"Flagler?"
"Yes, that's what he said."
Integra hummed in thought, eyeing the draculina from over her desk. They had returned to the hotel room after the gentle needling of Andrews, stewing in their thoughts the entire walk, and had reclaimed their usual spots within the sitting room without another word. Integra had let out a tired sigh, exhausted from a day of walking about in the sun, and felt a twinge of pity for the vampire sitting across from her. Seras still looked as well kept as ever but her complexion had taken on a paler and more waxy appearance and her eyes seemed much duller than usual. She would no doubt need a nap and another serving of blood to perk herself back up. Integra only wished they had thought to bring her coffin along but since she had been drinking blood of her own free will it had not been a necessity for many years.
"The Flagler?" Andrews reiterated curiously. He served Integra a cup of tea while the three spoke.
"I would assume so," Seras answered with a nod. "He said that Flagler had something dark tucked away in his basement so I would think he was residing in a big building, somewhere big enough to hold a ball, and somewhere with his name on it."
"That would point to Flagler College then, it used to be a hotel," Andrews muttered thoughtfully. He moved away from Integra and her steaming cup of tea and towards the small kitchenette to prepare a cup of blood for the vampire.
"Yes well, be that as it may, we have no way of knowing without sticking our nose where it does not belong and in order to remain auspicious than we would have to restrict our searches to the daylight hours," Integra growled around her cigar. "Which means we will find nothing there. Nothing!" She tapped a finger on the desktop irritably.
"We still have Radu," Seras spoke up from her seat across the room.
"For what he's worth," Integra muttered. "I don't trust him as far as I can throw him and considering my age that is not very far."
"Don't worry Sir, I'll figure him out," Seras placated the woman with a smile.
Integra grunted in answer and took a sip of her tea.
"That is all well and good," Andrews called as he approached the vampire with a warm mug of her own beverage, "But you have a little over an hour before you are required to be at the Lightner museum for dinner with the Pope and I will not have you turning up there looking as you do."
"What's wrong with the way I look?" Integra snapped, setting her cup down delicately despite the annoyance written across her face.
"Nothing," Andrews responded coolie, "But you hair could use a good brushing and there is a smudge of dirt across the bridge of your nose, and didn't you spill coffee on that shirt earlier today?" He spoke to Integra even as he handed Seras her drink and returned the small serving tray to the kitchenette.
"Would you care to repeat yourself," Integra said in a threatening tone.
Seras knew that tone well and wisely took her cup with her to her own room where she could finish it off before taking a short nap. As she pulled the door shut behind her she heard Andrews reply with: "Not in the slightest Sir" along with the clinking of the tea cup being removed from the desk top and taken to the sink to be cleaned. Integra only sighed.
She always loved those short random moments that demonstrated a person's character and relationship to others. It was something that she had paid attention to even as a human.
She gulped down the rest of her blood before setting the cup down on the nightstand and throwing herself into the bed. It was pretty soft for a hotel bed and she was pleased to return to it once more. Now that she had slept on a better bed she would have to go about asking Integra to get her a nice one for her own room. The mattress in her coffin was a bit on the stiff side.
While Seras napped Integra went about tiding herself up, brushing her hair out at the vanity in her room while she thought over the information Seras had gathered. The vampire was either Flagler himself or a relative, he was no doubt hiding out in the basement of Flagler College, and he was preparing to hold a celebration marking the beginning of a new era the same day as St. Augustine's four hundred and sixty fifth birthday. His motives were questionable and they had learned that there was a definite possibility of a darker secret locked away waiting to be exhumed during the party or sometime after. Radu had higher hopes than their new vampire friend they had met off the streets.
Above all she was curious to learn of the hierarchy he had mentioned: high bloods. And now that she thought about Radu himself had mentioned something about Old Bloods. Were they the same?
Not for the first time she wished her servant was around so she could extrapolate information from him. It was always difficult getting anything useful out of him but she felt that over the years she had rather become an expert at it. Pity she couldn't test out her theory until he returned.
She sighed and set the brush down on the vanity before standing and getting dressed in a more figure flattering pantsuit. Black and white of course. She did not bother checking herself in the mirror before stepping out to join Andrews in the sitting room. She glanced at the phone on the desk, wondering for the hundredth time if she should call the manor and fill them in on the events. She moved over to the desk and sat down in front of her laptop, settling for sending an email instead, and booted up the computer while Andrews adjusted his suit jacket just behind her. As usual he stood by her side, patiently, awaiting orders.
Seras returned to the land of the living shortly after, stepping out from her room in her Hellsing uniform, and gave the two a curt nod. She looked much better having rested and even the glow in her eyes had returned.
"We should be on our way then," Andrews remarked.
Integra let out one final sigh before standing, having sent off her email, and shut her laptop. "Let's get this over with," she grouched and headed for the door with a determined stride easily matched by Andrews.
Seras let out a nervous chuckle and followed the two out, sending one last look back at their hotel room before shutting the door behind her. She had felt the barest of auras brush her senses before leaving but she paid it no mind, it felt incredibly familiar and comforting so she assumed it was Radu himself snooping about as his brother often did. She resisted the urge to laugh and hurried after the two humans who had already reached the stairs ahead of her.
Andrews looked much more like himself in a full three piece suit, leading the way and holding the doors open for them. They wondered out onto the street and around the corner to the car garage where the women waited while the butler retrieved the vehicle and pulled up next to them. Integra slid into the back with Seras following behind her.
The two would not be joining the heiress in her dinner with the Pope, rather, they were to act as her escort and guards. She was to spend the evening with the Pope alone but they had no doubt his own guards would be present as well so Seras had opted to wear her uniform to remain professional. . . As professional as she could in a skirt and combat boots anyways.
