Gravity lifted, bouncing up and down as the portal glitched open. Akino's stomach churned as he felt his weight lighten while his feet lost grip with the road. He grasped Hideyo's hand, putting his safety in her small hands as she pushed through the crowds toward the cliff. The wind tugged at their clothes and hair, threatening to pull them back. A purple light casted a looming shadow over them, reflecting and illuminating the blood covering their faces.
The clouds, riddled with electric thunderstorms, spiraled around the portal angrily. The sky collapsed in on itself, forming a firmly defined hole above the rooftops of the district. Akino's eyes were glued to the surreal sight, each second of his gawking worsening his pretentious migraine and impairing his vision, until something from the corner of his eye caught his attention. He looked up, his eyes following a trail of smoke building towards the hole in the sky. At the front of the trail was a small, human-sized capsule.
"…a pod," Akino named, his memories becoming applicable to the current day.
Akino glanced back, feeling the fingers around his wrist vanish. He stood on his toes and extended his neck, desperately searching for Hideyo, but she was lost amongst the crowd. It wasn't long before he was pushed off his feet and forced to the ground. He desperately guarded his head as people trampled over him, their heels digging deep into his back.
Suddenly, the weight disappeared. The sky roared and a gust of wind forced the ocean of people to their knees. Hundreds of them were brought down, falling down one at a time like dominos. Akino climbed his way to the top, emerging from the pile of bodies to see a colossal Compactor charging towards them. The crowd noticed too, prompting them back to their feet. They stumbled, horrified, down the streets- unable to change direction from the buildings that lined their sides. Their actions were futile. As the Compactor's shadow loomed over them, the people let out their last few screams before it dropped to its knees as scooped them up.
Narrowly dodging its grasps, Akino went on through the crowd. Terror invaded his gut, his screams lodged in his throat as clusters of innocent people were ripped from the ground around him. He looked past the people in front of him, catching a brief glance of the cliff before he ran into a cloud of smoke. He sped his pace, quickly trying to escape so he could locate the airport. The smoke then disappeared, shedding light to the armed men rocketing through the sky.
"No!!!" Akino screamed.
He ducked, instinctively grabbing the sleeves of the person behind him and throwing them ahead. Bullets instantly began raining down on the crowd. Using the now dead body as cover, Akino closed his eyes and listened as the screams died out one by one. Akino was pushed to his knees as bullets flew through his cover's back. Innocent civilians were mowed down, blood running through the streets like a river. He pulled his feet away as the red fluid passed him.
Just before the last screams vanished, the firing came to a halt. Akino peaked fearfully over the shoulder of his deceased bodyguard, then draped over his back. Catapulting over the highway was Yukino, killing the men with their own guns. Abruptly, Akino's breath was knocked out of him as somebody blasted into his back. Two arms wrapped around his waist and before he knew it, he was at the top of a demolished building. He whipped around, seeing that Sakagami was the one who rescued him. Yukino quickly joined them after finishing them off. She dragged her feet tiredly towards the duo, spitting out the blood that got in her mouth.
Akino pulled himself up, a helpless grin growing on his face. His bright yellow eyes shimmered as tears swelled in his cornea. He darted towards the girls, embracing them compassionately as the warmth of their bodies comforted his racing heart. "I'm sorry," he apologized, forcing back the tears. "I wish I could've got to you sooner, but-"
"It's okay," Yukino assured, using her shirt to wipe the blood off her face once she was released from the hug. "Where's Hideyo?"
"I-I don't know where she went, we got separated." He spun his head around, observing the destruction around him. Sakagami noticed his panic and suppressed her own fear to ease him. Akino stepped away, pointing to the portal pushing open the sky. "That thing is our escape out of here! Hideyo… Hideyo told me that Division-A is gone and…"
"So we go to the airport," Sakagami finished. "We heard the announcement."
"Did Hideyo tell you…," Yukino inquired, "…where we're going?"
Akino looked down, squinting his eyes in frustration. He stared at the uneven surface for a brief second, holding his throbbing forehead. Contemplating his answer, Akino ultimately decided against disclosing the information- whether from exhaustion or disbelief. "No."
