Alright folks, this is the beta'ed version of chapter 1. An awesome writer and friend has taken on the task of beta'ing the chapters for me. She's got the patience of a saint, and the talent of Kootz lets remember to thank Paranoid for her time and help. Thanks sis.
Chapter One:
Restless Dreams
The smell of dust, and destruction invaded her
senses....a crushing weight pressing her body into
sharp solid objects. She could only muster a moan of
agony. Her eyes were still closed as she was afraid to
open them. She felt the pressure above her move
slightly, her eyes shot open to Amon, "Amon...are you
awake?" she asked
A slight moan was her reply.
Amon lay across Robin's body, recalling the last
moments before blacking out
He, Robin and Miho were almost
there.....freedom...when he heard a loud crack and
moan. Turning to see a large chunk of ceiling falling
directly above Robin, he went back to get her but
Robin screamed for him to go. He could not leave her,
rushed to knock her away from the impact.....then
blackness.
"Amon....you're crushing me" the soft voice wafted to
his barely conscious brain
His eyes opened slowly at first....unsure of what he
would see. Forcing himself, he slowly pushing himself
up and off the tiny girl beneath him to sit at her
side.
He noted they were in a vacant cavern, rubble
surrounded them. He looked to Robin's condition. She
had a few cuts and scrapes but otherwise seemed no
worse for the wear. Rising to his feet he offered her
a hand up.
He looked around for a moment, examining their
options. In the direction they were originally headed
there was a faint light peering through the rubble. It
had to be a way out. He led Robin through the maze of
debris. They both dug wildly for escape. Finally
freeing the last large boulder of concrete they were
soon outside, breathing fresh air.
The relief of the moment was short lived. They heard
the sounds of rescue crews, and other officials in
close proximity. Amon grabbed Robin's hand; whisking
her down a nearby hillside to run along a creek which
opened into a narrow river. It was only a matter of
minutes before they were in a small rickety boat
rowing down river, to their freedom...or their doom.
All the STNJ members were gathered back at HQ's. Each
member grilled on what had happened, why they were
there, what led to the attack, and WHERE were Robin
and Amon......no one able to answer the latter....all
deeply concerned themselves. It was hard to accept
that they could be dead, shock still solidly gripping
at their hearts. Things were not supposed to end this
way.
After the ordeal of interrogation they sat, lost in
thought wondering the same thing, no one daring to say
it out loud.
Michael sat at his terminal....flipping through the
files and pictures that had led to this day, his pace
coming to a stop when a picture opened on the screen.
A tear escaping his misty eye, leaving a trail along
his cheek, he gazed at the girl before him, so
innocent, so lost, so strong....he hoped she had found
peace where ever she was. His heart breaking for the
love he never had.
Miho watched the young hacker, witness to his silent
weeping. She understood his pain, they all did. Robin
was the tender hearted little sister to all of them,
Amon the dark brooding yet protective big brother. The
family had lost its two major components.
Dojima stared off into nothingness, resting her head
on Sakaki's while he held her in his protective
embrace. This could not be happening. The world had
just turned upside down and dumped them into hell.
The silent mourning went on for hours, before the
silence was broken with an alert sounding at Michael's
terminal. He began reading out loud to himself:
Attn:
Tonight we suffered a tremendous loss. A full
investigation will be following.
We unfortunately are unable to account for all
personnel. It is for the moment presumed they are
deceased. Within the confines of organization rules,
if their death is not confirmed they will be regarded
as fugitives and brought into custody.
The message was followed by photos of Robin and Amon's
profiles, listing their personal information.
Things were going from bad to worse. Dojima began to
sob into Sakaki's shoulder with a new wave of sorrow.
Miho collapsed into the chair she had just risen from.
Michael sat frozen, unable to take his eyes from the
words that haunted him....
'regarded as fugitives and brought into custody'
"If they are alive, we have to find them first" Sakaki
barely uttered the words, his face still glazed over
from the shock of the letter following the days
tragedy.
There was a silent agreement between them, before
silence again deafened them.
Amon rowed the boat in silence, Robin sat quietly with
her hands in her lap. She had not said a word since
they emerged from the crumbled Factory. He wondered
what she could be thinking, but decided to leave her
to her thoughts for the time being. For now he was
more concerned about getting them to safety and he
needed to contact Nagira somehow. He afforded himself
another glance to Robin, she held her head down. She
seemed to be very accepting of the situation, which
was oddly comforting, he hoped it at least meant she
would not fight his decisions right now...how ever
extreme they may be.
How can she be so damn calm though.....?
He was becoming more irritated. He looked before them,
concentrating on what was ahead. Peering into the
darkness, finally finding a place to go onto shore he
directed the boat carefully through the water. Soon
they would be hunted; he knew it and he believed she
knew it too.
