Chapter 2

Maeve Earns a Uniform

Sir Integral Windgates Hellsing had been smoking a cigar behind her desk while reading the newspaper and sitting in the brown leather chair inside of her large dark office with only a green lamp to illuminate the room. Her pale blue eyes shifted within their sockets behind the wide lenses of her glasses as she read a grim article. The firm gloved hands had nearly clenched the paper as the article reported a death by viral means. A hand was placed upon the photograph of a 40 year old man who had bled freely from every pore of his face as he lied upon his hospital bed. Strands of her light blond tresses flowed as she shook her head in disbelief while softly uttering the phrase, "Dear God…"

A knock had interrupted her train of thought, the eyes trailing to the door. "Yes?" she asked in a formal manner. Walter, her friend and servant, had said, "Alucard and a Miss Maeve Leery who wish to request a meeting with you." She had risen from her chair to stand to her full height, straightened her dark brown business suit with the silver cross resting over navy blue necktie. Integra nodded her head and said, "Very well, bring them in." "Yes, my lady." he said while the door had been opened.

She had at once took notice of Maeve who had seemed to be escorted by Alucard and walked beside her after they had entered the office. The door was shut quietly as the guest had stood in front of Integra in a moment of awkward silence. "What brings you here, Miss Leery?" Integra asked in a professional manner, standing three feet before her. "I would please like to become a member of your organization, ma'am." Maeve answered calmly yet Alucard could tell she was nervous with the slightest flexing of her toes. Integra had blinked her eyes in surprise and said, "That is a bold request to make. Do you have any special qualities that could potentially earn your servitude in the Hellsing Organization?" Integra asked.

Maeve looked to Alucard in a questioning manner and asked, "Should I?" Alucard had nodded his head and replied, "Yes, you should. Do so with caution." She had nodded with a small grin, turned to face Integra and noticed the cigar that had lost its lit spark as it rested between her fingers. "May I give you a small demonstration with your cigar, ma'am?" Maeve asked politely. Integra had nodded as well while raising the cigar to her eye level and said, "Yes you may." She watched Maeve narrowing her eyes upon the end of the cigar and small flames had mysteriously emerged from the paper and tobacco leaves, emitting a fair amount of gray smoke from the substance.

Integra's eyes were as wide and round as her glasses, looking to Alucard in a dumbfounded stupor. "What in the bloody hell just happened?" she asked while pointing to her cigar.

"That was a demonstration of her pyrokenesis." he replied while smiling. "I am sorry if I had frightened you, ma'am." Maeve said solemnly. Integra gave her a reassuring smile and said, "It had done so for an instant and you are forgiven." "Thank you, ma'am." replied Maeve while nodding her head, "Does this mean that my pyrokenesis has a potential position for me?" "Yes, it most certainly does, Miss Leery." Integra agreed, and a small grin emerged upon her face.

A hand was placed gently upon Maeve's right shoulder, her eyes veered toward Alucard who stood above her. "Well done, Hellfly." he said with a fangly grin. She nodded and returned her attention to Integra. "You will be given a trial assignment shortly. If you succeed the mission completely, you will earn your uniform and be an official member of Hellsing." Integra said. "What if I were to fail?" Maeve asked. "Then you shall be expelled from your desired position." Integra replied. Maeve nodded once more and said, "I will try my best, ma'am."

"That much is certain. Here is the information for your intended target." Integra said while walking to her desk and lifting a clipboard full of documents from the right hand desk corner. Maeve received the clipboard into both of her hands from Integra after she had given it to her. The information was surveyed, learning of the number of victims that had been killed by this female vampire and her tendency to target children and adolescents. "What a bitch…" Maeve muttered to herself, looking to the photograph of a young woman with short dirty blond hair and emerald green eyes in disgust. "That gives you all the more reason to silence her with your flames does it not, Hellfly?" Alucard asked casually. "Yes, and I know just what to do…" Maeve said quietly.

It had been three hours since Maeve had received her trial assignment. The time had passed quickly as she sat patiently upon a swing while awaiting for her target to arrive at a public playground. The apron and bowtie were discarded before she began the task. This does seem to be easy but creepy work so far. I made a promise and that will be kept no matter what shit Fate throws in my direction…They are counting on me…she thought pushing herself slowly in the swing with the slightest movement of her legs. Her senses were opened to their full capacity, detecting the target which was indicated by chills traveling down her spine. The warning sign is there…she's near…I can feel it…the thought echoed through her mind. The footsteps crunched the sand as Maeve lowered her head, gripped the chains of the swing, and began to sob quietly.

The footsteps crunched closer to her position and stopped suddenly before Maeve. "What could be the trouble be, love?" a woman's voice could be heard. Maeve raised her head to look upon the voice's owner to acknowledge that it was certainly her target. She returned her gaze to the moonlit sand with a convincing melancholy in the action. "I don't want to share my troubles with a stranger, ma'am…" Maeve replied. "You are too young and beautiful to be by yourself for it is too late at night. Your parents must be worried sick about you." the woman said with a shake of her head. She kneeled before her while looking into her eyes.

"Parents? What parents?" Maeve said in a cynical manner and sniffled between flowing tears, "My so called family kicked me out and I…don't know what to do…"

The woman reached into her brown overcoat, removed a paper tissue from a hidden pocket, and wiped away her tears in a maternal manner and said soothingly. "I can be your mum if you like, love. Please tell me your name." "Maeve, but my friends call me Hellfly." she replied. "Maeve is a better name for you." the woman said with a smile that freely displayed the fangs. Maeve pretended to be frightened with her eyes widened and recoiled in her swing. "I will never hurt you, my dear little Maeve." she said while caressing her face affectionately with one hand. "You have already had harmed others, my dear little bitch." Maeve retorted in a bitter manner while grabbing the hand and melting the flesh off of the vampire woman's hand with flames that had emerged from the palm. The woman screamed in agonizing pain and horror, cradling the remaining bones of her hand, and backing away from Maeve. "J-J-Just what are you?!" she yelled in petrified fright. "I am simply your agent of death, nothing more." Maeve said coldly while placing her hands upon the woman's face. "I hope you love fireworks." she added while focusing her concentration upon her target. Within five seconds, the vampire woman had combusted into white ash, leaving a foul stench behind in the process.

Maeve had breathed heavily after emitting that much immense concentration in one blow. "I…did it.." she said as a grin slowly emerged upon her face. "Yes, a silencing well performed, Hellfly." Alucard's voice could be heard from behind her. Maeve turned around to see Alucard stand before her with a prideful smile upon his face. "The weeping act was a nice touch." he commented with a pile of blue clothes held between his hands. "Her weakness was children and I thought that a crying innocent act would bring her to me." Maeve explained modestly. "A well-made strategy," he said while nodding and extending the pile towards her, "Welcome to the Hellsing Organization and family." She accepted the pile and learned that it was a uniform with the Hellsing coat of arms stitched neatly upon the front. Her eyes traveled to Alucard's golden gaze from behind his spectacles and revealing a full smile. "Thank you…thank you for everything, Alucard." she said while hugging him gently. His eyes widened in surprise and stiffened within her embrace, yet moments later he awkwardly returned the embrace and ruffled her burnished copper tresses. "You seem to be full of surprises…I kind of like it…" Alucard said while chuckling deeply.

To be continued…