Second chapter, up for reading! I hope everyone has enjoyed the story so far. If anyone's wondering, Seras's running away was not in the anime (or manga, for that matter). It's an event that will be explained later into the story. The whole story is Post-Incognito and may contain elements of other literature, which will be identified as the4 story progresses. Once again, I do not own Hellsing, but all original elements, characters and plots belong to me.
She was walking through a forest, the ground adorned with black leaves and withered plants. In the sky above no sun gleamed, and the moon was nowhere to be found. Not even a single star lit her way as she padded across the cold ground, only dimly aware of the snowflakes descending on the bare skin of her arms and face. She wore a simple, white dress; nothing worth notice. She did not know why she continued on, or even how she could see in a world without a celestial body to guide her way; she knew only that she must keep walking, no matter what.
She looked around as she walked, searching for any signs of life, but not a single flower bloomed and there were no birds to sing. She did notice, however, the tiny forms of bats perched on the branches of the decayed trees, regarding her with cool, crimson-gazed intensity that sent shivers up her arms. Deeper still, into the black bushes, she noticed flickers of yet more red eyes dance across her line of vision, mocking her as she trudged into the thickest part of the forest.
She felt snow catch on her clothes and hair, but did not wonder why the flakes did not melt. She was beyond such naiveties, now. Instead she led her focus rest on a small, shadowed clearing ahead. As she stepped beyond the boundaries of the forest she saw a sea of gravestones, some simple where others were extravagant, crosses and angels entwined in webs of snake-like vines.
And, in the midst of this cemetery, she saw a huge, stone monolith, double the height of any gravestone she'd ever seen. It seemed untouched by the trials of time, whereas the other graves were unkempt and weathered with age. But, upon closer look, she realized it was not a grave at all; it was a throne, carved with intricate, Gothic designs and topped with two gargoyles, resembling the messengers of hell itself. And upon it, sat-
She gasped, stepping back, and in the process slamming her legs into a tombstone behind her. There, draped over the stone contours of the throne, was him. Clothed in red, he smiled at her from underneath his fedora and had his hands folded atop one knee.
"Welcome to the landscape of our souls, Police girl." He said, freeing one of his hands to gesture around them. The snow became more adamant, and felt strangely heavy on her shoulders. "Is it familiar?"
She found she had no voice to answer him with, but it was just as well; he did not seem to expect a reply, anyway. He grinned malevolently, and stood to his full height. Then, just as she turned to flee, he raised a hand.
"Come." He commanded, his arm outstretched. To her horror, her legs swayed and moved to obey him, no matter how vehemently she protested. They weaved her in and out of the rows of unmarked graves, and the snow began to pile up with great speed. As she moved, she grew more aware of her surroundings, and found the snow was not made of water. No, it was blood, raining all around her and burying the graves in its thick liquid.
This must be a dream. Please, someone, wake me up!
The red snow slowed her legs, but it did not stop her. She wobbled, her steps faltering, and felt her eyes violently ripped from the ground to meet his. All at once she felt rage and fear and relief; for reasons she could not guess. But he merely smiled down at her, and her arm rose to meet his without her volition.
Their hands met for the briefest of instants, as did their eyes. But with a sudden jerk he gripped her wrist and pulled her into him, trapping her body against his own. The action surprised her, widening her eyes and sending daggers of panic into her heart. He did not embrace her, and neither did she, for it was an act of intimidation rather than intimacy.
"How does it feel to be conquered, Police girl?" he asked, and before she could attempt to answer he suddenly morphed into a mass of black shadows, red eyes and gleaming teeth drawing her into his depths. Exhaustion and hopelessness gripped her, as she sank farther, farther…
Seras sat up with a jolt, gasping for breath.
All around her was darkness, and for a moment she thought she was still encased in that cold nightmare. Would gleaming teeth be set upon her any second now, with red eyes to observe her torture?
