So, this is chapter 1.2. I plan to revise and edit every single chapter so far, mainly fixing any spelling or grammatical errors. Also, I'm standardizing each chapter more efficiently, so it will look cleaner and read easier. I fully plan to support this project until I finish it, which may be some time. I want a new reader to be able to start from the very beginning and become entranced until the very end. That's my goal at least. Also, I'm not even past what I had originally envisioned as the 'intro'. So buckle up for a ride.

Takes place in the beginning of Episode 15. The sixth united company has successfully deployed and engaged the Klaxosaurs. After meeting the 9's leader in the field a new threat arises.…

Chp.1

Awakening

Ichigo pivoted and threw her arm out, the blade an extension of her will as it slashed cleanly through a small Conrad-class Klaxosaur. The drone guttered and died in an explosion of blood, coating her Franxx in that deep abyssal-blue. She could feel it's repulsive vital fluid against her pristine metal skin as if it were her own, so deep was the connection between pistil and Franxx.

She had experienced such 'discomforts' before as she had slain many of the damnable beasts in her relatively short career. They all had. Squad 13 had seen enough combat action within the past few months to easily classify them as veterans. But, they had never experienced anything like this. They had fought skirmishes with Klaxosaurs before, but that's all they were. Mere dress rehearsals for the finale that had yet to come. Until it had. Now they were heavily outnumbered like never before, Klaxosaurs filling the horizon, an endless tide of screeching monsters. And Strelitzia was not with them. Well, technically speaking the Franxx was in the area. But, without Hiro she couldn't be counted on to aid them in any meaningful way.

Multitudes of Klaxosaur variants swarmed them ranging in both size and design. From the smaller Conrad-class drones that crawled along the ground, throwing themselves at the Franxx in suicidal charges, to the towers of bio-mechanical weapon systems that hurled effervescent blasts of energy at them from gaping maws. They were thoroughly in the thick of the fighting; Delphinium leading the center charge, despite their belated deployment. They fought alongside the squad of 9s, as well as along the mass-produced spear-wielding Franxx units.

"Ichigo, we got incoming!" That was Goro, yelling from within her head as a stream of energy bolts hurled towards her. "I see them!" She replied as they quickly maneuvered out of the way. Talking was rather pointless since they were subconsciously connected, but it did help to focus both of their actions. She slashed through another drone as she weaved from side to side dodging the Klaxo's powerful, but rather clumsy, attacks.

She felt more than heard 9α as he rocketed past her from behind. His spear swept out in a brilliant arc and three Klaxosaurs were ripped apart, and still he powered onwards. Ichigo saw his destination. The towering Moho-class that had fired upon her. She powered her thrusters and followed swiftly behind him as the rest of Squad 13 fell in behind her, more or less. Argentea led a parallel attack three and a half kilometers away, running at full sprint in front of Squad 26.

There goes our squad cohesion, lamented Ichigo as a cannon blast, courtesy of Genista, hurtled past her and opened the way before her in a magma-fueled explosion. Klaxosaurs were torn apart by the fury of the blast and she poured into the now open space, her twinned-blades thrust forward impaling a drone and coating her arms further in gore. The shock of the impaling strike traveled up her arms. War was new to her, killing was not. She took comfort in the fact that this battle was just like any other, just on a far larger scale.

Despite all the chaos and death that played out around her, Ichigo found her thoughts drifting back to Hiro. She knew he was safe aboard Plantation 13, but for how long would that last, she wondered. She ached to be near him again. He was so heartbroken about 02, but that was okay. After this battle, after the death and destruction, after the horror had all played out and Papa was satisfied with their performance she would go to him and hold him in her arms. It would be alright, she told herself. As long as she could get to Hiro it would all be fine.

9α engaged the Klaxosaur, barrel rolling in mid-air to the side, narrowly avoiding a blast fired from the creature's gaping maw. The engagement was obscured behind the dust and smoke stirred by the blast, only flashes of orange glancing through the heavy cover. By the time the smoke dissipated the Klaxosaur was nothing more than a lacerated corpse. 9α stood triumphant over the beast, spear humming with power as the Klaxosaur blood boiled off of it, rising in puffs of steam. The Franxx casually peered over it's shoulder as 9α spoke, his smug voice clear across the net.

