Hellhounds

Integra stubbed out her cigar. What was taking him so long, even in a mansion filled with her scent there were only so many places he could look. Punching a button underneath her desk top she scanned the wall of video screens now filling the top of her desk, each connected to a different hidden security camera in the mansion. He was nowhere to be seen.

‘The bastard couldn’t have found the sublevels could he? That would really be great, the last thing I need is for him to run into Alucard after he’s just woken up, those two got along great last time they met.’

Deciding to give it another half-hour she lit another cigar. Fifteen minutes later she heard a resounding explosion right outside her office doors. Jumping to her feet she grabbed the gun she now always kept on her desk top and ran over to the door, throwing it open to find a dusty and dishevelled William coughing and standing over a rather large hole in the floor.

“Just what the blooming hell is going on…oh its’ you.” She said after realizing who it was.

“Oh, its’ me?” Said William sarcastically turning to face her, brushing some plaster of his shoulder, “Care to explain why you’ve had me running around in circles for the better part of two hours?”

“What are you talking about and why did you find the need to destroy my floor?” said Integra lowering her weapon.

“What am I talking about?” asked William indignantly, “I’ll tell you what I’m talking about, for the last…oh hold on one second.” He added before leaning over the hole and whistling down it, a loud barking coming back in response. “Here boy! Come an’ find me, come on!”

After several more barks and the sounds of a large dog running off into the lower halls faded away, William once more turned to face Integra.

“Now where was I? Oh yeah I was about to yell at you for treating me like a fool…” at which point he coughed clearing his thought for the scolding that was to come, “Ever since I stepped foot into this mansion I have been going around in circles! For the last,” he glanced at his watch “two hours and fifteen minuets I have been walking around the first floor of this building doing nothing more, it seems, than retracing my own bloody footsteps! Despite my best efforts I was unable to even find a single set of stairs leading to this level and it was only by a lucky guess that I managed to get here at all! Also,” he continued after taking a deep breath, “I have serious reasons to believe that someone, or rather something, was the one behind me being stuck on the first floor in the first place and it was them that was leading me around in damn circles the whole time. Pray tell were exactly is that lovely servant of yours ‘Headless’?”

“Headless?” Asked Integra taken aback, “Who on earth are you…”

“Leather legs, red eyes, that guy I decapitated yesterday!”

“You mean Alucard?”

“Yes! Headless! Where is the bastard?”

“Alucard isn’t awake…” glancing at her watch Integra realized that that was wrong, it was nearly ten at night, Alucard was usually awake much earlier than this. ‘Oh no.’

“Alucard?” she said quietly, to which her servant appeared right behind her a wicked smile adorning his fetchers.

“You called Master?” sounded his amused baritone.

Just by hearing the tone Integra knew the answer before she ever asked the question but she still needed to hear it.

“Have you been leading my guest around in circles for the last two hours?” she asked weakly

“Why is it that you want to know Master?”

“Just answer the damn question Servant.”

“Yes.” He replied simply with a chesser cat smile.

“Why you son of a…” yelled William dropping his sword and pulling out his large handgun, pointing it at Alucards head.

“Futile.” Said Alucard simply, never losing the smile.

“True, but by the Gods it will make me feel better!” at which Integra stifled a chuckle in a chough and Alucards grin grew even wider, if that was possible.

“You certainly have potential,” he said laughing “Why are you here human?”

“Human?” said William with a sadly amused voice “If I were human do you really think I would be here?”

“What are you talking about?” asked Integra “We proved yesterday that you are human, holy water had no effect on you.”

“Wrong, you see…”

“MASTER!”

Everyone looked to my left to see Seras Victoria running towards us Murrfy bounding after her, his tongue lolling to the side, his mouth wide in what could have been mistaken for a smile and barking his head off chasing the poor girl towards us. This didn’t surprise me all that much, he was a very playful animal, what shocked me was the size of the weapon the girl was carrying on her shoulder; it looked like it belonged on a bloody tank!

“What the…” I said trying desperately to contemplate the sheer size of the weapon as she ran ever closer.

