Shion felt the bed dip as Yayoi finally sank into the mattress after a long night shift with Shimotsuki and Hinakawa. She knew her alarm was about to go off, so she quickly unset it on her wristband and rolled over to face her lover who she now realized was turned away from her.
"It's almost time for you to man the analysis lab," Yayoi mumbled. She pulled the covers up to her chin.
"I'm close enough to the computer if we get a callout. How was work?"
"The usual. The Chief called Ginoza down for a chat yesterday afternoon. I hope everything is okay. Other than that, nothing out of the ordinary happened. Hinakawa played with his holo, Shimotsuki filed some paperwork and unsuccessfully hid glances at me… All is well with Division One. I just can't wait for the other Divisions to finish filling their personnel out. Making us take four of seven night shifts a week is brutal."
Even Shion was taken aback by Yayoi's talkativeness. Something was wrong; and she could guess what it was.
"Babe, are you still upset about…"
Yayoi rolled over, blue eyes lined deeply with dark circles from fatigue.
"Shion, why? Just tell me why and I'll never bring it up again."
This was serious. Yayoi Kunizuka does not beg. For anything. The desperation on her face ripped at Shion's chest. She brought a hand to rest on the smooth surface of Yayoi's cheek, thumb brushing her bottom lip.
"You really think it's something to do with you, don't you?"
The panic rose from Yayoi's chest to her face, spilling from the corners of her eyes as the brunette tried to blink tears away.
"Kami I'm an idiot. Come here," Shion pulled Yayoi across the bed and wrapped her in a hug. "It's not you." She sighed before readjusting them so that Yayoi was lying on her back and held her wrist so the two of them could see the holoscreen. Pulling up her Coefficient Tracker app, she pursed her lips, glancing over at her girlfriend.
"What is it?"
Shion silently opened the menu, tapped a few settings, entered a password and…
"Is… Is that… How?"
"How is my coefficient so high? Or how has my cloudy ass not been dragged off to ISO? You'll have to be more specific." There was no malice in her voice; only the tinge of defeat at knowing this could be the start of her end. Yayoi reached up and closed the screen.
"They'd never let us get married. If I go and apply for a license, SYBIL will dispatch Akane and Mika directly to the lab. With a number like that…" She hadn't noticed her own voice crack, or the tear that had apparently escaped down her cheek until Yayoi brushed it away.
"Shhh. Don't talk like that. We can get this under control. Why didn't you just tell me?" Her brow furrowed over her tired blue eyes.
"I… I didn't want to cloud your hue too. I'm lucky. I can literally avoid walking past any scanner. I don't have to leave this suite for any reason if I'm really worried about it. You can't do that. For Kami's sake there's a door scanner on the door to your room!"
"Well the alternative wasn't much better," Yayoi joked, trying to lighten the mood. "I was worried you'd decided monogamy wasn't your thing anymore."
"Baka," Shion chided, tugging a tendril of Yayoi's jet black hair which fell messily over one shoulder, free of its usual ponytail.
"Back at you."
"I can accept that," the blonde laughed. Yayoi launched a surprise attack, rolling on top of Shion and pinning her arms to her sides, blocking out the rest of the world in a dark curtain of hair. "Well that put you in a better mood."
"Don't do that to me ever again," the Enforcer warned. "I'm not some pretty little flower. I can take the truth. I need the truth."
Shion purred, pouting a bit as she struggled to no avail to pull her arms free.
"Shion, seriously. You have to trust me with things like this. It's important. Lying about it doesn't protect my hue any more than just telling me would have done."
"I'm sorry," Yayoi's captive finally sighed in defeat. A rare, exhilarated smile crept across Yayoi's face, making them both laugh. She settled herself closer to Shion's face and closed her eyes, allowing Shion to pull her arms free of restraint. Long, crimson fingernails traced light patterns up and down her back, relaxing her slowly down onto her girlfriend.
"I love you," Shion whispered through Yayoi's hair. For a moment Yayoi wished she'd been able to record that, just so she could replay it when she would inevitably begin to doubt her ability to keep a woman like Shion Karanomori interested in a plain, quiet girl like herself. Shoving the intrusive thought aside, Yayoi dipped her head and placed a chaste kiss atop Shion's collarbone.
"You should sleep," Shion chided, chuckling. In response, Yayoi traced the tip of her tongue along the length of the other woman's clavicle, warm breath seeping through skin and triggering a shiver that traveled down to Shion's toes. Hands wound their way instinctively into long dark hair, but she regained enough control to consciously tug Yayoi's head away from her, catching her want-laden eyes in that silent "you're-impossible-you-know-I-have-to-get-up-now" scolding glare.
"Problem?" Yayoi quipped, quirking an eyebrow down at her visibly flustered analyst.
