A Second ChanceChapter Four
"Oh, Jade. You survived the big fish."
Jade walks into a bright white office with cherry wood flooring. She stops in front of a cherry-wood desk where a man in his thirties sits. A collection of samurai and European swords hang on the wall along with guns from medieval to modern period. He looks up from his papers and stands up. He extends his arm and offers his hand. She shakes it and sits in the seat in front of him.
"He wasn't much of a big fish. I think he's gotten soft over the years. I hope I collected enough DNA."
"You did. We have enough for several more experiments. You did a good job. You may have saved many lives."
"I am glad that I could help."
Jade stands from her chair and turns to the door.
"O Jade…"
"Yeah…"
Jade turns around to look at the man who is holding a folder leaning forward with his elbow on the desk.
"You remember the break-in a few weeks back?"
"Yeah… Yeah, I remember. You have someone for it?"
The man opens the folder to show a screen shot printed on a standard office paper.
"What do you have to say for yourself?"
Jade's mouth is open but nothing is coming out. She stands there thinking of how to get out of the current situation. The man drops the folder and gets up from his desk. He reaches for a samurai sword from the wall and pulls it out of it sleeve. He turns to her and walks to her. Jade pulls out her blades and stands her ground.
"What did you tell Alucard?!"
"I would never betray the Organization, sir! You must believe me. Everything I have done for the last fifty years have been for the Organization."
"Bullshit! There is no way that Alucard would have let you live. You tell him about Integra? That why you are here?"
"What the hell? You talk as if you sent me on a suicide mission?"
"Well, that was the plan until you put your nose where it didn't belong."
The man moves towards Jade with his sword ready.
"This was my mistake… But it is a mistake I will revise right now with your death."
"How about I make that your death?!"
Alucard's voice echoes throughout the room as Jade and the man look around for him. Alucard appears behind the man. The man turns around and Alucard grabs him by his waist. The sword falls to the floor as Alucard breaks the man's waist off his arm. The man screams as he watches his hand fall to the floor. Alucard laughs and forms a fist. He drives his fist through the man's face and watches as the blood burst out from the deadly blow.
The man's blood lands on Alucard's face and mouth; a flash of memories enter Alucard's mind. Alucard can see the man's memories of Integra and the experiments that were done to her. He sees the man talk to a group of men about the experiments. Alucard looks to Jade as the memories fade from his mind.
"I didn't think you would come," says Jade as she steps to Alucard. She looks into his vampire red eyes and smiles.
"Stop looking at me like that, freak… I didn't come here for you. I come for Integra. I might have a use for you yet."
"No need to sugar coat it…"
"You are weak and a waste of my time."
Alucard walks pass Jade.
"And without this weak waste of time, you would have never known about Integra."
"This is why I am leaving you alive."
Alucard leaves the room and Jade follows like an abused dog to his angered owner. Alucard walks into the hallway out of the room and hears the footsteps of yet another battle. It is no worry to Alucard through as he sees this enemy like female cat sees a mouse; a play thing until boredom kicks in and then kill ends it all.
There is no need of readiness with Alucard. This fight does not even deserve to be called child's play. They are simply lambs to the slaughter as Alucard thrust his fist into one enemy and appears behind another; killing the enemy with his own knife. This fight bores him but, Alucard knows that is for the rare opportunity to save his iron maiden; his lost Countess.
His laughter echoes throughout the labs as all who hear it shake and tremble in fear. This is what he had missed in his life since Integra's disappearance; the cries of the enemy. It is only Integra that could bring this thrill to him; even if she didn't know what was going on for her honor and life. Although the enemy is simple, it is still a thrill to hear the horror cries of death. All of this death and he is still a man; none of their souls are a part of him. He is one and only.
The enemy lies on the floor; blood begins to flow from their body like a river from a broken dam. Jade slowly walks down the hall to Alucard so not to fall from the blood.
"Had fun?"
Alucard rolls his eyes at Jade.
"Why are you still here? You have your freedom."
"I may be of some help or maybe I have my own agenda. I guess you have to find out."
Alucard turns to Jade.
"Cross us Jade and I will slowly kill you."
"I believe you but I don't plan on crossing you."
