I don't own anything. (My new idiot-proof disclaimer.)
Lycanthrope
-Chapter Nine: The Fourteenth Angel
Ritsuko jumped in surprise as he phone rang shrilly. She glanced at the cat clock on her wall. It was just after midnight. 'Who the hell would be calling?' she wondered as she picked up the phone. "Hello?"
"Doctor Ritsuko Akagi?" a deep smooth voice asked.
"Speaking," Ritsuko said irritably.
"This is Doctor Van Hellsing," the man said. "I got your message."
"I'm sorry Doctor," Ritsuko said. "It's just rather late."
"Oh," Van Hellsing said. "You are in Japan. I forgot about the time difference."
"It's not a problem," Ritsuko said. "I was working late."
"Alright," Van Hellsing said. "What is the problem?"
"The blood type of a man I work with has changed rather spontaneously," Ritsuko began. "I remembered your lectures on rare blood diseases and decided to give you a call."
"What kind of change?" Van Hellsing asked.
"His blood is no longer discernable as human," Ritsuko said. "A fellow researcher has pointed out that it has more in common with the canine family."
"Has the man been attacked by an animal lately?" Van Hellsing demanded. His suddenly change in tone from monotonous to aggressive momentarily surprise Ritsuko.
"He was attacked about a month ago by a large canine that has yet to be found," she explained.
"Has he shown and physical changed?" Van Hellsing asked. "A change in eye color or perhaps elongation of his teeth?"
"Yes," Ritsuko said. "To both."
"I'm coming to you," Van Hellsing said. "Don't take any actions against this man until I arrive." The phone went dead and Ritsuko stared at the handset for a moment in surprise.
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"Do you really think it's wise to adopt her into the pack?" Angel asked as she stared at the ceiling.
"Yes," Bob said from beside her on the couch.
"Why are you so sure?" Angel asked in annoyance. She prodded him in the side with her toe and the television screen flickered to a news program.
"She has a good affect on Shinji," Bob said simply. "You haven't noticed?"
"Noticed what?" Angel asked, nudging her mate with her foot. The screen flickered again.
"He cares again," Bob explained. "You really didn't notice?"
"No I haven't," Angel said. "And what do you mean by 'he cares again'?"
"Did he ever seem to give a damn about anything but himself and his hunt?" Bob asked.
"No he didn't," Angel admitted. "He has changed."
"Exactly," Bob said. "Finding a special someone can do that to you. Remember how I was before we met?"
"I'd heard stories," Angel commented. "You were quite the evil little bastard."
"You didn't have to put it that way," Bob said with a pout. Angel poked him again and the screen flickered.
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"You okay?"
"Eh?" Shinji grunted.
"You look annoyed," Yuki said.
"Someone's talking about me," Shinji growled as he looked around the darkened streets of Tokyo-3. "I'm full."
"Me too," Yuki said, patting her washboard stomach.
"You should put some clothes on," Shinji suggested. "You'll draw attention from the humans."
"I know," Yuki said as she began to dress. She glanced up at him and began giggling again.
"What?" Shinji asked in annoyance.
"Nothing," Yuki said. She turned serious suddenly. "Something is happening."
"I know," Shinji admitted. "It is coming."
"What is?" Yuki asked. "It feels like that kid with crimson eyes from school."
"Which one?" Shinji asked.
"Both of them," Yuki said. "You're going to fight it?"
"Uh huh," Shinji murmured as he pulled on his leather jacket. "They're a lot of fun."
"Be careful," Yuki said suddenly. Shinji glanced at the young woman and noticed that she was staring at the sky with a worried expression on her face. He wrapped an arm around her bare shoulders and pulled her to him.
"It's alright," he said, his voice sounding surprisingly soothing. "I'll be fine. You don't have to worry."
"You better be all right," Yuki growled playfully. "I'm part of your pack now and don't you forget it."
"Wouldn't dream of it," Shinji said, surprised by just how true those words were.
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"Shinji wasn't in school today."
"What?" Ritsuko asked, turning to face Misato.
"I said," Misato began, "Shinji wasn't in school today."
"He's been here all day," Ritsuko said. "There." She pointed to one of the television screens hooked up to security cameras. Shinji was sitting in front of Eva Unit Zero-One wearing his old leather bomber jacket over his plug suit and smoking a cigarette. "He came early this mourning and has been there since then, only leaving to eat."
"You think he knows something we don't?" Misato asked.
"Either that or he is becoming overly paranoid," Ritsuko said. "I'll have an appointment with a therapist arranged."
"Don't you think that's a little extreme?" Misato asked.
"He is one of three viable pilots," Ritsuko said with a shrug. "If something is wrong then we must catch it immediately." On the screen Shinji's head perked up and he looked around. He said something to one of the mechanics and the older man stared at him for a minute before shrugging. Suddenly the alarm klaxons began to wail.
