Well hey there!
Wow, it's been awhile again, right? Okay, first I had a bit of a writer's block and I kind of ignored this story to concentrate other stuff, but then I noticed it had been way too long since last update and I thought I'd get two updates out before Christmas. Well, that didn't turn out as I planned because this one fought me back in every turn. So ultimately I decided to make this a bit longer than my usual updates, to make up the long wait.
Thank you so much for all the wonderful people who reviewed the last chapter: KrnYong, Tsuki no Rekuen, Kars, Weena Aimee Hellsing, Hemamal, ZOMBIEAC, 0whiteassnow0 (the file refuses to take the dots), hellsingfan101, Lupine Eclipse, JIN-HayTeR, AsphyxiatedAngel, Noitar Arat, Irena, Breezybiatch, arkynox, Fleatcher and xslytherinxgirlx. All reviews were very much appreciated!
Disclaimers: see previous chapters.
CHAPTER 31: GROWING UP
The room was dark. It had no windows and only source of light was two oil lamps on the tables. Smell of cigars and alcohol came from downstairs nightclub. The room had five people in it, though the word 'people' may not be right. They all had red eyes and sharp teeth.
"So...how many losses?" one of them said.
"Two underlings and all the ghouls in East End. That makes it now the fourth nest we've lost to them this year".
"Hellsing" another voice hissed. It wasn't a question, everyone knew the answer.
"If our losses continue like this, we'll have to leave London".
"No! London has been our capital for nearly two centuries! It's our time to show Hellsing that they should never have entered our territory".
"But what can we do? They have crosses and silver weapons designed specifically to kill us. And I've heard that the vampire they have is an original".
"None of that matters. We shall challenge Hellsing in one place they'd never expect to have to fight".
"Where?"
"In their doorsteps".
#####
Hellsing manor, 1922
The Great War, later to be called World War I, began as expected and ended. The Europe moved to the 1920's and in England it was the time of foggy cabaret clubs, cigar smoking beautiful yet dangerous women and an overall time of excitement, adventures and automobiles.
Yet the Hellsing Organization would always remember that decade for something quite different. It was in 1922 that for the first time – sadly not the last – an open attack against Hellsing was made.
Nobody who worked at Hellsing manor that night could tell for sure how it all started. One moment it had been like any other night, with soldiers practising at the barracks and the main household rather quiet but still awake...
...and the next moment all hell broke loose.
"Sir Hellsing! Sir Hellsing!"
Sir Abraham Hellsing, formerly Professor Abraham Van Helsing, entered from his office to meet the soldiers who had been shouting his name while running towards him. He had heard the alarms going off outside, which had caught his attention.
"Report! What is going on?" he demanded.
"Sir, there are ghouls! Ghouls have been sighted on our grounds!" the first solider hurriedly said, while the other beside him tried to catch his breath.
"What? How many ghouls?"
"We're not sure, sir. Suddenly they just appeared. They killed the guards on the east wall and came through. There's many of them sir and they are attacking anything that moves!"
Abraham's eyes winded. "We're under attack?" he said quietly.
"You shouldn't be surprised, master".
Abraham turned around to see Alucard who had appeared out of nowhere.
"Back in the 16'Th century I too led an army of ghouls to attack a base of Iscariot in Transylvania. It really was only a matter of time before some of the local vampires here would figure to do the same for you" Alucard explained.
Abraham was quiet and then nodded. "You are right, of course. This was inevitable. It is time for Hellsing to prove to all humans and midians that why we are the defenders of this country. Alucard, go and find my son, then report to me! Men, let's go outside!"
Abraham walked with the two soldiers as Alucard disappeared to the walls.
Since Mina had left the Hellsing manor there seemed to be little point in keeping Alucard's presence hidden from Arthur anymore. Under Abraham's orders Alucard took the role of Arthur's bodyguard and sort-of companion. In the beginning child had taken liking to Alucard and enjoyed the company he always provided, but as Arthur grew older and came to understand more and more of Alucard's true nature, he became wary of the vampire. As if he no longer knew how to think of Alucard.
