Started: Wednesday, January 23, 2013

Draft Finished: Sunday, February 3, 2013

Fiction: One-Shot

Rated: PG-13

Disclaimer: The character and names of Psycho Pass belongs to Production I.G. and Funimation.

Anime: Psycho Pass

Pairings: Akane/Kougami

Genre: Crime/Friendship

Summary: Change is a process. On bad days, they run away from killer drones. On good days, they learn a little bit about each other. An insight on the developing relationship between Inspector Akane Tsunemori and Enforcer Shinya Kougami.

Potential

Day One: Rookie

It was raining.

He hate it when it rained; it dampened his mood. Sitting in a windowless van and being transported to the crime scene like cattle didn't make him feel any better. No amount of sulking was going to make his situation better either. He could hear the raining pouring violently against the sides of the vehicle, and every drop echoed like an assault of tiny bullets. Before long, the vehicle stopped at a grinding halt and the doors automatically open, emitting the bright lights of the city as his eyes adjusted in the dark.

Kougami and the other Enforcers headed straight toward Ginoza, who was lecturing the new recruit. The rookie was a woman. No, she was more like a girl, lost and tossed into the field on her first day on the job. She looked timid and small standing in her uniform with that official navy blue nylon jacket draping over her slender form. Her haircut was short, not a hair out of place, and her eyes, large like a doe, held a kind of innocence that made him want to question her career choice. He silently kept his gaze on her when she bowed and she introduced herself. Inwardly, he was resisting the urge to roll his eyes at her openness and naivety. They were her subordinates and here she was, treating them like were colleagues. Whether it was due to a natural reflex or a coping mechanism to lessen her nervousness, he couldn't tell, nor did he give it a second thought as he noted her obvious anxiety despite her calm appearance. He turned his back toward her the second the pleasantries were over. He had a job to do and he didn't want to waste his time analyzing the rookie.

As Gino began to address the assessment of the investigation, Kougami ignored Kagari's more than friendly attention toward the new recruit and focused on a plan to capture the target. He analyzed the data beforehand, and due to a shortage of Inspectors, the Enforcers would have full range of the field. Of course, it came to no surprise that Gino assigned Masaoka and him to the rookie. He didn't mind because she obviously had no idea how to handle the Enforcers; not that he would take advantage of her lack of experience. At least with her, he could roam freely and do things his way since Masaoka volunteered to play the babysitter.

He didn't know what annoyed him more: the fact that they were wasting time standing in the rain or that the rookie expected a contingency plan on how they should approach the investigation. It was apparent that her previous training didn't prepare her for field work, and Masaoka wasn't helping when he humored her into thinking that all Enforcers follow the beck and call of Inspectors, but from the looks of it, she expected her job description to be more than just overlooking the Enforcers and keeping them in check.

Knowing that they were not getting any closer to catching their criminal unless the rookie understood the rules, Kougami decided to step in and lay down their usual routine.

"We will hunt the prey and you will observe," he calmly stated the rookie's full extent of responsibility. "That's all there is to it."

"Can you be a little more specific?" She asked in a nervous stutter.

"Well, what he is saying is, leave it to us," Masaoka supplied. "We may not look like it, but we are experts." At what exactly: hunting down criminals or understanding the prey? Clearly, he had to explain it to her.

"We have our own way of doing things," Kougami continued, "but the one who's responsible for our action is you, Inspector. So if you don't like how I do things, you can just shoot me." He ignored her aim to interrupt him to clarify his choice of words. "We're latent criminals too, just like the target. The Dominator will work on us as well." With that, he walked away. They had all ready wasted enough time with idle chatter. The first group had already left, and he didn't want to waste any more of his time dealing with the rookie's incapacities.

The humidity of the city was uncomfortable especially since he was wearing his jacket, but at least it stopped pouring. Looking up, he observed the layout of the buildings and analyzed possible locations where their target could be residing. Securing the location was the first step in capturing the criminal. The second was to initiate the arrest. If he had to choose, tracking down the criminal was the more satisfying part of the hunt. When the decision for arrest is determined by the Dominator, its end results always end up in disappointment. The condemned would be shot with a paralytic shock and placed in mental health clinics to receive the appropriate amount of therapy before returning to society, or they end up in an isolated prison with no chance of parole. The really lucky ones end up in a pile of melted flesh and bone. Three options and they're decided by one weapon. He was just the initiator.

Upon listening to his earpiece, Kougami could hear Gino's team honing in on the target with Kagari on standby. Then, the situation took a turn for the worst and a chase broke out. This was new to him. The Dominator's non-lethal paralyzer lived up to its name and somehow, their target was immune to it. Intrigued by the change of game, Kougami located the target's proxy in the buildings nearby and began to climb the steps to get to a better view.

It didn't take him long to locate Masaoka and the rookie. The target was a dead ringer for a psychopath, using his victim as a bargaining chip to resist arrest and a chance to obtain a weapon. Masaoka played along and handed over his registered weapon. Too bad the Dominator was only a piece of scrap metal; it was useless to those who are not assigned to the MWPSB. Now that the target was distracted, Kougami didn't think twice before aiming and pulling his trigger. In a flash, the target was nothing more than a pile of blood, saved for his pair of glasses and right hand that was still gripping on the Dominator.

