A/n: Update time! throws confetti Now this is another chappie that will end on an odd note (See chappie three for example) Though not nearly as bad as that. Anywho... I have nothing really to say so:

Disclaimer: Me no ownie

Enjoy the chapter, it's a present cause I had a snow day from school today :D

The Lithium Flower

By: Jun-kei

Chapter 5: Encounters

"So…why did you loose yourself back there?" Kage gritted her teeth as she and Shinyuu made there way through the terminal. Earlier she hailed a taxi and paid him several times as much as he would have got merely if he managed to get her there very quickly. After breaking speeding rules the man did it in record time, less than fifteen minutes drive when it should have taken and half an hour. But now Kage sat at the computers beginning to type furiously.

"You're not going to answer are you?"

"You always have to be asking some stupid question, don't you kid? Didn't I tell you to keep your nose out of matters that don't concern you? You'll live longer." Kage frowned. "I have business to take care of if we're going to be in Niihama-shi by tomorrow." She stated coldly, her typing beginning to speed up, her eyes raced back and forth to keep up with the information.

"How did you manage to get that much money though Kage?"

Another scowl. "I'm wanted you idiot. Even if I tried to do things legally they'd shut me off and capture me. So I did the usual…begged some, stole some, borrowed some…"

"How the hell is a dead woman wanted?"

"That's the beauty of it all. Here I'm wanted, but in Niihama-shi I'm not because I was suppose to be dead. So, if I blend in, things should work out. Now quit asking me questions."

"Just how do you plan on us boarding the plane?" Shinyuu asked. He just had to say it. It was illogical to think that in this day and age the two of them could simply walk on.

Kage smirked. "Whom the hell do you take me for? Follow me." He nodded and followed her as she went up to the sales clerk, rolling down the collar of her cloak. "Now, leave me to do the talking, got it?" He nodded, there was no use with arguing with Kage. Kage turned towards the desk to where the clerk was.

"Hello there," She said pleasantly. The Female clerk smiled.

"Hello, how can I help you?"

"Hi, this is the boarding for flight 18999 that will take us to Niihama-shi, right?"

The clerk nodded. "I'm going to need some identification ma'am." Kage smiled. She was wanted, but the thing was no one has yet seen her face because her crimes were all underground. Those who did see her face were all unaware of who she was. Kage dug into her pocket and took out a passport handing it to the clerk. The clerk took a few minutes before she came back.

"You're record is clean Ms. Yui. We're glad to have you flying with us again. And as for the young man?"

"Oh, he's my adopted son. I came here a few days ago to pick him up." Ms. Yui smiled as she searched her bag, pulling out another passport. Shinyuu gasped.

"When did you have the time to m-?" His question was silenced by Yui's glare.

"Shinyuu, you know I can't trust you to keep your own passport, or else you'd loose it, silly boy." Yui handed the clerk the passport.

The clerk read it for a few moments, and then she nodded. "The boy's not much younger than you it appears Haruka-san…that is how your first name is pronounced, right, Haruka Yui?" Haruka nodded.

"Why thank you, fortunately I've been given the grace of aging slowly. About my son here, Shinyuu, I wouldn't mind paying some sort of compensation because I didn't have a chance to book a seat for him, even though the one beside me when I checked the log was still open. I really need to get back home, a family member of mine is ill and well…I'd like to see her before she gets any worse."

"I see." The clerk turned and began typing. "We don't usually do this, but I'll let him on. Can you pay for the ticket now? It'll insure that anyone else who has to do the same can't take that seat."

Haruka nodded, handing her a platinum card, Shinyuu glanced at it and on it, it said 'Haruka Yui' "You'll be paying with this?" Haruka nodded.

"Unfortunately I was trying to avoid credit interest, but now…I just don't have much of a choice." The clerk sighed.

"I know what you mean. They can be expensive sometimes." She said swiping the card and handing it back to Haruka. "Here you are, you're flight departs two hours from now. Have a safe trip."

