Warning: Graphic Language and Situations – not so much for M rating but can be sensitive.

Leap Over Tandem

Episode 1
A Date At a Restaurant — LOVER
{Tandem Episode}

" Love is best served un-served…"

The world of kindergarten. Children playing. Learning. Some patterns of these interactions are etched into the memory forever.

I remember seeing a girl with a doll. Standing Alone. With the doll life seemed organized. I see the teacher mindlessly daydreaming in the summer heat.

Why is this important?

" Hey Matoko, are you awake? Hey...listen don't forget that you did plan to meet me today — don't say 'no' — c'mon I know you are busy with work but I don't want you to forget about us as pals. Ok...though if you do become busy tell me ok. Much love!"

The Major looks around and sees that there is a sun in the sky. She wonders if she had kept on the holographic view. Then touches the glass. The crazy stillness of a frosted architecture. She opens the window. No, it's not holographic this is the real window. And there is a bright sun outside. Matoko has an odd feeling. She wonders if there is any problem with her prosthetics.

At work there is nothing new happening. Section 9 has not much to face at the moment. The police were rounding up the normal cases. It seems the specialists were doing routine surveillance and intelligence gathering with the added record keeping. Matoko comes in and sees Togusa is on the range firing. Batou is just training the recruits. The chief talking to officials. It seems the work of their group recently has put no pressure on expanding budgets.

Matoko feels redundant. She feels she is not doing anything productive though she knows that a specialist's productivity is specialized. Not mass scale consumerism. Only rarity and signature executions: yet, the time of productivity seemed withdrawn.

In short: Major Kusanagi was bored.

She did her routine checkups of past cases. The situations that were tactfully addressed were tactfully cleared and proceeding in a manner less malignant. The Laughing Man was an unofficial aide to Section 9 — though now it was obvious he was not so active anymore. The "ex-criminal" spent his days reading and surfing the net. Now that the Maria vaccine's potentiality has been disclosed and the inefficiency of nanomachines unveiled, his "mischief" was at an end. At least for this long: Also the success rate of Section 9 was over 90% excluding only some minor details of losing criminals that were certainly hard to define or prospective data manipulation that could not be reached to a suitable source (it is hard to vaccinate a Stand Alone Complex or find an original perpetrator when people are so influenced and inspired). There are only been some cases that Section 9 had a hard time of fighting off and those cases did not need any attention now.

Matoko decided she will keep her engagement with the friend and leave early. Aramaki had no objections. Batou seemed odd — he squirmed a bit and looked inquisitive and worried. Matoko did not understand him at times. Though she knew that they both shared an irreplaceable bond; something she had once mentioned...

Togusa joked: " Could the Major be going on a date? Wonder who has the patience and eye for sarcastic wit fitted into a great cyborg body."

"Shut up Togusa!" Batou had his fists in his pockets.

Togusa joked again: "Yup I guess many people have both the heart and mind for that — I just never figured anyone around could catch our Major's eye..."

" What do you mean by that?"

" The Major is very disciplined; she hates naivety or so it seems."

" I think that's just her here."

" Could be — but if she ever finds a significant other I bet it'll be an individual who can balance out well."

Batou refrained from any comments though he did not like the idea of the Major going out on a date. Though, maybe, she wasn't.

" How ya been?"

" I've been good: you?"

" Well, you know the hospital..."

" Yeah I bet it is hectic."

" Well, it seems ok...Matoko, have you ever felt...lonely..."

" I don't really know loneliness..."

" Huh...wow, you must really be happy..."

" Happiness has nothing to do with."

" Then?"

" Loneliness is hard to define."

" You and your definitions — well, I am lonely..."

" But I am here with you — sorry if I am bad company."

" No, it's not you it's me and my whole life: I wanna get a long term relationship and even get married."

" Those are lucrative things to do."

" I guess they satisfy me. Do they satisfy you?"

" I have never sampled them."

" Then just be my girlfriend...maybe, we can work out."

