Chapter 9

Soon after Seras, Pickman and Alucard arrived at his castle. Seras opened a portal and helped Alucard through into one of the bedrooms that had multiple beds. She helped Alucard lay down on one bed. Pickman found a tall dressing shield and set it between the bed Alucard lay upon and an empty bed beside his. Then Pickman took a bed sheet and draped it across the dressing shield.

"The villagers will be more convinced they're giving blood to another human being this way. Somehow I don't think they'd be too willing if they found out it's a vampire getting their blood." He said.

Pickman looked behind the shield to see Seras sitting at Alucard's bedside. She gently touched the elder vampire's somewhat disfigured face. Others would most likely been repulsed by what they saw, but Seras did not let the wounds bother her. She stayed by Alucard's side.

"He's gonna be all right Seras. Alucard can take a lot of punishment that leave other vampires nothing but dust." He said trying to lift her spirits. However she remained focused upon her sire.

"Alucard..." She said softly.

"Don't...worry about...me...Seras." He replied wearily. "These wounds...will heal. You...you did very well...tonight. My dark rose has finally...blossomed." Alucard said trying with all his strength to crack at least a little bit of a smile. Seras lowered her head gently touching her face to her maker's.

Pickman approached the two vampires. He undid the bindings over the wound Anderson gave him. He knelt down on the other side of Alucard's bed. "Look, the damn thing's bleeding anyway. Take a little. You need it." The Hellsing soldier said.

"But you've already lost quite a bit. You can't...." Alucard began.

"Drink before I put my foot up your bloody ass." Pickman said somewhat sternly. Not many humans could get away with saying such a thing to Alucard. But the vampire had taken a liking to the Hellsing officer. He had spunk and wasn't afraid to show it when the occassion called for it.

"You kiss your mother with that mouth?" Alucard chuckled wearily.

"Yah I do. Now shut up and lick this wound before I change my mind."

*****************************************

Pickman's blood wasn't enough to help Alucard start healing his wounds, but it was enough to give the vampire a little strength to talk. Half an hour passed when Ferguson finally returned to the castle with a doctor, a nurse and several villagers. They also brought a translator since no one except for Ferguson and the translator spoke English. After being promised compesnation for their services, the doctor and nurse set up their equipment.

Alucard kept his eyes covered behind his sunglasses so the doctor nor nurse would suspect what he was. He also did not speak since doing so would reveal his fangs. They were to have no knowledge that he was a vampire, let alone the man whom they'd learned about in history books in their childhood. Ferguson made it clear to them he was a severely injured man in desperate need of blood. And once the transfusion began they were to step away from him and stay with the doners instead. Seras and Pickman stayed at Alucard's bedside while the process began.

One villager after another, five in all, gave enough blood bring Alucard's strength back up. Seras heard him speak to her in her mind. "Tell them to stop. This is more than enough. I must cover my face. The wounds are healing and the nurse and doctor both have seen them. They'll know what I am if they see me healing so rapidly."

"Sir..." Seras called softly to Ferguson motioning for him to come to where she and Pickman stood. The commander quickly complied. "Alucard has enough blood now. He needs his face covered. The wounds are healing very fast now." Seras said quietly.

"Understood." Ferguson took off his jacket and put it over the wounded section of Alucard's face. Then he called for the translator and told him what to tell the doctor and nurse. The nurse walked over to Alucard and carefully took out the needle and pressed a small cloth over the hole to stop the bleeding. Without question the doctor and nurse along with the translator and donors were ushered by Ferguson and Pickman away from Alucard and Seras.

After the villagers were gone, Ferguson had the task of making the grim report to Sir Integra. He would not only have to report the loss of the Hellsing soldiers, but also the fact that Steadman had left his post leaving Pickman to fend for himself along with what was left of the human troops. The Hellsing leader was not going to be happy at all.

