He had disobeyed her direct order. The vampire had never done such a thing before. Integra still could not believe what she had seen. She had ordered him to stay with her men and to protect them from imminent threats and not leave them exposed. Though he had acknowledged her then, Alucard had vanished from the battlefield, leaving her men exposed. Nearly half of the squad had perished as a result. Integra was both shocked and infuriated. In the five years he had served her, since saving her life, Alucard had been frustrating at times, but he had never so blatantly disobeyed her.
Once she had banished Alucard to his quarters, with the threat of dealing with him later, Walter confided, "He must be punished."
"And how am I to do that? Should I deny him blood for a month? And have him be completely useless on missions?"
Integra growled under her breath, glaring through her office window. The sky was beginning to lighten, heralding the sun's arrival. She heard Walter's soft, patient sigh behind her. Somehow it did nothing but infuriate her further.
"What could I do to make an impact on that beast's thick skull?" The question was posed as much to herself as it was to Walter.
"You could punish him in the style of your ancestors, his previous masters," the old man pointed out.
Integra raised an eyebrow, half turning to observe her butler. "And how is that?" she questioned, her tone more intrigued than furious.
Walter inclined his head, frowning slightly as he closed his eyes, seeming to hesitate for a moment before speaking.
"I witnessed your father punishing him once. Arthur was mad with rage at the vampire's behavior and did not care to make the matter private. The Hellsings have a whip, created by Abraham, that is commonly used to punish Alucard for severe infractions."
"My father whipped Alucard in front of everyone?" she asked, stunned. The vampire was a prideful creature. She could only imagine he had not taken that well. It was a small wonder Arthur had lost control of the vampire.
She let the silence stretch between them, returning her eyes to the soft glow of dawn peeking out from behind the expanse of trees that circled the the grounds of the main estate. "No," Integra decided, her tone sounding almost absent, as if her mind were on something else entirely. "I will not whip him. Those were the methods of my ancestors, and obviously, such tactics have not worked. Seeing as he's misbehaved - yet again."
"Indeed, Ma'am." Walter's lips curved with the barest hint of a smile. "However, he must be punished. Lives were lost because of his actions. Actions that went directly against the commands you had given him."
"I realize that, Walter," she growled in a low tone.
After so many years of the vampire's complete obedience to her, what triggered him? Was he testing her?
"He needs to answer for his actions." Integra waved a dismissive hand over her shoulder, watching light touch the tops of trees some distance away.