Monster in the Franxx

by Bjorntheilliterate

You might think this was a story about love, but you would be wrong. You may come to believe it to be a story of war, but you are wrong. You may think it a tale of adventure and action, but you would be wrong once again. Instead, this is a tale of family, loyalty, and what it means to be human.

18. Chapter 18: Making Amends

Whelp, at long last, here she is. I don't know why, but this chapter was difficult to write. Perhaps it's because I took a sabbatical for a bit and my mind kind of went astray for awhile. But, I suppose it doesn't matter. I'm no longer concerned with pushing out chapters in a timely manner. I'll publish them when and only when they're ready.

---

Chapter 18

Making Amends

---

I did not sleep that night, nor did I have any intent to do so, even had the preceding day's events played out in an alternate manner. I was so far removed from baseline humanity by that point anyways that sleeping was a literal waste of the egregious amounts of time that I had. So instead, I spent the waning hours of the night concentrating on more productive things.

Or at least, I tried to.

True to her word, Lilith had left me to my own devices almost immediately. Where she had fled to, I knew not. She had not seen fit to inform me of her destination upon her departure, and I would be damned if I sought her out so soon after dismissing her- even if a lingering sense of guilt did persist in the back of my conscious mind, gnawing at my thoughts as I toiled away.

I tried to bury the awkward feelings by dedicating my tine to the many tasks of labor at hand, but that proved a fruitless endeavor. No matter how much energy I diverted to clearing cave-ins or readying the facility for long-term habitation, I hardly noticed the exertion. My form- such as it was- was simply so efficient that lifting literal tonnes of debris over the course of hours barely tested my endurance. In fact, it was so mundane and uneventful that I actually began to experience boredom as I worked, and thus the upper levels of my awareness were slowly penetrated by wretched thoughts, dripping in over the course of the night.

I tried so hard to steer my mind away from the day prior, but try as I might, I could not do it. My thoughts slowly but inevitably turned back to the event that had seen our divorce. It wasn't too long after midnight that I found myself to be filled with an overwhelming sense of regret, but, what could be done? I had been an utter fool of a man, and I had blindly lashed out at her, falling perfectly into the monstrous mold she had so perfectly defined for me.

The irony of that was not lost upon me.

And so, as I toiled away in the heart of the mountain complex, our conversation lingered in my mind like a cancerous growth. She was wrong, of course, and I told myself this. Again and again, I told myself that she was incorrect. The children didn't need to fight. They may have to defend themselves in the future, sure, but I would teach them how to do that- or at least, I'd teach them how to do it better. But they didn't need to fight.

Or did they? A little voice in the back of skull whispered.

No, no, no... I would be enough to protect them.

Or would I?

Always, Lilith's point returned to haunt me in the form of my own voice. Even without her around, she was ungodly persistent.

It was true that I had been disabled in the previous fight, taking a blow meant to kill one of the children, and thus, rendering me temporary immobile. But my actions had saved them from death. Wasn't that proof that I was enough?

Or it's proof that you can barely do the job. Who's to say that it couldn't happen again? Would the children be able to survive my absence, however temporary? They did this time, but that's no guarantee they'd do so again.

But they're so young! Barely eighteen years of age! Children- literally!

Ah, but hadn't I lied to enlist? Hadn't I taken a life at an even younger age than them? And what had I even fought for? My country hadn't been in any immediate danger; I had no family in those states wracked by war. But the children are in danger; every breath they take now is an act of defiance against their former master. They have targets on their heads. Doesn't that change things?

No! It changes nothing!

Why not?

A good question for which there was only one answer... an answer that I had been trying to refuse all night long.

Lilith was right.

---

Not a creature stirred within the impromptu sleeping chambers- not even a roach, for the children of Squad 13 had been quite thorough in conducting their cleaning duties. Each individual slept soundly in their deployable rack, dreaming more or less of pleasant things. Some dreamed of food, others of better times, and some even of love. Such fleeting fantasies were the only true comfort left to them in the wake of their unexpected expulsion from Papa's light. The reality of their new lives as exiles had taken its toll upon them, and some of them had yet to fully come to terms with their new harsh existence.

Unfortunately for them, Samael had taken it upon himself to ensure they would receive a proper education in that regard.

It began with a whisper as he entered the room. He was unnaturally stealthy for a creature of his size, producing little sound as he ghosted across the concrete floor. And for once, no scent preceded his arrival, allowing him to go entirely unnoticed, even slipping beneath the attention of the one who claimed that she could sniff out a Klaxosaur from a mile away. He came to a stop in the center of the chamber, and then he drew to his full, towering height. The iron-cast ports protruding from atop his skull very nearly scraped the ceiling as he waited with an eerie stillness.

And then he waited.

And waited.

And waited.

He waited until the internal chronometer set within his tech-fused brain informed him that it was the Klaxian equivalent of 0530 hours, and although he did not possess a direct translation of the symbols flashing across his vision, he understood their meaning well enough. The hour of action was at hand. He sucked a breath of air into an internal structure that vaguely resembled a human lung, and simultaneously retrieved a rusted trumpet that had been acquired from somewhere deep within the base. He pressed his lipless maw to the mouthpiece, and then unleashed a hellish reveille that crackled through the dormitory like a fusillade of smoothbore musket rounds.

