The Shadow Gallery

Arikado

Timing: Just after Upon the Forge of Souls, and before Tabula Rasa

Characters: Shinji Ikari, Alucard / Genya Arikado, Maya Ibuki, and Ritsuko Akagi

Maya stared blankly at the nearby wall as Ritsuko lightly dabbed the small wounds on her neck with a cotton ball loaded with a healing agent she herself devised. Her eyes shifted towards the boy on the opposite wall who stood silently, looking more down than anywhere else; his arms folded and he leaned heavily on the wall behind him.

"There doesn't seem to be any signs of infection," Ritsuko noted.

Maya sat on a metal stool with only a hospital blanket folded under her for protection. She was naked, her other bite wounds in less decent places already treated. She didn't seem at all phased by her nudity at this point, likely because both of the people in the room with her have seen her naked already. Maya's paler than normal complexion was caused by moderately severe blood loss, but she was awake, mostly cognizant, and responsive. Inside she felt a flurry of emotions; while she now felt some sort of connection with the boy on the wall after he drank her blood and fucked her brains out, she felt like the betrayer now… this despite her beloved, who was treating her wounds, having already in essence betrayed her with the same boy.

"I feel okay, Sempai," Maya noted in a softer than normal voice. "Just weakened and drowsy."

"You should get dressed then and go lay down, I'll bring you something to help stimulate your blood production." Maya nodded, and retrieved her clothes. She glanced over to the boy one last time before redressing, and leaving the room.

Upon the click of the door closing, Ritsuko turned towards Shinji. "So what, I wasn't enough for you?" There was only a twinge of anger in her voice.

"It's not that simple," Shinji admitted. "She threatened to kill me unless I released you. But since I couldn't do that, nor was she a threat, I simply denied her. She tried to push her advantage and I got mad. Her aggression seems to have awoken the monster in me… the one I've feared would arise one day."

Ritsuko considered him a moment before realizing this was likely what happened. "This is partly my fault then," she concluded.

"Don't blame yourself."

"I should have paid more attention to her… I shouldn't have rushed into… us."

Shinji pushed himself off the wall and approached her, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"This… is… not… your… fault," he maintained. "You and I know damn well that there are so many other forces at play here." He released her shoulder, approaching the window. "Honestly, she was the last person I ever expected to be the one to awaken me like this."

"You're still not Dracula you know."

Shinji pulled open the curtain a little, exposing his hand to the sun. His skin started to smoke as if exposed to extreme heat. He quickly withdrew it before the damage was beyond his ability to quickly regenerate from.

"Could have fooled me," Shinji replied sardonically. He walked past the mirror in the room, and noted he could no longer see his reflection. His gaze shifted down where he should see his own shadow, but none existed. "I'm a full-fledged vampire now. I have to drink blood to survive, I can't be out at all in daylight, and I cast neither reflection nor shadow. I'm a monster… pure and simple… and I hurt the girl you love."

"She'll be fine, you didn't do any lasting damage."

"Didn't I though?" Shinji noted. "Maybe not physical damage, but hell if I didn't cause mental trauma. Plus, she's now connected to me and she isn't even a supernatural entity, which has to be strange for her."

"She's strong, she'll adapt."

"That's not the issue." Shinji moved towards the other wall, making a heavy sigh despite no longer needing to draw breath at all. "I don't know if I can live with this anymore. I'm an undead demon… all my attempts to ward this off and resist fate have been for nothing. I don't even know who the fuck I am anymore!"

Ritsuko stood silent for a moment. "Then maybe it's time."

"Time for what?" Shinji questioned, slightly more aggressively than he would have liked.

"Time to find out who you are. It's going to be dangerous and risky, but if anyone can handle it, it would be you."

"What are you suggesting?"

"You no longer feel connected to humanity… maybe you should try to find that connection again."

Shinji thought for a moment on her words. "The same way Dracula did long ago."

Ritsuko nodded. "I know it didn't end so well for him, but Lisa Tepes wasn't a warrior like the seven of us are."

