Chapter Five - A Continuation of the Present

"She was what?"

The answer wasn't asked -- rather, it was shouted. Daemon only averted his eyes away from Integra as he repeated the information.

"She was altered," he paused for a moment before elaborating. "When I ran into her...Annie wasn't the same. SPAWN apparently found a gene that they could tamper with that could alter someone's entire genetic code. They could change it to say that you're not 'human', but 'vampire' or 'werewolf' or anything that they wanted you to be. To put it in natural standards, if you were a good sprinter, they could tamper with the gene so that you could be unthinkably fast. Or if you were psychic, then you could be made to have the ability to control people's minds with just one command."

He paused again, feeling the contemplating frown from his father behind him as he reached to an even darker revelation. "...Or if you were half one thing and half the other...they could bring out the attributes of the hidden yet more dominant half. That was the reason why SPAWN wanted Annie back then."

He sifted through the inside pocket of his jacket, taking out a simple yet elegant silver necklace and set it on the table. Mother and father, husband and wife, master and servant stared at the object shining against the light that filtered between the curtains. The silver-linked chain held a cross embedded with sapphire crystals in the middle. The object looked brand new, but at a closer look the piece of jewelry could not hide all of its scars.

The necklace was her favorite design. She had received it from her mother on their birthday -- an heirloom from the Hellsing side of the family. It reminded both Alucard and Integra the truth.

"Once you get altered, there's no way in reversing it," Daemon continued in a voice that was barely above a whisper. "When she came back to her senses, Annie wanted to give this back to you."

Eyes the color of a clear sky stared out the car window in boredom. The owner watched the all too familiar surroundings of outer London pass before glancing back at her chauffeur. The man had not said a word of explanation to her since picking her up earlier than usual at school, and it irked the twelve year old a bit. Anya Sophia Hellsing knew that her parents had wanted to keep her as far away as possible from the real "business" of her family's organization, but they also knew that she would know sooner or later -- especially with an "aunt" and "uncle" like hers.

"Uncle Max," Sophie (she refused to be called by her first name because it was much more fun tricking people into thinking that she was a normal twelve year old) said as she looked back out the car window.

Her chauffeur glanced at her beneath the sunglasses that were customized to protect his sensitive eyes from the sun. Maxmillian Havel could hardly be called Sophie's "uncle". The vampire had velvet brown hair, a sharp pointed nose and square jaw while his young charge had black hair like her father's and equally dark blue eyes. This did not include the fact that he had lived for over three centuries yet didn't look any older than twenty-five.

Maxmillian, like the girl's father, was not like the low grade vampires (he scoffed at the name; many that he killed weren't even worthy to be called "vampire) that Hellsing hunted. Although he was not a Nosferatu like Alucard, Maxmillian came from a special line of ancestry back in Eastern Europe. The blood in him had long adapted to a stereotypical vampire's fear of sunlight and silver. Only his eyes were sensitive to the sun; otherwise, he lived like any other human being.

"Hmm?" he asked although he knew quite well what his niece's question was.

"Why are we going home so early?"

"Your parents wanted you to meet someone," he replied as he kept his eyes back on the road.

This was somewhat of a lie, as it was Richard who had contacted him while he was in the vicinity of Sophie's school, but Maxmillian was wise to know that Sophie cooperated much better if he told her if it was her parents and not her other surrogate uncle.

"Don't tell me it's those old geezers again."

Maxmillian chuckled at her sarcasm, remembering the last time Sophie greeted the members of the Round Table, she had literally lifted each man two feet in the air when she shook their hands.

"No, no, not them, little one," he told her. "You haven't this guest in a very long time. Six years to be exact."

Sophie turned away from the window to look at him, thinking. Maxmillian could feel the confusion and curiosity coming from her as he continued to drive. Unlike her siblings, Sophie had not been traditionally trained to refine her psychic abilities since her parents wanted her to have as much of a normal life as possible even with an odd couple like him and Seras. His cute, petite, absent-minded mate had to sleep during most of the day and when the sun was still out, she had to confine herself to the mansion's basement. He himself could go out during the day without any problems, but the color of his eyes gave away a small portion of his true persona.

