Disclaimer: I don’t own Witch Hunter Robin. If I did, would I really be putting this disclaimer in? Or, more appropriately, would I even bother to write fan fiction?
Amon: She did not ‘get me’. *glares*
Puff: For crying out loud, Amon, that was last week! Pick up the remains of your ego and get over it!
Kitsune: Wow.
Amon: You dare to try and tell me what to do?!
Puff: Sounds like, didn’t it. *looks proud*
Warning: There are some images in this chapter that some may find disturbing. Read at your own discretion.
Chapter Twenty-Seven: A Fiery Surprise
“Where’s Robin?” Amon asked sharply, striding into the office briskly. He hung his trench coat up, staring at his co-workers when they didn’t automatically answer his question. His dark eyes narrowed, clearly reading the slightly disturbed looks plastered over their visages.
“Well, one of Robin’s friends called and we thought, since you had left to go on a date, that it would be alright to let her go out on a social call,” Doujima piped up, grimacing when Amon’s eyes became even more dangerous. She hurriedly turned back to her computer screen, riveting her eyes to a case file that she had just brought up.
“How did you find out about that?” Amon inquired coldly, his fingers twisting into tightly coiled fists as he fought to calm himself down, “Did someone named Nagira call here?” Karasuma shook her head negatively, not quite wanting to explain anything to the dark man.
“Javan told us,” Sakaki said warily, glad that the little child wasn’t in the office at the time.
“Where is Javan?” Amon asked in an almost caring tone, which it would have been except for the promise of murder flashing in his dark gray eyes.
“She’s with Robin,” Michael explained, quickly adding onto his statement when he saw another cold question about to make itself apparent, “But we aren’t quite sure where they went. Robin forgot to take her cell phone with her, and she rushed out of here the second she got that call from her friend. Though she did say something about a play date she had set up with this other girl’s kids.” Amon glared at all of them harshly, setting himself in front of his computer monitor.
“I was planning on going on a sweep of the city, but Robin’s not here,” Amon stated frigidly, leaning back in his chair, “I guess I’ll have to wait.” The others looked like they had something to say, but thought better of it.
Robin walked along the park pathways, leading Javan by her hand. The wind scattered leaves on the cement in front of them, stirring the clothes of the few people out on such a nippy day. She hurried her pace, hoping that she could talk Ophelia into going somewhere warm for the play date.
“Ophelia, there you are!” Robin called out, scooping Javan into her arms so she could jog towards the wispy blonde woman. Her friend turned to look at her with sky blue eyes, smiling sadly at the craft user.
“I’m glad you came so quickly,” Ophelia muttered softly, reaching over to pat Javan’s soft black locks, “Where’s Amon?”
“Amon’s out on a date,” Robin said flatly, glancing around the general area, “But more importantly, where are your kids?” Ophelia’s eyes widened, their vivid irises completely shown. She stuttered, looking around for an answer; her pale pink lips curled into a soft smile after a moment.
“Robin, may I see Javan?” Ophelia asked gently, holding her arms out to grasp the confused child, “Let me hold her for just one second. I’ll give her right back to you. I promise it. I’d swear it for you, if you’d prefer.” The craft user shook her head, stepping back from her oddly acting friend. She cradled Javan in her thin arms, pressing the little girl as close to her as humanly possible.
“Ophelia, tell me where your children are,” Robin ordered loudly, her voice firm.
“I can’t, Robin, I can’t tell you!” Ophelia cried, clawing at her sheet of platinum blonde hair, “I barely know where my children are! They’ve already killed my husband! They’re using me!” Tears were pouring down her face, smearing her lightly applied make-up. She kept pulling at her hair, twining the glimmering strands around her twitching fingers.
“Who killed your husband?” Robin asked calmly, trying to soothe the distraught woman in front of her.
“I’m a witch, Robin,” Ophelia stated placidly as her hands scratched at her own flesh, drawing thin rivulets of blood to the surface, “The leader of us all, he sent me to retrieve you and Javan. He kidnapped my entire family to ensure I would perform my mission. When I refused, he slaughtered Isaac in front of us all. In front of the assembly, in front my children, in front of me! Robin, I saw my soul mate have his throat ripped out! I’d do anything, Robin, absolutely anything to make sure that doesn’t happen to my children. I’m sorry; I have to do my job.” She lunged at Robin, her fingertips ablaze with flicking flames.
“Ophelia, calm down. Think rationally; do you really want to help the people who killed your husband?” Robin questioned fearfully, stumbling backwards as she tried to dodge while maintaining eye contact, “Just calm down, and come back to the STN-J with me. We’ll help you get your children back.” She tripped on the hem of her long crimson coat, falling violently onto the cold cement.
