A/N: Thank you all so much for the lovely favs/follows/and reviews! I love them all so much!
And FayValentine123! Thank you so much for your idea! I must tell you I did have something like that planned, but your ideas had inspired me! And I shall put you in the story soon! :D Thank you so much again!
And to those concerned about the progression of Alucard and Olivia's dynamic! Fret not! While I do tease and hint at it sometimes, which I realize is risky, I am making sure Alucard sticks to his beliefs. While it has been stated that Alucard loves Olivia, only a tiny part of it can be described as romantic love and Alucard has no intentions of doing anything to Olivia or pursuing her. He just loves her as a human and how similar their paths were at times and how Olivia never gave up while he did. She also reminds him of happier times in his life. I do realize Alucard's teasing and interactions with Olivia—especially as of late—are rather risky and raise some red flags but he will never cross the line or compromise his beliefs and I intend to make sure Alucard is still himself. Alucard respects Olivia as a human and would not do anything out of character. Alucard has also asked for permission from Olivia before doing anything, save for that time in the ballroom where he 'jokingly' bit her. And Alucard will only follow orders from Sir Hellsing. (This was in a deleted snippet from a previous chapter but Alucard told Olivia that he will always put Sir Hellsing above her and she agrees that Sir Hellsing's life matters more than hers. Lol. And Alucard has drawn his pistol on Olivia several times for speaking against Sir Hellsing, and that will not change even though he does care about her now. Heck, he cares about Walter too but didn't hesitate to fight him when he turned against Hellsing so that goes the same for Olivia if she should ever threaten the Hellsing family.) But I don't intend to have Olivia in any kind of relationship any time soon. There will be hints and moments, but nothing dire. And I intend to keep Olivia as a human. She is still in that dark place right now, but after the war, she will have to choose what path she will pursue and it will be on her own accord.
So…basically…I hear you loud and clear and I am watching my step so I can keep everyone in character! Lol! Sorry for the rambling!
I hope that clears things up and I hope this address your concerns, but I do apologize since I know my handling of their dynamic is very risky, especially since Olivia is still very young. I promise to work on that since I know it is dangerous waters and I never want to sully Alucard's character. And Alucard is a very difficult character for me to write yet he is also my favorite character to write, so I promise to do my best with him. And I have read my fair share of Hellsing fanfics and have noticed things I like and dislike about how Alucard is portrayed, so I am making an effort to avoid that while also keeping in line with his characterization. Thank you very much and I promise to be more careful! :D I do hope I never disappoint you guys! I love you all so much! :D
Anyways, please enjoy this chapter and I welcome all new and returning readers!
"I hope you're proud of yourself." Hugh interjected from his place at the laboratory doorway, crossing his arms as he inspected his friend from head to toe. "If that child loses her hand and is unable to fight, don't come crying to me."
"She's not a child, hasn't been one for the past eight years." Arthur scoffed, holding his bleeding wrist over a tin pan. "If Olivia wasn't strong enough to handle it, she would've died long ago. And I didn't jump into this blindly. Once the orders have been complete, my blood will exit from her body and she will have full use of her hand again. I'm not an idiot, Islands."
Hugh grunted in reply and continued to watch Arthur hold his injured wrist over the pan, three puncture wounds forming on his wrist.
Even after all these years knowing about Hellsing and their connections to the magical and paranormal, Hugh was still astonished whenever he witnessed it firsthand.
By applying samples of his blood onto Olivia's bracelets and drilling them into her bone marrow, Arthur was able to momentarily control her body so he could give Alucard his orders. However, a side effect of this 'spell' was whatever injuries appeared on Olivia's body appeared on Arthur's too, although to a lesser degree.
"Does it hurt?"
"Not as much as it hurts for Olivia." Arthur replied without missing a beat. "It's more like a pricking sensation for me to be honest."
"You should've have warned her." Hugh stepped forward, finally drawing up the nerve to ask what had been gnawing on his mind the entire morning. "Is this your way of getting back at her for Martha's death?"
Arthur's figure stiffened slightly yet he made no effort to defend or retort Hugh's accusation.
"I know you said it wasn't her fault, but I know you blame her for allowing it to happen. And Olivia knows it too. Why do you think she's been punishing herself for the past two years?"