"It doesn't matter," Sakagami resumed. She squinted to the right, blocking out the sun as she gained a visual of their journey. "I can see the cliff. I think it's a little under a half a mile walk. Do you think we can make it?"
"Walk?" Akino asked, his voice trembling in confusion.
"You don't have a jetpack, and I'm not about to let you walk through those streets alone. If we do this at all, we're doing it together." Sakagami declared, nodding her head in determination. "Right, Yukino?"
"I guess so…," she complied.
The stampede continued further in the district. The displaced cobblestone courtyard was barely visible beneath everyone's feet. Some crawled on their hands and knees, some jumped over each other, some forced others out of their way. Sitting on the edge of a broken fountain was a little boy, stranded and bruised as tears ran down his dirty cheeks. Crouching beside the commotion was an old woman, desperately clinging to her deceased husband. In the middle of the crowd was a late middle-aged man, his jaw broken from the stampede.
The three survivors stumbled down the stairs into the courtyard, holding each other's hands with all their strength. People rushed by them as Compactors ravaged the metropolitan area behind them. They continued running until they couldn't anymore; the wall of people was stuck in a frozen standstill.
"How are we supposed to get through?" Yukino asked, shouting as countless people piled up behind them.
"We can't," Sakagami concluded, gripping their hands tighter and dragging them away from the courtyard. They forced their way past the people the ran along the side of the wall separating them from the road until they found a staircase to go through.
They darted along the sidewalk, their eyes locked on the cliff in the distance as they searched for a way into the airport on the other side. Suddenly, Sakagami stopped, leaning on the wall to catch her breath. Akino and Yukino slowed as well, taking the moment to unwind.
A threatening rumbling sound crept into Akino's ears. He slowly turned around, looking above the wall as a Compactor head peaked over the edge. He stared, horrified, realizing that a Compactor had spawned in the center of the courtyard and was now devouring people. Akino flipped Sakagami over and unhooked her jetpack. She fought back, confused by his actions until she saw the Compactor in the distance. She grabbed Akino's hand, fear in her eyes, begging Akino to stay.
"Stay here." Akino pulled away and ran along the wall, fastening the jetpack around him. The wall curved into the ground, giving him a full view of the monster. People were screaming and running past him in all directions, trying to spare themselves from getting eaten.
Once his jetpack was fastened, Akino leapt into the air and blasted into the sky. He spun around the Compactor, buying himself time as he thought of a plan. The creature paid no attention to him, instead focusing on the cluster of civilians in its jaws. It chomped down and a wave of blood and entrails soon bursted into the air. Akino flew through the curtain of carnage and into the monster's mouth. He bursted out of its nape, his body covered in its fluids.
The Compactor stumbled back, catching its balance as it regenerated. Spinning back around for a better aim, Akino happened to catch a glance of the Omegas flying overhead and towards the airport. Dismissing it, he brought his attention back to the Compactor, who was in the midst of swinging at him. He twisted his body, dodging the attack by sliding through its fingers.
'I need to get to the core!' Before Akino was able to stabilize his trajectory, a bullet flew past his left side. He quickly swerved out of the way, acknowledging the row of armed men along the rooftops, their guns aimed at him. In a ditch attempt, Akino flew straight towards them. He peaked over his shoulder as they fired at him, noticing the Compactor chasing after him.
'Good!' Akino bent his back, forcing himself downwards just before he made contact with the soldiers. The Compactor then ran into the building they were standing on, demolishing it and ripping the opponents to shreds. A cloud of debris erupted from the impact and Akino shot out of the disaster zone, skidding along the pavement as Sakagami's jetpack was shred to pieces from the friction.
Sakagami and Yukino ran up to him. The blonde knelt down, pulling him up, realizing his leg was twisted out of shape. Akino shook his head, groaning from the pain of the fall. Yukino helped Sakagami pull Akino up, each one of them wrapping one of his arms around their shoulders for support.
"Ms. Sakagami, are you sure? I can carry him on my own," Yukino claimed, bending her knees so Akino's weight shifted onto her. "Your ankle is broken, isn't it?"
