Posted originally on the Archive_of_Our_Own at https://archiveofourown.org/ works/10188998. Rating: Explicit Archive Warning: Major_Character_Death, Underage Category: F/M Fandom: Witch_Hunter_Robin Character: Amon/Robin_Karasuma Additional Tags: Drinking, Violence, Smut Stats: Published: 2017-03-09 Updated: 2017-04-02 Chapters: 7/20 Words: 20503 ****** Ghosts that have pasts ****** by JdWheels65 Summary Amon is despondent over Robin's death in the collapsing of the factory, has spiraled into a world of darkness and excessive alcohol. His STN-J counterparts are concerned, as this is not the Amon they know, and rely on. A chance sighting one day brings internal ghosts up... are they real, are they just too much booze or is it his own mind playing cruel tricks? ***Another Smut with plot... and this has more plot, but the smut actually works with it.*** Notes See the end of the work for notes ***** Endless thirst ***** Chapter One: Endless Thirst By Jd Wheels Disclaimer: I do not own Witch Hunter Robin nor do I make any money off of my writings. I am only a fan that loves to write   Amon sat in Harry’s, sipping on a double whisky over a single ice cube, silently brooding at the end of the bar. He was not even noticing any of the other patron’s that were carousing around, enjoying a few drinks after a hard day at work and blowing off the stresses and strains that they had building up during. The large man’s mind was flittering back in time, a time when his comrades at the STN-J had toppled the Factory and vanquished Zaizen. Amon was happy about that, but the cost for defeating the man in the end was way too much for anyone to pay. They may have won the battle those few months ago, but losing Robin on that day was not worth it. Nothing was worth that much. Nothing could ever be that important. When the factory fell, it had collapsed inwards on itself with a cacophony of sounds and screams of witch life forces being freed by Robin’s powers. Miho and the others in the STN-J team had escaped the concrete and steel house of cards, as Amon had unbeknown to the others. Injured, Amon tried in vain for hours after the others had left what was left of the huge complex, to find any trace of Robin being alive, but deep down knowing that was probably not the case. He vividly remembers the last few seconds of when he saw her last. That moment was burned into his very soul. He had been pulling Robin along as they tried to find a way out as things crumbled about them… but he lost a grip on her hand when she tripped, and as he tumbled forward from her, the hall collapsed- over where the girl laid. In horror, he watched the floor gave way under the girl as she struggled to get to her feet, and the ceiling followed her down as the building disintegrated, he heard Robin call his name. He was shot forward with the concussion of the upper floor coming down and then his part of the hall slid and he blacked out. He came to a while late somehow found his way out of the rubble in a daze. Once out of what was the huge structure, he staggered around in the din of what was left in the destruction, searching to see if the young craft user had somehow escaped. After many hours of walking and searching as the dust from the destruction clogged his nose and mouth, there was not one sign the girl had gotten out of the place. With the knowledge that Robin had died, dark haired man just simply disappeared by walking off away from the pile of rod iron and concrete … choosing to go into hiding to let himself heal from what ended up being a broken arm and several other injuries he had incurred… knowing for the time being, his comrades at the STN-J would believe he was dead. Amon made his way into the city, ending up staying with his brother just outside of Tokyo proper, who promptly got a doctor to treat Amon’s multiple injuries in a secured place- a doctor who would never reveal that he was alive. With all the shady people and dealing Nagira dealt with in his law practice, he knew many of these types of Doctors who helped many out of the legal medical establishments, and had one in mind that he trusted the most. Amon did not want people to know he survived yet, which was the reason behind the cloak and dagger medical treatment. He did not fully trust anyone SOLOMON at this point, and was being very wary until he could make head or tales out of it all. Zaizen might be gone; there still might be people that agreed with the madman and his hideous plan still in the hierarchy… or something way more devious hidden away in their ranks. Either way, he trusted his brother in helping. Amon was slowly but surely was brought back to health physically, yet emotionally and mentally was another matter altogether. Inside the stoic shell that was Amon, the man was still churning in great turmoil – the ghost that was the tawny haired girl’s memory seemed to never leave his mind for very long. Nagira would always try to get his brother to open up, seeing he was troubled… but was basically shot down every time. With a sigh, Nagira would leave well enough alone, and hoped his brother’s mood would lighten. He sort of knew deep down that his brother just might not come around. After a few months and completely healed, Amon oddly chose to return to work at the STN-J, but without revealing why he choose to vanish… or even to simply reappear. SOLOMON Headquarters and the STN-J let him back in to the fold, happy to have a hunter of his caliber back and on the job – but Amon always knew, all of them had questions why he had vanished and what happened back at the factory.. He would not give them any explanation. Harry came over to the gloomy man, carrying another drink in hand. He broke Amon of his deep thoughts. “You should slow down on these, Amon.” The man said, obviously caring about the state of the man. “No amount of drink that you partake of will end up bringing Robin back for all of us.” “Just keep bringing them...” Amon grunted, downing the last of the drink he had, then grabbing the other one from Harry. “You just serve, I will deal with how much or how little that I drink.” “I am only being concerned with your state of mind, old friend.” The man said, in his usual soft way. “I have not seen you like this for as long as I have known you… nor have I seen you drink so much as well…” Amon looked up; his eyes show he was annoyed with the older man. He made a drunken gesture and sneered at Harry, his steely eyes showing a flashing of anger. “Like I said, you just keep them coming until I say to stop.” The long maned hunter said his words harsh and short. “Do your damn Job, and I will sit here and drink…” The owner of the establishment nodded, knowing full well that arguing with the man was futile at the best of times, without the man’s stubborn nature... with this downcast mood he had been in, there was no arguing with him. He took the empty glass away, and went off to serve others patrons that were beckoning him from the other end of the bar, leaving the man to his little corner of blackness and the powerful alcohol. Amon just sat and his mind drifted back to Robin once again, his body visually stiffened. No matter how much alcohol he could ply himself at any time, the face of the pretty young Craft-user was right there in his mind’s eye. Even in his sleep, on nights that he did get some, the pretty fire user’s face and her cries for him as she fell into the blackness back in the that dark tunnel hall was always there for him.   He felt Robin’s loss so deeply, that is why he went back to work. He continually tried to stem the feelings that he had from the girl’s death through working long hours and then drinking himself into a sort of coma state either at home or Harry’s... but work and booze never did let things get better for the brooding young man. Even work only helped while he was out on hunts actively, off time was when he found himself thinking more again. The girl was the first thing he thought of in the morning, and the last thing on his mind before his exhaustion made him sleep. That was his life right now. Two long hours after the altercation between bartender and himself, Amon payed up his tab with Harry and teetered his way out of the establishment. He bounced off the wall a little as he went down the entrance hall towards the front doors, trying to mask just how drunk he was at this point. He just growled loudly to himself for going off balance, scaring a very thin older gentleman who was coming in to the establishment. He just snuffed at the reaction of the old gent, and just walked out of the entranceway to the outside world. Very intoxicated, the dark haired man began to stagger his way back to the STN headquarters called Ravens Flat, knowing that he was far too drunk to even attempt to drive himself to his little apartment that was only a few miles from Harry’s. He sort of was walking like he had only a small hint of the massive amount of alcohol that coursed through him because for the moment as he walked on... it was still noticeable despite his effort. About forty minutes later, Amon had somehow staggered himself to the Raven’s Flat building, let himself in with the security key and made his way up to the main computer room. Noting that the guard that was always outside was no there on this night, probably doing rounds on the grounds, he was glad considering the state he was in at that time. Amon comes out of the elevators and into the room and stood in the darkened silence of the place... almost as if he was trying to listen to the darkness that surrounded him. He snuffed, as he found that he could feel the unseen presence of the young girl still lingering there. It seemed like he felt that sort thing almost anywhere he was… but more times than not, it was right in this very room he could feel her very soul. He could feel the same deep and dull ache of his sadness even through the many glasses of whisky he had consumed over the hours. He stood there and shook his head, pushing away all of his emotions. “Damn…”He spat to the silence. It was still there... that very deep pit with no bottom that came with his flooding memories... a pain that nothing seemed to fully take away for him. Always in his mind, the tawny haired young girl was there and he tried so desperately to get his mind to stop all of this. He growled low to himself again, as the vision still hung in his mind. He lurched forward, going to try and get some sleep on the small couch they had off to the side, hoping to just fade off into a black oblivion for a few scant hours and drive all of this from his consciousness. A movement near where he stood caught his eye, and he turned to see just what it was... thinking that it was just Michael. The tall and stately brown haired figure of Miho stood there, and not the young hacker, who was now looking at the extremely drunk man. “Uh... It’s you...” He muttered. Miho looked at the man before her, almost in a state of utter shock at that she found in the stillness of Ravens Flat. She stepped towards the man, who did sway slightly. “Are you drunk, Amon?” She asked, her inflection was very flat and to the point, just like she always was. “I had a few drinks, Miho...” He said, scowling at his fellow hunter. “By the look of those bloodshot eyes and your swaying.... you have had way more than a few, I’d say.” She said.   Amon just loosely nodded, his head now was spinning... it seemed the alcohol was now taking over him finally. He stumbled a bit, and tried to stand there still, without success. He fixed his coat on his shoulders, and tried to look stoic, but all that he had drunk was now overriding his brain. The woman stepped right beside the man and took one of his large arms and guided him over to the couch. Amon would usually have resisted any sort of kind gesture like this, but he found himself in no shape to even try and pull away from his fellow hunter’s help. He just let her get him sitting down on the small couch, with a plop. Miho looked at the inebriated hunter and noted through his alcoholic haze, seeing the magnitude of the great sadness there in his dark and gloomy eyes. She had seen his mood shifting deeper into brooding ever since he had shown back for work after the whole factory thing. She had some sort of inkling to why he was being like this, but she had always been hesitated to confront the man on her suspicions until now. Seeing him in this drink sodden shape, was spurring on her need to speak up. “Is this all about Robin?” She finally asked. The man looked up; his face held the complete shock. It seemed that she had struck a raw nerve. “You just never mind why...” He slurred his voice very gruff and low. “Just leave me alone!” “Don’t gimme that shit, Amon...” The woman said, being a little more forceful with Amon. “We all miss Robin too, you know...” She started, seeing how when she said Robin’s name, it seemed to spark his interest through the haze. “We even thought that you were dead at one point also but happy that you survived...” “I don’t want to talk about it.” He said, swinging his arm to visually show his unwillingness to even discuss it. “You’re not even going to listen to me?” Miho asked. “No!” He said, gruffly responding to the woman.. The lady sighed, as she realized that Amon was far too drunk and as always too damned stubborn to even try and reason with him. She turned and started to leave, knowing the man was not going to listen. “Suit yourself there...” She muttered. Half way to the elevator, Miho suddenly stopped. She turned slightly towards the man who was now half sprawled out the couch. “I know… you had fallen in love with her.” She said, her voice had a hint of inflection. “And I understand the sadness you are having. You still love her.” Amon’s body twitched, as if shot by a mild electric current. His eyes got very dead, as he looked at the scry. He shook his head