"Thank you very much for your help. I appreciate it greatly." Haruka bowed deeply before turning and leading Shinyuu with her.

'That was too easy…I hacked her and she didn't notice a single abnormality…jeez, why am I getting so paranoid…it must be the thought of being back in Niihama-shi…'

"Kage-san?"

"Let's move…I have a bad feeling about staying here for much longer…"

"Kage-san…or is it Haruka-san?" Shinyuu asked as he noticed Haruka stop dead in her tracks, looking around.

"What?" Haruka grumbled.

"Something's not right…" Shinyuu's eyes narrowed before opening up again to look at Haruka.

"Shut up. Be quiet. And when I tell you to, stay as close to the ground as possible." Haruka growled.

"What -"

"Duck now!"

"Hey Jun." The young doctor's eyes darted to the girl hovering over her.

"Ayame." She answered. "Is there something you need? I was doing a dive you know."

Ayame shrugged. "I just wondered if you were alright. Ever since you joined here last week you've been uneasy about something."

Jun silently cursed at herself. She should have learned more from Mayuka when she had the chance when it came to hiding certain emotions that often proved to be a nuisance…like the ones people loved to read into, anger, hate, sorrow, sadness, remorse, anxiety…. She shook her head clear of her thoughts.

"I'm fine Ayame, really."

"Are you sure?" She was already pissed for the day. She didn't need a counselor on top of things. She slammed the desk and stood up.

"I'm not fine! There you happy?"

"I was just looking out for you, I thought May would have-"

"Well keep your thoughts off of what that lying bitch would have wished! I don't need any damn concern in her name!" Jun stood up abruptly from her chair, cursing all the while.

"I'm going out for a cigarette break." She growled, shoving past Ayame. When she was out of sight, she leaned on her wall, holding the bridge of her nose.

"You're coming back…after three years you're coming back…you have to be… my ghost is telling me so, I can feel it."

"I don't understand though Chief, if Kage is Mayuka, why wouldn't she have tipped us off earlier that she wasn't dead?" Batou asked as he and Motoko sat in Aramaki's office.

"Perhaps it has something to do with the fact that someone's after her."

"Or we could simply have a look alike." Mumbled Motoko. "As sad as it is to admit, if I a full body cyborg barely managed to survive that, how would someone with a natural body…" Her words trailed off as her eyes set themselves into a firm glare as she leaned back in the chair. Her arm hooked on the chair's back.

"The Major makes a good point." Aramaki said solemnly. "But maybe the answer lies in the warehouses."

"Well… is it possible for her to get her hands on any empty bodies?" Batou purposed.

"She is a hacker…" Motoko berated. "But she can't do everything…"

"Since when is it like you to be so negative over the possibilities?"

"I'm not… just, the possibility seems so unlikely." The major replied, eyes closed with her head pointed to the ceiling. "We have a job to do… we can't let such affairs distract us out on the field."

"Then what happens if she is alive, huh Motoko!?" Batou growled.

Motoko let out a long tantalizing sigh. "What good are we to her dead?"

"Ow! Haruka-san! Stop – Oi! Are you listening to me? You're holding too tight!" Shinyuu whined as Haruka ran through the terminal at record speeds.

"Would you rather get shot? Cause that can be easily arranged!" Haruka yelled, her right hand encompassing his wrist in a bone-bruising grip. Shots went off above them, for Haruka had pulled them both to the ground.

"I thought I'd have more time than this before Teddy went man hunting!" She cursed.

"Who's he -"

"Shut up boy! The less you know, the longer you'll live!" Haruka fumbled with a gun before returning fire. A body hit the ground with a sickening thud before she grabbed him and began running again.

"Hurry-hurry! I can't reload this gun easily with just one arm!" She panicked, upon seeing the door out of the terminal she speed up, her breath coming in laboured gasps. "A way out…away from here." Her eyes honed in on the first and fastest vehicle she could find.

She jumped on the near by motorcycle, and growled, thrusting the gun to Shinyuu and after digging in a pocket, a magazine too. "Point and shoot. Damn thing's semi-automatic; so release the trigger before pulling it again. Use those bullets wisely and cover my ass!"

