Hellsing Fan Fiction ❯ For Those Who Fight ❯ A Battle's Kiss ( Chapter 2 )

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

“Where is your master?” Integra spoke with annoyance from her desk. Seras stood innocently before her, despite the fact her existence was based on sin.

“ He told me to give the full report by myself.” Seras said timidly and became a little fearful when she saw Integra clinch her fists. She relaxed when she saw her calm down and rest back into her seat.

Integra sighed, then reached inside her desk drawer for a very much needed cigarillo. When she lit it and puffed she could feel her body suddenly relax. “ Very well. Continue with the report.”

Seras nodded. “ We entered the building at 2100 hours. After clearing the first floor, we discovered a hidden passageway to the sewers below…” Seras’ words were only heard as babble to Integra. She knew this was no matter to ignore, but could not help herself for not listening. Seras always seemed to have that ability over her. Integra could not control her thoughts from returning to the moment before between her and Alucard.

She could not figure out what came over him to do such a thing. He had never…well, actually he had once before but that was more her doing than his. She cleared her head before that memory could enter. She hated it, it was one of her weakest moment. But this last incident was all his doing. Perhaps it was just bloodlust. Yes, that was it, bloodlust. How foolish to think it was anything else. “ …we lost twenty men…”

Integra could not help but hear the last part Seras spoke. “ What?!” She nearly leapt from her seat, but resisted the urge when she saw Seras slightly back away.

“ The total count of loss was twenty men, Sir Integra.” Seras repeated, bracing herself for another outburst. And she got it.

Integra could not longer resist her urge and she shot to her feet and fisted her hands on the desk. “ Twenty men?! How could one newborn vampire kill twenty of our soldiers?!” She screamed in anger.

Seras gulped. “ But sir, as I said before, there was a nest of vampires in the sewers. Most of them ran and scattered off when they saw us coming, but the others stayed and fought.”

Integra’s eyes widened a bit. She then fell back into her seat. She gently picked up the cigarillo that had fallen onto her desk and rubbed it into the ashtray. She had ruined it when she clenched her jaw, so she pulled out another. “ Do we have a location on where the others ran off to?” Her voice returned to it’s calm and noble tone.

Seras relaxed once more, but still spoke her next words carefully. “ We have tracked down four, but we have yet to locate the other eleven.”

Integra sighed and rubbed her temple with her forefinger. “ Very well. You may leave now.”

Seras saluted her, then turned sharply on her heel. She was almost out the door when, “ Oh, and Seras.”

She gritted her teeth and faced Integra. “ Yes Sir?”

Integra straightened some papers on her desk, then began to write on some of them. “ If you should see Alucard tonight, tell him he will no longer be able to send you in his place for any further reports, and that is an order.”

Seras saluted once more, then turned, and walked a little more quickly towards the door. Once outside she shut the door and leaned against it. She moaned. “ Oh great, now I have to be the middle man in between Sir Integra and Master. It’s so frustrating that neither one of them have the guts to face one another.”

“ Did you say something Seras?” Integra called from inside her office, knowing full well what she had said.

Seras jumped in surprise. “ Oh! Nuh… nothing Sir Integra!” She then saluted the door in panic and sprinted down the hallway.

Integra smiled to herself, then placed her finger on the intercom. “ Walter.” She spoke into the box.

“ Yes Sir Integra?” Walter responded almost instantly.

“ Report to my office.” She released the button then lifted a paper on her desk and examined it closely.

Walter arrived shortly after and bowed before her. “ How may I be of service?” He said smoothly.

She lifted a stack of papers. “ This stack of paper is a list of names of the soldiers we lost in the Incognito incident alone.” She then set the papers down and lifted a number. “ This is the list from the Valentine Brothers incident.” She spoke morbidly, then set the papers back onto the desk and removed the cigarillo from her mouth.

“ It is a devastating amount to be sure.” He replied a bit morbidly as well.

“ We cannot afford anymore losses. Let alone another misinformed mission that results in the unnecessary loss of twenty more men.” She puffed her cigarillo and let out a smoke filled breath.

“ What is it that Sir requests of me?” He asked, curious as to her answer.

“ We keep losing men faster than we recruit them.” She paused, then looked to Walter. “ I have decided to hire… mercenaries.” She spoke the last word with a little disgust.

