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Lycanthrope 2: The Prophecy

Chapter Seventeen: A Life Saved is a Life Damned

"So what were you three talking about?" Yuki asked suspiciously.

"Guy stuff," Shinji said simply as he sat down in his seat. "Ex nay on the code red. They're just blabbering on about that damned prophecy."

"Why would the vampire elder be concerned with a lycan prophecy?" Mana asked.

"The Oracle isn't lycan or vampire," Shinji said with a shrug. "That means she's heeded by both lycan and vampire."

"So when are we leaving?"

"You want to stay here?" Shinji asked.

"What?" Yuki asked.

"You. . .want. . .to. . ."

"Don't be a smart ass," Yuki said, delivering a rather painful kick to his knee.

"Whatever," Shinji said as he sat down. "I just figured you'd want to settle down for Christmas. I was kind of looking forward to showing the world what a real firecracker looks like."

"You're Christian?" Jen asked as one of her eyebrows raised.

"Of course," Shinji said. "Have you seen the history of the Catholic church? They're killed more people then I'll ever be able to."

"I guess so. . ."

"He's being sarcastic," Yuki said. "We pray to the Lady of the Lycans."

"Speak for yourself," Mana said. "I pray to the Blood Gods of the Vampires."

"Always blood with you people," Shinji shot back, "and you call me vicious."

"I call you a blood thirsty nut," Mana growled.

"You all have your own religions?" Jen asked.

"Not really," Yuki answered. "The Lady isn't as much a god as a guide."

"The vampire gods are gods," Mana said with a shrug. "It's just the way it works."

"Then why do you celebrate Christmas?" Jen asked.

"Do you even have to ask?" Shinji asked. "I mean it's so commercialized. . ."

"Americanized," Mana cut in.

". . .that it's barely a religious holiday anymore," Shinji finished. "I'm going to bed."

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

"Well this is a fairly major setback," Bob said as he leaned back against the elevator's wall.

"This will lead to trouble," Carl agreed. "Will they attempt to seek Keel, yet fail?"

"I don't know," Bob said. "There's got to be someone out there battling SEELE too."

"What about Craven?" Carl asked.

"I'd hate to say it," Bob began, "but I doubt he's crazy enough."

"You just don't know him very well," Carl said. "If Shinji hadn't set off that nuke then Craven would have done it."

"We'll have to talk to him," Bob said. "Did he die before he was turned?"

"We'll have to ask," Carl said. "He has experiences several hundred wars. There are plenty of chances to get yourself killed in war."

"Unless you're the one who declared it," Bob said. "Those ass holes rarely ever seem to get into danger."

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

'Shinji?' Shinji jerked up and looked around the empty apartment.

"Hello?"

'Hi Shinji!'

"Wonderful," Shinji growled. "The voices in my head are back." He laid back down and closed his eyes. "Shut up or I'm coming after you with an air hammer."

'It's me,' the voice continued. 'Did I wake you?'

"Aggie?"

'Got it in one guess,' Agatha said. . .er. . .thought.

"What's up?" Shinji asked as he sat back up and yawned.

"Who are you talking to?" Yuki asked from the bedroom.

"It's Aggie," Shinji said.

'Hi Yuki!'

"Hi Aggie. I'm going back to bed."

"So what's wrong?" Shinji asked.

'Nothing,' Agatha thought. 'I just sensed you nearby and decided to call, so you're looking for SEELE?'

"What have I told you about reading my mind?" Shinji demanded in annoyance.

'Don't,' Agatha thought feebly.

"Got it in one guess," Shinji growled. "You have any information for me?"

'Marcus Hearse is going to an opera tonight,' Agatha said.

"Tonight?" Shinji demanded.

'Relax,' Agatha thought. 'It's one in the mourning. You have a while to go.'

"Oh," Shinji said. "You know your way around Belgium, right?"

'I've been living here ever since you sprung me from Area 51,' Agatha said.

"I'm staying at the Hyatt Hotel near the Gent International Airport," Shinji said.

