This story takes place in an alternate universe, outside of the Blood Brothers and Dead Zone episodes from the Hellsing Anime and Manga chapters. The Valentine Brothers, Hellsing and its characters, etc. do not belong to me. The character of "Shinny" only belongs to me.
Watching Big Brother
Part 4
Living Daydreams
Shinny peered into the window shop of Winthorp's, which is not only her favorite antiques store next door to the bookstore, but was also, where she worked as assistant manager. She looked at a blood red pearl drop that hung around a gold necklace's chain. She never noticed the intensity of the jewelry's color before, yet she found herself wanting it. Turning away, she remembered her grocery errand that brought her outside that day. The sunshine clung to her white top and beamed over her black flowing gothic skirt and her pink purse; everything was unusually quiet as her spiked pumps clicked on the sidewalk pavement, echoing up to her ears.
As she made the turn on the corner to the market convenience store, the sun disappeared and became dark. Shinny was alone and taken by surprise by the sudden darkness. A few seconds later, the streetlights lit up and flickered orange. Shinny stood immobile, clutching her purse, puzzled and unsure if she should go inside the store or rush back to the shelter of her home.
A lone shadow appeared in front of her. Its outline formed a flowing cape that descended to its feet, its hand stood at its hip, gripping tight. The arms had square patches at the cuff and stiff points at each shoulder end like Viking shoulder pads. Its smile was bright and sneered at Shinny's face.
The figure soon moved closer to her, she kept looking up as the shadow grew in size with each silent step. The billowing cape covered the store and a street leading into the darkness. Shinny wished she went down that street. She found the small courage to move her legs from the ground. She did not wonder if she dropped her purse or if her pumps were stable enough for running. She was only afraid of the threatening shadow, whose size wanted to consume her, to eat her.
Shinny's legs moved too slowly by any means, but she could feel herself moving away quickly from the shadow. She wanted the comfort of her boyfriend's arms more than ever, his rough demeanor protecting her while his brother frightens the dark gigantic creature with his awesome stature. They were nowhere in sight, far away and unable to know or do anything for her. The shadow was closing in, its dark fingers surrounding her body as her flight became a hopeless attempt. Its thumb and index clasped her shirt and proceeded to tug her away. Shinny shifted her body hastily but came out slow. The shirt started to rip away and the rest of the giant's fingers grabbed her and pulled her from the ground. Shinny grunted in despair, she screamed as she saw the dark figure growing again, but became the darkness itself.
Jan jumped out of bed in classic cartoon style. Hanging on the ceiling would make it complete if he went that far. Shinny thrashed in bed, screaming at nothing. Jan grabbed her shoulders, pressing down to calm the thrashing.
"Shinny," Jan cried and was blasted with a louder shrill. He called out again and a third time, the loudest. Her eyes popped open and her body lifted forward. Jan moved to her side, allowing her more room as she breathed heavily. He faked a check to his right ear as if he went permanently deaf.
From the bedroom's open window, Luke's looming eye peeked inside to see what the noise was about. He remained 100 feet tall and slept outside during the night.
"What's going on," his slightly booming voice asked with concern.
Shinny continued her breathing as she laid her head on Jan's shoulder.
"I don't know, man," Jan said in questioning confusion. "She just started screaming."
Shinny gingerly shifted her head so that she tried to face Jan and Luke's eye.
"I'm sorry. I just had a bad dream, that's all. I know it sound silly, but. . . I'm fine. Really." She said as she lifted herself up.
"Fine my ass, Shin," Jan barked. "Now I have to get a goddamn hearing aid!"
Shinny coyly looked at him, but gestured a guilty in her eyes.
"I'm sorry sweetie." She reached for the knob leading to her bathroom door as she brushed her velvet purple nightie down. "You guys'll have to fend for yourselves for awhile. I just need a nice shower." She disappeared inside a ghost through empty air. Jan was left scratching his ruffled head while Luke pondered her behavior.
Shinny's mood did not get any better over the last few days. Every night, she wakes up screaming from the menacing nightmares, did not cook or clean, rarely leaving the house except to go to work at Winthorp's. One of her comforts was staying in the bathtub, immersed in warm water or just to sit inside for hours at a time. Her favorite thing she liked to do was watch Luke practice his growth powers over everything from pencils to dishes to chairs and articles of clothing, hoping its power affects ordinary things. Many times, she remembered, Luke was successful in transforming such objects, almost as if he was born to decide how big or small something should be. But now that seemed like the past, something she could not enjoy anymore.
Her mind was the only thing that occupied her time. After she discovered that mark on her neck below her jaw, she started hearing things. It sounded like someone talking. Someone speaking and ranting about something. When it first started, the voice was faint, and then became louder as the male voice screamed out his frustrations that even shook Shinny in shock. He talked about how ungrateful "they" were. Who's they she thought as the male voice constructed plans. The voice talked it over to someone else, a strong German accent telling that everything was fine, but the male voice pestered about Hellsing and invasion. What were these things Shinny asked herself? Did it have something to with the brothers?
Unfortunately, while Shinny was plagued by the male voice, Jan was having trouble wondering what Millennium was up to.
"Shinny!" A call rang from the house. "Shinny!" It repeated again. The voice belonged to Luke as he stood outside of her bedroom door, knowing she would be in her bathroom again. Jan was outside on the porch having a smoke and Luke wanted to get to the bottom of what was troubling his friend. He can now say that he has a friend and hope that Jan was not ignoring her problems just because he was not the "sensitive" type. Then again, Luke also noticed that his younger brother was occupied with something else and did not say a word about it.
With getting to know Shinny, even though she related more with Jan, he had opportunities to speak to her about other topics and things that were important in his realm of interest. He also noticed how she was engrossed with watching him train and practice his new power he had now come to accept. He had some doubt that it would get out of control he was in a bad mood but the thought it controlled outside of his own body as a worst scenario. But, he reassured himself that the Chip was already removed a long time ago.
