Singe

The Return

Disclaimer: Hellsing belongs to People who are not me. I am making £0.00 out of this fic, it is written purely because I have a burning need to create. Castlevania belongs to Konami who are also not me. I make no claim on any characters from either Hellsing or Castlevania I'm simply borrowing them without permission.

Rating: PG-13

Authoress note: The Castle rises again in an unexpected place.

IMPORTANT NOTE: You do not need to know anything about Castlevania to understand this fic, all Castlevania references are explained in the fic.

Italics are thoughts, metal speak, and flashbacks

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Chapter Four

"I do not see the point," Integra said.

"They cause death wherever they go," Adrian said. "Please, sir knight, see sense."

"I see things perfectly, vampire."

"Half," Seras muttered.

"Whatever." Integra turned back to Adrian. "Your intentions are noble, Adrian. But I cannot send my men out after humans. It is not in my jurisdiction."

"That sounds like a poor excuse," Anderson said. "First ye let the monster keep that damned hellhole."

"Hey!" Adrain and Seras said together.

"And now ye won't go after the one's that caused the problem." Anderson ignored Seras and Adrian. Integra sighed and rubbed at her temples.

"First, if it stays here, and he controls it, then that means I control it. I would rather have it here where I can see it than have it wandering about the countryside, releasing monsters on every village from here to Suffolk."

"Ye could ha destroyed it," Anderson said. Adrian held up his hand.

"I cannot destroy it," he mumbled. "We can put it down, but it will rise again. It always does."

"Besides, it makes my job easier." Integra pulled a thin cigar out from her case. Anderson looked at her wide eyed. "If he does not do as I like, I can make the removal of his home a consequence."

"I doubt it will come to that," Walter said. Integra nodded.

"I do as well. He is always much quieter when he has something to play with." Integra glanced at Seras.

"That aside," Anderson snarled. "That still doesn't explain why ye are letting the cult walk with no retribution."

"They are human," Integra said, standing and putting her unlit cigar down. "Alucard has assured me they are a group of doddering, drunk old men with as much tie to the supernatural as a bag of grapes. If they are hurting people, then it is the job of the local constabulary to rectify it. I have enough to deal with, thank you." She sat back down and lifted her cigar again. Walter leaned in and offered a light, which Integra accepted. "Now if you don't mind, I have work to do, relevant work to do."

Seras turned and followed Adrian as he left, Anderson walking behind her. Adrian continued down towards the basement while Anderson veered off to his rooms.

"Where are you going?" Seras asked when Adrian walked past the kitchen.

"To ask my father for help." Adrian opened one of the basement doors that led into the castle. They emerged into a hallway and walked in silence for a time.

"Really? That is ridiculous," Seras snapped as they turned their fifth corner.

"Perhaps," Adrian admitted. "But it is hardly the first time I have done it, and I doubt if it will be the last. If we can find him."

"Maybe we should get him tagged?" Seras mused as the pair continued to walk.

"Tagged?" Adrian asked frowning, Seras pointed to the back of her neck.

"Insert a tracking chip into the back of his head," she smirked. "Although knowing him, he'd probably go all shadowy and spit it out just to spite me."

"Oh," Adrian looked confused, then seemed to decide to just stop thinking about what Seras was saying.

"I don't remember the castle being this big last time," Seras grumbled. Adrian smiled.

"Father is here. He will feed it with his energy. When I was young, the Castle was large enough to be classified as its own country."

"That's insane," Seras said. "This dimension thing is confusing enough without you starting on about it being its own country." The half blood frowned. He was growing fond of Seras Victoria; she was rather sweet, considerate and amusing. She differed from any of the other fledglings his father had brought over.

"Seras," he stopped as an idea hit him. "You are still my father's fledgling in the truest sense, are you not?" Seras frowned and gave him a very confused expression.

"What?" she asked. Adrian felt himself blush a little. This was an uncomfortable question.

"I still tie you to my father. He is your master, and you have not severed the connection by taking his blood," Adrian asked, hoping it was clear enough. Seras blushed and nodded.

"He is still my master," she admitted. Adrian nodded.

"Then shouldn't you know where he is?" he asked. "We usually link fledglings with their masters." He was a little jealous of this ability between a master and his fledgling; he had never felt that pull from his father. Seras blinked at him for a moment, then literally slapped her head.

