Disclaimer: Wow, I'm SOOOO sorry it's taken me so long guys. Some bullshit came up with school and it got in the way of my updating. Don't worry, I haven't abandoned this story, it's only going to get better. Only about four more chapters before this story concludes, please be patient, we're almost there!
At long last the final battle is drawing near. Klaus amasses a massive force of the deadliest army in history, the dreaded Mannequin Army, spawned over two thousand years ago by Mundus himself. With these demonic soldiers at his beckon and with Theokoles in tow, Klaus moves toward the North Pole where he will activate the final Anima device in his quest to bind all of mankind under his rule.
Or so he thinks.
Our heroes are not finished. Hellsing. Iscariot. The Order of the Cross. Nightstalkers. These forces for justice and righteousness move to stop him. The final battle is at hand, both hero and villain alike will clash in a battle of titanic proportions.
Enjoy guys!
Chapter Forty Seven- Deadzone
Integra sat in her office, mulling over several different thoughts. The death of Walter, the coming war with Klaus, her future as leader of Hellsing. All seemed to ride on the coming battle against Klaus' forces. She was so deep in thought she nearly dropped the fresh cigar resting between her fingers, she calmly stamped out the cigar in her ash tray.
"Master" came an all too familiar voice, smooth and silky as velvet yet chilling to her core. Integra calmly looked up from her desk.
"Yes, my servant?" she replied. Alucard stepped out from the shadowy corner of her office, his crimson eyes glowing eerily in the dark as he approached.
"What troubles you my master?" Alucard asked staring at Integra. "Alucard, tell me something. Why is Klaus doing this? He says it's to save mankind from his greatest lie, but there's more to it than that. Tell me, my servant, you and Klaus have at least one thing in common" Integra said turning to the count.
"You both became monsters to escape death" she said. Integra noticed that for once, Alucard expression changed. It wasn't the typical cold, sadistic madness he usually expressed. His eyes softened considerably. Indeed, these were not the eyes of a monster, the famed pet of the Hellsing family. These were the eyes of a man who bore terrible scars and pain.
"When I took to escaping death's bitter sting, I became a monster. I didn't do it for power or glory, simply as a man seeking to cheat fate. Klaus on the other hand did so, because he was angry at God. At his core he still remains that frail, angry and frightened little man. Realizing this is what it will take to defeat him" Alucard explained staring out the window. He wasn't entirely truthful to Integra. Although he wouldn't admit it, at his core, he chose to become a vampire out of similar fear and hatred that Klaus experienced. Fighting against the Turks of the Ottoman Empire and seeing his people and homeland set ablaze, Alucard himself knew that feeling of being God-forsaken.
At that point Seras entered the office, holding some papers in her hand.
"Sir Integra, Master, there's something you need to hear. I've been doing some digging, I think I have more on this so called Mannequin Army, the one Klaus said he will resurrect. It's far more terrible than we could have imagined"
Integra turned to Alucard; the vampire count forming a curious grin. 'Tell us then, Seras"
In New York…
Dante stepped inside followed by Seth. Dexter looked up as Rosette sat at her desk before sitting up straight.
"Still no word from our favorite Devil King eh?" Dante said grimly, for once not bothering to quip a joke. Rosette slowly looked down at her lap, not saying anything. Seth sighed and folded his arms. "No. No one has seen or heard from him in weeks now. He hasn't checked in at any of our safe houses. No phone calls, emails, not even a damn text. Sion's completely vanished" he said shaking his head.
"It's one thing to leave but, why would he wipe your memory? Does Sion really blame himself that badly for what happened during the fight with Klaus? I can't believe that selfish jackass" Dexter fumed. Despite his outrage, Rosette remained calm.
"It's such a strange feeling. I feel like something is missing, each time I try to recall my memories, interactions, even my feelings of him but then I get nothing. There's just emptiness" she said lowly. Dante chuckled and said, "Hate to say it but I guess Klaus was right" as everyone turned to him.
"Sion, is in love with you Rosette. And it's because of that love that he did what he did. I'm not saying it makes it right but give the guy some credit: Just 2000 years ago he was a ruler of the Demon World. How he went from that to loving a human, beats the hell out of me" Dante said shrugging.
Sometime later they were joined by Director McGrath in the conference room, preparing for the coming meeting with Hellsing, the Vatican and Russia all in an attempt to coordinate for Klaus' coming attack. The large screen lit up as the screen was divided as the representatives from all three allied forces soon appeared.
Integra nodded and cleared her throat. "Hello Rosette and everyone else of the Nightstalkers, I take it you have all fared well" she said. From her seat Rosette gave a nod as Director McGrath spoke. 'Ms. Hellsing, yes we have fared just fine these past few months. I take it you have some information concerning the enemy's plot?" he said. Vladimir sat at his desk, hands folded in a tent as he prepared to listen. For the Vatican, representatives for the next Pope elect gathered earnestly.
Integra adjusted her glasses before speaking.
"We've combed through untold numbers of ancient and arcane texts and sources, some dating well over 2000 years ago. There is one name our sources keep bringing up: Mannequin. We now know this refers to the fabled Mannequin Army, said to have been forged long ago in the pits of Hell and later commissioned by the Devil Emperor Mundus as part of his plot when he invaded the Human World all those years ago" Integra waited to see if there were any interjections or questions. Seeing none, she continued.
