บท 11: chapter 11
Chapter 11:
– Seras –
Seras Victoria led a strange life. When she was a little girl, her father was her hero. He was a police officer who went undercover to root out the worst of humanity. She admired his bravery, how he would leave for work each day with a smile, promising her that he'd make the world a better place. She'd cling to his legs, dreaming of the day she'd be old enough to go with him on those missions.
But one day, everything changed.
She remembered it vividly almost every day—the sound of muffled shouting, the front door crashing open, and her mother's panicked voice as she told Seras to hide. She ran to her room, trembling, and squeezed into the closet, pulling the door shut just in time to hear gunshots. Her heart hammered as her mother's screams echoed, followed by chilling silence.
The hatred she felt that day burrowed deep inside her. It was an anger that fueled her every decision afterward. She threw herself into her studies, determined to make her father proud in any way she could, hoping that someday she'd bring the men responsible for his death to justice. By the time she was old enough, she enrolled in the police academy, putting everything she had into her training. She became top of her class, a model cadet with a relentless drive.
But her career in the police force was short-lived. Only a few weeks in, she and her partner were dispatched to investigate a remote village where disturbing reports had surfaced. They'd heard stories of strange disappearances.
Nothing could have prepared her for what awaited them.
The village was eerily silent, the streets deserted. Broken windows, doors ajar—everything looked abandoned, as if people had fled in a hurry. Her partner motioned for her to stay close as they cautiously advanced, but then, out of nowhere, shadowy figures appeared, stumbling toward them like zombies from old horror movies!
They managed to escape the ghouls only to run into something worse, the vampire that made them. Seras's partner didn't make it, and neither did Seras in a way. A hole was shot through her chest and then she became a vampire!
She didn't feel that different yet, but Seras knew that was only because she hadn't chosen to drink human blood…
"Are you alright, Seras?" Valerie's voice cut through Seras's thoughts, pulling her back to the present. They were sitting across from each other in the kitchen, munching on bowls of cereal that Seras had insisted they eat.
"Sorry," Seras replied with a faint smile, stirring her flakes absentmindedly. "Just lost in my thoughts." She took another bite and grimaced slightly. "It tastes... different," she muttered. The cereal wasn't bad, but it lacked the satisfying taste it once had when she was human.
Valerie shrugged. "I wouldn't know. I was born with these taste buds." She raised a glass filled with warm blood, taking a slow, deliberate sip.
Seras's nose twitched at the aroma. Her mouth watered almost instantly. A delicious scent filled her senses, and a part of Seras wanted nothing more than to reach across the table and grab that cup from Valerie.
But Seras held back, gripping her spoon tighter. She wasn't ready to give up her humanity completely just yet.
"You have remarkable self-control," Valerie noted, lowering her glass with an impressed expression. "Most vampires would be lunging across the table by now." She tilted her head and smiled. "You're pretty amazing, Seras."
The words made Seras's cheeks flush. She looked away, embarrassed, feeling a strange, fluttering warmth that had nothing to do with hunger. Her thoughts drifted back to the night before, when she and Valerie had shared the same bed… Seras had woken up briefly in the middle of the night, finding Valerie resting peacefully beside her. Valerie was... beautiful. Stunning, even. She looked so perfect that it was almost like she wasn't quite real. And the fact that Valerie had openly flirted with Seras earlier threw her completely off balance.
Seras had spent most of her life focused solely on becoming a police officer, with little time or interest in romance. Relationships had never been on her radar, not until now. But there was no denying that she was attracted to the beautiful blonde dhampir sitting across from her, a thought that made her heart beat just a little bit faster—even if it didn't beat in quite the same way anymore.
"Well, thank you," Seras finally managed, giving Valerie a shy smile. "But I think I'm just stubborn."
Valerie's gaze softened, and a playful smile curved her lips. "I don't think it's just stubbornness," she teased, leaning forward. "You're more extraordinary than you realize, Seras."
