Division-A

Episode Eighteen. (June 2nd, 2123. Division-A, South District.)

The air was heavy and filled with smog as the blinding and hot sun hovered above the North District. Omega's footsteps echoed through the remaining empty buildings like chills running from room to room. The complete and utter silence was almost deafening as if it was a sound in it of itself, screaming into the ears of the Omegas. A group of seven crawled up a mound of debris. Now several feet higher, the devastated district around them became even more real as it all came into view.

Vast amounts of wrecked, rusted vehicles were cluttered along the highway before them. Puddles of oil and rain water filled the potholes scattered around the fragmented streets. Fallen power lines and stoplights swung over the concrete which had been broken like glass. Further down the road were two massive towers mirroring each other on either end of the street. Each one was near complete collapse as they leaned on the other, both contorting over the street with uneasy balance.

Further behind the buildings was a barely visible imprint of a foot- the foot of a Stage Three Compactor. It was easily over fifteen feet long and several more feet deep as evident from the trace it left in the highway. The concrete was curved into a pit and broken into pieces, exposing the dirt and rebar beneath it.

The breeze picked up, killing the silence with the sound of settling dust and wind chimes. Several rocks and small shards of glass fell from above the Omegas, causing them to look up. Above them stood an office building unnaturally tilted away from them. Its windows that still remained were shattered beyond functionality. A pillar protruded through the side of the wall, scraping against the edge of the one beside it. Although, the most alarming part of the building was the fact that the top half of it was completely leveled, its remnants likely the pile of debris the Omegas stood upon.

"Amazing," Asuka mumbled, her eyes scanning the surroundings. "The power of a Stage Three..."

Makina's face stiffened, expressionless. "Don't give it so much credit. There was several when the attack occurred." Makina dug her heels into the corners of cement as she stumbled down the pile of rubble. "Feeding their stomach is enough trouble as it is, don't go feeding its ego as well."

Kiku smiled, following quickly behind Makina. "Do Compactors even have egos?"

Once reaching level ground, Makina turned her head back to the group behind her. "Matoi," she called.

The brunette, who had her eyes to the sky, brought her attention to her superior. "Yes?"

"I want you to team up with Hideyo's squad," she instructed.

Matoi raised her eyebrows and pouted. "What? Why?"

Makina's intimidating eyes burned through Matoi's personal bubble with every passing second. "They're stationed on the B7 Highway, I want you there immediately." Before she was able to continue, a voice spoke through her earpiece. Makina covered her right ear, muting Matoi's incessant complaining. "There's two Stage Three Compactors surrounding Hideyo's squad."

Kiku jumped up and down, waving her hands cartoonishly. "Can I go? I wanna go! I-" Asuka elbowed her in the side before Kiku finished her pleading.

Makina dropped her hand and looked back to her squad. "Matoi and...," she pointed to the Omega instead, forgetting their name. "You. You two meet up with them at B7, go!"

Just as their jet packs lit up and they started lifting up from the ground, a deafening sound flooded through the area accompanied by a violent earthquake. Dust kicked back up and the buildings surrounding them rattled, some crumbling under their own weight. Makina stepped forward, staring down the highway as she witnessed a massive, one hundred foot Compactor stumbling straight through a building, destroying it.