Disclaimer: I do not own any rights to GITS, either OVA or SAC/2nd Gig. All rights are Shirow Masamune. I hope you enjoy Chapter 2.

Chapter 2: Resurrection

"Talking"
Thinking
(Cyberspeaking)
(Figure it out)

When I stepped into the ready room, everyone was there, and I mean everyone. "Batou, the Major here was just telling us how you saved her from that big armored tank." I looked over, and Motoko nodded in acknowledgement before turning back to Saito and finishing her conversation.

(Major?)

She didn't even blink. (Yes Batou…)

(I saw you die.)

(No, you saw my body die. Don't forget there's more to us than a body.)

My last memories were of the tank crushing her head, and pulling her to me.

(Details)

"What did you say?" Everyone turned and looked at me.

"We said you were a colossal ass, but when has that ever stopped you?" Ishikawa grinned before walking over to the table with a cup of coffee.

"No, the part about details…"

"God is in the details." Saito smiled. He was such a smart ass behind that calm façade of his. Sometimes…

"But no one said anything about God here." Ishikawa leaned over and hit my head with his knuckles before turning to Aramaki. "Are you SURE he checked out fine?"

"Yes, perfectly fine." He turned to the major. "Major, why don't you update us on your undercover operation."

She cocked a hip on the edge of the desk and started explaining that after her body was destroyed, her brain was placed in a different type of body by Megatech and she went deep into Section 6 to bring justice for the crimes committed by the people who developed the PuppetMaster.

All I could do was stare at her. There was a big blank spot between the time I took the mecha out and when I woke up on the table in Section 9's Hardware Unit. What happened between those two?

(details)

I blinked and looked hard at Kusanagi. Hip cock, OK. Clothing choice, usual. Eye glare…eye glare…

"Batou, do you have a problem?" She was glaring at me.

Aramaki leaned forward and steepled his fingers. "Yes Batou, is there an issue with the Major?"

"No."

"Then quit starting. You look like you're deciding if I'm fresh enough to eat for dinner." She walked right up to me. "I'm not an entrée."

Ishikawa smacked me again. "Caught staring at her breasts huh? Happens to the best of us." He leaned close. "I'm telling you, they're a D."

I swear I'm going to flatten him one of these days. It wasn't even worth a response.

"IF that's all, you are dismissed." Major had her hands in her jacket pockets and watched as we stood. "Not you Batou."

So I waited. I hate waiting. I'm a man of action. When the room was clear, she walked over and sat beside me. "Yes?"

She stared at her hands clasped between her knees. "You've been my closest friend for years. One of the only people who understands what I go through and feel. She looked at me. "Don't be mad at me for not letting you know I was alive."

I looked at her. "I'll forgive that. I'm just glad you're alive. I was very worried about you. If I'd lost you…" How could I put that kind of loss into words?

(You won't)

"Excuse me?"

"What?" Her look was completely innocent.

I suddenly stood. Something was very wrong here and I needed to get out. "Have you seen Togusa?"

"No, not since I came back."

"You need to. It would help him to know you survived." I turned and left.

ssssss

I checked the car carefully, unable to shake that uneasy feeling. It was almost as if someone had broken in. Touching everything; but taking nothing. Everything felt… rearranged. There was nothing wrong with the car, but the weird feeling followed me out of the garage. I drove by the hospital twice before I decided it was okay to go in.

When I got to Togusa's room, I walked in on an old woman sitting in a chair facing the old man in the bed. Startled, she looked up at me. "Jeremy?"

I stepped further into the room so she could see clearly. "Sorry, I must have the wrong room." I turned to leave.

"Are you looking for the police officer that used to be here?" I froze inside, but turned back to face her. Past tense phrases are paralyzing to the mind. The imagination works a thousand worst-case scenarios before we even have a chance to breathe.

"Yes."

"Several other people were by here earlier. They moved him this morning to Room 2501 after he woke up. Heard he was in a coma for a long time."

"Yes, he was. Thank you." As I turned to go, I suddenly remembered. "Good luck with your husband, I hope he recovers." She gently grabbed the old man's hand and squeezed, smiling at me with tears of tempered hope in her eyes. I quietly shut the door behind them to give them privacy. 2501, why does that seem so familiar? Wait. That was the number given to the PuppetMaster.

I pushed the up button on the elevator and waited. When the doors opened, I realized I would have to wait for the next car. Since my modified body weighs in around 1100kg, I would have max'd out the weight capacity of the public elevator. After the second full load, I decided to take the stairs. Damn I'm noisy when running up steps. I'll have to work on that. As I flung open the door, I received a very strange look from a startled nurse, but I just shrugged my shoulders and looked sheepish. "I needed the exercise." She smiled and walked on, paying no attention to my normal breathing.

It didn't take me long to find Room 2501. I pushed open the door and was greeted by a much relieved looking Mrs. Togusa. "So, how's he doing?"

Tears started running down her cheeks. "Much better now that he's awake." She hugged me as a vent for her emotions.

A quiet voice interrupted. "Good to see you Batou, but get your hands off my wife. Makes me wonder what liberties you've taken while I've been on vacation." I looked over and Togusa wore that goofy-ass grin of his. I reached down and squeezed her butt just to rile him and winked at her when his heart monitor went crazy. Miki smacked me lightly and leaned over to kiss her husband on the cheek, he was looking me in the eyes. "You did that on purpose."

I grinned widely. "Of course. Someone had to get your heart pumping again." I leaned against the wall. "So, when are you getting out of here?"

"Hopefully in the next couple of days." He closed his eyes. "The Major came by, she looked healthy."

I grunted in response.

"What?"

"Nothing. Did she tell you why she disappeared?" I shifted enough to put my hands in my pockets.

"A little. I'm just glad she's with us." He grunted as the air mattress on the bed shifted and agitated his sore muscles.

"You and everyone else." I looked out the window. Suddenly I was brought out of my musing by a soft hand on my arm. I had blinked out and Miki motioned that Togusa was trying to get my attention. I turned away from the window and looked at my coworker.

"Batou, is your ghost talking to you?"

My jaw tightening was my only response to his question. "Something is."

"About the Major?" His monitors started blipping again and Miki glared at me.

"No, just something about a number that keeps coming up. It's no big deal."

"You'll let me know if it becomes a big deal?"

"Just get better. Let me worry about the voices in my head."

"Have they started answering you yet?" He chuckled rustily. "That's the first sign of insanity…or a ghost hack. Take your pick."

"No." But they do talk to each other. "I'll see you in a couple of days." I waved as I left, running into the same nurse.

"Bye Batou."

"How did you…" She smiled at me, than turned away. Maybe I need a tune-up. Or a dog.

A/N: Hope everyone had a great week! See ya later. -TK