Victoria was hastily jogging by a dark passage between two narrow houses, cursing herself for being such an empty head. She hoped the bag was still in the bar... Not too much money there, and nothing really important except the keys from her old apartment. The keychain was a present of her late father when she had been a child - a funny doll of a London constable - a 'bobby', as Brits used to call them sometimes. She didn't want to lose it... It reminded of happy times when her Dad had been alive and her most serious problems had been tests at school. Deep in thoughts, she didn't notice several figures, which appeared behind her back from the passage. When she felt someone's presence there, it was too late - two men were holding her hands and shoulders tightly. They looked like ordinary young bums, but she couldn't get herself free from their grip. What about her new abilities - did they abandon her? She pulled her hands once more but without any success. Another figure appeared in front of her, waving her pink bag in his hand.
"Looking for this, babe? - asked a mock voice, - we've picked it up for you, don't worry. We are real gentlemen, ya know... What about having fun with us instead of that crappy trash cleaner? The one you called Master back in the bar... You guys are into S/M, riiight? - the man grabbed her hair with a hand and pulled Victoria's head back, passing his tongue along her neck and cheek, - A gorgeous chick like you deserves a better master than some fucking weirdo!" Long fangs glistened in his mouth. Victoria screamed. The man hit her on the cheek: "Shut up, bitch!"
"So, you enjoy hitting a woman on the face, eh?" - a deep voice came from behind suddenly. The men startled and turned. Alucard stepped out of a pool of darkness in the narrow passage's dead end. "Does it excite you or you just lack any manners? - he went on, walking up to them slowly, - Let her go, you clowns."
"Master! They are vampires!" - cried the girl, struggling violently. No use. The men only cursed and twisted her hands backwards. She moaned, gritting her teeth. The leader chuckled.
"How did you get there, man? Ah, whatever. I love it when somebody watches me having fun... - he pulled a revolver from his belt and shot twice at Alucard's legs, - Sit! Here, good dog... Now enjoy the show!" The man turned to Victoria. She glared at him with hate. "Master! Are you alright?" – cried she. A familiar snicker was the answer. "Oh, Jeez! He thinks it's funny..."
"You didn't pay any attention, Seres, - replied Master, standing up, - I've told you many times already. Standard ammo doesn't harm us."
The gang of vampires backed a little.
"Wha? You are the same as us? A vampire?"
"Oh, not the same, scum. My job is to clean filthy trash like you. The cesspool needs some chlorine!" - the Hellsing operative pulled out the Jackal. Its size made proper impression and the gang tried to shield themselves with Victoria's body. Too bad - their grip loosened for a second. It was enough for her rage to outburst. She hit the left guy in the stomach with her elbow and when he released her hand, smashed the fist into the second guy's face with all her might. With a sickening 'crunch' his skull gave way under her punch. The third vampire darted forward and tried to snatch the gun from Alucard's hand. With a roar he was twisting the gun upwards with both of his hands. Alucard just laughed coldly.
"Nice try, moron." - his shoulder blurred, taking a form of a hellhound's head. A terrifying muzzle closed its jaws on the man, tearing and devouring his body. In a couple of seconds only a few bloody stains on the pavement reminded of the accident.
Victoria was still fighting with the remaining two members of the gang. She couldn't figure out how to immobilize an enemy, whose body was constantly regenerating at a very fast rate. Her senior solved the problem easily, sending two silver bullets into attackers' chests.
Breathing heavily, Victoria picked her handbag from the ground and shook some gray ash off its pink leather surface. "Dust to dust, ashes to ashes..." - she whispered softly.
"Trash to trash, you mean." - Alucard stood close by, watching her actions idly. "Did they scare you, police-girl?" - he suddenly asked.
"A little, - she admitted after a short pause, - and I'm really ashamed - to be caught off guard like that! I used to be in the Anti -Terrorism team in police back then, you know... Guys called me Kitten and I've felt like one tonight." The ex-policewoman's face became very sad. All the authors of harmless Kitten-jokes were dead now... Had been turned into mindless ghouls and scattered into ashes by her master.
