Chapter Eight: Courage

I still don't own Witch Hunter Robin or the characters. Oh, how I wish.

Sirens could be heard in the cold, misty, night. Officers and EMT's could be seen. The church looked like a war had gone through it. In the distance of the church alter stood Amon, yelling at the paramedic to leave him and his wounds be. The only thought racing through his mind at the time was Robin. The look she had in her eyes right before the orbo had taken affect on her limp body was engraved in his mind. He had failed her in every way. He had failed to protect her, protect her from the evil witch she was; Maria. He would make her pay in every way he would see fit. The fight was not over. Not by a long shot.

"I am the pastor of this church! Let me through at once!" Father Barrow had returned from his so called 'duties' he had gone into town to do earlier.

'They were lies! All lies!' Amon thought fiercely as he watched as Fr. Barrow was finally allowed through by the Italian police.

He approached Amon. "My dearest son, are you okay?" Amon felt an undeniable urge to kill the man before him, to strangle him with his bare hands with the strength he might have left.

"Why? Why betray us like you did? Robin trusted you. I trusted you." Amon growled with anger.

A confused expression crossed the older priest face. "I do not know what you mean my son. I loved Robin. She was an angel sent by God. I would never bring harm to her. You have been through a great deal of emotions tonight. Maybe it is best if you retire to your room for the night. We should talk in the morning when you are better and able to make sense of what has happened."

Amon snarled, "Not without Robin! You had a part in this whole setup!" He grabbed Fr. Barrow by his shirt and pulled him closer, "We trusted you. I'm going to find Robin. I'll let you in on my little secret. When I find Robin, I'm going to kill your dearest Maria. I will show no mercy. No evil witch such as her should be allowed to live." At that said Amon threw the priest into the wall and walked toward the exit of the church.

Fr. Barrow slumped from the wall to the floor watching Amon disappear into the cold night. Breathing heavily Fr. Barrow reached and searched for the small pocket phone. After several moments he finally took out his cell and quickly dialed a familiar number.

"Damn it! Why didn't you stop him you old fool?" Maria declared angrily, she was pissed. After a few more moments Maria hung up the cell and slammed the fragile object into the table, breaking it. "Old fool! He can't ever do anything right. Why do I bother with him? I should have killed him back at the church. "Maria turned around to look at the blonde, slim fire witch. She smiled an evil smile. "Make sure you gave her enough of that drug so she won't be able to use her powers for a while. At least till SOLOMON arrives."

It was about four in the morning, six hours since the attack. Amon was tired and frustrated. He hadn't slept, eaten, or bathed since the incident. None of that was on his mind; finding Robin was his main concern.

He stood in a dark abounded alley. Moments later a ringing sound came from his left coat pocket. He answered it; "Have you found anything out?" was the simple question.

A familiar voice spoke in a sarcastic tone, "It's nice to hear from you too little brother." The dark haired ex-hunter didn't have time for this, but his older brother Nagira was being his usual annoying self.

She could hear voices. Her sight was dream-hazed and she could almost make out a few faces. After a few moments, a door could be heard shutting and locking behind. Her eyes were open, and this time, they were focused, cleared, and not dream-hazed.

She looked around the room. It was a nice room. A table, two chairs, an opened door revealing a bathroom, a bed, and two windows but to her it felt like prison. 'What about Amon? Where is he? Was he okay?' Those were the many thoughts running through her mind. She started to stand by grabbing the chair next to her for support. She was dizzy, somewhat sick. Her mind went back to the attack on her and Amon.

A yellow liquid shot her in the back of the neck, courtesy a sneaky troop who had evaded everyone's thoughts. As though falling through, Robin's eyes went wide, staring at Amon, before she dropped, falling, and falling further and further out of Amon's grasp. On her knees now, she clutched at her sides, arms wrapped around her midsection. Amon fell in front of her, grasping her forearms and holding her upright. "Robin!"

Her eyes went wide. She remembered. Orbo, Maria, SOLOMON, Amon, she remembered everything that had happened earlier. The only thing she didn't know was whether Amon was okay, hurt, or perhaps dead.

No. She wouldn't think that. She slumped back down the wall to the floor and closed her eyes and whispered, "Dearest Lord, please let Amon be okay. Let him find me but also protect him in the process." She crossed herself with the sign on the cross and laid her head against the wall. He would find her. She had faith in him.

Puffs of smoke had filled the whole hotel room. Amon ignored it and continued listening to what Nagira was saying.

"That's all I have for you Amon. Maria and Fr. Barrow were part of the setup. More or less SOLOMON won't give up until Robin is in their lab." Nagira let out the last cigarette puff and put it out. Amon thought about it. He looked at Nagira straight in the eyes. "I won't let that happened. I'll die before I let them have Robin as their experiment rat" He swore to him. Nagira smirked. He always had this feeling deep in his gut that Amon was somehow attached to the little angel, Robin.

