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-SEVEN

Ripples and Distortions

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

The howling of wind was deafening, freezing Alex to her bones. However, it wasn't just the cold that caused her to tremble and want to curl into a ball. Brown eyes were fixed upon the lifeless eyes of Alucard and Van, their heads half sunk in the snow. Her bare hands clutched at Alucard's coat like it was a security blanket, and she brought it to her face, burying her nose in the red fabric, muffling her sobs. She hiccoughed now and then, but the girl went rigid when she heard the sounds of snowy footsteps coming her way, holes being made in the virgin snow like multiple dotted lines. Alex was too scared to move—to run away.

Looking up at the empty air, something registered in her perception as she spotted a faint glimmer, like a very subtle ripple. "W-what?" she croaked out quietly. What is that?

There were many quiet little surges as one by one, the enemy revealed themselves. Alex gasped, looking around to find herself surrounded by them. The girl had barely registered the fact they were all wearing some kind of full bodysuits made of white material. It clung to their bodies like a second skin, with various silvery-white padding over each muscle. Most, if not all, held straight bladed katanas. Futuristic and technology enhanced swords...the very weapons that had slain her protectors. To go with the suits, even their heads was covered by a form fitting mask, their faces obscured by the silver faceplate with a mirror sheen. If Alex could compare their appearance to anything, she'd call them white ninjas from the future.

Looking at them, Alex could understand how a regular person wouldn't have been able to easily spot them, camouflaged into the wintery surroundings. However, they had fooled both vampires, and Alex was certain that they had demonstrated full invisibility, and was only now appearing to her, since their main threats was dealt with. She shivered, feeling defeated. What was the point of fighting them now? Looking up again, she spotted one with an advanced RPG, and her eyes widened.

"Y-you...you're the one that killed all those people!" she exclaimed, getting to her feet. "They had nothing to do with this and you killed them! There were families! Kids!"

The missile fighter just shrugged, replying with a sardonic tone laced with an electric current, "They were in the way, just like your pet vampires."

Alex inhaled a shuddering breath. "You bastards."

A different one approached her. "C'mon, let's not keep Gabriel waiting."

As they reached for her, Alex stepped back, only to cringe from the feel of another body pressed against her back, hands grabbing her shoulders. "N-no! Let me go!" The one that had come towards her reached for the coat with the intention of taking it away, and something snapped as they grabbed it, causing her to panic and cling to it more tightly. "Don't touch it!" she screamed in outrage as she suddenly had to will to fight them off. It was Alucard's! It was hers! They weren't allowed to take it! "Let. Me. GO!"

Driving her head back, she broke the face mask of the one behind her, then shot her foot out into the front's groin area, instantly dropping them. Laboriously, she panted as the others just stood there watching her warily. Steeling her features, she shakily slipped on the coat. Alucard gave it to her, so it was hers. They would never be allowed to take it, so she had to fight them. Both of the ones that had assaulted her cursed, the one behind her removing their face mask, as it was useless now. The girl stared into the face of a man. No, not a man, but a vampire, judging by the reddish gleam in their eyes and the sharpened fangs under their top lip.

"Christ, she broke the fucking mask! Commander's gonna have my head for this!"

"S-shut up... At least you weren't kicked in the fucking balls."

The missile fighter shook their head. "Both of you shut up and just grab her already. Gabriel is expecting her immediate capture."

Alex hugged the coat closer, cringing away from the two as they recovered. A shriek came out as they both grabbed her, and she struggled, despite their inhuman strength. Both arms were gripped tightly from behind while the other went to grab her legs to prevent anymore accidents. As she wriggled fiercely, both of them suddenly felt the sensation of being pierced through. Their comrades gasped, their shock giving Alex some pause. Looking down, they both barely had a second to register that their hearts had been impaled by wicked black tendrils. In the next second, their chests exploded, blood praying everywhere as they emitted choked cries, dropping the girl.

The girl blinked when she didn't fall to the ground, elevated by something as the two ninjas deflated. Looking over at the broken face mask, she saw white sand. The others went into defensive stances and she scrutinized herself, finding that the coat had black tendrils seeping out of it, swaying menacingly. Slowly, these blackish flames manoeuvred her gently onto her feet, and she felt one of them caress her cheek. It was a strangely loving gesture, and Alex could not help but blush a little as she came to a realization.

"What the fuck just happened?!" one of them demanded.

