Chapter 011 - Powers Awaken
Everything felt like a dream to Amon as he slowly plummeted downwards, wind ripping through his black trench coat. He allowed a melancholy smile to appear on his lips. His mind wasn't on his own safety, but the little bird's. It would all be over soon. Why was it taking so long? After what seemed like an eternity he hit the ground, bird cage clutched to his chest protectively.
Doujima stood gaping over the balcony ledge, with Karasuma and Haruto next to her. Regaining their realization of what just occurred, the three of them quickly dashed back into the attic room and down the long, rusted staircase. "Amon!", gasped Haruto, out of breath as the three of them ran towards the shadowed figures lying on the pavement. A few flecks of blood could clearly be seen scattered along the sidewalk, and they assumed the worst. "Oh my god...", Karasuma breathed as she checked Amon for a pulse, Robin distressfully twittering in her cage.
"He's alive.", Doujima breathed, unable to believe it. With a slight groan, Amon attempted to lift himself, a few sharp pebbles embedded into his hands. Speechlessly, Karasuma slowly backed away a few steps, Haruto following her lead. "But... how...", Doujima gasped out, stuttering with astonishment. After a few attempts, Amon had struggled to his feet, clearly only possessing minor injuries. Nothing fatal.
Everyone was too astonished to acknowledge that the bird keeper was still alive. Possibly wounded mortally, he rolled over and coughed, blood splattering the pavement. Watching the bird keeper writhe, Karasuma came to her senses. "That man needs medical attention immediately." Amon gave her a withering look, not in favor of the suggestion, but Doujima quickly took out her phone and dialed the number before he could comment. Reading Amon's mind, Haruto quickly spoke. "If he dies, we'll never be able to bring Robin back." Amon's anger gradually dissipated, concern replacing it. Looking down at the bird cage, expression softening, he sighed. The medics had arrived, and the bird keeper was lifted on to the ambulance. "Wait!", Doujima yelled with panic. "What about Robin, Mr. Creep!?"
Giving her a smirk, he strained a whisper in reply. "Can't do a thing about that, now, can we miss? You've sealed the little bird's fate by saving my life. I'll never turn her back." Instantly, Amon was by the man's side, and no one bothered to restrain him. "You'll turn her back, all right.", he threatened through clenched teeth. "The factory may be destroyed, but I'm sure we could find some other use for you."
"Amon!", Karasuma gasped. But Haruto was nodding, and Doujima looked stuck between the two. Sighing, Karasuma finally nodded. "Alright. You heard him. You had better turn Robin back immediately, or we'll let HIM take care of you.", she said, nodding towards Amon with grim determination. Giving Amon an angry glance, the bird keeper sighed. "Well, you couldn't possibly want her returning to her original state while she's in that cage, do you?"
"Michael? You there?", Haruto asked into his communicator, riding in the back-seat with Karasuma strategically placed between him and Doujima. Robin was sitting in front with Amon, because Karasuma had INSISTED that she needed to keep Doujima and Haruto separated. "Well, it sure took you long enough!", Michael complained angrily, clearly frustrated. "Here I am, back at headquarters, worried to DEATH about what might have happened to Robin, and none of you even THINK to inform me of what is happening!?"
"Hey, Robin. Sounds like SOMEBODY was worried about you.", Doujima smirked, throwing a glance at Haruto, who appeared to have developed an intense fascination with what was going on outside the car.
Robin sighed, as she stared out her window as intensely as Haruto. She hadn't spoken since she had been restored to her original form. Not only was she embarrassed about the whole incident, she felt responsible for it. If she had only accepted Karasuma's offer to drive her home, she wouldn't have been caught by the bird collector and imprisoned in a cage. What bothered her even more, was that Amon had nearly died because of her stubbornness. It was her fault. How he survived had not even been brought up yet, but she was sure it must have been due to the awakening of his power. No one had been sure whether he would ever develop any craft in the first place. He was half human, after all. The way he had regarded all craft users before the events of the past year, made many doubt that he had a speck of witches blood in him.
It was all her fault. Vision blurry, she quickly wiped away the droplets of water forming along the edge of her eyes. She didn't want anyone to notice how upset she was feeling inside, all of the guilt that she had hidden, but ready to reveal itself the second she allowed a single teardrop to fall. Fists tightening in her lap, she felt absolutely helpless. 'Why didn't my craft work while I was a bird? Why? I wish that I could have defended myself, at least. Then, perhaps I wouldn't be feeling so weak and vulnerable at the moment.'
Suddenly, she felt a hand on hers, trying to comfort her the best it possibly could. Looking up from the window, she turned to see Amon staring straight ahead at the road. If it weren't for his hand on hers, she could have believed that he had taken no notice. Wiping her tears away again with her free hand, she gripped his firmly, trying to steady her emotions and at the same time let him know how much she appreciated his kind gesture. Blushing, she tried to catch his eye, wondering if even he was aware of his hand resting on hers. A slight smile came to his lips, and he quickly glanced in her direction. Surprised at this, since it was rare for him to show even the slightest bit of compassion for her, she blushed even more. Quickly she turned her gaze back to the road, no longer afraid.
