Chapter Ten:

Painful Memories

Disclaimer: Yes, everyone knows the disclaimer, so I won't put you through it this time.

Flashback

"Amon!" A soft voice called out to the dark-haired man leaning against a bookstore window.

Amon raised his head, a quick flash of a confused expression flying over his features before his usual mask returned. A small, rather pathetic smile graced his lips when he saw the young, chestnut-haired girl running up to him.

Robin trotted towards him; her black, pilrgim dress flying out behind and around her as she did so. She was grinning almost from ear to ear. What she was so happy about, Amon didn't know.

"Amon, what are you doing out here? You know that SOLOMON is still searching for us. It's too dangerous to be out here all by yourself. Please, go inside where it is safe." She tried to tell him sternly, but failed miserably. Her smile would just not go away.

The usually moody hunter just shrugged at her as he pushed himself away from the window he was leaning against. Turning and stepping towards her, he gave her another weak smile. Robin's own grin only widened, if it was possible.

It was hard not to notice how overbearingly tall he was compared to her. Everytime she looked at or spoke to him, she had to crain her neck so that she could look him in the eyes. Amon could not help but chuckle silently, considering it looked rather comical to see them talking to one another with her head bent back like that.

Robin somehow heard his amused snigger and rasied a questioning eyebrow.

"What?" She asked in what she hoped was a firm tone. Amon stopped his low snickering and looked at her with what could have been a caring stare.

"You tell me to go inside, when you yourself are in just as much danger. Is there a reason?" He asked, meaning it as a bit of a joke. Robin, however, frowned at his comment, which in turn made him overturn his own smile.

"Actually, there is. Amon..." She trailed off, putting down a large bag that Amon just now noticed. It seemed to be full to the top with her belongings.

Amon frowned deeply at the suitcase. Something about the sight of this caused his stomach to tie in knots. He shifted his slate-colored eyes to gaze at her.

"Robin...?" He breathed out inquiringly. The young girl in front of him lowered her shoulders, which was followed by her head. Her fingers worked nervously against the dark fabric of her dress.

"Amon, I'm leaving. I've...I've decided that I'm a danger to you all. I have no place here any more. SOLOMON is after us and it's all because of me. So..." She paused, bending low to retrieve her suitcase.

Amon's eye narrowed, looking frighteningly like he was about to expload at her. Thankfully he didn't, for that would have caused an unwanted scene. Instead, he reached out and grabbed onto to her free hand.

"No." He said simply and firmly, drawing a small gasp from the young witch.

Robin stared up at the tall man, then down at their conjoined hands. She was a little perplexed by this, since it was most unlike Amon to show this much affection. For reasons only known to her, tears began to prick at her eyes.

"Amon?" She whispered in confusion, raising her gaze up to him. The dark hunter's eyebrows furrowed. He had noticed her tears, but chose not to say anything about it. He instead made her put her suitcase down so that he could take both of her hands into his.

"You're not leaving. You're staying here with us. With...me." His voice had gotten softer with each word he spoke, as if he were embaressed. His face, however, showed with all of the confidance he needed.

Robin's eyes widened in semi-shock. She stepped foreward so that she was in closer proximity with the man in front of her.

"Amon. I'm sorry, but I believe it's best that I leave. If I stay...I will only put you and the others in danger. So, I guess this is good-bye." She said, intending to take a step away from him. Amon growled at her softly before jerking her back towards him.

"No! You're staying here with me! I don't care if I'm in danger! If you leave...you'll be unprotected. Stay here where you're safe with me." He insisted, tightening his grip on her hands. It was almost like he was afraid she would disappear from right in front of him.

Robin gave him a sypathetic look, though fear still shown in her eyes.

"Amon, you're scaring me. Please, just go inside. I promise I'll be alright where I'm going." She tried to console him, but Amon could not be subdued.