"What the hell is going on?" Misato demanded.
"There's been a blue pattern detected," Maya called. "It's the Fourteenth Angel!"
"Where are the First and Second Children?" Misato demanded.
"They're on their way," Makoto answered.
"This is Ikari," a calm voice said, cutting through the temporary confusion. "I'm ready to launch."
"Roger that Shinji," Misato said. "Just wait for backup."
"That'll take a lot of time," Shinji said. "I will take on Zeruel."
"Who is Zeruel?" Misato demanded. Then a shudder ran through the Geo-Front.
"That's Zeruel," Shinji said calmly. Then his tone became playful again. "Let me at him! I'll give 'im the ole rope-a-dope!"
"He may be insane but he's right," Ritsuko said. "By the time Ayanami and Sohryu get here the angel will be inside."
"Fine," Misato said. "Shinji."
"Yes ma'am?"
"Proceed to the west ten catapult. Once you are on the surface head to the second armory building."
"Understood," Shinji said. There was a long pause as the Eva was loaded onto the catapult. "Launching."
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Shinji unconsciously sighed in relief as the G-forces from the catapult slacked off sharply. The locks on the Eva were released and Shinji stepped forward into Tokyo-3. The machine's optics switched to night vision to deal with the citywide blackout. "I'm on the street."
"Okay Shinji," Misato said. "The Angel is still on the outskirts of the city."
"Alright," Shinji said as he turned to one of the large buildings. The side slid up and he slipped a pallet rifle from its restraints. He touched one of the buttons on the Eva's control yokes and heard the loud click of the weapon's safety being disengaged over the Eva's external microphones.
"Proceed down that street and take your fourth right," Misato continued. "Asuka and Rei haven't arrived yet, so you're going to have to stall it. Feel free to engage."
"Copy," Shinji said as he proceeded down the streets she had mentioned. He took his fourth right and noticed something moving ominously towards the city. 'Thing likes to take its time,' he decided tiredly. He brought his rifle to his Eva's shoulder and peered through the low-magnification scope. He squeezed the trigger on the control yoke and watched as a crimson tracer burst from the muzzle of the rifle. The massive bullet hit the AT field of the angel and went careening wildly. The angel slowly pivoted in place and turned to face Shinji's Eva. "Oh shit!" Shinji dove to the side as the angel let loose with a massive blast from its eyes. The blast hit the ground where Shinji had been standing and erupted in a massive cross-shaped explosion. "Holy shit," Shinji quipped. He ducked around the building that had become his temporary cover and focused on extending his AT field.
"Are you okay Shinji?" Misato asked.
"No!" Shinji bellowed. He burst up from behind his cover and opened fire with a long burst from his rifle. "Die!" Much to his happiness the bullets struck home. Much to his annoyance the angel was completely unfazed. "Wonderful." He forced his Eva into a sharp turn as the angel let loose another explosive blast. "Angel of Strength. Fucking wonderful. How's my backup looking?"
"They're still not here," Misato said. "We're going to use the city's automated defenses."
"By all means," Shinji snapped. "Please do." Outside the Eva he heard muffled explosions as the systems turned on. He crept down another street and watched the angel moved past him, its focus on the automated weapons. He slid out from his cover and emptied what was left in his pallet rifle into the angel's back. It began another of its ominous turns and Shinji cursed as he was forced back into hiding.
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"There is no way he can do this on his own!" Misato yelled. "Where are Asuka and Rei?"
"They just arrived and are getting suited up," Shigeru answered. "They'll be ready in approximately ten minutes." Misato turned back to the screen and watched as Shinji had another close call with the angel's beam weapon. So far he hadn't been able to get close enough to the angel to engage in close-range combat. "Go to the ninth armory building!"
"I'm a little busy!" Shinji barked. He dodged another blast and the angel's attention was drawn to a missile-launching building.
"Go now!" Misato roared. Shinji's Eva dashed along the streets, keeping as low as it could. "There are ten inflatable decoys there. Make good use of them."
"Roger," Shinji said. The armory building opened and Shinji grabbed the heavy decoy launcher and another pallet rifle. He swung the launcher up and fired all ten decoys. Their tracking devices automatically showed up on the two-dimensional map of the city. Shinji activated the one on the opposite side of the angel. The angel turned to attack the perceived threat and Shinji opened fire into its back.
"He's using them pretty well considering the fact that he wasn't trained to," Ritsuko commented dryly.
"The First and Second Children are on the catapults," Makoto reported.
"Right," Misato said. "Get up there and give Shinji some support."
"Yes ma'am," Rei said quietly. Asuka didn't respond.
"Four decoys down," Shinji reported. "Backup anyone?"
"They're on their way," Misato said. "Just hold on."
"I'm holding," Shinji said as he fired two rounds from a magazine-fed cannon he had taken from another armory building. The massive high-explosive shells had absolutely no affect. "Just die you son of a bitch!"