Robin held her hands in prayer, "God please guide us
on this perilous journey, and may our souls be washed
of our sins. We are but your creatures oh Lord, watch
over us with your eternal grace and wisdom." A jolt
stunned her into reality....she felt Amon's firm grasp
on her upper arm pulling her from the boat. "We can't
dawdle, we have to keep moving" he grumbled, all the
while surveying the area. Pulling her behind him, he
led them into the dark blanket of forest, which now
was their only shelter. She felt his tension and
worry. He wore it like a thick blanket around him.
This was the most intense she had ever seen him, which
stunned her. She knew he was being led by
fear.....Amon's fear frightened her. She could feel
her body shaking at the thought. Amon felt it too. He
still held her firmly by her arm, not taking a chance
that she would stumble or lag. His mind was filled
with a dozen 'what-if' scenarios....all of which were
not promising prospects. His only hope was to get them
far away from the control and prying minds of both STN
and Solomon. His heart ached knowing he could give
Robin no true reassurances right now.
Nagira slumped against the inside of his office door.
'Amon...brother...I do hope you were able to get
yourself and Robin to safety' he thought as he made
his way into his private quarters, now longing for a
shower and some peaceful time to ponder the events
he'd just endured.
He had been about ready to complete his shower,
thinking he heard a knocking from the front office
door he turned off the water and wrapped himself in a
robe as he walked to the door.
Sakaki, Doujima, and Miho stood before him. He pulled
the door fully open, gesturing for them to enter,
flipping on the light before excusing himself to get
dressed.
When he returned only minutes later fully dressed,
"Any news?" he pried from the group before him. "A
memo came from Solomon this evening. For the moment,
Amon and Robin are presumed dead. If there is no proof
of their death after the investigation, then they will
both be considered fugitives" Miho flatly told him.
"Fugitives?" Nagira raised his hand to his chin,
"Meaning they will be hunted?" he asked. "Exactly" she
told him. "That's why we are going to try to find
them before the organization does." "I'll dig around,
see what I can come up with" he told her. "Michael is
monitoring the system for any possible leads, and any
possible tracks STN may have on them"
"We will have to get on the ball quickly, I'll start
some coffee" he rose and headed into the kitchenette
area.
The four of them were soon working on their plan to
discover the truth about what indeed had happened to
Robin and Amon.
Robin was exhausted, she couldn't stop though as she
was being pulled like a rag doll behind Amon. He had
led them back into the city following underground
tunnels, and passageways. Morning would be on them
soon. He found a old run down gas station and, after
prying a loose window open he lifted Robin into the
slip of a hole, following behind her. The bay area was
dark and musty, reeking of old motor oil, and grime.
'I imagine Robin is cringing at the filth' he thought
grimly, knowing what a tidy and neat person she was.
It would have to do for now though, when night fell he
would slip out to seek Nagira for aide. He did his
best to make a makeshift bed for Robin; knowing she
was exhausted. She had drained quite a bit of her
energy fighting at the Factory, the run did not help
the matter. He laid his trench coat over the old couch
positioned in the old office.
"Go rest" he told her, noticing the anxiety in her
face. She did as she was told as he watched her
shuffle to the small office in the back of the garage.
Soon she was asleep while he watched traffic through
the grime covered windows.
Robin's dreams soon took over her sleep:
'Robin hurry, we are going to be late' he told her,
rushing her out the door as she grabbed her coat. Amon
gave her a nod before opening the door. On the other
side they were staring at the dark hunters who quickly
took aim. Amon was on the ground, screaming for her to
run, she could only crumple to the ground at his side
'Amon, please don't leave me' she pleaded 'Please
Robin, run damn it. Live, for me' he pleaded before
drawing his last breathe as sobs began to rack her
body. 'Amon.........' she trembled with each wave of
sobs that tortured her soul. She felt a hand reach for
her and fearing what was to come next, she screamed
Amon heard her silent sobs grow louder....."Amon....."
she had whimpered his name, he slipped into the room
where she lay sleeping, her body was visibly trembling
violently.
"Robin" he whispered trying not to startle her but got
no response.
He placed a firm but gentle hand on her shoulder
giving her a nudge.
She sat straight up screaming, he quickly covered her
mouth to silence her
"Shush Robin, it's only a dream" he did his best to
console her.
He wrapped his arms around her allowing her to rest
her head on his chest. She was soon drifting off
again. When he heard her breathing even and her body
calm he laid her down once again, she clung to him in
her slumber but he gently pulled away.
Returning to his watch duties, his mind drifted to the
girl in the other room. 'She's so young; this isn't
something one so young should endure.' He found
himself oddly curious about the contents of her dream,
hoping she would tell him. He decided it would be best
to not think of it for now and worry about what was at
hand.
