Darling in the FranXX: The Reaper Squadron

Chapter 14: Havana

Trigger warning: There are mentions of self harm in this chapter.

Edited for spelling and for a song change, credit to Gremory6.

APE HQ

"My, how intriguing." An APE said.

In the background there were recordings of Squad 13's missions playing.

"It's so strange." Said another.

"Regardless of how they do it, they are linking up in ways that other squads cannot. Does this mean that the imbalances caused by the individualized FranXX can give a unique advantage to the squad as a whole?" Papa asked.

"But that is a double-edged sword." One said. "The future we at APE exult is one of calmness and uniformity. Outliers such as themselves are an issue that needs to be dealt with."

"And then there is Reaper 1." The Vice Chairman said, and the feeds then changed to images of Reaper's exploits.

"With a brutality that is unmatched, they are the perfect squad, even out doing the Nines in terms of total kill count. What I would give for an army of them." Papa said.

"But they are a threat. They possess knowledge of times long forgotten and have gifts that are as deadly as they are helpful. They are out of our control and have a master of their own besides us." An APE said.

"I think it is high time we moved them on to the next stage, they are more than ready."

"To that area you mean? We have detected increased Klaxosaur activity beneath the Gran Crevasse. It is Squad 13's duty to bring Code 002 there safe and sound. Reaper 1 arriving as well is just a bonus. Their brutality will be necessary for the coming battle." Papa said.

"The plan is already in motion. As we speak, Plantation 13 is enroute to the Garden. They will undergo maintenance as soon as they arrive." An APE said.

"Before that, why don't we award them something."

"You mean…reward the children?"

"Awards have been the most common way to inspire soldiers since ancient times. Since they are being raised in such a bygone way, and are living with walking relics, it may prove most effective with them."

"Ah, that is an interesting idea. I shall allow it." Papa said.

…

Plantation 13

As the squads returned from another successful sortie, they found Nana waiting for them.

"Children!" she shouted. "Gather in the living room in 10 minutes. I bring good news."

10 minutes later Squad 13 and Reaper 1 were in the living room wondering what was going on.

"*ahem* Tomorrow, all of you are to dress in your formal attire and gather in front of the manor at 0900 hours. Reaper 1 that includes you as well, we will send you some formal attire for you to wear." Nana said.

"No need, we already have a set of formal attire to wear." Reaper said, and Nana nodded.

"What's going on?" Ichigo said.

"Papa values what you have achieved in battle so far very highly. As such, Papa has decided to reward you. You will be going to the Inner City to receive medals from the mayor." Nana said

"The City!" Zorome said.

"The ceremony will be held tomorrow at the Plantation Parliament HQ." Nana said, she then dismissed them and walked out.

"YAHHOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Zorome shouted.

"My ears! Would you knock it off!" Miku shouted, which sparked another one of their arguments.

Reaper nudged Hiro. "What is he so happy about?"

"Zorome has been trying to get into the city since we got here. It's his dream to grow up and be declared an adult and to be given the injection." Hiro explained.

Reaper just shook his head. "That boy has so much to learn."

Hiro looked at him confused before shrugging and went back to quietly kissing Zero Two. The two had grown quite close to each other after Hiro regained his memories. Hiro's horns were now quite visible, and Squad 13 had, surprisingly, accepted the lie that it was a side effect of riding with Zero Two.

"Damn it. This derails my plans. Oh well, I'll just have to do a shorter session." Reaper thought, thinking about what the next day was.

…

The next morning, as Squad 13 exited the manor, their mouths dropped in shock. Reaper and his squad were dressed in blinding white uniforms. Gone were the black cloaks they wore, instead, they wore a white dress shirt with gold buttons and white dress pants. For shoes, they wore black dress shoes that were spit shined until you could see your reflection in them. There was not a speck of dirt on their uniforms and each piece fit perfectly, not a stitch of extra fabric, so they almost seemed form fitting. On their shoulders stood their rank. Reaper was a Colonel, Owl and Crow where Lieutenant Colonels, Cypress was a Major, Snake was a First Lieutenant and Raven was a Second Lieutenant.

"What do you guys think?" Reaper asked.

"It's odd not seeing you guys in all black, I will admit." Ikuno said while staring at Snake.

"Jeez, did you guys have to show us up?" Zorome said, Reaper 1's crisp white uniforms made theirs look dirty.

Just then Nana walked up. She expressed shock at Reaper 1's immaculate uniforms and ranks. "He's a Colonel?!" Nana thought, before shaking her head and addressing the group.

"Alright children, and Reaper 1, we will be heading out now. Zero Two, while we are gone, you will undergo the usually tests."

"The usual tests?" Reaper thought, he hoped that it wasn't the torture that he had read about in her files.

"I hate those tests. I always feel lousy after I take them. Besides, I'm in great shape right now. So, I'll pass on those tests for a while." Zero Two said and walked back into the manor.

"I don't trust them not to do something." Reaper thought. He subtly put a shadow barrier around the manor, hopefully she would stay inside. If anyone attempted to enter the manor with malicious intent, they would be repelled. If they tried to enter more than three times, they would be knocked out.

