Hellsing Fan Fiction ❯ Youth and Innocence ❯ chapter 6 ( Chapter 6 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

Youth and Innocence

Chapter 6

Given a choice between the two monsters, Walter would've chosen Alucard. He and Leung rode in near silence. Even in a brotherhood of killers, there were some things too dark, too dirty to share. He wished he hadn't pushed the man, pushed him into a confession that Walter didn't want to hear, didn't want to make hard decisions about. His priority was to keep Integra safe. Dammit! He'd always liked Pat.

“She's on the move again. East.” The man Walter had thought he'd known told him in a soft voice.

Walter turned the car, following the signal despite their inability to get visual confirmation. It was hard to see this as anything except a trap, a set up. He wished he still smoked. Double damn. “Pat, could you radio back to Pettrus and see if Reynolds has checked in? We could use help if they're on their way back.” He saw Leung look to him briefly, but neither man wanted eye contact.

They used government repeaters, but still coded all messages to ensure security. Leung preferred the newer communications systems, but as clumsy as this was, he was able to get through whenever he needed to. Packet systems, cellular and satellite transmissions all held promise, but Hellsing was at the mercy of the Queen when it came to updating large systems. “Negative,” he reported and went back to scouting. The chill from Walter was to be expected. He never thought the other men could understand, never tried to communicate or reach out to anyone. Well, Arthur of course, he'd understood. Sent the agent off for help where Leung learned the tools he needed to get by. Meditation was key, but there were other ways to channel his needs. Healthy ways, like visualizing his enemies as girls just on the cusp of womanhood. Dear God, he prayed, let there be a lot of impure souls tonight, Amen! The uncomfortable silence settled back down between them until the next directional change. Finally Leung whispered handing over the night vision binoculars, “Visual. There she is,” pointing to three shapes still a ways off along the sidewalk. The city was still active, but on a Sunday night most businesses were long since closed and many streets were dark.

Walter gripped the wheel, face blank. They passed the trio and pulled into a space once he felt they were out of range. He thought she looked frightened. Her own selfishness had gotten her into this trouble. If her life could be spared, fine. But he reminded himself, that wasn't the objective. He wanted to take down the vampires in charge. Alucard had rattled them, that much was clear. Walter's mood shifted, what was he going to do about that bastard vampire? Punishment needed to be swift and certain or he would have the run of the mansion, but she was too upset to think clearly about it. Alucard hadn't admitted guilt and was angered when Walter told him not to hunt tonight. He needed Integra to be strong, dammit. “What's your take, Pat?”

“The silver haired one's definitely vamp, the dark one looks human, but could just be young, hard to tell. Bird's one stop from screaming,” he swallowed, mouth dry. This was the worst part of a mission, he thought, when you have visual, but can't attack. To get the best chance at the top members of the ring, they had to let the trap set.

“Not sure what we've got here, Pat,” Walter's voice broke the unease of the moment. “But if it turns out to be major... Well, you're a hell of a fighter.”

“Ah, shut up Old Man,” he replied fondly, “you're making me blush. I'll keep the ghouls off your arse.” At least Walter was able to look at him again, he thought.

“Right then, let's take out the trash.” Both men grinned wickedly before falling silent, watching the three figures go into a building. After an exterior search, they followed.

Integra winced in sympathy as Reynolds was dragged down the staircase without dignity. He wasn't a small man, but looked like a rag doll the way she swung him as the vampire swayed toward Draper. “So this is the child?” the vampire asked as she blew him a kiss.

Integra tried to imagine the scene from Agent Leung's perspective. Draper was armed with two weapons, a rifle and pistol. The rifle was a long range threat and required two hands, so her real worry was his revolver. The vampire was an all around worry.

He jerked her shoulder, pushing Integra toward the vampire, then letting her go. “Yeah, no trouble, though.”

Integra swung around, her knee connecting with his groin. Her handgun went a bit wild, but she managed to pistol whip the tall man's chin as he doubled over. Without staying to see the effect, she ran back the way they'd come. Her useless pistol clattered along the marble floor. Laughter followed her and she found herself stopped by the female vampire's hand on her neck.

“Nice move lambkin,” she cooed at Integra. Integra was shaken lightly by the neck as the vampire raised her off the floor to pull her around and look into her eyes. “You're just a bundle of trouble, aren't you?”

