When Alexia woke up, her mind feeling clouded and body feeling lifeless, she soon found herself in an unfamiliar room, her friends no longer with her, lying on a simple bed wearing pale blue pajamas.
The room she was in was what appeared to have been the basement, for there were no windows and the walls were made out of old bricks. To be fair, not only was the place bare except for a bed, a chair, a book shelf filled with books and a table, but it was dark and musty with a stale odor in the air. The only exit in this gloomy room was a steel door that stood in the middle of the wall across from the bed.
Alexia slowly got up from the bed and walked towards the door, only to find it, much to her expectancies, bolted shut. She then walked back towards the bed and lay down, millions of questions buzzing around in her head. Where was she, and why was she brought here? Who brought her here? And where we're her friends?
"Ah, so many questions in that pretty little head of yours, yet none of them answered," a deep voice spoke. Turning her head quickly to where the voice was, she saw to her surprise Alucard sitting on the chair with his feet casually resting on the table, acting as if he had already been in the room.
Alexia blinked twice before scratching her head. "Hey~! How in the world did you get in here with the door locked?! And so quickly?!"
Alucard chuckled with amusement. "My what an outspoken and sharp young lady. Looks like I'll be having a lot of fun with you."
"Don't be so sure about that! I may be a young 'lady' and everything, but I can still fight my way through as many obstacles as I can! Both physically and mentally!" she stated with a glare. Knowing that after seeing him as well as the Wild Geese last night, that Dragon Lady was the mastermind behind everything.
"Oh really?," he began, his grin growing wider by the minute. "I can't wait. It'll be a pleasure to have you around for a while."
"What do you mean by 'having me around'? You can't keep me imprisoned here, wherever we are! It's ILLEGAL!" Alexia exclaimed with outrage.
"As if anyone will know that you and your friends have disappeared. My master will have made sure of that," Alucard said before he suddenly looking up at the ceiling and smiled. "Speaking of which, she calls for me. But don't worry, I will see you later." He then starts walking off.
"Hey get back here ya creep!" she yelled while getting off the bed and rushed after him with her arms outstretched. However, before her hands could grab the end bit of his coat, he had already phased through the door. Unable to stop herself, Alexia ended up running face-first into the door, her whole body flatten against the huge metal barrier before collapsing down onto the floor few seconds later cradling her poor nose and sore head.
Minutes later, the door opened up and the butler Walter came into the room to find the poor girl still on the floor clutching her nose. "Are you alright Miss Hunter?"
"Yeah...just that laughing bastard Alucard came in and started irritating me, then made me run into the door!" she said while growling. One of those days, she was going to make that madman's life miserable!
"I see," Walter began in understanding, knowing Alucard all to well. He then presented her with her own clothes, recently washed and dried. "Well now, if you get yourself dressed, I shall take you upstairs to the head office where Sir Integra is expecting you. Your friends are also upstairs with her. I shall wait just outside for you." With that, he went back out of the room.
Glancing at the door, then at her clothes that had been returned to her, she then let out a deep and frustrated sigh. 'Oh boy....just when I thought things couldn't get any worse on this trip...it ended up becoming a catastrophe! Oh well, time for me to have a face-off with Sir Dragon-lady.'
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Meanwhile...
In the office, where Sir Integra was sitting at her front desk, puffing down on one of her cigars with impatience, the remaining teens were sitting across from her. Each of them were fidgeting in their seats, hoping that their friend would get here soon before the 'Dragon-lady' looses her cool and become their judge, jury and executioner. Even with Seras, Alucard and Pip in the room, it made it no less uncomfortable.
Just then, a knock at the door was heard, bringing everyone's attention, before it opened to reveal Walter and Alexia.
Joe, Sydney, Benny, Ethan and Nichole were pleased as well as grateful to see their friend. "Lexi!" they all cried out as they rushed over and tackled her into a tight group hug. Pip and Seras looked at the group in bewilderment which both Alucard and Walter starred on with amusement.
Sir Integra on the other-hand was not amused,nor bewildered. "You lot are too loud and irritating. I don't care if you're American tourists. You are in my domain so please behave yourselves and sit down quietly."
Seeing the 'Dragon-lady' fuming, they are quickly let go of each other and quietly sat down in their provided chairs. Now that Alexia was in the room, Sydney decided to asks them questions that had been buzzing around inside all their head. "Alright lady, we want some answers and we want them now! Where the hell are we and why have we been brought here?" she demanded as her eyes stared icily into Integra's. Benny and Ethan began to slide down in their chairs, hoping to avoid not only Sydney's wrath, but also the Dragon-lady in front of them.
