A/N: Chapter two is up, and probably be the last one for a little while (argg! School!) Now I've been told I'm doing fine so far (Reviews...their my bloodline...lol) Personally, I think the characters seem a little Ooc (Though strangely, Motoko DOES kind of fit Shivers) Perhaps it's cause I feel I went too deep into the minds of another character, who is also main to the plot. So here we go:
Disclaimer: I don't own Ghost in the shell Stand alone complex (Ok, I'm just gonna use GITS:SAC from now on!) I do own however: Takemura Mehiji, Mayuka Kusanagi, Yukimura and Ayame Takeda.
Inner Universe
Chapter two: Sisters
"Kusanagi-san!"
Screamed a voice as 'Kusanagi' sat up in her bed, noting the feeling of clean bandages around her head.
"A-ayame?"
A woman of about the same age with dark hair and bright blue eyes sat their playing with her glasses, a expression of relief crossing her face.
"We were worried by the amount of blood we saw back there…"
"Heh…hurts like hell though."
Ayame frowned.
"I'm serious! I can't believe Takemura, Teddy for gods-damn-sake did that! He could have killed you! We grew up together damnit! I thought I knew that son-of-a"
"Ayame, stop it…my head hurts…"
Ayame smiled.
"Sorry. So, the bad news about this is, you no longer have a right eye."
"Pfft. Figures…"
"The good news is your alive. How do you feel? Light headed?"
"Like I just got my ass handed to me! But other than that I'm fine!"
Ayame nodded.
"We were really worried about you. And it's not like we could take you to the hospital."
"Wait…we?"
"Yukimura-nii-sama was also worried. He kept asking, "Ayame-chan, when will she wake up? Ayame-chan, will she be ok? Ayame-chan, how is she?" After a while it got annoying when he began sounding like a broken record."
"That's your brother for wait! Why was he asking that?"
Ayame shrugged.
"As far as I've seen, he gets friggin thrills from shocking me with that bloody taser of his."
"Nii-sama's really nice, and kindhearted. It's only a façade he uses whenever Takemura-sama's around. He really hates having to hurt you like that."
"Kusanagi" Raised an eyebrow.
"Oh really?"
"Yes Kusanagi-san. In fact I think he has a thing for you."
Ayame stated as she carefully watched her friend blush.
"Well! Things to do, so little time. I'll come back later, okay?"
"Yeah…knock yourself out or something…"
Ayame nodded and smiled before getting up and leaving. As "Kusanagi" Stared out of the window near-by.
'Takemura…I might have been a sergeant back in the army when I signed up but he's still much stronger. Can I be sure it's only because I was weakened from all the torture?'
Kusanagi sighed, as she collected her thoughts.
'But he clearly showed he's running out of patience…he doesn't care about my life…'
As she thought of this, she placed her hand lightly over the bandages of where her right eye used to be.
'He'd kill me then hack my sub-brain to find what he's looking for rather than waste so much time…I'm running out of time…whatever I chose, to live with fear off the lives of others…or to die with grace.'
"Hey."
That one word snapped her out of her chain of thoughts as she looked up to see Yukimura as he wrung his hands nervously.
"Um…I brought some ointment for the wound…"
"Yukimura-dono…is there"
"No…and there's no need for such high formalities Kusanagi-san. You may call me Yukimura-kun if you want. Or even just Yukimura."
He took a deep breath before continuing.
"Look, I'm sorry about earlier…"
"There's no need for that Yukimura-dono…"
"In such a situation, like what you found yourself in, I can't help but be angry that it's Takemura who did that…I thought I knew him…but on a positive note…how's your sister Kusanagi-san?"
"My sister…we haven't talked in years. The last time I even had anything close to contact with her was when I was thirteen. It was her birthday, and her final cyborg re-sizing. I sent her a silver watch."
"I see…it's sad, how families can fall apart like that, Kusanagi-san."
Kusanagi smiled faintly.
"I know what you mean, Yuki-kun. Oh…you can call me Mayuka. Or May for short."
Yukimura smiled.
"That's your name? Kusanagi Mayuka?"
"Yes. Surprised?"
