Thnx for all the support!! Enjoy this one!! I want more Robin fics too!!
Chapter 4
when a woman loves a man
Kasumi put down the book she was reading. She was in her bedroom studying a book which had been kept in her family for generations. It was a brown leather-bound book, large in size and thick in volume. Kasumi estimated the book to be at least ten thousand pages long. It was filled with millions of words, inscriptions and diagrams, all to do with the occult, witches, spells, the Craft and most importantly, IT. The Hand of God as the ancients called it.
The woman sighed and rubbed her eyes. Two days ago she was happy, certain in her belief that the Hand of God was a lie, a piece of fiction that drove her father and grandfather to their deaths, leaving broken families behind in the process. Their hunt to destroy it consumed their lives. Her father had once told her about the Ayukawa family's destiny, that being the hunters of the devil, the warriors against that monster. Those were his last words when he left the house. She never saw him again.
It was then Kasumi realised she was sobbing. She loved her father, regardless of what he did to her, to her mother! And she also knew that the target he obsessed about was real, not fiction. She closed the book and stood up.
"But the others do not know," she whispered to the room. With that, she hurriedly went to find her bag and coat, hugging the book to her chest all the time. Ten minutes later, she left the apartment.
Robin was in her room too. And she was in a dilemma which she found extremely difficult to solve. Her closet door was opened and she was staring hard at the meagre variety of clothes inside. She realised she had nothing to wear other than a black frilly, ugly dress and the normal clothes she always wore. That was the problem. She was so intent with the dresses that she was startled when Touko suddenly spoke up beside her.
"Hmmm… you know, your sense of dressing is rather appalling for a girl your age," Touko said. Robin looked away, cheeks red.
"I er… didn't go out very much when I was Italy," she replied softly.
"Well," her housemate said, "You could have told me. Looks like I have to take you out with me next time I go shopping." She winked at the young Hunter. "Now," she continued, "Do you have anything to wear tonight?"
"Eh?" Robin was taken aback at that. "To…tonight?"
"Uh-huh. Michael told me when I was at STN-J that you had a big date tonight. With that new guy er… Asriel right?"
Robin blushed even harder now and her hands reached up to cover her burning cheeks. She remembered the situation the night before. When the team gave up searching for Hasegawa and were in the car on their way back to HQ, Asriel suddenly asked Robin out for dinner.
"Robin, would you like to have dinner with me tomorrow night?" he had said. The entire team had heard that too and started cheering and pushing her to accept. Especially Doujima and Karasuma.
"Go for it Robin!" Doujima had urged.
"It's not everyday a handsome guy like Asriel asks a girl out you know!" grinned Karasuma. Robin tried to protest but Asriel wanted to hear no excuses.
"You agreed to it at Harry's remember?" he said. And that was the end of it.
Robin sighed. It wasn't like she didn't want to go. She was just afraid. Everytime she was near the man, she would suffer a weird ache in her heart. Did she love him? Was that what that feeling was?
"Robin?" Touko called, bringing Robin into the real world and back to the problem at hand.
"Ah…hai!" she responded.
"I got a dress which may suit you. It would go very well with your eyes and hair. Want to try it?"
Robin opened her mouth to decline but Touko waved her away.
"Don't worry about it! Leave it to me! I know what I'm doing." With that, the woman left the room.
And that was the end of it. Robin sighed once more.
Amon was at the library again. Ever since Asriel's appearance in STN-J, he had been feeling uneasy, which was a rare occurrence he realised. He was very seldom perturbed by events. But this situation had him stumped. Asriel was a decent person, he had powers which rivalled Robin's and he was a valued addition to the team. He did save Robin after all. So what was it about the Hunter that bothered him so much? He had voiced his opinions to Zaizen-san and the aged man promised to look into the matter. Next time they met, he asked Amon to look into the subject of the Hand of God. That was about all the information he had.