"What, cover you're ass on what?"

Haruka didn't reply. A cord attached to the motorcycle was now at the back of her neck.

"You idiot! Can't you just hotwire the damn thing?" Shinyuu asked. "Now's not the time to – " The engine cut in and Haruka grinned.

"Hold on boy, cause were gonna loose those bastards!" She revved the engine. "Never try breaking the speed limit without a helmet, you hear!" With that, Shinyuu held on tightly as the bike speed off. And at the same time, several members of the Archangels ran out the terminal to their cars in pursuit.

"So how's my little work-a-holic doing?" Asked Kurutan as she sat beside Motoko on the bed.

"I'm busy." Motoko muttered.

Kurutan scowled. "When aren't you?" She sighed and looked around her flat. It was a mixture of autumn colours. This bedroom in particular was an amber-ish colour. "You came to my place Motoko, not the other way around, so I suggest you give it a break. Go in autistic mode for a few hours. I'm sure they won't mind."

A long sigh made it's way past Motoko's lips. The internet window in front of her closed and she shook her head. "If Mayu was alive… what would you do?"

Kurutan's eyes widened in surprise. "Well…" She paused. "Where's this coming from… are you trying to say that Mayuka is –?"

Motoko shook her head. "Don't take my question out of context."

"Is she or isn't she?" Kurutan's eyes lit up.

"Kurutan! Just answer the question." Motoko warned.

"You first!"

"Why should I? You're the one taking things out of context!"

"Well that's because you'll never tell me anything!"

"The information from my work is classified, I can't just tell any friend of mine!"

"So even Mayuka's whereabouts are classified? Jeeze, thanks!"

Motoko sighed heavily. "It's not like that… it's just that…"

"So she is alive…" Kurutan concluded.

"Yes – I mean – No! I…" Motoko shook her head. "I'm not sure."

Kurutan seemed to accept that answer. "… There's always hope."

Motoko nodded.

"Well," Kurutan continued. "If Mayu was still alive, I'd accept her back with open arms."

"But how are we sure she's the same person we knew…?" Motoko questioned.

"Eh? What do you mean? I know she's always rough around the edges, but Mayuka's Mayuka, plain and simple."

"Kurutan…" Motoko's eyes wandered elsewhere. "Remember that girl we saw at the grave yard back on May's birthday?"

"The one who looked like May? Didn't she claim Mayuka was her mother – but surely she's too old to be Mayuka's kid."

"She's a clone… has to be. They look too similar. She called herself Yukiko." Motoko muttered lowly.

"May's middle name… so what about her?"

"She was inferring that there are lies all about us. That even Mayuka was lying." Motoko sighed. "That I'd find some truth if I were to look back. She said my own name was a clue."

Kurutan looked startled. It was a minute before she spoke again. "So… did you…?"

"My parents died in a plane accident we were in when I was nine. Me and a boy named Hideo Kuze were the only survivors." Motoko scowled. "Hideo Kuze and Motoko Kusanagi weren't our real names. We lost our real names in that accident. The trauma prevented us from remembering. Our first names were given to us as a list to choose from, and we got our last names from whoever adopted us."

"Then… to go by that…" Kurutan's brow creased. "The Kusanagi's adopted you." Motoko nodded before Kurutan continued. "Then… who the hell is Mayuka Yukiko Kusanagi?"

"That's what I want to know."

A/n: Now I've come to the conclusion that this story's pacing is slower then the one in Inner Universe. I think this gives me more of a chance to develop plot threads so this is probably gonna be longer than Inner Universe. (come on, in the first story, Mayuka and Motoko already met each other again by chapter three. It's chapter five and Kage/Haruka hasn't seen good old Section Nine yet, though she has her eyes set on going to Nihama-shi... after an intresting little chase of course) And there are so many plot threads to work on... (though I think I might do another story... but that means something's gonna have to happen to unhinge things...) Hmm... decisions...