“Let me go! I order you! Put me down!” Her protestations earned her more laughter. Vampires must believe all that self help crap about the healing power of laughter, she thought. Her kicks had almost no force as her feet were still off the ground. Draper was now visible, approaching them with a look that removed any good feelings she'd ever had about him. He looked more like a character actor, the sort with the drooping nose or bulging eyes, never the lead male but always kept busy playing henchmen. It didn't seem like he was playing now. His Browning .22 looked a lot bigger as it was pointed at her head.

“He wants her dead, Cherry.” Integra heard the safety release.

“Back off Stephan, she's my kill,” the vampire turned her head and smiled a crooked grin at the agent. He hesitated, but didn't lower the gun. Integra still dangled, the hands on her throat hadn't tightened but she felt the power that surged through the vampire and knew she could be easily crushed. She stopped swinging her legs and let her own hands rest on the vampire's forearms, easing the pain and saving her strength.

“Who?” she squeaked, “Walter?”

Her enemies looked at each other for a second and apparently came to some understanding as Draper lowered his gun and crossed his arms as he backed up saying, “Don't make me laugh, girl. Walter will be floating in the River Cam by morning.”

“She has spunk, Stephan. If she weren't so young, I'd take her,” the female looked at Integra's eyes meeting an icy gaze that she wouldn't have expected from a thirteen year old. She finally set her down, cool hands still clamped around the girl's throat. “You'll find, though, that we're not the weak sort of vampires you can control.” She brought her face closer to Integra's, sniffing the blood that was beginning to calm down, her heart rate losing the panicked pace it had kept up.

“Perhaps it's time to test that,” Integra said with all the calm she could muster. She felt a sensation like she'd felt when Alucard's voice was in her mind, but there was no sound. Was it him? Why wouldn't he help her?

The vampire, Cherry he'd called her, glanced quickly at Draper. “He's back at your place, right?”

“That's right, before we left,Walter said it was staying in tonight.” He smiled at Integra, “Your pet is across London right about now.”

Integra felt panic building, Alucard had told her to call him, had teased her about singing, but hadn't explained anything else. What should she do? A fist to her sternum took that worry away from Integra as she flew across the floor and landed with a crack against the wood paneled wall. When her breath finally returned, she looked up to see the vampire walking toward her with a feral grin.

“I want more fear from you, child,” she raised Integra up by her shoulders, shaking her violently and eliciting a soft cry that became a scream.

The scream grew as the vampire laughed. It began to take on shaped sounds, almost like vowels and consonants until, as it grew, it sounded like a name, “Alucard!” She began to scream it over and over though the shaking had stopped. Cherry was watching instead of hurting her now, confused as the room began to fill with red mist.

Alucard felt joyous as he pulled on his powers, “Releasing control art restriction level three, level two.” He formed behind the young vampire. She'd been an undead for as long as he'd been imprisoned, yet she was a pale imitation of a true vampire. She used her eyes to look for him in the inky shadows he created. Pity. Alucard's gloved hands appeared, pulling her face to where his body emerged from the darkness. “Are you so low that you hit this child?” He felt the agent behind him pull up his rifle and take aim close to Alucard's head. Why not? He let the holy silver imbued projectile hit full force. The pain, such as it was, delighted him, but not nearly as much as the cries it drew from Integra to see her protector fall.

Draper walked over to the body, kicking it with one Hellsing issued boot. “You just can't get good help, Integra,” he gloated, shifting so his handgun was aimed at her again. “Truth be told I was getting worried what with this dragging on and all, but it's more fun this way little girl.” He walked away from the body, oblivious to the essences coiling about the floor. “Don't you want to play with her any more, darling?” he turned to Cherry stunned by her lack of humor.

She was staring at Alucard's body, an expression of fear on her face. “He's... no, impossible,” she shook her head, the humans in the room were nothing to her, even her accomplice was worth sacrificing. She'd taken him after a raid on a nest she'd been resting at a year ago. He was ripe with self esteem issues, and she seduced him with a gun to her chest. The promise of joining her as a vampire kept him in the fold, but she was just playing him; he was such a fool. She'd become a part of the cult conspiracy at the time, and he fed them theological arguments and practical information about the Convention of Twelve and Hellsing. Cherry had laughed with him at the notion of Hellsing hiding a cheap vampire. Now she saw the evidence right in front of her and was smart enough to understand. This creature must be holding the girl in thrall, not the other way around. He resumed his form as she grabbed at Integra. “Don't! Take them, but don't touch me,” she shouted at his mocking visage.

