Hellhounds

I was being followed. I don’t know how and I don’t know why but I was being followed by something that I could not track in the usual ways. I knew it was there, every since the run in with that strange dog like creature, whatever it was had followed me all the way to the broken remains of a supermarket where I had to put a dozen more monsters to rest in order to get some food for me and my dog. Even now, as I made my way up the large steel elevator of the warehouse I called home, I could feel whatever it was following just below.

Since it hadn’t attacked me, yet, I figured I could ignore it for the time being, wait for it to reveal itself. As the elevator came to a juddering halt I pulled open the clanking red steel grate and entered the vast space that was my home. I was lucky to have found it, and even luckier that it managed to largely survive what had happened. Admittedly there was a large hole in the side of the building, giving the place a nice sky light, but asides from that the warehouse was largely in good condition.

As I closed the elevator grill I heard a booming bark from behind me, turning with a smile on my face I saw my massive black English Mastiff bounding towards me, a look of absolute love on his face. About five feet away from me he jumped, ‘Shit’, and a second later I was on the floor, food lost somewhere to the side, with Murrfy licking every part of my face he could.

“Enough, enough” I said between licks “,okay, okay I love you too, you great dopy mutt, get off!”

Finally he got off, and barked again asking for food. As I continued to talk to him, trying to calm him down, I felt the presence that had been following me enter the room. What the hell was it? And what was it doing here? To be able to follow me, very closely at some points, but not allow itself to be seen or even smelt, if it wasn’t for my sixth sense I wouldn’t even know that it was there.

The whole floor I was on was one massive apartment, in essence, I had scavenged over the last month the materials I needed to survive; bed, sofa, electric cooker, fridge/freezer, TV and a petrol powered generator to produce power for it all. The generator and a large pile of cans filled with petrol had been a God send; I had managed to find, perhaps, the only petrol station in the whole of London that hadn’t been destroyed in the attack and I also managed to find the generator and, to my eternal gratitude, a working petrol pump.

Switching on the TV as I walked passed it, I overheard a male news reporter talking about what the international community was doing about the Vatican, I believe the common phase would be ripping them a new one. Once it became international knowledge that the Vatican and the Pope had, not only, consented to but also directly ordered the attack on London the international community, Queen and country at its head, had seen red and wanted blood lots of it.

“The Vatican’s finished,” I said to Murrfy “, the whole world wants their blood for sanctioning such an act of destruction, particularly an attack on innocent civilians. Good riddance, if there is any mercy in the world the whole lot of them will go straight to Hell. At the very least,”

I said moving to the fridge; pulling out the shopping supplies, mostly canned food, since the electricity in the city had died the only safe food now was canned or dried, human and dog.

“,even if they survive this inquisition against them, now that’s ironic, there is no way that anyone will willingly listen to the teachings of a religious sect that did…well yeah, 'that'.”

Grabbing one of the cans of dog food, I opened it with a can opener on top of the fridge, and poured it into Murrfys’ dog bowl. Turning to face his sitting form I told him to eat, which he did, gratefully. Stripping from the waist up I tossed the cloths and my hand gun onto the couth, though I did not discard my sword, I wouldn’t, not with that unknown presence now somewhere just above me. Though I knew, somehow, it was not malevolent.

Pulling out my sword I moved over to the practice area I had cornered off and for the next four hours I practice, fighting the invisible enemies in my head as they tried to kill me. All the time thinking about the presence now floating some twenty feet behind me; around the area of the TV, still playing the news, was it watching the TV? It wasn’t until I heard the clanking of the elevator going down, then coming back up, that I started to worry.

Seras had been following this guy all day, from the Hellhounds corpse, to the supermarket, to three more run-ins with Ghouls, all of which he handled himself like an expert, despatching them with ease. She followed from the shadows as he made his way to a large abandoned warehouse and she followed just below the large red grilled elevator as he went up to, what she assumed, was his home. She was shocked to find that the target had a massive dog, English Mastiff she thought, and that he was extremely playful, both the target and the dog.

It was clear to her that this was the targets home, considering all the homelike equipment on the floor; bed, cooker, fridge. Contacting her master she told him the targets location, in response he told her good job and to maintain surveillance for the time being, both he and his master would be arriving in the next few hours, in order to complete the mission. So she did, for the last four and a half hours; she had watched the target, she watched as he fed his dog ‘Murrfy’, who names a dog like that Murrfy? And she watched as he half striped, revealing three tattoos on his torso; the first, on his right shoulder, was of a snake eating its own tail placed around a Chinese or Japanese character of some type. The second was a Chinese dragon running up the left side of his back and the final tattoo was a circular, black and white image on his left shoulder she had never seen before.