hard, but there was emotions bubbling up that Miho never saw from the man. “Why would you say that?” Amon bellowed, his face reddening as he tried to get to his feet… and failed due to the drinks. “She was just a childish girl... I was her protector, her partner and handler here at the STN-J.” The hunter woman turned fully to face the man squarely. Miho stared at the drunken man for a very long pause, her face serious in nature as she took a few steps closer. “I see it in your eyes. You have always tried to hide your damned emotions from everyone as always, to keep that stone like facade, but your emotions you cannot his from even yourself.” She said back with conviction. “In order to heal and get out of this hell you have made for yourself... you have to admit to yourself, that you did love Robin... then you can grieve what you have lost.” The man snuffed and then completely tuned out the woman. He let himself flop onto the couch and then turned his body to the back of it, clearly dismissed everything his STN-J coworker had been saying with the coldness that he was known for. Miho sighed, turned back and got in to the elevator. She pushed the button, and the doors closed. ”I am going home, Amon…” The woman said loudly, before the sliding doors shut. “I will see you in the morning, hopefully your sobered up by then…Michael is asleep back in his room.” She closed her eyes and took a long breath in, knowing the man was self- destructing right before all of his friend’s eyes. She felt helpless to stop it, but also knew that she could not do anything for him. She just knows to just go home… the man had to solve things himself, or fall even further into his own-made hell. She stood in the elevator as it descended her mind troubled. Amon sat in the stillness of the room, his mind fogged and reeling from his little talk with the woman hunter. Even sodden by many ounces of hard drink, his mind could not help but hold on to what Miho had said to him with such conviction…, and it echoed loudly through him right to his very soul. “How could she say all of those damned things?” He asked himself with a snuff, as he unceremoniously flopped back to lay prone on the couch again, the alcohol finally taking over fully. “Miho was ridiculous in thinking of that…that crap!!” The man snuffed at the thought, and closed his eyes, but it was clear that he was not buying his own line of empty feeling words. As he began to slip into an empty drink induced sleep, his mind was screaming at him one line. “Miho is right... I did fall in love.” His world slipped into the total coma state of the final stage of his night time drunk. The last picture in his head was of the tawny haired young beauty in the Victorian dress known as Robin Sena... as it had been for weeks upon weeks. ***** Inside Talk ***** Chapter Summary Amon drives around endlessly, trying to escape the one thing that bothers him the most... and going nowhere. Does he believe in ghosts, or madness? Does he believe in himself? Chapter Notes See the end of the chapter for notes ---- Chapter Two – Inside Talk -----   “You all right, Amon?” The man opened his eyes reluctantly to the sound of the vice that pierced his sleep, and that was when two things happened. One was he saw Michael standing there, looking down at him with a smirk that covered his face. The second thing was the hangover that he knew was coming… instantly hit him full force with a crushing pains in his head. He groaned, and the brought even larger wave of pain in his head. The hung over man willed himself to push into a sitting position, while ignoring the thin built lad and the question he had woken him up with. He got to the seated position with a bit of effort, but with that effort it just made the hangover worse. The young computer wizard looked at the slow moving man, and gave a chuckle in the back of his throat. “You look like death warmed over...” The youth commented, crossing his arms. “Why did ya stay here the night?” Amon just looked at him through squinting eyes, wondering if he should smack the young lad or not. His head was thundering like mad, and his tongue felt heavy and sticky… and he was in no mood to play whatever this game was. It was very apparent that he really had drunk way too much the night before, and this was the price he had to pay for it. He groaned, as his head felt like it weight a ton… and the playful way sof Michael did not help it any. Amon got himself on his feet, ignoring the youth who seemed to be waiting for an answer to his questions. He strode right passed the youth without an answer, heading to the coffee pot in the break room for a cup of hangover cure. The lad was just teasing him, he knew… but he was in no mood for any of that. The surprised lad just watched, as the man just blew him off and walked away. He shrugged his shoulders, knowing that the man was not going to answer him any time soon. He had teased the ma, but in reality… he was worried. He had seen the man drunk as all hell over the last few week, but he could see this was a new level of drunk the man had gotten to. He had never came back to sleep it off before. Net territory, new questions. Michael simply went back to his computer with his thoughts, knowing full well to leave the man alone. He wondered why he had teased the man like that; he had done it out of the blue, it was not planned. Since Robin’s death, nothing at all made any sense. Not the STN-J, not SOLOMON and not even the group he worked for here at Ravens Flat. After a cup of very strongly made black coffee, Amon felt somewhat human again. The hot beverage had certainly made a dent in his blitzing hangover, but was still lingering like a bad dream on him to some degree. He refilled his coffee for a second time and took a set at a small table that was in this little room. The chair creaked under his large frame’s weight, but it held without a problem. He sat in the quiet of the small space, pondering the night before. Some things were a blur in his memory, but found that his little talk with Miho was still very clear in his mind. He could remember his emotional admission he gave to himself, and was angry at himself admitting what he had kept to himself for so long. It had not been forced out of him, he had never fully admitted his true feelings to himself... and now he could not push it back into himself to safely ignore them once. The truth was, and even now, is in love with Robin. “Damn!!” He spat to the empty room. He hated feeling all of this, and hated that it brought him the sadness he had never felt before. He needed to find the way to push it all back in again. Quickly downing the last drops of coffee from his mug and leaving it on the small table, the man briskly walked out of the break room and headed straight for the elevators. He just wanted to get out of there as fast as he could, and hurry to collect his car from where it had been parked since late yesterday afternoon, in a small lot near Harry’s establishment. The computer whiz looked up from his work. He saw Amon was leaving, just stepping into the elevator when he noticed. “Where are you going?” He asked loudly. “If you or anyone else seems to think they need to talk to me, tell them to call.” Amon answered back, not even turning around as he strode right in to the elevator without a pause. “What do I say if Mr. Kosaka asks where you are and why you are not here?” “Just tell him I’ve gone out.” Amon flatly replied, irritation was painting his words. “You can reach me by the communicator.” “Is that all I tell them?” The youth asked of the man. The elevator doors closed, and Amon was gone, without giving an answer to the lad. Michael just snuffed, and went back to his work. He would just tell the others what he knew; the news would not surprise them he thought. Sometimes, just saying something then shutting up was the best policy. He returned to clacking on the keyboard, as his work needed to be done.   An hour and a half after Amon had left Ravens Flat, found him far across the large expanse that was Tokyo, parked a about fifty yards away from a heap of concrete and steel which was formerly the factory. The man sat very still in his car, staring out of the car window at the twisted metal and bolder sized chunks that was the remains of Zaizen’s evil that lay out in the early morning sun. The dark haired man seemed too simply to be intently pondering the colossal mountain of wreckage, but in fact his mind was literally far removed from the heap. He had once again slipped deeply into his own tortured memory; back to that place and time that always seemed to be there haunting him. Robin’s pleading voice still echoed in his mind, her calling to him for help as the hallway caved under her… and then on top, her cutting off that cry in a roar like a huge monster- then her vanishing into the darkness far below as he helplessly was thrown away from the gaping hole. In that horrible passing of a few seconds, Robin was gone. He shuttered from head to toe. Amon suddenly snapped himself out of where his mind was, and again could only see the remains of evil sprawled out in front of him. The rubble just mirrored what was taking place inside of him to a tee. He took one last long look, his heart feeling like it was sinking right out of his body and beyond, and he did not like how that was making him feel. He reached down and pulled out a silver flask from the console beside himself, opened it and took a long pull from it. He winced and his face contorted, as the American made whiskey he had inside more than slightly burned his mouth as it went down. He grunted and put the top back on and returned it to its original place. Amon started up his car, as the urge to leave spurred him on. He glanced one more time at the destroyed complex, and then roared off in a cloud of dust and gravel. He needed to get saway from this place, but he seemed to be drawn back to it every few days, Hurrying on to an onramp and then hitting the highway that would run right through some of the most congested roads in Tokyo, he wanted to put many miles between himself and the place. He had no destination in mind to go to or anywhere he wanted to be or needed to be either... he just wanted to be on the move. Pausing always drew his mind inwardly, to where that horrible memory still lived in such detail. He lit a cigarette; the habit he had not do since he had been a teenager, but had started back up a few weeks after the Factory had crashed down. Amon took a long pull off the cigarette and blew a plume of smoke out. Amon felt some of the tension in his body ebb away, and he reveled in the feeling. He just sped his high performance car up, and he followed the curve of the road onward. His only thoughts were still on the young girl. Amon continually admonished himself over and over again, as he could not get himself to completely escape the swarm of feelings that kept bouncing around in his psyche, ones that in the past he could get away from while after plying himself with ample amounts of alcohol to mask it. When it was enough whiskey in him, he could get a few hours of peace, and even at times some sleep. Now with the admission of these emotions, they seemed to be like giants. He took another rather long drag off his smoke in an attempt to stop his mind. He was in love with Robin, but that one was now dead. He could not shake any of this off. He fought the emotions that continued to bubble… he wanted to escape and return to being himself. That was seemingly many lifetimes past. He punched the accelerator, and sped his car up.   Amon drove around for a few more hours, ignoring his communicator that went off more than a few times in his wanderings. He did finally stop to get a something to eat from a convenience store he came across that was close to blocks of apartments. It was the first thing he was going to eat since sometime yesterday, as he was running on Whiskey and cigarettes since. He found a large park that was close to the convenience store location, and pulled in to the small parking lot next to it to eat in the quietness. He did not know why he was even in this far flung part of the city… but it to be a better place to be than back at Headquarters where he would have to dodge everyone. Amon ate in his car, while he watched as a large collection of children who were romping around in a large play area that was about fifty feet away. The kids were playing with total abandon that come with youth, while the mothers and caretakers watched their every move from benches nearby. He leaned himself into the seat of his car, and was just watching the goings on with almost indifference, reveling in the quiet the spot afforded him. He did long for the sense of that freedom the children were exhibiting… but he knew that was independence afforded only for the carefree times he had left many years ago. . After about a half hour, he decided to leave this spot and move on. As he readied to leave, a figure of a young woman and two little ones caught his eye at the far end of the playground. He watched the little group, as if drawn to do so. The children seemed to be twin girls that were around perhaps not quite four years old, but his eye went to the woman that was with them. Something about the woman was familiar, and he was wondering if he knew her or not. As he pondered that question, the girl partially turned to look at one of the children who had decided to hide behind her at that moment in play, using the skirts of her dress to play. Amon gasped, and looked even closer. The woman had a long ponytail of the tawniest color that fell just to her mid- back. She was dressed in a very long black dress that went to her ankles, and had long arms as well, obviously it was very out of style. The face of the young woman was not visible to Amon, due to the distance, but his mind though it could almost