Must Need reviews I'm starving here.

Chapter 12 Its Time to Play

The next time she "felt" conscious a musty smell blended with ammonia hit her nose along with light scampering in a pitch black room. Several somethings skittered about around her. Even one scampered over her leg. She shrieked at its tiny paws and claws scratching her skin ever so slightly. She stood up in the darkness.

A slight electronic crack resounded overhead. "Ah your wake. About time too, those rodents don't have much bladder control you know." David's voice chuckled. Annabel's eyes narrowed in contempt. "I have a little chore for you, my sweet. If you want out of that room you'll have to find the key. Its attached to one of the hundreds of rats that accompany you there. Just so you know they all came directly from the sewer."

"What is the point of this, asshole?"

"Mind your manners now, I can see you. Just find the rat that has the key taped to it."

"I'll be sure to shove it up your ass when I find that one." Annabel growled out. She heard the com crack to silence once more. 'Seriously he's gone insane. What does he hope to prove doing this to me? I'm not afraid of rodents. There's probably no key at all and just wants a little entertainment.' She shuffled to a wall to feel for the door. They felt cold like stone and scummy to the fingers. Eventually she felt something that might be a door with a coarse feeling metal doorknob and large key hole. She rattled the knob and pulled at the door just to be sure to was in fact locked. Her feet didn't hit anything but furry bodies so likely there was nothing in the room to aid her. She walked slowly in a grid like path just to be sure. The ceiling was out of reach of her hands. It would seem she would have to pick up each rat to check and with no easy way to see them she may end up picking up the same ones over again. There was one way Annabel could think of but refused to do it. She could kill each one. However that sort of thing wasn't in her nature to kill defenseless creatures in pointlessness. Yes they were disgusting varmints that carried diseases and lowered property value from their gnawing instincts, but that doesn't mean they should die just because a sick bastard stuck them in with her. Annabel decided she wasn't going to play that game. She picked a corner next to the door, brushed away any rat droppings with her foot, sat in prim fashion, then hummed softly to herself. When a rat approached her she grabbed it just in case it had a key then tossed it lightly away from her. Occasionally she would sing half remembered lyrics to a song in annoying fashion.

Her plan of waiting him out didn't quite work out as she planned as the rats started to nibble at her feet and dress. 'Damn. I'm likely the only edible thing in here. Just my luck. I guess I will have to look for that damn key.' She grabbed two at once and kicked a third away from her foot. While sitting there she thought of a way to speed up the process by using her dress as a rather large bag to round up the rodents so she wouldn't grab them twice. At least she still had the chemise on.

Annabel shrugged off the dress, tied up the bottom then tied the arms together. A really quirky idea popped in her head then. She grabbed the bottom of the dress then whipped it over her head like a lasso. She could hear it smack on the ceiling as she moved quickly about the edges listening for a different sound. When the tied arms snagged on something she yanked hard causing the object to fall onto her chest. Fingers felt about it to identify it as a small camera with an independent power source. Thick tape covered one corner and when she pulled it off a red L.E.D. light showed through. By waving it around the room hundreds of tiny reflective pinpoints glistened back at her. Since the light was meager she walked around the room with it low to the ground looking for a glint that wasn't beady red eyes. "There." She snatched at the keyed rat, removed the key, walked over to the door, and unlocked it. Once open David stood there pissed as all get out, and rammed a fist into her face.

00000

'How did she do that?' He questioned himself angrily. 'I barely sensed her thought before she brought that 'camera' down for her use. If only I could change her environment while she is conscious, but she has to believe it's a real world with real physics in place.' He rolled his neck around trying to dispel the annoyance. 'I'll just have to be more direct in breaking her down and give her less opportunities to overt her punishment. The bitch is smarter than she acts.'

00000

*groan* The sound muffled into a mattress. 'God damn it! Will there be a time I'll fall asleep naturally in this place? Not that I would easily fall asleep.' She wrinkled her nose against the bedding. dried blood cracked on her upper lip. 'It's a wonder my nose isn't broken by now. Where am I?' Turning her head with difficulty she saw rope tied to a bed post to her right wrist. Yanking a bit at her other three limbs she muttered an explicative into the musty mattress. 'At least the undergarment is still on.'

