Chapter 1: Life Moves On

—

Hello everyone, and welcome to the first chapter of "Bloodstained Souls!"

Unlike my other Bleach crossover, this story takes place after the Winter War arc. As far as the Hellsing timeline is concerned, it takes place before/during the main events of Hellsing Ultimate. Since both series are focussed majorly on spiritual and paranormal events and aspects, I already have quite a few ideas on how to tie them both together. I might change a few canon events and facts from either series in order for this story to make sense, but it shouldn't be anything too major. Since the events of Hellsing Ultimate take place in 1999, this story will obviously take place in the same year.

Given that there are so few female characters in Hellsing, most people can already probably guess what the end pairing will end up being. However, as with my other story, I will still be holding a voting poll to determine who everyone wants Ichigo to end up with. I should also probably mention that Ichigo will be eighteen in this story, and if anyone thinks this to be too much of a stretch, let me just say that I was eighteen during my last year of high school.

I have also been thinking about including some characters from High School DxD in this story.

As with "Professor Kurosaki" reviews are always welcome, and I hope that anyone reading this finds it to be an enjoyable first chapter.

AlucardsBro OUT!

—

Flying from Tokyo to London for thirteen hours straight was not something Ichigo would recommend to anyone.

Then again, he couldn't really complain. After losing his Soul Reaper powers in the fight against Aizen, he suddenly had a lot of free time on his hands. With no missions from Soul Society, and without the means to patrol Karakura Town for Hollows, Ichigo's life had become exceptionally mundane.

Uryu, Chad, and Orihime had all assured him that they would manage to defend the city just fine without him, but the orange-head couldn't help the feeling of utter uselessness that came with the loss of his abilities. It had been several months since the war with Aizen had ended, and summer break was now officially in motion, but the last thing Ichigo wanted to do was sit around and mope. He needed something to occupy his mind.

His father had suggested that he get another job, and although he had to admit he enjoyed working for Ikumi, goat-chin seemed to have something else in mind. When he had asked the former Captain what he was up to, Isshin had simply grinned and said he called in a favor from an old friend. Yeah…like that wasn't suspicious at all.

Currently, Ichigo was standing inside Heathrow International Airport, which was only sixteen miles outside of London. Looking down at his watch, he scowled as he noted that there was at least thirty more minutes until he was scheduled to be picked up and taken to his new residence. Speaking of which, he still had no idea what kind of work he would be doing, nor for whom, but when he had attempted to refuse his dad's offer Isshin had beaten him over the head with a suitcase of all things and yelled about how he had already cashed in his favor, and there was no backing out of it.

"Damn…at least I have some time to get a bite to eat," Ichigo growled under his breath in fluent English. Ignoring the various stares he was receiving due to his exotic look, the former Substitute shouldered his bags and walked over to the nearest food court, intent on finding a cheeseburger. Unfortunately, he barely made it two feet before someone nearby cleared their throat to get his attention.

Sighing, Ichigo turned slightly and came face-to-face with a rather distinguished looking older man. The gentleman in question had his black hair pulled back into a low ponytail, and his attire consisted of what one might assume to find on a butler. The look was ironically completed by the man's monocle.

"Ichigo Kurosaki, I presume?"

Raising an eyebrow, the orange-head turned to completely face the newcomer and fixed him with a slightly cautious gaze. "Yeah, that's me…am I supposed to know you?"

The sharply dressed man chuckled good-naturedly and shook his head. "I would not imagine so; my name is Walter C. Dornez, retainer of Hellsing Manor. I was instructed earlier today to pick up one Ichigo Kurosaki from the airport."

Ichigo's eyes widened slightly and his backpack nearly slid off of his shoulder. The person he was going to be working for was rich enough to actually have their own butler?! That in itself wasn't extremely surprising, as a lot of the more noble families in Soul Society had servants, but the fact that his father of all people knew someone so well off in the World of the Living nearly made his head spin. His internal thought process was interrupted when Walter picked up one of his suitcases.

"Come along Master Ichigo, we shouldn't keep Sir Integra waiting."