“What the Hell? Hey Cherry can you do that thing too?” Draper was clearly impressed even as he reloaded his rifle.

“Master, your orders?” Alucard stared directly into Integra's eyes, ignoring the lesser creatures for the time being.

“Help me!” She thought he looked almost disappointed, so she added, “kill her.” The hold on her tightened; there seemed to be fear in this vampire, fear of Alucard, fear of his power.

“If you come one step closer, I'll tear her throat out,” Cherry moved Integra, bringing her closer to the fangs.

Draper aimed his rifle at Alucard again. “Can you do that thing again, demon?”

Alucard kept his eyes on Integra, “Naturally I will kill her, my Master, but what of the one who is under my protection? Your agent?” His white gloved hand gestured with a twist and the rifle flew from Draper's hand, clattering across the marble floor. “Don't you recall your grand speech?”

“She'll be infected and become my slave. Stop! Don't come any closer unless you want her dead!” Cherry's voice had become more and more desperate, despite the fact that Alucard hadn't moved. She wrenched one of Integra's arms hard behind her back. “Maybe she'll become a ghoul, if you've been a naughty boy.”

Integra fought back a whimper and kept her eyes locked to Alucard's. She saw a ghost of a smile on his lips. “No, the order is changed. Servant, kill them both. He is no longer Hellsing's,” she tried to keep the cry of pain from her voice as her arm was again twisted, a crunching sound precipitated blinding pain, “Quickly, dammit!” The small smile she thought she'd seen grew as her vision went dark.

“No!” Cherry knew the end was coming, but instead of running she decided to take the girl down with her. She lifted her, intending to snap the child's spine across her knee and sink her teeth into the soft neck. Faster than she could execute her idea, black tendrils were twisting around her captive and her own body. This she could understand, this was something she could fight. Cherry let her powers collect about her and pulled up a gray fog. She heard a hissing laugh and Alucard's hand reached inside the gray shadow cloud pulling her head out. “Stop!” she screamed, “Why are you doing this? We can work together. Kill them, but let me go and my master will reward you. If you're bound to this child, I'll kill her for you, but let's-,” a strangled cry ended her offer as rows of shark like teeth took off her face, tearing through her head with angry snaps.

Stunned by the sight, Draper almost lowered his .22, but thrust grief from his mind as the monster turned to look at him, mouth dripping with dark blood, cartilage and brain matter. Integra was still entwined in the black tendrils that trailed from the creature, but she was rousing and fought at the silky caresses. Draper changed his aim, taking a bead on her. As he pulled the trigger, an axe burst through his head, splitting his body down to the collar bone. Reynolds stood on shaking legs before falling forward onto the carcass of his fellow agent, the man he'd once thought of as a friend. Alucard shielded Integra from the shot, but the blackened flesh sizzled and retracted into the mass of shadows. He freed her from his protection and watched with some interest as his flesh fought the holy silver until it formed a cover, becoming a minor leg wound. To heal faster he'd need fresh blood, and there was plenty of that on the cool floor. He moved to the agents' bodies which lay in a spreading pool and bent his head down, large tongue lolling out to lap up the healing fluid.

“NO!”

Alucard hesitated, moving one eye to look at the child through a curtain of living hair. She stood now, arms akimbo, looking like a stern school teacher with an errant pupil. He could delve into her mind he supposed, but she was full of surprises today and his existence was generally lacking in that commodity, so he waited for her to speak.

“I have decided on your punishment,” she tried to keep her voice level, her tone firm and her legs from failing her. “You shall only drink blood that Hellsing provides you.” She watched eyes widen and nostrils flare on a face that spoke of carnage.

A dangerous moment passed before he spoke, “This is my reward for saving you?”

“You need no reward for saving me Alucard. That is your job is it not?” She put her hurt hand behind her and the other held onto a shelf for dear life as she went on, “What you need is to learn your place. A boy died tonight. He didn't deserve that! His only crime-”

Alucard tried hard to bite back his anger. “An unfortunate accident, as I heard.,” He interrupted her, standing at his full height and staring her down.

She looked into his wild crimson eyes, not flinching. “That is how we will speak of it, but you shan't step out of line again. Do you understand me?”

