Chapter 10

Rambo

Amon was beginning to think he was a failure in the art of seduction. Perhaps, if he wasn't so conflicted in his feelings toward Robin, he wouldn't be having such a difficult time, but he still had issues with the morality of Zaizen's order, not to mention the fact he was so accustomed to keeping his emotions suppressed it was difficult to let them go even a little without losing all restraint. Robin's reaction really shouldn't have been much of a surprise to him considering his mood swings around her lately. She probably felt like he was only teasing her and toying with her emotions. But wasn't that exactly what Zaizen wanted him to do? Manipulate her into believing he cared for her when he really intended to betray her?

Sighing softly as he waited for Karasuma, he leaned back against the railing of the stairs, wrapping one arm around his waist and propping his elbow up against it. Cupping his chin in his hand, he pressed a finger against his lips, trying to erase the all too vivid sensation of Robin's skin still lingering there. He had almost lost control in that moment. Guilt ridden by how Touko had attacked her because of him, he had wanted to comfort her and make her understand she hadn't done anything wrong . . . but he had gotten a little carried away. He didn't want to think about how far he might have gone if she had not said his name at that moment, her voice so plaintive--as if she hadn't really wanted him to stop and yet was frightened by his extremes in behavior. I'm such a fool . . . Maybe it's better if I just leave her alone. To hell with Zaizen and his orders.

Amon looked up as he saw a car enter the parking lot and pull up into the drive where he was waiting. Pushing himself away from the railing, he concentrated on keeping his body from trembling, refusing to show any sign of his present weakness though his body rebelled against him. He noticed that Karasuma was not alone in her car as she pulled to a stop in front of him, and he eyed the man sitting in the front seat next to her with misgivings. Though Amon was fairly certain the man Robin had befriended was not a witch, he couldn't shake the feeling that he wasn't completely human either. Exactly what he was though, Amon had only a vague notion.

Leaving the car running, Karasuma got out and approached Amon with concern. "How are you feeling? You still look really pale."

"I'm fine," he answered crisply, pulling away from her touch when she reached out to feel his forehead.

"They cleared you to leave?" she persisted, her expression suspicious. He did not reply since he knew she wouldn't like his answer, instead reaching down to pick Touko up and carry her to the car, ignoring his body's weary complaint. "Amon, maybe you shouldn't," Karasuma protested, placing a hand against his chest. She recoiled with a gasp as soon as she made contact, and he observed her reaction silently. He knew quite well which of his emotions was currently rolling off of him in waves--she may not have intended to scry him, but he doubted she could have avoided the intensity of his feelings.

"Amon . . ."

"Yeah, maybe the babe's right," Dante interjected, oblivious to their strange interchange as he climbed out of the car and pulled his door open wider with a gesture. "Just have a seat and take it easy. You look like you just met a few possessed weapons with an attitude problem, if you know what I mean . . ." Shrugging, and gesturing with one gloved hand, he amended, "Well, actually, you probably don't know what I mean, but believe me, it's enough to put anyone in a bad mood."

Eyes slitted, Amon ignored the hunter's offer, and again reached for Touko, scooping her up in his arms and managing to remain standing with only a little wobble. Dante sighed as if he thought Amon was being juvenile and opened the back door for him with a frown. Placing her in the seat, Amon repressed a sigh of relief as he steadied himself against the side of the car.

"I can't believe she's still unconscious," Karasuma murmured. He could feel her worried eyes watching him even with his back turned. "She doesn't have a concussion or anything, does she? Did you have a doctor take a look at her?"

Annoyed that she would think he wouldn't know the difference between a hit to knock someone out and a blow brutal enough to do damage, he replied curtly, "She'll be fine. I didn't hit her that hard." He felt himself wavering on his feet and caught himself with a hand against the roof of the car, but not before Dante placed a stabilizing hand on his shoulder.

"Are you sure about that?" Dante inquired. "You don't seem to be exactly in top form."

Scowling, Amon shrugged away from the man's grip and began making his way around the car to the opposite rear door without looking back.

"Where's Robin?" Karasuma inquired, gazing back at the hospital. "I thought you said she was with you."

A smirk touched Amon's features as he slid into the back seat beside Touko's limp body. "Robin is exercising her independence."

"And what does that mean?" Karasuma asked, looking back at him as she slid down into the driver's seat.

"It means maybe she's wising up," Dante answered grimly as he pulled his door shut more firmly than was entirely necessary. He glanced over his shoulder through scattered locks of silver hair at Amon before turning back to face front again, shaking his head.

Looking at Dante in frustration as she pulled out into traffic, Karasuma repeated, "And what does that mean?"

"She's testing me," Amon replied finally as he turned to gaze out the window, his words barely a whisper. Karasuma glanced back at him in the rear view mirror with surprise on her face.

He felt Touko's hand fall against his knee as they turned a corner, and looked down at her body sprawled across the seat, reminded of the way he had seen her sprawled across his bed so many times before. He realized that the sight of her--her skirt risen high above her knee and the top button of her shirt threatening to come loose--did absolutely nothing for him. How long had he played her games without feeling a thing? Maybe Zaizen had been right. He wasn't worthy of her.