"Ah, my lovely little whore, you're awake, and how wonderful you look so vulnerably prostrated like that." She turned her head around baring her teeth.

David leaned over grabbing a fleshy mound of butt cheek.

Annabel squirmed in vain. "No one but Red is allowed to touch me like that!"

"He is a figment of your imagination!" He yelled back-handing her. "Where as I am real!"

"Better a wet dream than your measly hide!" She said spitting out the words.

"I'm going to have to do something with that mouth of yours." He pulled out a whip before her eyes shutting her up for the moment. "You remember this? I didn't have the opportunity to try to out last time." David gave her a derisive smile. "It needs to be broken in." Finally, a flicker of fear entered her face.

Softly she said "you are pathetic," then turned her head forward.

He scoffed. "Its you who will be that very soon." The end of the black leather whip touched the floor as he unfurled the cruel tool. She didn't watch as he lifted the whip up over his head.

The slapping sting made her jerk despite preparing for it. A tiny noise came out of her, though she refused to give the bastard the satisfaction of a scream. A second one hit her right across the shoulder blades slicing the thin chemise and puckering up rivulets of red. A third one hit and she groaned heavily into the mattress. A fourth, a fifth, a tenth hit her back. Annabel waited for the dull numbness that sometimes accompanied such consistent agony. It never happened, each lash stroke hurt like the first or worse. The redhead stopped counting at twenty-five, her breathing heavy and eyes reddening in falling tears making the bedding around her face wet and tacky. The undergarment was in tatters now to match her tattered backside. Cuts slashed over cuts on her once smooth back. David did not confine the whipping to just her torso but to her upper thighs and arms as well. She hurt everywhere and still didn't make a peep of a cry. Instinctively she knew that's what he wanted which is why he still took it out on her. 'Gods his arm has to get tired!' A rare coherent thought crossed through the pain. Again and again he flicked the now very bloody implement upon her. 'Just stop already!' She nearly begged, but knew it would please her captor. Tears poured out of her eyes as she truly felt like road kill on the autobahn. Not even passing out from the pain would happen for her. It was truly a nightmare. 'Be silent, be silent, be silent.' She chanted with all her will focusing all she could on those two words. A few times her vampire's name slipped into her mantra and once Annabel mentally called out to him. 'Where are you, my King?' between whip strikes. It seemed the leather whip hit even harder after that and she returned to 'be silent, be silent…'

0000000 April 4 2009

Pip cornered the old retainer in the basement library.

"Mr. Dornez, I need you to tell me everyzhing about Sekhmet and incubi, and tell me straight."

Walter snapped the book he held shut. "I believe Sir Integra suspended you."

"I know. I'm doing zhis on my own. I have reason to believe zee phoenix upstairs is an impostor, and zee real Annabel is held captive by zhis Sekhmet cult. The real Annabel can cure Seras."

Walter raised a weathered eyebrow thoughtfully. "What brought you to the idea that the 'real' Miss Phoenix is held captive by them?"

"I researched a bit on the web. I know some of zat stuff is completely bogus, but I found something zhat looks to be zee real thing. But I need your input." Pip said.

"I'm listening Captain."

"It's a hymn of Sekhmet." Pip pulled out a piece of note paper to read off.

"Mine is a heart of carnelian, crimson as murder on a holy day.
Mine is a heart of corneal, the gnarled roots of a dogwood and the bursting of flowers.
I am the broken wax seal on my lover's letters.
I am the phoenix, the fiery sun, consuming and resuming myself.
I will what I will.
Mine is a heart of carnelian, blood red as the crest of a phoenix.*"

Pip finished and awaited the butler's opinion.

"It mentions the phoenix as Sekhmet. How interesting. Let me check something." Walter walked over to a table with several volumes propped open on it. With a finger he scanned over the different tomes then stopping at one. He flipped a few pages, adjusted his monocle to read a bit than point down at a page. "You're correct Captain. The hymn here reads the same."

Pip relaxed his shoulders glad someone was taking him seriously for once.

"What exactly do you intend to do Captain?" Walter poised the serious question.