Shaking off his surprise, the orange-head followed the older man though the airport and out into the parking lot, where yet another surprise was waiting for him in the form of a limousine. Seriously, the fact that someone who was clearly a butler was carrying his bags was already drawing a lot of attention, but now that he was getting into a fucking LIMOUSINE, Ichigo could practically feel the curious and judgmental looks he was receiving. Sliding into a plush leather seat, the young man couldn't help but sigh in relief and contentment at the fact that he was finally getting to his destination. Walter smirked from within the driver's seat. "Make yourself comfortable Master Ichigo, we should arrive at Hellsing Manor in about twenty-five minutes."

Nodding in acknowledgement, Ichigo closed his eyes and relaxed into his seat.

Hellsing…why did that name sound so familiar?

—

The drive though London became pleasant once they actually exited the city. The British countryside was something that Ichigo had always heard was beautiful, and now that he was experiencing it firsthand, he could attest to it being true.

Walter was good company, and he had informed the former Substitute of what was expected of him now that he was a staff member at the Manor. The only thing that had Ichigo slightly concerned was how much the retainer had stressed that he show Sir Integra the proper amount of respect. Whoever he was, Integra sounded like one hell of an intimidating man; although, Ichigo had to admit that even for an Englishman, his name sounded peculiar for a man.

As they neared their destination, the young man found that he was actually feeling kind of excited. A new job in another country was never something that he had envisioned himself doing, but the experience would most likely end up being good for him.

"Ah, here we are." Walter spoke up from the driver's seat, and Ichigo turned his head to see an enormous mansion sitting atop an oncoming hill. As the limo pulled into the extensive gravel driveway, the brown-eyed teen took notice of groups of what appeared to be private security forces moving across the lawn. The fact that such people were on the property was to be expected, but the weaponry that the men were carrying looked more like they belonged in a war zone.

The vehicle came to a stop several yards away from what seemed to be the main entrance to the Manor, but before Ichigo could even move to open the passenger door, Walter was already doing so for him politely. "Welcome to the Hellsing estate Master Ichigo, please leave your belongings in the car so that the staff may take them to your room."

Ichigo blinked. "Wait, what?"

Walter grinned but otherwise continued walking towards the mansion. "Come along young Master, we mustn't dally around. Sir Integra has been awaiting your arrival with what I must admit to be a great amount of interest."

Shaking out of his stupor, Ichigo moved to follow the retainer, and almost immediately after he did so a group of maids quickly approached the car and collected all of his bags. The young women spared him a look and giggled amongst themselves, but a sharp look from Walter easily sent them on their way. The older gentleman shook his head and let out a sigh, "Oh I so envy the youth of today…ah to be young again."

"Um…come again?" Ichigo asked cautiously.

"Oh never you mind young Master; now please follow me."

Deciding not to dwell on the topic, Ichigo silently followed Walter through the manor towards what he had been informed was Sir Integra's personal office. During the duration of their walk, the butler had seen fit to question and remind Ichigo of the etiquette he was expected to follow while in Integra's presence. The more that he was cautioned to show his new employer the appropriate amount of respect, the more the former Substitute began to sweat nervously. Working under Ikumi had more than instilled in him a healthy fear of repeat for one's superiors, even if that philosophy hadn't followed him into the Soul Society. Once again, Walter's voice broke him from his thoughts.

"Here we are. Now, before you go in I feel I must remind you of several things one final time. Firstly, you are to address Master Integra as 'Sir' whenever you speak. Secondly, you are not to speak unless you are directly spoken to first, however if you feel as though you must provide some input into the conversation, then I expect you to do so politely. Thirdly, and I truly cannot stress this enough, do not show any kind of surprise or disbelief when you enter this office."

Ichigo raised an eyebrow curiously. "Why would I be surprised…?"

Walter smiled knowingly and gave his fellow employee a patronizing pat on the shoulder. "Just believe me young Master; now then, get in there and do your best." The butler opened the door to the office and unceremoniously shoved the orange-head through, nearly sending him tumbling to the floor. The door was shut behind him, and Ichigo swallowed thickly before turning towards the massive desk on the opposite side of the room.

