Between Heaven and Hell
Summary: AU Set after episode 18. After a spiral of events, Akane Tsunemori finds herself on the run from the MWPSB. With nowhere to run from a system that governs the world, she will be forced to trust her worst enemy. Akane/Makishima

A/N: I know, I know, I should actually finish one of my stories before staring something new but, I had this idea at four in the morning and had to write it down before I forgot. Anyway, I will definitely be more constant w/ my updates for this story, so fear not! This will be one P-P story that is not on hiatus (and you can always check my profile for more information on my stories, update schedule, current fics, etc.)! Anyway, on to the prologue!

"Between us and heaven or hell there is only life, which is the frailest thing in the world."
-Blaise Pascal

Chapter 1- In Silence, We Grieve

The rain bit harshly into her skin as the brunette ran, the sound of police sirens growing louder with every step she took. Taking in another shaky breath, Akane willed herself not to cry, keeping her mind focused on the task at hand.

Oh, she had learned the truth of Sibyl. Stumbled upon the place where her colleague— her friend— had been killed, swallowed in a beam of particles that ripped away his every atom. Erasing him from the world with a single press of a trigger. The anger she felt as Sibyl cruelly mocked her, told her she was nothing but a naïve little girl with delusions of grandeur was still present as she ran through the storm.

For once she was glad for her high school track practice, relying on the stamina and speed she had collected in the past. She had always been a long distance runner, and now, with the MWPSB nipping at her heels like a wildfire, she had managed to slide through back alleys and over fences to keep them at bay.

A bitter smile flitted across her shivering lips for a moment. Did her friends really think she was a betrayer, working alongside Shougo Makishima to destroy the 'benevolent' Sibyl system from the inside?

The thought of the man brought a grimace to her face. The monster who had killed her friend. But... he was also a monster who was right. As much as Akane wanted to hold on to the petty belief that Sibyl was good and Sibyl was benevolent and Sibyl was kind, she couldn't. Not with the MWPSB hunting her down on its behalf.

She could still remember the announcement well, broadcasted on all Enforcer's and Inspector's watches.

An electronic voice had spoken in a usual monotone, no syllable stressed or said louder than the other. "The capture of Akane Tsunemori is now your top priority. Tsunemori is believed to have conspired with the criminal Makishima Shougo to bring down the Sibyl system. She must be brought alive for further evaluation and disciplinary action."

Akane had been in her car at the time, driving away from NONA tower after her confrontation with Sibyl. She knew now that everything it had told her (from wanting to see her keep the MWPSB from falling apart to wanting to be challenged by her) was a lie.

It had come up with a new, easier solution that wouldn't hinge upon some barely minted Inspector. And, she knew that if she were to be captured, death would be a mercy.

No, Sibyl had realized what she had feared. Without a doubt, the System would take her brain to broaden its horizons. Make her another gear in a machine fueled by the brains of asymptomatic serial killers.

Throwing out her Dominator due to its tracking device, removing her standard-issued watch, and finally, using her holo-compact to change into a more casual appearance, the girl had taken off on foot, leaving her car on the side of the road. She knew it would take them seconds to find her in a car registered to herself, and instead, ran towards the run-down district where Yuki had been taken (and murdered, her brain automatically supplied).

Her thoughts drifted to the team as she stumbled up the steps of some forgotten building. The sound of police sirens gradually decreased, until it was only a soft whine that continued in her head long after the paddy wagons had driven away.

Kougami was also on the run, but with no way to contact him, she felt a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. He had probably left Japan at this rate.

Ginoza was probably confused and angry, doing his best to keep Unit 1 from crumbling apart. She wondered if he had any doubts of her supposed criminal behavior, if he could truly believe that she had betrayed all of them.

Masaoka was probably the only one who had any suspicion of Sibyl's decree. But, he had said it before: Enforcers were there only to follow the Oracle's decree. The older man was probably conflicted at the moment, torn between his duties as an Enforcer and his thoughts as Akane's fellow colleague and friend.

