A/N: Hello, everyone! Thank you all for the lovely reviews/favs/follows from the last chapter! And I am sorry for any heartbreak I have given you, I promise to continue doing so lol. Sorry.
Here is the next chapter! Please enjoy and I welcome all new and returning readers!
Thank you again and enjoy!
Warning: Details of self-harm, physical/emotional abuse, gore, foul language, Hellsing typical violence. Please be aware and read with caution.
"You are no longer the master here, Arthur Fairbrook Wingates Hellsing."
"How weak you are, such a pathetic man."
The raspy taunts and jeers swirled around Arthur like a vortex, each syllable pulsating in and out of his ear.
Yet, he couldn't fully register them, not with the appalling sight before him.
The streets of London were submerged in a raging inferno as the No Life King's army devoured everything and anything in sight. The stench of blood, sweat, and tears permeated the night air, and all Arthur could do from his perch on a rooftop was gawk in utter horror.
This was the setting of his nightmare from almost five years prior.
Everything was playing out the same—the destruction, the massacre, the wails for salvation.
Yes, nothing had changed….except for one thing. And as Arthur's eyes drifted to the heart of the inferno, the voices cackled in twisted delight.
Five years ago, Arthur's nightmare ended with Vlad devouring Olivia as she begged for mercy—like a rabbit in the jaws of a predator.
But now….now Olivia stood tall on top the remains of the Queen Victoria memorial, her white dress billowing around her and Sic Parvis Magna in hand.
Not an ounce of fear was evident on her face, and instead—it was her staring Vlad and his army down.
And in turn, Vlad—Alucard, Dracula, the vile No Life King himself—fell to his knees before her and bent to kiss the ground she stood upon as his army did the same, all of them falling in sync like a ripple.
Then all was silent for a moment before a chant of "Salve, Regina! Salve, Regina!" rose from the army.
Hail, Queen
Hail, Queen
Hail, Queen
That's right, how could he have forgotten?
How could he have been so fucking stupid?!
"She is the one in control now, Hellsing."
"You never should've taken her in."
"Why didn't you let her die at Warsaw? She served her purpose there."
"My, my it appears it was not Alucard you should've been afraid of, but her."
The taunts impaled his skin, and Arthur could only gasp for air as Olivia craned her head back and smirked up at him with crimson eyes.
"You have created a monster, Hellsing." Bony knuckles caressed his cheek, feeling the perspiration drenching his skin. "Oh, poor thing, you haven't been feeling well, have you?"
"That's right. You even fainted, didn't you?" A pair of lips kissed his jugular. "How unfortunate. You have been rotting from within without realizing your undertaker is at your side."
"Wh….what?"
"That woman loves her family above all else, right? She even sold her soul to you to avenge her fallen one. So, do you think she would let the man responsible for enslaving her husband to live? Do you think she wouldn't take revenge for all your transgressions against her? You are poisoning yourself, and she doesn't even have to lift a finger."
Arthur couldn't even conjure a response, petrified by his 'loyal soldier' commanding the King and Army of the Undead with grace and poise.
"But, you can stop this vision from coming to pass." The bony hand slid down to his right wrist, poking the scars. "You still have this ace up your sleeve, remember? You can regain control, but you have to hurry. The Queen will call checkmate soon, and all hell will truly break loose."
"How do you know so much?" Arthur clutched his chest, a vice constricting his lungs in its deadly grip. "How do you know all of this to be true?! How do you know what Olivia is capable of? How do you….how do you know she wants me dead?"
"Well, we suppose it is something you wouldn't understand," A man with a heart shaped face and a woman with emerald eyes loomed above him, black tar gushing from their lips and nose. "You aren't her parents, after all."
The village of Northleach had been bulldozed after the 1936 massacre, leaving nothing but dirt and hastily dug graves in its memory.
Despite all that, it wasn't difficult for The Captain to sniff out the Songs' decaying remains and transport them to The Doktor. Very little remained of her brothers, yet her parents' corpses had enough to stitch together an entire being.
Thanks to Walter's generous intel, Millennium knew of Olivia's Hercules Hand and Achilles Heel—her family.
Initially, the attack was simply psychological—reanimating her family using her blood and forcing Olivia to slaughter them before revealing their identities and soaking in the glory of her mental breakdown.
Yet, as the Songs' awoke with a single drop of Olivia's blood on their decayed tongues, a phenomenon occurred that flipped the entire operation on its head.
Instead of mindless ghouls, the mismatched corpses possessed the memories and emotions of their mortal selves—the exact memories and emotions the Songs felt before their demise.
The children cried out for their sister's presence, and the parents fretted over where their daughter had run off to.
Yet, there was something off about their manner of speaking—each word was devoid of any love or care and instead held nothing but malicious intent.
Upon their resurrection, the Song didn't want to embrace their Olivia but extract revenge upon her for abandoning them—the children wanted to consume her whole after playing one last game and the parents deemed devouring her heart from within was reasonable punishment.
How wonderfully strange, the Song family had returned to Earth as demons.