He moved in closer to the table glaring hard at a random book. "Once I get all zee intel, I'm going to look for zee real Annabel; look for zhem on zheir own turf."

"To Egypt you mean? Its rather reckless."

Pip smacked a hand on the table. "What else can I do?" A layer of frustration coated his voice. "Seras is up zhere laying unconscious and dying! Zhis 'Annabel' won't cure her. I can't sit zhere and watch 'er get weaker. I am a man of action, I need to be out trying to find a cure for 'er. Even if it turns out a farce. At least I tried somezhing!" Walter placed a hand on his shoulder. Pip let out a haggard breath. "I love her Walter, and I'll do anyzhing for her."

"I understand. I'll tell you everything I can. I've uncovered something that might help you, but getting to Egypt and looking in the right area might be a monumental task in itself."

"I know but I 'ave a few contacts outside 'ere zhat can get me a plane."

A wry grin graced the old retainer's face. "I might know a better one, but first lets fill you in."

Pip looked slightly surprised. "Do you believe me zhen, zhat zhis one's an impostor?"

"Not entirely. However, when I see how this Annabel looks at Deatrice, for a second I see something dark that shouldn't be there and I think the poor girl can feel it too. If you are right you could be bringing home her rightful adopted mother."

Pip smiled. "Well lets get started, times a wasting!"

Walter dove right in explaining all about Sekhmet, how she was worshiped, myths connected to her, the basic gods hierarchy, and other tidbits.

"One common myth written is when Ra, the sun god, created her he sent her to destroy those that would conspire against him. Unfortunately her blood-lust was not satisfied and Sekhmet started killing off humanity in whole. Ra didn't wish that so he tricked her by turning the Nile blood red. She lapped it up believing it blood when really it was wine and pomegranate juice."

"Ra got her drunk?" Pip assessed.

"Yes, and its interesting, Annabel bares a few similarities with the goddess."

"What do you mean?"

Walter wiped at his monocle for a moment. "According to what Alucard told Sir Integra, she has a weakness with alcohol." Pip opened his mouth to ask. "Not a normal thing like addiction. She's very sensitive to it. I don't know if you are aware but Alucard cannot read her mind."

"Really? Mon dieu, zat makes more sense why he doesn't believe me."

"Possibly. When alcohol enters her body her mental barrier drops letting Alucard in."

Pip pondered this a bit. "If zats the case why not just get her drunk now and have Alucard look inside."

Walter sighed softly. "For one this Annabel knows of its effects because she read her personnel file, another she'll likely refuse such an intrusion."

"Did the old Annabel know of this?"

"I don't believe so. At the time Integra made it a point not to inform her in case she got out of hand. Alucard was only more than happy to oblige."

'Yep I bet.' Pip huffed. "So what else?"

"Sekhmet is synonymous with red and well, you do call her Dame de Rouse." Pip nodded. "The reference of phoenix in the hymn, of course…" Walter continued to fill him in, then stared explaining about succubi and something he came across.

"There is very little known of succubi since for as far as we know they are a complete myth."

Pip rose an eyebrow. "So was the phoenix a year ago."

"Point taken. But I have uncovered something that might allude to the real life creature. Come with me." Pip followed Walter into the small backroom filled of archaic scrolls, and doodads of antiquity. Walter pulled out a simple wooden box and set it on the only table in the room. Walter lifted up the lid and set it aside. "This was found in a tomb near Baghdad owned by a nosferatu whom Abraham Van Hellsing personally slain. Abraham wrote in his journals about every nonhuman encounter he had." Walter pulled out a strange pendent on a thick tarnished chain. It didn't as much look weird as felt weird like something akin to Alucard's dark vibe behind you. It was also heavy in weight considering its size. Its shape resembled a cross with the foot of it rounded like a teardrop. Engraved curves weaved throughout its surface and at the center inlaid a red stone carved into the shape of an ankh. In the old butler's hand it covered the length of the middle finger. It looked old, really old but did not have the wear and tear of something old.

"Is it Egyptian?" Pip asked as Walter placed it in his hand.

"I don't think its that ancient but its still upwards of a thousand years old."

"A thousand…" Pip breathed now very ginger with the piece.

"Don't worry you won't break it easily. Its made of very interesting properties."

