IX

Amon

"Why are you staring at me?" Amon asked. Sakaki, Robin and Michael looked away. "What's going on?"

"Nothing," Sakaki said. "Just bored, that's all."

"I have something for you to do, if you're so bored that all you can think to do is annoy me." Sakaki made an innocent face and turned to his computer.

"I'm good," he said.

"Right," Amon said. He looked at Michael. Michael would tell him what was going on. "What is this about, Michael?" Michael made the same innocent face Sakaki made as he looked up.

"Nothing," he said. Amon stared at him. Michael tried to look away, but couldn't. Amon stepped up to his desk and stood directly in front of it, giving him his hardest stare. Michael broke under the pressure.

"Something fishy's going on," he said. "And we're trying to get to the bottom of it." Amon went around the computer and pulled a chair out to sit on. He sat to the left of Michael and waited.

"What is it?" he asked when no one spoke. Sakaki, who looked full of information, rolled his chair behind Michael.

"Show him, Michael," he said. Amon looked at Robin. She kept her eyes down. Michael began to type on his computer. He turned the monitor slightly towards Amon. Amon looked.

"What's this?" he asked.

"This," Michael said, "is a log of Zaizen's calls from the office." Amon looked at him.

"And why do you have this?"

"Zaizen and Touko are plotting against Robin," Sakaki said.

"Plotting against her how?"

"That's what we're trying to find out," Michael said. "Haruto overheard her talking to Zaizen on the phone. When's the last time you talked to Touko, Amon?" Amon thought back to when it was.

"Tuesday night," he said. Michael, Robin and Sakaki exchanged looks. Michael went back to typing on the computer.

"They're tricking her…" Sakaki said. "…into thinking they like her."

"That's not against any law," Amon said. "They can do what they want without you snooping into their business."

"Come on, Amon," Sakaki said. "This is Robin we're talking about here."

"I'm aware of that," Amon said. "Robin." Robin looked up at Amon, slightly startled. "The only friends worth having are the few that are true to you. You don't need them. Just remember that." Amon stood and sauntered away. His three group members stared after him.

Robin

Michael smiled at Amon as he left. It was undeniable that Michael had complete faith in him. She wished she felt the same way. Deep inside, she knew that what Amon said was true, but she couldn't help feeling used and empty. She believed Touko when Touko changed. She believed Amon when he apologized, and so who could say that Amon wasn't pretending as well?

Robin shook her head slightly, coming back from her daydream. She looked at Michael; he was watching her.

"What are you thinking about?" he asked.

"About what Amon said…"

"He meant it, you know?" Michael said. "Amon's different from Touko."

"He's not that different from her," Sakaki said.

"Yes, Haruto, he is," Michael said. Sakaki sighed.

"I guess so," he said. Michael worked on his computer.

"Anyway," he said. "I was thinking. If I keep an eye on the boss's calls, and Sakaki keeps an eye on the boss himself, we can probably figure out exactly what's going on."

"What if it's nothing?" Robin asked. "What if it's just that they don't like me, and they're trying to hide that?"

"But why take you out, Robin?" Sakaki asked. "Why having a female bonding session all of a sudden? Why the call, why the secrecy?"

"I don't know," Robin said. "I wish I knew."

"We'll help you, Robin," Michael said. "And all you have to do is what you normally do. Don't act different."

"That's…going to be hard. I don't even want to see her anymore." Sakaki nodded.

"Just imagine…that she's who she used to be, before you knew anything. You know…back when you still liked her."

"Yes…" Robin said. "I can do that."

"Great. We can probably get Amon to help us out," Michael said.

"That guy?" Sakaki asked. "I bet he won't. He wants us to mind our own business about it."

"Sakaki's right," Robin said. "It should just be between us."

"Okay," Michael said. "So…we shouldn't tell Amon anything else?"

"Well…I don't think he'd tell the boss," Sakaki said, but his expression was reluctant. "He's known about worse things that we've done, and he kept it a secret even before we can ask him to."

"So we should be safe," Michael said. "I delete my tracks, and Sakaki…you've got to try to be less conspicuous."

"Come again?"

"Less obvious."

"Oh. I can do that." Michael looked at him, then back at his computer. "This is kinda fun. We're like spies."

"Only you would consider something this serious fun," Michael said.

"Well…what's the harm in finding the fun in something that's hard on all of us?" Sakaki asked. "Otherwise we'd all sit around moping, you know? Depressed. I don't like to feel depressed."

"I'm sorry," Robin said. "It's my fault."

"Don't be ridiculous," Michael said. "You're 100 innocent."

"A hundred and ten percent," Sakaki said.

"Double that," Michael said. Robin smiled at the two.

"Thanks," she said.

Amon

He would help. What would it hurt? Listening to them made him curious and he needed to quell that curiosity. They didn't want to involve him, but that was understandable. They had to be careful. Even knowing that, Amon felt he should aide them somehow. He would help, most definitely.

……………

Sorry for the shortness of the chapters and the length between posts. Chapter ten is kinda short, too, and I'll probably post it with eleven, which is when things really start happening. Thanks for reading and please review!

kaj