And all of this occurred from one drop of blood.
The Doktor thought his work with Mina's corpse would be the highlight of his career but this—this was something beyond his imagination! Mina had briefly been a vampire before reverting back to human form, but Olivia's blood was in a league of its own—a type that was neither human nor monster.
Her blood was pure, untainted, human, but her heart carried the kingdom of the dead.
A contradiction.
An oddity.
This was the power of the mortal Queen of the Night.
How fascinating.
How exciting.
Olivia didn't even understand the power she possessed, and the Doktor longed to obtain her body so he could study her. He could unlock another world in the unknown, yet that would have to wait. He only had a few short hours to revive the Songs and mold them to the Major's will, so there was little time to be in awe.
And yet, the oddities didn't cease there.
While doing his final inspection, the Doktor noticed something peculiar—faint bruises on their legs. And, at that moment, his eyes drifted to the monitor where Olivia was absentmindedly rubbing her thigh after bumping into the kitchen counter.
It wasn't just life Olivia's blood had given them, but a bond.
They were connected, body and soul.
And to The Major whose hatred for Olivia skyrocketed upon learning of Alucard's deteriorating state, this was music to his ears.
Olivia Emese Song would perish by her own hand with her final memory being her realization she had murdered her own family.
It was perfection.
A fitting ending for the belladonna of tragedy.
However, there was a part of the Major that wanted to see her live—if only to witness her unleash her full potential.
After all, if a drop of her blood was capable of this, what else was she capable of?
Could Olivia reject her own blood and live on?
Would she want to live after staining her hands with her family's blood?
The Major was anxious to know what this living oddity would do.
If she somehow survived, he would bow his head and fully acknowledge her as The No Life Queen.
If she didn't, well then, he was doing Alucard a favor by eliminating his parasite.
And so, The Major leaned back in his seat, a wide grin on his face as Olivia's desolate expression reflected in his glasses and readied himself for quite the show.
Time ceased to exist, and reality was collapsing into frayed ribbons that enveloped Olivia's limbs, mentally tearing her into pieces while physically remaining intact.
A small voice in the deepest recesses of her mind insisted this was a trick, that her family was dead and this was just a fucked up entity preying on her mind.
Yet, that voice was drowned out by years of battle, and the lone fact that even rotting where they stood, Olivia could recognize her parents' faces blind.
This was no illusion or trick.
Her parents' merged corpses were standing before her, holding the bones of her little brothers.
The same little brothers who used to follow her around like ducklings, the same little brothers who looked up to her like a beacon of hope, the same little brothers who she mercilessly slaughtered the night prior.
"Thank you for playing with me one last time, Livvy." The words resonated through her mind, uttered not by a marionette demon but two doe-eyed, chubby cheeked boys.
And with that single snip, the ribbons unraveled and all the occupants in the room jolted as an inhuman screech filled the room, a sound so unhinged and hysteric that even Alucard had to cover his ears.
It was like listening to the heart of a singularity—nothing but pure, utter mania that couldn't be described in worldly terms—and it was coming from the woman hunched over on the ground.
"Oh shut up!" The creature derided, twisting a pinky into their exposed ear canal. "Didn't we raise you to have manners?! We come to see you after so long and all you can do is throw a tantrum!"
But Olivia's wails only increased in frequency, causing some of the Council to fall onto their knees and parts of the wall to crack.
"Fucking pathetic!" The creature hoisted her up by the roots, brandishing Olivia toward the petrified group in the back like a slab of meat. "Is this your Queen of the Night?! One little thing and she fucking CRUMBLES!?" The last word was followed by a kick to the jaw, sending Olivia flying to the side. A bruise blossomed across the scrap of skin hanging from their jaw, and they let out a hoarse laugh as they were tackled to the ground and a pistol barrel was shoved down their windpipe. "Go ahead, 'Son in Law', blow our brains out! Just remember, what you do to us, you also do to her! We have her blood running through our veins after all!"
Alucard's appearance was more monster than man at this point, his fangs engulfing his face and his eyes an abyss of crimson. He didn't move from his position, instead leaning in close so his muzzle grazed the creature's jugular, leaving a trail of saliva against the decayed skin.
Yet the creature wasn't afraid—Alucard's finger had never been on the trigger in the first place.
"Trying to intimidate your in-laws, Alucard?"
"What do you want?" He snarled, slowly removing the barrel from their mouth. "You wear the skins of Olivia's family for what purpose?!"
"What do we want? Why, we want what any good parent wants," The creature placed their foot on Alucard's chest and shot him a condescending smirk, "To discipline our child for her sins." They kicked Alucard off, sending him barreling into the wall opposite of Olivia, and stood tall. "My, my, that was like swatting a fly away. You truly have fallen, O Great King." They peered over at Olivia, who was splayed out like a broken doll with clouded eyes. "Maybe we should've kept the big surprise until later, how can we punish you if you're already broken?" The creature then turned their sights towards the crowd in the back, a sly grin forming as they locked eyes with Walsh. "To answer your question and verify your theory, everything that has happened from our performance at the Vatican to Hellsing's 'illness' is because of our daughter and her many sins! Abandoning us on the night almost fifteen years ago and now marrying the king of the creature that robbed us of our lives! But, because of her little 'contract' with that mutt over there, it brought us back to life! And now! Now! We have come to set things right and bring our baby home!"
