The office was a foreign place to Tsubame at first. Hinakawa sat at his computer with a manual for de-bugging enviro-holos pulled up on his computer screen. Kunizuka had an instant messenger pulled up and was messaging someone very important to her on the other end. Mika and Akane shuffled papers, typed reports, and filed their work away, tripping over each other frequently, but hardly looking up to apologize. Tsubame relaxed a bit into her desk chair. They were all very normal people. Sure the majority of them had ridiculous crime coefficients, but didn't she? Ginoza spent the day fervently researching different things on this computer, so she did her best to not bother him. She bided some time watching his type furiously on his keyboard, huffing and holding the delete key when his mechanical fingers fudged up his characters. The morning went off without a hitch. Around lunch time, Ginoza stood up and stretched, peeking nonchalantly over Yayoi's shoulder.

"You know, Yayoi, those messages aren't private. You do remember you and Shion are latent criminals, right? The department keeps and monitors all of your correspondence."

Yayoi's face turned a little pink, but she recomposed herself and turned her monitor off.

"Ginoza, behave," Akane chided, still hunched over one of hundreds of forms she'd filled out that day. "You should all go grab lunch together. It's the first time in a while we've had such a long streak with no alerts. I'll page you if something comes up."

"Sorry, Yayoi. Do you think Karanamori would mind if we all hung out with her for lunch? Ms. Maekawa hasn't met her yet."

"I wouldn't know what Shion would or wouldn't mind. She changes her mind a lot." Yayoi stood and picked up her jacket that hung on her chair.

"Can it with your lovers' spat already," Mika grumbled. "Get outta here so I can finish this report. You're all driving me insane."

"Careful Inspector. Your hue might cloud if you get too upset," Ginoza shot in defense of Yayoi. "Insanity is one of the prerequisites for latent criminals."

Sho and Yayoi smiled slightly at this. Mika just took a deep breath and ignored the Enforcer. Ginoza straightened his tie before turning to lead the other three to the cafeteria to get some food. Not feeling particularly hungry, Tsubame plucked an apple from a fruit bowl and grabbed a glass of water before going to meet the others at the entrance to the cafeteria.

"Is that all you're eating, Maekawa?" Yayoi asked, slight concern raising the pitch of her voice.

"I'm not super hungry at the moment."

"Yayoi's right though. If we go out on a call, you're going to need some stamina. Here," Ginoza wrapped half of his sandwich in a napkin and handed Tsubame the plate holding the other half. "We'll split it."

Tsubame looked to Yayoi for help, but the stoic woman seemed to agree with Ginoza's insistence. I guess I'm eating Ginoza's sandwich then… The group of them climbed the stairs one level to Shion Kuranamori's Data Analysis Lab. Tsubame was shocked when the golden-haired woman spun around in her desk chair to greet them. Her low-cut blouse and pencil skirt paired with her deep red lipstick screamed sexuality. It made the newest Enforcer withdraw to the back of the group as close to Yayoi as she could get. That was, until Yayoi left her to stand next to Kuranamori.

"So this is the pup Maekawa that Akane had me authorize last night. Nice to meet you."

Tsubame nodded, feeling suddenly vulnerable in the room full of latent criminals. She was at a distinct disadvantage. The other four were familiar with each other. They could trust each other. She on the other hand had no idea what to expect from any of them. Determined to hide her fears, Tsubame walked forward and found a seat on the long couch next to Hinakawa, Ginoza taking up residence on Sho's other side.

"What's the scoop today, Kuranamori?" Ginoza took a bite of his half of the turkey and cheese sandwich in his hand.

"You know, I can't decide if I like you like this Gino. You're just so informal. You've lost a bit of that controlling, unyielding air you used to carry. I actually think I miss you being an asshole."

"It's a bit too late to realize that, isn't it?" Gino scoffed. "Like it or not, this is probably how it'll be for the rest of my time here at the Bureau. It seems there's no going back once your crime coefficient reaches a certain number."

