Hellsing Fan Fiction ❯ Fare ❯ Gateway; Do Vampires Go To Hell? ( Chapter 14 )

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

It didn't take a genius to figure out that the attack on the city was just a diversion, meant to keep Hellsing busy while the real enemy went to work. But then, that was why Hellsing had two vampires in its employ, in case things like this happened.

Alucard, much more experienced in the fine art of coordinating oneself as a swarm of bats, tried to hold Victoria's struggling flock together, keeping stray bats that could have been an arm or a leg from flying off. It slowed them down just a bit, but they still made decent time. They were flying through a small cloud when Malakai finally decided to get in touch.

Where are you?!

It was Victoria who snarled back irritably, We could ask you the same thing! Where did you go?! I was going to go out looking for you! I was about to send a bleeding search party back to that field!

Why didn't you?

Integra said no. She thought it an unnecessary waste of resources to send a unit out looking for you when you'd probably just come back on your own.

Well, she was right. Oh, wait! I see- is that you? I've never seen such a messed up-

SHUT YOUR MOUTH.

Fine.

As Alucard and Victoria exited the cloud, they saw Malakai standing on the ground, pointing up at them and talking to a pair of figures standing close by. A dark-haired male and female vampire, from the looks of it. Malakai finished speaking and then launched his body into the air, his body disassembling itself smoothly into a dozen large bats twice the size of Victoria's.

It's easier if you have less bats, he told her.

The male and female vampires still on the ground looked at each other and then simultaneously dissolved from head to toe into bats of their own.

Alucard said nothing.

It is the one from my vision, Malakai said pleadingly.

Still, Alucard said nothing.

Come on. She has to be important!

Silence.

I was going to take them to you right away till this happened!

Crickets chirped and the wind whistled by their ears.

Sigh.

Their flight continued for about ten minutes more before Victoria's bats suddenly dive-bombed out of the sky.

What the fuck are you DOING?? Malakai snapped.

Can't you see that??

See what? I don't see anyth-what, that hillside?

Yeah. Doesn't it look strange to you? It's unnatural. Which means that it's man-made. Who would build something so far out here?

Let's go.

The other three vampires dove from the sky and landed, smoothly transitioning into their two-legged-hands-and-feet-and-one-set-of-eyes-human-but-not-quite bodies.

Victoria led them right up to the small, unnatural hillside. The grass and dirt had been stripped away leaving a bare curve of rock exposed to the elements. Malakai leaned down and pressed his face against the stone.

“It's warm,” he reported, “And it's vibrating. There's something underneath there. I can hear something down there.”

“Vibrating?” Victoria asked, laying her hand against it.

“Like a generator.”

“Mmhmm,” Victoria murmured, running her hand over the rough, weathered stone.

She barely noticed when a slender hand placed itself next to hers on the rock. She glanced over at the strange female standing beside her. Her lips were pressed together in a thin line and her head was cocked to the side as if listening intently to something. Her fingers brushed away small shoots of grass growing out of the crevices.

“I don't believe we've been introduced,” Victoria commented.

“No, we haven't,” the vampiress responded absently, “I am called Deyavi. And you are Seras Victoria, yes?”

“Yes, err, that is, I prefer to be called Victoria,” she replied, “No one calls me Ser- okay, so some people still call me Seras, but most just call me Victoria.”

Deyavi gave her a faint smile and nodded absently. She was intently focused on the rough, hard surface before them, digging her fingers into a crevice searchingly. Victoria had a feeling that Deyavi somehow already knew all of this. She glanced back and saw Alucard, sitting relaxedly on the wet grass, of all things, watching them. Malakai was crouched down next to Alucard looking worriedly at the sky, and the strange male was standing, arms folded, watching Deyavi expressionlessly but intently.

“And what's your companion's name?” Victoria asked, growing weirdly anxious as she watched Deyavi reach above her head with her other hand to dig her fingers into another crack in the rock face.

“He is called Gavril.”

“Is he your . . . mate?” Victoria asked, hesitating on the unfamiliar term.

“He is.” Deyavi said, her mouth curving into a soft smile, her features gentling at the turn the conversation had taken.

Her love for Gavril was obvious. Just that one small smile spoke volumes about how precious her mate was to her. Made sense, after all, vampires rarely took mates to begin with, and once they did, they stayed together for life. Victoria had read about it in Hellsing's extensive library, and had read a legend that said that vampires could actually sense their “soulmate.” It was so fasci-

“I've found something.”

Deyavi's voice rang out clearly and strongly, demanding attention. Victoria, standing closest to her, peered curiously. They were quickly joined by the indolent males, leaning in behind them.

“Did you not smell it from the beginning?” Deyavi murmured, “There was always something wrong here. You did so well, Victoria, to notice this place.”

“Well, thanks,” Victoria replied, leaning forward and inhaling the scent of the rock.

It smelled like stale air. And blood.

And rot.

“Well done, Victoria,” Malakai grinned.

Alucard barely gave her a glance, but tha tmomentary eye contact spoke volumes. It was the same look he used to give her back when she was still just “Police Girl”, and she had done something to please him.

Wonderful. So maybe her spaztic, ADD flock of vampire bats had done something right after all.

