Forty-eight hours after Terra had left you in the care of the medical team you are finally cleared for transportation. The wait is agonizing. Not because of the pain, though there's still enough of it to go around, but because of your desire to be back at Haven. Your daughters, friends, and the goal Ichigo had entrusted to you, their confluence is the seaside village you'd been unable to reach in the time since Freya fell silent. Your partner had informed you that some of your friends remained, but who they were was beyond her vision. You must know if Asuna and Asada are unharmed, as their safety means more than anything else in this world.
"Preparing to make our approach," the voice of transport's pilot crackles over the comm. Before the mic is silenced, a second thought spoken under the filtered speaker comes across. "God, they sure did a number on it."
With the ocean in sight it won't be long before the coastal village is in view of the cabin windows. When it finally does, what catches your eye before anything else is how flat everything has become. The treeline running along the beach has been completely uprooted or otherwise collapsed by the impact of the railgun's slug. Given that Haven still exists it couldn't have been directly nearby, but the devastation to the forest is immense regardless.
Further inland a great swath of the dense woodland has been cleared, but the source is much clearer. Among the burnt and toppled timber are corpses of Haven's defenders and APE's forces alike. More of the vibrantly painted rebel units are visible than their dull counterparts, causing a renewed fear for those dear to you.
When the final descent begins you get your first look at what remains of Haven. Approximately a third of the fledgling city has been severely damaged as the result of fighting, with the most severe being located on the outskirts where entire buildings have been reduced to rubble. It is several blocks before the next signs of fighting appear.
Similar to the first but less intense, the scene paints a picture of a skirmisher-style phased retreat being used by the defenders. The number of corpses grows smaller as you move toward the sea heralding the final stand.
Signs of rebuilding also dot the landscape, scaffolding clinging to superstructures and cranes digging out the wreckage. Only the manor on the hill seems to have been spared from the cataclysmic events that have recently taken place as the transport circles over it .
There is a jolt as the wheels of the aircraft make contact with the soft earth of the park, along with the groaning of metal. Piercing rays of morning sunlight force those within the cargo bay to cover their eyes as the rear gate lowers. A crowd has amassed to welcome the new arrivals, but the only ones you notice are the two young girls searching desperately for their father in the crowded transport.
"Asuna! Asada!" the words escape your mouth without you telling your body to speak. They are accompanied by a feeling of elation and it's as though the weight of the world has been lifted from your shoulders. Despite everything that has transpired, your girls are alive.
The twins perk up the moment they hear your voice and their little eyes dart through the compartment even faster trying to locate the one who had called out to them. Then, Asuna finds you.
"Asada, Asada!" she tugs at the hem of her sister's dress before taking off at a full sprint through the crowd.
Bouncing off of multiple people in her path, the blonde leaps into the air and into your waiting arms. Still somewhat weakened by the previous battle you are caught off guard by her actions and the two of you tumble into the grass. Asuna devolves into a fit of squeals and giggles as you hug her tightly and run your hands through her flaxen hair.
"Oh, I'm so glad you're safe," you whisper, planting a kiss on her forehead.
Before her sister can reply Asada joins the family reunion, wrapped around your right arm as tears stream down her puffy cheeks. "We were so worried when you didn't come back! We thought you were gone!"
Cupping the young girl's chin tenderly, you wipe the tears from eyes. Speaking with the gentle tone only heard between father and daughter you reassure her.
"I promised I'd never leave you and your sister alone."
"Aw, you guys are going to make me cry," a voice says from nearby. It turns out to be none other than the girls' aunt, rubbing her thumb under her remaining eye to remove the glistening drops of moisture.
Beside her a young man looks up from his seated position wearing a hint of a grin. "You are crying."
"I'm just happy to see a father reunited with his daughters, that's all," Miku defends herself. "And now that he's back I don't have to listen to people call me 'commander' anymore."
As you get to your feet, Miku continues.
"I don't know how you do it. Everyone always looking at you like you're some kind of hero who has all the answers… even when you don't know anything."
From her words and the sudden change in demeanor, you surmise all you need to about how the defense of Haven had unfolded. Miku was forced to assume command and the burdens of it have taken a heavy toll.
"If you need someone to talk to about what happened, just let me know," you tell her.