The car ride was short but tense. The dinner was to be held at the Lightner Museum, the same building the grand ball would be held in later that week, and it was reserved for just them that night. As such they had to drive about a mile all in all, but Andrews had demanded they appear as grandiosely as possible to uphold the Hellsing name and Integra had not the mind to argue with him.
Seras was just glad that the sun was finally sinking below the horizon when they arrived. Walking around during the day was wearing on her horribly and nothing would put her back to one-hundred percent except a nice long days sleep in her coffin.
Seras stepped out of the car first after Walter had pulled to a stop on the side street and held the door for Integra to climb out. Once her boss was safely out of the way she shut the door and stepped aside, allowing the woman to lead the way while Andrews parked the car and caught up to them.
Sure enough as they approached Seras spotted several of the Iscariots standing guard around the huge building spanning one whole block. Directly across the street sat Flagler College, looking innocent and magnificent in the sinking sunlight. The clock tower chimed away, marking the hour, and sung a sweet but sad song.
Integra marched through the archways of the old hotel, ignoring the guards as she went, and into the courtyard while the two trailed behind her. When they finally entered the building through an ornate glass panned door they were met by a butler of some sort who bowed upon their approach.
"This way," he gestured and led them through a gift shop, up a set of small stairs, and into a large display room filled with Victorian artwork and glass. Above them was a third floor open in the center, allowing people from above to view the room below. Their feet clacked against the white marble as they traveled but they were soon muffled by the thick carpet of a grand staircase leading down into what once was the pool, now filled in, and altered into a high class restaurant smack dap in the middle of the old hotel.
Seras and Andrews stopped at the stair case, nodding to Integra dutifully, and watched her continue on with the unfamiliar butler. She stepped into the large open room and the doors were shut behind her leaving her two employees to stand watch for any danger.
Seras let out a sigh at the rather abrupt cut off and glanced over at Andrews who had taken up post off to the side of one of the double doors, following his example she stood at the other quietly. There were no Iscariots in sight, the room bare of their black robes, but they both new they lurked about the outskirts of the building and no doubt had tabs on the two themselves.
Andrews sent her a reassuring smile from the corner of his eye and she straightened.
"Integra Fairbrook Wingates Hellsing."
Integra took in the grand lit room, far above her she could just see the railings of the third floor and ballroom. The second floor was nothing but closed off sitting rooms and bedrooms, and the first floor itself was filled with candlelit tables and a grand piano off to the side. Across the way was a set of double doors leading into the kitchen where she could just make out the movement of the wait staff and cooks preparing their meal. And in the midst of it all sat an aged man wearing a white shirt and black slacks.
"No robes?" Integra voiced her thoughts dryly with a quirked brow as she approached. How unusual for the Pope not to wear his white cassock in public.
The Pope laughed and stood, gesturing for her to take the seat proffered to her by the butler who had pulled it out upon arrival, "I am not here before you as The Pope but a fellow leader of an organization intent on ridding the world of darkness. I dressed to match." He explained it all away with an amused voice and waited until she herself had taken a seat before reclaiming his own.
"How humble and thoughtful," Integra muttered. She settled herself in the chair, adjusting her jacket just so, and reminded herself to be on her best behavior. This was meant to be a meeting in which they discussed a future of friendship. Or something like that. She closed her eyes for a second while Pope Francis sat down.
"It is good to finally meet you in person. Integra Hellsing," he began pleasantly. "I have no doubt that you know all there is to know about me thanks to the media but as your organization is one that dwells in secrecy I know very little about you other than what I've learned from the Iscariot."
"It is an honor," she responded politely. She had leaned back in her chair and crossed one leg over the other, clasping her hands in her lap, and given him her undivided attention.
He watched her for a moment through the lenses of his glasses before shifting suddenly and began in another direction, "Now I invited you here to offer a hand of peace and friendship, one that I know you would not normally take willingly, but I hope you will accept nonetheless." He watched her thoughtfully, admiring the excellent poker face she managed to maintain and could not help but think of his younger years when the thought of vampires and monsters had been laughable. But as he grew he began to hear more and more of the horrors that plagued the Earth. He had been let in on the secret late in life and yet the woman sitting in front of him had been born directly into the center of it all. She had never known a normal life. From the day of her birth she had been groomed to take over the Hellsing Organization and lead its soldiers on the front lines with a monster leashed at her side. She had done remarkably well, he thought, and had grown into a very powerful and intimidating figure. She stared at him now, dauntless and without fear or insecurities, and offered him the barest amount of respect. Something he found refreshing in his current position. This woman did not look at him as The Pope, religious leader and figure head, but as a simple man who had to earn her trust. "Do you know why I have come to this decision?" he asked, hoping to break her resolute façade.
"Why?" she asked simply.
He remained silent for a moment before continuing, "I believe the world is about to shift."
This caused Integra to lift her brows a fraction, her suspicions wavering, and wonder if he knew of the vampires roosting within St. Augustine.
"After the attack on the world thirty years ago there was little hope in hiding the existence of monsters, man made or not, and this awoken people to the true darkness of the world," he said, leaning forward on his elbows. "But I believe that the world is changing for the better. With the known existence of monsters other things have become insignificant: gender, race, sexuality, how often do you see news articles on disagreements regarding those these days?" he asked. "None!"
Integra leaned forward, lifting a hand to her chin in thought, it was true. But she remained silent in her realization and instead continued to listen as The Pope spoke.
"The time for petty squabbles has long since passed, let us unite against these monsters and finally beat back the darkness once and for all, together," he exclaimed.
