You walk down one of the hallways in the manor atop the hill. Very suddenly, your shirt catches on something. When you turn to fix it, you find that it wasn't caught on something so much as someone. Two fingers have a firm hold on you, and upon following them you find the rest of an arm disappearing behind a nearby door.
You stand still for a moment waiting to see what will happen. The door opens another inch and the tugging on your shirt resumes. You sigh loudly. "Alright, I'm coming," you say and open the door.
The room is dimly lit with only a single lamp by the bed turned on. It illuminates the room enough so that you are able to recognize its occupant, who is now sitting on the floor against the bed. Over her knees, the girl's puffy blue-green eyes peer at you and her face is almost as red as her hair from crying.
"Miku," you say, letting her know that you've entered. "You stopped me just now, didn't you?" She nods. Recalling the events of yesterday and how poorly she'd been coping with them, you soften your voice. The floor creaks as you walk over to kneel beside her. "What is it you need?"
Miku doesn't move and her voice is barely even a whisper. "Thank you for saving me yesterday." Your eyes soften as well as you look at her. "Do you remember what I said last night?" you ask her. She shakes her head. Of course she doesn't, she probably doesn't remember what anyone said.
"I said thaT I'd always watch out for my friends," you answer the question gently. "I hate it," Miku says in response, this time in a loud and firm voice. You cock your head in confusion. "Hate what, exactly?" Miku refuses to look you in the eye. "Being like... this."
"What do you mean, 'like this?'" you ask. "There's nothing 'wrong' with you. Are you hurt?" She shakes her head. "Being weak, always scared, having to be protected," Miku finally looks at you and admits how she truly feels. "A burden."
You take a deep breath and gather your thoughts. "You aren't a burden, Mi–" "Yes, I am!" she shouts back, much to your surprise. "I'm not good at anything. I can't even protect myself, and I put other people in danger because of it! Zero Two would have died if you didn't save her when her hand got crushed. I wasn't paying attention and didn't see that the ceiling was weak, and she saved me. Yesterday a guard would have killed me if Zorome hadn't knocked her out, and then I froze against the other squad. Zorome tried to fight them but I dragged him down." Tears once again flow freely on her cheeks and she hides her face. "I'm worthless."
You are somewhat taken aback by Miku's words, but not as much as you could be. I hate to admit it, but she does have a reason to feel like this. Looking at recent events, she hasn't done the best when she's been under pressure. So now she's wallowing in a hole of guilt and self-pity.
While you're still in thought, Miku continues. "I want to be strong, like you. You're always so confident and you never hesitate. If I could be like that, then no one would have to protect me anymore."
I didn't realize she thought so highly of me. And now it's clear she hasn't said these things to anyone else. She came to me, so that makes it my responsibility to help her.
"You can be," you say aloud. Miku takes a sharp breath. "I can?" "Yes," you nod. "I can teach you to be like me, but it won't be easy." Miku shoots up from against the bed to her knees, putting her on eye level with you. "If you can teach me not to be a burden anymore then I'll do whatever it takes."
"Are you sure?" you ask. "It will involve a ton of physical training and I won't take it easy on you because you're a girl." Miku gives you a hard look. "I want to be strong. No matter how hard it is, I won't give up," she replies. "Then, as of now, you'll do what I say," you tell her. Miku nods. "Good," you resume. "We'll start tomorrow at first light. If you aren't up, I'll wake you."
You stand and make your way to the door, stopping to look back at Miku. She's smiling. It seems hard for her and it will likely be short-lived, but now she has an opportunity to help herself. And it shows.
You exit the room and continue toward breakfast. I hope this works. If it doesn't, she'll be a liability to whatever missions she joins. You amend your first thought. This will work, I'll make sure of it.
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
The next morning, you wake before the sun has risen with Ichigo still in your arms. Carefully, you climb out of bed so as not to wake her before you proceed to dress. Once you've finished, you walk back to the bed and plant a tender kiss on the sleeping angel's cheek. Ichigo seems to smile in her sleep and grips the pillow tighter.
You proceed down the hall toward Miku's room. It's still rather dark in the manor at this time of day. You may have discovered that the generators in the military installation were tied to the village's power grid, but in order to conserve the limited magma fuel on hand it was decided to avoid using electricity outside of cooking, bathing, and in the evenings after the sun had gone down. In the mornings, you had to either try your best with the small amount of light that was available or light a candle.
When you finally reach the door to Miku's room, you are unsurprised to see no light coming from under the crack. Miku's room was one of the interior ones, which meant that it would remain almost pitch black until the hallway was well-lit. As a result, it would be easy for her to continue sleeping well past the deadline of first light that you had given her the day before.