" I don't know. I'm not into these things."

" It's not because I'm a girl too right?"

" No. I have no prejudice on that whatsoever."

" Oh well — I tried. I really wanted to be your girlfriend."

" I'm sorry."

" Can we please stay the way we are?"

" I don't see why not."

The pretty nurse wipes her eyes a bit. Matoko realizes that she was crying a bit. This was not really her ideal night yet she perceives and feels compassionate. She just hopes her friend does not think she is a bitch; she knew people think of solitary individuals as bastards and bitches but it was her honesty that got her into troublesome situations at times.

There was a sudden noise in the restaurant. Matoko heard someone scream. She instinctively saw a wandering woman. She was naked and covered in blood. She had a knife. Matoko grabbed her companion and got up immediately. Yes, this was not an ideal night at all. The naked woman was slashing her shoulder in small, careful yet deep strokes.

" Madam," It was a waiter, " Are you alright?"

The woman kept on carefully cutting herself. Her eyes were in a daze. Is it cyberbrain trauma? Matoko placed her friend at a corner and signalled her to stay there. Everyone looked tensed, most out of their seats as the waiter approached closer to the woman taking off his jacket.

" Listen Madam, everything is alright — we are going to give you anything you need...just please calm down and please sit."

Suddenly, the woman looked directly at the waiter and in a shrill scream lashed out against his throat. Matoko pushed the waiter out of the way and her arm got cut. She tried to give a knock out but the woman got out of the way. The waiter screamed and Matoko just looked at the naked woman whose hand clutched the knife — pointing it out as a dagger.

There was an outburst of screams and words but Matoko toppled them: "Everyone don't move and stay down! She can attack anyone else!"

The nervous waiter had tears coming out of his eyes — Matoko barked at him: " You! Call the Police! I'll cover you!" with that she rushed forward. The naked woman was trying to evade Matoko but she proved to be faster. This time she did punch the woman down. The woman got up and started attacking her deftly with the knife. Swish. Swirl. Cut. All Air. Matoko got down and delivered a kick to the shins and an impressive uppercut. The woman stumbled and fell down. Matoko reached her but the woman somehow scrambled up and looked at her with grasping breath.

" I'm afraid of not being me!"

"What?"

" I want to see it! See it! Feel it!"

" What do you want?"

" Your everything! Everything that CAN be had!"

Suddenly, before everyone's eyes the woman plunged the knife deep inside her chest.

Everyone started screaming as a spray of red fell on the posh carpets of the restaurants and a few stray drops landed on Matoko's face.

" I see you tried to stop her."

" Yes, but then she started saying strange things."

" And?"

" Then she committed suicide."

" Well Thank You for your help — I see you are police too."

" Kind off."

" Well, no need to be pushy, but couldn't you just make her lose the knife."

" I was aiming for that till she talked."

" Well, ok."

" She was down but she desperately got up. It is strange how she killed herself."

" Yeah well cyberbrain malfunction unfortunately is a leading cause of death."

" Unfortunately."

" Well, we will clean up the body. Thanks once more."

" No problem."

Her friend ran towards herm " Oh Matoko!" then there was hug with tears, " You were so brave!"

" Maybe not brave enough."

" You stopped her from killing that waiter!"

" I wish I managed to stop her with killing herself."

" That's not your fault."

" Yeah, maybe it isn't."

" Major...you are here."

" Chief?"

Aramaki came in with a worried look, " I heard of the incident and you being here. I know it is not our jurisdiction but I thought I should come along."

" Well, the police are handling it."

" What happened: I want your details?"

" I haven't questioned anyone but this woman was here suddenly carrying the knife. She looked confused and was cutting herself."

" She was cutting herself you say?"

" Yes, I presume it is cyberbrain trauma — though..."

" Major?"

" Chief the victim was uttering strange things to me — I need to know why she was saying such things."

" Huh? Strange you say?"

" She said she was afraid of not being herself — she said she wanted my everything."

