Chapter Two: Master of Monsters
***10 years ago, London, Kirkland Headquarters***
Boadicea lay on her death bed, surrounded by her most trusted men, her sister, Gaul, and her son, Arthur.
"Arthur, honey, come here. I don't have much time left and I need to tell you something before I go."
"Y-yes, mumsie?" Arthur asked, tears rolling down his cheeks.
Boadicea took a breath. "After I die, Kirkland will be yours. From then on, you must protect England and its church. Can you do that for mommy?"
"Yes, mum." Arthur's tears wouldn't stop. They kept on falling. Why did his mother have to die so soon?
"I wish I could stay by your side a little longer…" Boadicea continued, " but obviously, I cannot. Gaul, sister, promise me one thing please."
"Anything." Gaul said.
"Promise me you'll take care of Arthur."
"Of course, sister…"
***Three days later, Kirkland Headquarters***
"Have you found him yet?!" Gaul shouted at her men.
"Not yet, ma'am. We've been unable to find a trace."
Gaul scowled, clearly disappointed and angry. "For twenty years I've done nothing but wait for my sister to die, and when she finally does, she gives the organization to an insufferable brat!" she took a breath to steady herself. "I want Arthur dead! Eliminate him on sight once you find him! Move out!"
Meanwhile, up high in the air vent, Arthur had managed to see the entire thing. "It's been only three days…" Arthur said with a frown on his face, "Aunt Gaul, what of your morals?"
Arthur kept frowning and closed his eyes, thinking of a place where he could be safe. His mother's words came to him.
"Before I die, love, I have one more thing to tell you. When you are in extreme danger and can do absolutely nothing to defend yourself, go to the forgotten dungeon I showed you a while back. Behind the first door lies our family's secret weapon. It will protect you."
Arthur coughed. The dungeon hadn't been visited in years and it was very dusty in there. But Arthur couldn't let some dust stop him. This was a matter of life and death. He kept on walking until he reached to door that would open the dungeon.
"Don't tell me you still haven't found him! How can one small boy cause all this damage?!" Gaul roared.
"We've searched the entire house ma'am, but we haven't found him. The only place still left is that forgotten dungeon?"
"The dungeon, huh?" Gaul said thoughtfully. "My sister sealed that place 20 years ago. Well then, if that's the case, we'll just have to go to the dungeon, now won't we? Call the rest of the men! We're heading towards the dungeon!"
A heavy creaking noise could be heard as Arthur opened the door to the dungeon. It was dark and cold down there, and Arthur didn't like it at all. Still, he stayed down there because he trusted his mother. If she said his protection was here, then he'd stay here.
Just as he sat down, Arthur turned his head to his left, only to come face to face with…
A corpse? And not just any corpse. One wrapped in a black jacket, tied behind its back and with long, white hair. The only part of its body that could be seen was the face.
"This is my protection? This rotting corpse will protect me from harm?" Arthur felt like crying. "Mumsie, what is this?"
Arthur sighed. "Well, it's not like I have anywhere else to go. You won't mind if I stay here with you, right?" Arthur said to the dead body. "I was expecting a soldier or something, but instead I get this. Oh mother, whatever could've made you place a dead man in a dungeon for 20 years?" Arthur looked once more at the corpse. "I really don't want to die…I really don't…"
Just then, the dungeon door flew open and in stepped three men.
"WE'VE GOT HIM!" shouted one.
"NO!" Arthur shouted. He couldn't believe this. Was this the end?
"Arthur, dear, you certainly know how to hide…"
"Aunt Gaul, why are you doing this?! Why are you filled with so much hatred?! Are you even hit to lead Kirkland?!" shouted Arthur.
Just as the little boy finished saying this, a swift slap was delivered to his face, given by his aunt.
"QUIET! THERE'S NO WAY I'LL GIVE KIRKLAND TO A PATHETIC LITTLE BOY LIKE YOU!" shouted Gaul. She took out her pistol and shot Arthur in the arm, sending some of his blood on the face of the corpse and on the floor in front of it. A pained cry escaped the blond boy's lips.
"AH!" Arthur cried as he clutched his arm. His arm hadn't been pierced, but there would certainly be a scar there.
"Now, where should I shoot you next? After all, for the trouble you caused us, I wouldn't want your death to be a quick and painless." Gaul chuckled darkly to herself.
Gaul would've shot Arthur a second time, had it not been for the noise…
Caused by the corpse behind Arthur.
Arthur, Gaul and her agents turned to the source of the noise. There, they saw, instead of a rotting corpse, a man with long white hair which covered his eyes, licking the blood of the floor. A sadistic smile was on his features. After a few seconds, the man lifted his head up, revealing two red eyes. The others stared in shock at him, neither knowing what to expect.
Suddenly, the man ripped the rope holding his hands from behind his back and stood up. He was obviously taller than Gaul's men.
"Sir Gaul, the corpse came to life! What do we do?!"
"I-I don't know…my sister never mentioned this…" Gaul said. "It doesn't matter, though! Shoot it! Send them both to hell!"
