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 THIRTY-FIVE

Descent into Madness

Monday Morning, January 5, 2032, Ship—Day 4...

Why did this sense of dread start now? Van constantly asked himself that, sitting on his bed while his dark forefather leaned against the wall in his cabin. According to the Count, Alex had an episode of sorts last night, and currently she was resting peacefully in the vampire's room. Whatever she saw had her truly shaken up, and by extension, Van could see some worry in Alucard's features. Best poker face or not, the hunter could see it clear as day. Last night, they didn't get to talk much, so it wasn't til now that Alucard retold Captain Lamarr's strange behaviour towards Alex.

"I see," he said after Alucard finished his short explanation, the young vampire leaning on his knees, staring at the floor. "He didn't seem all that concerned about his missing crew members yesterday, either." He sighed, lifting his clasped fingers in front of his face in deep thought. "He gave me a strange vibe when he made contact, but it was very small."

"A vampire's intuition is usually a correct one," Alucard commented simply.

Van looked up at him. He was afraid to ask, but knew they were both thinking about it. "Would it be a bit stretched to assume there may be a vampire on board?"

Alucard's lack of expression didn't change. "It seems unlikely, but at the same time, still possible." He paused. "I say that, but in reality, I haven't gotten a whiff of anything undead on this ship."

"Neither have I," Van admitted, a frown forming. "It's odd though. All these strange occurrences seem to point to a vampire. Crew members disappearing, the captain acting strange, and now Alex's hallucination."

"Was it a hallucination?" Alucard asked, putting it out there, filling the silence with a bad vibe.

The Dracul didn't answer. However, he knew he had to look into this whole thing. Even if it turned out to be nothing, it was better to be safe than sorry. As the discussion ended, Alucard immediately left for his room to check on the girl, who was still napping away on his bed. Kneeling over her, a pale hand went to her cheek, brushing her skin with the backs of his fingers. His touch had her stirring, but his hand did not recoil even as she opened her eyes, staring sleepily at him.

"Hi," she said with a small smile.

"Hello," he replied in kind, a smile of his own. "Did you sleep well, my dear?"

"Mm-hm." Alucard watched as she stretched, then curled up more under the blankets. How he wished to be under them with her. "Sorry about bothering you."

"I told you not to apologize." He hovered over her, even as he sat down from his knelt position. "Are you alright?" After a moment of consideration, she nodded, and he pushed back her bangs with a finger. "Good."

Alex watched him for awhile, then sighed, sitting up. "I better get going."

"You're welcome to stay," he said softly, but firm enough that it didn't sound too much like pleading, but more as a suggestion.

"I'm feeling a lot better, Alucard. It was just a vision I had. I guess being around vampires had an effect on me. It's not the first time I saw things that disturbed me." Alucard stared at her, wondering if she was referring to that time she had been in his chambers listening to the radio. Tossing back the covers, she got out of bed, standing as she combed her hair down with her fingers. "Thank you," she said.

Alucard said nothing as she left. Closing his eyes, his body slipped through the bed like he were a ghost, going into his coffin. Alex headed into her room, changing her clothes and going to the mess hall for breakfast. Though she hated coffee, she thought a cup wouldn't be a bad idea right now, feeling as though sleep wouldn't leave her unless she had that dose of caffeine. Once she arrived, she was surprised to find some of the crew at the table, some of them with darkened expressions.

"'Morning," she greeted with some uncertainty.

Shamus looked up. "Hey, Alex. How are you?"

"Fine, I guess," she lied to some extent. Her experience last night still had her slightly shaken just from remembering it. "What's happening?"

"Huh? Oh, well, we still didn't find Gregory and Hanson. But now a few more guys have gone missing." Alex blinked. More? What the hell was going on? Shamus put on a reassuring face after seeing her anxious expression. "Hey, don't worry. We'll find them. They're just being assholes."

Were they, she wondered. Somehow, Alex didn't believe this was regular at all. Just looking at their faces proved it. After she got her cup of coffee, she left for the rec room for her daily studies, sitting at the computer once more. A couple of hours passed, and with people missing, she found herself alone in the room since anybody who was still around was busy taking up the slack of those who disappeared. Maybe she should tell Van about this whole thing. Too distracted by the recent events, she closed the browser and left the room. Hopefully he wouldn't be too aggravated with her since he was likely sleeping at the moment.

