(Author's Note: Please forgive me for not getting Gloria in for most of the last chapter. I promise that she will get her time in the spot light this chapter. Wait…No! I mean, she might get her time in the spotlight. Yeah, that'll hold'em off without giving away the plot, yeah…Anyway…I went to Japan Fest 2005 in Arlington Heights, and though it was lacking anime, it was still a great time. I also finally learned how to use chopsticks, which proved to be a very fun utensil. So without further ado, here is chapter ten. (Did I use the correct "ado"?))
Order 10: Dynamite B Part 1
Thankfully, Marcus didn't have anymore dreams that night. When Walter woke him up, he did so without too much resistance and went down to have breakfast.
"I suppose that it would be better if I did stay up later, considering what we do, huh?" he asked Pip as they ate their porridge (no Oliver Twist pun intended).
"Eh, you get used to it. Just drink your tea and you'll be fine," answered Pip.
"Ya know, speaking of the tea…" Marcus leaned in and lowered his voice. "I don't know about you, but I think they put something in there that isn't tea, if you catch my drift…"
Pip cocked an eyebrow and fiddled with his braid. "You may be on to something. Come to think of it, I don't think I've ever seen Walter go to sleep. Do you think he might be an insomniac?"
"Wouldn't be surprised. But what about Sir Integra? What ever they put in that stuff must be getting to her. She's always in her office, doing paperwork, filling out forms, yelling at Alucard, going to meetings, ordering equipment, yelling at Alucard, covering stuff up with the media, shooting Alucard, and of course looking into those Nazi bastards."
"Twenty pounds says she snaps before New Years," challenged Pip.
"No deal, I get the idea that she has been doing this for a while. Make it thirty."
"What tea are you drinking? You only get twenty-five percent of your wages. The rest goes to your bank account and college fund!"
They both looked at each other and burst out laughing. After breakfast, both went to the weight room, where Marcus could feel his thighs protest after yesterday's training with Ms. Chapman. He plugged his mp3 player into the stereo system and played one of his favorite songs: "Anarchy in the U.K." by Sex Pistols. Everyone in the room gave him a small grin. When Walter walked by the weight room, he stopped and snorted his disapproval at the song, though he didn't leave until it was over.
From the weight room, Marcus went to the library where Ms. Chapman awaited him. She had already changed into her jumpsuit and was reading "Guns and Ammo". He just stared at this odd sight for a minute, and then went to the restroom to change into his jumpsuit.
"Alright Marcus, today we will continue our lesson from yesterday about studying your opponents moves. Now, I want you to watch as I go through this pattern of attacks and try to figure out what I'm going to do before I do it," Ms. Chapman said after they had moved the tables and chairs again. She pulled out her pistols again and kicked the invisible ghoul's ass.
Marcus was able to figure out a small amount of what her plan was, but was a little…distracted by his beautiful teacher. Still, he tried to be as professional as possible. He did notice that she was left legged, but right handed, and that she rocked her body back before she did a jump-kick. His lesson went on like this for the rest of the morning until lunch.
He was very hot during lunch, the tight jumpsuit lacking breathable fabric, and washed is face off in cold water before eating. Not being able to find Pip, Marcus sat down in front of the air conditioner to eat his B.L.T. He had borrowed Ms. Chapman's copy of "Guns and Ammo", and was reading an article comparing shotguns and flamethrowers. It was a compelling argument, stating that flamethrowers were not a guaranteed fatality and made to much light and noise. Looking up to sip his chocolate milk (no more tea for him) he choked on the liquid and coughed several times before speaking to Sir Integra.
"G-Good afternoon Sir!" he said and snapped to attention.
"Good afternoon Marcus. At ease," she said and sat down opposite him. Unsure of what to do, he hesitated and then sat down.
"Umm, would you like some peaches?" he said offering her a fruit.
"No thank you. I'll get to the point," Sir Integra said while lighting up a cigar. Marcus resisted the urge to wrinkle his nose at the smell. "We have a situation. Finish up your meal and come to my office. That is all."
"Thank you Sir!" he said as she walked out. Some of the men were giving him a curious look, but he just shrugged and finished his cottage cheese.