Before the shooting could even start, one of the men had his head torn apart from his body. It happened quickly…far too quickly. No one saw when the agent got his head ripped, except the corpse which was drinking from it right now. Once he was done, he tossed the head over carelessly and attacked the others. Head flew, people were cut in half and a scene of pure hell was made. Gaul stood, horrified at what was happening.
"Oh god," she whispered quietly, "What are you?" Gaul placed her pistol in front of her and shot. The whole thing was useless, since the ex-corpse merely caught them and kept moving towards her.
"Garbage…" it said, "USELESS!" at that moment, the man caught Gaul's right hand and ripped it off her body. A pained cry could be heard throughout the dungeon. After that, silence.
The ex-corpse turned to Arthur, who froze seeing those red eyes looking directly at his own green ones. Oh god, was his protection going to kill him too? Arthur only hoped that it wouldn't be as painful as it looked.
The man walked towards him. Arthur closed his eyes, expecting to have his head torn off or maybe sliced into little pieces, but…nothing happened. The boy opened his eyes, surprised to see the man bowing before him.
"Are you well, "it said in a hoarse voice, "Sir Kirkland?"
All Arthur could do was stare. Was this a joke? And what was this? A vampire? What kind of research had his mother been doing?
Sensing the boy's confusion, the red eyed vampire decided to clear things up. "I am at your service and await your command."
While the ex-corpse explained the situation to Arthur, Gaul took hold of her gun with her remaining hand.
"Kirkland…Kirkland... WILL BE MINE!" Gaul aimed for Arthur's face and pulled the trigger. Only instead, of hitting Arthur, the bullet entered the vampire's arm. He turned to Gaul.
"Your blood…it has a foul smell. Not fit for leading Kirkland…and certainly not fit for being my master." He said.
Gaul stared at the corpse, noticing only later that her gun wasn't in her hand anymore. It was in Arthur's.
"What your name?" the young boy whispered to the vampire next to him.
"Vladislav…" he whispered back, "Or so your ancestors have called me."
Arthur pulled the trigger.
***Present day, London, Kirkland Institute Target Practice Centre***
"The key to making the perfect shot is to forget to aim as you have been taught. Forget the habits you had and the lessons you learned as a human." Vladislav explained to his new fledgling.
"I see…" replied Yekaterina.
"Fire based on instinct. You have been gifted with heightened perception. Use that to your advantage and stop acting like a human. You will remain only at that level if you keep acting like one." Vlad turned towards the target. "It's right there, one kilometer away…" he pulled the trigger, aiming perfectly.
"Wow…bulls-eye…" sayed the Ukrainian vampire.
Meanwhile, Arthur had been sitting in a nearby chair, his eyes towards the two vampires, but his mind far away, thinking of that fateful day. The day he could've died…the day he was saved by a vampire…his vampire…Vladislav.
"Ten years…" he muttered to himself.
"Indulged in reminiscence, master?" Vladislav's deep, baritone voice could be heard behind the Kirkland director. The vampire clearly read his master's thoughts.
"Is there something wrong with that? After all, how could I not? It happened on this very day."
"Indeed." Vladislav replied. "Now that I think about it, it's kind of our anniversary, master." Vlad whispers in Arthur's ear, in a sort of seductive way. He loved teasing Arthur.
Arthur frowned for a single second, and then let a smirk adorn his features. "Well then if that's the case, darling," Arthur replied back just like Vladislav had previously done, "What present did you get for me?"
"This." Vlad pulled out a brand new spell book and presented it to Arthur. "What did you get me?" He grined widely, so widely Arthur wondered how come he hasn't split his face yet.
Arthur frowns again. Vladislav's always been good at magic and Arthur knows he still needs some practice to get to the vampire's level. After all, the Englishman can't make a spell book appear out of nowhere like Vlad. So, to not disappoint the vampire (and to make sure he doesn't receive more teasing) he settles for something simple. "Kneel in front of me."
"My, my, master, you're a naughty one. However, Yekaterina's here-"Vlad was cut off.
"No, you bloody git! I didn't mean that! Just do what I say."
Vladislav knelt down in front of Arthur. Yekaterina simply watched them and wondered why the Kirkland director just bit his finger, letting some blood pour out of it. The smell of the red liquid made her hungry.
"Here," says Arthur, "drink this." He let a few drops of blood fall into the vampire's mouth before cleaning his wounded finger with a napkin and turned to Yekaterina. "Would you like some as well?"
"Um…" although she's a vampire, she doesn't want to drink blood, at least not now." No thank you."
Arthur sighed. "You'll have to start drinking soon you know, if you want to keep your strength."
"I know…and I will." The Ukrainian girl replied.
"That's enough talk, Police Girl! Back to target practice!" shouted Vlad.
"Yes sir!"
Just so you all know, in Hellsing, neither Integra or Alucard know magic. It's just something I added since in Hetalia, England and Romania are in a magic club. Also, in the end, Romania is teasing England in a friendly manner. If other people want to consider it in another way *coughRomEngcough* then go ahead, I can't stop you.