He rubbed his eyes and put away the huge Latin history volume away. He had Michael do searches on the information web and he himself had been going to the library to research for the past few days. Still nothing. He was getting frustrated and impatient, not to mention tired. The Hasegawa case still remained unsolved and the list of witches to be caught was getting longer and longer. And here he was, in the library when he could doing something more useful. Perhaps his feelings were wrong after all. He got up and nodded to the young librarian that helped him locate the books. Then, wearing his coat, he strode out of the library doors.
His car was parked some ways away from the building. As he walked, he suddenly felt as if he was being followed. It could be true, or another weird feeling just like the one with Asriel. His pistol was in the car, a few hundred metres away. And he could not just point and shoot anybody he saw anyway. So to be on the safe side, he walked faster. He could hear footsteps now. They were matching the speed and urgency of his own. He was almost there. Amon thumbed the key button and the car doors unlocked. With a sudden burst of speed, he sprinted to the car, threw open the door, and snatched his gun. But just as his hands grasped the pistol, a force slammed into the back of his head, knocking his entire frame into the car. He swore and turned around, gun ready to fire. The street however, was empty, save for a lone object on the floor. Cautiously, the Hunter went over to the object. He stooped down to examine it further, then realised it was a book. A very large, a very heavy book, he thought as he lifted it and walked towards the car. He got into the driver's seat and placed the book on his lap. He wondered what it was, and more importantly, who had sent it. "Whoever did it is going to get beaten up badly for hitting me," he muttered. He opened the leathery cover of the book. A musty smell greeted him. Amon sniffed and looked at the first page. There was no title, only an index, written in fine black ink. Odd. He gently flipped randomly to another page. That page surprised him a little. It was full of little writings and a rather graphic drawing of a rabbit with its head chopped off. Amon examined the words more closely. They were Latin, ancient Latin in fact. He could barely just understand them. He flipped across the pages, the paper making a dry, rustling sound. Amon read the words on the other pages. He could already guess what sort of book it was but he confirmed it when he chanced upon on a page with Ogham symbols on it. The book was for… "Witches," he finished. Then, it dawned upon him. He hurriedly checked the index and searched the book until he found what he was looking for. And there is was. He immediately took out his communicator and called HQ.
"Michael here. What's up Amon?" Michael's voice sounded reedy over the device.
"Michael. Help me do a check. I may have a lead this time. I hope I'm wrong but if I'm right, we're in trouble."
Kasumi was back in her apartment. She sighed and fell on her bed. That would do it right? Giving the book to the Hunter? She had done what she could. She could do nothing more. Right? All her life, her father had been chasing the devil, using the witchcraft he had within. He had trained her in its use too. Even without using those skills for more than a decade, she still remembered them clearly. She had the power to stop the man, the monster. "Stop it!" she cried out. She had done her part! It was in the Hunters' court now. The thing was theirs to handle, not hers! She got off the bed, to an old brown trunk next to the closet. She traced her fingers on the musty rosewood exterior before opening it. She reached inside and took out several pieces of paper with symbols written all over them. They belonged to her father, his last things he left for her. She held them gingerly in her hands. Even if old, the talismans still radiated power and meaning. Power and meaning. Her father had once said that without meaning, of what use was power?
"When you have power, when you have strength, you must have meaning, the reason behind the power you wield. You…and your mother are my meanings. That is why I must wield my power," he had said.
Kasumi reached into the trunk and took out several more talismans. She had found her meaning.
Harry's felt magical to Robin tonight. She couldn't quite put her finger to it. The place usually had a good ambience, calm, light, just nice. But tonight, it was mixed with feelings of electricity and a mystical romanticism as well. For some reason, Robin was having the time of her life. She was at the restaurant having her 'date' with Asriel, who was seated opposite her. He was dressed totally in stylish black, which seemed to further accentuate his features, especially his eyes, which seemed even more luminous tonight. Robin tugged at the dark green evening dress she borrowed from Touko. It was sleeveless but she had a dark red jacket for protection against the cold. She also wore long white gloves that ran up all the way to her elbows. Touko said she looked perfect. Robin wasn't quite sure about that but she knew she certainly was uncomfortable. Asriel sure didn't seem to be in the same situation as her. He picked her up at the agreed time, bringing her to Harry's in Karasuma's car. At the restaurant, the Master was waiting for them with their reserved table, promising them the best food he could whip up that night. Asriel had been the perfect gentleman the whole of dinner, full of witty banter and charm. And Robin couldn't help but be charmed by him. She could just stare at his perfectly-formed face forever, especially into those eyes of his.
