How do you think yandere Anderson, Walter, Captain, alucard, and enrico would react to a reader that is just unfazed by everything, just completely be chill about being locked up in there basement/room. They're just like "at least I don't have to pay tax anymore".
Thanks Anon, this one was low key fun to do!
Request: Yep!
Warnings: None really
Characters: Alucard, Anderson,Walter, Enrico, The Captain,
Alucard
âYouâre telling me you donât want to leave?â
Heâs shocked, amused is a better word really. After learning that not only are Vampires real, there at least two entire organizations tasked with killed rampant ones, and heâs turned you into one himself, your only question is: So I live here for free? He actually starts laughing when he realises you really just donât care that heâs kidnapped you.
âDo you realise how hard it is to find a man who will take care of you? Iâll take the free, if questionable, housing and lack of silverware!â
Father Anderson
âWell that saves me a wee bit of trouble, thank you lass!â
He is absolutely delighted that you want to stay with him. He dislikes being rough with his little love so being able to have you so compliant is perfect for him. He gets concerned with his happy you are to stay in a single room all day so because you are so well behaved, he takes you out for walks and to play with the children.
âI like being in my room, I donât have responsibilities and I get to play with kids all day, why would I want to leave?â
Walter C. Dornez
âVery good Butterfly, I wonât have to clean up after all.â
Heâs a bit weary, youâd be fine living with a butler who takes care of an estate housing a dangerous vampire? Because you donât want to deal with being an adult? To him itâs odd, absurd almost. Over time he believes that you simply donât care about the circumstances anymore and will happily move you from the dungeons of the estate to his quarters. He even gets Integra to give you a job as a means to help around, he doesnât want you getting *too* lazy after all. Some responsibility is good responsibility in his eyes.
âWalter, you take care of me and I get gourmet meals for almost every mealâŠwhy would I leave?â
Enrico Maxwell
âReally? Well in that case how about I take you shopping?â
Enrico is absolutely delighted by this, and in eyes this is exactly how you should have reacted so heâs more than thankful for your easy cooperation. Heâs quick to take you out having full confidence that youâll stay by his side and you do. He introduces you to Father Anderson and brings you to his âvisitsâ with Integra who is surprisingly amicable despite what he says (only for your sake). He tries to keep you away from the grand scheme of things, however should you find out heâs shocked to know that you prefer to stay with him (not that you ever had a choice).
âI get pampered and protect from monsters, why would I leave?â
The Captain
âYou..want to stay?â
He isâŠvery confused. However, if youâre nice to him heâll be nice to you and heâs got no problem relaxing with you when he isnât doing anything. Being a werewolf, heâs very comfortable with cuddling you and you almost forget what he is and the kind of life he leads because of how well he tends to separate things. Aside from being a murderer of sorts, heâs an exemplary man and you couldnât be happier. There isnât a whole lot of talking, but there is a whole lot of cuddling.
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CW: Alucard (Ultimate) x F!Reader, Millennium, graphic violence, Stockholm Syndrome, shadow writing, Vladcard
WC: 6455
Thank you for your patience during the long wait! I hope this chapter will be worth the wait (I really donât want to look at the doc anymore after so many months). Special callout to the readers who checked in to make sure I was doing okay. You guys are the sweetest. Huge changes are happening in my life right now.
At this time, this fic from Ch 17 onwards is only available to members of AO3 (accounts are free), where it is posted in full. This fic is locked and guest accounts will not be able to read it.
Pressing the trigger was easier than expected. Your temples rushed as you loaded him with silver. Revenge was good. Cruel bastards like him deserved punishment, not the privilege of running free. Hate-filled tar stuck to your soul and stained it black.
Youâd always thought of yourself as a good girl who played by the rules, but pushed beyond the brink, you were shedding your skin and learning who you really were. You weren't as virtuous as you liked to believe, although you put on a good show. You were just as capable of being moved to anger and vengeance as the next person, eager to execute the ones who wronged you. A victim of circumstance now cornered, you were willing to do what it took to survive.Â
You were only human.
These war criminals brought out your most violent impulses. It felt like you finally understood Alucardâs depravity and why he indulged in the thrill of killing. You embraced the enlightenment, feeling like he was here with you.Â
Your sights settled on the nook of the verminâs throat, wondering how it would feel to sink your fingers into it. The bloodlust was an all-encompassing blanket of wonder, nourishing an itch that should have been horrifying.
You wanted the Doc next, but right now, you were unfortunately stuck with this guy. The world was too unfair. It was this world that was wrong and needed righting, beginning with the death of this maggot named âJan.â
-----
-----
The enemies felt the change in tides. The air went static with dread. His essence slithered and crawled, limbs stretching at peculiar angles, some wide, some thin. Bullets struck him as the fodder finally snapped out of their trance and attacked in a swarm to prevent the progression of the inevitable change.Â
Energy surged through the crowd and knocked back the flurry. He smiled. The shadows gained sentience, unfolding in coils that shot out in a maze, zipping through every direction in abundance. He had a lot of land to cover. His millions of eyes opened as his familiars came forth from the murky darkness. His ghouls kept emerging, flooding the streets before climbing each other in writhing, apocalyptic waves of undead.
Acknowledged, my Master.
Plated armor clinked when he moved. He summoned a sea of stakes to put down the swarm of incoming vampires and newly arisen ghouls. Arcane power thrummed through him, a limitless capacity for combat waiting to become realized.
It had been a long time. The First Vampire clenched and unclenched his gauntlet to stretch stiff joints, turning to inspect the forest of skewered bodies. The gazes of nervous lesser vampires darted about as they tried to fend off ghouls they were unable to control. The thought of fleeing flitted through the minds of hundreds. They did not expect this sort of pain as they were ripped into and devoured. They wondered how long they might stay âaliveâ if they were impaled instead, whether their bodies would eventually be granted the mercy of true death if his stakes didnât go through their hearts.
Fear had a scent. It permeated the surroundings the way it did back then wherever he ventured. A nostalgic homecoming, though he felt nothing but contempt at the Naziâs mass production of ghouls through civilian casualties.Â
They would perish for good soon enough. For you, he would fight all of them, even if it meant taking on the world.
