The Lost Composer of London- Chapter 7: Deals and plans

A.N: We are very sorry it's taken so long to post this entire chapter was delayed due to laziness on my part and going through some checking of characters and episode 4. We do actually use manga, anime, games(For twewy), and even the wikis to make these chapters. Especially with episode 5 from here on out the chapter will be different. If there is a slight alteration to the original Hellsing plot it more to accommodate the Twewy characters but nothing major will be changed as we are sticking to the whole plot of the series. Which means everything will happen for the most part as it did in the series. So sit back and enjoy!

P.S: Happy 15th Anniversary to the Hellsing Manga!

"Oh dear God…" Integra sighed as fire, lightning, and brimstone cascaded from the London Eye on her television screen. Neku was clearly visible clambering about the wheel, shooting fireballs and striking at nothing. "He's not even trying to be subtle!"

Walter lit her a new cigar. "It's quite miraculous the Ferris wheel came out unscathed."

"Except for all the burn marks and nearly collapsing from the boy's last stunt," Integra spat, chewing her cigar like a stick of gum. "This has gone on long enough. Summon Alucard, Walter."

"No need, my Master." Alucard appeared from the darkness behind her. He looked a touch embarrassed. "Forgive me, I took an interest in the news, but I lack my own television."

Integra waved a dismissive hand. "Take care of this and I'll buy you a new one, even bigger than the last."

A sinister grin pointed from Alucard's pale face. "What is your command, my Master?"

"I have been far too lenient with these boys since they first escaped. I'd hoped they might simply remain quiet and fade into obscurity." She waved at the news in front of them. "Clearly this is not the case."

Alucard noted Neku's strikes at the air. "The boy is fighting something." His grin widened. "Fighting a great deal."

"I don't care if he's fighting the fucking Spanish Armada!" Integra grumbled. "He's causing a row that we do not need. We are having a war meeting with the Queen in the morning to discuss the fate of Millennium, and I want those boys dead by the time you arrive Alucard."

"Yes, my Master." Alucard turned to leave.

"And for God's sake, don't do it in public!" Integra added. "Keep it quiet, we don't need more news coverage."

There was a great darkness moving through the city. Joshua felt it where no one else did, and it made him smile. It was inching ever closer to him with each passing breath.

"Larissa," Joshua interrupted her casually. "I'm sorry, but I think you should leave."

She stared at him, aghast. "What do you mean? We'd been having such fun! I thought you liked me…"

Joshua leaned across the table and took her hand. "Dear Larissa, I do like you! These past hours are a time that I will never forget, and that I pray can be repeated." Larissa blushed heavily. "But I came here to meet someone, and they will arrive very soon. It would be better for you if you weren't present when I receive them."

"Who is it?" She gasped. "You don't have a girlfriend, do you?"

Joshua couldn't help but laugh at this. "Of course not. It's just a person whom I have business with. He's quite a character really, and I'm afraid he would disturb you if you stayed. So please, you must go."

With an air of sadness, Larissa acquiesced. "If you insist, Joshua." He smiled and kissed her hand, and she blushed again. Joshua noted the trembling in her knees.

"Until we meet again," he smiled as she exited the shop. No sooner than she had reached the door, a red hat and cloak strode past her. The shadow remained silent, standing above Joshua until the girl had disappeared in the window.

"Impressive British accent," Alucard commented. "The girl was putty in your hands."

Joshua grinned his everlasting grin. "Oh, I'm sure you've courted similar work in your days. Although I doubt those women made it through the night." Alucard returned the smile, his sharpened teeth showing through his shadow. Joshua gestured to the newly-empty chair. "Please, join me for some tea."

"I don't much care for tea," Alucard replied. "Why don't we leave instead?" It was more a command than a request.

"For the sake of my health, I think I should stay right here," Joshua jested.

Alucard slipped his glasses down his nose, looking Joshua in the eyes and pointing his hand at him. "You will come with me outside!" he commanded.

"I will stay right in this chair," Joshua mimicked. He gave an innocent smile to the vampire.

