Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“One day everything will be well, that is our hope. Everything's fine today, that is our illusion.”

Voltaire

Unleash the Wolf: Shinya Kogami

Black engulfed my world. I swore to open my eyes would require a feat of super human strength. A name lingered, but refused to materialize. Something was terribly wrong, and yet in the muddled state of my sluggish thoughts I had no hope of parsing it out. All I could do was pick at the information and try to grasp what the hell was going on.

My left side throbbed. A sharp prick in my arm reminded me of the limbs existence. Voices, thick and distant penetrated my solitude. Were they underwater … or maybe I was? No. That couldn't be true, I was breathing air. So what the hell was going on? Why couldn't I move even a muscle?

A woman's voice sighed. “Looks like it's gonna be another long night. Who do we have here?”

“Hope you had a lot of coffee, Doc.” A man answered. “Check this fresh delivery out.”

The bleep of a scanner precluded a sharp inhale. “Seriously? Damn! Well, Inspector Shinya Kogami, if only you could tell me what bombshell scorched your psyche.”

“Told ya, look at that hue.”

“What hue? I can't even tell what it was supposed to be. It's … gray.”

Hue? My pulse quickened. Why were they discussing my hue?

—the image of a twisted body gazing through empty sockets flashed behind my closed eyes. Sasayama!—

I gasped, trying to wrench my eyelids open from this revisiting nightmare.

The man droned, “Doc, you won't see me disagreeing with Sibyl's call for treatment on this one. We don't want this guy waking up outside of iso lock-down. No telling with a coefficient that high what he'll do. You ask me, we don't want him even waking up before that number drops—like, a lot.”

Treatment? Wait … what the hell?

“Right.” The doc's voice sounded like it was muffled through a hand. “Fetch the recommended cocktail and let's get started immediately with some additional sedation. I want to make sure the infusion sticks.”

My side, the burning throb, almost like … a Non-Lethal Paralyzer shot from a Dominator!

It took my full concentration but I managed to twitch an eye open. Blurry images swam there, two figures in white coats stood at the side of a bed I lie on. A tube punctured my forearm. My CID wristcom should have been on my left wrist, missing.

Again the memories slammed down like a punishing flood … my desperate calls over the dead feed on the com ... Sasayama … gone, missing for days … until the streetscan picked him up, the holograph image vanished … his twisted body a demented work of art hidden beneath … The case was still wide open. Nearly a month of chasing my tail following Sasayama becoming the fourth victim and hardly a clue had turned up. Failure, complete and utter. Words of warning flared up from my memory, Back off, Kogami! You're too invested over the fate of a dog. This will ruin you.

“Oh shit! Doc, quick he's coming to!” The wide-eyed man tossed her a vial.

The woman caught it and stabbed a needle with an IV line attached into the cap. That line coupled to the IV already in my arm. Far too cheerily, she smiled down at me. “Easy there, Mister Kogami. Don't get too excited.”

“I have … to go … there's a … my case … ” my words barely formed. I didn't know if I was actually saying them. The further I got, the heavier my body grew. Sedative … oh crap.

“That's going to have to wait. Your crime coefficient is currently above the regulated level. Don't worry, you're in good hands here at the Adachi Municipal Psycho-Pass Correction and Medical Care Center.”

The where? Oh shit! This couldn't be happening! Not to me, not now! I tried to get up … tried to keep my eyes open, but failed. Once more my world washed into black. A strange fog flowed into my thoughts. I resisted, or rather tried. The more I fought, the further it dragged me down. Not into any form of peace, but leaving me adrift in the confused oblivion I remained powerless to prevent.

X

Groggily, I opened my eyes and stared at the blank ceiling. Not the ceiling in my residence. And these padded walls weren't right. The bed I lay in wasn't mine. My mental gears turned like an engine running without lubricant, eerily unlike the sharp precision instrument I had spent years refining. I glanced down at the capped off IV in my arm. My gaze wandered toward the clear sliding doors to the room.

No, not room—cell!

I sat up way too fast. My fogged brain couldn't keep up, forcing me to close my eyes until the world settled again. Whatever they'd pumped into my veins left me disoriented. Staggering to my feet, I leaned against the wall edging my way toward the door. I willed the damn thing to open. Of course, that was a foolish notion. This door was meant to keep me in here. But why? I'm an inspector.

My hand pressed against the holo-pane. The medical display materialized. Instantly I staggered backward, tripping over my feet. Frozen in shock, I couldn't look away from my stats. “How … how did it get that … that high? 233? No! It can't be!” Beside it, my hue reported steel gray. The color … had been obliterated.

My hand rubbed my side where it had previously burned. Who had stared down the sight of their Dominator at me? Which one of my colleagues had pulled the trigger? Under what circumstances? I couldn't remember a thing. And this meddlesome fog wasn't helping me any.

The air grew thin. Gasping, I stumbled back to my feet. I had to get out of here, now! The Specimen Case demanded all my attention, and I couldn't do a damn thing from in here.

I struck the barrier with my fist. “I'm an inspector with the MWPSB! I order you to let me out, right now!”

Red lights flashed. An alarm sounded. Leaping back from the door, I had only a second to contemplate my foolishness. Of course they had active scanners. And I'd just triggered one helluva an alarm with my outburst. Gas billowed in through the air vents. I tried to hold my breath, but I was no record-breaker. The moment I inhaled, my muscles ceased any voluntary function sending me careening to the floor with one arm splayed in front. Not good.

Shadows cast through the closed door. The muffled voice of the doctor carried through. “That answers that question. One infusion wasn't near enough. Prep another. No, scratch that, prep several. Let's just keep flooding his system until something breaks through. The moment that the paralytic gas clears the room we'll sedate him again.”

Please, don't do this! But the words wouldn't form. I couldn't even shut my eyes. This really sucked, and there wasn't a damn thing I could do about it.

Minutes later, the door opened. They hefted my limp body off the floor and tossed my ass back onto the bed.

One of the orderlies uncapped the IV. “How long does that gas keep him down?”

Another orderly handed him a vial. “Don't want to find out.”

Please! I'm not going to hurt anyone. Just listen to me. Why won't you listen? Why can't I speak? I'm not a criminal. I'm an Inspector. I'm an officer of the law.

Forced to watch, I couldn't even cringe the moment the sedative hit the line. Cringing? Why was I even contemplating that? I didn't cringe, not normally. What was wrong with me? The orderly withdrew his fingers from the IV. “Shit, don't know about you, but I don't feel like getting mauled by an animal like him tonight. I got a family to get home to.”

Animal? But I'm not—

“Heh, by the time we get that antipsychotic cocktail this guy won't even know it.” The other one tapped my bare arm, laughing. “Sweet dreams.”

My eyes edged closed as the sedative yanked my pulse mercilessly down. Suspended in a kind of mental plateau, I remained aware of my surroundings. The staff shifted around me, chatting like they were having lunch at a casual cafe. A strange fog banked my thoughts. Instead of numbing me, I lingered there, trapped in the raw images as they replayed again and again in the theater of my mind … the plastinated victims grotesquely displayed in public. Each replay slashed me deeper, ingraining the already intense drive for a solution that cried out for justice. A justice I could not serve locked in this repetitious hell.

The doctor's voice echoed from a distance. “We'll let that run its course, keep him sedated for a while, then run another infusion. We'll check his Psycho-Pass after that. See if there is any change.”

What were they doing to me? How was this supposed to help? This couldn't be right. If I could have screamed … but even that ability had been denied me.

X

The cycle repeated like clockwork over more days than I could track by mere memory. Subjected to the infusion under sedation, tormented by my obsession with the case I could not access, lying there for a while barely able to function, then a few days of pacing my confinement … until it all repeated again. My only chance of tracking things was the time stamp on my last eval on the days I possessed the coordination to cross the small room.

Like a grindstone, the isolation wore on me. For hours I paced back and forth within the confines of my cell, plagued by the details of the case. Had the sick twisted bastard that orchestrated the murders been brought to justice? Or had he managed to evade capture. How? An individual that disturbed should have been flagged by something, somewhere. Nothing connected and it drove my idle mind to distraction.

Brushing my hand against the pane I took mark of the day. Two months and three weeks had passed by my estimation. My heart sank … my Pyscho-Pass had only degraded. I pumped my fists bowing my head. This damn place wasn't helping me any. Couldn't get a conversation with anyone passing by. And the only time the staff came was to knock me on my ass. That was a great morale boost.

A service drone wheeled past. “Hey you, hold up a sec.” It paused and before it could start the saccharine dialog it was programmed to spew out, I cut it off. “I got a request. I need to send out a message to Inspector Nobuchika Ginoza of the MWPSB, Division 1.”

“I'm sorry. Request cannot be filled. Patients are under strict isolation.” The drone turned to leave.

I narrowed my eyes. “No, wait a second. This is concerning the case I'm working on. I haven't heard a damn thing, and you know … ” I forced a smile, “as an inspector, it might improve my hue a bit if I knew how things were going.”

The drone remained silent, the light sequence betraying the uplink.

Come on, you bucket of bolts. Just patch it through.

“The patient Shinya Kogami undergoing treatment is under suspension from the MWPSB. Currently listed as involuntary resignation. Request cannot be fulfilled. Have a nice day.” The dang thing continued on its path.

“You know what would make my day real nice?” I growled, “A Dominator set on Destroy Decomposer mode aimed at your useless … ” Quickly I backpedaled hoping the sensor hadn't caught my intention. “Heh. Just a bit of sarcasm. I uh … didn't mean it.”

Thirty seconds passed without a consequence. That had been too close. I ran a hand through my hair and sighed. Sliding down the wall, I leaned against it and rested my chin on folded arms. Involuntary resignation? No one had come. No one had even held a conversation with me. The few times I had attempted to gain the attention of the staff had hardly ended well.

Dismally I stared at my left wrist and tried to recall the cold weight of that metal band. I swiped a finger over the imaginary square holo-emitter. Ringing … I swore it was ringing. Swore I could see the display with Ginoza's stern photo staring back at me. No one answered.

I blinked my eyes. Well … the more the tease of the hallucinations made me question reality, the further the strain of my isolation dragged me toward the brink. That point of no return. I shuddered, was I already there?

Movement outside the door caught my attention. Tapping the holopane, the doctor brought up the record and smiled down at me.

I did not like that smile.

Far too cheerily, she remarked, “What an eventful morning you've had.”

I sat up a little straighter, already my pulse impotently began to increase. What was the point? I couldn't exactly run. And this isolation cell prevented me from fighting, even if I had wanted to. Shit, I didn't want that at all. I just wanted the hell out of here!

She clicked her tongue. “All this time and still under so much stress. Well, we can knock that down.”

I opened my eyes wider. “Not necessary. Just hear me out—”

“We know what we're doing. So just relax.” Her fingers slipped over a sequence.

“Relax?” Edging up onto my bare feet, I backed away from the vent. “Are you shitting me?”

She only grinned wider, striking the last button. I'd seen Enforcers pull a Dominator trigger with that same expression. Wish I'd had one in my hands right now. Wonder what her hue looked like. “We'll just have to step things up and try a more aggressive treatment.”

I swallowed. More aggressive?

Not that I had long to wonder. Four seconds later I hit the damn floor regretting my threat on that pathetic drone. Me and my mouth.

X

Out of the dark corner of the world they tried to shove me into I opened my eyes. Panic seized me. A sharp pain burned the back of my neck, almost a pulse. In a sickening twist a demented man materialized over me, his hand raised with a knife ready to kill me. His crime coefficient flashed before my eyes, though I didn't have a Dominator. 378, murder in his eyes bored straight into me.

