Part Five: Into the Swing of Things

While Alucard and Axel were gone, Integra had matters of her own to see to; a little research based around the black heart 'tag'.

Every book in the library containing the histories and legacies surrounding symbols and markings throughout recorded time had been pulled out and now were strewn over one large table. She had gone cross-eyed looking through them all but she was still no closer to deciphering what on earth, or in hell, the tag could mean to the Hunters.

Well at least she had a new lead of sorts and an idea of how to go about gaining 'inside information'. If Axel had managed to bully a Freak into work before then perhaps he could do it again, this time for Hellsing, and this time be prepared for the kidnapping. They could use the Freak as bait and then hopefully capture a Hunter…the rest should then just fall into place.

So much effort for something that was not causing any real harm; the only true problem with the situation was that it was a mystery and she was not fond of them. She wanted it put to an end before it suddenly flourished into a major disaster.

But then again…she could say the very same about Axel. Was Alucard right? Was the boy a living time bomb waiting to explode and transform into some kind of beast of dark fury and sick desires? He already freely admitted he was part way there.

She started closing up the dusty volumes and piling them up to be taken back to their proper shelves.

Footsteps thumped along the polished floor behind her and came to a halt at her side by the table.

"No luck?" Walter asked and joined her with the clearing up.

"None whatsoever." She sighed. "You?"

"Same." He told her apologetically. "I just cannot believe that the entire Internet held nothing about it. I tried to see if the one image could be made of meaningful sections."

"And did that work at all?" she asked, flipping the cover of another book shut.

"Not really. Black is seen as a colour to characterize evil so a black heart could possibly signify the root of something evil…a new kind of evil, perhaps, shown by using modern day graffiti tagging. Also, red is sometimes used to show evil…though it's lucky in China, here in the west it is associated with things such as blood, pain, anger et cetera. The pupils of the eyes, as you know, are horizontal slits, which make them look very similar to a goat's. Goats are sometimes associated with the devil…but the most usual way to represent it is through the pentagram."

"All of that could mean everything or nothing. Pictures are made of individual parts but by breaking up the components of an image you may lose the whole picture." She demonstrated this by covering up parts of an engraving in one of the books. Between her hands she showed Walter a print of a smiling young girl. "Just a happy child." She said and then lifted her hands revealing the blood stained butchers knife the girl had been holding and the scene of horrific massacre behind her. "And now she is a cold blooded psychopathic murderess."

Walter took the book and closed it. "Or she is the sole survivor after defending herself and is glad to be alive."

"Exactly my point. Without the footnote you wouldn't know for sure." she picked up the copy of the tag photo and shook it in an annoyed manner. "We need a footnote for this damnable thing."

Walter held a hand out. "The Hunters are not Hellsing's only problem, Sir Integra. There are still vampires, Freaks and their ghouls and there are still other mythical phenomena and hell beasts to neutralise. Leave the research to me and give your concentration to other things. I get the feeling that it will be a long time before the Hunters are done with and have revealed all of their secrets and you mustn't allow Hellsing to grind to a halt because of them."

Integra nodded glumly and relinquished the photocopy. "Yes. We do still need to stop the Freak production, among other things."

"Go to it then. I'll finish up here."

"Thank you."

Integra moved to the next task ahead of her that waited, as always, upon her desk amidst the records of that which had been occupying her thoughts for so long.

The tall backed, green leather, executive chair creaked in the way that only leather can as she leaned into it and let her gaze brush over what needed to be brought to her attention. So what was first on the list of things to kill?

"Hmm." The first to catch her eye was an odd one indeed; hand written on standard A4 lined paper rather than the almost obligatory crest headed reports. It seemed to be a request for an investigation from a member of Hellsing…most likely a soldier as it had been left unsigned. It must have been placed on her desk personally or Walter would have disposed of it. Anonymous requests did not get far and it was not Hellsing's place to investigate anything; that was left to outfits like MI5. Hellsing dealt with the clean up, not really the discovery. Though sometimes things just couldn't be waited for and the initiative had to be taken. The letter was something about unfortunate child deaths in a hospital. The young daughter of the Hellsing soldier (presumably) was currently staying in the paediatric ward of Lewisham hospital from an asthma attack and had told her father that the children in the ward had been dying of illnesses that should have easily been cured. The medicines seemed to have no affect and it was as though the children hadn't been given any at all. The doctors couldn't explain it but were still doing all they could.

