Hellsing Fan Fiction ❯ Fare ❯ Blood Sickness ( Chapter 7 )

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

As she listened to the recorded conversation from the previous night, Sir Integral wondered if the permanent vampire residents truly felt the same way . . . . and would they always feel that way? Could time not change their minds? Seras Victoria had never been . . . particularly immune to guilt over taking lives, and even as a free vampire, she had not completely accepted the idea of killing and simply forgetting. Would she be alive to see Victoria change? To see her become . . . no . . . Victoria would never be like her master. But that didn't mean much. What truly worried Integra was the thought of seeing a vampire, especially two she cared about (though she'd never actually say it . . . in those words), kill themselves, or whatever else could happen if they simply lost the will to live. But, Integra supposed, it probably didn't matter anyway. She'd probably die before that happened.

“You wouldn't have to if you'd only accept my offer . . . time would turn backwards for you, my master. You would be a magnificent vampire. We could all run away together, you and Victoria and I”.

The memory of those words returned to haunt her. It was . . . so tempting. As she grew older, she could feel her body weakening bit by bit, and secretly, it terrified her. As she weakened, she felt the fear of failing, of failing her men, of failing to be strong enough to lead them into battle. But as a vampire . . . she'd be able to lead them forever into battle, to destroy the monsters that threatened her home, her monarch, everything she loved. The price would be to become one of those monsters. Was that a price that she was willing to pay?

Malakai had come to visit her later on that evening, sat himself on the edge of her desk, and they'd discussed it between the two of them for several hours.

“You should consider it, dear knight. Alucard was right, you know, you'd make an excellent vampire.”

“At the price of my soul, precious monster? I think not.”

“Oh Integra. To enjoy what this world gives you, even damnation as you'd call it, is not a sin! And what if you're wrong, what if all of it is wrong? What if there is no heaven and hell, only life, then death, then rebirth, then new life? What if . . . never mind. It's . . . wasted on you. But you know . . . being . . . damned isn't so terrible as you think,” Malakai had murmured.

“Life . . . then death . . . then rebirth . . . you are undead. You cannot die. Therefore, you cannot be reborn. It is an interesting way to think of it. But . . . as a . . . pagan . . . I don't know if you'd be able to understand temptation, damnation, fear of death, in the same way I've grown up to. I can't just let go of all of that, and just . . . . give in . . . to something I've been taught my whole life is one of the biggest evils in this world.”

“I understand temptation, damnation . . . . but not in the way you were taught. But it's not so bad as you think, as I said, it's just . . .” he leaned in close, breath hot against her cheek, “Closing your eyes, and letting it happen . . . . baring your neck to a monster is not so terrible or terrifying as you would like to believe it is, and it's not difficult. Who knows . . . you might . . . like it.”

Flashbacks of her experiences with vampires in the Tower of London, and with the she-vampire masquerading as a sister she'd never had come suddenly to Integra's mind. It was easy when you were paralyzed, certainly. But to be bitten of her own free will, to become a vampire, was . . . she just could not see it happening.

“No, Malakai, I do not think it is that easy.”

“For you, Sir Hellsing, who has suffered so much at our hands, I would imagine not. You have been bitten . . . twice in your life?”

“Yes.”

“It was very painful, yes?”

“Yes.”

“It is not always so . . . it's actually very pleasant if the one who bites you knows what they are doing . . . and of course if their intention is not to harm you.”

“I know that.”

“We are not all monsters, dear knight. And speaking of biting, I find myself thirsting. Good evening.”

“Malakai, you can't just-”

But he had disappeared.

Integra sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose between a thumb and forefinger.

Any words she might have spoken were lost, and useless. She could not control him, even if she wanted to. And really, she did not want to. She had two vampires to keep under control already. Three would be chaotic. And impossible. The three of them together could destroy her. But she knew it would not happen.

* * * * * * * *

But won't it, Master? I intend to have my way . . . and my way will either see you dead . . . or undead, Alucard thought quietly.

“You wouldn't kill Sir Integra, would you?” Victoria asked softly.

“I will do what I must to have my way. Police Girl, have you not figured that out yet?”

“I know you will do whatever it takes to get your way, but . . . to kill her? I would have thought you had more respect for her than that.”

“I'm offering her a choice, and instead of making her choice, she's determined to ignore the problem,” Alucard replied simply.

“Well . . . your methods of convincing her aren't really the best, all she's seen from you is killing, you know?”

“And how did I convince you? Did I not offer you the very same choice? Did I not offer you death, or unlife?”

