Shenanigans-
Chapter 3 – Hero Of The Day
"Good job! You've done exceptionally well," Seras praised as Nerthus neatly devastated another fabricated target.
"It's hardly a fair fight," Nerthus murmured, surveying the area for the next round of false attack.
"Don't be modest," Seras replied. She raised a large shotgun and fired, accidentally hitting the civilian dummy.
"One point," Someone called from above, indicating that her error was not unnoticed.
"See, It's harder than you make it look. What's your secret?"
"Well, Seras, I don't care. This situation is not real, therefor there is no danger, no pressure," Nerthus admitted.
"Oh." Seras mumbled. How could the woman not care? Their performance was being graded, while Sir Integra watched, no less!
The two girls surveyed the hallway, sneaking towards the last room to be cleared. They peeked around the corner, hearing blank bullets begin to fly.
Springing into action, Seras rolled neatly into the room and began to fire at the dummies, triggering the off sequence on the false guns. Nerthus was close behind, catching the last wave of 'attackers' that the exercise had to offer.
A small concealed door opened on the southern wall and a tall blonde woman stepped through.
"Congratulations girls, you've succeeded," Integra spoke, smiling proudly down at her baby vampires.
"Yeah, yeah, we put holes in paper. Can I modify the course so we can actually get better?" Nerthus quipped, arms folded.
Integra raised an elegant platinum brow, "Oh? And what do you propose?"
"Well, I could make some mechanical adjustments, but it's not going to be a challenge since I'll be designing them. I'll know what the machinery sounds like, and be ready for the attack before it even happens. But there is a good question, where the heck is Alucard? Why can't he just attack Seras and I in a controlled environment?" Nerthus blurted, perhaps a little too quickly. She couldn't help the irritation that rose in her voice, she hated being stuck in limbo without anything challenging to look forward to.
"You know, I think you might have a good point," Integra said with a small chuckle, "None-the-less, you have lost the privilege to leave the compound for the night."
"What? Why?" Nerthus fumed.
"Do you really think you can speak to your superiors in such a manner?" Integra shot back.
"You are not superior to me. I am a woman, same as you, Integra. We are equal." Nerthus' hands began to shake, so she balled them into tight fists by her side.
"Do you need more educational classes about military structure?" Integra asked, ire now rising in her cheeks.
"You cannot force me to be part of your militia. What you are trying to do is slavery, Integra. Are you really so low?" Nerthus shot back.
"Foolish girl!" Integra roared, causing Seras to emit a small shriek and exit the room.
Nerthus, however, did not budge an inch. She seemed to lean into the force of Integra's voice, baring her teeth in a grim smile.
"I am doing you a favor, letting you live when others do not!" the blonde ranted, spittle flying from the corners of her severe lips. She looked as if she could say more, much more, yet the magnitude of her rage simply would not allow such articulation.
"And what gives you the choice to play god, Integra? Are we not all sparks from the same light? I am my own spark, and I refuse to let you take me!" Nerthus countered, veins rising at her temples.
"You will do as I command. Cease this nonsense immediately!" Integra boomed, extending one shaking finger towards the newest vampire.
Nerthus immediately felt a blanket of force tighten around her entire form, clutching at her throat as if to suck the life out of her.
Closing her eyes, she cleared all her thoughts and surrounded herself with a piercing white light. Steeling herself, she pushed outwards with it, willing it to shatter the inky black abyss that held her prisoner.
Her foe was strong. As if it had a mind of it's own, the force countered her efforts, drained her energy, and began to slowly break down the barriers she had erected within herself. Her heart gave an uncomfortable lurch as anguish threatened to weaken her further. She could feel the force pressing in on her, making her smaller within herself.
She intensified the light, using the power of her raw emotions to drive her on. Immense pressure bore down on her. The force seemed to take on a balloon effect, stretching tight as the light compressed and swelled against it. She could feel the darkness press in on her light, trying to force it back inside her. Nerthus refused to let the dark chains hold her any longer. Using the last of her energy, she gave another great push of light.
Nerthus was vaguely aware of someone screaming, then with a shock realized it was herself. Her ears were ringing, and her vision was blurred. She swiped at her eyes as she struggled to make out her blurry surroundings.
Birds chirped from various distances, some close by and others far away. The symphony of the night rose and fell, though the peeping frogs were somewhat off key. The forested landscape of the night unfolded before her, mountainous and green. Turning to look behind her, she found she was on the steps of a great and crumbling castle.
