Welcome to chapter 3. WARNING: This chapter contains scenes of a violent nature, sexual assault, under age exploitation and abuse. This chapter will also flag a trigger warning. So please, if you are sensitive to any of these warnings, do not read this chapter. I hope you enjoy.

There was a call an hour after Tsunemori had gotten out of the shower. Ginoza was on the other end, explaining that it seems that they now have two hackers on the line. The one who is dangerous, and the one they would've met eventually due to questioning.

She had called herself 'Locus' over the net. She was nationally famous for sending the M.W.P.S.B correct documentation that sent a lot of people to the institute for murders, or they ended up as gloop for the same reasons. Tsunemori had heard about, 'Locus'. She was clever, she knew that much. She wasn't doing this for the thrill of it. She was doing it because she felt like she had to. Sometimes she saw the M.W.P.S.B suffering, not able to move on from a case due to a clue or something along those lines. She would help, and up until now she had been untraceable.

Tsunemori read the short file that, 'Locus' had sent them. It did not shock her that she was who she was. After all, her IQ was off the charts. But the thing that shocked Tsunemori most, is why she had suddenly come out of the dark corner she had been hiding in for years now.

The file contained her identification, and proof that she was that person. She had also written a letter, containing an apology for keeping her identity a secret for so long. But she was shy to come out and interact with Division 1 and the rest of M.W.P.S.B due to her way of thinking. Also, she didn't like being around people she didn't know for too long. It made her feel paranoid and full of anxiety. She explained why she was suddenly coming out as well. That she was who she was. "I want to help with this case, because a hacker can always find a hacker." She wrote. Simple enough, Tsunemori supposed.

Rheya Tastski was studying Criminology at Hongou Higher Education, the same place that Akane had been to nearly three years prior. She also studied Psychology, though Criminology was her major. She worked as a Drone technician to save money for her books and other equipment. It was a great way, she explained, to learn about computers and how things worked.

Of course, the pounding question was thrown across Division 1. What if Rheya was the hacker who sent the message? What if she was indeed lying? Tsunemori understood their concern, but in turn, she saw no doubt in what Rheya was trying to achieve. She promised the higher office though, that she would keep an eye on her.

Tsunemori arrived at Hongou with Ginoza at 9 AM. She hadn't eaten, and the smell of familiar cafeteria food made her stomach clench and rumble. She made a mental note to bring snack bars with her at all times.

Inside the school, she found nothing to have changed. Everything was as it was before. The same shining white floors and cream walls, the same gleaming windows and the same delicious smelling food. Fried food sounded wonderful at that time, luckily, they were serving breakfast. She asked Ginoza if he wanted anything, he smiled and replied that a bagel and coffee would be appreciated.

She felt like a student again, being greeted by the same staff as before. Who served her a fried breakfast of pancakes, bacon, eggs and syrup. She paid for both her and Ginoza's food, carrying the tray swiftly to the table they chose by a window. Tsunemori felt a lot better than she had this morning, memories from a happier time clouded the depressing ones. And fried foods always made her feel better. Even if it was just a little.

Ginoza poured the coffee from the cafetiere, adding milk to both the coffees. Adding no sugar to his own. Tsunemori added three sugars to hers. He ate his breakfast bagel peacefully, acknowledging to Akane that it was one of the best ones he had ever eaten. Meanwhile she was mid-bite of a large mouthful of pancake and egg. She smiled as he gave that humoured smile he gave occasionally. For a moment, they both felt normal. Like they weren't police trying to find a hacker who could well be a murderer.

Ginoza took off his glasses, putting them in his case and sighed. "I wonder what this prodigy hacker has found for us." He picked up his coffee, "I ponder in general if she is trying to help us, or just herself." He looked at her as he took a sip, waiting for an answer.

Tsunemori swallowed her bite of food before placing the cutlery on her plate. She sipped her coffee, and then spoke. "Tastski wants to help. I am not obliged to think of anything unless she shows me that I need to be worried. If she wants to deceive us, then soon enough that deception will show. No one can keep those sorts of secrets for too long, they always come out in the end."