As he moved in further and approached the bathroom's door, he could hear what sounded like Shinny talking to herself. She was asking repeatedly questions to herself that Luke was not aware that she knew enough to ask. Rapping on her door, he heard rapid splashing and she that she was taking a bath. Shinny uttered something he could hear, but more like the way Jan would talk in a "normal" conversation. Then, he heard more splash and feet moving. The door suddenly opened and Shinny stood there, long wet hair combing her cheeks and a large white towel wrapped over her breasts. She had a look like she was going to smile as she did.
"Hey, Luke," she nervously said. "Is something wrong?"
"I was hoping to ask you the same thing," Luke said. "You certainly had a lot on your mind and I can tell."
Shinny dried off her hair as it hung in damp curls on the tip of her head and below her neck like Medusa's snakes were taking a nap. She was dressed in a long-sleeve white shirt and a black knee length skirt with sneakers instead of either her nightgown in bed or a robe when there were days she left her bedroom for something. She and Luke sat in the kitchen when the Saturday afternoon light was still bright. Her hands folded flat on the table's edge with shoulders slightly slumped, she appeared as a child sitting in front a school guidance counselor almost refusing but wanting to tell something important.
"Who is this 'Doc' anyway," Shinny asked. "Is he from Millennium too?"
Luke already heard her tell the nightmares of the giant shadow and how she heard a German voice in her mind. He knew the voice belonged to Doc and knew he was planning something diabolical, but it does not explain how she knew that, even though she was aware of what kind of group Millennium was, but not the name or exact details of what kind of person or even monster Doc was. That may have been a big mistake on his part and his brothers since Doc has his way of retrieving information. He was like the Major, except skinner and taller, but just as creepy.
Luke sighed and said, "Yes. He is the Major's left-hand man and responsible for the Freaks. Hopefully, you're aware of that."
"I am," Shinny said. "But then I didn't want to say anything about these 'freaks' I'll take your word for what those are. Probably just as terrible looking at that creepy shadow." She shuddered at the thought.
"Scarier things are out there," Luke added. "But, why didn't you say anything? Why didn't you tell Jan? Or me?"
She fidgeted her hands and looked down. "I really didn't know what to think of it. I thought it was just a really bad nightmare that scares you for the rest of the day when you're awake. But it was that voice that really creeped me out. I didn't know if it was real or not. And how could tell Jan that? I can tell him about a lot of girly things and he wouldn't roll his eyes like he didn't care sometimes, but not this. I mean, wouldn't you know what that's like?"
Luke did know what it was like. To feel like your stuck in a dream world and living a nightmare when you are awake and asleep. He had that same dream of a giant shadow over him, but it appeared as warm and caring to him; he already knew it had to be her since she was always dressed in black and Jan was not the motherly type.
It still puzzled him how Shinny was receiving this information. He thought it over after they were done talking. The only way she would have known was either there was a chip planted somewhere on him or Jan that was programmed to cling to something specific or Doc may be in the country and is in ear shot of only her as he muttered plots of doom. Luke thought that those were both a long shot. He went out to the porch and saw his brother there, still unfazed by the sunlight. Even though they were both vampires, they were experimented on many times to be immune of the weaknesses of regular vampires and resistance to sunlight was one of them. Looking at Jan, one would think that he spent everyday of his life in daylight. He came closer to him and heard breathing under the cap. It sounded like Jan was asleep. Something told Luke to let Jan sleep as he went back inside to let Shinny know.
Events Happening Outside
While Shinny was stressing over her nightmares, something odd started appearing in Luthern. The police were bombarded with eyewitness accounts of people spotting a giant man, pale and dressed in white from head to toe, except with a few blood clots on its oversized coat. Some people claim that the giant man was 30 feet tall; others have said the man was 40 feet tall. The only visible proofs of its existence were large footprints found on people's properties and lawns. The largest found measured around 1-foot wide and four feet long, 8 inches long. The Police and investigative teams sent to where the "giant" was sighted were taken aback by the shape of the footprint. It looked like a triangle rounded at the bottom, a giant teardrop shape. As of now, they refused to let the news media in on the strange situation since they believe it to be a funny hoax and anyone seeing such a sight is considered crazy. The worst thing they could dismiss it as.
Full Circle
Luke spent that afternoon at the café, leaving Jan and Shinny alone to spend some time together. He hoped Jan would do a good job of explaining the situation to Shinny; he even coached Jan to say exactly how to word it, whether he would put in a "fuck" or a "shit" was up in the air. There were some things that even Luke could not teach.
The wind was soft as it blew on the flower pots standing on the railings that kept the café's outdoor porch separated from the street. The sun was still out, but could only beam a few bright shines after a few clouds passed by.
Out of unusual casualness, the waiter set down a chai latte on Luke's table while he perused through a newspaper just before he looked at the arts section. He knew he did not order anything to drink, but the waiter said it was from a woman sitting across a few tables from him. His eyes followed forward and caught the attention of the said woman; on cue, the waiter left.
It was hard to say if Luke was ever really in love. A passion for literature or arts was a different kind of love the young man knew, but he never felt compelled to for his eyes to gaze on someone of the opposite sex or opposite life. She was a dark skinned woman with long curls of black hair with her fingers twirling around on her face and her eyes pierced with life and filled with wonder. Her lips were full with a deep shade of red as she also wore a black button down blouse, white jeans and open toed sandals. To him, she looked with a modern exotic goddess from a distant continent.
When she saw him looking her way, she got up from her seat. She walked like a proverbial feline with all its grace. She approached his table and warmed him with her casual smile.