"I'll help find her too" Nagira said. He still had that priceless smirk on. Amon looked at him and nodded. He would find Robin even if he had to give everything he had in life. "We should go back to the church and talk to the pastor. Maybe if we were to, say, threaten him, he'll talk about the whole SOLOMON plan." Nagira said while lighting another cigarette.

Amon nodded. "You may be right. He knows more than what he's saying." Cigarette smoke filled the room again.

Robin was looking out the window. This wasn't a room, it was a cell. The bars outside the two windows were proof of that. She hadn't eaten or bathed in about 36 hours. She focused her eyes on the bars outside the window. She hadn't used her craft since she had awakened. She focused and tried to use her craft. "

You can try all you want. You won't be able to use your power for some while. "Robin whirled around to see her, Maria, in the doorway.

Maria smiled and closed the door behind her. "SOLOMON will be here in a few hours. Then you'll be shipped to some lab. Oh, how I feel for you. Witches such as the Eve should not be allowed to roam freely."

Robin looked back to the window. "Your time is closer than you think. Amon will come and save me." She turned around to face the windows. "You may think you're safe with SOLOMON, but can't you see they are only using you?"

Maria let out a little giggle. She walked to the door and stopped before turning around. "Your time is running out. You should think about the time you have left." With that said she closed the door, locking it.

Robin continued to look out the windows. "I forgive you Maria for what you have done. I only hope God can." She walked to the bed and sat. The only thing she could do was pray and hope Amon would not be too late.

"I'm sorry but Father Barrow isn't here right now." Sister June said while redirecting Amon and Nagira to the church exit.

'This is bullshit!' Amon thought. He turned around and starting walking past the Sister.

"Excuse me. Where are you going? Stop! I said stop!" Amon continued to walk down the hallway to the elder pastor's office ignoring the Sister, with Nagira following his younger brother close behind.

Papers and books were everywhere. They had found nothing in the hour they had been there. "This was pointless. There's nothing here," Nagira said while looking through books.

"There has to be something, anything at all," Amon replied.

A door slammed shut. The two brothers looked to the door to see the Fr. Barrow standing there. "You shouldn't be snooping in other people's offices gentlemen."

Amon narrowed his eyes. "Tell me where Maria is."

Nagira smiled while lighting a cigarette. "You can't smoke in here." The Padre said. Nagira lit it anyways, dropping some of the ash on the priest's shoes.

"Well, now I can."

Fr. Barrow sighed. "I really don't know where Maria is." Amon grabbed the Father by the collar of his shirt. He growled with anger. Their eyes met, eyebrows raised, and the padre grinned slowly.

"Where is she!\" the dark ex-hunter yelled. Nagira looked on in amusement.

"I really don't know Amon. I swear after the attack and calling her earlier, I really don't know where she is. Wait! I do have a phone number." Fr. Barrow said while taking in a shuddering breath, then another, until his breathing was calmed.
"I'll get all the information you need on Maria and her past," a voice said through the speaker phone. Amon nodded, even though the other party couldn't see.

"Call me when you have it Michael." After they hung up, Amon walked to the chair that was in the corner next to the window and sat.

"Cigarette?" He looked up to see Nagira offering one.

"I'll pass," Amon replied. Nagira shrugged and continued his smoke.

Robin couldn't sleep. All was on her mind was Amon. 'Let him find me. Please.' After a few moments of silence there was a small noise. Robin turned to see a small child.

"I thought maybe you were a little hungry?" the child peeped.

She smiled at the child and nodded, "I am. Thank you. "Robin got up and walked to the table where the girl placed the food.

While she had eaten, the young girl and Robin had gotten to know each other a little. "So you're the one they call Eve? She peeped again. Robin nodded. "Mi chiama e Ana."

The fire witch smiled. "I'm Robin."

Ana got up from the chair and walked to the window. "Scusi for what my mother is doing to you." Robin looked at the back of the child standing there in confusion.

"Maria is your mother?" Ana nodded her answer.

"She was never really a part of SOLOMON." Ana turned around to look at Robin, "After the death of my father, things changed." Robin saw the sad look in the young child's eyes.

"Why is your mother part SOLOMON?" Robin inquired.

"She was forced too. My father was a hunter for HQ. About a year ago, he left, accusing SOLOMON that they were nothing but murders. Then he started taking witches under his care. SOLOMON found out and came looking for my dad. We ran for months. But then one night they found us in a hotel and they killed my father in front of me and my mother. They only killed him to stop him from caring for witches and to keep him quiet. They threaten my mom. They said if she wasn't going to join, they would kill me. She saw no choice and agreed."

"Amon, is it really that smart to get Karasuma involved?" Nagira asked somewhat annoyed.

