I prostrate (which has nothing to do with prostitute or prostate, look it up if you don't believe me) myself at your collective feet and beg forgiveness! I was grounded temporarily because I didn't do my homework Wednesday, so I couldn't get this chapter out! Please don't be mad at me too much! People five months from now will be like "What's she talking about?" A lot of my forewords have something to do with being late, don't they? Again, deeply sorry. No before chapter info here and maybe I'll explain the black-red stuff if I'm in a good mood and as apology for not posting.

Zara's POV:

I heaved, gritty yellow bile streaming out my open mouth, and retched miserably into the toilet. I had woken up this morning with a pounding headache, and had already thrown up three times after what would normally be breakfast. I rinsed my mouth, praying that I wouldn't have another convulsion. Stupid jerks, giving me unnecessary potions and gunk. I staggered over to the couch, falling down on it carefully. I had a pot next to it in case of a spastic hurl, but I was getting pretty good at sensing them long enough to run to the bathroom. I moaned, flicking through the TV channels with my remote. I grabbed weakly for my cup, bringing it to my lips before realizing it was empty.

I dragged my protesting body over to the counter, where the screen was flickering urgently. I set the cup down directly on the screen, grabbing a water bottle and pouring it carefully. The screen hummed, and I ignored it until my…collar…started sparking faintly. I looked down blearily. "Morning sickness?" I glared. "None of your damn business. I've just got food poisoning or some such." I walked out of the kitchen, sliding myself down onto the couch and sighing in relief. I waited, occasionally drinking water or napping, until I felt I could maybe take solid food again. I fixed myself some chicken noodle soup, and some fruit, taking it back over to the couch and eating in silence.

The screen's message had shaken me a little. Pregnancy was a sensitive issue for me, and I was a bit paranoid about it. The thought kept looping in my head, over and over again. What if I really am pregnant? Finally, I couldn't take it anymore and wobbled to the bathroom to take a pregnancy test. I waited anxiously for the results, on edge, constantly fiddling with the towels or the medicine. What if it's a positive? Whose kid would I be bearing!? How on earth will I tell Alucard and the others? Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, the test gave a little bleep. I rushed over, and froze when I saw the sign.

–

A negative.

Thank god.

I let my breath out in a whoosh, unaware I had been holding it in. I felt a sense of infinite relief, and slid down the counter to huddle on the floor. The only coherent thought I could muster was neener-neener-neener, I'm not pregnant! I felt a moment of alarm. Wait, there's such thing as a false positive, right? What if I got a false negative!? My breathing and heartbeat suddenly shot way up. Calm down, calm down, there's no proof of it being false. How do you know how these work anyway? Calm down. I wished for a second I had Schrö. Incredibly annoying as he was, he was still a pretty good friend, if you wanted to count him that way.

But the last few weeks had been absolute silence on his front. Not a mind peep, no taunts, no jibes, no "when the heck are we going to get out of here?", no nothing. In fact, yesterday morning, I had woken up to the absolute silence in my mind. I tried calling out to Mark. No answer. Hiss, Snap, Ray, everyone, were all silent, and if I was going to be honest with myself, gone. I was completely alone. I had never been alone in my life. Sure, when I was younger, I had my own bedroom, but then I always had half a dozen cats draped over my bed with me. When I was kidnapped by Millennium, I had Tetsab. Later, my brother. When they were both gone, my familiars. After I died, Soarece.

Now I was completely and utterly alone for the first time in my entire life and re-life. It was the first time I was the only one in my mind since I was six years old. And I didn't like it. Sure, having a whole bunch of animals in your head can be annoying at times, especially when most are male. Yes, my constant companion was a demon-monster-thing that wanted to eat literally everything when I was younger. And Schrö was definitely someone I didn't like sharing head-space with. But they always made me feel supported.

In many ways it was like having your own posse in your head, cheering you on and offering help. Schrö was getting to remind me of my brother more and more over the past few months, and even Snap seemed to have been warming up to me. And then I took the reddish-black stuff. Yep, now that I thought back, stupidest thing I ever did. I gloomily looked up at the door, wondering if I should go wave defeat in the screen people's face(s). I shrugged, slouching upright and staggering over to the bedroom, but I didn't get anywhere before I fell down, completely exhausted.

3rd Person POV:

"Vhat the hell?" Schrö peered around, seeing nothing but empty blackness. "Vhere did I end up this time?" He turned, seeing several light-orbs floating next to him. "Who are you?" The nearest one drifted closer. "The ancestors of the Pazúry. Why are you here?" Schrö thought for a moment. "No clue. How do I get back into fraulien Zara's mind?" The orbs seemed confused by this. "You are in her mind. This is her connection to the dead family members." Schrö peered around, extremely interested until he remembered how he got there. "Vait, fraulien Zara was injected with some sort of blackish-red stuff. The instant I saw it, I vas knocked out or something. What happened?"

