Pet Fledgling

Ketti: I was going to be like 'give me a review, I update', but I decided there's only three chapters, I haven't written anything in forever. I feel bad. Here's a 'complete' story. I may eventually come back to this somehow ... but, eh, I doubt it. I'll probably just reference it. :P So, yeah, enjoy!

Seras Victoria jerked upright in bed, blue eyes wide, mouth gaping in a silent scream. Her chest heaved with the weight of her distress as the phantom pains from a bullet piercing her lung burned in her mind. Some inner voice spurred her to lift her night shirt and inspect her chest for a gaping wound where her breast used to be. Nothing. Relieved, she dropped the hem back towards her stomach, only to find a chill crawling down her spine. Something… was wrong. Multiple things occurred to her all at once; A – this wasn't her apartment, B – this most assuredly wasn't her rather lumpy mattress back at said apartment, C – she didn't wear pyjamas, where did these come from? D – there was a weight on the side of the bed, and it felt as though eyes were boring into her skull. She looked up, and met the twisted smirk of a pale man with black as night hair and red as sin eyes. Meeting that gaze, it was if something just… snapped, a switch was thrown, and the door was slammed in her face, locking her in. Or was she locked out?

She wanted to scream in surprise, call the man a pervert, and get the hell out of Dodge, but that's not what happened at all. She voiced this strange trilling chirp and leaned herself into the tall man's side, feeling utterly at ease in the stranger's presence.

His chuckle of amusement, heavily laced with indulgence, sent a pleasant shiver down her spine and she purred, nuzzling closer to – her Master – the man. A curious scent tickled her nose and she inhaled deeply; leather, metal, the tang of – blood – something sharp and some indefinable aroma that reminded her of… - power – a long lost memory, teasing the edges of her senses while staying just out of reach. She hummed appreciably as she crawled closer still, practically straddling his lap to soak up the heat emanating from his form. She hadn't realized she was cold until she'd felt the warmth seeping into her skin.

The sound of a throat being cleared from across the room drew her immediate attention and she hissed, baring her baby fangs at the intruders. Hackles raised, she crouched as if to lunge at the – prey – pair of humans standing in the doorway. Three things happened very swiftly; the sternly beautiful blonde woman's face pinched in rage, the elder man at her side tensed and his fingers splayed, something glinting in the air between them, and a sharp pain tore at her ear. She yelped as the fingers bit deep into the fleshy lobe, and whimpered pitifully at the menacing growl emanating from the male at her back.

"Alucard…" the woman's voice matched her looks, but was full of warning. Seras' lip trembled, torn between her knee-jerk reaction of aggression and her new fear of earning – her Sire's – the male's disapproval. Erring on the side of caution, she scooted backwards, cowed by the two fold threat of his anger and the air of danger surrounding the elder man. Crouching defensively at the red clad figure's back, she peeked cautiously over his shoulder at the intruders, blue eyes glowing with animal intelligence.

He allowed the small blonde this as he sighed, the sound nearly inaudible, "There is nothing wrong with the Police Girl, my Master. It is an uncommon side effect of being turned by a powerful Midian. She will grow out of it."

"When?" The woman snapped, and Seras growled softly, eyes narrowing on the human that ordered her Sire around. She felt oddly protective of him. Ice blue eyes met hers from behind a pair of spectacles, and they showed their displeasure as she clucked her tongue.

"Soon," her Master countered, keeping his tone calm and edged with amusement as he reached behind himself to yank the feral blonde into his lap. She calmed instantly, purring and nuzzling into his chest, all signs of aggression gone. "Until then," his lips split into a menacing grin, showing off every pointed tooth he possessed, "it seems I have a new source of entertainment." He laughed, the sound positively wicked, but Seras only cooed in agreement, tucking her head under his chin.

Dimly she was aware of the sound of the woman - her Master's Master? – sputtering before grinding her teeth and turning on her heel to storm from the room in a sudden cloud of pungent smoke that made the fledgling's nose crinkle. The elderly man cleared his throat meaningfully before he addressed Alucard sternly, "There is a mission to eliminate a pair of rogues on a killing spree. Is she capable of joining you, Alucard?"