"And by 'bring your baby home', you mean….." Walsh trailed off, eyes darting from Olivia to them.
"If only Olivia didn't wander off that faithful day, we would've been together and none of these tragedies would've befallen the manor! So, we implore you!" The creature bowed at the waist with their arms outstretched. "Allow us to do what we came here for, and we will leave you all in peace! Or," They stood back up and licked their lips, "we will continue 'performing' here and everywhere else on Earth until we get what we want."
"And what you want," One of the Councilmen piped up, "is Lieutenant General Song's death? That is all?"
"Precisely! And before you accuse us of trickery, we have already said Olivia's blood runs through our veins. We die when she dies! There will be no more 'performances' and the curse befalling this manor will be lifted once this parasite has been eliminated. So, trust us," Their eyes flickered over to Walter's, grinning as realization dawned on his face, "you're better off having her gone."
'So, this was your plan, Major. You sick fuck!' Walter gritted his teeth, knowing he was probably enjoying the show and reveling in Olivia's downfall. 'Using her own family to….and…..no matter what happens Olivia will…..oh fuck!'
"Now then," The creature flexed their wrists in a circle, their fingers morphing into claws with every rotation, "It is time to serve your penance, sweetheart."
And the creature charged towards Olivia, only to be stopped by a gun to their back and a wooden crucifix to their front.
"Still trying to intimidate us, Alucard?" They scoffed over their shoulder before peering down at Anderson and letting out a snort, their only eye twitching slightly. "Now, you, we must admit we're shocked. What happened to your little mission?"
"My mission was to capture the demon responsible for the Vatican massacre! And that is you!" Anderson glowered, thrusting his cross forward with one hand while the other was spread out in front of Olivia.
"So you plan to protect this "heathen" now as your lot calls them?"
"I don't know what sins she is guilty of but….but I know this woman is innocent of this one! Therefore!" Anderson squared his shoulders and planted his feet firmly on the ground. "I won't let you hurt her!"
The creature's jawbone cracked as their smile grew and slowly they raised their right claw and pointed to the doorway.
"Then, that man there should be your target."
All eyes—save for Olivia's—shot towards the doorway to find Arthur Hellsing leaning against the doorframe, his hospital gown hanging off his sickly form and a pistol in his left hand.
A chorus of "Sir Hellsing!" and "Arthur!" filled the room while the creature just wiggled their claws at him.
"Sleep well, Hellsing?" They cooed before gesturing to Alucard and Olivia. "So, what will it be? Are you going to let her call checkmate or not because it is obvious where your 'pet' has his loyalties."
Sweat pooling at his brow, Arthur stumbled forward, eyeing his servant and his soldier with frantic eyes.
The moment he'd awoken in the clinic, he latched onto one of the nurses and demanded to know where Olivia was. And when they explained she, the Council, and the Queen herself were gathered in the conference room, he snatched the gun from under their scrubs and dashed down the hallway.
He was seeing double and his limbs felt like steel weights, yet he didn't stop until he reached the conference room. Arthur had to see if his nightmare was true, and when he threw the doors open and found the scene unfolding before him, he felt his heart stop for a moment. A macabre mosaic of the people from his dream loomed tall in the room's center with Alucard and a little boy surrounding him; Walter and Acelie stood guard over the royal entourage and the Council in the back corner, and there, laying on her side, was a broken Olivia who stared at nothing but the creature.
It was true.
It was all true!
Millions of thoughts bombarded his already scrambled mind, but one thing was for certain now—he had to regain control.
"Alucard," He croaked out, his voice like sandpaper grating his throat. "Come here."
And to his shock and utter dismay, Alucard didn't even glance in his direction.
"Al-Alucard," Arthur tried again, this time with a hand outstretched. "I said, come here."
Not even a peek.
"Alucard! Didn't you hear me?!" His heart pounded in his ears as his tone rapidly descended from authoritative to pleading. "I ordered you to come here! NOW!"
Despite that, Alucard didn't move a muscle, his eyes never straying from the creature targeting his wife.
"AHAHAHAHAHA! WE TOLD YOU! WE TOLD YOU!" The creature guffawed, hunched over and pointing at Arthur's stupefied expression. "Your pet has a new master now! Soon he will break free of your control completely and you can't do a damn—!"
BANG!
Blood gushed from the bullet wound in the creature's shoulder and there was a split second of silence before another ear-piercing wail filled the room and all eyes fell upon Olivia's writhing form.
Cries of "OLIVIA!" echoed all around, and Arthur didn't even have time to lower his gun before a tendril rammed him against the wall by the throat.
