Chapter 6

Walter escorted Zoey back to her room. "Is she always like that?" Zoey asked.

"Like what?" Walter questioned back.

"Well, she just comes across as rather cold and unemotional." Zoey answered.

"It's the stress of her responcibilities. Please don't take it personally. She has a great deal on her shoulders right now." Walter answered.

"Walter!" A voice shouted several feet behind. Walter and Zoey stopped and turned around to see Pickman rushing up to them. He was about to speak when he noticed the young lady standing beside the Hellsing retainer.

"Oh, didn't know we had company." He said.

"Miss Winifield, this is Captain Stewart Pickman. Captain, this is Zoey Winifield. She's a friend of Miss Victoria." Walter said. "What was it you needed sir?" He asked.

"I just wanted to know if there'd been any news in the Dark Oasis case." Pickman replied.

"That would be why Miss Winifield is with us. She witnessed the two victims being taken from the club. Alucard brought her here last night." Walter responded.

"Oh boy. I guess he got his head yelled off big time for that one." Pickman said shaking his head.

"Um, excuse me..." Zoey interrupted shyly.

"Oh, my manners. Let me take Miss Winifield to her room, and then I'll get you caught up." Walter replied.

"Um actually Walter I don't have anything to do right now. I won't be training the incoming batch of recruits for another hour. I'll see the young lady to her room." Pickman said.

"Oh...well then I'll just be on my way then." Walter replied with a secret smile.

Pickman finished walking Zoey to her room. "So, you're a friend of Captain Victoria." He said trying to make casual conversation.

"Oh, yes. We've known each other for several years. We finished school together and entered MI-5 together. I knew she'd do well. Ever since I've known her she had a strong passion for getting into law enforcement. I don't know if she ever told you, but her father was murdered when she was a child. Two thugs kidnapped her and her dad." Zoey explained.

"Yah, she told me after she really got settled into Hellsing. I don't suppose she's told you that, well..."

"That she's a vampire? Yes, she's told me. See, I ran into Seras and the other vampire...Alucard at the club last night. I don't know exactly how he did it but he put some kind of mind thing on me, and the next thing I know I'm here." Zoey said.

"Yah, that's Alucard for you. Though it probably is for the best he brought you here seeing as you're a witness. We keep this place well guarded." Pickman replied.

"I was so afraid I'd gotten Seras and Alucard into trouble." Zoey said.

"Seras didn't get into trouble. She's still a young vamp and can't control what Alucard does. He probably got his head chewed off by Sir Integra but he loves it. Crazy bastard loves getting his ass into trouble." Pickman replied. He coughed suddenly realizing the words he'd just used. "Blimey, my manners. Excuse my language." He said fearing he might have offended the young lady.

"Oh don't be embarrassed. I've heard much worse. Probably said much worse myself." Zoey replied with a giggle.

Just as Pickman was about to speak he heard the voice of Fergason come on his radio. "Pickman, the recruits are here. Report for training duty at once." The old commander ordered.

"Yes sir." Pickman responded into his radio.

"Oh well. Duty calls. Got new bodies to go whip into shape." Pickman said and headed back for the training area.

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It was late in the evening as Demir and Aiesha ushered in the last of their regular guests. They exchanged secret glances amongst each other. The mortals who gathered in Dark Oasis had no idea of what was about to take place. Demir walked Aiesha to an isolated part of the club.

"I've seen no sign of my old enemy or his bride. There is no sign of the girl who met with them last night either. We cannot take any chances. We must have the girl. She has already raised too much suspicion in Vlad and his bride. They will seek to thwart our mission. We cannot allow that."

"But how will we aquire her?" Aiesha asked.

"They don't yet know it, but these humans will serve to distract our enemies long enough for us to aquire the girl." Demir answered.

He looked out at the people gathered in the club and licked his lips. "Come Aiesha. Tonight we feed."

"Yes." She said with a sigh of hunger.

