The word monotonous was something of a mantra to him now. He had killed hundreds of thousands of people throughout his existence; in war, in lust, and in rage. He killed so many that he had long since lost count and the faces that haunted him had become nothing but soulless, expressionless, and empty representations of humanity rather than the identity they used to portray. He had waged battles across the ages to win his fights, to further along his existence, and later to help Helsing along in their goals. Never had he regretted a death brought upon a person by his own hands.

But now.

Now he wished he had not drained as many lives as he had because while each had empowered him, leant them his strength to continue on, it had certainly come back with a vengeance. Millions of souls later and he was still slaughtering his way through them. He had fun when he first started, discovered elaborate new ways to torture the souls he had saw fit to end, but as time wore on he had grown bored with it all and had taken to ending them as soon as possible.

Yes, the word monotonous had become his worst ngithmare. It hung over his form like a shadow.

He dropped his gaze to the beast next him. Baskerville had found him shortly after the beginning of his venture. The hound had felt the presence of his master immediately and had come to him to offer aid in his endless slaughter.

A point would come when he would have to destroy the dog too, he realized, and the thought irritated him. He had not grown to love the creature, as it had long since become too ingrained with his own character to really be considered its own entity, but he would be lying if he said he did not have a form of attachment to the beast.

Did he really need to destroy every last soul? He had lost a sense of self, yes, but the further along he went he had come back to himself more and more. Baskerville was a creature of darkness, surely he did not count as a living identity needed to be destroyed in order to regain his self-awareness. He took in the remaining souls around him – barely a handful compared to what he had already gone through – and grinned.

"Baskerville," he chortled.

The hound lifted his nose to his master, eight eyes focusing on him while his tail wagged and blood dripped from his muzzle, a forgotten soul torn apart at his paws.

"Go and find the girls," he ordered.

Baskerville cocked his head curiously before turning to gaze off into the surrounding darkness, scenting the air, and giving his master one last look before hurtling off into the void obediently.

He watched the creature go, ignoring the rest of the souls lumbering closer, and smirked. If Baskerville could find his way to them then he would have no problem in the future. The dog had already caught their scent and galloped after them. He was closer to returning to reality than he had originally thought.

"What?" It was Integra's turn to look utterly bewildered and confused. The cigar hung from her lips, long forgotten, and her eyes widened to an incredible size.

"I am Radu," the vampire answered with a smile and another bow, "At your service."

"But, how?" Integra stammered. "You were killed?"

"History has a very funny way of confusing itself," Radu said with a light laugh. "Technically, I was killed, by one very famous Elizabeth. But that is a story for another time," he explained. He dropped his eyes to the ground momentarily before letting out a quiet sigh. "I only wished to meet you for myself but now I see my desire may have caused some confliction amongst you. 'What to do with a town full of vampires?' or something along those lines."

"Indeed," Integra agreed coldly.

"Do not fret," Radu said reassuringly, lifting his hands in a gesture of surrender, "I will answer any questions you have."

"Damn right you will," Integra growled. She clenched her fists and glanced around the patio suspiciously, "But not here. It's too dangerous." She turned back to look at Andrews who allowed his gaze to slide over to her wearily.

"Room one-zero-six at the Casa Monica," Andrews stated, now glaring at Radu threateningly. The idea of inviting a vampire into their hotel room butted heads with every instinct he had, but if it was Integra's implied orders then he would follow through with them. He only worried for her safety.

"You trust me with such information?" Radu drawled with a grin very reminiscent of his brother. Seras looked away.

"No," Integra snapped, "But Seras can easily dispatch of you if you decide to cause trouble."

Seras perked up at the unintended compliment and smiled at Integra before turning a decidedly cocky grin on Radu. She had grown rather strong over time and had yet had a chance to see just how powerful she was. The attack on London had only been the beginnings of her awakening and it had been thirty years since. Although, if her lapse in observation that night was anything to go by . . . she deflated a little bit at the thought. Not enough for any of the others to notice but she was still aware of it.

Radu smirked, "I have no doubt about that, she has my brother's blood in her veins after all." He looked at Seras with a soft smile, a sort of fondness, before returning his attention to Integra. "Very well, I can't leave my party just yet as it would cause suspicion, but give me an hour or so and I'll be there."

"Fine," Integra forced between grit teeth and spun on her heel, a sheet of silver blond hair fanning out behind her, and marched through the door into the hall without a second look back.

Andrews waited for her to pass before following, shooting Seras a curious look, and paused at the door.

Seras turned back to Radu and fumbled for something to say, unsure of how to act around her master's brother, before settling on giving him a curt nod and turning away. She jogged to catch up with the retreating form of Integra.

