Chapter 5. Assassin's Bible; Staying Free Good, Getting Captured Bad. It's Not That Difficult a Concept to Grasp is it?
Mireille wanted to cry when she woke up to find Kirika snuggled next to her, her small body pressed against Mireille's own as if seeking protection. This was it, the end. Their finale. They had failed, and now they were both helpless, at the mercy of their captors. Mireille hoped they would kill them cleanly, and together. She had seen some perverted bastards who would toy with their prey before giving them the mercy of death.
"Mireille?" A small voice asked, She looked down to see Kirika's brown eyes open and looking into her own. There was no fear on that face, though Mireille could sense the sadness in those eyes. Those eyes seemed to open up an empty well in Mireille's heart, her dreams for the both of them falling down it.
"Kirika… I'm sorry… I just…" She couldn't go on. Kirika's eyes were wide and her mouth was parted as if she too wanted to say something but couldn't. Don't let it end like this! Mireille begged, Not with so much left unspoken.
"Mireille…" She began. Just then there was a metallic rasp as the bolt was removed from their door and the catch slid across. Mireille disengaged herself from Kirika and rose unsteadily to her feet. Looking around for a weapons she smiled bitterly when she saw nothing she could constructively use, or not at least without some preparation, time she obviously did not have as the door grated.
The door swung open and a short figure entered, quickly closing the door behind her. Mireille's mouth hung open and her eyes were wide. There seemed to be an explosion between her ears as her mind stopped working. Dressed in a light blue uniform, a police skirt and black boots and stockings was the girl she had left dead on the floor only yesterday.
"But-you're dead! I killed you!" Mireille gasped at the young girl who was now leaning against the closed door. She smiled and Mireille only then noticed the blood red eyes, so like the monster that had defeated her last night.
"I don't die that easily." Was all she said as she walked into the room and sat on one of their wooden chairs. She sat like that for a moment inspecting each of them as if searching for something. Mireille felt Kirika rise behind her, but the Asian girl made no threatening move towards the young officer.
"My name's Seras Victoria, and I work for the Hellsing agency." She exclaimed happily, as if they had met in a bar. "What's your names?" Mireille stuttered for a moment, this wasn't the way to question people, and besides what did their names matter for?
"Yuumura Kirika." Kirika said quietly.
"Mireille Bouquet." She added afterwards, deciding that if Kirika gave her real name she would too. "How are you still alive?" The question burst from her lips before she could think about it. "I shot you twice."
The girl seemed to wince in remembrance, she rubbed her neck too.
"Yeah I know. Your friend broke my neck too." Mireille noticed the bruise and her eyes widened even more. "Fortunately that wasn't enough to kill me. You see my master and I, aren't exactly like you and your kind." The girl seemed bitter even as she said this, her eyes showing a profound sadness that made Mireille feel guilt for bringing it up.
"You're not human." Kirika said calmly, Mireille span to look at her but Kirika's face was full of confidence. Not human-how! What!
"That's right." Mireille span back her eyes growing wider if that was possible. "We're vampires."
"What!" Mireille snickered nervously, "That's ridiculous." The girl smiled evilly showing her teeth, and her long canine fangs. Mireille stopped laughing. That man had fangs too, though his were longer and seemed sharper. Mireille was aware of Kirika moving in front of her protectively.
"Don't worry, I don't mean you any harm. On the contrary Sir Integra has decided to let you live." Mireille saw Kirika stiffen in shock, she felt how her own heart leaped in her chest. "On the condition that you do one job for us." Her mind came back down to reality. "You'll be paid whatever millennium was paying you, and you'll have your freedom."
"Do tell." Mireille encouraged, knowing that Kirika felt the same way.
Seras let out a relieved sigh, she thought she'd done quite well so far. They were interested, and they were on first name terms, not bad. "Do tell." The beautiful blonde woman crooned. Seras resisted the urge to smooth her own short hair, which seemed a poor comparison for Mireille's own golden locks.