be the young crafter user. He knew it could never be, but somewhere inside of himself wanted it to be. He watched as the girl ushered the two tots into the back of a black car way over on the other side of the park, and then got in to the vehicle beside the children. It turned on to the road from where it was parked and surprisingly was headed his way. He stiffened and watched the car as it neared where he was parked. Amon took a look at the license plate, and barely got the first few numbers when the vehicle sped past him and off. He started his vehicle and spun it around with the expertise of the best movie stuntmen… finding himself quickly following the car after getting the complete plate number burned into his memory. The black car containing the brownish blond girl and the kids headed for an onramp to the highway that was just a few blocks over. Amon just discreetly followed the vehicle at a safe distance, trying to find a chance to see to see if the young girl he had seen, was indeed the young Craft-user... even thought that was an impossibility, or that he was beginning to go absolutely mad Up the onramp and on to the busyness of the highway, he followed car, being careful not to be seen. He was feeling this overwhelming need to know whether the girl he spotted was in fact Robin who had gotten in to the SUV. This was scaring the large shouldered man, scared about this thing he was doing and was unable to stop, It was as if he needed to know so badly if the girl was Robin. He could not even control himself now, as if it was almost life or death for him to know for certain. He was trying to reason with himself against the folly of such an act, acting on emotion and not common sense. Logically, he knew that Robin was dead. Logically, he knew that this could never be the girl and he knew this was a very screwy ting to be doing… but he could not stop himself from following the luxury car like he was. Traffic was now building in to be quite heavy, and to his frustration, he soon lost sight of the car at a point where many off-ramps and onramps converged in and out of the downtown core of the city… and also because a very large truck that had forced its way into his lane which had blocked his tailing the car. He quickly made a move to pass the truck, getting out from behind its massive load to get in site of the car.   Once out of the shadow of the large truck, he found the traffic was becoming a little lighter, but the car was nowhere in sight. He swore loudly to himself, as he frantically scanned in front of himself and the ramps on and off the highway to try and spot the vehicle again. He could not spot the vehicle anywhere on the road… it has basically vanished. The auto and who had appeared to be Robin was gone in the crush of cars and trucks. He did not have a clue whether it had gotten off of one of the many off ramp, hidden in the chaos that was Tokyo’s traffic… or simply had been a depression caused hallucination he had bought into. He was feeling the scourge of his frustration welling up inside of him, as the realization that the car was gone. “Fuck!!” He swore, as he scanned ahead of his car. Driving his car off of the highway at the first exit ramp he could swing on to and just left the congestion of the road behind, Amon headed onto calmer roadways. His first thought was that he could double back to any of the side streets near where he thought was where he had lost them, then logic came into play… it might be a needle in the haystack. He slammed a hand on the steering wheel three or four times and let out a second more guttural scream at himself, as he felt his frustration beginning to boil over. He had lost the car as easily as that, and he was supposedly one of the best Hunters around Japan. He turned a corner and drove his car into a small suburb of this titanic city, going to head back to Ravens Flat… remembering he did have the license number burned into his memory. The question he posed to himself many times as he drove off was: Should he look up where this car was going to and who owned it and follow up to calm his emotion fueled curiosity, or just leave it as some flight of pure fantasy? His mind was spinning with thoughts that now were flashing through his mind like a out of control movie. Did he actually see Robin, or was his hangover and emotions playing a dirty trick on him or was he just going right nuts? He was not quite sure which category he fit into at the moment.. Perhaps it may be in all of them, he wondered. “Damn!” He said to the emptiness of his car many times over. Chapter End Notes Second chapter in the books. Hard one to write. Not physically, but to get it right - took many hours of self arguing. ***** Balancing the Cost ***** Chapter Summary Need? Want? Driven or crazy? Questions about the state of Amon... lots. Where does Amon land on these queries? Chapter Notes See the end of the chapter for notes Chapter Three- Balancing the cost   Michael was at his station, doing what he does best when he saw Amon stride in. He looked up and felt this dark and brooding tone to the man. Amon seemed to be in a gloomier mood than earlier, but there was another part if it that he could not put his finger on “Amon...” The computer kid called out, looking over his tinted glasses lenses at the fast moving man. “Mr. Kosaka is looking for you.” “Why is he looking for me?” Amon grunted, as he went straight to a computer terminal in one corner. “He did not tell me why he needed to see you... just that he wanted to…” The lad said, snuffing his answer. “He should be back in about an hour, and told me to make absolutely sure you stay here until he arrives back here.” Amon just nodded his head with a blank stare, as he logged on to the computer farthest away from the lad, throwing up a mental wall towards anyone there. He just wanted to do what he came for and if he had to… go off again, without having to ask questions. Even he did not want to hear his answers… perhaps he is crazy. He still was debating about doing this, even the legal ramifications of his using public records for what was his own private use floated in his mind. Losing his job would be the least that could happen, but he was beyond the consequences of it all. Amon made sure that he had put in the license number of the car and the make and color he already also knew, entered in correctly. He was hoping that the number would be enough to garner even a small lead on just who was driving that vehicle… then he might have another answer so he could that find out whether or not that was in fact... Robin he had seen. His mind already told him it was not… death proves that, but he still was driven to find out . With the information on the color, type and the license number of the car punched in, he hit the return key and waited for the data banks to come up with anything at all that could help him in figuring this out. He sat back, and waited, watching the screen with a great impatience as the computer seemed to be going way slower than it usually did. He sighed and kept himself composed, and watched the screen... With a little blip of noise, his computer came back with five hits from the DMV offices. He grunted, as this made him wonder if he had entered the plate right. He looked at the list and then realized that all five people were listed under the license tag, they all worked for the same company. It was a company car… and the only distinction was a letter that was on the plate itself. Looked like each of the employees could access all of the cars… not being assigned only one. A program of sharing between co-workers, it was Japan. With one problem solved, he needed to find which one of these men was the one. He pondered some of ways he could narrow the search a little bit more. He had a few options in which to search with yet, but he had a few ideas sill. He decided to use witch protocols to search, except for the family line for the gene. He read through each entry that had come up carefully, and then ran those names through another set of data banks with various links into government offices and registries they used in most of their investigations. To his frustration, every one of them seemed to be a potentially the target by way of the age ranges and such all lined up. It was unclear which of these the one he was searching for were. “Think Amon, Think...” He said to himself, his mind trying to think another search he could do that would pair it down. He suddenly thought of another data bank that would have more details he needed, putting it through the government own data bank of people with children for tax purposes…exactly the site to see who on his small list had twin girls around the same age. Seconds after he entered the list and set the peramitiers, he got a hit… and it was only one this time.   Hyroto Sato was the name that popped up from his search. The man had drove the newer model black small sedan from his work, was married, and did have twin girls in the age range that he estimated the children to be in. The man was a big business banker by trade, serving many of the larger corporations with financial advice and other services that most needed. The man’s wife, Kiko, was a civil lawyer with a large firm in the city’s center district. From all of the details he had now in front of himself, this seemed to be the one that was using the sedan. He noted the address given was in an area that he knew, and it was about a thirty five minutes’ drive from Ravens Flat. He allowed himself a small smirk, as he felt a little closer to either proving or disproving things for this weird urge that was pushing him. Amon jotted down the home address of Mr. Sato, and stood up. He thought about telling what he had seen, to explain why he was going to leave without meeting with the Chief, but he thought better of it. They might think he might be going a little nuts, drinking way too much or tell him that he was seeing ghosts or something. Keeping all of this to himself until he knew for sure, seemed the better way to go.. He strode by Michael’s workstation on his way to the elevator. He paused only for a second as he neared where the lad was working. “I am leaving now.” He announced with a hollow voice, as Yurika came in to the office, very late as usual. “Did you just say that you’re leaving now?” Sputtered the young lad, “You can’t do that…” “That is exactly what I said...” Amon replied, with gruffness in his tone. “I am leaving.” “You can’t leave Amon... you were asked to stick around until Mr. Kosaka returned…” Michael stammered. “I know, but I am...” Flatly said the man back. The lad looked a little petrified at the man’s words, and he was not happy with the answers he just got. He stood up and looked over top of his monitor at Amon, as the man seemed to still be moving to use the elevator. “What do I tell Chief Kosaka then? I told you that he wanted you to stay right here until he returned to the office.” Michael called out, with a tense tone. “You did tell me just that, Michael...” Amon agreed. “And you’re still going to leave despite Mr. Kosaka ordering you to stay here?” Michael said back, with a gasp. “As I just have said…yes!” Amon said flatly “You’re leaving... fine! Just tell me where it is that you are going, so I can tell the Chief and make sure he does not bite my ass of for this?” Said the lad very upset with the man’s attitude. The man stopped and turned to look right at the spiky haired computer whiz, and seemed to give him a stare that said how annoyed he was at the lad’s insistence. “You can tell him anything you fuckin’ want... Hell, tell him aliens came down and abducted me for medical research...” Was the man’s reply, walking to the elevators, passing a confused Yurika who stared around and looked sort of bewildered? “I said that I was leaving, and that is what I’m doing.” “The chief is going to be blow more than just a few gaskets when finds out that you left, you know.” Michael warned the man. “That’s Kosaka’s little problem... I just need to go and do something...” Said Amon, now a little perturbed with the firm words of the young man. Amon stormed onto the elevator. He never once looked back, as he punched a button on the panel. The door hissed shut while he stood there still as a statue, and the man was on his way back down stairs.   Once the man was gone in the elevator, Dojima looked at the Michael with a very perplexed look on her face. “What in heaven’s name is his problem?” She snidely asked, flipping her hair with a hand. “He’s been in a bad mood since he came back, but this mood he has taken the prize... even for his moods. With all of these assignments of Witches to be investigated... here he gets into one of his moods and just takes off.... just like that” “Who knows what sets him off like that?” Complained the lad loudly as he eyes the closed elevator. “Amon is Amon, you know... always been the brooding type…” He stopped, and then shook his head. “Since he has been drinking more… it has gotten worse.” The woman nodded, agreeing with the angered lad “Maybe he needs to go and get laid or something...” She said, giggling with her impish way. “That always seems to cheers me up, other than shopping.” Michael rolled his eyes at the woman’s hand at humor. He shook his head and glared at Dojima. “ Thanks for sharing that, but I am not sure if that would even help him right now...Whatever it is that has made him so in a foul mood, he better get it straightened out and get it fast... The chief is going to be furious with him, when he finds out he has left again.” “I don’t care if he leaves or not... it’s none of my problem here...” The girl said with a snarky tone. She seemed seemingly uninterested with the whole situation. “I’m just going off now...” Michael just returned to his work, as the lady went off into the back area with a magazine in hand. He knew when the chief returned, the little man more than likely will blow his top when he tells him about Amon. The youth give a long sigh, he hoped that he was not the one going to be blamed for it. Chapter End Notes Another chapter, and a short one at that. It is just that way, but things get even more odd soon. Comment or Kudos me... good or bad, helps me out. ***** Are you wrong... or right? ***** Chapter Summary A few things help Amon to accept certain things, but is it the right things? SOLOMON watches witches, and the STN-J.... who hunts the witches. Who watches both the STN-J and SOLOMON?   (Cryptic...right??) Chapter Notes See the end of the chapter for notes Chapter Four- Are you wrong… or right? ***** Speeding the car down a long stretch of the main highway, Amon had his mind also racing perhaps faster than his vehicle could do. He has had a lot on his mind. The burly Hunter was heading out to the Sato residence. His heart was racing with the prospect of actually seeing Robin again… but there was a whole lot more going on internally. He was now question himself about doing this on the spur of the moment, but it was getting harder to convince himself that this was the right thing to do. As he neared the off-ramp to head into that part of the city where the Sato’s lived, he suddenly had a huge thought enter his mind. His mind landed on a thing, he never thought of. If this ended up really being Robin, would she want to be found? This fact prompted him to think more clearly than he had done in a while. If Robin had somehow survived the collapse of the Factory complex, and had escaped with her life, she never once took any real steps to contact Headquarters in the six months since all of this had transpired… to say that she was alive. Just like he had done himself, she could be doing the exact same thing. The information that he got when he had reappeared at Ravens Flat after the two months or so was that her body had never been found in the rubble of the Factory when they searched it, but the sheer amount of the rubble hampered it. Now that if it was her alive, but not wanting to contact anyone, created a dilemma of a large per portion. If that was, she had more than just one very good reason to not want to be known she was still alive... the hunt that SOLOMON had on her was a very glaring reason to be known as deceased. He knew, no matter how much he wanted to see her, and the fact that he wanted to tell her what was in his heart… was it the right thing to do? Could he force that all on her, it very well could make her think that SOLOMON was still on her tail and hunting her... or if he was the Robin hunter once again? Two sides of himself were competing to have the answer just to that, and neither one was winning. It became very clear despite the clashing of sides inside of him… it was not all about him or what he was wanting and needing… it was her safety which was the trump card. He shook his head as reality struck in all of its undeniable logic, like a ten ton weight to the head. How could have he been so stupid? He took a strong drag off the lit cigarette he had in reflex to the one word now in his head…and that word was selfish. It suited the revelation he just had, it suited how he had been thinking for the past while and it was all him. He could not even begin to be deigning it, truth in all of its simplest form was obvious as hell. He come out of his thoughts in time to turn at the right ramp off the highway, and headed into the Sato’s part of town as planned, but he knew his self- mission now had to be put right… or completely called off. He soon just came to a compromise with himself. He would just drive by the house, see if that sedan was there, and then perhaps just leave it for the time being. He grunted to himself, noting that sounded way more reasonable now that he was thinking way more clearly than he had been. It was the only thing logical to him at this point of time, considering that he already had taken steps to find out if it was the girl. He needed to know, but he knew he could keep it to himself now. He found the house centrally located on a very quiet street in a somewhat modern area. As he parked just across the street and a little up, he could see that the sedan he was searching for was not parked in the small driveway. Looking past the up the driveway to the front door it came clear that no one was at home. There were no lights visibly on inside, and there was not any evidence of movement inside the house that he could see from where he hunkered in his car on the street. The place looked so deserted in the lowering light of late afternoon. The place just stood there. The man got out, and snuck unseen towards the house. He was going to have a quick look inside and leave. He went to the side of the house, so as not to be seen as easily. He peered into a large window that was the living room. It was quite dark and very still inside, bolstering the hard fact that no one was home. With an expert eye, he scanned all that he could see from where he was, and spotted three pictures on the wall. Two of the photos were of Mr. and Mrs. Sato, and their two children in front of a calming blue backdrop. The picture was a few years old, as the two children seemed to be almost two and sitting on their parents laps. The last was perhaps this year, as the girls were more close to their age that he saw them today. What peaked his interest the instant he looked at it, was the girl in the last photo with the twins was not the mother. The girl in the photo was of a young Japanese girl, about sixteen. She had dyed blond black hair and she wore a vintage looking black turtleneck sweater with long sleeves and a round red ruby on a chain around her neck. The hair on this girl was dyed a small bit darker of a blondish red color than Robin’s natural color, but still as long as Robin’s was when she wore it down. No matter how he looked at the picture, it was clearly not Robin. He nodded to himself, as he continued to look at the picture of the girl with the twins. He took along deep breath in, and felt a tinge of sadness creep in. This time, the sadness was strong as it had been, but it felt very different this time… it came with acceptance. “It was not her I saw… I was wrong…” He said to himself. “Robin is dead.”   With nothing more to prove or investigate, he left the house to its afternoon of silence and stealthily returned to his car. He got in to his vehicle and hurriedly began to leave the area and make the trip back to Ravens Flat to face what would be the wrath of the little man who was his boss. Driving off, things had clarity to them… and it did not take his years of being a Hunter to figure it all out. He was now sure that his emotions, mixing with all of the alcohol he was doing lately, made him think this young thing in the photo he saw, could have been the Craft User. He felt ashamed with himself, yet glad that the truth had jumped out and slugged him right between the eyes. Leaving the part of town once on the crowded chaos that was the highway, Amon decided just to take a leisurely drive back to Headquarters, to allow time to clear his mind. He saw the great foolishness in how he was act and handling things, and knew his co-workers probably thought he was going around the bend a little. “What in the hell was I thinking...” He chuckled to himself, noting that he was acting way more stranger than usual. “…what the fuck was I doing, dammit!!” The long maned man took a drive around Tokyo’s east end, just driving for the simple pleasure of it. He had finally checked in with Michael, and knew that the Chief was running rather late, and that he could see him tomorrow… perhaps his reprimand will not be as hard to take, even though he deserved it. That was one thing off his mind, his heart will heal in time, grieving with be a part of that journey. Turning on the police scanner, he listened in on the goings on of the Tokyo police force while he drove. Listening in on the police would normally be when the STN-J was actively on a hunt for a witch, but as of right now… it was more out of pleasure to eavesdrop on what was going on throughout the greater Tokyo are… not to mention relaxing. It sounded like the police were having a very slow day. He heard a few petty crimes reporting for a unit to check on, but nothing large. It was simply a slow day, and he had made it into a big thing. He laughed a little at it all. He knew many people thought he was either a full on drunkard capable of only wallowing in his own shit and makes everybody around him pay for his the way he treated everybody, or just a raving lunatic. About twenty minutes after leaving the Sato’s home, a report came across the radio after…one that was really out of place. The call was a report of a young man exhibiting some really weird behavior was attacking after a young girl in the city center area... by throwing large object from on the street, with his mind. Amon listened to the description, and was sure that this sounded like some Witch was using his powers to him. Without one moment of hesitation, the Hunter grabbed his communicator and radioed in to HQ. “There is a report on my police scanner that something is happening near the old library building on the east side of town?” He asked as soon as Michael was on the airwaves. “By the police’s obvious confusion in the reports, makes me think of witch activity.” “I just got the report on line too.” Michael replied back. “All this is happening just behind where the old library is... shall I call Miss Karasuma for you?” “Tell both her and Sakaki to get there as fast as she could, I am closer and I will check the scene, see if it is a STN job.” “Will do!” The lad’s voice said, as it disappeared from the airwaves. Amon slammed his foot on to the gas petal, and sped off like a rocket. His car accelerated like if it was being driven by a total madman, he headed for an exit a few kilometers ahead of where he was on the highway for the way to the location, leaving behind the Sato residence the way he left it. He welcomed the situation at the library as a respite from the many thoughts that cluttered his brain… and the guilt coming from his actions. He turned off the highway after minutes and on to a major side roadway, and sped off towards the library.   Once on the scene just behind the large building that was one of the many libraries scattered within Tokyo, he quickly spotted a tall and very thin man in an alleyway. The man was dressed oddly in a baggy purple suit and one very large black hat, looking like a pimp straight out of an old American 70’s movie or something. The man’s whole body was aglow, as things large and small, which had been on the ground, were lifting and swirled around his body. Amon got a little closer once out of his car, noticing that the witch had no idea he was there. The man seemed to be really concentrating on something at the opposite end of the alley they were in, where only shadow seemed to have been. Amon squinted, and could barely pick out there was a figure in black, partiality crumpled to the ground at the farthest end of the alley, where it had come to a dead end in dark shadow. The figure at the end was struggling to get back to its feet, but seemed to be having some trouble in doing so. The witch in purple laughed maniacally, as some of what swirled around him shot through the air… a few pieces knocking the figure down again, “You will die… and I will be your executioner!!!” The witch screamed over and over again with a evilness that made the hairs on Amon’s neck stand up. The dark haired Hunter pulled out his ORBO gun and smoothly went to one knee, as the oddly dressed man had his power constantly throwing things at the fallen figure. The hunter waited for the right moment to shoot, as the swirling object obscured his aim. He knew that if he missed the first shot, this man’s power, if concentrated on him, might be too much for him and his gun to deal with… and the city might be in trouble. Amon waited for the right moment… that is when he saw a bright flash of light out corner of his sight. He watched in surprise as the objects the witch had used his powers on were disintegrating in various small fireballs right in mid-air. Amon was shocked to see this, because he had never seen something like that since Robin use to do it in defense. “Could it be...? Robin?” He asked himself, but he could not see the figure anymore past the bright glaring light of the flames. The Witch suddenly had caught sight of Amon, who had hesitated when he saw the fireballs in the air. Objects farther away from the Witch rose and shot in his direction, , the man thought he was the one with the flames. Amon did not wait any longer… he let loose a calculated shot at the Witch, as he began to hear the familiar sounds of high heeled shoes on the pavement behind him. He knew automatically that it must have been Karasuma was arriving on the scene. Amon’s shot missed by a hair breath of the man’s head, and the Witch shouted at him incoherently. Some other objects that were poised in mid-air now were on their way right at the dark maned Hunter at an alarming speed. Amon tightened his whole body like a coiled cat for a leap for safety, already planning to push Miho with him for her safety as well, but Amon suddenly never had to. The Witch in purple exploded into flames, engulfing him from head to toe in a blinding dancing orange light. Blood curdling screams came from the Witch’s mouth, as the flames hungrily ate away at his clothes and flesh with hunger, his skin blistered and peeled… blood was blackened by the heat. The witch staggered, as the lifted objects fell to the ground, his power’s hold on the things was broken. He too one more step as the flames continued to eat at him, the objects began to rise again. The Witch was not giving up, despite being