Adrenaline coursed through my veins. I reached behind my neck and grasped the device clamped there, yanking hard. A flare of white hot agony blinded me as my jerking hand dropped a thick needle on the floor. The man lunged toward me, I rolled off the bed, hitting the floor face first. Warmth dripped down my neck. My hand slipped, coming up smeared with blood.

The assailant turned, screaming with rage. I scrambled to my knees, tripping over the tangle of a cord. My panicked flight ripped the IV out of arm. No time to consider the consequences, I could stand to lose a little blood if it meant I could evade the deranged attack. Staggering to my feet, I only managed to stumble forward half blind into a collision with the door.

My hands left smears of blood as I pounded on the barrier. Gas flooded the chamber. But I remained conscious, my pulse hammering my ribs. My vision swirled violently. I could no longer strike. Blood seeped down my shaking arm holding my bowed head off the floor.

On the other side of the door the staff stared at me for over a minute before the doctor spoke. “Get the suits. We'll have to go in.”

“With him conscious? Are you crazy?”

“Adrenaline is a strong enough stimulant to overcome the sedation. But he's bled enough now he won't have much fight left. We need to get the probe back in, this time with physical restraints. Now go.”

Out of the corner of my eye, the assailant came for me again. I curled against the attack. “Open the damn door!” My arms gave out, dropping me onto the ground.

I'm going to die! All while they watched!

At last the door opened, and the staff entered in full hazard suits, the gas venting out. They hauled me off the floor and laid me on the bed facing the wall. I tried to struggle, but every motion left dark blotches in my vision. A hand staunched the bleeding on my arm.

“Hold him still,” the doctor's voice echoed.

A pinch at the nap of my neck precluded a strange numbing sensation. Not numb enough. A moment later I bucked against their hold as that damn needle punched up and into the spinal column of my neck flooding every fiber of my being with a searing agony. I couldn't hear it, but I knew I screamed.

The backwash of the pain left me panting as an orderly snapped a metal collar around my neck, blocking all access to that damn needle. With rough efficiency they reinserted a new IV. And before I could even catch my breath, thick straps bound every limb in place in addition to my torso. Forced to lie on my back, I wasn't going anywhere.

Wide-eyed, I searched the room for the assailant. He was still here. I knew it. What the hell was I to do if he came back for me? The staff, they were leaving. Leaving me bound at the mercy of some social deviant. I struggled to no avail as the door shut me off once more.

Suppression System online. Relax, Shinya Kogami. This is for your own good.

That voice. I froze, not even breathing. There was nothing in my hands. How was I hearing a Dominator?

Previous process interrupted. Re-initiating memory suppression selection.

“What are you—” I couldn't finish the sentence. My eyelids clenched tight as visions flooded my brain. The pain stabbed at the back of my neck with a demented pulse. I thrashed, fighting the urge to scream and losing the battle.

“Stop!” I pushed back hard against the erosive force. “Those are mine!”

A jolt nailed me.

Process interrupted. Re-initiating.

And so it began … the seemingly endless battle of wills. Each time Sibyl restarted the process, I wrestled her out.

X

I huddled in the corner holding my knees tight, still reeling from my recent release after the lengthy tug of war I had somehow managed to deflect. I only knew it had been a week since that damn argument with the tattletale drone. This was the first day I had managed to stagger across the room. Raw and ragged, I now clung to the back of the cell trying to grasp reality from the wild array of images still parading by my fatigued brain. Though I had been partially sedated through the whole thing, sleep had slipped through my hands constantly. I loathed how I shuddered. But I couldn't stop. My bleary eyes dredged up phantoms from some distant land of nightmares.

Don't stop by here … leave me alone … just stop trying to help me, dammit. You're screwing me up!

I gripped my head and panted, fighting down the wave of panic every time a shadow drifted past, real or imaged. Both were threats. I dreaded that one of these attacks would trip the sensor. The strain should have by now … the only way it wouldn't was if they had shut it off, or changed the threshold.

Footsteps paused outside my door. The telltale bleep of my file being accessed triggered a cringe in me. No more! I can't take this anymore! It's not breaking through, it's breaking me!

A tense sigh broke the long silence. Wait a minute … I knew that sigh. I dared to look up. Did I trust my eyes? “Ginoza?” I rubbed my eyes. The man outside the door remained, glaring at the file on the holopane. Clumsily, I dashed toward him, smiling at my old friend. “Gino! I've been trying to reach you. No one would—”

His hard eyes remained locked on the holopane. “I'm not here on a social visit. This is strictly business.”

His words cut through the fog. Even plagued by the hazy aftereffects of that last brutal treatment, my chest tightened.

Behind his glasses he peered at the graph and shook his head. “Three months, Kogami. Three damn months you've been here and not once has your crime coefficient dropped below two-hundred. Instead it has steadily climbed. Your hue? Rather than improving has gotten cloudier.”

“There's a reason.” My voice sounded slurred, it could have been my perception, but I couldn't be certain. I didn't trust any of my senses at the moment. “You have to listen—”

“No. It is time for you to listen. Like you should have done in the first place.” Ginoza's tense voice nearly cracked. His fists shaking.

“I have to know,” I placed my palms against the pane, “has the Specimen Case been solved?”

“You and that damn case.” His teeth squealed as he ground them. “The case has been closed, unsolved.”

“What?” I pressed harder, even though it did me no good. “How could they? No … what about the four victims?”

“Five.”

“There's been another? And they closed it? Is the chief insane?”

Gino stared daggers at me. “It's been closed strictly because of the fate of the last victim.”

“We can't let this go. Give me the details, Gino.”

He lowered his voice to a terse whisper. “You know exactly what happened to him, Kogami. I'm here on orders to finalize that file, to see where this ends.” From his pocket he pulled out a CID wristcom and place it on the shelf outside the door.

My chest tightened until I could no longer breathe. I staggered backward, eyes locked on the metal interface. Not a square, but a circle … condemnation. “No!” I gasped. “No, please! Gino, not that! There's no coming back from that. Give me more time. I can pull it back together, I just need more time.”

His stern gaze bored into me saying more than any words that could have left his mouth. I had betrayed him in the gravest sense. “Your time is up. The experts have exhausted their efforts here. It's obvious your crime coefficient has settled into a latent criminal. Your choice is this,” he pointed to the Enforcer wristcom, “or permanent isolation. Which will it be?”

Pressing back against the door, I cried out, my knees buckling. “Nubochika don't … ”

“Shinya Kogami is dead.” He turned away. “A victim of your stubborn rage.”

Those words locked my tongue. Bowing my head I slid down the pane. It made sense now. They had shut the sensors off because they knew he was coming. They knew the decision I faced. My life as a citizen was over. Only the numbest bastard in the world wouldn't have been brought to his knees. “So … ” I forced the words out, “the only choice I have left … is the size of my cage.”

He refused to answer. A dark shadow on the other side … no, on the outside … where I never would be again no matter which choice I made.

Humiliation awaited me if I chose the demotion. Those I had worked beside would view me as subhuman, an attack dog unfit to walk among society without a tight leash. Nothing more than that ever again. And yet, at the thought of being confined for the rest of my life in a tiny box like this … I dug my nails into my palms. No, this isolation had already driven me deeper into the mire.

I lifted my head. Maybe there was a chance that I could secretly resume the case. I would never hear another word of it if I was isolated. I couldn't live with myself if I let go of my only chance.

Ginoza began to walk away.

Stiffening, I rose off the floor. “Gino, don't leave! I … I'll …” my head bowed to my chest. “I'll take it.”

He cast a cold glare over his shoulder at me. “I'll come back to fetch you once the transfer is complete.”

“I'm sorry.” It was hardly a whisper.

Ginoza pressed his glasses higher up the bridge of his nose. “You should be after throwing your life away.” Without another word, he left me behind, haunted by his hollow voice.

X

With his head stiff, Ginoza flanked my left shoulder as he escorted me through the halls of the rehabilitation center, the first time I had left iso lock-down in three damn months. This wristcom weighed heavier on me for some reason, though it was no larger than the previous one I had worn. I reached up and loosened my tie, letting the top button of my shirt fall open. Didn't know if it was the fact that I hadn't worn a suit in three months, or if I truly was struggling to breathe. I still didn't feel right. The aftereffect of whatever drug they had used on me still left me raw. Gino's active avoidance only added to my nervous mood.

In the secure portion of the parking garage, we approached the back of an open paddy wagon flanked by drones. My heart sank. “Gino, is this really necessary?” I searched his eyes.

They narrowed, staring at a point above my gaze. “The sooner you learn your new place, the better.” He pointed. “Get in.”

My shoulders sagged. He was now my superior. I could not refuse the orders of a superior without committing insubordination. Considering how deviant my Psycho-Pass had diverged that would not get me off to a great start. I walked inside and watched over my shoulder as the back door shut behind, locking me in.

Slumped on the bench, I activated the wristcom for the first time. My profile came up. Enforcer ID 00475-AEDF-52510-2, Division 1. Designation Hound 3.

Man, that hurt just lookin' at it. I stared toward the front of the paddy wagon as it lurched forward. Three months I had tried to reach my best friend. Now, at last, I had the means. I opened the channel and waited.

It took longer than usual. No video. So, he didn't want to see me. “What?” Terse fell short of describing that tone.

“Gino, we have to talk.”

“There's nothing more to be said. And it is Inspector Ginoza to you.”

“Let me explain. You think I didn't try to get better? I did. I fought damn hard, but whatever they used wasn't helping me. This whole situation just made things worse.”

“So, now you're passing the blame.”

I shook my head, even though he couldn't see it. Shit, I was still so screwed up. “Of course not, it's just that—”

“Sibyl ordered your treatment, you know. Perhaps if you hadn't been so stubborn and avoided the obvious solution early on, you wouldn't have ended up where you are now. The blame is solely on your shoulders.”

“There's more to this, it's not so simple. Give me a chance, I'm still shaking off the side effects.”

“Enough.”

The connection died, leaving the compartment dark. I leaned forward on my elbows for the remainder of the trip until at last the vehicle stopped, and the rear doors opened. Ginoza gestured for me to follow him. The moment the CID floor's door shut behind us he broke the silence. “Enforcers are not permitted in public without being accompanied by an Inspector. Within the building, you are restricted to the CID floor … ”

I cut him off. “Shit, Ginoza, it's only been three months. I remember the rules.”

“Not from that side of the leash.” He snapped. “Don't you try anything. I won't hesitate to pull the trigger.” The glare in his eyes promised.

“Your call.” I tried to deflect the jab at my already demolished pride. It only left my head hanging lower.

“Go to the dog pound and find your assigned quarters. I have files to finish thanks to you.” Ginoza strode off with a stick up his ass.

I sighed and walked through the blessedly quiet halls, weathering a few awkward glances at my left wrist. I pushed on with my eyes cast down until I found the door to my assigned quarters. Inside it was damn sparse. I would have to furnish it out via requests now, rather than going out and picking up things on my own. Right now I didn't really care about how restrictive my non-life was. I was tired, and still dizzy. At least someone had brought in a few of my things from my last place. My favorite jacket lay over the back of a chair.

A piece of paper in the middle of the coffee table caught my attention. I picked it up and opened it.

Welcome back, Ko. You know where my quarters are. I got something that'll help.

Pops

I cracked a slight grin. Damn, that's right. The old man was Hound 1. We were gonna be running partners now, only this time we were equals thanks to my demotion. A short walk down the hall and I knocked on his partially open door. He crossed the room, hands in his pockets, a grim expression on his grizzled face. “Wish I coulda said I hadn't seen this coming, Ko.”

