THE FEAST OF ST. GEORGE—PERSUASION
Rei was the first to awaken.
She opened her eyes to find herself in the cabin of an unfamiliar aircraft. Looking out a window and regarding the whine of the engines, she judged that the aircraft was of supersonic speed. The size of the cabin indicated that the plane was quite large.
There was a weight on her shoulder. She turned her head to see that their captors had propped up Shinji Ikari so that his head lay on her shoulder. Misato and Asuka were on his other side. The Third Child gave a whispery snore off through his mouth and shifted slightly as a shadow fell over them. She turned to see a tall…creature. That was all she could think of to describe it. The thing was bald and pale, with pointed ears and a hooked nose. The amber eyes were slightly bulging, and had dark circles surrounding them. The creature's hands were long, white, and had long sharp nails on the ends of the fingers.
"You are awake," it hissed.
"Yes," she said, in her usual quiet voice, "Who are you?"
The creature bowed. "Norman, Ms. Ayanami."
"You know my name?"
"I was briefed before I stepped onto this plane. I have been instructed to see to your comfort…and safety."
Movement came from Misato.
"Mmff…Kaji?" she asked in a dreamy manner.
Norman turned to regard her. When her eyes had opened wide enough to permit her to see his face, they snapped open immediately and her mouth began working noiselessly. Norman watched her impassively. He turned toward a coffee table set up before the couch and then turned back with a bottle and a shot glass, which he held out in an offering manner. Her hands, trembling violently, reached out and grasped the objects, then snapped back to her body, as if she had just taken them from a snake's embrace.
"My Master greets you, and hopes that you are comfortable in his aircraft."
Misato looked around at the elegantly appointed cabin before her eyes rested on Norman again.
"Master? Who is your Master?"
Norman smiled slightly before replying, "You will see soon enough."
The flight was uneventful. Shinji and Asuka had soon woken up and after the initial shock at Norman's appearance had soon accepted the creature's dutiful hospitality. After Shinji had awakened soon before what would have been dawn back home, Norman vanished through a door, and the foursome was left alone.
"Misato! What the hell is going on!?"
"What are you looking at me for? I don't know him!"
"She's right, Asuka; I don't think any of us know who these people are."
"Butt out, idiot!"
"Hey! I'm just trying to help."
"Ikari-kun is correct."
"Oh, shut up, Doll!"
"Ahem."
They turned their heads to see that Norman had returned with a cart pushed ahead of him. He moved toward them and removed the lid, revealing four plates covered with an assortment of breakfast foods. Eggs, oatmeal, bacon, pancakes, sausage, all were represented on the cart. Accompanying it were three glasses sitting beside a pitcher filled with milk. Another cup sat beside a coffee pot. Norman stepped away, bowed, and said,
"My Master's welcome," Then he turned around and went out the door again, leaving the four to their breakfast.
When they landed, Misato unconsciously reached for her gun, only to find it removed. Norman entered, wearing a large, black sunhat and a large coat.
Catching their stares, he smiled slightly, saying, "The sun…does not agree with me…yet." The last part was under his breath as he conducted them out the door.
Descending a flight of stairs, they found that dawn was just about to break here in this mountainous place they had arrived at.
Rows of men dressed in black uniforms, sporting black berets, and wielding submachine guns stood alongside a path to a helicopter. They watched the procession coolly as Norman led them to the vehicle. The glasses were too dark to read any emotions, which disturbed Shinji because it reminded him of his father. However, where Gendo's emotionless ness was personally implanted on his face, these men had obviously been trained into it.
As soon as everyone was seated, the helicopter took off and flew in a direction in the west.
The flight lasted about ten minutes. The chopper hovered over and landed upon a pad that had a dirt path leading to a large building that was designed in a cabin-like manner. More black-clothed troopers stood along the path leading up to the house.
Norman led the small procession, wincing every once in a while, and on one occasion giving a displeased hiss. He looked particularly relieved to see that they had reached the door.
Stepping inside a grand foyer, Norman removed his covering wraps and bowed to the four.
"I fear I must leave you now. I will return tonight."
He then proceeded over to a small door by the grand-staircase, slamming it shut behind him.
Misato immediately whipped around and pulled at the door. Locked.
The rest of the day was spent in a flurry of activity, as the three Children joined the major in looking for a means of escape. They looked out of windows—the ones that weren't locked—that looked upon the steep slope of their mountain. They rummaged through the thousands of books in the library, hoping against hope for a secret passageway.
It then seemed hilariously futile when Shinji pointed out that there were dozens of guards outside wielding high-powered deadly weapons.
"Well, another fine mess you got us into, Misato!"
Asuka's voice boomed down the halls of the cabin. The four had found their way into a wing of apartments where the major found, to her obvious delight, a small but magnificently loaded wet-bar. Rei went in to explore her appointed quarters, Shinji admired his room (from the door of which was now hung his "Shinji's Lovely Suite" sign in an elegant gold frame), and Asuka—typically—harped on Misato.