"Think what you will of me, Islands." Arthur wiped the excess blood off his wrist and applied an antiseptic cream to his wounds. "I just want this war to be over with, no matter the cost." Then he picked up a medical bandage roll and tried to dress his wound with one hand. "….Besides, when Olivia begged me to accept her into Hellsing, she said she would be my sword and shield. So I'm allowing her to fulfill her promise to me. That is all."
Hugh watched Arthur struggle to bandage his wrist for a moment before striding forward and plucking the roll out of his hand
"Idiot…." He grumbled, placing a strip of gauze over the puncture wounds before proceeding to wrap the bandage around Arthur's wrist. "It'll get infected if you don't dress it properly."
"Hellsings don't get sick." Arthur smiled, though his eyes did not. "We all live to be a hundred without any medical problems."
"Don't jinx yourself, Arthur." Hugh scowled, a hint of worry laced in his stern tone. "The organization doesn't need a bedridden director."
Arthur just smiled again, and the room fell into a heavy silence.
In the back of Arthur's mind, he knew Hugh was correct and this deception was a cruel, juvenile way of getting back at Olivia for abandoning his fiancé. However, it was also a way of punishing himself, and that is why Arthur ensured the seal placed on Olivia's bracelets would affect him too.
But the pain in his heart didn't subside, and no amount of drinking, promiscuity, or vengeance would vanquish it.
And Martha would never forgive him if he allowed his fury and grief to consume him.
Her deepest wish was for this war to end so there could finally be peace, and that is what Arthur intended to accomplish.
No matter the cost.
"It is almost dawn." Hugh whispered, snapping Arthur out of his thoughts and he gazed down to find Hugh securing the bandage in place with a clip. "A new day is beginning."
"Yes," Arthur sighed, his eyes drifting at the pan of blood to his right. "The Dawn is finally here…"
The ground quacked violently as a thick mist engulfed the battlefield and the soldiers opened fire on Alucard, unaware they were already doomed the moment Olivia released the final seal on him.
Like the breaking of a dam, a river of eyeballs gushed from Alucard's mangled body and cascaded across the wasteland, ensnaring all of Hellsing's foes in its grasp.
And from the river surfaced the thousands of souls Alucard had consumed in his undead life—the souls of friends, foes, and loved ones who were damned to an eternity under Alucard's control. Blood poured from their eyes and mouths, and their hellish shrieks filled the air.
The soldiers could only scream as the river of blood devoured everything and everyone who dared to stand against it, condemning them all to the same fate it suffered centuries ago.
It truly was Hell on Earth.
Immediately after delivering the orders, Olivia's eyes returned to normal and she was forced to take in the River of Hell she had unleased with a strangled cry.
"WHAT DID YOU MAKE ME DO?!" Olivia wailed as she hunched forward, clawing at her bracelets. "I DON'T WANT YOUR BLOOD INSIDE OF ME! I DON'T WANT TO BE HIS MASTER! I'M OLIVE EMESE SONG! I'M OLIVIA EMESE SONG! I'M NOT A HELLSING!" She picked up a jagged tile shard and rammed it against one of the drills repeatedly in an attempt to remove them. "I'M NOT YOU! I'M NOT YOU!"
"OLIVIA!" Walter seized her left hand in his and fell down on his knees next to her. "YOU IDIOT, YOU ARE MAKING IT WORSE!"
He nearly puked at the sight of Olivia's mangled wrist but swallowed the urge and focused on restraining his hysterical partner. Walter knew of the powder's existence since Sir Hellsing briefly explained it to him before they left for the airfield. Basically, Sir Hellsing commanded Walter to keep Olivia from breaking the bracelets until the order was complete, yet Walter didn't know how the powder would enter her body and the effect it would have on her.
Nor did he know what would happen when Olivia gave the order.
Walter was aware of Alucard's past as both Vlad Dracul III and Count Dracula but to see the countless familiars he had inhabiting within him and how they were ripping the flesh and bones off the Nazi soldiers with ease, Walter felt a quiver of fear that just how powerful his Lord's pet truly was and how utterly weak he was in comparison.
"It's just as I remember…." Olivia whispered, staring down at the massacre through teary, half-lidded eyes. "How could I forget what a terrifying monster he is…." She then lifted her head and watched as a familiar dark figure emerged from the center of the madness. "Now he comes with his army to claim more souls….in the name of his master, Sir Arthur Hellsing."
