Happy new year everyone! So in celebration of the new year how about a update? As always I'd love to hear any thoughts you may have after reading so please don't hesitate to let me know. However that's enough from me so enjoy!
"Good night, Zero Two," you hear your roommate say just past the door to your quarters. You had already said your goodnights to the rest of the squad and were now preparing to finally drop yourself in bed and sleep. The only thing left was for Hiro to finish up with Zero Two outside, so you could kill the lights. To your tired mind, they were like lances of pain through your eyes, and you just wanted it to be over. "'Night, Darling," you hear Zero Two chirp in a sing-song voice, before following with a loud and energetic "muah" sound.
A moment later, Hiro enters through the door you had left only slightly ajar so you could hear them. His cheeks are rosy, eyes wide, and he wears a goofy-looking half smile. "You good?" you ask him, rubbing your eyes with the back of your hand.
Hiro doesn't seem to hear your question as he slowly walks over to the dresser and pulls out his sleepwear. "Uhh, hello," you repeat with a snap of your fingers, "Earth to Hiro." He continues to change, then lazily flops onto the bed.
"Hey, Hiro!" you stand from your seated position and cross the distance separating your beds. The raven-haired boy halfheartedly turns his head to face you, but makes no effort to move otherwise. "Oh, hey (Y/N)," he says dreamily. "Snap out of it," you reply while clicking your fingers sharply at him. "What's gotten into you?"
Suddenly, the color in Hiro's cheeks becomes much more intense and he flinches. He rights himself in the bed and looks up at you. "Umm...how long have you been in here?" he asks. "Long enough to hear you and Zero Two outside," you answer, narrowing your gaze. "It's not-" he begins to defend himself, but you hold up your hand and he falls silent.
"You still owe me an explanation," you state. First, Hiro looks confused as to what you've said. Second, he seems relieved that you're the one changing the subject to anything other than what he may or may not have been doing with his partner. "Sure," he smiles widely, "what do you want to know?"
"Last week," you begin, "when we were still at the Garden, you and I both finished our tests at the same time. You said something about there being a relationship closer than partners." Hiro's expression returns to the conflicted one he had worn mere moments before.
Hiro looks out the window of your room into the darkness that blankets Mistilteinn. "I remember, (Y/N), but are you sure you want to know? I think they would be angry if they found out we knew this. Basically everything we don't know seems to have been made that way on purpose."
You take a moment to consider Hiro's words. He does have a fair point. APE isn't always the most welcoming to anything they haven't explicitly told us. Even so… you think as your mind wanders to Hiro and Zero Two, walking hand-in-hand through the snow, both smiling and laughing. And only a few minutes ago, that sound. Zero Two had kissed him, there was no doubt about it. You had heard the same noise when Ichigo hurriedly kissed you before connecting to Delphinium two days ago. Why would they kiss now, though? There's no way we're going to sortie soon, in the middle of the night. They didn't do it to boost their compatibility.
Finally, you finish your little deliberation with yourself. "I'll hear it."
"Well," Hiro sighs, "you may want to take a seat." You quickly do as he says, ending up poised on the edge of your bed, and after a moment he resumes. "I won't claim to know a lot about it, (Y/N). Truth is, everything I know is because of Zero Two. Apparently a long time ago, before the plantations, people used to have these things called 'relationships.' They were kind of like being partners, but not exactly the same. They would work together, watch out for each other, and do things they liked together. But… there were other things too. A relationship was two people staying together because they chose to be, not because they were assigned to one another. It's almost as if you were Ichigo's partner because she liked you out of all the guys in the squad, and you felt the same way about her."
Hiro pauses to gauge your reaction. "I get it," you nod. "But, what about the hand holding?" He gives an almost imperceptibly small shrug. "That was another part of being in a relationship," he answers. "Both people were in it because they had strong feelings about each other. Zero Two said that holding hands is one way to show that." "So that's why she's always holding onto you," you cut in. "Touch is a sign of affection." Hiro gives an awkward smile and places his hand behind his head. "Yeah… and so is kissing."