"Impossible," Shion sighed, taking Yayoi off-guard and flipping them, grabbing her wrists and pressing them into the mattress at her sides. Normally Yayoi was quick to submit, but she struggled against Shion's grip. "Even when you're tired you're strong enough to beat me. I need to work out," Karanomori laughed. Unable to resist the adorable defiance in Yayoi's features, she leaned down and slipped her tongue between chapped lips, kissing any of the raven-haired woman's desire to rebel against her into oblivion. "That's better," Shion murmured, shifting to grind her thigh between Yayoi's legs, drawing a tiny squeak from her. The fierce gleam in the blonde's eyes told Yayoi she'd won and lost at the same time, and she relaxed further into their bed, eyes flickering at another deliberate assault beneath the covers as one of Shion's hands abandoned her wrist and snaked down her stomach.
Shion disappeared under the comforter, Yayoi's hands quickly chasing her soft hair to find purchase as a burning sigh seared into her core.
"You can pay me back later. Just you and then sleep, Yayoi," Shion murmured, leaving no space for argument as she planted a tactical kiss on the inside of Yayoi's thigh. The latter was unable to suppress an impatient groan as she spread her legs wider to allow her lover better access to her. "Always so willing," Shion teased, looking up at the woman coming apart above her. "This might be the most vanilla we've been in months," she observed. A frustrated Yayoi tugged insistently on Shion's hair, each syllable sending tiny electric shockwaves up her abdomen. Shion snickered inwardly as she caved to the brunette's desire, dragging her tongue roughly across one of her favorite places to pay worship to her girlfriend's body. When Yayoi started to buck lightly beneath her ministrations, Shion pulled away, earning an irritated huff from above.
"Restraint, Love. Do you need me to get out the cuffs? You'd like that, though, wouldn't you?" She nipped at the soft skin at Yayoi's right hip, a desperate whimper the only answer to Shion's practically rhetorical question. She bombarded Yayoi with sudden kisses and swipes of her tongue, completely decimating any chance of the Enforcer keeping herself in one piece. She lifted her hips off the mattress and her breath hitched in her throat before releasing in a barely human-sounding groan as she crumbled into an uncontrollable heap of shivering, twitching limbs. Shion watched as Yayoi rode out her climax, smiling warmly down at the only person she ever wanted to be with like this ever again. She pressed a grounding palm firmly down onto Yayoi's center, quieting the violent aftershocks of her orgasm.
"Sleepy?" the blonde smiled. Yayoi barely nodded her assent. "Good. Goodnight, Love." She leaned down and pecked Yayoi on the cheek, brushing her sweat-soaked hair out of her face.
"Good morning, koishii," Yayoi panted. The contented hum from Shion solidified Yayoi's defeat against the weight in her eyelids as she pulled the blankets closer to her chin.
"Good girl," Shion grinned, moving to stand and make her way to the shower.
Something had shifted between Ginoza and Maekawa, but Akane couldn't put her finger on what it could be. After several conversations with Gino, it was fairly obvious that their relationship was more than platonic, but she was never able to catch anything physical between them. Perhaps it was just her mind projecting what she wanted to see onto the two of them. Yeah, they were Enforcers, so yeah, they didn't have much of a social life considering their practical imprisonment within the Bureau, but damnit, at least they could walk around the Tower and do regular things together like normal people, unlike certain individuals who had SYBIL on their tail and a secret, conspiratorial agenda. She shook her head, breaking the intense glare she'd cast down at her keyboard.
"Did you hear a word I just said, Akane?" Ginoza searched her face, worry furrowing his brow. "Are you alright?"
"Sorry, Gino, I'm fine. Just thinking. What were you saying?"
Ginoza ducked closer to her.
"Another letter, Akane. There's another letter. But this one's only got a few things written on it… Looks to be coordinates and a date and time. This afternoon at 3pm."
Akane had to look around to even remember who was on shift with her. Just Gino and Maekawa, then. She glanced down at the paper in Ginoza's hand.
"Have Shion run the numbers and get Yayoi up. I'll call Inspector Shimotsuki. Tsubame, go tell Hinakawa he needs to be up and ready to go in three hours. We've got an invitation, it seems."
"I don't like it," Gino protested.
"It's not your job to not like it, Gino," Akane corrected, apologetically. "We can't just do nothing. I get the feeling it's what he wants. So fine then, let's go hear him out, huh?"
Ginoza shook his head, glancing over at Tsubame, who stood conflicted between her desk chair and the door. Gino nodded to her and she tore out of the room en route to the Division One suite.
"I hope you know what you're doing, Inspector."
"That makes two of us," Akane sighed with a shrug. She hadn't seen Kogami in a week and a half since he'd shown up unannounced at her apartment. She hoped it was because he'd rethought his plan and had decided to lay low. Apparently that was too much to hope for. She dreaded the meeting SYBIL might want to demand of her if they discovered she knew it was him. They'd kill her for sure.
Against Shimotsuki's better judgement, Akane decided it best to leave the paddy wagon at HQ and load the Enforcers into the Inspectors' personal vehicles.
"The last time we went in, guns blazing, it started a riot. The coordinates point us to the mall in the middle of downtown. We're not taking the cruisers, and the paddy wagon is even more obvious."
Shimotsuki rolled her eyes, but could offer no counterpoints. They loaded into the cars in the garage and headed for the mall. In favor of efficiency, they broke off into squads, Akane assigning Tsubame and Hinakawa to go with her grumpy and agitated coworker.