Arthur was well aware that it was his duty to one day become Alucard's master and stood up to him, but there was no doubt that within his young heart... Arthur feared Alucard.
Alucard materialised in Arthur's bedroom only to find it empty. It's nearly midnight, Alucard thought, and it's not in Abraham's habit to allow him to stay up too long. So where-
Ah, of course.
Despite his young age, Arthur had taken an early interest towards the fairer sex. Many times the maids of the household had been a little overwhelmed by the attention Arthur was giving to them. Abraham tried to explain that it was because of lack of mother figure in his life.
Personally Alucard thought that Arthur was simply a little horndog.
And so it didn't take him long to finally find the boy: in an air vent that gave out a view to maids' changing room, dressed in only his pyjamas. Arthur had discovered this little route during one of his many investigations of Hellsing manor. Alucard couldn't resist himself: he stayed invisible to Arthur's eyes, until his head had passed through ceiling and was right in front of him.
Then he turned visible. "Boo!"
Arthur gave a sudden shout of shock and surprise as two mischievous red eyes blocked his vision. His natural reaction was to jump away from the eyes, but considering his current whereabouts, all he managed to do was hit his head in the narrow ventilation.
"Alucard! What are you-" Arthur hissed, trying to keep his voice quiet.
"No time to stay here, young sir. No maids are coming here anyway. The household is under attack and your father would feel a lot better knowing you're not a ghoul's dinner".
Arthur blinked, trying to understand. "What?"
"I'll show you" Alucard said and in an instant had transformed to a black mist that wrapped around Arthur and pulled him out of the vent and carried (or flew) him to the entrance hall. The soldiers of Hellsing had build up a barricade to keep the ghouls from getting in.
Alucard dropped Arthur in front of Abraham, who was standing in the middle of the stairs, shouting instructions. He then materialised back to his own form. "Boy is safe and sound, Master. I take it we have lost the courtyard?"
"Swarming with ghouls. But if there are ghouls there is also the puppeteers around. One or more vampires are controlling them and they can't be far off. Alucard, investigate our grounds. Find and destroy them!" Abraham ordered.
"Shouldn't I start destroying the ghouls that are trying to come in the house?"
"That's the difference between us, Alucard. I have faith in my men. You have your orders".
Alucard bowed and vanished once more.
He then reappeared outside the house as a swarm of bats. It was a useful trick that allowed his consciousness to expand over certain area, making it feel like he was in different places at the same time. While trying to find the vampires controlling the ghouls, he took a little time to watch the ghouls in action.
There is no kind of strategy behind this attack. They just came barging in here hoping to catch everyone off guard. Vampires these days...
His disappointment to his own kind grew further when he finally found the ghoul controlling vampires. Three of them, two men and one woman. Hiding in trees where they could observe what happens in manor grounds.
So what then when the ghouls get IN the manor? Then they'll just attack anything that moves without any direction over them. Somebody needs to teach these children a lesson.
Alucard attacked all three trees simultaneously and forced the vampires out of it to the ground. He then took his own form.
"Correct me if I am wrong" he said, staring the three "but none of you looks clever enough to have planned this. Which means you were send here, right?"
None of the three spoke. They were too scared. They could sense they were dealing with a creature far older and powerful than they were. It was like a sun having a fight with three little candles.
"Alright then. I'll just have to suck memories from one of you then" Alucard said and allowed his predator grin to appear.
Back in the mansion Arthur was standing in the stairs and watched, with admiration, as his father shouted instructions to the men below. So far they had managed to keep the ghouls from entering. Their snipers upstairs had done a pretty good job shooting as many ghouls as they could.
"How is it holding?" Abraham asked.
"The door can still hold on, but it's only a matter of time before they'll get through the windows, sir!" one of the soldiers shouted.