But it was fun for Maxmillian to remember that he could easily pass for Sophie's older brother than one of her surrogate uncles.

He continued to drive as she continued to unconsciously send little waves of thought to him. Sophie had to think back to six years ago, when she was just a cheery six year old, unafraid of anything except for loud noises and spiders. Her odd background had not only given her abnormal strength and psychic ability but a good memory as well. She thought long and hard as to who this person might be. Then she remembered her older siblings, both who had disappeared one day after that incident. One looked like the older version of herself, the other was one who looked a little like her father with his crimson eyes and who loved to pick her up and put her on top of his shoulders. Her eyes widened at the memory, giving a big smile at her uncle and nearly jumped out of her seat in excitement.

"You mean Dae-my's back!!"

Mille deux cent vingt-six, mille deux cent vingt-sept...

Daemon was right about his former home. It was much larger compared to the recent places they lived in. Maria wasn't quite sure if she could remember where everything was without getting lost. Richard had been more than kind to guide her around, and he seemed to be familiar in guiding the blind like herself. However, she felt that she would need another tour around or at least Daemon by her side if she decided to go anywhere beyond the foyer.

"And so, we are back to where you first entered in the front foyer," Richard described to her. "Although we are on the second floor this time. Up here is where the sleeping quarters of Lady Integra and Lady Sophia reside as well as the guest chambers and the briefing room, or what Lady Integra calls the Round Table room."

Maria absentmindedly nodded at the details as she let Richard lead the way. Daemon had told her many things about his old home or as much as he was willing to long before they arrived. There were many more things that he had yet to tell her, but she was content in waiting.

What mattered to her the most was that he could be able to mend some of the scars of his past.

"Sophia...is Daemon's younger sister, non?" Maria inquired.

"Yes, she is," Richard answered with a smile. "There is a twelve year difference between them, but I always remember that Lord Daemon and Lady Anastasia were very close with her. He speaks about her often?"

Maria nodded, recalling how his voice would suddenly change whenever he would talk about his baby sister. "Yes, he does. I could tell by just the way he spoke that he cared very much for her and regretted leaving." She paused, wondering to herself if the next statement she would tell would be odd. "He...speaks much more softly than he usually does. Or as how my father would have put it: il la parle comme une fleur."

Richard turned then, arching a curious eyebrow even though he knew that she could not see it. The courier and current weapons manufacturer for the organization who had known and taught Daemon Hellsing for nearly two decades before his departure was surprised at how quickly the woman next to him caught onto Daemon's nuances. Although it might just be because of her handicap, Richard wondered to himself how much the woman meant to his former pupil and surrogate nephew. The Daemon he knew before he left, although a bit brash and a bit arrogant, didn't quite open himself up to others like he seemed to. With the exception of his family and close members to Hellsing, it took a long time for Daemon to trust outsiders. Richard felt that this trait would have continued on, even more regularly than usual, during his travels.

"Yes, that does sound like Lord Daemon," he replied. "How did you meet him, Miss Maria?"

The question was spoken so casually that Maria had to catch herself from revealing the complete truth. Hellsing did not know that Daemon worked for Black Scorpion and he was technically her bodyguard (although through the years they had been together and with the new life inside her, they had become much more than that) -- but that would be soon revealed, though she knew that he would rather explain it directly to the people he knew than have them learn it second hand.

"He saved me from getting killed," she answered softly, recalling back to those memories. "It was four years ago."

Integra stared down at the ornament in her hands, the studded sapphires reflecting off what little sunlight filtered in the room. She wasn't sure what she felt at the moment; relieved that their daughter was a peace, angered for not delving further into SPAWN before they had attacked and took their daughter away from them, or saddened for losing one of their children even though she had been prepared for the worst. Her husband, back against the door behind their son, had not said a word since Daemon began his story. It was painful to hear the words come from their son's lips, but they had both not shown a single imprint of emotion.

One question still lingered as she took another look at Daemon who was beginning to look much more than a stranger to her than her own son.

"If you had..." she paused, looking for the right word, "...'sent' Anastasia back to rest four years ago, then why did you not return and tell us until now?"

