Remains
The brothers made it to the secret services building. The brothers were silent when they arrived. They all felt different emotions. Bradley was sitting on the passenger seat as he looked at the building. So many memories came to him when he was a child. He remembered his mother, Integra. She was a strict woman, but she also would show him and his brothers' affection. Then, memories of his father came to him. His father would always go to his award ceremonies and fencing training, and how he would buy him and his brothers ice cream. Bradley let out a soft chuckle when he remembered when he and his brothers would fly a kite and how his Dad would take it away from them while he played with it. The brothers would play fight with Alucard while trying to get the kite.
"Well, this is it. Is everyone ready?" asked Issa.
"No, but let's get this over with," answered Bradley. All the brothers got out of the SUV and went inside the building. There was a help desk, and they were told to go to a room on the fifth floor. The brothers were silent as they went to an elevator and toward their destination. They arrived, and the halls were long with dimly lit lights. It gave a quiet yet nerve-wracking feeling. They noticed a middle-aged man with a white laboratory uniform waiting outside a particular door as they approached the room. He saw the brothers.
"Welcome, you're the Hellsings, I presume?"
"Yes."
"I am Doctor Wilson. I am in charge of the forensic testing of remains. The agents brought me the bodies of two victims."
This confused the brothers. "What are you talking about, sir? We only said to get out our father's remains," said Vlad.
"Yes, but we found another body besides your supposed father. From my findings, the other remains are female in her late thirties and early forties. The woman is half Caucasian and of Asian descent."
The brothers stilled. Bradley's heart began to beat rapidly when he heard the news. Bradley became dizzy, and his brothers noticed. Gol D went to him, trying to keep him on his feet. "Bradley, do you need to sit? You don't need to see this."
Bradley shook his head. "I'll be fine. Remember when grandfather asked our father for our mother's remains? Our father refused, saying he had cremated our mother and thrown her ashes. He lied all these years."
"Whenever you are ready, you can enter. I have findings on one of the bodies." The Doctor went inside.
"Bradley, are you sure you want to go inside? Will you be well enough?" asked Vlad. The older man didn't respond as he slowly walked inside the room; the others followed. The light lighted the room; the walls were white, with a couple of metal cabinets with paperwork and other materials. There was a metal table with a laptop and different piles of paperwork. Then, in the center of the room were two metal tables that held skeletal remains. Beside them were sketches of what they looked like in life. Bradley covered his mouth with his right hand. He saw the remains of his parents. He was feeling a variety of emotions.
The others also felt mixed emotions. They all were children when they last saw their mother and father. Vlad had a few tears form, but he wiped them away. Issa, surprisingly, put his arm around his older brother. Vlad also put his arm on Issa's shoulder; they comforted one another. Gol D saw his parents' remains and had the urge to cry. It had been many years since he and his brothers saw their parents. The last time he saw his father was when he left for Italy, but not before giving him a toy car for his birthday. His mother, however, grounded him for doing another prank at school.
Bradley slowly walked toward the tables with the remains. He looked at the sketches of his parents. They looked exactly like the last time he saw them. Memories flashed back to him.
.......................
Bradley was thirteen years old and was sleeping. However, the teen heard weeping through the halls, waking him up. He sat up as he massaged his eyes. The weeping was coming from his mother. Of course, Bradley, the eldest and closest to his mother, went to investigate. He walked by his other brothers' rooms, making sure not to wake them. He walked toward his mother's room, and the door was slightly opened, and the light was still on. As he got closer, he heard his mother's weeping going down. "Lady Integra, I am sorry you are going through this. Even your father didn't know of this," said a male voice.
This confused the young Bradley. He peeked through the door and saw his mother, but she wasn't alone. Another man was with her, and the man was older. "I am such a fool, Walter. How could I not have seen it? There were many signs, but I didn't think much about it."
"Lady Integra, you mustn't blame yourself. However, your father is at a hotel now, waiting for you and his grandsons."