“ Mercenaries? Sir, are you sure about this? Mercenaries care only for themselves. There is no guarantee they will not turn their backs on us at any moment and sell all of our highly held secrets to the highest bidder.”

“ I am aware of that Walter.” The tone of her voice told him that she did not like this decision either, but it was her decision and he was not to argue.

He bowed. “ Very well sir. I shall find the best mercenaries in England and arrange a practice trial for next week.” He rose when she waved her hand signaling him to leave and he did so.

Integra squeezed the bridge of her nose and closed her eyes. She readjusted her glasses, then turned her chair around to the window doors behind her. Looking out of it she immediately noticed it was a full moon. It hung right outside, so close it seemed one could simply reach out and touch it. She rose from her chair. She opened up to the glass doors and walked out onto the balcony, leaning against the railing. Her intention was to look at the moon, yet once there, something else caught her eye.

There he stood, directly under the moon with his arms outstretched as if he were absorbing something. His back was faced to her. He was not wearing his hat, causing his now long hair to flow to the side in a gentle breeze, along with the tail of his coat. The moon’s rays shined lovingly over his entire body, causing him to glow in the darkness of the night. She gasped when his eyes suddenly locked onto hers. She had not even seen him turn around. She was embarrassed a little at being caught staring at him. She kept her embarrassment hidden, and forced a look of disinterest onto her face. She turned away from the window and he was in front of her, just as quickly as his eyes caught her, he appeared before her. She had expected as much from him so he did not surprise her. Yet, she crossed her arms in annoyance anyways.

“ Why did you not report in?” She snapped.

His hat was still absent, along with his glasses, but his hair had returned to its shoulder’s length. He gave her one of his wicked grins and a mock bow. “ Forgive me Master. I could simply not ignore a beautiful night such as this.” He then rose to his full length, towering over her, but she was not intimidated.

She furrowed her brows. “ You will no longer be absent from any further reports, and I forbid you to send another in your place. I will not have you slacking off just so you can play in the fields under the moon.” She was trying to insult him, but he kept the grin on his face. She should have known better.

“ It will not happen again. However, not even you, Master, can ignore the…view.” She picked up all too well on the double meaning that last word held.

“ It is only like any other night.” She sneered.

Alucard’s grinned decreased, but still remained on his face. “ Aw, but not to a vampire. We are only graced with a full moon once a month, and when it arrives, it is a moment to cherish for us. A full moon is the brightest light in the sky we will ever be able to see, since the sun has decided to abandon us.”

“ Your very philosophical tonight, Alucard.” She snickered.

“ Yes, it seems to have that affect on me. It’s beauty cannot help but overwhelm me.” When his grin left his face and a serious look crossed it, she became confused by the unusual look. He reached out and brushed a stray strand of hair from her face, causing her to flinch. After removing the hair, he rested his gloved palm on her cheek. “ Yet I can think of more beautiful things.”

Integra quickly removed his palm. “ You forget your place vampire.” She spoke vampire as if it were the filthiest word she had ever spoken. “ You are not to touch me.” She expected him to grin, but he didn’t

“ It seems there is another thing I cannot resist.” Then he was kissing her. And despite her forceful attempt to push away, he kissed her gently. She finally managed to pull her mouth from his, but he still held her tightly against him by the waist.

“ Alucard.” She cursed herself for sounding so breathless. “ Sto..” Her command was cut off when he kissed her again. She managed to break away more quickly this time. “ Stop!” She shouted. “ Release me!” He reluctantly did so, unable to disobey her. When her arms were freed she punched him roughly on this jaw, causing his face to turn sharply to the side, where it remained. She then looked down at her suit jacket and began to casually straighten it. “ What is wrong with you tonight?” She asked more calmly now, but still demanding.

When he did not answer her she looked up at him. His face was turned back towards hers, but it was tilted downwards and he held a hand to his forehead. “ Forgive me Master. I believe your blood I drank went to my head.”

So that was the reason he kissed her earlier, and now as well. She felt relieved, and something else that felt like disappointment, though she wasn’t sure why, and did not allow herself to dwell on the feeling. “ Very well then. You may retire. Report to me first thing tomorrow evening for your orders.”

He bowed, and just as sudden as all his movements had been, he was gone. She stood silently for a moment, trying to gather everything that had just happened. Different thoughts raced through her mind, but none were coming together. Frustrated, she shook her head then walked back into her office, shutting the doors firmly behind her.