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Chapter IX

Alucard just stared at him. He hadn't been called by his real name since he was turned. "Adrian" sounded foreign to his ears. He had been referred to as "Vlad" or "Dracula", but never "Adrian"; he had become too accostumed to being called "Alucard".

Hellsing's best weapon finally parted his lips. "Hello, Ciprian."

Cipiran sized up Alucard's Victorian apparel and the sigil on his gloves and laughed. "This is what you are now? A servant!"

Alucard was getting annoyed. He did not enjoy being a laughing stock and would not stand for the mockery. In a dangerous whisper he said, "I'll have you know that, unlike you, I did not run with my parents' murderers."

It was Ciprian's turn to glare at Alucard with a stony face. "I was not going to come crawling back to you!"

"What was wrong with me?"

Cipiran spat his next word. "Nothing!" He paused and calmed his voice again, continuing bitterly,"You were always father's favorite. He had always intended to give the throne to you without reluctance. He would never know what kind of hands he left the country in. I was always about, for I never left Wallachia. I would always hear of new horrors that happened within the castle walls. Shouts of 'Vlad Tepes has murdered another!'. Always new stories about 'Vlad the Impaler'. And then I found out that the famous Abraham van Hellsing had finally ended your freakish misery. In the time that you were in servitude, I dedicated my life to destroying the bloody vampire covenants."

Alucard shook his head. "Empty barrels make the most noise. That's the only thing you've bested me in, jabbering away without being able to back it up."

Ahh.. classisc sibling rivalry. The two brothers glared at each other. Meanwhile, Seras was stirring from her slumber and rolled over. The small sigh that escaped her lips immediatley caught Alucard's attention. Without another thought, he was at her side.

"Seras, are you alright?" The question blurted from his mouth before he could let hissensibilty take over again. And did he just call Seras by her name?

"How cute. So, Adrian, are you going to throw her to the wolves, just like you did to all your other admirers?"

Alucard could not muster up a witty retort, as we would have expected. He just gazed at Seras long and hard, having a silent conversation with her.

'Master, what does he mean by that?'

'Seras, there are things you don't know about me. And right now is not a good time to explain my history. Right now, you just have to trust me. Seras, please, listen to me.

I trust you...

Ciprian relished in Alucard's silence, for he did not realize he was speaking with Seras. On second thought, he actually didn't care whether or not he was talking to her. He was too proud of the fact Alucard couldn't counter him for once.

"When will you end your interview? I'm rather eager to battle you." Alucard was fingering the barrels of his Casull and Jackall at this point.

"Oh, don't worry, you'll get the action you crave." The reply would have been fine by Alucard, had it not been accompanied by a snigger.

In the split second it took for Alucard to whip out thenitrate loaded gun, Cipriangave a high pitched whistle and Alucard was tackled down by Ciprian's henchmen.

"WHAT THE HELL! YOU BASTARDS!" Alucard was royally pissed at the fact that he hadn't been able to pull the trigger. A quick glance instantly identified who they were.The two men that had changed him so many decades before.

"Well done. Adrian, I take it that you remember Nicodemus and Achim."

"I don't care what the hell their names are! They're both equally cynical bastards!" He snarled. The effect was lessened as his face was pressed against the floor and his arms were pulled back by Nicodemus while his legs were under the weight of a very heavy Achim. Heaven knew where his very precious Jackall and Casull had been flung.

Alucard growled at the fact he had lost his skill in hand-to-hand combat. If only he could wriggle a bit loose, he would be just fine. As he was held in place, he could feel the presnce of at least half a dozen more half-breeds. Every last one of them had an orange tinge in their onyx eyes. Half-vampire... Half lycan...

He was being lifted and the more he struggled and tried to shift into his familiar, he was just clubbed across the back and held in a tighter grip. They were leading him somewhere, with Cipiran leading the group. Alucard felt an insane rage building inside of him as he was forced to watch Ciprian tug a very upset Seras along.

They were lead deeper into this deadly nest of a castle. At last, they stopped in front of a set of oak doors. Doors that the old Vlad Dracula knew all too well. Ciprian drew them open with masochistic glee on his face. Behind those doors loomed a chamber with a musky, gray cast feeling to it. The whole castle was depressing; the only source of resplendence was Seras, Alucard's beautiful one...

Once again, he tried to kick his way loose, but found that he had momentarily trembled. Ciprian finally closed the door behind them and scanned the place.. "Adrian, do you remember this room.? I should think so, seeing it was your favorite when you reigned."

Alucard did remember it. He recalled all the times he had called the sentence of death by impalment. Now, Ciprian was going to torture him by impalement, knowing very well that it would not kill Alucard. Seras realized too as she screamed, "No! Let him go! Stop it! No!" Her cries were only ignored. She continued to plea with Ciprian, spilling crimson tears, but both attempts to stop the madman from proceeding with his plans for martyrdom were futile. Nodding to his henchmen, they tore his coat and shirt, leaving his chest bare. Driving him into a wall, they shackled his wrists and ankles, leaving him helpless to the oncoming stakes. As the first one launched at him pierced his shoulder, he grittted his teeth from the sudden surge of pain. A barrage continued on him, to the point where he was a bloody mess and his agonized shout was gurgled.

His body began to regenerate; it couldn't take another hit in the condition it was in. Completely healed, another round of stakes was summoned to mar Alucard's flawless skin again.Ciprian was going to tire of this soon; he hadsuch a short attention span.Alucard didn't care about his own state. He was more worried about the toll it was taking on Seras, who was crying in silence, without so much as a sniffle.Her tears rolled down herpale cheeks as she watched Alucard suffer, taking the beating quietly.

"You see Adrian? This is what hell is going to be like.You will be eternally tormented, dying thousands of deaths, only to rise again for more."

Alucard was tired and ticked. Where the hell was Pip and his crew?

Sorry, i've being so damn busy, I haven't been able to go on FF since May... anyway, after listening to AFI for two days straight, I decided to update...

plz review, they motivate me... and i am soooo sorry for the reviewers that have had to wait out these large gaps between updates...