"I… I'd like that," she replies, rubbing her forearm uncomfortably. Miku then snaps back to her usual bubbly self. "I'm sure you're hungry after a long trip. I made waffles!"
Air escapes your lungs in the form of a snort. "It's two in the afternoon."
"Sister wanted them," Asada states.
As if to justify her actions Asuna hops up and down while stamping her feet. "I worked really hard today! Good girls get waffles!"
Those gathered share a laugh at Asuna's expense before you hoist her up in your arms. Once she is situated you take Asada's hand and begin leading the party toward the manor.
"I hope you managed to find some strawberry syrup."
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
It is a quiet day in Dr. Franxx's personal facility. This morning he had submitted another round of upgrades for the next generation of parasites, mental conditioning and all. In this new generation, no parasite could be allowed to even consider the possibility of rebelling against APE like their predecessors had, and nothing short of total obedience was acceptable.
The notion made the old man sick. It was stripping living beings of their free will. The council might as well funnel their time and effort into making robots capable of controlling the FranXX, or more "warminds" like VIRM had been. They were closer to what APE wanted already.
What they weren't was cheap. Rare earth elements would be required for the manufacturing of either of those types of machines that could otherwise be put toward a FranXX or plantation. Losing even one would be a great waste. Compared to a parasite that only needed to be fed, clothed, and indoctrinated, it was a colossal inconvenience. Not to mention that with their current methodology using the Gardens and Maternal Wards, there was a nearly never-ending supply of meat for the proverbial grinder.
The world would be a better place without the council or their underlings, of that much he was certain. The scientist merely wished to see it for himself.
A flashing light on his desk alerts him to an incoming call from a "Captain Fatima," the apparent commander of the Königsgarde. He finds this strage. He hasn't met this individual yet, and anyone worth knowing he already did. Perhaps she had replaced the former commander after he failed to protect the rail cannon.
"Captain, to what do I owe the pleasure?" he asks as the model of an APE officer in full combat gear appears before him. The apparition wipes a lock of hair out of her face with her right hand while her left remains occupied holding the helmet positioned against her side.
With a stoic expression the woman replies, "Doctor Werner Frank, you have been summoned by the council to Cosmos Station without delay. We will serve as your escorts. Please open the hangar doors to allow us entry."
"And if I refuse?" Doctor Franxx asks with an arched brow.
Out of the corner of his eye the doctor can see a string of approaching dropships on radar.
Captain Fatima remains cool and collected. Her lips purse. "We will have no choice but to see ourselves in, doctor. Using whatever means necessary."
Twisting his mustache Franxx replies, "I see. You are not my escorts but my jailors. Very well, you are cleared to land in docking station D3."
Without a word the image of the woman disappears.
"Freya," the man says as he reaches into his desk to withdraw his bottle of whiskey.
The AI materializes, a lesser copy of the original he'd kept after she moved to Haven.
"How may I assist you, doctor?"
Pouring a glass and giving it a good swirl before downing it in one gulp, Doctor Franxx instructs his assistant to perform some housekeeping.
"Please erase all files on my server. When you have finished then see to yourself as well. We can't have you falling into APE's hands."
A solemn nod is Freya's reply, along with, "I understand, doctor. It has been a pleasure serving you."
"The pleasure was all mine, my dear," he answers back with a twinge of sadness. Like Zero Two, Freya had been born by his hand. She'd grown from a simple little virtual assistant to a fully fledged artificial intelligence capable of coordinating a war across the entire island. Pride in her accomplishments is something he was certainly allowed.
With that taken care of, all that remains is to wait. Werner chooses to spend his final free moments sipping his favorite drink and staring at the photographs on his desk.
"Karina, I did the right thing," he says to a woman captured within the pane of glass. "It will cost me everything but the world will gain so much more. I'm a changed man, one I hope you could be proud of now."
Then he takes up a picture of a stunning young woman in a white dress and flowing pink hair.
"My daughter, I hope you can forgive me for everything I put you through. You have surpassed even my wildest dreams as a parasite and as a person. I wish you nothing but warmth and happiness in your future."
The door on the far wall slides open and a dozen Königsgarde rush in. Their weapons are hardly necessary, as he is unarmed and wouldn't be able to put up a respectable resistance even if he were. It's just another brazen and unnecessary show of power.
