I still don't own anything. This is the sequel to my story Lycanthrope. It takes place ten years after the last chapter of Lycanthrope.

Lycanthrope 2: The Prophecy

Chapter Nine: Catching On

Ritsuko sighed in annoyance and pounded on the door. "I know you're in there Misato!" Ritsuko sighed in disgust and pounded on the door again. It finally opened and Ritsuko found herself face-to-face with a creature that had haunted her nightmares for almost ten years. The monster's face split into a wide grin.

"Hello Ritsy!" Then Ritsuko did the only thing that a sane person could do. She turned and ran down the hall screaming. Behind her Shinji frowned and leaned out into the hallway to watch her run. "What an odd woman."

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Shinji walked back into the apartment and looked at the bodied scattered around. "Must have had fun last night," he said tiredly.

"I wouldn't know." Shinji turned and saw Touji lying on the coffee table.

"How did you get there?"

"You're guess is as good as mine," Touji said as he sat up. "Now what's with all the screaming?"

"Ritsy stopped by," Shinji said with a grin as he sat down in an easy chair.

"And I wasn't awake?" Touji asked in disappointment.

"We can chase her down if you want," Shinji said with a shrug, "make sure she never gets out of the nut house again."

"That sounds like fun," Touji said. "But I'll have to take a rain check. Something's wrong with my head."

"Same here," Shinji said as he reached into one of the pockets in his jeans and pulled out a small metal flash. He twisted the cap off and took a drink.

"You're drinking to cure a hangover?" Touji asked in shock.

"A bit of the hair of the dog," Shinji said simply as he offered the flask to Touji.

"What the hell?" Touji brought it to his lips and took a deep drink. He began coughing almost at once. "What the hell is that?" Shinji took the flask and sniffed it carefully.

"Something I picked up in Russia."

"Speaking of foreign nations," Touji began. "When are you leaving?" Shinji glanced at his watch.

"In ten hours," he said. "We're leaving at seven. I figure that should give us enough darkness for Mana to travel safely. Are you coming with us?"

"Sorry," Touji said. "Something's still wrong at NERV. I'm looking into it with Ryo. . ." Shinji made a slashing motion at his throat. "Ryo," Touji said quickly. "You remember my pal Ryo, right?"

"Yeah," Shinji said. "Take care of yourself Bardiel."

"I always manage to," Touji said. "You just be careful. With so many women around you might break it off."

"Funny."

"I thought so," Touji said. "I'll hook up with you guys later."

"Europe?"

"Yeah." The bathroom door opened and Shinji turned to see Pen Pen waddle out.

"Yo." The penguin glanced at him and raised one flipper before walking back to his fridge.

"He's a warm water penguin, right?" Touji asked.

"Yeah," Shinji said.

"Why's he living in a fridge?" Touji asked.

"Because he lives with Misato," Shinji said.

"That's not an answer," Touji argued.

"It's good enough for me," Shinji said.

"Same here."

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Shinji looked around the airport and stared at the line. "This sucks."

"What does?" Shinji turned and stared at Jen. "What?"

"Do you need all that luggage?"

"Is that all you're bringing?" Shinji turned and stared at Asuka in absolute shock.

"Come on," Jen said as she walked into the airport dragging her bag. Shinji sighed and picked up the largest of her bags and slung it over his shoulder.

"What the hell is in this thing?" he asked, surprised by the bag's weight.

"It's my rifle," Jen said. "I'm a sniper, remember?"

"Yeah," Shinji said. Jen walked right up to one of the security guards and flashed her I.D. He quickly stepped aside and she and Shinji walked past. "Hurry."

"I'm hurrying," Asuka growled.

"We will be late for our flight," Rei said as she walked past Shinji.

"They won't leave without us," Jen said. "It is a charter flight after all."

"I'm more worried about the fang bitch getting a little sun," Shinji said.

"Why thank you," Mana said.

"Bob would never stop bitching," Shinji growled. "I'd have to put him out of my misery."

