Finally a new chapter. Of course OOC but haven't I been doing that anyway? Anyway I hope it's something decent –

It seemed like an eternity. The sun was sinking casting a blood red glow into the small battered room. He sat agenst the eastern wall, staring at the Major's laying form. He wondered if she'd died and all he was looking at now was an empty shell.

' Batou, is everything ok?' Balma's face appeared in his eyes obscuring his partner's form.

He leaned forward, " What!" He shouted aloud. Surprise, relief, and anger all manifesting at once, " What the hell's going on Balma?"

' The Major has missed her contact time, what's your status?'

He paused a moment unsure of what to say and his unrelinquished surprise clogging his vocals, ' ……Not damn good I'd say. She's injured and…diving. And before you say anything SHE ordered me not the other way around!'

' Injured? How bad?'

'…It's bad.. She's been in there for some time and – I don't know.'

' I'm coming over to you'

' What! Where the hell are you?'

' We're in the next town over. Hang on'

" That's easy for you to say! You all have a lot of explaining to do!"

Balma said nothing and simply logged out making him even more upset then he already was.

" Damn it! Why didn't you tell me? They could've helped you already!" he hollered slamming his fist into the wooden floor. Talking to a wall wasn't the one of the best ways he'd discovered to vent, " Come back damn it!"
She still said nothing. Was she really dead? Of all the people in the world… he'd always thought she would be the last-

" They were shadowing us and you never asked for their help." He whispered, defeated, as he fell back into the wall. If she died he wouldn't be able to live with himself. He let Togusa down, he let her down. Was all his life good for was hurting others? Lost in self-loathing he didn't hear the faintest sound of a helicopter approaching, until the roar of its engine deafened him. Snapping back into his current reality seemed too brutal.

" Not reinforcements!" He murmured to himself, swiftly getting to his feet, and heading to the door leading to the roof. He wasn't quite sure exactly how he'd fight a bunch of armed mercenaries, given his optical camouflage had a limited window of time. If there was five he'd be able to take them no problem, but more then that was upping his chances of defeat, and now he couldn't afford to lose. He stayed himself in the cramped stairwell, figuring it'd be the most effective way of taking on multiple appoints easily, but at the same time putting himself at risk of being blown away with a limited range to dodge properly. He was taking a gamble but it was the only reasonable one in sight now. Readied himself in a fighting position and charged the second the door above him creaked open. Running upwards fist ready he suddenly stopped and in surprised barley was able to avoid hitting Balma, who had jumped backwards and blocked. The moment passed Balma, if he had normal eyes would've shown his surprise and disapproval at almost being decked by him, but he equally understood.

" You could've told me you were up there," Batou grunted leaning agenst the wall.

" You expecting an ambush? I told you I was coming." He did sound upset almost offended.

He just shook his head, " Let's go," He said leading the way to Kusanagi.

He watched as technicians swarmed like flies around her. He stood in the corner with Balma watching them work.

" Why didn't she call us?" Balma whispered disbelievingly.

" Why didn't anyone tell me?" He replied angrily.

" And give you some more people to be distrusting of?"

" What?" He now look squarely at the other agent.

" Look, Batou don't act like you weren't. I know you. After you got leave, even before that you kept acting like everyone would turn on you in a second. She didn't tell you because there was no need at the time, and second we were your back ups if something happened we could do exactly what we're doing now."

" What about these technicians?"

" They're local but decent. Just because we're in Thailand doesn't mean they don't have skill technicians."

" Can they help her?"

" What's her status?" Balma eminently hollered over to the technicians. Effectively ending their conversation.

" We've stopped the blood loss temporarily, and we can stabilize her but she's still diving and it's best not to forcibly remove her." A male technician answered.

" How long can you keep her stable?" Batou inquired.

" She need's to log off soon, or we will have to remove her."

" Can you send her a signal to let her know you're here?"

" We can try."

" Then try," The blonde recoiled sternly.

Another technician began to type into the small portable computer they had hooked her into. A moment later her body shook briefly and she began to blink.

" She's off, let's go." The technician at the portable computer shouted and quickly began to disconnect all non-essential wires. The group moved swiftly placing her onto a stretcher and making their way as gently as possible to the roof. Batou started to fallow, Balma placed a hand on his shoulder stopping him.

" Let her go." He said quickly.

Batou spun to face him angrily, " What?"

" That helicopter, it's too full now, we can't fallow her. I know where she's going. You need to come with me."

"Balma -"

" I'm worried about her too, but we can't go. If anyone can make it it's her. We'll see her later. Batou, we have to go back to Pazu." The smaller man interrupted.

Anger swelled inside of him as he heard the helicopter taking off, " This prisoner better know something or I'll kill them."

Getting to the next town wasn't exactly easy, the pair had to commandeer a truck to do it. The road wasn't exactly a road either almost completely obliterated it was more like a sticks over a precipice as the area they were in had many hills the next town over was on much higher ground then the one they'd left. The town was situated on the vast boarder of Eastern and Western Thailand. The town looked only marginally better then the destroyed one they'd left behind. Buildings stood but were in poor repair, he'd guessed it being a border town it didn't receive much in the way of a budget. At least the streets here were in driving order. They pulled up to a two story tan house.

