Witch Hunter Robin

Time Off

Chapter III - First Kiss, Sorta

Rated : PG for Mild Violence

Summary : While hunting a Witch with the ability to distort time, Robin is shot by will the Orbo. Because of it, she is forced to spend time as Michael's assistant, while she recovers. Meanwhile Amon may not be able to defeat the new Time Witch. Robin/Michael

Disclaimer : (I always forget these) 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.

Storyline, Plot, and Kita Nobunaga© are all my property.

-----

Zaizen sat in his office and he was in an even worse mood than he had been in years. The news of Karasuma and Doujima's accident had reached him. While both of the girls had survived the ordeal, they'd both be out of commission for a while, something that he couldn't have.

Zaizen was a fair man; he did things differently than most of the other Heads of the Organization. He didn't kill the witches, and he had spared Michael's life when he hacked into their systems. He couldn't stay in his old ways of fairness while four of his hunters were all out of duty.

“Amon.”

The dark hunter was standing in the corner of Zaizen's office. He wasn't in a good mood either, but that wasn't so out of the ordinary.

”Yes?”

“You have one more chance to capture him.” Zaizen said quietly. “If we can't capture this Nobunaga, we have no choice but to terminate him.”

Amon nodded. “I understand.”

Zaizen sighed and pushed his coffee mug away and shook his head.

”Amon, do you think you can capture him alone?”

Amon nodded and turned to the door; before he walked away he turned his head over his shoulder and called back to his boss. “I'll stop him.”

Zaizen nodded and turned his chair to the window, looking out at the sunset.

----

“Sakaki, get me some tea.” Kosaka said from his seat. He was in a horrible mood, even worse than Zaizen, and Sakaki was happy that tea was the extent of his wishes.

“Yes sir.”

Still the rookie officer wouldn't look anyone in the eyes. He was still depressed, and he hadn't spoken to Robin at all. He couldn't.

“Sakaki.”

In his hurry to make the tea for the Chief, Sakaki hadn't heard Robin approaching. She was now standing behind him, but she had a smile on her face, instead of a reproachful look.

Sakaki said nothing; he just turned away from her and continued to make the coffee. Robin frowned and placed her hand on his shoulder.

“Sakaki, I am not mad.”

The rookie sighed and turned around to face Robin, but he didn't look her in her eyes, he couldn't do that.

”Robin, I, I”

Before Sakaki could say anything else he just hung his head and shook it from side to side. Then he turned and hurried out of the room. Shouts from Kosaka could be heard for coming back without tea, but Sakaki would rather be in trouble than have to face Robin.

“Give him time.”

Robin turned her head from the doorway Sakaki had vanished through to Michael. She sighed.

”I don't blame him.” Robin spoke quietly, almost sadly.

”He blames himself.” The hacker explained. “He'll come around, just give him time, okay Robin?”

Robin nodded and tried to smile.

“Come on, let's go get dinner at Harry's, I hear it's better than the food we have here.”

Robin nodded once more, but quickly her face melted into a questioning look. “But you cannot--“

”Its okay.” Michael said. “Zaizen told me to keep an eye on you.”

Robin smiled, but this time it was a genuine smile. Maybe some good would come out of her injuries, if it meant Michael could spend some time outside of the office.

“Let's go then.”

----

Karasuma was lying in the hospital bed, a machine hooked into her nose to help her breath. She had been out cold for hours, but now she was waking up. Her eyes focused and she realized right away she was in the hospital. She could barley move and he entire body ached.

She wondered if Doujima was okay, but she couldn't see anyone to ask that question too, no doctors or nurses were in her field of view, but as she couldn't turn her head, she wasn't sure of that.

“The doctor is tending to Doujima.”

She suddenly heard Amon's voice and relief spread over her.

”Did we . . . get him?” Karasuma tried to choke out.

“Not yet.” Amon said. She heard footsteps, and then Amon's head loomed into view. She tried to give him a feeble smile, but it hurt so she stopped.

“How's Robin?” Karasuma managed to ask. Amon shrugged.

”Fine. Michael was taking her to Harry's when I left.”

Karasuma's face managed to look surprised behind all of the bandages and hoses. “Michael?”

”Yeah. Now sleep. I'm going after Nobunaga.”

Karasuma now looked worried. “Amon.” She knew him much to well to know nothing she could say would change his mind. It was dangerous to fight a witch alone, but if anyone could, Amon could. “Be careful, okay?”

Amon said nothing as he walked away.

----

”Oh, Robin welcome.”

Robin and Michael took their seats at the bar and soon Master Harry brought over their orders.

