Disclaimer: All of Hellsing and its characters are copyright to Kouta Hirano. Any original characters belong to the author of this fanfiction.

HELLSING

EREBUS

Here standeth the Bird of Hermes,

Eating my own wings to make me tame...

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

Surprise Attack

A cry rang out, a man falling back onto the floor with blood pouring from his throat. The fake king of Wallachia, Vladislav, the murderer of Vlad's father, lay dying on the ground, choking on his own inner essence. Vlad stood there watching the life fade from the man's eyes, while he himself was bruised and bleeding in various places; his nose, his lip, his brow, his knuckles, and lastly, a vicious wound in his side, twisted open from a knife, the very knife Vlad then turned upon its owner. The pain began to set in the moment the man died, and he grunted, gripping the still bleeding wound.

Stefan ran up to him, catching him as the prince collapsed to his knees. "Vlad! We must have your injury treated now!"

Despite everything, Vlad began to chuckle weakly, only to have the agony cut him off. "D-damn." He laughed a bit more softly. "I've done it, Stefan. I've reclaimed my country." He almost couldn't believe it. After years of torture and then all the training for this moment, it seemed unreal.

"Save your strength! I will call for a healer."

Vlad shook his head slowly, lips in a grim smile. "No, cousin. I don't need a healer. I need her. I need Katarina. She is the only medicine I need." He still remembered her tears from when he departed towards his land. "Please, I need my princess."

Stefan seemed reluctant at first, as he was more worried about Vlad's wound then having to send for his beloved. But he did it anyway, going himself to retrieve her. Vlad spent days waiting, resisting the fever that took him, forcing him to accept help from a healer. Resting in his bed with laboured breaths, he heard the doors to his new chambers bursting open. Looking over, there she was with windswept hair, eyes wild with dark circles under them. Had she not slept? Upon seeing him, she choked out a sob, running to his bedside, nearly falling on him.

"Vlad! You stupid man!" she cried, taking his face and kissing him all over. "You stupid, stupid man!"

He groaned. "Katarina, my love, be gentle. I'm still in much pain."

She sighed, taking his hand, kissing his palm. "I was so worried that I would lose you."

He chuckled softly, using that same hand to cup her face. His fingers slid into her hair, grasping the back of her head, pulling her forward to kiss her fervently. "Death cannot touch me as long as I have you," he whispered against her lips. This claim seemed to alleviate her fears and she relaxed against him. "I missed you."

"And I missed you," she mirrored softly.

He pushed her away a bit to look into her eyes. "Be my wife." Those eyes that he loved so dearly widened in surprise. "Be my princess." Neither of them said anything for a moment, and he grew anxious with her lack of response. Relief washed over him when she finally smiled.

Friday Noon, December 26, 2031, Rows Residence...

Alucard woke with a dull ache in his chest. He reached up with his right hand, gripping at the place where his heart was. Judging from his internal clock, he guessed that it was barely after lunch. With the intention of falling back asleep, he closed his eyes, only to be disturbed by a strange noise in the bedroom. There was a scrambling way about the sounds, like things were being moved and shifted around, and then he heard a squeak followed by a loud thud. Opening the coffin, he slowly emerged.

"Ow," came a quiet whine.

The vampire chuckled and he stepped out of his temporary residence, the closet door opening, only to be greeted by a strong scent of fresh oranges, and a half-naked young woman on the carpet. Alex sat on her knees, hair half-dried with strands all over the place like a partially damp poof, wearing nothing but a towel. Much to Alucard's delight, the obscuring piece of terrycloth was much shorter, and he greedily eyed what he could see of her thighs. He felt no degree of shame when Alex finally noticed him. Instead, he grinned with a perverted sense of approval.

The girl scowled. "Dammit! You're supposed to be asleep!"

The Count stood up more straight, his smile never faltering as he said, "It's not my fault if you're making a ruckus, my dear. Besides, I heard you had fallen and I came to check on you." He made a fleeting glance over her legs once more, his grin widening. "Although, I don't mind waking up to such a delicious sight."

He watched as her face turned a few shades red. "S-shut up!" she stammered bashfully.

Alucard angled his head a little. "The look certainly suits you." I can't wait to see how you look after waking up from a night in my bed. "That aside, what were you doing?"

