Gym
Disclaimer: Hellsing belongs to people who are not me. I am making £0.00 out of this fic, it is written purely because I have a burning need to create. Although I would like to own Alucard . . . then he'd be mine.
Rating: PG
Part: One of Three
Italics mean either flashbacks or thoughts
Chapter One
"Where are you going?"
The question made Seras jump and she dropped the duffle bag resting on her shoulder. She heard her master snort behind her, amused by her clumsiness, or her surprise she wasn't sure and didn't rightly care.
"What?" she asked reaching down to pick up the bag.
"You're dressed oddly," Alucard said prodding at the latex over her legs, he pinched the fabric between his fingers and pulled the tight but stretchy material away from her and let it snap back into place.
"Ouch," Seras said, despite it not hurting. "I'm going to the gym." She gestured at her ensemble of leggings, trainers and tank top, "I'd have thought it obvious." Alucard blinked at her for a long moment, Seras winced under the confused scrutiny. "What?" she said again.
"Why?" Alucard said, stealing the duffel bag and opening it.
"Rude," Seras reached to take it back and failed. Alucard pulled out her towel, water bottle and I pod still appearing baffled. "Stop that."
"Just checking," he muttered dropping the bag and its contents before turning and walking away. Seras picked up her stuff and frowning turned to head out.
She returned two hours later, starving hungry and slightly frustrated. Entering the basement kitchen expecting to find Walter hard at work she was again surprised to see her master keeping the aged butler company.
"Ah, Miss Victoria," Walter smiled. "Back already? Did you have a productive workout?"
"Kind of," Seras said. She smiled when Walter handed her a glass of water and sat down next to her master.
"Only kind of?" Walter said.
"Well, yeah," Seras muttered. "I was expecting to be pretty sore; I mean it's been a long time since I did any training. This was the first time since …" she trailed off.
"Since you died," Alucard helpfully finished for her, she made a face for a moment before nodding.
"I just expected to feel it a bit more," she shrugged sitting at the table opposite the two men.
"Your disappointed that you're not sore?" Walter said Seras shrugged again.
"Must have done something wrong," she said. Alucard put his head in his hands and groaned, Seras glared at him.
"There are days when I wonder if you have two brain cells to rub together," the master vampire snapped. He turned to Walter, "she's imbecilic."
"Oi," Seras snapped. "Rude." She was tempted to ask why her master thought her foolish on this occasion, but her pride stopped her.
"You expect to do the same level of physical activity that you did while alive and are disappointed that it had no effect," Alucard said, his tone harsh. Seras could feel him gearing up for a full on rant and decided she'd rather not endure it.
"I was pretty fit," she said. "stronger than most, you have to be to be a policewoman." Alucard let his mouth fall open gaping like a fish out of water for a full second before growling at her again.
"You know nothing of what we are," he said softer than Seras had expected. "Not even the misinformation put out by television and cheap novels."
"What are vampires weak against gyms?" Seras snapped. Alucard took a deep breath through his nose and leaned back in his chair.
"Think," he said. "What makes a vampire strong?"
"I'm guessing you're not going to say free weights," Seras said. Alucard growled again but stopped when Walter put a hand on his shoulder.
"If I may," he said. "Miss Victoria think you must have seen movies, or read books, comic, something that portrayed vampires." Seras nodded, she'd seen a few films. "Tell him something that all those dissimilar films had in common when it came to the strength of the monsters portrayed."
"It was unrealistic," Seras said eventually. "and inconsistent."
"No," Alucard snapped. "It wasn't, unrealistic that is."
"So …" Seras said.
"I lifted a tank for Integra last week when her lighter rolled underneath it," Alucard said.
"No way," Seras said before she could stop herself. "You've got skinny little arms."
"Oi!" Alucard said. "Rude."
"It was rude," Walter nodded when Seras just glared. "but what I believe your master is trying to portray is that your physical strength is no longer tied to your muscle mass or any other physical aspect of your being."
"Reality is ours to play with, that includes our physical form," Alucard said. "even the weakest of us can twist ourselves to suit."
"So, I could make myself buff without free weights," Seras said to herself. Alucard sighed loudly.
"She's doing this on purpose," he said to Walter.
"Doubtful," Walter said. "I must admit that it baffles me that you struggle with this but had little trouble with some of your more eldritch talents."
"Huh?" Seras said.
"Alucard said you opened your third eye on your first mission, shooting far further and with more accuracy than a mortal." Walter elaborated. Seras nodded.
"I did," she admitted.
"But you're struggling to comprehend that you could bench press a small car," Alucard said.
"Oh," Seras finally clicked. "You're saying that I wasn't doing enough, I'm stronger now so it'll take more to build muscle." She stood smiling. "Thanks, though you could have just said that." She turned, heading for the shower.
"She's deliberately being obtuse," Alucard muttered when Seras left.
"It's difficult for her, she's trained for a lot of her life to be strong physically, it might just take some time for her to understand that no amount of protein shakes or bench presses will aid her now." Walter stood and headed to the oven turning it on for dinner. "I confess I do not know how your kind increase in physical strength."
"Its all in the will," Alucard said. "Vampire strength comes from the strength of will, the more you know yourself the stronger you become."
"So a vampire riddled with self-doubt," Walter started.
"Would be a weakling," Alucard nodded. "That is perhaps the simplest way of putting it, though it is an oversimplification."
"Maybe if Seras sees that physical training won't help she would be more accepting of other teachings?" Walter suggested. Alucard nodded slowly an idea forming in his mind.
"Walter?" he said. "What's heavier than a tank?"
End
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