Hey there boys and girls of all age!

Let me start by saying that I am not truly happy with this chapter. For some reason it kept fighting back at me with almost every word, line and question mark I tried putting in it. Truly an awful update. Still, I hope you'll like. I was in a bit of a hurry with it also, because here in Finland we have our time to apply to collages in March, so most of my free time next month will probably go to that. I'll update when I have done all of my applications properly.

Thanks for all the wonderful people who reviewed the previous chapter: hellsingfan101, Tsuki no Rekuen, Andromeda, Irena, Falling-Angel-Rising-Dragon, NightWolf214 and Myriad of Willows. Thank you so much.

Disclaimers: nothing previously done is mine.

CHAPTER 26: DEFEATED

This cannot be happening… this cannot be happening…

Count Dracula, No-Life King, the Prince of Darkness, King of Vampires, Lord of Midians…

…was fleeing. Fleeing from a small group of mortal men after him.

It was beyond reason, completely impossible concept. And it pissed him off.

When he had attacked Mina Murray just two weeks earlier, it was suppose to guarantee his victory. Through her he would be able to see and hear everything Van Helsing and his group of merry men was up to and plan against them. And for a moment it seemed to work. Through her he found out they had located one of the houses he had bought in London and moved to find him there. Dracula planned to get there also and destroy them.

But Van Helsing had guessed his strategy and changed his plans the last minute, without telling Mina thus not telling Dracula. Instead of going to his apartment in Whitechapel as Dracula thought, they had gone to his apartment in Chelsea and destroyed many of his boxes left.

The moment Dracula realized this he hurried through London to them, in broad daylight no less, and was weakened when he arrived. His boxes had already been destroyed and he was forced to retreat. The damn American even managed to cut his face with his bowie knife.

Dracula's next move was to use his mental connection to Mina, in the same fashion he had used it to now dead Renfield, and make her kill the men. He did manage to drive Mina into a mad frenzy in which she attacked Van Helsing, but professor protected himself by placing a wafer on Mina's forehead. Due to the Dracula's blood flowing in her veins, the sacred wafer burned a mark on her skin and released her from his mental grip.

Running out of options and his boxes of earth, Dracula chose to go hiding to an old ruined monastery in the countryside, where he could plan in peace his next move. His remaining boxes were all there, except his coffin which he had hidden to a nearby village.

But the damn Van Helsing and Mina had turned the tables upside down and used his own plan against him. Due to their mental connection, Mina was able to locate his hiding place when under a hypnosis. They surprised him by attacking the monastery. Weakened and furious of being outsmarted, Dracula fled as his boxes were destroyed.

With a feel of shame and lost Dracula realized he only had one option left. To return to his castle in Transylvania, where he could sleep and hide.

Yes, he thought to himself, I have not lost. No campaign can always be a successful one. This was merely a test trip. I shall take my time, plan more carefully, and return someday in the future, maybe in a century already, when cursed Van Helsing is gone. Then I shall call Mina from her grave as my trophy and begin again.

Bribing himself to a schooner Czarina Dracula started his voyage back to Varna and from there to Borgo's Pass. While he used his influence over winds and weathers to speed the journey, he could still feel that Van Helsing and his group were chasing him, determined to spare Mina from Lucy's fate. They travelled through lands which, he regretfully admitted, was faster.

In Varna they were waiting for the ship arrive to harbor, but Dracula had planned ahead. His loyal gypsy warriors came to get his coffin from the ship and transport it on a ferry through the rivers the rest of the way.

--

As his faithful warriors carefully lifted his coffin from the ferry and placed it to the carriage which would carry them the rest of the way, Dracula tried to take comfort of his surroundings. While he lay in coffin, he was still able to sense the familiar Carpathian Mountains surrounding him, the mist and majesty they had. He had stared those mountains for centuries, longing to see something new, but now they offered safety.

Yet, he was restless. The long journey back home had tired him and he needed to lay low during the daylight hours. He would soon be in his castle where no-one would find him, even if spent years breaking it down. But he could sense that Mina and cursed Van Helsing were already in the castle, while the rest of the group was chasing him with horses. His warriors would defend his coffin till the very end but… he did feel restless.

Van Helsing had no doubt gone ahead to his castle in order to try some lame exorcism or purification spell that would deny him resting even in his own castle. Dracula wasn't that worried of that. Even if Van Helsing did succeed in that, all he had to do was spill their bloods to the soil and that would take care of it.

