A/N-This story will get pretty heavy soon, so if you cannot stomach the subject of abuse, then don't read it. There will also be drugs, but only a few characters a smoking pot.
Disclaimer: Read my pro. It's in there.
Dedication: Thanks DemonicDragon202 for getting my ass into gear for posting this : ). Chs 1-3 are dedicated to you, amoung other situations that you've helped me get through during shop.
I
"Who knew Boss Man was born a country boy." The wrestler built cyborg shrugged, grinning at the faded images of green rounded hills and orange sunsets that flashed in his memory.
"I forget sometimes," was the reply, "I just couldn't resist the exciting city life!"
Section 9 was sent to a small town in the sticks of Northern Japan. It happened to be Kaeru, Batou's home town. He left when he was a teen, around the same time he enlisted in the army and never looked back.
There were numerous reports of drug, bomb, android, and weapon smuggling along Kaeru's coast. Many terrorists used the backwater village to keep from being suspicious. Feeling entitled, Batou requested to clean up his town to what it once was. He was approved by Aramaki and assigned with Motoko, Saito, Pazu, and Togusa joining him. Two tachikomas, of course, tagged along behind the 'inconspicuous' black vans.
Togusa, who road with Batou, did his best not to picture his giant friend in denim overalls, a rake in his hand, complete with mussed straw hat. He forced himself to focus on the nature that was untouched outside the passenger window.
"I can't believe you came from a place like this."
Batou's heart swelled with pride. "It is beautiful." He frowned in disappointment. "Too bad it turned to shit…"
Knowing that bothered his friend greatly, Togusa asked, "Do you still have family here?"
"No idea. I never got along with my father and my mother died after my second leave for the war. In any case, we were the 'black sheep' of the family."
Togusa blinked. "'We'? You have siblings?"
"A sister. She's 15 or 18 years younger. I can't remember." He sat back, waiting for traffic to continue. "I don't know what happened to her. She wrote to me once, then never again. She probably ran away." Togusa did not pry into what that meant.
"Batou, this place must be boring," Pazu joked, once they parked the vans. "We didn't pass one bar on our way." A few weeks before the mission was finalized, the team rented out rooms at Kazoku Hotel, which was pretty prestigious for such a no-name town.
Batou closed the car door. "Don't blame me! I haven't been here since about 25 years ago!" The team started from the parking lot to the hotel entrance. "Used to be overrun with elderly…"
His reminisce was proven false when a sports car raced at about 80mph, then slammed on its breaks, nearly driving into a car in front of it.
"Times change." The Major pointed out sadly, through her typical tone sounded indifferent.