Alucard appeared in the corridors near Jemeth's lair. He started for the door, but stopped a few paces from it. From the darkness, Seras appeared carrying Jemeth in her arms. She approached. "It's done," she reported. "His demon has been defeated. When he wakes up, we'll have our old Matthew back."
Alucard nodded. "The rest have been silenced. From now on, the Global Fangs should be nothing more than a memory."
"What of the serum?" Seras asked.
"Walter wanted to take a vial to study, to see how it is supposed to work in case anyone else tries to recreate it. The rest has been destroyed." Strange. It felt like he was 'reporting in' to her, but this time he didn't mind.
Seras looked relieved. "Good. Then we're done here." She started past him and down the corridor.
'Such confidence…' He had wondered how much would manifest, but seeing her now he realized it was beyond what he had ever dreamed. And her demon was well under control. He wanted to say more to her, but there would be time later. He smirked to himself. He was eternal. Time was easy.
She turned back to look at him. "Whatever is it, we'll have time for it back in London."
Alucard actually paused. That hadn't even been a complete thought… How could she have heard that? He must've been getting lazy, letting more out than he thought he did.
Seras simply smiled, then continued down the corridor.
Alucard chuckled, and stepped back into the shadows.
///
A pair of eyes fluttered open, blinking as they adjusted to the light. The room was familiar… It was Hellsing. Or more specifically Hellsing HQ's medical center.
Matthew Jemeth slowly looked around, steadily regaining his bearings. He'd expected to be dead. Well, really dead, that is. Dead dead. He wasn't yet sure if still being mostly dead was a pleasant surprise or not. His right arm wouldn't move… It was in a splint. Because there was an IV in it. Of blood. In his type. Nice that he didn't have to drink it for once.
To his left was a table. On it was a glass of water. He carefully reached up, grabbed it, and drank. Better. Now he could actually speak. There wasn't anyone in sighting range, so… "Hello? Is anyone there?"
A figure appeared from the entryway. It was Seras. He smiled, wondering if she'd been waiting there for him to wake up. "Hello, Matthew. How are you feeling?"
He groaned. "Like I've been run over by a Semi. Twice. Are you all right? How long was I out?"
She smiled back at him. "I'm fine, and three days. Glad to see you're yourself again."
"Thanks for coming to my rescue once again. Nice to know I've still got one ally around here."
"You have plenty," she replied. "We all understand what happened to you. You're not to blame."
He could hear it in her voice, a new strength he didn't recognize. He chuckled. "Seems a lot happened while I was gone."
"A lot has," she admitted. "And I'll tell you all about it later. For now, rest, Matthew."
"I will," he promised. She started to leave. "Oh, one more thing before you go." Seras stopped and looked back. "I'm not Matthew anymore. He's dead. Been dead for the last three years, but it took me this long to figure it out. I'm Matt now. Still a Jemeth, though. I forgot it for a while, but I remember now." She smiled and nodded to him, then continued away. He watched her leave. While he sometimes wondered just why the hell he'd gotten himself into this mess, he was thankful to whatever piece of fate that had put Seras as his master… and friend.
///
The doctors had told him it was a bad idea, but it hadn't stopped him. He needed to talk to her now, before his mind thought of ways to torture him with fear and doubt. He hauled himself to his room, changed into a comfortable pair of jeans and one of his dark green t-shirts, and hauled himself back upstairs to Sir Integra's office. It seemed she was expecting him. He didn't even need to knock before she called him in.
So there he was, standing before his old boss. She was strangely kind… for her at least. Meaning she wasn't as cold as usual, and actually asked how he was recovering. "I know why you dragged yourself up here," she said. "You are still welcome in the Hellsing Organization, Jemeth. You have proven yourself an ally before, and I believe you can be still."
Matthew slowly nodded. "I do wish to return, Sir Integra. I'll admit, this is the only place I can think of that feels like home to me anymore. But before I do, there's something I need to ask." Sir Integra motioned for him to continue. "I'd like to take a vacation. A long one. I need to get away from this completely, clear my head, and reaffirm my reasons for doing this job."
Sir Integra's reply came quickly. "I expected that. And I am prepared to allow it. But first…" She reached over to an intercom on her desk and activated it. "Victoria, please enter."
From a side door, Seras entered Sir Integra's office. She nodded greetings to Matt as she walked over to him. "Before I can allow you to leave," Sir Integra continued, "you need to have a bind placed on your abilities. Alucard has a similar one, which keeps much of his power in check until needed. While I trust you would not intentionally use your abilities, I feel it is a wise precaution against you loosing control again."
