A/N: I decided to change my updating day to Sunday. Thanks everyone!
Acceptance of who you are
Is the most important approval.
Reaching the harbor a few minutes later, Alucard and Seras looked around the shipyard. Integra had given them the structure's number containing the suspected Freak factory, but they found little need for the information. The building they were looking for was surrounded by guards posted on each side, and had surveillance cameras along every wall. All were obvious signs that someone did not want people near the warehouse.
"We may have some fun this time, Police Girl. And I haven't had fresh blood in quite some time." Seras could hear the eagerness in his voice, and was reminded of a predator stalking an easy prey.
"Master, Integra told us to leave some of them alive."
"Oh but she said only one, which means there are still so many left for us. You will be joining me, won't you? Or do you still refuse to drink from the living?" he asked, a slight hint of disgust in his voice.
"I think not, Master" Seras answered dryly, not a bit taken with his proposal. Nor did his anger affect her, though the look on Alucard's face made her feel some regret. He was disappointed in her, told by the slight curl of his lips downward, barely noticeable in the darkness even to her vampiric eyes. "Besides, I've already had a packet of blood tonight."
Suddenly Seras noticed the air becoming thicker, less visible. A fog was coming off the harbor, though she'd never seen mist so impenetrable. Looking toward her master, she saw the look of concentration in his face. He was causing a huge fog bank to rise, screening their activities from the cameras. The veil also offered protection from the guards circling the structure, who were now having a difficult time seeing their hands in front of their faces.
Without another word, Alucard left Seras and slowly approached two guards stationed in front of a large metal door. Creeping silently up to the nearest human, he reached the man's back without either guard noticing his presence. The unsuspecting human never knew what attacked him, as Alucard quickly pounced onto his throat and broke his neck in one quick snap. Bounding across the distance separating them, he disposed of the other guard in the same manner. Not a sound had escaped the men, giving no alarm to their other companions patrolling the area.
Seras had watched the silent killing with horror. The efficiency with which he'd disposed of the two so quickly shocked her, but watching Alucard also awoke within her a hunger. The feeling gave her a strong desire to join him in the hunt, tearing at Seras' mind. Must be the wolf's instincts she said to herself, not wanting to admit that maybe they were hers.
"Police Girl, hurry up! We don't have long before the bodies are found!" Alucard yelled in her mind, impatiently waiting before the door.
"Yes Master!" she said, pushing her thoughts aside and running to his side.
Deftly grabbing the door handle between his teeth, Alucard cautiously opened the door. Hearing no alarm sound, he pushed the door open wide enough to slip through. Quietly closing the metal portal behind Seras, he inspected the area before them.
They were in a hall which led deep into the building. Few doors lined the corridor, but there were many halls branching out to different parts of the warehouse.
"The compound is too large for us to stay together. I will take the left-hand passages, while you will search the right." He started jogging off toward the right-hand corridor, while Seras took the left side.
After almost an hour of searching, Alucard had stumbled upon several groups of humans but they were easily disposed of. Finally reaching the end of one of the halls, he stood before a large metal door. Looking for a handle and finding nothing but a pad on the side, he changed into mist. Finding a place between the seal and door, he slipped into the room and saw a single human male watching a large screen. Every now and then the man would press the many buttons on the consul before him.
Assuming his human shape, Alucard observed that the man didn't carry any firearms. The human was so preoccupied with what he was doing that he didn't notice the vampire walk up behind him. Before the human knew what happened, he was slammed into the machine. Alucard didn't kill the man, since he was able to operate the computer. A possible asset to both him and the Hellsing organization.
Inspecting the computers and finding them too unfamiliar for him to use, Alucard left the equipment alone. Instead, he turned to the still unconscious human slumped against the consul. Time for the payment for letting him live.
Suddenly a loud squealing noise erupted in the building and Alucard realized someone had triggered the alarm. Obviously the other guards had found their fallen comrades, and he had a limited amount of time to find what he was looking for. Kneeling beside the human, he took control of the man's mind and began to probe his memories for what he was looking for.
Meanwhile, Seras had been fortunate in avoiding all of the guards in her area. Though when she heard the alarms go off, she quickened her pace down the hall. Now that their element of surprise was gone, she didn't want to be caught by prepared troops.
Suddenly Seras sensed danger and skidded to a halt. Hearing a noise both in front and behind her, she looked around quickly for an escape route. Unfortunately, there were no doors leading off the passage. She saw movement in the corner of her eye and stiffened, preparing herself for what was coming.
Two groups of soldiers appeared at both ends of the hall, blocking the exits and trapping her. Seeing the large wolf before them, the guards aimed their guns and began shooting. Even with her superhuman speed, Seras was unable to dodge all of them. She yelped as bullets tore through her back thighs, while several more hit her in the flank. Miraculously, none penetrated her heart, though she could feel her other vital organs bleeding profusely.
Growing dizzy with the increasing loss of blood, she stared at the men before her. They were cautiously approaching Seras now, coming in for the final blow. There were smiles upon their faces, showing that they enjoyed the pain they were causing her. But she barely noticed any of this, as the smell of blood invaded her senses.
