Kitten

Chapter 7

Integral sat in the back of a closed in lorry with her back against the driver's compartment as coolly as if she was on her way to a night of theater and not like she was rushing to save the undead life of her lover. In the back of the lorry with her were four of her trusted soldiers. They were engaged in a task that none of them would forget as long as they lived. They were slicing open medical bags of blood and dumping the gory contents into a portable bathtub in the center of the lorry.

Integral had to request an emergency supply from a local blood bank for the process that Alucard had mentally conveyed to her was the only way to save the deeply wounded Seras. Integral knew that she would later have to make a full explanation to the Queen on why such a thing was done, indeed, why such a waste of blood for a creature that was already under a potential death sentence but at the moment Integral couldn't give a damn.

The soldiers carrying out the orders would occasionally glance over at Integral and wonder what the purpose was behind the grisly bath they were preparing but then they decided it could not be that dire as Integral was the picture of placid calmness as she calmly sat on a bench smoking one of her cigars.

What her troops could not possibly know was that Integral was closer to the breaking point than she had ever been in her life other than the time her father died and she had nearly been killed by her uncle. All Integral could think of was the recent morning she had awoken with a naked Seras in her arms and how good it finally felt to have someone, anyone to hold and be held by. She was not going to lose Seras this night!

"But what of a week's time, Are you just saving your lover now so you can command Alucard to destroy her later?" A part of her mind cynically asked her. "There is still time to find a cure. Alucard will discover a solution." Integral argued with herself back. "And what if he doesn't?"

Integral was spared having to answer that question by the lorry pulling to a sudden stop.

"We're here sir." The soldier near the rear of the truck unnecessarily stated as he finished slicing open the last of the medical bags open with his knife. Dumping the contents of the bag he then stuck his knife point first into the bench beside him. Integral nodded her head and rose to her feet.

"I want you men to join the rest of our team and search the house from top to bottom. Make sure there are no more victims or vampires inside and secure everything for examination."

The soldiers obediently filed out of the lorry. As Integral reached the edge of the truck she found a detail of her soldiers standing nearby solemnly holding a stretcher between them. Integral could see the stretcher contained an individual covered with a blood stained sheet and dark blood was dripping from the bottom of the stretcher.

A soldier in the lead of the team snapped a salute to her. "Agent Victoria's body sir."

Integral managed to keep her face expressionless and nodded to the man. "Have her body placed inside the truck and then have your detail join the others in searching the house."

As soon as Seras's body was placed inside, Integral dropped the cloth covering at the back of the truck closing it off from the sight of others. Turning on a lantern hanging from the top of the lorry, Integral took a deep breath and pulled the covering off of Seras's body and got her first look.

Integral was used to the sight of blood and gore. One didn't command an organization like hers and not be used to it but still she drew in a shocked gasp at the amount of damage done to Seras. The dark leather clothing Seras was wearing managed to hide most of the blood on it but nothing could hide the long rips and tears in the clothing that revealed the bruised and split skin underneath. There was small wound to her side and a massive slice in the center of her body that had nearly split the body into two but what was the hardest for Integral to look at was the empty eyes of Seras as they stared sightlessly up at the ceiling of the truck. Quickly and efficiently Integral removed Seras's clothing from her body and grasping the now nude woman under her arms managed to lift her over the edge of the portable bathtub and lowered her into the waiting blood. A blood bath was a gruesome thing to behold but Alucard had assure her that with so much damage being done to Seras's body that it was the only thing that would help her regenerate fast enough to save her undead life. Integral remained holding Seras by her shoulders so as to keep her face above the level of the blood. Being unaware of Seras's new secret that she had to breathe, Integral could have just let the blood cover her face but the thought of Seras's open eyes being covered by the gory dark blood just caused Integral's stomach to twist in knots.

"Are you sure she is not dead?"Integral thought to Alucard whom she could sense in the back of her mind watching everything through her eyes.

"Technically my Master she has been dead ever since Cheddars."