Well then…

He certainly understood why Walter had warned him not to show any surprise…

Sitting at the desk was an astoundingly beautiful woman who barely seemed a few years older than he was. The woman in question had deeply tanned skin and nearly platinum blonde hair, which fell down her back and shoulders like a cascading waterfall. Her crystalline blue eyes snapped up from whatever document she had been reading, directing all of her attention on the young man in her office.

"Ichigo Kurosaki I presume?

Ichigo responded oh so elegantly. "Uhhh…"

"Naturally. Allow me to introduce myself; I am Sir Integra Fairbrook Wingates Hellsing, daughter of Sir Arthur Hellsing and the proprietor of the Hellsing Estate. It is a pleasure to make the acquaintance of Isshin Kurosaki's son."

That certainly got Ichigo's attention.

"Wait, you know my old man?"

If Integra was at all put off by the young man's informal tone, then she did a very good job of hiding it. "I never knew Mister Kurosaki personally, but during my childhood I was informed by Walter that he was a good friend of my father's. When I learned that Isshin still had a favor as of yet not repaid from my late father, I couldn't very well allow a debt to go unsettled. Therefore, allowing you employment here at Hellsing Manor was a rather paltry matter."

Ichigo nodded along uncertainly.

Leaning forward across her desk, Integra opened up what appeared to be a case of cigars. Withdrawing one, she pulled out a lighter and lit the end before taking a deep inhale. Ichigo was never personally a fan of smoking, but since his father did it once a year on the anniversary of his mother's death, it didn't really bother him too much.

Blowing out a cloud of smoke, Integra fixed her newest employee with a rather scrutinizing gaze. "Tell me Ichigo, do you believe in the supernatural?"

Well shit, if that wasn't a suspiciously loaded question if he ever heard one…

Apparently it had been rhetorical, as Integra continued speaking without waiting for him to respond. "I am very well aware of the existence of you Shinigami, as well as the creatures you call Hollows. Isshin made certain to inform me of all of the things you have had to deal with during your tenure as a Soul Reaper, and I must express my gratitude for your victory over Sosuke Aizen."

"You know about Aizen too?!"

"Indeed, although I have to admit that I was only aware of his existence after your father called me. Let me be frank, as far as I have been informed Soul Society only has jurisdiction over the island country of Japan. The rest of the world is ruled over by various religious deities and supernatural figures. Angels, Fallen Angels, Devils, werewolves, vampires…all of these beings exist Ichigo."

The world suddenly became hazy and his vision started to fade, but before he could fall to the ground Ichigo found himself being steadied by Integra herself. "I understand that all of this might be a bit overwhelming for you, but I need you to continue listening."

The orange-head nodded dumbly and allowed himself to be led to the chair in front of Integra's desk. Sitting down a bit shakily, Ichigo took a moment to process such a large revelation. He had to admit, he had always thought it was a bit peculiar that the entire world would have to conform to a traditional Japanese lifestyle in Soul Society after their deaths, but now that he knew that other supernatural entities and various afterlives existed, it made a little more sense.

"The purpose of my organization is very straightforward; we protect London and by extension the various areas surrounding England from supernatural threats. In my time as the head of the Hellsing family, I have seen creatures such as demons, werewolves, and zombies; however, the most prominent threat we face here in London is from vampires." Integra explained patiently as she sat back down in her own leather chair.

Ichigo regained enough of his bearings to finally make sense of something that had been bothering him for quite some time. "Vampires? Wait…Hellsing…that means…"

Integra's smirked as her new employee finally seemed to make the connection. "Indeed, I am the direct descendant of Abraham Van Helsing, one of the main characters in Bram Stoker's 'Dracula.' My great-grandfather's comrade Johnathan Harker was good friends with Stoker, and during the last few months of his life he revealed the nature of his encounter with the infamous Count. Stoker would then go on to write 'Dracula' as if it were nothing more than a fictional account of a secretly true series of events."