"Hmph," Alucard grumbled, pushing his glasses back to his eyes. "I suppose it was rather foolish to try that on the dead."

"Rather," Joshua agreed. He spied Alucard's gloved hand reaching into his cloak. "You know, I don't think your master would appreciate you assassinating a child in a public tea shop in the middle of the day." He pulled out his phone, which was in the progress of making a call. The caller ID read "Integra Hellsing." "Perhaps I should ask her?"

Alucard froze. The ringer went off, and a woman's voice came through the speaker. "Hello, who is this?"

Joshua smiled at the vampire and brought the phone to his ear. "Madam Hellsing? It's Joshua. Is it a custom of your organization to perform sloppy assassinations in the middle of the day?"

There was a pause on the end of the line. "How did you get this number?"

"The phone book, of course." Joshua laughed. "So, care to explain why you sent your vampire after me?"

"I don't need to explain anything to you, boy."

Joshua thought for a minute. "Neku did something reckless and flashy where everyone could see him, right?" Alucard chuckled beside him and sat in the empty chair. He seemed to be enjoying himself.

Another pause. "The boy made the London Eye look like the Second Coming."

"Haha, yeah that sounds about right. I'm sure he has a good excuse if you'd be so kind as to hear him out. Perhaps we could come by your manor, discuss it over dinner?"

"Why should I listen to your dribble? I have quite enough shit to deal with without you adding onto the pile."

"The same problems will arise whether Neku and I are present or not. You are only accustomed to fighting the living and the undead, Sir Integra, you are not prepared to fight those who have remained dead. Even with your vampire commando." Integra did not comment. Joshua could sense her beginning to understand. "However, if you enlist my help, we can handle the dead for you free of charge. All I ask is that you listen to what I have to say. You can even hide us away from the world if that would make you feel better.

"So, what do you say?"

I'm going to go out on a limb here; Neku thought to himself while racing through the alleyways of London as police dogs bit at his heels and officers shouted orders into their walkie-talkies. I am going to say that being labeled a magical terrorist is probably one of the worse things to happen to me recently.

It wasn't long after news got out about the incident at the London Eye that several civilians identified Neku and ratted out his location. He had managed to get some free chicken out of a terrified shop owner before the SWAT team busted in. Neku was able to teleport to the rooftop, but the sky was littered with police and news helicopters. Both were shooting him while he climbed over a chain fence to escape the hounds snarling at him. There was already a blockade on the other side of the alley, Neku had expected that. He pulled out one of his pins and blew into it lightly, and all the cars and people in front of him were carried into the air by small whirlwinds. They probably wouldn't be hurt too bad when they hit the ground.

The entire area had been cordoned off to try and keep Neku in a controlled environment, so he didn't have to worry about getting hit by a bus or being slowed down by a crowd of civilians. It was just him and what might as well have been the entire British police force. The odds were not in Neku's favor; he'd already had to heal a few bullet wounds on-the-fly, and they were not grazing shots.

Neku was zig-zagging his way down a road when the music in his headphones cut out and Joshua's voice sputtered into his ears.

"You're on TV," he said. Neku could perfectly envision Joshua sitting on a couch somewhere, flipping channels and smiling at the footage of cops taking shots at him. "I never took you for the 'center of attention' type Neku." Joshua snickered. "Although I suppose you do attract eyes wherever you go."

"Most of the time it's your fault too!" Neku yelled into the air. He realized Joshua probably couldn't hear him. He was just projecting his voice into the headphones. A bullet bounced off the asphalt near Neku's feat. The snipers in the helicopters had reloaded apparently.

"You're probably trying to talk back to me right now. I'm going to guess you're blaming me. Very mature," Joshua chided. "Anyway, there is a portal waiting for you at the next intersection. Get their before the cops and you're home free! You can fill us in on what happened when you get here." Neku's music cut back in, and he could see the swirling black portal in the road up ahead. For the first time, Neku would choose to go down one of these hell-pits. He took no pleasure in it.

