"Showtime!" I whooped, and took Hackmaster in both hands.

Mistress twisted her wrists and her claws sprang forth. We both nodded and leapt at the bloodthirsty horde. My sideways slash cut two attackers in half and briefly halted the advance. Mistress gouged deep furrows in the belly of another killer. Satisfied that her target was down, she moved for her next victim.

Two commandos rushed at me from either side, weapons ready. I dodged a clumsy spear thrust and parried the battleaxe. Twirling upward, Hackmaster caught the edge of the axe wielder's mask and tore it aside.

The sight that greeted me wasn't the harsh visage of a man, but the delicate features of a teenage girl. My surprise immobilized me. She took a well-aimed strike at my midsection. CLANG! The axe vibrated madly; throwing the girl to the tile floor. I raised Hackmaster over her heart, ready to finish her off, when I hesitated.

What in the world are you thinking? She's just a girl; don't do it!

She's just a girl? That's ludicrous! You just saw her tear four men apart! She's a freak, and has to be dealt with before she slaughters the rest of these innocent people.

While I wrestled with my conscience, a heavy blow on my head caused me to see a flash of multicolored light. Instinctively, I swung Hackmaster around and heard a sickening SQUISH. Horrified, I gazed over my shoulder to see Hackmaster buried in the chest of another vampiress. Her mouth moved in silent denial even as her eyes glazed over in the second death. A stream of blood ran down my blade until my hands were stained red.

"EEEEYAAAAAAAAGH!" I howled.

"Nate, Help!" I heard Mistress plead.

I saw Mistress, cornered by five freaks, clawing away angrily. I was too far to reach her in time; even if I had been able to kill the vampiresses.

"Peegdog, catch!"

I saw Boomstick twirling through the air and jumped up to catch it. Checking both cartridges to ensure they were loaded, I turned back to Mistress. One of the freaks was down, but the other four were pressing her harder than ever. You can sort out your problems later, just help her NOW!

I jerked the triggers faster than I believed possible and felled three of the freaks in a matter of seconds. The last, unaware of her companions' demise, found the Sanzo pointed at her forehead. Mistress' new weapon hurled its armor-piercing projectile through the unsuspecting creature's cranium and caused her to collapse.

"Mistress, are you alright?" I shouted.

"I'm fine now, let's take out the trash." Mistress stepped up next to me.

"One question, though."

"What?"

"Where were you hiding your gun?"

"Never you mind."

"HELLLLLLP!" someone wailed.

I turned my head upwards and saw Erik and Sayoko, bound with heavy cables, through the shattered ceiling as they were being led away. There weren't any stairways or elevators in sight.

"What do we do now, Mistress?"

"We save them," Mistress answered.

"BRILLIANT! Absolutely brilliant! How do you propose we do that?"

"Toss me."

"Come again?"

"Toss me through the window and I can free the hostages."

I couldn't see any other options, so I nodded my assent. Shortly thereafter, I was holding Mistress at shoulder height; her feet in my right hand and my left holding her buttocks.

"Ready, Nate?"

I could imagine the steam coming from my ears, and sweat cascading down my cherry-red face. "Umm...duh...yes," I squeaked feebly.

"Pinch me and die."

"I'm already dead."

"Shut up and throw me already."

"As you wish. HYAAAAHHH!" I shouted; hurling Mistress like a shot put.

Mistress soared through the air like an arrow, her tail flapping as she went. She caught the edge of the window and hauled herself onto the roof.

I squatted and pushed off the ground with all my might. I reached the high ceiling in no time, crashing through the last unbroken window and straight into a steel beam.

Shaking the stars from my vision, I rushed the freaks holding Erik and severed their hands with a single stroke. While they howled in agony, I saw that Mistress had liberated Sayoko. The freaks, having lost both their hostages, began to flee towards their helicopter. I intercepted them and raised my sword to attack.

My swing was halted by a pair of crossed swords. They shoved Hackmaster, and me along with it, back several steps. There stood the girl that had attached herself to me earlier. In her left hand was a katana, and her right held a wakizashi, both dripping blood. The girl's vapid grin had been replaced by the face of a calculating killer.

"Ah, ah, ah," she scolded.

"Who are you freaks and what do you want?"

"I'm Krystal, of Hell's Belles and we've come to acquire a certain individual. But you don't need to worry about that because you'll be dead soon." She punctuated her words with a double-thrust at my heart. I couldn't parry in time, but my armor turned both blades aside. I responded with a swift sideways cut, which she easily dodged. She began a series of jabs and slices, which I had little trouble stopping. I kept dodging and parrying for a while, gauging her skill and analyzing her patterns.

She's not too bad; I think I'll step things up a notch.

I interrupted her rhythm and took the offensive. My cuts and stabs pressed her steadily until her back hit the wall. My overhead attack was once again intercepted by her blades.

"You can't beat me you know," she boasted.

"I should be saying that to you. I'm a genuine vampire, more than a match for any chipped freak any day. Give up and I'll make it quick," I offered.

"Chipped freak? Like hell! I'm original. There's one critical difference between us," her eyes flashed red and shadows billowed all around her body, "You're a servant; I'm true Nosferatu. Taking you apart is going to be as simple as pulling the wings off of a fly."