"Never thought your first name would be something like that…Mayuka-chan. It's a beautiful name…really."
Mayuka smiled.
"Why thanks. But I suggest you leave before Ayame gets beck. I'm sure she'll torment you for 'keeping me awake'"
"Yeah…you should get your rest."
Yukimura concluded before turning to leave.
"Get better soon, Mayuka Kusanagi,"
'My angel'
He thought these words, lingering a moment, as a smile made it's way to his face, he left.
"So you're here Major Kusanagi."
Aramaki said as he took his seat, motioning her to do the same, pointing at the chair across from him.
"Sir?"
"Sit Major."
Motoko nodded and took a seat as Batou and Togusa stood on either side.
"Where are the others?"
"They'll be here soon, Batou. But for now, just wait patiently."
As Aramaki said this, Boma walked into the room.
"Sorry for being late sir, Ishikawa, Pazu and Saito will be here soon."
"Then we will start as soon as they get here"
Soon the threesome entered, with Saito looking rather confused, as he looked around.
"Well, this was a rather random meeting you threw on us…"
Aramaki ignored the comment ant cleared his throat.
"I called you here for a meeting, as you all know about the Yakuza. It appears that the branch of the Yakuza we overlooked has surfaced."
"And they are?"
"They call themselves 'Archangel' Major. A name very fitting considering they're second best to the top dog gang of the Yakuza."
"Hmm, the top…would that be the group known as Akutenshi?"
Aramaki nodded.
"Yes, the 'Evil angel' is what they call themselves. But the Archangels are different. They stick to the shadows making it extremely difficult to track them down. Before it appeared that they were gone; wiped out when section six found a group of them… However, their resurfacing was marked by several corpses that were found…"
Batou's expression was unreadable as he thought about this, as Motoko didn't even look fazed.
"What's so special about these corpses?"
"Each were identified as criminals who just days ago were reported seen during a murder or robbery. When the results of the study of the corpses came in, each and every one of the bodies showed evidence that they had been ghost-hacked."
Boma's eyes narrowed.
"Ghost-hacked? Is their any evidence of who did it?"
Aramaki shook his head.
"No…the person who did it covered their tracks quite well. It is speculation that the Archangels did it because they were known for crimes like that. It's from here on our information becomes nothing but speculation…"
Ishikawa looked around.
"But for every hacker, the style they execute is different. So what's the speculation on that?"
"It's one of the reasons I wanted the Major to sit, as it might come to a shock…"
"What?"
Aramaki smiled.
"Major, you do have a younger sister?"
"If you consider her a sister, then yes I do. What does my alleged family have to do with this?"
She replyed hotly. Aramaki though, didn't answer.
"The hacking style is very similar to that of three people. Rika Kishimoto,"
When saying the name, a screen appeared showing the suspect. She had long orangy-brown hair, and piercing blue eyes.
"She has been ruled out for several reasons. Kishimoto loves to make her work public, no matter how small the group who are watching is. But instead of killing the victims, she often im-puts false memories and make them turn themselves in. However, Kishimoto, herself was ghost-hacked by someone else. After this, she felt so guilty she turned herself in. And has been de-ghosted."
Aramaki then flipped a screen to a picture of a man, with wild black hair, the tips dyed blonde. He had crazy looking ruby eyes.
"The second is Albel Shishimi. He was known as the hacker, who hacked into Kishimoto's cyber brain. Albel was known to have gone clinically insane and suposedly committed suicide."
Aramaki cleared his throat, and flipped to the last page. It was of a young woman with long dark-purple hair, and blue eyes.
"The last of them, is Mayuka Kusanagi"
"May? Why would she be suspected?"
Motoko suddenly blurted out, despite her resolve not to.
"Major."
"Sorry sir."
Aramaki turned back to the picture.
"Mayuka has no criminal history other than ghost-hacking as a joke and has never done any serious harm. From the data shown, she's the biological sister of the Major. Kusanagi's only charge was at a protest when she decided to be a vigilante. Other than that, the only other things on her record was cyber-hacking to get herself a plain ticket to the States, and ghost-hacking to save herself. She also joined the army when she was in the States, completed training in record time, and attained herself a starting rank of Sergeant."
