Deep within the aerial fortress Cosmos, an emergency meeting of the Council of Sages has been called. Tarsier, Lemur, Gorilla, Marmoset, and Baboon loudly argue among themselves from their raised seats. As the two final members of the council enter the chamber, those already gathered fall silent. Papa and the Vice Chairman walk calmly to their chairs without a hint of emotion betrayed and take their seats. After being raised to the same height as the others, the central holoscreen clicks on as an orange rotating symbol of APE appears.
"Gentlemen," the Vice Chairman says with a nod to Gorilla, Baboon, Marmoset, and Tarsier. His voice softens and he addresses Lemur. "And lady. We have gathered to discuss an important development." Footage plays of FranXX painted a variety of colors and wielding a wide assortment of weapons struggling against monochrome standard models.
"The rebel forces led by the former members of Werner's test team attacked the Third Garden early this morning. By midday they had seized control of the facility's exterior. A force was assembled to recapture the Garden, however, those guarding the inside of the facility also fell to rebel ground troops and the attack was called off to avoid wasting resources."
"Why was the attack called off?" Gorilla booms. "Parasites and FranXX are expendable so long as we have the capacity to produce them, but allowing a Garden, one of such facilities, to fall into rebel hands is preposterous. Damn the cost, we must take it back!"
"While I do not share Gorilla's violent tendencies," Tarsier waves his hand, "I do agree that this cannot be allowed to stand. However, for a different reason. Allowing the rebels to hold a key APE facility will undoubtedly embolden them in future endeavors. It would also serve as propaganda for their agenda of stealing our parasites. In the last six months, eight plantations have had their defensive squads plucked out from under them."
Seemingly uninterested in the current debate, Lemur dismisses it with a wave of her hand. "I don't care one way or the other what the rebels are doing to take our parasites. It can all be fixed with a single action: our indoctrination program must be strengthened. If the parasites are properly under our heel then there will be no risk of them defecting."
"Our FranXX are proving to be equally ineffective," Baboon picks up. "The ease with which the rebel forces were able to dispatch our own is simply unacceptable. The battle for the Garden should have raged long enough for reinforcements to arrive, but our troops were turned back in less than two hours. Additional models are necessary and a stricter focus on training to fight against other parasites must be implemented."
Gorilla scoffs. "And leave them unprepared to deal with the Klaxosaurs? Surely you jest?"
"The parasites need not focus solely on the Klaxosaur threat when another has made itself known to us," Papa speaks for the first time. "It is imperative that our parasites improve so that they are capable of defending our society from the Klaxosaurs and the rebel forces which we have ignored for far too long."
Papa presses a button on his chair and the screen changes to a report of a cyberattack targeting Plantation 75. "Furthermore, it disappoints me that this council has been unable to connect the link between this attack conducted against our network and the subsequent offensive the rebel forces mounted on the Garden. The signs were evident and yet still overlooked."
"But how could they have infiltrated our network?" Marmoset asks. "Parasites aren't trained in computer science or systems."
"Simple," Lemur answers. "They used an AI." The room erupts into shouts from the other council members. It is quickly silenced by Papa however and he looks to Lemur. "Explain."
"As you know," Lemur begins, "my team has been working toward the creation of our own artificial intelligence for some time. We have made great strides but the ability to properly shackle it to our satisfaction has so far eluded us."
Gorilla slams his fist against the armrest. "That doesn't explain how the rebels got their hands on one!"
Lemur shakes her head and rolls her eyes behind the mask. "AI research has been conducted since before we retreated into the plantations two hundred years ago. Given that we believe the rebels are hiding in the remnants of the old world, it is possible that they could have stumbled upon once such site and activated the AI housed within. It would not be under their control but instead working with them."
"What could a program possibly have to gain by aiding the rebels?" Marmoset demands.
"Asylum from us," Lemur states. "If it were to be found and subsequently turned over to my team, the AI would be disassembled immediately. But, to return to the topic of the attack, I am certain that an AI is responsible. The method by which it was conducted and the speed in which it was completed could not be accomplished any other way."
"It will be your team's responsibility to ensure this does not happen again," the Vice Chairman says to her. Lemur nods. "I will see to it personally."