"Excuse me? How is this my fault?" shot back the major, who now held a fourteen year-old bottle of Scotch in her hand—minus one-fourth it's original contents.
"You're the one who took us to the friggin' movies!"
"I was?"
"Yes! And then you're the one who took us on that little drive?"
"Wait a sec-…"
"Then you just fell asleep while some goons in black grabbed and chloroformed us!!"
"Uh…"
"GODDAMMIT MISATO STOP STUTTERING LIKE SHINJI ON CRACK AND SAY SOMETHING!!!!!
Misato was silent. Her eyes were firmly planted on the bottle, as if any moment it would come to life and explain everything.
"I…I…d…mber"
Asuka's mouth hung open. "What?"
"I don't remember," answered the Major, "All I can recall is coming home, heading over to the fridge…OHMIGOD—PEN-PEN!" She looked around frantically.
"What about him."
"What happened to him? Where is he?"
"I don't know…"
"FOR GOD'S SAKES, ASUKA, GET SHINJI AND HELP ME FIND PEN-PEN!"
"Wark?"
The two women whipped around to the open door. The penguin peered at them with it's intelligent little green eyes, his wings somewhat outstretched. He appeared somewhat dazed. Moving purposefully, Pen-Pen waddled from his place at the door toward the wet-bar. A wing wrapped around a bottle of beer, which he opened with his beak. The penguin took a deep chug, gave a penguinish grunt toward his roommates, and waddled out the door.
After a moment, Asuka finally said, "What do you mean you don't remember?"
Misato sighed as she collapsed against the massive bed, keeping the scotch upright.
"Like I said, I came home, started going to the fridge…then I woke up on that airplane with that weirdo staring at me."
The major got up and took a swig of scotch.
"What happened?" Asuka asked, intuition telling her that she was not going to like the answer.
"I don't know, Asuka, I just don't know…"
A week passed. The cabin was clouded over by tension. Shinji recognized this and kept away from his German roommate, having had bad experiences in past times when Asuka had gone through her monthly cycles. Rei ignored her, keeping to the library where she had hundreds of books from which to choose to read as she usually did.
Norman popped up every now and then, seeing to their comfort. The creature patiently restocked Misato's wet-bar, produced new clothing from within his mysterious little door, and even cooked dinner.
Sometimes, the captives thought they saw other people in the cabin. Shadows fell over walls and then vanished. Muffled footsteps went down hallways.
Whoever they were, it was most possible that they were the house staff. Full hampers were mysteriously emptied; light bulbs that were malfunctioning were swiftly replaced.
To Asuka's annoyance, Shinji seemed to enjoy this bizarre form of luxury. He had a vacation from cleaning up after his roommates, and exploited it by practicing his cello, reading, watching TV (without having to fight Asuka!) or just plain taking a nap.
A week had passed, and Norman came.
"It is time to meet my master…"
He escorted them into the library, and left hurriedly shutting the doors behind them.
"Well," said Asuka, beginning to pace like a caged tiger, "Finally we get to meet this bastard. I'm gonna put my foot so far up his ass I'll leave a shoeprint on the left hemisphere of his brain."
"I do not believe that is possible, Pilot Sohryu; your leg is…"
"It's just a saying, Wondergirl! Gott! When we get out of here you need to get a personality beyond 'Worker Ant'."
Shinji was about to speak, to try and defend the albino girl, when Rei stood up and faced Asuka, who was as shocked as Shinji.
"Pilot Sohryu, I have stated time and again that I wish that you would please not call me a doll or…any other thing. It…disturbs me."
Asuka's mouth hung open a little, and then her hand rose.
WHAP!!!
Misato gasped as Rei's head snapped aside, showing the red handprint where Asuka's hand had met the girl's face. The red head was trembling with anger.
"I'm not going to take it any longer, you little bitch. You and Shinji the Great have been going behind my back and made yourselves NERV's little darlings for months and I'm not going to take it anymore!"
Rei turned her head back and looked into the brimming eyes of the Second Child.
"I didn't lose my mama to this damn war so I can play number two to a pasty faced suck-up,"
A tear fell down Asuka's cheek at that moment.
"I didn't lose my mommy so you could best me at everything!!!"
At that moment, the girl's hand sprang toward a beautiful vase standing on a small table. She picked it up and hurled it at Rei. Misato's mouth hung open as the vase flew right past the albino, who had reflexively stepped out of the way.
As soon as the vase had been shattered, Asuka suddenly felt something at the back of her neck. Someone—something—was watching her. She turned around in her self-righteous manner to gaze upon a tall thin man with black hair and dark clothing. Those cold blue eyes gazed at the German redheaded girl with a mixture of displeasure, amusement, and interest. After a few silent moments, the eyes turned toward the pieces of the vase, which Shinji was stealthily approaching in a move to clean it up.