Seras felt her blush deepen, unable to think of a witty response. For now, she simply focused on her cereal, hoping that Valerie couldn't see the effect her words were having.
– Valerie –
After we finished eating, I glanced over at Seras. She seemed a bit restless, fidgeting with her spoon even though her bowl was already empty. I decided to break the silence.
"So, what do you feel like doing today?" I asked, leaning back in my chair.
Seras shrugged, looking a little unsure. "I'm not really sure… this is my first official day as part of Hellsing, after all."
I nodded, understanding how overwhelming it could be. "How about a tour, then? We can walk around the grounds and meet some of the soldiers. They'll be seeing a lot of you, so it might help to put some names to faces."
She perked up at the suggestion, and I was glad to see some of her nerves ease. "Yeah, that actually sounds like a good idea."
We spent the next couple of hours touring the mansion and the grounds. The Hellsing soldiers gave her curious, if slightly hesitant, looks as we passed by. They were still getting used to having a second vampire around and now there was a third.
Still, they seemed more at ease with me, considering I was only half-vampire and "not nearly as creepy as Alucard," as they liked to put it. I hoped that Seras would be treated the same way once they got to know her better.
As for Alucard, we all knew that was never going to happen.
We eventually made our way to Captain Rodriguez, who usually oversaw my missions and would probably be doing the same for Seras now. The captain gave her a firm handshake and a respectful nod, which seemed to reassure Seras. After some brief introductions, we continued our walk until we reached the back of the mansion, where the shooting range was located.
I couldn't help but smile when I spotted Integra and Walter outside. Walter was reloading some magazines while Integra practiced her marksmanship with a sidearm. She was an incredible shot, her bullets hitting the target dead-center from dozens of yards away with ease.
"Wow," Seras whispered beside me, a bit in awe as she watched Integra hit one bullseye after another.
Integra glanced over, noticing us, and I saw Seras tense up, almost on instinct. She leaned in and whispered, "I've only met her once… she seems so stern. I think she might be a little… intimidating?"
I chuckled. "Oh, that's just how Integra is. She doesn't have time for nonsense, but she's fair."
"Quit gawking like schoolgirls and come over already," Integra barked, snapping us out of our thoughts.
I straightened up and tried not to laugh, nudging Seras to follow me over. "Good morning, Integra," I greeted her, even though her only response was a grumpy grunt. She was definitely in a mood, and I had a pretty good idea why.
As we'd been touring the compound earlier, Seras and I had overheard more than a few soldiers whispering about sounds coming from the basement last night. Loud moaning that was echoing through the halls for hours on end. Apparently, my father, Alucard, and his new... mistress, Bellatrix were being very loud…when they had sex.
I still shuddered at the mental image.
The scowl on Integra's face made it clear she wasn't very happy with the current situation. If only she'd just admit her jealousy to Alucard—he obviously liked her back. The way those two circled each other, it was so obvious. It was frustrating to watch. But knowing Integra, she'd never make the first move.
"So… what's been going on?" I asked her, trying to take her mind off of that topic.
Integra crossed her arms. "For now, we're on standby. We've gotten plenty of intel out of Lucius Malfoy, but we need more before we make our move. These Death Eaters have committed unspeakable crimes—rape, murder, torture, and more. They've terrorized civilians for decades, and we know they're holed up at Malfoy Manor."
"So… Why the wait?" I asked.
"It's going to be a coordinated strike, but we need more time to finalize our plan," Integra told me without actually telling me anything. Clearly there was something else I wasn't privy to know just yet.
"Death Eaters…?" Seras chimed in, looking confused. "Who are they?"
"They're wizards—terrorists, really—who despise regular people and any wizard who isn't 'pure-blooded.' So they kill and torture everyone who's not them."
"That's a simplified summary, but close enough," Integra muttered, giving me a small nod. Walter chuckled as he reloaded Integra's gun for her and handed it back to her.
Seras's expression fell. "So magic exists, and there are actual terrorist wizards? That doesn't sound very magical. That kinda ruins things like The Wizard of Oz for me," she sighed, looking disappointed.
