When the exited the darkness, Radu leading the way, it was not three monsters of the night that exited but two vampires and a rather large black wolf. Red eyes glowed in the night as it trailed behind them. It would not do for Alucard to make his presence known amongst them and ruin Integra's fun after all. He was to go disguised as Seras's familiar and to make it seem as inconspicuous as possible Radu had summoned his own familiar. A red fox trotted at his feet.
"This should be an interesting night," Radu voiced as they arrived within the courtyard of the property. Across the street they could see humans making their way into the lightner museum, talking and laughing like all was good and well in the world, ignorant of the horde of monsters gathering in the building next to them.
"What about all the students?" Sera asked curiously as they climbed the steps.
"They're mesmerized," Radu explained quietly. "They're all asleep in their beds and will not wake until tomorrow." They entered the foyer and paused to take in the sight before them.
A grand chandelier hung from the center of the domed ceiling which was decorated with murals of angels, mermaids, and demons. Like all the other old buildings in the city this one too was designed in the old Victorian sense of architecture with grand sweeping staircases and dark wood. The tiled floor was intricate and dizzying, even more so when the forms of richly dressed vampires, magnificent in their beauty, spun about it. Creatures roamed between their masters: cats, dogs, lizards, monster of myth and lore, and even demons could be spotted. Performers dressed in grand costumes were posted at random intervals, guiding patrons deeper into the building towards the dining hall where more space had been created to accommodate them. Music spilled from between the twin set of stairs where a small band had set up, violins squealed and a piano set the tempo for the dance.
"I have no doubt that some will not make it through the night," Radu added grimly.
Seras scowled but quickly wiped the expression from her face as more vampires poured in from behind them, moving around the pair as they did, and sent them curious looks. She was amazed by their clothing and now understood why Alucard had taken to adding a bit more flare to her own dress. Some vampiresses were wearing full on Victorian gowns, others wore dresses that were so exotic and strange they were borderline costumes, but looked anything but simple. Despite the variation in style, however, none of their gowns displayed bright colors. She saw plenty of black, deep reds, and whites but other than that there was nothing besides the odd glimmer of gold or silver jewelry.
At her side the wolf snorted and stepped forward causing the two to follow.
"Try not to speak with anyone," Radu warned as the entered the fray. "The majority of these people or conniving, backstabbing, and petty and will make any attempt to embarrass you or even blackmail you."
Seras nodded, taking his offered arm, and allowed him to lead her around the dancing dead and up one of the flight of stairs. There was a low murmur of chatter, occasionally punctured by laughter, but the music drowned out any specific words.
In that moment Seras felt strange, not in a worrisome way, but in the way one feels when they experience deja vu or a paradigm shift. She was suddenly bombarded by memories of her past life and how far she had come and how strange of a twist her life had taken. She had been working with Hellsing for thirty years now, fighting monsters, working to hide the truth of their existence from the world, training men in military maneuvers, attending round table meetings, and in general separating herself from the mundane existence she had known. If she were still human, still working with the police force, and someone had told her of all that was to come in the future she would have promptly laughed in their face. But now, as she climbed those steps wearing an utterly gorgeous and gothic gown, observing the room with red eyes, she understood that life was never constant. It was always shifting, changing, and altering what was perceived as normal. And her perception had quickly done a one-eighty the night Alucard had turned her.
"My god!" A voice called out over the crowd at the top of the stairs.
Radu attempted to keep walking but an approaching figure cut them off. A young man stood in front of them, he too wore an elegant three piece suit, and a scabbard hung from his side. Brown hair framed his face and accented his high cheekbones.
"Daniel," Radu greeted with a cheery smile, though Seras knew now that it was forced.
"I don't see you for a week and you show up with Seras Victoria on your arm?!" Daniel exclaimed with a laugh.
Seras tried to hide her stunned confusion, wondering if she had ever met the vampire before in her life, and was surprised when Daniel immediately turned to her and bowed.
"It is glorious to make your acquaintance, Draculina. How do you fare?" he asked, reaching for her hand and grasping it between his palms in sympathy. "It is always so hard for fledglings to outlive their sires, most don't make it, it's amazing to know that you pulled through. But then again, you were the king's, it is only to be expected."
Seras glanced to Radu for help but he seemed a bit preoccupied as his eyes were set on something else. She turned her gaze back to the waiting Daniel and smiled in the kindest way she could manage before bowing her head, "Thank you for your concern but I am doing quite well." She did not bother correcting him on the fact that she was no longer a fledgling as it hardly seemed to matter at the time. Additionally, she wasn't quite ready to put her cards on the table.
"Such an elegant little thing," Daniel cooed. "Good thing you have Radu at your side, I'm afraid someone would steal you away if he wasn't."
Seras forced a laugh and pulled her hand from his gently, "That's what I was afraid of," she admitted. She hadn't had to rely on small talk in years and to suddenly find herself thrown into a situation that required it was not as disorienting as she had feared it would be. She supposed she had her gender to thank for that.
Down by her side the wolf huffed in irritation.
"Have all the guests arrived?"
"Not yet," Flagler responded while he stood at one of the tower windows, his arms crossed, and a bemused expression on his face.
"It should be quite the interesting night, all the world is about to change, I do hope it's a good party," Cain drawled from his spot on the windowsill of the adjacent window. One foot rested on the sill and the other on the floor beneath him and his cloak trailed to the ground, displaying the red tunic and copious amounts of jewels he wore beneath it.
"I'm sure it will be," Flagler remarked blandly.
"So sure?" Cain turned his head to take in the young vampire in mock concern. His icy eyes blazed in the darkness and unsettled the vampire while they lingered on him.
