One-shot

 

Akane gritted her teeth as she ran across the field, avoiding the bullets raining down on her and took cover behind yet another abandoned car on the street. She charged her Dominator and fired against the enemy, having the shock of her life when the crime coefficient showed a 472. She ducked just in time to see a bullet whirring past her and lodged itself to a lamp post just an inch away from her; if she hadn’t ducked, she would have a lead buried in her skull. She re-adjusted the cloth tied to her left arm applying pressure to her wound, holding back a whimper. She briefly looked at her Dominator and tossed it aside rather grudgingly.

 

“Just give it up. You can’t win against all of us!”

 

“Even if that’s the case, I’ll never give in. The people of this city depend on me to save them. I’ll never turn my back on them, even at the cost of my life!” Akane shouted back.

 

Another voice shouted amongst the noise, “Everyone ceases fire. I will talk to the Inspector.”

 

Akane felt her heart sunk as the voice felt colder than usual. She took a shell out of her coat pocket and hesitated before loading it to her Eagle Desert. She had meant to carry it as a ‘good luck charm’ but she couldn’t help but think that it was her last resort.

 

Looks like I’ll have to use this. Sorry, Ginoza-san.

 

The shooting stopped and she emerged from her cover, walking calmly to the open space. From behind a truck, a man approached her in the same manner but he was pointing the barrel of his gun to Akane. Their eyes looked into each other’s and a bitter smile automatically formed on each other’s face.

 

“I would never have thought that we would reunite like this, Kougami-san.”

 

“Likewise, Inspector.”

 

“Why?”

 

“Sibyl system, that’s why!”

 

“So you found out.”

 

“You’re the one that’s not making any sense! Why would you defend Sibyl? The one who had Kagari killed!”

 

Akane winced slightly at the mention of the deceased Enforcer and a tear escaped from her eyes. She had lost many important people to her which was indirectly Sibyl’s fault and sometimes she would curse herself for doing what she did but she had her responsibility. No matter what hardship she faced, she felt obliged to protect what needed to be protected and as a result, she had endured loses. Deaths of the people she held dearly and she kept it all in.

 

“The society forms the law. It is my duty to firmly hold it up.”

 

“You care for other too much that you become lost. You don’t value your own life and that’s wrong! We could’ve met under a different situation if only you’re a little selfish,” Kougami said as his eyes softened.

 

“It’s my justice, Kougami-san. This aptitude of mine got myself a position where I could protect everyone but my loved ones.”

 

“You haven’t change over the past 2 years, Akane.”

 

“But I did. I’ve become a better inspector because of you,” Akane replied, muttering the last few words.

 

“That’s true.”

 

Akane raised her gun, in position to shoot the Enforcer in front of her but her hands were shaking. She used her other hand to keep it stable and aimed to Kougami’s heart. Her index finger was in place and all she had to do was pull the trigger but she froze. She had so much memories with him; the times whre she had ran alongside him at the drone factory, when they went together to see Saiga-sensei and when she had shot him during her first case.

 

“Shoot me, Inspector.”

 

“I-I can’t. Please turn in, Kougami-san. I can’t shoot you a second time.”

 

“That’s not possible, you know why. I’m a runaway Enforcer. Shoot me,” Kougami pleaded as his finger neared the trigger of his gun.

 

“Then you shoot me.”

 

He fell forward and Akane rushed to prevent him from falling to the ground. It all happened so quickly. She raised her gun towards the direction of the shooter and having a clear shot, she pulled the trigger. The assailant went down and all hell broke loose. Division 1 went on and kept firing towards the enemy, taking the first shot from Akane as a sign to open fire. Akane didn’t even care of what’s going on around her. All she cared for was her bleeding partner, his breathing labored with each passing second. She applied pressure to his abdomen and tried to stop the bleeding to no avail.

 

“HELP! Someone help me. CALL THE AMBULANCE!”

 

“Akane, i-it’s alright. I’m fine. Don’t worry about me.”

 

Kougami took off his bloodied ring and put it on Akane’s palm.

 

“Keep it safely. Despite everything that happened, don’t ever change. Stop the second-hand smoking and instead wear this. S-Sayonara,” Kougami said with his last breath.

 

“KOUGAMI!!!”