The Transparent Red
A bottle of red wine. A clean wineglass. A cold apartment. A job that had its risks. A jelly secretary. Five co-workers. Three precious people that are now gone from the world. Two Sybil matches that was faithfully rejected by herself. And a holo picture of the man she hasn't seen in years. Those were the things she had left.
Pouring the wine into her glass, Akane picked up swirling the red liquid against the glass for a moment of peace and remembrance. Her grandmother loved red wine back in her days as a woman.
The detective quietly mused on the color of the liquid.
Like blood. Like anger. Like passion.
An aggressive color.
What color are you? A faint voice whispered in her mind.
Clear as crystal. Replied a voice similar to that of Ginoza-san's. Pushing the interminably stygian thoughts away from her mind, Akane focused on pouring more alcohol down her throat before setting the empty wineglass back on her table. Leaning against the newly repaired wall, Akane closed her eyes and thought of the most recent events.
Hinakawa becoming less and less dependent on his drugs.
Ginoza-san get injured again on their last case.
Yayoi was stable with her polite coolness.
Shion was still playful as ever.
Shimotsuki still being rash.
Saiga enjoying his coffee while casually picking out her subtle mind.
The holo photograph…
She could still replay it in her mind like a record even though it was for only a short moment in time.
Kogami-san…
His hair had grown a little. His rigid posture remained the same. His demanding frame reminded her of a soldier out on the battlefield which technically he was.
The picture reminded her of its cost. The price for seeing him once again, though she prayed that it would never come to that- but prayers were worthless in their line of work, and it was the end game.
She'd after to shoot him. The man she once respected and sought after had turned into a terrorist. Those words weren't accompanied by any aggressive emotion, just a cold hard equanimity.
With a shake of her head, Akane pulled up the files she would need for her journey to Shambala float. Now wasn't the time to regress her thoughts or lament about her past relationship with the ex-Enforcer. She had a job to do, and she would fulfill it to the very end.