"Come on now my dear! I understand you're only human, but at least try to keep up! This isn't one of those pretty ceremonies your squad partakes in, this is a real war!" Ichigo could imagine his face, that smug smile playing across it. Ugh. It made her want to punch him, but she settled for slashing her blades through another Klaxosaur. Oh yeah, that definitely made it feel better.

"What a jerk." Goro said, making sure he didn't accidentally leave the comm channel open. She fully agreed with his assessment of the 9's leader, but she had to admit, grudgingly, that 9α was damn good as well. In fact, he made it all look so effortless, slaughtering the Klaxosaurs with casual impunity. His solo kill count rivaled the combined kill counts of Squad 13 as a whole. Didn't change his status as an asshole though.

Delphinium moved to follow the 9's leader, punching deeper into the swarm of Klaxosaurs.

Hiro stood still, watching as his teammates and fellow parasites fought tooth and nail against a numberless and merciless foe. His fists clenched tightly as his anger simmered. He was utterly powerless to help them, but his mind was unfocused and wondered little to any actual tactical information.

His thoughts were entirely focused upon her.

One of the many view screens displayed her in all her savage beauty as she tore through multitudes of Klaxosaurs, unstoppable and undaunted by their numbers, her jaws rending 'flesh' as easily as her spear-tipped tail did. She was alone, just like him. Like he had always been. Like she always was. They were burdened by that loneliness. It weighed them both down so heavily that neither could ever truly fly without the other's strength. But, for a brief time he had flown with her, and they had flown so high! The world had been within their grasp! Freedom had been within reach, freedom from all the fighting, all the orders, all the tests, all the stagnation. They had been free together. Until they had crashed.

Now he longed to go to her. To tell her he was sorry for his actions. To forgive her for her's. She had just been afraid to lose him. When people were afraid they made mistakes, he saw that now. He had been her world for so long without ever knowing it. He longed to speak to her, if only for one last time. To show her she was his world, and always had been. His anger was with his poor choice of words and lack of action.

He started in surprise as a shrill alarm pierced the relative calm of the control center and scattered his thoughts.

Dr. Franxx appeared at his side, ghosting from across the room like an apparition. "What's this now?" The good doctor idly tapped his chin with his hand, studying the new information. "A new development indeed." He nodded, as if this was entirely expected. He mused as his eyes continued their scan. Information about the event streamed in, fresh from the battlefield monitoring drones that flew safely above the chaos. His expression changed from intrigued to grim realization."That signature… it's somehow familiar. It almost looks like… but no, it couldn't be." He stared intently at the screen as he pondered the possibilities. It wasn't just a large concentration of magma energy, it was totally unique in it's signature. In fact, it was probably about the average energy signature of a Franxx unit, but with a few noticeable differences. Those differences though were the main cause for his concern. The contact disappeared as quickly as it had appeared. Just like all those years ago. The coincidence chilled him to his weary bones.

"Doctor? What's wrong?" Hiro inquired, confused by the doctor's strange behavior and idle mutterings. He had never seen the doctor so… flustered.

Dr. Franxx didn't immediately turn his attention to the boy, instead muttering something unintelligible beneath his breath. To Hiro it almost sounded like a name. He looked up suddenly, his face, what was still recognizable as biological, became animated as he spoke quickly. "It's nothing my boy, I just have something to do now. Something I should have done a long time ago…" He added cryptically.

Hiro didn't have time to ask the doctor to elaborate, the old man turning from him and disappearing into the communications room opposite from where he stood. He was left to ponder upon the doctor's strange behavior, but eventually his attention returned to the displays of the battle before him.

Dr. Werner Franxx entered the central communications room. Within it technicians, comm officers, and other such essential personal busied themselves with their allotted tasks and assignments. Some coordinated Cerasus's defense, a truly pointless task, while the majority ensured that Squad 13's communications net was maintained. Here was the nervous system for the battle, one of many nodes within the extended system that connected each plantation in a wide network. For one to go down would spell an interruption of service within the communications network as the network took precious time to compensate for the loss. Which is why what he was about to do was very dangerous, and could possibly be the cause of death for several Franxx units. Hopefully Squad 13 would be resourceful enough to adapt.

