MWUHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! I can't wait to get this going! There's going to be a little surprise, so watch out! Don't worry; we shall be seeing more of Mark the shark. He's going to be Zara/Pisica's newest familiar! Just to make something clear, before she could only have furred, mammal, or at a stretch bird familiars. But now, due to First and the others, she gets fishes too! Oh, how my sister will hate me for calling sharks fish… but they technically are, but they're in a different subclass. SHARKS ARE NOT FISH; THEY ARE IN A SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT CLASS ORDER! There, I've done all I can not to spread disinformation. : P Anyway, sharks also don't attack people out of the blue. They have very good reasons, mostly consisting of A) It moves like a dying fish, B) it's on my turf, and C) I want to see what it is. (Sharks find things out by biting them, much like toddlers. They usually spit us out afterwards, but one curious bite for them is kinda damaging.) Dang, I really went into a lecture about sharks here didn't I? Sorry. I tried pasting a photo here of a white tip, but it may not take

Techno's POV:

I stared at Zara, who certainly looked dead serious. "You talked, to a shark." She rubbed the back of her head. "Talk, kinda. Discuss more like, and by the way, what kind of sharks has little white tips at the end of their fins?" I scratched my head. "White-tips? Yeah, could be. You see them in aquariums sometimes. What was it like?" She swam around in a circle, thinking. "Rather simple. His thoughts, that is. I quote "Food. Hungry. Need food" and that were just cruising thoughts." I snickered.

"Well, he's no politician. Hey, I wanted to ask you something, and I swear on what's left of my soul I'm honest." She stopped swimming and stared at me, waiting. "I, well, you know Soarece?" She nodded slowly, looking confused. I took a deep breath. "Is she going out with anyone?" I said as quickly as I could, trying as hard as I could not to blush. She raised an eyebrow, smiling. "No, not at the moment. Is poor Techno suffering from a case of teenage hormones?" I clenched my fists. "Don't say anything witty or I will chance a shark attack and prank you."

She rolled her eyes. "Yeah, sure, your secrets safe with me." I brightened. "Really?" I said, trying not to sound so grateful. I could feel my face heating up. "Do you think…I have a chance with her?" I said, avoiding eye contact. She actually appeared to consider this. "Once you convince her you're not doing it as a prank, I'm sure she'll warm up to you. That's the tricky part." I sighed, trying to think of a way past that particular obstacle.

Pisica's POV:

I slowly swam away, watching Techno mull over his position. If he was serious, I was going to laugh myself sick watching his attempts to win poor Soarece's heart. I swam straight over to Soarece, who was playing Marco-Polo with a group of boys from the H.D. "Hey, Soarece!" I called, hoping to attract her attention. She paddled over, looking at me in confusion. "I have just had word that somebody likes you." I said into her ear, whispering. She started and looked at me in shock. "Really? Who!" I smirked, turning on my whole high-and-mighty act. "He made me swear not to tell."

She rolled her eyes, but I could tell she was deeply interested. I backed away, letting her go back to her game of Marco-Polo. I heard a faint sound, but it was hard to distinguish among the crashing waves. I stuck my head under the water, hearing someone yelling. "Shark-not-shark, come! Mark is bitten!" I didn't stop for a second to question what a stupid idea it would be for me to go after an animal, or person, that could hurt a shark, and a big one, I just went. A few second of swimming and I was there, seeing Mark swimming in a slow circle, bleeding from a shoulder wound.

Mark! I tried calling with my mind, which was much better than with my mouth when underwater. He turned, and I saw a slash-like bite, most likely made by long, sharp teeth. I went up to him a put a hand on his shoulder, not knowing what else to do. He twitched under me, then grew calm. I realized that he was still a very young shark, and probably panicked. Mark, what happened? He swam in a circle, and I was forced to swim with him. "Mark doesn't know. Mark didn't see. Mark felt bite and saw no biter. Shark-not-shark explain?" I chewed on my lip, feeling shocked at his show of dependence on me. What would happen if shark-not-shark was not here? He slowed, growing a little calmer.