"That is not funny servant. You know what I mean. Is there anything left of her to revive?"Integral thought in irritation at Alucard. He could pick the worse times for his humor or moods to come over him. She could feel the creepy sensation of his mental touch leave her mind and could only assume he was trying to reach Seras.

"Police Kitty, are you in there?" Alucard's mental voice echoed inside Seras's head.

"Wanna sleep. I think I wanna go towards the light." Seras's mental voice slurred back at him.

"Is it a bright shining white light?" Alucard asked in curiosity. He had heard humans sometimes say that they saw such a thing when they were close to dying. He couldn't remember seeing one when he had officially died but to be fair that was many centuries ago and maybe he had just forgotten.

"No." Seras voice slowly drawled. "It's a red flickering light like fire and I can hear people screaming and moaning. Think I can smell sulfur too."

"I think you may want to avoid that light then Seras." Alucard thought dryly back at her. "Integral is waiting for you back in life; don't you want to try to go back to her?"

"Kay, for her I'll try." Seras thought weakly back.

"Master."Alucard's voice rang in Integral's head. "Seras is still there but she is very weak and bordering on giving up and passing over into Hell. Again, do you wish to stop her? Is it a kindness to save her only to have to order her destruction a mere few weeks later?"

Ignoring Alucard, Integral spoke out loud to Seras. "Seras, I command you to come back…" Integral softened her voice. "I mean please come back to me Seras. I'm waiting. Don't leave me standing here alone forever."

Seras's empty eyes seemed to flicker colors and finally they slowly focused on Integral's face. "Integral?" Seras's weak voice called out.

"Yes my Love. I'm here." Integral whispered to her. Pulling Seras up till the young vampire / cat woman could support herself on the edge of the bathtub and not slide into the depths of the blood, Integral peered around the truck. It was obvious the blood in the bath was helping Seras's body to rebuild but she was still far too weak and she needed more than just the cold medicinal blood. Spotting the soldier's knife stuck into the bench seat, Integral pulled it out and quickly tugging off one of her blood stained glove she sliced a shallow slice across the palm of her hand and held the bleeding hand above Seras's mouth. At first the blood just dripped on Seras's unresponsive lips and Integral fearfully noted that Seras had closed her eyes but eventually Seras's tongue slipped out past her lips and pulled the precious liquid into her mouth. Finally like a new born baby bird, Seras opened her mouth wide and let Integral drip her blood directly into her mouth. While the sight should have been grisly and grotesque, it was somehow touching and poignant instead. Finally Seras opened her eyes and reaching out she took Integral's hand and pulled it to her lips where she gently licked it sealing the wound and healing it instantly. Still holding Integral's hand Seras said softly. "You should have let me die…"

She stopped as integral gently pushed her hand against her lips. "Don't." Was all Integral said.

"While this is slightly touching and somewhat arousing, daybreak will be soon, if you wish for Police Kitty to heal completely she needs her rest." Alucard's voice suddenly boomed in Integral's mind.

Integral pulled away from Seras and angrily rubbed at her forehead.

"Master?" Seras asked knowingly. "He really does give one such a headache can't he?"

Seras started to rise from the bath, if nothing else to rub Integral's shoulders to relieve the tension of dealing with Alucard when the back flap of the lorry suddenly flipped back to reveal a soldier standing there holding a black book in his hand.

"We found th…" the man suddenly went speechless seeing a nude Seras rising from the blood. She had her back to him but even that was enough of a sight to render the man deaf and dumb for a moment.

"Yes?" Integral asked as if this kind of thing happened every day.

"Ah…Uh?" The man asked as stared at the spot where Seras's tail connected to her backside.

"Soldier!" Integral barked.

The man snapped to attention instantly and saluted as Seras with an eep sunk back down into the blood till, much to the man's disappointment, it covered her entirely.

"We found this book maam, er sir, er I mean, Sir Integral we found this book listing names and places where the new batch of chips were shipped to." The soldier completely flustered managed to stammer out, his eyes never leaving where Seras was hiding under the blood in the bathtub.

