A/N: Hey there! I know, I know, it's been forever. Sorry. I started college and then was eaten by my addiction to FMA and Chrno Crusade. But I started to feel really guilty about ignoring Robin, so today I pulled out a notebook in lecture and started to write. Here is the result. I looked back over the fic and think the previous chapters are quite bad, actually – something I hope to improve with new chapters. Although, looking at this one, I did not succeed. If I have time, I'll go back and fix the previous chapters so they aren't so crappy. A big thank you to you guys, for sticking with me even though it's been so long. I hope you enjoy. Oh – and for those asking if this will be Amon/Robin? It most certainly will. Sorry, but I'm taking their romance slow.

A Handful of Dust

Part 9: Council of War

Dayadhvam: I have heard the key

Turn in the door once and turn once only

We think of the key, each in his prison

Thinking of the key, each confirms a prison

Only at nightfall, aetherial rumors

Revive for a moment a broken Coriolanus.

- T.S. Eliot "The Waste Land"

Robin wandered around the small bedroom after waking, combing her fingers through her hair and trying to get over her bemusement. She hadn't even known Raven's Flat had bedrooms. Neither had the others, if their reactions to her new living space were any indication. Doujima had told her they had found a room, but she had expected a closet with a made-up couch, not an actual bedroom. Kosaka had merely muttered something about the building originally being a mansion.

"Why didn't Michael get a room, then?" Robin inquired, puzzlement clear on her face. Michael had been the only one not surprised by the sudden discovery of the bedrooms, and he stood with his arms crossed in the doorway.

"I did, sometimes," he replied. "I can't stay at the computer all the time, much as I try."

"But I had to sleep on the couch," Not that she would have noticed if she was on a couch or a bed, with the state her mind been in, but still.

"You needed to be monitored!" Kosaka informed her defensively. "We couldn't let you out of eyesight after the attack in the apartment. Besides, we use the rooms so rarely, sometimes we forget they're there. And there were a lot of things going on at the time."

So, she had ended up in the very dusty, unused room. The walls were a nondescript grey with have faint imprints on them, perhaps remnants of long-removed wallpaper. A floral pattern, maybe, or imitation marble. There were probably many things the building had seen and looked like before it became the workplace of the STNJ. The twin bed was covered by a simple white sheet, but when she pressed on it, the mattress was soft and comfortable, unlike the cheap ones she had encountered in so many hotel rooms. There was nothing else in the room, no sink, table, or chairs – but there was a bathroom next door, so that wasn't much of a problem.

Amon had a room nearby, but she wasn't sure which one it was yet. He had a tendency to make his living space look as though it had never been inhabited, so the rooms didn't look any different when she glanced in, which made it impossible for her to tell which one was his. This had provided for some panicky moments at the beginning of their wanderings when she had woken up to find herself alone in the hotel room, without any sign that Amon had ever been there. After this had happened continuously, she had stopped fearing that he'd abandoned her. He always came back, usually at the very moment when she was about to go out and look for him.

She hid a smile. Amon was naturally restless, but it had kept them safe for those years. Maybe it would help again.

The previous day's conversation had yielded nothing particularly useful. It didn't help that everyone seemed tentative about openly aiding her – it wasn't an easy thing to do, and if they decided not to join her, she couldn't really hold it against them. She was asking them to turn their lives around just to help her, and she knew it. It was bad enough that they were being uncomfortably forced into that position due to SOLOMON's knowledge that she was nearby. Besides, the moment she had made the decision, she had been prepared to go it alone.

Oh yes, and that's turned out wonderfully, her mind retorted, which made her wince inwardly. She still did not know if Amon forgave her for going on her own that night. She had tried to tentatively bring it up several times in the past day, but he had flat out refused to even respond to any questions surrounding her attack. Her words seemed to roll off him, as though she had not said anything at all. It stung slightly, but she knew him well enough to take the hint and stop asking. He rarely talked about anything personal, and when he did, nothing could make him say anything before he was ready. 'Rarely' was actually an understatement. She knew this, and was used to it – which was partly why it had taken so long for them to decide to return in the first place. They had simply never broached the topic – it was like staring at a sheer rock wall, trying to find some foothold to haul herself over. Yes, she was used to it, but sometimes… it was hard to take. Footholds would appear, but some would vanish, too… leaving her stumbling and frightened, so frightened that she had finally said the thing that would send him away from her. Silence had been their protection. She had also stopped asking about the night partly because when she did, he would not touch her for a while afterward – the small, casual touches that he had been using so often as of late. He would distance himself from her, and she would feel incredibly guilty for causing it. More than that, she simply wasn't used to the distance anymore – for so long, he had always been near. But reliably, he came back, as he always had.

One thing that was clear, though, was that there would be no more excursions without Amon's presence or approval. No words were needed to decide that.

