Disclaimer: Most characters in this fiction belong to the great master Kouta Hirano, except Mary and Ann, whose were invented only for this fiction. Tufnell House and the Clemmorangie are only used for informative purposes. This story is posted for free and there is no more benefit from it than reading the awesome reviews and getting loving faves ;)
(Re) Building an Empire
Between First and Second Night
After bidding farewell to their former boss, Mary and Ann turned back at her temporal new boss and went back to business immediately.
"St. Tomas is making room to the more severe cases." Ann promptly explained, not wasting a moment in their first tour."The ambulances only send us people that are not in danger."
"Sir Irons has been contributing for Tufnell House since the last decade; we are fostering children whose parents still are presumed alive." Mary added, this information was important, since her new boss seemed way too interested in the children that had just arrived.
Talking about her new boss, it was an honor working with the head of the Round Table. But aside of what Mary and Ann had heard from Sir Irons, Sir Integra Fairbrook Wingates Hellsing didn't look as respectable as they had pictured. In the place of that, Ann was walking by the side a young woman, almost the age of Mary, wearing ragged clothing with spots of dirt here and there. The tie clumsily arranged around her neck; the eerie bandage around her eye still stained with dry blood; and no one had told her the neck of her shirt was folded. Granted that yesterday attacks had turned London upside down, and people in situations like this were less caring about their appearance, but she was a noblewoman, thereof she should care of what impression she wanted to give with her presence.
Talking about presence, Mary was a little distressed for the aura emanating from Sir Integra. She knew from former conversations with Sir Irons that the girl had taken care of the Hellsing household since very young, maybe younger than the age Mary started her maid training, that's why she expected Sir Integra to be a serious woman. Even so, she was walking by the side of someone with a grim spirit that pretended to look strong. Ignoring her straight posture and her hands calmly placed on the back, and occasional questions implying she was thinking deep what to do out of their tour, the woman was looking at the victims like the she had shot them, like she had severed their arms, like she was the culprit of all the crimes in the world. Mary blinked hard for not crying, it wasn't tears of frustration, it was anger. Her family was missing since the attacks, and she was wondering who gave Sir Integra the right to feel guilty from this pure act of evil. Could this act of decadence bring back her mother and little brothers? She doubted it.
Sir Integra's questionnaire paused when she saw the most severe patients; attached to their thin string of life, waiting with a little glint of hope that the Hospital would have room for them.
"Enough!" Mary burst in rage. "Who do you think you are? Coming here and pretending everything it's your fault. Does this victim act makes you feel more charitable?" There was venom in her words, she wanted to cause the more damage possible. Ann hint at her to shut up, but she wasn't stopping until she had had spoken her mind out. "You are no different than every nobleman that has stepped in here since yesterday!"
Sir Integra stared at her impassive. At first, it seemed she had been taken aback, but as soon as Ann had finished the noblewoman had returned to her normal state. Actually, there was a new shine in her eyes, similar to someone's who has made a resolution.
"Sir, she's been under a lot of pressure, I will assure you will never get insulted by her, ever again." Ann intervened apologetically; she knew Mary's butt was in its way to be kicked out of the mansion.
"Where are my men?" Sir Integra didn't take her ice blue eyes out of Mary, who was starting to feel uncomfortable.
"I...they wanted to stay together so I gave them the biggest chamber...they must still be in there" Mary no longer had hold of the situation. "I...follow me, please."
She passed by Ann to pull the younger maid by the arm. The girl deviated the sight while listening to the low-voiced scowl from her peer.
"What were you thinking!?"
Problem here was, she wasn't thinking. She was so frustrated that if it wasn't for Sir Integra being there, Mary would had ended yelling at Sir Irons himself, and that would had been way worse. Both peeked by their shoulders to confirm the noblewoman was still following, something had changed in her, not her clothes, but her posture, she expelled determination by every pore. It took several silent and awkward minutes to reach the bigger chamber. The rest of the world had melted away, it was only the three of them, and it made advancing more difficult.
When they finally arrived, three soldiers stood up with the chest out. There was a fourth one on the bed whose, due to his state, only could sit up straight.