I shoved my own hands in my pockets and lowered my gaze to the floor.

“You look like they put you through some new kinda hell.” He approached and angled so he could stare straight into my eyes. “Still got some of that crap in your system?”

I nodded. “I'm not feeling … like myself.”

He pressed the back of my shoulder, guiding me to the couch. “Not surprising. That stuff's supposed to take the edge off, make things calmer. A guy like you it would take a wrecking ball to the wall that lets you work without crumbling into useless heap. Whadya say we burn that crap out your system?” He pulled out a bottle of Whiskey Rock and two glasses.

I eyed him sideways. “I thought you weren't supposed to mix that with shit like this.”

He laughed, pouring a large portion and handing it to me. “Sure. That's what they say. But trust me, Ko. It'll speed up shaking off the spell. You look like you need it. So, bottoms up.”

Not one to argue with the old man, I took his offered medicine knowing that it would be better than anything that had happened to me in their hands over the last months. The whiskey went down in two large gulps, putting a fire back in me. Already I could feel the fog slowly burning away.

He took the empty glass and refilled it. “Do it. They screwed you in so tight I think they stripped the screws. Gotta loosen that hold and get you back.”

“Heh.” I laughed, staring into the glass. “Who knew, someone actually still gives a shit about me.”

He slugged me in the shoulder. “Course. To the guy who gave a shit about his hounds rather then treating them like they're expendable. Gonna miss havin' you up there, Ko. It was nice while it lasted.”

I half closed my eyes, cringing.

Masaoka must have marked the strange behavior before I could suppress it. “Wow. They slammed you hard and where did it leave you?” He lifted his prosthetic left hand and flicked his wristcom. After a long stunned pause, he whistled. “So, this is where you settled.”

I laid my hand over the holo. “Shut it, please. I don't even want to know.”

He rubbed his chin and sighed. “Let me guess, they sent Gino to getya.”

I sunk deeper and downed the whole glass in one shot.

“Damn you, Gino,” Masaoka cursed. “Well, didn't figure he'd understand.”

“Why would he?” I slid the glass on the table, leaning forward onto my elbows. “To expect him to understand would be foolish. If he hasn't made amends with his father, why would he forgive his best friend for the same fate?”

“You got the ol' disappointment in the eyes bit, huh.” He cracked a slight grin. “You'll get used to it. And once your guard is back up, it won't hurt so damn much.”

Running a hand through my hair, I shook my head. “He won't be the only one looking down on me… how many know?”

“Which part?” He swirled his whiskey glass. “That you cracked? Everyone in the CID. That you've been demoted to a hound? Well, by tomorrow, everyone. You know what you're in for, Ko. Get ready for it.”

My shoulders fell.

Concerned, he leaned forward. “You clearly haven't been sleeping. How close are you to the fallout?”

“Dunno. Their last attempt had me under sedation twice … I think. Only it didn't work. It never worked, Pops.” I pushed away the details of why. Not something I wanted to share considering I wasn't at all certain where the line between reality and hallucination had stretched.

“Course it didn't on a stubborn bastard like you. Bet you fought it the whole time even if you weren't trying to. No wonder you're so frayed.” He set his empty glass down. “Yeah, you're coming out of it. And I hope you listen to ol' Masaoka better than before. Don't go back to your room. Don't do this part alone or you will regret it. Stay here for a bit. I'll drag you out with my bare hands if I have to.”

What was he talking about? “Drag me out of what?”

“Steel yourself, Shinya.” The moment he used my given name was the moment I knew this was going to hit hard. “The release is the toughest part of this. That they let you walk without watching you come out of it shows how little they gave a shit. You might wanna lie down. This is gonna hit you like a Lethal Eliminator.”

Masaoka had always been a straight shooter. That bluntness sent a shiver down my spine. He got up and watched me settle on the couch.

“Go ahead and shut your eyes.” He patted my shoulder. “I got your six.”

I didn't realize how hard I had been fighting to hold myself together until it hit me. Hours later, on the edge of exhaustive sleep, the borders between reality and hallucination dissolved. Behind my closed eyes, flashes of memories merged into a twisted distortion. Images filtered through the Dominator's sight, every shot turned into a full on assault, the targets twisting and writhing before their inevitable end. Every soul I had ever judged. Crime scenes appeared in vivid detail, not just from the Specimen Case, but everything from the case loads over six years. Behind my clamped eyelids, it played out like a computer set on auto search, flashing a jumble too swift to track. The damned battle to keep access to my memories replayed!

Masaoka's hands gripped my wrists, his weight pressed down on my writhing chest. “Can you hear me, Ko? Just hold on and don't get dragged out by the rip tide.”

I gritted my teeth as the strange images distorted. I tried to open my eyes.

“Don't! Keep 'em shut!” He grunted. “Struggle all you want, but stay down and keep your eyes shut.”

“What's … going … on?” I clenched my teeth, reeling as the intensity slammed me repeatedly against the wall. Every nerve burned raw again.

“I'm no shrink.” He adjusted his grip. “Just theorizing from my own rough ride. You know how a limb feels when you sleep on it wrong? Well, it's kinda like that. They tried to knock you back, and you resisted so, they poured more in there. Sheep just go numb because they have no defenses. Not us! We just push through. Gah! Don't hit me, Ko.”

I'd practically wrenched free of his grip, but he adjusted and clamped harder. “I'm not trying to!” I arched my head back, everything blurred into an assault. I knew in that moment why he had suggested I not be alone. Who knew where I might have blindly run to, who I might have struck in the welling panic! Fibers in my brain threatened to snap under the tension.

“Hold it together!”

I clung to his voice, an anchor in the maelstrom as it built into an explosion within my skull. I screamed. Like a rushing tide the assault abated. My body slackened in his grip.

He released the hold and grabbed my shoulder. “Speak to me.”

I opened my eyes, the world came back into vivid focus, unlike before. The fog had cleared, painful as that had been. “Thanks, Pops. I owe you.”

“Heh, owe me? Nah, just paying back the guy who stood up for my son in high school. And would you look at that, the edge is back in your eyes, even despite the exhaustion.” He leaned back and poured a glass of whiskey. “Sit up. You'll need the chaser.”

Slowly I pushed up and grabbed the glass. Already I felt clearer minded. “I'm gonna owe you a bottle if this keeps up.”

He reclined beside me and laughed easily. “You can drink with me anytime you want, 'specially now. No rules against us dogs knockin' a few back off the clock.” He leaned forward, pointing at me. “Something's bothering you.”

“Got that right. A lot of somethings.” I narrowed my eyes. “Were you there that night, three months ago?”

He offered a tight nod.

“What the hell happened? It doesn't add up. Yeah, I was pushing things. That didn't mean I wasn't watching my state of mind. I kept track, I'd been near the warning zone. But I hadn't crossed it.” I shook my head. “Something set me off.”

He rubbed his chin. “You don't remember much?”

“No. Just being on the job, and that's vague as it is. Can't even remember the conditions.”

Masaoka flipped a hand. “It was a routine run, though there were multiple marks. Nearly all were in the Paralyzer range. We'd teamed up with Division 2. You went ahead, while Gino and I dealt with a straggler. Thought we had everyone cleared. Then an alert came through that the zone was still in the threat level. The hunt still on.”

“All of that is routine.” I leaned back trying to pull up the fuzzy images of that night. Nothing came clear.

“Yeah, routine until we heard the next alert come over. That the threat level had cleared. Aoyanagi didn't respond when we asked her to confirm who got the hit. We rounded the corner to find her stooped over with a haunted expression in her eyes. Her Dominator still in a death grip. You were already sprawled in the street, out cold in a way that would have been facing her. Your Dominator had slid several feet from your grasp. She could hardly speak, Ko. We couldn't get an explanation from her, not then, and from the looks of it, not in the official file. Ginoza grew cross when he read it at his desk, that's all I can say. Never actually saw it myself.”

I glanced at my wristcom and drove a fist into my knee. “Dammit, with restricted access I can't even look into my own file!”

“Nope. And trust me, I tried to get that minx, Karanomori, to look it up. But I just don't have your charms, Ko. She shoved me out of the lab.”

“Is it just me or does that whole thing not add up?”

“What? Karanomori kicking me out?” He smirked.

“No.” I furrowed my brow. “The details of the night. A streetscanner would have flagged me earlier if I'd been running that high. So what triggered the spike?”

He shrugged. “Can't tell ya. There wasn't much in that alley, and nothing obvious that could have done it. But lookin' at you now, well, something rammed you into the danger zone without letting you look back. You're not gonna get that solution tonight. In case you didn't know it, we're tomorrow morning's hounds. If we're gonna be bright eyed and bushy tailed, best to get a few hours of shut eye. Up to you, you can hang here and I'll wake you.”

I laid my head back, letting go momentarily of the thread. He had a point. Any lead was already three months old. “Thanks, Pops. Iso was a bit rough on me. I gotta admit, it helps having someone nearby.”

He gave me a thumbs up. “Now, how would I have known about that? Welcome to the latent criminal club. See yah in the morning.”

I laid down on my side and closed my eyes, falling into a dreamless sleep. The first one in ages.

X

The paddy wagon ground to a halt. The door opened into the bright sunlight. I blinked, waiting for my eyes to adjust as Masaoka paused at my shoulder, whispering, “Can feel it in the air.”

He was right. My nerves went immediately on edge. “Someone woke up on the wrong side this morning. And for once, it wasn't me. Come on, let's get this done.”

We walked down the ramp. Ginoza stared at the information. Odd, considering he'd already shared it with us on the way here. Typical cloudy hue run. Wasn't even all that bad. But since the target dashed into a parking ramp we were gonna need to flush the game. The Dominators waited for us. I grabbed mine. The connection buzzed through me. The familiar directional voice echoed in my head.

Dominator Portable Psychological Diagnosis and Suppression System has been activated. User authentication: Enforcer Shinya Kogami. Affiliation: Public Safety Bureau, Criminal Investigation Department. Dominator usage approval confirmed. You are a valid user.

The slight alteration to Enforcer still stung. But I gritted my teeth and let it slide off my back. Something I was bound to get used to, primarily because I had no damn choice now.

“Alright.” Ginoza glanced around the urban surroundings. “He was last spotted … ”

His voice cut off as I rested the gun on my shoulder and strode past him toward the parking structure.

“Hound 3, what do you think you're doing?”

Over my shoulder I barked, “What does it look like? My job. Just stay put and keep the wagon warmed up. Be back in a few.”

He scowled at me through his glasses. I caught Masaoka lowering his Dominator and fighting a laugh. “Well, I think I'll just stay here in case he comes this way. That alright with you, Ko?”

“Sure thing, Pops.”

“Hound 3! Did I tell you to—”

“Talkin' ain't getting it done.” I leapt over the wall and started sweeping the structure. Dark, but that was hardly a problem for the Dominator's sight. The months of being pent up, stewing in the frustration of my isolation had me itching for a good chase. Too bad Ginoza hadn't stopped by Masaoka's room for breakfast. He might have had a clue on our plan.

It had been my luck that within an hour of our shift starting we got a call. About as standard of a call as one can get. The guy was in his forties and got flagged in the low one-hundred. If I could nail him quick, the number wouldn't shoot much higher. As much as my finger itched to pull the trigger, after last night's tortured images I wasn't looking forward to the next Lethal Eliminator phase.

Stay calm and this won't hurt. Man, I envy the damn sheep, won't go through an eighth of what I did. Why the hell are you running? Just gonna put you to sleep.