Pazu blinked.
"She's much younger than the other two…"
"She still has her own organic body. The only cybernetic implant she has is a sub-brain to connect to the net. Biologically though, she's only nineteen years old, she already has done all that and has a University degree. This piece of information baffles Section Six. Which is why it's been handed to us. Especially seeing that we have the Major to answer some questions."
At that note, everyone turned to look at Motoko.
"What?"
"She's nineteen…how does a nineteen year old already have a degree? Most kids her are still in school."
Togusa asked.
"Her school record says she graduated from grade school, middle school and high school. But at what age is unknown."
Aramaki answered.
"To put it one way, May, has always been more 'gifted' than others."
"Gifted, what do you mean"
"She means that Mayuka's a genius, Batou."
Togusa answered.
"A genius?"
"She already knew how to talk by time she was two months old. And six months later she was walking."
Motoko answered in an off-handed manner.
"You make this sound like it's the most common thing you can ever see."
Batou stood there blinking.
"Such potential…all wasted to be one of the Yakuza…even though she may be smart it appears she's still naive."
Togusa said thoughtfully.
"But here's where the lines begin to blur, Togusa."
"Huh?"
"After about two years of service she quit the army after nearly being shot down in battle. At the time she was about thirteen. She went back to hacking, such as for sustenance so she had a cash flow. At the same time, the Archangels of the Yakuza were to believe to have been destroyed by Section Six. A few months later though, a missing person's report was filed in the states about Kusanagi. And she hasn't been seen ever since. The ticket flow showed she came back here to Japan a few months before, to search for something. Then she went back to the States seven weeks later. When the report was filed, the Police had found her apartment in shambles. However, because she cut ties with her family, the Police had no one to call about it. But they did write it down that it was possible that she was kidnapped."
Togusa thought for a moment.
"So…she was kidnapped?"
"If and assuming she was kidnapped, why haven't we heard any cries for help, or someone trying to get in contact with us?"
Motoko said coolly.
"Most likely, if she was kidnapped, the Archangels are holding her against her will."
"If you ask me she's a willing participant…"
"Major! This is your own sister!"
"Attachments to people will only let your feelings get in the way of your job, Togusa."
Motoko replied coldly.
"What about that bracelet then?"
Batou asked. Motoko glared at him.
Motoko: You're pushing it Batou!
"It's just an object. It can always be replaced."
Aramaki cleared his throat loudly to catch everyone's attention.
"Section Six and I both agree that it's a higher possiblility that Mayuka Kusanagi was kidnapped, and is being forced to comply with their orders. On resting with that, we need more information on this fact. So one place we're sure there must be information is your old house, Major Kusanagi, the one you grew up in."
"Are you sure my folks are just gonna let you?"
Motoko asked coolly.
"Wouldn't they recognize and trust their own daughter?"
'To them I'm nothing but a doll now…'
Motoko thought angrily. But shook her head.
"They'd recognize me, but they'd be scared to see Batou here."
"Hey!"
"Then I will issue a search warrant, Major, so you and Batou better get going."
"Alright, let's go."
And with that, the Major stood up and left, with Batou closely following.
A young girl with purple hair and red eyes looked around. She sat stiffly in a wheel chair as another girl, who was a few years younger pushed the chair.
"O-nee-san?"
"Yes May?"
"Are you sad?"
"No."
"Mad?"
"No."
May looked at her sister, her face tightened, as she looked angry.
"Come-on Motoko-o-nee-san! You look upset! Who was bugging you?"
"Don't worry about it, okay, I'm more concerned about the hell they've been giving you of lates."
"I can take care of myself! But I'm sick and tired of them harassing you all the time!"
Motoko sighed, as she looked at a doll she had in her hand, with purple hair and red eyes. She smiled to herself as she looked at it, then to May, who had gave it to her. May looked down and smiled back, before looking up again to cross the road, all while humming a tune to herself.
"Hey I know that song!"
May blinked.
"You do…it's in English you know."
"Not all of it! Come on! Sing it!"
"Um….I am calling, calling, spirits rise and falling. To stay myself longer…um I forgot after that part."
