Silent Thoughts part 1

"Affirmative," Sloth responded.

With that, she hung up the phone, placed it back into its case in her pocket, and put away her weapons. First, the Nazi cross gun broke into pieces and formed her gold pauldron again; then, the hammer and sickle gun broke into pieces and formed her gauntlet again. Alucard had recovered from being thrown like some big rock and stood tall, grinning deviously at his opponent. He was quite pleased with how this mission turned out. It was getting ridiculously boring, but to have found a worthy human opponent with very accurate gunner skills and a beautiful body beneath the armor was quite rare. Sure, Seras was a beautiful fledgling and always will be, but she wasn't a Nazi descendant or dressed in red armor and leather shorts. Taking aim at her unarmored breast, Alucard waited until Sloth ended her call to continue the fight. It was only when Sloth put away her weapons that Alucard's grin slowly erased. She wasn't about to end a fight after taking some call, was she? Surely, she would entertain him a little bit more before he tore her pretty body apart.

"Mr. Alucard," Sloth called, gracefully bowing before the ancient vampire. "My sincerest apologies, sir, but I must forfeit this match."

"You must be joking," Alucard responded, finger tightening on the trigger. He was tempted to kill her just because of that call!

"Aye, I am sorry, my love. You were a magnificent treat for a short while, but departure is all the sweeter. Do take care of the young lady with you, hm?" Sloth suggested, blowing a kiss to both Alucard and Seras. "Kid, we leave together."

Sloth pivoted on her heel and walked toward the boy without another care in the world about Alucard or the unfinished fight. This was when Alucard showed a touch of anger with a helping of dissatisfaction. He shot at Sloth multiple times, even going so far as to use most of his bullets before stopping to reload and firing again. He wasn't even injured enough to tear her apart yet, and she was just up and leaving? What mockery was this? Not that he minded the sexual innuendo that transgressed between them, but this was literally a pull-out-before-impregnating moment while it was getting good. Once he realized the metaphor he used to describe his situation, Alucard doubled the rate of his shooting frequency - annoyed by Sloth's innuendo. Sloth was dodging most of the bullets before she whipped her scarf around and turned to an organic red entity. Alucard stopped and watched as Sloth changed forms in a matter of seconds, noting that no human can shapeshift like that. The entity swiveled awkwardly then gathered the boy and disappeared into the night's star-filled sky.

"M-master, do you think she was truly a Nazi like the ones before?" Seras asked after a long silence.

Alucard turned to Seras incredulously then pointed his silver gun at her. Seras flinched at this and suddenly feared what her master would do next, but it was rather obvious that he was still upset that Sloth had left. Which...was actually unlike Alucard. Remembering how he handled Alexander Anderson when he disappeared during a good fight, she couldn't quite connect why her master would feel displeased by Sloth's sudden departure. Maybe it was because he saw something in her that he didn't see in Alexander. Suddenly, some beeping noises disrupted her thoughts and Alucard's attempt at murder of his fledgling.

'Alucard, did you find the target? Alucard, are you there?' Integra's voice rang quite clearly through Alucard's earpiece. He never quite understood why he - of all people - would need it, but Integra insisted that he use it instead of his telepathy.

"I'm here!"

'Don't you take that tone with me. How dare you!'

"Sorry, mother may I," Alucard teased, smirking. He supposed it wasn't wise to take advantage of Integra's kindness towards him. She had generally mixed feelings towards him such as concern and genuine care and was the only one who put up with his bullshit. He calmed his nerves and responded, "What is it?"

'Do you have our man?'

"No, someone else got to him first."

'Do you know who it was?'

"Probably a Nazi descendent. She carried a gun with the Nazi cross."

'It was a woman from the Nazi?' Integra asked, beginning to think. Alucard could feel her gears turning as intellectual conclusions began processing. She then said, 'Well, are all the other small fry taken care of?'

