Hellsing Fan Fiction / Trinity Blood Fan Fiction ❯ When Doves Cry ❯ The Howling ( Chapter 4 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

Chapter Four
The Howling

Alucard watched the strange priest run towards the scent of blood, with a look to his Draculina they ran in pursuit of Abel. Alucard wondered if Abel was after the same blood trail that he was interested in himself. There was someone here that still carried a very familiar scent in their blood. Abel's trail and the blood scent were still on the same path for now so Alucard followed Abel as they rushed through the front gates and into the compound of a large cathedral. Until those two courses diverged Alucard was not forced to make a choice that would tip off Abel to his new discovery. Though a quick tug on his white glove proved the situation wasn't as good for him as it could have been, or it meant the source of the scent wasn't dead just yet.

“Master, that smell, is it the last of them?” Seras asked her question inside Alucard's head. She figured her Master would want this conversation be kept from Abel's ears, and while he didn't appear to be in any shape to eavesdrop Seras was not taking any chances.

“No,” His response had been blunt and caustic, upset that his chains were still locked tight to him. At least he was free of that damned cell.

It was a good thing they hadn't settled into a long conversation as Abel had turned into a large office room, and was now slumped over a blood covered person dressed in scarlet robes. The body had been propped up in the chair, arms crossed on the table in front, with the head flopped down on it's shoulder, throat cut from ear to ear.

Alucard took a minute to assimilate the smell and deal with the fact the body dressed in Cardinal's robes was female. The scent of her blood mixed with Abel's tears was a bad combination, that scent formed the basis for some of Alucard's worst memories. Abel's tears were much like his own, as for the woman, she was a Hellsing heir. The battle that lead up to his imprisonment had involved both of those.

“It was a diversion.” The deadly calm voice that hissed those words could only have come from Abel, but that was a tone they hadn't expected from the clownish priest. “I wondered why Cain was so interested in the Bird of Hermes, he was never fond of the old stories. He knew that if I even thought he might be on your trail that I would end up looking for you myself. He never intended for me to actually find you, just for me to leave this place long enough for his soldiers to carry out this massacre.”

“What will you do now Priest?” Alucard spoke with a wicked smile that showed far more sharpened white teeth than was possible.

Abel knew the Nosferatu was baiting him, wanting him to fight, instead he strangled the urge to transform and go on a rampage, there were more important things to deal with than his own rage and pain at the moment. “First priority is to find out if anyone survived. Chances are they attacked her first, the AX is the best defense the Vatican has, take us out and you have a better chance of getting to the heart of the matter. Hopefully Alessandro made it out before they got to him.”

“Who is that?” What human could be so important to this Crusnik that he would set aside that much rage for?

“He is the pope, but I have known him since he was a small child. It is hard for me to use proper titles when not speaking to him in a formal setting.” Abel admitted as he forced his gaze away from Caterina's corpse, knowing if he didn't distract himself quickly he would lose his fight against the rampage stirring in his blood, it would be unstoppable.

“What are his chances?” Seras asked knowing her Master was holding back information from them, Alucard kept his secrets closely guarded, but it was fairly easy to see he had one in the first place.

Abel looked grim, “Not good, Alessandro is still very young and doesn't have much physical strength. If he couldn't run fast enough or find a good enough place to hide than he is dead.”

Abel didn't wait for the conversation to continue as he swept out of the room on his search for survivors. Already relaying the grim news to Sister Kate aboard the airship Iron Maiden, requesting back up for himself and any possible survivors. Kate's reply was a strangled affirmative, the news driving her into auto-pilot mode as her emotions shut down for the duration of the crisis, she could break down about this later.

Abel was a bit relieved to hear that Sister Kate knew at least two AX members were out on mission, and therefore would not be added to the body count in the blood drenched Cathedral.

The blood scent was thick in the air, causing the thirst to rise in Alucard as they went from room to room finding systematically executed bodies. It wasn't until they neared Francesco's quarters and the Pope's office that they noticed any signs of a return struggle. Abel figured the assault had started with Caterina and continued on killing as silently as possible, someone must have managed to fight back enough to scream and alert Francesco's men who died much more violently than those in Caterina's section of the building.

Abel's minimal hope of finding Caterina's little brother alive was dashed when he began smelling Francesco's blood adding to the mix. The man might talk of war and battles but he rarely fought himself if he was dead so were his guards, leaving Alessandro defenseless. Though he did notice the oddity of Alucard tugging at his white gloves, the vampire Lord didn't seem the type to fidget even with all the blood scenting the air. What was wrong with the ancient Nosferatu?

“Do you smell the Pope's blood?” Seras asked Able, never having smelled Alessandro's blood before, and without knowing Caterina and him were related, she had no way of identifying his scent among the rest of the dead Priest's and guards.

Abel forced himself to calm as he smelled the air deeply, human blood did not invoke thirst but many of his friends and comrades were among the dead. His need to protect and avenge fought to wake the dangerous monster that lurked inside him. He kept moving towards the area of the building where Alessandro was at, realizing in his panic he hadn't noticed that he didn't smell the young pope's blood.

“The woman in the Cardinal's robes, does she have living family?” Alucard's question caught Abel off guard as he intently searched for any trace of Alessandro. The only reason Abel could figure out why he would care is if Caterina had been a part of the only human family the master vampire was compelled to keep track of.