"My, you are certainly a tenacious being. It seems I will have to show you more discipline." Integra began calmly. "Very well, I will illuminate. You are at our headquarters called the Hellsing Organization, who serve our Queen and country. We are the 'monsters' that eliminate the other monsters. The vampire in particular."
While some were in awe by what they have heard, Alexia was still puzzled. "Well that's certainly interesting and everything but...I still don't see why this has anything to do with us."
"I think I do," Nichole spoke up while getting out her compact mirror, opening it up before handing it to Alexia.
When Alexia looked into the mirror, she saw that in her reflection, the set of fangs and pair of dark violet glowing eyes staring straight at her. That was when she realized that she wasn't wearing her necklace again. "Oh yeah...that. I guess you know what had happened to me."
"Yes, we are well aware of what you have become, although I believe it wasn't intentional," Integra began as she picked up another cigar and cut the end of it with the cigar cutter. "We believe that after you took pursuit of that vampire, some point later you found the 'Vermiculus Nectar de Andromeda' and, unaware of what it was, drank it.
"The 'Vermiculus Nectar de Andromeda'? But I thought that museum piece was just a crystal egg," Alexia said, already confused. For she remembered seeing the item that the vampire had and prevented him from stealing it.
"Yes, but that was just the outer part. The actual bit...was this." Integra then brought out a small blue bottle with a spiral top from her drawer and placed it on the table. Whatever had been in that glass bottle was now gone, leaving only a dark stain within the container.
As the group stared at the item, Alexia then recalled seeing that bottle the night outside of the museum. She also recalled, to her utter dismay, that she actually drank the contents of that bottle. "Ah...crap!" she cried out, slapping her hand on her forehead.
Joe and Sydney stared at their friend, then at the empty bottle before putting the pieces together. "Lexi...you didn't!"
"Yeah...I did," she responded sheepishly. "Although to be fair, how was I suppose to know that what I drank was some stupid potion that tasted like expired juice or wine and that would give me these stupid vampire powers?"
"Miss Hunter, do you know what 'Vermiculus Nectar de Andromeda' means?" Sir Integra asked while smoking her cigar.
"Uh...no idea, I didn't study Latin while at school," Alexia said.
Benny at that point decided to look it up in his portable internet device. "Well according to this, it says here that Vermiculus Nectar de Andromeda means 'Crimson Nectar of Andromeda'...but that still doesn't explain what's so important about the meaning."
"Not to mention, isn't Andromeda the name of a galaxy as well as the name of a princess in Greek Mythology?" Ethan then asked.
"Yes, but what most humans don't know was that over a century ago, there was a vampire named Andromeda who received her immortal gifts from a vampire dragon also known as Andromeda," Alucard replied to Ethan's question. "She was considered as one of the true immortals."
"Well so much for the immortal part. By the sounds of things this vampire Andromeda doesn't seem to exist anymore," Sydney stated in a deadpan tone. "Yet I still don't get the meaning behind the Vermiculus Nectar de Andromeda, or as to what it was that Alexia drank."
Integra took a big puff from her cigar, inhaling it deeply, before finally making a response. "What had been in that bottle, the one which you had consumed from Miss Hunter, was blood. Ancient vampire blood to be more precise."
For almost a minute, silence filled the room as the group took in every word that was revealed. Then suddenly...
"Eeeeeeeeeewwwwwwwwwwwww!" they all screamed in disgust, with Alexia close to vomiting. They had expected it to be something unnatural, but nothing as vile as that.
Nichole was the first to say something. "Lexi! You drank some vampire's old blood?!" she shrieked out.
"Hey in my defence, I thought it was either raspberry or strawberry juice in that bottle! If I had known what it was, I wouldn't have drank it," she reasoned in her defence.
"Yeah but...how the hell did you not realize it was blood you were drinking?!" Benny then asked. He knew that blood could normally be identified by smell as well a by taste, so he was confused as to how Alexia didn't noticed.
"Uh...well I might've forgot to sniff at it to see what it was before drinking it," she then admitted, causing the others to groan in response.
Benny glared at Alexia. "Lexi, you idiot!" He then hit her on the head.
"Oww! Hey just because I made one mistake, does not make me an idiot! Unlike SOME people I know!" Alexia said, glaring at both Ethan and Benny while rubbing her sore head.
"What's that suppose to mean?!"
"Actually she's got you there you two. After all, she's not the sort who starts troubles in school and gives teachers nicknames such as 'Professor Ripple-Bottom' or 'Fart-head' and goes into detention, unlike you and Ethan," Sydney remarked.