"Yep. Seras took care of them quite well. The woman who was here earlier put up a rather violent show..., but you would have enjoyed it as much as I did, Master. Quite the adversary, that woman."

'Did she offer a name?'

"Quite willingly. She called herself Sloth..."

'I see. Well, let's leave the grounds from here. Our job is done. I have work to do.'

____________________________________________

Nearly forty years ago, young Integra Hellsing had lost her father, Arthur, to tuberculosis and quite possibly the only man to show her some hint of affection. Once the young adolescent became leader of Hellsing Organization, she banished her childhood fantasies and dreams to the dark depths of her mind and forgot that she was ever a stubborn, adorable child. She was going to be a young woman and commander from now on. However, in the wee hours at night, Integra would sometimes awake from her sleep and walk to her father's favorite library to read a book. Not just any old philospher's book, though; no, Integra would read a book of fairytales that her father used to read to her at night. In truth, Integra missed her father reading fairytales to her. Sadly enough, Walter C. Dornez, the young butler of the organization, tried to offer reading a tale or two, but she was too embarrassed to listen and simply slept out of shame for not being able to appreciate someone reading to her. Walter's voice wasn't filled with much characterization like her father's was, though, so she readily dozed off when hearing the man read. She wasn't trying to be rude, but she simply didn't feel the same excitement when someone else read to her.

One night, when Integra was meant to sleep, she grew restless like many nights before and decided to go into her father's library. She rose from her bed and snuck to her bedroom door. She was sneaking her way through the corridors for about ten minutes before she found the library. Careful not to alert any servants, she only flipped the switch that turned on small lamps near the leather sitting chairs. Memories of her father beckoning her into a warm embrace flooded her thoughts. She reached out to the fond image of his warm smile then pulled her hand back, realizing she was creating those images herself. Swallowing several tears, she spotted a small lantern covered by a paper ball on one of the tables. She walked over to it, seeing cute pink blossoms adorning the sides, and lifted it to her nose. A tiny switch activated the bulb inside the lantern, which startled her but made her smile, and the bulb changed to different colors every few seconds. Integra was surprised that a lantern would be in the room, but she didn't question it. She walked over to one of the bookshelves and retrieved her prized fairytales. It was a rather heavy object, but Integra managed to carry it and the lantern all the way to the chair her father used to sit in. She placed the lantern down at her feet and used the lamp on the table next to her to pick out a story. As she opened the book, she noticed many titles that caught her interest, but she only chose one folktale whose origins were of Italian descent.

"The Ugly Princess, page 458," she whispered softly, turning to the page.

As the young girl turned, she came across the yellowing pages of the old folklore and instantly turned her attention to a hideous-looking lady fanning herself as a dashing young man presented a beautiful rose. Integra's imagination then began to activate itself. This was the excitement she craved from hearing a story! To be able to smell the sweet fragrance of a pink, soft-petaled rose and see glints of the sun giving a unique shine and glimmer to the dewdrops trapped between the crevices of the flower truly was remarkable. To see a handsome man giving her that rose with his large, rough hand, skin dried from handling the flower and watering it made her wish she could meet a man of that sort of beauty. Then, Integra found herself lost inside a world where she was dressed in a gorgeous yellow silk gown underneath the burning hot sun, where servants like Walter didn't need a command from her but just a smile and grand courtesy, and where equally beautiful maids-in-waiting placed something of use in her hands to block that heat! Integra found herself actually hot in the library and proceeded to find a regular rubber band to tie her back in a ponytail. Once complete, she continued to imagine the setting of the story and proceeded to read.

"Once upon a time, there was a Christian king who only had one heir to his throne: his only daughter, Altamira. His daughter was so hideous that when she rode through the streets of Alcantara, children ran from her and thought her a demon. Her father, however, thought she was the most beautiful creature in his kingdom. Many of the servants agreed with the king and praised Altamira just as the king would. However, the more praise this princess received, the more she dressed herself in accursed dresses that made her hideousness even more evident. But she didn't dress to impress her servants. She dressed in the finest silks and satins to attract a young man - a prince to espouse her."

