1Chapter Seven: The Real Stuff

Sara had been lecturing both of them for the last hour. Mostly Seras. However, on the inside the older vampire was laughing hysterically. That had been funny.

Then Kyle burst into the room, looking completely shocked as before, but also happy. He ran up, and embraced Lui, squeezing him and picking him up, "I don't know how you did it but you did it!"

Lui couldn't breath very well, so Sara asked for him, "Did what?"

Kyle dropped the younger American and told them, "He got Vincent to smile. No, he got Vincent Nomeriv to chuckle. He chuckled."

Lui thought back a minute, "That sounds familiar... Wait, Vincent Nomeriv? The..."

"Vincent Nomeriv, the demon master, and you got him to chuckle!"

Seras looked at them, "Demon master?"

Lui told her, awe in his voice, "Vincent Nomeriv... He's a Prussian vampire, who has one of the largest and most powerful armies of the undead in the world. His soldiers are so strong and fierce he earned the title 'Demon Master'."

"Ya. This is the kind of guy that Alucard would act semi-civil to. Oh, Sara, we're wanted. Come on."

This left Lui and Seras alone in the room. She had to ask, "Since I take it that it's a big thing to get this guy to smile, what happened to get him to chuckle?"

"After you two kicked me away, I slid down the table and hit him. This had already happened once, so he asked why I didn't just stop you since I was strong enough. I told him because you were my wife."

"Then what?"

"He said 'And?'. I told him because it's a good idea to idea to stay on friendly terms with the one you share a bed with. He must have found it funny."

"It was funny."

They both whirled to face the door, to see none other than the demon master himself in the doorway. He wasn't smiling anymore, and sounded rather threatening, but there was a glimmer in his eyes.

Lui was speechless, and Seras quickly said, "Uh, my lord..."

"Skip the formalities. A waste of time. Besides, technically I should be calling you princess, Seras Victoria. Daughter of the No-Life King."

Lui and Seras were armed with pistols and ready to fight in a second, and she said, "How did you know that?"

"Ha, you think you can hurt me with your weapons? Go ahead. Try. Though I don't know why you are so hostile, I was merely stating a fact."

"Admit it, the people on the council have been trying to find a way to control Alucard for centuries."

"Indeed we have. And you think I might try to use the girl to do it." Vincent rubbed his chin, considering, "Not a bad idea. But I'm sorry to inform you that I am one of the few who support Vladimir. As should be expected, I was the one to take him in after he drank his master's blood and found himself abandoned."

Seras looked at him in awe, "You mean, you taught my master?"

"Indeed. My best student, he already had the skill, cunning, and toughness that I demanded. Vlad the Impaler, my greatest success."

Lui lowered his pistol slightly, "And you don't hold a grudge against him for becoming more powerful than you?"

"Like I said, my greatest success. It is the way of nature for the student to surpass the master. If he is more powerful than me so be it."

Seras put down her gun, realizing that this vampire was not a direct threat, "Still how did you know he was my master? And my name?"

"I can smell his blood on you from twenty feet away. I'm sure some of the others have noticed to, the ones who actually know Vladimir. You do well to be cautious, but using her to bend Vlad to their will is not what I would be worried about. Killing her to spite him sounds more likely. And as for your name, it was yelled quite enough for every vampire in the castle to hear it."

Vincent walked over to the window, and glanced at the area below, as if checking for attackers, "So what do you think of the council so far?"

Lui sighed and rubbed his temples, "A waste of time, no offense. Why do you bother with the parties and nightly gatherings when there is work to be done? And that's coming from me!"

Seras nodded in agreement, "Yes, that's coming from you. Sorry to say but you are not the most active person in the world Lui."

"So what? I prioritize, then procrastinate. End result not much gets done but it's the things that really needed to be done."

A small smile crossed Vincent's lips at their bickering. The innocence of the two pushed some small button in the back of his mind. And Lui reminded the 'demon master' of himself. The American was a carefree, happy version of himself. Well, in a way. Enough for him to take notice.

And the girl, it didn't seem possible something so nice had been created by Vlad. Ah, Vladimir the Impaler. An insane grin plastered itself across Vincent's lips as he remembered the years fighting alongside the legendary Dracula himself.

It was the least he could do for an old friend. Besides, it might be a good idea to have the overgrown bat owe him a favor, "I'll make sure that the council leaves you alone 'Princess'." He announced, leaving the room.

Seras and Lui stared after him for a while. He had appeared suddenly, and left in the same manner. Then Lui began to laugh.

"What?"

"No one seems to want to use your name. Police Girl, Princess, Kitten, Cutie... The list is endless."

"Call me 'kitten' or 'cutie' or anything else, and I'll... Pain Lui. Lots of it."