fully in flames. “He is still not going down…” Shouted Miho. “Shoot!!!” Commanded Amon. Both Karasuma and Amon fired two shots each into the man’s burning body, as the objects began to fly in their direction. The blazing body jerked, and then fell to the ground along with the levitated objects which crashed to the ground, the noise of twisting metal and bottles smashing echoed through the alley. With the flames still eating away at the body, it was apparent to both of the hunters, this man was finally dead. Amon smoothly rose to his feet, and looked down the alley to see just who the figure he saw, was. To his surprise, the figure was long gone without a trace. He took a step to where he had saw the person last, but still he could not see anyone still in the alley. He stepped further into the dead end, and could not really see the way out, other than climbing through a tightly planted together row of trees that lined a tall fence area. Whoever it was, was gone, “Just what happened here?” Said Miho. “I was seeing if the person this witch was attacking was ok, but that person seems to have gotten away.” Said the man, putting his weapon back on his hip. “That person helped us out with the power of fire.” Said Karasuma, putting her own weapon away. “ Strange as if may seem for me to say...It was almost like Robin’s power that took care of that witch... but it can’t be...” Amon just turned back to the other hunter, his eyes holding very uncharacteristic emotions for that moment. Miho stood silently, not knowing what to say, “I know it can’t be her...” He said his voice slow and plodding in its cadence. “It just made me think...” Miho nodded, her body relaxed a little. “You were wishing that it really was though weren’t you?” The woman asked, knowing that it was what the man was thinking, just by reading his body signals. “I was!!” He said sharply, bowing his head. He looked up again, scanning the alley for any signs of whether or not it was the young craft user. He could not see any sign of his thought anywhere, as the back road was silent and still “But... I know that is not possible... now.” The brown haired woman joined the man, who was still searching the alleyway with his eyes. She looked as well, and saw that the alley was very empty now... except for the still flaming body of the witch on the ground “It could be another witch with the power of fire, or another craft user too...” Speculated the woman. She looked at the man’s solemn face, as it was holding a deep disappointment on its stubble surface. “I would like it to have been Robin too, though for other reasons. But that is highly unlikely.” The man took one last look, and then he pulled his communicator from his trench coat’s pocket. He did not answer the woman’s voiced thoughts, except for giving her a long look from his dark eyes. “I’ll notify SOLOMON labs that we have a pickup of this body. They will have to identify the Witch for us.” He said, his face showing no outward signs of emotion once again. “We then should head back to the office.” Karasuma nodded, and waited for the man to finish his call. She looked at her leader, and sighed. She knew that he was still very much grieving over Robin’s death, but she had never seen the man like this. Even though he has seemed to have come to grips with it more than the other nights when he was self- medicating with booze, she could still feel the pain he held inside. With a sigh, she headed back to her car, knowing that he would follow her acceptance in his own time. She knew, this was his cross to carry, but the death of Robin was hurting everyone over the last few months. She knew he would not come out and say what he has been thinking or feeling any time soon with that. With that, she got into her vehicle. From the darkness of the trees that were covering the farthest reaches of the fence at the end of the alley, a figure watched from coverage of leaves and shadows. The person that was shrouded in there- never moved from the camouflaged spot it occupied. Whoever it was hidden in the trees at the end of that allwy, seemingly intent on watching the goings on in the hidden area.   The figure watched the man and woman for the longest of times, until both had gotten into the vehicles and drove off, along with the large metal truck belonging to SOLOMON that had come to pick up what was left of the dead witch. All of this took twenty minutes to unfold, now everyone was gone, and the dead stillness came back into the alleyway.. It stayed there for a while after, never moving out from its hiding place. The figure then finally slipped into the shadows of the falling evening, never straying into the light of the streets and followed back ways and unlit paths. Soon the figure was away from the library’s back area, swallowed up by the falling night’s darkness. Chapter End Notes Chapter four wrote itself almost... now comes things you may not expect. Do we believe in Ghosts? Healing... or something else entirely. ***** No fortress of Solitude ***** Chapter Summary Information, thoughts and aloneness - it is all there. Chapter Notes See the end of the chapter for notes Chapter Five- No fortress of Solitude The main room of the STN-J was silent in the grip of the lateness of evening time, except for four people that were gathered in the Dimness. Amon was standing beside Michael, as the lad rattled on the computer keyboard at a blistering pace. Karasuma was sitting in a chair just off to the side, watching the goings on with great interest. Near them all was Sakaki, who had finally joined up with the others. The young man had finally appeared on the sight of the library battle, a few minutes shy of the end of the battle. The young computer guru gave small sound of curiosity at what he was seeing on the lit screen in front of himself. He was reading whatever it was quickly, not saying a word for what felt like a vwery long time. Michael leaned back in his chair, after he was done. “What are you smiling about…?” Amon asked, seeing the lad’s smirk. The youh the looked up as everyone there crowed around. “This message from SOLOMON said it has identified the witch you took just had taken down as one Ramaldi Belochini.” Amon looked at the youth’s screen and seemed to be looking at the written information on its lit surface “Belochini?” Said Amon, snuffing. “That name seems very to be familiar to me... the name...” “It should be…” Michael said. “Should it?” Piped in Miho. The lad nodded, and turned to all who waited there “He’s on the top ten list of wanted Witches that’s why...” Said the lad reading the information that was on the screen. “He’s a hired killer... his specialty is killing Hunters... and Witches … all for profit.” The lad continued. “He had been a SOLOMON hunter a couple of years ago, but then he killed his partner and another hunter back in his homeland of Greece when his powers were not just craft oriented... but were then identified as being purely a Witches. He ducked out of sight after that.” The group broke into a collective mumble all at once, the information just given to them seemed to have shocked all. “You mean he’s a Hunter Assassin?” Asked Miho hearing the information. “And no one knows who hires him…” Added the computer lad. The lad turned to the Miho and nodded, his face showing no expression. “His Method of Operation is to reappears to do a job and then he will just simply vanish again as if a apparition.” The computer whiz added. “He is already linked to eighteen deaths, including the hunter that had been the one who was assigned to kill him.. But he is suspected in over thirty more deaths as well.” “Some at SOLOMON must be happy that he was taken out then.” Said Amon, his voice flat and somber in nature. “And some not…” WarnedMiho. The lad nodded in answer to both answers he had got. He sat up a little taller in his chair and pushed his glasses higher on his nose. “I read your report on the matter for information purposes, along with Miss Karasuma’s report as well...” He paused. “Was there really another witch that helped you?” “It seemed like that.” Amon replied stiffly. “ By how you all were explaining the hunt... it sounded like both of you were describing Robin’s powers!” He pointed out. “You know I’m right... it sounded like Robin was alive and right there with you all.” “That is what I thought too.” Said the brown haired woman from her seat. “It really did make me think for a second or two, that if I had looked over... Robin would be standing right there on the other side of the dead witch.” The room fell silent with the statements made. It did remind them all of the young Hunter and the impact she had. “That is impossible it could have been Robin... logically it had to be another witch has the exact same powers.” Speculated the youngest one in the room. “Any record of others in our Data banks?” Amon asked. “There is no other witch, or possible relation, left in the SOLOMON files with the power of Pyrokinisis... the only one that has been noted was that young girl that Robin and Amon took down many months ago.” The lad paused, as he seemed to be thinking a wee bit more. “There could be a chance that another has had an awakening, and has the powers of the flame… but they are not identified as yet?” Amon just snuffed and nodded, but he did not comment on the lad’s thoughts. He looked at the screen in front of the youth, and stared at the picture of the witch he had taken down that day. “If this Belochini was in Tokyo to kill, who was the target that actually ended up taking him down?” He asked aloud, and then he paused. “If he was targeting someone under whoever’s orders, and he is now dead... there will be the likelihood that more fucking assassins will come to finish the job he had so failed at. People who hire these types of people do not like it when the killer fucks up the hit.” Michael, Sakaki and Karasuma just looked at one another, after Amon delivered his very blunt words which seemed to ring in their ears. They all were in silent, but in agreement with the man. They knew that just might be more than just pure conjecture on the Amon’s part. The truth was looming right there in front of them, that was a real concern. The room into a deathly silence for many minutes, as each of the people gathered pondered the terrifying possibilities that were now very evident. They knew that they also could become the hunted, rather than the hunters…but who was the ones hiring the assassins? Would they be targeted next, or would they be the assassin killers? Karasuma soon decided to leave for home. Her eyes seemed to want to be closed rather than open and working, as this day had been a very long one The tall woman walked off towards where the elevator, giving a tired waive, “Good night.” She groaned, her voice level accenting the deepness of the lady’s fatigue. “I’ll see you all in the morning.” “Good night.” Said the others in unison. Miho giggled at the group, and stepped into the elevator when it opened. She leaned back against the lifts wall and hit the button to head down. It had been such a very long day, she thought to herself. The lift closed and began its decent, and Miho was relieved Amon decided to do just did the same soon after the woman’s departure. Walking off without any salutation to the remainder of the group, he went to wait for the return of the same elevator car. He seemed to be deep in thought as he left, and his mind was filled with more than just the case they had been working on. Robin was still right there as well in his mind. Now all alone, the young whiz kid kept on doing his work. He was grateful for the solitude the time gave him, but the discoveries and the speculations were swirling around in his head for the longest of times. It was nearing one o’clock when Amon got to his apartment, which was only thirty minutes from the office. Bedraggled and very dusty from the day, he entered his home. He did not even react when a waving to a neighbor that was waving to him. He just wanted the quietness that only his home could give him.   Inside the modest one bedroom apartment he called home. Amon stood inside the door and looked around at his place. It was still and quiet and he took a sigh as he took it all in The tall Hunter had always preferred to be a loner, and his home reflected that very well with the fact. On purpose, Amon had never hung any personal pictures or had any sort of knickknacks to decorate, anywhere. It was unadorned, dim and very hollow… just like what he felt like even then. His mind was on one thing only, the pretty tawny blond haired crafter... and the possibility he had allowed himself to think. He scoffed, telling himself that was just simply impossible for Robin to be alive, even if the flames were like the young hunter’s. The fact now was clear…the girl was dead, despite his second or two of letting himself think that the witch that had killed the assassin had been the girl. He had been like that when he had drank, but with his admission of feelings, came the acceptance of the girl’s death all those months ago. He felt a deep sadness come over him with that thought, like a heavy weight attached to his soul. There was still a part of him that wanted to believe she had been at that battle and was alive... he truly want to believe that she was not gone. All of these emotions were new to him, and that what was so hard to gain a grasp on, love. Love, was an emotion Amon had never really felt ever, but he had come to the conclusion that he was feeling it now, and he had a hard time to even express it even to himself. He had worked with the girl quite a while, and always harbored that secret deep within himself. He had not even admitted it to himself, but he found that after her death, his feelings were no longer something he could stuff away deep inside of himself. Even with the large amounts of alcohol he has consumed over the months that has passed, could not fully numb her thought out of his system. It was there in all of its glory, and not moving one inch. He snuffed and shook his mane of long locks, trying to literally dislodge all of his minds pondering right out, as it was all driving him crazy. He had to stop it, he had told himself many times over the months... but that was not working at all. Nothing was working for the Hunter. Robin was right there, fueled by his own heart. He poured himself a small drink of American whiskey that he had left out on the counter, and lit a smoke. He then bypassed the bottle of coke that he had set out to be used as mix, and turned with his glass and lit cigarette. Sitting down at the small kitchen table, he just sat in the silence and dimness of his home, trying to quiet down all of the thoughts that rattled through his mind. The apartment seemed to be like an empty warehouse, as the vastness of the silence was very overwhelming, his thoughts were just adding to it. He looked at the drink, and found himself sort of unhappy with even that. This use to be his place to hide and disengage from the world, but now he found that there was no place to hide from his feelings. That was unmarked territory for him… more emotions he had no idea how to deal with it. After a long time brooding over his drink, the phone that was hanging on the wall began to ring. Amon never made a move to answer it, just wanting to have whoever it was just to leave him the hell alone. The ringing persisted, already it had hit twenty or more rings, it kept on going much to his displeasure.   