"Hmmm..." Tobias hummed as he read the documents of intel that Sir Integra had compiled from the findings of Seras' master, Alucard, the great Count Dracula from legend. Who was presently seated across from him with his red suit, his matching hat placed on the coffee table, and circular orange glasses on his face, one leg crossed over the other at the knee with his hands tented expectantly in his lap. "That explains why you were gone for so long, Count."
"Believe what you wish, Captain." Alucard's baritone voice easily matched Tobias', but was obviously without the thick accent. It still had just as much menacing authority to it as Tobias' did. "I merely obeyed the orders given to me by my Master. She neglected to ensue this task with a time limit or schedule to abide by."
"You could've at least called." Tobias smirked cheekily, glancing up at the stoic vampire lord across from him.
"I felt no obligation to provide premature information or speculative theory regarding my assigned task's objective. She told me to find out what I could for the Syndicate's fleet of imitation battleships, and so I did. And on an anecdote; I find cellphones rather annoying, even for simple phone calls. I typically leave that task to the Police Girl, under normal circumstances."
"You could at least try." Tobias chuckled, finding Alucard's dislike of modern cellphones to be rather amusing. "Or does not having a pulse interfere with the touchscreen sometimes?"
"Only for certain models." Alucard shook his head slightly. "Now then, I'll take my leave, my work here is done. I was already informed that you will continue working with the Police Girl as our representative. Good evening, Captain."
"And to you as well, my lord." Tobias knew better than to disregard the respect that Alucard deserved, so he stood, shook hands with the Count, and bowed his head slightly as the undead man donned his hat with one hand, then faded into a single black bat-shaped miasma that glowed with red light, then flew straight into the nearest wall, rippling the surface slightly like water as he left.
With a sigh, Tobias pulled his phone out of his pocket and briefly stared at his face reflected in the inert screen, then called the Continental.
"Continental concierge, how may I help you?"
"Could I speak with the manager please." Tobias glanced at the time, since he needed to speak with Winston instead of Wick this time around.
"Hold for one moment please, while I connect you to his office."
A short pause later, Winston's voice came through the line, and the sound of jazz music was playing in the background. "Continental management, Winston speaking."
"Hello Winston, it's Tobias Darkwood calling."
"Ah, Tobias, by the sound of your voice this is important. What can I assist you with today?"
"I need to speak with the Continental Board of Directors, there's a serious matter that's come to my attention that warrants immediate discussion." Tobias explained. He was well aware that his home was being interfered with by the Syndicate, using at least audio bugs and hacks of most of their electronics to get ahold of some intel.
"I can specifically call for an emergency meeting to take place for this matter, but I can't provide a set date until they've all agreed to gather at the table. Unless you wish to incur a penalty to yourself and hijack their next scheduled meeting in about 14 hours. It'll be doable at a high risk-high reward, in that case."
"I am well known for my audacity, after all." Tobias smiled slightly. "I'll need to see you in person for the details. I have an infestation to deal with on my end of things."
"I understand. Shall I inform Jonathan of this discussion in preparation for your arrival?" Winston asked, accompanied by the sound of a pen, clearly making a note of his intended visit.
"Yes, that would be appreciated. I'll fly in as soon as I finish up some of the last minute details. I won't have my phone on me, so I will be arriving unannounced."
"Understood. You take care, Tobias. I'll see you soon." Winston bade him goodbye and they both hung up.
Tobias lowered his phone but didn't put it away. Instead he called Tabitha and Motoko in a conference call, setting it to speakerphone as they both greeted him.
"Got a little tech issue that'll need both of your assistance. It's at the house, could you two stop by soon? I have a flight to New York to catch, so it's urgent."
"I can be there in half an hour." Motoko replied. "Anything you can tell us about the issue?"
"Not with what it is, sadly. I think I get the idea, Snowman." Tabitha chuckled slightly. "I'll be there shortly. Unlike almost everyone else, I can fly, remember? I am the Thunderbird, after all."
When Motoko arrived, with Stella in tow, the pair was greeted by Tobias and Tabitha sitting on ice thrones at the foot of the driveway, so they got out of her car and saw the piece of paper that Tobias was holding. She glanced between them for a moment, well aware they weren't speaking, and accepted the note, unfolding it to read the very small, precisely written message in Tobias' spidery handwriting.
