Division-A

Episode Twenty One. June (5th, 2123. Division-A, North District.)

The blistered, bruised heels of Squad Thirteen trampled into the bus. Rocking the vehicle as they rushed in, the team called out to one another in peril as they found their sitting. The driver wrapped his sweaty hands around the handle and pulled with all his force, closing the doors and speeding off down the highway. The fleet of busses swerved around the uprooted chunks of concrete but found itself unable to avoid a rocky, nauseating rush back.

Asuka stumbled her way to the back of the bus after forcing Kiku into her seat. She joined Matoi and Makina staring out the glass of the back door. The decimated North District was falling behind the horizon and the Compactors seemingly disappeared. They peered out the scratched and dusty glass in suspense until the entire district fell into obscurity behind a cloud of haze.

"Insane," Asuka mumbled as she stepped away from the emergency door. "This is absolutely insane..."

Matoi slid her fingertips along the glass, staring into the sky as the sun hid behind thick, gray clouds. "They're not going to chase us...?"

A disgruntled yell pushed through Makina's gritted teeth as she swung her arm into the booth behind her, punching it. "God damn it! God fucking damn it!" She spun around, the purple braided locks hitting the side of her head. Glaring out the front windshield, Makina got a grasp of how far they were from the nearest district. "We need to go back! We-!"

Just as she started stomping towards the bus driver, Akino grabbed her forearm. She whipped her head around, angrily leering at him. "Makina," he pleaded, "it isn't safe there. Did you see how many there were?"

Tearing her arm away, Makina fired back. "I am your Captain!" She continued back towards to the driver, growling to herself when her earpiece went off.

"Makina!" The static, elderly voice screamed directly into her eardrum. "I understand, but sit down! None of our Omegas were prepared for a rush like that, and that includes you! A Captain is supposed to not only lead their men, but to protect them! Follow the rules."

Hearing Hetsu's pestering too many times, Makina ripped the earpiece out of her ear and threw it onto the booth beside her. She huffed, frustrated beyond words, and planted her bottom into the seat in a fit of silent rage. Kiku, who sat on the other side of the isle, quivered in comical fear whilst staring at the monstrous leader.

Matoi remained beside the emergency exit, mindlessly watching the environment change around her from a hot, hazy day to a foggy, moist afternoon. The South District started materializing through the mist as they approached.

Akino collapsed into the booth's cushion, taking a deep and relieving breath. He rubbed the dirt off his cheek with the side of his wrist, exhaling tiredly when suddenly his phone rang. He dug through his pocket and answered it without looking at the number. Sakagami's voice started echoing through the speaker.

"Akino, are you okay? What's going on?" She asked.

Matoi leaned over him from behind the seat, curious.

"I'm...," Akino paused, debating whether or not to tell her the truth. He looked to Matoi who shook her head no. He agreed with her decision, deciding that telling her would get the two of them and Hetsu in another dispute. "...I'm okay. We went to the North Distr-"

"What?!" She shouted into the mic.

"It's fine, we only went to clean up... nothing else happened, Sakagami."

"Well... I want you home as soon as possible," she demanded, an alarming tone in her staticky voice. "Something happened."

Furrowing his eyebrows, Akino looked up to Matoi who was equally intrigued. She leaned in closer, bending herself over the back of his seat as she listened to his reply. "What do you mean? What happened?" He asked, waiting for a reply. "Well? Are you okay?"