Hinakawa liked Tsunemori. It was a simple fact. It was obvious. The Inspector was, after all, the first to put her faith in him, the one who never doubted his abilities as an Enforcer, and the one who'd made him feel like an actual human again, not just a shell of "what-could-have-been's" left to rot in a painfully white cell.

She smiled at him too, and treated him like an equal. The other inspector was so unlike Nee-san that he couldn't believe they shared the same position. Or maybe Akane nee-chan was the one different. B-but that wasn't bad! Tsunemori-nee was the best inspector there ever could be. If his psycho-pass hadn't gone bad, he'd have wished for someone like nee-chan to be his hundred percent match! Maybe.

In fact, being with her wasn't entirely impossible. Latent criminals were forbidden to marry, but there was nothing that prevented Enforcers from having relationships. Kunizuka-san and Karanomori-san were so obvious, he silently wondered why Shimotsuki Kanshikan even tried…SO! So...it wasn't completely impossible for him.

Well…

That could have worked if it weren't for one thing.

"That was completely and utterly reckless, Tsunemori!"

Here they go again. In came everyone's favorite brunette, (it wasn't Shimotsuki, of course) tailed by her own personal worrywart, and Kunizuka-san a little further behind. Hinakawa suddenly caught a whiff of smoke. Had nee-san been smoking again?

"Nee-san. Nii-san. Kunizuka-san."

Hinakawa received a nod from Kunizuka, a pat on the head from his nee-san but the ridiculously tall man was too preoccupied with reprimanding the inspector that he couldn't acknowledge the redhead.

"Tsunemori!"

The brunette merely sat at her desk, her countenance saying she completely tuned out the Enforcer's voice.

Hinakawa turned back to his computer and resumed tapping on his tablet. It was always like this anyway. He heard the other male Enforcer in the room sigh.

"Akane."

Another sigh. This time from the inspector.

"Ginoza-san. We've been over this. You know as well as I do that my hue won't cloud over something like that."

True. Nee-san's hue is always powder blue.

"That's not what I'm angry about and you know it."

The red head continued to type away, ears slightly more alert. W-would nee-san get mad i-if he was eavesdropping? But they both knew he was here, right? So it was fine, wasn't it?

Another exasperated exhale.

"Then what—"

"Don't you dare try to throw yourself into a fire again!"

The junior enforcer suddenly hoped his seniors didn't notice the sudden jerk of his shoulders, or the widening of his uncovered eye. Akane did what? F-fire?

"There were still people in there, Ginoza-sa—"

The tall man slammed his hand on the table.

"But in no way does that mean you should compromise your life!"

The petite woman stood with a start, her chair scuttling away from the force.

"It is my job to protect the people!"

She glared up at the ponytailed man, seething through her teeth. She moved to push him away, but he caught her hand before she could. When she flinched, he gently pushed the sleeve of her jacket up to her elbow, his eyes widening with shock at what he saw.

"And it is mine to protect you."

Ginoza's anger seemed to just dissipate into the air like it hadn't existed, and it was replaced by genuine, deep concern.

"Where else?" the man asked, voice full of guilt.

"They're just minor burns, they won't affect—"

"Where. Else." he demanded slowly.

When she didn't reply, he pulled her along by the hand he was already holding.

"G-Ginoza-san!"

The two other forgotten enforcers followed the pair with their eyes.

"Where are we going?"

Green eyes shot her with an undecipherable look. It appalled the man how much she neglected her own health.

"The infirmary."

With that, the door shut behind them, cutting off whatever conversation they were having from the two enforcers on duty.

After a few moments of quiet, the ponytailed lady stood up, explaining to Hinakawa her whereabouts with one word.

"Karanomori."

The redhead nodded, and decided to take it easy himself, so he pulled out a bunch of drugs and a bowl of rice. He was pretty early for his shift anyway.

Nee-san was really pretty, and the best inspector the CID has ever had. The cases she'd solved overflowed and she's put many latent criminals into custody without having to use the Lethal Eliminator. Why she really couldn't find the time to take care of herself when she took care of an entire country, he'd never know.

His nee-san arrived in bandages, followed by Ginoza, whose worrying tick must have finally been satiated.

It hadn't even been a full minute before the alarms blared.

Ginoza cursed as the inspector began to rush out of the room, asking Hinakawa where Kunizuka was, but deciding they could do without her.