He leapt in right before a dozen police cars converged on the spot, and the portal closed, leaving Neku in the darkness. The drop lasted longer than it usually did. That meant he was probably going somewhere indoors since precise portals like that take longer to form. Neku mentally chastised himself for falling into these things enough times to know that. It gave him time to right himself so he might land on his feet.

The portal opened back up beneath him, and he landed on the hard wood floor of Hellsing Manor, surrounded by soldiers pointing their guns at him. One particularly cavalier Wild Goose had a grenade launcher.

Joshua waved at him from a couch. The television was currently reviewing the footage of Neku jumping into the portal. Soldiers were also pointing guns at him, although not as many. He saw Seras at the other side of the room; her eyes were flashing between him and the television, as though she were comparing the footage to the reality. Beside her loomed the vampire, Alucard, Neku remembered. There was no sign of the woman.

"Welcome back," a soldier said. He had a heavy French accent and a cigarette, and Neku only vaguely recalled him being present when he and Joshua had first arrived. Based on his demeanor though Neku guessed he was a commanding officer. "Please, make yourself at home. There are snacks by the couch." He stepped forward, giving his best intimidation impression. "And if my men so much as hear one of your little trinkets, they will turn you into Swiss cheese. Do not test them." Neku remained unimpressed, particularly when comparing him to the vampire just to the right. But he gave a little nod and went over to the couch.

Joshua offered a plate. "Care for some cake?" Neku very much wanted some cake. All he'd eaten in the past few days was a piece of chicken.

Bernadotte walked back to join Seras and Alucard. "Are we really going to leave these two here alone? I have faith in my men, but the purple one can make explosions!"

"Yes, we are." Alucard stated. "We are going to the war meeting, and they are staying here."

Seras shrugged. "Integra's orders. Besides," she looked over to Joshua. "I'm sure they'll be here when we get back."

Bernadotte sighed and puffed on his cigarette. "Alright. Lead on, Mister Vampire."

Hours later, Integra barged through the doors into the living area where Joshua and Neku were being watched. Seras followed tenderly behind her.

Joshua looked back, munching casually on some beef. "How was your meeting?"

Integra stepped around the soldiers and stood between the boys and the television, which was back at the footage of Neku on the London Eye. "You." She looked at Neku. "I will give you fifteen seconds to explain yourself before I decide you aren't worth my time and I have you executed for terrorism. Alucard." The vampire rose behind the couch and pointed his guns at Neku and Joshua's heads. "Your time has already started."

Neku paused to look uncertainly at Joshua. There really was no good answer to these sorts of questions. "Would you believe I was attacked by ghosts?"

"You." Integra turned to Joshua. "You have ten seconds to tell me why."

"Neku and I have a history. Our association with death makes us targets." He didn't break stride and finished in under half the time given. Seras was a little impressed.

A chair was brought for Integra, and she sat pondering these words for a moment. She placed a cigar between her teeth, and Walter appeared to cut and light it. She leaned back, letting the weight of the day fall off her shoulders for a moment. "What do you think Walter?"

"Ghosts do seem a touch farfetched, Miss Integra," Walter remarked. "Perhaps Master Alucard might have some worthy insight to this story." Integra turned her gaze up to her vampire, still in his stature and prepared to blow two young boy's brains across her floor.

"What say you, Alucard? Can we trust their testimonies?"

Alucard smirked. "Police Girl?" Seras stepped up from the wall.

"Yes, Master?"

"Look to the footage of this boy. Tell us what you see."

Seras obeyed unquestioningly. "He's fighting two men, rather skillfully." Integra and the soldiers turned to look at the screen. Neku appeared to be swinging through the wiring and summoning spears of ice at the air. "One of the men seems to be commanding a multicolored ape. The ape doesn't stand a chance." A bolt of lightning strikes an invisible object in front of Neku. "Down on the ground, there's a brawl. Dozens of children are fighting a large squid, only slightly smaller than the Eye. There is a woman on top of it, probably commanding it as well."