It smelled like earth and spices, rain and wind, like home. Nerthus smiled as she beheld the structure, an odd calmness stealing over her heart. With a start, she realized that she was holding an object in her left hand. A small golden ring, exquisitely carved with the image of a dragon with a small cross over it's wings.
Nerthus thought it was beautiful, and marveled at it in the silver light of the full moon. Where had this treasure come from? The question brought about another sickening realization, along with the flood of memories from the confrontation with Integra. A vague sense of anxiety rose within her as she attempted to recognize the ruins in which she had appeared. Yet she was not afraid, for she knew that this mystery was borne from her light.
A broad smile curved her lips, grateful that her psychic self defense lessons had finally paid off. Wherever she was now did not matter, for surely it was far from the Hellsing mansion. She had earned her freedom, but at what cost? Nerthus had a foreboding sense that she had not seen the last of Ingegra. And what of Alucard, for that matter? Basing her opinion from what he had exhibited already, Nerthus guessed that the enigmatic Nosferatu would not care.
Realizing that she had been fingering the ring the whole time, Nerthus once more focused her attention on it. Somehow, she felt that it belonged to her. Yet, it obviously must have had a recent owner judging by the condition. She found herself debating over weather or not she cared. She did want it, and nobody was around.
Well, that makes the decision pretty darn easy, she thought as she slid the ring onto her right hand.
"Alucard," Integra summoned, positively seething. She waited a few moments before emitting an exasperated sigh, "ALUCARD!"
"What is it you want, Sir Integra?" Alucard asked, rising from a pool of shadows that had quickly gathered on the floor.
"You know perfectly well what I want, Alucard. How was it that yourbrat was able to defy my orders?" Integra probed.
Alucard stared at the young woman with unreachable eyes, "I do not know, Master."
Integra's fire cooled at the bland truth of his statement. "Find her," she growled.
"Yes, Master," came Alucard's velvet response. In an instant, he had melted back into oblivion. The police girl was long gone by now, and Integra was left to her thoughts.
She did not yet know the how of it all, and truth to be told the woman's words had broken though to her. She had never given much thought to the Cromwell seal, taking it for granted since she had awoken Alucard years earlier. She had always considered the creatures of the night god forsaken monsters, never really giving much thought to Alucard's thoughts and feelings. Though, she could not deny the bond she felt with the Nosferatu, the things she had learned about him as she grew into adulthood.
Are we not all sparks from the same light? The woman's words rang clear and true in Integra's head. She was still baffled by the events that had just taken place. Nerthus had seemed to radiate with her own light, shaking off Integra's own shadowy confines. She had seen them, pulsing like great snakes coated with sludge. And she had watched as the vampire, whom she believed to be evil, lesser than human, sever them with light so pure she had to turn away. When the dust settled, Nerthus had simply vanished.
Initially, she had been afraid of what a baby vampire could do to the unsuspecting populace. After the storm of rage had finally subsided, she felt as if her world were breaking apart; yet it was all as simple as black and white.
From somewhere far away, Nerthus sensed the tense pulse of Alucard's summons. It was faint, just a twinge, all his great power straining to reach the distance. Erecting mental walls, Nerthus withdrew into the protective castle, to explore the great labyrinth that lay within.
The walls were made up of stones, in relatively even shapes. The effect was pleasing to the eyes, and Nerthus found that she enjoyed trailing her fingers across everything she could touch. It was dusty, faded and worn with time, but welcoming nonetheless.
Tears formed at the corners of her eyes as she contemplated her current existence. Her drive to live had her handing off a cliff. If she climbed back onto land, she was a slave. If she let go, she was free. Nerthus was torn between the choice of death or imprisonment in the Hellsing mansion. All her light did not break Alucard's hold, and she was sure he would command her to obey the young Integra.
Before long, Nerthus had entered the bowels of the castle, passing torture chambers lined with rusting equipment and holding cells with mottled skeletons. Cobwebs framed the images with lace, some containing spiders that were quite large.
Pushing open a thick wooden door, Nerthus found herself in the wine cellar. Most of the bottles were empty, and the vast structure seemed to be completely devoid of the cheery cargo it had once housed.
The young vampire was determined to make a find, scouring the debris with supernatural accuracy. Finally, she spotted a ruby shimmer through green glass and moved towards the succulent jem, delighted to find several of the bottles under a pile of rubble behind the first. Arms now full, she headed back into the castle proper. She walked confidently, full of intent, back the way she had come and up a massive spiral staircase. Once she had reached the top, she exited into a great hallway.
