CHAPTER 1- HOMELAND
"So…it looks like things are starting to change."
Lithe fingers parted the pages of a British newspaper, reviewing articles all similar in name. Each mentioned something about the Second Great War finally coming to an end, talks of peace and change in government.
Inhaling the smoky flavor of tobacco, he folded the paper over and placed it on the open seat to his left. "What a bore. It's the same old thing over and over." Combing through short black hair with one hand, the young man chewed on the tip of his cigarette.
I'm so bored.
Walter closed his eyes a moment and snorted. Though I wish I could have stayed in London a bit longer… He placed one hand on the newsprint at his left, thumbing one of the corners idly, remembering the catastrophe he'd left back in England.
The young butler sighed gently as he prepared a tray for afternoon tea. He could only imagine what mayhem was brought by Sir Shelby Penwood's visit to the Hellsing Manor. It wasn't that Sir Penwood brought chaos with him, on the contrary. He was a humble and quiet individual. But Arthur only called upon Penwood when he needed something; as consequence, Sir Hellsing was able to cause even the most timid of people to go mad.
The details of the meeting didn't matter to Walter, even if he was a bit curious. It was his duty as butler not to meddle in the affairs of his Master, but to be helpful. Once the tray was assembled, he headed for the Sitting Room. He placed the tray in one hand and knocked gently on the door. "Sir, I-"
"Do YOU…have ANY idea how HARD it would be to get one of those?"
Blue eyes blinked several times before Walter realized he would not be heard. He could tell that Sir Penwood was already briefed on the details of Arthur's demands and began to bellow as a result. The butler cleared his throat and opened the door, prepared to walk through a mine field.
"Sir, I have brought the tea you requested." He paused a moment, awaiting further instruction. But this was merely an act, playing the part of the dutiful butler as he already knew no orders would come. Penwood had already begun his verbal assault on Arthur, and nothing, not even a bomb going off would be heard over him. "I'll place it on the table," he informed only a few minutes later. Walter knew no one would hear him, much less notice his presence. He walked quickly yet gracefully to the middle of the room and placed the tray upon the table.
The small, sun-filled room was bustling with noise, most of it created by Sir Penwood. Walter internally laughed, but remained stone-faced on his exterior. The walls around the manor may have been thick, but Penwood's shouts could be easily heard through them. Walter carefully looked around the space, hoping to observe the two knights that had locked horns; but in reality it was a one-sided battle.
His Master, Sir Arthur Hellsing, sat poised on a velvet couch, and grinned as he poured a glass of whiskey. He couldn't understand why Arthur even cared for tea when all he drank was that vile liquid. Eyes shifted to Penwood who stood across from Arthur before a chair. He must have jumped out of it when explained what he would have to fetch for the devil-haired man.
For a moment, he watched the two men exchange words before bowing to leave.
"Oh wait." The blonde haired man lifted his palm to Penwood, silencing him a moment. "Walter, stay a moment. Pour Penwood a cup of tea to calm him down."
"Yes sir."
"Tea…tea? You think that's going to change anything?" Penwood threw his arms in the air. "How in heaven's name do you think I could get a C-47, much less any kind of aircraft at a time like this? The war just ended a few months ago. Getting anything into that area will be a living hell!"
Arthur took a swig of his drink, releasing a refreshed sigh after. "Shelb, calm down. Have a cup of Ceylon and forget your troubles for a moment."
Walter handed the irate man a cup which he took reluctantly and sat.
Penwood stared at the cup a moment, transfixed on the amber tint of the hot liquid. Blowing on it a moment he took a sip. The warmth seemed to calm his nerves and he relaxed.
"Better now, old chap?" Arthur questioned with a grin.
"Yes…"
Arthur nodded, signaling Walter that he was no longer needed.
Before Walter could close the door he heard Arthur say, "Oh, did I forget to mention I'll also need a month's supply of AB- for the trip?"
Consequently, Penwood spit out a mouthful of tea.
"I think a month's supply would do. I doubt him and Walter will be there too long…Oh, it's probably best to disguise them in wine bottles," said Arthur, admiring his half-empty bottle of scotch whiskey. "Wouldn't want anyone to know they have a vampire in their midst. Oh, I'll also be needing something to keep the blood chilled."
"You prat!" Penwood began. "What makes you think you can call me at any time of day to give in to all your bloody demands?"