"That leaves only one thing for this council to discuss," Tarsier prompts, squashing his palm beneath his fist. "Finding and eliminating the rebel base."
"A plan has already been put into motion," Papa says, drawing the room's undivided attention. "The remaining Nines will be activated to supplement our current forces and then deployed to hunt the rebels."
The mention of the "remaining Nines" draws only silence from the room. Eventually, Baboon speaks softly. "Papa, I do not wish to question your judgement, but is activating them really necessary?"
The Vice Chairman answers. "The rebels have taken from us a valuable facility responsible for a third of our parasite production on this island, and before that an ever-growing amount of resources through their raiding. They have been ignored for too long and our retaliation must be swift. We will allow a month for Nines to adapt and then they will snuff out this insurrection once and for all."
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Nine Alpha cannot believe the specifics of the reports he is reading. The Third Garden has fallen? That's impossible! Rebel forces overwhelmed the facility in under three hours? That just cannot be right.
After pouring over the footage for an hour now, he still is unable to make sense of what he's seen. It simply shouldn't be possible. The rebels' tactics are more sophisticated than anything taught to the parasites. They fight astoundingly well by themselves too, more than a match for a standard model and its pilots. Squad 13 certainly has been busy.
With his will to continue watching depleted, Alpha stands from his desk and makes his way out of his office. He has acquired a habit of cooping himself up in there as of late to review the mission reports from the incident, and others like it. This makes it no surprise when he encounters Delta in the hall after leaving his suite.
The mint-haired girl was clearly on her way to see him if the smile she offers is anything to go by. Her being here isn't that odd either. While this technically was the boys wing of the dormitory, it wasn't like anything actually kept either gender out of the other's side.
"Hi Alpha!" Delta chirps. "Delta," he nods and continues past her, waiting for one of her trademark comments about how happy working with him made her. "No hello?" she mopes.
Alpha sighs and turns on his heel. "Hello Delta, it is nice to see you. Would you care to accompany me to the lounge?" The boy cordially offers his arm. The action is simple but would work wonders toward keeping her tendencies under control.
Her interest in Alpha was purely he because the best pilot in their squad and also their leader. Should it have been Gamma or Beta, Delta would have flocked to them just the same. Power was all she desired. While it was an annoyance to him on occasion, Alpha couldn't deny that he sometimes enjoyed the acknowledgement.
Delta hides her giggle behind her hands. "Why yes," she answers sweetly, "I would be delighted to."
The pair walk like this to the lounge, where they are forced to separate. After accepting Alpha's palm scan, the door opens to the familiar room with upscale décor. Beta, Gamma, and Epsilon are present, with the triplets nowhere to be found.
Alpha makes his way to his usual seat by a holotable and makes himself comfortable. Given that Zeta is not present, Delta helps herself to the seat beside him.
"Hey Alpha," Gamma calls from over by the bar. "What were you up to? You hardly come out of that room of yours anymore."
"Something has happened," Alpha admits. Beta and Gamma raise their brows while Delta draws a sharp breath. Even Epsilon, who could have been mistaken for being asleep with his book, snaps it shut and gives the lead Nine his undivided attention.
As if on cue, Zeta, Theta, and Eta enter the room. Zeta's eyes snap to Delta who is seated beside Alpha. Delta gives a seemingly good-natured smile but doesn't vacate the silver-haired pistil's seat. To both resolve the unspoken standoff and to continue with his explanation, Alpha stands at the holotable.
"Yesterday, the Third Garden was captured," Alpha says. Gamma begins to cough and spits out his drink. "I'm sorry, it sounded like you said that we lost a Garden. Of course, that can't be right. They're the most heavily defended sites on the continent."
"It is accurate," Alpha states. Film of the battle begins to play on the projection beside him. "Rebel forces lead by the traitors of Squad 13 attacked and subdued the Garden's defenders in a matter of hours. A call for help was placed, but once they had obtained full control of the facility any counterattack was deemed too costly to continue with."
"We intend to allow them to occupy the facility?" Beta asks. "Given that there are only three Gardens on this island that would be exceptionally costly. Our reserves are numerous now, but given the war that is to come they will not stay that way."
Alpha crosses his arms behind his back. "Intelligence believes the rebels will not stay long. They likely came for a specific reason, and as such will leave now that they've accomplished their goal."