He bowed to her, listening to the sound of her heart pumping strong, sweet blood, “My Master.” He watched her fight the light headed feeling resulting from so much adrenaline in her blood. Adrenaline was one of a number of spices that he loved to taste, fresh from a young vein. He moved his hands behind his back to conceal the red glow of the symbols there.

“Reynolds!” She moved to the entwined bodies, rolling the large man to his back despite the pain she felt. She looked up at Alucard who shrugged his shoulders.

“Yes, but barely.” he answered the question in her mind. “He will die soon as well,” he wondered at her concern, at the tears that welled in her eyes.

“What should I do?” She couldn't drive yet, although it looked easy enough really.

“Contact Walter and call for an ambulance, I'd expect,” his voice showed his lack of interest in the topic, but her face lit up and his eyes were drawn quickly back to hers.

“Walter. Draper said something about Walter.” She had a very good memory, but the evening's events had blurred together after Reynolds went upstairs, “He's in a trap! Somewhere along the River Cam. Can you find him?”

There were few he had ever considered to be friends, in any part of his existence. In his time with Hellsing, only Walter had seen him as he truly was, the full monster that he was inside and out. Yet it was Walter who gave him friendship. “Yes, my Master. If that is your order?” Another thought occurred to him, “Or I could save this agent's life? Carry him to a hospital? I can't do both.” He could of course, but it would be far more interesting to see what she would do. He kept his face grave, as if he were concerned.

Integra needed no time to think, “Save Walter, Alucard. I'll see to Reynolds as best I can, but please, save Walter.” With a grin worthy of the Cheshire cat, he was gone.

Walter was reminded of the ancient Roman gladiators, forced to fight to the death for the amusement of citizens who packed the stadiums. He and Arthur had, in recent years, many long conversations about history and this was one theme they both enjoyed. The parallels between the agents who willingly put their lives on the line and the well trained, but doomed men who chanted “We who are about to die salute you,” were multifaceted. Thanks to the twisted souls who arranged this trap, the parallels were more apparent to Walter than usual.

Ghouls seemed to keep pouring into the old nightclub. The “circus” wasn't packed with Romans tonight but there were seven vampires visible on the balcony level that ringed the dance floor. Stairs led up to where there had once been bars for the non-dancers. No doubt the ones up there now were directing their ghouls, trying to move them along like chess pieces and watching as they were ripped apart by wires, knives and blessed bullets. He could hear them cheer or argue with each other as there were periodic dips in the battle sounds on the floor. What he wanted most was to get to the stairs that led backstage. Vampires, with their flair for drama, would likely be hiding behind the closed black curtain. He hoped that was where he'd find Emily and any other of tonight's victims. As he was calculating his killing radius, Walter did a rough estimate of the number of ghouls relative to recent missing persons reports. Not everyone who disappears is reported, of course, and not every missing person turns up a ghoul, but these vampires must've been busy like bunnies. Zombie lifespans were short, probably near three months before they literally rot away. Considering the fifty or so they'd taken out in Scotland, disappearances far outnumbered reported cases. There was a recent bus holiday that went missing near Bath, but that was the only large scale missing persons report in the last month. Then again, this conspiracy held an unknown number of churches in its clutches. A person missing from each could add up right quick while avoiding notice. He made a note to check that theory if he survived.

Watching Dollnez perform his dance of death, Leung felt a new surge of respect for the old rake. A solid kick placed one of the ghouls attacking him into the way of Dollnez's retracting wires and he saw Walter's killer smile flash. “We keeping count?” He shouted at the Trash man, but his words were eaten up in the torrent of moans and yells. Didn't matter anyway Pat grinned, Walter kept count all the time. Hell, he probably knew his lifetime kills if anyone cared to ask. Years ago one of the agents started writing up kills, mainly to tease Walter. They all inflated their numbers versus the actual number on the reports, but it didn't matter, he'd take it seriously and congratulate whoever had the highest number that month. Finally they stopped, it got depressing. None of them ever got close to his count. Leung's attention was brought back to the present with another splattering of ghoul parts across his chest as one of his shots missed the heart of an oncoming ghoul. He slit the charging corpse open with one hand, while putting a round through its temple with the other. The ghouls began a more coordinated assault, apparently designed to push them back under the left rear balcony. He'd been trying to clear a pocket for Walter to run through, but went back to plan B and scattered his shots for maximum damage across the room. Switching out magazines on his modified Glock .45 made him vulnerable, so he signaled to Walter then jumped on the abandoned bar. It was from this vantage point that he saw the rocket-propelled grenade launcher.