A dark chuckle answered them, echoing over the howling wind. They all looked around before turning their gazes to the corpses. They all gasped in horrified shock as half of the body parts melted, the bloody substance moving quickly of its own will towards a puddle where the elder vampire's head had once been. The other half emitted black and silver tendrils, reaching out for one another before pulling together. The blood puddle became more animated, a black mass emerging upwards, solidifying into the most terrifying sight, black flames surrounding this creature's form as a Cheshire grin and a pair of red gleaming orbs shone from the blackness. The other figure was just a mere silvery-edged shadow as their parts mended themselves together like ink, and they moved to their hands and knees in a predatory stance, their own set of red eyes shining from their black-obscured face.

Alex stared wide-eyed at the regenerated and intimidating forms of Alucard and Van. They were both a terrifying sight to behold, and she could feel the terror coming from the enemy, all of them shaking. This was the true power of real nosferatu. Deep down, she should have known that Alucard would undoubtedly revive. What shocked her though was the fact Van had also survived. Was this what he inherited from drinking Alucard's blood?

"Scatter!" one of the white soldiers ordered aloud. "Disappear!"

The eyes of the two vampires went into slits, and the silvery and smoky black one flickered, gliding forward in a blur to end up behind two. They both screamed as black hands forced through way through their backs and out of their chests, then promptly tearing them apart in a flash, legs and arms flying, followed by their heads. This figure was then shot in the head, red eyes widened in surprise as it arched backwards. Alex watched in frightful awe as she saw Van just stand there for a moment. He twitched, bending back, revealing a pearly jagged grin as the bullet was forced out. The light of the moon began to shine through, bringing his face out of hiding, though his hair was still doing the job. Like a few nights ago, there was an air of smugness about him.

He rose a single index finger, waving it side to side as he shook his head in unison. "Tsk, tsk. That could have killed me." The one who shot him with a pistol just shook where he stood, then gasped with fright as Van was suddenly in front of him, glowering down at him. "My turn."

Just before this man could reactivate his invisibility, Van rose a flat hand then swiped at his neck, messily cutting off his head. Others went to reactivate their own cloaking technology, and a couple more cried out in pain as they were shot through their chests, another two with their heads blown off. Alex looked over at where the other vampire stood, the barrels of Jackal and Casull steaming, instantly cooled by the cold wind. Alucard stood there proudly, grinning madly as the moon also revealed his white face. By now, the rest of them had distanced themselves, flickering out of sight with a silvery ripple consuming their appearance.

Van narrowed his reddened eyes, scrutinizing the area. "Damn, can't see them."

Alex fell to her knees, the black tendrils from the coat still swaying about her protectively. "I almost can't believe it..." she said hoarsely, almost on the verge of tears again. She watched as Alucard approached her, standing tall over her. "Alucard..."

He knelt on one knee, his arm rest on his other leg. The look on his face was of amused charm, soft with his silent apology. "How many times must I tell you, my dear?" A gloved hand reached out to cup her cheek.

With what she just witnessed, she damn well welcomed it, her lip quivering, eyes shimmering with the threat of relieved tears. Much to Alucard's surprise, she placed a hand over his and leaned into his touch. "I know; only humans can defeat monsters."

Alucard smiled as Van joined their side, still warily watching out for the enemy. "They're still around. I can sense them, but can't pinpoint them," he said. "Those suits have proven to be a bit of a problem."

Alex looked up at Van, unwilling to let Alucard's hand go. "You're okay too, right?"

He blinked, glancing back at her, crouching down as he smiled apologetically. "Yes. If it wasn't for Alucard's blood, I likely wouldn't be here right now. I hope that doesn't leave a lasting memory on you."

She sighed, as if she had been holding her breath the entire time. "As long as you two are okay, I'll be fine." She blinked when she caught Alucard's smile widening. "What?"

"It's nothing," he dismissed softly, standing up again, taking her hand and helping the girl to her feet. "Alexandra," he began, Alex looking up at him, "make sure to keep the coat on. It is an extension of myself." Alex blinked, but nodded, understanding fully.

Van also stood, looking around. "Judging by my count, there was thirty. We've killed nine, bringing their number's to twenty-one." He sighed. "Now that they've gone into stealth-mode again, they'll be much more difficult to track down. We need a plan. No doubt they're making their own strategy to try and get past us."

