Haha! I have arrived with a new story! And... It's not something To Aru Related!
Yeah, I'm branching out just a little bit. To those who don't know me, you probably don't care, but to those who are familiar with my work, this little story might need some explanation.
So, mystery to no one (Especially if you know where my name/icon comes from): I like giant robots. I could end it right there, but let's go a little bit deeper. I've actually had some aspirations to do something along the line of a mecha story for quite some time, but those plans never actually went anywhere, unfortunately. But with this, something finally clicked in just the right way for a story, and one I was excited about for that matter. I know Darling in the FRANXX has its ups and downs, but I'd argue that it does have more good than bad, and it gave me an excuse to mix things up with another old mecha series I was quite fond of, and one it has more than a few similarities with to boot.
Getter Robo Armageddon.
I don't expect anyone to recognize that name (Hell, Getter Robo as a whole isn't even an option to pick from for uploads on here), but this is me here with more of my crossover shenanigans. Since I can't select the other series I'm mixing things with, i'll be leaving it unlabeled as a Crossover, as it makes more sense to me rather than just "miscellaneous other anime" or something like that. To those unfamiliar, I'll do my best to cover things from this other side of the spectrum here; the goal is to be able to tell the other side's story without having seen Getter Robo Armageddon. As for how well I pull that off... well, you folks will decide.
If your familiar with how I do my stories, than this won't be a mystery; the story is already done and proofread, and ready to upload. I'll be releasing a chapter once a week until all the chapters are out. I might be willing to go back and make corrections to things if need be, but otherwise, the story itself is set in stone. For you folks more familiar with the FRANXX side of things, this might be a little bit more of an action-centric story compared to what your used to, but don't fret; I've done my best with character interaction and have changed things up a bit. Once more, I think I did alright, but ultimately, you shall be the judge.
To those who are more inclined to read my work with To Aru Majutsu No Index, nothing on that front is changing. BUI is still going on once a month as intended, as I'm still a fan and will be reading stories for it, and... well, this is me just trying to quash conspiracy theories before they happen. Hell, I might even have another Index-related story in the works, so stay tuned; I usually talk about what I'm working on the closer it gets to finalization.
All that I ask is that you give me a chance to have a little bit of fun here with something different; it might even be the only time I venture out of the To Aru series, after all. I'll be back to my roots before you know it.
With all that out of the way... let's get started!
Not many would care for the lights in the night sky after understanding what they are.
They had their uses, of course, but more often than not, they could be disregarded.
Lights on display; suns of other systems. While important to astronomy, they didn't matter at all to the common folk. If one blinked out of existence, not many would care.
Even if it was a great cataclysm, if it did not affect the world at large, and not a single tear would be shed.
The same could be said for people. In that sense, the population could be seen as its own cluster of stars. Infinitely many, but also infinitely ignorable.
But there were those who could shine brighter than those simple, distant suns. The Phenomena known as a "shooting star," where something enters the earth's atmosphere and burns up so brightly, that even the brilliant night sky pales in comparison.
Those naturally stand out as something unusual and exciting. A rare occurrence that many people might not be able to witness firsthand. Though their time as the brightest lights in the sky are short, people are naturally drawn to them. The superstition that they can even grant wishes was born from this, thinking that some of that brilliant light could pass onto their lives.
Once more, people are the same.
A select few, whether due to their status, duty, appearance, or capability, are ushered in as important to society. It has happened in every age, and in every civilization. Be they rulers, soldiers, and scholars: These select few are recognized for their efforts. Even if others follow in their footsteps, there is no guarantee that they themselves would be chosen, but they do so anyway… just as before, they cast their wishes to another, in hopes that by some miracle, doing so will allow their dreams to come true.
Even if those select people only shine in a specific point in history, and only for a specific amount of time. Much like those shooting stars.
It is a necessary evil; "The few carry the dreams of the many." People see others prospering and think "How could I shine as bright as them?" and move to do just that. Some will succeed… but sadly, some will also fail.
Dark as that may seem, without those pillars of success, many would be without focus. Without a point for them to gather and pursue. Rather than say that they can do better, they'd assume that they themselves are those select few and simply remain as is. They would stagnate; pause when they should grow.
As much as one can grow jealous of success, that drive to attain the success they are jealous of affords progress. They don't want to be just as good, no: they want to be better.
It becomes a cycle; infinitely improving at what came before. That is what one can call a "Society."
But this causes some people to be trampled upon. It will force those who are treated as such to search for ways to get ahead.
And sometimes those methods aren't always for the better. Just as sadly, not everyone will realize this before things have gone too far.
The stars in the sky and the people of the world: They are very much alike. Infinitely many, not infinitely important… but also infinitely necessary.
To allow, or worse, force, those lower classes to stagnate, progress stops. Society itself will freeze, and great things that could be accomplished will never come to pass.
Both sides are important: The shooting stars and those who follow them. When the followers stop seeking the stars… society will crumble. Those bright lights stop mattering when they are no longer cared about.
However, an important factor can change everything… even this certain rule…
…And that is when stars cross paths.
Hiro sighed lightly as he looked himself over in the mirror with his rich blue eyes. He moved his hand through is shaggy black hair a little, and it went right back into place. He shrugged at that; he didn't particularly care about his hair and was just checking on something that had been bothering him.
He gave his black Stamen Parasite suit a brief once over to make sure everything was in place and walked out of the room.
"Hey, Hiro!"
A friendly face approached him from his left. One with blonde hair and blue-rimmed glasses to cover his green eyes.
"Sorry, were you waiting for me, Goro?" Hiro asked.
"Little bit; Zorome was… well, being himself so I hung back for the sake of my ears," The blond joked. "Something about some kind of rumor he heard from some of the personnel."
Hiro grimaced at the thought of whatever Zorome could be screaming about, but it gradually softened to a slight smile as they began walking down the corridor. "…At least in the Conference room we can get some distance, right? Is everyone else already gathered up?"
"More or less; just us slackers bringing up the rear. Although… heard something weird from Ichigo."
"Oh?"
Goro just shrugged. "Apparently, Zero Two was the first one in, first one out. She caught the taste of something exciting in the air and rushed like you wouldn't believe, or so she says."
"…I see," Hiro delayed his answer. "Does she seem… in a bit better of a mood? She was called away for something this morning and I didn't get to see her."
"Seems that way, least according to the others. She still being a tad… irritable?"
"She was, yeah… maybe it comes and goes. Only known her for a little while, I guess. If whatever was bothering her is at least easier to ignore today, I'll take the hit for the past week and call it good."
"Don't take too many hits; no one wants to see you in a hospital bed. Even Mitsuru, as much as he won't admit it."
"I think that goes for everyone, not just me."
Goro smiled a little. "Don't be like that. You're an important part of this. Don't forget about that."
"I guess…" Hiro didn't seem convinced but relented. Eventually they reached the conference room.
Opening the door right away, in retrospect, was a bad idea.
"I keep telling you guys!" A short, brown haired boy by the name of Zorome called out. "It's real! The Black Devil is real! I heard it from the guard's own mouths!"
After rubbing their ears, the two stepped inside. The whole squad appeared to be present; the only ones noticeably missing at first were their caregiver and their commanding officer: Nana and Hachi. The girls had different suits and the male uniform's black tights and coverings: they were mostly white with different colored ascents for each one, but also had numerous attachments, including a helmet-like hood on their back, and attachments on their hips. Boys were Stamen, and the girls were Pistils: that was their official designation.
Oddly… despite being sure everyone was there, a certain someone was absent.
"Weird… if she was the first one out… where did Zero Two go?" Goro posed the question before Hiro could.
Zorome shouted over him though, leaving the question unanswered. "Forget about that! You two; you believe me don't you!? About the Black Devil?"
