*SPOILER ALERT!*
When they reached British shores, the five men and Katherine quickly learned that all forms of public transport to London had been shut down. Their only option was to drive, and so Captain Lyle sent one of his men to find them a vehicle. They did not wait long for him, and just 20 minutes after arriving, they were on their way to London. The trip seemed to stretch out endlessly, the minutes dragging by like hours. Katherine, who was seated in the passenger's seat beside Captain Lyle, could not stop fidgeting. Captain Lyle noticed her nervousness and tried to keep her occupied by making small-talk, but the closer they got to London, the less Katherine had to say, and eventually only the gentle hum of the car's engine could be heard.
As they were coming up to the city, Katherine leaned forward in her seat, her jaw dropping at the sight she beheld through the windscreen. A thick column of smoke rose above the city, and flickers of orange light could be seen in various areas that were besieged by fire. Buildings had collapsed everywhere, blown to bits by the bombs that had been dropped. The smell was almost as bad as the sight. The air reeked of destruction and blood. It was overpowering to Katherine's heightened senses, and she covered her mouth and nose with her sleeve, struggling against the panic and bile steadily rising in her throat. Captain Lyle stopped the car and they all got out to examine the damage. Katherine noted the bloodied and broken limbs poking out from beneath the rubble, victims of the explosions. There were very few corpses left, most of them having been turned into ghouls by now.
"This is horrible," said Katherine, swallowing back the bile in her throat while turning in a slow circle. One of Captain Lyle's men muttered a stream of expletives, forgetting about Katherine. When he tried to apologize, she brushed him off with a wave of her hand, saying it was alright. Katherine stopped when she spotted one of the enemy's zeppelin's hovering near the city centre. Her skin prickled at the sight, and she just barely heard Captain Lyle ordering his men to split into two groups, instructing one group to head over to Hellsing headquarters.
A cold gust of wind rushed towards them, coming from the direction of the zeppelin and stirring the dust and loose debris in the road. Katherine's body tensed; there was something familiar in the wind, but she could not place it.
"Kit, I think it will be better if you go with the others to Hellsing HQ. It is probably safer."
Katherine ignored him, closing her eyes as she tried to figure out why that scent was so familiar.
"You know, we'd be a lot better off if that vampire would just show up. He's supposed to be Hellsing's secret weapon, so why ain't he here?" asked one of the soldiers. Katherine's eyes flew open.
"Alucard! He's here!"
The group instantly began searching around them, but Katherine shook her head quickly.
"No no, not here, over there by the zeppelin," she said, pointing towards it.
"How can you be sure?" Captain Lyle asked. She opened her mouth to explain the wind had carried his scent towards them, but realized how foolish it would sound when uttered out loud.
"I-I just know. You'll have to trust me on this," she said instead. Captain Lyle observed her skeptically for a moment, then shrugged.
"I suppose you would know better than anyone."
"I'm going that way. If the rest of you want to go to the manor, then go."
Captain Lyle held up his hands to slow her down.
"Now hang on, we'll stick to the plan. I will go with you." Then turning to address his men he said, "One of you will come with us. The rest will go down to the Hellsing manor. If you find Sir Integra, let us know immediately," he instructed, tapping the radio that hung from his belt. The men nodded to show they understood before three of them split off, going in search of an abandoned vehicle they could use. Meanwhile, Katherine, Captain Lyle, and the remaining soldier, who gave his name as Terry, climbed back into their vehicle. Captain Lyle began to drive, seeking out a clear road that would allow them to make their way further into the city. Their progress was slow, as they were constantly forced to either turn around or seek an alternative route. Many of the roads were either obstructed by fallen rubble or massive craters where the bombs had landed. Katherine could not handle the delay, and she tapped her fingers anxiously against the dashboard while her eyes continued to scan the way ahead for any sign of life.
When she eventually caught sight of movement, it was not what she expected, and she called out for Captain Lyle to stop the car.
"What is it?"
