"The situation in London continues to decline at a rapid pace. We do not know how much longer we will be able to air our broadcasts. The city of London lies in ruin. British soldiers have been deployed, but the unnamed enemy continues to plow through our defenses. We have received word that Her Majesty is safe, however no orders have been issued and it seems unclear whether or not Her Majesty has any plan of action. We will continue to provide updates for as long –"
The anchorman's words were cut short by a sudden burst of static. Black and white fuzz filled the screen, signaling the end of the transmission. There would be no more after that. The last link to the happenings in London had been severed.
Katherine drew her knees up to her chest, staring blankly at the hissing static on the screen. When news of the attack on London reached her just a few hours earlier, a mere few days after leaving Britain, she had tried to keep herself updated by following the news. No one at Hellsing was answering her calls, and now every news station had been shut down. Millennium had launched the worst kind of attack on London. Since her arrival in France, Katherine had not once left her hotel room, spending her time glued to her seat in front of the television as she tried to follow what was happening. She had seen the attack in South America on the world news, where Alucard and Ceres had been named as terrorists by local police, but things obviously ended with a bloodbath, as no more was reported on the matter. Now the headlines were filled with stories of the attack on London. She had managed to glimpse a shot of the enemy, and realized to her horror that they were dealing with a large group of vampires. Ghouls soon joined the ranks, as the people of London were used as food for the enemy. She sometimes worried about Alucard, and whether he would be able to handle such a large group, but what struck her most was the thought that she had left her friends and family behind. Her mother, Nathan – neither of them could survive such an attack. She should have tried to warn them, but the thought of such a large scale attack had not crossed her mind. She had assumed Alucard was being overprotective or paranoid, and that the target would be Hellsing specifically. Never in her wildest dreams had she imagined the enemy would spread their attack across the entire city. Since all connections to London had been severed, there was no way for her to know if her mother was alright. A wave of grief swept up from her chest, crashing over her body until her limbs felt heavy. Covering her face with her hands, Katherine wept bitterly at the unfairness of the situation. None of those people deserved to die. She should have argued with Alucard, she should have stayed behind and tried to get her loved ones to safety; she should have stood beside her comrades and fought.
She should have stood beside Alucard – even if she had to die there.
As time passed she became increasingly worried and agitated. No new reports had come through from London, and to make matters worse, she had the feeling lately that she was being watched – nothing overt, but a sense of her skin crawling, particularly at night and whenever she got near the windows of the hotel room. She almost welcomed the feeling; partly because it reminded her of Alucard, and partly because it stirred a strange sense of anticipation and anger in her. She actually wanted to do something about it; her body had a strange yearning to move. It was as if all her muscles were tensed up and ready, waiting for her to act; but in spite of this, she was unwilling to act on these primitive instincts. Katherine sensed that these new-found instincts were part of the changes Alucard had spoken of.
She did eventually overcome her hesitation, but only when a report came through on the radio concerning the millions of people who had died so far and the refugees that were fleeing to the continent. Katherine decided to act then, slipping on a coat and leaving her room, making her way down the stairs to the reception area and finally out of the slowly revolving glass doors to the street. She felt that same crawling sensation immediately wash over and knew her watcher was there in the shadows.
Slowly she made her way down the road, and turned into a quiet street with tall trees on either side, trees that created the impression of a tunnel, so tall and old were they. She had barely taken five steps when she felt something approach – the prickling sensation intensifying so rapidly that it startled her – and she ignored the fact that she was able to hear the light footsteps, the rasp of coarse cloth over leather and the movement of the air around the fast moving entity – things she should not have been able to hear. As she spun around, Katherine saw that there were two figures rushing at her, and the speed of their movements indicated that they were not human. With a calm that defied all logic, she drew her own smaller version of Alucard's jackal from her shoulder holster and executed a perfect headshot on the first running figure, the explosive silver bullet shattering the vampire's head into bloody fragments. The second vampire dodged left and right before launching itself at her throat. Before he could reach her, Katherine sidestepped and smashed her gun down on its back, hearing the spine break. The vampire elicited a pained howl from its lips, and Katherine stepped out of its reach as it fell before firing four rounds in rapid succession, one in each knee and one in each elbow, effectively ripping off it arms and legs below the aiming points.
"Who sent you?" she demanded of the creature lying on the floor at her feet, at her mercy.
"It doesn't matter," the creature rasped hoarsely, clearly in agony. "That bastard vampire will die soon and Hellsing along with him; your death is inevitable."