Gino grabbed her hand to stop her.

"It's almost Shimotsuki's shift. She should already be here. Let her handle it."

The inspector's eyes flew to the clock. 20 minutes.

"It'll be over by then," she smirked, and the towering Enforcer was reminded of the brilliant detective who'd deserted them.

Akane…

Ginoza didn't argue, knowing he couldn't convince her to stay. He sighed and motioned to Hinakawa.

"Let's go."

….

They arrived at the scene five minutes later since it wasn't really too far off, and were faced with a man with a gun.

"C-come any closer and I-I'll shoot!"

Akatsubaki Yukio. Aged 37. Used to be part of a mining company. Recently fired due to failure to notice instability in the foundations he built which caused one of the mines to collapse on his colleagues.

An accident turned him like this, huh?

Crime coefficient is 207.9. He is a target for enforcement action. The safety will be released.

Enforcement mode is Non-lethal Paralyzer. Aim carefully and disable the target.

Akane found herself filled with relief. At least this time it wouldn't end with someone getting killed.

"I was just trying to do my job! And now Sibyl is going to lock me in a cell?!"

"Put the gun down, Akatsubaki-san. We only want to help you," Akane voiced.

This could still be solved by persuasion.

The police lowered their Dominators.

For a second she thought he'd surrender, but it only took that same second for him to raise his gun and point it at them.

Shit!

"Tsunemori!"

Before anything could happen, Ginoza was in front of her, deflecting wild bullets with his cyborg arm.

Hinakawa sighed with relief. She was okay.

"Hinakawa! Shoot now!" Tsunemori ordered, watching the latent criminal's crime coefficient climb. Any later and Sibyl will kill him.

The redhead nodded and pulled the trigger, but the man didn't fall to the ground, paralyzed.

"YOU SHOT ME! YOU SHOT ME! I THOUGHT YOU WERE HERE TO HELP!"

Target's threat judgement updated. Enforcement mode is Lethal Eliminator.

Damn it! He was on stimulants!

Akatsubaki watched in horror as the three Dominators that pointed at him morphed into terrifying killing machines.

"AHHH! I DON'T WANT TO DIE! LEAVE ME ALONE!"

Suddenly, the area was filled with a blinding white light, and a piercing hollow sound struck their ears.

A flashbang grenade?!

By the time they regained their senses, Akatsubaki was gone.

Akane pulled out her communicator, blinking away the spots in her eyes.

"Karanomori-san, do you hear me?"

"Hai. Hai. What do you need, Akane-chan?"

"Get drones to block his path from the north, evacuate and isolate the area. Hinakawa! Intercept him from the right! Ginoza-san, take the left! Surround him at the next intersection. We're not letting him get away."

"Ryoukai!"

The two enforcers nodded at their Inspector's orders and ran after the deranged man.

How the hell did a miner get a flashbang grenade?

"Drones are on their way, Akane-chan."

Karanomori's voice shook her from her thoughts.

Capture now, interrogate later.

"Arigato, Karanomori-san. Direct us to the target, please."

A map popped up on Akane's communicator, showing her the whereabouts of her two enforcers and their runaway criminal. Good. At the next intersection, he'll be completely surrounded!

"Target located. Approaching intersection point."

Ginoza's voice resounded through her earpiece. This was good, he couldn't get away now. All they had to do was calm him down just a little bit and he'd still have a chance.

Sure enough, Akatsubaki found himself flanked on his sides by the two enforcers, by drones behind, and by Akane in front.

Her voice was soothing but stern.

"Please surrender, Akatsubaki-san. We really just want to help. If you don't, this gun will kill you."

The familiar words made her eyes widen, and she felt like the naïve junior inspector she was years ago.

The man made a noise like a whimpering dog, and stumbled over his own feet. He tried to scurry backwards, but the drones blocked his path.

"Y-you're all at fault!"

In one swift motion, he pulled out an explosive and chucked it right at the inspector in front of him.

"Akane!"

"Nee-san!"

The world exploded around them, and all they could see was fire.

…

Akane opened her eyes to the smell of burning skin. She found herself safe and unhurt, pinned under the man that had just saved her life.

He wasn't moving.

Alarm brought her to her senses and she gently flipped him off her onto his side.