"How does zhis allude to succubi?"

Walter pointed a finger at the ankh symbol. "This is not only a symbol of eternity but of fertility and the female shape, and its red… meaning it refers to a seductress."

"Ah, which could mean a succubus demon."

A lip pulled into a smirk. "And there's more. Pull on the teardrop, captain."

For a second Pip felt like a sucker with a booby trapped jar of peanuts, nevertheless he complied. to his surprise it pulled apart to reveal a small dagger. The weird vibe intensified. The tiny blade shone like oil on water or an abalone shell. It didn't look like any blade he had ever seen and the coloring resembled more a white pearl than iron, steel, or bronze.

"Neat! But what's with the spookiness?" He sheathed the tiny blade.

"Its imbued with the blood and teeth of a vampire." The captain looked dumbstruck. "Yes, Abraham wondered as well why a vampire would have a hidden blade made of vampire fangs and blood. It does nothing to humans except soak up a few drops of blood. Neither does it harm other vampires and its too small for most things that go bump in the night."

"So it might kill succubi?"

"It's a good theory." Walter continued. "And where he found it is good indicator as well; in the area of one the oldest known civilization on earth and the earliest record of succubi and incubi, though they were called Lilitû and Lilû in Mesopotamia."

Pip's shoulders drooped. "Does zhat mean I need to look in Baghdad as well?"

Walter's hands waved before him. "Oh no, the Sekhmet cult is clearly Egyptian and would likely base operations in the ancient city of Leontopolis or today's Tell al Muqdam."

The captain straightened up then looked a bit above him with a sorrowful face, pretending he could through walls to see Seras. "Anyzhing else I need to know, Walter?"

"According the text incubi outnumber Succubi eight to one, so you'll encounter males most likely if, when you find them. Take the pendant. I'll get in touch with an old friend of mine. He owes me a favor, several in fact."

Pip gave him a good ol' manly shake of the hands. "Thanks, Mr. Dornez." Pip left to pack the necessities and to see Seras in the infirmary.

A bit Later Walter dialed a number in his private quarters. Someone picked up. "It's Walter Dornez, the 'Angel'… Alistair old boy, I'm cashing in a favor…."

00000000000 Date Unknown

It felt like days Annabel laid there on the bed not moving a muscle. She couldn't remember when she passed out or when David stopped mutilating her back. For all she cared she had no backside anymore just one large thumping mass of welting red pain connected to her. It hurt to move, hurt to breath, and hurt to open her eyes to see if that soulless bastard was still in her line of sight. Her wrists and ankles also burned of the rope she struggled to wrench free of. She found herself in slight disbelief that she was still alive from all that. Scabs of healing wounds pulled a bit at her flesh as she crawled her right and left arm to her torso. Obviously he had untied her limbs. Knuckles rubbed at the dried crust of tears around her eyes. They felt puffy and tender. Toes wiggled and feet moved painstakingly slow toward her. She would just stay there motionless willing the whip marks to heal, but her stomach grumbled violently in emptiness. And besides she wanted to show that bastard he hadn't beaten her down just yet.

Slowly and surely she propped up on hands and knees on the bed. The chemise practically glued to the wounds pulling at the healing flesh when she shifted and she hissed. The same problem occurred with her hair. 'Doesn't even have the decency to push my hair to my side before he tries out his 'toy', bastard.' She inched off the bed, her legs bracing the floor while Annabel up righted very slowly, grunting the whole way. Once done she saw a dress hanging on the door handle across the room. With halting steps she made it, grabbed the over-sized garment, then made it to the bathroom. Deciding to not look in the mirror until she was clean she debated on the least painful way of cleaning her wounds. The water worked but not the hot water. The redhead stepped in the shower with her chemise still on, figuring the water will loosen the fabric and hair out of the mutilated flesh. The shower-head was affixed at eye lever with her so she gritted her teeth and turned the water on. In half a second she grasped the nozzle head so the cold water flowed down her arm instead of stabbing her in streams of liquid. Just like getting off the bed it proved painfully slow. The water stung at every tiny cut but it loosened the hair off her back and some of the pieces of cloth. Some of the more stubborn pieces opened wounds causing a watery red trail down into the drain. She cleaned her face and unblemished parts with her hands as best she could.