The first volley shattered the children's dreams, and the second one dragged them into the waking world with a start. By the third, they thought themselves under attack, and on the fourth they clambered from their beds in various states of disbelief and undress. One at a time, however, they came to the sudden realization that they were under no threat, but what they saw couldn't be explained by their sleep-deprived minds. Their monstrous host continued to blast his horrific horn until every last one of them were on their feet and giving him a glare of absolute malice through raggedy, crimson-tinged eyes. So great was the sheer volume of the cacophony that none of those assembled even bothered trying to speak until Samael finished with his obnoxious performance. In the silence that followed the unwelcomed display, Ichigo's voice cracked like a whip. "What. The. Absolute. Hell do you think you're doing?!"

Wholly unperturbed by her blatant hostility, Samael calmly removed the trumpet from his mouth before stowing it behind his back. "Sounding reveille," he replied as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "You wished to be treated as soldiers, did you not? Well, it's 0530, and soldiers start their day at 0530."

Ichigo expressed her displeasure at his answer with an exasperated sigh, and she seemed more frustrated than enraged now that his intent had been revealed. "This nonsense again? By Papa, you don't listen at all... we've already told you before: we are soldiers. And we don't want- nor need- any of your damned training." She let out another sigh, disappointed with having to reiterate her talking point for a second time, and aggravated beyond belief that she had been awoken for something so obviously redundant. "But that doesn't really matter to you, does it? You have no intent of ever letting us fight anyways, so why do you even bother pretending?"

"I did not come here to pretend. I came here to offer you all a chance and only that. Nothing more. Deny my offer if that is your wish, but accept it, and I'll allow you to fight on the battlefield."

The children were struck dumb by his words, and then they all began to speak at once, anxious to be the first to do so.

"Are you serious?"

"Is this a joke?"

"We never needed your permission..."

The giant held up his claw, silencing further interruption. He was far from over, and he continued when the children wisely held their tongues. "Beware of this, my spoiled little brats: If you choose to accept this path, you will be subjected to a tortuous training regime of my own design over the course of the coming weeks. I do not expect it to be easy for any of you. You will all suffer; you will all hurt; you will all fail at some point. However, should you find the strength to overcome the Herculean tasks I have set before you, you will be remade into a soldier of perfect ability and absolute will. Under my tutelage, you will find courage, honor, and perhaps, even a little bit of discipline."

Samael began to pace down the center isle, the children on both sides taking an involuntary step back as he passed between them. "You will become so much more than you are now, I assure you," he said, curling his clawed fingers into a serrated ball of a fist. "You'll be the toughest soldiers I could possible craft with my own two hands; you'll be respected by your allies and feared by your enemies; you'll never hesitate in the face of adversity ever again. You'll become men and women of solid steel, filled with grit and unbreakable in the face of true horror." He strode down the isle with the swagger of a captain walking his vessel, his gigantic arms sweeping out to either side in a suitably dramatic manner, encompassing those gathered as his voice rose ever higher. "You shall know no fear and deliver unto your foes no mercy. You shall never taste defeat so long as you still draw breath. This I promise you all and more, if only you are willing to take the first step today," he reached the end of the chamber and pivoted smartly, arms spread wide. "What say you, bastard children of APE?"

The children stared at him for a full ten seconds, aghast at what he was offering. Could he really be so bold as to believe that they would fall prey to such senseless rhetoric again? It was almost an insult to their intelligence.

"Screw. You," Ichigo responded with all the bile she could muster. "This wasn't worth getting out of bed for. I'm going back to sleep." And with those words spoken, many of the parasites seemed to agree with her, slinking off back to their respective sleeping quarters. Not a single one rose to meet Samael's challenge.

Little did the children realize, but Samael was already at war and this was his first battle- and he was not a man inclined to losing.

And so he changed tactics.

"Pathetic," he spat at their backsides.

Ichigo froze in her tracks. She was an intelligent young woman, and she knew exactly what Samael was trying to do. He had done it before, and she was determined to deny him the satisfaction of doing so again.

But that didn't mean it was easy.

"Is this it? Is this what the so-called soldiers of the modern era have been reduced to? Petulant and spoiled children that slink off to the cradle of comfort the moment they're met with a challenge? How truly pathetic. Lilith had me convinced that you'd be warriors of some worth, but now I see how mistaken she was. She gave you far too much credit. But I guess I do have to hand it to you... your kind do know how to run away from a fight quite effectively."

"Go to fucking hell, you bastard!" Ichigo snapped, turning on the giant and unleashing her pent-up wrath. "I swear to Papa, I will send you there myself if I have to."

