Disclaimer: I don't own anyone.
As impossible as it seemed, life went on. The days continued coming and going. The massive rip in her chest bled from time to time, but healed.
She made a solemn vow to herself that she would never put another human into that position again. They would either be strong enough to survive her lifestyle, or they would be accustomed to the vampiric lifestyle. This vow wouldn't be lifted even for her husband. She couldn't go through this guilty pain again.
Her hair fanned out beneath her as she stared up at her perfect sky, lying still with a bunny on her lap. She stroked its soft fur as she began to imagine the day when she would find the man of her dreams. Before, she hadn't given it much thought but the idea that there was a boy out there being prepared for her to love forever and for him to love her back… It was enough to get her through paperwork.
The bunny startled and fled from her lap. She sat up, wondering what in her dream would scare it. A vampire bowed to her.
"Your Majesty, your presence is requested at the palace by His Majesty," Integra furrowed her eyebrows. Alucard had never asked for her to come to his dream world before. She nodded and stood.
He glided behind her, his fingertips gently resting on her elbows. Slowly, they began to rise from the ground, ascending to above the treetops. His legs began walking and she copied. She suppressed a surprised laugh as they began walking on air. Her world beneath her slowly died, turning into the withered trees and soon the sea of blood. She couldn't decide between this or riding in the gondola; both had their perks and disadvantages. Soon, the vampire was gently descending onto the street of the palace.
The vampire led her up, past the ballroom, higher up the staircase than she had been. He went down to the end of a long, stone corridor occasionally illuminated by the glow of a torch. He bowed to her as they reached a set of double doors.
"Thank you," she murmured and he vanished. She glanced up to see his symbol painted in blood across the doors.
"Come in," Alucard murmured from the other side. She pulled on the large ring. It swung open with an ominous long creak.
Alucard was relaxed in a grand mahogany chair with velvet red upholstery, one foot resting on his other knee in the male version of crossing one's legs. He looked at her, a smile on his face. She froze in the doorway.
"What's wrong?"
"You're smiling."
"Am I not allowed to be happy to see you?" He asked curiously. She walked towards him.
"On the contrary, I wish you were always happy to see me. It would make me less suspicious of your smile."
"Aw, where's the fun in that?" He gracefully got to his feet. She shook her head incredulously.
"So, why did you want me over?" She asked. He stopped smiling.
"Well, for one, I miss you. Don't tell me you're right upstairs," he added seeing her open her mouth, "Sadly, it's not that simple. Second, I wanted to fulfill a promise," What promise?
Alucard's hand grasped her left one, his on top of hers. He guided her right onto his shoulder, which she could just barely reach, and rested his other hand on her hips.
"I'll lead. All you have to do is mirror me; step back when I step forward, to the side when I guide you that way."
"So this is dancing, then?"
"The basics, yes. Don't look down," he said, catching her wandering eye. She looked disbelieving at him.
"Then how am I supposed to know what you're doing?"
"If I do my job well, you won't have to look down. There'll be some foot stepping to begin with, but once you get the pattern, it's fairly uncomplicated."
"Well, they have to make it that way if men are to lead," she said unapologetically. Alucard chuckled.
"Back then, it was the women who were supposed to be dumb," he took a slow step forward. Integra stepped back and he nodded his approval.
"Then why did you pick me?" She asked softly. Though she didn't explain thoroughly, Alucard seemed to understand.
"Because I never thought that way. Truth is anyone has the capability of being intelligent; women were suppressed, so they never had the opportunity to show it," The hand that had been on her hip rose and gently touched her face, "Even if someone was prejudiced against women, if they had been in the basement that day they would have chosen you too."
She pressed her cheek against his hand, looking into his eyes. Something was fluttering in her stomach, like a case of the flu. They were so deep, so emotional… He broke his gaze.
"That's only one dance. There are plenty of others," he said, his hand moving from her face down to her hip again. The fluttering dulled, but didn't go away.
Integra woke up feeling confused. What had gone on between them last night? That nauseous feeling in the pit of her stomach? It wasn't guilt, or fear. Then what was it? And why couldn't she stop thinking about Alucard's soft eyes looking into hers?