The day had passed quietly. He hadn't seen any signs
of the organization searching the local area for him
or Robin, which was at least some comfort. It would be
night fall in a few hours. He would seek Nagira out
then. He decided to allow Robin a few more hours rest;
she would need it to get through the chaos they were
sure to endure for the next several days.
"There have been no passengers locally or
internationally matching either description" Michael
said, still rapidly tapping away
"Well they may still be close by if they made it" Miho
said. "Stop saying IF damn it!" Michael howled
frustration etched in his face. "I'm sorry Michael,
I'm just saying..."
"I know, I just can't accept that concept." He slumped
into his chair, stopping the fury of typing before
pulling up the picture he kept quickly accessible,
gazing once again at the copper haired witch who had
spellbound him so long ago. As jealous as he was, he
knew Amon was Robin's best chance of survival right
now.
"Michael, Nagira, and Harry are using all of their
resources to locate them as discreetly as
possible....we WILL find them" she placed her hand on
his shoulder, immediately hit with a wave of heartache
which flooded Michael's aura. She felt so helpless
right now and so much sympathy for the young hacker
who had lost his heart so completely to Robin.
They both were silently staring at the screen as each
thought of their own memories. The silence was broken
by Nagira's heavy footfalls.
"Well I got my feelers out, should be able to at least
find something to start with by tomorrow morning" he
told them. "I am going to head back in case someone
gets some information..."
Night had fallen, things outside had quieted down
quite a bit. Amon went to wake Robin but found her
already stirring.
"Robin, come on, we need to get going" he coaxed. "Mm
ok, I'm ready" she pried herself off the couch, and
then went about dusting off her long black skirt. Amon
noted that even in these circumstances she still held
dignity. "She's more dignified than women my own age"
he thought.
He climbed out first, making sure the area was clear.
He reached through the window to assist her. As soon
as Robin's feet were settled securely on the ground
she was being whisked away. Again Amon had her arm
firmly in his grasp.
It seemed like an eternity before they reached
Nagira's office. It was apparent Nagira wasn't there.
Amon slipped Robin into a dark corner, instructing her
to stay there no matter what till he returned. He was
only gone for a few minutes before he returned. Again
grasping her arm and tugging her behind him. He had
managed to find Nagira's spare key before unlocking
the door and finding themselves safely inside. Robin
found a familiar chair in the corner where she settled
and she exhaled a little louder than she had first
thought. "I'm sorry" Amon's voice barely a whisper.
"Why?" she asked.
"For you to have to go through this" he stated. She
couldn't see his face, but she heard the remorse
there. "Amon....." "Yes Robin?" "You are not to blame,
you have saved me from death many times....and you
continue to protect me....." He lowered his head,
still unconsoled by her words. He still carried so
much guilt for the times he had been ordered to
oversee her hunt, yet he never could carry it out.
Each time he took aim he would see her eyes, and know
it was wrong to carry out his orders. Only he knew
that those hits were intentionally botched. He had
never been so easily swayed from his directive yet
this slip of a young woman had managed to turn him
from the purpose and make him see things differently
that he had in all his years as a hunter. What was it
about her that made him want to be more than just a
hunter? "Amon?" she whispered. "Robin?"
"I must ask for a promise."
"A promise? Of what nature?" he asked.
"First I need you to promise" she pleaded.
"I'll make no promises without knowing what it is" he
shot at her.
"Then I'll ask another time for that promise."
"Fine, I promise. What?"
"Should we be found.....do not sacrifice your life for
mine" she solemnly requested
"Robin, my duty is to protect you and that is exactly
what I intend to do" his voice was firm. "Amon that
was then....this is now. Your duty to protect was that
of a leader over his charge. We are now nothing more
than the hunted."
The Hunted.................
The words reverberated through his mind, anger
replacing the worry her words had instilled in him.
"How could you think I would allow harm to come to you
Robin?" he asked, trying to control his anger, not
sure why he was angry to begin with.
The room was very dimly lit, yet he could see signs of
a moist trail lingering along her cheek. He reached up
to her cheek, gently wiping the tear away.
"Robin....I can't make that promise, I will not."
The tender moment was quickly broken by the sounds of
an approaching car outside, sending shockwaves of fear
through both the ex hunters. Before Robin had a chance
to phantom what was happening Amon had swept her into
his arms, rushing into the dark recesses of the inner
office. He put her down, with a firm order to stay put
and keep silent. The lights flipped on and Amon heard
keys hit the desk just before seeing his half brother
stroll across the floor. "Nagira" Amon spoke lowly.