“Well yes, but it was a split second decision, I didn't truly think, I mean . . . asking someone if they're a virgin then shooting them in the chest . . . would I have been better off bleeding out on the ground, and dying?”

“I would like to think not,” Alucard murmured, stepping closer.

“But see, that's it. It wasn't 'Oh gee, should I die today, is it a good day for me'. It was 'I don't want to die I don't want to die, oh my GOD I've just been shot, now what?' And then you giving me a decision with so little time, I had to say yes,” Victoria told him.

“Precisely.”

Would he really be willing to do something like that? To be placed in that position of absolute guilt? Her death would not really be her decision then, would it? Victoria thought absently.

Images of Integra stabbing herself in the neck with a letter opener to avoid becoming undead passed briefly through Victoria's mind before she decided that Sir Integral would most definitely be able to choose death for herself if that day should come . . .

Don't fret, Police Girl. I'll ensure that no real harm comes to my master . . . no more than is absolutely necessary. But I will, as I always have, get my way. Alucard murmured.

Because you're a spoiled brat, Alucard, and you know it! Malakai's disembodied voice shouted at them, laughing.

Yes . . . though . . . you are no different.

So? I don't flaunt my spoiledness, Malakai retorted.

And you are no less a brat for it, old friend. Where are you?

Mmm, feeding.

Envy. Envy Envy Envy. The urge to ignore his orders and go out to join Malakai in the cool air of the night was sudden and strong. But Integra had told him to stay inside, and what Master wants, Master gets. Victoria sensed the weariness and pain in Alucard's soul, and she hugged his arm briefly in a gesture of comfort. He acknowledged the gesture with a brief, meaningful look before returning to the task before him. He'd been ordered to inspect reports and photographs from crime scenes of the last few months. As if there was anything in them now that wasn't in them the day he'd first read them. And besides that, he'd been the one to give most of these reports. True vampires were not involved in any of these crimes.

“We aren't going to find anything here, are we?” Victoria asked with a sigh as she sat down in the chair across from him.

“No.”

“Then why bother,” Victoria mumbled to herself irritably.

“For my master's peace of mind.”

Victoria made a sound through her nose akin to a laugh. Integral's peace of mind. That woman was restless, paranoid, and bossy. The vampiress sighed. But . . . she was also hard-working, almost always dead-on with her hunches, and she knew what it took to be a good leader. She was directly responsible for the lives of each one of her soldiers, and indirectly responsible for the lives of everyone in England. If one of her men made a mistake, Integral took the blame. If someone died, Integral mourned in silence even as she filed the report, saw to the funeral, and spoke to the family of the deceased.

So it was no wonder, then, that Integral was the way she was.

“Someone needs to give that woman a break,” Victoria grumbled.

Alucard chuckled. It was true.

“How exactly does one 'give that woman a break'?”

They looked up at Malakai as he dropped gracefully into a chair.

“Beats the hell out of me,” Victoria said.

“She'd likely as not shoot you for even making the suggestion. She's got too much work to do.”

“Aren't there people around here who are supposed to take care of all that paperwork and such?” Victoria asked, “Walter used to do most of it. All the unimportant stuff, anyway, like ordering in supplies when we were low on something or signing paperwork so that this could be repaired or that could be built.”

“Adam is not as efficient as Walter,” Alucard said icily.

He did not approve of the new retainer at all.

“He hasn't been on the job very long.”

“Not an excuse.”

Hellsing had gone through four retainers since Walter's death, finding each one flawed in some way that could cripple the organization. Sometimes, the flaws were not uncovered until after the replacement was dead. Finally, they had settled on Adam, because he had once been a soldier for Hellsing himself. He had been injured one night when his unit had been attacked by an unbelievable number of ghouls. His injury was such that he lost all vision in his right eye and several fingers of the hand on that same side. Integral could not afford to lose such an experienced soldier, but neither could she allow him to return to active duty.

Victoria sighed. Adam did not like her very much and during the brief time she'd been in command of his unit, he'd been one of the worst troublemakers of the lot. Almost as bad as the damned mercenaries. How she despised them.

They were filthy, unorganized, disloyal, and downright insubordinate. She hated how they smelled, how they cursed, how they left a mess everywhere, how they fought, and how they continued to stare at her chest and ass even after she'd broken the nose of one soldier who'd looked too long and the hand of one who'd even dared to try to grope her.

“They never learn,” Victoria grumbled.

A growl rose in Alucard's throat at the memory. When he'd found out, he had been extremely displeased at the audacity of the human involved, and even more displeased that Integral had not allowed Alucard to kill him. Or hang him by his toes and beat him with a stick at the very least.