"I loathe you," Mana said. Shinji ignored her.

"Stop fighting," Yuki said. "People are staring."

"People are always staring," Shinji said. "We're a fucking circus."

"You people are a fucking circus," Jen growled. Shinji grinned and threw and arm around her shoulders.

"And now you're part of it."

"She's a human," Rei said.

"One of her two faults," Shinji said with a sigh.

"What's the other?" Jen asked as she pushed her fingers into a nerve plexus in Shinji's wrist. The larger man jerked his hand away with a yelp of pain.

"You failing sanity," he said as he wiggled his fingers. "Am I going to get feeling back in this thing soon?"

"Sooner or later," Jen said with a shrug. "A week tops."

"That's good," Yuki said. "I like that hand. I'd have to kill you if your broke it."

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Jen looked around the cramped plane and looked down at the disassembled pistol on the tray table in front of her. Finally her curiosity over came her. "Hey Mana?"

"Yeah?" the brown-haired woman asked as she kneeled down next to Jen's seat.

"What are you?"

"Eh?" Mana asked. "What do you mean?"

"I mean," Jen began, "those three are werewolves, right?"

"Yeah," Mana said slowly.

"And Rei's some kind of angel," Jen continued.

"So you want to know what I am," Mana said.

"Yeah," Jen said. "Are you a lycan too?"

"No," Mana said as she grinned, baring her fangs. "I'm much, much worse."

"Or so she likes to think," Asuka said as she rested her elbows on top of Mana's head and rested her head in her hands. "But really she's just a run of the mill vampire."

"Vampires aren't run of the mill," Mana growled.

"It really doesn't matter," Asuka said. "All vampires are weaker then lycans, even those who aren't transformed."

"If we're so weak then why did you spend so many years killing me kind?" Mana hissed.

"Boredom," Asuka answered with a shrug. "That's pretty much why Shinji spends his time picking fights with hell spawn now. They're more of a challenge."

"Don't blame us because we're more civilized then you animals," Mana growled.

"Civilized," Asuka said with a snort. "As far as I can tell vampires are just pathetic. They always die screaming and begging for mercy."

"Maybe that is because you are overly sadistic," Rei suggested.

"Vampires do not beg for mercy," Mana said. "We have more dignity then that."

"I wouldn't be so sure," Yuki said.

"Well I know that lycans die screaming and howling," Mana shot back.

"I only know one lycan who screams and howls," Asuka growled, looking at Yuki, "especially when I'm trying to go to bed."

"What can I say?" Yuki asked.

"He brings out the animal in you," Jen said. "You told us that already."

"Yup," Yuki said with a lecherous smile. Jen glanced at Shinji and watched as he twitched in his sleep.

"So," she began. "How long have you all known each other?"

"Me and wonder girl have known Shinji and each other for about eleven years," Asuka said.

"I've know Shinji for ten and a half years," Yuki said. "And the fang bitch has been with us for about a month now."

"If I hear the term fang bitch one more time!" Mana screamed.

"Shut up fang bitch!" Shinji roared. Mana's jaw snapped shut.

"Sorry," she said meekly. "I didn't mean to wake you Shinji."

"Just keep it down Mana." Shinji rolled back over in his chair and went back to sleep.

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Kensuke Aida looked around the airport and yawned. He glanced at his watch and sighed in annoyance. "Where the hell are they?"

"Kensuke!" Kensuke looked up and saw a man walking towards him. For a second Kensuke was totally lost. Then it came to him.

"Shinji?"

"Hey man," Shinji said as he held out his hand. "How the hell have you been doing?"

"Pretty good," Kensuke said. "What the hell did you do to your hair?"

"I didn't do anything to it," Shinji said. "That's just how it is now."

"And I thought you were weird when I found out that you were a werewolf," Kensuke said.

"Trust me," a new voice said. "He's weird for a lycan too."

"I believe it," Kensuke said. "How have you been Yuki?"

