--Book of Shadows: Sanctuary--
Chapter III
"If anyone sacrifices a human being to the Devil, and offers sacrifice to demons as is the custom of the pagans; let him be put to death." –St. Augustine
Robin slitted one eye open, rolling over in bed away from the bright sunlight that flooded into her room. She slowly propped herself up on her elbows, staring at the alarm clock next to her bed.
"Overslept again," she murmured to herself, slipping out from underneath the covers and sliding into a bathrobe to cover her nudity. She padded into the small bathroom, telling herself she would clean it again as she washed her face in the sink.
As she dressed, she mulled over what had happened earlier that day. At least she had a good reason for sleeping in. After all, Amon had woken her long before sunrise, then dragged her to a crime scene, with no explanation as to why. Why her? She wasn't that experienced in the field, and he more than anyone else distrusted her Craft. Wouldn't Karasuma, with her psychometric powers, have been a better choice? She was practically his partner anyway. He treated her more like one. . .
Robin banished the sudden jealousy from her mind, then finished tying up her hair. How could she have thought such a thing? Karasuma was a well- trained Hunter, an S-Class, she had no right to be angry, just because Amon decided not to take her out on cases.
Which left her back to where she had started. Why had Amon brought her along this time? She had been anything but useful; and whatever information Amon had gathered from the church, he had gotten himself. But Amon always kept his cards held close to his chest, never revealing anything about himself, or his motives. Would he ever trust her?
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The guard at the gate of Raven's Flat set his newspaper down on the desk, and let Robin in with a welcoming smile. She smiled brightly back at him, then continued into the elevator and up to the fifth floor. It had always struck Robin as odd that the STN-J had the entire apartment building to themselves, yet their actual office was confined to one room.
Her musings came to a halt as the elevator did, opening its doors to reveal the brightly illuminated office. Michael was at his usual post, already hard at work digging up information. Karasuma scanned over the files on paper, and Sakaki was lounging in his chair, occasionally peering over Michael's shoulder.
"Ah, little Robin," Chief Kosaka greeted from his desk. "Decided to join us, have you? Well, at least you're here before Doujima. . ." he said, a halfhearted way of reprimanding her.
"Everyone in Japan could get here before Doujima," Sakaki commented. Karasuma turned and gave her partner a wry smile, but said nothing, returning her attention to the stack of papers before her. As if summoned by the sound of her name, Doujima drifted into the room, holding her purse in front of her. She looked tired, and already bored.
"Miss Doujima!" Kosaka yelled, pushing back his chair and getting to his feet. "This is the third time this week you've come in late, and I for one-"
"So, Robin," Doujima chimed breezily, ignoring the Chief. "I heard you and Amon were doing a little late-night investigating."
Robin felt her cheeks redden and she glanced away abashedly. Just what was Doujima implying? And how did she know about it in the first place?
"You went on a hunt with Amon?" Sakaki asked, eyeing Robin curiously. "No fair, how come no one ever calls me in on these things. . ."
Their conversation ground to a halt as Amon walked into the room.
"Michael, do you have the information I asked you to look up?"
"Yes, Mister Amon," Michael replied cheerfully, his chest puffing out a little in pride.
"Good. Everyone, into the briefing room. We have a new case." He walked past Robin, without once glancing at her or acknowledging her presence. Doujima winked as she followed him into the dim briefing room, and Robin's face flushed as she fell in behind the young woman.
Once everyone was seated, Michael switched on the main computer. The strangely colored lights overhead lit up, kicking the other monitors into gear. He brought up the data on their current case, and Robin's stomach clenched slightly as a picture of the church she and Amon had visited filled the screen.
"There was a murder early this morning which showed strong evidence of witchcraft." To Robin's surprise, it was Amon who spoke, not Michael. "The victim has been identified as Alexander Cortez, a twenty-eight year old man from Spain who entered Japan two years ago."
"Wait, Cortez?" Doujima asked, her interest suddenly piqued. "He was in the news a few months ago. Isn't he. . .?"
"Yes," Amon confirmed. "He was in the news because of his supposed ties to the yakuza. It was reported that he was from a family of Spanish arms traders, and was trying to establish ties here in Japan. He's the primary suspect in a series of disappearances, but police don't have enough evidence to convict him of anything."
"Now he's dead. . ." Karasuma said quietly.
"Wasn't there a rumor awhile back that he had accomplices?" Sakaki inquired.
"Yeah, I remember that!" Doujima agreed. "Michael, couldn't you check to see if anyone else from Spain entered Japan two years ago?"
"Sure, piece of cake," Michael said smugly, his fingers flying over the keyboard.
Amon got to his feet, heading for the door. "Karasuma, come with me. I need you to check out the church." Karasuma nodded and followed their leader out the door, Robin watching them forlornly. She had really blown it this time. She had ruined whatever chance she had at being allowed to investigate with Amon. Now he was going to continue to leave her behind at headquarters.
"Hey," Doujima said gently, placing a hand on Robin's shoulder. "Wanna go get some lunch? We can go down to Harry's." She flashed Robin a comforting smile. Robin smiled back, and nodded. As they stepped into the elevator, Robin wondered briefly if they were allowed to leave, and how many unscheduled lunch breaks were already written on Doujima's record.