"This is Hound Three," he spoke into the communicator. "Enforcement is complete." The hunt was over. The target was eliminated and the hostage was definitely in need of a mental evaluation. Calmly, Masaoka went to retrieve his registered weapon.

"Using an old man and a newbie as a decoy: you sure got some balls, don't you, Ko?"

"I was just earning my paycheck, pops." He jumped over the railing and went to inspect the damage. Inwardly, he was glad that they have a cleanup crew to take care of the bloody mess. By now, the woman was in hysterics and the rookie was trying to calm her down. He knew a lost cause when he saw one, and Masaoka knew it too. Her best chance was to be treated for mental stability and before they could do that, they had to bring her into custody. Masaoka was ready to do just that when the rookie decided to interfere.

"Please, stop!" She held onto Masaoka as he angrily tried to explain the purpose of his arrest. Deciding that he should just finish the job, Kougami went after the woman. The smell of kerosene was pungent as he approached her, and to make matters worse she had a lighter on her. One spark and she would be burned alive. Knowing that her current mental state could only end badly, the Enforcer was ready to shoot her with the Dominator, but stopped when he heard the sound of his name. "Kougami-san." Without lowering his gun, he turned to face the Inspector, who was imploring him to halt his instinctive protocol. He had every right to pull the trigger. The woman was a threat to herself and he if didn't shoot her, this situation could end up in flames, literally. The Dominator seemed to agree with him as it gave a final evaluation, giving him permission to use the lethal eliminator mode. The corners of his mouth curled up in amusement. As he expected: the Dominator showed no mercy. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see the clear expression of shock on the Inspector's face. Why was she so upset? He was the one who would have to pull the trigger. It was his job. "Stop!" Before he could even comprehend what was happening, his entire body froze up.

Shit. She shot him. His body felt heavy as the gravity pulled him down in a slow motion. He didn't know what impressed him more: the fact that she actually shot him or that she knew that he was going to pull the trigger. He had to admit, the new Inspector has certainly got some balls. Taking down an Enforcer and saving a potential latent criminal from elimination: not bad for a rookie on her first day. Maybe she had the guts required to be an Inspector after all; that was the last thought on his mind as he collapsed and lost all consciousness.

Day Two: Acceptance

She didn't want to get out of bed the morning, not when her first day of work was a nightmare. After getting in last night, she couldn't sleep at all, and when she finally did rest her eyes, Candy was all ready initiating the wake up call. The shortage of sleep was the least of her worries; being reminded of work: that was the problem.

The events of last night flashed before her as she slowly began to regain her consciousness. To say last night was a rough day at work was an understatement. The amount of responsibility that was placed on her shoulders was unnerving.

The uneven ratio of Enforcers to Inspectors was to be expected since it was a slow year in recruitment for the Ministry of Welfare Public Safety Bureau, especially in the Criminal Investigation Department. She was aware of the responsibilities she would have to accept once she finalized her decision to start her job after graduating from at the top of her class. With all of her training and exercises, Akane did not expect to take down her subordinate on her first day of work. Sending a subordinate to the hospital was the last thing she wanted to do. Above all, she felt guilty for shooting Kougami even if he did literally gave her permission to shoot him. Even so, Akane was certain that Kougami must hate her for putting him through a state of paralytic shock under such hostile circumstances.

Ginoza was another story. She wished she could just stay in bed and not have to write a full report. Revisiting the incident only made her want to hang her head in humiliation. Inwardly, she knew she screwed up, and she was not ready to face her senior officer or her subordinate. She shuddered to imagine what they must think of her. If she had to guess, it was probably on the highest tier of disappointment and utter contempt; so much for first impressions.

After a few encouraging words from Candy, Akane dragged herself out of bed and got into the shower. Then, killing time with a light breakfast, a review the news broadcast, and a final change of clothes, she headed out to meet her friends before work. The thought of seeing her friends cheered her up despite her work-related dilemma, and being praised for having a healthy hue and a great "mental beauty" was the last topic she wanted to talk about since it reminded her of her impending work day. Their teasing was nothing new to her, yet she couldn't help but feel a little bashful when they expressed their jealousy on her career choice and the options she had before choosing to work for the MWPSB.

Sometimes, the best antidote to a problem could be as simple as a boost of self-esteem, and Akane was glad that she had friends who she could count on to help her feel better when she was feeling down. Their confidence in her abilities gave Akane the courage to walk up the MWPSB building without tripping or stumbling on the many steps of stairs despite her hesitation and mild clumsiness. Her friends were right about one thing: she had the full capability to be an Inspector, and she wasn't going to give up her goal just because she had a rough first day.

The first thought that ran through her mind as she headed towards the Criminal Investigation Department was that she had to check up on Kougami. Finding the Comprehensive Analysis Laboratory was somewhat of a venture, not that she was directionally challenged. As Karanomori reported the assessment of Kougami's health, Akane's mind drifted off momentarily as she pondered over the outcome of her decision. Kougami was out of comission due to the amount of time he needed in order to recover from his injuries. Knowing this fact didn't ease her guilt; it only heightened her concern. Kougami was probably furious with her and yet, she couldn't blame him for feeling that way.

Kougami was still resting when she visited him. In her peripheral vision she could see that he was waking up and immediately felt his gaze upon her.

