Witch Hunter Robin

Fire and Rain


Chapter I - That New Orleans ' Charm

Rated : PG-13 for Mild Violence, Mild Profanity, and Mature Content

Summary : After the bout with Nobunaga, the STN-J is under review from Solomon Agent Saunders and his deputy, David Rica, but is there more to Rica than meets the eye? And what about Robin and Michael's continuing romance?

Disclaimer : I do not own Witch Hunter Robin® or any characters. They are registered Trade Mark™ of Sunrise® and now apparently Sci-Fi™. This story was written strictly out of the fact I enjoy writing and I enjoy watching Witch Hunter Robin®. I am making no money off of this, only reviews.

Nor do I own the song Fire and Rain ; I just borrowed its title.

Storyline, Plot, Sarah Rhodes©, Joe Saunders©, and David Rica© are all my property.

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Three hundred and twenty years have passed.

Since the Coven sank in the dark.

An unknown review

                                    An undead witch

            Seeing the world

                                    Through dead eyes.

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Footsteps.

One of Amon's greatest strengths was hearing those minute footstep sounds that most people ignored. Even when people were walking quietly in padded shoes, he would still hear them. He would still hear their sound. And when he heard their sound he could shoot them. And that made all the difference in his business

Amon held his gun aloft in his hand, finger poised on the trigger. The witch was around somewhere, and she was out for revenge. That always made things dangerous. A mad witch who knew nothing about the Hunters was a mighty foe, but mad witch who knew about them took away Amon's one, greatest power.

Surprise.

You can't be surprised when you know exactly what hunts you. You can't be surprised when you know exactly what is happening. Keeping his right hand poised firmly on the gun and keeping it next to his face, he reached his left hand behind him and made a fist.

Robin, who in a rare instant actually was partnered up with her actual partner Amon, she nodded upon seeing his fist. It was a military symbol, one that Robin had learned while training for her job.

And while guns and military symbols were not unusual for most government agencies, the STN-J was different.

“YOU!”

Amon gave a sigh and turned to his right. The old warehouse they were in was a two story building, Karasuma and Doujima, fresh off medical leave, were walking along those corridors. And yet Amon had found the witch first.

“You killed him!”

Amon raised his gun and fired, but before his bullets ever hit their target they exploded in mid air. Sarah Rhodes had been practicing in the few weeks since she became a witch.

Then the wall behind Robin and Amon exploded, throwing them both down to the ground. Robin watched as her glasses fell off of her eyes and onto the ground. She could still try her fire powers, but it was dangerous.

More shots rang out towards the Witch but she destroyed them in mid air. Sarah turned around and saw Doujima. Normally Doujima wasn't the one to be this involved in work, but she had been so happy to get real food on this day instead of that hospital crud that she was working almost as hard as the rookie Sakaki.

Rhodes looked up and the loft that Doujima stood on exploded, dropping the blonde, she would have been back in the hospital, or perhaps a grave six feet under, but Karasuma reached out her hand and grabbed Doujima before she fell.

“You all must die!”



Amon was working as far as he could to free himself from his new prison underneath of what was once the wall he had walked by. Still he was pinned and he had no chance of escaping as of yet.

Suddenly more shots rang out. Sarah span around to destroy them, but she tripped on the ground and fell. A puddle of water was right beneath her feet. Sarah looked up at the sky in pain and felt a surge of anger. She tried to get up but the same puddle that had been beneath her feet a moment ago was now floating before her.

Sarah watched in amazement as the water before her eyes that floated began to expand, began to grow. Her mouth dropped open in wonder and when it did the water flew into her mouth in the blink of an eye.

She began to make gurgling sounds and began to fall backwards onto her back. As she did the water continued to jet into her mouth as if it shot from an invisible hose. She banged her fist on the ground and tried to breath, but it did not work.

Robin watched as someone she had never before seen appeared walking inside from the way she and Amon had come. He was an American, with a handsome face behind his dark sunglasses. He wore a navy blue jacket much like the ones Amon and Karasuma were wearing.

“Now, now, lil' puppy, you shouldn'ta gone and done all that now.”



The man had an American accent, but Robin couldn't place it right away. She had been raised in Italy, and while there she learned to speak three languages fluently, yet even though she spoke English she had never heard his method of speech before. It wasn't his speech, however, that worried Robin.

It was the fact he was a craft-user.

“Enough.”

The man with the sunglasses turned around to reveal a second man none of the STN-J had seen. He was tubby and gray haired, wearing a white pinstripe suit. He carried with him a long cane made of solid wood, with a metal handle.

“But of course Mr. Saunders, I was just puttin' our little puppy in ‘er place.”



