A/N: Helllooo again and we are here with another chapter! I've included a little bit of Ginoza in this one (boy deserves more love I swear). We're getting closer and closer towards the final chapters so I can't wait to see what you all think!

To my reviewers, followers and favourites:

Otakugirl1996: I'm soft and fluffy for Shinkane moments that I try to write as many as I can! Their relationship is just so worth exploring!

brainyotaku: Thank you! I've always wondered how Kogami would propose to Akane and the idea of Spinel just seemed to fit in (*laughs*)

Guest: You're too sweet! Thank you! This one's for you! Hope you enjoy it!

dumpsterhedgehog: Thank you for favouriting this story! Looking forward to your feedback!

Case Thirteen: There's No 'I' in Team

Growing up we are taught the differences between right and wrong. Our parents and teachers prepare us for the adult world, demonstrating to us that acts such as stealing and cheating are unlawful, while being kind and caring for those in need is respectable. We are encouraged to see the best in people, have faith and trust one another; grooming ourselves to become the next generation of ideal citizens to this society. But as we age, we learn that there is more to this world than what we are often told. People lie, betray and ruin each other for their own personal benefits. To avoid being hurt, our brain develop ways to protect ourselves, cover up our tracks and bury our secrets, henceforth giving birth to the very concept of scheming and deception. It's a skill that isn't written in textbooks, nor can it be practiced like a sport or instrument. It is instead, a skill one develops once they realize just how harsh reality can be.

Kogami Shinya was at the tender age of five when he understood this injustice. His father, a hardworking honest man whom loved his family, died a year ago after being hit by a drunken driver on his way home. Heartbroken, his mother did everything she could under the jurisdictions of the law, but the only penalty the driver was slapped with was a fine and probation – all because he was a perfect citizen with a crystal clear psycho-pass. The same situation occurred again during his time in elementary school, where his teachers ignored the very existence of bullying. It was an image he couldn't forget, the sight of responsible adults gossiping and placing bets while an innocent child gets pushed around before their eyes.

"You can't play with us!" he remember one of his classmates yelling out casually, "Your mama is sick, and so are you!"

Another chimed in, "We are healthy! You're not!"

Young Kogami glanced at his teachers watching from the sidelines, "It's true," he heard the homeroom teacher whisper to his companion, "Ginoza-kun's mother has some strange mental illness," he shook his head, "Some say it could be genetic."

"No way!" his partner murmured back, "Why is he still in school then? He'll cloud our psycho-passes."

A frown appeared, "Apparently his father insisted," the first teacher issued a frustrated sigh, "The child will become nothing but a threat, I would be ashamed to have such a son."

Giving the group of children one last look, the two teachers turned their backs and disappeared back into the building. Kogami stared after them for a moment, waiting till their shadows fully vanished before kicking his soccer ball in the direction of the bullies. To his delight, the ball landed perfectly against his classmates' head, forcing the boy to yelp out in surprise. Immediately, the group diverted their attention onto him, with the leader stepping out with folded arms and a furious face.

"Watch where you're kicking!" he cried out, "You better apologize!"

Kogami ran to retrieve his ball, unmoved by the agitation, "This is the soccer field," he answered coolly, "You'll get hit if you're not careful."

His classmate growled, "What did you say?"

Even at a young age, the glare he gave was strangely menacing, "I'm saying if you're not playing soccer, than leave."

The group flinched, unsure of what to do next. Together they mumbled something in each other's ears, nudging their leader for a response. Despite trying to look brave and hold his stance, Kogami's classmate soon began to sweat nervously and itch away from him. His comrades followed, understanding this was the sign of defeat. Finally upon reaching a safe distance, the band of bullies threw down the blue schoolbag they clutched onto and fled, all sprinting in the opposite direction.

Carefully, Kogami reached down and picked up the fallen contents, "You shouldn't listen to them," he comforted, returning the bag to its owner, "You're not sick."

Young Ginoza looked up from his crouched position. He didn't reply, but merely curled his legs closer towards his chest, as if preparing himself for more insults. Judging from the dirt on his clothes and mud sticking between his growing fringe, Ginoza must've been harassed and tormented for quite some time already. Gently, tucking his soccer ball beneath his arm, Kogami bent down and stuck out his hand.