What?! you scream to yourself. "You said… you said what about kissing?" you ask Hiro as your blood begins to run cold. "It's another sign of affection," he says quizzically with an equally confused look. "So, it isn't for piloting, then?" you ask, but you aren't quite as nonchalant as you'd hoped. Hiro adopts a contemplative posture. "Well, no… but it probably wouldn't hurt if the partners both liked each other. In fact, it might make their connection stronger if they did. Why do you ask?"
"No reason in particular," you lie. However, Hiro's eyes bulge and he covers his mouth. "You kissed Ichigo," he says matter-of-factly. "What? No!" you nearly shout. "I would-" you stop seeing the disbelief clearly in Hiro's eyes. "It was her fault! She kissed me!" you blurt.
You continue to try to explain yourself, though Hiro doesn't appear to be listening. "But that would mean…" he mutters to himself, before turning back to you. "(Y/N), do you like Ichigo?" "Of course," you answer while a bead of cold sweat slides down your spine. "I like Ichigo, and Ikuno, and Kokoro, and Mi-" The annoyed glare he shoots you is enough to silence you mid-sentence. "Let me rephrase that," Hiro tries again. "Do you love Ichigo?"
You quietly stare back at him in shock. This is not how this conversation was supposed to go! He was supposed to explain this 'more than partners' thing, not interrogate me about… whatever this is that I have for Ichigo.
"I honestly don't know what that means," you answer. "Well then, tell me what comes to mind when you think about her," Hiro prods. "And how you feel when she's around."
He'll see through any lie I tell at this point. There's no reason to try and hide anything. He specifically asked how being around her made me feel, so maybe he can explain why it always puts me in a better mood. And what it even is.
You take a deep breath and gather your thoughts. "Alright, then. The first thing I think about when Ichigo comes to mind is her smile. She always smiles, and I guess that's one of the ways that she always manages to make me feel better. The second is that she is easily the most beautiful girl in the squad. The way the sun shines on her hair, and how she always tries to hide behind her bangs. And her eyes… " you continue to yourself before stopping, afraid of saying anything more embarrassing.
"And how does she make you feel?" Hiro inquires. "She… makes me feel weird," you answer. "It's kind of like I said. Just being around her makes me happier. And I don't like it when I don't know where she is. She's my partner, my responsibility. And when we've kissed… it feels so strange, but at the same time so nice."
Hiro quietly listens as you speak. After you finish, he gives a slight smile. "That's exactly how it feels for me with Zero Two." "But what does it mean, Hiro?" you ask. "I think it means we're in love," he answers. "But what does that mean?" you repeat. "I'm afraid I've told you all I know," Hiro lays back in his bed and turns out the light. "You could ask Zero Two, but I don't think you want to. So I guess we'll just have to figure it out as we go. I know for me, at least, that it's nice to know there's someone else who feels like I do." He then goes silent and moves around under his covers.
You turn to lay on your back, staring at a fixed point on the ceiling. While you would have had no trouble falling asleep fifteen minutes ago, you now settle in for what will likely be a long night.
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
"HQ has seen fit to assign you to a special high-priority mission, thanks to your recent successes," Hachi announces to the crowd that is gathered in the briefing room. It's early morning, with the sun not having risen yet. You had been dismayed to receive your summons from Hachi in the form of an alarm, as normally you wouldn't get up for another few hours. Added to the time of day, your unavoidable lack of sleep following your conversation with Hiro leaves you feeling very much like a zombie.
"What will we be doing?" Ichigo asks Hachi. "Your mission will be to defend this facility," Nana says as an image appears on the monitor behind her. The large structure appears to be circular in nature and it slowly spins along an unseen axis. "The facility is used to mine resources, which are, in turn, used to manufacture FranXX. As such, it is vital to our survival. You will be expected to guard the site as well as its staff for the next week until another special forces squad can be made available." The image continues to shift, this time exploding outwards to show an excavator nearly as tall as the facility.