Ah well.

Victoria picked at the plastic tab on the bag holding her nightly rations. She was thirsty, but lately, the taste of the cold liquid made her want to throw up, and at the same time, made her even thirstier than before. Alucard had been force-feeding her not only her blood pack, but also his. And sometimes, requesting that a few extra bags be brought down. And he ate none of it himself.

Her stomach growled. Malakai and Alucard both looked at her, as the latter pushed the bucket of ice and blood toward her.

She grimaced and plucked a bag out of the bag, ripping off the tab at the top, and taking a long slurp.

Her stomach rebelled.

There was a sudden terrible pain in her abdomen, and she phased into the bathroom just in time to puke on the edge of the toilet. Her stomach made further attempts to empty itself of all its contents, even when there was nothing left and she was almost crying. Eventually, her stomach calmed down. She took a few deep, slow breaths and flushed the toilet, leaning against the wall beside her. Her eyes closed and after a moment, the door opened behind her.

“Are you all right?”

She felt cool hands on her neck, then sliding under her arms and lifting her to her feet. The disgusting taste of stomach acid and blood was strong in her mouth. She leaned against whoever had helped her up. It was Alucard, from the smell.

“What's wrong with me?” Victoria asked wearily.

“I don't know.”

She felt the familiar sensation of a cool breeze blowing around her and knew he'd phased them into their room. She opened her eyes and let Alucard help her sit.

I'm so tired. I feel nauseous, and I just want to sleep, Victoria thought as she laid her head down on the table, resting them on her arms.

Eventually she fell asleep. It was not restful, as nightmares plagued her, consequence of her sleeping during the night. She slept through the next day as well, and woke the next night with the closed lid of her coffin-bed above her, Alucard laying quietly beside her. Not that he was sleeping.

“Feel better?”

“Yes, thanks,” she sighed.

She really didn't want to get up. She was thirsty, she was tired, and she was almost comfortable. But even as she considered the idea of sleeping, she felt the familiar sensation of Integral's wake-up call.

“Joy.”

* * * * * * * * * *

He glanced up and down the street, searching for any signs of life though he already knew there were none. The only thing living on this street tonight was his intended victim.

Or, victims, rather.

To this day he didn't understand why teenagers thought it was okay to be out and about in the middle of the night without their parents' permission.

He sighed. The world had changed so much since the days of his humanity, and he wasn't sure that it was for the better. Oh, well, it made his life a hell of a lot easier. Though significantly more boring.

He phased across the street so that he could make it appear as though he was coming from around the corner. Best not to scare them too much. Even on an empty street like this, it wasn't secluded enough for what he intended.

As he approached, he could smell their blood, strong and sweetened by their youth and . . . things that their parents didn't know about.

He had to remind himself that this was for Victoria.

They stood not ten feet from him, talking and laughing so loudly it made him flinch.

“Stop,” he said aloud, his will putting force behind the words.

The children stopped in their tracks, and became totally silent.

“It's time to go, little ones,” he murmured softly.

“Yes, master,” they replied in unison, their voices equally soft.

He phased them to a more secluded place, somewhere they would not be found until he was ready for them to be found.

“Come,” he commaded, taking a small folding knife from his pocket.

A large bottle hung on a strap over his shoulder, the kind one would see carried by a person who hikes regularly for great periods of time. He unscrewed the lid as one of the teenage children stepped forward. Sensing what he wished, she held out her arm. He drew the blade across her wrist, making a deep wound. Blood almost immediately poured from the cut and he held her wrist to the lip of the bottle, letting it spill into the container. When he sensed that she was close to the limit, he licked the wound closed and she stepped back, faint from bloodloss.

“Come,” he commanded again.

* * * * * * * * * *

The blood was still very warm when Malakai presented it to Victoria. She was not in the least bit concerned with where he got it. Mostly because she was afraid to know.

She drank deeply, leaving a small amount in the bottle for Alucard to finish off. Malakai left after it was gone and disposed of the bottle.

“Are they still alive?” Alucard asked Malakai.

Victoria was still too young to appreciate the subtle differences in smell and taste that could tell a vampire so much about a victim. Their age, what they ate, what they drank, how active they were, if they were alcoholics, drug addicts, or, of course, whether or not they were a virgin.

“Yes.”

Malakai had commanded the children to go home when he'd heald their wounds and erased their memories. He'd also seen to it that they would never feel the urge to go without permission again.

It was not safe to be outside at night.

Vampire night . . .