Hellsing Fan Fiction / Weiss Kreuz Fan Fiction ❯ Beyond Mortal Blood ❯ It's Wonderful! It's Really Wonderful! ( Chapter 16 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

Hello everyone! I’m very pleased to welcome you all back to another installment of BMB! We’re getting towards the end, now, folks. It’s really rather unfortunate, but all good things must come to an end, no? You know the drill.

READ, ENJOY, REVIEW!

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The remainder of the building found its destruction as Aya knelt to pick up his explosives control. With a sick feeling in his gut, he turned from the holocaust, slender digit pressing down upon the button as he stepped into the dead night. Wood shattered violently as another bomb planted within the place gave way to the alcohols lining the bar shelves, feeding the flames their glory. Perhaps it was better this way. Now the redhead no longer had anyone he was ultimately bound to. He tilted his head down, walking alongside the roaring destruction as his gaze concentrated upon the ground. However, at the expense of becoming a FREAK, had it been worth losing the Vampire? Why was he so concerned about Alucard's death? Had he not sworn to himself that he'd kill the man after forcing him to drink his blood?
Irritably the newly-turned FREAK shook his head, the chip once again working to seize control of him. His enemies certainly had wanted to keep him as their secret weapon, it seemed. Only they missed the fact that Aya was a stubborn son of a bitch that could not stand being controlled. He had to refrain from attempting to breathe again. It had been so habitual for him that it was hard for him to shake the desire to fill his lungs with air. A gentle wind swept past his form, the black clothes upon him shifting ever-so-slightly in contrast to the red silk that ruffled within the invisible fingers of the night. It was over. His mission for Kritiker had been done, his immediate mission for Schwarz had been done. With no information of a cure to this new ailment, Aya had only one choice. He needed to disappear. He might have thought to shoot himself, but with knowing that his blood was immortal of his own accord along with the FREAK chip now implanted with him, he figured it wouldn't work - and trying would only disappoint him.
Slipping into the Porsche that blended so well with the darkness, the redhead turned his face to the side mirror, finding a lack of his reflection. A frown touched his lips, and he slipped the key into the ignition, bringing the sleeping engine to life throwing his weapons upon the empty side beside him. His foot touched to the gas and the car jolted down the road, speed increasing at an alarming rate. The car ripped along the empty street as a black chrome bullet, only the sound of nature and the car to fill Aya's ears. But nature was quiet tonight, almost as if it were mourning. Or, perhaps he was the one mourning? The thought was thrown from his mind as he felt it irrational, driving back towards the city that he knew so well. A city that he was deciding on leaving, to spare Tokyo his presence. Farfarello was the only person he would allow himself to kill as this new beast - well, the rest of Schwarz could follow in that manner. No, he'd find some other way to survive.
A way... It presently occurred to him exactly what he should do. The control on his mind waned and shuddered, again filling him with the need to kill innocent people, to destroy all those that opposed Schwarz. The soft lights of the city reawakened his senses and he slowed to a more considerable speed upon the night streets, destination a place he had frequented often. The Magic Bus hospital loomed before him as he looked upon it, remembering the countless times he had hesitated before walking inside. But tonight, he could not just casually stroll inside. Aya-Chan no longer remained here, and if he was like every other FREAK that had red eyes, well... That certainly posed an issue. Besides, his intent was to sneak and pilfer. For though the girl was no longer there, the blod they shared may still remain, if Kritiker had not also taken that. And if they had? He'd have to pay a visit to the organization.

As the night spun on, the club–now the decimated, dilapidated remains of what it once was–grew ever brighter, until, it seemed the fire had gotten its fill of the woodwork and began to die down, black and red smoke billowing into the air as the last flames took their final breaths. Eventually, nothing was left about the scene, not even the crackling of embers was able to be distinguished, as all that hung in the air was the thick, dark smoke and silence. The moon and stars hung almost mockingly in the sky, silver slivers and glimmers within the ebony expanse that seemed to enkindle such a canvas with added effort, as if the heavens were celebrating the destroyed Vampire. It was most certainly a contrast to the fire, which seemed to been nearly enraged, like the fires of Hell were begging for him to arise once more and continue their bidding. However, as the blood of the explosions, and the gunshots, and the Vampire soaked into the moist, cool ground, they collected within the soil, drifting toward each other. Red fluid crawled through the cracks in the soil, meeting with its familiar, as if it were alive, as if it were intentional. Though, wasn’t it impossible for blood to be sentient? It seemed not to be so, as the blood continued to congregate within the thick soil underneath the wreckage of Lebende Tote. The black smoke began to rise, though not losing any of its density, covering the sky. It grew so large and so high it seemed to almost pour over the entirety of Tokyo, and below it, strung of glowing, glittering red dust, was the same insignia that Aya would bear recognition to, its crimson luminosity pulsing with a steady beat.
And as it beat, the city throbbed with it, each light pulsing scarlet, each tower that would hold a bell ringing with a light blue aura, power swelling and growing and bubbling within the city’s perimeters. Within the soil, blood rose to the surface, finding its way through the burnt floorboards and ash that littered the terrain. As it congregated, it began to take on a shape, a shape formed of red ooze, dripping, disgusting red ooze. It was viscous, the fluid, and eventually, its density caused it to change forms totally and completely, until it was in fact solid. That too, grew, and pulsed, and formed until such efforts had formed an entirely solid, functional person. From head to toe, this male was clad in tight, crimson leather, appearing to almost be brand new. Across the upper torso were belts, each buttoned securely on its opposing starting side. On the legs were wound similar belts, as well as the arms. The hands were gloved, and the hair was thick, long, and straight, cascading like a sable waterfall to the man’s knees. About the light olive face was an expression of utter malicious delight, a sick grin that showcased gleaming ivory fangs. Embedded like red-hot coals were the man’s eyes, reflecting the same expression that the smile did. They were, in fact, red hot, or at least, red–rubies, if one would. The head, with languid, deliberate motions, tilted backwards, the brilliant moon (as now all red dust and clouds had mysteriously disintegrated) bouncing off the ruby orbs. A low, dark chuckle rolled through the man’s throat, coasting over the area, breaking the silence that had been so eerily apparent–a chuckle that promised wickedness.
“Nice moon out again tonight,” he purred deep within his throat.
However, it clicked within this man’s mind what he must do–his offender must be sought out and destroyed at all costs. As such, words of releasing something of “control art restriction” were uttered, and like the clouds before him, the man disappeared into the friendly shadows of the night, his smile the last thing devoured by darkness.

