Chapter 17: Something New
Books, she had surrounded herself within hundreds and thousands of books without a slightest care of her position. She was not quite thoroughly enjoying the books as she would like to, she had this itching feeling inside of her which kept her on the edge these last couple of nights. The vampire which she had first met on the night she had awoken kept her mind thinking constantly. It wasn't natural, nor was it one of Alucard's kind. It was different, like it was a fake. She chewed on her finger nail, it was a human habit but chewing onto something gave her some sort of relief. She wanted to sink her teeth into flesh and bone though, but she had stave her hunger off by drinking strange blood packets provided by Walter. It had an odd machine taste and wasn't quite refreshing as real blood but she was fine with it.
Perched upon the highest shelf she slowly flipped through the pages of a book, she stood up and defying gravity so walked along the shelfs horizontally. It was as if she was walking along the walls like they were the normal floor, her robes falling to the weight of gravity as she precariously walked along the books. Seras had read the entire private library which belonged to the Hellsing's however she was pleased to find that they had updated their archives so she had new reading material. The smell had changed the last time she had come, Arthur was fond of smoking and drinking and often did so when he was reading, but now the library smelt like clean wipes and air freshener. The smell she had so fondly remembered of the man was gone. She noticed that Integra did smoke and drink but refrained doing so in some rooms of the mansion, as if she was trying to preserve whatever memory was left there.
She stopped for a moment to look down at Alucard who had materialised from the ground, appearing head first. "We have a mission", Alucard said with a grin, he threw up a uniform in the air. A shadowy arm shot out from Seras as she caught the clothing before it dropped onto the floor. 'A mission? Ah yes, I work for that woman now. To protect the world from the darkness which lies beneath, how romantic sounding', she thought with a smile. She really did like Integra, she had a sternness which wasn't like Arthur but there were many other traits which mirrored the dead man. She hopped from the shelf and lost all sense of gravity, for moment she was falling towards the ground as the weight of gravity shifted, just a few metres before she smashed into the ground she dispersed into smoke, the grey gas pooling around the floor before forming into a solid shape. She re-emerged wearing the uniform and a confused expression. Her hair was shortened significantly as well, only reaching her shoulders and it flared out and around in spiky puffs.
"Why is this so revealing?" She tugged at the hugging material and the high-knees, it barely covered her and it was quite impractical, she was basically wearing a miniskirt. She looked up at to see Alucard eyes were glazing over her body, his gaze pausing around at her chest area. He coughed a little while he turned away, giving her no answer. "You designed this I bet", Seras muttered as she followed him, her boot laces tying themselves as she walked behind him. Alucard turned for a moment to smirk at her, taking her hand they phased through the walls towards Integra who was impatiently waiting for the both of them.
'More or less', his voice echoed in her head, Seras pinched him in his ribs or what she thought to be the ribs. She couldn't be quite sure.
Alucard stopped in front of the house, in the back of his head he could hear his Master dealing with the authorities effortlessly and as his looked to his left he could see his Seras totter around with wide eyes. She was impressed by the new means of transportation and the new housing accommodations, she was a little jittery though. It would take her some time to get used to the new world. Alucard looked over at her with a smile, hundreds of years of chasing had come to an end and she was now by his side. Although he wasn't too sure how long it take for her to become his bride, she was a fickle character, and then there was the added factor that she had no even bed another man other than her husband. Essentially making her virgin in her unlife, which he somehow could not even believe. And there also was her unwillingness to even accept him as a suitable partner, she still continued to consider him as a child which was technically correct.
He turned his attention away from her, "Use your gun Seras, you may hate it but it has its uses", he walked up towards the house, the grass crumpled beneath his weight as he loaded his gun. Seras nodded dully as she looked up at the full moon, her eyes shying away from the brightness for a moment. The nights were becoming strange and clouded. And she was having strange dreams and illusions ever since the Cheddar incident. Something was to happen but she still did not know.
She sniffed the air and she crinkled her noise, the same smell was lingering around, the fake smell of an imposter. The smell of a monster but neither a true monster, a fake with no true power. Her eyes followed Alucard as he began knocking onto the door of the house, her head tilted to one side in amusement, "Always such a gentleman aren't you", she said mockingly as she turned away and made her way to another house. She held up the gun in apprehension, it was a big one for sure and from she guessed it was used for long distance sharp-shooting. She strapped it on her shoulder nonetheless, taking a step her body turned to smoke and she drifted along with the wind. Turning back to a solid form once reaching one of the houses roofs, her boots clinking against the tiles.