Integra would have banished the letter to the waste paper bin but the next bit struck a memory…a memory of a page in a book…for the daughter claimed that every child that had died had spoken, if they could, of a white bird that had visited them in the night.

"A white bird?" White bird…white bird…white bird. She repeated the same two words over and over again in her head as she leapt from her seat and tore back down to the library with the letter clutched in her hand. A few guards were convinced something must have been chasing her as it is a rare time when Integra will break into a jog let alone a full run and so conducted a pointless search of the house while she ploughed on back into the library.

"Sir Integra, I said that I would deal with it." Walter said as he turned to her with books piled in his hands. "Why were you running?"

"Ah ha!" she exclaimed and snatched a book from the shelf after counting many away with her fingers.

"Sir, what are you looking for?"

"Read this." The letter exchanged hands.

Walter peered. "White bird…why, it's almost like-"

"Yes." she interrupted and held up the book; indicating an almost medieval style painting of a sick man with an albino bird perched on the end of the bed he was lying in. "The Caladrius; a supernatural bird of the Middle Ages said to foretell the outcome of an illness depending on whether it looked at or away from the sick person and that it could take the sickness out of people if it did look at them."

"So…you think the Caladrius is in the children's ward of the hospital and it is refusing to take the children's illnesses? Sir Integra, are you serious? It's an ancient myth…and since when has it been Hellsing's place to lead investigations?"

"Vampires are myths too, Walter." She reminded him. "You did say that it is our job, also, to deal with mythological phenomena and Hellsing will do what I say it should be capable of doing. I know how insane it must sound, believe me. I have my doubts too…but that is what it sounds like and after everything I have lived through and seen with my own two eyes I cannot just ignore the possibility, especially when there are children's lives in the balance. I'm going to have it investigated, if only for one night."

"How is that possible? Hellsing has no authority within state medical institutions, and we can't send a military team into a paediatrics ward. We'd give people heart attacks."

Integra snapped the book closed, tucked it under one arm and plucked the letter out from Walter's fingers before retreating back to her office. "I'll send Alucard; he can stay undetected."

Walter gave chase. "Alucard in a children's ward! Those children will never get better seeing him wandering around!"

Commander Richard Myles, replacement for the sorely missed Peter Fargason, handed Axel a maroon armband upon which had been embroidered the quartered shield that was the Hellsing organisation's crest. "Here you go, Jaeger, this aught to stop friendly fire."

"Uh…cheers." Axel took it and looked at it as though he had just been given an alien device but eventually slipped it up past his elbow on his left arm where it was supposed to go and eyed it critically.

"I don't see why you won't wear the uniform." Myles said with a shake of his head while Axel and Alucard ambled along behind him as he led the teen to a munitions cabinet.

"I said; I'm comfortable in this. This is my uniform and it serves its purpose. I have a reason for wearing every bit of it y'know. It's not just because I fancied wearing it. Each bit has a point."

"Really?" Alucard said with an arched eyebrow.

"Yeah. This top is close fitting so there is nothing baggy to catch on anything or be grabbed. The jeans are hard wearing and easy to wash as well as being tight to prevent snagging on stuff as well. The wrist bands are to stop bites if I'm trying to defend myself, the gloves are for grip but are fingerless so I can actually use my fingers, full gloves never seem to fit me. Oh yeah…the boots are this long so I can tuck in the jeans and to stop downed ghouls evil little habit of trying to gnaw on my ankles. See; everything has a reason." He did a little fashion show twirl. "And a silver cross in case I feel the urge to make an annoying vampire eat it."