"I rufuse to let you leave! Stay here, Robin. I promise, I'll protect you from SOLOMON. Just don't leave." He pleaded. Amon was actually pleading with her! Did he want her to stay that badly?

Robin let out a frustrated sigh and lowered her gaze. She limply she shook her head.

"I'm sorry, Amon. I'm afraid I can't do that. Your powers have not come to the surface, so you are not into any real danger as of yet, but I am a hunted witch. If I stayed...I just don't want to think about what might happen." She paused, raising her eyes to look up at him. Tears were running in little rivers down her cheeks.

Amon lowered his eyelids, but remained silent (Though it was clearly difficult for him to do so). Robin, somehow removing his tight grip on her hands, smiled up at him reassuringly.

"Please don't be mad, Amon. It's for the best. I know it is. Just please take care of the others for me and...remember me bye." She whispered, raising a hand to his cheek.

Amon's eyes widened when he saw her face leaning up towards him. A small pain dropped into the pit of his stomach.

Is...is she going to kiss me? He thought to himself almost helplessly, before a disappointed feeling came over him when she instead placed her lips on his cheek.

Robin pulled away from Amon, just enough to control the heap of emotions that suddenly dumped themselves on her. She then bent to pick up her suitcase and turned away.

"Good-bye, Amon." She said so silently that he almost didn't hear. She traveled down to the end of the block, not wanting to see the hurt look that was now decorating his face. He watched her hail a taxi and get in.

Amon narrowed his gray eyes; his mouth nothing more then a thin line drawn on his face.

"What am I doing? I'm letting her walk away." He said to himself. He looked up a the quickly departing taxicab. A determined glare settled itself on his face as he suddenly felt his feet start moving without his control.

"Robin..." He whispered as he began to slowly break into a run. It was a little shocking at how fast he could actually go.

"Robin. Robin, please don't leave." He said to himself, seeing the taxi come back into his sight. This sight only made him want to run faster, which he did. His trenchcoat was now billowing out behind him in dark waves.

"Robin! Please, don't leave!" He called out, trying his best to gain on the taxi. Though he would not give her up with out a fight, his energy was beginning to burn down.

Inside the taxicab, Robin raised her head at the sound of Amon's voice. Looking up, she gasped when she caught a glimpse of him in the rearveiw mirror. He was a couple yards behind the car, running as fast as he could to catch up.

Quickly rolling down the window, the young witch stuck her head out and stared back at him. Amon saw her and tried to put on an extra burst of speed.

"Robin! Tell the driver to stop! I beg you! Robin!" He called, his voice cracking with his harsh breathing from all of the unwanted excercise. The young girl sighed and gave the man trying so desperately to reach her a loving gaze.

"I'm sorry, Amon." She breathed, retracting her head back into the window and rolling it back up.

Seeing this, Amon quickly slid to a stop; nearly toppling over in the process. The taxi disappeared over the next hill.

The dark-haired hunter stared, perplexed at what had just happened. He just stood in the middle road, gazing seemingly off into space.

Amon then slid to his knees on the pavement, half from exhaustion and half from a broken heart.

"Damn you, Robin Sena. Damn you!" He shouted out, clenching his fists and raising them in the air.

"ROBIN!!"

End of Flashback

Amon opened his eyes to find himself staring down into a liquor-filled glass. He raised an eyebrow, wondering stupidly how he ended up here.

He then quickly realized that he had fallen asleep while sitting at the bar in the Harry's resturant across from the STN-J headquarters. He had come there to get a drink or two and he must have had too many.

Amon sighed, laying his throbbing head on the wooden counter. He played around with his glass for a few seconds before becoming bored of it and setting it down. He remembered the dream he had.

No, it wasn't a dream. It was a memory.

The dark-haired man sighed and raised his head. A gloved hand shakingly drew itself from its resting place on the bar and came up to softly touch his left cheek.

A small kiss on the cheek... It was all she had given him. Just few seconds of her lips upon his skin and that was it. Nothing more, nothing less. Though Amon wished it could have been more.