In the time it took for the elder Vampire's restoration, the young FREAK had already raised alarm in Kritiker. Purposefully, though the organization was unaware. They could make only one assumption about the situation. Fujimiya Aya had fallen prey to the plots of Schwarz, the FREAK chip had been implanted in him, and he was henceforth going to drain the remnants of the blood that had been stored away to be circulated in his sister. The man knew full and well that Aya-Chan's body would keep her alive. But as such the remaining members of Weiss now gathered at the stark building could only surmise that Schwarz meant for him to try to kill her in that coma through blood clots - or to, in the very least, harm her. And what were they to do? The Fujimiya had a rare blood type, they couldn't just inject her with their own.
"Aya must be stopped at all costs... If he is truly under Schwarz's control, he can not be allowed to... Live." It was Manx who murmured this in difficulty, fists clenched about a gun she had only recently shot the redhead with upon his escape from Kritiker.
"Isn't there a way to save him?" Yohji queried softly, looking to a troubled Omi.
"Can Alucard...?"
"We can't rely on Alucard. He's dead. That's what Aya told me," the buxom woman muttered, shaking her head.
"Can we trust what he says?" Persia inquired, arms folded over his chest.
"I don't know. Someone contact Hellsing. Find out if a FREAK transformation can be undone. If not, then..." Manx paused, aqua eyes turned to the company's head, and Persia took a somber breath.
"Kill him."
Orders were barked to those who worked the phones, demanding that the organization in England be notified, have their questions answered before Omi and Yohji set off to murder their ex-comrade.
Aya, himself, had relocated himself to the Schwarz headquarters, standing upon the roof in silent contemplation. Hands rested at his sides, the weapons tucked safely into a replacement trench for the one his new team had so rudely ripped asunder. What atrocity had he committed that night? He closed his gaze from the sky hanging ominously over him, acting as a weight upon his shoulder.
"Bastard," he murmured, voice nearly inaudible as the wind rose again to disrupt the quiet.
Alucard wasn't supposed to die.
Perhaps he should have aimed elsewhere, but at the time his hands had been under the control of that godforsaken chip now inside his body.
"Hey, FREAK boy." Schuldig found the nickname delightfully witty as it rolled from his mouth in a lazy shout from his position upon the ground. "Do you plan on staying out here all night? Just because you're dead doesn't mean you can't sleep."
Scarlet irises flashed open, turning down to the orange-haired man.
"Leave me alone," he grated out, though his voice oddly maintained the smooth baritone.
"Eh... Suit yourself. Can't say I didn't offer though - whatever. We're going to visit the big guys, let 'em know Lebende Tote was destroyed and all."
The redhead snorted, turning his eyes back to the midnight expanse.
"Estet doesn't know what I've become," he returned, answered by a chuckled.
"Not yet. We figured you'd be much more useful alive than used as some sacrifice for their schemes. And hey, you've already got revenge on the Vampire that brought you to your knees, hm? That's gotta count for something."
Abyssinian refrained from leaping upon Mastermind and ripping out his throat for the lack of his ability to shut up.
"Go."
Schuldig mumbled something pertaining to Aya being bossy before shuffling off to the car where Nagi, Crawford, and a patched up Farfarello waited. After several minutes Aya was greeted by only the loneliness of the darkness, and he felt almost comforted by it, until it became smothering and he sought to put the night out of his head. He needed to think of other things. Like when he was going to disappear out of the care of Schwarz, and where he was going to go. What would become of his sister without his watchful eye, and how would Weiss hold without him.