"Well that aside." Myles said hurriedly before the building tension could reach its peak. "Take this."

He reached into the cabinet then extracted and offered Axel an MP5 assault rifle.

"Oooh…" Axel accepted it with a worryingly happy grin.

"Do you know how to use it?"

Axel held it in a manner that though pretty much correct showed that he actually had no clue and was just trying to get comfortable, repeating what he had seen in movies and video games. "I can guess."

"Hmm." Myles started adjusting Axel's position for him. "There, that's more like it."

"Err…cheers." He was not fond of having someone moving him about like a poseable action figure but didn't want to start an argument with a human he had only just met.

"Alright, this way then. We'll get you on some target practice."

The short range targets turned out to be nothing short of a breeze for him once he got the hang of the aiming and the kick that the rifle produced that was a far cry from his spear gun. The hardest part in it all was trying to stop himself reactively closing his eyes each time he pulled the trigger and to attempt to train his somewhat enhanced hearing to not be so delicate to the roar of automatic gunfire. In fact the first time he took a shot he had nearly dropped it from the shock of the noise, which had made Alucard laugh quite heartily. The mocking gave Axel a new boiling determination and so, quite amazingly, he quickly mastered what it took some men a few days or even weeks to learn. The mid-length targets fell in rapid succession with near perfectly aimed shots. He never missed the head or heart markers but didn't always get them dead centre…still…he was pretty damn good. He was, however, still learning but he was doing so fast. Both Myles and Alucard watched with growing fascination.

Myles decided to move him on to the long-range targets…targets set at such a distance that a decent shot should not be achievable without a scope. Axel's newly acquired MP5 did not have such an attachment. This was a test of his inhuman abilities more than anything else; Myles wanted to know just what he could be capable of and what he could handle. He needed to know whether to treat him more as a human or vampire in regards to what he could ask of him.

Axel fitted the rifle against his shoulder, brought his eye to the sights and eased his finger on the trigger.

"Do you think you can hit it?" Myles asked. Peering through binoculars.

Axel took the shot.

Both man and vampire could see the result; Alucard through his sight and Myles through his device. The target was left with a neat hole in its forehead.

"Does a bear shit in the woods?" Axel replied to the question with a cocky grin. "Hell yeah."

"Not too shabby." Alucard agreed. "But there is room for improvement."

"Ok." The barrel swung up to between the vampire's eyes. "How about I practice on your head?"

"Try all you want, you'd never hit me." Alucard smirked.

"Wanna test that?"

"Hey! This is not why you are here." Myles commanded both of them, Axel mainly, to cease the threats and stupidity.

For a second Axel forgot himself, bared his fangs and hissed at his un-dead nemesis before smiling sweetly at Myles. "So, what's next?"

"To be honest with you I'm not sure. You're proficient enough with a gun and I'm sure hand-to-hand is something you have no problem with. You can already deal with vampires, Freaks and ghouls so I suppose the only thing left is for you to get used to working as part of a team. You won't be off on your own any more so you'll need to know proper military group tactics and co-operation"

The shrinking of the smile indicated that Axel didn't much like that idea. "Not a good plan."

"Oh, and why is that?" Myles crossed his arms.

"People get hurt around me. Not always the bad guys."

For just a second, another fraction of thought escaped Axel's mind and reached Alucard; a single image of Theo. It didn't take a genius to work out that Axel blamed himself for his brother's premature demise.

"The orders were to have you join a field team so there isn't any point in trying to change that." Myles said as he marched to the door. "Come on, you're in luck. We have a few others part-way through training so we'll be able to slip you straight in."

"I can't work in a group; how many times do you want me to say that?"

"This is not a discussion! You are a member of Hellsing now, Jaeger, and so Hellsing's rules apply. Your superiors give you orders and you carry them out without question and without argument, are we clear?"

The rifle gave a protesting, metallic groan from the pressure created by Axel's suddenly tightened fists. "Yes…"

"Yes what, Jaeger?"

