Ghost In The Shell Fan Fiction ❯ Too Much Heaven ❯ Staying Alive ( Chapter 1 )

Too Much Heaven

 

Author: Chrischi

 

Rating: PG13

 

Summary: In 2033, all traces of humanity has nearly completly vanished. Full humans are almost extinct. Batou was finally about to give up all hope for humanity when a ghost from the past returns, in need of him.

 

Note: Based on the movies, not the series.

 

Disclaimer: I own no part of Ghost in the Shell, characters, or trademarks.

 

Chapter 1: Staying Alive

 

The dimly lit room was silent all save for the quiet jingle of a small wind up toy that sat on the top of a desk. It was the shape of a small dog, moving a bit into diffrent poses and opening it's mouth to bark a silent bark. All that came out was the steady jingle.

 

The jingle was very calming, especially for a man that rarely saw calmness.

 

Batou's cybernetic eyes stared foreward, watching the small toy as it moved from pose to pose. It's moves were predictable as they were all configured by the manufacturer. Batou nearly chuckled at how much the wind up toy resembled society today.

 

His head leaned back and he spoke the quote tiredly, "Only within the moment of time represented by the present century has one species, man, acquired significant power to alter the nature of his world." With a sigh, he rose from his chair and walked along his wood floor into the kitchen.

 

Glancing about the small kitchen, his cyborg eyes laid on the large heap of fur that lay in a bundle in the corner. The dog's ears lifted a bit and looked up as it's master entered the room.

 

Batou opened the door to the fridge and looked around in the nearly empty storage. He caught sight of some leftover carry-out chicken from the night before and threw a piece of the fried bird to the dog. He ate it hungrily as Batou got himself a beer and returned to the living room where he resumed his seat in his chair.

 

It wasnt long before his calm silence was interuppted by the annoying beeping of his pager which sat on the counter of the kitchen. With a sigh, Batou watched as his dog tried to reach the annoying beeper unsuccessfully. Standing, the cyborg grabbed his coat from the rack and left the confines of his safehouse boredly, locking it up as he went.

 

Outside, he saw his car sitting on the street curb. It was one of Batou's only prides. The sky blue antique sat in silence as Batou ran his gloved hand over the polished surface with almost a smirk. As he reached the driver's seat of the car, he brought his keypad out of his pocket and typed in the code. 2501. The horn confirmed that the code was correct and the doors unlocked. Batou entered and the car rolled down the street.

 

The only company Batou enjoyed as he drove down the street was the soft tunes of some old jazz station that played over the radio. The lights of the city flashed over his cold face as he drove.

 

A lot had happened over the last year, ever since the last contact Batou had with Motoko Kusanagi. He had distanced himself from the rest of Section 9, only hanging around the group when he was called in on a mission. Ishikawa and Togusa had constantly made attempts to pull Batou out of his home. Even the newer members of Section 9, Koga and Azuma, had made attempts to socialize but still, Batou continued with his cold face.

 

There wasnt any particular reason for Batou's distancing other than his sour outlook on humanity. Or lack there of. In recent polls, it had been confirmed that pure humans only made up nearly less than one percent of the population. Humans were nearly extinct and Batou had finally accepted the fact: Humanity was lost.

 

As his car quietly made it's way down the semi-populated streets, Batou silently wondered what he was being contacted for this time. Recently, Section 9 was being called on more and more often to handle cases. Every time was successful but Batou was growing more disgusted with the world after each intervention.

 

The sight of Section 9 Headquarters still held it's unwelcome gleam. It'd been like that for several years.

 

The car pulled into one of the several reserved parking spots outside of HQ and Batou let himself out, locking the doors as he did so. Batou's big body, caped in his custom made coat, moved towards the entrance. The automatic doors slid open as Batou moved into the building.

 

Inside, headquarters was dimly lit and moist. Not many people took the time to fix up the place, not like they had the time. Missions were coming to Section 9 by the dozens.

 

Batou made his way through the dark halls of headquarters and finally came upon the door to the chief's office. He walked towards the large door and it opened automatically for him. Inside, the room was pitch black except for the glowing mass of digital information in the middle. Several figures were gathered about the info.

 

At the head of the group was the seemingly glowing figure of Chief Aramaki. He sat hunched over in his wheelchair, cloaked in a white suit that matched the color of his balding hair. Over the last few years, Aramaki had succumbed to the disease of Polio and was stuck in the old-fashioned wheelchair.

 

Also in the group was Batou's oldest remaining friend, Ishikawa. His shaggy brown beard had only grown more unkept through the years but his face seemed to grow more intense and intelligent. His attire included his usual jeans, white shirt, and brown vest. His wise, green eyes looked up at Batou as he entered.

 

Togusa stood across from Ishikawa, his eyes focused entirely on the digital information in front of him. His dark hair had been cut shorter and his age seemed to finally he catching up with him. Although his body was in top condition for a human, his face resembled that of a middle-aged man. A family man.

