A/N: Viewer discretion is advised. This story contains mature content. You have been warned.

Started: Friday, March 8, 2013

Draft Finished: Saturday, March 9, 2013

Fiction: One-Shot

Rated: Mature

Disclaimer: The character and names of Psycho Pass belongs to Production I.G. and Funimation.

Anime: Psycho Pass

Pairing: Akane/Kougami

Genre: Romance

Summary: "A drop of ink can penetrate water and taint the entire cup." Staring in the face of darkness isn't enough. Sometimes, you need to take a look behind the mask. Akane learns the dark nature of latent criminals while she accompanies Kougami to the Correction and Rehabilitation Center.

Oblivion

It was disturbing: the way his lips curled up as it stretched across his face, revealing the sharpness of his canine teeth. Her gaze was fixated on his cruel and sinister grin, unable to process the validity of his request to accompany him outside the confines of the Criminal Investigation Department. It took her a second to realize that she was staring. Akane knew it was rude of her to do so, but she couldn't look away. The way he looked at her sent a chill down her spine, and she could feel her hair stand on its end from the involuntary sensation tingling at the back of her neck. The brunette Inspector was more wary than worried about Kougami's interest and intense focus on the case that involved the plastination of female students from Oso Academy. The gruesome works of art triggered Kougami's investigative nature even though he was taken off the case, and in that current moment, Akane was torn between her obligation to listen to Ginoza's authority and her gut instinct to follow through with Kougami's comprehensive theory.

The relevance to his discovery had its merits and right now, he needed her help on what could be the deciding factor to solve the case. Although she could deny his request, Akane decided to trust her integrity as an Inspector to handle the situation, and in doing so, she found herself driving to an unknown location in the middle of the night with her fellow subordinate. She expected him to express some sort emotion, perhaps something along the lines of satisfaction, but he chose to remain silent during the entire drive. At least now, he had stop displaying that disturbing grin on his face. Instead, she saw the return of his impassive facial expression as he stared out the window.

After being paired up with Kougami for more than a few cases, Akane felt like she had a grasp of his personality, but at other times, she wondered what he was like before becoming an Enforcer. He wasn't the social type, and would only speak if he had something to say, otherwise there was little else he would do. Often, she had seen him read, smoke, or drink coffee with a devil may care attitude towards living his life unless it involved a case that had something that would catch his interest. Akane believed that deep down Kougami enjoyed working on hard cases that require footwork. Sure, he could stretch his legs and get out of his living quarters, but she could tell that he would get beyond thrilled when he was given a challenge in figuring out a criminal's next motive.

There was no doubt that she was amazed by his ability to divulge the psychological tendencies of other latent criminals, and at times, he seemed more like a detective despite his social status due to his high Crime Coefficient rate. If it were up to her, she would let him take the lead on some of their cases, like now for instance since he had more experience and had other methods to acquire resources. Instead, Ginoza tends to keep all the Enforcers on a short leash, and she was starting to wonder if she should do the same. Enforcers, by nature had the potential to commit murder, however from what she had seen, all of the latent criminals from Division One were quite normal, and by that, she meant that they would do their job and act like regular civilized human beings.

A part of her wanted to believe that despite their unstable state of mind, Enforcers still have some humanity in them. She was having a difficult time in trying to determine if Kougami remembered his humanity at all since he'd rarely exhibit any distinguishable emotion other than pain, anger, or hostility. The rest of his emotions were either locked away or suppressed under a cool and collected demeanor. He was a hard person to read, and even a harder person to figure out, and right now she was starting to wonder if she should just stop trying. It wasn't that she didn't trust him, and he hadn't done anything to make her think otherwise, but sometimes she would find herself intimidated by his enigmatic attitude towards life and death since he had a streak of engaging in situations with a reckless behavior that contradicted his conviction to become a better detective. Maybe it was only wishful thinking on her part in hoping that he also had the intention of becoming a better person, but as far as she could tell, there wasn't any progress.