The returning trip back to the hotel was a blur. Each of them caught up in their own chaotic trains of thought that careened out of control, crashing into each other, and sending their minds spinning in confusion. Radu Dracula was a vampire? He had survived hundreds of years without them ever hearing about his existence? Why had he not mentioned his own brother? It was enough to dampen their already destroyed moods. Even Seras was in a snappish daze that she was loathe to be pulled from, even when Andrews pointed out an interesting building that was supposedly haunted she had only grunted in response, not bothering to glance at the building.

Radu Dracula was a mystery. Integra knew of the basic facts; he was Vlad's only full blooded brother, he had been held captive amongst the turks as well, and he had later converted to their religion and joined them while Vlad had rebelled and later waged war. He was nothing like his brother, however, and had a very gentle demeanor never before seen in a vampire. It could have just been an act but Seras could not doubt the amount of sadness, the forlorn depth, in his eyes. What had he been doing all this time?

So deep in thought was Seras that she missed the first step on the grand staircase leading up to their room, and tripped over the stairs, landing sprawled against them with a pained grunt. She had never been the most graceful of people when alive but she had hoped that, as a vampire, her accident prone streak would have gone into retirement. But it was not to be. She scrambled onto her feet while Andrews chuckled from behind her.

"How graceful of you," he said through muffled laughter.

"I know, I know," Seras muttered, rubbing at a sore shin irritably.

"Quit playing around," Integra called back over her shoulder, having already reached the top of the stairs.

Seras huffed and pushed herself forward, determined to make it back to their room so she could tear into a pack of medical blood and ease the growing frustration within her. She often got a bit snappy when she was famished and though their situation was stressful enough to warrant anyone's distress she was almost positive her irritability was due to her hunger. Her master's own brother was still alive, surely she would have normally been elated, even if he was a vampire. The only person alive who had known him as a human, a boy, and later a man. He would know what made him the way he was. He would know things that she had never thought to ask, had always been too afraid to, like how he came to be the monster that he was known as today.

Seras hurried up the rest of the stairs with Andrews following behind and barely restrained herself from blowing past Integra but when the woman had stepped through their door she had flung herself into the room and marched over to the fridge. She opened the small stainless steel contraption and pulled out a pack of medical blood and lifted it to her mouth, breaking the plastic with her teeth, and drank straight from the packet. The coppery liquid washed over her tongue and down her throat with little regret. She had long since grown accustomed to the thought of partaking in the life fluids of humans. She had learned to enjoy the burst of unstoppable energy that would flow through her.

Integra moved to sit at the desk, letting out a sigh when she had relaxed within the cushioned chair, and reached for another cigar. The hotel staff could kiss her ass for all she cared in that moment.

Andrews obediently arrived at her side to offer a light and stood back when she had taken the first pull and let out a streaming cloud of the noxious smoke. He waited patiently for further orders, still clad in his jeans and a button down shirt, but eager to please his employer either way. The two would remain there until Radu made his appearance and if the time was anything to go by then they had roughly twenty minutes until his proclaimed hour was up.

Seras finished the packet and threw it into the small trash bin next to the fridge before wondering over to the window and staring out at the night sky with her arms crossed. Now that she had sated her hunger a bit her mind was much clearer and she could recognize the feelings of confusion and excitement battling it out within her. What was Radu truly like? She wondered if he had turned out like his brother, driven mad by the sheer amount of souls bottled up within his head, or if he had managed to cling to his sanity. Was he as powerful? Could he do all that his brother had managed to accomplish? Of course he would never have all of that man's abilities, he had been tested and experimented on for a hundred years, but could he have some remnants of his true power?

Her answer came quickly enough. One moment their room was peaceful, quiet in the building tension, and the next moment her senses were awash with an immense and devastating aura. Seras turned with her arms still crossed, and glanced into one of the darker corners of their room darkly, noticing the way the shadows seemed to wriggle and expand under her gaze.

Integra and Andrews had yet to notice his appearance and for some reason their ignorance annoyed her. She let out a growl and turned to face the corner full on with her hands placed upon her hips once again. The movement drew the attention of the two humans.

"Don't play with them," she ground out between grit teeth.

A soft chuckle flitted across the room and Radu stepped out from the shadows as gracefully as his own brother. He still wore the same pinstriped suit and red dress shirt but what really struck her was the same melancholy smile that seemed to permanently grace his lips. It made her feel guilty for being irritable with him and the thought irked her beyond reasoning. He was just like his brother, teasing the living and testing them for his own amusement. She touched her neck absently, feeling for the puckered bite mark that had never healed.

"My apologies," Radu said. He had stepped out into the center of the room just in front of the desk Integra was seated at. "But I was more intent on testing you, in all honesty," he continued, layering Seras with a look from the corner of his eye. "In case you were wondering, many buildings in the area are charmed to hide our presence from outsiders."