Unaffected by Penwood's words, Arthur flicked his wrist, causing the liquor in his drink to swirl about. "Oh, Penwood. I thought it was I who was doing you the favor."
"Y-You what?" The brown haired Penwood didn't know what to make of his friend's words and sat with a dumbfounded expression.
"Well, you've always told me you wanted to be of use to me and Hellsing. So I thought it best to make use of you." He sighed, staring at the glass, shaking his head in disappointment. "And here I thought I was helping…I suppose I was wrong."
"Don't feign remorse! I'm not going to fall for it again!"
Walter stood in the doorway, unsure what he should do. A light touch fell on his shoulder, causing him to turn. It was Sir Hugh Irons. "Oh Sir, when did you come in?" He turned to move out of the man's way. "If I had known you would be coming, I would have…"
"Don't worry about it," Sir Irons said gently. He removed his overcoat and handed it to Walter. "I wasn't planning on coming here myself, but…" He nodded towards Penwood and Arthur. "…but I felt that something bad was going to happen here, and that I would be needed." Sighing as if suffering from a migraine, Hugh Irons moved into the Sitting Room to become the referee to this match.
Walter grinned to himself, picking up the folded newspaper again. What a time it had been, and that was only three days prior. Though sour about fulfilling anymore of Arthur's demands, Penwood had come through. The original plan had been to locate a C-47 transport aircraft to fly to Romania. Travel alone was dangerous, considering the war had ended only months prior; getting any sort of aircraft into that particular part of the world was a horrid task. Luckily, he had been able to procure a private plane from a Mr. Dumitru Florescu. Walter didn't know much about Mr. Florescu with exception to him being an acquaintance of Sir Hellsing. He was a Romanian fellow who lived a few miles from where the vampire outbreak occurred. In addition to providing transportation to Romanian, Dumitru had agreed to offer room and board for Walter and Alucard.
I wonder what sort of man this Dumitru is…Walter thought. He couldn't help but remember one detail that stuck in his memory; Mr. Florescu was married to a beautiful woman. Arthur wouldn't stop talking about her before Walter's departure, to which the teenage butler simply shook his head.
Another detail about Mr. Florescu popped into Walter's head as he looked down at his attire. In addition to his black dress slacks, blue waistcoat and tie, he wore a jet black tailcoat, covered by a gray, double-breasted trench coat. Mr. Florescu seemed partial to etiquette, and for this reason Arthur made sure his butler was properly clothed; running around in just a waistcoat wouldn't do. He had a pair of pristine white gloves that went with the outfit, but decided to wait until he was in the presence of Dumitru Florescu before wearing them. Why waste the effort of properly bleaching them when their appearance would only mattered to him?
With an annoyed sigh, Walter remembered that he had to be on his best behavior. Not that he wasn't a good butler back at Hellsing…it was Arthur that was the reason for the young servant to lose his temper. But he had to make a good impression on his temporary landlord in order not to tarnish Arthur Hellsing's name any further. He chuckled. I think Sir Hellsing has done a better job at that than any mistakes I could ever make. Despite managing Hellsing properly, Arthur was a well-known sleaze.
Folding the newspaper again, Walter set it at his feet and picked up a leather-bound book. He skimmed its contents before locating a stack of unbound documents and thumbed through them. "Ah, here it is." This stack included travel plans for Alucard and himself.
Vampires…he thought with a light sigh, reminded of the details of the mission. It doesn't seem that anyone will ever tire of making them… He skimmed a document of their case file, noting the most interesting details that read, '…sudden outbreak of vampires in Târgoviște, Romania…actions going unnoticed with end of German conflict…must not be overlooked…crimes similar to that of the national hero, Vlad Ţepeş…remaining citizens believe Vlad has risen from the grave…"
Walter poured his attention over the documents with delight; finally there was something that interested him. In less than an hour, Alucard and Walter would be in Bucharest, Romania, which was the capital city. From there the pair would travel by train northwest towards Târgoviște, the city plundered by vampire attacks. Coincidently, it was rich in the history of Vlad III Dracula. After arriving in Târgoviște they would wait to be taken to Florescu Manor which sat nestled at the base of the Carpathian Mountains.
It all sounded simple in theory to Walter. Go to Romania, destroy the artificially-created vampires, their maker and whatever laboratory had been created to make them. But something didn't sit well with him. I do wonder…is this the work of that Fat Ass again? A fogged memory of the avarice Major washed across his mind. The portly man dressed in an S.S. Nazi uniform was a rather interesting character, gobbling up his dinner without paying any mind to the Angel of Death. Hard to believe someone like him played any part in the war at all…Bloody Kraut…Walter thought with a jaunty smile.
