Chapter Text
Dust scattered across the floor, the last remnants of his father. Something hollow opened up in Alucard, feeling worse than if he’d been full--of tears, of pain, of anything. No, instead all he could do was look down at the little pile, burned across the rug in his childhood bedroom.
It was over. What now?
“What now” turned up rather quickly, in Alucard’s opinion, almost comically so. His two companions for the journey each tried, in their own way, to break through to him. Trevor coarse, Sypha softer but no less direct. He tried to respond, really he did, but all he smelled was ashes and blood. The blood turned out to be more of an issue as Trevor leaned heavily on the wall behind him.
“Belmont?” Alucard asked. Seeing the man look tired rather than soldiering on made Alucard’s guts twist up. “Tired already?"
"'Course I am. That was Dracula." Trevor looked down at the floor, eyes unfocused. There was a growing spot of red startlingly and worryingly close to his collar.
"What is that?"
"Hm?"
"What?" Sypha asked. "What is it? Wait, Trevor did your neck get injured?"
Her worried tone had Trevor clasping a hand over it, though he glanced at Alucard when he said, "It's just a scratch."
"That's a serious location," Sypha protested. "Just let me take a look."
"Sypha- It doesn't need- Hold on you've got an injury worse than me on your arm, and just look at Alucard!"
"We'll all take care of our wounds. But yours could end up more serious, so close to the arteries and veins which feed your heart and brain. Whatever is left of those," Alucard said. His little joke must have worked, because Trevor wrinkled his nose and let Sypha pull his hand away.
"Probably more than whatever you have left. I didn't run off-"
"Is, is that a bite?" Sypha exclaimed. Trevor and Alucard both froze.
"A what?" Alucard asked faintly.
"Noth-"
"A bite," Sypha interrupted, visibly upset, hands clenched in the shirt fabric she pulled away. "A vampire bite."
She turned to look back at Alucard with desperate eyes, and Trevor’s followed, more wary. Alucard didn't know what to do. What to think. It was all too much, too fast. Maybe, maybe they were wrong anyway. Alucard stepped forward, then again, dodging the burned rug to get up to where Sypha stood. She stepped to the side, revealing the wound in Trevor's neck. It was bleeding, and should have been worse, but it was obvious by the spreading black in the veins that vampire venom was already at work.
Dammit. Dammit, it was already too late! … unless, unless maybe they got some of the sire's blood, tried the experimental antidote-
"Who was it?" he rasped. "This is important, Belmont. Which one bit you?"
Trevor looked pained. Not in pain, but hesitant to place a name. Alucard glared. Sypha's gentle touch to Trevor’s arm brought his attention back, getting him to talk, even if he grimaced and muttered.
"Dracula." One hand gestured limply at the floor where the dust sat.
Everything around Alucard fell away. Dracula. His father. Had bitten Trevor Belmont, last of the Belmonts, and then died to him. And was burned to ashes, leaving no blood left for even an experimental possibility.
"But then, he's dead so wouldn't it…?"
Alucard felt cruel to cut through Sypha's small hope. "That's just a myth. There is no reversal for vampirism."
"If there was, the Belmonts would have known it," Trevor agreed. "But it's one way. Death only."
Alucard closed his eyes, thinking. His brain turned to problem solving, pushing his emotions away to deal with later. How could he help?
"What do we do?" Sypha asked, trying to see more of the veins snaking across Trevor, even as he tried to pull away. "Can we-? What will he experience? Alucard?"
"I'm gonna die Sypha. It won't be pretty."
"Trevor-!"
"Enough." Their bickering paused, Alucard gently pulled Sypha away. "Sypha, please go find a nearby room, make sure the door is sturdy, and clean up the bed best you can. I'll take care of Belmont."
"...Okay. Yeah, okay." Sypha nodded determinedly and took off, eyes overbright.
"She needs to be taken care of too," Trevor said, stubborn even as he slumped against the wall. "Her wound isn't closing supernaturally."