The poor ex-hunter moaned in self pity and he slammed his head back down on to the bar (He did this face first, mind you). The pounding headache that came up did not hurt nearly as much as the ache in his heart did, however.

"Robin..." He whispered to himself in a muffled voice as he felt the glass in his hand being taken away. He rolled his head over to the right a little and raised his bloodshot eyes to stare up at Master Harry, the owner of the resturant. The older man was giving him an expression that was mixed bewteen a stern glare and a sympathetic look.

"I think you've had enough, Amon-san. You look like Death just decided to take a holiday. Why don't you go back to that apartment of yours and get some sleep." Master suggested kindly, taking Amon's glass and going back to clean it.

Amon just grimaced at the mere idea of going back to that damn condo he had rented for a hideout. He hated that apartment. He hated everything in, around, and beside it.

"I'm not tired. I'm not going to back to that dreary place. I'll sleep at the conveaniant store if I have to. I should be leaving any way. Thank-you for your concern, Harry." Amon said in his usual monotone.

Spinning sloppily around in his chair, he stared around the resturant with heavy heart. Everything looked the same as it had for years. It was the same when she was here and it was the same when she left.

Amon sighed and turned back to Master; smiling crookedly at him.

"This is where I first saw her, you know. I was just leaving and we passed each other on my way out." He paused, leaning back in the barstool and bringing his elbows up behind him to rest them on the counter.

"God, was that moment magical." Amon whispered, more to himself then to Master, who was staring at him with a knowing grin on his face.

"Was it, now? Do tell." He said, his smile widening when Amon closed his grey eyes in thought. His own lopsided smile was still gracing his thin lips with its presence.

"Yeah. It was magical, alright..." He breathed, trailing off as he tried to remember the exact moment he met her.

"She made it that way."

Flashback

Amon trudged through the resturant; his expression moody and distantly cold. The case that he was currently working on was really wearing on his nerves and putting him in a shitty attitude.

And what was worse, the replacement headquarters had sent for Kate had gone missing. Thanks to that 'Mush for Brains', Kosaka.

Amon swore silently under his breath, not wanting the other customers or the Master to hear.

"Damn Kosaka, damn the replacement, and damn this job!" He whispered harshly, casting a weary glance at the people around him to check and see that they had not heard him. No one had.

Scoffing half-heartedly, Amon made his way down the hallway that would lead him to the exit. His gaze was currently on his feet, but he looked up on instict when he heard the door open.

A young girl, her age around fifteen or so, had just entered into the diner. The hunter frowned slightly at her apperance. She was wearing what seemed to be a heavily layered, black, pilgrim dress and was carrying a crimson jacket much like his own. Her chestnut hair was pulled tightly into two, strange-looking pigtails that somehow gave her a kind of sophisticated look. Her bangs were covering her face, so he could not really see the color of her eyes.

The two of them passed each without so much as a nod or a simple hello. A minute or two passed without anything unusual.

Amon then had a peculier urge to turn around and look at the young woman again. He mentally berated himself for such a foolish and childish want.

What's wrong with you? Why would you want to look at a girl you've never met or even seen before? It's not like you at all. A rude voice snarled at him in the dark depths of his mind. Amon cringed momentarily at the harshness of the little presence in his head known as his conscience.

Yes, I know it's not, but I want to. Just a peek, nothing more. He insisted, a little surprised that he was arguing with himself over such a nontrivial matter. His conscience sighed.

Alright, fine. But it's your funeral. It said sarcastically as it finally diminished.

Amon rolled his eyes, almost embarressed that he just had entire conversation with himself inside his own head. He then sighed and turned back to look at the young girl heading into the main room of the resturant behind him.

Imagine his surprise when he found her staring back.

The young woman was gazing at him with a half-smile adoning her lips. Her hair flowed around her face in an almost supernatural way. Eyes that were a startling green color were taking in his own appearence cooly.