On her way, while pondering over these strange occurrences, something caught her eye as she was passing a corridor. Stopping in mid-step, Alex backtracked, peering down the hall to see the back of Alucard, wearing his normal dark suit and red trench of all things as opposed to his civilian clothing. He was just...standing there. Arching a brow, Alex changed direction, walking up to him, but he started walking away.

"Alucard? Hey, what's happening?"

The vampire looked over his shoulder at her, a slight smile on his face and a strange gleam in his eye. Staring at him, Alex fell silent and Alucard continued onward into the darkness of the ship. Following after him, the sounds of her footsteps echoing loudly in her head. Alucard remained ahead, but never got too far for her to lose him. Louder and louder her footsteps grew, and eventually, boots hitting metal flooring became that of the shifting of pebbles and dirt under her shoes. Darkness turned to fire, banging of pipes became the clashes of swords, and the smell of salt water was replaced by a coppery and deathly odour, permeating the air thickly. Despite all these differences, her industrial environment did not visually change, just the sound of it. It was confusing, but Alex didn't think anything of it. After all, Alucard was with her.

"Where are we going?" she asked him.

He looked at her again, that same mysterious smile on his face as he replied in a voice laced with silk, "I want to show you something."

"What is it?"

He turned his face away from her view. "Trust me..."

Deeper and deeper into the bowels they went, those whispers in her head again. It seemed to grow darker with each step, but not once did either of them falter. The longer they went on, the colder she grew, her mind becoming more faded by the minute. As she watched Alucard's back, he stepped through a door, completely consumed by the darkness inside. This gave her pause as she stood before the door, eyes narrowing in an attempt to see inside, but to no avail.

Steeling herself, she stepped over the threshold, the darkness clearing enough for her to see she stood in a place that could have belonged to an abandoned factory, the walls, stairs and metal gratings stained black with very few lights to illuminate the room. Still, those lights couldn't penetrate the abyss in the centre. What was down there? The strange sounds of battle had faded to nothing as well, replaced by an eerie silence. Alucard stood at the edge of a ledge with no railing of any sort. As Alex approached him, he turned to face her, his red eyes glowing brightly in the dark.

"It's down there," he said.

"What is?" she asked in a slight daze.

He smiled. "You'll see."

Before she could respond, he leaped backwards, his trench billowing around him as he descended into the darkness below. Stepping forward, Alex stood on the edge, peering down. As she looked into the abyss, she felt...drawn. If she threw herself over, no doubt Alucard would catch her. The shadows beckoned her, calling her, and like Alucard, asked her to trust the blackness. Though her mind told her to go forward, there was a nagging sense of dread that was barely holding her back. But that haze grew thicker, and she no longer had any doubts, a foot moving forward to step into the darkness.

A growl resounded behind her, making her stop short just as red lines appeared in midair like an invisible paintbrush was creating them. Alex blinked as she snapped out of her trance, and the red cracks formed everywhere as the lines completed a large Hellsing pentagram, descending slowly from the ceiling. She watched in astonishment as the black room seemed to shatter, pieces falling away and turning to ash, disappearing in mid-fall. Looking behind her, she saw a very pissed looking Alucard standing in the doorway. The vampire stepped forward as the black room was revealed to actually be that of a private cargo hold. If this was Alucard, then who was the Alucard she was following.

The Count reached out to grab her chin firmly, resolute eyes staring into her own. As if satisfied, his shoulders relaxed some and he released her, turning his gleaming orbs back to the lower level which used to be an endless pit. During his sleep, he almost missed the subtle hint of power being used on Alexandra. Wordlessly, he stepped over the edge, his red coat floating behind him before he landed like a cat.

"Alucard?"

"Stay there," he instructed firmly, pulling out the Casull.

The magazine was loaded, snapping in place before the slide was pulled back, springing forward again to load the first bullet. The safety was clicked off as his eyes roamed the area, walking forward as he observed the many crates and steel containers. Even as he clicked back the hammer slowly, gun hanging at his side, he couldn't sense a thing. For five minutes, he just stood down there, Alexandra waiting on the upper level for him. Whatever it was, it was gone, much to his annoyance. Restraining another growl, he flipped the safety and clicked the hammer back, putting away the gun as he turning back.