For a while now, Akane observed him. Most of the time, he was apathetic about his job as an Enforcer with a "shoot first and ask questions later" disposition. It proved to be quite useful, especially when certain situations threatened their livelihood. She might not agree with his approach at the time, but it was better than ending up dead. Like Lucifer, Kougami had some good in him. It was only when he started to look into the abyss and questioned every aspect of his existence that made him lost. Akane would like to think that Kougami was fighting to find his humanity, an internal struggle to define his version of good and evil, and even though most of his actions were questionable, he had the right intention. Well, most of the time anyway.

Whether he noticed or not, Akane could see that Kougami was excited, like a dog ready to seek out the buried bone hidden underneath the park. She didn't know if she should appreciate the irony or focus her attention on empty parking lot. Once she saw the facility, it was apparent that there was no one else on campus besides the devices for cymatic scans and surveillance cameras. Clearly, they were in a remote area.

"What is this place?" They both got out of the car and walked toward the front entrance, never minding the heavy pour of the rain.

"This is your first time coming here?" Kougami remarked blatantly. A beat. "Well, I guess you'd have no reason to come here." When they reached the front doors it automatically opened before them and they walked through the threshold. "Once you or Gino decide that I'm useless, I'll be thrown in here and I will never be able to leave again." The brunette Inspector followed a few steps behind as she marveled at the stark white walls and the many doors that required special access to breach its security. The entire building was lit up with bright lights, and she found it immaculate and devoid of security droids.

"Then what are we doing here?" Akane asked, walking through the set of doors to see that there were more metal barriers in their path.

"If my hunch is correct, the ways the bodies were arranged in the current case are based on some original work." The Enforcer lifted his hand up and let the scan confirm his identity in order to get the doors to slide open. "That's why I'll need to ask an expert in that field about it. From this point, patients with severe conditions who have Crime Coefficients over three hundred are kept isolated." Upon hearing those words, the Inspector turned her head to examine the people within the cells. One latent criminal had nothing but dolls laying about while another cell was filled with stacks upon stacks of books, and one cell had nothing at all saved for a hookah lamp. As she passed by, Akane wondered how Kougami would cope with his confinement if he were to be admitted. There was no doubt that he was familiar with this place, yet she couldn't figure out how he came across it. "In case of emergency, poisonous gas is released through the vents, so this place can be turned into an execution chamber at any time." Her mind was still absorbing the new information, and snapping out of her daze, she realized that Kougami had already turned the corner.

"How terrible," she exclaimed, making a quick sprint to catch up with Kougami only to find that he was not going to leave her behind since there was another metal cage standing right before them. Upon their momentarily delay, the Inspector couldn't help but notice the devices along the walls, each lined up perfectly parallel to the opposite side. She didn't have to open her mouth to voice her curiosity since Kougami found it was the right time to fill her in with the intricate details of the Correction and Rehabilitation Center.

"Even if these guys could go outside, they'd just immediately get an execution verdict by the Dominators and end up as mince meat," Kougami explained and lifted his hand to open the metal doors. "At least by staying behind bars, they get to stay alive." This time, Akane didn't waste any time keeping a few steps behind him. Although she didn't fear for her safety, it didn't lessen her anxiety that she was standing on an execution ground.

Within a few steps, Kougami stopped in front of a dark cell, and knocked on the glass window.

"Why, hello there Fido, it's been a long time." the man greeted coyly; his words flowed out in a chilling melodic tune that sent a shiver down Akane's spine. The cell was dark and with the disadvantage of her height, the Inspector couldn't see the person inside it. Fringing on fear and anxiety, Akane didn't feel the need to peer into the wired panes. Not just yet, anyway.

"I see you've done a lot more drawings since the last time," Kougami retorted, unfazed by the cordial salutation that was borderline condescending. "I bet adding them to your back is tough even for you." Whether he meant as an insult or not, the prisoner didn't seem to care.