Knocking on the doors to Sir Integra's office, he heard her say to open them and walked in. The knight in question was at her desk sucking heavily on her cigar with her hands folded in front of her. Marcus was also surprised to see that Alucard was leaning against her desk, watching him behind his mirrored sunglasses.
"Have a seat," said Sir Integra. He walked over to across the black and white tile and sat down, feeling very nervous indeed.
"Marcus, as I told you earlier we have a problem. Three weeks ago, the bodies of three students were found in eight dumpsters throughout the city. Three university students in eight dumpsters. The perpetrator had yet to be found. These young men were some of our informants working undercover. They were last seen at a club, named 'Dynamite B'. No one saw where they went after that, due to the noise and lights," she said, and stopped to tap the ashes off her cigar.
"A week and a half ago, we had sent in an undercover team to find out what happened to them. They could not get into the club, having been stopped by the bouncer. When they showed their police badges, he laughed and asked for a warrant, which they did not have. The club is frequented by teenagers and college students, so any men we send in would easily be spotted and found out," she paused. "Except for you…"
"What she is asking of you boy," said Alucard "Is to pretend to be a 'raven' and collect any information you can."
"Umm, I think you mean 'raver', actually…" Marcus said in a small voice. Sir Integra gave him a sly smile.
"Whatever," said the nosferatu.
"We have arranged for you to be dropped off a block away from the club by a team of soldiers. You will be wearing a wire and tracer under your clothing, so we can here what is going happening. The vehicle you are dropped off in will contain recording equipment and will transmit directly back to headquarters," explained Sir Integra. She stopped and sweatdropped as Marcus raised a hand. "Do you have a question?" she said in an annoyed tone.
"Actually, Sir Integra, if this is a club…a wire won't do us any good," Marcus said.
Sir Integra frowned. "And why is that?"
"The music. I don't know if you have ever heard some of it but, well, here listen to this," he said and pulled out his mp3 player. It was set on a song by Linkin' Park. Putting in the earphones, Sir Integra pressed play. The results were astounding.
After the initial blast hit, Sir Integra winced and dropped the cigar from her lips. Alucard looked over curiously as he heard the music from across the desk, as did Marcus. Pressing the stop button, Sir Integra asked "What the devil was that!"
Marcus smiled sheepishly. "Linkin' Park. It's a band, and I guarantee that it will be played at this place."
"Alright, cancel the wire," she said, regaining her composure. "We won't even be able to hear tank fire let alone a human voice. Anyway, I have had Walter prepare you a suit to wear to the club. It will hide your Archangels, plus three magazines. To further ensure your safety, Alucard will accompany you. He will be in hellhound form and, yes Alucard, will wear a leash."
Alucard's eye was twitching very dangerously and he was bearing his teeth when Marcus raised his hand again.
"What is it now Marcus?" asked Sir Integra.
"Did you say that Walter designed a suit for me to wear?"
"Yes."
"And Alucard will be accompanying me as a hellhound?"
"Yes, yes I did. What does it matter?"
Marcus sighed. Looking at Alucard, he said "She doesn't get out much, does she?"
"I BEG YOUR PARDON!" Sir Integra roared as Alucard laughed maniacally.
"Please don't take any offense Sir Integra, but your plan won't work very well," Marcus said in an apologetic voice.
"Explain," she ordered.
"For starters, if Walter designed it, the suit will make me stand out like a sore thumb. I don't have any clothes that would let me blend in with the crowd, so I'll need to do some shopping. They also don't allow dogs into these kinds of things, so Alucard will need to be back up."
"Absolutely not. I will not have you go out to socialize if you are not in the proper attire. Plus, you are still a minor and there will be alcohol. Do you think that the other people won't have parental supervision or a chaperone?"
Marcus just sweatdropped. "Sir Integra, I think you should come with me."
"What?" she asked.
"Not on the mission, just to buy the clothes. I don't have enough money to buy them, soooo…"
Alucard chuckled as Sir Integra leaned back in her chair and tapped her foot. "Alright, it seems that I will have to concede to your…expertise in this matter. We will go tonight to buy your clothes and stake out the club. Meet me in the garage at seven o'clock sharp. You are dismissed."