"I'm Kogami," he introduced, "Kogami Shinya."

The blueness in Kogami's eyes appeared warm, "Ginoza Nobuchika," the latter replied, accepting the gesture, "Some call me Gino for short."

Presently, Kogami could feel himself almost smirk at the memory. Lingering at the doorway to judge the situation, he paused to observe Ishida suddenly scream out in agony; the bullet Ginoza fired seconds ago shattering the nearby window before piercing into the soldier's skin. Blood instantly sprayed out from Ishida's arm, forcing the hunting knife that was pressed around Akane's neck to fall onto the floor. Kogami waited, pressed his earpiece back into place and muttered distinctly:

"Nice shot, Gino."

Tsunemori Akane was modelled to become the perfect citizen. Her childhood was joyous, filled with love and affection from both her parents and grandmother, her teachers and friends adored her, alongside her second to none performance at school. Upon achieving the highest score for all government ministries, she decided to join the Public Safety Bureau, a department overseen by the Ministry of Welfare. Like any young graduate, Akane thought her career was ready to take off, that she was prepared to serve her country, and protect those closest to her. Never, had she ever thought or dreamed, to be sitting here behind the glass barrier, wrists chained to the metal seat; her mind wondering about Yuki, her grandmother and her family. She was only interrupted and drawn back to reality by the sound of locks clicking. A prison guard open the door to the opposing chamber and strolled in, allowing her guest for the day, Ginoza to step in a foot after.

"Tsunemori," her friend and former partner took the lonesome seat that was placed in front of the glass, "It shouldn't be you whose here."

Akane smiled, "Ginoza-san," she ushered as the guard left, "It's good to see you."

Ginoza held a defeated look, "You did the right thing," he began, "We know it, even the Bureau knows it!"

She responded with a small laugh, knowing while Ginoza had learnt to become cool and rational throughout his years as an enforcer, there was still nonetheless a flare of commotion every time he was concerned. Akane appreciated how far they have grown, from inspectors to now close friends, it was a tough journey with many losses on both sides. But she was happy, happy that there was still someone in the world who trusted her, happy that he wouldn't be dragged into the mess she was thrown into.

"And re-assigning Sugo and I to Foreign Affairs?" Ginoza continued, "How are we going to clear your name if there is no one in the Bureau?"

Trying to remain cheerful, Akane collected herself and answered, "It was the last request I made as inspector," she explained, "That you and Sugo-san are freed from the Bureau."

He fell silent, encouraging his colleague to further clarify herself, "I knew Hanashiro Federica came to us with the intention of recruiting members from division one," Akane announced, "I was going to deny her request until this whole case went down."

Ginoza blinked, "You were aware of the case from the beginning?"

To confirm his words, Akane gave a nod, "I played by the wrong moves," she glanced at her shackled wrists, "I lost, and I know the Bureau will find evidence to bring you and Sugo-san down with me if I don't do something first."

It was a technique she first grasped from Kogami. Always look out for your team, protect those who still have a chance. When Kogami flew solo to purse Makshima Shogo, he found every possible way to ensure that Division One would not be caught up in the aftermath of his actions. You can stain your own name with blood, but don't involve those you care about. Akane could now finally understand why he did some drastic things on his own.

Calmly after a brief moment, she sighed, "Ginoza-san, this game I cannot win on my own," Akane testified, looking back at the figure opposite the glass, "I'm falling back, and bringing in a wild card."

Her voice sounded like a foreign language to his ears, and the ex-inspector froze, unable to fully process her words, "You mean-" he swallowed, but couldn't manage to finish.

The curl on Akane's lips returned, "I've discreetly asked Foreign Affairs to look for him," she declared, "Hanashiro-san is on a plane to the Tibetan-Himalayas as we speak."

Ginoza didn't know whether to be in awe, or in shock. The Tsunemori Akane he had known followed the rules, complied with the Bureau's guidelines and was the very example of the flawless citizen created by Sibyl System. She was meant to be the complete opposite to him and Kogami, whose fate was already decided from the beginning. Yet, here she was, thinking beyond the boundaries that were set, breaking away from the utopian society that was surpressing her true abilities.

