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."
YOU ARE READING
Division-A
Action"Humanity is a figment of imagination." 100 years ago, humanity flocked to a makeshift island due to an event that threatened to massacre everything in its path. Now, in present day, Akino has nightmares about an event that nearly killed him and his...
