'I went to bed last night telling Sakagami that I was going to be hanging out with Miki after school today. I decided not to take the pills last night, either, so I didn't get much sleep. Should I be lying to her like this? Then again… I guess I don't really have any other option. If Sakagami found out about the mess I'm in, then… ugh, I cant even think about it. I already have enough to think about, I don't need that woman on my mind.'
Akino lifted up his hand from his desk, looking at his tender palm.
'They're going to cut into me, today, probably, maybe even shove me in a machine and suck my life out. Damn it, as much as I want to run away, it's probably for the best for me if I go.'
Akino glanced at Matoi from across the classroom.
'She knows about it now. I'm not too sure how I feel about it, but if she can guide me to the answers I want today, then my destiny, or whatever it is, would be complete… and I could go back to normal. Right?'
The school bell rang obnoxiously, wrecking Akino's train of thought. As the students began to pack up, Matoi jumped up from her seat, leaving her belongings on her desk, and marched towards the boy. She slammed her hands against the edge of his desks, startling Akino out of his chair.
"Well," Matoi said with an excited smirk, "today's the day. Are you prepared?"
"N-no, not really."
Matoi shrugged it off, instead grabbing Akino by the forearm and pulling him out of his seat. "C'mon, we cannot be late! Sakagami is waiting for us!"
Akino raised an eyebrow, puzzled. "What? No she isn't."
Matoi turned her head to him, concerned. "What do you mean she isn't?"
"She doesn't know we're going to the Grand Hall, I told her we were going to Miki's house."
"What?! Then how are we supposed to get there? Walk?!"
The boy squinted his eyes, confused as to why Matoi was starting such a fuss. "Yeah?"
"We can't do that!" Matoi explained, eyes droopy in sadness, "that's too far!"
Akino snarled. "You're an O-, you're you," he corrected, "you have more than enough strength to walk it."
"No, I don't," she whispered heinously. "I just started."
"You seemed to go pretty fast when I had a gun to my head."
Matoi growled, spinning around and stepping in front of Yukino on her way out the door with Miki.
"Yukino!" She greeted, smiling innocently. "Does your mom drive you home after school?"
"U-uh, yeah." Yukino nodded her head, taken aback by Matoi's intrusion of her personal space. "Why?" She returned the smile.
"Akino and I need to go to the Grand Hall but we have no way of getting there. Do you think you could drive us?" Matoi went on, heart racing with adrenaline.
Yukino's shiny purple eyes drifted to Akino's, weary and suspicious, but smiling it off nonetheless. She young girl stepped back, dusting off her skirt. "Why would you need to go there?"
Matoi, unprepared for that question, stared at Akino, frozen.
"U-uh." Akino ran his eyes around the classroom looking for an excuse to come to him. It was then when he remembered Sakagami's rant the morning before. "Oh, Sakagami wanted to turn in a complaint about our pill service but she didn't have time to do it herself, so she wanted Matoi and I to do it after school."
"Couldn't you just walk there?" Yukino tilted her head, her ponytail swinging behind her.
Before Akino could agree, Matoi interrupted.
"No! We have a deadline to meet and we won't make it in time if we walk," Matoi confessed. "Please, Yukino, you're our only hope."
Yukino turned her head, signaling for Miki to walk out without her.
"Fine," Yukino agreed. "But please don't say anything rude or mean when my mom comes."
"What? No, of course!" Akino and Matoi said in unison.
The three of them walked down the main stairwell. Matoi chatted with Akino as Yukino lead the way to her mom's car, quiet and seemingly tense with short, stiff movements and arched shoulders. They continued outside into the courtyard where the rest of the students waited together. Yukino lead them past the gates and a few yards away from the school until it was hidden by tall, blooming trees and privacy fences.
"Hey, are you really parked this far away?" Akino asked.
A bead of sweat dripped down her cheek, catching the attention of the duo behind her. Yukino slowed her pace until the stopped in front of a rusted brown car with several taped on windows and a missing door handle. Yukino pushed her head into the open passenger seat window, whispering with the person inside, all the while Akino and Matoi stood behind her, visibly confused.
