AN: SPOILERS FOR VOLUME 5 & UP. This takes place after Rip' defeat by Alucard. It is how I would like it to end as Rip is much too cool to end up like she did. Alternative Universe.
Disclaimer: I do not own Hellsing or it's charactars - they aer owned by Kohta "Crazier then ever" Hirano.
Where was she? Rip Van Winkle knew something was not quite right. But, first she had to figure out where she was. The Hunter thought back to the last thing she could remember. Samiel. Rip shuddered as she remembered. Samiel impaling her with her very own gun. Samiel sinking his fangs into her neck and drinking every drop of her blood. Samiel ravishing her body as he fed from her. Rip trembled as she recalled the intensity of both the pleasure and the pain of her last moments of undead life. She not could have survived his attack. But, if Rip was truly dead, why did she still have the rifle in her hands? And how in the hell did she feel so alive? Rip looked around and saw others who had died at Samiel's hands. Alahambra. Armies of men defeated by Prince Vlad. Was that Luke Valentine's head hanging out of the mouth of what looked like some kind of dog from hell? Rip nearly screamed as she thought of spending her eternity like this. She was truly in hell.
Ahhh, Rip, you've awoken.
Sss-sss-sss-Samiel
What will you choose Rip Van Winkle? To stay with me or do you want your freedom?
My freedom? I am dead Samiel. This is Hell. How can I be free?
You were dead before, Rip. Now, your soul is merely imprisoned. If you give me 100 souls then I will free you from your servitude to me. Prove yourself worthy to me and you can be free once again.
Hearing his voice, Rip remembered everything now. It was Samiel who had stolen her soul the first time, so many years ago. She had been just a young girl, barely 16 years old. Rip had come inside her house after working all day on her family's farm and found them - her parents, or what remained of them, bits and pieces, in their small cottage home. When she had walked through the door, Rip had heard his cold, cruel, evil voice. He had asked her if she wanted to die like them, or if she had wanted to live. Afraid and alone, she had chosen what she thought what life. Of course being a vampire wasn't really life. It was somewhere in between death and what humans call life. For awhile, until he tired of her childlike body, Samiel had amused himself with her. He had taught Rip how to feed, kill, and yes, even seduce, humans. Then, when he had found another he desired more, the monster made her drink his blood, and set her free. Some freedom it was. Rip had to kill to survive. How else could she get blood? Rip felt like she had been saved when Millennium found her – half-starved in a jail cell during the war. But, they had saved her only to betray her later. The Major had given her back to Samiel as part of his grand plan. That was something she could never forgive. Rip wanted her revenge. How could she get revenge if she was imprisoned by Samiel?
I don't want to be your servant – kill for you, Samiel. I am the Hunter.
You already are my slave, Rip. The souls are the price for your freedom. Do what you are so good at - hunt for me.
Rip thought about her situation. She wanted to be free. The Major had sent her like a lamb to be slaughtered by the wolf. He had betrayed her trust. Never did he tell her she would die. It didn't take long for Rip to decide. She would kill him and as many soldiers from Millennium as her bullets could find. Rip grinned as she thought of defeating the Major in this war against Hellsing. Rip would make him pay for what he did to her. But, the most satisfying part of her plan was that the Major, himself, would be enslaved by Samiel. She was Rip Van Winkle, The Hunter. She could not stay enslaved to Samiel for eternity. The thought of that almost brought her to tears. But, she refused to cry. The Hunter did not answer Alucard with words. Her answer was the bullets that were fired from her gun.
Rip started shooting at the soldiers in
Millennium uniforms. Her targets were just too easy.
My warhead
does not distinguish between riff raff. Pow – 30 souls for
Samiel. Bang, bang, bang - twenty more for the devil. Only 50 more to
go. Boom - 49 more to be tortured for eternity. Better them then her.
The soldiers whom she had worked with, screamed in horror as they saw
her face while the bullets ripped apart their flesh. The element of
surprise can not be underestimated in war. Rip was saving the last
bullet for him, the traitor. The monster who sent her to her death
would set her free. She would have the last laugh. It would all be
over when that fat man sang.
Finally, they came to the spot where the Major was. He was enthralled in the symphony of war. The bastard barely even noticed her when she shoved the rifle against his chest.
"It is the brave soldier, Rip Van Winkle. I vold you we would meet again."
"What do you mean, Major? You sent me to my death. To the wolf you sent a lamb. I have only one more soul to retrieve for Samiel. Can you guess who I pick?."
At that point the Major started laughing insanely. His laughter rang in her ears. How dare he laugh at her? She was the hunter. Rip grinned evilly as she pulled the trigger. Rip laughed as the bullet exploded into his chest and the blood splatter all over her body.. But, tears fell from her eyes as the Major fell to the ground. He had been kind to her once, so many years ago. But that didn't matter now as Rip sunk her fangs into the Major's neck and drank his blood this time. She had to make sure that he was dead.
Immediately, Rip felt her body separating from the mass of enslaved souls. Although, she wanted the freedom, it hurt worst then anything she had ever felt, as a vampire or a human.. Rip cried as she struggled to get free. Finally, she felt her body falling from the others. Samiel had kept his word. She was free. Rip did not know whether to laugh or cry now. Should she rejoice or weep? Samiel had granted her freedom but at what price? Her "life" that she knew was over. What was left for her?
The Hunter wondered what she could do now. Rip had killed half of the Millennium army. She could not join them now. Would Rip join Hellsing? No, she could never do that - Samiel was there. Rip had to get away from him before it was too late. Rip started running as fast as she could, afraid her time was running out, terrified that Samiel would come back to claim her soul. She did not watch where she was going and ran straight into Integral Hellsing herself. The Hellsing Commander looked at her curiously and smirked. Rip pointed the rifle at her and ran away. No one would stand in the way of her escape. When Rip could no longer hear the sounds of war, Rip stopped. The Hunter slowly walked away as she looked at the burning city of London. Thinking of where she would go, she considered returning to the land on which she was born. I think it is called Romania now. Or should she go to the Miiddle East? Rip had heard her comrades talking about the need for soldiers in that part of the world. Rip had been a soldier for so long, she couldn't imagine doing anything else. Surely, some army was in need of her special talents. Rip decided that is what she would do. The Hunter grinned as she thought of using her gun to take out the riff-raff of the enemy.
In a distance the Monster who had terrified her grinned. It was fun, Rip Van Winkle. We will meet again. And when we do, you will become my bride. Or I shall enslave your soul for the third time. But, the choice will be yours. Alucard laughed insanely as his enslaved souls continued their carnage on the city of London. His fun would be over soon and he would have to amuse himself with the Police Girl and his Master.
Rip shivered in the distance. She knew Samiel was thinking of her. The Hunter ran as fast as she could and prayed to no one in particular that she never saw him again. Rip decided she would take her mind off of Samiel by killing as many enemies as she could, when she reached the Middle East. Now she was starting to grow hungry. Rip looked for bodies that were newly dead and still had fresh blood. There were many.