As he wished, Alucard was finally looking at him, yet there was nothing but pure rage evident in his gaze, and Arthur whimpered as the tendril curled around his neck.
"Alucard…" Arthur croaked, feebly swiping at the tendril. "Release me…..I order you to release me!"
And Alucard obeyed, flinging Arthur to the side before darting towards Olivia and shoving Anderson aside to reach her.
"Sir Hellsing!" Walter caught him in the nick of time, placing his master gently on the floor and inspecting him for any injuries. "Are you alright, sir?!"
But Arthur didn't respond, his gaze locked on Alucard cradling Olivia to his chest, his tendrils swirling around them like a barrier.
The nightmare had been an omen all along.
Alucard, the No Life King, served a different master now.
And he would tear the world apart to protect her.
"You see?" The creature hummed, cracking their bleeding shoulder back. "Clock is ticking, Hellsing. Make your decision soon. Either way," They reached out towards Olivia, their claws over a foot long now, "the result will be the same."
They flexed their fingers, and Olivia was yanked out of Alucard's grasp and into the creature's clutches.
"Dry your tears, sweetheart, and get ready for the next act." The creature poked her nose, earning a harsh sob from Olivia. "It is intermission now." They pulled her in close and pressed their lips to her cheek, their body morphing back into black goo that slithered across her face. Then in a flash, they disappeared and Alucard caught her as her limp body plummeted to the floor.
"Olivia! Olivia!" He gently cupped her face, trying to make eye contact with her as she blankly stared up at the ceiling. "Olivia…" He bent down and burrowed his nose against her shoulder. Just like before, he could smell her injury yet her skin was without blemish. It was like her connection to this demon was purely internal while subjecting her to the same amount of pain as a physical blow. Was it the same with the previous nights' demon or was this different?
Heavy silence prevailed throughout the room, all in utter shock by what just occurred. But then, like a dam collapsing, the Council swarmed around Arthur and bombarded him with questions and accusations.
"Hellsing, how the hell could you let this happen?! And how could you keep this from us?"
"Because of you, ruin will befall this country!"
"I knew allowing that girl into your care was a mistake! She has now usurped you as master!"
As the Council demanded answers from a dumbfounded Arthur, Acelie knelt before Alucard and cautiously held her arms out.
"Your Majesty, please give her to me."
"Get your hands away from her." Smoke billowed from his mouth, causing Acelie's eyes to water but she wouldn't relent.
"Your Majesty, her shoulder is broken. Even if there is nothing physical, the injury is still there. Please," Acelie grazed Olivia's cheek, "let me help—!"
"GET AWAY!" The force of his howl sent her and everyone else tumbling back. "IF ANYONE DARES TO LAY A HAND ON HER, I WILL GRIND YOUR BONES TO DUST!"
Resorting to anger in the face of fear and extreme anxiety—a common coping mechanism for humans, not kings of the damned.
But, as Alucard's eyes flickered blue and his skin shifted from stark white to an earthy tone, he never looked more human and Olivia, with her soulless eyes and transparent skin, never looked more ghostly.
A chill swept over the room, and all the occupants beheld the duo with varying levels of apprehension.
Alucard had attacked his master and was now threating everyone who dared to even look at Olivia.
And so the already shriveled Arthur felt his body erode into dust as the creatures' 'warning' echoed through his mind.
'Clock is ticking! Clock is ticking!"
No…..No…..NO!
"Sir Hellsing?" Walter bent down to steady him as he wobbled to his feet. "Are you—?"
"Alucard, I order you to release Olivia and return to your dungeon." Arthur commanded, his tongue cleaving to his jaw when he received nothing but a feral snarl in return. "Alucard, I won't repeat myself! I order you—!"
"You intend to kill her, don't you?"
"Wha—?! No, I—!"
"I can read your thoughts, you and all those spineless cowards behind you!" Alucard roared, his tendrils hovering over the Council. "Fifteen years Olivia has served you and this is how you 'repay' her?! BY BETRAYING HER?! IS THAT YOUR PLAN, ARTHUR FAIRBROOK WINGATES HELLISNG?!"
"T-The monster said it would leave us in peace if we handed Olivia over!" The councilman from before piped up, only to be silenced by hands slamming over his mouth.
"So…..you would sacrifice an innocent woman to save yourselves? Heh…..Heh…Heh…HEHEH!" Alucard cackled, his hair becoming long and curly as his tone became laced with a heavy Romanian accent. "SO! THIS IS THE LEGACY OF THE MAN WHO BESTED ME! THIS IS THE ORGANIZATION I SERVED ALL THESE DECADES, LICKING AT YOUR HEELS LIKE THE DOG I AM! NOTHING BUT PATHETIC PIECES OF SHIT, ALL OF YOU!" The floor quaked beneath them as Aluc—no, Vlad rose to his feet, the eyes of his countless familiars gaping at them from within his coat. "AND NOW, YOU DARE TO BARGAIN MY WIFE'S LIFE FOR YOUR SAKE?! HAHAHA! I WOULD LOVE TO SEE YOU TRY AND TAKE HER FROM ME!"
