Her skin seemingly divine
I beg fate for its string, us, to entwine
Heavens, if my desire is mere infatuation
If my passion is susceptible to spontaneous condensation
Let my heart be set in stone
And my wishes, to my soul, be shown
Haven't we lost enough already
That destiny owes me some remedy
Compensation for my anguish
And for all my worries, henceforth, to be vanquished
The white intervention of her touch is torture
And kisses can do little to suture
The gashes her words leave on my forearms
And the aphrodisiac that silences my mind's alarms
How the wolf has fallen to red hood's charms
From the great grey mane my heart seeps
Much to the delight of all the eternal sheep
And not a single head will ever weep
For my memory is put to sleep
And my impact no one shall keep
No mark on this world by me was whatsoever deep
In purgatory my existence will remain a heap
And never from its abode shall it creep
Far away in the black and white and grey abyss
Something somewhere from someone will receive a kiss
And maybe a blinded, deaf, and distraught wolf
Will fall away from life's unwanted tryst
And howl into the void
In bliss
/
Loose, buoyant particles of dirt and sand floated across the surface of thousands of blue puddles of liquid. Dust caked the surface layer of the pools and swirled about the air above the fluids. Nearby rocks acted as canals as the substance channeled its way across the earth in weak streams. The cerulean nectar visibly bubbled and popped beneath the arduous sun, waves of tempered heat crashing into its tumultuous surface. Ripples spontaneously appeared in correlation with loud claps in the background. With every bang, a wave would spawn and blow itself radially about the bodies of blue elixir. One such puddle exploded vertically as a titanic, white metal foot slammed into its area. The ground submitted to the unnatural weight and molded around the steel in a massive footprint. The owner of the foot spent no time idling in the wake of the mark he'd created as he continued to sprint past the goop covered landscape.
Alpha of the Nines giggled in pleasure as he twirled and dashed through the air, swinging his spear with the velocity of a helicopter blade. Him and the rest of his team tore a path through a horde of klaxosaurs that were so great in mass that the ground was no longer visible in the gaps between them. Like scythers to a field of wheat, the illustrious mechs of the Nines sheared through klaxosaur after klaxosaur in a display of effortless carnage. Dismembered limbs and tsunamis of bodily, blue ichor flew in every direction. The sun mercilessly nipped at the hot plates of the mechs, trying to punish the transgressors who'd damaged her child earth. Rays of constant fire were channeled into the blood covered ground, uncaring to who their magma touch singed.
The horde of klaxosaurs was briskly decapitated by the adept skills of the Nines, the severed limbs eventually stopping their twitching and the lakes of blood eventually ceasing their ripples. Flourishing his blade, Alpha turned his head to the horizon as all the liquid coating his weapon was flicked to the side, leaving a long streak on the battered dirt adjacent to him. Cresting the horizon like a third orbiting planet, a klaxosaur similar in size to a skyline of mountains approached them. Alpha smiled at the prospect of a challenge and charged towards the new opponent fearlessly, his squad flanking him with the same bravado. They'd never met their match on the badlands, so any chance to actually try during a fight was taken greedily whenever the opportunity arose. Rushing towards the looming mass of sentient, obsidian life, the mechs of the Nines sprinted all out, avarice clouding the minds of the pilots. Nearing the gargantuan klaxosaur, Alpha and his companions squealed in delight as the massive titan unraveled itself. A gigantic tail unsheathed itself from its spine and twirled in the hot beams of sunlight, the edge of its pointed tip glistening in the glory of the afternoon inferno. Two pincers of immeasurable length extended outwards from the core of the beast, clicking together threateningly, their opening and closing sending shockwaves across the crust of the earth. The rest of the body unfurled and dozens of massive plates of black rock lined the body of the klaxosaur like a suit of plate armor.