"Just keep them out! Any second now they should all be turned to dust! And if we come out of this alive we'll start placing barrier talismans on each window!"
Arthur suddenly heard a crashing sound coming, not in front and below by the door, but up and behind him. He turned around and looked up to see one of Hellsing soldiers down with a ghoul bend over him and ripping his guts out. Arthur had no idea how and where the ghoul had managed to sneak in but it didn't really matter at the moment. The ghoul had raised its head and seen Arthur.
"Here!" Arthur shouted while turning around and starting to run down the stairs.
Normally ghouls walk relatively slowly but gravity works on them just as same as to anyone else. This ghoul only saw its prey trying to get away and leaped forward, thus falling right towards Arthur.
Abraham heard his son, turned around and to him it felt like time stopped. He saw clearly how the monster was descending to his son like some vulture and he knew that he didn't have time to reach his weapon and shoot the ghoul. He realised he was going to lose his son... yet again.
No...
Suddenly a third figure entered his vision. A soldier near the stairs had noticed the ghoul too and instinctively acted before others. He ran next to Arthur and pushed the boy down, out of the harm's way. It was a suicide for the ghoul was instantly on top of the soldier, ripping his throat open. However, the man had saved Arthur's life, for now others had reacted as well and shot silver bullets to the ghoul.
For a moment Abraham forgot where he was, as his parental instincts took over, and he embraced his son tightly, thanking in his mind God and the brave man who had just died.
It took him a moment longer to realise that there was no more banging to the door.
"Sir!" one of the soldiers from upstairs shouted "All the ghouls have turned to dust!"
Were you purposely slow tonight Alucard? Abraham wondered as the soldiers around him cheered.
As they opened the door and stepped out, they found the courtyard filled with small piles of dust and the corpses of their fallen soldiers.
"I know the night has been difficult so far, but let's clean the yard before dawn" Abraham ordered. He then saw Alucard appearing from the darkness, dragging something with one hand. It turned out to be woman vampire who was trying to struggle to get free from his grip but found it a bit difficult. Alucard had ripped all four limbs away from her.
"Report, servant" Abraham said, while Arthur stood next to him, watching the vampire on the ground.
"There were three of them, Master. I destroyed the two others and sucked her blood thus destroying all the ghouls. I also saw through her blood memories of the ones responsible for this attack. There seems to be a certain club in London owned by vampires" Alucard told.
Abraham nodded. He had long suspected that vampires had a hiding place in capital. "So why then haven't you destroyed her yet?"
Alucard didn't say anything. He merely glanced at Arthur and smiled. It was enough.
"No! He is still too young!" Abraham said.
"What if you had died tonight, Master? He has to, sooner or later. Preferably sooner, don't you think?" Alucard said. He then noticed how pale Arthur was. "What's wrong with him?"
"A ghoul nearly killed him. His had enough ordeals for one night" Abraham said harshly.
"He has to get over it. It has to be done now" Alucard said. He then turned fully on Arthur. "Boy! You've been educated of vampires your entire life, but the real world is different from books. Now you've been thrust into it. It's time to see if you can survive in it".
With that said Alucard pulled out a stake from the shadows around him and threw it to Arthur. "If you can't even destroy one who is already down, I don't see how you can ever expect me to bow to you".
Arthur first looked at the stake in his hands, as if not quite believing he was holding it. He raised his head to look at Alucard, whose red eyes seemed to both mocking and challenging him. Abraham did not meet his son's eyes. He knew it had to happen but deep inside part of him had hoped this day wouldn't come.
Arthur knew what to do, of course. He had read it from books so many times and he knew where in body the heart was. He also knew that he was named after a man who had had to do it to the woman he'd loved. And he knew, he could not back away.
Arthur took a hesitant step towards the creature lying on the ground. She seemed to have realised the situation as well and instead of showing red eyes and fangs, she took the most innocent, pleading look she could.