”Well Michael, I hardly recognized you.” Master said in astonishment. “I haven't seen you since I came to deliver for Mr. Zaizen.”

Robin felt a bit of joy as she sat there, sipping on the soup next to Michael. She couldn't explain it. She knew it was a hard time for everyone, she was injured, Sakaki was in trouble, and now Karasuma and Doujima were in the hospital.

And even with all of the trouble, even with her own safety still pending. She was happy. Michael was eating outside of Raven's Flat. It made her happy to know that even in such horrible times, there was still some happiness to be found.

“Robin.”

She was broke out of her happy trance by Michael's voice. His voice had lost all of it's happiness and now had a tone of anxiety in it. She noticed Michael was staring at her and she wondered what was going on.

“Listen, um, this probably isn't the best time, but --“

Robin was curious to know what Michael was getting at, he seamed different.

“I just . . . thank you.”

Robin tilted her head, wondering what he meant.

”I mean.” He continued quickly. “I don't mean thanks for getting shot, but, well, thanks for getting me out of that building. Even if it's just for now.”

Robin suddenly understood and she smiled at him and shook her head a bit. “I'm just glad some good came from all of this, that's all.”

Michael nodded and returned to his soup.

----

Not far from Raven's Flat is an old Dojo. Most people just pass it by, since no one had lived there, or taught class there, in years. But Kita Nobunaga did not pass it by.

Now he stood, wearing a Dojo Garb. An old white karate uniform, tied with a black sash. In his hands was a Katana, the sword of the Japanese.

In front of him was a large manikin he'd found in the trash can behind a department story on the main road. Now he had dressed the manikin in his weather stained trench coat, and a white card had been attached to it's chest, a card that read “Hunter.”

Word of Fletcher's fall had reached Nobunaga, and he was in a bad mood. He wondered if the hunters who attacked him two nights ago and the ones who had apprehended Mr. Fletcher last night were the same.

“Hyah!”

He thrust out the Katana in the Kendo style and slashed the manikin across it's chest. His anger was building and he slashed again, this time cutting the manikin's arm clear off. With another grunt he jammed the Katana into the chest of his plastic foe.

“I will hunt you down Witch Hunter.”

He pulled the Katana from the chest and spun around, when he spun back around he hacked the head off the Manikin and then re-sheathed his sword to the scabbard that hung from his sash.

“I will destroy you, Witch Hunter.”

He closed his eyes and relaxed his body, and when his eyes opened again everything else in the room was moving very slowly. A bird flying by his window was now no faster than a snail.

“I will kill you, Witch Hunter.”

With another blinking of his eyes, time returned to normal around him. He smiled and pulled the Katana from it's sheath once more. He would soon be after the Hunters. He'd take revenge for himself, and for Mr. Fletcher.

----

Michael's car, well really a card he had borrowed from the Chief, stopped in front of the apartment building where Robin lived with Touko. He stopped the car and turned to the passenger seat, where Robin was sitting. She was returning home to her apartment tonight, which meant Touko, could watch her.

Robin was tired; apparently the Orbo bullets had taken their toll on her strength because she was having trouble getting her seat belt undone. Michael reached over and helped her; she gave him a warm smile.

Robin opened the door, but almost fell over. Michael quickly ran across to the other side of the car and helped her up; she smiled and thanked him again.

Once inside Robin apartment she ran over to her bedroom to get changed, while Michael jumped down onto the living room couch. Touko would be home soon, and Michael could leave.

“Goodnight!” Robin's voice called.

”Sleep well.” Michael called back.

Michael just lay there on the couch, and he was happy. He was out of the STN-J building, he wasn't having to work, and he had made Robin smile.

He shook his head. He was getting fed up. If he didn't know better he'd say he was developing a crush for his fifteen year old co-worker. Something he couldn't do. Besides the fact she would never go out with him, even if she would, could he really ask her to do that?

To date someone who was confined to the same damn building for the rest of his life? He shook his head. And even besides all of that, she was a co-worker, and office romance was a bad idea.

And still, she was cute, and he did like redhead . . .

“Damn it.” Michael sat up and shook his head. He couldn't have a crush on her. That was just . . . wrong.

Still, somehow he was drawn over to the doorway of her bedroom. He looked over at her as she lay there asleep and he forgot all those reason why it wouldn't work, and all he thought about was how peacefully cute she looked while asleep.

Before he knew what he was doing he was at her bedside, and he was leaning down. His lips brushed against her forehead for the slightest of seconds before he came to he came to his senses and walked away.

He walked over to the front door and turned around once last time.

“Goodnight, little Robin.”