"Hello, there," she said in a pleasant voice that reminded Luke of a woman more mature for her age. "Uh, this seat's not taken is it?"
"Of course not," Luke said.
"I see you got my order for you." She pointed at the steaming white cup.
"I did. Thank you. I normally don't expect ladies to do these things."
"Well, times of changed, handsome." She sucked in her lips in a playfully way as if she knew she would blurt out something outrageous. "Anyway. I notice you come here often."
"Yes. I come here to relax when things get crazy with my brother and his girlfriend." He already pretended not to notice her compliment. "What's your name, ma'am?"
"Ma'am? Come on, I can't be that old. But, I'm Marlane."
"I'm Luke. It's nice to meet you."
"Same her, Luke."
The two talked for a couple of minutes and both have a few things in common. Especially about both growing up without parents both remembered with a little bit of tension, but quickly changed the subject.
"You're an interesting guy, Luke. You're charming, intelligent. Something I don't normally find with guys in this town."
"Actually," Luke started to add. "I'm not really from around here. I've only been here for almost a month."
"That's okay. I don't care where you came from anyway." When Marlane said that, Luke was not sure if that was a good sign. He was starting to like her and he was already worried when she got to know him too well. "We should get together sometime. Here." Marlane started scribbling something down on a napkin. "That's my number. I'm heading out, so give me a call . . ."
All of a sudden, Marlane went silent. And her gazed went wild over his shoulder.
"Marlane," Luke said. "What's wrong?"
"Oh," she came back. "I'm sorry. I have to get going. I'm meeting some friends." She sounded nervous. "See ya." Her graceful stride became a quick dash.
Luke was puzzled as to why she just reacted like that when he felt his body drove into that sensation again. Luke knew what the feeling was. Turning around and looking out into a small crowd, he thought he sensed someone there. A familiar person. His sensation turned into a feeling of anger, like the one that surfaces when someone thinks of a person they hate. The brightest of all stood out of the dark clothed group. Blonde hair, eyes of many spectacles, a half-naked presence. Could it be him? Looking harder it did appear to be Doc standing there, waiting.
Luke immediately stepped up and away when more people came by, he did not want a confrontation with Doc now. More people came and clouded the area as he predicted and sped out of the café as fast as he was known for.
He was not worried; he knew he would get there before it got dark out. Luke left the door a jar slightly as he rushed inside and found Jan slouching on the couch without Shinny.
"Jan," he blurted and panted out.
Jan jerked his head. "What? I'm right here!"
"Where's Shinny?"
"Right here," Shinny called from behind Luke as he also muttered "Jesus" from her surprise entrance.
"At least you guys are here safe," he said as that confused the two.
"What are you talking about," Shinny asked.
"I just saw him. And you know who I'm talking, Jan."
"Uh. No. Unless we both landed on our fuckin' heads."
Luke shot him an extreme look of ire, but went back to what he was saying.
"I mean I saw him. Shinny, remember when you asked me who Doc was?"
"Yeah," she answered.
"What're you worrying about, bro? I got it covered. And I was about to . . ."
"Look. I know what I saw. I was talking to talking to someone I met. And she walked because even she wouldn't be near him."
"Wait, wait," Jan interrupted. "You were talkin' to a girl? You can't be fuckin' serious. You got your own bit. . ."
"That's not what I meant," Luke roared before he Jan spelled it out. "I'm sorry, but we got a serious problem on our hands and we need to get the hell of out here before he gets here!"
"So, this Doc is here? In town?" Shinny wanted to belief Luke, but she was keeping down her fears so that it would not surface. "Where will we go then?"
"Don't matter, babe," Jan said getting up.
"It does matter. Out of all of us here, you're the only one with these 'chips' in your head, just liked we talked about."
Jan put his arm behind his back to show uneasiness. "Actually, Shin. I haven't heard squat from there in days. Don't ask me why. It's not like that shitty chip went inside you or anything."
Just as Luke turned to face Shinny, so did Jan as he realized not only the truth, but also that he actually right. Instead of fear, Shinny felt uncomfortable with the brothers staring at her like they never seen her before.
"Wait, ya think . . . That thing . . ." But she never finished.
Der Doktor Is In
The forgotten door revealed the long lost presence of Doc. There were no signs of bloodstains on his lab coat, as if indicating he brought extra to make a fresher appearance. His arms hung low and powerful as his shoulders spread, making him look taller than usual. Shinny's lips drew into small, flat "o" of an oval. The dark shadow from her dreams illuminated into reality, but her fear did not flee. He shockingly looked similar to Luke, but to her, he carried himself as a gruesome charismatic man.
"My dear," The Doctor greeted. "My invention is not to be referred to as a 'thing'." His accent pinched her back, forcing her arms to grab hold of her stomach in an attempt of protection. She sidestepped back, hoping to protect herself further behind her boyfriend. With an arm at long length, Doc grabbed Shinny with his left arm before she made it through. She cried out and found herself caught around his arm, her nose hinted at ghastly chemicals, earth and dried blood.
"Not so fast there. You're just what I've been looking for now that you know 'our' secrets."
Jan moved his older brother out of the way just as Doc was pulling himself and Shinny toward the door.
He screamed out, "You fuckin' son ava. . ." But he was cut short when Doc's right fist slammed on his cheek and Jan collided with the adjacent wall, shaking the picture frames on the wall as he leaned on it for support.
"How odd of you to risk your life for a human," Doc remarked before he finally stepped out, grinning back. Luke rushed to Jan's side, but he motioned something.
"Get her, bro. I'll be fine."
"But you . . ."
Jan grabbed a chunk of Luke's hair and pulled him closer to his face.
"I said go fuckin' get her! Before he starts doing fuck knows what."
