Seras could not sleep. She tried for about two hours, then gave it up. Opening the lid to her coffin-bed, she sat up and sighed heavily. Her pajamas were wrinkled from all her tossing and turning, and she grumbled. She was damn tired! She wanted nothing more than to go to bed...to sleep till the sun went down and then she could be up and about.
I wonder if Master Alucard is awake? She thought absently, trying in vain to un-wrinkle her shirt.
Clad in a large, white shirt that said "Kitten" on the back in blue letters, and white silky gym pants, she knew that she'd be too embarrassed to go anywhere, especially her master's room. Not that she'd go in there anyway. Unless he specifically told her to enter his room, she was staying the hell out of it. Not that he ever would.
"I suppose I could read...no, wait, I don't have any books...so maybe...I could..."
"Police Girl?"
Seras Victoria jumped about a foot in the air (literally) at the sound of her master's voice. She looked up to see him standing behind her table, an amused expression on his face. She mentally smacked herself for being stupid, after all, she had been looking (staring) at him for...how long had he been there? Her poor undead heart pounded against her ribcage. How'd he scare her so badly?
"Errrrr, yes, Master?" she asked.
"What are you doing? It is eleven o'clock in the morning. You should be asleep."
Look who's talking, she thought, noting that he was wearing his usual clothes, minus the hat and glasses.
He didn't seem to have slept at all. Briefly she wondered what he wore to bed...and then smashed the thought immediately, not wanting him to know that she'd-
"Police Girl, I'm talking to you," Alucard said abruptly, his voice sending her back to reality.
"Oh! Uh, I couldn't sleep, and uh, well, I . . . hey, why aren't you asleep?"
He seemed all the more amused by her question, and a small smile tugged at the corners of his mouth.
"I was busy. I heard you thinking about me . . . and I came to investigate."
So this was another one of those "speak-of-the-devil-and-he-shall-appear" things. She was rather embarrassed. Laying there in the dark of her coffin-bed, she'd let her thoughts wander to her master. She hoped to God he didn't know what she'd been thinking about.
"Well, I couldn't sleep, so I wondered if you were awake too. I guess this answers my question," she told him, a nervous giggle working its way up her throat.
"Ah...and does wondering if I'm sleeping include-"
"Master! Please don't say another word! I was not seriously. . . I was half asleep."
She knew how idiotic that sounded before the words left her mouth. She blushed and sat on the edge of her bed, carefully biting her lip so that she wouldn't draw blood. She glanced up at the table to see that Walter had brought in her blood. She shivered. She drank it, although she didn't like it very much. It was hard to admit to herself that drinking the blood brought her a small amount of pleasure.
I wonder why he brings it in so early . . . won't the ice melt? She thought
A mental reminder about the temperature answered that question.
"Uh, Master? I can't sleep. . . are you going to bed yet?"
"Why do you ask?" Alucard asked, an odd look coming over his face as he stepped closer and bent down to be on eye level with her.
His closeness unnerved Seras. No matter how long she lived, his power and his mysterious darkness would always make her uneasy.
"Because, well, Walter brought our blood already . . . oh, it's nothing. A stupid thought . . ." Seras mumbled.
She didn't know if it would be a good idea to drink the blood so early in the day . . . it might make sleeping harder. But hey, she couldn't sleep anyway, right? And why was he still so close?
"You wish me to stay and drink blood with you?"
This sudden statement made her look up at him, embarrassed that she'd even thought it. She nodded. Alucard grinned at her and she blushed.
He probably thinks you're stupid, now. Great. What is wrong with me? Why am I so bloody nervous? It was a suggestion, and I don't really know if it was good or bad yet. And besides, she silently scolded herself, he wants me to drink blood. Is it so bad to ask him to stay for a minute or two?
"All right then, Police Girl," he told her.
"O-okay..." she replied, surprised.
Alucard phased through the wall and a moment later he returned, a blood bag and a glass in his hands. They sat at opposite ends of the table, and she tore the tab off the end of the bag, and instead of pouring it into a bowl as she usually did, she just sipped it out through that. She realized how thirsty she was after last night's lesson, although she'd already drank the other one Walter had left out the day before. It was disturbing. She hummed a little bit of a song she'd heard somewhere, kicking her legs under the table like a child in her utter boredom, making sure not to kick her master. Such fitting behavior for a woman her age.