Weeks passed and her symptoms were only getting worse. Her thoughts were borderline obsessive, and she constantly felt warm or was breaking out in a sweat. She had been able to hide her illness for awhile, but Walter was beginning to pick up on it.
"Miss Integra, you've hardly eaten anything the past few days. Is something the matter?" He asked.
"I think I'm sick," she confessed.
"Oh?" He pressed his hand to her forehead, "You don't feel warm."
"Not now, no. It comes in flashes. My heart races, my cheeks burn, and I can't think straight. I get nauseous to the point where I can't eat." Walter looked at her a moment and then gave a knowing smile.
"Do you get really nervous or excited and can't sleep at night?"
"Yes."
"Does it usually only happen when you think about a certain someone?"
"…yes."
"Do you feel ecstatic when he's around and depressed when he's gone."
"…yes but how do you know it's a "he"?" She asked defensively. Walter kneeled down beside her, taking one of her hands in both of his.
"My dear Miss Integra, there's nothing wrong with you. It's simply a classic textbook example of a schoolgirl crush."
"A…crush?" She repeated. Walter took her tone as confusion.
"Mmm hmm. Every girl goes through at least one or two, some as many as once a week. It's perfectly normal," he assured her with a broad grin, patting her hand as he rose to his feet and left.
Perfectly normal… She doubted that. There were so many things wrong with it; first of all she being very certain this wasn't a crush. Randy had been a crush; her feelings towards Alucard…stronger, fiercer, and much less bubbly. Then there was the matter of differences, the two most blaring being the ages and the races. And, of course there were the professional-personal boundaries, and how much more difficult it may be to retain her power over him. Perfectly normal? Nothing in her life was ever "perfectly normal".
The next few days were spent between the Internet, the library, and the video rental store. A notepad had words written all over, mostly fragments and vague ideas that only made sense to her. There were things scribbled out, X-ed out, or arrowed in; diagrams decorated the margins. Alucard phased into her office, curiously looking over the various media items covering the desk.
" "Pride and Prejudice"? "Titanic"? "Seventeen" magazines? What the hell are you doing, master, preparing to take on an undead army of hormonally-charged teenage girls?"
"No, Alucard, this is personal research," she murmured, finishing a thought as she noted where she left off in the article.
He disappeared and then reappeared behind her, his head tilted to the side. Integra took a deep breath, trying to keep her symptoms in check.
" "What is Love"? Is that what you're seriously trying to figure out?" He asked as he read the title. She gave a small nod.
He picked up her tablet and tossed it in the garbage. Integra's eyes widened; she had been working on that for days!
"Alucard!"
"Master, vampires have devoted their eternities to trying to master the question you pose, as well as humans. Love is the most ambiguous term in existence," he declared. She growled.
"Then how am I supposed to control it if I don't know what it is in its entirety?" Alucard laughed.
"You naïve child… It's not an army you have to fight, or some pet that will obey your commands. It's a force, unstoppable and certainly uncontrollable."
"That's what it is, then? Some force of nature, like the tide or the rising and the setting of the sun?" Alucard shook his head and she huffed, "Then what is it?"
"Love is a word which you," As he said that word, one gloved finger gently pushed into her heart. It started pounding desperately, "Assign meaning to. That's the definition."
He glanced curiously, taking his finger away and then pressing it back experimentally. Annoyed and afraid that he'd figure out the source of the surge in tempo, she swatted his hand away. He said love was unstoppable, uncontrollable… This scared her worse than anything.
The symptoms didn't go away. They worsened occasionally, but never fully went away. She sighed and typed "cures for a crush" into google. Figuring that Dartmouth would have a good answer, she clicked on the link.
"There's no cure for a crush, it's like a debilitating virus that sweeps through your body. The crush has to run its course. In my experience, the best solution is pure will power: essentially making the decision, and telling your mind to move on. But, you have to really want to move on. This may require deleting phone numbers, throwing away journal entries about the person, and trying to cleanse your mind by focusing on other things and keeping busy." She sighed; like she could get Alucard out of her mind.
