I'm back whole and refreshed. Thanks for the reviews, and no I won't stop writing the story no matter what. I'm a firm believer in finishing what I began. So even if all of you leave me in the cold, cold world and stop reading this and stuff I'll still keep writing. Poor Robin can't remain tied in that chair forever, well, unless I get writers block that is.

Next Morning

"The witch, well suspect actually, was seen at four in the morning in a convenience store on the outskirts of the city," Michael began, typing the information for everyone to see. "The clerk at the store says that the man looked like he had a bad cold, but that was probably the over-use of power in his part."

"What do you mean by overuse? Can't he control his powers?" Karasuma asked eyeing the profile warily.

"If that is the case then he will be a problem. We'll have to clean up after the mess he leaves behind," Sakaki added looking off into space.

The conference room silenced while the four tired hunters gave this some thought.

"It will be more work for us," Doujima concluded drinking deeply from her steaming cup of coffee.

"What are you talking about—'us'? You never do any work," Sakaki muttered offhandedly.

"Even if he was spotted," Amon began cutting off any continuing remarks, "we lost his trail as of yesterday, and this new evidence gives us nothing. He doesn't appear to have much cash on him aside from the usual credit and debit cards. That could help if he decides to skip town on a bus or plane. If he decides to hitchhike and skip town, he'll be well off our jurisdiction. The main thing we can do is watch his credit account and pray."

The overhead lights changed above as Michael put the bank data on their individual screens. All five STN members stared into it hoping, waiting—until they realized the whole process was discouraging.

"My head hurts, what are we waiting for exactly?"

"How can your head hurt, you've been looking at this for less than a minute."

"Shut up Sakaki, you know nothing about my head."

"Aside from the fact that it's empty you mean…"

"Be quiet and do your jobs. Acting like children won't help the matter," Amon snapped heatedly. The room went dead silent; four wide pairs of eyes went to him. "Michael, continue the surveillance, and keep me updated."

Amon strided over to his desk got his duster and headed for the elevator without turning back. His face was tight and grim as the doors closed before him.

"Whoa, what's with him?" Michael whistled blinking bewildered.

"Well it's obvious isn't it?" Karasuma said getting up and turning off her screen.

"No it's not, explain," Doujima pouted, she was used to getting yelled at by the chief but never by Amon. Amon was the glaring type, not the blowing-off-on-you type.

Karasuma didn't answer but simply pointed to an empty chair: Robin's empty chair.

"Robin? No she wasn't there when I woke up," Touko said sounding hurried, even a little bit edgy through the ear piece of Amon's cell phone. "I thought she had left early for a case so I didn't think much of it."

"She hasn't shown up or called in," Amon said leaning on his steering wheel, "Did she leave you a note?"

"No, and if she did I didn't see it," she said callously. A click sounded disrupting the line, "Look Amon, I'm getting another call. Why don't you just forget about Robin for a while, she'll show up eventually. Are we still on for tonight?" she added her tone softening slightly.

"I'm not sure," he answered bluntly watching as a mother passed by with a stroller and a walking toddler.

"Fine, bye."

The dead line droned into his ear until he broke of his stupor and turned it off. So Robin hadn't been there in the morning…she probably hadn't even slept there to begin with. This had happened before the Inquisitor's arrival in which she had simply disappeared. Back then he could have cared less but now…this was different. It seemed wrong—no, he knew something was wrong, but what?

'Where are you?'

Just exactly where was she? There was no usual noise like morning traffic or simple singing birds. It was dead silent. The only sound was the usual drip of water. Robin groaned feeling her head pound incessantly. Her neck was stiff from hanging her head for so long and the place where she had been sedated from felt swollen. She tried to speak but her throat felt like sand paper.

'I'll be late for work,' she thought imagining Amon's disapproving face. She could feel the corners of her mouth twitch. How could she smile at a time like this?

A sigh escaped her throat making her burst into racking, painful coughs that shook her chest. She could feel a sinus headache pounding above her eyes. Apparently being soaked to the bone in a below-freezing weather hadn't suited her, what a surprise. A sneeze escaped her, rocking her head, strands of hair caressed her face. Great, now her hair was loose.

She bit her lip and tried to calm down. For the first time Robin tried to clear her head. Okay, she had been kidnapped, bound and now was possibly of the verge of getting pneumonia. Sense of time was lost to her so she couldn't tell how long it had been, but this was all useless information. What about her kidnappers? Just exactly what were they after? They knew her name, power, and the fact that she was a hunter. She searched her brain trying to find a worthy suspect but only Touko and the master of Harry's came to mind. They were the only 'normal' people she had come in contact with since her arrival to Japan. Who else then? Thinking made her eyes water underneath the rag, but she couldn't just stop and sleep again. It was true that she was trapped and defenseless but she had to have control of some sort. She was a hunter after all this was another mission, she had to be strong and wait for the other hunters who were probably looking for her now. Yes…she just had to be patient.

Robin looked blindly around, there was a sound; like braking wheels coming to a sudden stop on gravel. Her throat constricted and her heart raced—no, she had to be strong, not scared.

A metal door screeched open spilling what felt like the sun's warm rays onto her legs. Robin heard heavy footsteps approach slowly. She wondered if the new-comer could hear her racing heart as loud as she could hear its steps.

"Robin?"

Her heart missed a beat. She wanted to be strong and courageous, refusing to feel anything else but the deliberation of it all. But… it was him. It was his voice, the voice she had heard first thing almost every morning upon waking up. She heard it and it made her weak all over again.