The orbs seemed to jolt in alarm and whispered together for a moment before answering. "Why don't you go back and ask her yourself?" Schrö shrugged, before trying to catch his waving tail. "I've been trying. Every time I do I zone out and find myself back here." They seemed shocked, and moved away from him, clearly heading somewhere important. Schrö tagged along, until they came to a place full of floating orb-people, all gathered around one larger orb-man. "What is it?" he asked, sounding interested. One of the other orbs gave a bow or a flicker, it was hard to tell, and said "The hybrid sent to observe the Last is here, and can't get back to the conscious part of her mind." The one in charge dismissed this with a wave or another flicker, and said grandly "This is the German "Everywhere and Nowhere" cat-boy? He just keeps getting himself lost, no doubt."

Schrö spoke up. "Vell sir, I blacked out vhen I saw the black-red stuff. Und vhen I try to get back, I black out again. I think they injected her vith something to keep me out." The one in charge guttered like a candle in a high wind. "Check her system. If it's what I think it is…" Several dozen other light-orbs flickered away, and then slowly came back. "Sir! This is impossible!" One wailed, and the others joined in. "She cannot have this inside her!" "He is an abomination!" Schrö watched with lively interest. "Vhat's wrong with you people?" he asked cheerfully. The elder orb was still flickering madly. "SILENCE!" the other orbs quieted down and he went on.

"We cannot change what has happened. Is there any doubt at all?" He asked the orb who had spoken first wearily. It gutter-shook its head. "None. You can recognize his foul aura instantly when you go out into her bloodstream. The damage is, naturally, irreparable. What is the First's decision?" The First seemed to pause, then shook his head. "We will leave things as it is. Our decision to enhance her was a joint one, and we must all suffer the consequences now. We cannot work the magic to resurrect her more than once, so we must watch and wait." Schrödinger yelped in indignation. "Vhat's going on!?" First turned to him. "You are not the only human-like creature in her mind now. I can only hope she survives. Her defenses are designed against an outside attack, not one from her own body."

Zara's POV:

I came to after a couple hours, according to my little bed-clock. I cracked my neck a few times, stumbling over to the kitchen to get some food, as I was suddenly feeling much better. Weird. Maybe First is helping me out, just a little. I looked at the counter in surprise, because there was no medication there at all. I shrugged it off and rustled about for a little bit, grabbing this and that, frying this, boiling that, until I had a nice dinner for myself. I sat down, glancing at the screen, then shrugging and starting to eat. About halfway through I was interrupted by an "Oh, this is nice. May I join you?" I shrieked, jumping up and seeing a man in old fashioned clothes standing by my table. I took less than a second, then I smashed into him, pinning him to the wall.

Except for one problem. He walked right through my grip, looking miffed. "That was hardly necessary. A "No, its mine" would have sufficed admirably." I stared blankly at him. "I just want to get out!" He chuckled. "Then you should ask the living for help my dear." I stared at him some more before my confused brain started working. "How come I have never seen a ghost around here before?" He shrugged, drifting over to my dinner table and sitting down. "Search me. You are the first to notice me. The others never saw anything." My brain went into overdrive. "The others? How long have you been here? Why are you here? Shouldn't you be drifting around in Heaven/Hell, or whatever religion you were?" He held up his see-through and misty hands, looking annoyed.

"Not so many questions at once. I'll answer them in the order I can remember. Let's see… well, a bunch of people have been put in here recently, most of them with, and don't laugh, rather catlike features. They stick around for a few months, then suddenly are carted off somewhere. I was one of the people who built this facility way back in the old days, when the Vatican was at the height of its power, so I've been around quite some time. I don't know why I'm here, or why I didn't go to Heaven." I looked at him pleadingly, realizing Iscariot was probably listening to what I was saying and laughing their heads off.

He caught the look. "You've lasted much longer than the other people, so don't worry. I think you are actually the person they were preparing for. You wouldn't happen to be Zara Pazúry, would you?" I nodded. "Good. I don't know what their plans are exactly, but it isn't good. I tried to get you to not use that blood, but they never listen." I froze, my hands suddenly lengthening into claws that gripped the table so hard I saw cracks appear in the plastic. "You know what it is?" I said, my voice cracking with desperation. He nodded solemnly. "I know this seems odd, but ghosts can always tell what came from a body and what didn't. Blood is very easy for us to spot, even when it is mixed that that stuff was. Oh, you want to know what it is exactly? That's rather hard to tell. Blood mixed with something mixed with silver, mixed with holy water, and something else. The blood wasn't from a live human, if that comforts you."