Amon glared back at her with what he hoped was a cold expression. His grey eyes were once again raking over her slim frame so that it burned into his mind. Such a strange thing that he should be so taken with this child. With him being years older then she was, he figured that she should have hardly mattered to him.

And yet, she did.

The two of them continued to gaze at one another until she had disappeared around a wall and he had walked out of the door.

Amon stepped out into the sunlight, blinking as he did so. After getting his vision back, he looked solomnly through the window of the diner. There she was, with her back turned to him and waiting for a table to be ready.

The hunter huffed and tried to continue on his way. Even though he stole a few glances back over his shoulder, he managed to convince himself that she was nothing more then a girl that he for some reason had taken a liking to. She meant nothing to him and he meant nothing to her. She was no big deal to him at all.

I told you. You should not have looked back at her. His conscience sneered at him, only to be brushed aside like a dirty piece of cloth.

Amon shook his head, trying his best to rid the image of the girl's eyes from his mind. They would not clear out, however. They had left their mark and were now a part of him.

"Damnit, all women should go to hell." He said to himself as he moodily got into his car. "They should all just die and leave us men alone. It would probably be a more peaceful world without them..."

Of course, he didn't mean all that. He just thought he did.

After starting his car and pulling it out of its parking place, Amon sighed and looked back at the diner.

"But that girl... I wonder who she is." He pondered as he shook his head limply and drove on down the street.

Little did he know that that same girl would end up working as his partner at the STN-J.

End of Flashback

Amon reopened his eyes; the smile on his face just as apparent as ever. He slowly pulled his elbows off of the bar behind him and bent over slightly, folding his hands in his lap. His black bangs were hiding his face from Master's veiw.

"Later on that night, we had gone to that warehouse to capture the witch. We had finally gotten him cornered when the tables turned on us. He had me and Sakaki down for the count. I have no clue were Miss. Karasuma was. I could remember Michael yelling in my ear about something. I don't remember what it was." The ex-hunter paused, sighing as he ran a gloved hand through his hair. He then raised his head and turned his neck around to a complicated angle to stare at Master.

"It was then that she came. She saved both mine and Sakaki's hides. Had she not been there, I'm pretty sure we would have been injured or worse..." He trailed off once again, shutting his eyes as he tried to remember.

Master could only stare at the man in front him. His sly smile was still showing on his own thin lips.

"She was a strange one, that was for sure. But I'm guessing that it was her strangeness that caught your eye?" He said, chuckling softly. Amon cracked his eyes open wide enough to squint. The corners of his mouth were suddenly pulled down into unsatisfied frown.

"Maybe so." He said quietly, quickly closing his eyes again. Master frowned sympathetically.

Amon once again raised his elbows to rest on the bar. He leaned his head back in a liesurely fashion and let his thoughts run away with him.

"I don't even think I ever thanked her for saving us that night." He said, guilt showing up on the edge of his tone. His frown deepened as he continued to think on the subject.

"In fact, I don't think I ever thanked her for anything..." He breathed, letting his eyes fly open. He was glaring at Master upside down. The older man was smiling at Amon. He then shrugged good-naturedly.

"I think she forgives you for those little mistakes. Besides, if she ever does decide to return, you could always thank her then." He said gently, bringing up a whithered hand to place his chin in.

Amon nodded awkwardly, considering his head's position. He then raised it heavily and bent over sadly. He once again folded his hands lonesomely in his lap.

"That's true." He said softly, letting his eyes slowly drift close. Another memory surfaced from the deep, dark depths of his mind. And it wasn't one he wanted to really remember but felt he needed to talk about.

"Harry. Do you remember the attack on the STN-J?" He whispered. He felt Master's presence lean in closer from behind. The dark hunter could hear the swishing sound of the other man's sleeves as they rubbed against the wood of the counter.

"Yes. Why do ask?" Master inquired as he tried to keep as sympathetic as he possibly could.

