Chapter 3 - Three Hollows and a Death God
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Three weeks, that was how long she had been in Karakura, Japan, and so far so good. The grinning form of her master had yet to ambush her in a dark ally, and she had seen no sign of Hellsing's troops. Isshin had only nodded when she told him she didn't have any money because of Hellsing monitoring her accounts. So she now worked a night job stocking a small grocery store on the other side of town three nights a week even though Isshin had told her it wasn't necessary. Her uncle, as she had thought, was just as crazy as she remembered him being, constantly ambushed Ichigo in the hall, in the kitchen, and in bed at 4 in the morning. She was just glad he was smart enough not to try to sneak up on a sleeping vampire. Especially a continuously hungry fledgling. The food problem for her had been solved the second night she was there, as Isshin walked up to her with two blood packs and a smirk. Apparently he ran the small clinic next door and didn't have a problem letting her eat the blood packs. He would have to throw them out after a few weeks anyhow if they weren't used, and for all that they had in stock in case of an emergency not that many people came in needing a transfusion. The week after that though had been really fun, she though sarcastically.
-Flashback-
Seras looked out over the moonlight shimmering on the water and she let herself relax for a few moments and wonder how her master was doing. She hoped Integra hadn't punished him too badly for helping her escape. She really only had two regrets about leaving: not being able to talk to her master, and losing her Harconnon. Damn, she loved that gun. She grinned mischievous at what Isshin would think of the massive artillery cannon. She tilted her head back and stared at the moon with a grin, fangs glinting in the light and she laughed, it was a night like this that just made her want to run through the woods and hunt.
The faint blood lust that was hovering at the edge of her thoughts sharpened her senses and allowed her to hear the faint hiss of something trying to sneak up behind her. She frowned but refrained from looking over her shoulder. Whatever it was was crouching in the trees about 20 meters behind her watching. Without giving herself away she shifted her balance a hair and jumped 10 feet straight up just as it came roaring out of the brush and onto the grass on the side of the river. She twisted landing cat and like in a crouch. The creature was huge, almost 8 feet tall and looking something like a giant, vaguely humanoid dog. The oddest thing was the white mask it was wearing. It roared and spun around to face her, the hair like quills on its back bristling. Seras snarled right back feeling her fangs and claws grow as she prepared to attack.
Seras ducked quickly, letting the creature's first swipe pass harmlessly over her and she lunged, tearing her claws into its side. The monster screamed in pain, but Seras knew the slash was superficial at best. Turning, she leapt and landed on its back while tearing more gouges with her two inch long talons and working her way up to its head. Whatever the hell the thing was though it knew how to fight and when it saw what she was trying to do, she barely had time to jump away before it rolled over in an attempt to crush her beneath itself. Seras cursed and made a lunge for its throat while it was on its back only to be knocked into the trees by a back hand hit. She grunted as she pushed the tree that had fallen on her off and glared at it, beyond pissed. Seras stalked forward as the monster reared up and roared at her, trying to making itself look bigger. All it really succeeded in was giving her a clear shot at its throat, as she shot forward jumping and impacting its chest with more force then something her size should be capable of, knocking it over on its back with a startled shriek. Seras, in a blood lust and anger induced haze, wasted no time in tearing into the creature. Thick black blood poured down her throat as the creature thrashed and tried to dislodge her, the darkness around them both seemed to shift, growing denser and crowded out the moonlight as it drew closer. After a few moments the monster ceased its thrashing and lay still, dead. The shadows rushed towards her suddenly, enveloping both her and the monster as they became a part of her and absorbed the fragments of light the creature had dissolved into an instant before.
Seras hissed, crimson eyes glowing in the darkness as the creature's power became a part of her own. She grinned, the last of the shadows sinking into her flesh, the last of its human coloration fading to stark pale white. Seras knew without really thinking about it that her eyes would never change back to blue again after this, the brilliant crimson becoming a part of her as she lost the last of her humanity with her first real kill. Seras smiled, the glow fading a bit from her eyes along with her blood lust, it was only then that she realized her new cloths were absolutely covered in blood.
