As you all know, I don't own any of the characters therein, (with the exception of Buckman and Thacker). I am just writing the things rolling around in my head.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The guards were standing at the foot of the stair. They were examining the strange currency they had found.

"What is this?"

"Looks like some kind of money. I have no idea was country uses gil though."

Unnoticed by either man, the 'corpse' was standing up. Anger lit his eyes when he recognized his wallet in their hands.

"I believe that belongs to me."

The man holding the wallet dropped it and reached for the gun slung sloppily over his shoulder. It was fortunate that his partner wasn't as clumsy. Vincent was brought up short by an assault rifle.
"How about you relax. We're not here to kill you or be killed by you. The boss wants to speak with you."

He sighed and brushed hair from his face. Vincent was surprised that the soldiers didn't flinch from him as so many had before.

"What do you mean?"

"You wear these." He held up a pair of handcuffs. "And act real nice."

Deciding that it would be better to further assess the situation, Vincent nodded his agreement. The clumsy soldier pulled out a radio as his partner handcuffed their prisoner.

"Buckman. Don't forget the wallet." The man adjusting and testing the cuffs sounded annoyed.

The man holding the radio looked sheepish as he retrieved the wallet. But the radio lit up and a man's voice rang out, calling for Buckman to respond. Vincent listened with interest to the conversation. He learned that the soldier's commanding officer was Farguson, and that Sir Hellsing was the person to whom he was being taken.

"He has awakened? Good. When can I expect him here? Fine." Integra hung up the phone and settled back in her chair. Reaching into her pocket, she found a lighter for the cigar that had wound up in her hand by unconscious habit. Lighting it, she inhaled deep and exhaled with a sigh. It was a bad habit true, but she felt that she deserved some sort of release by vice.

A soft knock at the door interrupted her reverie.

It wasn't the soldiers, but he was expected. Walter opened the door with great skill, as both of his hands were full. The stranger's gun was in her retainer's hands, and it looked unwieldy there. He laid the weapon on her desk with great reverence.

"Well?"

"I regret to say that I was unable to make any of the stones react. But I can say that this rifle is very well crafted, though rather heavy. Also, it is designed for sniper use."

"So our visitor?"

"Is equipped with a high powered sniper rifle."

Before she could say anything more, a sharp knocking came from the door.

"I shall get the tea, Miss Hellsing." Walter left with a bow and a smile out of the side door.

Integra watched him leave before she barked out a gruff 'enter' and stubbed out her cigar. She was expecting the soldiers and the prisoner they had with them. She saw that the lead man was holding something.

"Sir Hellsing!" He saluted her. "We have escorted the intruder to you as ordered. We also found this on him." He set the wallet on her desk by the gun. "It contains identification and what appears to be currency."

The soldier stepped back, and Integra opened the wallet. She flipped through it finding the currency and the I.D. She looked the card over before returning her attention to the man in front of her.

"Vincent Valentine?"

The stranger looked at her. "That is my name."

She held up the card, comparing the image on it with him.

"Security Division?"

"Yes, among other things."

"Ah, you did say corporate espionage last night, correct?"

He nodded, quiet and solemn again.

The soldiers were standing enthralled by the conversation. Though they didn't know the story, it was just getting more and more interesting. At least, until Integra realized they were still there.

"You two. Buckman and Thacker, you're dismissed." She fixed them with a stern glare to silence any possible attempts to 'protect' her.

She watched them shuffle out of her office as slowly as they could, before returning her attention to Vincent.

"Is this photo recent?" She held the I.D. up and turned it so that he could see it.

"No."

"How old would you say it is?"

"About fifty years."

"Of course. Your hair has grown out quite a bit."

She saw shock flit across his face. She had seen more than her fair share of unchanging freaks to let this one bother her. But he was like all the others, thinking he was special. Time for more precise questions.

"Are you still in the employ of Shin-Ra?"

"No."

"And this weapon," she gestured at the rifle, "a standard issue gun?"

A slight shake of the head from Vincent indicated that it was not. Narrowing her eyes, Integra decided on yet another tactic.

"In the basement you called yourself by a different name."

"Chaos."

