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She should be exhausted. She should be flat on her back, unable to summon enough energy to get out of bed. But instead, she had plenty of energy to move around, acting like nothing was happening inside her body.

Numerous cocktails of drugs had been shot into her in hopes of killing it like a cancer. None of them so much as touched the malicious cells, their progress unhindered.

"The good news is that we do have time. Not much, but there's a window," Dr. Trevelyan assured her.

Integra hated the almost-daily visits with her doctors. She appreciated their efforts and around-the-clock work, but that didn't make news any easier to hear or their tests any more bearable.

"It seems to be attacking your muscles first, hence the increased strength and improved eye-sight. It's still possible to cure."

"Until?"

"Until it gets into your bone marrow and starts using your own body against you," he murmured, pinching the bridge of his nose, "We were…afraid of putting too much strain on your body, but since it seems to already be rather resilient-"

"Do what you have to," she stated. He nodded.

"We'll start your radiation therapy this evening, then."

III

"I really don't like this approach, Miss Integra," Walter confided. Integra gave a passive shrug as she donned the medical gown.

"If the chemotherapy's not working, this is the next logical step," she insisted.

"Why don't they just put you under UV lights and burn the cancer out? It can't be much dangerous than this."

"You're acting as though they're shoving me out into broad daylight," she set her normal clothes aside, looking into the worried face of her oldest friend and confidant, "Radiation is not sunlight. They can both burn, yes, but that's the end of their similarity. It'll be alright."

He sighed, glancing around the medical room as Integra proceeded to lie down on the padded bench in front of the machine.

"And where is Alucard? Surely he'd want to be let in on this."

"I sent him on a mission. He's been doing enough hovering lately as it is. I don't need him fretting over a common medical procedure due to his old-time superstitions." It was meant to be serious but Walter laughed lightly.

Truth be told, Integra was nervous. What happened if this didn't help either? Did they have some ultra-violet therapy back-up plan? She was sure the unholy virus would like that option in the least. She hadn't yet surrendered to the possibility that she might actually become undead; she would fight against the threat until her heart's last beat.

Where had this even come from? She was always careful when giving Alucard and Seras treats… Perhaps some blood she had come into contact with… Walter took a seat to one side, keeping his face devoid of emotion now. She was grateful for that.

After a warning from the doctors, the machine whirred to life, approaching her as slowly as a legless ghoul. She closed her eyes and tried to relax. Even if it was a full-body scan, it shouldn't take too long.

There was a mild discomfort; one that shifting around couldn't get rid of. Then the discomfort grew into irritation, scratching underneath her skin. Then, alarmingly, pain. Sharp pain. Integra grit her teeth, trying not to let Walter know how much the radiation was bothering her. He was already on edge about the treatment.

Scalding, like a hand on a hot stove. Searing through her. Her hands clenched as her muscles tightened. It started with moaning, but quickly became screaming as she was certain she was on fire.

"Stop it! Stop the damn thing!" Walter yelled. It didn't.

One leg lashed out, smacking the machine aside as easily as a football. She gasped, staring uncomprehendingly at the radiation technology, broken like a cheap toy, some part of her knowing that she had done that.

III

"Apparently I missed quite the session," Alucard grumbled. Integra snorted, rubbing at her leg.

"It's a pity my skin hasn't caught up to my strength yet."

Thankfully she hadn't broken anything, but there was a bruise nearly the length of her shin to show for her trouble. Alucard pushed her plate a little closer to her.

"Did it help?"

"Not at all. I'm sore from the waist down, have a few burns, and have apparently only aggravated this virus further."

Her fork poked at a bit of broccoli. Walter had tried everything to tempt her waning appetite; the high iron and high sodium diet had been working to at least guarantee one good meal in her stomach every night. But tonight even the practically-raw meat and supremely salted vegetables weren't coaxing her.

"Master, I only have the utmost respect for you and remain your loyal unquestioning servant... But if you don't eat something I will be forced to pry your mouth open and make you swallow down every speck of food on your plate," Integra gave a half-hearted smirk and humored him by nibbling at the broccoli.

He was serious, of course. Dead serious. But Alucard's attempts of caring were reminiscent of his days as a military leader and heartless dictator. She had appreciated his rough care even back when she was the new head of Hellsing, her uncle's body hardly cold on the dungeon floor. In a world where hand-holding was synonymous with using the young teen, Alucard's brash honesty and snap-out-of-it attitude was refreshing.

She took a small bite, chewing it for a long time tastelessly.

"…what do you think about all of this?" She asked softly. He looked surprised at the question, but shook his head.

"I'm torn," he admitted, "Torn between empathizing with my master and reveling in the idea of her joining me in undeath."

Integra's stomach churned. At first she thought the food just wasn't settling well, but she realized she was just disgusted at the idea of becoming someone like Alucard.

"It would certainly bring up questions about dynamics," she mused. He glanced down at her hand.