10 DAYS LATER

It had been a rather boring week after that. Keoko had been sent back home (Thank God for small favors), and Seras had yet to maul anyone else. Just night after night of the same, drool parties. The only thing Lui really remembered beyond the first day was one time dancing with Seras when the moonlight shone through the window just right, turning her into a red eyed angel for a moment.

But nodw it was finally time. The council was actually to begin. The vampires sat around a rather large round table. Much like the knights of legend and the English delegation. The idea was that if they were to rule they must all be equals.

Never quite worked out like that, but nothing is perfect.

Lui had almost lost his temper many times during this council. Only a quick glance to the people around him kept him from attacking some of the older members of the council. Insults and threats rained heavy upon the American Delegation. Sara gritted her teeth and let it go, Kyle weathered it cooly, and Lui was about to kill someone. Seras was a bit excluded, but she was one of the main things keeping the American from attacking someone.

Lui sighed and eased further back in his seat. At least he was allowed to wear his uniform, sunglasses and all. Thank God for small favors.

"So, does this council bore you master American?" One of the vampires asked, directing it at Lui.

He couldn't help it. They had been sitting here too long, and done absolutely nothing, "Yes."

Kyle jabbed him in the ribs. This just earned him a cold glare from Lui, as he wasn't going to shut up this time.

"The insolence of the entire American race of vampires is extraordinary. Staging an attack against the council's orders, bringing little more than a fledgling vampire with them, and now this idiot has the nerve to say he's bored with this council. I'm beginning to question their ability to do anything right."

There was a general murmur of agreement. However, one vampire watched Lui very intently.

"We've been sitting here six hours, and so far the only thing you've managed to say is that we are unable to do our jobs, and are unworthy of the position we have on the council. Sorry, but I'm afraid I've heard all that before, so all you've really done is talked a lot and said nothing."

"Lui, shut up-"

"Quiet Kyle. I'm going to say what's on my mind."

"No you're not-"

Sara put a hand on Kyle's shoulder. She was going to let this continue. Lui glanced over to Seras, who smiled and nodded.

"Ha, I'll teach this guy to mess with the son of a New York politician..." Lui mumbled to himself.

"Did it ever cross your mind that perhaps there was a reason we stressed those points? You aren't worthy of your position on this council, I don't think that any of you are truly capable of trying to run the area you do. And you disregard order after order, not only from your own superiors, but from this council. I move that the American delegation be removed from council emmediatly."

Lui stood up slowly, and glared at the man over his sunglasses, "How about we talk about something important? How about you guys do something right for once, does that sound good to anyone?"

"Insolent dog!"

"Shut up! I don't know how but you have managed to miss the reason we moved on London. How did you forget that there were overtwo hundred man made vampires running around the city, destroying it and turning the inhabitants into ghouls, or more artificial vampires? Did it 'slip your mind'?"

"The situation is irrelevant! That fact is you disobeyed a mandate given to you by the council, and you have done this on several occasions. These problems need to be discussed and evaluated-"

Lui slammed his fist on the table angrily, "Don't even try to give me that! What's there to discuss? What could there possibly be to evaluate? How many people will be killed in the next year!"

"You are out of line American!"

"I've been here ten days. Ten! And so far you have accomplished the impressive feat of accomplishing absolutely nothing! This is not the time for discussion, this is a time for action! These FREAK vampires have already revealed our existence to the world, destroyed Hellsing, and left Iscariot leaderless. If we don't do anything, no one will. We must stop this now before they become so powerful we won't be able to-"

"Boy! You do not know of what you speak! Are you actually suggesting that this council does not have the power to deal with this threat!"

"We do now! But you must realize, sixty of us went into London. Ten of us went down, and these weren't fledgling vampires.Two hundred to ten may not sound like a bad loss ratio, but when you consider there could be thousands of these FREAKs, it is not acceptable. And they are becoming more numerous , and powerful, by the day. I give it ten years, twenty at most, before they have an army powerful enough to overrun us as if we weren't even there."

The last sentence put a hush on the group. Then the man said, "You overestimate them, and underestimate us. I have seen your report, these are shadows, nothing more. They lack familiars, shadow powers, and all of our telepathic and psionic powers."

"Have you ever seen a FREAK?" Lui asked coldly.

"No, I haven't had the pleasure." He replied venomously.

"They do not have our powers, this is true. But they are fast, strong, aggressive, and ruthless. And they are like us, they grow with age. So far the oldest these vampires could be is... Six, seven years at most? We don't know what abilities they would gain in the future. Now they are pathetic, weak, and no match for us. But in a few years..."

"A pureblood will never be brought down by an artificial copy!"

There was a roar of agreement. Lui had tried, and lost. But he gave one last sentence, "You arrogant, pompous, self confident, overly done up idiots! You amaze me with the ability to talk so much, yet say nothing! To work so hard, yet make no progress! To waste so much time, when time is becoming scarce!"