She glanced through the other links, but none of them had any advice that she could actually use. She was just about to look up a voodoo potion promising that all of her emotions would be drained when she felt the usual suction of all happiness and hope associated with either a dementor or her friendly neighborhood vampire.
Alucard just about laughed until blood came out his eyes as he looked over her shoulder.
"Really, Master, you're too much. You are trying to wage war against it, aren't you?" Integra growled at him. It was so much easier for the symptoms not to come when he was being such a jerk.
"I don't want these feelings. They're just a hindrance," she muttered. His eyes suddenly went from incredulous to empathetic.
"I know. God, how I know. Love has to be right up there with change and uninvited guests when it comes to inconvenience," His hand cupped her chin, guiding it to look at him. She did and she felt the symptoms rage through her as he looked honestly into her eyes, "Promise me you'll fall in love, no matter the consequences. That you'll be able to feel all those things no one can accurately describe, even if it means a broken heart?"
His eyes showed that rare bit of sadness, that glimpse of something more than a monster. That sliver of humanity Integra had no idea how he had managed to hold onto all of these years, and sometimes it seemed like he didn't. She could see the heartache of his decisions and the urgency for her not to repeat his mistakes. Strangely, she had the sudden desire to take that all away from him, to reach up and hold him close. Then she realized he'd just break away and hiss like a wet cat, unknowing at all about the emotional roller coaster she was on.
"I promise," she said firmly. She broke away from him, fidgeting with her gloves, "Alucard, I, I…" His eyes widened, beginning to look desperate as he unconsciously leaned a bit forward, hanging onto her words. Intimidated to say the least, Integra turned away, "I need you to go get Walter," she grumbled. Alucard stood there a moment, waiting for more. Once he realized that that was all his young master was going to say at this point, he vanished.
Walter appeared a few minutes later. He immediately looked alarmed at Integra's melancholy disposition.
"What is it, Miss Integra?" Her eyes pleaded with his.
"Make it go away, Walter. I can't take it." He smiled sympathetically, coming beside her.
"Having boy troubles again, eh?" He leaned against the desk, "I suppose the question is what do you want to do about these emotions?" She snorted.
"What do I want to do with them? I want them to go away!" She growled, one of her hands curling into a fist. Walter tilted his head.
"Is that what you really want?" He asked softly. She paused, Alucard's deep eyes burned into hers.
"No," she admitted. She bowed her head shamefully, "I…I want to be in control, to be able to manage this. I…want him to feel the same."
"Well, then, how do you ever expect him to understand if you don't tell him how you feel?" Integra stared at him in horror.
"Are you crazy?! I can't tell him; he'll make fun of me at best!" She shrieked. Walter shrugged.
"Well, unless you've picked up some tricks that I don't know of, you can't read minds. You'll never know what he's thinking unless you ask and/or tell him."
For the first time in Integra's life, she was seriously considering suicide as an option.
&&&
The next few days were a sort of game, a strategic plan known as guerilla warfare, crush style. Integra would start, wrestle a bit, and then run off, leaving Alucard utterly baffled.
Monday:
Integra came to the railing and leaned over it. Alucard paused, for once actually walking towards the door instead of taking a portal to wherever he was going.
"Alucard, I…" Her tongue suddenly went numb. He glanced back and she just gave him two thumbs up before dashing off. He stared a moment, wondering why the hell she was wishing him good luck when he was just going outside to shoot a few squirrel ghouls.
Tuesday:
There was a knock at the door to his room. He didn't respond, his legs propped up on the table. He glanced over as Integra walked in.
"So nice of you to knock before coming in uninvited," he teased. Integra pursed her lips.
"I just…I was going to… you bastard!" She turned around, slamming the door behind her.
Alucard was ninety percent sure he didn't deserve that one.
Wednesday:
"I love you. I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you," she repeated the words over and over to the image of Alucard in her head.
Alucard phased into the room just then, ignoring the fact that Integra was chanting under her breath to herself.
"Walter wants to know-"
"Oh really, Walter wants to know? Well, he can't know! You're the only one who's supposed to know and I can't even tell you!" She slammed her fist on the desk, "Why don't you just read my thoughts?! It would make it sooo much easier on the both of us, or at least me!"
