Hello again everyone! I'm back with a quick announcement. After the last chapter, I was approached by an individual who expressed concern at the content that might be appearing in the coming chapters. I assured them as I will now assure you that explicit or unsettling content is NOT my goal in the writing of this chapter or Insurrection at large. If anyone feels uncomfortable at any time I encourage them not to press forward. With that said, Spaze and I have been very careful such that we feel nothing in this chapter is deserving of a content warning.
On a more light-hearted note, I'd also like to welcome Bebbanburg and Code 013 to the discord server. If your interested in joining us to hang out see the author's note in Chapter 26 for more details.
Today marks the seventh dawn after Kokoro had been captured. Or at least, her body tells her it is dawn. It's hard to tell the time of day from a windowless room.
The girl rubs her eyes and crawls over to the edge of her bed. After fumbling for a moment, she finds the ladder and climbs down from the top bunk. Careful not to wake the other girls still sleeping in their beds, she makes her way to the living quarters' tiny bathroom.
Closing the door to keep the light in, she begins getting ready for the day to come. First, she slips off the nightgown that had been given to her. It was an ugly piece of clothing that didn't fit right, being much too small in the chest and leaving a portion of her midriff exposed, almost as if it had been made for another girl. Not at all like the nice, warm one she had at Haven, but it was that or sleep without anything at all in a room full of strangers. The decision wasn't hard to make.
Turning the handle, she is greeted with a pleasant sound not that different from rain. The experience will be anything but pleasant, however. The bathroom itself is only about four feet wide by eight feet long. In that space is a toilet, a sink, and a shower with no curtain. The water is cold, and even if she were to let it run for an hour, it wouldn't get any warmer. Not to mention that it felt like she had to shower in a drinking straw with how tight it is.
With a sigh, Kokoro folds her garment and sets it on the toilet to keep it safe from the running water. She braces herself for what is to come and steps into the frigid water. The blonde shivers as it runs across her shoulders and down her back, the sensation akin to being dunked in ice.
Only three minutes later, the water shuts off and Kokoro steps out of the shower. She is freezing from head to toe, and niceties like a hairdryer aren't something provided by her captors. Instead, a lone towel hangs on the rack above the sink.
When the girl reaches for it, she's delighted to find that it is dry. Kokoro had learned after only a day with the other girls that if she wanted to be able to dry herself, she needed to shower first in the morning. Quickly running the towel over her damp skin in an attempt to warm herself, she is shocked when the bathroom door suddenly opens.
Standing outside is another of the room's occupants, another mother-to-be. This girl, Shouko, had been the only one to welcome her to the room when she was assigned her bunk. However, Kokoro wasn't close enough to her to feel comfortable being naked around her.
She lets out a little screech, but Shouko doesn't pay her any mind. The girl also steps into the small bathroom, forcing Kokoro to sit on the toilet to make room for her. She then removes her nightgown as if Kokoro wasn't present and turns on the shower.
Looking at Shouko's nude form, one thing sticks out. Her stomach has a very noticeable rounded bulge. Absentmindedly, Kokoro's hand drifts to her own. As far as she can tell, nothing feels different, but she knows that isn't true. Somewhere, she has a child of her own growing.
I wanted a baby, she thinks, but not like this. I wanted it to be Futoshi's. I don't think I'll ever know who this child's father is. That thought alone is nearly enough to break Kokoro's fragile heart.
"Four months," a voice brings Kokoro back to reality. "Oh, I'm sorry," Kokoro apologizes. "I didn't mean to stare." In truth, she had zoned out and happened to be looking in Shouko's direction, only because of the cramped nature of the bathroom.
"You don't need to be sorry," Shouko says before she turns around to begin washing her hair. "The water's colder than usual today. I can't wait until I hit six months."
"Why's that?" Kokoro asks as she resumes drying herself. "Because once you reach six months, things start looking up," the other girl answers. "You get moved to a new room with only one other person, the showers have warm water, the clothes are nicer, and they make you do less work. You even get more food."