"Very good Police Girl," Alucard remarked. "Your eyes are developing nicely though you underestimated the number of children in the fight."

"Thank you, Master."

"Hmm." Integra turned back to Neku and Joshua, chewing on her cigar. "You. Kiryu was your name, yes?"

Joshua smiled. "At your service."

"So you claim." She leaned forward, meeting Joshua's eyes. Both sides exuded power. Neither was intimidated. "One final question before I believe your story. Why are these ghosts a threat to me?"

"Lady Integra," Joshua grinned knowingly. "They are why." He pointed to Alucard and Seras. Seras glanced over at Joshua, wondering where he might go with this. If he tells her about how he thinks I was one of them…

"Vampires?" Walter questioned.

"Yes sir, vampires," Joshua chimed. "In the land of the dead, there is a hierarchy between the Pla—ghosts, and the Reapers. Then there are angels and gods, but right now let's focus on the Reapers. Their job is to manage dead children, a new group every week. Their purpose is managing death, and maintaining it. Vampires are undead; they cheat death with their mere existence! Reapers hate them a great deal, and you have two. That paints a very big target on your organization's back, especially theirs."

Integra considered this. She motioned to Alucard, and he holstered his weapons.

"It's worth noting," Alucard said, "that this boy is among the dead."

Integra looked to Joshua, who shrugged. "And the other?"

"Alive," Alucard answered. "Coated in death, but his heart beats and his blood is warm."

"Don't talk about my blood," Neku snapped.

"Kiryu-"

"Please, call me Joshua." He smiled welcomingly.

"Kiryu," Integra continued. "If you're dead, why would you help us? Shouldn't you show just as much disdain towards vampires as any other Reaper?"

"What makes you think I'm a Reaper?" Joshua asked innocently.

"Don't play stupid with me, I can see how much power you have. You are a commander, someone who people obey. Whether they realize it or not."

"Hmph," Joshua nodded. "You have a sharp eye, Lady Integra. Well if you must know, no I do not share any love for your vampire pets." Alucard barely reacted to this, although Seras did feel a touch hurt, though she had no idea why she cared. "But it seems you have forced my hand in the matter. We came here to look for someone and happened to fall into your lawn. Now it seems we are tied together."

"That brings me to my next point," Integra interrupted. "This friend of yours. What significance do they have? Who are they?"

"Oh to you, nothing." Seras felt her hair stand on the back of her neck. She felt the urge to sneeze but held it back desperately. "She's a high figure in the Reaper society, akin to a Lord of the UG – land of the dead, excuse me – in London. She's been dethroned by a rebellious youth, and we're here to make sure that arrangement is very temporary. Although we've been met with some resistance." Seras felt like there were eyes on her, but the entire room was looking to Joshua. She fought the urge to fidget in her boots.

"So they don't matter to me," Integra concluded.

"Not at all. Actually, I take it back; there is one benefit to you if she regains power: she is much more pro-vampire than other Reapers, and could paint a more positive light on your organization. Then you wouldn't have to worry about any Reapers impeding your duties."

"Hmm…" Integra looked back to the television. Neku had just lifted an entire squadron of police cars off the ground as though they were balloons on the wind. "So you had a proposition to make?"

Joshua's grin widened. He had her. "It's simple: you don't want us out there unsupervised, and we can help you. So long as you grant us some time here in London, under guard of course, and we are allowed to search for our lost Reaper Lord, we will personally protect your organization from any hostile threat, Reaper or otherwise. Neku, of course, would have to remain here, being a wanted criminal, but he's quiet and doesn't require much attention."

Neku didn't respond to this and ignored Joshua, knowing fully well that he was proving his point.

"So," Joshua concluded. "What do you think? Can we work together to make sure we both succeed?"

Integra identified the politician speech. The child was trying to work her, and she did not care for that. However his words were true, and the advantage she could have with these two boys was notable. The living one could fight off two of these Reaper soldiers with ease, if she was to trust Alucard's word. That alone could prove a tide-turner in battle against Millennium if it came to that. And he seemed subservient to Kiryu, so his power could be far greater. The portals alone were proof of his worth.

