Chapter 2

5:30pm The team was called in for a brief session with Aramaki. He'd had hours and yet his report wasn't getting any thicker. No one had seen them in the garage as far as hotel employees were and the only other person to see them might as well been a mute for all the good it did. He didn't want to go just to have nothing to show for all his efforts. In the end Togusa decided to grab a cup of coffee on his way up to Aramaki's office that at least he could take. ' Caffeine before an execution' he thought as he boarded the elevator.

" Which floor" a man asked in front of him. He'd never heard this voice before but being to focused on his drink guessed it must've just been some currier.

" 40th" he responded still focused on his coffee. That was fine by him having someone else work the buttons while he goes crazy over not having anything to say in the meeting.

" You to eh? Seeing the great Aramaki?" the man asked as the elevator doors closed. That got his attention and he looked up the man was not facing him though. Now, actually paying some attention he noticed the man's clothing and grooming definitely not a package handler. His hair was a dark brown bordering on black, and it was barley touching his shoulders, trimmed nicely, and straight. He as wearing navy blue slacks and a black long sleeve turtle neck shirt. If he was anyone else Togusa might've thought the man's attire to be a little underdressed for this place but considering Togusa him self would wear a turtle neck with some of his suits didn't seem to out of place minus a jacket. He also smelled a strange sent of flower and metal he hated the smell of lithium, " Your Togusa am I right?" he asked still not turning around. The question elected a surprised look from the brown hair officer.

" Um…excuse me…and you are?" He asked with a suspicious tone to his voice.

" You'll find out soon enough, " the man said. Togusa could've sworn he heard a slight snicker to that tone but he wasn't sure, " Your fairly human aren't you?"

" Excuse me! Why are you asking me questions like that! Who are you?" The officer responded in a half shriek of unsureness and embarrassment. Before he could get an answer the doors opened and the man quickly stepped out. Togusa stayed back a moment scared and confused that a complete stranger would know his name as well as that he was like he was. This was his floor but he was almost afraid to emerge thinking this guy might try something with him or attack him or something but then he remembered the meeting and shoved all uncertainties out of his mind. He reasoned that no one would have the balls to attack a section 9 member inside the actual facility, and his mind felt better with that comforting notion, and he emerged into the hallway, and proceeded to Aramaki's office.

A pone entering the group was waiting along with the strange man. Togusa almost dead stopped as he entered. The man smiled at him and Togusa quickly moved to join his teammates at the other side of the room doing his best not to look at the man. The chief was sitting in his chair arms folded neatly on his glass desktop. Togusa opted to stand with his back agenst the wall hoping to just blend in. Batou was sitting on the long plush couch along with Paz. The Major and Bolma where standing not to far from Togusa and the strange man was seated in a single plush chair a cross from Batou and Paz. And Boma and Ishikarwa stood behind the strange man.

" Glade you could all make it, " Aramaki said breaking the relative silence," Everyone, this is Yin Chinlou. The U.S. and Japanese authorities have put him in charge of looking into the deaths of Guy Matsumoto and his subordinates. Mr. Chinlou this is Section 9," he said gesturing around the room, " All our efforts will be in conjunction with him and his organizations." Mr. Chinlou bowed respectfully and smiled. Shifting his eyes from the couch to the said man he now finally got to see what he looked like. His features were not strong and pronounced like the Japanese his face had a softer less rigid look to it stating he was most likely from China but other features such as his eyes, nose, and feature placements suggested he was a mix most likely American and Chinese. His skin was a relative mix between tan and white coming out to be a real light tan and his eyes where green and haunting. After green met light brown Togusa quickly looked away some how just something wasn't right with this guy he just got bad feelings around this man and he couldn't figure out if it was just his nerves giving him that sensation or if it was brought on by the man and his strange questions. Aramaki broke him out of his thoughts.

" Let's begin shall we? Ishikawa any news on the victims checkups?"

" Yes but it's kind of strange the cause of death is something of an electric shock. Kind of the type you would expect to get from a manual cyber brain suicide attempt but where that needs to be located and the neck and skull, preferably in the back area this has been sustain through the figure tips, more accurately the right hands of Mr. Matsumoto and Mr. Hazuma and the left digits of Mr. Misa."

