Forbidden

Chapter one

"…Lucky color is black. That's the third time this year it's said that! This is bogus!" The frustrated Doorman tossed the magazine across the room. Sighing, he got up from his seat and crossed the room the retrieve the magazine. As he stood up straight he noticed a car outside of the building. The doorman peered curiously at the vehicle.

A young woman in a long black dress stepped out of the car, her orange hair pinned back in two…could they be called ponytails? She turned back to the car and waved to the driver. The doorman gasped.

"Ms. Robin!" The girl turned and smiled politely at the doorman. Robin slowly walked towards the building , taking in her surroundings. "You're alive!" The doorman exclaimed once she entered.

Robin stopped in the elevator and smiled at the man. "Did you really think a building could kill me?" She disappeared from the doorman's view.

"…Yeah, right. If that's true then Ms. Dojima is a rocket scientist!"

"Sakaki!"

Robin heard voices coming through the elevator door, smiling at the memories they brought forth. The doors opened to see A blond haired blue eyed woman smacking a brown hair and eyed man upside the head. "Dojima…Sakaki" Robin whispered. Dojima turned her head in the elevator's direction.

"Robin!" Robin jumped at the sound of her name. Everyone turned and saw her standing open mouthed in the doorway.

Michael spoke first. "I told you she was alive, Ms. Dojima."

"I only said that so you would get your hopes up for nothing if she really was dead!" Dojima flared. "I never doubted her for a second!"

"Ah can it!" Sakaki said. "your going to scare her away acting like that!"

Karasuma beckoned to Robin. "That's right. Welcome home, Robin."

Robin smiled at the sight of all her friends, nothing could be better than this. "Wait…where's Amon?" Sakaki asked.

Robin finally made her made out of the elevator, everyone grew quiet and Sakaki looked as if he wished he hadn't asked the question. "Amon is…not here."

Their faces dropped and sadness filled their eyes. "I'm so sorry." Karasuma said consolingly and place a hand on Robin's shoulder.

"He's not dead." Robin explained, noticing everyone's reaction. "He went on some errands so he's not here right now."

"Oh." Sakaki said.

"Well, that's a relief." Michael exhaled. Karasuma awkwardly lifted her hand from Robin's shoulder. Dojima laughed.

"Are you guys getting any work done?!" The chief roared into the room. There was an awkward silence until he spotted Robin. "Robin?!"

Robin nodded at the chief. "Nice to see you again, sir."

"Robin's back." Dojima explained, pointing at her. "Amon is fine too." The Chief just stood there, unsure of what to do now.

"Uh, carry on then." he edged out of the room.

"What?! She's back?!" Hattori could be heard from his office. He peeked his head out the door. "She is!" he exclaimed and pulled himself back in.

"So Robin, are you going to continue being a hunter?" Dojima asked as soon as they settled into chairs.

Robin nodded. "Yes, I do."

"Hey, weren't we supposed to get a new hunter today?" Sakaki asked. Michael nodded.

"Oh, that was me." Robin explained.

"Do you have a place to stay?" Karasuma asked.

"Amon and I are staying in an apartment on third street."

"I Live in the apartment on third, too!" Michael exclaimed. "Cool!"

Dojima glanced devilishly at Robin. "So you and Amon are living together?" Robin nodded. "That cradle-robber!" Karasuma glared at Dojima.

"Cradle-robber?" Robin asked, not understanding the term. Dojima burst out laughing. Sakaki rolled his eyes. Michael whispered the meaning of 'cradle-robber' to Robin. Robin blushed. "We have separate rooms…"

Karasuma continued to glare at Dojima. "We know that, dear. She's just trying to be witty."

"Oh, come on! I could see him as a pedophile!" Dojima defended herself.

"Pedophile?" Robin asked, not understanding. Michael whispered the definition to her.

"I could see it too!" Sakaki exclaimed. "I you met him in a dark alley, him wearing that coat and all. I can see it, 'Hey little girl, want some candy?'." Sakaki and Dojima broke out into tears of laughter. Karasuma continued to glare.

Robin stared blankly at them. "I don't get it."

"Seriously, most kids your age live off of this stuff, you must've lived a sheltered life as a child." Dojima said.

"Well, I grew up in a monastery…"Robin said. "But what does that have to do with candy?" Sakaki and Dojima were gasping for air.

Michael shook his head. "What Sakai was referring to was-" He started.

"Don't explain that one to her." Karasuma snapped.

Robin looked confused. She blinked and blushed. "Oh…I get it now."

"Thanks for poisoning this innocent girl's mind, Dojima, Sakaki." Karasuma scolded.

"What, she'll be living with a guy, she needs to be aware of this kind of thing." Dojima retorted. "You know I'm right."

"Speaking of Amon, Will he be coming back to work here?" Michael asked.

"I don't know." Robin replied.

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Grey clouds covered the sky, rain poured down. Robin cautiously poked her head out from the cover of the STNJ building. The rain beat down and her head was soaked. She stepped back under the cover and shook the rain water out of her hair.

"You don't have a umbrella?" Michael asked, coming up from behind her.

"No." Robin replied. She shivered and crossed her arms across her chest.

"Do you want to share mine? Since we live in the same apartment building and all." Michael offered as he took out his umbrella.

