Disclaimer: Guess what? I have this disclaimer thingy up here that says I own nothing below, and it means you can't sue me, and that makes me happy!
Dedication: This chapter is dedicated to my toe-licking cat, because he's just a sweetie like that. Awwwwww! Cute kitty! –hits self in head- Focus, Hyde, focus. I can't focus today. I don't feel like an ameba with three brains, but I still can't focus. Hmk. Anyway. Moving on.
Hyde A/N: Better watch out, cause I'm in a rare Random Dance Mood today. Yep. Have you ever tried to do something leading with one foot and then, just because you feel like it, turn it around and lead with the other foot and find that it is impossible or takes all your powers of concentration? Anyone? Well, I have today. That's the Random Dance Mood effect. I'm sure you wanted to know all that.
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Amon stalked out the front door of the Anonymous Clinic Of An Anonymous City In An Anonymous Country and slammed it behind him. He gave a deep meaningful grunt. Finding this to be very therapeutic, he followed it with a deep dark Snort of Distaste.
Across the street, a woman looked up. Amon, looking about for his Macho Black Audi, noticed her. You see, Amon, despite his natural tendencies to slink darkly through the shadows everywhere he went, was used to getting odd looks, like the What The Heck Is This Guy Thinking Look and the Disturbed What-Is-Society-Coming-To Look and of course the Menacing Glare Of A Little Old Lady Preparing To Give Chase With A Brightly Colored Umbrella. He was not, however, accustomed to getting a Stunned Look As Though The Sight Of Dark Ominous Personages Causes One To Be Beaned In The Back Of The Head With A Large Snow Shovel, which was what he was getting from the blonde across the street.
Somewhere deep under his dark and impervious exterior, Amon felt a slight twinge of discomfort. It was not, he felt, in good taste for people to give dark ominous personages looks as though beaned by a large snow shovel. He slid into his Macho Black Audi and was just preparing to pull out onto the street when someone tapped on his window.
As soon as Amon had rolled down his window, the stunning blonde who had done the tapping began jabbering breathlessly.
"Oh, good, I was afraid I wouldn't catch you or you wouldn't talk to me I have to tell you, or ask you rather I suppose, you know the moment I saw you I had this funny feeling, say, do you believe in love at first sight?"
There really was no good answer to this, and Amon merely stared at her blankly.
"Well I always have and even if I hadn't I would now because I just now felt it like none other, say, you'll marry me, won't you?"
There really was no answer to that one either. Amon continued to stare, and a muscle in his left eyebrow twitched twice.
"Good because ever since I saw you like three seconds ago I knew we were meant for each other and there could be none other if you know what I mean it was definitely love at first sight I mean what else could hit you like that wow, that was a shocker but there it is and here I am and now let's see, were you set on a church wedding?"
Amon blinked, but otherwise maintained the impervious blank stare of a dark ominous man who has just discovered a hippopotamus in his bedroom and has no idea what to do with it (seeing as, like with proposing blondes, it is probably illegal to shoot non-witch hippopotami with orbo guns). Seeing no other option, in one smooth move he turned, stepped on the gas pedal, dodged two oncoming cars, rolled up his window, and disappeared into the distance.
Robin emerged from the Clinic just in time to see Amon speeding away. Heaving a sigh, she set out on foot for the nearest bus station.
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Twice on his way back to work, Amon forgot where he was going and turned towards his apartment and, as a result, Robin was already there waiting for him.
"Amon," she tried to begin as he strode darkly past her without a glance, "Amon, you should go home…" she trotted to keep up with his broad steps, "Amon!"
When Amon strode purposefully into the STN-J headquarters, Robin was still behind him protesting. As all the present STN-J members turned simultaneously to stare at her, she became slightly flustered and clamped her mouth shut, allowing Amon to leave the room unassailed with the intent of finding an assignment.
"What's going on, Robin?" Sakaki asked.
"He's had another hit on the head. He's been acting a little strangely. The doctor said for him to get bed rest, but he won't."
"Amon acting strange? That's not unusual," commented Doujima.
"If I know Amon," said Karasuma, "you'll have to sedate him to keep him from working."
"Sedate him! Of course! Sleeping pills!" cried Doujima.
Michael, Robin, and Karasuma gave her strange looks.
"Yeah!" said Sakaki, "I'll go get some."
"Uh, how are we going to get him to take them?" asked Michael dubiously.
"Coffee," said Doujima firmly. "It disguises the taste of any poison."
"This isn't poison," Karasuma pointed out, "And besides, Amon doesn't drink coffee."
"Oh yeah. It'll have to be Bepsi then."
Doujima disappeared in search of a Bepsi and Sakaki in search of the pills. When they returned, they carefully dissolved enough pills to knock out a small gorilla into the Bepsi.
"Here," said Doujima, thrusting the cup at Robin. "You give it to him. He'll never suspect you."
Robin winced inwardly, but took the cup. It's for his own good, she thought. I hope.
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"You didn't have to stay, Robin," said Michael softly in the half-light of the lone lamp. "I could've handled it."
"I know," she said.
"It's really late, you can go home. It won't take more than one person to drug him again if he wakes up."
She gave a sigh so subtle as to be inaudible. "I feel…responsible…" she said with difficulty, surprised even as the words left her lips that she would be able to confide in the hacker.
"You aren't. Really, I'm not sure who is." (No doubt he would have been surprised to discover the fault lying with the Great Mother Goddess.) Hyde A/N: For those of you who may have forgotten due to the long passage of time, Abigail sent Amon a letter telling him of the Doom of the Great Mother Goddess, in the form of the AADOM, for shipping the Girl With Blue Hair to Luxembourg "The whole story confuses me. Why would a mob of old ladies chase Amon?"
There was a pause, and then he answered his own question. "Well actually, why wouldn't they? He does appear rather…ominous…to those who don't know him."
"And to some of those who do," Robin added.
"Yeah." He sighed. The atmosphere of the room eased into a comfortable silence.
Robin stared at Amon's face. So pale. Slowly his hair and dark coat blurred into the semidarkness around him, but his face remained in focus until the last moment before she slipped accidentally into sleep.
Michael in turn watched Robin's equally pale face, and did nothing to disturb her as he watched her sink farther and farther toward sleep. He stared at her as though hypnotized until the wee hours of the morning, when he finally gave in to a deep craving for waffle fries and left the room to raid his secret stash in a false bottom of a file cabinet drawer.
When he returned he felt distinctly sleepier, and before long was slumped on the floor in an extremely uncomfortable position, having slid out of his chair, lost to the world. And so the three slept undisturbed in the comfortable companionship of those who do not plan on waking up any time soon because either they are drugged or have not slept for almost 24 hours, until Miho came early to relieve them.
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Well, I suppose I could take this farther but this seems like as good a place to stop as any. Mmm, I'm tired and it seems to be putting me in a more…something sort of mood. Different anyway. I look back and notice that the last section of this chapter just suddenly has a complete change of tone. Oh well. They say variety is the spice of life. You know, I really don't like little sayings like that. They make so much sense that it's irritating, but yet they are also so over-used they mean nothing. Wow, I must be tired. I feel like I'm rambling. Maybe I should just end this chapter, what say?
May your house never be invaded by professional football players who have gone over to the dark side and are trying to take over the world using little but their muscles and some tinker toys,
Hyde