A hand appeared around the edge of a column. I slipped to the side and watched the number read out. Crime coefficient is 112 . Enforcement action required. Yup, there we go. The current enforcement mode is Non-Lethal Paralyzer. Trigger safety is released. Aim calmly and disable the target.

Why thank you, Sibyl.

How many times had I heard that before? Aim calmly, I had to laugh. The target started. His eyes widened as he stared down the glowing barrel. He turned to run, taking off up the ramp. I darted after him, weaving between the cars and columns. Of course the idiot ran toward the outer wall and vaulted out into mid-air. His crime coefficient flew up, approaching 150. Well, that was a drop in the bucket compared to mine now, somewhere around 255 this morning.

I followed suit, flying out over the second story wall of the parking garage. The man flailed in the air. I aimed, pulled the trigger and watched the bolt strike him. He went limp, tumbling into a bush. I tucked, hitting the ground in a strategic roll and came back to my feet. “Hound 3. Enforcement completed.”

Masaoka broke into laughter across the short field. “With badass style, Ko.”

I turned and strode back to them, Ginoza's harsh gaze following my every step. I replaced the Dominator in the rack and started up the ramp. Ginoza stomped his foot behind me. “What kind of stunt were you pulling out there?”

I turned back and narrowed my eyes. “My job, Gino.”

The spark burst in his irises, he grabbed my jacket and rammed my back against the bumper of the wagon. “For the last time, Hound, you are to address me properly as Inspector!” His elbow across my throat trapped me in place.

Heated glares intensified between us. “Those high school bullies sure taught you to beat a man when he's down, didn't they! Inspector.”

His eyes widened. I had hit my mark with those words. His grip slackened.

I took a deep breath and went for his throat. “But of course they would target a weakling like you. Two words about your father and you practically screamed 'kick my ass'!”

He drew back a trembling fist, which I stared at, waiting, prepared to take the blow. But instead his finger jabbed toward the paddy wagon. “Get in there before I change my mind about keeping you around.”

“If you need me I'll be in the dog house where I apparently belong now.” In the dark, I lit a cigarette watching Ginoza order around the drones. Masaoka hung by the back of the wagon, leaning against it stealing casual glances at his estranged son. Once the unconscious target was loaded in the back, Masaoka joined me. The moment the door shut, I put my hands behind my head and sighed as I felt the scab. A reminder that it had been reality.

“Well played, Ko.” Masaoka lit his own cigarette.

“I hated to do that to him. But I agree, it's not like he'll forgive me anyway. And if he stayed conflicted about ordering me around he'll leave his hue at risk. He's got a reason to treat me like shit now, guilt free since I all but asked for it. We're already screwed with our classification set in stone, Pops. All we can do is shield him from the incoming blows. Guess that's my new job.”

“And our secret.” He leaned back and shut his eyes. “Tell ya another thing. For once it's nice to have a new Enforcer who knows how to handle a Dominator.”

I watched him through the spiraling smoke. “That's your silver lining in this?”

He leaned forward. “You can tell me that after you have to train a raw rehab recruit how the tech works.”

“Deal.” I cracked half a smile. “Got another bet for you, Pops.”

“What?”

“Shall we see who can trick Gino into allowing an Enforcer to handle detective work first?”

“Heh.” He held out a hand. “Under his nose or by permission?”

“Either, or.” I shrugged, “Permission would be harder, given what he thinks of us dogs.”

“That'll be tough, but hey, it's not like we don't know what we're doing. It's just people don't wanna listen to us.”

I glanced at the Dominator charging station and nodded. “Break up the monotony. Though, Gino isn't gonna make that easy.”

This wasn't the path that I had chosen. But there was no going back now. The system saw in me the potential threat to society, enough that this was the only opportunity for a life I had now. It fell on Ginoza to keep me from acting on that condemning judgment. All I could think of now was he better keep a tight grip on that leash. I no longer trusted myself.

Chapter Text

Abandoned Shepherd: Nobuchika Ginoza

Psycho hazard threat has passed. Zone average at regulation level.

I summoned the drones and gestured to the paralyzed target on the ground. “Secure her in the paddy wagon.”

Over my shoulder, Masaoka peered down the twisted streets. “Someone got the lucky last shot. You think it was Division 2?”

“Probably. I know when I glanced after we got this one that the target wasn't in our range.” I pointed off towards a distant alley. “Somewhere over that way. I think I saw Aoyanagi close by.”

Masaoka shouldered his Dominator. “Well, if she pulled the trigger herself you know it was a high score.”

Throwing him a stern glare, I narrowed his eyes. “You do realize you just insulted a superior. Aoyanagi is a fine officer.”

“Meant nothin' of the sort.” He closed his eyes and held up a hand. “Ko would have chuckled.”

“He and I differ in what we let slide.” I started to walk toward the alley, Masaoka at my shoulder. “Aoyanagi. Did one of your hounds take the last target, or was that you?”

Silence. That was unusual.

“Aoyanagi. Report.” When there was nothing, I glanced at Masaoka's concerned expression. This wasn't typical at all. I broke into a flat out run toward the beacon. Tearing around the corner I lead with my Dominator. Immediately my heart rate shot through the roof.

Aoyanagi stood in a wide stance gripping her Dominator hard enough that she still squeezed the locked trigger, her back against the wall. The whites of her eyes shown beneath the streetlamp. I tracked her stare. A figure sprawled on the ground, flung awkwardly from a shot to the side of the chest. A Dominator several feet from his outstretched hand. The MWPSB logo on the jacket reflected in the dim light. The number 103 on his shoulder.

“Shinya!” I flung myself forward over my fallen partner. It had been a Paralyzer shot. He was still in one piece. Still breathing, though scraped from sliding across the ground … he'd been running … toward Aoyanagi? The detective in me kicked in, I eyed the angle from crouching beside Kogami. I stared right down the beaming shaft of her Dominator. The trigger released on a valid Inspector? I glanced around. No one else was here. What the hell had happened?

Calmly, Masaoka pushed Aoyanagi's hands down. “It's ok, Inspector. Just take a deep breath. What happened?”

Her eyes remained wide, staring at the unconscious Kogami with an expression of unbridled terror.

“Inspector Aoyanagi.” I furrowed my brow. “Why did you shoot my partner? Answer me!”

“I … he … ” There was nothing more. She slid down the wall, her haunted eyes still staring.

With a sigh, I pointed to Kogami. “I'll take care of Aoyanagi. Hound 1, carry him back to the wagon and secure him like you would any other target.”

Masaoka blinked. “Are you serious? This is Ko we're talking about.”

“We'll sort it out later. But we do know one thing. That trigger would not have released on a normal reading. How many times did we both warn him and he refused to listen?” I approached the catatonic officer, gently taking her by shoulder.

“Are you sure it's about the case?” Masaoka studied the alley. “There's nothing here but rubble. Ko was fine earlier in the office. Calm and collected as ever.”

“Just do it.” I started to lead her along. “Division 2 chips, this is Shepherd 1 of Division 1. Check in with me at your paddy wagon. Inspector Aoyanagi is with me.”

“She ok?” One of her chips barked over the com.

I studied her distant eyes. “She should be alright.” I hope. Patting her on the shoulder, I kept my reply off the channel. “We'll get you back to the department. Then it would be good to speak with a therapist.” I took one last glance back at Kogami slung over Masaoka's shoulder. None of this made sense. What was I missing?

X

I hit the button and watched the elevator doors shut. The moment I was alone my stern facade cracked. Something about today seemed off. Of course I'd never gotten used to someone else sitting Kogami's desk intermittently over the past three months. Division 1 had been taken out of the field for the day, a situation I had learned about the moment I arrived at the empty office. Shortly after logging into my computer the chief summoned me to a meeting. I averted my eyes to the ceiling as the elevator climbed through the floors toward the destination. Being summoned to the chief's office was either fortune or fate. There was no in-between. Lately our division's performance had been lack-luster at best.

I fixed my glasses and tugged my tie straight just before the doors opened. Crossing the room, I stood at attention in front of her desk. The chief glanced at me sideways without a smile.

“You wanted to see me, Chief?”

Turning in the chair, she faced me and folded her hands on the desk. “Inspector Ginoza, prompt as always. I have a special assignment for you today.”

Special assignment? I suppressed the urge to furrow my brow. “Am I to assume that is the reason my team has been benched?”

“Astute of you. How typical. You are to proceed to the Adachi Municipal Psycho-Pass Correction center.”

My pulse quickened, “Are they finally releasing Kogami?”

The chief nodded.

I smiled and leaned forward on the desk. “That is excellent news. The temporary inspector assigned to Division 1 was alight, but there is no simply replacing Kogami's detective skills.”

Staring over the rim of her glasses, the chief interrupted my rush of words. “Kogami will require an escort.”

That final word slapped the smile off my face. I shifted back, withdrawing my hands from the desk. “Chief, surely you don't mean … ”

“That his Psycho-Pass has stabilized classifying him as a latent criminal? Yes, Inspector, I do.”

My mouth moved without a sound. No. This could not be true. My best friend never would have allowed this to happen. Shinya knew damn well how close that would cut.

At the touch of a finger, a holograph of her screen appeared in front of me bearing an immense readout. “I received a thorough report this morning. At the center he forced them to use their most aggressive techniques, all to no avail. He clearly remained undeterred in his mindset. That said, I'm assigning him to your division. To keep him in line will require the eyes of someone who can anticipate his behavior. And to remove a problematic lure, Special Case 102 is officially closed.”

“Chief,” I gasped. “That case has not been solved. What about the victims? You can't do this!”

She leveled her steely gaze.

The weight of it bored into me until I stared at my shoes. Had I just committed insubordination? Silently, I awaited the consequence of my outburst.

“You are fortunate that I admire your services, Inspector Ginoza. You would be wise to remember the delicate nature of that admiration in the future. Have I made myself clear?”

Swiftly I nodded, eyes remaining locked on the floor.

“Good.” She stood and leaned on her hands. “Then I trust that there will be no more fuss. Naturally, I anticipated that there would be some turbulence. However, you are a professional. And I expect you not to the make the same mistake as your former partner. Separate your emotions and do what must be done. That is all.”

My throat tightened. My mind reeled. How could this have happened?

Without remembering walking the halls, I found myself standing at my desk, staring across the room at Shepherd 2's desk. Kogami … over these last three months I kept picturing him back there. No where else. Staring at the screen in long patches of silence as a case first began before the brilliant insight left his lips out of the blue.

No more. He could only return into one rank. One place for the rest of his life. Enforcer. I picked up the wristcom I had retrieved for him. The cold metal brought a shiver to me. A collar for a hound, that's all this represented. A social deviant signing a lease on his life so as not to spend the remainder in complete isolation. And I was about to place this burden on the closest friend in my life.

How could you do this, Shinya? Memories flashed before my eyes. The vile taunts of the other students as they pushed me into the ground calling me a latent criminal by default all because of my lousy father. The sounds of a scuffle above me. A hand helping me to my feet. The bullies turning their threats onto Shinya, but he remained steadfast. Always there, grinning and laughing. Always there no matter how much it cost him for hanging out with a pariah. Shinya who had followed me into the PSB force because his scores left him choices and he'd said he wanted to help people.

I bowed my head. Of course he had known the price of his folly. There was no way he hadn't been aware with how many remarks the team had made about his late nights spent staring down clues on the screen in the darkened office. If he thought I hadn't noticed, he was deluding himself. All for a lost hound he had driven himself over the edge … at the cost of his own humanity.

Tightening my hand, I glared at the device. You betrayed me, Kogami … just like he did. The only difference is that you knew better and you went there anyway! That makes it ten times worse.