The wind picked up around Aya, whistling like a howling banshee, winding around him and father up, soaring across the roof. Darkness, the a friend to Vampires, seemed to become darker, and the clouds seemed to take on almost an ominous hue, dark and frightening. They took the liberty of blanketing the moon, the shining orb that it was, almost enveloping Aya in total darkness if it were not for the presence of stars. Shadows from behind the young man gathered and twisted, twirling with purples and reds that seemed to manifest from the blackness of night itself, smoky tentacle-like appendages that pulled themselves into the unsettled mass of darkness. It resembled the disgusting mass that had once fucked Aya what was only several days ago. From the mass, red eyes began to pop and blink, flitting their gaze about, the crimson painfully bright within the darkness of the night. Suddenly, all closed, and in front of Aya, it began to take a human shape, a tall thin figure that soon began to turn to turn red. His entire wardrobe was made of tightly-bound scarlet leather–it was obvious that there stood the Vampire Alucard, staring upon the redhead within one of the most psychotic grins the new FREAK would ever have the honour of seeing him bare.
His face was twisted in such insanity it was no longer the eerie sexiness or handsomeness it once had been–no, now it absolutely monstrous, animalistic. His crimson optics were wide in anticipation and a craving to kill, stance tight and seemingly bound–his arms were at his sides, tightly pressed. Gloved hands gripped at the air, aching to rip and tear and destroy, whilst, in the wind, his hair was whipped about violently, creating the illusion of a ebony cape, made ratty by years of wear, was flapping about behind him. The Vampire could hardly hold back his excitement at seeing Aya, simply standing there. It would be quite interesting to kill the young man, as he had seen Aya fight, but never been in combat with him. And now, that he had become a target, simply something for him to rip apart. Oh, and how he would enjoy it, too! Tearing each lovely alabaster limb from his body, ripping his heart out and drinking all the blood he could enjoy–perhaps there could be some impalement, too! Aya did like things up his ass, after all. Surely a melted-down silver cross formed into a pole wouldn’t be too much to complain about. At this, he cackled inwardly. What if he screamed? What if there was so much blood the roof was bathed in it? Oh, God. Yes, yes, yes! So much fun!
“It was kind of you to kill me, punk,” he called, voice cutting through the wind, “but the staggering amount of blood left from the FREAK destruction was enough to revive me... now we’re going to have fun. Category A.” He held his arms out, and from his stomach, a giant eye opened, shining and crimson in the blackness of the night, and from his shoulder and side came two dog-like heads, each jeweled in ruby orbs that blinked with their own life.
He smiled, “My turn,” and sent them charging forth toward the redhead, barking and foaming madly with the lust for death and blood–especially such blood as Aya’s.

Crimson irises slid open to regard Alucard in silence as the Vampire spoke. Of course, of course. Aya knew Alucard would not fall so easily. Though perhaps if there had not been so much death to sustain him, Alucard might have been gone forever. No need to think of such things. It hadn't happened. And as he opened his mouth to reply, the control of his mind once again was thrown from his reach. Now, he really was Schwarz's little puppet. And immortal puppet that couldn't die, but still a tool for their destructive use and nothing more. And it seemed as if the chip reacted most violently to Alucard's presence. Schwarz really did want the man before him dead.
As the canine forms lurched toward the redhead, an instinct to survive kicked within him and even greater than that he felt a surge of new strength in him. It was a foreign strength to his human self, but all too oddly familiar in this new state he'd found himself in. Now was as good a time as any to experiment with this new power, and as his feed slowly melded into the rooftop with his body following, he found that his body treated this new ability as second nature. As easy as slipping into a shadow for coverage, his form melded into the shadows cast about by the darkness of night, becoming a solitary entity with them.
"I won't die like the rest," the soft baritone murmured on the wind interrupting the peacefulness of the night.
The voice fell away onto the breeze, and his body drew up from the ground upon the opposite side of the roof, balanced precariously upon the ledge, crimson tresses swept by the unnatural wind currents shifting and rolling over their chosen arena. A slender ivory hand rose, positioned in the Vampire's direction. The soft alabaster faded into darkness, the sleeve of his shirt consumed in shadowed flames before molding into much the same thing that Alucard presently had coming from his form. Interesting. A thought struck him. What the hell was he doing? He meant to let Kritiker think he was Schwarz's lackey, but with the absence of those who supposedly had them under their control, why was he still entertaining thoughts of fighting with Alucard? Maybe... Yes. That was an effective way to get out of this without going to all-out war with the Vampire. He remained where he stood, the crimson optics so closely matched to his hair narrowing as his mouth moved to form a single sentence, as he allowed his arm to return to its normal consistency of flesh and bone.
"Come and get me."