Sakagami looked down at her bruised ankle. She leaned on the other foot and shook off the pain. "I'm fine, trust me. But we need to get to the airport before-"
Suddenly, the ground cracked beneath them. The girls looked back, noticing the ground breaking into pieces beneath the Compactor's fallen body. They swiftly pulled Akino closer around them and started running down the sidewalk looping around the courtyard of corpses. The ground shattered beneath them, sending the trio sliding down a mound of rubble into a pile of broken floor tiles.
Darkness.
Yukino's ears rung and her eyes slowly fluttered open. The bright blue sky was above her, but she noticed the weight of Akino's body was lifted from her shoulders. She looked to the side, noticing Sakagami and Akino a good distance away. Sakagami held her son closely as she stared back at her, terrified. That's when Yukino noticed the shadow enveloping her. She tilted her head up, watching as a building collapsed on top of her, crushing and killing her.
Akino watched with wide eyes, absolutely mortified, as Sakagami pulled him closer to her. The dust cloud surrounded them, chunks of debris bouncing past them. Sakagami promptly picked herself back up and helped Akino to his feet. The stumbled out, stopping in front of a broken sculpture on the edge of the courtyard.
The boy turned his head to the fallen building and screamed. His voice cracked under the pressure, wearing his vocal cords thin. His anguish poured out of his mouth as he wailed above the cries of the victims getting eaten around him. Sakagami held him back, hugging him tight as he collapsed to the ground in sorrow, screaming for Yukino to come back.
"Akino! Akino!" Sakagami shouted, patting his back as he coughed up spit. "We need to go! Come on, come on! Let's go! Now!" She forced him back up and pulled him along the sidewalk, constantly reminding him to move.
The horizon suddenly lit up in flames. Bombs exploded in the city line, igniting fires that raged through the crevices of the metropolis. Sakagami shifted her direction away from the explosions, but it was no use. Grenades crossed the sky and bounced against the pavement, exploding in an orange glow that rattled the area and knocked the mother and son to the ground. Sakagami climbed over Akino, sheltering him from the bombs. Then, a grenade found its way into her peripherals. She closed her eyes and gritted her teeth, not ready to welcome her fate as the weapon fell towards them.
The scorching cobblestone beneath the duo vanished as they were lifted into the sky. Akino looked up, his tears flying away with the wind, as Makina flew them away from the ring of fire. Makina held them by their hands, their bodies dangling violently behind her. Makina was bathed in her own blood. Her uniform was torn and her hair was mangled and caked with dust. Akino noticed the exhaustion and pain in her eyes as she spent the last of her energy tossing the two of them into the roof of the airport.
Makina slammed into the concrete, collapsing into an exhausted heap. Her breath was slow and faint as her body fought to function. Her head lifted and her eyes returned to normal. The corners of her mouth drooped and her bags became more pronounced and she stared at Akino and Sakagami with despondency.
Akino immediately ran up to Makina for a hug. He pushed himself into her, wrapping his arms over her shoulders. The Omega remained still, wincing from the pain. "Thank you," he whispered, "for staying alive…"
No response.
Feeling a sudden warmth on his stomach, Akino stood back. Fresh blood soaked his shirt, dripping onto the concrete. He tugged on his stained shirt, separating it from his skin. Looking back up at Makina, Akino gasped. Blood trickled down her mouth, leading to a grotesque stomach wound just above her abdomen.
"Makina…," he mumbled.
The two promptly moved to Makina's side and helped her maintain balance. She groaned in agony, doing her best to evenly distribute her weight among the two. Lowering her head, the warrior coughed- thick strings of blood hanging from her bottom lip. They knelt down, allowing Makina to rest as her entrails pooled around her.
"What happened?! You weren't shot- were you?" Akino asked frantically, whimpering in fear as she tugged on his shirt.
"My core…," she whined, "its damaged…"
Akino leaned over, peaking into her open gut to examine her core. Fitting comfortably above her intestine was the bottom of the metallic sphere. Blue sparks danced around her rib cage, the wires connecting her to the machine mangled and torn at random. Her core had been compromised. "What?! Are you going to be okay?"