"Dracula was actually real?"

The blonde woman rolled her eyes, but continued to smirk nonetheless. "Quite so, but that isn't what I want to talk to you about. Given that you have extensive history and knowledge concerning the supernatural world, it only made sense to hire you when your father called me with his request. Your duties while under my employ will consist of ordinary things such as assisting Walter with various tasks and chores around the house, while also accompanying one of my other top agents into the field to deal with any supernatural creatures that may appear. Does this sound acceptable to you?"

Ichigo was silent for a moment before nodding firmly. While it definitely wouldn't be the same as hunting Hollows with his friends in Karakura Town or Rukia, it still sounded like he would be protecting the unsuspecting people of the World of the Living from threats to their everyday lives. And what kind of a person would he be if he didn't accept such an offer?

Integra's grin widened even more at his confirmation, and she reached across her desk with a single hand. "Welcome to the Hellsing Organization Agent Kurosaki; I do sincerely hope that you enjoy working with us." The Substitute smiled back and shook his new boss' hand firmly. Integra didn't seem like the kind of woman who needed a man to restrain himself during a handshake, and his guess seemed to be accurate when she gave him an appreciative nod.

The moment was disrupted when a knock on the door echoed through the room, before Walter entered with a polite bow. "Do forgive me for interrupting Sir Integra, but Alucard has returned from his assignment in the village of Cheddar. It seems as though he has…brought someone along with him."

Integra's eyes widened almost imperceptibly before she quickly rose to her feet. "He what?! Walter, tell my servant that I wish to speak with him immediately! I presume that you and Ichigo can handle whoever he has brought with him?"

Walter actually looked slightly amused at the question. "I doubt that will be much of an issue Sir."

Nodding, the Hellsing leader turned to Ichigo. "I apologize for cutting our meeting so short, but it seems as though I must deal with a misbehaving dog." The way in which she described one of her staff members made the orange-head sweat drop slightly, but Walter pulled him along before he could voice his concerns.

As the two men walked through the halls of Hellsing Manor, they passed by another masculine figure heading in the direction from which they had just come. He mostly ignored them, but when the figure accidentally bumped shoulders with Ichigo, the former Substitute caught a glimpse of smoldering crimson eyes and nearly fell to his knees as a feeling of utter maliciousness washed over him. The man received a glare from Walter, but simply chuckled deeply and continued on his way to Integra's office.

"I do apologize for Alucard Master Ichigo…he can what you young people would call an 'asshole.'" Walter sounded genuinely concerned as he helped the young man back up to his feet, but the elder retainer's worries didn't even register to Ichigo's senses. Even if it was only for a moment, he had actually been able to feel Alucard's Spiritual Energy despite the loss of his powers.

And what he had felt was utterly MONSTROUS.

"I-It's fine…" He attempted to wave off Walter's worry, and although it was clear that the older man was still concerned, he let the issue slide without a fuss.

"Right then, let us see who all of the fuss is about." Walter continued to lead him through the extensive hallways of the mansion, and eventually they came to a room with a maid standing outside. She turned to greet them, but held out her hands when they attempted to enter the room.

"I do apologize gentlemen, but the young lady is in the process of being cleaned and dressed in some more appropriate clothing. The poor dear was covered in blood when Alucard brought her in, and not all of it was her own."

Walter's eyes seemed to soften at the news, and Ichigo himself felt more than a small amount of sympathy for whoever was inside. After waiting for at least ten more minutes, the group of maids who had been attending to the girl exited the room and finally gave them permission to enter. Upon entering, the first thing Ichigo noticed was that there was a large bed in the center of the room, but it was the occupant of the bed that really got his attention.

The girl seemed to be around his age, and her pale skin and short blonde hair affirmed the fact that she was British. She wore a light blue pair of pajamas, but that did absolutely nothing to hide what Ichigo had to reluctantly admit were her most prominent characteristics.

Now, many people throughout his life had called Ichigo a prude, whether they be from the World of the Living or the Soul Society. However, let it be know that he was still most definitely a healthy young man in his late teens, and therefore he could appreciate a nice pair of breasts.