"Of course," he purred, gloating, "my little pet fledgling here may not realize it yet, but she is an excellent tracker of filth such as what we hunt. Search and destroy, little fledgling. Tonight is truly a glorious night."

She knew precisely what he said, but it didn't impact her the same way it would have only the day before. She rubbed the top of her head alongside his jaw, purring. Were they going on a hunt? She was terribly hungry…

She rode in the backseat of the car alongside her Master, feeling rather strange. On one hand, she knew perfectly well what a car was – hell, she could drive! – on the other… it was a totally new experience for the animal minded half of her that was currently at the reins. A vampire's base self was a strange mix of beast and higher level thinking. But she was barely a day old, and this affected her thinking; she was like an excited child on a field trip. Chirping at the tall buildings surrounding them, she craned her neck to look for the stars, until a warm hand dragged her back by the scruff of her neck. "Stay still," he chided, tone scolding, "you're more trouble than an excited puppy."

Chastised, she slumped back into her seat, expression mournful. She stayed like that for a good five minutes until she noticed that from this new position, she could watch the play of light across her golden uniform like her own private cartoon. Entranced, she smiled at the green glow reflecting off her shirt buttons. She rather liked the blue color of her police uniform more than this one, but it matched her hair, and her Master told her to put it on before they left.

She heard a noise from the front of the car, and looked up, meeting the driver's eyes in the rear view mirror. He looked disgusted, and muttered something about 'brain dead blondes'. Seras frowned, feeling insulted, and only realized she was growling when a firm hand settled atop her head. Chirping, she looked up at her Sire with wide, hopeful, eyes, only to squeak and slide to the floor at his feet. What did she do now? Whimpering, hiding her face from him, she rested her cheek on his knee. She didn't mean to make him mad…

The gloved fingers squeezed lightly, and patted at her scalp as he growled threateningly. The car swerved as the driver jumped, and though she didn't raise her head to look, she could clearly envision those brown eyes meeting her Sire's red ones through the mirror and seeing his bared fangs. The ripe stench of fear permeated the car as the man trembled, nearly pissing himself. Seras felt a sense of childish satisfaction fill her that the anger she'd seen on his face wasn't directed her way. She shivered pleasantly as his fingers worked their way through her hair, humming happily. She noted absently that the car felt as though it were going faster. Perhaps they were in a hurry?

The car jerked to a stop minutes later, and the driver threw himself out the door, nearly sobbing as he attempted to melt into the crowd of officers and Hellsing soldiers. Alucard chuckled darkly as he hooked his gloved fingers into the collar of his childe's jacket, using the material as a makeshift leash as he slid out of the car and pulled her alongside. She followed with the fluid grace of a predator as she unfolded herself from the footwell, ruining the image with her excited half-skipping gait. His lips twitched with wry amusement as he slid his amber glasses onto his nose, the brim of his hat shading his face from the bright flashing lights of blue and red. The blonde looked wholly out of place at his side, blue eyes wide and shining, fangs on casual show as she smiled up at him with puppy love clear on her face, barely reaching his chest. His childe's expression grew wary as the flashing lights illuminated her features, likely stinging her eyes, but he kept his hold firm on the nape of her neck.

They strolled oh-so-casual through the barricades set up at the entrance of the neighborhood, and once they had cleared fifty feet of the armed humans – who had known better to approach the red clad man, despite their curiosity over his new companion – he released her with a laugh. "You know what we're looking for?"

She hummed, face scrunched (adorably) in thought as she sniffed the air, canting her head to the side before she nodded, the beginnings of red leeching into her blue irises. "Then fetch."

Chirping and cooing, she started trotting along down the street, small frame positively quivering with pent up energy, why, if she had a tail, it would be attempting to create a hurricane with the speed of its wagging. This thought amused him further as he contemplated making her a dog for a day, just to irk his Master.

She froze dead in her tracks as a new wave of blood-scent poured out of the large manor like home at the end of the street. Her pupils dilated and her fingers flexed at her sides. She hissed, baring her fangs, and started to run, no longer any trace of blue left in her burning gaze.