The man smiled broadly and all at once the jet of water had stopped shooting into Sarah's mouth. It didn't matter, though, since she was drowned already. Dead now, just as Kita Nobunaga, the person whose live she had been avenging was.

Time passed slowly as Amon and Robin were freed from the large piece of what was once wall. When at last the two had been set free, and Doujima and Karasuma had re-joined the main group, the man in white, Mr. Saunders, gave an explanation.

Of course, Amon knew right away that Saunders and the man in the navy jacket were, of course, STN agents. Still Amon didn't like foreign STN operatives interfering in his investigations.

“My name.” The man in white said. “Is Joseph Saunders, I'm from Solomon.”



Amon didn't look impressed.


”My, my, my.” The man in the navy jacket said. “And here I thought the STN-J was supposed to be useful.”


Many pairs of angry eyes turned on him, but he merely flashed them a nice smile.

“You must forgive me for mah own rudeness. David Rica, at your service.” The New Orleans native smiled once again and flashed a smile at Amon that infuriated the dark hunter to a boiling point. It was unusual for someone to get under Amon's skin so much, and Karasuma noticed it.

“Enough.” Saunders said simply. “I want to see Zaizen.”



----

“Yes I understand.”

It was odd.

When Michael Lee's life had been spared from by Zaizen after he hacked into their personal files, he had imagined that Zaizen was a man with no equal. A man who was greater than most of the people with his powers. And while over the years Michael knew that Zaizen had bosses just like everyone else, those bosses were always people on a phone and people far away over the seas, and now one of those bosses was here.

“Now Zaizen, I don't want this to become a problem, but you do understand why I'm doing this.” Saunders asked.

“Yes, I do.” Though Zaizen spoke with the utmost respect, it was clear to any who looked into his eyes that he was angry. Very angry.


”Good.” Saunders smiled. “Now I'll be having a look down at the Factory, David will be staying here, evaluating your team's performance.”



All four of the Witch Hunters who stood in the room didn't like that news. Michael wondered if that meant this David Rica would be evaluating him as well.

“Now let's go.” Saunders spoke again to Zaizen, ignoring everyone else.

”Of course, sir .” The words looked almost painful for Zaizen to speak. As the two entered the elevator Zaizen nodded twice to Michael, who got the message. It was an old code the two of them had worked up; it meant that Rica was on a need-to-know basis.

As Zaizen and Saunders vanished, Rica spun around on the spot and took off his sunglasses. He breathed on them and rubbed them on his shirt before placing them back on his face.


”N'ow.” He said smugly. “Some of you may know why I'm here. The rest of you may not. But the reason happens to be the fact your boss is a complete, what's the word you use, baka? And the rest of you are what, back in New Orleans, we'd call screw ups.”

“That is not fair.” Robin said. Michael sighed and shook his head. He wished he had a way to warn Robin, but the damage was done.

”Oh? And why not lil' puppy?” Rica asked sarcastically.


”Because you do not know us, you base everything on what you've read.”

Rica's smile only grew. “Allow me to explain this to you little girl, you read our files about Witches, and then you kill them--“

”We don't kill witches here.” Michael corrected, defending both the STN-J and Robin at once.


Rica ignored him. “And yet when I read your files and assume things about you I am wrong? Little hypocritical are you there miss?”

Robin would not let this go. She was angry and she had a child's stubborn nature. “We read about a witch's entire life, you're basing this on one case.”

Rica shrugged, but the annoying grin on his face did not vanish. “Well you're opinion will be noted, but let me tell you lil' lady, your jobs are in my hands, so I'd watch that mouth of yours.”

Michael was ready to spat something, almost involuntarily, but Amon beat him to the chance.


”Our jobs depend on more than whether you like us or not. Besides.” The dark hunter said darkly. “It is your boss who decides that.”



Rica's annoying smile grew to be a smile that irritated one straight through the skin. “You don't like me, do you Mr. Amon?”

Amon said nothing. He had become no more than a statue, because that was his way. He may say something, but he may also go on forever without speaking a word.


”Well I don't like you either.” Rica said at last. “But the fact is five members of a five member STN group were assigned to sick leave last month. That is not a efficient Witch Hunting group.”



“Nobunaga was a special case.” Karasuma said.


”Yeah, he was a frickin' psycho.” Doujima added.

Rica laughed a laugh even more annoying than his smile. “Maybe, but that is no excuse. And this Sakaki screw up is still gone.”

”He was stabbed.” Robin said bitterly.


”Do I look like I care?” Rica asked, annoying smile lighting up once more. “Listen folks, I don't really give a dam' if you like me or not, you just betta' hope I like you.”