Integra lit up a cigar. "My father still wants to talk to me after all these years? I disobeyed him."
Walter sighed. "Your father was hurt at first. However, he knew that you were an adult. He always wanted to keep in contact with you and your sons. He always wanted to meet the boys."
"I was a fool for letting Alucard get his way. No longer. I will be filing for divorce."
Bradley gasped, and his eyes became wide. However, he lost his footing, making him fall on the door, opening it. Integra and Walter flinched and saw Bradley on the ground. The young boy felt his heart beating rapidly. He was in trouble. Integra stood, walking toward her son. "You were eavesdropping, were you, King?"
The boy blushed and looked at the floor. "Walter, this is my eldest, King Bradley. King, this is my friend and Hellsing butler, Walter."
The two looked at one another. "My word, this one reminds me of Arthur as a young man. He has the Hellsing look." Walter gave a light bow. "Nice to meet you, Lord King Bradley. Apologies for being introduced in such a manner."
Bradley stood. "M-Mom, is it true? Are you and Dad getting divorced?"
Integra's blue eyes looked empty as she puffed out smoke. She put the cigar on a glass plate and stood before her son. "I found that your father was already married to another woman before we met. Also, I learned that your Dad has another son, your older brother. Your father lied not only to me but to you all."
The young boy was confused. "B-But doesn't he love you? Don't you love him?"
Integra smiled as she touched her son's face. "I do love your Dad, but it's complicated right now. I will explain everything at a later time. For now, you and your brothers will go with Walter. He will take you to your grandfather."
"Wh-What? I have a grandpa?"
"Yes, and I regret not letting you all meet him. You and your brothers will be safe with him and Walter. I trust them with all my heart. You all will pack the things you need and will leave immediately. I need to stay here to talk with your father."
Bradley's eyes became wide, and he hugged his mother tightly. "Mom, I don't want to leave! Can't we stay with you!? Or you can come with us!"
"KING!" The boy shook as his mother raised her voice. "You will do as I say, and I will not argue with you here! Now, go pack your things!"
The boy cried as he ran away from the room. Integra and Walter went to the boys' rooms, woke them up, and told them to pack some of their clothes and belongings. There was confusion, but they did as they were told. Integra and Walter assisted the boys in getting dressed. They were all ready, with their bags. Bradley was quiet; his eyes were slightly pink from crying.
Walter was carrying a sleepy-year-old Issa. Integra kissed all her sons and motioned the boys to follow Walter to a car. Bradley stayed behind, looking at his mother. Integra knelt before him, touching his face. "I know this is all too much, King. However, I need you to be a young man and be there for your brothers. Remember, family is everything. Protect them."
"Are you coming with us soon?"
Integra smiled as she hugged her son. "Yes. Be good to your grandpa. He may look stern, but he will love you all. I love you, my baby boy. Now go."
......................................
That was the last time he saw his mother. He often wondered if his mother knew she would not have returned alive. His father had a deranged obsession with her, and when one is obsessed, one cannot accept that what was theirs would leave them. Alucard had kept Integra's body, and it was probably his wish that, once he died, to be buried with her.
"We have found that the male victim had a fractured skull, meaning an object hit him. The agents and I decided to go deeper and found the documents inaccurate. It is possible that the corner was paid to write off the death as age. Not only that, there were others in the force that were paid. The agents said that they await you on the fourth floor. They will give you more details."
The brothers looked at the remains. "When all this is over, I want our mother's remains buried next to my grandfather. My grandfather never had the justice he wanted. It broke him when he thought that his daughter's remains were destroyed. Now, they will be together again. I can have the arrangements done," said Bradley.
Everyone was silent, but Gol D patted Bradley's shoulders and nodded.
The Doctor nodded. "Very well. After your meeting, you will be given the paperwork. What about your father's remains?"
"Even though I hate him and what he did to our mother, he is still our father and gave us a good childhood. Keep him buried in his homeland. He will no longer have my mother beside him anymore. Come, let's speak with the agents."
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