But her eyes adjusted quickly to her surroundings and found it to be ordinary shadows. She raised a tentative hand upwards, and it touched hard wood. Relief swept over her, for this was a coffin, and she had been asleep. She must be back home.
She stretched, relaxing her body as she did so. Then, she pushed at the coffin's lid, fully expecting it to open at her will and allow her exit. But it didn't. It held fast, much to her surprise, and she frowned. She laid back down, coiled her legs and kicked, sending the lid off its hinges and into the darkness of the room.
Seras reached instinctively for her handgun under her pillow, but it was not there. In fact, she realized this coffin had nothing that adorned hers; her blue coverlet, red butterflies etched into the inside of the lid. And, as she peered around, she discovered that this was not her room. It was quite bare, and the few pieces of furniture were covered in dust. It didn't look like it had been used in years.
She looked downwards and found herself dressed in a somewhat familiar-looking nightgown, plain and white. It was nothing like her teddy bear pajamas that she always wore (but showed to no one).
She stepped out of the coffin, warily looking around. It came to her, after a few moments, that this was her old room. Or, to be more precise, the one she used when she worked for Hellsing. This meant she was inside Hellsing manor.
She immediately tensed, and quickly made for the door. She reached out to touch the knob, but it burned her skin and she jumped back.
It's made of blessed silver! She thought, rubbing her hand as it healed. After another experiment she found that the door was sealed somehow, and the same went for all the walls of the room. She was trapped.
"Hey!" she called out, hoping a maid or some stupid soldier might be near enough to hear. "Let me out!"
No one came. She reluctantly decided to wait; there wasn't any way for a vampire to leave, and they couldn't leave her here forever. They had to free her eventually, or at least come down to talk. It made her wonder what they planned to do; would they try to kill her? That was the most likely option, as she was pretty much a traitor.
She opened the closet to her left and found only one outfit; her old blue uniform. It being the only available change of clothing, she put it on, even though it brought back memories she did not enjoy in the slightest. Once it was on she ripped off the Hellsing insignia attached to the shoulder. No use being sneaky about it now.
Suddenly Seras heard someone knocking at the door. It was either Alucard or Walter, and at this point she didn't particularly care what they did. So she called out,
"I'd get the door for you, but my hand might explode."
The door creaked open, and Walter squeezed in, shutting the door quickly behind him. He looked wary, as if she would pounce on him at any moment, but Seras had no desire for violence and just stood still. Seras gave him a once-over, checking for any weapons or devices, but found none and so bestowed a complacent smile.
"It's been a while, hasn't it?" he said. He looked a little stiff, and Seras noticed a few cuts and scrapes on his arms, covered up with bandages. She immediately felt bad for the previous night's skirmish.
"Yes, it has." Seras replied. He didn't seem too upset, what with his stoic expression, but then again, this was Walter. "By the way, I'm sorry for tying you to that tree." She gave him a concerned look, which he returned only with an emotionless one.
"Nothing to be concerned about." He waved off her apology, and an awkward silence followed.
"So," Seras said, breaking the tension and sitting in a nearby chair, "What happens now?"
Walter didn't answer. Seras, unerved by the awkward silence, persisted.
"I know I'm here for a reason. I'm not stupid, however naive I was in the past."
He stared at her for a moment, confusion on his face, before replying indignantly,
"I haven't heard anything about that. Now, if you would come along, Sir Integra would like to see you."
He rummaged around in his vest and pulled out a pair of handcuffs, covered in red writing. Seras obediently let him put them on, studying them curiously as he opened the door.
"So, I guess you guys aren't mad after all?" she asked as she followed him out of the room and down the hallway. But Walter looked back at her, and he seemed a little angry and annoyed. Her words were, yet again, badly chosen.
"I wouldn't go that far. You're still a traitor, if you don't recall." He snapped, and she was taken aback. But then she shrugged, trying to hide how much his tone hurt.
She knew quite well that she deserved whatever cold looks or cruel gazes that came her way, and was determined to stand tall and be strong against whatever blows they struck against her. The time when she had hidden behind others and sought excuses was over, and now she knew she must take responsibility for her actions in order to be given respect.
