ARTHOR'S NOTE: Wow thank you so much everyone for reading this story! This has such a big hit list that I was surprise because it was honestly written on a whim. I am currently thinking about taking Hellsing fanfic suggestions so if you have an idea and are too lazy to write it, I may take a stab at it. Again, I love you all and enjoy the story!

Also, please help out with the hurricane relief efforts.

CH 4 Destiny

Integra ran down the empty streets of London. The eerie quiet seemed to indicate that everyone had gotten a whiff of the stink coming from the Hellsing household and barred their doors and windows shut. She didn't care. It was better that no one stuck their nose into her business. She must have looked awful, covered in dust and wearing only one shoe. Alucard trotted alongside her, casting strange glances her way.

She had too much to think about, like what had happened when she tried to leave the estate, for example.

The man had stepped forward and tried to stop them. He was big and strong. But she wasn't afraid. He got angry when she stood her ground and tried to get a hold of her.

"Get out of my way," she had said to him calmly, and Alucard took care of the rest. To her own surprise, she watched without a thread of anxiety.

And where to go from here? Her first thought was to hide, hide somewhere until Walter came back, then everything would be alright. But where could she possibly hide? Who would take her in? A strange girl with a huge dog and a group of armed thugs after her?

Alucard tugged on the hem of her skirt, leading her on.

"Hang on," she said. "We don't know where we're going."

He pulled her again, this time more urgently. Count D's words flooded her mind.

"Alright," she said. "I'll trust you."

break-

The first thing she noticed about Count D's shop was that it suddenly looked very old. The paint on the door, brand new the last time she saw it, was already peeling and falling away. The steps looked abandoned and the curtains were tattered, as if a hundred years had passed since anyone had been here last.

It's not possible, she told herself, I was just here a few weeks ago.

Alucard was pulling on her skirt again, urging her inside. Though she doubted Count D could protect her from her uncle's guns and thugs, she had to admit this was the best place to hide for the moment.

She pushed on the door, it gave away with a tortured creak, as if the hinges had rusted over.

The shop was empty. Not a single sign of the luxury she had witness before was left. Every wall was gray and the floor was thick with dust. No exotic animals pranced to her feet. No bird sang its song. The floor board groaned as she stepped inside, as if weakening with age.

Integra felt her heart tighten. "How..."

Footsteps outside. She ran to the back of the shop, expecting to find the corridor she had once toured. The door was still there, but a tumble of brooms, mops, and buckets fell on top of her as she pulled it open. It was a closet.

The shop suddenly felt very small as heavy breaths caught in her chest. She looked at the bare walls, empty spaces, and then at Alucard.

"Why did you bring me here?" she asked angrily. The dog didn't reply. Instead, he sat still, as still as he had ever been, and faced the open door, where voices were growing nearer. Integra seized one of his ears and twisted the sharp snout toward her.

"Why did you bring me here!" she cried. Alucard gave no response, or even protested at her actions. He only looked at her, red eyes glowing.

Boots clattered loudly as four men entered, guns drawn. Her uncle entered between their ranks, like a general leading his army. Integra froze.

"Well, well." Richard sneered greasily, keeping one eye on her and the other on Alucard. "You've been quite the bother, Integra.

She searched for words, and found it difficult to do while staring into the business end of four semi-automatics. Alucard stood, pushed himself into the middle of the scene, and growled.

Richard scoffed. He looked at his men. "Shoot it."

Integra screamed and covered her ears as a rain of bullets showered down on Alucard's body. She didn't need to look to see the light of fire brighten up the room like lightning. When they stopped, she opened her eyes and saw only what was left of her last friend. Her uncle laughed as she covered her mouth and choked back a sob.

"Do you see what happens to bad dogs, Integra?" he asked, mocking her. He raised his own pistol. "Now let's see what happens to bad little girls."

Tearing her eyes away from the pool of blood gathering at her feet, Integra stood straight. "Uncle," she said firmly, though a bit more softly than she would've liked. "Do you lust after the family headship that badly? Are you really willing to do this?"

He stepped toward her as she braced herself for the strike. His fist crashed against her cheek like a cold rock, sending her sprawling on the floor.

"I won't give Hellsing up to some kid like you!" he boomed, raised his gun once more and pulled the trigger.

It was like been seared by a rope of fire. A pain shriek escaped her as she clutched at her arm. Warm blood seeped through her finger onto the floor, mingling with Alucard's.

"Next go your ears," she heard her uncle say. "This is for wasting my time. Don't think you're going to go quick, Integra."

A few of the men chuckled as she kept her head down. I don't want to die, she thought desperately, I don't want to die!

The bullet didn't come. Thinking her uncle was taunting her, she didn't look up and simply kept waiting. But then something else occurred to her.

The puddle of blood in front of her was moving.

The five men were no longer paying attention to her, though her uncle's gun was still pointed at her. She watched with fascination rather than horror as the dark blood rose into the air and moved as if alive, like the shadows on the door of the room that had once held Alucard. It rose, and like a creature twisted its tendrils together. A moment later, it was solid. A man stood between her and her enemies.

"L..Lord Richard!" One of the men stammered.