Alucard could hear her boots clanking against the tiles of the roof as she started taking her position, he could feel her confusion. On any other normal circumstance she or himself could've just come in barging inside and deal with the two vampires by themselves without the need of all this procedure and weaponry. All they needed was their teeth and fists to finish off two low level monsters like these. But the world she had awoken into had changed so very much, the world was bound by rules and invisible guidelines which chained every single person to what is believed to be right and wrong. The world wasn't as fun as she remembered, but on the other hand Alucard was by her side and together they could ruin and break the rules however the way they wanted. Alucard may be bound to his Master but there are many loopholes which the spell cannot bind him for.
He grinned as he followed her trailing thoughts, her thoughts were always so amusing and she entertained his unlife so very much. With her she gave him some sort of meaning once more, but of course these missions given by Integra were something different. They gave him a thrill, he may have been chained to the Hellsing family for a century now but their purposes and ideas were intriguing. World War Two was a war he thoroughly enjoyed, and the missions which Arthur gave to him gave was fun and moreover exhilarating. Killing, slaughtering, massacring, they were all the joys of war and the missions. And clean-up was always never a bother, as the Hellsing had the legal authority to kill.
His tongue stretched out, a gleaming bullet balancing on the tip as he spat out the piece of metal. The rest of the bullets falling off from his body, as his wounds closed up within moments. An outstretched smile on his face as he stepped through the doorway, watching the boy scramble backwards, fear evident in his eyes. He licked his lips, his tongue tasting the air. Seras was right, there was a fake smell. It was unpleasant and metallic, this boy before him was not a vampire; it was merely a self-prided piece of meat.
His grin widened even further, a row of sharpened fangs gleaming in reflection of the moonlight, "What is the matter boy?! Are you going to run or not?! He laughed in glee, the fake turned with a squeal as he tried to escape with a few bullets lodged in his flesh. He stumbled as he tried to go down the hallway, Alucard cocked his gun up and with an almost inaudible click he let a load of bullets hail onto the fake. The boy frozen in horror pressed up against the wall wanting to escape but there was nowhere for him to go. He looked like a trapped animal with no place to run, a monster roared inside Alucard as he ran forward tearing into the visceral flesh of the boy, pulling out the still heart. "Hahaha!" Blood gushing from the hole as the body burst into ash and dust.
He stepped over the pile of clothes and dirt. "Trash will remain trash in the end", he scoffed as he turned towards the other vampire only to find an open window. He clicked his tongue in irritancy, he had once again taken too long to eliminate the targets. His thoughts turned towards Seras who was patiently waiting on top of the rooftop despite seeing the girl run past. She took no action, either because she wasn't quite in the mood for killing or she expected Alucard to have at least dealt with both of them.
'Seras, what are doing? Take the shot', he could see what she saw through her eyes. She had managed to block off some of her mind so he could only hear some select thoughts, but from what he could tell, Seras was very bored and hungry. The smell of blood in the air wasn't helping her appetite. Alucard grinned, he knew she didn't have much love for modern technology, she was still heavily rooted in the olden ways. That he could relate as well, but he was so terribly fond of guns. They were so fun and they were easy to use, he loved the smell of the gunpowder and the sounds which the gun made was the drums of heavens. The sounds of war was the music of his life.
"How do you work a gun again? I've never used one of these stupid contraptions", Seras muttered as she tried to load the gun only to realise that it was already fully loaded. "Whoops", she mumbled as she set the gun down for a moment to study the darned piece of metal. She could listen to some of Alucard's thoughts but she preferred not to pry, unlike himself. She could understand to some point of his fondness of guns but she did not share that.
'Don't joke around Seras, the target is getting away', Alucard droned on, pressuring her.
"Give me a moment, there we go", she pulled the safety off. She propped the gun down and tore off the scope, "No need for this", she said as she flung the scope away. The piece of metal clattering down the tiles. She leaned in to take the shot, her eyes narrowing as her breathing slowed. For one short moment her eyes were red, glowing brightly in contrast against the night sky. The girl was in her sights, she adjusted her aim in accordance to the wind and distance, and finally she pulled the trigger. The bullet travelled for a few seconds before hitting the target dead-on. The girl's chest splitting open as the bullet pierced through her back and into her lungs, and finally the shock was enough to break apart the chest. The girl fell forward before splatting forward against the tar road. Blood splaying out around her as her breathing stopped, her heart finally stopped eternally.