I took a deep breath. "Yeah, thanks. Now, how do I…" I trialed off meaningfully, staring into his eyes. He frowned, stroking his nonexistent chin. "Hypothetically, you just break out. The walls and ceiling are all of the same thickness, except for the tunnel they use to transport furniture and suchlike in and out. It had to be rather big, so they put it behind the one place people never look." He paused dramatically, and I wanted to strangle him, ghost or no. "The kitchen cabinets. They're all fakes. You just shove the inside and they collapse." I would've hugged him, but he was a ghost. "Thanks. Do you mind?" he nodded. "Not at all. I meant this to be a sanctuary, not a prison. Please, leave whenever you like."

Computer Readout's POV:

SUBJECT: Zara Pazúry

DAY: 48

TIME: 5:04 P.M.

TOPIC: Reaction to last Injection:

The subject, displaying unusual mental stimulation, acted up, seemly attacking the air for no reason during her evening meal. Shock collar use was debated, but aborted when it seemed to be holding a conversation with an apparition only it could see. It seemed to be under the impression that it was conversing with a ghost. During the conversation, several key points seemed to be debated, but thrown aside with no answer. Something seemed to shock the subject, and it reacted violently, cat nature momentarily surfacing before being waved aside. Adrenaline levels spiked during this brief space, but soon subsided. After subsiding, they spiked again, but much more subdued, and quickly faded. Subject seemed much more cheerful after something "ghost" said, humming and swaying around the kitchen as it washes it's dishes. Watch closely.

THEORY:

The subject may be having a severe mental breakdown due to last injection, as seen in subjects #47, #63, and #51. This theory is under debate, as subject seems to be very collected, as opposed to the other subjects' ravings. Theories proposing reaction to familiars, such as the Schrödinger spirit or it's animal spirits, are also in consideration. Subject's chemical readings have suddenly swerved again, but not as dramatic as the ones exhibited beforehand. (*See 2:38, 4:42) This may or may not be a direct result of the injection, as such swerves have been demonstrated before, to lesser extent. Decision to inform Archbishop Maxwell has been made, and the Paladin has been called over as extra security.

Zara's POV:

I knew they were watching me, I would have to be an absolute dunce not to.It was like they were staring holes in the back of my head, paranoid little creeps that they were. Well, they weren't staring at just my head, they were watching my every movement like vultures waiting to pounce on a dying animal. I didn't have anything I wanted anywhere in the underground "house", because I had only come with what was on my back. I took a deep breath, savoring the dusty atmosphere of my prison. Never coming here again, check and double check. I knew that once I started on my escape plan, they would know exactly what I was up to. So here went nothing. I quickly pushed aside all the food in the biggest cabinet, yanking the shelves out as well before tearing into the plaster wall under it with my claws.

I felt energy slam through my body as they activated the shock collar, but I gritted my teeth and kept clawing my way to freedom. The pulses of energy were becoming more and more violent, as if they didn't really care how much they damaged me before I could escape. The plaster gave way like the fake stuff it was, and my nails hit solid metal. I cursed, because being a ghost, the architect couldn't really tell the difference between plaster and metal. Another shock came, and I set both hands on the metal, watching it hiss and bubble under them as I literally melted my way through. I remembered in a detached sort of way that I had survived a lightning bolt, so my electricity tolerance was surprisingly high. That and First's damned enhancements.

They finally stopped sending it through my body, figuring it was just helping me escape. I grinned. Too little too late. My hands were already melted through, and I grabbed the metal, tearing it open. I managed to make a small hole big enough to squeeze through, and wiggled into it. I bit back a yelp of pain when a loose edge sliced my thigh, but managed to get all the way through. I landed with a splash into what must have been the dirtiest water in all Europe. I staggered upright, feeling the warm blood drip down my leg as I took my bearings. Underground base located in a sewer. Points for originality. I cocked my head, hearing shouts coming from all three of the other tunnels leading off from this dead end.

I swung upwards, hanging where I could watch anybody coming out from any three spots, before they could spot me or my blood, which was now gushing more than dripping. The one directly below me sprouted fruit first, a bunch of people with really nasty looking guns. I swung back to the ground, trying to run as fast as I could, as quietly as I could. I didn't hear any pursuit, so I figured I lost them for the time being.