Ethan and Benny pouted. "Why do you girl have to always gang up on us?"
Sydney smirked. "Hey you boys are the ones that started this, us girls just finished it. But then again, girls are always so good when it comes to out-smarting or outwitting those of the opposite sex." Benny and Ethan growled in response.
Just then, Sir Integra let out a false cough to get the group's attention. Seeing her stern expression cause by impatience, they immediately went silent. "Now that you are fully aware of what you have become and how it had occurred, it is also now means that you Alexia Hunter as well as your friends are now under my jurisdiction."
Hearing that, the group of teens were stunned. Joe, who quickly got over the shock, suddenly stood up and slammed both his hands down hard on the desk. "Wait a minute, what do you mean 'under your jurisdiction'?! What right do you have to imprison us here?! My father-!"
"General Richard Grissom? Yes, he is already well aware of the situation. I must say, he is a hard and stubborn man to dissuade, but after a while he finally agreed to my arrangements and has allowed you and the others to stay here under my supervision until a certain solution is made and Miss Hunter's case is resolved," Integra explained.
"But we can't stay here, in England! We're suppose to leave for New York in a couple of days! Not to mention that we start college next week!" Alexia began, outraged. "Besides, why do my friends have to be held captive? I'm the one that you guys want, not them!"
"On the contrary, your friends are just as involved in this as you are Alexia Hunter. They have already seen and heard too much of everything," Integra began before taking out several files. "Besides, I have informed your families and your college that you have urgent businesses in England and will stay until further notice. I believe that they will be of some use to the organization as you are."
"What do you mean Sir Integra?" Nichole spoke up after being silent.
Sir Integra then began by opening the files. "Joseph Grissom; second best in military summer camp, excellent shooter as well as combats. Training after school in your father's personal military base to become a soldier in the army. Average grades at school with a minor school record for disobedience. Although I assume your friends are more to blame for than you are." She then looked at another file. "Sydney Manson; professional black belt in Karate, Judo and Taekwondo as well as taking a profession in wrestling and boxing. Average school grades and has a permenant record for illegal street fights as well as a record for fighting on school grounds. Ethan and Benjamin Jackson; obviously related to one another-"
"I prefer being called 'Benny', and we're cousins," he suddenly butted in, hating his full first name. Made him sound more like one of those boring old men from 1900's.
Integra glared at Benny before continuing. "both with excellent skills in computers as well as shooting as it had been witnessed, however have had numerous school records for damaging school properties, being disrespectful to some of your teachers, and a huge record of truancies. Well...we'll soon sort out your delinquent sides while here. Alexia 'Bella' Hunter; new head of the Hunter's Weapon Industry and professional fencer. You also have certain military skills from practicing in General Grissom's private military base as well as during your time in the military summer camp. The same camp as Mr. Grissom I presume." Alexia nodded in acknowledgement before Integra continued. "However you seem to have had several police records for committing violence on several young men, all of which placed restraining orders against you. Why was that?"
"It was because of me," Nichole said, looking guilty. "You see, I had dated those guys for a short time before I dumped them. However they didn't take it too well and got aggressive. So Alexia always came to my defence, however sometimes it went too far, which resulted with most of them going to the hospital, then later either suing or putting a restraining order against her."
"Ah, that would explain everything Miss...," Integra began before looking at the last of the files. "Nichole Lycan-shire; granddaughter to Lucian Lycan-shire who is the head of the Lycan-shire Hotel companies. Despite you being from a wealthy family, you have no fighting skills, no computer skills, and are quite prone to being a shopaholic and having more boyfriends than Henry the eighth had more girls. And yet you handled yourself very well when faced against a horde of ghouls and a group of vampires." She then closed the files and placed them back into her desk drawers before looking back at them. "So as you can see, due to your special skills and relations to this business, you have no choice but to cooperate and remain in the organization until further notice."
This time, it was Alexia's turn to stand up in outrage. "As if we're going to stay here as your prisoners! You may be some sort of knight of the Round Table, but if I have indeed become some sort of vampire, then you or the rest of the organization haven't got enough power to stop us from leaving," she said while her other friends agreed with her. "So if you'll excuse us, we'll take our leave here right now."
As the group prepared to leave, Alucard stepped in between them and the door, preventing them from leaving the room. "Out of our way ya big psychopath before you find yourself beaten to a pulp!" Alucard just presented her with his signature smirk, angering her even further. "Fine, you asked for it!" she then said before raising her right arm up and prepares to hit him.