As Alucard jumped back onto the ledge with an impressive leap, Alex stepped back to give him room. "Alucard?" He looked at her uncertain expression. "What the hell just happened?"

Instead of explaining, he urged her towards the door by placing a hand on the small of her back. "Come." Though a little annoyed with his silence on the matter, Alex obeyed, peering over her shoulder at the drastically different room.

Monday Afternoon, January 5, 2032, Ship—Day 4...

Making certain that Alexandra stayed in his room, Alucard sought out Van, having roused the young vampire out of his sleep. Even after Van's rude greeting, the Count stepped into the room, explaining what had just happened. Despite Van's initial aggravation, he was all ears and completely awake as he dined on a blood bag. Things were a lot more serious than they thought, the hunter mused. One thing was for certain...he and Alucard were not the only vampires aboard if someone was easily hypnotizing Alex and luring her into secluded areas that should have been secure.

"So much for being safe at sea," he muttered grumpily. Alucard said nothing, so Van settled for a sigh. "How could they have gotten on board without our notice?"

"Much elder vampires are capable of hiding themselves from their own kind if they choose to," the Count put in. "It's only they exercise their abilities that they make themselves known."

"So you're saying that we're dealing with an older vampire."

"Quite possibly. It's only logical since they've hidden themselves this long from the both of us. It was only when they had charmed Alexandra that they revealed their presence. I almost missed it during my sleep because it was so subtle."

"Then, Alex's episode last night..."

A frown formed on the Count's features. "That was them trying to rattle her senses, and weaken her mental guards."

"By increasing her paranoia," Van said quietly. "Well, now that we know there's a vampire on board, then it's possible that they've fed on Gregory and Hanson."

"They're missing more crew members."

The hunter's head shot up. "What?! Since when?"

"This morning. Alexandra explained that she was on her way to tell you about it before she got sidetracked. The crew is getting anxious with the sudden disappearances." The vampire grinned. "Looks like they're getting picked off one by one. This sense of dread from them is quite nostalgic."

"This isn't the Demeter, Alucard," said the Dracul. "The circumstances are different and the stakes are much higher."

Alucard chuckled. "I am quite aware of that, Bat Boy. Which is why you will be starting your investigation tonight." The vampire cut off Van before he could reply. "I have to remain with her for the rest of the day and throughout the evening so that nothing else happens."

Van sighed, staring at the wall ahead of him. "I understand. I guess I could start in that room you were in."

"No," Alucard said. "Question the shipmates first, including the captain. If this vampire is as old as we suspect, then you're going to require my company in that room."

"Agreed. After all, you're the first vampire." Alucard said nothing to that, an odd expression on his face. Seeing this puzzled the young hunter. "What troubles you?"

Alucard looked up at him before pushing off the wall. "It's nothing." He turned to the door, leaving.

The sound of running water greeted him upon entering his cabin as well as the smell of generic soap. Remembering that this was around the time Alexandra took her shower, he grinned, getting typical perverted thoughts. Since she was in his shower, not that he used them, he might feel a little justified in taking a peek stealthily. The vampire decided against it, lying on the bed just as he remembered something else. Smirking to himself, he disappeared through the wall, returning a moment later to stand before the door to the small bathroom. Inside, there were small intervals of metal squeaks as the water was turned off. Ten seconds later, the young woman inside cursed loudly, making him chuckle as he knocked lightly on the door.

"What?" came the reply.

"I brought you a towel and clean clothes."

After a moment, the door opened a couple of inches, her hand poking through, which he placed the towel upon. The door swung open after twenty seconds, Alexandra wrapped in a towel that had Alucard looking at the material in approval. The girl blushed under his gaze, edging around him to sit on the bed. The vampire leaned against a wall, crossing his arms and watching her as she squirmed a little, avoiding his eyes.

"So, what did you guys talk about?"

"He's going to be making enquiries and looking around."

She nodded, looking at her lap, her hands playing a little with the terrycloth. "I was hypnotized. I thought I was following you, so I didn't question it. I guess I'm pretty weak."