For now, he wanted to focus on something interesting yet pleasant and closed the book, placing it next to the newspaper. Cobalt eyes turned their attention to the window on his right, gazing about at the clouds that filled the afternoon sky. The world below was miles away; buildings were specs and anything at eye-level was marked with pockets of wispy white and gray.
Who am I kidding? Even this plane ride isn't interesting. Like it or not, he couldn't get his mind off of something chaotic; mundane, human life didn't seem to interested the young man much. Ah, but in Warsaw, now that was a plane ride. I couldn't wait to fight. He chuckled quietly. Even the Yankee soldier was funny, poor old man lost all the color in his face when he saw me jump out of that plane.
Of course, Angel…whispered a voice in his mind. Not many humans are used to seeing one as young as you leap out of a moving plane. And with a 6 foot coffin, no less.
A small grin etched into the young man's features. Alucard, you're awake? He made a 'ch' noise with his teeth out of amusement. I suppose I won't be bored now.
"A trip to Romania..." said the young man out loud. His shadow on the floor flicked and wiggled under his polished shoes as if possessed.
Yes, Walter… cooed a deep baritone voice. The voice of Alucard spoke loud and clear within the young butler's head. Shouldn't this be interesting? The vampire continued. There was a certain mocking to his tone as his voice resonated through the dark-haired youth's mind.
Walter closed his eyes momentarily, rubbing at his temples; it seemed he would never be used to communicating in this fashion. No matter what, it always left his head feeling numb. I thought you wanted to nap, Alucard... he responded, sighing gently, relaxing in his seat.
You seem restless though. I thought I would keep you company, my dear Angel. And I must admit... I am excited. Even through telepathy Alucard's tone could be plainly heard. He chuckled in the young man's mind. People never fail to amuse me. Barking laughter filtered through the young butler's mind. Impersonating me of all people.
Yes, well, that was what Sir Hellsing had reported...Walter organized his thoughts, contemplating their latest assignment. Impersonating you. What an arrogant lout they are...I don't believe they know what they are dealing with... Walter said, a smirk finding its way to his lips. Alucard was sure to get enjoyment out of the butler's comments.
The Cheshire-like grin could practically be heard in the vampire's words. No they don't know what they've gotten themselves into at all... Especially the infants that are impersonating me. His words took on a childish singsong lilt. They're going to regret the day they ever became creatures of the night…as if ones so low as them could be considered true Nosferatu.
Walter chuckled in his mind, observing his surroundings. The small cabin he sat within was more than enough space for him to move around, but all in all, it was rather boring. He snorted once, realizing that he missed Arthur's mayhem back at Hellsing Manor. Talking with Alucard filled the void quite well. I know you are enjoying our chat, but I thought you didn't want to use any energy during the daylight hours.
Alucard 'hned' enthusiastically. I have more than enough energy. I will replenish when we arrive at our destination. I believe we have a few crates of bottled blood. But all of that matters not... The disembodied voice took on a smug tone. We are returning to the place of my very birth. Shadows flickered in the cabin where the butler sat. I'm THRILLED. It's been centuries since I've been there.
Your place of birth...yes, this will be quite fun. Walter knew little about Alucard, he realized in that moment. Arthur had told him only a few details of Alucard's true identity, Dracula, but not much beyond that. Sir Hellsing even provided Walter with a copy of Bram Stoker's Dracula. He attempted to read some, but found the writing style distasteful and skimming the novel, before stuffing it in his suitcase. Traveling to Romania would certainly be an adventure, and, at the very least, a history lesson.
I believe we will be landing soon, Walter added, looking out the window at his right.
Good... The vampire's voice trailed off only to return, seductive smugness apparent as the words laced through Walter's mind. I'll be waiting... let's christen our new room when we arrive, mea draga Înger. (Romanian: my dear Angel.) He laughed deviously, his voice withdrawing from the young butler's mind.
Walter could feel his heart rate increase at the vampire's sensual voice. Christen? He thought, shaking his head with embarrassment, body tensing. When no reply came, he relaxed again, fingertips massaging his eyelids. Alucard... sod off, he concluded, not caring if the vampire had heard his thoughts or not. Moments later an attendant on the plane informed the butler of their descent.
o O o O o O o
Walter heard nothing from Alucard until he arrived at the train station. Exiting the plane had been interesting as he had a difficult time explaining the unusually shaped luggage that was the coffin to the help. Walter took great care to make sure all their possessions were in check, especially the refrigerated 'wine', before leaving to his cabin.
