What would you have done, given the choice? Death? Or something much worse…

At the time, Seras Victoria had been so wrapped up in her fear, the heat of the moment, the look in his crimson, blood thirsty eyes. And he had given her a choice; die… or follow me.

Why she had chosen the latter, she still could not say, and that was after a long year had passed at the Hellsing Agency. Her powers had heightened considerably since he had first turned her. Though she still could not transform, she had managed to master the task of phasing through walls. And drinking blood, which had once repulsed her was now a daily ritual, even a treat.

She sighed, feeling suddenly very hungry indeed. When she returned to her room, there would be a cold packet of medical blood floating a in a bucket of half melted ice. The thought made her lick her lips subconsciously, imagining the rich, coppery taste of it. She wondered how it would taste when it was warm, fresh from the veins of some poor soul, still gushing and- no!

She stopped her thoughts from progressing beyond that. She was not like that. She was not a murderer. She was not her master. And yet…

The thought of feeding on new blood still thrilled her, causing hunger to burn in her body. Hadn't she herself noticed a sinking sense of humanity and a heightened sense of- she could think of no better word for it- desire? When she accompanied her master on missions, she no longer turned her head with disgust at the sight of all the death, much of which was caused by her master himself.

And every so often… her lust for blood overcame her better reason.

She joined him, savagely ripping the heads from ghouls, dismembering, biting, plunging through the rotted flesh until all around her was a sea of dark, sticky blood, barely visable beneath the scarlet glow of her eyes.

Would tonight be such a night? The moon was red and full- the perfect night for feeding. Surely Sir Integra would find some suspicious activity somewhere nearby… fledgling vampires were so easily swayed by a pretty moon and a cloudless sky.

Seras smirked. But who am I to talk? she found herself asking. I am just a fledgling as well… and to kill tonight… yes, that would be very good. Realizing what she was thinking, she shook her head rapidly, hoping to dash her inhuman thoughts.

"What am I doing?" she wondered allowed. "Surely I'm not wishing for Sir Integra to send us out tonight… I-I hate k-killing," she stammered, biting her lower lip and then wincing as her fangs broke the skin and caused a small trickle of blood to roll down her chin. She hastily wiped it away with the back of her gloved hand.

I should have just licked it up, she thought, staring at the moist stain on the perfectly white gloves.

"Probably, Police Girl," said a low voice, as black as the night itself.

Seras felt a series of shivers invade her spine as she clumsily spun around to face her master. Tall, ominous, his dark hair swirling around his ivory skin and his blood-red eyes gazing unblinkingly into hers, Alucard was something to be respected and feared.

"M-M-Master," she mumbled, trying to think of something intelligent to say.

"We have a mission tonight, Police Girl," he said, his expression unreadable. "Get your things and meet me in Sir Hellsing's office."

"Y-yes, sir…" she muttered, looking at the floor.

"Oh?" he said with interest. "Why so downcast, my little fledgling? This promises to be a very interesting night."

His long fangs caught the moonlight as he spoke. Seras stared harder at the floorboards. She did not like looking at her master when he was like this. It made her want to be something she was not, something she detested.

She could feel his eyes on her, curious perhaps, maybe angry with her human sentiments. The prickling of her skin made her think that there was more fire than interest in his glare. She phased out of the room, knowing he never looked away from her.

Do I feel guilty? she asked herself as she packed the Harkonnen into it's case along with a large supply of ammunition. She hated it when he was displeased, but at the same time she hated the sick feelings he put into her mind, the feelings of hunger and excitement, the lust for blood.

Shaking her head for what felt like the hundredth time that evening, she hurried to Sir Integra's office phasing through walls and floorboards until she was just outside the door. She knocked tentatively and a women's strong, confident voice replied.

"Enter."

Seras did not bother turning the knob but passed through the door as any of her kind would do and found herself in a vast, elegantly furnished room, lined with bookshelves. Directly in front of her was a desk, and behind it was an expanse of windows.

Seras looked up, her senses peaked. The red moon glistened beyond the glass and panes, calling to her, filling her with hunger.

"Thank you for joining us," Integra said in a disapproving voice. "Perhaps you will favor us with your company when it is asked next time, Seras. Seras? Seras!"

The young vampire slowly broke her gaze with the moon and turned to face the Hellsing heir, a shadow covering half her face. She bowed low in an all too familiar way saying, "Of course, Sir Hellsing."

Integra gave her an uncomfortable, scrutinizing look. Something about Seras Victoria seemed… different, and yet very familiar at the same time.

"Now we just need, Alucard," said Walter matter-of-factly. He stood to Integra's left, his hands clasped behind his back, his monocle glinting in the pale light pouring through the windows.

Seras said nothing. She peered through her long, blonde bangs at the scene outside the window, taking in every perfect detail of the night. Every star swam dimly in the thick, velvety sky, blinking in and out of view as waves of darkness overtook them. And the moon- oh, it was so very red, so, so red. She wondered if she could sink her teeth into it.

"Seras?" Integra said loudly. "Are you listening?"

"Huh?" Something inside Seras seemed to snap as she came crashing back to reality.

"Were you ignoring me, Police Girl?" Integra asked coldly rising from her seat.

"I- no, I wasn't.. I mean… that is…" Seras swallowed hard. What had possessed her?

Yes, what indeed.

Seras blinked in shock as she suddenly realized that Alucard was in the room with them. When had he come in? How long had she been standing there gazing out the window?

He was leaning against a bookshelf, his coat collar pulled high and his hat covering his eyes, seeming very disinterested in all that was happening.

Integra glared first at Seras and then at Alucard, and then at Seras once more. "I may as well talk to the doorknobs," she said harshly, pressing her hands flat on her desk. "I expect this sort of behavior from Alucard, but you, Seras?" Integra sighed and turned her back to them. Walter stepped forward with the cigar box and a lighter.

"Alucard, did you hear all I said?" Integra asked, having no desire to repeat it herself.

"Yes, my master," he said in his deep, silky voice. Seras shuddered. Why did his words always send chills through her body?

"Then debrief Seras along the way," Integra instructed, releasing a small cloud of smoke as she did so. "And leave quickly. It is already midnight."

"Until later then," said Alucard, with a mock bow. As he stood once more, Seras could see his fangs bared in a horrifying grin. "Come," he said to her, with nothing more than a brief glance in her direction. "There is much to do. Much fun to be had."

"Yes, Master," she said, and with a faint smile curling across her lips, she followed him into the dark hallway and out into the night.