He growled low in the back of his throat, as it was clear that the person phoning him was not going to stop until he answered it. He stood up, downing the glass of whiskey with one deep pull. He stormed over to the ringing phone, muttering a varied string of profanities at it as he stomped over to where the device hung. Amon picked up the receiver, going to give whoever it was a tongue lashing. “Who the fuck is it!” He growled “Little brother... nice phone etiquette you have there....” Said the voice in the other end. Amon swore to himself again. “ Nagira?” He asked, surprised at who it was. He was struck with a overwhelming suspicion of why was his brother phoning him up. He had not talked to him since he went back to work. “What in the fuck do you want?” Nagira’s voice was now chuckling away like mad, as he heard the tightness of Amon’s voice on his end of the call. “Can’t a guy call up his little brother once in a while?” Nagira asked with a snuff. “C’mon, can’t we?” “I can only speculate why it is that your are actually phoning me like this...” Said Amon, his mood grim and brooding coming through. “ Just get on with it, and tell me why you have phoned me then get lost.” “ It is rather important what I have to say... or rather what it is I have to ask, so I’ll just come out with it and...” Said the man, being diplomatic to Amon. “ Then stop all of this shit and tell me something other than us having this phony friendly conversation. The voice on the other end paused for a moment, dead air ruled for those seconds. Amon waited on his end as patiently as he could, but was beginning to get more irked as he waited on his brother. “I was just making sure you are home, Amon ol ’boy.” The smooth talking man said, finally breaking the silence. “Again, I am forced to ask just why would you need to know that.” Amon said, getting more upset with it all. “I’ll just say that I need to come over right away, and I needed to know if your home.” Explained the man cryptically. “And if I say that you are not wanted here, would that make you stop your sudden obsessive need to come over to my place right now?” Sarcastically asked Amon, gritting his teeth. Nagira’s voice came back, more stern than it had been seconds before. “Listen there, Amon…This is really important that I come over there, and I need you just to stay right there.” Nagira said with a insistence that was hard to ignore... the man’s voice was holding a tone that had something different to it... and Amon could hear it. “ I will be there in about a half hour. My question still stands, Amon, are you going to just stay put?” Amon just was frustrated with his brother, and more than angered. He was just feeling like being alone at that time, and not wanting to see even a hint of his half-brother at this time. He weighed the question posed by the man, but he started to think on the man’s curious change in inflection. Knowing his brother like he does, he saw that the way the man was being so insistent, was not normal.   He thought it through, and something inside of him knew that this was not the time to push the man away. “Very well then, I will stay right here.” Surrendered the tall Hunter, as he knew that his brother would not let it go any time soon. “Like I said, bro... see ya in about half an hour.” The man said, and then the line went dead. Amon returned to the small table, and lit another smoke right after he put out the finished one in a small ashtray. Poring himself another small drink, he took a seat and just waited. He brooded that whatever his brother was up to... it had to be important, or else. “What the fuck is he up to?” He asked himself. With Nagira, he knew that he would not be able to guess what this was all about Chapter End Notes Sorry about the delay with the next chapter. My band is recording at the moment, and I needed to lay bass tracks. Have the next chapter ready... are you guys? Comments and kudos welcome.. flames are, if productive. ***** Small Packages ***** Chapter Summary When brother visits brother, sometimes what transpires is not very good. So, what happens when Nagira visits Amon? It is interesting to say the least... you could say life changing. Chapter Notes See the end of the chapter for notes Chapter Six- Small Packages   Amon sat in his half lit apartment, waiting at his kitchen table while his fourth smoke in a row burning away in his hand. He had his glass of whiskey next to him still, and it actually was not even touched since he had poured it. He looked at the clock which was hung on the wall where you entered the front room for what was probably the twentieth time, and saw it was coming up on forty five minutes since his brother had phoned. Nagira was not here yet. Obviously feeling more frustrated with each passing second, Amon shifted on his seat and shook his head. “Half an hour I will be there… my damn ass!!” He commented to the stillness, taking a drag off his smoke and letting a plume of smoke go to the ceiling. “Should have told Nagira to go fuck himself and save myself this frustration.” A knock came at his apartment door right then. By the loudness of the rapping, he could tell that his brother had arrived finally. He put out the cigarette and stood up, his body’s posture and stiffened muscles showing his aggravation with his brother. Smoothly, he moved towards the door to answer it. Many things that Amon had to to say to Nagira flew around in his head. Some were tidal waves of swearing, some to attack him with unlimited frustration… while some of which were an attack on Nagira’s manhood. Whatever he was going to say, he had a chance to lambaste him with it full force. The hunter opened the door, and there his brother stood there plain as day. With his slicked back black hair and the long fur coat he loved so much to wear, the man had not changed any since he had last saw him. “Amon...” He said, grinning without dropping the cigarette he had balanced in his lips. “I have arrived, and close to on time, no thanks to the traffic out there.” “Enough of your arrogance... just get on with why the hell you’re here...” Said Amon, his words dropping hard, irritation level rising. Nagira chuckled and took the lit cigarette out of his mouth. He leaned against the door jamb of Amon’s apartment and pointed it at the man inside. “Easy there, little brother... I have brought you something.” He Smirked. “Let’s just say…It is a present, I would have to say.” “You brought me something?” Suspiciously asked Amon. “Whatever it is you have, I am sure that I would not be interested in it anyhow.” “I bet your wrong on your little assumption there, My Brother...” Smirked Nagira. “How about puttin’ down ten yen on it to make it interesting?” “Just give whatever it is here and go away…” Amon growled. Nagira just shook his head and broke into a very large grin, as the younger man stood there with defiance in his face. “Little brother... This just might be what you’re looking for.” He flashed a split assed smile. “I doubt it.” Amon growled back. Amon watched the man that was his half-brother smoothly moved to one side of the open doorway. A figure then stepped out from the other side of the door frame smoothly into the light that flooded out of Amon’s apartment. The tall hunter turned to see just who his brother had dragged to him now, knowing his brother’s pretension for the dramatics it was some person looking for a relative that was a witch or something like it. Who he actually saw froze him to the spot. The figure was a girl dressed in simple black clothes; hair was droopy and hung down around the face like a curtain of brownish blond. The striking bold green eyes were the last thing Amon saw looked at. This person stood before him, dusty and disheveled with a deep fatigue look upon a smooth oval face. “R...Robin?” He said his heart racing in his chest. It was Robin.   The young crafter stared at the tall man in front of her, not speaking a word yet her eyes expressing vast amounts of emotions. Her hands were folded in front of her, her big green eyes holding back a flood tears that were just waiting to burst forth in a fury. For long moments, Amon and Robin just stood looking at one another. The girl suddenly rushed inside the door, her arms flying open and surrounding Amon’s large chest while smothering her face into him. “Amon...” She half sobbed into his chest as she hugged the man with all of her might. “Amon...” The tall hunter stood there for a moment, and then he folded his large arms around the smaller form, reveling in the simple pleasure of having her against him. He fought back his own flood of emotions, for he did not know quite how to expose them. “Robin...” He whispered in a sigh, while he hugged the girl firmly against himself. Nagira just watched the reunion with a smile that was broader than any he had ever flashed before. He just took it all in silently, not wanting to intrude on the moment in any way, opting to just drink all of it in. He just would simply wait, being content to puff away on his smoke in the meantime. The two broke their embrace and looked at one another. For another moment or two, wordless looks were exchanged again. “How.... Where??” Stammered Amon, finding himself at a complete loss for words “You’re alive!!!” “It’s a long story, Amon...” Said the girl, locking in to the man’s dark orbs. “I expect it to be…” Understood the man. Amon collected himself; his trademark stoic demeanor seemed to have returned to him. “How long has Nagira hid you?” He asked to the young girl as his suspicions were there. “I guess I need to address that, as I was the one who brought Robin to you.” Nagira said. The thinner of the two brothers chuckled and stood up straighter. He stepped into the doorway and closed the door behind himself. “I did not know she was even alive... until only a few short hours ago.” Said Nagira, coming in to answer the question that he felt should have been directed at him. “A few hours ago?” Asked Amon his face looking straight at his brother. Nagira lit another smoke after butting the other one out, and took a seat at the small kitchen table. “She showed up at my law office today, right after I had been finished with a late meeting with a client. I was alone at that time, and heard a noise… I nearly fell over when she appeared in front of my desk… and I still need to ask her how the hell she got in without me knowing..” Amon looked at his brother, and could feel that what he had said was the truth, despite his feelings, he knew the man was being honest as hell. He nodded to the man “Told you I had brought you something that you wanted.” He said, his face beaming. The three made their way in to Amon’s front room, and sat down on a dark fabric couch just near the balcony doors. Amon stayed close to the girl, but his emotions were catapulting every which way inside of him. He could not believe that Robin was right there, with him and alive. A long moment of silence ruled for the moment. The dark haired hunter kept his eyes on Robin, as a curious look crossed his face. “I would like to hear your story, Robin...” He said, his tone suddenly flattening. “Judging from Nagira’s large split-assed grin, I am guessing that you have told him at least some of it already.” “I did…” She whispered. “But I have not told all…” “Thought she had held back…” Chuckled Nagira. The girl turned herself on the couch, to look straight into Amon’s face. Her own features were almost blank, yet still held a great amount of expression. She folded her hands in to her lap and took a long breath in, but never once did her gaze leave Amon’s steely-eyed stare. “I will start from that day when the Factory fell; and the time you perhaps thought I was dead...” She said, not even hesitating one bit. “Take your time.” Amon said, his voice seemed to hold a little softer tone than he usually was. Robin nodded, and took a deep breath. Both men waited quietly, neither hurrying the young girl. “When we’re trying to escape the factory, I remember you running beside me after leaving the chamber with all the witches and we were in a very long hallway.” She started. “I remember there was this huge rumble then explosion that made all the walls and floors crumble under us, I felt as if I was falling… I called to