The silver haired vampire they'd seen earlier stood dressed in white church vestments in front of the darkened stage, taking aim in the sights of the shoulder mounted RPG. How accurate do you have to be with a rocket launcher anyway? Leung was able to shout exactly two words before the area they were in became a flaming mess and, in retrospect he wished it had been something less profane. Perhaps something useful, like “Run away!” or “Incoming fire!” but at least he lived to regret his choice. He'd lost sight of Walter in the confusion of flaming ghouls, falling wood and steel supports. “Walter!” Though there was sound all around him Leung could barely hear anything, even his own screams were muffled by the damage to his auditory system. In the past, vampires were reluctant to use explosives and weapons that spread fire owing to the flammability of undead flesh, so they didn't expected it, never took precautions. Nothing had seemed normal to Leung since Arthur died. He felt his back muscles shiver and he shook his head, trying to get his ears to work again. The fire did succeed in pushing back the tide of ghouls and for that he was grateful. With his gun reloaded he crouched low, moving along the wreckage as he tried to find the vamp that took out Dollnez. He had the taste of failure in his mouth, but there was still a mission to complete.

Over half a century before he'd put his plan into motion, the vampire king Dracula became interested in the spreading nation of Great Britain. The conflicts in the New World held little interest, but the later wars with Napoleon did ignite his imagination. He watched and encouraged the chaos that consumed Europe during that time. England had flexed its might on the continent before, but this was done with a different tone. They took the role of world protector and they took it very seriously. For his own reasons, he began to take the England equally serious. With decades to study and plan, he learned the language and obtained maps. It was fairly easy therefore, to turn his masses to the west and fly back toward the city of Cambridge. The River Cam is generally agreed to be a thirteen mile stretch of river, though in his lifetime it had been longer. Since Alucard was going on a fragment of Integra's memory of a cryptic statement, he thought he'd start his search in Cambridge where he and Walter had recently traveled. Owing to the perversities of the vampire psyche, he felt confident the cultists would be either in the vicinity of Jesus Green or near the college's church. The Angel of Death in a trap? Pity the ones who catch him, he thought.

The young vampire laughed at the fool charging him. He wasn't very powerful yet but still many times stronger than he'd been as a living man and he was sure he'd been stronger than this old man then. He'd get praises and maybe promoted within the brethren when he brought the body back, minus some blood of course. Confusion crossed his face as he found himself ensnared in wires that burned as they cut through his skin. Too late he reached for the handgun in his waistband. The old man didn't slow down as he charged through the dust cloud on his way backstage.

The element of surprise was the one thing they had lost by walking into a known trap, but now the vampires had given it back to them. Well, he corrected himself, back to him. Pity about Pat. Walter hadn't seen the explosive coming, but was able to dive out of the way due to Leung's warning. Thanks to the confusion, he'd made some headway toward his goal.

A shambling mass of anger came up from behind Walter, tackling him. The inhuman strength in its arms served to break several of the ribs that had finally healed. He cried out in pain and struggled to flip the ghoul over before it could get its teeth around his neck. He owed thanks to his partner for teaching him how to find leverage in such a situation. He also owed desperation for the burst of strength that made it possible. The ghoul was slow to respond to the change in perspective allowing Walter to break its grasp. So much for surprise, he thought as he put a round through the zombie's head. Its vampire master would be aware of him now. He found a narrow staircase and followed it up.

Halfway up he held his side and promised himself that once he got Integra up and running as director he'd retire. With his retirement money plus his savings he could get a nice place, maybe up in the Lakes and tinker about in an old shed fixing things. He laughed at himself and started up again. No, a nice retirement wasn't in the cards for him. He knew too much. Maybe she'd let him stay and train the new kids? Maybe not, he sighed as he reached the top.

Drawn by the smell of dark magic, Alucard stood on the green shore of the river. He could cross moving water, but wondered why the young creatures here chose a location so near a waterway? There were six vampires herding four humans who huddled together out of fear on this warm night. The humans were wet, though their white robes seemed dry. He presented himself in front of strange group. “What have we here?”