"It may not look like it, but my body is quite flexible," he replied. "If I have a mirror, I can do it on my back." Akane knew that Kougami wasn't the one for small talk. He was only humoring the prisoner before cutting to the chase.

"Have you been watching the news?" The dark-haired Enforcer stated casually. To Akane, the exchange was quite normal, not that she expected the prisoners to sprout out drivel chatter. Compared to Kougami, these latent criminals behind bars made Kougami seem like an aggressive citizen rather than a candidate for death row.

"I'm not interested in a world that doesn't show an understanding of art." The latent criminal finished his statement with a scoff, and when the projections from Kougami's device shed some light into the small room, Akane's eyes widen when she saw the artwork on his body.

"I'm looking for artwork that's similar to these bodies. Paintings, sculptures, films, comics, even literature is fine, too."

"Oh, they are pretty good," the exhibitionist acknowledged. "They are exactly like Rouichi Oryo's art."

"Do you know the name?" Kougami turned his attention toward her. She shook her head.

"No," the Inspector replied.

"To think that even the name Ruichi Oryo has faded away." The latent criminal began to trifle through his collection of art, and the brunette couldn't help but examine the partial display of his body art. It was barbaric, and at the same time, fascinating. She couldn't turn her eyes away despite the nauseating apprehension churning at the pit of her stomach. He was essential an extrovert representation of the human body with every inch of his skin covered in ink. Even his head was shaved and branded with a model of his brain. "Back in the day, even if the art was designated harmful, someone would protect it in the net archives. Are there no longer any kids with guts like that?"

"People like that would be behind bars with you thanks to the Sibyl System," The Enforcer answered him. The next thing she knew, the prisoner was done with his search. When Akane saw him approaching the window, she let out a sharp gasp after witnessing the full details of his tattoos up close. His face was entirely marked in red and white ink, showcasing his skull and the ligaments of his muscle tissue. She had a blink a couple times in disbelief; she had never seen anything like it in her entire life.

"You're so cold-hearted, Ko-chan." It was only when he shoved the piece of artwork in their sight that she turned her gaze away long enough to examine the distinctive similarity of the gruesome human body sculptures from their current case. "Here, doesn't it look the same? In my store, too, his artwork sold for good money because they were not superficial, trendy art. Instead, they contained firm fundamental themes." Kougami's hunch was correct, and they now had a platform to help them with the case.

"Thanks for the help," the dark-haired detective told him. The prisoner shrugged his shoulders and drew his lips into a thin line.

"What do I get in return?" He asked, dropping the magazine onto the floor before spreading his palms out against the glass. "I am quite into beastiality," the latent criminal remarked. "How about you sleep with me? It gets lonely in here, but I remember how to give good head. What do you say, Ko-chan?" A low hum of anticipation followed, and he darted out his tongue, licking his dry lips as his mouth formed a wide grin. The outline of his hollow cheeks emphasized his sinister smile, matching the maniacal gleam of excitement in his icy blue eyes.

"Next time," Kougami stoically stated as he shut the window and turned to walk away with no change in his facial expression. The Inspector, however, was unable to move from her spot as she tried to slowly process the vulgar exchange she had just witnessed. This time, she could feel her entire body shiver in distress. It was difficult to hide her bewilderment of such crude obscurity when Kougami could casually give an answer without displaying a look of disgust or discouragement. Although it wasn't her place to question his sexual orientation, it didn't stop her from wondering if Kougami would have accepted the tattoo man's offer if she wasn't present.

"Are you just going to stand there, Inspector?" His voice shook her out of her daze and she finally picked up her feet to head towards the exit. The journey out of the building was much faster than their venture into the facility. Along the way, Akane was letting the possibility that her subordinate would trade sexual favors for information sink in. It was another side to him that she did not know, and wished that she was still kept in the dark about it. There were some things she would rather not know about Kougami, and this was one of them. She was actually starting to fear for him knowing that he had to put up with such vicious circumstances in order to do his job.