"Ginoza-san? Ginoza-san!"

No.

Nononononono….

Oh God…

No.

No, please, no…

She pressed her ear to his chest in panic, eyes wide and terrified, and felt her own heartbeat slowing only when she heard his. A breath of relief escaped her lips.

Nngh.

The man stirred, clutching at his left side. The fabric of his suit was burnt off, and while his cyborg arm couldn't feel any pain, the burns that ran down his back and side hurt like hell. He still sat up. The criminal was still on the loose right?

"Are you all right Tsunemo—"

Her name died in his throat when he saw her. She wasn't hurt—thank God—but her eyes were brimming with tears. Was she hurt after all? Perhaps he hurt her old burns when he tackled her.

"—ri…" She wrapped her arms around his neck, because oh god, she thought he'd died. She thought she'd lost yet another person who meant so much to her like Yuki...and Obaa-chan and...Oh God. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. He's alive, thank you.

The Enforcer had wide eyes. How should he react? What an odd situation. He was the one hurt, and yet she was the one being comforted. His good arm snaked around her back uncertainly, then firmly, angry at himself for making her worry.

"S-S-Surrender, A-Akatsubaki-san." Hinakawa stuttered, his Dominator touching the back of the runaway's head.

Akatsubaki was too distracted by the actions of the man in front of him, who could only have been a few years younger than himself. He saw it all happen. Right when he threw the bomb, the Enforcer sprinted towards the young woman, bearing the flames of the explosion to protect her.

That was impossible. He had to have been running at an unattainable speed. The young woman was holding him like there was no tomorrow, like how Akatsubaki's own wife held him when she'd heard of the mine accident, saying she was so glad he was safe and unharmed, with love in her eyes he knew he didn't deserve.

"Shoot me, boy."

Target's threat judgement updated. Enforcement mode is Non-lethal Paralyzer. Aim carefully and disable the target.

The redhead pulled the trigger and sighed. "M-Mission completed,"he told Karanomori-san, not really knowing how to explain what was happening.

"Twenty minutes," the analyst replied. "That's record time."

Hinakawa nodded before remembering Karanomori-san couldn't see him, and managed a shy 'yes'.

He didn't know she was watching from a small video camera on the building behind him.

"Take him into custody for now, Sho-kun" she ordered lazily, taking a drag out of her cigarette. "I think we ought to leave those two alone for now," she said before turning off her mic.

"Yayoi."

"Hm?"

The analyst turned her lover to the screen, directing her attention to the crime scene.

"Hm."

The analyst almost scoffed at her lover's lack of excitement.

"When do you think he'll tell her?"

The dark-haired woman stared at the footage for a few seconds.

"Which one?"

"You know which one."

Yayoi looked at Shion, wondering why she even asked for her opinion on this.

"Never."

Karanomori raised an eyebrow at this but realized Yayoi had a point, and took a drag out of her cigarette instead.

"Why not?" she asked, crushing the piece of tobacco in the ashtray.

"Because he loves her."

Yayoi was really wise at times, irritatingly so, that she sometimes thought the woman would make a better analyst than her. She was right, painfully so, about the young couple whom Karanomori really hoped would work out. Too bad. Perhaps if Sibyl never existed...but then again, if Sibyl never existed, they would never have met.

"Do you think he knows?"

"Which one? "

"You know which one."

Kunizuka thought about it for a while, the scene in Division 1's room playing back in her head.

"He does, but he denies it."

Another raised eyebrow from Shion.

Yayoi continued, "He hates himself for it."

"Why?"

"Because he realized too late, and he can never be with her anymore."

"There's a loophole—"

"But he knows she deserves so much better than him."

Shion sighed. Kunizuka was right on so many levels.

"So when do we tell the redhead?"

"About what?"

"Gino, Akane-chan, Ko...Everything. I suppose we have to tell Teppei- kun too."

Yayoi contemplated a bit.

"They'll find out on their own."

Shion sighed, lighting another cigarette.

"Yayoi?"

"Hm?" the woman voiced between a kiss.

"Which one of the two did you want for Akane-chan?

This surprised the other woman, as she stopped in the middle of removing the blonde's coat

"Odd question."

"What's not odd in this hypocritical world?"

"Touche."

Yayoi never answered after that, and the rest of their kisses were quiet.

