Witch Hunter Robin Fan Fiction ❯ I Promise You Freedom ❯ Chapter 6 ( Chapter 6 )

I Promise You Freedom

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The car cruised easily along the roads, going at a moderate pace that did not exceed the speed limit. Sakaki chatted easily with the boy beside him; about computers, about Robin, even about Michael. And even in that short amount of time, the one-armed hunter felt as if he really got an insight into Inari's personality. He felt…well…almost as if he had known the boy for years.

Not surprising…he's like Michael in every way…

Shaking his head to dislodge that stubborn thought, Sakaki reminded himself once again that Michael and Inari were both two very different people. He wondered if Karasuma had to do the same thing…

"Turn right here."

Inari's voice chased away the last of his stray thoughts, and Sakaki's one good hand rotated the wheel with ease and a speed that had only come through much practice.

Catching Inari's questioning glance, Sakaki gave a short chuckle. "Not a pretty sight, is it?" he asked.

Flushing a little at being caught staring, Inari shook his head. "It's not that," he said. "I just wondered how you did it, is all."

"On a witch hunt…almost 20 years ago…" Sakaki trailed off. "That's when things really started to change."

"Huh?" Inari gave him a confused look.

"Well, 20 years ago, both your mother and father still worked with us for the STN-J. 20 years ago, we met with a brother team of two witches that killed one of our teammates, took my arm, and severely hurt Robin. Earlier, his brother had hurt Michael too, after he had broken his promise to never leave the building and had hunted him down."

"But why?…Oh, turn left here, then go straight about a mile more."

Nodding, Sakaki turned once again. "Because his mother, your grandmother, was murdered by that witch."

"Oh," was Inari's only reply, and the boy turned his face to look out the window.

"After that, Michael went to see Robin in the hospital, and the two ran off together and had you. We didn't hear from them at all in those years, so it was kind of a surprise to learn about their lives and yours."

"I see. But, Sakaki, why? Why do you hunt witches? And why aren't you hunting me?"

Sighing, the older man shook his head. "Because you are Robin's son."

But before the younger boy could inquire further, Nagira's law office building loomed up ahead. "There!" he cried, pointing a bony finger at the white brick building. "Pull up here!"

With another practiced flick of his wrist, Sakaki spun the wheel and pulled up at the curb. Inari reached into the backseat, grabbed his bag and turned back to the brown haired hunter. "Thanks," he said, somewhat awkwardly.

Sakaki grinned. "No problem, kid. You just be a careful, ok? We'll get in touch with you soon."

Nodding, Inari exited the car and stood watching until it had faded into the distance, down the road. He then turned and stepped into the cool interior of Nagira's office building.

~~~

"So, you see, Mr. Nagira, you're so backed up, you can't leave the office for the next two weeks!" Exasperated, the blonder secretary finished her tirade and watched as the gray and brown haired man sitting before her merely lit up another cigarette and gave her a patronizing stare.

"Alright, alright!" he agreed, just as Inari entered the room. "Inari!" he shouted, leaping up from his chair. "What the hell are you doing here?!"

And in that moment, all the emotions the boy had been holding back, all the tears and all the fear, spilled over like water bursting through a dam. "Nagira…" Inari ran forwards into the older man's embrace, throwing his arms about his waist.

Heaving a tired sigh, Nagira flopped back in his desk chair, pulling the crying boy onto his lap.

With a little smile, his secretary inclined her head to her boss and retreated to her own desk. She knew how special Inari was to Nagira-almost like the son he'd never had, but had always wanted-and didn't wish to interrupt their time together. The clients and her lecture could wait a few more minutes until this was sorted out.

"What's the matter Inari?" the older man asked after the flow of tears had slowed considerably. "And where's Robin?" He pulled back a little. "I thought I told you to be careful when you went out!"

Ignoring the stern tone in his father figure's voice, Inari gave him a tear-stained glance and blurted out, "Solomon came. They came and took away my mom!"

~~~

The atmosphere at Raven's Flat was silent and strained. Doujima sat next to Sakaki, both of them pouring over old files from back in their Witch hunting with Robin days, while Karasuma sat quietly with Tima, the two women both absently staring at nothing. Azlar stood on his own by the window, tapping his foot quietly and ignoring the occasional glances he was getting from the veteran hunters.

"Did you notice his necklace?" Sakaki called to Karasuma.

"No…" she replied distantly, playing with a dog-eared corner of one of the papers on her lap.