Marcus got up and bowed, trying to show as much respect as possible. Walking out, he wondered how he was going to pull this off. He had never been a raver, or a punk for that matter, so he was playing this by ear. In school, he had had some friends who did this kind of thing on the weekends, but he couldn't contact them. Marcus thought about who he could talk to on how to behave. Pip? No, to busy fighting to know much about pop culture. Ms. Chapman? No, too classy to be seen there. Seras? Doubtful. Too busy busting places like 'Dynamite B' to admire the atmosphere. Alucard and Walter weren't even considered. That left Gloria.
Marcus smiled to himself as he walked to her room. It was still not completely furnished, but he did see a large coffin like the one that Seras had when they went to Russia. There was also a packet of blood cooling in a bucket of ice, but he just tried to ignore that. Walking over to the coffin, he tapped on the lid.
"Gloria? It's me, Marcus," he said quietly. Through the wood, he could here her reply.
"Hi Marcus," Gloria said.
"I'm sorry that I didn't get to see you last night. I really feel bad about that. Sorry…"
Pushing the lid open, Gloria said "That's alright. I know." She smiled up at him, and all at once he felt like everything would be alright. He smiled back. Offering her his hand, he pulled her up out of the coffin.
"I'll need to go shopping tonight," she said thoughtfully. "I'm still wearing that white dress from before."
"That's right! I think I know a way we can solve that problem," Marcus said and explained the mission to Gloria. "So really, the question is, have you ever been to a club like this before?"
She smiled coyly. "Maybe. Maybe not," she said turning around and walking across the room. Marcus grinned and followed her. Wrapping his arms around her waist, he rested his chin on her shoulder.
"Don't tell me you're going to make me beg?" he said, whispering into her ear.
"Hmm, that is a tempting idea. But you'd just enjoy it as much as I would," she said and giggled. Gloria spun around and clasped her hands behind Marcus's neck. "Alright, I'll go with you to buy clothes. You know, you really need to get a better sense in fashion. T-shirts and jeans? Please!"
Marcus cocked an eyebrow. "Hey, what's wrong with that?"
"Those clothes are for when you sit around the house and don't expect company. I know a store where we can get clothes for this place."
"Awesome. We will be leaving around seven, so I'll get you up after dinner," he said.
"Dinner? Wait, what time is it?"
"I just finished lunch before coming here. We can't go now, it's too sunny and I still have target practice," Marcus said
"Oh, okay. I just thought it was night already," Gloria said. Breaking there embrace, she sat down in her coffin. Marcus walked to her and kneeled down.
Giving her a quick kiss on the lips, he said "Good day. I'll wake you after dinner, okay?"
"Okay Marcus. I'll see you then," she replied and lay down to get comfortable. Closing the lid, Marcus got up and left for the armory.
Grabbing his Archangels from the wall, he stared at them for a second. Their metallic barrels gleamed in the light. Shaking his head, he went and retrieved regular ammunition and walked into the shooting gallery. Going over to booth ten, he loaded up and took aim at the bull's eye with both weapons. Taking several deep breaths always helped aim and concentrate, so he breathed in to a count of seven, held it for a seven count, and released it to seven. He opened his eyes and shot his first round. They hit wide, falling in the second closest ring to the outside of the target.
Don't let it faze you, just aim and shoot at the center, he thought as Pip had taught him. It was important to take your time when shooting. In battle, it could be that you only needed that one extra second to line up your shot perfectly. No matter how hard you try, your arm will move, so you have to adjust accordingly. Sure he could always run up and slash the target, but the Archangels real power was its shot.
Hitting the button on the side of the booth that made the target come up to him, Marcus unloaded the magazine and put the safety on. He had done a decent job, and had managed to hit the center twice, but too many of his shots were wide. It was easier when he had one weapon, but Ms. Chapman had told him to learn how to shoot with two weapons or none. Loading up another pair of magazines, he called another bull's eye up and tried again.
He stayed there until four o'clock. With a groan Marcus stretched out his arms. They were sore from being held up straight for so long. He put his Archangels away and brought his targets up to his room. His aim had gotten better the more he practiced, but near the end his sore arms had made him sloppy.
"I'll need to work on that," he muttered to himself. Marcus had spread them out on his bed in chronological order and could see the change as time went on. He yawned and decided that now was the time for a snack, so he got up and walked down to the mess hall. Finding it closed, he walked into the kitchen to find an apple.
