Mistress of Tyranny

Ch. 4 Mistresses Escapes

By Sesshy's Girl 00 and RahXephon

I barely had time to sit down before the door behind me opened. Everyone in the room, myself included, turned their heads to see who it was. A young woman stood there, framed by the open doorway. She leaned heavily on a brightly polished, thick wooden cane in her right hand. She was dressed in a beautiful silk kimono that was covered with the image of falling sakura, but it did nothing to disguise her sickly frame. When I looked closer at her eyes, I realized that she was blind and couldn't see any of us.

With astounding confidence the young woman stepped into the room. Kotoya quickly rose to his feet and stepped forwards to intercept her. "Susanime," He said in a commanding but gentle voice, "Didn't I ask you to remain in your room?"

The young woman- Susanime's eyes focused on Kotoya immediately when she heard the sound of his voice. Instead of replying to his question she simply glared defiantly back at him. It was impressive to see just how commanding blind eyes and a crippled body could become, when placed in the right hands. Kotoya's resolve began to waiver in the face of Susanime's strength. "Little sister, Susu, please go back to your room."

"No. I am nineteen now. It is time I learn what it takes to run Echigo." Susanime replied in a calm but determined voice.

I was astonished to learn that she was actually older then I was. To me, she looked like she should be fifteen or sixteen. It seemed nearly impossible that she was older then me. That shock however, was nothing when compared to my surprise at discovering that she was Kotoya's little sister. Kotoya gave me the impression that he was on his own, so I assumed his family was long dead or estranged from him. There goes that assumption…

I looked over to see Kotoya was working hard to come up with some excuse to send her away. He was failing miserably. Several others who were attending began to snicker and smirk softly at Kotoya. I could almost hear the unspoken mockery passing out loud throughout the room.

'He can't tell her that her condition makes her a failure because he loves her too much.'

'The fool thinks he can protect her but he must mess up eventually.'

'She cannot lead Echigo because she's too weak. He will tell her that one day.'

I was appalled by how cold and callous these people were. They all smiled politely and went along with whatever Kotoya said. Deep down they were always looking for an opening. I did not doubt that there were some who would have no qualms about killing Kotoya or anyone else if the opportunity presented itself. They would even go after one another in an attempt to gain more power. There was absolutely no respect and nothing was sacred. It was frightening, sickening and disgusting. The only thing that kept chaos from escaping was Kotoya's power over them.

Susanime carefully made her way through the room to where Kotoya was seated. When she reached the seat across from mine, she sat down awkwardly. Her physical limitations were quite apparent to me now. Her spine and one of her legs were deformed. That was what contributed to her difficulty moving. On top of that she was weak and in bad health. So I could understand that someone would not want her in charge.

Kotoya leaned over to his sister and whispered something in her ear. He spent several minutes fussing over Susanime and seeing that she was comfortable. I sensed that against the wishes of those around him, Kotoya cared deeply for his sister and took good care of her. They must be quite close. I wasn't sure if he was comfortable with putting her on the throne however. I figured that he probably wasn't. Too many people would try to take the throne from her.

I frowned as I watched the disapproving faces of the other's in the room. I would have to watch myself if I wanted to make it here. I had no intentions of ending up with the short end of the stick. I planned on defeating anyone who got in my way. I wondered if I could do all of that. Of course I can. I told myself. I've made it this far so I know I can go anywhere I have to. I am the great Asuka Langley Sohryu. That was all I needed, to be my usual strong self.

"Ladies and Gentlemen!"

I turned my attention back to the front of the room because of the commanding voice of Kotoya. Kotoya was once again on his feet. He waited until he was sure everyone was listening before he spoke, "Thank-you for your attendance. Before we eat I would like to introduce our guest, the angel of Echigo, Miss Asuka Langley Sohryu."

