Hellsing Fan Fiction ❯ Sine Qua Non ❯ Sine Qua Non ( Chapter 1 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

It had been three days since her ordeal with dear Uncle Richard. Three days since her blood had been spilled. Three days since she had awakened the beast in the basement.
Those three days, though teaming with apprehension, had been a blur. She was now returning from the induction ceremony that her uncle had worked so hard to prevent her from attending. Integra sat pensively in the car as Walter attempted to lighten her spirits.
"Your presentation was splendid, Miss Integra. There can be no doubt about your entitlement to the Hellsing organization. Walter smiled cheerfully at the grim-faced girl.
"It was a formality. The real test is whether or not I can handle the responsibilities that come with governing this institute." She paused, gazing uneasily passed the tinted glass. "And whether or not I can control Arucard."


There had not been sufficient time to grieve for her father's death, but Integra found herself no longer awaiting the seven o'clock dinner summons or her morning lessons. She now relied upon the boundaries of her own schedule. In some ways this was an incredibly satisfying sensation. In others, it served to remind her of her premature orphan status.
Sluggishly, Integra made her way up the stairs toward her bedroom. Walter had insisted that she rest up; he would take care of tonight's business. The butler had been invaluable during this period of interregnum. Granted, he had not been present at the attempted assassination, but otherwise, he provided her with much needed support.
At first, Walter had said nothing when he saw that Arucard had been released. He only flashed his wires at the sight of the Nosferatu standing behind Integra, a gloved, pentagram-inscribed hand resting on her shoulder. Laughing smugly, the vampire vanished, leaving Walter to tend to the injured girl. He had not since made a definite appearance.
The demon from the dungeon Integra involuntarily gave a slight shudder. As she slid under the covers, she tried to banish the afterimage of gleaming red eyes from her mind. Arucard She tensed, angered by her own fearful response. He had called her "master." In the heat of the moment, when their blood ran together, Integra could have sworn that they had an understanding. Now, she was not so sure.
The darkness in her room was no longer passive. As she drifted in and out of cloudy hypnagogic sleep, Integra could see multitudes of those bright crimson eyes, blinking in and out of the void like fickle stars. Even if her dreams, she could feel the overwhelming asphyxiation that signified his presences.
As she slipped deeper into her slumber, she would see him: Arucard, a true No Life King.


He stalked the young one's dreams and probed her mind. Arucard, as he was called, pushed, and waited for her to push back. Those twenty years of imprisonment remained fresh in his mind- eternal half-life and burning thirst. They were twenty years he did not intend to repeat.
She was strong, and though she had demonstrated enough will and intelligence to impress him, it was not enough to convince him of her worthiness. Her father had not been able to control him; could this little girl redeem the Hellsing line?
Arucard mused over his rather brief encounter with Walter. It was surprising, almost disconcerting, to see how Shinigami had changed. Naturally, it had been twenty years since he had laid eyes on the man, and Arucard reprimanded himself for being taken off-guard. Humans aged . Human bodies one day stopped functioning and died for good. In whatever venture Arucard pursued, Walter would not be able to stop him.
Many scenarios of anticipated freedom crossed the vampire's mind, as he lay bound in the basement. Weak men, strong men, dead men- they had all served as "masters." That was the breed he expected. The idea of a matriarch had surfaced; in darker moments, a svelte, sultry virgin- a weak one he could feed on and dispose of before being rid of the entire Hellsing family. But a child?
How the mighty had fallen.
Arucard chuckled appreciatively at the irony.
Now, he was so close to freedom. The seals that bound him would be no use if the child could not withstand him. He needed her to prove her merit as his beloved master . After experiencing twenty years of captivity, he would not suffer the same fate again. If she could not control him, he would break all ties with the family.
And that would involve breaking the little girl in front of him. Arucard's many eyes focused on the sleeping child with keen scrutiny. He recalled the fierce fighting spirit she had shown; she had much potential and such sweet blood.