Demir's eyes began to glow. He stretched out his hand and every door in the club suddenly slammed shut. People suddenly sprang out of their chairs and looked around anxiously. They looked to see their hosts smiling evilly at them.

"Let the feast begin." Demir hissed.

"Hey! What is this? We can't get out!" One woman cried as she attempted in vain to open the door. Before she could do anything else she felt two strong arms pin her against the wall. Demir sank his teeth into her throat and began draining her. Blood splattered against the wall.

"That's my wife you bastard!" The woman's husband shouted and crashed a bottle of wine across Demir's back. The vampire only laughed madly and grabbed the man by his throat hurling him twenty feet across the room.

Aiesha took the unlucky man and forced him to his feet by the scruff of his shirt. She hissed bearing her fangs and then sank them into his throat. A young woman took off her high heeled shoe and rushed toward Aiesha.

"Take this you bitch!" She yelled and thrust the shoe into Aiesha's forehead. Aiesha stood with blood dripping from her mouth. A demonic smile distorted her lovely face as she calmly pulled the heel out of her flesh. She looked at it for a moment then let it drop to the floor as the woman stood with a horrified look on her face. Aiesha didn't give her time to even gasp before she ripped her throat out feasting on her blood.

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Seras put on her Hellsing uniform after getting out of her coffin for the night. She was adjusting her belt as Walter knocked on the door.

"Dinner Miss Victoria." He said.

"It's unlocked Walter." Seras replied. Walter opened the door and entered Seras's room. He removed the bloodpack from a bowl of ice and poured it into the plastic pale. Then he placed the bag back into it's icy bed.

"Is Zoey all right?" Seras asked.

"She's doing quite well Miss Victoria. She told Sir Integra everything she could about the night she witnessed the murder victims leaving Dark Oasis." Walter answered.

"Something's going on with the owners. Alucard and I both believe they could very well be the culprits but we can't prove it as of yet. If they are vampires, they've found a way to mask their conditions from Alucard and I. That worries me. Alucard is the most powerful vampire I know. Well, he's the only vampire I know, but he's still the most powerful to my knowledge." Seras replied.

"It is a matter of grave concern to Sir Integra. If vampires have learned how to mask their conditions, then Hellsing's mission will become more difficult than it already is. We can only hope it is a secret that has not yet been shared with other night creatures." Walter said.

"I hope so." Seras responded.

After Walter left Seras took the blood pack and tore off the very top of the straw like tube. She sat on her bed and started sucking the red liquid out of the plastic bag. After several moments she finished her meal and tossed the empty blood pack into a small garbage pail. Then she put on her work boots and headed toward Alucard's chamber. But as she was about to walk out the door she heard her intercom come on.

"Report to my office Captain Victoria." Integra ordered.

Seras rushed over to the machine. "Right away sir." She answered and hurried to Integra's office.

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Demir and Aiesha stood amongst what had once been a group of people reveling and enjoying the dark atmosphere. Now there were only corpses with their throats torn out littering the floor. Blood spattered the walls and tables. The two vampires looked around with sadistic smiles on their faces. Blood dripped from their mouths down their necks and onto their clothing. One after one they had drained their victims until there was no one left alive.

"Soon they will reanimate as our slaves. We will use these ghouls to distract our enemies. We will take the girl and deal with her." Demir said before attacking Aiesha's mouth in a forceful kiss.

"The dark mother will soon enter this world once more and reclaim her throne as queen of the night. And we her children will worship her with offerings of blood, flesh and souls." He replied wiping the blood from his face with his sleeve.

"But we must find a strong and noble virgin spirit to usher Lilith back into this realm." Aiesha stated.

"We are in a country of royalty. We will find what we need here. Then you and I will perform the ceremony at the waning of the full moon. She will deal with Vlad Dracula and end him for all time. And if his bride still stands, you and I shall finish her off as well." Demir replied.

