A/N: Wow, chapter twenty-four and I'm still writing. Hunh. And to Dhampeal, not much romantic goo yet but it'll come. Anyway, thanks to my readers and reviewers!
Control brings survival,
Leading to victory.
When Seras awoke, she still felt exhausted. Looking around the room, she found Alucard sitting in one of the chairs. He was staring at her intently, and her groggy mind wondered why. Lifting herself up, she noticed that her master's coat had been wrapped around her. She flung the large jacket off herself, and stretched her sore limbs. Turning once more to Alucard, she saw his face filled with amusement, which only meant bad news for her.
Seras then saw the state of her clothing. They were in shreds, with large patches entirely ripped away. And they were revealing much more than she wanted to show. With a small 'eep', she grabbed the coat and pulled the cloth back over herself.
"What are you doing in my room!" Seras almost screamed, nearly falling off the bed in a desperate attempt to move as far away from his prying eyes as possible. Meanwhile, her mind tried not to think of how the coat had gotten wrapped around her in the first place.
"Well, you are borrowing my coat" Alucard said, rising and approaching the bed. "And now, I would like it back."
Seras clutched the coat closer to her, while her eyes glared at him. She could see the mischievous glint in his eyes, making her distrust his intentions.
"Don't you dare!" she scolded, tightening her grip on the coat. She inwardly sighed with relief when he halted his advances, though there was still unease at the back of her mind.
"You don't intend to stay in bed all night, do you Police Girl? We have some training to do."
"What kind of training?" she asked suspiciously. Seras would have been eager to learn a new technique, but Alucard's method of teaching was slightly dangerous. And more often than not bordering on life threatening.
"Survival" he said, grinning at her. "You're able use your powers, but not control them. You will now learn, with me as your sparring partner."
I'm going to die she thought with certainty.
"I will tell Integra that we will be preoccupied for the night. Meanwhile, I suggest you clean yourself up. There is still dried blood in your hair." As Seras gave him a scathing glare, he disappeared into darkness.
Seras slowly slid off the bed, careful to make sure Alucard was really gone. Finding him to have truly left, she sprinted into the shower. The young vampire had the feeling her master would make an appearance at the worst possible time if she didn't hurry.
Cleansing her body, Seras shivered slightly as the cold blood was washed off. She watched the remaining water flow down the drain, along with the red dye which had come from her. All recalled the previous night's carnage, when she'd so brutally killed the guards. The whole episode almost seemed like one horrific nightmare, but the red liquid reminded her otherwise.
Snap out of it she thought, shaking her head from side to side. Nothing will come out of those thoughts. Seras decided to focus instead on the upcoming training, especially with Alucard as her sparring partner.
Stepping out of the bathroom wearing only a towel, she carried Alucard's coat in her arms. Seras wasn't sure what to wear, considering her old outfit had completely fallen apart when she'd taken the clothing off before showering. Her thoughts didn't get very far, as a swirling darkness suddenly appeared in the center of her bedroom. Her master's form soon followed.
"I've brought your toy, Police Girl" Alucard said, holding up her Harkonnen with one hand. His eyes roamed to what she now wore and Seras blushed under his gaze, wishing she had more than just the towel on.
"I think we shall need to acquire you some new clothes, Police Girl" Alucard said, chuckling and setting the large weapon against one of the walls. "My coat doesn't fit you so well, and we certainly can't have you training in such an outfit. As much as I like your new style, the distraction might get us both killed."
"You find this very humorous, don't you Master?" Seras asked dryly, not amused by his sense of humor.
"Very. Now, cover yourself in my coat and we'll find you a new outfit."
By Seras holding on to Alucard, both were transported to the nearest mall via darkness. They appeared near a seldom used entrance, in order not to be seen.
Breaking away from her grasp on her master's cloths, Seras began to walk toward the entrance. But the fledgling stopped when she didn't hear Alucard's boots resounding behind her. Turning, she noticed that Alucard was not following. He still stood where they had appeared.
"Aren't you coming?" she asked curiously.
