I don't own anything. (My new idiot-proof disclaimer.)

Lycanthrope

-Chapter Fourteen: Temporary Insanity

Ritsuko leaned back in her chair and rubbed her eyes. She had been looking at different websites about werewolves since Van Hellsing had left. She had been utterly amazed by just how well written some of the information was. She had come upon a few sites that had essays equivalent to a doctor's thesis on lycanthropy. "Either these people really know something that normal scientists don't," she mused, "or they're magnificent bull shiters."

"Oh Ritsy!" Ritsuko jumped in surprise as her dead-bolted door was thrown open. She stared at the young man and winced at his wide, unblinking golden eyes and his broad grin. "Hiya Ritsy!" Ritsuko jumped again as he slammed his bandaged hands down on the desk with a crunch, probably from the wood. His right arm was wrapped from finger to elbow in bandages and there was another bandage wrapped around his left hand with a large blood spot on both sides. It looked like someone had shoved something through his hand. "Guess what!"

"What?" Ritsuko asked tentatively.

"Van Hellsing just kidnapped my mate and tried to kill me!" Shinji said. He held up his left hand. "See this?"

"Yes."

"Guess where else the bullet went," Shinji said, obviously enjoying this little game.

"Where?" Ritsuko asked.

"Here!" Shinji said, pulling up his shirt to reveal the white bandages all over his torso. He pointed to a large red dot over his heart. "If I hadn't grabbed the gun then he would have shot me in the heart." Suddenly his grin fell away. "I don't care if people try to kill me," he said, his voice low. "It happens all the time, but he would have killed my mate." His claws sank into the wood of her desk and he threw it, all two hundred and fifty pounds, across the room. "You want to know something interesting?"

"What?" Ritsuko squeaked, too scared to think of a smart comeback.

"I kill stupid people," Shinji said. "Don't make me put you on my idiot list." He turned and walked out of the office. Ritsuko sat there in shock until a man in riot gear with a shotgun in his hands looked in.

"Have you seen Pilot Ikari?"

"Yes," Ritsuko said. "Why?"

"Commander Ikari sent several men to arrest him," the man said. "He left a trail of body parts to here and then he ran out of corpses."

"He went that way."

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"What a nice night."

"Yeah it is." Yuki smiled and tightened her arm around Shinji.

"Never thought you'd be the kind to enjoy a nice walk in the park," she commented.

"Well there is that." Shinji looked up pointedly at the full moon. Yuki watched as his golden eyes seemed to flare brilliantly.

"Nuh uh," Yuki said. "You said that you would just walk with me."

"I know," Shinji said. His eyes dimmed down so that they didn't quite glow in the dark. "I'm a lycan of my word."

"Hey baby!" Yuki turned and saw a lanky young man walking towards them. "Why don't you loose the idiot and get with a real man."

"You have to let me kill him." Yuki glanced at her side. Shinji was on his knees with his hands in front of him. "Please."

"Okay," Yuki said. "You're incorrigible." Shinji's face lit up with a broad grin and he rocketed to his feet. By now the punk had figured out that something was wrong. Shinji looked at him and the asshole must have seen his eyes glowing. He turned and began running with Shinji on his heels. "Men," Yuki said in exasperation. She sat down on a park bench and listened as the punk's screams of pain echoed through the park.

"Cry, scream, and die bitch!" The screams tampered off and Shinji reappeared a second later with blood smeared across the bottom half of his face.

"Have fun?"

"Uh huh," Shinji said, licking his lips and sitting next to her. He leaned back and wrapped an arm around her.

"Sadistic bastard," Yuki said as she leaned against his chest.

"You want me to change?" Shinji asked. Yuki looked up and licked at some of the blood on his lips he had missed.

"No."

"Well that's a relief."

"So what happened to your friend?" Yuki pressed.

"I dropped her off with her grandsire," Shinji said. "Damn girl has too much energy. She'll be the death of me."

"Speaking of things being the death of you," Yuki said. "How're your new holes healing?"

"They're moving along," Shinji said, touching the bullet wound in his chest. "God damned silver bullets."

"Just be glad that it was a close range shot," Yuki said. "Or the bullet might have stayed in you."