She waited for four hours, watching the target practice with his sword. Though she had seen many fighting styles, through various internet resources and movies, she had never seen a style quite like his before. Neither a direct nor indirect style it was a combination of both and yet was also neither at the same time. He fought not only with his sword but also with the empty sheath as well, using it to attack and defend, almost more than the sword itself. As he practiced Seras thought that he was more dancing than fighting, the movements were so fluid and smooth that he seemed to glide through the practice area like he was on a cloud. What was most unnerving though, was that he fought with his eyes closed.

Despite thinking that he was an amazing fighter; Seras could only watch him for so long before she lost interest. So she settled herself down in the shadow of a pillow and watched the news that was still on. As expected headlines were still; London, Nazis, Vampires and the Vatican, she still found Vampires in headline news strange. Finally after four hours of waiting she heard the elevator go down then come back up.

“Oh thank God, at long bloody last.” She said to herself.

I heard the elevator coming up, and Murrfy start to growl and bark, not a good sign. Redoubling my grip on my sword and sheath I ran over to the elevator and stood just to the right of the exit, waiting for it to arrive. I didn’t know who was coming up, but they were a dead man walking. Shame I didn’t realise how true that was. As the elevator clambered to a halt the grill slid open and I saw red and black as whoever it was walked out and looked around.

I struck without a second’s hesitation. Attacking first with my sheath, which the black haired man grabbed, I then quickly brought my blade round and decapitated him. His body slumped to the ground, as the elevator went down again, his head rolling after it.

“What the hell?” I said aloud, “oh sod this.”

I ran over and grabbed my gun, checking the magazine and chamber I then turned back and waited for the elevator to return. This time I was most certainly taken aback by what I saw, a tanned women; with long platinum blonde hair, cold blue eyes that hid a strange warmth in their depths wearing large circular glasses and a mans green suit stood in the centre of the elevator casually holding the head of the man I had just decapitated. She was looking at me with a great deal of amusement and interest.

“What the…who the fuck are you?”

“I’m impressed,” she said calmly walking forwards, stopping next to the headless body “You managed to decapitate my servant, something not easily done.”

“You realise of course,” I said never taking my aim off her “that he is dead.”

“No,” she said with amusement “I think not, Alucard stop playing.”

“As you wish, Master.” Came the disembodied voice of a man, filled with resentment.

What I saw next caused me to drop my gun and sword and stopped Murrfy barking, sending him racing away to hid under the bed. Before my very eyes the headless body stood of its own accord then, turning to the women, who handed him his head, replaced it then turned to look at me with blood red eyes full of interest and amusement. He stood over six foot his face hollowed in that special way which would cause most sain women to…well no longer be sain. He stood there with wavy pitch black hair which flowed up in the back and had blood red eyes which seemed to glow with some dark presence. He bore a moustache and elegant beard on just his chin the rest of his face perfectly clean shaven. He wore black worn leather trousers, black boots, as well as a blood red silken shirt with the top two buttons undone all under a deep dark red trench coat.

“It has been a while since someone managed to take my head, not since the Paladin has anyone managed that feat. I’m impressed, he defiantly has potential Master.”

“Who the fuck are you people?”

“We,” said the women calmly walking forwards “are Hellsing.”

“Hellsing? What the hell is Hellsing?”

“The Royal Order of Protestant Knights working for her Majesty the Queen, we are the monsters that hunt and kill the other monsters that threaten this country, its people and it’s Throne. We were the ones who fought against the Millennium Organisation, the Nazis, and the Vatican Crusade when they attack London.” Explained the Women, walking passed me to sit on my coach next to the mysterious presence.

“You fought against them?” I said in disbelief “Sorry to say this love but I don’t think you did that good of a job of it.” I said pointing out the gapping hole in the side of the warehouse towards the destroyed centre of London.

“We were undermanned, unprepared, distracted by pathetic excuses for Vampires and couldn’t even guess that the Vatican would send a Crusade against England when we were at are weakest and already under attack by a whole battalion of monsters! If it wasn’t for Hellsing then the whole of England would have been destroyed, probably worse, if it wasn’t for us the Millennium Organisation would still exist and they would probably be attack the Americans right now! I am not here to be lectured on how our actions led to the destruction of London! WE, more precisely Alucard, saved this country from utter destruction! You should be on your hands and knees thanking us, not standing there criticising us for events beyond our control! I lost countless good and loyal men in that attack; my home, my centuries old heritage was destroyed everything my family had built with their own two hands and had fought to protect was destroyed! I lost more than many and you stand there and berate me? Don’t give me that bullshit!” yelled the suddenly irate women.