I chuckled. "I mean, the Wicked Witch was kind of a terrorist, if you think about it…"
Seras paused, her brow furrowing, before a slow smile crept onto her face. "You're right… she totally was!"
Before we could dwell more on evil wizards, I turned to Seras with a grin. "Wanna hit the shooting range for a bit? Nothing like firing off some rounds to clear your head."
"Absolutely," Seras said with a smile. "Shooting is always cathartic."
As we headed toward the range, Walter cleared his throat, catching our attention. He motioned to a large, sleek case sitting on the table nearby, guns and ammunition piled neatly around it.
"This one's for you, Miss Victoria," Walter said, gesturing at the case. "A little something in honor of your passing the marksman's exam at the police academy."
Seras shrugged and unlatched the case. The lid creaked open, and the moment I caught a glimpse of what was inside, I sputtered in disbelief.
"Wait… is that an anti-tank rifle?" I asked, staring at the massive, deadly-looking weapon nestled in the case. "Walter, you're giving her a cannon?"
Walter adjusted his gloves with a small, amused smile. "I thought it would be a good fit, considering her new… strength."
Seras, meanwhile, seemed to like it—her eyes practically sparkled as she lifted the behemoth out of the case, handling it with a surprising ease thanks to her newfound vampire strength.
"Wow…" She admired the weapon, holding it up to her shoulder with barely a hint of struggle. "This is… amazing!"
I couldn't help laughing as Seras lay down on the ground, positioning the absurdly huge anti-tank rifle and aiming it at a target a good hundred yards away. The gun looked comically oversized, even with her vampire strength.
Smirking, I glanced at Integra. "Are we sure it's a good idea to fire off something this big on Hellsing property?"
Integra arched an eyebrow, her gaze shifting to Walter. He just nodded with that usual calm confidence. "Walter already ran the numbers," she replied with a shrug. "He says the bullets won't go far enough to leave our property lines."
Walter's math turned out to be spot-on, but none of us anticipated the sheer power of that beast of a gun. As Seras squeezed the trigger, a massive boom shook the entire range. The shockwave nearly took me a step back, and the human-shaped wooden cutout she was aiming at shattered into a cloud of splinters. The bullet kept going, plowing through tree after tree, leaving a trail of destruction until it finally came to a stop somewhere deep in the forest.
When Seras turned back to us, she had the biggest, most starry-eyed grin on her face. "I love this gun!" she declared, practically glowing. "Can I shoot it again?"
Integra stared at her, stunned, the cigar between her fingers dropping to the ground. She quickly recovered and fixed Seras with a steely glare. "Absolutely not," she said flatly. "You're not allowed to fire that weapon here again. Unless—" she paused, clearly straining for justification, "—unless we're under an absolute emergency." Her glare then swung to Walter. "And you, Walter," she huffed, "what were you thinking giving a cannon to our newest vampire recruit?"
Walter looked just a bit sheepish, but still replied in his usual calm tone, "I had no doubt she'd handle it. And, with all the strange things popping up around here lately, a bit of firepower could come in handy."
With that settled, we switched to smaller arms. Of course, my personal revolver still fired .50 caliber bullets, so even our "small arms" practice wasn't exactly subtle. I pulled out my revolver and handed it to Seras, who took it eagerly.
"Here, try this one," I said with a grin. "Still got some kick to it, but it won't take down a forest."
Seras steadied the revolver, her face lit up with excitement. She fired off a few rounds, hitting each target with perfect precision, and then looked back at me with wide eyes. "This is awesome! Walter, can I get one of these?"
Walter chuckled softly. "I'll see what I can do, Miss Victoria, but perhaps something with a bit more... restraint for everyday use."
Seras pouted, but there was a glint of hope in her eyes. Knowing Walter, he'd probably find something unique for her, though I hoped it wouldn't be anything quite as catastrophic as the anti-tank rifle.
