Disclaimer: New chapter up, sorry for the delay. Nothing too grand will develop in the plot. Both Hellsing and the Order prepare to destroy the vampires (whom from now on will be referred to as the Children of the Fallen.) At the same time, Michael begins to reflect on his actions in the past culminating in his revealing of why he turned Kathy. Enjoy.
Chapter Eight-"Battle Preparations"
Two days have passed since Victor and the Children of the Fallen declared war on England and on Hellsing. Both the latter and the Order of the Cross were preparing to wage war. Vladimir had moved a large portion of his troops and stationed them at various points across London. Integra received permission from the Queen to destroy these vampires by any means necessary. Sitting in her office she stared out at the window. It was late at night with clear skies. Standing up she began thinking about all the recent events. Her thoughts were interrupted by an all too familiar voice and presence.
"What troubles you, my Master?" Alucard said phasing through the wall. Integra didn't turn to face him. "This vampire, Victor so readily declared war on all of London. On Hellsing, and on the world itself. I can only imagine the chaos he would unleash should he succeed." she said. Alucard grinned, walking over to her desk. "There is something so deliciously pleasing in the chaos of war. It brings me back 55 years ago to when Walter and I laid waist to the Millennium Nazis. It was the same situation. No matter, give me my orders Master. I am ready to fight. My sight is fixed, my magazine fully loaded. My resolve is strong, I can do this. I can kill every last soul until nothing but bloodied and mangled corpses remain. But you must be the one to give the ok. So what will you do, my Master?" he asked chuckling.
Integra sighed before turning to face him. The darkened night sky made her visage all the more fearsome, and attractive. With a wave of her hand she spoke. "Kill them all. I order you to wipe out every last vampire. Leave not a single soul breathing. Break their bones, rip them apart, slaughter them like cattle. Understand? Those are my orders soldier" she said intensely. Alucard laughed. "Ahh excellent! All these years and you still know how to inspire my passion Integra. You still know how to cause a great stir in my loins. Then by your orders Master, I bid you good night." he said removing his hat and bowing before phasing out the room. Integra remained silent before she blinked. "Stir...in his loins..wha-..ohh damn it Alucard!" she shouted flustered as her cheeks turned a deep crimson.
Across town...
"So his true enemy is Hellsing. Who would've thought?" Michael stated. Sitting in Vladimir's office he faced his leader whom sat across from him. Vladimir nodded, "I know. You already know how savage and twisted Victor is. A move like this doesn't really surprise me." he stated. Getting up he turned to his window, gazing at the city streets. "That reminds me, there is something I've been itching to ask you."
"Yes?"
Vladimir remained silent before speaking. His back still turned, arms folded behind. "Why did you turn Kathy into a Werewolf?" he finally asked. Michael sighed, leaning back in his chair. "There's so many reasons. Could it be guilt? Unlikely. Regret? Not it either. This will sound odd but I was...inspired by her passion. Think about it. Her beloved family and friends brutally slaughtered. Her town nearly desecrated and turned to rubble. A gang of sadistic vampires intending to rape and then kill her, perhaps even sending her to worse fate then death. And through all of that what does she do? What fate does she choose for herself? It was all too surreal. I offered her life as a solution to death. Giving up is what kills people. She showed indomitable strength, it was because of that she has been 'blessed' with the gift of immortality." Michael said.
Vladimir chuckled. "You know it's funny. I spoke with Walter from Hellsing. He asked Alucard the same question of why he turned that new girl. You sound just like him." he said turning to face him. Michael frowned, his face twisting in an expression of disgust. "Comparing me to the Nosferatu? That's kinda low man." Vladimir laughed. "So now you're just waiting for her to transform right?"
Michael nodded, "The next full moon is close...I can feel it. The pack and I will take her away from the city where she can transform." Standing up he faced Vladimir, "About these vampires. This will be a bloody spectacle." he said. Vladimir folded his arms, "You heard the Queen. Destroy them. Plain and simple." he said causing Michael to chuckle. "There's something else." Vladimir began. "The night you bit Kathy, you thought of...'her' didn't you?" he asked. Michael's expression turned to that of pain and anguish. His amber irises displaying discomfort. Sighing he nodded, "Yes I did. It's been more then three centuries and I still can't forgive myself. I don't know what it is exactly but as she lay there, bloodied and dying I kept getting flashes from that time. Kathy is...special..I can tell. I think I'm starting to see some of her in Kathy." Michael said facing Vladimir.
While the two continued to talk, the rest of the pack were in the sub-level of their compound.