She was jerked abruptly to a stop, held in mid air by the scruff of her neck. Her legs kept moving for a moment, trying to run, before she curled in on herself like a pup, whining low in her throat as she was turned to face him. "I think not, my eager little fledgling. No, the head on approach is for when you have a better grasp of yourself. Your job," he emphasized the word as he set her down on the asphalt, "is to go around the back. There's always a runner. Do you understand?" She felt his words being pressed into her mind, forcing her comprehension. Her face scrunched in thought as she worked out the meaning, before she slowly nodded. Yes, she would go around the back, and ambush the coward that ran. Her belly rumbled for blood, and her teeth ached to sink into flesh.

His chest rumbled with malicious laughter as he set the girl free, watching her slink into the shadows and glide along the edges of the property to await her prey.

"I wonder how you will fare when you wake, Police Girl? Hmm…"

A commotion within the house, likely the idiot excuses for vampires shooting up the tv, drew his attention back to the mission at hand and he chuckled low in his throat as he strolled right up the walk, casual as can be. He even went so far as to knock.

There was a quiet scuffle, and a thud, before he heard cautious steps approaching the door. The fool even called out to him!

"Who is it?"

"Oh you know…" Alucard couldn't resist playing with him, red eyes glowing with sadistic amusement behind his amber lenses, "A real fucking vampire."

Without another word, bullets rained through the door, courtesy of the pitiful excuse for a midian, whose laughter gained a hysterical edge as Alucard phased through what was left of the crumbling barrier.

On the other end of the house a door banged loudly against a wall as it was thrown open. It seems his little Police Girl's prey was on the move.

Seras hissed, fangs nearly over hanging her bottom lip as crimson eyes glared at the brunette figure that burst out the kitchen door. Coward! Deserting her companion in a bid for her own filthy life. The stench rolling off of the female curdled her nose with the overwhelming rot of fear, mixed with the moldering tang of blood gone bad. There was something wrong with the prey, and Seras didn't like it. But she was wasting time, just growling from afar.

Dropping through the trees in which she crouched, she landed silent as a ghost, and glided after the frantic freak. But it didn't take long for the fledgling to realize that, as new as she was, despite her Sire's glorious blood in her veins, she was going to lose this race.

Gnashing her teeth and snarling, Seras' vision tunneled until all she could see was the fly away chocolate hair, a banner waving behind the fleeing female. Losing herself in the pursuit, she forgot her surroundings and branches cracked underfoot.

The female, low and corrupted with her wrongness as she was, heard this and screamed as she sped up.

Infuriated at the growing gap between them, Seras fell to all fours and hurled herself forwards, saliva dribbling down the corners of her mouth. Her chest vibrated with a ceaseless growl as she chased her prey. Her Master gave her this responsibility. She wouldn't fail.

Deep within her chest a fire began to burn, but she ignored it, feral gaze locked as clawed fingertips dug into the moist ground, taking hold only to fling up fistfuls of uprooted grass as she pushed herself harder, faster.

The fire spread, burning hotter and deeper, into her very bones, until it consumed her, and, with a howl of mixed anguish and rage, she collapsed.

Only to emerge in a cloud of bloody shadows as a golden wolf, vampiric mind half crazed by pain as unsteady paws ate up the ground. She blamed all her hurt on the once small figure in the distance, who seemed to sense the change in her pursuer, as she glanced back and nearly tripped over a tree root. Seras howled again, calling out her joy of the hunt, and the smell of urine filled her supernatural senses. She snapped her teeth, growling in disgust mixed with hunger for blood. Any blood.

The trees began to thin as the prey turned, heading back towards the empty houses. Black amusement roared in her ears as she increased her pace, snapping at the two-legger's heels. She tasted blood on the tips of her fangs, and spit in distaste at the foul tang on her tongue, shuddering with anticipated revulsion of getting a mouthful when…

Her momentary distraction allowed the female to run halfway down a block of unlit homes before Seras collided with her back. Bone crunched as her jaws clamped onto her prey's neck, biting down hard. It took only a moment, though it felt an eternity, before her teeth met in the middle. The head rolled on the bloodied driveway, expression fixed in pain, dead eyes staring at her before the body began to crumble.

