Akino stood in the doorway, his hands pushed firmly into his jean pockets. The corner of his mouth lifted as he chuckled awkwardly. Turning his head, he noticed Sakagami staring back at him, brows arched in confusion. The woman shrugged, unsure as to what she could do. Akino sighed and faced the two men standing in front of him.
"The Grand Hall? Why are you the one who's taking me?" Akino asked, leaning to the right to make eye contact with the officer who spoke with him. "Usually, it's M-"
The guard stepped forward and tilted his head towards the car parked on the side of the street. "This is official business. Makina and Matoi are already there."
He slouched his shoulders, unable to think of a reason they'd be at his house and the girls wouldn't. Glancing back at Sakagami, she nodded, insisting he goes with them- presumably to prevent any trouble.
With a sigh, Akino stepped forward again and reached for the door, closing it as he walked out. The tall, uniform men walked him to their vehicle; a reflective, black limousine. He jumped into the soft, gray leather seats, staring out the window as they drove away.
They eventually pulled up to the massive concrete building. Akino eagerly stepped out of the limo, not patient enough to wait for the officers to open it for him. He skipped up the stairs and darted towards the front doors.
"Hey, slow down!" An officer commanded as they slowly approached behind him.
Akino stopped, slowly turning around on his heels as he waited for them to escort him into the building. The men climbed the last stair, and with one on each side, Akino was led into the building and guided through the long main hallway leading to Hetsu Koboshi's office. Hideyo pulled open the doors, allowing the boy to bare witness to a room full of familiarity. Lined along the curved walls stood Makina, Matoi, Kiku, and Asuka with Hetsu standing behind her desk.
Hetsu bent over her desk and leaned towards her laptop, clicking on the keyboard a few times before closing it. She straightened her back, staring at the line of people waiting for her to speak. "I see everyone is here," she began. "It's nice to see you all in one place."
"Milady," Asuka started.
Matoi shuffled her way next to Akino as Asuka spoke, whispering in his ear, "did she invite you? Do you have any idea why we're here?"
Akino shook his head. "No, all I was told was that you and Makina were here, too."
Matoi's eyes drifted to the rest of the Omegas. "This is all of Squad Thirteen. Well, what's left of it, at least. It must have something to do with the mission in the North District."
"That's a great question, Asuka," Hetsu applauded, silencing Matoi and Akino. "…And must I say, thank you all for making it here. I know it wasn't easy, especially for you and your squad, Makina. I commend you for your noble efforts."
Makina's gaze fell to the ground in a stiff nod, acknowledging the struggles she had to endure, and the lives that were lost.
"Back to your question, Asuka," she resumed. "I gathered you all here today to discuss a rather important matter. According to your captain's testimony, a human being was found atop a building on the A16 Highway. The gender is unclear, but Makina has stressed that the person was in fact… alive."
Matoi and Akino looked to each other. Matoi raised her eyebrows, suggesting it was him. He shook his head and shrugged, denying her accusations as the old woman went on.
"Not only that, but the person appeared to have an association with the Compactors. Apparently, there were two or three Stage One's following the individual both to the edge of the building where Makina first saw them, and back when they retreated."
"I saw them, too," Kiku mumbled shyly, locking her eyes on her toes. "I thought it was an Omega. Wasn't it?"
"If it was one of us, then the Compactors would have attacked." Makina lifted her head and stared down her subordinate. "It doesn't matter if they were human or Compactor, both are incredibly problematic for our safety. Did you see the person wear a jet pack or shoulder pads?"
Kiku shook her head, ashamed of her lack of information. "No, I didn't get to see them very clearly… they were running pretty fast."
"Running?" Asuka followed up. "Does that mean it could actually be a human?"
"Not unless their jet pack failed," Matoi concluded, "like mine did. Are you sure it wasn't Akino? He was the only human at the site that day." Matoi turned to him. "At any point were you chased by Compactors or on the top of a building?"
Akino shook his head, his blue and purple bangs swinging across his forehead. "No, not at all. I did see a few Compactors but none of them ever noticed me."
"What are you implying, milady? That we have a traitor amongst us? That we have someone working with the Compactors?" Asuka stepped forward, lifting her hand to her chest, anxiously.
The corners of Hetsu's mouth uplifted ever so slightly. "That… is what Makina wants me to believe." Makina's face lit up as the Royal Ambassador spoke. "But, Makina has always been the type to jump to conclusions. In my blunt opinion, I just think it was another Compactor. Granted, that also isn't the best for us- because that implies that the damned creatures have gained intelligence. But, it is a lot better than having a traitor on our hands."
Kiku shivered, hugging herself for comfort. "Smart Compactors? No thanks…"
"Master," Makina interrupted, "are you confident? I didn't see a single tentacle on that person and they had completely different proportions from a Stage One or Two! It isn't safe for us to assume the best of things! Last time we underestimated the Compactors, my home was-!"