Arthur felt a bang of hesitation. He tried to raise the stake above the woman's chest but his hands were trembling. He couldn't take his eyes away from her face which looked so vulnerable. He slowly lowered the stake and put his hand to his own chest. He could feel the small cross he wore around his neck through his pyjama top. He pulled the cross out.
The vampire woman took one look at the cross and her innocent facade disappeared, revealing her vicious and hissing form. In a heartbeat Arthur raised the stake and plunged it through her heart. She gave a loud scream before her body turned to a maggot infested corpse.
Arthur breathed heavily and his whole body was trembling. Abraham moved behind him in case the boy was going fall. But instead Arthur clenched his fists, straightened his body so it wouldn't shake and looked Alucard directly in the eyes.
"Satisfied, servant?" Arthur asked, chocking every word through his teeth, which he was biting hard together.
Alucard's smile this time was small, almost friendly. "Yes, young master" he said, bowed and disappeared.
Abraham looked at his son. He felt a wave of sadness, for the time of innocence had now ended for Arthur, but he shook that feeling away and instead chose to be proud of his son, who had accepted the heavy burden of being a Hellsing.
"Is he gone?"
"What?" Abraham asked.
"Alucard. Is he gone?" Arthur said.
"Yes, he's gone".
"Good" the boy said and collapsed to the ground.
#####
The next day:
The nightclub downstairs was closed during the day, but the smell of smoke and alcohol was still carried to the dark windowless room upstairs. The five pair of red eyes looked at each others.
"I think it is safe to assume, since none of them came back before sunrise, that the attack has failed" one voice said from the darkness.
"How can that be? This was supposed to stop them for good!" another voice shouted.
"It has to be that vampire they have! There's no other explanation!"
"Or perhaps you all underestimated humans" said a completely new voice.
All eyes turned to the direction of Alucard, who was leaning on the door, grinning widely. "But don't feel too bad about it. I did the same mistake couple decades back".
"It's him..."
"How...?"
"Now" Alucard clapped his hands together "you have two choices. You can either run outside, where the sun is shining, and be burned to dust. Or you can stay here and play with me. Choice is yours".
It didn't take even an hour for Alucard to leave the building and meet the Hellsing soldiers outside. They had stayed in guard, not of escaping vampire who would have died in sun, but for civilians who might see that.
Arthur was there too, on his first commanding mission. He was still frightened of Alucard, but refused to let that become a hindrance.
"All destroyed, young Master. This nest will offer no resting place for any vampire anymore" Alucard said.
"Good work. Let's clean this place up then and head back home" Arthur said.
"I'm going back to my coffin. Staying up in the middle of a day is exhausting" Alucard said while walking to carriage that held his coffin.
Arthur watched as the men went inside the club to remove any and all suspicious evidences that the vampires might have left behind. He felt certain amount of pride to be there and seeing how the men did their jobs. This was going to be his job now, what he had been prepared for all his life.
Later when Arthur returned to manor he found his father had a surprise for the entire household. Most of the soldiers working for Hellsing were without a family, considering the risks this line of work had. The man who had saved Arthur's life however, had an infant son, whose mother had died in childbirth. Since no other relatives could be found, Abraham had felt it was his duty to look after the baby.
And so Arthur got himself a baby brother Richard.
To be continued...
Okay couple explanations:
The vampires in dark club were left anonymous and faceless for two reasons: to give up the kind of mysterious mafia meeting atmosphere and laziness.
I never could figure how to get Richard in the family. He had to be younger than Arthur, but I didn't see him as Mina's son nor could I see Abraham getting a new woman in his older days. So ultimately I figured he had to be adopted. In my story, that is. What Hirano- sensei had planned is his business.
Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter, for once I'm actually pretty okay with it as well, and that it makes up the long wait. Next update won't be until next year I fear.
Till then, Marry Christmas and Happy New Year!