Gott, even now a neatnik! An annoyed whack sent the young Ikari scuttling back. Asuka then turned back to the stranger, whose red lips displayed an amused smirk.
"Congratulations are in order, Fraulein Sohryu," said the stranger, in almost perfect German, with a hint of an accent, "You are the first Deutsch I have seen in years who actually has the courage to take the initiative."
"Danke; you must be the unehelich who runs this place, hmmm?"
The man frowned slightly at her language and replied, "Indeed, I am."
Asuka then gave him her sweetest smile and said, "And why exactly are we here, you mutter…" And there she stopped, her mouth moving but forming no words. The man had risen his hand toward her and seemed menacingly displeased. She tried to scream, tried to yell, to curse at the man like a one-handed pirate; however, her larynx was paralyzed completely. The man's face took on a stern form.
"I will tolerate bad language or only so long, fraulein, and I will not accept any of it directed at me. You will prosper to know this in the future,
"As for the vase, tales of your dwarfed temper has reached my ears; the original was removed, and—thankfully—you have shattered a mere copy."
Asuka's response was a continued attempt at verbal abuse.
"You may speak when you are calm."
That shut her up.
The redhead stepped out of the path of the stranger as he moved forward. He coolly regarded the people before him, bowed, and said, "You are most welcome. May a little of the joy you bring remain here with us."
Misato scoffed boldly and stood. She walked over to the man with anger in her eyes.
"Just who the hell do you think you are?"
The blue eyes twinkled at some private amusement. His lips turned into a slight smile.
"Ah, forgive me. It has been some time since I have been required an introduction.
"I am Dracula."
Misato stood before Dracula, a grim look on her face. Her eyes took on a matter of emotions; fear, hate, despair…
"BWAHAHAHAHAHA!"
Okay, I guess the alcohol has messed up her eyes a bit.
The Major laughed loudly and strongly as she held her stomach, as is the proper thing to do when laughing in someone's face. The Children looked at her as if she were out of her mind, while Dracula put on a face of astonished irritation.
"HAHAHAheeheeheeheheheheh…so let me get this straight, you're Count Dracula, the vampire?"
"Correct except for the title, in my homeland I was voivode—Prince—and I have seen no reason to renounce that dignity."
"Okay, Prince," she said with sarcasm, "If you're Dracula, then what did…Lucy taste like?"
"Vaguely a mixture of Welsh and German, with a little piece of French on the side."
Misato stiffened as Dracula took on a reminiscent look as he said that.
"O-o-o-kay; what did you tell Harker when the wolves howled?"
"That 'Children of the Night' quote and that he had a spider in his hair."
Dracula peered at the major, looking uninterested at her consternation.
"All right," she said, folding her arms, "You're Dracula. Why did you bring us here?"
"To maintain your safety, my dear," said the Prince, his hand rising to gesture around the room, "You and your…charges…are quite safe here,"
"From who?"
Dracula smiled, showing off pearl-white teeth, "Who do you think? Would you not like to sit down, Major Katsuragi?"
At the end of his question Misato found herself sitting on a chair facing the vampire, who smiled graciously.
"There; is that not more comfortable?"
Dracula's eyes turned back toward Asuka, who was looking down sulkingly like a little girl.
"Now, fraulein, are you calm enough to join in a mature discussion?"
Asuka nodded slowly.
"Good," Dracula said. He held up his right hand and shifted it to the right. Asuka's larynx was finally freed up and she took a breath.
"SOB," she muttered under her breath as she walked over by where Rei sat.
Dracula only smirked at her.
"I know that you are…startled by my little revelation. However, I assure you: none of your blood will be tasted or spilled by my followers. I vow this by my father's house."
"In my land, I was prince and ruler. I drove the Turks from my land and impaled those who betrayed my father, as was my right by the customs of my race!"
Dracula turned and approached the painting over the fireplace.
"Aye, I have known since the times of my youth that I remained unbroken in the Sultan's dungeons for a reason. I waged war against those who waged war against my people through taxes and the sword. It was only I that stood between my Wallachia and slavery under the Grand Turk, and for this I am proud!"
He turned around, lightning in his eyes.
"I shall not bore you with the details of my rising, I shall only tell you what happened to me fifteen years ago."
Shinji looked at the Children beside him and peered at Dracula with more curiosity now then ever.
"It was a normal workday," said Dracula, his face taking on the whimsical look of one who remembers, "I was in my office in London, going about the affairs of my organization—you've heard of the Draculesti Group, I hope?"
Asuka's mouth fell open.
"Y-y-you run Draculesti?! Mein gott! You have your fingers in everything!"
Dracula smiled and crossed his arms fitfully.