Alucard chuckles and disappears. Jade runs to the lab down the hall and types in a number on the keypad but the door doesn't open. The word "blocked" appears on the keypad's screen. Jade sighs and punches the pad causing it to shut down.
"Hey Alucard, let me in!"
Jade stands there in front of the door waiting for a respond. She listens in and hears more screams of fear. Suddenly she hears a scream that is coming closer to the door. She moves and lays her body against the wall as the door burst open with the force of a flying scientist. The steel door and body falls to the floor; both now still of the blow. Jade peer her head into the room and sees all the scientists' dead; some of their faces are frozen in fright as if just the fear had killed them.
Alucard stands in the middle of the lab looking to Integra as she was in Jade's memory. She is nude in a tube of liquid and machine monitors her vitals. Her hair is flowing in the liquid revealing her returned youth but still missing eye. He sees a magic border around the glass but still brings his hand to it. He feels the burn of the magic border but seems to enjoy as it keeps him a few inches away from the glass.
Jade steps into the lab.
"Can you get her out of there?"
"Yes, I'll need a few minutes."
Jade walks to the computer and begins to type. She searches the folders and finds one under the word "cure". She opens it and finds a program. She runs the program to find that a vial is being filled just a few inches from the computer. The vial is finished and Jade takes it.
"What are you doing?"
"Still looking, Alucard."
"Hurry up!"
Jade slips the vial into her pocket and continues to type as Alucard doesn't see any of this; he is lost in the sight of Integra. Jade finds even more programs under Integra and her name and copies them to a flash drive.
"Hurry up!"
Alucard's voice echoes louder that it cracks some of the glass of the computers.
"Alucard…"
Integra's head moves slight and Alucard turns to her.
"Integra?"
"I don't think she can hear you," says Jade as she is still on the computer.
"No she spoke."
"No, she didn't. I didn't hear her."
"Alucard…"
Integra's voice is soft and echoes in Alucard's mind.
"Integra? Countess… open your eye!"
Jade turns to Alucard and walks to him.
"I think you're losing it."
Just then, Integra slowly moves and opens her eye. She forces on Alucard and reaches for him but is stop by the glass. She looks around and realizes where she is. She begins to panic and slams her hands against the glass.
"Hold on! Jade, get her out of there! I can't reach the glass because of the border!"
Jade runs back to the computer. Integra looks around the glass. She moves away from the glass and forms a fist. She pulls back and thrust forwards into the glass. It cracks under her force and then she pulls back again. She thrust once more and the glass gives way to her strength. She falls out of the tube along with all the liquid. The wave reaches Alucard's boots as he watches the events unfold. Integra coughs hard and breaths in deeply as she holds herself up. Alucard walks to her and takes off his coat. He places it over her shoulders to cover her nude body. She looks to him.
"Countess?"
Alucard holds out his hand and Integra grabs it. He helps her up to her feet. Integra looks up to Alucard and he looks at her with surprise and wonder. She brings her hand to her face and feels that her eye pitch is not there. She covers her missing eye with strand of her hair. Alucard shakes his head and stops her. He holds her hand in his and smiles to her.
"I wasn't looking at your scar. I was looking at you. I have missed you."
Integra slightly smiles and lets Alucard lay a kiss on her forehead.
"Count, what is happening?"
Integra looks around and finds Jade standing there.
"Jade?"
Integra's mind fills with memories of her and Jade trying to escape Millennium lab. Integra pulls away from Alucard and looks down to her hands. Her breath becomes fast and deep as she realizes that the skin on her hands are smooth and soft. She walks to a computer's monitor and looks into its glass; using it as a mirror. She brings her hands to her face as she realizes that she is wrinkle-free and young again. She backs away from the computer; bumping into a scientist's body and a computer chair.
"What the hell did they do to me?! Am I a vampire?"
"It is all right, Countess. All that matters now is that you're safe. We are here to rescue you," says Alucard as he walks to Integra.
"What did they do to me? Am I still me?"
Integra whispers and her eye begins to water. She tries to hold it back as imagines of herself with fangs and a red eye flash in her mind. She feels overwhelmed and the tear escapes as she loses her will to hold it back. Alucard brings his hand to her cheek and wraps the tear with his gloved index finger. He holds his hand up to her.