"I'm so stupid!" she snapped. "It is no wonder he calls me names." Adrian held his hands up defensively.

"I did not mean to offend you," he said, backing away. Seras shook her head at him and smirked.

"Not you. I just can't believe I could be so dumb. It's this place, it distracts me." She went quiet and closed her eyes. She scrunched her nose and tensed. It tempted Adrian to ask if she was alright, but she opened her eyes and nodded. They began walking again, this time Seras was confident as to the direction.

"Do you think he will help?" Adrian asked after a few moments of companionable silence. Seras glanced at him as they turned into a gallery, the walls on the east sidelined with windows that looked out onto a forest despite the castle living beneath the Hellsing house.

"I'm not sure. It would be unlike him to turn down an opportunity for bloodshed, but he is happy at the moment since Integra… well, since she agreed not to destroy the castle."

"I must admit, it surprised me. She agreed." Adrian glared at the windows as a rather grotesque and large eyeball hovered outside them, watching the pair move through the gallery.

"I was, Walter wasn't though." Seras looked around, wondering again at the size of the place. "You really think a cult, a group of mortal men, could have brought this here?"

"You do not know this group as I do," Adrian breathed. "I have seen what they are capable of."

"Such as?" she asked, opening the door that led to what Alucard dubbed the inner-outer wall. She led Adrian up the stairs, feeling her master's presence in this direction.

"There was a single individual," Adrian began. "Just one man in this group and he alone raised the castle, controlled Richter Belmont and raised Dracula from his sleep."

"Waking Dracula is easy. Just jump on him or offer food. Oh, and controlling a Belmont, easy , I made your little friend come a wandering in here yesterday after he swore blind that he would never set foot in this Hellhole again," Seras smirked.

"You're not amusing." Adrian followed Seras as she stopped outside a doorway and frowned.

"This used to be the Library," Adrian said as Seras opened the door into the coliseum. "He is in here?" Seras nodded.

"EEWWWW!" Seras screeched suddenly as they emerged into a room filled with a very large, very dead creature. Adrian steered her away.

"What I was trying to say before was do not underestimate these people just because they are mortal, mortal men can be formidable when they be your master knows better than any of us just how formidable little old men can be."

"Don't be mean." Seras glared and stomped through the rest of the room. Opening the door on the other side caused them to enter a large, open area. The area was low and surrounded by raised seats. In the center, Alucard was glaring daggers at the Belmont.

The mortal hunter saw it as his duty to destroy this place, and having his duty tampered with made him angry. He had directed his anger at Alucard; it amused the vampire no end to have the mortal in such a state of stress, but over a few days it had proven to be more irritating than entertaining, and Alucard was growing weary of the Belmont. For another of Integra's conditions was that he would not harm the Belmont or, by inaction, allow him to come to harm. So instead of fighting the mortal, he was trying to avoid the man.

Seras had attempted to help by putting a positive spin on the castle for the mortal hunter. She had said that as long as the castle was in England; it was not in the Belmonts homeland and was not doing any actual harm. Her words almost seemed to work, but as usual, Alucard ruined her efforts by starting up a triad of 'unemployment' jokes. The now enraged Belmont had hunted out the master vampire to 'purify the world' of his 'corruptive influence. Alucard, rendered toothless by Integra's condition, was snarling at the man.

"Master." Seras waved. "Why are you in here?"

"Trying to stay away from certain individuals," the master vampire answered. He moved to walk over to his children when the Belmont lashed his whip at him. The blow would have struck across the face, but Alucard caught the whip in his hand. The smell of burning cloth and flesh filled the arena and Seras winced, watching as Alucard yanked the whip away from the mortal and literally threw it to the furthest corner of the room.

"Get it!" he taunted, as if speaking to a dog he was playing with. The Belmont grumbled but obeyed. "Impotent, little man." Alucard stood next to his son.

"Don't be mean." Adrian mimicked Seras. Alucard gave him a look.

"You sought me out?" He asked after a few moments. Seras nodded and looked around.

"Don't think I've been in here before." Alucard shrugged.

"I did not think you would appreciate it and judge from you deafening cry of 'eeww' earlier I was right." He smirked, Seras made a face.

"You stash bodies in the side rooms. It smells. But yes, we sought you out."