"Of course," Flagler shot back with a shrug and a smirk. "Why wouldn't it?"
"Oh, you know," he trailed off.
Flagler turned back to look at the demon in puzzlement, his expression said he clearly did not know, and realized the demon was playing at something. Never a good sign considering he was a far more powerful being than him and had centuries worth of warped memories and knowledge at his disposal. Who knew what actions he would take when it came down to it. After all the planning they had done over the past several decades he could suddenly decide he was bored with their plotting and be done with him in the most horrendous way possible.
"You never know who might show up to these kinds of things," he finished with a smile, displaying his shark like teeth for the vampire to see before he pushed himself to his feet. His cloak trailed after him, dragging across the floor as he moved to join Flagler at the window. "Just in case, I prepared this for you," he said while lifting a small bundle of cloth. He passed it over to the vampire as he spoke. "Should any problems arise, use that, and I'm certain all will be taken care of."
"What do you know?" Flagler asked suspiciously, eyeing the bundle of innocent looking cloth before sliding into his coat pocket.
"Nothing," Cain answered with a shrug, "a least for sure anyways."
Integra sat at a table on the edge of the ballroom, she sipped on a glass of water while Andrews stood at her side patiently, the two had yet to join the fray of socializing. Guests were scattered about the room, all wearing glorious gowns and exquisite suits, chattering away into the night. They spoke of gossip, politics, and sports and Integra had to wonder why it was the Pope had invited her to such an event. Although, she was glad to see that she had not been the only one dragged to the dance, the Knights of the Round Table could be seen standing about and taking part in small talk. Their suits were decorated with metals and of a more esteemed quality than the majority present.
Several of them had greeted her already, complimented her beauty, and left her laughing from their behavior. All those years that she struggled to earn their respect as a woman, wore suits and cravats, smoked cigars, refused to back down, and when she suddenly put on a dress they were left flabbergasted and stumbled to praise her. Imagine that! And it wasn't as if she were a young thing anymore either. It left her feeling rather smug.
"It seems that more powerful individuals keep arriving, some, I might add, are prominent figures amongst the vampire hunting community," Andrews intoned from behind her.
Integra turned her eyes to the main entrance to the ballroom where an older man and his wife had entered. That was the King of Spain, she noted apathetically, and allowed her gaze to wander further into the room where she sighted several rougher looking characters in slapped together suits. They were one of the more famous American monster hunting groups she had researched before venturing across the pond as it were.
Throughout the half hazard clustering of guests several wait staff traversed with trays filled with beverages and finger foods. One broke out from a particular grouping and made his way over to Integra and offered her a glass of champagne. Integra took the offered drink with a smile and a thank you before returning to her observation.
"It seems suspicious," she muttered to Andrews.
"Indeed," the butler agreed with a smirk. "Perhaps Flagler is not the only one with something planned."
Integra paused and glanced back at Andrews in surprise, "You don't think . . .?" she trailed off and pushed herself to her feet.
Andrews seemed to realize what he just said and his expression darkened, "That he knows of Flagler and his plans? It certainly seems that way."
"Could he be in league with him?" Integra wondered out loud. "All of his possible enemies are right here, in this room, not a street away from him."
"I believe it is time for some serious questioning," Andrews stated. He turned his eyes to his employer and watched as her surprised expression lowered into a scowl and she clenched her fists.
"I believe you're right," she muttered.
The light and fanciful music that filled the brightly lit room suddenly did not match the mood. Integra stormed across the floor, heading for a particularly large clustering of people from which she could see the top of Pope Francis's hat.
Radu pulled Seras away from the excited Daniel, as he had begun to draw the attention of others around them, and down the hall that led to the dining room. He wore a grim expression as they walked and she worried they had been discovered without her even knowing. She wondered what kind of tortures they would be subjugated to. She could only imagine what a hungering crowd of vampires would do to entertain themselves. But then she realized she was overreacting. Not only that, but the wolf at her side was there for that specific reason: to wreak havoc and protect them if they were discovered.
She glanced down at Alucard, who was padding across the floor next to her, and she reached down to brush the scruff of his neck to reassure herself of his presence. The wolfish leer that met her gaze because of it only told her that all was well.
"What's wrong, Radu?" she asked curiously when they were relatively out of ear shot.
"Huh?" he looked at her in confusion before he actually registered what she had said. "Oh! Nothing, I'm just trying to avoid . . ." he trailed off and looked on ahead of them with an expression of resigned frustration. ". . . That," he finished lamely.
Seras turned to follow his line of a sight and tensed just as Radu had not moments ago. Ahead of them stood a woman of such beauty that she made Seras feel like little more than a frog (or an awkward teenager struggling through a particularly bad case of puberty). She was dressed in red silk that hugged her body and nearly pushed her breasts up to her chin. Brown hair was braided atop her head while a few stray strands framed her face artfully. Her skin was of the palest porcelain and bare of any blemishes, something that particularly irritated Seras as when she had been turned all of her past scars remained, and sparkled in the dim lighting.
Next to her Alucard scoffed, a harsh gagging sound coming from his wolfish vocal cords, and made as if to go after her but Seras moved ahead of him and crouched down in his path. The train of her dress had remained behind in her original position and now encircled the wolf while he growled. She rested her hands on her knees to steady herself in the crouch while wearing stilettos.
"Master, we're are not to attack anyone until Flagler makes a move, remember?" she reminded with a nervous smile.
The wolf glowered at her and she could imagine the terrifying expression he would be wearing had he been in his human form. She could even see the trembles of restrained fury that wracked his body. He moved to push past her and she threw out an arm to stop him, surprised by the amount of strength he had in such a small body, and nearly toppled over from the effort.