"She has been nothing but help to Robin and I. She agreed to help and we need all that we can find." Amon said while looking at an e-mail Michael had sent. Nagira sighed. It had been about three days since Robin was kidnapped. Time was running out and Amon knew that. Any help he could get, he was willing to accept.

"Her husband worked for SOLOMON. He quit about a year ago and started taking in witches. About five months ago SOLOMON found out and killed him leaving behind his wife, Maria, and his eleven year old daughter, Ana. SOLOMON gave Maria an ultimatum; either she joins them and they would spare Ana or she could refuse and they would kill them both. Obviously Maria joined." Michael said while typing.

Amon thought for second, "If we could find out where she is or where she might be living, we might be able to find Robin."

"Michael, could you give a recent address of Maria's? He asked.

Amon got out the car to look up to see the building. Nagira also got out of the passenger side, "Woo wee nice place, wouldn't you say?" Amon looked at his annoying brother and looked back at the building.

"Michael said she was on the eighth floor, room 217." Amon and Nagira walked to the elevator and entered pressing the number eight on the pad.

Nagira looked over to Amon. 'Always has that serious face on, ha.'

The door to the elevator slid open to revile rooms on the floor. Amon stepped out and Nagira hot on his heels.

In Japan, Karasuma was preparing to leave for Italy to help Amon in the search for Robin. Michael watched as she rushed about with papers and files. After getting all her belongings together, she walked to the elevator. "Find her and bring her back safely." Michael said.

Karsuma faced him while waiting. "I will, don't worry too much." With that, the elevator doors opened and she stepped in, waving back to Michael. He started typing away.

Please let them find Robin. I have faith in them and hope for Robin.'

Nagira had broken into the apartment. When they entered it looked like no one had been there in months. There was dry blood on the wall and Amon had spotted it. It was all clear to him. "This was the place the family was staying the night Maria's husband was killed." He traced the dry blood from the middle of the wall to the bottom. "It seems that no one has been here in a while" Nagira said while moving some books from a chair to the couch and then sat in the chair. Amon looked at him. "They were living here when her husband was killed, see the dried blood?" He pointed to the wall. Nagira leaned over a slight bit and saw it.

His phone started ringing. Nagira answered it, "I see...no I understand...thank you." He hung up the phone placing it back in his coat. "It seems our friend, Padre Barrow has been terminated and you'll never guess by whom."

Amon thought for a second. "Maria."

Nagira nodded. "Yep and my acquaintance followed her. We have a lead little brother. We're to meet him at midnight at the bar on Twenty-First Street at the corner." Amon nodded and they both walked out of the room closing the door behind them.

Maria was on the phone while Ana was on the bed. Maria looked over to Ana and smiled. Ana smiled back. "I will. Alright then" She hung up the phone and walked to bed. She sat next to Ana. "How are you sweetie?" she asked while brushing her daughter's hair.

"I'm good mom. Who was that?" Maria continued to brush Ana's hair.

"It was them. There'll be here in about twenty-six hours for Robin."

Ana faced her mom. "Why? Why must we turn her over? She's really nice and sweet."

Maria looked at her with her eyebrows raised. "Ana, honey why were you up there? I told you not to."

"I'm sorry mom, but she hadn't eaten and I knew she'd be hungry." Ana said while looking out the window.

Maria smiled and hugged her, "You have a big heart, just like your dad. Don't ever lose your love for people. I know that you don't like what I'm doing but it's the only way in keeping you alive and you're all I have left." She kissed her daughter on the forehead. "To bed you go now." Auna hugged and kissed her mom goodnight and walked to her room closing her mother's door behind her.

Robin lay in bed praying for her place in Heaven.

Author's note: Okay, please forgive me for not updating in a year. I have been busy as hell. But only I'm serious. High school had me pinned down. After the two hurricanes of 'o4 I had missed about a month of school. So our days off we had make up days. I did graduate and I'm in my first year of college. Freshman. I love it. Speaking of hurricanes, Hurricane Wilma had stopped by and visited me here in FL. Yes, another hurricane. I had been hurricane free most of hurricane season until now. Anyway change of subject. After MANY months of not updating here I am. I really hope you enjoy this chapter. I wrote this during the hurricane on my laptop. You have to love generators. Hurricane Wilma hit on Monday, October 24 and we lost power the same day. We got out power back on Wednesday, October 26. Two days later.

Have you heard the song 'Cold' by Crossfade, it's a great song. It reminds me of Amon how in the series, he's cold, kept to himself kind of guy. Like, the song would kind of in my light be something Amon would dedicate to Robin. He's saying he's sorry for the way he was and for being cold to her. The song mademein a way write this chapter. You'll understand if you've listened to it, if you haven't then go and listen to it and you'll have a better understanding of what I mean.

I will try to update more often. I won't promise but I will try. Enjoy the chapter.

Hugs N kisses, Christina