Chapter 6: Episode Five. (July 10th, 2118. Division-A, Northern District.)
Makina remained crouched underneath a massive slab of concrete as she watched the sky fall on top of her. The smoke of the attack was slowly pulled back down to ground level, suffocating her along with the appalling smell of baked corpses. Her sleeves had been torn off from her body, and her shorts barely remained functional. Balled up hair caked over with ash fell over her eyes, sheltering her from the various horrors in front of her.
The young girl panted hard as if every breath she took was just out of reach. As Makina cried, her arms wrapped around her for comfort and for warmth- for the crisp, cold air brought along by the rain didn't offer much heat. It was only the hug of her own arms and the puddle of her own blood that offered it.
A breeze escaped from the mountain of crumbled buildings surrounding Makina. A shiver crawled up and down her spine as her hair was pushed over her shoulder. Her big, blue eyes were exposed to the environment she hid in. Down the pile of rubble that she sat on was a mangled mess of an Omega's corpse. The Omega's arms were twisted in a comically obscure way. The neck was twisted twice over, draining the grief-stricken face of all its color.
She cried out. The shriek echoed through the surroundings and crawled in between the crevices of the buildings.
Several blocks away, on top of a lopsided and nearly collapsed building, a squad of uniformed men and women stood. The man in front, a tall, able-bodied man, squinted his tired eyes while he pulled his cap down over them to hide from the glare caused by the blinding white sun.
The man reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a thick, metal device, almost like a radio. He held it in front of his face, looked through the green panel inside of it, and examined the area.
"Captain," a young man said from the back, "the terrain robots haven't found any sign of life here. Should we move forward?"
"No," the Captain said, still looking through his device, "the terrain bots are meant for recovering valuables and cleaning up, not for searching for dead civilians. However, the Royal Ambassador gifted me her limited-edition thermal survey cam. With this, I can see through buildings up to ten kilometers and detect and identify any living things."
"...and she just gave it to you?"
"Correct. But I don't see any living people here. Let's move forward!"
Suddenly, a blood-curdling shriek ran with the wind and passed through the squad's ears. The Captain turned and looked to the side with the thermal survey cam, catching sight of a warm figure squirming about the premises.
"Captain!"
"Yes, I know." He turned towards his fellow piers. "Cadet, direct the terrain bots in that area. Find us a safe way to get to them!"
"Sir!"
One Day Later
"There were survivors?!" Hetsu shouted after she jumped up from her seat.
The Captain nodded, maintaining eye contact with her. "Yes, but there was only one. It's truly remarkable, she shouldn't have survived. The Compactors destroyed a metropolis fifteen miles in diameter and every single person had perished."
"Why her? Why did the Compactors spare her?" Hetsu questioned, sitting back down and cradling her head in her palms.
"They probably assumed she was dead and left her under the rubble. If they thought she was still warm, they would have eaten her. It's sad really. But, what do we plan on doing with her? Leave her to die?"
"No," she replied. "That's a waste of life. Let's use her. We can perform the Omega Operation."
The Captain stepped back, shocked. "You're kidding, right?! We've never performed the operation on a living person!"
"Then we'll sedate her. With the right training, we can harness the trauma she's faced and sculpt it into anger. We can't waste someone like this, Captain. I refuse to kill another survivor," she demanded, looking at Makina's photograph on her laptop. "She was found passed out under a slap of concrete with a body temperature of 96 degrees Fahrenheit. Impossible."
Makina sat upright staring at the white wall in front of her. She curled her toes, absorbing the sensation of the soft bedsheets folding around them. She pulled her droopy blue hospital gown back up to her shoulder while she listened to the nurse give the report to the Captain.
The Captain walked towards her and bowed, tipping his hat over his eyes. "Hello, Makina. I'm Captain Kairo Kara, but you can address me as Captain. Its nice seeing you all cleaned up and feeling better. I came to ask you if you could recall anything about the attack yesterday."
The wide-eyed girl kept her gaze on her feet. "My family... they're gone, aren't they?"
"Listen," he said, leaning towards her. "The Compactors are dangerous monsters that take several forms. You got the worst form. If you want to avenge your family, join my brigade. We will take active measures to ensure the safety of everyone in Division-A and take back what they've stolen from us."
"Captain," the nurse mumbled, "don't you think this is too soon? She's fourteen years old."
"Division-A doesn't have time to wait around for an Omegas recovery. Either she decides to join us now, or we have to kill her."
