Chapter 003: Combat Training
After a few more minutes of running and hiding down alleyways, Amon abruptly stopped. Letting go of Robin's wrist, which by now was tingling and numb due to the loss of blood circulation, he motioned her to be silent for a few seconds, and then allowed her to talk. "What is going on, who is after me, and why has it taken such a skilled hunter as you so long to finally catch me?" Robin inquired, in a much calmer tone than she believed was necessary considering the unnerving circumstances.
"To tell you the truth, I have no idea...", was Amon's surprisingly calm response. "However, a month ago Michael caught a hacker attempting to sort through the STN-J's data on you.", he said hurriedly, while searching in his dark trench coat's pockets for something. "Not soon after, a poorly executed attempt to burglarize Headquarters occurred." Amon had found what he had been searching his pockets for. Dialing a number on the cell phone, he lifted it to his ear. "Yes. Michael? I've found her. It appears that she had absolutely no idea why I was following her." Pausing, apparently listening to Michael on the other end, he nodded his head once or twice and then hung up with a brisk "thank you".
As Robin's heart rate returned to normal, Amon slipped the small cell phone back into his right pocket. "Well, now they know that you're OK. I suppose the man who was chasing us has lost our trail.", he said, not facing her, almost as though he were speaking to himself. He then turned around to face her directly, and told her that they should get going.
The late November breeze was a bit chilly, but the day was as beautiful as it had been a few hours before. Pulling her maroon trench coat closer to her and giving a slight shiver, she followed him out of the grimy alleyway back into the previously sunlit streets of the city. The sky had clouded over, and before they knew it, snowflakes had begun to fall. Robin started to recognize the neighborhood once more, and before she knew it, they were standing in front of a tall, sandstone colored building. A silver plaque on the stone wall, located next to the iron gate, clearly labeled the place as "Raven's Flat". The wind had picked up, the snow had begun to fall heavily, and they had finally reached Headquarters.
During the brief ride from the ground floor to the fifth, Robin casually glanced over at her brooding partner every few seconds, silently wondering what was currently on his mind. Leaving the elevator, they went to the door across the hallway and opened it. As soon as they entered the room, all eyes were on Robin. A grin slowly stretched across the face of the young boy sitting in front of a computer with about a hundred wires connected to it. His desk was littered with food and candy wrappers, along with CD's and various other means of entertaining oneself when stuck at a computer terminal all day. A few chairs down from him sat a blonde young woman, dressed in tight fitting denim jeans and a creamy pink sweater. She appeared just as happy as the guy working at his computer, but she didn't seem to be doing as much work, what with her feet propped up on her desk and a giant wad of gum in her cheek. It was Michael and Doujima. Grinning, Doujima called across the room to a mature looking brunette who had not noticed Robin and Amon enter the room. "Hey, Miho!" she called playfully, tapping her high heels on her computer's keyboard as she spoke, Michael flinching with each tap. "Guess who just walked in, back from an 'oh so bothersome' witch hunt?" Blowing an impressively large pink bubble which immediately exploded with a loud 'pop', Yurika Doujima spun around in her chair and watched as Miho Karasuma whirled around with joyous surprise and stared at the two who had just arrived.
"Robin! Oh, I am so glad that you are safe!" she exclaimed, quickly striding towards her. Amon had already taken a seat at his desk, feigning indifference as the others greeted Robin warmly and thumped her on the back.
"So tell me, Robin-chan! Where have you been all this time?", playfully asked a young man wearing baggy khakis and an earth green pullover. Strands of messy brown hair fell into Haruto's face as he threw his head backwards, looking over at Robin from a comical upside-down position. "Yeah, you've like... been missing for weeks, no...months!" stated Michael, pushing his amber-tinted glasses back up onto the bridge of his nose, returning to typing long lines of green letters on his computer keyboard, never pausing to backspace once. Years and years of work at a computer can do that to a guy.
Amon looked over with a slightly amused, yet somewhat annoyed look on his face. "Oh, of course she was afraid that I was going to expend a few of my precious bullets on her.", he said, sighing. "Would have been quite a waste of resources..." he added after thinking for a moment. Robin looked as though she wanted to retort back, but Karasuma put a hand on her shoulder to restrain her. Instead she just resorted to putting on a slight pout and turning herself away from his eyes, currently filled with his usual dark sense of humor. A slight smile played on his lips, but then it vanished and he removed his gaze from her as well. He glanced out his window at the lawn below, now completely covered with snow.
After an awkward silence, Doujima proposed that they go outside for a little fresh air. "Come on, it will be fun. I'm sure that you can come too, Michael. It will still be at Headquarters, only outside."
Motioning them to follow her, she grabbed her coat and gloves, and then dashed towards the elevator. Following her lead, the others did the same. Hesitantly, Robin rose and left as well, taking a black velvet cloak with her along with some gloves. After watching her exit the room and waiting a few minutes, Amon sighed and slowly got up, making sure to grab his winter gear as well. "Exactly what do you guys think you are doing!" yelled a nearly bald, short tempered man from the balcony. "Combat Training, my good sir! Combat Training!" Doujima yelled back, giggling hysterically.
'Now what could she possibly mean by that?' the extremely confused Kosaka wondered, quizzically scratching his hairless head. He sighed, and supposed that he would find out soon enough.