"Why?" Alucard turned around and grinned when he saw the Belmont was still trying to find the whip.

"The cult," Adrian said. "Shafts cult, your master is no longer looking for it now that they have found the castle." Alucard shrugged again. "I want… well, we want-"

"We want to find it," Seras interrupted.

"Off you go then." Alucard looked up when another door opened and a Minotaur came stomping in. The immense creature noticed the vampire lord and dipped its head.

"You," Seras pressed. Alucard glanced at her and she smirked. "You're telling me you don't want to come and hunt with us?"

"It's hardly hunting police girl," Alucard feigned indifference. "What you are proposing is that we find them. After that, there is little I could do without interfering with the seal." He looked at Adrian. "I could not destroy them for you, Adrian."

"You don't have to destroy them; your presence should be enough," Adrian breathed, "Unless you've forgotten how to be intimidating."

"Are you taunting me?"

"Is it working?" Adrian smirked.

"A bit." Alucard admitted and snarled when a whip flew and clonked him on the head. The Minotaur made a disgruntled sound and clomped off towards the Belmont.

"Please, master." Seras tried to look small and sweet, but Alucard's expression told her she failed. "What if Integra is wrong? What if this is a threat?"

"The last I remember of this cult is a bunch of drunken old men, occasionally sacrificing something in an amateur manner." Alucard grinned. "Not much of a threat."

"Shaft was not an amateur." Adrian snapped quietly. Alucard nodded.

"He was an exception," he admitted. "But exceptions are rare. I doubt this 'cult', as you keep calling it, is much of a threat," he smirked. "The castle has always attracted hangers on, scavengers of power."

"You won't help then?" Seras sighed. Alucard held up a hand.

"I did not say that. I said that it was an almost pointless exercise," he grinned widely. "Almost, but not completely."

"What does that mean?" Seras asked, hating the way her master was grinning at her.

"It would be good practice for you. Integra is always nagging me. I do not teach you enough." He continued to grin. A crash from behind them made them all turn to see the Minotaur on its backside clutching its head. The Belmont looked pleased. "Oi!" Alucard snapped.

"What's the matter monster, getting old are we?" the Belmont laughed.

"Yes actually," Alucard muttered. He turned to Seras, "come, let's go before I do something Integra will regret."

"Careful, someone might fall in there," Seras sniggered at her master.

With a surprising amount of dignity, the master vampire finished his extended yawn and gave his fledgling a look of mild contempt that was tinted with boredom. After a few moments, he yawned again. Then, stretching slowly, he leaned back and closed his eyes. Seras rolled her eyes at the over dramatic display of boredom. The alley they were sitting in was dark and dank like most alleyways; Alucard seemed to have found the only clean spot. Seras glared at him, reclining back on upturned crates and trash bags like they were a throne. He was spotless, whereas she was filthy and hadn't even sat down yet.

"You realize threatening to drop people into my mouth is not as worrying for me as it might be for someone else," Alucard muttered. A single eye opened a crack to look at her as he smirked.

"Shut up."

"How dare you?" He closed his eyes again. Seras moved to stand next to him. There was a time when she wouldn't have spoken to him like that, but those days were long past.

"Don't you two ever shut up?" The Belmont muttered. He was crouched by the mouth of the alleyway, watching the street. "You bicker like an old married couple."

"I am old," Alucard purred. "I am a very ancient man."

"You are not a man," the Belmont snarled

"I know several who would disagree with you." The master vampire all out leered at the Belmont. Seras sniggered, the Belmont turned away muttering something about perversion. Alucard snorted and let his head fall back.

"So this cult," Seras began, Alucard snorted.

"This rabble of drunken mortals."

"Drunken mortals?" The Belmont repeated, his tone mocking. "This rabble of yours is dangerous. Everywhere they go, women disappear. Bodies turn up later and every time we get close, they run. Sounds more organized than simple drunken men."

"You've been chasing them for a while?" Seras asked the Belmont shrugged

"On and off for a while. But every time we get close they run," the Belmont looked at Alucard, slumped on his trash throne. "We had reason to believe he was whispering to them." Alucard snorted again and did not look up.

"They kill women?" Seras was a little more concerned now.

"They are sacrifices to him," the Belmont sneered. "They are blood sacrifices to them and to him they are not people with families. They are not mothers, daughters, sisters; they are just bags of blood, something to be offered."

