"Power in the Shell" A Ghost in the Shell x DC Universe Romance Crossover story

Part 17

Ghost in the Machine – Part 17

The next night, Motoko found herself questioning her own decision as she crouched atop a high-rise overlooking one of Niihama's industrial districts. Power Girl hovered just behind her, arms crossed, looking far too relaxed for someone about to infiltrate a heavily guarded cybernetics facility.

"You sure you can keep quiet?" Motoko whispered through her comms.

Power Girl smirked. "I can be subtle."

Motoko shot her a skeptical look but chose not to argue. This mission was about testing Power Girl's ability to adapt—not to rely on brute force, but to operate within the shades of gray Motoko lived in.

Their target: a private security firm that had been abducting cyberized individuals for illegal experimentation. Their objective: extract key data from the servers and shut down operations—quietly.

Motoko activated her optical camouflage and slipped forward, moving along the rooftop's edge toward an access point. Power Girl stayed close but above her, hovering silently like a guardian phantom.

They breached the facility through a ventilation shaft, dropping down into the dimly lit corridors. Motoko moved with precision, disabling cameras and motion sensors as they advanced. Power Girl, to her credit, followed the Major's lead, moving surprisingly quietly for someone used to smashing through walls.

As they approached the server room, Motoko held up a fist—halt.

Two armed guards stood outside the door, rifles at the ready.

Power Girl leaned in close, whispering, "Want me to—"

Motoko cut her off with a glare. "Quietly."

A smirk tugged at Power Girl's lips, but she nodded.

Motoko went first, disabling one guard with a swift strike to the pressure points on his neck. The other turned, barely getting a word out before Power Girl blurred forward, placing a single precise tap on his temple. He crumpled instantly, unconscious.

Motoko blinked. "...Not bad."

Power Girl gave her a playful wink. "Told you I can be subtle."

Inside the server room, Motoko plugged in her hacking device, fingers flying across the interface as she bypassed security. Power Girl stood watch, scanning the feeds Motoko had pulled up.

Then something caught her eye.

"Motoko... look at this."

Motoko glanced at the screen Power Girl was pointing to—a live feed of containment cells. People with cybernetic enhancements, strapped to tables, their neural signals overridden.

Her jaw tightened. "They're overriding their cyberbrains."

She was about to focus on the data transfer when Power Girl spoke again, her tone uncharacteristically serious. "We need to get them out. Now."

Motoko hesitated. The mission was intel retrieval, not extraction. But as she looked at the screens—at the helpless prisoners trapped in cold steel—she knew there was no choice.

She glanced at Power Girl. "You up for it?"

Power Girl's expression hardened, all teasing gone. "I wouldn't be here if I wasn't."

Motoko gave a sharp nod. "Let's move."

With that, the real mission began.

To be continued...