Amon kept his back turned to the old man, though he wasn't exactly ignoring him. He sighed burdenly.

"Did I ever tell you...how Robin escaped that day?" The dark-haired man questioned. From behind him, Master shook his head.

"No. I don't believe you did. Niether did she, for that matter." He said quietly.

Amon lowered his shoulders to show that he was satisfied with that answer.

"Then I'll tell you." He said firmly, as if he had just told Master to go clean his room or something like that.

Master waited patiently, leaning in closer as he tried to catch Amon's words.

Flashback

Amon ran as fast as he could up the steps to his floor of the STN-J. The elevator had been jammed and would not let him go up that way.

Please! Please, tell me I've gotten here on time! He begged to know one in particular. Sweat was streaming down his face with all the exsurtion he was putting off.

A gun shot rang out from above, causing him to stop in terror and just stare stupidly up at the flights of stairs above him. His eyes were widening into dinner plates.

Oh, God! They've started! Robin... He thought to himself as he urgently commanded his feet to begin moving again.

His footsteps echoed eerily throughout the stairwell; each step sounding off like a drum in his ear.

"Robin, don't you dare be dead!" He rasped out as he finally reached his floor.

While stuffing his hand in his pocket to retrieve the bomb he had brought with him, he used his other to open the door a crack and risk a quick peek inside. He gasped at what he saw.

Windows were shattered in and glass lay everywhere. Papers were strewn all over the floor and among a pile of books was the body of Michael. He was bleeding from his left shoulder and it looked as though his face had been stepped on.

Amon grimaced, turning away from this sight. Near where Michael laid and next to a broken computer, was poor Karasuma.

Another gunshot exploaded, making Amon's head jerk towards the sound. Sakaki was trying his best to take refuge behind a table and shoot at the intruders at the same time. He was failing quite miserably.

Another gunshot. Amon could only watch in helplessness as Sakaki was shot in the chest and sent flying from out behind his table. His body landed with a sickening thump near Karasuma.

Amon growled under his breath. Never in his life had he felt so useless. Why could he just not run in there and blast all of those bastards' heads off?

Because that's not what you're here for. His conscience reminded him in a cool manner. It sounded like it trying to point out something obvious, but could not get that point across.

Amon nodded, as if agreeing. His gaze jerked over again, placing it on a young girl who was cornered on a windowseat. Her expression signaled the word 'helpless' and indeed, she looked it. The gunmen were closing in on her with their rifles raised... And she was powerless to stop them.

The dark-haired hunter growled a second time.

"You bastards better damn, well stay away from her." He whispered to himself before drawing out a large, smoke bomb deep from within the depths of his trenchcoat pocket.

Robin watched with fear in her emerald eyes as the men wearing gasmasks came closer to her. Their guns were up and, unfortunetly, pointing at her.

Oh, Gods! I'm gonna die! Her mind shouted at her as if it was something new. Too bad she already knew that good and well. A drop of sweat ran between her eyes and down to the tip of her nose.

All of her friends were down. No one could help her now.

The outside door was suddenly blown in with force of a charging, full-grown, male African Elephant. A bomb the size of a football hurtled in through the opening at a swirl and headed for the gunmen.

The oversized bullet hit its target with exact persision and let out a blinding, white smoke. All of the gunmen screamed and covered their eyes at the same time.

Robin hid her face under her arms, the brightness of the light hurting her sensitive eyes.

"It's so bright... Where is it --" She whispered, her stomach jolting when she felt a large, firm hand grab hold of her wrist.

Turning her head upwards to gaze at her captor, she gasped and allowed her eyes to widened.

Staring at her with cold, slate eyes and through a mask of distantness was Amon.

The dark-haired man glared at her wordlessly, giving off the impression of a snake staring down its pray. There was something behind that usually cold expression, though. Something that the young girl could not place.

Robin drew in a surprised breath and tried to back away, only to feel his already vicelike grip on her arm tighten.

