~O~
III
Yumiko was sound asleep beside her.
Heinkel awoke and stared down at the nun, who chose to sleep in her bed that night. She smiled a little and rubbed a hand up and down her side. It had been strictly chaste; Yumiko couldn't sleep very well and found it easier to do so in Heinkel's room.
"Yumiko, wake up," she said. "It's dawn."
Yumiko murmured and shifted a little, stretching before she opened her eyes.
"Already?" she murmured.
"Yes. Already."
"Hm." Yumiko stretched again and sat up. "I like being here. I wish we could always sleep together."
"So do I."
"FUCK!"
The soldier didn't have time to fight back when Yumie surged through the brush, her katana blurring through the air with unholy speed. She cut off his head before he could even hope to reach for his gun. His corpse hit the dirt, just as Heinkel and Manuel made their way up to her.
"Yumie, we needed him alive." Heinkel snapped. "How are we going to find their base of operations if you keep killing them?"
"This one knows," Yumie said, pointing her katana at Manuel. "He knows where it is."
Manuel frowned. "No. I told you, I don't."
"Then you have to know something. Otherwise, you're just dragging around like a dead horse behind us." Yumie told him. She flashed a grin. "Food for thought."
"I can't tell you what I don't know!"
"Then you have to know SOMETHING. Did you ever get any strange smells from them? Sights?"
Manuel sighed impatiently, but considered Yumie's words. "Well...they always had this odd, damp smell to them." he said, "And muddy boots. One guy - a real nasty one - was drenched when I last saw him. I only suspected they were here because I met them at the border of this canyon. That rocket launcher that shot us down could be proof of that."
Yumie frowned thoughtfully before turning to Heinkel. "I saw a waterfall nearby."
"Hm..." Heinkel considered this. "It may be a risk trying it, but it's the only lead we have right now. Let's go."
The trio continued through the jungle, Heinkel leading the way. Suddenly, she ducked down, urging them to do the same.
Four men were trudging through the stangnant river, armed to the tooth. A peculiar aspect of them were the glowing red eyes and...rows of sharp teeth. Manuel looked stunned by the sight.
"What the fuck?" he gasped.
"Get down!" Heinkel ordered, pushing him further out of sight.
Manuel grunted sharply, uttering a soft "ouch" under his breath.
One of the men stopped, took a deep inhale and snarled before following his comrades. The three watched them go before feeling it was safe to exit.
"Walking out at night could be dangerous," Heinkel said.
"Can someone explain to me what that was?" Manuel demanded.
"A vampire." Heinkel answered.
Manuel stared at her for the longest time. Then, he grinned and started laughing.
"A vampire. Deus, are you joking?"
Heinkel gave him a dirty look. "Why would I joke?"
Manuel glanced from Yumie to Heinkel. "That's not possible. How can they exist?!"
"I don't have time to explain this to you," Heinkel said, "Right now, we need to work on getting to their base."
"How do we fight vampires?!" Manuel demanded.
"Stake through the heart, silver..." Yumie listed off the options, "Holy water, you should know the drill."
Manuel grimaced with unease. "Who are you? What church do you work for?"
"Not important. Now move." Heinkel gave him a little push.
O
The trio made their way across the waist-deep waters.
"Ah, it's cold!" Manuel cursed. "Shit, it's cold!"
Yumie started talking with Heinkel, glancing back briefly at Manuel. "Why are we still keeping him alive?" she asked, softly. "He could slow us down."
Heinkel glanced back at Manuel, who looked around warily at the river. She exhaled. "Maybe you're right..."
Suddenly, Manuel was yanked into the water. Yumie and Heinkel looked around wildly for the source of a possible attack. Ahead of them, a vampire soldier surfaced, shrieking and choking on what looked like a rosary. Smoke billowed from his mouth.
Manuel surfaced a few minutes later, gasping for breath. He grinned and thrust his finger out at the dying vampire. "Ah! Bite on that, filhodaputa!"
Yumie and Heinkel stood with their weapons ready.
"Manuel!" Heinkel shouted. She smirked. "Good work."
Manuel flashed a thumbs up. "I knew that would come in handy someday."