Back in the days when Alucard was human, he had commanded armies, concocting ingenious strategies against the invading Turks. However, as clever as he was, Alucard had little idea how to fight such an enemy. If there was some way for him and Van to force them into revealing themselves, then they could finish them off. Those swords of theirs was also a problem. Van claimed to have felt stiff from their charge, and even without it, Alucard did feel a strange numbness in his own being. Being who he was, he'd recover soon enough, and it'd eventually be the same for Van.

"I think I can see them," Alex said, both heads turning towards her.

"What?" Van said. "How? If our vampire perception is useless, then how can you possibly see them?"

Alucard's eyes narrowed. Indeed, how did she see them? Thinking back to a short time ago, he remembered that Alex had attempted to warn Van before he was attacked. It didn't even occur to him how she was able to predict the attack. The chance of her being able to see footprints being made was completely unlikely, as she was nearsighted, and this snowstorm would have made it impossible for her to see those imprints. A vampire's senses was far beyond a human's, but alas, Alucard and Van were admittedly fighting blind. Yet... Alex shivered, and Alucard briefly wished he had the body heat to warm her. A human was still a human, they had to get her someplace warm, and soon.

Before Alex could answer Van, Alucard was suddenly shot through the shoulder. Or rather, his entire right shoulder was blown apart, his arm barely hanging by a few fleshy strands. While Alex made a short scream, instinct drove Van to dive for the girl, forcing her to the ground, half covering her body with his own, a hand on the back of her head to keep it down. Heavy gunfire came from multiple directions, blowing apart Alucard as he stood there, being forced this way and that from the force of the bullets. The Count's arm finally fell off and then his head was blown off, a fountain-spray of blood spewing upward. A growl emitted from Van's throat as he watched his forefather being mauled by snipers apparently firing antitank rifles. Gritting his teeth, he sought out the source of each attack, eyes unblinking, turning red.

Unfortunately, he wasn't equipped with his own long-range weapon, just a shotgun...or he would have been had the van not been destroyed. Turning his gaze towards the scorching road, flames lit in the distance, he calculated the chances of reaching the vehicle. With everything in steel cases, some of his equipment and even Alex's new guns could have survived. It was only a fifty-fifty chance, but it wasn't worth the risk. Alex had to stay between himself and Alucard, otherwise those bastards might take the chance to sneak up and steal her away.

The bullets wouldn't stop coming, and Alucard was becoming less and less recognizable, especially with no head. Still, he stood, the sight horrifying Alex. "Alucard!"

"He'll be fine!" Van reassured loudly so that she could hear him over the howling wind. "Alucard has had worse, I'm sure."

She gritted her teeth. They had all witnessed both vampires revive themselves despite being sliced to a hundred bits, but still, they continued to shoot. Eyes going wide, she looked around. Sure enough, there was that strange ripple in the air again—multiples of them. "Van! They're closing in!"

"What?!" Van looked up, and Alex reacted, rolling both of them over, the girl covering Van with her body. "The hell are you doing?!" he demanded with a flustered look.

Alex didn't answer him, just glaring over her shoulder. Van's showed puzzlement. Could she really see them? Looking over, he saw fresh indents in the snow. Now that the enemy had given away their positions, he placed a firm arm around her waste and flickered away, leaping from Alucard's position, keeping his eyes on the ground. Not surprisingly, they followed close behind.

"Van! The swords!" Alex pointed out at the corpses.

He blinked and looked over. Eyes narrowing he skidded, dusting of snow flying into the wind before he abruptly changed directions and headed straight for them. Diving forward, clutching Alex tightly to him, he snatched one of the strange blades while flying overhead, landing into a roll, and onto his feet again. Just barely, he could tell that he had avoided having his head lopped off, a few strands of his blown hair cut off. The temptation to swing out blindly towards his pursuers was there, but he continued to run. Alex was first priority.

"Stop!" Alex said.

"Are you insane?!" She merely held up her thumb and index finger, an inch of space between them. Growling, Van skidded in the snow, putting Alex down when she wriggled to get free. "Stay close to me," he instructed firmly, holding her hand.

Ha, like she was going to go anywhere willingly with those hollow bastards. Alex stared out while Van watched the surrounding ground. If they did an aerial attack, Van was screwed. The girl looked around, even looking up, eyes widening. There it was! "Van! Above!"

"Where?!"

"Uppercut, now!"

