Arthur paused when he heard his mother's voice shouting. He carefully crawled forward, and looked through one of the grated covers of the duct. He saw his mother standing with her hands slammed onto her desk.
"He's so blasted arrogant! He's going to get all my men killed!" She cursed as she pounded the desk once more.
He looked over and saw Walter standing before her desk.
"Please do you calm yourself, Sir Integra. Remember what your doctor said about your blood pressure."
"Blast the doctor!" She cursed again. She then sighed and slumped back into her chair. "Why do I put up with this?"
Walter smiled. "Because he's your husband." He replied with a bit of humor, and Integra snorted.
Arthur decided he had seen enough, and began to continue forward. However, his foot hit the side of the duct and made a small pounding noise. He froze entirely.
Both Integra and Walter looked up towards the vent. After a moment of silence, they looked back away.
"Great. Now the air conditioning is messing up." Integra grunted.
Arthur sighed with relief, then cautiously continued on.
He made his way through until he was met with the cool, dank air of the dungeons. He came to the nearest vent cover, and pushed it open. He then dropped from the duct, and landed on his feet firmly. He paused at the sight before him.
It was another, heavy iron door, but this one was far more fearful than the last. It had a crude marking upon it, a pentagram of some sort, and it appeared to made out of…blood. There was also blood stains splattered across it, splaying across the door.
Arthur looked down at the doorknob, and swallowed. He stood still, just gazing at the knob that would lead him to whatever lay behind the door.
"Arthur…"
He looked up rapidly as the whisper came again.
"Arthur…are you scared?"
His eyes widened. He looked back down at the knob. He straightened, and stood proud and fearless. He then reached out a determined hand, and pushed open the large door.
A cold rush of air brushed past him as the door opened. He lifted his hands to shield him from the dirty air. Once it settled, he looked forward.
There was no light in the room, but he was able to see the room dimly due to the light coming from the hallway behind him. He looked around, but it appeared empty. He walked forward, and nearly fell as he came upon a small stairway. He steadied himself, then descended the steps.
When he reached the bottom he looked around once more. There appeared to be nothing. He walked forward, and suddenly stumbled over something. He looked down, and at what appeared to be a…leg? His eyes squinted and they traveled upwards. The legs led to a seated torso that looked like it was bound in a leather body suit. He looked over the long white hair that concealed the face from view.
He observed the being curiously. He knelt down to look closer at it. After a moment, he reached out timidly to touch it. His hand fumbled over the odd shackled suit. His hand then met with one of the sharp, silver buckles and he pulled back quickly when he felt it slicing through his skin. He shook his hand, shaking the blood off of it.
He stood up and held his hand. He stood for a moment as he waited for the pain to fade. He heard something odd, and looked back down at the bound form. His eyes widened. Was that a…tongue?
It was. The thing was licking at his face, and a closer look revealed he was licking the blood Arthur had just shed. Arthur gasped and stumbled as he clumsily backed away. He watched in horror as the form began to move.
It's leg split as they broke the leather that was wrapped around them. Then the arms spread open as they emerged from the suit. It then rose, but it did not move as it did so. It was as if some unseen force had pulled it up.
Then it moved. It's head jerked to the side and a 'pop' of joints sounded and echoed throughout the small room. It jerked again, but this time it looked over at Arthur. The boy gasped as he saw feral red eyes staring at him.
Arthur backed up and fell as he came upon the staircase. He crawled backwards up them as he stared with horror at the being in front of him.
The white-haired man grinned a maddening grin that stretched across half of his face. "Good evening… Arthur." He said darkly.
Arthur's eyes widened. "How…how do you know my name?" He asked shakily as he continued crawling up the staircase, slipping on the steps occasionally as he could not see them; his eyes stunned and focused on the man before him.
The grin widened to an impossible length. "I know many things about you, 'Sir' Hellsing." He said with a mock in his title. He then began laughing, and it roared throughout the room and into the halls.
Arthur finally reached the top of the stairs. He stumbled to his feet and ran from the room. He came to the vent he descended from, but it was too far up to him to reach. The laughter left the room and entered the halls. He turned and rushed aimlessly down the halls. No matter how far he distanced himself, however, the laughter followed. He rounded a corner, and came upon a staircase. He noticed the open door that led to it was the same that was locked earlier. He didn't stop to think about it.
He made his way up the stairs and entered the first floor of Hellsing. He ran across it to the stairs and quickly went up them and onto the second floor. He ran until he came upon the door that would lead to his safety. He swung the door open, and it smashed against the wall. In front of him, Integra sat startled at her desk.
"Arthur? What's the matter?" She asked cool and collectively, though her eyes were wide at his shocked state.
Arthur went to her, and hugged her tightly. "Mother, I'm so sorry, Mother." He spoke hastily.
Integra stood and clenched his shoulders. "Arthur, calm down and tell me what's going on." She commanded firmly.
He looked up at her, and she saw his eyes fill with tears. "Mother…" He started, but he began choking on his voice.
She gave him a firm shake. "Arthur, you are a Hellsing. Straighten yourself up and tell me what's going on." She demanded him harshly.
He did as he was told, and straightened up. He took in a deep breath. "Mother…I did something that I think may be…horrible."
She looked confused and a bit fearful. "What?"
He swallowed. "I went into the dungeons…"
Her eyes widened. "Arthur, don't tell me that you-" She paused as a cold chill ran down her spine. She knew that feeling…
Integra whipped around the room and looked over every corner as they suddenly darkened.