Oh, Jesus! Is he going to kill me?! She thought frantically and fearfully. Her eyes were now wider then basketballs.

Amon silently swore at himself when he saw the fear in her eyes. She was scared of him and he knew it. Just the thought of this made a small pain torture his heart.

Staring intently into Robin's eyes, he spoke to her.

"Follow me." He stated monotonely. That was all it took. With just those two, little words, the fear in her eyes disentergrated.

And she followed him.

The stairs had lasted long enough for Amon to tell her the whole story on him and Kate. How she knew that she would one day be hunted as a witch. How she had tried to expose the STN-J, just so she would not have to face the consequences. How they never really had a great partnership to begin with. How he had been sent to hunt her and did.

Robin stared wide-eyed at Amon's back as he opened yet another codebox and pressed in the correct buttons. The story he had just told her both shocked and amazed her.

Her trance was broken as gunshots from above caught their attention. They both stared up at the ceiling for at the moment; their breathing held back as they waited.

Amon then let out a huff and pushed open the door in front of him. Reaching back, he grabbed Robin's hand tightly and pulled her in after him.

They had entered the courtyard holding the well. Everything here was just as it would be on a normal day. Looking around, you would have thought nothing was wrong.

Robin jumped as Amon snapped the door shut behind him. He ran a couple steps ahead of her and pointed at a nearby wall.

"Robin, do you think you can burn a hole through that wall?" He asked in a low voice. The young girl looked at him strangely.

"I guess so." She said in a soft voice. Amon brought his hand down and gave a side-glance back at her.

"Then do it." He commanded firmly, watching as she trotted over to the said wall and began firing up. Turning away from her slim frame, he jumped up on to the edge of the well and pushed a rather large, hidden button.

A flash of light and the sound of crumbling stone caused him to jerk his gaze back to her. She was standing in front of a large hole that she had obviously just made. Light from the sun outside shone in and surrounded her; making her look even more like the angel she already was.

"Amon. Does all of this mean that you actually trusted me as your friend?" She asked softly, blinking in slight confusion from his actions.

Amon stared back at her as he slowly stepped backwards off the edge of the well. It took him a few moments to answer.

"I had strict orders, directly from Zaizen, not to interfere with their hunt for you..." He trailed off, downcasting his eyes for a moment.

"I just couldn't do it." He finally added in a breathy voice, rasing his gaze back to her.

Robin blinked once more in surprise before taking a step towards him.

"Amon, I --" She was cut off when a sound from behind the door caught their attention. It wouldn't be long before the hitmen would find them. They had to get away...now.

Robin ran towards Amon; grabbing on to his jacket to try and lead him towards the hole she made.

Let's go!" She cried out in a voice that suggested that she had never yelled in her entire life. Amon, however, latched on to her wrist and pulled her back towards the well.

"This way." He told her, climbing back up on to the edge and bringing her with him.

Robin looked down into the well to see a secret stairwell. She grimaced slightly at it. Did he really expect her to go down there?

"Robin. I don't think of you as a witch." She suddenly heard him tell her. Mentally gasping, she jerked her gaze around and looked up at him with a surprised expression.

He was staring back at her with a rare smile adoning his lips. She could feel his hand being placed on her shoulder as he helped her down the ladder and into the well.

"Amon, I --" Once again, she was interrupted by a crash coming from behind the door. They were coming closer. His hand on her shoulder tightened almost protectively.

"Go." He stated bitterly with narrowed eyes. Robin, however, stopped climbing half way down the ladder. She gazed up at him, the fear returning to her eyes.

"But the others --" She tried to ask, but he cut her off with a stern glare.

"Don't worry about them." He paused, glancing behind himself at the door. "Now hurry."

She didn't hesitate to listen. She climbed down slowly with his help. Once her feet touched the stairs, he leapt down after her. She glanced at him, clearly thinking he was coming with her.

