Order 02: Club M, Part 1
Disclaimer: Insert disclaimer here...Haematitia is MINE!
"Seven and a half seconds to set up the stock. You're slow!" Ferguson said.
I sighed and grabbed my scope, preparing to attach it.
"You won't be using that," Ferguson said, eyeing it through his IR goggles.
"Why?"
"We're both aware of what you are and you won't be needing a scope," he replied.
I sighed and reached for one of the bullets. I gasped as my finger was burnt by it and I recoiled. By not touching the tip, I was able to load my gun without burning myself again.
Looking down at the club we were scouting, I saw the creature attack the two people standing outside the front entrance.
"It's attacking civilians sir!" I said.
"In the name of God, impure souls of the living dead shall be banished into eternal damnation. Amen," Ferguson said, "Fire!"
I licked my lips in anticipation and my finger tensed on the trigger. Suddenly, I remembered facing Jack in the forest near Chedar once he had become a Ghoul and not being able to shoot him.
Noticing my reluctance, Ferguson said in his radio, "Gareth, take the shot. Belay that!"
Two shots rang out from another roof, hitting the creature right in the back. It screamed and collapsed next to the woman it had been attacking.
"Mission completed. Let's start cleaning up the crime scene. Senior Officer Haematitia Taylor took the shots...Roger," Ferguson said.
"I'm sorry sir," I said, not looking at him.
Turning to look down at the scene below, he said, "Some say failure in one's first battle is a sign you'll live longer. But I suppose you'll live as long as you like, or at least till you're sick of it anyway."
"I suppose," I said, sighing.
"It's all right Miss Victoria. The same thing happened to me the first time I had to snipe someone. My friend Spike had to do it for me," Haematitia said walking up.
"How old were you Hee-mi-uh-"
"You can just call me Vampy. It takes people a while to get used to my name, if they do at all. In response, I was fifteen, two years ago," she replied, patting my shoulder.
"You're only seventeen?" I asked with amazement.
"Yes. Why? Did you think I was older?"
"Yes. I thought you were at least nineteen, my age, or even a year or two older!"
"I'm flattered Miss Victoria, but sadly, I'm only seventeen," she said, laughing.
She walked away and I climbed off the roof and went into the truck that would bring me back with my unit.
"In the name of God, impure souls of the living dead shall be banished into eternal damnation. Amen!" my unit recited.
"Amen!" Ferguson said, dismissing them.
I started to walk away when he said, "Victoria."
"Yes sir?" I asked, walking up to him.
Turning to me, Feguson said, "I understand that when you were and officer in Division-11, they may have handled you with kid gloves. Well here the gloves come off. I can't risk another mission. Therefore-"
"I don't need any special treatment, mission or not!" I said hotly.
"I would like to believe that, but...maybe you're too highly strung for this," he said, rubbing his bald head nervously.
"Highly strung?" I repeated, disbelieving.
"Miss Victoria. We will be taking care of your day to day needs," a man said, standing near my unit's vehicle.
"Huh? I...but...oi," I said, talking to myself.
"Will you be taking care of my needs as well Walter?" someone said from behind me.
I spun around, slightly off balance and Vampy steadied me.
"How? Where did you- When?"
"I can move very quickly, from somewhere beyond Ferguson and almost half a minute ago, Miss Seras," she said, smiling.
"Of course we will be serving your needs as well, Miss Taylor. Please, follow me," the man said, turning away.
We followed him into the Hellsing mansion into a huge entryway. There were two large staircases, one leading up to the rest of the mansion, and one leading down, presumably where we were going.
"This way please," the man said, from the top of the lower staircase.
At the bottom of that staircase, the man turned to Vampy and said, "Here is your room Miss Taylor. Your things have been brought here from your school."
"Thank you Walter. Until tomorrow then. Goodnight Miss Seras, or should I say, 'good morning'?" Vampy said, walking into her room and shutting the door.
The man, Walter, and I continued down the hall to a steel door. Opening this door, I saw another staircase leading further down into the mansion's basements.
"Um, excuse me..." I began, not knowing what to say.
"We haven't been introduced. My name is Walter. I'm a retainer to the Hellsing family. Sir Integral has asked me to look after you," he said, walking down the stairs.