She had thought she had been sparing him from the consequences of her own duty – but in fact she had pointedly ignored his advice and disrespected his decision to protect her. It was only while lying in the hospital bed did she realize quite to the extent that she had wronged him. Even if he wasn't saying anything… she hoped he had forgiven her. She would try and make it up to him, as much as she could… her responsibility came first, but she hated the idea of angering Amon. He had told her when she had first decided to return, that he would not try and stop her unless her power went out of control. She wondered if he also expected her to stop him if he did the same. If he had thought of that, it was yet another of the things he wasn't saying.

What am I thinking… he's not the one who needs to be monitored. It's still me. Even now.

The others had been slightly put off to discover that Robin did not have some grand plan to take on SOLOMON.

"How are we supposed to decide what to do if you don't even know what your intentions are?" Doujima had demanded, pushing her hair away from her face irritably.

It was a fair question, but Robin had still felt mildly resentful. She had just made the choice herself, there hadn't exactly been much time to plan. It had been such a taboo thought, her mind had danced around it before she finally made herself face it. At first she had thought that her former teammates would have wanted nothing to do with attacking SOLOMON, but after being around them again she was reminded of just who they were. They had done it before, so it wasn't unthinkable to them to try it again. Of course, this would be on a much larger scale. She wasn't merely going after one man's corrupt operation. It seemed apparent, and regrettable, to her that they were trying to convince themselves that they could help Robin without completely destroying their lifestyles. A change, like Kosaka had said. Robin did not know if such an optimistic idea was possible – on the other hand, she did not know if anything was possible when it came to SOLOMON. She certainly hadn't had much luck thus far. The only thing she could do was hope that when they finally realized what they would be giving up, they wouldn't turn on her for it.

Which was why it was with a certain sense of trepidation that she walked down the hall to meet them again, gathered around Michael's desk. They looked up expectantly when she walked in, and she took a deep breath.

"I think… we need some more information. About the different strategies and methods used by each branch." Robin didn't raise her head, afraid she'd see consternation in their eyes.

The first one to speak was Michael. "Okay. It'll take a bit, though."

Robin looked up, startled, as the clack of the keys began. Normally Michael would go to a task with a confident air that it would be finished quickly. He noticed her reaction before she could cover her surprise.

"What? They're watching us, Robin. Have been since Factory. They don't trust us."

She had almost forgotten…"But… you were helped by SOLOMON to go against Zaizen -"

"Yes," Yurika broke in, looking a bit exasperated at having to explain. Clearly she thought Robin should already know. "But it still proved that we would go against the one with authority. We did it with their help, but not at first. We decided on our own. Now they think we might do the same to them."

"And if we go through with this, we will," Amon commented dryly. All went silent, and even the computer keys paused for a moment. Somehow, hearing it come from the man who had once been their most prominent hunter made it all that much more real, more inevitable.

It quickly became uncomfortable, and to break the tension, Robin turned to Michael again. "So… you can't do it?"

He snorted. "Oh, I can do it. It will just take a bit longer than any of us will like."

"Depending on how tight their security nets are, of course," Miho added. "They may have their eye on us, but that doesn't mean they seriously consider us a threat."

Michael shrugged, dog-tags around his neck rattling. "It's possible. But they do know Robin is in the city, so it won't be long before they try to investigate us."

Haruto leaned back in his chair, balancing as he looked inquisitively at Robin. "Why do we need the information on the separate branches?"

"There is no way to go directly to SOLOMON, not when it still has so much support," Amon responded flatly. Robin wasn't surprised that he had understood. "We need to know about the other branches in order to -"

"Neutralize them," Yurika breathed, and looked at Robin, who stayed silent with her eyes cast to the floor.

Haruto lurched forward. "There is no way we are trotting around the world to take on all the separate branches!" He said indignantly.

"We won't need to," Michael interrupted, typing furiously. "If we can get their information, then I can break into their systems. I can hinder the delivery or quality of weapons, supplies, computers – block access to Witch records or police files. Once I know their specific needs, I can render them helpless."

"You were caught hacking into SOLOMON before," Amon pointed out.

Michael allowed himself a laugh. "I work for them now. I know better."

"That doesn't leave much for anyone else to do," said Robin, looking rather bewildered at having her mission rather efficiently taken out from under her.

"Don't be ridiculous. If we're found out, we're dead. And we know SOLOMON is sending agents into the city. You guys have to make sure they don't learn anything. Which means we have to feign having the same problems as the other branches, so they don't figure out that we are the only one unaffected."

"Am I to hide, then?" Robin interjected quietly.

The young hacker raised an eyebrow at her. "Why? They already know you're here. Well, not here here, but in the city. What you have to do is make sure they never guess you are connected with us. Don't give them any reason to look at the STNJ. And if you notice them getting suspicious, distract them. Blow up something." When she gave him a pointed look, he raised his hands defensively. "Hey! If they start looking at us, something is going to need to draw their eyes somewhere else. And if we are assigned to look into it, that'll look all the less suspicious for us."