After a few more minutes of running and hiding down alleyways, Amon abruptly stopped. Letting go of Robin's wrist, which by now was tingling and numb due to the loss of blood circulation, he motioned her to be silent for a few seconds, and then allowed her to talk. "What is going on, who is after me, and why has it taken such a skilled hunter as you so long to finally catch me?" Robin inquired, in a much calmer tone than she believed was necessary considering the unnerving circumstances.
"To tell you the truth, I have no idea...", was Amon's surprisingly calm response. "However, a month ago Michael caught a hacker attempting to sort through the STN-J's data on you.", he said hurriedly, while searching in his dark trench coat's pockets for something. "Not soon after, a poorly executed attempt to burglarize Headquarters occurred." Amon had found what he had been searching his pockets for. Dialing a number on the cell phone, he lifted it to his ear. "Yes. Michael? I've found her. It appears that she had absolutely no idea why I was following her." Pausing, apparently listening to Michael on the other end, he nodded his head once or twice and then hung up with a brisk "thank you".
As Robin's heart rate returned to normal, Amon slipped the small cell phone back into his right pocket. "Well, now they know that you're OK. I suppose the man who was chasing us has lost our trail.", he said, not facing her, almost as though he were speaking to himself. He then turned around to face her directly, and told her that they should get going.
The late November breeze was a bit chilly, but the day was as beautiful as it had been a few hours before. Pulling her maroon trench coat closer to her and giving a slight shiver, she followed him out of the grimy alleyway back into the previously sunlit streets of the city. The sky had clouded over, and before they knew it, snowflakes had begun to fall. Robin started to recognize the neighborhood once more, and before she knew it, they were standing in front of a tall, sandstone colored building. A silver plaque on the stone wall, located next to the iron gate, clearly labeled the place as "Raven's Flat". The wind had picked up, the snow had begun to fall heavily, and they had finally reached Headquarters.
During the brief ride from the ground floor to the fifth, Robin casually glanced over at her brooding partner every few seconds, silently wondering what was currently on his mind. Leaving the elevator, they went to the door across the hallway and opened it. As soon as they entered the room, all eyes were on Robin. A grin slowly stretched across the face of the young boy sitting in front of a computer with about a hundred wires connected to it. His desk was littered with food and candy wrappers, along with CD's and various other means of entertaining oneself when stuck at a computer terminal all day. A few chairs down from him sat a blonde young woman, dressed in tight fitting denim jeans and a creamy pink sweater. She appeared just as happy as the guy working at his computer, but she didn't seem to be doing as much work, what with her feet propped up on her desk and a giant wad of gum in her cheek. It was Michael and Doujima. Grinning, Doujima called across the room to a mature looking brunette who had not noticed Robin and Amon enter the room. "Hey, Miho!" she called playfully, tapping her high heels on her computer's keyboard as she spoke, Michael flinching with each tap. "Guess who just walked in, back from an 'oh so bothersome' witch hunt?" Blowing an impressively large pink bubble which immediately exploded with a loud 'pop', Yurika Doujima spun around in her chair and watched as Miho Karasuma whirled around with joyous surprise and stared at the two who had just arrived.
"Robin! Oh, I am so glad that you are safe!" she exclaimed, quickly striding towards her. Amon had already taken a seat at his desk, feigning indifference as the others greeted Robin warmly and thumped her on the back.
"So tell me, Robin-chan! Where have you been all this time?", playfully asked a young man wearing baggy khakis and an earth green pullover. Strands of messy brown hair fell into Haruto's face as he threw his head backwards, looking over at Robin from a comical upside-down position. "Yeah, you've like... been missing for weeks, no...months!" stated Michael, pushing his amber-tinted glasses back up onto the bridge of his nose, returning to typing long lines of green letters on his computer keyboard, never pausing to backspace once. Years and years of work at a computer can do that to a guy.
Amon looked over with a slightly amused, yet somewhat annoyed look on his face. "Oh, of course she was afraid that I was going to expend a few of my precious bullets on her.", he said, sighing. "Would have been quite a waste of resources..." he added after thinking for a moment. Robin looked as though she wanted to retort back, but Karasuma put a hand on her shoulder to restrain her. Instead she just resorted to putting on a slight pout and turning herself away from his eyes, currently filled with his usual dark sense of humor. A slight smile played on his lips, but then it vanished and he removed his gaze from her as well. He glanced out his window at the lawn below, now completely covered with snow.
After an awkward silence, Doujima proposed that they go outside for a little fresh air. "Come on, it will be fun. I'm sure that you can come too, Michael. It will still be at Headquarters, only outside."
Motioning them to follow her, she grabbed her coat and gloves, and then dashed towards the elevator. Following her lead, the others did the same. Hesitantly, Robin rose and left as well, taking a black velvet cloak with her along with some gloves. After watching her exit the room and waiting a few minutes, Amon sighed and slowly got up, making sure to grab his winter gear as well. "Exactly what do you guys think you are doing!" yelled a nearly bald, short tempered man from the balcony. "Combat Training, my good sir! Combat Training!" Doujima yelled back, giggling hysterically.
'Now what could she possibly mean by that?' the extremely confused Kosaka wondered, quizzically scratching his hairless head. He sighed, and supposed that he would find out soon enough.