"The statement was matter of fact and bitter, all at once. What was driving this man to these feelings? Most people who had become 'empowered' freaks were far more giddy.

"Yes. You acted out rather violently against one of my underlings."

"Chaos and I are not the same. We just share…" He choked off the end of his sentence.

"So you're possessed."

He shook his head. "It's not that simple."

"Possession is never simple."

A mirthless laugh escaped him. "I am a unique case."

She looked him over and considered the knowledge she had. It was time now to utilize some of the things she'd learned from Alucard. Perhaps she should drop one of the names.

"Can you tell me who Hojo is?"

His eyes blazed and his face twisted into a scowl when she uttered the name. Integra reached for her handgun, as it looked like he was out for blood. With a sharp snap the handcuffs' linkage broke. But his rage was brief, and he calmed after a few moments.

"That man made me what I am today."

"Which is?"

He pulled the cuffs from his wrists, breaking them open with ease. Integra's hand tightened on her gun, preparing herself.

"You put it rather well when you called me a freak." He dropped the mangled handcuffs.

For several breaths, she watched him prepared for an attack. But he didn't move, he merely stood watching her. With careful determination, she returned her hand to the top of the desk.

"Why are you here?"

"I don't know how I arrived at this place. In fact, I don't have a clue where 'here' is."

Walter chose that moment to enter the office with the tea. He brought it in on a large tray, balancing it with ease. Integra moved the objects off of her desk to make room for the tray, and he placed it on her desk. Before anyone could say a word, he'd poured two cups. He smiled as he prepared one for her and placed it in front of her. She took a moment to savor the aroma. She watched as Walter asked Vincent how he liked his tea. He seemed very uncertain at first and ended up with just a bit of sugar. Walter was evaluating him, and she wouldn't put it past the old soldier to have been listening at the door. With a nod, Walter exited the room again leaving them alone again.

Integra took a sip of the tea, relishing the exquisite flavor. When she turned her gaze to Vincent she saw that he was staring into the cup in his hand. The way he stared at the tea in the cup was quite sorrowful. His eyes, those red midian orbs, spoke of someone who had seen things that make a weak person crumble. He broke the tableau when he tilted the cup to his lips.

"The tea is very good."

"Yes, Walter finds the best. I really must say he never disappoints."

"I feel that I must explain myself further. I am intruding here, and you do deserve it."

Integra was surprised at the candor with which he spoke.

"If you are asking about Hojo, I suppose you want to know about Jenova as well."

She nodded, and took another sip of tea.

He nodded and shifted the tea to his left hand, the cold metallic unfeeling hand. "In my mind the two are forever linked, for it was Hojo who used that monster to create more monsters."

"Including yourself, I presume?"

"Yes. He believed that Jenova was an ancient."

He took another sip of tea, and with a ragged breath, continued on. "That fool man Shin-Ra followed the infernal scientist like an addled child. I just followed orders like the sheep I was. So much for being a 'Turk'."

"As far as I know, a turk is someone from Turkey."

He looked taken aback when she said that. "In Midgar, a turk works for Shin-Ra."

"So you were elite?"

"Yes. But I was put in a position where I had to guard Hojo, and after a disagreement, I wound up as a guinea pig."

"That is how you were possessed?"

"Yes, but Chaos was the fourth of them…"

"The fourth?"

"Yes. The other three are weaker, and I can control them better. Hojo also injected me with cells from Jenova and infused me with mako."

She looked over the rim of the cup with eyebrows raised in question.

"Mako?'

When she nodded, he continued. "It's the lifeblood of the planet. Shin-Ra was draining it for power."

"And injecting you with it as well?"

"I may have been one of the first, but not the last."

He drank deep of his tea, draining the cup and setting it on the tray.

"I am sorry to have inconvenienced you, and to have caused harm to one of your staff."

Integra looked at him, evaluating him. "You may stay here if you can keep your demons under control. We can force you to comply if it becomes necessary, so don't make it an issue."

He nodded an agreement, and she smiled.

"Further, I want you to work for me. If you can fight your own personal demons, perhaps you can also fight some external demons."

His grim smile showed that he had expected as much. "I can fight monsters, if you wish me to do so."

"Fine. Walter will show you to your room."