Author's note: The phrase " It's going to be alright" has been heartbreaking for me, inspiration for this story.
Note: I don't own Ghost in the Shell or Saito.
My name is Saito. I'm a soldier.
That means I fight. I'm strong. I don't buckle. I lift my weapon to my eye and fight, because I have a cause, because that's what I have to do. No matter what happens.
We're breaking into a run, as the commander barks our rush into the close confines of the hallway. This whole attack is meant to be a rush and rend mission. That means we get the job done, retrieve the hostages, no matter the cost. The weight of my weapon is nothing as we make our way to our objective.
Rush. We make it to a door. I step back, covering a friend as they brace themselves to break it down. Another soldier, comrade takes a position, same as me, covering the door. A moment of tranquility, before we go in.
" Jakiro, the cops are coming! " I hear a voice. High, male, panicked. A slower, calmer voice laughs. A few barked orders from within - and we smash down the door, charging in! My comrades first, then me and one other, black armour providing no hindrance as the first of us spot the enemy. Rifle to shoulder, pull the trigger. Eyes open...
I spot my first enemy, and my gun barks the reapers call. A spray of blood rewards the hit, the target flailing as he hits the ground, parts of his cyberbrain visible. In that second, two of my comrades have gone down, a shout, as a heavy weapon sings with joy. I duck, roll, and take cover, cursing myself. I look around, and see the last man standing get ripped to pieces by the vengeful enemy.
I'm alone. My unit has fallen. We've failed. I'm pinned down behind a desk, with a heavy gunner shreding the furniture and the blood of my comrades staining my vision as it splatters across the floor. I hear footsteps, coming towards me...
A childs cry.
Fury wells within me. I will complete the mission. I will not let my country down. For victory, or death! With a yell, I stand, shoulder braced against the recoil of my rifle, the vengeance bullets winging to take down the heavy gunner and his comrade. A spray of shocked fire bites my shoulder before I grit my teeth and fire back, my eye of anger stabbing the guilty. The pain is nothing. The child is everything.
Like a storm, I cut down one, two, four and - my weapon goes spinning away. Knocked out from behind, a sharp blow to the back of the head that knocks me down. I kick, trying to take him down, but he moves and pushes me down. Grabbing the child he puts knife to throat and leers... I stop, icy fear snuffing my furnace of anger.
" What's the matter, Hotshot? Not so sure now, are you, BASTARD! " He says, drawing the line. A single drop of blood from the child neck swells, more vital than every soldiers blood in my entire team. A small cry as the child feels pain, a cry that brings a tear to my eye. I'm not a soldier. I'm just a human.
" Just... let him go. " I said, voice breaking. " Don't hurt the boy. "
" Oh, all caring now, are you! So HUMAN? What about my men, what are they? "He says, tears streaming down his face. He's not a monster. He's just trying to...
" Just go easy. No need to hurt the boy. " I say. One slip and the child... The knife shakes.
" I have to, don't you get it! " He shouts. I look, he's younger than I thought, 20 or something. " Otherwise you'll kill me! "
I look around. All his friends are dead... there may be hope. " You're the one holding the knife. "
The man looks down at the sobbing child and the blood on his knife. I hear shouts from outside. I don't know if they're friend or foe. My vision gets sluggish, my shoulder wound bleeding. A little blood trickles down my nose, getting caught in my stubble...
" Just put it down. You don't want to do this. " More shouts, this time they're police. The reinforcements...
The man grits his teeth, panicking. " SHUT UP! " He shouts. " YOU Just... " He breaks off, slumping away from the child, cutting a deep wound across the childs chest. The child screams, the man sinks to his knees as the next team comes in... he's crying, a monster...
The child. I stumble over, taking the boys hand. The wound is too deep. He's not going to survive. The child opens his lips, murmuring. I hold him close. I want to tell him it'll be all right, that he'll make it. That he'll live his life. That he'll come home and see his family. The words are on the tip of my tongue, but they catch in my throat. I can't lie...
I can't...
He won't see his family again. He's going to die. But I need to help him go, to ease the pain. To be the man who follows him through...
" It's " I begin, trailing off. He's not. It's not going to happen, I can't lie... We die alone...
" It's... Gonna be alright, Kid. " I say, voice breaking as my heart beats slower... My heart is broken. My vision swirls. " It's going to be all right. " I say. " It's going to be alright. " I say, slipping away from life. " It's gonna be alright. I'm here for you... "
Blackness. Eternity beckons.