Akino gulped. 'I knew it. Matoi was keeping something from me. Before, it was just a suspicion. She didn't have a reason to protect me from Makina so I just wrote it off as jealousy. Ugh, how could she not tell me? They used to know each other! Matoi knows about it; the Compactors and Omegas. Again, why doesn't she tell me?!'
Akino stepped forward, following behind the Omega's footsteps. "Makina," he called out. "She knows everything, doesn't she?"
Makina halted. "You're just now realizing this?"
"I…," Akino's voice trembled, "why is she keeping that from me?"
The clouds pushed the sunlight into the school, glistening through the windows. Makina paced herself back to Akino, facing him, not harmed by the light piercing through her red eyes. "She's probably staying quiet for the same reason I am; it's none of your business."
"It is!"
An obnoxious ringing echoed through the hallways, abruptly ending their conversation. The cafeteria behind them silenced as the scratchy voice of an elderly man emerged from the overhead speakers. "Attention all students, there is a direct order from the Head of Public Security for all civilians to return home. This is not martial law, but it is to be treated as such with the upmost urgency. Groups of students sorted alphabetically will board our charter busses and will be dropped off at your household. Judging from the statement provided by the Head of Public Security, you must not leave your home until the announcement has been made to do so. We will begin boarding students shortly."
Akino looked up at the speaker, shocked. "W-what the hell? What is this?"
"Yes, I can hear you."
Akino spun his head around towards Makina who had her fingers pressed against her ear.
"Right now? I'm kind of busy," Makina replied to the voice in her supposed earbud. "Seriously? Fine, I'm coming." Makina lowered her hand back down to her sides and started retreating further into the hallway.
"What? Makina! What's happening?!" Akino cried out to her as she ran.
"Do what they say, board the busses!" Makina pushes open the exit doors and fled, the doors swinging behind her.
'Somethings very wrong. What's happening…?'
Yukino and Miki sat at their crowded lunch table nervously, impatiently waiting for Akino to come back as Mrs. Mikami took role. Suddenly, Akino busted through the doors and and sped towards their table. Yukino and Miki stared at him with wide, relieved eyes as he sat down beside them.
Before the three could converse, Mrs. Mikami stepped behind him and leaned between him and Miki. "Where were you? You know you aren't allowed to leave the cafeteria!"
"S-sorry, I needed to go to the bathroom," Akino explained.
Mrs. Mikami narrowed her eyes. "We have bathrooms in here, Mr. Sakagami."
Akino nodded admittedly, sweat running down his back. "Yes ma'am, the bathrooms here were all occupied. I-it was an emergency!"
Mrs. Mikami stood straight and began writing on her clipboard as the announcements went off asking for students with the last names A through D to board the bus. "In a time like this, you should have hurried back as soon as the intercom said to. We don't have the time for waiting. Understand?"
Akino nodded. "Y-yes ma'am."
The teacher stepped back, continuing down the table taking role of her students. As Akino watched her leave, Yukino pulled him by the collar. "What were you doing with Makina?" She whispered.
"What?" How did you know?!"
"Now boarding students E through H," the intercom announced.
"I saw you walk out into the hallway with her," Miki admitted. "I'll be honest, it is weird that you're hanging out with her so much."
Akino shook his head, frustrated. "Look, it doesn't matter. Do any of you know what's happening?"
"No," Miki said disappointedly, "but I'm sure the teachers will tell us eventually."
"We don't have time for that," Akino insisted. "Check your phone!"
Miki's eyes lit up. He began digging through his coat and pants pockets till he eventually pulled it out. The device read his face and opened to the home screen. He opened several news apps, clicking which ever one loaded faster. The three of them stared in anticipation as the screens loaded. Suddenly, the headlines popped up. The trio read through the article at the top. Nothing.
"It isn't saying anything about it, it's just saying what the principle said," Yukino mumbled.
"Now boarding students I through L."
"Damn it…"
"I hope Matoi's okay," Akino sighed, running his hand through his hair.
