Tokyo-3
The next day
Shinji had narrowly avoided the beat down himself. Kensuke had, in fact, been waiting for him, but Dr. House's advice had kept him safe. Misato wasn't at home, nor did she return all night, but Pen-Pen kept Shinji company.
He fell asleep early, but late at night, or, perhaps, early in the morning, he woke up when he heard his door open. He squinted so it looked like his eyes were closed when, in fact, he could just barely see through them. And the cursed penguin was coming into his room. Probably, Shinji thought, to murder him in his sleep.
"Psst…" the penguin whispered. "Shinji? Are you awake?"
Shinji kept perfectly still.
"Yeah. Okay. Like a penguin talking to you wouldn't wake you up."
Shinji watched as the door opened wider. A dark figure stood there. He opened his eyes and a light came on.
"Ikari!"
There stood House, wielding an axe.
"Time for a little medicine!"
I walked down through the rainy streets. Murphy – er, Misato was at NERV. Bob – a rather perverted air spirit of intellect – was guarding Shinji. And in a few hours, St. Pierre, the Lord Himself, was going to send me to collect a third child for this secret paramilitary bullcrap agency.
So I wasn't exactly ready for the challenge. But I was willing to accept it now that it was here. If only the damned White Council would tell me where the hell it was hiding. I needed some answers, and I needed them fast. The most important one was the Angel.
St. Pierre had rid me of Lasciel, a Fallen angel trapped in my mind.
He had rid the world of another angel a few hours before. Except this one was huge, funky colored, and about to fight against a giant mechanical monster.
And I had a feeling there were more to come.
A lot more.
I heard footsteps behind me, slow moving and clunky. I walked a little faster and looked for somewhere to escape to.
"Hey!" called a voice from behind me, "People used to have a lot more respect for cripples, you know."
I turned around and walked backwards at the same pace. I could see in the distance a man with a cane limping towards me. I held out my handy dandy staff.
"Who are you?"
"A friend."
"Do you have a name?"
"Do you have the decency to slow down?"
I stopped.
"Thank God, man."
He hobbled towards me.
"I should mention," he said, "that courtesy dictates I should say my name first, being the approacher and all."
"Yes," I said.
"However," he continued, "I'd just as soon courtesy shoved a stick up his ass then tell you who I am without hearing your name first."
I paused.
"My name or my Name?"
He glared at me.
"Is there a difference?"
So he wasn't any kind of magic-user. See, a Name is something that can be used to call a person, and to make them do pretty much whatever you want them, too. When used just right – and it's hard – that is. It involves pronouncing it with all the subtle qualities of the Name's owner.
"Dresden." I said to him. "Harry Dresden. You?"
By that time he'd reached me. "Gregory House," he said, "I'm a teacher at the …" he paused for a moment, thinking, and finally said, "school up that way."
Ah, I thought to myself, Ikari's school.
"So what can I do for you, Mister – "
"Doctor."
"Right. Er…Doctor House?"
He sighed. "I haven't a clue. I was told by my boss to come see you."
I cocked my head. "Someone at the school sent you to me?"
"No," he said, waving his hands, "my other job."
Fishy.
"What's your other job?"
"I'm an exotic dancer."
"Oh, really?" I said, "What's that like?"
"It's a blast."
"I'll bet."
It was silent for a minute.
"I'm a doctor you idiot," he said.
"Oh, right."
I looked at him. We were both drenched with rain.
"Tell you what. Let's find a bar and talk this through."
"Sounds good to me."
We walked a little ways before coming across a bar. It wasn't like my good old bar back home used to be, but it was good enough. We sat in the back.
"So, Doctor," I said.
"Yes, Dresden?"
"What the hell is this about?"
He rolled his eyes. "I told you I haven't got a clue. What do you keep going on about?"
A musician took his place on the bar's little stage.
"Well, it's a little strange, isn't it? I mean, I'm perfectly healthy as far as I know. Am I going to keel over and die or something?"
The musician pulled out a small guitar.
"I don't think so. I don't work at that kind of place anyway," he said.
"Then what kind of place do you work at?"
"I can't tell you."
Whereupon I got a wicked evil idea.
I reached into my pocket and felt around for a moment. Stick of gum, an onion, aha.
I pulled out my NERV badge.
"I think you can."
He looked at the badge suspiciously. The musician sang a bad song about his girl leaving him or something.
"Hmm…" House looked at me, and then, without warning, I saw him set a gun on the edge of the table, pointed up at my face.
"Whoa!" I said, "that's a little rash, isn't it?"
"Keep it down, Dresden," he said, "or whoever you are."
"What the hell do you mean?"
He laughed. "Dresden, you have to be the dumbest man on the Earth!" He grabbed the badge and held it up. "Are you Mister Kaji, Dresden?"
Oh, crap. I'd completely forgotten that I was supposed to be "Ryoji Kaji." Now I was in a lot of trouble.
Thank God I was saved. And by the last man I ever expected to see.
"Mister Kaji,"
I looked up. The waiter had arrived.
"Er…yes?"
"Good to see you again." The waiter turned to House. "My name is Morgan, and I'll be your waiter. Can I get you something to drink?"
"Wait. You know this guy?" House nodded at me.
"Of course," said Morgan, "we've met on occasion." I noticed he didn't mention that those occasions were usually attempts to find me guilty of breaking the Laws of Magic. Morgan was a warden and it was his job to make the guilty pay for their crimes. And since all of the Laws of Magic were punishable by death and not much else, his job got to be that much more fun. "A beverage, sir?"
"I'm all set," he said.
"I'll take a beer." I said.
"Very well."
The musician moved on to a song about his dog.
"So," House continued, "which is it? Dresden or Kaji?"
I shifted uncomfortably in my seat. My mind had realized something. What if House worked for NERV? I was so incredibly doomed if he was. Unless I could be really clever. I figured I'd go for clever, and if that didn't work, I'd run like a little girl.
"I dunno, Dr. House. Where do you work?"
He smiled at me.
"NERV, Dresden. So watch your answers."
I knew it. Or he was bluffing, but something told me he wasn't. It would make sense that Commander Ikari would want his son guarded by a NERV thug at all times, and a NERV doctor thug would be absolutely perfect.
"Well," I said, focusing my energy to a ring on my right hand, "my real name is, in fact, Corpus Silum."
His eyes slid out of focus, and then returned to normal again.
Morgan returned with no drinks.
"Hello. My name is Morgan, and I'll be your waiter. Can I start you off with something to drink?"
"Sure," said House, "I'll take the house draft. Best beer in town?"
"Of course," droned Morgan, "and for you?"
"The same, please."
Morgan wandered away. House looked back at me.
"So, Mr. Kaji, I'm sorry. Refresh my memory, please? What were we talking about?"
Oh, man. I am a bloody genius.
Misato woke Shinji barely in time for him to get to school. He couldn't remember any of his dreams, though he thought he had dreamt something important.
He rushed to school and barely made it in time. House followed him in and closed the door.
Immediately, Shinji noticed two major differences. First of all, the empty seat near the window had an occupant – the girl from NERV. Rei something. And second of all, the big guy who sat with Kensuke was eyeing him with a look usually reserved for rapists, murderers, and insurance salesman.
"Good morning class," said House. "I had an extremely long evening and I don't feel like teaching anything. Read a book."
And then he left.