"Don't read this aloud. House is bugged by Syndicate. All data is considered compromised. I need you two to sweep and clear the house for any physical devices or tampering, both inside and outside. After that, I'll need all of our devices either protected from hacking or completely quarantined from the wifi network, including the kids' phones, Val's tablet, and all of the girls' computers. Even Rize's phone and computer. Show this note to everyone, I'll be in New York for a couple days to deal with some new intel about the Syndicate. I have left my phone inside, it's on the counter in the kitchen. Kuro and Shiro already know about this note, and they will assist you with the whole process. If I can manage it, I'll be back in no time to act upon the new intel I've gathered, thanks to Alucard's findings for Hellsing's end of things."
"Alright, consider it done." Motoko already knew that Stella had read it over her shoulder. "I'd thought ahead and brought some of my equipment, just in case it was this sort of problem."
"Thank you, and the drones you can probably see right now are just photo and video surveillance drones. Make sure that note stays out of sight. I have to leave immediately, so I'll be taking a leaf out of your book, Mishka." Tobias stood up, and Tabitha lightly punched his shoulder with a slight laugh.
"I actually fly legitimately, you and Alice drag yourselves through the air with your Telekinesis, you cheaters! And Val reverses his own gravity!"
Tense silence. That was what greeted Tobias after he had shoved the doors of the grand meeting hall wide open, ignoring the security outside as he stopped in the doorway to speak to the Continental's High Council situated in the middle of the dimly lit room.
"What I am here to discuss is far more pressing than the need for an apology. It is something that makes the Continental look like a secret children's clubhouse, so if you would kindly call off these gentleman, I can get started without any unnecessary bloodshed. I am well aware that only a few of you know who I am."
"Are you a member of the Continental?" One woman demanded, and of course Tobias nodded.
"My handle is Reaper. I am a member of the New York branch, under Winston. My actual name is Tobias Dimitri Darkwood." Tobias replied. "And I am already aware that my brazen actions warrant a heavy penalty to my standing as a member. I assure you, if it wasn't so damning to such a large number of people, I'd have brought this before Congress like a complete jackass."
"Toby, I'm the only one at this table that knows what you're doing outside of Continental affairs." Wick was seated at one side of the circular table, resting his elbow on the armrest of the high backed throne-like chair. "So do you mind if I give them some context?"
"Be my guest, just make it quick."
"Tobias was the central figure of the Raccoon City Incident back in January of 2017. He lead an organization at the time called the Syndicate. They were formed only for the Incident, and officially disbanded after it was all over. Years later, a woman indirectly related to the incident, Alexandra Wesker, reformed the Syndicate and turned it against Tobias and his family, using the original methods that Tobias taught to the first assembly. Now, they make us look like a parent council for an elementary school in comparison. I even have no doubts that some of us at this very table, even our security personnel outside, are members of Wesker's Syndicate."
"So if you are, just shut the fuck up and pay attention like everyone else." Tobias approached the round table and slid a hologram projector across the surface, coming to a halt in the center just as it turned on, displaying a sight that even made Wick do a double take.
"Look familiar to any of you?" Tobias started to slowly walk around the table, behind everyone's backs, his hands casually in his pants pockets. "1500 meters long, powered by three Magno-Cores. Armed with 25 naval cannons, 12 railguns, and enough anti-air and air-to-ground ordnance to blow itself up twice over... What you are looking at is a hyperbolic manifestation of arrogant pride, using a design stolen from my son. This, in a shorter description... is a flying clusterfuck of doomsday proportions. Alex Wesker has affectionately named it The Warhammer. But that's not all she's taken from my son's designs."
With a curt click, the hologram projector shut up, and flipped over with his Telekinesis, now rebooting to display a hulking behemoth of a humanoid robot that easily went with The Warhammer. It resembled a bulky, large-statured ogre, with a large mounted cannon of some kind integrated into it's right shoulder.
"64 feet tall, 39 tonnes. This is the Ogre. Alex stole this from my son too. The original design, who is operational and goes by the name Rico, stands at 39 feet tall and 23 tonnes. Both of them, Rico, and the Ogre, were originally inspired by my own design, a suit of Power Armour known as the T60f Mobile Ordnance Platform, which is eight feet tall and 1200 pounds, with enough firepower to equal three full infantry platoons by itself. Rico's equal to about twenty of my T60f at once."
"Why are you telling us this?" One man demanded.
"Because I require one thing from this Council." Tobias hadn't stopped his slow walk around the large table even for a second. "You are to confirm, through your farthest reaching assets and connections... Where... The... Fuck... Alexandra Wesker... Is... Hiding." Tobias stopped walking suddenly, turning his head so that only his Tyrant Eye was visible in the semi-darkness around himself. "Isn't that right... Albert?"