Akino and Yukino stepped out of the school with the rest of the "S" students. They hovered their bags over their heads to protect them from the heavy rain pouring from the grey sky above. The two of them stepped into the large, white bus and walked down the isle. Akino stared out the window as the bus drove down the abandoned back roads. Gripping his bag eagerly, his mind flooded with thoughts of Matoi. He took a deep breath and let his head rest on the soft chair behind him for the rest of the ride.
'The secret. Makina's secret, Matoi's secret, Division-A's secret. It's impossible for me to get any information directly from the city, and Makina won't budge. Matoi is the only one I have left. If she doesn't tell me anything, then our friendship is… She has to. Matoi has to tell me.'
Before long, Akino spotted his house through the raindrops dotted across the bus windows. The bus pulled up next to the street. He stood up, grabbing his brief case. The anxious student squeezed past Yukino, who had her knees up to her chest, and stumbled through the cluttered isle, waving goodbye.
The noise of the bus echoed behind him as it spun around the corner and out of sight. He stared at the front of his house. The garden was muddy from the violent rain. The house was closed up; all windows shut, curtains pulled, lights off, and doors closed.
Akino climbed up the couple stairs leading up to his home before opening the door and walking in. Inside the house was a desolate, grey hallway. He kicked off his shoes and took of his school jacket.
"Sakagami?"
He turned the corner into the kitchen. The light from the windows above the sink gleamed upon Sakagami's figure, which was leaned over the table, staring at the television. Akino walked up to her, puzzled.
"What? I was calling you." He said before his attention drifted towards the tv. "What are you watching?"
"Read the headline…," Sakagami forced the words out of her mouth.
Akino looked back at the screen, reading the words displayed across the red bar at the bottom. "Hetsu Koboshi announces untenable city-wide warning telling people to take shelter."
"I don't understand this," Sakagami shook her head, eyes still locked on the tv, "this is absurd. She can't even tell us what we're hiding from."
"Hiding…?"
Sakagami grabbed the remote across the table and turned the volume up, the sound of a news reporter flooding the kitchen.
"Earlier they said that we are supposed to take the pills early." Sakagami informed, slouching back in her chair, crossing her legs. "That's bullshit because our refill isn't coming till tomorrow. Do you have any left or do you need one of mine?"
"N-no, I'm alright."
The two watched the television in concentrated silence. Footage of armed guards marching down the Grand Hall stairs rolled across the screen. The men, who were dressed in all white, held a colorful array of military weapons, some of which Akino couldn't even come up with a name for. The men boarded the busses urgently. One by one, the busses fled down the horizon, the water splashing up from the potholes.
Sakagami arose, pushing the chair out from under her. "Well, I didn't have any plans for today. I'm going to my room. You can do whatever you want, just stay inside."
"Have you heard anything about the cell phone?"
Sakagami opened the fridge, leaning into it as she scoured for food. "Yeah, I got an email from the shipping company but I haven't read it yet."
Akino slumped his shoulders, sighing. "Sakagami, I'd like it as soon as possible."
She grabbed a styrofoam cup from the back and leaned out of the fridge, closing the door with her thigh. "What're you in a hurry for? It's not my fault you broke the last one."
"I know, it's just boring. I also have people I'd like to talk to," Akino elaborated, impatient.
Sakagami smirked. "Oh really, and who would that be? Is it Matoi?"
Akino's eyes lit up. "Y-yeah, exactly. I don't know what's going on with her, or any of my friends for that matter, outside of school."
Sakagami laughed to herself as she pushed up the plastic lid of the cup. "Such a good friend. Well, I don't expect that your phone will come during this lockdown. So you'll have to be patient."
"I guess so."
The red and blue spinning lights flooded into the kitchen, disappearing seconds later. Akino and Sakagami looked out the sink window from where they stood. The rain blurred most of the view.
"I'm still worried about whatever is out there, though. If it's as bad as it seems, I don't blame Hetsu," Sakagami admitted under her breath.