Daemon's eyes narrowed just slightly, his lips pressed into a thin line. "Research."

When no further question came, he continued on, "I've been trailing SPAWN for the past five and a half years. They're a much larger organization than we thought they were -- spread under a variety of different bioengineering company names throughout the world, all legitimate companies that have been around for years. At least, that's what they show on the surface. They also have a numerous amount of smaller branches in remote areas, all unattached to the name of SPAWN but containing some of the same people who found them. I had been...taking down these smaller branches to prevent some of their...experiments...from affecting the populace as a whole."

Integra frowned. Much of the information wasn't new to her. After the incident six years ago, Integra had completely reorganized their intelligence unit into focusing onto SPAWN's activities secretly. They had been able to find some of the other pseudonyms of SPAWN, each one a dangerous game to gamble when they had little proof to show the royal line why they needed to infiltrate further into the companies involved. In the meantime, she had organized another intelligence unit to search for Daemon but that proved unsuccessful. As soon as they would have a trail just after a setback into one of these companies by SPAWN had been discovered, they would immediately have one of their people found with some of their memories lost -- most of the time the area of what had recently happened to them and what they found out. Integra and some of the other core members had a feeling that another organization was involved. What her son was now telling her further instigated that feeling. It wasn't that hard to put two and two together.

"So then you were the one who had destroyed a few factories linked to SPAWN in Asia and in Russia these past four years," she concluded, noting the slight flinch in Daemon's eyes at the sound of her voice. "Whenever we would hear of a factory linked to SPAWN destroyed or experiencing a severe setback, I would send out a group to investigate the situation only to have them be found a week after their return date with a portion of their memory lost. We had a feeling that there was another underground organization involved but I never expected it to be from you."

She held her steely gaze at her son who returned one with equal force. "And this organization worked very hard to keep your whereabouts as hidden as possible, which was why we couldn't be able to find you. Whenever there would be some sort of trail, it would be immediately cut cold. Your father couldn't even find you nor could your uncle Max, two people who could easily establish a psychic link with you wherever you were."

Daemon closed his eyes, shifting through the various explanations that he was preparing to use when his mother had figured out that an organization had helped him keep his whereabouts a secret. However, none sounded quite right. It sounded much better if he just directly told the truth.

Opening his eyes, he said. "Black Scorpion has been hiding my identity for the past five and a half years. They're also the organization that I've been working for to take down SPAWN."

Black Scorpion. The name sounded familiar to her, but Integra could quite place it from where. Then an old face from her high school years crossed her mind. It was before her uncle decided to kill her, before her father died, and before she met Alucard in the sealed area of the basement. The face was of a boy in her class at the time who had been the perfect student yet kept many things to himself. He was from an equally respected family and noble background as hers, and he had also been her rival. Vincent Maxwell. She remembered that she had spoken to him one time when they were on the same case, and how she found out about his true background as a person. The man loved scorpions, particularly because of the image they held in society's eyes. Benign when you ignored them yet deadly with their stinger if you aggravated them enough. He didn't like to be in the spotlight and always hid in the background: a perfect way to stay away from notice and danger.

"...Then why have you..."

"Because we're not as large nor as powerful as Hellsing is. And also, to put it simply, Hellsing isn't as easy to take down."

Alucard continued to remain silent as he listened. He could sense the slight shift of emotions from his son but not much else. The vampire could tell that his son had refined his psychic abilities to a much greater level than he had previously. There was a much stronger psychic barrier around him now and only from time to time could he sense a wave of emotion, or rather a twinge of it. His wife, on the other hand, was human and the complete opposite -- especially when it came to anger. They had been together for so long that he wasn't surprised that she had gone into one of her many outbursts.

"So you expect me to aid you and Black Scorpion?" came the threatening growl from his wife. "After you've chosen to disappear and refuse to be found? How do expect me to trust you?"

Now Alucard could clearly sense the anger rising from Daemon.

"I'm just relaying the information to you," Daemon replied in even tones. "I'm not requesting anything, just merely telling you that it would be nice if the organization would be more involved with SPAWN's current status than they are now. Take it as you will."