Vlad Dracula tossed the tattooed nugget on an emerging stake and lanced her clean through to display her corpse prominently. She would wither into another carcass to be picked over by vultures.
He appraised the general pandemonium before him, pondering the work there was to be done tonight.
A demon of the old world had returned to haunt the land.
Mentions of: Reader cuts their finger, Alucard is eager to lick it away
Minors please do not interact! Reader is ofc 18+
Content
Reader is working at the Hellsing manor as a housekeeper
Story is set before the happenings of Hellsing - Still Spoilers ahead
Reader is gender neutral, no pronouns are used but "you"
Age, ethnicity, height, weight and any other physical attributes are never mentioned. You are free and encouraged to imagine yourself or an OC in this scenario.
Summary
Alucard is getting comfy in an almost domestic role
He starts to feel weird about you (Man is falling slowly in love, give him some time to grasp that)
He is his usual arrogant self but reader enjoys bantering with him
Index
Previous Chapter: Chapter 2 "In A Demons Embrace"
Next Chapter: Chapter 4 "Delicate Blossoms"
Follow me for more!
Allie X · Cape God · Song · 2020
Gods. He did not believe in them. Not in any significant way other than they had forsaken him long ago. But when he looked at you like this he almost wanted to thank them.
Had he not died he would have never gotten to meet you. Unless the idea of rebirth was more than a joke fate had offered him - there would have been no chance you two would have met. But here he was. Sitting in the quaint servant kitchen of the manor with one leg crossed over the other.
He almost felt domestic. With how he watched you making dinner. It was not unusual for him toj just appear next to you when he felt like it. You had grown used to it. To the point where the whispers of the other servants did not affect you anymore.
For better or for worse you started to see Alucard as part of your day-to-day life. The vampire king appeared normal to you at this point in time. To such an extent that you had invited him to dinner. Well. Not really. Nothing you could ever prepare him could be consumed by him. Or rather, he could not taste it. So was his curse. Everything he once delighted in turned to ash in his mouth.
It mattered little to him if you were a good cook or sustained yourself off microwaved meals.
He appeared content with merely existing in the same space as you. It went so much deeper than that but he was more than alright with letting you believe this, for now. Alucard had barely paid attention to what exactly you were making. He just knew you were cutting something. His eyes were half lidded as he was more focused on your words. You were making comments about the Hellsing gardens.
They could use a few more flowers, you said, and he grinned at that. "Ah yes, the Hellsing manor needs more flowers⊠We ought to be careful to not damage them when cars and helicopters move out to defeat the evil of the world."' He mocked you, he often did. It was how he showed his affection.
Even Walter and Integra had to suffer amongst his way too big ego. You were no different. "Perhaps we should park the vehicles outside of the property so we have more space for your beloved flowers." What a dick. It made you scoff.
More importantly, it made you not pay as much attention as you should when holding a sharp knife in your hand. Alucard smelled it quicker than he saw it, though his body was moving no less quickly.
Suddenly he stood behind you, imposing and looming over your form. Blood dripped down your finger. The deep cut send pain to your brain and you dropped the knife onto the kitchen counter.
"You ought to be more careful.." A deep voice rumbled behind you. "That is all your fault! You distracted me." You grunted while looking around for the first aid kid. Never before had you needed to use it, thus the location was not marked in your brain just yet.
However, before you could step away a large hand cradled yours gentle. Alucard guided your hand upward. "What are you doing-" Your voice died out when you saw his expression. Predatory. Hungry. He was entirely focused on you, as if nothing else mattered.
A long tongue rolled out of his mouth. He never took his eyes off you as he moved slowly. Alucard was essentially giving you any chance to pull back. When you did not move away he dragged his tongue up your finger. Gathering up as much blood as he could a deep, rumbling noise left him. It almost sounded like a purr.
His eyes fluttered, almost like he had to resist rolling his head to the back of his head. You tasted sweet⊠like honeyed wine. He could get addicted to you. When you still did not resist he put your finger into his mouth and sucked softly.
His long tongue wrapped around your finger while he shuddered a little with delight. What a perfect incident. When he finally released your finger, he looked through half lidded eyes at you. "How wonderful you taste, little lamb." There was a pleased growl in the back of his throat while he spoke.
"Perhaps I should distract you more often." He squeezed your wrist, his fingers curled around your hand. The smirk on his face was more smug than usual.
Your cheeks were bright red and you stammered. "I-I think I really need to put a band aid on that now." Hopefully vampire saliva did not risk infection as a normal humans would.
"But of courseâŠ" Alucard reluctantly let go off you, his mouth practically salivating. He licked his lips before you could turn away. It was a dangerous thing, how much he liked your blood.
His teeth ached and his heart ached with need. Those few drops only increased his hunger. He must sink his teeth into you. Rather sooner than later. But he could wait. He was not a patient man. But for once in his life, he could wait.
-------------------------------------
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Nights that leave Walter thinking a little more than he should.
Heâs always had a terrible habit of getting stuck in his own head, thinking too much about things that are out of his control.
The outside air was cold, the breeze blowing enough to chap skin and numb fingertips.
The leaves from the past seasonâs foliage had fallen onto the ground, coating the manorâs courtyard in a crunchy orange blanket.
A waft of cigarette smoke drifted through the window as Walter leaned against the windowsill, his icy grey eyes tracing the outside scenery.
The scent of the smoke filled the sitting room as the draft from the window blew some of the smoke back inside, combining with the warm scent of beeswax from his freshly polished pistol lying nearby.
He had already tuned out the sound of the gramophone spinning his favorite record in the background, consumed by his own thoughts.
âYou seem busy.â
That irritating, grating voice.
Walter scoffs, his fingers pulling the cigarette from his lips and stubbing it out on the well-used ashtray on the windowsill.
âWhat is it this time?â
He responds curtly as he blows a plume of smoke out the window, turning his attention to the source of his irritation.