She had learned this the hard way.
Integra was waiting at her desk when Seras and Walter came in. She wore her normal green suit, and had a cigar between her teeth. She had fully expected to see Seras quivering as she had always done when entering her office, but was a little irritated when she saw Seras's calm demeanor and straight back. She must have acquired some self-confidence on her little escapade.
However, it would mean little with what Integra had in mind. Integra knew full well what Alucard had done, and made no attempt to overule his decision. Personally, she found it a huge relief that Alucard had reined in his unruly ex-protege, not only for the outside streets but also because she felt what had happened served as a constant stab to the integrity of Hellsing; that a lowly, weak, pitiful vampire had somehow escaped and eluded Hellsing, the best of the best when it came to hunting down vampires. Needless to say, it had been quite embarrassing telling the Queen about it.
But now she could interrogate Seras and, hopefully, answer the gnawing question they had all been plagued with over the past year.
"Ex-officer Seras Victoria." Integra said, eyeing her with contempt. "Your crimes are as follows.
"One: you deliberately allowed a vampire target to escape extermination, in the process injuring several superiors."
Seras tried to keep the ashamed blush from her pale cheeks, keeping her back straight.
"Two: you stole several dozen blood rations from our storage-house without permission.
"Three: you deserted the ranks of Hellsing, including your master, and went missing for the duration of fourteen months. All on the same day."
She stared at Seras, who held her head up high. Integra noted sourly that the Hellsing badge had been forcefully removed from her uniform.
"Have you anything to say for yourself?" Integra demanded.
"Indeed." Alucard suddenly interrupted, phasing through the left wall to stand beside his master. "What have you to say for yourself, Police girl?"
His appearance was abrupt, but not entirely surprising. Seras knew Alucard well enough to know he wouldn't miss a chance to watch her squirm, especially under the gaze of his own master.
Seras regarded them both coldly, before replying,
"I don't need to say anything to you."
Integra bristled in anger, and Alucard growled,
"Watch your words. I am your master, and Integra is my master. Show some respect."
Seras looked at him with a pretend-bored face. Alucard found himself suddenly wishing for the meek, timid vampire he had turned, however much her lack of esteem had angered him in the past. Back then, she had constantly sought his praise and approval for every little thing she did, in the same way a puppy might fawn over its owner. Now she seemed more... feral, like a young wolf backed into a corner. Not submissive, but certainly frightened, and obviously ready to unsheath claws and fangs. It was odd, now, for even though a year ago he would have seen her behavior as progress, now he found it aggravating and worthy of contempt.
"I do apologize." Seras crooned with sarcasm, keeping all hints of fear from her feminine voice. "What I meant was that I really don't want to talk to trash like you, Alucard."
Before she could even blink he grabbed her handcuffed wrists with brutal strength, trying to intimidate her into submitting to his presence, but she didn't even flinch. He bared his teeth, but she didn't even react. And her lack of interest drove him insane with fury.
Seras looked up at her former master, and even though secretly she was frightened, his outburst seemed almost… desperate? Where was the Alucard she had known, emotionless and without conscience? Now he was all anger, like a child having a temper tantrum. It was sort of funny, in a sick and horrible way.
"Alucard." Integra said warningly, while breathing out dark fumes. Alucard reluctantly released Seras and she folded her arms, glaring at him.
"Perhaps," Walter interrupted, "if I may, it seems what we would like to hear is why you did these things, Miss Victoria."
Seras found herself under the scrutiny of three agitated vampire-slayers, and it became less comfortable to simply stay silent. She sighed, frustrated, and replied,
"Well, the blood packets are pretty obvious. You wouldn't want me robbing blood banks or hunting down civilians, would you? That would call attention to myself."
"The blood packets are not the object of our investigation." Integra growled. Seras flashed a glare at her.