"You're right. I just like to poke fun. I heard you giving Yayoi a rough time this morning. Seems the asshole persists under that laid-back façade of yours." Shion crossed one knee over the other and lit a cigarette.

"Sorry for that, but one can only glance over and see certain expletive phrases so many times before feeling obligated to say something. Sexuality is supposed to be a deviant characteristic in society after all. We don't want to go tainting our Inspectors' psycho passes." Ginoza raised an eyebrow at Shion. "Though to give you some credit, you're very creative Kuranamori."

She winked at him before glancing up at Yayoi, whose eyebrow twitched irritably at the two of them. "Glad someone thinks so. But if I didn't know you to be the most asexual man in Japan, I'd accuse you of being jealous, Nobuchika."

Hinakawa coughed, nearly choking on his food. Tsubame blushed and avoided eye contact with all of them.

"And how on Earth would you deduce that?" Gino parried. "Keeping things to myself doesn't mean there aren't things to keep."

"Right," Shion laughed. "Well for starters, your indifference to Akane when she started working here… I would've just pegged you as gay, except you also showed no romantic interest in Kogami. And let's face it, everyone had a romantic interest in that man."

"Kami, Shion, can you give it a rest? One, it's called business etiquette, and two, why is my sex life so important to you?"

"I think you underestimate the degree to which my life is consumed by this room. Everyone's sex lives are of interest to me. Some more than others, of course."

Yayoi just rolled her eyes, clearly used to Shion's antics. Tsubame could feel the panic rising in her chest. They talk about it like it's so normal.

"I apologize for Shion's crassness, Maekawa. She's a little rough around the edges." Ginoza stood and tossed his napkin in the small trash incinerator.

"But I assure you, Sweetie, I'm smooth everywhere else." The red-lipped woman winked. Tsubame did her best to sink as far as possible into the couch. Shion's eyes sharpened and Tsubame suddenly needed air. She stood without saying anything, dumping her half-eaten sandwich on the floor, and walked to the hallway, gasping. "Was it something I said?" she heard Kuranamori ask the others as the door slid closed. She clung to the wall, head spinning. It's not him… It's not even a him. I'm sure she's joking. No woman had ever made her feel so predated. A flip of her stomach crumpled her to the floor.

"Ms. Maekawa?" She tensed at Ginoza's voice, burying her head in her arms. "Maekawa? Are you okay?" She'd already answered that question the night before, so she felt no need to acknowledge it. Ginoza knelt next to her, careful to leave several inches between them.

"Please, I just can't breathe is all," Tsubame whimpered from beneath her sleeves.

"Well, I don't know how you expect to fix that with your face hidden like that." He hoped she'd laugh a little, but when she didn't he blamed his own dry sense of humor. What would Kagari say? He huffed, frustrated with himself. Ginoza, just get her off the floor. "Would you like to go back down to the office?"

Tsubame lifted her head high enough to nod her response. Ginoza offered her his hand, but she pretended not to see it, stood, and began walking down the hallway toward the elevator. As the two of them waited for it, Tsubame's nerves returned to her. She chewed habitually on the inside of her bottom lip.

"So… Is it something I can ask about?" Ginoza's concerns from early that morning cluttered his mind. I need to know so that she doesn't get anyone killed.

"I would r-rather not talk ab-bout it…"

Ginoza sighed, but restrained himself.

"Is it okay if I ride in the elevator with you? I seem to trigger your anxiety more than other people… At least more than Yayoi and Inspector Tsunemori do…"

Tsubame contemplated taking the out he'd offered, but also felt awful for making him take the stairs down seven floors.

"I think I can m-manage it," she murmured. Why does this stupid stutter have to come back now? Tears stung at the corners of her eyes, but she refused to let them fall. Their elevator ride was quick, but the stagnant silence between them seemed to last forever. They found Akane eating a homemade lunch at her desk, still working on a report.