They both got into the car, but Akane didn't make a move to start the engine.

"Is something bothering you?" The Enforcer asked her.

"Well, no. It's just," she stuttered. "The exchange back there. . ."

"I was only joking," Kougami stated evenly.

"But that guy was serious," Akane exclaimed.

"Did you really think I'll sleep with him?"

"That's really none of my business, is it?"

"Smart girl," he patronized. "If he was into women, I'm sure he would have offered to eat you out." The female Inspector cringed over his vulgar choice of words and looked down to hide her repulsion. "You're still young," Kougami pointed out, "so you're uncomfortable around these kind of people, but the thing is, Inspector, you need to build up a tolerance for that sort of behavior if you want to be taken seriously as a detective."

"How will I be able to do that?" The brunette lifted her head up and turned to him.

"Through experience," he replied.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, you've spend enough time around me. You should be getting used to the idea of how to deal with latent criminals."

"But you're an exception," she said firmly, recalling the fact that he was once an Inspector like her.

"The only difference between me and those latent criminals in there is that they're locked away behind bars while I have you to watch over me."

"Does it ever go away?" She asked. "The anxiety in knowing that you will one day join them to be locked up in a prison?"

"As long as I prove that I'm useful then I don't let thoughts like that bother me," he answered her. "If I were to be locked up, would you come visit me, Inspector Tsunemori?"

"Yes, but only if you're my last resort," she told him.

"Fair enough," he scoffed. "However, you don't have to worry, I won't ask for any sexual favors in return for my help. Well, unless you offer." Akane felt her body stiffen and took notice of his lips hovering a few inches away from her face. "I was only joking," he whispered into her ear. She expected him to pull away after that, but he didn't despite her obvious discomfort, and she found herself holding her breath. Was he testing her? Akane didn't know whether she should find out or just ignore his close presence. She started to shrink back, moving her body closer to the window, but before she could move another inch, Kougami clasped his hand on her shoulder. Her gaze darted from his sudden contact to his gray eyes that looked pitch black from the lack of light.

"Kougami-san?" She was unsure what he was trying to do. From experience, she knew that he wasn't one for physical contact, and for moment she was beginning to panic. The thought of Kougami retracting his previous statement made her heart race, and she remain frozen on the spot. Neither of them made a notion to move.

Inwardly, Akane was beside herself, hoping that her assumption was wrong, and that Kougami meant no harm, but while they were currently in an enclosed space, she couldn't figure out how she should approach this situation. If she were to back away, he would probably tighten his grip on her.

A slow flicker of anticipation churned from the bottom of her stomach as she felt the temperature in the car getting hotter and hotter by the second. In that moment, she was prepared to give up anything to know what Kougami was currently thinking. Her mind ran with the possibility that he would suddenly ease up and move away from her personal space while another part of her mind lingered on the worst case scenario of him doing just the opposite.

He was centimeters away from her face and by the way he was looming over her, he could easily lean down and press his lips along her jaw line. She bit her lip, feeling his breath linger near the hollow of her neck, and forced herself to keep her body still. His other hand was traveling up her thigh and before she knew it, his fingers brushed against her clitoris, making her lower half twitch up from her seat. Her fingers curled up at her sides, feeling the spill of moisture seeping through her underwear and thin black tights as he began to stroke her, ignoring her sharp intake of breath. She couldn't turn away. No, she didn't want to turn away. As he continued with his ministrations, the tension began to build between her legs. Her thigh spread apart to give him further access, eager to feel the friction of his fingers rubbing against her swollen folds. She wanted him to rip through her tights, and on their own accord, her hands reached for his lower arm, using it as leverage to lift up the lower part of her body. His fingers were now prodding against her entrance, and she felt his smirk as he kissed her near the corner of her mouth.

