Disclaimer: Hellsing belongs to Kouta Hirano and all the guys and girls who signed contract with him to get rightful use of it. I'm here just writing for free, therefore can't claim rights to nothing except my onw characters.
(Re) Building an Empire
The 387th Night -Part Two-
The Draculina stopped on her tracks. Looking around confused, her expression said something was wrong. Aiden noticed how her almost audible steps were left behind and called Jules and Morris to turn back. They found her almost fifty meters behind, looking around the forest as if she had discovered something that her overdeveloped senses had set the danger.
"What is it, Captain?" In the middle of Broughnon's Park, their only company was the summer's bugs chirping. Seras stance was putting everyone anxious, especially for the gruesome deaths they have seen in the files Sir Integra had given them to study. They have seen lots of carnages through the wars they had participated in, but a monster that feeds exclusively of babies was out of their league.
"I need to become stronger." In a blown whisper, Seras said matter of factly. Without further ado, the girl placed her Harkonnen on a fallen trunk and fired. Before the Wild Guesse members could get hold of what the girl had just done, their Captain was already arranging her cannon on the shoulder again to run directly to where she had just shot.
"Did she just…" Julius pointed at where the vampire had disappeared in the shadows "shot to the shrine?"
They look each other in awe enough time for realizing Julius was right, they had inspected a little church from their arrival. There was nothing interesting on it, even if Sir Integra had stressed that the vampire could be there, the place was empty. Maybe they had overlooked something, Aiden was considering while the discretion was no longer important and they rushed by the soft pad the forest leaves had formed. Despite their short breath after a race of a quarter of mile, they forgot how to do it upon seeing the huge hole on the chapel's side wall. Bullet shots told them their work wasn't finished.
"That girl, why is she always in for getting in trouble?" Morris spit on the floor before charging his rifle. They approached fast but safely. A peek by the hole gave then a general view of the situation. Seras was facing a certainly well groomed vampire, his long orange locks tangling like the snakes of the medusa, his extravagant golden vest stained by the right side, where he had lost a good chunk of body. The place smelled like roasted meat, the rock floor paved with chunks of what seemed another person and ashes. Judging for what seemed an empty dress, they had been fighting two vampires in the place of one.
Something else was escaping their first glance, Seras was bleeding profusely too. Probably unable to move further, her gloved hand was tampered as she hold her lower belly. A sole sight towards the hole reassured them that she was fine; she only needed a distraction to destroy the target.
"Is that all? Is that all you supposedly elite vampires can do?" The other vampire stood arrogantly, it was clear he was unable to move also and that things would be decided in the next action. "You may want to know that as we speak, your beloved manor is being destroyed by my henchmen."
"So, you are Raymond?"
"Oh, my name has come to simple mongrels like you? It doesn't surprise me, your Sire must have talked about me very ofte-." He couldn't finish the phrase, the Wild Geese opened fire from different directions. Aiden from the hole in the wall, Julius had moved to the front door, Morris had made a hole in the vitral behind the altar. The diversion was enough for Seras to approach at full speed, if the vampire had paid more attention to his surroundings instead of his self bluff, finding the humans would have been piece of cake. However, now he was the victim of the Draculina's fangs, digging into his flesh. The entire weight of Seras pushed the body to slam on the hard floor.
Julius was in the best spot to watch the spectacle from the front line. It was just like a rewind of that terrible day when all his fellows were massacred. Difference was, the vampire girl wasn't sucking from his old captain's neck. Truth said, Pip's shadow was growing bigger from the girl's arm that she slowly gave away to darkness. From the wall hole, getting closer among the scattered wooden benches, Aiden didn't know if to feel happy or sick. No matter how much he missed the old Captain, or how sweet the vampire girl was. For Morris, who had run to join their partners for the well done job, the sound of Seras' pointy teeth tearing the flesh of her own kin was a reminder that they were fighting alongside with a monster. And that monster was just posing her diabolic red eyes over them.
"Tell Integra I'll join you in the house." She said in a revealing solemn tone, her ever missing arm pivoting as a black mass around the chapel until it turned into two black pointy wings. She didn't take off, she actually blast off into the still nocturnal sky.
Her super accurate hearing caught the members of the Wild Geese saluting, a "Yessir!" dissipating in the air. Her lips curved into a smile, Pip mentioned they had to thank that Raymond for the ticket to full power again, Isole and Elica were also in glee for joining their soul's owner. But Seras was too worried for that sensation she had experienced back in the forest, it had been like a needle in the back of the neck. Opening her third eye she could witness the massacre. Fire around her beloved mansion, wreckage, something like tents dispersed among the fire. The main gate broken, next to a log lying out of place. The yell of people, still alive people… most of them… others ghouled.
