Watching the series again. Going to post the rest of what I have of this. Maybe I'll have something for it, maybe not. *shrug*

"That bombing didn't hit the prime minister, but it hit our team hard." Motoko said, voice dark. "We lost two out of seven. Togusa made it home, but got his family and a dozen others into a shelter and died to get it closed up. We dug out his wife and child, along with the other survivors a few days after the hit."

"He must have been very brave." Hitomi said softly. Motoko noted the tone of her voice – this woman was not only an expert diplomat, she was sincere. That was impressive.

"Yeah." Batou grunted. "He was good people. Our intelligence guy, Ishkawa also died about a day after the main attacks. Too much dust and smoke, and his lungs were still natural. But of course, you know it didn't stop there."

Hitomi nodded for them to continue.

"Aramaki and Kayabuki decided to stand their ground. We went to stand with them, of course, and the rest of the government which had survived. They'd hit some of the main buildings, and even with their warning we still lost half. The police and special forces were in tatters trying to keep order outside, so it was only us and a few others personally known by Kayabuki and Aramaki on the inside." She nodded faintly. "They asserted again their neutrality, even in the face of such an attack, and then the vultures descended."

Motoko and Batou sat in a double doorway, heads bowed but taking everything in, talking over the internal network. You think they'll go for round two? Batou asked, frowning.

They don't need to. Motoko replied. They made their point. Japan wasn't much more than an example.

What do you mean? Batou nearly growled.

They didn't want Japan. Motoko said again. They wanted the Arab Nations, who were also claiming neutral. To convince the one they wanted, they bombed the one they didn't.

"Damnit!" Batou shouted suddenly, punching the floor. Everyone in the hallway turned to look at them. He shifted, and then returned to his previous position, glaring at the floor. You mean those bastards dropped incendiaries on us, killed Togusa and Ishikawa… just for that!?

They didn't care who they hit, Batou, Motoko muttered. Just that they scared somebody.

Don't you care!? Batou growled. Togusa is dead! His wife and daughter are sitting downstairs asking themselves why, and that's all they get!

Motoko sighed, a little exasperated, standing up. It's worse than that, Batou. What happens to a wounded animal on the plains?

Batou looked up to her and seized. "No." He growled.

Motoko just nodded. Hyenas. We've got to get the prime minister out of here.

"The European Union tried to offer Kayabuki assistance for taking revenge, and trust me, most of Japan was all over it." Batou said. "Kayabuki refused. She wanted Japan to claw its own way back, without owing anyone anything. Aramaki stood behind her on that. When they couldn't cajole her…"

"I can assure you that I will not surrender to the pressure of the European Union," Kayabuki said, hands folded on her desk, facing the TV cameras. As always, she was self assured and poised. "Japan is strong. Our economy is greater than it has been in many years, and we will recover from this unprovoked attack on our s-,"

There wasn't even time to gasp as one of the cabinet members walked on to the screen and bent to whisper in the prime minister's ear. She gasped and the man stepped away. "End it!" Aramaki shouted as the prime minister fell forward, eyes still wide in surprise, a needle in her back. "Major!"

He's down already. Batou growled, I got him as he walked out.

Motoko turned to look at Aramaki to nod that the perp was down, but Aramaki was merely staring at Kayabuki in unprecedented horror. He reached out, tenderly swept her hair aside, and shook his head.

Too late. Motoko said. A cold horror swept the capital building.

"…the frightened little lambs murdered her." Batou finished, a sneer of disgust on his features.

"She's still memorialized, isn't she?" Hitomi asked. "I've seen pictures of her fountain."

"The inscription was I Will Not Surrender." Batou said roughly.

"Aramaki had it made." Motoko added. "He died a few days after her. Having been her advisor, they worried he might step forward."

"Once he was gone, the four of us bailed." Batou said. "Found a nice underground hole in New Zealand and chilled out on the net for awhile."

"And when the global network collapsed?" Hitomi asked.

"Seito and Bormer were gone." Motoko said. "The connection loss had severed their minds from their bodies completely."

Batou picked it up from there. "We'd been out for a few months. In that time, Japan had been scoured, Australia had suffered the nanoplague, America was in complete economic shut down, the European union was dissolved, and the Arab Nations had managed to essentially turn inwards and destroy itself."

"Oh, and that was after the Tsunami, so New Zealand was pretty gone too, huh?" Hitomi asked.

Motoko and Batou glanced at each other, and then shrugged. "More or less." Motoko muttered.

"We decided Japan was better than New Zealand after a year or two." Motoko said, shrugging. "And as we said. We're fighters. We took exception to things attacking us."

"So here we are." Batou said, shrugging. "That's the jist of it, anyway."

"Fascinating." Hitomi said. She stood. "If you'll excuse me for a moment, I need to check on Deunan. Feel free to freshen up, there's also a few different foods in the refrigerator." She gave them a dazzling smile. "And if you think of things you need, please ring. We'd love to help, and I'm sure we can all learn together!"

"Got it." Motoko muttered, tipping a wave.

"Thanks." Batou echoed and sighed as Hitomi walked out. "Phew." He said. "All that cheerfulness has me exhausted."

"Funny, after the Tachikomas, I would have guessed you'd like her." Motoko said.

Batou chuckled. "Big difference between inquisitive adorable and diplomatic cute." He said.

"Oh, pardon me." Motoko responded, rolling her eyes. "I wasn't aware of the subtleties."

"There's all sorts!" Batou said, launching into the voice he used only when they seemed pretty safe. "Diplomatic cute, inquisitive adorable, sweet innocent, sweet naive, dumb blonde, Sultry Dangerous – that's you, by the way – though maybe you're more Sexy kick as-Oof!" He sat up from the end of the couch Motoko had kicked him over.

"I deserved that, didn't I?" He asked.

She didn't respond except to stare at the wall. "Help me hack this system, Batou. I want to check out this team they're recruiting us for."

Well, that's all I have for now. I think I just wanted to kill section 9. That's how much I love them.