"You want me to what..?" Kathy asked Raul, a look of incredulity on her face. Raul gestured with his hand. "Hit me. Right here, hard as you can." he said again. Kathy frowned, "I'm not hitting you." she said. The rest of the pack sighed. Karl spoke up. "Listen, you did good the other night but that was only a fraction of what you are capable of. As a Werewolf all of your physical abilities are five times greater then they ever were. Your strength, speed, reflexes, dexterity, endurance, balance, agility and especially your senses are amplified. All designed for one thing in mind: To kill. Use them to your advantage." he explained. The pack was attempting to begin training Kathy in physical combat. With the threat of war looming over, there was no time to waste. But she was stubborn, and refused to spar with one of them.
She folded her arms, cocking her hip to the side. "I said I'm not hitting you." They all groaned. "Look quit being difficult alright? This is for your own good. A Werewolf that doesn't fully realize or understand their powers is even more dangerous then when they can control it. You'll be more of a danger to yourself and even us if you don't listen. Please, let's just get through with this." Raul said. Kathy sighed, "Ok so what am I supposed to do?" she asked. Cocking a grin Raul laughed, "Do your best to hit me. Anywhere. Do not hold back. If you fight like a human then you are going to lose like one. You will not hurt me." he taunted. Glaring she raised both her fists, in what seemed like a split second she threw a quick jab at his jaw. She was surprised on two counts; How quickly she moved and the fact she hit nothing but air. Raul now stood to her side, grinning. "Not bad." he said. Kathy growled and swung at his face three times. Each blow was avoided skillfully by Raul who motioned with his hands. "That it? I'm barely trying" he said. Kathy again stood and faced him. Bringing up both her hands she balled her fists tightly, sliding her right foot back she took a fighting stance. Raul cocked his head curiously before doing the same. Sliding his foot back he brought his hands low.
Frowning Kathy rushed him, with surprising speed. Swinging furiously at him she found herself impressed with her newfound abilities. "This is unreal. Am I really moving this fast? It feels like my body is barely budging." she thought to herself whilst continuing her attack. To the human eye it would appear as flashes of light or quick blurs. To the pack, they followed each attack very clearly. Karl folded his arms, Robert nodded. "She's not bad. With a little practice she could prove quite the fighter" he commented to which Karl grunted in response. Sergei and Alex watched the sparring duel. Their heads moving from right to left, "I say Raul wins." Alex stated. Sergei shook his head. "Nah bro, Kathy seems to have a natural fighting spirit. She could probably beat him" he said.
Raul raised his right arm, blocking a punch from Kathy before raising his shin checking a quick round house kick she threw. Seizing the moment, Kathy grabbed his arm attempting a throw. Raul raised his eyes in surprise as Kathy tossed, quite a distance. The rest of the pack whistled as he flipped twice before skidding to a stop. Looking up he chuckled, she had thrown him at least six feet. "Wow pretty impressive, where did you learn that?" he asked. Kathy scratched her head. "Well, I did say my parents were in the military. It's just some stuff I picked up." Raul braced himself, dashing behind her she gasped in shock at his speed. "Good, but don't let your guard down" he said swinging at her body. To his amazement she dropped low to her feet, swinging her right foot out she did a sweeping roundhouse which Raul jumped over. Landing to his feet he brought both hands up as she charged him, matching his speed. The two dashed about, trading punches, kicks, elbows and avoiding each others throws, sweeps and take downs. For a novice Werewolf, she was surprisingly strong. "Great! Excellent! Keep at it, use your senses as well." Raul said raising his left leg in a fierce round kick. Kathy brought up both her arms, barely blocking as she went skidding a couple of steps. Raul then threw three more kicks before turning and executing a spinning roundhouse kick.
Kathy narrowed her eyes, her vision heightened to the point everything seemed to slow down. As Raul brought his leg across she braced her body. Absorbing the blow she grabbed his leg. Taking her foot she kicked his left foot from underneath him sending him tumbling down. Balling her fist she then brought it down in a strong overhand right. The force from the blow resonated in the room, causing the floor to crack in several spots. Standing back up she back away, as if committing some grace error. She waited, before Raul stood back up. Cracking his neck he turned to the spot where she hit him, the floor cracked and had left a sizable crater. Whistling he began clapping. "Nice job, not too shabby for a novice. But you might want to learn how to pull back your attacks. If you ever have to square off with a human you could easily kill them." he said. The rest of the pack walked up while Kathy stared down at her hands. "This is incredible, we must have been going at it for two minutes and I'm not even out of breath. You kicked with great power and I haven't fractured or shattered a single bone. Just what are we made of?" she asked curiously. Karl chuckled, "We did mention that everything about your body is designed to kill. You could fight at peak capacity for 3 days and not grow tired. Your body also heals at an accelerated rate, much faster then a human. Injuries that would kill a normal man are child's play to us. Your senses of smell, hearing, sight, even taste and touch are far more powerful. All of these are to aid you Kathy, learn to trust and use them." he said.
