Ghost In The Shell Fan Fiction / Ghost In The Shell: Stand Alone Complex Fan Fiction ❯ Last Minute ❯ Last Minute ( Chapter 1 )

Disclaimer: I do not own Ghost in the Shell in any of its incarnations, these characters were not created by me, I am only borrowing them and I hope that I do them justice.

 

New Port City sweltered in the summer heat; waves rising off the pavement gave everything a hazy, surreal atmosphere by day. By night the city seemed to breathe heavily, unwilling to rouse itself to any exertion. Even cyber crime was down, as were over-loaded networks and power grids all over town. The hotter it got, the more brown outs the city had to deal with. Leads on the Jabberwock case were the only thing in Section 9 that was the least bit cold. It seemed as though they had hit the wall - of a blast furnace.

 

The team was preparing to split up and run down at least three different possible suspects, but there was still time. Batou had left the office late. Everyone had been burning the midnight oil far too much lately, and there was no end in sight yet. As he walked through familiar streets, taking the long way to a nearby bar, he wondered what the future held. The stakes were higher than he really wanted to consider, the Major had already had a near miss and the case had only just begun to develop.

 

The big cyborg cop shoved his hands in his pockets with a sigh and paused to look around at the street life. There was more of it than usual. Then it hit him, there was a festival just getting going.

 

“Dammit.” He cursed under his breath, not feeling very festive.

 

Streamers had started to appear in the trees and on the front doors of shops, which seemed to be staying open later than usual. This did nothing to improve Batou's mood. He kept walking. A sudden ignition of Roman Candles blinded him and he almost drew his sidearm.

 

“A little jumpy, aren't you?” the Major's voice asked him over the net.

 

He wondered where she was to have observed that, or if she had hacked his brain… again.

 

“What gave you that idea, Major?” He responded, trying to be casual as he scanned the area.

 

The Major stepped out of a nearby alleyway, fading out of her thermo-optic camouflage in a moment.

 

Batou smiled at her. “That's cheating, Major.”

 

The Major cocked her head to the side with a grin. “I wasn't aware that we were playing a game.”

 

“Huh, if you say so.” Batou shrugged.

 

“So,” she asked, looping her arm around his, “what's got you down?”

 

He glanced at her, still not used to this new `thing' between them. He chose to reply over the net rather than admit what was on his mind out loud. “I'm not looking forward to this op.'”

 

She looked sidelong at him with those inscrutable port-wine eyes. “What's on your mind?”

 

“It feels wrong, splitting the team like this.” He admitted, unwilling to cop to what was really bothering him.

 

Motoko knew damn well that there was more to it than he would admit. Once a Grunt, always a Grunt, she thought to herself as she reflected on Batou's past as an infantry soldier. She knew there was only so much he would actually say when it came to how he really felt; it kind of went with the job.

 

They walked a while in silence, arm in arm. Finally Motoko said aloud, “I'll be fine.”

 

Batou stopped in his tracks, a pained expression on his face. “Major, it's not that…”

 

“Bull.” She countered. “I'm flattered, but you know you don't have to watch out for me all the time.”

 

“I know.” He said, thinking to himself, but I want to. He still wasn't able to say it.

 

Motoko studied him. There really was something bothering him; that much was obvious, but she had to be careful not to push him. She chose distraction over confrontation.

 

More fireworks went off nearby, lighting the evening shadows as the sun set over the bay. Between the buildings the dying light reflected on puddles still left from the previous night's thunderstorm. For a frozen moment, the golden sunset reflected and refracted, echoed in the fountains of sparks surrounded the two of them in a glimmering golden glow.

 

“What is all of this?” She asked looking around at the festivities as crowds spilled into the streets.

 

“You mean you don't know?” He asked, finding it hard to believe.

 

Motoko shook her head wordlessly.

 

“Come here.” He said, guiding her to a nearby bench under a sapling tree that was festooned with small flags and ribbons.

 

“Haven't you ever heard of Tanabata?” Batou asked.

 

She thought for a moment, choosing not to access the net, but let him tell her about it. “I think I've heard of it, but I thought it was a country thing. I didn't realize it was a big deal in the city any more. I still don't know what it's all about.”