"I think not. With so many humans around, I may become careless." He gave her a wide grin, showing one of his fangs.
Getting his point, Seras merely shrugged and took the money offered to her. Walking into the mall, she searched the area for a suitable clothing store. As she wandered around the mall, she began to wonder about her master's behavior. Alucard had little restraint around humans, but then why should he? He was a vampire, above the laws of men and beholding to no one. She wondered how long he'd been living, having no connections nor anyone to talk to. Must be lonely she thought.
She was rudely shoved out her thoughts by a person brushing past her, nearly knocking her down with his shoulder. Regaining her balance, she quickly looked around for who had pushed her, but the crowds were becoming thick with shoppers. The evening had only just began, so the after-school kids and now off work adults were just beginning to crowd the area. Looking around at the people surrounding her, she was sharply reminded of her own hunger.
Seras began to wonder how she would get tonight's blood, especially since their supply was coming from Hellsing. Alucard would be more than willing to take any person who came along, but she wouldn't take another life. Last night still haunted her mind.
After a few more minutes of walking, Seras found a store which looked promising. Searching their stock, she found several different outfits to try on. Walking into one of the dressing rooms, she changed into a fashionable design. As she looked into the mirror on the wall, she noticed that the clothing covered barely more than her torn outfit. Maybe not such a good choice to wear around Alucard she thought.
Suddenly Seras noticed a mist enter her small stall. With growing alarm she watched the vapor shift into the form of a tall man. Then she was face to face with her master, who was wearing a very pleased smile on his face.
"Master!" she yelped, her back slamming into a corner of the dressing room. "I thought you were staying outside!"
"I got tired of waiting for you. Nice outfit" he said, commenting on the skimpy clothing she was now wearing.
"You perverted vampire! Can't you control yourself for one single night!" she exclaimed. Seras' face grew red with anger and embarrassment. Before she had time to think, her fist shot out. The blow would have connected with Alucard's chin, had he not stopped her hand with his.
"Calm down Police Girl. You're causing quite a scene. If you're so self-conscious about your figure, then I'll continue to wait outside." With that, he vanished once again, leaving a very frustrated Seras.
A few moments later, Seras stalked out of the changing room, fully dressed in the new outfit she'd chosen. A pair of dark jeans and a short sleeved black shirt seemed ideal for the new life she was leading. Suddenly she noticed everyone in the store gaping at her, and realized they must have all thought she had been yelling to herself. The young vampire's pale face turned red in embarrassment with all the attention. She walked quickly to the checkout counter.
"I'll take this outfit."
After paying for her purchase, she found Alucard once more outside the mall entrance. Approaching him, Seras noticed with some annoyance that he still wore the amused smile on his face.
"What now, Master?" Seras asked, suddenly remembering the training Alucard had promised.
Without a word, her master grabbed her wrist and they became engulfed in darkness once again. When they had arrived at their destination and the dark mist had parted, Seras looked around. She saw that they had transported to an older section of London, where the cobblestone roads twisted and turned around the oddly assorted buildings.
"The older streets of London are similar to a maze, making them perfect training ground. I'll give you ten minutes."
"Ten minutes? For what?" Seras asked, obviously confused.
"For you to run" Alucard said complacently. His grin widened as he watched Seras' eyes grow large with understanding, and fear.
"You're hunting me!" she exclaimed. The idea of being hunted by her master was more than a little terrifying to her, especially since he had the advantage of age and experience on his side.
"You had better hurry. Only nine minutes left."
Realizing that he was serious, Seras quickly transformed into a wolf and sprinted off into the empty streets. Running along the narrow paths, she looked at her surroundings and tried to memorize any particular landmarks. If not careful, she could easily lose her way and end up in the same place she started. Watching the scenery fly by, a thought suddenly came to her mind, one which caused her to skid to a halt.
She had forgotten to ask what would happen if she lost the hunting exercise.
"Time's up, Police Girl."
Alucard's voice made her jump, but she quickly realized he was merely speaking in her mind. Now that the training had started, it was too late to ask. Seras could only hope her master kept the training within healthy boundaries.
