Justice at Delphi - The Fall of Sibyl

Chapter 6

The truth is rarely pure and never simple.

-Oscar Wilde

Akane wondered how she would feel when she saw Kogami in the flesh once more. When she spotted him by chance in the crowded market, she wasn't prepared for the maelstrom of feelings churning inside her. Joy, excitement, anxiety, fear. Abandoning her breakfast in the little street stall, Akane followed him. She couldn't stop herself. Her feet had a mind of their own. Keeping a safe distance, she tracked him moving through the crowd. It looked like he was grocery shopping. Soon his arms were filled with paper bags of produce.

Kogami turned unexpectedly to speak to a street vendor. Without thinking, Akane dove behind a street stall selling herbs and spices. Heart hammering, she crouched beside a large burlap sack full of saffron. Why am I acting like an idiot!? She scolded herself. A slight cough drew her attention. The elderly man running the street stall regarded her with a curious expression. She smiled sheepishly and peeked around the corner. Kogami had moved on.

Letting out a sigh of relief, Akane moved back into the crowd. Despite her joy at finding him so quickly upon her arrival to the small seaside village, Akane's elation had faded with the cool morning breeze. In her quest to find Kogami, she had overlooked one glaring detail. The true nature of Sibyl. No one living, besides herself and possibly Shimotsuki, knew what Sibyl really was. If she was going to enlist his aid, Kogami would have to know too.

Dread twisted her stomach in knots. How would Kogami feel when she told him? Would he be angry she'd kept it from him? Granted, before he'd left there hadn't been time. Their focus was mainly on apprehending Makishima. However, there had been plenty of time in the rebel camp  to talk. It just didn't seem relevant to the situation. But now...

Now that she was determined to put an end to the Sibyl System, it was extremely relevant. This toxic secret was the reason so many people were dead. The reason so many people they both cared about had suffered. Taking long determined strides, Akane offered up a prayer to whoever watched over wayward inspectors. She would need all the help she could get. 

***

The back of Kogami's neck prickled with apprehension. He was being followed. There were no obvious signs, just his intuition. His finely tuned survival instinct kicked into high gear. He'd first noticed his shadow while he'd been picking up supplies. He had a nagging sense that someone was watching him. He'd made many enemies in his pursuit of democracy over the years. His tail could be anyone from a mercenary with a grudge to an ex-military officer with an axe to grind.

Moving fluidly through the crowded market, he attempted to lose his tail. 

No dice. 

His shadow was persistent.

Growing impatient, he decided to put an end to their little game of tag. Kogami rounded a corner into a deserted alley. Setting his supplies down, he lay in wait. His tail was in for an unpleasant surprise. He was rewarded with the sound of light footsteps on the hard packed earth. A woman? Or a small man? Adrenaline surged through his veins, his body tense and ready for action. His lips tightened into a grim smile. He was going to enjoy making his tail regret following him. Just as his shadow emerged from around the corner, Kogami struck.

Using the element of surprise, he attacked aggressively catching his shadow off guard. His body accustomed to the demands of combat moved with deadly precision. It was only when he glimpsed a familiar face that he faltered. His heart stuttered in his chest. The fire in his blood cooled instantly. Akane. It was as if all the air were sucked out of his lungs. He didn't even bother to dodge Akane's attack.