Seras blinked and dropped her arms to her side thoughtfully, "That's why I didn't notice?"

Radu smiled and nodded once before turned to face Integra. "I do believe you had some questions for me?" he prompted, "I'd be happy to assist my brother's former employer in whatever way possible."

"I'm glad to hear," Integra drawled. She clasped her hands together in front of her and leaned forward in the chair, "Take a seat," she ordered darkly.

Radu looked a bit taken aback by her sudden change in demeanor but obligingly sat in one of the plush chairs set up around the TV. He sat facing her, clearly a little bit put out by the woman's attitude but nonetheless held his tongue. He rested his hands in his lap and looked for all the world like an obedient child, so much so, that it caused Seras to giggle. The slightest of smirks pulled at his lips and Integra scowled in annoyance.

"Enough playing around, vampire, now tell me what it going on in this godforsaken town before I put a bullet between your eyes!" Integra growled, glowering through her glasses, and reached for the gun she had placed within the left hand drawer early that day.

Radu laughed, "My apologies again, I understand now why my brother remained with you, you clearly have quite the intimidating character."

"Your brother was bound to my family blood by force, he remained with the Helsing Organization because he had no other choice," she said, her brows crashing together in annoyance.

"Believe what you will," Radu shot back with a sigh. He lowered his eyes to his hands thoughtfully, running a thumb over the back of the other before he began. "When my brother passed it had more of an effect than I believe you realize. You see, he was one of the first vampires to walk this Earth, and he worked his way up to the top through pure force of will. But, allow me to give you the full story, one that I am sure not even you have heard, Integra Helsing.

My brother was a strong man, even as a child he showed great strength and power of will, you see, we played the part as political hostages for the better part of our childhood. I don't wish to bore you with the details of why or how but needless to say we were meant to remain with the turks until adulthood and while I was obedient and did as I was instructed, Vlad was not. He fought tooth and nail every day for years and he suffered greatly for it. They punished him quite often for his behavior and actions . . .but I will not describe those horrors to you. I would think he would not appreciate it. . . ."

Radu fell silent and let out a heavy breath. Seras had moved over to sit down in the seat adjacent to his and she was stunned to see the beginnings of tears forming in his eyes. The blood welling up just beneath his lids was blatantly obvious in the low light of the hotel room. He leant back in the chair and rested an elbow on the arm, using his knuckles as a support for his head. In an effort to compose himself and chuckled and blinked away the tears.

"Regardless, it was years later after we had suffered through our imprisonment, that the turks returned to Vlad and asked for his own son. Can you believe it? We had thought they would finally leave us be. . . He refused of course, which brought war upon them, but they were such a small people. They had no chance of standing up against the turks. So the idiot that he was turned to the only thing he had left. There was a cave in the mountains near his domain, it was rumored to be the home of a monster, as he had already run across the creature before he knew that it existed and was determined to use it against the turks. The monster, the first true vampire, however, deceived him. He told Vlad that he was cursed to remain in that cave until someone of great power drank his blood. Only then would he be allowed to leave. And the trusting idiot believed him. He drank his blood thinking that the creature would be freed as soon as he did so, not knowing that the monster intended to kill him and leave as soon as he could, but he did warn Vlad. Warned him of the darkness that would consume him. Told him that if he resisted the urge to feed on humans for three days that he would return to humanity as soon as the job was done. Whether or not that was true I do not know. Regardless, he drank the monster's blood and was left to suffer through the sickness on his own, thrown into the river that spanned the mountains, and awoke a day later with incredible power. . ." Radu trailed off, lost in thought, and his eyes drifted towards the windows absently.

Seras looked to Integra thoughtfully and was surprised to see the woman looking pale. It was clear that she had never before been told the full back story of the man known as Vlad and was finding herself quite conflicted. He had had a child? An honest to go human boy whom he loved enough to start a war over?

"He won the war of course. But all his men were slaughtered. And his wife . . . she fell from a tower, Forced over the edge by a turk soldier who then took his son and escaped. I am not quite sure what happened after that but I can hazard a guess and say she demanded that he save their son with her dying breath. So he drank her blood, the blood of his fallen men, and forsake God and all that he had come to believe, embraced the darkness, and released hell upon the Earth like no monster ever could. His son was sent away to become the next ruler under the belief that his father had died."

Silence once more reigned the room and all present were left to their own thoughts. Seras was stunned and she had to remind herself that what she was hearing was reality and not some grand story made up for entertainment. These were things her master had suffered through and weathered on his own. She turned her gaze out to the stars, silent as the grave, and listened when Radu continued.

