Chapter 4. Assassin's Bible; What to Do With People who Won't Die... Avoid Them, Or Better Yet Don't Be on the Opposite Side From Them.
Sir Integral Fairbrook Wingates Hellsing took a long draught of her cigar before consigning the remains to her ashtray. Sighing she picked up her heavy handgun. It was a variation on a desert eagle that Walter had crafted especially for her. She looked up at him.
As always he stood in between her and the main door, determined to face any danger that might threaten her life. He had donned hid black gloves, and if she looked hard enough she could see the faint reflection of light on metal within them. Walter was a tall man, over six feet high with piercing green eyes and black hair tied into a ponytail, there were a few streaks of grey. His face was wrinkled but kind, yet despite his age he was still limber and agile, and one of the most powerful assets Hellsing had. He was not the "Angel of Death" for nothing.
Integra sighed again as the sounds of the gunfight came closer and closer to her room. It wasn't the thought of danger, of impending death that was getting on her nerves. It was the damned time it was taking to get here. She had paper work to do for damned sake.
The door creaked open and Walter tensed. A small figure slipped into the room, quietly closing the door behind her. Integra was mildly surprised at her assassin. She had expected an older man. Instead she had a small Asian girl with short black hair and large brown eyes. The girl looked about sixteen years of age, and was wearing black trousers and a grey jacket. Clutched in her hand was a Beretta.
Integra analysed the fight to come in her mind. The Beretta held seven rounds, her desert eagle six. So she would need to reload more often unless she conserved her rounds. Her desk would serve as cover, it was thick enough to block shots. The girl would likely sweep wide to the side and try and approach from her right flank.
There was a small whipping sound as Walter slashed his hand forwards, Integra's eyes snapped up as a single strand of silver wire whipped past the girl's cheek, leaving a thin red line. A warning.
"Give up now." Walter suggested in a calm yet menacing voice. The girl raised her gun and pointed it at Walter, yet Integra had the impression the girl was talking only to her.
"I was told to give you a message before I kill you. Millennium." The gun leaped in her fist. Walter swayed to one side as Integra threw herself to the other. Her desert eagle snapped out shots with angry precision even as Walter's silver wires formed an intricate web in the room.
Confused at the use of such an unorthodox weapon the girl seemed to falter, she dodged the bullets with ease, though simply kept a wary eye on the swaying wires. Not quite sure what they were capable of. But Integra knew, even as they snapped towards the girl all at once.
Mireille span on her heel shooting even without taking aim, three shots went out, the middle one hitting him in the lower chest. Despite this he continued to stand, blood pouring down his face and the hole in his chest leaking profusely. Mireille could see in the dark light that his eyes glowed, a feral blood red.
"What the-" She began before firing all the rest of her rounds into his body, the shots blew away his shoulder and riddled his chest with holes. He wasn't wearing body armour, blood was pouring from him. Even as she watched she saw the skin around the wounds turn pitch black before covering them and reforming as his clothing again. As if nothing had ever happened.
"Yes. YES! Fire. SHOOT ME! Blow me away, use all your petty bullets on me. I cannot and will not be stopped!" His voice was filled with madness, even as his grin widened and his eyes became crazed. The sound of the gun clicking empty rang through the corridor, Mireille scrambled for another clip, but all of a sudden there was no one there. Confused and not a little afraid Mireille stepped back, and bumped into something. "Guess who?" A voice crooned before bursting out in laughter.
Mireille span slamming her gun into where his face would be from his voice. Instead her arm was caught in a white gloved hand and forced back down again. Red eyes stared into her own. His mouth opened wide and Mireille's eyes widened at the sight before her. His teeth. They were… he had… Fangs!
"Let go of me!" She screamed as she thrashed at him, punching him with her free hand even as she slammed her knee into his groin. He didn't react.
"You can't hurt me Noir. I have suffered more than you can ever imagine, and nothing you can do will harm me." His arms enclosed round her even as she screamed in anger and redoubled her efforts to escape. "Master wishes you kept alive, so I suppose I should play the good host and show you to your room, hmm?" So saying he pulled her over to a shadowed wall. Mireille screamed in both fear and anger as they seemed to melt away into it.