"Yes, sir."

"Better." Myles knew full well that he was going to have his work cut out for him. It was bad enough that Axel was a teenager, let alone a half vampire at the same time, which was going to add considerable difficulty. Myles had to develop a position of authority over the boy as soon as possible as vampires' craved power and control as well as blood and death. Even if Axel gained only a second's worth of having the upper hand it could encourage his vampire half to become more prominent within him.

Without a word Alucard left, disappearing into an invisible void.

Myles did not question his sudden departure; no man ever dared try to decipher the dark lord's thoughts. He came and went as he pleased and as Director Hellsing demanded. He was unpredictable, but pretty much safe. No-one wanted to disturb that and so left him in peace to his master and his shadows.

If only 'safe' could be applied to the seventeen year old following behind him with a loaded gun in his hands.

The training field unit were surprised when the boy was introduced to them. They had been expecting a new member but not one so young.

"He's just a kid." One clueless man observed out loud.

"Oh shut your trap." Axel barked back.

"That is quite enough, Jaeger." Myles warned again. "If anyone here has a problem with this arrangement; you can take it up with me. Alright?"

There was a mumbled chorus of 'yes, sir's' from all present. Myles never had been and never would be a particularly tall or impressive looking man but neither his height, nor his appearance had never been an issue. He was a dark haired, bright eyed, proud, protestant ex-SAS soldier whose voice commanded immediate obedience, while those who challenged him were not let off lightly. He was both feared and respected by his troops and was a natural candidate for the rank he held.

Myles wondered when he should tell the other men what their new teammate was. They had expected a grown human soldier of sorts but they had been shown a still growing teen…that wasn't human at all.

"There is something that you'll need to take into account with the new recruit. Yes, he may be a year too young but that doesn't matter; he is already faster and stronger than all of you and is also already experienced in our kind of work."

Confused and annoyed looks were exchanged all round.

"He's a dhampir; human mother, vampire father, so get used to it. Prejudice and racism will not be tolerated. Clear?"

"Yes, sir." Was the collective agreement.

Even when thrown in with the training unit, Myles observed that Axel tried to separate from the others, go off on his own and break contact. There were three occasions in which he nearly 'accidentally' shot his teammates after they had yelled at him for his general attitude.

Myles sighed and watched the dhampir kick a target dummy's head over a wall.

This was not how things were supposed to be done at all…

By the time Axel returned home for the night, to prepare for a depressing round of school in the morning before coming back for night work, it had been decided that his position in Hellsing would have to be adjusted…perhaps to an active field unit. Hanging back and destroying targets alongside people he was desperately trying to avoid was only causing unwanted havoc. Usually the dummy targets could be used a good few times over; unfortunately Axel had already completely demolished five of them single handily beyond all hopes of repair. He was too fast and too impulsive for his 'team mates' and rushed in without thinking, they couldn't keep up and nor did they want to for he barely even looked at the doors before bursting into each of the rooms. Some 'team mates' had even divulged to Myles that they were actually afraid of him; they said he got 'far too happy' about the whole situation and every time he pulled the trigger a kind of invisible wild fire grew behind his eyes.

Myles in turn reported all of this to Integra.

"Wild fire?" She asked, for clarity.

"Yes ma'am. That's what I was told. It was also described to me as 'a real crazy look, I thought he was going to go all Hannibal Lecter on us.' Those were one man's exact words."

"To a degree, Captain, that is a good thing; it proves that his vampiric lusts are being sated but not loosed."

Myles nodded. "So what is your advice on where he should be placed?"

"Things never go right when rushed, but I feel that keeping Jaeger in training for much longer could cause even more problems. His desires will only be occupied by dummies for a limited, short time and for now the novelty value will be amusing him. To keep him happy, as it were, he will need the 'variety' of real fieldwork. Transfer him to your active unit; I'd like to keep him with you as he has already established a working relationship with you. He is growing used to you giving orders now so we'll leave it that way if at all possible, but remind him that he is the one working for Hellsing and not the other way around. We will offer him the help he needs but only within our pre set rules and boundaries; we will not compromise for him."

