Where The Dead Live [Helsing]

[The Reaper]

Elias and Helsing had mostly been quiet since their arrival. They were watching and gathering information on the world around them. Watching as things like the 1367 GODEATER tore apart the hospital effortlessly, watching as explosions ripped apart hidden bases, watching as there was a steady theme of corporate overthrowing and assassination going on. All of the work they would normally be diving their hands in was being done for them by others.

There was a creeping shadow watching him now as he sat in the darkness of his office, back turned to the door watching the fire crackled as he drank from a glass of whiskey. The painting replaced above the fireplace with that of the late Sir Integra, a statement to the one who watched him now, he was not its enemy he simply wanted to talk and yet it refused and only watched. The others had caught on to the thing that creeped but like Seras pointed out, it was nearly impossible to track down and impossible to root out.

So he sat there drinking from his glass waiting for his company to arrive, already invited were the members of his house, the main group who ran things. There was plenty he needed to inform them on and plenty to begin working on now that this mysterious organization had stepped in and took out the Devil. Yet now there was something far worse looming in the distance.

[¤Amy Grace¤]

Seras was growing bored as usual, sure she had discovered most of the hidden corridors and the path to the dilapidated ruins of the old Umbrella labs, but aside from that and bones there really wasn't much else to do around here and Elias wasn't giving her orders to do anything so she couldn't just act on her own accord. She spent most of the days stealing books from his library to read but even that was growing tiresome as she was about half way done old english texts and lab reports.

She knocked once and stepped inside immediately her attention shot to the shadow perched above watching, it was still here? It seemed to loom over Elias like a vulture, possibly waiting to attack again but if it was content on killing him why not do it in his sleep? She stepped to his right side.

"Good evening master," she said with a small bow and took a seat on his right.

[Sparda]

So it was finally time to begin working in earnest, after spending so much time and money simply getting their new house in order and learning about the state of affairs in the city below. Why else would Elias be calling the other heads to his office to meet with him? Robert, for his part, had an interesting report to deliver.

There came two knocks at the door to the office, then the altered warrior stepped across the threshold. He squinted briefly against the gloom, offset only by the flickering firelight, before his eyes adjusted. Pushing the door shut behind himself, he moved to stand a distance in front of the desk. Seras had taken her place at Elias' right hand, and Walter, when he arrived, would be at his left.

"Evening, boss."

[The Reaper]

Walter and Pip arrived a bit after Rob, together and Walter set about making drinks for everyone while Pip stood in the corner looking up at the ominous looming creature that stared back at him, a thousand eyes fixed on the mercenary and captain of Helsings Wild Geese.

"Evening everyone," Elias said raising a glass, "I brought you all together for an informal event, you can do with this information what you will, inform the guard, the staff, and everyone else associated with us. We will be going to war soon."

"WAR", the word literally whispered across the darkness the the eyes of the shadow crept as it leaked down the side of the shelf it perched upon, "I remember war."

Elias tipped his drink back draining it completely and sat it on the desk, "then how about you join us? We share common enemies, the unnatural, the ones who took the name Hellsing from our lives. The ones who threaten the fabric of our realities. They are no longer Devil, they are something more. Something far more dangerous than even the likes of Umbrella and global annihilation. What I speak of friends is a monster so deadly that even Satan himself shivers in his sleep."

[¤Amy Grace¤]

Seras kept her eyes on the shadow, she didn't trust such a thing to linger like it did in the room. She didn't trust that it would keep peaceful even though she was aware it had attacked Elias on several occasions only to recently cease out of either respect or boredom. She wasn't sure but now it seemed to be curious with Elias more than demand his life.

She stood there quietly, to put it frank, she was ready to spring into action as the backs of her heels were seeped into the ground and a long shadow that stretched to her right was not the darkness but it was her.

[Sparda]

There it was. A call to arms, delivered as casually as he might talk about the headlines in his morning paper. Then again, the people assembled around him could wage war just as casually.

As the shadowy intruder spoke, apparently stirred to lucidity by the mention of that fateful word, Rob turned his eyes up towards it, and blue flashed briefly to amber. Elias made it a proposition, spoke as if he had an inkling what it truly was.

"I thought we knew the face of Satan," he scoffed, and took it for granted that his company would know he spoke of Alucard. "You're referring to the 1300s, though, right? If Sixty-Seven of all units has been activated, we have to assume more will follow. Question is, who's holding their leashes?"

[The Reaper]

"I actually speak not of the 1300 series, yet one does persist, the one they call GODEATER. Yet an associate of mine... of ours, held it at bay-"

"Allow me to end it," said the voice, the shadow was beginning to take a shape, more like a man, it had fully seeped down the side of the shelf and was a writhing mass of eyes and smoke.

"How do you plan to end one that eats gods when you cannot fell a man with a sword," Elias asked and there came a laugh, one that sent chills down each of their spines, it made Walter tense up as he raised his hands knowing damn well who that laugh came from.