Kirika froze as she felt the cold touch of silver wire fall all over body. Her eyes widened at the situation that she had lost all control over. The old man in front of her was crouched with his hands held wide apart, bright silver lines connected him to her. Kirika looked down at herself, her arms and her legs were wrapped with the deadly wire. She would have struggled had she not the cut on her cheek as a reminder. With a tug he could dismember her. And Mireille had ordered her not to get killed.
"Drop the weapon." The woman Kirika identified As Sir Integral Hellsing ordered. Kirika considered whether she could use it but she knew the man's gaze was focused on her upper arm, watching for the muscle twinge that would herald her bringing it to play. Slowly she let the gun fall.
At the same instant the door behind her banged open as two figures came hurtling through. Kirika heard the clicks that announced two guns being trained on her.
One of them came round to the front of her, kneeling down to take her weapon, Kirika felt her eyes widen in shock as she saw who it was. The small blonde girl whose neck she had clearly broken less than three minutes ago. The large blue bruise was still there. But how-? Kirika's mind went into overdrive at this revelation.
"Officer Seras, Captain Bernadette." The man behind her and the girl she had killed snapped to attention. "Casualties?"
"One we know of. Ma'am." The man, captain, answered. "He died in the corridor out zere, zey gassed the main barracks but I think it was just knockout gas. Or at least zey'd better hope it was." He added and Kirika could feel his glare boring into her back.
"It was." Kirika answered, though she was not sure why she did. Maybe because this woman they had been sent to kill seemed worried over her men?
"We have your partner prisoner in the lower levels. Seras, Captain, escort the prisoner down there too. If she escapes call for Alucard. He'll deal with her like he did her partner." Kirika's eyes shot up at this. They had Mireille! How, it couldn't be. And yet, Kirika sensed only the truth in the stern woman's words.
The silver threads untangled themselves and yet Kirika put up no resistance as she was shepherded out of the room, if they had Mireille, Kirika would not risk her. She was marched back down the corridor past the men who had hounded her, and the dead body she had killed. She had the distinct feeling that the male officer didn't like her very much for that. She couldn't blame him. It probably wasn't all that different from what she would have felt were Mireille killed.
It took a few minutes for her two guards to lead her to her prison in the basement, after a while she was stopped before a thick metal door. Following their instructions she unbolted it and opened the door, she was unceremoniously shoved inside and the door was slammed behind her. The sound of the bolt sliding back into place announcing that she was staying for a while.
"Mireille." Kirika greeted the blonde with a nod of her head, despite the rush of pleasure she actually felt at seeing her friend unharmed. In turn however Mireille rushed up to her and before Kirika knew what was going on she was being thoroughly hugged. Unsure and confused all Kirika could do was lightly rest her hands on Mireille's back. Despite the urge to hug her back just as hard.
"I was so worried Kirika. I thought… Well it doesn't matter now does it?" Kirika knew what she meant, they had never been caught before, not both at once anyway. There would be no one to rescue them, and generally people who had almost been assassinated weren't very sparing.
"Mireille…" Kirika began in a small voice. But no more words came, why can't I say what's in my heart?
"What shall we do with them?" Integra asked of the assorted people still in her office the next morning. There was Alucard standing near the wall gazing up at a portrait of her father. Walter was standing to the side of the desk cleaning blood from his wires. There was captain Pip, leaning against the wall by the door trying to light his cigarette. And Seras Victoria standing in the centre of the room trying vainly to find a place she could fit into.
As always there was a silence as everyone waited for somebody else to begin, in the end it was Walter who took initiative.
"Millennium." Was all he said. Integra nodded once in understanding. They had information, and Hellsing needed it.
"I'm interested in who zey are." Pip spoke out in his heavily French accented voice, his cigarette was clenched between his teeth. "I've seen killers before, but none like zis pair. They're professionals, and damned good about it too." Integra risked a quick glance at Alucard, he appeared not to be listening. Integra could smell something fishy about his behaviour.