"It was tragic, he wished nothing more than to protect his family and his efforts quite literally destroyed it. His son grew into a great leader of course but I can never forget the moment that crown was placed atop a nine year old's head. He looked so small . . ." he smiled sadly, recalling the child who's feet did not even touch the floor while he was seated in the red velvet thrown with rows upon rows of people bowing at those feet. "Vlad became stronger, working in the shadows to ensure his son's safety, and when he had grown old and died, well . . ." he struggled to phrase his next sentence. "I guess you could say he snapped. He began recreating his old domain, calling subjects to him, drawing on the strength of other vampires . . . he built quite the empire. He waged war on humans on monsters alike and grew mad with rage. There was not a soul alive that did not fear his name. His laughter. Or the very idea of him. And the other Vampires respected that and were drawn to him like moths to a flame."

"I'm sorry to interrupt," Seras piped up nervously. Radu turned his head to look at her a smiled in understanding. "But if Master was turned by the first vampire, where did the others come from?"

Radu waited patiently for her to finish her question before shrugging, "Oh, there are many theories, but I was told but someone very old indeed that the first vampire, locked away in that cave for centuries, had been feeding people his blood long before Vlad came along. It just so happened that none of them had been strong enough to break the curse. They always gave in to the lust for blood within the first day. But Vlad did not break until the sunset of the final day. He held out and fought with a will for more superior than anyone who had come before him . . ."

"That is a wonderful tale," Integra interrupted. She was attempting to compose herself after such a revealing story and the only way she knew how to do so was to grasp onto the tendrils of irritation that were always there, just below the surface, and snapped "But what does that have to do with St. Augustine?"

"Well, when Vlad passed on from this world all the Old Bloods felt it. He had been the support column for an era teetering on its last leg. We vampires live in the past, we thrive off of the stories of old, the things that remind us of when we were human, and when Vlad died, well, I like to think that the last vestige of our humanity died as well. His death struck fear into the hearts of all that knew him, and with his loss we too felt . . . disconnected . . . from reality. We flocked here because here is where the next strongest vampire resides. He is young, far younger than Vlad was, but he welcomed us all and soothed our souls and made promise of great things to come-."

"Great things to come?" Integra questioned in alarm. She had pushed herself to her feet, palms spread against the surface of the desk, and was staring at the vampire with a sense of dread.

"Promises of a peaceful future, of one day revealing ourselves to humanity in hopes of moving forward together, as allies," he explained hurriedly. "This year marks the beginning of that dream. He is to hold a grand ball the same night was St. Augustines, and we will introduce ourselves formally to the world."

"Nonsense," Integra snorted and straightened.

"You doubt the possibility?" Radu questioned, watching her as she stood and moved around to the front of the desk.

"It's not so much that I doubt it so much that it doesn't even register in my brain," she laughed, pulling on the cigar to fill the silence after her statement.

Radu was silent for a moment, his lips forming a tight line, and he dropped his gaze to the floor. He scowled in frustration and rubbed at his forehead, attempting to smooth out the wrinkles that formed there.

Integra's intense stare softened, she recognized the frustration he felt as something she herself had struggled with when her uncle turned on her just after the death of her father. He was conflicted, clearly wishing they would understand, but finding nothing but a solid wall of refusal in his way.

"How many times have you heard of a new leader stepping forward, promising great things, gathering forces? And how many times did it end nicely?" Integra prompted. She crossed her arms and leaned back against the desk behind her patiently. "The most prominent example I would use would be Hitler. And look how well that turned out? In fact, it resulted in the later death of your own brother," she continued. Now she stepped forward, moving closer to Radu who had yet to move from his seat. "You are being led astray, Radu Dracula, open your eyes."

Radu leaned forward and said, "I have a bad habit of falling in with the wrong crowd unintentionally." He chuckled darkly, "I was never as street smart as Vlad I am afraid."

Integra remained silent, thoughtful, and watched the vampire fidget before turning away and reclaiming her seat at the desk once more. Her mind was racing with ideas but she dare not voice them yet, afraid of shattering what little bit of trust she may have cultivated with Radu. He was interested in Seras because of her connection with his brother but as far as the organization went itself, well, she doubted he had any desire to deal with them. She could play her cards carefully, manipulate him, he had claimed to be unwise when dealing with others, but the thought caused guilt to blossom in her stomach. She had never thought the day would come that she would feel guilty for swindling a vampire but here it was. She sighed. She was tired of playing games anyways.

"I have a proposition for you," she began, claiming his attention. "This vampire may be a villain, an evil dirt bag needed to be put down, but if, in some strange twist of events, he isn't, then I will let sleeping dogs lie. America is not my territory. By all rights I have no business sticking my nose where it doesn't belong. But, in return, if you notice the slightest bit of suspicious activity you come to us and let us know."