Integra eyed him silently, rubbing at her chin, debating on whether she should let him in on the secret that was Flagler and his own attempt at ushering in a new era. The Vatican would no doubt take action immediately. Unlike Hellsing they had some order of pull within St. Augustine, a city recreated by the Catholics centuries ago. The Pope and King of Spain were here to celebrate its anniversary after all. While she thought and the Pope watched her with his own form of a poker face, a server appeared with salads and set them before the two before disappearing behind the double doors again. Barely a hint of steam escaped the double doors so quick was he. She eyed the greenery thoughtfully before speaking.
"That was a beautiful speech, Pope Francis, a little on the whimsical side but even I admit humanity needs a bit of whimsy every now and then." She lifted the fork set out next to her dish and stabbed at a cluster of lettuce absently. "What do you know of recent vampire activity?" she asked in a curiously light tone.
"There have been squabbles here and there, after the attack on London many were able to escape and are no doubt still on the run, but I feel that as a whole they are on the decline," he answered truthfully. He too lifted a fork while they spoke.
Integra nodded once, as if confirming what she had originally thought, and set her fork down, steepling her fingers in front of her. "There are a few mistakes in your answer," she said lightly, having yet met his eyes since she had first spoken.
"Was there?" he urged her, wanting to learn and understand her world a bit more.
"You assume that the creatures that attacked London were vampires," she stated simply. "They were not. They were nothing but common trash."
"Common trash?" Pope Francis questioned in surprise, stunned by her change in manner, and the intensity with which she now stared at him.
"A true Nosferatu is something you personally have never faced, of that I am certain, for the past thirty years they have been in hiding after the death of their supposed king and before that they were more inclined to sit back and watch as the world slowly fell into chaos without them even lifting a finger." She chose her words carefully and watched as the old man processed what she said with a rather befuddled expression. She had to give it to him though, despite how blatantly rude she had been to him thus far, he still retained his pleasant demeanor. This forced her to, not wholly trust him, but give him a bit of her hard earned respect. He seemed open to learning and understanding the Hellsing side of things which was more than a bit refreshing.
"Their king?" he said, voice strained with dread and curiosity.
"Yes, the monster I usually keep chained up in my basement: Alucard, formally known as Prince Vlad Dracula III." She answered lightly, leaning back in her seat with her arms crossed.
"I beg your pardon?" The Pope fumbled for a response, astounded by her words and the meaning they held. Dracula himself was the vampire they had been using as an attack dog? How on Earth did they manage to control such a monster?
"The world is filled with the immortal souls of the damned and we are the wolves that hunt them down, Pope Francis," Integra explained. "True vampires are creatures far older than you can imagine, for more powerful than you would think possible, and they are so much deeper than humans. They are complex and hard to understand and they haunt this Earth in search of something that will fill the voids of their missing souls." She prodded a bit of her salad, lifting the bite into the air before her and smiled, "I would love to accept your hand of friendship."
The Pope leaned back in his chair, feeling emotionally drained just from her small rant, and eyed her wolfish smile wearily through a calm façade. If he wasn't careful he felt she would turn around and bite his proffered hand of peace without a second thought. As was the nature of wild wolves.
Seras had always been a bit on the fidgety side. She was young, even as a vampire, and that meant she was full of energy and curiosity. It had not been at all out of character for her to run ahead, recklessly, and cause trouble when she had first joined Hellsing. Her master had always been more than happy to allow her to indulge in her inquisitiveness, especially if she got hurt because of it, he took extreme delight in her discomfort. She had once poked at a ghoul, thinking it long since dead, and nearly lost her throat when it sprung up at her gnashing its teeth. Her master had laughed heartily at her hysteria.
Now, after thirty years of hard learned lessons, she had begun to garner a more level headed approach to situations. But that didn't mean she didn't get antsy every now and then. She could walk around the city sightseeing with Integra all day but standing at that door patiently waiting for the woman to finish up her meeting with The Pope was driving her up the wall. Literally. She was pacing the wall.
Andrews seem unperturbed by the odd display, her act of defying gravity clearly one he had witnessed before, and remained at his post steadfast.
She was tempted to explore the old hotel. The grand staircase they stood in front of was well carpeted and smelled like wood, stale cigarettes, and that strange scent the bespoke antiqueness. She wondered if the rest of the building was in the same condition. She paused on the wall, twiddling her fingers in thought, and shot a look over her should to Andrews.
"Miss Seras," he acknowledged somewhat tiredly, growing irritated with her pacing.
"Nothing," she said, frustration rearing its ugly head.
It was a beautiful night. She could feel it through the walls themselves. And the fresh air that seeped in through the windows was so tempting. She let out another sigh and dropped back down to the floor, straightening her skirt as she did so, and returned to her post next to Andrews in thought. She felt like a wild animal behind the bars of a cage, pacing out of frustration and boredom. If they really wanted some more information the best time to go out searching for it was night, when there would be vampires out without a doubt, she could probably go back to the restaurant and scrounge up some more intel on her own. Maybe she could even go about searching out Radu and see if he had found anything out since the night before. He seemed to be an honest person, if a bit kindhearted for a vampire, but she was certain he would help them out.
While her thoughts spun round and round in her head, leaving her looking pensive and moody, Andrews suffered through the silence eloquently. His gaze did not waiver from the vase across the room in front of him. But as time ticked by Seras's mood invaded more and more of his space, and he let out a sigh of annoyance.
"Just go, Seras, nothing will happen here tonight. Not with the Iscariot prowling the property anyways," Andrews spoke up.
Seras jumped in surprise, having not expected him to speak, and stared at him blankly for some time before what he had said processed. "Are you sure?" she asked, glancing back at the door nervously. She didn't want to leave if Integra expected her to stay, she could imagine the woman's ire at discovering her absence.
"I am sure," Andrews answered with a chuckle. She was such a meek creature at times, it was hard to believe that she was the same ferocious monster on the battlefield, ripping apart enemies limb from limb with a sadistic grin.