You take a moment to consider your options. I could wait for her, but that would defeat the purpose of getting up this early. If I pound on the door, I'll wake her up… but also everyone else nearby. I guess that really only leaves one thing. You try the door. The handle turns and the door swings ever so slightly inward.
"Miku," you say loud enough that she should be able to hear you, but not enough that it would disturb any of the others. "Miku, are you awake?" Several seconds pass and you are met only with silence.
"Miku," you continue, hoping she'll hear. "I'm coming in." The room is smaller than the one you share with Ichigo, possibly one of the servant's quarters, but Miku has made the space her own. Which is to say, her things are strewn all about the room. Articles of clothing hang from the chairs, the desk is covered by her makeup, and a small glass square is propped up in the corner to be used as a mirror. The strangest thing, though, are the clothes that you are positive she must have found in the dresser. They are a simple black and white uniform that confirms your earlier theory that this was indeed the maid's room.
In the center of all this clutter, clearly searching for something, is Miku. You are equal parts shocked and impressed. She's not just awake, but nearly finished getting ready. Has she ever even gotten up this early before? I don't remember it… show's how serious she must have been yesterday.
"Ahem," you cough to announce your presence. "Just a second," Miku tells you, biting the hair tie on her wrist. After a moment she manages to tame her curly hair and ties it back in a single ponytail. "There," she sounds pleased with herself and stands to greet you. Miku has chosen the appropriate attire for today's training, with a white t-shirt and blue shorts, plus a pair of tennis shoes. You're tempted to tell Miku that the look suits her.
"Good morning," she says in a cheery voice. "Good morning," you repeat. "I'm surprised to see you up this early. I was positive I'd have to drag you out of bed." Miku narrows her eyes and cocks her hip. "I can get up when I want to, you know." "Then let's not waste time," you tell her and make for the door, showing you aren't interested in having a conversation here. "We're burning daylight."
Miku runs out the door and falls in step with you. "What are we doing first?" she asks eagerly. "Running," you answer. "Alright!" she cheers. "I'll show you just how fast I am!" You quickly laugh a little to yourself. "Do that and you'll never finish," you chastise her. Miku's head tilts to the side. "But you said…" "I said we were running, not racing," you inform her. "Today, we're going to do a lot of different things. My goal is to push you to your limits, so that way I know how to best help you."
By now the two of you have reached the manor's front door. The old wood creaks as it opens, revealing the rising sun in the east. "It's really pretty," Miku whispers, mesmerized by the array of colors. "It is," you agree, "but stay focused. I don't want you falling behind." With that, you take off jogging down the hill toward the village.
It takes no time at all for Miku to catch you. "Where are we going?" she asks. "A lap around the town, maybe two," you answer. "Then to the beach." A look of hesitation moves over her face. "That… sounds like a lot." Miku's determination seems to waiver for a moment, but she quickly recovers. "Welcome to test one," you smile. "Stamina."
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
About an hour later you finally come to a rest at the beach. Miku, panting for air and some three hundred feet behind you, drops to the sand. You make your way over to her and check to make sure she's alright. "You going to live?" You're met with silence for a few seconds. "I'm… fine…" she says between breaths. "You've got five minutes," you inform her. "Then we're moving on."
After seven minutes have passed, as you were feeling generous, Miku stands and slowly makes her way over to you. In that time, you've drawn a box in the sand that is roughly fifteen feet by fifteen feet. "What is this for?" she asks. "Part two," you answer. "Combat."
Miku's expression goes from mild curiosity to fear. "You want me to fight you?" her voice quivers as she speaks. "Kind of," you reply before indicating to the square. "Step inside." Miku hesitantly puts one foot over the line and looks to you. Seeing that you don't move, she pulls her other foot across as well.
"I don't want us to fight," you explain. "I want you to try and force me out of the ring. You can punch, kick, or do whatever else you have to do to get me out. I won't be trying to do the same to you, instead I'll defend myself and stay in the ring as long as possible."
"I'm not sure I want to do this," Miku mumbles. "I thought you wanted to get stronger," you look her in the eye. "We can get you into peak physical condition, but it won't mean a thing if you can't fight. Once you can, the confidence you desire will follow. Now," you adopt a defensive stance, "come at me with everything you've got."
Miku doesn't budge. "I said, come at me with everything you've got!" you yell. "I don't know how," she admits dejectedly. "Then just do what feels right," you tell her. "I don't think you have even a remote chance of winning this, but I want to see what you're capable of. Act as though I'm your enemy."