"You will be sent to Germany along with myself, my master and some others. We are to locate and eliminate three main ringleaders in the millennium organisation. You'll be given free rein, as well as the equipment to deal with anyone or anything that might get in our way. Interested?" Seras finished, hoping she wasn't overstepping her boundaries by offering so much, the plan had only been made perhaps twenty minutes ago after all. Seras had no idea what they expected of the pair.
"We accept." The small Asian girl whispered. Seras had to shiver when she spoke, she remembered all too well the sudden shock of the girl's hands around her throat, the burning pain as she fell to the floor. She was lucky Pip had been there or she might have had to re-snap her own neck.
"Excellent." Seras clapped her hands together trying to dispel her fear from the room and from her mind. What a bloody freaky expression! She thought to herself as she watched Kirika's face.
Masterrrr! She mentally called out, hoping to get his attention.
You don't have to yell police girl. I'm always here. His amused voice chided deep within her mind, Have you drunk any blood today? He asked almost innocently.
Master, I've been a little busy for that-
"Nonsense." His voice interrupted from the edge of the room, she hadn't felt his presence at all as he materialized through the wall, grinning madly. "Your punishment remember?" He held a packet of blood almost negligently in his hand. "Drink, or I'll force it down your neck." He said in a playful tone of voice.
Seras was aware that the blonde, Mireille had panicked as her master appeared out of nowhere, stepping back in fear, though it was quickly and well hidden. The dark haired girl was watching her partner intently, an almost confused expression on her face.
"Drink the blood." He intoned holding it out to her chest. Seras was now aware that the two women were watching her intently, or perhaps more precisely the blood packet. Grumbling angrily Seras took the packet and sank her fangs straight into the plastic, shivering as the blood bubbled into her mouth. As always the bloodlust came, but instead of surrendering she fought it and pushed it back. Staying in control the entire time, simply drinking from the packet instead of tearing it to shreds. Once it was gone she glared at her grinning master and threw the crumpled plastic down onto the table before her.
"Happy now! Anyway they've agreed to help us. What do I do now? Do we leave them in this cell, or shall we let them go as they want?" Her master shrugged with an evil smile on his face.
"I think that Integra gave you some responsibility today, time to see how you handle it. You make the decision, and take the consequences of it on yourself. You hold the seals after all." He added in a whisper. Seras gave him an angry glare which made him chuckle. Great, master was being pernicious again. So she had to make the decision did she. Alright.
"Okay. You are free to roam the compound as you see fit. However the gates are closed to you and if you attempt to leave you will be hunted down and destroyed. Until the mission you may do what you wish. If you have any questions address them to myself or Walter, the butler, or to any staff. Captain Pip has your weapons, you may retrieve them when you see fit." Phew, that was a long speech. She just hoped it was a good enough decision, having Integra angry at her again, was something she desperately wanted to avoid.
"Alright, Alucard here will show you to a spare room which you may use as your own." She added feeling particularly spiteful, and wanting to get Alucard back.
"No he won't. Alucard has better things to do than baby sit a pair of half-pint assassins who can't even touch their target. Two doors down the hall on the left, it's empty." He added before vanishing again.
"Who's he calling half-pint assassins?" Mireille demanded of the air around them. "bastard." She spat out. Seras had to agree there, master could be very aggravating when he felt like it.
"Alright then," she started, wanting desperately to get this over with. "Let me show you to your room."
Kirika surveyed their new home, it was another room in the basement. Without windows, due to it being underground it had a somewhat dreary look when compared to the homely apartment back in Paris. It did however have it's own bathroom with shower and a bath as well as a small television and a double bed. Kirika had to wonder what the tall red vampire knew about them, especially seeing as he had chosen a room with that bed.
Their young guide had seemed somewhat embarrassed about that, promising to get them another single one, but had left when Mireille had assured her it was fine. Still despite all it's faults it was more than Kirika had expected. Which in truth had been a cold bullet. She had never feared death before, but now that she was still alive she suddenly realised that she had so much to live for. Well really she only had Mireille to live for, but that was more than enough for her.