'I can swing by and pick you up,' Agatha thought. 'You can bring along that assassin you're traveling with.'

"Get the hell out of my head!"

'Okay, okay. Sheesh,' Agatha thought. 'You don't have to get so loud.'

"A man's thoughts are his own private business," Shinji grumbled.

'Good point. Bring something with a silencer. I'll be there in about ten minutes.'

"I'll meet you by the front desk." Shinji stood up and moved to the door that led to one of the bedrooms. He pushed it open carefully. "Jen?"

"What's wrong?"

"Get dressed," Shinji whispered. "We've got business to take care of."

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

"So where is this chick?" Jen asked with a yawn.

"Are you always this unpleasant without enough sleep?" Shinji asked.

"Well sorry for being human," Jen growled. "So what should I expect? She's a friend of yours, right? Does that mean she'll be a drunk and covered in blood? Maybe a couple of pentagrams?"

"Maybe," Shinji said as he rubbed the pentagram tattooed on his cheek. "There she is." Jen turned and stared at the blond woman waving at them. She couldn't have pictured a more normal, if not rather beautiful, woman if she tried.

"Hi Shinji!" The woman threw her arms around Shinji and gave him a tight hug.

"How've you been doing Aggie?" Shinji asked as he hugged her. He stepped back. "That's Jen."

"Hi."

"This is Aggie," Shinji said. "Follow me."

"So how do you know Shinji?" Jen asked. "I mean you look so normal."

"I try," Aggie said.

"But only because she can't standout," Shinji said as he pushed the doors to the garage open.

"Huh?"

"It's a secret," Aggie sang. "So how's Yuki, does she know. . ." Shinji slapped a hand over the young woman's mouth. He jerked his head towards Jen. Agatha glanced at her and nodded.

"What's happening?" Jen asked.

"Not a thing," Shinji said with a broad smile. He shoved his hands in his pockets and walked towards the SS whistling some song Jen didn't know. Jen glanced at Aggie.

"I ain't talking," the woman said with a brilliant smile. She turned and followed after Shinji.

"So where did you meet Shinji?" Jen asked.

"You can trust her," Shinji said without turning or stopping. "I do."

"Good enough for me," Aggie said. "He rescued me from a top secret CIA training facility in the Nevada desert and brought me here."

"You're a CIA agent?" Jen asked in awe.

"I was a Captain in the USMC," Aggie explained. "I was caught in an explosion and my head was severely injured. I woke up and fought out that I had some new powers."

"Unfortunately she didn't keep her huge mouth shut about it," Shinji added. "The CIA disappeared her and took her to Area 51 to work for them."

"The only problem was that they didn't bother asking me," Aggie said.

"What kind of powers do you have?" Jen asked nervously.

"Just your run of the mill telepathic and telekinetic," Jen said.

"You can read minds?" Jen asked nervously.

"Yeah," Aggie said as her grin turned devious, "and I must agree, Shinji's ass does look good in those jeans."

"Are you two coming or not?" Shinji demanded as he climbed into the SS. He paused and glanced at Jen. "Are you okay? Your face is turning bright red."

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

Shinji frowned as he looked around the large old opera house. "Wow. This place is just. . .wow."

"You actually like architecture," Jen asked, "the kind that isn't burning?"

"I'm a little more sophisticated then most believe," Shinji said with a grin. "Don't tell anyone," he added, pressing a finger against his lips.

"So what are you thinking?" Aggie asked.

"You two are the experts at this kind of thing," Shinji said. "I think we should just blow the place up."

"Of course you do," Aggie said. "I was thinking a suppressed .22 in the rafters. What do you think?"

"Not a .22," Shinji said. "That leaves too many chances. We have to make sure that he dies, even if we have to sacrifice some stealth."

"Alright," Aggie said. "You don't carry anything with a suppressor, do you?"

"Never have, never will," Shinji answered. "I can probably get a Mossberg that will do the job."

"A shotgun?" Jen asked. "You want to hit him with a shotgun load in the face, don't you?"