"Robin?" Asriel's eyes expressed concern as he called her name. "You alright there?"
"Eh?" Robin realised she was staring, "I'm sorry! Go on, I was listening!" Asriel merely smiled and shook his head.
"Maybe it's the food. The Master's meals are extremely delicious and filling. Perhaps a walk would be in order?" Asriel offered, hand already up for the bill.
The two of them soon found themselves in the park near the café. It was a blustery, mildly cold night and the trees all swayed in tune with the cool breeze. Asriel was walking next to Robin, his form bathed in the full moon's light. He didn't speak this time. In fact, he seemed to be deep in thought. The wind blew once more and she shivered. She should have thought to bring a thicker coat! Suddenly, an arm fell onto her shoulder. She turned and saw Asriel with his arm over her. He gently pushed her closer to his body, warming her a little. She was surprised, but did not pull away. Rather, she leaned into him and enjoyed the embrace. He still said nothing as they walked on, until they reached a small plot of tulips. There, he stopped, and turned to face her. Robin couldn't read anything off his face, but his eyes spoke volumes and she found herself reflected in those eyes, in him. Was that what love was? Was that how it felt, being with a person that spoke to you without speaking a word?
"Robin," Asriel spoke, his face serious. "Robin, do you know how long it's been since I've found someone that was like me? Someone that knows how lonely the world can be. Someone who can share that feeling, that burden our powers bring. It's been such a long time. I've been alone all that time…until I found you." Robin could hardly breathe.
"Robin," Asriel continued.
"Hai…" the girl replied, afraid of what was to come, yet yearning for it so much. Then it came.
Asriel moved in and caught Robin in an embrace. His face tilted towards hers and his lips gently touched her own. Robin resisted the kiss at first, then her lips parted and she drank it all in. They stood there for what seemed like hours to the couple, before breaking the kiss. They stood there, gazing into each other's eyes. Robin could barely control the thoughts racing throughout her head. Her heart and pulse were beating wildly, her breathing ragged. She was euphoric and had never felt more alive. He was the one for her. She was his.
"I love you," she whispered. Asriel smiled and nodded, then slowly pulled away from their embrace. He turned and walked nearer to the tulip plot. He spoke softly.
"Then it's done. I've found my queen," he said.
"Your queen?" Robin asked.
"The one to rule by my side when the world is free of strive. The one who is fit to do that." Asriel turned around to face Robin. Robin gasped for his eyes had turned a bloody red. "You know how the world is. It is a world that requires change! And only those with power and change it! Solomon is not the one to rule. The Hunters do not rule. I will rule the world, Robin, and I am now offering you the chance…the chance to be a God along with me." He laughed. "Who can stop us Robin? Who can stop Gods?"
"A…Asriel," stammered Robin, extremely confused now. Was this the same man she fell in love with? He seemed to have some aura surrounding him, she couldn't help but shy away from it. It felt malicious, even evil. "Asriel, what are you talking about?" She needed to understand what was going on. She needed to know!
Asriel laughed once more. "Young, lovely Robin. It's very simple actually. I am asking you to become a God…like me." He paused and stretched out his hand towards her. "Come with me Robin, and share this future," he urged, red eyes gleaming brightly in the moonlight, "We will change the world."
Robin didn't know what to do, she didn't know what to think. She loved the man, but what he was saying didn't make sense! Gods? Ruling the world? Most importantly, those crimson eyes of his. They glared, burned into her very soul. Something was very wrong. Every part of her body was telling her to run away from those eyes. Run away!
