The entire crew sat circled around a stage in the auditorium, reaching several floors tall. Rows of chairs scaled the walls, growing in numbers as they reached further from the stage. The room was packed; the crowd nearly entirely made up of Omegas and select government officials. The warm toned can-lights above them were dimmed and the bulky exit and entrance doors were locked, guarded by armed soldiers. Behind the stage and podium was a massive blank screen, covering the entire wall.
Hushed chatter continued amongst piers through the rows of seats as people finished finding themselves a spot to sit. Akino, Matoi, Makina, Sakagami, Asuka, and Kiku sat atop the second balcony in a row together, looking over the others that walked beneath them. Makina stared at the stage, eagerly waiting for Hetsu to make her appearance.
Sakagami leaned over to Akino, grabbing his shoulder. "I'm nervous," she stated, faking a stutter. "I've never been to a private briefing like this before."
Akino smiled, dismissing her as he continued gawking ahead. He swallowed his unease, only for it to push back up again. His anxiety crept to his legs, resulting in a relentless tapping of the foot. Matoi grinned and placed her soft, cold hand on top of his.
"Relax," she whispered. "You'll be fine, you're not in trouble."
"I know that," he whispered back. "I'm just starting to realize what I'm getting myself into… th-this is all so formal and serious." Akino looked down, tugging at the collar of his newly bought suit.
"You're just now figuring this out?" Kiku asked, giggling at his ignorance.
"I warned you," Makina claimed in a deep, monotonous voice.
"At least you don't have to wear these silly things," Matoi said, trying to ease his discomfort. She glanced down, tugging at the skintight fabric of her Omega uniform.
Kiku bent over, facing Matoi. "For real, they're such a pain sometimes." The blonde flicked Asuka's shoulder pad, causing its luminescence to flicker.
Asuka hit her hand away. "Quit it."
"Oh, c'mon," Kiku groaned. "I don't have my own shoulder pads to flick."
"That's because you broke them… on purpose," Asuka reminded her, gently shoving her back into her seat.
Sakagami leaned back towards Akino, whispering in his ear, "Are the suits alright? Mine is a little snug on me as well. I'll return them and buy better ones next time."
"No," Akino rejected, "it's fine. You don't even have a job yet, I don't know why you bought these."
"Because, I don't want us to look like slobs," Sakagami hissed.
Matoi tugged on Akino's black sleeve, bringing his attention back to her. "I used to go to these all the time when I was an Omega the first time. They're really just private news broadcasts that certain people need to hear. If you're thinking its like that surprise trial, you're wrong, okay?"
"Don't remind me of that," he mumbled, rubbing his head.
"Shh," Makina silenced, "she's coming."
Hideyo Hiroko peaked through the curtains before pulling them to the side, allowing the Royal Ambassador a grand entrance. The crowd erupted with clapping and standing ovations as the elderly woman approached the podium. Hideyo followed behind her, standing off to the side once Hetsu reached her destination. The audience grew quiet as a the massive screen behind her powered on, displaying a scientific diagram of a Compactor's anatomy. Hetsu pulled the mic up to her mouth, beginning to speak.
"This is a diagram you all have become familiar with, yes?" Hetsu announced, her voice echoing through the auditorium. "Wrong, this is an updated diagram of the Compactor's anatomy, not the old and out-dated one so many of you have been taught."
Makina leaned in closer, her eyes focusing intently on the screen. Matoi's eyes were wide open as well, reflecting the diagram in front of her.
"Some of you more experienced Omegas may have noticed a few of the changes by now. The brain, in particular, is what we'll be focusing on for this briefing." The screen zoomed in on the brain, prompting several informational speech bubbles to pop up around it. "While we used the think that a Stage One Compactor's brain resembled more closely to that of a reptile's, due to recent events and surveillance footage from June 5th, we can now for sure say that a Stage One Compactor's brain resembles a chimpanzee's more than anything."
"A chimp…," Matoi mumbled. "That's a mammal… like us."
"We have even stronger reason to believe that a Stage Three Compactor's brain is similar to a human's."
Makina gasped, her red eyes vibrant with angst as she arched her eyebrows in disbelieving anger. Reminded of the destruction they brought to her home district, she contemplated why a creature with the rationale of a human would bring such misery and chaos to a sibling on the evolutionary tree.
The auditorium was flooded with chatter. Omegas were quickly turning to each other in horror and disbelief, reevaluating everything that has led up to this moment, and all the prejudice and cruelty they inflicted on each other, justified or not.
"Yes, you heard me right," Hetsu assured them, her voice louder to silence the crowd. "However, this does not mean that they're human- far from it. We do not have any evidence of the Compactor's displaying empathy, compassion, remorse, or any other humanitarian trait other than our similarities in intelligence. We, to this day, have not yet been able to successfully conduct an autopsy on a Compactor. They evaporate too quickly for us to capture and preserve in any way, shape, or form. That is why we rely on Omega testimony and footage acquired from the battles to gain knowledge of these creatures' biology."
