Disclaimer: Since when have I ever given you the idea that I own Witch Hunter Robin? Never have I done that, not once.
Amon: *gets attacked*
Puff: Hello, darling, how are we? Do we feel better? Are we in a better mood?
Amon: Get. Off. Of. Me. Now.
Kitsune: *does so*
Puff: *clings* Oh, Amon needs a hug!
Amon: I do not need a hug. Get away.
Puff: *moves away and sulks*
The Joys of Parenthood
Chapter Forty-Five: A Sudden Claim
�Did anything new come up in the results?� Amon asked snappily, his dark eyes livid with anger over recent events and the problems that had arisen. He waited impatiently while the hacker looked over the computer screen on the other end of the phone line. Michael drew out that task for as long as he knew it would be safe to do so, not quite wanting to tell the older man the news.
�I�m sorry, Amon, the computer just can�t translate that book,� Michael sighed, trying to keep the disappointment out of his voice, �This is the fourth time I�ve run the program. Each time I�ve tweaked the program to expand the parameters and each time the computer comes up the same results. It�s pure gibberish, according to what we have available.� He heard Amon growl under his breath and, even though the dark man was miles away, the hacker grew slightly more nervous while he sat in his chair.
�We have the best technology at our disposal and our computers can�t even make sense of a tiny little book,� Amon hissed, even though his fury wasn�t directed at his co-worker, �Do something else with the translator and run the program again. When that�s working, I want you to take another look at those pieces of silver and try to figure out what they are. Call me when the computer finishes.� Without a thought for anything else Michael might have had to say, Amon shut his cell phone and shoved it into his pocket.
�Mentally abusing and overworking your friends isn�t going to help you in the long run,� Dr. Takahashi said astutely, calmly flicking through a medical book he had just pulled off of a bookcase, �Besides, you�re simply making things harder on yourself and you�re going to crack any day now. Actually, I think he already has, wouldn�t you agree, Robin?� At the mention of her name, the craft user looked up at the doctor before glancing apprehensively over at her hunting partner. She made an ambiguous gesture with her hands and smiled softly at both of the men.
�I assure you, doctor, my mental state is quite healthy,� Amon said coolly, sensing the fact that the doctor was attempting to take the edge off of the day with a hinting of humor.
�Well, Amon, I have several friends in the psychiatric field who would probably disagree with you,� Dr. Takahashi teased, his eyes sparkling with the light that appeared magically every time he got to mock Amon, �I swear, sometimes I think that you two are so crazy�.� He trailed off when a nurse walked in with a form for him to sign, her face painted with curiosity over the pair of hunters that seemed to have become permanent fixtures around Dr. Takahashi�s main office.
�Are you finished insulting Robin and I?� Amon questioned, continuing to speak when Dr. Takahashi gleefully nodded, �Have you had a chance to examine Javan and ask her about what happened two days ago?� Wearing a vaguely shocked expression, the doctor�s face fell and he shook his head slowly.
�Listen, Amon, you know as well as I do that Javan only woke up for five minutes yesterday. She was confused and delirious, but that might have just been a side effect of the medicine I gave her to treat the frostbite,� Dr. Takahashi explained carefully, folding his hands on the top of his desk, �I have been able to do a physical examination while she�s slept, but I haven�t noticed anything unusual. Her brain wave patterns seemed a little odd, but not enough to do anything remotely noticeable to her. The anomaly is probably caused by the stress and chaos in her life, not to mention her recent head injuries.� Robin looked over at Amon, who hadn�t told the doctor the whole truth about what happened to Javan when they had been searching for Bryton, and seemed to let a silent apology drift towards the man.
�Dr. Takahashi, Amon hasn�t been truthful about why he wants you to run tests on Javan,� Robin said quickly, letting the words pour forth as fast as she could while still keeping the sentence intelligible, �He didn�t tell you how she got frostbitten.� The doctor smiled, reaching over to pat the back of her hand. Amon was staring in shock at Robin, completely taken aback by her sudden disregard for decisions concerning his daughter.