"I am sorry," she blurted out, lowering her head in remorse.

"It's rare to see an inspector who would apologize to an Enforcer," he calmly stated, neither accepting nor rejecting her apology.

"You're probably angry, right?" Akane asked softly.

"It was your decision," Kougami reminded her. "It's not like I have the right to complain." His blunt answer didn't give her any closure. He wouldn't be in that state if it wasn't for her.

"Was my decision wrong? Was I just standing in everyone's way and putting them in danger?" As she waited for him to speak, the Inspector tried to avoid looking up at Kougami. He obliviously rejected her apology and she couldn't bear to see how he looked at her. A short pause transpired before the latent criminal spoke.

"I've been an Enforcer for a long time. The hunting dogs' behavior of following orders to take down prey with no hesitation or doubt is second nature to me and my hands. Obeying what that gun said, I've taken down many latent criminals. It's best for this society that I accepted such convenient logic without questioning it, and at some point, I even stopped thinking about it. I even forgot to look back and see what I was doing. How absurd," he scoffed, closing his eyes as he silently reprimanded himself. "Being a detective isn't about bringing someone down; it should be about protecting someone." Akane looked at him in awe. "You decided what was right on your own and were able to put justice before your duty." He gave her a grin. "Under a boss like that, I may be able to work as a detective, not just a dog."

By now, Akane could feel the tears flowing down her cheeks. For a moment, she thought he was going to be angry at her, but after hearing his words, she was speechless. Not only did he praise her, he accepted her. Overcome with emotion, she bowed with expressed gratitude. "Thank you very much!"

"It's also rare to see an Inspector thanking an Enforcer," Kougami said with a smirk on face. Straightening up herself, Akane returned his friendly banter with a smile and wiped her tears as a wave of relief washed over her. In that moment, Akane was glad she got out of bed. The prospect of this job was beginning to look a little brighter knowing that she was be able to inspire some change within the MWPSB. She was a step closer in reaching her goal, and she can now confirm that her decision to be an Inspector was the right choice after all.

Day Three: Unorthodox

Human beings are social creatures by nature, but they also have the capacity to be cruel. If there was an expert on cruelty in a workplace, it would be Kougami. Working as a dog of the government was cruel enough, but dealing with a murder case that involved drones killing human beings: that was something new to him. Though the number of victims is small, there was something suspicious about having three accidental deaths that were caused by drones. Whether it was a program glitch or malfunction, Gino was right to suspect that there was something wrong about that picture. There was no way drones had the capability to develop intent to kill unless it was initiated. Even the Dominators needed Inspectors and Enforcers to mitigate crime and administrate justice. If machinery had the capacity to kill, he would be out of a job.

When he arrived at the edge of the world where even the Sibyl System couldn't reach, Kougami began to wonder about the social aspect of the factory workers. Being closed off from the world could drive any sane person to insanity, and the thought of living in a close-knit community without the sanctuary of privacy was a hellish concept, even for him. What he was interested in was not how the killer could get away with murder. He wanted to know what the cause of it was.

Kougami found his first clue during the lunch hour. After a long tour and brief inspection of the facility, the Enforcer didn't care to do anything else but to drink his coffee. Getting back into his morning routine of endurance training took longer than he had thought, and he didn't have the time to make his own cup of coffee since the Enforcers were called to report for duty.

What he witness made him sick to his stomach. It was the type of injustice that even the Chief of the facility turned a blind eye to due to some twisted, self-delusional sense of social convention, and instead of asserting order and punishment, he tried to convince Inspector Tsunemori to just ignore the hate crime being committed in front of them. The victim of the harassment was terrified and after learning that no one was willing to stand up and interfere, Kougami got up from his seat to rectify the situation.

"Are you okay?" The Enforcer held out his hand to the man, who was trying to clean up the large mess on the floor.

"Thank you," he replied as he bowed his head with appreciation. The worker picked up his tray and headed off and the harassers returned to work stations.

Masaoka was in charge with the case brief and pointed out the flaw in the Hue Assessment. Kanehara Yuji was a possible suspect for the past murder cases due to the evidence shown in the data. Every time a colleague died (who was probably one of his harassers), there would be an improvement on his Hue Assessment. Although Masaoka's theory had its merits, Gino was not convinced. What they lacked was evidence, and solving a case based on intuition was out of the question.

"We can't act on some speculation based on circumstantial evidence," Ginoza lectured angrily. "Our job is to maintain an orderly society based on the Crime Coefficient judged by Sibyl."

"Maintain the kind of order where three people die within a year?" He pointed out the flaw in the Inspector's logic. "Gino, let me do it. I can find out if Kanehara really is the one, and I can quickly obtain conclusive evidence and-"

"Enough!" Gino's fist slammed against the table, cutting off his words like a judge's gavel. This time, Inspector Tsunemori intervened and asked to speak to her senior officer in private.

Kougami didn't hear what she had said, nor did he find the need to figure out how she convinced Gino to let them conduct the investigation his way. All he knew was that she agreed their alternative method to bring a murderer to justice. He had to give her props for standing up to Ginoza. That man was a stickler for rules and regulation, and inwardly, Kougami hope that his plan was going to work.