"What if we're too late? To see the deception, if it were to happen?" He asked.

She rested back in her seat, "I don't know. I haven't thought that far yet."

"Excuse me," a voice mumbled behind them. They snapped their heads in the direction of the voice. They were met by a girl of average height with forest green eyes, and a worryingly pale complexion. Her hair was dark and long, reaching her waist. It was layered choppily and her fridge was full, but was tamed by being roughly cut. Her clothes were from sibyl authenticated charity shops, they looked like 1960's clothing, from what Tsunemori remembered from watching 60's movies online a few times. Her waistcoat was made of thick wool, a deep reddish brown with a button up floral shirt underneath that's background was a tea stained yellow. Her jeans were the only thing new, they were a light blue with rips at the knees.

But her eyebrows were silver. She was naturally white haired, like an albino.

"My name is Rheya Tastski. You know me as Locus." Her voice was formal. She sounded like she had to rehearse that line over and over.

Ginoza raised a brow, just as confused by her appearance as Tsunemori was. It was like she was a girl born in the old world. Before Psycho-Passes and gender-equality were operated. How this girl knew how to fix and modernise Drone equipment and still bare the name 'Locus' was beyond any of their comprehension.

Tsunemori snapped out of the confusion first, standing up and shaking her hand that she took with second thoughts. It seems she didn't like to be touched, or that she didn't trust Tsunemori enough to allow her to touch her. But out of courtesy, she shook her hand. But shortly.

Tsunemori hoped that she learned to trust Rheya as much as Rheya probably wanted to trust Tsunemori.

"Akane Tsunemori, Inspector from M. W. P. S. B. This is Nobuchika Ginoza, Enforcer from M. W. P. S. B. " She waved towards Ginoza who nodded curtly. "Thank you, for … well, showing your face."

"Pleasure is all mine." She nodded curtly back, sitting at the table. She put her bag on the table, it was brown and leather. Old. It smelt like old people as she opened it. From inside the bag she brought out a tablet. Turning it back on from snooze mode and connecting a keyboard to the bottom. A new model, which was the complete opposite of her.

"I will be blunt, I was debating on not turning up. But you would've found me anyway, and I would be in a holding cell, being asking monotonous questions that would bore me to the high heavens. I am lucky, I understand, to not be arrested. After all, I am a hacker. I have breached many security walls, and hacked into banks to pay for my rent. That is all obvious. To me, I did nothing wrong, however, in participating in any of these activities. I needed to hack into your database to throughly research each and every one of you. To do my best in finding each suspect I ended up finding for you, resulting in justice being pursued. Which, is why I did the latter. Hack into banks. I can't do it all for free, I see it as a way you can pay me for my troubles. Even if you didn't ask me for help, I still did. From my own time." She eyed them, whilst she had been speaking, she had been tapping away at the keyboard. She was busy. "I enjoy the puzzles, the cryptic language that each of your cases seemingly bring along with them. It is dazzling, to see another mind-boggling puzzle come into my view. And this time, I can find the person who has been annoying me for years."

"The other hacker," Tsunemori said. Of course, the other hacker would annoy other hackers. Stealing their fun and the thunder that came with hacking. "You know who it is." As for the other things that Tastski has admitted too, well in reality she was correct in what she was saying. Tsunemori accepted it, and moved on.

Tastski stopped typing for a moment, looking up at Tsunemori and raised her brow. As if she had said the most idiotic thing she could possibly utter. "Hackers never know each others identities unless you trust them with your life." She said simply, "Think about it, we're consistently being threatened of being found. Most hackers have clouded Psycho-Passes. We never ask for our real names. We know each other by code only."

Tsunemori understood, she nodded and started eating again. "So you know their code?" She asked, mid mouthful.

Tastski watched her eat, as if intrigued. "Yes, I do."

Ginoza sipped on his coffee, "Well don't leave us in suspense."