Not having the time to argue with her, he swung vertically, astonished when the enemy flickered into existence as he sliced them from their right side lower ribs, through their left breast and out of their left shoulder. Showered in blood and ash, Van just stared wide-eyed, half soaked in blood. Alex covered her face as she was partially drenched, making noises of disgust. Now Van could believe it. Alex could see them while he and Alucard could not. But how?

Alex dropped her hands, looking to the left before shouting, "Nine o'clock!"

Steeling his features, he wrapped an arm around her again, swinging her around him as he delivered another slash, a diagonal slice downwards. Once again, he made a direct hit, but the cut wasn't deep enough, the enemy barely flickering as their torso sprayed little blood. It was enough to finish them off as Van lunged forward, slicing upwards again, eyes red as they too turned to ash with a deafening cry. He shouted out in surprised pain as he was shot in the back near his spine by what sounded like a sub-machine gun. Alex shrieked as he fell to one knee, many holes in his back, sword held tightly in one hand.

"D-dammit!"

Meanwhile, Alucard was soon a bloody mass of flesh and shadow, still being forced in one direction to the next. When the bullets finally stopped, his form fell to the ground, blood pooling around him. Just as quickly as he had fallen, the blood retreated back, absorbed by the vampire as he regenerated himself, his head becoming a black blob as it took the form of his face and hair. Defying gravity, he practically glided onto his feet, his grin shining out of the blackness of his face, long black strands of hair curtaining around him, reaching his hips. They must have run out of bullets, otherwise they likely wouldn't have stopped.

He almost cackled in delight, "Oh ho, ho! I'm having so much fun right now! It's about time I had a challenge." His back straightened, hands out in an embracing gesture, challenging them to come forward. "It's been thirty years since I've had such a troublesome opponent!"

The sound of approaching footsteps made his grin widen, teeth shark-like. Fools, invisible or not, they gave themselves away easily. Instead of moving, he simply stood there before he felt the stab of half a dozen swords, his blood coating the hollow weapons. Much like Van had been, Alucard was then electrocuted, the sensation actually causing him a good amount of pain, and his mouth widened in silent agony. When they stopped the surge, Alucard stood there, head hanging back, his body sizzling, his insides burning. What was this sorcery? Now he understood what Van had felt, and it was no wonder he had felt numb. However, Alucard had gotten an increased dose, possibly due to the level of his own power.

The swords remained in his body, and despite the numbing pain he felt, he couldn't help but laugh lightly. Yes, this sort of battle was what he craved for the longest. All these years of existing, and he had dealt with one challenger after the next, all with the same result. The exception was Abraham Van Helsing. Him and those other men. However, he was not permitted to die, and the only worthy opponent after him was that paladin, Alexander Anderson. If he had not succumbed to becoming a monster for the divine, Alucard might have finally reached his end. Now he was faced with Gabriel, an opponent with strange intellect.

His current opponents reeked with confusion as he laughed. "What? How can he be laughing?"

Alucard's slightly pained grin, which could have been mistaken for ecstasy, widened, hair flailing wildly about him, having shortened to its usual length again. The vampire just murmured darkly, his voice resonating, "So, this is just a taste of what Gabriel has in store for me. Excellent...truly excellent." His laughter grew, blood spurting from his wounds due to his movements. Suddenly, blackness grew under their feet, and many hands stretched from the ground, snatching all six, much to their own panic. Grinning, Alucard grabbed for one he had captured, finding their throat, crushing it slightly as they choked, the vampire leaning in, eyes gleaming with delight. "I look forward to fighting him face to face! But," he said, "I'm getting a little thirsty, so until then, I think I'll have myself a drink." Snarling, he lunged his face towards his screaming victim.

As she heard the screams, Alex was abruptly yanked back by something, or rather, someone. Van growled, jumping to his feet as he chased after her, both of them reaching for each other. Catching her hand, he planted his feet into the ground. They both heard someone curse as Alex felt their hold on her waist, and Van's arm was suddenly sliced off. The young vampire barely cried out as his severed arm still clung to Alex's hand. Staunching the bleeding stub, silvery-red eyes looked up, turning more crimson. The girl screamed as she felt herself being carried off. She struggled, then narrowed her eyes as she took Van's hand and proceeded to beat her captor with it.

"Let me go!" she demanded angrily.

