Disclaimer: Most characters in this fiction belong to the great master Kouta Hirano, except Duke Milford, whom was invented only for this fiction. 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
Third Day -Morning-
When Seras showed the presentation card to Integra, none of them could believe it, but there was something more important to take care of. The newcomer was a vampire, the mansion had neither restrictions nor protection, which guest were injured, innocent people. This mansion was in no way like Hellsing's, therefore it lacked of good places to conceal a vampire. The only possible places were a single basement that was unavailable due to being used as cellar; and the attic, where Seras was already staying. An urgent calling to the blacksmith and the carpenter, and by dawn they got new thick chains attached to the concrete wall. Sir Irons wouldn't be happy knowing a second vampire was kept in his attic, but she had settled he already had too many worries to trouble him adding one more to the list.
"Let's hope Sir Irons doesn't mind." Integra muttered to herself while looking the other end of the chains, thicker cuffs rested around the newcomer's wrist and neck.
The cuffs had been carefully carved with a makeshift spell. They could have gotten a coffin for the night but the vampire was more comfortable asking only for a mattress on the floor. He seemed calmer than the situation he had gotten himself into should make him. As if he had some human rights, he asked for a call. A first round of questions started, to check test if he was really who assumed to be.
"Do you think I will let go a menace like you to terrorize England?"
"This is not nice, you know?" the vampire was more nervous than angry when realized that no one cared about his rights. "I'm not hurting anyone, I even brought provisions because I care the people in here."
"Wait a minute..." actually, Integra thought, this impromptu visitant was the answer to all her problems. "Doesn't your market have a side branch for military supplies?"
"Yes, we supply medical equipment, soldier's rations, things like that." He looked away, not so proud of his military branch.
"And weapons?"
"We don't manufacture them, but there's an agreement with the government for the retailing of assault rifles for personal use, nothing too fancy."
They left him behind; sure the restrictions were enough for the weakened vampire. Back in Integra's makeshift office, Seras was pacing back and forth. By calling the right people, even at these ungodly hours, Integra had scraped together information out of the presentation card the vampire had given them. Turns out that a nasty vampire was the owner of a supermarket chain, along with a brand of several grocery products. It made sense why he had arrived to the mansion with the medical supplies. Also, he had explained he was from Pennsylvania, perhaps there were more vampires in America and no one was getting rid of them. What worried her most was, if he had been Alucard's fledging, did it mean her servant had turned him a couple of years back? When the government of the United States had asked Hellsing to help with a plague of werewolves in Clallam? No, this vampire was an ancient one. Things were turning more complicated. She had already too much to think, this was an unnecessary nuisance. Her eye was starting to ache from all the stress. It was early in the morning and she hadn't yet gone to sleep.
Integra lit a cigar from the box she had found in the desk drawer. Considering Sir Irons had long quit smoking, maybe he had ordered for them just for her. Expecting the tobacco to ease her nerves, after finishing the first one she realized that was no way near possible. She grabbed a second one.
"Could you stop?" She menaced her subordinate while throwing furiously the cigar's butt on the ashtray.
Seras looked at her nervously.
"Hum...Sir." Her lost arm was a shaky black form on the verge of losing its shape. "I was wondering if... if you want me to... hum... finish him... off?"
Actually, this took her aback. She never expected Seras to think that way. Maybe she had misjudged her subordinate. Considering she was Alucard's fledging, she expected Seras to fight tooth and nail, figuratively speaking, for letting the new vampire to stay.
Integra remember then. It was a joyous and rewarding time, despite lack of joy and reward. The police girl had arrived on his arms, completely changed and award of that change. The night had been distressing, so they let her some space for resting in the limo. Alucard took a seat holding his new fledging, Integra sat beside him. Walter started the engine and drove back to the mansion in deadly silence; though through his passive smirk she knew he was taking off of the situation.
"You broke your bidding..." she mustered conversation after a couple of miles on route.
"I didn't have a choice, Master. I shoot through her to get rid of the target." There was a hasty tone in his explanation,
"I see... so it was impossible to you to move faster than the priest to retrieve the hostage; or calling upon you familiar for attacking him from behind." She spat with sarcasm, raising her voice with each alternative "YOU HAD to use your gun when you know you can kill with your bare hands—"
"—it was her decision after all!" Alucard cut across up tightly, his concern was genuine. Integra was about to calling him out for the sudden outburst against his master, but she kept it to herself when the vampire continued. "Master... I've served your family for more than one century... your predecessors stripped me from everything I owned." He brushed Seras' hair, tangling trends between his gloved fingers. Integra could see the love sight on his gaze towards the newborn vampire. It wasn't lust; it was sheer appreciation on the girl's bare existence. "Please, Master." His voice was barely audible, like he was losing a part of his pride with the utter expression of those words. "At least once, concede me to have something of mine."
