Sober(A Hellsing Fanfiction) - 3

3
"Hey, maggots! Soup's on!" the sergeant hollered.

The soldiers scrambled for the tents, all of them wanting to get the best of the food before it got cold.

Alucard watched them as they got them food, and as they wolfed it down with nightmarish hurry.

"Hey! Have you not heard the phrase SLOW DOWN?" Seras asked. "You're going to make yourselves sick! It's not like it's your last meal."

"Could be," a private gulped down the food in his mouth before taking another humongous bite. "Either way, I ain't eaten anything since lunch."

"Food, glorious food~-" a new pleeb started to sing.

"PLEEB!!!!" the group turned towards him.

"What, it's catchy!" he shrugged.

Alucard hung out at the back of the tent as the people ate. They weren't paying attention to him, they were too busy eating.

"What do you know about the murderer?" Alucard demanded.

The whole table went quiet.

"Well?" Alucard pressed.

One of the privates set down his bowl, swallowing. "Errrr.... I don't think we can tell that. The sergeant, he'd be pissed."

"We are working with the sergeant to find this murderer and bring him to justice," Alucard promised. "For you sake, I would comply."

The private sighed. "This is just a rumor, but...." he leaned in closer. "Someone's SEEN the killer."

"His face?" Alucard sat down, leaning in and listening closely.

"No, no, but they've seen the most recent slaughter."

"Please; Explain."

"Well, about four weeks ago, the private was walking in on a campfire cookout. Only three soldiers and the private were present.

He was about to join them, but another soldier beat him to it. The campers offered the soldier a seat, but only a minute after the soldier sat down...." the private shuddered, unable to continue.

"Go on," Alucard urged.

"I...." the young private shook his head. "The soldier.... Growled. The voice became deeper, a-and.... Oh, God, he soldier jumped over the fire and ripped the face off one of the campers. Th-then...." the young private retched. "Another camper was strangled with.... Her boyfriend's intestines.... And.... The last one.... Tried to hide.... And she got thrown into the fire in her sleeping bag! She was cooked to death! And all the killer did was laugh!"

Alucard processed this, thinking hard. This could point to rage, but it also could point to just the love of killing. "And did this private live to tell anyone?"

"Just me," the private replied. "Then he was killed in a recent slaughtering about two weeks ago. He had his tongue ripped out."

"Did he tell you he saw the killer or know who it was?"

"N-no.... But he did know one thing for sure."

"And what is that?"

".... The killer was a girl."