"What?!" Makina lunged out of the bed and stumbled across the room, only for her legs to collapse under her own weight and send her to the cold tiled floor.
"Makina!" The nurse ran over to the ill patient and lifted her up off the ground. Makina's limp, almost weightless body draped over the nurse's shoulder like a damp rag. "Look at her. What use would a girl like this be to your brigade?"
The Captain walked up to the girls and sighed, taking Makina off the nurse's shoulders and carrying her to the bed himself. "After the operation, all of her cognitive and physical attributes will be restored and improved. It would be like she wasn't hurt at all."
"Yes, but the client's body will undergo serious stress after the operation," the nurse complained. "Captain, are you sure-"
"Yes, I'm sure," he cut her off. He turned his head to Makina and narrowed his eyes. "Makina. If you do not accept this offer, we will have to kill you. You've not only seen the Compactors face to face, but now you know about the Omegas, too. Both of those things are top secret and are not to be leaked to the public. I'm sorry, Makina, but you don't have a choice now."
Makina looked across the room in the mirror at herself. Her blue eyes were tired and were circled with bags. Her purple hair was knotted and dirty. Bruises, scratches, and bandages decorated her face, arms, and legs. She clenched her jaw tightly, unable to look at herself any longer. "So, the only choice I have... is to become an Omega... or die?" A pit in her stomach opened up as the words came out of her mouth.
"Correct."
Makina jolted upwards, causing the bed to shake underneath her. "I don't even know what an Omega is! I- I can't! I'm not going to put my body through anything else! So, so kill me! Kill me, Captain! Do you hear me?! Kill me!!!"
As Makina continued to panic and declare her demise, the nurse whispered in the Captain's ear. "Sir, give her a few days to make her decision. We'll keep her here until she gets in the right head space."
"You're right," he admitted. "Foolish of me... I'll come back in two days. She should be healed by then, yes?"
The nurse nodded.
"I'll tell you, these Megapoids are incredible," he mumbled under his breath.
"Indeed. Anyway, we'll be here. Stop by any time, Captain." She smiled, waving him out the door.
The Following Morning
"You're kidding, right? She chose already?" The Captain said, taken aback.
Hetsu nodded, assuring him. "Yes. Her psychologist sent me an email detailing her decision. Apparently, this girl goes into severe mental shock anytime the concept of death is mentioned between them. It seems as if the trauma she suffered during the attack has been rooted so far into her, that the mere mention of death will paralyze her. It is because of that fear that she chose to become an Omega."
The Captain gulped as he looked out the window behind the Royal Ambassador. "Has she been briefed about them? The Omegas, I mean."
"Yes," Hetsu answered. "She's nervous, extremely so. However, if we train her well, I'm sure she could be as good as the others. The girl has the innate ability to summon her inner warrior, all she needs to do is learn how to unlock it and control it. And for that reason, I'm putting her under Section Commander Yoshi's control."
The Captain's eyes widened and his jaw dropped. "Y-you aren't letting me take her in? I thought we discussed this… that she would be with me?"
Hetsu's eyes dropped with sympathy."I've re-evaluated the situation and have come to the conclusion that you aren't fit to look after your first Omega. Yoshi has trained countless Omegas and they've grown up to exceptional warriors. I'm sorry, Captain, but you don't have the experience to train someone like her just yet."
The Captain lowered his head to the red carpeted floor and sighed, scratching behind his ear. "Yes, yes. I understand. Hopefully Makina will be able to harness the power given to her. I hold my trust in your decision."
Hetsu smiled faintly for a few seconds. "I wouldn't expect anything less from you, Captain."
Training
Makina slouched over the elliptical with sweat dripping down her face. She panted as her legs shook in pain beneath her. "I can't, I can't do this, Commander! I'm not strong enough yet, I-!"
The Commander strolled up to her and pulled the back of her collar, forcing her to sit up straight. "That isn't an excuse. If you're weak, get stronger. The only way to do that is to push through your pain."
She looked back at him, teary eyed. "But sir, I…"
"No!"
Captain, who leaned against the door frame in the corner of the room with his arms crossed, sighed and approached them. "Commander, you're going too hard on her. She just got off of the operation table not even three hours ago. Her body is still weak and is adjusting to the changes."
The Commander, a tan and elderly man, turned towards him with a bothered expression. "I will not treat her any differently than the others. Just because this girl was a victim of the attack, that does not mean that she gets it any easier. She won't get any breaks on the battlefield. You should know that more than anyone, Captain."
