Dark Knight Complex
by
Cobra-Fist

Disclaimer: I do not own Ghost in the Shell or Batman

Chapter 1-The Giant Bat

Night fell upon Tokyo, Japan. Instantly, the neon and street lights simultaneously flashed on, reflecting on all surrounding surfaces. Pedestrians filled the sidewalks, walking toward their destinations as automobiles zipped through the streets to theirs.

A relatively normal night for the busy city. All routine: wake up, go to work, come home, go to bed. The norm never seemed to stop.

Neither did the crime…


BOOM! The explosion demolished the Takagi Computer Corporation front entrance, scattering debris everywhere as the SWAT team took cover.

"What in the hell are you waiting for?" the police chief shouted to the team, "Go in and arrest the terrorists! Dead or alive!" The armored SWAT team saluted and replied, "Yes sir!" and headed into the smoky entrance. Using vision enhancers in their helmets, the SWAT team carefully sought the terrorists responsible for the explosion.

"Damn it!" shouted the captain "They're long gone!" "What's going on in there?" the Chief demanded. "Sir, we can't find them. The terrorists are gone. They must have escaped when the explosion was set off!" "Shit!" The Chief cursed, "Is there anything missing?" "We're checking, sir."

The SWAT team checked the main computer's database, running an inventory check to see if anything had been stolen. Three files turned up missing in the military intelligence section.

"Sir," the SWAT captain began, "We discovered there are three missing items from military intelligence." "Well, what's missing?" "Very important items sir: profiles on the rebel leaders, the latest SC chips, and...oh shit..."

"What is it, captain!" demanded the Chief. "Sir, the weapon designs and anti-enemy tactics are missing as well..." "SON OF A BITCH!"


"Alright! Score one for us!"

"Asshole cops never even knew what hit 'em!"

"Chips, files, plans...Shit, what more could we ask for?"

Three invisible 'entities' communicated via cyberbrain telepathy as their footsteps echoed on the roof of a construction building. "Alright," the first entity communicated, "The coast is clear boys. Let's shut down."

Soon, the 'entities' shut off their camouflage suits and revealed their true selves. Turns out they weren't really entities, just three scruffy, rebel refugees with camouflage suits.

The trio sat down in corner, pulling out their scores of stolen disks and organizing them. "Chips are pretty decent," Keiji, the first rebel said, "perfect for Suicide Cyborgs."

"Files show some of the data on our leaders," the second rebel, Eichi, said, "These boys have been snooping around too much. That's why they keep getting killed. Hachi, what do ya got on those plans?"

Hachi, the third rebel, replied, "Some weapons designs, cyborg designs and...oh la la, what have we here?" "What do you got there?" Keiji asked. "Anti-Enemy tactics and layouts for attacking bases. Our bases." "Aw shit, you know what that means? We hit the jackpot!"

Eichi began looking around nervously as Keiji and Hachi traded remarks of triumph. "Hey guys? You think we can take this somewhere else? I don't really like it up here." Keiji looked at him. "Why, you scared of heights?"

"Naw, man. But, after what happened to Kato..." Keiji cut him off, "Hey, look here man, Kato took a walk off a roof after getting ripped off. No big deal."

"Man, that's not what's bothering me." "Well, what did you hear?" "It ain't the fact that he took a walk...it's what made him take the walk."

"Hey, didn't Keiji just say Kato took a walk because he got ripped off? I would have done the same thing if someone ripped me off of some valuables." Hachi declared. Then, he considered, "If I couldn't find the goods after I killed their sorry ass."

Eichi shivered a little more, "Man, that ain't what I heard. Ain't what I heard at all. I heard something got him." "What? Just what got him, Eichi?" Keiji asked, getting impatient.

"I heard it was a...giant man bat."

"A giant man bat? Give us a break, Eichi! Ain't no such thing!" Hachi exclaimed. "I'm telling you man, that's what I heard. Kato was thrown five stories straight down, fell to pieces and no blood in the body."

"Well, no shit, pal. He never had any in him the first place 'cause he was a cyborg! Besides, he fell into a dumpster and a bunch of trash bags broke the fall. Aside from a few busted parts, which were promptly replaced, he's fine," Keiji told Eichi.

"Well, word is, all Kato had been talking about while he was in custody was a giant man bat that he saw." Eichi said, shaking a bit more.

Keiji's irritation with Eichi's paranoia was becoming more evident. "Well, maybe it's because when he fell, he happened to hit his head, and knocked a screw loose. That's why he's mental now, and that's why he's scheduled for a de-ghosting. He'll be fine. Just chill, Eichi. There ain't no bat. You got it? Now shut up and help us count out the estimate."

All three went back to business and counting their estimate, or potential profit. As they counted, a squeak was heard. Eichi nearly jumped out of his clothes. He did that whenever he got scared, which was often.

"What the hell was that?" he spat. "Eichi, calm the hell down," Keiji said, "Probably just a rat. Now, get back to work." They resumed their counting. Another squeak was heard, followed by another one of Eichi's jumps.

"Eichi, will you just calm the hell down? It's just a damn rat." Hachi told his cowardly comrade. "Man, I can't take this anymore. I'm blowing out of here." Eichi said, getting up on his feet, only to be yanked back down by a glaring Keiji.