Alex blinked when the hand suddenly clenched and latched onto the invisible man, squeezing. She screamed when she was suddenly dropped, falling ten feet into the snow, the abruptness of it surprising her. Seeing a distortion land in front of her, Van's hand still squeezing tightly to the figure. They flickered into appearance, and Alex saw that they were being choked, trying to pry off the limb, but its iron grip just squeezed harder as they attempted to make a sound beyond a gurgle. There was a rush of wind above her as Van leaped over her, and drove the sword right through their heart, teeth bared in a snarl.

"B-bastard...!" they croaked before falling limp.

Van dropped him, releasing the sword and taking his hand back. As it reattached itself, he turned and walked towards Alex. That was three kills. So that only left eighteen. Thinking better of it, he turned back, grabbing the sword again, and now the gun. His eyes narrowed as he quickly inspected the weapon. It was already half-empty. It was better than nothing, he supposed. Something told him that more were near, and in an instant, he jumped next to Alex, bent over her protectively with a growl.

"Alex, you'll have to be my eyes," he muttered to her. The girl nodded, looking around.

"So, you can see us," called out a voice, both Van and Alex's attention caught. "What a remarkable girl. Then again, these suits were made to give us the advantage against vampires. They're not intended for use against humans. Perhaps that is where the flaw lies."

Alex blinked once. Flaw? Meant to be used against vampires, but not humans? It was only logical that vampires didn't need those suits against humans, as humans didn't have the same perception as a vampire, and incredibly more frail. If vampires were blind to them, then what was the flaw that allowed her to just barely spot them? What was it? As the girl searched for the source of the voice, she clutched the coat tighter to her. She could still hear the gunfire holding Alucard down, and looking in the distance, she saw his form, finishing off the last of his meal.

The vampire, absorbed the last of the blood, eyes glowing in the dark, swords still sticking out of him. As his shadows faded, he regarded them coolly, reaching up to take them out one by one. Six down, he thought, wondering how many Van had managed to take out. Looking over to where Alex was, he was instantly at her side, and was surprised when his knees nearly buckled.

"Alucard!" she cried, supporting him. "What's wrong?!"

"Those swords really take it out of you," he jested lightly, loving the feel of her hands pressed against his chest in support.

"That is what they are designed for," explained that same voice. Van gritted his teeth, remaining close to Alex, standing behind her, sword raised. Alucard just chortled. "What's so funny?"

"I know everything about your silly little get ups, and your pathetic toys." Alucard stood more straight, smirking mockingly. "Mirror-Tech, was it?" Judging by the sounds of surprise, he was right on the mark. "It's no wonder the boy and I can't see you. Vampires do not cast reflections. Quite the interesting approach in anti-vampire technology."

Alex's eyes widened. Mirror-Tech? That explained a lot. "Cloaking technology," she murmured. "So, it takes whatever is behind them and casts the image on the other side, like a window."

"It doesn't matter if you know. You still can't see us," they declared. Alucard frowned. As much as he hated to admit it, it was true. Though he had caught a few, they've been surprisingly good about keeping their distance. "I take it you've also noticed that you cannot even pinpoint the sound of our voice."

Van's eyes narrowed. "Must be those voice-resonators."

"Correct. Also for use against vampires. These suits even hide our scent. The most effective way of defeating a vampire is to deprive them of their senses."

There was laughter, and everyone went still. Unexpectedly, it wasn't even coming from Alucard. Instead, it was echoing from the girl next to him. Both vampires stared at her, and no doubt, the invisible ones were also staring at her in surprise. It was a derisive laugh, filled of such spitefulness. Alex turned towards the subtle distortions, an uncharacteristic smirk on her features, eyes bright with blatant provocation.

"What's so amusing?" they asked.

"You are. All of you are utterly one complete joke." Van and Alucard stared, wondering what she was trying to do.

"Pray tell, what's so funny about us?"

The smirked turned into a toothy and brilliant grin. "You call yourselves vampires. You should be ashamed of yourselves. The only vampires I see here are standing next to me, invisible or not. The rest of you are inept morons." She heard a few snarls, but it only urged her on. "You wear your enhanced suits, talking about how these two won't be able to use their senses to find you. It's just proves how much you all are cowards."

"What?!" they growled out while Alucard and Van smirked, eyes glowing a mirthful red. "You think we're afraid?"