"Is Inspector Shimotsuki gone for the day?"Ginoza pulled Tsubame's desk chair out for her before making his way over to Akane's desk.

"Thankfully, yes," the short-haired Inspector grumbled without looking up. "She had an appointment with her therapist. Her hue is fine, but her stress levels have increased in the last week, which is strange considering the lack of cases. I think she's serious about the three of you driving her insane."

Tsubame logged back into her computer and aimlessly scanned the news for the day. Old habits die hard.

"Inspector, when you get a moment, do you think I could have a word…" Ginoza's request was cut short by an alarm and a mechanical voice booming over the office's intercom.

"This is an Elevated Stress Level Warning: A psycho pass above regulation value has been detected by a street scanner near the old Toyama Library. An eyewitness report states seeing a suspect dragging a hostage into the building. Inspector on duty, please go straight to the site with Enforcers immediately."

Crap. Ginoza looked over his shoulder at Maekawa, doing his best to feign reassurance. "Ready, Missy?"

"Ready or not, we need to go now." Akane swung her coat over her shoulders and rushed the two of them out the door to the elevator. She punched the button to take them to the parking garage where a cruiser and paddy wagon were waiting, their automated systems already calculating the shortest route to the triggered street scanner. Ginoza jogged up the ramp into the back of the armored transport vehicle and sat on the bench.

"In th-there?" Tsubame whispered to herself. Akane pointed into the opening of the wagon.

"Just take a seat in the paddy wagon with Enforcer Ginoza. He'll explain on the way there. You'll get your Dominator once we get there."

Tsubame willed her feet to carry her into the giant metal box. As she sat down Ginoza briefed her on how the Dominator works and instructed her to do as SYBIL told her unless Inspector Tsunemori says otherwise. Throughout his explanation he couldn't help but wonder if SYBIL had made a mistake in Tsubame's aptitude assessment. This poor girl is terrified. She acts like a high school student with an invisibility complex. The paddy wagon stopped and the door lowered to reveal the library. Dilapidated and long forgotten by hi-tech society, the library had been scheduled for demolition, but somehow still stood, its doors wide open.

The Dominators' containment unit rolled up to the end of the ramp. Ginoza stepped off and grabbed his gun, Akane plucking hers shortly after.

"Subdue the target, recover the hostage. Do not shoot the victim unless their psycho pass is low enough to trigger the Paralyzer."

"Understood. Maekawa, I'm going to take the right wing of the building. You take the left." The map from his wristband blinked away. "Maekawa?"

She'd come to stand next to Ginoza and stared intently at the Dominator that sat lifeless in the unit.

"Got it," she growled. Time to pay my dues. I owe this to Mr. Masaoka.

Ginoza, slightly taken off guard by Tsubame's sudden confidence, watched the rookie remove her Dominator from its home. Her irises lit up as the weapon verified her authorizations. A little faith, Ginoza. Maybe if I had more, I would still be an Inspector.

"Be careful," Akane warned. "I'll run around back and secure the fire exits. He's not going to get away."

With that, the trio split, Tsubame and Gino darting inside and Akane sprinting to the back of the building. Tsubame crept up the stairs to the left wing of the building. The main floor was bare, the remnants of an old circulation desk collecting dust below a once grand chandelier. She ducked in and out of the maze of disintegrating bookcases looking for any trace of their disturbance. Leading with the dominator, she peeked through a slightly ajar door to an old study room. Empty. She heard Ginoza's voice in her ear.

"There are rooms lining the entire library. Check all of them. They must be in one."

Pressed to the wall, Tsubame made her way down the row of abandoned offices and meeting rooms. Halfway down the corridor, she heard a muffled shout.

"Did you hear that?" she hissed into the microphone of her radio.

"Barely. They must be closer to you. I'll be there as soon as possible. Inspector, we've narrowed it down to the left wing."

"Ten-four. Remember your orders. Be safe. I'll be up shortly."