The scent of blood, both the guards and her own, was causing the hunger within her to increase tenfold. Her mind was slowly slipping, as the bloodlust overcame both reason and instinct. Her body only knew that she needed blood, and before her were several worthy candidates pulsing with the warm, delicious liquid.
Seras didn't know how much time had passed or when she'd changed back into her human form, only that she was suddenly standing among the shredded bodies of the guards. Some were still bleeding, but others had been completely drained. Their blood caked the walls and floor, creating a twisted mural of slaughter. Licking her lips, she could feel a warm substance on them and she could taste blood in her mouth. Broken images flashed through Seras mind, horrible pictures of herself ripping into their flesh and drinking from their wounds.
Seras collapsed to the ground beside the body of one of them, the blood still seeping from his torn throat. She'd killed them, all of them. She'd taken their lives without mercy, without a thought to who they were or what they meant to someone. Looking down several dark patches below her caught her attention. Watching, she saw a drop fall from her face and join the others on the ground.
Brushing her hand across her face, Seras found to her dismay that her tears were made of blood. The sight only added to her grief. She was a monster, a vampire. There was no hope for her damned soul. And worse yet, this was the life she chose when she accepted Alucard's blood.
Alucard, still in the computer room, felt her anguish through their blood bond. She must learn he told himself, nonetheless wincing as he sensed her start to sob. He knew she needed warm blood. Her body had been practically screaming for the nourishment, but Seras had been too stubborn to notice.
Sitting there among her victims, Seras suddenly remembered the words Helena had spoken to her before they had parted. No regrets, no guilt, life was too short for such consuming emotions. This is the life she had chosen, and there was no turning back. Maybe Helena was trying to tell her to be strong, there was hope even after damnation. She rose confidently, if unsteadily, to her feet, though her eyes never left the body before her.
Suddenly the bite marks on Seras' neck began to burn, as if someone had placed a hot poker against her skin. She clutched her neck, as the pain increased tenfold.
Seras fell to her knees, both hands wrapped around her neck in a futile attempt to stop the burning. The pain was unbearable, and was quickly spreading throughout her body, engulfing her in heat. Her fangs were growing uncontrollably, spilling over her lips. She felt her whole body changing, transforming into a new form. She could feel her skin tightening and pulling taunt, could hear the crunching as her bones shifted inside her. Black fur tore out of her body, as something long ripped out of her tail bone.
"Master!" she screamed inside her head, fear and panic coating the single word.
Alucard, his objective complete, suddenly heard his child's voice screaming for him. Sensing where she was, he disappeared in a rush of darkness. Appearing where he knew her to be, he looked among the carnage for his fledgling. Movement from the center of the bloodshed caught his attention and he walked toward the dark shape laying on the ground. Kneeling beside his fledgling, Alucard was both surprised and pleased by the sight before him.
Seras was now a large hell hound, with fur as dark as the night. Her form was sleeker and smaller than Alucard's, though she had the same amount of eyes. She lay on the ground, panting for breath and utterly exhausted from her change. A small whimper escaped her lips as her master lifted her up, inspecting her new body with interest.
"You're a fast learner, Police Girl" Alucard said, grinning at her. "You're already able to take the form of your familiar. The fresh blood in your body must have given you enough strength to survive the change."
Seras' pain wracked mind barely registered his words, but they were able to calm her down. Her breathing slackened and her body relaxed in his arms. However, the vision before her eyes was still unfocused, making her slightly dizzy. Trying to struggle out of her master's grasp, she felt a spasm of pain shoot through her body.
"Hold still, Seras. Your body is too young to quickly adjust to this new form."
Alucard saying her name was enough to make Seras freeze her pain filled squirming. That was only the third time he had ever used her name, and she would have been more attentive to the moment if she hadn't been in so much pain.
"Now for the final test, Police Girl. Change back" Alucard ordered, laying her back on the ground and rising to his feet.
"I...I can't. My whole body feels like it's on fire."
"You can and you will" he said in a commanding voice.
Seras took a deep breath and began to imagine her human body. As soon as her body began to morph back, she was immediately hit by another blast of pain, though less severe than the first time she'd changed.
Alucard watched with not a little pride as Seras transformed into her original form. For a vampire so young to have been able to call forth their familiar was rare indeed. Few elder vampires even knew of familiars, much less could call them forth.
Finally back to her human form, Seras eyes grew heavy. She was so tired, and the knowledge that Alucard was nearby gave her comfort. The hunger she'd been battling and the strain of her transformation was too much. She lost consciousness.
Alucard threw his coat over his fledgling and picked up her limp body, ignoring the corpses around them. Seras had torn the soldiers' bodies apart so badly, he didn't have to worry about them becoming ghouls.
Transporting to Integra's office, he quickly told her about the factory and one remaining human. However, he made no mention of his mind search nor Seras' condition. Then they traveled to their apartment, Alucard gently placing his child on her bed. Sitting down in one of the room's chairs, he settled down to once more watch over her.