Then a bullet ricocheted off the wall next to my head, and I ducked, running even faster now I didn't have to worry about being quiet. I felt a slash of pain across my back and stumbled, but kept going. I saw another intersection, but before I could decide which way to go I felt a boot connect solidly with the small of my back, sending my flying. I only had time to shriek and close my eyes, whipping into a fetal position before I hit the wall. I moaned, hearing splashing sounds like footsteps coming closer. I tried to get up, to run somewhere, but before I could do anything but get vertical two blades slammed down, transfixing my shoulders and pinning me to the floor. I whimpered, managing to lift my gaze, locking eyes with Anderson before sliding down into unconsciousness.

Alucard's POV:

I had spent the last few months shamelessly following Anderson, Maxwell, anyone from Iscariot I could, desperate for news of Zara. When I heard about Anderson being called to an "extra security" mission, my heart leaped. I knew it was Zara, it couldn't be anything else. He descended to the sewers of a Paris suburb. I could care less where it was, I only wanted to find Zara. Once I was down there I sniffed, trying to find her scent, but the rotting garbage and such obscured everything. I listened, and could hear faint gunshots. I phased there, recklessly jumping through walls, tracking things by sound alone. The tunnels did not help, with acoustics that bounced sound all over the place before reaching my ears.

Still, it was enough to hear the shriek, and the moan, coming from the tunnel ahead of me. I heard Zara whimper, and sped up, emerging just as I saw Anderson grab her throat, lifting her face up in a show of disgusted fascination. Two of his bayonets were pinning her body to the ground, going right through her shoulders before emerging and piercing the ground. I forgot everything once I saw the blood, and whipped the Casull out, firing several rounds into his hands. "You dare," I snarled, advancing on him. "You dare to touch her?" He growled, unsheathing his blades. "What of it vampire? We both know she's nothing more than a distraction for you. Give it a few years and you won't even remember her name." I roared with rage, firing round after round into his body, both from the Jackal and the Casull, making him stagger back from the sheer impact alone.

He answered in turn, and I was forced to move aside as the silver blades ricocheted in the close walls of the sewer tunnel. I could regenerate no matter what he did to me, but that took time, time he would put to full advantage, taking Zara farther away from me. I could not allow that to happen. I would not allow that to happen. I fired as much of the Jackal's bullets into him as I could, and finally the damage got to be too much and he retreated, backing farther down the tunnel as I advanced. I got him around a corner, then turned back to Zara.

I grabbed the blade in her left shoulder, wrenching it out and dropping the blade. I felt a sting of pain as one of the Paladin's blades hit my back. I turned and shot at Anderson more, and he was forced to get back under cover. I jerked the other blade out, dropping it from my slightly steaming hand and picked Zara up, running as fast as I could, away from the Iscariot forces. I could care less what they were doing to plan a counter attack. I could care less that Anderson was in the same city looking for revenge. The only thing that mattered to me at that moment was safe in my arms, curled up and pressed against my chest, softly humming.

Zara's POV:

I cracked my eyes open and sighed, figuring I might as well get up, but I was so comfy. They could punish me for trying to escape later. I closed them and turned over, dimly realizing I was covered with a red blanket. "Awake already?" a voice purred in my ear, and my eyes snapped open. Alucard was lying next to me, and a quick mental inventory showed his arm was around my shoulder, holding me close to his chest. "Not sure." I said slowly. "Are you the real Alucard who somehow managed to show up in the nick of time, or are you another delusion to punish me for trying to escape?" He smirked. "The real one. Are your shoulder wounds okay?" He asked, looking slightly alarmed.

I wiggled away from him and sat up, pulling my shirt to one side and wincing when I saw the holes, still oozing blood, although it had slowed to a trickle. "Not really." He sighed. "And here I was having a nice time resting." He got up, sliding out from under the blanket, which I now realized was his coat, and walking over to what looked like a refrigerator. To occupy myself, I looked around the room. It was rather small, with a tiny window and a fire escape, and a tiny kitchenette with a stove and everything. The bed I was laying in was occupying much of the available floor space, and it wasn't too hard to guess it's normal use. Eww. Alucard sat back down next to me, a bottle of something and some bandages in his hands. "Turn around." He said sternly.

I shrugged and turned, presenting my back to him. "Close your eyes." I closed them, wondering what on earth he was going to do. After a few seconds I felt fabric skim my shoulders and looked down, before squeaking and elbowing him in the stomach. My shoulders were now completely bare, my shirt having fallen to just short of my cleavage, along with my bra. He grabbed my hands and held on, waiting until I stopped wiggling until letting go. "These wounds go completely through both shoulders." He said, unscrewing the cap on the jar of medicine. He smoothed it carefully over the holes, being surprisingly gentle. "I can't have your clothes getting in the way."

