Dragon's POV again, on his way to London. Will he find Rip? Will the Hellsing Agents hold the invasion off? Will i quit rhetorical questions?

"How long will this take?"

"One more hour, plus the landing. I can't do it any quicker."

"Isn't this supposed to be a quick jet? It took me literally hours to find it!"

"It is, but i can't push it ant further!"

"Bah. I bet the passengers are already angry. Right, boys?"

I knocked on the metallic door of the pilot's cabin; ghoul moans came from the other side.

"Heard that? Do you wish to turn like them or to push further?"

"I will try, sir."

"Good boy. Anyway, don't get too nervous about ghoulizing people, i bet nobody will ever realize i turned our passengers."

"With all respect, sir, i'd bet against you. They were the Italian government."

"That's what i mean. As ghouls they won't do their job any worse. And they appeared to own the fastest jet available, so i had not much choice, did i?"

"...surely, sir."

"Now, be sure to make the ride in less time possible, i have to think."

I went out the door, kicking the ghouls out of the way, and lied down on a couple of seats.

"Shut up, scum, i need peace!"

The ghoulish growls ceased. Such unclean and unreliable servants...

I regretted having abandoned Alucard, but there was no way i could get to him between the armies of templars. He didn't seem to be in more danger than usual, but Integra would've given me my share of trouble when i got to see her... if i got to see her.

Yeah... just like Integra was my main problem. Rip had been taken away, and i knew they wouldn't have left her without a chip. Or they'd have just fried her for letting herself caught. Why didn't i take her with me? Why did i just run away like that? I could only hope that blimp was heading to London..... i took out of my pockets my little big treasure, her pendant, which i had taken in the Vatican warehouse. That swastika once made me feel bad, now it was my memory of her.

"Wherefore art thou, my love?" i said, in a low voice. One of the ghouls heard that and leaned towards me.

I bashed its head off its neck.

"Oh. They'll have to find a new prime minister."

It didn't make me feel much better, although violence is always gratifying. I wasn't going to solve my problem through it, anyway. I was so impotent towards the situation, i still wonder what would've come of me if the pilot decided to play the hero and bring me somewhere else. I was experimenting something i had not felt in more than a century at least, since my first and last fledgeling. Someone i cared for was in danger and i couldn't do anything about it. Was i turning in a knight in a shiny armour, willing to risk my life for my lady? No. I was, i am, a monster.

I have never figured out if love for mortals is the same thing as for vampires. Vampires have two kinds of love, a natural and an unnatural one. The natural one is that towards a certain mortal, and it leads vampires to reproduction. But since vampires are nearly hermaphrodites and all brothers, loving another vampire is like homosexuality and incest at the same time. Most mortals would think it's wrong, but what i think is that since this love is not driven by any instinct or purpose, it's the purest and most true form of passion.

"Sir, we're encountering turbulence" the radio said.

"And i'm expecting not to be disturbed, or i'll show you true turbulence!" i screamed.
The radio did not answer, i hoped the pilot got my message.

I turned to the ghoul group "The one of you who was the minister of war, go fetch me the gun i left over there." One of the undead came carrying my second treasure, a templar rifle. I took it from one of Alucard's victims right before making my escape. It was black and heavy, with a silver and cross-shaped handle, i had to hold it by the barrel- although it wasn't a barrel actually. It was formed by two serpentines joining in the end, mounted on a Y shaped block under which lied the handle. I couldn't make out how did it work. I hoped Walter knew more.

What was left to do, aside from worrying about Rip? Nothing? Good, so i could start worrying for real.

There something much more important to worry about. A voice echoed in my mind.

Alucard?

The one and only. Listen, since you've so bravely decided to run away, you have to warn Integra.

Of what?

Of the fact there's a whole battalion of Iscariots heading her way.

Why? I thought they wanted you.

They do. But apparently not hard enough. Maxwell is driving on England, Anderson with him.

And what about you?

I'm having fun with these knights. They're better than most vampires.

Oh. And is my old friend Yumie there too?

Who?

The crazy nun.

Oh. Haven't seen her yet. I'll keep you informed.

Great. Now, if you don't mind, i was trying to think.

To the pathetic pseudo-vampire girl. She'd make a great couple with that pile of dog food of a Valentine.

Who?

Nobody. Not any more, at least.

Oh... very.... interesting.

Don't' worry, i won't kill you so ingloriously. I am planning on something more epic.

Reassuring.

Now i have something else to do. Like beating the Hell out of the world.

And he did. He definitely did.

I spent some more time in my thoughts before the pilot finally called me and said we were about to land. I went in the flying deck, holding the ghouls off him, and watched the lights of the battle below.

"Ok, now get above the city."

"It's impossible! They'll take us down! Look at those Zeppelins!"

"Don't be a whiny, they won't...."

A rocket hit the plane's left wing.

"Oh well. Guess you were right. Open the hatches, i'm going to jump down."