"You know where Kogami has been this whole time?" he questioned, finishing for answers to complete his puzzle, "How?"

Akane replied fondly, "He leaves hints," she insists, "Hints that tell me he is safe."

He could just feel his late father knocking him in the head from the heavens. Masaoka had always said there was some invisible force pulling between Kogami and Akane, but Ginoza never paid much attention. Personally he thought it was just the old man making up jokes to prank him, but now it seemed his words were indeed accurate. Admitting to be outsmarted, Ginoza felt himself relax and smile.

"You're sacrificing yourself for us, for Kogami, to give people like us a chance to come back," he managed, "Thank you."

The metal chains against Akane's wrists clanked together as she leant forward and slid a hand under the small opening provided at the bottom of the glass. It reminded Ginoza of a similar gesture Kogami performed back when the duo first met in elementary school. He chuckled at the resemblance before placing his own hand into the former inspector's and giving it a comforting squeeze.

"We'll get you out," Ginoza breathed, "Whatever it is we are up against, we'll win."

While nobody fully explained to Akane what occurred during the Bifrost showdown, and Kogami never really mentioned anything upon her release; she secretly knew deep down, that the Foreign Affairs team she influenced to create probably took the reins at some point during the case. It was how they worked best, lurking in the shadows to avoid detection, coaxing the Public Safety Bureau to be upfront, so they can manipulate their way into the depths. Divide and conquer, an approach Akane loved and mastered all just by sitting behind walls of concrete and steel, nursing her morning coffee and flipping through her favourite novel.

The cries Ishida gave were ones of distress, trying desperately to suppress the bleeding that the bullet had caused. Consumed utterly in pain, the soldier's face was twisted with shock as Kogami Shinya stepped through the door. He didn't appeared to be fussed by the sight of Ishida wounded, but instead remained calm and composed; greyish blue orbs gazing at Akane like she was the most important person in the room. It seemed like after all those years, Ginoza was still an exceptional sniper, with neither a scratch or hair moved during his shot, leaving Akane perfectly unharmed. Slowly, as if finally realizing there was another figure present in the room, Kogami diverted his attention towards the fallen soldier and spoke in a solid tone.

"There's two things in this world which I can't stand," he stated, "People who hurt Akane and people who betray Akane," his eyes flickered to where Ishida lay, "Surprisingly you fit into both of these categories."

Ishida frowned at his words, "You asked me to look after her," he argued, "You're the one who left her in my care."

Kogami pursed his lips together, as if formulating a smile. Carefully, he reached into the pocket of his cargo pants and fetched out a packet of Spinel. Seeing the former inspector and enforcer so nonchalant fuelled anger into the soldier's heart, and he, in a fit of rage; lunged for his hunting knife. He had worked so hard for this day, planned everything down to each minute and second, that there was no way he was going to allow Tsunemori Akane to walk out of this country alive. There was no way he could fail when his ambition was only a stone throw away.

"Did you think we would trust you?" Kogami challenged, drawing a cigarette from the packaging.

With his undamaged hand, Ishida grabbed onto the handle of the knife before flinging it in Akane's direction. He was so close, so close to completing his goal that he forgot the pain that was circulating through his body, or the fact that that another bullet was on its way to destroy his mobility. This time, he was hit spot on against the wrist, erupting a major vessel and breaking a nerve. He screeched at the impact, once again dropping the knife onto the floor.

"H-How?" the soldier panted as both of his arms fell limp, now completely paralysed from any further movement, "No one can aim this well in the dark."

He shrugged and lit his Spinel, "Unfortunately for you, Gino's aim isn't perfect," Kogami puffed out some smoke, "It's terrifying."

Ishida struggled to contain his words, "When did you realize who I really worked for?" he spat, "How can you possibly know?"

The wound was worsening, a pool of blood oozing beneath Ishida as Kogami crouched down to hold the latter's fading gaze, "From the very start," he replied, "Akane's investigation found it wasn't Yamazaki who was pulling the strings in SEAUn, it was you."

"You knew all along and still you used me?" hissed the soldier, "What kind of person does that?"