Getting permission from the head chef, he walked back into the storage fridge. It was a walk in with shelves along the walls encased in a thick layer of frost. The change from hot to cold was welcome, and Marcus could see his breath as he looked for the apples. They were kept in a card board box on the right wall, so he reached in a pulled out a granny smith. Wiping off a bit of ice, he was about to leave when something caught his eye. A large box marked 'Tea' had recently arrived. Taking a quick glace around he padded over and opened the lid. Inside were smaller boxes of tea bags, so he decided to put a bag in his pocket for further inspection.
"I'll just find out what kind of leaves are in here myself. Walter won't be able to notice one bag missing," he said to himself and closed the lid on the box. Walking out, he took a bite out of his apple and went back to his room.
Flopping down on his bed, he lay on the targets and frowned. His aim had improved, but he had gotten lucky in real fights so far. What would happen when he was in the club? Would he accidentally miss and hit a civilian? Sir Integra had said that this was merely an information gathering mission. The real fighting would probably happen when they found out what had happened to the three informants. Probably.
Down in Gloria's room, Marcus knocked once again on her coffin. "Time to wake up Gloria," he said.
She lifted the lid and looked at him. He looked worried about something. "Hello to you to. Is it time to go?"
"Yes."
"Good. I need some new clothes badly. What time is it?"
"Six thirty."
"I see. Did you eat already?"
"No. I wasn't hungry."
"Okay," Gloria said and got out of her coffin. She was sweating pretty badly, and sleeping had messed up her hair. "Did you say that we have thirty minutes before we leave?"
"Yes," was his monotone reply. Gloria looked down at him, sitting next to her coffin. Wherever his mind was, it wasn't here.
"Well, if we have a half an hour, we should have enough time to take a shower together," she said and walked towards the door. He got up and followed.
"Yeah, sure…Wait, what!" Marcus said, blushing furiously.
Gloria giggled and smiled at him. "Finally, I got you out of that stupor. What's wrong Marcus? Did you have a bad afternoon?"
Marcus sighed and hung his head down. "It's nothing. I'll be alright," he said and looked up at her with a grin. "Now how 'bout that shower?"
"Oh no you don't. That was just to get your attention. Tell me what's wrong or you won't get so much as a hug out of me," Gloria said and crossed her arms in front of her with a sly grin.
"If you have to know…I was worried about the mission. I've been practicing my aim, but I can't seem to get it right; no matter how hard I try. What if a Freak gets the jump on me and I get killed? Or worse! What will happen to you? Sir Integra probably won't let you stay here to long if I die, and what if you get captured by the Nazis again?" he hung his head. "I don't know if I can protect you," Marcus said in a quiet voice.
Gloria's mouth hung open. She was breathing heavily and could feel her undead heart pumping blood that was not her own through her body. Suddenly, she threw herself at Marcus and kissed him hard. Marcus's eyes opened in surprise at her reaction to his confession, but he soon didn't care and was kissing her back just as hard. He wrapped his arms around her and cradled her head in his hand.
Breaking their embrace, Gloria looked into his brown eyes with her crimson ones. "That was the sweetest thing I have ever heard! Oh God, I love you so much," she said passionately and started kissing him with just as much heat.
Finally pulling their lips apart, she continued speaking. "Do you think that matters to me? I love you! I used to be enslaved against my will, but you freed me! It doesn't matter to me how strong you are, as long as you are still you! I love you Marcus."
She smiled at him and he smiled back. Letting him go, Gloria went to the female's shower room and ran the warm water. She sighed and took off her clothes as the sound of a door filled the room. With a "meep!" she grabbed her dress and held it to her chest as Seras Victoria walked out of the other stall with a towel around her torso.
"Oh, it's just you," they both said at the same time and sighed in relief. Gloria and Seras turned to look at each other and laughed.
"Who did you think it was?" asked Seras, putting on her undergarments.
"Oh, I thought it was Marcus being an idiot. Who did you think I was?" Gloria said.
"Based on past experience, I'd have to say Pip."
"Who? I'm sorry, I don't know everyone's names yet," asked Gloria sheepishly climbing into the shower stall.
"Oh no, that's alright. He's just a perverted mercenary Captain that Sir Integra hired. Eye patch, braided pony tail, French accent, you can't miss him," replied Seras, now fully clothed.