"My lord," Walter said and Elias held up his hand hushing the butler. The laughter continued for a moment longer and the eyes closed and a smile formed.

"Give me my sword," the shadow said, it struggled to hold shape, Elias smiled and pushed himself up in his chair. He held out his hand and the fabled sword of Vlad the Impaler formed in his grip from the same shadow that made the monster.

"You can have the sword, if you swear fealty to me, like you swore to my ancestors," Elias said and the shadow moved forward and dropped to what looked like a knee, it was impossible to tell as the swarm of shadows wrapped around the area overcoming even Seras's as it grew in power the closer it got.

"I swear," said a deep dark voice, Walter choked back a swallow as the voice cut through his bones.

"Then so be it, Alucard," Elias sad and tossed the sword to the shadow, as he did it stood and stepped forward quickly, the shadows retreated across the room back to their master, a tall pale man stood there, black hair, red eyes, his body wrapped in black.

"I need a gun," he said.

[¤Amy Grace¤]

What transpired over the next minute even made Seras stand, what was Elias playing at? He was taunting the darkness and it laughed back, it laughed in a way she could only consider calming to her, oddly given how sinister the laugh was. She was at peace, was this who she truly knew it to be this entire time? She was sure the shadow was a part of him but was it truly him?

When Elias demanded it serve him the words came out clear, in his voice, 'I swear' and Seras smiled just as Elias said his name, just as the man she once called Master took form from the power that Elias held. Had he always known? Had that sword always been the key to bringing Alucard back from his would be grave? If that was the case then even Hija Himura himself couldn't fully take down the Red Devil.

"Alucard," Seras said, not master as he asked for a gun.

[Sparda]

Rob reacted immediately to the bone-chilling tension that fell over the room at the sound of that laugh. In a blur of motion, the Anathema pistols were drawn and held aloft, both barrels staring down the dissembling mass of living shadow. His eyes gleaming amber, weaponised body poised for action, he exchanged a look first with Walter, then with Seras.

When he comprehended at last what he was witnessing, he blanched visibly. His aim wavered, and he hesitantly lowered his guns. By the time Seras spoke that most terrible and storied name, Rob's bewilderment had given way to a smile of stunned awe.

"Holy shit," he exclaimed. He could only shake his head as he holstered the pistols. "There really isn't a soul walking this earth that can kill you, is there, Big Red?"

[The Reaper]

"Walter, get this monster a gun worthy of killing things like him," Elias said, his eyes had a glimmer of red in them as his glasses reflected the two beaming red eyes from the Ancient Vampire glaring back at him. Walter nodded and maintained eye contact with Alucard, both of their eyes stayed locked onto one another as Walter left the room.

"Who is my first target," Alucard asked, he was much calmer than the last time he was unleashed, almost like the days when Integra was around, this might have been a sign that he was aware of Elias's abilities and power or it might just be his willingness to put down the dogs that took out his master for good.

"First order of business, gain contact with the organization known as Blu-Umbrella, I leave that to you Alucard as you have personal connections to their leader."

"Do I?"

"You blasted a hole in her back in 2006 that ended the first stage of the original war, Sazon Himura," Elias said.

"Perhaps she wasn't very important, her face doesn't look any different than any other face I killed that day," Alucard replied coldly.

"Either way, she'll remember you," Elias said, he had a smirk on his face knowing he was stirring shit up, "second order of business, we need contacts in Tyrant. They are big news right now and face the government, whoever takes that job will be working with them to a degree to make sure their goals are met. Lastly, I need someone on constant watch for known cases of the Unnatural. If a rogue freak exists it must be put down with prejudice."

[¤Amy Grace¤]

Seras didn't say anything about which job she would take, she was going for whatever scraps Rob didn't take, it didn't matter to her at the end of the day she was just glad to get out of the mansion and out of the random creepy corridors, it always felt like something was watching her here which was insane because she was always watching.

Alucard seemed a lot colder than usual, but at the same time his presence was calming to her as if the extra manpower put her mind at ease. With him here and working with them things would be better than the old days. There was enough power sitting in this room right now to challenge Hija Himura, let alone whatever fake copy of Umbrella was in the shadows now. Somehow though, he still sent shivers down her spine when he talked.

[Sparda]

Thus, the strategy was laid out. Rob was in agreement that allies would be sorely useful, and though the name of TYRANT made perfect sense, Blu-Umbrella made markedly less. At any rate, that probably unenviable task had just been given to Alucard.

"I'll reach out to TYRANT," he volunteered. "They stand for altered rights against this apartheid the administration is holding them in - only makes sense that I should be the one to work with them. Which leaves Seras -" he turned to give her a knowing smile - "on the hunt.

"Speaking of which, I have something more to say that ought to be more interesting in present company - my final report on the vampire who first challenged us to return here." He gave Alucard a look as if to beckon him to pay attention. "Following my inconclusive first engagement with the vampire, I was able to learn more about her. She named herself Maricul Black, of a place called Aircano... and she claimed to have been sired by Alucard."