An unsettling feeling protested against the inside of Walter's stomach as he opened the cabin door to find his vampiric partner. Alucard sat Indian-style, grinning rather insanely at the young butler. "Hello, Walter," He said, his voice dripping honey. His white coat and hat stood clearly against the ebony hair flowing down his shoulders against the backdrop of the window that showed the darkening twilight sky.
Hellsing's butler blinked momentarily as he closed the door and sat across from Alucard. "What do you think you're doing?" he asked, observing the position in which Alucard sat. The youthful butler's mind swirled with many thoughts. It certainly would be interesting to explain how only one passenger exited the plane when in fact two had boarded. But he realized such details didn't matter now and chuckled to himself. "And here I thought you were going to conserve your energy…couldn't wait to see your homeland?" A slight smirk formed on his face.
Cocking his head to the side innocently, Alucard pouted. "You wouldn't want to make a little girl sit all alone, trapped in a dark box now, would you?" Batting murky red eyes the vampire swayed back and forth in a child-like manner. "And I'm oh so afraid of the dark. How mean to leave me in there."
Walter shook his head a few different times. "Little girl…afraid of the dark? Surely you jest..." Walter's voice trailed off as he felt the train begin to move.
"But how do I jest Walter? Do I not appear to be a little girl?" As he said this he pursed his lips cutely, scooting closer to his partner.
Walter shook his head twice and then relaxed against the seat, snorting quietly at the childish vampire. You are certainly an interesting sight, Walter thought, looking over the sweet innocence on Alucard's face. The mask of gentility quickly fell and the pale lips curled into a smug and cruel smile.
"What is it now?" he asked, staring at his partner's overjoyed expression.
The smile finally reached Alucard's eyes, madness evident within them. "I can still smell the blood that I left here ages ago... It's exactly as I remember...with only a few modern changes."
Walter smiled nervously, confused as to how something so animalistic and violent could bring joy to his partner. "If you say so…"
About 30 minutes or so passed with a calming period of silence. This quiet was broken as Alucard peered out the window, his expression twisted into anger. His face contorted, revealing a snarling beast. Outside a statue stood several yards away, tarnished with graffiti and pieces were missing from the stone figure, apparently gouged out with some sort of heavy tool.
"The vandals who did this..." Walter began idly, Alucard's expression going unnoticed. "They mocked your country, correct?" Blue eyes leveled with the vampire, leaving the butler at a loss for Alucard's seemingly outrageous anger. He looked outside and noticed the statue, trying to understand why it brought about such powerful emotions in his partner.
Alucard looked at the young man, his eyes still ablaze with anger. "No, Walter... do you know who that man is? They do not only mock my country... they mock me."
Walter took greater care to examine the statue slowly moving across the horizon. The figure was that of a tall man, wearing a cloak, headdress and held a sword. "Is that a statue of you?"
A toothy grin spread over his face. "When I was a human like you, yes. Now...my appearance means nothing to me."
Walter 'hmmed' gently, contemplating the thought that Alucard was ever a human. It almost seemed like a joke that his partner ever possessed any mortal weaknesses. Nevertheless, it was a bad time for the butler to become lost in thought. "Perhaps it was our target's doing...his way of greeting us...?"
"If that is so... then they will pay dearly... I will enjoy making those children squeal like livestock." Alucard's hands formed into claws as he cracked them, the insane grin returning to his face at the thought of bloodshed.
"Please refrain from ripping anything apart until we've settled at Florescu Manor," said the butler, gazing at the vampire's murderous eyes. "We need to, at the very least, be assured that your coffin will be safe. Though...if it were to incur damage, at least we would be at the supplier for fresh soil from your birthplace. What are the odds?" Walter laughed gently, hoping to lighten the mood.
Moving his gaze towards the young man's, Alucard continued grinning. "...You know that you love the prospect of slaughtering them too, Angel of Death. I can see that glint in your eyes." Alucard cracked his neck and chuckled. "That is true, how convenient." The train slowed to a stop, as they arrived at their destination.