"He was wearing Robin's old necklace," Sakaki told her, skimming the computer screen for any important information. "You know, that funny shaped green pendant of hers."

"Oh, really?" Karasuma asked. "Do you think it had any sort of special significance?"

A heavy sigh met her ears. "I don't know, I just don't know. Nothing seems to make sense any more, everything's been turned upside down. We find Robin, only to lose her again, we discover Michael's dead, and that they have a son! Then there's the fact that Solomon's after them…" His dark eyes flickered to Azlar's slender form by the window.

"Dammit!" the purple-eyed youth shouted suddenly, slamming his fist down upon the sill. "I'm sorry, ok?! Now will you all stop looking at me as if I'm the Devil himself?!" He turned an angry face towards their own shocked ones and gauged their reactions.

Shock was written across every countenance that looked at him, but the room remained silent. "It was just another hunt for me! I was only obeying Solomon's orders, all right?!" He dropped his head and stared at the floor as if ashamed. This got Sakaki's attention more then the outburst had; Azlar almost never dropped his gaze like that.

In a rare moment of compassion, the one armed walked over and clapped the younger man on the shoulder. Clenching his fists in an attempt to hide the slight trembles that ran through his body, the brown-haired teen raised his eyes and glanced at Sakaki.

The other brunette nodded to him and gave him what he hoped was an understanding and somewhat forgiving look. Turning, he returned to his seat by his wife and received an approving glance from the pregnant woman.

Karasuma hid her small smile behind one hand and finally voiced the thought that had been tickling her mind for some time now. "Would you like to help us Azlar?"

His violet eyes bored into hers, but the older hunter did not look away. "If we're going to get Robin back, we'll need all the help we can get."

With a little of his old self-assurance returning, Azlar spared her a momentary grin and snatched one of the files from off Tima's lap.

"Azlar!" she half-squealed, half-giggled. "Gimmie!"

Smirking cockily, he pulled up a chair and began paging through the papers with Karasuma and the younger girl, listening as the veterans told the newer members exactly what had happened all those years ago, and everything else they knew about Robin. His mind processed and catalogued everything he heard, filing it away for future reference, and forgetting nothing.

And as the sun slipped down below the horizon, Nagira tucked an exhausted Inari into bed in the small room above the law office, climbing down the ladder that led to the loft with a slight creaking on knees and a rather loud cracking of his back.

Stifling a groan, he stretched and tried to pop the vertebrae in his spine. "I'm getting too old for this," he thought with a half smirk and left the room, shutting off the lights as he went.

"Inari's going to be staying here with us for a while," he informed Hana before she left for the evening. He snatched his own coat from where it rested upon his chair and yawned widely.

"Sure thing, Mr. Nagira," she replied, in a slightly patronizing tone. "But don't expect me to show up any earlier to feed him or anything. I know you're fond of him, but I have no time to take care of little boys."

"Relax," Nagira replied, locking the door behind them. "I think you'll be surprised at how well Inari can take care of himself."

"Well…we'll see," she replied.

~~~

"So…they're going to try and get her back, are they?" Zaizen heaved a sigh and exhaled a cloud of pungent smoke from his cigar into the air of his office.

The tall, shadowy form that stood before him nodded and resisted the urge to couch when the thick smoke clogged his nostrils. "They seem to think they can just walk into the Factory and take her away from us."

With a snort, the aged man snubbed out his cigar and grabbed the cane leaning on his desk by his left hand. Leaning heavily on the polished wood, he moved around the desk and stood in front of the other man, looking up at him, but seeming imposing nonetheless.

What little starlight seeped through the windows behind them threw sharp shadows and angles over everything in the room, making it seem even colder and starker then it was by day.

"Well, we'll see that they won't succeed. Continue to monitor them and keep me up to date on their progress. I want to know exactly when they're going to move and how."

"Yes, Zaizen, sir," the form said, then retreated from the dark office and left the bitter old man to stew in his own thoughts.

One word echoed in his mind as he turned and gazed listlessly out the window.

ROBIN…

~~~

I'm really sorry about the long wait between the updates! GOMEN! *bows* But I have been so busy lately and everything just seemed to be dumped upon me at once so, I didn't have much time.

Any anyway, I really don't like this chapter. Everything's progressing a lot slower then I thought and this one does nothing to really change that. I can promise though, that a lot of things will start happening NEXT chapter…The plot thickens…^_~

~SanoGirl