Walter followed her line of sight and beheld Alucard in his true form as the Mad Prince of Wallachia. His torn cape billowed behind him, and with the swish of his arm, the entire undead Wallachia army materialized behind him and charged forward.
"Good God…."Walter breathed out, witnessing the army skewer Nazi after Nazi. "The fucking bastards don't even stand a chance…"
"That is because no one can beat him." Olivia laughed bitterly under her breath, recalling that night in his coffin in perfect detail and her mutilated hand immediately hovered over her heart. "Not even the greatest warrior alive….and not even you, Walter."
Walter's blood froze and his mind drifted back to that night on Tower Bridge and how his hand became wrinkly for a second in moonlight.
Once again, he was made aware of his own weaknesses as a human, and the sight before him only solidified his fears.
No human alive stood a chance against Alucard.
….Not even him, the Great Angel of Death.
"What a spectacular performance!" The Major applauded with a huge grin, the macabre display reflecting in his glasses. "What a beautifully, frightening monster our Count is!"
"M-Major!" The Doktor tried to lead the Major away from the exposed window. "It's not safe! We need to leave now!"
"This is a once in a lifetime show, my dear Doktor." He held his hands out and swayed them back and forth like he was listening to a grand orchestra play. "The dead are dancing and all of Hell is singing! Look how he absorbs the soldiers' souls as his own, Doktor! Look at how hideous he is!" Then the Major jerked his arms to the left and gestured to Walter and Olivia kneeling on the building adjacent to them. "That little fräulein was not a mere stage hand like I thought! No! She is this battle's leading lady! She and Walter C. Dornez have made this a glorious day to remember! They have allowed us a front row seat to witnessing the true power of Alucard, King of Vampires and Servant to the Hellsing Organization!"
Like the waves of a furious ocean, the sea of familiars crashed against the building over and over, causing the walls to crack and the roof to crumble.
"Major! We need to evacuate now!" The Doktor once again tried to maneuver his elated commander away from the window. "Our research has been salvaged, and our transport is ready to leave! We need to evacuate now so we can witness our labors bear fruit!"
But the Major paid no mind to his right hand's pleas and continued to revel in the hysteria before him. His own soldiers were having their tongues ripped out, their eyes gouged out, and their bodies impaled from anus to head, and all the Major could do was applaud in delight.
'You are having fun too, aren't you?' He chuckled, spying the grin on Alucard's face as he commanded his army forward. 'You are enjoying this as much as I am!'
Suddenly, another wave hit and a pipe from the ceiling broke through the plaster and swung down towards the Major's head.
However, before it could make contact, the Captain rocketed through the window and kicked the pipe through the wall, consequentially resulting in the room collapsing further.
"Captain, thank you!" The Doktor panted, patting his chest to ease his heart from that close scare. "Major, we need to leave now!"
"So we must." The Major sighed, finally relenting and stepping away from the window. "I was hoping to watch the finale, but I'm afraid I was must wait for another time." He plucked an imaginary rose from his coat pocket and tossed it in Alucard's direction. "Until we meet again on the battlefield, my dear Count."
"Olivia, we need to move!" Walter hoisted her up to her feet and frantically searched for an exit route. "Those familiars don't look like they know friend from foe, and I don't think Alucard will intervene on our behalf!"
"But there is no place to hide!" Olivia countered, snatching her wrist out of his grasp and stepping back. "Don't you understand?! All of the seals on Alucard have been lifted until every single soul on this battlefield is decimated, as per Sir Hellsing's orders! If you do something reckless, you might become one of Alucard's familiars!"
"Are you telling me to do nothing and watch?!"
"I'm telling you that you are a human boy against an army of the undead! Despite all your skills, you are no match for them!"
That struck a nerve, and Walter had to restrain himself from decking her in the face.
Olivia didn't notice the way Walter's hands curled into fists and instead turned to stare back out into the River of Hell.
Olivia loved Alucard and accepted him for what he was, but that didn't mean she was naïve enough to believe he would comprise his mission for their safety.
Sir Hellsing's orders were law in Alucard's eyes, and everything else came in second place or was meaningless.