Even if Integra didn't approve the Alucard's conception of the girl belonging to him like an object, she knew vampires' relationships were far from her comprehension. The girl, officer Seras Victoria, sleep in oblivion of how much trouble her transformation would come; how much paperwork and Round Table meetings would cost.
"If you allow me, Sir Integra" Walter finally decided to talk. "Miss Seras has police training, she could give me a hand with the soldiers."
The old man always knew what to say. He was the voice of reason in the trio, after all.
"Acknowledge." It was a two versus one, and despite how much she wanted to impose her authority to Alucard, there were no more reasons left for saying no. "Alucard, she will be under your jurisdiction and training."
Curious thing, Alucard grinned. Not like the sadistic maniac he used to, but more like a kid when his parents grant him to keep a stray puppy.
"Thank you, Master!"
"But if you turn someone else aside of this girl, consider yourself locked in the basement again, AFTER getting rid of your fledgling yourself!" A guttural laugh from her servant showed he was taking fun of her distress, but she knew he would take the warning seriously. "That's an order, Alucard."
"Yes, my Master." And he left her fledgling's side to knee on the limo floor and kissed the back of her right hand.
Back to reality, when Seras called out her name. Integra cursed she was missing the vampire bastard and composed herself.
"No need, Seras." Integra could see the same childish smile on her subordinate. Maybe their relationship was not as strong as the one Seras shared with Alucard, but the draculina certainly had some sympathy for the chained up vampire. "We need him for getting provisions. Besides, I'll trust your insight that he's no danger for England."
Seras nodded.
"Thank you, Sir."
"And I trust that if he turns a danger, for our country's sake, Seras, you shall terminate him." There was pure ice in her voice. The Draculina wasn't happy with the decision.
"I'll do it, Sir."
Once granted his last and only request, the vampire called someone named Jack explaining that his stay in London will be delayed; moreover he wanted that person to send him more clothing. As if vampires couldn't manifest their own! Odd vampire. Also, he talked about his assets and some soon to be signed contracts. Some of them related to provide more aid to England, including in this round some hundreds of sets of rifles.
Seras' sharp ear caught everything from other side of the line; for the newcomer distress she repeated what Jack said loud voice for Integra to know it was a safe conversation. She even repeated when the person in America told the vampire 'I love you'.
Integra flinched, the guy before her was a decaying vampire. Disgusting to think someone found him endearing. More so if before hanging up the vampire sent some goodbye kisses by the line to the other person.
"You know? Vampires nowadays are not servants of the devil. We are almost in the XXI century, get over it." He pierced her with the sight, obviously mad for the intrusion in his conversation, especially because he was helping them for getting more ammunition and weapons.
"I can assure you, I've been through a lot for even consider your way of thinking." Sir Hellsing lighted her cigar and paused until she took a heavy stroke to it.
"Then how long are you planning to keep me chained in here?"
"Until you prove you are not a threat to England."
The vampire sighed letting his body fall on the mattress.
"At least will you bring me something to eat? You may already know what I eat."
"Officer Victoria will take charge of that." Integra looked at her subordinate, Seras stood straight hitting her heels and saluting. "Now I'm going to catch some hours of sleep. Good day Miss Victoria and... I keep forgetting your name."
"It's Duke! Duke Milford!" he hissed, not as afraid as he was just hours ago.
Once her boss left, Seras could rest at ease. All the struggle of the night, all the tension of the apparition of this new vampire. First she had thought Integra wanted her to get rid of him. She had killed vampires before, her first prey that blue haired teenager from her first days in Hellsing, but back then she didn't feel a bit of guilt. However, the idea of killing this man made her stomach ache. He had this appearance of helplessness, and yet the aura of Alucard. The remnants of her human senses couldn't cheat her vampire ones, but she wanted to go cautious.
"Are you really Master's childe?" Sitting on her coffin, Seras looked at her new roommate, who was scratching under the cuffs.
"Yes. As you are, there's no point in asking what it's obvious." He shrugged and continued with the scratching. "These things surely itch!" he growled.