Walter doesnât like being interrupted when heâs so deep in thought. It feels like heâs in the middle of something important, though he knows he isnât. Still, itâs really annoying.
Standing by the velvet tasseled loveseat by the fireplace is a familiar face, one that belongs to the Hellsing trump card, Alucard.
He stands as still as a Grecian statue, having seemingly materialized out of nowhere. He looms just a few feet away from Walter, an unsettling but familiar grin plastered on his ghostly white features.
The vampire narrows his eyes ever so slightly before responding, his voice refined and calm, but laced with condescension. It reminds Walter of whiskey; smooth in essence, but burning on the way down.
âDo you think a monster is born or created?â
Walter blinks. The question feels out of place. Unexpected. Though, then again, everything in this organization does. Walter takes a moment to think before giving his answer, glancing over his shoulder at him.
âCreated, maybe. Evil is a learned behavior.â
Alucard lets out a dark chuckle at his answer, shaking his head ever so slightly.
âSuch a naĂŻve answer.â
Walter frowns.
âIâm not in the mood for this.â
Alucard doesnât respond to his dismissal, slowly approaching behind the butler with his gloved hands clasped behind his back like a lecturer inspecting a studentâs work.
âYouâve been trained to believe monsters make themselves,â he says, his voice calculating.
âItâs much easier to kill something you believe chose to be damned.â
Walterâs grip tightens on the windowsill, vexation dripping into his tone.
âIf something kills innocent people, I donât care how it came to exist.â
Alucard stops behind him.
âAh,â the vampire murmurs. âSo the sin erases the story.â
Walter rolls his eyes so hard it almost hurts.
âShould it not?â
For the first time, Alucardâs smile thins.
âThen by that logic,â he says quietly, âyou are simply another executioner in training.â
Walterâs pulse stutters beneath his pale skin. He whips around to face him, speaking through gritted teeth, his fists clenched at his sides.
âI am not. I donât enjoy killing,â he snaps, taking a small, shaky breath in a failed attempt at saving face before continuing.
âIâm not like you.â
Alucardâs red eyes flick down to his wristâright where his hidden wires rest. The wires he knows have taken the lives of countless undead creatures of the night.
âEnjoyment is irrelevant,â he replies.
âAction is what defines the monster.â
Walter swallows. âSo what does that make you?â
Alucard leans down just enough that his shadow swallows Walterâs; close enough for him to smell the iron and corpse rot on his breath.
âMore complex than your definition,â he says in a dangerously quiet voice.
âAnd far beyond your own comprehension.â
Walter stands his ground anyway, like a kitten raising its hackles and hissing at a mountain lion.
âIf monsters are born into this world, as youâre implying,â he says, âthen they can be taken out of it.â
âCareful. Thatâs the kind of thinking that gets little butlers promoted to martyrs,â Alucard murmurs, his grin returning in full force like a right hook to the face.
Walter canât help but freeze in place for a moment. He knows full well of the vampireâs capabilities, having seen them firsthand. It terrifies him beyond words.
Still, despite being a butler, he is a soldier too. A soldier cannot falter, even when faced with something out of his caliber.
âYou forget that Iâm not the one the Hellsing organization keeps on a leash.â
Alucard doesnât seem to like that too much. Walter can see his eyes narrow ever so slightly in response.
âAnd you forget, little one,â he says, âyou can be replaced at the drop of a hat.â
His grin widens almost impossibly, a chilling look in his eyes that Walter canât put a name to.
âYou are a child playing with an extinction button. The heat of battle has barely marred your skin. Once youâve been bested on the battlefield and meet your maker, theyâll have your job position posted by morning.â
Alucard leans even closer, chills running down Walterâs spine.
âYouâll be an afterthought. Forgotten and left to rot, buried under a rock. The dead are nothing but trash.â
Walter wears the look of a deer caught in the headlights of a semi-truck. It feels like heâs been hit by one, too. But before he can move his lips to respond, Alucard vanishes in the blink of an eye.
He stands in silence for what feels like an eternity, staring blankly at the wall. Deep within his gut, a pit of despair and rage fills him, his teeth clenching. He runs a hand through his shaggy black hair, pulling another cigarette from his pack.
That is the reality of being a soldier. Not just for Hellsing, but in general. You pay your respects, and then you move on. Youâre forgotten. Eventually, Walter knows that will be his fate.
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âYou need a name,â he murmurs, voice low and electric. âSomething worthy of what you are now.â
He kisses her temple, just once.
âRuby,â he whispers. âFor the jewel youâve become... and the blood you wear so beautifully.â
~
The chapel had long been abandoned, the rotted wood the stained worn color of dandelion yellow.
What once housed solemn hymns now echoed with the murmur of something olderâsomething darker. Candles flickered like nervous heartbeats. The stained-glass saints watched through fractured panes, their faces warped into silent screams by the flicker of flame and shadow.
In the center, the girl knelt.
NoâRuby knelt.
âRuby,â he whispers through the memory of her prayers.
Naked, save for the crimson handprint across her chest, left there by Alucardâs palm. Her hair clung to her skin in damp clumps, her eyes wide, unblinking. Awaiting judgment. No... ascension.
From behind the altar, Integra emerged. Regal, composed, her boots clicking like the ticking of fate. Her shirt unbuttoned dangerously low, her eyes trailed downwards; The cigar smoke precedes her like a ghost
Alucard followed in her wake like a curse dressed in silk and shadows. He carried a silver bowlâornate, etched with scripture in Latin and madness. It sloshed gently with the sacred blood of their enemies, freshly taken from a high priest whose last breath was a hymn to a deaf God.
âDo you renounce your former vows?â Integra asked, her voice smooth and cold as blade steel.
Ruby didnât flinch. âI do.â
âFor the jewel youâve becomeâ
âDo you forsake their God?â Alucard cooed, crouching before her, tilting her chin up with a bloodstained glove.
âI do.â
âDo you pledge your body,â Integra said, circling her like a predator in commandment robes, âyour will, your hungerâto us?â
âand the blood you wear so beautifully.â
âTo you,â Ruby whispered, trembling not with fear, but something deeper. Something ecstatic. âAlways.â
Alucardâs smile was slow. âThen rise, child of crimson.â
But firstâthe blood.