"Not necessarily," Shinji said. "Mossberg produces a bolt-action shotgun that is amazingly accurate. Military forces in Israel developed a sabot slug that will do the job."

"Can you get that on such short notice?" Aggie said. "Stupid question."

"How in God's name do you know these sorts of things?" Jen demanded.

"Lycan minds work differently then humans. They have a much greater capacity then ours," Aggie explained. "The CIA did a test on them, but they were signed off as wholly un-trainable."

"Don't mention that to Yuki," Shinji added. "She'll try to prove them wrong."

"Can you put a suppressor on it?" Jen asked.

"Dunno," Shinji said. "I can probably get to the SS in less then a minute though."

"You gotta be shitting me," Jen said in awe.

"The CIA has clocked lycans at speeds of ninety-five kilometers an hour," Jen said. "Well that's the average anyway."

"I'm. . .above average," Shinji said.

"How fast are you." Jen blinked in surprise and stared at the object pointed at her head. It took her several seconds to comprehend that she was staring down the barrel of Shinji's hardballer. She hadn't even seen him move!

"Of course that's as much about reflexes and coordination," Shinji said as he holstered his weapons. "Craven can draw like that. Maybe even quicker, but he can't move as fast as I can."

"Well that was fun," Aggie said. "Who wants to get something to eat?"

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

Craven watched as the two elders paced around the room. "Are you trying to keep me in suspense, or something?"

"What?" Bob asked.

"You know," Craven said. "The thing where you walk into a meeting and the person spends twenty minutes shuffling papers, checking their watch, clearing their throat, on and on and on."

"Of course not," Carl said. "We have just received some disturbing news."

"May I inquire what it is?" Craven asked.

"Shinji may not be the chosen one," Carl said. "He will die soon."

"Isn't the chosen one supposed to die twice?" Craven asked.

"He says that he won't be coming back," Bob said. "This is coming to a head and everything we thought we knew is wrong."

"We could always OD Shinji on something and stick a needle of adrenalin into his heart," Craven suggested. Both men stopped pacing and looked at each other.

"I'm already re-growing a finger," Bob said. "If that's the solution then you're doing it."

"Shinji's scared of needles?" Craven asked. "The Shinji Fenrir covered in scars and tattoos?"

"Odd, yes?" Bob asked. "Actually he bit my finger off for flipping him off."

"I fully sympathize with him," Craven said. "I hate needles."

"You two could be brothers," Bob said. "No offense intended."

"I don't take offense to being compared to Shinji," Craven said. "He's fun."

"I knew you two would get along well," Carl said.

"We need you to track him down and keep an eye on him," Bob added. "We want you both working together on this."

"Where is he?"

"Well there haven't been any crises in Belgium yet, so I believe he is still there," Carl said.

"Okay."

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

"That's great Phil!" Jen glared at Shinji. He was cooking something up and she had long ago decided it wasn't a good thing. He flipped his phone shut and turned back to the bacon, sausage, and eggs that made up his breakfast.

"You're in a good mood," she said finally.

"You would be too if you knew what he just did," Aggie said. "Of course you wouldn't admit to it."

"What did you just do?" Jen demanded.

"I just procured some special munitions for you," Shinji said with a smile. "You'll enjoy it." Jen glared at him suspiciously. He grinned and stood up.

"She said not to destroy the opera hall."

"I said not to destroy it," Aggie agreed. "A little renovating would be nice though."

"That's the plan," Shinji said. "I'll see you two later."

"Where are you going?"

"The hotel is only a few blocks away," Shinji said. "You can walk it. I need to go see Phil. It turns out he has what I wanted right now." He turned and walked out.

"So what's so 'special' about these bullets?" Jen demanded.

"You'll see," Aggie said with a smile, "and you'll enjoy it, but I doubt you'll admit it."

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

"This is amazing," Aggie said. "That's Marco De Pulnier!"

"Who?" Jen asked as she stared at the costumed man.

"He's the most famous post-Second Impact opera singer in the world," Aggie said.