"Excellent. Return to headquarters immediately with this information and give orders to the rest of the troops that if there is nothing further to be discovered to begin pulling out now." Integral replied.

As soon as the flap of the truck was once again closed Seras looked back. "I must have looked like something out of an American horror movie rising out of the pool of blood like that. They are going to think I'm even more of a monster now than they did before."

Integral reaching out a hand helped Seras once again rise. "I doubt if that man even noticed there was blood on you Seras. He was too busy admiring your tail."

Seras looked down in embarrassment. "I must look hideous. All the wounds and scars on me, covered in blood."

"The wounds and scars are gone and you look gorgeous, covered in blood or not." Integral stated as she moved to take Seras into her arms.

"I'm covered in blood. It will stain your clothes." Seras reminded her.

"Do you think I care?" Integral replied as she tilted Seras's chin up so she could kiss her and then wrapped her arms around her.

As the early morning sun began to make its ascent and the unmarked trucks of Hellsing made their way home, a thin tall man with a maniacal look in his eyes watched.

Father Anderson wasn't a happy psychopathic priest. After escaping from Alucard, he had been recalled to Rome where he had to explain how he lost the ancient book that had been entrusted to his care. The book had come from the deepest recesses of the Vatican's forbidden archives and losing it had cost Anderson greatly. Finally convincing his superiors to allow him to return to England had taken time and what does he find when he gets back?

Apparently the spell in the book had done nothing, the Draculina known as Seras Victoria was still alive and kicking. Oddly though Alucard seemed to be missing, Anderson had been following at a distance all night long watching Seras as she went from place to place fighting the chipped vampires and Alucard had never shown. Father Anderson being wary of some kind of trap had kept far enough back so neither Alucard nor Seras should have been able to detect him and never once did the black demon known as Alucard had shown. Not even when it appeared that the female vampire had been injured in some fashion. It had been the Whore of Babylon herself, Lady Integral Hellsing that had rushed to the rescue. Anderson from his distant vantage point couldn't decide what had happened to Seras or how the annoying leader of Hellsing could have healed her but if Alucard was nowhere to be found and the female draculina was injured, that meant only the pitiful mislead heathen soldiers were left to protect the head of Hellsing.

Anderson fingered the long silver bayonets under his long coat as he slunk unseen away from the gates of House Hellsing.


Once again Seras found herself waking in Integral's king sized bed. Stretching slightly Seras tried to move from the bed, only to feel Integral's arms tighten around her waist.

"Where do you think you are going?" Integral breathed against Seras's bare back.

"I need to get out of here." Seras sadly whispered back. "The soldiers are bound to talk after last night and if your reputation isn't already in tatters it soon will be."

"Why should the soldiers gossip?" Integral asked.

Seras turned in Integral's grasp to face her in disbelief. Finding herself nose to nose with Integral, Seras was tempted to just kiss her lips and forget her concern and her incredulity at her lover.

"Well, let's see. You lead me out of the back of a truck naked except by what was covered by a piece of tarp torn off of the truck and instead of letting me go to my rooms you lead me upstairs in front of them all!"

Integral shrugged causing Seras's eyes to dip down to look at integral's barely covered chest. "You were covered in dried blood and were too weak to bathe yourself. I made sure everyone knew that I was only going to make sure you got cleaned up."

Seras brought one hand up to cup Integral's cheek. "You are going to lose your carefully fought for reputation. I don't want to be the one that brings down the House of Hellsing."

Integral frowned and releasing Seras she turned over and reached for her bedside table for her glasses and a cigar. "Damn it Seras, will you stop worrying about my damned reputation?"

"Will you listen to yourself? You are not acting like yourself. You are ready to throw away your family's honor? On me? A vampire?" Seras rolled to the edge of the bed and faced away from Integral. "It has to be the change in me that is doing this to you. I must be giving off some kind of weird cat scent or something. That is the only answer."

Integral lit her cigar and glared at Seras's back. "You think you know me Seras? Let me tell you a little tale Seras. About a young girl that lost her father and then found out her next closest relative wanted her dead. All for this great family honor you are going on about! The little girl to save her life woke a monster." Integral's harsh glare faded slightly.

