Chapter Eighteen.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Alice," Integra said. She was still holding an assault rifle, and Alice carried two curved knives. No one's weapons had been holstered or sheathed, and Seras's mind began to race, thinking about how she would defuse the situation.
Alice smiled politely, but her mouth drew flat and her face became stern and focused. Seras felt the tension in the room mount, and knew one sharp movement would lead to violence.
"I think we should explain ourselves," Seras said. "I'm sure you're wondering about the vehicle we're running around in and where we got it."
"Yes," Alice said. "I was a little curious."
There was a knock from outside. "Hey, you guys die or something?" Carlos shouted.
"It's stuffy in here," Integra said. "Why don't we all go outside?"
Seras opened the hatch and stepped out, fixing Carlos with a look that said all was not well. Carlos seemed confused and backed away. Seras was glad to see the nun, Yumiko, was wearing glasses and her habit, which meant she wasn't about to draw the large sword she carried.
They all filed out of The Bus and stood in its shade. Alice, Heinkel, and Claire stood to one side, while Integra, Jill, and Seras stood at the other. Leon remained in the doorway, while Ashley hadn't left her post in the passenger's seat. Part of their training, Seras remembered, was that one person was on board at all times. Carlos said he would go down the road and keep a lookout.
"We got the vehicle from Umbrella," Integra said.
Alice didn't make a move with her knives, and no one started shooting. Seras felt a little relieved. She didn't know what bonds had formed with Alice and the others, or how long they had been traveling together, but she hoped Claire's connection to Leon, and Carlos's to her, would keep a battle from occurring.
"Did they give it to you?" Alice asked.
"Yes," Integra said. "Seras and I were contacted by Umbrella agents in England and we were told that they would be able to synthesize a cure or a vaccine for the T-virus using your DNA. To that end, we were charged with contacting you and securing your cooperation. It was a lucky coincidence Leon, Ashley, and Jill happened to have been taken in by Umbrella at the same time."
Seras didn't like the expression passing over Alice's face. It was a look of disgusted amusement, bordering on hostility. "Wow, that's…quite a story," she said. "And do you believe they can cure the T-virus using my DNA?"
Integra didn't, Seras knew. They had reached the conclusion that at best, Umbrella wanted to create a vaccine, or at least a version of the virus that would have the same effect on everyone else as it did Alice, making them immune to the zombie contagion and more durable to the rigors of a T-virus infested world.
There was no way, that Seras could see, they would be able to explain their ultimate plan to overthrow Wesker and take control of Umbrella themselves this close to The Bus. Seras didn't dare try to use body signals, as she was sure the entire scene was being monitored by cameras outside The Bus.
"This is what I believe," Integra said. "The world will die if everything is left as it is. Umbrella is telling the truth about their need for you, and I have no illusions about how trustworthy they are."
Alice opened her mouth to speak, but Integra held up a finger. "Consider this," she said. "Umbrella has recruited its sworn enemies to come and treat with you when they could just as easily have gone after you on their own and not bothered asking. With us at your back, we can work to ensure they don't double cross us all."
They had never discussed what line they would use on Alice should they meet her. Nor had they asked Wesker about how powerful she was, should they need to fight. These seemed like gross oversights to Seras, but now she was thinking ahead to the near future.
Alice needed to be away from The Bus, then their real goal could be explained to her. Either that, or the power cable needed to come undone.
"I don't think I trust any of you," Alice said, backing up. "Anyone who would work for Umbrella can't be trusted."
Seras decided it was now or never. She got down on her knees, then onto her stomach. No one said anything, but she could tell she was getting funny looks. Swiftly, she crawled on her belly to the power cord, held up by duct tape to cut down on the amount of times it became unplugged, and reached for it fully expecting The Bus to explode any moment.
She tugged it and it came undone. She crawled back from underneath and looked at Leon. "Power's off,' he said.
"Let's hope this works," Integra said, looking at Seras sternly.
"What did you do?" Alice asked, backing farther. Heinkel looked jumpy and Claire appeared concerned as well.
"She shut the power off," Integra said. "Which means the bombs and surveillance devices theoretically don't work, and can be removed."
Jill went inside The Bus along with Leon. Seras heard them breaking out the tools they would need to remove the inner covers and take out the explosives. They knew The Bus's schematics to a degree and Seras hoped it was enough.