Alucard slid an arm between them to touch the stone himself and gently pushed Victoria out of the way. Or, rather, as gently as was possible for him. She still had to stumble a foot backwards just to keep from falling.

“It reeks,” he said quietly.

And then he brought his fist down violently onto the rock, and they heard a thunderous crack, and a split appeared to stretch out from where he touched the surface of it, and then it collapsed inward.

“Damn,” Malakai muttered, “I know it smells bad but you didn't have to break it. Now half of Britain knows we're here.”

Alucard shot him a look that effectively silenced Malakai. For the time being.

Nothing would keep that bloodsucker down for long.

Victoria held her breath, so as not to inhale the clouds of dust and mold that filtered up into the air, and peered down past the pieces of rock into the blackness.

“I can't really see anything. Looks like it's just a straight drop down,” she reported.

“Then let's get dropping already,” Malakai said impatiently, “I want to know what it is that's had me sitting here dying of boredom for the past fifteen freaking minutes.”

“Brat.”

No one needed to look to know it was Alucard that spoke. Victoria pressed her lips together, suppressing a smile, as she hoisted herself up, kneeling on the edge of the dark hole. She swung her legs over and placed her feet on one of the broken slabs of stone slanting down into the hole and slid carefully downward, until her legs were down in the inky darkness and, queerly, she could no longer even see them, even with her vampiric vision. It felt like dipping her legs into muddy water. Ugh.

“This weird,” she muttered to herself, “I don't like this at all.”

“You don't have to do it,” Alucard spoke from close beside her, leaning over her shoulder to watch her sink into the hole with deep suspicion and dislike written across his face, “I'll throw Malakai in.”

“No, I'm already halfway there,” she smiled at his attempt to comfort her, “I might as well. I'm going to have to go in sometime.”

“You would not throw me in,” Malakai scoffed.

Alucard gave him another piercing look, and the silver-haired vampire was again silenced. Because Alucard would throw him in. He was like that.

Victoria slid the rest of the way into the hole and rested her back against the rock, sliding down by inches, feeling with her hands and legs to find the edges and bottom of the pit. Finally, she found bottom, and stood herself up straight. It was not so far down, only ten feet or so. But when she looked back up, she found that she could see nothing. In a moment of panic, she pressed her hand over her mouth to keep from screaming. It was dark. Not like night-time. It was dark; poisonously, frighteningly, horrendously dark. Oh, God.

“Alucard,” she called, trying to keep the trembling out of her voice, “I've hit bottom, it's not far. You'd better get down here.”

Alucard appeared at her side, using her presence as an anchor to phase. Malakai followed, nearly landing on top of Alucard in the small space. Deyavi came down the same way that Victoria had, sliding down the rock, Gavril coming down after her, a hand on her waist protectively with a look of utter distaste coming over his face as he tasted the foul air in the pit.

“This is too crowded,” Malakai muttered irritably, sliding against the wall away from Alucard.

The dark-haired vampire was annoyed with him already. Wouldn't do well to exacerbate the situation.

“Follow your nose,” Gavril said.

Alucard didn't hesitate. He brought his fist hard against a spot on the wall, shattering the rock barrier standing between them and freedom. Malakai feel backwards into the new hallway.

“Damn if I didn't think you were going to hit me,” he grumbled, running a hand through his hair as he stood.

Victoria slid through the opening carefully, unholstering a gun and sliding in a magazine of silver bullets. She didn't look behind her to see if Deyavi and Gavril followed, but heard their footsteps as they climbed through the entrance. Alucard stood at her side, following along after her with long, easy strides, silently but without fear of discovery. The hallways was narrow and could only old three people standing side-by-side, shoulders touching and a little cramped even then. It was dark with that same thick, inky blackness, and they all held their breaths (comfortably, since vampires didn't need to breathe, uncomfortably, since it deprived them of their ability to speak and a sense of smell), moving silently and swiftly. The hallway didn't appear to have an end. After a moment of walking, however, Victoria noticed a light at the end of the hall, motioning for everyone to see, and as they approached it they felt the slimy darkness seem to get thinner and thinner until it dissipated entirely right at the light's edge. Victoria closed her eyes briefly, steeling herself for a potential battle, and then opened them and stepped into the light.

She found herself in a large chamber with natural stone walls and ceiling vaulting high above her head. Someone had hollowed out the hillside and then sealed it over with stone. To think that if they had only allowed the grass to grow back Victoria would never have noticed it. But rather than a natural, rough floor, someone had polished and stained the stone to a high, black, glossy shine. It was like walking on glass. Even the softest footstep seemed to make noise.

She exhaled the stale air in her lungs slowly. She could practically see the black air leave her body from when she had had to inhale it in the drop down. And then she inhaled. And nearly puked.

It smelled of congealed blood and rot and decaying, burnt flesh. Too much for a sensitive vampire nose, and she could even taste it lingering at the back of her mouth. She gagged once, tried to calm herself, gagged again.

She felt a strong, reassuring hand touch the back of her neck and she leaned back into Alucard's comforting, familiar touch.

“Compose yourself, Victoria,” he commanded softly.