The Captain grunted to himself and stepped back, watching as the young girl continued her brutal training. Through out the following hours and following days, Makina suffered through training. From everything to spending countless hours on exercise equipment to spending days with hand to hand combat, Makina had to endure it.
Two Years Later
It was half past midnight, and Makina laid restless in her sloppily put-together bed. She stared at the concrete ceiling above her, bouncing her thoughts off the blank surface. The corners of her mouth trembled as she bit her bottom lip, struggling to restrain her cries. She hid her teary red eyes under her arm, not willing to accept the turmoil, because expressing such is a sign of weakness.
She whipped her body around and dug her fingers into the pillow beneath her head. She grunted as she chucked it across the room, knocking a clock and a picture frame off the nightstand on the other side of the room. The smashing of glass created a sound louder than expected, forcing Makina out of her breakdown.
She slowly crept out of bed and stepped towards the picture frame. The soles of her feet clapped against the cold concrete floor, occasionally cut by the shattered glass dotted around the area- but she paid no mind to that. Kneeling over, Makina picked up the picture frame and walked back to bed. As she planted her bottom in the squeaky spring mattress, she observed the weathered photograph inside.
Her mother, father, and grandparents surrounded the purple-headed toddler, smiling happily at the cameraman. Makina smiled faintly, reflecting on the better times. Staring at the family she once had was the only glimmer of happiness she was able to grasp as of late. "Dad…," she whimpered, as the image of his flattened corpse flashed through her mind.
Suddenly, a series of knocks hit against the other side of her bedroom door. She peaked past the photograph she held above her face, seeing the Captain standing sympathetically in the doorframe. Makina's focus blurred in and out as her eyes trailed from her family photograph to her Captain, silently comparing the two.
"I heard a noise," he stated. "Are you alright?"
"I'm okay," she mumbled. "What are you doing here?"
"Your final is next week," he reminded her. "I just wanted to make sure you're getting plenty of sleep."
"I know…," Makina said, setting the picture frame on the bed beside her. "I'm prepared."
"Better be," he assured her. "Did Commander Yoshi tell you that if you pass, you can choose to be under my brigade."
Makina glared up at him, sighing and slumping her shoulders. "I never wanted to be a part of any of this. I just… can't die."
"I get it," he agreed. "They did the same thing to me, offered me the position... and if I refused, I'd be terminated. I despised them for that; for being so insensitive after I just lost everything I had." He paced towards Makina and sat on the bed beside her, his large stature towering over her. "I contemplated dying, truly. I mean, what else did I have to live for? That's when I realized, though, that if I can prevent other people from suffering the same fate that I did… maybe its worth it after all."
Makina looked back down to her photograph, noting the bright smiles decorating everyone's faces. "I…," she started, "…I don't have a purpose."
"You will," he assured her. She looked back up at him, puzzled. "Go into my brigade," he persuaded as he exited out of the room, "and you might just find it."
The door closed, and Makina stared obliviously into it, the Captain's silhouette lingering in the shadows casted over her family photograph.
A Week Later
Makina stood confidently in the middle of the arena, staring up at the crowd of staff and fellow trainees above her. Behind the row of windows circling around her was the Grand Hall's spokesperson, with his mic nearly pressed against his lips. He stared down back at Makina, nodding.
"Today, on September 13th, 2121, trainee number six hundred four, Makina, will take her final evaluation that determines whether or not she will graduate to become a cadet in a brigade of her choice. As per tradition, I will go over the concept as well as the rules and regulations that you are all familiar with. This final evaluation is the most important moment in a trainee's pursuit to her Omega career. The two years of training that every Omega must go through is all designed to prepare them for this very moment. In this evaluation, the Omega must battle an undomesticated Compactor. These monsters are the very monstrosities that they will battle once they've graduated. The only difference is that the Omega and the Compactor are trapped within a secured and contained area rather than the freedom that the outside provides. In this test, the Omega must kill the Compactor and retrieve the core. Sounds simple enough, yes?"
The crowd agreed.
"Makina," the spokesperson named, "do you understand?"
She nodded.
"Once again," he continued, "you must not leave the arena. You must not use any weapon other than the one assigned to you. You must not damage the arena. Do you understand this, also, Makina?"
She nodded, and the crowd erupted in chatter. Various topics of conversation arose, including discussion about the weapon she was assigned, her appearance, rumors about her origin story, and whether or not she will be able to defeat the monster.
"The match will begin in five, four, three, two, one."