"Shoot it!" Richard ordered. "I don't care what it is, just shoot it! Give Integra an escort for her trip to hell!"

The thug lifted his gun, and lost half his head.

Five pairs of eyes watched as the man formed from Alucard's blood held the top half of the thug's head in his hand, and dangled it over his mouth. A long, red tongue extended to catch the blood falling from it. It slurped the way a dog's tongue would lap up water. When blood would fall no more, he dropped the head on the floor. It landed right by Integra's feet, eyes still open.

Terror overcame the group and every man was suddenly scrambling for themselves. They all moved to shoot, or run, but a second later the room was drenched in their blood. Integra had had no time to react before finding herself alone with only her uncle and the newcomer.

Richard was trembling, making incoherent sounds as he raised his gun. The man, or rather the creature, made a move so quick that Integra could not comprehend it. She watched as the shells of her uncle's gun fell from the thing's hand.

"Lowlife," she heard it whisper.

Then it cut off her uncle's hand. She didn't know how, but in a split second, her uncle was screaming and twisting on the ground, cradling the hand that was now no more than a bloody stump. His fingers lay twitching beside him.

Seeming satisfied, the man-shaped thing finally turned to her. She studied it. No, him, she corrected herself. He was strange, but something about him was definitely human. He was tall and thin, easily six and half feet. His limbs were long and slender, and very agile judging by the show he had just put on. Long, silver hair fell from his head, reaching his waist. He wore a long coat, red as his eyes.

He smiled at her, revealing long fangs. Not just the traditional canines of most vampires. She saw that had a mouthful of them. Just like Alucard.

Is this Alucard?

He approached her, stopped just a foot short, and dropped to his knees. He was bowing to her, with the kind of respect she had never even fathomed before. As he lifted his face to her, she could see that features were sharp, chiseled with age, which was strange because he look as if he couldn't have been more than thirty-five.

"Have you sustained any injuries," he asked in a deep, smooth voice, "Sir Hellsing?"

She stared at him.

Seeing her shock, he grinned with amusement. "What is your bidding, my master?"

Integra couldn't move. This thing, this creature before her, was a median. Not only that, the most powerful one she had ever seen, heard of, or read about. No vampire in her lessons possessed such power. No creature could regenerate from a pool of blood like he did.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw her uncle crawl toward the nearest gun and wrap his good hand around it.

"H-Helling..." he muttered as he rose to his feet, "is mine..." He spun around and fired. "It's mine!"

The vampire raised his arm. The bullet embedded itself in his flesh. If he felt any pain at all, he gave no sign as he half-turned, a disgusted look in his eyes.

"Your blood stinks," he said to Richard, "It reeks to high heaven. You're unfit to be this family's head."

Her uncle didn't move. His face was blank as the gun fell from his hand. Integra felt cold metal against her hand. The vampire had handed her a gun. Without another word, she raised it, and using his arm as a level, point it at her uncle.

Richard didn't move.

"I saw you," she said, and pulled the trigger, "that day in the pet shop."

"That is correct," answered Alucard, "my master."

She pulled the trigger again.

break-

"And that, my dear detective," said Count D, sipping on his usual afternoon tea, "is the story of the little girl and her servant."

Leon Orcott snorted and helped himself to more snacks. "Oh please," he said around a mouthful of cake, "like I'm gonna believe that. You sold a vampire to some British royal family? Come on!"

"I sold nothing," D replied serenely. "I was merely helping destiny."

"Whatever." Orcott swallowed. "Besides, everybody knows the Hellsing family's just an urban legend. You need to get your facts straight before making up stor... ow!" He reached down and swatted at the Totesu latched onto his leg. "What's your problem! I wasn't even bothering you!"

A small hand laid on D's arm. Turning away from Orcott's struggle, D smiled at Chris. The boy smiled back and held up a package.

"Did this come for me?"

Chris nodded.

"Whoa there!" Orcott leapt to his feet and snatched the package out of his brother's hand. "I bet that's something illegal!" He proceeded to tear the box open and remove the contents. "I got you now, D... hey, what the hell is this?"

Sighing, Count D took the box from his hand. "If you don't mind, detective," he said. "It's English tea from a friend."

Orcott sunk back down into the sofa. "Boring as usual," he mumbled. "Wait, what's this?" Reaching down, he picked up a piece of paper that had fallen out of the box. It was a photograph of a blue-eyed young woman in what appeared to be a man's pant suit. She looked about twenty-two or three and had a head of creamy blond hair and glossy lips the shade of strawberry cream. Shrew intelligence shun from behind round glasses. She had an air of impenetrable dignity and power. Orcott whistled.

"Boy," he said, "she'd be quite a hottie if she smiled and glammed up a little. Who's this? Your little tart on the side?"

Count D slapped the detective upside the head and took the picture from him. "Show a little respect, please," he said. "This happens to be a friend."

Orcott rubbed his head. "What's that stuff on the back?"

D turned the photo over. "It's Romanian," he said, and began to read.

Just you wait, D, it said. When mankind's reign comes to an end, be it by the hand of your kind or mine, or their own, she will be the last one standing.

THE END… or rather, the BEGINNING