When she was done her hair lay wrung out and roped down her right shoulder. She wrung out the ruined chemise as well. It was still damp but didn't dare wait in case the bastard should walk in while she was in the buff. Annabel ripped up the better parts to wrap around her back to reduce the rubbing from the clean dress, cleaner she should say. She ripped off a thinner strip to put up her hair. With difficulty she got the dress on and not a moment too soon.

David entered the room and demanded her down stairs. She complied without complaint nor a peep. Right now was time to bide her time. She was hungry and hurting. If she did as he asked and showed no defiance he wouldn't punish her. That was how he worked.

She cooked a meal, was allowed to eat it this time, managed to sit in a dining chair without a pained noise, and cleaned up afterwords.

While cleaning the last dish David came up behind and pressed five digits into her back. She dropped the plate into the sink luckily it didn't break and grasped the sides of the sink with a violent hiss of pain. "You didn't scream for me." He didn't remove his hand. Her lips twisted in grizzly grimace. His mouth lingered mere inches from her ear. "It means you still have the will to defy me, Miss Tracy. I will break you mind, body, and soul. I've already seen cracks. It won't be long. Such a weakling piece of filth you are." He jabbed the fingers in for a second causing another gasp and then removed himself from the kitchen.

For the next several days, though for her it felt disjointed somehow, went a routine. Get up, shower, cook and eat three meals, a jab in her back every so often, clean something, scrub something, get smacked in the ass to quicken the pace, wash something, make a snack for the bastard, and general misery. She said not a word for the duration.

Annabel did look at the damage the second day afterward. Hands balled into tight fists and she nearly rammed one into the mirror. She hated the marks he ingrained into her skin. Most will remain as scars and an unpleasant reminder. On the fourth day however, it occurred to Annabel she shouldn't see it as David's physical cruelty on her but as a testament to her strength of spirit for not giving in to him.

Somehow the bastard sensed this and started using a bat to discipline her for the slightest things on the fifth feeling day. God she hated that bat with a vengeance, and wished she could grab it away to shove it up his ass or down his pie hole which ever was nearest.

The six day she opened her mouth to scream "You'll be lucky to have a finger nail left when Alucard gets his hands on you!" and then flipped him the British bird. Very bad idea, for David went absolutely ballistic on her; far more crazed than she ever expected from him, and for the life of her could not get out of the way of a single swing of that bat nor land a punch of her own. He screamed that vampires weren't real, that her lover wasn't real, that no one was coming to find her. She could yell at the top of her lungs and nobody would hear her. He told her no person cared about her and she was useless. Not even her adoptive mother and father could help because they were dead and buried. He yelled all this over and over while whacking her with the bat, never breaking bone just leaving whamming pain and bruises.

Some of his words got to her and when he finally left her alone huddled in the corner of the living room she cried silently of the physical and emotional pain. 'Could it be true? Could Alucard and Pip and Walter and Deatrice and Integra, and all the rest not exist? I just can't believe that. There's got to be something, a sign, that they and I are real. I am the Phoenix of legend, aren't I?' She looked at her hands. She remembered how it felt to feel the tingle of power course under her skin when she alighted the blessed flames. 'That cannot be imagined can it?'

0000000000000000 April 6 2009

Alucard lurked about the grounds below a sliver short of a full moon. He continued to ponder the events of nights before as he had done the last two. Police Girl still lay comatose in the infirmary. Annabel still refused to see anyone in her room even after his master yelled through the door at her to get her sorry ass out of there and help Seras or just be productive anywhere. All she got in response was cries of uselessness and left the redhead alone. The captain left the previous day for unknown reasons with a man and a woman according to a few of his men. The Bug followed Walter around in a depressed mood.

Where did his Annabel go? Where was the drive? The spirit she held inside of her? Was the Captain right about something after all? Was something broken inside of his Spaz? Alucard could not believe any of that. She was made of sturdier stuff coated in the tastiest, most mouth watering blood. Damn, there he went again. Teeth sharpening and drooling in his mouth again. Its like he was starving. Starving of her he admitted to himself. And not just her blood, but her smile, her warmth against him, that spunk that excited him, and most surprisingly her unconditional love for him. Not the physical kind, though that would be nice, but the emotional heart warming kind. He brushed a hand through inky black locks. What had that woman done to him to turn him into such a pathetic mushy teddy bear?