Her speed and power increased dramatically. Hackmaster couldn't keep up with her swords; they bobbed and wove like vipers while I seemed to be two seconds behind. If I hadn't been wearing my armor I'd have been cut to ribbons in a matter of seconds.

I can't keep this up for long. If I don't find a way to stop her soon, I'm toast.

In a desperate move, I held Hackmaster out wide, relying on my armor to protect me from her thrust. When I heard the impacts, I swung Hackmaster down at the top of her skull with every ounce of my strength. I was rewarded with the sound of protesting steel followed by the snap of bone.

Tracing my gaze up Hackmaster's edge, I saw Krystal's hands clutching the hilts of her swords in an X-shape above her head. Both blades had been sheared off inches from their bases. Hackmaster was buried halfway in her left forearm, blood gushing from the wound. Krystal's face darkened with hatred and she screeched with agony.

"HOW DARE YOU STRIKE ME! My swords were forged for me personally by Muramasa himself!" Her body's outline blurred and shifted. Arms were replaced by great wings, a cruel beak covered her mouth, and her feet became hooked talons. "Feel the wrath of a full-fledged Nightwalker!"

Talons ripped deep gashes in my leg while her beak tore at my arms. I fell on my back, unable to even see the attacks. The sheer savagery held me paralyzed. As the now-avian Krystal raised her talons above my throat, I closed my eyes in despair.

I'm not going to survive this. I'm sorry Mistress; please stop her.

The killing blow never came. The click of a hammer sounded above my head.

"Back off bitch; he's mine," Mistress demanded; holding Sanzo to Krystal's temple.

"You can't hurt me with that pathetic little pistol; you'll..."

With a BANG, Krystal's head jerked violently to the side, causing her to lose her balance momentarily. She shrieked yet again, clutching her skull. Mistress helped me to my feet while Krystal stumbled around in agony.

"What was that about a 'pathetic little pistol'?" Mistress sneered. "You won't be murdering innocent people anymore."

Krystal pulled her bloodied hand away from her gruesome wound.

"You think you've beaten me? Never!" Krystal hobbled to the chopper. "I'll be back to destroy you, Hellsing libertine; as for you," she stabbed her finger in my direction, "I'll make you my personal toy. You'll be calling me Mistress soon." Her mad cackling was overshadowed by the helicopter's rotors as it lifted off.

Mistress and I took potshots at the departing vehicle, but they deflected harmlessly off of its armored surface.

"Are you alright, Mistress?"

"I'm fine; it's you I'm worried about. You were almost torn to shreds back there!"

"This is nothing, in fact my wounds are healing as we speak. Let's check on the survivors." Mistress nodded and we strode over to where Erik and Sayoko were hiding behind a cooling unit.

"Wha-wha-what was that? That woman turned into that...thing! Who are you? What do you want from me?" Erik stuttered.

Mistress placed a hand on Erik and Sayoko's heads. A strange gleam appeared in her eyes. Her gaze locked onto theirs as she spoke in a commanding voice.

"You were attacked tonight by an unidentified terrorist group. They were after your fortune and technology. A squad of specialists from the U.N. managed to repel them, but the leader escaped. To protect yourself from further assaults, you will have specialized bodyguards assigned to you at all times."Erik and Sayoko both nodded vigorously until Mistress removed her hands. The two stood up and dashed to the rooftop staircase, Erik dialing on his cell phone.

"What did you do to them?" I asked after they were gone.

"Just a little trick Alucard taught me. Just get their attention, physical contact is easiest, and say what you need to. It works best when you tell someone what they really want to think."

"I know an easier way for you to hypnotize a man."

"Really? How?"

"Just wear that outfit and do jumping jacks!" Mistress slugged me in the arm.

Mistress and I returned to the ballroom via the stairs. A special disposal squad had already been called in, and were removing the freaks' bodies. Hellsing agents disguised as ordinary policemen were interviewing the shaken guests. I turned one of the freak corpses over with my boot and gazed at the face of the girl I had slain. A small object clattered to the floor from her pocket. I picked it up and examined it closely.

It was an expensive-looking handheld organizer, the kind that a favorite child of a rich father would have. I decided that she wouldn't miss it so I dropped it into my belt pouch.

Pip was leaning against a pillar, smoking again. He fell into step beside me as we all left before the awkward questions started coming. I didn't feel like saying what I had to, but I swallowed my pride.

"Pip, thanks. If you hadn't thrown my gun to me I don't know what would've happened." It felt odd to be thanking the Frenchman for anything but it was due to him that Mistress was alright.

"I was just doing what I had to do; you would have done ze same, no?"

"Uh...yeah. I would've," I said shiftily.

We packed into the limo and sped off into the night. When we left the gates, exhaustion set in. Mistress leaned her head on my shoulder and fell asleep in seconds. Despite my best efforts, my head tilted on top of Mistress' and I drifted off as well. The last thing I remembered was Pip muttering something that sounded like "lucky peegdog".

END CHAPTER 12

I hope you enjoyed reading this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it. Bonus points if you can name Mistress' and my costumes!

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