Chapter III
Integra herself woke Elizabeth the next morning. It had been many years since she herself had been as small as the girl she was now teaching. She had only done it out of respect for the friendship the girl's family had with her own. She was not ready to raise a child, but if she didn't, then Elizabeth might fall into someone else's hands. Such a small thing. Yet, she knew from her own experiences, true strength lies within. There might be hope for this girl, and a place in Hellsing. For now, it was best to see where Elizabeth stood in her studies and combat skills.
"Do you know what it is we do here, Elizabeth?" Integra asked her after supper the third day. They sat in the spacious greenroom, facing each other across a large white table.
"No, Miss Integra." Elizabeth replied, sitting still and watching Integra calmly. She had become increasingly comfortable with her new home, with Integra and with Walter. But she sat there, thinking it strange that she had not met anyone else yet. Integra smiled.
"We, the Hellsing family and this secret organization, are in charge of protecting the Queen and this country from monsters, freaks, and vampires." She said, placing an old leather-bound book on the table and turning the pages. "We have been fighting a secret war for generations against the very beasts that your father used to tell you stories about."
She stopped turning pages and tapped the one she had stopped on, turning it around so Elizabeth could see. On the page was a single picture, depicting a red-eyed man in a long mustache and beard, wearing a foreign robe. The caption underneath read, Vampires: one of the most feared creatures known to man, one such is the vampire Vlad Dracula, thought to be the most feared of all, depicted above.
Elizabeth looked up at Integra.
"Do you know why they are such a formidable enemy?" Integra asked her, remembering how her own father had once asked her that question.
Elizabeth thought for a moment. What had her father taught her when she was younger? She struggled to think back, to remember.
"You must always remember, Eli, that the vampire is a dreaded creature to all humans. They are strong, ruthless, can breed endlessly, and have their own twisted way of thinking."
She remembered how he had always held a look of contempt on his face whenever he talked about vampires. But what made them most frightening?
"They have a way of thinking we cannot understand?" Elizabeth replied eventually, uncertain.
"Correct." Answered Integra, her smile turning warm. Over the past few days, she had found that Elizabeth was a truly bright child. She closed the book, walking around the table, looking at random plants. "They are truly fearsome creatures, and we must treat them with utmost care, and show no mercy. Over time, you will learn how to execute teams to destroy these things, these freaks, to preserve the Protestant Church, Her Majesty the Queen, and our country."
She came to stand in front of Elizabeth.
"But there is time for that. First, Walter has arranged for to meet our organization." She said, looking over Elizabeth's head towards the door. "Ah."
Elizabeth turned around to see Walter coming towards them.
"Terribly sorry, sir, but we will have to make some changes to this week's schedule." He said, handing Integra an envelope. She opened it and read the first sentence. Elizabeth watched with astonishment as her face went from calm to angry in the space of three seconds.
"Very well, Walter. I will take care of this. I need you to inform the commander and Seras." She said, heading for the door.
"Yes, sir." Walter replied. Then stopped. "Shall I inform our number one?"
"No." Responded Integra. "These little nuisances are nothing for him to be concerned about. Please take Elizabeth to the library, and set her up with the acceptable books."
"Of course, sir. May I suggest some new material?"
Integra didn't reply. She simply went out, closing the door behind her and headed for the stairs.
Walter nodded to himself, then turned to Elizabeth, bowing.
"I am most sorry at the inconvenience this is causing you, my Lady." He said as she got up and followed him out of the greenroom. "We often have calls like this, and for the next few years that might mean that you will be left alone with your studies."
"It's alright, Walter." Replied Elizabeth. "Actually, I am curious. But I suppose that I can't be a part of it until Miss Integra feels my studies are up to date to be of any use."
"I am afraid you are correct." Walter said, opening a door leading into the beautiful second floor library. "However, there may not always be a need for everyone to go, so perhaps in the coming weeks, should this happen, you may have someone to keep you company."
He sat her down at one of the tables close to the window. It was sunset, and the streetlights outside were beginning to light. Elizabeth looked over to see him setting up a small portable computer on the table, typing fast and pulling up several links from an archive folder.
"Please read these files, and write down anything you feel might be important information." He said, placing paper and pen next to it. "This is your personal computer, which you may use as you see fit. After you are finished, you may do whatever you want, but please stay out of the third floor, and the south wing of the first floor."
With that, he bowed again, and hurried out of the room, shutting the door behind him. Elizabeth sat for a while, and then began scanning over the pages of research that lay out on the screen. They were a series of papers detailing vampire attacks and the various forms in which the vampires in question were terminated. She took a few notes, but soon began to see holes in the information. The only mention of the method used was some sort of vague code. She noted that each method was the same, with the exception of three. Most of them were coded "TF-374". The other three were coded "HS1-454".
"How strange." She said to herself. "The cases with this one are all vampires that got severely out of hand."
"Correct." Came a voice to her right. She turned to see Alucard, his hat and glasses off, standing in front of the door, his arms folded casually across his chest.
"Master Alucard!" Elizabeth said, startled. "This is the second time you announce your presence unexpectedly."
"My apologies." He said, moving forward and smiling down at her from across the table. "But I am not your master. You are mine."
"I don't understand." Elizabeth replied.
"Are you not the heir to the Hellsing family?" he asked. "I obey the Hellsing family. They are my masters. I am the servant of Sir Integra. You are her adopted daughter. That makes you my master as well."
Elizabeth smiled.
"A vampire, working for an organization that destroys vampires?" She said. "You are very interesting. Tell me," she gestured to the screen of the computer. "Are you one of these 'methods of termination' mentioned in these case files?"
Alucard's mouth opened into a wide grin.
"You are truly a brilliant young girl." He said. "Yes, I am the Hellsing Servant number one, and I have destroyed many loathsome freaks who call themselves vampires."
"But you are not just any vampire, are you?" Elizabeth said. "Or else you might not still be standing here."
"No, I am not." Alucard said. "I am a master vampire, a Midian vampire. A true walker of the night and shadows."
Elizabeth sat up straighter in her chair.
"Then you must know so many things. Teach them to me!" she said excitedly.
"No, I don't think that is such a wise idea." Alucard said, his voice serious and low.
"But there might be something you know that might help me when I take over here!" Elizabeth protested. "I know I've started late because I'm adopted, but I won't give up! I have an obligation to Sir Integra and to this organization."
"What obligation is that?" Alucard asked. "You haven't been here for more than three days. I could hardly imagine you know very much about such matters."
"How dare you!" Elizabeth snapped, getting up so fast that her chair was overturned. She crossed swiftly over to him, looking him dead in the face. "I was raised to be a respectable, strong woman! I know exactly what my place is here, and I know how hard it would have been had Sir Integra not taken me under her wing! I have an obligation to repay the debt, even if it means my life, and I will do it, because it is my duty to the Hellsing family!"
Alucard remained silent, then laughed loudly, his head thrown back with the force of it.
"Indeed, you will make a fine leader of Hellsing one day." He said when he was finished.
She could neither see nor did he offer an explanation as to what he was thinking, but she was sure that she was becoming immensely interested in the man that stood before her.
Slowly, thoughtfully, she turned back to her work.