Miku shakes her head. "Right, my enemy." The words have barely left her mouth when she rushes you. All it takes is a simple sidestep and you evade her. You let out a sigh. "Please tell me you didn't think that would actually work."
Miku only huffs and attempts to tackle you. You move out of the way again, but this time deliver a soft knock to her temple with your hand. "Hey, that hurt!" Miku shouts. "You said you wouldn't hit me." "If you're going to leave yourself open then I may as well prove another point," you scold her. "You aren't thinking about what you're doing at all. Look where I'm standing."
Miku pauses and notices that you are standing in one of the corners. "You're trapped," she says. "That's right," you agree. "This is the third time I've stood in the corner, but you never even looked." Miku positions herself so that you are locked in the corner as she advances.
"Good," you say, before you step out of the ring. "Why'd you do that?" Miku asks. "Because I saw what I wanted from you," you reply. "I'm going to teach you how to fight, in body and mind. That was mind. You have to think about what you're doing and pick your battles."
You motion for her to come closer. She does. "I want you to hit me," you tell her. A look of shock runs through her eyes. "Hit you?" You nod once. "Yes, as hard as you can," you clarify. Miku remains unsure but lets out a grunt and punches you in the gut.
You wince, but in truth the blow wasn't even enough to really hurt, much less knock the wind out of you. "You hit like a girl," you groan. "I am a girl!" Miku yells back. "Wrong," you snap your knuckle against her temple. "You're a woman now. We don't have the luxury of being kids anymore. So, if you're going to hit me..." you lean down so that your faces are inches apart. "Hit me like you mean it."
Miku snorts and brings her knee up to your stomach. You double over and Miku stands triumphantly over you. However, this gives you the opening you wanted. In a single motion you tackle her to the ground and capture her right arm between your legs. Having no idea what you're doing, Miku is helpless as your pull her hand to your chest and arc your back.
Miku's eyes fill with fear as pain shoots through her arm and she struggles. "Don't," you tell her. She continues to fight you. "Miku," your voice is soothing but firm, and she ceases her attempt to break free. "Don't fight this, you'll only get yourself hurt," you continue. "Right now, if you try to move too much, it will snap your arm. Stay calm." Tears are now streaming down Miku's face as she fights through the pain.
Knowing you want to get this over quickly before she loses her composure, you tell her what to do next. "Now, tap out." She winces as she tries to talk. "I-I don't know what that means," Miku groans. "Tap my leg with your free hand twice," you order her. In an instant two quick raps can be felt against your right leg. You release Miku's hand and relax your grip.
Miku curls into a ball while she nurses her arm. "Why did you do that?" She looks up at you with tears and eyes that say you've betrayed her trust. "I'm sorry," you kneel beside her. "I just wanted to see if you could stay calm." You give her head a slight pat. "You did well. You fought through the pain and confusion and did what I told you. You also learned a valuable lesson." "What's that?" she asks. "If I ever go too far, all you have to do is tap me twice and I'll stop. I'm here to make you better at this. I don't want to hurt you."
Miku nods and slowly stands. "Let's do it again." "Miku we don't have to-" She cuts you off. "This is what it takes for me to be strong, right?" Despite the sand in her hair, bags under her eyes, and the bruises already forming on her arm, Miku gives you a smile. "I can do it."
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
When the sun is close to its highest point, you and Miku finally stop her training for the day. So far, her determination has remained strong. You're very optimistic about her future. Miku may be a bit tentative now, but all the potential was already there, and all that was left was for you to just draw it out.
The two of you are making the turn onto the main road leading to the manor when you notice a strange sound. "Do you hear that?" you ask Miku. She cranes her head to listen. "No," she gives you a quizzical look before changing her mind. "Wait, yeah, I do. It sounds like–" "Aircraft," you grab her wrist and sprint up the road.
By the time you have reached the front door the sound has grown much louder, and several members of your party have come rushing out to meet you. Multiple cries of warning are given but one drowns out the rest. "(Y/N)!" Kokoro shouts. "There's a dropship!"
Mere moments after Kokoro stops speaking, Zero Two comes running down the grand staircase with a rifle in hand. Ichigo and Hiro are right behind her bearing similar armaments. Ichigo rushes to you and takes the revolver hanging from her side, offering it to you. You accept it, verify it's loaded, and turn toward the door.
"What are you doing?" Kana demands. "Protecting ourselves," Zero Two answers. "Don't get trigger happy, Zero Two," you warn her. "They might not know we're here, so there's no need to fire prematurely." "Fine," she snorts. "But if they land, I'll kill them all."