Motoko laughed.
"But you do sing well."
"Gosh…you think so?"
May replied while scratching the back of her head with her left hand.
"Um…Motoko-nee-san…"
"Huh."
"We're…here…"
She said the last part timidly as two girls approached them, each with a smirk on her face.
"Well, well, if it isn't the robot, and the freak."
"What do you want Higurashi?"
Motoko yelled, as Higurashi's friend beside her saw the doll and grabbed it.
"Ooh! I didn't know you still played with dollies, Kusanagi. I understand your freak of a sister having a fascination with dollies, after all, she's seven, and you're what, fourteen?"
"Give that back! It's Motoko's! No yours!"
"I'll do what ever I want freak!"
"SHUT UP MORI!"
"What do you two want anyways? Whatever it is, leave May out of it!"
Mori and Kusanagi both glared at the two.
"Actually, Kusanagi, our problem is with the pipsqueak."
"Leave May alone."
"And just what are you going to do? Use a rocket punch and knock us out, robot?"
"She's not a robot! She's my sister!"
With that May tried to charge at them, but Motoko blocked her way. Higurashi angrily toppled over the wheelchair, with May glaring at her.
"If you have a problem with it May, then you're going to have to take it up with me."
May growled at this charging at them. But Motoko who was on the ground was unable to see what was happening. However, she heard May scream, then being thrown harshly to the ground. It was then she was able to see her sister, who struggled to get up, falling into fits of coughs, tainted as she coughed up her own blood.
"M-may? May are you ok…"
"Grrr…Damn them!"
May muttered angrily as she jumped up to attack them. For a few moments things were silent except for the sound of someone struggling from being choked, and another person, slowly approaching them.
"Hey! Mori, Higurashi, cut it out!"
"It's you! What do you want, Shinta? Shugo?"
"Shugo, help Motoko back into her chair. And Higurashi, put Mayuka down, now!"
Now Motoko could see everything as Shugo, a boy in her class helped her up. He had shoulder length brown hair, and green eyes. And Shinta, his twin looked the same. Behind him, Higurashi held Mayuka in the air, Mayuka's hands were lying to her sides: she had lost conciseness.
"Shugo, I'm going to get help, ok?"
"Hai! O-nii-san!"
Shugo replied as he blocked the girls' way from going anywhere.
"Ruka-sensei!"
Shugo turned when he heard his brother's voice as one of the teachers approached. In shock, Higurashi dropped Mayuka, who fell like a rock, inhaling a deep breath.
"Ruka-sensei! It's not what"
"I want both of you at the Principal's office"
"But"
"NOW!"
Ruka-sensei was rather young to already be teaching, but as Far as Motoko knew, she was rather kind hearted. Ruka turned to Motoko.
"Are you ok, Ms. Kusanagi?"
"Yes…I'll be, fine. Just a little shaken."
Ruka smiled.
"A wheelchair? Did you have another cyborg-resizing?"
Motoko nodded.
"I see. It takes a while before you get used to the size. But if such wasn't the situation, instead of sending Ms. Mori and Ms. Higurashi to the principal's office, you would have had full permission from myself to beat them up, and I'd gladly take any heat for it."
Ruka smiled, then turned around to see the fallen Mayuka. Ruka gasped.
"Oh dear... Shinta!"
"Yes Sensei?"
"Take Mayuka to the nurse's Asap!"
Shinta nodded, and he and Shugo picked Mayuka up and started carrying her in.
"Motoko, you can check on your sister later, but I'm sure she'll be fine. You might be pulled out of class later about this. I'd accompany you, but I must go to the principal's office to make sure things are taken care of. Take care, ok? I'll see you later."
With that, Ruka-sensei left, leaving Motoko in her wake.
"Major?"
Motoko blinked as she looked over to Batou.
"Huh, what is it?"
"Did you even hear a word I say?"
No…not really."
Batou sighed.
"I can't believe I let you drive again."
"These roads are easy Batou…"
"So, what were you thinking about?"
Motoko smiled.
"Oh, just the good old days…"
"Figures."
Suddenly, the car stopped, in front of an older house, made of bricks.