" The police did state it was a cyberbrain malfunction but if you want to investigate I see no true barriers."

One of the policemen looked distraught at the waiter: " She's a regular?"

" Yes, I am somewhat new but I've seen her. She was acting strange and was whispering things today."

Matoko interrupted the police: " What, whispering strange things?"

" Yes. She came tonight approximately at 9:23pm I remember but did not order anything — not even her usuals. She was looking disturbed and whispering. I asked her what she wanted and she just started drinking a lot of coffee. Then a few moments before the incident she went to the bathroom and came out naked and I saw she grabbed a dinner knife from the nearby table and started cutting herself."

" It's now 11:25pm — she killed herself at exactly at 11:02 — are you stating she was here for all this time just whispering and drinking coffee?"

" Yes. She was seated at an angle that not many of the diners could see I think but those who did were looking at her and obviously talking amongst themselves. But I was surprised; she never acted like this before."

" Show me where she was seating — I don't think this is standard cyberbrain malfunction."

" Hey! Wait just the moment! You — huh?" the police officer looked at the badge unhooked by Aramaki. Then the man helplessly became quiet.

Matoko saw that none of her belongings were on the table. She decided to call Batou or Togusa in for a good sweep. Matoko then walked into the bathroom. On one of the cubicles she saw the woman's clothes. Her purse and ID were in the toilet. " Well, this was either a massive cyberbrain malfunction or something really disturbing."

As she came out Aramaki looked at her with the soaking items; " They are not soiled and they do smell like toilet scrub but that's where they were — her name is Chi Matsuko and she is a regular as I confirmed with another waiter before going in. From this ID I found out she is a University student and that she lives nearby in an apartment. Her purse has some shredded paper inside too. I read it. Though it's wet."

" What does it say?" Aramaki looked at her serious and tensed.

" It said 'I wanted to jump to the other side like an electric sheep though I wanted to be the sheep of my own dream and not just one of someone else's' but that was a line shredded from another paragraph it seems — the other piece only has this to say ' There is a glass on me and it is more compact and irreversibly dull than I can compute' Chief there might have been other things. I see there are other rip marks but I think she flushed them a toilet before putting these in."

" Confusing. And disturbing indeed." Aramaki looked at the police. " We can't do much now — though this is not illegal or forbidden we are still out of proper jurisdiction. Let's hand the evidence to the police for now. We can dig out files of Ms. Matsuko when we need to."

" Matoko, I guess this is the end of dinner..." her friend looks on weakly.

" You stayed on...?"

" I was interested to see you working though now I can see why you don't want to be in a relationship."

" I don't understand."

" It's alright — I'll call you later on. Let's meet outside and walk around in the daytime next time. Restaurants and you may not be good karma at the moment."

" Chi Matsuko is a physics student at Empire University. She is an academic wonder and has had straight As throughout her life and is also a part-time librarian. Matsuko lives by herself and her parents don't live in this prefecture. When informed of her death they were traumatized as Matsuko has no record of psychological disturbances of therapeutic counselling. Most of the times she is a model student: Other times a librarian. Her world is engrossed entirely at her University. There are no obtrusive signs of her being an actress bad-girl type or anything unusual."

" The woman was naked and slashing herself in a ritzy restaurant — if that is not unusual I don't know what is..." Batou snorted.

" Even so the reason that Section 9 is now properly involved is because Matsuko seemed to have been a prodigy since birth who, as some other students, has accessed a massive amount of internet feed all related to a hub recently. It might be a dating site. Matsuko's last log in was done ten minutes before she went into the restaurant. She appeared normal till then. Also, there seems to be other students who had started to act strangely in the same university. A boy by the name Petro Mas has committed strange behaviour in the hub for a couple of days where he had uploaded pictures of himself covered in what seemed to be paint and blood. He was apprehended by the police Tuesday, that was two days ago. Another student last year was caught in the act of what seemed to coercing his professor to sleep with him. And before him a girl had paraded around as a foreign exchange student though she seemed to have been, astonishingly, a refugee on a special scholarship."