"Being human doesn't make you weak, Alexandra." She looked up at him, and again, he pushed off the wall, walking over to kneel in front of her, placing his gloved hands over her own. "However, your eyes will only lie to you. The only thing you can trust is your instinct, and this," he said, lightly pointing over her heart. Alex looked down, then back into his softened eyes. "Most vampires underestimate the will of a human, and those who think like a human. It is a human's will that makes them powerful. It is that same will that defeated me over a century ago. That defeat taught me to respect those with such spirit."

Alex watched him. "I don't know if I have that will."

"You do," he reassured her. "After finding out that vampires have the intention to use you to submerge the world in darkness and blood, what did you decide to do?" Alex opened her mouth, but nothing came out. "You made the decision to fight back," he put in, smiling with some pride. "Only days ago, despite knowing who I am and what I am capable of, you stood your ground and challenged me. When I threatened you, you struck me."

"Alucard, that day..."

"No," he cut in firmly. "I don't intend to forget what I did to you." Alex fell silent, frowning sadly. "The point is that I've seen your strength, Alexandra." One hand rose to cup her cheek as he gave her a firm expression. "However, I must ask that you never leave this room without me." Her lips puckered out in annoyance and he nearly smiled. "This is one rule you must obey."

Alex dropped the defiant look, frowning. Technically, he is her superior. "Is that an order, sir?"

He gave her a considering look. "No," he said, standing up. "I'm asking you to exercise caution."

After a moment, she nodded. "Alright. There's one thing though." He arched a brow. "I could use some privacy while I'm changing."

He grinned devilishly. "Well darn, I was hoping you wouldn't catch that."

"Get out, you pervert!" she demanded, pointing at the door. Though she was resolute, there was a barely restrained smile on her lips.

Monday Evening, January 5, 2032, Ship—Day 4...

God, he was exhausted. Staying up during the day just made it nearly impossible for Van to stay awake. Yes, because he was a true nosferatu, he could handle being up during the daylight hours, and it was much easier with Alucard's blood in his veins, but it didn't make him any less sleepy. Ever since his talk with the Count, he'd been all over the ship, asking every staff on board a few questions. So far, there was three more missing than the day before, making a total of five. Despite this mystery vampire's stealthy power, they weren't being very subtle with the disappearances.

The most troubling information was about Captain Lamarr. For the last couple of days, he hasn't been seen much, only appearing when called somewhere on the comm system. Van pondered over what Alucard had told him before. For some reason, Lamarr felt the need to seek out Alex. He had cornered her in the exercise room, disturbing her. However, Alex didn't tell Alucard the details of their conversation. Whenever it came to Alex, Alucard—a man with great self control—tended to overreact if something presented itself as a threat. Perhaps if Van asked her, she'd have less of a problem talking about it.

It took him only moments to get to the cabin area, knocking on Alucard's door. "It's Van," he announced, and a few seconds later, Alex opened the door. "Hello, Alex."

"Hey," she greeted. "What's up?"

"I wanted to ask you what Lamarr said to you yesterday." As he expected, she instantly looked uncomfortable. "Where's Alucard?"

"In his box, sleeping. I'm waking him in an hour before I go make dinner."

"Can I come in then?" Though she hesitated at first, she then stepped aside, closing the door behind him. "I understand that Alucard's protectiveness over you has you feeling less inclined to reveal certain pieces of information that may cause him to...react in an unnecessary way." He turned towards her. "Regardless of that, you need to inform either of us of any suspicious going-ons. It may be important, and perhaps lifesaving. Do you understand?"

After a moment of mulling this over, she sighed. "Yeah, I do. I guess you two suspect Lamarr of being the vampire?"

"Maybe. Or he could be a crazy sailor. Right now, I'm just gathering all the facts. So please, tell me what he said to you."

Both of them sat on the bed, the vampire watching her as she organized her thoughts and reminisced on the conversation while staring at the wall in front of her. "He was talking to me about life and death. Of how people are curious of death, even though their primary instinct is to live." She frowned, brows furrowing. "He was saying something about people wanting to stand on the line between both." She paused. "Now that I think about it, it sounded a lot like vampires. Maybe I'm just comparing the two because of my exposure to the undead."

"It's understandable, but I highly doubt that's the case," he said, a solemn expression on his visage, looking down at the floor, lost in his thoughts as he made the connections.

