- Ghost in the Shell -

"Blood for Blood"

Author's Note:

Okay, this is my second shot at a story. I hope that I've learned some things from advice and reading stories done by Risensoldier and Deunen4eva so hopefully this will be good enough that you'll enjoy it. As always comment, critiques and advice are all welcome.

Oh yeah, I own no part of Ghost in the Shell of course, this is just my own imagination!

-:-

Chapter 1 – Hate

In the dim light of his office at the back his warehouse, Sergei sat in silence, staring at the framed picture that was sitting on his desktop. He idly noticed that the smoke from the cigarette he was smoking, illuminated by the overhead light, curled and twisted as it climbed towards the ceiling. It almost seemed to take some tortured pathway as it climbed, sort of like his thoughts on this dark night.

As he stared at the picture all he felt was pain, that and the need for revenge against those who had hurt him.

"Nicholai, son, I will pay these people back for taking you from me. I will make them pay."

It had been a year now since his son's death, and Sergei had just about completed his plans for exacting his revenge upon Section 9.

The fact that Nicholai had been one of his henchmen, a killer and vicious thug to boot, meant nothing. Blood was blood after all and it must be avenged.

Sergei was the head of a small branch of a crime family, and he ran his entire organization from this office. While he took council from some of his older, more trustworthy men, he called the shots on how things went and made the decisions.

He alone was the boss, you see, and he had always envisioned turning this role over to his only son Nicholai, now dead. With no heir left he felt empty; it was as if the future had been destroyed.

The hate and thoughts of violence that boiled up out of his heart were so black and twisted that he could almost feel himself shaking.

Sergei reached over to the phone and dialed a number. A voice answered after one ring.

"Yes?"

"Anatoly. Get those four men I talked to you about and head over to the office at the pier. We need to talk."

"Right away, Boss." Click.

Sergei exhaled and looked at the phone as he put it down. He had such a death grip on it his knuckles were white. "Soon Major, soon we will see how you feel about losing your people. They won't be your own blood but I will kill them all the same."

Sergei glanced back to his son's picture. "Nicky, I promise she will know who did this, I swear."

With that Sergei levered himself up out of his chair, turned and headed out the door towards his car. The wind was cold and disturbed his jacket and hair but he hardly seemed to notice.

As Sergei slowed his car and parked it behind the rundown building at the end of the pier's warehouses he noticed two other cars already there.

"Good, they're here. Now to get on with this." Sergei walked inside and took a seat at the table where his men already were waiting for him.

"Okay Boss, we're here so what's the story?"

Sergei's eyed darted towards his henchman with a look that would freeze water into ice. "Anatoly, you should remember the cat that died from curiosity."

Each of the four were trusted men who had been with him a long time. Hit men who were both skilled and had experience in killing and combat. Even a casual observer could tell that these men weren't dock workers. Their eyes, their attitudes and the scars they bore told the story of what they were.

Sergei looked around and held the gaze of each man for a second before continuing.

"All of you remember my son, my Nicholai. You also remember who killed him, correct?"

"Yeah, Boss. Sure. Yeah, several voices chimed in with appropriate responses.

"Well it's time now to settle this debt with those who were responsible for his death. Those who killed my son."

Sergei unfolded a map he took from his jacket and spread it out onto the tabletop so they could all see it and follow his words. "Now listen carefully."