The Nines engaged the beast with no concept or strategy at all, taking the scorpion-like monster on with only their bloodlust and raw desire for slaughter in mind. They would suffer for this mistake. Sweeping its tail with speed unimaginable for its scale, the sharp tip jabbed with the speed of a lightning bolt, thundering into the earth before the Nines, completely severing the leg of Beta's mech, his screams of pain audible over the intercom. That was background noise to the deluded cockpits of the remainder of the squad, the wails falling on deaf ears as they continued their charge. The tail dislodged itself from the crater it'd blasted into existence and slid to the left in a low sweep. Dust rose up around the tail and grabbed onto it like the air molding around a fighter jet flying at mach speeds. The tail collided with the side of Gamma's mech and launched him with the force of a million cannons, his mech flipping hundreds of times as it was jettisoned across the wasteland, a streak miles long following the path of his careening frame. Alpha, Delta, and Epsilon still paid no heed to the failures of their comrades, absolutely dead set on clashing with the klaxosaur before them. Retracting its tail back to its frame, a massive shadow veiled the earth below the great appendage. The klaxosaur sat still for a bit, its teeming body remaining dormant for a few awkward seconds. This reverie was snapped in the blink of an eye and a gasp of breath as a pincer blasted forwards and caught hold of Delta's mech. The pincer continued to close further and further, the metal of the Franxx squealing under the pressure. Metal sheets snapped off into curved shards and smoke bellowed forth from the cracking engines. Delta screeched in agony as the claws closed completely, snapping the mech in two at the waist. The two parts of the body slipped from the grasp of the klaxosaur and fell to the earth.
Alpha's eyes were lecherously wide as he finally met the klaxosaur, running up its side with his acrobatic maneuvers. Alpha worked his way over to the base of the pincer that was being pulled back to the beast's body. He dug his spear into the insanely thick plates of the klaxosaur and flared his engines. His mech blew forwards, pillars of fire blowing forth from his boosters, slicing through the skin of the klaxosaur with his spear in a feat great ease. Leaving a deep slice behind him that ran all the way around the arm of the monster, Alpha leapt into the air after finishing his attack, turning backwards to admire his handiwork. The left pincer of the klaxosaur was hanging limply from the rest of the body, the creature forced to drag its forlorn limb across the ground in order to move. This was all Alpha would be able to verify as his mech was covered in a thick shadow. He turned his eyes to the sky with a groan of curiosity that quickly devolved into a whimper. The tail of the scorpion-like klaxosaur slammed down into the Franxx and launched it like a baseball struck by a club. Alpha's mech spiralled into the earth below and slammed into the loose sands and dirt, ending up submerged beneath the waist, limbs twisted in awkward angles. During the landing, Alpha's head slammed against the ground with the force of a boulder landing on him, instantly knocking him unconscious. The klaxosaur ignored the destroyed mechs of the Nines and continued to make its way past them towards Cerasus.
/
"Already?" Hachi's voice questioned his intercom, not sure of the words he was receiving. After a few seconds Hachi shook his head but murmured his understanding. It'd only been a week since the Nine's had started defending Plantation 13, and it was already time for them to use their trump card again. How pathetic they were. Hachi grunted in annoyance and made his way out of his hidden room. He was now the method of direct contact with the children while Nana was being repaired. He opened his concealed door into the halls of the boarding house, stepping purposefully through the halls.
/
Hiro felt the sun before he saw it, the warm light glowing beyond his eyelids and making him uncomfortable beneath his sheets. Hiro's eyes slowly opened, his lids sliding back into his head with the speed of a turtle crawling back into his pond. The blinding beams of the sun met his weary orbs as he raised a hand to shield his face. He sat upright in his bed and looked about his room. Something felt off. It was like the room was different from when he'd left it. Like the air had changed or the aura the walls gave off had been tampered with. His shifting in his bed eventually led him to set his eyes on the girl asleep at his bedside. Ichigo's head was submerged amongst the sheets and her ruffled hair shrouded her scarred face, light and almost incomprehensible snores escaping her thin lips. Hiro sighed and pulled his blankets off of himself, moving to get out of bed. As he did this his legs made a sound comparable to a piston sliding into action.