Hachi once again takes the lead. "Our intel suggests that there is significant Klaxosaur activity in the area. You are likely to face many Conrad- and Moho-class, with a Gutenberg not outside the realm of possibility. Your shifts will be during the daylight hours and you will be allowed to rest in the evenings. But, should a Klaxosaur be detected during the night, you will be deployed in sufficient numbers to deal with them."
"Does that mean that not everyone could be deployed?" you inquire.
"That is correct," Nana answers. "In order to keep the majority of the squad operating at optimal levels, we intend to allow as many of you to rest as possible. Those that are on call will be the first to be considered to be sent out. Team Delphinium will be first."
You glance at Ichigo, who gives you a confident nod. "Understood," the both of you say in unison. You turn back to Nana and Hachi. "That concludes this briefing," Hachi announces. "Should any additional details become available, they will be passed to you in the field. Squad 13, dismissed."
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
"Nana said that a special forces squad usually guards S-Planning sites, right?" Zorome asks as everyone makes their way to their respective FranXX. "Does that mean we're special forces now too?" Ichigo considers his question for a moment before responding. "It could," she answers. "Heck yeah!" Futoshi cheers, giving Zorome a high-five. "I wouldn't be so excited," Ikuno cautions them. "If we're special forces, it means that we'll continue to go on dangerous missions. Ones where the chances of someone getting hurt are much higher."
"I mean, it wasn't that bad before," Zorome dismisses her with a wave of his hand. "Tell that to (Y/N) and Kokoro," Hiro glares as him. "Well they're fine now," Zorome angrily retorts. The two of them take a few steps towards one another before Miku pushes her way between them. "That wasn't the point, Zorome," she grumbles, grabbing her partner by the arm. "Now, come on."
As the argument finishes, you and Ichigo break from the group and make your way across the smaller catwalk to Delphinium's cockpit. Ichigo's hand moves to the controls on her waist and the FranXX's faceplate moves aside, allowing you entry.
Once inside, you take a seat in your stamen's chair while Ichigo stands nearby. You access the controls instinctively, running a preliminary diagnostic on Delphinium's systems before you even realize you're doing so. As you're running the system check, you get the feeling that you're being watched. When you glance up, Ichigo is still standing and looks at you expectantly.
"Aren't you forgetting something?" she asks. "Oh, yeah," you answer, realizing what she's waiting for. "We wouldn't want to have any trouble with our connection, now would we?" Ichigo says with a hint of a smile. Rather than wait for you to stand, she approaches your seated position.
Without the slightest bit of hesitation, she gently grabs the front of your suit and brings your lips together. She's much less nervous about this now. Several seconds later, she breaks the kiss and smiles. "There." With that, she takes her place on the pistil's platform and waits for you to commence the connection.
Your mind, however, returns to the conversation you and Hiro had last night. 'Kissing isn't for piloting, it's a sign of affection.' Does Ichigo already know that? She kissed me first and always seems to know more about it than I do. Does she feel that love thing Hiro was talking about for me?
"(Y/N)." You snap back to reality, and see Ichigo looking over her shoulder at you. A single lock of hair has escaped her clip and obscures one of her beautiful emerald eyes. She looks incredible. "(Y/N)," she repeats. "Sorry," you shake your head and take the controls. "Just spaced out for a second." "It's alright," Ichigo chuckles lightly, "just don't do it when we're in a fight."
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Later that evening, everyone returned to Mistilteinn to rest and relax. Maintaining a connection to a FranXX from dawn until dusk left each of you exhausted. You all had disconnected and went to Nana and Hachi to give a report for the day's mission, and subsequently had rushed back to the house as quickly as your tired legs would carry you. There was little socializing before everyone went off to bed for the night, eager to get some rest.
Ring! Ring!
You jolt awake in your bed, hearing the piercing sound of a communicator. On the bedside table next to you, yours lights up the room while loudly announcing an incoming call. You fumble with it for a moment before managing to bring it your ear.