Gloria smiled. "I'll have to make note of that one."
"Oh, trust me. You will," said the fledgling and paused for a moment. "Well, he does have his good qualities. Pip is the one who teaches Marcus how to be a good soldier, and he does genuinely care about others. He just has no sense of decency!"
"Hmm, do I detect a hidden crush?" asked Gloria from the shower. She could actually feel some body heat return to Seras and hear the blood rush to her cheeks.
"I have no such thing! He is a stupid, barmy Frenchman with no dignity and a lowly dog of war! Plus he won't stop singing that stupid Eskimo song!" roared Seras and she stormed out of the room.
"She has it so bad for him…" said Gloria. "Can't say I'm any better though."
"Sir Integra? I've found a way someone who knows what to do," said Marcus from the garage doorway leading into the mansion. The sun had almost set now, and Sir Integra was waiting by the car with Walter.
The knight in question was currently lighting up another awful cigar. "Oh really?" she said with disinterest. "Who?"
"Gloria, actually Sir," said Marcus as he stepped out of the doorway to reveal his vampiric girlfriend. Sir Integra was about to protest, but knew she had no expertise in this area.
"Very well," she said through gritted teeth. Sir Integra looked at Gloria and sighed. Pulling out a case from one of her pockets, she tossed it to Gloria. "Here's a pair of sunglasses. Don't take them off until we get back."
"Y-Yes Sir," Gloria said in a meek voice. She was still somewhat frightened by Sir Integra, but that applied to everyone who ever met her. Walter drove the car out of the estate and into town, with Gloria giving him directions to their destination.
"The store we are looking for is called 'Hot Topic'. It sells clothes and accessories."
"Uhh, forgive my bluntness Ms. Gloria, but is that the store we are looking for?" said the butler and pointed to a large brick building in the shopping district.
"Yep, that's the place," said Gloria and got out of the car. Looking next store, she saw that the only other clothes store was a Kohl's, so she made a note to get their before the night was over.
They all walked into the store with different thoughts.
Marcus: I've always wanted to try on these kinds of clothes before, but I never had the chance before. Well, you only live once!
Gloria: I remember my first arm band that I bought here, sigh, I missed this all so much!
Sir Integra: WHAT IN THE NINE HELLS WOULD MAKE A PERSON WANT TO WEAR ANYTHING IN THIS STORE! Though…I do kind of like these belts…
Walter: I wonder why this band calls itself 'Slipknot'? Oh, I know! They must be Boy Scouts! I think I'll buy a C.D. of them!
In the end, Marcus had gotten a pair of black pants with lots of chains and pockets, an arm band with a Punisher style skull on it, a shirt with a large anarchy sign on the front in red, a trench coat (of course it was black!), and a tube of red hair dye. Plus Walter got a C.D. (Author's Note: Poor, poor Walter…).
As they walked out of the store, Gloria asked Marcus to come with her Kohl's. The young man looked at Sir Integra, who sighed and looked at her watch.
"You have twenty minutes, though it'll come out of your pocket. This has nothing to do with the mission at hand," she said to his silent request.
They were gone twenty minutes later, heading back to headquarters. Walter and Marcus had put the bags in the trunk of the car, and were now pulling in through the main gate. After unloading the bags (a lot which had 'Kohl's' on them, to Marcus's dismay), Sir Integra dismissed him and Gloria.
"Well, that went well," said Gloria in her new blouse and short-shorts. Marcus and her were walking down the hall from Gloria's room. As much as Marcus liked to see the clothes on Gloria and the smile on her face, there was something to be said about seeing money in his wallet.
"I'm glad you like them Gloria. Now what was it you wanted to show me?" he asked, putting his arm over her shoulder. Her skin was room temperature to his touch, but he didn't care.
"It's right in here," she said and opened the doors to the ballroom. It was almost pitch black, the new moon lightless in the starlit sky. The beauty of the place still threw him, and he looked around the room with wonder.
"This place is beautiful. I didn't even know it was here," he looked at her, red eyes almost shining in the darkened room. She walked over to him and smiled.
"Walter showed me it last night, when he brought me to my room. I really like this room, but it's a shame it hasn't been used in so long," Gloria said and sighed. "It's a waste really. Walter said that Sir Integra doesn't dance, so it probably won't be used for a while."