"Maekawa, if you see them, don't do anything stupid. We don't want him to hurt the hostage."

Tsubame crept further down the rows of decaying books, hoping that Ginoza would find the suspect first, but doubting that was an option at this point. The next door was closed and the dust on the floor appeared to have recently settled around two marks that reminded her of kicking feet being dragged against their will. Her heart sprung to her throat.

"Ginoza," she whispered, "I think I found them."

"Stay there, I'm halfway up the staircase."

He'll never make it.

"Please, don't…" a voice rang out. "Why are you doing this?"

Forgetting the plan entirely, Tsubame kicked the door open to find the suspect holding the hostage down, a knife to her throat.

"Get off of her, you bastard!"

Dropping the Dominator, Tsubame slammed into the man, pinning him to the floor and sending the knife flying. The woman grabbed the blade and scrambled back against the wall of the room to defend herself, but quickly realized there was no need. The Enforcer before her delivered blow after blow to her assailant's face.

"Maekawa!" Ginoza's voice echoed down the hallway. "Maekawa, are you okay?" Gino appeared panting in the doorframe, a lock of hair stuck to the sweat on his forehead. He froze, the situation before him not initially making sense.

Dominator on the floor, hostage in the corner, Maekawa beating suspect with her fists. What the Hell?

"Maekawa!" Gino aimed his Dominator at the suspect, but Tsubame was too close. It read her psycho pass instead.

"Crime Coefficient: 426. Target is a registered Enforcer. Enforcer Ginoza does not possess proper authorization to administer enforcement. The trigger is now locked."

"Damn it, Maekawa!" Ginoza tossed the Dominator to the ground and wrapped his arms around his flailing partner. In her confusion, Tsubame caught Ginoza in the jaw with a right hook. "Shit! Maekawa, snap out of it!" He wrapped his body around her as much as possible in an attempt to contain her arms.

For a brief moment, Tsubame's crazed eyes met Ginoza's worried ones. Her heart stopped.

"Masaoka?"

"Ginoza! What the Hell is going on?" Akane reached the room as Tsubame's body went limp and she gave in to the sobs building in her chest. The culprit lay unconscious on the floor, the hostage motionless in the corner of the room. Ginoza held Tsubame tightly to his chest, her tears quickly saturating his button-up under his jacket.

"You're lucky," Ginoza grumbled, pressing a bag of frozen peas to his jaw. He sat in the common area of the Division One living quarters in the chair adjacent to the sofa where Tsubame lounged uncomfortably, her hands wrapped in bandages in her lap. "Only two fractured bones and a slap on the wrist from Inspector Akane. She could've had you re-evaluated. With your crime coefficient earlier…"

"I know, Ginoza. You d-don't have to rub it i-in."

"What happened back there?"

"I j-just lost it. H-he was on t-top of h-her… threatening to k-kill her. M-my first reaction was to s-save her… I just f-forgot I was armed. I'm really s-sorry."

Ginoza sighed. "It's alright. You didn't kill him, and it seems your crime coefficient has settled back at 215. How's your hue?"

"Plum," she shrugged.

"Could be worse."

"It has been," she corrected. He turned his gaze to the twinkling lights out the window.

"So, how did you know Masaoka? I swear I heard you say his name earlier…" Ginoza's stomach twisted. Talking about his father didn't help him feel better about his death.

"Did I?" She couldn't really recall the events that had transpired between entering the library and finding herself face-first in Gino's damp shirt. "He saved me once. I'd rather not…"

"Me either," Ginoza agreed. "Let's talk about something else."

"D-did that woman have to get t-treatment?"

"Oddly enough, her psycho pass came back clearer than most hostages who see us use the Dominators. I guess your approach was a little less gory. Plus you didn't actually kill the guy in front of her. The original prognosis has her good as new after a few appointments with her personal therapist."

"G-good."

"Well, I think I'm going to go try to get some rest. You should too," he suggested.

"N-no rest for the wicked," she shrugged. "Isn't that how it goes?"