"A Kla…has..detect..." You pause for a moment and rub your eyes. "Commander?" you ask groggily. "A…suar..been.." You slowly realize that you are holding the communicator's microphone to your ear and receiver near your mouth. Mentally giving yourself a facepalm, you turn it upright as Hachi repeats himself for the third time. "I said, a Klaxosaur has been detected. You and Code 015 are to report to the docking bay immediately to intercept." "Understood, sir," you reply with palpable lethargy, slowly sliding out of bed.
You're so exhausted that you forget to change clothes before you leave for the bay. You make your way into the hall and stumble toward the front door of the house as you unsuccessfully attempt to shake off your torpor. Along the way you meet Ichigo, still in her nightgown, as she makes her own way to come find you. "Huaah, what time is it?" she yawns as you reach one another. "It's…" you check your communicator, spirits dropping as you gaze on the digits, "...0230."
"We went to sleep five hours ago," Ichigo whines. "Why do I feel so tired?" "Did you go to sleep, or stay up talking to Ikuno?" you mumble. "Only for a little bit…couldn't have been that long," Ichigo covers her mouth to stop another yawn.
The two of you make your way down the central staircase, but as you do, Ichigo misses a step. You catch her as she falls, but lose your own balance as a result. You also begin to fall and instinctively pull her closer, but a moment later your back makes contact with one of the rails. It stops you both from tumbling down the remainder of the staircase. "You should watch where you step," you chide Ichigo. "You nearly took us both down."
"Sorry," Ichigo gives you a tired smile. "It's alright," you say as you continue to escort her down the stairs. You release her when you reach the bottom. Before you can head for the door, Ichigo blocks your path while wearing a devious grin. "Need something?" you ask.
Ichigo extends her arms. "Carry me." You do a double-take before coughing. "C-carry you? What for?" She throws her arms down to her sides in exasperation before continuing. "Because I asked you to," she whines, pleading with her eyes. You roll your own at your partner. "You're delirious, aren't you?" "No, silly, I'm not delirious. I'm Ichigo!" she proudly announces.
If we don't get going soon, Hachi is going to be furious. "Alright," you sigh, "you win. Come here." You beckon her closer with one of your hands. "Yay!" Ichigo shouts as she nearly jumps into your arms. "Agh, don't just jump onto me!" You adjust yourself to balance her weight, though she is surprisingly light, and exit the house.
Before you even make it to the elevator connecting Mistilteinn to the rest of the plantation, you notice that Ichigo has laid her head against your chest. The soft and gentle sound of her breathing tells you she has fallen asleep. You allow her to rest in your arms as you head down through the elevator and run to the dressing rooms, where she is forced to wake up and change. The two of you then proceeded to Delphinium and promptly eliminated the three Conrad-class Klaxosaurs that had wandered too close to the S-Planning site. A fourth had managed to escape, but you both were too tired to care.
After returning to Mistilteinn as quickly as you could, you went back to bed to get what little additional sleep you could before having to get up in the morning.
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
The next four days had gone by very similarly to the first, with the only difference being that Delphinium rotated out from being on call. Thankfully, you had gotten a full night's sleep each time you crashed into your bed. So far, on the fifth day, everything had gone as usual. Several Klaxosaurs had appeared before lunch and had been quickly dispatched. But as you make your way back into the field after a brief recess for a meal, you can't shake the growing feeling that something else is out there.
"All this waiting around is so boring," Zorome complains to the rest of the squad through the comms. The majority of you stand in a semicircle along the eastern side of the facility. "You can say that again," Argentea agrees with her stamen. "All this waiting around is so boring," Zorome repeats. "You idiot, I didn't mean it literally," the pink FranXX complains, drawing a chuckle from the rest of the squad.
"Zero Two," you ask, "is there anything on the wind?" Strelitzia scents the air several times. "They're out there," she answers. The rest of the squad pauses for a moment. "Probably just hiding to attack all at once," comes Mitsuru's deadpan response. "Really?" Genista meekly whispers.