Marcus stepped over and kissed her on the cheek. "Just because Sir Integra doesn't dance, doesn't mean that we can't," he said and bowed low at the waist. "Would you honor me with this dance, Ms. Gloria?"
Gloria smiled and bit her lip before answering. "Why yes, Mr. Banks. I will," she said and curtsied.
He grabbed her right hand and wrapper his other around her slender figure. She put her left on his shoulder. With a snap of her fingers, slender music filled the room and they danced. Now Marcus had never danced in his life, but he knew that he had to lead and started to slowly revolve in a circle. Gloria had learned how to dance from her father, so she knew exactly where to put her feet.
Marcus spun her around, and swung her out. As she came back in, he had her face backwards and pressed his body against hers. Resting his chin on her shoulder, he closed his eyes and sighed in contentment. Giving her a kiss on the neck, he felt an odd mark on her skin. Looking at it, his body stiffened and his eye's widened.
"Marcus? What's wrong?" asked Gloria. Suddenly, she put her hand to her neck and the music stopped playing. Her smile dropped as she turned around to face Marcus.
She sighed and dropped her hands to her sides. "I do have the marks still. They are the one wound that no one can heal," she said and found that she couldn't meet his eyes anymore. I'm undead; he's a human who hunts the undead. What chance did I have? she thought and moved for the door to the patio outside. Marcus just stood there and stared at the floor. At the door she stopped, hand about to turn the knob. She glanced behind her. Marcus had still not moved from the spot. Gloria left him there and started walking through the shadowy garden.
Just as well, Gloria thought. Even if it did work, he would still die and I would be left alone again. It will be this way forever, just like they said it would be. If I fall in love, I'll only be hurt. The thoughts going through her head made her stop and fall to her knees. Red tears ran down her face and stained her new clothes. She would have to leave now. It was inevitable. Sir Integra would probably contact her tomorrow ni-
"Gloria!"
She blinked. Her vampirism had given her not only control over sounds that she emitted, but also let her identify sounds in less then a heartbeat's time. And yet, she still couldn't believe what she was hearing. Footsteps through the grass, panting breath, a bird bath falling over, swearing, and her name.
"Gloria! Don't go!" Marcus called out into the night. He ran through the dark garden like a blind man, but kept on going. "Gloria, come back!"
"Marcus! I'm over here!" she called out to him. She couldn't move, but was able to see him run over. He practically tackled her in a tight embrace, running his fingers through her golden hair and kissing her over and over again. They lay there like that for some time in the tended lawn of the Hellsing estate. Neither spoke a word; none were needed. Over head the stars twinkled down on the two lovers. It wasn't until nine o'clock that Gloria spoke.
"Marcus I-
"No, you don't need to say anything Gloria. I know." Gloria took his advice and lay on his chest, listening to the beating of his heart. It had helped her sleep, even when she was a child, and helped her now. Soon, she was breathing deeply and evenly.
Marcus looked down at her and smiled. Carefully sliding out from under her, he dusted himself off. Looking up, he heard the squeak of bats as a cloud flew out from a main floor window. Something twitched near his foot, but it was only Gloria rolling over on the grass. He picked her up bridal style and slipped as quietly as he could into her room.
After he closed the lid on her coffin he walked out down the hall to his room for the night.
(Author's Note: Oooooooooooooooh! Aaaaaaaaaaaaah! Part 1! Which implies a part 2! Yay! Sorry for all the mush in this chapter, but I was feeling romantic (you get that way after listening to "And she will be loved" a lot). Next chapter will contain much-much violence and gore (not Al) and action. Unfortunately, I leave for camp tomorrow and won't be back until mid-August, so don't expect any updates until then. I'm really really sorry, but it's kind of hard to get internet access in the Wisconsin wilderness…at least without a laptop, but I don't have one of those. In the mean time, please feel free to read and review this chapter, any other chapters you haven't reviewed yet, check out my favorites section, check out my profile, offer yourself to me in more way then one, or any other form of devotion you might want to try. Be creative! You can do it! I know you can! I believe in you, readers! Raises arms up triumphantly, holds position for a little too long, gets tired, lowers arms. That's it; some one must be out to get me. It's the only logical, not-paranoid-at-all, clearly sane answer. Shifty eyes. Yeah, that's it…)