Akino nodded, keeping his mouth shut. The thought of his friend being out in an unfamiliar place during a time like this worried him. His suspicions about her, though, constantly ran through his mind.
"Well, I'm going to my room." Sakagami said, pacing into the hallway behind her. "I'm going to try to take a nap."
Akino nodded again, faintly smiling. "Okay, have a good rest."
The sound of the door clicking shut made butterflies rise in Akino's stomach. He tip-toed out of the kitchen and towards the back door. He squinted his eyes, taking a deep breath of courage before eventually opening the door and stepping out, closing it behind him. He carefully placed his feet on each step of stairs until he eventually landed on the cobblestone walkway. He stared towards the alley ahead of him, seeing the flashing lights and busses crowding the street.
"If I'm wrong, and Matoi doesn't know the Compactors, she'll be in danger. Assuming she is still in the district, I can bring her home so she'll be safe. I'm the only human who knows about these things, and I'm the only one who can get Matoi out of trouble."
His glare at the crowded street went on.
"As long as I don't get caught…"
He ran down the cobblestone pathway, rain immediately drowning him. He stumbled into the street, shivering. He quickly looked around, seeing long rows of tall white busses and cop cars. People dressed in uniform walked along the sidewalks and between lanes, appearing to be government officials of some kind.
Akino darted down the sidewalk, puddles splashing up on his pant leg. He caught a glimpse of a man ahead of him so he ran into the street in front of a bus, sneaking in between each vehicle he came across. Keeping a close eye of the people behind him, he was completely oblivious of the people in front of him. As he continued along the bus, he ran into someone, causing him to shriek and back up.
"Wah, Makina?"
She stared at him, her leg already out stretched as if she was about to board the bus. She wore her Omega uniform, which was black with red stripes and grey shoulder pads, accompanied by a jet pack. Her eyes widened as she stared at him. "What are you doing?"
"W-what are you doing?!"
"I'm doing my job as an Omega. You aren't supposed to be out here, what are you doing?!" She hissed.
"So I was right, the threat is Compactors, isn't it?! You're telling me they're out during the day?!"
Makina stepped down from the bus and walked towards him threateningly. "Listen, shut the fuck up. Go home before I report you."
Akino leaned towards her, his anxious face covered in rain and sweat. "Do you know where Matoi is?! I don't want her out here by herself!"
Makina raised an eyebrow, stepping back. "Are you kidding? You honestly think… Akino, look…"
"Just tell me where she is!" Akino pleaded with her.
"Look, over there!"
"Who is that?"
"He isn't supposed to be here!"
"Hurry, get him!"
Akino looked behind him to see several uniformed men running towards him. Panicking, he backed up into Makina again, where she grabbed his shoulder and pushed him behind her.
"Run, quickly," she whispered.
Akino stumbled the first few steps before quickly retreating down the street. He sped past the busses, cars, and even through the people ahead of him. His legs shook underneath him, causing him to trip on himself every few feet. 'If nobody tells me where she is, I'll have no choice but to file a missing persons report. If they find out that a random girl is out and about during the lockdown, they'll have to do something. I just, I just need to get there before these guys catch up with me!'
Akino ran in front of another bus, turning into an intersection. The buses blocked him in as cops and others all surrounded him, guns pointed straight at him. He stood still, breathing heavily as he looked around. About thirteen armed officials surrounded him, and there was no easy way of escape without risking getting shot at.
"I-I need to go to the Grand Hall! There is someone running around al-"
"Be quiet and put your hands up!" A man said.
Akino looked around, hesitant.
"Now, before we shoot!"
Akino gulped, slowly raising his arms toward the sky. Cops from behind him stepped forward. One patted Akino down as the other had his gun pointed straight at his head.
"My friend is alone somewhere, and-!"
"Be quiet!"
"She's in danger! I was going to the Grand Hall to file a missing persons report," Akino shouted, his heart beating in his throat.
"Say one more word and I'll kill you!" The man directly in front of him raised his weapon towards his eye, aiming it at Akino's head.
"Matoi!!!"
Bang!