Midnight swirled slowly down upon Tokyo, whilst in England the sun was making its way toward the horizon, as it was about three in the afternoon. Integra had been surveying the training of her troops when she received word that a call had come in from Kritiker. It was odd to her, as last she had heard from Alucard was that things had been going swimmingly. At least, that’s what she had inferred, as he seemed rather excited about killing the FREAKs in Japan. Evidently, from the use of the word “massacre” there were a large number of them, yes, but it didn’t explain why Kritiker would be calling them. She assumed it was under Alucard’s control, as what did a large number of FREAKs have against him? Nothing. He had been destroying high-class vampires for years, and now a few third and fourth rate pieces of shit had somehow taken hold of him and destroyed him? Impossible. But then what was their reason for calling–an issue with FREAKs? Couldn’t Alucard assist them if that were the case anyway? The woman paced quickly to her room, as she wanted to obtain some privacy whilst chatting with whomever would be on the phone, she supposed. Her footsteps were short, staccato–odd, because she wasn’t even wearing heels, but perhaps it was just a reflection of the urgency she felt to arrive at her destination. Icy blue eyes narrows as she reached the room, and a slender gloved hand grabbed the phone and she shooed the others off the line. Silence pervaded the room until she spoke, voice crisp and clear.
“What is it?” she queried sharply.
A man on the other line, a young man, quickly reported, “Aya has been turned into a FREAK by a opposing group of assassins known as Schwarz, and, consequently, has murdered Alucard. However, Kritiker needs to know if such procedures, such as the implantation of the FREAK chip, can be reversed.”
Integra’s face faltered and her eyes widened, surely they must have been mistaken. “What you mean, murdered?” she replied, anger obvious within her tone.
“Aya killed him, that’s all we know. However, the issue remains about the FRE-”
She cut him off, “I’ll assume the process can be reversed if the chip were removed, however, it’s something only possible during an autopsy, otherwise the body would be utterly destroyed due to the amount of chips within the body.”
The young man on the other line offered a thank you, but she had already pushed the phone into the receiver, situating herself slowly into the plush chair at her desk. They must have been mistaken, there was no possible way that Aya could have assassinated Alucard with simply a sword. Of course, he had been made into a FREAK, perhaps whomever turned him had given him the proper weapons to do so. It was just unheard of for any other group or organization or anyone to use such a weapon... Her fingers pressed into her temple and she sighed. The idiot probably got his head lopped off again, surely he was fine, hopefully. It was incredibly likely that Aya confused the Vampire’s head loss with death, when he could easily recover from such things. However, she couldn’t possibly know until she did–or didn’t–receive contact from him once more. She remained in her office, merely thinking, doubting, ruminating. Could Alucard truly be dead? She had thought him indestructible, and he had trained to be. There was that one incident with Incognito, but... would he have been revived if not for the circumstances? She was not sure.
All this, whilst Alucard hastily accepted Aya’s invitation.
Unbeknownst to his Master, he was quite alive (or undead?), and a bit disappointed that Aya did not want to play.
“Come on, punk, you evidently have the powers, let’s have fun!” he challenged.
How he desired, at all levels, to finally be in this time of altercation with someone worthy of his time. Aya, who, with his blood, had perfected the FREAK chip totally and completely, making him a Vampire of Alucard’s caliber. This was highly pleasing to the No-Life-King, one who thrived off excitement from bloody battles and death. Surely destroying Aya would give him a high amount of satisfaction. With this in mind, the dogs of black, inky shadows were sent forth again, tongues lolling and teeth gleaming, red eyes burning with bloodlust. One of them sprouted another head, and both latched onto Aya’s leg, and jerked backward, sending him on his back. They melted back into the dark flames, licking at the redhead’s leg, slowly engulfing it, chewing at the flesh as it did so, whilst the other swarmed about his body, pinning him down as his body was ever-so-slowly devoured. Several yards away, Alucard watched with wide eyes, and with a bit of control managed to levitate the young man from the ground, the darkness coiling around the assassin to lock him into place, to keep him from escaping. He could taste the blood from Aya’s leg as the flesh was disappearing, and smirked madly–this only made the experience better, not often did his victims have such delectable fluids.
The moon was high in the sky, beaming down onto the scene, a nearly ethereal glow given to Aya’s white flesh. It spun diamonds into the ebony silk that was Alucard’s hair, caused his leather to shine and the rubies that were his eyes to glimmer. However, it did nothing to compliment the Vampire’s face, contorted in dark insanity.

How veritable it was that Aya had the means to play along. If only the chip could maintain its hold on him for an elongated period of time... No, the redhead needed only to arrange his priorities. He had gone so far as to allow Kritiker to think he was the enemy, provide Schwarz with the idea he was one them, it would be just as easy to carry on the charade - and Alucard may never know the difference. What other chance would he have to get to exact revenge on the man? Crimson eyes turned to Alucard, empty of feeling or mirth as the shadow dog feasted on his flesh. His body suspended above the ground, he was half reminded of his encounter with Masafumi (after altering his DNA). The thought flitted away as quickly as it had come, again that instinct to persevere catching hold of his conscience. Damnable body. He meant to feign death, yet instead his form was shuddering and falling from definite shape. There was soon no body left for the canines to bind to, as shadows splashed onto the roof, pooling in sickly darkness. So accustomed was his body to do that, Aya almost felt as if he had been born with this ability - though more accurately could be stated his rebirth had attributed this new skill.
"Greedy," Aya growled, alabaster growing from the puddle. The clothes that had once donned his body were consumed into the shadows, and as the young FREAK stood from his crouching stance, the remnants of darkness at his feet crawled upon him, drifting and licking over his skin before hardening into garments. He cocked his head to the side very slightly, the faintest traces of a frown upon his lips.
"I don't have time for this," he muttered after a few long moments of quiet debate. "I told Manx you were dead. You should let her know that you aren't, before she calls Hellsing."
The redhead turned his back to Alucard, stepping off the edge of the roof. Only half-way to the ground he vanished into the wind, leaving no trace of himself behind beyond the drifting remains of his voice.
Manx palmed open the door to the lab facility in Kritiker, aqua gaze shifting about the room.
"What have you found out about the samples of blood you've gotten from Aya? Any progress on that chemical in his body?" she inquired, wasting no time as she paused before the lab techs.
"Of course, ma'am. If you'll look here, this is a DNA strand from person injected with the FREAK chip. The strand is mutilated and unstable. As opposed to this, which is the same DNA of that person, before they were injected."
The red-haired female leaned over his shoulder, "That makes sense. Now what about Aya. What makes him so different from the rest?"
The man glanced to the woman, "Different from the rest of humans, or FREAKs?" he questioned, shaking his head as his hand shifted the mouse. Another image flashed onto the screen.
Omi sucked in a sharp breath, drifting closer to the screen. "That... That's amazing."
The young boy pressed his finger to the screen. "That's the chemical in Aya's body, right? Look how its settled into the DNA. It's acting like another bond, as if it's completely normal."
The man nodded slowly, "Very observant. You know what you're talking about, Omi."
The blond nodded, "I've dealt with altered DNA before. But how did it come about in the first place? How was the last bond made?"
Omi stepped back as the man he spoke to stood, walking the length of the room.
"This will sound inane, but neither Aya nor his sister would be immortal if Aya hadn't given blood and taken it."
A lazy voice came from behind Manx, one Kudou Yohji, "And that means what exactly?"
"Well," the man began, fingers repositioning his glasses, "I'd like to say it's only one chemical, but it's actually two reacting with each other. You see, Aya-Chan was born with one chemical in her body, just floating loose with nothing to react with. Aya's body held another chemical. When our Aya intermingled his blood with his sister's, the chemicals were introduced into the opposite bodies. It's incredible, really. When the chemicals were placed together, they clung to the DNA until they bonded into it, acting as just another code to the body's make up."
Manx arched a brow, "You mean to tell me they were both carrying one half of the secret of immortality?"
"More or less. However, we've separated the chemicals from Aya's DNA, and tried to test them in. The chemicals won't react with anyone else's blood and DNA the way they react in the Fujimiya family. To be of that bloodline is the only way to achieve that immortality."
Yohji nodded thoughtfully, rubbing his chin. "So, did Aya's mother carry one chemical, and his father carry the other? Wouldn't that men it's two bloodlines?"
The tech shook his head, "I did some research on the Fujimiya family - and trust me, it wasn't easy; most of the information was hush-hush or located in books that went out of print long ago - but I found the Fujimiya family tree and repaired some of the destroyed information from what I could locate on the family."
He crossed back to his computer, tapping a key to project an image onto the far side of the room. "The Fujimiya family started some four-hundred years ago. Their men were proud samurai and their women were coveted for their unnatural beauty. The family believed in a pure bloodline, and so they intermarried to keep it clean, working under the rule of the Tokugawa shogun. About a hundred years down the line, something disrupted the family and set it at odds against one another. I couldn't find much information, as most of it was carefully burned for secrecy, but the disturbance was something to the effect of betrayal. It ended with the sacrifice of a child from each side of the divided family - one male and one female. I found one description of the ordeal by one of the family's servants. It said something about there being enough blood inside the sacrificial circles that one could bathe in it. Each side of the family drank from the blood of the other. It was the only equivocal blood exchange in the family until Aya and his sister mixed their blood."
Manx whistled gently, "Aya certainly comes from an... Interesting family. Now, I don't mean to sound harsh, but I'd like to see what Aya's DNA looks like now that he's become a FREAK."
The man nodded, "Of course, of course. Here it is." He reached for the computer mouse again, and the DNA shifted into another image. "As you can see, the DNA strand isn't mangled. The FREAK chip did much as the chemical did, bonding into it. If I didn't know any better, I'd say he's as close to a real Vampire as one could come. The chip and the chemical bond perform perfectly together, causing no imperfections in his abilities. So far, that's what I've come up with."