"And what about me?"

"Well, you've been quite a good taxi driver and i'll give you a tip."

"What?"

"My tip is: Run like Hell. Now open those hatches."

"We're too high, the pressure..."

"Open them. Now."

"Yessir."

I conjured my wings, assuming my hybrid form, and let the pressure suck me out of the plane, not before grabbing the gun. My ghouls followed me, only that while i remained in mid-air, they fell to the ground, far below. I hoped one or two were going to survive, at least partially.

Since the left wing of the plane was destroyed and there was no turbine, i didn't run the risk of being sucked and torn apart, i simply glided down, heading for the blimps. I saw the plane slowly falling to the ground, and the pilot bravely attempting to parachute. Dawn was breaking already, sunlight made my skin itch even through the thick clouds of smoke.

I landed atop one of the Zeppelins' balloon, crouching on it in a gargoyle-like pose. From there, I could see all the battle from above, but I had no clue about what I really cared for: what blimp was Rip on?

I couldn't tell which one did she board in Rome, only that it wasn't the biggest one. Anyway I couldn't try to attack them all.

Let's be realistic, on my own I couldn't take a single one of those. Reluctant as I was, I had a single choice- finding Integra. With the strength of Hellsing we could've taken easily all of those air crafts,but if Millennium had acted as expected the organization would've been stranded, if not destroyed already.

I tried to make up where could the manor be, but I was clueless. I climbed down the balloon hopping over the Zeppelin's main structure.

Below me, the battle was so chaotic and messy that I couldn't even understand who was my enemy and who my allied. Smoke rose from the falling buildings, the few remaining human soldiers were being cornered and drained without mercy.

Below me, I heard a car running at amazing speed, while someone inside kept shooting at vampires around. I recognized the Hellsing style.

Without losing time, I jumped down, wings closed, and fell until I was a few meters over the car. Then I opened the wings and landed, almost crashing the armoured roof.

Whoever was inside shot me through the window.

"It's me! Stop shooting, i'm here to help!"

Integra's head came out of the back window."
"Oh. It's really you." she shot me again.

"Why?"

"Where's Alucard?"

"Still in Rome. He says Iscariots are coming. They use hi-tech guns." I leaned her the templar rifle "much more powerful than our own."

"Interesting design. So Maxwell had more secrets than we knew. Anything else to report, servant?"
"Can I come in? It's a bit uncomfortable up here."
She opened the door, I jumped in as we crushed a fence. I rolled on Integra and she shot me again.

"That was involuntary!"

"Falling on me was involuntary. But I don't believe your hands moved against your will."

"You're too suspicious."

"Just stop this. We must press on to the Manor."

"How far are we?"

"Far enough. I don't know how are we going to reach it."

"Hum, if you could drive, Walter could remove the handle from the rifle so I could use it."

"Very knightly of yours, offering my help."

"I's not that, I simply can't drive."

"If I might dissent" said Walter "We should stop to do this, and it would be most unwise to. It's better to delay that to when we'll have reached the manor."

"If we're ever going to...."

"We are, servant. A way or the other."

I suddenly felt a dreadful presence, something I was glad I had not felt in the last century.

"There's a werewolf! A werewolf! Run for our lives!"

"Calm down, what is it?"

"A werewolf! I have not signed a contract for Hellsing, but if I did it would've excluded werewolves, ok? Let's run!"

"Walter, can...."

"I'm most sure he's right, sir Integra. I think you should continue, i'll hold him off."

"But Walter...."

"Good idea, good idea! Integra, take the wheel, Walter, good to have known you!"

"Silent, servant! Walter, I order you to come back alive. Now...."

"Now let's go! Oh, and take the rifle- it's more use to you than to me!"

Integra shot me again. Four silver bullets in roughly fifteen minutes, all friendly fire.

"Take the templar rifle, Walter. Until we meet again, farewell."

"Farewell, sir Integra. Farewell, Dragon."

We started running again, leaving the butler behind. Good old Walter.... in the corner of my mind something told me there was something wrong, but I had no time for it right then.

Another thought crossed my mind.

Hans was in Rome. So he was on the same Zeppelin as Rip. This meant she was in London!

"Integra, which of the blimps has arrived here last? I believe that's the one where.... well... where is the Major."

"Speak the truth, servant. I can shoot you even while I drive."

"Ok, there's Lieutenant Rip Van Winkle, a Millennium deserter who can help us."

"I said 'truth'."

"That's true! I convinced her to desert... kinda."

"We'll see. The blimp is the one in the southern part of the city, but you won't go there until we've reached the manor and prepared a war plan."

"Right. Hm... I have a thing I promised to tell you.... please don't shoot me if I do."

"It depends on what is it."

"Well... since calling ourselves Hellsing Agents doesn't' sound good.... what about the Hellsingers?"

A promise is a promise. But what is Rip doing in the meantime?