I blushed. Telling myself it's just an enhancement feature is really hard when he's touching my shoulders. He stopped, then said "Turn around." Like an idiot, I complied. Then I realized he still had to do my front, and that was a lot worse than my back. He was just as careful as before, but that didn't help when his face was a foot from my own. His gaze was fixed on my wounded shoulder, a look of absolute concentration on it, and I blushed like crazy. Just an enhancement feature, just an enhancement feature, ignore the impulse, ignore the impulse, IGNORE THE IMPULSE!

Finally, the moment of torture was over, and he backed away, still staring at my wounds, now respectfully bandaged. I yanked my shirt back up, silently thanking that it was over. He handed me the jar, and I looked at it, confused. "For your leg." He clarified, jerking his gaze up to mine, then looking away. I shrugged, sitting down on the bed and pulling my pant leg up. I smeared the gunk over it, letting out a slow sigh of relief as the pain faded and vanished, and the bleeding slowed. I wrapped bandages around that too, hearing Alucard rustling around in the kitchenette.

Alucard's POV:

I ran my hands through my hair, leaning against the wall. I needed to think. Away from Zara's blood. Lying next to her all night had been torture, but I couldn't leave her alone in the bed, as every time I tried she started whimpering, tossing and turning around. I finally snapped and fixed the cut on her back, but couldn't bring myself to take care of the ones in her shoulders, and the slice on her leg. Both would mean having to take an item of clothing completely off, and that was crossing a line. Secretly pleasing as the idea was, her waking up half-naked next to me would definitely cause her to lose some, if not all, her trust for me, and I didn't want that at all.

Why does her blood have to be so infuriatingly good! I half-closed my eyes, remembering every insignificant detail of that exquisite taste. Lemony, with hints of spicy and sweet herbs, a slight aftertaste that reminded one of honey, that ever-present tang of copper that was the foundation of all blood-scent, deliciously warm as it pumped from her body straight into my mouth- "Hey Alucard?" My eyes snapped open to see her standing unsteadily on both legs. "Yes?" I asked hoarsely, swallowing and trying to rid my mind of her taste. She looked at me warily, then shrugged. "Where are we?" I looked blank for a moment, my mind still struggling to comprehend anything but her blood. "Oh, where are we? Somewhere in Paris, I believe."

She groaned, slamming her head into a wall. I was about to pull her away in alarm, when I heard her muttering "You have got to be kidding me, why this place again? I can still hear Soarece at nights, muttering French phrases in her sleep. What have I ever done to deserve this?" I chuckled. "You were here before?" I asked, slightly curious. She grinned. "Si vous avez traduit cela et ne le saviez pas français, vous êtes un idiot. " I grinned back. "How long did you stay here?" She slumped. "Don't remind me. Three weeks getting here from Italy, two extra weeks staying here, "learning the local tongue", as she put it. I think she was just staying for the clothes and stuff."

I shrugged. "Who knows. Now," I surveyed the view out the window grimly. "We get back home and decide what to do to Maxwell." She held out her hand expectantly. I looked at it, confused. She rolled her eyes. "High five me." I made an "Ah" sound, and did as she said. She grinned, tugging her collar up before stepping out of the little room I rented. I followed behind her like a ghost, watching anything and everything for threats against my little kitten.

I will not be saying what she said in French. It's a joke. If you can read French, than you're in on it. If you can't, you're not. Copy-paste-Google Translate or something. Oh yeah, about the stuff, it like hypnotized her into taking it or something. You know when you see something gross, and you do a double take? Like that, only it was a pick-me-up-and-inject-me take. I shall be explaining what it is eventually. Off topic, and I'm sure it's nothing, but where is drizzt? You haven't reviewed the last, *counts on fingers* ten chapters! Are you alright, or are you grounded like me? Or have you completely abandoned reading this story? Any option is fine, I'm just curious. I'm so excited to finish this! (don't judge, I have my reasons) I can't wait to get on to my Soul Eater fanfic! I've already written the first three chapters, and am working on the fourth. If you like my writing and want to read more of my stories, but haven't read or watched Soul Eater (heretics, shame on you), you really should because I'll be moving my main focus onto that, but also have my little fanficlet One-shots about this Hellsing series. It's available through Netflix(all episodes), YouTube (I think it has all of them, but you have to be 14 and over), and AnimeStatic (also all episodes). There may be others, but I don't know any of them. READ AND/OR WATCH SOUL EATER! Thank you. Review, Request, Rcomment. Auf Wedersien!