"Well, if you're gonna be so goddamn grumpy I'll just shut up then." Seras snapped, and made a gesture as if to zip her lips shut. Integra became even angrier.
"Do you think this is a joke?!" she screamed, making Walter and Seras jump. "I want to know who you're working for, why you left the Hellsing organization and why you saved the life of the Queen of England!"
Seras stared at her, then at Alucard. She couldn't remember them being so… emotional. They had always been cold and detached, like stone statues. She had cherished those precious moments when they had seemed kind; helping Walter prepare the weapons, the rare times her master had tried to train her, Integra's almost motherly gaze over the Hellsing employees. Seras had been the unrefined one, always screwing up and getting sentimental about her lost humanity. But now she was the detached one, observing their actions in a light she had never seen.
But, despite all this, she could not go back to how things had been. No matter how badly she wanted to please them, to comfort them, she had betrayed their trust and no longer had that right. And so she faced down the storm she had predicted would occur.
"I am deeply sorry for all I've done." Seras said abruptly, lowering her head and staring at her boots. "You didn't deserve it, and it was foolish of me to leave like I did."
Apparently, no one had expected her to actually apologize and it took them by surprise. Alucard took the apology for submission and smirked triumphantly. Walter seemed to relax, somewhat, for he had no desire to see this inquisition turn into a bloodbath.
Integra eyed her suspiciously, hesitating. Then she stood.
"Very well." She said. "If you are truly sorry, and tell us what we want to know, perhaps I can arrange a pardon for your transgressions. I trust you haven't fed on humans, and saving Her Majesty more than makes up for-"
"What I should have done," Seras cut in, raising her red, defiant eyes to meet Integra's, "was to formally resign from the ranks before leaving. I am sure it left you a lot of nasty paperwork. And as for pardoning my 'transgressions'," Seras lifted her head, slowly meeting each of their gazes, "I have already been forgiven by the only person whose opinion actually matters to me. My master."
At that moment, Integra's phone abruptly burst into bouts of furious ringing. She grabbed it, clenching it in fingers trembling with rage. Alucard barely noticed the interruption; he was too busy holding his tirade of wrath in check. The seals on his gloves were glowing, straining to keep their prisoner's powers confined.
How dare she! Alucard wanted to show her just how merciless and cruel he could really be, how death could be mercy compared to his idea of punishment. Pain was a weak word for what he had in mind.
Walter's face was a mixture of pain, anger and sorrow, adding new wrinkles to his aging face. And through it all Seras stood, staring straight ahead, holding back tears. Of course her words were a lie; she deeply cared about what they thought. More than anything did she want to be forgiven, but she had a duty now, and that was to her master. And as much as she wanted forgiveness, she needed her new master's care and assistance more.
Integra listened to the voice on the end, wordlessly, before slamming it down into its cradle.
"It seems," Integra said through gritted teeth, "your new comrades have come for a visit. With the Queen's royal assent."
Seras waited patiently in the office, trying to avoid Integra and Alucard's angry glares, for Walter to bring up their guests.
Soon the big wooden doors opened once more, Walter stepping through first and two men after him. One was your average anonymous bodyguard type, dressed in a black with a pair of black sunglasses holding a large briefcase. The other was less formal; he wore a dark blue suit with a polka-dot tie. He was probably into his early thirties, with dark brown hair and a thin beard. His face was friendly and welcoming, not unattractive, and his eyes were a dull shade of green. His eyes lit up when he saw Seras.
"Seras!" he cried, happily, and Seras returned his unprofessional outburst with a big smile. "I'm so glad to see you're well!"
"I am, thank you." Seras replied, waving her hands, showing him the handcuffs. "Could be better, but who's complaining?"
Alucard thoroughly scrutinized this new intruder. This man's essence was fiercely connected to Seras's, though he was pleased to note that it was not a lover's bond. Deep loyalty, though, which might prove difficult to shatter. But Alucard had the upper hand, after all, being Seras's sire and master once more.
He turned to face Integra and held out his hand.