With a deep breath, I released it and shoved the pain down. A numbness took over me. No more time could be spared. I had to bring the hound back where he belonged.

X

“Inspector. We were informed earlier today that someone would be by.” An orderly came out from behind the desk. “Didn't think it would be so soon. We'll go get him.”

“No.” I held up a hand. “There is an important conversation that needs to happen first.”

The orderly cocked his head. “Thought everything was finalized. Well, alright, he's technically already under your department. Follow me. We shut the sensors off this morning, otherwise there was a fairly good chance you guys'd have to wait for him to wake back up again.”

Following behind him, we passed cell after cell of degenerates. Out of the corner of my eyes I observed their various activities in their isolation. A woman stood at the door staring out at nothing at all. Another younger girl frolicked around her cell as if chasing some imaginary thing. A boy lay screaming confined to a bed, leads attached to him. Latent criminals. The very threat we chased down and removed from society.

Now that is what my partner—no—former partner was.

An alarm went off. The orderly darted a glance over his shoulder. “Aww shit, again? I gotta go help the doc, we've got another lively one.” He pointed down the hall. “Keep going another five cells. Your guy is on the right.”

In a way I was relieved to see him jogging off. I didn't want anyone witnessing my reaction. Taking a deep breath, I tried to steel myself for what I would find as I passed the last handful of cells. I don't even know what I was imagining. What I saw was not the confident Kogami I had grown up with.

In the back of the cell he sat wedged against the wall with his knees drawn up. His hands gripped his hair as he trembled. Even his toes were curled under. An orderly ran past me. The sound of every footfall triggered a strange jerking in Kogami's body. He huddled tighter, muttering words that weren't fully formed. I held my breath, this wreck was not what I had expected at all. A pang of sympathy struck me, the chief had said they used their most aggressive methods. Where did that leave him?

I pressed the holopane to bring up his last assessment. 257 with a charcoal gray hue. My jaw clenched. The graph had no real distinguishable hills or valleys. It was practically a flat line, gradually rising.

A sigh escaped me.

Kogami's hands loosened their grip. His own breathing halted for a moment before he edged his face up. His hollow eyes struck me like a blow, forcing me to fixate on the file as I swore they would pull me into his madness.

“Ginoza?” His hoarse voice grated me, but the demented smile creasing his face as he shuffled halfway on his knees toward the door lanced my heart. He practically fell against the pane. “Gino! I've been trying to reach you. No one would—”

It had not been my imagination, his speech almost sounded drunk. According to his file the last treatment had ended a few days ago. He'd only been ambulatory since this morning. I couldn't look at this wretched man I once knew. “I'm not here on a social visit. This is strictly business.”

Kogami held his breath. My eyes betrayed me, meeting his dilated gaze. Two black pools struggled to track me even though I remained standing stock still. They seemed to try and track things that weren't there. From my perspective that condemning number from his graph emblazoned by his head, rather like a Dominator sight. “Three months, Kogami. Three damn months you've been here and not once has your crime coefficient dropped below two-hundred. Instead it has steadily climbed. Your hue? Rather than improving has gotten cloudier.”

He jerked into a denial. “There's a reason. You have to listen—”

The more his raw voice stumbled, the hotter my anger burned. This man had been brilliant, now he was deranged. “No. It is time for you to listen. Like you should have done in the first place.” My fists shook, if it weren't for the barrier I would have struck him.

“I have to know,” he leaned on his hands against the door, “has the Specimen Case been solved?”

“You and that damn case.” My jaw clenched hard enough I swore a tooth cracked. “The case has been closed, unsolved.”

“What?” He plastered himself against the door, beating on it in a fit. “How could they? No … what about the four victims?”

I narrowed my eyes. “Five.”

“There's been another? And they closed it? Is the chief insane?”

Do you know how much shame this is going to bring our division? … no, my division. You have no ownership in that now. “It's been closed strictly because of the fate of the last victim.”

His clawed fingers raked down the pane leaving behind sweaty streaks. “We can't let this go. Give me the details, Gino.”

I lowered my voice to a terse whisper. “You know exactly what happened to him, Kogami. I'm here on orders to finalize that file, to see where this ends.” I knew the extent of the damage now. That detail never would have escaped Kogami's sharp detection before. He'd been reduced to a wild animal. My hand tightened around the wristcom in my pocket. Did I dare show him? He'd know instantly what it meant, or should. Could I inflict that revelation on him, even now? I met those feverish eyes searching for a sign that he still remained there. In those hollows the barb of his betrayal struck deep. This wasn't on my shoulders. I pulled it out and dropped it on the shelf outside the door.

Kogami's revulsion registered immediately. Drawing back, he gripped his chest. “No! … No, please! Gino, not that! There's no coming back from that. Give me more time. I can pull it back together, I just need more time.”

How could he not have known it would come to this? Three damn months in here and he assumed that everything was still fine? I fixed him with a deadpan glare, all that he deserved now for his ignorance. “Your time is up. The experts have exhausted their efforts here. It's obvious your crime coefficient has settled into a latent criminal. Your choice is this,” I pointed to the Enforcer wristcom. “Or permanent isolation. Which will it be?” In a way I wished that he would choose the latter, it would be easier not seeing him everyday. Yet, how would I explain to the chief why I hadn't bring him back?

This was clearly no longer the man I had known. He fell to his knees, sobbing, “Nubochika don't … ” The sound of my given name wrenched me. He now had no right to use it.

“Shinya Kogami is dead.” I turned my back on him, shielding myself from the wound I inflicted. “A victim of your stubborn rage.”

His voice lost any trace of life. “So … the only choice I have left … is the size of my cage.”

I remained with my back to him, unable to witness the moment he broke under the cruel revelation. My heartbeat drummed in my ears as the silence stretched out only punctuated by an intermittent strained gasp. The weight of those harsh breaths crashed on me, threatening to break my resolve. If I didn't walk away now I might join him on the floor. I took two steps before I heard his hand slipping up the pane.

“Gino, don't leave! I … I'll … I'll take it.”

I glared over my shoulder, finding him with his head bowed, shattered and broken. I couldn't take him now. Not yet. Sternly I remarked, “I'll come back to fetch you once the transfer is complete.”

“I'm sorry.” Hardly a whisper through a strained throat.

I pressed my glasses higher up the bridge of my nose. “You should be after throwing your life away.”

Without another word, I turned and strode away. The moment I was out of his possible line of sight I frantically dashed into a restroom, slamming open the door of the nearest stall. In an acidic torrent, my stomach violently ejected breakfast. Once my guts had finished racking me, I leaned back against the wall shutting my eyes tightly.

Two had crossed the line. First my father and now Kogami had let themselves be torn away, cast into the dregs of society. Now, I stood alone, abandoned by their reckless decisions. Returning to the office I would stand as superior to them both. I was already seeing a therapist, I didn't relish sharing this sick twist.

Bowing my head, I hid in that stall, thankful that for over an hour no one entered to discover me as I collected myself for my despicable duty.

X

I forced my head high flanking Kogami's left shoulder through the halls of the rehabilitation center. I didn't trust that wild look in his eyes. Every motion he made set me on edge, though I fought to suppress any outward sign of it. He reached up and loosened his tie, unbuttoning the collar to let the shirt fall open. Sloppy, not like how he used to dress. He stole glances over his shoulder at me. Every time I averted my gaze, refusing to met that of my newest subordinate. The further we got, the jumpier he seemed.

We approached the back of an open paddy wagon flanked by drones. He shuffled to a stop, shoulders dropping. “Gino, is this really necessary?” He fought for my gaze.

I stared beyond him. “The sooner you learn your new place, the better.” I pointed up the ramp to the darkened interior. “Get in.” Don't make me force you.

His shoulders sagged further. After a moment, he walked in, the shadows fell as the closing door swallowed him whole, sealing him off from society's eyes.

I slid into my car and set the route. I'd barely pulled out of the garage with the wagon in my rear view mirror before his call came. I'd been expecting this. I stared at my wristcom debating whether or not to answer. After all, I didn't owe him any answers. But the buzzing registered like a cry for help, albeit too late. At last I answered, blocking the video feed. Instead, Kogami's file displayed on the screen. Enforcer punched me in the gut, igniting my ire. “What?” I snapped.

He hesitated, the words coming out edged with shame. “Gino, we have to talk.”

I tensed at the informal shortening of my name. That he would dare to do so knowing where he ranked now was a strike against me. “There's nothing more to be said. And it is Inspector Ginoza to you.”

Rapidly he stuttered, “Let me explain. You think I didn't try to get better? I did. I fought damn hard, but whatever they used wasn't helping me. This whole situation just made things worse.”

Arms folded, I drummed my fingers on my elbow. “So, now you're passing the blame.”

A short pause, marked with a swallow. “Of course not, it's just that—”

He was lucky to be in another vehicle at this moment. Did he think I would let his reckless remark fly? This was going too far. “Sibyl ordered your treatment, you know. Perhaps if you hadn't been so stubborn and avoided the obvious solution early on, you wouldn't have ended up where you are now. The blame is solely on your shoulders.”

“There's more to this, it's not so simple. Give me a chance, I'm still shaking off the side effects.”

“Enough.” I cut off the call, slamming my fist into the console of the car. What did it matter now? Words changed nothing and the more he tried to explain, the angrier I got. I had to calm down or my own hue would become clouded. As the buildings passed by I numbed myself to the situation, walling away my tarnished memories of the past. So intent on that task, I had failed to notice when we arrived back at the bureau's headquarters.

Standing outside of the wagon, I watched it open to reveal Kogami sitting with his downcast gaze, a beaten dog. The moment he dared to look my way I gestured for him to follow me. As we passed into the halls I noted as he tried to speak only to lapse back into silence before even a single word left him. I waited for the CID floor's door shut behind us to break the silence. “Enforcers are not permitted in public without being accompanied by an Inspector. Within the building, you are restricted to the CID floor … ”

He interrupted with a burst of sarcasm I didn't expect, forcing me to glance his way. Were his eyes clearer than before? “Shit, Ginoza, it's only been three months. I remember the rules.”

“Not from that side of the leash.” I snapped. It didn't matter how much he tried to resemble the man I knew. Those days were over now. “Don't you try anything. I won't hesitate to pull the trigger.”

“Your call.” He met my threatening gaze with injured pride.

“Go to the dog pound and find your assigned quarters. I have files to finish thanks to you.” Unable to stand this tension any longer, I pushed past him heading for the deserted office. In the dark, I slumped in my chair staring at the blank screen. I had lied. The files were already done. I just couldn't take the strain any longer. Folding my arms, I rested my head on them hoping that no one would wander in and discover me until I managed to pull myself back together again.

That's when I glimpsed the new rotation. Tomorrow morning duty resumed. My hounds would be 1 and 3. Masaoka and Kogami.

I shut my eyes. Shit.

X

I cursed my luck. The shift had barely begun when the call came in. Exiting my car, I glanced over my shoulder at the hulking paddy wagon knowing full well who was inside. Taking a deep breath, I authorized the clamps to release the back door. I faced the parking garage and the urban area where the flagged target had last been glimpsed as two sets of footsteps dropped down the ramp. The buzz and whine of the Dominators powering up filled the air.

“Alright. He was last spotted … ” I swallowed my words as a familiar shadow moved past me. Kogami sauntered by with the gun rested on his shoulder heading on a beeline toward the parking structure. I took two steps after him before halting. No, this wasn't how this would start! “Hound 3 what do you think you're doing?”

He didn't stop. “What does it look like? My job. Just stay put and keep the wagon warmed up. Be back in a few.”

Why that insubordinate piece of garbage!