"Mark blood find other sharks. They be hungry, and come hungry. They want food, and Mark is small, like fish." I hurriedly patted his back, seeing he was starting to panic again. Shark-not-shark has an idea. Mark bite shark-not-shark, and other sharks come after shark-not-shark, and you swim away. Mark rolled one coal black eye up to me. "Shark-not-shark not fast swimmer. Other sharks swim faster, eat shark-not-shark." I shook my head, feeling nervous. Shark-not-shark knows ways to hide. Float-shells are good places for shark-not-shark, drive other sharks away. He paused to consider my option.

"Shark-not-shark be safe?" he asked, backing away slightly. I nodded, bracing myself. Shark-not-shark be fine. Bite me. He rushed at me, like he had before, but instead of backing away, hit me full on, jaws grabbing my leg hard, cutting through the skin, then jerking slightly. He backed away, and my blood was already starting to leak into the water. He shook his head, like a dog getting rid of water. "Shark-not-shark blood smell good, like fat seal. Shark-not-shark needs to swim fast, very fast."

I waved at him, already trying to swim away. He had missed most of the muscles, and my only problem was blood, which was now a dark cloud around my leg. He swam in the other direction, as fast as he could. I broke through the surface, shouting "HELP!" before sinking back down a little. I swam back to shore, using strong, easy movements that wouldn't agitate any pursuers into attacking me head on. People were already getting out of the water, as there was really only one plausible reason for me bleeding like crazy in the ocean.

I felt something graze my unwounded leg slightly, then I was wrenched back under the water by another shark, one that looked very different from Mark. Mark had a flatter head, and a plumper, more ungainly body shape. Everything about this shark screamed SPEED. Pointed nose, torpedo body, small fins to cut down resistance, and powerful muscles were all signs of a fast top predator. It also had needle sharp teeth, ones that looked very capable of inflicting the wound I saw on Mark's shoulder. I cursed in my head, thinking about how stupid I had been assuming the shark that attacked Mark would be long gone. My ankle was caught in that needle factory, and I punched at the shark's nose, trying to get it to let me go. It flinched, but held on.

I tried grabbing for its thoughts, but all I could catch was an insatiable hunger. I twisted in the water, a scream bubbling in my throat as teeth shifted in wounds, and hit it with my other foot as hard as I could. It let go, and I burst through the surface, gasping and swimming for the shore, hearing other people's cries of joy at my reappearance. I felt something ram me from below, actually lifting me out of the water as I felt a sting of pain along my side. I hit the water with a painful smack, and I saw the shark circling in the water below me, building up speed for another ram. I looked at my side, seeing a thin red line where it managed to score me with its teeth. It wasn't deep, but it stung when I tried to swim faster back to shore, thinking I might be able to be this stupid shark.

No such luck. This time it hit my shoulder, actually using its mouth instead of its nose, biting into me hard. I screamed, feeling myself being lifted out of the water again from the force of the blow. I felt for its mind again, but this time I only caught anger, as well as more hunger. I landed in the water a few meters away, but felt hands grabbing my arms, hauling me to shore, and I realized dimly that I was now in shallow water. I looked up, seeing the blurred faces of Soarece and a lifeguard, both shouting at me. "Oh god, you're bleeding!" she cried, looking horrified. "Miss, how many fingers do you see?" said the lifeguard, holding up two fingers. I answered Soarece first.

"Yes I'm bleeding, what do you expect? A shark bites me and I'll be magically unharmed? Two fingers mam, and what does that have to do with being attacked by a shark?" The lifeguard picked me up, yelling at Soarece to call 911. "You were rammed several times by that shark, and you hit the water hard. A concussion is just as serious as blood loss right now." I heard sirens in the distance, and let my head fall back on the lifeguard's shoulder. I heard a voice, two voices actually, getting closer, Sir Integra… oh no, and Alucard! I was never going to hear the end of this from Soarece. I felt myself being pulled from the lifeguard, and Alucard's voice sounded much closer as I crashed into someone else's chest.