"Very well." Integra rose from her seat, and Walter silently carried it away. "From this day until the foreseeable future, you two are now indentured soldiers in the Hellsing Organization. You will obey my every command, no matter how dangerous or degrading. You will offer up your very existence in battle and outside of battle to further our cause, or else you will die at my hands."

Joshua rose from his seat and bowed, grinning a Cheshire grin the whole time. Neku looked over to Seras. There was an uneasiness in her eyes, as though she was looking over the horizon and saw tornadoes crawling down the country side toward her homestead. She met his glance, and he nodded to her. Silently Neku assured her that she wasn't crazy, he saw the tornadoes too.

"We are honored to serve you, Lady Hellsing."

"So…" Annabelle rolled to syllable off her tongue like a sour cherry. She sat on her throne, high in her supremacy. Her Reapers knelt down before her, now only four in number. She felt a twinge of mourning over the lost Bobby, though she knew sending him would likely end in his death. She would still miss his cowardly ways. Perhaps she shouldn't have abused him so horribly. But, it was too late to feel regret now. Composer Annabelle King had a goal, and it was the very top. "Why don't you each tell me about the London Eye."

There was a pause between the groups. Rocky turned a vindictive glance toward the other three, but said nothing. He had no part in this, he would take no blame and offer no salve.

"Composer King, we were simply following a lead toward Seras Victoria, as you commanded," Richard spoke first.

"A lead?"

"Yes," Megan sputtered next. Her body was riddled with bruises and burns. A chunk of hair was missing from her head, and her wings drooped painfully. Annabelle pitied the girl. Simply not strong enough to handle all those Players at once. Such a shame. "The boy was believed to be associated with Victoria."

"Yes, the Living Player. Put up quite a fight, and outsmarted the three of you." The disappointment in her voice was emphasized. Annabelle had hoped her soldiers would be stronger than this by now. More useful to her ascension.

"Forgive us, Composer King," Richard appeased to her. "We will try harder next time."

"You will," Annabelle growled. "Oh I am sure you will. You will try, and try, and try some more. You'll think you can all the way up the bloody hill! Just like Bobby did!" She stood from her throne, her temper lost. "I don't want you to fucking try! I want results! I want to crucify Seras Victoria's body on Big Ben and make her spirit stare at it while the crows pick her apart!"

Pause. Calm yourself Annabelle. Remorse and benevolence. She breathed deeply, centering herself. "This woman abandoned us. She murdered one of our own. And more than that, she is an abomination against the balance of life and death, Reece told me himself. She was mauled and shot, and yet held enough energy to smash in a Reaper's head. A Reaper that loved her, and tended to her needs when she was a child."

Annabelle took her seat again. "Thrice now Seras Victoria has betrayed us, each way more penetrating than the last. For the sake of Bobby's memory, and for the cause of our very existence, end the suffering that she has caused us for so long. You may be dismissed."

The Reapers exited the throne room silently, leaving Annabelle to her thoughts. They all returned to the bar, and Oni pulled out a large bottle of vodka. He poured out a glass for himself and Richard; Megan didn't care for Russian alcohol.

"You're going to try to save her," Rocky said accusingly. "Aren't you?"

Richard swirled his glass mindlessly. "We're bringing her head back to HQ, just like Composer King ordered."

"Don't lie to me," Rocky spat back. "You're going to get yourselves killed doing this, you know that? Just like Bobby…"

"Rock," Megan said. "No one is going to die."

"Yes," Rocky cut in. There was acid in his voice. "Someone is going to die." He spun around and sped out the door into the maze.

"Yeesh," Oni said, gurgling some vodka. "Feeling melodramatic today Bamm-Bamm?"

"Lay off, Malcolm," Richard groaned.

"Ooh, full names today! Guess nobody's in a good mood." He grinned like a cat and shot down two more glasses. "So Richy, what'd the kid say? We got a location?"