"From here on this mansion will hold our headquarters, I expect no less than loyalty to my future decisions."
"Yessir!" The four of them answered at the unison.
"England is in need of people like you, who wants the best for the country. In the name of the Queen, impure soul shall be banished in eternal damnation. Amen!"
"Amen!" There was a sudden burst of energy in the room, like everyone had just come out of a pep talk.
"Fine." Sir Integra returned to her soldiers. "We can't allow ourselves to rest if London is suffering the aftermath. Aiden, Jules, go back to the mansion to retrieve Alucard's coffin and as many weapons we have left; Morris, you'll go with them for picking up the files. Emmanuel, you'll stay here helping the doctors as much as you can."
Mary had the mouth wide open, the soldiers never asked for more specific orders. How the blond man could know which files Sir Integra was talking about? No one told the tanned man that the Doctor needed a wheelchair. More than trained soldiers, they were someway synchronized with their boss' thoughts. Sir Integra turned to Mary, who was flustered with the sudden change of mood.
"And I expect the same from you, Miss Mary."
"Yes, ma'am." Mary yelled, cheeks turning red. Ann, trying to express her solidarity, repeated the same.
"Seras...ras...as" an echoing voice struggled inside her head "Seras Victoria...toria...oria"
The girl was lying so comfortably that she frowned with the idea of waking up.
"Seras, wake up!...up!...up"
A bucket of cold water fell on her and she had to bust open her eyes while yelping. But when she looked at her uniform it was dry, the only water she had to remove was the drool falling from the corner of her mouth. Then she realized she wasn't in Integra's room. Actually, she wasn't in any place she had been before. It was a café lounge with an avant garde style; Seras knew this because she entered with some cops friends once to one of those when they spend vacations in Amsterdam. However this was the first time she stepped on this particular café. A mismatched jazz music played as background, and the waters for some reason were human sized praying mantis dressed in frac. She realized she had been lying on a white table and around her they had placed floating cupcakes. The moment she attempted to grab one, a cute black mouse with red eyes appeared to catch the pastry on fly before Seras could. It happened two or three times until the girl gave it up.
"Seras...ras...as, come with me...me...ee"
Seras turned abruptly. Behind her a strange man was hovering about a foot from the floor. His dark skin contrasted with the bone colored suit with golden neck and the Uncle Sam-like pants.
Seras pointed at him with the mouth wide open for no reason, she formed a cross with both arms and a childish scream came out from her mouth.
"Charley says never go anywhere with men you don't know!" Then she went down of the table to run, but the black mouse made her trip and her face fell directly in some cupcakes. Helpless, she waved her hands aimlessly expecting to hit somewhere with her eyes closed.
"Oh, shut up...up..up. I'm here to help you...ou...uu."
Seras blinked at the man. The music pace went faster. The mysterious floating guy was cuddling his mustache with the index finger.
"I'm the spirit of the Casull...sull...ull"
Seras vaguely remembered meeting the spirit of her Harkonnen when they had a trip to Brazil. She didn't dare asking her master if every weapon had one, but looking at the rastafarian guy it was most likely that Alucard had to deal with two of them back at the time.
"Oh faithful Spirit, are you here to share the wisdom you used to give to my Master?" She pleaded with the eyes full of expectancy.
The Spirit was no longer looking at her, instead the mouse had jump to his hand and for some reason he was licking it. When he noticed Seras was waiting for an answer, he stretched the animal towards her.
"Want some?...ome?...me?"
Seras ran away again. At some yards from the entrance, the doors went wide open. The intense light from outside was eclipsed by a rounded shape. As soon as he entered, Seras could recognize the sweating old man as the Spirit of the Harkonnen. As disgusting as always.
Even so, she felt glad the spirit passed by her straight to the Casull's. They face each other sending mean little lighting with their gazes. A praying mantis offered Seras a cup with blood and she sat on the nearest couch to enjoy herself.
"And who gave you the right to contact with my little Seras?" Harkonnen's spirit hovered closer while flapping the hands on the sides of his body.