"What an interesting way to solve a case, though."

…

When Hinakawa reentered Division 1's headquarters, Shimotsuki was already there, alienated as usual, pretending Sugo didn't exist and there was only Sibyl and her in the world.

He didn't like Shimotsuki. He wished Akane would group him with herself more often, which sadly never really seemed to be the case unless he happened to be early, like tonight.

"Where is your accompanying Inspector? Neglecting her duties as usual, I presume," the younger inspector voiced, as bad mouthed as usual.

Sho just sat down and meekly collected his things so he could rest back at his quarters. Nee-chan was probably not going to return to the office any time soon, and neither was Gino-nii.

"You answer a question when you are asked, Enforcer."

Shimotsuki's tone was more threatening, and more demeaning than the last. Flinching, he reluctantly answered.

"G-Ginoza-san is b-being treated in the infirmary, a-and N-Nee-san a-accompanied him t-there."

The inspector scoffed. "Serves you scum right. You're just lucky you have the talent to be a detective, or else you won't even deserve to ever see the light of day."

Shimotsuki cut off whatever else she had to say when Kunizuka entered the room, saying she forgot her music sheets.

Not wanting to insult the female, the young woman sat herself down. She disapproved of Tsunemori's relationship with the Enforcers, especially with that good-for-nothing former inspector, and she never like Ginoza to begin with.

This…whatever this was…was going into a report.

…

"There was another person at the scene that threw a grenade right when we had surrounded Akatsubaki. Karanomori-san is currently going through all camera footage around the area to try and find the suspect. It is disturbing how he was able to avoid detection by the scanners. This could lead to something even more serious than we had initially thought. We will be searching for where he got the flashbang and the gun as soon as I forward the information about today's case to the rest of Division 1. The investigation will continue once the Paralyzer wears off."

Chief Kasei closed another unread, most likely unnecessary report from her slightly annoying, meddling slave, before dismissing her irritating, yet definitely necessary, favorite little Inspector.

The girl saluted, before turning away to leave.

It wasn't like the Chief to prod, but just to nark the Inspector who knew too much, and somehow always managed to correct the system that was supposed to be perfect, she did.

"How are you and former-Inspector Ginoza doing?"

It was a perfectly safe question, but it could mean something more.

"Ginoza-san is currently recovering in the Infirmary. My burns are no hindrance to me, so I shall resume work as soon as my shift comes. Now, if you'll excuse me, I must be off."

What a boring reply. The Chief grinned, and decided to get on her nerves just one last time.

"Send Enforcer Ginoza my regards."

To her disappointment, Akane didn't even flinch. She just bowed and left the room. Perhaps Kasei wasn't a very good tease.

It didn't take a detective to see there was something more between the two officers. The cyborg smiled slyly as she brought up the footage of Ginoza's hospital room. So she did visit again as predicted. She closed the camera window. A relationship between an Inspector and her Enforcer, huh? Wasn't there a case like this before? No matter. This was Tsunemori they were talking about. It would be interesting.

Plus, it would be quite the experiment to see where their Psycho-passes go. Powder-blue, and cloudy hue. What a curious pair. And should they produce any offspring, though out of wedlock, the Chief wondered how it would turn out. She would love to see little Akane struggle a bit.

Fascinating, that infuriating little woman was.

…

Sugou was not technically the newest Enforcer, but he was definitely the newbie in Division 1. It was starkly different form his previous division, surprisingly so, but it was the good kind of different.

He found himself more at home than he did back in his old office. This one seemed more…welcoming, well, as welcoming as offices go, for the lack of a better word. It was all really because of their senior Inspector, Inspector Tsunemori Akane, that this was all possible. He was definitely more used to being treated like a tool, but being treated like a person was …nice, though he wouldn't admit it. Of course, however good Tsunemori was, the other inspector countered it, so it wasn't all good. But it was still mostly good. Does that sound confusing?

It's been two years since his transfer, and he's been mostly content. Ginoza has already forgiven him, Yayoi, though quiet, has begun to trust him, Hinakawa didn't flinch around him anymore, Tsunemori worried about him (he really thought she should take her own advice), and Shimotsuki…well there was no getting anywhere with Shimotsuki. Unless you were Kunizuka. Either way, he's been successfully integrated into the team.

