Witch Hunter Robin Fan Fiction ❯ Falling ❯ Darkening Skies ( Chapter 5 )

It's the rain that I hear coming,
Not a stranger or a ghost.
It's the quiet of the storm approaching,
That I fear the most.
Delerium — “Innocente”

 

The book of Genesis reads, “In the beginning, there was darkness. Then God made light, and it was good.” Well, Anne thought as she slowly opened her eyes against the intrusive light, It was almost good. It's not so good for someone who's been sleeping and in a dreamworld. Squinting against the light, Anne struggled to find her bearings. The last thing she had known was that she had been in her dreamworld, dealing with Hanako's surprising intrusion. Before that, she had been in a warehouse, surrounded by witches wielding automatic weapons and verbally sparring with the ghost of Amon. Except, he's not a ghost. Or, if he is, he's a damned convincing one.

 

She sat up slowly, trying to avoid the faint-headed feeling of blood rushing to the head after lying down for so long. That did nothing for the brief sensation that the world was spinning around her like a carnival ride. Anne shook her head to clear the remaining cobwebs from the back of her mind as she slowly stood and took stock of her situation. The room was clearly a bedroom of some sort, most likely a spare in a house somewhere. Walls that were painted a conservative white meshed well with the grey carpet underfoot. The room was sparsely furnished; beside a window sat a desk, on which Anne could make out her sidearm, communicator, and the rest of the gear she had been carrying. The required chair was sitting neatly in its place beside the desk. Hiding in a corner was a small dresser that looked as if it had seen better days.

 

Walking over to the desk, Anne looked out the window. The room was clearly an upstairs room, but presented a good view of a quiet residential neighborhood that could have been located anywhere in suburban Japan. Cherry trees showed their blossoms and children played in the quiet streets. Picking her watch up from the desk, Anne checked the time. 4:35 PM.

 

There was a light tapping on the closed door, and Anne turned slowly to face the source. “Yes?”

 

The door opened silently and John stepped through, a smile crossing his face at seeing Anne up and about. “Glad to see you awake. It took some time to convince Amon and the others that you weren't in a coma. When Hanako returned, she delivered your message.”

 

“How long have I…?”

 

“Almost sixteen hours. Hanako and Robin think you may have still suffered some shock when the spell was cast, despite withdrawing into your dreamworld. It was a pretty powerful spell, I must say.” He ran his hand through his hair, then took a seat at the desk, watching her as she turned back to the window and viewed the spring afternoon.

 

“So, where are we, then? Still in Tokyo?”

 

“I don't think so,” John nodded towards the world beyond the window. “I think we're in one of the outlying cities. At least, that's the impression I get.” The trace of bitterness in his voice spoke volumes and Anne knew at once what the situation was.

 

“They aren't telling you anything, eh?” She asked almost rhetorically, knowing his answer even before he acknowledged it with a nod. A frown crossed her features as she pondered this latest piece to the puzzle; turning it over in her mind to see what secrets it held. Unfortunately for her, it held too many secrets and she had too many questions to ask before she could figure any of them out. “I suppose it's for the best. After all, if they're trying to hide from Solomon they aren't about to tell us more than we need to know.”

 

John shrugged, but even the smile was gone from his face now. “I don't know which worries me more—the fact that we're hiding from Solomon or the fact that we're hiding from Solomon without knowing all that we need to know.”

 

“Julia's going to have a fit when she hears about this,” Anne managed a slow smile, but even smiling felt forced right now under the present situation. “I guess we have to play this one carefully for now and try not to get ourselves too entangled.”

 

“Speaking of involvement,” John rubbed the bridge of his nose unconsciously; “Amon and Robin want to speak with us as soon as you're feeling up to it.”

 

“Speak to us as individuals, or as representatives of STN-A?” As members of RFO-7, they were not in charge of policy. They accepted their orders like any of the dozens of STNs across the world. They were not privy to the insights or philosophies of the higher-ups. To paraphrase the adage, they were merely “Indians” who did what the “Chiefs” told them to. “I don't think we can really be of any use here, and they should know that. I should hope that Amon, with all the work he did for Solomon before this, remembers that.”

 

“I know. But don't forget, somehow they have half of STN-J involved as well. We can't simply distance ourselves from this mess that easily. Amon and Robin know that we're from STN-A, and they know that we have to report this. At least, that's the sensation I gathered.”