The Vampire stood, highly disgruntled and displeased, arms hanging in the air, still flaming with the inky mist. The red eyes that were sprinkled into the living ink blinked, gaze darting. Alucard’s face now twisted in fury, though it was clear in his mind that he would not go chasing the young man. Such things would be a waste, as Aya had, in a way, surrendered, and the fight was over–to chase would be against his style. His arms began to retract, the hundreds of crimson orbs disappearing back into the blackness, which in turn soon became coloured with the redness of the leather that his body was clad in, finally hardening into his appendages. Alucard stood there, the wind dying down now, sending his hair about his body like a thick sable sheet, his tall, strong body casting a long black shadow across the roof. Slowly, the clothes about his body reformed, the vibrant red still remaining and falling away to create a long trench coat, the centre of his body turning black forming into a suit, a red, bow-like ribbon coming through the collar of the white shirt that had just appeared. Atop his head, a wide-brimmed fedora materialised, whilst a large majority of his hair fell away into the shadows in large clumps, leaving him with the short cut he had sported earlier. On the brim of his nose, two yellow spectacles appeared, veiling crimson orbs. It was a splash of colour on the empty roof, one that was only illuminated by the beams of the midnight sun, surprisingly bright. The Vampire regarded the moon silently, no longer angry, smirkingly with an eerie contentedness. So, Aya had given up and his fun was over. It was such a shame, really, he had so been wanting to play. But evidently, it was not meant to be. It was odd how quickly the urge within him seemed to calm, but it hadn’t at all. In fact, he was raging on inside, his mind screaming to kill something, anything to satisfy his lust at least once. A chase, though, wasn’t his style. It would be fruitless, there would be no fun if the other side did not desire a fight, and the fun of the fight was what he wanted.
Surely, he wanted to kill the punk, but Aya would only continue to run, not even remain to scream or bleed. Yes, he deeply, deeply, desired to kill Aya. He had the chance to now, if he pursued. Just to rip him apart, spill that delicious fluid all over the ground and guzzle every drop down. It’s not as if he was the same Aya he had bound to him. No, now he was a target, disposable. However, he had noted Aya’s words–the young man had informed Manx of his death? Most likely, after all the time that had passed, Hellsing already knew. Yes, he should most likely contact Integra and let her know he wasn’t deceased... but the words spoken also meant that Aya had been in contact with Kritiker, without destruction, without killing Manx? Evidently, he was able to keep his head about him, even though he had been turned and was technically under control of the chip–such a chip that seemed to drive all to abuse immortality. The Vampire wasn’t a moron, he knew that Aya hadn’t turned his conscience completely over to the chip, which was logical, as the redhead would do such a thing for no man or no thing. The punk had put on a little show for whomever, and was now attempting to stay out of the fray–his departure from the fight was another testament to that. Perhaps Aya was not such a target after all... his smirk grew wider. Clever.
The moon shone on his spectacles, a glare shielding away his eyes, and as the smirk diluted, he forced his thoughts to calm, a nearly impossible thing at best. Oh, he’d tell you what was fruitless–getting the thought of killing that son of a bitch out of his head. Dammit. He could stand there for eternity, but if he didn’t kill something he’d most likely become more insane than he already was. However, he couldn’t bring himself to move from the spot, as if he were rooted there. Alucard desired to think some before moving, before even contacting Integra.