He let go in order for Luke to leave, remembering that Shinny's life was more important than a fallen brother was. He made his way a few feet from the front door when he found Doc. He was standing a little far away from Luke, but he remained where he was as if he wanted to stay. Luke could still see him grinning like bundled thorns.
"Doc, I'll get right to the point! You let go of Shinny right now! She has nothing to do with this!"
From where Luke stood, he could see Doc taking a quick look at Shinny. She had a look of terror as she miserably held onto his arms, wanting to loosen his grip but could not.
"A sweet little fraulein isn't she?" Doc looked back at his nephew. "You really trusted her, especially when she was hearing too much . . ."
"Shut up!" Luke's words echoed in the quiet forest.
Doc became awe struck by this as his evil grin faded away, but he still kept his composure. Unaware of the victim in his grasp, Shinny's right arm made her way down his abdomen. She clenched her fist with all her strength left and rammed it, jabbed into his stomach as hard as a hammer blow. Doc grunted in pain as his arm loosened from her neck and fell to clasp around his stomach. Shinny finished with an elbow jab into his chest that sent him knocking backwards to the ground. She ran to meet with Luke, a triumphant smile formed on her face as she breathed lightly. Luke could stare in awe.
"Shinny," he asked dumbfounded. "Where did you learn to do that?"
Shinny saw her boyfriend hanging on by the doorframe, watching the whole spectacle that went on. "I got it from him," she pointed at Jan.
She let out a giggle as Jan grin back at her, slinking like a wounded soldier to meet the rest. She was still smiling when Jan, in a rare sensitive move, tightly hugged Shinny, either to fully embrace the girl he came to love and risked his life for or pass out and lean on something else besides walls and doors. It did not matter to Shinny at the moment.
Then, another sound of laughter filled their ears. Doc was already lifting himself up off the ground by his arms, laughing manically as he got to his feet.
"But they are some things the fraulein hasn't learned," Doc said as he continued from where he was interrupted. "Otherwise . . ." As Doc stood up to his full height; it was present that he seemed taller than before. "She would have found out about my secret plan further." It was now clear that Doc was getting taller. He was 10 feet and growing further, expanding in a way that Luke could never foresee in the mad man. Doc was already a master in gaining height, continuing to grow into a 30-foot man, conducting his body in a perfect straight posture as he grew into 40, then 50, expanding over the trees that anyone could measure with their eyes.
The three there stood in shock, but continued to watch the monstrosity take place. Shinny was more in awe than fear, but she hung tighter to Jan when the thought of her nightmare came to mind. Luke stood in astonish and Jan's face was pasted with an "Oh shit!" stunned look. Bigger and bigger Doc became in physical size, Luke saw him stop at 100 feet. He now saw the way his friends saw him, a large mass of a human being as Doc looked down on them like one of his prized laboratory rats, ready for experimentation. He was still laughing, but the sound vibrated below like a dark echo. His lab coat fluttered a little and sent out a hidden chill.
Luke was the only one brave enough to step forward and stare up and up at the giant, showing no fear in his eyes.
"You guys get out of here," Luke called over his shoulder. The two fled without argument. Doc saw them making their escape and went to reach for them, but Luke proved too fast for him. He grabbed his wrist before even a gloved finger touched them, incorporating his super speed to make himself grow faster in a daring, quick move to save his friends. He stared eye to eye at the man he had even more contempt for.
"Nice to see even have something in common," Luke sarcastically remarked. Doc flicked away Luke's grip and pushed the clips of his glasses up. This surprised Luke since the force was very strong. He always thought of Doc as a weakling and a coward when it came to fighting.
"What better to show you how to fight, then? But you know why I'm here."
"Has Major sent out our death warrants?"
"More like the welcoming committee." Doc moved closer to Luke, but Luke was already on guard. Before he could defend himself, Doc launch a surprise punch that sent Luke sprawling backwards, payback for sending his uncle the same way. When Luke turned his head in a dizzying manner, Doc was already on top of him, his hands clasped around his wrist. He struggled but could not get himself free.
"You . . . Are not going to get the better of me because you're younger and better."
"What are you talking about," Luke spattered, still struggling to get up.
"If you only knew how Millennium is taking your 'victory'. I was the one responsible for who you are and I'll take my victory over you and expose you for the overgrown brat you are and your idiotic brother!"
Luke was not aware that his old allegiance was cheering for him, let alone that Doc would be jealousy over something like that. Instead of struggling further, he let his anger come; he refused to let this so-called family member talk to him or Jan like that. He was already free from his insane grasp and now became to feel full-blown rage when someone cannot stay down and be glad that he was gone. His muscles were on fire and his wrists slowly overcame the hold of Doc's technical and violent hands. They moved away like a tree quietly uprooting from the ground. He placed his feet where Shinny's hard blow hit Doc before and kicked him off, flying off and crashing into a couple of adjacent trees as his large body popped and cracked the trees out of place. A lone arbor pinched his shoulder that felt like a child's toy stick.
"Do you think the Major will approve of what you did when he finds out," Luke started to roar. "Or will he ignore the fact that you took off with Joleen and did not tell anyone where you were going? Knowing the Major, I think not. He may not trust you after this stunt . . . And don't give me that look! Like you don't know. That fraulein you tried to kidnap knows everything you said. She over heard every little thing you were saying. Don't ask me how she knew, but she's not as dumb as you think she is." His intense speech intensified his growth; he already towered over Doc more so as he still sat on the ground. Luke's mind raced with thoughts of ways of killing the doctor, to destroy everything that Doc held close. He was over 150 feet when images of him ripping his arms off and out like a bird's wing. "You have no idea how much I despise you, Doc. And what you almost did just proves that! And so that you fully understand, I do care about her. And so does Jan. And we don't care that she's a human! The Valentine Brothers are through with Millennium!"
"Bravo," Doc muttered.
