SA: Wow. I’m just on a GITS rampage! Beware, Teen Titans! You’re next!!

Jinx: Oh boy…

SA: Oh well. This tiny little story was inspired by the one scene in 2nd GIG where Togusa is looking for “The Individual Eleven” essay and he goes (at least I think) into the National Library where Aoi (The Laughing Man) is working. The scene is left up to the viewer’s imagination, and maybe it didn’t happen at all. Shrugs I don’t know. I just wrote this story a long time ago, and I like it a lot, mainly because I think that Aoi pwns the universe… (Along with Hideo, of course…)

Summary: Togusa goes to the National Library looking for “The Individual Eleven” essay and meets someone very familiar…

Final Confrontation

By: Karen of Bajor

Togusa walked into the deep halls of the National Library, one of the only places in the world left with books made from real paper. A place lost to the cybernetic world the human race had become so accustomed to.

The shelves were arranged in a circular, almost spiral manner, robots shelving and taking books off of the shelves. There were few human employees here these days.

And there, standing off to the side, leaning up against the bookshelves, was “The Laughing Man” himself.

“Togusa. I expected you to come here eventually,” he questioned in his almost spooky, monotone voice.

“Um, I came to ask if you had a copy of the essay “The Individual Eleven” by Patrick Sylvestre. Preferably a first edition. I’ve been all over Japan and no one else has a copy. I need the book for a case I’m working on,” Togusa explained, becoming more and more unnerved by the haunting, somewhat empty gaze that the young man in front of him had.

Aoi, as he was better known, paused, looking around for a moment. “I have heard of that essay. However, I do not believe that this library owns a copy. It is considered to be one of the rarest books in the world. Some even speculate that “The Individual Eleven” never existed in the first place…” he trailed off cryptically. He then seemed to come back from his stupor. “Why are you interested in that essay?”

Togusa hesitated, but finally said, “There’s a terrorist organization using that essay almost as if it was the Bible. We need to read it so we can understand this new virus that has shown up.”

Aoi nodded. “Ah. I see. I apologize that I couldn’t help you.”

Togusa faltered. “No, that’s fine. Thank you anyway.” He then turned and began to leave.

“Togusa?” Aoi suddenly said unexpectantly.

“Yes?” Togusa responded, looking over his shoulder.

“Be careful on this case. I feel as if it will injure Section 9 more than you can imagine,” he said cryptically.

Togusa, a bit taken aback by the sudden remark, turned around to regard the hacker with a curious expression, but Aoi had already vanished from his view.

With a slight shrug, Togusa then walked back up the stairs, dialing Aramaki, his boss.

“Did you find it?” he questioned.

“No,” Togusa responded.

“Then I guess that means we’ve exhausted every place to look if they don’t have it there.”

“Well, I can think of one other place. I’ll come back after I check it out.”

“All right. Aramaki out.”

Togusa left the library without another glance back.

FIN