"This… is the first I've heard of it." Hiro blinked, not sure how to react.
"Well, apparently," A girl with auburn red hair tied into twin tails by the name of Miku spoke up. "There's a rumor going around about a plantation that lost its defense force but was saved by some mysterious black FRANXX unit. Supposedly, after the plantation lost its Parasites, it just swooped in, cleaned house, and left before anyone could get ahold of the pilots. Personally, I feel like it's a load."
"It's not a load!" Zorome shouted. "Like I said, I heard it straight from the horse's mouth! I'll even find the two who were talking about it and ask them!"
"…I think they were probably speaking privately and you eavesdropped on them," A girl with deep purple hair tied into a ponytail spoke up next. "If you found them and asked, you'd probably just get in trouble."
A portly teen with short brown hair named Futoshi was next to speak. "Ikuno has got a point, you know. If it's that special, they would have told us already, wouldn't they?"
"Maybe that's what this meeting is about! Maybe the Black Devil is secretly some kind of evil terrorist, and we're being charged with the job of taking it down!" Zorome grinned.
A girl with short blue hair in the group who went by Ichigo began to look annoyed. "…Seriously, it goes from a hero to terrorist at the drop of a hat? Do you even listen to yourself?"
"Doubt it; even if it's true, it's not like it affects us," Another boy with slicked back olive-brown hair by the name of Mitsuru scowled at the active commentary. "If this "Black Devil" is out doing our work, I say let it. It's not like it's going to pop up in our neck of the woods, you know."
"…What if it is related though?" Kokoro, a soft-spoken girl with wavy blonde hair, joined in. "I mean… even if it's out helping plantations in dire straits, if it's just acting on its own… that's illegal isn't it?"
The short but energetic one hopped on that train almost immediately. "Exactly! An illegal FRANXX, stolen in the dead of night, painted black to avoid being found… out on its own, taking things out left and right! That'd be cool, wouldn't it?"
Hiro raised an eyebrow. "…So, a set of vigilantes? Does… that word apply to this?"
"That typically applies to one taking the law into their own hands, so I doubt it," Goro stated. "But then again… it's hard to say. This would be a unique case if it were true… but I doubt it. Seems pretty ridiculous that people would steal something like a FRANXX from Papa and then go flaunt it around for everyone to see…"
"Wouldn't it be fun if it were though?" A tenth voice chimed in from behind the two, easily recognizable as belonging to another girl. Shortly after a set of hands wrapped around Hiro's neck and leaned into him, almost making him fall over. The black-haired teen could see the strands of pink hair flowing from the girl's head.
"Z-Zero Two!?" Hiro stuttered out. The girl's confident smirk was clearly visible when he turned to look.
"Gotcha~ Did I surprise you, Darling?"
She had long and bright pink hair, emerald green eyes and was rather tall; even by comparison to the boys, she stood out as one of the tallest. The most notable features however were the red markings in the side of her eyes and a set of small, red horns poking out from her hair with a hairclip across them.
"…Ah, so that's why she wasn't here at first." Goro spoke rather matter-of-factly.
"If I became predictable, then it'd get boring really fast," Zero Two waved off the blond. "This is way more fun. I could be around any corner, ready to pounce, you know~"
"…Glad to see you're feeling better, Zero Two." Hiro smiled. He received a little nudge from the girl's head, a light display of affection.
Zorome frowned and nudged the portly boy in the stomach. "…Hey, they're doing it again."
"They haven't done that in a while, leave them alone." Futoshi rubbed his head. "Not like it actually affects us, right?"
Ichigo sighed with a mild bit of irritation in her voice clearly on display. "…Can't they act professional when we're waiting on orders at least once?"
"I smell jealousy~" The red horned girl giggled lightly as she hid behind Hiro, as if she intended to use him as a shield. Ichigo frowned and looked ready to march over, but a more mature voice put an end to the mild case of chaos.
"Quiet down," A man with a buzz-cut hairstyle walked in from the opposite door, dressed in a full black military uniform consisting of a grey long sleeve top with gold accents on the shoulders and a red tie, and black pants complete with brown dress shoes. "We're about to get started."
"S-sorry, Commander Hachi…" Ichigo apologized. Zero Two stuck out her tongue at the blue haired girl, but she did her best to keep composure in front of her commanding officer.
"Hey, shouldn't Nana be with you?" Zorome questioned.
"An issue came up. Just because we're adults doesn't mean we're without a quirk or two," Hachi was quick to respond. "She should be back to work in a day or so. Are there any other questions before the briefing begins?"
Receiving no reply, he motioned for the Parasites to sit down. The screens in the back of the conference room lit up and begin showing images in data before setting on one.
It was a plantation, much like their own… but…
"…What happened to it?" Hiro blinked.
There was a massive hole in its side, and it appeared as though it had been run into a massive cliffside, surprising for how large it was. All the normal lights and moving parts were gone and nothing could be seen inside; it was completely dark. Dust kicked up, likely due to a gust of wind; it could be assumed from there to be a live video feed.
After a few minutes of allowing the imagery to settle, Hachi began the full briefing. "That's what we'd like to know. Approximately six days ago, plantation forty-eight, the one you see before you, sent out a distress signal that has been repeating on an endless loop. It can be assumed that its own Parasites failed in defending it and this was the result. Klaxosaur readings were detected but have since gone silent as well."
"…Seems pretty open and shut to me; Klaxosaurs got to it and left. What's the big deal?" Zero Two seemed rather dismissive, as if something like that was normal for her. Perhaps it was; she was on the front line for much longer than the rest.
Their commanding officer narrowed his eyes and pressed a few buttons in a hologram keyboard he brought up. It displayed a clear date on the screen.
"Because the Klaxosaurs in the area weren't detected until after the distress signal had begun sounding off," Hachi answered. "They were spotted yesterday and vanished on the same date after moving inside the facility. Whatever happened here is unrelated to their arrival."
That seemed to catch the pink haired girl's attention. "…Before they got there, hmm?"
"Doesn't that… also imply that whatever caused the incident might still be there?" Ichigo asked. "Their readings would only vanish if they were destroyed…"
"Correct; thus, the request for an examination," Their commanding officer answered promptly. "Whatever happened there, it caused severe damage and a shutdown of planation forty-eight and might have swallowed up a Klaxosaur investigation force. Since it's shut down and only running on reserve power for the distress call, we lack access to any and all monitoring equipment in place, so a field investigation is necessary."
Futoshi looked a little distressed once everything was laid out. "This sounds… dangerous… I mean… to cause that much damage…"
"What? Scared of a few mystery monsters now, fatty?" Zorome remarked.
"I-I am not! And why did you sneak that insult in!?" Futoshi remarked. Short hyperactive teen continued to laugh but stopped when Miku smacked him upside the head.
"Code 666, 326, 214, knock it off!" Hachi demanded. The three froze in place before settling back into a proper sitting position.
"Sorry…" Zorome, Miku, and Futoshi bowed their heads lightly.
Hachi rubbed the bridge of his nose lightly but managed to calm down rather quickly.
"So, in closing, your mission to be an investigation into the mystery of plantation forty-eight. This is a recon job, not a rescue operation, so if there are hostile targets present, focus on returning to base safely over extermination. Don't pick any fights unless you absolutely have to. Any questions?"
Ikuno raised her hand. "Would it be considered reasonable to reactivate the plantation and open up communications to that they can be observed from the outside?"
"If you can manage it, go ahead," Hachi nodded. "Methods are up to you. We'll be monitoring you from here. If there are no further questions, you are dismissed."
The team was more than a little nervous, but their resident red-horned beauty was a little intrigued.