"The Mannequin Army is composed of 500,000 demonic soldiers, forged through a ritualistic combination of alchemy and ancient magic. Mundus intended to use them as part of the main brunt of his fighting force so as to conquer the human world. However, even he could not control them. They ran wild, unchecked and unchallenged and killing any and everything in their sight. So Mundus abandoned them, sealing them off into the lowest part of the Demon World. It was later said Sparda destroyed the key that could be used in their resurrection" Integra further explained.
Dante narrowed his eyes, once again everything seemed to connect to his father.
"Ok, so they were sealed away in the Demon World. Let me guess, Klaus has figured out a way to control them, how?" asked one of the representatives of the Vatican.
Integra had no answer, her face twisting and showing her frustration. Rosette then said, "Klaus is moving with his plot to activate the final Anima device. Dante's warning from times previous stated at the end of the summer solstice, that's in eight days, where exactly is Klaus going to do this?"
"That" began Vladimir as he made his presence known for the first time. "Is what my own research has unveiled. Klaus said he needs the moon in the final stages of activation. Coincidentally the summer solstice ends, on the night of the full moon. From what we've gathered based on climatological and meteorological data, Klaus will need to be positioned at the North Pole at exactly the right moment in order to achieve activation. Our best estimate is right at the Arctic Circle" Vladimir explained.
Director McGrath then said, "I've spoken with the President's Administration. There is a plan to send a number of troops in collaboration with the various armed forces. The US Navy and Air Force are ready to send air and sea support. We have ground and infantry units ready and able. All that's left is to further coordinate with your forces. Hellsing. Iscariot. Order of the Cross, now we truly unite as one in order to eliminate Klaus"
"What does Madam President command?" Integra asked.
Director McGrath's eyes intensified. "Wipe them out, all of them. Leave not a single trace of the enemy alive. We will not sit idle and let him destroy everything humanity stands for. Destroy him, entirely, destroy him" he stated with a fierce resolve.
Vladimir nodded, "We will, for God and freedom, we will"
Integra nodded, "For God and her Majesty, we will"
Rosette sighed calmly, lowering her head as her arms remained crossed. She turned to Dexter whom nodded, then to Seth, Dante and finally to Director McGrath all of who acknowledged their approval.
With a confident and calm smirk she too nodded and said. "Geronimo, for God and country, we will"
The Vatican representatives nodded, forming the sign of the Cross before saying. "Let it be done then, in nominae Patrii et Fili et Spiritu sancti"
"Amen" everyone answered in unison.
And Lastly…
Klaus approached the shoreline, staring out at the vast sea before him. His dark bronze colored hair swaying in the chill breeze as his long tattered cloak flowed to the right. Reaching into his sleeve he removed a long black object. Waving it once he jammed it into the ground and stepped back.
It was a large talisman, decorated with a ceremonial skull and several large beads. The final piece to resurrecting the Mannequin Army. Klaus watched as the talisman began shaking before a bright and potent beam of energy reached high into the sky. It remained that way before expanding, moving from the shoreline to the water's edge. Within moments the beam of light split down the center as the water began to dive in half, massive waves of the frigid Arctic Ocean being pushed apart by the incredible force.
Klaus managed a slight smirk. "And so Moses parted the Red Sea. And just like him, I will lead people to reach their true salvation" he stated.
The entire sea became divided, remaining that way for several moments. And then a shadowy figure began skulking up the bank of the shoreline, approaching Klaus. Klaus watched with mild interest as this figure drew closer before stopping some six feet away, staring at him.
The individual before him was colored jet black, skin and clothing. It was barefoot but had vicious talons in place of toe nails. It's torso was covered in thick stocky armor. On its shoulders it had spiked pauldrons. Attacthed to its hip was a long curved sword. Staring at Klaus with bloodshot golden eyes it scanned the area of the beach, remaining silent.
"Strange" it answered in a raspy echoing voice. "The air feels warmer, far warmer then we last recall" it said.
"Much time has passed friend, 2000 years in fact" Klaus answered. It looked at him, as if pondering the revelation.
"2000 years…since we last set foot on the mortal plane. Intriguing, most intriguing. We recall our birth. We recall being commissioned by the Darkness Mundus to destroy any in our path. And we disobeyed, and we were cast in Hell where we suffered, wreathing in flames and worms and agony." It said taking a step closer.
Klaus chuckled and then replied, "Indeed friend. I have resurrected your kind to serve my goal. You will fight, you will dance in the blood of your enemies, tear the flesh from their bodies and lavish in their destruction. All this I promise to you friend"
The figure before him cocked its head, turning back to the sea from where he had risen before turning back to Klaus.
"Then we fight, we kill" it answered. Klaus gave another chuckle before nodding.
Sometime later, the 500,000 strong of the Mannequin Army had risen from the sea, fully revived and empowered for the first time in 2000 long years. Klaus stood before the massive legion, staring with intensity as the demonic soldiers stood stock still.
The perfect minions to destroy his enemies.
"It's time then for this world to end. A world of lies, of malice, of deceit and anguish. We will pillage and plunder. And from the ashes a new world will be formed in my image, where we shall have peace, everlasting peace"
And with that Klaus turned, walking up the shoreline towards the mainland as the Mannequin Army followed in suit. Klaus gave a wicked smirk before sweeping his hair back.
"And so the end of mankind begins"
End Chapter
It all starts next, the final battle with Klaus commences. What terror does the Mannequin Army hold for our heroes? Stay tuned!