Integra dipped her fingers into the bowl and drew a line from Rubyâs throat to her sternum, then across each shoulder. âIn the name of death, we mark you.â
Alucard followed, pushing Ruby back until she lay across the stone altar, arms outstretched like a sacrifice too sacred to burn. He poured the bowl slowly over her chest, letting the thick, hot blood trail down her ribs, pool in her collarbones, paint her thighs.
âIn the name of war,â he growled, licking a droplet from her navel, âwe claim you.â
âAnd in the name of us,â Integra said, now close enough for Ruby to feel her breath, âwe baptize you. You are no longer theirs.â
Integra leaned down, and kissed herâchaste, but electric. A final seal.
Alucard followed with his mouth to her throat, whispering against her pulse, âYou are Ruby. Our Ruby. Our sacred sin".
The candles flared as if answering the rite. The chapel groaned, ancient and awakened. Outside, the sky cracked open with thunder.
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Summary: The dust had settled on the corpses of Millenniumâs soldiers 30 years prior but Alucard, still bound by Schrödingerâs power, remained trapped within himself. Heâd slain countless souls, each one a reminder of a life he stole when he was the No-Life King. As the waves of enemies wane and Alucardâs mind clears, his body starts to fail him, finally giving in to his decades-long starvation. But just as heâs given up, Alucard must face one last demon from his past before he can finally be put to rest. A piece of the vampireâs long-forgotten human life given sentience by Van Helsingâs experiments. A part of him that was locked away along with all of Alucardâs greatest abilities: Vlad DrÄculea.
Alucard panted softly as he lowered his arm, eyeing one of the humans as it died. Its body collapsed around the hand-sized hole in its chest before withering away to dust. The blood dried in an instant and flaked off of Alucardâs hand, taunting him for the thousandth - no - millionth time. He licked his lips; he could hardly remember what blood tasted like. How long had he been stuck in this wretched place?Â
He raised his hand and a shadowy tendril crept out from the depths of his coat, spearing another shambling ghoul as it tried to attack him from behind. The ghoulâs cry cut through the silence, then just as quickly cut off as its body withered away. Alucard groaned and knelt to the ground, the shadow receding. He shouldnât keep using his powers like that, not when he was so exhausted. He might need them if he encountered another horde, though theyâve been few and far between for⊠well, he couldn't tell how long.Â
He eyed the nothingness before him, the stark white as harsh on his eyes as ever. Thereâd been fewer and fewer creatures for a while now, and even with his vampiric abilities, he couldnât see or sense any other living thing within the blank expanse. He shouldâve felt relieved; without a million things trying to kill him, he could finally focus on trying to find a way out of here. But after countless times scouring the vast prison, he had never found a single identifiable marking or object, much less a way in or out.Â
What, then, was the purpose in all this? Why did he keep fending off these enemies? Whether human, ghoul, werewolf, vampire, animal, or any other worthless creature, what was the point in fighting them if they might bring him some sort of escape from this Hell? Or maybe he was in Hell already and there wouldnât be an escape. That mad Major had finally killed him and this was his curse for all eternity, fighting all the souls within him. Only, he had yet to see any of his victims return to try and kill him again. Between this and the sudden silence, he had reason to believe he was nearing the end of his purgatorial sentence.Â
His body was weak but his mind became clearer with each dead enemy. The power bestowed by the souls he once hoarded within himself had slowly diminished as they continued to attack him, leaving a different sensation growing in their place. Alucard felt his body flicker at times, causing him to quickly disappear and appear elsewhere without his knowledge or control. It wasnât something he had dwelt on until now, though, and as he thought of this power again, a feeling of unease crept into him.Â
âI donât have time for this,â he said, sweeping his gaze over the endless void for what mustâve been the thousandth time. It was too quiet now, his ears ringing in the absence of noise. The groans and screams that had been ever-present since his arrival were completely gone and he still saw no sign of escape in this vast expanse. He knew it couldnât be as simple as killing them all. He must find a way out. There had to be a way out.Â
Alucard stalked the endless boundaries of his prison for as long as he could stand, every second weighing on him as the adrenaline from the fighting finally began to wear off. The feeling of unease continued to gnaw at him, growing stronger as he grew weaker. His very being felt unstable, like his soul was trying to tear itself in two. At times his thoughts wandered and it felt like he was in two places at once, his brain struggling to comprehend either in his exhausted state. Still, he tried to push it to the back of his mind, struggling against this strange feeling in an effort to focus on his escape.Â
It was fruitless. When the old vampire finally collapsed to the ground he clenched his jaw, a fresh bout of fatigue washing over him. It had been a long time since he starved to death, and this time there wouldnât be a Hellsing to save him. He wouldâve laughed at such a pitiful thought if it werenât for the odd feeling gnawing at the back of his skull. So much for killing all those souls. He couldnât even have a moment to enjoy the mental clarity before his body started giving out.
He tried to steel his mind, gathering the last of his strength to focus on the ground in front of him. There must be a way out. He must get back to them: his Master, his servant. Alucard had longed for death for longer than he could remember, but it wasnât supposed to be like this. He couldnât die after abandoning them like that. No honor, no bravado, just turning to dust because of the antics of an insane Nazi. If he couldnât be slain by a creature more worthy than himself and if he couldnât make his long un-life worth something, it would have all been a waste. The thought made him sick.Â
There was no telling how much time had passed since he was stripped away from the mortal realm. The moment of his disappearance still weighed heavily on him even as he lay in a heap. He wished he could tell the others how he tried to return, how he struggled against the hordes in the hopes of finding a way to go back home, but now it all seemed so hopeless. His chance for escape had drifted away into the same nothingness that swallowed up every creature heâd slain while stuck in this place. He sighed as he laid on the ground. Now, it seemed, it was his turn.Â
âAre we to die like a piteous dog?â
Alucard lifted his head. The voice was his own, but different. Maybe he really was losing it.