"Well, alright," she stepped away from the door, "Just be careful and if anything suspicious happens call me." She gave him a smile and a brief wave before, acknowledging his own curt nod in response, before climbing back up the stairs and towards the exit. The museum was silent as she traversed it on her own, the air heavy with the stillness not felt during business hours, and it forced her to move as quietly as she could for fear of disturbing it. As she moved down the staircase leading into the gift shop, its short width speaking for the servants that had used it in the past to travel from floor to floor while avoiding the public eye, reminded her of her old home. The green carpet under her boots was thick and plush, having been replaced not long ago, and the walls were painted white and bare of any hangings. It was such a strange vibe for a now public building that she could imagine a person actually living in it and resisted the urge to feel guilty for no doubt tracking dirt through it.
She passed through the vacant gift shop and out into the open air through the ornate glass doors. She glanced around the courtyard before stepping into it and meandering along the walkway around the center in which a large pond had been built. Her keen eyes, glowing in the darkness, noted the large multicolored shapes fliting about under the water's surface curiously. The koi were all at least a foot in length and clearly had some good years on them.
She sniffed the air, scenting only the Iscariots in the immediate vicinity, and cocked her head in thought. She had planned on using the night to search out more information, perhaps another vampire, but the koi pond had reminded her of something else. She had the rest of the night to work, but first, she wanted to pay a visit to a new friend.
Seras arrived at the wild life preserve long after the park had closed for the night. There was not a person in sight and the majority of the animals were quiet as she climbed down from the fence. She could hear the crickets chirping away in the trees, singing their songs cheerily, soothing the other animals unintentionally with their soft soundtrack. Her boots hit the ground quietly, gravel crunching under the souls, and she glanced about the open walkway warily. The benches were bare of any occupants and the pathway lights, lined up along the cement sidewalks, were set to their dimmest. Somewhere in the distance an exotic bird cawed.
She took in a deep breath of the humid air and wondered off down the path she knew would take her back to the enclosures far out of the way of the general public. Sneaking about sent a little thrill of pleasure through her, knowing that there were no vampires she had to deal with just then, made the experience lighthearted.
She slowed at the sight of the familiar exhibit, coming to a stop at the fence where she had sat hours before, and squinted around the chain links. The jungle cat would no doubt be asleep at the time but something within her told her otherwise. She crouched down and let out a short whistle. The sudden sound in the night silenced the crickets for a moment and she heard only the distant hum of generators before they picked up again. The enclosure remained undisturbed. She saw no movement and wondered if the animals were locked away at night. She felt rather silly then, having snuck into the park for a friendly visit only to realize she couldn't see him. But shortly after having thought that she caught movement amongst the bushes in the far corner. A splash of blue and a flurry of yellow made her aware of his presence before the big cat slunk into view lazily, recognizing her from earlier, and padded up to the fence to sniff at her.
"Hello," she whispered with a smile.
The jaguar snorted in response, nosing the fence in front of her, and she giggled.
"How are you?" she asked. She lifted a finger and wiggled it between the fence, letting him smell her, before tickling him under his chin.
He rumbled a purr deep in his chest and she continued to pet him with a finger while she pondered his predicament. He was sick, possibly dying, and stuck in a cage. Despite the fact that he was a powerful creature she felt so much pity for him, never having had the chance to run wild. He had been a pet for all his life and the realization sickened her. She could sympathize with him a little as her own master had been degraded to nothing but a servant during his existence. There was so much of the world that Aranu had never seen, experienced, and she felt helpless at the thought.
She glanced up at the fence and wondered for the first time why she had automatically seen it as a barrier to keep her, as a person, safe from a supposedly wild animal. The fences were there to protect humans, not monsters like her. She stood, pulling her fingers out of the fence, and caused the cat to lift his head from where he had laid down to enjoy the attention.
"I'm not going anywhere," she assured him quietly and reached for the top of the fence, jumped, and hoisted herself over. She dropped to the ground next to the cat and settled back against the fence with a sigh.
Aranu crawled forward and settled his head onto the edge of her leg, causing her to chuckle, and snorted again. He was demanding her attention it would seem and she was loathe to ignore the creature. Obligingly, she continued to scratch him, this time behind the ears.
Aranu provided excellent company and with nothing better to do she decided to talk to him. She told him of her past life, her work in the police force, and the few friends and family she had had left before her death. She explained in detail the night she had first met her master and all that it had led up to. It was more for a cathartic sense than anything else, she soon realized, as she had never gotten the chance to tell anybody her full story from a new perspective. She painted a rather detailed picture of the Hellsing organization but it did not compare to what she told the creature of her master. She told Aranu all the moments she had caught him grinning like a fool, when she had first scene him with tears in his eyes one night, and when he had first shown her true kindness. Of the struggles he had known in life and his deepest desire to finally pass on. She pondered out loud what his kingdom had been like, the people he had known and counted as friends, and where he was at that particular moment . . . because, she assured the jaguar, he was most definitely alive. She continued to talk for such a length of time that she could feel her throat grow dry and scratchy but Aranu's attention never wavered. He watched her with a childlike curiosity that spoke of a deep intelligence.
"And he always calls me Police Girl, never anything else," she added after a moments silence. "Even after I drank blood he still slapped me with that god awful nickname every chance he got. And now Integra even calls me that though I think it's just to annoy me more than anything."
Aranu huffed in agreement.
"What a lovely couple."
The new voice caused the two to look to their right where the shadows of a tree had grown into a cluster of roiling waves of darkness. A pair of red eyes pierced through it all, watching them intently.
Aranu growled, a sound Seras found oddly thrilling in the way a person could enjoy the rumble of a powerful engine, and tensed under her hands. She smoothed the fur on his neck down and lifted her gaze back to the red orbs watching her intently.
