'Cause you're running through my dreams

It's like you're on repeat

Feels like eternity, and I can't believe

—from "Alone" by I, Prevail

    The morning unveiled itself with a crisp, fall chill to the air. Despite the cool temperatures, a few undaunted shoppers braved the outdoor food court to take in the magnificence of a late autumn sun. Shinya Kogami cared little for the natural beauty of the morning sky.  He was on guard.  Through narrowed eyes, suspicious eyes, he scanned the outer ring of the courtyard for any signs of potential trouble. 

    Leaning across the rounded edge of the cafe table, the reticent Enforcer reached for his caramel latte.  The coffee tasted delightful, so sweet on his tongue.  It was a guilty pleasure and a deserving reward for his babysitting services.  He warmed his hands on the cup and continued his observations of the area.

    Across from him, two tables over, Inspector Akane Tsunemori was enjoying a breakfast of strawberry crepes with her friends, Yuki Funahara and Kaori Minase.  The trio laughed loudly, hushing each other for drawing undue attention to themselves, and then gossiped in whispers.  Dressed in colorful scarves and wool coats, the women were surrounded by shopping bags and stacked parcels.  Having carried most of their bounty, Kogami now understood the dangers of attending three young women who were on a mission in the mall. 

    "So Akane, how are those ballroom dancing lessons going?" Yuki asked.  She reached behind her head to tighten her ponytail.  "Have you tried waltzing in a full-length gown yet?"

    "I can barely manage it in a mini skirt," Akane replied, laughing at her awkwardness.

    Kaori took a bite of her crepe.  "You were always very athletic, Akane.  Shouldn't be an issue."

    Akane rolled her eyes and jabbed her fork into the crepe before her.  "It might seem that way, but it's not like running the 200 meter."

    "Speaking of running?"  Yuki adjusted the scarf around her neck.  "With all the threats against MWPSB Inspectors, aren't you scared to be in public?"

    "Not really.  It's part of the job."

    "Seriously, Akane," Kaori sighed.  "Yuki's right.  These threats are serious business.  You need to be careful."

    "That's why I have him."  Akane tilted her head in Kogami's direction.  "Didn't think I brought him along just to carry our bags, did you?"

    "Who needs to be careful when you have your own knight in shining armor to protect you."  Yuki leaned across the table, staring at Kogami.  "Is he going to the ball, too?"

    "For the time being, every Inspector is required to have an Enforcer with them, so yeah," Akane replied.  "Kogami is going to the ball as my escort."

    "What I wouldn't do to be an MWPSB Inspector right now," Yuki said.  "You're always so lucky, Akane."

    "I'll say," Kaori agreed.

    "Why's he sitting over there all by himself?  Did you order him to stay away?"

    Akane flushed with embarrassment at the accusation of exclusion.  "Well, he's sort of on duty, Yuki."

    "Yuki, Akane did mention that whole irritating Inspector/Enforcer rank thing," said Kaori.  She sighed, chin in her hands as she rested her elbows against the glass table top. 

    "I wouldn't care."

    "He shouldn't have to sit by himself.  How lonely." Kaori said sadly.  "We should go sit with him."

    Akane shook her head against the notion.  "I'm not sure that's the best idea."

    "You know what they say, all work and no play," Yuki sang in a lilting voice.  "That guy can cloud my psycho pass anytime."

    "That hair."

    "That body."

    "Shall we get a closer look at this knight, Lady Kaori?"

    "Don't need to ask me twice."

    Kogami sipped down the last of his latte and took a deep breath, bracing himself for the awkward introductions.  Like Akane, her friends were young and just barely over the lip of maturity.  Appearing much as the Cheshire Cat must have to Alice in Wonderland, the two women joined him at his table.  Their smiles were broad and painfully artificial as they sat down.  Akane reluctantly trailed behind them.

    "Kogami, right?" Yuki asked.  She offered her hand.  "I'm Yuki, and this is Kaori."

    "Hello!"  Kaori lowered her head and stared at Yuki with a mischievous grin.  "Those eyes!"

    "Kogami?" Akane whispered just behind him.

    Just as he was about to turn and answer Akane, Yuki laid her hand on his arm.  "So, what's it like to work with Akane?"

    "Does she make you do naughty things?" Kaori asked.  "Like rub her feet after a long day?"