The vampires had been focused on getting the people moving but stopped short when they saw him. He made sure they got a full view of his fangs. “Oh, good,” said a young one, a leader perhaps? “You're from the church? Did we get those commando blokes yet? Are we to bring this lot back or should we do it here? We put up the screens and baptized the initiates, just like they told us.”

Alucard let his grin widen. “By all means, let's hurry back.”

The one who had spoken before seemed relieved, “Good. I didn't want to wait too long, but if we did it out here, we'd have to carry these bodies, see?” The bodies in question looked more frightened by the second.

Alucard recognized the scent of Walter's contact, the woman who had wanted to conquer death. It looked like she'd changed her mind. They all had now that the reality was around them; pushing them along like cattle. He walked with them for a minute until they were clearly heading toward a road, then he stopped suddenly. “Can you smell that?”

The vampires stopped, humans knocking into their solid bodies and whimpering softly. Amid the sounds of confusion and questions directed toward him he detected suspicion. The young one who fancied himself in charge was accustomed to the oddities of the elder vampires, so he hushed the others and asked politely, “What do you smell, sir?”

“Fear,” Alucard looked at them all seriously, as if trying to teach them something. The young vampires became excited and he reflected that feeling back at them until they all entered a light stage of blood lust. “They fear death, but what of you? What does the Risen fear?” He let his shadows begin to play among them, slowly working the humans away from the vampires. The shadows took on demonic forms with his eyes and features. The Hellsings held the keys to his power and the fullness of it was locked away from him but, if he managed it properly, he could pull on hints of it. This he did under the cover of the cultists masking spell.

Some of the young ones began to understand, “What's, what are you doing?” one asked before Alucard's white glove tore through his chest, ripping the deadened heart out and causing the body to collapse into dust. More of his shadow demons sprouted long arms with gloved hands and made quick work of the poor fools who had fallen for that mockery of religion. His minions disappeared, reabsorbed back into the darkness around him.

Only then did he turn to the humans, held firm by more of his magic. Were it not for her new rule, Alucard could term them suicides. Under the old rules of Arthur Hellsing, that made them food. When they gave up hope, gave up their hold on their pitiful lives, he'd accept them as sustenance and push their souls along to face the terrible judgment that awaited for making the final choice of Judas. Had she not put the restriction on him, he wouldn't give them the next choice. These fools would get another chance to change their minds, though all respect for them was lost. He turned his many eyes to them. “Well, what is your choice? Will you return with me to the pitiful new religion you embraced?” They were safe from him as long as they renounced their decision. He may not be able to partake but he could put dogs down. None of them could speak, eyes as large as owls looked back at him but every head shook back and forth as they clutched one another with frightened arms. Good, he thought, they have learned something tonight. Not that he could let them remember. “Go,” he told them, moving sets of red eyes to mesmerize them, “Go to your home. Forget what you have seen and recommit yourselves to your God.” He left them, his mission foremost in his mind. Moving in the direction the young vampires had set, he reached out his mind to find Walter.

The overall number of ghouls was down dramatically, Leung sent a prayer of thanks up for that. He enjoyed killing more than anything else... that he allowed himself, but even he had his limits. Dollnez might be in his element among this many ghouls, but he was not. Leung retrieved his last knife from the mass of ghoul jelly in front of him. There was an explosive in his bag, but he planned on using that only as a last resort. Right now he was chasing the fleeting glimpses of silver and white that he hoped meant the priest vamp was near. Hopefully his RPG was not. Leung's ears were still thudding; not something he wanted to go through again.

As he rounded a column, yet another ghoul intercepted him, trying to knock his legs out from under him. He jumped to avoid the hunk of wood in the thing's hands and reflected that most professional athletes would be retired by the time they neared fifty. If only he'd done better in football, he laughed, laying a kick that Best might have envied on the head of the zombie. It wasn't enough, but it gave him space to breathe. The ghoul lunged again, wood aimed this time at Leung's head. It whizzed above the man as he went low, sweeping his leg behind the lumbering creature's knees. The laws of nature being what they were, he let it fall before smashing in its face with his elbow. Though he couldn't hear, his eyes tracked his target vampire walking toward him, brown leather gloves clapping. There were no ghouls around, a minor blessing. Leung pulled his body back into a position to face the vampire. He knew not to look at its eyes, but instead focused on the grinning, moving mouth. Even without lip reading, he could guess at the bombastic, ego maniacal nonsense it would be spouting. He let his Glock answer for him, but the bullets flew off course, as if a shield stood between the vampire and himself. Damn, he thought as he reached around for his backpack. The vampire moved his fingers, uttering words left unheard as the agent's throat began to constrict. He tried to stay calm and reach the timer's trigger. The phantom fingers began to crush his windpipe; his world went dark.