“Robin, they’d kill you in seconds,” Ophelia said calmly, her blue eyes wide and icily blank, “My only hope is to do as I’ve been told to. And you seem to have made this possible.” She bent down, winding her blood-coated fingers around a screaming Javan. Robin tightened her grip, holding on to Javan with every ounce of her strength.
“You can’t have her!” Robin screamed, kicking out with her feet. Ophelia stumbled backwards from the hits, her pale hair falling forward as she fought to regain her balance. Robin sent a flame towards the crazed woman, missing her target completely. She fumbled around in her pocket, feeling around for the familiar cool touch of her half-moon glasses. Her slender fingers wound around the thin metal earpiece and she placed them on her face.
“Javan, run,” Robin whispered frenziedly, setting the two-year-old onto the ground and ushering her away, “Javan, run as fast as you can. Get away. Find a group of people and get them to help you get back to the office. Just run!”
“No, Mommy!” Javan cried, clinging to Robin’s arm, “I want to stay!” Her blue-gray eyes filled with tears, the terror clearly illuminated on her face.
“Javan, I want you to run as fast as you can,” Robin ordered, her green eyes serious, “Run now. Just get help!” She pushed the little child slightly, catapulting Javan’s small legs into motion. The girl tripped, tearing her fluffy white dress. She pulled herself to her feet and began to sprint down the deserted pathway.
“Now, it isn’t polite to send the child away during a play date, Robin,” Ophelia cooed, grinning at the craft user, “I’ll go get her for you.” She took off after Javan, her long hair catching on the wind. Robin sent a dancing flame towards the demented woman, catching her attention.
“Leave Javan alone!” Robin cried, firing a series of warning flames at Ophelia.
“Oh, Robin, don’t you know how much I’d like to do that?” Ophelia questioned softly, turning around momentarily so she could look at Robin, “Don’t you know how much I’d like to leave you and Javan alone? I can’t do that, and I need to make sure that Javan doesn’t get away. The boss wouldn’t be happy at all.” She laughed manically, throwing her head backwards. Her long pale hair swirled about her form, sticking to the spots where she had clawed her own flesh. As the wind twisted anything it could, Ophelia’s sky blue orbs stared widely at Robin.
They stared at each other for a moment, a single moment of understanding, before Ophelia launched herself at Javan, her image that of a pure wraith. Her fingers coiled around the small child’s hair, pulling her back violently. Javan screamed out of pain and fear, her tiny hands scratching at Ophelia’s grip.
“I apologize, Javan,” Ophelia said sincerely, lightly stroking Javan’s pale face with her free hand. She tightened her hold on Javan, her blue eyes overflowing with sympathy. Ophelia’s free hand smashed into the side of Javan’s skull, the child instantly collapsing.
“What did you do to her?!” Robin screeched, running towards the spot where Ophelia was carefully arranging Javan’s limp body. The older woman looked up at the seething craft user, wiping a streak of blood off of Javan’s face.
“I just knocked her out. I can’t have her getting away and I don’t want her to get hurt unnecessarily,” Ophelia explained gently, standing up slowing, “It was the best option that I had. She’ll be fine when she wakes up; though I don’t know how long that will last, since she’s going to wake up with the boss hovering over her.”
“I’d rather die than let you take her,” Robin spat coldly, tendrils of her dark blonde hair whipping in the wind, “You’ll have to fight me first.”
“I knew this was going to happen, Robin. I don’t want to have to fight you,” Ophelia said softly as she reached out for Robin’s slender hand, grimacing when the craft user recoiled, “But I will do whatever it takes to ensure the safety of my children. So I suppose we should begin now.” She lunged at Robin, flames shooting off of her hands.
Robin’s green eyes widened when she realized that she couldn’t dodge, hurriedly putting a shield of fire around her thin body. She hissed when Ophelia’s flames pierced through her shield, searing her arm.
“Oh, I’m sorry, Robin. I forgot to mention that since we both control the power of fire, our shields aren’t going to work against one another,” Ophelia elucidated, bending over the stunned girl, “I guess that will make this fight a little more interesting.” Robin scrambled to her feet, tripping over the long hem of her skirt in her haste.
“I’ve fought another who used fire before; I used my shield then,” Robin protested, steadying her glasses on her nose.
“Well, Robin, she wasn’t near your level. I am,” Ophelia crooned, blue eyes livid with the fires she was about to send to the craft user.