"I honestly have no idea," Ginoza admitted, but I knew someone who would have. "Goodnight, Tsubame."

"N-night Mr. Ginoza."

Ginoza tossed and turned that night, unable to find a comfortable position in his bed. I need to know how she knows my father. He rolled over and pulled up the messaging app on his wristband.

TO: TSUNEMORI, AKANE

Something just doesn't sit right with me about Maekawa. Do you have time to meet with me in the morning?

Ginoza was doubtful that Akane was still awake, so when a response pinged in to his inbox, he was surprised.

FROM: TSUNEMORI, AKANE

I think I can make some time. Meet me on the balcony before the shift starts. Get some sleep, Ginoza.

TO: TSUNEMORI, AKANE

Back at you, Inspector.

Feeling a bit more at ease, Ginoza closed his eyes and fell into a light sleep. He awoke early, showered, and grabbed a handful of grapes from the refrigerator in the kitchenette before heading for the door.

"You're leaving rather early," Yayoi noted, stretching as she entered the common room from the hallway.

"I need to speak with Akane. You're returning rather early. Is everything alright?"

"Shion has a lot of paperwork to catch up on today." Kunizuka sighed. "She's been pretty on edge lately… As on edge as she can be, anyway. Her hue is darker now than before she was hired, and it doesn't seem to want to clear up. She's worried…"

"Kuranamori is good at her job. As long as she focuses on that and keeps her record clean, I think she'll be alright. Tell her that."

Yayoi nodded and slipped through the door to the Enforcers' quarters.

Akane stood leaning on the railing of the balcony. Ginoza had mixed feelings about the place. Most of the time he'd spent up here had been weighed down with difficult conversations and regret.

"You're worried about Ms. Maekawa's aptitude." Akane didn't turn around.

"You must be too. She's damaged. And she doesn't want to explain it."

"Yesterday during the case, she completely flipped. When I talked to the paramedics, they said if she'd kept going, she might've killed that man. Something about the situation set her off…"

"We need to look at her history. I only have access to the most recent records which place her in the Isolation Rehabilitation Facility."

Akane entered a search for Maekawa's records on her wrist holo. As she scanned it, her eyes widened.

"There's a report here… It was written by Kogami!"

"What?" Ginoza came to read the report over Akane's shoulder, but she proceeded to read it out loud.

"Division One of the MWPSB responded to a stress level alert when a street scanner detected a panicked student walking between her school and her home. The student was a first-year, fourteen-year-old female identified as one Tsubame Maekawa. Enforcer Masaoka found the girl and apprehended her. Since the suspect was a minor, the decision was made to release her into her parents' custody with the recommendation that she receive treatment from their family therapist right away."

Ginoza's eyes followed along as Akane continued on the next page.

"Three days later around 15:00:00 hours, a small yellow homing canary showed up at Nona Tower with a strip of paper tied to its leg. The note written on the paper was a call for help penned by Ms. Maekawa. Division One dispatched to the Maekawa home and forced entry into the apartment. After clearing the living room and discovering Mr. and Mrs. Maekawa deceased in the master bedroom, Enforcer Sasayama located Ms. Maekawa in her bedroom in the middle of an assault by a previously unidentified male. Instead of firing his Dominator, Enforcer Sasayama dropped his weapon and restrained the suspect, who sustained severe blunt force trauma to his face in the struggle. Enforcer Masaoka wrapped the victim in her comforter and carried her to the cruiser while Inspector Kogami discharged his Dominator two times; once in Paralyzer mode to subdue Enforcer Sasayama, and once in Execution mode at the culprit per the instruction of the SYBIL system."

Akane scrolled to the next page. Ginoza rubbed his eyes.

