Robin turned the corner and kept her hands tight on the grocery bags she carried through the night. In this part of town no one was safe even if you had powers. Amon was to meet her back at the apartment they were renting. He had only mentioned following a lead on another rogue witch.

Robin reached the complex and used a key to open the door. She hurried when she saw a sleeping beggar next to the door and slipped inside. She held her breath while walking up the stairway and down the trash strewn hallway to the very end room 213.

She stepped in, slipped off her shoes, set down the groceries on the table and cautiously checked all the rooms without finding Amon or intruders. She tried to turn on the lights and the gas stove but neither worked. She pulled out a supply of candles, put on her glasses, lit them with her mind, and started to prepare dinner.

Amon was heading back to the apartment after a fruitless search. Some one had warned the witch and she had left without a trace. He was across the street from the building when he watched a tenant unlock the front door, walk in, and he caught the slight hand of the "sleeping" beggar next to the door as the hand snatched the door to hold it open. The beggar waited until the tenant had disappeared before slipping in the door and walking slowly, but purposefully up the stairs.

Amon crossed the street quickly, unlocked the door, and walked upstairs slowly with his hand on his gun. He was tense with his stomach in knots since he saw the beggar acting so suspiciously but he wondered if he was just going crazy watching out for Robin. He paused before turning the corner slowly but did not see the beggar anywhere. He started down the hall searching his mind for an answer of where the beggar had gone, as he searched each doorway with his eyes. He jumped slightly when Robin's head appeared from their doorway and she looked right and left. Amon closed the distance to the door, shoved Robin inside, before shutting and locking the door.

"What were you doing? I told you not to hang in the doorway like that," Amon said angrily.

Robin lowered her head slightly and folded her hands in front of her.

"Someone knocked at the door," said Robin softly.

"And you were answering it? Should I even bother to return to see if you are still alive everyday?" Amon asked coldly.

"I'm sorry, Amon. It has only been a few months since everything happened and we left the STN-J. I am sorry, I will try to do better," Robin bowed. "Dinner is almost ready."

Robin walked over to where the food was cooking and brought out two plates before pouring their drinks. Amon took off his coat and shoes next to the door before taking a seat on the couch in the living room. Robin served Amon and then sat on the floor across from him with the low table between them.

Silently they began to eat with only vague murmurings of noise coming from their surroundings. A baby cried upstairs, two lovers next door were having a quarrel, and someone downstairs was tossing something against a wall every few moments so an ominous pounding shook the walls of the room.

"The witch was gone. Someone must have warned her," said Amon as he reached for his glass.

Robin stared at her food for a moment which she had only picked at slightly.

"The food was good Robin, thank you," said Amon.

Robin picked up the dishes and washed up the kitchen before returning with tea.

"I heard another rumor about a girl named Raven who was fired from a hotel not long ago. They had an odd customer who had supposedly kept the room ice cold, so cold that water was dripping through the floor into the tenant's room below. When confronted one person was partially frozen to a wall. Supposedly that is when Raven showed up, and suddenly green and black flames freed the man from the wall and badly burned the odd customer," said Robin.

"'Green and black flames'? Most witches control normal elements. That is odd," said Amon.

They sat silently sipping tea pondering the possibilities.

"Do you think that…" Robin started to say but stumbled over her thoughts.

"Do I think what Robin?" asked Amon.

"Do you believe Todou was the only one to try to save the witches?" asked Robin cautiously. "Perhaps there are others who have genetically altered witch children. Maybe I am not the only one."

Amon's forehead wrinkled slightly as he thought. He knew that Robin must feel horribly lonely but could there be more like her?

"I do not know, Robin," he said quietly. "He did not hint that he shared his research but others may have thought to try it. I don't know how they would have turned out though."

"It was just a thought I had wondered about," Said Robin trying to fake a casual voice.

She picked up the empty tea cups, washed them, and then returned to where Amon still sat.

"You should go to bed." Said Amon.

Robin bowed.

"Good night, Amon," she said.

"Good night Robin," replied Amon.

Robin went to the bathroom to brush her teeth and take down her hair before retiring to the bedroom. Amon looked out the window in the living room before returning to the couch where he laid down and considered Robin's question and the puzzle of this new witch called Raven who could conjure green-black flames.

Amon had a quick breakfast in the morning and left a note for Robin telling her not to go out today. He walked briskly out of their apartment building and began tracing rumors about Raven.

Robin awoke with a start an hour after Amon had left and wiped the sweat from her forehead. She'd been having nightmares of research facilities where men and women, even babies and children were being tested. She did not know what they were being tested for but felt their agony at being held prisoner. She sighed and gathered together her clothes as she wrapped herself in a towel.

She peered into the main room, but finding Amon missing hurried quickly to the bathroom to take a shower. As she got dressed and fixed her hair she found herself humming a light tune. She stopped suddenly and frowned.

Why should I feel so…happy? Robin thought. Maybe change is coming at last.

She cleaned up the apartment and heated some tea as well as some breakfast. She found Amon's note and was a little disappointed but she was used to this. She had so much time and so little to do that she had started a journal where she recorded as much as she remembered of her past and had now reached the time where she came to the STN-J in Japan. She sat down and continued to write, when suddenly she heard a knock on the door. She put down her book and pen quietly while listening. Again she heard a soft knocking on the door. Slowly she stood up and waited again. The soft knocking was a little louder this time.

If someone was after me, they would have already broken in, Thought Robin. That would also be true of a robber. Who could it be?

As she took one cautious step towards the door she checked the rest of the room with her eyes for any sign of an attack. She continued cautiously towards the door as she pulled her glasses out of her pocket and slipped them on. She reached the door, and gazed through the peep hole to find a young looking girl with black greasy hair. She saw the girl look at the door and bite her lip, fear danced in her eyes and she cautiously knocked again. Robin noticed that the girl wore a necklace with an odd pendent. It appeared to be an arrowhead black as night but containing pieces that sparkled like the stars. As she watched Robin's own red pendent glowed slightly for a moment and as it dimmed the girl's arrowhead pendent also glowed before returning to its natural state. Robin opened the door slightly, enough to see the girl standing completely still with her hand in the air, frozen in mid-knock.

"What is it that you want?" asked Robin.

"I seek a girl named Robin, I have heard rumors that she can help those who are worthy," said the girl.

"What is your name?" asked Robin cautiously.

"I am known mainly as Raven," she replied with her head bowed.

Robin did not fully understand why, but she felt she could trust Raven. She opened the door and Raven entered. Raven stepped inside and slid off her tattered, dirty sandals as Robin closed the door and locked it.