Getting over his perverted comments, she stood up, holding the towel tightly to her body. It felt like a security blanket right now, and if she lost it, Alucard would undoubtedly take advantage of it. "I was tidying up the room."

"In a towel?"

She blushed, frowning, brows wrinkled. "I prefer to wait-dry."

It didn't particularly surprise him to know this. Alex had explained that she didn't like sharing her bed with another warm body because she found the heat uncomfortable. Putting on clothes immediately after bathing would have created the same sensation due to the humidity. The vampire wondered what other little quirks she had that would have served to excite him, like right now. Alucard looked around, spotting the suitcase on the bed and the clothes that had been unceremoniously thrown in. Just as he expected, Alex wanted to leave soon.

"When do you wish to leave by?" he asked gently.

Alex stared in surprise at him. "You read my mind?"

The vampire shook his head. "I didn't need to. I simply know what you're thinking about by looking at your eyes. It's also apparent you have no intention of returning for later visits."

She frowned almost guiltily, staring at nothing in particular. "Van knows then?" He grunted his affirmation. "Neither of you are going to convince me otherwise?"

Alucard inhaled slowly, crossing his arms as his eyes settled on her unfocused expression. "Bat Boy believes you should take this these breaks when the opportunities arise, and go through with the rest of this holiday."

She looked up, finally focusing on him. "And what do you think I should do?"

He showed little expression, as if it was saying that Alex should already know what his answer would be. "It's your choice. It doesn't matter what either of us think."

"That's not what I asked."

He smiled, closing his eyes for a second, dropping his arms. "Your choice is of no consequence to me. Just know this, if they matter to you, I won't allow anything to happen to them."

Brown eyes widened some, her lip quivering before stilling. The man watched her as the hand holding her towel together tightened into a fist. "To be honest, I doubt even someone like you can." She sighed. "It's not that I doubt your abilities, it's just..." Nothing could explain what she was trying to say, and she mentally reached out for the right words, but it seemed completely out of range.

Understanding fully, Alucard walked over, lifting up her chin to have her lock eyes with him. "Then trust me to try my best." Much to her confusion, he smiled warmly. "It's strange, but I find it lifting to know that you believe that even I have my limits. It's almost like you're accusing me of being a man."

"Well, you may be the badass king of vampires, but you're not a god."

The smile widened into a toothy grin as he arched a brow in amusement. "Badass? My dear, with compliments like that, I may actually blush." She snorted, muttering something about him being a smartass, making him chuckle before his hand released her chin, his expression sobering. "Now, when did you want to leave?"

Thoughtfully, she inhaled, expelling slowly. "You can go back to sleep. I figured you two would rather leave at night since you'll be more awake."

"Don't waste your concern on our well-being," he lightly scolded. "I would suggest leaving while the sun is still up. Some vampires still abide by sleeping at night. You want to put distance between us and your parents, correct?" She nodded. "Then I will wake the Bat Boy and we'll leave as soon as you are done."

Friday Afternoon, December 26, 2031, Rows Residence...

Well, that was hell, Alex thought. It wasn't like the conversation went bad with her parents, it was the fact that she felt tense the entire time, expecting them to demand what she was up to. Thankfully, they only showed surprise then calm disappointment as Alex explained that there was an emergency at work and they had to return immediately. The girl hated lying, especially when she was aware that others were aware she was lying. Fortunately, neither Moira nor Liam pried about it.

Van had already packed everyone's things in the back of the vehicle, carefully covering every inch of the coffin, currently sitting in the front waiting. Soon they would leave and it was a couple of hours before sunset. Alucard leaned against the side of the van, arms crossed. While Alex was inside with her mother, Alucard could sense Liam approaching him, causing him to look up at him from behind the shades. Liam stopped a couple feet away, bare hands pocketed in his thick coat, a cigarette hanging out of his mouth. The man looked troubled and the vampire could guess why.

Taking out the cancer stick, he exhaled the smoke as if mulling over what he was going to say. "Sorry to see you fellas go." Alucard said nothing, and he took another drag. "Listen, I don't want to sound like the overprotective father, but...take care of her, will ya?"

Alucard's expression softened, his lips curling somewhat upwards. "Rest assured, she's in capable hands."

Liam nodded. "I hope so." With the cigarette held between his fingers, he pointed at Alucard. "Also, pretty clear you've got a thing for my kid, so, word of caution; break her heart, I'll break your legs."