I heard the lifeguard protest "Sir, please! She needs medical care!" I felt whoever holding me talk back, but I was so dizzy I could hardly hear him, never mind what he was saying. What I did get, however, was his tone of voice. Definitely Alucard. He was never in a mood to be questioned. I moaned, trying to lean back and get back to the nice lifeguard, and more importantly her medical care. His voice broke off and I was stunned to feel a hand stroke my hair gently.

My focus suddenly sharpened and I managed to catch "-she'll need specialized care, care the Hellsing organization can and will provide." That must be Sir Integra. A voice much closer to me rumbled. "Shhhh, it will be alright. Just hold on a little longer." I felt another shock. Alucard talking nicely, holding me gently, and being soothing? This is not happening. There is no way this is happening. That was the last coherent thought I could muster, before I felt blackness well up in my sight and my knees buckle.

Alucard's POV:

I felt her collapse, and sent a mental signal to Sir Integra. She immediately cut herself off, saying. "Fine, although we may have slightly different ideas on how she must be treated, she needs care now. I will talk about the mechanics on a later date." I silently handed Zara to the people with the table, watching as they drove away in an ambulance. After they were gone, Integra turned to me. "Make sure they do not find anything out about her enhanced state." She said crisply, turning back to the car we had arrived in. I blinked, feeling shock and joy. I could go after her? Without further encouragement I phased away, following the ambulance to a nearby hospital, one that looked in relatively good repair.

I waited until the doctors had carried Zara in, then materialized, striding up the steps. I paused at the desk, asking for which room she had gone to. The woman there stared at me. "Umm, sir? She's having an operation. You won't be able to see her until she's conscious, and probably not even then. Please, wait over there." She pointed to a couch where some other people were sitting, all looking as nervous as I felt. I sat down, not even caring that some of the other people immediately protested my presence. I waited tensely, hearing the scrape of knives down the corridor, and seeing Zara laid out on a table through the doctor's thoughts, hearing her faint breath as she wheezed in and out through a plastic mask.

One by one, the other people waiting left, and more came in, but the operation on Zara continued. The knives' scraping irritated me as well as making me nervous, and I started glaring at the far wall. Finally, after hours, when the sun had almost set, the attendant called out "Sir! She's awake now. Room 34." I quickly got up, almost, but not quite, running, towards the room where Zara was recovering. I slammed the door open, seeing her limp form on a hospital bed. She smiled weakly, saying "Well, you're a lot more jumpy. Guess what? I…remembered!"

Zara's POV:

I felt myself drifting in a sort of fog, probably induced by the drugs they gave me. I had managed to babble out something about me having anti-male blood, before I blacked well and truly out. I shuddered, drifting in a more purposeful way, chafing my upper arms. No way I was going to be impregnated when I was not even old enough to drink. I thought about why Alucard was treating me so nice, but broke off. I started plotting about the cat necklace, thankfully forgotten and home. I didn't feel that wave of dizziness, and blinked. Of course, they can't risk doing any more damage to me while I'm under the knife, so I can remember freely, or more freely now! I looked around in desperation. I needed to remember as much as I could, so they couldn't wrench me back into subservient mode.

I was suddenly aware of a presence next to me, and a German sounding voice called out. "Oh wow, you're finally avake! It took you forever!" I turned, seeing a boy with cat ears standing next to me. Who are you? He grinned, spinning around in a circle before answering. "My name's Schrödinger, and I'm evervhere und novhere. I vas part of your mind, back vhen you were still Zara Pazúry." I quickly grabbed his arm. Tell me about who I was. Please, I need to know! He brushed me off, before answering "Of course, vhat, you think I vould abandon you? Half-breeds like us need to stay together. Also, I'm stuck in this space until you recognize me as me."

I blinked. Half-breeds? He rolled his eyes. "You know, I should just show you." He grabbed my arm and yanked, and I fell somehow, being dragged back to the very beginning of my memories. I stumbled, feeling the wave of dizziness again. I looked around, seeing mommy sprawled against the wood daddy had been cutting, dead. Her eyes were gouged out, and she was covered in blood. I swallowed, hearing crunching sounds coming from slightly farther ahead. I edged out from the doorway, seeing a man-thing standing over daddy, tearing at him with his claw-hands. I screamed, seeing the wolf, the werewolf, turn around slowly. My father managed to choke out "Zara, run! Save yourself!"