Katherine saw the bitter rage and resentment in his eyes and stepped back again as it contorted to try and bite her leg. Slowly she took deliberate aim and shot it between the eyes, effectively killing it once and for all. On closer inspection of the corpse, she recognized the Waffen SS badge on its uniform collar and the German style greatcoat both vampires had been wearing. There were no doubts in her mind as to the meaning.
Millennium had found her.
She stood quietly for a moment, reloading her firearm, amazed at the sudden calm she felt. Katherine knew she would see Alucard again, and she also knew he had given her the ability to defend herself enough for her to risk going to him.
"You promised…" she whispered into the dark night, wishing she could see that familiar, sly grin and hear him assure her with a laugh that everything was alright. With her mind made up, Katherine turned back towards the hotel, now walking quickly with a determined stride. At the hotel she informed the reception manager she was checking out and asked him to arrange a taxi for her. In her room, she contemplated what to pack, but decided in the end that she was entering a war zone. There would be no time for things like taking a shower or brushing her teeth, or even changing clothes. No, she decided that her few personal belongings would only hinder her, and instead packed what little ammo she had left. In the hurry to leave, she had only managed to grab her handgun and some extra bullets. Most of her other weapons were still at her apartment, which was probably not even standing anymore. With a sigh and one last longing look at her few comforts in the form of soap and clean clothes, she packed her stuff in the big steamer trunk to be sent at some time in the future to. . .whatever was left.
Downstairs she told the receptionist to forward her bag to her address when things had calmed down in the UK.
"But Mademoiselle, surely you are not going to try to return there? Have you not seen the news? It is chaos over there!"
"I am aware," she replied with a small nod, smiling inwardly at the man's concern before turning on her heel and striding confidently out the front door without a backward glance. She stepped into the waiting taxi and instructed the driver to take her to the port of Dieppe. She knew there was a Hellsing outpost there, having created some long distance weapons for the staff of the guard house before. They would have a way to cross back to England.
The two hour car journey gave her an opportunity to plan her actions when she reached England; she would commandeer a vehicle and make her way to London, find Alucard, and then stay with him until they were either victorious or died fighting alongside one another. She regretted all the time they had lost, but realized she had also needed it to confirm to herself how she felt and what she wanted. Katherine closed her eyes and waited for time to pass, willing it to move more swiftly.
Once at the outpost in Dieppe, she met with the captain in charge, a man called Lyle whom she had met before when helping to install and train the soldiers on the weapons she had built. She explained to him what she required and clearly saw the hesitation in his face and manner.
"I'm sorry Kit, but we were instructed not to send anyone across to England, especially not you," he added after a momentary pause. "We do have the means," he continued, "a fast attack boat, but-"
Before he could finish Katherine held up her hand and said, "Captain Lyle, you will take me across and you will do it now. The situation has reached a level where past orders no longer apply. I will not brook any interference in this matter."
An amused expression danced across his features, and he placed his hands on his hips, straightening to his full height.
"With all due respect, Kit, what could you possibly do if we refused?"
For a few tense seconds Katherine did nothing; but then she acted, moving so quickly that before the Captain had a chance to react, she was standing beside him with the barrel of her gun aimed squarely at his head. Shocked silence filled the space before Katherine's sigh broke the spell.
"I apologize, but I needed to make my point. I have already decided to go. Whether you decide to join me or not is entirely up to you, but your cooperation will be appreciated."
Lowering her weapon, Katherine took a step back. She saw him look around hesitantly, and then he made a decision.
"You're right. Very well Kit, we will take you; I grow tired of sitting here waiting for death and not helping Sir Integra in London." He paused again and then said, "Things are not going well, we lost many soldiers, many comrades and worst of all, we lost Walter…"
Katherine turned white with shock at the news, and she sat down heavily on a nearby chair, too shaky to stand. One hand was touched to her lips and she closed her eyes in despair, thinking of Walter.
"How did it happen?" she asked hesitantly.
"We're not entirely sure. He was last with Sir Integra, but at some point they separated. We believe he was facing the enemy, but no one has heard or seen him since."
The news sparked a small flame of hope. The fact that no one had seen him meant that he could still be alive somewhere. As long as there was no body, there was still a chance.
"I must go across Captain; they will need my skills even more now."
Captain Lyle nodded solemnly and guided her out of his office to where the Attack Boat lay cleverly concealed behind fake boulders and seaweed.