"You never checked out of the hospital, did you, Amon?" Karasuma asked suddenly, breaking the silence. "You just walked out." He did not reply, continuing to gaze down at Touko. "I can't believe I agreed to come pick you up . . ." she muttered under her breath, along with some other words he could only barely make out. One of them was "obstinate." The other was "men." Amon noticed a smile spreading across Dante's face before he turned away.

A phone rang, playing a jaunty tune Amon knew his phone would never make. He watched as Dante pulled out a cell phone and flipped it open with a wry expression. "You'd better be at the airport or you're going to be making friends with the dial tone real soon." Amon glanced at him out of the corner of his eye, unable to hear the voice on the other end of the phone but finding himself curious for no reason at all. "Well, I'm glad that the pilot is a better driver than I am. I only fly planes when I have to babe, and that's generally limited to moments when I have to escape collapsing castles built on top of the mouth of hell. So, unless you've got any other sorry attempts to wound my pride, I've got better things to do with my time." He laughed softly. "I wouldn't consider that to necessarily be a Ôbetter thing,' but it doesn't look like I've got much choice, does it? I'll be there in a few. Don't wander off, and don't seduce any strange men at the airport cafZ . . . No, I'm not worried for you, I'm worried for them! Yeah, whatever Trish . . . hey, you brought my, uh, luggage, didn't you?" He glanced furtively at his companions in the car before exclaiming. "You put it in a cello case?! THAT was subtle. As if you'd go for classical music. Anyway . . . gotta go. Wouldn't want the pretty girl beside me here to get bored." Grinning, he hung up the phone, shrugging innocently in response to Karasuma's skeptical look.

"Your 'business' partner, I assume," Karasuma commented as she pulled the car into the underground garage below STN-J.

"Yeah." He reached for the door handle as the car came to a stop. "I've gotta go pick her up at the airport." He closed the door behind him, pausing when he saw Amon reaching for the back door on his side of the car. "Hey, maybe I should help you carry that lady upstairs before I go--"

"That won't be necessary," Amon replied, already gathering Touko into his arms and heading for the elevator.

"Have it your way, Rambo," Dante muttered as he slammed the door Amon had left open.

Amon heard Karasuma whispering something to Dante before she turned to follow him, probably apologizing for his cold attitude. Or sharing her frustration with him. Either way, Amon didn't really care much at the moment. He didn't even bother to hold the elevator for Karasuma, almost disappointed when she managed to catch it before the doors closed.

Glaring at him as she stepped inside, she demanded, "What is going on with you, Amon? You've always been standoffish, but this is just ridiculous." Without even giving him time to reply, perhaps because she already knew that he wouldn't, she continued, "And what happened between you and Robin? I'll have you know that she was very worried about you. If you lashed out at her and hurt her feelings for no cause as you often do, I--"

The elevator stopped on the fifth floor and Amon swept past her as soon as the doors began to open, feeling a muscle twitch in his jaw. Karasuma knocked into his arm as she marched by him a moment later, her strides snapping with anger. Wonderful. He was doing a bang up job of pissing off females today. Sighing softly, he carried Touko into the middle of the room wondering what he really was going to do with her, but stopped cold when he realized he should have been strategizing a little more and brooding a little less. Looking up slowly at one of the cameras hanging from the ceiling of the room, he considered his mistake angrily. How was he going to explain this situation to Zaizen when the Director saw the videotapes? What was I thinking? I wasn't. I was too busy thinking about Robin's frickin' skin and getting pissed off at Dante's superior attitude. Dammit! I should have called Michael first and had him disable some of the cameras temporarily until we could get her into one of the holding cells. We don't use them for anything else anymore anyway. It would be easy to keep an eye on Touko there. Maybe Michael could still . . . As he thought of the hacker, he noticed that Michael's desk was empty and there was no sign of him around.

"Amon . . ." Karasuma commented suddenly, and he followed her startled gaze, focused above him and to his right. Feeling a knot of dread tightening in his stomach, he followed her line of sight until he saw the light on in Zaizen's office.

Perfect. Just perfect. Now, at least, he didn't have to wait to suffer the consequences of his actions.

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Kind of an odd little chapter, I know. But Amon's kind of an odd guy. The chapter title was actually inspired by a chapter title for one of the La Femme Nikita episodes on the DVDs. It's kind of a tribute in a way. As my friend Lizalou42 and I have discussed in the past, whoever came up with the idea for Witch Hunter Robin clearly was a fan of Nikita because there are far too many eerie similarities between the two shows. Secret organization that keeps a close eye on its operatives. Extremely broody and emotionally distant male lead character who is obviously attracted to female lead character yet manages to constantly push her away and betray her--or so it seems most of the time, though he still protects her. Innocent and compassionate female lead character who is forced to harm/kill others though she doesn't feel comfortable with it morally. Then we have the hacker who not only has a very similar character in both shows, but also looks the same. Come to think of it, Michael (from Nikita, not WHR--hmm, another similarity) and Amon look very similar as well. Creepy . . .