The vampire grinned. "Noted." That was the second time he'd been threatened by a clueless human this week.

The man inhaled some more, blowing out the ghastly fume. "It's a shame I never got my hands on the last guy that had the nerve to break her heart. I'm not a detective, so I wouldn't be able to find out where he lived now. Tried the online phone books, but that came up with nothing."

Alucard's eyes narrowed, his lips turning into a deep frown. "You have a name?"

Liam looked up thoughtfully. "Uh, can't quite remember. Connor or something. Oh wait, now I remember! Conley Andrews! Kid doesn't exactly have an easily memorable first name."

No, Alucard would remember. There were very few people whose honour and dignity he would openly defend and kill for, Alexandra being on the list. They both looked over to find the girl in question waltzing out of the house with her mother. Alex spotted the serious expressions on the faces of both men, blinking in puzzlement. What the hell had them so uptight all of a sudden? Sending her father an accusatory glance, she watched as his features change into a look of innocence. No doubt he was threatening Alucard with dad-like subtlety. If only he knew who he was talking to. Thinking about it, she inwardly shook her head. Dad wouldn't have given two shits if Alucard was God.

"Hun, are you plotting something?" Moira asked as she walked up to her husband.

His arm slipped around her shoulders, still feigning innocence as he took another drag. "I don't know what you're talking about."

The woman shook her head then looked at Alucard just as Van went to join them, getting out of the vehicle. "It was nice meeting you two."

"Likewise. Thank you for having us," Van said courteously, shaking her hand, then shaking Liam's. He watched as both parents stared at Alucard, and could tell that they got a feeling that Alucard wasn't the hand-shaking type.

Alex hesitated as her parents turned to her, and she forced herself to meet their eyes. "Um, I'll miss you guys."

Liam sent her a knowing smile and pulled her into a hug, squeezing her tightly. "Damn brat! You're supposed to hug your old man when you're leaving!"

She choked painfully, "D-dad! My r-ribs! You know I hate b-bear hugs! Ow!"

He laughed, letting her go, the girl rubbing her sides. "Take care, squirt."

Pain subsiding, she turned to her mom, the moment awkward. "Um..."

Moira just shook her head, giving her daughter a more gentle hug. No words were needed, and Alex returned the gesture. Her heart felt heavy, and it took all of her willpower not to cry. Was she ever going to see her friends and family ever again? Maybe in the future, she'd change her mind by saying, fuck it, and come back to visit them anyway. No, she had to stay away for their own safety, at least until this whole thing had been resolved. When they finally parted, it took a great deal of effort just to walk away, her movements one step above robotic as she climbed into the van, followed by the others.

Van peered sympathetically over his shoulder from the driver's seat as she kept her eyes away from the windows. Knowing how she must be feeling, he promptly turned the ignition, and they were off in a moment, pulling out of the long driveway. Alucard watched her from the corner of his eye, pulling off his shades as she struggled with her composure. Unable to help it, Alex looked out the window to take one last look at her parents as they waved her off. Her brown orbs never left their image until she couldn't see them anymore, too far away and obscured with a lining of trees.

When it finally registered that her parents were no longer in view, something cracked and she exhaled with a shuddering breath. Alucard bore witness as she gradually fell apart, barely clinging to her dignity until it finally slipped out of her grasp. Instinctively, he undid both their seat belts, pulling the girl onto his lap, his mouth on top of her hair. Van said nothing of this, watching as Alex clutched at the Count for emotional support, unable to help herself as she cried without a sound, face buried against his chest.

"Sleep," Alucard shushed, barely brushing her mind with his influence. Despite how little he urged her, Alex eventually did cry herself to sleep, practically curled into his chest, Alucard stroking her back in the lulling manner.

Friday Evening, December 26, 2031, En Route to Toronto...

The traffic was horrendous, Van thought bitterly. Not only that, but they were suddenly hit with a bit of a snowstorm, gusts of snow flying about, practically burying the roads and cars with inches of white, visibility low. They hardly got out of Barrie by now, and the trip was merely half-done. It had been four hours since they had left Gravenhurst; they should have been in Toronto two hours ago. Meanwhile, Alucard was still cradling a slumbering Alexandra, her face etched with peacefulness. Alucard looked just as relaxed, his right cheek resting on his knuckles, eyes closed.