She nodded weakly and her eyes followed the other three vampires as they cautiously entered the room. They had all felt with their minds what Victoria had experienced with her body, and knew the air was vile to breathe, so they still held their breaths.

Momentarily she was able to stand upright on her own and she explored the room with her eyes, moving to the center and turning in a slow circle as she examined her surroundings.

Around the room there were niches carved into the walls where stubs of candles smoked from recent use. The walls were painted with blood, blasphemous and hateful messages and symbols dried to a brown color with time. She stepped back, tilting her head back to look at the ceiling, and felt her foot touch something hard. She looked down and saw chains attached with metal hooks and nails to the floor. Heavy and archaic chains, like old dungeon shackles. She imagined a human being chained to that floor, held immobile while unspeakably evil acts were committed against them, helpless to save themselves from an death they could clearly see coming.

And she also imagined willing victims laying quietly on the floor, waiting to be mutilated and changed into something evil and horrendously deformed.

She shivered, and ran a hand through her blonde hair, trying to wipe those images from her mind.

Alucard stood some distance away, taking in everything with seeming indifference, a feeling coming over him that somehow, he knew exactly what went on here. As if he'd seen it before. A first glance made the room seem sloppy, ugly, messy. A practiced eye, however . . . a vampire eye . . . could easily see that each and every thing in this room was placed precisely according to some exact plan. Each niche holding a candle in the wall was placed exactly the same distance apart. The floor had been polished and colored with something (blood, perhaps?) that turned it a perfectly smooth, glossy black. It must have taken so much time, so many months of effort, to accomplish even just that. The messages on the walls appeared random, splashed on the walls in a fit of rage. But upon closer inspection it was easy to see the pattern, each symbol coming together to form something elegant and violent and unspeakably evil. Even the chains were placed perfectly, in the exact center of the room. Not a single nail holding them to the floor was even the slightest bit out of place.

It was too perfect. This kind of perfection had taken so many months to achieve. Which meant that someone had been plotting and working right under his nose, and he had had no idea. For months. It was downright irritating.

He bared his fangs in agitation.

“There's another room!”

He found Victoria standing by one of the walls, peering at it with frustration, while Malakai grinned at her.

“I don't see how there's another room here. I don't see anything!”

“That's because you aren't even looking in the right place. And did I say the entrance was in the wall?” Malakai asked, his wildly amused, smug smile widening.

“Where do you get off being so damn superior?” Victoria muttered at him irritably, stepping back.

“I'm just that amazing, you know.”

“UGH!”

Deyavi and Gavril were standing close by, examining one of the candle stubs, arguing quietly over it, when they heard the loud slap and looked up at Malakai holding a hand to the back of his head and Victoria smiling triumphantly.

Deyavi grinned, flashing elegantly pointed fangs at Victoria in her approval.

“What are you two talking about?” Malakai said poutingly, waving a hand in Deyavi's direction, “It's just a candle.”

“The wick is still glowing from a recent flame. It must have been extinguished minutes ago. We can't figure out if they left because they heard us or if they were gone before we got here,” Gavril explained.

“Well, either way,” Malakai muttered, crouching down by the floor, “We still have to get out of here if we are ever going to find out what this is about.”

And then he knelt, sliding his palms across the glossy, shining black floor, closing his eyes. A little furrow of concentration appeared between his brows, and then his hands began to sink through the floor. Once his hands were through to the wrist, he suddenly fell through the floor. Victoria bit her lip in mild worry.

Beyond the silken, shimmering surface lay the gateway to hell.

* * * * * * * * * *

Abigail screamed, the sound more feline than human. The hands that held her now were the same that she had been trying to escape for two years. She had sacrificed so much to stay out of the reach of those hands . . . all for nothing now. The creatures held her firmly, and despite her immense inhuman strength she could not break free. Screams tore their way out of her throat. She felt clotted blood dripping from mouths whose lips had long ago rotted away dripping onto her skin, her clothes.

One of the creatures that held her seemed less decayed, less doughy white, than the others. The eyes were still intact in this one, and she could see that they were gentle brown. Human eyes in a monster's face. This one leaned toward her, the raw, open, bleeding hand imprint on it's abdomen brushing her bare skin, and her skin tingled sharply where it touched her. And then it began to burn. And she saw the silvery-white skin where it had touched her with the wound begin to rot and crumble before her eyes. Blood poured out of her body from the wound, and she tasted it in the back of her throat.

The same monster who had touched her, the only one who was not holding her immobilized, leaned in toward her, bent its head toward hers, and when the open red and black fissure that was its mouth came close enough that - had it lips - it could have kissed her, she saw a soft white cloud begin to grow between their mouths. Slowly, her consciousness, her coherency, began to slip away, and her last thought was that she was dying. It was taking her vampire soul right out of her and now, she would never get to know if vampires went to hell when they died.

Author's Note: Black Fang 01, when I create a new character, picture in my head what kind of person they are and what they look like and where they came from, sometimes the name just comes to me. For OC s that come in pairs, if I'm having difficulty coming up with a name, I try to use the character I've already named as a reference. The biggest factor, if I had to pick one, would probably be where they came from.