Aya had his own agenda to attend to - he could not be bothered to follow Schwarz's or even Weiss', and certainly not partake in Alucard's little game. A trip to Kritiker's headquarters was the first item of business, and in stealth he collected the information Manx had been seeking about his past. And it was through such measures that he grew to understand his immortal condition. So, it was something that was inherent only in his family. It certainly explained a few things about past memories. As a child, he and Aya-Chan had wanted to perform that game of combining their blood, as other kids were always doing - his parents had strictly forbid it. With good reason, if they knew what it was capable of. Or, perhaps it was forbidden by the family as a whole - well, what had been his family, anyway. One glance at the family tree the lab tech had found showed that everyone in his family, aside from himself and his sibling, were dead. It didn't come as such a shock, as there was now a reason why no relatives had showed up at their funeral.
For now, he would play both sides of the coin. There were things he wished to know about Schwarz's plans. Why had they shucked Estet's pot - was it simply because they felt the were getting short-changed, or was Estet oppressive? How were they planning on telling the Elders that Aya was now a FREAK, when Estet knew well that they had put the chips in Schwarz's safe keeping? The questions for innumerable as they skirted through his mind, stepping quietly into the room his sister slept in. Standing by her bed, he reached out, hand ghosting gently over her forehead. He supposed it was better this way - that he had been injected instead of her. She was not nearly strong enough to withstand the control of the chip as he did, though it might have woken her. Leaning down, he pressed a kiss to her forehead before turning to the door. Birman stood frozen in the doorway, hands clenched about a gun.
"Who are you working for, Aya? Are you still on our side, or is Schwarz really controlling you? Or is it you against the rest of us?"
The redhead merely remained in his place, regarding her in neutral silence.
"I see... Get out of here, Aya. Do what you need to do, but don't you dare come back until you're ready to work for us again."
Birman turned away as Aya melted away into the shadows, lowering her gun as she took to the hallway.
Her destination was quickly reached as she joined Manx, Persia, and Weiss. Manx turned to her, "Why do you have your gun out?"
Immediately the buxom redhead was alarmed. Birman smiled, "Aya paid us a visit, and he's playing by his own rules. Schwarz may think he's their doll, but he's doing whatever the hell he wants."
Yohji grinned, "I knew we could count on that sly bastard."
Omi sighed, "Shut up, Yohji. You were just as worried about losing him as the rest of us."
The brunette glared balefully at the younger assassin, "You worry too much, Omi. I knew all along Aya was in control."
Manx snorted, shaking her head. "There's nothing more we can do, except wait for Aya to make his move. Until then, we need to keep watch for any other FREAK hideouts cropping up. Omi, Yohji, go home and get some rest. Persia, Birman, and myself will take care of things here."
Aya just as silently returned to Schwarz's home, entering by way of darkness instead of door. Crimson optics danced about the empty living room, though the lack of pulsing blood in the house was enough to tell him no one was there. Still meeting with Estet, it seemed. He had time. Soft steps carried him to his sister's stolen blood he stashed away, and after a time of consideration on how to drink one of the packets, he finally emptied it into a glass from the kitchen. He placed the cup to his lips, sipping at the thick substance as he roamed through the house. There must be something there that he could find as a source of information. Anything that might hint to him just what their plans would be. Fangs slid along the rim of his beverage, interrupting the peace with the screech of bone again glass.
As the sound died away back into quiet, Aya took the time to actually savor the taste of blood. In a sense, this was his blood. The siblings had transfused so much blood between each other, they probably shared the very taste of the coppery essence. No wonder Alucard constantly wanted to feed from him - it tasted simply divine (much better than Farfarello's, he noted). His body urged him to go and fill the glass to the brim, drink as much as he had been able to take, but a rational portion of his brain demanded that he drink it sparingly. Who knew when he'd run out and actually require feeding off someone? He was probably stuck this way forever, if there was no way to reverse the process, which he did not yet know if it could be done.

Quietly Aya investigated the house, diligently searching each corner and room, before lighting upon young Nagi's room. Certainly, the room caught him off guard as he stepped into it, as he felt that he was stepping deeply into space. Shrugging away the feeling, he sat down in the chair placed before the boy's desk. Surely the youngest member of Schwarz would notice if the keys had been touched by human hands, as he controlled the keyboard with his mind. A smirk almost ghosted over Aya's pale countenance as he allowed his hand to hover over the board, finishing the blood in his other hand as his fingers slowly transmuted into dark tendrils. The black wisps danced over the keys as the scarlet irises scanned the computer's files. Hours slipped away as he absorbed the information he found, much of it seemingly useless (though it might come in handy). Aya was on the verge of quitting, when he stumbled upon something rather intriguing.
"Jackpot," he murmured, his free hand reaching into his pocket to retrieve a disk he had pilfered from Kritiker before leaving.
He inserted it into the drive, burning the files to it with his head half cocked towards the door. Night was waning - he could feel it - and he was more than sure Schwarz would be returning in haste. His gaze turned back to the screen, reading carefully over the unearthed material. The ritual instructions had been one of the many things he had located. So, Schwarz even knew how to sacrifice him for ultimate power, and maybe they were planning on it. It would make sense, as Schwarz literally loathed the human race in all of its stupidity and ignorance. While Estet wished to rule, Schwarz desired to destroy, and it seemed the new FREAK was their one way ticket to success. It might explain why they wanted Alucard out of the picture. If he was no longer alive, there would be no one strong enough to rescue Aya when they performed the ritual.
A grimace set upon the assassin's face as his hand moved to his forehead. That damn chip...! It would have him willingly sacrificing himself for Schwarz's ideals whatever they may be. Estet be damned, and they would probably be the first to die if Schwarz got their way. He forced his thoughts back into neutrality. If the chip gained control, he was likely to destroy the disk he had just concocted. What was Schwarz planning on doing with the world once everyone was dead? Was it just their way of getting back at the human race for ridiculing their differences? He shook his head, finding that the answer would not come to him easily. He felt though, somehow, that his being turned by the chip was connected to their cloning Aya-Chan. Perhaps she hadn't only been made to throw Aya off-guard, but as something of an experiment - but what experiment? What did his new 'team' have in mind?
The redhead stood, pulling his disk from the computer as he returned it to the state he'd found it in, his right hand hardening back into alabaster flesh and bone. Picking up the glass he had used, he exited the room and worked his way to the kitchen. He deposited the dish in the sink and slipped into the living room, sitting down upon the sofa. Disk tucked safely away, he decided he would need to pay a visit to the flower shop once it opened later that day. Returning to Kritiker was out of the question, as Birman had threatened against him the last time he had gone. Not until he did what he had to do, and he was not finished - he still was unsure of what Schwarz planned to do with the world after eradicating the human race. There had to be something he was missing, some key piece that would make sense of all of the information his had on that disk and swimming in his head.