As if to punctuate her statement, Kokoro's stomach growls, causing Shouko to chuckle. "How'd you learn that?" the blonde asks of her roommate. "Because I've been there before," Shouko answers as the water turns off. She steps out of the shower and holds her hand out expectantly. Kokoro reluctantly gives her the towel. "This is my second child," the dark-haired girl tells her.
"H-how old are you?" Kokoro asks while putting on her undergarments. "I'm old enough," she answers. "At least, that's what they told me."
The pair step out of the bathroom one by one. The lights of the room are now on, not that its occupants have any say in the matter. Every morning, promptly at 0630, the lights came on. Conversely, every evening at 2200 the lights went out. Just another one of the little details about living in captivity Kokoro had yet to get used to.
They begin dressing as the conversation resumes. "How'd you end up here?" the newer girl asks her senior. "I was going to be a parasite, like everyone else," Shouko explains, "but I didn't do well enough on my exams to be selected. The Replacement Division was too full at the time to take any more, so I was sent here. The Maternal Ward, home sweet home."
By the time Shouko has finished speaking, both girls are dressed. Their garments are barely a step up from the nightgowns, thin straps over the shoulders with equally itchy fabric dresses that reach down to the knee.
Kokoro points to the empty beds on the right side of the room. "Where are the others?" Shouko steps past her to her bed, the bunk below Kokoro's. "Probably left already. They shower at night, so all they need to do is get dressed in the morning."
The girl leans over to make her bed before suddenly grabbing onto the bedpost to keep from falling. "Shouko!" Kokoro rushes to her side. "I'm alright," she waves off the other girl's concern. "The baby just kicked is all."
"Please, let me," Kokoro insists, trying to take the sheets from Shouko, who shakes her head. "Are you going to do all of my other tasks today too? And what about the day after?"
"I… uh…" Kokoro stutters. "No," Shouko answers. "I can do this. I did it before you got here and I'll do it again after you're gone."
Kokoro is taken aback. "What do you mean, 'after I'm gone?'" Shouko glances over her shoulder while tucking in the sheet. "You said the other day that your squadmates would come to rescue you, didn't you? If they do then you won't have to do chores every day like we do now, but I'll still be here."
"No," Kokoro takes the other girl's hands and squeezes them. "My friends will save all of us. No one will have to do this anymore." "That's a nice thought," Shouko smiles, "but we live in reality. Which means that if you don't get up there and make your bed, we'll be late and not get breakfast." The girl rubs the bulge in her stomach. "Someone's hungry, so you better hurry. And I don't just mean mine either."
"Right!" Kokoro scrambles up the ladder and hastily makes her bed. Shouko is waiting by the door for her when she's finished. With the girl's touch, it opens into the hallway containing doors to other rooms just like theirs, each with four girls just like them. Five more hallways feed into the central atrium, each with easily fifty rooms. From there, stairs or elevators can be taken to one of the ten additional floors of the facility that make up the Maternal Ward - APE's parasite production center.
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After walking down five flights of stairs, Kokoro and Shouko arrive on the ground floor. Here, all of the essential facilities could be found, such as the cafeteria, kitchen, medical facilities, and most importantly, the delivery rooms.
As they walked, Kokoro had learned that the third and fourth floors housed the special rooms Shouko mentioned for girls who were nearing the end of their pregnancies. Once the child was born, the mother was moved to the second floor to care for them, but for no more than a month. The child needed their mother for proper development until then, but leaving them together any longer would involve creating bonds that were too powerful to be allowed.
Once the child had been nursed for the allotted time, it would be separated from the mother and fed only formula. They were then taken to one of the adjoining facilities where they were housed based on age and cared for by one of any number of the mothers. After another month for her body to recover, each girl would begin the cycle again.
The girls rotated through a series of jobs each week. Just because they were with child didn't exempt them from pulling their weight in APE's eyes. One such task was caring for the children of a certain age. Another cooking for the facilities and their inhabitants. Further still, they could be given the assignment of cleaning or other necessary tasks.
When Kokoro and Shouko walk past the hall leading to the medical wing, the blonde shudders. "Is something wrong?" Shouko asks. Kokoro quickly shakes her head. "No!"
I don't want to go there ever again, Kokoro tells herself as they continue toward the cafeteria. But my appointment is today, and if I don't go they'll punish me.