Jumping to a nearby rooftop, she was met with an unpleasant sight. Standing before her was Alucard, gun in hand and apparently prepared for battle. How did he get here so fast? she thought with frustration, and not a little fear. Seras quickly changed back into human form, preparing for what was to come.
The young vampire had remembered where she'd seen this stance before, when he'd fought the crazy priest. And the gun in his hand was going to be a problem, especially when Seras remembered with dismay that her Harkonnen was still in their hotel room. She now had not only the disadvantage of little experience, but also of weaponry.
"Don't be so worried, Police Girl" Alucard asked, having broken through the flimsy barrier she'd put around her thoughts. "This gun has a single silver bullet in the clip. Dodge the bullet, and the gun is useless."
"Riiiight..." Seras muttered, knowing the gun wasn't the only weapon he had. She focused her eyes on watching the black gun's barrel, trying to predict where he would shoot. She could only put her trust in her new vampiric speed if she wanted to survive this training session.
In a split second, Seras saw Alucard squeeze the trigger. The bullet exited the barrel as if in slow motion, and she easily stepped aside to the right. The silver metal passed harmlessly by her, colliding with the wall of the building behind the young vampire.
Seras smiled, proud that she had managed to dodge the bullet. But her joy quickly turned to surprise when another bullet grazed her cheek. Looking at Alucard, she saw he now held a large silver gun in his other hand. The words Hellsing Arms 454 Casull were written upon the sides of the barrel.
"What is that!" Seras asked, pointing to the new weapon Alucard held.
"A gift from Walter. He thought this would be useful for the lesser vampires and ghouls. And the clip is full." Alucard added, his grin widening with amusement. He was greatly enjoying his new toy.
A second gun with a full clip of silver bullets, this is not good Seras thought. She decided the best course of action would be to take to the sky. Transforming into a large flock of bats, she launched into the air.
Unfortunately for the fledgling vampire, her master followed suit. The two collided in the air, scratching and tearing at each other. People strolling the street below marveled at the sight of so many bats, all of whom appeared to be battling against each other.
Seras felt herself slowly losing the battle, as her attacks became less organized and weaker in power. With the last of her remaining strength the young vampire managed to rally her bats. She quickly ordered them to line up with wingtips barely touching and several bats deep. Then she charged Alucard's group. The organized flanking caused many of her master's bats to scatter, leaving an opening for her to pass through. Seras was now free of the fight, but she was exhausted and several of her wings were injured.
The young vampire flew as far as her strength would hold, all the while searching for a suitable place to land. Realizing she couldn't fly any farther in her condition, she dove into the closest abandoned house. There she quickly changed into her original form and slumped against the nearest wall. She couldn't tell if her master had managed to follow her or not.
Sitting there, among the dust and rot of the old building, Seras could hear every movement around her. Every creaking board, every drip from a leaking pipe resounding throughout the otherwise silent domain. Though she didn't need the air, she was breathing in quick intakes.
She was reminded of the first time she'd entered Alucard's castle, after watching him murder the human. The same fear now crept up her spine, the sense of being stalked by something which you couldn't see. He was here, she could sense him watching her.
"Seras" a voice whispered directly behind her.
With a piercing scream, Seras suddenly felt herself fall through the floor.
From chairs to ceilings, Seras fell through everything within her touch. Her progression was suddenly halted by Alucard catching her.
"Such little control" Alucard scolded. He leaned down and nuzzled her hair, an unusual attempt to comfort the shaking girl he held.
"What...! How did I do that!" Seras asked through chattering teeth.
"You can now move through walls, Police Girl" he said, grinning at her. "And quite the strategy you used, manipulating your bats to create a moving wall."
His smile soothed any doubts lingering in Seras' mind concerning whether he meant to kill her or not. Though her master's uncharacteristic concern for her mental state, which he had helped to cause, did confuse the fledgling.
Giving a shy smile in return, Seras climbed out of his arms to stand before him. Not only did her master seemed pleased with her, but she now had a new ability to use.
"The night is waning. We'll continue your training tomorrow evening."