Even human eyes could see that there was nothing in the shadows here. Nothing, dammit. Walter moved across the backstage, trying to sense anything out of the ordinary. Of course, it all was, wasn't it? Vampires don't use shoulder mounted weaponry, they always go for dramatic grandstanding... What was the world coming to? He found a doorway leading to a back room, but from the sounds just starting, the main action was going on back in the front of the club. As Walter crossed back to the stairs, he felt rather than saw that the shadows had changed. Bugger, he thought. Over the many years of his career, intuition was what saved his life. He couldn't measure a vampire's power or know what it could do jut to look at it, but when the hair stood up on his neck, it meant something major was near. He slowed, trying to find a good place to fight from. There would be no hiding from this creature. Red eyes looked at him and the familiarity of them surprised him to his core. It didn't matter the wrapping, they were always recognizable. A smile lit up the shadow. Walter smiled, shook his head and turned. With Hellsing's monster at his back, he walked calmly to the large black curtain leading out to the club, to the audience.

Sitting grandly in the clothes of clergy, oblivious to the surrounding disaster of the flames and falling structures, the silver haired vampire cradled Agent Patrick Leung's body like a doll. “So, you come to me, Hellsing?”

Walter smiled as he jumped from the stage front. Alucard remained hidden, though no doubt detected. “Release him.”

“Or what? Will you set your dog on me?” The vampire pointed at the stage, “Who holds the leash on him? You?” There was real curiosity behind the posing. “Or the little girl we killed tonight?”

In his surprise, Walter took his eyes off his foe, searching for Alucard. If he were free...

“Relax old man,” Alucard's voice echoed in the club. “She lives,” he brushed his mind along hers and felt her strength as she barked orders at the hospital staff. In another city, fresh off her first helicopter ride she was explaining that they wouldn't find Reynolds in their records, that she wasn't his daughter and that they'd bloody well have to keep him alive. “Reynolds barely lives and Draper is dead.” He was pleased to see that Walter's focus was back on his enemy. It was unwise to turn away from a vampire, even one as mediocre as this one.

“Release him,” Walter decided not to banter with the creature. He couldn't tell if Leung would make it. When the vampire smiled instead of complying, Walter spoke over his shoulder, “Alucard, kindly rip his head off, but do save Pat if you can. We've lost enough tonight, by the sounds of it.” To his surprise, Alucard chuckled.

“That is not part of my mission, Walter. I am here only to save you,” he wanted to show who he served, though he felt Walter's frustration. Without his help, Walter would have to shoot or shred through the agent. He'd do as Walter wanted, but couldn't help drawing it out, “Do you know what your 'friend' would do to her? I felt his need today. It screamed to me, outshining even my own thoughts for a time.”

Walter's face flushed, this was not the place for them to argue! With the enemy sitting there? Smiling as his forces were regrouping and making their way to his aid? “This is hardly- Yes. Stop it! Yes, I have an inkling, but he didn't, did he? He's controlled himself thus far. Can you save him or not?”

“Oh, do try,” the silver haired vampire cooed at Alucard as the Hellsing vampire finally materialized on the stage. Leung's body twisted and began to levitate as the priestly vampire stood. Until he had an idea of the pet's power, he had no intention of giving up his protection. He called his minions to keep the deadly agent occupied while the higher creatures played. Lifting his hands, he shot darts upward, shredding Alucard's torso with their needle sharp tips. Dribbles of blood oozed onto the white shirt.

“Pathetic,” Alucard spat. His fingers longed for the feel of his Casull, but it was back at Hellsing, out of commission. There were many ways to play with this fool. “Hiding behind a dying deviant? Are you out of ghouls? I've tasted your children, barely better than ghouls. Your Cherry? She died begging for her life.” He jumped down and circled the vampire, noting that Walter was looking for a clear shot. The limp body could only serve as distraction for so long.

