Episode 7--Never Land

A great steamship at sea is on fire. A crewman runs down a corridor in panic, pursued overhead by a pack of winged figures, appearing as children with flickering butterfly wings. The man is cornered; one of the children chuckles and fires a blast from her outstretched hand. The man squalls in agony.

Abel visits a man in prison. Dandelion, you haven't changed a bit, he says. The shackled prisoner asks how long this will take off his sentence. Abel checks his clipboard: 7300 days, he replies; that's 20 years. He explains that since last month a number of ships in the waters off Albion have been attacked by vampires. The remains of a certain person were recovered from the last incident--he shows a photo. Faeries?--asks the dark-haired man, completely serious.

We see them in a small plane, Abel piloting, the prisoner now dressed in priest's vestments like Abel's. Even among vampires that kind is rare, he comments. Abel says that the investigation showed he hadn't been born a vampire, but was artificially converted. Surprise: a man-made vampire? Abel nods: an orphan, adopted by a certain individual. One James Barrie, an Albion nobleman and university professor, now retired and running an orphanage on a small island. I don't like it when the cases involve kids, mutters Leon. ==[Abel's nickname for him is cute, but this man is Leon Garsia de Asturias, and I will call him Leon from now on.] --Just as the island comes into view there's a loud explosion and one of the plane's engines belches smoke. Abel panicks; Leon shrugs that the rental fee was cheap and there's no problem until the warning lights come on. They make a speedy, steep descent.

On the grounds, an older girl, Wendy, is telling younger ones they need to do chores before playing--suddenly the plane zooms low overhead. Kids stop and stare upward, and Wendy crumples, trembling in terror. They're coming, she says--the grown-ups. The boy she was scolding, Peter [James Barrie, Wendy, Peter, faeries--you see maybe a pattern here?], promises to protect her, and runs off.

After a rough landing, Leon and Abel glumly survey their situation; the plane is damaged and the radio is gone; they’re stranded here. Abel begins to pray for deliverance but is felled by a rock thrown from the shrubbery; another rock heads for Leon but he catches and returns it, then exchanges insults and shoves with Peter ("--bratty kids!""Get out of here, grownup!").

--At the orphanage, Wendy serves tea (with Abel's requested ton of sugar) and Abel tries to apply his usual diplomatic charm to get information. Is the Professor away? he asks--but suddenly his vision starts to blur...

Cute little Wendy climbs onto his lap and takes his face in her hands, smiling sweetly. I want to know about you, she says. About me?--he repeats drowsily. --Who are you? Where are you from? I am Abel Nightroad, he says, slowly. Department of Ecclesiastical Affairs, government contractor, Special Agency AX. And what did AX come here to do? Vampires, he says...ships being attacked...punish… with an effort he breaks away, spills the tea--a truth serum. So you've come to kill us, says Wendy--what else? Where is Professor Barrie? --Abel gasps. What, you're still conscious? I must not have given you enough, she says. It's a shame, but you won't be meeting him, ever. A group of the orphans flanks her; they eyes glow red. This island, she says as he loses consciousness, is only for children.

Leon and Peter are still on the beach by the wrecked plane. Peter admits that the "old man" has beaten him, but says some day he'll be strong enough to protect Wendy and everyone. Leon gets the "Peter and Wendy" joke and guffaws loudly, then sees the kid's hurt expression and apologizes, saying that whether weak or strong, he's a true man if he defends the girl he cares for. The kid brightens, asking if he might be as strong as Leon some day. Well, second strongest, says the priest with a smile, and then asks if he'll call Abel. Sure, says Peter and starts away, adding that since he's "defective" he'd thought he had no chance of succeeding, but now he feels he really can be strong someday. He runs off; "defective"?--puzzles Leon…

Out on nowhere a line of blasts rakes the sand by the plane; Leon dives for cover, then turns to face---right--a troop of hovering faeries; the orphan kids. You're unexpectedly fast, one says, firing again. He dodges, and whips out a chakram-like weapon. Play with me, he grins back. --How dare you, grown-up! --they unite and fire a psychic blast. --Die!

Abel comes to; he's strapped to an examination table. Peter cuts the straps and says he'll save Abel; everyone hates adults, and Abel will die if he stays here, but Peter wants to leave the island. Take me with you, he says. They pass through a long cavern tunnel lined with markers--burials. They’re the same as me, Peter says: ones who died before they could convert. Was Professor Barrie's experiment, Abel asks him, the creation of man-made vampires?

We got blood transfusions, says Peter, and weird implants. The Professor constantly did cruel things to everyone, especially Wendy. (We see him taking a downcast-looking Wendy into a room, the door left slightly ajar, and Peter peeking through the crack with a look of horror and shock. ) That's why everyone hates grown-ups, says Peter somberly.

Ahead of them on the path are Wendy and the others, barring the way. Wendy reaches out to Peter, instantly draining his will; Abel shouts for him to stop, but too late. She punches a dagger through his ribs, saying that if he could have remained a child they would have gotten along fine...how stupid...he avoided the truth, like you.

She sics the flying faeries on Abel, who leaps into a tree, shooting them down without hesitation. I won't forgive you for despising him, he says coldly. What do you know?! --she cries. System Tinkerbell activate! A bell rings out; the tower at the orphanage glows, and the kids' blasts become deadly accurate and powerful, shooting Abel out of his tree and pounding him onto the ground. I'm moving everyone with my thoughts, says Wendy, and a blastline rips up the ground straight toward Abel, stopping just short of him. Wendy smiles. Farewell, Father who shies away from truth, she says--but there's an explosion, and she stares stunned as the tower shakes in a cloud of smoke.-- The Tinkerbell System!

We see Leon, walking away from the tower. A master-slave method tactical control system, he muses. Through that bell you send control orders to the other faeries; if I break that bell the whole system will end. He shoulders a rocket launcher. Playtime is over, he says, and fires. The tower collapses in rubble; the faeries fall from the sky. Wendy flies furiously at Leon, who spins his chakram and knocks her out of the sky. He draws his gun.

Abel rushes up and pleads that he needn't kill them. We were sent to arrest Barrie and exterminate the vampires behind the ship attacks, Leon growls. We can just arrest them and take them away, protests Abel. They're precious specimens, man-made vampires, says Leon; they'll be experimented on for hundreds of years. If you think it's cruel, pray for them; as AX members we're permitted prayer, but sympathy is not allowed. He casts Abel aside, and levels the gun at Wendy, but Peter races in and falls onto her, shielding her. Leon freezes. Please don't kill Wendy, Peter begs; she was only following the Professor's orders. Peter, it's all right, Wendy says wearily; Neverland is over. But Peter pleads with Leon, and the Spanish priest hesitates, roars in frustration ("Am I the only bad guy?") throws his gun away and helps the kids to their feet. So Abel, what's your backup plan? --he asks; I'm sure you have one.
--Well, he does have one, but...

We hear Caterina reading their report. So you attacked Professor Barrie's hideout at Neverland Island for conducting illegal experiments, she says. Professor Barrie's death was not confirmed but all the vampires were eliminated. (We see an ocean liner steaming along, a half-dozen orphan kids waving happily from the deck.) That's good, but what's this strange invoice in your expense statement? Chartering a cargo ship with the destination of Londinium in Albion? The expense is considerable. --They try to laugh off an explanation, but she says she won't allow it as a mission expense and will forward them the bill. They turn on each other: But I don’t have that kind of money! --I've been living in prison! You think I have money?! [Why was Leon in jail anyway?]

Caterina leans her head in her hands and sighs as they continue to quarrel...

...go on to Episode Eight.

...return to Trinity Blood Episode Guide.