He cleared his throat loudly, in an attempt to gain everyone's attention. A few glanced his way, but the vast majority safely ignored him. Hachi nodded respectfully in his direction, before returning to a conversation. Oh these damn youngsters, he thought scornfully. When will they learn?

He reached up, fingers searching just behind his ear for a small dial, built into his augmetic side. He spun the dial to it's maximum setting. Then he spoke once more.

"EVERYONE GET THE HELL OUT! I NEED TO MAKE A CALL."

His voice boomed from his mechanical mouth, the volume reaching an insane level. Several of the room's occupants nearest to him winced, covering their ears in pain. If he had still possessed biological eardrums they would have come close to rupturing. It worked though. Everyone began to file out, cowed by the sonic weapon he had at his disposal. Some even refused initially, choosing to remain at their stations. Hachi was helpful in escorting them from the room, until at last only he and the doctor remained. Without a word he left as well, wise enough to know the doctor required absolute privacy.

Dr. Franxx entered his personal authorization code into the main communications console. Priority red. His call could not be denied.

Upon the visual interface a masked human appeared. The ornamental mask was red, inlaid with golden trim. White robes, harking back to the days of religion, covered the man's frame completely.

"Werner, old friend." The masked figure said softly. "Why do you contact me at this time? I thought you were enjoying the show. Front row seat and all."

"We may have a problem. Or an opportunity..."

Darkness. It consumed me utterly. Invaded my very being. Protected and nurtured my conscience as I lay within, unaware of all existence. As ever, silence accompanied it's old friend with utter loyalty. I did not exist as one normally would, nor did I register such a fact. I was simply an object, a tool, waiting for my master's call.

Hear me children, and listen well

The all-encompassing darkness came to an end her voice drifted to me, spearing through the darkness. Neurons that had slept for decades suddenly reawakened and consciousness returned to my mind at a snail's pace. I felt a presence at my side, both part of me and yet separate. I had never known this part of me before, and yet we knew each other well for our fates were now tied together. Her message came to mind, though it did not speak in my birth language.

Daughter of pain, and product of hate

You are bound together, tied to a fate

We awakened from our slumber, our limbs uncurling as bio-mechanical muscles stretched for the first time in an age. Heat flowed through our limbs, like warm shower water across skin. The call urged me onwards, to the familiar sounds of battle above. The rush of killing and slaughter called to us, but first we needed to avail ourselves of our post-slumber grogginess. We were weak in our current state, and that would never do.

United you shall stand, but divided fall

Death to them, but salvation for us all

I stood on my legs as I searched for a meal. A drone crawled past and we pounced, rows of diamond-hard fangs sinking into the flesh, tearing large chunks out of it. It squealed in what I interpreted as pain. We tore deeper until the core was grasped firmly within our jaws. Fangs sank deep into the meal and we were rewarded with a surge of energy that ripped through our tired limbs. We howled our elation as the empty core dropped from our jaws, cold, dark, and utterly lifeless now. The howl bounded out of whatever passed for our vocal cords and resounded through the depths of our cavern, echoing deep into the tunnels beneath the shattered world.

More drones were near us, but they quickly moved away as we stood to our full height. So, we were bipedal. Of course we were. Why would that matter? I stood still as I thought trying, and failing, to remember who, or what, I was. The other sensed my hesitation and willed us forward. Before I realized we were walking in an awkward forward sloping hunch as we moved towards the distant sounds above. Drones quickly scurried out of our path, frightened by our earlier fratricide. Did I share ancestry with these things? I do, said the other.

Lead our kin, in this righteous war

Death shall come, like the time before

The opening salvos had been fired and we were late. But, we wouldn't be left behind. We had to kill the foreign invaders. Who? Who seeks our destruction? The enemy, of course. Who is our enemy? Images of uniformed men shouting and running flashed before our eyes. Humans then. Humans were always the enemy. Yes, of course. How could I forget? I had a duty to protect… protect…home. We were guardians. Yes, that was it. The humans, with their weapons of war and disregard for the Earth. They were a blight to be purged. Insects that would be shattered beneath our heavy tread. We were the guardians of this rich world and we would have vengeance for it's pain.