"Yes, Makina," Hetsu consoled. "My heart goes out to your family, but that mistake will never be made again. That is why I am asking you to keep an eye out for both situations. If you happen to see somebody unfamiliar, report them. If you see an Omega deviating from plans of any sort, report it. If you gain any evidence of Compactor intelligence, report it. Do you understand, Squad Thirteen?"
Concern bubbled inside Matoi's stomach. Questioning Akino's involvement, she asked, "Hetsu, why does he have to be here? Akino already confirmed he has nothing to do with this."
"Akino Sakagami is one of us now, consider him a part of Squad Thirteen. However, I don't want this conversation leaked to anybody else, and that includes the other squads. You all know how fragile Division-A's peace is at the moment. I do not want anything to slip."
The Omegas looked at each other, uneasy. Makina bit her lip to refrain herself from an outburst as memories of her childhood flooded her brain. Matoi, on the other side of the office, stepped back into the wall next to Akino, giving him a cautious look. Kiku wrapped her hands around Asuka's bandaged arm, clinging for comfort.
Hetsu pulled her chair out from under her desk and sat in it. Opening up her laptop, the leader scrolled through her folders until she found her schedule. "I had a handful of other squads working on cleanup at the North District. I don't have you guys scheduled for anything, do you mind if I get a bus to ship you there?"
Makina sighed, dropping her crossed arms to her sides. "Do we really need to go back there? Do I really need to go back there?" Makina asked in a husky, defeated tone.
Hetsu turned her head, addressing the Omega's frustration. "A squad needs their Captain. If you're not capable, I'll gladly have Matoi take your place."
Matoi made brief eye contact with Makina, who was already staring her down with a deadly glare. The young girl blushed in embarrassment and dropped her head, not willing to participate in any form of conflict in front of the others.
"So, it is decided," she finished. "Hideyo, schedule a bus to ship them to the North District. Highway B14, to be exact."
Hideyo nodded, her pigtails bouncing up and down before opening the office doors and exiting into the hallway.
Makina pushed herself off the wall she was leaning on and walked past the sisters. She followed Hideyo into the outside, leaving the others alone in the office with Hetsu. They stood there, quietly conversing before their Captain called them out.
Wrapping the ends of her braids around her finger, Makina watched as the tall skyscrapers of Division-A flew past her. Through the bus window, she could see the bustling city life fade out the further they drove into the North District. The Omega turned her head and looked out the front windshield a few seats ahead of her. The bus approached the dusty, silent ruins. The fractured road beneath it starting to get uneven and bumpy.
"A traitor, I'd much rather like to believe in the contrary." Asuka responded, bringing Makina back into the conversation she earlier dazed out of.
The captain twirled her finger, unwrapping her purple hair. "I won't be caught off guard again; being optimistic gets you killed."
Makina was sitting on the left side of the bus alone, while Asuka and her little sister sat together on the right side. Meanwhile, Matoi and Akino sat together in the back spread across a cushioned four-seated booth.
Kiku leaned over so Makina could see her. "There's no joy in life if you act so negative about things, Captain!"
"Being joyous distracts you from the reality of our job. That is something you will have to learn as you get older. So, don't talk to me like you're a wise old man," Makina fired back slouching back in her chair.
Matoi scooted closer to Akino, bumping shoulders with him. "Makina's acting more rude than usual, what the hell is her problem?"
Shrugging, Akino replied, "I don't think she really wants to be here. Apparently, Hetsu knows about it too. At least, that's what I'm piecing together."
Matoi leaned over, whispering softly, "do you think it could be because of her squad mates dying?"
Akino glanced at Makina up ahead, who was slouched into her chair and staring blankly into the seat in front of her. The boy shook his head, rejecting her suspicion. "No, I think it's a bit more than that… you don't know?"
Sitting up, the young brunette crossed her arms and pouted. "I may have seen her from time to time when I first became an Omega, but I never talked to her. Why should I? I mean, who'd want to… with that kind of attitude."
"You never talked? With you two bickering at school, I thought you had some vendettas or something."
"No," she answered, uncrossing her arms. "We didn't know each other personally, but we knew… each other's reputation. Makina was the quiet, bossy one who always thought she was the best… and she was, still is. I met her after she graduated from the training academy, but to my knowledge, she was never the most inviting person… even before the accident."
"The accident?"
"Akino!" An ear piercing, squeaky voice shouted.
The boy arched his shoulders in shock, surprised by Kiku's sudden, loud call. "Y-yeah?"
"How does it feel being the first human boy to work along side us? Isn't it cool?!"
He chuckled, his cheeks turned pink with the outburst of innocent excitement. "It's fine, I guess. I'm not here for fun though. I got a mission today, too."