This was something not even she had seen before, so as they moved to the hangar, she had trouble hiding the smile on her face.
"Genista, ready."
A black armored machine with green highlights decorating it was the first one activated. It was heavy duty, looking rather well armored with thick metal plates covering its head to appear as if it wore a tall hat, and on most of its body, appearing like a dress, and it carried a large cannon with an orange bayonet at the tip and a matching color scheme to the machine that carried it. After going through a recent pilot shuffle, its two pilots were Mitsuru, who acted as the Stamen and Kokoro who acted as the Pistil. As evident in their set of FRANXX units, the faceplate of the machine took on the facial appearances of its Pistil, who was the one who spoke; its mouth moving to match her words.
"Chlorophytum, locked and loaded." Futoshi spoke up for the quiet Ikuno as their FRANXX was next. It was white and violet, the orange blades of the machine were actually on its feet, making it look as though it walked on spikes. Armaments on its arms, as well as its various accessories, looked like feathers and gave it a bird-like appearance. Unlike its predecessor, only a mouth appeared when its pilots synchronized, with a single blue eye appearing on its purpose visor.
"Argentea, good to go!" Miku's voice rang out as her and Zorome's unit stepped out. Theirs was pink and white with its legs stripped and had the appearance of a slim and lightweight model. It seemed more personalized than the rest, as it had pink protrusions from its head, reminiscent of Miku's own pigtails, and even had a green accessory on its forehead, mimicking a headband. It had large and armored gauntlets over its arms that ended in a set of three claws each.
"Team lead Delphinium, all systems functioning normally." Ichigo spoke up. She shared a blue and white suit with Goro. It had a ring of small rocket boosters around it's waist that made it look as though it was capable of fast movements, which complimented its main weapons, a set of spear-like swords with long handles, rather well. The most defining feature was the headpiece, with distinct blue fins attached to a large helmet, giving it a crown-like appearance.
The only one lagging behind was their ace unit, Strelizia, a heavily custom FRANXX with red, orange and white coloration with very large shoulder pads and a noticeable horn from its forehead. Its body frame actually appeared rather similar to Delphinium, but its accessories and armor structure set the two apart rather well. Its weapon of a choice was a large lance with a matching color scheme with a large thick hose that led into the machine itself.
Inside said ace unit, Hiro was popping his fingers rather nervously.
"Something wrong, Darling?"
Zero Two called out from her position as a Pistil, on all fours with her limbs inserted into four sockets, while Hiro sat in a rather traditional pilot's seat.
"Just… something doesn't seem right about any of this," Hiro replied. "Whatever happened in there… already took out a Parasite team, a plantation, and a Klaxosaur force… I guess it just seems weird that something could cause that much damage and just decide it wants to stay in there, let alone just sending us in to look for it."
"Who knows?" Was Zero Two's simple reply. "Personally, I'm not super interested in fighting something that's not a Klaxosaur… but at the same time, I can't stop my blood from heating up. This one is pretty interesting."
Hiro blinked and stayed quiet for a moment.
"…I guess with you around, we should be fine regardless of what we find, right?"
The pink haired girl smiled, liking the answer. "Now you're getting it," She got back into position properly, and her suit activated to extend its hood over her head and controls from her hips shot out. The back of her hood lit up with numerical information related to fuel and their Paracapacity, among other less important figures. "Either way, let's have some fun, Darling!"
Hiro grabbed the controls. As they began to synchronize their minds, Strelizia activated.
"About time you two got going! We were waiting on you!" Zorome called out over the radio.
"S-sorry! Strelizia is ready for launch!" Hiro answered.
All five units took off, speeding toward their destination with their built-in booster engines. Their own Planation, number thirteen, had moved to get relatively closer to number forty-eight, but they still had a bit of a trip ahead of them.
Hachi began speaking over their communications.
"As this operation has no expected end-time, your FRANXX have all been loaded with extra fuel; you should be able to stay active in the field for approximately three hours."
"Three hours huh…?" Goro commented. "Guess they're expecting a long one."
"Not much can be done; we'll head in and look around." Ichigo stated, Delphinium speaking in her voice. "If anyone is running low, be sure to report it and head back for a re-supply."
Zorome sped ahead with Argentea, unable to contain himself. "Understood, boss-lady! Let's do this!"
"Don't go in so fast you idiot! You'll use up our fuel faster!" Miku complained.
After about fifteen minutes, they arrived at the rather large gash in the side of plantation forty-eight. Judging from the damage, something broke through with a large amount of blunt force from the outside, the impact was probably what caused it to slam into the cliffside.
The interior was completely dark. For a distress call to be sent out, it must have been on reserve power, but its main reactor definitely wasn't running.
"Hit the lights." Ichigo called out. Small sections of each FRANXX's heads opened to reveal high-powered lamps. They clicked on, allowing the team to get a much better look inside.
There was definitely a fight, all right. The gash lead into the adult's living areas, and it was an utter wreck. Streets were trashed, buildings damaged… even a few had been knocked over. They moved slowly at this point, unsure of what to expect.
"What's the plan?" Futoshi asked.
After a bit of thought and observation, Ichigo answered with orders. "Our first priority should be heading to the center and see if we can activate the main power, like Ikuno suggested. A side note should be seeing if we can find any survivors. Nobody knows what happened in here, and anyone who might be able to tell us would be great."
As they walked about, Zorome began musing over random thoughts as they cropped up. "This is kind of eerie isn't it? Never seen the city without any of the lights on… super creepy."
"Is that before or after you remember that there is likely something else in here waiting for us?" Mitsuru called out. Zorome visually shivered at that, fully visible from the video feed of his cockpit.
"D-don't try and scare people…" Kokoro cautioned. "We're all a little on edge as it is…"
"Just keep your eyes peeled and watch your step. The ground is a little unstable." Goro stated. "Hopefully we can get some answers… there was definitely fighting around, but outside of some damaged buildings and streets, the infrastructure seems mostly intact."
Hiro remained silent as he looked around. He was fine before Strelizia stepped inside, but the moment they pressed on, a foreboding feeling washed over his body like water.
Something bad happened here. Really bad.
Moreover, what caused it was still there. Just behind the veil of darkness. As if invisible eyes were watching their every move.
"You feeling it too, Darling?" Zero Two asked.
"Definitely," He answered. "It's weird… something bad happened but… it feels like what happened is on the tip of my tongue, but I just can't place it. It's not familiar, but…"
The red horned Pistil nodded, refocusing attention to the path in front of them. "It's like seeing a murder and as if the one who did it is right around the corner. You can't smell or see it, but you can feel it… we're in enemy territory; where they make the rules."
"…Then we'll just have to break them." Hiro responded, showing a little bit of bravado. Zero Two smiled at that.
"Well said."
They pressed on as a team for a short time. Things looked in better shape as they went in. At least at first, it seemed like most of the fighting took placed around the plantation's scar.
"Kyaaa!"
Miku suddenly screamed.
"A-around that corner!" Zorome called out, Argentea pointing down an intersecting path. "A tail! I could have sworn I saw a tail!"
The team paused to examine the path, but whatever was there had vanished.
"Come on, don't scream like that!" Futoshi grumbled.
"I-I saw something! What do you expect me to do!? I'm freaking out over here!" Miku fired back. As they started their back and forth, Hachi chimed in over the line to silence them.
"Hold on, I'll settle this. I'll play back the footage from Argentea's cameras. Stand by."
A section opened in each of the FRANXX's monitors, playing a video.
It was hard to see, but there was definitely something there. Whatever it was moved out of view the moment lights shined on it directly though.
"See!? Told you I'm not crazy!" Responding to Miku's wishes, Argentea crossed its arms.