"We'll be fine," Delphinium rests a hand on Genista's shoulder and offers her a smile.
"Movement," Chlorophytum announces from her position atop the facility. "A group of at least ten headed this way, north north-east." "And there are more over here!" Argentea shouts, pointing to the south. You immediately shift into battle mode, planning out your attack in an instant. "Genista, Chlorophytum, try to thin them out as best you can before they reach us. Argentea, you're with us in the south. Strelitzia, the northern group is yours."
At the same time, Ichigo establishes a link with Hachi inside Plantation 13. "Commander, we have multiple groups of hostiles converging on our position." Your comm stays silent for a moment, and then crackles to life. "That isn't all," Hachi's voice addresses the squad, "we have confirmed at least another fifty contacts bearing down on the site, including one we believe to be Gutenberg in size." There is a small loop of feedback before the line reactivates. "We are contacting nearby plantations for support," Nana's voice announces.
"Alright, everyone," Delphinium shouts, adopting a fighting stance, "help is on the way. We just have to hold out until they get here."
Argentea and Delphinium rush out to meet the incoming horde, while Genista picks off what she can at range. As soon as you reach their lines, the clustered pack of feline Klaxosaurs scatter. "Don't let them run away!" you order, giving chase.
Easily enough, you manage to catch the first several of the Conrad and carve them up with Delphinium's blades. At the same time, Argentea shreds another before catching a second on her claws as it jumps her. Nearby, several more explode into a fine blue mist after receiving concentrated fire from Genista. "Strelitzia, Chlorophytum, report," Delphinium demands, driving a blade through one beast's skull. "Strelitzia is holding her own against the other group, and most of this one has been dealt with," Chlorophytum answers. "We're starting to run low on ammo, though."
A moment later Delphinium is thrown to the ground, losing the sword from her right hand. The offender, a lynx-like Klaxosaur, wastes no time pressing its advantage. It quickly pounces at you after landing, and Delphinium is barely able to lift her arm and catch the creature's neck before the Klaxosaur's powerful jaws snap shut a few meters from her face.
"Get...off!" Ichigo shouts, bringing Delphinium's knees to her chest before kicking out and throwing the Klaxosaur to the side. She rolls to her feet, managing to regain her footing, but keeping both blades still out of reach. The Klaxosaur has also recovered and growls angrily at Delphinium.
You smile inside the cockpit while Delphinium extends her arm and flexes her index and middle fingers. It's a taunting motion toward the beast, beckoning the Klaxosaur forward. The lynx shrieks before leaping at you. Anticipating this exact move, Delphinium expertly sidesteps, grabbing the cat by the scruff of its neck and smashing it into the ground. This dazes the Klaxosaur momentarily and allows Delphinium to straddle the creature. Alternating punches, Delphinium strikes the feline's head mercilessly, knocking out teeth and covering her in blue blood. Finally, as another right hook connects, there is a loud cracking sound and Delphinium's hand goes farther than expected into the metallic flesh of the Klaxosaur. Her arm travels further up to the elbow, before she crushes the core now within her grasp. She withdraws the blood-soaked appendage from the ruined head of the Klaxosaur with a satisfied "hmph." She picks up both blades and dashes back to the battle, face contorted into a snarl and accompanied by a scream tearing from two throats.
The fighting continues for close to another half hour but still there is no end in sight. Every Klaxosaur you kill seems to be replaced by another, and another, and another all over again. "More incoming!" Argentea shouts over her shoulder to you, and you glance at the fast-approaching monsters. "Commander, we can't hold out like this forever!" you yell into the comms.
"Squad 13, this is Code 118 of Squad 70," a new voice answers your call for aid. "We will arrive in three minutes. Can you hold out until then?" Delphinium pushes a Klaxosaur off of her and sweeps her blade across its side, before it explodes. "We'll make it," Ichigo grunts. "Just a little longer guys," you announce to the squad, "help is on the way!"