Yukino stepped back, smiling cheerfully. "This is my mom," she introduced.
The two of them observed. Her mom had long, shriveled white hair, accompanied by tired eyes and a forced smile. She sat on top of one of many ripped leather seats. The carpeted floors, walls, and roofs that have grown so familiar in the newest models of cars were not present, instead replaced with old, rusted metal. Random items of trash covered that up, though.
"It's nice to meet you, Mrs. Shota," Matoi gave a small bow, forcing Akino down with her. "I'm Matoi, and this is Akino."
Akino nodded. "Hello."
Instead of replying, Yukino's mother leaned over the seat beside her and unlocked the door. Yukino opened it and got in, laughing awkwardly before leaning back and unlocking the door behind her.
"You'll sit back there, guys," Yukino instructed.
The car rumbled violently as Mrs. Shota started the ignition. They pulled out into the street and started on their way, quietly and awkwardly. Yukino shuffled around in her seat, anxious, occasionally glancing at the dashboard mirror to see Akino's and Matoi's blank, but thought-filled expressions.
"S-sorry," Yukino apologized. "I should've told you earlier. You probably weren't expecting someone like me to be in this kind of condition. Truth is, my family has been in poverty for as long as I can remember. My dad's company went bankrupt and not too long after that… they were evicted from their home and shoved into Hinkon Courts Apartment Complex not too long after I was born. We've been making it alright, though. Don't you think, mom?"
Mrs. Shota's frown remained with no acknowledgement of Yukino's question. "Did you make sure your sister her breakfast this morning? She was hungry when I drove her to school."
"Y-yeah," Yukino replied, obviously ashamed of her situation. "Yuki's just growing too fast…"
Akino and Matoi looked at each other, sympathy and concern oozing from their faces. The two of them decided to stay silent, though, instead choosing to nod understandingly as Yukino went on. The shock of such a preppy, popular girl being in this environment, and keeping it secret no less, helped keep their mouths shut.
The vehicle pulled up to the Grand Hall after a dreadfully long ride. The shadow of the massive building covered the car in intimidating darkness, at least to Akino. The four of them stared at the building, Yukino never seeing it this close before. Matoi, too impatient for the wait, unlocked the car door and stepped out onto the side walk, dragging Akino out with her. She closed the door, walking up to Yukino and peaking her head through the window.
"Hey, thanks for the ride. Can we rely on you to pick us up later at around 8pm?" Matoi asked.
"What?!" Yukino's pupils shrunk in panic, immediately turning her head to her mom who paid no attention. Turning back nervously, she replied, "I guess."
"Thanks," Matoi smiled whole-heartedly.
"Just," Yukino leaned in closer, whispering into Matoi's ear, "Just please don't be awkward when we pick you up this time."
Matoi's cheeks were pumped with red as she backed away from the window, embarrassed. "Sure, sorry! Thanks for the ride, Mrs. Shota!"
The two of them backed away and continued up the stairs to the Grand Hall entrance as the car sped away.
"What did she say?"
"Nothing, just keep walking."
As they approached the larger than life doors, two men stepped in front of them, blocking their way through. They looked at the two teens and to each other, nodding. "What are your names?"
"I'm Matoi." She presses her hand against her chest and then pointed to the boy beside her. "That's-"
"I'm Akino, Akino Sakagami. We came here for an appointment Hetsu Koboshi scheduled for me."
The man on the left squinted his tired eyes in distrust. "The Royal Ambassador does not do such a thing." He lifted his head and stepped towards Akino in an attempt to intimidate him. "And also, you are not permitted to refer to your leader by her name. Last I checked, you were considered a danger to the public, Sakagami."
"Enough," Makina demanded, walking out from the side of the building, "before I get you fired."
Akino and Matoi looked at Makina as she approached them, surprised.
"This way," Makina instructed, grabbing Akino by his arm before giving a defensive glare towards Matoi. "There's a backdoor directly to the evaluation room."
Matoi, irritated, followed behind them, not giving a single thought to any obligations that might come her way.