“Alright, alright, fine. Thank you for saving England.” I said bowing low. “I’m sorry, I’ve grown used to my own company and saying what I think, I did not mean to offend. But,” I said after she lightly bowed her head in approval “why are you here? Not only here, but HERE, what do you want with me? And is it you have been following me all day?”

“Followed?” she asked looking at the man, Alucard, behind me with a surprised look “What do you mean?”

“Ever since I ran into this strange…dog-like thing I’ve felt a presence following me round, right now it’s about a foot to your right.” I finished pointing at the shadow of one of the pillows to the women’s right.

“Now I truly am impressed.” Came the deep voice of Alucard “To be able sense the presence of a Draculina when hidden in the shadows, I did not think such thing was possible for such a young Vampire. Seras show yourself.”

Seras watched the decapitation of her Master, then the arrival of Sir Integra and the re-heading of her master. He had changed his appearance ever since the War of London, why? Who knew but him, personally though she liked it, held him truer to what he really looked like. She watched as Sir Integra explained what Hellsing was and then winced as she fervently defended the actions of Hellsing during that horrific 48 hours, which she fully supported. Who the hell was this guy to question the actions of her Masters Master?

However, she nearly screamed in anger, frustration and surprise when she discovered that she had not been secretly tailing the target at all. He had known the whole time! Why didn’t he do anything? When asked to reveal herself she did as her master ordered, pulling herself out of the shadow of the pillow and plopping herself comfortable next to Sir Integra.

“I’ve been being followed by a busty blond in red!? You’ve got to be kidding me!” I said with amusement. Though I did not miss the comment on my vampiric nature, or to me lack there of, I felt it best to leave that for another occasion.

“HEY!” yelled Seras in irritation while Alucard and Sir Integra chuckled lightly “How did you know I was following you? Even my master can’t find me when I don’t want him to.”

“Master? Who’s…” then I noticed her red eyes “you’re…” I said gesturing at Alucard, to which she nodded. “Right.”

‘Nice choose.’ I thought, not expecting to hear a sudden ‘Thank you’ from within my own head. Nearly jumping feet into the air I turned and looked at the man now smiling at me with an evil grin on his handsome face.

“How…you know what never mind I don’t want to know.” I said turning the face the tanned women again “Okay, Seras, Alucard…” I said pointing at the two in response to their names “Then you would be who? A Hellsing of some form I take it.”

“I am Sir Integra Fairbrook Wingates Hellsing, head and last surviving member of the Hellsing family.”

“Right, so Sir Integra, why are you here with your…er…escorts?”

“I am here to offer you a job.”

“A job?” I said in disbelief “What working for you? Nice offer but no thanks, I’m fine just the way I am.”

“I’m sure,” said Alucard looking around in distain, which I did not miss, “what is it exactly that you hope to accomplish by living in this place killing the Ghouls of the city one by one?”

“At the very least? I can put a few innocent souls to rest. And the most I can reclaim this city. But in truth I simply want to stop the screaming.” I said without thinking

“Screaming?” asked Seras. “What screaming?”

I looked around at them, too late now I suppose, have to tell them.

“The main reason I hunt and kill the Ghouls of this city isn’t to put them to rest, it’s to bring me some small measure of peace.”

“What do you…” began Integra.

“For some reason I hear them…”

“Hear them?” asked Alucard

“Yes, hear them, in my head. I hear their screams, the twisted tortured screams of a billion innocent people yelling constantly in my head begging me to kill them to put them out of their misery. The reason I live here is because here the screams are quietest, only here can I find some small relief from their suffering.”

The three looked at me with equal measures of shock, surprise and uncertainty. Shaking my head I looked around at them all and started to laugh, to which they all looked taken aback.

“What’s so funny?” asked Seras

“Nothing just the looks on your faces is all.”

“Enough of this,” said Alucard more composed than he felt, hears their screams? Such a thing was not possible “what is your name?”

“Name?” I asked in surprise “Oh of course you don’t know it do you?”

They all looked at me.

“Very well, allow me to introduce myself then. My name is William.” I said with a bow.