A deadly hush fell across the room. He had just directly challenged all of them, and he was faced by many dozens of glaring, red orbs.

Normally he would have withered under such a gaze. But his blood was flowing, spreading his anger out throughout his body. The Nightmare in him, wild and untamable, held him fast.

One vampire stood up, and this made Lui's spirit disappear. Only fear held him to the spot.

Because the vampire regarding him was Vincent Nomeriv.

"I have been on this council a very, very long time..." He began, his rough voice holding it's normal neutral hostility, "Longer than you have been alive boy."

Lui felt the stare of the Demon Master boring into him. He trembled slightly, then a voice in his head said, I'll take it from here-

"And I have found myself again and again coming to this same conclusion. I agree with the Americans, this council is little more than a way for you to show off your power, for some of you to increase your influence. I have no use for either." Vincent said, his hard, angry gaze falling on all of them one at a time, "Yet I still came, hoping one day this council would actually live up to what it is supposed to be. I remained silent, with the dream that you would all realize how utterly pointless it is to hold this council the way things are run. But no, it never happened. Until now. This boy, little more than a fledgling compare to most of us" He said, motioning to Lui, "Has shown more courage and wisdom than most of the senior members of this council. I agree with him, now is a time for action. Now if you'll excuse me, I believe we have a war to fight. Thomas, Dimitri, come on, we're leaving."

Two vampires who wore the same cloak as Vincent rose, and strode slightly behind him towards the door.

"Stop right there!"

They turned to see another vampire, who looked very powerful and angry, "This is not going to pass Vincent. You are too confident in your own power. If you walk out that door, you will become an enemy of this council."

Thomas and Dimitri (Shorter than Vincent, well built, and strong looking. One was black haired, and shorter, the other was blond and taller), had swords in their hands instantly, stepping between Vincent and the rest of the crowd.

"Are you threatening me?" Vincent asked with a cool Lui had only heard matched by Alucard.

"Not threatening, assuring. Not even you have the strength to combat our combined power. You will take your seat, and stay until this council adjourns."

"To what point and purpose? We all know nothing new will be said."

"Sit down Vincent."

Finally something unexpected happened. Seras stood up, smiling confidently. Lui actually stepped back in shock. Good lord, that looked freakishly like a smile Alucard would give. Her voice sounded similar to the vampire lord's as well, with the same sarcasm, confidence, and power, "I am here on behalf of my former master. And I know exactly what he would say."

"And who is your former master pray tell?" One of the vampire's asked in annoyance.

"His name is Alucard. But perhaps you know him as Count Dracula, or how about Vladimir Tepes?"

"Ha, that overblown idiot couldn't have fledglings. His human master wouldn't allow it." One of the vampire's scoffed. But there was a feeling of uncertainty in them.

Seras used his fingernail to make a cut on her arm, holding out to them. A vampire from the Orient exclaimed, "I can smell Alucard's blood in her's!"

"My master would say at this point," Seras continued, grinning in the same insane manner as her former master, "Vincent might not have the power to stand against you. Butmy master does. And if you wish to remain so arrogant and refuse to do anything against this trash that is staining the vampire name, then go about it. Have fun in Hell when they coming knocking on your door."

And with that Seras briskly turned and strolled out. Lui gave one final glance around the room, then followed her. The rest of the Americans followed.

Vincent waved his hand, and his guards put away their swords, "Well, I believe there is nothing left to say is there? Goodbye, and don't bother summoning me here again unless you have truly considered what has been said tonight. Let's go."

LATER

The vampires were far away from the castle, making good time on their way to the city. The small group of Americans (And Seras) were trying to get to their plane before sunrise.

"Seras..."

She turned to Lui, smiling coyly, "Didn't know I could do that did you?"

Sara put a hand on her shoulder, "I did. That's why I brought you."

Kyle shook his head and pushed his glasses back up on his nose, "You're all insane. And I don't care anymore. Hey, this means I don't have to go to any more council meetings!"

Lui did a small celebration move, "Ah ya, first time andI totally wrecked the entire system."

"Impressive."

They all stopped as three figures strode towards them. Vincent and his companions emerged from the shadows, "You are brave Luis Thomson. Not many vampires have spoken their mind like that to the council. And you Seras Victoria, are possibly the best bluffer I have ever met. I almost believed you were representing Alucard. But now we find ourselves both outcasts from the vampire population at large. So..."

Vincent said a few quick words in another language, motioning. One of his guards stepped forward, the taller blond one, "This is Dimitri, my second in command. He will go with you."

"Thank you Vincent." Sara told him.

Dimitri's voice was heavily accented, but understandable, and had a natural boom to it, "Don't thank him or me yet. It's my job to take you green fledglings and turn you into a proper army of the undead." He smiled cruelly, "Or in simple terms, I'm going to make your un-lives an un-living Hell."

End Chapter Seven