The next several minutes seem to tick by in slow motion. Kana and Kyo take anyone unwilling or unable to fight and lead them further into the house. Miku hesitates for a moment, giving you a conflicted look, but ultimately follows.
The dropship lands in the park some half a mile from the manor in the middle of town. Without any optics for the rifles, you are unable to make out any details of the landing party, so you wait in silence.
Another ten minutes pass and Zero Two lets out a hiss. "What is it?" Hiro asks. "There's three of them headed this way," she answers from her perch on the second floor. "Don't shoot unless you have to," Ichigo tries to restrain her bloodlust. "They may go a different way." You keep talking, hoping it'll help placate her. "The rest of us can't see as well as you either," you include.
Two minutes later, the three figures turn the corner and begin up the road to the manor. "I don't believe it," Zero Two whispers. "What?" Mitsuru demands. Zero Two's voice jumps several octaves. "It's the Doctor."
Sure enough, one of the figures seems to lean on a wooden cane as he walks. On his right is a woman with long red hair in an APE officer's uniform. The man to his left has a strong build and short grey hair, also wearing an officer's uniform.
"Nana…" you whisper, drawing the attention of those around you. "Nana?" they ask incredulously. "And Hachi," you confirm. "I thought they died?" Ikuno questions. "You know, when Plantation 13 was destroyed." "Must have been a lie," you state, standing from your position crouched at a window and walking to the front door.
"Where are you going?" Ichigo fails to hide her concern as her voice cracks. "To talk to them," you answer. "If it's Doctor Franxx, Nana, and Hachi, we may be able to convince them to help us. At worst, we should be able to make them leave us alone." Hiro doesn't look convinced. "What are you basing that on?" he asks. "A hunch," you reply. "I don't have time to explain. Just trust me."
"Zero Two!" you yell up to your compatriot. "If they try something then you can shoot, but not before." She glances down at you. "Understood," she growls, pulling back on the charging handle and slamming a round home into the chamber.
"I'm coming with you!" Ichigo rushes to your side. Unsurprising, but cute. "I'd rather you didn't," you tell her. Ichigo looks hurt. "Why not?" You give her a confident smile. "A number of reasons, mostly your safety." She quickly gives you a look. "I appreciate it," Ichigo says, taking your hand and matching your stride, "but I'm going and that's final." There are several snorts and a "she told you" thrown out from behind you, but you ignore them. "Alright then," you concede, "just let me go first." Ichigo nods and you step outside.
The midday sun bears down from above as you and Ichigo wait for the trio to finish the final leg of their journey, up the path under the awning. A million questions run through your mind. How did they find us? Why are there only three of them? You suppress the uncertainty and wait patiently, your left hand intertwined with Ichigo's and the right… holding the revolver at your side.
Nana, Hachi, and Doctor Franxx are all expressionless as they come to a halt twenty or so feet from the from the front door. The old man huffs, leaning against the cane and taking a moment to catch his breath after the trek up hill. Then he speaks.
"I must say, I'm impressed," Doctor Franxx smiles. "It took far longer to find you children then I had originally anticipated. This village is over seven hundred miles from where you abandoned Plantation 13. A rather lengthy journey."
"What is it you want, Doctor?" you ask. "To talk, of course," his grin widens. "Why else would I have come here?" "To kill us?" Ichigo suggests. "Come now, dear," the scientist almost sounds disappointed. "If I had wanted that, would there have been any reason for me to come at all? I could have simply told Papa that I'd found the location of the rogue parasites and washed my hands of the matter."
"Now," he straightens his collar. "Can we put away the firearms? They are making poor Nana nervous." "Alright," you say as you holster the revolver. "I'm afraid I was hoping everyone would," he states. "Code 326, 196, 016," he points to each of their hiding places in turn. "You can all come out."
How could he even see them? you ask yourself. The sun was glaring in the direction of the manor and casting its reflection off the windows. That should have been more than enough to hide their positions.
"You forgot me, Doctor." A figure rises from an ornamental bush behind Hachi. "I certainly did not forget you, my dear," Doctor Franxx turns around to address Zero Two. "Code 016's presence was more than enough to confirm you were here. I simply couldn't find you. Well done." Zero Two huffs, seemingly unimpressed by the compliment.
Meanwhile, Ichigo cocks her brow and glances up at you. You reply with a slight shrug of your shoulders. The last you'd seen of Zero Two she was still on the second floor. How she managed to sneak behind Nana, Hachi, and Doctor Franxx without them noticing you have no idea, but the doctor is right. It was impressive.