I didn't notice when we had dropped to all fours, adopting a bestial stride. Our claws tore into the earth as we hurtled down passages with wild fury. Drones and larger classes of our brethren moved from our path, cautious of our unbound savagery. Even those larger than us could sense our malice. It was a cruel world where only the strongest could survive, and we were the strongest.

Minutes passed in a blur of sprinting down caverns and shafts. Our limbs did not experience fatigue despite the passage of time, we were free to run. We were eager to join the slaughter that echoed down through the tunnels filtering from the surface. But who was being slaughtered? The sounds were not promising to our ears. We passed through a large chamber and several of our brethren awaited us.

They were unique in form, like us. They traveled on all fours, clawed feet tearing into the tunnel's floor. Heads hung low to the ground, jaws brimming with razor-sharp fangs.

They snarled at our approach, weary of our jaws still dripping with the lifeblood of our kin. We snarled at them and they lowered their heads in obedience to us. As it should be. They were strong, but we were the stronger.

We howled in unfettered rage as we sped past them, the cry tearing from our maw in bestial fury. They follow us raising their own voices in rage, eager to deal death to those who tread upon our territory and spill our weaker kin's vitae.

We emerged onto the surface and sights long forgotten, by me at least, assault our eyes. No matter the time nor place a battlefield looks and smells similar. Our enhanced eyes, better than our kin's own, scan the area searching for anything that did not share our allegiance. Eyes narrowed as we spotted them. We sped off, the pack in tow.

Seek the key, and embrace clarity

Find the path, your reward: Purity

Code 090, leader of Squad 26, cringed as he braced his spear against the Klaxosaur's assault. It's hideous maw gripped his weapon tightly and pushed him back several dozen meters. He gritted his teeth and activated his rear thruster pair pushing the monster back into it's fellows. He struck out with his spear, tearing through the bastard's core, and was rewarded with an explosion of dark blue blood. His second-in-command appeared at his side and struck with their weapon as well ensuring that the other Klaxosaurs couldn't exploit the opening. "Thanks," he sent through his mic to his fellow parasite team. He received a nod of recognition from the Franxx unit before they turned into the melee, spear stabbing into more of the monstrous foes.

He pulled back from the line to take stock of the situation. His squad was formed around him creating a loose, but efficient, perimeter. Several more squads shared his immediate theater of battle. Their immediate left and right flanks were secured by squads 30 and 97, respectively. And of course the two members of Squad 13. The heavily customized Franxx units Argentea and Chlorophytum were with them, although they didn't stay fixated in a single area. They were very unconventional with their tactics in the fight, killing several Klaxosaurs here and then jetting to apply pressure somewhere else. He silently thanked them for their unpredictable, but undeniably effective, assistance.

A bestial roar ripped through the sounds of battle. It was powerful and savage, unlike anything he had ever heard before. It pierced his cockpit and he felt the vibrations within his very bones. What the actual hell was that? He looked to what he believed to be the source. His partner chimed in "What was that?" Her voice shook as she spoke, though from fear or an adrenaline rush he could not say. He was experiencing the rush of combat as well, but he had to keep a level head, he was a leader after all. That's when he finally saw the source of the cry.

It was rather underwhelming to look at. It had come from the throat of a quadrupedal Klaxosaur that stood near the tunnel entrance. Nothing unique other than a terrible howl. Probably just a Moho-class, and that was being generous. He smiled at his weariness, made worse by the stress of battle.

The Klaxosaur's eyes fixated upon him. Crimson eyes blazed, like freshly spilled blood and contrasted all the more with the deep azure plates of armor encasing flesh of darkest onyx. Unusual for a Klaxo. Average Klaxosaurs were black armored with bright blue internals and joints. It led a pack of lesser versions, each similar to the alpha aside from a few minor physical differences, size being the most obvious.

The Alpha's eyes bored into his own, as if it knew him. As if it understood his role. Such a thing was surely impossible though. The Klaxosaurs were just mindless beasts, nothing more. It was just his mind becoming overtaxed by the rigors of prolonged combat.

With another soul-scathing howl it sped in his direction, the pack swiftly following in it's footsteps. It moved faster than he had anticipated, bounding quickly across the battlefield. It crossed the gap between them in seconds, leaping the last few hundred meters. "Look out!" He cried to his second, still standing and holding the line of chaos back. The alpha hurtled through the air like a missile until it impacted with the second of his squad in a sickening crunch, audible even over the cacophony of battle. Massive jaws clamped tightly shut around the cockpit, fangs piercing armor with ease.