"I'm Malcolm Porter, CEO of Porter's Alternative Pharmaceuticals."
"Integra Fairbrook Wingates Hellsing. The Hellsing Organization." Integra returned, ignoring his outstretched hand. "Let's cut the formalities; I take you to be here for Seras Victoria?"
"Well, yes." he replied, retracting his hand. "Our organization finds Seras to be an invaluable asset, and is my most loyal employee. But I understand that there's been some… tension, between Seras and Hellsing?"
Alucard snorted spitefully, and Seras rubbed her temples in frustration. This day had not started out well.
"You might say that." Integra smiled grimly, glaring at Seras. Seras promptly turned her head away guiltily.
"But there's another pressing matter as well. I've heard from Seras that your organization has been dealing with a large number of chipped vampires as of late?"
"Malcolm!" Seras protested, looking at him pleadingly. He couldn't possibly be thinking of-
"That's correct." Integra replied. "In fact, our soldiers have found several production sites, and have dispatched more than our fair share of major players."
Malcolm nodded thoughtfully, taking the briefcase from the bodyguard. He placed it on Integra's desk and opened it with a flourish, revealing a sleek laptop and projector. He pressed a few buttons and the projector burst into life, bringing forth a hologram of a screen, streams of information coursing through as flickers of light.
"My company deals in the manufacturing of medical drugs." Malcolm said, touching the hologram lightly and causing it to portray a different slide of information, "But we also serve another purpose; as the Canadian Branch of Anti-Necrobiological Weaponry. More specifically, Canada's main line of defense against the Undead."
"Canada?" Integra muttered questioningly, to no one in particular. Seras could see her mind was in a state of deep calculation.
"We have been suffering an increasing number of FREAK vampires, and through our research we have found the FREAK signal being emitted by each chip. With this, we were able to find several rallying points for FREAK administrators, but every factory we came across was destroyed."
"I hardly find this information helpful." Integra pointed out, crushing her cigar in her ashtray. "Frankly, I think you're simply dancing around the point. If you have something useful to tell me, then spit it out."
Malcolm's smiling face waned for a moment, and then he shrugged nonchalantly.
"My apologies." He continued, touching the hologram again. This time it showed a picture of Incognito. "This vampire, Incognito as he called himself, was eliminated by Alucard, as you know. But what you do not know is that Incognito was actually a member of a vampire terrorist organization called Purity's Blood."
The next slide showed a group of cloaked cultists, many of them baring the same kind of tattoos and mutated appearance that Incognito had. And all of them were vampires.
"Terrorist organization?"
"Yes. We believe Purity's Blood is actually behind the production of the FREAK chip. Purity's Blood was also behind the attempted assassination of the Queen, as well as the murder of several Canadian cabinet ministers. Their next move, I'm afraid, is against the Vatican." Malcolm said.
Integra bit on her fresh cigar in surprise. Seras slumped into a chair, watching everyone's reactions. Alucard looked positively ecstatic.
"How can you be sure the Vatican is a target?"
"We have a… informant, within one of the lesser groups." Malcolm replied, seemingly reluctant about divulging any more into the subject.
"If this is true," Integra said quietly, "Iscariot is going to need to be informed." It was obvious how much she hated the taste of her words.
"According to your treaty, that is." Malcolm sighed. "I'm not much for political squabbles, but if you'd like I could inform them myself."
"That won't be necessary. I'll enjoy seeing that pig Enrico Maxwell squirm when he finds out he's indebted to me." Integra smirked. "But these terrorists are now our common enemy, and they have dealt themselves a terrible hand by trying to kill Her Majesty."
Seras raised her hands, still handcuffed, and everyone turned to look at her.
"Yes, Seras?" Malcolm said, raising an eyebrow.
"I don't mean to be rude, Master, but-" Seras said nervously, not oblivious to the livid look Alucard gave her at the title, "I think you've left out something important."
Seras stood up and, her hands still bound in the glowing handcuffs, expertly tapped the hologram. It now showed a satellite image, dotted with red spots.