Radu pushed himself to his feet and moved over to the window, staring out at the night in contemplation, and crossed his arms.

Seras turned in her seat to watch him over the back of the chair curiously, "It's really not such a bad deal," she called back to him. "But your choice really depends on what kind of person you are, I guess . . ." she trailed off. Integra was compromising with the vampire under the assumption that he was an inherently good person. But he was a vampire. He had no doubt killed people throughout his existence. She was allowing his connections with his brother to cloud her judgment and the thought both worried and comforted the draculina.

Radu smirked, glancing back at Seras thoughtfully before turning fully to face the three again. "Alright, I'll play your game. I can't disappoint the little draculina." He smiled at the befuddled expression that Seras wore. "I will keep my eyes and ears open for anything suspicious and report back to you."

"Excellent," Integra purred.

"I will take my leave," Radu drawled. And bowed, as was his fashion.

Integra closed her eyes in thought, frustrated with the need to once again rely on a vampire for intel, and did not see Radu move towards the shadows in the corner from which he originally arrived. Nor did she see Seras jump up and rush after him, sliding to a stop with her legs still in sight and the rest of her swallowed up by shadows.

The feel of the cold darkness slithering against her skin was distracting. She had yet to accomplish bending the shadows to her will, something that seriously irked her at times, but she had been acquainted with the feeling through her master.

"Radu!" She called, her voice echoing in the swirling darkness that assaulted her eyes. But she could still make the vampire out easily enough, as if the darkness did not touch him, cling to him like it felt like it was doing to her.

Radu paused, his foot hanging in the air as if he were about to take another step, and turned back to her. He caught sight of her over his shoulder and chuckled, noticing the way she hung half out of the darkness.

"Yes?" he asked with a tone of amusement.

"My master . . ." she trailed off, watching him earnestly, trying to convey what she struggled to put into words. Radu cocked his head curiously, a more serious expression taking over his face. "Everyone thinks he's gone but . . . I don't think so."

Radu turned to face her fully and looked at her with something akin to concern.

"It may seem like he is gone but I still feel him," she explained, lifting a hand to her neck where her bite marks could be seen.

Radu smiled at her once again, that melancholy act of happiness, and lifted a hand to his heart, gave her a slight a bow, and turned away into the darkness.

"Seras Victoria!"

The world of the living beckoned at her door. It spoke of life, of sunshine, and the ever turning Earth spinning on while its occupants thrived. Yet it also spoke in the voice of a very impatient Integra Hellsing.

Seras opened her eyes, sighted the sunlight streaming in through crack in the curtains and promptly pulled the blanket up over her head. She was assaulted by the smell of unfamiliar laundry detergent unsettled by the movement and was reminded of the situation. They were far away from the Hellsing estate and she was far away from her old life. The dream of her struggling to decide on what cake to order at a café while her master sat across from her, bare of his glasses, coat, and hat, smiling like he had never known a day of suffering his life, was obliterated. She groaned and burrowed deeper into the blanket and pillows.

"We have been waiting on you for the past hour, now get up!"

Seras did not respond, already drifting off into another dream about cake, and possibly her master.

Her door creaked open and a freshly showered and dressed Integra peeked in with an irritated scowl on her face. The sight of the formless lump on the bed caused her to straighten and throw the door open. It rebounded off the wall, leaving a small dent in the dark painted surface, before resting at an open position leaving enough room for Integra to stand with her hands on her hips.

"It was your idea to go to the zoo, it's only polite to join us on your venture!" she snapped.

Upon seeing that there was no response from the lump that was Seras she stepped forward and pulled the blankets off the bed, throwing them to the ground like so much trash, and watched Seras struggle to reclaim the little bit of warmth she had mustered through the night. After sliding her legs and arms all about the bed the draculina gave up and instead pulled another pillow to her chest.

"Are you kidding me?" she said dryly. She moved closer, hovering over the vampire, and covered her nose and mouth with a hand. The peaceful breathing Seras had been demonstrating came to a sudden halt and Integra waited several minutes for her to wake, but received no reaction. Deciding that all her options had been exerted she pushed the woman off the bed and laughed at her surprise as she fumbled about on the floor. "I did my best, Police Girl, but I had to resort to desperate measures. Now get ready!"

Seras's head popped up over the side of the bed, her hair mussed and eyes sticky with sleep and grit, "For what?" She mumbled tiredly.

"We're going to the zoo," Integra reiterated in a drawl and turned away, leaving the room, and a tired and befuddled Seras to sort herself out.

When she did finally drag herself out of her room, causing an expectant Integra and an amused Andrews to turn their head in her direction, she was tiredly fluffing her hair and squinting against the morning sunlight.

"What time is it?" she grumbled.