"I-… don't know," Makina mumbled. "They did an operation on me a while back… I'm not sure how this affects me."
"Well it's obviously not good!" Akino shouted, noticing her blood soaking the soles of his shoes. "We need to get you somewhere that can help you!"
"No," Makina refused. Her purple lock hung over her dull face, hiding the distress in her eyes. "We're getting you in those pods and out of this place." She shoved Akino and Sakagami away, regaining her independence and strength. She swerved from side to side, catching herself before she fell. "This is no place for you two… you need to get to safety."
Akino stared back at her, his eyes burning with determination. "I'm not going anywhere until I know that you're okay and your core is fixed."
Sakagami lifted Makina up and put her arm around her shoulder, ushering Akino to do the same. She nodded, making eye contact with him. "Come on, we need to get into the airport."
Hesitating, Akino leaned back. He looked Makina in the eye, acknowledging the desperation in her face. He got over himself and his stubbornness, instead leading the way off the roof and onto the cliff side. The trio skidded down the jagged rocks and passed through the decorative landscaping onto a pathway overlooking the city beneath them. They ran along the edge, along with dozens of people, towards an entrance tunnel dug into the side of the cliff. They followed the speedy crowd inside, welcoming themselves into the terminal.
Exiting the tunnel, a new setting came into sight. A runway, about two thousand feet long, was carved into the side of the cliff. Makeshift railroads were built, aiming towards the portal. Resting behind them was a line of dozens of pods, ready for takeoff. Omegas scrambled around the runway, pushing and securing people into the automobile before the timer sent them on their way.
Some oblivious people darted towards the airplane on the edge of the runway, unaware that it wouldn't be taking off. Others were lined up beside the pods, impatiently awaiting for the Omegas to let them in. The Compactors pushed through the district below them, devastating the area. Bombs exploded around them, pillars of smoke and ash following soon after.
Makina took her arms of her comrade's shoulders and dragged her feet towards the other Omegas, leaving blood footprints in her wake. Akino watched her, confused, pacing after her. "Where are you going?!"
She turned around as Akino approached, distancing herself from her as her teammates crowded around her. "I've got a duty to do."
"What does that mean?" He jogged towards her, outstretching his hand to grab her. She stepped back, a pained look on her face. "Hey!"
Makina shook her head and sighed, lifting her hand to her chest to clench her heart. The Omegas around her continued their duty, securing and fastening people in their seats as Makina stalled. Remorse and doubt bubbled inside of her as the pain crept to the rest of her body. "Akino…," she began. Her red irises gleamed brighter as tears lined her eye bags. "…I can't go with you."
A haze immediately fogged Akino's head. He felt himself get dizzy for a second or two before his vision returned to focus. His gut twisted and anxiety was lodged in his throat. His breathing came to a stop and his body froze. Tears immediately flooded into his eyes before he was even able to comprehend the meaning of her words. "You… what?" He paused, running her words through his mind repeatedly. "What do you mean… you cant go with me? You… you have to… Makina!"
"I can't," she said, covering her wound as the pain severed. "I stand with this city to the very end. I swore it."
"Makina…," Sakagami mumbled.
"I'm a soldier; an Omega," Makina reminded them. "My family fell victim to a world like this. This city is my home, I'll avenge… protect it until it kills me. I'd rather be slaughtered and eaten alive than be caught running away from a battle, especially if one of our own was the source. I swore to my Captain that I'll fight till the bitter end."
"You can't…," Akino said between the explosions and screams. "…you can't die." He stuttered, making sorrowful eye contact with Makina. "Yukino… was crushed by a building. Miki and Kiku were shot, Asuka committed suicide… I'm not letting you."
"This isn't your decision," she proclaimed. "My life's been building up to this. If I'm to lay down my life, then so be it. As long as it keeps my home and its people alive." She stepped back, disappearing into the cluster of Omegas behind her.
"Makina!!!"