Imagine her surprise when he took a piece of folded paper out of his pocket and slipped it silently into her hair. She gave a withering, side-glance at his hand, which was currently running itself along her cheek until it found a comfortable resting place. Her eyes quickly swiveled around to face him again.

Oh, Gods... Please don't tell me this is a dream. She thought silently as his face leaned in closer to hers. Their noses were almost touching when he stopped. She could feel his breath on her skin and it nearly made her mad with wanting.

"Listen. If something happens to me, contact this person." He whispered. His eyes were glowing, as if being this close to her was the best thing that ever happened to him.

Robin stared back with wide-eyes. She was so entranced by his face that she hardly cared to notice when his hand reached up behind him and pressed another button.

A whirring sound was heard as the platform under Amon's feet began moving. He rose away from her. She felt his hand fall away from her cheek.

"Amon --" She called out fearfully, as if she were a helpless child. It nearly made Amon's heart break to hear it.

"Go!" He commanded dryly, leaping out the well.

Robin glared up at him and clenched her teeth. He wasn't getting rid of her that easily.

With a light jump, she climbed partway on to the platform. She cursed softly when she felt tears falling down her cheeks. Ignoring them, she jerked her gaze up towards Amon.

"Why are you --" She trailed off, staring at him through misty eyes. Amon placed a hand on the edge of the well and glared down at her.

"Robin, go down those stairs and out through the underground tunnel." He told her. His grey eyes were glazing over with fear for her. He prayed she would not see it.

The young girl didn't seem to want to listen. Instead of doing as he asked, she trying was her best pull herself on to the platform.

"No, I won't! If you stay here they're going to --" She paused, reaching a small hand out to try and reach the button. Her fingers were stretching well beyond their limits. Oh, how Amon longed to grab on to them.

Shaking this thought from his mind, the dark-haired man growled at her.

"Stop that, Robin, just go!" He demanded loudly. He let out a frustrated sigh when she once again refused his order. She continued to stretch fruitlessly towards the button.

I've almost got it... She thought, hope spreading through her. Just a little more...

A gloved hand suddenly came down and shoved hers away. The force of it was so great, it sent her toppling off of the platform and on to the stairs below.

Amon looked down into the ever disentergrating gap. He could see her tear-streaked face gazing sadly up at his. This time, his heart did break.

"Robin, the next time I see you --" The platform closed before he could even finish his sentence.

Sighing heavily, Amon stepped back from the well and looked back towards the door. He could hear the gunmen battering it from the other side.

Snarling, the hunter reached into his seemingly, never emptying pocket and pulled out his gun. If he was going to die, he was going to do so fighting.

"Stay safe, my Robin..." He breathed as he watched the door finally cave and fall in. The gunmen filed in; their rifles firing at anything and everything.

Amon got in a few good shots, but it just wasn't enough. His legs buckled as one bullet entered his right shoulder. Another plunged into his left side.

The dark-haired man fell back and landed with a thump next to the well. He could hear his gun slide across the floor away from him. Where it stopped, he didn't know.

As he laid there helplessly, Amon listened to the gunmens' conversations. He didn't quite catch a full one. Just little snipits here and there. He admitted, it was rather boring just to lay there and tune in on them.

As he listened, it suddenly began to dawn on him that something about this didn't feel right. The intruders didn't even seem to care that all not of the people in the building had been taken under their control. All of them acted as if just taking over the building was a great acomplishment. And something about hard drives, chain filters, power units, and samples were in there, too.

Tears gathered in his eyes as realization slowly hit him.

This wasn't...a hunt.

He blacked out.

End of Flashback

Amon opened his eyes; not surprised when he felt a lone tear fall down his cheek and onto the floor under his barstool.

"Where did you send her, Amon-san?" He heard Master ask curiously from behind. The dark-haired hunter chuckled and turned his head around to stare at his friend.

"To my brother, Nagira. He kept her safe for me. Or from me, I should say. Considering what happened later..." He trailed off, his frown returning as he remembered the events following the attack on STN-J.