Three vampires came from behind the rubble with a few ghouls shambling after them. They looked at Walter with hatred, he answered their looks with the calm of death itself. He had hoped to use his wires to rescue Leung's body from between the posing Nosferatu, but turned to face this threat instead. Did she really think he needed saving? He scoffed at the thought as he leaped between the approaching undead, silver imbued strings in motion. His speed was below the best that a vampire was capable of, but these weren't the best of vampires and they were crowding into his killing radius. He smiled and sliced through the body of one of them, separating the vampire's head from his shoulders. He spun about to similarly dispatch the one to his left when he heard the retort of a .9mm revolver. Luckily the vampire had aimed before Walter moved, so the wound was superficial, but it served to clear his thinking. Willing himself into his role as executioner, he pulled his wires, ripping through the two remaining vampires. He stood over the bodies of the ghouls, collapsing as the animating force fled with the life of the vampires that turned them. Walter prayed over them quickly and looked back to see how things stood for Alucard. Pat's body was still elevated, but seemed forgotten to the side as their battle moved into mental attacks. It shouldn't be long now, he thought, but still gently used his cables instead of trying to move closer to the battle. Alucard looked like he was still enjoying himself. This was not a thing Walter liked to witness, the human masks falling off of the vampires and their inner monsters coming to the fore. He shivered as Leung's body slid the last few feet, forgotten in the onslaught the silver haired vampire faced from Alucard. An idea struck Walter as he watched the last of the battle and he called out as the killing blow was about to be delivered.

Alucard stopped himself, but his form quivered with rage. “Dollnez,” he picked his words with care, “do not deny me this small pleasure.” First he couldn't hunt, now he can't kill?

“Not at all, Alucard, but I think you'll find greater pleasure in this; let us keep him,” Walter felt a grin starting.

“Angel of Death, you know me too well,” Alucard's face moved from rage to joy as he looked down at the frightened creature in his arms. “Ah, you are in for a treat!” He took a drop of blood from his sleeve, “Do you know who I am?” He spread the drop across the quivering lips of his victim. Involuntarily, it licked the blood away, eyes widening at the taste, but Alucard shushed him, “Shhh, don't bother to speak. Save your strength. We'll make your final trip to Hell a blessing. Rest now.” In his weakened state, there were no barriers to the mental blast Alucard used, putting the vampire to sleep. “Mission completed, limited release complete.” The girl was unable to acknowledge his report as she was sleeping in a car speeding back to Hellsing, her hand in a soft cast. Alucard looked up at Walter, knowing the human shared at least some of his excitement about the day that was dawning and he knew just the way to thank him.

Walter backed up as Alucard dropped the silver haired vampire and crossed the wooden floor toward him. For a second, he was afraid he would be the recipient of an unwelcome hug, but Alucard stopped at the unconscious agent in front of Walter. He looked down at the man for a moment before kneeling down and touching him with a gloved finger. Leung stirred, coughing as he gasped for breath, his eyes fluttering open and closed. Alucard took off one glove and gripped Leung's face firmly, holding his face only an inch away. Walter trusted Alucard not to kill Pat, though he wasn't sure what recourse there would be if he did. As the vampire had said, their time to fight was many years ago. Instead of snapping the agent's neck, Alucard did something even stranger. He opened his mouth, breathing a black, shadowy breath into Leung who stiffened at the touch, eyes suddenly opened in horror. The man flailed about and Walter came closer to the duo, unsure what to do. Alucard lifted the man, not breaking contact until the flailing stopped. Then he inhaled, made a face and pushed the agent into Walter's arms.

“There,” he said, “a gift for you.”

Walter let his confusion show, but Alucard turned and lifted up the captured vampire. “What the bloody Hell was that? Did you just heal him?” Pat was breathing regularly, though slumped now and unconscious.

“Don't be an idiot, Walter. Have you been listening to these cultists? I don't heal, I destroy,” he seemed to soften his tone after looking at Walter's face. “The shadows will hold his trachea, long enough anyway.” He sniffed the air, “Get him out quickly.”

“Alucard,” Walter called as the vampire started to leave, “fancy a ride? The sun's rising.” The vampire continued to walk, but leaned down to pick up a hat from the rubble. With his prisoner thrown over his shoulder, he walked out into the day. “Well, thank you anyway, my friend.” He shifted Leung to better carry him and walked toward the rear exit.

An explosion ripped the club in half, more of the balcony structure giving way around the load bearing column where Leung's black bag had been. Good old Pat, Walter thought, covering his nose and mouth as he dodged the debris, vampire corpses adding to the dust level. He left as the roof fell in.