Integra awoke with a cry. She sat up, wildly searching for the intruder that disturbed her restless dreams. There was nothing. Her window was open, and a chilling wind blew through her chamber causing the curtains to flutter like pale ghosts. Cautiously, the maiden pushed back the covers, and dropped onto the thickly carpeted floor. She quietly made her way to the window. The moon was a mere sliver, and the darkness was even more invasive than it had been a few nights ago, when she had emerged from the basement, accompanied by the liberated fiend. Integra absently closed the window, her blue eyes falling distrustfully onto the shadows that crept onto her floor.
She was not certain how, intuition perhaps, but Integra felt Arucard's presence. Straightening up and finding her courage, she summoned her most authoritative voice and spoke. "Show yourself, Arucard."
There was a long silence, and as Integra's breathing slowed, she wondered if perhaps she had been mistaken. She turned, intent on returning to bed, and found herself looking up at the grinning visage of the vampire. Biting back her shock, she numbly noted how tall he was. He stood before her, still clad in the bindings of his customized straightjacket. His long white hair curled lazily in the air, framing his form and adding to his feral appearance. His vermilion eyes shone brightly and his arms were crossed defiantly.
"Integra Wingates Hellsing." He showed far too many teeth for her comfort and she suspected this gesture was intentional.
"Arucard." She did not smile or yield any ground. This anathema dared enter her sanctum and attempt to intimidate her? Fear turned to anger and the pride of her bloodline welled up. Mimicking the sternness of her father and the stance of the Nosferatu, she too, crossed her arms and favored him with a condescending glance, usually reserved for fools and children. "Where have you been?"
"Here and there." His perpetual smirk was alarming, and it never wavered.
Knowing she could not force his answer, Integra clenched her teeth and glared at him. "What have you been doing?"
"Watching, waiting, wanting" he purred in a singsong voice. "Did you miss me, my little princess?"
Integra's brow furrowed, and she glowered at him with all the ferocity of a slighted thirteen-year old. "What for?" She did her best to ignore his last comment.
Arucard studied her grim expression for a moment. Yes, she showed no feareven if she felt it. Wonderful. Simply wonderful. Keenly satisfied that she had managed to display the rare trait of age-old valor, he allowed his mocking smirk to dissolve into knowing sobriety. He stepped closer to the girl. "To determine your worthiness."
Integra's eyes widened for a moment, but still, she refused to stand down. If ever she had doubts, they were cast out of her mind. This was a Hellsing under fire. Now was not the time to confront petty insecurities. She recalled her lineage and her birthright before saying a silent prayer.
Arucard leaned over and cupped her chin in his hands; he silently flaunted the seals and then forced her to meet his piercing gaze.
"Little princess," he growled; his words were a low rumble in his throat, a smooth combination of sultry yearnings and deadly intentions. "Little princess, I could crush your fragile shell with little effort"
Integra was paralyzed, but she continued to hold the monster's gaze with seething audacity. A tiger cannot kill those that meet its stare. "I am Integral Fairbrook Wingates Hellsing: I am the commander of the Royal Order of Protestant Knights. You, vampire, are sadly mistaken to call me a "princess." I am the knight that will slay the dragons. In the name of God, impure souls of the living dead shall be banished into eternal damnation. Amen!"
Arucard's predatory smile returned.
"Then greater will be my pleasure at devouring you, my little princess."
Integra snarled and snapped back.
"My poor little-"
She lashed out striking the vampire across the cheek, unconcerned with the fact she could not do any damage.
"How dare you?!"
Arucard remained unfazed by the attack. He laughed at her futile action. "My little princess, you have so much to learn. You once called me your knight. You are a little princess from India, of Anglo-Saxon blood; a little orphan whose father has left you all alone in a cruel world." *
The girl stiffened, fighting the grief his taunts elicited. "You once called me, "master." I will not tolerate this insubordination from a profane creature such as yourself."
"Show me princess," he murmured secretively. "Show me your worth" With those parting words, Arucard melted into the darkness, leaving the girl to her own devices.


Integra trembled uncontrollably after Arucard left. She stumbled to her bed clenching her teeth and fists. Enraged, Integra found she could not sleep, nor did she have the desire to. Instead, she dressed, and resolved to find the appropriate means of dealing with this Arucard. The library probably contained the best compilation of paranormal warfare. To stake or shoot a vampire was far easier in theory; he knew she would be looking for him and he would be prepared. He dared to hound her, to threaten her, to challenge her.
Livid, she stalked down the stairs, a plethora of blinking eyes haunting her shadow.
The game had begun.

* If you didn't get it, Arucard is referring to The Little Princess.