Dedicated to: Tuisto. Because you all know that under that rough exterior he truly loves me. Heh. Ya, right. But at least he reviews my stories and makes me chuckle.
A/N: Hello, dear readers. Quite a few amazing reviews. There was three I had difficulty choosing from. After much consideration, I chose dear ol' Tuisto's. I love how he hates me.
Hmm... interesting.. let's break this one down a bit, shall we?
Plus. Excellent grammar!
Negative. Puerile story concept of gender confusion and natural reaction there-to. (Alucard WILLINGLY dating Pip... and not leaving Pip as little more than a bloody smear on the ground? WhiskeyTangoFoxtrot is up with that?!)
Plus. Details that actually, almost set the scene with credibility!
Negative. (A/N:) Authors notes set in the body of the story. Those go in the beginning and the end of the story; not the middle. It's distracting. Write the scene better and you won't ever need those.
Plus. The jokes and humor. While not the best (far, far from it), does imbue a certain amount of light-hearted levity and comedy.
Negative. Pronouns: The referring of Alucard as a "he" whilst "he" is contained in a very feminine body is most confusing; vise-versa for Seras. (Honestly though, I have no clue whether to say he or she….::sweat drop::)
Plus. I've personally taken time to actually take interest in this story, most likely as some form of sadism on my part, and actually review it...several times now in fact!
Negative. I've personally taken time to actually take interest in this story, most likely as some form of sadism on my part, and actually review it...several times now in fact!
and to end on a high-note...
Plus. Despite everything, WrathofNaillil perseveres in writing her frighteningly bizarre and terribly OOC piece of fanfiction instead of just abandoning it. Many novice writers never get past chapter one, much less completing nine of them, regardless of quality or scope of plot. So there you have it...
Kudos.
Possibly my longest review ever. Let's break this down.
5 pluses, 4 negatives…You DO like me::wink::
Chapter 9:
Seras was terrified. She bustled around polishing Alucard's guns, making sure she had extra ammo, and fluffing the giant red hat, but it could not distract her from the raw terror that gnawed at her insides. She was positive that this would be her last day alive. There was no way she could beat Father Anderson, even if she now had Alucard's monstrous strength and powers.
Alucard, on the other hand, was positively giddy with excitement. Seras had never seen him so happy. He bounced around as if he had just won the lottery on his birthday, while on a luxury cruise. "We get to fight again! We get to fight again!" he hollered to Seras as she passed him in the halls.
"Ya, I know," she muttered darkly. Alucard looked confused.
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing," she snapped, striding away with her hands stuffed deep into her pockets. Alucard strode along beside her.
"You're scared, aren't you?" he asked. Seras wheeled around to face him.
"Scared? Scared?! I'm bloody terrified!!! In a few short hours I'm gonna be no more than a can of dog food!" Alucard looked offended.
"You're not going to die. I happen to be a lot stronger and a lot more immortal then you think," he said haughtily. Seras blinked.
"Right," she murmured sheepishly. Alucard rolled his eyes.
"As long as you aim and shoot correctly, you'll be fine." Oddly enough, this made Seras feel better. She beamed at him. Yeesh, no wonder people are frightened of me….I've got the creepiest grin ever, Alucard thought.
"Thanks, Alucard," she grinned, before walking off to practice some shooting. Alucard watched her leave. For a moment he did nothing. Suddenly, Pip appeared behind him.
"Hello, love," he leered. Alucard's eyes grew huge. Out of nowhere he punched Pip straight in the face.
"I am NOT your love," Alucard huffed angrily before storming away. Pip clutched his broken and bleeding nose.
"…Ow…"
שּﭏשּ
The head of Hellsing stood on top of the helicopter pad waiting impatiently for her two vampires to come out. Despite the anxiety she was feeling from the situation, she couldn't help but enjoy the cool night air. The stars shown brightly in the velvety, black night sky and the moon was vivid and full. Everything was peaceful and quiet, a slight breeze blowing back her hair.
The silence of the night was suddenly shattered by the metal door leading to the roof and helicopter pad slamming open. Integra turned, annoyed that her peaceful haven was being invaded. Alucard and Seras stood before her. Behind her, the helicopter started up destroying any last remnants of peace that had been on the roof. Integra sighed.