"What was that," Luke hollered, take aback by the even louder voice that came from him. He suddenly realized how much bigger he became. Looking down he saw Shinny's house was no bigger than his foot. One fatal move and part of the house would succumb to his step. Doc finally stood up and clapped without meaning, but he knew how the towering Valentine was making him really feel.
"You would have been wonderful. You see, it would have been an easy decision to use Jan to attack Hellsing. He had anger to motivate him while you rather be firm and calm." He bravely stepped forward until he was some distance away from Luke's hip where his head reached. Looking up, "But, I see now how capable you are of rage. No pity. No mercy for the specs below. Being afraid would only stop you. You know yourself that you are better, smarter, faster, stronger, and now bigger. You want this now more than anything. It's a shame you're no longer with us. But, you are still against us. And you know what happens to those who are against us."
Ignoring the delight in Doc's voice, Luke wanted to continue to fight.
I Tell You The Truth, My Love
The alley way was dark, hidden by the glare of the fading sun by bricks of buildings almost near to each other. Two figures stumbled into the alley as one of them breathed more heavily than the other. In the dank place, Jan wanted a cigarette more than anything. Shinny would not allow it even if he needed it. She knew she would not care when he did, but it was not the time now for a puff. Jan took a quick look over and found the café busy during the early evening hour. It was hard to say if there would be people still left a few minutes or a few hours from now.
"You don't see anything odd, do you," Shinny asked after she let out a sigh.
"Nada," Jan only answered.
"If anything, that'll change. And that fucker will be here soon looking for us." She folded her arms across her chest as if she was cold, but she was warm with terror and dread. "I have no idea who he is . . . but he's here for you, isn't he?" She turned to look at her love and felt a slight anger at him. "So something is really inside of me?"
"Look, Shin. I know you're pissed right now," Jan stammered, losing his cool, laid back tone in the process.
"You bet I am. You said you would take care of 'everything'. You said you were no longer with these guys! Why the hell do you even want to know what they fucking do all day! And now I'm the fucking honing device?"
"I didn't mean that!" Jan desperately wanted Shinny to understand. "Yeah I did want to know every fuckin' thing they do, but babe, I thought it was because they were after bro. I knew he still had his chip in his head, but . . ."
"Luke no longer has this 'chip'. It was removed after he grew and was locked up somewhere. He told me that. He told me everything you didn't"
"What?"
"I was scared about the things I was hearing. I thought I was going crazy! I wanted to tell, but I didn't want you go about with this again. We both made promises. Do you know what yours was?"
"Yea," Jan said, even though he was still confused. "That I wasn't gonna do anymore killings. But since when? Luke didn't say anything to me."
"Didn't he? Or were you sto-," She stopped. As angry as she was, he did not want to seen Jan fume over his memory loss when he did anything hard-core.
"I don't know. But still. I guess you say that . . ." He agitated a little. "That I . . . Do. I mean, love you and all."
Shinny loosened her fold and let her arms down.
"This was something I'm not used to doing. Seeing a human as not something to drink from. But I really like you. Before I left, I knew that, but come on I was a slave to them. Doing everything they wanted. I didn't care what I did or what I killed, but you were still damn there. In my head, all the time. You remember our last night, right?"
She was smiling a little when he mentioned that.
"I do. We made love that night. Lost my virginity that night. My parents would never approve either way, but I didn't care. We did it like no other. I almost thought you never came back and I meant it."
"I was hesitant to before," Jan then added.
"Why?"
"Well, when we did get back, I realized what the chips were actually used for."
"What?"
"Well, it's like walkie-talkie's, what you call it here I guess. Whatever goes on where you are, everything is sent to them, any information, what happened and shit."
"You mean anything you know, they know. Anything you do, they know?"
"Yeah. But, those chips also had a life of their fuckin' own. When we did the nasty," he grinned evilly at that, "That thing up and left me and went inside you. That's why I was fuckin' clueless I guess." The smile, any expression of happiness, went away.
"Then, that's how," She trailed off. "I."
She leaped from the wall she leaned on and she clawed and wept on Jan. Her tears muffled but persistent as she buried her face in his shirt. "Janny," she muffled and wailed again.
"I know," Jan sighed.
Like A Battleground
Just as Shinny let herself go in Jan, Luke was busy with wanting to knock Doc out of existence. He had to get to them before Doc had the chance to make his move as Shinny's life was still in danger regardless of what Doc really wanted. And he knew what "against us" meant? He would be dead, Jan would be dead, then Shinny and a whole small town in America would come next.
"But," Doc then added after the long silence. "I can give you a choice."
Luke continued to literally look down on him, eyes fixed so that he will be ready for whatever came next.
"Why stay here and see your brother live like a normal person and with a girlfriend when you have nothing. Staying behind and seeing your powers and your potential wasted here. You deserve the respect and what you have been given. You could make our work very easy and go for conquest, all for our leader. And I promise you. Everything will be different."
The last sentence struck Luke like a dull pin. He knew what that promise meant. It was the promise when he would take care of them, never harm them, treated them differently from the other Millennium members because they were family, and that he, Luke Valentine, and would never be used. That promise . . . Lost all meaning to him and added an even bigger insult.
Thinking fast and his rage still intact, he said in a mocking, sarcastic voice, "You're right. Everything will be different." That was when he picked up Doc like a child, but threw him out of the way, knocking into another small forest patch. Slowly, Luke made his move while he looked where he was stepping to as not to crush Shinny's house. He did regard it as his home now along with Jan. Going into the empty clearing Doc made earlier; he got on his hands and knees and started to shrink down. He guessed his height then at fifteen feet, enough to not be seen easily when Doc was coming through again.