A chorus of relief floods the comm channel between your squadmates.
However, that's not the only growing sound you hear. Slowly overpowering the voices of your friends, the ground beneath your feets begins to tremble, making it hard to maintain your footing. "What the hell's going on?!" Zorome shouts. You wonder the same thing as the Klaxosaurs that had been assaulting you moments before begin to scatter.
"They're running away," Genista says in disbelief. "Does that mean we won?" You eye the retreating Klaxosaurs with a suspicious gaze, but it's Hiro who answers. "I don't think so," he says suspiciously. "I've got a bad feeling about this," you agree.
The rumbling continues to grow more intense before it finally stops. "Phew," Argentea breathes a sigh of relief, "I guess that's over." The moment she finishes speaking, the ground beneath Squad 70's lead FranXX erupts. You can hardly believe your eyes as from within the earth, a pair of immense jaws emerge and snap closed around the FranXX. Not so much as a scream comes from Code 118 or his partner, and you have no doubt of their fate.
It doesn't stop there however, as the jaws give way to a face, and then a long serpentine body. For the most part this Klaxosaur resembles any other hooded snake, but it has one distinguishing feature. This monster has two sets of eyes, one in the normal position at the crest of the head and another directly opposite them on the lower side of its chin. Each sets moves independently, leaving the beast with a completely unimpaired visual field. The sheer size of the creature tells you it must be the Gutenberg-class that Hachi had warned you about earlier.
"Everyone, get back now!" you order, directing Delphinium as close to the S-Planning site as you can get her. "How do we kill something so massive?" Futoshi asks. "Oh, easy," Strelitzia grins. "Remember how we killed the worm? Just hold its mouth open and Darling and I will do the rest." "Not this time, Zero Two," Hiro cuts in. "This thing is much larger than the worm, and I don't think it'll be as easy to take down."
"Squad 13," a transmission comes over the line from the now-acting squad leader of Squad 70. "If you can buy us time, we can damage the Klaxosaur enough that it will be forced to withdraw." "You'll have it," you answer without hesitation. "You heard him," Delphinium shouts, "protect Squad 70."
For a reason unknown to you, Squad 70 retreats from the field and into the S-Planning facility. "Are you sure they aren't just running away?" Argentea asks, brandishing her claws once more at the gathering enemy. After the snake had appeared, the remaining Klaxosaurs had rallied and now seemed ready to make one final push against the site.
"How are you holding up?" you ask Ichigo on a private line. "I'm fine," she answers quickly. "No, you're not, Ichigo," you shoot back. "Your heart rate is over 160 beats per minute." "You aren't supposed to be looking at my vitals," the image of Delphinium scolds you. "Sorry," you defend yourself, "I just worry about you." The FranXX giggles in an adorable fashion similar to her pistil. "Thank you, (Y/N). I'm just a little anxious, but I'm okay."
"Here they come!" Mitsuru shouts. Sure enough, the Klaxosaurs that had gathered around the large serpent have begun to slowly march toward you. It is unsettling how coordinated they are compared to normal. Each walks perfectly in formation, like there is something forcing them to do so. It must be that snake. They weren't like that earlier. No Klaxosaur has ever done that before. Ugh, the last thing we needed was for them to become more organized.
"So, we just wait until they get closer?" Zorome asks. "We wait for Squad 70 to return," Delphinium corrects him. "They said they know a way to force the big one to retreat." As if on cue, the FranXX of Squad 70 exit the S-Planning site and join you in looking out at the approaching horde. Something about their new equipment surprises you, however. Instead of the spears that standard FranXX usually carry, the members of Squad 70 cradle large orbs under each arm.
"Squad 13," a transmission comes over the comms. "We are prepared. All you need to do us provide us a route to the Gutenberg." "Understood," you reply. "Chlorophytum, Genista, make a hole in their front. Strelitzia, Argentea, don't fall behind." As Strelitzia, Argentea, and Delphinium prepare to charge, Genista and Chlorophytum unleash their initial barrage.