He launched himself forward. His spear poised to strike. His heart dropped in that moment.

A sharp cry of pain, laced with fear, resounded from the open comm channel. A wellspring of orange fluid gushed from the shattered cockpit, running liberally through the creature's jaws. His cockpit was filled with that horrendous dual scream. He imagined he could actually hear them being crushed within their cockpit. Bones breaking. Organs popping. A brother and sister to him, gone from his life. Individuals who he had shared so much with. Broke bread with. Trained alongside with. Laughed and cried with. Gone. In an instant. Shattered and lost within the jaws of an inhuman enemy.

He yelled incoherently, in sync with his partner, and they raised their spear aiming for the kill. But the monster was faster. Far too fast. It leapt backwards and his spear missed, impaling the earth uselessly. One of its pack-mates exploited his momentary immobility and leaped upon him. The tactic was eerily similar to the one his team had employed earlier, though now turned against him.

His vision was filled with lesser, but no less deadly, jaws. He fancied he could already hear the metal giving away to the immense force. He had but moments to act. He and his partner acted as one, bringing their Franxx's arm up quickly and slamming the wrist into the creature's throat. He sincerely hoped the thing had a windpipe. He hoped even more that he had crushed it.

The monster was thrown to the side by the attack, jaws tearing free from his view. The creature landed nimbly upon all fours. It began to stalk in a circling motion, patiently awaiting for another opportunity to strike.

He assessed the tactical situation as he moved to meet the beast. His squad was engaged with the rest of the pack, each Franxx pairing with a Klaxosaur. They fought tooth and nail against the creatures, human willpower and cold steel pitted against monstrous strength and savage ferocity.

It only reinforced the nobility of their cause. He felt new resolve flood his mind. Strength returned to exhausted limbs. His squad would not fall here. His family would continue to live another day, carried by their strength, unity, and shared purpose.

We watched idly as the enemy squad fended off our pack-mates, content for the moment to simply watch and learn. We prowled upon all four limbs just beyond the skirmish, waiting to exploit an opportunity, should such an event arise.

The earlier kill had brought a savage joy to me, the other finding satisfaction in our shared performance. But, the emotion was fleeting and we ached to find more to feed our insatiable appetite. Yes, we had to kill again. And soon. But, for now, we waited. We had to see if they had a hidden strength. Some unseen tactic. No reason to rush.

The pack fought on. The enemy I had instinctively identified as the leader, from their bearing alone, fought with some skill against our beta. They were all beta to us, perhaps if they survived I would name them. They had to earn such an honor though.

What was my name? I couldn't remember. Not that it mattered to us. But, didn't it? No. It only mattered that we killed and followed orders. Whose? Her's, replied the other with enthusiasm. Yes, of course.

Our attention returned in time to see the leader pivot with his maneuvering thrusters, an impressive display of skill, and strike out with his orange-bladed spear. It tore easily through beta's flesh and let out a gush of blood splash. The leader skillfully reversed his grip on the spear and drove it downward and into beta's core with consummate ease. Beta squealed as it died, disintegrating into a torrent of whatever fluid passed as our kind's blood.

I smiled, though my exterior form did not show it. Perhaps we had found a worthy foe to satisfy our appetite. Eager to join in the battle we prepared our form quickly.

We reared up on our hind legs. Ancient metal ground as the joints readjusted for enhanced bipedal movement. I felt our chest expand and crack, the broad carapace splitting down the middle. The armor plate flowed like liquid mercury and reformed, some of the residual mass flowing into long spines upon our back while more of it spread into an armored breastplate and matching pauldrons, while leaving our abdominal section relatively unarmored. The rearrangement allowed an enhanced range of movement overall. Arm joints readjusted and armor plates across our form changed shape to fit our new, more humanoid, form. We stood to our full height and our neck lengthened allowing more movement of the head, although our we retained our bestial snout. Small maneuvering thrusters formed around our midsection, enhancing our omnidirectional maneuverability, these remained concealed beneath the heavy armor plates, however. Our claws split into the standard five digits of mankind, although the similarity ended there. Each digit ended in a wicked azure-colored talon; easily capable of rending flesh, or whatever passed for flesh among these bio-mechanical titans, or metal with contemptuous ease.