Masaoka came up to my shoulder, lowering his Dominator and fighting a laugh. “Well, I think I'll just stay here in case he comes this way. That alright with you, Ko?”

“Sure thing, Pops.”

My jaw ground tight. I flashed Masaoka a chastising glare, which only earned me a shrug. Cupping my hand I shouted to Kogami's back, “Hound 3! Did I tell you to—”

“Talkin' ain't getting it done.” The shadows of the garage swallowed him as he leapt over the wall.

“Damn it!”

Masaoka grinned. “What are you worried about? He knows what he's doing.”

“That's not the point.” I waved a hand toward the structure. “He's not listening and you hardly helped by encouraging him.”

Again he shrugged. “Ko needs to stretch his legs a bit, that's all. Give him a break. He'll come back.”

I crossed my arms. “I'm not as certain as you are.”

“Ginoza.” His voice softened. “He knows how the system works better than some raw recruit. That means he's less likely to try and slip the leash since he knows the odds of that working. I know how you feel—”

“I don't need a lecture.” I glowered.

Out of the second story of the garage, a man flung himself over the wall. The moment his hand left the cement his eyes went wide and he screamed. Not even a heartbeat later, Kogami launched out of the shadows, Dominator locked on target. His eyes focused and hard, he pulled the trigger in mid air nailing the flailing man. I held my breath as I watched them both seized by gravity. A bush caught the man. Kogami tucked into a tight roll and tumbled back onto his feet with a grunt. All I could think of looking at him was feral dog as he barked, “Hound 3. Enforcement completed.”

Masaoka's laughter startled me out of my stupor. “With badass style, Ko.”

I couldn't spare a moment to lecture Hound 1 for his encouragement. My glare locked onto Hound 3 as he strode back and replaced the Dominator in the rack. He had the gall to not even stop before mounting the ramp. I stomped my foot in the ramp, causing him to pause. “What kind of stunt were you pulling out there?”

He narrowed determined eyes at me. “My job, Gino.”

The insolence! My temper snapped. I grabbed his jacket and rammed him against the bumper of the wagon. The air punched out of his lungs in a harsh breath. In a move I had learned from him, I forced my elbow against his throat. “For the last time, Hound, you are to address me properly as Inspector!”

The heat only intensified between us. In his eyes I could see the threat building. A wolf baring its fangs. “Those high school bullies sure taught you to beat a man when he's down, didn't they! Inspector.”

My eyes widened. What had he said? Had I misread his expression? What the hell was I doing treating him like this? I knew what it was like to be pummeled by a wretched label. My grip slackened.

He took up the slack, snarling back, “But of course they would target a weakling like you. Two words about your father and you practically screamed 'kick my ass'!”

Without a thought I drew back a trembling fist. His eyes didn't blink. The hard stare fixed on my fist with expectation. Under my arm I felt his strength, he could overpower me at any moment. But he didn't even try to break my hold. Still, his words wrenched me at the core. How could he strike me like that? He knew! The insolent bastard knew. I jabbed a finger toward the paddy wagon. “Get in there before I change my mind about keeping you around.”

Slipping into the back of the wagon with his hands in his pockets, he declared, “If you need me I'll be in the dog house where I apparently belong now.”

What the hell was he thinking pulling a move like that? I pumped my fists ready to follow him inside and teach him a lesson. No. I was an inspector. It wasn't my place to snap and growl. That was his. Clearly he accepted that. Fine, if that's the way he wanted it.

I stormed past Masaoka. “Drones, get this guy loaded up.” It took far too long for the drones to pick the subdued target from the bush. The whole time I fought the urge to glance over my shoulder and be certain that Kogami remained in the wagon. How dare he dredge up those old wounds. If anything, that proved to me all the more how lost he truly was now.

Shinya Kogami was dead, only a feral dog remained.

Chapter Text

The Heart of a Hound: Tomomi Masaoka

Psycho hazard threat has passed. Zone average at regulation level.

I wished I had the ability to see through the buildings down the twisted streets. “Someone got the lucky last shot. You think it was Division 2?”

Ginoza glanced back at me from ordering the drones, he pointed off towards a distant alley. “Probably. I know when I glanced after we got this one that the target wasn't in our range. Somewhere over that way. I think I saw Aoyanagi close by.”

Shouldering my Dominator that struck me as amusing. If she hadn't waited for a hound to pop the trigger, the target was probably a blood spatter by now. “Well, if she pulled the trigger herself you know it was a high score.”

With a rapid turn of his head, Ginoza snapped, “You do realize you just insulted a superior. Aoyanagi is a fine officer.”

“Meant nothin' of the sort.” I held up a hand in surrender. I'd never learn to stay my tongue … well, if I hadn't already, an old man like me wasn't gonna. “Ko would have chuckled.”

“He and I differ in what we let slide.” He started to walk toward the alley, I came into heel beside him. “Aoyanagi. Did one of your hounds take the last target, or was that you?”

No answer came. I checked my own, the coms had signal. We weren't out of range. So why hadn't she answered?

“Aoyanagi. Report.” Gino glanced back at me, panic rising in his eyes. This wasn't typical at all. Faster than I had ever seen him run he took off, leading with the Dominator.

I didn't hesitate. Though Aoyanagi and I weren't precisely friends, I held no grudge against her. I understood our ranks. Rounding the corner I almost collided with Gino.

Aoyanagi stood in a threatened stance, white-knuckling her Dominator, pumping the locked trigger. Any further back and she would have been through the wall. She looked like a cornered animal. Over a dozen feet from her the target lay flung awkwardly from a shot to the side of the chest. A Dominator several feet from his outstretched hand. He wore a MWPSB jacket. I swallowed and thought his name a moment before Gino screamed it.

“Shinya!” He flung himself over Ko.

Thankfully he was still breathing despite the shot and scraped up from sliding across the ground. Odd, the way he fell suggested strongly he'd been charging Aoyanagi. Ko? Why would you? The alley was empty besides the two Investigators. Brick walls, bits of blowing debris, a can rolling along the gutter. Even up high I didn't see a shadow in the windows. Besides, that would have been the wrong angle. The only one that held true to the ballistic pattern was from her angle.

Calmly, I approached her. Her arms resisted me as I pushed them down. More than enough targets had been subdued. We didn't need another freak shot. “It's ok, Inspector. Just take a deep breath. What happened?”

Her eyes remained wide, terrified, staring at Ko. This close I could see her frantic pulse in her irises.

Gino sternly demanded, “Inspector Aoyanagi. Why did you shoot my partner? Answer me!”

“I … he … ” Her knees buckled, I tried to catch her as she slid down the wall, her haunted eyes still staring.

Gino sighed heavily, his eyes betraying his frustration. He pointed to Ko. “I'll take care of Aoyanagi. Hound 1, carry him back to the wagon and secure him like you would any other target.”

What the hell? Was he really going to arrest his partner? “Are you serious? This is Ko we're talking about.”

“We'll sort it out later. But we do know one thing. That trigger would not have released on a normal reading. How many times did we both warn him and he refused to listen?” Pushing me aside, he took her by shoulder.

“Are you sure it's about the case?” I swept the alley desperate for any clue. But nothing came out of the woodwork. How fair would it be to Ko to leave this without at least a cursory glance. “There's nothing here but rubble. Ko was fine earlier in the office. Calm and collected as ever.”

“Just do it.” Gino abandoned me to lead her along. “Division 2 chips, this is Shepherd 1 of Division 1. Check in with me at your paddy wagon. Inspector Aoyanagi is with me.”

There was more to that conversation, but I didn't hear it. Bending down I stared at Ko's slack face wondering how he had gone from Inspector to latent criminal in the span of a few moments. Of course he'd been concealing his searches for the Specimen Case from Gino, tucking them behind other windows whenever there was a chance of getting caught. I knew by his expression every time one of those windows came up. The intensity of his eyes changed. Too late now. I bent over and slung him over my shoulder.

I couldn't help but glare at my son's back. How could he leave Ko a victim of the system?

X

Heh, a rare day off. How lucky could a guy get? Well, this was about the extent of it, really. Not like I could go very far. Something must have pulled the investigators away without us dogs being needed. Bored, I wandered the halls with my hands in my pockets, making the rounds like the nosy hound dog I was. Most of the offices are full of the bustling staff. Division 2's hounds were kicking back waiting for a call. That was what I had figured I was going to be doing, until I woke to find the reassignment, or rather non-assignment.

I ghosted by Division 1's office and paused. Ginoza? He stood behind his desk staring at the screen with an expression I had only seen one other time. The morning after Ko had been hauled off. Ginoza's eyes puckered behind his glasses. Even despite the locks of hair falling over his face I could read the lines of distress. What was wrong?

He bowed his head for a long moment. I shifted back, letting the monitors hide me from his view. He was shaking, a metal object gleaming in his hand. I had to get a better look at that. At last he straightened up and walked toward the door. I turned away and leaned against the wall, hoping that my hair wouldn't tip him off.

Ginoza passed right by without a word. I snuck a good look at the object as he dropped it in his pocket. A wristcom. And not just any, an Enforcer level.

Well, so the pound was getting a new dog. My head snapped up. Oh no. It couldn't be. Course I couldn't check it out. But I knew someone who could.

Striding down to the analysis lab, I leaned against the console smiling my most charming grin at Karanomori. She rolled a side glare at me, typing on the computer. “I have enough to do.”

“You're a terrible liar.” I chuckled. “I saw the screen when I walked in. Karanomori, there's something up. I need you to look into it.”

“For you? Tsh, no.”

I sighed. “Yeah, I know, I don't got a lot to trade. But seriously, something's up in the Division 1 ranks. We got sidelined today, and after tailing Ginoza I can say I suspect we're getting a new hound.”

She perked up, snubbing out the cigarette. “New hound, huh? Well, I suppose we can accidentally look-see.” Her fingers flew over the board.

That was more like it. I leaned over her shoulder waiting impatiently to see if my instincts had led me astray. If they hadn't, things were about to awful dicey.

“Well, well, well,” she muttered coyly, “would you look at the newest pack member in the dog pound.”

The last face I wanted to see stared back from the monitor. Kogami, assigned a new rank of Enforcer to our Division. My heart sank. “Damn. And after all these months we still don't know what happened.”

“I told you, those files aren't something I can open without getting into trouble. I have no excuse to open them.” Her smile grew and she eyed me. “I guess now that he's been demoted, Shinya's no longer off limits. Let the games begin.”

“Hey.” I nudged her shoulder. “The poor guy's gotta be rattled by this. Don't climb on him the moment he gets here like a bitch in heat.”

“Tsh, you take the fun out of it. That's probably my best timing. After three months of isolation he should be lonely enough to—”

“I really don't want to hear about your fetishes. Just give him some breathing room.”

Laying an arm on the back of her chair, she winked. “You owe me for this anyway, so here's the deal. Drop a hint to him for me.”

I shook my head, smirking.

She was about to light another cigarette when she blinked at the screen. “Oh? This is weird.”

“What?” I glanced over my shoulder.

“Special Case 102. It's been officially closed.”

My shoulders crumpled. “That's not really that weird. Think about it, Karanomori. Well, I better go see if I can't get his shit out of lockup. At least make his homecoming a bit easier.”

X

In my quarters I fetched the bottle of Whiskey Rock and a couple of glasses. I had no way of knowing how long it would take before Ko found the note I had left. So I waited, lingering at a bookcase and paging through a collection of photos. I wouldn't even have them, save for Kogami. Not long after he'd joined the PSB and he became one of my handlers he'd learned who my son was. I never expected a superior to dig out things from his personal collection and make copies for me.