"Don't remind me."

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"Did she fall asleep?" Angel watched as Bob stumbled into the room. He collapsed on the couch and leaned back.

"God damn I've never seen such a hyper pup."

"Why is that?" Angel asked.

"I don't know," Bob said. "It's probably just temporary insanity from the fact that two foreign bodies were monkeying around in her head."

"The same thing happened to Shinji," Angel said. "He doesn't seem any different. . .oh."

"Right," Bob said. "Do you want to even guess if he can be any more out of his mind?"

"Not really," Angel said. "So how did you get her to go to sleep?"

"I did what any good grandsire would do," Bob said proudly.

"Sang her a lullaby?" Angel guessed.

"I drugged her," Bob said. "Singing? Does that shit even work?"

"You never knew your grandsire, did you?"

"What does that have to do with anything?" Bob growled.

"Who exactly explained to you what a good grandsire would be like?" Angel asked.

"I think it was your sire," Bob said.

"My sire was a sadistic psycho bastard!" Angel yelled. Bob clamped a hand over her mouth.

"I liked your sire."

"Why am I not surprised?" Angel asked after Bob had removed his hand.

"Because you're not a normal lycan?" Bob guessed.

"If you and Shinji are normal than I'm just so happy to be abnormal," Angel shot back.

"And they're supposed to be more mature then us." Both lycans jumped and turned to see Shinji and Yuki. "So what's wrong with Asuka?"

"Temporary insanity," Bob said with a shrug. "She isn't as skilled at handling mental issues are you are." Shinji's eyes narrowed sharply.

"Can she be around humans?"

"You should keep an eye on here," Bob suggested. "Maybe a nice strong leash."

"We're not going to leash her," Yuki said.

"I guess she does all the leashing," Angel said jokingly. "Is that right. . ." She trailed off when Yuki grinned and began nodding. 'Kinky.' She glanced at Bob and watched as he slowly turned to look at her with a look of fear on his face.

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"Holy shit!" Keith jumped in surprised and turned to see Asako staring at a computer screen.

"What's wrong?"

"Look at this." Asako turned her computer monitor so that Keith could see the screen. It showed the young golden-eyed man in a strange skin-tight, blue and white outfit.

"He has odd fashion taste," Keith said with a shrug. "So?"

"Look at what's next to him." Bob looked and stared at the mass of purple metal. "That's an Eva's foot."

"Maybe he snuck into the area to look at the Eva," Keith suggested. He didn't want to get his hopes up. If that kid was the pilot then this would be one of the biggest stories in years.

"This is a security camera feed," Asako said. She punched in a few buttons. The screen turned back to an empty view of the street and then suddenly the purple foot appeared on screen. A few seconds later the kid dropped into view and landed next to the foot. "He's that damn thing's pilot!"

"You're right," Keith said. "Holy shit. We have to pitch this to the boss."

(:::::::::::::ii::::::::::::::)

Misato glanced up as the apartment door slid open. "Shinji?"

"Yeah?" the young man asked as he stepped into view carrying Asuka.

"What happened?" Misato asked as she rocketed out of her seat.

"She's just asleep," Yuki said.

"That's right," Shinji said. He walked into Asuka's room and stepped out a few minutes ago.

"What were you thinking?" Misato demanded. "You took her out of the hospital!"

"I did not," Shinji argued as he sat down in an armchair and played with the beads around his neck. "She just kind of followed me." Yuki leaned back against his chest. "We're going to be staying here. Alright?"

"Why?" Misato asked.

"Because we want to keep an eye on Asuka," Shinji answered.

"Why?" Misato asked again. "Is something wrong with her?"

"Nothing really bad," Shinji said. "We just need to make sure she's going to be okay." Misato was about to argue more, but she glanced at her clock and sighed.

"I have work in five hours."

"We have school in four," Yuki said. "Time to go to bed."

"I'll grab a blanket and some pillows for the couch," Misato said as she stood up.

"What for?" Shinji asked as Yuki dragged him towards his room. Misato watched as the door slid shut and rubbed her temples.

"If you wake me up then I'm going to come in there and separate you!"

"Good luck!" Shinji called.