She glared at him, her eyes would have been red if they could match her mood. Tsunemori did not think her to be insane, rather easily rattled. But not in the usual hot headed manner. Tastski moved quietly, spoke quietly, intelligently. Each of her movements were calculated and deliberated before they were done. Akane could tell that every time Tastski spoke to one of them, it took all of her efforts just to speak to them. She didn't like people. Being around them apparently annoyed her. It was probably why she was so match-made to computers. They did your command without asking questions.

"The hackers name is Sphinx. I have no idea of their identification, like I explained beforehand. I do not know if they're boy or girl… or even cyborg." She explained, picking her bag up again and brought from it a flask. She used the lid as a cup as she poured fruit tea into it. "Sphinx is better than me in hacking. He or she can edit footage in seconds so no one notices the changes. They pre-plan everything. Everything is preconceived. Sphinx's signature move is adding puzzles in their work. They despise anything being boring."

She received a packed breakfast from bag, she got out a fork and dug into her egg fried rice and left over honey fried chicken and sipped her tea. "Though I enjoy puzzles myself, I dislike including them in my work. I find it tedious. I would rather someone who I am helping to find the clues instantly."

Ginoza had been writing down the information about Sphinx as Tastski went on. Sending it to Sho, most likely. Tastski watched him and sighed, "You have questions, don't you Tsunemori?"

"I think having questions is logical in this condition." She replied, she had finally finished her food. "Quite honestly, I am more curious as to why you dislike Sphinx so much."

She smirked, "Because, it'll be fun." She smiled fully, "Plus, Sphinx killed a person. That isn't how I think things should be done." In other words, she could hack into a bank to pay her rent, but killing people was too far.

Ginoza raised a brow and shook his head, Tsunemori nodded lightly and stood up. "Then come with us back to the office. I have already spoken with my boss, and she is acceptant of you helping us on the account that if you hack outside the help you give us on this case. You will be arrested. Understand?"

Rheya watched her, eyes blank. There was something about how she looked at you that disturbed Tsunemori. It reminded her of Makishima. That cold calculative stare that could slice you open if it wanted to. It could find all of your secrets and leave you bleed dry. Rheya was hiding something, but at the moment, Tsunemori wasn't sure if she was ready to find out what that thing was.

Things are set. You know where he is.

V

She was sitting in the cold outside. It had been sleeting today. It reminded her of home.

She wasn't looking forward today, she didn't want to work today.

The usual skip in her step had vanished, replacing it was a light step that was slow and prickly.

The house was in the countryside, outside was cold and wet. Inside looked warm and inviting. Her face looked sad for a moment, she missed places feeling like that. Warm and inviting, homely and nurturing.

She brought out the devise, putting it to the garage door. It opened silently, the door had recently been oiled. She slipped inside, blending into the darkness that the outside brought with it.

No one heard her, she was always silent. Easily undetected. They didn't have the car inside the garage, which seemed odd to her. Not dwelling on it, she turned on a small light, giving her light room to work. They had a tool bench, and she had gloves on. She thought quickly of a method, it seemed logical and theatrical. It would work.

There was a folded chair in the corner, she unfolded it, checking its weight. Putting it to the side for a moment, she put her bag to the floor and opened it. Clingfilm, the industrial brand that was large in width and length. She covered the room with it. Double layering the floor.

She put the chair in the middle of the room, and she had found some rope and wire. She put up her hood and turned off the light. Picking up an old can and dropping it to the floor. It made a loud bang, toppling away from her. She silently stood behind the door. Her expression hadn't changed from sad from the time she entered the garage.

The door opened. She pulled out the crowbar from her parka pocket, she gave a blow.

"Time to work." She mumbled to herself, watching the unconscious form twitch as they bled onto the clingfilm.

Sho had shown some liking to Rheya as soon as she sat beside him, asking him about anything he knew about hacking. Due to him being an ex hologram specialist, he would have to know about coding. His face had a shade of red that repelled his already obnoxiously dark red hair. He answered softly, stuttering between each word. Tsunemori could almost see the drop of sweat at his temple. He hid his face under his hair.