Everyone in the room stared at me once more. Some of those pairs of eyes were threatening and hostile. Outwardly I remained calm, but inside I cringed at the thought of what they wanted to do to me. I could tell that these people here didn't-or didn't want to- believe that I was an angel, as Kotoya claimed. The rest were somewhere between sceptical and believing. It was those kind of people that I would need to keep on my side. I would need their support.

Those that were already against me didn't appear to want to switch sides easily. They wanted me dead and the sooner I was, the better. I had to fight the urge to turn and look behind me for the target painted on my back. My skin prickled with the sense of danger that hung thick in the air. As soon as dinner was over I would be dead if I wasn't careful. Part of me wanted to have an angel's powers to protect me from these bloodthirsty, shortsighted bakas. The rest of me was horrified at the thought that I was considering the idea.

Before my mind could continue that thought, Kotoya clapped his hands loudly and several servants bearing trays of food appeared through the doorway. They were all dressed in identical red kimonos with ornate golden dragons flying across them. I picked out Frieda from among them immediately, because of her distinct European features. She appeared not to notice my attention, but instead she was concentrating entirely on what she was doing.

Frieda and the other servants gracefully made their way across the room and distributed the food they carried to the proper people. Then they bowed and retreated to the back of the room. Kotoya sat down with a small bow of his own and motioned for everyone to begin eating.

I lifted my chopsticks to my lips and looked warily around the room at everyone else. In my head I attempted to judge, then note, who was a threat to me and who wasn't. I ate slowly and thoughtfully as possible, using the down time to observe my opposition. I needed to come up with a plan to get myself out of here as easily as possible. A fight breaking out was the last thing I wanted to happen.

To my amazement I found myself to be unusually calm about the whole situation. I didn't care that I was on my own and in peril. I felt ready to kick the sorry behind of anyone who threatened me. They were going to wish that they had never messed with me because I was going to make them regret it.

"Mama!"

"Mama!"

"Look at me Mommy!"

No answer. I screamed as loud as I could. At last the sound of my voice died away and Shinji's replied. "I hate you! Why don't you go away?"

I turned away from him, my heart racing with panic. This was impossible. Everyone couldn't hate me, could they? "We don't want you here."

Wondergirl. Her voice, cold and calculating as ever. She went away and the flood of voices followed in her wake. They all hated me, and they all wanted me gone. Me.

I clenched my teeth and tried to block out the sounds from my head. I hated when this happened, because I could never make them shut up. My only choice was to wait until they went away on their own. The anger rose, like a poisonous black oozing within my chest. I hated the voices, I hated everyone else, but most of all I hated myself. My chopsticks shook in my hand, making it difficult for me to eat. The tears were building up at the corner of my eyes and my chest was becoming tight.

No, I could not let these imbeciles see how weak I was. If they knew my pain they would surely take advantage of it. I quickly bit my lip, unconsciously using the physical pain to distract myself from the emotional one. Within moments I felt back to myself once more. I daintily dabbed the corners of my eyes to remove any evidence of the tears I had recently shed. Finally, I took several deep breaths to assure myself that I was in control. My breathing felt easy and natural.

I made it through the rest of dinner without incident. I ended up spending most of it watching everyone silently. It was harder than I had realized to keep track of so many people. It was worth the effort though, because I was able to learn a lot about my adversaries. The most important thing I noticed, that the room was unusually quiet and everyone looked to Kotoya before speaking. He had an iron grip over every action in the room. It was truly impressive to witness.

When dinner had ended, I still didn't have a foolproof plan to keep myself alive. I faintly hoped that I wouldn't need it. Although my enemies were powerful, they were still only human, so I knew that they weren't invincible by any means. Everyone possessed a weakness in some way.

As I had feared, Kotoya left early to take Susanime back to her room. The door closed behind him with a resounding snap. I was suddenly aware that I was alone with thirty men and women, many of whom were not on my side. I looked around to see that everyone's attention had focused on me, now that Kotoya's authority no longer restricted them. They were either coming up with plans to cause problems or wanting proof of what he said I was.