Suddenly, several vampires surfaced, snarling. Manuel's enthusiasm deflated and he backed away. The three stood, back-to-back as the vampires began to advance.
"Just so you know, I don't have much silver left..." Manuel whispered. "Just these."
He removed a set of silver knuckles from his pocket. Heinkel looked down at Yumie.
"May the best one win," she said, smirking.
"Manuel!" a vampire hissed, "You fucking traitor. Raizo will skin you alive for this!"
Manuel smirked, but he looked terrified.
The vampires charged with a chorus of unholy roars.
O
Yumie cut down vampires, Heinkel fired her guns and Manuel punched the jaws of any vampire charging him. Due to the dark and the water around them, they failed to notice more vampires surfacing to join the battle.
A few hundred feet away, they were being watched. Yumie was focused in a scope.
The trigger to a gun was pulled and a dart whistled through the air before striking Yumie in the back of the neck. She gave a small cry and paused between the chaos, furrowing her brow.
Heinkel shot down a soldier before she noticed Yumie's condition. "Yumie?"
Yumie reached behind her and removed the dart from her neck. She stared down at it and her hand began to shake. Her vision blurred and Yumie slipped back into sleep. Yumiko returned and she staggered through the water, suddenly losing the strength to maintain her footing.
How am I awake? How did this...?
Several more vampires swarmed into the fray, taking hold of her. Heinkel began to panic, shooting down any vampire in her path to get to Yumie.
"Yumie, no!" she shouted. "Ah, dammit!"
The vampires carried Yumiko away while leaving Heinkel and Manuel to fend off the remaining forces. She started to give chase after they had all been brought down, but Manuel grabbed her, preventing that.
"No!" he whispered, fiercely, "If you follow them, they will kill her!"
Heinkel watched the vampires fading away into the night. "But-"
"We will find her. Trust me, they won't kill her." Manuel assured, "But we can't follow them now..."
Heinkel could only stare helplessly at the departing vampires.
"No..."
Yumiko had been bullied by other children.
It was strange seeing this when Heinkel was around fourteen years old. Yes, they had squabbled senselessly, but she had begun feeling far more protective of the other girl. When a boy was taunting her about Yumiko's heritage, Heinkel stepped in and grabbed him.
"Hey!" she spat. "You want to run that by me again? You had better shut up around her, Dummkopf. Unless you want me to shove my pistols down your throat!"
The boy panicked and fled, but not before Heinkel kicked her foot in his ass, sending him stumbling.
"You don't have to beat up every idiot kid who stands in front of me, Heinkel." Yumiko told her. "I can handle myself."
It was true.
Heinkel snorted. "I don't just do it for you. I can't stand people like him. Think they know the way of the world."
Yumiko chuckled. "Well, I suppose it's always quite impressive. Seeing how you handle things."
Heinkel smiled, mildly proud of herself.
"We should get to the Sisters. They want us to sing for Sunday Mass." Yumiko suggested.
Heinkel grimaced.
"Alright then."
They started walking in silence before Yumiko looked at Heinkel.
"I like hearing you sing, Heinkel." she said.
Heinkel bristled. "Ugh. Just be quiet!"
Yumiko laughed gently.
O
Yumiko awoke on a cold, stone floor.
Two soldiers were standing nearby and she managed to regain her senses long enough to look around the room; it looked like a training ground. There were punching bags nearby, racks of weapons and barrels. She glanced up to the dim lights hanging on the stone ceiling.
"This one..." someone whispered in the shadows. "She's the spitting image of my brother!"
Yumiko felt around for her katana, but found that it was missing. She scrambled about, breath quickening in panic. Someone stepped forward and she jumped to her feet, immediately at the defense.
A vampire dressed in camouflage beneath a tight-fitting jacket; he was wearing a wide-brim hat and rows of ammunition wrapped around his chest. He looked to be of Japanese descent, just like Yumiko.
"Awake?" he said, smiling. "Good."
"Give me back my sword." Yumiko ordered.
The vampire chuckled. "You know you could kill me without that weapon, yes?" He produced the katana from behind his back. "This belonged to your father. He too was a Berserker of great skill."
Yumiko wasn't certain how he knew of her father as she didn't even know him herself. She had been an orphan since she could remember.