Seras seemed a little uneasy. Matt was pretty sure she'd known what she would be asked to do, but she didn't seem to like the idea. So, he disarmed the situation with a slight smile. "It's ok, Seras. I agree. It's a damned good idea, and I just wish someone had brought it up sooner."
That seemed to help. Seras gave a nod. "I've been studying on this. It seems it works best if a vampire's master creates the bind, so… Here goes." She closed her eyes and turned to face him full on. Matt did the same. She started to mutter something he couldn't understand, but he could feel a pressure form around him. A hazy dark green energy field started forming around him. It steadily focused, concentrating in his left hand in the Hellsing crest. As she finished speaking, it faded. He could still feel that pressure, but it was slight and easily ignored. And, in a way, comforting. He could still sense everything he could normally sense, but he could tell access to some of his power was cut. That was ok. He preferred other means of fighting.
Seras opened her eyes, and Matt gave her a reassuring smile. They both turned to Sir Integra, and she nodded. "I was hoping to head back to the U.S.," Matt said. "That is, if they'll have me."
Seras fielded that one. "We spoke with the DPSD. They understand what happened to you, and said they would let it drop if you had the bind put on you. Your homeland is still your homeland."
Matt sighed in relief. "Thank goodness." He looked back to Sir Integra.
"Walter will make travel arrangements," she replied. "Let him know where you wish to go." She reached into a drawer of her desk and produced a cell phone. She slid it over to him. "Be sure to check in with your location. If we need you back sooner, we will call you."
He took the cell phone, brought himself to attention and gave Sir Integra a crisp salute. "Thank you, Sir Integra." He cut, did an about face, and started for the door.
///
Seras zipped her suitcase closed, then turned as she felt a presence nearby. Alucard appeared nearby, a smirk on his face. "So, you are going with him," he noted.
She nodded. "He's mostly back, but he still needs my help. That, and Sir Integra wanted me to keep an eye on him."
Alucard chuckled. "Well, with you two gone I'll be able to work solo again. It should be fun."
Seras grasped his arm. "But when I return, maybe we'll find out how well we work together. See where things go?"
"I think I'd like that." The smirk returned. "Police Girl." With one of his trademark near-insane laughs, he returned to the shadows.
///
Indian Rocks Beach… Matt hadn't been there in years, since the first semester of his short college career. He'd lived maybe a mile away, and frequently rode his bicycle over to watch the sunset.
That's what he had returned for, and it seemed nature was waiting for him. He and Seras sat on the beach, not caring about the sand that would stick to their shorts. The beach wasn't crowded, but it wasn't vacant either so Matt wore his hazel contacts and Seras had sunglasses. Matt had a piece of shell in his fingers, absentmindedly fiddling with it as per his old habit.
Some of their fellow onlookers sat as they did, either on benches on in other patches of sand. He could hear their conversations, but ignored them after his normal flash of paranoia was satisfied no one was talking about them. A trio, probably family, threw a frisbee between them. His eyes were drawn up by the chirps of seabirds passing overhead. Beyond them, light wisps of clouds gave the sky a look of blue silk.
To the north, south, and east the sky had turned a deep purple, and to the west, where all the action was about to take place, a layer of dark clouds divided the sky. The sun had dipped behind it a few minutes before, but any moment it would appear again. Suddenly, there it was. Slowly the sun emerged from the cloud, like a reversed mirror image of what was to come. It's light was dimmed enough now he could watch as it traversed the few degrees to the horizon and steadily started to vanish. It became a hemisphere, a crescent, steadily a single point of light, and then it was gone.
There was applause from around them as a few scattered groups showed their appreciation of nature's beauty. Seras looked over, and could probably sense the calm that had come over Matt. She set a hand on his shoulder, and he looked over to her and smiled. He was glad she had come with him.
There was still a lot he hadn't seen of his homeland, and some parts he wanted to see again. Tomorrow they would stop by his father's house, pick up the car he was holding, and then they would go. It should be a wonderful vacation.
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As of the time this was posted, I was starting to post Strong Blood, the fourth in what should be a seven story series. I'll also start working on the rewrite for Demon Force, which will correct many of its mistakes and bring it in line with the rest of the series. I hope everyone has enjoyed my writing, and will continue to stop by for a visit in my little corner of the Hellsing universe.