 

The newest members of Section 9 were in the room as well. Koga stood nearest to the door, his young face looked up as Batou entered. The cyborg had short-trimmed brown hair and his eyes gleamed with caution behind his thick, wire-rimmed glasses. His build wasnt anything special but he was as strong as any cyborg.

 

The other was Azuma. She was a pretty young thing with blonde hair that hung to the end of her shoulder-blades and a dark tone of skin. She was short and quick with eyes of a mesmerizing blue. Her attire was made up of a red long-sleeved shirt and tight black pants. She was known to use her feminine abilities to help her on the job.

 

Chief Aramaki looked up from the information to look Batou over and he nodded a bit to his second-in-command, "Thanks for rushing." He sais with sarcasm in his raspy voice.

 

Batou said nothing as he assumed his position around the information. The glowing mass seemed to be a description of various terroist raids on cyborg-manufacturing facilites. Before the chief could even begin speaking, he knew what it was about.

 

"PACOM is at it again. This time they struck a manufacturing plant of Megatech's." The Chief's voice carried well about the room, "They rigged explosives all around the facility and cost Megatech millions."

 

PACOM stood for Peoples Against Cybernization of Mankind. It was a terrorist group full of complete humans who were trying without success to stop the complete cybernization of humanity. Batou partially respected the group but on the other hand found them to be nothing but a group of idiotic radicals who were just causing death and destruction.

 

Aramaki continued, "From the information we've recieved, they are holding up in a abandoned subway station across town. They are not well-armed and you all know from expirience that they are not expert combaters." He paused and looking over the group, his wise eyes laying on Batou, "Still, I want you all to go fully prepared and ready for anything. These are mainly young punks and unknowledgable youth, do not go with the goal of killing them all. Try to cause the least casualties possible."

 

"I will send each of you a detailed layout of the facility when you're on your way. So, suit up and head out. You are dismissed." With that, the lights of Aramaki's office came on and the information in the center faded into oblivion. The Section 9 agents headed out of the office.

 

Batou made his way out of HQ and went to his car in the lot. He was about to get in the car when he sensed someone coming behind him. With a brief tilt of his head, he saw Togusa and Ishikawa walking behind him.

 

"Think you could give us a ride?" Togusa asked as he walked up next to his large partner.

 

Batou shrugged a bit as he opened the driver's seat of the car and sat himself down. Ishikawa assumed the passenger's seat and Togusa made his way to the back.

 

"I couldnt get a hold of you through the network." Ishikawa said as he crossed his arms.

 

Batou started the car and headed off down the street, "I know."

 

Ishikawa sighed and rubbed his eyes, "You cant shut everyone out, Batou. It's not healthy."

 

"My health is cybernetic." Batou said coldly, "I'm immune to disease and mental problems."

 

"Loneliness isnt a mental problem or a disease."

 

The car grew silent as it headed down the street. The soft tunes of the jazz station fell flat in the hard air of the automobile. Eventually, a file was implanted in each of the agents brain cases which held the layout of the subway station.

 

Togusa finally broke the silence, "You got some arms, Batou?"

 

"In the trunk." He said as he turned a sharp corner, "There's enough for each of us."

 

Ishikawa smirked under his beard, "Always prepared."

 

The rest of the drive succumbed to silence. The only noise within the ride was the soft hum of the car's engine and the jazz music that played in the background. After a good five minutes of driving, the entrance to the subway station became visible. Just as Chief Aramaki has said, it was abandoned. There wasnt a single person within a hundred yards of the entrance although that could be explained by the police barriers all about the area.

 

Batou parked his car outside the barriers and got out. He walked behind the vehicle and popped the trunk. Inside were all kinds of different types of arms and weaponry. He chose a Zastabar II Rifle to accompany his sidearm and also grabbed some ammo cartidges for the job.

 

Ishikawa and Togusa took similar weapons but with some extras for their personal. Togusa had with him his coveted Mataver pistol instead of a sidearm. Ishikawa chose a high-powered semi-automatic rifle instead of the Zastaber.

 

Togusa scratched his head as he joined his two comrades, "Should we wait for Koga and Azuma."

 

"Let them catch up." Ishikawa said as he loaded his rifle, "It'll teach them that if they wanna have fun then they'd better get here early."

 

Togusa seemed ready to protest but the words fell into his throat as Batou and Ishikawa walked past the police barriers and headed for the staircase that led underground to the station. When the three reached the head of the stairs, they paused for a moment.

 

Batou advanced, "I'll take shotgun. Ishikawa come next, Togusa take rear." The two companions nodded in acknowledgment and the large cyborg started down the large staircase.

 

He stuck close to the side of the wall and switched his vision to heat sensory. As he made his way closer and closer to the bottom of the stairs, it became apparent that there were various warm bodies inside the abandoned station. Batou paused a few steps short of the bottom and held up a hand to signal his partners to stop.

