Three of a Kind
Disclaimer: I do not own anything
A/N: I have a Beta reader now, yay
Chapter Six:
Walter turned the corner to see the guests waiting by the door to Integra's office and was mildly dismayed to see that one of the three was unconscious and sagging between the other two. One was leering at Officer Victoria across the hall and the other was watching his approach.
The one watching him said, "hey Greenie I think you have another addition to your sketchbook walking down the hallway." The other conscious stranger swiveled his head and gave Walter a probing look that would have given a lesser butler the screaming willies.
"Yes I do believe he would make a good addition," replied the other.
"Don't let him do it Walter, or else he'll draw you naked," said Seras in an annoyed manner.
The one in black came to his associates defense "slander and calumny I watched him, the closest he got was you in a-" he intercepted an angry Seras's fist with his face.
"I'm sure you could do justice to a sketch of me sir but I have been instructed to provide you with rooms for the morning..." There was the sound of gunshots from behind the door.
"I WON'T TAKE YOUR CHEEK AS WELL ALUCARD!" Was heard faintly through the doors. Walter, deciding that a rapid retreat was necessary reached down to pick up the bag only to hear a 'snap' as of a holster unclasping.
"Please do not touch the bag, I will carry it." Walter stopped and straightened looking the two in the eye.
"Quite an odd thing to get upset about if you ask me," said Walter turning away and walking down the hallway. "Follow me, your room awaits you, top floor."
the room Walter led them to was large, well lighted, windowed and equipped with appropriate amenities. On arrival the one in green immediately put the unconscious one of them on the nearest bed, reached into the pack and pulled out a deck of cards, a laptop computer, a sketch pad, pencil and eraser. He handed the cards and computer to his companion in black and opened the sketchbook.
Walter wasn't actually there to see this happen but he was watching through the monitors of the pinhole cameras stationed about the room. While the one in green sat down at the table and did a from memory sketch of Walter walking down a hallway the other opened the laptop and made a few keystrokes, a sphere appeared on screen with some arrows pointing off in different directions.
"Lets pique the gentleman's curiosity shall we?" said the one with the computer, he opened the deck of cards stood up and proceeded to block every camera in the room that had any clear view of the computer screen and sat back down again.
Walter heard the tapping of keys and a feminine voice. "Hello sir and what do you need?"
"Dolly I need full nonhuman evac preparations alert on London and the surrounding area, non emergency but the faster the better."
"Getting done."
"Oh and Dolly, could you get captain Jaime's report in text for my review," Luke requested.
"Sure thing Luke." There followed a conversation between the one on the bed and the one on the computer that sounded like reviewing a report, until you strung the words together in which case it was a string of gobbledygook.
Back in Integra's office the brown eyed personality was answering her questions.
"So you all just leave him Memos?" Integra asked a little confused.
"Yeah he doesn't see what we do and we're silent when he's awake, mostly. It confused the hell out of him when we did it the first time."he said in answer the brown eyed fellow, oblivious of the fact that this tangent of conversation was only infuriating his hostess more and more. "He woke up one morning to find all his paperwork done, a board meeting finished, and a new portrait on his wall." Integra decided to steer this wanderer back on topic.
"What is a 'blood hostel'?"
"Ah," he began, his face changed rapidly. "It's become a fad among the North American vampires to," here he paused and took a breath, "torture humans."
Integra now understood more of the horrific nature of the phone call. "I did not fully understand that call earlier then, what was that permission you gave your, soldier?" Integra assumed it had been a permission to hide the bodies or destroy the evidence.
"The dying victims gave the permission, and it was for the collection of their blood." his voice came slow and artificially low.
"That's," she paused trying to find the right word. "Subhuman." then she thought, 'tell me if he's lying,' Alucard.
'Its the strange thing master,' came Alucard's unspoken response. 'But I can't, when I try to read him I encounter a mind wall that isn't his.'
"When your soldier said that the rest were 'changed', what does that mean?" Integra continued as if the exchange with Alucard hadn't happened.
"That means that the dying were give a choice between the supernatural options present it would most likely be," he paused an thought, " werebear, vampire, werewolf, and if they got some of Delta Platoon some werecougar. They called in an emergency because they need our immediate acknowledgment for a group that size," the brown eyed aspect explained.
"How do you cope with that many monsters?" asked Integra indignantly.
"We don't do a lot of this but we stole a leaf from old England's book with a kind of squire to knight system, it takes too long to describe so just assume that we turn out fully trained individuals who, mostly, become productive, helpful, citizens."
"What if you are betrayed?" asked Integra. "What happens when one of them leaves and kills people?" His face stopped showing expression.
"A precaution we take is to implant all of our employees with an explosive chip. If they kill anyone without just cause their head just explodes, and only the three of us have the codes and all three are required to do it. And while we're on the subject how do you do it?" he pointed at Alucard.
"It's a magical bond, Integra is my master because her ancestor defeated me." Integra heard the venom clear in Alucard's voice. "And your control is no better. It is either your way, or death."
The boy looked at Alucard closely and said, "Only those who are our employees and all of the vampires, the were-people who don't work for us tend towards the parks and wildlife services and the non-employed vampires, the medical professions. Now I'm sure you have business to attend to and for reasons of collective health I need to go back to my associates. Any questions?" he stood and adjusted his shirt.
"I didn't sa-" Integra started.
"I have one, Human," said Alucard, cutting Integra off. "That gun strapped to your back, let me see it."
The boy looked sheepish and said, "No. I would assume that the good Miss Hellsing might not like my drawing a weapon in her presence now would she. I'll show you outside if you can show me what you use in your job." With that he walked out the door and into Walter who had been waiting outside.
"Pardon me Walter," he said. This had the effect of stopping Walter in his tracks.
"How did you...?" Integra's question petered off when he looked at her with a semi-seraphic smile.
"Oh, did I mention the three of us are mildly extra sensitive? We all have different specialties, mine's mind reading. Have a nice conference this afternoon Miss." He walked out the door, laughing deeply Alucard followed him through the door, literally.
Alucard started enjoying the conversation the instant the guest started relaying thought images to him of what the green aspect had so far drawn of his master when he had responded with a sarcastic one of his own.
"If that's the best you can do you had better stop."
Luke had and instead started a side conversation with Alucard beneath the other he was halfway through. Most of it was based around evil things they had said before to their victims, and practical jokes. But when He asked what types of weapons Alucard had used before he had received a list and a picture of what the weapons would look like if hung on a wall.
"How big would that wall be if actually assembled?" asked the stranger. As they walked down the hallway
"About as big as this one." Alucard said, gesturing at the wall which proceeded on about 300 feet and around a corner. "Now show me, what do you use foreign human."
The boy grinned. "This," he pulled out a large handgun, it bore no mark except for the symbol of a crossed brace of dueling pistols done in gold inlay on either side of the slide. "Chambered in .460 smith magnum custom machined from a block of titanium by Greenie, twelve plus one rounds alternating explosive and mercury charged. Bullet casings are made of silver, and you?" Alucard brought out his Casull and gave its stats. "Not bad, not bad at all," commented the strange kid.
"It shouldn't be, I made it," stated Walter behind them. "I have been asked to take you to your room." Walter led them off down the hallway. Alucard followed idly for a minute then he sank through the floor.