I don't own anything.

Lycanthrope 2: The Prophecy

Chapter Twenty-Four: A deal's a deal.

Lu stared at the hunched body of one of the greatest lycans she had ever met and sighed. "I'm very sorry Shinji." She glanced around and pulled up the sleeve of his suit jacket to check her watch. "That bastard is late." She pulled out her cell phone and flipped through the phone book before finding the number she wanted.

"Hello?" a strangely echoing male voice said.

"This is Lu," Lu said. "Where the hell are you G?"

"I'm doing my job," the Grim Reaper said. "Now why are you calling me? Don't you know there's a civil war going on in Azerbaijan? I'm very busy."

"Where the hell is Azerbaijan?" Lu asked. "Are you bull shitting me?"

"It's a former Soviet satellite state," the Grim Reaper said. "Those damn Russians are behind this, I know it!"

"Of course you know," Lu said in annoyance. "Aren't you suppose to reap what's left of Shinji Fenrir's soul tonight?"

"No."

"Can't you check your book?" Lu asked.

"Trust me. I would have remembered if that particular name had showed up," the Grim Reaper said. "Now why are you bothering me about him? Please keep it brief, an ambush is about to be sprung."

"I'm bothering you about him," Lu began, "because I'm standing here staring at his corpse. Could you check your book please? Maybe his previous death screwed something up."

"On second." There was a short pause. "Nothing."

"How can that be?" Lu asked. "The book must be wrong."

"The book is never wrong," the Grim Reaper said. A burst of gunfire came across the line. "Such a shame. His wife just had a child."

"Focus!"

"Sorry. Look, I don't know what to tell you. Try checking his pulse or something. Kick him in the nuts for all I care."

"You'd like that, wouldn't you?"

"Actually. . ." Lu flipped her phone shut and shoved it in her pocket.

"Asshole." She prodded Shinji with her toe. "Now what the hell is going on?"

(:ii:)

"What the hell is going on?" Shinji looked around the monorail and sighed. "Now this is hell." Shinji leaned back in his seat and wrapped his skull across the window. It didn't even crack. "God I hope I'm not stuck here for eternity."

"Does twenty minutes sound better?" Shinji glanced to his left and stared at the smiling dark-haired woman. It took him a moment to place her face.

"Lady?" He was on the ground kneeling before she could even blink.

"Wow. I've seem a lot of groveling, but you're definitely one of the best."

"Thank you Lady," Shinji said, keeping his eyes on the ground.

"You can stop with the groveling now."

"Yes Lady." Shinji climbed to his feet, but kept his eyes on the floor.

"Every time," the woman said in annoyance. "Stop acting like I'm royalty or something."

"Kay," Shinji said as he sat back down. "Where am I?"

"You're in the former NERV research labs in Germany," the Lady said." Shinji looked around.

"Are you sure?"

"You doubt the word of the Lady?" the Lady asked.

"Absolutely not," Shinji said quickly. "Didn't I just get shot?"

"Again," the Lady said in exasperation. "You are what we call, a bullet magnet."

"I thought I was a flack jacket," Shinji said.

"That works too," the Lady said, "or gib fodder."

"So. . .why am I here?" Shinji said. "Did that guy forget the silver or something?"

"He remembered the silver."

"Miss the heart?"

"He got the heart."

"So I'm dead, right?"

"Not exactly," the Lady said.

"Okay. Now what the hell does that mean?"

"Since when have you ever needed your heart?" the Lady asked.

"Cute," Shinji said. "That figures. I have to put up with wise ass women in life and now I have to put up with them in. . .whatever the fuck this is." Shinji slammed his skull into the window again. "Where do you go if you die while your dead?"

"Detroit."

"Motor City here I come!"

"Are you trying to annoy me?"

"Yeah. Now why the hell am I alive, I am alive right?"

"Yeah. You just don't have a heart now."

"So what do I have?" Shinji asked. "A black hole? The girls will get a kick out of that."

"Your body has been different for many years," the Lady said.

"Uh," Shinji began. "Is this about puberty, becoming a lycan, or Rei saving my life?"

"You're trying to make me look stupid."

"Of course not Lady."

"Power and life weren't the only things transferred to you," the Lady said. "What do you know about the appendix?"

"I tried one of them before," Shinji said. "I've never thrown up like that before in my life."

"You aren't suppose to eat them!"

"So what's wrong with my appendix now?"

"It's evolved," the Lady said. "It's an S2 organ."