"Relax." Kokoro feels a hand on her shoulder. "I'm fine," she whispers. "You're going to be alright," Shouko promises. "The worst has already passed. Now it's just checkups until you hit six months."
I wish I could believe that. The memory of her first hours in the Maternal Ward still haunts her. Tests had been conducted on her to determine the best available father for her child, based on bloodwork and genetics. Even then, she hadn't met the boy. Only a cold machine. She entered the room pure and left a future mother.
The sound of clattering plates and idle chatter catches Kokoro's ear as the pair rounds the corner to the cafeteria. The room is as plain as any other in the facility, with white walls, rows of steel tables, and a line of hungry girls waiting to be served.
It takes the better part of five minutes for Kokoro and Shouko to make it through the line before finding a seat at an empty table. "Breakfast looks good," the other girl announces as she begins eating. The food was one of many things that surprised Kokoro when she had arrived, but it had been the only pleasant one.
Her plate is filled with fruit that looks fresh despite it being early spring, eggs, bacon, and a single pancake.
"You better eat it now," Shouko warns her between bites. "If you don't, you'll be hungry later." "If you don't mind my asking," Kokoro says, "how can you eat so much?" The girl in question has already inhaled half of her plate, leaving only the bacon and eggs despite the portions being larger.
The girl shrugs. "I'm eating for two. If you think this is a lot, you should have seen me seven months ago." Kokoro gives her a questioning look as she takes a bite of her apple. "I had twins," Shouko explains. "The doctors said it's rare, but some girls do. They gave me twice as much as the other girls in my stage were getting to keep them both healthy."
"Is that why you have more than I do?" Kokoro wonders aloud. "No," the dark-haired girl finishes her eggs and begins to devour the bacon. "I only have one this time. I'm getting more because I'm further along than you. There's some kind of plan they have for us based on that. It's why we have to carry the ID tags with us everywhere. They can look at our records using the code."
As Shouko finishes speaking, a gentle dinging comes over the loudspeakers. "Guess time's up," the girl says from across the table, and then she stands. "I'm in the kitchen this afternoon and evening, so it'll be late before I get back." "I'll be in the Nursery," Kokoro answers the unasked question as the pair head for the door.
Shouko cocks her head. "What age?" "Two," Kokoro answers. "Good luck," the other girl chuckles. "They're the worst. See you later!" The shorter girl stops at the door to the kitchen and gives a little wave, leaving Kokoro to make her own way to the two year olds' nursery building.
I think she's younger than me, Kokoro decides as the walks. To be younger than I am and already on her second child...
Kokoro passes through the atrium and proceeds down a passage connecting the main building of the Maternity Ward to the outlying nurseries. This affords her a look at the outside world through the windows, though the view isn't much. Some trees stand out against the wall surrounding the facility. Several FranXX make their way past a black spire headed toward the main gate. It opens for them, giving Kokoro the briefest glance at free air before slamming shut once more.
You'll come for me, won't you guys? You wouldn't leave me here.
The glass doors at the end of the passage slide open as she approaches. Beyond lies a reception area with attendants ready to direct the girls to their assigned children.
"Badge," the woman behind the desk demands when Kokoro steps up. The blonde hands it over to be scanned. "556," she says, "you are assigned to room 203 for the day. At 1545 you are allotted time to leave for you checkup, not before." "Yes, ma'am," Kokoro nods and continues on her way to meet the children.
Despite the awful things that went on here, it would be wrong to say Kokoro didn't enjoy working in the nursery. Even if it was with the "Terrible Twos," as Shouko had jokingly called them. The children were always well-behaved for her and did as she instructed them. She couldn't form any relationships with them, though, which did make her sad. The room assignments were changed daily and it could be another month until she was in the nursery at all, according to what she'd been told.
Stopping before the door, she can see through the playroom's large one-way mirror that the children are tormenting their current caretaker. Kokoro sighs and gently knocks on the door. A moment later another girl answers. "I am to relieve you," Kokoro says.
The girl in question, who looks worn out, perks up. She nods and hands over a clipboard listing the designations of the children waiting in the room. She leaves Kokoro to take control of the situation.