"Eight O'Clock, the park opened a few minutes ago," Andrews informed cheerily.

"Ugh," Seras groaned.

They arrived fairly early at the wild life preserve. Barely twenty minutes had passed in the car, soft jazz playing over the radio, with Seras staring tiredly out the window bundled up in her sunlight garb. The armor of the day was the usual black coat, hat, and sunglasses but she had chosen to wear a white top and jeans underneath to lighten it up a bit. Integra sat next to her in the back while Andrews was forced to suffer the front alone with nothing to combat the irritated and dark aura originating from the two women.

Seras attempted a perk up a bit when she stepped out of the car, taking a deep breath of the fresh breezy air, and turned to follow the two humans to the front entrance. There were several people out in the parking lot and she watched the families curiously, shoving her hands into her pockets, and nearly ran into Integra at the ticket booth.

Andrews was speaking with a friendly looking woman in her forties wearing a safari outfit and a very much alive parrot on her shoulder.

"Three tickets please," Andrews said, wearing his own professional smile.

"Sure thing, that will be twenty-four dollars," she responded. "It's a busy day today," she commented while taking the card from Andrews hand and running it through the register in front of her, "It must be the nice weather."

"Yes, it is quite . . ." Andrews struggled to agree with the woman but he was no fan of the pleasant weather, he much preferred the cloudy weather of his hometown. " . . . Pleasant," he finished lamely.

The woman gave him a strained and confused smile but ushered them into the park nonetheless. Watching the strange trio trudge in through the brick gateway thoughtfully as they passed. They seemed to have a cloud of darkness all of their own hovering over them.

Seras did liven up once they got into the park. The smells of all the food stands and different animals had her sniffing about like a blood hound. And the sounds of laughter and exotic life pricked her ears like no tomorrow. But seeing all the animals awoken a childlike inquisitiveness within her like no other. At every enclosure it was sure to be her face pressed against the glass or between the bars, eagerly watching the wildlife while Integra and Andrews casually stood behind her reading the informative plaques set up for display. But as the day wore on and more and more people flooded into the reserve Seras grew less excited and more stressed. It was one thing to observe the animals in their habitats but another to be squished between the very things she fed off while they shouted in glee and generally made her aware of their existence with their smells and sounds.

As the day wore on Seras would have hoped that Integra or Andrews would say something, complain of aching feet or hunger, but they seemed too engrossed in the animals to notice her plight and rather than being the whiner of the group and ending their fun, Seras opted to go off on her own. She wandered through the park, taking in the scenery and animals calmly while she consciously moved further and further away from the crowd.

When her nose was finally free of the smell of human blood she sat down on a bench. She was shaded by a large oak swaying in the slight breeze and adding to the general silence of that end of the park the soft rustling of its leaves. The heat, minimal due to the lateness of the year, was not so overpowering that she did not enjoy it without the direct sunlight to stab at her skin and eyes. Somewhere in the branches of the oak a bird chirped.

Across from her was a rather inactive enclosure. She could see no animal within it nor the general signs of life that came with one. The chain link fence was vacant of any observers as she was the only one in that particular area of the park, the morning wave of guests having yet to make their way that far, and offered her the perfect view of a crystal clear pond. It was obviously man made but still managed to look elegant and natural in the exhibit. Watching the water move about in the wind, sunlight glistening off the small ripples, lulled her into a state of calm.

Thoughts of Radu, her master, and the possible vampire dictator floated through her mind like the water in front of her; gentle and flowing in mindless directions. Life had become rather dull at Hellsing, she had complained about it often enough, and had admittedly wanted some action. But the awkward situation the trio had found themselves in was not what she had had in mind. Their hands were tied until they heard something from Radu or the Vatican. They could not simply sit around, twiddling their thumbs, waiting for something to happen that they could use as an excuse for action. So they were forced to be active in the most mundane of ways, amusing themselves with touristy attractions, dinners, and parties while they waited in the background. It was frustrating.

She let out a sigh and leaned back against the bench, eyes glued to the water still, and was startled when it rippled. She glanced up and found herself the center of a very curious animal's attention.

Spotted fur, round ears, and blue eyes. Blue as the blue that used to stare back at her from the mirror in the mornings, now overshadowed by bloodlust. The big cat had wondered over to the pond from a little cave out of sight and settled down at the waterside lazily. But as she examined it further she noted the way the fur laid, flat and lackluster, mangy in some places. He was obviously old, maybe sick, if not both. He had not been within that enclosure for long, as it did not have the wear and tear she had noticed in the others. The scent that wafted from him was stale, hinting at human life, and told all the story she needed to know. He had been kept as a pet, locked away in a house, and had never seen the wild as far as she could tell.

He watched her tiredly, tail flicking about in the water thoughtlessly, and let out a bored huff.

