Hello there reader, just a few things I want to say before you start reading.
First is that I do not own Hellsing, if I did we would have seen much more of Rip Van Winkle and much less of my fan fics... maybe more, regardless none of it would be original mine. Second, thanks for reading this I hope you enjoy it.
Fear's cold grasp held me in place as the fires of hell rise slowly above me, the heat's warmth means nothing to the figure standing among the flames, his figure unscathed from the crash wearing an overcoat that looks more black than red flowing casually among the flames.
He looks at me, his eyes cutting through me like daggers, he's here for me, my Samiel approaches.
These are my thoughts as the Major's words echo in my mind. "First Lieutenant Rip Van Winkle, do you know how Der Freischütz ends?", he asked me hours before, his jovial grin plastered on his face, "Kaspar having trifled with the black huntsman Samiel, is whisked away to hell for his sins". Those words scared me to my core as he continued regardless, "His body is thrown down a ravine to be eaten by wolves", and they scare me now as I lay slumped on the ground feeling like Kaspar, the Black Huntsman standing mere metres away, prepared the judge me for my sins.
My senses are numb to the flames as they spread ever closer.
They are numb to the screams of the wounded and dying, my mind can focus solely on him.
Each step he makes sounds like an opera in motion, it's tune a familiar one, it's ending unchanging.
His figure was imposing as he stared down at me, his gloved hand hovers next to my face, I beg my body to move but it won't respond to my begs, "Kaspar cannot escape the judgement of the huntsman by placing a sacrifice in his stead", his words hold no malice but scare me regardless along with leaving me with unanswered questions, as who am I but Kaspar. But before I can fully contemplate what he said, blood spurts onto my face bringing me back into reality, with control of my legs, I run.
I run and don't look back.
The sound of gunfire continues as I flee, the Sturmscharführer shouts orders, explosions shake the ship as the screams of the wounded take the places of weaponry while Samiel does his grim work, all I can do is cry in the corner like a child, waiting for a quick death, I think about trying to surrender, maybe this beast will show me some mercy, though this thought dies with the last of my crew. All is a sudden silent, the dead make no noise and neither do their guns, all I can hear is the sound of fires crackling among the ship & my sobs. My alarm clock rings off for a few brief seconds until it is cut off as it is crushed underfoot startling me, as I look up fearfully I see him looking at me with his usual grin, his presence gloating his victory over me, the Major words echo in my mind again as I watch this monster entranced by him as he stands solemnly, my samiel comes and all I can do is cower in the corner avoiding his gaze.I look at him again as I try to stand, he gives me a cocky grin as I put on a weak show of determination. Managing to stand without the gun, I lift it up and level it on him, his grin widens as if he was goading me to fire, "Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Sailor, my bullet punishes all without distinction!" I shout at him with all the force I can muster, this seems to amuse him more than anything, well i'll show him something to laugh about, I squeeze the trigger as my last shot is let loose out of the barrel, it's blue glow trails across the nights sky as it pierces into the demon's shoulder.
The bullet whirls around and hits him again, and again, this thought becomes words that reach my lips, "again", I mutter out as he is hit, his body moving around the deck like a ragdoll, "again, again, again", it turns into a shout as my bullet pierces his flesh for a dozenth time, "die und go to hell" I scream at him as it makes another pass but I don't scream in success of my kill, but I scream as the sound of another hit is replaced with a metallic crushing sound, the thoughts of what he could have done rush through my mind, as he lifts his head up I see the bullet caught in between his teeth, he caught a bullet in motion, what is he, no-one can do that, not even the Captain can do that.
His grin still recognizable despite his now broken jaw, his jaw flutters as he crushes the bullet with his teeth, metallic shards fly through the air and land on the deck around him , "What excels the pleasures of the chase Rip Van Winkle?", his voice sounds calm and painless, the jaw looks like it was never broken.
Stepping ever closer to me, I try to back away but it is futile as he gains on me regardless, my foot catches on a large piece of shrapnel embedded into the deck, I lose what balance I had as it sends me flying towards the ground,my body braces for the impact but instead of the cold sharp impact of me hitting the ground, instead his hand has hold of my arm in a tight vice-like grip keeping me upright, as I open my eyes I find him looking at me, his dead red eyes looking straight into mine, he tugs on my arm dragging me closer to him, my body has given up fighting against the tide, as he leans into me all I hear from him is a short and mumbled apology, before I have a chance to think about the reasons behind this strange sorry it has already happened.