The pigtailed child raised her eyebrows, curious. "Is it to pick up trash?"
Chuckling again, he waved his hands around in denial. "No, I'm trying to uncover Division-A's secrets."
"We have secrets?" She asked, turning to Asuka then back to Akino. "Wait, you already figured our secret out! Didn't you?" She paused, resuming once she realized Akino was waiting for her to elaborate. "You found out about Omegas and Compactors!"
"No, that isn't it. I'm talking about secrets even you guys don't know, something only Hetsu can tell me."
The bus pulled to the side of the highway just before it entered the North District. The glass doors opened, allowing the five to exit. Akino planted his feet into the scorched dirt, breathing in the thick humid air.
Kiku walked up to him, emphasizing their height difference even more. She lifted her face up to make eye contact, continuing with "what could she be hiding from us?"
"Stop Akino," Matoi said, placing her hand on his shoulder once she caught up. "You're poisoning her brain."
"What?! No! I want to know more!" She cried out, chasing the rest of her team as they climbed up a hill of debris to enter the district.
For the next few minutes, the squad pushed litter and abandoned personal belongings into piles along the crumbling sidewalks. Asuka squatted, picking up a dirty Raggedy Ann Doll from the seat of a flipped over car. She turned it over, imagining the disaster that occurred just five years ago. Standing up, Asuka walked to the other side of the street and dropped it in the pile, silently feeling guilty about her decision. Makina caught a glimpse of the toy from the corner of her eye and immediately looked away, covering her mouth as her stomach churned.
"Sometimes, I feel lucky that I was homeless," Asuka confessed, pacing around the street, collecting items.
Akino crouched down and picked up a large tree branch, dragging it back to his pile. "At least they don't have to live with the trauma. I don't know if that makes any sense, but," he lift the branch up and put it to the top of the pile, "…I'd rather be dead than have to be constantly reminded of it."
Makina unsteadily turned around and stumbled down the street, holding her stomach.
"Hey, what's wrong, Captain?" Kiku asked in a cheerfully caring tone.
"Leave me alone, I need to go to the bathroom."
"There's no electricity here, Makina!" Matoi shouted semi-sarcastically as the Omega turned the corner.
The group continued picking up the highway, occasionally chatting with each other as Makina wandered somewhere amongst them. Boredom approached, resulting in a competition of pile size and the coolest artifacts collected. With every minute that went by, the sun grew closer and hotter. Asuka borrowed a hairpin from Matoi, pulling her long red hair back to relieve herself from the heat. Akino found himself starting a new pile shrouded in the shadow of a tall building to cool himself. The other three caught themselves doing this as well.
Suddenly, the ground beneath them started to rumble. Matoi clung to a bent streetlight for balance as the rest of the team quickly ran to the sides of the buildings for support. She extended her neck, trying to catch sight of where the sudden quake was coming from. Fear started to crawl its way into her gut as the foot of a Stage Three Compactor peaked out from the street just in front of them.
"Shit, run. Run!" Matoi screamed.
With no Omega uniforms on, the only option was to run as fast as possible. The four spread out, scattering in different directions as the titanic creature sprinted down the highway. Akino sped down a cluttered alleyway, jumping over mounds of concrete and shattered glass.
'This really isn't happening, is it,' Akino frantically asked himself. He glanced behind him, noticing the Compactor ran past him. Panting and wiping his forehead, Akino looked up to the sky to catch his breath. His eyes trailed along the path of the clouds above him. He gasped, stumbling back into a building wall when he caught sight of a shadow running across the tops of the buildings. 'Is that…?! No way, is that the person?!'
"Stop!" Makina shouted as she turned the corner into the alleyway, chasing it. She ran past Akino, purposely running into him to grab his attention. "That's it! They're who I saw!"
The shadow jumped to another building beyond both of their lines of vision. Makina stopped, whipping her head around to Akino. "You saw it didn't you?! Help me, you worthless insect! Get off your ass and do something worth while!"
Akino pushed himself off the wall once he caught his balance. "No, Makina! There's a Co-"
Unexpectedly, Makina's earpiece went off. "There's a Stage Three in the area," a man said through the static. "Your instructions are to retreat."
"Bullshit!" Makina exclaimed. "Don't you understand that there is someone on the loose here?!"
"Yes," he agreed. "It's been caught on surveillance. Now gather your squad and get back to the busses; Royal Ambassador's orders."
Several uniformed Omegas from other squads ran down the highway, frantically screaming and shouting. Makina and Akino exited the alley, realizing a crowd of Stage One's was following in quick pursuit.
"Makina, lets go," he demanded, his voice nervous and unstable.
Gritting her teeth together, she spun around and ran along with the other Omegas, leaving Akino to follow behind her as the monsters closed in.