    "Kogami!" Akane shouted.

    "Peel grapes maybe?"  Yuki winked seductively, squeezing his forearm.

    "What strong hands!  Bet you give great back massages."

    "Kogami!"

    Kogami struggled to focus with the three of them talking at him all at once.  He pivoted in his chair, ignoring Yuki and Kaori, to give his full attention to the one voice that he cared to  answer.  Turning his back on the chattering women, he stood up and was greeted by an unexpected slap in the face. 

    "How could you!" Akane shouted.  "Flirting with my friends!  Right in front of me!"  She sobbed hysterically, tears streaming down her cheeks.  "I hate you."  She hauled back and slapped him again with enough force that her tears were launched into the air like rain.

    Skin burning from the blow and tingling with the sting, Kogami shook the fog from his head as if awakening from a dream.  He was uncertain where he was or what he was doing.  Closing his eyes, he turned his face up to the skies as the rain poured down in a steady stream.  Confused, he inhaled deeply, taking in the scent of the forest about him as it was purified in the downfall.  Beneath the scent of renewal, there was the acrid, underlying scent of burnt gunpowder and scorched earth from recent ordnance fire.  His face hurt, but he could not remember why.  Running a hand across his chin, his fingers came back bloodied.

    The weight of an assault rifle dragged at his arm.  He stared at the weapon, unable to recall how he had gotten hold of a restricted firearm.  "What the—"

    Without warning, he was tackled from behind and brought to the ground.  With the breath knocked out of him, Kogami hit the dirt face first and was momentarily dazed.  Kicking free of the camouflaged figure, he rolled free and slammed the butt of the rifle against the man's forehead, leaving a noticeable indentation in his skull.  Needing no scope, he spun on his heel and fired on a second attacker, never missing as he put three bullets in the man's chest.  The final bullet in the mag went into the temple of a third soldier, painting his forehead red.

    "Dammit, Merck!  I told you never in the rain!  Something in his programming didn't take!"

    "I don't pay you to make excuses, Dr. Harris.  Those are my men he's killing.  Not to mention the three he took out a week ago.  He's supposed to be taking out my rival cartel!  Not my people!"

    The voices came over an open comm.  Kogami stooped to pick up the dead soldier's headset.  "Who the hell are you?"

    "Team Titan, this is Dr. Harris.  Bring down the asset.  I repeat:  bring down the asset.  Use extreme caution."

    A single gunshot rang.  Kogami spun in the direction of the violent muzzle report, then felt himself rolling violently to the side as the bullet penetrated the left side of his torso.  There was an immediate, excruciating sensation of fire and ice all at once.  He dropped to a knee, breathless and bleeding. 

    "I said bring down, not put down.  Cretins!"

    Using the rifle to get back to his feet, Kogami stood up to face a pack of five.  Not a fair contest, he thought, for them. 

    Executing a forward roll, he stayed close to the damp ground and balanced his weight on his hands.  Deftly using his long legs, he swept their feet out from under them.  Teeth gritted against the eruption of pain in his back, Kogami delivered a front snap kick, forcing one man's knee to bend backward at the wrong angle.  This gave the remaining soldiers pause, but their fear lasted a heartbeat before they were on him again.

    Kogami threw himself at one of the three remaining soldiers, knocking him and another one down to the forest floor with a double haymaker.  He grabbed the closest one by the neck and twisted it sharply, pleased to hear the cracking of bone above the whisper of the rain.  His companion moaned unintelligibly, but did not get back up.  Kogami stomped him in the face, just to make certain.

    The last man did not approach, keeping himself at an advantage and at a distance.  Despite what had happened to the others, he seemed no less wary of Kogami, which only infuriated the Enforcer.  The reason for this confidence became clear.  He had a rifle cradled in the crock of his arm.  With a smile, he brought it level, aimed at Kogami, and fired.

    The usually clap of a gunshot was not heard.  Kogami gasped, flinching as he awaited the inevitable kick to the chest from a bullet.  None came.  Instead, he felt a stinging prick in his neck and a terrible pressure that forced the remaining air from his lungs.  Nauseous and panting for breath, he reached his hand up to remove the needle from his neck.  Trace amounts of a viscous, yellow liquid pooled in the bottom of the tranquilizer dart, which had emptied its contents into his veins.