" We're here," Balma said cutting the engine.

" What's this the local police station?"

" No. It's what it looks like."

" And you're keeping a suspect in there? Isn't that a little militia style?"

" If you want to say that, but remember we're trying to keep a low profile here. Aramaki didn't just let us come over here because he thought you were crazy."

"…Aramaki?"

" Yes he gave us the green light on this. He wants to know what happened to Togusa as you do. This is just out of our line to do so."

" I know that. But I didn't think the old man gave a damn."

" He was human, but he was part of our group. That's enough right there."

They sat in silence for a moment. He couldn't believe that Balma and the others had really felt like that. Even if it were an obligation they'd come here to help him.

" Let's go meet her," Balma said getting out of the old truck.

" Eh? Her?" He stammered quickly departing the vehicle as well, "Balma wait," He called after the shorter man jogging up to him. He didn't say anything just walked into the door. Batou trailed behind.

In the living room Pazu was sitting down smoking.

" Anything?" Balma asked standing in front of the slender brown haired man.

He was going to respond to his partner, but then caught sight of the large blonde.

" Batou," He said standing up and walking over to him. He was dressed oddly in blue shorts and a black tank top. He really needed to find these guys on their days off more often, " Nice to see you."

" Like wise…what the hell's going on?"

He smiled and took another drag of his cigarette, "Balma didn't say eh? Well we've been shadowing you and the Major. Not long after you guys landed actually."

" I didn't see you on the plane."

" Of course not. We arrived a few days before you, to set up our lovely shop here and all." He inhaled again and continued, " We thought we'd just be providing support like back up when you found the bastard, not nannies and emergency personnel. But I ain't complaining about what happened though." He looked away and took another drag.

" So then you know about the Major then?"

" Yeah, and it makes me want to find that bastard all the more and rip his spine out. Fuckin' coward…the Major is going to be so pissed she'll have to go home."

" What?"

" Aramaki says as soon as she's travel worthy she has to go back. Not only for a new body but ya'know… it's getting to much. If we don't get this chick talking soon we may all have to leave."

" I'm on leave you know." The blonde pointed out.

" Mmm," he nodded and inhaled again, " So I hear. Ya'know we're all on vacation right? Some fuckin' thing!"

" Vacation? How convenient for you."

He smiled at that, " Yeah ain't it? Anyway, she's a strange one insists she knows us and shit. Keeps asking for you."

" Me? Why me?"

" Hell if I know. What's got my blood boiling even more is the fact she keeps rambling she's Togusa."

He clenched his jaw at that, " Show me her," He growled.

Pazu just inhaled and turned on his heels heading for the hallway. He fallowed the man back into an old kitchen. He stopped and in the center of the room removed a dirt covered woven rug. Pulling on a small latch he lifted up a cellar door, " Aren't we lucky? We have our own cellar," He smiled a little knowing Batou was in no mood for jokes. Giving the blonde one more look he descended. The stairs gave way to dirt floors and unused whine racks. Before he could ask what was going on the man in front of him moved to the back corner and pulled on a dummy wine rack. It shifted revealing a hidden door.

" Turns out this place was used by militia back in the war. I suppose they thought of the same thing for this room as us." He said opening the hidden door and stepped through. There was artificial light coming from the light bulb in the center of the room. The floor and walls had changed to deep gray concrete. Chained to the rusted metal table was a woman with white hair laying down, her right arm extended as an odd pillow. He glanced at Pazu who just shrugged and walked out. Inhaling the smoke filled air he walk the small stretch to the table and approached the sleeping girl's chair, giving it such a firm kick that both chair and girl moved a good three inches. She gasped and sat up startled her red eyes wide with fear. He noticed she was covered in gray dirt, her clothing, and her hair.

" Where is he?" He asked sternly.

" Who? Batou its me-" He interrupted her with a firm palm to her face knocking her onto the floor.

" Don't you dare," He tossed the chair away it clanged into the back wall. She tried to crawl backwards but chains on her right leg and arm prevented her. He seized her green sweatshirt and hauled her up, " I'll ask you ONE MORE TIME! Where is he?"

Her breathe locked in her throat as she starred at him, obviously he was enraged. She'd never seen him like this, and it was more then frightening, " Batou-" Her voice quivered as she spoke his name. Obviously it wasn't the right thing to say. He slammed her head into the table causing her to momentarily black out. When she came to, she was on the floor starring up at the ceiling, and he was gone. Now it was painfully obvious… what Chinlou had said to her was true, no one believed her… what would – should she do now?

- AH! Had to re edit this thing! I'm always getting Pazu and Balma confused because everyone says their names together but never do they respond to them! So I've finally got it down! Pazu's the smoker, Balma's the bald one yeah!-

- For those who own GITS songs / CDs I was inspired to write once more by the GITS CD: Be Human. Most notably songs # 1(Be human), 9 (Spotter), 8 (Where's rocky?), 11 (Cream), 12 (Spider bits), and 14 (Piece by ten), so put them on and read or in this case if you've gotten this far, re- read! -