The concrete slabs that Makina assumed to be walls slid to either side of the arena, exposing a dimly lit chamber with a foul smell. Makina gripped her weapon: a hot, double sided, rotating blade. She twisted the bottom of her feet into the sand beneath her, steadying her body and solidifying her position. She waited, patiently, for the creature to crawl out, but no such thing happened. She stood, staring at the dark room for what seemed like hours. With every second that passed by, she grew more confused and nervous, and so did the audience.
Suddenly, a long tentacle shot out from the darkness and into the wall behind Makina, puncturing a hole in it. Makina looked back at it, startled. The crowd shrieked as they watched in anticipation. Makina stumbled to the other corner of the arena, watching the Compactor drag itself out of the darkness.
"Come on, Makina," the Captain mumbled under his breath.
The Compactor lunged towards her at lightening fast speed. It's extremity wrapped around her neck, suffocating her. Whipping her back and forth, Makina found it near impossible to escape.
"Help me, I-I can't…"
The monster threw her down to the ground with all of its force. Sand flew up and polluted the air, blinding Makina as she struggled to climb out of the crater formed by the shove into the ground. She immediately fell back down to the bottom, crying out for help. There was a sharp pain in her lower back that pulsed through out her entire body. She bit her tongue, trying to prevent her embarrassing cries and screams from being heard by the audience.
She looked up at the sky, her vision going in and out of focus. The Compactor lurked towards her and hovered over her face with a murderous grin, exposing the jagged and yellow sets of teeth.
"G-get away, you monster!"
Suddenly, the sound of a gunshot bounced against the walls and echoed through out the dome. Makina winced, shouting as the enemy flew into the other side of the crater with a bullet wound tucked deep in its forehead.
Several men in white uniforms slid down the pit to Makina. Young women in skin tight uniforms guarded the men. Makina was picked up and lifted onto a stretcher as she yelled in pain. The calls and shouting of people around her were nothing but whispers to her as she slowly became air-headed.
But the screams pierced through her ears like nothing else ever had before.
She tumbled off the stretcher and stared out at the scene unfolding in front of her. Eventually, the lights from the roof above her spun around to expose a massive, menacing, monstrosity. It stood at a massive height, nearly dwarfing the building in comparison. The black goo that made the fundamentals of the Compactor's tentacles had taken a new shape. It rapped around the Compactor's enlarged outer shell and came together to form the body of a Stage 3.
The Compactor slammed its head against the glass dome overhead, sending splinters of glass raining down upon them. Makina stretched out her arm to grab the weapon. As she wrapped her trembling hand around its handle, she caught sight of a mangled corpse spread out against the wall just past her. She focused on it; on the clothes, body, skin.
"A-ah… n-no. No…," she whimpered. "Captain!!!"
She climbed to her feet as tears swelled in her eyes. The image of the corpse of the man who saved her that fateful day itched into her memory. With a deep breath and scream of rage, Makina launched herself towards the Compactor. Piles of debris and bodies flashed by her as she glided in the air. She spun around to gain momentum and within the blink of an eye, her blade was deep into the Compactor's core.
She fell back down to the ground, the entrails of former trainees and coaches cushioning it. She screamed once more, so loud that crows flew away and the clouds thinned out into nothingness.
"Breaking News today," the reporter said. "We are getting reports of an explosion at the New Kyoto Military Training Facility located in the Northern District of Division-A. Reports say that at 3:56 PM, lightening struck the arena dome and set off a singular massive explosion that leveled nearly the entire west half of the facility. The amount of casualties in this incident have not been released. From the deepest parts of our hearts, we, residents of Division-A, wish the Military Trainees the best of luck."
Current Day
Makina wrapped her hand around her weapon, Kaminari. Her knuckles paled and her blades rattled at the mere volume of Makina's wrath. She stared at her reflection in the blade, the glow of her red eyes bouncing back at her. She hissed and looked away, unable to stare at herself any longer.
"If only I was strong enough," she complained, "maybe I would have graduated with a happy ending. I couldn't pay you back for what you've done for me, Captain. I disappointed you. I'm not the ideal Omega you expected me to be. I'm not perfect… and now, when tensions are higher than they've ever been, I don't know if I'll be able to save everyone, let alone my own squad. That boy… what am I supposed to do with him? How am I going to keep him from messing everything up for the human race?"
She sighed, looking up at the cloudy sky bordered by the brick alley walls surrounding her. "Or maybe… he's the key to humanity's future? No matter the circumstances, he must be kept alive. Ngh… Captain, how do I know… if I'm doing the right thing?!"
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone