Yes, I know it has been a very long time since I updated this fic. I'm so sorry for the delay everyone. After having writer's block for month's, I finally got my inspiration back (and perhaps my enthusiasm towards writing in general). This wasn't the only story that's been carelessly neglected during the past few months. Anyway, I hope you enjoy the new chapter.

Also, I wanted to add that chapter's 1-9 will have some editing done to them. Nothing that conflicts with the storyline though. Just a few changes here and there, grammatically speaking. I'll have them up as soon as possible.

Chapter 10: Missing

-Hospital-

The morning sun was just starting to rise as the workers in the hospital began to work feverishly. It had been quite a hectic night, especially for Dr. Maya Hirogawa. During the early hours of the morning, she'd received a call about an injured witch and seeing as she was the only witch healer in the city, the old doctor had to come in. She was glad to do it, considering she knew the injured witch. Or should she say both of them.

She was standing next to a sleeping figure, who had just been placed in the room. The pen she was writing with scratched across the medical charts as she marked down the results off of many machines that surrounded the bed. This patient had been quite a handful, but nothing compared to the other that had come in.

Her gray hair, cut just above her shoulders, seemed to be the only bright thing in the room. A set of brown eyes skimmed down the paper, pausing every few seconds. "What a night," she said tiredly, clicking the pen and sticking it back into her pocket. She sat the medical records down on the table just as the figure began to wake.

"Good to see you're finally waking up Amon," she said with a wrinkled smile.

Amon groggily turned his head towards her, squinting as the sunlight that was escaping through the window blinds, stung at his eyes. For a moment, he thought he was dreaming or that he was quite possibly dead. He didn't know where he was, but he thought he may have been in the hospital. A beeping sound, the kind that one would hear from an IV, could be heard next to him.

"What happened?" he asked, raising a hand to his face. His rough hand rubbed across cheek as he tried to clear the weariness away. He couldn't remember what had happened, why he was here of all places. Then an ill feeling set over him, a feeling he'd felt before, right when Robin had been shot.

"Robin!" he choked, shooting up in bed.

Maya threw a hand down, trying to settle the man. "You mustn't get up now! Your injuries are too serious young man!" Try as she did, it didn't stop him from climbing out of bed. "Why must you be so hardheaded? Your body hasn't healed properly."

"I'm a healer," he grunted, getting onto his feet. His left leg, wrapped in bandages, gave away as he tried to stand, Amon catching the side of the chair, leaning against it for support. He winced from the pain that was surging throughout his tendons.

"The Orbo weakened your powers, so you're not healing as fast as one would hope."

Amon stared up at her, wondering how she could have possibly known about the Orbo. Surely Haze nor Robin would have ever mentioned it to her. It didn't seem like something she ought to know. "And how would you know about the Orbo?" he asked curiously.

"Well," she shooed him back onto the bed, frowning as he ignored her. "There are a lot of things I know about that you'd be surprised of. Now get back into bed." He had attempted to stand up again, this time making it. She tried to push him back down, but he pushed her away.

"I need to see Robin," he hissed, inching his way towards the closet.

"You can not go in your condition," she hissed back, running over to stop him.

He paused when he reached the closet, his head slowly turning towards the old woman. There was one question he wanted to ask her, but he was afraid of what her answer would be. "Is Robin alright?" he asked painfully, feeling his heart tug as he thought about the bullet that had injured her, the bullet that had been meant for him.

She closed her eyes, biting her lip as the extent of Amon's question sunk into her mind. "The bullet was deep, but I was able to remove it without any damage done to her internal organs. Besides the gunshot, she received a lot of cuts and bruises, but that's the worst of her injuries. If Haze hadn't gotten her here when she did, she could have died," said the old woman sadly.

Amon almost dreaded asking his next question. Just from hearing the extent of Robin's injuries, he was sure that the answer he'd receive was painful. "And what about the baby?" he asked, his voice shaky. He couldn't live with himself if something had happened to it. The dread he was feeling seemed even more severe as the old woman waited to answer his question.

"She nearly lost it," she said with a bitter smile.

"So, she didn't?"

"It's truly a miracle that she didn't. Anyone else in her condition would have lost it, but considering who and what she is, I guess she's able to stand more. Just to be sure there would be no genetic problems, we ran a few tests. Since Robin tested negative before she was even born, we hoped the same for the child."

"Tested?" Amon didn't have the faintest idea as to what sort of test this woman was speaking of.

"It's a test that done to determine if a child will have any genetic deficiencies. Juliano sent me the records on Robin months ago and asked me to run the same test on the baby. Seeing as Robin's mother died of a genetic disorder, he wanted to make sure that the same didn't happen to his granddaughter. Luckily the test came out negative."

Though not apparent on the outside, Amon was relieved on the inside. They were both fine, he couldn't have asked for better news. Dread was still lingering within him, even knowing that Robin and the baby were fine. It was dawning on him though, what Maya had said. Robin and the baby had nearly died, because of the lie he had continued to tell. If he hadn't lied to her, she wouldn't have ran off and maybe Jaden would have never found her. For the first time in his life, he felt remorse for something he'd caused. Even when he'd killed his ex-hunting partner Kate, he'd never felt this way.

"Unfortunately because she nearly miscarried, Robin will have to take it easy. Someone will have to watch over her, which I guess you'll be doing, being her husband and all."

He slowly nodded, thinking about how this would cause him to postpone his work at the STN-J, though nothing was as important as taking care of Robin. Amon turned around, throwing the doors of the closet open. Sitting inside were a fresh pair of clothes, some Haze must have brought in from his apartment.

"You're wanting to see her?" asked Maya.

"I need to," he said, slipping a shirt off of the hanger.

Maya gave him a slight nod, smiling as she walked towards the door. "Well, I suppose you won't be coming back here, will you? I'll see if I can get you a pair of crutches to use. Just wait here until I get back." She closed the door behind her, walking off towards one of the nurse's stations.

Amon quickly slipped his clothes on, nearly landing in the floor when he tried to slip his pants on. The old woman had been right, his leg hadn't healed properly quite yet. It hadn't occurred to him until just then, but after Robin was shot he'd blacked out or so he had thought. He remembered looking at Jaden as he stood in front of him, giving him that insane, sickening smile he'd always had. Then everything went blank, nothing else had happened.

Haze and the others would surely know what had happened afterwards. It was like the first time he'd woken up in the hospital months ago. He had no recollection of the two weeks before and still he could only remember bits and pieces of it. Nothing was making sense to him, especially why Robin would so recklessly jump in front of him. Did she not realize what she was doing?

After retrieving Amon a pair of crutches, Maya and the dark-haired witch headed towards Robin's room. Inside of the waiting room, just outside of her room, sat the STN-J hunters, talking amongst themselves. It was Karasuma whom first noticed his arrival.

"Amon!" she gasped, jumping to her feet. Sakaki soon followed, nudging Doujima whom had managed to fall asleep as they waited in the sitting area.

"What on earth are you doing up! You should be resting," Haze scolded, throwing a hand on her hip.

Maya, whom had just been coming out of the elevator, squeezed past Amon and settled herself in the middle of the group. She gave Haze a soft smile, one that assured her that everything was fine. "I didn't want him out of bed, but he just protested against staying there. So I let in and decided to bring him down here."

"Are you sure that it's safe for him to see her?" asked Doujima, grimacing as she received cold stares from the others.

"Safe? What are you talking about?" Amon didn't understand what they meant by 'safe', but surely he was no threat to Robin.

"You don't remember?" asked Haze quite perplexed. She frowned as he shook his head. "Honestly, you don't remember any of it? That seems unbelievable, I mean you—" she looked around at the others. Haze was at a complete loss for words.

"What happened?" Amon's voice was stern, almost deadly.

No one seemed to want to say anything. All of them just stood there, their heads lowered, their eyes averted from Amon's deadly stare. Knowing how ugly things would get if no one answered him, Karasuma finally gave in.

"You killed Jaden," said Karasuma sadly.

He almost didn't believe her, until he saw the looks on his comrades faces. "I killed him? How could I have killed him? Didn't I black out?" This couldn't be true, could it? Had he possibly killed Jaden while unconscious? Or was he ever unconscious at all?

"No, you never blacked out, but we could see that you weren't all there." Haze was trying to remember the scene to its entirety, a scene that had happened all too quickly. "You took him with one swoop."

"But how?"

"It had to be your powers," said Maya, turning around to face the raven-haired witch on crutches. "Haze has told me a little about your family history. I think Robin's injuries led your powers to reveal themselves, but somehow you weren't fully controlling them."

"There have been cases of witches that had used the craft, but were never fully aware of it. They'd believe that they'd blacked out for quite some time, only to find out they hadn't. It has something to do with the severity of your craft. One that is too hard to handle leads the user to blackout. Your subconscious is still functional, which is why you are still able to move and act out, but you're not fully aware of it," said Haze.

"That made a lot of sense," Sakaki scoffed in a sarcastic tone.

"It's like he as two personalities. The craft takes a mind of its own," lectured Doujima. "Was that so hard to understand?"

Amon felt his limbs begin to shake, a knot forming in his throat. It was as he feared all along, his powers, the ones he knew were most dangerous, had finally arisen. He was beginning to remember when his mother's craft had awaken, how those men had been lying in puddles of their own blood. Had Jaden ended up that way? His powers, as deadly as they were, became even more deadly in his mind. The Orbo bullet that had been lodged into his leg, didn't stop those powers. Those powers were what nearly caused him to kill Robin and the baby the night he'd found out about the pregnancy.

Everyone just stood there, looking at Amon pitifully. He wasn't looking at any of them, more like focusing on every crack and crease in the floor tiling. So many thoughts were going through his head, so many fears were resurfacing within his body. It was finally happening, the one thing he never wanted, the one thing he would never be able to control. Now he was his own worst fear. As much as he'd like to, Amon wanted to run, get as far away from everyone as possible. Yet in his condition, that just wasn't possible.

"If you'd like, you can go see Robin," said Maya, tilting her head towards a closed door, which lead to Robin's room. "Everyone else, why don't you all go down for a break. I'm sure there's fresh coffee in the cafeteria." Laying a hand on Haze's shoulder, she ushered her out of the hall, along with the other STN-J members.

Amon watched as the group exited through the doors, before slowly making his way into Robin's hospital room. He didn't know what to expect when he went inside, to see the condition she was in. It pained him to think that she had taken the bullet, that she had risked her own life and the child's, just for him.

Much to his surprise, she wasn't some bloody mess, nor did she look like someone on the verge of death. On the contrary, she looked quite peaceful lying there in the bed, her chestnut hair laying against her shoulders. Even with the cuts and bruises on her face, he thought she looked absolutely beautiful. In his mind, he kept seeing her pain filled face as she leapt in front of him, her words still haunting him. He'd begun to think that he'd imagined those words, but he knew she had very well spoken them. Robin, though knowing the risk she was taking, had tried to save him.

He sat down in a small chair next to the bed, sitting his crutches against the wall. His left leg still stung, but he could no longer feel any pain as he had earlier. The Orbo was starting to wear off, much to his surprise. All he could think about right now was the figure lying in that bed, unconscious and battered and his powers. It was all his fault, he'd caused this to happen, though he hadn't meant it to. Amon's stubbornness had finally gotten the best of him, causing the one person he cared so much for, to nearly get killed. It's my fault my powers were revealed.

For years, Amon tried desperately to conceal his powers, each day hoping that no sign of them would reveal themselves. When he'd first heard he was a healer, he thought his fears had been put to rest. Now those fears were back, more intense than ever. Though Amon was clear from any, he could still detect the scent of blood in the air, he'd smelled it since he was back in his hospital room. The blood, now knowing a little of what had occurred back in the alley, had to be Jaden's.

Amon could almost envision what had occurred that previous night in the alley, his heart racing as he imagined the blonde witch lying in a pool of his own blood, eyes staring blankly back at him. Knowing the destruction his own mother's powers caused, he knew very well that his were the same, just as destructive as hers. What was the point of modifying his powers? What in the hell did The Factory have to gain from this, besides a child to use for Orbo?

Another thought stuck in Amon's mind, a thought that had not once crossed him before. Of all people, why was Jaden carrying an Orbo gun? A witch, working for SOLOMON shouldn't have such a weapon, should he? Didn't Jaden know what Orbo was created from? Surely SOLOMON wasn't handing out Orbo guns to their agents, fully knowing what the Orbo derived from. Or maybe Jaden's working for two sides—SOLOMON and the Factory, Amon thought to himself.

It was quite possible that Jaden was working for both sides, neither fully knowing. Yet if he was, shouldn't Haze have known? He was beginning to believe his reasons for not trusting the woman were valid. Haze knew, but hadn't told him or Robin. Had she been playing them all along? Or was he thinking too much into this entire situation? She's helped us both immensely. Why must I always find fault in her actions?

His eyes lifted to look at Robin's sleeping form once again; a thought rushing over him as he watched her. He needed answers, answers to the plethora of questions that impregnated his mind. Now more than ever, he needed to know the truth and he wasn't going to wait any longer.

He didn't know if she could hear him, the words that he spoke with such a serene tone, that anyone that dared enter the room would not have believed had escaped from his own lips. The events of the previous day, had done something to him, made him someone he never imagined he could be. Someone that felt strong emotions, emotions that were starting to eat him up inside.

"I—I must," the words he wanted to speak, didn't want to come. He clinched his eyes closed, his teeth baring into his tongue as he fought to piece together his words. "I must go and I don't know what will happen. There is a chance I may not return, but if that happens," he paused once again, his eyes slowly opening, raising to glance over her pale face. "Do not come looking for me.

"Something terrible is happening and I must find a way to stop it, by myself. You can not get involved any longer and I say this to you now, knowing that if you were fully awake, you'd be negating my decision. It's something I've come to expect from you, you never take anything sitting down." Amon was inwardly smiling as he thought about the previous little bouts they'd had, more recently the one at the clothing store.

"Haze and the others will keep you safe, I am sure of that, as will Jonathan and his men. It is my job to protect you, to watch over you. I suppose it's about time that I start doing so." He stood up from the seat, grabbing the crutches from against the wall. Amon stood there for a few moments, just staring at her face, at how serene she looked. Taking his hand, he gently brushed away a stray strand of hair from her face, sighing as he realized this could be the last time he saw her.

"Starting now," he breathed, starting to step away from the bed.

Amon, whom hadn't taken two steps from the bed, felt his leg give out. His right hands slipped from his crutches, causing him to fall, his left hand slamming against the wall as he struggled to catch himself. A hot burning sensation was coursing through his leg, the pain beginning to sear up through his hip. Both eyes clinched shut, Amon felt around for his crutches.

Even with the pain that seared through his injured limb, Amon raised himself far enough to see Robin. To his relief, the chestnut-haired witch was still fast asleep. He had hoped not to awaken her, for he knew she needed to rest. After the ordeal she went through the previous day, she needed as much rest as possible.

This is just great, he thought as he began to pull himself up. His hands were gripping the wall and bed, shaking as he struggled to get up. Amon, finally on his feet, positioned the crutches under his arms. As much as he wished he could, Amon decided not to take the initiative to leave.

If I can't manag to take two steps without falling, how am I going to make it out of this hospital?

Hesitantly, Amon inched his way back to the chair. A great sense of relief swept over him as he sat down. The pain, which had been unlike anything Amon had ever felt, had finally dispersed. Thought the pain gone, there was still a nagging aching in his knees from where he'd fallen onto the floor. It was a pain Amon could surely deal with. Well, now what do I do? he thought drearily.

As Amon sat there, the night settled upon the hospital and its inhabitants, a somber mood filling the cloudy air. Rain continued to beat against the city, flooding alleyways and the like. Inside the hospital, nurses scrambled to fetch buckets, trying to catch the rain that managed to leak through the ceiling.

Watching from outside Robin's door was Haze, Jonathan, and Mariella, all of whom wore dreary expressions on their faces. They'd been standing guard for hours, watching restlessly for anyone that looked remotely suspicious. Haze hadn't stayed long in the cafeteria, not wanting to leave the two witches in the room alone for too long.

Amon had kept a careful eye on all of them as well.He couldn't help but feel slightly cautious of Jonathan; he was Jaden's twin after all. There was something about Jaden, something Amon couldn't quite put his finger on. Though one thing stuck out in his mind: Why hadn't he and the others come to Robin's aid the previous day? Hadn't Haze contacted them about Robin's disappearance?

Perhaps they don't care as much as they claim to. Amon, at least in his mind, felt he had a reason in believing so. After all the times they'd promised to help them, why wait until Robin was nearly killed?

Perhaps you're looking too far into this again. You do this quite often, his mind reasoned. He seemed to think like this a lot lately. Always suspecting there was more to the people than what meets the eye, especially about those that were helping them. It was just his nature, just the way he was raised since his mother's hunting.

Every few minutes he could hear whispers from outside the door, though at times the whispers turned into hisses as the three began to fight over miscellaneous things. Unfortunately with the door shut, Amon couldn't hear those things, but at one point Mariella's voice raised higher than the others. He distinctly remembered hearing her say something about "Haze's mother," which Amon thought was quite odd. Why were they talking about a dead woman?

Amon's eyes traveled over to Robin's sleeping form every few minutes, checking to see if she was still asleep. She hadn't woken even once during the course of the day. Maya had told him that it may take Robin a while to wake back up. Though she was quite a strong witch, the pregnancy had seemed to take a lot out of her.

It seemed he wouldn't have to worry about Robin becoming unbearably powerful for now, knowing that the pregnancy, though he wasn't sure exactly how, had weakened her powers. As Maya had told him earlier in the day, her powers should be back to normal after she delivered. He was to make sure that Robin didn't try to use her powers to their full extent. Maya, whom had much experience with witch pregnancies, knew that using her powers could possibly harm the child.

"Though it's not apparent on the outside, it takes much of the energy of a witch to use their craft. The energy or essence used, is what makes up the Orbo," he remembered her saying matter-of-factly as she stood at the end of the bed, holding Robin's medical chart. He had many questions racing through his mind, one in particular standing out above the rest. Why did the Orbo seemingly paralyze witches?

After a long, thorough explanation of the markups that made up the Orbo, Amon easily could sum up Maya's story into one sentence. "The essence of one witch does harm to another." It made perfectly good sense to him, whom had seen firsthand what the Orbo was capable of. When two witch's fight, eventually one's powers will cancel out the other. Thus why the Orbo would weaken a witch. Using the essence of one's craft would cancel out the other witch's, though in a more powerful dosage. After all, pure Orbo was being embedded into their body, not just the results of one's craft.

Michael, even as brilliant of a hacker that he was, needed Amon to explain the Orbo in laments terms. Amon still didn't understand how a seemingly harmless woman, though she dabbled in the affairs of other witches, seemed to know so much about the Orbo. Had she had previous connections with the Factory? Or had someone slipped the information to her from SOLOMON? Who else in SOLOMON would know about the Orbo?

After nearly five hours of quiet, Haze cracked the door open to Robin's room, popping her head in to speak to Amon. She seemed exhausted, more than she usually did. Her eyelids were drooping heavily; dark rings were forming under her eyes. The woman seemed to be struggling just to stay on her feet.

"We're going down for some coffee. Do you want any?" she asked Amon, the door shaking in her grip as she struggled to stand.

Amon shook his head wearily, struggling almost as much as Haze to stay awake. She gave him a nod and then proceeded out the door, slowly shutting it behind her. The others passed by the small window; Mariella's eyes settled on the floor as she followed Jonathan. Their was something about the expression on her face that told Amon she wasn't happy at all.

He leaned back against the chair, watching the shadows from the leaves outside the window, bounce across the chalky-white ceiling. Another shadow appeared within the leaves, one Amon distinctly recognized as an owl. It was quite strange to see an owl out and about in the middle of the city. They normally resided in the forest or on the outskirts of the city, where no humans could bother them and were free to roam.

Soon the shadow disappeared from the wall, the bouncing leaves remaining as the wind outside continued to lift them into the night air. The rain was beginning to fall harder than ever– the shadows of the raindrops appearing alongside the leaves. Amon was beginning to wonder if the weather was some kind of omen, warning of the things that were soon to come. It had been months since they'd seen a clear day. Normally the rainy clouds didn't last for this long in the year. Yet these had and no one, not even the meteorologists on the local news stations, could explain the awkward weather.

Normally one would find Amon's attention towards the shadows quite odd. Though he wasn't just watching the leaves and the rain that stretched across the walls and ceiling. He was watching for someone, anyone that might dare try to enter the room from the outside. It wouldn't be unusual for someone to come in that way. They would cause less commotion coming through the window, than barging through a door that was heavily watched by hospital staff.

The shadows were beginning to blur from Amon's sight as he felt his eyelids slowly falling. He tried four times to keep his eyes open, but on the fourth try he finally gave into the weariness that had been threatening to take over him all day. His eyes slowly turned towards Robin's bed, Amon wanting to take one last glance at her before he fell asleep.

-Cafeteria-

"No, I say there's two," scoffed Doujima, emptying a sugar packet into her steaming cup of coffee. She was sitting at a round white table, next to Sakaki and Haze down in the little section of the cafeteria that remained open after hours. At the end of the room, staring at them, was Karasuma alongside Michael. Jonathan and Mariella were sitting at a table near the two, staring out the window as the rain continued to fall. Everyone was in a solemn mood, except for Doujima and Sakaki. They were busy fighting as usual.

"What do you mean two? She can't be carrying twins, can she?" asked Sakaki dumbfounded.

"She is showing early," sighed Haze, her eyes rolling over to glance at the two quarreling hunters. "It's quite possible."

"Can you just imagine Amon being the father of twins?" said the blonde-haired hunter with a mischievous smile.

"It's hard enough imagining him as the father of one kid." Haze sighed, taking the red stirrer in her coffee cup and circling the inside; watching the foam that had formed at the top, quickly disappear. "I don't know how he can handle all of this."

"Shouldn't we be up there?" asked Sakaki.

"No, I think he needed some privacy. Hopefully he's fallen asleep. I don't know how he can stay awake so long after everything that has happened," Haze said, letting go of the stirrer and laying her chin down in her hands, her elbows rubbing against the cold table. Her eyes wandered over to where Karasuma and Michael stood, both starting to talk to one another. They'd been over there for quite some time, just watching the three of them at the table. She was starting to wonder if something was wrong with the both of them.

"So, how long have you known Robin?" asked Doujima, taking a small sip of her coffee.

"Since we were little," she answered, not bothering to lift her gaze from the other side of the room.

"Are you related?"

"Maybe," she smirked.

Both Sakaki and Doujima were now sitting on the edge of the seats, their attention on the raven-haired girl. She could see they really wanted a true answer to their question. It was too much fun watching them. When she didn't say anything else, Doujima frowned, sitting back in her chair. Sakaki followed suit, snatching his coffee cup off of the table, nearly splashing it onto his blue shirt.

"You never talk," he huffed.

"Fine, we're not related. Happy now?"

Just as the two were about to chew her out, Maya walked into the cafeteria, quite stressed from the looks of it. She was carrying a pile of folders in her arms, her small-framed glasses slowly slipping from the tip of her nose. When she got to the table, she pushed them back with her index finger, her eyes fluttering when the lenses brushed against her eyelashes.

"Something the matter?" asked Haze, her eyes scanning over the folders.

"I need to talk to you," she said, motioning for Haze to follow her.

The girl sighed, sitting her foam cup in front of her as she stood from her seat. Doujima and Sakaki waved to her as she walked off with Maya, Haze neglecting to notice them. Instead, her attention was on Michael, whom was giving her the most peculiar look. He seemed befuddled by her sudden friendliness with Maya.

Michael watched as Haze and the old woman exited through the cafeteria doors, his mind filled with questions. He knew that Maya was just a contact of hers, but she seemed much closer to the woman than he previously thought. This wasn't the first time that he'd noticed this. When Amon and Robin were brought back to STN-J headquarters after the raid on their home, he noticed then that Maya and Haze seemed to talk a lot, almost like good friends.

Once he tried to get Haze to elaborate on the subject, but she didn't seem keen on discussing the issue any further. There was something going on between those two, that he was sure of. Had Maya been a family friend of hers? Or did the woman take some part in raising her? The latter had to be untrue, for Haze had grown up in Europe whilst the old woman lived in Japan. Or did she?

Even though Michael liked Haze, there was something about her, something he just couldn't place his finger on. As horrible as he felt for thinking this, he thought it best to dig into her personal files a bit. Michael was glad he wasn't a cat, for surely curiosity would have killed him.

Haze and the old doctor walked out into the little walk area outside the hospital, both seemingly quiet. Maya still had the pile of folders in her arms, the young hunter eyeing them curiously. She hadn't bothered to ask why Maya wished to see her nor why she carried all those folders. Somehow she felt that whatever the old woman wished to discuss, it wasn't something that Haze would like. Each time Maya wanted to speak in private, she got that feeling.

They walked down to a cement bench, surrounded by blooming flowers, wet by the fallen rain that had luckily just stopped. A tree stood nearby, surrounded by a circle of small pebbles, a few stray leaves laying outside of it. Birds were chirping up in the branches, teasing the cats that eyed them from under one of the benches. Just as Maya and Haze approached the bench, the birds flew off into the sky, the cats quickly chasing behind them. The morning was quickly sneaking upon them.

"Silly creatures," chuckled the old woman, sitting the pile of folders down as she sat herself on the bench.

"I use to own a cat," smiled Haze as she watched the cats disappear down the sidewalk.

Maya smiled and nodded, her eyes settling down on the pavement in front of her. Her mood suddenly seemed to sink into one of sadness as she sat there. "Yes you did. What was his name again? Mamo? Mamoro?"

"Mamoru. He was a sweet little cat, the only pet I ever had." She chuckled as she began to think about the cat, the only friend she had up until she met Robin in Italy. "You gave him to me as a present for my fifth birthday, a very special gift. I remember how spoiled he was, getting presents from everyone."

"He was even more spoiled than you," sighed Maya softly.

"I was never spoiled, not really." Haze looked up at the woman, giving her a bitter smile. She was fighting to hold back the tears that were threatening to shed themselves. "It's nice to talk like this. We haven't done it in quite a long time. Wouldn't you agree?"

"Indeed, though I didn't bring you out here to talk about your old cat. It's about Zaizen."

"Does he know you tried to see him?" asked the girl worried.

"I believe he does," she said, slipping her hand into her front coat pocket. From within it, she pulled out a photograph. She handed it to Haze, her hands shaking. "This is a picture of what was left on my front door a few nights ago. At first I thought it could have been that Jaden fellow you told me about, pestering me into telling him where Robin and Amon were."

Haze's eyes swam over the picture, her heart beating rapidly in her chest. It was a picture of Maya's front door, a most frightening picture. Written in what she believed to be blood, was the word "witch" with a small dagger thrust above it. She knew this sign very well, it was something she bared witness to many years ago, when she was only a child. This was a threat from someone—someone that hated witches.

"But I do not believe it is because I tried to see him."

"Then what is it?" asked the girl curiously.

"It is because I tried to see her."

Everything had become mysteriously dark, not a drop of light apparent throughout the entire room. The smell of gunpowder stung at her nose as she drifted through the darkness, her hands outstretched in front of her as she desperately tried to find her way around. Inside her chest, Robin's heart beat rapidly, fear consuming her. She didn't know where she was nor why she was here. Wasn't she just in the alleyway?

"Hello," called out a very frightened Robin, pacing around in the darkness. She rose her hands up to her face, her eyes unwilling to see them from the black mist around her. Near her, something kept beeping, Robin wondering if it was a cell phone. "Hello? Anyone there?" she called out again. Though she could not see in front of her, the girl continued through the darkness, her foot catching on some large object. Falling over, Robin landed on top of the object, her hands reaching to feel out what she'd fell on top of.

Her heart pumped vigorously as she felt a tuft of hair slide between her shaking fingers. "What?" she gasped, her hands clawing further down. Robin's hands stopped around a wide wrist–the skin icy cold. She gasped, her grip slipping as she dove back from the person. "Oh my god."

A—a body! She tried to swallow the knot that had formed in her throat, Robin slowly inching herself back towards the person. Slowly she ran her hands against the person's arm, leading towards their chest. A slick substance coated the girl's fingers, more of it slipping through her fingers as her hands landed over a large gaping whole that ran through the person's chest. Blood was pouring out of the wound, soaking their clothes.

"Hello?" she whispered, hoping that whomever was lying there would respond back.

A few seconds passed by, before the person lying in front of her made a sound. If they were speaking words, those words were unidentifiable to Robin. The person was gasping, their hand popping against the ground. Robin assumed they were reaching out for her, wanting her to help them.

"Oh my god," she breathed, her hands racing to the ground. Even though she had no light to show her the way, Robin tried her best at locating the end of her dress. She ripped at the cloth with her teeth, managing to pull off a piece that was big enough to place over the wound.

"Everything's alright." Robin was trying her best to stay calm, but it was becoming quite difficult. She felt a tear slip down her cheek as she sat there, holding the cloth against the person. She had a feeling as to whom was lying their, a bullet buried in their chest.

"Everything's alright Amon," she whispered sadly. Robin felt a hand around her neck. She knew, though she wasn't sure why it was happening, Amon was choking her.

She awoke with such a startle, that it nearly sent Amon flinging from his chair. His head whipped around to see her sitting upright in bed, clutching the bed sheet fiercely. The expression on her face was one of absolute terror, one Amon had never seen on her before. He almost swore that he had seen a tear escape from the corner of her eye.

"Robin?" he asked, leaning himself closer to the bed. His tone was soft, one that he didn't usually carry himself with.

"Amon?" she breathed, slightly turning her head to look at him. It was apparent that she hadn't expected to see him there. Her shoulders were slightly shaking as she fought to slow her breathing.

"Calm down, it was just a nightmare. You're safe here." Amon felt as if his own words were nothing, but hoped that they at least helped Robin. They weren't truly safe in a sense, where would they possibly be safe?

He noticed that Robin seemed hesitant to speak, her mind still racing with the visions that had swum around in her nightmare. Though he wanted to know what could have awoken her in such a fright, he didn't want to push it. She probably doesn't wanna talk about it yet. Just give her time, his mind reasoned.

"You were dead." Her voice was shaky, a low whisper that didn't seem to escape from her own lips. "Everything was dark and there was no one around that I could see. Then I tripped over something. There was the scent of gunpowder in the air—and there was a body on the ground."

"Well, I'm still here, which proves it was just a nightmare."

"I know, but it just felt so real. Just like those others." Robin's voice trailed off at the last sentence, unaware that she'd spoken loud enough for Amon to hear. She was speaking of the nightmares she'd never bothered to tell him about, the ones she had had for many months.

"What others?" Amon asked curiously. He'd never heard her speaking of other nightmares, but he figured that she didn't feel inclined in telling him about them. When have you ever made her feel inclined in telling you anything?

"Nothing," she lied. Robin turned her head away from Amon, her eyes suddenly drawn to the tiles on the floor.

"Fine, if you don't want to tell me about the nightmares, then tell me this. Why did you jump in front of me?" Amon realized his tone had become almost harsh, speaking louder than he had meant to.

"I don't know."

"You do know."

Robin's eyes glazed over as she continued staring down at the tiled-floor. She seemed to be choosing her words carefully, hesitating to say them to him. Amon didn't know why she didn't want to tell him.

"Tell me," he said sternly.

"My heart," she began, her eyes moving over to stare at the folds in the bed sheet "seems to act of it's own accord." For the first time in what seemed like forever, the corners of her mouth lifted, showing a small yet sad smile. "I knew what I was doing, but did it anyway, even at the risk of losing the baby. It was a reckless act."

"Yes it was reckless! You could have both died!"

"But I didn't—I couldn't let you die Amon. Perhaps I became selfish, wanting the one thing that was always there, to not go away. Even at the cost of everything we've been working for. My selfishness nearly cost us everything."

Amon was at a loss for words. She was afraid of losing him? So she did feel the same as him? "You're not selfish Robin." For so long he'd found himself hesitant on saying anything that meant he cared about or even loved her, but now, after all they'd been through, those words seem to just slip out of him. "You did what I would have done for you."

Her eyes were suddenly settled upon him, Amon now sure that he'd seen a tear run down her cheek. A few moments passed with them both sitting there staring at each other, silent. They both seemed to be contemplating what the other had said, struggling to find something to say next. Neither had ever looked into the others eyes for that long before.

"I'm sorry," Amon said, breaking the silence. It seemed to be much easier to say those words now than before.September 10, 2005

"I'm sorry too," said Robin with a relieved smile.

The mood in the room seemed lighter than before, happy for once. Yet something was still lingering in Amon's chest, something he hadn't bothered to tell Robin. He hadn't bothered to say anything about his powers awakening, about killing Jaden. Suddenly he felt nauseous, the thoughts of his powers making his body feel weak.

"Just because they awoke, doesn't mean you should run off." Amon didn't realize that Robin was still looking at him, her stare piercing through him. How was it that she knew what he'd been thinking about? More importantly, how did she know that his powers awoke?

"But how—?"

"I caught a glimpse of it—and I felt it. There was this great force in the air, it was staggering. Even though I was nearly unconscious, I could still tell the powers had come from you."

"How?" asked Amon curiously.

"There was a protective quality about them. The power was strong, but didn't seem threatening to me, though I'm sure it was to Jaden."

"I don't remember what happened." Amon felt that maybe he didn't want to know what had happened. He was sure that it would turn out like the day his mother's powers revealed themselves. There would be a body on the ground, a look of complete horror slapped across his face, Jaden laying in a pool of his own blood.

"You—you weren't yourself, were you?" Robin asked curiously.

"But how—?" Amon was beginning to wonder if Robin was a mind reader. She seemed to know a lot about what was going on, even when Amon had no clue.

"Well, Haze warned me that this might happen. She said that SOLOMON's been making her watch you closely, concerning your powers. If they did show, there was a chance that you'd have no control over them. From what Haze told me, this isn't that rare of a condition."

"Condition?" Amon asked questioningly. He didn't see how his powers becoming uncontrollable could be considered a 'condition.' "How can anyone call this a 'condition?'"

"You can get over it supposedly. Obviously I've never lost complete control of my powers, so I can't say for sure if that's true. Haze though—," Robin paused, her eyes narrowing. "She knows firsthand."

Was she saying that Haze had lost control of her powers before? What craft did the woman carry anyway? Amon had never seen a single sign of the craft come from her, assuming that none of the other STN-J members had either. Did Robin know of Haze's powers all along?

"She lost control of her own powers?"

"No, it was her mother." Robin didn't seem to want to continue.

"Her mother? What about her mother?"

"Haze told me that her mother lost control of her powers when she was younger. She'd only heard about it, not actually seen it. Her father was the one that told her about it." Robin never pressed Haze about the matter, not wanting to be insensitive to her friend's feelings.

Amon leaned back in his chair, turning his head away from Robin. He didn't want her to see the look of worry on his face, the look of shame that could be hinted in his eyes. Others had lost control of the powers, only to be killed in the end. Would he end up like the rest of them? Was he fated to end up like his mother. You're stronger than that, his mind reasoned.

There was something he needed to do, but would have to wait until tomorrow. He had to go back to the scene, in the alley where he lost control. Amon had to see with his own eyes, where Jaden's body once lay, the place that his worst fear surfaced for all to see. Knowing that Robin would probably try to persuade him in not doing so, Amon decided to not breathe a word of it to her. She wouldn't understand why he had to go back.

Amon had waited a long while after Robin had fallen asleep (and left a note incase he didn't return), to sneak out and head towards the alley. He was heading down the sidewalk, looking around for anyone that might be following him. There was no one near him as far as he could see, though he had the feeling that someone was watching him. Fortunately if anyone tried to ambush him, he had his gun ready. It didn't matter who this person was, he wouldn't think twice about shooting them.

He rounded the corner that led into the alleyway and walked down a ways until he was at the spot—the spot where it had all happened. There were bloody footprints leading to the wall where Jaden had first fallen and where he had fired his gun towards the dark hunter. Amon could see it all playing in front of him once again. After that horrific moment, where he thought he lost everything, it happened. So what happened at that moment?

The man stood there and scrutinized the area where Jaden had died, trying to remember what could have happened. Amon saw Jaden's furious eyes staring back at him, his gun raised and the sound of his cursing reaching the cold hunter's ears. Jaden's gun was out of bullets. Then an image, which Amon thought he'd never forget, filled his mind. It looked as if Jaden had seen the most horrendous scene in history, his face was filled with terror and his eyes looked as if they were going to pop out of their sockets.

Just as soon as that image had disappeared, another appeared. This time it was the same look of horror, only it wasn't coming from Jaden. It was of someone else, a man dressed in white. Amon was in some kind of tank and the man stood outside the tank, shaking violently. Another man came running into the room and from what Amon could see, had hit some buttons on a control panel. Then the image left him and he found himself staring at the empty alleyway once again.

Was that from the warehouse? He wondered to himself. So, it wasn't the first person that had died because of his powers. This is why SOLOMON had been determined to find him. They knew what a danger he proved to be. Jaden had been the one to tell them, his contact had surely told him what had occurred. Still, he did not understand what Jaden's personal vendetta against him could be.

Amon turned to head out of the alley, when he heard faint footsteps from behind him. He turned around to see no one there, but the fog that still drifted through the air. The footsteps came closer, but still he saw no one. Whomever it was, was either gifted at not being sighted or he was going completely insane. As he went to grab his gun, cold metal tapped him on the back.

"I don't think so," said a cold voice.

Haze and Maya had spent the morning speaking outside, talking about different things that had been on their minds. They hadn't the faintest idea that Amon had been gone, nor that Robin was awake and by herself upstairs. The others had spent most of the night drinking coffee in the cafeteria.

Neither woman expected that morning, to see a panicked Michael racing out of the hospital.

"Haze!" called Michael from behind the two women.

Both of them turned around to see the panicked man, running out to meet them. He was carrying a slip of paper with him. When he stopped right behind both of them, he tried to catch his breath. Michael nearly started choking when the last breath of air he took, tickled at his throat.

"Is something wrong?" asked Maya, standing up from the bench.

Michael threw out his hand, showing both of them the note. "It's from Amon, we just found it in Robin's hospital room." He watched the women's faces as they read through the note. "He's gone off and none of us know where he could have possibly gone."

Haze's nose scrunched up in anger as she read through the last line. It was orders for all of them to watch over Robin, while he went off on some wild goose chase. "Idiot!" she spat, throwing her foot down on the ground. "What in the hell does he think he's doing? Doesn't he realize he could be killed?"

"That's not what I'm worried about," said Maya, taking the note from Michael. "I'm more worried about Robin when she wakes up. When she sees he's gone, well," she paused as she looked at both of the youth. "It won't be a pretty sight. Amon wants you to take care of her, to make sure nothing happens. By leaving her like this, does he not realize what this will do to her?"

"Go gather the others. We need to go look for him. He's probably at the alleyway from last night," Haze said, keeping herself from yelling.

The young hacker nodded, running back towards the hospital entrance. Haze sighed, apologizing to Maya for having to leave so suddenly. She hated the fact that Amon would just run off like this, but what made all of this even worse was that he had left Robin.

The others hadn't said much before they departed. Robin was sitting up in her hospital bed, staring down at her pale hands. When she had awakened earlier that morning, she had read over Amon's note over and over. She knew where he had gone and why he had left her. It didn't bother her, she knew he needed answers and this was the only was he would get them. Along with the note, much to her surprise, was her mother's pendant. In the note, Amon had explained that he had had it all along, but hadn't thought to give it to her. If something were to happen to him, he didn't want her to be without her mother's pendant any longer.

Tears began to sting at her eyes as she held the pendant against her chest, her eyes clinched closed as she tried to keep the tears back. She was having a hard time making sense of all this. Somehow she knew that something was wrong, but no one was around for her to talk to. Everyone was already off, looking for Amon. Haze had called from the alley, telling Robin that Amon had been nowhere in sight.

She found herself crying often (which Robin rarely did) and it continued until she found herself back at Amon's apartment. A few days had passed and still no word from him, much to Robin's distress. The others had tried their best to cheer her up, but nothing seemed to help. Not that she was in that down of a mood anyway. She supposed that she was use to being by herself by now and Amon being gone was just like a normal day, except that he wasn't coming back. It almost felt as if he were dead, gone from the world. Robin hoped that wasn't true, for if he was, that meant he'd never see his child. Nor will I see him again, she thought sadly.

After spending a good while in the hospital for observation, Maya finally permitted Robin to go home, on the condition of staying out of trouble. She agreed, but wasn't sure how to exactly keep that promise. How was she to keep out of trouble when trouble seemed always find her?

Haze had done her usual task of lecturing her for using her craft to its entirety, even though Robin explained that without using her craft, she and the baby would probably be dead. She hoped that her craft wouldn't have to be used for a long time, but somehow she knew that would not happen. Sooner or later she'd be attacked again. This time there's no Amon to help fight off your enemies.

Amon's apartment seemed even more melancholy than usual as Robin and Haze stepped into the livingroom that afternoon. Haze had setup a few lamps here and there, so that Robin wouldn't trip all over the house. The coffee table was cleared, except for 3 candles, 1 of which had melted entirely and whose wax laid spilled over the metal holder. Right before Haze had purchased the lamps, she had to use the candles to work around the house. With Amon gone and Robin being by herself, she felt it best to fix up a few things. Of course, Robin wouldn't be entirely alone. Whenever she had the time, Haze would come over and visit.

One major difference in the room was the addition of a small bookshelf, one that Robin thought was quite lovely. It was made of a glossed over reddish wood, which matched the room perfectly. Inside of the bookshelf was a multitude of books, many of them being on childbirth and care, as well as a few books Robin loved reading when she was back in Tuscany.

Robin decided to sit herself down on the couch as Haze went off to the kitchen to put up the groceries she'd managed to pickup on the way. Her eyes traveled to the curtained window, where the curtains were pulled open. The sun was covered up by the gray clouds in the sky, that threatened to soak the poor city. Even the disappearance of the sun made the apartment feel even lonelier.

Haze finally emerged from the kitchen, holding two saucers and teacups. She gave the chestnut-haired girl a small smile as she handed her one of them. Robin thanked her, taking her saucer and placing it on the coffee table. For a while she just sat there, staring at the steam rise from the teacup. After a few minutes, Haze noticed she hadn't touched her tea.

"Come on Robin, the tea is good for you," she said, placing her saucer down on the table.

"I'm sorry Haze. It's just that I'm not feeling very well." Robin wasn't lying, she felt horrible but not in a sick sort of way. She felt tired and drained, upset and ashamed. Nothing would seem to brighten her spirits, unless Amon came walking through the front door. Every few minutes, she began worrying about where he could be and if he was even alive.

"You're worried about him, aren't you?" asked Haze sadly. She had seen it ever since she entered Robin's hospital room, soon after Amon's departure. It was the same sadness and worry that had been in her eyes then. Amon was causing Robin to be worse off than she ever was before. How is this protecting her? she thought angrily.

"It's hard not to worry. If his powers awoken—well I just can't imagine what he's going through. He's always disliked the idea that within him were some unknown powers. Now that they've surfaced, he must feel overwhelmed and angry. I just wanna know if he's alright." Robin sighed, reaching down to grab her tea cup. She finally took a sip, bringing a smile to her friend's face.

"I know," she sighed. "Hopefully we'll hear from him again. It's not like him to totally cut off contact from us. He must be worried about you, seeing as he hasn't heard or seen you since he left the hospital. For all he knows, you could have taken a turn for the worse or something."

"Yes, I hope he calls." Not wanting to dwell on Amon (even though she really wanted to), Robin decided to move on to a different subject. "So, are you coming over tomorrow as well?" Robin asked curiously.

Haze grimaced as she turned her head to face Robin. She wanted to tell her yes so badly, but unfortunately she couldn't. "Well, I might can sneak by for a few minutes tomorrow. I have to fly off to SOLOMON headquarters for a followup on Zaizen tomorrow afternoon. Stretten seems very anxious over any news on the guy. Something seems quite odd about Stretten though."

"Like what?"

"Well—it's hard to explain." Haze's eyes rolled to the ceiling as she contemplated her answer. "Many times when I call to speak with him, he's never there and when he is there, he only wants to talk about Zaizen. He knew Zaizen pretty well, they both were partners years ago at SOLOMON. Anyway, he seems obsessed on finding him. Maybe Zaizen is more dangerous than I believe him to be."

"He is quite dangerous." Robin knew all too well about Zaizen and his power. She knew he had a personal vendetta against her now, which left a sickening feeling in the pit of her stomach. Somewhere out there, he was waiting for his chance to get revenge, that she knew for sure. After Touko's visit to the apartment, she felt even more worried. Touko could have possibly told her father that she and Amon had been staying there.

"There's something I've been meaning to tell you. It's about Jaden."

"Jaden?" asked Robin dumbfounded.

"Yes, it's about the night he attacked you. You said he kept talking about wanting to get revenge and how he wanted Amon, right? Well, I did some research and I think I understand what was going on." Haze pulled out her trusty cell phone, flipping it open to reveal the screen, a picture of a man and woman appearing thereafter.

"Who is that?" The man seemed familiar to her, but she wasn't sure why.

"This is John and Elsa Montgomery, two ex-hunters from SOLOMON. They use to work alongside Juliano and Zaizen back when both men were hunters. John was a big figure in the organization, being one of the top hunters, Juliano being the first. Elsa, his wife of twenty-five years, was a hunter up until SOLOMON discovered that the two had secretly wedded. Both were kicked out of the organization and in retaliation, John built a witch sanctuary. Not only was it to show up the bigwigs at SOLOMON, but to protect those he cared for. He soon found out after being fired, that Elsa was a witch."

"Jaden and Jonathan's parents?" asked Robin.

"Yes, it seems that years after the sanctuary was built, SOLOMON would try to show Montgomery that the organization is not to be messed with. Elsa and her daughter Catherine were going on holiday in England, Jonathan and Jaden were soon to follow with their father. Unfortunately they never made it there. Soon after Elsa's plane landed, she and Catherine were assassinated. It seems the assassin was sent by Stretten, whom was only a newbie to SOLOMON at the time. The assassin was recommended by Zaizen, the assassin themself being Amon."

"What! You mean Amon killed Jaden's mother and sister?" It all made perfect sense now, why Jaden suddenly wanted Amon's life. Amon had been one to take two precious things from his own life. Amon's past is slowly coming back to haunt him. Does he even remember killing them? she wondered to herself.

"I am sure Amon doesn't remember killing them. After all, he's done many hunts in his years of being a SOLOMON and STN-J agent." Flipping the phone shut, Haze stuck it back in her coat pocket, wondering what Robin thought of the news. She hadn't said much back to her, nor had she inquired any further. Was she really okay with this news?

"That explains plenty," Robin sighed. She wasn't sure whom to feel more pity towards. Both seemed to have endured great trials during their younger years. Jaden let his own revenge blind him. Unlike Amon, whom has let his hatred for witches ease away with time. After all, if he hadn't let go, wouldn't I be dead now?

Haze glanced over at the clock that hung from the wall. Unfortunately she should have been to work hours ago and was sure she'd pay for it once she arrived there. It wouldn't just be Kosaka that would verbally maul her for turning into another "Doujima", but the others too. She would cause them to delay their cases.

Sighing, Haze stood up from the couch, grabbing the two saucers off of the table. It wouldn't be proper to just leave them there for Robin to take care of. She carried them off to the kitchen, leaving Robin to sit by herself again.

Robin had this nagging feeling about today, or more presumably about Haze. Something didn't seem right. It was almost as if she felt Haze wouldn't be coming back here, but she knew that wasn't true. Haze had already promised to stop by when she could, though with the trip to SOLOMON headquarters, she wouldn't see her for quite a few days. Was that all she was worried about? Missing Haze for a few days?

The days seemed to grow longer as Robin sat in the house, doing the little things she'd been use to doing throughout the day. She no longer had to worry about washing clothes for Amon, nor did she have to worry about making big lunches for them both. Being that only she was living in the apartment, there wasn't much to do anymore. Instead she'd sit and read the books that Haze had gotten for her, learning more and more about what she would eventually be experiencing; motherhood. Having Amon around made everything seem so much easier, so much less complex. Was she going to raise the child by herself now? Wasn't that your plans when you ran off? her mind berated.

She hadn't heard from Haze in over one week, nor had she heard from any of the other STN-J members. It seemed like her feelings about Haze's departure proved true. Just before Haze had boarded her plan she'd called Robin, telling her that someone would come check up on her when they had the chance.

The thoughts of Amon being in danger soon sunk back into her mind; already pregnant with a vast array of thoughts. He'd been gone for so long, the longest they'd been apart since the day of the Factory incident. Some days she'd just pretend he was off in his room, working relentlessly, but soon reality would set in. There was only her in that apartment and no one else.

An unsettling feeling sat at the pit of her stomach, gnawing away at her as she watched the sunset come each day. How much longer would it be until she did hear from someone? Would bad news be awaiting her? Most of all, where was Zaizen and what was he planning?

Something else bothered her—something she'd been thinking about for quite some time. The hunt against her was called off and no one, not even Haze, knew why. Robin still believed it to be a trick by SOLOMON, hoping to lure her out, but if so, shouldn't they have snagged her long ago? She'd been out in public many times.

Yet one more thing seemed to irk the girl, Jaden and the Orbo gun. It seemed strange that someone working alongside SOLOMON would have an Orbo gun. She kept assuming he was just working two sides, but it just felt as if there was more to it.

Robin was folding up the remaining towels she'd managed to wash earlier that morning, carefully stacking them on the dryer. She was just lifting another towel from the jumbled stack, when the telephone rang. Normally Haze called around this time, checking up on her. Not that Robin thought she really needed to be checked up on. Everyone thought her to be weaker than she actually was. They tend to forget that I'm just pregnant.

Sitting on the coffee table was the telephone, the LCD screen blinking. Robin pressed the talk button just as she was raising it to her ear. To her surprise, the person on the other end wasn't Haze at all, but Michael. Telling by the sound of his voice, something was terribly wrong.

"Robin, have you heard from Haze?" he asked.

"No I haven't. Is something the matter?" she asked curiously.

Michael gave a frustrated sigh. "Great, she hasn't talked to you either. I've checked over the SOLOMON database, called every person I can think of that would have seen her, but still nothing. When is the last time you heard from her?"

"About one week ago. I just assumed she was backlogged with work. How long has it been since you've spoken to her?" Robin figured that the answer would be the same from him, that she hadn't been heard from in one week. She'd gone to SOLOMON headquarters and never came back. Did Stretten know she'd been lying to the organization all this time?

"Well, the last time I talked to her was right after she called you from the airport. She was fixing to board her plane when her phone cut off. There was a lot of wind interference that day, so I just assumed that was the phone problem. Now I'm starting to believe there's more to it."

"Do you think she's trying to trail Amon?"

"Nah, I don't I think so. She would have told somebody, wouldn't she? I mean, Amon's sly and Haze knows that. Maybe she's on another assignment, but wouldn't have SOLOMON sent us something about it?"

"Maybe someone should go to SOLOMON headquarters and find out? Maybe Doujima's met Stretten or at least knows someone at headquarters that does. What about the airport? Have you called there to see if she boarded the plane?" Robin was fairly sure he'd called the airport, but it never hurt to ask.

-STN-J Headquarters-

"Doujima's already on it. Surprising she'll actually get work done if it means a free trip out of Japan. I just have to tell her when to leave. Headquarters claims they haven't seen Haze the last few days. Supposedly she left for Tokyo days ago. Her trip was only suppose to last four days." Michael glanced over at the doorway to see Chief Kosaka entering with Hattori and another man, someone the younger hacker had seen once before. "Hey, I'll call you back," he said, clicking the phone off.

Michael started looking through a few more files as the three walked towards Zaizen's old office, now belonging to Kosaka. His eyes traveled towards the office, watching them as the stepped inside. He couldn't believe his eyes. Did he just imagine that?

"Stretten?" he said to himself, quite puzzled.

As the door slammed shut, Michael glanced around him. Seeing that no one else was around, he flipped on the security monitor in Zaizen's office. The two older men were sitting down, Hattori giving both men drinks as the two started chatting away; Stretten smoking a cigar. Stretten was talking about his ex-wife, whom Michael assumed Chief Kosaka knew. He kept making comments about how she'd always been that way (Michael couldn't follow what their conversation was about) .

Soon their conversation changed into one that Michael didn't expect. He almost didn't believe his ears. Turning up the volume on his headphones, the hacker listened closely, hoping that he'd misheard the men.

-Kosaka's Office-

"A new hunter?" asked Kosaka shocked. "But you just sent us Haze. What about her?" He didn't want to say it in front of his own boss, but he was starting to like Haze. She was the only new piece of eye candy around the office he had had in a while.

"Yes, we're sending a new hunter. Haze has been reassigned and will not continue her work here. The new hunter shall arrive here fairly soon. We are finalizing her paperwork back at headquarters. She's very good at what she does," he said with a smirk.

"So what is young Haze doing now, if you don't mind me asking?" asked Kosaka curiously.

A puff of smoke escaped from Stretten's lips, the puff popping against Kosaka's bristly moustache. The man grunted, smirking as he saw the balding man's reaction. "Do you really think I would tell you? She's no longer your concern."

"But she did work here."

"She doesn't any longer. Do not worry about little Haze." His eyes rose over to Hattori, whom was looking at the man quite perplexed. "What's the matter with you?" asked Stretten, blowing a puff of smoke in his direction.

"Nothing," said Hattori, snatching the two empty glasses off of Kosaka's desk. To Stretten and Kosaka's surprise, the man stepped out the door, slamming it behind him.

-Michael's Desk-

When Michael saw the man leaving, he quickly shut off the security camera, switching back to his case folders. Hattori was just entering the kitchen area as Michael stood up from his desk. It didn't seem that Hattori liked Stretten very much, nor did Stretten like him. Michael decided to ask Hattori about it.

The older man was just sitting the glasses in the sink when Michael approached him, Hattori obvious to the fact that the hacker was wanting to talk to him. It was quite odd that he'd want to talk with him, when Michael normally did no more than nod to him when he came in the mornings.

"Is there something wrong?" asked Hattori, flipping on the faucet.

Michael cleared his throat, trying to give himself another second to think. He wasn't exactly sure how to approach this, he had been spying on them after all. Before he could open his mouth to speak, Hattori gave a loud aggravated sigh. Apparently he'd figured out why Michael wished to speak with him.

"You must have overheard those two talking," he said, rinsing off one of the dirty glasses. "I know that Stretten guy, better than I'd really like to. He married my sister and talks harshly of her all the time. They got divorced two years ago, but he still goes on about how horrible of a wife she was," sighed the man.

"So, what's he here about?" asked Michael.

"About Haze, seems she got reassigned. We're getting some new hunter soon. I'm getting tired of new hunters. All the good ones keep leaving," said the man drearily.

"He's transferring her? Man, I can't believe this." Michael didn't know if his performance was believable or not to Hattori.