At that moment Michael entered the room. Looking around he raised his eyebrow, "I miss something?" he said. Raul laughed, "Showing the newbie here a thing or two about fighting. Or I thought I'd have to. She's one tough girl Michael" he said causing Kathy to blush. Michael smirked, "Sweet. I knew you'd make a fine member of the pack. Well, let's call it a night." he said as the rest nodded in affirmation.
The rest of the night passed with no incidents. The following morning over at Hellsing, Integra was busy prepping for the coming fight against the Children of the Fallen. "Sir Integra is everything all right?" Walter asked as he sat down a tray holding a cup and pot of tea. Integra nodded "Walter, honestly. Could we be in over our heads?" she asked the aging butler. Walter stared before shaking his head. Folding his arms he spoke, "Not at all. Compared to the types of trouble Van Hellsing faced well over a century ago this hardly counts as a crisis. And we do have Alucard. If there's one thing he's shown us it's that there is no supernatural force he won't face and overcome." Walter said confident of the vampire count. Integra smirked, "That is true. What of Seras and Dante?" she asked taking a sip of tea. Walter chuckled, "Seras has yet to show what she is truly capable of. I wouldn't worry really, she was sired by Alucard himself. If he had any doubts about her worth among the undead I doubt he'd turn her. I believe this war will force her to grow into a true Draculina." he said. "Now as for Dante that man is another matter entirely. As the Son of Sparda he's faced obstacles like this before. And he did so alone. Like Alucard, he may be considered a monster. But if we are to take the legend of Sparda as fact, he had a righteous heart that strived to protect and preserve. No doubt he passed this on to his son." he said.
Integra nodded, "Now all that remains is to find out where they are located." Walter nodded and exited her office. In the sub levels of the mansion Alucard was busy chatting with Dante. The devil hunter sat facing the vampire count. Chuckling he shook his head.
"So you're telling me you're excited?" Dante asked causing Alucard to grin. "How can I not be? Don't you feel it? The rush of excitement pumping through your veins as the threat of war creeps ever closer. It's moments like these that make being a vampire all the more worth it." he said. Dante shook his head, "When I faced down the armies of the Underworld it was something like this. I always say it's moments like this in life where you gotta live it up" he said. Getting up he paced around the room before stopping. "I've been meaning to ask you. You and that blonde chick are both vampires right?" he asked Alucard who flashed him a curious stare. "So I wonder. If vampires have to feed on blood in order to survive then do you both hunt and kill people?" he said. Alucard remained quiet, taking off his glasses his red eyes flashed.
"The police girl is among the lowest of the vampire rank. She almost completely refuses to drink blood." Alucard began a hint of annoyance in his voice. Dante raised an eyebrow, finding that statement a bit intriguing before Alucard continued. "We are supplied with blood here so there is no need for us to routinely hunt and feed on people. I feed on my enemies in the midst of battle, or if I just feel like it. Seras however is more stubborn, but in time she will drink." he said. Dante smirked, "You seem so assured."
"I am, believe me. Sooner, or later the thirst always wins. She will drink, in due time. She'll drink" Alucard said confident his fledgling will begin to feed like a proper vampire. Ironically, as he and Dante talked Seras was in her quarters. Sitting at a small table she held a packet of blood. Sighing she stared down at the red liquid, AB positive. A delicacy according to her master. "Well, I suppose it would make sense" she said. Hesitantly she bit open the top. Her hands shook, closing her eyes she began to drink. The blood gushed out, satisfying her growing thirst. Seras re-opened her eyes, they turned deep crimson as the cool liquid rejuvenated her body. With a satisfying sigh, she tossed the empty packet into a trash can. Licking her lips she looked down at her now steady and calm hands. "Well, I guess Master was right. Ah well, unto the next one" she said reaching for another packet.
Night time soon came to London. Far away from the busy streets, in a forest clearing in the English country side Michael and the pack gathered in a circle. The full moon would be out tonight which meant a very important occasion. Kathy would soon transform. Had she been by herself her raging instincts and impulses would make her into a savage mindless beast. However because she was sired by Michael and now a pack mate they could guide and help her control her savage desires. They all stood attentively, dressed in black pants and t-shirts. Kathy was in the middle, looking nervously around.