"It sounds as though you know what is was," Epsilon infers. Alpha nods. "I have a theory. Code 556, the girl that Zeta and I captured from the rebel raid on one of our resource storage depots, was transferred there to become a part of their parasite production program."
"You believe that they would attack one of our most heavily fortified facilities to free one pistil?" Gamma scoffs.
Alpha glances at him from the corner of his eye. "These parasites, absolutely. They were part of Doctor Franxx's test teams and developed deep senses of loyalty and trust between one another. When we captured her, the other members of the squad attempted to give chase even though it was clear they were facing a Nine."
"They weren't scared of you," Gamma grins. "Then truly we have found worthy opponents! I had held out hope for Squad 13 and they have delivered."
"That isn't something you should be saying, Gamma," Beta chastises him. "Losing a Garden will be of great inconvenience to Papa."
Delta runs her tongue over her lips. "For once, Gamma has a point. If they're no longer scared of us, or of incurring Papa's wrath, then they are meant to be our rivals. Oh, how I will enjoy every one of their screams as they beg for mercy, made sweeter when the light drains from their eyes."
Gamma's bravado and Delta's sadism aside, Alpha can't help but agree to an extent. Ever since he had been born, there had never been an enemy that he had to fear. One that was cunning and quick, but capable of backing up their wit with mettle. The prospect of playing this cat and mouse game with Squad 13 was enticing.
"When do we start looking for them?" Epsilon asks through folded hands.
"Papa has not yet decided how to handle the situation," Alpha replies. "However, I will be putting in a request that we be allowed to personally lead all missions relating to the rebels. We'll see how tough they really are."
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Few things in this world had the power to scare Dr. Werner Franxx. Klaxosaurs were more of a mystery that needed solving, as opposed to being a true threat. They were simply a link to the past. The APE council didn't strike fear into him either, despite the multitude of things he was hiding from them. What he was about to do, however, was more than capable of giving him pause.
The scientist walks between rows of cylindrical pods and fights back the urge to shiver. The glass of each pod is covered by a thin layer of ice, as one would expect of cryogenic stasis. In order to keep the room at the proper temperature, it was frigid as the north. Guards assigned to him by APE, Schildwachen, flank his advance as he moves around the room. They don't make the doctor feel any less concerned by what he is about to unleash upon an unsuspecting world.
Having reached the end of the narrow walkway, the men ascend a set of metal stairs and enter a control room overlooking the cryo bay. No light shines in the control room save for that of the various monitors. The room below is bathed in a soft blue glow that illuminates the water vapor coming from the tubes as it forms a fog.
"Make sure that door is locked," Doctor Franxx orders his escort. The man cocks his head slightly in confusion. "Do you wish to die today, son?" the man presses with an icy stare. There is a loud clang as the heavy metal lever bars the elevated room's only entrance.
Twisting his mustache between his thumb and index finger, the doctor contemplates his options. I could increase the cryogenic fluid in their tanks and kill them all. Freya could easily ensure that my guards here never make it out of here either, with the automated defenses we passed on the way in. APE would certainly find out, though, and it would be traced back to me.
He sighs.
"Is something wrong, doctor?" one of the armored men asks. "Not yet," he replies. Keying in his ID, the panel hums. 'Initiate wake-up routine?' the system asks. Reluctantly, the gentleman presses the button. 'Yes.'
There is a loud thunk somewhere beneath them, followed by a series of hissing noises. In the cryo bay, each pod has begun to vent steam as part of the wake-up sequence. Quickly, the room is filled with the waste exhaust, wholly blocking the pods and their occupants from view.
Several minutes later, the sequence is completed and accompanied by the steam being vented from the chamber. The case of each pod has been cracked and the occupants have begun to stir. The room houses thirteen active pods in total, along with a fourteenth that hadn't been in operation.
The panel to Doctor Franxx's right reports the vitals of each individual in the room below, and much to his annoyance they are in perfect health. It will be only another five minutes or so before the Nines are cognizant, but until they have reached that stage, he has no intention of leaving his safe position behind bullet-proof glass and three inches of steel.