"Of course."

"Are they really afraid of him?" she could believe them to be intimidated but not afraid.

"More than they are of Alucard."

"How so?" this was a turn up for the books.

"They know that Alucard can be controlled and that he is bound to serve you, but Jaeger has only his own will to keep himself at bay."

Alucard probably won't like that. Integra thought. He did so pride himself on the fear he could instil in poor short-time mortals. She reached over and selected a slim cigar from the box on her desk, placed it between her lips and lit it. Drawing in and exhaling a good draw of the smoke before continuing. "Is there anything else that I need to know?"

"No ma'am, that's all."

"I will arrange Jaeger's transference first thing tomorrow. You are dismissed."

Myles saluted formally and left.

The very minute he was out of the way the same hauntingly familiar, shrinking feeling crept through the room. It didn't take a genius to work out who had just decided to arrive.

"Something you want?" Alucard asked.

"Yes, though I didn't call for you." She said, taking another pull on the cigar.

"That is beside the point; I still heard you. You know that."

"I have a task for you." She told him, cutting to the chase. "But before that I have a question of sorts…well…more of a request really."

"Mm?"

She took the cigar away from her mouth, holding it between two fingers and watching the smoke curl away upwards towards the ceiling where it would dissipate into nothingness. "Tell me what you know of the Caladrius."

"Caladrius?" What a strange question for her to ask him. He decided not to read her mind to discover the origins of her query…it would be far more fun to work out for himself why his austere master was chasing myths that were nearly as old as Christianity in England. He quoted what he knew from something he had seen a very long time ago. "The Caladrius is like unto Christ who turneth his face from those who reject him but takes upon himself the sins of others. For if a man be sick this sage bird can see the illness and all its course. If it doth turn away its face, then the man be fated to certain death, but if he can be healed then the Caladrius will draw the sickness unto his own self and fly up to the heavens. Here the sun doth burn away the sickness and disperse it through the air."

"You are familiar then."

"Yes."

"Good. Then you'll have an idea what you are looking for when you pay a visit to Lewisham hospital paediatrics ward and seeing if the 'sage bird' is somehow there and causing childrens' deaths."

"Childrens' ward?"

"Correct. This is unofficial, Alucard, so keep it secret and keep yourself out of sight. No innocent is to be harmed but if you discover something or someone is deliberately doing this then you are to stop them by all means necessary without revealing yourself to anyone but the perpetrator of this crime."

"Isn't this a police matter?"

"Do as you're told."

"Yes, Master."

"Try to get it over with tonight, go now. You'll be alone as you're the only one capable of keeping your presence hidden."

"At once, Master."

To be continued……

Author's Note – Another one done with. This is really starting to go weird…Alucard in a childrens' ward? What was I thinking? Well…it'll serve its purpose. By the way; the Caladrius is a real legend and Alucard's quote came from a book I have that has all sorts of myths and things in it.

As usual I ask for reviews.

Thanks for all the ones I've had so far!

To mwbailey – Thank you for paying so much attention. I honestly appreciate reviews such as this. I'll go back to fix typo's e.c.t at some point. (I don't have a proof reader for this fic and I am a bad speller) Well, I'll apologise for getting Axel wrong but I can't change him now. Changing a character half way through a story is worse than getting them wrong in the first place, in my humble opinion. I'm pretty happy with the way he is and will say this for him – he's not like normal boys because he isn't a normal boy, he's a dhampir. He's also a lot bloody nicer than half the boys and men I have had the misfortune to have been in the presence of…maybe that's just me though…In regards to italics, bold e.c.t. It's because I can't get this site to upload symbols to distinguish telepathic speech. Also, it's sometimes to show the difference between 'Hellsing' the organisation and 'Hellsing' the family name. Otherwise...I'm sorry for being so confusing and will try to remedy the situation when the time is available.