Behind the uninvited guests marches Captain Fatima. A cool expression graces her features but there is an unmistakable glint in her eye. She's enjoying this. Playing with their prey is common for felines, and Doctor Franxx highly doubts this woman is any different.
"Doctor, it's time to go."
With great effort and a lot of creaking from his old bones, the man stands and makes his way out from behind the desk.
"Yes, yes, I believe it is," he says. "I'll come quietly, no need to use drastic measures against an old man like me."
Taking a pair of shackles from her belt, Fatima reaches toward his outstretched hands. "Just the cuffs then."
Werner hesitates, directing his unamused stare at the officer. "I hardly think they are necessary when you have me outmanned and outgunned like you do. Must I really be paraded through the street like some kind of circus animal?"
"I will decide what is and isn't necessary," Fatima states, clamping the cuff over his left wrist. She violently yanks his remaining hand into the waiting shackle, which energizes as soon as it closes. With his hands held together at the wrists by high-powered magnets, using his cane is next to impossible.
The old man grimaces while his captor lets out a satisfied huff.
Captain Fatima gives a curt order to march. The party vacates the doctor's facility bound for Cosmos Station, the seat of Papa's authority itself.
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
A day after returning to Haven, you find yourself in the command center speaking with a garbled hologram of the Klaxosaur Princess. Haven's long range communications equipment is still inoperable, so the signal is being piggybacked off the dropship you had arrived on. The connection is far from fantastic.
"I cannot maintain this position without suffering significant casualties," Terra advises those assembled for the briefing. "APE and its council amass a force of great size. Pitiful they may be alone, their tide would see my forces swept away in time."
"Then we fire the cannon now and bring Cosmos crashing down," you say, giving the chance for someone else to speak up with a better idea.
Miku takes the opportunity to voice her hesitation while biting her lip. "Are we ready? Haven is still a mess and we're not even close to being operational."
"I'm afraid that being ready isn't something we have the luxury of," Hachi replies in a stoic tone while staring at the holotable. A force of hundreds is approaching the site of the railgun and will arrive in a matter of less than eighteen hours, according to Freya's predictions.
"What matters more than anything is removing that station from orbit. We're not going to get another opportunity like this, and we have to make the most of it."
"I concur with your judgement," Terra's hologram relays. "My brethren will stand against these invaders and fire the weapon. Then we will destroy it and make our withdrawal."
"Aren't you worried about losing so many?" Nana asks through clasped hands. The thought of lives lost, human or Klaxosaur, is saddening to the caretaker.
The reigning monarch puffs her chest out with pride. "War requires sacrifice. Should it require the blood of my people, we will gladly spill it in the name of victory."
"What about our friends who are still with you at the railgun?" Zorome asks, not wanting to see those dear to him suffer the same fate as many Klaxosaurs soon would.
Terra appraises the young man with a cool gaze. "I have already sent away the humans. This shall be a Klaxosaur victory, and your people will be needed elsewhere should our enemy renew their assault on your warren."
Several seconds tick by in silence as everyone ponders the situation at hand. Finally the silence is broken by Freya.
"Cosmos Station completes an orbit every twenty-four hours. It will not be in the proper position for the cannon to fire for another nineteen. You will be forced to fight to buy the rest of the time and APE will not hold back. The Nines are likely to be among those marching toward you."
A dismissive huff is all the mind the princess pays to the so-called elites. "Let them come. It shall be all the more delectable to deny them their prize after having come so far."
"It's settled then," you say to bring the meeting to a close. "Terra and the Klaxosaurs will hold the cannon until it can bring down Cosmos. Then we will regroup and destroy whatever remains of the station and bring an end to the council. After that, we worry about what to do next."
No questions arise and a quick glance around the table reveals steely determination painted on the faces of your comrades. This war has been long, too long, and has cost each of you in ways you'd never thought possible. Soon it would end decisively when the head was severed from the body of the snake. That… or there would be no rebellion left to challenge APE any longer.
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
After being whisked away from his facility, Doctor Franxx was taken to the orbital station Cosmos as he had expected. Upon arrival he was subjected to processing just like anyone else. Hand scans, biometric samples, retinal scans, ID verifications, all before he was admitted.