Makina lead them down a cobblestone path beside the Grand Hall and a miniature children's park to the right of them. The three turned the corner to a conventional backdoor easy to miss on your way by. Makina dug her nails into the wall, confusing the pair as they watched, until Makina lifted up a small sliding door that matched the texture and color of the walls surrounding it, revealing a keypad inside. She pressed the buttons, unlocking the door and walking in, leaving Akino and Matoi staring in awe.
"Hurry up," Makina ushered. "You only have ten seconds before it closes."
The two continued following Makina down a short, dark storage room till they approached another door, expecting her to reveal another hidden keypad. Disappointedly, Makina simply grabbed the handle and opened the door.
The room they entered was a massive white laboratory lighted by pulsing blue indents in the wall stretching from the floor to the ceiling. Several stations and set-ups of different science experiments and testings filled the room. It was brought to life by tens of hundreds of fast working chemists and engineers running around the clock, or engrossed deeply into their work, leaning over the table of stuff in concentration.
Makina stood impatiently as she waited for the friends to snap back to reality.
A worker ran past Akino, catching his attention. The person, who appeared to be male, balanced a tray of small mechanical bits in his arms. He rushed to his desk, which was cluttered with random items and tools. Even the small roof of lights over his desk had wires and things hanging from it. He cleared the desk, pushing all of the gadgets to the side, and pressed his bare hand against the surface. Akino watched on in anticipation as a hole generated in the desk. He then grabbed a small, crane-like device from his tray and dropped it in the hole. The hole sucked it in. Akino stared as the device traveled through a see-through pipe along the ceiling.
His eyes were then guided to a massive poster nailed to the further most side of the wall. A ball covered in silver metallic plating with a bright, neon blue circle in the center was displayed on the poster. It was familiar.
Makina noticed his change in attention. "They're making an update to the Omega Core," she informed. "Now come on, the operation room is this way," Makina mentioned, already walking ahead.
The next room they entered was significantly cleaner, possibly even sterile, and had much less stuff cluttering it. Two chairs sat around a single narrow window with the view of a fenced in pond and garden. Off to the side was a wall plastered with papers of human and Omega physiology. Beside it was a cart and an empty operation table. What was most eye-catching was a tall, white, open tanning bed like contraption. It had five neon blue stripes along its curved inside and around its small circular floor and roof. Attached to both ends of the contraption were three curved bars outstretched to opposite ends.
"I see you finally made it, Akino Sakagami." Hetsu walked up towards him from the corner of the room, patting his shoulder. "You brought Matoi and Makina with you?"
Akino looked back at her, nervous and uncomfortable. Her deep purple, almost black, eyes oozed authority and power. Nonetheless, he nodded, and forced his mouth open. "N-not really bringing them with me, more like them following me."
"Matoi," Makina called out without making eye contact with her, prompting Matoi to shoot her a glare.
"Well," Hetsu turned around to face the girls, "as my Omegas, I trust you will abide by the rules, yes? -even if I let you stay."
They nodded.
Hetsu smiled in return, an air of superiority and content in her expression. She stepped back, exposing a small young man with clipped back hair and a clipboard held close to his chest. "This is Dr. Nai, Akino. He has been responsible for the success of over two hundred human experimentations and Omega autopsies. He's done it all."
Akino gulped, swallowing his disgust and horror.
Dr. Nai nodded, expressionless.
"Well, lets get started, shall we?"
Akino and Matoi looked at each other, almost as if they were telepathically communicating.
Hetsu and Dr. Nai instructed Akino to strip to his underwear to begin with, much to Akino's dismay. The next several minutes went by of Akino following the directions given to him, but not without his hesitancy for each one. They measured every part of his body, injected him with several different shots, tested his nervous system and reactions to pain, studied his dietary habits, had him draw blood, swallow several pills, refresh and start again.
It wasn't for almost an hour yet before Akino got the chance to sit down in peace, although he was still near nude, and was only sitting on an operation table. Akino glanced behind him to see Makina watching the television in the distance and Matoi playing with her fingers. He looked back ahead. Hetsu was leaning over the doctor as he typed on his computer, whispering to each other.