"Shall we go now? - asked Alucard. His voice was unusually quiet. - Miss Kitten?"
They decided not to return to Hellsing residence so soon, though Victoria's mood was seriously spoiled. She made an oath to herself to train more and started planning her future discussion of that matter with Captain Fergusson, while they walked along the brightly illuminated central streets of the old city. Some stores were still opened and Victoria decided to use the Ultimate Women's Remedy (shopping) to raise her spirits. Alucard didn't mind.
"What exactly do you want to buy?" - he asked curiously, looking around at the shining neon of signs.
"Dunno... - answered his female assistant frankly, - but I realy need something for my room back there in the mansion. It looks too dark and gloomy for my taste."
"Dark? Gloomy? I should show you the chamber given to me by Integra's ancestor! True British hospitality, indeed! Any human jail looks like a doll's house in comparison with that damn cell... - Alucard's usual smile suddenly turned into a sardonic curve of lips. - Despite all the drawbacks of my present life, I'm still grateful to Integra for letting me out of there."
"Master..." - whispered Victoria unsurely. She didn't know anything about the past of people (and undead) who were a part of her life now. She glanced at her master's face once more, but he turned away.
"Look, Seres! Here's a shop named by you! We'll surely find something fitting your taste! Something bright, you've said?" - Alucard grabbed the girl by her forearm and pulled after him enthusiastically. - I wonder what they sell..."
Victoria looked up and saw big red letters: "Victoria's secret".
"Eek! Master! That's not where I meant to..." - she protested, but too late - they stepped inside already.
"Whoa! - Alucard moved his sunglasses on the tip of his nose and scrutinized multicolored goodies on pegs, - I wonder what Walter would say, if you decorate your room with this... Heh-heh-heh!" He stepped forward and picked a set of red lace lingerie from a stand. "Fancy that, my favorite color! Bright enough for your taste, huh?" - Alucard winked mischievously to Victoria. The color of her face matched the set perfectly. She glanced at other females in the shop. All of them were staring at the strange couple. Some of them were starting to giggle.
"Maaaster..." - she sighed. Her senior smiled widely in reply. He bent down to her ear's level and whispered: " You know, underwear fashion really changed since I... heh! had paid attention for the first time!" Seras couldn't help smiling back.
"No doubt about that... But you are rather lively for your old age, Master!" With these words she decisively moved down the aisle. What the hell, she really needed a new nightie...
The shopping tour was successful. Victoria's hands were full of bags with logos of almost all stores they had found opened at that time. Master carried an umbrella stand she had bought for her Harkonnen gun and a huge potted rhododendron. Under his arm was a plush puppy he had won for his female partner in a shooting pavillion of the shopping mall's amusement section. Alucard had used the Casull gun for that. "Habit… Sheer old habit!" - he had explained during their tactical retreat, as they were not too eager to discuss the "weapon of choice" with the mall security.
"Now, cop, what do you think about your abilities? We'd have never managed to escape without walking through the wall!" - Alucard was obviously proud with his student and himself as a teacher.
"That's for sure! I'd really love to see their faces when instead of us they saw only rhododendron leaves disappearing in a brick wall!" - Victoria burst with laughter and Alucard joined her. The guard at Hellsing-Hall gates goggled at the cheerful couple of undeads and pushed the intercom button: "They've arrived. Yes, sir."
Lady Integra Wingates Hellsing looked at the video screen of the gates outpost scene and sighed. She would gladly return that happy time when her restless subordinate had harmlessly sat at her ceiling and complained about his boring life, but it was too late. Her trash cleaning division employees felt the taste of joint 'training' and obviously liked it... Dammit. Integra wasn't optimistic about the state of her nerves in the future.
Author's note: this fic is based not only on the anime, but on the manga (which is much funnier) as well. Alucard and Integra's personalities are rather lively there... Anyway, I hope you've had fun reading this. More chapters to come...