"That settles it; whatever caused this is still home," Goro surmised. "It'd use up more power, but motion trackers might be a good idea if we can't detect them with our normal sensors."
"Approved; do it. Just keep an eye on your energy; make sure you have enough to make it back." Hachi ordered.
A small window indicating a motion tracker popped up on the team's respective monitors. A single blip could be seen, but it was moving away from them.
"It appears to be running away from us," Ikuno stated. "Although if it caused all this, doubt that it's due to fear."
Looking around once more at the destruction, Ichigo could only agree. "That's probably accurate. Stay close and don't break off from formation. The last thing we'd want would it picking us off one by one."
They began move again, this time with their weapons ready. Nothing was coming up on their trackers this time, however.
Oddly… not even people from the buildings came up. The only ones they were reading were themselves.
"It's like a ghost town…" Futoshi stated. "Where did everybody go?"
"Think there's a shelter? People could be holed up for their safety, waiting for help…" Miku stated.
Kokoro looked around with Genista. "Could be… I certainly hope so… because if not…" The black armored FRANXX turned down another intersection when they saw something interesting.
Blue blood. Evidence of a Klaxosaur.
"Down here; I think we found where the Klaxosaurs ran off to." Mitsuru called out. Not necessarily part of their objective, but the team couldn't help but be a little curious about what happened to their usual enemy. There was a rather long trail and it led to what seemed like a town square.
Klaxosaurs were there, that was certain. Black and blue chunks of their biomechanical bodies could be seen everywhere along with their blue colored blood; not one was still intact.
However, they noticed several large pieces of black flesh lying around. Unlike a Klaxosaur, it appeared to be a purely biological material.
This was further supported when they found the body of a monster lying in the remains of a building, buried in a pile of rubble. Its skin was as black as the night and had a vaguely reptilian body structure. Claws were very clear on its feet and hands as it lied on its back.
"Well… they didn't go down without a fight," Hiro commented. "From the looks of things, they did some damage to them… took one down for sure anyway."
Zero Two appeared intrigued by the scene. "Although that confirms that there is more than one of these things. They don't look like any animal I've ever seen too…"
"Hmm… think the Klaxosaurs kept these things as pets or slaves or something like that?" Zorome asked. "I mean… they came after them, right? Maybe they broke free from their cages or something?"
"If these are the equivalent to dogs for Klaxosaurs, I'm going to be sick." Argentea squirmed a little, mimicking its Pistil's reaction.
Chlorophytum looked over the motionless body. "Are we even sure if it's really dead?" Ikuno appeared just as interested as the rest. It was certainly something new, without a doubt.
"…One way to find out." Mitsuru stated, moving Genista forward toward the downed monster. Carefully, the FRANXX poked it with the bayonet on its cannon. It cut through surprisingly easily, providing more evidence that they were purely flesh and blood. Moving the knife around, the body moved, but more in reaction to the prodding rather than a conscious action. The motion caused some red blood to leak out of the wound and spill onto the pavement.
When they pulled the bayonet out, it was covered in red blood. A quick activation of their Magma Energy quickly blasted it off though due to the heat gathering on the blade.
The blond haired Stamen of Delphinium was satisfied with that. "Seems dead enough. Least we know for sure these things and Klaxosaurs aren't friends."
"Let's keep moving then; every second counts." Ichigo ordered. The group began to move again toward the center of the plantation, although Genista hung back for a moment to look over the monster before slowly turning to join the rest.
That's when they heard it climb to its feet.
Genista turned right back around and were met with it; a monster standing on strong two legs and looking tall enough to tower over the armored black FRANXX. Its body was punctured, but the holes sealed themselves up as it hung over the two with its slim but muscular form.
Its head that was formerly covered in debris was long and horrifying. Its razor-sharp teeth were on full display along its mouth. It held at least four sets of blood red eyes along the sides of its face. A roar erupted from its gaping mouth, loud enough to shatter glass, bellowing with fury at Genista.
Mitsuru froze in place. He had stabbed it; he was sure it was dead.
Now he couldn't even find the knife wound that Genista's bayonet had inflicted.
"Mitsuru! Kokoro!" Ichigo called out. If their motion trackers didn't tip them off, the horrifying scream of the black banshee did. By the time they turned, it had reeled back its right arm in preparation to rip the black FRANXX in half with its claws, and it looked more than capable of doing just that.
The longer he looked, the more disturbed Mitsuru felt. He could have sworn that as it pulled back its arm that the limb had doubled in size. He panicked and pulled the trigger of his cannon as fast he could.
Lucky, the cannon was aimed at the monster. On reflex, Kokoro had used her side of the controls to aim it just in time. The cannon fired and the shot slammed into the monster's chest and exploded.
Black and red chunks of the creature were scattered across the area when the shell made contact, but thankfully away from the team. Its arms fell to the ground without a torso to remain attached to, and its legs twitched helplessly before falling back.
Frighteningly, all the body parts continued to move despite its destruction, but after a few moments, they ceased function, becoming lifeless as a light sizzling sound came from the burned parts of the monster's flesh.
Mitsuru was breathing heavily inside his cockpit. He felt like he really was going to die.
"Mitsuru! Are you ok!?" Genista's Pistil called into the cockpit.
"I-I'm fine… I just… I just…!" He desperately tried to control his breathing, but that thing was still in his head.
He could still hear it. He could still see it.
To him, it was still there, mocking him. He had been completely fooled.
"Hey, keep your head in the game!" Futoshi called out. "Don't put Kokoro in danger, understand!?"
Irritated, Mitsuru began to shout angrily. "I wasn't trying to! It was dead; I swear it was dead! How was I supposed to anticipate it suddenly springing to life like that!?"
The team made a circle formation around Genista as their trackers began to pick up movement. Mitsuru was still calming down, so they needed to hold position.
However, the signals they were receiving stopped not long after.
"…Clever little buggers," Zero Two commented. "Played dead. Even got stabbed and didn't move an inch just to sell its little ruse. Things are smart; probably had friends out there in the city watching the whole thing unfold."
"Now is not the time to be complimenting them." Ichigo replied.
"I'm just calling it how I see it; that's all," The pink haired Pistil stated. "We know they can die, so there's not a whole lot to be afraid of after that. Even if he was trembling, he did take it down in just one shot, didn't he?"
"I… don't even want to imagine what would happen if it could take an artillery shell and still keep moving…" Miku stated.
"Well, we just cleared up that it can't!" Zorome was as hyperactive as ever. "If Mitsuru can take them down, so can we, right? Bet the freaks are running scared after seeing their pal bite the dust!"
"Let's not bank on that assumption; we don't know how many of them there are," Goro replied. "Mitsuru, are you ready to go yet?"
The slick haired boy adjusted his collar a little, finally calming down. "Y-yeah… I just needed a little bit of time to calm down… let's go."
With Genista back in operation, they moved out. There weren't any interruptions this time, and they were able to reach the center of the plantation with little interference. They began to search around to make sure it was safe, splitting up only over short distances.
But next to the primary entrance on the south side…
"Eh? Eh!? EH!?" Zorome called out.
"What is it? Find something?" Hiro asked.
"B-B-B-B…" The energetic brown-haired teen sputtered. "B-B-Black Devil! It's the Black Devil! It's here!"
Ichigo began moving Delphinium toward Zorome, not happy to hear his rumor spouting. "Oh, don't you start with that again! I've had it up to here with that! Stop making… things…" She slowly trialed off too as she arrived. The others soon followed to share in the shock.
Zorome wasn't lying. There was another machine there.
However, it definitely wasn't a FRANXX.