The voice spoke again: âIâve waited a long time to say my piece on your actions. Or rather, your inaction.â
âUs,â said the voice, deep and heavily-accented. A silhouette formed out of Alucardâs shadow, stepping away from his body as it took the shape of his long-dead self: the Voivode of Wallachia. Vlad stood before Alucard, arms crossed, matching the vampire hunterâs distasteful look with one of his own.
Alucardâs mind was sent spinning. He knew he had recognized that feeling somewhere. Though if his Level 0 form - his ancient self - was truly here, he couldnât be sure. He vaguely remembered something about the brainâs last-ditch attempt at survival, all its chemicals consolidating to form a vivid hallucination to help ease the body into its final sleep. Alucardâs life wasnât flashing before his eyes now, though. Not like it had when he was first sent here.Â
Alucard lifted himself up on his elbows. âSo you decide to show yourself. I donât have time for your lecturing.â
âDo you not understand yet, Alucard? Has the solitude done nothing to sharpen your mind?â
Alucard looked past him, still searching for an escape. âCanât say I do. Fighting for your life doesnât leave much time for ruminating.â He continued crawling along the ground, still trying to wrack his exhausted brain for any inkling of an escape. Then, another wave of dread swept over him and he gasped, his whole body feeling like he was in free-fall. Without warning, the endless void disappeared for a heartbeat and he was somewhere else. It was noisy there, the blank space replaced by a slew of sights and sounds, but before Alucard could grasp what it was, he was in the void again. He looked around and this time Vlad was far away, nothing but a speck against the endless white.Â
âThe Hell?â Alucardâs mind reeled as the feeling of unease slowly abated. He hadnât seen anything like that since heâd been here. Was this place fucking with him somehow? Now that all the ghouls were gone, was he the only one subject to the voidâs strangeness? Â
âLook at you.â Â Vladâs voice was in Alucardâs head, then just as suddenly, he could hear Vlad speaking from behind him: âTattered and torn, one would think you weak for letting a few ghouls bring you this low. And to think this all could be avoided if you hadnât given up so easily.â
Alucard glared at him. âAnd what help have you been?â
âNone.â He grinned. âYou are our source, the only one who can free us. I am powerless except to guide you to the answer.âÂ
âHow convenient. I think you just came to waste time so weâll die faster.â
âIf you say so. Though you know you havenât yet exhausted all your escape routes.â
Alucard swept a clawed hand at Vlad and the ancient Voivodeâs form flickered, the shadows briefly warping before resuming their original shape.Â
Vlad raised his eyebrows. âYouâve enough strength for anger, so you must have the strength to escape. Yet you purposefully ignore the solution that is right in front of you.â
âConvenient that all you can do is scold me.â Alucard continued crawling, his mind running through at least a dozen different ways heâd like to eviscerate the specter of his old self. The feeling of unease started to claw back into his mind again and he tried to push it aside, urged forward by his rising anger.
Vlad was silent for a long moment, then: âAre you afraid, Alucard?âÂ
He set his jaw. âYou know already. Youâre in my head.âÂ
âI do, but if you wonât admit it to yourself, you will continue to hold us back.â
Alucard pulled himself up onto his knees. âI didnât know I carried a smart-ass old sage in my brain. Where was all this wisdom when your kingdom fell apart?â
âThat time is past us.â It was Vladâs turn to narrow his eyes. âIf you are not afraid, then what holds you back?â
Alucard rose to his feet. âWhat about Radu? What about your execution? Werenât you afraid? Where was your wisdom then?â
âWe have suffered and learned from my failings already, we donât need to-â
â I have suffered from them!â Alucard stepped towards Vlad, jabbing a finger at him. âWhat about William? Arthur? Where were you then? Why pester me now?â
âI did not have a choice. The restrictions forbade me from appearing.â
âThatâs never stopped you from giving your thoughts. Disapproving but never helping; your arrogance knows no bounds.âÂ
âI am trying to help you now!â Vlad loomed near Alucard, his figure broad and imposing with his armor.
âYour usefulness died with your army,â Alucard spat. âIf all youâre here to do is wax lyrical about dying, then Iâll have to kill you, too.â
Vlad pursed his lips.Â
âThereâs nothing different now.â Alucard gestured to him. âOne mad King without his kingdom and nothing useful to provide. Itâs a wonder William allowed you to exist.â
âBut there is something different. We can both feel it.âÂ
The words gave Alucard pause. Aside from the feeling of unease, there was something else fundamentally wrong about this whole situation. For one, his ancient self was here in the flesh, talking to him in a way he never had before.Â
Vladâs gaze softened. âThe restrictions. Our Master released them before we came to this place, but they appear to have remained unlocked. Or, I fearâŠâÂ
Alucard swallowed, his dry throat sticking uncomfortably to itself. âThere might be no-one left to hold our leash.â
Vlad nodded. âOf course, there is no way of knowing for sure. But we will never find out if you cannot get over yourself and try .âÂ
âTry what , exactly?â Alucard glared at Vlad again. âIâve tried everything since coming here. Scoured every inch of blank space, killed every last enemy before me, and yet here you are: wasting my god-damned time!âÂ
âThere is one last way. You felt it before, when you first came here. And again as you grow weaker. Yet even now you are too conflicted to use it, even when we may be wasting precious time.âÂ
âWatch yourself, Mad King,â Alucard scowled. âI donât like what youâre implying.âÂ
âWhat? That you may not truly want to return?â
âEnough!â Alucard raised his hands, calling upon the dark powers sequestered within him. Shadows roiled around him and Vladâs form wavered again.Â
The ancient king stood his ground. âAre you afraid of what it might do to you? Or are you afraid of what you might find when you return?â
Alucard swept his hands towards Vlad, commanding the shadows that made up his body. They rose at once without a sound, grotesquely stretching Vladâs form before splitting off to either side, ripping him in two. Alucard gasped with the effort and collapsed to the ground again, the shadows quickly retreating back towards his body. His past selfâs voice no longer chastised him; Alucard was alone at last.Â
Finally, some peace and quiet. He sighed again, his energy somewhat rejuvenated from the spat, but soon, the feeling of weakness began to creep over him again. His mind still toyed with the questions Vlad posed to him: was he afraid of returning? Why return in the first place? If it was to appease Integra, why bother if she might not be alive?Â
Alucard shook his head, resuming his stalking through the blank expanse. After all this time, was there any real reason why he was fighting to return? Was it just an animal instinct? Had anything really changed to make him no longer crave death? And so what if he did manage to return, would they be there to greet him? Would anything be the same with them? With him?Â
These questions crashed like ocean waves in his mind when suddenly, the feeling of dread welled within him again and he groaned, unable to focus his mind to hold it back. The endless void disappeared again, replaced by the place heâd visited during his earlier episode. Noise filled his ears like the collection of a hundred different conversations taking place at once, but it soon faded into a dull roar. As he regained his focus he could see a hundred glassy surfaces displayed before him, each one containing a moving image of some sort. Alucard stepped closer and he could see various people and places, each one like a self-contained moment in time playing before his eyes. The longer he looked the more he realized something was off; each place or person was connected to him in some way. People and places heâd visited or seen in the memories stolen from otherâs blood were on full display. It was eerie, like a camera was always positioned overhead.