" And all these people are Empire University students?" Togusa asked.

" Yes."

" That's a good, clear pattern." Batou smiled.

" Thus the more eluding." Matoko got up, " I need to know more about that net hub and go to Empire University."

" I've already scheduled a Professor Guard to help you see the various possible motives through which the students may have been affected and commit such strange acts."

" What bothers me is that aside Matsuko none of these students acted so strangely enough. Also, I suspect Matsuko a lot now. Unlike the others she had not really stopped being strange but progressed to kill herself. Either she was a decoy for someone else running these affairs or she was horribly warped." Matoko looked then at Togusa, " Go to the hospital Mas is staying in and question him. Batou you need to go to the police and question about the refugee and the other student. Ishikawa see if the hub is accessible via different ports throughout. The rest of you stand by and get ready to catch anyone too suspicious to be a normal hacker."

" So Petro — why did you cover yourself in red? Is there a purpose?"

" Well, it was blood."

" It was your own?"

" Yeah. I kinda stabbed myself."

" Yes, the report stated that — though it was not really blood as in all blood."

" No, ok it wasn't. It was not blood at all but paint and synthetic camouflage gear I made."

" Why did you do it?"

" I just was doing something that would make others want to talk to me."

" Talk to you? — But they do all the time. I heard you are quite popular in your University."

" Am I? You are just like them you good for nothing cop!" Mas got up angry, " Those voices are not voices!" he grinned like a maniac and clutched his head, " They love me not when I talk! See! See!"

" Major — that poor young man obviously has lost it...he keeps on uttering something about loving him and seeing him...I did found out the hub he was visiting. It's usually a conversational type forum where zany students discuss love. Or, anyone who is interested. But I think the university has several places such as this. I just don't see exactly how the hub is influencing their behaviour."

" Well, that is the inquisition isn't it? Any valuable information you think?"

" Well — I was pondering on why such a popular student would want to go to a hub to discuss love or dating related issues. I think the hub manager is the main culprit."

" Yes — obviously, we have that user as the potentially high-targeted suspect but I think you did pose a good question. What is the allure? — He said something about talking you said?"

" Yes Major — and seeing…"

" Well, dig up his records. Check for substance abuse and other misdemeanours for the time being. I'll check up on Batou."

" Confirmed Major."

" Are you a refugee?"

" I am being detained — I'll be send back to that horrid place won't I?"

" Listen. I don't know what decision the University board will make but I think they'll pardon you. Your offence is not really a heavy one."

" If I easily told others I was a refugee they probably wouldn't stay or talk with me — I made myself more interesting…"

" Even though there are some who spark a great prejudice for the refugees — don't you think you are making an over-generalization? Surely, there will be others who won't care you are a refugee. In fact you are impressive and have secured a good scholarship."

" You have no right to judge me or my actions!"

" I'm not judging. Merely stating."

" I do not need your statements you bloody cop! It's people like you who wouldn't mind raping me if I was back in those refugee camps or slums!"

" So — you got a scholarship. At first you didn't act like a foreign exchange student. Until recently, you seemed to have attended your classes and done nothing more. I don't see any records of you being in a club."

" What's your point?" the girl was looking enraged. Batou looked at her. She looked in her twenties. Short build but long, shaggy hair. She almost killed like the girl he had shot at the subway station so long ago. Her clothes seemed musty and a bit off from what can be deemed as poised. Yet she was shining strong. In her anger and her determination. Batou realized he admired her a bit for her resolve. Despite the inquiry, he understood her reasons perfectly.

" Were you influenced by anyone?"

" I don't think I grew a fad follower or fashionesta."

" Well, there is an odd hub that seems to have you as a regular visitor — anything on that?"

" Universities have many hubs…"

" Is this a dating sort of site thing?"

" It's not important!"

" Listen, if you cooperate the University administration will know that you helped along with our investigation. They might easily turn over this."