She couldn't bring herself from turning her head. Her body was withering under his touch, and she threw her head back when he finally ripped through the barriers. A small gasp escaped from her lips when she felt his cold fingers, but that didn't stop him from his goal. She was soaking wet and he didn't hesitate to slip his fingers into her. The walls stretch upon his intrusion as he worked his fingers in a steady rhythm with precision while his thumb rubbed against her swollen folds.

Akane found herself gasping hopelessly at his relentless assault. As the moisture between her legs spilled out of her, his fingers dove further and further into her, and she wanted him to go in deeper and harder. A rush of ecstasy began to build up as her vaginal walls contracted briefly when he pulled out and stretched with force when he pushed into her. She was at his mercy. The friction of his fingers sliding against her made her back arch as she gasped in surprise and pleasure, and Kougami used the moment to wrap his arm around her waist, pulling her into his lap. Immediately, she grabbed onto his jacket as he pumped her, and she bit back a moan as she drew her legs further apart, rolling her hips to meet his every thrust.

She loved every moment of it. The way he was kissing the side of her neck. The way his arm was wound possessively around her waist. The way he was finger fucking her harder, deeper with every ticking second until she was dripping with desire.

In her current position, she couldn't help but feel the hardness of his shaft pressing against her ass. Letting go of his jacket, she reached down, using her left hand to undo the buckle of his belt, which was easier than she had thought since her concentration was shot between her panting and mewling. Once she unzipped his pants, she took hold of him, running her hand down his harden cock.

The grip on her waist tightened when she ran her thumb over his tip and felt his lubrication spilling out of him. The slick substance reminded her of how wet she was getting and in that instance, she wondered what it would feel like to have him in her, but before she could give it a further thought, Kougami's voice shook her out of her stupor.

"You shouldn't be worried over something like that." Akane blinked and when she turned her head, she found that Kougami was in his seat with a raised brow as if he was questioning the reason for her lack of a reply.

"About what?" She cringed at the sound of her voice which came out in a high-pitched whisper. Instead of replying, the Enforcer gave her a smirk, and the Inspector decided to focus on her breathing to calm herself down while she pushed the imaginary scenario to the back of her mind. His stare was unrelenting and she could feel a flush of heat traveling up her neck, so she advert her gaze to the area above his right shoulder instead. Whether Kougami noticed her discomfort or not, he didn't acknowledge it. The dark-haired Enforcer returned to his usual self, ending their previous conversation by setting their focus on the current case.

"The important thing is that we now have a lead," he stated. "Let's check the investigation materials and see if we can solve this case." The only thing Akane could give him was a nod before searching through the database of her communication device.

Unlike Lucifer's fall from grace, Kougami was still willing to serve the very people who would not hesitate to throw him into a cage, and although the years of isolation manifested a darkness within him, he kept it hidden behind a harden facade. At this point in time, Akane was not eager to tear down the emotional wall he had build up over the years, rather she wanted to slowly chip it away, and discover the truth of his personality through the tiny cracks.

After today, a glimpse of his dark nature was enough for Akane to handle. The Enforcer was a mystery to be solved, and even though she found him to be intimidating, she needed to learn to accept him for who he is, and not who she wanted him to become. Besides, she couldn't ask for a better partner, and if he decides to act up again, she could always shoot him. He might back fall back in a graceless heap, but at least she would be there to help him up and make sure he lands on his feet.

A/N: This plot was inspired by the trivia from the Psycho-Pass novel. In the novel, when Kougami applied for permission to go out (shown in the eighth episode), his smile was cruel, like the one in the third episode, and not like the nice grin in the show. Also, the prisoner did ask Kougami to sleep with him, among other things. Somehow, this story turned into another study on Kougami's character. I hope you enjoyed reading it, and I do apologize if Kougami seemed out of character. What did you think? Please give me your thoughts on this story.