"When are you going to do it?" Matoi asked, whispering in his ear from behind him.
"I'll ask at the end when all this is done."
"No," she said, "you can't. If you ask then, they'd have no problem with just pushing you out the door because they'd be done with you by then."
"Fine, just… give me a minute, alright?"
The typing on the doctor's computer got faster and their whispering came to a halt. Akino, Matoi, and Makina stared in their direction, curious as the suspense continued. A million worries began flooding into Akino's brain, causing him to break out into a cold sweat. Hetsu backed away as the doctor left his chair, immediately walking towards the tanning bed like machine.
"This way, Sakagami," he told him, pressing buttons on the side of the machine. "We're going to have you step inside this machine so we can get a biomatter and neurological X-ray."
"A what?"
Makina leaned forward. "Why does he have to do that? There's no point."
"Yeah," Matoi agreed, "that kind of X-ray only works on Omega bodies, right?"
"It's a necessary procedure," the doctor said, ushering Akino into the machine. "There has never once in the history of Division-A ever been a case like this. I cannot rule out testing of any form." Once Akino was inside, the three bars on either end started drifting towards each other and over Akino, locking him in. "Don't worry, it won't hurt you. All you need to do is stay still for a few minutes until it's over."
Matoi tapped her foot against the tiles, anxiously, as her and Makina focused in on him.
A bright light shined over Akino, blinding him for a few seconds. The machine then started to buzz and the blue streaks started to pulse. This went on until it became almost relaxing white noise for Akino until he remembered what he had to say. He took a deep breath, rethinking the lines he practiced silently in Yukino's car.
"Hetsu," he called out.
The woman looked up from the computer.
"I've been… thinking a lot… and a man in my dreams has brought to my attention that," he paused, staring Hetsu right in the face. "…you might be hiding something from us."
Makina furrowed her brow, taken aback by Akino's pragmatic attitude. She stood up, protesting. "I can't believe you, Akino!" Makina spun around, facing Hetsu. "He's been doing this ever since I met him! He blames these nightmares on you, Koboshi, and that's the entire reason he's in this situation! Akino, here they are, trying their damnedest to fix y-"
"Makina," Matoi named.
"If you're going to bother Koboshi with your stupidness, then I see no reason for you to be wasting her time he-"
"Makina," Hetsu said. "Let the boy say what he wants to say. It's a free city, after all."
Makina looked back at Akino, the red fire in her eyes returning.
Akino sighed, his body more tense than before. "I don't know, but… is Division-A, or the people who live in it, different- in any way?"
The room became silent as the machine opened, allowing Akino to step back out.
"Yes," Hetsu answered. "Unlike before, the human race now has Omegas and Compactors living alongside it. That is the only difference we share."
"What was before?" Matoi joined in as she promised, bewildering Hetsu.
Hetsu turned to her, her hands holding each other contently. "Before the storm hit, of course. Before humanity had to retreat to this place; the place I built for the survivors… to protect them from the chaos of the outside."
"Wasn't it war that made us come here? What's so dangerous about the rest of the world that we aren't allowed to leave?" Matoi stood up, meeting the elderly woman's level.
"The Earth outside is dead, the storm left it uninhabitable. Division-A is the only place humanity has left. If it wasn't for the precautions and measures my team and I made to protect this island, the human race would have perished last century." Hetsu looked to Akino again. "Are your schools not teaching you this?"
"They are," Akino admitted. "They're teaching us the bare minimum and repeating it over and over to disguise the fact that we know little to nothing about whatever existed before Division-A."
"That answer is simple," Hetsu concluded. "Chaos. You're very lucky that the only concern you have is Compactors and not planet-destroying storms."
"She's right," Makina added. "It's foolish to complain about your safety. The world outside is screwed, there is absolutely nothing you can change about that. You should worry about being a law abiding citizen, because last time you tried to meddle in something you weren't supposed to, this happened. Isn't that right, Akino?"
Akino looked down at his body, reminded of his incident with the Compactor.