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Seras headed off to Zoey's room after recieving her orders from Sir Integra. She knocked on the door way to get Zoey's attention. Zoey turned around to see Seras standing in the doorway.

"Seras, where is Alucard?" She asked.

"Probably still in his chambers. I had to go see Sir Integra to recieve my orders for the evening. I thought I'd stop by and see how you're doing." Seras answered.

"Well other than still feeling really confused, I guess I'm ok." Zoey said.

"I know things must seem so hard to believe right now. I've got a little time before I have to go see to my unit. I'll try to explain things as best I can. Sir Integra chose me out of several agents in MI-5 to join the Hellsing Organization. I had no idea what I was getting into at first. I knew that I was being chosen for an important position. Little did I know that position was being human partner to a five hundred and seventy five year old vampire." Seras explained.

"Five hundred! Bloody hell Seras! I knew he looked a little old for you but..." Zoey exclaimed.

"Well, I was rather astonished to learn how old he really was myself. It is true that vampires don't age once they've turned." Seras said trying to calm her friend.

"I thought perhaps he was only in his early fourties. I didn't realize he was well...um....five hundred and fifty something years your senior."

"I know. He had changed his appearence when you saw him. He usually wears an old grey Victorian style suit and a red floor length duster. And he usually doesn't sport facial hair." Seras said.

"He can change his appearence? I heard vampires could shape shift into different animals. Of course until last night I didn't realize that vampires were even real. I've seen people role play and go the whole nine yards with the make up, contacts and fake fangs but...but I never imagined any of this was real."

"It is real Zoey. Ironically, Hellsing is an organization charged with erradicating vampires and other deadly night creatures. Alucard is bound to the Hellsing family as it's chief slayer." Seras replied.

"They use a vampire to kill other vampires?" Zoey asked feeling very confused.

"Yes. Until I became Alucard's partner he was the only vampire in Hellsing. When I got involved with him at first he seemed to act more like he was five instead of over five hundred. Peeping on me when I was getting changed, making brash and immature remarks about my body when we had to go on assigment, and oh yes, the coup de grass. He turned himself into a huge multiple eyed hound and scared the living hell out of me." Seras explained.

"How did you get through it?" Zoey questioned.

"Well, I have to admit there was a brief moment when I wanted to just give up and request to be reassigned. But then I thought about my father and how proud he would have been to see me getting this far. The last thing I wanted to do was dishonor his memory by giving up. So I stuck it out. This must have floored Alucard. He usually got his way and drove off anyone being paired with him. It was when he looked into my memories and saw my father's murder and how I tried to fight off his killers that he began to change how he thought about me. Alucard is a creature of pride and strength. He is drawn to beings who are strong more in mentally and emotionally strong. There mere fact that I wanted to stay on as his partner despite his antics drove him to see just how strong I really was. Things were different between us after that." Seras answered.

"He got to liking you?"

"Oh yes. And well...a night after our first raid together we...um..." Seras stammered for a moment, her face turning bright red.

"You slept together?" Zoey asked blushing herself.

"Well, you did hear him refer to himself as my husband." Seras replied.

"Then you're really married to him?"

"In a manner of speaking. You see, the assignment we were on dealt with a pair of vampires known as the Valentine Brothers. Well, they weren't true vampires. There has been the emergence of what Integra calles FREAKS, or man made vampires because their turning involves some kind of strange computer chip like device implanted in the body. Like real vampires they hunger for blood. But they don't have a lot of the traits of true vampires like Alucard and myself." Seras explained. She paused for a moment and continued speaking.

"Anyhow, I was helping a Hellsing unit to get rid of some ghouls. Those are vampire slaves. They're kind of like zombies. I was caught off guard and one of the Valentine brothers engaged me in battle. To make a long story short, he stabbed me through the stomach after punching me in the head. I didn't realize what had happened until after the fact. Alucard found me on the verge of death. He told me I'd been fatally wounded and the only way he could save me was to turn me into a vampire."