 

Sighing at the complications that threatened to give her a headache, Anne turned away from the window. “And Hanako knows that STN-J's recommissioning hinges, in part, on our recommendations. I don't think that Solomon would be pleased to learn of this mess. I guess we have to handle this like any delicate situation, right?”

 

Her partner gave a nod and a wry smile. “Just don't handle it like world affairs. Diplomacy first, then the big guns.”

 

The brief walk confirmed Anne's suspicions that they were in someone's house. Pictures lined the walls of the upstairs hallway and the staircase, though Anne did not recognize anyone in them at first glance. Waiting for the two at the foot of the stairs, Dojima looked as if she had had plenty of time to recover from the shock at seeing Amon alive. She smiled faintly at seeing Anne up and about; clearly the members of the STN-J team had been worried about her.

 

“Amon and Robin are waiting for you,” the blonde-haired agent motioned towards a doorway.

 

Leading the way, she escorted the two Americans into a spacious study, with large windows that looked out into a backyard filled with cherry trees in bloom. Bookshelves lined one wall of the room, while an antiquated wooden desk sat near the window. Couches and chairs had been pulled into a rough circle, where the rest of the team sat, turning their heads to look as the three entered. The STN-J members were sitting together, Sakaki and Karasuma on one couch, with Hanako sitting on a chair between Karasuma and Amon. Sitting beside Amon on the other couch was a young girl with long brown hair that had been tied back into a loose ponytail. On her nose were perched a pair of half-frame glasses. Her bright green eyes seemed to sharply contrast the black flowing dress she wore in the severe cut of the Catholic Church.

 

On seeing the pair of Americans enter, Amon beckoned for them to take the chairs across the circle from the couch that he and Robin occupied. Sitting down slowly, Anne took in the group with an appraising eye, then focused on Amon and Robin and gave a polite nod.

 

Robin returned the nod. “You know who I am, and I know who you are,” she began softly, almost too soft for them to hear. “There is no need for introductions. There's a crisis happening, and we need your help.”

 

“We were told the same thing by Amon shortly before our `abduction',” Anne remarked with only a trace of diplomacy—all that she would use for the moment in this situation. “But that does not excuse the fact that we were brought here against our will, nor of the fact that you interfered in a STN-J hunt. As a former member of Solomon, you should be fully aware of the consequences of your actions.” John winced beside her. She wasn't taking his advice, and if this kept up both of them were likely to be cooked where they sat.

 

Amon opened his mouth as if to speak but was silenced by Robin. “I understand this very well,” the young teenager spoke as if she was much older and wiser than all of her sixteen or seventeen years would suggest. “But, as the saying in your country goes, `Desperate times call for desperate measures.' We weren't sure that you would have been receptive had we approached you another way.”

 

Sharing a look, Anne and John conferred wordlessly with each other for a moment. Anne was not inclined to listen to this story, but under the circumstances it seemed she did not have any other choice. John was not opposed to hearing the story; in the interests of diplomacy and the chance to make it out of this one in one piece he felt that this a worthy sacrifice to make to guarantee their survival. Repressing the urge to sigh, Anne looked back to Amon and Robin. “Very well. We'll listen, but on one condition: I want to know what happened to Yamato.”

 

Robin seemed to consider for a moment, then nodded. “Yamato is in our care. He will be “re-educated” by one of our coven and, hopefully, learn his lessons. We prefer to avoid killing if at all possible.”

 

Something about these particular words made Anne remember the dinner that she and John had with the members of STN-J only a few days prior when they had first arrived in Tokyo. It was something about the words of Hanako and Michael that jogged her memory. Multi-talented. Anne's eyes darted to Hanako, and then back to Robin as realization dawned on her face. “Wait. That's how you've been dealing with these witches. You aren't killing them. You're re-educating them while telling Solomon that they've been `eliminated'.” Robin's nod gave Anne the confirmation she needed.

 

“I believe there is a better way to handle witches who have “gone astray”. They need only understand the value of their gifts and the meaning of community. So far we have had several dozen witches come to us in search of guidance, and many have left with the knowledge of how to control their gifts, how to use them properly. We show them the way out of darkness into the light.”