"Tell me about it," she muttered in agreement and dropped her head onto the back of the bench with another one of her own sighs. She allowed her mind to wander again, thoughts of her master now taking hold. It had been thirty years since she had last laid eyes on him but it still felt as if he would appear around every corner, grinning at her in demented glee, or wearing that brooding expression she often found him with when he was deep in thought. Every flash of red cloth caught her eye, she did a double take every time she spotted a tall dark figure, and any foreboding presence sent her dead heart beating in excitement. As much as she knew he wanted his own death she felt like he was an essential part of the world. Since he had left everything had seemed so stale and surreal, like the life had been sucked dry of reality, and it left her feeling lost and forlorn. Maybe it was just her world that had needed him.

"I see you've met Aranu."

The voice was light and youthful and jolted Seras from her thoughts like a bucket of water to the face. She had not heard anyone approaching yet there stood a young woman, watching her with a wide grin, and wearing the park uniform proudly.

"Aranu?" she questioned.

"Him," the girl gestured with a thumb over her shoulder to the big cat resting by the water.

"Oh, yes!" Seras lifted a hand to her forehead in a light slap and laughed. "Duh."

"He just got here this week, he's not doing too well though," the girl turned to look at the jaguar worriedly. "His parents were killed when he was a cub and some poachers were keeping him as a pet, feeding him all kinds of junk, we don't know how long he'll last. He's very sick." She continued as she crouched down at the fence to watch the big cat. He turned his head away as if in annoyance at her presence and Seras fought the urge to giggle. Sick and possibly dying he may be but he was certainly still filled with spunk.

"That's horrible, I'm sure he'll pull through," she amended lightly.

The girl gave her a weak smile and a shrug, "I hope so."

The young woman left her with a polite wave then, leaving to her thoughts of the fragileness of mortality and death. It was strange. Seras felt that, as a creature of the wild, animals like Aranu were supposed to represent the vitality and ferocity of life. He represented an immortal image of life. But then, she supposed that she was operating under the assumption that animals were immortal, as she often thought they should be. They were not like humans, creatures of greed and lust and capable of harming others with an intent to cause pain. Creatures like Aranu took what they needed to survive and no more. They deserved to live forever. But instead they were doomed to short lives while monsters like her lurked in the background, drinking the blood of the living, and growing darker and grimmer as time wore on. Observing humanity with a sick sort of glee while they fought and waged wars born into existence by their own meddling. Aranu should not be laying sick and dying in a manmade mockery of the wilds in which he truly belonged, running and hunting, living.

Like her master.

Like her.

Seras sighed and turned her head away as well, so that the two creatures were both looking in the opposite direction, trapped within their own thoughts.

It was some time later that she caught the scent of Andrews and Integra, making their way towards her from far down the walkway and she stood to meet them, stretching for the sake of stretching, before offering a wave to Aranu who had lifted his head upon noticing her movement. She gave him one last look over, feeling the need to burn his image into her mind, before walking over to meet the two humans.

"I was wondering where you had gone off too," Integra said around the cigar between her teeth.

"Too many people," Seras said in way of explanation, waving her hand about in the air haphazardly.

"Right then," Andrews announced, "I presume lunch is in order."

The rest of the day was spent in much the same manner as the day before. The three played the role of tourists, ate lunch at a family owned pub, and shopped through the main district. No souvenirs were actually purchased but they kept up the act while keeping their eyes peeled for anything suspicious that may hint at vampire activity. The Likelihood of finding anything during the day was low but Integra hoped to catch the locals off guard and gain some details on the city's unusual occupants. She questioned the owner of an ice cream shop over a vanilla and cinnamon swirl cone if he had noticed any missing persons. She prodded the girl acting as tour guide for the wax museum if any of their stage coffins had mysteriously vanished. She even interrupted a man who was lecturing a crowd on proper canon firing procedures about whether or not he had ever considered firing silver laced cannons. But they all responded with the same confused stare and lingering glance to Andrews or Seras from over the woman's shoulder. Pleading for help.

The ever approaching dinner with the Pope leered over them like a cloud. Integra was determined to remain focused on the task at hand but Andrews reminded her frequently throughout the day of the event. He seemed to grow more frustrated as time went on but refused to show it. The only way seras could tell was by the spike in his blood pressure. Integra was stubbornly ignoring his reminders and would move on to the next shop, the next person to question, the next building to investigate. All the while the two were left to trail after her like the parents of an excited child. It would seem as if Seras and her had swapped places.