Seras paused again. "And well, you can see that I obviously accepted. It wasn't just to keep me from staying dead. I didn't want to stop fighting. I didn't want to end up like my father. It wasn't that I was afraid of dying. But my father's death had been so senseless. I wanted to keep going as much for his memory than anything else. I didn't want to end up another sad statistic."

"What was it like, being turned I mean." Zoey questioned.

"Well, it was like dying and then being reborn all in the same moment. First I could feel my heart slowing and my body shutting down as Alucard drank my blood. Then he gave me a little of his. I could feel his blood enter me and it felt like liquid fire. My insides felt as if they were burning and twisting. For a moment it terrified me. Alucard hadn't had the chance to tell me what would happen. Having something happen to you and not know what to expect can be terrifying. He just held me while it happened and tried to keep me calm telling me it would pass." Seras answered.

"What happened after that?"

"Then I became still. For a moment my body just stopped working. For all practical purposes I was dead. I was in what Alucard calls 'death sleep.' I didn't revive until later on that night after he'd brought me back to the Hellsing mansion. When he returned from finishing off the other Valentine brother, the one who stabbed me, he took care of me from then on. For a little while he became my master and my teacher. It was up to him to teach me how to behave like a true vampire. He taught me to develop the powers I have and to control my hunger." Seras said.

"Then you really drink blood."

"Yes, but most of the time it's donated transfusion blood. I, I won't lie to you Zoey. I have killed a human and drank his blood. But it was because he'd taken part in a terrible plot to destroy Hellsing and overthrow the queen. I promised myself I'd never take an innocent life unless I had no other choice. The man I killed was anything but innocent."

"Well if he tried to help overthrow the queen then he got what he deserved. Do you ever regret taking his life?"

"It wasn't taking his life that bothered me. I guess it was the fact that I'd actually killed a human being and drank his blood. Alucard told me that eventually it would have to happen. It's our nature after all. I guess I rationalized it by remembering that he wasn't innocent, and he'd cost a lot of good men their lives because of his treason." Seras replied.

"You seem so different and yet you still seem like the same girl I knew all those years ago in school." Zoey commented.

"I know things have changed. I've changed, but I'm still the same. I sleep during the day most of the time now, and of course I can't eat food anymore. My heart doesn't beat, and I don't breathe anymore. But the feelings I had before I became a vampire are still there. I admit sometimes I am vastly different person in battle. Those feelings have become stronger since Alucard released me from his apprenticeship. I simply drank his blood a second time, and I became a true vampire from that night on." Seras said.

"You weren't a true vampire before that?"

"Alucard said I was a fledgling vampire. I wasn't human anymore, but I wasn't completely transformed yet either. One night he felt I was ready to drink his blood and become a true vampire. I can't really describe in words how things have changed. Some things I shudder to think about let alone want to talk about." Seras answered.

"It's all so incredible." Zoey sighed.

"Zoey, you must understand that all that I've told you must never be shared. Not my condition, not Hellsing and most certainly not Alucard. Hellsing is in service to her majesty, and normally anyone on the outside would never have been allowed on the grounds. It was only because Alucard brought you here and Integra feels you will be safer here for the time being that you're being allowed to stay. You must promise to keep secret everything I have told you." Seras replied firmly.

"I'll take it to my grave. I swear." Zoey said.

"I better get out of here and go see to my unit. With this case possibly heating up I'll be needed on a moment's notice."

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Integra sat at her desk leisurely taking a drag off her cigarillo when the phone rang. She picked up the reciever. "Yes? What! I'll send troops out immidiately!" She exclaimed and slammed down the phone. She pratically smashed her finger down on her intercom.

"Fergason! Captain Pickman! Captain Victoria! Prepare your troops for deployment to Dark Oasis!" She yelled. "Walter!" She barked over the device.

"Yes Sir Integra." Walter responded.

"Send Alucard! A number of ghouls have been sited coming from Dark Oasis!" She shouted.

"At once sir."

