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Cross and the Ode (Hellsing: Ultimate)

In the background of every Hellsing portrait and photograph, there was always a figure - a woman's silhouette hidden among the shadows, always on the left side. This figure was always out of focus, and never in any of the shots long enough for a clear image to be captured. She was always just out of reach, a ghost in the background of the Hellsing Organisation.

Since she was a young girl, Integra had always been afraid of shadows. She walked among the paintings in the gallery with unease, as though the eyes of every painting were upon her, as though every corner and darkened crevice might contain the eerie eyes of the woman. The immortal silhouette would dance just at the edge of her vision, both maddening and illusive; she could never quite catch it. She would feel its presence, like a cold breath on the back of her neck, and she would turn around quickly, but it would be gone, leaving her feeling both foolish and unsettled.

Even her father, who tried his best to act like her daughter's anxiety and childish fancy was nothing, seemed haunted by the ghost. Integra could see the fear in his eyes at the mention of the woman. She watched how he checked constantly over his shoulder, and how the tenseness in his shoulders increased whenever a cold wind blew through his study windows. Although Arthur was not by nature a nervous man, there was something about the figure that unsettled him too - more so than the darkened basement in which Integra had not been allowed to play.

Years later, she understood why.

That fateful night, when she ran into the basement following the instruction of her dying father, the woman made herself known. It had all been the woman's plan, her great and diabolical plotting from the shadows. She had been waiting for this moment for years. The woman had always wanted - no, needed the girl to awaken Alucard, to raise her playmate, her lover. All of it, from her uncle's betrayal to the moment that gun went through her, had all been the machinations of an immortal madwoman. It was all for the love of a monster.

"You keep looking at me like that, and I might start to get ideas, darling," she said with a purr, batting her long eyelashes at her master. She then seductively bit one of her gloved fingers, while tilting back her head to stare down at Integra. Her eyes were a deep and unsettling red, much like Alucard's. However, the woman's eyes were empty, as if there was no soul behind them.

"You disgust me." Integra said scornfully, not looking at the vampire as she spoke. Instead, she stared out of the car windows at the passing scenery. A faint reflection of the vampire's satisfied grin could be seen in the tinted glass.

"Would you rather I looked like this?" The woman's shape seamlessly shifted to a man's, leaning closer to Integra. He looked at her through the edge of a wide-brimmed red hat. His voice was raspy as he continued. "Or maybe like this?" This time, he shifted into a woman that looked eerily similar to Integra herself.

"No matter the skin you wear, I would still despise you."

The woman's body reverted to its original state. With an exaggerated pout, she asked in a saccharine voice, "You're no fun. Whatever happened to that sweet little girl who ran into the basement?"

Integra's face showed a quick flash of anger before she turned to the vampire with a deadpan expression and said, "You let her get shot."

"Honestly, you should learn to let things go."

With a clenched fist, she pounded her fist against the partition and shouted, "Hurry up!"

Agents of Iscariot were quickly closing in on Alucard and his fledgling vampire, and they didn't have much time left. The helicopter was already inbound, and the car was only a few hours out. But already, Integra feared the worst. She didn't know if they would make it in time.

The vampire studied her face, seeing the glimmer of hope fading from her steely eyes. She knew that look. A twist in her stomach nagged at her as she bit her teeth, biting back the memories trying to flicker across her mind. A bloody cradle. The castle in flames. Filthy, bloody hands reaching for her. Then icy water filling her lungs. Without warning, a snarl rattled in her throat. Integra raised an eyebrow at the woman.

Gathering herself, the vampire tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "He's going to be fine," the vampire reassured her. "He's been through worse and survived," Integra blinked, briefly meeting her eyes before the vampire sneered. The vampire pretended to be interested in the book she was reading, contorting her face in a way that made it look like she was interested in the words on the page.

"I hope you're right," she said, after a long pause. The two women remained silent for the remainder of the car journey, with the only noise coming from the radio. The radio reception became worse the further they drove, crackling and flickering as they crossed each county border.

After what seemed like an eternity, they finally reached Alucard's last known location. As planned, the helicopter met up with them, and a small group of officers and soldiers piled out of it as the blades slowed to a stop. Integra was out of the car first, striding confidently with her cane in hand. She quickly began giving orders to the sniper, the ground team and the pilot. Her harsh voice sliced through the air as she gestured to different sections of the area, ordering a new man into each one - all except the vampire who lazily made her way out of the car.

She waited patiently for Walter to make his way around to her, opening the door and offering her a hand to help her get out. His hand stayed on hers just a bit too long to be considered casual. They locked eyes for a moment, and then she walked over to Integra, blushing slightly.

"Can you sniff him out?"

"I am not one of your hounds," she said with a sneer, "I will not 'sniff him out' as you so crudely put it. But he is here, he is close." The vampiress' head suddenly jerked to the side, her eyes narrowing as she caught a faint scent coming from a house in the distance. "There," she said, her voice low and dangerous. She could smell him, but there was something else, some other scent sitting beneath the stench of dead blood.

With a slight nod of the head, the two remaining men moved in unison with Integra, their steps falling perfectly in line with hers. "And Iscariot?"

"I certainly hope so," the vampire said, flashing her long teeth with a gleeful grin. Thick beads of saliva dripped down her long fangs.