"I thought you said I wasn't allowed into your thoughts…"
"Well sometimes the situation calls for it and this is one of those times! I just want you to know and, and I just can't say it out loud!" Alucard looked at her distressed state thoughtfully.
"I'll just inform Walter that your choice of lunch meat is a touchy subject," he said before disappeared again. He may have to invest in a mood ring.
Thursday Integra just went down to the kitchen and fetched herself an ice pack, pressing it to her forehead. Ready for what was to him breakfast, Alucard entered. He paused a moment, taking in the scene.
"Feeling a bit under the weather, are we?" Integra's eyes flicked to him.
"I have been for quite some time. I'm about ready to just ride this out however long it takes," Alucard arched an eyebrow.
"Why don't you just tell him already? Get it over with? It'll only hurt for a little bit if worse comes to worse; the rejection will give enough sting so that you'll get over him…hopefully."
"Thanks, Alucard. I really have no idea why I don't come to you more often for guy advice," she said sarcastically. She set the ice pack down, her heart pounding as she looked at him.
His head tilted to the side curiously, trying to read her without any vampiric aid. Integra took a deep breath as the words began to come up like vomit, unable to be swallowed back down this time.
"I love you, Alucard."
He looked like he was about to laugh and come up with a retort, but stopped. His smug features faded away, a kind of sad longing taking their place.
"Really?" He asked, his tone doubtful like a child who had been lied to one too many times. Integra took another deep breath, bracing herself for whatever insults he was going to throw at her.
"Yes. I love you."
Alucard was absolutely still for a moment, his eyes swirling with odd emotions. Integra grit her teeth, holding onto the counter and ready for the ridicule. In the time it took her to blink, he had closed the distance and pressed his lips to hers.
Integra hadn't been prepared for this reaction at all, and gave a startled choking sound. The lips were devoid of all heat; rationally she knew why but it blew her away how utterly cold they were. But they were soft, smooth and gentle against her own. He broke away before she had the chance to react, his muscles tense in anticipation of a slap. Integra leaned forward, standing on her tiptoes as she kissed him. His lips eagerly pushed back, this one lasting a little longer before it broke apart briefly.
"It's insane, more insane than anything before, but I love you too, master," he breathed. Integra thought she was going to have a heart attack at his words.
They continued kissing, a bit more fiercely but still softly. Integra's mind became hazy as she reveled in all of the strange emotions she was experiencing. He loved her back…he did… One of his hands came up, idly pressing down the collar of her shirt as he stroked her neck. His lips strayed from hers, kissing along down her jaw line. She closed her eyes, enjoying the rare affection and pushing the lingering doubts out of her mind. He wouldn't do anything to hurt her.
There was the sound of a whip slicing through the air and suddenly Alucard was still. Integra opened her eyes to see Walter, his face flushed and his lips curled back. The monowires glittered in the light, one roped around each of Alucard's arms, legs, and one around his neck.
"You have three seconds to get the hell away from Integra before I show you just exactly why you should be glad you weren't a Nazi," Alucard obeyed, stepping back as the wires dug into him, leaving bright red lines. Integra stared at Walter and Alucard in turn, Alucard refusing to look her in the eyes.
"Walter…"
"Integra, go up to your room. Immediately," his tone was strict, authoritative. Integra tried to read Alucard's expression, "Now, Integra!"
Integra skirted them, still keeping her eyes on Alucard. Neither of the men moved, though a thick tension was mounting. The minute she was clear of the room she heard Walter shout, "What the hell were you thinking?!?!" She felt the question applied to her as well.
For hours she sat in her room, the yelling match too muffled in order to hear their exact words. Her chest heaved in silent dry sobs, in shame and fear. A vampire? For the love of God, she fell for a vampire?! And the worst of them, too?! What was Walter going to do to him? What was Alucard going to do?
If she had any control over it, she wouldn't've picked him. It would have never been Alucard. But she hadn't. It had just happened, out of the blue, without a cure or balm. She couldn't help that she fell for him.