"This is it. Remember what we talked about. Don't fight your instincts. Trust them. We are here to help guide and control you as you cannot yet control yourself once transformed." Michael explained to her. Nervously sighing she looked at him, 'Will it...will it...hurt?" she asked. Michael frowned. "Yes, the physical transformation is excruciating. The mental trauma is just as bad. You will feel desires and impulses you have never even contemplated. Power, rage, malice, aggression and especially hunger. You will notice your sexual desire may increase too." he said causing her to blush. Raul whistled, teasing her as she then shot him an angry glare. Looking up Michael folded his arms. The clouds parted, light came to the clearing. It was time.
"Here we go. Kathy, trust us. We are with you to the end." he said as they stepped back. Kathy looked to the night sky as the moon came into view. It was beautiful, fat and round. Reaching up she gazed into its awesome glow. Suddenly her body jerked, her limbs twitching and shaking. Hunching over she cried out loud as a sharp pain erupted up her spine. Closing her eyes she grit her teeth as she felt hot flashes. Michael narrowed his eyes. Karl stood next to him, arms behind him. The others merely watched as Kathy began her transformation.
"Urrrgh!" she moaned as she rocked back and forth. Her mind felt as if someone was pouring napalm into her skull. This pain was unlike anything she ever faced. Crying again her bones began to twist and pop, the muscles in her body contorting. Falling down to her knees her clothes began ripping. Her hands slowly began to form into animal like pawed hands. Her dull nails sharpening and growing in great length. A growl erupted from her throat, her teeth elongated and sharpened. Her canine teeth growing in length resembling sabers. Her feet ripped through her shoes. Growling again Kathy further went through the process. Her amber eyes flashed with great intensity, amplified underneath the moon light. Another growl escaped as her lips curled back, her face morphing into a fearsome snout. Her fair skin being replaced by fur. Her hair growing in length. With a final snarl from Kathy she completed the transformation. Her body grew in size, she now stood about 6 feet tall. Her clothes completely torn and ripped off. She stood on two powerful hind legs, her hands now ended in sharp talons. Curling her lips back her massive teeth glistened as she snarled and panted. Her fur was a sandy tan color with black colored fur along her shoulders and back. Looking around Kathy stared first at Michael, then at Karl, Robert, Alex and all the others of the pack. Snorting twice she reared back, closing her eyes she began howling. A powerful cry as it echoed across the clearing and through out the forest. She had done it. Kathleen, was now a Lycanthrope.
Kneeling down to all fours she began whimpering and snorting, Michael stepped up. Kathy immediately inched back a bit, her hand hanging in submission. When a Werewolf, particularly a newly turned one acknowledges a fellow Lycan as an Alpha they often act submissively, just in the manner real wolves behave. Michael grinned, "Welcome to the pack." he said. The others chuckled, Robert looked up. "Man she sure picked a fine night to turn. Man look at the size of that moon!" he exclaimed. Sergei and Alex shook their heads, shaking. "Man I feel like just howling my ass off all night! Can we Mike?" Sergei asked as Alex nodded in agreement. They all looked at their pack leader whom laughed. "What the hell. Besides, we should show Kathy how to hunt for prey like a proper Werewolf. Let's do it" he said standing back. Closing his eyes Michael howled, his call stirring the others to action. He began his own transformation, a sharp growl escaped his throat as his body began morphing. His clothes tore, his eyes flashed, his teeth grew as he changed. Increasing in muscle and size he now stood 8 feet tall with pitch black fur and massive teeth. Snorting he howled again as the others began transforming. Karl howled, turning into a massive wolf with chocolate brown fur. He was now about 7 feet tall. Raul turned next, into a powerful silver colored wolf. Robert growled as he turned, his fur color was dark gray with a lighter shade of gray on his torso. Sergei and Alex were last, turning into a reddish brown and gray colored wolf respectively. The two twins along with Robert were not as tall as Michael and the others but just as physically imposing. All seven wolves snorted before howling in unison. The black wolf, Michael snarled before bounding off into the forest on two feet. The others snapped and snarled, running after him. The pack of Werewolves set off on a hunt, teaching their newest addition what it is to run free as a wolf.
End Chapter
Stay tuned. Big chapter coming up next. It's going to be about Michael's origins. His life from almost three centuries ago, how he came to serve the Order of the Cross, the woman he tragically lost and how he and the others formed a pack together. It'll have action, a little romance as well as some humor. Thanks for reading!