Author's note: Another twisted tale. This time for Naomi.

Anything to Be Useful

"You failed the test, tomorrow will be your last day here, Naomi," the caretaker said.

"Can I say goodbye to all my friends?" she replied.

"Of course, you're scheduled to leave when the adults arrive. We don't want you interacting with the newcomers."

The thought about newcomers made her think of her partner. She was supposed to be partnered with Hiro except until one day his bond with her shattered. They were paired together at an early age. Hiro was always the adventurous one until one day he changed. Naomi tried to ask Hiro what was wrong only for him not to recall. They kept trying to bond with one another to operate a Franxx only to no avail. After a few years, they finally decided that she wasn't going to work out. She was asked to leave. "Is there any hope for Hiro?" she asked.

"Of course, that's what the newcomers are for."

"Can't I get a second chance? Another partner? I want to stay with my friends."

"I'm sorry, we've determined through our tests that you were the problem." He lied. She was considered expendable. Hiro was different due to his complicated past thus he was given the choice to remain. It was true that she could probably get a different partner but the resources were better spent elsewhere.

"Is there anything I can do to help my partner even though I'm going to be leaving tomorrow?"

"There is. You'll know when the time comes. You may be leaving but your bond with Hiro will last forever, he wouldn't forget you." It was his job to provide the correct emotional state for Naomi to be in.

She left the caretaker to say farewells to her plantation while saving the goodbye with her partner for last. None of them knew where she would be going. She was told that she was going to a peaceful place removed from the war since she was deemed no longer capable. Hiro to her disappointment chose to stay leave as well even though he was given another chance. She thought he was stupid for not taking it. She wished Hiro would change his mind.

At last the time for the departure came. She was right in front of a gigantic ship destined to carry her to parts unknown. She threw her belongings at Hiro preventing him from boarding this one. It forced him to wait for the next giving her more hope that he might reconsider. She thought it was better off to be dead than to be useless, that's what they were all told. She wanted to be useful. She was told that she would have the opportunity to help Hiro when the time came but nothing happened yet.

The doors closed and she turned around to look at the ship.

"Hello?" she called to the empty vessel not expecting an answer.

"Do you still want to help Hiro?" A voice asked. "I am going to take you to paradise if you refuse."

She looked around the empty room filled with buttons beyond her understanding. She still saw no one.

"This ship is automatic. I'm not here physically. Do you still want to help Hiro?"

"How? We're leaving the plantation behind."

"The answers are yes or no."

"Yes."

"Very good."

She felt a needle stab her behind her neck immobilizing her and sent her through waves of immense agony.

Her body transformed immediately. She turned from a human into a quadrupedal klaxosaur. She was aware of the immense power she wielded. The agony of this existence made her more concerned for her partner. Her partner chose to leave, she didn't him to suffer such a fate. She saw with her enhanced vision that he was still waiting there to enter a ship. She decided that he was better off dead.

She didn't have a partner anymore or one that wanted to be her partner. She heard a whisper in the back of her mind. "Only let Hiro kill you."

She realized that if she knew that Hiro was staying, she would fight off anyone that tried to kill her while waiting for him to end her existence but Hiro wasn't staying, and she didn't want Hiro to become a Klaxosaur just like her. She charged towards that fool. It wasn't too late. He hadn't left yet and was in her sights. The pain of being alive was unbearable but she had to make sure her partner didn't suffer such a fate.

Hiro ran away from her. She tried looking for him specifically. She felt pain as something bit her. A Franxx had been sent to stop her. She hadn't killed Hiro yet. He needed to be saved from this dreadful fate. It was better to try to destroy the entire plantation than risk Hiro becoming something like that. That meddlesome gnat was dealt with. She turned her sights towards the plantation awaiting obliteration. She didn't know where Hiro was and given the agony of her existence, she didn't want him to suffer just like she did. It was extremely painful to even move with her aching joints. She cried out from the pain as she tried to launch a beam towards the plantation.

It would all be over soon, she thought. That gnat got up again, she would destroy it this time with her jaws so she could save her partner. As she bit towards the offending metal, she felt that Hiro was inside. She couldn't hurt him thus she relaxed her jaws. That was enough for the Franxx to drive a blade through her body.

Her final thoughts were that Hiro wasn't going to suffer such a fate. She let herself be destroyed by the blade the Franxx wielded. Her final thoughts were of peace and that she was useful once again. Her partner stayed and she would be forgotten just like she wanted.

The caretaker was called to talk to the higher-ups.

"You idiot! Naomi's departure was supposed to be scheduled a day in advance! You nearly got us all killed with your carelessness," Nana said.

"You arrived a day early!" the caretaker yelled. "I thought she would want to help Hiro. Your charge stopped the devastation the klaxosaur would cause. The children should have a background of trauma to see if it increases their potential."

"Stop it all of you. The test was a resounding success," Dr. Franxx said. "We were never in any real danger." The doctor showed the remote he had. "This can stop all our experiments in their tracks."

"Pity we could not kill them ourselves and we need to rely on children to do the work for us," Nana said. "What will we tell Naomi's friends?"

"Naomi is recovering in a hospital in a different plantation. If they ask for more, tell them she would be given different partners," Dr. Franxx said. "Maybe, we could turn Ichigo into someone unique too. Don't allow Hiro to pilot with Zero-two under any circumstances. We don't want to waste precious resources but keep the experiments alive."

"Yes sir, will you be leaving now?"

"I have other plantations to visit. We will be sending some failed young children your way shortly. They should be a good test for plantation 13."

The doctor left leaving Nana to address the plantation. She was more trusted than Hachi, the other one charged with overseeing the plantation.

The children were raised to worship them even though they were being used by the adults themselves. This was just another day for Nana. The children would do anything to be useful for their partner.

Author's note: What happened to Naomi? The anime never clarified it.