"Your condition needs more immediate attention. Sypha knows how to care for her shoulder, and I'm sure she will." Alucard reached out for Trevor, groping him under the arms before slinging one arm over his own shoulder for balance. "You’re deteriorating rapidly. Fa- Dracula's venom might be the most potent, given his power. He might’ve killed you with it, had Sypha and I not taken his attention also."
"Wonderful," Trevor grumbled, his steps less coordinated as they went along. Alucard followed the sound of linens being shaken clean. "I'm going to be some monster vampire?"
"... No."
"My confidence is raised, thank you."
"Belmont." Trevor gave Alucard a shaky smile; Ah, he'd been attempting a joke. But Alucard couldn't feel much humor at the situation. He couldn't feel much of anything. A blessing, given the horror would make him collapse in place. The logical side of his brain said, "You will be a vampire, yes. Though without a sire around, it will be dangerous. I- ...I have never been a part of this process, though Dracula made certain I knew of it. I will keep an eye on you to make sure the transition is smooth."
Trevor sighed, head hanging down. At the door to the room Sypha had chosen, Trevor whispered, quiet enough Alucard only heard because their heads were so close. "Don't let me hurt her."
"Obviously," Alucard whispered back. He wondered what stories Trevor knew of abandoned fledglings attacking towns in their thirst. His family likely took out those types of vampires most often. The maddened fledglings did not plan, only acted. He would not allow Trevor to become so lost.
Blood would be the biggest help--if Trevor wasn’t parched, he would not lose his thinking mind to bloodlust. In this aspect, it was a blessing that they were in Dracula’s castle. Alucard knew his fath- He knew there were stores of blood kept chilled, and given the army size with vampire generals included, the livestock had probably been expanded as well. Blood was no issue.
The next thing which would help was Alucard himself. He was strong as any vampire, faster than most, and could track Trevor down should he--for some reason--need to be subdued. It wouldn’t be easy, if it came down to that, but Sypha had proven herself capable too.
Alucard also thought, perhaps, as his own blood was directly related to Dracula’s, naturally and not by turning, that he might be able to exert some will over Trevor. It might not be necessary, Alucard told himself, but just in case...
Hopefully, Alucard’s thrown together plan would work.
The only concern now was making Trevor comfortable. Sypha stepped aside as they entered the bedroom, gesturing to a fairly nice guest bed.
“It wasn’t that dusty. None of the doors would hold a vampire, but this one wasn’t damaged at all. And there are some thick curtains for the windows,” she said.
“Thank you.” Alucard allowed Sypha to grab Trevor’s other side, helping to lay the still-human man on the clean bed. He looked worse already, the venom spreading down to his heart and up his throat to his face.
“It’s gruesome,” Sypha whispered. Her hands clenched, grabbing each other and her own robes, back and forth. Alucard placed a gentle palm on her uninjured shoulder.
“Go take care of yourself,” he said. “I will keep watch on Trevor and prepare anything else. The smell of your blood would be…”
“Unhelpful?” Sypha tried to smile.
“Soon, yes. Please take care of yourself.”
“Yes. I know he’d say the same.” She glanced at Trevor before sidling up to Alucard and grabbing his hand. She gave it a squeeze, which Alucard found himself returning automatically. “Shall I bring some food later? I’m sure there must be some here, and if not we have a few leftover rations.”
“Yes, so long as it is before tomorrow’s sunset, thank you. And, if you wouldn’t mind… There is a place I will not be able to go as I watch Trevor: the cold storage room for blood. It will not remain cold if we retrieve it now, so someone will have to get a couple containers later.” Sypha’s understanding nod released the tension from his shoulders.
“Tell me more when I come back. I’ll do it.”
“Thank you, Sypha.”
One more hand squeeze and Sypha was gone.
Trevor had not talked the whole time; his eyes remained closed, even as Alucard dragged a plush chair over to sit at his bedside. The venom was spreading quickly, giving Trevor’s usually golden undertones a sickly yellow-green tint, but it was likely the frantic battle was what had worn him out. Alucard let him sleep, watching his chest rise and fall--it would be the most peace Trevor would have for the next few nights.