"Look Count… Her tear…"
Integra looks up to his hand and sees his glove is still as white as snow.
"You are still you. You are still the beautiful strong countess that I fight for until the end of time."
Alucard wraps an arm around her and is surprise as she wraps her arm around him. He looks to her and smiles as the feelings he had lost over fifty years ago begin to return; the feeling of hope, faith, and love fill him. These are feelings he never wanted to lose again.
"My Countess…"
He kisses her forehead and breathes in her smell. Integra shakes her head and rolls her eye with a chuckle.
"You have missed me?"
"In more ways than one."
"I don't get it. They were trying to make you into the prefect vampire hunter but it seems…"
Jade stops her explanation when she hears gun fire above the lab; there are cries of pain and death as the gunfire continues to sound throughout the area.
"Sounds like Seras is having fun," says Alucard as he reaches for Integra's hand. She laces her fingers with his and smiles.
"Alucard, what the hell?! You should have told me that Seras was going to come, guns a blazing! The organization has a private army on their side," Jade yells as she runs to the entrance of the lab room.
"And?! It's nothing we haven't encountered before."
Alucard and Integra laugh together as the song of war continues above them. The gunfire is mix with the screams of men dying and the battle cry of Seras. Integra steps forwards with her hand still in Alucard's.
"I hope you have a means to escape, Count."
"We do, Countess. We have a helicopter that will take us to a private jet. I've pulled out all the stops for you, my countess."
"Good. Now, let's move out!"
Jade walks to the door and pulls out a hand gun from the back of her pants. She walks to the door and looks down the hall. The newly reunited couple follows Jade down the hall and out of the lab where Seras is still fighting the soldiers of the private army.
"Excuse me, Countess."
Alucard disappears and reappears in the battlefield.
"Master, I had them. Man, he's not going to let me have any fun now," says Seras as she put down her weapon and watches Alucard begin to kill the enemy. Seras looks towards the lab entrance and sees Integra and Jade.
"Sir Integra!"
As Seras runs to Integra, Alucard blocks each of the bullets heading towards the female group. When Seras reach Integra, she grabs her and hugs her tight.
"I missed you, Integra!"
Seras is crying as she continues to hold Integra.
"Get off!"
Integra pulls Seras off of her and Seras falls to the ground.
"You're a bit stronger than I remember."
Integra rolls her eye and breaths heavy through her nose.
"Let's go!"
Seras gets up and leads Integra and Jade to the helicopter. As they reach the helicopter, soldiers surround them with their guns draw to them. One of the soldiers sits on top of the helicopter just below the stop blades.
"Come on, bitches! Call on your bastard vampire!"
"Trust me! They don't need me!"
Alucard's voice echoes throughout the area as the women ready themselves for battle. Seras jumps to the soldiers on top of the helicopter and pushes him back. The power of the blow forces the soldier's neck against the helicopter blade. The head of the soldier and his body falls to the ground. Jade fires her gun and hits her mark as Integra punches the soldier near her. She reaches back and feels Jade's blade at her fingertips. She wraps her fingers around its handle and pulls it out. She slashes at the throat of another soldier and he falls to the ground. She turns a quick look down and sees the fangs of the soldiers.
"They're all vampires?"
"Weaponized vampires; another experiment by the Organization!"
The women quickly get into the helicopter and Seras starts it. She brings to her lift off as Integra and Jade watch Alucard in his battle. His loin roar is heard through and sends chills down the spin of the remaining soldiers. They begin to run from Alucard.
"You coward! You're not even worthy of my time!"
Integra laughs as Jade sits back. Jade reaches above her for the first aid kit. She sets it down in front of her and opens it.
"Are you hurt?"
Integra asks and she looks on as Jade pulls out a syringe gun. She pulls the vial out of her pocket and puts it the syringe gun. She brings the syringe gun to her neck.
"Jade, what are you doing?"
Jade smiles as she pulls the trigger of the syringe gun. She feels the solution flow through her veins and it takes over her body. She fades out and collapses onto Integra's lap. Alucard appears in the helicopter.
"What the hell wrong with her?"
Integra looks up at Alucard and shrugs her shoulders as she holds Jade in her arms.