Suddenly, boulders broke off from the overhang and smashed into the runway. Sakagami and Akino jumped back as the runway itself began cracking under the pressure. Dust shot out from the cracks and chunks of cement rolled off the edge into the city. The runway tilted forward, shoving people into the air. At the root of the damage was a Compactor hand, pulling down the platform like a platter and sliding its food into its mouth below.
The two ran back to cliff side, neck to neck with each other as they inched across the remains of the runway towards a segment that was still intact. A group of Omegas grabbed their hands and pulled them up, just when the Compactor was killed. The platform continued to crumble as people forced their way into the pods.
Akino spun around, purposely avoiding the railroad tracks and the Omegas standing beside them. "Makina?! Makina?!"
A pair of hands found themselves wrapped around Akino's arm. He whipped his head back, finding Makina pulling him towards the pods. She grunted as she forced her feet forward, all the while her core was busting at the seams. He pulled back with all his strength, believing that her body wasn't strong enough to withstand the tug- but her determination was stronger.
Makina grabbed his head and forced him into the open pod. He desperately threw his body around, slapping her hands away and kicking himself away from the machine. The Omega grabbed him by the shoulders and pushed him into the cold leather seat. She lifted her hand up and slammed the glass dome over his head, locking him inside.
"Stop, stop! Let me out! Makina!" Akino screamed and kicked the glass dome, but it hurt his foot more than it. He turned around and pressed his hands against the side of the glass, staring her in the eye. "Makina, please! Don't do this!!!"
She leaned towards him, placing her hands over his. "I'm sorry, Akino," she apologized. The corners of her mouth uplifted and her head cocked to the right. A single tear ran down her bruised cheek and curved into the crevices of her smile. Her first smile. "May we see each other again."
"Huh…," he cried. Tears poured out of his eyes as he locked gazes. Once that first tear fell, it was like the floodgates had opened. He clawed at the glass, desperately trying to touch Makina one last time- but it was too late.
Makina wrapped her fingers around the lever and pulled it forward. Akino's engine ignited and the boosters behind him thrusted ahead. Each track in the railroad flew by as he accelerated forward. Gravity pushed Akino back into his seat and before long, the runway disappeared beneath him.
A small television slowly lowered in front of Akino. A blue screen with an 'A' on it and subtitles was displayed. "Welcome," the television began. "It's a pleasure to have you. Please follow the instructions." Akino immediately started kicking the screen off its hinges. "Number one, please buckle your seat belts on either-"
"Fuck you!" Akino slammed his foot into the television one last time, smashing it to pieces before he turned back around and gawked out the dome encapsulating him. He pushed his cheek against the glass, watching as Division-A crumbled.
By this point, the entire island had been enveloped by fire and death. Compactors roamed free, scouring for any survivors amongst the mountains of metal, concrete, and rebar. The sky was a gradient of fire red, portal purple, and sky blue. The cliff was collapsing in on itself as Compactors clawed at it, climbing up the sides and swinging at people. Streaks of color encircled the creatures, preparing to attack.
The red streak following behind Makina's jetpack abruptly came to a stop. The girl was trapped in the sticky grasps of the Compactor. She did her upmost best to break free, but without Kaminari, her weapon, she couldn't. The Compactor lifted Makina above its head, its mouth wide open.
Seconds were stretched to minutes.
Fear turned to terror.
The Compactor released Makina. She fell into its mouth, and before she was able to fly away, the monster slammed its upper and bottom jaw together and split her in half at the torso. Makina's head whipped back from the force of the bite and her body went limp as her fluids drained into the back of the creature's throat. It grinned its teeth, and Makina's upper half fell down into the ocean of fire beside its feet.
Then, the world went silent.
Akino screamed, his mouth stretching so far that his lips nearly burst. Ugly sobs interrupted his wailing as every bit of him that he had left was ripped to pieces, fallen down and burnt to a crisp with Makina's body. An absolute, eternal, suffocating feeling violently thrusted its way into Akino's heart, wrapping its grotesque fingers around his lungs and restricting his breath. Tears obstructed his horrific gaze until the world turned to a blur and his consciousness faded inside the pod. The purple light shined through his closed eyelids- and that was the last of Division-A he ever saw.
The End.