It had a much more masculine design, consisting of numerous cylindrical shapes, and appeared rather thickly built while still claiming a humanoid appearance. Its hands had small gold spikes on every knuckle, and its left arm had a set of long blades, about three in a single row. It consisted of dark colors; some grey, but mostly black, but it's chest had two bright green glass-like plates on its pectorals, slight obscured by a black cloth that was wrapped around its neck, and a circular plate clearly outlined in its belly, looking like it could contain something.
Its head was where it got its namesake though. It had more green plates, with a thick one on its forehead and two large lines that went back to a set of large horns protruding from the sides of its head. Unlike most machines they were used to, it had a face while it was powered down with two eyes that could be seen, and although they were blank, they were outlines in bright red that seemed to extend down its face as well. It looked like it had something of a metal, segmented faceplate that would cover its mouth, but it was withdrawn and lowered, revealing an empty cockpit. It had room for only one pilot, and so many levers and switches that it could make one's head spin. It was kneeling, one knee up while the other leg rested on the ground in something of a sitting position and its arms at its sides.
"H-holy… i-it's really it! The Black Devil!" Futoshi stated.
"What… is it though?" Goro asked. "Only… a single pilot? It can't be a FRANXX then, can it?"
Ikuno tilted her head with Chlorophytum as she gave the machine a once over. "The cockpit is empty, too. It doesn't appear to be damaged, so why would its pilot abandon it?"
Hiro stared at it. He couldn't help but feel uneasy about the whole situation.
It was something he had never seen before. Even if it was humanoid like a FRANXX, it was far different.
Then an idea struck him.
"What if… the pilot went inside? He did park it right next to an entrance, right?"
"…Zorome did say that it liked to get involved when plantations ran into trouble, right?" Miku answered. "In that case… it's possible…"
Just then, a loud noise rang out from the center tower.
Lights began to kick on. In an instant, the plantation was alive once again.
"Someone activated it!?" Ichigo called out.
"I'm getting readings from all over," Hachi called out over the radio line. "Security footage is coming online and… an intruder alert?"
"I think we found our mystery pilot then," Goro suggested. "If he went inside, he must have booted up the system."
Back at base, Hachi began typing away on his keyboard. "Hold on, I'm looking into its security." Several moments later, live security feeds began to flow into each FRANXX unit.
Eventually, they found their mystery man.
"An… adult!?" Zorome called out.
He was in the equivalent of a command station. He stood rather tall and appeared muscular, but most of his build was difficult to determine due to his outfit. He wore a large brown overcoat that reached his legs over a simple black top with a chain around his waist; a gun of some kind could be seen resting in the make-shift belt. His pants were just as simple, a light blue, and appeared to be wearing thick boots. He wore a thick, slightly worn scarf around his neck, and thick metal shackles could be seen around his arms with broken chains still attached.
The man had short but free flowing black hair, and his eyes were a distinct grey. He was typing away on one of the keyboards.
"What is he looking for? He's searching the computer, right?" Hiro asked.
"I don't know, but I'm activating the lockdown system. I don't even know how he got into the system," Hachi stated. "I already am transferring any and all security footage past and current to us; at least he was kind enough to do the job for us. Fall back to base at once."
They could see the man suddenly pause, and frown before suddenly slamming his thick arms onto the keyboard. Not long after, he turned to the camera.
He glared right at it as though he knew he was being watched. He drew his gun and fired; taking it out in a single shot.
The sudden turn of events certainly got Zero Two's attention; it was one that not even she had experienced. "…Not bad… Pretty quick on the uptake, that one."
"What was an adult going through sifting through…?" Mitsuru questioned.
Either way, as far as their blue-haired team leader was concerned, the mission was done. "Doesn't matter; we have our orders. Let's fall back for now." Rather than play it safe, they began to use their boosters to make a speedy retreat.
Shortly after through, numerous explosions began to rock the planation from the core. All over the long tower, sections began to explode violently from top to bottom. Power appeared to shut down and red emergency lights came on. Not long after, a loud siren began to play with a message.
"EMERGENCY! EMERGENCY! REACTOR CORE HAS BEEN DAMAGED! CRITICAL OVERHEATING OCCURRING; COOLANT INSUFFICIENT TO COUNTERACT DAMAGE! EMERGENCY! EMERGENCY!"
"W-what is that!?" Miku called out.
Hachi growled, knowing full well what their unknown assailant did. "That bastard…! He must have placed explosives on the core! With damage that severe, the whole plantation's turned into a ticking time bomb! It's going to blow!"
"T-the whole thing!?" Hiro shouted. "What about-"
"Worry about that later! Get out of there, now!" Hachi demanded.
They didn't have time to argue. They sped for the exit, and thankfully the streamlined design of the plantation's interior made it a quick trip.
As they were out on the home stretch though, their motion trackers began going off. Something leapt over one of the buildings and landed right in their path.
It was one of the black monsters. The same one that tried to ambush Mitsuru and Kokoro.
"I knew there were more of them!" Zorome called out.
"I don't think they're too happy that their new home just turned into a bomb!" Goro stated.
"Who cares if they're happy or not!" Mitsuru called out, having Genista aim its cannon. "Eat this!"
Genista fired, just like before, but the monster did not stay still. In fact, its entire body curved, as if it was suddenly a liquid, and shifted out of the way. It took a solid shape again after the projectile had passed harmlessly; it didn't even come close.
Genista's Stamen grimaced in frustration. "Y-you've got to be kidding!"
The monster howled and began to run forward, grinding its claws against the structure next to it.
However, Strelizia took action and shot forward ahead of the team.
"Leave this to us!" Hiro called out, Strelizia activating its lance, the Queen Pike, and holding it forward. The monster brought down its claw, but the FRANXX brought its polearm up to meet it. Due to its Magma Energy power source, it burned right through the monster's claw rather quickly, causing it to roar again. Strelizia took a swipe with the lance, aiming for the monster's chest, but it suddenly turned into a liquid once more and slid back, returning to normal a safe distance away.
"Annoying little…!" Zero Two growled. Once more, Strelizia shot forward, but the monster was keeping its distance now, wary of the weapon it wielded.
While the horned FRANXX gave chase, Chlorophytum spun around after its pilots heard something. "We got another one!" Futoshi shouted as the purple FRANXX armed its weapons. From between structures, another creature slithered out from behind the team, taking its solid form shortly after and roaring out.
"Starting to see why the previous team here had trouble…!" Goro frowned.
"Well, if it's a fight they want!" Zorome called out, Argentea raising its activated claws.
"We don't have time! Who knows when this place will blow!" Miku called out.
"They aren't exactly giving us any options!" Ichigo shouted. "Futoshi, Ikuno, cover us while we deal with the one behind, everyone else go for the exit!"
"Understood!" Ikuno called out, Chlorophytum's arm cannons opening with machinegun fire. The rounds broke the monster's skin and caused it pain, but the injuries seemed to evaporate from its body shortly after they were inflicted. Delphinium activated its swords and charged straight for it.
The black beast roared as its arms transformed into solid blades. Delphinium and the monster swung, their respective weapons clashing head on. Just like with Strelizia, the Magma Energy powered weapons quickly began to melt through the beast's own weapons, but the monster was smart enough to pull back after the clash and swing with the other similarly bladed limb. The two continued to exchange blows, the monster alternating its approach to not use melted portions of its arms while Chlorophytum continued to blow chunks out of its body with sustained fire.
Strelizia's opponent on the other hand was effectively playing keep away. The ace FRANXX was more than fast enough to keep up with the monster, but it refused to engage it, instead choosing to back out or dodge its attacks.
"Stand up and fight you coward!" Zero Two howled as Strelizia shoulder checked the beast, slamming its side into its torso. During the brief impact it was open and ran it through with her lance. The monster roared as it tore through its body; it appeared that sufficient contact with their Magma Energy weapons carbonized their wounds, preventing their apparent swift recovery. Zero Two grinned upon finally landing a blow; the stage was set. She pressed the switch on her Queen Pike, and energy flooded into the blade, resulting in a rather devastating explosive discharge that blew apart the monster's back.