As she ran past us, jumping over the hole in the floor, Murrfy following suit shortly after, I saw the word ‘Harkonnen’ written on the side of the cannon. Still yelling for her master Seras continued to run away from the massive dog chasing her, intent on nothing more than licking the poor girl to death.

“Evidently she’s forgotten she can vanish into the shadows.” Said Alucard dryly. ‘Just when I think you’re showing such promise, too, Seras.’

“Cant you call your dog off?” asked Integra, when she got no answer she looked at William irritated, “William are you…huh?”

She looked at William, confused, as he stood there weakly staring after Seras his head cocked slightly to the side, half his nose wrinkled and half his mouth hanging slightly open in a rather amusing look of utter confusion and disbelief.

“Are you alright?”

“I want one.”

“Pardon?”

“I want one.”

“You want one what?”

“That gun!” said William looking at Integra “I want one of those guns…did you see the size of that thing? It was huge! That must have been what killed of that dog thing the other day. Damn that thing was huge; gigantic…I so want one.”

“Sorry,” said Alucard, “That was a unique weapon made especially for her. You can’t have one.”

“Bugger.” Said William kick a near by wall, forgetting what was inside it.

Comically jumping up and down on the spot infront of Alucard and Integra, William tripped and nearly fell through the hole in the floor. Catching himself at the last second with half his body through the hole, he managed to pull himself up and away from the dangerous thing.

“Who put that there? That thing could kill someone!”

“You put it there you imbecile.” Said Integra, not sure if she was amused or irritated by Williams’s behaviour.

“I know,” said William standing, grabbing his sword and gun in the process, “though I wouldn’t have had to make the hole if Headless here hadnt been messing with me.”

“Headless?” asked Alucard confused.

“That seems to be his nickname for you Alucard.” Explained Integra stifling a laugh, “I must say I find it rather amusing.”

Scoffing indignantly Alucard vanished into the shadows, intent on finding Seras and stopping that dog from chancing her around the rest of the manor. William sighed gratefully at the elder Vampires absence and turned his attention to Integra.

“Now that there are no more distractions do you think that we can get down to business?” he asked with a much more serious demeanour than he had had thus far, shocking Integra slightly.

“Certainly.” said Integra, gesturing for him to enter her office; which he did with a light bow of his head.

Entering the large office William replaced his gun inside is coat and walked towards the seat nearest him, the one his side of Integras’ desk and the smaller of the two seats available. Integra walked in behind him, closing the large doors behind her, hiding the partially destroyed hallway. Walking passed William; who was now comfortable sitting in the green cushioned chair, his sword resting against the armrest next to him, she sat in her high backed red velvet clad armchair.

“I must admit,” she said while walking to her seat “, I am surprised that you came, you seemed quite adamant that you did not wish to join us, what has…sorry, excuse me one moment.” She said noticing the flashing red light of the intercom.

Pushing the button she was greeted by the irate voice of her head of security who desperately wanted to know why he was looking at a live feed of the hallway infront of her office and why it looked like it had blown up. After she explained the situation the man calmed and said he would set about repairing the damage at once, as well as seeing to the unforeseen weakness in the security; honestly though who would have thought anyone would try to jump through the floor? Thanking him for his work she hung up. Turning back to William she noticed him admiring the picture of her deceased Father, which was on the wall to his left.

“My Father,” she explained, “The original painting was destroyed with the original Hellsing Mansion; that is only a copy, though a very good one I must say.”

“He looks like he was a very strong man, powerful eyes like yours; I wish I could have met him.” Said William musingly

“He was,” said Integra blushing at the comment on her eyes “, but enough of the past why are you here William. What has changed?”

Removing his sunglasses for the first time William placed them inside his coat and looked Integra straight in the eyes. Integra; blushing even more at the eyes that, in many ways, resembled Alucards, cold, warming and…deep at the same time, did not look away.

“Why, nothing at all has changed, Sit Integra,” said William removing the bandages and showing her the back of his hand, still black, burned and crispy “absolutely nothing has changed…except that the holy water seemed to have had a time delayed effect on my flesh.”

“You…” said Integra wide eyed, recognizing the damage of holy water on a Vampires flesh immediately “You’re…”

“Yes, it would seem so.” Said William re-bandaging his hand “That is why I am here; I wish to take you up on your offer.”