While she hadn't spoken much to either Shion or Yayoi, she felt that both would also have a hard time taking Sibyl's words as truth. If anything, she had felt a mutual sense of trust between them, and could only hope they wouldn't fall for the System's tricks so easily.

Now, in the tentative safety of the building, the amber-eyed girl allowed herself to cry. Hot tears spilled down her face as she clutched her shaking shoulders, curled in the corner of the dark room. She cried and cried until eventually, she just stopped. She had cried not for her unfortunate luck, or the truth of the System she had believed all her life, but for those who had been killed in a mad spiral for power and supposed justice. For the orange-haired Enforcer who had been branded a monster from the start to her best friend who had been wrapped into the whole affair despite her innocence.

She forced herself to stand, determination clear in her amber eyes. It would be the last time she cried, having spilled enough tears to last a lifetime.

(It would have to be the last time)

She needed a plan. Somewhere to stay. The building would only be a temporary sanctuary; they would eventually search block after block until they found her. They knew well enough she wouldn't be caught up in the riots in the city, neither stupid enough to risk being seen there nor foolish enough to even think she would find a place to hide there. So, it was only a matter of time until they pinpointed her whereabouts, until they found her hulled up in some cold, dark place.

But, it was safe in the empty building for a night, and as the darkness and silence finally settled in, she could only offer up a silent plea in her head.

Someone, help me...

A certain silver-haired asymptomatic watched with mild interest from his penthouse, watching stream after stream of police cars and paddy wagons leaving the large NONA tower. But, he knew it wasn't for him.

No, a few of Choe's 'bugs' had survived the attack on NONA tower and as Makishima leaned back in the leather armchair, he smiled at the sound of the computerized voice issuing a decree.

"So, Akane Tsunemori... it seems you've become more than just a sheep of Sibyl. I misjudged you." He spoke in the emptiness of the room, a strange feeling encroaching from the dark.

No longer did he hear the soft clicking of a keyboard or the clatter of teacups. No longer did he hear the sound of the Korean's voice as they spoke of an array of topics, from Sibyl to the book they were each currently reading.

(No longer did the penthouse feel like a home)

Makishima flicked the ornamental razor in his hand languidly, watching it shine as it caught the reflection of the moon. As if to fill the silence, he threw the razor into the wall, watching as it dug deep into the plaster.

But, it soon grew quiet again, only the dim sound of passing cars bleeding into the unbearable silence.

"I wonder, ex-Inspector Tsunemori, if you too grow tired of the silence..."

Ginoza watched as the lilac-haired woman solved a rubik's cube with her mind. The squares would light up every time she focused her thoughts on one, glowing a dim cerulean in the low light of the office. She kept her eyes to the cube as she spoke, listening as the raven-haired Inspector shuffled closer towards her desk.

"Nobuchika-san, I will make your Unit the head of the search team. I know she was a fellow colleague and friend, but I need you to push those thoughts away for now and focus on the task at hand. Your team knows her best. I only want to bring Tsunemori into custody safely."

Somehow, the man could hear a twinge of animosity in the woman's voice. It was as if saying her name had caused the elderly woman physical pain.

Ginoza nodded his head mechanically, however, ignoring the red flags that had popped into his head. Ignored his inability to piece together a liable reason as for the young Inspector to betray them and instead, opened his mouth to speak.

"Yes, Chief Kasei. We will apprehend Akane Tsunemori, by your request." With that, the raven-haired man gave a quick bow before stepping out of the room.

But, as his shoes clacked noisily down the empty corridor, he couldn't imagine that the foolish, naïve, woman could ever give up her dream of justice for anarchy.

A/N: Heh, it seems that Akane and Makishima are both mourning a loved one; perhaps it will bring them together XD

So, what do you guys think? Should I continue it? Anyway, thanks for taking the time to check out my story, regardless :3 and, as usual, reviews are greatly appreciated. Oh, and each chap will have a quote from one of my favorite philosophers, which I hope you guys don't mind ^^'
-Isis