“Caterina was a descendant of Hellsing wasn't she?” Alucard made no move to flinch or otherwise give away the truth of the statement, but Alucard's deadly response was proof enough.

“Just answer the question! How many are left?” He was growling with impatience at the lack of a swift answer.   

“Two brothers, Francesco whom I suspect is dead from the amount of blood he has lost, and Alessandro the Pope I have been searching for. None of the three have children, and their parents were killed in a Methuselah attack when Alessandro was barely a toddler.” Talking helped distract Abel from his growing stress at not finding a trace of the young man.

“So the Vatican dogs did get to her,” Alucard mused lowly, now knowing he could probably find this pope before the Crusnik. That woman had been a direct heir, no doubt about it, if it was true Alessandro was the only one left than all it would take would be for him to zero in on the leash carried in the Boy's blood. Yet Alucard was in no hurry to inform the frantic Priest of this fact, he wanted to see just where this creature's limits were, and it had been a very long time since he had enjoyed a good fight with an opponent even close to his power level.

“I can't find any sign of Alessandro, which may be a good thing, hopefully he had time to escape.” Abel  spoke aloud despite the fact the statement was more for his own comfort than their information.

“Or they killed him without spilling blood.” Alucard gleefully informed him. “This Contra Mundi of yours knows about your abilities, this could be a goof way of giving you false hope.”

Abel knew Alucard delighted in pushing his buttons, and it made him even more irritable to realize it was working. “Hold your tongue!” Abel gritted out through clenched teeth.

Alucard replied with another of his bone chilling grins, “Your little pope could be dead and gone what are you gonna do about it?”

That was the last thing Abel heard before his blood ran hot in his skin, his wings erupted from his shoulders, and his eyes bled to red as he whispered the words that let the straining monster in his veins run free. Holding his blood red scythe in front of him offensively he lashed out and attacked Alucard, the only thing available for him to take his aggression out on.

Alucard threw his head back and laughed maniacally, “AHH! Now were having fun!” Drawing his well used guns from there holsters he fired off a few quick shots at the charging Crusnik, his grin only spreading as Abel dodged every one.

“I am not so easy to kill!” Abel hissed, swinging his scythe, and feeling the static charge building up in his midnight wings. His thirst awoke with a vengeance as his blade cut into the ancient vampire, the pure nearly black blood dripped down the crimson coat, alighting the fire in both monster's veins.

A rain of gunfire and the swish of the fast swings of the massive blade was the background noise as they battled fiercely, screaming insults and taunts at each other. Abel working out his rage, and Alucard having fun for the first time in millenia.

Forcing the vampire back step by step, Abel ducked below another barrage of bullets and came up under Alucard's defense, clamping his mouth to the wound he had made, drinking in as much as he could before Alucard threw him off with a growl.

Abel carefully licked his lips to not waste a drop of the crimson liquid. “You are the one who played with fire.” Abel taunted as he felt his blood stream boil as Alucard's blood rushed to every cell in his body, it was like he had lava running through his veins. It was intoxicating in a way alcohol could never be.

Alucard forewent his bullets and slammed bodily into the Crusnik, they snarled and fought like a pair of wild animals, Abel's eyes glowing brighter than they had ever seen,. Alucard's hat and glasses were long gone his wild black hair and blood red eyes making him look even more like the demon he was.

“Abel stop this at once!” The voice was sharp and feminine, and just distracting enough for Abel to turn from Alucard and see Sister Kate staring at them with wide eyes, Seras standing beside her had much the same expression.

Seeing her brought Abel down from the high of drinking Alucard's blood, though a feeling a vitality lingered. “I apologize Sister Kate, I don't know what came over me.” He admitted, breaking off his grappling match with the very disappointed Alucard.

“Pull yourself together, we need to focus, are there any survivors?” Sister Kate asked, she would have let Abel fight longer if she thought this creature had anything to do with the massacre, but Abel's earlier report had mentioned the two Nosferatu.

Abel took a few deep steadying breath and battled his  Crusnik side into submission, allowing his human appearance to return. He realized this was possibly a mistake while Alucard was still so worked up, but it was easier to think when his monster wasn't on the surface. “None that we could locate, but Alessandro is not among the dead, and I can find no trace of him, he may still be alive.”

“Than we must find him.” Sister Kate ordered, pulling out her communicator to get in touch with the rest of her men, and organize a search party for Alessandro. “Abel, I have been in touch with Queen Ester as well as the Empress, there will be a meeting in Albion to discuss this attack and what to do next.” She informed him after passing on the message to find the young Pope.

“Alucard if you want a rematch you should stick around, otherwise you'll just get bored.” Abel enticed, knowing the offer of another fight just might make the Nosferatu stay around long enough to be of some use.

Alucard didn't reply, just gathered his hat and sunglasses from Seras who had retrieved them so they wouldn't be trampled in the fight. “Thank you my Draculina,” He spoke neither caustically or complimentary, but with a lazy kind of grin that didn't reveal if he was teasing or commending her. He turned to Abel and gave a mocking bow, straightening quickly before returning to his normal relaxed pose.

Abel figured that was all the answer he was going to get, and even though he knew there had to be ulterior motives driving Alucard he couldn't help but be a bit relieved that the Nosferatu had decided to stay. He could still taste the blood lingering on his lips, and he was dying for another taste.
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