She growled, feeling cheated, unsatisfied by the hunt and kill. It was then that her keen ears twitched, senses expanding to the here and now to realize…

Bestial, hungry, eyes raked up along the street, focusing on the group of hot blooded prey gathered around their metal boxes with the flashing lights. She snarled, and started stalking forwards, bright blonde fur marred with blood on her front paws, muzzle, and chest.

Blood.

Hot. Fresh. Blood.

Her slow steps became a trot, and changed swiftly into a full on run as she raced forwards, heedless of the shouting and waving. She was hungry.

When the first explosion – a gunshot – met her ears, she swerved instinctively off course. Too little too late, however, as pain exploded in her shoulder.

Howling in surprise, she collapsed, rolling awkwardly as her blood painted the black road. Voices reached her ears, barking orders as familiar clicks and pounding of feet approached. The part of herself that was held out of the way was screaming that she was going to die, the guns would tear her to pieces, and no one would care. All they saw was a mad dog, covered in blood. Who would ever think..?

Another bullet speared her already damaged front leg and she screamed.

Then all was silent as a menacing darkness flooded the street, a shadow blocking the light from her closed eyes. Whimpering pathetically, she peeked open her left to see a familiar red shape. Her tongue lolled out of her open mouth as she barked happily at her Master, injuries forgotten as she rolled to three feet to stand and nuzzle his side eagerly.

Master, my Master.

A warm gloved hand rested atop her furry head and she nearly purred in delight, tail wagging so fast it nearly blurred. Everything was alright now, her Master was here.

Alucard had been contest to play with his own toy, leaving a bloody cross splashed onto the wall with the would-be-pire's demise. He had made his way to the roof to oversee Seras' progress in her mission of catching the runner, and had been displeased at her lagging. Imagine his delight when her powers had risen! Changing into a wolf was an advanced skill, especially for one who had yet to drink fresh blood. He laughed, amused as she toyed with her prey.

He frowned, though, when the chase brought her back into the abandoned neighborhood. New vampires were notorious for being unable to control their appetites.

Leaping from the roof with fluid grace, he left not even a single blade of grass bent in his wake as he decided that it would be best to be close at hand. Should things get a little too exciting.

He bared his teeth in a savage grin, not, of course, that he would mind her having a little fun. But everything had its time, and hers was not now, not in front of armed soldiers with a penchance for being trigger happy.

He was quite pleased with her kill! He laughed, and clapped mockingly as the head rolled down the drive. The body was disintegrating slowly, with generous amounts of blood spattered about, but that was when the trouble started.

His fledgling's posture changed and in seconds flat she was charging the squad of police men and Hellsing troops, snarling and growling like a wild thing. It was inevitable what happened next.

The first bullet sent her to the ground, and he growled as his protective urges told him to get to her, now. The second only enraged him further, and he couldn't help but show his displeasure as he used the small amount of his power allotted to him for daily use to inform the humans that he was there. And he was not happy.

The Hellsing soldiers froze in their tracks, many of them with their fingers mid squeeze on the trigger, as the pissed off master vampire appeared next to the mad dog. They watched, horrified as it shook off the injury to stand on three legs and headbutt his leg affectionately. Shit, they messed up.

Alucard's fangs glinted in the flashing light as he surveyed the suddenly pale faced line of troops hurriedly pointing their guns at the ground. Good. Planting a hand atop his childe's head, he debated between going back in the car, or taking her to Hellsing himself.

The growl of his fledgling as she glared hungrily at the nervous humans answered the question for him. He did not make childe lightly, and would rather not lose her when she was so new.

Shadows swirled at his feet as a portal to his basement room opened, sucking the pair of vampires inside, and leaving the street empty of life, or unlife.

The police shouted at Hellsing troops, demanding to know what the hell just happened there. They struggled to explain that Alucard had apparently taken a fledgling. How that bubbly blonde from before could be the mad dog they saw just moments ago was beyond them, and they spent nearly an hour arguing before a radio call from Sir Integra herself straightened them out. It was none of their bloody business what happened with the red clad vampire so long as they were still alive and unharmed. They were to clean the street up and make a good excuse for why an entire residential district suddenly disappeared overnight.

It's a shame they weren't paid overtime for this shit.