To think of how close Ko and Gino had become as classmates. I would have seen none of my boy growing up had it not been for Ko. Gino surely wouldn't share a thing with me. Yet I smiled every time I paged through the photos of the two of them grinning on the campus. Confidence glowing in my son's eyes. And right there, his loyal friend, Shinya Kogami. The only one who had stood up against the bullies pounding on Gino … because of me.

I closed my eyes, this hadn't been my choice. I never wanted to hurt my family. But it's not like I could stop what happened … even to spare my son the humiliation. I was a man out of his time.

A knock brought me out of memories. Ko?

Hands in my pockets I crossed the room toward the door. Nothing could have prepared me for the thrashed shell of a man slouched in the hallway. I wouldn't have known it was my former superior. His dull eyes twitched at every sound in the hall. He was paler than I remembered, drained beyond belief. How was he even standing? I felt a pang of sympathy for him, this was more than I had expected to see. “Wish I coulda said I hadn't seen this coming, Ko.”

Ko shoved his hands in his pockets and lowered his gaze to the floor, crumbling into himself.

“You look like they put you through some new kinda hell.” He wouldn't evade my evaluation that easily. If I was right, he wasn't out of the storm yet. I approached and stared straight into his eyes. A clouded fog swam there. Damn, they let him walk like this? “Still got some of that crap in your system?”

His jerky nod nearly knocked him off balance. “I'm not feeling … like myself.”

I caught his shoulder and pressed him to the couch, he didn't resist. “Not surprising. That stuff's supposed to take the edge off, make things calmer. A guy like you it would take a wrecking ball to the wall that lets you work without crumbling into useless heap. Whadya say we burn that crap out your system?” I pulled out a bottle of Whiskey Rock and two glasses.

He eyed me sideways, the first flicker of light in their dilated depths. “I thought you weren't supposed to mix that with shit like this.”

I dosed a glass further than wisdom dictated. Screw it, he needed it. He'd thank me in the morning, but not likely before. “Sure. That's what they say. But trust me, Ko. It'll speed up shaking off the spell. You look like you need it. So, bottoms up.”

He gave a mild shrug and swallowed it down in two gulps. After a few blinks, the tonic kicked in.

Taking the empty glass I didn't ask before sloshing in another hefty dose. “Do it. They screwed you in so tight I think they stripped the screws. Gotta loosen that hold and get you back.”

“Heh.” He laughed, the bleak expression in his face tugging at my old heart. “Who knew, someone actually still gives a shit about me.”

I slugged him in the shoulder, leaving him rocking a bit. “Course. To the guy who gave a shit about his hounds rather then treating them like they're expendable. Gonna miss havin' you up there, Ko. It was nice while it lasted.”

I narrowed my eyes as he shut his own, cringing like a beaten dog. He sunk lower on the couch. What did they used on you? I knew the methods of years ago when I'd been flagged, by now things had changed, drastically. “Wow. They slammed you hard and where did it leave you?” I called up a quick scan. Charcoal, 259? I whistled. “So, this is where you settled.”

He covered the readout without looking, shame in his eyes. “Shut it, please. I don't even want to know.”

I rubbed my chin and sighed, it made a bit more sense now. “Let me guess, they sent Gino to getya.”

He sunk deeper and downed the whole damn glass in one shot.

“Damn you, Gino,” I couldn't help but curse my stubborn son. After all, whipping a man when he is down is hardly helpful. But try telling that stubborn ass. “Well, didn't figure he'd understand.”

“Why would he?” He discarded the glass roughly and leaned forward on his elbows in defeat. “To expect him to understand would be foolish. If he hasn't made amends with his father, why would he forgive his best friend for the same fate?”

“You got the ol' disappointment in the eyes bit, huh.” Cold comfort that another should bare the same punishing glare. Of course, I couldn't help but feel pity for Ko. Strong as he was, having the world turn it's back on you is a tough concept to swallow. “You'll get used to it. And once your guard is back up, it won't hurt so damn much.”

Ko shifted his hair, a nervous tick I knew him to have. “He won't be the only one looking down on me… how many know?”

“Which part?” Damn, I was hoping he wouldn't ask that. I swirled my whiskey glass. “That you cracked? Everyone in the CID. That you've been demoted to a hound? Well, by tomorrow, everyone. You know what you're in for, Ko. Get ready for it.”

His shoulders fell, the light he had gained in his eyes died away.

Concerned, I leaned forward. It wasn't my imagination. The circles under his eyes betrayed it, the strange jerking motions. “You clearly haven't been sleeping. How close are you to the fallout?”

“Dunno. Their last attempt had me under sedation twice … I think. Only it didn't work. It never worked, Pops.” He just stared out at nothing in particular.

Sedation? How many different things had they pumped into him trying to bring him out of it? What had they been thinking? Had they even considered he was an Inspector? “Course it didn't on a stubborn bastard like you. Bet you fought it the whole time even if you weren't trying to. No wonder you're so frayed. Yeah, you're coming out of it. And I hope you listen to ol' Masaoka better than before. Don't go back to your room. Don't do this part alone or you will regret it. Stay here for a bit. I'll drag you out with my bare hands if I have to.”

He stared at me, a twinge of panic deep within. “Drag me out of what?”

“Steel yourself, Shinya.” His eyes twitched, he had caught my intention. I couldn't let him make another mistake or he might not last the night. “The release is the toughest part of this. That they let you walk without watching you come out of it shows how little they gave a shit. You might wanna lie down. This is gonna hit you like a Lethal Eliminator.”

I stood up and eased him down on the couch with a grim smile. “Go ahead and shut your eyes.” I patted his shoulder, worried anew as he flinched from the contact. “I got your six.”

Retreating out of his line of sight, I sat back and smoked a few cigarettes watching, waiting. Already feeling pity for his soul. Ko had clearly already been raked and now things were about to get worse again. Briefly I regretted not telling him the details, and yet another part of me understood that if I had mentioned it, he would likely be lying there stressing in dreaded anticipation. It was slightly better this way. The best I could offer.

I ground a cigarette into an ashtray when I caught the first twitches building. Here we go.

I snatched his wrists as he tried to rise from the couch. It took leaning onto his chest to keep his writhing body from breaking free of my hold. Let him keep his senses. “Can you hear me, Ko? Just hold on and don't get dragged out by the rip tide.”

His teeth ground enough the muscles stood out in cords. I glimpsed a crack in his eyelids. Remembering the distorted twist of the world from my own clash with antipsychotic drugs, I redoubled my efforts.

“Don't! Keep 'em shut!” I grunted, forcing more weight on him.“Struggle all you want, but stay down and keep your eyes shut.”

“What's … going … on?” He bucked harder, thrashing against my hold. Foam building at the corner of his mouth.

Calm down, Ko. Your heart is racing. Maybe if I gave you something to cling to. “I'm no shrink.” I adjusted my grip, continuing to chatter. “Just theorizing from my own rough ride. You know how a limb feels when you sleep on it wrong? Well, it's kinda like that. They tried to knock you back, and you resisted so, they poured more in there. Sheep just go numb because they have no defenses. Not us! We just push through.” He'd nearly yanked his wrist free and tried to deck me. I evaded and rallied. “Gah! Don't hit me, Ko.”

“I'm not trying to!” He arched his head back, trembling. If I wasn't holding him down he'd be down some hallway pounding the crap out of a hallucination … or rather whatever real item lay beneath it.

Poor Ko. I remembered the hysteria. They'd had to tie me down. “Hold it together!”

He panted, spitting foam. In a sudden surge he stiffened and screamed like a wounded animal, a pitch I had never heard in my life. A moment later, his body went limp.

I dared to release the hold one finger at a time before grabbing his shoulder. “Speak to me.” Come out of it, Ko. Give me a hint you're alright.

His eyes opened. Clear but immensely tired. “Thanks, Pops. I owe you.”

“Heh, owe me? Nah, just paying back the guy who stood up for my son in high school. And would you look at that, the edge is back in your eyes, even despite the exhaustion.” I breathed easier, pouring another glass of whiskey and forcing it on him. “Sit up. You'll need the chaser.”

It took him a bit, but he managed to edge himself up and took the glass with a wry grin. “I'm gonna owe you a bottle if this keeps up.”

I laughed, flinging a hand over the back of the couch as I extended the invitation. “You can drink with me anytime you want, 'specially now. No rules against us dogs knockin' a few back off the clock.” The grin on my face didn't last long. Ko's distant gaze suggested he wasn't fully engaged in our conversation. “Something's bothering you.”

“Got that right. A lot of somethings. Were you there that night, three months ago?”

Oh no. Not the other topic I hoped he wouldn't stray to. I offered a tight nod, not particularly thrilled about going back to that night myself.

“What the hell happened? It doesn't add up. Yeah, I was pushing things. That didn't mean I wasn't watching my state of mind. I kept track, I'd been near the warning zone. But I hadn't crossed it.” He shook his head. “Something set me off.”

Couldn't argue with that. But something else worried me now. “You don't remember much?”

“No. Just being on the job, and that's vague as it is. Can't even remember the conditions.”

Perhaps the Dominator had knocked him harder? Amnesia was unusual, but he could have struck his head. Could have been the treatments too. Either way, it troubled me that he couldn't recall. “It was a routine run, though there were multiple marks. Nearly all were in the Paralyzer range. We'd teamed up with Division 2. You went ahead, while Gino and I dealt with a straggler. Thought we had everyone cleared. Then an alert came through that the zone was still in the threat level. The hunt still on.”

“All of that is routine.” He leaned back narrowing his eyes.

“Yeah, routine until we heard the next alert come over. That the threat level had cleared. Aoyanagi didn't respond when we asked her to confirm who got the hit. We rounded the corner to find her stooped over with a haunted expression in her eyes. Her Dominator still in a death grip. You were already sprawled in the street, out cold in a way that would have been facing her. Your Dominator had slid several feet from your grasp. She could hardly speak, Ko. We couldn't get an explanation from her, not then, and from the looks of it, not in the official file. Ginoza grew cross when he read it at his desk, that's all I can say. Never actually saw it myself.”

He shifted a steely gaze down at the wristcom and snarled, pounding his knee with a fist. “Dammit, with restricted access I can't even look into my own file!”

“Nope. And trust me, I tried to get that minx, Karanomori, to look it up. But I just don't have your charms, Ko. She shoved me out of the lab.” There, I had fulfilled my deal with her, in my eyes anyway. Now the ball was in Ko's court, although I doubt he would even notice it.

He rubbed his eyes. “Is it just me or does that whole thing not add up?”

“What? Karanomori kicking me out?”

“No.” His brow furrowed deep. “The details of the night. A streetscanner would have flagged me earlier if I'd been running that high. So what triggered the spike?”

That much was indeed true. Now two of us were questioning the same thing. “Can't tell ya. There wasn't much in that alley, and nothing obvious that could have done it. But lookin' at you now, well, something rammed you into the danger zone without letting you look back.” He was chasing the ghosts of a long ago night, and though I saw the reason, I also knew he was close to passing out. “You're not gonna get that solution tonight. In case you didn't know it, we're tomorrow morning's hounds. If we're gonna be bright eyed and bushy tailed, best to get a few hours of shut eye. Up to you, you can hang here and I'll wake you.”

His head fell back, eyes staring blankly at the ceiling. With a single breath the tension drained. “Thanks, Pops. Iso was a bit rough on me. I gotta admit, it helps having someone nearby.”

I gave him a thumbs up. Good, it looked like he was gonna stay. One less thing to worry about tonight. Because tomorrow I wanted him still here, not back in iso. “Now, how would I have known about that? Welcome to the latent criminal club. See yah in the morning.”