"Oh," Shinji said. "My appendix is an S2 organ. What's S2 organ?"

"It's an angel thing," the Lady said. "Look, I'm not a damned scientist. You hunt down that blondey, tranquilize her so she doesn't scream whenever you're nearby, and have her explain it to you."

"Okay," Shinji said. That actually sounded like fun. Maybe he could trick her into thinking that she had gotten laid. He would love to see the look on her face when she sobered up.

"I don't like the look on your face," the Lady said. "Whatever. I don't really want to know. I believe you have a promise to keep Fenrir. Go show the world what happens when you cross a lycan."

"I will."

"One thing," the Lady said as she reached out and rested her hand on what was left of his arm. "A present. I get the feeling that you'll find it. . .amusing."

"One more thing," Shinji said. "Do you really go to Detroit if you die when you're dead?"

"Of course not," the Lady said, "you go to New Jersey."

"Ah," Shinji said with a nod. "Now that makes sense."

(:ii:)

Lu sighed and kneeled down in front of Shinji. "Looks dead to me." She pressed two fingers against the side of his neck and felt around for a moment. "He's dead." Shinji glanced up and scowled at her. Lu promptly fell on her ass in shock.

"Watch who you're calling dead," he growled.

"Bu. . .but. . .but," Lu stuttered.

"Whatever," Shinji growled as he stood up. Lu watched in shock as the right sleeve of his coat filled up and a pale hand appeared. He scooped up his pistol and stared at his right hand. "Which way?" Lu's jaw continued to work even as no sound came out as she watched the crimson pentagram on Shinji's hand spin wildly for a moment. Finally it stopped and Shinji glanced up. "The deal still stands." He turned and walked out of the room.

"Wait a minute!" But it was no use, he was gone. Lu moved to a more comfortable position and cross her legs. "Did he always have orange eyes?" she wondered suddenly. "Whatever."

(:ii:)

"Interesting." Keel watched as his hand continued to tremble. Was this some strange vestige from Tabris? "I wonder what is happening."

(:ii:)

Craven frowned and looked around. He had never felt a power like this before. 'Well something similar at least,' he thought. He glanced up at Jen, Mana, and Aggie. They hadn't even notice him stop. Craven turned down one of the many hallways. "Shinji?"

"Keep looking for the proxy." Craven whipped around with his H&K up and ready. He stared at the other man through the red dot scope and quickly lowered his weapon.

"What the hell is going on?" Craven demanded. "I thought you were dead."

"Who says I'm not?" the larger man asked. Craven's mouth opened to deliver an insult, but snapped shut. He listened carefully and tried to pick up the sound of Shinji's blood in his veins. He couldn't find it.

"Okay."

"Find the proxy," Shinji repeated as he turned away and started down another hallway.

"What about Tabris?"

"He's dead," Shinji called over his shoulder without looking back or stopping.

"All of him?"

"Yes," Shinji said. "Find the proxy."

"I heard you the first time," Craven said in annoyance. Shinji didn't bother looking at him as he turned around a corner.

"Hey Craven!" Craven turned and saw Aggie staring at him. "What are you doing?"

"Nothing," Craven said. "Forget about Tabris and Keel. We need to find the proxy."

"But. . ."

"Now," Craven said. "We need to find it now."

"Why the sudden change?"

"Because I fear the consequences."

(:ii:)

Keel looked around the control and punched a few more buttons. Everything would soon be ready. He glanced at the monitors showing the locations of the intruders and then back to the controls. Then something struck him. He spun back to the monitors. There were seven signals. There had been seven signals when they first arrived. There should only be six without Fenrir. "What the hell?" The unknown signal was coming towards him fast. Keel sighed and picked up his Mauser. He pushed a long twenty-round magazine into the weapon and pulled back the charging handle. He stepped out into the hallway beyond the control room and looked around. "I know you're there!"

"Good." Keel whipped around and opened fire, the Mauser emptying its clip in seconds. Keel straightened up and stared at the man standing a few meters down the hallway.

"Fenrir. You're dead."

"I'm aware of that." Keel watched as the man raised his weapon. "So are you." Keel smirked and glanced at the deformed bullets scattered across the floor at Fenrir's feet.

"We can shoot at each other all day," he said.

"Not all day," Fenrir said as he raised his weapon. The massive pistol cracked and Keel watched in horror as his AT field shattered.