From the start, he could surely sense something between Ginoza and Tsunemori. There was an elevated level of trust. A bond. Something intangible that only they seemed to share. At first it was just a tiny bud, but from the moment he first met them to the present, that something had bloomed.

Two years ago, Ginoza was too overprotective and demanded day after day that Akane protect herself; that she use them, because they were Enforcers and that was their job. But Akane was Akane, and it wasn't like her to do that.

After some time, Hound 1 realized her Psycho-pass was stronger than his, and stronger than anyone's by far. Her hue would remain, as always, crystal clear. Ginoza, though Sugou was sure he never realized it, began to loosen up. At some point, he wasn't just the worrywart he was, but he became her confidant. Whatever walls there were between the two had begun to break.

Ginoza turned into more than just a looming (well, who could blame him for being so tall) guardian. He grew to be more than just a colleague to her. He became, for lack of a better word, a friend.

By the time two years had passed, she was making Gino laugh. Sugou never thought it possible, but Tsunemori really was a miracle worker, wasn't she? The former Inspector didn't seem to be a happy person, in fact it was quite the opposite, and yet when the young woman was around, Teppei swore he could see Ginoza smiling.

They were always together.

Sugou wondered often if Ginoza knew how his eyes looked when he was with Tsunemori.

Dime would be proud.

…

Ginoza was angry at himself.

Why?

Because he didn't know what to think.

Not anymore.

Why had she held him that way?

Why did he feel this way?

Why did she—

The doors to his room opened, revealing the object of his thoughts.

"Tsunemori. Shouldn't you be resting?"

It came out more like a command than a question.

"Shouldn't you, Ginoza-san?" she countered, but there was no jovial tone in her voice, and she sat by his bed wordlessly. She couldn't meet his eyes, so she settled for his hair. By some miracle, none of it had been singed off by the explosion.

She could feel his green eyes on hers, as if begging her brown orbs to meet his. She didn't give in, but trailed her gaze down his good arm, before finally resting on his fingers.

Before he could process what was going on, she'd grabbed his hand fiercely, encasing it in both of her own.

"Don't you dare try to throw yourself into a fire again!"

Why?

Why did she care so much?

It made things so much more difficult for him.

…

"Those idiots," Shion muttered to herself, spying on unsuspecting Akane-chan and Gino, hearing the doors behind her open.

"Do you think they love each other?" the blonde asked, knowing very well it was her lover behind her.

"He needs her."

"Why?"

Kunizuka gave her a look that said: You're the analyst here.

"She's his only home."

"What about Akane-chan?"

"She can't lose him."

Shion smiled a bit. "Is that love, then?"

Yayoi shrugged, "Who knows?"

Karanomori sighed, opening the camera in Division 1's office.

"Poor guy," the blonde muttered.

"Which one?"

"Both of them, this time."

…

Hinakawa was there too, when Ginoza came back into the office, and so were Akane and the others. They were just about to move out. Following the interrogation of Akatsubaki and a few hours of searching with both Sho and Shion, the Inspector had finally found someone to match the phantom bomber from the past incident, and had narrowed down the possible areas where he could be hiding. The scariest thing was that he was using a Psycho-pass helmet, probably the same kind that made their lives so difficult four years ago.

Makishima.

"Welcome back, Ginoza-san. Sorry to say we're going to work right of the bat," Tsunemori smiled an apology.

The enforcer merely shook his head and smiled in reply, at this Shimotsuki snorted. In a minute the inspectors and enforcers were on their way. Tsunemori used the ride to explain the situation through their communicators.

"There are three possible exits from this building. The first is the main entrance, the second the emergency exit."

"And the third exit, sempai? There are only two doors, and the windows are too high up. No one would survive jumping them."

"True, unless prior preparations have been made."

"That's crazy. We are facing a single man who intervened with Akatsubaki's case. If he's acting alone, how could he have prepared anything in advance?"

"If he's acting alone. Besides, when the world is trying to hunt you down, you'd think to prepare an escape route."

"I'm afraid I don't think like a criminal, sempai."

"I'm afraid you underestimate how they think."

Shimotsuki didn't intervene after that.

"Like I said, there are three possible exits; four if we count the windows. The third exit is a sewer tunnel that runs under the building and through the very road we are standing on right now. Shimotsuki was right about the windows, and even if it is possible to escape from there, I don't suppose he will. The suspect will try to avoid any street scanners, since even if he can fake his Psycho-pass, the helmet is distinguishable, so the best escape route for him would be underground."