"That monster to make me 'stronger' used to feed me images of death and dying every night so I could face what my destiny demanded. Never once did he offer me a shoulder to cry on, only cruel humor or the occasional thinly veiled innuendo. Later Walter came to join our 'little family' but even he kept me at arm's distance. He was a trusted ally, even a friend but he would never step over the line and hold me. I grew up alone Seras. Do you know what that means? No friends, no dating, no comfort from anyone. I was the great Iron Maiden, meant to stand alone. Well I'm tired of standing alone. Do you think you were the only one attracted at the first sight of each other? I was jealous that Alucard was holding you when I saw you that night in the moonlight. I figured you and he would end up together and once again I would be the one left alone. It wasn't right! Even the monsters were getting someone and I had to be alone?" After her brief tirade Integral was quiet as her shoulders shook with repressed emotions.

Seras sat down beside her and took the other woman in her arms. "I'm sorry. I just can't believe someone like you could want me." Seras allowed a sad smile to cross her face. "As you say, I'm a monster."

Integral was silent in Seras's embrace for a moment before sighing. "I don't care. You are my monster." Finally with another sigh she half stated, half said. "We do need to start the day I suppose."

Seras with her own sigh nodded.

"The first thing I want you to do Seras is have the doctor check you out. I know the wounds have healed and you don't even have any scars any more but I want to know for certain that you are all right."

"Crap." Sears thought to herself. "Now is the point where I prove just how much of a monster I am. I wonder if Integral's look of affection will disappear to be replaced with disgust or horror once I tell her the reason why I can't visit the Hellsing Doctor is because I ate him?"

"Um about that? I have a confession to make Sir." Seras said as she slowly released Integral and stepped a few paces away from the bed.

Integral frowned as she watched how nervous Seras had suddenly become with the mention of the doctor and what was with her suddenly using her title again? "Yes?" She prompted.

"Um, the doctor? I, um, kind of, um, ate him?" Seras said refusing to meet Integral's eyes. Integral could see Seras's tail drooping behind her.

"WHAT?!" Integral yelled.

Seras snapped to attention, her tail becoming stiff and rigid behind her, and replied. "I caught him outside your room spying on you and then phoning someone and passing information." Seras rushed to add. "I didn't know what to do and …" Seras gave a helpless shrug. "I guess my vampire instincts kicked in. Before I knew what I was doing I drained him."

Integral wanted to be furious. She wanted to be horrified but the only thing she could feel at the moment was slight humor at watching a naked Seras standing at attention. "You could have handled that better." Was all she finally said.

Seras shoulders slumped. "While it was better than Integral reaching into her beside drawer and pulling out a gun and shooting her she still felt like she had let her down.

"I guess in addition to everything else I have to do today I now have to see about getting a new doctor for our organization." Integral mused to herself.

"Sir?" Seras asked a bit in shock.

"While I am very unhappy with you feeding on someone without my approval Seras, I don't like nor tolerate traitors. If the doctor was passing information to someone on the outside, he got what he deserved."

"Um, yes sir. I'll return to my room now?"

Integral leaned back into the bed and watched Seras as she continued to stand at attention. "Going to be interesting to see you try, have you forgotten already that you arrived in my room last night with no clothes? If you think the men are talking because of last night, how much more will they gossip if they see you coming down from upstairs wrapped in the same dirty piece of cloth you arrived with last night? Or do you plan to dress in some of my clothing? That surely won't give them something to talk about now will it?"

Integral patted the bed beside her. "Rest Seras, I will bring you up another set of your new clothing later until then enjoy a day off. You earned it last night."

Seras could only nod as Integral dressed and then left the room.

Integral finally managed to make it back to her bedroom late in the afternoon as the sun was setting. She hadn't meant to keep Seras waiting quite that long but there was a lot of strategy sessions for tonight's planned raids based on the information contained in the book found in the Hunter's house and of course explanations to the Queen on the blood requests from the night before.