"I don't think, I know," she answered readily. "Why else would you all hide under those outfits? To think I was even remotely afraid of you. I ought to be embarrassed for being intimidated by a bunch of timid infants." The growls grew louder upon her insult. Alucard's grin only widened at her unrelenting ridicule, captivated by this new side of her. "There's also one little detail you forgot."

"And what would that be?"

Alex's smile never wavered, mockery in her eyes. "I can see you." As she had taunted them, she had been making mental notes on each ninja's whereabouts. The girl had only managed so far to find at least three. Others she wasn't so sure about, but for now, the less enemies to deal with, the better. She then spoke aloud, cryptically saying, "Eleven, ten, two!"

"What?" they asked, confused. Van and Alucard grinned. The young Dracul ran forward in a blur to the left, sword at his side. The Count drew both anti-freak pistols, fixing both sights in particular directions over Alex. Realizing what the girl had done, panic set into the enemy's voice, "Shit! They know where we—aaargh!"

Their chest was blown open by the Jackal, instantly revealing them as they fell over dead. Following after their death, another at the right had their head blown off. Reaching his target, Van tackled into them, knocking them to the ground. Pinning them down with his knees, Van rose the sword high and drove it down, stabbing into their neck as they flickered and choked. He removed the blade, the vampire stood up before swinging the sword down and across, slicing off their head.

Alex kept her eyes peeled, spotting more. "Van! Ten feet to your left, nine and eight!"

Quickly, Van lunged, swinging the sword wide, cries echoing out into the wind as a spray of blood showered the vampire. "You cannot win," he said matter-of-fact. "Your technology is truly flawed, like yourselves. So just die!" He delivered the finishing blow, swiping off one's head with his free hand, then thrusting it through the other's chest.

Alucard leaned into Alex's ear while standing behind her, smirking smugly. "What do you see?"

Brown orbs darted back and forth. "I..." she paused, turning her gaze to the right as she spotted that same ripple. "Three o'clock!"

Grinning, Alucard rose his Jackal, arm outstretched as he fired, pleased when the bullet hit his target. He delighted in the bloodshed. These cowards, as Alexandra had eloquently called them, lost the moment she had seen through their cloaking abilities.

"I can't see any more. Maybe..." The girl gasped when Alucard grunted out in pain, an invisible sword sticking out through his shoulder. "Alucard!" she cried, turning around to face him.

With a snarl, Alucard aimed over his shoulder, firing, the bullet barely grazing the enemy's shoulder. In retaliation, they charged the weapon, the electricity surging through his body, the Count gritting his teeth. This was the first time Alex had actually seen Alucard with physical discomfort, and as much as she wanted to help him, she knew touching him would undoubtedly electrocute her as well. While staring helplessly at him, the torment stopped and Alucard released a held breath, body sizzling like before. The sword was twisted, opening the wound further, and in one quick motion, his arm fell off with a slice, his head following afterwards.

"A-Alucard!" Alex screamed, horrified before something grabbed her. "No!"

Van had already been moving to get to Alex, but he was suddenly intercepted by a missile in his face, sending him flying ten feet before exploding. The girl looked over her shoulder, her body trembling. The invisible enemy picked her up, throwing her over their shoulder. The girl screamed in outrage, kicking and punching at them. Eyes narrowing, she wrapped her arm around their head, hand splayed over a smooth surface that she could assume was the face mask.

"Hey! Stop that!"

As they attempted to adjust her, she reared back one leg before kneeing them in the chest with force repeatedly. And to finish them off, she straightened that leg, swinging into down and kicking them in the stomach. As they dropped her, both legs caught around their waist, fists clutching the front of their suit. She then leaned back, using the momentum to flip them over herself and slam them onto their head with a satisfying snap sounding in their neck. Their suit powered down as they fell over in a slump. Panting, Alex sat up from her awkward position, only to be grabbed by another invisible foe, hand instinctively reaching out to grab hold of something, only to clutch to the body.

Whatever she held, slipped, still held in her grasp as she was brought to her feet. Driving it forward, she used whatever it was as a weapon, stabbing it through the mask as her captor screamed in pain. Upon closer inspection, she realized it was a dagger. Satisfied, brown pools narrowed, the girl forcing the blade out, blood splattering over her face, she drove it forward once more, stabbing the left side of their chest, the vampire screaming. Twisting the blade, the vampire cried out, turning to ash, the girl falling. She panted, on her knees in the snow.

"Damn bitch," called out a voice from behind her.