Master raised a curious eyebrow.

"And what did happen later?" He inquired, his innocent curiousity getting the better of him. Amon shrugged, glancing down at his hands.

"I... I nearly hunted Robin." He said slowly, as if he were trying to teach Master the English language. Another tear ran down Amon's cheek and landed in his open, right hand.

The same hand that held the gun he used to point at Robin.

Master frowned, his eyebrows furrowing deeply. He the straightened himself with a troubled sigh.

"I see. And did you succeed in doing so?" He asked, almost like he was giving Amon a pop quiz. The ex-hunter's head raised itself slightly to show his confusion at the question. He then shrugged a second time.

"She-she said that she trusted my judgement. That she believed in my heart and that I would know the right thing to do. Eventually, I just couldn't do it. I...I let her live." He breathed out his last words, as if saying them would cost him his life.

Master smiled at Amon's back and nodded in a satisfied manner that showed he was happy with the dark-haired man's decision.

Amon grinned slightly and turned back around in his stool to face the older man in the face.

"Tell me, Harry. Should I have kissed her before I let her go that day the office was ambushed." He asked, knowing fully well what he was inquiring. Though he could not quite believe that he was asking it.

Now he knew he had too much liquor.

Master, however, chuckled good-naturedly. Apparently the absurdity of being asked such a personal question greatly amused him. He stopped snickering long enough to answer.

"You really want my opinion.?" He asked pointedly, getting a nod from Amon. The older man then leaned back on his heels and placed his chin in his hand.

"Well, then my answer is yes. I do think you should have given her at least a small something or other. What about you? What do you think?" His question wasn't exactly firm and yet, wasn't exactly an easy one to answer, either.

Amon furrowed his eyebrows for a moment in thought before he quickly and suddenly spun around in the stool and leapt off.

Master watched as the young, black-haired man strolled in between the tables. His steps seemed corinated, as if he were trying to find a trail in the carpited floors.

It then suddenly dawned on Harry that Amon was trying to locate the exact path he used to get through the resturant that day he met Robin while walking out of the door.

Amon stopped just short of entering the hallway leading to the exit of the diner. His shoulders were hunched, as a way of showing that he was thinking. He then suddenly whipped his gaze around to Master; his shaggy hair giving off the impression that there was a high-powered fan in the room.

"Yes. I do think I should have kissed her. But I guess it's my loss." He said with an air of finality. Master knew then that their extremely long conversation had finally come to a close.

Amon gave a single nod as a sign of farewell before heading out into the hallway. As he was heading out of the door, it pained him to realize that he had been waiting for a certain chestnut-haired girl to walk in past him.

Master watched him walk past the window. He noticed sadly that the hunter's face was once again a mask of aloofness. But the older man knew that behind that stern face was a good man with a good heart.

Amon stepped around the front end of his black Sadan and pulled out his keys from his bottomless pocket. Sighing raggedly, he put one of them to the keyhole just under the door handle.

As if on cue, hundreds upon hundreds of little, black birds flew out from their resting places in the trees and up over his head.

Amon stared upwards, his eyes wide in near shock. The sight was amazing. Everywhere you looked, there was a little bird flying. The sky was full of them and thousands more were only adding to it.

It hardly surprised Amon to find out later that every, single one of those little birds were robins.

Me: Awww! I love this chapter! Poor Amon!

Amon's Angel of the Darkness: I agree, Amon might be a little to pale to be a blonde. But Ian is a little messed up, so I madethe blonde hair work for him. :) Yes, I did read the story "Alone". Shame on Amon for being such a dickhead. I hope Nagira kicked his ass real good... Just kidding. Well, youy almost have the whole thing right. Your right about Andy, Ian, & everyone else trying to protect Robin from Akamu (the red-haired guy) and get her back to Amon. I can't tell you any more, because then I'd probably give away the whole story. You wouldn't want that, would you??? Thanx for reviewing!