Chapter 4
Akiko had to take sleep where she could since she joined Hellsing and was not happy when she was woken up by Alucard around midnight. "Wake up, Fox Girl. Master needs to talk to you," the vampire told her. "Can't it wait?" she grumbled. "No. Get into your uniform and be outside in five minutes," Alucard told her, and left her room. Akiko grumbled but got up and got in the Hellsing uniform, she was afraid of Integra and didn't want to get her any angrier. She had to admit though, she liked the uniform's skirt and stockings, they made her legs look sexier and longer. After getting dressed, she headed out and followed Alucard into Sir Integra's office.
Sir Integra was sitting at her desk, a new looking rifle and handgun on it as she looked at Akiko. "Ms. Itto," Sir Integra started, "You've proven that you're not completely useless. Not only has your new anti-viral software program made Hellsing's files ten times more secure, you've also increased our computer's energy efficiency by twelve percent. However, the primary mission of Hellsing is to hunt vampires, and everyone who joins Hellsing, except for medical staff, is expected to assist in this endeavor. Now, you will go with Alucard, and hunt vampires." Akiko's eyes nearly exploded out of her skull and her jaw almost dislocated she dropped it so fast.
"B-b-b-but…I can barely shoot! I'm not as strong or as fast or as crazy powerful as Alucard or Seras! I'll be killed!" the kitsune yelled. "Not necessarily," Sir Integra said, "According to Alucard, your firearms expertise has jumped by leaps and bounds. Seras assures me that you're also competent in self-defense. And, luckily for you, there will only be one actual vampire if our intelligence is accurate. Alucard can handle the vampire, you will be dealing with its ghouls." Akiko swallowed at the thought of that, she had read up on ghouls, she knew that they were the result of a vampire biting a non-virgin and were basically zombies. Akiko got visions from Highschool of the Dead groaning through her head. She heard Alucard's voice in her head tell her, Focus, Fox Girl. I'll be there to keep you safe.
Akiko snapped out of it and looked as Sir Integra walked towards her with the rifle and the handgun. "Seras informs me that you're actually slightly stronger and faster than a regular human of your size. Because of this, I've ordered these guns for you to take advantage of your advantages. This is a 5.56mm automatic magazine fed automatic rifle, specially designed with a shock absorbing butt to reduce the recoil. It's called the 'Hellsing ARMS Churchill'. Its magazine holds twenty rounds, try not to waste them," Sir Integra said as she handed Akiko the rifle. She then presented the handgun, "This is a .45 caliber semi-automatic that holds fifteen rounds per magazine. No special recoil compensator I'm afraid, but the hollow point rounds will stop anything it hits, it's called the 'Hellsing ARMS Montgomery'. Both guns use special silver and titanium alloy bullets that can kill nearly any vampire they shoot, as long as you hit the heart or brain. Understand?"
Akiko took the handgun and a shoulder strap Sir Integra offered as well as the rifle and four magazines before saying, "I understand." Sir Integra nodded at this and then stepped back behind her desk. "Your transport will take you to a small farm outside of a village called Whitby. There have been a number of disappearances of tourists in the area that have the police stumped. We've uncovered that it is indeed the work of a vampire," she said as she presented a manila envelope and pulled out a number of pictures that she showed to Alucard and Akiko. It showed a large farm that seemed more put together than the surrounding vegetation suggested, and three ghouls hiding in the shadows.
"How many tourists disappeared?" Akiko asked. "Twenty-three according to the latest reports," Sir Integra answered, "And Whitby has a low number of homeless as well. Be careful. It may be nothing, but in this business, I've learned that the shadows at night are more deadly than they first appear." Akiko swallowed loudly as Alucard swept out of the room, and she followed close behind him.
Alucard led her to a helicopter on top of the Hellsing Mansion, they quickly strapped in and were on their way to Whitby. Akiko's mind was on fire with thoughts of an army of zombie ghouls she'd have to possibly face. "Don't focus on what might happen," Alucard told her, snapping her out of it. "Focus on what's in front of you. We'll be facing plenty of monsters soon, don't conjure more than there actually are." Akiko took a deep breath like Seras had taught her to, and a dozen more before she felt calm again. Alucard quietly nodded and before Akiko realized it, the helicopter was hovering over a wooded area. "This is out stop," Alucard said as he stood up. Akiko got up too, making sure she had her rifle and handgun's safeties off before asking, "How do we get down?"
