A/N: Thank you to patamon642, PrincessOfTheNight01, and I Dream Therefore I Am for the favs and following my fic! I promise things will pick up in the next chapter~! :D
Anways, I hope you enjoy and this chapter pleases you!
Welcome to all readers!
As Alucard waltzed back towards town, Olivia witnessed what had become of the townspeople.
Her family weren't the only ones who'd been attacked by the vampire.
Corpses of neighbors lay scattered throughout the streets, their blood painting the walls and cobblestone pathways. However the gruesome sight didn't faze her in the slightest, already growing used to the sight of mutilated bodies.
The realization made her skin crawl as she continued to inspect the surroundings before noticing something peculiar.
"Where are their bodies?" She gestured to the scraps of clothing littering the streets with what seemed to be ash sprinkled around them.
"The ash you see is all that remains of those sorry souls."Alucard stated plainly, as if he was discussing the weather. "When a vampire bites a non-virgin or someone of the same sex, they become ghouls."
"Ghouls?" Olivia's mind drifted to the scary stories she used to read in secret because her parents had forbid it. "Do they look and act like other vampires?"
"You will see soon enough. Once you've been properly trained as a soldier of Hellsing, you will exterminate vampires and ghouls alike." That unnerving smile spread across his face once more. "I look forward to that day, little girl."
"My name is Olivia." She mumbled under her breath, hesitant to voice the correction aloud. Alucard still had his gun in his other hand and just because he agreed to take her with him didn't mean he wouldn't kill her if she stepped out of line.
Alucard was obviously a powerful vampire if he could do all this damage without a single injury. Hopefully she wouldn't do anything to get on his bad side.
"Is Hellsing the organization you work for?" She inquired, genuinely curious about her new 'home'. "Does it specialize in killing vampires or something? Are there other vampires like you-?"
"Shut up. You're starting to annoy me." Olivia immediately clammed up, aware he was glaring at her behind his glasses.
"My apologies, Mr. Alucard." She didn't look away though, not wanting to look feeble. If she appeared weak, then he would leave her behind.
Alucard studied her for a moment before grinning once again, seemingly pleased by her refusal to shrivel away from his gaze.
She wasn't afraid of him, judging by how talkative she was and how she was holding onto him. Alucard didn't know if it was fearlessness or childish ignorance, but he was curious how this little girl would fare in the Hellsing organization. She wasn't frail hearted since she readily challenged him and that pathetic excuse of a vampire, so if she kept that fire in her eyes burning, she might grow up to be someone interesting.
'Someone quite interesting indeed.'
Once they reached the town limits, Alucard placed his gun in its holster before facing her once more.
"Close your eyes and hold on tight, little girl. And don't open them until I tell you to."
Olivia didn't need to be told twice and quickly buried her face against his shoulder, replying with a muffled "Yes, sir".
'She is obedient too." He mused. "Good, it'll be easier to train her then."
He could hardly wait to get started.
Olivia let out a tiny squeak as she felt them lift off the ground, her heart going a mile a minute.
'Please don't throw up, please don't throw up' was her mantra, imagining Alucard dropping her if she soiled his coat.
As if he could read her thoughts, Alucard gave a hearty chuckle, his chest vibrating against Olivia's cheek.
That was the only 'warning' she got before he shot up like a bullet, becoming nothing but a red blur zipping through the nighttime sky.
'OH GOD OH GOD' Her nails dug into his shoulders as the harsh winds whipped around her and made her stomach turn. 'PLEASE DON'T DROP ME, PLEASE DON'T DROP ME."
But Alucard never loosened his grip as he zig-zagged across the sky, their destination rapidly approaching in the distance.
When they began to descend, it took all of Olivia's willpower not to empty the remains of her lunch on him. In the back of her mind, she pondered whether he was doing this to get a reaction out of her or not.
"Open your eyes." He commanded, reaching out to peel her quivering paws off his shoulder, smoothing out the wrinkles as he went along. "We are here."
Slowly, Olivia peeled her eyes open and inspected their new surroundings, finding them standing in the middle of a mansion foyer. A large chandelier hovered above them, its gold plating glittering in the light, while a grand staircase lay before them with a dark, red carpet dressing the stairway.
