Elizabeth was not having a very good time. The ventilation shaft was cramped, and trying to crawl through it with her sword and scabbard was awkward and difficult. She had no idea just how long she had been crawling, but it must have been a while. Her knees and elbows were starting to hurt and the interior of the vent was doing a number on her outfit.

"Brilliant idea, Lizzie…" she muttered to herself. "Now you have no idea where you are or how to get back out…"

Soon she sensed it. There were people beneath her. They were human, but they were there. It was a good thing, too. Now she knew that she was at least over the interior of the shopping center. Her hopes were answered as she spotted a light. She quickly crawled over to it and peered through the gaps in the vent, finding that she was on the third floor just above a walkway.

The moment that no one was directly underneath her, she punched through the mesh, causing it to fall to the floor with a loud BANG. Quickly, she followed after it, landing on her feet in the middle of a small crowd of startled humans. She looked around, watching mothers holding their children, shielding them from her. Upon realizing that she seemed to be a threat, she offered a friendly smile.

"Don't worry, I'm here to help!" the Hellsing woman declared, sheathing her sword. "My backup should be arriving any minute, and we'll get you all out safely, alright?"

"Hey, you're Elsa!" shouted one of the children, pointing a finger at her. "What's a queen doing with a sword?"

"I'm sorry. My name's not 'Elsa', and I'm not a queen." Elizabeth answered, turning to the child. "My name is 'Elizabeth', and I'm a knight."

"You don't look like one…"

"Knights come in all forms. We exist to protect the people, and that's all that matters."

With that, the woman turned away, taking a few steps before putting her hand on the railing. Hoisting herself up with ease, people gasped as she balanced while standing on top of it. Clasping her sword, she looked down and prepared to jump.

"What are you doing?!" demanded one of the bystanders, taking a few steps after her. The woman simply grinned.

"Fear not. Knights are brave even in the face of danger." She stated, tensing the muscles in her legs before they left the railing. She leapt outward, seeming to float weightlessly on the air. Then, she made her descent, falling to the earth.

Down she fell, leaving the third floor and passing the second as she fell from the great open space in the middle of the mall. Her feet made harsh contact with the ground, yet she didn't bat an eyelash. Instead, her attention turned to the masked cretin that now stood before her, wearing the same silver amulet that she once had.

"We are on a mission from God." She murmured, reciting the Hellsing motto. It felt good to be back in the field, and she got a rush as soon as she gripped the handle of her blade and prepared to draw. Her foe pulled a gun on her but her stance did not waver in the slightest.

BANG! The gun went off, yet Elizabeth only moved forward, not making even the slightest attempt to dodge. Instead, two halves of the bullet fell on either side of her with a single stroke. Shifting her weight and flicking her wrist to realign the blade, she sent it crashing down on top of her foe, cutting them clean through, diagonally. As soon as the flesh made contact with the sun, it burned, catching fire and becoming ash while the woman watched. She wasted no time in being merciful toward the undead. It was her duty, after all.

Sheathing her blade, an odd noise caught her attention as she stood out against the sea of terrified onlookers. It was a peculiar ringing noise and it took her a moment to realise that she was its source. Uttering a small squeak at this realization, she reacted into her coat, pulling out her new mobile, opening it and placing it up to her ear.

"Hello?" she answered, acting as though nothing had happened. In all honesty, the call had surprised her, while it probably shouldn't have.

"Lizzie!" called the bluenette on the other end. His tone was urgent as he spoke, and the sounds of sirens rang through from around him. "I'm outside with backup. Where are you? I can't find you."

"I'm back inside." The woman answered bluntly, knowing full-well that she went against orders. "I crawled in through the vents. It was awful. I'm now on the ground floor, though." Hearing a sigh on the other end, she continued to listen attentively even as the Phantomhive paused.

"I should have suspected as much…" he stated. "Is Jim with you?"

"No. I have no idea where he is." Elizabeth answered. "Why?"

"He isn't answering his phone…" the watchdog said, his tone worried. "He said he was going to look for Cerberus near the security office, but I can't contact him, now…"

"I'll go after him." The Hellsing informed, still holding her phone up to her ear as she ran. "Don't worry, I'm sure he's fine. He's a very powerful demon. I can tell. Just try to find a way in while I go get him, alright?"

"Fine…" the bluenette answered. "I'll see you then."

With that, he hung up. His cousin felt a great sense of urgency upon hearing the tone of his voice. He was worried. She could assume that it wasn't like the menace to simply ignore him like this, but perhaps he was in the middle of fighting a battle?

After locating it on the map and finding a route, she swiftly set her course for the security office, dodging bystanders without much regard for whether or not she "fit in". She jumped over heads and displays alike, choosing the fastest way to get there always. The Phantomhive was worried about his beau—the person who was most important to him, and the person who brought about this great change in the watchdog's demeanor. Naturally, Elizabeth had to guarantee his safe return as quickly as possible. As she approached the office, however, she became more and more discouraged.

Nothing. She wasn't sensing any life up ahead, whether supernatural or not. Looking around, she saw gashes carved into concrete and bullets embedded in the walls; cracked linoleum, broken furniture, and nothing there to give a clue as to what all caused it. All of a sudden, she stopped dead in her tracks, her eyes widening at what she found.

It was a cell phone. It looked familiar; just like the one Alois had shown her. Elizabeth jumped in surprise as she saw it vibrate, rattling against the hard floor and its cracked screen lighting up. Hesitantly, she picked it up and read the name of the caller, entered in as "Poochie". As much as she didn't want to, she slowly pushed the "answer" button and put the device up to her ear.

"H-hello?" she asked, waiting for the person on other end. When she heard their voice, her heart dropped, ceasing to beat entirely.

"Jim?!" called Ciel, his voice more frantic than before. "Jim, is that you?!"

"No…" the angel answered, shaking her head. Her voice shook a bit as her eyes began to water. "It's Lizzie."

For a long time there was silence. It was as though the Phantomhive needed to process that, or check to see that he called the right number. After a while, he finally responded.

"Where is Jim?" he asked, his tone grave. It was cold, even. Elizabeth didn't have an answer for him.

"I don't know." She said. "I don't sense him anywhere."

"What do you mean you don't sense him? He should be nearby. You found his phone where you are, didn't you?"

The Hellsing woman opened her mouth to speak, only to be cut off as her attention went elsewhere. A tone was heard over the intercom, just like the one that sounded off at the beginning of this endeavor. Once again, the voice cheerfully spoke, capturing everyone's immediate focus.

"Attention shoppers~!" it pleasantly said. "We are happy to announce that we have generously received a volunteer who has met our demands. The doors are now unlocked, and you are all free to leave. Happy Holidays~!"