So why should she fight it? Wasn't he the perfect monster anyway? Perfect to defend her, perfect to keep her safe. Why not just accept it for however long the disease lasted? Alucard couldn't do anything about it any way.
As soon as she had resigned herself to this parasite, there was the slam of a door downstairs. She jumped and took a shaky breath, sitting up and straightening herself. There was a soft knock at the door and she stood up, fixing her glasses one last time before she turned. She took a small step back as she saw his eyes were red and puffy.
"Walter…"
"Miss Integra," he breathed, walking towards her. She couldn't look at him; his face was so contorted with pain it tore her apart, "My dear, dear Integra."
"Walter I, I didn't mean…"
"Of course you didn't. I would never be so ignorant as to believe you would choose this path," he came up beside her, "I'm not so far gone that I've forgotten what a little puppy dog love is."
"I don't think it's puppy dog…"
His hand grabbed hers, squeezing it softly. Integra turned to him and his eyes held a strange, fiery razorblade edge.
"It has to be. This can't be your true love. I won't let it be wasted on the likes of him!"
"On the likes of him?" Integra's voice rose defensively. Walter shook his head.
"You don't understand. Love is blind. He may seem like he has no flaws but the more you dig at him the more you'll find the true horror underneath. I fought beside him in the worst conditions and I saw to his very core. He is an absolute demon." A hand went to her face, holding it, "Integra you are the daughter I never had. And I'll go straight to hell gladly if I didn't do everything in my power to make you happy."
"Then why are you doing this to me?" She said through clenched teeth.
"Because I love you and I know how he could tear you apart. I must protect you from your own foolish heart," A couple tears spilled out from his eyes. Integra tore her hand away.
"I'm not foolish! And if you really loved me then you'd let me make my own decisions! I'm sixteen years old, I run an organization all by my damned self, and this is the first selfish thing I've done for myself in months!" Her hands curled into fists, "You don't know Alucard like I know Alucard! It's hidden and deeper than most ever go, but there's a bit of man still inside of him! He told me he loved me today!"
"Integra, I'm begging you. Do NOT go any further with this! Don't fall in love with the devil!"
"Don't tell me what to do! I am the master of this house and I know what I'm doing!"
"No you don't! He was going to bite you!" Integra paused in her rampage, staring uncomprehendingly at him.
"…bite me?"
"Yes, bite you! What else would a vampire be doing with your neck?!" She shook her head.
"He wouldn't… He has no consent…"
"Do you think that matters to him?" Walter growled, "Integra I have no idea how strong that contract is. For all I know he could walk out and never return. I just know that his intentions are never pure and that my master is in serious danger!"
"But…he loves me…" she insisted, her voice cracking. Walter's teeth grit together.
"Not enough to overcome himself," he sighed, giving a small bow, "If you'll excuse me…" She didn't respond as he turned and walked away. She stood there for a minute before going to her office, her mind buzzing.
After Integra took time to digest these new thoughts, and regurgitate them in disgust, she realized Walter's conclusions were meaningless. Even her own interpretations were without merit without knowing for a fact Alucard's intentions. With an almost shaky voice, she called for him.
"Alucard."
The familiar shiver coursed up her spine as he passed through into her office, looking braced for a scolding. Integra walked towards him, his eyes flicking up and meeting hers firmly. She felt her heart pound in that familiar warmth, but she wouldn't turn away. Her mouth opened, but she couldn't voice her questions. She squirmed helplessly as he watched, unblinking.
"…my throat aches," she murmured. He gave a slight nod of recognition. As he continued to watch her, she suddenly got the strong impulse to grab his face and force him to look away.
"Walter was right," he finally spoke. She stared uncomprehendingly, "About most of it. Especially my intentions in the kitchen." His lips curled back slightly as his teeth clenched together, "If he had been one minute, one minute late, your eyes would be a different color by now." She physically recoiled, glaring at him.
"So it was just a li-"
"I never lied!" He hissed, "As shameful, as destructive, as horrifying and selfish and downright wrong it is… I love you, my dear Integra." Despite the seriousness of the situation, her heart gave a small flutter as he said it again.