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Armored Hellsing vehicles quickly arrived at Dark Oasis. Fergason, Pickman and Victoria gathered their troops.

"This is going to be messy. There must be at least thirty or more ghouls in there! We have to purify this place before they run loose all over London!" Pickman shouted to his unit.

"Sir! Alucard and I are going in to deal with the problem. We need the human troops to surround the club in case any ghouls should get loose." Seras told Ferguson as she unloaded her Harconnen Cannon.

"You heard Captain Victoria! The human troops will surround the club and deal with the stragglers!" Fergason ordered sharply.

"Yes Sir!"

The troops fell back as Alucard and Seras prepared to enter the club. The doors were still locked from the outside. This however was no problem for Alucard. He waved his hand causing the doors to spontaneously implode off their hinges. He took out his Jackul and Casull with a demonic smile. He turned to Seras.

"Let the games begin!" He laughed madly as he and Seras entered the ghoul infested club. The stumbling, drooling creatures surrounded Alucard and Seras the moment they entered. Seras steadied her cannon and loaded it quickly. She took aim at a small line of ghouls to her left and fired. The large projectile shot fourth from the weapon. She watched as it ripped a continuous hole through the line of zombie like creatures and caused the bar to explode.

"I hope the insurance is paid up on this place." She said with a sarcastic tone.

"I doubt there's a clause about destruction due to vampires." Alucard laughed as he blasted three ghouls with one bullet.

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Integra and Walter sat in her office waiting for any news of the ghoul infestation at Dark Oasis. She tapped her pen nervously against the desk.

"Try to remain calm sir. Alucard, Seras and the Hellsing units will take care of the problem." Walter said in a soothing tone.

"I can't understand it. A club full of ghouls but the hosts are no where to be found. And Alucard has yet to sense the culprit responcible for this mess. He better not be holding out on me." Integra growled.

"Sir, Alucard would not be that foolish. He can be very brash and unruly. But he would not blatantly withhold something so vital. Miss Victoria believes that perhaps the vampire or vampires in question have found a way to mask their conditions." Walter responded.

"If that is true, then God help us all." Integra sighed nervously. She was about to light a cigar when she suddenly began to feel light headed. She rubbed her forehead trying to shake the dizziness off.

"Sir, are you all right?" Walter asked suddenly beginning to feel woozy himself.

"I...don't know. I feel so...sleepy." She said. Her eyes began to grow heavy despite her efforts to keep them open. Walter also felt the affects of the strange sleepiness upon him as well. He tried to get out of his chair. He felt as if a great weight was upon him holding him down. His eyes began to grow heavy as well as he started to drift off.

"Walter..." Integra sighed feeling her head growing heavier and heavier. The struggle to hold it up became futile as she felt herself starting to fall asleep. She watched as Walter slumped over in his chair.

"Can't...stay...awake," She groaned as the trance finally won over her will.

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Zoey was in her room getting ready for bed. She put on her nightshirt and walked over to the vanity to brush out her hair. She had just put the brush down when she started feeling strange. She felt an unnatural sense of relaxation wash over her mind and body. Her expression became blank as she felt a presense in her head. It was very similar to what she felt when Alucard hypnotized her the night she met up with him and Seras.

"Come to me." A male voice commanded in her mind. Zoey began to slowly walk from her room as if she were sleepwalking. She walked slowly unheeded by anyone in the mansion. The strange power luring her away had also put to sleep most of the guards so they would not impeed her progress. She continued walking until she reached the outside of the mansion. At the gates stood Demir and Aiesha.

"Come." He ordered stretching out his hand. Zoey, still under his power, gave no protest and continued moving in her tranced state. As soon as she was in front of them, they took her by the arms and disappeared into the night.