Seras leaned back as she cracked her back, she didn't feel a recoil but that must've been her monstrous strength. Her eyes slowly fading away in colour as she looked down at the gun, she held up as she looked upon the cold metal. "I still don't like this", she persisted as she set the gun and stood up dusting herself of the dust from the tile roof. She could feel Alucard standing not too far from her, balancing on a chimney as he stared at her.
"Nice shooting", Alucard praised as he jumped from his standpoint to where Seras was standing, "Especially for a first time", as he tapped her on the head. Seras moved away, sticking out a tongue at him childishly. She could hear Integra calling them back, she may be telepathically calling Alucard back but Integra and Seras had no such connection so Integra actually had to call out for Seras. Made no difference though with their superior hearing, Seras leapt from the rooftop, jumping across the roofs as if they were stepping stones.
"I learn from the best", Seras said as she flew. Alucard who had followed behind her blinked his eyes in surprise. Did she just compliment him? He hadn't heard a compliment from her in years, it was almost safe to say that the only time she gave him compliments was when he was a human. The moment he became a monster almost all respect she had for him had disappeared and she regarded him as just another monster. One of their kind. Not as a master nor as the child she had taken care of. But hearing a compliment from her was rather unexpected, he could feel this warm feeling build up in his chest. It was fuzzy but it twisted his insides, it was the same feeling he got as a child; he was surprised he could even remember that.
Seras hopped down from the roof and landed right in front of Integra, a gust of wind following her, blowing leaves and dust past her and Integra. "Reporting back Sir Integra, sorry if it took too long. I was trying to figure out to use a gun", Seras said laughing as she turned towards Alucard. He gave no response and walked up to the car, opening the door and getting in. The driver immediately drove off back to the manor, speeding off leaving a trail of dirt and dust.
"Damn vampire", Integra hissed as she signalled for her own car. "I'm sure you can deal with the rest", she directed her attention towards the police. Walter opened up the door for her, and as she stepped inside she moved over to make room for Seras. Seras stood there for a moment in surprise. "Get a move on girl, I haven't all day", Integra snapped as she pulled out a cigar. Seras took a step in ducking down and took a seat, Walter closed the door behind her. Integra didn't know whether she should regard this undead being as a highly revered monster with hundreds of familiars or as a normal bumbling bubble of energy with a witty humour. It was confusing at times, the monster in front of her acted so human, very much unlike Alucard who distanced himself from a human and regarded them as just pieces of flesh with a few exceptions.
Seras stared outside the window as Walter began to drive, her eyes glowing lightly in thrumming energy, her thoughts running about absentmindedly as she watched the scenery change. The smell of smoke filled the car as Integra pulled out lighter for her cigar, she cussed slightly as the lighter wouldn't catch flame. Seras took the cigar from her mouth and pressed her finger against the end, her finger glowing slightly as the cigar started smoking. She handed the roll back to Integra who had a slightly surprised expression.
"Thanks", Integra said and she took a drag, relief filling her body. She knew smoking wasn't good for her body but it was really a stress reliever. But now as she thought about it, there was the smell of smoke and ash constantly wafting off the girl next to her. No wonder she felt she so relaxed next to her, with the smell of smoke and ash the girl was practically was walking cigar.
"You're wondering about my smell, aren't you?" Seras finally said as she turned to face Integra, her eyes glowing slightly. Integra pulled the cigar out to let out a puff of smoke waft from her mouth, her gaze sharpening onto the girl. The girl was prodding around her thoughts, even though she clearly told her not to. But then she realised she was not the girl's master, this girl was masterless and did as she pleased, the only reason she was serving her right now was to alleviate her boredom. What a dangerous being.
"I gave you orders to not to go around poking in my thoughts, didn't I?" Integra drawled as she stared back at the girl, "But you are right, the smell of smoke and ash is strong on you. Alucard does not have that same smell, he smells of blood, gunpowder and of wine. That bloody drunkard", Integra 'tsked', as she took another drag, inhaling the smoky substance. Flooding her lungs in the intoxicating gas, and releasing slowly in little puffs. She could feel her stress slowly leaving with each puff, she already had highly addictive personality. She was a heavy smoker, and a steady drinker. She had her father to blame for that, that old bugger was an excessive drinker and constantly smoked in front of her. But she couldn't blame him for those traits, he did have a lot of burdens and his body simply could not keep up with his mind. And so his passed on with a grievous party to see him off.
"That is because we are not the same", Seras murmured, "I suppose your father did not talk about me often, after all I am a special case. I and Alucard found our monsters through pure sheer power, but he cheated. I didn't, I became a totally new original monster based off my own power", Seras chuckled as she recalled the memories she wanted to bury but if she didn't accept them than she would not be who she is.