No invigorating missions and no hot nookie surely reeked havoc on his psyche. A year before all he had was missions and they were enough, weren't they? No, he knew deep down they weren't.

Sure, there was her presence and her scent. Unfortunately the current presence cared not a lick for him, and her scent just drew Alucard mad with want. 'Why is she so reluctant to cure Police Girl? Does she not believe in herself?' He worried somewhat over his fledgling. Granted he was harsh on her and scorned her on occasion but that did not mean he wanted Police Girl to expire like that; slowly wasting away because of poison. If she should cease it should be because she was battling like a true vampire against a greater foe, not this cowards way. It felt worse because it was an accident. Silently he was relieved that Bug was spared the same fate. When his Spaz returned to normal she would be mortified over hurting her adoptive daughter.

'When will my Spaz return?' He thought, an emptiness threatened to expand out his chest. 'She's shown very few memories returning the last six and a half weeks. What more is needed to spark those memories? One way was to go to the places of her childhood but that was impossible as she came from a different dimension, one I'm not able to access since that first time. How I managed the first time still escapes me. Perhaps its time I get her drunk-'

An unearthly being crossed his senses and it passed far too close to the manor to be a coincidence. He phased to within yards of the perpetrator. A cloaked figure with hood down flipped around to Alucard within the perimeter of the Hellsing grounds in the front.

"You are in dangerous territory whoever you are." Alucard eyed the bald being before him with a merciless glint.

The man pressed hands together with a marginal bow. "I am Usi. Pleasure to make acquaintance. Sadly, its not to last long."

"Have you been sent to destroy me?" The Cheshire grin graced his face. Usi merely glared with intent. "I hope you make it fun. It's been such a long while." The last word spoken gravely.

Usi whipped out a dagger then motioned with it for Alucard to come hither. No prompting needed Alucard lunged with hands bared out in claws. Blurring into sand before the median could touch him, Usi rematerialized behind Alucard, plunging the knife into the back near a kidney. Alucard hissed, spun around, and yanked out the blade. He grinned madly. "That one actually hurts" He said tossing the dagger hundreds of yards away. Alucard grabbed the male's front and whammed him into the ground; once, twice, three times before Usi shifted to a whirlwind of sand and battered around Alucard. He swirled around the vampire as a twister slowly shredding away the ends of the red duster and hat. Alucard reached out a gloved hand into the blasting sand watching the white glove erode away like paint off a statue. The angular particles ripped into the skin drawing tiny beads of blood. Alucard shifted out of the sand storm a few yards off to watch Usi re-solidify. "What are you?"

"Lilû, the purest of beings."

"Humph, not likely." Alucard pulled out Jackel shooting off a leg. The being didn't even flinch. The missing leg reformed instantly.

"No human weapons can kill us!" Usi spat proudly.

He put away his gun. "Fair enough." Alucard bared a mouth full of crocodile teeth opened wide for Usi. He whisked off into sand again with the median chasing after. No way was Alucard going to loose this prey. He burst into bats to follow into the sky.

A few hundred meters up Usi turned to attack the colony of beady red eyed bats. No distinction could be made of the clash of opponents. A full hour went by of sand ripping through wings and sharp batty teeth nipping at grains. Both tried to overwhelm the other. Though neither showed signs of weakening. Eventually they broke apart to land in the nearby forest, both back in humanoid form. Without pause Alucard leaped sinking fangs into the creature's left arm. Usi screamed for the first time in their fight. He yanked at his arm then shifted into sand again, however, this time Usi's arm remained solid in Alucard's teeth. At least for a few seconds until it cracked, hissed, and crumbled into nothing but a vapor of sulfurous gas.

Usi reassembled five yards off into the solid form missing an arm.