The screen changed to showcase a static image from a surveillance camera. In the image was a blurred silhouette of an Omega flying past the camera. Behind her, though, was the remnants of a Compactor skull, its brain still intact, but melting on the bottom as it evaporated.
"This was acquired during the attack of June 5th. As devastating as it was, it did give us plenty of insight as to what these things are and how they function. This image is only one of many that we managed to gather."
"You mean… we actually benefited from that attack?" Kiku asked, shocked.
"I wouldn't go that far," Makina responded.
"With not only these as proof, we also have first hand encounters that suggest a Compactor has human level intelligence. I'm sure all of you have taken a moment to ask yourselves why or how the Compactors managed to attack all at once and at one place. I'm sure you all asked why they suddenly started coming out during the day, and I'm sure you asked why they seemed to show up in the most densely packed areas. About three Compactors were at fault for the decimation of the North District years ago. Two Compactors are to blame for the destruction of the Eastern Districts. One Compactor appeared at Yomi High and killed hundreds of students and faculty, and although numbers are still coming in, about five Compactors were to blame for the attack on the capital earlier this month."
Akino gulped, his grip around the armrest of his chair becoming tighter. His fingers trembled as he was reminded of the awful things he'd endured over the past few months. Sakagami grabbed Akino's hand and held it, grieving beside him.
"They have been coordinating these attacks on our city. In all of the examples I have given, these monsters planned on killing where there was the most people in one spot. All but one of these instances was the Compactor on Stage Three of its core's evolution. This gives me reason to believe that a Compactor's intellect expands as it progresses through its stages. Like its body, its brain becomes larger and more powerful as the core uses more energy," Hetsu explained.
"Damn bastards," Makina growled under her breath, biting her lip. "They're making it hard for us on purpose…"
"Of course they are," Matoi replied, her eyes still on the stage. "They're living creatures just like us. They're not going to give up their lives just because we ask them to."
"Unlike Omegas," Hetsu continued, "a Compactor's core runs on blood, like how a battery runs on acid. If it hasn't consumed enough humans to supply its core for a potential transformation, then it would use its own blood to progress to the next stage. As this suggests, its dangerous and detrimental to a Compactor's physical condition to be running on an empty battery. Excluding the recent mass-attacks, regular nightly Compactor activity has been on a decline since April. Have Compactors realized that food is more accessible during the day? Have they been saving their energy for an orchestrated attack? An even better question I ask is… have you ever wondered where the Compactors are coming from?"
Akino's eyes grew big, the vibrant color returning. His cheeks were flushed with color and life as he lifted his head up, contemplating a thought that had never crossed his mind before. Matoi glanced in his direction, curious but ultimately dismissing him for later.
"Where do they go whenever they aren't feasting or committing mass genocide? We have yet to find this out. However," Hetsu reached into her podium and pulled out a transcript, "this is a list of clues that my team has put together that hint us towards a potential Compactor base!"
The eyes of every Omega in the auditorium lit up with amazed excitement. Asuka and Kiku looked to each other, captivated and smiling. Matoi backed into her chair, taken aback by yet another unexpected revelation. Makina bit her lip, eager for the crowd to quiet down so the Royal Ambassador could continue.
"We have limited it down to three locations across Division-A," she said as the screen behind her changed to a map with three red markers on it. "Mount Massive in the North East District, Kappa Bridge in the South District, and a family-owned farm in the West District are what our team has concluded as potential spots for Compactor hideouts. Next week I will be dividing the Omegas into three different teams and deploying each and every one of you at your assigned location. We will have a satellite watching over each team as this happens. Each location will be cleared of civilian activity for a five mile radius so that we can avoid any unwarranted casualties. This could be the most dangerous mission in your entire career and should not be taken lightly. If done correctly and as we predict, humanity will finally have an advantage over the Compactors!"
"You're kidding…," Asuka said under her breath. "I never thought… this was going to happen in my lifetime."
Akino was on the edge of his seat, nearly hanging over the balcony itself. 'Finally… this is my chance! This is my chance to avenge my friends! This… this is my chance to finally uncovering what my dreams are telling me! A first step… this is exactly what I needed, this is what I've been waiting for! Humanity is, humanity is finally a step closer to survival!'
"Even so," Hetsu shouted into the mic, "we cannot ignore the worst outcomes of this mission! We may discover nothing, or even worse- we do, and there's a massacre! There is no telling what will unfold once we get there and how it will change our future as a society, that is why you must listen and rely on your squad captains and more importantly, each other, when the time comes. If the worst, no matter what that entails, does occur, then the remaining Omegas of the Suicide Brigade will be there to fight along side you."
"This is serious…," Kiku whispered. "They've brought out the Suicide Brigade twice this month now. We're lucky… or unlucky… to see them once every year or two."