"I gave it myself...self...elf". Casull's spirit leaned too.
"And for what?" Harkonnen pressed forward, inches from his contenders' face.
"Because...ause...ues". Casull shortened the distance in them to hit his forehead with the other spirit. As Seras sipped from her glass and the music turned weirder and weirder, she wondered from where all this was coming from.
The tension broke in the instant Casull burst in tears, his face similar to the painting 'The Scream'.
"I lost my owner!...ner!..er! What am I going to do...do...o?"
The tears formed a puddle that reached Sera's boots, there was even a little rainbow fish splashing on it.
"That doesn't give you the right to mess with my girl" Harkonnen pointed at the guy that was knocked down on the floor thanks to a tantrum.
"Hum... Mister Casull." Both spirits stopped to look at Seras. "Master is not gone. I'm sure Master will finish his business and will join us sooner or later. I...well...we...would you like to stay with us until then?"
Casull's eyes shone like diamonds, he arrived to kneel before Seras with only one step, even though the man was the other side of the lounge. He held the girls hands on his and shook them furiously. The black mouse took a place on her shoulder, and she could swear it was smiling under its long whiskers. For some reason, the spirit of the Harkonnen joined them in an unexpected hug. It wasn't that disgusting at all.
When she opened the eyes again, she wasn't in Integra's room, neither in the lounge. She recognized the linen and the wooden essence, it was her coffin. Seras was grateful that whoever had left her in there, had allowed her Master's weapon to stay at her side.
Something, or someone removed her coffin's lid, and the dim light entering pinched her pale face. No one before had done that aside from her Master, she didn't know how to react. She thought to struggle. Was she in danger?
The worst of decisions, she didn't do anything about it. Instead, her plan was to lay unmoving there, looking as a harmless, sleeping corpse, in the hopes that whoever had opened the lid would get tired and go. Of course Master would laugh at her! That was the most cowardly decision she had made, but from the time she worked for Hellsing she knew that any vampire that jumped out bragging of his or her power was a dead vampire so, she wasn't taking that risk.
Actually, as her mind turned less foggy, she remembered her ability to see with her third eye. So she took a careful peek at her surroundings, it was tiresome doing it with an empty stomach. Sir Integra was sitting next to her, relief ran through her, at least she was safe inside a room. The twilight sun lighted most of the room, there were bookshelves covering every tall wall. A library, Seras guessed. Her boss was kneeling beside her, she felt the woman's soft fingers caressing her cheeks, her expression of pure endearment. Integra strode back to throw herself next to the nearest table. Her signature cigar gone, a scotch glass taking its place next to her lips. Seras looked at the table, a bottle of the same drink, half empty, on there. The label said Glemmorangie, its ink had faded away and the paper corners were lifted from when the glue had given up. That wasn't something her boss had recently bought, in fact, Seras remembered that bottle has taken a special place in Integra's office, behind a glass shelf in the far corner, among the few things she had in the minimalistic place. Walter had told her he had never seen Integra drinking, she despised the habit since her father was an alcoholic. Perhaps alcohol was the reason he could never manage Master, or the other side, Alucard was the reason Arthur Hellsing became addict.
Anyway, there was something wrong with Integra drinking. Seras woke up slowly, not wanting to scare her boss. She didn't seem to notice her subordinate until she had finished off her glass.
"Good morning, Officer Victoria." Her voice wasn't as slurred as the Draculina was expecting, maybe she was better managing alcohol than her father.
"Good night, Sir." Seras couldn't help to shoot a complaint look at the bottle.
As if she was expecting someone to ask her about it, Integra grabbed the scotch for pouring another glass.
"My father bought -hic- this the day I was born" she gave a sip to the glass "but he couldn't wait to drink it with me when -hic- I came to age."
Seras didn't get if she was meaning he was so addicted that he couldn't but open the bottle before time or that he died when Integra was still a kid.
The Draculina didn't like seeing the woman drinking; it looked so out of her character. Even more when she invited the vampire to sit on her lap.
"Are you sure, Sir?"
"Just... -hic- come here." She patted her knee again, trying to hide her hiccups.