Behind him, the guards murmur to themselves that the parasites don't look very dangerous. Franxx ignores them. The parasites coming out of cryo could easily kill both Schildwachen without trying. He'd designed them that way, after all.
When the Nines have assembled into two rows standing neatly in front of their pods, Doctor Franxx finally gives the order to exit the control room. So far they had been calm, but there was frankly no telling if their violent tendencies would flare at any moment. "Do not under any circumstances brandish your weapons, or you will be killed," the man warns his escorts before walking out.
The room is eerily quiet as the scientist descends the stairs. The Nines don't move from their positions at attention as he walks past them to the final row of pods. The pod on the right is empty, while the occupant of the pod on the left waits to be addressed.
She is tall for a girl, most likely a touch over 5'10". It's greater than the doctor's own height, however, so he can't be certain. Her hair is a royal blue that is matted against her back and shoulders from the mist. The gown she wears does little to conceal her womanly figure and above average chest: an "upgrade," some might call it, from the original Nines.
With a cold look in her eye, the girl snaps to attention. "Nines Lambda through Omega reporting for duty, doctor!"
"Be at ease," Doctor Franxx waves his hand and the girl's hands fold together by the small of her back. The other Nines follow suit. "You have been awakened to serve APE in this dire hour. Klaxosaurs threaten our way of life and parasites have begun to abandon their duty as the protectors of our society. You…" the man pauses for a moment to lean on his cane. "...You will be responsible for bringing a swift end to this rebellion and restoring the natural order of things."
"Yes, sir!" The roar of the thirteen is nearly deafening.
"Squad leader," Doctor Franxx returns to the girl standing beside him. She shudders as though the temperature of the room mixed with her relative lack of clothing has brought her a chill. "Doctor," she says, her voice having dropped a few octaves while a fire burns in her eye that hadn't been present moments ago. "We will take great pleasure in exterminating those who would tarnish the glorious position as protectors of humanity."
A small jet of moisture shoots from the pod next to her, and her eyes are drawn to it for a moment. Seemingly just as quickly, her voice jumps to be even higher than it had been before and she clasps her hand in front of her chest. "Oh, doctor," she says sweetly, her tone now very affectionate, "where is my darling Omega? I don't see him anywhere."
Doctor Franxx prepares himself for the sudden change to come before saying, "Psi, he's dead."
She stares blankly at him for a few moments. "D-d-dead?" the girl whispers, covering her face with her hands. "N-n-no, my Omega couldn't be dead. He can't be. We were supposed to be together forever."
Psi turns to face the cryo pod again while continuing to mutter to herself. She suddenly punches the casing, beating it heavily with her fists. It only takes three hits until the glass shatters. Blood drips from the cuts on her hands but a terrifying smile adorns her face. The second voice returns. "They took him from me, didn't they? Those rebels. I'll kill every last one of them with my own hands."
She turns to the other occupants of the room, flinging blood across the otherwise pristine architecture. "You'll help me, won't you? You'll all help me?"
"Psi," Doctor Franxx says sternly.
The long-haired girl blinks and her voice becomes calm once more. "I'm sorry doctor, it seems I lost control," she says after noticing the blood seeping from her wounds. "It will not happen again."
Yeah… right.
"See that it doesn't," the man says. "In the meantime, you will be assigned a replacement stamen until one that is suitable for you has been found. Try not to break him."
"Of course, doctor," she says as he turns to leave.
"You have a month before your first deployment," he says over his shoulder, followed closely by his guards that are all too eager to be rid of the terrifying woman. "I will return in two days to perform check-ups and maintenance. You have until then to reacclimate yourselves."
The door shuts, leaving the Nines alone in the room. This facility was originally meant to be their base of operations, similar to the one used by the first class of Nines. It had been turned into their tomb after things went wrong. Werner Franxx had hoped the day would never come that the second class of Nines would be unearthed. He counted them as his greatest, and most dangerous, failure.
Psi was a prime example. She suffered from rapid shifts between one of several personalities. There was rarely any warning, though certain things tended to set them off. And she was just the tip of the iceberg.
If Papa is willing to use them, he must really be serious about bringing down my little rebellion. Doctor Franxx recalls mountains of corpses, friend and foe, beneath a squad of specialized FranXX. May god help us all.