âAmazing, ja? You get used to it after a while.â
Alucard whipped his head around at yet another new voice. It was sickeningly sweet, and if he didnât recognize it, he might even call it âinnocentâ. It was the unkillable cat-boy that Millennium cooked up, the wretched were-creature sauntering towards him as he curled a lock of his hair. Alucardâs hand twitched and he found himself missing his firearms more than ever.Â
Schrödinger grinned, sitting on the ground next to Alucard. âI thought it would be boring staring at someone elseâs scenery for all eternity, but yours is very entertaining!âÂ
Alucard narrowed his eyes but turned his attention back to the wall of moving pictures. He couldnât tell if these were the past, present, or future, or if he was just imagining it all. What was the boy implying? Is this how he traveled to and fro, avoiding death? Was this the ticket home that Vlad oh-so-helpfully tried coaxing him towards?
âYouâre the last one standing, then,â Alucard said, still not looking at the Cat.Â
âSilly vampire.â He tilted his head. âI was wondering what was taking you so long. Itâs no fun waiting for your turn to die.â
Alucard gritted his teeth. He scoured the wall for something more familiar than a brief acquaintance or a place heâd only visited once, trying to recognize a pattern within the chaos. He reached out for one of the visions and as he touched it, the feeling of unease clutched at his mind again, forcing him to withdraw.Â
Schrödinger yawned. âIf you wonât let me escape, you could at least give me a quick death. You really canât blame me for trying to do the same to you.â
Alucard snapped his gaze towards the Cat. âWhat the Hell are you on about?âÂ
He giggled. âAw, like a lost doggie trying to find its way back to its owner. Would you bark for me if I gave you a treat?â Schrödinger drew a finger across his neck where the knife wound still split his skin and his head lolled to the side at an unnatural angle. He stuck out his tongue. âMy last treat didnât agree with you.â
Alucard ignored him at first but then his eyes widened as a familiar smell punctuated the air. Blood. Real, warm blood. Alucard waited with bated breath for one heartbeat, then another, to see if Schrödinger would disappear like all the other corpses had, but the boy remained, bleeding all over the floor.Â
The were-creature opened his mouth again but his voice died in his throat. Alucard was upon him in an instant, tearing into the boy with teeth and claws until the Cat was reduced to a pile of gore on the floor. Blood at first pooled around the body but soon retreated towards Alucard, reinvigorating him as he absorbed it. Clarity washed over his mind within seconds, making him feel as though heâd woken up from a long slumber. It wasn't much blood, but it was much more than he'd had in a long time, and now, as he stood before the fall over reflective portals, he slowly came to realize the true purpose of the room that the Cat had sequestered himself in.
Alucard watched the innumerable moving images. One displayed a picturesque view of a nighttime city. Another, a woman decorated with white body paint. And another, the inside of an imposing Catholic church. These scenes were all initially unfamiliar to him but as his gaze lingered, the details crept up from the depths of his brain: Seattle, Washington, viewed from the top floor of The Westin. Jedda, an Aboriginal and mother to two sons. And finally, St. Stephan's Cathedral in Austria, a hallowed place even older than the King of Vampires himself.Â
Alucard narrowed his eyes. He wasnât unfamiliar with accessing memories from the souls heâd absorbed; he would commonly call upon them for missions or for his own amusement. It was, however, unusual to have them accessible all at once with such clarity. Â
He looked back to the image of the Aboriginal woman. His borrowed memory told him something wasnât right about her; Jeddaâs face was older with wrinkles where there were none before and when she smiled, a few of her teeth were missing. This was all wrong; things never changed in these stolen memories. The blood of his victims could only conjure images from the past, never the present or future. But maybe this personâs memory was flawed.Â
Alucard felt his gaze drawn over the other scenes, unease rising within him again - a truck rolling down a gravel road, a snow-covered car park - both older and more disheveled than he remembered. Other images flashed before him - a dark alleyway, a moaning woman, twin siblings sharing a beer - he couldnât tear his eyes away. Munich, Zhouzhuang, TromsĂž, Fort Smith - his mind was quickly filling with a cacophony of memories, none of them his own - forests, graveyards, bullets, sunlight, flowers, ho-
Alucard was in the void again. His heart ached; no, he was on that hill again, watching his final sunrise. He blinked. No, that canât be right. Heâs somewhere enclosed; he reached out into the darkness and felt the cool wooden wall of his coffin. Then, just as quickly, all these scenes began to overlay and blur together as the feeling of unease reared its head. It was like the sensation of staring at oneself in a mirror surrounded by other mirrors, each one infinitely warping the reflection until the reflection disappears into darkness. His mind and body were trying to separate from one another, each pulled in a hundred directions at once. Alucard cried out and a dozen deafening echoes followed. The pain was too much. All of this was too much.Â
Suddenly, the feeling of unease abated and Alucard collapsed to the ground. Bloody bile rose in his throat and he voided the measly contents of his stomach. It took a few minutes for him to recover, his body wracked by the onslaught of information. He was still shaking and his ears were still ringing when he stood again and realized he was back in the room where he found the Cat. The moving images peeked at him from the corner of his eyes and he quickly looked away.Â
What was all of that? Was this somehow the Catâs doing?