And as everyone cowered in utter terror, Arthur knew there was only one option left.
And if he lost his arm in the process, well, that would be his penance for causing this mess.
"So be it then." Arthur thrust his right wrist forward and muttered an incantation as a red glow emitted from the scars there. "Olivia, I order you to come here."
And that was his only 'warning' as an invisible force yanked Olivia from Alucard's grip and onto the floor, her screeches once again filling the room as her cursed arm contorted backwards.
"OLIVIA!" Alucard leapt towards her, only to freeze by her shoving her cursed hand in his face and commanding he stop, her eyes flickering from glowing to dull as she fought against Arthur's control.
"You've both left me with no choice. I'm sorry, but this is what has to be done." Arthur winced before flicking his wrist outwards and Olivia's screams increased in pitch as the invisible force dragged her towards him.
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO HER?!" Manali pounced towards Arthur's back, only to be restrained by Walter's wires. "WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING?!"
"Sir Hellsing, I order you to stop!" Elizabeth bellowed, covering Pushpa and Anderson's eyes from the sight. "You're hurting her!"
"I have no choice! I have let too many things slide, but not anymore! I have to regain control before 'it' comes to pass!" Arthur flexed his wrist again, and Olivia jerked to her feet, a sickening crack echoing up the walls. "Olivia, come he—!"
"LET HER GO!" Alucard charged towards Arthur, only to be intercepted by Walter tackling him. "YOU DARE STAND IN MY WAY, WALTER?! YOU DARE ALLOW HIM TO HARM HER?!"
"YOU'RE MAKING THINGS WORSE!" Walter barked out, tightening the wires around his neck. "IF YOU DIDN'T WANT THIS TO HAPPEN, YOU NEVER SHOULD'VE BOUND YOURSELF TO OLIVIA! THIS IS ALL YOUR FUCKING FAULT!"
"ET TU, WALTER?! FINE!" Alucard easily flipped them over and shoved his pistol against Walter's neck. "YOU WILL BETRAY YOUR PARTNER—THE WOMAN YOU CLAIM TO LOVE—TO SERVE FILTH THE THAT AIMS TO HARM HER?! THEN ALLOW ME TO—!"
"NO! NO! STOP IT! ENOUGH! ENOUGH!" Using one of Anderson's bayonets, Olivia slashed at her cursed arm, now rousing screams from Arthur who crumbled to his knees. The Council, all gathered around Arthur with their guns drawn, pleaded for Olivia to stop yet she carried on, chanting strings of 'Stop it! Stop it!' with every blow until black puss seeped from her wounds. In a flash, Arthur's howls ceased and Olivia's eyes returned to normal as the bayonet fell from her grip and clattered to the floor.
She had finally broken free of Arthur's spell.
"Enough…enough…..please stop…please….stop….it's all my fault….it's all my fault…..what have I done…" Curling up in the growing puddle of ink and blood beneath her, Olivia clawed at her chest with her usable hand and screamed her throat raw. "WHAT HAVE I DONE?! MY BROTHERS…..I…..I…..WHAT HAVE I DONE?!"
Just like that, all evidence of rage, fear and vengeance evaporated from the room and everyone lowered their weapons as they beheld a fragmented woman finally shatter to pieces.
In the end, it was agreed that for the time being—and for everyone's safety—to confine Olivia and Alucard to the medical ward until a course of action could be determined.
Acelie was the only medical staff Alucard permitted to treat Olivia, however upon unbuttoning her shirt, she found that—although the curse was broken—the mark still remained, now consuming Olivia's entire arm as well as her right breast and down to her navel; Acelie immediately stood to block the sight from Pushpa and Anderson.
"The two of you shouldn't be here," Acelie gulped, trying to keep her voice steady as she leaned over to grab some disinfectant and bandages from a nearby tray, allowing Alucard to tug Olivia back into his embrace entirely. "I recommend that you both wait in the library until Advisor Yadav and the Queen are done with Sir Hellsing and—."
"I am not going anywhere until I complete my mission." Anderson interrupted, arms crossed and chin raised. "So be quiet and do your job."
"Olivia didn't abandon my mum and me, so I won't abandon her either." Pushpa piped up, her eyes watering at Olivia's empty gaze. "How can I…? Olivia…..what is going on? Why…..why is this happening to her? And how…" Puspha bit her lip, the gruesome sights and Olivia's wails now burned into her memory. "How could that Hellsing man…..how could he do that to her?!"
"Tch, this truly is an organization of heathens." Anderson shook his head, wishing he could spit on Arthur and his fellow Councilmen's' horrid faces. "And you! You saw what he did to Olivia—his own soldier—and you still refer to him as 'Sir'?! Psh, no morals at all, I tell you!"
"Your own organization has quite the history itself, Alexander Anderson. Does the word 'indulgences' ring a bell?" Acelie fired back, shooting him a withering glare. "Now, be quiet and let me do my job."