"You guys run the perimeter on the mezzanine. If you see anything, radio in and we'll cover the ground. Hinakawa, get your holos ready to create a distraction. Tsubame, keep an eye out for anyone with a motorcycle helmet. Got it?"
The two nodded and headed for the escalators, Mika following begrudgingly behind them. Akane turned to her ground team.
Don't go so far away you can't see me. We need to comb this place through, but I don't want to be too far away to help like last time."
"Yes, Inspector," Yayoi affirmed. She slipped through a wall of teenage mall patrons, eyes scanning the crowd.
"Ginoza?" Akane waved a hand in front of the Enforcer. She followed his gaze up a level to the brunette running along the railing of the mezzanine. He snapped back to attention as her hand crossed his line of vision.
"S-sorry," he smiled sheepishly, anxiety pouring off of him.
"You can't protect her if you don't focus. You know that. I'm pretty sure you told me something like that once."
"Back when I was wise and all-knowing. Yes, I'm sure I did," he sighed, scratching his head. "He wouldn't hurt them, would he?"
She shook her head.
"He knows it's not their fault. They don't make the rules. They just pull the trigger. Just like he used to do. Don't worry." Despite her words, she felt the knot settle in her stomach. Akane trusted Shinya, more than she trusted herself even, but she didn't know anything about these "associates" he'd spoken of. Would they be as understanding of the people SYBIL used as tools to secure its reign?
"Nothing unusual in the Northern wing. I'm headed back your way." Shimotsuki's voice snapped both of them to attention. Ginoza nodded to Akane before disappearing down the giant hallway, narrowly avoiding being trampled by a group of University students parading out of a shop entrance. It occurred to Akane for the first time that the three major colleges in the immediate vicinity were all on holiday.
"He could be trying to incite another riot. There are a lot of young people here. They tend to be more pliable as far as their hues go." Akane began scanning the faces around her as she hissed into her earpiece. She hoped she didn't look too conspicuous. She'd at least had the foresight to have them all change into casual clothing in the car.
"Great," Ginoza grumbled. She could imagine the contempt on his face for his former best friend. This would make their jobs much more difficult. The Inspector and her lookouts met up unexpectedly at the far end of the food court. The marquee and the jumbotron at the center of the room reminded them disturbingly of their last encounter with their mysterious helmeted instigator.
"Akane, there's a helmeted individual at your four o'clock," Shimotsuki radioed.
"And one at your six, Gino," Hinakawa's report chimed.
"I can see one too, over by the shaved ice stand," Yayoi murmured, not looking at either of her companions who stood casually apart.
"What the Hell," Ginoza cursed. He reached his hand into his jacket to grab the grip of his concealed Dominator. Yayoi's hand found its way into the backpack she'd slung over her shoulder to hide her weapon.
"Do NOT draw your Dominators," a male voice buzzed in their ears. Akane, Ginoza, and Yayoi froze, eyes darting around, trying to determine which concealed figure was Kogami. They all looked incredibly similar.
"How is he…" Shimotsuki wondered.
"Tsubame!" Ginoza's heart jumped to his throat.
"Shimotsuki, where is Enforcer Maekawa?"
"Shit. Maekawa?" Kogami looked down at the dark haired Enforcer.
Up on the Mezzanine, around a corner near a custodial closet, Kogami had grabbed whom he recognized as one of the new Enforcers from the college riot and taken her earpiece. She looked up at him, wide-eyed and hyperventilating, his hand over her mouth, as the voice of the man began bouncing around and ringing bells in her mind. She'd heard his voice before, but she couldn't place it.
"What've you done with Maekawa?" Shimotsuki demanded. Kogami removed the earpiece, muttering to himself. He looked down at his captive.
"Stay calm. It's alright. I'm not going to hurt you. You're safe." You're safe now. We're going to get you help. Mr. Masaoka is going to take you out to our car, okay? He's going to keep everyone else away from you. You're going to be okay. When she seemed to settle down, he dropped his hand away from her face and loosened his grip across her torso.
"M… Mr. Kogami?" she whispered.
"Shh… It's a secret."
"But… Why?"
He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small electronic box, a piece of paper taped to the back.
"Give this to Ginoza. Don't tell Akane about it. This can only work if she doesn't know everything. SYBIL will figure it out. Gino's hue is already compromised. They won't suspect him if he darkens from this."
"O-okay…"
"Sorry for grabbing you. I'm sure it caused you more stress than I intended to inflict. I apparently have that effect on people. I'm actually really glad to see you alive."
"Y-you're planning to use m-me as a human sh-shield, aren't y-you?" She glared at him, her breathing steadying.
"Just for a sec," he promised.
"Fantastic." She glanced over in the direction of her least favorite Inspector. "Y-you know she'll shoot me, right?"
"That's why I'm going to put you between me and Ginoza. I want to see if Shimotsuki's Dominator will register me. I don't think Akane would aim hers at me." He pushed her out onto the balcony, a pistol to her head.
"And if Shimotsuki's gun does regis-ster you?"
"I haven't thought that far ahead yet," he chuckled. A cold chill ran down her spine