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Back at Dark Oasis, Alucard and Seras continued their destruction of the ghouls driving several out of the club in the process. The ones that did escape the two vampires were met with a barrage of gunfire from the human troops. Seras drew back her hand and drove it through the chest of one ghoul obliterating it utterly. Alucard did the same to another. Other ghouls got their limbs torn off and their hearts ripped out. Bullets flew from one side of the room to the other. Soon there wasn't a ghoul left inside or outside the club.

Alucard and Seras stood among the remains for a moment. They looked around seeing nothing more than disembodied extremties and piles of ash and dust. "I think our work here is done." Alucard said to Seras as he reholstered his guns. They exited the club.

"Were there any escapes?" Alucard questioned.

"No. All who made it out of the club didn't make it past us. We took care of em." Pickman answered.

"We'll stay behind to take care of the clean up. You and Seras should return to the mansion and report to Sir Integra." Fergason said.

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Alucard and Seras quickly returned to the mansion. A disturbing site greeted them. Guards were asleep were they stood. Some had slumped over snoozing peacefully. This did not please Alucard in the least. He was ready to deal out harsh punishments upon them for falling asleep on the job. Seras walked over to one of the guards.

"Alucard, I feel something strange. These guards did not go to sleep of their own will." She said. Alucard kept his temper holstered for the moment and stalked over to the guard Seras was standing beside. He put his hand upon the guard's head. An icy chill ran through him.

"This guard has been entranced!" He yelled and suddenly vanished. Seras followed close behind him through her portal knowing exactly where he was going, Integra's office.

The two vampires materialized and found both Integra and Walter motionless. Before he knew what he had done, he streaked like lightening to Integra's desk and picked her up by her shoulders.

"Master! Master! Awake! Hear me and awake!" Alucard shouted forcefully shaking Integra to get a responce from her. She slowly began to come around. Her eyes fluttered open.

"Stop shaking me you brute! What are you trying to do? Scramble my bloody insides!" Integra shouted as she came out of her trance. Suddenly she fell to her knees feeling overwhelmingly weak.

"Walter! Walter wake up!" Seras said nudging Walter. He was slower to respond, but he began to come around.

"What...what's going on here?" He asked wearily.

"Alucard! What's the meaning of all this?" Integra demanded.

"Seras and I returned to report and found the guards asleep. In fact every soul in here we've come across has been asleep. You and Walter were unconcious when we found you in here." Alucard responded trying to calm down.

"What! That can't be! I was sitting here waiting for a report on the Dark Oasis crime scene. What time is it?" Integra asked insistently.

"It's one in the morning sir." Seras answered.

"Dear God! It was eleven thirty when Walter and I were awaiting the report. Neither of us would have fallen asleep like that. None of the guards should have been sleeping." Integra said rubbing her head.

"Master, do you remember anything that happened between then and now?" Alucard asked.

"I...I can't. All I remember was sitting here waiting for the report and the next thing I know I felt so unbelievably sleepy." Integra answered.

"Oh no...I have to go check on Zoey!" Seras exclaimed as she rushed from the office.

Alucard waited with Integra and Walter. Seras rushed back to the office, her eyes full of terror.

"I can't find her! I can't find Zoey!" She cried frantically.

Alucard didn't wait for Integra to give him the order. He marched with an angry and determined step into the halls. His eyes glowed furiously at the sleeping guards still snoozing without care.

"If you lazy bastards don't get to your feet I'll have every last one of you IMPALED!" He roared loud enough for the whole mansion to hear him.

He used his mental powers as well as his voice. The same warning was issued quite clearly into their minds. The once peacefully sleeping guards quickly fought their way to their feet and stood at attention. They stood shaking and quivering in Alucard's presence.

Integra, though still groggy managed to stomp out of her office. "I want you on your feet! A young woman with long black hair has gone missing. I want this mansion searched completely! Leave no stone in turn!" She barked.

"Yes Sir!" The guards answered and quickly got to their business. If anything to get them away from the site of a very angry Alucard.

"I'm going to search myself to see if I can find her." Seras said and hurried off.

"I'm going with her." Alucard snarled as he caught up to her.

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