The man-wolf turned, grabbing daddy by the throat and punching him in the face, only his fist went right through daddy's jaw. Daddy sank to the ground, making shrieking noises at me, like words, only unintelligible. He slowly stilled, then fell silent. I stared at this thing, this monster that had so dared lay a hand to my family. I charged at him, seeing him suddenly drop to the ground and writhe into a big wolf, glowing and snarling. I skidded to a stop, seeing my hands getting long claws, like momma's kitties. I heard the wolf roar, and jumped back, I charged at him again, not caring that I was going to die like momma and daddy. Maybe I even wanted it.

I tried to reach high, to hit his eyes, but even as I swiped I knew I would fall short and hit his nose or snout. He opened his mouth again, and I blindly raked my hand across the inside of his jaws, feeling slight resistance and then nothing as something fell to the ground with a plop. He howled, and I realized I had hurt him badly. I swiped him across the chest, seeing him stumble. He suddenly seemed to recover and swiped a heavy paw at me, slamming me into the wall of our cottage, and making me black out.

I blinked. Had that really been a memory? But another image was coming up fast, and I reluctantly embraced it. This pain I was feeling, it was nothing to being nameless. I could cope with pain. Hand me another scalpel, will you? A voice, Doc's voice, scoured the inside of my head. I tried to think of what they were testing me for now, but what did I care? The bright lights of the operating table burned my eyes, and I shut them. I felt a slight sting as Doc inserted the knife, but I knew better than to struggle. Struggling made it worse. Struggling made it longer. He grinned, looking at the gleam of my ribcage with a tiny flashlight. "An utterly human complex so far, fraulien. None of the extras, just human bones, human organs, human everything." I managed to spit weakly "Go…get run over…by a bus…"

He smirked, prodding the incision on my arm. I bit back a yelp of pain as he touched raw muscle and nerves. "Insults are never a sign of goodwill. You might want to learn some manners, after all, I'm the only thing keeping you from a painful existence as an outcast." I hissed at him. "Dream on, you pathetic Frankenstein impersonator. I've hacked up better excuses than that." He scowled, letting his knife trail lightly along my arm. The sharp edge was infinitely worse than a mere pressure from his finger and I yelped. "I could also bring in the Captain. I'm sure you two would like to catch up." I immediately froze, and let him continue cutting me up.

A flash of anger roared through me. How dare that man use me like an experiment! I rushed towards the next image, wanting to see what happened to them. Doc came for me again, twice in one…night? Day? It was too soon. He dragged me over to his operating table, and I felt a flash of hope when I saw my brother on the next bench. "You two are going to say goodbye now." He said brightly, as if that distracted me from the fact he was going drag my brother who knew where. I grabbed his arm, not breaking eye contact with Doc. "No." he frowned. "No? The order was quite simple. Come." He grabbed my brother by the other arm, and we struggled for a second. I was the weaker one, after the blood loss last visit, I couldn't hold on as well. Doc never really had a reason to bleed me, I think he just liked it. I sank back down on the bench, trying to reach my brother, to stop this, but I couldn't move.

My eyes started to slip shut, and I forced them open, managing to drag myself a few feet towards the door, catching Doc's heel. He looked down in surprise, the sighed and stamped on my hand. I held on, not giving up on my last chance to save my brother. He jerked his hand and I felt soldiers grab my arms, trying to haul me away. I screamed insults, profanities, anything that came to mind as I struggled in their arms, seeing the look of hope on my brother's face. I managed to break free, grabbing him and shoving Doc away, pulling my brother close as he sobbed into my shoulder. I felt something hard slam into my skull, and I felt my arms begin to loosen their grip. I tried to hold on, but my brother was wrenched away yet again. I saw a boot out of the corner of my eye, and in a last act of defiance, twisted, sending my suddenly razor-shape nails into the person's leg.