"Are you ready?" she inquired of the tense bloodsuckers. Both nodded. "Good," she said almost to herself.
"Sir Integra?" Seras asked softly. Integra focused on her. It was odd to see Alucard speaking to her with the same frightened politeness of Seras. Integra didn't think she'd ever get over the body switch.
"Yes?"
"Um….are you alright?" Seras question tentatively. Integra was slightly surprised.
"Of course I am," she responded briskly. Seras nodded not looking as if she truly believed Integra. "Well what are you waiting for? Get on the helicopter!" The two vampires promptly rushed to do as was requested of them.
שּﭏשּ
Twenty minutes later, the helicopter touched down outside of the city of Rosewood. Seras and Alucard exchanged a long look.
"I guess this is it," said Alucard. Seras nodded. She thought she might throw up. The horror she felt at the mere thought of Anderson was mind-boggling.
"Hey," murmured Alucard, almost tenderly, "It's alright. You'll do fine." He gently shook her shoulder and offered her a reassuring smile. Seras smiled back.
"Ya, I'm just nervous." Alucard nodded understandingly. He opened the door and stepped out. Seras took a deep breath and followed.
The two entered Rosewood quietly. It was unusually silent.
"Where is everyone?" whispered Seras.
"I don't know," Alucard muttered. He didn't like this. Normally, they would be surrounded by ghouls already.
A loud snarling came from the right.
שּﭏשּ
Pip hopped out of the van. He and his Geese had finally reached their destination. They were to be back up for Alucard and Seras should help be needed. Pip doubted that the two perfectly capable killers would need assistance.
The Wild Geese were also to kill whatever ghouls they came across. If they came across the vampire they were to call Alucard or Seras and get out of there. There was no need to take unnecessary risks with the Geese's lives.
"Captain, shall we proceed?" asked one of the mercenaries. Pip nodded. Ghoul killing time.
שּﭏשּ
Alucard shot the attacking ghoul through the heart. "Well, they know we're here." Seras nodded a little uncertainly.
Alucard continued walking, glancing left and right as he did so. Another snarling ghoul attacked. "You get this one," Alucard called lazily to his fledgling. Seras gulped and pulled out the Casull.
Alucard frowned at the ghoul. It looked strangely familiar. With a slight gasp, he realized who it was. The ghoul was the former Tuisto whom had been in Alucard's dream of Pip. Tuisto's head exploded in a shower of blood. Alucard turned to Seras, annoyed.
Seras stood still holding the powerful gun in her hands. She looked at it with wonder. It was no wonder Alucard was so attached to his guns. Alucard couldn't help but smile. "Nice, isn't it?" Seras nodded.
Both vampires walked on, occasionally shooting ghouls who attacked them. After this went on for about half an hour, they reached the center of the city. There was a large wooden building.
"Walter said it was in there, right?" questioned Seras. Alucard nodded.
"Well, here goes nothing."
שּﭏשּ
The Wild Geese reached the center of the city after killing numerous ghouls and finding the bloody remains of several others.
Pip Bernadotte gestured with a finger. All of the Geese circled around him. "Ve are to patrol ze area, killing everyzing that approaches zis building, until ze vampires come out." The Geese nodded. "Alright, let's go." And so it began.
שּﭏשּ
Seras and Alucard separated from each other once they entered the building. Seras wasn't too happy with this, but she did it anyway.
She walked through the halls shooting ghouls left and right. The longer she used the Casull and the Jackal the more attached she became to them. Every few minute she would hear the monstrous sound of the Harkonnen Cannon being fired.
He seems to be enjoying himself, thought Seras. She turned a corner and shot another ghoul. The vampire had to be around here somewhere. Almost as if on cue, the vampire appeared seemingly out of nowhere.
"Who the hell are you?" he asked haughtily, "And why the hell are you killing my ghouls? It took me a long time to make those, you know!" Seras furrowed her brow.
"Who I am is irrelevant. Even if I did tell you, it wouldn't matter as you'll be dead in a minute." The vampire looked incredulous. He opened his mouth to say something, but all that came out was a choking noise. A silver bayonet stuck out from his throat.