"Eight."

"Maya is not a fighter."

Shinji nodded. "Perhaps she will find her strength, but she is just as important as the rest of you."

Ritsuko smiled softly. "I'm glad you feel that way."

"I'll leave tomorrow," he decided. "I'll take the rest of tonight and all of tomorrow daytime to prepare. I'll travel light, just as he did."

Nearly One Year Ago…

Shinji sat on a barstool waiting for the bartender to come by. The day had passed mostly like the last few. No new cases were dropped on his lap, and his leads on the older ones weren't baring fruit. He almost wished for the days of fighting biblical monstrosities in a giant half-organic mech. Of course, the risk of death and pain involved in that activity was virtually insurmountable, but at least he wouldn't be bored.

"Aren't you a little young to be in here?" the bartender asked as she approached. She was a rather buxom woman who looked more amused than annoyed at his presence. Shinji simply flashed her his NERV ID.

"Sake, warm." He said without further ceremony.

"I guess you get asked that a lot," she noted. NERV employees were exempt from the alcohol age limit so long as they didn't get drunk and disorderly, and Shinji knew well his limits.

He felt, rather than saw someone sit next to him. In a deep and almost silky voice the man ordered Plum Wine. Shinji glanced at him, and immediately realized if he was in fact into other guys, this is exactly the sort of man he'd pursue. He was tall, had long black hair, and a face that could easily be described as Bishounen. He wore a dark suit with a white button up under it, black tie, and his jacket had two columns of buttons.

Shinji accepted his sake and sipped it slowly.

"You're new here, aren't you," the man asked.

"I tend not to frequent the same bar more than a time or two a month. I like the variety." He turned in his stool bowing slightly to the man. "Ikari Shinji."

"Arikado Genya," the man replied, also bowing in respect. "Pleased to finally make your acquaintance."

Shinji raised an eyebrow. "You were looking for me?"

Arikado reached into his suit jacket and produced a card, similar to a business card. "I work for the church," he began. "Don't worry, I'm not the type to proselytize. I'm here to give you a bit of intelligence as we're now working very closely with NERV."

"Ah… this must be about the current 'cult' activity I've been hearing about. Honestly this sort of thing runs outside our normal jurisdiction… but it's not like I have anything better to do right now."

"Indeed," Arikado agreed. "You came highly recommended by the Supreme Commander."

Shinji raised an eyebrow yet again. "That's surprising. I've never been very close with my father. I was under the impression that after the Angel War ended, he'd have little actual use for me."

Arikado received his wine and took a sip before continuing. "Be that as it may, he has the upmost confidence in your abilities… even if he was a bit… hands-off with the whole situation."

"Not surprising. He always seems so preoccupied with other things."

Arikado slid an envelope over to him. "I'll be your contact in the church. You'll likely have to go to various places and have to stay there for days at a time."

"Asuka is gonna hate that," Shinji noted sadly.

"Yes, I was told you and her were… close."

Shinji harumphed.

"In any case, I've made some of my own resources available to you for the purposes of acting incognito."

"Is that necessary?" Shinji asked, now a little worry slipping into his voice.

"It is… when you are utilizing such resources you must refer to yourself as if you were me. As I said, these are my personal resources… which are nigh inexhaustible, so do not be afraid to use them if your life is in danger."

"You think this cult problem is going to get that far out of hand?"

Arikado finished his plum wine, and stood up, dropped some large bills on the bar, straightened his suit and insured it was still clean. "My friend… it's going to be a nightmare…"

Presently, Shinji found himself drifting into a safehouse well north of Tokyo-3. It would be several days before he would meet Mayumi Yamagishi in the city of Kushiro-2. He was hurt, dealing with more cultists from the Sons of Shaft. Their persistence was finally starting to annoy him. Now as a Vampire, and having a firm control over the power of Dominus to the extent that he was learning new ways to use his souls, he was quite the threat to them. As a result, they were stepping up their efforts even further, sending stronger forces after him in an effort to bring him down.