    It was dark, too dark to see, as the lights abruptly went out.

    *    * * * * *

We used to have it all

It was use against the world, but now

I've been sleeping on my own

Spending all these nights alone

          knowing you're not coming home

—from "Alone" by I, Prevail

    Akane Tsunemori. Inspector Tsunemori, but not tonight.  Tonight, she was beauty personified.  Royalty.  His queen.

    Standing in the dim lighting beside an exhibition of vases and face masks from ancient Egypt, Kogami could barely contain himself.  He stared through the death masks of ancient pharaohs long dead and watched Akane as she mingled with the city aristocracy, the movers and shapers of the society in which they lived.  His love for her, his admiration, brought a troubling lump to his throat.  He could barely contain his pride. 

    They were together for the evening in the Great Hall of the Kurosawa Museum of Natural History.  The black tie affair was being sponsored by the Ministry of Welfare's Public Safety Bureau to celebrate the achievements of Chief Joshu Kasei.  Only the best and brightest, the richest and the most powerful people had been invited to the gala event.  Dressed in their finest, the elite flocked to the museum to celebrate Kasei's hallmark achievements and those of the Ministry of Welfare.  Before the honoring ceremony, there was dinner, and before the dinner, mingling and dancing.

    Coming from behind the Egyptian exhibit, Kogami found a quiet place on a wall near a table ladened with confectionary delights as would befit a queen. From the Sultan's Golden Cake, imported from distant Istanbul, to a local favorite, a Platinum Cake with pins and chains of the named metal covering its icing, the banquet of sweets was an artwork of perfection with price tags to match the priceless museum pieces about them. 

    Kagari was nose deep in the Frrrozen Haute Chocolate, which came in diamond-encrusted goblets of pure gold.  The more mature of their company, Masaoka, mingled in a smoke-filled corner of the ballroom, sharing the space with a crowd of businessmen and their imported cigars.  With a glass of Straight Edge bourbon in his hand, he seemed perfectly at home.

    Kogami's thoughts turned to a more intoxicating distraction:  Akane.  He had never seen her look more elegant.  She wore a floor-length gown of pink taffeta.  Though the waistline was tightly nipped in, accentuating her thin waist, the skirt was wide and voluminous with a train of elegant white ruffles and lace that trailed behind her.  The gown was strapless, showing off her pale skin to the overhead lights of the massive exhibition room, where the gigantic skeletons of whales spun in slow circles on pulleys, giving the illusion of life in the ocean. 

    Swept back from her smiling face, Akane's brown hair was neatly pinned with silver barrettes adorned with lace and pearls.  Opera-length white gloves covered her hands and forearms up to the elbows, and an elegant corsage of white roses and baby's breath graced her wrist.  The MWPSB was footing the rental fee for her gown and its accessories, but not the corsage.  He had specifically designed and purchased it with his own money.  When the night was over and the young Inspector returned her dress to the designer, she would still have the corsage to remind of a most splendid evening.

    Standing beside a display of ancient Egyptian dresses, once worn by the wives of pharaohs, Akane laughed with Chief Kasei.  It was difficult to imagine what the older woman could say to bring such a reaction.  She never seemed possessed of any good humor.  Kogami felt a tinge of jealousy that he was not there at Akane's side.  No one had ordered him to stay away.   No societal design prevented him from being with her.  He was just not inclined to share her, and so he had kept himself at a distance that seemed half a world away.  It was a peculiar to feel so utterly alone in a crowded room of over 1000 people.

    Music softly began to play from a small orchestra situated on a raised dais above the main floor.  The musicians shared the space with a live holo of a grassy savannah and a herd of albino giraffes.  Kogami recognized the tune.  It was old, very old, a melodic song that came from a vintage, 20th century holovid of a film called Labyrinth.  It had been one of his childhood favorites, particularly the ballroom scene, where the wily Goblin King attempted to seduce the protagonist, distracting her with his charm and magic while they danced among the denizens of his cruel world.

    Not much of a dancer himself, Kogami had always dreamed of dancing with the beautiful heroin as the Goblin King did, swaying in time to the music in one direction, all the while keeping her safe in his arms.  Her name was Sarah, he remembered.  But when he thought of her, he could no longer see the main character's face.  She had been replaced with Akane.  Never one to let an opportunity get away from him, Kogami continued to stare across the ballroom at her until Akane finally met his eyes.