That was rather quick…Walter thought, hardly realizing how much time had gone by. His eyes narrowed, currently ignoring his partner's comments. The thought of a good fight did appeal to the young Hellsing butler, but he didn't want to admit it. He motioned to Alucard who followed him to the boarding door.
Walter stepped out first and turned to Alucard, extending one hand. "M'lady," he stated in a formal tone, eyes gleaming with annoyance. Never mind your blood lust, just take my hand so that we don't draw attention to ourselves. Sir Hellsing was particular about how we conduct ourselves and to play our parts…
Alucard smiled, the perfect child of innocence in the place of the centuries old monster. Delicately he took the butler's hand. "Thank you," he said as he took a feminine tone. His eyes glittered cruelly as he looked into the blue eyes of his servant. But Angel, that is no fun at all. After our battles in Warsaw, you should be proud to show off. I'm certain you are a celebrity to those in the National Socialist Workers party.
Azure eyes narrowed a bit more towards the crimson ones as Alucard stepped off the train. The Nazi's yes. Will you just shut up for now? We'll talk more about such things later. Walter sighed softly, making sure to play his part as a dignified butler, escorting the 'young miss' from the train car. "Now, I believe I will have to carry our bags out to the front of the station. Would you mind taking the smaller ones as I gather your bed?" Emphasis on the word 'bed' left a particular glint in Walter's eyes. If it weren't for appearances now...Walter thought idly, wanting, at the very least, to trip his partner.
Alucard smiled, his face radiating cherub-like qualities. Oh how I'd like to see you try something, Angel. The ending result would mean that you make an ass of yourself... "I don't mind helping. After all my bed is rather large." He giggled, jumping around to play hopscotch on the ground. For a second his face shifted, revealing the conniving beast behind the angel's mask. He turned from his childlike hopping to look at the butler, smiling though the gentle look didn't quite break the smug glimmer of his red eyes.
Shaking his head, Walter sighed softly, gathering his defenses and composure. As if it wasn't bad enough to be teamed up with a centuries' old vampire, but now that same vampire was acting as a small child would. At the very least, Alucard had agreed to carry some of the luggage; that, itself, was a far better outcome than the young butler could have expected.
20 minutes later, the pair sat in front of the train station. Alucard sat poised daintily on the top of the refrigerated wine containers, looking down at the youthful butler who sat cross-legged on the ground. "So, Little Angel, how long will we be waiting here?"
Walter grimaced. "Dammit, are you bored already?" Trying to replenish the lost oxygen in his lungs, the dark-haired youth reclined, resting his head against the cloth-covered coffin. "Can't you see that I'm trying to rest for a minute? It's not like your bloody coffin is as light as a bread box."
Alucard offered his partner a smug grin. "Oh come now, Walter. You may be young, but I know what strength you possess. My coffin shouldn't pose such a problem for you."
Walter released an exasperated sigh. At the beginning of this foreign expedition, he began a mental count of how many times Alucard pissed him off. Realizing there was no way he could count so high and released a dark chuckle. I don't get paid enough for this…
The evening sky was streaked with tangerines and muted magentas, Walter noted, inhaling the relaxing puffs of tobacco. "A carriage should be coming to gather us soon…"
"Oh really…how novel-esque," the monstrous child cackled. Walter shot him a confused stare, to which he replied, "And here I thought you were reading Stoker's novel." He nodded towards the suitcases, one in particular under the butler's left arm. "Go on, get your book out. At least read the first few pages."
He extracted the novel from the case and began reading. "So you've read this before?"
The vampire nodded. "Yes; more than once, actually."
Blue eyes never left the words on the page. One passage in particular caught his interest. 'My Friend, Welcome to the Carpathians. I am anxiously expecting you. Sleep well tonight. At three tomorrow the diligence will start for Bukovina; a place on it is kept for you. At the Borgo Pass my carriage will await you and bring you to me. I trust that your journey from London has been a happy one, and that you will enjoy your stay in my beautiful land. – Your friend, Dracula.'
He looked to Alucard who laughed through his nose, then glanced back at the words on the page. A part of him felt déjà vu and wondered why the text seemed to pertain to him. Of course it didn't, he thought with a shake of his head. It was a letter for Jonathan Harker, the character who was travelling to see Dracula.
"Oh, it seems this is Borgo Pass, then," Alucard chuckled, rousing the butler from the book.
The pair was met with two horse drawn carriages. From the first a maid emerged and stood before Hellsing's finest. She bowed once and said, "On behalf of Sir Florescu, I welcome you to Romania."