Katherine rolled down her window and leaned out, staring in amazement at the ground. Terry did the same and shortly after cried out in surprise.
"Holy shit! Captain, you'd better take a look at this."
Captain Lyle opened his door and peered out. He too was caught off guard by what he saw. The ground appeared to be moving, but on closer inspection he came to realize the truth was far more horrible. A dark red fluid was rapidly moving in the same direction they were headed. Captain Lyle reached down to touch the liquid, and bringing it up to his nose, he carefully sniffed it.
"This is–"
"Blood, from the slain victims," Katherine affirmed, her eyes following the small streams that were now picking up speed.
"What the hell is going on? How can blood be moving by itself?"
"I've seen this before. A powerful vampire can absorb any blood around him in a quarter of the time it would take to drink, thus boosting his power exponentially."
"You're saying we could have to face off against a vamp on steroids?" Terry asked.
"No, I'm certain the only vampire powerful enough to do this on such a large scale is Alucard," she replied, shaking her head.
"This is seriously messed up shit," Terry muttered beneath his breath. Katherine turned to the Captain.
"We must hurry. Obviously something big is about to happen."
They continued driving, following a fairly straightforward path. The flowing blood had raced ahead of them and was already out of sight, but Katherine's sharp eyes picked out something entirely different ahead.
"Stop! We can't go this way."
"Why not?" Captain Lyle asked, slowing the car.
"You don't see the ghouls?" she asked uncertainly. Both men directed their gaze ahead, but after a few moments both shook their heads.
"I can see some movement, but I can't tell what it is. How on earth can you see that far, Kit?"
She bit her lower lip, uncertain how to explain her abilities. Instead, she diverted the subject.
"They are probably mobilizing against Alucard. We must find another way to avoid detection."
No sooner had the words escaped her mouth than there was an explosion of bullets that bounced off the bonnet. Reacting quickly, Captain Lyle threw the car into reverse and swung it around before driving off. Katherine gripped her seat to keep from falling over while Terry scanned the area behind them for their attackers. A small group of ghouls had noticed them and broken off from the main body to give chase.
"Luckily they're only ghouls," remarked the captain, swerving around a corner.
"I don't think that will be the case for much longer," Katherine predicted.
"Captain, I think she's right. Something is following us, fast," Terry confirmed, his hands already readying his weapon. Captain Lyle cursed under his breath and tried to drive faster, though their environment was making it difficult.
"We can't outrun vampires," Katherine yelled above the noise of the engine and the rain of bullets that would occasionally catch up to them, slamming into the body of the car. As if to prove her point, the next corner they turned proved to be a dead end, completely obstructed by a mountain of rubble. Captain Lyle slammed on the breaks, parking the car horizontally on the road.
"Quick, everyone out!" the captain ordered. Katherine crawled over the space between the two front seats, exiting just after Captain Lyle and crouching down behind the car. All three prepped their weapons and cautiously peered through the windows. The vampires were the first to reach them, and they instantly began firing at the three, shattering the windows. Katherine covered her ears to block out the noise, surprised at the level of calm she was able to maintain. It seemed whenever she was caught in the heat of battle, her new instincts would take over and she was able to think and act with a clarity and level-headedness that she did not possess otherwise. She could definitely become used to this, she thought while aiming carefully and taking out one of the vampires. Their back and forth attacking continued for a few moments before Captain Lyle turned to Katherine.
"Kit, you've got to get out of here before the ghouls arrive."
"I can't leave you, there will be too many for you to handle."
"There's no point in all of us dying here. We'll try to keep them distracted while you make a run for it. Try to get to Alucard. He'll protect you."
"But-"
Before she could argue, sounds of battle erupted to their right where the zeppelin still hovered. For a moment all attacks ceased as all eyes turned to the source. The sound was deafening, as though a mass genocide were occurring. Katherine's thoughts went back to Alucard, and the color drained from her face as she imagined him in the midst of the attack.