Seras couldn't do but obey.
"Sir, you are a bad drinker." The girl stated, knowing she had gotten drank only once in her life, from that day she went bar hopping with his mates from work.
Where were they going with this? Aside from the common sense, Seras felt particularly safe on Integra's legs. She wondered if this was what Master had wanted for a long time. Seras turned to look at the slightly red face of her boss and, in an impulse, she pressed her lips against hers. Sudden warm came to her undead body when they separated. She had just stolen her boss' virginal lips, this wasn't exactly what her Master would want, he would like to go further. He had never told her fledgling, but somehow Seras knew it. She looked devilishly at Integra, who, face still blushed, seemed far more in her senses that ever and at least had forgotten the hiccups.
"Sir, do you find me attractive?"
"Of course not, fool!" Integra shot back with no second thought. "Who would like a tomboy vampire like you?" Seras could almost imagine her saying so while sticking out a forked tongue.
"I am the tomboy? At least I have the curves for wearing a dress" Seras taunted.
"You mean the uniform? That's more a club girl's clothing!" Integra gave a comeback.
Seras was about to say something else when a stomach grumble made her stop. Integra was as surprised as she, both set silence until a burst of laugh from the Draculina side broke it out. Integra followed with some chuckle, until it turned into a crackle.
"Sir, I'm hungry too."
Integra didn't answer; instead, she removed slowly a glove from her subordinate's hand, revealing her sharp nails. With paused calm, perhaps from the alcohol intake, she took one finger for pressing the nail against the soft part of her wrist. A clean horizontal slice revealed the sweet blood.
"I asked Emmanuel for your meal, but no one in here is in condition to donate." She offered the cut, Seras didn't waste a minute to place her mouth around it and savor it, her tongue going over intrusively in the injury.
She was half falling asleep in bliss when something woke her fully again. Faraway, the presence of a ghoul wandering the remains of the city. Soon a second one joined. In a moment they were several, waking up with the departure of the sun. Hadn't Master gotten rid of them? Maybe there were vampires remaining too. Seras paid attention to the smallest details with her third eye, the warm willingly given blood giving her the energies for doing so. She could see them, only an increasing number of ghouls searching for a remaining prey in the tarmac desert.
"Sir... ghouls. There are remaining ghouls in the city." Seras reluctantly pulled out her mouth from the cut to look frantic at Integra.
"I know." Her boss' vision pinned at the window, like expecting to see anything through the falling night. "We don't have enough soldiers, nor weapons to fight them."
"Sir, with all respect. There's no need of that." Seras' pointy teeth framed her grin; she was already feeling the rush of the battle. "I can finish them off with my bare hands. Like Master did it."
"No. It's too dangerous."
"Don't worry, I'm a fully fledged vampire. They can't hurt me anymore."
"No."
"But-"
"I said no, Seras. I don't want to lose you!" She deadpan shut her up.
Then the Draculina realized her boss was worried for her, that they were the only thing left for each other, that if she lost focus in battle, Integra would have more problems that if they hadn't done anything at all. But she could feel it, there were people left in London's remains. If the ghouls found them, they would only swell their ranks.
"This morning I called my financial advisor, the London attack froze my stocks and the UK market, and I won't have access to my accounts for a while. However, tonight I'm attending a meeting with the Round Table; we shall get more funds from any other source. Aiden, Julius and Morris are the only soldiers left, but they will work for free as long as you don't push them too much. That's all, you can go, Officer Victoria Seras"
Seras nodded, trying to do not look too happy for her boss' allowance to go hunting. She stood up straight to salute. Grateful that she had a meal tonight even if Integra hadn't recovered from last night blood loss. The Draculina was passing out the room when her boss stopped her.
"By the way, Seras, our relationship won't go for that side. Understood?"
This time it was Seras who could swear was red like a tomato.
"Ye-yes, Sir!"
Author's Note: Thank you for your advises. Yeah, I think Integra and Seras relationship can't be that kinky, if you consider them in character. Still I will receive any suggestion for this story. I hope you are liking it so far ;)