We turned to face the leader just as he turned towards us. He launched himself at us without hesitation, without fear or regard for personal safety. Admirable, but ultimately foolish, I thought. We braced for impact, our taloned feet gripping the earth. He flew with an incredible amount of speed. At the last possible instant, we moved. Thrusters upon our left flank fired with tremendous force and we dodged, the spear stabbing past us. We pivoted mid-air by firing yet more thrusters, reorienting our bulk towards him. The spines flared skywards and engaged, a massive boost of forward thrust propelling us ahead. We hurtled forwards, arms outstretched, and slammed into the enemy with bone-jarring force. Our claws encircled his spear, gripping the shaft with our titanic strength.

"You won't be needing this." I laughed in his face. Our shared jaw only let out a bestial cry followed by a low guttural growl born from deep within us. So much for harsh language becoming a viable tactical option. I was only mildly disappointed.

Our muscles flexed and we pried the spear away from him in a sharp jerking movement. The enemy was far too weak to test our strength.

I grinned as the spear was hurtled to the side and we pounced. Our jaws opened wide and clamped shut upon the enemy's shoulder, missing the neck as they tried to dodge. A miss! It was aggravating, to say the least, but the other reassured us. There would be more opportunities to perfect our skills. Our clawed hands gripped the enemy's right shoulder and left hip, keeping them standing as we bit deeply into the shoulder. It almost looked like a passionate embrace of lovers, reuniting after an excruciatingly long time apart. The screaming told an entirely different story.

His head slammed back against the seat almost causing him to black out from the pain. The entire Franxx unit rocked beneath him, shaking from the creature's assault. The Klaxosaur had torn his weapon away from his hands with horrifying ease. Of course what had come before had been even stranger.

The Klaxosaur had changed before his very eyes. He was used to seeing them reform and combine, but not like this. It hadn't simply changed shape. It had undergone a complete transformation from a beast-like form and into a fully humanoid form in an instant. A horrible thought wormed into his mind. The thing resembled a Franxx more than it did a Klaxosaur. As if it had evolved. But, surely that was impossible? They were just mindless creatures, nothing more. Right?

He shook his head to clear his thoughts, as well as to keep from blacking out. He could hear it roar at him. At least that hadn't changed.

It surprised him by lunging forward. He yanked hard on the controls, in a vain hope of putting distance between them and it. It didn't work.

His partner howled in pain as the Klaxosaur's jaws clamped like a vice on their shoulder area. His partner writhed as the neural feedback assaulted her mind. Her shattered voice almost brought him to tears, so imbued with pain as it was. She held on with admirable strength, defying the suffering through sheer force of will. She knew if she retreated from the pain then her connection to the Franxx would be severed and they would be utterly defenseless before the creature. She would undoubtedly have nerve damage within her shoulder after this battle either way.

Code 090 made a silent vow that nerve damage would be her only concern after today. He wouldn't let her die.

"Hang in there!" He yelled encouragingly to her as he brought up a link with Argentea. Code 666's face appeared off to his right, the general current direction of Argentea.

"What do you want? Kinda busy here man!" Code 666 exclaimed quickly as he saw who had contacted him directly.

"Code 66- Zorome," he corrected himself as he remembered the boy's name. Such an odd squad these parasites. "We need your help. There is a new Klaxosaur here. We can't handle it alone. We need your specialization." He explained as tactfully and patiently as he could considering the rather dire circumstances.

"You want our help?" Code 666 asked incredulously. He chuckled. The bastard boy actually chuckled. "Yeah man, we got you covered."

"Good, I'll prep the kill. You deliver the final blow. Just be swift."

His partner had reached the same conclusion as he had. This beast had to die. Now. They worked as one and their Franxx's arms reached up and wrapped around the beast's armored form. Working through the pain of the bite his partner used all of her strength to hold onto the Klaxosaur, holding it to them tightly like long lost lovers.

"Come on Miku! We gotta save their assess!" The fool had left the channel open. He was willing to forgive them if they saved his partner's life though. He could hear 'Miku's' reply as well. "Right, let's do it!"