His plan was simple: create enough pressure on the suspect so that he will succumb to his inherit nature of coping with the situation. In this case, he had to provoke Kanehara to the point of humiliation and see how he would deal with it. Every person had their own way of dealing with cruelty. Some choose to endure it and become emotional scarred, and some choose to overcome it by destroying the threat. The dark-haired detective had a feeling that Kanehara fell into the latter category, and he was going to prove it.

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As they ran for their lives, Akane was sure of one thing: Kougami's mentality was definitely close to insane. She was also starting to question her own sanity for trusting him to handle things by the book. For the sake of catching a criminal, he was willing to risk both of their lives on a hunch. His "interrogation" certainly worked, and by all means, she had to respect him for using traditional methods, but it also placed their lives in danger. One thing's for sure: her training definitely did not prepare her to handle near death experiences. Running from killer drones was the last thing on her long list of what not to expect when you're working for the MWPSB, yet here they were, doing just that. Cue the irony.

Even though she should be focused on getting to their destination, her anger got the best of her. "Why did you do such a reckless thing?" The Inspector was trying her best not to trip over her own feet as she descended the metal stairs. Her heart was pumping rapidly with every step and she kept up with the intense pace knowing that she would have to face dire consequences if she were to stop.

"This is about finding the truth behind people's lives and deaths!" Kougami retorted as he raced down the stairs. "If we want to uncover it, we naturally have to risk our lives!" That was easy for him to say when he's athletically built. For a smoker, he was a fast runner while she was barely keeping up the pace in her pencil skirt and penny loafers: not exactly the right kind of attire for running down these endless flights of stairs.

A part of her really wanted his plan to work because it was the only plan they had. Inwardly, Akane hope that they survive this rampage. She had an appreciation for utilizing other methods if it means that it would bring criminals to justice, but Kougami's approach was beyond crazy.

When they finally arrived on the correct floor, she was breathing heavily. With the panic and adrenaline coursing through her, the Inspector started to reprimand her so-called subordinate.

"Since he's in the act of committing a crime, we should call for assistance and. . ." Too late, Kanehara had caught up to them. She let out an involuntary gasp as she watched the laser cut through the ceiling above them and slowly backed away to avoid being crushed to death.

Fear paralyzed her as the heavy machinery jumped down in front of them. Even in the face of danger, Kougami kept his head in the game. Finally, their back up came and once the Dominator was in his hands, the Enforcer didn't hesitate at all. In one shot, it was over.

The murderer is caught, and Akane learned something new about Kougami. He said he wants to be a detective rather than a hunting dog. But the look in his eyes was unmistakably that of a beast that had cornered his prey.

She had to admit, Kougami was a great detective. His methods were questionable, but they were effective. In the end, they were able to capture a murderer and put a stop to future homicides. The only damage they caused was just a few holes in the building and a destroyed factory drone.

Working with Kougami today, Akane found out how far Kougami was willing go in order to achieve the desired results. Risking his own life to bring down a criminal was dangerous, not to mention suicidal. Yet, Akane could tell from his look of triumph that if he had the choice to do this over again, he wouldn't change a thing. The thrill of being independent was like a drug to him and she had a feeling that she had just given him the first dose.

Day Four: Trust

Akane wasn't sure how she could describe Kougami without being emotionally conflicted. At first, he seemed like a reserved individual with a devil may care personality, and underneath his stoic demeanor, she was surprised to find that he had a subtle sense of humor. On the other hand, there was an erratic side to Kougami that Akane didn't know he had until recently. The way he handled the last case was something she couldn't forget. It was the first time she had seen him so vehemently brutal and unkind. She knew it was just an act, yet a part of her couldn't shake off the notion that he enjoyed pushing the envelope, considering how his role as an Enforcer has its set limitations. Deep down, Akane wanted to believe that the Enforcer wasn't completely unhinged.

Not knowing how to approach a situation like Kougami, Akane sought out advice from a famous avatar called the Talisman. His advice was helpful in making Akane aware that her apparent uneasiness toward her subordinate was due to the lack of familiarity with Kougami's nature. It was certainly different from Ginoza's viewpoint, which was to separate the instinction that Enforcers are humans with no clear sense of moral conduct. In the end, she decided to seek out a third opinion and went to visit Masaoka.

She found him painting in a quiet section of the building where there was natural light emitting through the long glass windows. Although she didn't start the conversation, he already knew what she wanted to ask him.

"Are you here to ask about Kougami?"

"You can tell?" She simply asked him.

"Well, you are strangely connected to him by fate," he pointed out.

"I still don't know how to deal with him," Akane admitted. "Someone told me to understand him better. However, I was told by someone else not to think that he's human like us." Her confession didn't make her feel better, not when Masaoka seem to agree with Ginoza's advice to avoid forming an attachment with the Enforcers. Akane could see Ginoza's prejudice towards Enforcers, but she didn't understand the harm in treating the Enforcers as equals. The senior Enforcer pointed out that it was for her own good to stick to Ginoza's advice, and adding to that, he warned her that if she intends to understand Kougami, she would have to divulge into his mind and be at risk of raising her own psycho pass.

"Kougami stared into the darkness too long, and even now, he's still staring into it," Masaoka elaborated. "To him, the only true justice in the world exists solely in the depths of that darkness. If you want to go searching for something like that with him, there's nothing I can say. I can't stop you, and I can't stop Kougami either."