 

“While I have never heard of such programs,” Anne admitted, “And while the idea is sound, that does not help your case. You have been lying to Solomon, to STN-J, putting the lives of your comrades on the line. What happens if one of these “re-educated” witches goes rogue? How does STN-J explain to Solomon that a witch they supposedly hunted is still alive and well, terrorizing the population of Tokyo?”

 

Robin nodded at each point. “These are all important concerns, and we can address them at your leisure. Right now, however, there is a more important matter at hand.” She shifted in her seat, as if the very mention of the matter might bring it about into reality. “We have learned that Solomon has dispatched an independent hunter here.”

 

“What's wrong with that?” Anne asked with a frown. “Solomon has been known to dispatch independent hunters before to areas that need them. You are, however, no longer on the side of Solomon. Thus, you aren't immune from being hunted, even if a hunt order has not been issued with your name on it specifically.”

 

Amon started to rise, but a gentle hand from Robin restrained him. Her face was a picture of calm, despite the measured words of Anne. “Once again, what you say is true. But, I believe you misunderstand the situation here. We do not know the identity of the hunter, but he is working alone. We have been able to confirm his presence through Michael, but Solomon does not appear to know that he even exists. If he is Solomon-sanctioned, it is from the highest levels.”

 

“Then why do you require our aid? It seems to me that you already have enough talented individuals at your disposal,” she held out a hand to indicate Karasuma and Hanako, “including most of STN-J. Our job here is simply to perform a routine inspection of things in Tokyo. Nothing more or less. And if this hunter is, indeed, “Solomon-sanctioned”, as you put it, we are not at liberty to interfere in this matter. It is against all existing policies.”

 

“Going against Zaizen and Solomon was against policy, yet we did what we felt necessary,” Karasuma spoke up from where she was sitting, leaning forward, eyes burning into Anne's with passion. “Even though he gave me a direct order to remove Robin, I could not bring myself to do it after hearing such compelling evidence…” she fell silent as if having revealed too much information.

 

Anne just shrugged, not interested in Karasuma's misstep. “Zaizen was a zealot with too much ambition. His beliefs were not conducive to the philosophy of Solomon. Had you not stepped in to eliminate him, we would have acted, rest assured. But I fail to see why we should get involved in a matter that does not concern us.”

 

“You are a dream-weaver, no?” Robin again took up the conversation. “Surely you, of all people, value the sanctity of dreams. Was your country not founded on dreams that were made reality? All we ask is the chance to see our dreams to completion. We do not wish to live subservient to humans. All we wish is the chance to live our lives as we wish. This hunter threatens the very things that we hold dear to us. Since we do not know his identity, we do not know what he is capable of. You and your comrades are considered to be some of the best hunters in Solomon.”

 

Uttering a soft sigh, Anne ruffled her black hair and looked around the circle. Though only the three had been active in conversing, the others had shown a distinct interest in what was being said. This was clearly becoming a no-win situation unless there was a sacrifice made, and Anne did not wish to make any sacrifices if she could help it. It seemed that they were quickly running out of alternatives, though. She did not wish to give their office a bad reputation if she could help it, but she could already hear Julia screaming at her for “breach of regulations”, “violation of ethics”, and several other phrases that made Anne shudder inwardly. And then there were the “punishments” doled out for such phrases—punishments that she had heard about but never witnessed firsthand.

 

She took a deep calming breath and looked up. “I wish time to discuss the matter with the rest of the STN-J team and my superior in America. I trust you can grant me this request?” She glanced at John from the corner of her eye and observed his very slight nod of ascent.

 

Amon and Robin looked at each other, almost as if communicating telepathically. Though difficult to read, Anne suspected that Amon was not pleased with the current situation, but Robin's face maintained the calm façade she had been using since they had first walked into the room. Finally, Amon looked away and Robin turned back to the Americans. “That is acceptable. I apologize for any inconveniences so far. If you need anything, please feel free to let us know.” Standing, she nodded to the rest of the group and departed from the room, Amon right behind her.

 

As soon as the door had closed behind the two “hosts”, Robin faced the rest of the group. “Very well,” she began, leveling a gaze at Hanako and Karasuma who passively returned the look. “I would like to hear from you what is going on here. My report will hinge greatly on what you have to tell me, so I expect you to tell me everything that has been going on here, from the beginning.”