"Go to him Katherine. That is, after all, why you came in the first place."
She looked into the Captain's eyes, searching his face for hesitation or doubts. There were none. Leaning forward, she kissed his cheek, and did the same with Terry.
"Thank you both. I owe you more than I can ever repay you for."
Captain Lyle brushed her gratitude aside.
"We'll see you when this is all over," he assured. Katherine smiled.
"I will hold you to that."
"Terry, you ready?" asked the captain.
"As I'll ever be," the youth replied, lightly tossing a grenade in his hand.
"Right. Kit, on the count of three, you run. Got it?"
Katherine nodded and smiled at each in turn one last time.
"One. . .two. . .THREE!"
Katherine ran at a steady pace, breathing deeply in and out. She dodged into alleyways and darted through narrow streets, steadily weaving her way through the city to where she knew Alucard could be found. The sounds of battle had stopped abruptly, and she was mildly concerned with what was happening now. Her ears picked out the sound of pursuit somewhere behind her, but she could not help the amused laugh that escaped her lips. A few months ago she would have just about been ready to collapse in exhaustion, but now she was able to push her body to new limits. As a result, she had been running without pause since leaving Terry and Captain Lyle, and the following ghouls stood no chance of catching up to her before she reached her destination. Katherine held her firearm tightly in her hand, her finger close enough to the trigger to allow her to react to surprise attacks.
She was nearing the zeppelin now; its sheer size almost completely blocked out the night sky. Katherine stopped for a moment, scanning the surrounding area for a stable enough building. She needed to get to higher ground in order to determine what was happening and how best to approach the area. Upon locating what appeared to be the remains of a hotel, she hurried around to the back of the building where the fire escape stairs would most likely be found. Discovering enough of the stairs still intact to be able to climb to the roof, Katherine began her ascent. The air at the top of the building was cold, and a light shiver ran down her spine when she stepped onto the flat surface. Wrapping her arms around her body, Katherine began surveying the area.
In the distance she could see the zeppelin. Mountains of rubble seemed to surround most of the area directly below it, and it was in that space that most of the action appeared to be taking place. She could just make out two dark figures standing opposite one another, though their identities remained a mystery. What shocked and frightened her most, however, were what appeared to be hundreds, perhaps even thousands of corpses completely littering ground. Probably this was the result of the battle they had heard earlier; but it made no sense. Where had all those people come from, and what exactly was happening?
Taking a deep breath to ease the knot in her belly, Katherine continued to search for a way to reach Alucard. She was too close to the zeppelin's side, and saw the only way would be to move around to the far side and try to scale the heap of rubble that stood in her way. With determination and all her thoughts focused solely on reaching Alucard, Katherine climbed back down and once more began her trek through the city. The time she had spent on the roof had closed the distance between herself and the ghouls tracking her. A few of the leaders materialized behind her, but she wasted no time in exterminating them before moving on.
Then, it happened again. Seconds after the ghouls hit the ground, their fluids began to move, drawn by an invisible force over the rubble to where the battle was happening. The corpses left over after the last battle were quickly absorbed. Katherine watched, unable to move her body, forgetting momentarily her goal. Her eyes followed the movement of the strange phenomenon, until with a start, she realized she had stopped. Spurred on once more by thoughts of reaching Alucard, Katherine began the treacherous climb over the loosely piled slabs of broken concrete, tar and bricks. After a few moments of stumbling and sliding, she reached the top and cautiously pushed herself to her feet. She gazed down at the destruction that lay a few meters below her feet, her eyes steadily making their way to the two figures who seemed to dominate the action.
Alucard was facing off against an unknown person that appeared to be a boy in his early teens. There was a hint of insanity in the triumphant grin on Alucard's face and in the glint of his blood-red eyes. He was enjoying the battle, the blood, and the destruction, and a part of Katherine's brain screamed in fear at the monster he appeared to be. His raven locks seemed to float around his ethereal face, stimulated by his powerful, supernatural aura. He had the look of a man who had just won the battle, and yet his opponent appeared unperturbed. In fact, he seemed disappointed.
