Justice at Delphi - The Fall of Sibyl

Epilogue

Now this is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning.

-Winston Churchill

Peace.

Is this what it feels like?

Kogami sighed contentedly with Akane snuggled into his side. A slow smile spread across his face as he glanced down at her. He'd missed this. Feeling her warm body wrapped around his. His battered and bloodied heart had finally found shelter from the storm. Though his demons still lurked in the dark corners of his mind, they were blissfully silent for now. No doubt there would be trials and tribulations in their future, but they would face it together.

Right now, they were enjoying a much needed vacation. The aftermath of the events at Nona Tower had shaken the city. It had taken time to stabilize the Ministry of Welfare and the infrastructure Sibyl left behind. Hasegawa and his colleagues managed to establish confidence in the minds of the people over the last few weeks. The official story being publicized was that the Sibyl System had experienced a hardware failure. Technicians were on site and repairing the damage. The ministry had taken the opportunity to announce the phasing out of the Sibyl System.

Naturally, there were those who feared change, who were unwilling to even entertain the idea of something new. The ease and comfort Sibyl provided had become a crutch for some. Learning to stand on your own and take responsibility for your own choices was daunting. Most people were out of practice. It had become too easy to depend on a machine to dictate the course of their lives.

A flicker from the news feed he'd been watching on silent caught his attention. Setting the audio transcription, he read about Hasegawa's political allies forming a committee with mental health specialists to make changes to the existing healthcare protocols. Kogami suppressed his doubts about politicians and their promises. No society was perfect, but at least this was a start.

"Why are you still awake?" Akane groaned, shifting against him.

He winced at the slight ache in his ribs. He looked down to see Akane's sleepy eyes open, her lips pursed. "How did you know I was awake?"

Slipping an arm out from under the duvet, Akane cupped his cheek. "You're a noisy brooder. Just turn on the sound."

Biting back a smile, Kogami switched the audio back on the holo news feed and turned it up. The news anchor had moved on to discuss policies set to de-stigmatize latent criminal status. The committee was setting up programs to educate the public about latent criminals and the gray area in which most of them lived.

"I hear they selected a new chief."

Akane nodded, watching his face in the semi-darkness of her bedroom. "Yes, they did. I'm sure Chief Sasaki will do a great job."

"I'm kind of surprised no one offered you the job." Kogami replied, lacing his fingers with hers over his chest.

Akane snorted. "Who said they didn't?"

Kogami frowned at her. "Why didn't you take it?"

She shook her head. "I don't want to be chief. I'm exactly where I'm meant to be. Besides, the new chief is making a lot of changes. Enforcers are being re-evaluated on a new scale. Those with stable mental states will be allowed more freedom to assist in their psychological recovery. They've established a couple of half-way houses to help enforcers reintegrate into society. Live in counselors will monitor their mental and emotional well-being. Even the people in the isolation facility are being re-evaluated."

Kogami nodded, solemnly. "Gino told me. He's moving out next week."

"How are you two doing?" Akane asked rolling to her stomach to look him full in the face.

He smiled and shrugged. "He hasn't punched me again. I'd say we're making progress."

His reply drew a laugh from Akane. "Despite what he's said, I think he missed you a lot."

Leaning down, he kissed the top of her head. "Maybe say that in front of him next time. I'll bet that little vein in his forehead will pop."

Akane rolled her eyes and snuggled back into him. Both men were stubborn and unwilling to express how they really felt. It would take some time to repair what had broken between them. "You know..."she began, lightly tracing her finger over his chest. "The chief is restructuring the way inspectors and enforcers are trained."

"Is that right?"

She nodded. "Yeah...they're going to start training both inspectors and enforcers in hand-to-hand combat. After what happened..." She trailed off. "It seemed like a good idea."

"It is." He agreed.

"The thing is..." Akane started, biting her lip.

"Yes, inspector?" Kogami replied, a wry smile curving his lips. He knew where she was going with this, but enjoyed teasing her.

She sighed. "Well, I think you'd be a great instructor. You've had plenty of combat experience here and abroad. You've got natural leadership qualities that people respond to and..." She scowled at the smile slowly creeping across his face. "You already knew didn't you?"

He smirked. "Gino may have mentioned it. I believe his actual words were 'make yourself useful and stay out of trouble'."

"So...are you thinking about it? I-I mean, you don't have to if you don't want to. I just--" Akane stumbled over her words. Her heart was racing in her chest. While Kogami had made it plain he intended to stay with her, they had yet to discuss what he would do now. With Sibyl gone, he didn't need to fear persecution. Though, he was ideally suited for the position, she didn't want to force him into something he didn't want to do.

Kogami cupped her cheek and leaned down. He brushed a light kiss over her lips. "It's a good offer..." He paused for a moment. "And I've already applied. Do you think it's a conflict of interest if you're my reference?"

"What!?" A whirlwind of emotions engulfed her. Shock, joy, excitement. She could feel a grin stretching her face. "You're really going for it?" She couldn't keep the hope out of her voice.

Kogami shifted and kissed her deeply. He could feel a tremor of excitement run through Akane's body. Breaking the kiss, he pressed his forehead against hers. "You think I'm going to pass up an opportunity to see you everyday?"

Fin...

...for now...