"I am sure Radu appreciates what you are trying to do," she added quickly to regain his attention. It wasn't the first time that she had wished he had not been forced to give her his blood, had they still had the bond they could have spoken to each other with none the wiser, but now she was forced to voice her thoughts to him in hushed whispers so as not to draw attention. "But I also feel that he believes that his fights are his own and he wishes to finish them himself. He probably wants to make you proud," she finished quickly, noticing that the beautiful woman had begun her approach.
"My, how sweet, speaking to your familiars is such an adorably innocent past time," the woman said as she drew near. She practically glided over the floor with deadly grace and leveled Seras with a sickly sweet smile that caused her to shiver in disgust. "It is just a wolf darkling, they don't understand speech," she finished just as she came to a stop in front of Radu.
Seras put forth her best smile and laughed, "I know, you are right, but I simply can't help myself. He is just so intelligent sometimes that I forget."
"Such a human view on the subject, how old are you my dear?" she oozed charm as she asked the question but she watched Radu from the corner of her eye.
"A woman never shares her age," Seras answered with a laugh. As the vampiress finally turned her attention to Radu, Seras looked away with a grimace and tightened her grip on the wolf in restrained anger. "I'm beginning to have second thoughts," she muttered darkly.
The wolf wheezed out a laugh.
"Radu, my dear little prince, where have you been?" she asked the younger of the two brothers.
"Elizabeth," he bowed slightly at the waist, "I was ordered to escort Lady Victoria tonight."
"Were you now?" she lifted her brows in mock surprise, despite her having been present when Flagler had ordered him to deliver the invitation, and turned her gaze back onto the Draculina. "It seems you've kidnapped my fledgling from me, I am sure you won't mind if I reclaim him, there are a few guests I'd like him to meet."
This trollop wants to parade him around like a show dog, Seras thought darkly. She met the eyes of the wolf in front of her, her hands still resting on his shoulders in her forgotten effort to restrain him, and something passed between them. She smiled at him before pushing herself back into a standing position and brushing off her gown which, she noted with triumph, was far more elegant and gothic than Lady Elizabeth's.
"I hardly would consider it kidnapping when the one supposedly being kidnapped is relieved upon being kidnapped," she shot back with a pleasant smile. She reached for Radu's arm and pulled him to her side. The man was watching the two women like his life depended on it but truthfully he feared more for the safety of Seras than himself. "Unfortunately I would mind if you took him as he is my escort and besides him I know virtually no one at this event and would not enjoy being left to wander on my own."
Something seemed to happen as her words grew heavier with warning. An aura seemed to sweep over the group, it drew the attention of surrounding guests, and caused Elizabeth to tense. There were promises of pain and torture in that cold air that seemed to settle over her like a straitjacket and it carried a distinctly dark presence within it. Images of a long dead figure appeared in her head, of his destructive powers, and the millions that he slaughtered. Dark laughter echoed in the back of her mind and she dropped her eyes away from the innocent stare of the draculina in front of her. Unfortunately that was all it took to destroy her reputation. Those who had turned their heads to watch the bit of drama saw her back down, a thing that held much more meaning for vampires than humans, as it meant that Elizabeth saw Seras as the dominant creature.
Elizabeth was no push over. She was a powerful vampire, capable of controlling the darkness to an extent that was almost unheard of. She was gluttonous in her thirst for blood and frivolous in how she used it. She had killed hundreds of thousands herself and used half of them to simply bathe in their blood, drank from the other two thirds, and the very few left behind she had turned. None of them survived for long. She was a cruel and mad creature that tortured them far past their breaking point. Radu had been the only one to outlive them all, but he had yet been able to free himself of her tyranny.
Just as quickly as her eyes lowered she lifted her gaze to Seras again and smiled pleasantly, "Of course," she agreed. "My apologies for my lack of manners," she said as she curtsied and turned away. It was easy to see her tense shoulders and frustration in her stride.
Radu let out a breath in an attempt to relieve the tension and turned to the wolfish figure of his brother, "Good thinking," he commended. Heaven only knows what would have happened had he not stepped in. Elizabeth Bathory was not a monster to be trifled with by any means.
The wolf chuckled and followed after the two as they continued walking down the hall. He hadn't done a thing.
Seras fell into a rather sour mood after that. The confrontation with Radu's mistress had set her on edge and opened a floodgate of righteous indignation on his behalf. She promised herself that when the shit hit the fan obliterating Elizabeth was one of their top priorities and she knew a certain Vampire King who would love to sink his fangs into her, Radu's pride be damned.
"Don't be so upset," Radu admonished lightly from her side and smiled kindly down at her.
He's an idiot, she thought, he was such a kindhearted fool that his own discomfort no longer mattered to him. She had no doubt that he had suffered much in his un-life but, and this was theorizing on her part, she was certain he had in his past life as well. Knowing Alucard from personal experience and what Radu had told her, he had worked to protect his younger brother against the harshness of reality to the best of his abilities. It would explain why he was still so protective of him now, even six hundred years since their last meeting, he still felt the need to shelter him. She suddenly understood his aversion to tears as well.
Rather than snap at him and urge him to see the reality of the situation she smiled in return, "You're right. We have a mission to complete."
"Not only that," Radu added, "But they're playing my favorite song."
Seras stared out him, dumbfounded, but listened to the classical music. She vaguely recognized the music as something she had legitimately heard in a Dracula movie as a young adult. The realization had her letting out a bark of laughter that had Radu grinning at her like a fool. Fingers danced across a piano while violins accompanied it followed by a light layering of percussion.
"What's it called?" Seras asked curiously.
"Toccata and Fugue," Radu answered with a pleasant sigh. "Shall we?" he offered his hand to her with a bow.