you, and right then I don’t remember anything else for a very long time other than falling.” She paused. “The next thing that I remember was when I awoke to find myself laying in a bed inside a strange house and not inside the factory.” “A strange house?” Asked Amon. The girl swallowed daintily, then continued as her eyes holding Amon captive in its sea of green. “I awoke some time later, and I felt myself in pain... pain like I have never had felt before. An older woman was tending to me, as I laid there. I had bandages wound around my head, my chest and arms and even parts of my legs.” She took another breath, but never once moved. “She only said her name was Tiki, and that I had already been there for over three weeks prior to my waking.” “Three weeks?” Amon said, surprised. “She said that someone had brought me to her for protecting, and to have a chance to heal. She said that she took me in and did just that, nursing me around the clock.” “Who had taken you to this woman?” Amon asked. “She never told me who had brought me to her... or why they had… I wondered if it had been you, Amon… but I was sure you were dead so I could not figure out who it had been.” She suddenly seemed to be sad, as if the memories flooded back for her. “You never knew Amon lived? “I was very sure he was dead…” Started Robin, looking at the man she talked about, her relief in her eyes was very evident. “Another couple months soon passed, and I had all but healed, but did not know just what I should do next.” The two waited, as Robin paused once again. Amon looked into her eyes, and that seemed to help the girl to visually relax. “What happened next…?” He asked softly. “That was when the man in the purple suit showed up out of nowhere, saying that he was there to kill me.” She said the information with a shudder flooding her body. She swallowed hard, and a small tear appeared in the corner of her deep emerald eyes. “He killed Tiki as she tried to protect me with witch powers I never knew she had, and I ended up barely escaping with my life when the gas heater in the house of Tiki’s exploded and blinded him for the moment.” “Purple suit? The man at the library... You were the one at the scene weren’t you?” Pieced together Amon “Yes, I was there....” She whispered, with a shy smile. “He tracked me there… and was going to kill me right there… and you and Miho showed up…” “How did you get to being hunted by this man?” Amon inquired. “I am not sure why… but I thought SOLOMON…” Admitted the girl. “Not a clue?” Nagira asked. Robin just looked at Amon; her head was shaking a little, noting that she did not have that answer. “When I ran out of the woman’s house just as it turned into a fireball, I found that I had been out in the country, on a farm somewhere.” “A farm?” Questioned Nagira. “Yes, not far from a main road…” She continued. “I luckily was offered a ride with a nice gentleman and his family a few miles down that road, and that who had brought me in to Tokyo without the man in the purple suit knowing.” She just wet her lips, as she began to shake a little as she relived everything. “I was scared, and I thought it was the STN-J... or maybe even SOLOMON that had sent that witch after me.. All that I knew is that this man was out to kill me, which he had informed me in our first encounter.” “What did you do then, once you were in Tokyo again? Asked Amon. “You could have called me for help.” “I just made a way that I could hide from this man that was trying to kill me, by being hired as a temporary live-in nanny to different families around the city.” She looked at the man, her green eyes held tears in them. “Many families, I take it…” Asked Nagira. “Yes...” She said in a whispered reply. Robin let a few more tears come, but still never lost eye contact with the dark haired hunter. “I thought about you every day, and wished that you had not died in the Factory so you could help me...” She had tears finally break from the eyes, to stream down her delicate cheek. “I thought you were dead, and the others in the STN might have been the ones that were after me.”   Amon just sat back, as the information was overwhelming him. “You were that girl being a nanny when I saw you in the park...” He commented, then asked. “Did you see me?’ “I did see you, and I was instantly scared that because you were alive, but now hunting me.” She whispered, her voice shaking with the return of those emotions. “When the family I was working for unwittingly had lost you on the highway, I was relived you were alive, and yet sad for that because of the fact… you were the hunter.” “I am not hunting you...” Assured Amon. “I know that now... but I thought that earlier and that is why I got scared... I thought it was true that the STN was after me for bringing down the factory.” Amon sat for a moment, his mind was going like crazy for something he could say at that moment. “We all in this room were involved in bringing down Zaizen and his factory of death...” Flatly said Amon. “WE brought down Zaizen and the factory down together as one. Things are different in both the STN and SOLOMON… although I now am wondering about some factions in SOLOMON.” “I still thought that you were ordered to kill me, until I took a chance in talking with Nagira today.” Solemnly said the girl, showing that she was embarrassed the she had thought like that. Amon nodded. “Then… before that… at the Library…” He asked gently. “I was dropped off near my employers place, to get some supper from a local place while the family went to see relatives in another part of the city. I was supposed to get something for myself to eat then walk back to the house and do a few loads of laundry for them… That was when I saw the purple man was there waiting nearby for me. I did not know how he found me again, so I just ran behind the library across the street and you know what happen next.” “Your employer never saw any of this?” Amon asked. “They thankfully had got away before the man in purple had decided on his attack on me.” She sighed. Amon nodded, for he knew that. He nearly had watched the man in purple kill her, and he did not know it was her. Amon thought for a moment, before speaking again. “Why did you run to Nagira after seeing us stop the witch?” “I was scared, but I realized that I just might be able to trust him... Because he was with neither the STN nor SOLOMON.” Bluntly responded Robin, her eyes wide with fear. “He the one that suggested I come right to you and you would help me.” Amon looked at his brother, knowing that the man’s heart was always in the right place with whatever he did. Nagira just stood up then and smiled. Amon stood too and looked at his older half-brother. “I have to go, brother.” He said. “You two can go on from here without me.” He snickered. “If ya need me any more... call.” Nagira walked quickly to the door. He paused to wave back at the others back in the front room, and then opened the door. Quickly, he slipped out and closed the door behind himself, while whistling a very odd tune. Amon sat back down and looked at the young girl. His heart was beating hard in his chest, but the time was not right to tell her how he had been feeling to her, or what he had found out about the Witch in purple. “You look like you are very exhausted.” He commented, holding his feelings in check. “I am.” She replied, her eyes sparkling like emeralds despite how heavy her lids looked like. I have not slept well in a while... The man stood up and motioned over to a door. “You can have my room to sleep in.” He said, smiling just a little. “I will sleep out here, on the couch.” “I would not want to impose on...” She said, politely. “There is no discussion on it!” Said the man sternly, not letting her finish her sentence. “Just go... We can talk more once you are rested...” Robin stood up and gives the man a hug. She was surprised that he did not reciprocate like he had earlier when she had arrived. She looked up, and saw his face had gone back to stone like he usually did. She just let him go, and moved silently to the door of the bedroom. Amon watched the girl enter the room, until she closed the door behind herself. He rubbed his chin, as he fought off the multitude ofemotions that were in him. When she had hugged him, he wanted to just scoop her up in his arms, kiss her and just tell her how much he felt for her. He then shook his head. “She’s only sixteen!!” He reminded himself, but that had little effect on his feelings. He reminded himself that he would be her protector still, the very thing he had told her he would do back in Zaizen’s office. He just fought off all of the other urges he had and sat down. Turning on the television, he just flipped thought the channels vacantly, forcing all of his thoughts to leave his mind. He was successful to a point, but only to a point. One hour later, Amon found he was ready to get a little sleep finally. With nothing on television at this hour, that was all he was wanting. He stood up and went over to the door of his bedroom, wanting to check on Robin before he went to grab some sleep of his own. He opened the door quietly, just going to look in, and then go off to sleep. In the dim moonlight that was streaming from the window, he could see Robin’s form on the bed. She seemed to be sleeping very peacefully, as he could hear her slow rhythmic breathing from where he stood in the doorway. The girl was on her back; her ashen blond hair was flared out on to the pillow under her. She looked so peaceful in sleep that he could not help but let himself have a smile He suddenly felt a rush of heat come over him, as he then noticed that the blankets on the bed were pushed down to her belly, and exposed her naked form which was also bathed in the light. Her ivory skin was smooth and perfect; her small but deliciously rounded mounds of her breasts were a sight to see. The girl’s breasts were not large by any standards, but they were curved and full as they rose and fell with each breath she took. His mouth went dry as he saw her nipples were enlarged and hardened from the coolness of the room. Amon could not move a muscle, as the sight of the half covered girl was completely entrancing. He could not help but eye the muscled flatness of her stomach, a sight that only added to the attractiveness that the sleeping form had, which he could not tear away. She was beautiful, his mind told him as he stood there for long moments. He could feel his manhood grow in his pants. Not trusting in own instincts right then, Amon made his legs take a step back and close the bedroom door. He knew just what sexual thoughts that were bouncing around in his brain, was not right and yet they were so strong. He wanted to strip the blankets off of her lithe naked form and ravage her virgin body until she writhed under him in ecstasy as her skin glistened in sweat. He decided not to let the thoughts get the best of him, and that was why he had backed out of the room, feeling guilty that he even had seen the girl like that. He then felt mad at himself more than ever that he even thought like that about Robin. “Am I fucking sick? She is just a child… a damned child!!” He spat to himself, heading to the couch. Needing to get himself under control... He lay down and willed himself to sleep in about thirty minutes. It was a monumental feat of will that was impressive… but the dream world was exactly where dreams of the naked girl abounded. He could not win against his feelings of love, and intense lust he wanted to show his love with. Even in his dreams, he was a pervert... or was he? Chapter End Notes Chapter six is in.. surprised are we? If not, you will be. Chapter 7 will be a doozie. ***** One, Two, Three on Robin ***** Chapter Summary Your never safe, even when you think things are calmed down. That is a lesson once learned the hard way, and sometimes the last lesson ever. Can it be the last? Chapter Notes See the end of the chapter for notes Chapter Seven- One,Two,Three on Robin   Robin opened her eyes to darkness with a start. The room the she was in was noiseless and eerily very still… she had to remind herself where she was. She sat herself up in the bed and scanned around the room quickly, not really knowing just what it was that had brought her out of such a deep sleep like it had. The girl’s naked body shivered a little, as the room was much cooler than what she usually liked. She pulled the sheet up around her bared torso, as she squinted in the dim light trying to figure out just what had woken her. She could not see or hear anything at all that would have woken her from such a deep sleep. She thought some form of a dream had woken her, so she lay back down and snuggled back into the soothing warmth of the blankets to return to the sleep. She yawned and began to drift back into slumber. Minutes later it was a non-dream, very loud noise suddenly broke the silence. The sound was almost like a high pitched whine of a machine, only it was in no way made by something made of metal. She could hear Amon’s voice shouting coming from outside the closed door of the room. What the man was shouting was incomprehensible to the young girl’s ears, but the inflection in the man’s shouts, made the hairs on the back of her neck stand up... something very bad, was definitely going on. She froze for a split second, her mind racing for what to do. Robin leapt from the bed, grabbing the comforter from the bed and tightly wrapping it around her naked form in one smooth motion. She bolted raced to the door, stopping for a single second to don her glasses which she plucked out of the dress pocket where the item hung on the back of the closed door. She flung the door open, and ran headlong into the room beyond the door, not knowing just what was it was she was going into. Out into the front room, she came in and found Amon literally was flying across the room in mid-air. She watched in horror as the man crashed to the ground by some unseen force clear across the room as if he weighed no more than a feather. The long maned man landed sprawled out on the hardwood floor, his ORBO gun had been ripped right out of his hand by the sheer force he had hit the floor … and now it just lay about twenty feet away from his grasp. The girl spotted something out of the corner of her eye. Turning her head quickly, she saw there was a strange man dressed in a much wrinkled black suit standing just inside the doorway to the apartment. The door itself had been torn right off its hinges and laying their like a discarded piece of driftwood amongst shards of wood splinters that were from the destroyed doorjamb which were strewn across the floor. The intruder’s dark colored eyes were staring down at the fallen man; a sparkling light encircled him with a pulsing greenish glow that seemed to becoming brighter than sunlight with each passing moment “Where is the girl, gnat!!” The man in the suit spat venomously in a low tone, as the boxer clad hunter lay sprawled on the floor. “Where is that young witch bitch? I know you have her here... and that she is alive… where is that bitch?” “Fuck you!!” Replied the Amon still defiantly as he struggled to his knees. “Your life is worth nothing more than of a gnat to me, Hunter...” Said the strange man back with a cackling laugh. “You will then die along with that little brat.. and that will be a bonus just for me.”   