"Huh? And this is?"
"The house I grew up in."
"Really?"
Motoko shut the engine off and opened the door, heading towards the door of the house. Batou soon followed as she knocked on the door. Getting impatient, Motoko took out a set of keys and opened the door.
"You still have the keys."
"Yeah."
Motoko's eyes widened as she looked inside.
"What's wrong?"
"It's that everything's in shambles."
Motoko muttered as she took out her gun.
"What's that smell?"
"It smells like rotting corpses."
"What?"
Motoko growled, as she looked around, suddenly frozen to the spot.
"Batou!"
Batou looked at the ground to see the bodies of a man and a woman lying on the ground. But all that remained were bones. Batou frowned at the sight.
"Looks like they've been dead for a while."
"I already know that!"
"So then, what do we do next?"
"Look around Batou…there's got to be a reason here…"
Batou nodded and went a different direction.
"Major!"
Batou yelled over his shoulder a few minutes later. Motoko soon ran into the room.
"What is it?"
"It's a letter."
Motoko looked over to see the aged paper, with blue ink scrawled across it, in a familiar handwriting. Beyond any reason she could think of, she immediately felt relieved when she saw Mayuka's handwriting.
"What does it say? It's too messy, I can't read it."
"That's Mayuka for you…it says:
"Dear Motoko,
It's been a while, hasn't it sister? Far too long I'm afraid. I know you and I haven't been on good terms for nearly three years ago. And I'm assuming the sight you came to saw didn't help. Motoko, I'm so sorry…I…damn it! It's all my fault! It started shortly after my injury back in the army that caused me to quit. Without money, I started to cyber-hack again. It was the only option left for me. One time, I accidentally hacked into a mysterious hard drive. I didn't realize it at first, but I soon found out it belonged to a Yakuza gang named "Archangel" I was so stupid, I logged off right away, covering every track I could. But they must have been watching, cause they started to hunt me down like a dog. So, I came here, came back home. When I got there, they already beat me to it. I found mom and dad, tied and gagged, and before I knew it, they forced me to watch…to watch them kill them…it was to serve some sort of sick meaning of theirs! I managed to escape them. But it won't do any good. They'll be hounding me soon enough. So I'm heading back to the States. I left this note in the one place they would never look: in your room behind the doll that I gave you so long ago.
Motoko, all I ask is for whenever you find this note to live a happy life. And please don't try and look for me…I don't want you messed up in the situation I got myself stuck in…I've already lost more than enough, and it'd probably be too late to redeem myself now.
Loving you and wishing you the best, O-nee-san,
Mayuka"
"Well major."
"Let's go. Now."
Motoko replied coldly as she crumpled the paper, and left the room in the direction to the front door of the house.
The major has been acting strange of late. I think many reasons point to the fact that she might have known about this earlier. But she's the type of person to let her work take all her mind off of such 'minute' problems, as she would put it. But that note from her younger sister, Mayuka must have stroked a cord for her to crumple it up like that. My guess was that before Mayuka and Motoko had their little fall out, they must have been practically inseparable. Family matters…could that be why she always acts so cold, or why she believes that 'Personal feelings for others only gets in the way of the job'? It would explain a lot. Mayuka must have meant…no means, a lot to her. If this is the case, then I wonder who Motoko Kusanagi was before Mayuka left her behind with a rift of torn feelings. And even whom Mayuka was to do that to such a person.
Batou
A/N: Yay! Now that was much longer than last chapter ' If you noticed, I added a little blurb at the end of Batou's thoughts. It's an idea I've seen before and I like how it fits with the story, so I plan on keeping it. I find it a way to 'get into' the character's minds by writing from their P.O.V. However, characters made are easier to understand than the show's characters...so with that in mind it makes sence whom I'd mainly do this for...however one for Mayuka wouldn't be so bad...'
Next Chappie: Mayuka shows just why she was put on the 'most wanted' list of hackers! And Motoko discovers that there are several reasons to keep someone you can't standin close quarters, with a little warning from Aramaki Daisuke.And does Takemura seeMay as just a plaything?
Read and Review guys...it's my lifeline...