Seras rested eyes fixed on him. Why had Master never told her about him? Didn't he trust her enough? She walked to the minibar on one side of the room, placed exclusively for her. Seras was so tired she craved for a good bag of blood. She took two instead, handing one to her unknown relative. He looked at the bag for some seconds like she was showing him a weird bug. The he grabbed it hesitant.
"It's cold."
"Well, it was in the fridge." She rolled up her eyes while opening her bag. She was so hungry that half the bag content went swallowed before she could enjoy the meal. "Maybe it's not my business but... I heard you never asked for your coffin?" Seras blushed mentioning what she had overheard earlier on his phone call.
He was still piercing the blood with the eyes, it looked like from one moment to the other the package would melt with his ridiculous gaze.
"I don't like sleeping in coffins. I don't even know where mine is. It's not that the ground inside it relates anyway to my home grounds." Then he explained that he used to carry some Romanian ground mixed with some of Pennsylvania, just to make the mix fair.
"Why Master never talked me about you?" It hurt to pose the question.
He looked up at her, saddened red eyes met hers.
"Because he despises me." He ripped the bag open. "You know unwanted children happen? Well, I was an accident."
Seras didn't finish the bag. She stopped before sipping the last gulp.
"How long was it?"
"I don't exactly remember. Maybe a couple of centuries ago." He let her continue the meal while showing he didn't mind eating it cold. "I was a scholar studying in the seminary. My father's friend, and tutor, invited me some months to the Karpathos; there he was spreading our word of God to the Catholics. I wandered off one night, and met Dracula in my stroll. He thought I wasn't a virgin, who would be at my age anyway? The next thing I remember was him pacing before me in his castle's parlor, he was growling and mumbling, not so happy that I had turned a vampire."
Seras pictures the scene inside her head. Actually it was funny.
"And what happened then?"
"I lived with him for about a year. Then my tutor found me, he was certain I was suffering some illness and that we had to go back to America." He clenched his fist. "I asked Dracula for my freedom, maybe expecting him to say no as he used to do with his other fledglings, but he gave it away as if I was doing him a favor."
Seras pondered what to say. She wouldn't like to be in the same situation. When turned she woke up the next night surrounded by people. Her Master by her side, Integra, and Walter. So loved, so welcomed; she couldn't picture how her Master could have given the cold shoulder to his own kin. However considering how Alucard enjoyed killing vampires maybe it was plausible.
"Master is not here." She paused. "If Sir Integra allows it, consider yourself part of the family." She grinned manically, red eyes gleaming.
He smiled back after sucking the last of his bag. The blood was not doing much for his withered appearance.
"I'll... take that to account."
Sir Hellsing only managed to reel under the blankets, being too wary for dozing off more than a short nap. Even in that pitiful estate, there was an Alucard's childe more in the house, more so in a house that doesn't belonged to her! Realizing this day she'd have to skip sleep time, she returned to the attic. It was early in the morning but the sun had already risen.
Her hand on holster, she felt unsure of what to find in there. Seras was young; she could have been easily manipulated for a more experienced vampire. She pushed the door pointing to the well lit place. She had completely forgotten the wide circular window on the mansion's facade. Seras was safe from the sunlight in her coffin, then a hunch of guilt bit the Head of Hellsing. More worried than afraid she stumbled up the stairs for checking on the vampire whose name she couldn't recall. He was a completely concealed bump under a thick blue canvas. She mused before daring to remove the covering. What she found relieved her. The vampire was there, sleeping soundly on a balled up position, she leaned to his face to confirm there even was a trail of saliva falling by the corner of his lips. Odd vampire, arriving to a vampire hunter's organization quarrels, letting himself to sleep openly under sunlight. Not awaken yet he frowned by the unwanted amount of light. Integra put the canvas back. Maybe she was overreacting.
Author's Note: Almost finished with the odd vampire's ark. I haven't read yet a story about Integra's reaction towards Seras' arrival to the family. Maybe my search hadn't gone deep enough, though a simple dialogue was in order to create the resembling situation. I'm sorry if Alucard it's not portaited perfectly, it's such a complicated character! Also, this story follows the manga, which was more in the comical side the first chapters.
Thank you for the reviews and followings.
Jo: I'm glad you get the feeling of that scene. There will be some others, but nothing serious with them. I mean, they are friends at the end of the manga, not lovers, but considering how sexual vampires are, who knows? ;)
Mr. Lupin: Claro que puedes comentar en español, así sería más fácil contestarte xD