Chapter 4 : Personal War.

"Revenge is not something that is easily refused."

Location: Miami. 9:32 PM Local Time.

Ray sighed as he returned to the states to pursue a lead on something personal. Alucard and Seras had traveled to Brazil to pursue a lead of Millennium whilst Ray was pursuing his own lead, he had gotten a tip from an old information broker that owed him a favor that a musket wielding vampire was sighted in Miami and that the usual vampire hunters in the area had been missing for more than a month.

He sighed, he had found lodging with an old acquaintance and explained his situation. It was irritating to be forced to travel the night, he had tested his hand against sunlight once and found that though it took time to burn, it did indeed burn him. He also knew that once he completely devoured someone, that weakness would fade from him, it was one of the many things Alice explained to him about the true nature of vampires.

He walked into a bar, tired with investigating rumors and hearsay and decided to relax with a few drinks, Hellsing did provide financial assistance in official matters though this was not an official matter, he was here on his own coin though he had amassed much by taking out vampires.

The bar had only two others there, the bartender and a lone woman with long black hair, Ray immediately noticed she was a vampire as she was doing nothing to hide the aura of energies emanating from her. She took a glance at him and noticed his own vamparic state, she resumed her attention to the glass of bourbon by her.

Sitting down two stools from her Ray asked for a hard cider and was served quickly. The bartender was human though he was oblivious to the nature of his guests.

Ray sighed and drank the cider, the alcohol barely fazing him though still he had a taste for several specific drinks, regardless of the burn.

About 10 minutes later he had finished and as he was getting up to leave, the woman spoke, saying "You know, there are a lot of rumors about a vampire hunter from California who ended up getting turned. I always wondered at his motivations."

He turned to look at the woman, the bartender was starting to realize just who was in his establishment and became slightly concerned, Ray's eyes widened as he recognized the woman, she was out of uniform right now but still, the look in her eyes as she revealed her fangs with a large grinning smile, she was staring directly at him.

Ray sighed and walked out of the bar, not wanting to damage the place and he waited outside, keeping a keen sight on the woman through the window.

After a few moments she walked out and stared at him and began to hum lyrics to some classical song as she slowly approached.

Ray recalled the moment he hated remembering briefly and his eyes began to glow bright red, the moonlight seemed to somehow reflect off his fangs for a brief moment as he let out a grin of his own and charged at the woman whom he had a name for.

Rip van Winkle.

She evaded a choking grab with ease whilst continuing to hum her song, Ray was unarmed right now but so was she, this was perhaps the best chance he had though something seemed off, he didn't feel as if she was his prey, rather that she was the predator.

Could it be?

He stopped lashing out at her like an animal and focused himself into a defensive stance and slowly began to close the distance, keeping an eye on her as she realized he had gotten control over his anger and sighed before saying "I had hoped this dance would last longer."

Ray stopped advancing as she quickly leaped into the air and out of sight, likely along the rooftops. He sighed, rather than follow her he would instead focus on keeping tabs on her, this time he had a better look at her face and could give a better description to his feelers.

Still something bothered him, she didn't seem one to be careless and the grace in which she moved about to evade his attacks which though were not much they were heightened by his newfound speed.

Meaning that she probably started the rumors to draw him out, knowing she was being tracked and hunted.

London, Two days later.

Ray sighed as he read the newspaper, Alucard and Seras had made quite a spectacle, mainly Alucard.

Millennium's plans were made known now that Alucard had devoured one of their own and acquired the intel they needed though there was not much left to do but wait for an opportunity.

Ray relaxed in the bed he had personally bought and transported to his room, placing a complex maze of tripwire about it to ensure it isn't snatched up during the night when he's active.

Draining a pouch before tossing it aside he could feel something was going to happen, Alucard was so sure that a war was about to start.

Much later

"I'm tagging along." said Ray.

Following an incident in the presence of the Queen, an event Ray was not present for (As he was busy dealing with a few instant vampires that had popped up in London.) he shook his head at the description, he was here for this meeting with Britain's military officials and apparently Walter, Alucard and Integra were discussing the means to get Alucard on an Aircraft Carrier that was hijacked by Millennium, specifically by a musket wielding Vampire who had just shot down the response teams.

Integra looked at Ray before sighing and saying "We don't have two jets to spare."

He sighed and said "Perhaps not two SR-71s, but you can spare an F-117. Alucard is likely to attract their attention and divert attention from van Winkle, I can proceed at a low angle skimming the water, in addition to it's stealth capabilities I will be flying fast and low, I admit though you are going to lose the 117."

Walter sighed and said "Alucard shou-"

"No, let him come, he can hang onto the cockpit from outside." said Alucard, sensing the thoughts in Ray's mind.

Integra sighed and said "At that speed he would fly off, even if he doesn't need to breathe-"

Again she was interrupted, this time by Ray who said "Strap me to it, I can cut the strap with my KA-BAR fighting knife easily."

Integra sighed and gave up trying to detract his request and said "Fine, but it isn't my responsibility if you get killed because of this stunt."

Ray felt a bit stupid as the Blackbird sped across the sky with him strapped to it, even more so when Alucard sends the damn thing into a direct course on the carrier as if the thing were a missile, Ray had some time however to think, and when it came down to it, he realized something, in his memories that he would not dwell on for now but still, it was a chance, a slim one, but possible.

He didn't need to cut the strap as a musket ball sped through, damaging and tearing through the blackbird and as a result the flying shrapnel and burning fuel cut it for him, he immediately began to freefall with the jet though he rearranged his position and focused on staying hidden, concealing his energies and even holding his breath and closing his eyes once he knew where he was going to fall.