He paused for a beat to let that sink in. "I would've been inclined to believe that, just on the basis of the powers she demonstrated. I only know three vampires in all the world who can fight the way she did, and two of them are in this room. I had to verify before I said anything, of course, so I did some research. Turns out there is such a place as Aircano, a small village in continental Europe. Historical records indicate it was rebuilt after having completely burned down in the thirteenth century. No cause was ever determined, but after managing to dig up even older writings, I can hazard a guess. The village's founder, a priestly sort by the name of Saul, had a daughter named Maricul, and all mention of her disappears from the books around the time of the village's destruction."

He turned his eyes to Elias. "She woke up with a vengeance after she was turned, that's for damn sure. That same vengeance is what brought her here, inspired her to make a public display of slaughtering innocent citizens to get our attention. She had wanted revenge against Alucard, but in the knowledge that he had died in the battle against Hija Himura... she'll settle for Seras instead. All but spelled it out to me when she told me I wasn't what she had expected Helsing to send after her."

[The Reaper]

"If she wants blood," Alucard began, and looked over his shoulder, the red eyes piercing through the darkness as he looked straight through Rob, "she'll feel my reawakening. I'll gladly put down a dog that I brought into this world who nips at my or my masters hands when being fed."

A moment later Walter reentered the room holding two cases, he sat it down on the desk, "while I wasn't building this for you exactly I have managed to build a weapon to compliment the thirteen millimetre Jackal before it was destroyed. The blue-prints on this one were made as a side arm for Mr. Ranka while still in service to Hellsing while his Quicksilver was being worked on but I believe you'll find this one up your alleyway as well Lord Alucard."

"Walter, please," Alucard said and Walter opened the larger weapons case revealing a weapon Alucard could only consider a true work of art if not a bit too angelic for his liking. It would be irony in his hands however.

"The 600 Hermes," Walter said, "the bullets are hand crafted by Helsing arms in Romania, they are based off the .600 Nitro Express round but they are hallow points. You can chamber up to 5 rounds before reloading... That being said I've never seen you reload a weapon so I think you'll be fine with our current inventory. The bullets are blessed, explosive cores, and made from Chromium. Firing this weapon will cost you around five hundred dollars a shot. So make each one count or else we may go bankrupt."

He opened the second one, an old friend of Alucards, the 13mm Jackal glistened back at him, "and I have done the liberty of rebuilding this weapon for Miss Victoria's usage recently but considering you are here now I believe I can reacquaint you to your old friend."

A smile crossed his mouth as he reached inside the case and pulled the 13mm Jackal, in his hands the large weapon looked almost normal even though it was literally a steel slab on top of a pistol grip. He slid it into the darkness of what looked like a coat that was beginning to take shape as the shadows continued to slowly come back to him and then he grabbed the other weapon, the 600 Hermes and lifted it, it was just as massive as the Jenova, a revolver style, and the yield of power made it his new tyrant killer.

"You've out done yourself Walter, I see even cheating old age has still kept your mind sharp," Alucard said and he lowered the weapon it disappeared into the shadows, his hand reached out and Walter immediately grabbed it and they shook hands, "I hear you've retired from the front lines."

"I don't need to fight anymore now that Sir Rob is here," Walter said nodding to Rob, Alucard shifted his gaze, "he is in a league of his own, a true successor to my exploits in my youth. However, I still get to stretch my legs from time to time."

Alucard turned away from the group and looked solely at Rob, his grim face then twisted into a smile, "I expect we'll test your limits soon enough."

Elias sat silent, he was simply drinking his whiskey letting them all familiarize themselves with one another again and for the first time. He knew what he had here was one of the finest and most deadly teams in Raccoon city, the problem now was restraining his monsters from destroying the city when they were forced to go to war.

"Oh and Miss Victoria, I have a present for you as well," Walter said, "the only problem is it's too large to carry around so please meet me later for details on the Harkonnen Mark 5."

[¤Amy Grace¤]

Seras simply watched, she wasn't surprised at his choice given what he was, plus she was always up for hunting down the unnatural. The exchange between Walter and Alucard was so familiar to her that she almost mimed the words from Walter as he explained the exotic weapon. She could see the look in Alucards eyes as he was thinking of the uses, thinking of every thing he could kill with it.

Walter mentioned her, she got excited because the Harkonnen redesign was right up her alleyway, "thanks Walter. I can't wait to put it to use."

[Sparda]

Rob felt the Red Devil's eyes upon him, staring through him, and couldn't suppress a shiver that crawled up his spine. Even though everyone present was on the same side, even though this was probably the most dangerous gathering of individuals in the world right at the moment, something about the look in those eyes set his fight-or-flight instinct on alert. He used the reprieve of Walter's briefing on Alucard's new weapons - a monstrous new revolver and a rebuilt and improved Jackal - to compose himself.

When Walter took the opportunity to finally introduce them to one another, he stood tall and inclined his head. The smile that spread across Alucard's face was answered in kind.

"Robert Cain. You'll find me more than equal to any test."