I knew that this wasn't a good idea, came his thought. He stood up, eyes closed and mentally counted to ten. It was also no use to restart the argument that made him leave six years ago. Integra stood as well, watching him, he knew. When he opened his eyes, he recovered the mask that he had manipulated so well before. It was easier this way.

"I'll be in town for a little while," he said to both occupants in the room, although he mainly directed it at his mother. "If there's anything that you need me for, I'm sure that Father will be able to find me, now."

Alucard stepped aside as he headed for the door without protest. Once his hand reached the knob, however:

"Aren't you going to introduce your mother to your companion?" Alucard asked with a small smirk.

Daemon inwardly sighed to himself, although his face maintained the mask as he glanced back at his father.

"Maybe next time," he replied as he opened the door and left.

The oak door closed with a small click that echoed in the silent room between mother and father, husband and wife, master and servant. Integra looked at her husband curiously, her eyes clearly showing that she was tired from keeping her own mask up.

"Companion?" she repeated with an arched eyebrow.

The smile only widened. So, you want to keep it a secret for a bit longer?

"A very...interesting companion came with our usually distant son," he told her.

Before Richard could ask any further about Maria's relationship with Daemon, the reluctant heir stepped out of the room with his face etched in stone.

"Ah, Lord Daemon, you've finished?" he inquired although he could tell that his lady's son had fallen into an even darker mood than when he arrived.

"For now, yes," Daemon answered with a weak smile. He approached the pair, one hand extended in which Maria took as if she had sensed it coming. Richard couldn't help but muse to himself how well the couple worked together. "Thank you for showing her around, Uncle."

"Yes, thank you very much," Maria added, her smile much brighter than his as she turned to Richard's general direction. "It was very descriptive and helpful."

The older man couldn't help but let out a light laugh. "It was my pleasure to give a tour, Miss Maria. There haven't been many visitors who come to the Hellsing manor."

The tension that had built up inside Daemon while inside the briefing room speaking with his mother relaxed a bit at sensing his uncle's humor. Out of all the people he had known in Hellsing before he left, his uncle Richard was perhaps the only one who seemed to understand him. Richard Kun Dorneaz knew when to delve into the heart of the matter and when to distract it if it became too uncomfortable.

"We'll probably be back soon," he told his uncle.

"Ah, I see," Richard nodded in understanding. He also added, "Lady Sophia will be disappointed."

"Sophie? Isn't she in school anyway?"

"Oh, I made a phone call while you were inside."

Daemon glanced at Maria who gave him a slight nod. Before the half-vampire could think of a reply, the front doors of the mansion opened wide and two pairs of footsteps followed, one much quicker than the other.

"Wait a minute, Sophie, put away your bag first!" a deep yet smooth voice called after the quicker pair just before a small body collided into Daemon's in a loose hug.

GLOSSARY OF UNKNOWN WORDS:

1) Mille deux cent vingt-six, mille deux cent vingt-sept... - 1,226, 1,227...

2) non - literally means "no", but in the phrase that Maria speaks in, it has a meaning equivalent to "is that right?"

3) il la parle comme une fleur - He speaks to her like a flower (yay for indirect objects....^_^)

Author's Notes: Ack, I'm so sorry for not updating in...[looks at last update] four months!! >.< I feel so ashamed...here I want to have this written out and completed and I don't update in nearly four months. I had a written outline of what I wanted on this chapter, but for some odd reason, it was so hard to write it out. I literally had rewritten the first two pages about 10 times before I was satisfied, and even my current written copy doesn't even match what I have typed out here. It was just so...hard. Gosh, I absolutely hate writer's block.

I would have updated sooner if it wasn't for the fact that I made the mistake of taking a winter session class at school, which further ate up my free time -_-. And then my brother bought me Resident Evil 4 for Christmas....which I have been addicted to on and off (I still have yet to finish it).

A good thing, though, is that this is my last semester at my junior college before I transfer to a 4-year university, so my work load is fairly light. I'll hopefully have the next chapter updated next month at the latest as I am juggling between school, work, cosplay (for Anime Expo this July), and about 3 other stories that I have ongoing at the same time (which includes a revision of an old Ruroken fanfic). Until then!