A/N: Whee, new chapter! Lorry for the update being so long in coming; I was a bit miffed by the two reviews I received for chapter three. But for the two lovely people who left them, you're awesome. So, without much further ado, I present the disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing, Hellsing, or Dracula, which I stuck in because you cannot have Hellsing without Dracula. I hope you enjoy the new chapter. Read and review!

"Violet Turned Red"

Chapter Four

Blood

Duo regarded her silently for a moment before looking down at the bag of blood in his hands. An unknown instinct reared up and told him to rip open the plastic and guzzle it all. Stamping it down, he put on his joker mask and held up the bag. "Any chances of getting a cup?"

Seras and Pip both relaxed, the latter giving out a chuckle. "You never change, Kid."

"I've got a name now, Solo," Duo said as Seras left to fetch him a glass. "It's Duo Maxwell now. And what about you? I'm wanting answers here, buddy."

"Maybe when you're not hungry," Solo said, grinning in his crooked manner. "And it's Pip Bernadotte now. Found my real name. So, Duo? I'm honored. You're gonna raise as few eyebrows around here with that surname though."

"Are you going to tell me why now, or do I have to wait for the briefing?" Duo asked, curious.

"You're gonna have to wait," Pip said.

"Gah, you're impossible," Duo said with a huff, flopping back down on the gurney. He grimaced as he realized how much blood had soaked into his hair and clothes, a thought coming to mind. "Heero thinks I'm dead, doesn't he? And Wufei..."

"Technically, you are dead," Pip said, sobering. "But yeah, they do. We had to carry your body out past them."

"At least they have a solid answer," Duo said with a sigh. "I can't let Wufei see me like this."

"He your sweet heart?" Pip asked, taking a seat beside him on the gurney.

"Yeah, hooked up at the end of the war." The pilot stared up at the ceiling. "Never thought I'd be the first to go."

"Sorry it took so long," Seras said, coming back in. "I had to get to the kitchens to get it and ran into Walter on the way."

Sitting up, Duo accepted the glass, using his teeth to tear open the bag. "Not a problem. We were just catching up."

"So where did the two of you meet?" Seras said. She tried not to look at the blood Duo was emptying from the bag.

"When we were kids on L2," Pip said. "So, where'd you get Maxwell? Were you adopted?"

"Na, the church took me and a bunch of the other kids in," Duo said. "Took the Father's name." Closing his eyes, he took a long drink from the glass, trying not to think about what he was drinking. It's just like one of Heero's protein smoothies. Think about it the same way as the smoothies. Good for you but nasty, and only gets worse when you think about it. Unfortunately, his taste buds didn't agree with his mental chanting, and he resisted the temptation to lick the insides of the glass for the last traces. "It's going to take some time to get used to that."

"You're adjusting faster than I did," Seras said with a tiny sad smile. "Sir Hellsing wants to see you once you've fed enough to make up for the blood loss. Walter said he'd bring you some that have been warmed."

"So who is this Walter person?" Duo asked, forcing himself to put down the glass.

"Technically, he's the butler," Seras explained, keeping a close eye on her fledgling. "But he was also Hellsing's top assassin at one time."

"Sounds like an interesting person." The young vampire's head snapped toward the door as he heard footsteps coming down the hall. It looked like heightened senses would be another thing he was going to have to get used to, just one more thing on an ever-growing list. "Small, light footed man?"

The blonde woman tipped her head toward the door as well. "Yes, that would be Walter."

The door opened and an elderly gentleman entered with a pile of military style olive clothing, atop of which sat two unopened bags of medical blood wrapped partially in a towel. "Good evening, Mr. Maxwell. I am Walter C. Dornez, retainer of the Hellsing family."

"Duo Maxwell, former Preventer, I guess," Duo said. There was something about the man that had a familiar feel to it. "So, I hear you're the man with the food."

"Correct, Mr. Maxwell," Walter said with a small smile. "I've also brought you a new set of clothes. I doubt you'll be wanting to spend the rest of the night in a blood-soaked uniform."

"Thank you." Reaching out, Duo was about to take the pile when he noticed the blood dried on his hands. "Maybe you'd better just set them down and hand me the bags. I don't want to get blood on them."

"That would be wise," the older man said.

The towel wrapped around had been heated to help keep the blood warm, and also contained a small pair of scissors. Nodding his thanks, Duo snipped a hole in the top corner of one and drained it into his empty cup. He drank both down in rapid succession before using the towel to wipe his hands clean.

"Is there a place where I can get clean before I see the boss lady?"

"Of course, if you'll just come with me." Walter waited until he'd picked up the clothes before turning around and heading back out the door for Duo to follow him.

He was led to an empty military style locker room equipped with showers and left alone. Silently, he stripped off the bloodstained clothing, uncaring about where he dropped them as he turned the water on as hot as he could make it. He released his braid once the crusted blood had softened enough to separate the three sections; it wrapped around his arms and clung to his back like a blanket.

Crimson eyes stared blankly at the red water swirling down the drain. A burning on his chest above that of the water made him look down. The skin around his cross was a bright, angry red, contrasting greatly with the new extent of pale he'd never reached before, even as an L2 child. Ignoring the pain, he picked it up, righting the pendant to look at it closely. Unnoticed, the damage to his chest began to heal at a visible rate.

"What would you think of me now, Sister Helen?" he whispered, barely audible over the water. The room didn't answer.