"He sounds pissed," someone commented dryly.
"Rei!" Misato snapped. "Get a sniper rifle from eighteenth armory building."
"Yes ma'am."
"How is Shinji doing?" Misato demanded.
"Not so good," Shigeru muttered. One of the screens shifted to show Unit Zero-One ducked behind a building and hefted a massive progressive axe. "Unit Zero-Two is moving to engage the angel in close combat."
"Hold back," Shinji said calmly. "We don't know what the angel's melee capabilities are."
"Shut up Third Child!" Asuka snapped.
"He's right," Misato cut in. "Fall back."
"Fuck you!" Asuka screeched. On the screen her Eva charged towards the angel holding a progressive spear. From either side of the angel long ribbons of white dropped down and hit the ground heavily.
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"Stupid bitch!" Shinji watched as one of the angel's ribbons whipped up and slid easily through both of the red Eva's arms. They dropped away neatly severed and Asuka screamed in pain. "Ayanami! Give me support!"
"Roger," Rei said calmly. Shinji gripped his axe tightly and leapt. His first jump landed him on top of one of the buildings. He pushed off and soared through the air at the angel's back. Something tugged at his stomach, but he ignored it and put all his momentum into the axe. The weapon's massive blade hit the angel a little to the left of its face and sank deep.
"Get a move on Shinji!" Misato yelled. "You have five minutes!"
"What?" Shinji looked down and saw one of the angel's ribbons entering his Eva's stomach. "When did that happen?" He gripped the white material and ripped it out of his Eva's body. "I'm going." He snatched up the red Eva and began to run.
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"This is wonderful!" Misato yelled. "We're down to two operating units."
"In five minutes there will be only one," Ritsuko said. "That ribbon has destroyed Eva Unit Zero-One's input socket. We can't put a new cable in it."
"So its just Rei?"
"Something weird is happening," Makoto said. "You may want to have a look at this."
"What is it?" Ritsuko demanded.
"Ikari's synch ratio has sky rocketed," Makoto said. "Look at the Eva!" Misato glanced up at the screen showing Shinji's Eva. It was hunched over with one hand resting on its chest.
"Is it going berserk?" Misato asked.
"No," Maya answered. "Ikari is in complete control." Suddenly the Eva's fingers ripped into its chest armor and tore its away.
"What the hell are you doing?" Misato demanded.
"Look at that," someone said in shock. Misato looked at the Eva and saw something pulsing in the center of its chest.
"An S2 engine," Ritsuko whispered in awe. "Where did that come from?"
"Maybe he took it from the Thirteenth Angel," Makoto suggested. "He did partially consume that one."
"We've lost all visual and audio contact with the pilot!" Shigeru said.
"What?" Misato asked. "Was there a malfunction?"
"No. The signals were cut off from inside."
"What the hell is he doing?"
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Yuki looked around the city and stared at the thick blue liquid splattered across the buildings. "Blood?"
"What are you doing out here?" someone demanded. Yuki turned and saw a man in a dark suit approaching her. "The all clear signal has not been given. You must go back to the shelter."
"Where is Shinji?" Yuki demanded.
"He's fine ma'am," the man said. "He was not injured."
"Where is he?" Yuki demanded, stalking towards the man.
"How do you know him?" the man asked.
"She's fine." Yuki turned as saw Shinji leaning against a building with a cigarette between his lips. "Take five Lee."
"If you say so Third Child," the man said.
"Are you okay?" Yuki asked as she approached the you man. He really didn't look too good.
"I'm fine," Shinji said.
"So that's an Eva," Yuki said, glancing at the massive purple machine that was crouched next to them.
"That's it," Shinji said.
"So what's wrong with you?" Yuki asked. "You beat the angel, right?"
"I didn't," Shinji growled. "I was too weak. It beat the angel."
"It?" Yuki asked in confusion.
"The wolf," Shinji muttered. "My better half."
"Its not your better half," Yuki argued.
"And why isn't it?" Shinji demanded.
"Because I love you," Yuki said as her hand found his. "I love you and not the wolf." Yuki watched as Shinji stared at their joined hands for a moment before he looked up at her.
"You're not serious," he said as his eyes narrowed. "If you ever try to play with my head like. . ." Yuki cut him by pressing her mouth to his. She pulled back and noticed, to her amusement, that the lycan's eyes were now twice their normal size instead of narrowed in anger.
"Come on," he urged, tugging at his hand. "I'll really prove it." Shinji allowed her to lead him away without a word.
-End
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-Author's notes. Long enough for you? Will I get by this time without death threats for more and longer chapters? Probably not. I should have mentioned before, there are two kinds of mates. Pack mates and just mates. Pack mates are fellow pack members and mates are significant others. Shinji and Yuki are pack mates and not mates. . .yet.