She shook her head.
"If you love me, then why would you do that?" She murmured. He snorted.
"Because I'm not about to let you die, and the clock is ticking every day."
"But you know I could never be like you," she whispered, "I can't even stand the thought… Why would you do that to me if you loved me?" Her voice trembled slightly, her eyes pained and childish. Alucard remained partly aggravated, partly amused.
"I love you beyond caring about your feelings…and yet not enough to get over my selfishness. I'm not going to let you be human, even if it means defying your orders."
He could. He had just stated that he could ignore her wishes to some degree. A secret, it seemed, that had been kept from her.
"You wouldn't," she insisted. He snorted.
"Haven't you learned by now not to put limits on me?" He gave a one-shoulder shrug, "It would be insanely difficult, but I'm sure I can manage to fight off the Control Art Restrictions long enough," he grinned at the challenge. Integra had to clench her hands into fists to keep them from shaking.
"But you lo-"
The words were strangled as she felt his gloved hand around her throat. Her pulse hammered against his fingers fearfully, especially as his suddenly deadly serious eyes locked with hers.
"If you ever say that word again to me, I can promise you I won't be able to hold back," his hand eased away from her throat, "You've forgotten who I am, haven't you?"
"I know exactly who you are. Do you remember your place?" She challenged, managing to keep the quiver out of her voice.
He glanced at the desk and took a forgotten flyer, something Integra hadn't even bothered to read. He folded it up and tucked it into his coat before flamboyantly flicking his coat out. He knelt in front of her, bowing on one knee to her in that familiar fashion. A minute later, he got back to his feet, walking backwards towards the door.
"I believe we both need a reminder." He phased through the door.
It was only then she allowed herself to collapse in her chair, crying lightly like a child. How had her first kiss gone so terribly wrong?
&&&
Walter had become unbearable in the next few days, hovering around Integra like a mother hen sensing a fox nearby. His relationship with Alucard was strained at best, damn near explosive at worst. Not that Alucard roamed much farther than the basement now. She knew better than to call on him for anything other than business, but the loneliness and despair were almost eating her alive.
She was beginning to wonder… Could it really be that bad? People chose that path all the time. If it was a decision of mortality versus true love, a true love that could never die, well of course she'd pick true love. She'd get used to transfusion blood and would be all the better for running the Hellsing Organization; the undying leader. She'd love to see the look on the Round Table's face when her eyes went from sky blue to demonic red. The more she thought it over, the more romanticized the vision became, to the point that she almost said the forbidden word to him Saturday morning.
His almost grumpy demeanor and squinting eyes stopped her from saying it, instead staring at him.
"Alucard, what time is it?"
"An ungodly hour," he turned around, "Get ready to go into town. I slept in later than I should've, and we don't want to be late for story time." As usual, she had no idea what he was talking about, but nonetheless put her jacket and shoes on and grabbed the keys.
"Should I-"
"Don't bother. He knows," he cut her off. Integra mentally shrugged it off; it made sense that he'd warn Walter before taking her anywhere.
Alucard took the wheel. Two minutes later, they arrived in the parking lot, Integra just grateful she was alive and vowing never to let him drive again.
"You would've been too slow," he explained, tapping into her thoughts. She rolled her eyes and undid her seatbelt. His eyes stared at the library and she could almost see the light in them behind the sunglasses, "It's at its prime right now."
"Alucard, can we save the riddles for another time? Why are we at the library? What are you so eager about?"
He turned to her and she felt the car's air suddenly become very tense. His lips formed a thin line as he handed a note card to her.
"Master… I need you to give me that exact order. It's crucial," he said severely. Integra stared at him a moment before reading the card aloud.
" "For the next twenty minutes, only for your objective, all control art restrictions are down. No matter what I say, no matter how I scream or beg, you must carry out your mission"." Her eyebrows furrowed, "Alucard what is this?"
"Is it an order?" He asked firmly.
"…yes," she murmured, seeing no reason why she shouldn't trust him. She caught a glimpse of a dark grin as he morphed through the car.