"It doesn't quite satisfy you, does it, Police Girl?" her master asked suddenly.
"Uh, what? Oh, what do you mean, Master?"
"The blood, Seras, it doesn't quite fill you does it?"
"Well, no, not really . . ."
He seemed pleased by her answer, as if he'd been hoping she'd feel that way. She realized that she was done with it, and a soft growl escaped her throat. She was still thirsty! Her master chuckled, and she looked at him. He was finished as well, and she figured he had probably been finished before she was.
"Thank you, Master, that was . . . nice. I'll try and get some sleep now," she informed him.
Alucard didn't acknowledge her statement, instead he lifted his feet up onto the table and leaned back in his chair, bowing his head so that his long bangs covered his eyes. She shrugged and lay down on her bed, not really caring if he left or not.
She was about to close the lid when she heard her master say suddenly, "Good day, Police Girl. Sleep well."
"Uh, thank you. You too, Master."
She flipped the switch that closed the lid and closed her eyes. Before she knew it, she was asleep. Her dreams were rather childish, as she dreamed of her Master fighting Paladin Anderson just for her. Stupid. What was she, twelve? She mumbled in her sleep and turned over. She didn't know how long it was before she woke up. When she did she decided, smiling to herself, to try phasing through her coffin lid. She focused as best as she could despite how sleepy she was, and to her delight she was sitting on top of her coffin. She looked around the room to see her Master was still sitting in the chair.
"Errrrr, good evening," she said to him, as her vampiric senses perked up and she sensed the moon climbing slowly into the sky.
"Good evening, Police Girl. Sleep well?"
"Fairly well, yes. And you?"
"Oh, yes. I slept well."
She nodded and remembered that she was sitting on top of her coffin, and that it was still closed, and she phased back through the lid and opened it. She also remembered that at this time of the evening she really should be getting dressed and ready for a mission, should there be one.
"Uh, Master?" she said, realizing with a start that he was still there.
"Yes, Police Girl?" he replied, in an overly amused tone.
"I need to get dressed. So . . . goodbye?"
Alucard chuckled and she almost thought he was ignoring her not so subtle request that he get out of her room. He took his time in leaving, and she muttered under her breath. She cared about her master, yes, but sometimes . . . he got on her nerves more than anyone. He was the best of anyone she knew at getting her riled up. Seras put on her Hellsing uniform, silently wondering if she'd even need it tonight.
She trudged up the stairs, and then it hit her. She didn't have to. She could just appear up there.
Duh! It's hard trying to remember that I can do that, now. I need to practice more. I'm so used to walking though, she thought.
She focused on the hallway outside Sir Integra's office. A moment later, she opened her eyes, and she was standing right in front of the door. She silently cheered, and knocked on the door.
"Who is it?" came Sir Integra's voice.
"Uh, it's Officer Victoria, Sir."
"Enter."
Seras opened the door, and, lo and behold, her master stood, leaning casually against a wall.
"Well, Officer Seras? What do you want?" Sir Integra asked in her usual straight-to-business tone.
"Are there any missions for us tonight?" Seras replied.
Sir Integra glanced down at the papers on her desk, and nodded at one in particular.
"Yes, Officer Seras, I believe there is. A mysterious killing occurred last night, well, actually, early this morning. The person responsible, we believe, is a freak we have been tracking for a few days now. I want you to kill it," Sir Integra replied, handing Seras the thin folder.
Seras flipped through it, glancing at a few things here and there. She was looking for useful information. Not 'blahblahblah . . . blah'. Although this was interesting.
Oh, God. Did I think that? This is an important mission! And I'm starting to sound like Master! Oh, damn . . .
Alucard looked at her over the top of his glasses, obviously amused. He had heard her.
How could I not hear you. You think very loudly, he told her, a small smile on his face.
Yeah, I'll have to work on that, sorry if I disturbed you, she replied.
Oh, no, you didn't disturb me. It was the most interesting thing you've said all night, he told her, Except for when you asked me to drink blood with you . . . you are an odd one, Police Girl. Now pay attention. My master is speaking to you. Or trying to.
"Errr, sorry Sir, I was distracted. Can you repeat that?" Seras mumbled, embarrassed.
"I said, his picture is attached to the third page."
"Oh, thank you, Sir. I'll need that."
Sir Integra nodded, "You most certainly will. I won't have you out to kill not even knowing what your prey is. You could make a mistake, and kill an innocent by accident . . ."