***************************************

Alucard and Seras retired to the catacombs. The night was coming to a close and they both would need a day's rest to recover from the battle. Normally Alucard climbed into the coffin first, but this time he lifted Seras up and placed her gently into the structure. Then he climbed in. They both settled but did not yet go to sleep.

"You were magnificent in battle tonight. Those ghouls didn't stand a chance. To say the least I am very impressed." Alucard commented.

"I didn't hurt any humans did I?" Seras asked. The thought had now just crossed her mind that more than ghouls might have suffered her wrath.

"No. Of course, by the time you had...gone beserk to put it kindly, the only humans left were Ferguson and Pickman. And they knew to keep their distance from you. It is something the new human recruits will learn quickly enough." Alucard answered.

"I don't know how to describe what happened to me. At first when I was surrounded I felt panic. Then when they had me on the ground I was terrified. But the moment they put their hands on me something in just snapped. I couldn't control myself. It was almost as if I had turned into somebody else. I was myself but I wasn't myself; in control yet not in control. It was kind of like I'd blacked out for a moment. For a second it frightened me." Seras said.

"For a newly freed vampire like yourself the experience can be frightening. But as time passes the feeling of fear is dulled. Remember that even though they might have worn Hellsing uniforms, they were no longer Hellsing soldiers. Once a human is turned into a ghoul, they remain that way forever. There is no chance for them to be normal again once they have been tainted. The best you can ever offer a ghoul is a quick death. Of course that doesn't mean you can't have a little fun while you're at it." Alucard replied.

"Fun?" Seras asked.

"You enjoyed destroying those ghouls. I could feel it from you even in my weakened condition. You showed them no mercy. You were ruthless about their destruction, and that is how you must always be. In battle, there is no room for compassion. Remember one thing above all others. You must never show mercy in battle, for you shall receive none in return." Alucard answered.

"Personal experience?" Seras asked.

"More than I could possibly recount." Alucard replied.

*****************************************

Pickman stood outside the castle while Ferguson caught a bout of sleep. His eyes narrowed across the landscape. "The missing soldiers were turned into ghouls, every last one of em. Every last one that is except Garreth. I didn't see Garreth anywhere at all. If he wasn't among the ghouls then there's a chance he might still be alive. And Steadlum, that cowardly bastard. How could he run out on us when we needed very man we could spare. What if that's what happened before? That bastard probably ran off while our men were being attacked. Sir Integra never should have allowed him in our noble organization. And he has the gall to judge Seras Victoria because she's a vampire. She's more of a real soldier than Steadlum could ever hope to be. Bastard probably wanted the position for bragging rights and making passes at all the women. It's a wonder Alucard hasn't ripped him asunder for the way he's treated Seras." Pickman growled to himself.

He turned around when he heard the door open and footsteps behind him. There was Ferguson. "Sun will be coming up soon Pickman. You should get a little more rest. The two of us will have to go back to the bunker and recover what we can. Sir Integra has ordered us to find Steadlum if he's still alive. If by some miracle he did escape the ghouls he'll have to answer for his actions." Ferguson said.

"He doesn't deserve to wear the Hellsing Coat of Arms. The bastard probably fled when Garreth's unit was being attacked. Then he shot at Seras Victoria without provocation. If I get my hands on him..."

"All right Pickman. Just cool your jets. Even if Steadlum is alive and he's guilty of desertion it is up to Sir Integra to decide what action to take against him. Right now we have to see about recruiting some of the local men to help us fight. The main headquarters is strapped for man power as it is. Sir Integra can't spare any more soldiers from London and there isn't any time to recruit new members and bring them over here. So we're on our own for the time being." Ferguson said firmly.

"I know sir, it's just that so many men have given their lives. That son of a bitch Steadlum deserted us." Pickman growled.

"I know, but Steadlum will answer for his actions if he escaped the ghouls. For now you are to get some rest and that's an order officer." Ferguson commanded.

"Yes sir." Pickman said with a shrug. He went back into the castle while Ferguson took his turn to stand watch until the sun came up.