"On to business then," Doctor Franxx continues. "What is it you want, Doctor?" you ask. "The same thing as you," he answers. "To create a world free of APE." You allow a hint of puzzlement to show on your face. "I'm afraid you're mistaken," you correct him. "We don't desire a world without APE. All we want is to be allowed to live out our lives as we choose."
Doctor Franxx spreads his arms. "They are one and the same. Do you really think that APE will allow you to stay here? The only reason you have been allowed to live thus far is that you are a minor concern compared to the Klaxosaurs." He pauses momentarily. "Do you know what order was issued after Plantations 26 and 56 were destroyed?"
Hachi speaks for the first time. "Squad 13, their accomplices in Squads 26 and 56, and any others responsible for the destruction of APE property or endangerment of its citizens are to be executed on sight."
"We already knew that," you inform them. "Some parasites tried to kill us two days ago." Doctor Franxx's lip curls in amusement. "You were raiding their facility." "My point is that we handled it," you retort. "We've survived over a month on our own."
Doctor Franxx taps his cane against the cobblestone. "And what would you do if they found you here? Could you handle that?" He allows a moment for his words to sink in before continuing. "What you have accomplished so far is beyond impressive considering your upbringing, but don't forget how you got here. You were one of my test teams. You possessed the knowledge needed to attempt this, let alone the freedom to pursue it, because of this. All I am asking for is a little gratitude."
"With all due respect," Ichigo takes a step forward, "our accomplishments have been our own. We appreciate whatever role you played, but we don't owe you anything." Nana sighs, exasperated. "Children, please, we just want to help." Zero Two scoffs. "Should have said that from the start."
"So, you want to help," you run with the idea. "And what kind of help is it you can provide?" "A great many things," Doctor Franxx strokes his chin. "Resources, for one thing, enough that you wouldn't need to conduct any more of those foolish raids. I'm sure that your FranXX are in need of repair as well. You may not want to use them, but you still need them, am I correct?"
"We can't field any of the standard models from Squad 26 or Squad 56," you admit with an annoyed sigh. The bearded man doesn't hesitate to pounce. "You wouldn't need to. I have already taken care of everything." Ichigo eyes him wearily. "What do you mean, 'taken care of everything?'" she asks.
"My personal facility boasts a construction yard capable of producing a fully operational FranXX in less than 36 hours," the doctor crows. "And the facilities here at Haven are more than sufficient to care for up to thirty."
"How did you know about that?" Hiro asks, now standing in the doorway behind you. "My boy," the old man's tone sweet as honey, "this village was built over the base beneath our feet. I know more about it and this area than you do." "And why is that?" Hiro challenges. "Because I was here when it was built," the doctor answers.
"That's impossible," a voice says from behind you. "That would make you over three hundred years old." Ikuno steps into the light, a surprised glint in her eyes. Beneath his coat, the scientist flexes his mechanical arm. The whirring of the artificial piece serves as a reminder of who you are talking to as Franxx chuckles. "Three hundred years, eh, has it been that long already?"
This man designed three hundred foot tall machines of war that interface with the human body and mind. Keeping himself alive using similar technology must have been easy. You study the man's mechanical eye and the mask covering half of his face. I wonder, how much of his original body is left?
Doctor Franxx adjusts his collar. "Anyway, we are getting off topic. This location will suffice for keeping your FranXX in working order and will allow for the production of more should you manage to gather the resources. However, based on your comment, Code 016, I can only assume you knew that."
The ancient man begins walking toward you, stopping just before the front step. "We've discussed this long enough. You know what I have to offer and what I want. We can help each other to further our goals, or we can go it alone and risk accomplishing nothing."
"We'll consider it," you say. "On one condition, that we save as many parasites as we can. They don't deserve to suffer under APE any more than we did." Doctor Franxx snorts derisively. "Of course, of course," he readily agrees. "What good would having a world free of APE be if there was no one here to live in it?"
He extends his good hand. "We have a deal?"
You glance to your left. Ichigo, Hiro, and Ikuno all bear similar looks of optimism. On your right, Mitsuru and Zero Two remain skeptical. Zero Two in particular eyes the man as if he could kill you all in the next moment. Over Doctor Franxx's shoulder, Nana's eyes glisten and her fingers are laced just below her chin as if she were begging. Hachi's expression is as stern as ever, but even then, you think you can see the slightest crack in his exterior.
Ichigo gives your left hand a squeeze.
You sigh and step forward.
Here goes nothing.
"Deal."