"Do I come off as being highly strung?" I asked, still following him.
"Highly strung? Well, that's the least of your worries. You've more to fear from using a silver spoon," Walter replied, smiling.
I stopped, remembering how my finger had been burnt when I was trying to load my gun. So the bullets were made of silver?
"Well, I've never used real silverware before, so I guess that won't be a problem," I said, trying to laugh.
Walter said nothing, just looked up at me.
Feeling stupid, I said, "That didn't come out right."
"I recommend that you also refrain from going out in daylight," he replied, sighing.
Walking down part of a hallway, we stopped at another steel door. Walter opened the door and I saw my new room.
"This is your room for the daylight hours," Walter said.
"There's nothing quite like a room with a view," I said dryly.
Looking around, I finally stopped at my bed.
"God! When I was a little girl, I dreamed of having a bed like this!" I said, jumping onto it lightly.
I noticed there was a remote control on the bed and I pressed the button. Suddenly, the bed started sinking into its frame.
"It's moving! Excuse me, what is this?" I asked, turning to Walter.
"Oh, this is just a little something to help you sleep soundly during the long daylight hours. Pleasant dreams," he replied.
"A four-poster coffin? Bloody Hell," I said, having to lay down as the top came down as closed.
I don't know how long I stayed in my coffin, but eventually I said, "No more sleeping at night, I guess."
Walking out of my room, I headed up the stairs and through the steel door. Hearing something strange coming from Vampy's room, I poked my head in the door. Turning towards me, I saw that Vampy had taken a package of medical blood and had ripped through it. I gasped at the feral look in her eyes and the blood running out of her mouth. I backed away and ran up the stairs.
Pausing to catch my breath, I saw two men walk into the house and bow. Not knowing if they even saw me, I bowed back.
"They work for me, so don't feed off them," someone said from above me.
I moved into the hall so I could see my human master, Sir Integral Hellsing.
"I'm not like that!" I said, insulted.
"That warning goes for you as well, Haematitia. Don't feed off my men," she said.
"Of course, Sir Integral. Medical blood is perfectly all right for a creature such as myself," Vampy said, bowing the way the men did.
I swore I saw a small smile on Sir Integral's face as she turned away and walked back towards her office.
"I'm sorry about earlier Miss Seras. I was just so dreadfully thirsty I couldn't help myself," Vampy said, turning to me.
"It's all right. I just wasn't expecting to see you that way, that's all," I said.
"I'm going down to the shooting range. Care to join me?" she asked.
"That's all right, maybe later. I think I'll go back to my room for right now," I said.
" All right. Goodnight, Miss Seras," Vampy said, walking away.
I sighed and went back to my room. I paced around thinking for almost an hour before I decided to go to the shooting range. There was no one there, so I chose a target and began firing.
Remember, Police Girl, aim only at the heart or the head. That's the only way to destroy the Ghouls and FREAKs we fight, I heard in my head.
"Master!" I said out loud, "Yes sir!"
I stayed in the shooting range until I felt the sun beginning to rise. I dragged myself back to my room and collapsed into my coffin, now grateful for the lid.
Integral was standing in front of her desk, looking out the window. Turning around, she took out a cigar and lighter.
Lighting the cigar, Integral said, "I hope this doesn't become a habit, you and your little toy," as Alucard appeared.
"My toy? The police girl made the choice on her own," he replied, looking at Integral.
"You'd just better train her well, Alucard," Integral replied, turning back to her desk.
"Here, take a look at this. We've been tracking some hooligans heading north, through Birmingham. They've been murdering whole families, drinking their blood, and then using the leftovers to scrawl blasphemous messages on the walls. We're assuming there's at least two of them," she said, gesturing to the papers on her desk.
"Huh," Alucard sighed, "They don't make vampires like they used to."
"I don't recall anyone asking for your opinion," Integral said calmly, her eyes glinting, "We move in on them in two days."
"Well, till tomorrow then," Alucard said, fading backwards through a portal in the wall.
Looking at the wall, Integral suddenly realized she was still holding her cigar. Turning to her desk, she snapped off the ash into a silver ashtray.
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