" Yeah — I gotta always apologize because I'm a fucking refugee!"

" It's not the refugee thing. You are not allowed to massively fabricate information about yourself. That is a violation of the University's policies and security measures. You are well aware any other student would be put under the same suspension and inquiry you'd be. But yes kid I won't lie — you are a refugee that's why you were brought in immediately into a police station to know your motives. They thought you might hurt yourself and others."

The young girl looked outside the window and fidgeted: " There are so many temporary hubs on the University servers — mindless discussions…people encourage you to tell the truth though truth in my opinion is a limited commodity." She looks back at Batou, " The site is called the 'closed petal' and it usually is a sporadic hub where people vent out their romantic or sexual frustrations."

" Do any of your friends —"

Her expression told Batou what he needed to know. " Oh, no interactions…" but then he narrowed it down, " But do you know anyone else who might have visited the hub?"

" No, the room master is very secretive and all I know is that he confessed his gender and sex to be male — no pseudonym-sex on that note. However, I suspected Petro Mas to be affiliated."

"The reason of your suspicion?"

" Well, he started uploaded weird photographs and videos of himself on the University network and to be honest a zany guy did enter the room many times and the room master encouraged him to speak. I just don't know why he would do such outrageous things…"

Batou looked a bit sheepishly, " So what were his frustrations?"

" Believe it or not but it was promiscuity." The girl looked she could not, " He was popular in high school and University but in the hub he acted like a total lunatic."

" I see."

" Also, Mas seemed to talk a lot of flowers before he was driven insane — I kinda connected two and two together."

" Well, did you know Mas aside his popularity like was he in any of your classes?"

" Yes he was."

"Ok. So, he used to talk about flowers with his friends?"

" Yeah — in fact I think parts of his popularity began to slip after that. A lot of the other students felt it was nutjob talk."

" Well alright then."

" Is it true?"

" What is?"

" I heard another student from my university is behind bars…is it because of the hub…"

" We don't know."

The girl looked annoyed, " Yeah right."

Batou smirked, " C'mon — I wanted information didn't I?"

" Major — as Batou informed the Hub is almost like a messenger system that deactivates and activates according to hub master's wishes. It is heavily guarded and somewhat exclusive."

" So, how do you get in? Are you invited?"

" Well, not really. It seems to only take in people of interest but then eliminates the 'losers' and opts for the 'winners' — meaning the hub master selects people."

" Well?"

" It can be accessed outside University if you are closely included to the hub master."

" Anything else?"

" Yes for some weeks 'closed petal' has been inactive."

" Ok, thanks Ishikawa. Keep on running scans and tell me if it comes up again."

" Will do Major."

" Why did you attack your professor?"

" I did not! She kinda liked me too!"

" Attraction is not a greenlight for sexual relations — thus it is still considered harassment."

" C'mon, will I be released?"

" Charges has been pressed against you and your parents look pissed enough to not help out immediately."

The boy sighed, " I just really liked her."

" That's no excuse kid."

" I thought we could be a couple."

" Kid that's an insult to anyone — coercing people to like you — does people tell you to do that?"

" Well, the hub master said if I wanted it I should go for it."

" Hub master?"

" There is an erratic hub called 'closed petal' — I went there a couple of times last year."

" It doesn't sound like a counselling site…"

" No — it's chiefly for intimate problems and discussions."

" And?"

" Well the only thing I remember is the hub master's encouragements and that everyone was anonymous there which is usual for such chat rooms or hubs. However, I remember there were around ten to twelve people so it was very close-knit."

" You know kid the charges against you may not be put down."

" I just thought…" the boy starts crying.

" Next time be more careful from whom you take advice from."

Matoko looked at the cherry blossoms. Empre University looked very much like Tokyo University and she heard it was its chief rival. It was class hour so many people were still in their buildings. The ones who had loitered around. Matoko found the silence a bit weird for a University but realized that not many people were crowded near the main entrance.