----

It was late, Rica had gone off to the hotel he'd be staying at, and the rest of the STN-J, after a sigh of relief, and some words exchanged about their new ‘reviewer', a discussion that even Chief Kosaka joined in with a few choice expletives that would have only made Rica's smile become unbearable.

It was odd, even with the constant quarrels that went on, (Kosaka and Doujima's never ending battle over the smallest things, or Robin's little sighs whenever she was treated like a child), when someone like Rica appeared in their midst, every one of the STN-J gave up those small fights.


Now, however, the STN-J were on their way home for the night. It was only Michael, who of course was already home for the night, Robin, who always left late on some nights, and Doujima, who, unlike the rest of the STN-J, had noticed the little hints.

And so they sat there. Michael at his desk typing away so fast it was impossible to tell what he was doing, Robin beside him, staring out of the window up at the moon, and Doujima in the chair behind them, reading a magazine.

“I'll make some coffee.” Robin said at last.

”I take mine with sugar.” Doujima said, looking up.

Robin nodded and then walked off. It struck Doujima as odd that she didn't ask Michael how he wanted his coffee. It was then she grinned broadly, in what could have been an impression of David Rica. She looked over at Michael and her grin became big and toothy.

After a moment Michael stopped typing and turned around. “What?”

”Oh, nothing.” Doujima lied.

Finally Robin returned, and brought them three coffee mugs. She handed on to Doujima and then placed one next to Michael. On his left side, away from his typing arms, so he didn't accidentally knock it over, something she had learned the hard way.

But upon seeing this it was the last bit of evidence Doujima needed.


”So how long has it been going on?”

Michael continued to type and ignore her, but Robin's child like curiosity made her ask: “How long has what been going on?”

Doujima laughed. “Don't play dumb. I mean you two.”

Robin flushed a bright red and shook her head. She didn't know how to answer that. Michael seamed to be ignoring Doujima, which Robin should have done. Really, nothing was “going on”, but still Robin was unsure of even that.

Was something going on?



“Well?” Doujima asked, becoming a bit fed up.


Still Robin just sat, unsure of what to answer so she answered nothing, for saying the wrong thing would be much ruder than saying nothing at all, and Michael ignored the world around him completely.

“Fine!” Doujima spat at last. “But it's obvious.”



Doujima sighed and walked over to the elevator and vanished from sight. Neither Robin nor Michael spoke, they just went on as they had before Doujima had left. Finally the night wore on, and even the coffee couldn't keep Robin's eyelids open anymore. Realizing she still had a long drive home, even on her scooter, she stood up and began to walk towards the elevator.


”Good night Michael.”

“See you tomorrow Robin.”

And so she disappeared down the elevator.

And once she vanished Michael sighed. Things were . . . complicated.

----

In a nice hotel on the side of town, David Rica lay back on his bed. His navy jacket and STN uniform had been replaced by a robe, and his sunglasses lay on the desk next to him.

He sighed. It was annoying watching TV in another country, and because of it he switched it off. He spoke Japanese, but he was becoming fed up.

Looking around the room Rica had to admit it was a nice hotel room. Solomon could afford a better one, but David wasn't surprise. At least he hadn't had to “bunk up” with Saunders again. That would have infuriated him greatly.

Suddenly a phone was ringing. Not the one of the bedside table, but the cellular one in his jacket. Crossing over to the room he grabbed the phone from the inside pocket and checked his caller ID. A smirk appeared on his face and he answered it.

“You know what hour it is here?” Rica asked. He listened to the answer on the other end and laughed. “Indeed. Is everything over there ready?” A pause, a second answer from the phone and then a smile, not the annoying one of fake charm and sarcasm, but a smile that was made in hell.

  “Excellent. We begin in the morning.”

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Konnichiwa!



Well folks, here it is, Fire and Rain

The sequel to Time Off

Has everyone enjoyed it so far?

Good!

I may not update quite as often as I did on Time Off, because I'm also working on the second season of my surprisingly popular Inuyasha story, SKH, and my new Highlander story, just a warning.

More WHR : Fire and Rain coming soon.

Oh, and before I forget, I am looking for someone to be a Beta Reader for Fire and Rain

You must have a valid email address so I can send you the chapters; you must be able to respond to beta emails in 24 hours of receiving them, and you must have at least a basic understanding of spelling and grammar.

Hopefully a better understanding than mine. But most of all I'd like someone who has seen all 26 episodes of WHR and can stop me from making small, stupid mistakes about the actual characters. Like if a line seamed OOC or something.

So if you're interested, tell me in your reply and I'll get back to you.


Ja Ne


~ Golden-sama