Yet again though she had to concede, in that dark cell with the threat of death on the horizon, she had still failed to tell Mireille how she really felt. Mireille too had tried to say something. She almost smiled when she realised that they were both probably trying to say the same thing, but without either saying it there was too much doubt for them to continue. They each needed to hear the words directly from the other's mouth. But Kirika knew she wasn't brave enough to say it first.
"I can't believe we're still alive." Mireille exclaimed as she flopped herself down onto the bed. Kirika gave a nod of agreement, it was indeed fortuitous.
"We have to do a job." Kirika reminded the blonde, it sounded easy, but then most jobs sounded simple.
"We've got more chance doing this job than we did the last one. Our information never warned us that Hellsing had monsters working for them, what were we supposed to do? At least with this job we'll have help, and that girl did mention we'd have the equipment to deal with what got in our way." Kirika nodded, was the young girl implying that they would be up against more monsters?
"How do you kill a vampire?" Kirika spoke out loud before she realised what she was saying. But the question had been nagging at her for a while now.
"I shot her twice, clean blows in the chest." Mireille offered.
"And I broke her neck, it was a complete snap, she went down instantly. But none of that was able to kill her, though it has left a mark on her." She added remembering the pale bruise on Seras' neck.
"That other monster is worse, I emptied an entire clip into him. Two shots in the head, and his body looked like Swiss cheese. But it had no effect, it didn't even knock him down. At least with the girl my shots put her out of action for a while…" Kirika nodded in agreement, it had been a minute or two after she had broke the girl's neck that she had reappeared. "Stake in the heart?" Mireille offered good humouredly.
"What shall we do?" Kirika asked quietly, waiting for Mireille to suggest something. As always she would follow her blonde partner's lead.
"We'll do this job I suppose. We owe them it for sparing us."
"That's not what I meant. What shall we do now?" Mireille seemed to think for a moment, her blue eyes watching the ceiling. Kirika was forced to smile at the picture of intense scrutiny before her.
"I'm not tired." Mireille stated after a minute, "Wanna go explore?" She added impishly favouring Kirika with a bright smile. Kirika made a peep of approval in the back of her throat, a small smile forming on her face. "Let's go then." Mireille encouraged pulling open the door and stepping outside, though not before looking both ways warily.
Mireille looked around nervously before stepping out into the corridor. The girl had said they were free to wander, but she didn't want to antagonize anyone, not to the point they decided Noir was more a nuisance than an ally. After all, hers and Kirika's lives were still in the balance. However the basement seemed deserted at this hour of day. It was noon, everyone was probably eating. Which reminded Mireille that she hadn't eaten, the thought was quickly accompanied by a rumble as her belly growled in protest. There was a small amused giggle from behind her and Mireille favoured the amusedly smiling Kirika with a frown.
In truth though she was quite pleased with the response from the introverted girl, such a show of amusement was rarely heard from the girl. Perhaps it was a sign that Kirika was adjusting to a new life. Mireille certainly hoped so, as much as she hoped that new life involved her too.
Heading in what her mind told her was the correct direction Mireille led Kirika through the maze of tunnels that made up the basement. After a few minutes walk, and a few moments of panic at the thought of being lost, Mireille came to the area of the basement she knew better. That being the areas where people on ladders were installing new security cameras. Following the trail of repairs they soon made it to the exit of the basement, a set of stairs leading up to the main floor. Mireille sighed in relief when she stepped out of the door and into the more airy and freshly smelling room that was the entrance of the Hellsing manor.
"Ahh, miss Mireille Bouquet," A cultured English voice spoke from not a metre to her left, startled Mireille span and almost tripped over Kirika, who had been following her rather closely. Standing in front of her was a tall elderly gentleman. He was dressed in black trousers and a butler's waistcoat. A yellow band on each arm marked him as the family retainer. His face was wrinkled, but held a genuine smile and his green eyes were full of warmth. His grey streaked black hair was tied into a ponytail behind his head.
"I am sorry if I startled you miss Bouquet." The man apologized whilst bowing, despite his age the man made the deep bow look easy. Despite the fact Mireille was sure it would hurt her back. "My name is Walter C Dornez. And I am the Hellsing family retainer." He looked at past Mireille at Kirika for a moment, "and I apologise for the cut young miss, I do hope it doesn't scar." It took Mireille a second to realise he was referring to the red line Mireille had noticed on Kirika's cheek last night. Kirika's response to the man's genuinely obvious concern was to shake her head and make a small sound in the negative.