Alucard strode away from the wall of images, and as he drew further, his mind became clearer. He could feel Schrödingerâs blood steadily permeating his body, lending him strength. He called upon the Catâs blood, searching for a memory that might explain what the Hell any of this meant.Â
The boyâs strange life flashed before him: endless experiments, maniacal laughter, the sound of boots stomping one-by-one, Schrödinger flitting from place to place at will, then⊠Alucard narrowed his eyes. Millennium, the experiments, the Catâs role in his untimely downfall, all were made plain to him. So the void was a purgatory of sorts, intended by the Nazis to lock Alucard away within himself for all eternity. Clever, he had to give them that. Too bad they didnât factor in Schrödinger surviving long enough to reveal their secrets.Â
So that meant⊠He glanced at the wall of images. They looked so similar to the room that the Cat would use to appear and disappear at will. Was it possible that Alucard now had access to this power after killing Schrödinger once and for all?Â
The feeling of dreadful anticipation rose again and he averted his gaze. These strange sensations and random bouts of teleporting were easily explained by this revelation, but it still didnât explain the discrepancies with the memories. If the Cat were a vampire it might make slightly more sense for his powers to function based on the memories gleaned from drinking blood, but even if Schrödinger werenât a were-creature, Alucard knew of few other vampires that were capable of harnessing blood in such a way.Â
It must be something different, then. The Catâs powers must rely on the present time, otherwise heâd be infinitely more useful as a time traveler rather than an intangible - albeit annoying - messenger boy for Millennium. A sinking feeling hit the old vampire; it was evident from his earlier excursion that time had passed, since his victimâs memories didnât match up with what was shown in this room.
Doubt welled within him again. Would there be anything left for Alucard to return to, if time truly had passed? His memories didnât provide any gauge of how much time had gone by, and being stuck in the endless void didnât afford Alucard many chances to guess how long heâd been there. For the better, maybe.Â
Vladâs words echoed in his mind again. âAre you afraid of what it might do to you? Or are you afraid of what you might find when you return?â The damned warlord had a point, unfortunately, but Alucard didnât want to waste more time considering his guilty conscienceâs thoughts on the matter.Â
He looked back to the wall of images. His mind didnât stir with unease this time, though the sheer amount of information staring back at him was enough to set his head spinning. He assumed the feeling of dread was somehow linked to his ability to disappear and reappear at will, given his tendency to teleport whenever his mind lost focus. Which meant he would have to be sure of himself to travel anywhere with this power, or heâd risk getting hopelessly lost amongst the hundreds of thousands of places he had within his reach. There wasnât any room in his mind for turmoil or second-guessing. Either he would escape, or heâd lose himself to the endless void for good.Â
He couldnât be sure what would happen if he tried to use Schrödingerâs powers. He never tried to do so with any of the werewolves or other vampires heâd absorbed before, but none of them had affected him like the Catâs had. He might create an existence even worse than his current one, stuck somewhere as a featureless thing barely existing on the edge of reality and unreality. Or, he could never try and instead starve to a point of hibernation, essentially dying within the void without anyone to resuscitate them with their blood.Â
Schrödingerâs power was his only avenue for change, even if it wasnât effective as a means of escape. No matter if there was nothing waiting for him on the other side, no matter if using these powers might leave him fundamentally changed, he had to try. Even if it killed him.Â
With Schrödingerâs life-blood fueling him, Alucard had renewed energy to begin his search. He turned to look at the wall again, gradually accustoming himself to peering into the vast amount of visual information without becoming overwhelmed. He touched a hand to one image and it moved with him, shifting the others around it. There seemed to be no rhyme or reason to their organization, each scene as hopelessly jumbled as all the souls had been when he unleashed them upon Millennium. Though the longer Alucard stared, the more accustomed he became to parsing through them.
It wasnât long before Alucard found scenes directly relating to him; first it was locations in England, then the countryside, then Hellsing employees, then the Hellsing manor itself. It took him aback when he first saw it. Last he knew, the building had been completely destroyed during Millenniumâs petty little war stunt, leaving nothing but ash in their wake. Yet here it stood, rebuilt as if nothing had happened.Â
How long, then? How long would it take to rebuild such a structure? Months? Years? Alucard wasnât familiar with the logistics of planning and executing such a large project but he hazarded to guess it would at least take several years for the whole ordeal. It was here where he was again faced with the reality of his situation: how much time had passed?Â
Even worse, he wasnât able to see into the manor upon first examination. It was as though a dark cloud was cast over the entire building, blocking him from entering. The same happened whenever he tried to find someone he knew. Integra, Seras, the Frenchman, all were obscured from him. He could at least tell that they were still alive, which lifted some weight from his shoulders, but it was no less reassuring that he was unable to see them. He pushed it aside for now. At least he knew that Hellsing and its occupants still stood.Â
Now, with his mind somewhat put at ease, he could focus on harnessing the Catâs powers. He looked to the opposite end of the âroomâ where the wall of images seemed to cut off and he closed his eyes, searching in his mind for the feeling of dread that had been bugging him since his escape from the void. It seemed to hide from him now that he was actively trying to use it. The Catâs endless annoyances now extended to the powers heâd inadvertently bestowed upon Alucard. He cursed the boy and again tried to focus on that strange feeling, picturing where he wanted to go in his mindâs eye.Â
Alucard gasped, stumbling back. It was as if the Catâs powers were controlling him and not the other way around; his body felt strained and fragmented, like it was being pulled apart again, and Alucard was losing his grip on himself. His mind felt numb, like he was in a drunken state. His thoughts wandered aimlessly; would it be so bad if he just gave into that feeling? Wouldnât all this pain and stress disappear if he just allowed himself to stop existing?Â
Then, he was falling and the room was closing in around him, everything growing dark except for a tiny speck of light at the corner of his vision. It wouldnât be so bad to let go, now that he thought about it. At least he wouldnât have to starve to death anymoreâŠ