Van cursed to himself before saying, "At this rate, this will take all night."

Alucard opened his left eye, regarding the young vampire with a somber expression. "Shh."

Bewildered, Van turned in his seat. "Shh?! Are you mad?!" There was a small groan, both vampires holding their breath as Alex shifted in her sleep, turning her head into Alucard's chest. Van sighed sheepishly, having forgotten that she was asleep. His shame increased when his forefather stared at him warningly. "Sorry." Alucard closed his eyes again, caressing the girl's arm with his thumb. This puzzled Van as he watched the motion. "You're awfully affectionate."

"Why wouldn't I be?" he murmured.

Van faced the front again, leaning on the steering wheel. "I just didn't peg you as the romantic type."

The Count grinned, looking at the Dracul. "You've obviously never read Stoker's novel."

An eye twitched. "That's completely different!" he whispered harshly. "Don't deny that it is!" Alucard said nothing, glancing down at the young woman. "What you exhibit towards Alex is far more..." Van sighed again, looking over his shoulder. "I haven't known you personally for long, but you act as if she means the world to you. It's like you're in love with her."

"And if I am? What are you going to do about it?"

Van could hear the challenge in Alucard's tone. "Nothing," he quietly said. "I just know what it's like."

The older vampire said nothing for a moment, using his right hand to stroke her hair behind her ear. "Was she not a virgin when you bit her?" Van tensed, gripping the wheel tightly. "Don't act surprised. I read a bit into that bishop's thoughts when he taunted you that day. His mind was easily penetrated."

Silver pools closed painfully as he muttered out. "She was a virgin, but the burns were too extensive for me to revive her. She was already dead." The young vampire opened his eyes, dull with the past.

Alucard knew only too well the pain of loss. Though he found the boy's constant wallowing in his past a bit irritating, the Count could feel nothing but empathy for him. Before he could make any further comments, something gave him pause. It was faint, but it was quickly growing stronger. Van seemed to have sensed it as well, having gone rigid. Alucard's eyes narrowed, and none too gently, he shook Alex into waking. The girl stubbornly curled up more. If it wasn't for the sensation that something was coming, the vampire would have left her alone, but now wasn't the time.

He held Alex up a bit straighter, leaning towards her ear and demanding firmly, "Wake up."

It must have been the serious tone that alerted her, because she instantly opened her eyes, blinking a few times. Groaning, she asked while rubbing her eyes. "Are we there yet?"

"Far from it," Van answered almost stoically. "Something is coming."

The girl sat up a little more, attempting to climb out of Alucard's lap, but he kept her there. She went to protest, but seeing the look of disapproval on his face, she stopped. All three were still, with only the sound of wind and windshield wipers to accompany them. For five minutes, they waited, the suspense making Alex restless as she didn't have their sensory abilities. Thoughts went to Artemis and Apollo lying under their seat, and she leaned over to take out the case, but Alucard suddenly wrenched her back, his shadows stretching out and engulfing them both just as the vampires heard a strange sound.

Van cursed and quickly abandoned the vehicle, moving at high speed, weaving through other vehicles. An explosion rang out behind him, and he turned to find cars tossed high into the air, rolling with destructive impact, multiple explosions taking place one at a time as more and more cars blew up. The vampire could hear the screams of people abandoning their, for now, intact vehicles, running ahead. Horrified, he stared into the cars that had flown, seeing families dead inside. Christ, even children! Trying to ignore his grief for those that were lost, he turned his attention to where the van had once been, now torn asunder, consumed by a raging inferno.

"ALEX!" he cried out, heading back quickly, only to stop in mid-run to see a tall shadow emerging from the flames. Relief washed over him as Alucard came out of hell with a deathly calm. "Oh thank god," he breathed, seeing Alex cradled in the Count's arms. He ran to them, regarding the poor girl. "Are you alright?"

Shakily, Alex nodded, gulping some. "I'll l-live." Getting a small grip on herself, she looked around, gasping at the destruction one explosion had wrought. "Oh god... Are they?" Van nodded grimly, Alex covering her mouth with the shock, eyes wide.