"Mitsuru, we're too low on ammo to continue this," Chlorophytum announces almost immediately. "Got it, switching to full power," the stamen replies. Much to your amazement, Chlorophytum crosses her arms over her chest before thrusting them to her sides. As a result, the wing-like fins lining each arm slide into a new position, facing outward at the enemy. The tip of each begins to glow and a moment later, a brilliant lance of light burns from each of the six fins. The beams cut through the Klaxosaurs like a hot knife through butter, partially clearing a path for the coming charge.
At the same time, Genista completes her transition. Standing with her left leg forward and using her right leg as a brace, she looks ready to fire but holds off. A moment later, a pair of prongs fold out from the back of her right heel and dig themselves into the ground. "We're secure," Futoshi shouts. Genista nods before firing her cannon into the same location as Chlorophytum.
The devastating HE rounds from Genista's cannon, fired with pinpoint accuracy, shred anything that Chlorophytum hadn't completely destroyed already.
"Alright, push through!" you order. Strelitzia and Argentea have had their fill of waiting and now gladly charge into the open hole in the Klaxosaur lines. Delphinium keeps pace, hacking and slashing her way towards the massive serpent. The monster glares at you with both sets of eyes, but doesn't move.
After thirty seconds of intense fighting, you have reached the halfway point between the Gutenberg and the start of the Klaxosaur formation. At this time, the creature seems to have become annoyed with your progress and decides to do something about it. The Klaxosaur arches its neck before lunging forward once more, spewing a viscous blue liquid from its mouth.
"Scatter!" Delphinium orders as you direct her to dive beneath one of the Klaxosaurs. A moment later, the air is filled with the pained screeches of nearby Klaxosaur. As Delphinium rolls back to her feet to continue the advance, you realize why. The Klaxosaurs that had been hit by the liquid are now writhing on the ground as portions of their bodies dissolve within seconds. Acid? Since when can they shoot acid?
"Everyone, that thing launches acid from its mouth. Don't let it get on you!" you shout. A muffled scream tells you that your warning came just a little too late. One of the four remaining FranXX of Squad 70 had been unable to find cover from the acidic stream and now bears the marks to prove it. Her face is untouched, but the left arm is missing from the elbow down and her body is covered with pock and burn marks. However, she continues to charge alongside your group toward the massive creature.
"We have to bring that thing down!" Zorome shouts. "Almost…there," Argentea groans. Miku's getting tired, that's not… Suddenly, you lurch forward in your seat as Delphinium becomes heavier. Damn, Ichigo's feeling it too. This needs to end now!
"Last leg, guys," you urge them to continue, "we can do this!" Delphinium and Strelitzia cut through the final group of Klaxosaurs separating you from the serpent, but their movements are incredibly sluggish. "We'll take it from here," the acting leader of Squad 70 announces. "Please fall back."
"Fall back?" Zorome asks. "How are they supposed to kill it without any weapons?" Futoshi asks with an equal amount of disbelief. You yourself are unable to make sense of why they would tell you to fall back, but you place your trust in them and order Squad 13 to retreat.
"Squad 70," a voice comes over the comms. It is authoritative like Hachi's, but it is most definitely not your commander's. "You have served APE well, but now you make the ultimate sacrifice in the name of Papa and humanity. Your valor in the line of duty will not be forgotten."
"What… what does that mean?" Genista asks. "Did he say sacrifice?" Delphinium whispers. "But that would mean they are…"
As Squad 13 watches, the four FranXX of Squad 70 reach the Gutenberg class. The large orbs each had been carrying begin to glow while the units move as close to the Klaxosaur as they can. It is at this moment you realize what the orbs are. "Fuel containers…" you whisper. But why carry them instead of a weapon? Fuel would only be useful if they were going to… self destruct…
As you come to your realization, the true plan to defeat the Klaxosaur beings to unfold. The lead FranXX of Squad 70, which had been charging directly at the monster, is swallowed whole by the creature. The three that remained outside glow a red hue for a moment before the fuel they had been carrying violently erupts, exploding with enough force to knock Delphinium over some half a mile away.