Suddenly he heard the sound of horses coming after them quickly. Seward, Morris and Holmwood no doubt. His gypsies quickened their pace to the castle. All they had to do was keep him safe until the sunset. After that he could not only defend himself but also use a little trick he had been saving for the event of people ever attacking his castle.

And sun was setting fast behind the misty mountains. Count couldn't help but smile. These men hadn't yet even grasped what powers he possessed. Fools were doomed.

The earth beneath the carriage wheels suddenly changed to stones. They had arrived to his castle and sun was all but gone. He could hear gunshots and sword fighting from outside. His warriors were fighting against the small band of men intending to kill him.

Someone jumped to the wagons and was trying to open his coffin. Not so easily done I fear, Dracula thought. He had made his coffin so it could not be opened easily.

Ah…sun is gone. Time to end this.

Feeling his own powers suddenly rising, Dracula emerged from the coffin and ran his hand right through Quincey Morris who had tried to open his coffin. Morris fell beside the wagons, his bowie knife falling next to him. The battle that had been going on ended in an instant as everyone turned to look at him. His warriors had been defeated but it was too late anyway.

Dracula smiled. "You have learned much and gone further than I anticipated. But you are in my domain now, gentlemen, and you shall not leave".

Seward was trying to hide his trembling and Holmwood looked like given the chance he would attack him. Van Helsing kept his face as unreadable as he could. Mina had kneeled beside Morris, who had only moments left anymore.

"Van Helsing" Dracula said addressing the professor, "you have impressed me greatly. How you managed to block my every move is something I'm looking forward to find out. We shall have many discussions in the future as you join my ranks".

"Unlike you, Count, I would rather die a human than lower myself to your level" Van Helsing answered, forcing his voice to stay calm, but Dracula could detect obvious rage beneath it.

"We shall see. And now Mina, come here".

Mina raised her head and their eyes met. His blood was still flowing in her veins and Dracula used his power over her when she started to resist.

"You should know by now that resistance is futile. Come here" he repeated.

Slowly, with a defiant face, Mina rose and began walking towards him. She had Morris' blood all over her clothes, which made Dracula want this all the more.

When Mina had reached him he put his hands to her shoulders.

"Now you shall all see how pitifully empty all your attempts are. She is mine now". Dracula revealed his teeth and started lowering his mouth towards Mina's neck to claim his triumph.

Yet, just as the moment was coming, something occurred to him. He moved his eyes from her neck to look at the helpless men standing there. It was only now he released that none of them was actually looking at him. All their eyes were down casted. As if…

…as if they had something to hide and didn't want him to read their puny minds!

Suddenly Dracula realized his mistake. He immediately removed his hands, ready to push Mina away from him, when all of a sudden it was already too late. For the first time in four centuries, Dracula felt a sudden physical pain taking over him. And with wide disbelieving eyes he stared down his chest.

Mina had picked up Morris' bowie knife without him noticing it and plunged it right where his heart is. A mere Dracula's luck saved him. If the knife had been even an inch closer to his heart his whole body would have grumbled to dust instantly.

For a moment he stood there in utter shock before raising his head and stare directly to Mina Murray's eyes.

"This is for Jonathan and Lucy!" she declared, her eyes filled with tears and rage. When looking at them Dracula felt a sudden shudder pass him.

Finally snapping out of his shock Dracula pushed Mina away from him and pulled the knife out of his chest. He wasn't destroyed, but his heart, the most vulnerable part of him, was injured and damaged. The wound would not heal and bleeding wouldn't stop. His strength and powers were leaving him and his limps started to feel heavy. He was even gasping, as if in need of an air, which he hadn't required for centuries.

He felt like mortal. He felt like a dying man.

Seward and Holmwood raised their weapons ready to attack, but Van Helsing calmly moved forward and put his hands on Mina's shoulders.

"Do you see now, Count? Do you see how your own arrogance and sense of superiority led you to this? You considered humans to be lower than you and dropped your guards. Didn't you know you should never underestimate a woman?"

Dracula glared the man, while keeping his hand on his chest. The wound…why wouldn't it heal?!