- End Flashback -
The memory of the power in that creature's blood as she had drained it dry had been astounding and delicious; it had also awakened the powers her master blood had unlocked. The shadows around her were now a part of her and the sunlight burned her even less then it had before. She had also found that her mind seemed changed by her first kill. It was like looking through a cloudy window then having someone clean it off. Everything was sharper and more real somehow, she also found her personality had changed a bit, nothing to terrible, but she seemed to be more prone to pranks and was becoming oddly territorial. The last Hollow to come within a mile of the Kurosaki's home had been ripped apart like a piece of confetti.
Isshin had been a little startled that night when she had turned up on the front steps, covered in black blood giving him an annoyed look and asking if he knew about the local monster problem. Isshin had stared at her for a second before laughing and telling her that, yes, he did know about the 'monster problem' and would be happy to tell her about it as soon as she stopped dripping blood all over the front steps.
Seras snorted, looking out over the town, listening for the telltale screech of Hollows. They were demons of some kind as far as she understood it, souls that had lingered to long after death and become monsters because of their regret and pain, existing only to consume other souls and try to fill the hole in their hearts. Creepy creatures that was for sure, but damn tasty.
Hearing a loud screech in the distance she grinned and leapt into the air, her shadows twisting out of her back and forming dark wings to carry her rapidly across town. The shadows had come as something of a surprise, though she had seen her master use them once before she hadn't really thought about it all that much. Within moments she was over the Hollow and pulling herself out of her thoughts, circling as she calculated the best way to attack. Currently it was stalking a pair of teenagers down the street, neither of which saw or heard the monster. Seras shook her head, her life was so damn weird she thought, letting the air spill out from under her wings. This dropped her rapidly onto the hollows back, as talons made from shadow tore deep furrows in its flesh. The Hollow screamed, rearing back and trying to tear her off, she easily evaded its grasping claws and jumped over its shoulder using her shadows to break both its arms as she sank her fangs into its throat.
Within moments pure power was pouring through her mouth, making her shadows grow and coil through the air wrapping around her and the hollow as she fed, keeping it from throwing her off. Just one of these things could keep her fed for three days before she even started to feel hungry again, an amazing accomplishment as far as she was concerned. After a few moments the creature ceased its thrashing and dissolved into blue white light that was rapidly absorbed by her shadows, she sat crouched on the ground, nothing but a pair of glittering crimson eyes in living darkness for a moment, completely satisfied with her hunt. If only her master could see her now, she though sadly. She had come so far from the little police girl he had turned. She would still never kill a human if she could help it, but that wasn't even something to worry about with so many Hollows in this town to eat: it was paradise to her.
Speaking of Hollows, she pulled herself out of her thoughts again as another screech sounded across the town. Seras turned a lazy eye in that direction, trying to decided if she should be a pig and go for two or not. She frowned a moment later realizing just how close to her new home the second hollow was, her instincts flaring up in rage. Without another thought her still mostly shadow form leapt into the air flashing across town on her long wings. As she approached she saw she had been correct about the creature being close to her new home: it was right across the street. Seras was about to dive and tear it apart when some girl dressed in black came barreling out the front door with a sword raised ready to slash at the Hollow. Seras stilled her wings, hanging silently in the night air and watch curiously, wondering: A. what the girl had been doing in her home and B. what exactly she was expecting to do against a hollow that big with a sword?
The girl was knocked back just as the creature reared up on its hind legs bringing its right arm into view. Cold rage swept through Seras at the sight of her cousin Karin being held in its claws. She wanted to dive and tear it apart but something held her back and told her to watch, and not interfere yet, as something important was about to happen. So she hovered in the moon lit sky, watching as her older cousin Ichigo came charging out and went after the monster holding his sister...with a chunk of wood. Seras rolled her eyes 'at least he's got guts' she thought dryly.