The Vampire hadn’t moved from his spot in quite awhile. No, had enjoyed following the moon’s path across the sky with eyes. Staring into it hadn’t harmed him in the least. Inwards, he was gradually calming down. Though, by gradually, it meant that it had only been a small decrease in the need and want to kill this young man. Oh, it was difficult to shake, the fact that his opportunity to finally dominate this punk was striped from his rapidly. And he could sense him, down below him, floors beneath, protected by cement and concrete and accompanied by the buzzings of technology. Surely he could go for him at this moment, rip him to shreds. But it would neither be beneficial or correct. It had been made clear to them that Aya was not against Alucard, though the punk had shot him and nearly killed him. Likely, it was a stunt, the Vampire wasn’t a moron and wasn’t oblivious to such maneuvers, and in the situation it’s possible it would have made sense, or perhaps even have been necessary. Of course, if Alucard ever got his hands on Aya again the redhead would surely know retribution–it wasn’t completely outrageous to the Vampire, mind you, even though he had been destroyed, but it was needed. He couldn’t allow himself to be struck in such a way and not bite back (literally or figuratively). However, there was nothing he could do at the moment. Aya was unable to be attacked, and it’s not as if the Vampire could simply visit him. No, the redhead must be the one to make the next move, and that was decided.
The hours had passed by him quickly as he stood there, gently caressed by the silvery moonlight, mind pouring out thought after thought. He was positive he must contact Integra soon, and, crimson orbs fell to the ground, scouring. Payphone. As if he needed to pay for that. A little manipulation was all that was needed–and, risking missing the assassin’s next move, Alucard fell to the ground gracefully, coat flapping violently behind him as he did so. He met with the ground in a hard thud, and erected himself in a fluid, boneless movement. Inside the payphone, he dialed the number, and using some of the simplest Vampire magic (if one could call it that, as it wasn’t the stuff of faeries or sidhe), he was connected to the Hellsing headquarters without the need to pay a dime.
“Yes?” a cool female voice answered.
“Good evening, Integra,” he replied smoothly.
“Alucard?” she replied, a bit surprised, her eyes wide.
“Hmm... I’m sure you’ve been told I was dead.”
“I was,” Integra returned cautiously. “I’m here now. Being hit with blessed silver gives me a bit of a workout. What else have you been told?”
“Mr. Fujimiya has been turned into a FREAK by an opposing group known as Schwarz, but that’s all I’ve been informed of, other than your death. Do you need assistance?” the woman inquired.
“No. I’ll be wonderful.”
“What are you planning on doing, Alucard?”
“I’m going to wait for the punk to make his next move. That’s all I can do, don’t you agree, my Master?” he informed her, voice thick and smooth, sinful.
Integra choked a bit on her own words, “Indeed. You know my orders from than on, Alucard.”
He cackled, “Oh, and do I!”
With that, he hung up, eyes gleaming a bit, body fading into the shadows.
Let’s see what’s going on with you, punk...

