Authoress Note: I know I've said it before, I've got too many goddamn unfinished stories already and I should stop posting new ones before finishing the old ones, But I've had this idea in my head for like weeks and if I didn't write it down, chances are I'd either forget about it or not like the idea after time, so technically I had to. Now don't worry, I only have ONE more new idea, after that I'm finishing my old stuff. I don't know how I came up with this but I think it might work out, in later chapters I'm trying to stick with how it was written but if I alter anything I'll let ya know.

Disclaimer:

Integra: Go on…

Me: +crosses arms+ NO!

Integra: Alucard!

Alucard: +points Jackal at author+ Say it, punk!

Me: FINE! I don't own Hellsing, Kouta Hirano does, satisfied?

Integra: Very.

"Alucard, you and the police girl have a new assignment," Integra stated, not even looking up from her paperwork. "You are to go to a town called Ferryfield and dispose of the target and its minions."

Alucard, standing in front of the woman's desk with a contained smile on his face, crossed his right arm over his chest and bowed, saying, "It will be done, my master." With that, he disappeared into an inky portal below.

Integra was worried, that was the blunt way of saying it. She had expected the vampire master's usual zeal, his bloodlust and desires for battle, to shine through as they always had before. As of late, however, it seemed that this was no longer a sight which Integra would see.

All week it had been quiet, almost to the point of being paranoia-inducing. Alucard wasn't causing any disruptions or mischievous antics for two days. The peace and quiet was good, but freaky. Integra tried asking her vampire why he was so depressed, but he wouldn't tell her. When she tried forcing him to tell her, he remained stubborn; and despite the seals punishing him for his disobedience, he still refused to say.

She needed to find someway to get the old Alucard back. And as much as she liked the undisturbed time, she couldn't risk having her vampire giving her slack because of personal problems. His mission had not changed; but if he could no longer hunt vampires better than a human, then he was of no use to her; and as much as he could annoy her, she wanted him to stay.

But what was it that was bothering Alucard? The root of the problem for her was a mystery, and it made her feel all the worse for being so helpless. She had no way of finding out why the No-Life King had become so depressed, and neither did anyone else so long as his stubborn façade remained.

"Alucard… why won't you let me reach out to you…?"

+*++At Ferryfield++*+

The fight wasn't going as expected. It turned out the target wasn't just a vampire; apparently she was also a Sorceress. Alucard had encountered a few of these Black Magicians in his 500 years; but Seras was still just a rookie and was trapped in a circle inscribed with spellbinding verses. That left it up to Alucard; and even with his powers, fighting one like her by himself was not an appealing thought.

"I've heard of you, I know all about you and your enhancements," She exclaimed, as she aimed spell after spell at the vampire, he dodged them narrowly. "But, whether you're like the others or not, you won't take me down. It is no task for menial filth like you."

"Oh I beg to differ, witch!" He bellowed, firing another round at the girl with his signature weapons; but like him, she was too fast and dodged the Casull and Jackal's rounds with ease.

'Why does she have to be a damn Witch?' He asked himself, tiring of this fight. By now he only wanted to get it over with and spend the remainder of the 'day' in his coffin. After all, it was that memory he couldn't erase from his mind. He knew the only time he could avoid thinking about it was in his sleep, where he could forget anything until the moon rose in the night.

His master had been trying to get the answer out of him since the beginning of the week. But, he couldn't tell her. The memory was too painful and he didn't want anyone to think of him as weak. Even if it was Integra. He thought so much about his master, maybe even more than just his master.

She reminded him so much of her. He shook his head reminding himself not to think about it and let his rage out by firing more rapidly and with each gun one-by-one. That strategy proved more effective; he didn't hit her in the heart, but he did manage to shoot her in the left kneecap, where the Jackal's round tore her lower leg off.

She struggled to stand, her darkened blood pouring out and her body shaking from the pain; but still weakly stood up on her remaining leg and pointed at him, her eyes willed with hatred. "I may not be able to beat you this time, but who's to stop me from my second plan?"

Alucard smirked, holding up his guns to fire again. "And what might your second plan be?" With that he shot her in the shoulder with his Casull, exploding the flesh and leaving her arm hanging limply. "You can't escape me in this weakened state."

"That may be the case," She smiled slyly. "But that won't stop me from completing my objective: sending your boss away." Sneering wickedly while her arm shifted back up into place and reattached. "And I know just where – or should I say, when – to send her…"

Alucard became wide eyed as she told him her plan, unloading the last of his two clips in the vampiress' direction. When she dodged all of the bullets with her cat-like reflexes, he leapt to shred her to pieces; but he found himself too slow from the battle and she vanished with an evil cackle.

After freeing Seras of the spell, Alucard teleported to Hellsing manor as fast as he could. When he got to Integra's office, he found it trashed. Papers were scattered on the floor, the chair was knocked over. Alucard pondered on what happened, he heard a groaning sound and noticed Walter getting up. He must have been in her office at the time. He helped his friend up. "Walter, what in God's name happened here?" He asked.

Walter adjusted his monocle as he rubbed his temple "Uh, I'm not completely sure. I remember chatting with Integra on Pip and the Geese's progress, when a girl crashed through the window and chanted something in Latin. I don't think I'd be able to tell you what exactly she said though." He nodded as he continued.

"Then there was a purple light and before I could do anything she pushed me against the wall, I must of blacked out after that." They weren't sure of what to do; they didn't know what happened or what had become of Integra.

"Wait" Walter replied "There was one last thing I remember, before I blacked out. The woman said something; I believe it might have had to do with you."

+*++Flashback++*+

She laughed as her spell took its affect. As the events unfolded she thought she'd let them try to find her and watch them squirm. The Witch lunged at Walter and knocked him against the wall, and held him by the hair giggling.

"Just get one thing straight, you and the other mongrels here will never know where Integra is, but I'll be nice, I'll give you a little hint…"

+*++End of Flashback++*+

"…Your vampire's past say's all," He recited, the last words of her statement sticking in his mind. "I'm not sure what it means, but it seems to implicate you and your past somehow."

Alucard sighed. What did this all have to do with him?

Bwahaha YES TBC cliffhanger! +returns to normal+ sorry, I was possessed by the plot bunny of cliffs +pats bunny+ now run along into your cage +looks at reader+ Ahem, also I didn't get the idea from this picture but it's where I got the title from:

http:/twinenigma . deviantart . com/art/The-Price-of-Playing-Ilona-30847814

Wonderful pick I found on DeviantART I just HAD to fav ^^ (obviously to view remove spaces between dots)

+waves+ Tootles!