Before she made contact with Alucard's face, his gloved hand suddenly shot up and caught hers tightly. Despite her increased vampiric strength, she noticed, to her surprise, that she couldn't move her arm any further! Of course, when she looked back at him, she saw to her surprise that he had a set of fangs protruding out from his grinning mouth before he flipped her hard to the floor on her back.
Although the impact didn't cause Alexia any physical harm, it did on the other-hand winded her for a brief moment. As she sat up from the floor, she and her friends stared at Alucard, shocked upon the sudden realization.
Sir Integra smirked with amusement. "As you can see, the Hellsing Organization has certain vampires working amounst them. Alucard here is our top vampire, with Sera Victoria Alucard's fledgling as well as our second best."
"Say what?!" they shrieked and stared intently at Seras. Seras, who weakly chuckled from their stares, opened her mouth wide enough to reveal her own set of fangs.
Ethan's eyes widened further. "Jesus Christ! I would've never explained her to be a vampire!" he exclaimed.
"Yeah but more importantly, I'm surprised that I didn't suspect Alucard here to be a vampire," Alexia said while looking up at him. "I just assumed that he was some psychotic magician who escaped from the nearest asylum!"
Alucard laughed at her remark. "A magician you say? Such a bizarre imagination you have there, truely interesting." Alexia growled at him in response, her eyes glowing in rage.
"Now that you are fully aware that it is futile to escape, its time that we made some arrangements for your stay," Integra began. "Alexia, you will be staying in sub-levels with Alucard and Seras so you can learn how to control and use your new abilities until we figured out a solution for you. The Jackson boys, Joseph and Sydney, you four will train with Pip Bernadotte and his men. Meaning that you have to follow your Captain's orders and work hard and diligantly on your training with the men, no matter how exhausting or unbearable it gets."
"Fine, but if any of those men try to pull a fast one on me and touch my booty, don't expect me to go all easy on them," Sydney warned, cracking her knuckles to prove a point.
"Understood," Integra responded before looking at Nichole. "As for you, due to your lack of fighting skills you will be working along side Walter as a maid. Then during your free time, you will learn how to use a firearm from me." Nichole sulked, for she, being raised in a wealthy family, had never done any sort of chores in her life, much less learned how to use a firearm.
After assigning the teenagers with their arrangements, Integra stood up from her desk. "Now that I have given you your places, you make now leave with your chosen mentors. Your things from the hotel where you were before are being picked up and will arrive later today. Oh by the way, I want you lot to head down to the infirmary first before you do anything else. Especially you Alexia."
"Uh...okay. For pysical examinations?" Alexia asked.
"Yes, and for some samples of your blood so we can run some tests," Integra said in a calm, almost blunt way.
The moment the words 'blood sample' and 'tests' were said, Alexia's eyes were as wide as dinner plates. "Oh no, no, no, no, no, no, NO! No way! Not in a million years! I have never, EVER liked needles in my life! So if you think I'm just gonna waltz over there for some doctor to stick a needle in me, think again Lady!" she said while folding her arms together and stood still, refusing to move anywhere else.
Next thing she realized, she was being lifted two feet off the floor by Alucard before being flung over his shoulder. "Oh don't be such a child. It doesn't suit you at all," he said before he started to walk off to towards the infirmary.
"Hey! Put me down this instance ya toothy-psycho! I mean it! If you don't, I'm gonna scream until you go deaf in both ears!" Alexia screamed.
Alucard tutted playfully before tapping on her butt. "Well that's not very nice. Shouldn't a young lady like yourself be more...docile?" he said with a smirk in his tone.
Alexia bristled from that remark. "DOCILE?! I'll show you docile ya deranged ancient numbskull!" she then shrieked while pummeling her fists into his back, without any success since it looked as though he was enjoying it. With his signature smirk still on his face, Alucard carried her out of the office and throug the halways towards the infirmary, with Seras following a few steps behind.
While Alexia's shrieks and death threat roars were still being heard through the hallways, the remaining people in the room stood still, speechless after watching that over-dramatic senario that had just occured. After a minute of silence, Benny decided to be the first to speak up. "So...will there be any hot sexy nurses down in the infirmary? he asked with interest, resulting in Sydney glaring down hard before deciding to strangle him with her bare hands!
Not wanting to get in between the two loose canons, Pip gently ushered them and their friends out of the room, with Walter following behind, leaving Integra along in the office. As soo as she saw that everyone was gone and the noises had finally quietened down, she flopped back into her chair, sighing in frustration while rubbing her head. She could already feel a headache forming. She knew that, somewhere deep in her mind, that having those teens hanging around was NOT going to be easy.