"I don't know how to dance," Seras admitted dryly, watching as vampires spun across the floor in the dining room as well. She quickly realized that it was only called such because it had been where the students took their meals but it was far from being average. Just like the rest of the building the ceiling was covered in murals and lights hung down to bathe the guests in soft light. The dining tables were absent from the floor and their spaces were occupied by performers and guests instead.
"That's fine, just go with the flow," Radu answered with a laugh.
"Go with the flow," Seras repeatedly sarcastically but none the less took his hand and followed him out into the center of the floor.
Alucard moved off to sit by a wall, irritated by the lack of excitement taking place, and bored with the two youngsters and their banter. He observed the crowd while his ears flicked back and forth, picking out conversations, listening in, before tuning in to the next one. He might as well eavesdrop and gather information while the two had their fun. He grunted.
At some point during their dance he was joined by the Frenchman. He leaned against the wall next to him, puffing on a cigarette, and watching the vampires with his one good eye. He slid to the floor and sat on the ornate tile with a sigh.
"This is quite a turn of events," he commented after a moment of silence between the two, "Never thought I'd get to attend a vampire party." He blew out a strand of smoke and pulled the cigarette from his lips, allowing it to dangle between two fingers, and rested his arms atop his knees. "It looks like the bloody flower is moving in on your territory," he observed bemusedly.
The wolf snorted and flicked an ear. He was too busy listening in on a conversation between two ladies pertaining to himself to pay attention to the rambling Frenchman. When he realized that they were still rather young little demonesses and were simply gossiping about whom he favored sharing his bed with in the past he lost interest. Idiots, he had not shared a bed with anyone in nearly a century. Hellsing had taken over his life and locked him away from the world unless he was needed to dispose of some monster. What did it matter anyways? He was supposedly dead. Wiped from the face of the Earth for all eternity. It seemed they had yet to relinquish their humanity if all they cared about was sex. Even Seras had matured past that stage, in fact, she didn't even gossip.
It seemed thirty years of destroying himself had made him a little less self-absorbed.
Pip watched him curiously before lifting the cigarette to his lips and examining the crowd around them. He dashed the brief longing for his men that slid through his mind, the need to know that he had his team to back him up in any situation, and let out a sigh. Things just weren't the same anymore. He was thankful that Seras was now a full-blooded vampire and thus allowed him to walk about on his own accord, eat food, drink alcohol, hell, he could probably get laid if he wanted to. But he missed the job. Missed running into a war with guns loaded and crazy smiles on their faces and the hopes of surviving long enough to spend their cash reward. Seras was amazing, he would not have asked her to drink his blood had he not be prepared for the outcome, and he would never go back on his decision, but he couldn't help but yearn for the past just as she did.
His eyes traveled over the groupings of vampires warily, taking their toothy smiles and undead grace, and cataloging every face that he saw. Oddly enough, the vampire in disguise at his side was doing the same. Alucard had noted the vampires he recognized and had organized their identities by who he wanted to feed off of and who he simply wanted to kill. There were no other options. By the end of night, if everything went to plan, he would wipe them all off the face of the planet.
The wolfish grin returned.
How lovely it would be to destroy every single vampire of power that had gathered at the party. Over half of the world's most frightening monsters were right there, trading polite small talk and snacking on the mesmerized students in their dorm rooms, and the most horrifying of them all was sitting in the corner wagging his tail excitedly.
"He's up to something," Seras muttered while she and Radu spun across the floor. She was lucky that he had taken the lead, as was tradition, because she would have been at a loss without him. As it was, it was easy enough to follow the simple movements and still hold a conversation.
"Who?" Radu asked curiously.
"Your brother," she deadpanned.
"I see," Radu turned his head to glance back at the wolf who looked for all the world like an overjoyed dog. Seras was throwing around the possessive words on top of it. It had become obvious that when she did not want to associate with Alucard he became 'His Brother' but any other day he was 'My Master'. Radu chuckled lightly and looked back to Seras. "I am sure he is just imagining how he is going to slaughter this lot."
"At least Pip will keep me updated," Seras added. She had asked him the watch over the vampire to make sure he didn't go off on his own and make trouble as she was sure he wanted to.
"Right," Radu changed the subject, "It's ten o'clock now so I imagine Flagler will be making his speech soon."
"I thought the bad guys always did the speech at the end of the party," Seras interrupted curiously.
Radu laughed, "It only seems that way because the good guys come in afterwards and ruin everything thus cutting the party short."
"Oh, I never thought of it like that," she admitted.
"Of course you haven't," Radu agreed with a laugh, "You've never been the bad guy."
Seras smiled at him, proud of his observation, and allowed her eyes to travel over the other people twirling around them. Vampires, she corrected herself, as their shoes made no sound on the tiled floor and they practically radiated the scent of blood. Every so often she caught one staring at them intensely and it made her nervous. She would look away after making eye contact and stare at Radu's handkerchief devotedly until they had passed. It shouldn't be all that strange that they were dancing together, Radu was her master's brother, and if Alucard had truly died wouldn't she take the chance to speak and console his brother? In all reality, it had more to do with her than Radu, as must vampires knew her career choice and were wondering if they should slaughter her on the spot or let her be. A few, however, remained leery of her true abilities and would not dare to make a move against her. Many had seen footage from the London attack, footage of her rampaging through the streets, and of her defeating a werewolf, and knew that she was far more sadistic and powerful than she let on.
Seras glanced over Radu's shoulder as they spun about and caught sight of Pip waving at her to grab her attention. He was standing at the entrance to the dining room and when she had spotted him he thumbed over his shoulder to the wolf that was stalking down the hallway determinedly, leaving the dancing monsters behind.