"Amen," a voice growled. Seras slipped behind a corner, her heart pounding. "Who was with you?"
The vampire just continued choking. Seras held her breath. This was bad. She couldn't take Anderson. The Paladin growled in annoyance and there was a revolting noise as he decapitated the monster. Seras bit her lip. She heard footfalls as Anderson walked off. She sighed in relief. That had been close. Too close.
שּﭏשּ
Paladin Alexander Anderson stalked about the halls of the Rosewood's town hall. He was getting very annoyed. He knew that that bloodsucker, Alucard, was here, but he couldn't find him.
Another vampire stumbled into Anderson's path. Another? thought Anderson, surprised. Without further ado, he killed the leech.
שּﭏשּ
Alucard frowned as he shot the head off of a second vampire. This was odd. He had never seen so many vampires working together, with the exception of the mating grounds.
The sound of the Casull firing echoed around the corridors of the town hall. Alucard sighed. Oh, how he missed his guns. The Harkonnen was strong enough but it lacked the elegance of his slender weapons.
Three ghouls rounded a corner and ran at him. Alucard shook his head. Why was it that being changed into a ghoul took all the sense from a person? Without even bothering to use the Harkonnen, he ripped the heads off all three. This was too easy.
שּﭏשּ
Seras found a vampire. This time she didn't hesitate in killing. She felt a twinge of concern. There was and unusually high amount of vampires working together.
She heard the dying groan of a ghoul as someone killed it. Seconds later, Alucard came around the corner. Seras breathed a sigh of relief. "It's you." Alucard looked down.
"Technically, it's you, but yes, it's me." Seras looked confused. "How many vampires have you killed?" asked Alucard, changing subject abruptly.
"One, but I saw Anderson kill one as well." Alucard frowned.
"Anderson's here?" Seras nodded. Alucard chewed the inside of his cheek. "This is very strange. I've already killed two vampires and you say you've at least witnessed two more being killed….why so many?" Seras shrugged. "Hmph." He then turned on his heel and walked off. Seras blinked.
"Bye?" She walked over to a nearby window and peered out.
שּﭏשּ
Father Anderson's eyes glinted. This was his chance to get rid of Alucard once and for all. The meddlesome bloodsucker was standing by a window with his back turned. Anderson judged that he could get to the vampire in five steps and stab a solid silver bayonet through that cold, undead heart.
Almost as if he knew Anderson was there, Alucard twitched ever so slightly. His head turned a fraction of an inch. Now! screamed the thought in Anderson's brain. Obediently, he leaped out from behind the corner, took the five steps at a run, and plunged his blade into the vampires back.
שּﭏשּ
Something wasn't right. Seras stared out of the window, her hands clasped behind her back. She felt more secure in Alucard's body after the numerous leeches she had killed. His strength and speed far outdid her own. She felt a twinge of pity for him, stuck in her body, unable to do the things he once could.
A board creaked behind her. She twitched. Slowly, she turned her head. Before she could see what made the noise, icy pain ripped through her chest. She looked down. A bright, silver blade stuck out from her heart. Rivulets of deep, red blood ran over the blade and dripped from its point. She sucked in a shocked breath.
"Hello, Alucard," hissed a voice behind her. Seras trembled from pain and fear. Anderson terrified her and now he was hell-bent on killing her. As she watched, the blade slowly withdrew. Seras nearly blacked out from the agony of it. A terrible, sickening noise came from behind her as the blade was pulled out. Finally, the silver was removed from her heart. She clutched her chest. Warm blood flowed over her fingers, down her arms.
Anderson chuckled slightly. "Come on, you demon. Fight back." Seras sucked in another pained breath. She reached a hand into her coat and grabbed the Jackal. In the blink of an eye, she had whipped around and pressed the gun to Anderson's temple. Her free hand was clasped over the gaping hole in her chest.
For a second, their eyes met. The fringes of madness glowed in the Paladin's eyes. Mixed into the madness was the hard rage of a man who's plan had gone wrong.
With sudden determination, Seras pulled the trigger.