"You're not very frightening Radu," she called.
The shadows settled and the vampire stepped out from under the tree wearing a pleasant smile. He was clothed in the same suit though he was missing his tie, she noted. He did not seemed perturbed by her statement in the least as he moved over to her and sat on a conveniently placed boulder just feet from where the two rested.
"I never pegged you as a cat person," he commented after settling atop the rock with his hands in his pockets.
"I'm not really," Seras admitted distractedly. "Are you alright?" she asked. From afar he had looked his usual self but as he approached she noticed that he looked haggard and his clothes did not fit him as well as they had the previous night. That kind of deterioration she herself had experienced after a month in the field without her coffin months after the London Attack. She had been confused, depressed, and had hesitated on drinking blood because of conflicting thoughts and emotions. That had been the "Trash Sweep" as her men had so eloquently put it. Hellsing had rushed to hire more men after the defeat of The Wild Geese and sent them out to search and destroy. They had chased down any escaping FREAKS with a vengeance unknown to the trash vampires, spending days on end hunting them out with little remorse, as most of those men had been survivors of the terrorist attack. They had lost friends and family in the destruction and the thought of gutting some of the weakened monsters had sent them into a blood rage rivaling Seras's. She had led them in the charge and though the men were good backup they simply could not compete against the inhuman abilities that the FREAKS possessed and it had been up to Seras to star in the slaughter. So the "Trash Sweep" was mainly a splatter fest of gore and blood constructed by Seras herself while they covered her back with silver bullets. When she had finally returned to the manor she had collapsed in her coffin and slept the rest of the week away. Integra herself had monitored her blood intake as they had yet to find a suitable replacement for Walter.
"I'm the picture of health," he answered, brushing her questioned aside like an annoying gnat. But his brows crinkled in such a fashion, one that she had rarely if ever seen on his brother, and he let out a frustrated sigh.
"If you say so," she mumbled awkwardly and dropped her eyes to the animal who's head stilled rested in her lap. Aranu had calmed down after Radu had revealed himself and she had absently continued her ministrations.
Radu's eyes followed hers and they shared a moment of companionable silence, both aware that something was wrong, but both allowing the problem to slide for the moment. "He is dying," he observed moments later, having noted the jaguar's failing health.
"I know," Seras said quietly.
"Why not end his suffering then?" Radu asked softly, his eyes following her hand as it ruffled the big cats fur and smoothed it down. Seras did not immediately respond and Radu waited patiently for her to gather her thoughts before glancing at her face, upon realizing her hand had stilled, and froze as well. Big fat red tears welled up in her eyes and spilled out over her cheeks and she was staring at him as if he had personally crouched down and drove his hand through the jaguar's chest.
"I could never do that to him, he's fought so hard! To have it all taken from him out of pity . . ." she trailed off, unable to control her voice and so opted to fall silent instead. She watched as the younger brother of her master stared at her strangely before cracking a smile and breaking into a peel of laughter so warm that, had the situation been any different, she would have enjoyed hearing.
"I meant for you to take his life, to drink him, and immortalize his soul within you. Not kill him!" he clarified through his chuckles. The fact that she had immediately fallen into hysterics upon the thought of killing an animal truly said a lot about her soul, or lack thereof, so much so that he found himself sobering and giving her a kinder smile. "You are still so human," he murmured.
Seras dropped her gaze to her lap immediately upon realizing her mistake. The shame that welled up within her for having doubted him so quickly was nearly suffocating. He was her master's brother, and though that did not say much about his character considering how sadistic his brother was, she still felt obligated to be a bit more trusting. But then, she had always been one to jump to conclusions. The memory of her master crouched in front of a dog, dying after having been caught in the line of fire during an excursion to a remote town to kill off a vampire, mumbling quite words in another language invaded her mind and she wiped at her eyes thoughtfully. It was people that he disliked. Not the true innocents of the world. He despised men, barely tolerated women, and ignored children . . . but the animals? Well, he had spoken soft words to them in his native tongue. Something that she had never heard directed to herself, not even Integra had, and the realization soothed her soul in a deep and therapeutic way. He was not a demon, she realized, because he had reasoning behind his hatred and it was not directed at the innocents.
"I know," she muttered and returned to smoothing out the fur over the top of Aranu's head. She looked up to Radu, "I'll only do it if he wants me to."
"Then ask him," Radu answered with a shrug. "Most creatures are able to understand our emotions. I'm sure if you ask him he will agree. He seems to like you well enough."
Seras hummed in thought and looked down at the jaguar, "Aranu," she called, gaining the cat's attention. "Would you like to stay with me?" she asked, staring into his blue eyes that looked back at her questioningly. The realization that, if he agreed, he would not know quite what he was getting himself into crossed her mind. She herself had dealt with a similar situation after all and she wished not to frighten him. "If you agree I'll have to drink your blood and you'll die, but you'll be a part of me forever, and you can meet all the other souls . . ." she rambled on, explaining the whole process to the clueless animal who felt inclined to listen despite the lack of his understanding.
Radu watched on with a long suffering expression mixed with a good amount of mirth. The poor creature was clueless, they both were, he corrected himself and chuckled.
As Radu expected, the jaguar had laid his head down patiently for Seras to drink his blood. He was so miserable that any chance of escape seemed brighter than any future wasting away behind a fence. Seras had stalled for more time, petting him comfortingly while she continued talking to the cat in low soft tones, and given him a strange look from the corner of her eye. Radu had cleared his throat and obligingly turned away to give the two privacy, moving over to another corner of the enclosure well out of sight. It was common decency to look away as another ended someone's life and he would have been the first to say so in any other situation but Seras had a strange effect on him. Aside from himself she was the only blood relative of his brother, whom he had looked at as a role model for as long as he could remember, and seeing her in the flesh, thriving, was heartwarming. Though his heart had naturally stopped beating centuries ago.