"Why?" Seras was completely befuddled.

"Who knows?" Alucard yawned wider again.

"They are sacrificed to keep the connection between cult and master open. Cults worship and sacrifice to give the object of their worship power." Belmont explained, "By giving this power, they hope to somehow partake of it, or perhaps that the power will be averted from them, or used for their own end."

"Kind of like a scratch my back and I'll scratch yours." Seras nodded, understanding.

"The seal cut me off from all external sources of power," Alucard muttered, still not looking at either his fledgling or the Belmont. "My power is limited and access to itis limited by Hellsing."

"Then why do the sacrifices continue?" Belmont snapped "Falsifier!" Alucard shrugged. "You are storing the power they give you; you plan on breaking your bonds."

"Been talking to Anderson again?" Alucard finally looked at the Belmont; Seras sniggered but stopped when a large white dog walked into the alleyway. At least it looked to be a dog at first, but upon closer inspection, there was something too feral about its appearance, something that said wolf.

"Hello Adrian," Seras smiled and leaned down to touch the wolf's head. Adrian's four-legged form was distinct from her masters. Adrian's form was closer to what an actual wolf would be, whereas Alucard's was more like an idea of a wolf, what a wolf would be if it had a choice. It was bigger, more muscled and sharper fanged than any actual wolf could be. Seras preferred Adrian's form.

The wolf that was Adrian shivered, and mist curled around it, swallowing it. Then, as suddenly as it had come, the mist was gone and where there had been a wolf now was a man. The entire process took less than three seconds.

"I think I found them," Adrian said firmly when the mist cleared. Alucard made an exasperated sound.

"Finally." He levered himself up from the garbage. "I must admit, this is getting dull rather fast."

"The priest was correct," Adrian muttered. "He is waiting for us outside a warehouse right on the river."

"Why the docks, though?" Belmont muttered, "it's not strategic."

"Are you high?" Seras sniggered; Alucard smiled at her and gestured for her to continue. "It a major point in London. There is fast transport to and from the location and you can take the river to escape the city quickly should you need to. From what you said, we find them and they start running."

"True," Adrian muttered as Alucard grinned at his fledgling and tapped her upside the head. "Therefore, we must be silent and take them by surprise."

"Lead on then." Alucard smirked and stretched. Seras glared. He was still spotless, while she had a very suspicious-looking stain on her lower back from standing too close to the trash.

They left the alley at an even pace, Belmont and Adrian trying to stay hidden, Alucard made no such effort and Seras walked with him. However, after a few minutes, Alucard stopped and looked at Adrian. The half-blood vampire nodded. Alucard put a hand on Seras shoulder and stared at her with his usual I'm-waiting-for-you-to-notice-something-obvious expression. Seras groaned and stood still, examining the surroundings. It took her a few moments, but after realizing there was nothing to see, she noticed the smell.

"Blood," she said simply. She would have recognized the smell had she not been a vampire, she would have recognized it had she never been a cop. She remembered it from her childhood, from when she had hidden in a closet.

"Well done," Alucard said softly. "I thought we were going to be here all night." Seras made a face, and the Belmont growled.

"Come on!" he snapped. "We're too exposed here."

"Relax," Alucard snorted. "Even if they see us, it matters little."

"If they run, we have to start all over again," Adrian snapped. "I'm getting fed up chasing them." Alucard rolled his eyes and walked forward.

As they continued to walk, Seras noticed the smell was becoming stronger, painfully so. She glanced up at her master and noticed his eyes had dilated. He was feeling it as well. Adrian seemed to be coping well, although there was a tension in his hands that had not been there before.

"There ye are," Anderson snapped, making Seras jump. She had not noticed the paladin. "Thought ye were never gonna get here."

"Relax," Alucard repeated and yawned.

"Did you not sleep?" Seras asked, suddenly irritated by the constant yawning.

"Werewolfs are having litters at the moment; it is loud at times." Alucard shrugged. Adrian snorted. "They are still quieter than you were," the master vampire grumbled. "But one got lost last night; the mothers had half the castle out looking and just because I am master does not mean I can escape search duties."

"Oh," Seras breathed, wondering briefly why he hadn't woken her.

"If ye don't mind," Anderson snapped, gesturing to the warehouse.