"You only believe in yourself and your powers, Count. Did you not once also command armies, lead nations? Or could it be that I truly have mistaken you for some other person who is also known as Tepes and Dracula? You were once a great warlord. But the moment you chose to rely and trust only yourself you were doomed to lose. You didn't become superior than humans, you lowered yourself".

Dracula felt himself insulted. Was the man mocking his triumphs? "I have…faced countless human…hunters and priests…and defeated them! What makes you…special?" he panted.

"If you're referring to hunters from Iscariot" Van Helsing started, making Dracula wonder how he knew of them, "most of them are just following orders of other people who follow someone else's orders. They're no more than dogs really and a dog cannot kill a monster. Only a human can".

For a moment Dracula merely stared Van Helsing as if the man had just proven to him sky is actually green. Then his face twisted with rage.

"If that is so then you'll have to pass these monsters before you'll end me!"

Although Dracula generally disliked ghouls they did serve a purpose every now and then. Throughout the centuries Dracula had made a small group of ghouls that he then put to "sleep" so to speak and buried in the woods surrounding his castle. With a little mental command the ghouls had now awoken, dig themselves up and were approaching the castle.

"Professor!" Seward shouted, who was the first to notice rotting corpses coming towards them.

When they were all looking away Dracula, through great efforts, took the form of a huge bat and flew away. He was wounded, weak and forced to abandon his castle!

I hope the ghouls will eat them slowly!

Yet for some reason he did feel strange respect and admiration towards both Van Helsing and Mina who had managed to find his weak points and broke through his defenses to him. It was almost pity he would never see them again.

Dracula landed to a nearby cemetery, not far from his castle. He had always kept track of suitable graves that he might have to use in need. Here he knew was one grave of a suicide victim.

Dracula opened the grave and lied in. He would have to rest for awhile. Maybe a month or a year, he didn't know. As long as it would take to heal from that accursed wound he had been inflicted on. And after that he would rise again.

"A dog cannot kill a monster. Only a human can".

For some reason those words still kept repeating in his ears. He wondered if there truly was some truth in them. The moment he had chosen to be a vampire he had known there was no such thing as true immortality. One day his end would also come. But he had always imagined that it would happen either by the hands of a stronger vampire, some divine punishment or maybe when time itself would end.

Not by the hands of humans who called him lower than them.

Hours passed. Dawn had arrived, but Dracula was so weak he felt no real difference this time. Van Helsing and others had probably been eaten by now already. And even if they had survived they would not know where to find him.

Dracula felt his mind becoming more and more dizzy. He would soon start to sleep for a long time. Very soon…

A sudden noise outside made him alert again. Somebody was opening the greave he was lying in.

IMPOSSIBLE!

And before he could react the grave opened and a wooden stake pierced him. Right where the bowie knife's wound still was.

Van Helsing stood above him, looking down at him hardly.

"You keep underestimating us, Count. We had to take in consideration the possibility you would escape from us. Madame Mina in her wisdom searched all the potential hiding places you might have. Considering how wounded you already are it was easy to guess you would pick the nearest one".

Dracula didn't say anything, he simply couldn't. His mind was totally blank.

"We blessed your castle, thus destroyed all of your ghouls. You have no more domain, lands or minions. And the burned mark from Mina's forehead has also disappeared. Your grip on her is gone. She will never be yours".

Dracula turned his eyes little and saw the sunrise. It looked exactly like the one he had seen the day he died four centuries ago then in Bucharest.

He turned back to look Van Helsing. He felt very small next to him now.

"I am…truly defeated?"

"Yes, Count. Yes you are".

To be continued…

And this officially ends the Stoker phase of my story. Next time is certainly going to be interesting, eh?

Okay, couple explanations are in order: I tried to keep Dracula's defeat close to Stoker's book but also remember all the little hints that Hellsing manga gave of how he was really defeated. In book it was with Quincey's bowie knife, but in manga flashback it was with wooden stake. I decided to go with both.

The idea of Mina striking Dracula is from 2002 modern-day TV adaptation of Dracula, starring Patrick Bergin. I liked the idea so much I decided to use it. In Hellsing OVA 2 Alucard has a flashback that shows Van Helsing drove a stake through him in some cemetery. This was not so in manga, but I decided to go with it anyways.

I hope you enjoyed this update, making it was a biach. And as said next update won't be until my collage applications have been send. Wish me luck!

Till then, be well and review!