It was highly probable that Lamarr was indeed a vampire, but he seemed a little old to be a vampire. Most vampires had the appearance of those in their twenties. Alucard being an exception since he was reborn, not made. Though he doesn't know the precise way he became a vampire. The hunter would have to remember to ask him about it one day. Although, Van did know some vampires capable of changing their appearance. If Alucard could do it, why not anyone else. Well, the man died at forty-five according to history, but he didn't look the least bit in his forties.

"I'll have to go into the captain's cabin," he said finally.

"What if Lamarr's there?" she asked.

"I'll deal with it. You just stick close to Alucard."

Tuesday After-Midnight, January 6, 2032, Ship—Day 5...

It was pretty quiet on the ship. Half of the crew was already in bed, the rest busying themselves with their jobs. Van had no idea what Alex and Alucard were doing, but he could assume the older vampire was watching the girl sleep like some kind of stalker. Still, it astounded him how different Alucard was now compared to when Van first met him in that terminal. Back then, the Count exuded an underlying and terrifying strength that Van had never felt before with previous vampires. He still radiated with that power, but Van sensed a strange difference. As of the moment, Van had more important things to think about.

Van hadn't the slightest idea where Lamarr was as the young vampire strolled through the ship in dead silence. Honestly, he had no idea where the captain's cabin was precisely. At dinner, he had to ask Shamus—nice fellow—about it. He lied, saying that he wanted to discuss his concerns about the disappearances. Thankfully, the young man bought it, giving Van strange instructions that he could surprisingly follow. Using the directions given to him, he made his way to the cabin's location.

There was a sound just before Van could turn a corner, hiding behind it and peering around by a fraction as he heard a couple of the sailors chuckling to themselves. Last thing he wanted was the employees of this vessel suspecting Van and company of having a hand in the disappearances, so for now, he remained in the dark. Alucard's nickname for him came to mind, an annoyed look on his face. Waiting, he listened in on the conversation.

"Can't believe we've gotta stay up for this shit. I've been working extra since those assholes decided to play hooky for a few days," one said, drinking from a thermo-mug. "As if my hours weren't long enough."

"It's really weird that they'd go missing like that though. You think somebody snuck on board and," the other paused, looking around before doing the kill gesture across his Adam's apple, "took care of them?"

"You stupid? The only people on this boat is us, the crew, and our guests. If you ask me, the only ones suspicious are the strangers, especially the big guy. How often do we see him around? The only time we see him is when he's in the kitchen. That guy really keeps to himself."

"So does the other one, but he seems pretty nice, unlike the big guy. What the hell was his name again?"

"I don't remember. Starts with a B, I think. Whatever, the point is that he doesn't talk to anybody, except maybe that girl."

The second guy frowned. "He kind of freaks me out a little. Shamus was talking about how he flirted with her and felt this weird chill down his back. Also, he looks weird too. Both of those guys look like goths, but...the classy kind of goth. What do kids call it?"

"How the fuck should I know?"

They rambled on and on, Van's brow twitching. Deciding they were engrossed enough in their own conversation to even notice him, he moved quickly down the opposite hall, a dark blur until he reached the next corner. Again, he wished he had Alucard's power of intangibility. Denying fresh blood directly from the source made it difficult for a vampire to grow. As he continued on quietly, he eventually came to the door where the captain resided. Like any other bedroom, it had a card lock. A hand was placed upon the door, but even as he closed his eyes, he sensed no one inside. Reaching into his coat, he brought out a palm pilot-like device, a card attached to it. Slipping it through the reader, information appeared on the screen, and once it stopped running the hexadecimal coding, he ran the card through the reader again. The light turned green before the door unlocked.

Van slipped inside just as he heard voices closing in, belonging to those guys from moments ago. Closing the door quietly, he observed his surroundings. It was slightly larger than the rest of the cabins he had seen. Like the rest, it had a private bathroom, a bed, a nightstand, and the wall TV. The differences were that it had a wardrobe, a desk with a computer, a filing cabinet, and a bookshelf. On the desk was some kind of HAM radio next to the computer. On the shelves was lots of binders, messily labelled. Under the desk was a blue recycling bin filled with beer cans and liquor bottles. A glass, filled only half an inch with an amber liquid, sat next to the radio, and next to that, a notebook and a thick binder.