Akane couldn't help but feel like Masaoka was speaking from experience. Though Masaoka had a point, Akane's mind did not mull on the consequences of establishing a relationship with Kougami. It was a firm belief of hers that people are susceptible of change, but in order to do that, they should be given a second chance. In a way, the role of an Enforcer was like a second chance for latent criminals to be accepted back into society. Though their freedom has its limitations, they were fighting for justice by working and risking their lives for the sake of safety within their society. Whatever she was going to learn from Kougami, it was up to her to choose how she would deal with it. The rest was mind over matter.

After the events of the Talisman case, Akane realized something about the dark-haired Enforcer: he was serious about being a detective, and today, he proved it. "In the end, it was Kougami-san who identified the culprit. To think that he grasped how the culprit thought and foresaw things like that. . ." There was nothing but admiration in her tone of voice. When she first signed up to work for the MWPSB, she expected her only responsibility was to maintain order and conduct within society with the support of the Sibyl System. However, she never thought she'd to be propel into a reality filled with harrowing mysteries that often end in tragedies. She had heard that the responsibility of an Inspector was tough and stressful, and until today, she realized that it was even more so for the Enforcers.

"That's how Enforcers work," Ginoza stated firmly. "They can do that precisely because they have the same psychological tendency as criminals."

"But Kougami comforted me and encouraged me," she remarked. "Even if he's a latent criminal, it's hard to think that he has the same mind as a homicidal maniac like Mido." There was still some humanity in him. The way that he reassured her during a moment of doubt and guilt was something a man with a conscience would do. Latent criminal or not, his act of consideration wasn't any different from what she would've done.

"You're an Inspector," he reminded her. "Simply do your job as an Inspector and set a boundary between yourself and the Enforcers." This was the second time he had advised her about this subject. She was starting to wonder if he would follow it with a lecture.

"Is that an ironclad rule for this job?"

"No," the Inspector replied. "It's my rule of thumb." She turned to him in bewilderment as he continued. "I once lost a partner who made a mistake. I couldn't stop him. I don't want you to make that same mistake." Lifting his left hand, Ginoza retrieved something from his communicator. When she felt her own device vibrate, Akane saw that he had sent her a file message. "This file is from the Personnel Department." The Inspector turned to walk away. "Destroy it after you look it through."

Immediately after his departure, Akane opened the message with a push of a button, and a familiar female voice narrated the contents of the file. "Kougami Shinya. Enforcer. Male. Twenty-eight years old. Former Inspector." Her eyes widened at this discovery, but she continued to listen. "While investigating an unsolved case, MWPSB Special Case 102, his Crime Coefficient rapidly increased. He prioritized the investigation over therapy treatments. Thus, his Crime Coefficient deviated from the regulation value and he was demoted to an Enforcer."

Akane didn't know how to process the fact that Kougami was once an Inspector just like her. The only thing her mind could come up with was questions. She had thought there was nothing new to learn about Kougami other than he was a latent criminal who wanted to be taken seriously as a detective. Yet, she found that there was another layer to him, a mystery she did not expect. Although Ginoza had given her relevant information, it was only a basic outline of the cause in regards of his dismissal. The details of Special Case 102 were classified.

"Why aren't you looking it up in the database? You're an Inspector," Kagari pointed out as he was busily cooking in the open kitchen. "You have the authorization to do so, right?" Of course she had the authorization. It wouldn't take her long to access the privilege information. The only catch was that the database could only be accessed at her desk, and since Kougami was always in such close vicinity, there was no way she could read those files in private.

"If I access those files, Kougami-san will know," said Akane while she occupied herself with the arcade game to take her mind off her hunger.

"You don't want him to know, or are you that concerned about Ko?" He gave her a pause. "Are you in love?" Automatically, Akane let out an incredulous laugh, clutching her stomach to catch herself from collapsing on the ground. It was the absurdity of the question that got to her. Just because she wanted to know more about Kougami under discreet circumstances, it didn't mean she was in love with him. The image of a tall, dark, and brooding man was attractive, but he was rather too intensive for her. Her only concern was to avoid Kougami from getting angry at her for snooping. Hence why she was gathering testimonials from his colleagues instead of risking the livelihood of getting caught.

In the process of finding out more about Kougami's past case, Akane also learned that Kagari was a light weight when it came to consuming alcohol. Aside from that, Kagari provided her with a new insight to the special case that happened under Kougami's watch. Special Case 102 was Kougami's abyss. The unsolved case was the nature of his unrest; the instinction to find the person behind the death of his subordinate was the only catalyst driving Kougami to carry out his sentence as an Enforcer. Whether it was out of guilt, an obligation for justice, or personal revenge, she didn't know, but a part of her wanted to find out more about Kougami even if it meant that she'd have to stare into the abyss as well.

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Inspector Akane Tsunemori worked up the courage to seek him out after receiving orders from Ginoza that she was to watch the Enforcer at all times as a precaution. Knowing that it was inevitable to deny an order from a senior officer, the brunette Inspector did as she was told and found herself in the gym watching Kougami direct his anger on his sparring partner.

It was an impressive match, seeing how his opponent didn't stand a chance. After a couple of minutes, the sparring droid was out of commission, but it didn't stop Kougami from venting his frustration.