The library was fairly busy, people of all ages browsing the shelves or playing on the computers. In the children's section, a middle aged volunteer woman was rounding up the little ones for story time. The occasional beep as a book was checked out or a whisper were the only noises. Alucard paused only momentarily before moving towards a corner, an odd pipe sticking out from the wall.
"Yes, I believe this will offer the best view," he commented, motioning her to stand with her back to it. She did, a thousand questions running through her mind.
She suddenly felt the coolness of metal around her wrist, and a click. She turned around to see Alucard handcuffing her to the pipe, the chain wound around it before locking her other wrist.
"You've lost my true self in a sea of illusions. Now, allow me to make it crystal clear exactly who you are dealing with," he growled.
He strode away, leaving Integra to stare at him in a mix of confusion and the feeling of impending doom. He first went to the door, bending pieces of metal around the handles to barricade the doors. This of course didn't go unnoticed.
"Sir…" An elderly man began to interrupt. Alucard glared at him and then, in a sickeningly seductive tone.
"There's no problem." The man blinked, but didn't disrupt Alucard again as he locked the windows, pulling the blinds shut. He made his way to the electricity grid, though none of the lights flickered. The beeps from the front desks suddenly stopped, the librarians glancing confusedly at the blank computer screens.
Integra winced and turned as she heard something being ripped. Oh lovely; he was tearing the phones out of the walls.
"Alucard…" She said in annoyment. He glanced over at her and shook his head.
A smirk flitted onto his lips.
"Now, my dear, it's time to show you what a monster is truly capable of."
A woman on the shorter end of the spectrum stormed towards Alucard, who continued to hold a phone jack in his hand.
"Sir, what on earth…"
"I believe the locale you're searching for is "hell", not "earth"," he corrected mildly.
In an instant, the cord wound around the woman's neck and he began pulling it. The woman clawed at it as it dented into her skin, gasping for air.
"Servant!" She shouted, but he wasn't listening. The cord finally began to cut into her skin and she was soon gushing blood, all the while still trying to breathe, "Alucard?!?!?!"
He released her body, glancing around boredly. One of the men had come forward with a gun and shot at him. This only made the nosferatu look like a bit of Swiss cheese, calmly advancing and tearing his arm off.
"Stop it! Do you hear me?! Your master Hellsing commands it!" Integra shouted, but it was as if he had gone deaf. A darkness crept into his eyes, one she had only seen on rare occasions and that made her blood run cold. It was the look of a true vampire about to feed.
Whatever opposition faced Alucard was soon crushed, the others running and trying all the exits. There were the screams of women, the cries of children, and the exasperated grunts of men as Alucard calmly advanced, tearing through them like cotton balls. He occasionally paused to feed on one or two, but didn't wait long to continue on his massacre. Integra practically beat herself silly trying to break the pipe or the handcuffs, failing to free herself.
"Alucard, stop it! Stop it!" She screeched, tears falling down her face. He glanced at her and smiled, laughing as he continued onward.
Her sobs hadn't even caused him to pause. Her words were just wasted oxygen.
He started towards the children's section, where the little ones were hiding in vain. The volunteer had broken down into shameless weeping, trying to hide between the book shelf and the wall. Alucard reached out and grabbed her by the roots of her hair, dragging her away. He punched and kicked at her like a toddler, laughing the entire time as though it was the most fun game in the world. To end it, he twisted her head around until it popped off.
"Alucard! Alucard! ALUCARD!" Integra begged. It fell on deaf ears.
One by one he devoured the children, even impaling a few of them on the spare legs of chairs. He finished off whatever ghouls or fledgelings he created, standing in the midst of gore and flesh he had created. He slowly turned back to her, his eyes glowing as he was covered from head to toe in blood. His grin revealed every one of his razor sharp teeth, giving a maniacal bone-chilling laugh.
His footsteps echoed as he purposefully stepped towards her. Each thud caused her heartrate to skyrocket, the murderous look still in his eye. He wasn't…he couldn't… She shrank back against the wall as he pushed up against her, closing her eyes as she failed to suppress a shudder. He forced his lips against hers, his tongue pushing its way in. She screamed, blood being poured into her mouth. He pulled away and she spat it out.