Rheya spotted the gesture, she stared for a few seconds before looking back to her tablet that was placed in her lap. She was now using a stylist pen to type. Usual people usually take a while to type things up on tablets with pens, but Rheya seemed to be a pro at it. Her hand was quick, like she had calculated the moves two-seconds before and knew where she needed to go. Sho watched her, face full of admiration and surprise. She smirked under her long length of hair, she knew that he liked her.

Tougane eventually showed Rheya the evidence they had so far, she watched whilst using her fingers to tap on the tablet, writing down what he was saying to her. She could touch-type, that seemed to be her advantage. She was interested in what was in front of her. The message. So plain and simple. Tsunemori could tell that she had come up with several possibilities of the word Sphinx had put into the video footage. What it meant. What context he or she had meant it in. Once Tougane finished, she leaned back in her chair, index finger on lip.

Akane couldn't help but look at her. She was far more superior in intelligence than anyone in this room. She knew how to think, that was her bonus. She knew how to remember and save things into her mind like a file. It was a memory castle. One of the most common ways intelligent people like herself remembered anything they had learned. Build a euphoria, decorate it with those memories. Make each fragment of that castle your own memory.

It was quite simple.

"Mândrie… Romanian, obviously. But the context of the word is completely logical to any religion or country. Pride. What is pride?" She asked.

Sho blushed, "Pride in definition is; a feeling of deep pleasure or satisfaction derived from one's own achievements… or their associates achievements." He mumbled.

Tsunemori suddenly felt like she was back at school. She listened in though, to hear what the new teacher had figured out.

"Though you are correct, you are missing the point of my question." She said back, looking up at the ceiling. "Pride in many Catholic terms is a deadly sin. Right?" She looked over to Tsunemori, "Pride is something that the victim had by the bucket loads, or at least that is what I have spotted throughout the brief." She sat up in her seat, she typed on her pad for a moment. "Laius Knight was a part of a hacker organisation, am I right? In that case, let's look at that organisation itself. They stole from the rich, and fed the money they stole to the poor. In hind sight, we see that as a good deed. We do not allow ourselves to instantly see the downsides to that exploit." She flicked her eyes to Tougane, "When in reality, that act was an action of thievery. Whether or not it was for some sort of good, in the end it is all the same. They stole from people." She smirked, looking back to her tablet as she mumbled, "A person of pride would despise someone coming in and changing what they had been doing for years. Saying that the previous ways were idiotic and selfish. A person of pride would instance leave…Am I right?" She looked back to Tsunemori.

She thought for a moment, the coffee cup Tougane had given to her was warm in her hands. The fathomable truth was, Rheya was right. She saw straight into what Sphinx was doing. To her, it was probably an everyday thought. Pride. What would pride do to your life if you misused it?

That was probably the question that Sphinx was trying to ultimately answer for them.

"You stole from the bank to pay yourself for your past efforts with the M. W. P. S. B. So are you trying to say that you know how Laius Knight thought because you too are full of obnoxious pride?" When Ginoza spoke, Sho glared at him. Tsunemori guessed that the awkward boy had fallen for Rheya in seconds. Sho knew though, he couldn't even speak to Ginoza let alone stand up and defend someone he'd just met.

Rheya's smile was deadly, "I am full of pride. I just know when to not apply it to my work. To my life. Just like with any other of the sins. Even going right down to lust," Her eyes wondered to Sho for a moment, he blushed crimson. "I know when to apply it and when not to." She looked away from him, her eyes twinkling with what she just defended herself from. Pride. She wasn't shy around people like she had explained in her file this morning. Instead she just knew that she was smarter than others. She therefore saw no reason to be social around them.

A bleep from the computer on Tsunemori's desk, they all looked to it. The bleep had broken that awkwardness that seemed to now recoil in the room. She clicked on the call button, answering Karanomori was calling them. "Yes," Akane answered.

"Someone just hacked into the M.W.P.S.B database." She said quickly, but calmly. "A video file, with an attachment on it. It was a word document that had a singular word in it. Gluttony." She saw everyone's reactions and sighed, "Here I'll put it up. I had to watch it already… be warned, its pretty sickening."

Everyone stood around Tsunemori's desk, Rheya stayed the distance she was. Sho right beside her. The video file loaded, Tsunemori hit the play button on her keyboard.