Tsunemori's tone changed. "Even so, the way this investigation is going is quite strange."

"How so?" questioned Gino through the line.

"The phantom bomber…he lacks a motive."

"What do you mean?"

"From Akatsubaki's interrogation, the phantom was just his supplier for the gun and the flashbang grenade. Why would the supplier show up to see how his client was doing? Even Akatsubaki had no idea he was there. He just 'bought a few weapons from a man with a helmet and left.'"

"So you mean…"

"Most likely. During the incident, the two were acting on their own."

The ride was mostly silent after that. It gave Hinakawa time to think about stuff. A few months ago on Shamballa Float, he finally had a visual on then man he had been hearing about for years, Kougami Shinya-san.

Former Inspector, former Enforcer, and currently a deserter, who left around three, going on four, years ago. Kougami had apparently been Akane's mentor, this he heard a lot from Ginoza, and possibly her love interest of sorts, this he heard from Karanomori. They were very close, close enough to worry Ginoza, who was an Inspector at the time, and she trusted him more than she should have. Kougami had passed on his superb detective skills onto Nee-chan, and this added to her already astounding talent. Thankfully, he never affected her Crime Coefficient. This allowed them to work together to become the most effective team in CID history.

That proved beneficial as they solved the biggest case the MWPSB has ever had, however, Kougami-san couldn't control his need to take revenge. He killed and made himself a true criminal.

He left.

Akane was devastated, but she had no time to continue being that way.

Karanomori said one time that Nee-chan smokes to remember him, but that she's never taken a drag. She just wanted to make him come to mind.

Then, on Shamballa Float, they met again. Tsunemori-nee never explained what happened when she was there, to Ginoza-san's dismay, but the former Inspector didn't prod. He had settled things with Kougami then, the redhead supposed.

But where did that place them now?

Ginoza and Akane were closer than ever. Both seeking out the other's company. Both comfortable when together. Both just needing the other in general.

Hinakawa sighed. He really had no chance did he?

Sho shifted in his seat, his uncovered eye moving up to look at the former Inspector seated in front of him. The man stared at Tsunemori's caller ID for just a second longer, before he closed the holo, wearing a fond smile.

He sighed.

They stopped a street away from the suspect's hideout so as not to alert him of their presence. Tsunemori had drones surround the area, but from a distance that was out of sight from the phantom's eyes. Ambush and arrest. It was that simple.

"We will split into two teams. The first team's role is to drive him from the warehouse and out in the open, where the second team will be ready to ambush him. The drones will close in and seal the area, allowing no escape."

Tsunemori demonstrated her plan on their holos.

"The third exit will be blockaded by more drones, but we can't take any chances as this area has been rebuilt one too many times. Though there is little risk, we must, at all costs prevent him from entering the sewers."

"So what's the plan of attack?"

"The first team will enter through the emergency exit in the back, and will use flashbang grenades as distractions as they see fit. If we make chase, this will force the man to flee to the other two exits. It will be tricky, especially if that warehouse is where he keeps his goods, but try to keep him from picking up any weapons. We want to avoid any casualties on our end. The warehouse is huge, and depending on the positioning, Team 1 might not be able to catch up to him. This is where the second team comes in. Once he is driven out, the second team will secure him as quickly as possible, as he may yet have tricks up his sleeve."

Tsunemori looked over her colleagues before assigning the teams.

"I will be heading the first team. Ginoza-san, Kunizuka-san, you're with me."

The two ponytailed Enforcers nodded.

"Hinakawa-san, Sugou- san, you're with Shimotsuki."

Sho almost sighed. Not with Tsunemori as usual.

"I leave this end to you. Move out."

Hinakawa watched the team's retreating backs. He could never be so sure, but in most, if not all, their operations, Ginoza was always with the inspector. They had the same shift, Tsunemori would always have him on her team, and even on the occasional patrol, it was Ginoza-san in the passenger seat.

That couldn't have been a coincidence.

And even if he'd overheard conversations about how Kougami was Akane's personal hound, he sort of believed that info to be outdated, since the present situation told otherwise.

Ginoza was her Enforcer. And Akane was his.

His and hers.

That's how it was.