Anderson immediately clammed up and leered off to the side, his cheeks flushed slightly in embarrassment.
"Okay, Your Majes..ties." Acelie peeked up at Alucard before focusing back on Olivia. "I need to reset your shoulder and it is going to hurt, but it needs to be done so," She took a deep breath and cautiously placed her hands on Olivia's arm, "please understand."
"…..Do what you must." Alucard whispered, burying his nose into Olivia's hair and muttering words of comfort.
"Thank you," Acelie took another deep breath before quickly resetting her shoulder and applying an ice pack to the area.
And all the while, Olivia didn't even flinch, her barren eyes staring at everything and nothing.
"Olivia…." Anderson's fists curled around the bayonet handles at his waist, the blade still stained with her blood.
Suddenly the door flew open with a "Bang!" and Walter strutted inside, his gaze lingering on Olivia before addressing the three other people in the room.
"Your mother wants to see you, and Her Majesty requests your presence, little boy. As for you," He turned to Acelie who was finishing up bandaging Olivia's shoulder. "The Council wants to know about your findings regarding Sir Hellsing's condition."
"Who do you think you are calling 'little boy'?!" Anderson charged forward, getting on his toes to sneer at Walter fully. "And if you think I'm going to waste my time with such—Hngh!"
"Enough." Walter grabbed him by the scuff of his collar and Pushpa by her wrist before flinging them out into the hallway. "Do I have to drag you out too?"
"No, I prefer to do things maturely." Acelie removed her gloves and bowed to Olivia and Alucard. "I will return soon, Your Majesties."
And the moment she passed through the doorway, Walter slammed it shut behind her and locked it.
"I'm responsible for guarding you both so wipe that look off your face." He scoffed, pulling a cigarette out of his pocket and placing it between his lips. "…Did you consider this when you married her? Did you truly believe in 'happily ever after' and nothing would come of this?"
"Be silent. You were prepared to let them kill her, weren't you?" Alucard angled Olivia's body out of Walter's line of sight, as if he was unworthy to see her. "You have no right to lecture me about right or wrong."
"Did my thoughts say that?"
"Your actions spoke louder."
"You don't know a damn thing about me!"
"It is for her sake I haven't taken action yet, but I swear, if anyone dares to lay a finger on my Olivia, I will tear the flesh from your bones and eat you raw!"
"Lower your voice, mutt. Olivia is asleep." Walter lit his cigarette and leaned back against the wall. "And say what you will. If they sentence Olivia to death to pay for your actions, you will be the one torn to pieces."
Alucard didn't respond to that at first, instead brushing Olivia's bangs out of her slumbering face and pressing a kiss to her forehead.
"Walter."
"What?"
"If it ever did come to that….you better not kill me." Alucard held her ring hand over his heart and beheld Walter with a mournful gaze. "I wouldn't deserve such mercy."
"HAVE YOU ALL LOST YOUR MINDS?!" Manali slammed her fists on the table, ignoring Elizabeth's pleas for her to calm down. "ARE YOU ALL SERIOUSLY CONSIDERING SENTENCING OLIVIA TO DEATH?! JUST BECAUSE A DEMON SAID SO?!""
"THE CREATURE SAID IT WOULDN'T STOP KILLING UNTIL SHE WAS DEAD AND IT WILL DIE WHEN SHE DIES! IT IS ALL BECAUSE OF THAT BOND WITH ALUCARD! IF WE SEVER IT, THEN EVERYTHING—!"
"THAT IS YOUR REASONING?! THAT'S IT?! OLIVIA SOLD HER LIFE TO YOU BASTARDS AND THIS IS HOW YOU REPAY HER?! YOU PLACE HER ON THE CHOPPING BLOCK AT THE FIRST SIGN OF TROUBLE?! WHERE IS THAT JUSTICE YOU ALL BELIEVE IN?!"
"YOU SAW WHAT THEY BOTH DID TO ARTHUR! WHO KNOWS WHAT THEY WILL DO TO US—WHAT THAT DEMON WILL DO IF WE DON'T TAKE ACTION NOW!"
"THAT'S RIGHT! AND IT SAID SO ITSELF! IT TOLD ARTHUR TO TAKE ACTION! IT WAS WARNING! WE MUST—!"
"HOW DARE YOU?! HOW CAN—?!"
"ENOUGH!" Elizabeth clapped her hands together, taking control of the room instantly. "Guards, Advisor Yadav's daughter is waiting out in the hallway right? Escort both of them back to their room so they may rest, and bring the boy from the Vatican in here."
"Eliza—Your Majesty, I—!"
"Enough, Advisor Yadav." Elizabeth clasped her hand together, her ring shining in the lamplight. "Now go."
Biting her tongue, Manali conceded and left the room just as Anderson was herded in.
"I have nothing to say to any of you!" Anderson hissed, reaching for his bayonets only to be halted by the guards.