Hetsu pushed the transcript back into the compartment in her podium. She pulled the mic even closer to her mouth as she overlooked the crowd. Hetsu's palms became sweaty as she relayed the plan to the countless people circling around her. She sighed, taking a moment to remind herself of the potential consequences of this mission. She hesitated before bringing herself back to mic.
"Do not become complacent and blow this off!" The Royal Ambassador threatened. "God only knows what could happen to Division-A after this mission, and I pray that this is the next big step for humanity as I think it is! Forget not what humanity has waiting for it if we fail; not a back-up plan nor a new refuge, but death and complete extinction! Let. That. Sink. In."
The auditorium became completely silent, not a single breath to be heard.
"Division-A is all we have left and you, Omegas, are the only ones protecting it. The world surrounding us in ravaged and uninhabitable from the storm. We must protect this city like our lives depend on it, because it does."
Akino looked down at his hand; his fleshy, warm, human hand, and thought. 'That's right. If we fail… If I fail, then everyone I love will die. Sakagami… Yukino and Miki, everyone at school, everyone at the festival, everyone I see on the streets in the morning, and even Hetsu would… die. Would… the Omegas die too? Is there hope for us in them?'
"We will discuss this further at the Grand Hall the day leading up to the mission. For now, we are finished," Hetsu finalized, the screen turning off behind her and the lights coming back onto full brightness.
She walked off behind stage, giving the podium to Hideyo. She pulled the mic down to her level. "Any civilians or officials present may be dismissed."
"That's us," Sakagami said between breaths as she got up from her chair. She stood, dusting off her lap as Akino pried himself out of his seat as well.
Suddenly, Akino sped past Matoi and into the walking isle, darting towards the staircase with other civilians and government officials. Sakagami reached out to him, clueless and worried as her son sprinted through a massive and unknown building. Akino stumbled down the stairs and pushed out from the crowd heading towards the exit, instead choosing to climb up the stage.
He pushed open the heavy black curtains, panting. "Hetsu! Hetsu Koboshi!"
Through a cluster of stage crew and body guards stood the lady herself, her head tilted in his direction. A guard immediately stared walking towards the boy, his chest puffed and arms flexed before Hideyo put her small hand in front of him, stopping him.
Hetsu walked up to Akino, her heals clicking against the cold cement floors. "Akino? What is it?"
"This mission," he began, still panting from his long jog, "do you think… this could answer my questions- about my dreams?"
Hetsu waved her hand, prompting the guards to step back and let her have some privacy with Akino. She pulled him away from the curtains and to a brick wall where she answered. "It would be silly to think that there isn't some connection between you and your dreams and the Compactors. This may not be what gives you the answers, but it very well could lead to even bigger revelations."
He stared into her eyes, compelled by this opportunity. "Am I allowed to go? Can I go with them?"
"Well that's what I had planned," Hetsu replied. "You're a part of Squad Thirteen, remember?"
"Akino!" Sakagami shouted, exhausted as she pushed the curtains behind her. "What are you doing? Don't bother them." She grabbed his hand, pulling him back on stage. "I'm sure they have things to do and places to be."
"Your son is fine, Ms. Sakagami," Hetsu assured her. "He just came to ask me if he was allowed on this next mission."
Sakagami let go of his hand, staring at him then towards her leader. "…and what did you say?"
"I said of course," Hetsu answered, prompting a shocked and protective lean towards her son from Sakagami. "This is an important step for our city. Akino has done so much for us, it would be criminal not to let him experience this achievement."
"You weren't talking about it this positively just a few minutes ago," Sakagami responded blatantly, her arm hovering over Akino.
Hetsu took a step towards the pair, her hands cupped in front of her slim black skirt. "This mission means a lot to him, and he's been asking for answers for a very long time. If this mission is successful, then he will go down in history. Not only that, but Akino is a vital part of our team and is considered one of us by several of his piers. This mission poses no risk to him."
"Sakagami," Akino directed her attention towards him. Once she was looking, Akino bit his finger, causing blood to stream down his hand.
The blonde pulled his hand out of his mouth, holding it to her chest. "Akino! Why would you do that?! Doesn't it hurt at all?!"
"I'm fine," he declared, pulling his hand away. He shook his hand around, ridding it of the blood before lifting it up to show her. The wound was gone and there was no scar to be found. "See."
Sakagami sighed, her head lowering to the ground and her eyes closing. She paused for a second or two, thinking to herself. She looked up at Hetsu, her shoulders arched high as she pushed the words out of her mouth. "If you think that this is what humanity needs… what he needs, then I suppose." She glared at him, switching the conversation to the two of them. "We'll talk more when we're home."
Akino smiled as she walked away. He pushed out his hand for Hetsu to shake, which she did. "A hope for humanity's future…," he recited.
"Mankind's safe haven," she finished.