"You're going a bit far, Kougami-san." She told him. If he kept that up, the sparring droid would end up as a pile of scrap metal. To her surprise, he listened to her observation and got off the floor. At the same time, she reached for the remote to inspect the results of the match and blinked at the program's settings. "Whoa," the brunette exclaimed in astonishment. "You've got sparring set to the highest level!" The Inspector looked up from the device to see that Kougami was staring down at her. "Are you really human, Kougami-san?"

"Yeah, but I still get knocked unconscious if I get hit by a Paralyzer," he told her candidly. "I'm just a weak human." She wasn't convinced as she looked at the damaged sparring droid, noting the deep impressions on the metal surface.

"I bet the Property Management Division is going to scold you for this."

"It's because their system is a piece of crap." The Enforcer took off his gloves and went to grab himself a cigarette. He proceeded to light it within a second, and inhaled deeply as his body calmed down from the intense workout. Without turning his head, he could tell that the Inspector was gawking at him. Amusement got the better of him and he asked her almost jokingly, "Is there something on my face?" Her reaction was immediate.

"No, there isn't!" She exclaimed, waving her hands up in protest as she turned away. He noted her embarrassment and wondered if this was her first time seeing a half-naked man up close. He got his answer when she refused to meet his gaze and with a scoff, he decided to spare her from further humility. Finally, her curiosity returned and she asked him, "You get provided with a powerful weapon like the Dominator. Do you really have to engage in this much combat training?"

"Yeah, I do," he answered her, stubbing his cigarette in the ash tray. "Especially because the weapon is powerful and superior, it's user has to be stronger and tougher. It's me who kills the person, not the Dominator. In order to keep that in mind, I have to feel the pain here," he explained, thrusting his fist toward her to show the fresh bruises forming on his knuckles.

"Is that a lesson for me?" She asked him. He let out an exasperated sigh.

"I don't want to be in a situation where you have to fire the Dominator," he answered her with an undercurrent of annoyance and derision. The Inspector heard his teasing tone and ignored it, knowing that he was never going to let go of the fact that she had shot him once with the Dominator. "So," he calmly addressed her presence in the gym, "what do you want?"

"Before that, please wipe off your sweat with a towel and put on a shirt!" The female handler exclaimed as she pointed at him. Kougami bit back a comment about her chastity and complied to her request. After patiently waiting for him to hydrate himself with a bottle of water, Inspector Tsunemori started the conversation with an apology.

He didn't know what he found more endearing, the fact that she apologize to him for exercising her right to look into past cases or that she considered his feelings above her duty as an Inspector. Clearly, her personal investigation wasn't work-related. She wanted to find out more about him. Although he wasn't sure what invoked her curiosity, Kougami didn't feel the need to ask her about it just yet. Of course, he knew that it was probably Gino who gave her his personnel file. He already knew that Gino thinks he's delusional, and that Inspector Tsunemori was here as an obligation to keep him in check. Yet, he didn't mind divulging her with his thoughts on Special Case 102, knowing that she was not here to judge him.

"You've been taken off the case," the Inspector said with a linger tone of disappointment. She was being frank with him, and in the moment he realized that she was feeling helpless in her endeavor to restore his stigma since they were both taken off the current case.

"That's okay," he assured her. "I don't want to cause Gino too much trouble."

"What?" Now that she understood that this case was a personal vendetta, the brunette was more or less on his side, and he was fine with that. At least he didn't have to keep confirming that he was perfectly sane in his current state of mind. It filled him with confidence that he could count on her as an ally.

"I'm saying that there's a way of going about things." He couldn't help but give her a grin. "We can find a good pretext to create a situation where they'd need us back."

"Is there such a way?" He didn't peg her for being a pessimistic.

"There is," he replied. "Just wait and see."

As Kougami shared his thoughts on Sasayama he could tell that she was intently listening to him. Even though she didn't know his fallen subordinate, she sat there silently, not caring that he was rambling on. She had a sense of compassion to readily embrace the emotional aspect in people. He couldn't help but think that she would have been a great therapist. Then again, he was glad that she was not one. With therapists, they'd always try to establish a sense of trust and understanding that was forced in a way, and at times, almost detached. She exhibited neither of these aspects. With Inspector Tsunemori, Kougami felt like he could place his trust in her.

Masaoka was right about one thing: Inspector Akane Tsunemori was certainly an interesting piece of work.

Day Five: Faith

Kougami learned a long time ago that life as an Inspector was a lone one. Working as a detective has its merits, and with that came rules and regulations. To civilians, working in the MWPSB was a privileged and sought out opportunity: a road to the fast track of success. However, success has its price. Working for the MWPSB condemned you to a solitary life. All cases were classified and Inspectors and Enforcers must keep all information about their cases to themselves. At times, it was dangerous, and at other times it was an underappreciated job with no benefits.

Standing in the empty garage, Kougami contemplated over his recent conversation with Gino. Out of all things he expected Gino to say, Kougami never thought the Inspector would apologize to him. He knew the extent of their relationship, or what was left of it. The two of them weren't as close as before, yet Kougami could understand the Inspector's skepticism. A blurry picture and a few crackpot theories was not enough to sway the MWPSB to take action. Now that they have audio evidence that confirmed that Makishima was not just a figment of his imagination, he could follow up on his cold case. However, in order to that, he needed help. Knowing that Gino would never agree to his approach to secure evidence for Sasayama's case due to his lack of faith in the Enforcers, Kougami went with his best option: Inspector Tsunemori.