…

As they entered the city, the members of Squad 13 were looking about in awe. Reaper 1 was unaffected. So much grandeur in a place that would never be seen except by those who lived there, what a waste. Reaper did notice however, that they were kept in a contained environment at all times. Not once did they breathe the air that flowed through the city. Also, to Reaper and his squad the city felt…dead. They saw no people, no cars, no type of movement what so ever. If this is what Papa considered the lap of luxury, Reaper and his squad wanted no part of it.

…

"You are the first children to be welcomed here." The mayor said, he was a man that wore a form fitting uniform and had a white mask over his head, covering everything except his mouth. "This is truly a great honor. I hope you consider this day a source of pride for a very long time, live up to the honor bestowed upon you, and make even further contributions to this plantation."

The mayor gave medals to each member of Squad 13. He then turned to Reaper 1 and addressed them personally.

"Thank you, Reaper 1, for your continued protection of this plantation. Your choice to continue fighting despite begin able to join us shows that you have great courage. I am honored to meet you all." The mayor said.

The mayor the pulled out a special case with pin on medals in it. He pinned the medals next to the others that Reaper and his squad sported. He then nodded to them stepped back and addressed the group again.

"Papa thanks you for your loyalty and service. Continue to fight for this plantation and this war will be over soon." The mayor said.

He then nodded to Nana and Hachi, who had joined them earlier, and then left.

"Alright children let's go." Nana said.

"What? That's it?" Zorome said.

"I was sure there would be a feast." Futoshi muttered.

"You are just fine without one." Ikuno said.

"Hey, since we have the chance, why don't we walk back?" Miku said, and the other girls agreed.

"It wasn't that far. We can walk, right, Nana?" Ichigo said.

Looking at the girls faces, Nana just couldn't say no.

"Oh, alright." She said.

As they walked, Squad 13's heads were on a constant swivel. Reaper and his squad were walking in front of them, acting as an escort.

"This is great. When we become adults, we will be able to live here too, right?" Zorome said.

"For some reason, I just can't picture us 'becoming adults' though." Ichigo said.

"Same here." Futoshi said.

"Hey Reaper, the mayor said that you were given a choice. What was he talking about?" Ikuno said, as Zorome continued to argue with the others about the likelihood of them becoming adults.

"When we arrived, we were given the choice to keep fighting or come here and live for eternity. We chose to fight." Raven said.

"What?! Why would you choose to fight instead of staying here?" Zorome said.

"Because this is not paradise." Reaper said. "To us, paradise is being able to live on the surface and not having others fight for us. To be able to live in a world where war is a word that doesn't exist, that, is paradise to us. Not this metal cage."

Zorome huffed and looked away.

…

When they returned to the manor, they changed out of their dress clothes and back into their normal gear. Reaper then dispelled the shadow shield around the manor and disappeared. Owl locked herself in her room at the same time as Reaper left.

Later, about 10 miles from Plantation 13

Reaper set down the Magma Energy container he had carried out here. It had taken quite a bit of effort to steal one for his purposes, but he got it done. Reaper then took off his cloak, leaving him in only a black form fitting shirt and pants. He then opened his communicator and began to play a song as loud as possible. Looking at his communicator he saw that it was 1200 hours. "I've got half a day, let's do this." He thought. He summoned Harvester just as he spotted several Klaxosaurs in the distance, attracted to the large source of Magma Energy.

"Come on you fucks, let's see if you can kill me this year." Reaper muttered to himself as the first Klaxosaur approached. He launched forward, generating a massive dust cloud that obscured what it was he was doing from the camera's.

…

Reaper 1 sans Reaper and Owl walked into the briefing room. They were summoned a few minutes ago but were unable to find Reaper and Owl refused to leave her room, so they proceeded to the room and would fill the two in later on what this was about.

"Where are R-01 and R-06?" Hachi said as he noticed the two's absence.

"We can't find Reaper right now and Owl is… busy. I am acting Squad leader until Reaper or Owl return." Crow said.

Hachi sighed. "Very well. Do you know anything about this?" He said as a view from the external cameras came up.

There was a constant dust cloud about 10 miles from the plantation. Occasionally, flashes of light occurred within or blue blood would spirt outside the cloud.

"This appeared a little over an hour ago and has yet to dissipate. There is also some kind of sound coming from it, but we can't identify what it is. We were hoping that you might be able to tell us what this is." Hachi said.

(A/N: Play Careless Whisper by George Michael)

Over the sound of steel meeting steel and the roars of Klaxosaurs, Crow heard,

I'm never gonna dance again

These guilty feet have got no rhythm

Although it's easy to pretend

I know you're not a fool

Should've known better than to cheat a friend

Waste the chance that I've been given

So, I'm never gonna dance again

The way I danced with you

"Careless Whisper." Snake said, and the entire squad looked down at the date.

"Ah that's why." Raven said. "It's that date. No wonder Owl locked herself away."

"Indeed." Crow said.

The song then changed and what played caused the squad's eyes to widen.

(A/N: Play Havana by Camila Cabello)

"It's been a very long time since I heard this song." Cypress said.

"He's refused to play her song for years." Crow said.

"It's always been rather painful for him to listen to." Raven said.

