Animal Kingdom
In a dog eat dog world, the rule "survival of the fittest" always applies. The strong prey on the weak; the fast outrun the slow; the intelligent outsmart the unintelligent; the big outmuscle the small. Yet within the category of predators, each has their own style that matches their capabilities...
Chapter 1 - The Natural Environment
Approaching the tower that housed the Public Safety Bureau, Akane Tsunemori found that her steps gradually slowed to a halt. As she stood in front of her work building, she couldn't help but stop and stare; her gaze instinctively drawn to the height of it. She had chosen her career path on the basis of being the only candidate who qualified for the position. It made sense to her when she made her decision, but she had learned quickly that such naive thinking did not mesh well with her chosen profession.
Nothing she learned in school could have prepared her for the harsh realities she faced on a daily basis. Yet time had confirmed that she truly was qualified for the position. It had taken fast-paced on the job training and numerous occasions where she butt heads with her colleagues, but she had found a niche of her own within the team dynamics which came with the territory. Gradually, she had proven her worth, winning over her teammates one by one. Some she got along with better than others, but she could truthfully say that they all had accepted her.
Shaking herself from her inner contemplations, she promptly headed into the building. She wasn't sure what had triggered the sudden urge for reflection, but it was neither the time nor place to do so. This time was dedicated to her work as it was nearing the start of her evening shift. Ginoza was going to be annoyed with her if she showed up late, the most prickly of her colleagues, and unfortunately, her superior as well. The last thing she needed was to be reported as perpetually tardy, even if it wasn't true. She took her responsibilities very seriously.
Quickening her steps, she headed straight to the office of CID's Unit One. When she arrived, she was startled to find the place empty. Ginoza was nowhere to be found and missing with him were Shuusei and Yayoi, the two scheduled enforcers. Thinking they had been called out to an incident, she turned on her heels and headed to the analytical lab where Shion would be. It mustn't be anything major because she wasn't called for backup, but she would still like an update to stay abreast of the happenings under their jurisdiction.
The door to the lab quietly slid open. As she walked inside, she paused for a moment to allow her eyes to adjust to the lighting differences. It was perpetually dim in the lab, to accommodate the numerous computer screens that Shion used. When she moved deeper into the room, she was surprised that Shion was not around either. A small frown puckered her features briefly before she decided their analyst had stepped out momentarily for a quick bathroom break. That was the only explanation she could come up with.
Since she would have to wait, Akane decided to do so in comfort. There was no need for her to awkwardly stand around in the eerie silence. She never realized how big the room actually was; it was always as a team that they filled it. Slowly sitting down on the couch by Shion's workstation, she felt an unexpected shiver of nervousness run down her spine before she chided herself for being a complete ninny. She was at work in a secure building that she had grown accustomed to over the last several months. There was no reason for her to feel anxious just because there was no one else here. Shion would return at any moment.
As she leaned back, she covered a yawn. It was her first shift on the night rotation in a long time and her body had not quite adapted to the change in waking and sleeping hours. If she was on the day shift, which she had been for the last two weeks, she would be getting ready for bed right about now. Instead, she had to drag her sorry self to work so that Ginoza could go home and take a break. Swapping with their youngest enforcer and female enforcer were Masaoka and Kougami. Somehow they had been lumped as a group since day one, much to Shuusei's dismay.
Using this extra downtime to think about her work life, Akane realized that she liked working with her two enforcers. Kougami could be abrupt and say critical things that could be taken as insults, but he had always been there for her to chat with - especially when she struggled with work issues and the feelings they occasionally elicited. On the other hand, Masaoka had been tolerant and patient since the beginning. He was the one who had taught her how to use a dominator and advised her to forget everything she learned at school. It seemed such strange advice at the time, but she quickly learned why he would say such a thing.
Shion still had not returned and Akane glanced at the time on her wrist-com. It was already ten minutes after her shift had started. At the very least, she thought Ginoza would have contacted her regarding their situation since he was the stickler, but he didn't. For a moment, she contemplated if she should call him. The idea left her almost immediately after it was formed. He was certain to take it the wrong way when their relationship was lukewarm at best. Sighing softly, there was nothing she could do but wait. Even if Ginoza had gone out with his two enforcers, her own were bound to appear at any minute. When they didn't find her in the office, they would know to come to the lab.
I'll just close my eyes for a minute, she thought to herself as she leaned back into the sofa.
She struggled against the weariness that suddenly flooded her in the face of slumber's temptation. Her head rolled to the side before she would startle awake with the reminder that she was on paying hours - her job was not to sleep. But try as she might, the lull of rest on a big, comfortable sofa was too much for her small, weary body to resist. Her eyes opened and then closed for the umpteenth time, before they finally remained closed. The young female inspector had fallen asleep.
Ten minutes later, unbeknownst to the vulnerable inspector, the door to the lab silently slid open...
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AN
Since this story is still work in progress, I hope this doesn't turn into a figurative "shot myself in the foot" moment... But since I was encouraged to share this, here it is! More details regarding the story to come with future updates. Until then, I'll leave you with this teaser opening!
