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~Robin~Sometimes, she dreams…Darkness surrounds her. Then an eerie, glowing light.The walls close in on her. Protecting her, keeping her from capture. Keeping her from protecting her love.Shots scream through the silence.The deeper roar of theirs, the quieter hiss of his.Then, oppressive silence returns. She holds her breath. Waiting, hoping for him to return.The sound of a body collapsing breaks the heavy silence.She wakes, crying his name, her heart pounding in her chest, sweat on her brow.Sometimes, she dreams…He lands in front of her. The hand cupping her head draws her close.This time, she closes the distance between them, bringing him into the darkness with her. They fall back but not onto hard stone. There is softness beneath them. A bed.Lips meet and meld. Flesh caresses flesh.Murmured words, gasps of surprise, moans of pleasure.He rises over her, eyes flashing silver. She arches beneath him, eyes dark with desire.Two become one. Heat consumes them.She wakes, crying his name, her heart pounding in her chest, sweat on her brow.Sometimes, she dreams…
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~Amon~“Mommy! Mommy! Look what I made.” A little boy ran up to a dark haired woman. He waved a paper in her face, proud of his drawing. Tears filled her eyes as she looked down at him.She bent down and gathered him into a fierce hug. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. Please forgive me, love.” She pushed away from him and went over to the man standing behind them. The boy peered at him, trying to see his face but it was cloaked in shadow.Suddenly she screamed, clutching her head and falling to her knees. “Run! They’re after you!” She looked to the man who seemed to hesitate between saving his life and going to his lover. She began to sob uncontrollably. “Go! Go now! Run!” He looked one last time at them and ran.The boy slowly approached her. “Mommy?” He touched her head as she rocked back and forth on the floor. She jerked away.“The voices. The voices. They won’t leave me alone.” She stared, wide eyed and frightened.He approached her once more. “Mommy, it’s okay. I’m here.” She looked at him with recognition for one, brief moment then her eyes clouded over again.She lashed out, striking him, knocking him to the ground. “Get away from me!”He woke and his face once again slipped into the mask he always wore.
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Nagira
Lights were flashing and bells were ringing. “Jackpot!” Pachinko chips were flying out of the machine, forming piles around his feet. Beautiful girls saddled up to him, draping themselves over him, kissing his cheeks. “Congratulations!” They shouted, pressing closer. “Ahhhh, life is good.” Nagira leaned into their embrace as the chips continued to pile up around them. Suddenly, amidst the caresses and flashing lights, the machine began to rock violently. Nagira tore his attention away from the beauties just in time to shield his eyes as it exploded. “What the hell?!” The chips swirled around him, coming together to make a human form. With Hana’s voice. “Mr. Nagira, there’s still case files you need to go over.” He fled at top speed but it gained on him. “They’re not going to review themselves. We have clients coming in.” Fear filled him and he ran faster. “Mr. Nagira. Mr. Nagira!” He woke with a start, his hand pressed to his chest, breathing heavily. As soon as he got his breathing under control, he flopped back into bed. “Damn, I hate that game.”
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Doujima
Mountains of colors, textures and patterns surrounded her. Everything was in her size and everything was on sale. “I love shopping!” She dove into a particularly large pile of clothes next to her. Soon after, clothes were flying everywhere, accompanied by happy squeals, longing sighs, and shouts of pleasure. “Silk.” “Oh look at this dress.” “Oh my God, I’ve been looking for a shirt like this.” She let out a victorious cry and dove for a sweater. “Cashmere! Oh, Lord, feel this.” She rubbed her face against it and sighed in pure bliss.O.o.o.o.o.OMichael looked down at the sleeping form of Doujima. Luckily for her, Kosaka and Hattori were out. So were Karasuma and Sakaki. Deciding to let her sleep, he went back to typing. A sudden squeal had him turning back to her. She had a large smile plastered to her face and she was mumbling. He looked around, making sure he was alone, and leaned in closer to hear. “…dress… looking… cashmere.” His eyebrow rose and he shook his head. He went to go back to his seat but another sound caught his attention. He leaned in even closer. “Oh God. Is she… purring?”