He stared down at the little pond, leaves floating about the surface serenely, and felt the monstrous aura of a feeding vampire sweep over him. He lifted his face to the moon and let out a sigh. The air had grown heavy with her presence and he waited until it died away to return to the scene.
Seras had not moved and still cradled the now still form of Aranu, lifeless. She stared down at the body but a small smile adorned her face and he knew that she was feeling the jaguar's presence within her. It would join amongst the other souls within her and become an ingrained part of her very being. Something Radu himself had always found oddly poetic for creatures such as themselves. He continued to watch her for a few moments before stepping up to her an offering a hand, "Come, Seras, why don't we go for a walk?"
"Sure," she said, taking his hand and using it to pull herself to her feet. She had set Aranu's head down on the ground and given it one more final pat before standing. She brushed off the seat of her skirt and together they hopped the fence and wondered back through the park, leaving the body of Aranu to be found later by the park staff who would find the bite wound on his neck. Nothing more would be said on the subject, however, as there were dark suspicions circulating the town in regards to their newest visitors.
"You look good in uniform," Radu commented.
"None of that," Seras snarked back, all too aware of the smile the vampire was wearing.
The city had grown quiet by the time they returned to the main streets. Tourists had returned to their hotel rooms and the hard workers had closed up shop and started wiping down the counters as they padded down the road of the shopping district. The traveled in silence, both caught up within their own thoughts, and neither feeling the need to break it. But now that they had arrived within the populated area once more Seras was reminded of the job she had and so she sent a curious glance to Radu who was peering through every window they passed.
"Did you find anything out?" she said, breaking the quiet between them like so much glass. He seemed to stiffen, growing tense for a moment, before he let out a sigh and gave her a sidelong look.
"Not much, and for what little I did I paid a heavy price for," he muttered darkly.
"What do you mean?" Seras questioned wearily with more than a bit of concern lacing her voice.
"I did some snooping as instructed by Sir Integra herself," he began heavily. "I made it all the way down to the basement, which had the time had been vacant, and was peeking in through a door in the far back . . ." he trailed off, watching as a cat scampered across the road in front of their path.
"What was down there?" she asked quietly. Drawing his attention back to her.
Radu did not answer immediately, he hunched his shoulders and shoved his hands deep into his pockets and looked for all the world like a distraught young man worried about normal things, but he bit his lip and she caught sight of a single fang peeking out at the corner of his mouth. "There were hundreds of ghouls packed away in there, all huddled together and waiting for something, I don't know what, but I can guess," he muttered darkly. The betrayal and guilt that wracked his body was obvious. His brows had scrunched together in disgust at his own blindness. "Needless to say my snooping did not go unnoticed and someone I would rather avoid found me." He rubbed at his neck and fell silent once again.
Seras watched him in worriedly for a moment before dropping her gaze to her feet in thought. An army of ghouls? She could only imagine what it was leading to. A grand party taking place that Friday to introduce vampires to the world? Supposedly to establish and era of peace? Sounded to her like it was more of a takeover than anything else. And Radu had gotten caught on top of it. Was he in danger? He had obviously suffered the night before despite his attempt at covering it up. She was tempted to return to Integra and warn her but she hesitated, Integra would only fly off the handle and attempt to storm the college on her own, the thought was both amusing and worrying. She would wait until day break, when the woman had had a chance to relax after her meeting with the Pope, they had until Friday before Flagler made a move anyways. She filed away the information and instead turned to a lighter topic in hopes of easing the negative emotions radiating from Radu.
"What was master like as a human?" she blurted.
Radu gave her such a startled look that she could not resist a laugh. He took a moment to gather his thoughts, smiling at nothing as he did, before giving her a response. "He was the biggest trouble maker there ever was," he began with a laugh. "He always had these grand schemes as a child, things that would no doubt earn us a beating, but he always dragged me along with him. I always tried to dissuade him but he would never listen to reason."
"How so?" she prompted with a grin, delighted at his change of heart . . . and the prospect of getting dirt on her master.
"Hmm," he hummed in thought, searching through his vast collections of memories before deciding on one with a chuckle. "When were political hostages, we were kept in a grand and lavish room, if we behaved they gave us whatever we asked for – within reason mind you – but for Vlad that was never enough."
They passed by a bar, doors open, and the sound of a few straggling guests hoping for another drink flouted out to them. But the people inside were ignorant to the monsters passing by their door.
"Well, I had made the mistake of mentioning my want to go for a swim," Radu continued with a huff of laughter. "So one night he wakes me up, forces me into some clothes, and whisks me out the window and into the night. I felt like I had been spirited away! And we make it all the way down to this lake that was deep into the woods where he commanded me to undress and swim with him. Naturally I did as he said all the while moaning and groaning about how much trouble we would get in. It was fun. We must have swam about for hours before the guards noticed we were missing. We didn't know they were close until we heard them tramping through the woods, cursing up a storm in their tongue, and we were forced to run. Mind you, we didn't have time to pull our clothes back on," he added the last part with a roguish grin that left Seras in a fit of peeling laughter. "So there we were, running through the woods, naked and freezing our backsides off. We snuck back into the castle, got back to our room, and changed into our night clothes just as a storm of guards come sweeping in. They followed the water from the front door all the way up to our room where we were still wet and shivering despite the warmth of the fire in our room."