"That may be so but I will be the judge of that. Now, take a seat." Elizabeth pointed to the chair adjacent to hers and waited until the guards forcibly seated him before continuing on. "I must say the events that have transpired tonight have baffled me, to say the least. Regardless, I do not believe the fault lies with Olivia Emese Song but the organization's director." Her eyes trailed over to Arthur who sat quietly between Islands and Penwood, his wrist bandaged. Like before, he had been let off with only a few scars and mild pain while Olivia carried the entire burden of the curse. "The three of you have been so quiet. Care to speak your mind?"
"…..I do not believe anyone intended for these events to transpire, however," Islands slowly stood up and adjusted his tie, a heavy burden settling on his heart, "we cannot ignore these looming threats and their catastrophic effects. I do not agree with sentencing Olivia to death, she has served the Crown and Hellsing loyally for years and it would be a disgrace to our honor to cast her aside so easily. But…..something has to be done."
Penwood nodded in agreement, his wide eyes flickering from his friends to his fellow men.
"And you, Sir Hellsing?" Elizabeth locked her sights onto his weary face. "What do you plan to do seeing as this domino effect originated on your grounds?"
Arthur was silent for a moment, fiddling with his bandaged wrist, before finally speaking up.
"…Acelie Smith?"
"Yes?" Acelie sat up straight in her seat, feeling all eyes fall on her.
"I was told you were in charge of deducing the cause for my decline in health," Arthur continued to stare at his bandaged wrist as he spoke, his voice airy and worn. "What have you found?"
The stacks of paper in her hands felt like a brick, and for a moment, she hesitated to say anything yet when Elizabeth cleared her throat, Acelie gathered her courage and stood tall.
"I am still analyzing the exact contents but, your scotch….it has been drugged, Sir Hellsing. And whatever foreign substance was inside it along with your…drinking habits…..it has damaged your heart considerably. We have to perform another check-up but your heart condition is what's most severe."
"…..I see." Arthur sighed, placing his injured hand over his heart. "And…..how did you come to suspect my scotch was the source?"
Acelie's throat clenched and she knew if she said Olivia's name, it would cause more chaos. Yet, from the look Arthur was giving her, he already knew the answer and if she didn't say anything, he would.
"It was…..Lieutenant General Song."
And, as expected, an uproar filled the room as Acelie tried to explain and even bring up Olivia's theory about the deliveryman but it fell on deaf ears.
As for Arthur, his mind went blank, forgetting how it was Olivia who tried to stop him from drinking, and instead focused on the creatures' warning cycling through his mind.
"You are poisoning yourself, and she doesn't even have to lift a finger."
"You have been rotting from within without realizing your undertaker is at your side."
Again, calls for and against Olivia's execution filled the room until something—or someone—crashed through the wall and landed on the conference table.
"Walter!" Arthur shot to his feet and reached for his butler, finding the young man bleeding from his lip and nose. "What happened?! What—?!"
"WHERE. IS. SHE?!" There stood Alucard in his Level One Release Form and Baskerville at his side. "WHICH ONE OF YOU TOOK HER FROM ME?!"
"What are you talking about, Your Majesty?!" Acelie instantly jumped into action, sliding between Alucard and the Council. "Who took who?!"
"OLIVIA!" Alucard roared, tearing out a chuck of the wall as he and Baskerville stepped forward. "I DO NOT KNOW HOW YOU TOOK HER WITHOUT MY KNOWLEDGE, BUT MARK MY WORDS, I WILL—!"
"Your Majesty, she isn't here! No one has left this room, save for Advisor Yadav and her guards but they are in the next room—you can verify for yourself! But no one has laid a finger on Her Majesty, I swear! Right?!" Acelie whirled around at the group, who immediately voiced their panicked agreement.
"Wait, wait!" Arthur held a hand out, feeling like the floor was collapsing beneath him. "Olivia is gone?! How the fuck did that happen?!"
"We…." Walter grunted as he sat up and cradled his fractured ribs. "We fell asleep for a moment….and when we woke up…..she was gone."
"You…You what?! How could you fall asleep?!"
"I don't know! Hngh!" Blood dribbled down his chin as he spoke. "One minute Alucard and I were talking and the next, we were waking up and she was gone!"
"Her Majesty is in no condition to move on her own! We have to find her!"
"Are you implying someone took her, Ms. Smith?" Walsh moved to her side, eyeing Alucard and Baskerville with cautious eyes. "I don't mean to be the bad guy here but after everything we witnessed and knowing how far Alucard would go to protect her, who is to say he didn't knock out Walter and hide Olivia himself? Who is to say he isn't acting and this would give him the perfect excuse to slaughter us all?!"
"Lieutenant General Walsh, how can you—?!"
"You dare imply this is a ruse?! That I'm that cowardly to resort to such tricks?!" Alucard growled, his shadows slowly consuming the room. "You seem to enjoy hurling accusations, Walsh! Allow me to finish what I started in the conference room then!" Baskerville snarled at his master's feet, awaiting his command to pounce and tear Walsh's throat out.
However, before Alucard could say a word, the double doors were thrown open and one of Walter's soldiers stumbled into the room, his uniform torn and drenched in blood.