"Teenagers," Misato said in disgust. "Horny little freaks."

"I heard that!" Shinji called. "Do I have to bring up some of the stuff I've heard Kaji talking about?"

"I'm going to kill that bearded bastard," Misato growled.

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"Yahoo!" Yuki jerked away and looked around wildly for the source of the early mourning bellow.

"What's the matter?" Shinji grumbled.

"Someone's screaming," Yuki said as she climbed out of the bed. Shinji sat up and cocked his head to one side. The scream sounded again and he fell back onto the bed with a groan.

"It's just Misato."

"Does Asuka have her?" Yuki asked. "Oh my God. That must be it!"

"Asuka doesn't have her," Shinji grumbled. "She does that every mourning."

"Why?"

"Because she's drinking

"She's drinking this early in the mourning?" Yuki asked in surprise. "What a woman."

"You're telling me," Shinji said. "What time is it?"

"Six o'clock," Yuki said as she lay back down.

"Oh." There was a moment of silence before Yuki rocketed out of bed again.

"We're going to be late for school!"

"So?"

"Get out of bed!" Yuki screamed. Shinji sat up and slowly climbed out of bed. "I don't even have a uniform to wear."

"Borrow one of Asuka's," Shinji said.

"Will it fit?" Yuki asked fretfully.

"You're about the same height and build," Shinji said as he yawned. "You just have slightly bigger breasts."

"Oh."

"Can we just skip today?" Shinji asked. Suddenly the door banged open and Misato staggered in.

"I forgot to tell you!" she said, slurring slightly. "You still don't have to go to school."

"Why?" Shinji asked.

"Because Asuka blew up about twenty different roads," Misato said. "A few companies are trying to sue us, but. . ." She trailed off when she noticed Yuki and Shinji's state of undress. "Where are your clothes?"

"How much have you been drinking?" Shinji asked in disgust.

"Not much," Misato said.

"Then go do some more," Shinji growled. "I'm going back to sleep."

(:::::::::::::ii::::::::::::::)

Kaji pounded on the door and sighed again. "Is anyone home?" The door swung open and he found himself face-to-face with his former girlfriend, Misato.

"What do you want Kaji?" she demanded.

"Are you drunk?" Kaji asked. He sighed in annoyance and took a long drag on his cigarette. "Never mind. Is Shinji here?"

"Why do you want to see Shinji?" Misato asked as he eyes narrowed sharply.

"I just need to speak with him," Kaji said. "Is he home?" Misato seemed to pick up on the desperation in his voice.

"I'm here." Kaji sighed in relief as Shinji appeared behind Misato. "Excuse me." He pushed his guardian aside gently and stepped outside. "What's wrong?"

"I need to speak with you," Kaji said. He glanced at Misato. "Alone."

"I'm not leaving," Misato growled.

"Misato," Shinji hissed sharply. The raven-haired woman's eyes widened and she stepped back into the apartment. Shinji slid the door shut and leaned against the railing. "Now what's the problem?"

"Can anyone hear us?" Kaji asked. Shinji glanced around the apartment's front and closed his eyes.

"You have another one of those?"

"What?" Kaji asked.

"Cigarette," Shinji said. Kaji fumbled a cigarette out of his pocket. Shinji took it and lit it with a lighter he had produced from somewhere. "No one can hear us if you keep your voice down. What's the problem?"

"Someone's after me," Kaji said. "They want to stop me."

"First," Shinji began. "Who's after you?"

"Everyone," Kaji said with the ghost of a smile.

"Second," Shinji said. "Why do they want to stop you? Did you hit on someone's wife?"

"No."

"Daughter?" Shinji asked.

"No!" Kaji yelled. "I'm a spy damn it!"

"Oh," Shinji said. "One more thing. What the hell do you want me to do about it?"

"I know you aren't human," Kaji said. "I need you to help me disappear."

"So," Shinji said, dragging the word out for a few seconds. "What exactly do you want me to do about it?"

"I need you to find my shadow and eliminate him," Kaji said. "I can take care of the rest."

-End

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-Author's notes. Here's just a little filler. I hope this explains why Asuka's been acting so weird.