Hiro jumped, startled at the mechanical sound emitted from his limbs. He tried again, to move his lower body, long being used to an absolute lack of reaction when he did so. Much to his disbelief, his whole right leg moved, the same industrial-like sound being created during the motion. Hiro swung both of his legs from the covers of the bed and placed them on the planks of the boarding house, standing upright on them. His eyes were as wide as the moon, and his jaw was dropped in uncertainty. Was he dreaming again? He took a shaky step forwards and fell down to his knees, not used to balancing on his inexperienced feet. He rose back to his feet and made his way over to the door frame, bracing himself against the wall with his hand to maintain his balance. A low whimper from his bed caused him to stop and turn back to Ichigo's waking form. Ichigo slowly raised her head and surveyed the bed before her. Upon not seeing what she expected she jumped to her feet and looked around the room, searching for Hiro. She eventually turned to his standing form by the doorway and froze completely.
"Hi-, Hiro?" she squeezed out from between her tightly clasped lips, her emerald eyes overflowing with uncertainty. Hiro didn't answer for a second, choosing instead to let go of his hold on the wall and walk over to Ichigo instead. He made his way over to her seated form in three slow, clumsy steps, and stopped before her. Ichigo's eyes squeezed together more and more with each step he took and upon his arrival to her position she simply shook her head and set it back on his bed. She was dreaming she'd decided. Hiro took this as a chance to escape and burst out into the corridors of the boarding house. He didn't feel anything in his legs but, they were working. It made no sense at all. The sensations of movement and speed. He rounded a corner and felt the air bending around his sprinting form. The sound of beating pistons echoed out from his legs and squealed every time he planted a foot. He rounded another corner to come face to face with Hachi, to which he stopped his joyride through the halls on his new legs.
"Hiro, you need to come with me now" Hachi's stern voice called out to him.
/
"Code 016, you are to defend Cerasus. The Nines were wiped out and it now falls to you to do your duty and protect Plantation 13" the masked figure spoke to Hiro from the hologram before him. Hiro casted his gaze down to his legs and studied his newly rejuvenated appendage, turning them and testing them against the metal floor below him. "We know you won't fail us, Code 016" their voices synonymously commanded him together.
Hiro flexed his thigh and pressed his hand into his side, "I refuse." His steady answer and serious eyes met the mysterious slits of the masked man's face with total confidence. Hachi's eyes opened wide from his position flanking Hiro. The masked man shifted in his seat, as if he was reexamining the boy before him.
"You would let all your companions die? You would let your home be destroyed?" the monotonous voice tried, vainly. Hiro merely nodded. The masked man scrutinized the child again, and realized his own blunder.
"This is not my home, and you want this place to survive much more than I do, isn't that right?" Hiro affirmed sternly, his voice leaving no room for debate. The masked man stifled a growl and levelled his gaze on the boy.
"What do you want then?" he acquiesced, willing to hear the boy's ultimatum.
"You know exactly what I want, you sick bastard" Hiro spoke calmly, but his eyes shot lasers of aggression into the man before him. The call was silent for a few seconds before the man before him began to answer.
"We refu-" he started only to be cut off by another robed figure.
"Very well, Code 016. If you defend Plantation 13, we will return Code 02 to Cerasus" the authoritative voice agreed to Hiro's demands.
"And don't try anything, you snakes. If you do, you'll never be able to expect any help from me again in defending this shithole" his voice was now angry, his fingers clasped into tight fists.
"We will play no games with your desires boy. Now fulfill your end of the bargain" the voice ended the call as the hologram whirred out of existence. Hiro would help them this time he reasoned, in order to get that which he wanted most. This was a stepping stone. He'd get her back this time.
Hiro's self monologue was cut short when Hachi coughed from behind him to get his attention, "Code 016, there is a problem with your plan unfortunately."
/
Hiro sat in the middle of the lounge room of the boarding house as the rest of the squad filed in slowly. He steadied his breathing as he felt the surprised eyes of his team meeting his standing form.