"The Dominator identified the criminal as thirty-five-year-old Akio Fujimoto, who was a biology instructor at Ms. Maekawa's Preparatory Academy. Upon further investigation, we discovered that Ms. Maekawa was an active member of Mr. Fujimoto's after school biology club. Post-mortem examination of Mr. and Mrs. Maekawa indicated that they were both killed in their sleep on the same night as Maekawa's original psycho pass spike. It is speculated that Mr. Fujimoto broke into the Maekawa home, killed Ms. Maekawa's parents, and kept her imprisoned in her room for three days. The initial rape kit performed at the hospital came back positive. Ms. Maekawa will receive rehabilitation treatment and hopefully return to school under the supervision of an area orphanage. Respectfully submitted, Shinya Kogami."

"She's the rape survivor from that story Ko used to tell about Sasayama…" Ginoza murmured. "No wonder she's so damn uncomfortable around everyone. Well Shion will certainly want to apologize for yesterday."

"You can't tell Kuranamori," Akane corrected him.

"What do you mean? The team needs to know what we're dealing with. She's a liability."

"Ginoza, she obviously didn't want anyone to know about it. Secrets like that aren't meant to just be dug up by your co-workers. It'll destroy her." Akane closed the screen and ran a hand through her pixie cut hair. "She's got to come to terms with it on her own."

"But, detective…"

"No buts, Ginoza. The best we can do is to gain her trust. Maybe having people who care about her can help her confront this. She's been on her own since she was fourteen and a good chunk of that time she spent in an isolation chamber. We're her best chance at a next to normal life for her. When she's ready to open up about it, she will. Just give her some time."

"Hmph. You didn't see her beating the pulp out of that man last night."

"No, I didn't, but I'm sure she felt like he deserved it. She saved the hostage. That's what matters. Sasayama did the same thing and from what I've heard of him he was a great man. Don't sell her short just because she's got some baggage. Everyone does."

Ginoza huffed as he walked away.

"Shift starts in two minutes."

"I'll be right there," Akane sighed, lighting a Spinel cigarette from the pack in her pocket. She watched it burn and inhaled the smell for a few moments before dampening the tip on the railing and then turning to follow Ginoza to the elevator.

Back in the office, Maekawa sat poking at her keyboard with her uninjured hand, the wrapped appendage set gently on the right arm of her chair. As he sat down in his chair, Ginoza began brainstorming ideas for helping Maekawa. He couldn't help but glance over at her now. He was surprised to see that she was also looking at him.

"Is something wrong, Ms. Maekawa?" He quirked an eyebrow.

"N-no, Mr. Ginoza," she dropped her head, a flash of pink embarrassment settling across her cheek bones. "Sorry, sir."

"Please, Maekawa, just call me Gino. I may be older than you, but we're equals in this office. There's no need for such titles."

"O-okay… Gino…" She peeked back at him through her hair which fell messily around her face. He has Masaoka's eyes. She reprimanded herself at the thought. You're seeing things. Somehow you want this place to be comfortable and that's the best you have. Ginoza's features softened a little. Even his sharp cheekbones distorted into a friendly smile.

I hope you're right about this, Akane.

Ginoza lounged back in his chair and crossed one trousered knee over the other, locking his fingers politely in his lap.

"Are you feeling alright today? I'm sure yesterday was difficult for you."

Now you're more concerned with how I feel than whether or not I understand the consequences?

"I'm pretty exhausted. That's n-not really any different than any other day, th-though. Other than the throbbing in my h-hand, everything seems normal. My hue was blue-violet immediately after we ret-turned last night, but it's already recovered to a shade of l-lavender."

"Good to hear," Ginoza assured her.

"Enforcer Ginoza," Inspector Shimostuki interrupted, "Would you please come here and verify Inspector Tsunemori's report about the case last night? I need you to sign the form."

"Certainly, detective," he nodded, leaving his chair. Tsubame watched him walk over to the Inspector's desk with confusion. Ginoza's perceptiveness scared her. He gave off the vibe that he could tell what someone was thinking before they did.

Tsubame sighed a breath of relief as her work day came to an end. No alarms had sounded that day. She longed to be alone in her room. Ginoza had chatted casually with her the whole shift, and though she didn't think she minded it, it was still exhausting.