I could grant them neither. I should fight my way out of here if I wished to live. Carefully pretending to ignore the stares of those around me, I finished my dinner with painstaking slowness and caution. I wanted to laugh at myself as I sat there, taking such pains with my food. There was a time when I would have gladly mocked Wondergirl for doing the exact same thing I was. I never regretted my words though; this was a one-time deal while Wondergirl did it every day.

When it was apparent that I was unaware, or faking forgetfulness, everyone else turned back to his or her food and continued to eat as if nothing had happened. Only a trace of a smile was allowed to cross my face when I saw that. This was what I had wanted. No one would be worrying about me now. I had them fooled into thinking that I was an ignorant idiot.

I finished my dinner without incident and rose to my feet. I bowed politely to everyone and thanked them all for letting me join them, as was proper. I swiftly turned to leave. But when I reached for the door, my spine began to tingle. My hand stopped in mid air from the threat of attack. I turned in time to see a young man rushing me with a knife. I dodged his first strike and punched him square between the eyes. He tumbled backward and crashed into the table. Everyone stared dumb founded in disbelief at him on the table. For a long moment nobody moved.

Then someone screamed. I turned instantly and ran with all my might down the hallway. Behind me, I could hear the pounding of many feet and voices calling after me. I didn't stop to turn around. I knew that if they caught me, I was as good as dead and I did not want to die. I kept running past my room and continued down the corridor. I looked frantically at both ways for somewhere I could hide until the storm of people had passed.

I turned the corner at a dangerous pace. My breath came out heavy gasps and my lungs burned in my chest. My legs had become weakened from the sudden frantic use, but I forced them to keep going. I ignored every protest and charged on. In the back of my mind, I could hear the voice of my mother urging me on every step of the way.

I turned the corner just in time to see a dark shape step in my way. The figure flashed a sharp object at me. I stopped short of the man and glared at him. He pointed his knife at me threateningly in response. I tensed, wondering what he planned to do with his weapon. I took a step back but I dare not go back any further. The others were rapidly closing in behind me. I had to do something quickly, or I would be caught for sure. My arms tensed as I was preparing to fight for my freedom. With a quick burst, the man ran at me and attacked. I dodged his first blow. He backed up before I could attempt to strike my own blow. He came at me again. I attempted to dodge but he slashed my shoulder.

I winced at the pain spread through my body. I could feel fresh warm blood trickling down my arm and soaking into my kimono. I quickly covered the wound with my hand. I gritted my teeth against the pain and turned to face my opponent. "Out of my way." I growled angrily.

"No way." He responded mockingly. "Not for a human girl."

I did not like the odds against me. This guy was serious about stopping me from escape. No matter, I was going to kick his but anyway. He was in my way and that was what he got for opposing me. I tied a strap of cloth around my arm to stop the flow of blood. I then turned to face him. I had no weapon to fight him with except for my own body. That would have to serve me well enough.

My opponent attacked me once more and I dodged his third blow completely. This time he ended up behind me. I set my foot deep into his stomach before he could take advantage of his position. He doubled over and groaned in pain. I grinned evilly and started running as fast as I could. My legs carried me around the dark lantern lit passageways of the palace. Gradually the sounds became fainter and more distant behind me. I didn't let that deter me for one minute; I wasn't going to stop until I was out of here.

I turned another corner and nearly ran right into Frieda. She grabbed my arm and pulled me down another passageway. She set a frantic pace that was almost inhuman in speed. I stumbled after her as fast as I could. My body rebelled at my attempts to keep up. I did my best to ignore it and focus on keeping my body moving.

Frieda dragged me along for five minutes until we reached a kitchen door leading outside. She undid the latch and forced me though it before slamming the door behind me. I blinked several times in disbelief at the sudden silence around me. My heart was racing at a million miles in my chest, making me feel weak and dizzy. I looked around slowly, taking in my new surrounding.