All of Katherine's earlier confidence fled at this sight. She knew instantly that something was not right with this scene.
"Alucard!"
The change in his expression was instantaneous. With a jolt, the grin on his face faded, and his eyes turned to find her, widening once they had locked on their target.
"Katherine?"
Hearing him say her name lifted her spirits, and she scampered down the other side, anxious to reach his side; but even as she was rushing towards him, she did not fail to hear the sobering words of his opponent.
"It's over Alucard. You've lost."
Katherine stopped short, her eyes shifting to the boy who seemed familiar up close.
"I'm sorry, Katherine," he whispered, turning his head slightly to address her. She frowned in confusion, feeling hopelessly lost.
"Ha! They may have given you your youth back Walter, but they obviously couldn't make you smarter. I have absorbed everything around me. I am far more powerful than you, shinigami," said Alucard, his confidence still as high as ever; but Katherine was left even more surprised by the revelation that his words brought. He had called the boy Walter. It seemed impossible, and yet, looking into his eyes, Katherine could not help but feel it was true. He was still staring at her with a sort of mild and lingering regret, and even though he addressed Alucard, his eyes never left hers.
"You have too many identities within you for you to know which one is the real you anymore. You're losing yourself, Alucard."
For the first time, shock registered on the ancient vampire's face as he realized with a start the boy was right.
For Katherine, though she did not truly grasp the situation in its entirety, Walter's words had enough effect to cause concern. She turned to Alucard, hoping to find an explanation, but what she saw made her pause. It was as though someone had thrown a bucket of icy water into her face when she saw Alucard's body slowly starting to fade, becoming transparent before her very eyes. He was literally losing himself.
"No." With a start, Katherine stepped in between the two men, cupping Alucard's face in her hands.
"No, Alucard, look at me! You must stay with me!" she ordered, keeping her eyes glued to his. A small smile tugged at the corners of his mouth, and he closed his eyes in acceptance, whispering her name. In her heart, Katherine sensed she was losing him.
"Fight it, Alucard! Promise me you'll stay."
His legs were already gone now, and in alarm, she threw her arms around his torso, clutching him tightly to her chest, unwilling to let him go. He was all she had left, and there were so many things she still wanted to say to him. Hot tears soaked his jacket, and she felt his hands brush against her hair, barely anything more than a ghost of a touch.
"Please," she begged earnestly. "I'm sorry for pushing you away. Please don't leave me," she whispered brokenly. "I love you, Alucard."
She sensed him lowering his face to hers, feeling his breath in her ear.
"Katherine, I. . ."
She pulled back to look at him, but all she had was one last moment to look into his eyes before he disappeared.
Katherine did not move. A blessed but momentary numbness washed over her heavy body, and she was too afraid to even breathe lest the spell be broken. It was not real, she told herself. He could not be gone. He would appear suddenly beside her, just like always, and scoop her up into his arms where she would be safe from pain.
"Katherine?"
She started at the sound, and suddenly reality caught up with her. The aching emptiness in her chest spread like fire throughout her body; she dropped to her knees, wrapping her arms tightly around herself, digging her nails into the flesh of her arms. Her breaths came in short, painful bursts, but she was unaware of the tears that flowed down her cheeks without cease.
"Don't you dare call me by that name," she murmured. The hostility in her voice stopped Walter for a moment.
"You should leave here. It will all be over soon."
She refused to move, and realizing he would not get anything out of her, Walter walked past.
"Goodbye, Kit."
She listened to the sound of his footsteps fading away. Sounds of battle resumed in the zeppelin, and she figured it was probably the work of Sir Integra or Ceres; but she was too broken to care anymore.
Lying down amidst the dirt and blood, blocking out the sounds of explosions, guns and raging fires, she curled herself into a protective ball and closed her eyes.