"In other words… arrange a hunt for her," Amon said, voice hard.

Several of them stiffened, and Michael hastened to reassure him. "Only in appearance! We won't actually hunt her, but we'll need to go out for show, so that SOLOMON thinks we're doing our job."

He stopped, and looked at Robin seriously. "It will seem like the rest of us are doing a lot now, but when we get to the end… it will all be on you. We won't be able to help much at all then."

She nodded, trying to ignore the sudden surge of vulnerability.

"As for the hunts…. they'll have to continue," murmured Miho. Robin looked at her, wary despite herself, and the older woman returned her gaze calmly. "It's the only way to be inconspicuous. We can only go after those causing trouble – and when the other branches start having trouble with their hunts, then we can start to drag our feet, too."

"You haven't been going after the innocent?" she asked, voice slightly pointed.

Miho's smile was almost bitter. "After what we've seen? With you? No. We put it off unless SOLOMON gives us a direct order, which is rare. They don't usually waste their time with us. Robin… somebody needs to keep the Witches under control."

"They don't need to kill them," replied the girl, a hint of steel creeping into her tone.

"No. But that's what you're here to fix, isn't it?" Her voice sounded strange, and Robin quieted pensively. Did Miho still have her power? It had been dwindling when she left… Miho had been a Witch, something she had needed to accept, but if her power was gone, then…

Then maybe she would not want to be involved anymore.

It wasn't long before no one had anything new to offer to the conversation, and Michael shooed them from the room. "We're got enough to start with – standing around here won't help!"

Robin followed Miho out, intending to stop her and speak with her. She was just trying to figure out how to do that when they reached one of the outer rooms, and the older woman turned around, brows raised expectantly. "Well?"

She blinked, surprised. "What?"

Miho's smile was knowing, and just a little amused. "You've changed, Robin, but not that much. You want to ask me something, I can tell."

Robin lowered her eyes, caught. She had to stop forgetting that these people had known her, that she couldn't treat them the same way she would a stranger and expect them to fall for it. "Then, you probably know what it is I am going to ask."

"Let's hear it from you." The look in her eyes said clearly 'You're going to have to learn to take initiative sometime, might as well start now.'

"…Your power. Do you…" she looked up at Miho's impassive face. She clearly knew what Robin was trying to say, but she made no move to finish the sentence for her. "…still have it?"

Luckily, the answer was blissfully quick. "Sometimes. …Rarely, to be more honest. Never when I need it. Never when I try." An undercurrent of resentment crept into her voice. "It shows up when it's useless, to tell me things as trivial who last stepped into the store I am entering. But if I need to know who that person was, then it doesn't work."

Robin frowned, but not because of Miho's clear frustration. Could it be? Could it be that… Miho had… well, if she had, she clearly wasn't aware of it.

The woman snorted. "I'm useless in the hunts, now."

"Your sight was not the only thing that made you a good hunter," Robin murmured.

Miho gave her a sharp look. "But it was the most important."

She looked away. "Then… do you not want to…"

"The STN is all I know, Robin. That's why right now, I know what they are doing is wrong. Because of those like you, Amon…" she hesitated, but Robin still heard the unspoken word. Me. "But I still believe that some Witches need to be stopped. I've seen enough results of that, too."

"I'm not arguing against that," Robin tried to protest. "I just… this… there are things that have to stop, and -" it has to be me that does it.

"I know."

Amon was waiting for her outside, leaning easily against the wall. She was to spend as little time at the STNJ as possible, in order to lessen the risk. It went without saying for Amon, too – sometimes it was easy to overlook the fact that he also had been considered missing. She knew he was probably itching to search for agents – he would not be calm until he at least knew where some of them were. Amon and Robin were, for a time, to return to their previous lifestyle. Her walking, him shadowing, avoiding sight as much as they could. They would stay away from the most dangerous areas. It was a little comforting, to return to such a familiar routine, but at the same time… she was almost disappointed. She did not really want to go back.

When she laid eyes on him, the urge to beg forgiveness rose again in her throat. She fought it down, mentally berating herself. He had made it clear he did not want to hear her bring it up again. She wondered if she would be able to keep the remorse out of her face as she walked up to him. Please, please, are you angry?

Apparently her attempt at hiding her worry failed miserably, because he paused when he saw her expression, lips tight. She was about to open her mouth to apologize – again – when his right hand suddenly reached out to rest on her cheek, stilling her words. Two fingers gently ran along the locks that framed her face, leather pressing into her skin as they did, his eyes dark as though deep in thought. He lingered for a moment, and then, barely audible, she heard him murmur, "No." As quickly as he had reached towards her, he pulled away, and she half lifted her arm as though to grab him back as he glided towards the other side of the street.

Robin watched him go, and suddenly wished fervently that he hadn't been wearing gloves.