 

Batou breathed heavily and concentrated on the newest implant of his cybernetic body. After a few seconds of trying to access the unfamiliar equipment, it worked. Batou's body soon disappeared from vision as the thermoptic camoflague took affect.

 

The invisible mass quietly made his way into the darkened station and Batou noted the whereabouts of each of the PACOM terrorists. There was about eleven of them in all, spread out in groups of two or three around the station. He silently cursed when he noted that they werent packed together as he'd hoped for that would mean an easy victory. Still, their positions would just make it all the more fun.

 

Batou made his way to the far side of the station where it'd be hardest for his partners to reach and slowly crept up behind two of the terrorists. His camoflague was not top-notch and just the briefest encounter with another living organism would cause it to be lost so he vowed to make his first blow count.

 

The two young men held pistols close to them, their breathing was heavy. Batou spread his hands wide as he came up behind the pair then with one quick motion, chopped each of them in the back of the neck. Their unconcious bodies hit the ground just as Batou's became visible.

 

After some startled shouts, the neaest threesome of agents aimed their rifles at Batou. The large cyborg quickly shouldered his Zastaber and let out two quick burst of gunfire before diving behind the pillar for protection. When he looked again, two of the three men were dead on the ground.

 

Gunfire could be heard from the other side of the station and he knew that Ishikawa and Togusa were making quick work of the other PACOM terrorists. Batou checked behind the pillar once more and saw that the man had knelt down and was making an attempt to drag his fallen comrades to safety. Batou smirked as he flew from his cover and sprinted towards the man.

 

The terrorist saw him and fumbled with the rifle at his side but he wasnt quite fast enough. Batou's large knee smashed into the man's left cheek, making a sickening crack and sending the man into a pool of his comrade's blood.

 

Batou took cover behind another pillar and checked to see where the other terroists were hiding. Togusa and Ishikawa had disposed of two more of the men and were currently working on a group of three. Batou turned his attention to the last remaining group, two young humans in the far corner.

 

The large cyborg pushed his body behind a pillar and checked around the corner to see what the two men were doing. It was a bit of a suprise to see the terrorists bravely aiming their rifles at Ishikawa and Togusa, standing right out in the open. With a curse, he pushed himself out of the corner's cover and yelled loudly to get the terrorist's attention.

 

He hid behind the pillar just as a spray of automatic gunfire hit and sprinted the pillar. He silently noted that Ishikawa and Togusa both owed him for his troubles then rolled from behind the pillar and finished the agents of with his Zastaber.

 

Spinning around, he noticed that Togusa and Ishikawa had either killed or wounded two of their opponents. The other was cowering behind the pillar, right in the range of Batou.

 

With a devilish smirk, Batou removed his sidearm and aimed it just as the terrorist's frightened eyes widened when they saw him. It just took a quick pull of the trigger to end the young terrorist's life.

 

 

 

 

Batou's car pulled into the small garage that was connected to his safehouse. After getting out and locking the car, Batou made his way to the front door of his safehouse.

 

At the subway station, seven of the eleven terrorists had been killed. Six of them by his hand. Two were injured. Aramaki had not been too happy with Section 9's brutal actions but he hadnt done anything to reprimand it. Batou knew that the Chief wasnt really too angry with how they handled the situation.

 

Batou stepped up to his door and started to type his passcode into the lock. He was suprised when the keypad said that the door was already unlocked.

 

With much suspicion, Batou pushed the front door open and made his way into his home. Normally, his dog would come running at the sound of it's master's homecoming and the absence of that only made Batou more suspcious.

 

His loud footsteps echoed through the small home. A small sound could be heard coming from the living room and Batou was a bit suprised to recognize the sound as that of the jingle from the small wind-up toy. If it was a robber in his home then it most certaintly wasnt a very smart one.

 

Batou removed his pistol sidearm from it's holster and advanced towards the living room. When he entered, the sight he saw was not one he expected.

 

The unfamiliar woman was sitting tiredly in his recliner, Batou's dog lay asleep on her lap in pure pleasure. It looked up and jumped from her lap when it saw Batou enter.

 

The strange woman also looked up. Her movements were jerky and she seemed to have trouble controlling her own movements. When she opened her mouth, the words that came out didnt seem to be her's.

 

"Long time, no see. Eh, Batou?"

 

To Be Continued...

 

 

I know it was short and not very good but I just felt the sudden urge to write. I kinda just wanted to start this story out small and mysterious. I want this to be more dark and angstry than What's Next? was and I think I showed that in this little opener. I've changed the characters quite a bit as you can see but I hope it will work out to the story's improvment.

 

Please Review!

 

P.S. Does anyone know the name of Batou's dog. I think they say something in the commentary of the second movie but I'm not sure.

 

Also, I'll probably take some time to update this story as I have a shoujo-ai project I've been needing to work on and football is starting up again. Still, I'll try to update as much as possible. Sorry for the inconvience.