"Where's master going?" she wondered at loud.
"I don't know," Radu responded suspiciously.
The two paused in their dance but it was Seras who let go and hurried off after the two, picking up her skirts to run after them, and left Radu standing in the center of the dance floor awkwardly. He sighed, resigned, and followed with the hint of a smile.
Seras caught up to Pip and slowed her pace just as she stepped out into the hall, naturally she was not out of breath, but a wisp of hair had come loose and settled on the side of her face in her haste. Alucard trudged on ahead of them, growling at those who came near, and forcing others to move out of his direct path with little more than a nudge to their mind. If he had been a normal sized wolf he would not have drawn as much attention to himself while he lead the group of two vampires and their familiars down the hall, but he wasn't, his back was hip level to an average height man and it was intimidating. Never mind his glowing red eyes and black fur.
"What's he up to?" she asked Pip, throwing an imploring look over to him as they hurried after the wolf. She had yet to drop her skirts.
"I don't know," Pip shrugged and replaced the cigarette in his mouth. "One second he was wagging his tale like an adorable puppy and the next he's wandering off and ignoring me." He did not seem as worried as Seras did and simply followed in the wake of the monster casually observing the other vampires as they passed. Apparently, being dead gives you a rather blasé outlook on walking into a den full of monsters.
"Some help you are," Seras groused.
At some point Radu had caught up to them and was following behind with his hands in his pockets. He too appeared casual and even went so far as to smile at someone he knew as they passed. The vampire that he directed his grin at looked flabbergasted and stared at him in confusion.
The wolf exited the hall and stepped into the lighting of the foyer. Ahead of him was a small balcony between the twin set of stairs that led down into the first floor of the foyer. The others followed him towards it, moving around other vampires who were milling about, and stepped up to the railing just as someone from the third floor railing cleared his throat. The sound echoed against the domed ceiling and managed to catch the attention of all those present and Seras was certain even the vampires scattered about the college and dancing in the dining room were able to hear it. The image of a man standing before a microphone, clearing his throat and tapping at it, sending it ringing in everyone's ears and earning nervous laughter from him, flashed through her mind. But that was silly, Vampires didn't need microphones when they could just project their voice through every shadow as this one was doing.
Seras stood at the railing next to Alucard and Pip stood to her left. Radu had come up on the other side of his brother to look up at the familiar vampire who stood at the railing above and across from them, looking down at all his guests with a smile. Just like the rest of them he too wore a very old fashioned suit and black cape hung from his right shoulder, it was lined with purple silk, and spoke of egotistical importance. But then again, all the vampires were wearing similar clothing.
"I hope you are all enjoying yourselves," he drawled. His voice was not as deep as Alucard's but it was accented and demented all the same. It managed to send chills down Seras's spine.
The vampires around them chuckled darkly and an overwhelming aura of dark amusement seemed to swell within the college and overtook whatever blissful and casual emotions that had filled the building before Flagler had uttered a word.
Alucard had sat back on his haunches to listen.
"This is the night marking the beginning of a new era," Flagler exclaimed, lifting his arms to gesture to all of the creatures standing below him. "Tonight we will move forward and step out into the world as we never have before. No longer will we be myths and legends, stories the humans tell their children to frighten them into bed, no longer will we wander the night fearing for our lives." He placed his hands on the railing and leaned over as he spoke, his mad eyes gleaming with glee, and paused. He looked over all the upturned faces staring up at him with rapt attention, they yearned for a new leader, someone to pave the way to their new existence and he would give it to them. He dropped his gaze briefly in thought and pushed away from the banister and walked a few steps before speaking. "But let us not forget where we come from, let us not forget our heritage, our legacy, our king!"
His words, which had steadily grown louder and more intense as he spoke, echoed across the room. The vampires had fallen silent, pausing in their whispered conversations, and waited for him to continue with bated breath.
Pip glanced down at the wolf not a few feet away from him. This was a bit much for him. He had never been one for grand speeches and dramatics. He shot first and asked questions later and if for some reason he did speak during a job it was to crack some kind of joke to lighten the mood. Either way, he was surprised to see the thing staring up at Flagler with a cocked head and a grin. He was sitting on the floor so complacently that Pip could imagine he was simply waiting for a treat.
"He was a magnificent creature that struck fear into the hearts of men with just the mere mention of his name. He was ageless but ancient and within him we placed all our hopes and dreams, to lead us into the future, to pave the way for our kind," his voice grew quieter, more saddened, and forced his audience to lean forward with perked ears to listen. "But he was a selfish thing. He wanted something he could not have and in an effort to get it he was caught." His tone became lighter and he shrugged, once again pacing around the third floor banister. "Captured by a cruel man who tortured, experimented on, and beat him until he one day broke," he said, holding out his hands in helpless defeat. "And he left us to wander the night alone."
He once again returned to his original spot and set his hands on the railing, "Now, we are not a mindless species. We do not kill and destroy without thought. We do not wish to live without government." He paused once again, building anticipation within the crowd. "I propose that we reveal ourselves and take what is ours, what was always meant to be ours, and build our own world. Humans have thought themselves the top of the food chain for thousands of years and now - just because someone more powerful and dangerous than them appears – they believe that their position is threatened." He shook his head. "But we know better than that, don't we?" he asked with a smile. "They never had that position to begin with. They call us monsters just because we prey on them but tell me, what does the antelope call the lion? The seal the shark? When humans observe these dramas in the wild they don't call it an act of needless violence – they call it nature!"