After having the experience of being an Inspector and Enforcer, Kougami learned one thing: dependency was a dangerous concept when the ability to pull draw conclusions from crime scenes and profiling potential suspects during interrogations was a lost art. Since he needed some answers, Kougami asked Tsunemori to accompany him on his visit to see his former mentor, Professor Saiga Jouji, who worked as a psychiatric examiner for the MWPSB. She had the day off, and since he couldn't let Gino know his whereabouts, she was actually doing him a big favor; one that he would return on the same day. He intended for her to have a one on one session with Professor Saiga on the fundamental principles of character profiling. Upon stating the nature of his request, she was immediately on board with it, no questions asked.

In their current society, only the Sibyl System reserved the right to place judgment, and it was absolute. After the installation of the Sibyl System, the educational route for the MWPSB's investigators changed drastically due to the increasing number of mental distress. As a result, required courses that were necessary to fulfill the criterions of a detective were removed and forgotten. A set of procedural action and regulations was drilled into every potential Inspector, leaving out the essential skills like logical reasoning to conduct investigations and critical thinking to solve cases and make the necessary arrests.

Instead, the Enforcers made up for the skills that the Inspectors lacked, and they work together in pairs or units in order to close a case. On the outside, it was like a partnership, only the truth of the matter was that neither one could function without the other. The aspect of being a detective without the expertise and necessary skill set to efficiently conduct investigations independently didn't appeal to Kougami.

His initial training with Professor Saiga gave him an appreciation for traditional methods. The skills he acquired were useful in more ways than the cryptic scanners, which could only measure a person's crime coefficiency and hue assessment, but not a person's inherit ability to lie or the nature of their motives. Even machines have its limits and weaknesses.

To him, however, machines were a nuisance since all they ever seem to do was annoy him.

"You seem like you're in a bad mood, Kougami-san," Tsunemori stated upon her arrival.

"When I tried to smoke, that thing tried to bite me." The Enforcer was never a smoker to begin with, but once he started, he couldn't stop. It was a ritual. Whenever he finished a workout, he would light one up and watch the ash burn and rise up as his lungs filled with smoke. Sometimes, he'd smoke out of boredom, or to kill time. It was a habit, not an addiction he kept telling himself every time he reached for one. His agitation increased when he saw the security droid following him. "What's your problem?" He wanted to kick the crap out of that thing, but decided against it and got into the car. They had somewhere they had to be and the faster they leave, the faster he could find out more about his lead on the unsolved case.

On their way to their appointment, Tsunemori had on a broadcast featuring the topic of human advancement as cyborgs. The subject of immortality did not phase his interest, and he turned his attention toward the window, noting how the nice weather didn't have much of an impact on him. The landscape of the city was rather dull and unappealing. Maybe it was because of the large skyscrapers and buildings that overtook the small amount of foliage. Either way, he continued to stare out the window, having nothing else to do.

Before long, the brunette engaged him in a conversation, seeing how their long drive only led to moments of prolonged silence. "What are your thoughts on gaining eternal youth and immortality by becoming a cyborg, Kougami-san?" She asked him.

"Not interested," he replied. "Life as a latent criminal isn't the sort of thing you'd want to go on forever."

"But if the social system is more developed one day, the rights of latent criminals may improve." His lips turned upward into a grin.

"No wonder your Psycho Pass tends to stay so clear." He wasn't patronizing her, yet Tsunemori glared at him with a pout; it was more out of envy on her optimistic outlook. He knew that it irked her whenever he pointed out her naivety, and he would do it at every given chance out of amusement. Even though she was his handler, he felt like he could be at ease whenever he's with her. She had nothing to hide and had no qualms about his status as an Enforcer, and best of all, her quirks rarely annoyed him.

The sky was dark when they returned to the city. After the condensed and intensive session with Professor Saiga, Tsunemori did not feel like driving. Kougami could tell that she was exhausted by the way she sat with her legs folded up in front of her, and how hard she was trying to keep her eyes open.

This time, he chose to be the talkative one as he asked her opinion on her tutelage, and somehow it turned into a discussion about him.

"You seem like someone who had dive deep and have yet to come back safely," said the brunette, conveying her keen sense of observation. In that moment, he decided to humor her optimistic overview of him.

"Well, I don't know about that," he said with a smirk, raising his left arm to show her the device that branded him as a latent criminal. "At least, the Sibyl System decided that I couldn't come back." Getting his job back as an Inspector was the last thing on his mind. Still, Kougami hadn't considered himself to be in the deep end. The best he could hope for was the chance to solve Sasayama's case and to find the person responsible for his death. The decision to return to society and gaining his old freedom back was unfortunately, not up to him.

When they returned to work the next day, Kougami realized that he was still at a dead end with the investigation. The only thing he was ready to anticipate was Gino's confrontation, but the last thing Kougami expected was to witness Tsunemori's burst of anger. Kougami quietly stood still as Gino bombarded him with accusations of intentionally trying to turn Tsunemori into a latent criminal like him. It wasn't long before Tsunemori stepped in to clarify the situation only to get reprimanded by Gino, who regarded her as brat who didn't know her place. The final straw for the brunette was when the Senior Inspector empathized the classification of Inspectors and Enforcers, and how the existence of Enforcers was to only to protect the hues of Inspectors from getting clouded. The discrimination was nothing new to Kougami, but Tsunemori wasn't going to stand for it.