She was told that Professor Guard would meet her at the library so she proceeded there. As expected — to some extents — the library was partly empty. There were only some extents and most of those students were skimming away doing nothing. Though it is a prestigious university we cannot really expect the youth to be intensely serious all the time: Matoko pondered as she identified Professor Guard. He was reading a book — and was copying notes down.

" Professor Guard I'm here —"

" Yes. Aramaki sent you. That old croon." He chuckled, " I guess I will always be his junior. Do you want some coffee? Miss Kusanagi right?"

" Yes and no to the coffee but I thank you for the offer."

" Well, understandable — you see the students here and their parents are aggravated due to the recent strings of incidences. Our administration believe that it is someone wit an MO against the university. We are searching through databases of expelled or suspended students and ex-alumni who may have a grudge against us. We are also secretly targeting rival universities."

" It's a good thing that university security has decided to look into the matter…" Matoko looked in, " Though my hypothesis is that none of those suspects apply."

" What do you mean?"

" I think that the perpetrator is still currently a student here — my guess a senior. I do not, however, think that the University is his MO rather something else."

" His? The perpetrator is a male?"

" Yes. Our group has interrogated the previous victims and all they have in common is a hub called 'closed petal' — an on-off portal if you may say. We have reason to believe that the latest victim, Chi Matsuko, was also a participant in that hub."

" Oh dear? What is this — some kind of cult?"

" No — actually, it's the opposite — a romantic issues hub."

" An Agony Aunt forum?"

" Something like that, yes."

" That's outrageous Miss Kusanagi. Are you sure?"

" Yes I am. Though it was just a forum-hub the hub master may be the culprit. But the thing is we need to track him down."

" Well, this is serious indeed. Do you know what this could mean to the university? A current student is running a hub where our suspended students attended…not to mention that one of our star students actually killed herself in the process."

" Well, we must have a good sweep of the university's connections. We can get a permit."

" You must do what is necessary."

"Sir, Professor Guard?"

Matoko and the Professor looked at a handsome boy with blue eyes, sky-like, and reddish-black hair: " I'm sorry to interrupt you but Dallas is not here today."

" Oh, well can't you ask Takeshi?"

The student looked perturbed, " Sir, I think Takeshi is not coming…"

" Well…contact him then…"

" He says he's sick."

" Sick? Oh dear…well you must see if Dallas can come — he's not out of the university is he?"

" Sir, I suspect he is still in the dorms though he might be out."

" Yeah, I suspect that too." The Professor groaned.

" Sir, is…?" the young man got quiet, " Sir…now that Chi is gone…will Dallas be in charge of the programme."

" Yeah…I guess…" The professor looked solemn and Matoko intently observed them.

"Well, alright then…" the youth walked away.

" I heard from the Chief that Chi Matsuko was one of the most perfect role-model here…tell me more about her Professor."

" Well, she was a workaholic— she hardly did anything social and the university social events were more or less her extra credit assignments…" he looked on sadly, " I cannot think of any enemies or threteaning rivals she might have had."

" What about friends?"

" She was sort of a loner."

A popular person. A refugee. A hormonal youth and a star student — all are lonely in one way or the other — that's the only possible pattern. So, he is not really judging with university demographic but rather psychological one. It is obviously cyber hacking yet why encourage such pathetic things? Why lead a girl to murder herself?

" Professor! Professor!"

" Hikaru…"

Both Matoko and Professor Guard ran to one of the sections of the vast library and saw a pool of blood. The professor screamed at the sky-eyed boy: " Hikaru! What's —"

" It's Dallas sir!"

" Call the medics!"

" I have but I don't know…" the boy looked in disbelief.

The young man named Dallas had a puncture wound to his chest and was sobbing.. He muttered something: " It was Takeshi…Takeshi…"

" What…Takeshi!" The Professor looked wide-eyed.

" Step aside!" Matoko got her wire out and patched in, " I'm sorry but I have to dive in!"