(:ii:)

Shinji smirked as he watched Keel fall to the group clasping his mutilated right arm. He had been aiming to kill, but the AT field had deflected his shot. "An arm for an arm Keel," Shinji said as he glanced at his weapon. The slide was locked open. He had wasted too many rounds on Tabris. "So much for not getting my hands dirty."

"You will not get in my way," Keel managed as he straightened up. Shinji watched as the flesh of his arm mended.

"Regeneration. Such a pesky angel trick."

"I'll show you another pesky angel trick," Keel growled.

(:ii:)

"What is going on?" Misato demanded as she looked around the command center wildly.

"Two massive blue patterns have appeared ma'am," one of the computer technicians answered. "I thought all the angels were gone."

"There are still a few left," Ritsuko said calmly.

"If you know something then say so!" Misato snapped.

"Rei, Touji, Tabris," Ritsuko said. A smirk flitted across her face.

"One of the patterns has been matched," another technician said. "It's the seventeenth ma'am!"

"What about the other one?" Misato demanded. "Is it Rei or Touji?"

"It's neither," the man said. "It appeared previously roughly eleven years ago, but was never identified."

"An eighteenth angel?" Misato asked in shock.

"Of course," Ritsuko said. "Don't tell you can't remember eleven years ago? We were witness to the birth of the eighteenth. We watched it happened from in this very room." Misato tried to think back eleven years.

"That was when Ikari tried to initiate the Third Impact," Misato said. "What does that have to do with anything."

"A new angel was created that day," Ritsuko said. "One with a pattern similar to the second angel. Why would new angel have a similar pattern to the second?"

"You are starting to piss me off," Misato growled. She stopped suddenly. Rei had saved Shinji's life. She had explained that she had given some of her own energy to Shinji. "It's Shinji."

(:ii:)

Keel ducked around the corner and doubled over, blood dripping from his mouth. "Damn you Fenrir!"

"Don't run away!" the insane monster called tauntingly. Keel pushed a new magazine into his Mauser and worked the slide back. He shoved the weapon's muzzle around the corner and pulled the trigger. "You got me!" Fenrir cried, "got me laughing at you." Keel cursed and tried to gather the power that he had already expended. He forced his battered body around the corner and sent all the energy he had gathered flying at his adversary. The dark figured was knocked backwards with the shriek of his boots on the metal floor. "That can't be all you have."

"Don't fuck with me!" Keel bellowed, raising his Mauser. The automatic pistol crackled loudly and the bullets bounced wildly off Fenrir's AT field.

"Not even close." Fenrir reached under his coat and drew a long silver revolver. Keel ducked back around the corner. Fenrir's weapon crackled and Keel gasped as the slug punched through the wall and into his back. He managed to keep on his feet. "Come out, come out wherever you are." Keel gritted his teeth and tried to focus on healing his wounds.

"What the hell are you?" he demanded through clenched teeth.

"I'm your creation." The voice was right next to his ear. Keel jerked back and stumbled. He fell, his hand reflexively tightening around the Mauser. They weapon roared to life and sent bullets stitching into the ceiling, blowing out two of the large overhead florescent lights, and plunging the hallway into darkness. "Nice shooting Tex."

"Get away from me," Keel shrilled as he tried to back away from the red-clothed figure. The man stepped into the darkness of the hallway and his orange eyes shone brightly, the only real source of illumination.

"Let's see what the hand says," he said brightly. He extended his right hand and Keel stared at the glowing crimson pentagram on the back of his hand as it spun wildly. It came to a stop with top point aimed at him. "My hand says to kill you," Fenrir said as fanged Cheshire cat grin appeared under the glowing eyes. The super natural mark suddenly surged forward. Keel felt impossible strong fingers wrap around his skull and lift his body from the ground.

"How did it go wrong?" he wondered weakly.

"You shouldn't have pissed me off," Fenrir hissed. "I might have let you live otherwise." His fingers tightened and Keel heard his own bones creak from the strain. "Say hi to Lu for me. She's just going to love you." Keel's heard and crunch and his world faded into pain and then nothingness.

(:ii:)

Craven leaned back against the wall and searched through his pockets for his lighter. He found it and quickly lit the cigar in his mouth. The scent of blood invaded his nostrils and he took a deep drag on his cigar. "You kill the old man?"

"Yeah." Craven glanced up and stared at Shinji's right hand. It's color almost matched his coat and even as he watched blood continued to trickle from his fingertips.

"You call those Americans yet?"

"Yeah. Keel had some kind of radio that could punch through all the rock over head." Craven nodded. "Did you find the proxy?"