"It also means," Integra said, "we're tipping out hand."
"Meaning?" Heinkel said, annoyed.
"Of course we don't believe or trust Umbrella," Integra said to Alice. "What, do you think we're so stupid? We've been fighting them for a long time and have suffered greatly at their hands. We won't be taken for fools, not by the likes of them." Her voice had raised to a controlled shout that made Seras's heart leap. It was the old Integra speaking. "We've got their vehicle, we know where their Nevada facility is, and we now have you, the one thing they want. I'm certain Wesker will come in person now and that's when we'll kill him and take over the facility. The scientists will be under our orders and it is we who will ensure your DNA is put to a Godly purpose."
Integra stepped forward, her gun held low. She was now well within slashing distance of Alice's knives. "Now," she said. "Are you with us, or do we have to take you by force?"
"What makes you think we'll stand for that, Hellsing?" Heinkel said, raising her pistols.
Integra didn't move, nor did she seem threatened. Seras let her arm dissolve into a long tendril, which reared up like a snake, making everyone but Heinkel step back in shock.
"Why…" Alice took a step forward, her weapons down. "don't we…" she was between Heinkel and Integra. "all just…" Seras thought she was going to call a truce. "Relax!" she shouted, dealing a savage kick to Seras's stomach. The blow was much harder than any human could kick and Seras flew backward, skidding across the asphalt with the wind taken out of her.
Seras heard the sound of metal clacking against metal and Heinkel's shout. Claire was shouting too, and Seras prayed that if anyone was injured, it was Heinkel.
"Heinkel, stop!" Yumiko shouted.
Seras sat up and saw that Integra had knocked both Heinkel's pistols out of her hands with the butt of her assault rifle and was struggling with Alice who easily overpowered her.
Alice had Integra on her knees with her arm wrapped around her neck in a guillotine choke. Heinkel was moving into attack her and Seras sent her shadow arm darting, wrapping around Heinkel's leg. She tugged and drew her closer, getting to her feet as she did so.
Heinkel was on her stomach and soon Seras was sitting on her back, pinning her. "Let her go," Seras said.
"You let her go," Alice said.
"Both of you let her go," Claire said. "You're being stupid."
Leon poked his head of The Bus's door. "No, really, this is dumb," he said. "If you were faking it for the camera's sake, you can stop. They're not transmitting."
"Just because you're out to screw Umbrella doesn't mean I trust you more than them," Alice said. "I just met you a few days ago," she said to Claire.
"Hey," Heinkel said.
"Care to make a deal?" Seras said.
"No deal," Alice said. "Go ahead and kill her. Like I said, I barely know her."
It was subtle, but Seras caught something in Alice's eye. She laughed. "I don't think so," Seras said. "I don't think you'll hurt her, either."
Alice used her free hand to bring one of her curved blades up to Integra's eye. "I will," Alice said. "I'm going back to town to get my bike, then I'm leaving. I'm taking her with me, so don't try anything."
The loud clack of a shotgun round being chambered came from The Bus's doorway. Leon was back, having gone to get a combat shotgun which was now leveled at Alice's head. "This idiocy needs to stop," he said.
"You won't kill me," Alice said. "You need my DNA."
"I'm sure what we can fit into a cooler will do," Integra said.
Claire was shaking her head and mouthing "Why?" up at the sky. Yumiko had covered her mouth with her hands.
"Back to my deal," Seras said. "We'll both let our hostages go, and they'll stand off to the side while we have it out. If you win, you're free to leave. Umbrella can't blow us up for letting you off. If I win, you stay on and help however you can. Deal?"
Alice looked sourly at Leon's shotgun. Leon shrugged and tried to look apologetic. "No shadow arm," Alice said.
Seras solidified her arm. "No weapons, period. If I have to re-grow body parts, I get hungry and have to eat my friends."
"What the hell are you?" Alice asked.
"She's a vampire," Heinkel said. "A weak one. You can take her."
Alice let go of Integra and gave her a gentle shove forward down onto her hands and knees. She set her knives down, along with two pistols she had been carrying. Seras got up off Heinkel, and laid down her machete.
No one had died, so Seras counted this as a win, but she wondered all the same how tough Alice really was.
"What did I miss?" Carlos said, returning.
To be continued…