Despite the wound, the beast wasn't dead. It grabbed onto grabbed ahold of Strelizia with its surprisingly strong arms, clamping down. Rather than throw the machine though, it instead held it in place.
Hiro moved the controls to try to back off, but the horrifying monster wouldn't let go. "What the heck… it's missing half its body but it won't back off!? How is it this strong after losing so much of its mass!?"
"Hiro! Zero Two! Behind you!" Zorome called out. From a rooftop, a third monster had climbed to the top. It roared and leapt into the air, barreling down toward Strelizia. Genista tried to intercept with its artillery fire, but the monster shifted into its liquid form to avoid them, and by the time Argentea arrived it would have already cleaved through the horned FRANXX's back.
Just as the third monster was to strike, a bright purple beam ripped out from the opposite end of the plantation. It engulfed the monster in the air as it howled in pain. The beast quickly began to deform in mysterious ways: growing extra limbs and eyes, twisting and turning, swelling and contracting, before it suddenly ripped itself apart, the remains being erased in the bright flash of light.
"What was that…?" Hiro asked; that didn't look like Chlorophytum's Magma Beam attack. Zero Two appeared just as confused but didn't let it distract her from tearing her lance out of the monster's side and finally managing to back off, turning to see where the attack had come from.
Meanwhile, Delphinium continued to trade blows with its opponent, and then its pilots saw something flying toward them out of the corner of their eyes. They backed off but the monster lunged forward, only to be hit by the flying object.
It howled as a large hand axe was firmly embedded into its head. Goro wasted no time and motioned Delphinium to slice into the monster with its twin sword, cleaving a large 'X' into the monster's body, the burning wounds splitting it into four. Then she too could see where their mysterious source of help came from.
Zorome was the one who pointed it out first.
"T-The Black Devil!"
The strange machine was standing on the opposite end of the street. Its face plate now covered its cockpit properly, and the small circular section was open, revealing a purple core; likely where the beam attack had come from. Despite that though, the most distinct thing now was its eyes.
Bright red irises, and red lines throughout, appearing bloodshot. Angry. Vengeful. Deathly. A glare that could freeze the hearts of even the most bloodthirsty of men.
The image it presented affected the others differently, but it immediately made Hiro sick to his stomach.
'Those eyes… are…!?' He thought, unable to put the feeling into words.
The machine's stomach closed up, and then it leaned forward slightly. Inside the cloth around the Black Devil's neck, on the base of its frame, a golden ring could be seen protruding out. It opened up and a metal pole appeared from its shoulder, long poking out of the thick cloth around its neck. It grabbed ahold of it and pulled it out, and it revealed itself to be axe; very similar to the one that had slammed into the monster's head.
Another monster climbed up a building next to the squad, using the opportunity of the mysterious machine's appearance to try to pounce on one of the FRANXX units. The moment it leapt into the air though, the Black Devil reeled its arm back and threw the massive ace forward. It spin like a saw, slamming into the beast's torso and cutting it in half. Despite being disconnected, both parts of the monster continued to move, and had to be put down by a follow up attack form Genista's cannon. The destruction of the torso proved to be enough to silence it, thankfully.
Rather than continue to move forward, the flying axe curved around like a boomerang on a course right back to the machine that had thrown it. The Black Devil reached forward and grabbed ahold of its axe once again, almost as if it knew the perfect time to reclaim the deadly weapon.
It then began to run, fast… straight toward them.
"E-evasive maneuvers! It's not going to stop for us!" Ichigo called out, Delphinium moving to one side to allow it to pass.
Not wanting to get steam rolled, the rest of the company did the same. It slowed down but for a moment to rip the second axe out of the previous monster's body but quickly resumed its fast pace a mere moment later.
The last one it passed was the Strelizia. Only then, did its head turn to look at who it had passed by.
Hiro didn't know how, but he could see it. See inside. It was like for a brief moment, he connected to whoever was within the unknown machine's cockpit.
He saw the man. The man from the control room who had somehow broken inside. The one who blew the center of the plantation sky high and triggered the meltdown.
His eyes were the same. Rough, glaring, furious. He could feel so much hate and wrath in just one gaze.
But not one bit of it was directed at him. He could feel it; if those eyes had focused on him, his heart would be crushed in an instant. All he could tell was the fierce emotion behind them, and he couldn't help but feel melancholy upon fully realizing it.
The only emotion in this man's soul now was rage.
Just as quickly as it had been forged, the connection was gone. The last he saw was the man's head turning back toward the still standing monster. It was only just as his vision faded that he could understand what all that anger was directed at.
The hole in its stomach still had not healed, but the black monster roared and charged ahead. It brought up its claw to prepare, but the Black Devil threw one of its axes forward, the blade spinning through the air before cutting off the beast's arm like a buzzsaw.
Blood spewed from the monster's shoulder and the severed limb. As it roared and its arm began to regenerate, the Black Devil slammed its bulk form into the beast to stagger it, and then immediately used its second axe to cleave the monster in two at the waist. Thick, chunky blood erupted from the monsters waist like a geyser, with the severed torso mimicking the same action. The moment the monster's head hit the ground, the Black Devil slammed its foot onto it, crushing it without a second thought. When that had been done, the monster's body finally stopped moving, appearing to finally be dead.
Motion trackers were going off still, but the path ahead was now clear, save for their mysterious savior.
"…Are you ok?"
Hiro snapped back to reality as if he was in a trance. He didn't know it, but his breathing had been hitched since he exchanged his gaze with the pilot of the black machine. In the cockpit, Zero Two had turned to face him with a curious look.
"I… uh…" Hiro was at a sudden loss for words. "You… didn't see that, did you?"
"I saw him rush in and steal my kill, that's for sure," Zero Two's words were harsh, but she didn't seem particularly miffed about it. "…But I get the feeling that's not what you're talking about… am I right?"
He wasn't sure how to put it into words at first; his mind was still racing.
"When it turned and looked at us… I saw… something. I think… that adult who blew the plantation core; I think he's the one inside that thing… I saw him inside it… I really don't understand how but…"
"…That so?" The pink haired girl didn't question it. "That makes things a whole lot more interesting, now doesn't it?"
That confused him a little; that she bought it just at his word. Did she actually see it too? Or, did she see it through him due to their connection, and just wanted to know that the vision was?
But… that didn't settle the pit in his stomach. If… what he could tell was right and all that hate was directed at those black monsters…
…Why destroy the plantation?
The rest of the team came quickly to rendezvous with the two, with Zorome's shouting bringing the shaggy haired teen out of his thoughts.
"What are you two doing standing around!? The Black Devil opened up the way out! Let's go before it blows!"
Hiro blinked a few times before he fully came to his senses.
"…Right, let's go, Zero Two!"
Strelizia came back to life and took off with the rest of them. The Black Devil resumed its march forward but stopped just in front of the gash that lead into it. The rest of Squad Thirteen kept pace and raced out, each one passing the dark machine.
Rather than step out now that everyone was through however, it instead turned around.
"W-what's it doing!?" Miku called out when she noticed it.
"H-hey! Black Devil guy! That place is gonna go sky high! Get out of there!" Zorome called out.
But the reason it hung back became clear.
More of those black monsters… more than they could count. A never-ending sea of glowing red eyes erupted from within the plantation as a sea of darkness raced to follow them.
The Black Devil drew another axe to rearm itself, and then dived back in to force the beasts back inside.