From a distance I watched as he settled onto the couch halfway between his side and stomach. Common enough rebellion after having been physically restrained. My heart sank again. His eyes closed and within minutes his breathing dropped into an exhaustive sleep. I grabbed a spare blanket and draped it over him.

I paused, narrowing my eyes. A deep mark in the back of his neck caught my attention. It was early, still afternoon. I rang the analytical lab. Karanomori answered the video request. “What do you want?”

“Hey, what the heck does this look like to your eyes?” I hovered my wrist over the mark and heard her murmuring.

“Is that back of a neck?”

“Yeah, Ko's. What did they do to him?” I stared down at her grim expression.

“One very large needle, an electro-probe spinal tap to be precise. By the looks of it, not done with any precision.”

“Wouldn't that hurt?” I scratched my head.

“All those nerves back there? To put it mildly. Looks like when they mean aggressive they have a whole nother definition.” She even flinched.

“Good thing I got him laying down.”

She smirked. “You sauced him?”

I shrugged. “Yeah, and it worked. You should have seen the shell that walked into my quarters. By morning, hopefully we'll see the ol' Ko again.”

“Hopefully you didn't kill him.” She shut off the feed with a glare.

X

Leaning over Ko, I hated to say anything. He'd slept from the afternoon all the way through the night without moving once. He lay on the couch, slack, breathing soundlessly. But we only had an hour before we needed to report.

“Wake up, Ko.”

He grimaced, twisting into the covers before opening his eyes. He stared at the ceiling relaxing visibly. “Phew, for a moment didn't think this was real.”

I chuckled. “First time I've heard being in the dog pound is a relief. Hey, you hungry?”

He stretched and sat up, blinking at the sunlight streaming through the window. He bowed his head. “Yeah, but I really don't want to go to the cafeteria.”

My eyes fell to the wristcom. Of course he was still edgy. “Let me see what I got for breakfast here. Might not be much, though.”

A few minutes later we were munching on some toasted bread, drinking coffee. His eyes once more distant. “We got an issue, Pops. Two of us now.”

“We thought the same thing.” I took a sip of the bitter coffee.

“It's gonna ruin him, leave him cloudy. We can't risk that.”

I rubbed my chin, after everything that had happened to him, Ko was still thinking about Gino? “Yeah but, who you gonna ask for a transfer?”

He shook his head. “That's not likely to happen. So we gotta pull something else. Lift the burden from him. Which means … ” he looked at the ceiling and sighed, “I'm gonna hate myself for this, but unless you got a better idea, Pops.”

“What are you thinking?” I narrowed my eyes. “Giving him permission to treat you like shit?”

He grimaced. “How did you guess?”

“Cause it's the one thing I haven't tried.” Staring into my coffee, I clenched my eyes tight. “You know the wedge to drive home, Ko.”

He placed a hand on my shoulder. “Say the word, and I won't do it.”

I sucked up my pride and sighed. “If it's the only way we can give him peace for doing his job, well, then I'll take the slight. How you wanna do this?”

He nodded. “We get a run of the mill call this morning? You let me handle it solo. Hang back with him and prime him. When I come back … ” Ko's pain showed in his eyes, “I'll seal my fate.”

X

The paddy wagon ground to a halt. The door opened into the bright sunlight. I paused over Ko's shoulder, whispering, “Can feel it in the air.”

He shifted slightly, gripping the edge of the paddy wagon's door. Like a dog sniffing the air he lifted his head into the shafts of sunlight. “Someone woke up on the wrong side this morning. And for once, it wasn't me. Come on, let's get this done.”

We walked down the ramp. Ginoza stared at the information. Odd, considering he'd already shared it with us on the way here. Typical cloudy hue run. Ko grabbed his Dominator, a slight pinch to his eyes followed. I could imagine what triggered it as I gripped my own Dominator and counted the beats as the dialog ran its course. Yep, right about the mark of Enforcer. Sorry, Ko.

“Alright.” Ginoza glanced around the urban surroundings. “He was last spotted … ”

He got no further. Ko winked at me as he rested the gun on his shoulder and strode past him toward the parking structure. All I could do was grin.

“Hound 3 what do you think you're doing?” Ginoza balked.

Not even breaking stride, over his shoulder Ko barked, “What does it look like? My job. Just stay put and keep the wagon warmed up. Be back in a few.”

Ginoza scowled until I padded to his side lowering my Dominator with a laugh. “Well, I think I'll just stay here in case he comes this way. That alright with you, Ko?”

“Sure thing, Pops.” Ko, you cocky son of a bitch!

“Hound 3! Did I tell you to—” Ginoza shouted!

“Talkin' ain't getting it done.” True to our plan, Ko vanished into the structure without a backward glance.

“Damn it!” Gino cursed.

For a moment I felt a pang of guilt not cluing Gino into our plan. But it only lasted a moment. This was for his own good. I grinned. “What are you worried about? He knows what he's doing.”

“That's not the point.” Gino shot a hand toward the structure. “He's not listening and you hardly helped by encouraging him.”

Yeah. And? “Ko needs to stretch his legs a bit, that's all. Give him a break. He'll come back.”

He crossed his arms, scowling. “I'm not as certain as you are.”

“Ginoza.” I forced my voice softer. “He knows how the system works better than some raw recruit. That means he's less likely to try and slip the leash since he knows the odds of that working. I know how you feel—”

“I don't need a lecture.” He turned his ire on me. I prepared to take his best shot, for Ko's sake.

A moment later the idiot vaulted out into mid-air from the second story. My jaw dropped a bit as a second figure followed into flight. Ko's jacket swept back like the wings of a bird of prey. His Dominator acting as talons. The man flailed in the air. The bolt struck him. He went limp, tumbling into a bush. Ko landed in a roll and not even missing a beat as he announced. “Hound 3. Enforcement completed.”

I couldn't help myself, I broke into laughter. “With badass style, Ko.”

Ginoza's harsh gaze followed Ko's arrogant approach as he replaced the Dominator in the rack and started up the ramp. Ginoza stomped his foot behind a moment later. “What kind of stunt were you pulling out there?”

Ko didn't back down, he turned around and narrowed his eyes, practically the silhouette of a wild beast. “My job, Gino.”

Ginoza jolted as though someone had struck him with a Dominator. I winced as he grabbed Ko's jacket and rammed his back against the bumper of the wagon. “For the last time, Hound, you are to address me properly as Inspector!” He blocked Ko's evasion with an elbow rammed across his throat, fire in his eyes.

I leaned forward, prepare to intervene. This was gaining momentum too fast. If Ko screwed this up, another would be joining us in the dog pound. Heated glares intensified between them. “Those high school bullies sure taught you to beat a man when he's down, didn't they! Inspector.”

I cringed for my son.

Gino's eyes widened. The wind fell out of his sails as his hands slacked.

Ko snarled, I knew he hadn't finished. The wound wasn't deep enough to stick. “But of course they would target a weakling like you. Two words about your father and you practically screamed 'kick my ass'!”

My head bowed, there it was.

Gino drew back a trembling fist, Ko's fierce eyes stared head-on. Not even a flinch. They paused in check for several heartbeats. Gino broke the stand-off, his finger jabbed toward the paddy wagon. “Get in there before I change my mind about keeping you around.”

Ko huffed a breath and slunk out from under the hold. “If you need me I'll be in the dog house where I apparently belong now.”

I heaved a long sigh and hung by the back of the wagon, stealing glances as my son ordered the drones to finish up. They dragged the unconscious target into the back. I hopped up and joined Ko. The moment the door shut, he put his hands behind his head and sighed with relief.

“Well played, Ko.” I lit a cigarette and relaxed. That couldn't have gone better, well unless we'd be allowed to rejoin society. But that was a pipedream.

Ko's eyes half lidded as he reclined. “I hated to do that to him. But I agree, it's not like he'll forgive me anyway. And if he stayed conflicted about ordering me around he'll leave his hue at risk. He's got a reason to treat me like shit now, guilt free since I all but asked for it. We're already screwed with our classification set in stone, Pops. All we can do is shield him from the incoming blows. Guess that's my new job.”

“And our secret.” I shut my eyes with a slight smile. “Tell ya another thing. For once it's nice to have a new Enforcer who knows how to handle a Dominator.”

Ko's voice gained a mild edge of annoyance. “That's your silver lining in this?”

I reopened my eyes and leaned forward with a wink. “You can tell me that after you have to train a raw rehab recruit how the tech works.”

“Deal.” He cracked half a smile. “Got another bet for you, Pops.”

“What?” This could get interesting, since Ko wasn't known for running things by the book.

“Shall we see who can trick Gino into allowing an Enforcer to handle detective work first?”

“Heh.” Gino? Straight-laced, by the book, rigid Gino? “Under his nose or by permission?”

“Either, or.” He shrugged, “Permission would be harder, given what he thinks of us dogs.” All things considered, Ko seemed to be taking this rather well.

“That'll be tough, but hey, it's not like we don't know what we're doing. It's just people don't wanna listen to us.”

“Break up the monotony. Though, Gino isn't gonna make that easy.”

There was no arguing that. Hell, of the three of us, arguably my son was the most stubborn.

Chapter Text

Behind the Curtain: Sibyl System

“No need to apologize, Doctor. I can see from your report that you went above and beyond in your attempts. Regrettably, some people simply cannot be diverted. I will send an Inspector.” Chief Kasei killed the feed and sent messages to Division 1.

Alone in her office she steepled her fingers with a smile. “That took less time than I anticipated.”

Explain your intentions.

Kasei sat up straighter at the intrusion of the collective's voice. “When I was given control of this body were not my instructions to remove the threat to the collective from the remnants of my previous identity?”

Yes.

“Do not be so rash as to replace me. The final threat has been effectively buried.”

Was it necessary to create a latent criminal in the process?

She leaned back and rested her hands on a knee. “I didn't expect such a system to be plagued with naivete. How very ironic. Shinya Kogami's reclassification was beyond essential. Were you not the ones who determined his interest in the case was becoming a threat to the discovery of the criminally asymptomatic? And by default, your precious system as well?”

Silence stretched on.

“It was as simple as knowing what buttons to press. After all, the human mind is so easily manipulated. Especially through fear.” Kasei's smug smile increased. “Aoyanagi had brought me in, and subsequently been strictly gagged concerning the apprehension. Kogami's obsession came remarkably close to uncovering information regarding that. Luring the two into the alley on the false alert proved child's play. The Dominator's command to Aoyanagi gave her the exact words to speak. The moment she admitted to having taken Kogami's revenge from him, his strained temper triggered her need to raise the Dominator. Once in her sights, an artificially high coefficient was all that was required to bring him down. However, if we had let him return shortly after, the event would have become suspicious when his true value was uncovered. In rehabilitation his treatments were tailored to scar his psyche and drive him up to reflect the inflated Psycho-Pass. Thus eliminating the need to continue falsifying his data.”

There is no such thing as a memory suppression selection process.

“Of course. But Kogami remains unaware of that. His heightened paranoia provided the framework. His determination to resist simply made forcing him to re-experience his memories over and over again that much easier. It was never intended to remove anything from him. Only mire him deeper into the latent criminal mind, securing that he could never return to Inspector status. Now he will be easily controlled and still useful to the system. I should be lauded not lectured.”

The elevator door opened admitting Inspector Ginoza. He walked stiffly to the desk, standing at attention. “You wanted to see me, Chief?”

Turning in the chair, she faced him and folded her hands on the desk. “Inspector Ginoza, prompt as always. I have a special assignment for you today.”

END