He jumped and whizzed his way through the forest while slowly reducing his height at the same time. He approached Luthern's entertainment district as the café was busy that night and some stores were still open. His speed formed a fast breeze to those sitting outside, assuming that it was a strong cold gust that came and went, unaware that it was caused by a person. Luke would also be unaware of the pounding footfalls that shook the tables and chairs. Customers there felt the motion and felt it repeat, getting louder and stronger every second. There was a gasp and a cry of terror from a man and a woman cried out and pointed at something. To them, Doc was a gigantic form that towered over the average sized buildings. A white demon bent on destruction as the giant from the cover-up came to be seen. Those down below fled in different directions, running for their lives and out of the giant's footsteps.
A few seconds before, Luke almost missed the alleyway when he found the two. Shinny was wrapped around Jan like an over tightened belt. He rushed over to them.
"Glad I found you guys," he said, barely noticeable pants escaping his lips.
"Yeah." Jan pointed down at Shinny. "You mind helping me here."
Luke looked at Shinny and hears her softly sobbing. "Are you okay," he asked.
Shinny finally looked up at him, her face wet and eyes bright. "No." She hid her face again. "I just want this to be over."
"It will, I promise. Now we have to get out here. Doc'll show up any time now."
"Uh, is it a good idea that you're like this?" Jan asked in confusion and did not get point just yet as he realized his brother was regular sized again. "Cause we'll be screwed if neither of us are . . ." His sentence was interrupted when they heard the booming shocks and the ground shaking. Shinny bolted up as she felt the shakes. She freed herself from Jan and started to flee, like she was dreaming again and wanted to get away for real. Then, she stopped as she was covered in shadows. The guys heard her scream just as they arrived. They all looked up to find Doc staring down at them like he did back at Shinny's house. Shinny stood there and cowered, unable to move and run away like she wanted to, her nightmare taking form and the face of the menace appearing to complete the unknown prophecy. Luke and Jan stepped in and shrouded her, allowing her to realize the brothers came to her defense liked she wished.
"Shin, you know the drill. Get the fuck out of here and don't look back," Jan commanded her.
"What about . . ." she started to asked.
"Don't think about us," Luke told her. "Just get help!"
She nodded and started to move. Just as she was about to run, something grabbed around her; it felt warm and deadly. She looked down and saw what looked like folds of lines like on fingertips, but was bleach white. It lifted her up and off the ground and she could look at the frightened expressions of the Valentines as she floated upward. She gasped hoarsely in her throat. Turning her head, she stared face first at the monster-sized man, lenses glinting with invisible light and a grin too wide to think. Oh, God was the horrible cry in her mind and her lips quivered. She was not too scared to even scream.
"You can't go anywhere now, little one," Doc replied in a shattering voice.
Rolling up his sleeve, Jan made an approach forward like he wanted to pound Doc into the ground. Luke took his shoulder and draws it a little back.
"Unless you don't mind being pounded into the pavement, Jan, you won't get any out of it."
"Well, what do you suggest?" Jan glared at him, annoyed that Luke forced him away when he wanted to save Shinny. Luke then told him his attempts to change the size of other objects with success. He whispered it all and made Jan grin in his own delirious fashion when he finished.
"That's a shit load better, Bro." Luke clasped his hands on his younger brother's shoulders and closed his eyes as if to meditate. Time to blow the air out of this windbag Jan thought, as he could already feel the energy and the changes coursing through him. It was like a great high, as if he inhaled some drug in the air that will take him places he never knew before. He could now see over the top of his brother's head. Luke's hands left him, as he started literally looking up to him. Jan did not have the ability to know how tall he was, but he probably did not care. He grew slow at first; Luke's face was below his shoulders, then his chest and then was just below his hands.
Luke stepped back more and more to that he could look at his younger brother's malicious and happy smile as Jan was finally getting his chance to do some giant sized damage. Jan stood about 50 feet tall, but already accelerated that measure. He thought of himself, in an odd way, that he was the secret sided mushroom that provided this natural high.
After taking off from 50 feet, Jan shot up again, but faster. Just when things were getting wild, it started to calm after Jan was equally matched to Doc. Turning around and knocking in a front door frame from an anonymous store with a loud crunch and smash, Jan was ready to fight his giant sized uncle.
Both Doc and Shinny turned around. "Jan," Shinny said with shock and relief.
"Nothing to worry about now, babe," he said to her in an equally vibrating voice. Then he said to Doc, "So. What about it? You ever for the ass-kickin' of your life?"
Doc's first response was standing poise as if Jan was not serious.
"Now, Jan. Is that any way to talk to your uncle?" Doc smiled curtly. "And what about her." He motioned Shinny still trapped in his grasp. "Surely, you wouldn't want anything to happen to her?"
Instead of taking the first shot, Jan could only stare in helplessness.
"If we started fighting, wouldn't something like. . ." Loosening his grip, Shinny easily slid down and out. "This happen?"
She screamed and cried as she fell down to earth. Jan uttered a strong word and made a mad slide. His elongated right arm reached out as the tiny girl landed in his rough hands, his large and long fingers clasped her and held her tight enough. Without warning, another leg knocked against his ankle and swooped it from the ground. His arm smack landed on the hard cement street as his clenched hand curled up, protecting Shinny from any impact. A crunch and flesh scratch was heard; Jan could immediately feel the pain in his shoulder as it ran down his arm. The bones cracked and his back snuggled against maliciously indented building fronts, tiny specks of dirt and glass litter all over.
Doc stood where Jan did, looking down at him in his own version of pity.
"You've gone soft, boy," He only quipped and moved away.
Shinny's body stood limp after Jan took a fall, but slowly she regained herself and turned to look at Jan. His eyes were slits and she could hear the sound of moaning, murmuring in pain.
"Janny," she cried. "Janny!"
Jan managed to open his eyes again. He failed to smile, but his voice tweaked with excitement.