"A true monster? Are you Alucard and yourself a monster already?" Integra questioned, she knew all about Alucard and his aliases. She knew them, but beneath all of the masks he had she did not know. But this girl next to him knew them, she lived and breathed during the times he was alive and they were close. But she seemed just as cryptic and puzzling as Alucard, but she seemed fine to share, even if it was just a bit.
"There are hundreds of vampires, there were blood-sucking creatures before Alucard and his birth. But there is only me, there is only one monster of my kind. I am myself and no-one else", Seras said as her eyes vibrantly glowed, she saw a fire within her memories. Yes the very fire which took away her mortal body. "I am the Strix, there no other Strix and there is no other me. I am myself, and there will never be another monster like me", Seras mumbled, it was like as if she was in a trance, her eyes glazed over.
Integra made a mental note to search up the creature named Strix, she hated going into anything blind so tonight to she would ask Walter to gather up all the information regarding about a Strix. She herself was very interested, but very scared. To think of a monster beyond Alucard's strength and power was something daunting, she technically had the two world's most powerful beings underneath her command. She had power that would make people dizzy and crazed but she would not be swayed.
Seras's vision no longer concentrated onto Integra as she began seeing something else, a lone man, swords dancing to the sound of their master, a hall of dead men, walking dead. Two men, strange men, men of the past. The past, buried things which should have surfaced, the symphony of war.
She gasped in shock as her eyes finally sharpened around her surroundings, she had seen two different incidents which at first would seem unrelated. But they were connected, but her mind was reeling in confusion and vertigo. She panted slightly, as her eyes glowed brightly, this time a bright purple. Integra looked around in shock, she was so sure that the leather seats of the car were black so why the hell were they crimson? Not only that but she almost jumped in surprise seeing her own suit which was brown to be a pearly white. Walter looked around him in surprise, the entire interior of the car had changed.
"Are you alright Sir Integra", Walter called as he looked at his rear mirror. From the corner of his eye he could see that both women were fine but a little shaken up. Seras more so than Integra as she clutched onto her chest. Walter thought about pulling over and stopping to let both women have a breather but he finally decided against it, they already pulling up to the manor. Would be no point to hold up the journey.
"What in the world…?" Integra muttered, she turned to face Seras to see her panting harshly. "What's wrong?" Integra moved closer to inspect if there was something wrong but Seras held out a hand, stopping her. Was she the reason for the sudden change in colour of her suit and car interior? Integra did not know because this was certainly the first time she had seen such a thing.
"I'm…I'm quite fine, I just need something to drink", Seras said slowly. It was the first time she had such a powerful vision, it ruined her mind and completely threw her memories in chaos. In all her life she never had such a vision come to her, and she hadn't expected that but there were many moving forces in the world. Alucard had awoken from his forty year sleep, she had just awaken from her sleep. And now there was a large influx of vampires. There was a deeper workings of power, deeply rooted in the past. Because of the headstrong hit of visions her throat was suddenly parched. She needed something to soothe her throat, and having two warm blooded people wasn't helping her. She let out a shaky breath as she used every single bit of her self-control to keep herself from attacking Arthur's daughter and Walter.
The moment the car pulled into the driveway and stopped in front of manor, Seras almost ripped the door apart as she leapt out and burst into birds, phasing through the many walls of the mansion. Leaving an astounded Integra and shocked Walter. Integra didn't know what to do with her suddenly new coloured car and her new white suit. Walter was still surprised that such a change happened without both of them realising until a moment later.
"Honestly the both of them are such a pain", Integra muttered as she snapped her cigar in half and threw it one the ground. Stepping on it to dampen to light, "How did the both of those two monsters deal with each so well?" Walter walked past her and opened the doors for her as she stepped in, Integra felt her stress rise up again at the thought of all the files and reports which needed to be tended to. "I need tea Walter", Integra said with a sigh, the amount of trouble had increased in her house, now with two bothers.
Walter chuckled, "You know those two were a larger bother than this in the duration of World War Two. Your father wasn't much help towards dealing with the both of them. As you may know that before your father met your mother was quite a…. well how should I say this?" Walter paused.
"No need to mention that", Integra sighed, "I am well informed of my father's sleaziness, something I'm not terribly proud of", Integra let out a small groan. Her father wasn't the most respectable person at times, but he was a well-regarded person when it came to commanding the Hellsing Organisation and his aide in World War Two saved The Allies the war. Integra pulled out another cigar as they went up the stairs.