Someone held the camera shakily, presenting the room that they were in. Not once seeing their face. It was all in their perspective. The room was narrow and undecorated. It didn't take long to see that the person was in a garage of sorts, considering the size, it belonged to a wealthy family or person. The room was covered in large pieces of plastic or clingfilm. It reflected the two lights that were on the ceiling. The person holding the camera put it on a tripod, positioning it to point directly to someone slouched in a foldable chair.

The person behind the camera threw water on him. He snorted and gargled as he awoke, it was obvious that he was tied to the chair. He couldn't move from where he was sitting. "Wh-Where am I?"

"Home sweet home." The voice spoke, disorientated by a device of sorts. It sounded doubled over itself, with a deep back tone and in places a high one. It was still clear

The victim blinked several times, there was blood and water in his eyes. It was obvious that the man in the chair had been hit over the head with a blunt object. Hence the blood. "Who are you?" He mumbled, slipping back into unconsciousness.

"No no!" The voice said playfully, a figure went in front the camera, showing that they were slapping him awake with leather gloves on. "You must stay awake. You won't see the film if you do."

"F-Film?" He muttered.

"Yes." They said in reply. "A film about you!" They excelled their playfulness. Tsunemori sat uncomfortably in her chair. What was going to be in this film?

"I don't understand…" he trailed. They slapped him again, hard.

"You will!" They said too sweetly, "If you manage to stay awake, if you don't watch, I will snap your next so that you have too, okay?" Again, they spoke playfully. Never aggressively.

The man was crying, "O-okay!" They managed to say in reply.

The figure left the frame, rummaging around off screen for a while before they heard something electronic groan awake. "Thank you for letting me use this Tv." They said.

"So much planning…" Ginoza whispered.

He was right, this person had planned this for weeks. You could tell by the amount of detail they had come up with. The clingfilm, the camera, the use of the TV which she guessed a film will be shown on. Meaning a disk had to be made as well. This victim was carefully chosen, just like Laius.

"Okay! Rolling!" The voice said before going silent.

They didn't see the images on the film themselves, but that wasn't the point. The person behind the camera wanted the M.W.P.S.B see the reactions of this victim. Or was he a suspect?

"Leo…I want you to be a good boy and kiss that man, okay?" the voice of the man who was suddenly electronic. His voice no sounding like it was echoing. He was on the film.

"But… why Mr. Halls?" A young boy replied to his order. He seemed so young. And it didn't take long for any of the group to realise what the person behind the camera was showing them.

The man was named Mr. Halls, and he was the man telling a kid to kiss someone possibly older than him. He was filming child pornography…

It wasn't long before the sound of a grown man grunt in pleasure, and the screams of a child filled the room from the recording. Tsunemori could feel her gut tighten, and her breakfast make an appearance at the back of her throat. The bile burned like pure acid. She put a hand to her mouth, watching the victim cry and scream for the cameraman to turn off the tape. Begging him. Pleading for him to turn it off, saying he didn't know what the cameraman wanted. It was apparently a different man on the tape.

The cameraman did not turn off the TV, he just lowered the volume. He walked to the victim and patted his hair. Like a dog. He was treating him like an animal. "But he said your name, right? Mr. Halls?" The voice spoke, the voice disorientation had changed now. To another pitch. Emotional. "He is begging for you to stop that man taking his innocence… And you ignored him." A high pitched scream came from the TV. "He didn't agree to this, did he?"

The man looked up at the cameraman, "I am not a monster." He tried pleading again, rectifying his actions. "Those children… I took care of them, fed them, clothed them. I just ask them to do favours!"

"Favours…" The cameraman slapped him hard again, "I will do you a favour now… and make you feel like the monster that you are. Monster." Tsunemori for once saw a glance of a parka, thick, man tailored. He was wearing baggy clothing. All black, and a balaclava.

He didn't want to be seen, just heard.

The suspect grabbed Mr. Halls's hair, the old man screamed as the suspect jerked his head forward, a click was heard. "Now you have to watch the TV. I saw you look away. I know you secretly like it, so go ahead, look."