Firearms, the police was there. Patrols all along the front door. She had to look closer. Through the corridors she found Mary running, a heavy grip on a handgun. Despite the ghouls coming from the front, she couldn't keep her eyes from the back. Mary knew someone worse was following her. She had seen hell break loose when Duke threw them, she and that man the other side of the corridor. A disjointed shoulder was a new pain to add to her throbbing headache, which she didn't mind for as soon as she caught breath she had ushered the estrange out of there.
"My name is Rails, Rails Maloy." The guy had run away with her, unaware of the terrible fear Mary was feeling. They reached the stairs to face the mob that waited for them in the hall.
"Nice to meet you. Cover your nose." The unshaved fool was at lost, there wasn't time to lose. Mary took out of her pocket the remaining gas cans and in seconds everything was screams and hurried steps under the mattress of mustard air polluting the area. Rails covered his face with the sleeve too late, he was already a running nose when he swear at her vague commands. Mary's hairs stood to an end, the same feeling she experienced upon seeing that soldier by her apartment window one year ago, when mother yanked her back before the explosion. One more time, mom's screams hurrying her to run, and ran she did. But not fast enough this time. As the figure of a creature feigning a woman glomp on her. Mary had just enough time to wonder where had this monster come from before Mister Maloy tackled over. Not so wise decision, the woman in a hippie like attire rolled down gracefully to stand up and pivot her legs directly to the maid's savior. Gunshots from the victim passing through his attacker, and Mary dove out of her shock.
"Police! Freeze!" a male voice shout from downstairs.
"Help! Help us here!" the young maid yelled her lungs out while trampling the farthest possible out of the creature's reach. Unfortunately, she didn't notice the other monster. She hit nose to nose with Duke Milford. The woman had the body mauled, chucks of skin peeled off her face. Even so, it was as if she was in a sort of trance. The red eyes shining in the impossible darkness were the everlasting reminder Mary's head she was no longer dealing with Integra's employee. Duke completely ignored her, manic smile across her obscene appearance; she walked directly to where Mister Maloy was still giving his best to protect his soul from the demonic woman.
"I believe you are Duke!" he winced towards where Milford was approaching with calm steps, the monster took the opportunity to bite again. "Just take this bitch out of me!"
The silver gun slid by Mary's feet. She dared to glance up a single second, the sight of Duke finishing off the allegedly woman froze her blood. Before catching air, her fingers were already on the trigger. Where to run? Down stairs gunshots and manly voices pleading for the mercy of God told her she didn't have to wonder so much, that she had to go back to Integra's room.
And she was right; Seras Victoria was entering by the window. Even through her eyes were like cursed rubies, and her right arm was the sheer description of contemplating a black hole, Mary knew she was safe when the Captain smiled reassuringly at her. A gloved hand ruffling her dark hairs, Seras didn't even address a word before running to where the maid have came by. Too frightened to move from that room dusted by debris and itching with the smell of burnt, Mary didn't see how Seras got care of the situation. Basically, because there wasn't a lot to care for left.
Only Duke. Duke Milford.
"Save me!" The Draculina had heard inside her head, a tiny voice completing the phrase "Save me from myself!"
The vampire had forgotten how to smile. Had forgotten how to cower. Where the mustard gas had dissipated, Seras contemplated the most ill image; a shapeless shadow that had grown up to reveal a whirlwind of ashes. The sole flesh and blood body was the one of a man near the eye of the storm. Taken by surprise, her shadowy arm was sucked by it. She wasn't used to this kind of immaterial battles, she panicked as part of her own mind was being pulled out as well. Again the images she had seen the first week after the '99 incident. She was losing it.
"Restrain control of restrictions to one" a feminine voice emerged from nowhere. The turbulence gave in, reminding Seras the shape of her own body. The pattern imprinted on the Draculina's back of the hand dusted away to speed on the floor like gunpowder, its shape identical under her feet; Duke was a mirror of what was happening to her. The voice continued echoing in her head "two, three." Covered in fallen ash, the image of the seal was still shining. "Approval recognized, condensing the Grandier Invocation. Engage the restriction until further release calls it appropriate."
If someone asked her to describe how she felt, it was almost as dying again. As if everything she had won from drinking of that bloody Raymond was lost, even through, she understood Integra had set back the seal. For the first time she knew how the seal Duke had made worked. Despite being weakened, Pip and the girls were still by her side. She walked back to her brother, who was crying over the dead man's body.
"I shouldn't have taken him into the house." He whined as red drops mixed in the heavy gash in the neck by where his friend's life had gone. Seras placed a hand on his shoulder and turned back when the cautious steps of Mary distracted her. The maid was pointing the gun at them.
Author's Note: Recently I haven't seen new fics in the Hellsing section. Am I missing some good story out there? Anyway, here's the later part. I don't think it will have a thrid but who knows if I can leave that cliffhanger on ;)