Everything felt like a dream to Amon as he slowly plummeted downwards, wind ripping through his black trench coat. He allowed a melancholy smile to appear on his lips. His mind wasn't on his own safety, but the little bird's. It would all be over soon. Why was it taking so long? After what seemed like an eternity he hit the ground, bird cage clutched to his chest protectively.
Doujima stood gaping over the balcony ledge, with Karasuma and Haruto next to her. Regaining their realization of what just occurred, the three of them quickly dashed back into the attic room and down the long, rusted staircase. "Amon!", gasped Haruto, out of breath as the three of them ran towards the shadowed figures lying on the pavement. A few flecks of blood could clearly be seen scattered along the sidewalk, and they assumed the worst. "Oh my god...", Karasuma breathed as she checked Amon for a pulse, Robin distressfully twittering in her cage.
"He's alive.", Doujima breathed, unable to believe it. With a slight groan, Amon attempted to lift himself, a few sharp pebbles embedded into his hands. Speechlessly, Karasuma slowly backed away a few steps, Haruto following her lead. "But... how...", Doujima gasped out, stuttering with astonishment. After a few attempts, Amon had struggled to his feet, clearly only possessing minor injuries. Nothing fatal.
Everyone was too astonished to acknowledge that the bird keeper was still alive. Possibly wounded mortally, he rolled over and coughed, blood splattering the pavement. Watching the bird keeper writhe, Karasuma came to her senses. "That man needs medical attention immediately." Amon gave her a withering look, not in favor of the suggestion, but Doujima quickly took out her phone and dialed the number before he could comment. Reading Amon's mind, Haruto quickly spoke. "If he dies, we'll never be able to bring Robin back." Amon's anger gradually dissipated, concern replacing it. Looking down at the bird cage, expression softening, he sighed. The medics had arrived, and the bird keeper was lifted on to the ambulance. "Wait!", Doujima yelled with panic. "What about Robin, Mr. Creep!?"
Giving her a smirk, he strained a whisper in reply. "Can't do a thing about that, now, can we miss? You've sealed the little bird's fate by saving my life. I'll never turn her back." Instantly, Amon was by the man's side, and no one bothered to restrain him. "You'll turn her back, all right.", he threatened through clenched teeth. "The factory may be destroyed, but I'm sure we could find some other use for you."
"Amon!", Karasuma gasped. But Haruto was nodding, and Doujima looked stuck between the two. Sighing, Karasuma finally nodded. "Alright. You heard him. You had better turn Robin back immediately, or we'll let HIM take care of you.", she said, nodding towards Amon with grim determination. Giving Amon an angry glance, the bird keeper sighed. "Well, you couldn't possibly want her returning to her original state while she's in that cage, do you?"
"Michael? You there?", Haruto asked into his communicator, riding in the back-seat with Karasuma strategically placed between him and Doujima. Robin was sitting in front with Amon, because Karasuma had INSISTED that she needed to keep Doujima and Haruto separated. "Well, it sure took you long enough!", Michael complained angrily, clearly frustrated. "Here I am, back at headquarters, worried to DEATH about what might have happened to Robin, and none of you even THINK to inform me of what is happening!?"
"Hey, Robin. Sounds like SOMEBODY was worried about you.", Doujima smirked, throwing a glance at Haruto, who appeared to have developed an intense fascination with what was going on outside the car.
Robin sighed, as she stared out her window as intensely as Haruto. She hadn't spoken since she had been restored to her original form. Not only was she embarrassed about the whole incident, she felt responsible for it. If she had only accepted Karasuma's offer to drive her home, she wouldn't have been caught by the bird collector and imprisoned in a cage. What bothered her even more, was that Amon had nearly died because of her stubbornness. It was her fault. How he survived had not even been brought up yet, but she was sure it must have been due to the awakening of his power. No one had been sure whether he would ever develop any craft in the first place. He was half human, after all. The way he had regarded all craft users before the events of the past year, made many doubt that he had a speck of witches blood in him.
It was all her fault. Vision blurry, she quickly wiped away the droplets of water forming along the edge of her eyes. She didn't want anyone to notice how upset she was feeling inside, all of the guilt that she had hidden, but ready to reveal itself the second she allowed a single teardrop to fall. Fists tightening in her lap, she felt absolutely helpless. 'Why didn't my craft work while I was a bird? Why? I wish that I could have defended myself, at least. Then, perhaps I wouldn't be feeling so weak and vulnerable at the moment.'
Suddenly, she felt a hand on hers, trying to comfort her the best it possibly could. Looking up from the window, she turned to see Amon staring straight ahead at the road. If it weren't for his hand on hers, she could have believed that he had taken no notice. Wiping her tears away again with her free hand, she gripped his firmly, trying to steady her emotions and at the same time let him know how much she appreciated his kind gesture. Blushing, she tried to catch his eye, wondering if even he was aware of his hand resting on hers. A slight smile came to his lips, and he quickly glanced in her direction. Surprised at this, since it was rare for him to show even the slightest bit of compassion for her, she blushed even more. Quickly she turned her gaze back to the road, no longer afraid.