"Blast!" She cursed. She then leaned over her desk and mashed the button on the intercom. "Walter, get up here now!" She shouted into it. She did not wait for a reply as she reached under her desk and pulled out a sheathed sword. She yanked the sheath from the sword and discarded it as she held the free blade in her hand. She then pulled Arthur quickly behind her. "Stay behind me, and don't move unless I tell you!" She commanded him, and he clutched her jacket as he stood behind her. She reached into her coat pocket and withdrew the small pistol from within it. She stood in a firm stance with her pistol in one hand, and her sword in the other.
A loud laughter sounded throughout the room. Arthur curled behind Integra as he recognized it was the same as earlier. Integra's teeth clenched as her jaw tightened.
"Show yourself, you vile creature!" She shouted into the room.
The laughter seemed to flow backwards as it receded into one of the darkened corners on the far side of the room. It became low, and it's source recognizable. A heavy foot landed on the ground, and then another, and leather rustled noisily as it drew further away from the darkness.
Integra knew who would emerge, yet her eyes widened anyways as the tall man stepped into the light of the room. Arthur looked around Integra's back to look at him. He wasn't the same as earlier. His hair was now shorter, and much darker than before. It hung around his chin and lightly touched his shoulders. The only way he noticed him was by his maniac grin and glowing red eyes.
"Alucard…" Integra whispered, and Arthur looked at her, confused by the softness her eyes now held. He saw her entire form relax for a moment, but when the man…Alucard, took another step she tensed again, and gripped the gun firmly in her hand.
"Halt. Do not come any closer." She commanded bravely towards the dark figure.
Alucard's head tipped backwards and he let another roaring laugh escape it. He lowered his head again, and looked straight over at Integra.
"Come now, is that anyway to greet your loyal servant after what…nearly fourteen years?" He spoke in a dark, mocking tone. His eyes roamed her form briefly, and he caught the sight of the young boy hiding behind her. He grunted disapprovingly. "He is a scared. He fled from my quarters and now hides behind his mother. What a meek little thing. What have you done to him, Integra? He is nothing like the child you once were." He said in an odd conversational tone. He then took another step forward.
"I said not to come any closer!" She shouted angrily.
His grin remained as he took another step.
Integral snarled, then pulled the trigger on the gun. The bullet echoed throughout the room, and landed squarely on Alucard's chest, where his heart lay.
Alucard paused. He looked downwards at his bleeding chest. He brought a finger to his wound, but it healed by the time he touched it. Arthur watched with shock, and an odd fascination. Alucard growled, and suddenly the gun was knocked from Integra's hand and out of sight. She looked over at Alucard dangerously.
"Damn you." She hissed.
Alucard's grin faded almost instantly. "You've already damned me." He growled lowly, and in a movement faster than the eye could see, he was before Integra, grabbing her by the throat and lifting her from the ground.
Integra lost her grip on the sword and it fell to the floor as she brought her hands around his tight grip in a failed attempt at removing it. Alucard looked at her darkly.
Alucard's body suddenly hunched over slightly. His face turned downwards, and Integra watched him. She tried to see what he was looking at, but her eyes could not look down so far. She was released, and she stumbled backwards as she steadied herself from the sudden freedom. She brought a hand to her throat to try to sooth it as well as her gasping breath. She was now finally able to see what was happening, and her eyes widened.
Arthur stood before Alucard, nearly half his height, but stood all the same. He held in his hand Integra's fallen sword, and it had been driven through Alucard's stomach. Alucard's face was hidden by his hair as his head hung low to look at the boy.
Arthur looked upwards at the man, and his eyes were strangely dark. "Don't you ever harm my mother." He spat the words out at him.
A moment of deadly silence washed over the room. It was broken when Alucard's head tipped back once more as he laughed gleefully. Integra sneered at his sight, and Arthur remained in his place. He lowered his head, but this time looked over at Integra.
"Wonderful! Wonderful! Integra, he is exquisite." He said joyously.
Integra walked up to Arthur, and quickly pulled his stiff form away from Alucard. His grip remained on the sword, and it was pulled away as he was. She backed them away and removed the sword from Arthur's hands. She pushed him behind her again, and took her stance.
The office door burst open and Walter rushed inside. "Sir Integra, are you-" He halted when he saw Alucard. "Alucard?" He looked utterly stunned. "How did you-"
"Quit babbling Walter and restrain him!" Integra shouted over towards him.
Walter collected himself, and a grim look crossed his face. "Forgive me old friend." He uttered as he tightened his gloves.
Alucard's maniac grin returned. "The Angel of Death returns." He said slyly.
Walter grinned. He ran forward, and the silver wires escaped his fingers and flew towards Alucard.
Alucard laughed as he easily dodged the wires. Walter came in front of Integra and Arthur as he continued his attack on Alucard. When one of the wires sliced his cheek and singed it, Alucard growled. He lunged forward, but Walter took the advantage and captured him within his wires. Alucard growled again, but every movement only singed his flesh.
"What's going on in here?"
Integra looked over at the door to see William entering the room. "Go away you idiot!" Integra shouted at him over the loud struggle that was occurring.
William ignored her as he withdrew his gun and aimed it towards Alucard, causing all to look over towards him. Walter looked over at him as well, and Alucard used the distraction to break free of the wires that had imprisoned him. Walter turned back to him sharply, but Alucard had already disappeared.
"Blast it you fool!" Integra shouted again over at William.
William took another step into the room. "Integra, tell me what's going on."
Integra scowled at him as she opened her mouth to shout at him once more, however, she was interrupted when she heard Arthur's cry from behind her. She turned to see Alucard holding the boy up, his hands under the boys shoulders as he looked over him. He grinned.
"Exquisite indeed." Alucard commented. He then set the boy down and brushed through his hair with a strange gentleness that was firm enough to keep the boy in place, though he stood still on his own accord as he was filled with shock. He then looked over at Integra with a mad grin. "I would expect no less of 'our' child."