Van walked over, not interested in the rest of the room as he looked at the label's on each book. "The ship's log and Lamarr's journal." He picked up the journal, flipping through the pages until he caught sight of a couple of final entries, reading through them.

December 30, 2031: Got to meet some fellow who calls himself Van Drake. Apparently he and a couple of his coworkers need to get to England as soon as possible, seeing as how flying back is impossible for a week or two. Nice enough guy, but he gave me this strange feeling. Maybe I'm getting paranoid in my old age. Still, I've never seen anyone as pale as him. Probably all the black he wore. Likely one of those shut-ins who hate going out. Been awhile since I had some guests on board, so it should be fine. Hopefully his friends are not as weird as him.

December 31, 2031: Almost done unloading the cargo. Tonight, me and the boys plan on going out to enjoy a party at some bar, so Shamus tells me. Again, that Drake fellow stopped by to make sure nothing sudden came up. Christ, he's probably more paranoid than I am. We have a schedule to keep to. It's not like we're going to leave without him. I mean, hell, we've got his damn number. Well, no point thinking about it now. After all, it's New Year's Eve!

January 1, 2032: I got a weird feeling while the containers were being loaded. It's the same feeling I get whenever Drake shows up, but this feels more uncomfortable. I felt as though I needed to stay away from the cargo. In all my years at sea, I have never felt more uncomfortable as I do now. I'll feel better when we get to England. I hope. Maybe I'm going senile. No point in mentioning it to anyone.

January 2, 2032: Got to finally meet Drake's coworkers. The girl looked normal enough, but the tall man gave me the same sense as Drake, only the feeling was much stronger. He struck me as the kind of man who wasn't to be challenged. After they got settled in, that feeling never left, as if I was being watched. Even now, I still feel those eyes on me. I keep thinking I hear whispering. Nothing is wrong. I'll just keep telling everyone that I'm fine.

January 3, 2032: All of the previous night, I kept hearing laughter during my sleep. Whenever I woke up, the sound isn't there. It belonged to a man, that I'm sure of. I couldn't sleep anymore, and it was only when the sun rose that I felt safe, but that sense of security was minimal. Even during the day, where the sun usually chased away the night terrors, I still felt scared, as if something was coming to get me. I need more sleep. This is just paranoia. I'll just tell the boys to keep doing what they're doing while I catch up on some sleep. This sense of dread will go away when I sleep.

Van turned his eyes to the right-side page, but it was blank. Frowning, he noticed that a page had been ripped out of the book, the rest of the paper completely blank. How odd. Eyes narrowing in consideration, he put the book down for a moment, opening the binder, he stared at all the documentation and such, even lists of the containers, their numbers, and where they were stored. As he lifted the book, something thin slipped out, falling a couple feet away from his feet. Silver orbs landed on it, the single piece of paper matching those in the journal. Putting down the binder, he bent down to pick up the parchment, looking at the messily scrawled writing. Without a doubt, it belonged to Lamarr, but the writing seemed hurried.

They're watching me. HE'S watching me. I can't sleep. Even now, I feel him watching me. I need to tell someone. I can't though. Who would believe me? For some reason, I feel like I need to warn the girl on this ship. Is he after her? Is that why Drake and his comrades need to get to London? Are they being chased by someone? Or something? Whatever it is, it isn't human. This entire time, I've had a bad feeling about taking on this shipment, especially that one container in the secure cargo hold. I just need to hold out til morning.

It ended there, and Van frowned. This had to be the last entry of Lamarr. The captain didn't give any indication that he was afraid at all. Perhaps he felt it necessary, as captain, to make certain that his guests didn't feel unsafe. It was only in his last entry that Lamarr felt as though he couldn't contain his fear anymore. If Lamarr wasn't the vampire, who was? Did they already get to him before he could talk about his descent into madness? All that was certain now, was that there was something in that cargo room.

A/N: Sorry about the delay, loyal readers. Distractions kept me from writing this chapter. Hopefully I can get chapter 36 written and posted by or on Sunday. Things are gettin' serious! ...Again. Things grow darker from this point on for a few chapters. Oh dear! Who's the vampire on the ship?! You'll soon find out!

Thanks for reading, so please leave a review, your thoughts, and any questions, and send me junk food. I'm craving Barbeque Doritos and doughnuts.