The same sound, like a projectile cutting through the air, reached their ears again, and both vampires leaped out of the way as another large explosion was created. Alex had gasped, clutching Alucard's coat with a deathlike grip as she stared at the crater left behind. Missiles? More screaming was heard, terror possessing the civilians. Van landed before Alucard, the Count seemingly floating towards the earth. Alucard didn't put her down, just in case there was another attack. He growled, gripping her a little more tightly. What were those fools trying to pull? It was like they were aiming to kill all of them, Alexandra included.

Alex looked over at Van, seeing something move in the storm. She couldn't really tell what it was, as she wasn't wearing her glasses, not that they would do her much good. Suddenly, it began to move quickly, and Alex panicked. "Van, behind you!"

Van spun around. "W—"

The question had been cut off abruptly, as something seemingly invisible pierced right through his shoulder, a strange flickering of electric energy appearing briefly. The concealed weapon suddenly sent a violent charge through the vampire, teeth gnashing together from the sudden pain. When it finished, the hidden weapon was pulled out, Van dropping to his knees, a few drops falling onto the snow. Alucard briefly showed his surprise, growling again, eyes narrowing as he looked around. Seeing nothing, he closed them, opening his third. The vision a red haze, blood pulsing at the corners like a quiet drum, he searched.

After a moment, he revealed his crimson pools once more, the glow piercing through the dark gusts. "I can't see them."

"W-what?" she stammered.

"It seems that our enemy has the capability to hide from even a vampire's sight." He chuckled. "That's very interesting. Well done."

Alex scowled, "Don't congratulate them!" She got to her feet, running over to Van and dropping to her knees beside him. "Jesus, are you okay?!"

Van grunted a little in pain, staunching his wound with his tight grip. "I'll be fine. How come we can't see them?"

Alucard stood beside the duo, eyes still searching the area. "I'll won't lie. I've never heard of such an ability, especially to hide from our third eye. Whoever this Gabriel is, if these people are working under his orders, he's a clever bastard."

The young Dracul looked around, his wound healing slowly. Even as it closed, the pain did not dissipate, and he felt partially numb. "Dammit, that electric charge has weakened me somehow."

Alex looked around, peering through the dark flurries. How did she see the attacker then? It didn't make any sense! She was certain that she spotted something move! But...how? Certainly the girl hadn't imagined it, because just as she called out to Van, he had been wounded right then. How were they going to fend off enemies that even Alucard couldn't see? There was was a strange noise, like crunching in the snow, but the sound seemed swift, growing louder. The Count's eyes narrowed, bending over Alex before she was suddenly tossed thirty feet away. Alex grunted upon landing in the thick snow, blinking at the red trench that now lay on her.

The girl sat up as the sound of blades piercing through flesh reached her, and she gasped as her eyes found a horrid sight. Both vampires dangled in midair, impaled from all sides by invisible swords, flickering with that electric light, blood trickling from their wounds, their faces drawn in shock. Breathing became difficult for her, her own heart stopping at the sight, then she learned to breathe again, beginning to hyperventilate, unable to take the sight. It stopped once more as the weapons shifted their bodies in the air, lifting them up as both of them gritted their teeth. It only only took a couple of seconds. One moment they were in the air, the next, they were torn apart, their mouths open in silent screams, their heads rolling across the snow, blood spilling everywhere in a wide spray.

Alex gaped, tears welling up and streaming down her face. "N-No..." she whispered, shaking her head side to side, unable to take her wide and unblinking eyes off the lifeless faces of Alucard and Van, fingers clutching shakily at the red coat. After her bottom lip quivered, she let out a wailing scream.

A/N: Oh my god, NOOO! VAAAN! ALUCAAARD! I'm such a bitch. I'm going to admit that I had no idea how I was going to end this chapter. I knew I wanted them to be attacked by someone, but who? Then I had an epiphany. So tell me, why do you guys think vampires can't see these new foes? HMM?! C'mon! Tell me! I wanna know what your guesses are! More gratuitous violence in the next chapter! Might even take up the whole chapter, so expect a lot of action. Alex is going to have to fight on her own. Oh no! Whatever shall happen to our heroine?! I'll see if I can get my act together and try to post the next chapter either tomorrow or Monday. No promises though.

Anyway, please leave a review, your thoughts, any questions, and of course, now I need funds for Alucard's and Van's funeral, and quite possibly for Alex's. D': Thank you for reading...(sniff...)