After another hour of target practice, both of us were ready to call it a day at the range, especially with lunchtime rolling around. As we gathered up our things, Seras stretched, looking pleased and a little tired.
"That was a lot of fun," she said with a grin. "Is there anything else we should do?"
I smirked. "Oh, we can't end our date here. It's only lunchtime."
Seras's cheeks flushed, and she quickly looked away. "This isn't a date, Valerie," she said, but there was a shy smile hiding in her expression.
"Sure, sure," I teased, chuckling. "Well, since we've still got time, how about we head out into London? We can call a private car and explore a bit. Just… maybe avoid the magical district. Diagon Alley was honestly a letdown…"
Seras perked up at the suggestion. "Actually, I wouldn't mind getting some clothes," she admitted. "Right now, I'm, uh… wearing yours." She tugged at the shirt she'd borrowed from me, and I couldn't help but notice how snug it was on her—especially in the chest.
I bit back a smirk, having noticed that all day. "Yeah, I'd say you fill it out pretty well," I teased with a wink.
She rolled her eyes but couldn't hide her own smile. "You're coming on a little strong there, Valerie…" she pointed out.
I realized that maybe she was right. Damn my supernatural hormones…
"Sorry… I haven't had much human interaction in my life. Probably don't know when to quit." I shrugged, trying to play it cool. The curious look in her eyes made me realize I might've let slip more than I'd meant to. But before she could ask, I shook my head. "Let's save my sob story for another time. We're supposed to be having fun."
Seras gave me a nod, accepting that answer for now, and together, we headed to the front of the mansion where one of Hellsing's private limos was waiting for us. The driver took us into London, and when we reached the city center, we hopped out to start our impromptu shopping spree.
As we walked through the city streets, Seras glanced at me, a bit hesitant. "I can pay you back once I get my first paycheck. I don't want you to cover everything—"
I waved her off, smiling. "Don't even worry about it. Consider it a welcome gift."
Our first stop was a lingerie store, and the moment we walked in, I could feel eyes turning toward us. It wasn't unusual—our vampire allure tended to draw attention. The saleslady approached with a professional smile, but her gaze flicked curiously between us.
"We need a whole new wardrobe for my friend here," I said, smiling at Seras. "So, bras, panties, the works." Seras blushed as the saleslady led us over to some of the more risqué selections, holding up a lacy, barely-there set with a smile. I grinned, nudging Seras. "Oh, I'd love to see you in that one," I whispered playfully, just loud enough for her to hear.
She shot me a playful glare and gave me a gentle shove. "Alright, fine. But only if you agree to try on some of the things I pick out for you." she said, obviously thinking i wouldn't rise to the bait. She thought wrong…
My eyes lit up. "Deal!" I said eagerly…
…
By the time we left the lingerie shop, Seras was red as a tomato. She was muttering under her breath, "I can't believe you got me to buy such skimpy lingerie…"
I smirked, holding up my own bag. "Hey, I bought some for myself too. You've got great taste, Seras."
She sighed but didn't seem to regret it entirely, and we continued shopping, finding a nice mix of casual outfits for her to wear around the mansion and out on the town. After a while, I suggested we look for some formal dresses, just in case Integra ever decided to throw one of those mandatory parties at Hellsing Manor.
"Does that happen often?" she asked.
I shrugged. "Not too often, but Walter mentioned it's at least once a year since she's on the Round Table and part of the nobility. Better safe than sorry."
"Maybe I'll wait a couple of days on that one," she replied with a laugh. "I should probably get my bearings first before we dive into expensive gowns."
"That's fair," I nodded, letting it go for now. We were just discussing where to grab lunch when something sharp and metallic hit my nose. Blood. And not just a faint hint either—a strong, unmistakable scent.
Seras noticed me tense and gave me a concerned look. "Valerie… what's wrong?"
I glanced around, picking up the scent trail. "You smell that?" I asked.
She sniffed the air, her face shifting to alarm. "Is that… blood?"