"It will take an hour or so at most to get across," he explained, before gently adding, "And if you want, I will tell you everything I know about what has been happening." Katherine looked at him, noting the sympathy in his eyes, and silently nodded her head. It took about fifteen minutes to load up with supplies. The boat was not large enough to carry all the men, and so Captain Lyle ordered some to stay behind and continue to wait for orders. Katherine found herself a comfortable seat and settled down, burrowing into her heavy coat while she tried to still the anxious beating of her heart.
"We were not prepared for an attack of this magnitude. We have no way of knowing the whereabouts of either Sir Integra or Walter."
"What about Alucard and Ceres?"
Captain Lyle shrugged. "Alucard was sent out again, but as far as I know he hasn't returned yet. Ceres is fighting with the men."
He glanced sideways at her, silently thinking to himself that two vampires would not make much of a difference, but of course he would not say so aloud. She was an enigmatic woman, Katherine Elbourne. At times she demonstrated an inner strength that defied her delicate outer appearance, such as during their encounter earlier; but then at times like these, when the reality of the situation pressed down upon her shoulders, she seemed like a frightened child desperately seeking safety and comfort.
Katherine was unaware of his dissecting gaze as she struggled to work up the courage to ask the question she so longed to ask. Her strength always seemed limitless when it concerned protecting her loved ones, yet the moment she was powerless to help, fear for their safety would gnaw at her endlessly. Finally she asked him if he had heard anything about the areas where her mother and Nathan lived. Captain Lyle shook his head sadly.
"I'm sorry Kit," was all he could offer. He saw a sheen of moisture glaze her eyes, but her voice remained steady when she spoke.
"Do you have family, Captain?"
"Just my wife. No kids."
"Aren't you worried about her?"
"Of course. After so many years of doing this job, I cannot think of a worse way to die than to be used as food for those god-forsaken creatures."
"You speak as if she's already dead."
He shrugged. "My wife is not a fighter. She would not easily survive something like this. If she is alive, and I hope to God she is, then she got lucky. That's all I can hope for."
Katherine mused over his words, thinking that the same could be said of her mother and Nathan. Neither of them would know how to fight off an army, not to mention an army of vampires and ghouls. Two salty teardrops spilled over her lids and slowly slid down her cold cheeks, but her face remained impassive.
"If you don't mind me saying, Kit, you're handling this very well."
She broke out in an impulsive and bitter laugh, thinking that under normal circumstances she would have been a blubbering wreck by now. It was only her new, unnatural and oddly reliable inner strength that was keeping her together. It caused her to think of Alucard, which in turn led her back to the situation at present.
"If only I had known what was to come, I would have tried to save them," she said, referring to her mother and Nathan.
"I was under the impression you knew something bad would happen, which is why you were sent out here," said Lyle.
"It was not my idea to be sent out here."
"Whose was it?"
She did not reply, but she did not need to. Captain Lyle nodded in understanding.
"Alucard."
Hearing someone else say his name was oddly comforting. It reminded her that he was still out there, and not just a memory. It had only been a few days since she had seen him, but it felt like a lifetime. She knew, as she had always known deep down, she needed him like she needed air. She had lost so much already, but to lose him as well, now when she needed him most, it would just about kill her.
"I've never known him to act this way."
Snapped from her thoughts, Katherine gazed up at him with a puzzled expression. Seeing her confusion, Captain Lyle quickly clarified.
"Alucard, I've never known him to be so. . .protective. He obviously holds a soft spot for you."
Katherine smiled at the thought, wrapping her arms around her body. She considered his words for a moment before asking, "Captain, do you think he loves me?"
The Captain was obviously taken aback by her words, and he stuttered for a moment or two.
"W-w-what?"
She sensed his hesitation was due to the fact that Alucard was a vampire, and thus believed to be incapable of such strong feelings; but she needed to know.
"Captain, we are heading into dangerous territory. The chances of us making it out alive at this point are slim. Please, answer me as honestly as you can."
He was silent, but his face told her he was seriously considering her words.
"I don't know much about your relationship with him, and I don't pretend to know what goes on inside the head of that vampire, but it seems to me he would go to great lengths to keep you safe. . .so yes, I think it's highly likely that he does."
Katherine could not help the small smile that appeared on her face.
"Thank you, Captain. I certainly hope to see you again when all this is over."
He chuckled before replying: "If I live through this, I'm retiring."