The events that followed went almost too fast for her to follow as a bright light obscured Ichigo after the woman went and stabbed him. A moment later he was across the street dressed in black and wielding a massive sword. An instant after she took this in the Hollow screamed, one of its arms falling off. Seras blinked, slightly dumbfounded as Ichigo spun around and pounced again, tearing the Hollow apart viscously and catching his sister when it dropped her.
Her attention was diverted at that point by two more roars as another pair of Hollows appeared, drawn in by the massive amount of power Ichigo was blazing with. She dropped from the air, slamming into the larger of the two even as Ichigo attacked the second one, too focused to even notice her until his hollow was floating specks of light. The boy stared at the writhing shadows that made up her form at the moment, backing away from her in shock. Seras uncoiled herself from the fading hollow, staring him down as she pulled her form back together into something recognizable. Ichigo's confusion only grew as he stared at her. "WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON?" He snapped, looking both frustrated and angry. she sighed and opened her mouth to answer when the girl from before staggered over, still bleeding heavily.
"DAMIT YOU FOOL, WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" she yelled at him looking pained. "SHE'S SOME KIND OF HOLLOW! ATTACK!" Ichigo looked back and forth between them, looking a bit annoyed.
"I'm no Hollow, bitch!" Snarled Seras, disliking the woman immediately. Ichigo shot a look her way.
"Then what the hell are you? And why do you look like my cousin?" He shot back. Seras favored him with the kind of look reserved for particularly disappointing small children.
"Ichigo?" She said sweetly. He eyed her warily.
"Yes?" He answered. She twisted around and cracked him over the head, sending the teen to the ground with a yelp.
"THAT'S BECUSE I AM YOUR COUSIN PEA BRAIN!" She yelled, her eye brow twitching. ichigo groaned, rubbing the new lump on his head and glaring at her. "And for your information I'm a Vampire! Not a Hollow" She finished, noting the way his eyes widened at this proclamation. She frowned a moment later as his he sagged and then slumped to the ground unconscious. She stared down at him, dumbstruck. "Did he just faint?" She asked incredulously before shaking her head and transferring her attention to the now very nervous girl. "Ok then start talking." She growled, making the girl flinch.
"I'm not telling you anything, Hollow!" She snapped, making Seras roll her eyes.
"I'm NOT a Hollow, moron!" She snapped right back. "I just told you both that! I'm a Vampire!" The woman just snorted, looking incredulous.
"Vampires are a myth!" She snapped at Seras, trying to look brave and failing as Seras stared at her for several moments, as still and silent as the moonlight before she slowly smiled.
"You know what, I don't need you to tell me what I want to know, now do I? I can just take it." She hissed, taking a step closer with a grin that could scare the devil. The girls eyes widened and she tried to backpedal. Seras, however, was too fast for her and pinned her to a nearby wall, sinking her fangs carefully into the girl's throat. She struggled for only a moment before going limp. Seras all but groaned at the taste of her blood, with the only thing keeping her from draining the girl, Rukia, dry being that she had already fed so well that night. Her blood put that of the Hollows to shame with the sheer power in it. Images flashed past her eyes as she drank, telling her all she needed to know about her and what she had done to her cousin. However, before she could really begin to sort through those memories, a tap on her shoulder brought her out of her half trance. Seras glanced over her shoulder to see the shop keeper, Kisuke, who Isshin had introduced her to after she had nearly gotten eaten by her first hollow.
"Why, hello Seras!" He asked in a deceptively mild tone. Seras quirked an eye brow up and obligingly released Rukia. Licking the holes her fangs had made, prompting them to heal quickly. The now unconscious girl slumped over her shoulder.
"I'm sorry, did you need something?" She asked drily as Kisuke smiled brightly.
"Indeed I do! I must ask that you keep your promise and not kill anything but Hollows, Miss Dracula." He said brightly as Seras stared at the man for several moments before speaking.
"You are never going to miss an opportunity to call me that, are you?" She dead panned when Kisuke grinned happily.
"Nope!" He responded, snapping his fan open to hide his grin, making Seras sigh in a exasperation.
