master!" He yelled. "Go get Alucard!"
Seras didn't need to be told twice. She regained her composure and ran off in search of her master. "I'll be back!"
"Just go!" He clashed blades with Anderson once more as he yelled. The sound of metal on metal made his voice difficult to hear.
"Yes! Bring more ta the slaughter!" Anderson continued his attack, causing Jack to block one blade and doge another, occasionally getting an attack in. Sparks lit up the night as the blades collided. Jack noticed he was being pushed into a corner he jumped backwards and pushed off against the wall, landing behind the priest's back. He pulled his Hellcat from its holster and squeezed off a quick shot, blowing off Anderson's left arm before he had to block the attack from his right.
"I shall ne'er give up in my divine quest! I shall destroy ye with everything I am!" The paladin unleashed a flurry of knives at Jack though he jumped out of the way and rolled forward and finished the roll with a stab. Anderson blocked with one blade and swung at his head with another. Jack ducked and spun around with a sweep kick taking out Anderson's feet from under him.
Jack took the offensive as Anderson got back on his feet. He charged and started attacking; backing Anderson into the corner that he was trying to force him into. Jack had evened the odds by blowing off one of Anderson's arms and they now fought on more or less on even ground.
Jack slashed at the paladin's chest, but when Anderson blocked; his sword was cleanly sliced in two. Jack stabbed straight into the priest's stomach, skewering him. Jack grinned as he heard the tearing of flesh and the smelled the scent of blood. When he twisted his blade he was rewarded by more sounds of tissue ripping, more blood seeped out onto the blade, flowing to the handle and dripping off of the guard. He took the sword out of his stomach and saw the anger well up in his face.
"It's time ta end this ye filthy creature!" Anderson shot two of his blessed blades into Jack, catching him in the throat and in the chest. "Ye put up a fine fight, but ta Lord's punishment is swift an' mighty!"
Jack dropped his sword. He looked down at the blades sticking out of him and stared into Alexander's triumphant eyes. Jack screamed, "Alucard!" then hit the ground, a pool of blood forming below him.
Seras ran full speed back to where she left Jack. When she arrived Anderson was gone, and Alucard was nowhere to be seen. "Jack!" She ran over to his motionless form and pulled out the knives in his body. Once that was over she checked for life signs. "Come on Jack," she said as she shook him, "wake up. Jack…" She felt the tears start to well up in her eyes. "Dammit Jack, don't die!" Tears now flowed down her cheek onto the ground below. "Jack as your master I command you not to die!"
"Master…"
"Jack! Thank god! I was so worried!"
"Help me up." Seras got under his shoulders and tried to help him to a sitting position. Jack winced in pain. "On second thought just let me lie here for a bit." She slowly lowered him back down. "What happened to Anderson?" he murmured.
"He's gone."
"That's good. I think I'm just gonna take a little nap now." As Jack slipped into unconsciousness he was overwhelmed with a feeling of security. He knew his master was by his side, and she wouldn't let anything happen to him, not even if God himself tried.
Jack slowly came to. He had a horrible headache and his chest and throat stung a bit. He was vaguely aware that he was on his bed, dressed in one of his t-shirts and favorite pair of pajama bottoms. He opened his eyes and gazed at the top of his coffin. He turned his head and saw Seras sitting on a chair by his bedside, sleeping. Her head was resting on his bed next to his chest.
"You know the Police Girl hasn't left your side since she found you." Alucard was sitting on the couch, his feet propped up on the table.
Jack grunted in response as he forced himself to a sitting position. "What did you do to Anderson?"
"Poor Vatican lackey. I sent him back home with his tail tucked between his legs. Of course there wasn't much to do. I thought twisting the blade when it was in him was a nice touch."
"Thanks." Jack leaned back on his bed and stared at the bottom of the lid of his coffin. He was certain of one thing; he was going to kill Paladin Alexander Anderson.
A/N: I'd like to say thanks to my editor, Kougra. And tell your friends, reviews make me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.