"Of course," Craven said. "Everyone else is in there already. I should warn you, your two girls in there seem to have noticed your death. They should be overjoyed when they see you again."

"Hm," Shinji grunted. "Can I see that for a moment?" Craven handed the cigar to the lycan and watched as he inhaled deeply. He handed it back and Craven took another drag. "Cuban?"

"That's right," Craven said.

"Good stuff." Shinji stepped past him and into the room.

"Shinji!" Craven grinned around the cigar in his mouth as a sound not unlike a linebacker sacking a quarterback filled the air.

(:ii:)

"Well done Shinji." Shinji turned and saw Lu walk into the room.

"My half of the deal is done." Lu smirked.

"Quite single-minded, aren't you?" she asked.

"Yes, I am," Shinji said.

"Its one of your more endearing qualities," Lu said as she moved to stand over the blue-haired female body lying on the ground. Shinji glance down at it and then up at Lu.

"Do you need anything?"

"No," Lu said. "Just calm down. All I have to do is call Bill and tell him to get Yuki's soul. It should only take a few minutes." Shinji nodded and rubbed his new right arm. The flesh still tingled strangely and the area around the pentagram in his hand burned. "Where did you get that?"

"What?"

"The mark on your right hand," Lu said as she pulled out her cell phone. "I haven't seen a lycan with one of those in centuries."

"It was a gift," Shinji answered as he stared at the occult mark on his hand. Lu nodded and held her phone to her head. She spoke for a minute and shoved it back in his pocket. Light filled the room and Shinji's eyes narrowed. He watched as the proxy's eyes opened and she sat up.

"My part of the deal's done," Lu said. "See you two later. . .much later." Shinji stared at the woman's unfamiliar orange eyes.

"Yuki?" An all too familiar smirk spread across her face. In a flash she had shoved him back and sat on his chest. Her left hand managed to catch his wrists and her right sank into his hair.

"Who else would I be?" she asked with a grin, tugging his hair sharply. Her lips met his and her tongue slid into his mouth.

(:One Year Late:)

Shinji looked around the open air bungalow bar and smiled at the woman waving at him. He walked over and sat down next to her at the bar. "Hey Lu."

"Shinji," the woman said with a smile.

"How long have you been here?" Shinji asked.

"A few days," Lu said. "It's my first time in Hawaii. Nice shirt." Shinji looked down at the pink and blue Hawaiian shirt he was wearing.

"Thanks."

"Is everyone here?" Lu asked.

"Pretty much," Shinji said. "Aggie had to leave a couple of months ago though. I set her up with a job at NERV."

"That's nice," Lu said. "What about the vampires?"

"Well I know Craven's around here somewhere, that means that Rebecca is here too."

"They're kicking around together?" Lu asked.

"Every No Life King needs a queen," Shinji said.

"I see," Lu said. "So how's Yuki adjusting to her new body?"

"She's a little annoyed at how easily she gets a sunburn, but she's fine," Shinji said. "There she is." Lu turned and waved at the blue haired woman. Yuki quickly made her way over to them and sat on Shinji's other side.

"Hey Lu."

"Good afternoon," Lu said. "You look. . .red."

"Don't remind me," Yuki growled. "If it weren't for the aloe lotion rub downs I'd be annoyed." Lu glanced at Shinji.

"What?"

"I just never pictured you as good for backrubs," she said simply.

"Whatever gave you that impression?" Yuki asked. Shinji grinned and extended his claws.

"I have no idea," Lu said. Shinji chuckled and cursed as something sharp dug into his scalp. "Damn cat." Shinji watched as Fleas jumped onto the bar. "That hurt."

"Who's this?" Lu asked.

"That's Fleas," Shinji said as he rubbed his scalp.

"It's a female," Lu said. "Everything female causes you grief."

"Ain't that the truth?"

"I wouldn't like it any other way," Yuki said. "Well maybe with a few less women chasing him around."

"So what have you done with Jen?" A smiled spread across Yuki's face. Lu glanced at Shinji and he stared at his drink.

"Good for you. How did it go?"

"We didn't wake up for twelve hours," Yuki said smugly. "Of course then we had to track down Shinji."

"I was hungry," Shinji grumbled. "I needed energy."

"I guess you can't be blamed for that," Lu said. "What about Asuka?"

"She's back on her pills," Yuki explained. "So she's back to being really pissy, but she'll come around eventually."

"I don't like how you worded that," Shinji said.