"I…I can't. It's not right," she found herself saying, "Yes, we have the power to do what we want. But we do not have to right to exercise the power on those who cannot stop us! That is why we Hunters exist. We seek out those who abuse their strength, and make sure they do not do so again. What you are offering Asriel, is not how I want the world to be!"
Asriel sighed and shook his head. "Then so be it. You have your own decisions, I have mine." He paused and stared at the young witch with ferocious intensity. "However," he said, "I'm taking the power within you, whether you join me or not!"
Robin felt rather than saw the ripple of energy fly towards her. She instantly reacted, bringing up a flame shield. The shield could usually deflect anything away, from small stones to huge iron bars. Robin felt Asriel's force punch through her defence, which deflected it a little. That was why she only grazed her left cheek rather than have a gaping hole in her chest. Without hesitation, she directed a burst of fire at Asriel in retaliation. Asriel smiled gently as the flames were instantly extinguished right in front of him.
"You cannot hurt me Robin. You never could," he said, moving closer. "I am a God, with powers you cannot even begin to understand!" He attacked once more, with a stronger force this time. Robin concentrated harder and her flame shield flared brightly, deflecting it away. She sent another column of fire which disappeared before even touching Asriel. She was breathing heavily now. She had exerted a lot of energy in defending herself from Asriel's attacks. She calculated that she would be able to protect herself two or three more times at the most, before collapsing from exhaustion. She had to run. She turned to do just that but a sudden wall of violet fire burst from the ground in front of her, cutting off her escape route. Her assailant was chuckling now. He had his left hand pointed at her. She noticed the glove was off and there was an unfamiliar symbol on his hand. She had never seen one with an eye and lines like that before. Who or what was he?
"No more playing around anymore Robin. You do not have the power I have. My strength stems from hundreds of years ago, even Solomon cannot compare to it, much less you. With your abilities within me, I can begin my crusade to free the world!"
"That's where you're wrong," came a voice behind Asriel. A gunshot was fired, striking Asriel on his shoulder. He whirled around to see his attacker.
"Amon!" he rasped. The leader of the Hunters faced him, his hand holding an Orbo pistol, sights aimed at the man.
"Amon!" Robin cried in relief. If he was there, everything would be all right. She knew it.
"Robin! Run!" Amon ordered, gun still locked onto Asriel.
"Eh?"
"Robin!" There were voices behind her. Robin turned around and saw Karasuma and Sakaki running towards her, their guns also out. They got between Asriel and the girl, pistols pointed at him.
"Are you alright?" Sakaki asked. Robin nodded. "Good," the man said, "Seems like we have a big problem here. Things aren't exactly what they seem."
"We don't have time to explain. Just run to a safe zone. We'll cover you. Go!" Karasuma urged.
Robin looked at the scene in front of her, then nodded and ran down the path away from the stand-off. Asriel watched as the girl vanished into the darkness. Then he laughed.
"You Hunters do not know anything now do you? I'll find the girl eventually. And you will all be on your knees, begging me for your lives."
The three of them answered by firing multiple shots at the man. The Orbo charges splattered onto his invisible shield, dealing no damage to him. Asriel stopped laughing and his eyes flared. A force slammed into Sakaki, lifting him several metres off the ground, ramming into a nearby tree. He fell onto the grass, unconscious.
"Saka--" Karasuma's cry was cut off when Asriel released yet another bolt of force, throwing her away. She laid there, unmoving.
Asriel turned towards Amon, who still seemed unperturbed by the situation. "Foolish mortals. Did you really think you could challenge a God?"
Amon kept his gun and narrowed his eyes. "We can try," he whispered and sprinted towards the man. He could almost grab him when another blow smashed into his arm. There was a sickening crack and Amon fell to the ground, clutching his shattered arm. Asriel walked up to the injured Hunter and gave him a heavy backhand. Amon collapsed, unconscious. Asriel smirked. They always never learned. He went in search of Robin, whistling along the way.