Nagira turned towards Amon, it was easy to read his
surprise and joy that he was there. "Amon, where have
you been? How is Robin?" he quizzed the young man.
"She's fine, come on out Robin." Nagira saw the slim
and fairly beaten looking Robin emerge from the
shadows. "Oh little bird...are you fairing well?" he
asked guiding her to the soft chair she had just
occupied. She nodded a silent reply allowing Amon to
continue with his conversation
"Nagira, we need to get out of the country" Amon
flatly told his brother. "Good luck."
Nagira informed Amon and Robin of all that had
transpired in short time since the Factory had
exploded. Robin lost interest fairly quickly allowing
sleep once again to claim her body and mind as she
curled herself into a ball. Amon had been watching,
noting she was dozing. "Robin."
"mmm?" she responded.
"Go to bed, you will rest better there"
She nodded and complied.
Both brothers watched her shuffle to the room she had
occupied not so long ago. "Amon, do you have any idea
how you are going to keep the two of you safe?" Nagira
asked after he was sure Robin was out of ear shot.
Amon had no answer, at least not yet. Nagira made a
pot of coffee for the two of them, before finally
settling back down to continue the conversation. "All
of your friends want to help you also."
"I can't afford to get them into this Nagira, if it's
discovered they will be in the same danger Robin and I
are in" Amon said shortly. "Amon, they are very aware
of the danger, but they do not want to see you two
become the hunted....without Michaels access to the
computer data files and investigation reports you will
be the blind leading the it at
least...for Robin's sake." Amon nodded, sipping his
coffee.
"Can you get us passage out of the country?" Amon
finally asked.
"It will take some doing but I might be able to
arrange it, you should be safe here for a few days at
least, will take at least that long to get everything
in order" Nagira told him.
"Please do what you can quickly" Amon pleaded "I'm
going to try to get some sleep."
"I guess I'll be up for awhile" Nagira turned to
realize he was talking to himself...
;Damn....this will be like pulling a golden goose out of
my ass' Nagira stood there for a moment before getting
his coat back on and leaving again.
Amon walked into the dark chamber. He could hear Robin
sleeping. He could also tell she was restless again.
'Her dreams are her hell' he thought as he climbed the
stairs to the platform which held Robin's bed.
Deciding it wasn't appropriate to share the same bed
he sat on the floor with his back to the wall. He
listened for awhile to her breathing, her whimpers
coming and going. Finally sleep came to him.
He heard a frightened moan come to his sleeping mind
and he fought to open his eyes.
"Amon." He knew she was dreaming again. He called to
her but received no response. Standing, he reached
for her to silence her turmoil. She rose again, with a
start screaming. Instinctively, he reached again for
her mouth to silence her. "Robin its ok, do you want
to tell me what keeps haunting you?" he asked she only
shook her head from side to side. He would not push it
further at this time. She laid her head on his chest
again....strangely he felt comfort by this just as he
had in the garage. He reached to put his arm around
her, realizing it lay on bare flesh. He pulled back
and she responded by nuzzling closer to him. Releasing
a breath he hadn't realized he had been holding in, he
carefully pulled the blanket up over her bare back and
again placed his arm there. Once she was quietly
sleeping again, he tried to remove himself from the
bed but she would not allow him. The more he withdrew
the tighter she pulled him to her. Finally giving in
to her sleepy wishes and desiring sleep himself, he
slid into a more comfortable position. Laying this
close to her he felt a strange sensation rise in him.
She began to stir slightly, snuggling closer to him.
Once she had settled, he allowed himself to drift
again.
He awoke a few hours later when he heard Nagira come
in. He wanted to speak with him, hoping he had made
some progress on their escape. When Amon had come to
full consciousness, he realized Robin had turned with
her back to him, his arm still around her slim form.
His hand now rested on her bare body just beneath her
breast and he felt himself flush. But unable to resist
he brushed his hand along her body....lightly cupping
her breast in his hand....Perfection even at her
tender age. 'What the hell is wrong with you Amon?'
he thought, furious with himself. He struggled to get
his arm free without waking the sleeping Robin. She
settled into the grove where his arm had once been,
and seemed to absorb the remaining body heat that lingered there.
He observed her sleeping. The covers had been
disarrayed, now leaving only her legs covered, her
bare breast caressed by the sheets beneath her. He
caressed her body with his eyes as his body began to
betray him; he felt a heat rise within him. A familiar
pulsing began but he forced himself to walk away. He
would not do this, 'Damn it you pervert, she's a kid'
he growled to himself as he descended the stairs.
"Ah...you're up" Nagira smiled.
"I hope that smile means you have good news" Amon
grumbled
"I certainly do." He started yet another pot of coffee
he sat down going over the details with his younger
brother.