שּﭏשּ
Sir Integra paced about her large, wood-paneled office. A cup of tea sat on tray on her desk. The tea had long gone cold. An hour had passed since Walter had softly knocked on the door and brought in the steaming cup. Integra had not touched it.
She strode to the window and looked out on the silvery, moonlit grounds. If not for the fear gnawing at her stomach, the sight would have relaxed her. A large lake was situated in the middle of the grounds. The lakes surface looked like glass. It was perfect. Sudden ripples broke the smooth surface as a fish snatched a bug. Integra watched as the ripples slowly faded.
The Head of Hellsing heaved a sigh. She wondered if she was doing the right thing. Should she have sent out her vampires? The uncertainty was driving her out of her mind. What would happen, should Seras die?
שּﭏשּ
The bullet exploded from the end of the gun and drove itself into Anderson's brain. Seras' face was splattered with warm blood. The lifeless body collapsed to the floor. Seras breathed a sigh of relief. She sagged against the wall, clutching her chest.
The shock then hit her. She had gone against the person she feared the most in the world and won. Despite the pain and lingering fear, she felt a small smile grace her lips.
With tremendous effort, Seras slid the Jackal back into its holster. Her hand was shaking violently. Slowly and carefully to avoid hurting her chest more, she lifted her quivering hand to her mouth. She licked the sweet blood from her fingers.
Seras took a shivering, deep breath. Her fear was slowly evaporating. Seras wiped blood from her face. The pain in her chest was horrendous. She carefully sank to the floor, hands pressed tightly to the wound to keep her insides from spilling out.
At last, her shaking stopped and her fear disappeared. She shut her eyes. A soft groan sounded in her ears. She opened he eyes and looked at the corpse. Nothing. The groan must have been her.
The eyes of the corpse shot open.
שּﭏשּ
Alucard shot another ghoul. Its knees buckled and it fell to the floor as it died. Normally, Alucard would have smirked in pleasure at his victory, but his aggravation prevented it.
Seras' body was pathetically weak. She was by no means useless, but compared to his own monstrous strength, she was nothing.
He stalked about the halls, lugging along the huge Harkonnen Cannon. How does she like this thing? Alucard questioned silently. He missed his sleek guns. A lusty look came over his face as he thought about the beautiful, shining metal. A sigh escaped his lips. Alucard turned a corner and kept walking He hadn't seen a ghoul in a while.
Suddenly, a sharp scream shattered the still of the night.
שּﭏשּ
Captain Pip Bernadotte marched around the large building.
"What's taking zem so long?" he muttered to himself. The vampires had enetered the building two hours ago. In the beginning, there had been gunshots every few minutes. About fifteen minutes ago, there had been two that were relatively close together, but now there was silence. The silence wasn't what scared Pip, the fact that neither vampire had come back out was what caused his fear, particularly the fact that Seras had not come out.
The most terrifying shriek Pip had ever heard ripped through the night.
שּﭏשּ
Seras watched as Anderson leered up at her. The bullet she had just sent through his skull wormed its way back out and clunked to the floor. The wound in Anderson's head hissed slightly as it closed. He flicked his wrists and three bayonets shot into each of his hands.
"Amen," he whispered.
Seras screamed.
שּﭏשּ
Sir Integra frowned. Something was wrong, she could sense it. The deep fear in her stomach strengthened and began to flow through her body like her blood.
She heard a knock at the door. "Enter," she said quietly. The door opened with a creak and Walter walked in.
"Tea?" he asked the silent Head of Hellsing. Integra shook her head. Walter sighed. "I didn't think so." Integra resumed her position at the window.
"Any news?" she asked the butler.
"The two of them arrived and entered without difficulty. It is yet to be determined whether the mission has been completed or whether Iscariot has sent Father Anderson." Integra heaved a tremendous sigh. "Are you scared for them?" inquired Walter.
"Of course not," she snapped, but her eyes revealed her true feelings.
To Be Continued
A/N: Wow, I think that is the worst chapter I have ever written. We all thought the nesquick one was bad. ::sweatdrop:: Anyway. Sorry about blowing up your head Tuisto. And sorry about the general suckiness of this chapter.
