Witch Hunter Robin Fan Fiction ❯ I Promise You Freedom ❯ Chapter 7 ( Chapter 7 )

I Promise You Freedom

---

"I don't know, Tima, we're just going to have to wait and see. Double-check those files I gave you yesterday; see what they say. Azlar! Did you manage to hack into Solomon's computers yet?!"

"Yeah, found out where they've taken Robin and everything," the violet-eyed hunter told the older man. "Even says something here about genetic research…"

"What?! Well, forget that for now. Try and figure out what they're going to do with her and when." Sakaki ran agitated fingers through his already messy hair.

"You got it," Azlar replied, turning back to his computer screen.

"Sakaki! Have you checked on Inari lately?!" Karasuma strode into the room and dumped her coat and gun onto a chair. Their latest hunt had, thankfully, been an easy one, which only required Karasuma and Yurika to take care of. The latter strode in slightly slower, drawing near to Sakaki's side and slipping her arm through his good right one.

"Not yet, Miss Karasuma. We've been busy the past few days."

"Well, see that you do!" The older woman began hurriedly digging through the drawers of what had once been Kosaka's desk. About 10 or so years after Robin and Michael left, the cranky, bald man had retired, leaving Zaizen to choose Karasuma as his replacement. Of course, the brunette did a lot more work then the Chief had ever done, and she still actively participated in almost every one of their hunts.

At that moment, if Zaizen had walked into the Flat, he would have seen nothing but chaos and heard nothing but a loud babble of voices and the softer undertones of humming computer monitors. But luckily, since he was getting on in years, Zaizen did not come into work everyday, choosing instead to come in every other week or so to make routine inspections and such.

Of course, he did have a manager to stay in his absence and oversee the STN-J team, but the hunters had only seen him a handful of times. A shadowy man, who was known to them only as "S", he did not really care what they did, so long as Zaizen paid him. Most of his time was actually spent at Harry's or some other such place, not in the office as was expected of him.

"They're going to do Orbo research on her!"

Azlar's astounded shout silenced all other talk like a solid brick wall. Papers rustled and the computers continued to hum and whir, but no other human voice was heard. The STN-J team had ceased to function as time seemed to stand still.

"Orbo research?!"

---

"Are you crazy?! Inari, you can't go back there! Solomon's sure to be watching the place!"

"I'm not gonna be gone real long, I just need to get a few things, ok?! I'll be back really soon!" The boy cast his mentor a pleading glance.

"Inari…" Nagira heaved a sigh. "Fine, but I'm going to come with you." He rose from his chair and shrugged into his heavy white coat.

"Wait! Mr. Nagira! Where do you think you're going?!" Hana's outraged screech followed them as they opened the door.

"Inari and I are going out for a while, that's all. We'll be back soon!" He waved jauntily to the fuming woman and shut the door firmly behind them.

The sun was warm overhead as the two men walked down the sidewalk towards Inari and Robin's old house. So warm, in fact, that the older man soon slipped out of his coat and draped it over one arm. A sidelong glance from Inari pulled a chuckle from his lips.

"Why do you always wear that thing anyway?" Inari asked him after hearing the laughter. "I mean, it's older then I am!"

Another peal of laughter sounded from the older man. "I wear it because someone very special gave it to me, is that good enough?" he asked, eyes twinkling.

"I guess so."

But the laughter and good humor died as the two turned onto the block where Inari's deserted house stood. Nagira stuck out a hand to halt his young charge. "Alright," he said, lowering his voice instinctively. "Solomon is probably still keeping an eye on this place, so get in, grab your stuff, and get out! We need to be gone before they even know we're here."

"Gotcha, Nagira! Make sure ya don't get a bullet in your fat old butt!"

With a good-natured growl, Nagira swung his hand at the orange-haired head as the boy darted forward. The two stole forwards, trying to be as inconspicuous as possible as they approached the concrete steps leading up to the house.

"Remember, get in, get out!" Nagira said as Inari mounted the steps. "I'll keep an eye on things out here." He positioned his lanky form at the bottom of the flight of steps and swept his brown eyes up and down the street.

Inari darted inside, with many a glance over his shoulder, and ducked into the old room he had shared with Robin.

Nagira's eyes were everywhere at once, his worry for the boy growing with every passing second. I never should have brought him here. I'm such a dumbass! Shifting nervously, he reached one hand deep into the pocket of his large overcoat and fingered the barrel of the small, black hidden there. Reassured a little by the presence of the gun, his stomach settled somewhat.

"Got it, Nagira!" The dull brown bag that Robin's son brandished proudly was stuffed full to bursting, but the older man knew the questions could wait until later.

"Let's go," he said and turned to head back down the street towards his law office.

But at that moment, gunfire rained upon the two from every angle and the sounds of many feet echoed in their ears.

---

The silence in the room was broken by a soft gasp from Yurika and loud cursing from her husband. Karasuma just seemed stunned by the news, Tima sitting quietly by her side, mouth hanging open.

"Dammit!" Sakaki shouted again, kicking at the computer desk in frustration. "What kind of research?! Does it say?!"

Azlar's fingers flew over the keys and his eyes skimmed pages and pages of graphs, reports, notes, data, and old history and runes. "Not really…something about Orbo Research and genetics…"

"Genetics?" This time it was Karasuma who spoke up, her shock apparently having worn off.

"Yeah…it's not real specific though; most of their files containing the important info are probably protected by some serious firewalls. It only mentions something about the difference in DNA between witches and humans, and which genes it is specifically that gives them their power." His brow drew down into a frown and a few locks of brown hair fell into his prying eyes.

"What?" The other male hunter's eyes narrowed and he leaned over the younger man's shoulder, trying to see what it was that absorbed him so. His lips moved silently as he read and his eyes grew wider and wider with each passing movement. "Destroying the entire witch race…Azlar! See if you can get more!"

But as soon as his fingers touched the keys once more and began probing further, a warning note sounded and the entire computer screen went blank. Slamming his fists down on the desk in frustration, Azlar let loose a string of swear words that made Yurika cringe and Tima go pink.

Ignoring the obscenities, Sakaki sat down dazedly and stared at nothing. "He's going to try and destroy the entire race of Witches…by implanting a gene in their DNA that will turn their own powers upon them and eventually wipe them out."

Tima's eyes were wide. "And…and he wants to use R-Robin for that, right?" Her petite frame shook a little.

"Apparently so…"

---

"Run Inari, run! Get out of here!"

Nagira yanked out the gun he had been touching before and frantically tried to locate the source of the bullets now raining down around them. Moments after the shots had begun, he had somehow managed to yank them both behind the steps to the front door of Robin's house, the concrete giving them some measure of cover.

"But Nagira-"

"GET OUT OF HERE!" The graying man gave the younger boy a gentle push before whipping around to aim the gun wildly at an unseen target.

Stumbling a little, Inari tore off around the corner of his house and darted away between the houses behind. Soon he had entered the busier part of the city, not too far from Nagira's office. Panting, he slowed down a little and glanced back over his shoulder, hoping to see the man that had become his father figure.

What the heck am I doing here?! Nagira's back there…I shouldn't have left him! Guilt flooding his system, Inari whirled around to head back to his house, and found himself face-to-face with a black clothed, black-masked figure.

Letting out a squeak of surprise, he turned back around and fled down the nearest alleyway, praying it wouldn't be a dead end.

It was.