It wasn't long after that the plantation exploded violently. Chunks of metal flew for miles as fire soared in every direction, debris littering the ground. Part of the cliffside was blown apart, adding rock and dirt into the mix as well.
The team was outside of the explosion radius, but the shockwave forced them down.
"I-I'm getting desert sand in my face!" Miku called out.
"Least it's not your real face! Can it!" Zorome fired back.
Ichigo began barking at them. "Stop fighting you two, right now!"
Eventually, the shockwave passed, and all that was left was the burning remained of what used to be a human habitation. Flames could clearly be seen as tall as the city's usual height, but as things to burn away began to vanish, so did the raging inferno.
It was demoralizing to say the least.
"So… those monsters… took over the plantation…" Mitsuru commented. "…At least they're for sure dead now…"
Kokoro frowned, remembering their close call from earlier. "But what… were they to begin with? We never figured that out… but…"
"That guy… the Black Devil; he came to take those things out then?" Zorome asked.
"The way you talk about him is as if he's a super hero or something… I swear." Miku groaned. "Because you were too awestruck, we barely got to do anything!"
"I-I was not awestruck! I just didn't have a chance to show off against them!" The hyperactive teen fired back.
Goro let out a relieved sigh, finally able to relax. "It's not like we had options; it was a crowded city street. Not a whole lot of room to maneuver in…"
Hiro watched the flames rage. They were safe now… the black horrors were certainly dead… but…
A disgusted feeling in his stomach stayed. He didn't quite know why he felt the way he did but…
His red horned partner put it into words with a single statement.
"Hey… you said that man who caused the explosion was inside that machine, right? If so… that's what his solution was. That place had become an infestation for those things… so he blew it down to take them out. Not much of a fan, but I can respect being thorough."
That's what hit him. Why he felt like hell. The hatred… the rage, it made sense. He and those monsters clearly had some kind of history together.
But…
"…Was that really necessary though? An entire plantation… with people that still could have been alive. Was it really necessary to destroy all of it… and kill those people…?"
Hiro gripped the controls tightly, pulling on them just enough for it to be noticeable. "Darling…?" Zero Two looked back curiously, feeling an odd sensation due to their Parasite connection.
"H-hey, somethings coming out!" Futoshi called out. True to his word, something was walking through the raging flames.
It was that machine. The Black Devil, as Zorome called it. It had taken some damage, but it was still functional despite the blast. Clearly being on the outskirts of the explosion had its benefits; if it was toward the center, nothing could have survived.
The black machine however walked out as if it was nothing.
It looked at him again, and Hiro felt the pit in his stomach swell.
The machine did this. It destroyed it all… just to kill those monsters.
Hiro didn't like it. He didn't like the way it looked at him. That feeling of hate… strong enough to cause something like this to win the day…
It disgusted him. But he couldn't help but ask himself: What could have possibly happened to him to make him like this? What were those black monsters? Was destroying the whole plantation and potentially everyone inside the right thing to do?
He wanted answers.
However, just like before, the attention the black machine and its pilot spent on him was short.
Suddenly, a long black cape with a red reverse side shout out from its back. It was long enough to wrap around the machine.
And then it took to the sky.
Hiro received no answer, no closure.
Just as quickly as it appeared, it left, only leaving behind questions with no one knowing what to say.
Hachi crossed his hands as he looked over the data. Everything had been recorded. The mysterious black monsters. The man who destroyed the plantation and his Black Machine… all of it.
"…What the hell caused this…" He remarked to no one particular. "Just one mission… and it ends like that…?"
He leaned back in his chair. Nothing added up. Creatures they had never seen and a giant robot just as unknown.
He honestly didn't know what to do with it all. Moreover, he could think of only one person who might be able to.
Hachi opened a communication program on his computer.
"Page Dr. FRANXX if you would," He asked the AI. "Tell him I have something he really needs to take a look at."
-0-
A few hours passed and the group had returned to plantation thirteen, and having been dismissed after giving in their official reports, and begun their trek back to home.
Some were worried that due to the loss of plantation forty-eight that they'd be reprimanded, but the top brass seemed just as confused as the rest of them.
Moreover, there was next to nothing they could do about someone else blowing the plantation when they had no idea about an intruder; the only thing they could be chewed out for would be letting the perpetrator get away.
But the cause of that explosion was the Black Devil and its pilot. An unknown machine with different capabilities than a FRANXX, and its pilot clearly knew how to use it. Those in the field didn't bother to try to fight it because it came to their aid, and even if they had an advantage of numbers, the loss of even a single FRANXX unit could be a dubious risk, especially if it had failed. Thus, they lacked the reason to engage it and even if they had one, the risks were far too high.
There was a more important point to their decision to not hold Squad Thirteen accountable, or at least that's what they said. And that reason created a heavy cloud over the group, especially the one who had been affected by the encounter the most.
They had decided that while the Black Devil was an unknown entity that would need an investigation of its own, that its actions were justified. By the footage displayed, the plantation appeared to have been infested by the black creatures, and that the destruction of it to eliminate them was not only acceptable, but also in fact proper protocol. Only then did Squad Thirteen learn that there was a contingency in place for situations like that; where a plantation could be turned into a Klaxosaur nest rather than outright destroyed, and the detonation of the target facility was in fact the recommended and expected method to deal with it.
Thus, the squad was ordered to return to their home, Miltisteinn, and await further orders. They had the reason to believe that this wouldn't be the last time they saw these creatures, nor their mysterious hunter.
"…I don't even want to imagine what'd happen if those things made their way here," Futoshi stated. "Losing our home to those things sounds like a really bad way to go…"
Despite the dark mood, Zorome was as high spirited as ever. "Now that they've been discovered, Papa is sure to make countermeasures for them, though… plus, the Black Devil seemed more than able to handle them! I wonder if this Black Devil might actually be some kind of secret project by the adults or not!"
"He broke into the plantation's mainframe and appeared to be stealing data; I highly doubt someone under direct supervision of Papa would do something like that." Ikuno spoke up.
"I… guess you're right…" Zorome crossed his arms as they went inside. "Still… the guy was an adult… really seems weird that an adult would go against Papa… so…"
"It had access to a weapon that made whatever those monsters were twist and turn until they exploded; I feel like if they had something like that hiding, they would have told us," Miku remarked. "Heck, they probably would have our FRANXX outfitted with them too! Imagine if it did the same thing to Klaxosaurs!"
Mitsuru couldn't help but laugh at the idea. "You want a thing like that to be standard issue? If so, I'd debate who'd be the monsters, us or them."
"Still… something to take down those monsters would be nice…" Kokoro remarked. Most of their talk was idle chatter, the general mood improving now that they were back home.
However, one was far from fine.
"I think I'm going to…" Hiro trailed off. "…Take a nap or something…"
"Oh? But it's so early," Zero Two pointed out with a coy smirk. "Makes me wonder if you're really going up there just to sleep… makes me nervous to think about what you could be doing all on your own… maybe I should take a "nap" with Darling then?"
She was flirty, like usual. She was the only one that the dark discussion bounced pretty much completely off of without affecting her much. In fact, she seemed to be in a rather pleasant mood to be actively flirting: She hadn't done that in the open for a while.
Ichigo, who had hung back, became visibly annoyed by this, but Hiro's response threw them both for a loop.
"…Sure, if you want I guess…"
Hiro just moved toward the stairs, rather slowly in fact. Zero Two wasn't necessary opposed to that answer, but him saying it felt definitively off.
Normally, he'd get flustered at the suggestion, not just accept it. Especially not in the monotone voice he was carrying.
"…Hey, you sure you don't want anything to eat first?" Goro called out, sensing something wrong.
Despite the offer, he refused as he took the first step up. "No, I'll be ok. I'm not very hungry."