"No, he didn't say much. Probably didn't trust us all that much after you two's little stunt."

Megan protested. "The hell did I do? I worked my part of the plan perfectly, that little shit is the one who started blowing things up and calling out my location to every Player in the UG. He was more than ready for a fight." Richard looked over to Oni. He shrugged.

"I just wanted to punch things. Now come on, did he say ANYTHING that could help us?"

"Well…" Richard thought back to their brief exchange on the roof. "He was familiar enough with Composers and how the UG works."

"He is a Living Player," Megan added. "He would have to know about the system, only a Composer could give him that kind of power. Players don't keep their Pins after they win. And we can assume that the blonde is another Living Player, or maybe even a Reaper."

"So our girl has top of the line bodyguards until we find her," Oni finished. "That's good news."

"It also means that there's a Composer out there who wants Seras back in the UG."

"Hmm…" Richard considered this. "Composers don't really communicate with each other, not that I've ever seen. Ol' Georgie certainly never talked to the other branches."

"Yeah," Megan said. "The only thing we have that could be considered communication would be the Games. Players talking to each other, the record of all the Games in the public files. I've never looked myself, but there could be some international records that Composers can evaluate for ideas. Maybe someone liked the Games Seras made and wanted her to keep making them?"

"That's a bit of a stretch," Oni laughed.

Megan and Richard frowned at him. "Well do you have any better suggestions?"

"Nope." He burped. "And I don't intend to make any, because I don't care. Someone out there has Seras' best interests at heart, that's good enough for me. If you two want to know the whos and whys, you can ask the kids yourself when we find them again, which we will. Until then, we lay low. Stay out of Anny's focus for a little while, let the attention fall somewhere else."

"Anny?" Richard asked, a little surprised. "You're worried about her?"

"She is the one that put out the hit," Oni pointed out. "And with her Composer power she outclasses the three of us."

"Please, she's unstable. Has been for years. Most of the time she's so busy looking at her Games that she doesn't even notice us. Unless we're in the wrong place, messing with her Game."

"Yeah," Megan agreed. "She's been different ever since she became Composer. More aggressive, less like the little girl that won her Game and joined the Reapers. It's like she's trying to fill shoes that reach up to her thighs, just pushing harder and harder to make them fit. I feel bad for her."

"Little Orphan Anny is out of her league, I agree," Oni said, tapping his glass. "But that's what makes her dangerous to Seras. She's going to try to prove herself, to us and the Higher Ups."

"Hmm," Richard's demeanor lowered. "That's probably why she sent Bobby out to kill Seras. Self-defense or not, she did leave. And her being a…"

"Don't you say it." Oni glared at Richard. "Don't you listen to that spiel Anny gave us. Our little girl was not, is not, and will never be a traitor. And this 'abomination between life and death' shit is probably somehow related."

"Yeah," Megan said firmly. "You can't actually think Seras would have left us on purpose!"

"I don't know," he admitted. "I don't know what to think. If she left on her own, she'd be a traitor, but if someone dethroned her…"

"Well I know exactly what to think." Oni put his glass down. "I think Seras was taken off the throne, some time when she was vulnerable, by an undead. One with higher thinking that could plan and control their power. A vampire or something."

"Umm, Oni are you alright up there?" Megan waved in front of his eyes. "Vampires are a myth."

"So are we," Oni said, very sane. "Vampires are real, and are perfectly capable of doing something like this. Just ask Richard, or Mr. Nayake. They've seen some. Even killed a few, I heard."

Megan turned to Richard. He confirmed this. "A little over a century ago there was a tiny outbreak. Nothing major, the living handled most of them. Ol' Georgie sent me out to mop up a couple stragglers, two children and a woman. They don't have a lot of power over the dead, since we don't have blood, but Seras was still alive when she was Composer. That would make her vulnerable."

"I don't believe this…"

"We'll have to confirm it with Mr. Nayake once he returns," Richard continued. "But the possibility is there. Seras could have been dethroned and transformed into a vampire."