I saw the werewolf captain's look of pain and anger, and then I blacked out. When I woke up later, I was back in my cell, hearing gunshots. I scrambled to the door, pressing my face against the bars, hoping against hope. A scream echoed down the corridor, and my heart sank. My brother's voice was screaming, crying, shouting for help, for comfort. For me. A single gunshot rang out, and I heard him stop. Later, when the Major himself came by, and explained that this was something that would happen if I did not obey him in future, he dumped my brother into the cell with me. I saw the wound on his shoulder, it was superficial and would heal quickly. The mental trauma would take far longer.

I clenched my fists, feeling angrier by the second. More memories, of escaping, of living on the edge, of constantly being hunted, all these flashed before my eyes. But gradually, between the terror and the pain and the anger, I saw flashes of hope. Techno, much younger, helping me to my feet after an explosion in California. Maniac, resolutely cheering me on from a rock face in the Peru Mountains. Auger, showing me a humorous passage from an obscure author as we delved through an ancient FBI headquarters in Washington. Adit, giving me a sparkly rock he had found digging.

And then… I blinked as a fresh surge of memories caught me. Hellsing. Pip, drinking a tray full of shot glasses. Seras, looking confused as I explained the benefits of being a blood-drinker. The Wild Geese, laughing on the floor, as a white mist drifted around the room. Integra, looking annoyed when I explained about Techno's latest prank. Roger, showing me how to use a shortcut that got me from one end of the manor to the other in a few minutes. A snowball fight, and the havoc caused. The Christmas after.

Then I realized all my memories of Alucard were missing. Why aren't you showing me the ones with him in it? Schrö was suddenly beside me, looking disgusted. "I vas saving those for last. I always hated that part of your life." A memory engulfed me, and I realized Schrö was gone, completely. Then, as I picked out details, I remembered why. Alucard, trying to turn me after a deadly fall. Alucard, holding me gently as I looked around a crowded dining room. Alucard, waking up next to me, as I realized he had let me use his coat as a blanket. Alucard, laughing when I was being annoyed. Alucard… the last one was the dimmest, but the one most important of all. Alucard, kissing me gently, looking at me with love and concern. Alucard, screaming out my name as I died, voicing the pain and anguish that I thought was impossible to describe.

I woke up, feeling drowsy. It was funny, I mused. One second I'm dreaming about my past, and then wham! I'm wide awake. I heard footsteps, then the door slammed open, and I saw Alucard standing there, looking worried. I smiled at him weakly. "Well, you're a lot more jumpy. Guess what? I…remembered!" I said, seeing his face take on a look of complete bewilderment. "Everything?" he said, looking wooden. I frowned at him. "Yes, everything. The Major, Millennium, Hellsing, Dennis, everything." I said, feeling content for the first time in ages. "What about Soarece?" he asked, looking relieved. I frowned again. "Who?"

One step forward, two steps back. Oh well, at least she remembered her past life! I need to find some way to get Past-Zara and Pisica-Zara to meet. Now that I write that out loud, that may not be such a bad idea! It was a stretch to put Soarece in water, I know. She was just so determined to have fun, she ignored it. And when she was saving Zara/Pisica, she was too worried to care. Schrö's back! Yay! Zara was attacked by a Mako shark, one of the fastest kinds of shark there is. I think it is actually the fastest, which accounts for it being there and gone before Mark knew it was biting him. Makos are sneaky little buggers, there and gone in a flash. Also, ecologist warning, they're endangered, because sports fishermen think they're a really good kind of game fish. I quote from Wiki: The Shortfin Mako is the fastest species of shark. Its speed has been recorded at 50 kilometers per hour (31 mph) with bursts of up to 74 kilometers per hour (46 mph)they can leap approximate 9 meters (30 ft) high or higher in the air. Some scientists suggest that the shortfin Mako can swim up to 100 kilometers per hour (62 mph), though scientists are still in debate over exactly how fast the shortfin Mako shark can swim. This high-leaping fish is a highly sought-after game fish worldwide. There are cases when an angry Mako jumped into a boat after having been hooked. So yeah, nasty fish. But don't kill the nice shark, pretty please? R, R, Rcomment. Auf Wedersien!