"Good morning, children!" Kokoro smiles at the toddlers. The kids turn to look at her for a moment before most return to playing. One little girls runs up to her holding a book. Kokoro, however, doesn't notice until she tugs on her dress.
"You want me to read to you?" she asks. The little one nods. "Well, then," Kokoro bends down and picks her up, resting the child against her hip, "let's go find a seat."
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Eight hours, one meal, three fights, twenty-two books, and an untold number of clothes changes later, a knock comes on the door. Kokoro carefully makes her way through the room full of sleeping toddlers. She opens it to find her replacement. "I just put them down for a nap," Kokoro advises her before stepping out. The look of joy on the new girl's face is hard to hide, knowing that she'll have an easy job for the next hour at least.
She takes the clipboard and allows Kokoro to trade places with her. Kokoro watches as the door slowly slides shut. The little girl she'd read to that morning opens an eye and gives an adorable three-finger wave. The young woman returns it and mouths, "Go back to sleep," to which the toddler rests her head once more.
Kokoro walks through the same passage she had this morning back to the Maternal Ward. I'll never see her again. It's so sad it makes me want to cry.
When she reaches the medical wing, Kokoro is directed to an examination room. After several minutes of waiting, a nurse finally comes in.
She wastes no time with pleasantries, only the rigid examination. "Are you in any pain? Does it hurt when you urinate? Are you eating everything you're given?" The questions seem endless. Finally, the nurse withdraws an empty vial and takes a blood sample from her arm. It is inserted into a nearby machine and data is output to the adjoining screen.
"You appear to be healthy," the nurse states. "Your estimated due date is twenty-seven weeks." Twenty-seven? That's only... seven months. The book said a baby takes nine months to be born.
"Um, excuse me," Kokoro interrupts her. "Did you say twenty-seven weeks?" "Yes," the nurse nods. Kokoro gives her a puzzled look. "I thought babies took nine months to develop."
"Naturally, they do," the nurse answers while withdrawing several vials from a drawer. "However, with stimulants and hormone injections, that process can be sped up to seven months. Stick out your arm."
Several shots are administered before the nurse speaks again. "Lift your dress." Kokoro's eyes go wide. "Lift your dress," the nurse repeats. The blonde does as instructed and a patch is placed over her midsection. More data appears on the readout.
"The baby's development is acceptable. You will begin to receive the injections at your checkup next week."
"The ones I got earlier weren't?" Kokoro asks. The nurse shakes her head. "No, they were for your health, not the child's." The patch is removed and the nurse stops by the door. "Your examination is complete. Please return to your assigned duties."
"Thank you!" Kokoro says as she opens. The woman huffs and exits.
Kokoro rests her hand on her stomach and makes her way to the cafeteria for dinner. "We'll be okay," she says to the child. "I promise I won't let them take you."
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Bang.
To the left.
Bang.
Wide right.
Bang.
There we go.
Futoshi flicks on the safety of the rifle he'd been training with and takes a deep breath. He removes the magazine in a quick motion and then pulls back on the charging handle, ejecting the round that had been chambered. It clatters to the floor and rolls in a lazy circle before coming to a stop.
After retrieving the lone cartridge, Futoshi walks to the end of the gun range. A paper target has been hung from the ceiling, with holes scattered across it. The most recent additions are loose patterns over the right arm and above the left shoulder.
It's not good enough, he tells himself. Zero Two shot them all through the same hole and I barely even hit the target. It was nice of her to teach me, but I'm just not good at shooting.
Futoshi violently shakes his head. Stop it! You have to be good, Kokoro is waiting for you! The young man's heart aches when he thinks of his love suffering through god knows what in captivity.
This thought rouses a fire deep within him. It's my fault. I should have protected you. Futoshi thinks bitterly, tearing the paper target from its hoist and reducing it to shreds. I won't let it happen again. I'll save you, Kokoro.
With his emotions brimming, Futoshi leaves the range and makes for the commander's office. They'll have found her by now. We'll leave soon and get her back, I'm sure. I'll do whatever it takes.
Having arrived at the office, Futoshi knocks on the door. It slides open a moment later and he enters the room.