Seras glanced down at Alucard who was wheezing out a wolfish chuckle while his fur stood on end. She would admit that the more Flagler spoke the more distressed she became. There had been some vain hope that they could somehow reason with these people, make them see their way, but it was not to be. She had come to the realization that they were at war not but a few days ago but along with that revelation she had also understood that the creatures they were now up against were not the simple trash that she had fought against for the past thirty years. They had far more intelligence and power at their disposal and she had hoped they would not be so blinded by ambition as to pit themselves against all of humanity.
"So why don't we do as nature demands and take our place at the top . . . as it should be. Follow me as we step out into the night and end this useless cycle of existing under a race inferior to us. We will openly claim our position as the top of the food chain and take what was always meant to be ours. No longer will we hide in the shroud of darkness. No longer shall we bow to a false alpha. The time to fully assert ourselves and reveal our dominance is now!" He grinned at the generous applause that greeted the end of his speech. Even the familiars cheered in their own animalistic ways and gnashed their teeth in excitement. There was an army of ghouls under the college at his command, a militia of vampires on his side, and nothing but sheep standing in their way. Blood would be spilled.
The applause lasted for several minutes. The amount of euphoric glee – the thirst for blood and domination – that exuded from the crowd was contagious and Flagler chuckled. But as the applause died down there was one lone set of hands that took up their own tempo. It echoed across the room much like Flager's voice had not minutes ago and was soon accompanied by a low chuckle.
"What a moving speech!"
The voice was deep and guttural with madness, it promised pain and torture, but it also spoke of restrained excitement.
The whole of the crowd fell silent as the owner of the voice was searched out. Hundreds of eyes scanned the crowd around them until they all landed on the small clustering of figures at the top of the second story stairs.
"The ability to inspire such a large number of creatures that thrive off of the past and the promise of eternity, to be able to urge them into change, is quite a commendable feat."
"You!" Flagler gripped the banister with such force that it groaned under his grasp and threatened to splinter. He stared down at the monstrous creature clad in red as he laughed at the stunned expression on his face and paled.
"Me?" he cocked his head, now adorned with a set of orange lensed glasses, and grinned like a madman. "Surely you didn't think I was actually dead?"
"How?" Flagler stammered.
The vampires had all fallen silent. They wore expressions of awe and fear while their undead king reclaimed his position as the dominant monster among them without having even lifted a finger. Well, besides to applaud the speech that addressed his supposed death anyways.
Alucard stepped up to the railing and rested his gloved hands atop it casually, his eyes never leaving the figure of Flagler, and laughed. "You have quite a grand dream hanging over your head," he drawled, eyeing the vampire from under his wide brimmed hat, "But that is all it was ever meant to be, I'm afraid, as to step up and conquer the world would be the end of our legacy."
"What legacy?" Flagler blustered, leaned back from the railing in confusion and rage. "The legacy of defeat by a weak creature such as man, to hide in the shadows while the world slowly rots and men waste away in front of their screens? There is no grandeur left here: no opulent wars, no honor in death, no secrets or darkness to discover. It has all been fought, killed, and seen by us and our inferior enemies. This world is dead. A new one must be created in its place."
"You will create a utopia of scientific exploration and revelation without a doubt," Alucard agreed solemnly for he saw the way the others bent to Flagler's words like the flowers to the sun, "But you will, one day, be thwarted by man once again."
Flagler laughed, "If we all revealed ourselves to create the society I have planned then there would be no stopping us. Man would not have a chance!" He glowered down at the no-life king in such defiant rage that it would have been intimidating had it not been for the obvious fear that could not be masked by it.
"Man's strength is not in their physical ability or length of existence, you fool," Alucard muttered. He had at first saw Flagler as a worthy opponent but as their conversation played out he soon realized his errors and flawed logic. The plans he boasted were desires, not well thought out schematics, they were nothing but wishful thinking. "It is in their will. A world ruled by tyranny will not stop them as they will fight against it until the end of time. You cannot simply destroy them all as they are the very things we thrive from. And if you were to simply enslave them, breed them to be nothing but mindless bags of rotting organs and blood, there would one day be a spark of hope. It would come from the simplest of actions, maybe someone slipped them an extra ration, or they glimpsed the sun for the first time, or heard a fragment of music drifting down to them in their cells . . . It would ignite something within them and you would never know peace again." Such an angry look of disgust and distaste overtook his previously gleeful expression, "I never made a move to conquer humanity because I found them to be worth so much more when you allow them to flourish."
"This is not some kind of game!" Flagler exclaimed.
"Isn't it?" Alucard questioned with a quirked brow. "You boast of a world full of new meaning but it would eventually be us that would waste away in front of our screens while the humans plotted to retake their world. You claim to want to break away from the cycle but that in itself is part of the cycle. No, the only real away to gain any of your so called "new meaning" would be to send the world back into the dark ages. To once again reap death and war and rebuild our legacies as the monsters that roam the edges of the map. Gnashing our teeth in the shadows while man hesitates to leave their homes in fear of us."
Flagler growled and the banister finally gave way under his grip. How dare this has been insult and degrade him in front of all of his followers. There was a moment in which the fragments of the banister hung suspended in the air by his own malignant aura, before he launched himself forward at his former king.
It happened so quickly that the majority of those gathered did not realize what had happened until Flagler was on top of Alucard, his fists locked together, and brought down over his head in such a vicious hit that it sent him rolling down the stairs. He landed at the bottom, bones crumpled and broken, some protruding from his flesh, but once again wearing a crazed grin as he stared up at his attacker reverently.
Seras, worried for Alucard and filled with her own righteous anger, moved to attack Flagler where he stood staring down at his fallen enemy. But it was Radu who held her back with just one hand to her shoulder and shook his head. She looked back at him, skirts held in hand, and scowled in confusion.