"I could kick his ass." Jen whipped around and glared at Shinji.

"Don't do that!"

"Sorry," Shinji said as he set down the instrument case he had been carrying. "I would think that you would be used to it with the way your dad is."

"He only did that on the job," Jen said, "and when I was doing something I wasn't supposed to be doing."

"The crowd is starting to come in," Shinji said as he looked around. "You better take off Aggie. You won't want to be around when the shit hit's the fan."

"Alright." The blond woman hugged Shinji quickly and walked away.

"Is that it?" Jen asked, eyeing the case. It might have been a cello case, she wasn't too good with 'classical' instruments.

"This is it," Shinji said. He turned and pushed his way through the crowd of performers towards the ladder that led to the crawlspace over the ceiling of the opera hall. Jen had to hustle to catch up.

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

Shinji stared through the hole cut in the opera hall's ceiling and stared at the elderly man who was their target. "Are you sure they can't see us?"

"I'm sure," Jen said. "I'm a sniper, remember? I do this all the time. The hole is in a shadowed corner. They won't see us."

"Alright," Shinji said as he eyed the two men standing on either side of the geezer. He didn't like how they looked. There was something wrong with them.

"Are you okay?" Jen asked.

"Fine," Shinji said as he unsnapped the clasps of his cello case and lifted the lid. He pulled out the wicked looking weapon and began to screw the eighteen centimeter suppressor onto the muzzle of the already large weapon.

"Not bad," Jen said as she took the weapon. "Heavy, but a lot lighter then my Walther."

"I figured you would like it," Shinji said. "At this range all you have to do is aim and the weapon will put the round where you want it." He picked up a small foam box from the case and opened it carefully to expose three fat black 12-gauge shells with a Jolly Roger painted on each one.

"Ominous," Jen said.

"You don't know the half of it," Shinji said as he carefully extracted one of the rounds and handed it to her. She took it carefully and slid it into the weapon's chamber.

"Doesn't that sticker mean high explosive?"

"Uh. . ." Shinji picked up the box and set it back into his case. "Don't worry about it. The explosive is fairly stable."

"Right," Jen said. "Should I still try for a headshot?"

"No," Shinji said. "Hit him right in the central mass." Jen nodded and laid down. Shinji covertly pulled on a pair of safety glasses and earmuffs.

"If I die I'm going to haunt you for the rest of your miserable life," Jen said.

"Fair enough." She poked the muzzle of the weapon through the hole and lined up her shot. The weapon jumped with a loud pop and the elderly man suddenly flew backwards. For a moment he just lay on the ground and then his chest exploded. "Wow."

"Whoa."

"How many of those things do you have?" Jen asked.

"A lot."

"Good." Shinji frowned as one of the bodyguards turned and stared at them.

"He sees us."

"He can't see us," Jen said.

"He sees us," Shinji insisted. The man yelled something and pulled out a pistol from under his suit.

"I think you're right." Jen slung the Mossberg over her shoulder. "Go!"

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

Shinji slid into the driver seat of his SS and started the engine. 'Having trouble?'

"Not now Aggie," Shinji said as he started the engine. Jen slid into the seat next to him, the Mossberg across her lap.

"What the hell are those guys?" she demanded.

"I don't know," Shinji said. "They shouldn't have been able to see us." They roared out of the garage and onto the street. "Aggie?"

'Right here.'

"We need to get somewhere scenic," Shinji said. "Where do we go?"

'Hit the main street and stay on it going west,' Aggie said. 'Not many people go past the city limits. There's been nothing out there since the Second Impact.'

"Thanks," Shinji said. "What are you doing?"

"I'm getting the other shells," Jen said simply. She sat back down and ejected the Mossberg's magazine. She loaded the other two shells into it and pushed it into the weapon. "You said you had more!"

"They're in the trunk!" Shinji bellowed back. He swung out onto the main street. "Are they following us?"

"Yeah," Jen said. "Get on a straightaway and I can take a show at them."

"Right," Shinji said. "Go for the hood. Those little bitches will blow the engine apart."