"Forgive me, where are my manners?" the vampire said, chuckling. He gave her a small bow of his head.
"My name is Raizo. Raizo Takagi."
Yumiko's eyes widened.
The same name as her...
"Berserker, eh?"
"That's right. One of the few still alive."
Anderson listened to the other priest in regards to Yumiko.
"I've heard of these men and women. They could enter a powerful state of crazed fury," Anderson remarked. "One Berserker alone is capable of slaying armies. And you're certain our little Yumiko is one of those beings?"
"I am, Father. A little discipline and she'll make for a perfect soldier of Iscariot."
Anderson smiled at the thought. "Good."
Raizo smiled as he paced, explaining to Yumiko his identity.
"Your father and my brother saw it necessary to leave you in the hands of the church - of Iscariot - where you would be safe." he explained. "It's interesting that even though they took you in, the church had viewed our kind as 'heathen devils'."
Yumiko shook her head rapidly, denying this.
Raizo smiled. "You don't believe me? Ask that woman you're with. She would gladly tell you. The Vatican has spent history killing us. But then they saw you...and took pity. Even the most merciless of monster slayers can pity a child, though you're the offspring of a 'devil'."
"Lies!" Yumiko hissed. "All lies!"
Raizo made an amused sound before a vampire approached him.
"Sir. You have a call from the Major..." the vampire whispered.
Raizo nodded his head. "Alright. Thank you."
He started to go, but paused and smiled back at Yumiko. "We'll find your friend. And the traitor." he promised. He looked at the vampire now as they departed. "Maybe see if the 'Dandyman' is looking to get his hands dirty."
"Yes, sir."
Yumiko couldn't bear this news. Yumie partially took over.
"What's wrong, Yumiko?"
"Nothing. I don't believe him. He's lying."
"I told you. They're all liars. Even them."
"No. Not her. She wouldn't lie to me."
"Everyone lies, Yumiko. Even the ones trying to protect you from the truth."
O
"So why did you join them?"
Manuel was a little surprised by the question. "What?"
Heinkel trudged through the mud that early morning. She had to distract herself from the panic in knowing Yumiko was gone somewhere out of her reach.
"Why did you join them?" Heinkel repeated.
Manuel didn't answer right away.
"Okay, you don't have to answer me." Heinkel shrugged her shoulders.
Manuel stayed quiet for a few minutes more before he responded, hesitant. "My wife. That's all you need to know, mina."
It didn't take a clever person to figure out what he meant. So Heinkel didn't press further.
She stopped in front of a tree, noticing a small cut in it. A smile lit her lips. Manuel frowned at her pleased expression and noticed the cut in the bark.
"She's smart." he remarked.
Heinkel nodded her head. "She is."
They followed the path of small cuts made in trees until stopping in a clearing. Heinkel looked around for more cuts, but couldn't find any.
"No..." she gasped, panicking. "No, no, where are they? There's no cuts! I don't see any more cuts!"
Manuel raised two hands. "Heinkel, don't panic," he soothed. "Maybe they found out what she was doing and stopped her."
"Oh! Oh, that really helps me now!" Heinkel spat, whirling on him.
"Hey, don't get louco on me." Manuel insisted. "Not a good time, mina. We need to stay calm. I can do some tracking."
Heinkel stared at him in disbelief. "You?"
"Yeah, I hunted some deer before. Vampires? Same difference, right?"
"No, it isn't." Heinkel snapped. "We're wasting time! We need to keep looking for Yumie!"
Manuel glanced over her shoulder and tilted his head. "Hear that?"
Heinkel tilted her head.
Rushing water...
The waterfall they talked about was nearby. Hopefully, this was the end of the line and the vampires were there - the Sons of Starlight.
It had been their first mission. Their FIRST MISSION. Heinkel's orders had been to find them and put an end to it. Now, Yumiko was missing and probably being tortured. Heinkel couldn't imagine it. If she found out that any of them had hurt Yumiko, not even God himself could stop her for what she would do.
The two arrived at the edge of the waterfall in question; Heinkel stared down at the rushing water.
"What now, Manuel?" she demanded.
"We wait."
"What?!"
"We wait." Manuel told her.
Heinkel saw no other option.
Yumiko...if they've hurt you...so help me God...