These processes were quite tiresome, but at least Captain Fatima had removed the handcuffs before leading him out of her transport. As it were, parading APE's top scientist around as a prisoner soon to be tried for treason was not likely to be taken in a positive light.
So he was allowed to walk through the promenade as a free man who just so happened to be with heavily armed escorts. The detention block was isolated on a floor all to itself just the same, so as soon as he disappeared into an elevator no one would ever know where he'd gone. And that is precisely what happened.
It has been hours since he was deposited in his cell. Mind games aren't in APE's playbook, so why he has been left here rather than brought before the council is a mystery. Regardless, the older gentleman feels no sense of remorse for what he's done.
Surely he would be tried and found guilty of inciting a rather successful rebellion and sentenced to death, but knowing that made it easier. Franxx had been resigned to this fate from the moment he set Squad 13 on the path of insurrection. The only real surprise was how long he had been able to pull the wool over his superiors' eyes and continue supporting the rebellion with materials, arms, and information.
With the rebellion now working alongside the Klaxosaur Princess and having control of the experimental rail cannon, APE was in the most dire circumstance it had ever found itself. There's quite literally a gun pointed at their head, and the trigger could be pulled at any time. Cosmos was designed decades ago and with hardly any defensive measures. There was nothing they could do to stop such a projectile.
Papa's fate and that of the council were sealed, much like his own. If Werner was lucky he'd get to see the shock on their faces as they realized that the war was over moments before the station would be obliterated.
The clanking of boots against steel paneling draws the man's attention. Before the door to his cell opens, he already has a guess as to whom will be waiting for him. It turns out to be correct as the raven-haired woman who deposited him here enters the cramped space.
"Captain, so good to see you," the old man says with a wry smile. "I was beginning to think that I'd been left here to rot."
Wearing the same scowl as she had at their first meeting the day prior, the APE officer eyes him.
"Stand," she orders.
Slowly, Doctor FranXX pushes himself off the steel bench meant to serve as a bed and leans on the replacement cane he'd been given. Watching them try to find secret compartments in his completely ordinary wooden one had been entertaining up until they threw it away in frustration. His cackling wasn't likely to have helped the matter either.
"I take it they are ready for me?"
Fatima glares at him. "The council has graciously deemed you worthy of pleading your case for innocence to them."
Fatima's tone makes it clear where she stands on the issue. This was really a formality though, as APE couldn't simply execute him without at least something resembling a trial. The society they'd built of law, order, and obedience demanded it.
With a spring in his step the old man waltzes past her, stopping momentarily by her shoulder to say, "Come my dear, this shouldn't take long at all," with an added wink and a smile.
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
"Werner."
The tone of the speaker is neutral as it rolls over the doctor's name in his own tongue.
"I'm glad to see you are all in good health," the old man replies, speaking as though he has come here of his own volition and not as a prisoner on trial.
"Thank you, and thank you for joining us," the Vice Chairman says with a nod.
Franxx bows. "It is my utmost pleasure. I am but a humble servant of the grand design set forth by this council to guide humanity toward a brighter tomorrow. "
Behind the scientist, Captain Fatima unholsters her weapon. Leveling the handgun squarely at the man's back she snarls through gritted teeth.
"Do not mock the great ones."
From his seated position on high, Lemur raises a hand in protest. "Calm yourself, captain, the doctor is here as our guest."
While the action does little to placate the irritated commander of the Königsgarde, she lowers the weapon nonetheless. It does not, however, return to its holster.
"We have questions, Franxx," Tarsier states over folded hands. The mask obscures her face but there is no doubt that she is smirking behind it. She had always been conniving, and a situation like this was something she would be unable to pass up.
A clip begins to play depicting the attack on the Third Garden. Rebel FranXX crowd behind those carrying shields as barriers of energy are projected to guard against the hail of gunfire coming from the ramparts of the facility.
"What can you tell us about this?" Marmoset asks. "The technology was pioneered by you and it should have been impossible for the rabble to obtain it without capturing you or your facility."
Doctor Franxx makes a show of squinting at the projection on account of his poor eyesight. Then he scratches his chin, before finally he speaks.
"It was stored on our server, which is inaccessible from the outside. Or at least we thought it was. Prior to the Third Garden's fall there was a massive breach perpetrated by what we later learned was the artificial intelligence aiding the rebellion. With unrestricted access there is no telling what they were able to glean from us. Not to mention the shields themselves were far from difficult to manufacture given the plans."