"I've always wanted to try that."

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

'Yuki!' Yuki looked around the apartment and frowned. 'It's me!'

"Oh," she sighed in relief. "I thought I was going crazy. Is something wrong Aggie?"

'Shinji got busted,' Aggie said. 'His thoughts were a little bit jumbled, but. . ."

"His thoughts are always jumbled," Yuki cut in.

'The guy had bodyguards,' Aggie thought. 'Shinji doesn't think they're human and now they're chasing them down the road!'

"They'll be fine," Yuki said dismissingly. "Shinji's gotten himself out of worse positions."

'But the guards might be angels.'

"The Grim Reaper tried to kill Shinji. What makes you think a couple of angels could do any better?"

'Uh. . .'

"Just relax," Yuki said. "He'll be fine."

'What about Jen?'

"She can take care of herself."

'If you say so.'

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

"God damn it!" Jen ducked as sparks flew of the SS's trunk.

"Relax," Shinji said. "They can't hit us." He glanced in the rearview mirror. "What the hell are they driving?"

"What about the explosives?" Jen demanded. Shinji paused and looked over his shoulder.

"Good question."

"You're insane!"

"The best thing for a rotten life is an early and glorious death!" Shinji cheered, "and if it ain't flashy, then what's the point?" He threw his head back and cackled.

"Slow down!"

"What?" Shinji asked, ceasing his laughter immediately. "We're only doing three hundred and fifty."

"Kilometers or miles?"

"Kilometers," Shinji said. "You do know that they'll catch up if I slow down, right?"

"That's the point," Jen said as he hefted her Mossberg. "Are you fond of that window?"

"A little."

"I would suggest that you roll it down then."

"Right." Shinji rolled down his window and tapped the breaks slightly. One of the black sedans immediately pulled up along side them and Jen raised her weapon. Shinji turned and saw both of the red-eyed men staring at them in horror. He grinned and flashed them a victory sign as Jen fired. The explosive slug hit the sedan's front wheel and continued into the engine block. Shinji accelerated as the car nearly slammed into the rear fender.

"Wow." Shinji watched in the rearview mirror as the sedan flipped and began to cartwheel end over end.

"Didn't I tell you that you'd have fun?"

"Yeah," Jen said as she pulled the Mossberg's bolt back. "One to go."

"I've got this one," Shinji said. "Seat belt. Now." Jen scrambled to pull on her seat belt. Shinji glanced in the rearview mirror and slammed on the breaks. The SS shuddered violently as the second black sedan shot past them. It's tail lights flashed and the car spun one hundred and eighty degrees.

"Shinji?"

"Ever play chicken before?" Shinji asked as he stepped on the gas and the break pedals.

"No."

"It's a rush." Shinji released the breaks and the black car shot forward with enough force to shove him back in his seat.

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

'Yuki?'

"What's up?"

'Shinji just slammed his SS into a sedan,' Aggie said flatly. 'They were doing a combined speed of three-twenty.'

"Are either of them hurt?"

'Well no, but I've got a really bad feeling about this,' Aggie said. 'I heading out to them.'

"They'll need a ride back," Yuki said. She felt a pang of nervousness. "Where are they exactly?"

'Outside the city limits on the abandoned speedway,' Aggie said. 'Do you want me to swing by and picked you up?'

"Yeah," Yuki said as she picked up her coat. "I'll be in front of the hotel."

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

"My head." Shinji looked around and closed his eyes tightly. When he opened them everything was still upside down. It took him a moment to figure out that the SS was on its roof. "My insurance rates are going to go through the fucking roof." A moan next to him drew his attention and he turned as best he could to see Jen hanging next to him. Shinji reached into his boot and quickly pulled out his knife. A moment later he landed with an undignified lump on the upside-down roof of the SS on his head. "Jen?"

"What happened?"

"We were in a car accident," Shinji said as he carefully lowered her to the ground. "Close your eyes." Jen did as she was told and Shinji put his boot through the SS's front windshield. He grabbed the Mossberg and slowly climbed out.