Opening the door to her room Integral was treated to a sight of a naked Seras pacing back and forth.

"I knew it was you from the sounds of your footfalls." Seras explained not hiding in case it was a maid or another member of Hellsing household.

Integral held out the bundle of clothing she was carrying.

"Oh great!" Seras said with enthusiasm. "It was strange being naked all day long. It felt somehow deviant and kinky."

Integral took a deep breath as she watched Seras slide, wiggle and position herself in the tight leathers.

"What is the plan for this evening?" Seras asked as she finished lacing the tight leather corset under her chest.

"I can think of several things to do." Integral found herself muttering. Who knew watching a woman get dressed was nearly as arousing as watching one undress? Shaking her head slightly she said louder. "We are sending troops to raid the homes of the people named in that book that bought the chips. At the same time we are launching a massive attack on the point from where they were shipped."

"Shouldn't we wait till Alucard is back?"

"Can't wait that long. With that Hunter person dead they are bound to scatter and move their operations. We have to attack tonight."

Seras nodded her head. "I understand. So which force will I be with? The one attacking the buyers or the ones raiding the shippers?"

"Neither. This time you are staying here." Integral raised her hand to forestall Seras arguments. "I mean it this time Seras. You were almost destroyed last night and with the injuries and your cat condition you are not up to full power. You are going to stay here with me."

Seras grumbled a little under her breath but after hearing Integral's comments about being alone all her life this morning, she was willing to forestall trying to get herself killed. She still didn't want to have to force Integral in to deciding whether to disobey a direct order from the Queen or order her destruction but she was willing to give Integral as much time with her as she could.


Father Anderson watched as truck after truck pulled out of the Hellsing compound. Something big was happening this night but that didn't matter to him. What matter to him the most was destroying the unholy heathen Hellsing organization. No longer would they stand between the Vatican and their holy duty of riding the world of all creatures of darkness, even the so called 'tame' ones of Hellsing itself.

Anderson watched as a lone guard at the gate was all that was left of Hellsing's human troops. Slipping up silently Anderson rammed one of his silver bayonets through the man's chest killing him instantly. While many might consider such an act to be one of murder, section 13 Iscariot considered it simply a task to be completed so that the mission could be accomplished. In other words, the ends justified the means. The poor guard was simply an obstacle to the good Father's mission and as such he had to be removed. It was a testament to the deluded priest's fanaticism that simply knocking the man out never even occurred to him.

Seras stood beside Integral's desk as they both waited for reports from the combat to filtered back to them. The only sign of Seras's agitation was the twitching of her tail. Integral continued to smoke one cigar after another while she waited. Both women were wishing that Alucard was with the troops. While in Seras's case, Alucard being back would mean that almost all hope for her 'cure' was gone but she still wished he was there to help the human troops with the freaks they were bound to run into this night.

In Integral's case she was annoyed that Alucard refused to even contact her mentally. She knew distance was no obstacle to Alucard's communication. He had no problem last night doing it but this evening there was no contact at all. Either the all mighty Alucard was tired out from his prolong mental communications from the previous night or something had happened in the Americas requiring his attention even onto morning light. In any case, his continued absence from Seras and Integral's minds was just another worrying point.

A loud crash from somewhere downstairs drew their attention.

"I'll go see what that was." Seras said as she bounded over to the door, opening it she quickly glanced left and right before exiting and shutting the door behind her. She was only gone for a short time before she rushed back in and slammed the door. Without saying a word to Integral, Seras pulled a heavy bookcase over with one hand and shoved it against the door.

"What the hell are you doing Seras?" Integral asked.

Seras turned to answer her when a familiar large silver bayonet came crashing through the door and bookcase.

"Father Anderson." Integral growled reaching into her desk drawer to pull a gun out.

Seras silently cursed herself for not bringing a weapon to Integral's study, she settled for flexing her cat like claws. One thing Seras was sure of. Anderson was not going to kill Integral while a single breath was in her lungs. Sparing a moment Seras silently screamed in her mind for Alucard but no comforting creepy feelings were felt in her mind to announce he was aware of what was going on.