"To hell you are! We're in this together, and we stay together. No one leaves unless we all leave.

Understand!" Eichi nodded slowly as he was pinned by his neck to the cement. "Now," Keiji continued, "For the last fucking time, there is no…"

Keiji never got to finish, as a swarm of bats swept down upon the trio, flapping and screeching around their heads. The trio screamed their heads off as they ducked and covered themselves.

Keiji grabbed his gun, and blindly shot several times into the air. To his relief, the bats stopped their assault and flew away into the night.

"Jesus," he spoke out, panting heavily from fright, "What the hell was that all about?" "I don't know," Hachi replied. "Eichi, what do you think?" Hachi turned to his head to Eichi's spot, only to find him not there.

"Eichi?" Hachi shouted out. "EICHI!" The response he received came in the form of a heavy load falling on top of him and Keiji. Both struggled and shoved the heavy weight off of them, which turned out to be a freshly bruised Eichi, shaking in terror.

"Eichi, what the hell happened to you?" Keiji shook his comrade. "What happened?" Eichi just stuttered 'b-b-b' and shook more in reply. "Man, he's out of it." Keiji turned to look at Hachi, only to see him bruised up and hanging upside down from a wire attached to the ceiling.

"H-h-help," he whispered hoarsely, dangling in mid-air, looking like a battered punching bag. Keiji's eyes widened in fear as he snatched his gun and started backing away with shaking legs from the scene of his two fallen comrades. He didn't get far once he felt himself bumping into something.

"Hello, scum." He heard a grim voice speak out.

Keiji spun around and opened fired. His bullets hit the pillar he had bumped into. Then, he heard a voice snicker, and opened fired in another direction. He hit nothing. "Where the hell are you!" he screamed as he fired all his ammunition out.

"Right here." Keiji looked up and immediately wished he never had been born. Above him, a black figure swooped down, spreading what looked like its wings, and kicked him in the face.

Keiji fell back a few feet, then looked up at the figure, wishing he had never been born. Standing above him, was the infamous "Man Bat". The "Man-Bat" appeared to be 6'2, well built, covered from head to toe in some unusual stealth black armored suit. A black utility belt with buttons surrounded his waist. A cowl with two pointed ears covered most of his head except for the mouth and chin, and the pair of wings was actually a cape fit securely under the cowl and around the shoulders. Emblazoned on the armored chest was a symbol of a bat.

After intimidating him with his presence, the bat made his way toward Keiji. Having dropped his gun, Keiji retrieved a serrated knife from his holster and slashed wildly at the figure, who dodged and blocked each slash with ease before sending a swift punch into his face. The bat followed through with a round kick to his stomach, and tossed him into some rubble.

Recovering after a moment, Keiji retrieved a long pipe. With a yell, he lunged at the man bat and swung furiously at him. The man bat blocked the blows with his arms and legs, until he grabbed the end of the pipe and kneed Keiji in the gut. He then backhanded Keiji across the face, grabbed him by the lapels and took him the edge of the building.

"Don't kill me!" Keiji pleaded as the man bat hung him over the edge, "Don't kill me, man! Please! I'm begging you! Don't kill me!"

"Shut up and listen, scum," The figure spoke in a grave voice, "I'm not going to kill you. I need you to do me a favor." "Anything man! Anything you want!" "Good...Now, your friends. Tell them. Tell all of them about me. Tell them when they go out and do the crime, I'll be waiting in the shadows, ready to make them do the time."

"What the hell are you!" Keiji screeched. The man bat pulled him toward his face, glaring into his eyes with great intensity, whispering, "I'm Batman."

Batman heaved Keiji back onto the roof and watched him tumble on the cement. He then began walking toward the beaten rebel. Keiji turned to see Batman coming toward him and covered his face in fear as he approached closer.

"Oh God," Keiji thought he tightened his eyelids, "Please, don't kill me. Please, don't kill me."

"I told you that I'm not going to kill you. Unlike your kind, I'm not a murderer."

Keiji blinked and uncovered his face to see Batman walking back from the pile of stolen items to the edge of the roof.

Then, as he turned toward the edge, Batman spread his cape and jumped off the building into the night.

Keiji grew wide-eyed with disbelief and scrambled to the edge. When he looked down, all he saw was the darkness of the alley. The Batman was nowhere to be found.

With that revelation, Keiji lost whatever control on his sanity that he had left, and screamed at the moon...


Author's notes: Yeah, I know this is a pretty weird crossover. I always liked the idea and it had been nagging at me for a while to do something with it. So, I decided to just put it on the computer. I posted the first chapter before, but I decided that it needed some serious revision to be more dark in tone.

If ya'll haven't figured it out by now, I'm using the Batman based off of the film Batman Begins starring Christian Bale as the Dark Knight. The time of this fanfiction takes place during the second season of Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex 2nd Gig. Because I have not seen the second season yet, I'll have to improvise to the best of my knowledge to make it all fit.

What do the rest of you readers think of the story so far? Please R/R and be honest in your reviews.

Chapter 2 will be up soon. Stay tuned!–Cobra-Fist