"N-No…" The suspect grunted and jerked his head further forward. "Please, no!" The victim yelled.

"No.. No…" The suspect said, in a trance. "That child is screaming no, but did you listen to him?"

The Victim gulped, "I would've…"

"No." The suspect shook his head, "You wouldn't have. Because you like little boys being fucked. You like it. I can see." He pointed to his crotch, which sure enough, was showing a bulge. He was arroused.

Sho gulped, "What a sick guy."

"Yes." Tsunemori could only find that word in her brain at that moment. She felt rage, confusion and exhaustion flow through her. He's going to torture him… She thought to herself.

"Mr. Halls, look at the screen. I will staple your eyes open if you don't." The suspect said softly.

The victim sobbed, "Please… I am a man of God. God will protect me."

It was apparent, that this set something off in the suspect. It clicked and suddenly, the victim was stabbed in the lung with a pen that the suspect picked up hurriedly off the side of the tool table beside them. The victim yelled violently. Thrashing in the chair back and forth, to escape, to live. The suspect grabbed him, using his knee to push the pen in further. The victim yelled, screamed and gargled. Blood poured from his mouth. But he didn't die.

"You think you are a man of God! I spit on you!" The suspect didn't spit on him, but he did kick the pen into his lung almost completely. "Men of God love peace, tranquility and respect the youth!" He yelled, slapping him repeatedly, soon after those slaps turned into punches. The victim only grunted now. Blood oozed from his wound. Soon a puddle had formed on the floor covered in cling film. "They do not get little boys to suck cock!" He managed to break the victim's nose, causing him to whimper.

"You are full of gluttony. You beg for more and more of the things that make you feel full of life. Like food but only better. Men like you deserve fate worse than death!"

"Ssss-ooo, you wil-ll not k-ehhll me?" The Vicar looked up in hope. His eyes twinkling with tears and blood.

The suspect chuckled, "I will kill you, with you thinking of the children who's lives you ruined." The suspect suddenly spun him around. The Vicar started to cry, the suspect looked at him. Tsunemori knew his gaze was likely to be a gaze of disgust. "Here, let's have the audience look."

The suspect moved to the camera, moving the tripod so that they could all see what they were seeing once more. Pictures, hundreds of them… of children. All of them had little white crosses underneath them…

"They're dead…" Tougane whispered, his face paler than usual, his eyes wide in shock.

"All of the children…" Ginoza whispered, joining in the conversation. "They killed them all after…"

Tsunemori nodded, "Yes." Again it was the only word she could say.

Yayoi had crept in at some point, she was able to mutter with stress in her voice, "How did no one know?" She sniffed, she was crying. Yayoi was crying. "How did we not know… his Psycho-Pass…" She put her hand to her mouth, trying not to gag. "I've already watched this…I can't…" She left, storming out of the room.

Tsunemori wished she joined her.

It was when the suspect picked up a chainsaw and looked into the camera, and said, "And now… for a crimson bath…" The chainsaw suddenly rattled and spluttered. Its roar filling of everyone in the room.

In short, he sliced Vicar Halls's head right off. The blood spray and glued to the clingfilm on the walls. Dripping down to the floor below. Once the head was off, the suspect dipped his finger into the blood before writing in capitals.

SPHINX - 2 M.W.P.S.B - 0

That was when the video ended, and Sho ran from the room. Only just making outside before he threw up whatever lunch he had eaten beforehand. Tsunemori watched the blank screen, seeing a familiar static tag on the top it. This time, she was able just to click it. Another word document came up… it was a quote.

Judgement through purity…Purity from the innocent.

First of all, I hope I did not offend anyone in this chapter. I know it is a touchy subject, but I thought gluttony suited this sort of thing without sounding too unoriginal. But other wise, I hope you enjoyed the chapter. Next chapter may be a little later due to college kicking up a notch in its coursework. So I hope to see you all soon. Remember to leave a review :) See ya. (Also, while you wait you can read Fathoming Constellations, which is a Lolu Fairy Tail fic of mine. It is almost finished, so, you can have that whilst I am away.)