"Yes…but anyway, to my story. I had just finished authorizing a new African subsidiary when I felt the tremor…and the cries."
Dracula held a hand next to his head as he went on, "We of the living dead have… connections to nature, and the psychic forces of the universe. I felt the surge of power as the First Angel destroyed Antarctica, as half of humanity was murdered."
Dracula stood quietly then, his hands grasping and un-grasping, his eyes coming to life with red light.
"I tried to stop it, you know, young ones," he said quietly,
"As soon as I learned of SEELE's plans and your father's mission, Miss.
Katsuragi, I ordered the team you were traveling with eliminated." He looked at
the Major with cold eyes, "Forgive me my dear, but your father was
participating in a plot for mass murder. Sometimes the needs of the many
outweigh the needs of the few."
"You would have killed us?" said the
Major, "Just like that? No second thoughts?"
"If I may be frank…yes. I ordered a fuel-air explosive dropped on your camp. Unfortunately, the sorties were too late," Dracula paused before mumbling, "The whole effort cost me five good pilots."
"Well, excuse me if you didn't get to kill us in order to save your dead skin,"
"An odd statement considering that if I were successful, billions of lives would have been saved."
The Operations Chief became silent and withdrew a little, letting Rei venture a question.
"Why have you brought us here? What quarrel do you have with NERV?"
Dracula crossed his arms, pausing a moment for thought.
"NERV…" he began, "Is currently being led by foolish men with no interest in actually saving humanity. They have lied to the entire world for over a decade; hidden the truth behind Second Impact; and have sabotaged other projects just so they could retain a monopoly on the machines that could save mankind."
"Hey, hold on," said Misato, leaning forward, "I agree about one thing: Gendo Ikari's a son of a bitch. But as far as I know, Sub-Commander Fuyutsuki hasn't done anything…"
Dracula laughed. The laugh was low and dark, ending with a quiet chuckle.
"Oh please, major. Fuyutsuki is almost as bad as Gendo himself. The old gentlemen had known the secret of Second Impact for some time before joining your dubious organization. He let Gendo talk him out of revealing everything to the world."
Misato was silent.
"There is a saying, my dear, 'Evil triumphs when good men do nothing.' The professor has joined in the great lie, preventing justice from being done. Therefore, he is an accomplice and is as deserving of punishment as Commander Ikari."
A quiet voice rose from Shinji, "What happens now? What are you going to do?"
Dracula smiled and rose a hand, one finger coming up.
"First, I shall prove to this poor world that despite your father's and his associate's bungling attempts at megalomania, I am quite capable of setting it right.
Adam and Lillith shall be destroyed; with them having finally experienced the True Death, the world need not fear any more Angel attacks,"
"What?"
"Please, do not interrupt me, young man. To accomplish the great things I am about to do I find myself coming to the rescue of some…prominent individuals. With their aid, I shall justify my new order and bring this world into a new age. Gendo Ikari will see how I have rebuilt the things he has destroyed with his carelessness and idiotic ideals, and the revenge I shall wreak shall be so much more sweet.
"Secondly, the various stratagems that we have formulated shall be put into play, and this world, wounded and sick as it is, will be united under our banners.
I already have destroyed the only group that could possibly stand in my way. Their broken little bodies are spread out across the globe, in offices emptied of all relevant files.
"Thirdly, the united industrial might of this planet shall be put to work to repair as much as possible. Land reclamation shall be one of the main objectives on my program. My organization's researchers are already moving forward in the science of weather manipulation. Within two decades, Antarctica will reappear on the map, albeit somewhat smaller."
Asuka had crossed her arms and stared hostilely at the vampire as he had spoken. She finally asked a question.
"So, where the hell do we fit in? What are you planning to do with us?"
Dracula frowned, " 'Do'? Nothing, my dear; I hope that you may be persuaded to cooperate with my own followers. I have no interest in threatening you or conscripting you by emotional manipulation, unlike your former leader," Dracula then pulled out a pocket-watch, as if he had suddenly remembered an appointment. He looked blankly at the tiny clock, apparently calculating something, and then put his arm down, watch still clutched in his long fingers.
Misato spoke up, a bit of defiance in her tone, "Why should we cooperate with you? What would you do if we refuse?"
Dracula's mouth twitched downward momentarily, "If you choose to cooperate, my dear, you would be a key part in the rebuilding of the All-Mother, Earth. My plans will involve your experience, and your help would be greatly appreciated…and greatly rewarded."
"I hope you do agree to remain with us, my young friends," Dracula went on, "I have another appointment in a few moments, so you'll have to excuse me."
Dracula turned and walked toward the mysteriously opening doors.
"In the meantime," he said, walking past two figures who slightly flinched away from him, "I shall leave you to get…reacquainted…" Dracula's voice echoed in the great hall as Kaji Ryouji and Kaworu Nagisa stepped into the room…