"That was my first," Jen said as she followed him out.

"Glad I could make is special." Shinji glanced at the wrecked sedan and smirked. "That'll teach you."

"So what now?" Jen asked as she leaned against the overturned muscle car. "I can believe you wrecked this thing."

"I have four more," Shinji said with a shrug. "They're all stock though. Maybe I'll pick another one. I've been meaning to give the '71 Pontiac GTO a good trial run." He glanced at Jen. Her jaw was hanging open.

"You've got to be kidding."

"No," Shinji said. "You want one? I have at least twenty different models."

"Now you're kidding," Jen said.

"No," Shinji said. "When this is over we can go to Germany and you can pick one. I loaned them to a museum there." Something behind them crunched loudly and Shinji turned to stare at the sedan. "You've got to be shitting me."

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

A loud gunshot rang out and Jen watched as Shinji was knocked sharply sideways. She spun sharply, trying to get her hardballer out of its holster. The muzzle came clear and she fired. The two shots jerked wildly in the air and careened off a orange octagon. The two black-suited men turned to face her. "Fire now!" Shinji snapped as the Mossberg in his left hand jerked. One of the men went down with a hole in his chest that a basketball could have fit through. The second man fired at nearly the same time as Jen. She felt a tug in her chest and the top of the man's skull was peeled off. "Jen?"

"I'm okay," Jen looked down and stared at the blood on her blouse. "I think I've been shot."

"It could have been worse," Jen turned and saw Shinji climbing to his feet. "You didn't get the guy with the shotgun." His right upper arm was a mass of torn leather and flesh.

"Oh my God."

"Relax," Shinji said as he worked his belt off and tired it around his arm. He gave a couple of tugs and reached into his pocket for a bottle of alcohol.

"Give me that." Jen snatched the bottle and upended it over Shinji's arm.

"Fuck!"

"I'm just disinfecting it," Jen said. Shinji snatched bottle back and drank what was left of it.

"You alright? You look a little pale."

"I've been shot," Jen said weakly. Suddenly the world seemed to swim.

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

"Jen!" Shinji managed to get to his feet and stumbled over to where the young woman had fallen. She was pale and there was blood all over her shirt. That was fairly normal for a gunshot. Something caught Shinji's eye. He leaned forward and examined the wound. It smelled funny. "Aggie!"

'What's wrong?'

"Jen was shot," Shinji said. "Where are you?"

'Yuki and I are coming to you,' Aggie thought. 'Sit tight for a few more minutes.'

"Right." Shinji leaned back and tore at her shirt. The sight that met his eyes was not comforting. The flesh around the wound had turned red and he could see veins and arteries leading away from the wound. It looked like the same kind of wound that a lycan would have after an attack with silver. "Oh shit. Aggie?"

'Yeah?' Jen's been poisoned. Shinji stood and hobbled towards the two men. The man he had shot was still breathing. Shinji picked up the man's shotgun and blew his head off. He picked up the second man's weapon and awkwardly ejected the magazine. The bullets were hollow points. A dark liquid oozed out when he crushed one between to fingers.

"Jen's been poisoned."

'Shinji?'

"I'm listening," Shinji said as he moved back to Jen.

'Keep her awake,' Aggie said. 'She's already showing signs? That must be some nasty shit.'

"Wake up!" Shinji roared, slapping Jen gently. Her eyes fluttered open.

"Go away," she growled weakly. A sweat had broken out on her forehead.

"You've been poisoned. Aggie told me to keep you awake."

"I feel like shit." Shinji looked around desperately. Then an idea hit him. He could tell that Jen was dying. He had seen enough lycans die from silver to recognize the similar signs.

"You're dying."

"I feel like it," Jen said.

"I think I can save you," Shinji said. "Chances are you're going to die, but I can give you a chance."

"You're going to turn me," Jen said.

"With your permission."

"My dad is going to kill you."

"If I'm lucky."

-End

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

-Author's notes. I've had this lying around for some time. I had to do it, if just for Marvin's reaction.