We struggled against the mech's frame, our fangs biting deep into the metal. Soon, very soon, we could tear the arm off and watch it suffer before us, mewling in the dirt as it died. I had always enjoyed flashy finishers, and these things died so beautifully with their orange 'blood'.

As we slowly drained our opponent of life our eyes scanned the ongoing battle. For the most part the pack held it's own. One beta became severely wounded from an impaling spear. However, the bastard fought with a commendable tenacity and his jaws ripped the life from his would be killer, an orange spray jutting like arterial blood. If the beta lived he will have earned his name, though the spear protruding from it's torso heavily discouraged such a prospect,

Our attention was brought to an unknown and foreign object that had suddenly appeared off to our left. Similar in size to our current enemy it was colored radically different. It moved fast and we couldn't make any more details of it other than it's striking hot pink coloring. It sailed over the combatants, either utilizing a jet propulsion or springs I could not yet tell. Perhaps a combination of both? Either way it's heading was obvious as it ignored the drones and headed in our direction.

We tried to pull away as realization dawned that it was coming to help it's ally, summoned by some sort of unseen line of communication. We found that we could not pull away with ease however. Our current enemy had stubbornly refused to let us leave in a hurry, raising it's arms in a locking embrace around our body.

Panic threatened to rise from within, stemming from the other's conscious. I crushed it with iron discipline. The other calmed under my guidance, reassured by my will alone that we would win this fight. All we needed was more strength. Always more. The other complied and muscles bulged beneath an armored hide.

We withdrew with a ferocity to rival our earlier engagement. Rearing backwards we broke the embrace rather easily, the mech unable to match our strength. We literally ripped free from their embrace. I grinned as the enemy's shoulder was torn out, the shattered arm trailing along with it. An excessive amount of orange spilled from the wound, flowing freely like a volcanic eruption.

Unbeknownst to us the synaptic feedback was so devastating that the mind connected to the Franxx overloaded with painful stimuli. The pistil spasmed erratically within her cradle as her brain was charred from the feedback impulse. Code 090 cried out in grief as he watched her die before him, tears flowing freely from eyes widened in shock and emotional trauma.

For our part we simply turned towards the new threat, welcoming the new challenger. Our jaws opened and the detached arm fell to the ground, crunching loudly at our feet. It's owner was forgotten, little more than a footnote to our memory of the battle.

The figure resolved itself quickly as it hurtled more than flew towards us. Jet propulsion it was then. It was also quite obviously an enemy in similar design to the others. We could see that it carried no weapon, instead it relied upon bright orange claws that were jutting from above it's wrist. How savage, I thought with no misgivings about my own methods of murder. It relied on speed and ferocity to land a killing blow then. How strong is it? Not enough to worry about, I assured the other.

We activated our quills and rear thrusters as we leaped to meet the new-join, not content to let them come to us. I guess patience was not an abundant resource to us. Our talons reached out as we neared them. "Got you now!" yelled the soaring target. Azure talons clashed with bright orange claws, resounding with a metallic clang and a bright flash as the power fields connected briefly. Our momentum carried us past the pink one, further into the air.

Our spines turned and thrusters activated allowing us to pivot in mid-air and face the foe again. Shockingly enough the enemy had expertly maneuvered as well and pivoted at the same instant. Faster than the spear wielders. A specialist then.

Our eyes locked in that moment as we truly studied each other for a moment. Our vibrantly colored sapphire eyes gazing into the mech's ocean-blue irises. The rest of the mechanical foe appeared, for lack of a better word, feminine in it's build. Strange to have a war-machine appear feminine. It 'wore' an armor plate in the shape of a vest on it's chest. It's main body was that sickening pink only found in exotic flowers of the most vibrant hues. Chevrons of that same pink and ivory white followed down it's legs. The legs below the kneecaps were a lighter shade of pink and appeared to be rather simply built, a stark contrast to the otherwise eccentric machine. To top it all off, quite literally, it's head had two pink 'pigtails' that trailed it, because of course it had pigtails. Truly a masterpiece of machinery, or a madman's fevered dream.

In turn, I'm sure our enemy saw what they wanted to see. A monster adapted to kill. And enjoy every splendid second of it.