"Oh my God. Are you alright!"
"Yeah," Jan mustered. "I gave you my surprise, didn't I?"
Shinny knew what he was saying. The conversation that one morning when he and Luke came to stay with her. Knowing this, it put a smile on her face.
Luke was now alone to face Doc. The only thing and easiest for him to do was grow and fight him, but he knew better than that. He did not want anything else in the way and that meant the nearby buildings, the entire district. He thought quickly of what else he could do as Doc "slowly" approached him. He did move slowly, but he was nearer still. Luke "quickly" rushed away just as Doc's large hand slammed on the road. The area now a crumbled spot that would make a pothole look jealous. Angered, Doc heard a whistle and turned to where it was. Luke stood on one of the building's roofs, his hands in his shirt pockets casually. Doc reached for him, but Luke moved away before he would be trapped under his fingertips. Angered again, he tried to follow Luke with his eyes.
An ID displaying Doc's name, occupation and security number for Millennium was pinned on the left arm of his lab coat, below the tip of the shoulder. It was there that Luke held on, his face about the size of the picture of Doc's head. Quickly, Luke climbed over the plastic rim and grabbed onto the coat fabric. Knowing the smell of chemicals would be stronger and immobilizing to his tiny nose, Luke covered his mouth with his zipped inner shirt and continued.
Another idea he scrambled for would be to how to immobilize Doc in some way. If he still had his gun, it would not leave a wound big enough to bleed. Right then, he could only use something else. He pulled out from his pocket a glass vial: it was the GH: 51LV formula, the remaining element he and Jan took with them and as well as a formulated version of his excess growth hormones from the blood samples. Even if they used for whatever their hearts desired, they also ran the risk of having it stolen from them and Doc would have looked for it when given the chance. The vial firmly in his hands, Luke tossed it over and it soared far away.
Shinny was the one who heard glass shattering. She and Jan then looked over to find a yellow liquid smeared between a building crack and connecting to the sidewalk. Shinny tried to eye where it flew from and nodded Jan in her gaze when she saw from afar Luke waving, trying to get their attention. With his good arm available, Jan pulled himself up and leaned hid hand on a roof edge, a good distance away from Doc and safe enough to place Shinny on as he did so.
"Are you going to be okay," Shinny asked.
"I don't have a choice right now. Someone got to look out for little bro."
Jan painfully left her side and flexed the fingers of his good hands, hoping joints and bones are still in place. Shinny clasped her hands in pray pose, her eyes open and pleading like a soldier's wife. In her life, Luke and Jan Valentine were doing everything for her. She never cared about a conflict to serious as this and really wished for it to end. But when something showed up in her cornered vision, she looked over and spotted what looked like a burly militia locking and loading a long gun. It looked like a sniper gun, one used to take out something from a distance below, but was aimed and ready to fire close by.
She ran to the edge of the roof extremely fast, grasping on before she fell over, shouting, "LOOK OUT," as loud as she could. The gun already fired, but the boys heard her cry and the firing shot. It headed in Jan's direction and he quickly moved away. Little realizing that Doc was next in line as a sharp shrapnel bullet dug into his sleeve and digging further into his skin and gushing blood through the hole and under the absorbing fabric. Doc dropped to his knees, his right hand was over the wound and he tightened it to stop some of the bleeding as he clenched his teeth to suppress any paining sound.
A lone index finger from Luke's right hand pointed on Doc's forehead as Doc looked up and saw his nephew, 100 feet tall again, but aiming for his head like Luke was placing a curse.
"What will you do now . . .?" Doc slowly asked him.
"I will show you what I have been taught. Without any weapons, this finger will pierce through your head and what will come out of other side will be the blood and the brain matter that has fueled you for as long as I can remember. I have no gun of my own, but I am willing to let this be the gun and the bullet.
"But I will give you a choice. Surrender and admit defeat to us or die trying to leave. You are not the only one who can make gambles out of choices."
Doc's eyes fixated on the young man who has grown in many ways and schemes. "I see. But what will you do when the choice is gambled?"
Luke blinked and furrowed his eyes in confusion. The gunman on the roof readies again. Shinny screams out. Luke wanted to take his eyes off. Jan looked for him instead, just as he caught a glimpse of the gun, smoking out the bullet that aimed not where he was or where Luke was, but at Shinny.
Shinny's shoulders moved along with her head. Only the hot bullet slipped across her temple, but dug and scratched into the corner of her head and a clump of hair. She swings all of her arms onto the wound like her arms were one and held onto her head as she cried in agony, her arms caking blood and running down to her clothes. Her pains came in sharp pulses, yelping in one and "aahing" in another.
With his good arm again, Jan immediately swung at the gunman on the roof. A boom and a crackle came under his limb. Removing it, it appeared that there was no sign of anything left. Uncaring of even the simplest act of violence, Jan rushed to the building Shinny stood on. Luke pursued him too, uncaring and ignoring Doc.
Both of the brothers looked at her for a second and Luke gingerly picked Shinny up by his thumb and index finger and placing her slowly on his palm. Lying on the smooth glove and covered in a warm environment, Shinny looked up one final time at the scared and horrified face of the guys. She wanted to smile so badly, her head hurt. She hoped to express it somehow, a silent way of saying thanks, her gratitude for everything when all she did was take in some strangers for nothing. It would make someone else annoyed if in her situation, angry even, but she did not care. She could tell Jan was worried the most. And Luke, he stared at him like he never knew him. Almost like, he never knew this side of his sibling.
All she could remember next was the blaring sirens, Luke mentioning something about the hospital, embraced onto the hand of her lover, and staying away from the army tanks. There was a gasp and she closed her eyes.
When Luke told his brother to get to the hospital, he turned back to Doc who would still be on his knees. Except there was nothing on the ground.