The resulting explosions tear into large chunks of the snake's underside and the FranXX that had been swallowed detonates inside the throat. Fire bursts forth from the mouth and nostrils of the monstrosity along with a blood-curdling shriek.
The entirety of Squad 13 looks in disbelief at the scene before their eyes. "They're gone…" Chlorophytum says in shock. "Did they really just self destruct?" Hiro asks. "Mhmm. They were ordered to," Strelitzia answers with a hint of sadness. "No way, no way," Zorome hysterically sobs. "They'd never be given an order like that! We mean too much to Papa and the adults! They wouldn't do that to us!"
In Delphinium's cockpit, Ichigo has disconnected from the FranXX and a deadly silence now lingers over the both of you. Ichigo looks over her shoulder at you with tears in her eyes, then to the Klaxosaur, and finally back to you. Slowly, she crawls onto your lap and buries her head in your chest. You, however, don't move a muscle, still too horrified by what you had witnessed. They were ordered to kill themselves… and they didn't even hesitate. We truly are worth nothing to Papa and APE. Just tools to be used and then discarded.
In the distance, the Gutenberg writhes back and forth on the ground in agony. It looks to be trying to end the suffering caused by the four FranXX, but rather than dying like you had expected, it dives into the earth once more.
The ground begins to shake beneath you and you know that the monster is making its way toward you. Ichigo's grip on you becomes painfully tight. "(Y/N), I don't want to die," she chokes out, tears flowing from the corners of her eyes. You wrap your arms around her and prepare for the worst as the shaking becomes more violent. The crashing of earth shifting beneath you is nearly deafening in your ears.
Then, it begins to grow fainter. Over the next thirty seconds, it continues quieting before stopping altogether. "Is it gone?" Ichigo asks. You kiss the top of her head gently. "Yeah, it's gone. We're safe now."
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
"Doctor," Nana says softly to the old man on the end of the line. "Plantation 13 is leaving the S-Planning site. The children witnessed… something today, something horrible. I've never seen them this distressed."
"What was it?" Dr. Franxx asks with an equally hushed tone. "Protocol 32," Nana says quietly. The man's mechanical fist strikes the wooden desk. "What happened?" "The large snake Klaxosaur, the one that has been terrorizing the northern region, appeared at the site," Nana answers. "Hachi requested aid from any nearby plantations beforehand and Plantation 70 arrived to assist. When the commander of Plantation 70 saw it, he panicked and contacted HQ. They said the best strategy was to have one squad execute Protocol 32 while the other protected the site." Nana chokes up. "Doctor, what it if had been the children?"
Tears roll down the caretaker's cheeks as she thinks about a world in which Squad 13 had been selected instead of 70. This proves to be too much for her and she breaks down even further. From out of nowhere, a hand is placed on her shoulder and she is guided to a chair off screen. Hachi then appears in the monitor.
"Are they alive?" Dr. Franxx demands of his subordinate. "Yes," Hachi replies. "They're all back here now. But as Nana said, they are demoralized after seeing the execution of Protocol 32." The scientist breathes a sigh of relief. "And the site?" Hachi nods in response. "It is still intact, sir. The remaining Klaxosaurs retreated as soon as the serpent fled the field."
"Good," the man grumbles to himself. "But APE sacrificed another squad to that monster. That makes seven in total and we've still yet to kill it. At least the materials I need for Heliconia are still safe. Laevis could need to be pushed back, but… no, there isn't time. Three are finished, and the last two must be done in time."
"Doctor?" Hachi asks quizzically. "Never mind," the bearded gentleman's gaze returns to the short-haired commander. "Squad 13 is not to sortie until I give the order. Do not answer any questions they ask about the previous mission. We've reached the critical point. The stage has been set, and I will not let those geezers ruin it now."