I was unsure of what to do with my sudden freedom. I had not expected to be out of the palace so soon or so violently. I had no plans as to where to go or what to do with myself now.

After several minutes I managed to catch my breath and organize my thoughts. I turned and began to walk along the walls of the palace. I still had no idea what I was going to do, but I knew where to start. I needed to get back into the palace to retrieve my stuff. The things in the bundle I'd set up contained items that would be important to my survival outside the palace. Things would be more difficult for me without Kotoya to protect me. That was okay though, because I didn't want to be protected. I wanted to be the protector- I wanted to be supergirl.

I cautiously turned around several corners. I was afraid of being found by one of the servants going about their daily work. That would completely ruin my attempt to escape. I tip toed up to yet another corner near my room but I stopped when I heard voices. I listened to their conversation in an attempt to determine who they were.

After a short moment I was able to identify Kotoya's voice, but I didn't recognize the other person's. I felt highly annoyed but waited until they finished speaking. To my relief Frieda appeared and interrupted the conversation. The other two people left and Frieda was alone. I looked around, twice, just to be sure that the coast was clear. Then I stepped out of hiding and approached Frieda.

Frieda smiled when she saw me. She hurried over to my side and pulled me back into the shadows. We stood in silence for several minutes before either of us spoke. Both of us were still slightly out of breath and needed a minute to regain control. "Are you alright, Mistress?"

I nodded quickly and sharply. Frieda smiled slightly and pressed a bundle into my hands. I looked down to see my bag. Relief and joy flooded through me. I had to stop myself from crying out loud in happiness. I had everything I ever needed to make it. I thanked Frieda for her help and said goodbye.

"Sayonara, Mistress Sohryu." Frieda replied softly.

I nodded back to her and hurried out into the darkness. The palace quickly disappeared behind me, swallowed up by the walls of the building around it. The further I got from the palace, the more the sense of happiness and freedom I felt began to grow. I felt like I was on top of the world. I had accomplished something I had always wanted to do and gained autonomy.

My next challenge was to find a way to support my newfound life and myself. I wasn't crazy. I knew I would need money and a roof over my head. I just preferred that they came from my own hard work, rather then freely given to me from someone else. I didn't even matter if it was challenging for me because of the way I looked, which probably would be the case since I didn't look Japanese. All that mattered was that I did all I could.

The most important thing for me right now was to find somewhere to sleep for the night. I could clean up and find work in the morning. I had all the time in the world. I was my own mistress now and no one would tell me what to do.

I slipped quietly through the streets in the direction of the ocean. I looked around studying everything that I passed. Everything I could see was small, cramped and dirty. The only thing that was beautiful was the palace. With its overwhelming and monstrous brilliance, it dominated everything around it. It was disgusting. You would think the leadership would treat its people better. Ha! No one I knew, who was in power, ever did that. It was all about staying alive and in charge. Clearly there must be some unspoken rule about that. The leaders must be idiots.

I sighed and shook my head. This was not the time to be thinking about such useless things. I needed to get moving so that I wouldn't be caught. I was alone in a hostile world. Now was not the time to get caught off guard.

I turned the corner and found myself at the head of a long street that led down to the docks. I looked up at the night sky with a small smile on my face. It was beautiful, much better then the sky I used to see. I stretched my arms out as I walked and pretended I could fly. For half a second I could feel my feet lifting off the ground but then gravity took back over.

I sighed and kept walking looking back and forth at everything around me. It was getting cold and I needed somewhere to sleep for the night. I rubbed my shoulders trying to warm myself up. My thin silken kimono was not meant to insulate the wearer against anything. I was freezing.

I passed an alley and saw what I was looking for, a small-secluded recess where I could sleep in peace. I even saw some blankets that I could take advantage of. This was what I needed. I stepped into the alley and wove my way through it. I grabbed the blankets and slipped into the corner. I made a nest for myself and curled up to sleep. As I began to doze I heard footsteps. I forced my eyes open and looked around.