"Thank you."

As they walked to the apartment building, Robin remembered when she saw Toko and Amon sharing an umbrella. The memory made her feel strange, sad, embarrassed, and some how angry. Not angry at Michel, but at Amon and she didn't know why. Robin shook off the feeling as they reached the building. "Thank you for letting me use your umbrella, Michael."

"Yeah, sure, no problem." Michael said. "It's just an umbrella…" He mumbled as he climbed the stairs. Robin stood watching him. "You coming? I want to see where your apartment is!"

They climbed the stairs and reached the floor were Robin's apartment was. "I'm on this floor too, just three doors down from here." he said, continuing down the hall to his apartment. "See you tomorrow!"

Robin entered the apartment. The place looked exactly like Toko's apartment and for a moment she thought she was there again, with attacker's hiding in the shadows. Cautiously, Robin peered around the corner, Amon was sleeping on the couch in the center of the room with cans of some drink scattered around him, the TV was on and the light from it flashed across the floor, lighting up the room. Robin breathed a sigh of relief. Nothing out of the ordinary. She entered the room and picked up one of the cans. An overwhelming sent can from the can. Alcohol… Robin placed the cans in the trash and sat on the floor, back resting against the front of the couch.

There was a music video playing on the TV, it was a rock band with a female singer. Robin liked the music, it was a lot different than the church music that she was used to. It was loud, rhythmic and always seemed to build more excitement to a quiet climax. The story ending in a sad but forgiving peace.

"Why aren't you wet? It's raining out." Suddenly Amon's face was mere millimeters from Robin's. Robin's face flushed and Dojima's words echoed through her mind a pedophile…

"M- Michael borrowed me his umbrella because we live in the same building." Robin explained after stuttering around for a bit.

"Michael…?" Amon muttered and flopped back on the couch. Robin sat frozen in place for a few moments.

"I guess I'll go take a bath…"

----

Finally silence came and the darkness fully set in. Robin could hear harsh, pained breaths and something heavy over her stomach. A warm liquid covered her. All there was was blackness and pain. She tried to move but the heavy thing trapped her down.

"Ungh…" The thing on her made noise!

"Amon?" Robin asked in the darkness. "Is that you?"

"Robin…" He sounded faint.

"Are you hurt?" Robin asked. Of course he is, the building just collapsed, why ask such a stupid question?!

"Can't…move." Amon replied, he started to cough and more warm liquid splattered over Robin. "something's on…me." Robin understood, she blasted fire just above Amon. She pulled him to the side and more debris fell where they once were.

Robin groped at the ground and found a long piece of debris. She lit the item like a torch. When the torch gave light to the caved in room, Robin noticed that she was covered in blood but she had no bleeding wounds. Amon coughed up more blood, he was so pale. Robin turned towards the ceiling and sent fire out at it, creating a pathway out.

Robin grabbed Amons arm and pulled it over her shoulder. He was heavy but she could manage, She started up the path towards the light. "Almost there."

Suddenly the ground beneath her crumbled, Robin slipped. She was able to grab onto the top half of the path to the light of the out side.

Robin knew she had no physical strength, how could she pull herself up let alone Amon? "Almost there!" she cried, reaching for the light, only to be swallowed up be the darkness once more.

Determined to do something, Robin took Amon's jacket and wrapped his wound with it. She was silent as she watched Amon twitch and squirm in agony, wishing she could help.

Something fell from the ceiling and landed on Robin, she turned her head to see what had hit her.

She was face to face with a corpse.

Her eyes went wide and she screamed as she tried to push it away from her. Robin stayed frozen, panting, staring at the dead body next to her. She drew in her knees to a fettle position.

"I'm scared." Tears feel from her cheeks as glanced up at the light of the moon outside as she was trapped in the darkness. It's always been like this. she thought sadly, putting her face in her lap, closing out the light.

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Amon coughed again. Robin lifted her head. The sun was just starting to appear over the horizon, giving the darkness a red glow. Robin stood with new determination. She had an idea. She stacked up all the debris she could find into a pile.

Robin woke Amon. "Robin?" he whispered blinking in the dawn light.

"I have an idea on how to get out of here."

Robin stood atop the pile of debris, Amon held her tightly around the waist. "Are you sure about this?" He asked. In reply Robin blasted the spot, sending them flying. She landed just outside the hole she had previously made and Amon flew a bit farther. They were out.

Robin slowly got to her hands and knees, coughing up blood and clutching her stomach.

"Robin!" She heard a call from not to far off. An old man ran up to her. She continued to cough up blood as he put his hands on her shoulders. The ground beneath them started to crumble. Robin set fire to her shoulders, causing the old man to jump back in time before the ground crumbled.

Robin feel back into the darkness.

"Robin!" the old man cried. "Call for a helicopter!" He called to someone as her conciseness faded.

"Robin… my sweet Robin…" She heard the man cry.

Slowly Robin opened her eyes. "Don't worry about me, father…" She whispered. Juliano held her in his arms and cried over her body. Robin glanced down at her own body. Her torso was ripped up, burned and bloody.

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Robin awoke with a shudder. She turned to her window. Sunlight streamed in, She smiled at the sight knowing that there always would be a new day.