The hotel room was littered with blood. The floor, walls and ceiling were all decorated by the bodies of the policemen. Innocent men who had just been following orders from corrupt leaders. Victims of circumstance who posed no real threat to Seras or her master. Alucard had slaughtered them all just the same.

"Seras, prepare for battle."

"But… master these people…these are humans…"

"Your point?"

Alucard's nonchalance shocked Seras. She'd known that her master was cruel and savage, but only to the enemies of Hellsing, ghouls and vampires who threatened humanity. She had never even seen him kill a human before.

Well, except when Alucard had killed her. But he had brought her back! He'd made her a vampire! Couldn't he see that these people were no threat? Couldn't he see that…that…

"These people are human beings!"

Her master whirled around, grabbed her by the collar and lifted her off the ground. The twisted glee he usually wore on his face was replaced with anger.

"I don't care what these things are! They came here to try and kill us. It no longer matters what they are. Now they must die. They'll be slaughtered. Corpses, left to rot in their graves like filth! This is just the way it is. This is what has to be done, and no one has the power to change that. Not God, the Devil or you!"

As Alucard finished speaking, his body faded away and Seras dropped to the ground, left in the room full of corpses. She looked around and noticed that the bodies that were beginning to look familiar. Seras gasped as she saw Valerie's head posed on the floor, her face frozen in terror. Then there was Brock, sliced in half by her master, the wall painted with his blood. Tristan was leaning against the wall as if he was resting, but his heart had been ripped out of his chest. Seras looked on in horror as one by one she recognized the corpses of other Hellsing soldiers, all arrayed in a macabre tableau.

Seras felt the urge to look down and saw that her hands, arms and entire body were covered in the blood of her friends.

I killed them.

Seras fell to her knees, stunned by what she'd done. The corpses all seemed to be staring at her now, silently blaming her for their death. Their hate and condemnation took physical form as the room caught on fire. The flames licked at Seras as they drew closer and closer. The room smelled of burning flesh and soon the fire had caught on Seras' clothing. She looked around desperately for an escape, but there was only fire. As she felt her skin ignite, the voice of her master rang in her mind.

This is just the way it is…

She screamed-

-and opened her eyes to find herself looking at a massive fireball in the sky. The sun.

It took a moment for Seras to realize she was back on the hill, that it had all just been a terrible dream. She sighed in relief. The sunlight was uncomfortable but it was far better than the burning room and after all the blood she had drank the previous night, it barely weakened her at all.

That's when it hit her.

It's already morning!

Seras quickly got up and began running. Despite the temptation to run at full speed, she slowed her pace to human standards in case she was seen. It felt painfully slow to Seras, and it took her several minutes before she got back to base. As she came up to the gate guard, she almost forgot to look winded.

"Hey Seras, what're you doing here?"

Seras knew the soldier, although she couldn't remember his name just now. Once again, there were no regulations against leaving the base, but it still looked strange to do so without reason.

"Oh you know…" she said, as she tried to think of what it is the guard knew…

"I…thought I'd go for a jog and see the area…watch the sunrise…" She blushed as she realized how lame her story was. The guard just laughed.

"Nothing wrong with wanting to get away from the base for a few hours." The guard didn't seem overly concerned. Why would he? Seras was a fellow soldier, not a prisoner and this was just casual conversation.

"You'd better hurry though, morning briefings already over."

Seras gave quick thanks as she went into the base, mentally berating herself for looking so stupid. The base was a flurry of activity and her arrival went unnoticed. Everyone seemed to be busy with something. Some soldiers were shooting at an outdoor target range, playing football on the improvised court or gearing up for a mission abroad. Seras wasn't used to seeing the base during daylight hours, usually preferring to stay inside unless called on for a mission.

"Hey Seras!"

Seras didn't recognize any of the passing men, but they obviously seemed to know her. She gave a quick greeting and kept walking.

"Morning, Seras." said another soldier who looked up from a book he was reading. Seras recognized him and they had some quick conversation before she moved on.

This continued as she crossed the length of the base towards the mess hall. Men and women who Seras had only barely been acquainted with seemed eager to start conversation with her. She spent the better part of an hour talking with soldiers about the weather, their missions, weapon maintenance and a variety of other topics. Seras realized that it had been a long time since she'd spoken about anything that wasn't a life or death situation and found herself enjoying the casual conversation. It made her almost feel like a human again, if not for the irritation of the sun and the thirst for blood that was already returning. She spoke so rarely with soldiers outside of her squad that she was surprised to discover her marksmanship had earned her a reputation in Hellsing.

"Hey police girl!"

Seras was startled by the use of her old nickname. She turned to see Valerie running towards her followed by a massive man who could only be Brock.

"We've been lookin' absolutely everywhere for you Seras." The big man towered over her, his deep voice made him sound even more intimidating, but he wore a big smile on his face.

"Ya, where the hell have you been?" Valerie looked less amused, but then she never seemed that happy so it was tough to tell.

"I wa-"

"Actually, it doesn't matter, follow me." Valerie cut her off and began walking to the infirmary. Seras began to panic. Had they found out about the stolen blood bags? What if someone had seen her last night? But then if they suspected something why were they acting so friendly?

"Relax." Brock patted her on the back. "The boss is fine, you don't need to look so worried." Now Seras felt a bit guilty. She hadn't even thought about their injured squad leader, but if this wasn't about him then what was it about? Her teammates had swept her up so quickly she hadn't been able to get a word out.

"What's going on? Why are we heading to the infirmary?" Seras thought for a moment and added, "and why'd you call me police girl?"

Brock and Valerie looked amused by Seras' confusion.

"Well somebody didn't show up for briefing this mornin' and wasn't there to receive her own commendation." Brock was in a cheery mood as usual, Seras had never seen the giant upset, which she considered a blessing. Then she registered what Brock had said.

"Oh…" was all Seras managed to say. She had hoped that her absence would have gone unnoticed. But if she had missed her own award ceremony, that looked bad.

Really bad.

"Don't worry too much about it," Valerie could tell what Seras was thinking, "I told Colonel Parker that you were at the infirmary checking up on Tristan, which is why we have to get there before he does"

"Thanks Val." Lying to a commanding officer was a serious offense. Valerie had taken a real risk by covering for Seras.

"Don't mention it." Valerie winked at her. "And as for calling you police girl, Brock said he heard a rumor that were in the force before signing up with Hellsing."

"It was a long time ago…" Seras had spent her childhood single-mindedly trying to become a police officer. It had been all that she had wanted in life. But that was before she had watched her friends killed before her eyes by a vampire. Before Alucard had shot a bullet through her heart and turned her. Now her time as a police officer was both figuratively and literally a lifetime ago. She couldn't help but wonder what her life would be like if she hadn't been called for that mission. She'd probably still be alive and human back home. Vampires and werewolves would still be locked in fairytales.

"Cheddar, right?"

"What?" Seras had been lost in thought.

"You were stationed near Cheddar Village, right?" Valerie asked again.

Seras nodded. They were coming up to the infirmary now. The building seemed much more welcoming during daylight hours with its painted red cross clearly visible. As they entered the building, Seras felt relieved to get out of the sunlight. All the time outside had started to take its toll. The group quickly navigated their way to where Tristan was resting. Seras noticed that Alex, the soldier who'd lost an arm, was gone.

Tristan seemed far more alert than the previous night. His bandages had been replaced and he looked well on his way to recovery. He brightened as he saw he noticed his squad coming towards him but winced in pain as he leaned up to greet them. His greeting was cut off as Valerie explained the situation and that Colonel Parker would be here any second.

"You want me to lie to our commanding officer?" Tristan laughed at the absurdity of the request, and then flinched when the laughter made his ribs hurt.

"Hey, if Parker hears that Seras was absent because she was watching out for an injured friend, then he'll go easy on the girl." Brock had a point. "Plus don't ya think you owe it to her?"

"You saved my life Seras, and as a squad we should watch out for each other…" Tristan seemed indecisive as he looked at Seras. "But he's our colonel! We have rules for a reason."

Tristan was right of course, but Seras needed him to support her. She was about to say something when Colonel Parker entered the room.

"Sir!"

The Wild Geese stood at attention, except for Tristan who could only lean up on his bed and try to salute.

"At ease, Squad 13," went Colonel Parker's brusque reply. The man never referred to squads by their nicknames, preferring to stay professional. There were officers in command who you could relax around, and be yourself with, maybe even make a joke at their expense. Colonel Parker wasn't one of those. The man was always serious, and didn't tolerate tardiness in his outfit. He eyed each member of The Wild Geese as he walked over to Tristan.

"Sergeant, I was informed that Seras Victoria was with you all morning. Is that true?"

Tristan seemed to hesitate. Colonel Parker towered over him.

"Uh…yes sir. Seras was here with me," he lied.

Seras didn't dare let out a breath of relief as the Colonel turned his attention to her.

"I admire a soldier who looks out for her teammates." That was the closest thing to a compliment Seras had ever heard from the colonel. "But your absence this morning was hardly the actions of a dedicated soldier. I've got half a mind to take away this commendation and put you on guard duty for the rest of the month. This will not happen again. Understood soldier?" Parker leaned in closer to her, staring her down, daring Seras to make a move.

Part of her wanted to throttle the colonel then and there. But just a small part. As much as she didn't like the Colonel; she was a soldier and he was her commanding officer.

"Yes sir! It won't happen again, sir."

"See that it doesn't, corporal." Colonel Parker reached into his pocket and pulled out a small box.