"Hiro," Ichigo's voice snapped him from the silent trance he was in, "I brought them like you asked." Nodding to her he turned to the rest of the group. He met all their gazes confidently and jumped right in.
"The Nines have been wiped out and a klaxosaur is coming to destroy the plantation" Hiro began his conversement with the most dire news, not wasting any time dawdling. Most of Squad 13's eyes widened at the news of their aggressive protectors being dealt with. Mitsuru's eyes stayed calm and he shook his head.
"The klaxosaur approaching was evident enough with the banging we've been hearing all day, but who would've known the Nines would be so useless" he surmised in disappointment, his tone rational. Hiro rain his eyes over the eyes of his apparent squadmates one by one. Futoshi's eyes were on the ground and his head was pointed downwards. Ikuno's eyelids were pressed together and her arms were crossed as she leaned against the wall, the girl noticeably trying to control her breathing. Zorome's hands were folded behind his head and he sighed loudly, annoyed at the news. Kokoro was shaking, holding her left arm with her right at the elbow as the quaked from fear of the impending doom. Ichigo and Goro simply looked at Hiro, both their eyes retaining no doubt, only waiting for more clarification from the boy who'd just told them they were all about to die. And finally, his eyes met Miku, who was biting her lip in anger, tapping her foot against the floorboards anxiously, "Miku, I need your help to save everyone."
Miku's eyes snapped to Hiro's and her foot ceased its tapping, "Huh?" Her voice was incredulous and her eyes narrowed in doubt. She surveyed the boy from top to bottom before giving an answer, "Besides, isn't there something else you need to explain to everyone?" Hiro uncomfortably shifted on his new legs, the mechanisms within them sliding audibly, giving off a sound loud enough that everyone in the room could hear it.
"I couldn't tell you if I wanted to unfortunately, I woke up and they were like this. It's like there's a machine in me or something, I don't know" his voice was nowhere near as confident as when he had began his talk, his eyes avoiding the pressuring gaze of the redhead in front of him.
"Is that right?" Mitsuru's voice sounded, "They just appeared out of thin air?" Hiro shook his head at the mocking depiction of the events but eventually nodded in affirmation. Mitsuru gauged Hiro's reaction intensely but finally wiped his face with his hand, satisfied with the uncertainty of the boy. "And?" he continued, "Why do you need Miku of all people?"
"Hey, what's that supposed to mean?" she rose her voice and pointed a temperamental finger towards Mitsuru.
"Well," Hiro finally turned his eyes to Miku and waited for her to meet his gaze before continuing, "Only Argentea has been repaired." Ichigo and Zorome's eyes flashed with understanding before Miku's eventually did.
"You want to pilot with me?" Miku asked skeptically.
"Not want, I need to" Hiro answered her simple question in such a way that translated the gravity of the situation unto her. Miku released a steady exhale and weighed the option in her mind.
"Wait, wait, wait!" Zorome jumped into action, stepping between Miku and Hiro, "Why wouldn't I just pilot with her then?" Hiro studied the boy for a moment, seeing if he was actually serious or not.
"You're not strong enough Zorome, I'm sorry. This is something only I can do." Hiro's words were like a slap to the face of the other stamens in the room and all of them visibly grimaced at the realization of what they already knew. Zorome would not submit so easily though.
"Oh and you are? You can walk all of a sudden and now you think you're some hot shit?" Zorome stepped closer and closer to Hiro, placing his hands on the frail boy's shoulders and practically slobbering the words onto him.
"I'm closer than any of you are for sure" Hiro's temper flared, indignation at the bullying Zorome had always done unto him surfacing in his mind. Zorome's face quivered once in anger, and he tightened his rock hard grasp on Hiro's shoulders.
"Why you!" Zorome wouldn't have a chance to finish his challenge as Goro grabbed the boy from behind, pulling him away from Hiro.
"Hiro, there's no need to put it like that you know" Goro's eyes were soft and his face was atypically cold. Hiro internally cursed his own inability to remain calm and inevitably nodded to the blonde haired boy in apology.