I nodded grimly. "A lot of it. And it's fresh. Could be another vampire lurking around."
Without another word, I started weaving through the crowded street, Seras close behind me. The scent was dulled a bit by the thick flow of humans around us, but it was strong enough to track. It led us to a small side alley, and I reached into my coat to pull out my gun, checking the chamber before moving forward.
Seras groaned beside me. "I should've brought a gun too," she muttered enviously.
I grinned, handing her all the shopping bags instead. "Here, you can be my pack mule," I teased, and she shot me a mock glare before following me down the alley.
Just as we got a few steps in, two boys suddenly jumped out from behind a dumpster, startling us both. I almost lifted my gun before I realized they were just kids.
"Whoa, lady!" one of them gasped, his eyes widening at the sight of the weapon. "Is that thing real?"
I facepalmed. "Dumb kids with no sense of danger…" I muttered, half to myself.
Seras took charge, flashing her old police badge. "Move along, boys. This is police business."
They both grumbled, dragging their feet a bit before finally scurrying off. Once they were gone, we continued down the alley, which soon led to a quieter backstreet with no one else in sight. And that's when we saw her—a woman's body lying facedown in a puddle of blood, tucked against the wall.
Seras scanned the area and quickly pointed at a set of boot prints leading away from the scene. "Size eleven… male," she muttered, eyes narrowing.
"Good eye, Officer Victoria," I said, impressed. But as I knelt down to examine the body, I sighed. "Unfortunately, this doesn't look like it's our jurisdiction…"
Seras looked at me questioningly as I flipped the body over, revealing a gruesome knife wound across the victim's abdomen. "There aren't any teeth marks, and there's still too much blood in the body," I explained, checking the wound's depth and width. "This wasn't a vampire attack. Just an ordinary, brutal killing."
Seras's face fell. "Just an ordinary murder…" she echoed softly, frowning.
"Yeah," I murmured, straightening up. "We can't do anything else here."
Seras's expression was troubled as she gazed down at the body, but I could see her fighting back the frustration. "R–Right…" she finally said. Despite identifying herself as such to those boys, Seras wasn't technically a Police Officer anymore. This wasn't our jurisdiction. I pulled out my phone and reported the crime scene and murder, but that was all that we could really do…
As we stood there, waiting for the regular police to arrive, I reminded myself that it wasn't just supernatural monsters lurking around in this world. There were plenty of ordinary ones, too. Looking at Seras, I could tell she felt the weight of it, the helpless frustration of not being able to do more for that poor woman. Reaching over, I took her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. She glanced up at me, and a small, grateful smile crossed her face.
When the police finally showed up, we gave our statements. They were familiar with my Hellsing ID badge—it was practically a free pass. They didn't know about the supernatural, but they knew enough to avoid holding anyone who carried that badge. After the formalities, we left the scene and began our walk back, but I could feel Seras's disappointment lingering.
Seeing her that way didn't sit well with me. I called in the limo, deciding to cut our day short. The ride back to Hellsing Manor was quiet and awkward, a silence I found I didn't like—especially not with someone as beautiful as Seras looking so down beside me.
When we finally arrived back at the mansion, I couldn't take it anymore. I glanced over at her as we stepped out of the car. "Other than… well, that bit at the end," I said, "I really did have a lot of fun with you today."
Seras seemed to snap out of her mood, looking surprised. "Oh, Valerie, I'm sorry for being so quiet. I had a great time, too," she said, her expression softening. "I really… enjoyed spending time with you."
The way she looked at me, her gaze warm and genuine, gave me a surge of confidence. So, before I could overthink it, I made a bold move—I leaned up on my toes and brushed a quick, soft kiss against her lips. Her eyes widened, and her face turned a shade of red I'd never seen before, making her look even more adorable.
Smirking, I pulled back, enjoying her flustered reaction. "Let's have another date sometime soon," I said with a wink before heading into the mansion, bags in hand, feeling like the day had ended on just the right note…
XXX
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