Marmoset nods, seemingly accepting of his answer.
He isn't off the hook yet however as Baboon takes the opportunity to inquire about another of the rebels' boons that came from him in secret.
"The rebel base, the one that was recently destroyed, belonged to the nation of Japan before they joined the council and subsequently surrendered it to us. Is it coincidence that you chose that location for the survival training Squad 13 was to undergo? Or was it perhaps chosen with the intention of feeding them the location of a fully operational stronghold should they rebel in the future?"
Doctor FranXX scoffs.
"I was asked to create a template for parasites capable of independent action using whatever means I deemed necessary by this very council. Dropping them in the wilderness with no prior training would have resulted in their deaths."
"Parasites are easily replaced," Tarsier interjects.
The elder man shoots a glare at the council's shortest member before continuing.
"It would have wasted time, something we are always short of in our campaign against the Klaxosaurs. I drew from the training regimens of countless special forces to prepare Squad 13 for action as a fighting force comparable to the Nines. Perhaps I was too successful in that regard."
He waves his hand dismissively.
"I digress. The location was chosen because it would offer shelter to the parasites at the very least. Teaching them to prepare their own food and acclimating them to survival outside of the controlled environment of Mistilteinn without damaging their psyche were my highest priorities."
Tarsier prepares another question but he is interrupted by a booming voice.
Unable to contain himself any longer, Gorilla shouts, "This trial is a farce! We know you have been aiding the rebellion, doctor!"
The damning evidence is played via audio as he converses with Freya about what targets would be priority for the rebellion. The rail cannon is mentioned at the top of the list as well as its defensive layout.
Doctor Franxx sighs and shakes his head. "Now how am I supposed to refute that?"
An uproar results from the man's admission of guilt as the council members each curse him in their own way. Captain Fatima rushes forward and presses the cold steel of her pistol's barrel against the back of the defector's skull.
"Silence!" Papa's voice echoes throughout the chamber.
Those gathered fall silent but Fatima and her pistol remain.
"Werner, you admit to aiding and abetting the insurrection with the goal of deposing the council and destroying our way of life?"
A smile curls onto the lips of the scientist. He thrusts his hands into the air, allowing his cane to clatter to the floor and proudly proclaims, "I admit to creating the rebellion to free this world from your tyranny! Peace, something you squandered our chance at with the Klaxo-sapiens, will return to this land. This council has slowly stripped what it means to be alive from a willing populace and I would see it all burn."
There is a clicking sound as Fatima draws back the hammer of her firearm.
"You may kill me here, but you cannot stop what I have started," the man continues. "It is already too late. Your pride clouded your judgment, and you have allowed the rebellion to grow too large for you to possibly contain."
"Captain, execute him at once!" Tarsier orders.
"With pleasure," she replies, only to hesitate when Papa's throne descends.
The ringleader approaches his chief scientist and speaks in the same unwavering tone he has spoken in every time they have interacted since their first meeting.
"I am sorely disappointed in you, Werner. I believed our visions for humanity were in alignment but it seems you have strayed from that path. An example must be made. Those who would jeopardize our way of life cannot be allowed to persist."
"You've lost, Papa," Werner Frank says with a smile.
Almost as if it had been planned, a klaxon begins to blare and the council chamber is bathed in red light.
"What is it?" Gorilla demands. "What's going on?"
"Incoming projectile, evasive maneuvers!" the Vice Chairman shouts.
Still wearing the smile, the old man stares Papa directly in the eye and whispers, "I'll see you all in hell."
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
A slug accelerated to one tenth the speed of light slams into Cosmos Station, destroying one of its three arms and sending a shockwave that crumples the outer layer of steel plating like tissue paper. Without thrusters to balance itself the station is doomed. It dips below the horizon of geosynchronous orbit and enters a deadly spiral that sends the platform hurtling to the earth.
The outer hull boils and the facility only continues to pick up speed until finally crashing into the planet below, creating an earthquake that could be felt for hundreds of miles.
In that moment Doctor Werner Frank is granted the peace he had been seeking for years. A painless death was more than he could have asked for. But being present for APE's final moments was truly priceless.