Kogami paused to recall the final conversation he had with Akane before his departure. He remembered her resting there in his arms, hair loose and spread across his chest, eyes soft and admiring his features while a finger traced the shape of his cheekbones. To him she was beyond beautiful, and despite all the misfortunes and failures throughout his life, Kogami felt with Akane standing by his side, he may just have the chance to re-live once again. Gently as if reading his mind, Akane lifted her head and smiled, leaning forward to press her lips against his.

"Promise me you'll stay safe out there," she whispered, "Those men are not your friends, they're not Ginoza-san, or Sugo-san or Shion."

He nodded, "I know," Kogami assured, brushing his thumb across her cheek, "Don't worry about me, you have to look after yourself. If anything happens, go straight to Gino-"

Akane didn't waver, "Ishida," she pronounced

"What?"

"He's been running SEAUn from the comfort of his own bed," her voice surged with a sense of urgency, "There's no official record of him, but I've asked Sugo-san to do a little digging."

Falling silent, Kogami allowed Akane to continue, "He knows every single person who walks in and out of SEAUn," she pressed, "And by now he would have known you're coming, his plan is falling in place."

A look of concern replaced Akane's smile, and she glanced at her husband with a heart brimmed with worry. Kogami on the other hand, returned the anxious expression by affectionally tucking a stand of hair behind her ear and holding her closer against him. Akane sighed, embraced the warmth for one last time, knowing by the time she woke up, he would no longer be there.

Now, returning his focus back to Ishida, Kogami climbed back onto his feet, "It doesn't matter what kind of person we are, it all ends the same," he inhales another breath of nicotine, "You reap what you sow, Lieutenant Ishida."

Whether it was his imagination or the blood-loss finally taking effect, Ishida couldn't help but shiver under Kogami's intimidating gaze. It was something the soldier had never seen before; eyes frozen with brutality, gleamed with hints of bloodthirst and crudity. A wolf was something he would compare it to, a wolf so hungry it could tear him into pieces at any given moment. Even the cigarette which was dropped carelessly onto the wooden floor, died out eerily.

"We're done here."

Back in Japan, Karanomori Shion monitored her computer from day till night. Even when she was home with Yayoi, she would always keep an eye out for any sudden signals or bounces of information that leaped in throughout the day. According to her partner, it became a bad habit of hers, almost mimicking her constant smoking which now even surpassed Kogami's during stressful investigations. Tonight however, her shift seemed to be going pretty smoothly, with only one area stress call which division two dealt with quite quickly. Most of division one's members were fast asleep, in particular the overseeing inspector for the night – Shindo Arata zipped up snuggly in his sleeping bag. This meant she was free to paint her nails, binge watch reality dramas and maybe sneak in a glass of wine or two.

Flipping through the latest edition of Tokyo's fashion magazine, Shion hummed happily to herself as she eyed a new set of lingerie that just appeared on runway. Automatically she bookmarked the page, mentally noting to herself to show Akane when she returned from SEAUn. She could just picture the embarrassed blush appearing on the former inspector's face as she teases her, mumbling how much Kogami would like it when he sees it on her. Turning over to a new page, Shion was just about to begin scanning an article regarding upcoming beauty gadgets when a loud buzz came from her computer.

She groaned and looked up, "Another area stress?" Shion muttered, picking up the phone to dial any division who's first available, "How can one's crime coefficient rise when you're asleep?"

But it wasn't. The analyst stared, reading and translating the Morse code that flashed across her screen. The location of the source was nowhere close to Tokyo, but rather transmitted via an old-fashioned manner from SEAUn. She fell speechless, trying to understand the meaning behind the message before quickly jumping up to her feet. Immediately, she threw down the Bureau's phone and instead reached for her backup cell phone which was kept secretly in her lab coat. She proceeded to unlock the screen, and dive into her contacts for Hanashiro's number when the door to her laboratory hissed open.

"Karanomori-san," the voice belonged to none other than Shimotsuki Mika, "Would you like to explain what you're doing?"

Slowly, Shion turned around, coming face to face with the chief inspector, "I-I was," she stuttered

Mika beat her to it, "If this is about senpai than save it," she ordered, "Division One will find and execute her, I won't have her ruining my reputation again."

A/N: Eeek! It's going to be old division one versus current division one! This is going to be one hell of a showdown! Thoughts on who would win? Let me know what you all think might happen!