Psycho Pass: All Alone With You

Touch the Sky, Pt. 2

    The long drive back to the city felt much longer than when they had left.  Kogami ran a hand through his tussled hair and sighed.  He felt irritable and stiff as he followed Akane from the underground parking area beneath the Ministry of Welfare building to the main elevator.  His broken rib ached, more from sitting still for so long than from sitting the trot on Kurosawa's stallion.  He was looking forward to a hot shower, a decent dinner, and his bed.  Even though he had enjoyed spending the day with Akane, a good hound needed kennel time to think and contemplate alone.  So, he was in no mood for the specter of Ginoza, who met them just outside the doors of the Division 1 offices.

    "Inspector Ginoza?"  Akane clasped her hands before her and bowed slightly out of respect to the senior Inspector.  She could make stepping into the abyss of hell a positive experience.

    Kogami was having none of it.  On a good day, he was fully capable of ignoring Ginoza's sardonic behavior, but this was not one of those days.  Injured and weary, he was not prepared to suffer any bombastic assaults now, especially when it was clear that Akane had outperformed her superior and saved the day once again.  Kogami closed his eyes, not even acknowledging Ginoza, and kept walking.

    "Chief Kasei has asked me to deliver a message," Ginoza said, a hint of menace in his voice.  "She wanted to see you in her office the moment you arrived."

    Akane bowed her head.  "Then I will be on my way.  Thank you."

    "Enforcer Kogami, where are you going?" Ginoza growled.

    "Back to the infirmary.  I don't officially have my walking papers yet."

    "It's true," Akane said.  "Mr. Kogami was only temporarily cleared to return to work."

    "Why wasn't I aware of this?"  Ginoza glared at both of them.

    Akane stepped back defensively, unsettled by the venom in his voice.  Then, with shoulders hunched forward and hands balled into tiny fists, she stepped between Ginoza and Kogami before the senior Inspector could accost him.  "Haven't you caused enough damage already!"  Her voice was loud and sharp with accusations, which carried into the Division 1 office, where Masaoka and Kamari watched and listened.  "You're in no position to question my actions or Chief Kasei's authority.  I was told to take an Enforcer with me to clean up the mess you left at Mr. Kurosawa's doorstep.  She said I was allowed to choose any Enforcer I wanted.  So I chose him!"  Rigid with fury, she pointed at Kogami, who had paused to watch the spectacle.  "If you have an issue with that, take it up with Chief Kasei!"

    Ginoza angrily shoved his glasses up the bridge of his nose.  He turned his back on her, retreating down the corridor with no apologies.  "So long as you went by the book, Inspector Tsunemori.  Get going.  The Chief is expecting you."

    Kagari leaned out of the door, checking to ensure that Ginoza was out of earshot.  "Wow, Akane, you're really learning to stand your ground with him.  Did you know when you're mad that you get the cutest little vein that pops up—"

    "Not now!"  Kogami gave him a shove.  A warning expression of narrowed eyes and a frown silenced the younger Enforcer and sent him back to his desk.  "Calm down," Kogami said to Akane.  He felt a twinge of guilt for not heeding his own advice.

    Together, they stared after Ginoza's retreating figure until he vanished into the shadows beyond the main corridor.  "Just for the record, you did get Kurosawa's full cooperation on this case, right?"  Kogami scratched his head, perplexed.  "I was there, right?  I'm not delirious, am I?"

    Trembling with fury at Ginoza's behavior, Akane took a deep breath and struggled to compose herself.  She glanced at her wristcom, bringing up all recent incoming messages.  "The documents arrived an hour before we did."