I saw a female figure entering into the alley. She was tall, large and heavy set. It didn't take a second look to see that she was several times larger then me. This would be a challenge to get out of here undetected. I held still hoping to remain inconspicuous. To my horror I saw the woman walking toward me. She seemed to know right where I was.

Shit.

I carefully pulled my legs under me and prepared to sprint for safety. I bunched both of my hands into fists. Step by step, the woman came towards me slowly but steadily. I waited to see what she was going to. I counted each footfall mentally as it echoed through the narrow alley. While she neared me, I edged myself carefully to the side in an attempt to give myself room to move.

Right before she was about to see me I kicked a piece of wood with the back of my foot. It went rolling noisily toward the other side of the ally. I held my breath to see if she would follow. To my relief she turned and started walking in the other direction. Once I was sure she had her back turned I jumped up and sprinted for the opening.

The next thing I knew there was a stab of pain through my head and everything went black.

---

Pain; it hurt so much. This pain was familiar but I couldn't place it. It radiated through every part of my body. I could taste blood in my mouth and feel it as it ran in warm rivers down my body. I opened my eyes and was greeted by the sight of a lace coming out of my head. I blinked at it in confusion and wonder for several minutes. Why? How? It didn't make sense.

"Asuka."

Several minutes passed before I understood what was going on. It was me, from before third impact. Over a dozen fake lances had impaled me. They were the source of my pain. Carefully, I shifted my gaze to see if those evil white M.P. Evangelions were around as well. I saw them, standing in a rough semi circle in front of me, with their wings spread.

I could feel the anger inside of me begin to boil up like black ooze. It possessed my soul and began to eat away at my sanity. A menacing grin began to spread across my face. I gripped the lance in my head with both hands and pulled with all my might. A bloody scream rose in my throat as the lance rubbed against my raw skin. It hurt like nothing else I had ever felt. I turned to the other lances next. I pulled them out one by one amidst my own agonized screams. At last I was free. Despite the holes punctured through me, I remained on my feet. Blood flowed freely down my body in large rivers. I used my newfound freedom to look around. For the first time I saw that the monstrous forms in front of me weren't the only ones here. There were also the people from my old life. They stood behind me, injured and frightened.

My fellow, former Evangelion pilots were among those in worse shape. Wondergirl lay dead on the ground, her body ripped to pieces and blood spilt everywhere. The sight of her mangled body was sickening. I forced myself to look away before I made myself ill. My eyes fell on Shinji next. He was curled up uselessly in the corner. His bloody hands covered his face. He appeared to be sobbing or laughing, it was hard to tell. "I can't do this." He whispered over and over.

Something moved in the shadows and I turned my gaze to see what it was. Wondergirl-no a second Wondergirl stepped out of the darkness and stood silently behind her counterpart. This one was torn and bleeding as well. However she had different injuries from the first Rei I had seen. Her body was in one piece but there wasn't much there. Large chunks of red flesh hung from her shattered bones. I winced and turned myself away from the disgusting sight.

"Asuka!"

My eyes flowed the sound of the voice and I quickly found the source. On the other side of the group, opposite of baka Shinji, stood Yui Ikari and… and my mother, Kyoko Sohryu… "Mama?"

The words rose in a trembling whisper to my lips. My mother raised her head and her eyes met mine. Her gaze trapped me at once. My mother's normally sharp; dark eyes were overflowing with tears. She raised a trembling hand and held it out to me. "Please, don't do this Asuka." She pleaded.

I gritted my teeth and narrowed my eyes in anger. I took a step back, my heart filled with worry over what she would do. "Do what?" I hissed.

"Hurt yourself like this. It's not your fault Asuka. Please forgive me. I'm so sorry."

My mother began to sob so hard that it was impossible for her to speak or see. She had to bury her head in her arms just to stop the flow of tears. I was so confused. Part of me screamed not to believe her words but the other half insisted that I should. 'You have your real mama back Asuka.' It said 'Don't you remember her embrace?'