"Not bad," the brown-haired woman said with a smile.

"This is our contact?" Kensuke turned and saw a red-haired woman struggling towards them with a mountain of luggage in tow. "Kensuke Aida?"

"Charming as ever," Kensuke said.

"She's actually a very sweet girl," Shinji said.

"When she's drunk." Kensuke watched as another woman stopped in front of them.

"This is Mana," Shinji said. "Bob and the vampire elder are making us work together."

"Nice to meet you," Kensuke said politely. "I'm Kensuke Aida."

"He's the Japanese ambassador to America," Shinji explained. "I asked him to meet us here."

"It's only a short trip from New Washington D.C. to here," Kensuke said.

"Hello Aida," Kensuke turned and saw a blue-haired woman walking towards him.

"Ayanami?" he asked in surprise. "How many people are traveling with you?"

"One more," Shinji said. "She's around here somewhere."

"Right here." Kensuke looked at the woman.

"A human?"

"Misato made us bring her along," Shinji said with a shrug. The woman looked up and saluted.

"Mister Ambassador!" Kensuke looked at Shinji.

"She's with NERV," he said, shrugging again.

"Oh," Kensuke said. "At ease." The woman stopped saluting.

"Where's the nearest bar?"

"There's one off the concourse," Kensuke said as he pulled a brown paper bag from his coat. "But you don't need to go there."

"You're a true friend," Shinji said as he took the bottle and pulled down the paper to expose the label. "Jack Daniels."

"Come on," Kensuke said. "The sun will be up soon. At least I know why you were so worried about that now," he added, looking pointedly at Mana.

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Shinji looked around the apartment and sighed. "Do you do any entertaining in here?"

"No," Kensuke said as he looked around at the anime posters, computer parts, camera equipment, and various video game consoles and games. "The rest of the staff keeps offering to do it."

"I wonder why," Asuka said.

"I have no clue," Kensuke said with a frown. "Oh well. There's a spare bedroom with two beds in the back and I'm pretty sure the couch unfolds."

"You're pretty sure?" Asuka asked.

"Well I got some money to get furniture," Kensuke said. "So I skimped a little at yard sales and bought more computer stuff with the left over." Shinji turned and saw Mana and Asuka staying at the bespectacled man. "What?"

"I should have expected that," Asuka said.

"Stop complaining," Shinji said. "Yuki and I call dibs on the couch bed. The rest of you can duke it out for all I care."

"So how long are you planning on staying?" Kensuke asked.

"We just needed a place to stay for the day," Shinji said simply. "We'll be out of here by sunset."

"So why are you visiting America?" Kensuke asked. "Just stop by for the alcohol?"

"Who in there right mind would cross an ocean just for. . ." Jen trailed off as she looked at Shinji.

"No," he said, trying to ignore her. "We're just here to kill someone, maybe blow something up."

"Oh," Kensuke said. "Anyone I'd know?"

"A guy named Andrew Reynolds," Shinji said. "Ring any bells?"

"Nope," Kensuke said. "Does he live in D.C.?"

"Yeah," Shinji said.

"Any reason he needs to die?" Kensuke asked.

"He's just trying to conquer the world," Shinji said dismissively. "That old story."

"Oh," Kensuke said. "Of course." Shinji grinned and dropped the bag he had been carrying for Jen. "Are you the only people who know about it?"

"NERV knows," Shinji said.

"That's a relief."

"What's wrong?" Asuka asked. "Don't try us to save the humans?"

"I trust you to protect your food," Kensuke said.

"He's catching on," Shinji said with a grin.

-End

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-Author's notes. Just another short chapter. I've kind of spread myself thin so the chapters are coming slower. I'm working on Keitaro's Big Adventure, While You Were Sleeping, An Assassin's Memory, and this one. I've also come across something annoying. After all the bitching to get to work on An Assassin's Memories it's only got six reviews. Are you people just trying to spread out my attention? That's not a good thing. Especially when I'm already back in school.