"What the—?!"
"Th—Th—The—," The solider panted, clinging to the door frame for dear life, his skin pale as snow and his eyes blood shot. "They're dead! They're all dead!"
"Who?!" Islands demanded, stabilizing Arthur as he teetered from side to side. "Who is dead?!"
"I—I—I heard a noise from the barracks and when I opened the door, I—," The solider shivered, the grotesque memory sending bile up his throat. "I found all of Lieutenant General Song's squadron dead! All of them had been slashed to ribbons! And—And this—I found this in First Lieutenant McDonough's hands." The solider held up a black veil with the words "Act 3" slashed into the cloth.
And Acelie knew as she watched the Council spiral further into hysteria, there was no saving Olivia now. Everyone had pulled out their weapons, diving under the table, anticipating that demon to descend upon them next—even the Queen was alarmed as her guards formed a shield around her.
The only ones who remained calm amongst the chaos were Alucard, Arthur, Walter, and Anderson who had his bayonets drawn and his eyes locked on the three other men.
"Walter," Arthur muttered, using the table to stabilize himself. "Did you bring what I asked for from the dungeon?"
"Y-Yeah," Walter grimaced as he stood up and pulled out Abraham's silver chain from his waistcoat. "Here, Sir Hellsing."
"Thank you, "Arthur took the chain from him, wrapping one end around his hand. "Are you prepared to hear your orders, Angel of Death?"
"….What is your command?" Walter's eyes flickered between Arthur and Alucard, both who were locked in an intense staring match.
"Olivia Emese Song is now a threat to Hellsing and the Crown. So long as she breathes, ruin will befall this country and soon the world. Therefore," Arthur began to swing the other end of the chain around as he approached Alucard, whose actions mirrored his. "I order you and every available Hellsing soldier to track her down and execute her on sight."
And in the distance, Walter swore he could hear The Major's laughter.
What have I done?
I murdered my little brothers.
I thought I had been forgiven.
Were the visions in Szentendre just an illusion?
I murdered my brothers.
Because of me my families' corpses were resurrected as demons
What have I done?
They want revenge, they want to drag me to Hell for my sins.
What have I done?
I murdered my brothers
What have I done?
I murdered my little brothers and now—!
"Wake up, sweetheart," Her mother's soothing voice whispered in her ear. "It's time to open your eyes."
"Rise and shine, sleepyhead." Her father's warm voice chuckled in the other. "We have a big day ahead of us, and we can't start without you."
Olivia's eyes fluttered open, tears streaming down her cheeks, and she saw nothing but the nighttime sky above her and felt the tickling brush of grass beneath her.
"Come on, Olivia, get up." Her parents said in unison. "It's time."
Rolling onto her good arm, Olivia hoisted herself up on her elbow and was immediately greeted with the sight of sedums and asters blooming around her.
With a dry sob, she realized where she was.
"Back to where it all began." The creature stepped into her line of sight, a stained paper bag in their hand. "The Third Act was delayed because of all those interruptions so I had to perform another encore. Here, I bought you something from the show."
The creature flipped the paper upside down and Private Maxwell's head slammed to the ground, his wide, soulless eyes burning into Olivia's.
She couldn't even muster a scream, instead letting out silent gasps and whimpers as she shook her head in disbelief.
"We will admit, you trained those soldiers well. Perhaps you are not a complete failure." The creature sighed, kicking the head aside and moving to crouch before Olivia. "But now, it is time to end this play." They placed a hand on Olivia's cheek, smirking as she flinched at the contact. "How long we have waited for this moment, how long we have craved for this moment, how long—."
"Mommy, Daddy," Olivia wept, finally looking them in the eye as a fresh set of tears poured down her cheeks. "What have I done to you…..? I'm sorry….I'm sorry! Akos and Mark….I…I…What have I done to you?!" She clung to their chest and wailed, chanting ceaseless strings of "I'm sorry" and "What have I done?".
"Oh, sweetheart, don't fret anymore. We have come to make it all go away." The creature pulled Olivia back and brought her hands to their face. "Now, no more tears. We have a game to finish." And with that, the creature forced Olivia to wrap her fingers around their neck before pining her down and doing the same to her.
"N—NO, NO! I CAN'T! I CAN'T!"
"Whether or not you can doesn't matter. The result will be the same. But, what makes this game so thrilling is not the destination but the journey. So, let's begin." The creature smirked, bending down low to whisper in her ear. "Who will reach Hell first? You or us?"
A/N: C:
C:
C:
Yeah.
Have I lost my rights to say I love Olivia yet? Anyways, the next chapter should be the last one in this arc but there may end up be two more. As you can tell by the chapter title, you can see where my inspiration came from. I will wait until the end of this arc to explain everything in the detail, so if you have any questions, they may be answered then.
Anyways, thank you all for reading! Please leave a review! I love them all and you all so much!
Please be safe out there and please, please be kind to each other! I love you guys and will see you in the next chapter! :D