Alucard pulled Akiko close to him in response, and she was blushing scarlet. His body may be thin, but I can feel some really tight mus- Her thoughts were interrupted when Alucard jumped out of the helicopter. Akiko was too surprised to scream, only hang on tightly to him. She thought they would crash into the hard earth below, only for their fall to slow three meters above the ground, and they floated gently down. Akiko felt like throwing up but managed to keep her dinner down. "P-please warn me n-next time," she instead told Alucard. "I'll try to remember next time," Alucard said with a Cheshire cat grin. He turned his head, "Our target is that way, I'm sensing a large number of ghouls, but only the one vampire. Be ready for a fight." Akiko nodded and put her Churchill rifle to her shoulder as Alucard drew his Casull.
They quietly approached the farm, and Akiko soon heard the sound she could only describe as Hell. Dozens of voices all groaning out, all of them hungry for warm flesh and blood. All of a sudden, a voice sounded through her skull, not Alucard's, it yelled, DIE INTRUDERS! The groans were louder as a door in the farm opened and ghouls came shambling out, all of them going straight for the two Hellsing agents!
"Stay calm," Alucard said, "Aim carefully, and fire when you know you can hit your target." Alucard then demonstrated by firing a dozen shots with his Casull, and a dozen ghouls exploded into dust as their heads and hearts were destroyed by his deadly bullets. Akiko took aim with her Churchill rifle and took out a female ghoul, then turned and shot a male one next to her. "Remember," Alucard said, as he stopped to reload after shooting a dozen more ghouls, "We are putting these poor souls to rest. This is all we can do for them, once one is turned, they cannot become human again."
Akiko and Alucard kept on shooting as fast as they were able, and ghouls kept on coming, far more than the disappeared tourists could account for. Alucard and Akiko held their ground, but the ghouls were getting closer to them, nonetheless. "It seems we've discovered why there is such a small homeless population in Whitby," Alucard commented, then he stopped shooting, and didn't reload. Akiko looked and her blood froze in her veins as she said, "Please tell me I'm not seeing that."
Her eyes however didn't deceive her, there were at least twenty children, the oldest couldn't be older than thirteen, the youngest barely old enough to walk, all ghouls, coming towards them. Alucard's voice wasn't loud, but it was clear and echoed through Akiko's head as he said, "That scum will suffer. Put the children down, they are the last ghouls. I will finish that bastard slowly." Alucard took off at a run towards the child ghouls, then jumped over them, straight for the farm. Akiko fought back tears in her eyes as she did as Alucard said and put the ghoul children to rest with bullets to their heads. She then ran to the farmhouse that Alucard ran to.
She reached the front door to hear a loud crash and a man's scream above her. "Alucard!" Akiko yelled as she drew her Montgomery handgun and ran upstairs. A man ran into her, sending them both tumbling down the stairs. Akiko's handgun was sent flying from her hand in the confusion, and when they reached the bottom of the stairs, she realized this was the vampire from his glowing red eyes. The kitsune thought fast and focused on creating an illusion. In the illusion she transformed into a large red werewolf and roared at the vampire, making him jump off of her, screaming. Alucard's Casull went off, hitting the vampire's right thigh before he reached the door of the house, sending him tumbling outside.
"You scum!" Alucard bellowed, his fedora and sunglasses were gone, and his eyes glowed like the fires of Hell as he walked down the stairs and shot the vampire's other leg, making him scream. "You will die slowly," Alucard said, his face twisted in a rage that made Akiko back away from him as he walked over to the vampire, firing his Casull the entire time. The vampire screamed the entire time as Alucard perforated him with bullets in dozens of places, none of them a killing shot for a vampire.
The No-Life King stopped shooting the vampire after three minutes and stood still, looking at him while the vampire, now covered in his own blood pleaded, "No more…kill me…please…" Alucard bent down and grabbed the vampire's throat before lifting him up with his left hand. Alucard's right fist tore into the vampire's stomach, and he tore out an organ from his belly before tossing it aside. He then punched into the vampire's chest and tore out what looked like a lung before Akiko screamed, "ENOUGH ALREADY! FOR PITY'S SAKE JUST KILL HIM ALREADY!" Alucard looked at Akiko, and she looked back at him, her eyes wide with fear. The No-Life King's face relaxed and he finally sent his fist through the vampire's chest and out his back, destroying his heart. The vampire seemed relieved as he turned to dust.
They didn't say anything as Akiko retrieved her Montgomery handgun and Alucard signaled for the helicopter to return and take them back to Hellsing. When they returned, they gave their report, and went back to their rooms. Before she slept, Akiko took a minute to say a prayer for the souls of all the people that had been turned into ghouls, and she couldn't help but wonder what set Alucard off so terribly.