"Yeah, it's a shame. I use to like it when Robin was here. She talked to me some. Too bad neither her or Amon made it back, though Amon gave me the willies. Anyway, since neither are coming back, we'll be stuck with another new person. I wonder what they'll be like."

"Me too," said Michael, watching Hattori head back into Kosaka's office. Just as the man disappeared through the door, Michael reached for the telephone, dialing Robin back. There was so much he had to tell her, but just as Robin picked up, Kosaka's booming voice filled the office. Michael told Robin to hold on for a second.

"WHAT! What do you mean fired! You—you said that Haze was being replaced, NOT ME!" yelled Kosaka angrily.

"Yes, well SOLOMON is going through quite a few changes my old friend. And with those changes, comes the end of many long years of service, from people like you. So, I will expect you to be out of this office by tomorrow morning. Mr. Akoto and the replacement hunter will be here by then." Stretten put out his cigar and gave Kosaka a devious smile. "It was nice seeing you again old friend," he said, walking towards the elevator.

Kosaka just stared at Stretten, his jaw dropped and a vein appearing on his forehead. As Stretten went down the elevator, all the fury that had been collecting within Kosaka, came spilling out. Michael inched down under his desk, trying to drown out Kosaka's yells as he explained what had all happened to Robin. He could hear Hattori in the mean time, trying to tell Kosaka to calm down.

-Amon's Apartment-

"I have a bad feeling about all of this," said Robin worried. "First Amon disappears, then Haze, and now Chief Kosaka is being booted from the STN-J? Stretten's up to something Michael, you better keep an eye on him."

"Don't worry, I'll send Doujima to SOLOMON headquarters. She told me that she's willing to go and get information if need be. I think now is the time," said Michael. His voice was being drowned out by the yells from the background.

"Well, thank you for calling Michael. If anything else happens, let me know." Both said their goodbyes and hung up, Robin returning to folding clothes. Things were getting worse with each day as it would seem. She hoped that Doujima wouldn't disappear when she went back to headquarters, nor would any of the other hunters.

-Construction Site-

The night was setting once again, as dark and muggy as the one before it. Construction workers were putting the finishing touches to the new building, which now looked more like a business office than a skeleton of building. Tonight Zaizen, whom normally sat in his apartment across the street watching, was inside the top office, admiring his new headquarters. Touko wasn't with him that night, instead she had gone back to the United States, not wanting anything to do with her father at the moment.

Zaizen's new workers, all men and women that had previously worked for SOLOMON, stood near his office door, awaiting orders. He was sitting in his wheelchair, the bandages that once wrapped around his body were now gone. His charred skin sent chills down each of the individuals. One of them turned their face away from him, which seemed to anger the man.

"If you wish to have a job, you best start looking at your employer," said Zaizen.

"Sorry sir," said a woman, her voice soft and shaky. She looked to be no more than twenty, he dark blue eyes settled on Zaizen, but were hidden from him by her long brown bangs.

"You all know the purpose of why I brought you here. I trained all of you to become witch hunters. The five of you will be handed orders and will follow through on them. Unfortunately one of our group is not with us, so one of you will be doubling up assignment wise." He looked over the group, his eyes running over each of their faces. "All of you may go now, except for Terardi." As the group started to exit the room, Zaizen wound his wheelchair around his desk and settled behind it.

"Is there something wrong sir?" asked the young woman.

"Terardi, you will take the extra assignment. You have proved how much you are capable of doing." He pulled a manila folder from his desk and pushed it towards her.

The brunette woman nodded and stepped forward, picking the folder up from the table. She glanced around at the contents, her eyebrows furrowing as she flipped through the notes and photos presented to her. "Sir, what is this?" she asked curiously.

"A new case."

"But we're already planning the hunt for that Robin girl. What would we want with this g—?"

"Just do the case," said Zaizen, his eyes flaring with fury.

"Yes sir," pipped Terardi, turning away to exit the office.

Zaizen watched as she left, smiling triumphantly. His plans were starting to unfold, all these months of planning were finally paying off. Finally he would have what he wanted, what he had desired for so long. Soon there would be no witches and his biggest threats, would be erased from the world.

-Amon's Apartment-

Robin laid in her bed, staring up at the textured ceiling. She was resting, which she didn't seem to do a lot lately, though she had promised Maya that she would do so. Even though the woman promised to come and check on her, Robin hadn't seen high or low of her since the hospital. As a matter of fact, she hadn't seen anyone lately. Haze was the last person she'd seen, it seemed like months since she'd seen her friend.

Still no word from Amon, no hints as to what had happened to Nagira, where Haze had gone, and if she was still being hunted. All she had were questions and they seemed to be piling as high as the stack of Amon's unopened mail on the coffee table. Michael couldn't tell her much, with the new boss and all. He didn't seem to like Mr. Akoto much nor the new hunter. Haze had been on his mind a lot; he never had his date with her, which Robin could tell bothered him greatly. It was killing him that she didn't bother to call him, if she could at all. Somehow, Robin and Michael both believed that something had happened, that SOLOMON had figured out Haze's involvement with the two witches.

Sometimes Robin found herself in the empty room, staring at the walls and wondering if she could manage somehow, to make it a decent nursery. Unfortunately she had little money, only what Amon had left and seeing as only he had access to the bank account, she couldn't pull any money from there. Michael had offered to help her out if need be, but she seemed to be fairing well for the time being. For now, she couldn't do anything nursery wise, though she wished she could.

Other things seemed to plague her mind, things that didn't involve her friends. Lately the local news stations were filled with reports on missing or dead people, more than what normally occurred. Children—much to Robin's heartache—were disappearing right and left. No one knew whom was doing this, no one could figure out why this particular people were being kidnapped. Robin had a good idea of why, but the public couldn't find out. Chances were, those people were witches, including the children. One of the children had been the girl Robin had watched that one afternoon, when she was working for Nagira. They had found the small girl and taken her, just like the rest.

One man had been shot by the police; the man being the father of one missing girl. He had tried to attack a police officer, but no one seemed to know why at the time. The report was quite sketchy—Michael had taken a look at it. Even though the STN-J handled witches, the police weren't allowing them access like before. Instead, it seemed that the STN-J were starting to lose their part in witch-involved crimes. SOLOMON was making sure of it.

Robin turned onto her side; facing the door, she watched the LCD screen of her cell phone flash on and off. It was sitting on the dresser, next to the box she'd received in the mail just days earlier. Yet another mysterious box had come with no note unlike before and with no return address. This time it was stuffed animals and pacifiers, which Robin hadn't bothered to put up with the rest of the baby items in the other room.

Reaching over to grab her phone, Robin pulled it from off of the dresser and stared at the screen. There was a new call and whomever had called earlier that day, had tried to reach her multiple times.

I guess I better turn this back on, she thought to herself. Just as she cut it back on, the phone began to ring. Robin thought the timing was quite eerie. She looked at the screen again, yet again no number nor name appeared.

"Hello?" she said, answering the call.

There was nothing there but static. No one appeared to be on the other end. Was this some kind of prank call? She answered again, but still no reply. Then she heard a familiar voice in the background. Her heart felt as if it would leap out of her chest.

"Ro—Robin? Robin? Can you hear me? If you can hear me, I need you to go to Harry's right away. Jonathan is coming to escort you there." said the voice.

She stammered as she tried to find the words she wanted to say, but all she could manage to spit out, was the name of the voice's owner. It was like she was dreaming, it couldn't really be? Was she imagining this?

"Nagira?"

That's the End of Chapter 10. I'm sorry for the long wait everyone. So much has been going on and I haven't had much room to work on my fanfic, though I've been writing other things. Anyway, the main reason it has taken so long to post this, is because of the many rewrites I had to do on a particular scene. It never went the way I wished it to, and so I spent much time trying to fix that.

I tried to focus a little more on the other characters of this story, but Robin and Amon are the main focus of this fanfic. So, maybe I didn't focus on the others quite as much as some would like. Though the next chapter will focus on Maya a bit more. You'll learn quite a lot more about her and why everyone's disappearing. O-O

Preview of next chapter:

Reunions. . . . .True enemies. . . . . .Hidden Connections. . . .