The tension in the tent was thick enough to be cut with a knife, but, if anyone had a knife in their hands, they would be throwing it at either the unmasked vampire hunter, Sloth, or the uncovered vampire who happened to be a top vampire hunter, Alucard. Said master vampire was ecstatic to see his beautiful legionnaire in the butler's arms and her precious fledgling coming to her rescue. Unfortunately and amusingly, he was forced to stand down because Seras was holding the end of her cannon to his head. The impressive thing was Adolph had a pistol at Seras' heart with an eager finger on the trigger. He had changed since Alucard saw him last time at the Isles of Scilly. Sloth's fledgling was more confident in his ability to kill and would probably pose an interesting challenge to his own beautiful fledgling. As for his challenge, why was she being held so close to the butler instead of holding a gun to his head? That was no fun!
Sloth was infuriated right now. She was forced to trespass on another hunter's territory and cause trouble to other troops, but, had that stupid priest just evacuated everyone like he was supposed to instead of calling backup from another vampire hunting unit, she wouldn't have had to do any of this. The worst part was that her father was now involved in this mess! If she couldn't get him out of the area in time, he'd be hit heavy with nuclear fire. She could give a shit about this other hunting group. It gets better than that, though. Not only was she running out of time, she was beginning to run out of patience. While Alucard was busy aiming his guns at her, she was unarmed after throwing her weapons to the ground to show she would harm no one.
Baron called out to his daughter and spoke with a concerned tone in his voice, "Len, what are you doing here?"
"Daddy," Len responded immediately, ignoring the vampire who was smiling creepily at her and pointing two guns at her head. "You have to leave this place now. We're in the process of placing nukes in the city. The radiation could kill you!"
"Nukes?" Baron questioned with widened eyes, making Integra gasp and focus all her attention on the girl. She was certain that the priest said they had full control of exterminating the vampires in the city. Why would this red army go to such lengths of blowing up an entire city? The butler grabbed his daughter's shoulders and demanded, "What kind of nukes? How big?"
"Ultraviolet ones," Len responded. Integra was surprised by this new means of extermination. How were ultraviolent bombs made or even developed? Len continued, placing both hands on her father's shoulders. "The carcinogens are enough to kill you instantly due to overexposure to immediate radiation or staying within the mile radius of the aftermath for more than an hour."
"Who authorized you to do this?" Integra demanded, having heard enough.
"This city is sitting above an underground hive the size of nearly 400 vampires and ghouls. Once they all come out at once, you are dealing with a siege that can wipe out cities and continue growing. Why do you think we had these people evacuated in the first place?" Len questioned.
"That doesn't answer my question, little girl!" Integra argued back.
"My leader authorized a full-scale purging of the city. If you don't want to leave, that's your own fucking problem!"
"Princesa," Baron called, forcing his daughter to turn so he could look into her brown-green eyes. He then asked calmly, "How many nukes are being planted in the city? What's the radiation level?"
"Up to eight in total," Len answered, guilty after hearing Baron's shocked gasp. "We have two more on standby that we're placing at the escape routes near the borders in case of survivors. The radiation level is 4.6 Sieverts altogether," she replied, silencing everyone. "Unless you have a suit for protection, you have to be at least ten to fifteen miles away from the border for the radiation to take any damaging effects. Nothing escapes these city walls without being hit with UV. By then, the vampires will be too weak and easy to kill. At that point, punching it in the nose will immediately kill it. Stabbing it with a stick will carry the same weight."
"Master," Adolph called, reminded Len that she was on a mission.
"I have to go, but daddy please..." Len begged, hugging Baron in a desperate embrace. "Leave."
With that, Sloth released Baron from her arms and went to retrieve her weapons and helmet. She didn't even bother to give Alucard or Integra a second glance. When she replaced her helmet on her head and undid the safety on her assault rifle, Alucard immediately stepped before her and pointed his Casul .45 between her eyes. In less than the blink of an eye, Sloth instantly knocked the vampire's arm up with a quick punch and then elbowed him in the chest. Integra gasped at the sheer speed the younger woman possessed and watched as she shot Alucard in the shoulder twice. When Alucard went to retaliate, Sloth was already outside leading her fledgling away from the tent, vampire, and general area.
Baron wasted no time in packing up whatever was important in the tent. While Sir Integra watched Sloth leave their presence, she grew suspicious of this Red Scare III group and of Baron's daughter. While quite beautiful, she was strong and swift and held no mercy for anyone who was not a part of her family or social circle. Integra then began to ponder about what the girl said.
Nuclear warfare? On vampires? How would a nameless group know exactly how to track down a vampire nest and draw them out? How are they even able to tamper with ultraviolet radiation? Unless... Integra noticed Alucard was hovering above her and went back to thinking to herself. Did my father witness Alucard being able to handle this sort of weapon against him? The only way I could see anyone making... atomic "sun" bombs would be if they studied vampires in their entirety. They would have to know the age, power, resistance, diet, everything. Vampires as old as Alucard can handle the sun, and nests as large as Millen - wait... The Major developed a mind control device with an added self-destruct mechanism over a 55-year span after World War II. How would he have known anything about vampires or mind control devices? Why didn't I think of this before? The Major had to have a source in order to know anything about vampires. He was a machine crafted from some other person... Maybe even that little wench's boss!
"It's been some time since I've seen you think this much, my master," Alucard spoke finally. He watched the gears turning at full speed in Integra's eye and knew she was deep in thought. He did invade her mind for a moment, but, instead of inputting his opinions like he normally did, he listened to Integra and watched as Baron was heeding Sloth's warning by packing away everything and leaving the tent very quietly and very quickly. "It's probably best if you do what Sloth says. For her to have come all this way to move her father and reveal herself means this is no light matter. I am curious to see what this battle will result in, aren't you? Using nuclear warfare to wipe out my kind is something quite new."
Integra hummed in thought and sighed. She had never been in the middle of nuclear tactics before, but the butler was quite the research scientist on his resume. Maybe he could give them a second opinion. She asked, "Baron, do you concur?"
"He has already left, Sir Integra," Seras replied, waiting at the tent's exit.
"Wha - wha?" Integra snapped her head around, searching for the butler and was flabbergasted to see the tent having been emptied what seemed like ages ago. She growled and then shouted, "That cowardly bastard!"
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"General!"
Hellsing soldiers were losing patience with these scarlet clad pansies. It was one thing to have their defenses look like shit when a woman kicked their asses and her sidekick finished the job by making sure no one would retaliate against her, but to have another soldier come to knock them down, clip them, or even jump to unimaginable heights just to get passed them was ridiculous! What was all the training for if they couldn't even handle thong-wearing fuckers? An average height kid came running through the Hellsing camp, gaining Baron's attention as he watched the kid run to his daughter with graceful speed, looking for Sloth. She was walking next to Adolph as they were leaving until she stopped walking to hear her title being called. Sloth looked down at her helmet, hoping that the vampires would remain inactive for a little while longer, but she took an exasperated breath as she pulled out a silencer handgun when she sensed someone unfamiliar dressed in the Red Scare uniform. Adolph emitted a low growl from the bottom of his chest and only quieted down when Sloth held out her hand. She looked up from her helmet to see the tall man with curly, blonde hair running towards them before he stopped to pant innocently. She waited for him to catch his breath and, when he made eye contact with her, began to speak in a smooth tone.
"What's wrong, cadet?"
"Ma'am," the boy responded, nodding his head in respect. "We have a situation. The vampires are relocating."
"To where?" Sloth asked, raising an eyebrow. The blonde turned around and pointed to a particular direction where smoke was rising. Sloth sighed and said, "I see. Adolph, help these men leave the borders. About ten to fifteen miles is best. Aiden and I will set the explosives. When they detonate, mobilize with our units and attack on my signal."
"Master, you can't fight an entire army alone!" Adolph argued. When Sloth's handgun came within a few millimeters of his forehead, his breath hitched and his skin began to burn from the gold weapon. He could smell the holy water traveling through the air and eating his skin. Her weapon was drenched in a high concentration of the fluid. He then growled and questioned, "Why are you so hell-bent on sacrificing yourself like this?"
"Because I love you," Sloth said with a gentle smile. "That's what good mothers do. Besides, I'm taking this cadet with me to scope out the new location. You can't handle the radiation yet."
But I don't want to lose you... Adolph thought to himself, sadness prominent in his green eyes.
"What about Hellsing?" Adolph let his head go down and asked, "Will they fight with us?"
"I don't know. It's their call," Sloth said, placing her helmet on her head. "If they think they can handle the radiation, then we can't stop them. The most I can do is tell the legion to hold their fire against whoever this agency sends. Aiden will have to make the final decision. My mission has nothing to do with the army of undead rising to the surface."
"What precisely is your mission?" the cadet asked, furrowing his eyebrows.
"Plant the nukes, find the hive. Nothing more, nothing less," Sloth said.
Immediately, she punched the blonde-haired man in the jaw, effectively snapping it out place, and fired her gun three times in the cadet's head. Adolph's eyes widened from the cruel punishment Sloth dealt to the boy, but he dared not question her. When he looked down at the corpse, he could see the vampire fangs as clear as the moon rising in the sky. The blonde-haired cadet was a spy. Footsteps came up from behind them and Adolph spotted an older woman with light brown skin and long blonde hair. She didn't look happy or feminine in her suit and white coat. He was amazed that he recognized her as a woman at all, actually. When he and Sloth didn't speak, the woman frowned for a moment before directing her attention strictly to Sloth.
"I intend to send two of my best agents to join the fray against this so-called army of the undead. Exactly how strong is this ultraviolet radiation against vampires?"
Sloth sheathed her gun and turned to the woman. Behind her was Alucard and Seras, awaiting orders from the woman, so Sloth and Adolph were correct in assuming that those two were her agents of choice. The scarlet clad general scoffed and then said, "If they're not wearing protection, you may as well tell them to sit back and watch."
"Supposing we take a couple of suits by force, hm?" Alucard suggested, eyes narrowing to cat-like prowl.
"You will die along with the rest of these monsters if you ever lay a hand on my men," Sloth hissed, turning away from them and walking off. "Kreuss, we're done here. I only needed one man to move out."
"Yes, ma'am!" Adolph responded, happy that he didn't have to help these strange people.
"Your father doesn't work for your group, Len," Integra spoke up, stopping Sloth in her tracks. "He works for me. If I decide to remain in my place, he will do the same."
At that perfect moment, a truck's horn beeped and Baron was shouting from the window with an arm waving nonchalantly. He asked, "Sir Integra, are you coming or not? We've packed the last truck!"
Integra snapped her head around to look at Baron then looked at Sloth, seeing her amused grin as she walked off with Adolph back to wherever they came from, and snapped her head back and forth between the two. She stuttered, "Wha - ? You - !"
"My father doesn't follow everyone's order," Sloth whispered to herself.
"That little bitch!" Integra shouted, causing Alucard to guffaw uncontrollably. Seras wanted to join in the laughter but couldn't find the courage to do that to Integra. It would have to wait until she was in her coffin. Integra then popped Alucard upside his head and demanded, "What are you laughing at, servant?"
"I haven't seen you this lively in years, my master. What is your order?"
"Seras will stay with Baron and me. I believe this is the last day the butler is staying here. Incompetence and cowardice are not tolerated within the Hellsing Organization, and it seems as though I will have to reinforce these details to him," Integra growled, feeling her hand reaching for her gun and legs twitching to chase Baron's daughter. She calmed herself down, though, and instead looked at Alucard as he stood tall and eager for her order. Normally, he would be against following orders, but he was interested in this mission. She supposed interest served as a means of tolerance. Pointing at him, Integra told Alucard, "You, on the other hand, will follow the girl. I suggest you take her suit from her if necessary. That's an order! Be at it!"
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Aiden and the soldiers began moving to their shelters along the borders with quickened steps. There were several spies coming to mislead them, but, thanks to Sloth when she was assigned to lead this legion, she taught them how to be a family and recognize all of their men by both the sound vibrations in their voices and their natural scents. Vampires could easily manipulate their facial structure if they learned how. At this notion, the older man began to wonder about his leader. She was strong - incredibly so - and held no remorse for any opponent she was up against, but this was a master vampire she was facing. He had never truly seen her fight against anyone other than her fellow senior operatives, excluding the Czar. No one ever fought the Czar. Unlike Adolph, Aiden had never really been on a mission with Sloth that involved taking down a master vampire in his own territory. The vampires they faced together were more like fledglings, or decoys, which is how this major mission sort of came to be.
"Aiden," Sloth called, startling the man. He turned swiftly to salute her and awaited her next command. "My assault cannon."
Silently, the second-in-command raced to retrieve a long case that he could barely move without help from Adolph. This younger fledgling was a great addition to their squad, even though he knew nothing of firearms or vampires until he became a vampire hunter for the Red Scare III. There were other people within their squad who did not take kindly to him, but there was something about him that made their relentless leader spare his life and train him personally while on missions. That was something most of them were not privileged to see or do. As he and Adolph towards Sloth, she walked towards them, waved her hand for them to drop the long, black case, and kneeled down to open it. Once she did, she began putting the golden cannon together piece by piece. When she was done, she lifted the cannon onto her shoulder, feeling the full weight of the weapon push her down, and proceeded to walk out into the battlefield. Her men watched her and protested in silence but continued to retreat to their bomb shelters.
"Please be safe, general," Aiden whispered.
Her heels were the only sounds echoing in the cold, frosty winds. The cannon forced her to take slower steps so it wouldn't clank against her red armor. She didn't have very much of it to begin with because of the nuclear suit, but she still needed some in case she was bitten by ghouls or vampires. She was going into the lion's den now. It wasn't her first time. She had done this years ago. A loud screech rushed to her ears and the tremors of the cobblestone road sent strong vibrations through her legs. The ground quaked.
"Tanks," she said to herself.
"Your ears are quite sharp. No ordinary human would be able to detect that kind of vehicle unless it was a few feet from them."
Sloth turned her head slightly to see Alucard standing right next to her with a toothy grin on his face. She wasn't surprised that the Hellsing bitch sent an agent. What surprised her is that the vampire next to her gave her a compliment. Sloth hummed in response to Alucard's words and continued her walk a little slower this time just to see if he would follow. To her annoyance, the tall male did just that. He even unsheathed his weapons but didn't necessarily aim for her head this time. His guns were low to the ground on his sides. Alucard was a little...upset that Sloth put the helmet back on. After seeing her face for the first time in the tent, he preferred being able to see into her eyes. They were an interesting mix of two colors unlike his fully red orbs. Besides he was rather curious to see if she could actually use that cannon with one arm. The police girl would have a run for her money if she could. To be fair, Sloth's cannon was actually a lot larger and heavier.
Sloth stopped walking for a moment and asked, "Why exactly are you following me? I told you the radiation was ultraviolet. You're a vampire, right?"
Alucard kept walking but replied, "I intend to have our final battle with no interruptions, vampire hunter Sloth. If that means fighting alongside you in battle, then so be it. Besides, I want to see what this battle plan of yours is. Show me your true strength, my beautiful legionnaire. No, show me your true self, vampire hunter Sloth!"
The woman smiled widely and continued on, walking side by side with Alucard, as the tanks came closer. Once she spotted one in the distance, she loaded a missile, got into a kneeling position, and aimed with enhanced vision. Alucard was beaming at the sight before him and felt his nostrils open up some more to smell the power coming from his ally. Yes, on this mission, they were allies. Otherwise, they are forever enemies capable of killing one another. The ground was quaking tremendously now. In one intake of breath, Sloth pulled the trigger on her cannon and unleashed a missile that forced her backwards from the powerful recoil. When she saw figures running at her, she immediately stood up, threw the cannon on her shoulder, and ran towards the growing numbers of tanks and foot soldiers. Alucard soon followed suit and began firing his handguns from the distance. Drool escaping his tight jaws at the thought of fresh blood. Sloth slid on her foot and fired her cannon again to hit another tank, changing position when the recoil forced her back again.
"Vampire, take out the foot soldiers with weapons!" Sloth demanded. "We'll worry about the unarmed later!"
"I'm not your servant, woman!" Alucard argued.
"You don't have an unlimited supply of ammo, dick face! Take out the weapon carriers then get rid of the unarmed!"