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Karasuma
Waves of emotion slammed into her, memories of all the people she’s ever touched. Intense sadness, choking fear, blinding rage. Her vision dimmed and her body shook as she was bombarded by thoughts not her own. Her blessing. Insight into the hearts of others. The ability to touch their minds. Saving people with her knowledge, hunting others condemned by their own memories. Her curse. Bombarded with hatred and fear. Nightmarish images not hers, heartbreaking memories where she doesn’t know anyone. Intense pain flowing into her body, making her shake violently. She clutches her head to block the images and emotions. She falls to her knees as the shadows close in around her. Tears cascade down her face as she whispers, “Please stop. Just leave me alone.” She wakes crying and the man next to her stirs. He draws her into his embrace, surrounding her in peace and love. “Shhhh. It’s alright, love. It’s alright. I’m here.” She leans into his body, drawing in his warmth and comfort.
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Amon
His mother collapsed to the floor in front of him. She was lost in her mind, lost to her powers. He stood across from her and tried to reach her. He called to her, softly at first then with greater urgency. She looked up at him and howled in rage. She screamed in his mind, her pain and anguish beating against the inside of his skull. His scream of pain joined with hers to create a deafening roar. The pain left him panting on all fours. He struggled to draw breath, sweat pouring down his face. He pushed to his feet and drew his gun. “You can’t control it and I won’t let you be consumed by this.” She smiled and her face began to melt. Flames surrounded her, shielding her from view. The heat was intense and he needed to shield his eyes from the brightness. The flames died down and he looked back to see Robin in his mother’s place. The fire burned in a low circle around her, bathing her in soft light. His gun had never wavered. Her green eyes were soft as she looked at him. “Do you think me a witch?” He shook his head. “Are you afraid of me?” Again he shook his head. “Are you afraid for me?” His hand tightened around the gun. “I am not.” The flames began to lick greedily at the hem of her dress, slowly edging upwards. She spread her arms wide. “Do you think that I’ll let the power consume me?” The flames rose higher. “You don’t need to worry, I’m strong.” They reached her shoulders. “I won’t let it. I won’t disappoint you.” The flames rose above her head. He watched as the flames closed around her. He started to move forward but stopped. He was torn between the desire to protect her and the fear of loving another woman. A wind blew through and her face appeared between the flames; serene and trusting. He’d see her face like that once before; when he’d almost ended her life. He couldn’t be afraid anymore. Not of her power, not of his power, not of his feelings for her. He dove through the flames, tackling her around the middle. Together they rolled out of the fire. He clasped her to his chest and buried his face in the crook of her neck. They stayed that way, kneeling in the center of the room, while the flames slowly died. She brought her arms around him, returning his embrace. “Do you know what you want now?” He looked into her eyes and nodded. Slowly, his head bent down and captured her lips. It was a gentle kiss but it held the promise for so much more. After a while he released her mouth and looked down at her. She smiled up at him. “Amon. Amon…”O.o.o.o.o.O “Amon!” He slowly came awake at the prodding of the soft voice calling his name and the gentle hand on his shoulder. He blinked and looked into Robin’s emerald eyes. She smiled, the same smile he’d seen countless times, the smile from his dream. “It’s time to go.” He sat up, watching her move about the room gracefully. He couldn’t deny it anymore. He finally knew what he wanted and now it was time to go after it. The corners of his mouth lifted in a small smirk. And he always got what he went after.