"I'm afraid this not just a simple fight," Radu explained quietly, "This is a battle with far more at stake than just their lives."
Flagler strolled down the steps, slowly making his way towards his now enemy, and chuckled. "Have you grown so weak that a single hit is all it takes?" He stopped on the last step and stared down at him scornfully. "Your time has passed old man, it's my turn now, and the world will change," he crouched down as he spoke and grinned. "Now accept it and die!" He lifted a hand and plunged it through his chest, feeling his ribs break way and his long dead heart squelch under the pressure. His innards were cold and bare of any spark of life, blood pooled out beneath him as Flagler's fingers touched the tile through his back, and he coughed.
Blood splattered across Flagler's face and he glowered.
"My king!" Someone cried out and a collective gasp could be heard.
Alucard laughed. He lifted his broken arms and they cracked and reformed, allowing him to push himself up, and Flagler's arm moved further into his chest. When he was sitting up fully and Flagler was up to his elbow in vampiric flesh he grinned, their noses inches from each other. "If only I could," he rasped gleefully and bit down on his neck without warning.
Flagler cried out, scrambling to push him off of him, and shoved at his head. But it was to no avail. While he flounder about Alucard regained his footing and stood, dragging Flagler with him, before grasping him by his neck and holding him suspended over the floor. He unlatched his jaws from his throat after taking several mouthfuls and lifted him higher, subsequently pulling his arm from his chest, before flinging him across the room.
The form of Flagler hit the floor and bounced before coming to a stop just feet from the ring of vampires surrounding them. He groaned and rolled over, struggling to push himself to his feet, while Alucard laughed and once again applauded his antics.
"You taste horrible," he observed in amusement.
"You monster," Flagler spat. Blood continued to dribble from his throat, it was still fresh and warm from his last victim, and splattered onto the tile while he glared.
Alucard scowled and snorted. He walked up to him and gripped his throat again, ignored the spluttering insults thrown his way as he did so, and lifted him above his head. "This is who you chose to follow in my absence?" he exclaimed, speaking to the vampires lining the room that watched on in horror or hope. "A piece of trash with nothing but petty wishes and desires? He doesn't want to lead this world into a new era! He just wants to feel wanted!" He laughed. "You all doubt me so, truly, do you still wish to pine after this useless bag of undead flesh not even fit for the vultures?"
Alucard turned his gaze onto the creatures around him, eyes shining out from behind his glasses, and watched with pleasure as they bowed their heads in shame and some even fell to their knees. He was so enamored by the emotions portrayed in that moment, the satisfaction of his victims defeat, that he did not even bother to look when he felt Flagler shift. From the corner of his eye he watched as an off white cloth fluttered to the ground uselessly and turned his gaze onto his enemy just as he drove a blade through his heart.
There was a moment of stunned silence. Alucard lifted a brow in bemusement. Flagler smirked. And the world went black.
"Master!" Seras shouted from the top of the stairs. She had thrown off Radu's hand and ran forward just as Alucard crumpled to the ground in a heap of red clothe and pale flesh. Flagler tumbled to the ground next to him and dragged himself away from the monster, wheezing against his strained vocal cords, and pushed himself to his feet. He turned back and stared down with wide eyes at the now still figure.
"Ha!" he laughed after a minute of inactivity. "Not even the great Undead King can stop me! Now follow me into the night so that we may take what is rightfully ours!" He exclaimed with raised arms. He spun about, taking in the horrified faces around him while he chuckled.
"Yes, yes, you did a superb job at removing one obstacle."
The new voice was just as deep if not deeper than Alucard's and spoke in such a bored tone that it instantly calmed the other vampires in the room.
All eyes turned to the top of the stairs where a new figure stood. He too had dark hair but it fell well passed his shoulders and hung about his face in shining waves. His eyes, unlike the rest of the attendees, were blue as ice and just as cold.
Seras turned to the figure behind her and stepped down one stair, feeling the heavy aura of death that radiated from him, and watched on in fear as he moved forward. He gave her a curious smile as he passed that left her skin crawling and awakened distant horrors she had dreamed of not so long ago. Her hand trembled on the banister.
"Thank you, Flalger," Cain continued as he descended the steps and stopped on the tiled floor. "It was an excellent show."
"Of course, sir," Flagler stuttered. He dropped his eyes to the floor and stepped back as the demon approached the fallen figure of Alucard.
Cain eyed the corpse and pulled a foot back before kicking him in the chest and rolling him onto his back with the force. The sightless eyes of Alucard stared up at the ceiling. His glasses had broken in the fall and were now shattered, the pieces splayed across his cheeks and on the floor beside him. Not even his smile remained.
"Our plans can finally move forward," Flagler said with a nervous smirk.
Cain did not take his eyes from the fallen figure of his only enemy but he hummed and lifted a hand. "Our plans?" he questioned lightly. Across from him Flagler had fallen silent, unable to move under the power of the demon, and watched on in terror as he finally turned his cold stare onto him. "Somewhere along the way you seemed to have forgotten who was in charge here," he continued. He smirked and stepped over the body at his feet, his cloak trailing over it as he passed and knocking the already bent glasses askew. "You were just the face of this operation and now that the mask has been shattered I no longer require your services." He lifted his hand back, stretched taut in a mimic of the same move Flagler had used on Alucard not minutes before, but when he thrust it forward his hand pierced his skull and splattered brain matter across the floor in its wake.
The audience watched on as Flagler's body slid to the floor before disappearing into a pile of ash.