Rangiku's immediately came to mind, but she was too much of a flirty tease to be his type. Yoruichi had a nice pair of tits as well, and if he could have it his way he would take that to his grave. If the Flash Goddess ever found out that he'd been sneaking glances at her in the hot springs, she'd never let him hear the end of it.

Ichigo's face flushed as he realized where his train of thought was headed, and shook his head to bring himself back to the situation at hand. Even so, it was because he was looking at the blonde girl's chest that he realized something rather important.

"She's not breathing!"

Walter hummed and moved forward to inspect the young woman. "Not to worry Master Ichigo, it would make sense that she is not breathing considering she is now a vampire." The elderly retainer brushed aside several locks of the girl's hair to reveal to small puncture marks on her neck. "It seems as though Alucard has finally taken on a fledgling…"

"Wait, that guy was a vampire?"

"Quite so. Ah, it appears as though our guest is waking up."

Ichigo turned away from Walter and felt something weird twist in his stomach when he looked into a pair of startlingly blue eyes. The young woman stared back at him silently for a few moments before a small blush spread across her cheeks. "W-Where am I…?"

"Do not fear my dear, you are recovering from your injuries in one of Hellsing Manor's many bedrooms," Walter answered for her, but her eyes were still trained explicitly on the former Substitute. The girl sat up slightly while pulling the bedsheets up to cover her chest, and finally looked away from Ichigo to inspect the room in a mixture of caution and curiosity. Deciding to be courteous, Walter continued with introductions. "Allow me to introduce ourselves, my name is Walter C. Dornez, retainer and caretaker of this estate. The orange-haired young man with me is Ichigo Kurosaki, a recently new employee from Karakura, Japan. May I ask who you are?"

The blonde woman looked back at them and gave Ichigo another brief glance, blushing slightly once again before turning to look at Walter. "I-I'm Seras…Seras Victoria."

Walter smiled kindly and bowed to her politely, prompting Ichigo to do the same. "It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance Miss Victoria, but now that you are awake I must go inform Sir Integra. Keep her company won't you Ichigo?" The older man winked teasingly in the orange-head's direction before exiting the room, leaving the young man and woman alone in a rather awkward silence.

"So uh…are you feeling okay?" Ichigo offered lamely, internally wincing at the rather poor attempt at a conversation starter.

Seras nodded timidly, but otherwise remained quiet.

The former Substitute scowled slightly, not wanting this to get anymore awkward than it already was. "Do you mind if I ask what happened to you?"

Seras looked down and clutched the sheets tightly. "I was a police officer…and we received a call about a disturbance at a church." As she spoke, Ichigo moved over to sit on the side of the bed, but the blonde didn't seem to mind.

"When we got there, we saw so many dead bodies…there was blood everywhere, and standing in the middle of it all was just one man. Before I could even blink, he killed both of my partners and turned them into some kind of monsters…" Seras' voice began to quiver, and moisture started to gather in the corners of her eyes. Ichigo remained silent as she continued with her story.

"I was so afraid, and my gun didn't hurt him at all, so I ran as fast as I could…but before long I was surrounded by all of the people I thought were dead." At this point, tears freely began to fall from her eyes, and Ichigo felt his chest constrict with sympathy.

"Then HE found me, and he started to…to…he said he was going to r-rap…" Seras' voice failed her and she broke into a series of sobs, wrapping her arms around herself and turning away from the other occupant of the room. Ichigo reached forward to place a hand on her shoulder comfortingly, but was taken completely off guard when the blonde all but launched herself into his arms and sobbed into his chest. Not entirely sure what so do, the orange-head hesitantly wrapped his arms around Seras' shaking form, and although she tensed up at first, she quickly relaxed and continued to cry.

Since she couldn't see his face, Ichigo allowed an enraged snarl to form across his features. Although she hadn't been able to complete her sentence, he had a very good idea of what she was going to say. The brown-eyed young man hated many things, but rapists were at the very top of that list. Luckily, it sounded as though Seras had been rescued before something too bad had been able to happen to her, and for that he was grateful.