Suddenly, a powerful wave hit their building and the roof caved in, sending the screaming duo spiraling into the darkness as the dead continued to dance.
When Olivia came to, she found a giant black box hovering above her face and it took her a moment to realize it was Alucard's coffin.
"What the hell is that doing here?" She winched, wiggling out from underneath it and cradling her bleeding forehead with her only usable hand. "Walter? Are you alright?" She scanned the former foyer for any sign of her partner but was only greeted with silence.
….Silence.
It was silent.
The 'songs' from the massacre were gone, and all Olivia could hear was a gentle breeze drifting from between the cracks in the wall and the main double doors.
Blood running cold, Olivia slowly stepped forward and placed her hand on the doorknob, hesitating for a moment before opening the door and allowing the smell of rotting flesh to overpower her senses.
It was an exact replica of what she had seen in Alucard's coffin.
Before her stood a forest of impaled soldiers with their blood and guts sliding down the poles, creating a tiny pond below them.
"It is finished…" Olivia mumbled, standing in the doorway and not realizing her bracelets were starting to glow red again. "The Vampire Project….has been eliminated."
She yelped when she felt and saw red and black slime ooze out from the holes in her wrist as the drills retracted, but instead of dripping onto the floor, the slime slithered around her entire forearm like a snake.
"What the—?" Olivia choked back a gasp when the red markings covered her bracelets completely and reduced them to ash. The bracelets Walter had crafted for her by hand….were now nothing but ashes.
But she didn't have a chance to react when the slime enveloped her forearm completely and constricted itself, shattering every bone in its grasp.
Her wails rattled the still twitching corpses as she crumbled to the ground, clutching her arm to her chest and feeling the bones rearrange themselves through the slime.
Then, just as quickly as it began, it was over and Olivia had use of her right hand again.
But….it wasn't hers.
From the tips of her fingers to the edge of her forearm, her skin had been dyed pitch black with three red crosses staining where the holes were.
This wasn't her arm.
This was the arm…of a demon.
"Wh-Wha…." Olivia's lips quivered as she held the cursed limb above her, tears bubbling over from her petrified eyes. "What….What have…..you….done….to me? What have you done to me? WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO ME?!"
"The price of an arm, for the victory of the war." Sir Hellsing's voice faded with every word, the connection forged between them dissolving. "You've done well as my sword, Olivia Emese Song. Now, go claim my dog and return home."
Olivia could only utter strangled gasps as she stared at her monstrous arm in the rising sunlight, reality slowly setting in.
"The price of an arm….for the victory of the war." She wept, tearing off part of her skirt and wrapping it around her right forearm before crawling to her feet and entering the 'forest'.
Her feet splashed in the puddles of blood and the right side of her body felt like lead, but Olivia pushed forward, her eyes locked on the caped figure in the heart of the 'forest'.
Alucard, still in his Zero release form, stood tall on a pile of bones with the area around his mouth stained in blood. He was ever the commanding and feared King of Darkness but when Olivia came into sight, he immediately leapt off his 'throne' and knelt before her as a dutiful servant.
"My master," He murmured with a thick Romanian accent. "I have comp—."
"Shut up!" Olivia hissed, biting her lip as angry tears began to fall. "I'm not your fucking master! I never wanted to be your master!"
Alucard peered up at her anguished face before taking in her crudely bandaged forearm with a blank expression.
"Be as it may," Alucard grasped the edge of his cape and wrapped it around Olivia's trembling form. "You gave the order and I completed it because, whether you wanted to or not, you had Hellsing blood in your veins."
Olivia could only whimper as another crack embedded itself into her heart, and she collapsed against Alucard's chest, her tears enough to rust his armor to the skin.
"I didn't want this…."
"It doesn't matter what you want, Olivia." He replied honestly, standing back up with her nestled in his arms. "That's the price of war and you are foolish to believe otherwise."
Walter observed the exchange from afar and accessed the damage Alucard had caused in a matter of forty-five minutes while cradling his broken arm and minding his fractured leg.
With the swish of his hand, Alucard had destroyed the Headquarters and all its inhabitants without a single scratch.
And it was Alucard, his Lord's cocky pet, who was consoling Olivia.
"It's a tragedy, isn't it?" A familiar voice sighed from behind him, and Walter whirled around to find the Major.