"You've been a hell of a soldier Seras Victoria. I've read the reports; you've saved a lot of lives." Parkers face seemed to lose just a trace of his gruff exterior as he opened up the box revealing a shining silver cross. "This award reflects your status as one of Hellsing's best. I've only given this out to a handful of soldiers. Don't make me regret giving it to you". It wasn't the best speech, but it was still the best thing anyone had heard from Parker.

The glittering commendation was waiting for her to claim it, but something was wrong. Seras hesitated. She looked at her squad, all of them looked happy for her. But she was struggling to stay calm as she felt a cold sliver of fear growing inside of her. Her gaze was locked on the commendation, sitting innocently in its box.

Stupid! How couldn't I see this coming!?

Hellsing was an anti-vampire organization. Every aspect of the organization was dedicated towards that goal. Why wouldn't that be reflected in its awards too? She took another nervous glance at her squad, and at Parker's expectant gaze. They were waiting for her to take the cross.

The cross that was intricately carved, bore the Hellsing insignia on it, and was made of pure, blessed silver!

The moment I touch that, my hands will burn…

"I'm waiting, corporal." Parker was beginning to look impatient, and her squad was waiting for her. She slowly reached out her hand to take the cross.

They'll know I'm a vampire! They'll know everything!

Seras' mind was racing. Each second seemed to stretch out for her. What could she do? Maybe if she accidently knocked the box out of the colonel's hands? No, that wouldn't achieve anything. Why not just take the entire box? No, they were expecting her to put the commendation on now. The only option left was to take the cross and keep everyone from noticing her pain. It was a long shot, but also her only hope. Her hand was closing in on the cross. Seras braced herself for the inevitable sting of the blessed silver.

"Corporal Victoria!"

Everyone turned as a soldier barged into the room, almost falling over. Seras recognized him as Private Mackenzie Walker. Mac's brown hair was completely unkempt, and he was covered in sweat. He paused for a minute to catch his breath before he realized that there were other people in the room, all of whom were now staring at him in surprise.

The private was something of a joke among the Hellsing soldiers. The poor man was frequently given the most distasteful jobs and acted as a gopher for higher ranking soldiers. But he was a hard worker and when you needed something, Mac could get it for you.

"Uh, s-sir! Colonel Parker, sir!" the private awkwardly saluted. He was becoming uncomfortably aware that he was the lowest ranking soldier in the room.

Even as Colonel Parker inevitably yelled at Mac for barging in, Seras couldn't help but be thankful for the reprieve. If Mac hadn't shown up when he did, things could be very different right now. It was almost comedic, Parker taking out all his anger on the unfortunate private who looked like a deer in headlights. As she looked at the faces of her squad, Seras could tell she wasn't the only one who thought so. Finally, there was a lull in Parker's tantrum and Mac was able to get out his message.

"It's Sir Integra, sir!"

Suddenly the humor died away. Even the colonel seemed taken aback. Sir Integra had never acted directly. She usually spoke with Parker, who would manage the day to day affairs of troop deployment and training. Most of the soldiers had never even seen Integra before since she seemed to spend all her time in Hellsing mansion or away playing politics. Rumors and stories had elevated the elusive leader to near mythical proportions.

"Well what does she want?" barked the colonel after controlling his surprise.

"She's requested Corporal Victoria's presence at the mansion." Now everyone was looking at Seras. "That was several hours ago, I've been trying to find the corporal all morning."

So that explained why Mac was exhausted and covered in sweat, but not why Integra wanted to see her.

Seras watched the Colonel closely. His brow was wrinkled in thought, but when he noticed Seras his expression changed back to his usual shade of anger.

"You heard him, corporal! Sir Integra's expecting you. Get a move on." He unceremoniously tossed the commendation, still in its box, at Seras. She caught it and gingerly placed it in her pocket before quickly running out of the room.

The colonel was next to leave, his expression darkening, followed by Mac, who was eager to rest now that his task was complete. That left the remainder of Squad 13.

"The hell just happened?" Brock asked to no one in particular. Tristan looked equally perplexed, as he lay back in his bed. One second they were giving Seras a commendation, and now she was gone on some errand for the infamous Integra Hellsing.

"I don't know." Valerie looked serious; something was wrong.

"But I plan to find out."

AN: One of the reviewers pointed out that it was a little silly that Seras had never faced a situation like this before (Having to touch silver and risk exposing herself). In hindsight, I think that reviewer had a very good point.

The last few chapters have been OC heavy, and although this chapter doesn't accomplish much, it was nice to write from Seras' perspective again. It was important to me that readers be reassured that this is a story about Seras, and she will be central to the plot.

I also introduced Mac, a borderline comic relief character. Many of my OCs start out very cookie-cutter. This is mainly because I didn't have a solid idea of where I wanted to take the plot, let alone the characters. As events unfold, I made developing the OCs characters one of my main priorities, and I hope by the time the later chapters are reached, it can be seen that they are no longer cookie-cutter characters. (If not, let me know in a review!)