The Witch’s light was getting brighter by the moment, as Amon struggled to get up from his knees. He had already retrieved his gun from where it had landed, and was clutching in his hand as he got to his feet. The witch laughed with an evil cackle again, and Amon was thrown again up and into the air, and slammed into one of the apartment walls like a doll that an unruly child had thrown in a temper tantrum. The Hunter then was slammed into a large bookcase that sat at the end of the room with a loud crash. Amon grunted as he hit hard, then he just seemed to hang there before crashing to the floor, the gun slipping from nerveless fingers to the floor. Amon never made an effort to get back up this time, but he laid there unmoving face down on the hardwood floor covered in books that had been knocked out of the shelves. Robin was beside herself, not knowing whether or not Amon was still alive or not. The man was not moving, and she saw spots of blood pooling under his large frame The attacking witch suddenly stopped his attack and whirled around to where the comforter clad girl was standing. The man had somehow sensed that Robin was standing there. The witch turned and face her with a pleased yet evil grin on his face. “Finally… the little bitch…” He smugly said The man’s stare fixed on the girl wrapped in the bedcovers and the light around him intensified. At that moment, his body became suddenly alive with a flash of flames all over his arms and chest, Robin fired the first salvo. The Witch screamed in pain, as the flames started to lick hungrily at his clothes and gnawed at the flesh under them. The flames grew larger as they were being fueled by his disheveled clothes and jerking movements as he tried to put them out. He was pillar of hungry flames on two legs. “You must die, little bitch… and die you will…” He spat, despite the flames that ate at him. “I have not finished my turn…” Said Robin with a surprising tone of defiance tinging her voice. Getting ready to fire another flame attack on the man, Robin suddenly felt herself being lifted off of her feet. The man’s power felt extremely immense as it began to crush her body like in a vice; squeezing her like she was no more than a bug, cutting off her breathing. Once having the girl in the air, the Witch willed his power to slam her hard into a nearby wall as if she weighed nothing. Over and over again, she was slammed up against the wall, each time it knocked more of the breath out of her lungs as the back of her head cracked off the wall with equal force. “DIE!!” The witch screamed. The witch’s power suddenly released the girl for a moment for some reason. Robin started to slide down the wall while the room spun in her mind and twinkling lights of pain sparked in her head. She somehow caught herself and landed on her feet, never once crumpling completely to the floor. Robin quickly steadied herself while her basic instinct took over; amazingly keeping the comforter wrapped around her body through all of this. She fought off the effects of the battering she had endured, knowing that if she lost consciousness, both she and Amon would be dead with in minutes. A flash of a flame lit up Robin’s emerald eyes, and the witch was quickly fully engulfed in a ball of yellow fire that was so intense that the heat wave generated blew out every one of the windows in the apartment as if a bomb had went off. The Witch surprisingly staggered forward, his entire body now one with the flames, his screams were a piercing inhuman sort of cries of agony. The stench of burning flesh became overwhelming in the air, as the young girl watched this man trying to move towards her once more. Ignoring the pain that shot throughout her body like thousands of knives attacking her inside, Robin set herself again to use her powers to finally stop this determined Witch once and for all.   Two gunshots rang out through the smoke filled room, and the burning man stopped dead in his tracks. The man teetered for a second, and then he simply toppled to the floor with a loud thud. The man finally was not moving; as the flames flared and danced in the breeze made by wind whipping through the glassless windows... smoke began to drift around the room with the wind, but was not dissipating as yet. The fire had by now almost consumed the witch’s body completly, which had blackened the carpet all around the man’s charred remains and singed almost every piece of furniture in the room. The pain returned and was now even more prevalent as she began to let herself relax a little. Robin turned her head, and was relieved to see that Amon had gotten up and taken the shots that finally succeeded in stopping the witch. The black haired man just looked at the girl for a moment, his eyes showing his great exhaustion through the small river of blood coming down from cuts on his face and in his hair line. Robin give a small grin to the man, happy that he seemed not to be too badly hurt in any way from the attack. Amon strode towards to the kitchen area; his face showing no hint of emotion on it. He returned a second or two later, with a red metal fire extinguisher in his hand. He moved swiftly passed the girl and began to put out the fire with the contents of the metal canister, which still licked at the now charred body of the witch, before anything else had a chance to catch on fire from the flames that still were dancing. After dosing the flames and the burnt body with the foam for a few moments, he was assured that it was finally all out, using up every ounce that the fire extinguisher had to give. Amon finally looked at the girl and did smile. “The fire is out...” He calmly said. “The witch is dead.” Robin leaned back against the same wall that she had been battered into by the witch, feeling her body’s energy had been instantly sucked out by using her power as well as getting pummeled. She closed her eyes and took a long breath in, the back of her head and spine now was throbbing away from the many times she had impacted the wall. To quell some of the pain, the girl concentrated on her breathing for a moment, savoring the wonderful gulps of air she finally could take in as the pain was subsiding a little bit. It hurt to do so, but any breath after what had happened, was a very welcome thing. “This is not normal, even for the STN-J.” She told herself, as she struggled to stop the pain that wracked her every breath. Not even embarrassed at standing there in only his boxer shorts in front of the girl, Amon came over to where the Robin was leaning up against the wall and looked at her. He threw the now empty extinguisher on the floor with a clatter, and looked at the girl with great concern. Robin looked up into the man’s face as he approached. “Robin...Are you hurt anywhere?” He asked cautiously, the tinge of his concern was in his voice. “I am hurting everywhere, but I seem to be alright.” Said the girl, her mind still reeling from what had just happened. The girl looked at the man through her tawny mop of disheveled hair; her green eyes were holding a touch of fear in them. Amon noticed the look in girl’s face, and he seemed to understand how deeply the fear was. “We will get you looked over at the hospital later... just to be sure there is no broken bones or you having a concussion.” Amon said, his body showing that he was honestly relived to here that “Amon... What is going on?” Robin asked, as she struggled to piece all of this together in her mind. Amon looked right into her green eyes and paused for a moment, as he seemed to be reading to explain. “That Witch burst right through the door and attacked me as I was sleeping.” He explained with a growl, pointing at the door on the floor. “He battered down the door and was inside before I could get to my feet fully... I did get up in time to grab my gun, but not quickly enough to escape his first attack.” “He was yelling for me... and he said that he was going to kill me!” Said the girl, her voice wavering with each syllable she spoke. Robin looked at the man, as she face showed her fear. “Amon... Tell me what is going on?” The man looked at the girl, and could see the fear that she held was growing with her confusion. He knew right then, that he should have told her just what he thought was going on when he had the chance to last night. He stared at the girl for long moments, chastising himself vehemently for not saying anything sooner. “I should have told you some of what we have found out before you went off to sleep...” He said with a sigh, as he reached for his communicator that still lay on a side table next to the sofa. “As you have probably guessed, there is a little more that I know as well, things that Michael had found out.” “Then tell me now.. What in heaven’s name is going on?” The girl implored as she stood there draped in the now soot covered comforter. Amon put the communicator to his ear, but he still looked at the questioning girl. “I’ll explain it all to you, but only after I contact the STN-J office to deal with the dead witch we have burnt into my carpet.” He said calmly. “Can I trust Miss Karasuma and the others still?” She asked. “Trust me for now...” He replied. “ And I will guarantee you will be safe.” The girl nodded, as she stared down at the blackened body that lay on the floor. She was feeling a little amazed at how much power she had used on the man, and equally as shocked at how this witch had been able to fight through it until Amon finally shot him from behind. She did not know what was going on for sure yet, but deep down she knew that something was up. After being attacked now twice by two very powerful witches like she had been, there was not in doubt in her mind that she was targeted for death... But who was behind it was the question. Feeling fear was not something the young girl ever really showed normally, yet she did feel that there was this sense of a cold hand of gripping her from the inside… and that was scary enough. She also was very sure that right now, there was way more to this situation to come... more than what the man was telling her. She eyed Amon who was on the communicator to the STN-J offices, ever part of her wanting to find out what this all was. Robin headed back to the room where she had been sleeping in, her modesty now wanting her to put something on, realizing that she was still wrapped up in only the bed cover she had stripped from the bed. She wanted to know just what was going on here, already knowing that she was being marked for death because of being the target of two witch separate attacks in one single night. She knew that she could be naive at times, but with all of her naivety could never convince her that this was at all normal. This was far from being normal at all.   Amon finished his call, and saw that the girl had retreated back into his room to dress. He grabbed his own clothes where they lay in the recliner chair. He eyed them and found that they were a little soot covered but wearable still. He looked down at the witch’s body again while he dressed, now convinced that there were more Assassins out there gunning for the pretty craft-user... and they were not about to stop at two being sent out to finish the job. Clearly there will be way more wherever they were coming from. Amon fell grim faced as he thought on it, the evidence was now mounting that there was a price out on Robin’s life. Someone was out for Robin, and was willing to do anything and kill anyone in that witches’ way until robin was finally dead as well. The question remaining was who was it that wanted the girl dead, as the ones who wanted her dead were buried under many millions of tons of rubble of what was the factory. A scary thought suddenly crossed his mind… did these people also escape? He had no answer, yet that would explain things. Both himself and Robin had been so lucky as to have escaped, it was more than just a possibility that these people had gotten out and now were going to exact a penalty for it all. He needed to find out all of that and more… and fast. He knew he needed to. Chapter End Notes Another chapter... easy one to edit, but still challenging. Chapter eight will be soon up. End Notes First chapter done and in the books (So to speak)... Comments please. Chapter 2 will be up in a day or two. Please drop_by_the_archive_and_comment to let the author know if you enjoyed their work!