"Alucard?" Integra began, hoping she wasn't making a fool of herself. "What do you know?" He never shifted from his position, never moved his eyes from the image of her father, and yet he spoke.
"They are Noir." Was all he said.
"Black? Or perhaps darkness?" Pip asked in a confused voice. Integra realised Noir was French, but was it code for something?
"Noir is an ancient name for a pair of assassins that dominated Europe for well over a thousand years. They were made to kill the sinners, taking all sin upon their own hands so that man might atone for his own sins. An old religion from an even older cult."
"I enjoy the history," Integra began, "But I fail to see the connection between two long dead assassins and our two prisoners below." Alucard's laugh was rich, and Integra was forced to resist the urge to shoot him.
"They are this era's Noir, just as deadly, or maybe even more so. The life of Noir is often short. New candidates are often raised to take the place of dead ones. Our two prisoners are the survivor's of the candidates of this century, they have passed all the tests and have become the true Noir." Integra sighed and massaged her temples.
"But I ask again, what should we do with them?"
"Kill them?" Pip asked and Seras gasped in shock, "What! I wasn't suggesting it, just said it was an option." Integra sighed again. Yes that was one option, but she was like Seras in that respect. Unnecessary killing rubbed her the wrong way.
"We can't just let them go." Alucard intoned. "They would only try again. As long as their client still pays them they won't give up. For the sake of their reputation, they can't give up."
"Wait-wait-wait!" Seras called out quickly, everyone turned to look at her, even Alucard, with an amused expression on his face. "Couldn't we use them? If we paid them more, or offered to let them go we could order them to kill Millennium."
"Millennium is a belief more than it's just one man." Walter explained. "Two people, no matter how good, could not destroy all of Millennium."
"Perhaps not." Alucard began with a glint in his red eyes. "But maybe a few more could." Integra sighed yet again, this time in an exasperated tone.
"Explain Alucard." He turned to look at her and smiled maniacally.
"Like the police girl suggests, we offer them their freedom and a hefty pay check to work for us. We then send them to Germany with orders to take down the main leaders of Millennium, namely their führer, the captain and that professor who's making the chips." He stopped for a moment to let that sink in.
"But instead of just sending them, we send them, myself, the Draculina and a few men. With Noir and two undeads we should be able to bring Millennium down, or at least cripple them." Integra rubbed her temples to assuage the coming headache. Alucard running rampant through Germany? That wasn't their territory, they could just as easily clash with the Vatican. But for a chance to end this threat from Millennium.
"Very well Alucard. Whilst in Germany your seals shall remain active. Release of the seals is to be decided by either captain Pip Bernadette," The man almost choked on his cigarette, "Or officer Seras Victoria." She swallowed uncertainly. "if I hear of you misusing this responsibility Alucard, you will spend far longer locked in that basement. Understood?" Alucard's face was twisted in an insane smile.
"I fully understand, my master" He intoned before vanishing in deepest shadows. What am I unleashing? She had to ask herself.
"Seras, Pip. Use that power wisely, and do not let Alucard force you into releasing the seals. Only when your lives or mission are in direct jeopardy should you release him." They both nodded. "Seras inform the prisoners, it's up to you to make sure they accept." The young vampire looked like she wanted to protest, but wisely gave up and saluted. "Pip, choose three men to accompany you."
"Yes ma'am!" He saluted before jogging out of the room.
"Walter? I need some aspirin. Badly." She begged the aged retainer, who departed with a smile to fetch some medication. Gods Alucard, please don't do anything stupid. Germany is Catholic territory, if you start a religious war I swear I'll kill you.
And so this chapter ends, it's all I have for now, thoughI promise it'll be updated in a few days. Probably around Sunday 16th of April. Please review it. Yet again my paragraphing keeps dying. It happens evertime I click on "Save:Update Changes." It always saves it then gets rid of all my paragraphs and such then puts all the writing in bold and underlines it. GAHH! Any suggestions on how to stop it welcomed. REVIEW.