I look down at the pain to see my musket impaled in my chest, the barrel firmly entrenched inside me, the pain is unimaginable as he slowly twists it around, the sound of something mechanical being crushed followed by a painful jank as the musket is removed from my chest just as quickly was the musket thrust in it was thrust out, though the pain is worse without it than it was with it in me. His hand carefully let's go of me as I'm laid against a wall, he still stands there looking over me, "Have I put on a good enough show for you?", he asks me, I try to respond but I just manage to make myself cough out more blood instead of words but a radio crackles to life and he gets an answer.
Trying to turn to where the sound comes from but the pain is too great and I give up. "Yes, you are quite the hunter Alucard", the Major's voice still as jovial as ever it's as if he doesn't realise the plan has failed and the Adler is lost. "Now why don't you put the lieutenant out of her misery, something for you to do while London burns", the sound of Schrödinger in the background humming the nursery rhyme only adds to the hurt as those words hurt more than the musket ever could, I was one of his most loyal soldier's and he would throw me away like the trash,"No", his words shock more than the Major's, this merciless monster, this demon, why would he spare me among the carnage he has caused, impale me on my own rifle just to spare me minutes later.
"That is a shame, oh well" I hear him sigh , "Dokter, if you would be so kind", a quick ya comes from behind him followed by an audible click, a few seconds pass in silence before the sound of the same clicking noise is repeated.
"Expecting fireworks?" Alucard asks before he breaks into a laugh, "Fitting your operatives with a suicide bomb means little if it doesn't work", he continues before he breaks into laughter again, the radio remains silent behind Alucard's laugh. "She has fulfilled her purpose, do with her what you will, her life means little in the grand scheme of things", his voice unchanging from before, uncaring, but I do not care for him anymore, my life was at his command yet he fitted a bomb in my chest and sent me on a suicide mission ready to kill me if I someone survived, who is the monster, the one who would kill his own men when they have fulfilled his own determination of useful or the one who would defend this country against Millenium's tide of night for a notion of loyalty to his human masters.
"Looks like the lieutenant is in a spo...", I hear Schrödinger begin gloating until a gunshot rings out followed soon after by a splash as a body hits the water below, followed by another shot and the sound of electronics frying, "Me and the lady need some privacy", Alucard mutters as an afterthought as he turns and walks towards me.
Kneeling down beside me, I attempt to speak again, but it ends with the same results as before as I cough up more blood that splatters over my already bloodsoaked uniform, some get caught by my mouth and trickles down my chin. I watch him carefully as he pulls a handkerchief from his overcoat, wiping the blood from my chin the handkerchief quickly turning a bright sanguine red."Through clouds obscure still shines the sun in radiant sky", he says quoting another song from Der Freischütz, the words are ill-suited and sound more like a joke that only he would find funny, his eyes are unmoving from the bloody handkerchief, folding it up he returns it to his pocket.
"I am going to be blunt with you Lieutenant, I want you to come with me and join Hellsing", what blood is left in my head disappears.
Barely managing to open my mouth to ask him, "Why?". Luckily he hears me, "Because I am offering you a chance not to die on an aircraft carrier in the north sea and a chance to join organization that won't abandon you on one", his words sting with the truth but I can't hate him for the truth, my injury pays homage to this as it is the lesser of two evils, but it is an evil regardless, as why should I be happy with him, he impales me on my musket and leaves me to bleed out while he asks me to become a traitor in trade for my life. "Fine", He seems unsatisfied, anger is clear in my voice, all this does is amuse him more than anything, "just 'fine', I was hoping for more from you Rip Van Winkle", he angers me more but what can I hope to do with a hole in my chest, "yes", I manage to barely say running out of breath halfway through it, "good girl Lieutenant, we are almost finished", my fists clench as he goes down another rabbit hole.
"As I am going to turn you into a vampire, not one of the test tube freaks you are now, a true vampire, I want you to understand this before you become my fledgling, as there is no turning back from this point on", his words shock me for a second time but there is reason behind them because despite how much artificial vampire blood I contain I am nothing to the real thing, my power's unable to heal a wound half this severe, his plan is bare to see, leave me dying and make himself the only cure. "What if I say no?", my curiosity getting the better of me, "I'll kill you before finishing off the rest of Millenium", his deadpan expression would have been funny if the rest of the Adler showed he was dead serious when he says he'd kill me. "I accept", the words are hard to say but what choice do I have between dying here or joining with an enemy I swore to destroy but is willing to give me a second chance, It is too late now as I see his cheshire cat grin reveal his sharp-pointed teeth, I will have to live with the weight of my sins in this new life, taking a deep breath as he lunges onto my neck I prepare for a pain that never comes, the sensation of his teeth in my neck is strange beyond belief, as a numb feeling washes over my body, the glaring pain from my wound slowly disappears, as he removes himself from my neck.