"It's shallow enough that it will heal perfectly." Mireille cut in before Kirika's lack of talk put a damper on the conversation, "and please call me Mireille." She added wondering why she had said that, to most people she would not even reveal her name, and her naturally suspicious mind made it difficult for her to get along with people. Yet she had to admit she actually liked this old man. He was uncomplicated, genuinely kind and friendly despite the situation last night.
"Seras Victoria said we were free to roam around?" Mireille explained, trying to make it look like they weren't disobeying any rules.
"I know, she informed Sir Integra before she retired to her coffin for the day. The soldiers too know of the conditions." And there was a warning in there, although it was so well hidden that it didn't turn the conversation sour.
"Do you know where we can get our weapons back?" Mireille hedged.
"I took the liberty of acquiring them for you." The man replied without seeming distressed about giving them back their guns. "One Walter P99, and one Beretta M1934," He stated pulling them out of his pockets and handing them to the two assassins. Mireille had to sigh in relief at the feeling of having the reassuring weight of cold metal back in her hands. It somehow made her feel more in control of her fate.
"I took the liberty of altering your ammunition as well." Walter added. Mireille looked at him askance for a moment.
"Why?" Was all she said. Kirika stood as always behind her and didn't offer a word. Like a guardian angel, ready to swoop down on any who might harm her.
"For the mission you are to be sent on the chance that you will be facing enemies who are less than human is very high. In fact almost certain. Your current rounds cannot harm them beyond minor wounds. Which was why you failed to kill miss Victoria." For once, it was Kirika who interrupted.
"I broke her neck." Was all she said, but it was enough to make Mireille's eyes widen. Kirika rarely spoke to anyone else, let alone jumping into a conversation.
"Ahh yes so she said. Breaking someone's neck cuts off vital internal procedures. Vital internal procedures that miss Seras Victoria has no need for. She doesn't need to breathe, and as such her blood does not have to be pumped around her body. Her brain cannot starve from lack of oxygen." That made sense, even if it was rather creepy.
"So this ammunition will allow us to kill vampires?" Mireille asked, wondering if so why they were being given such now.
"Indeed, these bullets are made of pure silver, and have each been blessed or dipped in holy water in advance. However while they have the power to kill a vampire I should warn you that you'll need clean shots to vital organs. Namely the brain or the heart." Mireille nodded, no difference from killing normal people with regular ammo.
"And I should also warn you that Sir Alucard is not a normal vampire. He is a no life King. It would take far more than you or we have to defeat him. So remember that before you do anything rash. Harming his child too would invoke his wrath." Mireille nodded once, swallowing past the lump in her throat. Just the mention of the vampire's name was enough to make her shiver. He had been terrifying. She still hadn't recovered from the shock of his actions. And her traumatic trip through solid walls that had left her reeling with nausea.
"Where are they now?" Kirika asked, surprising Mireille again. Perhaps even Kirika had learned to like this honest man. The thought was startling, and Mireille had to concede somewhat confusedly, also distressing. Come on Mireille, it's not like she's flirting with him. You always say you want her to talk more.
"Asleep in the basement. In their respective coffins, it is broad daylight after all…" He gestured at the windows that were letting bright beams of sunlight into the main hall.
"Oh yeah, silly us." Mireille laughed nervously, finding all this talk of vampires slightly disturbing. She had to wonder if Alucard had not been trying to make a point this morning with forcing Seras to drink blood in front of them. Surely it could have waited? Perhaps it was an attempt to intimidate them, to show them that if he really wanted he could just as easily do to them what his child was doing to the plastic. After all it had been pretty creepy to watch.
A warning then. Or a threat?
Thank you to those who have reviewed. Particularly to Lain and Tenkaichi, for a few moments I thought there wasn't anybody out there. Thx, . PS, I write during the week and upload at weekends, so expect any new chapters on saturdays and sundays.