At this point, Ichigo had reached out to him, grabbing his hand to stop him.
"Are you ok? Hiro?" She asked, very clearly concerned.
"I'm fine… don't worry," Hiro faked a smile. "It'll be fine after some rest."
"…You don't need to lie to us, you know," Ichigo spoke up again. "You've been acting like this since we got back. Are you sure you're ok?"
The shaggy haired teen blinked a few times, trying to think. "I…" He trailed off, suddenly at a loss for words.
"Maybe… he's come down with something," Goro suggested. "Let's see if we can get him to the med bay; who knows what could have been floating around in the air down there."
Sensing a trend, Hiro raised his hands defensively. "N-no, I'm fine, honestly!"
"You're obviously not," Ichigo refused to let go. "Futoshi! Zorome! Can you give us a hand over here? We think Hiro needs a doctor."
"Eh? Somethings up with Hiro, huh?" Zorome and Futoshi had veered off to the dining room with Miku in-between them, but they paused after being called out.
"He has been kind of quiet since we got back…" Futoshi remarked.
Miku crossed her arms at the sudden attention being given to the black haired Stamen. "That's not exactly unusual, he does keep to himself unless Zero Two is involved… but… he is looking kind of pale…"
The rest of the team began to pull back from what they were going to do and to instead see what was happening. The only one who really didn't actively move to show support in some way was Mitsuru, but he kept his hand on the doorknob to the bathroom rather than heading on in; he had to admit, he was curious.
"G-guys…!" Hiro called out. "I'm fine, honestly… I'm not sick, I swear!"
Ichigo kept the pressure on. "Then what's wrong? Come on, you can talk to us. We're your team, if somethings bothering you, then you can come to any one of us and we'll help you!"
Hiro moved his mouth, but remained silent. Curious, Zero Two moved closer, weaving through the crowd to take a position on the stairs next to him, keeping a close eye on his face.
He appeared pained.
"So… if you're not sick… then what's wrong?" The blue haired Pistil asked again.
Hiro froze in place, not even trying to get away. Thoughts raced in his head, going fast enough that it felt like the world was spinning.
"…I… I don't know…"
"Huh? What was that?" Zorome asked.
"I said… I don't know…"
"Speak up a little," Goro suggested. "We can't really-"
Hiro suddenly screamed.
"I said I don't know, damn it! I don't know a damn thing about anything that just happened, so why the hell is everyone just so ok with it!?"
Everyone was taken aback at his sudden change in tone.
However, it wasn't over; the gate had been opened. So he shouted as loud as he could, yelling so loud he felt his throat burn.
"Why did he have to do that!? There could have been another way, right!? We're here to help keep people safe from monsters like that! So why!? Why the hell did it have to be like this!? There could have been people still alive! Protecting them is our mission; our duty! Why did he have to go and kill every single one of them!?"
It wasn't so much the fact that it was his job; it was a factor, but not the entire point.
For the longest time, Hiro felt useless. Worthless. His scores back in the Garden were among the highest, and they suddenly began to drop like a rock, and he didn't know why. He became a failure and dragged other people down with him.
And he hated it. He hated being the one that brought everyone down. He hated that worthless feeling; like he shouldn't even exist.
Since he finally found someone he could ride with, he finally felt like he was worth something; that he had some kind of meaning above just existing. Not just as a Parasite, but as a living being.
And that feeling was crushed under the weight of not being able to save anyone. If there was anyone to recover… anyone he could save, to give him that sense of purpose again…
They were gone. All gone.
Because of that man.
"And they just go and say that's to be expected!? Why is that the way we have to do things!? We didn't know what was happening! We didn't know about those monsters! But who the hell cares!? We could have done it; we could have saved someone! Even if it was just one person! But he had to destroy it; assuming everyone else was already dead! But what if there wasn't!? What if there was someone there desperately pleading for help, only to get snuffed out in return!?"
"H-Hiro…!" Ichigo's eyes widened, growing more frightened, with the other Parasite offering similar reactions.
Despite the looks he was receiving, more just poured from his mouth like a waterfall.
"What the hell were those things!? What did they want!? Why did they attack!? Where the hell did they come from!? And who was that man!? Why did he have to do that!? If there was another way, he would have done it, right!? This wasn't just his default response, right!? He had that machine, that thing that could fight them, yet he instead chose to blow everything up and doom everyone that could have been inside! Why!? Someone tell me, please!"
The group could only exchange worried glances at the outburst. Truthfully, those were all questions they all had on their minds at one point, just not in their active thoughts. Those were all questions they had asked themselves, but had written off.
It was someone else's problem; it was the adults' problem. All they were doing was following orders, so they figured that even if they wished something was different, there was no point in fighting it.
However… clearly, Hiro wasn't fine with that. He questioned it; he wanted to know. He wanted to know why this happened, and why the other adults were just perfectly fine with destroying everything if it meant killing their enemies.
And he wanted to know all of that… but he wanted to know something else…
He wanted to know if that man knew full well that there might have been survivors inside that plantation before he caused it to explode.
Eventually, Hiro grew quiet, slumping to sit down on the stairs and hiding his face with his hands.
"What the hell… am I even doing…?" He asked a loud, but at that moment, he couldn't help but feel alone.
The others wouldn't say a word; they couldn't. They had nothing to follow that rant that could come close to a satisfying answer. Despite their bad blood, not even Mitsuru could come up with an insulting remark to pass off the boy's complaints.
It was an ocean of mysteries, and they all just took a big dip.
One hand came to his shoulder to hold it while the others were in that state of shock; his pink haired companion.
And none noticed Zero Two having a slight smile on her face. Not a malicious one… just a small curve to her lip as she lightly rubbed the black haired Parasite's shoulder.
Of course, Hiro starting to question the decisions made but the adults was something she was happy about, but there was more to it than that.
She felt it; that passion. She could feel how the events twisted in the young black haired boy's mind while they were connected… but this was so much more.
The last time she heard him unleash something like this was when he begged for her return; after she was carted away to take off for the front lines. She felt that stirring speech about wanting to ride with her, and she couldn't help but answer that call. It made her heart flutter in a way she hadn't of felt since a certain snowy day a long time ago.
Here, she felt it again. Hiro was a quiet person who'd rarely speak his mind unless it meant a lot to him… and very rarely would he shout like that. It was uncommon that the events at hand would cause him to unleash the emotions he desperately tried to keep chained up into his words, but now he left everything to bear.
He broke the binds on his heart and unloaded every little thing; every little worry, detailing every little part that made him uncomfortable and why it shouldn't be that way.
She could feel it; the fervor. The passion for how he felt, and what he wanted. The demand to know more from people who clearly had no idea was selfish; of course it was. However, the emotion behind the words couldn't be ignored. The fire had been lit, and it wasn't going to be snuffed out until he got what he was after.
She could feel every ounce of it from every single word. She could feel everything as it burned from his heart that he kept chained up for oh so long…
…And to be quite honest, she liked it.
With this mysterious "Black Devil" up and about… it sure seemed like things were going to get a lot more interesting than just that.
And here we are at the bottom!
This is basically my opening pitch for this little story. I like to thing I set things up well, but it might rub some people the wrong way. Regardless, that is chapter one, and next week, we will be seeing more of this little shift...
...Unless everyone hates it. But that'd be impossible, right? ...Right?
Jokes aside, thanks for reading, and thank you for giving me a chance to branch out just a little. I likely won't do it often, so I hope this one time I do step outside my comfort zone, it ends up being a good thing.
I hope you all enjoyed. Please, review at your leisure; I still enjoy feedback.
Have a good day, my friends!
Sincerely,
ArmoredCoreNineBall, your friendly (not)robotic (not)overlord (possibly)person who occasionally writes things.