    While couples assembled for the dance, he straightened the knotted stock tie at his throat and made his way across the crowded floor, smoothing the tails of his shadbelly coat.  His shoes were so finely polished that they caught the illumination from above and cast reflections on the wooden floor.  Forgotten were the stiff collar of the starch shirt that had irritated him all night and the itchy wool of the black tailcoat. 

    "Chief Kasei," Kogami said, bowing politely. 

    "Enforcer Kogami?"

    "If you will excuse Inspector Tsunemori?  She's needed on the dance floor."

    Kasei smiled smugly and glanced at Akane.  "By all means."

    Akane took his offered hand with a demure smile, and together they made their way out to the center of the dance floor.  Parting briefly to turn and face each other, Akane curtsied long and low, as Kogami, one hand behind his back, bowed formally to her.  He took her gently by the hand and kissed the knuckle, raising her up to her feet.  She blushed, subtle crimson shadows spreading from her face and neck to her shoulders.  Embracing her lithe waist, he guided her in rhythmically timed steps to the music.

    Three steps to the left, a slight pause, and then three steps in a circle back to the right, before pausing again.  Three steps to the left, a pause, then three more steps to the left before reversing the count.  She was supple and followed his lead without hesitation, their dance lending the appearance of leaves stirring in a fall breeze.

    "May I cut in?"  Dressed in a tailored tuxedo and a red waistcoat, Ginoza offered his hand to Akane.  He pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose with an arrogant smirk.  "This really isn't the place for Enforcers." 

    Akane took Ginoza's hand and allowed him to wrap his other arm around her waist.              Kogami was incensed by the intrusion.  Grabbing Ginoza by the shoulder, he swung him around to confront him.

    "Kogami, you coward!" Akane screamed.  Tears falling from her eyes, she forced her way between them.  "What do you think you're doing?"  She slapped him hard across the face.  "You really are nothing but a hunting dog!"

    The resonating sound of the slap and the sting forced Kogami out of the reverie and back to the misery of conscious reality.  He was lying facedown on a musty cot that smelled like dying leaves and mold.  Unable to move, he felt beads of sweat rolling across the skin of his back.  The sheet beneath him was soaked with it.  His hands were tied beneath the narrow bed frame, and his shoulders ached from the unnatural position.  Shoeless, his feet were tied to the other end of the cot.  The rough hemp rope was uncomfortably tight and rubbed against his skin.

    "I think he's awake, Dr. Harris."

    "Doesn't matter.  I'm almost done."

    Kogami felt cold fingers pressed against his skin and the prying stab of colder metal moving inside his flesh.  He winced as the surgical probe dug into the wound at his torso, following the path of the bullet.  Sharpen teeth retrieved the remaining pieces of the projectile.  The metallic clanging of the bloody bullet in a medical dish resounded in his ears.

    "Almost done, old boy," Harris said above him. 

    Kogami felt the press of a sharp metallic object against his back.  Without warning, the gun released the first positioned staple.  Expecting the second sharp pop, he held his breath and grit his teeth against the pain.  Seven staples later, he could no longer feel the lower right side of his torso.   

    "Get him back on the front line."

    "Only if you're looking to kill him," Harris said.  "He's lost a lot of blood.  He's out of commission for the next few days."

    "Then while he recovers, pump a bit more of that special cocktail of yours into him.  My patience is wearing a bit thin, doctor."

    Kogami grunted in agony when someone leaned into the bullet wound with a knee.  He could not breathe.  His throat was dry, and he coughed weakly, trying to speak.

    "Merck, what the hell are you doing?"

    There was sardonic laughter.  "You said pain made the juice work better.  I'm helping."

    "Helping to kill him.  Keep that up, and he'll bleed out."

    Kogami felt his arms swing free.  The pressure in his shoulders subsided, but the release brought another degree of agony.  He fought to stay conscious, but was swiftly losing the fight.  Shivering in darkness, he faded into a cold, lonely oblivion.