"Malady," the doctor said, his eyes glued to the computer screen, "look at this."
On the screen was a blue silhouette of Akino's body made of hundreds of small dots that moved along with his breathing and movements. However, the dots were completely absent from the middle of his chest, instead leaving a black empty void.
A black. Empty. Void.
The five stared at the screen, stunned, mouths wide open. Akino shook his head in denial, mumbling "no" repeatedly to himself. He grasped desperately at his chest where the black hole should be, feeling his heartbeat race.
"W- what is that?"
Makina turned her head from the computer, gawking at Akino who had broken out in a cold sweat. Matoi stood straight, confused as she struggled to connect the dots. Then she did. Matoi also turned to look at him, a horrified expression on her face.
Akino pushed his hand into his chest, shaking his head. "It can't be, I can feel it." He pushed his palms against his chest again. "My heartbeat… it's here!"
Suddenly, Hetsu stepped back. The doctor raced towards Akino, a needle in his hand. Akino panicked, screaming as he pushed the carts away from behind him as he retreated. Makina and Matoi stood on the sidelines, aghast, as Hetsu head locked him. The doctor kneeled down and grabbed Akino's kicking leg, injecting the needle into his thigh.
The two lifted Akino's limp body onto a gurney and pushed him out of the room. Makina and Matoi followed in hot pursuit, looking at each other and nodding. They followed them into an elevator that took them down to the basement where they would continue down a lengthy, sterile, ovular hallway.
"W-why are you taking him here?" Makina asked, confused.
"Just be quiet, Makina," Hetsu replied immediately.
They entered a massive white room illuminated by neon blue stripes up and down the walls, floors, and ceilings. The room was mostly empty with the exception of a roofed surgical table in the shape of an oblong capsule and a grey cart off to the side. They lifted Akino onto it and lowered the lid, trapping his unconscious body inside.
The two Omegas watched in anticipation as the surgical table powered on. Four mechanical hands formed above his body. They opened to expose their gray palms. A bright red light shot from them and carved a triangle into Akino's skin. A hand lifted the flap of skin up, exposing his bloody flesh. The hands slowly dug into his chest and pushed away the tissue and organs until it was visible.
Makina, Matoi, Hetsu, and Dr. Nai stood, staring at Akino, jaws dropped and pupils shrunk. There in the middle of his chest was a ball with gray plating and a neon blue circle in the center.
Matoi walked away, covering her eyes as she whimpered. Makina approached the surgical bed, getting a closer look. It was real. In inch or two inside of the human male was an Omega's core, a Compactor's core.
"It can't be," Makina stated is disbelief.
"It is." Hetsu answered, quickly going mute after.
Makina looked back at him, eyes squinted in frustration. She balled her fists, shaking her head as if she were near a complete breakdown. "God damn it all…"
"Doctor, get the boy back to the examination room and wake him up. We'll schedule another appointment." Hetsu glanced in Matoi's direction who stood far away facing the exit. "Do you two have somewhere to be?"
Matoi nodded, distraught. "Yes, a friend is picking us up soon."
Mrs. Shota started the car up, it's engine rumbling and groaning as it did so. Akino was barely conscious, his heading leaning against the window with eyes half-lidded. Matoi was on the other side, eyes glued to her fumbling fingers. Yuki, Yukino's little sister, sat in between them.
"Are you sure it's not too cramped back there?" Yukino questioned, looking at them from the rearview mirror. She didn't get an answer, prompting her to sit back straight in her seat. "I told you guys not to be awkward…," Yukino whispered.
"6715 North Yomi Street."
"Huh?"
"That's Akino's house, take us there," Matoi commanded her, her voice kept low.
Yukino's gaze shuffled awkwardly from around the car. Concerned and dumbstruck by Matoi's abrupt attitude, Yukino said to her mom, "you heard her, 6715 North Yomi Street."
Yuki looked at the two teenagers beside her, her eyebrows shifted in confusion.
Matoi continued to face her lap, but her eyes focused on Akino, a stomach churning feeling invading her gut.