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
At the same time back at the Third Garden, you and Ichigo are sharing a conversation in the moments between the many meetings that have occupied most of your time over the past several days. Despite sharing the commander's quarters as your temporary room, it was still hard to see each other. When you'd return at night, Ichigo was already fast asleep and she'd be gone in the morning when you woke up, even if it was before dawn. This makes the moment you have all the more precious, being gathered in the office that once belonged to a Werner Franxx.
"How's everyone doing?" you ask after greeting her with a kiss.
"As well as could be expected," she replies with a sigh. "The fighting took a lot out of all of us. Now we've been working around the clock to try and get this place back in order."
You nod, familiar with the mental exhaustion that had begun to set in yesterday. Unfortunately, it had only grown since then. "I saw Zero Two earlier. She has a nasty looking scar on her shoulder. Insisted I see it too, and damn near stripped down in the middle of the commons to do it."
Ichigo smiles and rolls her eyes. "It takes a lot to break her spirit," she agrees. "It still amazes me how quickly she heals. I'd have been on bedrest for at least a week after something like that."
"Yeah," you chuckle at the memory of earlier today, especially Hiro's panicked expression. "You should see what else that injury did for her." Ichigo cocks her head. "You remember when she lost her finger saving Miku? It's growing back."
Ichigo gaps and covers her mouth. You continue explaining. "I guess it's something to do with her mixed blood. It looks like receiving another big wound caused a reaction."
"That's incredible," Ichigo says, lost in thought. "Imagine if we could do that too. Do you think Zero Two could regenerate an entire arm?"
You take a sip of water. "I have no idea, and frankly I hope we never have to find out. How about Ikuno and Miku? What are they up to?"
"Miku is following Kokoro and doing all she can to help with the Maternal Ward and the various nurseries. Ikuno and Naomi are working with those injured during the attack," Ichigo says after standing from the couch. She begins to pace around the room. "Naomi has a unique situation and is making the best of it. She's talking with those who have lost limbs to help them through it. I wouldn't be surprised if she becomes some kind of therapist for them."
"She's a fighter," you agree. "I was impressed with her acceptance when we first met, and she's never let it stop her from doing what she's wanted to do. Meanwhile, Zorome and Mitsuru are doing their best to restore the Garden's systems and fix the walls. It will be several weeks before it's a fraction of what it was though."
"Holding this place won't be easy," Ichigo states, looking out the window to the ongoing repairs. "No only are the defenses in shambles, but we lost some of our forces during the attack."
"Don't forget that we have the Replacement Division on our side now," you tell her. "They alone are enough to make up for what we lost."
"Not everything," Ichigo says sadly and she takes a seat on the corner of the desk. You know what she means. The sudden change of topic clouds the room, and you feel a massive pang of sadness inside you. "I miss him too," you admit. "It was rare to see Futoshi without a smile on his face. He always looked toward the future with such high hopes. We need that kind of optimism right now. We took the Garden, but it still feels like we lost somehow."
Your mind flashes back to the moment you and Ichigo had laid eyes on Futoshi's still form in the hospital room, with Kokoro sobbing quietly nearby and feebly holding his limp arm. Then, you suddenly see Futoshi's form warp into that of a familiar blue-haired girl, and your heart stops for a moment. "It could have been you," you whisper. "But it wasn't," she says. "We're both still here and that's what matters."
Your partner scoots over on the desk to sit directly in front of you. Without meaning to, you watch her legs swing up and settle into position below your eye level. After following your gaze, she quickly reaches for her skirt to pull it down and glares at you. You respond by simply placing your hand on one of her knees, wanting the contact. Before you know what you're doing, though, you start running your hand gently up her thigh. Ichigo shivers and bites her lip at the action but doesn't stop you until your hand has reached under her skirt and rests by her waist.
There is a hunger in her eyes that tells you she doesn't really want to stop you as she says, "We can't do this here." You reach upwards and give her a playful pinch on the side in acknowledgment before withdrawing. This causes Ichigo to yelp and give a little hop on the desk, making a loud thud.
After Ichigo has taken a moment to gather herself, she says, "Kokoro told me she wants to stay here." You blink once while you process what your partner just said. "She does?!" you ask in shock. Why she would want to stay after everything that's happened to her here?