"Now then," Cain announced, shaking the gore from his hand as one would dish water, and eyed the bodies at his feet thoughtfully. "Those that wish to build our utopia will join me in the destruction of all that man holds dear, and those that don't . . ." he trailed off absently before finishing, "well, I don't really care what you do." He wiped his hand with the edge of his cloak, the dark fabric seemingly absorbing the stick substance, and lifted his cold eyes to the room around him. "An era of darkness awaits. Call forth all of your demons and shadows. All the monsters you have locked away. Humans have lived far too long in peace."
And just like that he was gone and a horde of bats took flight and rushed for every window and door within the building to follow after him. Vampires rushed to do as he bid, craving the dark world he promised, and scattered to the edges of the Earth to collect all their monsters and offer them up to the one true ruler of evil.
The vampires that were left, despairingly few in comparison to the numbers before, had yet to move from their positions around the room. Bats and ravens alike flew past them, their hair stirred by the window, but their eyes never left the crumpled form of their king. Returned and once more lost to them in what felt like a single moment. Their cold dead hearts sank like stones in their lifeless chests.
"Master!" Seras cried out again and flew down the stairs in a hurry. She nearly tripped on the last one and stumbled ahead before falling to her knees next to Alucard's body. He had not turn to ash, which left her feeling hopeful, but then again, would he perish in the same manner as all vampires before him had? He was of a level of his own and so her only comfort was fleeting in its existence.
Radu and Pip had hurried after her but they came to a stop just behind her.
She reached out a trembling hand and placed it on his chest, staring at the dagger that had been used to wound him so, and distressed over what action to take. The dagger was of obsidian, the hilt nothing but a smoothed portion of the jagged glass, with red ruins etched into the surface. It seemed to glow with a malignant aura all of its own. No movement came from him and the sight of him staring up at the ceiling with no emotion sickened her to such an extent that she could not take it. She grasped the hilt of the dagger and ripped it from his chest, throwing it across the floor where it clattered uselessly, and waited for some kind of response from him.
Suddenly, his chest heaved, pulling in a great lungful of air and she let out a sigh of relief. "He's breathing," she exclaimed, bending over to look at his face.
"He's breathing?" Radu questioned in disbelief. He and Pip shared a surprised glance before they moved forward to get a better look.
"Yes!" she answered excitedly and leaned over to get a glimpse of his face as it contorted in pain.
Alucard coughed and rolled over, vomiting up every ounce of previously drunken blood with such force that Radu reached forward to steady his shoulder in fear. His glasses fell from his face and landed within the puddle of expelled blood before his body was overtaken by his shadows and lost from sight for a moment. When the darkness receded he was no longer clad in his red coat and hat but a simple pair of torn black slacks and a grimy white shirt. His hair, usually short, fell about his face and shoulders in a straggly mess of inky locks. He had stopped heaving but now his body trembled and he strained to push himself into a sitting position.
"Vlad!" Radu exclaimed, helping his brother to sit up, and felt immense terror when even that seemed like such a struggle to him.
"Radu," he muttered and leaned against him, his head falling onto his shoulder. He had not the strength to hold himself up and Radu was forced to support him.
Seras leaned forward and pulled his hair back to look at his face, "Master?" she called shakily and froze. "Master, you look . . ." she trailed off, not having words to describe the way his skin had taken on a tanned and olive tone. But it was his eyes that made her blanch. They were a deep azure, vacant and dazed, but so blue that she had to do a double take. Throughout her examination his chest continued to constrict and expand while lungs, having not needed air for so long, thirsted for the enriching oxygen like a dying man in a desert. She gasped as the realization hit her, ". . .alive."
"Astute observation," he muttered dully, wincing against a wave of pain that wracked his body.
"I don't understand," Radu cried in a panic. "How could this happen?" His brother suddenly felt so weak and frail in his arms and so . . . warm. He could feel a heartbeat, weakly pumping what little blood he had left in his veins through his once dead body, but a heartbeat nonetheless.
"That blade," Alucard breathed, looking at the object from the corner of his eyes where it rested innocently on the ground. "And that demon," he added with a weak chuckle that left him coughing.
The vampires had drawn closer to get a look at their fallen king but their presence went unnoticed by the three clustered closest around him. They hid him from view and all the vampires could see of him were his boots and the back of his head.
"Master, what should we do?" Seras asked quietly in worry.
Alucard's face had taken on a rather slack and vacant expression. He felt every bruise and wound that had not had an opportunity to heal before his transformation. The gaping hole in his chest had closed to the point that it was not fatal but it still wept blood onto his white shirt. He felt the cold tile beneath him, the warmth of the air around him, and the way it bristled against his unused lungs. His stomach was twisting and knotting against the bits of blood still left within it and it threatened to surge forth against his will. He was feverish and paper thin and it was all wrong. His throat was parched but it was not warm blood that he craved to slacken it but cool water. He could no longer hear the voices of the souls in his mind. He could smell nothing past his own blood and he could see nothing but what was directly in front of him. He was so utterly cut off from all that he knew that his mind could not comprehend it.
"We need to get him back to the hotel," Pip voiced from next to Seras. It seemed he was the only one with a cool head on his shoulders. The only one who had dealt with a wounded soldier on the battlefield. He would have to take charge otherwise the bloody pansies would sit around wondering what to do all night while the bastard demon did god knows what. "We need to regroup," he added when he saw that the two had yet to register what he said.
"Right," Radu nodded.
He and Seras lifted Alucard between them, one arm over each of their shoulders. His hair fell forward to cover his face. Radu summoned up his own shadows and shifted under his brother's weight before leading them into the darkness.
The remaining vampires watched in stunned awe before turning to face each other demurely. They did not know what actions to take or what it was that was about to happen. But the sound of distant gates opening and the pounding of hundreds of feet on stone told them that the city of St. Augustine was about to be burried under a mountain of shambling corpses and rotted flesh.