"How interesting." Alucard grinned inhumanly wide. The being no longer had a smug face on. Usi sneered at the vampire. Facial features sharpened while eyes changed to solid black. "So, the true face comes out." Not an instant later two hellhounds emerged from Alucard's feet to charge at Usi's legs. Each latched onto a leg and dragged him towards the main body of the vampire where black shadowy tendrils coiled around him. Fear showed in the being's face as Alucard sunk his armory of teeth into the being's neck. A wailing scream pierced the air unsettling several nesting birds around them. No blood gushed into his mouth. Not a drop of liquid or even sand hit his tongue. Just the similar feeling of biting into a wax dummy. Like the arm, Usi's flesh cracked and dissolved with the lingering sulfur byproduct. Nothing was left, not even the cloak. "Humph, didn't even put up a fight once I knew his weakness."

He phased into master's bedroom to inform her of his little encounter. She shot him in the head for the intrusion, but listened afterwords.

0000000

Bennu shot up from her bed. 'Master Usi! I must see. I must see!' Unlocking the door she darted up to the roof to catch a glimpse of her mentor. She raced to the edge and scanned the landscape. She spotted him off in the distance. Her heart leaped in a bubble of glee then she saw a second taller figure close in on him. Her heart plummeted back down at the sight of Alucard. 'By the blessed Lady of Slaughter! He's sacrificing himself just so he can signal me it's time! That bastard!' Her fingernails scratched into the short stone wall. She watched as the blood demon lunged at her beloved master and then chased him into the sky. The two moved off too far for her to know the outcome but she was sure of who was the victor. Only she could kill the Vampire King, and then his human master, and Bennu will do it tomorrow evening after the full moon dips below the horizon. The physical presence of one of her brethren meant that the real phoenix's ka had broken or was near to breaking. Sekhmet was about to make way to this realm and claim it for her own, and the redhead was there to make sure no one looked for Annabel, so the cult would have time enough for the goddess to rise. Bennu scampered back down to her room to prepare.

0000000 Date Unknown

It was about a week after the living room incident and a few days after the attic incident. Annabel laid there huddled in a ball on the four poster bed, not moving, not making a sound, and wallowing in misery. 'How can I get out of this? He's thought of everything. I've tried looking for the main door but its no where to be found! The windows can't be seen clearly out of and can't be broken. I've tried to hide but he finds me anywhere no matter what. I've tried to fight back but I can't get a single hit at him nor evade any of his. How is that possible that I seem so feeble to him? Even as a human I was tougher than this. I could land a few on him, but now… its like he knows my every move. He's got to be poisoning me if I'm this feeble. My whole body hurts ALL the time. Why is he so intent on me this time? He's insane. I can't get free. I need Red, my Red. Where is he? Is he even REAL?' Tears trickled down to the side onto the pillow. "He's got to be real." She sniffled. "I love him. He's got to be real and I've got to be the phoenix." The words no longer quite felt they rang true. The back of her mind told her to get out of this hopeless funk but she wasn't much listening to it much lately. She felt so utterly alone. Did anyone know where she was? She sure didn't know where, only its name and that was Hell.

A song came to Annabel one with lyrics related to her situation. Besides, she thought, singing always brighten her mood. She sang it softly and slowly to herself.

You need rhino skin
If you're gonna begin
To walk
Through this world
You need elephant balls
If you don't want to crawl
On your hands
Through this world

Oh my love if I reveal
Every secret I've concealed
How many thoughts would you steal
How much of my pain would you feel

You need eagles wings
To get over things
That make no sense
In this world

You need rhino skin
If you're gonna pretend
You're not hurt by this world

If you listen long enough
You can hear my skin grow tough
Love is painful to the touch
Must be made of stronger stuff

You need rhino skin
To get to the end
Of the maze through this world

You need rhino skin
Or you're gonna give in
To the needles and pins
The arrows of sin
The evils of men
You need rhino skin (Rhino Skin by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers)

It didn't do to much good but at least she wasn't thinking of morose thoughts as much while she sang it. 'How has that bastard done this to me? Make me like this? Break me down so. I thought I was stronger now, not… like this. Maybe I'm… not… the… phoenix…' Her eyes closed.