"Why don't you finish eating your vegetables like a good little girl?

III

Even if she wasn't consciously making the decision, her biological clock was resetting itself from "human" to "vampire". She slept through any alarm, falling asleep sometime after dawn and coming to just before dusk. It wasn't the odd hours; it was the amount of sleep. She was used to getting four or less hours a night; now she was getting almost double. It was like she'd lapse into a coma for a short time, unable to rise.

So that was why Alucard had such a hard time rising from his coffin during the day.

Treatments were becoming more… Tailored. The UV tests had been disastrous, not even worth the screaming and pain. Silver, crosses, and Eucharist wafers brought on hives and burns, and garlic made her vomit her stomach's contents for the past four days. Nothing was making the pesky things go away.

Integra sipped at her tea, which was so laden with salt that a fish would have felt at home in it. Despite her personal struggles, work continued on. While evening meetings didn't bother the Round Table, they pissed the Vatican off to no end. She was praying that this would clear up before she'd have to "come out of the coffin".

Integra licked over her teaspoon, finding the mix of salt and metal oddly appealing. She read through a report, absentmindedly chewing on the spoon. By the time she realized what her mouth was doing, the spoon was little more than a warped scrap of steel. She casually tossed it into the garbage can, trying not to let it bother her.

Had it been only that one instance, she might've been able to forget it.

But there were other pieces of silverware she demolished, as well as her nail file, a couple of pens, a few lamps, and an ill-fated doorknob. Bits of her teeth tended to chip off, concerning her but she couldn't stop. She tried to hide it from the rest out of embarrassment, but eventually she was caught.

"Integra, what on earth are you doing?"

Integra froze up, pulling away from the roof of the car. She'd been waiting for Walter for only a few minutes, but apparently the lure of the chrome was too much. She glanced down guiltily.

"I…don't know."

Now they were sitting across from Dr. Trevelyan, Walter frowning at her and Alucard leaning casually against a wall. At least the doctor had the kindness to take the latest quirk in stride instead of laughing.

"There is something beneficial about this," he murmured offhandedly, "We're learning a great deal about the actual transformation, but in slow motion." Lovely, she was so glad she could be a guinea pig…

Dr. Trevelyan set down his papers, biting the inside of his cheek.

"As best as we can figure this compulsive metal chewing serves two purposes; it satisfies your cravings as a substitute to the metallic taste of blood as well as strengthens your jaws and refines your…fangs." He tried not to smile, "To put it into layman's terms, you're teething."

There was a brief silence as it sank in. Then Alucard snickered.

"That…is adorable."

"Shut it before I destroy your guns."

"With your baby vampire teeth."

"Really, if you can't behave then you can't come with anymore."

Walter tried to stifle a laugh. Dr. Trevelyan covered his mouth. Integra wanted to tell them off, but she just hid her face in her hands, laughing with tears rolling down her cheeks.

III

Integra's changing mind couldn't fathom what was so urgent she had to wake up at noon and get down to the labs for. It was shameful to admit, but she could hardly stay awake.

"You might want to take a seat," Dr. Trevelyan suggested. Integra gratefully sank down, rubbing at her eyes.

"Alright, what is it?" She grumbled.

"We've been comparing differing samples of vampire blood; some on file from previous exterminations, plus fresh samples from Officer Victoria and Alucard."

"Alucard?" She repeated, "I wasn't aware that he was going back to his lab rat days."

"He made an exception. Volunteered, even," Dr. Trevelyan frowned, "As you can imagine, there was quite the difference between the fledgeling and her master, based off of their eternal ages. The cells attacking you…they're not first-year material. These have been around for centuries, strengthening over time and trial."

"The point, doctor," she snapped. He took a deep breath.

"If it had been something of Seras's caliber, it probably would've been wiped out by the radiation therapy. But these are incredibly stubborn, and identical to the DNA found in Alucard's blood sample."

It had slipped so casually from him, so deliberately attempting to cushion the blow. Integra was grateful for taking Dr. Trevelyan's offer of a seat.

"Sir Integra…"

All hell broke loose in her mind. Flashes of thoughts, of images ran through with little coherence. Her finding her grandfather's notes on Alucard a week after the basement incident. Watching him come alive from the few drops of her blood. Seeing him riddled with Anderson's bayonets, head lobbed off, scripture barring him to that corridor, and yet reforming effortlessly. Her father claiming that Dracula was the greatest vampire to ever exist.

Now, as she sat there, his cells were slowly taking her over, devouring her humanity and taking away the few things she was allowed in this life.

"Sir!"

After Abraham's hard work…and her father's… After her own personal sacrifices to the Hellsing Organization...

She got up abruptly, turning on her heels and storming off. Hazily she recalled him yelling at her, but all she could focus on was getting away.

III

Muwahahaha, the not-so-twistical twist! Because why make life easy on Teggie? Please review.