Inside the last couple of minutes Matoko saw via the wire:

Dallas was walking on when he suddenly he spotted something. " Hey Takeshi…whatcha doin' in the library? Aren't you sick?"

" Well I'm playing hooky ok…sue me…" the dark haired youth had large eyes. Captivated they looked at a screen.

" Hey, you both a com here — what are you accessing?"

" Beat it c'mon!"

" Huh." Dallas looked at a screen, " Hey, did you talk to Chi before she died — it says here last logged in —"

" You little nosy bastard!" Takeshi got out the knife.

"Batou! I'm pursuing our suspect, a Takeshi Shin, he is running around campus with a knife! Tell Saito to be prepared! We might need him!"

" Roger that Major…"

Matoko ran past astonished students and saw the man called Takeshi run deftly across the campus yard. Security may not still be informed what happened… Matoko ran behind him and he got into a building. She sprinted as he used the backstairs to get to the roof. Matoko now had him cornered:
" Stop! Right there! Senior student Takeshi Shin!"

Takeshi looked angrily at her, " You stupid bitch leave me alone!"

" Yeah right…" Matoko glared, " You may be a good enough hacker but you sure suck at other tactics!"

" No one would have traced me if peeping tom Dallas had not showed up!"

" Really?" Matoko looked at him, " So I see — you were staying low... tell me why did you hack those people!"

" Because they were all fakes! They were all cyberbrain jerks! They had no purpose and so I wanted them to see their fantasies! Get in touch with themselves in a different way!"

" By manipulating them!"

" Manipulating? Did you see what losers they were in reality! One is refugee trash who I knew wanted something so I made her directly link up files that made her semi-believe she was a transfer student. That Petro Mas! Popular boy on campus was promiscuity in the most incarnate form — he wanted love — love to him was red — so to get on his artistic side I encouraged him to paint himself — what other way can a person fantasize love! And the boy who wanted his professor — I told him go and gussy-gussy with his beloved! The fantasy was great!"

" Chi! What about her?"

" Oh, she is a loner academic idiot who just wanted to get laid! I kinda made her realize! That she is too poshy and that she needed to know how ugly she was!"

" Ugly? She was quite the pretty face."

" Ugly as in boring — she had no qualities whatsoever except studying so I told her all the time she will never have a lover — she even asked me out! What a laugh!"

" You know — you really are a moron — you were asked by an intelligent and beautiful girl and all you can think is how you can control others!"

" Not control — made them fantasize!"

" Where was Chi's fantasy then!" Matoko was getting closer and Takeshi was squirming.

" She was too practical — too boring! I tried to help her but she was too boring!"

" Your constant hacks drove her insane! You are nothing but a little boy thinking others are his toys!"

"No, No…" Takeshi started laughing, " This is in my head…you sexy aren't trying to get me right?"

" Are you joking?" Matoko glared.

" So, it is real! It is real!" Takeshi screamed, " I want my fantasy! I want my fantasy!"

" Stop!" Matoko screamed as Takeshi stabbed his own face and fell off the roof.

" Good job Major…you managed to catch the perpetrator."

They saw the ambulance carrying off a laughing Takeshi, " Sorry chief…couldn't get his face intact though…"

" Well, you caught him before there would be no piece left of him." Aramaki sighed, " Takeshi Shin is an amateur cyber hacker albeit a dangerous one. Section 9 was called in because he specialized on so-called ghost manipulation. To him a dream is better than reality. And he drove those he fancied into believing it too. Chi Matsuko may have realized who he was and trailed him but he had hacked her inappropriately and with all his insults drove her to finally lose it."

" Well, at least the petals of this dangerous ugly flower is closed." Matoko caught a cherry-blossom petal and saw Hikaru looking at her.

" Thank You Miss you caught the baddie." He smiled.

" Sure, my pleasure."

" So you are a full cyborg…wow…"

" Hmm…" she looked at the sky-eyed man.

" Wow, I never thought Section 9 would be this cool."

" What…"

Both Matoko and Aramaki spoke as they looked at him…