Coming from a middle class family, Olivia was star struck by the presentation of wealth before her and wondered if a princess lived here.
"Wow," She breathed, her green eyes sparkling in delight. "Is this where you live, Mr. Alucard?"
"Yes." He replied, slipping off his glasses and revealing his maroon eyes to her. "This is the Hellsing Organization Headquarters in London. I wil-."
He was interrupted by Olivia suddenly reaching out and touching his face, her expression the definition of fascination.
"And just what do you think you're doing, little girl?"
"You have really pretty eyes, Mr. Alucard." She hummed, tracing his eyelids in childish wonder. "I thought they'd look like that creature's, but yours look like rubies! They even shine in the light!"
Alucard didn't know what to make of her odd compliment. Never had someone compared his eyes to gems before.
With a bemused gaze, he removed her roaming hands from his face and placed them back at her side.
"What a stupid thing to say." He jostled her slightly as punishment. "Are all little girls this foolish or just you?"
"H-Hey!" She clung to him, even though Alucard still had a firmer grip on her. "I was just making an observation, Mr. Alucard! You don't have to-!"
"I will now take you to meet my master, Sir Arthur Hellsing." He gracefully marched up the stairs, cutting her off before she could start rambling. "As a solider of Hellsing, you will also serve under him."
"…I see." Olivia nodded, her palms starting to sweat with every step he took. What if this 'Sir Arthur Hellsing' turned her away? What if he had no need for a child soldier with zero fighting experience or any knowledge on the organization's enemies? How would she put her family's souls to rest if they didn't give her a chance?
"Are you afraid, little girl?" drifted Alucard's voice, breaking through the haze of her thoughts. Olivia immediately shook her head, knowing now was the time to be strong.
"Not at all." She scowled, not liking how mocking his tone was. "And stop calling me little girl, Mr. Alucard. It is not nice to call people names. How would you feel if I called you old man?"
This time Alucard did drop Olivia, her surprised yelps bouncing off the walls.
"Owie!" She rubbed her rear, glowering up at her supposed 'savior'. "What was that for?!"
"You talk too much." He snapped, his eyes glowing before continuing forward, leaving Olivia to scramble to her feet.
"W-Wait for me, Mr. Alucard!" She scurried after him, stumbling slightly since her legs had fallen asleep.
Once she had caught up to him, she reached out to grasp his index and middle finger, marveling at how small her hand was compared to his.
He spared a glance down at her but didn't say anything nor did he swat her away. But Alucard didn't slow down, meaning Olivia's short legs had to work twice as hard to keep up with his long strides.
Eventually, he stopped in front of a mahogany double door with golden door handles. Olivia peered up at the name plate and gulped. Her future would be determined by the man inside that door, and she could only hope he would be willing to take her on as a member of his organization.
He had to.
For the sake of her family, Sir Helling had to accept her.
And if he had any doubts, she would quell them because nothing would get in the way of her penance.
Nothing.
As if sensing her firm resolve, Alucard didn't waste a second in grasping the golden handles and threw the doors open, alerting the inside occupant of their arrival.
Praying for her family to watch over her, Olivia straightened her shoulders and followed Alucard inside, the doors slamming shut behind them.
'No turning back now, Olivia. It's time to show Sir Hellsing what you are made of.'
A/N: Olivia is still a child, despite her new mission and what she has seen. So I figured she would say childish or do childish things like calling a vampire's eyes pretty and asking lots of questions because of curiosity. In the next chapter, Olivia will meet Arthur and her growth as a Hellsing solider will begin! :D Alucard will also explain his reasons for being in Northleach.
And I do not plan on writing Alucard as some big teddy bear because he is not a cuddly teddy bear. But, I read a headcanon once that Alucard, despite his borderline sociopathic nature, cannot ignore the plight of children. He remembers what happened to himself during his childhood so the small shred of humanity still inside of him will reach out to help them...in roundabout ways of course. Lol. Alucard is very much an antihero after all. But he is capable of act of kindness and caring for others, according to his interactions with Integra, Seras, and Walter.
Look forward to the next chapter!