“You…you do?” asked Integra taken aback but not unhappy, “You wish to join us?”

“Do I need to repeat myself Sir Integra?”

“No,” said Integra coughing slightly “No not at all William, its just last night…”

“Last night I had Headless and the busty blond crushing me whilst you,” he said glaring at her momentarily “, forcibly poured holy water on my hand. Did you truly feel that was the best way to gain my trust and allegiance?” He finished raising an eyebrow.

“True.” She replied simply.

Silence filled the room, not a strained silence that some might expect, rather a silence that promised the coming of something great. The quite before a storm. After what seemed like a long time, but was really no time at all William asked.

“So what happens now?”

“First,” said Integra relighting her cigar “I need know why you chose to accept my offer, why ARE you here William?”

“Why?”

“Yes.”

Silence, William merely re-examined the painting of Sir Arthur Hellsing as Integra watched him carefully, trying to judge his reaction. When, after five minutes he said nothing however, she lost her patience.

“Well?”

“Who knows; uncertainty? Some form of misgiving? Confusion? Fear? Who really knows? To be honest I’m to too sure of the reason myself. It’s just,” he said looking at her again with those cold strong blue eyes “ever since I realized what I was, am, I feel like something is happening, something I can neither control nor understand on my own. I feel like this ‘something’ is related to my current…err…condition as it were and to try and protect myself from it I shall join forces with those whose expertise is what I am. Also,” he continued at Integras surprised look “I have absolutely no idea how to be a Vampire, I don’t know what to do or any of the proper rites, save for what I’ve learned through the public media and who knows how corrupted that has become. At the very least,” he finished with a child like smile on my face, “if I join you then I’ll be able to learn much more about what I am and what it is I am hunting, right?”

Integra simply stared at him, who the hell was this guy? This human, no Vampire, that reminded her so much of her servant. This Vampire that at times acted as carefree and childish he might not have a care in the world and at others acted like the whole world rested on his shoulders. This creature that sat before her was one of the strangest things she had ever met, even if he said he was a Vampire, even if he bore the marks of the holy water that did not explain the delay in the effects showing. Even diluted the holy water should have shown some effect straight away.

Closing her eyes with a sigh she decided that it was best to leave questions for another time. Right know was neither the time nor the place for such things; no, right now was a time for celebrations, a time to great a new comrade to the Hellsing ranks. Putting her cigar to rest in the astray on her desk top Integra stood and moved around her desk to stand next to William, who stood when she did, picking up his sword in the process. Looking each other in the eyes, Integra having to look up slightly for William was about as tall as Alucard, the two simply stood there trying to gauge each other.

“Kneel.” Said Integra simply.

“What?”

“Kneel.”

A little unsure William knelt infront of Sir Integra, his head lowered.

“Do you swear,” Said Integra “to serve the crown of England? To fight for Her Majesty the Queen, and to protect; this country, its people, Christendom and the English thrown from any and all threats, be them human or monster? Do you swear that at all times you shall ignore harm to yourself and your own personal desires? Do you swear that even if you must sacrifice your own life to do so, you will fulfil this oath and protect England?”

“No.”

“Wha…”

“I will not swear to do any of that for this country or for its appointed Queen, or for this countries self-centred people, or for a Christendom that has become corrupted and selfish over the many centuries, forgetting what it truly stands for. I will never swear ever to serve these things; not to fight for these things, never to kill for these things and most certainly never ever to die for them.”

Said William raising his head, but staying kneeling, to look Integra straight in the eyes once more, his lightning blue eyes blazing with an absolute certainty that Integra had seen only once before, in the eyes of Alucard over ten years ago,

“I will swear, however, Sir Integra Fairbrook Wingates Hellsing; that for as long as I am of able body and mind, I will fight, kill and die for you. Should you command it I shall walk the paths of Hell and return with the Devils head. This I swear to you, that so long as I live…or not live, I shall be your loyal and devoted servant. Sir Hellsing, do you accept my Oath?”

Finished William never removed his eyes from Integras sparklingly blue ones as she looked down at him with shock and something else less definable.

“I…”