"Y-You're still alive, fatass?!" Walter yanked out a bundle of wires with his teeth and glared daggers at the smiling demon. "How the hell is that possible?!"
"It really is a tragedy." The Major continued his musings, ignoring Walter's questions completely. "He is a disgusting monster who forfeited his humanity and obtains his powers from the souls of others. Yet, look," The Major gestured to Olivia clinging onto Alucard. "He is ruin, made flesh, and yet…..he is loved. Alucard has waged war throughout the centuries, yet he is immortalized—romanticized—in books, films, and legends that last for generations. Now you, Walter," The Major peered up at him with a smirk. "You are extraordinary, but you are still a human. You will age and grow weak while Alucard will live on and there is nothing you can do to stop it."
"SHUT UP!" Walter flung his wires out, dicing the pillar next to the Major who didn't even flinch. "I will never become obsolete! I will live on forever as the Angel of Death! And I am stronger than Alucard! I will beat him and prove it to everyone that I am worthy of my title!"
"Really?" The Major hummed, doubt lacing his tone. "Can you really beat him the way you are?"
Walter sneered at his smug face but he was unable to argue back.
"My offer still stands, Walter." The Major held out a tiny transmitter. "Betray Hellsing and join me."
"What can you offer me?" Walter scoffed, rolling his eyes. "You could only crank out mindless dolls instead of actual vampires."
"I never said it would happen right away." The grin never left the Major's face. "It will take us years—decades—to ready ourselves for the next war. But, I promise you, if you are patient and give us a helping hand, I will ensure your epic duel with Alucard so you may solidify your immortality as a grim reaper."
Walter wanted to tell the bastard to go to hell, but for some reason now, he was tongue tied.
He….He wasn't actually considering it, right?!
Was growing old and fading into obscurity so frightening that he would betray his Lord, his love, and his country?!
"You don't have to answer." The Major chuckled, tossing the transmitter in his direction. "Just catch."
And without thinking, Walter's arm shot out and caught the transmitter and it felt like an invisible contract had been signed.
"Excellent. We will be in contact." The Major turned on his heel and waltzed away, raising his hand in a salute. "Auf Wiedersehen, Walter the Traitor."
Walter stared down at the transmitter in his grasp with a conflicted expression.
But then, he closed his eyes and exhaled slowly and when he opened his eyes again, the conflicted expression was gone.
And in its place…..was the expression of a cold hearted turncoat.
"I'll be waiting,….Major."
A/N:
8-year old Olivia: I'll be your weapon if you let me into your club.
24-year old Arthur: Sweet. Here is a silver bow, a bundle of lethal arrows, and a lifetime supply of trauma.
8-year old Olivia: Cool.
-8 years later-
32-year old Arthur: Hey, I'm going to cash in that raincheck now, cool?
16-year old Olivia: Sur—.
32-year old Arthur: Trick question. I'm your boss so you gotta do what I say anyways, you fool.
16-year old Olivia: K.
32 year old Arthur: Radical. I am going to fuck up your arm and possess your body for a moment then.
16-year old Olivia: Wait no not like that—!
32 year old Arthur: Its murder time, children. *cranks up "Hell" by Disturbed and adds another tally mark to the "Olivia gets screwed over" counter* Oh, by the way, the bracelets your best friend handcrafted for you are going to disintegrate and your arm is going to look like it contracted the Bubonic Plague. Toodle-loo."
16-year old Olivia: *laying on the ground in a pool of blood with her radius, ulna, and what remains of her carpals jutting from her wrist*…
Isn't that basically how it went? Lol.
And I listened to "Hell" by Disturbed on repeat while writing this chapter! Please give the song a listen! Link is in my profile!
So, yeah, Olivia's arm is suffering the repercussions of housing Hellsing blood and the process it took to house it. But once the blood left her body, Arthur didn't feel anything else from Olivia so all he has are three minor wounds and Olivia has the plague on her arm. And I changed the profile picture to reflect what her arm looks like! You can see the picture better on my blog!
And Walter may have made his choice, but he will have moments of weakness and doubt as the years progress! (But does that change his mind? No.)
Anyways, the brutality takes a vacation in the next chapter! It is time for some peace!
I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Please leave a review! I love them so~~~~~ much!
See you in the next chapter! :D