�Oh, my sweet girl, don�t worry. Amon has already told me about the ice witch and how he tried to freeze Javan so she couldn�t scream,� Dr. Takahashi said pleasantly, not noticing Robin�s stunned and slightly amused look. Amon glared fiercely, almost daring Robin to say something else.
�Yes, Robin, I�ve explained everything to the doctor already. There�s nothing else that he needs to know,� Amon said threateningly, his teeth clenched tightly as he spoke, �Dr. Takahashi doesn�t need to be bothered with your misguided thought.� Glancing apprehensively back and forth between the suddenly polarized pair of hunters, the doctor finally let his gaze settle on to the craft user�s delicate features.
�If it�s that important to you, that you think upsetting your friend is worth it, go ahead and say what you have to say. I�ll listen,� Dr. Takahashi said calmly, trying to ignore the dangerous and annoyed man sitting on the other side of his desk. Robin let her head hang over slightly, just enough to let her blond bangs shield her face from the other hunter�s death glares.
�Amon, you have my apologies,� Robin began politely, interlacing her fingers together as she let her emerald eyes pin themselves to the doctor, �But I believe Javan�s safety far outweighs your qualms about her talents. If it comes down to it, she should know if she has a craft or not. And if she does, she should be trained to use it properly.� Sitting in an irate silence for an infinitesimally short moment, Amon indignantly walked to the other side of the room and turned his back to his hunting partner. Robin sighed sadly and gestured for Dr. Takahashi not to pay any attention to Amon.
�Robin, you do know that this is a very serious claim you�ve made, don�t you?� Dr. Takahashi asked quietly, leaning towards the girl as she nodded, �Well then, do you have any proof to back up your idea?�
�Javan and I weren�t around when the witch was. We stayed behind, in the main part of the park, while Amon and Sakaki went to look for Bryton. There wasn�t any time that the witch could have gotten remotely close to Javan,� Robin explained carefully, meticulously choosing her words so every idea she wanted to convey was perfectly clear, �She was displaying psychic abilities as well. While there was no way she could have possibly known what was going on, Javan was telling me what was happening with Bryton and Sakaki. Before that, she seemed to be able to see something that no one else could.� As if he had to let the information sink in, Dr. Takahashi�s face was blank for what seemed to be like an eternity.
�Not once, in all the years that I�ve been treating witches, have I ever heard of a child developing a craft at such a young age,� Dr. Takahashi said softly, almost as if he wasn�t speaking to anyone else in the room besides himself, �It�s almost a physical impossibility. This must have been a fluke of some sort.�
�Her mother was a witch,� Robin stated, not sure if the doctor knew that bit of information, �I think Reika must been quite powerful, because the witches sent somebody after her to kill her.� Amon sighed to himself, feeling that he might as well put all the other facts out on the table, and sat back down.
�Javan�s mother, Reika, just wasn�t a witch according to Bryton. She was one of the top ranked witches, before she left the group. I think Bryton called her one of the Selects or something like that,� Amon elucidated, watching as Dr. Takahashi�s face lit up with a stunned understanding, �As for myself, I carry the witch gene as well.�
�Come along, both of you,� Dr. Takahashi said immediately after Amon finished speaking, getting up from his desk and gesturing for the pair to follow him out into the hallway, �If Robin is right, we have a good deal of testing to run on Javan.� As they practically jogged down the crowded corridors, Robin looked at the doctor with a touch of confusion.
�But Javan is unconscious. What tests can you run?� Robin questioned, her soft green eyes still apologizing to Amon. Dr. Takahashi turned, smiling at the craft user, and was obviously very happy that she had brought up that particular subject.
�Plenty of tests, my girl, plenty of them. Most of them actually should be run while the Javan is unconscious, so we don�t frighten the girl. I think it would be best, that if she doesn�t have a craft yet, that she doesn�t know any of this happened,� Dr. Takahashi stated calmly, glancing over at Amon for approval of his last comment, �As for the tests, most of them will be to measure the amount of energy she has in her body, her vital signs, and various other things that would just confuse you if I tried to explain them.� As they hurried into the pediatric wing and collected Javan, both Robin and Amon knew that they were heading down into the basement laboratory. The disturbing and slightly scary laboratory they had both experienced in the past.
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