Joleen stood against the helicopter parked outside of town. She lit a new cigarette after she chugged the gun into small storage box inside. She was thinking about how the Valentines worked together during that heated moment. Even though it was all for a human girl that drove them away. Given another moment and she would have been slammed into a bloody crepe by Jan.
A few minutes later, the downtrodden Doc stumbled his way back. Without any thought or control, he was slowly shrinking back to normal, his thought only on treating the wound as quickly as possible. He stood about 15 feet tall when he was 300 feet away from Joleen and soon shrunk past ten. Collapsing on his knees, he then returned to normal.
Joleen stepped up and picked him up like she was doing a boring chore and escorted him to the copter.
"So this is why you never like to fight," Joleen quipped as a gesture of reminding him about something.
"Halt den Mund," Doc answered quietly.
Joleen prepared for take off when they were settled in. The bars left the ground while Doc applied bactitracin cream and gauze bandages. The bullet fell out when he started shrinking before leaving Luke behind, but he would have to do more later back at the base. The helicopter chipped and removed itself off the ground. It levitated further upward, leaving the grass behind and departing the little town. Cocking her head a little back, she knew she could not stare directly eye-to-eye to Doc.
"Sorry about shooting you back there, Doc," she said blankly. "Stupid little bitch messed up my shot. But you got admit, she's a real firecracker if I understand it right. I can see why you were interested in her."
She could have talk endlessly for the remainder of the trip back, but Doc completely ignored her as his thoughts occupied all space. He remembered how he was right. That the Valentine Brothers would slip away from a group like Millennium. No one could ever do such a thing for as long as he remembered. When he removed the Freak Chip from Luke and ignored how resourceful Jan was capable of, he should have realized he longer had control over them. Even enlarging himself to match wits with Luke failed miserably. As the night continued on, when their next initial stop would be a private cargo lot to refuel enough for the trip across to South America, the only he can do is forget everything that happened. Act as if he never adopted the Valentines; never saw them enter the organization, wiped off from the face of existence. Despite what Luke assumed, the Major will not find out this little setback and continue with everything as planned before. He knew at least "someone" appreciates his ideas; maybe he could pull a few strings of his own and get the growth formula some use.
Epilogue
As Doc thought, everything did go as planned. Despite having "lost" touch with Luke and Jan Valentine, the invasion on the Hellsing Manor was led by Joleen Britz. She managed to escape before she would have been caught and interrogated. Later on, a shady vampire lead more Freaks on an attack on the Tower of London, before he succumbed to Alucard, the infamous Hellsing vampire.
Back at the Valentine Brother's new home, everything was looking bleak. Shinny underwent emergency surgery to repair the wound on her head and regain the blood she lost before any serious damage was done. The surgeons were successful in removing what was thought to be the bullet, but the remaining Freak Chip that nestled and lodged in her mind. The leading surgeon diagnosed the chip as a fatty form of cancer, but before closer inspection later on, the chip disappeared in a heap of black, muddy ash.
Hour after hour, Shinny was bumped from critical condition to stable, as she laid in bed, sighing and comfortable in her sleep. Inside the room, Jan was seated closet to her bedside with Luke adjacent in the next, his elbow resting on his lap, lost in his own thoughts. Jan's hand was wrapped around the needle hand of his love, sleeping away the night.
"She'll be ok, right bro," Jan asked without turning away. His voice jumpy and his throat felt a lump. Luke turned to the back of his brother's head.
He said, reassuringly, "I have no doubt that she'll be okay. We were lucky we made it here so that the doctors could do what they had to."
Jan then turned to face Luke, his smile trying to return. "When you're striking four miles a fuckin' minute, you don't call it fuckin' luck." He referred to when Jan was still 100 feet tall and tried to be as hidden when he arrived before Luke did, he would referred it as luck that he was not spotted. "What's gonna happen now? What about ole Doc boy?"
"I don't think Doc will think twice about coming after us again."
"Yeah. Kicked his ass good!" He practically screamed his joy out before Luke tried to quiet him down. He pointed that the nurse was busy outside the door. "Gee, you're no fun!"
On the hospital bed, there was a stirring and a slight moan. Shinny shifted and pucked in her lips before opening her eyes. She moaned again and tried to look at the figure in front of her. "Mm . . .Janny," she purred painfully.
"Shinny!" Jan cried and moved in closer, hoping she would repel in shock.
"Janny," she said softly as put her left hand against his cheek. "You're here."
"I know . . ."
"But here here," she annunciated. "You're back to normal. So much for your surprise . . ."
Jan let loose and clasped around her, hugging her like a pillow in sleep.
"Oh," Shinny could only say. "I'm glad . . . To see you too." Her tears dripped down his hair as her face nuzzled in his head. She then saw Luke happy face and could not help but smile back and cry more.
"Babe. Babe. What's with the water works?" Jan saw her eyes bright and watery.
"I'm just happy, you big goof!" She grabbed his cap before he could protect it. "You have no idea how happy I am." Her hand crumbled the cap and she tossed it at his chest. "So, now what? Any chance of everything getting back to normal?"
Flattening his cap, he put it back on his equally unflattened head of hair.
"Normal is sh . . No chance in hell?"
Shinny smiled again as her expression grew wider.
"I didn't think damn so." She cried out, jumping both of the guys while the nurse opened the door and looked in. All three sat there innocently as she shrugged an annoyance and closed the door.
Shinny looked back at Luke, hoping to hear what he had to say.
"What do you think, Luke? Things'll be different now?"
Luke, after the stress and the mayhem behind them, he could have said everything to justify in his own way what Jan blurted out. But, he smiled back instead.
THE END
Halt den Mund! Shut up! (Correct me if I'm wrong on how it's pronounced)