"You…" She snarled.
"Me what? You gave the order," he pointed out. He broke off the handcuffs, "What kills is your intent."
"Intent my ass!" Fresh tears started up, "They, they were innocent, just humans…!" He shrugged.
"So what? They were tasty," he said nonchalantly, "Especially the little ones. Now, let's get back home; I want to go back to sleep after that play." He beckoned her to follow. She shook her head, taking a few steps away.
"I'm not going with you, you monster," she growled. Alucard shrugged and chuckled.
"Suit yourself," he faded away, leaving Integra alone in the aftermath.
Integra's head swam with all kinds of emotions, somehow trying to find a correlation between her Alucard and what she had just seen. Her conclusion was that it had just been an elaborate front, and that, just now, was his true self. She had fallen for it, just like any other stupid girl, and now she had to figure out how to recover.
She glanced around the room. He had killed them. All of them.
&&&
Walter went from not worrying to worrying to looking out the window every five minutes. It was getting dark, and Integra still hadn't returned. He was just about to call on Alucard when the front door opened. Integra walked through, her eyes red and puffy and speckles of blood on her shirt. He rushed over to her, but she waved him off.
"If you want the story, watch the news," she said coldly, "I'm in no mood to retell it. Alucard will be severely punished for his actions today, rest assured."
That was the first time he truly saw the Iron Maiden, a mask that had been developing for some time but now was formed to perfection. She could put it on and take it off at will, disguising her true delicate heart.
The door to the basement opened. Alucard glanced up, a "what now?" expression on his face. Integra clenched her hands into fists to stop the shaking.
"You are never to come back up from here under any circumstance. Do you hear me, servant?" She said firmly. Alucard bowed.
"As you wish, my master."
Integra slammed the door shut, the sound echoing throughout the house. They were right back to where they started; he in the basement and she in the library. Only now she was all too aware of the monster who stirred under her bed.
&&&
The dawn was coming. She must've dozed off, but something woke her up. She glanced down. The stone slate she had been curled up on had cracked underneath her, chewed up ropes scattered around. She quickly got to her feet, her dress swishing lightly around her ankles.
"Alucard?" She asked, glancing around. He must've broken it; that was the only reasonable explanation.
"Though the Witch knew the Deep Magic, there is a magic deeper still which she did not know. Her knowledge goes back only to the dawn of time. But if she could have looked a little further back, into the stillness and the darkness before Time dawned, she would have read there a different incantation." Integra froze.
"Alucard?" She asked again, something not seeming quite right.
"I feel my strength coming back to me."
She turned around and saw him standing in the way of the sun. The silhouette of a lion just beyond the stone. Integra grinned and started running towards him.
"Oh Alucard, I was so afraid!"
She stopped dead in her tracks. It wasn't right. His fur was pitch black except for his symbol, a deep red on him. His eyes were glowing a deep red, his sharp canines standing out against his darkness. He sunk down into a crouch, but Integra was unable to move.
"Catch me if you can," he purred, before lunging at her, claws bared. She screamed as he tore into her throat, her body becoming nothing more than scraps of meat as he held onto her.
"Miss Integra!"
Integra was suddenly shot into consciousness, screaming and thrashing around in her bed. It wasn't a lion that had her; even without her glasses she could make out Walter, his arms like a straightjacket around her. She gasped for air, sweat plastering her nightgown to herself.
"It's alright. It was just a nightmare," he said softly. Her chin trembled as she shook her head. No, it could really happen; he would be so pissed she locked him up again, and after she rejected him…
She leaned into his shoulder and sobbed, the Iron Maiden opened up and letting the young girl out. Walter rocked her gently, rubbing her back.
"He's going to kill me. I know it," she panted. Walter shook his head.
"No. I can promise you he wouldn't."
She didn't argue with him; he didn't understand. He hadn't put everything together like she had. The desire for her blood, his love for her, her pushing him away just because of a little nip… One of these days he would go after her and, though she wouldn't stay dead, he would kill her.
&&&&&&
…I can just picture Integra laughing at Bella Swan. Please review.