00000000000000 April 7 2009

Bennu tied a red ribbon into a low ponytail. She picked out a blue shirt with a low and wide neckline and very short frilly sleeves. A flexible feeling pair of blue jeans adored her legs with comfortable high traction sneakers on her feet. She strapped the sword securely to her person. She checked herself in the mirror; applied ruby red lipstick and blue eye shadow. She wanted to look her best when she finally took down the horrid blood sucker.

First she had to lure Alucard out of the basement and outside in the open.

That part was easy actually since his revolting presence was already outside on the massive front lawn. Bennu sauntered all the way to him while he stood transfixed at her complementing wardrobe and the way she smiled at him seductively. The next part disgusted her but it would distract the vampire long enough.

Alucard didn't move a muscle. Bennu strolled right up to him and without preamble yanked at his cravat and kissed the blood sucker on the lips passionately. She heard a groan expel through his nose. Hands rose up to clasp her head and pull her into the lip lock. Her free hand gripped hold of the hilt, slid out the sword, and plunged it into his heart while simultaneously lighting it up in flames. Alucard's face pulled away in shock. There was a burning sword in his chest burning up the once functioning heart. Hands forced her way along with the flaming blade. He grasped at the gaping wound that slowly healed back up.

"Why, Annabel?" He asked raspy.

The weapon still blazed in battle ready hands. "I recalled something." She lied convincingly. "A story in an old book a priest told me, something about a fiery angel killing a demon."

"That priest was wrong!"

She scoffed. "I don't think so. I already don't like you so…" With both hands clasping her sword high in the air she lurched forward to slice him in half.

Alucard pulled out Casel and effectively blocked her sword. "Stop this Spaz! It doesn't pertain to us!"

Her response was to intensify the heat on her blade. It cut the barrel clean off like butter and the force on the sword cut deeply into Alucard's face on his left side starting from the corner of his eye, through the lips, evenly through the adam's apple, down into the right side of his chest, and ended at the bottom of his ribs. A throaty grunt of pain escaped him as she seared his flesh. He jumped back well out of reach of her blade. His body instinctive went into gear to heal the wound. She likewise moved backward and ignited her whole body.

"Annabel! You're not… yourself." He yelled placing fingers on his left cheek sensing a strange feel to his face. The fingers moved down the cut she had made while she watched grinning quite satisfied. The skin mended quickly but with an unexpected effect. It left a slightly raised and very obvious scar.

Rage bubbled inside him. 'How could she! Its permanent!' lunging without thinking, Alucard received another cut; horizontal across the chest with just as much ferocity, as well as severe burns to his hands.

"I told you Not. To. Touch. Me." She giggled madly then flittered on her toes towards him not unlike the Judas Priest, to slice at him again. He coasted over the grass just beyond the tip of her blade, moving side to side evading her all the while trying to come up with a new strategy to subdue her without killing her. "Come vampire attack me!" Annabel scream giddily and started throwing fire balls at him.

'SHE'S BECOME WARPED! That fucking Frenchmen was right!' If there was any being that could truly destroy the No Life King it would be her! "STOP THIS NOW, ANNABEL! I'LL HURT YOU IF I HAVE TO!"

"Then do it already, COWARD!" A fire ball grazed his left ear eating most of the lobe away.

He pulled out Jackal shooting a round into the dirt between her legs. It acted much like a land mine exploding the immediate earth and her upwards. Annabel slid face first and momentary stunned into the grass. Alucard jumped on her and ripped the belt off her to tie her hands up with, unfortunately blue flames of death sprang back to life before he could secure her. A howl of pain erupted from his lips as he jerked backwards off her in self preservation.

The redhead flipped on the ground, tighten the grip on the blazing weapon, swung it one-eighty across the kneeling bloodsucker's neck, and watched as the blood sucker's head rolled to the ground. The body slumped backward headless.

Bennu blasted a stream of fire at the body watching it burn away until she could no longer feel the vampire's presence. 'He's GONE!' Her glee shown out her eyes. 'I've killed the No Life King! I am truly better than him!'

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* Hymn of Sehkmet. Taken from Wikipedia among other sites. As far as I can tell its the real deal although none of the sites mentioned exactly where it originated. I changed no words.

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B/N: NOOOOO! Not Big Red! Please tell me it's some twisted joke and bring the real Annabel home where she belongs!

Please review me! PWEASE!