"Well she has been fighting temptation for a long time," Lu said. Fleas swatted at her and meowed piteously. "Holy shit," she murmured. "I'll be damned. I haven't seen you in years."

"Are you feeling okay?" Shinji asked. "People are going to think you're crazy if they see you talking to a cat."

"You do it all the time," Yuki pointed out.

"People already think I'm crazy," Shinji argued.

"Who can blame them?"

"This isn't a cat," Lu said. "This is a friend of mine. The man upstairs punished her a couple of hundred centuries ago."

"For what?" Shinji asked.

"She just release plague and pestilence upon the earth," Lu said dismissively. "Nothing too major."

"Hang on," Shinji said. "Pandora?"

"Yep," Lu said.

"Isn't that Greek mythology or something?" Yuki asked.

"Human history is a hell of a lot more complicated then any scholars could possibly imagine," Lu explained. Fleas meowed. "I'd have to agree. You really have been overly punished." Fleas nodded.

"Pandora was turned into a kitten?"

"It was God's idea," Lu said. "I think he was trying to be ironic. This was before he hired Dante to redesign hell."

"Now that man is ironic," Shinji said respectfully.

"Yeah," Lu said in agreement. "I absolutely love what he did with the place. Hell was never that cruel before that man came along." Fleas stuck her claws into Lu's hand. "Ouch!"

"She does that when she wants attention," Shinji said. Fleas nodded again and meowed. Lu looked emotionally torn.

"I can't do it completely," she said, "and I don't think the man upstairs has forgiven you yet." Fleas meowed. "Okay." Lu closed her eyes and a bright flash made Shinji looked away. He looked back and saw a naked woman sitting on the bar in front of him. Her cat ears twitched and her tail swept form side to side.

"Cat girl?" She looked at him.

"Shinji?"

"Uh. . .hi Fleas."

"Shinji," Yuki said. "That's the look we've been trying to teach you to fear." Shinji didn't have time to answer. He grunted instead as Fleas slammed into him and knocked him, and the bar stool, flat on the ground with a war cry.

"Shinji!"

"Help me!"

"Wow," Yuki said. "I haven't seen something like this outside of my anime collection."

"You collect hentai?" Lu asked.

"Everyone needs a hobby," Yuki said with a shrug. "But I always end up having to steal the tentacle stuff back from Mana."

"Who would have thought?" Lu asked.

"Help!" Shinji managed to yelp again.

"Chaos. . .destruction. . .horny cat girls. My work here is done." Lu put back her beer. "Something tells me I'm going to have to call ahead to have a meeting with him from now on."

"Probably," Yuki said. "I have got to call Jen. She's going to love this!"

End

(:ii:)

Author's notes. I didn't want to end this whole series on a serious note. I'm really going to miss writing this story. I might still add a couple of side stories and omakes, but this series is through. Ask nicely and I might make a new insane, violent Shinji story. Ah hell, I'll probably do it anyway. It's just so much fun to do.

And now a look back. When I first started this story it really was meant to be a horror story. I never meant for it to become what it has become. I really have no idea what changed. All I know is that the story stopped even attempting to be horror after the first chapter and moved into the realm of Monty Python mixed with Silence of the Lambs. For some strange reason you sadistic little bastards ate it up. It still awes me how many people have reviewed for both of the Lycanthrope stories. I went did a quick check of about ten pages of Evangelion stories a few minutes ago and found only one story with more reviews, that being the incredible Eternity Wars from the Seldon Planner. If you haven't read it you should. Just cancel all your plans. It is one long story. I know there are Eva fics with more reviews, I've seen them, but still that is incredible.

So really, thanks to everyone who has read and reviewed. I guess I could also thank the little bastards who read but never reviewed, but I won't. Those who did review really are the reason this story has turned out like it has. You praised, you suggested, and when you didn't like something I got a real earful, er, eyeful. So thanks to all of you!

By the way; as many of you know I go to Florida every year for springbreak. I have discovered a computer in the hotel, so this update comes to you from FLA from a young man who is on the verge of being the same color of Eva Unit 2.

Gambit1 (Anyone know why the hell there's a one after my name? Its not like there are other Gambits on (or is it P.S.S.?) I'm working on While You Were Sleeping. I didn't like the number of mistakes so I'm going over them again. A new chapter will be up soon, probably the others will be redone (again) please be patient.

P.P.P.S. Beware. I might be changing my name soon. Just look for my stories. I'll be where they are.