Off Time #4: Obligatory Flashback pt. 2
By: SleepyNinja
Disclaimer: Don't own Hellsing and not making a dime. I'm not even making any pennies off of this whatsoever. The entire idea goes out to the creator of the show itself, not me.
A/N: Review or I'll cry and stuff.
A/N: All dialogue in means it's translated from a different language.
The old man slid the Japanese doors open and stepped into the room. The dark hardwood floors contrasted with the white walls. Racks of swords and boken were centered on each of the walls. He walked over to a rack and pulled out the middle sword, unsheathed it, and placed the sheath back on the rack.
" Live steel eh? " Jack muttered as he drew his weapon.
" As I said before, I cannot assure your safety. "
" I'll be alright. "
" The two minutes begins now. " He shot forward with a downward slash.
Jack twisted his body around, barely avoiding the blade. He hopped back to avoid a slash to the stomach. "Fast." He muttered. Jack brought his sword up diagonally for a slash, then with the follow though tried to go across the old man's face. The only thing this attack hit was air. The old man twisted his way away from the blades and kneed Jack in the stomach, went forward then pushed him forward to the ground.
Jack rolled to his left and snapped himself back up. They circled each other, waiting for the next move. This was going to be a long two minutes.
Jack attacked first with an upward slash and hit steel.
" Your weapon is impressive. Most swords don't survive something like that on this one. "
" Thanks. " Jack grinned. He threw his foot forward for a sweep and missed. The old man had hopped into the air and threw a downward slash at Jack. Jack got his sword up just barely. He placed his front foot in front of him and locked his back leg. His stance was unwavering as they exchanged blows.
They were at a standstill. They both refused to move as their blades hit each other again and again. Jack was the one who broke the monotony by stepping forward with a slash toward the chest. It would have been a successful hit if there was someone still in front of him.
Before Jack could turn around he felt the blade enter his back and exit through his chest. Dammit.
" A minute and forty-six seconds; longer than most have lasted. May you rest in peace. " The old man took the blade out of Jack's back and grabbed his sheath.
" There's a blessing on that blade… " Jack muttered.
The sword master turned around. " Impossible! No one could survive that! "
Jack turned around slowly, the hole in his chest still bleeding. " True. No human could survive a wound like this. "
" But you're still alive! " he said in shock.
" The problem with that logic, " Jack sheathed his sword, " is that you think I'm human. And that's two minutes if I'm not mistaken. " Jack walked toward the door and patted the bewildered man on the shoulder.
"So then what happened between the two of you?" Seras asked as they walked down the boulevard.
"I lasted more than two minutes. He had to take me in; a man's word is a man's word."
"And why would his sword have been blessed?"
"Well… it is very old so it was probably blessed way back before his time. Anyway lemme continue."
Jack walked down the cobblestone path towards the Zen garden that lay not to far away from the main building. The old man sat cross-legged in a rock in the middle of the raked sand.
" I have been contemplating our situation for the last hour. I did give you my word, however, the vampire is an abomination before most of the civilized world. "
" I get that more than you'd think. "
" I imagine. However, I am not as young as I once was, and none of my other students show as much promise. Teachers gain immortality through their students; however the rate of decay of the honor and spirit of the sword is alarming. I am afraid my way will be lost to the ages much faster than the ones of my teacher, and his and so forth. Even so, a student who will never die must hold dear the principals of the art. It is my place to decide what is best for future generations. My concern is that a bloodthirsty and savage creature such as the vampire will destroy the values I hold dear. There you see my problem. "
He rose to his feet and stepped on smaller stones to get to regular ground. You will follow me. " He motioned to Jack and led him further down the path. They eventually reached a white shrine. This is where every master of the sword in the school rests. One day I will rest here, and so will your students. Before I train you, you must make an oath. An oath of blood that you will not pervert our way of life with your very presence in the school and destroy everything I have worked so hard to achieve.
Jack brought his hand to his mouth and bit down on the palm of his hand underneath the thumb. He drew back his hand and let the blood drip into a small plate before the waist- high alter. He clenched his hand and the bleeding stopped.
" Very well, we start tomorrow. "
" Actually I don't think I ever got your name.
" I am Master Hirano, your name is? "
" Jack Owens. "
"So that's all you've been doing for 7 months? Learning how to use a sword?" Seras asked.
"No. I needed blood, so I made a deal with the Japanese government. I'd help them out with their incidents and I'd get a blood bag. The Japanese Special Forces are terribly understaffed and under funded, but nice people. And, no, I did not have to fight Godzilla."
"They musta got him right before you showed up. That's why they were all under understaffed. They all got squished." Seras said with a laugh that came close to a squeal of delight.
"Yeah, that must be the reason." Jack trailed off. "Are you sure you didn't get anything in the mail?"
"Yah-huh, I'd remember if I did. I mean I was worried sick!"
"Maybe I sent it to the wrong address or something…" Jack rubbed his eyes. "I've been a complete jerk…"
"Jack…"
"No seriously! I get up and leave without any notice, you hear nothing from me for the better part of a year, and I mean I acted like a complete ass."
"Well I was going to agree with you."
"…"
"Jack its okay. You had your reasons for leaving. You obviously put a lot of thought into it for you to do something like that."
"That's the problem! I didn't! There was no planning involved! It just hit me like a damn train! And the reason I went was…there's just…there's no excuse for how I acted. I promise I'll make it up to you somehow."
"Jack I'm just glad you're alright."
Jack threw his head back and looked up at the stars. "I don't deserve her…" he thought to himself. He turned to look at her but saw only empty air. Glancing around he wondered where she could have gotten to when he spotted her gazing through the window of a pet store where little Persian kittens batted a ball of wool around and tea-cup pups jumped at the window. She laughed at the sight as a tiny black and white pup pounced on one of the brown ones and received a snap on the ear by the brown puppy's twin. Jack felt a ghost of a smile touch his lips as he watched her.
Suddenly, the street went dark for all though the overhead lights of the streetlamps lit the road in several places. Seras vanished before his eyes and Jack let out a gasp as the area turned into a massacre haven. Adults and children ran every which way, but when he tried to grab onto one his hand passed right through their arm. What was happening to him? The pet shops windows were broken and a priest ran past him shouting about the apocalypse.
"Jack, are you alright? Jack?" Distantly he heard Seras' voice call out to him and the scenery reverted back to normal. Slowly, he realized that Seras had been waving her hand in front of his face and he blinked. "Are you feeling alright, Jack? You went a little tipsy on me- if that's possible for a vampire that is."
"All the sake I had in Japan probably hasn't worked its way outta my system." Jack gave her a lopsided grin as he spoke. "I'm not a lightweight if you remember." The blond shuddered at the memories that now flooded her mind of when he'd been crazy enough to get drunk on the roof of the Hellsing building in the early hours of morning when the sun was about to rise.
"I remember. And as I recall, Alucard once told me that he'd castrate you- with or without Integra's permission- if it happened again." She replied sternly giving him a motherly look of disappointment.
"Oh, did he? Not what he said back then." Jack muttered walking beside her
"What?"
"Nothing. Forget I said that, alright?" Seras nodded and Jack breathed a sigh of relief that he didn't have to explain anything more than the last seven months to her.
Seras, satisfied with the information he given her, half-walked half-skipped beside him.
A/N: Edited version
A/N: Update day is Thursday now.