*****************************************

In London:

Integra sat at her desk fuming. "Damnit! Our manpower has been spent in Romania. The damn FREAKS just don't seem to quit! Every one of the missing soldiers turned into ghouls. The hosts are destroyed and yet more seem to spring up to take their places. Something about this mission doesn't seem right. I need Alucard and Seras back here. Yet there's more FREAK and ghoul activity to keep them there. Damnit all!" Integra said slamming her fist against her desk.

In the midst of her venting Walter appeared at the door with a concerned look on his face. Integra looked up to see the aged retainer waiting for her to acknowledge his presence. She straightened her glasses.

"This isn't a good time Walter. Whatever it is will have to wait." She growled.

"I'm sorry Sir Integra, but I'm afraid it cannot wait. You have a visitor, and I'm afraid he isn't going away until he sees you." Walter said.

"Who in the bloody hell is so insistant upon seeing me? The queen's messangers have already informed me upon the situation at hand. Ferguson has also made his report. So whoever it is send him away." Integra ordered.

"It's Enrico Maxwell Sir." Walter replied almost tempted to hold his ears. He anticipated quite a roar from his employer upon this news.

"What! That holier than thou stuffshirt has no business being here on Hellsing grounds!" Integra yelled.

"Come back here! You're not permitted in there!" A guard shouted.

"Out of my way! Where is she?" Demanded Enrico Maxwell.

"Stop right there. This is Sir Integra's private office and no one is allowed in without her consent." Walter ordered standing in front of the door.

"Get out of my way! I'm going to have words with that obstinant English sow if it's the last thing I do!" Maxwell shouted angrily.

"How dare you talk so rudely of Sir Integra." Walter replied sternly.

"Maxwell! What the hell are you doing here?" Integra demanded ushering Walter out of her way.

"I demand that you withdraw whatever is left of your sad little army out of Romania and let a real vampire slayer do his job!" Maxwell barked.

"You dare come here and order me! You are the one interfering with Hellsing's mission in Romania! And for your information there is a REAL vampire slayer in Romania, and your botched up science fair attraction isn't it!" Integra snapped back.

"Father Alexander Anderson is the Vatican's master slayer! And no vampire has ever escaped him, that is until now! He has yet to put down you pet abomination! As far as I'm concerned your little clubhouse is interfering with Vatican affairs!" Maxwell rebounded furiously.

"Hellsing got to Romania first! We received orders from the Queen to take care of the problem in Romania! I am demanding you order Anderson out of Romania immediately! We have the situation firmly under control and we do not need nor want any help from you!" Integra shouted.

"We recieved orders from the Holy Father himself to go to Romania! This is OUR mission, not yours!" Maxwell refuted.

"I am warning you Maxwell. Continued to interfere in Hellsing's business, and I cannot and will not be held responcible for the consequences!" Integra yelled.

"You dare threaten the head of Special Section 13!" Maxwell roared. The moment he began to advance toward Integra he felt his glasses suddenly split in the middle and fall from his face. Walter stood with a stern look in his eyes. A thin silver wire slithered back into his shirt cuff.

"Sir, I must advise you to back away from Sir Integra before I have to split more than your glasses." Walter warned.

"This is not the last you will be hearing from me Integra Wingates Hellsing! Count on it!" Maxwell yelled and stomped off.

Integra straightened her glasses again and then fixed her tie. "Thank you Walter. It is perhaps a good idea Alucard is in Romania. Had it been him who stopped Maxwell Hellsing would have quite a mess on its hands with the Vatican." Integra said regaining her composure.

"How is it Maxwell recieved orders from the Pope to go on this very mission when Hellsing recieved orders from her majesty first?" Walter asked.