"No! I hate my mother! She never loved me! She was never there for me!" I screamed.

My mother flinched, as if I had punched or slapped her. Internally I rejoiced at her reaction. She turned and took several steps towards me. She held out her hand to me but I refused to take it with my own. Kyoko Sohryu Zeppelin was my enemy. She had never loved me, and never cared about me. So why should I love her? I had no reason to and that was my point. It went beyond that; I just didn't feel indifference towards her, I hated her for everything she had done-or rather hadn't done for me.

"But she's still your mother. She gave you life."

"So what?" I shouted back.

That meant nothing to me. Sure she gave me life, but I hadn't asked her to do that. She had chosen to give birth to me. So I felt no compulsion to love her for it. I didn't owe her anything. I didn't want her or need her. I never desired anything from anyone, least of all her. I would live by myself, for myself and love only myself. It was the best way to survive in this life. Attachments to others only cause unnecessary trouble and pain. They weren't worth it. Not by a long shot.

"Asuka please. Let me save you."

From the corner of my eye I watched my mother stretched her hands out pleadingly towards me. I ignored her and focused my attention on the despicable M.P. Evas in front of me. If no one else would stand up and face them, then I would. I wasn't afraid. I wasn't a coward. I was no doll. I would take out each and every one of them. Then I would eat their flesh for nourishment. I bet it would taste delicious.

I took a step toward my enemies and felt a burst of blood run down my side. The M.P. Evangelions smirked and raised their bloody lances in preparation to attack. I gritted my teeth against the pain and bunched my hands into fists. None of these bastards was going to get past me. They were going to suffer, each and every one of them, for what they did to me.

I growled menacingly at the M.P. Evas and adjusted my stance to attack. When I moved, I felt something hit my right foot. I looked down to see a human sized Prog knife lying at my feet. I reached down and picked it up. With a flick of my wrist the blade come out of its sheath. A grin began to stretch across my face. The knife made me feel even more able to kick these stupid beasts' butts. I had power now.

I gripped the knife in my hand and charged at the M.P. Evas with a wild, hell-bent scream. As I pounded across the floor, the first of my enemies stepped foreword to face me. I leapt into the air and came down on his chest with a tremendous thud. The beast roared in protest but I slammed my knife into his chest before he could do anything about it. I snarled and drove the knife into his heart several more times after that, before I was satisfied. Then I looked up threateningly at the other Evas. With my flaring eyes I dared them to challenge me. When none of them responded, I rose to my feet and stepped on the neck of the dead one with both feet. I heard a satisfying crunch as his neck snapped in two.

I pointed my bloody knife at the remaining Evas and waited to see what my opponents would do. I was happy to see two of them drop into attack position without hesitation. Maybe they'd make this fun after all, I thought hopefully. I lowered myself into a swift spin kick and slammed my foot into the gut of the first one. Then I turned and punched the other as hard as I could, before he knew what was coming.

Both Evas went flying as a result of my blow. I tried to stand straight, but I ended up leaning over with my hands on my knees. My head spun and my eyes couldn't see straight. I felt like I was about to puke. I carefully breathed deeply to regain my strength. After several minutes I was able to stand. I wiped the blood from my mouth and glared at the M.P Evas.

I was going to destroy them all. I wasn't about to let any of them get away with making a fool of me. I grinned evilly and pointed my knife at the remaining Evas. They responded by aiming their lances at me. I grinned and prepared to strike again. I would not stop until I was defeated.

Author's Notes:

After an unbelievably long delay I am back at last! Sesshy dances around. I can't believe how long I've been gone. It's been too long. Sesshy humbly apologizes for the long delay. I will try to do better from now on. I promise Things have been rough for me during the last several months. There was college (which I have to start preparing for since I'll be a senior next year), my dog being sick, along with homework and life in general. However it looks like things will be better for me from now on.

I don't own Eva! 'Nuf said.

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