" Is that possible to sustain such a shock through the figures that could kill the brain?" inquired Mr. Chinlou

" Yes it is possible but rare if anything and the fact that they all show signs of being soul hacked that in itself makes it even more complicated. They seem to have been all hacked simultaneously and killed in less then two minuets. Checking the vehicle out the technicians found a rather sophisticated trap the minite these men where to touch the handles of the car the precise second actually it's like a fuse for a bomb it went off both hacking and killing the victims. And in that way that makes this strange. I've never herd of a killing and hacking that had been done through current and the hands."

" Have you checked to see if any terrorist fractions have laid claim to this?"

" Yes Major, but no one and those that were enemies of Mr. Matsumoto haven't fessed up or even bragged about they themselves killing him."

" Well not many people are up for VIP's deaths to be pinned on them," Paz said.

" Yeah but you'd think someone would want to say I've killed an ambassador and no one. It's really odd normally these kinds of things are, " Ishikawa responded rubbing his head.

" That's why you're Section 9. I doubt anything is ever routine other wise you'd guys be out of a job," Yin said in a matter of fact kind of tone crossing his arms and smiling at Togusa who still refused to look at him, " being your crew is the mostly cybernetic and mostly out going this should be a walk in the park for people like your selves." No one said anything for a moment not so much as doubting their abilities but the fact this new comer tried to barge in like he owned the place.

" What about you Togusa? Any luck?" Aramaki asked swiveling in his chair he noticed the odd expression and body language on the man but decided not to mention anything. Startled he looked up at the chief.

" No not really. Uh, the hotel security led Mr. Matsumoto and Mr. Hazuma out to the lobby area at around 2:20 am last night and then a delivery boy said to have entered the facility at around 2:30 delivered and left. The delivery boy might've seen something but turns out he's been in an accident and isn't talking about that or the ambassador so."

" Is he dead?" the chief asked

" No, just not talking I get the feeling he knows something maybe even saw it but they called security before I could even get him to remotely cooperate." He responded folding his arms.

" What's the kid's name?" Yin asked.

" Oh, ahh.." he said looking at Mr. Chinlou both surprised and uneasy," Shinji Hikari" he said looking anywhere but at Mr. Chinlou's eyes. The tan man smiled and leaned back once more.

" Major? What about you?" the chief asked leaning back into his chair and re folding his arms as well but still not taking his eyes off of Togusa.

" For once…. nothing. Who ever planed this did it well and who ever covered it up is even harder to find. No word about it. It's strange. I've checked his bank records for anything suspicious but nothing. It's even stranger how none of his enemies even knew he was dead until this morning. Things just aren't adding up."

" Well," he said rather disappointed, " keep at it…. everyone. Dismissed." Everyone got up and or was leaving when he spoke once more, " Togusa can you stay a moment." He nodded but really wanted to scream. He'd rarely had moments like this at police HQ and every time it wasn't good. He had times like this in school where the teacher would ask him to stay after and that wasn't good either so all the nerves in him were saying ' your screwed' but he stood where he was until everyone had left. Then he walked over to the chief's desk.

" Yes chief."

" Is there something wrong?" he asked concern in his rough voice.

" No sir. Nothing."

" Is there something between you and Mr. Chinlou?"

"Ha? No sir it's nothing like I said. I guess I just don't like him that's all."

" Is that all? You looked upset in dealing with him."

" What? No. He just well…. I don't know…. I'm fine sir. Really."

" Can you work with this man?"

He looked away from his boss for a moment then, " Yes sir I can," even though everything inside him was saying no he smiled, " Is that all sir? I'm sorry I didn't have much for the meeting perhaps I'll have better luck this evening."

" That's fine Togusa, but if something should arise from you and Mr. Chinlou you tell one of us ok? I don't need another Batou on the team understand?"

" Yes sir I understand."

" Alright go ahead and continue your work." Arimaki said trying to sound normal while still feeling concerned he didn't know why exactly he should feel this way. As he watched the brown haired man leave he knew the man wasn't telling him everything but decided to wait in alerting the other's to see if this wasn't something that a few days on the job couldn't cure.