This safehouse wasn't his though… it belonged to his long-time benefactor, Genya Arikado, who's name he'd used several times during his time in NERV and a few outside, including to rent a room in Tokyo-2 back when Hikari was dragged into the madness his life was becoming.

As he entered the living room, the light switched on by itself causing him to freeze. There, his long-time benefactor sat in a chair, removing his hand from the lamp next to him.

"So, this is where your travels have taken you," he mused.

"Arikado," Shinji said in a low voice. "It's been a hot minute. I'm guessing as a member of the church, you're here to deal with me?"

"Not at all," he replied as he stood up. "I'm here to help you."

"Now why would a church operative want to help me? I took several risks using your resources to protect myself after acquiring Dominus and expected you'd find me eventually. But ultimately the church wants me destroyed, doesn't it?"

"Not presently," Arikado said matter-of-factly, "but I'm sure they are concerned. I'm not here on church business… I'm here to help you."

"How?"

"I need you to know I'm not your enemy first, so I have decided to do something that may seem risky."

"That being?" Shinji questioned cautiously.

"Reveal my true nature to you. Genya Arikado is not my real name." A glow seemed to cover over him a moment as his hair turned white, his skin even paler, and his outfit shifted into something more appropriate for the 14th century. "It's Adrian Fahrenheit Tepes."

Shinji stepped back, feeling the power of the man in front of him.

"You're Alucard?! Dracula's son?!"

"I am. Perhaps now you understand why I was willing to put forward my own capital to aid you."

Shinji sat down on a nearby chair. "All this time… but why?"

"I knew you would be the one to succeed my father… I felt it the moment we met in that bar a year ago. Though you still have a long way to go, I believe you becoming Dracula's successor is now inevitable."

"But why help it along?"

"You are the best hope the world has… maybe you can be what he wasn't… a good ruler, one not consumed by petty revenge."

Shinji frowned. "What are you talking about? Dracula led a war against humanity for the purposes of subjugation."

"Do you really believe that?" Alucard challenged.

"The church does."

"I wonder about that," he noted. "Having worked within their confines… it feels as if something was being obfuscated, even from some of its most trusted members… and certainly from the Belmont linage. Having fought along side one and rescued another from a dark fate at the hands of Shaft, I can say that there are secrets within the church that would likely shatter the very foundations of faith if they ever got out."

Shinji made an almost amused sound. "I shouldn't be surprised, there are many stories of corruption within the priesthood…"

"So then simply based on that fact alone, who can say what the truth behind Dracula's initial war against humanity really is?"

Shinji sighed. "What is it you're not telling me."

"A lot," Alucard admitted. "But there is a reason for that. The truths I hold would be unbelievable if I told them to you, because I know you don't fully trust me despite everything I've done. So, you must learn these truths yourself, and then you will believe… and act on them in an appropriate manner."

"You speak as if something like this has happened before."

Alucard held the shadow of a smile on his face. "Your powers of perception serve you well. Yes… I had a few incidents where simply telling someone the truth held unintended consequences. I find it is more beneficial to simply point someone in the right direction, and allow the events to unfold naturally."

"I see." Shinji sighed again. "After my experiences at NERV, I'm less enthused about secrets being kept from me for obvious reasons… but I do trust you enough to trust in your judgement in this matter. So, seeing as how you are acting as a guide of sorts, where should my travels take me?"

Alucard rose to his feet and proceeded towards the door, the façade of Genya Arikado returning as he walked. "Go to Kushiro-2, the sooner you can arrive there the better. I believe it is there that you will find your true path."

As he reached Shinji, he placed a hand on his shoulder causing the younger man to look at him.

"Fortune be with you." And with that, he left, leaving Shinji with his thoughts. He hadn't planned on going anywhere near Kushiro-2… but he knew he would now.

"A good ruler? How can someone as dark as me become a good ruler…"