"Amon?"

"Robin, are you okay?"

The footsteps approached halting. Her dress rustled as he kneeled before her, "Robin, answer me, are you okay?"

Warm hands came in contact with her face. They lifted the rag to free her eyes. Piercing, bright sunlight made her wince but she didn't care. Her surroundings consisting of a spacious warehouse littered with newspaper and broken glass didn't matter, because he was here: Amon. His grey eyes bore into her and his ebony hair encompassed certain brilliance from the glowing sun. He was here, before her.

"Amon, you came," she croaked. He nodded solemnly as he reached around her neck. She hadn't even noticed until her pendant was grasped tightly in his hand.

"It'll be okay Robin, don't cry," he said wiping off her tears.

"Amon…"

Crunching gravel got her attention, making her rip her eyes from him. Someone was approaching; she could see their shadow approach in the outside. Was it Karasuma and the others? Or her kidnapers?

"Amon," she whispered but her throat wouldn't allow anything else.

'Behind you, look behind you,' she wanted to yell but he wasn't looking.

A stout man appeared in the doorway, his bald head shined brightly under the sun. He had a goatee and a cane. He came in and sat on a metal folding chair in the corner of the vast room groaning upon folding his left leg.

"Jung, stop playing with the girl," he muttered frowning.

"But I think she was about to kiss me," Amon said reproachably.

Robin looked down cautiously at the grey eyes, they were playful and cruel.

"Do you want to kiss me? I'm not into girls but you're cure, I'll make an exception," Amon smirked making Robin's eyes widen in horror.

Like a ripple of water Amon began to change. His hair grew out longer and turned pitch black. His face became ghostly white and his shape shrunk slightly. By the time it was done, a slim woman with Asian features knelt before Robin. Her almond-shaped eyes were blue, the color of a cold winter sky. By what she had just performed left no doubt in mind that she was fully bona fide witch.

The vision of the gone Amon burned into Robin's mind. Her stomach convulsed forcing her to gag and tremble, if there had been anything in her stomach she would've heaved it completely. No Amon, no true savior that had dabbed her tears, no one at all.

"You made her cry," the bald man grumbled crossing his arms.

"She was crying already," the woman snapped over her shoulder but turned to Robin with a wide pearly-white smile. "Stop shaking like a rabbit, you're hot partner will come soon enough, I'll make sure of that."

Before Robin could react, the woman got a long black bandana and covered her eyes once more, shunning her into darkness again.

"Okay, don't move sweetie, I have to put some flammable gel on this one too. You don't want it to get on your pretty face now, do you?" the woman cooed.

Some the gel dribbled onto Robin's face missing with her tears. She wasn't attempting to hold them back anymore. What for? She was a hunter first and foremost but that aside, she was simply a fifteen year old girl who was cold and scared out of her wits. She had seen Amon, felt his hand on her face even but instead of giving her hope or strength, it had shattered her. Was this what the woman Jung had been trying to do? To brake her completely? Well now she had it.

All Robin wanted was to be in Raven's Flat with the others, she wanted to be on a stake out with the real Amon for hours at a time, she wanted to go home.

"Missing, are you sure?"

Amon nodded rubbing his temples while accepting a drink from the master. The soft piano music in playing on the background emphasized the emptiness of the small restaurant Harry's was.

"Maybe she went of on her own like last time," the master said hopefully cleaning the bar's counter with a wet cloth.

"That's what the others think, but I took Michael off the last case so that he could investigate this," Amon muttered staring vacantly at his glass.

"So you believe this is serious?"

Amon opened his mouth to respond but closed it as someone took the stool right next to him. He didn't even bother to look until the person spoke.

"You looked troubled," a woman's voice said as soon as the master had gone to get her coffee.

A shock of blue eyes met him when he turned his head a fraction.

"I find it that when I'm worried about something, it's good to look outside the box, then in," the woman continued.

Amon grunted a reply only half-listening; he was too busy waiting for his cell phone to ring, which did a few minutes later.

"Hello Amon, where are you?" Touko's voice made him sigh in disappointment.

"At Harry's."

"It's four in the afternoon, don't you have a case?"

"No, Robin's missing."

There was a small silence, "I—I understand," Touko finally said softly, "I'm sorry, I hope you find her."

Amon hanged up not bothering to say goodbye and laid the phone before him.

"Oh, did she leave already?" the master came carrying a coffee.

Amon looked to the side where the woman had been not long ago. In her place stood a small box with a note attached.

'I find it that when I'm worried about something, it's good to look outside the box, then in.'

Amon barely heard the clatter of his falling stool as he rushed out. He burst outside compellingly making a walking couple stare. There was no one, not even passing cars. She was definitely gone.

He breathed heavily turning around fuming. She had been sitting right next to him and he had missed completely. He tore back into the restaurant cursing silently.

"Amon!" the master called out looking pale. The small box was open before him. On a soft square of cotton laid an all-too familiar blood-red pendant and a brown hair ribbon.

Amon, having not been prepared for the sight at all, looked intently without breathing. Thoughts milled about his head. Only one thought was clear through everything: he had to get her back.

This is the longest chapter I have written yet, wow, my wrists hurt. Well whatever, long as it is I felt it missed something…why don't you guys tell me what I did wrong? Read and review is all I ask. Of course writing things about Amon is always exhausting because I obviously don't know him personally so I don't know how he would react to things. I'm trying my best to keep everyone in character. I hope I did at least that right.