"This place reeks," Alucard complained. "Blood, sweat, fish, and booze. Not the best combination."

"They killed a girl," Anderson growled. "Last night, I think, the floors covered in blood and sigils." Seras made a sound of discomfort and Anderson looked at her before shaking his head. "Perhaps if it was just the blood you'd be less objectionable," Anderson snapped at Alucard. "We'll have to remember to leave out the fish next time for you."

"Thank you."

"It disgusts me," Anderson growled, "sacrifices to you."

"It beats flowers," Alucard muttered, looking in one of the windows. "But it's the stench of booze, sweat, and filth that is putting me off, more so than dead fish," he grinned. "But my adoring public wait," and with that he smiled and slipped in through the wall. Seras gasped and Adrian swore.

"Well, it will certainly catch them by surprise," the Belmont muttered, "and they won't run from him." But he spoke too soon as the sound of gunshots filled the air.

"What?" Anderson snapped and turning ran to the door. Seras and Adrian followed with the Belmont behind them. The warehouse was mostly empty, however, there were a few signs men had been living here. There were a few camp beds and a lot of empty bottles. Not to mention the corpse on the floor in a summoning circle.

Alucard stood looking rather perplexed, while a few strangers shot at him.

Then all hell broke loose.

"I can't believe they didn't know me," Alucard muttered, looking out over the frozen garden.

"You've got to admit it is ironic," Seras smirked. "They spend decades trying to reach you and when you show up they shoot you."

"It's not funny," Alucard muttered, reaching over to his son and handing him a clean cloth. Adrian muttered thanks and gritted his teeth. Walter smiled up at the master vampire before continuing his work on the half blood. Adrian had been the worse hurt of the five who had entered the warehouse that night. The cloth his father had given him went up to a cut on his forehead where a bullet had grazed him. Walter was currently putting stitches into his right calf muscle while muttering about an immortal who could still need stitches. Adrian had a nice selection of bruises over his back and sides. Ironically, the Belmont who was technically the most fragile of the group was almost unharmed.

The cult had been decimated, although some had managed to run. Upon the arrival of the rest of the group behind Alucard, the cult had revealed a rather varied selection of guns and, unlike Alucard, suspected they were not drunk and they knew how to use the weapons in their arsenal. It could have been very unpleasant, but fortunately for the group from Hellsing, they had robust constitutions and the cult was only human.

Alucard had been in a foul mood since returning. He had felt somewhat useless in the actual fight. Integra had not ordered an attack, but nor had she forbidden one. The seal interpreted that as allowing self-defense and protecting others, but no actual offensive actions. However, the master vampire had found a way around it slightly. Integra's condition that he not harm the Belmont or allow him to come to harm by his own inaction meant that if he was close to the mortal hunter, he could still fight. Although the object of his protection was distasteful, he started nudging the mortal closer to his children in order to remain close. Anderson had been considerably vicious. The actions of the cult were like those had had seen before and he had long ago tired of seeing groups kill innocents for the power of what he considered evil.

Adrian's injuries had come about when he had tried to defend Seras. She had never seen her master stand in a fight and do very little and she had been distracted and off footed by the action. She had suffered for it and so had Adrian.

"That's the last one," Walter said, smiling at the half blood. "I dislike the look of the cut on your arm, but I think it will close itself. Although it might be an idea to start up some antibiotics."

"He'll have healed it before they can kick in," Alucard muttered, standing and walking over to his son. Absently, the master vampire began poking and prodding his child. "How have you survived this long?" He asked, incredulous fussing over the cut on Adrian's forehead.

"I slept a lot," Adrian admitted. "forgive me for not having your constitution." Alucard gave him a look.

"You seemed to have forgotten everything I have taught you," Alucard muttered. Adrian looked incredulous.

"You taught me how to deal with swords, claws and mobs, not guns," Adrian snapped

"Adapt boy, adapt!" Alucard growled. Seras rolled her eyes.

At least it wasn't her he was nagging this time.

End

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My first Novel, Grey Wings has now been released!

GREY WINGS

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So, when he collides with Aurelius, an Angel only in the mildest sense of the word – who has committed a crime worthy of great punishment, but has been handed a rare chance at redemption – Jason can see a way home.

However, their journey will be hampered by Fallen Angels, Earth Spirits, and Griffons – and none can say if everyone will make it home.