"Still, will Miku be able to handle you Hiro?," Ichigo's finally voiced her concerns.
"Huh? What's that supposed to mean?" Miku's trigger-happy ire boiled over again.
"It means that I could barely control it for more than ten minutes, and I'm a double digit code. Miku you might not even be able to survive piloting with him" Ichigo's voice spoke words open to interpretation, but her voice, filled with worry and fear, made it evident to Miku that the girl was just looking out for her. Miku's features softened and she threw her gaze to the corner of the room.
"Miku might die? Then she definitely can't go! I won't let you take my partner you scumbag!" Zorome continued his rant from beneath Goro's strong hold of him. Hiro wrenched his eyes shut at the risks he was forcing upon his peers. He knew deep inside he was using them for his own benefit.
"I'll do it" Miku extinguished the fire in Zorome's eyes with the three words she uttered. The hostile air of the living room was doused in a downpour of Miku's agreement to the suicide run with Hiro. Hiro opened his eyes and looked to Miku, who eventually returned her eyes to meet his, her irises slightly shaking but her face courageous.
/
Hiro was seated in the clean and freshly repaired cockpit of Argentea. The walls sparkled and reflected the glow of the single orange overhead light perfectly. The floor was polished enough that it could be used to dine on and the seats were so fresh Hiro wouldn't have minded sleeping there. His appreciation of the cockpit was cut short when Miku stepped wearily into the mech, her skin-tight red and white pistil suit grabbing onto her form. Her eyes flicked around the cockpit nervously, memories of her last disaster of an operation still perfectly clear in her mind. The screams she'd released in the isolated tunnels of the mining facility were still echoing off the walls of her insides. Miku carefully stepped over to the seat before Hiro and looked to him, not knowing what she was expecting.
"Miku" Hiro's sudden voice surprised the girl, causing her to flinch and recoil, "Thank you." Miku's eyes softened at the genuine words and she slid into her seat with a small smile on her face.
"I'm not doing this for you, Hiro. Keep that in mind" her words were aggressive but the frightened way she spoke them made Hiro only shake his head and lean back into his seat to prepare for the mission.
"Just remember what Ichigo told you Miku, once I pass out it's all on you. Just try to breath and remain in control. No matter what, don't lose control" Hiro spoke seriously, no more gentleness in his tone when tackling the serious matters upcoming. Miku acknowledged the instructions he'd given her and steeled herself for the upcoming mission. This time she wouldn't fail so pitifully. The lights of the Franxx whirred on and a canvas of white surrounded the two children. Hiro fell back softly into his seat and Miku howled in pain. This time was for real. The docking bay doors opened slowly, letting in the furious rays of the sun. This time there wasn't any room for mistakes.
/
A single pink paw slammed into the earth, kicking up shards of the craggy rocks that had been displaced by its arrival. Many meter long orange, magma-infused claws darted out from the pink foot, their blades so sharp the dust in the air visibly flowed around the edge when blown against it by the wind. Following the long pink limb, white plates of thick metal lined the torso and hind legs. Steam flowed freely from the boosters lining the flank and hind heels of the beast, overshadowed by a long tail-like appendage jutting outwards from the rear of the machine. The long, pink crown that had once sat atop the head of Argentea, had now folded down onto the girthy neck of the mech, mimicking the appearance of a glorious mane. Covered in pink and white decals, Argentea drew itself to its full height in the fury of the summer sun, its proud wolf-like body ready to prowl on its single target. Eyes beady red with energy and the frame of the mech slightly shaking from the pressure it put on its pilot, Argentea dashed across the battle-scarred earth towards the ever nearing klaxosaur behemoth in the distance.
(AN - funfunfunfufnfnfunfufunu, having lots of fun, though i feel like im definitely getting more and more lazy lmao, we got a banger incoming boys, brace for impact/ and if anyone's curious i wrote that poem a long time ago and thought it'd be a nice little tool to throw in here)