With a few more shoves Anderson managed to clear the bookcase from the doorway and strode into the room. He was immediately shot several times by Integral but of course the bullet wounds healed almost immediately due to his regenerative abilities.

Anderson didn't even glance at Integral whom he considered no threat at all but sought out Seras.

The mad priest blinked as for the first time as he got a good look at the new cat version of Seras Victoria.

"What in the name of all that is holy happen to ye?" He asked in shock.

"You have some nerve asking me that!" Seras hissed. "You caused this when you read that demon prayer in that book!"

"Are ye daft? That was no prayer to some demon. Twas a holy and righteous spell to nullify evil!"

It was Seras's turn to blink at Anderson. "Are you freaking nuts? You read a prayer to a demon and didn't even know what it was? And you call yourself a holy man?"

"It was no prayer to a demon!" Anderson roared as he hurled several silver bayonets at Seras.

Seras moving with cat like grace avoided all of them and rushed at him herself. Throwing herself into the air she slashed at his face with her claws. Seras felt like cursing or crying in helpless rage when she saw the slashes across his face healed almost immediately. "It was a prayer to the demon Ingus Trendous Muss!" She yelled at the priest.

"Nay! Ingus Tendous Muss is an obscure Latin term. It is no name of a demon!" Anderson yelled back as he tried to slash Seras in half with a silver bayonet.

"Prayer!"

"Holy spell!"

"Prayer!"

Integral watched as the two fought back and forth like some children in a schoolyard dispute. It would have almost been comical if it wasn't for the deadly force both were attempting to use.

"It was a prayer!" Seras growled once again as she dove to put her hand through the priest's chest. Anderson stood his ground only to move at the last possible moment. Slamming the hilt of one of his blessed bayonets into Seras skull he dropped her to the ground. Seras started to rise immediately even though she was seeing stars. Unfortunately, Anderson took the opportunity to slam one of his boots down on her tail.

With a horrendous screech Seras suddenly found that she was paralyzed from the attack on her tail. She looked up as Anderson sadistically ground his boot against her tail causing more pain to her. "It was a holy spell." Anderson smirked as he raised his bayonet to bring it down to remove Seras's head from her shoulders.

Integral emptied her gun into Anderson with pin point accuracy before reaching into another drawer and pulling another gun. That one too she emptied. Anderson with holes in his chest and his head looked over at her almost bored. "Are ye done yet?"

Gritting her teeth against the pain Seras struggled to speak. "Run Integral. Leave me and escape." The vampire cat woman finally managed to get out.

"It nay matter. I will destroy the evil of this place for I am a true servant of God." Anderson smirked down at Seras.

"Some servant of God that has to pray to a demon to win." Seras hissed.

"I…Am….A….Man…Of…God…I…Nay…Need…A…Demon…To…Do…My…Holy….Duty…For…me!" Anderson punctuated every word with a grinding motion of his boot on Seras's tail.

Seras could no longer speak the pain was so severe. She could only lie there twitching spasmodically in agony, her eyes begging Integral to escape while Anderson was busy killing her.

"DO YOU REJECT MY ASSISTANCE SUPPLICANT?" A voice that caused all three people in the room's blood to freeze.

Anderson looked around suspecting a trick of Alucard's.

"Who be ye?" Anderson yelled at the room.

Seras if she hadn't been in agony would have wondered out loud if Anderson was Scottish or a pirate. Really who in the modern world kept using ye, aye or nay anymore?

"I AM INGUS TRENDOUS MUSS." The voice boomed out.

"Told you it was a prayer." Seras did manage to squeak out past the pain.

"ANSWER THE QUESTION SUPPLICANT. DO YOU REJECT MY ASSISTANCE?"

"I nay a supplicant! I am a holy man. Of course I reject the help of a foul demon of Hell."

"THEN I TAKE BACK MY ASSISTANCE." The voice intoned.