* * * * * *

I would've gave it all

Truth be told I can't believe you're gone

Like a dream I can't recall

Now I gotta face the fact that you're never coming back

—from "Alone" by I, Prevail

    Standing at the very top of the Ministry of Welfare building, Akane threw herself at the safety rail.  She yanked and pulled at the metal banister in a tantrum of epic size and breadth.  Enraged, she repeatedly stomped at the cornice until her toes went numb.  Despite the beauty of the cityscape surrounding her, she could take no solace in the lights of the city against the night sky.  Cognizant of being some hundred stories above ground level, she had no fear of falling, and deep inside, believed she deserved a fate far worse than any Death could promise.

    Her argument with Ginoza was nearly an hour in the past, but she could still hear the vile nasal of his voice, once more dismissing all of her concerns as incompetent and immature.  She blamed him solely for Kogami's disappearance, despite his efforts to claim her inexperience had given the Enforcer a chance to run. 

    Hadn't Kogami proven, time and time again, that the last thing on his mind was running?  And then the evidence from the scene had presented itself, a hard kernel of truth.  Kogami hadn't run!  He'd been abducted!  His whereabouts: unknown.  His status: unknown.  Alive or dead: unknown.

    She screamed into the night until her lungs and the back of her throat burned with fire.  Aware of herself, her ever clear hue, and her failed responsibility, she collapsed on the top rail of the balcony.  Still on the verge of hysterics, she wept into her hands.

    "Akane?"

    "No!  Please, don't."  She warned off Masaoka with a firm hand when he came toward her.  "Just leave me alone."

    "Inspector Ginoza can be an ass, Akane.  Doesn't change that you both want the same thing:  to bring Kogami home safely."

    "Does he really?  Because I'm having a hard believing that!" 

    "Missy, please, be rational."

    "Rational?"  Akane turned to him, eyes blood-shot and glistening with sorrow.  "Mr. Masaoka, this is all my fault!"  She threw herself into his arms, crying uncontrollably.  "Ginoza wanted to send Kogami into that warehouse!  I was totally against it!  But I said nothing!  Nothing!"  She stomped her feet, her rage renewing itself.  "Then Ginoza has the nerve to accuse Kogami of running away like a coward!"

    "There, there, little missy.  These things happen."

    "But it wouldn't have happened, if I spoke up for Kogami.  Now he's out there somewhere alone!  He might be dead!"

    "You listen here," Masaoka said firmly.  He held her by the shoulders and shook her gently.  "Shinya Kogami is one of the toughest bastards I've ever met.  Yeah, he's out there.  Waiting for us to find him.  You've got to believe that."

    "I want to, Mr. Masaoka.  I truly want to but I can't."

    Masaoka's eyes went dark.  "Then he might as well already be dead."

    Akane's legs gave out beneath her.  She would have fallen if not for Masaoka's support.  "Kogami," she whispered.  "I'm so sorry."

    "I swear I can't figure it."  Masaoka shook his head sadly.  "The bond between you two?  Never seen anything like it."  He carried Akane to a nearby lounge.  "If he were dead, you'd be the only person in the world who knew it, Akane.  That's why you're out of your head right now."  He knelt down in front of her and dabbed at her tears with a handkerchief.  "So for his sake, and yours, you've got to believe he's alive."

    She leaned forward, hands over her face, and cried on the Enforcer's shoulder.  "I just want him back.  Here with us.  Where he belongs."

    "I know."  He held her, benignly rubbing her shoulders as she shivered with the shock and pain of the loss.

    "Hey!" Kagari yelled from the elevator.  "Whoa!  Akane?"  He cast a concerned glance to Masaoka.  "Is she—"

    "Not now, Kagari," Masaoka growled.

    "Now or never," he said sternly.  "We've got a lead on Ko.  Ginoza lost his shit on the IT boys at the Ministry of Technology.  Made them give Shion unfettered access to their entire network.  We know where he is."

    "Where?" Akane's head shot up.  "Where is he?"

    "A small, private island off the coast of North Korea," Kagari replied.  "The Japanese government has already made the necessary contact with the Americans.  They're willing to provide a distraction while we send a team in to get Ko.  But the window is a small one, three hours."

    "When do we leave?" Masaoka asked.

    Kagari tried to smile as he helped Akane to her feet.  "Wheels up in ten. Hope you're a quick packer."

    "I don't need to pack," Akane whispered, grateful for his support.  "I just need Kogami back."

    Kagari nodded.  "We all do."

    "Then what are we waiting for?" Masaoka said.  "Let's go get him."