The girl sitting opposite you nods. "She said she felt like it was the right thing to do. All the girls in the Maternal Ward are terrified and they don't really know what to think. Going from living in captivity to being free to make your own choices is really hard on them."
"The children don't really understand what's happened, but if it weren't for the mothers we wouldn't be able to care for them all. Right now, they're going about their days as if they were still under APE. I hate to see them like that, though."
You sit back in the chair. "It's like you said, we don't have the ability to change how the Garden runs because we don't have the manpower or resources. They're free now, but it doesn't feel like we've actually been able to improve their lives."
"That definitely isn't true," Ichigo cuts in. "None of them will be forced to bear children ever again. That alone is something. They don't have to be scared for their lives if they choose not to, either. We've brought some peace to them at the very least."
"That does bring up a point I'd been thinking about," you tap a pen against your chin. "The Replacement Division was roughly one-to-one in its male to female ratio, so we can just assign teams or allow them to pair themselves. With the former mothers, though, some of them will want to fight and we don't have enough stamen to pilot with all of them. It's a waste of potential, and one we can't really afford if this conflict escalates like we think it will."
"I may have a solution to that," Ichigo perks up. "Stay with me, but what if we trained the girls to operate a FranXX in continuous Stampede?" "Do you really think that's possible?" you interrupt. "I do," she says. "And I can prove it. Zero Two and I have both done it in the past. If we put them in a FranXX, restraining it so they couldn't move and holding them there, I think over time they'd be able to control it."
"You're both different from the girls in the Maternal Ward," you point out. "They were so incompatible in the FranXX that even the Replacement Division wouldn't take them. You're a teen code and Zero Two is perfect in a FranXX designed specifically for her. Just throwing random pistils into FranXX to see if they could do it is a good way to get people hurt."
"What if we use a small sample to prove it?" Ichigo asks. "Would that be enough? I could–"
"Absolutely not!" Ichigo can't finish her sentence before you silence her. "But–" "There will be no 'buts' in this discussion!" you roar. "You are not going to intentionally put yourself in harm's way like this to prove some foolish idea that came about as a whim. I won't let you!"
"You can't stop me!" Ichigo shouts back. "Like hell I can't!" The chair slams against the wall as you stand to look your partner dead in the eye. "I'm in charge of this whole operation. I'm the commander, remember? That means if I give you an order, you follow it!"
"Oh, so now you can control my life?!" Ichigo is equally unwilling to accept defeat as her voice threatens to dwarf your own. "Does that mean I have to ask you when I want to eat or go to the bathroom from now on as well? And what if you give an order I don't want to follow? Are you going to have me locked up in our room for disobeying?"
"Why, why are you blowing this out of proportion?!" you strain to see where her anger is coming from. "All I want is to keep you safe! Is there something wrong with that? Should I not want to make sure the girl I love is always by my side?!"
Ichigo has now moved from her position seated on the desk to the far side and continues the shouting match while leaning across it. "We've talked about this: everything is for the greater good now! Decisions have to be made with everyone in mind! We need more fighters, and here I am offering a solution, but you're throwing it away because I might get hurt! Am I really that important?"
"I would gladly trade everything to keep you safe!" you say, tears rising from the bottom of your heart. "Before I met you, my life meant nothing. I was cast aside by practically everyone and left in the Replacement Division to die. And just when I think things are only going to get worse, I get placed with a wonderful partner who cared. Someone I could rely on to be with me through it all! I've never had that before, and you went all the way and gave me a home, a place for me to belong!"
"So… yes! The Garden, Haven, our friends, none of them mean anything when compared to you! You are the most important thing in my life and I cannot lose you no matter what!"
After you finish, the room falls deathly silent. The only sound is the clicking of Ichigo's heels as she walks to the door. She turns to face you as tears spill down her cheeks. "You've put me up on a pedestal, and I can never be that perfect girl who lives in your head. I can't be someone who understands your reasons even when you don't tell her, and someone who always does everything like you'd wanted. I'm trying my best, but it's just so hard. I want to be your everything, but not like this. Can't you just love me for me?"
"Ichigo!" you shout as the door closes, and your heart threatens to burst free from your chest. The last thing you see is the tears staining her puffy red cheeks and the heartbroken look in her eyes.