 

Batou chuckled, “I thought all little girls heard this story.”

 

“I didn't grow up like other girls, Batou.” Motoko reminded him, looking down at her hands in her lap.

 

He winced, reminding himself that the Major had been given a completely cybernetic body at a very young age after her original biological one had been injured beyond repair.

 

She put a hand on his, saying, “It's okay. Tell me the story.”

 

He looked at her, wishing for once that he could cry; an impossibility with his prosthetic implant eyes. She was luminous in the half light; dazzled he sighed and began the tale.

 

“The story goes that long ago there were two stars, a princess called Shokujo and a herdsman called Kengyu. They met on the banks of the Celestial River, Amanogawa and fell in love. Because of their love affair, both were distracted form their duties. She had been an expert weaver but she ceased to weave her silk. He had been the Emperor's master herdsman, but the flocks were allowed to stray. As punishment for this, the lovers were separated for all time. The Emperor of Heaven placed one on either side of the Amanogawa, impossible to swim, too deep to ford. No bridge existed across the river of heaven.” Batou paused.

 

“This is celebrated with a festival?” Motoko asked.

 

Batou shook his head, flipping his pale ponytail over his shoulder. “There's more. Some say that a magpie, Kasasagi heard the princess crying and took pity on her. That magpie gathered his kinsmen and told them the sad tale. So the magpies resolved to form a bridge, so that the lovers could meet. The birds flew together and made a bridge of their wings and the princess and the herdsman met in the middle. However this took so much effort from the birds that they can only perform their task once a year.”

 

Motoko smiled, speechless. She shook her head, realizing that he never ceased to amaze her. She leaned in quickly and kissed him before he had time to react.

 

When she pulled back, Batou sat there dazed. There was something that he had wanted to say. She always tripped him up. He felt himself blush.

 

“The custom is to write your wish for the next year on slips of paper and tie them to new-cut bamboo trees.” He said, nodding toward the brightly colored little banners that festooned the tree beside them.

 

“They seem to be everywhere,” she observed, looking up at the tree.

 

He laughed, “Yeah, I don't want to see the cleaning bill for this.”

 

Just then an old man with what looked like a wooden shoe-box hanging from his suspenders approached them and asked if they had made their star festival wishes yet.

 

“I have some lovely papers, perfect for writing your dearest wish! Or you can commission me to write it, I am an expert calligrapher.” The wizened man announced with a grin, opening the lid of his portable desk to reveal a set of brushes and a bottle of ink, along with dozens of slips of colored paper.

 

Batou bristled, but the Major handed over some coins and the man produced two strips of fine grain rice paper, printed on one side with ornate seashell patterns and with little strings already attached for tying. She grinned mischievously at her partner and pulled a pen out of the inner pocket of her leather jacket. Batou shrugged and waited until she had finished so he could borrow the pen.

 

By the time he had finished, Motoko was standing on the back of the bench, tying her paper flag as high in the tree as she could reach. Batou looked up at her quizzically, and then reached up to tie his to the branch below hers.

 

The Major hopped down off the bench with her usual preternatural grace and took his arm again. Now she guided him in the general direction of the team's favorite watering hole. They strolled wordlessly down the block.

 

Batou pulled her to a pause just before descending the stairs to the basement pub. Looking down at her in the deepening shadows he asked softly, “What did you wish for, Motoko?”

 

The Major swallowed hard, suddenly feeling weak in the knees. She had not grown accustomed to this either, and he was so close and so quiet. She put her hands up on his broad shoulders and stepped closer. He lowered his head to kiss her, brushing his lips over hers before she whispered to him in his mind.

 

“If I told you,” she said, “it would spoil the surprise. You don't want to jinx it, do you?”

 

“Oh,” he responded, extremely distracted, “no.”

 

They stepped back with a jolt as the door opened and a crack of light washed over them like guilty teenagers caught making out on their parents' couch.

 

“Where have you guys been?” Ichikawa asked, poking his head out the door.

 

Togusa was right behind him, with a knowing look on his face.

 

Batou and the Major put their game faces on and went inside to join the rest of Section 9 for one last night of relaxation before splitting the team to dig into their latest big investigation.