Looking over her shoulder, the one she had supposed killed before standing behind her. They grabbed her by the arms and she struggled. "N-no! Let go!"

"Call us cowards, will you? I'll teach you..." Like before, Alucard's coat roared to life, blackness seeping from the fabric before surrounding her attacker. "W-what?! No! Stop it!"

Unsurprised, Alex just watched, slightly out of breath as those black flames just grew. What happened next was completely unexpected. Dog heads emerged from the dark inferno, making screeching and eerie barks as they devoured the screaming vampire greedily. Alex's eyes were huge as she watched, the darkness swaying around her. The demonic canines soon retreated to her side and she blinked when one of them licked the side of her face.

She emitted a short giggle, and despite the weirdness of it all, she patted them. "Good puppies."

As they disappeared, she looked towards the road, eyes narrowing before she ran towards it. As she was, she was of no help. Alucard and Van would be fine, she firmly told herself. After a few moments, she reached it, finding where the van had once been. The flames still burned, even with the rushing wind, but the warmth was welcome. As she approached it, more shadows seeped out to stretch forward, smashing away the rubble and metal ruins. Much to her surprise she saw Alucard's coffin completely intact, just littered with scorched luggage.

"He amazes me sometimes," she murmured.

Stepping forward, she went to reach for some of the cases, but before she could do so, that same blackness slipped over her hands like gloves. Perhaps it was to protect her from the burning heat. Finding the one case she was looking for, she tried opening the clasps, but they were melted shut. The girl cursed, and as if sensing her intent, tendrils slipped between the seams and forcefully pried it open. Inside, Artemis and Apollo remained unharmed, the black and silver metal with wooden polished grips shone warmly from the light of the flames.

"Yes!" Taking a few quick-load cartridges, she filled the revolving chambers, and pocketed the rest. Snapping them back in place, she stood, pausing when she heard movement behind her. Alex spun around, aiming Artemis from her left hand, eyes narrowed and searching. "I know you're there!"

One by one, the last remaining four appeared before her. The missile fighter stood nearest to Alex, facing her off. "I suppose there's no point in obscuring ourselves from someone who can see us anyway."

"Where's Van and Alucard?" Alex demanded.

"I presume dead," they said in a nonchalant way.

The girl smirked, making the other three soldiers slightly nervous as she asked, "You sure about that?"

They said nothing for a moment. "You're a very brave girl. Or very foolish. Especially for a human."

"Yeah, well, I'm not interested in your opinion, so just die!" To emphasize, she trained Artemis upon the missile fighter before firing. They dodged, but the one behind them had their left arm blown off with a scream. The kick of her weapon actually somewhat hurt her arm, so she bent her elbow a bit. "Ah!" she screamed as the one who dodged was suddenly in front of her.

They reached out for her and Alex swung up Apollo, firing the gun, and taking out their stomach. They gurgled in shock before growling. Reflexively, the coat sprang to life again, a wall of shadows flaming between them, swiping threateningly at the opponent. The one who was crying about his arm suddenly felt a presence from behind, and as they went to look, their head was suddenly blown off by a large blast of gunfire. The remaining three turned to see Alucard and Van whole, and before they too were killed on sight, that electric ripple covered them, disappearing from view.

"Alex!" Van called out firmly. "Where are they?!

Alex eyes darted around, then looked up. "Above you!"

Van stepped aside quickly, Alucard stepping in to replace him, aiming upwards and firing with Casull, a rain of blood showering over them as a body fell at his feet with a loud thump. The vampire grinned, sticking out his tongue. Van's eyes narrowed, looking around, wind billowing through his hair and jacket. Something strange caught his attention. Was that snowflakes? At first, he had thought he had imagined static in midair, but then he realized that the flakes were hitting something solid. Grinning, he rushed to his right, sword hand held near his face and he went to slice at the enemy, grazing their chest as they apparently tried to evade the attack.

"How?! She didn't tell you where I am!"

"I can see the snow hitting your cowardly form," Van explained mockingly. "When you're moving, you're impossible to spot, but when you're standing there like a buffoon, of course I'm going to see where you are." He soon smiled. "Of course, now I won't have to rely on such a subtle detail, as I've drawn blood."

Van lunged forward again, slicing the enemy clean in half from the top of their skull to their right hip. As their body fell as a pile of sand and blood, Alucard grinned, announcing, "And then there was one." The Count stood there, guns in his hands, hair whipping around his face, illuminated by the flames while he took one long inhale. "Ah, such a delightful smell." He chuckled, eyes searching the area.