Integral didn't have to finish her sentence for Seras to know what the consequences would be if that ever happened. Seras nodded. She looked hard at the picture, memorizing his face. He had high cheekbones, golden yellow eyes...brown hair, which was greasy looking. She shuddered. He had scars all over his face, and one of them slashed across his lips, giving him a permanent gruesome smile. Seras was willing to bet he'd had those scars before he was implanted with FREAK chips. She put the picture in the folder and set it down on the desk.
"Which unit will be accompanying me?"
"Hmm?"
"Err, who is going to come with me?"
"No one, Officer Seras. You are going alone, this time. Alucard suggested it. I think it's a good idea."
"Yes, Sir."
Seras saluted and walked out of the room, horrified. Alone? As in . . . ALONE?
Please someone tell me I've gone mad. They aren't seriously telling me that I am going to go kill a vampire by myself? Seras thought frantically as she walked down the hall.
Oh, yes, Seras. All by yourself. It will be a learning experience, she heard her Master reply.
If I don't die first!
You will not die, Seras Victoria. Remember who made you, he murmured, and she felt a hand ghost through her hair.
Seras smiled to herself as she replied with an enthusiastic "Yes Sir, Master!" that made an amused chuckle ring through her mind. Her master could be really cruel and sarcastic, some of the time, but he could be decent too. When it served his purpose.
Now all she had to do was find that vampire. That should be easy enough. Part of phasing as Alucard had taught her was finding things that she was familiar, and appearing there. No wonder he could find anyone from Hellsing whenever he wanted.
She closed her eyes, thinking hard, calling the picture to her memory, and found that she remembered every detail. She smiled, unaware that there were maids in the hallway with her, staring and whispering behind their hands. They shrieked in fear as she disappeared.
When she opened her eyes, she was standing at the end of an alley, and she knew that the shadowy figures eleven feet were her target . . . and his next victim. Now what?
Relax, Seras.
Her eyes widened, and she realized suddenly that, no matter how irrelevant it was at this point, her master had addressed her by her name at least three times tonight.
What do you want me to do, Master? She asked him.
Kill him.
Suddenly she knew what exactly he wanted as images flashed through her mind. Recalling all the times she had seen Alucard kill his targets using his own hands, she leapt into action. She had always been in awe of his power, wished she could be like that. But he wouldn't know that.
"That's enough," she said in the most commanding voice she could muster.
"Who's going to make me?" her target hissed, clutching his terrified would-be victim to his chest.
"I do. I think you've had about enough fun."
Seras phased suddenly, hoping to God this would work. For her own sake and the sake of his intended victim. She reappeared behind him, shoving the terrified girl out of his arms, holding him away from her.
"RUN, IDIOT!" Seras cried.
The woman obeyed immediately, thanking her only as she turned out of the alley to safety. Seras was overcome by a sense of pride. It was not hers. It was her master's. He was proud of her? Seras was spurred on by this feeling, afraid to disappoint him now. He was placing a lot of faith in her. His weak fledgling who hated rinking blood. She lunged suddenly after releasing the furious vampire. But before she could move back again, he had her pinned to the wall. He smelled like rot and death . . . and his breath reeked of it as well.
"You . . . stole my prey . . ."
Seras kicked him in the stomach as hard as she could. He flew back into the opposite wall, and she sped forward.
"It doesn't matter anymore. I'll kill you!" Seras hissed at him as she jabbed her hand partway through his chest, pinning him to the spot painfully
He coughed and choked, trying in vain to free himself from this death trap.
"Bastard," Seras said with a coldness that was not her own.
She realized then that she wasn't doing this alone. Her master was guiding her! She shoved her hand all the way through his chest, and partly into the wall. As the vampire crumbled into dust, Seras bared her fangs. She didn't quite realize that she looked a lot like her master right then.
Master . . . thank you for your help. I needed you, she thought at him, knowing that without his will guiding her, she would not have been able to kill as she just had.
I know, he replied, amused pride in his voice.
Was this another lesson? She thought suddenly, And I thought you said I'd be going alone.
It was my intention to teach you to fight without a human unit backing you up. I told you it was a 'learning experience'. That means it was a lesson, Police Girl.
Seras smiled at this statement, and, as tired as she was right then, she phased home and collapsed on her bed without even giving Sir Integra a report. Master would take great satisfaction in doing it for her. Considering he'd done some of the work.