The stones felt cold beneath her feet as she peered out of a small window, amazed at the beauty of the structure, thinking that the crumbling red shingles looked almost like blood in the darkness. On a whim, she walked straight down to the end of the hall and opened the door, pleased to see what must have once been a lavish bedroom. A gigantic canopy bed sat dead center in the room, ornately carved with flowers and vines.
Nerthus threw open the window and sat on the bed, looking out at the star strewn sky. Small, wispy clouds hung around the moon, diffusing it's soft light and casting odd shadows around the room. Uncorking the bottle, Nerthus let the rich aroma permeate her nostrils. It was nutty, tangy, and sweet. Next, she pulled a small bag of fifty or so capsules from her pocket, surveying the white powdery residue that coated the sides of the plastic. Looking back to the wine, she smiled.
With her supernatural speed, she had ingested the first two bottles of wine in seconds. Agony stretched it's way over her heart, making her fiercely wish that she had just let herself die. It would have been easier than this, peaceful, and unsurprising to the ones who found her. She began to choke on the wine as sobs escaped her lips, the white hot knife of her anguish pressing painfully against her heart.
No, this was not a time to dwell on the negatives of the past. She was about to be free, a whole new adventure waiting before her. She would see her mother again, taking her place among the loved ones of the past to await those whose time was not yet finished. Those thoughts calmed her down, and she felt peaceful as she emptied the entire bag into her mouth, grimacing as the knot of pills forced it's way down her esophagus.
Her vision began to blur after a few minutes, her motor skills impaired. Nerthus took a haphazard swipe at her hair, blissfully wishing to see the stars. The crickets chirped as she felt the first specks of tiredness at the corners of her eyes, and somewhere close to the castle an owl loosed its soft call.
Soon, her stomach gave an uncomfortable lurch, though it was easy enough for the vampire to hold back the contents. A cold joy seeped into Nerthus' heart as she felt the life slipping away from her body, being pulled somewhere else.
"To freedom," Nerthus sang sweetly before closing her eyes.
"Good job, Alucard! I'm glad the task proved less difficult than we initially thought. Please, bring her home. Gently, if necessary," Integra quipped, her voice a tangled mess of emotion.
"Master, you must give me the Cromwell Approval," Alucard spoke urgently.
"Alucard-" Integra began.
"Now, Integra! We don't have time!" Alucard roared, hearing a small clatter from the other end.
"Control Art Restriction System, Cromwell Seal of Approval, releasing level two," came Integra's far-away voice.
"To freedom," Nerthus' small voice drawled, slurred by the substances now poisoning her body.
Alucard felt a hot coil of disgust rise within him, repulsed by the weak act that his so called progeny had chosen to commit. He was tempted to let her seal her fate, yet something held him back.
He moved to the small form laying on his bed and considered her last words. Was she really so weak, sacrificing her own life for the sake of freedom? Alucard thought back to those he had murdered, begging for their lives at any cost. Yet, the force of this new Nosferatu's will was enough to shatter the Hellsing binds, which not even Alucard's vast abilities could manage.
No, he realized with a jerk of his heart, he could not let the woman slip from his grasp.
Alucard felt the woman's spirit begin to lift from her body, ready for the final severance. He felt her happiness, her excitement to behold that which awaited her in the afterlife, and most of all her strength, pulsing like a dark star. His dark star.
"Nerthus," he growled, lifting the woman as easily as if she were a leaf. The movement caused her to stir, moaning fitfully, and her stomach gave a great audible lurch. Alucard knew what was to come, so he hefted her towards the window and hung her off the ledge as wave after wave of a milky red substance poured from her mouth. Her body began to shake with the effort, growing colder all over. She had already absorbed too much of the poison.
"No," she mumbled, glazed eyes opening to behold her Master. Alucard could feel a crushing sense of sadness and fear envelop her, tightening into a steel coil with which she intended to propel herself into the afterlife.
Alucard mourned with her, lamenting the sight of her fading before his eyes, crimson tears falling gracefully, mingling with the dark brown stains on the woman's cheeks. He closed his eyes, lacing his fingers though her own.
"You have your freedom!" Alucard cried into her ear, squeezing her tightly as if the act might somehow keep her with him. He shut his eyes against the pain, unwilling to bow to his emotions, waiting for the final pull that would sever their bond.
A/N: Okay, this turned out to be pretty intense to write! The inspiration was taken from Metallica's song "Hero of the Day" and yes there is a music video to go along with it!
Hope you caught all the little teasers about her location (though the canopy bed is the one in Bran castle that was redecorated by the last romantic queen of Europe. Contrary to popular myth, it wasn't Dracul's castle. He just passed through it a few times!)