Alucard slammed into the carrier long before Ray landed and had already easily dispatched the Millennium soldiers, for once Rip van Winkle seemed frightened beyond all recognition when facing down Alucard, it was an opening.

Alucard slowly approached, having caught the musket ball with his mouth as Rip fired at him. As Alucard crushed the ball with his mouth he noticed Ray dart head on at Rip van Winkle who noticed him barely as he drove his hand straight through her chest, not clutching her heart but rather her spine and continued his charge with his surprised target as she was slammed against the wall of the conning tower of the ship.

She looked at Ray's eyes before looking out at Alucard who was now merely watching the spectacle.

But she was not petrified of Ray, she reached to grab Ray's sword only for her hand to be burned by the silver construction, realizing he was wearing thick gloves to avoid that fate.

Ray looked directly in her eyes and said "I won't simply kill you, because of what you did back then, there is a slight chance I suppose, that two souls, not one, will live on. If it means those memories become my own, I will be willing to let your own memories live on as well."

She struggled but found she could no longer move her lower body as Ray had crushed her spine, granted it would be able to heal but nowhere near in time as he sunk his teeth into her neck and simultaneously with his free hand grabbed a throwing knife and stabbed at a nerve cluster in her upper back near the neckline, paralyzing her temporarily though as the blade was silver, perhaps it would be longer than usual for that to heal.

Time seemed to slow down for Ray as he did get what he wanted, only to be shocked at what he found.

Memory Access : Alice Kesari, one year ago.

She sighed as she looked out the window, her long black hair and naturally crimson red eyes as well as a flawless complexion made her appearance.

Her friend was still asleep though she cared little whether he was awake or not, eating away at her conscience was something she had done that he was unaware of, granted it would not take effect until he was either near death but regardless, she pondered at her own fate.

Millennium, remnants of the Nazi regime that were ordered to produce a vampire army had sought out her many years ago to find a corpse that as far as she knew, they were going to use it to find a cure for the affliction she endured for so long, only to realize they used it instead to spread the curse further. Since then she could no longer bring herself to feed and had entered a long state of hibernation in hopes that an acquaintance of hers would deal with the issue and when she woke she found out that he indeed did deal with the issue although his sense of humor (Taking her form) at times perplexed her.

She looked into a mini-freezer in her room that her current friend has acquired for her, inside was a sight that both confused her and satisfied her.

Blood packs, enough to last for quite some time and she knew the number would only increase with time. She had revealed her true nature to him though the specifics were different. She was a among a different breed of vampires than the ones who took the curse unto themselves or those whom the curse was forced upon. She however was born like this, with this thirst and the powers that she could employ if she wished, but it made her different, she could actively suppress the various memories and personalities that resided in her though her memories were all that would pass on should she be devoured, she kept note of this simple fact because she had found an opportunity to free herself of this curse.

She drained one of the bloodpacks and recalled the time she met her friend, Ray Zenji.

It was a dry night under a full moon and she had spotted him stargazing in northern california, he was on vacation at the time though he was alone as well at the time, at least when he was stargazing.

Ordinarily anyone's response would be to fight back so she snuck behind him, the thirst growing beyond her control.

For those whom curse themselves or are cursed by others the change would be instantaneous but for those whom are born cursed the change takes place only after substantial blood loss or when the heart ceases to beat for more than three seconds, it also however conferred an immunity to immediate change from others though still if they cursed another it would be different as they were ones whom were cursed by another.

This is why usually she left nothing left, completely devouring them to spare them the curse but this man was different, as she sunk her teeth into his neck from behind in the darkness he could not see his attacker and was caught offguard.

She wrapped her arms around him not in a struggle to keep him contained but rather a warm and loving embrace, as if trying to solace him in his final moments though his memories began to flood into her, she noticed something, a rare moment that occurs when one does not fight the attack.

His mind was linked with hers, the two shared their thoughts briefly, he read her thoughts and was confused at first before becoming permissive but with a request, that she spare him and in exchange he would provide her with what she requires. It was odd indeed though her running thoughts on the matter were indeed revealed to him as she dwelled on the issue every time she fed.

It was a moment that changed her, she wiped his memory of the attack but did not take more than was needed to satisfy the thirst and to keep him from bleeding out she injected though her fangs a good quantity of her own blood into him."

The memories flowed into him, he did not dwell on all of them though as he also learned something from van Winkle's own memories, that she had struck Kesari thinking she was Alucard in disguise and her own guilt about what she had done that night, not so much as the fate but for erasing his memories of the initial incident. To his memories he encountered her and she explained (and proved by phasing through a door) her nature but that initial encounter in the north as opposed to the chance encounter in the city had weighed on her so much that she allowed herself to die, suppressing her healing factor, something only a born vampire can do.

He dropped the lifeless and bloodless body of van Winkle whom oddly did not burst into flames like the other Millennium members, his eyes shifted red as the plans of the Major, the leader of Millennium became fresh in his mind.

He walked forward and brushed past Alucard who said "And how do you intend to cross the ocean?"

He took a look at him before saying "I am not like you, I was cursed by another, not by myself. I can cross large bodies of water with my powers. Whether or not I make it in time is another story."

Alucard had an itch to question him more on his newfound power but decided not to as Ray formed a shadow around him in the shape of bat like wings and he lept into the air, zig-zagging across the night sky and over the atlantic ocean.

Alucard however had to wait, he could however with his powers influence the motion of the ship, all he had to do now was proceed back, he had taken from Ray's mind what he needed to know.

To be continued...