His body jerked and he was suddenly himself again, his mind snapping out of the stupor that he nearly lost himself to. He looked around, realizing that he hadnât gone anywhere, only stumbled to the ground in his confusion. He scowled and stood again. How the Cat managed to manifest and use this power was beyond his understanding, much less how its powers worked to begin with. But if he were to escape, he had to be determined to master this ability.Â
Alucard continued working at it for a long while, keeping track of the passage of time by the changes he observed in the outside world. Trees grew greener, then wilted, and died a dozen times over, carrying many seasons along with them as the old vampire became increasingly frustrated with his attempts at escape. He would not leave this prison until he was sure he could harness the Catâs powers. As much as he wanted to leave, the risk wasnât worth it.Â
Years dragged on and Alucard still found himself feeling unsure. His control waxed and waned, sometimes causing him to appear back into the void and other times causing him to lose himself entirely, making days pass by as though they were minutes wherein he no longer existed. These incidents were always the most concerning; Alucard had no recollection of the time in-between and only knew about it due to the changes observed on the wall of images. Even then, he couldnât be sure exactly how much time had passed, only that heâd been gone for a long time. So he continued, day in and day out, working out the kinks of the Catâs powers and trying to find a way to safely return home.Â
Alucard paced along the wall more frequently, his body and mind alike starting to deteriorate as the strength afforded from Schrödingerâs blood diminished. When he grew tired of toying with the Catâs powers he passed the time by searching the Hellsing manor again, trying to find some weak point in the impenetrable darkness surrounding the building. Then, one day, as if hearing his silent pleas, he was suddenly able to peer into the mansion as well as any other building heâd seen. Â
Unfamiliar faces littered the building from staff, to soldiers, to what appeared to be Vatican agents, with the latter hurriedly leaving. Alucardâs lips pursed as one familiar face appeared within the hallway: the Frenchman, though something was very wrong. He materialized from the wall as if he were a shadow, his form wavering as he shook his wrist in what appeared to be⊠pain? Then, another familiar sight: Seras running down the hall to greet him, talking quickly as she looked Pip over, concern written on her face. Pip soon shook his head and the two of them shared a laugh before they went their separate ways again, Seras waving as Pip chuckled and disappeared back into the wall.Â
Strange wasnât even close to describing what Alucard saw. Concerning might be a better word. Whatever powers Seras and Pip had developed over the course of an unknown amount of time was the least of his concern at this point. For all he knew, this could be an alternate version of events, and he may not even be returning to his own home. But, really, what else did he have to go on?Â
As the Frenchman melted away into the wall, a black haze came over Alucardâs vision. He glanced at one of the other images along the wall and, seeing that nothing had changed, he returned to looking at the place where the Hellsing manor once stood. Whatever these new powers were, Pip or Seras must have some ability to protect the manor if he was blocking Alucardâs view. It seemed that Alucard was not the only one who had changed in his time away from reality.Â
An uncomfortable thought gnawed at the back of his mind all throughout his excursion through the manor; what was his excuse, now? There was no longer any uncertainty about the othersâ survival and no uncertainty about their safety, but he still didnât know how much time had passed, and it gave him pause. If Alucard had changed so much in this intervening time, how much more had the others changed?
He put it out of his mind for now, concerning himself with the mechanics of his return. He was able to see what the manor looked like in the present, so he should be able to travel there without issue. Of course âwithout issueâ was a loose term when it came to his newfound powers, but the trip at least shouldnât be as difficult as it once was. Alucard now faced that same choice from years ago. He sighed: there were no more excuses, now. Time was running out for him, and if he didnât try, heâd just rot away in this place, gone without a whisper or a care.Â
He searched the wall of images as heâd done many times before, each fragment of reality now familiar to him. He couldnât be sure he would be able to appear in the manor due to Pip or Serasâs restrictions. Hell, he had only recently been able to teleport to-and-fro within this prison room with any amount of consistency. And with the weakness creeping back up on him, he wasnât sure if heâd be able to keep control of this power for long.Â
It was now or never, whether he wanted it to be or not. He warily eyed the place where the manor once was. If he were to try to get back to reality, he would have to go somewhere familiar. He was still unsure of how these powers would affect him if he attempted to return, and though he hated the idea of calling upon the others for aid, it might be necessary if he botched the return trip.
Alucard weighed his options and an unusual amount of emotion welled within him. He hadnât realized how much heâd missed existing until now, how much he missed having a purpose in his un-life even if it was to serve the design of humans. He smiled as he recalled the first time he met Integra, protecting the fearful little girl who would grow into the proud woman heâd become so fond of. He even smiled as he thought back on the other Hellsings: Arthur, William, Abraham, each one a strong leader in their own way. Then, he thought of Seras. How proud heâd been when he watched her accept her own powers and come into her own as a fully-fledged vampire. The thought of seeing how sheâd come along in the intervening years excited him as much as it tugged at his heart; he hadnât been there to witness it. He wasnât able to help foster that growth, even in his own begrudging way. Alucard even found himself missing England itself. Though it had been his unwilling home for many decades, heâd come to appreciate it and the people living there, along with all their quirks.Â
Alucardâs smile faded as he stepped towards the wall of images, extending a hand to touch the one that displayed the grounds surrounding the manor. The image wavered with his touch but remained in place. This wouldnât be much different from the times he teleported inside this room, or at least he told himself that. Once he was nearer to the manor, it would be simple to find a way inside, and then maybe he could finally restâŠÂ
He drew a deep breath. No time to waste, now; he could feel his control over these powers waning with each passing second as his body strained to give him its last bit of strength. Alucard focused his mind on the image before him, his thoughts filling with a desire to go home, with a desire to see them again, to have a purpose again. Then, his hand sank into the image as if it was drawing him in, the now-familiar feeling of unease seeping into every cell in his body, and Alucard disappeared for a final time.