Seras laughed and Radu joined in with her, holding his stomach with the force of it, and continued to tell her stories from their past as they walked. It was such a lighthearted moment, rare for those creatures of the night, that Radu found himself wishing it would never end. Seras had yet to be touched by the darkness of their existence, or at least, she refused to let it affect her like it so often did to others. He could look at her and see the sun, the flowers, and hear the laughter of happy people. He smiled at her while he spoke and for that short moment he could imagine that he had lived a life of happiness
"He used to have an imaginary friend," Radu added after a moment of quiet. He had remembered the fact so suddenly that he blurted it out with little thought, startling Seras. "What did he call him?" he mumbled with a finger to his chin. "Marcellus, he called him Marcellus the Mouse!"
"A mouse?" she snorted.
"Yes, and he pretended that he sat on his shoulder and whispered to him during lessons or while we were playing. 'Marcellus said you cheated'," he mimicked a younger Romanian lilt that Seras had never had the privilege of hearing. "A game was never fair with him, if you outwitted him then it had to be because you cheated."
"That sounds like something he would do, he's always had a childish side to him, always looking for something to amuse him," Seras said through her laughter.
"How was he, before he . . ." Radu trailed off, looking as if he were struggling to find the correct word.
Seras turned her eyes away from him and looked on ahead, "I think he was depressed. He was always brooding, only ever coming out when there was a job to do. And when he disappeared he was wearing such a peaceful expression . . ." she smiled sadly at the memory. "I don't even know why he changed me . . ." she shook her head, pulling herself from her thoughts and let out a sigh.
"Sounds like a lot has changed," Radu mumbled.
"Immortality will do that to a person," Seras agreed quietly.
They continued to walk down the darker streets of the city, passed the older houses and ancient alleyways. The night was now silent around them having left the main streets. Seras looked up at the sky, blocked out by the massive trees lining the road, but paused when she noticed that Radu was not at her side. She turned back, seeing him standing at the fence of the old cemetery they had been passing by, staring off into the darkness warily.
"What is it?" she whispered, moving back towards him quickly. The expression he wore was one of curious urgency and it put her on edge immediately as she had never seen him look such a way. She had not known him for long, true, but he was obviously a person well versed in the art of hiding his thoughts and anything that had him worried spiked panic within her.
"We have company of the hungry for flesh sort," Radu growled.
"What?" she squawked.
"This is politics, pure politics," Radu snapped. "Flagler knows I've been snooping and this is his way of warning me."
Seras stepped up to the fence, pressing her face against the bars, and squinted into the darkness. The sight that awaited her was truly one straight out of a horror movie. If she had not been used to such a thing already she would have screamed in terror.
Several ghouls, numbering in the twenties, were seen shambling about further in the cemetery. That in itself would not have been that alarming but a few of them were crouched over the remains of several bodies, most likely of the younger generation if the skate board and alcohol bottles was anything to go by. They had apparently been out sneaking around in hopes of causing mischief and had run into a bit more trouble than they could handle. They had bit off more than they could chew. There had clearly been a struggle, bodies were splayed about in their death throws, and blood painted the tombstones grotesquely. She could make out at least five of them, torn apart and scattered about the ground.
Seras snarled in rage. How dare he?! End lives in such a way just to make a point to one vampire. How did he plan on making peace with humanity if he was willing to kill them so needlessly? But then she reminded herself, he wasn't hoping for peace, that was becoming more and more obvious as time wore on.
"Argh!" she growled and hoisted herself over the fence, pushing off with her arms, and landed several yards deep into the cemetery. Her entrance caught the attention of the ghouls immediately who looked up on the hopes for more blood.
"Seras, wait!" Radu exclaimed, reaching after her speeding figure. He had time to blink once before rotted blood sprayed out into the air from a decimated ghoul as it fell to the ground, his head ripped clean from his shoulders with her bare hands. Two solid thuds later as it hit the ground, and its jaws continued to gnaw at the air even as it turned to ash. As another approached her she reached out and lifted it by its shoulders, pulled back, and threw it head long into the gathering crowd. It bowled through the others comically and sent several sprawling to the ground. In the wake of their clumsiness Seras lunged forward, like a monster of prey, and landed in the center of the group viciously, fingers splayed like claws, and snarled.
Radu watched on, stunner by her ferocity, and felt no urge to assist in the cleanup. She was a different being all together than the sweet girl he had grown to know. Now she was the true monster that she was. With a flourish of blood and a gleeful smile she tore through the collection of rotting flesh like a paper shredder. She did not pause, did not stop to consider her next move, and only stopped to take in her destruction once the last ghoul had been killed.
She stood above the piled corpses, panting for breath she did not need, and looked at her gloved hands. They were stained with the gross muck that was ghoul blood and the sight of it churned her stomach but she could not deny the satisfaction she felt as the last of the bodies dispersed into ash, leaving the human remains of the teenagers behind for her to see. She debated on what to do with them. Integra had always been the one to call in the cleanup crew and the bodies were disposed of quietly. She did not know what was customary for the situation. Were the families told the truth or were the left in the dark of the whereabouts of their loved ones, forced to wonder about their fates? She could not just leave them there to be found by some unsuspecting civilian in the morning.
"Seras?"
She lifted her eyes to Radu, who had joined her in the cemetery wearing a grim expression. She let out a sigh and gestured to the bodies, "I have to take care of them."
"Yes, of course," he said quietly.
She arrived back at the hotel just as the sun was rising. It peeked out over the building tops the moment her hand touched the bar on the glass door of the Casa Monica and she paused to watch the rays reach out and paint the dark night sky in pinks and oranges that she had not seen in some time.
Radu had stayed to help her dispose of the bodies. Their pieces were gathered and buried far beneath the ground of the cemetery in barely an hour thanks to their combined efforts. Seras had mourned the end of their lives quietly while Radu stood off to the side, ignoring the blood and dirt that caked his hands, as he stared at the displaced dirt forlornly. Guilt settled in his stomach like a rock. Had he not been caught snooping around then those children would not have died the way they had.