The fledgling vampire continued to cry into the former Substitute's shirt until eventually her sobs decreased into hiccups and her shaking had reduced into a mild tremble. Despite knowing how important it was to comfort her, Ichigo had to admit that being a simple human in a vampire's grip was starting to feel a bit straining. Seriously, her strength could probably allow her to compact a car with her bare hands.

"Feeling better?" He asked softly, but the fabric of his shirt muffled whatever reply the blonde in his arms gave. Fortunately, he was able to discern her response thanks to her small nod. Pulling away slightly, Seras wiped her eyes and offered him a small smile, which was accompanied by a growing blush.

"Thank you Ichigo…"

Ichigo simply smiled kindly and squeezed her shoulder in a gesture of compassion.

"Any time."

—

"Are you sure it was a wise idea to send him to London?"

Isshin Kurosaki glanced up from his deck of cards to meet Kisuke's speculative gaze, before simply shrugging and withdrawing yet another one. "Why? Working abroad will be good for my dear son, and Soul King knows he could use something to occupy his time. Ichigo is the kind of young man who needs something to drive him, and in his case that driving force is his need to protect others. Without his powers, he lost the means to do so on a grand scale."

Kisuke sighed and picked up another card of his own. "I can understand that…and Integra will be able to give him a way to protect people without his Soul Reaper or Hollow powers. However, that's not entirely what I'm concerned about."

"You mean Alucard?" Isshin guessed.

"What else? That monster has been under Soul Society's radar for the last five-hundred years, and he's killed more innocent people than Aizen could ever dream of doing. The only reason Yamamoto has allowed him to remain in the World of the Living is because of his servitude to the Hellsing family, and Integra is not the kind of woman to use power for her own personal gain."

Isshin cracked a smirk and chuckled lightly. "I remember when Arthur invited Masaki and I to see her only a few weeks after she was born. She was always such a prim and proper little girl." Placing his cards down, the Kurosaki patriarch leaned back in his chair and took a sip from his saucer of sake. "Still, I'll admit that I'm concerned for my son, but if I don't allow him to make mistakes and learn new things on his own then I wouldn't be a very good father."

Kisuke snorted and let his own cards fall from his hands as well. "And who knows, maybe he'll get a girlfriend…"

Both men were silent for at least a minute before simultaneously bursting out laughing. Ichigo, getting a girlfriend in somewhere as fancy as London? Yeah, that'd be the day.

—

And there we have it.

Ichigo has traveled to London, met Walter, been hired by Integra, and briefly encountered Alucard. Don't worry Hellsing fans, this story will get WAY more violent as it progresses.

Just to be clear, at this point in time Seras and Ichigo are only beginning to form a bond of friendship. He comforted her in a time that she truly needed it, and if you've watched Hellsing Ultimate, then you know just how traumatizing her experience really was. Even I will admit to getting slightly angry while I watched it.

Anyway, as I mentioned before, I am considering incorporating some elements and characters from High School DxD into this story, since that series also focusses on paranormal aspects and supernatural figures. I mean, you know, when they aren't shoving fan service down your throat. (Not that I'm complaining). If there are any other supernaturally oriented series anyone can suggest to being included in this shared universe, then feel free to name them in any reviews you may have.

As with my other story "Professor Kurosaki," here is a list of female characters that are currently in the pairing poll:

Seras Victoria (Obviously)

Integra Hellsing

Zorin Blitz

Rip Van Winkle

Yumiko Takagi

Heinkel Wolfe

Raynare

Kalawarner

Rias Gremory

Akeno Himejima

Tiamat

Yuebelluna

Feel free to suggest any other ideas you may have. Just because there may be a character in the poll, it doesn't mean she will end up with Ichigo in the slightest. And just for anyone who doesn't already know, Seras is nineteen and Integra is twenty-two.

As always, thank you for reading, and I hope you all continue to follow along with me throughout this story.

AlucardsBro OUT!