Ending the Omnipotence Paradox

Chapter 13

The day had been brutal, far worse than they'd anticipated when planning out the joint mission that laid ahead of them. That's what happens when you end up on defense instead of offense without warning.
Kogami parked in a space next to the large paddywagon at the location Hanashiro had sent in just under ten minutes due to the proximity from his hotel; joining his team and the CID personnel already waiting there. It didn’t take long to realize that the real attack was taking place at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the threats called in at the Ministry of Welfare turned out to be just a diversion.
He wished he could go back to when they had just pulled up to the scene; getting out of the car, exchanging small smiles and words of encouragement with Akane despite their growing worries about the situation they were about to face. There was no doubting the hour, it wasn't likely that they'd been out together until after four in the morning, and this of course drew several weighted glances from the officers at the scene as they walked over to join the group. Hanashiro looked at him pointedly but had kept her mouth shut, the thin line of her pursed lips telling Kogami without words that the situation wasn't a good one to be walking into. Gino, on the other hand, had enough of a reaction to make up for anything his superior's might have lacked.
“You have got to be kidding me,” he deadpanned as Akane approached him, Kogami trailing a few steps behind her.
“Good morning to you too, Gino,” he replied with a barely controlled smirk.
“Kogami, it's four in the morning. Why are you with Inspector Tsunemori?” The Enforcer questioned, leveling an obviously concerned glare in his direction.
“Let's not, okay? It's not what it looks like,” Akane reassured him, hands raised in concession as he glowered at his old friend. “What's the situation here?”
The situation turned out to be nothing but a waste of their time, a ploy executed to keep them away from pursuing the real threat invading them at MOFA headquarters. Saving Director Yabuki after he was held hostage in his 44th floor office by a Peacebreakers unit was the true mission and it came at the devastating cost of Professor Jouji Saiga’s life. Whatever information the rebel terrorist group had hoped to find was still secure, but they had gotten away with their secondary objective of kidnapping the Director for reasons still unbeknownst to the team left behind. The casualties that had been left in the wake of the attack marred the special forces team so badly, it felt crippling. Hanashiro knew that attempting to debrief about the unexpected attack at a time like this was next to pointless, announcing that they’d all reconvene the next morning to rehash the details and discuss their next steps.
Akane was eerily silent through the announcement and chaos surrounding them, oblivious to most questions directed her way unless they came from Shion, who had personally taken over the responsibility of wrapping the Inspector’s sprained wrist and looking over the rest of her injuries for clearance. The disconnected look on the inspector's face showed she was still in shock from her friend and colleague’s tragic death happening right in front of her and he knew her well enough that there was no doubt in his mind she was blaming herself yet again. She sat there, almost in a trance despite the amount of people rushing around her, until the medic was done bandaging Kogami's wounds up, standing once he did before slowly walking into the vacated building.
He silently followed her into the elevator, keeping enough distance to avoid crowding her apparent misery, while staying close enough to ensure she wouldn’t be alone. He knew there weren't words to save her from the undeserved guilt she was free-falling in, but even as she hastily exited the small space with tears threatening to fall from her eyes, he knew what he had chosen to say hadn't been nearly sufficient enough for the loss they were both reeling in.
He didn’t want to leave her side, unsure if it was on her behalf or his own, though he never had been good at comforting people in times of loss. They may not have been in contact in the time he was gone from Japan, but Kogami had still considered Saiga a trusted friend and confidant in spite of the years and his unexpected passing hit closer to home than Kogami had felt since Masaoka’s. Now, he wished he’d had a chance to catch up with his mentor about more than just the current case.
“Why don’t you let me drive you home?” he suggested as they stopped at a government-issue transport, reaching out for her identification card. “I’m not sure it’s a good idea for you to-”
“I’m fine,” she contested in an empty voice that Kogami hardly recognized. He wanted to shake her, snap her out of her reverie, assure her that she did everything she possibly could on that battlefield today. But he knew nothing he said would be enough to get through to her right now.
“Alright… then at least let me know you make it safely?” He requested impatiently, noting that she still hadn’t looked him in the eye in the hours since the attack ended.
When she nodded ambivalently, Kogami knew it was best for him to give her the space she was forcing. For now. Waiting until her door was securely shut, he quickly retreated back out to the car they had brought to the scene earlier, pulling up her location on his wristcom as he swiped his credentials to register the car for SAD personnel use and pulled out of the parking lot.