Chapter III
"If anyone sacrifices a human being to the Devil, and offers sacrifice to demons as is the custom of the pagans; let him be put to death." –St. Augustine
Robin slitted one eye open, rolling over in bed away from the bright sunlight that flooded into her room. She slowly propped herself up on her elbows, staring at the alarm clock next to her bed.
"Overslept again," she murmured to herself, slipping out from underneath the covers and sliding into a bathrobe to cover her nudity. She padded into the small bathroom, telling herself she would clean it again as she washed her face in the sink.
As she dressed, she mulled over what had happened earlier that day. At least she had a good reason for sleeping in. After all, Amon had woken her long before sunrise, then dragged her to a crime scene, with no explanation as to why. Why her? She wasn't that experienced in the field, and he more than anyone else distrusted her Craft. Wouldn't Karasuma, with her psychometric powers, have been a better choice? She was practically his partner anyway. He treated her more like one. . .
Robin banished the sudden jealousy from her mind, then finished tying up her hair. How could she have thought such a thing? Karasuma was a well- trained Hunter, an S-Class, she had no right to be angry, just because Amon decided not to take her out on cases.
Which left her back to where she had started. Why had Amon brought her along this time? She had been anything but useful; and whatever information Amon had gathered from the church, he had gotten himself. But Amon always kept his cards held close to his chest, never revealing anything about himself, or his motives. Would he ever trust her?
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
The guard at the gate of Raven's Flat set his newspaper down on the desk, and let Robin in with a welcoming smile. She smiled brightly back at him, then continued into the elevator and up to the fifth floor. It had always struck Robin as odd that the STN-J had the entire apartment building to themselves, yet their actual office was confined to one room.
Her musings came to a halt as the elevator did, opening its doors to reveal the brightly illuminated office. Michael was at his usual post, already hard at work digging up information. Karasuma scanned over the files on paper, and Sakaki was lounging in his chair, occasionally peering over Michael's shoulder.
"Ah, little Robin," Chief Kosaka greeted from his desk. "Decided to join us, have you? Well, at least you're here before Doujima. . ." he said, a halfhearted way of reprimanding her.
"Everyone in Japan could get here before Doujima," Sakaki commented. Karasuma turned and gave her partner a wry smile, but said nothing, returning her attention to the stack of papers before her. As if summoned by the sound of her name, Doujima drifted into the room, holding her purse in front of her. She looked tired, and already bored.
"Miss Doujima!" Kosaka yelled, pushing back his chair and getting to his feet. "This is the third time this week you've come in late, and I for one-"
"So, Robin," Doujima chimed breezily, ignoring the Chief. "I heard you and Amon were doing a little late-night investigating."
Robin felt her cheeks redden and she glanced away abashedly. Just what was Doujima implying? And how did she know about it in the first place?
"You went on a hunt with Amon?" Sakaki asked, eyeing Robin curiously. "No fair, how come no one ever calls me in on these things. . ."
Their conversation ground to a halt as Amon walked into the room.
"Michael, do you have the information I asked you to look up?"
"Yes, Mister Amon," Michael replied cheerfully, his chest puffing out a little in pride.
"Good. Everyone, into the briefing room. We have a new case." He walked past Robin, without once glancing at her or acknowledging her presence. Doujima winked as she followed him into the dim briefing room, and Robin's face flushed as she fell in behind the young woman.
Once everyone was seated, Michael switched on the main computer. The strangely colored lights overhead lit up, kicking the other monitors into gear. He brought up the data on their current case, and Robin's stomach clenched slightly as a picture of the church she and Amon had visited filled the screen.
"There was a murder early this morning which showed strong evidence of witchcraft." To Robin's surprise, it was Amon who spoke, not Michael. "The victim has been identified as Alexander Cortez, a twenty-eight year old man from Spain who entered Japan two years ago."
"Wait, Cortez?" Doujima asked, her interest suddenly piqued. "He was in the news a few months ago. Isn't he. . .?"
"Yes," Amon confirmed. "He was in the news because of his supposed ties to the yakuza. It was reported that he was from a family of Spanish arms traders, and was trying to establish ties here in Japan. He's the primary suspect in a series of disappearances, but police don't have enough evidence to convict him of anything."
"Now he's dead. . ." Karasuma said quietly.
"Wasn't there a rumor awhile back that he had accomplices?" Sakaki inquired.
"Yeah, I remember that!" Doujima agreed. "Michael, couldn't you check to see if anyone else from Spain entered Japan two years ago?"
"Sure, piece of cake," Michael said smugly, his fingers flying over the keyboard.
Amon got to his feet, heading for the door. "Karasuma, come with me. I need you to check out the church." Karasuma nodded and followed their leader out the door, Robin watching them forlornly. She had really blown it this time. She had ruined whatever chance she had at being allowed to investigate with Amon. Now he was going to continue to leave her behind at headquarters.
"Hey," Doujima said gently, placing a hand on Robin's shoulder. "Wanna go get some lunch? We can go down to Harry's." She flashed Robin a comforting smile. Robin smiled back, and nodded. As they stepped into the elevator, Robin wondered briefly if they were allowed to leave, and how many unscheduled lunch breaks were already written on Doujima's record.