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Sakaki
They were on a hunt like old times but this witch was trickier then most. Miho, Yurika and Robin were caught in a cage… and wearing school girl uniforms. Michael was in the corner, crying over a heap of broken components… the remains of his computer. And Amon, the rock of the STN-J, the pillar of strength for the group, was on the floor, crying for help as the witch stood over him. The witch threw his head back and laughed maniacally. “I am invincible. There is no one who could defeat me.” The sound of an engine revving was all the warning he had before the motorcycle crashed through the window and skidded to a halt on the other side of the room. “I can stop you.” Sakaki pulled his helmet off and a convenient breeze moved through his sexily tousled locks. “Not the Great Hunter Sakaki! Anyone but him.” The witch dropped to his knees and kowtowed before him. “I give up. I’m no match for your greatness.” “Yea Sakaki!” The three girls chorused together. “You’re the best.” Amon was weeping with happiness. “Thank God you showed up. I realize now that I can never measure up to your greatness so I relinquish my role of sexy, dark, brooding leader to you.” Sakaki walked over to the cage and, with one well placed kick, broke the lock. The girls rushed out and jumped on him. “Sakaki, our hero!” They were showering him with kisses and appreciation while Michael asked for computer advice in the background. As Doujima placed a kiss directly on his lips he had one thought in his head, ‘Life is good.’O.o.o.o.o.O Doujima and Karasuma leaned against the table as they took in the sight of Sakaki snoring slightly with an enormous smile on his face. “You know,’ Doujima said thoughtfully, ‘he scares me when he smiles like that. I wonder what he’s dreaming about.” Karasuma shook her head. “It’s probably safer not to know.”
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Michael
The world exploded around him. Shrapnel and bullets flew past his head. Diving beneath the desk he covered his head, trying to drown out the sounds and the blinding light. With a painful yank, he was pulled from his cover. His arms were held in an iron grip and his head was forced back by the grip on his hair. Then, through the smoke, through the mix of light and dark, he came. Zaizen. “It seems a little rat was caught in our trap.” His smile was cold, hard and slightly insane. “Should we show him what we do to rats?” A gun appeared in his hand. Michael closed his eyes, blocking out the sight of his old apartment. ‘This isn’t what happened. This was years ago. This isn’t real!’ His eyes snapped open and his apartment was replaced by the office. But everything else stayed the same. Almost everything. Zaizen stood before him with the same insane smile, but his face was melting. Globs of flesh fell, hitting the floor with a sickening splat. “You can’t escape from me Michael. None of you can.” Sensing movement to his right Michael struggled to turn his head. Miho. She knelt between two of Zaizen’s men, eyes wide and afraid. Zaizen walked towards her and placed the gun against her head. “One by one, till all the walls fall.” He looked to Michael and smiled. “And you’re helpless to do anything about it.” He squeezed the trigger, ending Miho’s terrified scream. Michael felt the blood and gray matter shower over him. “Miho.” Her name emerged as a sob. She was gone. Gone. And there was nothing he could do to stop it. “Now, let’s see who’d next.” Zaizen continued to smile with his mostly fleshless face, clearly anticipating what was coming. And Michael was forced to watch as his friends were marched before him, forced to their knees and executed. Robin. Dojima. Sakaki. Amon. Hattori. The Chief. Even the Master. One by one they fell. Their screams echoed in his ears. Their blood covered his body. Their accusing stares stayed with him even as they died. As the last one collapsed, Zaizen turned towards him, his face a grinning skull. “Where are your gadgets now? What good are your skills? You’re nothing without people to protect you. Weak. Useless. And, now… dead.” The gun rested against his temple. It roared into the silence and he woke screaming.O.o.o.o.o.O He was on the couch at the office. He’d been working late, gathering information on a case he found interesting when he decided to take a nap. Now the dream left him shattered. Tears ran silently down his face as he shook violently. “I couldn’t… I couldn’t…” “Michael?” His head snapped up at the sound of her voice. “Miho?” She was kneeling by his side when he threw his arms around her. She moved to sit next to him as she cradled him in her arms. It frightened her that the one who was always so together seemed so lost. So she did all she could to calm him. Holding him tight she stroked his back and whispered calming words into his ear. After a while his shaking ceased but he continued to hold her. “Kami, Miho. I thought I lost you.” His whispered words were almost too quiet to hear. But hear them she did. She hugged him tighter and whispered back. “You never will.” Behind them, dawn crept through the window.