Both combatants activated propulsion systems and we hurtled towards each other, like the jousting knights of old. What are knights? It doesn't matter.

In a single heartbeat we clashed together once more, metal grinding loudly together as this time we didn't fly apart. Our talons were splayed wide allowing us to hold the enemy's own claws at bay pitching our strengths against one another. Both combatants still hovered above the battlefield, the force of propulsion equal on both sides.

We held our talons rigid as we poured more power into our thrusters. Our force began to overpower them and we slowly pushed them to the ground. The speed of our shared descent increased as more power flowed through our thrusters. Eventually, we would drive them to the ground. Then, they would be finished.

The enemy reached the same conclusion and called out for aid from their allies. "Hey! Chlorophytum, you gonna help us or what?" A distinctly high-pitched female voice screamed from the animated lips on the mech's face.

Strange, I thought. Why give them faces? And why did they yell instead of using the previously unseen, and probably more secure, line of communication that had summoned this one?

The realization hit me a moment later. They thought me unintelligent. They thought I had merely adopted their form. They didn't realize I had an intelligent understanding of their language. They were horribly underestimating us. I would be sure to use that to my advantage. And to remind myself to not make the same mistake.

Mere seconds after we had clashed together we neared the ground. It felt like an age, but it had to have been less than ten seconds. I had slept for an age, I knew what it felt like after all. As we neared the scorched earth several tiny spines stood erect on our back, like hairs warning of potential danger. So, a new enemy had entered the fray.

Our talons collapsed suddenly allowing them to disengage from the enemy's claws. We quickly reopened them and clamped down tightly just above the wrist of the enemy. We were careful to not grasp the weapons themselves. We pivoted while still in the air throwing our enemy to our side and dashing towards the ground in the same controlled movement. The enemy followed like a ragdoll, dragged behind in our wake.

We slammed into the earth with considerable force. As we did so we pivoted instantly and slammed our enemy into the ground as well, though with significantly less finesse. Pivoting with preternatural grace upon the ground we hauled them back up and transferred all of our momenta into a mighty toss that saw them hurtling towards their ally. The whole spectacular maneuver had taken less than two heartbeats to accomplish, such was our skill and speed.

The pink enemy flew exactly as one would expect a forty-meter tall machine would. Gracelessly and dangerously.

The new enemy didn't react in time, though they did commendable job considering the situation. They had been swooping at full speed downwards at our rear. I could see bright orange blades integrated into this one's feet. It must attack like a bird of prey. Despite their predatory tactics they hadn't factored in a hurtling metal humanoid traveling at full speed in their direction. The two impacted with a satisfying crunch and their forms tumbled into the earth. They crashed down with all the grace of a cannonball, arriving in a metal heap of limbs. The sight was almost comical as it brought a smile to my face, though it was devoid of genuine humor.

We diverted power through our spines and jetted towards the fallen pair. The two enemies began to untangle themselves and scrambled to rise to a combat position. They were loudly arguing over how to do so, heckling like hens. How undisciplined they were. For some unfathomable reason, their lack of battle discipline angered me more than it should have. I channeled my rage into our speed arriving all the quicker for it.

As we neared, and the pair untangled, I was finally able to see the newcomer's form. The overall design was unique, and of course, eccentric to the extreme. The form was humanoid in design, leaning towards the feminine physique once again. Overall the machine was predominately white with violet markings spread across what appeared to be some sort of fins atop it's head. Perhaps for increased aerial maneuverability? That would seem to fit the rest of the design. After all, it even had several long sets of metal tubes attached like feathers across both arms. Four sets of such tubes ran along the length of it's arms. A skirt, of what I assumed were more maneuvering thrusters, completed the image. All things considered, it was very avian in it's design and probably served as a scout or light fighter role when in combat. With those long-bladed feet, it was most likely meant for hit-and-runs as well.

We slowed as we approached, eventually coming to a complete stop as we regarded our two opponents. Both appeared to be fast attackers with extreme maneuverability, which meant that in order to counter them we would have to be much faster. Or overpower them. If they fought in harmony we would be finished, alone as we were.

Now this, this is a fight. We flexed our hands, the digits extending a bit more as we lowered our upper torso. Our legs braced themselves, ready for instant movement in any direction. And then we waited to strike.