Integra paused for a moment and suddenly heard a door opening in the distance. She looked to the library's door to see if someone had come in but heard nothing else. It was beginning to frighten the teen at how quiet the room was. She chuckled a bit when she realized her own storytelling distracted her from the outside world. As she looked down to continue reading the yellowed pages, a thought crossed her mind about the tale. Her father worked for England's church as leader of this organization, so wouldn't that make him a sort of king? She was also Arthur's only daughter like Altamira to the king, so in a way they were sort of the same. Integra then imagined being in Altamira's place and tried to find a way to be hideous like this unfortunate princess. Her hair was this shiny blonde color right now, but if she were Altamira, and Altamira was considered horrendously ugly, then she wouldn't have soft blonde hair, but stringy, dirty blonde hair that was tangled and unkempt. Why would her father let her go around with bad hair? With other creations of ugly features in place, Integra then began to read in a disturbingly groggy voice rather than a small teen's voice.

"The city of Alcantara was soon ready to receive Prince Alanbam from Morocco. Crowds rejoiced as the prince rode his elephant through the square and music was heard from every corner. Beneath a small shelter in front of the entire city were three thrones for the king, princess Altamira, and Prince Alanbam. Large-bodied cavalry dressed in white and gold armor and mounted on superb Arab steeds guarded the thrones to ensure the safety of the royal families and the jewels embedded in the thrones. Behind the king stood the royal barber, and as he looked out to the bridge on six pillars, the procession formed by the prince came towards him. As soon as the prince greeted the king and then beheld the princess, he turned pale at the very sight of Altamira for he had never seen anyone, not even the beggars of the streets, so ugly."

"Hahahaha!" a voice laughed.

"AAAHHH!" Integra screamed, running from the chair and hiding behind a desk.

She looked up to see who might have been behind her and saw the man who saved her life, Alucard, holding his gut as he guffawed. Her heart was pounding to be set free from her chest while Alucard was simply laughing the night away. He finally stopped as he grinned at the startled girl.

"What a rude man you're reading about. Not at all very polite," Alucard commented, picking up the old book. He ignored the blush Integra somehow gained and sat in the chair she was previously sitting in. Feeling the warmth she provided in the seat made him adjust for more of the comfort as he propped his ankle across his thigh. He opened the book to the page she was reading and reread from the beginning to the part she stopped on.

"Wh-wha-what are you doing up? Aren't you supposed to be asleep?" Integra managed to gasp out.

"Vampires don't normally sleep at night, now do they?" Alucard challenged, making Integra blush more at not having remembered that. From that point on, she kept quiet and simply sunk in her dark corner. After not having received a remark from the usually sharp teen, Alucard closed the book and walked over to the girl after putting the book down. He said, "You really shouldn't be reading stories like that. It will ruin your self-confidence as a leader and a woman. Suppose you start reading more stories like this and think you're the ugly girl with a rich daddy. You'll think everyone around you is mocking you because you're this hideous thing spawned from the yellowed pages of falsehood."

Integra looked down at Alucard's feet and said nothing more. All she did was sigh and think to herself...

"It was just a story. I only wanted to know if the princess ever found a prince who loved her."

_______________________________________________

"Ah, memories," Integra sighed.

"Sweet Satan, you're reminescing again," Alucard remarked, waiting for Integra to let him leave to his basement. Dawn was approaching soon after all. He then huffed, "To what do I owe the misfortune."

"This crap tea," Integra mumbled, grinding her teeth. "I'm supposed to be getting a new butler today. I have an interview with him soon. The first thing I'll have him do is make me a cup of good, fucking tea."

"Go get him, master," Alucard lazily cheered. "I reported what happened with the ghouls."

"Grand. Now, tell me about this skank you found. You say she's a Nazi?" Integra questioned.

Integra was seated in her office not even bothering with the tea anymore. She was ecstatic to meet this new butler, chef, and janitor who decided to apply for jobs in the Hellsing Organization. Surely, they knew the stakes of working here beforehand she hoped. Besides making her tea, they had to put up with Alucard and the Wild Geese. Seras was probably the only person they wouldn't have too much trouble with. Remembering Alucard was still in front of her, she decided to pay attention to him rather than the scent of crap tea next to her.

"I say she may be a descendant of the Nazi like Millenium before her, and she was no skank, master. She named herself Sloth and risked her life trying to save a turned rather than kill him. She, too, was a vampire hunter and killed many of the ghouls and our target before we crossed paths. She was quite the fighter, master. One of the finer beauties you humans have created besides you, my fellow count."

"I don't know whether to be honored or insulted by you giving me your title. I'm more surprised you didn't drain her of blood the way you sigh at the mere mention of the woman."

"I am merely recounting our battle. Her face was largely hidden with exception to her rouged lips. Although, I do believe she is a brunette. Her hair was beginning to come out."

"You know, the more I listen to you about this woman, the more I'm beginning to think this fight is a metaphor for something else. What exactly happened between you two?"

"What a naughty mind our Hellsing leader has!" Alucard teased, eyes widening at the notion.

"Shut up, idiot!" Integra insulted, blushing only faintly at the man before her.

"I will say it simply: we took out our weapons and proceeded to engage in a battle of both speed and wits. The more intense it became, the more enjoyable I found it. However," the count growled, hissing a bit, "she took a phone call in the middle of our dance and ended our progress."

"I see," Integra interjected, not wanting to hear anymore metaphorical nonsense from her imagination. "We'll have to investigate this matter in the morning. Til then, vampire king, your Sloth Cinderella remains a mystery. You may rest now, Alucard. It's almost sunrise."

"Thank you, sweet mother of mercy!" Alucard teased, leaving the office.

Integra was about to prepare a remark for the No-Life King until her phone rang. She adjusted her glasses before rubbing the bridge between her nose to ease her troubled mind. Nowadays, rather than simply hear a voice over the receiver, one could see a video image of the person calling. Integra saw one of the Wild Geese men, who had made 57-point worth cups of tea for her from time to time, scratching the side of his head as he laughed with someone nearby. She furrowed her eyebrows at this and waited until the man had the decency to pay attention to his own call. Seeing as though he was enjoying whatever conversation was transgressing, the Hellsing director gracefully swept her hair to the right side of her face, completely hiding her eyepatch, and cleared her throat noisily to get his attention.

"Ah, hello? Sir Integra?" the man called, not seeing the woman's face. His screen was completely black.

"Yes, I am here," Integra responded, resting her chin inside her palm.

He informed the director, "Ah, good morning, Sir Integra. A Mr. Baron vanGouge is here for an interview with you. He says he wishes to apply for the butler's job."

Integra watched as the man turned to some other person and whisper a 'really?' to the other party. Whoever was with the Geese man earned a laugh from the Frenchmen. Integra was losing patience fast and had a plan to straigten out this new fellow that dared mocked the butler's job in Hellsing. She inhaled sharply then ordered, "Well, tell Mr. vanGouge to bring me a fresh cup of tea and coffee. Any faults to my cup and he can kiss this job goodbye. He has twenty minutes. Lead him here like a good lad, savvy?"

With that, Integra simply watched the Frenchmen gasp at her order and turn to the party next to him with a confused shrug. When the Frenchmen changed face and started to follow after the other party, Integra grew curious of what was going on. Her curiosity only worsened when the video and phone call were cut short. Not liking the suspense behind this vanGouge character, Integra leaned back in her chair and evaluated two options: either go downstairs to the kitchen to see this new butler at work or stay in her seat and wait.