Hellsing Fan Fiction ❯ Old and New ❯ Chapter 9 - Battle ( Chapter 9 )

Disclaimer: I do not own Hellsing.

Old and New

Chapter 9 - Battle

Surprise crossed Integra's face as the walls glowed red. Dulcibell smiled at her. "This is just to prevent your pet from interrupting."

"You would accuse me of unfair play?" Integra asked her.

Dulcibell shrugged. "Just covering all of my bases." She slashed at Integra. Integra knew it was a feint. She turned her blade up as the katana curved its stroke. She parried ably and jumped to the side.

Dulcibell lunged after her. Integra attacked with her saber, feinting. With the other hand she flung something into Dulcibell's face. Dulcibell screamed horribly, she put her non-sword hand to the side of her face, which was smoking. Red sores could be seen around the edges of her hand. Integra attacked immediately, but Dulcibell somehow managed to parry.

"You bitch!" Dulcibell removed her hand from her face. One half was grotesquely burned. The eye on that side was red.

"Ah, you wear contacts." Integra said. "I was wondering why your eyes were an uncharacteristic green."

Dulcibell lunged at her again, backing her up into the wall. Their swords crossed. Integra used the wall to brace herself against the strength of the vampire. Dulcibell snarled at her. It was an awful look, since half of her lip was melted. "I shall make you pray that I kill you in mere hours, instead of days." She pressed harder into Integra.

***

Alucard rushed across the lawn back to the mansion. Two women blocked his way. "You shall not pass." They said at the same time. They were exactly alike. Blonde hair, red eyes, wicked fangs.

Alucard turned Jackal and Casull on them. "I do not have time for low level scum. Move or I shall make you."

They advanced upon him. Suddenly a wide hole appeared in the chest of one. Then it turned to dust. The other turned to the source of the attack. Seras waved to Alucard from behind the stack of crates where she had set up her Halcannon. He didn't spare her a wave as he ran on to the mansion.

Seras hurried to reload while the second vampire charged her. She fired a shot just as the monster had lunged for her. Dust rained down on her.

She was out of shots, but not out of action. She pulled her handgun and jumped out from behind the crates. She started running down the hill to the front line.

***

Pip had run out of ammo and that vampiric bulldozer was still going strong. There was a blur behind the vampire as Walter wrapped his wires around his neck. The vampire managed to get one gauntlet-covered hand in the way of the wires and his neck.

Pip aimed a kick at the back of the vampire's knee. The leg buckled and the large vampire fell to one knee.

A handgun appeared next to the large vampire's head. Seras hesitated only a second before she fired. The vampire fell to the ground, turning to dust before he hit it.

***

Alucard swept through the house quickly. The rooms were just a blur. Just as he had reached the ceiling that was also the floor of Integra's office, he was stopped and repelled. The force of it sent him reeling.

He knew the barrier for what it was. Knew that the only way for him to get around it was if Dulcibell's concentration was broken enough to let it slip. He reached out for Integra's mind, but found nothing. She did not answer him.

He screamed in rage, for there was nothing else he could do.

***

Dulcibell was winning. She had managed to disarm Integra and slash her across the stomach. Integra held one arm against the deep gash in her stomach as the rich blood flowed.

Dulcibell cast sword aside; she wouldn't need it to finish the kill.

She stood over Integra. "How does it feel? Your life ebbing away?" She knelt down to her. She put a gloved hand to Integra's chin and tilted up her face to her own.

Integra's face was screwed up in a tight grimace of pain. Her breathing was ragged. She fumbled into one pocket and drew from it a large ornate cross. She held it by the longer end.

Dulcibell laughed at her. "This is your last defense? Holy water may work on me," she indicated her ruined face. "But crosses don't." She bent her head to sink her teeth into Integra's neck.

Integra flipped the cross around; revealing a long silver spike attached to one end. Using it like a dagger, she stabbed Dulcibell in the heart.

Dulcibell looked at Integra, her eyes wide. She made a choking sound as all of her muscles seized and she fell back.

Integra made her way slowly to her saber. She retrieved it and made her way slowly back to the vampire. She stood over her, swaying with weakness and blood loss. "Submit yourself to me." She gasped out. "Be my servant."

"Never." Dulcibell managed to choke out.

"Then die." And Integra swung up the saber with all her strength and beheaded her.

***

Alucard was through the floor as soon as the shield fell; he feared what he would find. What he saw was only a little less bad than what he imagined. Dulcibell was dead, nothing but dust. But Integra-

He knelt over her fallen form. He lifted her up into his arms. She wheezed and opened her eyes. She looked at him like she didn't know quite who he was. "Integra, you are dying." He said.

She closed her eyes painfully. "No!" He said to her, shaking her a little. "Don't close your eyes." He pulled one sleeve down with his teeth, exposing his wrist. He nicked it with a fang, so that a thick line of blood ran down. "Take my blood." He said, offering his wrist.

She lifted a hand to fend him off. "Ambulance." She croaked.

"They are on the way, but they will not make it in time. Take the blood." He offered it again. "Do you want to die?"

She smiled at him weakly. "I won't." He understood what she was saying. She chose vampire over death, but life over vampire. She would try to hold on till the last second.

He shook her again when her eyes threatened to close. "Stay awake, if you close your eyes I shall force my blood down your throat. I will not lose my master."

She smiled at him weakly.

They waited, holding each other.

Integra did not close her eyes.

***

"Why must everyone fuss over me?" Integra snapped from her bed. The doctor had ordered her to have two weeks of bed rest, but everyone knew she would be up after one. They all took turns sitting by her bed, making sure she didn't try to get up before the first week was up.

Walter looked at her wearily. "If we did not make sure you were in your bed you would drag yourself to the office, and what fine impression that would make on everyone."

Integra scowled. "Next you'll be spoon-feeding me."

Alucard appeared in the doorway, it was his turn to watch. Walter rose from the chair by the bed and exited the room. Alucard sank into the chair. "Come to baby-sit me next?" She asked. She turned away from him.

"Your choice." He said. He couldn't see the expression on her face. "Why leave yourself unguarded?"

She still faced away from him. "Dulcibell was strong. I used weapons on her you could not. You weren't the real mark anyway. It was my fight." She turned, looking down at her hands. She looked suddenly younger. "I couldn't take any chances."

Alucard thought this over; his mind went back to the chess game. "You let me win." He mused.

Integra only smiled as she continued to look down at her hands.

AN: Yay! Another chappy finished! Next one might not come up for a couple of days, just a warning.