They parted solemnly, guilt weighing the both of them down, and had promised to meet the next night. Seras returned to the hotel slowly, trudging through the streets with her hands in her pockets and a lost look spread across her face. She had seen much bloodshed over her life, violent needless deaths in the endless war waged against the darkness that infested the world, and in all honesty this latest event had not been the worst – but it seemed so devastating – and she could not place why. It was another loss in the hundreds that had already passed and would no doubt take place in the future, but it had happened during a peaceful night of friendship. It had been out of spite. It had been nothing more than petty politics amongst a squabbling people and as that realization dawned on her so too did the source of her devastation. The world was no longer black and white. It had always been Hellsing against the monsters that killed without thought, tore apart lives for the simple joy of it, but now it was so much more. It was complicated in the sense that her view on the situation had become clouded with grey. Radu was not evil but he was a vampire. Flager dreamed of creating a new society. There were politics, there was conscious thought, and there was reasoning behind the blood shed as petty as it was. She understood then, what her master had meant when he claimed they had only ever dealt with the scum of the vampire world, they had never gone up against a true Nosferatu with power behind him and a cause to push him forward.
It was no longer a simple job of exterminating the evil in the world. It was war. Complicated, messy, and righteous war.
So as she pulled the door open to the hotel, the warm heady antique scent spilling out over her, it was with a heavy heart that she hesitantly made her way up to their room.
When Integra woke the next morning, she shambled out into the sitting room, intent on making herself a cup of strong coffee to get herself moving. But she found a vacant and forlorn Seras sitting at one of the chairs by the window. Her knees were pulled up to her chin and her arms were wrapped around them, hugging them close to her body, while she stared out at the rising sun. No words were exchanged while Integra went about making her coffee. No questions asked or orders given. Instead, the fifty-two year old woman joined Seras by the window with a quiet sigh and watched the sunrise with her.
They sat together for an hour, quietly absorbing the morning rays, both wondering in their minds. Seras retreated to her room after finally letting Integra in on what had happened the night before. She explained in detail what Radu had shared with her, the ghouls attack, and the reasoning behind it.
"They have a hierarchy, Sir, they have government and politics. They are a people . . ." she trailed off, biting her nail and turning her gaze back to the window.
"They are monsters," Integra said darkly, leveling the girl with a cautious look.
"But they are more than that now," she muttered and pushed herself out of the chair. "I'm going to shower then go to bed," she stated.
Integra realized that she was covered in dirt and blood, her gloves stained and stretched against her clenched fists, and her uniform torn. She had been sitting curled up in the chair, hiding the majority of the grime in her distress, and now it was all visible. She smelled like fresh soil and rotted corpses and the combined smell would have had Integra gagging if she had not been holding her coffee directly under her nose. The strong drink beat back whatever scent had wafted off of the vampire with ease.
"Fine, Andrews and I will investigate the college today. You deserve a good rest anyways," Integra said as she too stood. She patted the girl's shoulder, ignoring the smear of dirt that now graced her palm, and gave her a tight lipped smile before moving over to the desk and sitting down in the plush chair.
Seras returned her smile sadly and left for the shower within her own room.
Inegra watched her go while she booted up her laptop. She checked her emails and was surprised that Jenner, their second in command under Seras, had yet to respond to her email. She bit the knuckle of a finger in irritation and glanced at the phone sitting off to the side on the desk. With a sigh she lifted it off the receiver and dialed the number for the estate. The line did not ring. It blared the disconnected tone into her ear like a wakeup call from hell. She dropped the phone back on the receiver and pulled her cellphone from her pocket and selected the same number but before she could even lift the phone to her ear the same tone screeched from the device. She growled and threw her hands up in frustration.
With nothing better to do she sent another email to Jenner and copied their communications branch on it. Someone had to receive the email. She did not understand why the phones were not connecting but be damned she would contact her men if it killed her. They were probably sitting around twiddling their thumbs and playing beer pong while they were away and were completely clueless over the situation. No, she corrected herself irritably, Seras had trained them better than that. They were not The Wild Geese, they were hired, trained, and controlled by the Draculina herself. Integra had witnessed their perfection and she doubted they were doing anything but their usual patrol rounds and training routines.
Why were the phones disconnected?
She shook her head and stood, squaring her shoulders against the panic that threatened to overtake her, and pulled a cigar from the desk drawer. It had been a long while since she had faced off with a vampire on her own, let alone an entire nations worth. She gnawed at the end of the cigar and trudged over to the balcony doors, threw them open, and lit the cigar in one smooth motion. While she exhaled a cloud of smoke the bells over Flagler College tolled the hour. It looked like they were on their own with this one.
Seras showered quickly, not wanting to dwell too long in the fluorescent lighting of the bathroom, and pulled on a pair of pajamas quickly before sliding into bed and pulling the covers over her head. She ignored the frustrated sounds from Integra, slipping in through her door, and causing her ears to twitch with each slam of a drawer and uttered curse. She lifted a pillow and covered her head with it until the muffled sounds were drowned out by the thick stuffing of cotton.
Once again she was overcome by the need to see her master. He would know what to do in their situation. Had he been there they would not be stuck with their hands tied, waiting impatiently for the enemy to make a move, unable to take action against their enemies simply because the area was not in their jurisdiction. Master would have laughed and gone off on his own to slay the mastermind behind it all and that would have been that. But he was not here and Seras didn't know if she was strong enough to fight off such a powerful vampire, powerful enough to draw all the vampires to him after the death of their King, without the help of her men.
"Don't worry, mon cher, I am here for you." Pip's voice floated through her head, followed by an agreeing purr from Aranu himself. "And the cat too I guess," Pip muttered irritably.
Seras fell asleep with a small smile on her face, her fears and frustrations having been calmed for the moment, and slept for the majority of the day. Something she hadn't done in years.