Aya allowed another hour to pass before he moved from his place upon the couch. In quiet resolve he stepped from the house, reluctant to wait further for Schwarz to return to the place. The flower shop would be open by the time he reached it on foot, but he planned to take his car even still. He could no risk the girls that routinely frequented the shop catch a glimpse at him. Surely they would know something was amiss. Aya slipped into the Porsche parked alongside the Schwarz home, pulling away from it with the smooth turns of the car. Hopefully Omi could make more sense of the information he had found. After all, the boy boasted a mind not controlled by the chip that bid Aya a short attention span. Marble fingers gripped the steering wheel tightly as he gazed upon the road. Even now the redhead was fighting for control of his thoughts, over-riding the ones that demanded he search out Alucard and finish the job he had botched at Lebende Tote. He wasn't sure how he would remain this way for eternity, forever at war with himself for control. There had to be a way to get the FREAK chip out.
Sliver thin crimson brows twitched downward as he neared the shop, and impatiently he parked the Porsche, cautiously glancing to the sidewalk before stepping from the vehicle. Scarlet eyes flickered to the front of the shop, his feet carrying him towards it. The gaze lighted upon the small frame of his blond comrade, leaning over a pot of flowers he was putting on display. Omi raised his head, turning it slightly as he glanced behind him, blue eyes widening.
"Aya!" he exclaimed, purely surprised by the man's presence as he turned completely from the flowers.
"Omi..." Aya murmured, stepping closer to the young boy. It felt awkward to be standing before his comrade now, but it was simply because he was different. The young boy looked relieved as his name was said, and enthusiastically threw his arms around Aya, hugging him.
"You are still on our side, aren't you?" The redhead frowned slightly, wrappings his arms around his small companion. With his face close to Omi's ear, he began to relay what he could.
"Omi, I need to you study the information on this disk. My head isn't entirely mine anymore. There's something about Schwarz's plan that I'm missing. I need you to figure it out. Whatever they're planning, you have to stop it, and you can't rely on me to save you."
As Omi pulled away, he glanced to the disk now clenched in his grip. He looked to the leader of Weiss, expression troubled.
"We're not sure if there's a way to change you back, Aya."
The older assassin nodded, "I know. Just worry about what Schwarz is planning. I can take care of myself, and take care of Aya-Chan for me."
The ginger-haired assassin nodded slowly, biting his lip as Aya turned and strode back to his car. "Aya, be careful..." he whispered, stepping back into the flower shop as he shut the door.
"Yohji! The shop is closed for today!" From the storage room the brunette peered, blinking.
"How come?" Leaf green eyes lighted upon the disk Omi held up, strolling out into the open area of the shop. "Did Aya bring that to us?" Yohji inquired, grinning.
"Yeah. Whatever Schwarz is planning, it's on this disk. So let's get to work." With a nod of consent from the older assassin, Omi flipped the lights off in the shop and walked with Yohji into the apartment and into the mission room.
"So, what was he like?" Leave it to Yohji to be ever curious about such things. Omi shrugged, fingers sliding over the computer keys as he scanned the disk's contents.
"He looked tired, like he hasn't slept since he got turned." Yohji peered over the blond's shoulder, arching an eyebrow.
"He seemed in control though?" he asked.
"Not quite. He even told me that when we go after Schwarz to stop whatever this plan is, that we couldn't rely on him to have our backs. I think they've programmed the chip to do they're bidding, but you and I know that Aya would never submit willingly to that."
Yohji grinned, "Yeah, that's our Aya. Ah... Did he seem bothered at all about what he did to Alucard?"
Omi frowned, "I don't know. But he didn't seem... Upset."
Yohji was silent for a long while, leaning against the wall as Omi worked through the information. "Were we wrong to tell him he couldn't be happy, Omi?"
"I don't know," the younger replied, tilting back his seat. "Aya's right. Schwarz's plans are on this disk."
He rubbed as his temple gently. "I think they're going to sacrifice Aya in the ritual of his family to destroy mankind. But I don't know what they plan to do after that."
Yohji cocked his head to the side, "Well, doesn't Schwarz have the FREAK chip at their disposal? Maybe they plan on cloning an entire Fujimiya army. I mean, aren't Aya and his sister the only two people in the world that can perfect the chip?"
Omi placed his chair back on all fours, eyes wide. "You think they plan on making some kind of Vampire utopia after they destroy the human race?"
Yohji shrugged, "I wouldn't put it past them. And if they kill Aya through the ritual, he's the only person that could have probably stopped it other than Alucard. If they're both dead, we don't stand a chance against whatever power is going to be unleashed with Aya's death."

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Bum bum bum. Sinister plot! :D What’s going to happen next? Well, who knows, but at least Alucard’s alive, right? Hahaha...

Okay, now it’s everyone’s favourite time! Reviewer response time. ^_^ w00t!

Mikko: Yeah, Yohji was harsh, but there was reasoning behind it. And we’re glad you keep reviewing! Makes us super-happy. And stop worrying about your spelling, your post was actually perfect. So no worries. You do incredibly well. <3

IzzyP: Hopefully this chapter resolved some of your issues? Sorry that you were confused! Yes, Aya is a FREAK, Alucard was killed but then was revived. We can’t have our vampy dying on us. Please come back anytime! :D

Now, though last week Kay addressed the issue of “rape-worthy,” seeing as her explanation was not enough, I’m going to put in my words and then close this forum forever. Any more posts concerning this topic will be ignored, as the reviews section is for commenting on the story, not nitpicking at our usage of one adjective. One made-up adjective used in jest. As Kay already explained, we are NOT okay with rape, and as a matter of fact, due to an experience that occurred to her when she was younger, for a year and half she was too afraid to return to a park. Yes, that’s right, our own fanfiction writer has had a close encounter with rape. So, before you go and assume things like we’ve never had to ‘help someone struggle back from the edge of it,’ perhaps you should realise you do not know us either. Someone very close to myself was, in fact, raped. We understand, right?

Also, I’d like to address this fact–have any of you looked at what you’re READING? Care to take a look at Alucard’s carefree attitude towards death? How he considers Aya worthy of it? No one’s concerned with this? Of course, death (though it’s stripping someone of their life), is something to be joked about, but rape! No! That’s forbidden. This story is not completely serious. We weren’t out to impress anyone or achieve some height of content. We just wanted to enjoy ourselves. One of these times was when Kay used “rape-worthy.” It was the word she wanted to use. At first, we weren’t even planning on showing this to the public, but we figured, hey, it’s good enough.

I’m sorry for those who took offense, but the fact of the matter is, even if you did have more than 75 people who responded and said it was offensive, we have over 130 people who’ve read the chapter and it seems only you were the one who cared enough to comment. If anyone else would like to speak up, that’s fine. Just keep in mind that we will not respond. We do not hold you in malice. We always will appreciate your reviews and comments.

However, the forum for “rape-worthy” is now closed.

Thanks. <3