It was when Seras, tired of shopping and sun, decided to take a break in the shade outside of the latest shop that she came across a curious sight. Sitting at a café table across the two lane street sat a rather dazzling man in his thirties. While this would not seem strange at all on any other day, he was an extremely pale person wearing a very old fashion three piece suit, and he was staring directly at her through dark lenses. His hair was like gold silk and hung to his shoulders in elegant waves that bespoke care and vanity. And while this trait was a rather immediate turn off for Seras, who preferred more rugged and wild men, it certainly set off alarm bells.

She stood from her crouched position and brushed off the seat of her long coat. This was her chance to get some decent information rather than the hopeless search that Integra was intent on seeing through until the end. She squared her shoulders and sent an alluring smile his way before crossing the street. She didn't really have any plan in mind but as she crossed the pavement, heels clacking against the stone, she realized she didn't really need one. This was improvisation at its finest. He was obviously a vampire, as was she, and it would not seem strange at all for her to notice him and approach him for casual conversation. Especially if what Radu had said was true. If the town really was filled with vampires readying for their own celebration then she would not seem out of place at all.

The first thing she noticed upon coming closer to the vampire was that he was a schmoozer. He grinned at her in an overconfident and charming way that immediately irritated her. She felt as though he were already looking down at her. At least with Pip he had joked with her as an equal.

"Good morning, my lady," he drawled as she took the seat next to him.

And he was French.

"Ugh, don't even think about it," he growled in her mind.

Seras ignored him and responded with a pleasant, "Morning."

"What is a fine woman like yourself doing out at this hour, shouldn't you be in your coffin?" he said, pushing aside the paper he had been pretending to read.

"I could ask you the same thing," she drawled back. She sat in the chair that had been turned away from him so that all he got of her was her profile but she turned her head just so to look at him over the rim of her glasses. Just like her master would.

He shrugged in response, "Sometimes I enjoy watching humanity and remembering what it was like to be one of them . . ."

"I can understand that," Seras agreed thoughtfully, watching as a couple walked by them hand in hand. They were obviously tourists if the huge packs on their backs and wide curious eyes were anything to go by. She watched others pass by, enjoying a moment of silence, before saying "So there it to be quite the celebration Friday . . ."

"Yes, I am quite looking forward to it. It has been so long since I have been to a decent party," he answered conversationally.

"I agree," she lied smoothly, "Ushering in an age of peace will require a big event, big enough to garner attention."

The vampire turned his gaze onto her sternly, "Some of the lower class may see it as that, but I am no fool, an age of peace is the last thing on the high bloods minds."

"Oh?" Seras crooned, lifting an elbow to the table and settling her chin in the palm of her hand. "You think so?"

"I know so," he answered with a chuckle.

She hummed thoughtfully and looked away, feigning disinterest, and was rewarded when he leaned forward earnestly.

"Rumor has it that Flagler has something dark hidden away in his basement, waiting to be revealed-." He was cut off, however, from continuing his delectable supply of information.

Her phone rang from her pocket, the buzzing alerting the two occupants at the table that she had a call, and she fumbled to pull it out, her character momentarily broken. She glanced at the caller idea before lifting it her ear. "Hello?"

"Where are you?" Integra's voice filtered through the connection. She sounded irritated but Seras blamed it on the slowly rising temperatures as the day wore on and her failure at scrounging up anything useful to help them along.

"Across the street, I'll be right there," she answered coolly and hung up before Integra could respond. She could see her in her minds eyes staring at the phone in stunned surprise before being overcome by intense anger. "It seems I am needed elsewhere," she answered the questioning look the vampire sent her. She stood with a tired sigh, "It was nice speaking with you . . ." she trailed off.

"Lestat," he provided.

"Sarah," she said with a smile.

And like that she was gone, disappearing into the crowd, and making her way back to her boss and friend while Lestat was left to ponder the event on his own.

She grinned to herself as she walked. She had just hit the goldmine of information and had even gotten his name out of him for later use. She slid her hands into her pockets and crossed the street at a brisk pace, returning to the shop, and turning down a side street where she could just make out Integra's platinum blonde and silver hair shining in the sunlight. Her ice blue eyes picked her out in the crowd and zeroed in on her with the intense rage that she had imagined moments ago but she could not keep the smile off her face as she met her in the street. They stood facing each other like two combatants ready for battle.

"You hung up on me," Integra said simply.

"I did," Seras admitted sheepishly.

"Why?" Integra demanded.

"I was getting information," Seras explained proudly.

"Oh?"

"Yes."

Andrews watched from the sidelines bemusedly. The two women were drawing the crowd's attention with how they stood facing each other stiffly, unmoving in the throngs of people forced to part around them, and he was concerned of Seras divulging her 'information' in the midst of it all.

"Let's take this back to our hotel, shall we?" he interrupted politely. "Need I remind you that dinner with the Pope is in two hours," he reminded again, hopeful Integra would heed his words this time.