"I don't know. There's a great deal about this mission that is beginning to bother me. It seems every time the targets are silenced there, more pop up to take their places. It's almost as if the remaining officers as well as Alucard and Seras are being kept there for some reason. I can't afford to have my two best agents away much longer. I can't recruit and train soldiers quick enough here as it is. I know it has been hard on you having to take more than your fair share of the load Walter, but I must ask you to continue until we get Alucard and Seras back here." Integra said.

"It is no trouble Sir Integra. My first duty is as always to the queen and your sacred Hellsing family." Walter said graciously.

*****************************************

Romania, sunset:

Alucard and Seras awoke and prepared for the night's activities. Ferguson and Pickman had long since left the castle to go into the village to try and recruit local men to help them in their fight. The two vampires made their way to one of the inner rooms of the castle. It was quite large and wide. Seras looked around at the collection of swords that lined one of the walls. She ran her fingers along the flat side of one of the ancient blades. The dust gave way to aged metal.

"Did you ever use any of these swords in battle?" She asked.

"These...no. These are the blades of my predecesors. The Dracul forefathers who came before me used these weapons long, long ago." Alcuard answered.

He looked and spied one particular sword. The weapon drew him to it instantly as he walked rather hurriedly toward it. "It has been well over a century since I've seen this sword." He said running his gloved fingers over the blade.

Seras rushed over to him. "Is that one yours?" She asked again.

"Yes. I cut down many a Turkish soldier with this sword. My father taught me how to wield it." The elder vampire replied looking at the blade. He took the sword from its sheathe and looked at it in the dim light of the flaming torches.

"Does it still feel the same?" Seras asked.

"Full of questions this evening aren't you?" Alucard questioned in return.

"I can't help it if I'm curious. This may be the only time I'm in your homeland for a long while." Seras replied.

"Fair enough. No, actually it doesn't. When I was human the blade felt heavier. I actually had to retrain myself to use a sword after my birth into darkness. I became far stronger than any normal human. The first time I used a sword after becoming a vampire it actually flew out of my hand." Alucard said.

Seras tried to supress the giggle that inevitably escaped her mouth. Alucard looked at her with a half crooked grin. "Find something amusing in that did you?" He asked.

"Well, you're always so skilled and perfect in battle when I've seen you. I just find it hard to imagine you actually...messing up." Seras said giggling some more. The picture of Alucard swinging a sword and having it fly out of his hand made it nearly impossible for Seras to keep a straight face.

"Don't make too much light of that police girl. It's that same power that kept you from being blown into Hungary when you fired your canon. It would take a small army of normal humans just to steady that thing before firing it." Alucard replied firmly.

Seras's face went serious for a moment. Her mood quickly changed from light hearted to cautious. She could sense something was near. She started sniffing the air.

"What is it?" Alucard asked noticing her actions.

"I don't know. I can smell something, feel something near the castle." Seras said.

"I can sense it now as well. Hmmm, you sensed it before I did. You're intuitions are sharpening much faster than I anticipated." Alucard commented.

Their conversation ended, they both headed toward the entrance of the castle. But when the door opened Seras gasped and turned away in shock. There tied to a single poll was the body of a Hellsing soldier. Alucard lowered his head knowing who the unfortunate victim was.

"Garreth." He said silently.

At the same time Ferguson and Pickman were making their return to the castle as well. Pickman, seeing the body and recognizing who it was ran furiously toward it.

"Damnit!" He yelled as he fell to his knees clenching his fists.

Ferguson shook his head solemly. Alucard approached the body while Seras rushed over to Pickman's side. The elder vampire noticed something pinned to Garreth's uniform. It was a cryptic note.

"The FREAK shall inherit the Earth." He read. His eyes flashed angrily. "They shall inherit hellfire and nothing else." He growled.

"Damn them! Damn them all to hell!" Pickman shouted trying to hold back tears as they welled in his eyes.

"Alucard, I can sense another human nearby." Seras said looking in the direction of the woods. She headed in the direction of the scent she'd picked up. She moved with inhuman speed to the source of the scent. She crept silently the closer she got. Alucard, Pickman and Ferguson waited on the young vampire. They all turned their heads suddenly when a loud cry cut the silence. Seras emerged dragging a half concious man behind her.