"It's true that I'm new and you have seniority over me, Inspector Ginoza, but please don't forget that we are equals in terms of rank." What Tsunemori lacked in experience, she made it up in the ability to stand up for herself, and Kougami couldn't help but stare in open shock as she spoke. No one has ever stood up to Gino in that manner, not even Masaoka. "I'm managing my Hue just fine on my own. You may have seniority over me, but I'd like you to restrain yourself from questioning my ability at the workplace and in front of the Enforcers!" The others watched in stunned silence as Gino wordlessly stepped out. "Unbelievable," she muttered under her breath, turning her heels as she stormed out in anger.

Masaoka got up from his seat and went after her while Kougami remained in his place, unsure of how to react to the uncanny display between two Inspectors. To say the least, he was impressed by the way Tsunemori stood up for what she believed was right, and at the same time, coming to his defense. She had faith, and the intuitive understanding of what it takes to be a detective. What society needed most right now are more people like her. He didn't give a shit about the classifications between Inspectors and Enforcers, and had long accepted his role as a latent criminal, and by the end of the day, Kougami came to another conclusion: his reluctant relationship with Tsunemori had turned into a partnership, and in that moment, he had no complaints.

Day Six: Darkness

In literature, morals are told in the forms of stories, ranging from folklore and fairy tales to legends. These stories were cautionary tales that taught children how to recognize danger and how to overcome certain obstacles. What they didn't include was a guide on how to recuperate after dealing with the unpleasantness of the world.

Akane never forgets to remind herself that those stories are told to children in order to teach them life lessons. Each story was different, yet they always start out the same and end the same way. As she grew older, she came to realize that happily ever after only existed in stories, and that once upon a time, she saw the face of true evil in the form of a white-haired man.

It had been days since she had returned to the office due to the mandatory leave the nurse had prescribed to her. Taking time off work had been hell for her. It freed her from her busy schedule and in her spare time, all she could think about was the death of her friend Yuki, and how she was powerless to prevent it.

To put her mind to ease, Akane went to see Kougami. This was the second she had visited him in the recovery unit. Whether it was out of twisted fate or a series of unfortunate circumstances, she couldn't help but feel guilty that he was hurt because of her. The least she could do was to keep him company while he regained his strength.

Kougami was reading when Akane went to visit him with a basket of fruit. She saw the familiar title, Heart of Darkness, and by the looks of it, Kougami was already halfway through the book. The novel was about a sailor who goes on a business expedition to the Congo and becomes stranded after his only mode of transportation gets destroyed. Traveling from a civilized city to a new world was life changing for the main character, especially when all he witnessed was the cruelty of imperial enterprise, corruption, and also, the savagery of men. His experience in the Congo taught him that there were different sides of evil. Men had the capacity to ensue chaos to the point of moral ambiguity, where even social values and moral standards seemed irrelevant in judging such evil. In the end, the choice of choosing the lesser of the two evils was still evil. Eventually, the sailor returns to civilized life after going through many trials and tribulations in the pursuit of knowledge and truth, and he recounts his worldly experience to his friends as he narrates his own version of the "truth".

Sometimes, the truth was hard to swallow. For her, it was hard to adjust to the reality of her situation: she had lost a friend, and she didn't know how to deal with it. Attending the funeral didn't bring her much closure, and all the tears she cried could never bring Yuki back to life. Her friend's death was unjustified and wrong, and Akane continuously stayed up at night to list all the reasons why. Of course, it was easy to blame herself for not being able to save Yuki, but in the end, the person who kidnapped and killed her friend was Makishima Shougo. His mind was so twisted that even the Dominator couldn't judge him. Social values and moral conduct were nothing more than words to him, and he didn't give a damn about a person's life unless they were useful to him in his pursuit to discover the answers to his questions. Makishima Shougo had to be stopped, and that was what Akane planned to do.

"Given the situation, I'm actually glad about one thing: Makishima Shogo really exists." Akane tried to keep a neutral tone as she spoke. After today, the MWPSB will find out the true face of evil. She wanted justice, and doing a memory scoop was the only way to do it. The process would entail her to relive the last moments of Yuki's execution, and if she had to put her own self at risk, it would be worth it. The days of chasing after a ghost were soon going to be over. "No one will doubt you anymore." She couldn't find the courage to fully face Kougami, not when she was on her way to do something reckless. Knowing him, Kougami would not hesitate to talk her out of it. If she was in his place, she would do the same. In that moment, Akane was beginning to think that he was rubbing off on her, and it occurred to her that Yuki was right about one thing. "We can now finally pursue the same goal together." She and Kougami were more similar to each other after all, and she didn't mind it one bit.

A/N: This was quite a long read, and I hope you enjoyed it! It was certainly a challenge to write since I had to incorporate the emotional aspects of each character while trying to keep their characterization as close to the original representation as possible. At the same time, integrating the philosophical views and literary references from Psycho Pass was an apprehensive but necessary undertaking. Overall, I would love to hear your thoughts on this story, or your thoughts on Psycho Pass! Please review!