"Plans this evening?" Gino asked, leaning coolly against the wall near the elevator.

"Enforcers m-make plans?" Anxiety surged through her, leaving her arms feeling heavy.

"I was going to go work out for a bit. Would you care to join me?"

"Swear you'll w-w… keep all of your clothes on?" Frustration marred her face at her stutter, but Ginoza caught the joking tone in her voice. Progress.

"No promises." This made her throat dry up the way it does when you sleep with your mouth open. Ginoza shoved his hands in his pockets after pressing the button on the elevator that would take them to the locker rooms of the gym. "There should be some clean MWPSB practice clothing in the laundry room. Just find a set that fits and meet me out there?"

Tsubame nodded and ducked into the women's changing area. She chose the baggiest, most unflattering MWPSB sweatpants and t-shirt in the locker room before pulling her hair back in the mirror.

The gym was moderately sized with weights, a pair of treadmills, and a few combat drones lining the walls. Ginoza grunted as he threw a solid punch into the center of a giant swinging punching bag. He'd changed into a pair of black shorts with the Bureau of Public Safety's crest printed on one leg and a white cotton tank top. His human wrist was wrapped with white athletic tape. He noticed her out of the corner of his eye as he steadied the bag, panting.

"When your hand heals I'll teach you how to punch without breaking your bones," he chuckled breathlessly. "Do you know any combat techniques?"

She shook her head.

"You could've fooled me."

She laughed nervously.

"Would you like to learn?"

She nodded.

"Okay here, why don't you take this mock Dominator? When you point this at someone desperate enough, their first instinct may be to try to take it from you and incapacitate you in some manner. Walk towards me."

Tsubame took a hesitant step in Gino's direction. As she neared him, he grabbed the gun at Tsubame's hands, the sudden contact coming as a surprise to her. She dropped the fake gun and stepped away from him.

"Sorry… I d-didn't know you were g-going to grab m-me."

"It's okay. I can warn you first, if you'd prefer. You know that I'm not going to hurt you, right?" Ginoza knelt to pick up the prop and handed it back to her. "Try again?"

"Ok-kay."

"Just trust me. I want you to be more prepared in the field than you were yesterday… For your safety, and for the safety of everyone else."

She took the replica from him and pointed it again.

"I'm going to grab your wrists. The most useful parts of your body are your knees and your elbows. Try to keep me from taking your Dominator."

Ginoza wrapped his hands around Tsubame's much smaller ones. She held still as stone.

"Think it through. What will make me let go of you?"

After a few seconds of hesitation, Tsubame pulled her arms down with more force than Ginoza thought she was capable of, twisted under his grip, and swung her elbow up and into the side of his face, knocking him down and leaving his ears ringing. Tsubame gasped as Gino hit the floor and knelt next to him. His lip had split on his teeth.

"I'm so sorry! Are you okay? I didn't think I'd be able to break loose. I can't believe I hit you! You're bleeding…"

She reached out and placed her hand under his chin to tip his head in order to see his lip better under the light of the training room. He stiffened at her touch as their eyes met, his heart jumping to his throat.

"I'm fine, it's not like it hasn't happened before," he said flippantly. "You, erm, lost your stutter."

She blushed and dropped her hand.

"I g-guess I didn't feel all that v-vulnerable with you s-sitting on the ground with a busted l-lip."

"But you feel vulnerable now? Why?"

"I... I honestly d-don't know."

I know the feeling… he thought. He stood and wiped the blood on his forearm.

"We'll have to cut our training session short, I'm afraid. I should probably go clean up. Back to the apartment?"

She nodded and left to change in the women's locker room, leaving him alone in the empty gym. He sighed and closed his eyes, exhaustion clouding his mind. The tightness in his chest made it harder to breathe. Though he wanted to help Tsubame, he knew getting close to her would be his downfall. It always is.