"I found our deserter!" Seras shouted as she drug Steadlum in a heap toward the two humans and elder vampire. She drug him a few more feet until she left him dazed in front of Garreth's body.

"BASTARD!" Pickman roared as he got to his feet and lept on Steadlum. Ferguson rushed to pull the angry officer off before he beat Steadlum to a pulp.

"You bloody traitor! I'll rip your guts out and shove em up your ass you son of a bitch!" Pickman yelled with rage. Ferguson struggled to pry Pickman off Steadlum.

"Damnit man, calm down! We have to bring him before Sir Integra!" Ferguson shouted. But Pickman was too busy trying to crush Steadlum's face to listen.

Then a voice thundered, "PICKMAN!"

Pickman stopped and looked up to see Alucard's glaring red eyes burning right into him. The Hellsing officer's face glazed over as he stared into the blazing red orbs. "Release him." Alucard said in a cryptic tone.

Pickman immediately let go of Steadlum and got off him. Then Alucard fixed his hyptnotic gaze on Steadlum, but it did not have the same effect. This puzzled the elder vampire as Steadlum looked up with pure malice in his eyes.

"You're too weak to resist my power human. How is it I cannot see into your mind?" Alucard asked sternly.

"That mezmorizing shit isn't gonna work on me bloodsucker." Steadlum gasped as he tried to recover from the beating Pickman gave him.

"How can that be Steadlum? Alucard is most powerful vampire we know." Ferguson enquired.

Steadlum remained silent. "Answer me officer!" Ferguson shouted.

Again Steadlum was silent. Ferguson looked at the beaten officer suspiciously. "Your refusal to answer and the fact you're able to prevent Alucard from seeing into your mind means you're hiding something." The Hellsing commander said.

"You won't find out in time. None of you will." Steadlum hissed.

"Find out what in time? What are you hiding you bastard!" Pickman demanded.

"I'm contacting Sir Integra now to see what is to be done with Steadlum." Ferguson said. As he took out his cell phone Steadlum got to his feet and lunged at Seras. His attempt however was quickly thrawted by inky black tendrils wrapping around his legs and arms. Alucard had him effectively restrained by his shadows.

"He isn't going anywhere now." The elder vampire said with a sadistic grin.

"Sir Integra, this is Ferguson. We've recovered the last missing soldier Garreth. He must be reported as a fatality. We've also recovered the Hellsing deserter Steadlum. But somehow he's managed to block Alucard out of his mind. He's hiding something but at the moment Alucard is unable to penetrate his mind to see what it is he's up to." Ferguson said.

"Is this true servant?" Integra asked the elder vampire through their mind connection.

"Yes master. It is not by his own power. I do not understand how he can block me from his mind but it is not purely by his own strength. The idiot is far too stupid to pull off such a feat. He obviously has obtained some sort of assistance to do this. He is hiding something but I cannot acsertain what it is as of yet." Alucard responded.

"Ferguson, Steadlum is to be handed over to Alucard for interrogation." Integra replied over the speaker.

"Sir, are you sure that is a wise idea?" Ferguson asked.

"Alucard is not allowed to kill him without command from me." Integra replied.

"Obtain the information from him. Use whatever means you deem effective but do NOT kill him...yet." Integra ordered.

"My master's wish is my command." Alucard thought back, a sinister smile curling his lips.

"The traitor is mine for the time being Ferguson. Don't worry, I won't damage him...too much." Alucard said with an evil chuckle.

"Alucard, would you grant me a favor?" Seras asked as she walked over to him.

"And what might that be?" The elder vampire questioned.

"Let me watch." Seras whispered.

Alucard's wicked smile grew even wider. Then he turned his twisted expression toward Steadlum. "You and I are going to have fun tonight." He said smoothly.

Next