"And what is that suppose to mean?" Anderson asked. A sudden burst of light and power threw him off of Seras. A glow so bright that both Anderson and Integral had to hold their hands up to shield from the glare and when the glare finally died down they could see Seras was standing.

"I'm back." Seras sing-songed and as she smiled both Integral and Anderson could see her long pointed vampire fangs. Her pointed ears, fur and tail were gone.

"Let's try this again… But this time with feeling." Seras with a slightly insane smile on her face said to Anderson. With a blur of speed Seras was suddenly across the room from where she had been, and was now right next to Anderson. With a raised palm she slammed it into his nose and a loud crunching noise could be heard.

Seras looked over at Integral. "I know that will heal almost immediately but damn that felt good." She said with a fang filled smile.

"Ye may think you can take me now that you are no longer a wee kitty but I am still more than you can handle." Anderson replied as stumbled backwards with his nose gushing blood for a moment before it snapped back into place and the blood stopped. He suddenly pulled one of his blessed silver bayonets up and charging Seras cut her left arm off. Seras's arm landed on the carpet where it almost immediately dissolved into a thick black mass.

Seras's slightly insane smile didn't lessen at all even though she was now missing an arm. "Normally Judas Priest you might be right but I recently have done something that I had never done before in any of our previous battles. I willingly took the blood of a human recently. I am no longer a mere fledgling but I am all but an Undead Queen in my own right!"

Suddenly shadows came rushing out of Seras's body where her left arm used to be. The shadows swirled upward until it made a dark cloud. Hissing and mewling could be heard from the cloud before tiny red eyes formed in the swirling darkness. Finally distinct heads began to form out of the shadows, the heads of dozens of cats with ears flattened against their skulls hissing in anger.

"I think Judas Priest that someone is about to become kitty litter." Seras said with a wicked smile.

The smaller cat's heads began zipping forward nipping and scratching Anderson as he flailed with his bayonets slashing at them. Suddenly out of the center of the black cloud a loud hissing roar was heard and a shadowy head of a giant jaguar appeared. The smaller cat's heads pulled back allowing the massive feline head to plunge forward snapping off Anderson's arm, bayonet and all.

"An arm for an arm." Seras smiled crazily as the jaguar head pulled back near her. "Oh and don't think for a moment I forgot you grinding my tail! A part of me hanging down, now what is there of a man that hangs down from their body I can take in reparations?" Seras looked deliberately at Anderson's crotch.

The mad priest swallowed nervously. Single handed he reached into his jacket and pulled out a bible. "You may think you have won this battle but…"

"Yadda yadda yadda." Seras interrupted and with a massive surge the jaguar head shot across the distance between them squarely aimed at Anderson's crotch. Integral had never seen a more horrified or terrified look cross Anderson's face as he frantically threw the bible he was holding into the air above his head.

The bible exploded into swirling pages that quickly covered the mad priest as if a mini cyclone. As the jaguar head reached the swirling papers it bit into them but didn't find a priest in the middle.

As the pages of the bible floated down Seras cursed. "Damn it. He got away again! He must buy those damn bibles wholesale the way he keeps destroying them to run away!"

Finally calming herself Seras pulled the black mass of cat's heads and the one lone jaguar head back to her shoulder. As they neared the black melting mass of her arm lying on the ground, the jaguar snapped it up and as the mass reached her shoulder it shrunk and reformed into her arm. Seras experimentally rotated her arm a few times to make sure it was back to normal as the crazed look on her face returned to normal.

"Are you okay Integral?" She asked as she made to move towards her lover.

Integral for years later would deeply regret what she would do next but she reacted instinctively and raised the empty gun in her hand to point it at Seras.

Seras pulled to a stop as if Integral had punched her in the gut. Both women stared at one another for a moment in silence. One in regret and one glad that her slow beating heart was once again stilled because if it had been beating it would have shattered.

"I should go to the troops and help with the fight now that I am back to 'normal'" Seras said with a trace of bitterness in her voice. A dark void appeared and before Integral could say anything Seras stepped into it and was gone.