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"Futoshi," you look up from the paperwork on your desk and pause. The boy before you is red in the face, clearly wearing day-old clothes, and his bloodshot eyes stare directly at you. He looks like hell... not that I can blame him.
With haste, you realign the papers and move to file them in a drawer. "What can I do for you, Futoshi?" you ask him politely.
"Have you found her?" he asks, not needing to explain which her he means.
"No," you answer in solemn voice, "we haven't." A look of soul-crushing despair flashes across his face. "But, you have a plan to, right?" Futoshi pushes. "We do," you nod. "Then let me help!" he practically shouts.
You sigh. "Futoshi, we've been over this." He raises his voice to a true shout. "So?! I can do it just as well as you can!" "Futoshi, you look nothing like the parasite that I'll be impersonating," you explain once again. "I know \you want to bring Kokoro back, but sending you would make things harder, not easier."
"I can't just stay here and do nothing!" Futoshi yells, face growing redder still. "You aren't doing nothing," you say calmly. "You're working every day to get stronger, so that when we do find Kokoro you can save her, right? Just a little longer and we'll know."
Futoshi nods, seemingly placated, before he erupts at you again. "That's taking too long! We should just attack the nearest plantation and force them to tell us where she is!" You shake your head. "You know we can't do that. It would put everyone at risk."
Futoshi has now stormed across the room and is leaning heavily against your desk. "And who cares?" Papers and a mug fall to the floor as he sweeps his hand across the desk. "We have to find her!"
You slide out of your chair and begin to pick up the scattered pieces of your workspace. "Are you even listening to me?!" Futoshi shouts, now looming over you. "This type of situation takes time, Futoshi," you reply without looking up.
Out of the corner of your eye, you see a boot rushing rapidly toward you. You lean to the side as it narrowly misses. "If it were Ichigo you would have found her by now!"
As Futoshi steps toward you, you spring up and tackle him. There is a resounding thud as the two of you hit the unforgiving steel floor. Holding his head against the ground and straddling the larger boy, you keep him from moving and attempting anything further..
"If it were Ichigo," you hiss, leaning closer, "I would've never lost her in the first place."
Much to your surprise, Futoshi doesn't fight back. Instead, soft cries can be heard as he shudders. "I know!" he wails. "I know if it had been anyone but me, Kokoro would be here! I know I'm useless and good for nothing! Kokoro would have been better off with someone else as her partner!"
You are too shocked to immediately reply. God, this is not where I expected things to go. What do I do? What do I say?
"Uh, Futoshi," you say as you tentatively lay your hand on his back. "You see, bud… no one blames you for what happened." The boy looks up at you. "T-They don't?" he sniffles.
"No," you shake your head. "You did what any of us would do. You tried to protect Kokoro. I may talk a big game now, but against the Nines I would've lost too." You do omit that you'd have died before they laid a hand on Ichigo, telling him that wouldn't be of any help.
Futoshi dries his eyes. "So, you wouldn't have done any better?" Offering a smile, you say, "I'd have ended up in the infirmary after fighting back, just like you."
Futoshi withdraws into himself and you take the opportunity to begin cleaning up the mess your scuffle had made. The papers Futoshi had scattered are still strewn about near the desk, and the mug that Ichigo had given you has a noticeable chip from where it hit the floor.
You start by righting the chair that had been overturned when you tackled Futoshi. Then, you gather the papers and put them in a stack to be sorted through later. Finally, you take the mug in your hands and frown. It's still usable, but the fact that it was a present from Ichigo that was now damaged is no less disappointing.
"Hey, (Y/N)," Futoshi says, having gained his feet. He looks solemnly at you. "I'm sorry I tried to hit you. I didn't want to. I kinda just lost control."
"I know you didn't, big guy," you assure him. "We're all worried about Kokoro, you more so than anyone, but we can't get her back overnight. Ichigo and I will infiltrate the plantation and find out where APE is holding her. Then, once we've found her, you'll be the one to rescue her."
Futoshi's expression lightens as if a weight has been lifted off his shoulders. "I'll be ready." "Good," you smile. "I'm counting on it."