"Haha, yes. Your father would constantly flirt with Miss Victoria and I am not so proud to say so, but during my younger days of knowing her, I did as well", Walter chuckled almost mischievously. Integra felt the cigar slip from her lips and drop down onto the ground before rolling down the stairs. Her eyes blinking in shock. That was something she did not want to hear, she could not even imagine because she did not even know what Walter looked like as a teenager. There were photos but she had never seen them.
Her thirst was gone, she panted slightly as her blood haze finally started disappearing, blood dribbling down from her chin and down her neck. Two arms wrapped around her torso and held her firmly as she gasped for a breath, she had practically sucked as much blood as she could. The pain in her throat was now gone, leaving just a dull throb. She sighed in relief, just as she thought, his blood was the best she had ever had. It was a little hard to drink but she did just fine swallowing down the red liquid. The taste of course was of course the very best, and in no way comparable to a blood packet or a human. It was something beyond that, which made her head spin in drunkenness.
Alucard was in a daze, he did not see her coming, as she practically barged through the wall in her owl form and tackled him. Latching her teeth into his neck, her razor sharp rows of teeth tearing into his flesh. He did not expect her to come by in such a desperate need just to suck his blood but he welcomed it, it was a change in her which he had not seen before. And he was completely fine with it, the connection between them was made even stronger, and while she was drawing out pints of blood he was in a bliss. Vampires and blood-sucking creatures alike had an aphrodisiac within their teeth so when their victim was within their grasps, to make struggle futile and their death painless the aphrodisiac would deal with that. It was benefit towards the victim and the victimiser because a person in the pure bliss of pleasure made their blood even sweeter.
And Alucard was indeed in such a pure bliss, his own throat burning in thirst in having his blood taken away from him but there also another part of his body was reacting to having such an experience. He hadn't had anyone suck his blood in over a hundred years, his three servants would suck his blood every now and then when he was still free but they would often go rampant in a blood haze when they did. So he refrained from letting any of his servants have his blood. So he was having a sweeping flood of feeling and emotions running through him.
"Seras", his voice purred but it was also strained, "Are you going to let me drink your blood in return?" His grip tightening around her waist, she was perched up on top of him, practically straddling him as she gathered her wits. She blinked owlishly in confusion as she finally took a long look around herself and him, her hands were gripping on the front of his shirt. There was a large tear in Alucard's neck which had blood seeping from it, but the flesh was knitting itself back together. She looked down at where she was sitting at, and felt a rather imposing bulge pressing against her backside.
Her face flushed a brilliant red in realisation, as she tried moving away but Alucard's steel-like arms kept her in place. "Let me go you idiot! This is utterly inappropriate!" Seras shrieked in shock, as she tried prying Alucard's arms off her waist. Alucard pulled her in closer, nipping lightly at her neck.
"Hypocrite", he purred, "Who was the one who came flying towards just a moment ago, in such a wanton heat?" He persisted to annoy her, his vice-like grip tightening around her, he sat up slowly as she was still seated in his lap. She cussed and finally her body collapsed into smoke and she quickly dispersed away.
Alucard swore as he quickly got, to see Seras by the doorway in a solid form, "I had no other option idiot! I can't just go around killing some random people for blood and a bloody plant won't satisfy my hunger needs!" She stuck a tongue out at him and she left quickly in embarrassment and a red flush on her face. She couldn't believe what she just did, sure enough she had seen acts of intimacy and she was dull to human contacts of her flesh. But she had never even done something like that before!
Although Alucard was frustrated, there was something amiss, she would never come to him like that, not unless something had happened. He didn't know why her hunger would suddenly burst out like that, he tried reaching towards her mind but it was completely blocked off. "Tomorrow is another day", he laughed. He would pester both women tomorrow but especially Seras.
It's the holidays over in Australia, I have freedom to do whatever I want! An extra long chapter because I have been quite sick the last week or so, so I haven't found the energy to time to do work on another chapter. My fever is gone now but I'm left with a cough. But I'm okay for now, Chinese medicine works but it tastes like shit.
Responses to the reviews, a lot of you are Portuguese because I am getting a lot of Portuguese reviews. I got to use google translate for that stuff, lol. And to the person who wants to translate my story in Spanish, sorry I didn't get time to respond to you. Ummm...If you actually have the energy and effort to translate my bullshit then yeah go ahead. Just remember the rights goes to me, it's going to take a long time to translate the shit I write though, my chapters are like up four thousand words... but good luck with that.
Okay that's all I have to say, hopefully I can upload chapters like every two or three days depending on my laziness.
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Peace out.