Hachi and Nana were completely lost. "What is that sound? And what are you talking about?" Nana asked.

"That sound is called music, people used to listen to it all the time before the Klaxosaurs attacked. As for what we are talking about, don't worry about it. As for the dust cloud, don't worry about that either. Just have a medical team ready when the dust settles." Snake said, and the squad began to walk out the door.

"What are you talking about? What is that?" Hachi asked.

"I said don't worry about it. It's not a threat. Also, don't interfere, he is not in his right mind right now and will kill you if you do. Just have the medical team ready like I said." Snake said and closed the door behind him.

"Have the medical teams get ready Nana, also mobilize 13 just in case." Hachi said as he stared that the dust cloud as the song switched again.

…

Klaxosaur Territory

Location: unknown

"Reaper, what are you doing out there?" H wondered aloud.

She was staring at a screen which was showing a dust cloud. She heard that Careless Whisper was playing but couldn't figure out why Reaper was out there. Just then the door to her room opened and J walked in.

"You called H?" J said.

"Yes," H gestured to the screen. "can you figure out what Reaper is doing out there by himself?"

J looked at the screen and listened to the song that was playing. He then checked the date and then nodded.

"Reaper is repenting." J said as the song changed to Havana

H's eyes widened when she heard her song playing. "Repenting?"

"Yes, today is the day that, to him, you and I died."

"But that doesn't explain why he is out there!"

J sighed, she wasn't going to like what he was going to tell her.

"He is punishing himself for our deaths, specifically yours."

H's face paled. "What?"

"Reaper blames himself for what happened to us, to you. So, every year on the day of your death, before they disappeared, without fail, he has taken a container of Magma Energy out to the middle of nowhere and attacked any Klaxosaur that approached in hopes that they would kill him."

"Why?" H whispered with tears in her eyes.

"Like I said, as punishment for your death. He believes that, had he stayed, you would still be alive. So, he does this in hopes one would come along and be too strong for him and kill him. I haven't let that happen of course, just sent enough that he would be satisfied without hurting him too much."

"You knew all this time!" she shouted. "And you did nothing to stop him?!"

"What could I have done H? We can't reveal ourselves and if I did not send some to him he would just go and find a nest and have a guarantee to get killed. What would you have liked me to do?"

H said nothing and turned back to the screen, tears running freely from her eyes as her beloved got himself hurt over her.

"It's not your fault, Reaper." She whispered. "It was never your fault."

…

1800 hours

6 hours later

As Reaper killed the last Klaxosaur he sighed.

"Damn, I'm still alive."

Reaper shut off the music as he walked over to one of the dead Conrad classes. He grabbed one of its claws and ran it across his wrist, adding yet another cut to his collection.

"Six years." He said looking at the cuts on his wrist. "It's been six years since you left me. If only I had done something different, you might still be with me."

He then grabbed the Magma Energy container and made the trek back to the plantation. When he arrived a group of security officers were waiting and took the Magma Energy container out of his hands. Two medical officers then sat him down and began to treat the various lacerations he had received on his chest and back as well as the slit on his wrist. While this was going on his squad as well as 13 and Nana and Hachi rushed into the room.

"Reaper! What the hell were you thinking!" Ichigo shouted and went forward to slap some sense into him.

She was stopped by Crow as Nana stepped forward.

"Reaper, why did you do this to yourself?" she asked in a soft voice.

"Punishment." Was his response.

"Why…" she started to say before being cut off by Crow.

"Nana don't ask that question."

"The only thing that you need to know is that on this day, 96 years and two hours ago, Reaper lost everything that mattered to him. Owl too, which is why she locked herself in her room and has refused to leave." Raven said.

Snake looked at Squad 13 and saw that Ichigo looked confused.

"Think of it this way, Ichigo. Imagine how you would feel if Hiro had just died. Then, multiply that by a thousand and you have but a glimpse into the pain those two are feeling right now." Snake said.

Reaper then stood after the medics had treated him and left without a word. The group stared after him.

"He is probably going to stop sleeping again." Raven said.

Nana looked at her shocked.

"The next week is going to be rough on the both of them. Cypress, Raven, make sure that they eat." Crow said, he then turned to Hachi.

"Can you shift Reaper and Owl to light duty for the next week or so? They won't be fit for sortie right now."

Hachi nodded. "Am I to assume that you will take squad leader position until they return?"

"Yes."

…

Reaper entered their wing of the manor. He walked down the hallway, unseeing of what was in front of him, his mind still stuck in the past. As he passed Owl's door, it suddenly unlocked, and a hand reached out and dragged him inside. Owl relocked the door and she sat him on the bed. Owl then sat on his lap and curled against him. Reaper's hands automatically wrapped around Owl and he placed his chin on her head. They sat there until they both fell asleep, both taking comfort in each other and in the fact that someone else understood what they were going through.

A/N: Poor Reaper and Owl. They have gone through so much pain and they still have more to face. The next chapter will be the partner switch episode and Mitsuru is going to have the shit scared out of him. So, you have that to look forward to. As always, reviews and criticism are greatly appreciated, and flames will be used to roast marshmallows. Ciao!