Attempting to speak I try to open but my mouth but it goes dead before I can vocalise anything, I look up at him as he licks clean some splotches of blood on his lips, his figure becomes blurred and my eyes heavy, I give him a questioning look as I try to work out why this is happening, but before I work anything out lose consciousness.
I awaken where I blacked out on the deck of the Adler, my hand immediately feels my wound, the gaping hole in my chest remains but it's smaller than it was before with blood shooting from one side to another like bridges crossing a river, "Your wound is healing but it will take time", Alucard says standing on the prow of the ship staring towards England, I stagger to my feet clutching my wound with both hands.
As I stand I realise the deck feels different, the sound of waves crashing to the side of the ship makes me realise the ship is moving, the coast in the distance closer than it was a few hours ago, the lights closer than before darkened by the fires burning from London, Operation Seelowe II going on as planned, the face on my new master is calm and collected as he waits to join the fray the Adler steaming towards London.
"Rip, you are now a member of Hellsing", he says finally facing me, "who's uniform are you wearing?", the question surprises me as I look down at my clothes, my bloodsoaked SS uniform is mostly intact apart from a musket shaped hole in my chest revealing some of my breasts, I feel my face blushing as I cover them up with my arms looking at him I stumble out embarrassed, "my SS uniform". "Exactly", pulling a bag out from his undercoat throwing it to my feet, "you are a member of Hellsing, dress like it", picking up the bag I stand to attention, grinning at me I quickly turn around and rush inside the conning tower as fast as I could.
My heart beats like a drum as I stare at the bag, my loyalty to Hellsing and my betrayal of Millenium are all contained within. I assess the navy blue Hellsing uniform lying neatly folded and ironed, the Hellsing emblem emblazoned on the top left corner, showing the world who I belong too, underneath it a navy blue knee-length skirt with long white stockings sandwiched inbetween. I enter one of the officers quarters and locking the door shut, the futility of my action isn't lost on me as I hear the reassuring click of the lock but I find myself wanting to control at least one part of my new life even if it is just some basic privacy as I get changed. Setting the bag down on the bed I begin stripping off my bloodsoaked SS uniform, dropping what is left of it to the floor, leaving them where they land not caring about whether I will ever wear them again, it doesn't matter now as I start to button up the shirt. It fits me rather well as I fix up the collar, I try not to think about how I look but it is a losing battle as I begin to work my way into my skirt but it is the only thought that isn't about this rabbit hole I find myself.
Adler's corridors reek of blood as I walk down them, I miss my old SS uniform already as I adjust the collar of my new clothing, it feels strange on me as I open a bulkhead to the deck, because as well as the uniform fits it makes me feel like a stranger in my own skin.
"You suit your new uniform Rip Van Winkle, you'll cause quite the stir when we reach London", his words were full of his playful arrogance but he's allowed to be arrogant. Looking up at my new master as he stands on a pile of debris looking out at the now brighter lights of London, many of the landmarks are now visible on burning skyline with the Adler moving along slowly down the Thames.
As I stand next to him looking at his face which is staring seriously at the city if he didn't look so casual among his surroundings you would swear he was angry, "Did you have to impale me?", I ask him, the fear in my voice is evident but I have to know if my wound was necessary, forcing myself to continue looking at him, scanning it for his reaction with trepidation, the only comfort is that if he was going to kill me he would have done it hours ago, "Yes", he says blankly as I expected him to respond, "while the device is simply designed and installed by an amateur who has little idea on where to place something like this effectively, the danger is that if I started to fiddle with it still attached or got you to join Hellsing before removing it they would have killed you without any qualms", his reasoning makes sense as I put my hand over the wound thinking about how close I've been a flick away from death over the past 60 years, "using your musket I was able to destroy it, letting me get on with what I really came here for", the metallic sound as he impaled me makes more sense than it before and I can't help but want to thank him for releasing me from a leash I didn't know exist. "Is that all?", he asks me casually, I think for a second, "yes... Master", I answer, adding Master at the end as nonchalantly as I could because while this situation is uncomfortable, referring to him as 'Master' is a start.
The conversation dies off, the sound of water flowing past us takes its place, the juxtaposition of it with the burning skyline is mildly amusing helping pass the time as the city of the dead approaches. The Monster & The Hunter waiting for the end of a Millenium.
Story time is over children, please leave your thoughts on this and any ideas on where I can improve, as I plan on writing at least two parts to with the immediate and lasting consequences of Alucard's actions and would like it to be as good as I can make it.