"You've won...this time," they rasped weakly, their blood filling Alucard's and Van's noses. "I'm afraid I'll have to take my leave. Ta."

Annoyed, Alucard emitted a growl. "You're running?!"

No response, and he stepped forward, using his nose to look for them, but...much to his surprise and fury, the smell had somehow disappeared. Once again, he growled, gritting his teeth. Face sobering, though still furious, he turned to Alex, walking towards her. On his way, he suddenly felt exhaustion and weakness catch up to him, and he paused in mid-stride, expelling a tired breath. Shaking it off, the vampire looked up, seeing a look of melancholy on the girl's face as she stared at all the scorched luggage. Quietly, she found what was left of her suitcase, putting aside her guns to open it, her clothes and everything else charred.

"No..." she whispered.

"Clothes can be replaced," he said, coming up behind her. She shook her head. "Hm?"

"I don't care about the clothes," she began. "It's gone. The rose you gave me..."

The vampire stared at her before smiling. "No, it's perfectly fine."

"It's not fine! I really liked it, and it was destroyed!" Much to her annoyance, he laughed. "Why is that funny?!"

"It's perfectly fine," he repeated, grasping her arms and pulling her to her feet before turning her around to face him. "You've been carrying it this whole time, my dear." Alex watched as he pulled open his coat that she wore, reaching into it and then pulling out the box. "See?"

Eyes widened in astonishment. "I've had it all along?"

"Indeed, so," he said, placing it in her hands as he pressed his lips to her forehead, murmuring against it softly, "there's no need for tears."

"When did you...?"

"I took it for safekeeping, just in case," he explained, reaching up to caress her cheek. "Something told me there would be another attack." She nodded, accepting that. Who was she to question Alucard's intuition? "Now," he said, letting her go and going towards his coffin, opening the lid. "I imagine my master would want those suits and the weapons for a thorough investigation into the technology."

Van nodded, having watched the exchange in silence. "Right. I'll go gather those up. We'll have to look for a new vehicle as well."

Alucard watched as the young Dracul walked off, and he returned his gaze to the girl. Tightly, she held the box to her chest, her body trembling slightly. It was times like now that he wished he had a human body. The Count walked over and Alex looked up as he approached. With a simple wave of his hand, the coat changed form, providing the girl with a toque and scarf, as well as little mittens as the coat fit to her size, clasping in the front. Alex looked at herself with some envy of his abilities before she spotted Alucard reach out for her hand.

"You're freezing. Come, you need to get warm," he said, bringing her closer to the flames. Alex said nothing, following his lead. The girl stood there, the gushing wind still chilling her face, feeling exhausted from all the excitement. Alucard stood behind her, blocking what he could of the wind, waiting for Van to return. After a moment, he felt Alexandra lean against him and he looked down to see her face buried into his torso. "Alexandra?"

"You look as tired as I feel," she mumbled. Alucard watched her, slightly surprised that she had noticed his weariness. "It's okay if you want to lean on me. I don't mind."

After a moment of consideration, he allowed his weakness to show and he dropped to his knees, pulling her down to have the girl sit on his lap, wrapping his arms around her as he leaned his chin on her head, staring at the flames. Those weapons had a strange effect on him for some reason. Van seemed to have recovered from it quickly enough, but for him, it was different somehow. At the moment, it didn't matter. Alexandra was leaned up against his chest, seemingly comfortable. Closing his eyes, he simply enjoyed the moment of rest.

A/N: Just about 7000 words, to make up for the delay. So, that's almost two chapters in one! Rewrote it twice, third time being the charm, so that explains my delay in posting this thing. Now, on the chapter itself, Alex does not have magic vision before any of you even mention it. It's already been established that the suits' design is flawed when dealing with humans. So, Alex is able to see the tiny distortions in midair whereas Alucard and Van can't...because they're practically looking at mirrors. I'm thinking it's gonna be a couple more chapters before our lovely trio finally returns to London, and there is a reason Alucard is more affected by the swords than Van is, and it's not because he got multiple doses. Muwahaha, I have such an evil idea in store, especially where Gabriel is concerned.

Next chapter is going to involve...DRAMA! Oh noes! That's all I'm going to say about it. So, please leave a review, your thoughts, and any questions. Thanks for reading!