"That's-" Walter started.
"England." Seras finished. "Notice how they're arranged?"
The red spots were aligned in a huge, perfect hexagon. The area they surrounded was…
"We believe the target area for the vampires is London. At least, for now. We think the attack on the Queen was meant to send the target area into a panic, making it easier to take the city."
Alucard remained motionless as the others continued their conversation. He felt no particular interest to participate, nor did he enjoy the fact his fledgling looked now to this human for praise as she attempted to explain the hologram's contents. Her eyes kept shifting from the screen to Malcolm's, who flashed her an approving smile. Gleeful thoughts of peeling the man's flesh, piece by piece, from his flailing and mangled bones placated his immediate rage, if only a little.
"Ingenious." Integra said under her breath, studying the image intently. "While we would be searching for outside enemies, they would attack from the inside. We would be utterly decimated."
"The next attack on the Vatican is likely to distract Iscariot with their own problems while London is taken. We've already taken precautionary measures with the Prime Minister and Governor General of Canada, but as we are still aligned with the Crown of England, it is our duty to do whatever we can to protect England and its inhabitants." Malcolm stated. "After all, Canada was once a colony of England."
Integra chewed her cigar thoughtfully, before demanding,
"Then I take it you are here to offer your services to us." She stated, and Malcolm nodded. But then she snarled bitterly, "But for what reason? Canada's loyalty to England is merely an illusion, kept alive only by a fake Governor General and foolish notions of how you served under us in WWI. For what purpose does Canada extend its hand to England?"
Malcolm looked taken aback at the sudden outburst. Then he stood straighter, eyeing Integra with determination and anger in his eyes.
"Because this is not simply an act of terrorism. We are looking at full-scale war, Sir Hellsing, and we find it our duty as Peace-Keepers to stop war before it ever begins. We extend our hand, not for the welfare of Canada or England, but for the sake of all innocents everywhere, because this war threatens to engulf every man, woman and child without discretion. Do you think vampires will care that we are Canadian, or that you are British? We are all equal in the eyes of our enemy, Sir Integra Fairbrook Wingates Hellsing. I ask your assistance in exchange for mine, so that we may defeat a common enemy."
Integra stared at him, speechless. The room was silent, but for the occasional nervous fidgeting.
Seras looked at her feet. It was a guilty hope, but she wanted Integra to simply dismiss them and be done with the whole thing. She had escaped Hellsing to find her own life, but now it seemed Malcolm was doing everything within his power to push her back into this world. And for what reason, she could not guess. Seras had told him numerous times that she never wanted to return to England, especially to Hellsing, otherwise she'd find another place to work. What motives could Malcolm have for bringing her here?
"Fine, then." Integra said at last, breaking the expression of surprise on her face and replacing it with her usual icy exterior. "I know full well what you want from me, Mr. Porter, so I, on behalf of Hellsing, accept your organization as our official affiliate."
Seras glanced up, surprised, as did Walter. Hellsing had never made an official alliance with anyone before. Hellsing had always prided itself for being an independent entity from the rest of the world, not even employing the police. Even the Vatican treaties were enforced by the Queen, and they were almost meaningless.
"You have my deepest gratitude, Sir Integra." Malcolm said, obviously relieved. The nearly-forgotten bodyguard suddenly appeared, holding a folder filled with official-looking papers.
Seras's mind reeled in bewilderment. Hellsing and CBANW were allies now? That meant she'd be teaming up with…
Seras quickly looked at Alucard, who grinned maliciously back at her. Dread swept through her, and she felt the world suddenly spinning out of her control. Apparently, asking for a quiet unlife was a wish wasted.
Meanwhile, the bodyguard opened the folder and presented the considerable amount of paperwork, obviously gesturing to Integra to take them.
"I suppose you'll want me to sign the documents, as well?" she asked, glancing meaningfully at the folder, taking the hint.
Malcolm smiled and pulled out a pen from inside his coat. "Yes, please."
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