"Ah, there's that fire!" Samael exclaimed with a madman's grin. "Yes, yes! Hate me if you must, but let it grow first. Feel it burn within you, Ichigo. Cultivate it. Let it grow into a raging inferno that consumes everything before it. That is how you will earn your place in this world; not by pitiful acquiescence, but by burning down the old order." Before Ichigo could retort, Samael was addressing the others. "Take her example to heart, dear children. You are nothing in this world. You are pilots without a purpose; soldiers without a war; servants without a master. But that can change. You don't have to linger here in the forgotten corners of the world. You can light a fire in your hearts, and carve out a new life from the decaying flesh of APE. I come here not to sway you into action, but to offer you a chance- a chance at vengeance; at victory; at freedom. I offer all of this, and all I ask in return is a little commitment on your end."

Ichigo huffed loudly. "How petty do you think we are?" She asked, curling her lip in distaste. "You really think we'd stake our lives at a mere chance for revenge against Papa? After all we did to get away from him and APE, you actually believe that we would trade one master for another? You're delusional."

Samael's head swiveled back to Ichigo. "I would never be your master. Just a teacher, and you, my pupils. And furthermore, I-"

"I'll do it," a voice interrupted.

Everyone snapped to the speaker.

With every eye in the room suddenly upon him, Zorome swallowed an uncharacteristic feeling of stage freight. "I'll do it. I'll be your soldier."

"Zorome!" Miku exclaimed, shocked by her partner's sudden bravado. "Just what the hell do you think you're doing?!"

"Taking my shot at Papa," the boy answered with more confidence than he felt. His hands were trembling ever-so-slightly. "He... he took everything from me. From us. He used us up. Tossed us away when it was convenient. I can't... I can't forgive that kind of betrayal." Zorome gulped audibly. "And I refuse to hide in the shadows any longer. I'm a soldier. We all are, aren't we? What else are we going to do other than fight?"

The children lapsed into silence as one of them tried to answer him with an alternative solution. The sad truth of the matter was that none of them actually knew what having a real life entailed. They could not fathom what a person might do left to his or her own devices. For them, life had always been so simple; so cut and dry in its straightforwardness. All Papa had expected of them was to train and fight. Everything else had been secondary.

Until Papa had deemed otherwise.

"Ah, to hell with it," Miku exclaimed, disturbing the momentary calm. "I'll do it, too."

"Miku?" Zorome frowned as he turned to her, not quite comprehending her words. "Why?"

"Because you're gonna get yourself killed if I don't tag along, dummy," she replied matter-of-factly. "Also, how were you even planning to pilot Argentea without me?"

Zorome allowed his eyes to wander aimlessly. "I, uhm... didn't think that far ahead."

"Of course you didn't. See?" She slapped him sternly on the shoulder, throwing him off balance momentarily. "You need me, idiot."

"Y-Yeah..." the boy replied before turning away and mumbling something about dirt in his eyes.

"Very well, then," Samael announced loudly. "That's two with a spine. What say the rest of you?"

The remaining children shared glances with each other. None of them were so greatly motivated as to be the next adherent to the giant's new training program, and truth be told, many were still unconvinced that it was even worth their time. That is, until Futoshi stepped forward.

"I guess I'll do it, too."

"You?" Samael questioned. "Are you sure?"

The boy hesitated. "Uhm, well, no, not really. But I'm not gonna let Zorome and Miku go at it alone, so..."

"How honorable of you," Samael replied, but no one could detect a hint of sarcasm in his voice.

"I suppose that means I'm tagging along, as well," Ikuno said with a sigh.

"Oh, no, Ikuno, you don't-,"

"Don't what?" She questioned, crossing her arms over her chest. "We're partners, Futoshi. You can't tell me no."

"I wasn't going to tell you not to come..." Futoshi said in defense, but it was a hollow protest.

Zero Tsu balled-up her hands on her waist. "Welp, I guess that means we're going, too, eh, darling?"

"Wha- oh, uhm, yeah. I guess so..." Hiro replied, still groggy from being woken up a few minutes beforehand. The lad was clearly not a morning person by any means.

"Then we're going, too," Ichigo stated, stepping forward. Goro gave her a look of confusion from behind.

"We are? But I thought you were opposed to this whole idea..."

"I am. But I will not allow my squad to march into danger without me by their side." She fixed Samael with a glare. "Especially if it is a monster that seeks to lead them..."

"If your wish is to scrutinize my every action from here on out as if I were the devil, then so be it. I won't stand in your way, but know that such criticism falls upon deaf ears. I have a plan, and I will not deviate from it. Now, if it is true that you have all found your spine at last, then I highly suggest you take the next five minutes to prepare yourselves." Samael smiled sadistically. "We have a ten-mile run to finish before breakfast."

"Excuse me, what?"

---

True to his word, Samael kicked off their new training regime with that age-old military tradition of a formation run at the crack of dawn. It was a punishing affair, but to his credit, he actually treated them fairly enough leading up to it, giving them just enough time to change into something more appropriate for the activity than their sleepwear. Still, a measly five minutes was an incredibly short timeframe, and with such little opportunity to prepare, it was a testament to their efficiency that they managed to ready themselves with only moments left to spare.

Upon the three-hundredth second, the giant turned on a dime and bolted from the chamber, embarking on the run before many of them could even register his movements. Not to be outdone, the children swiftly followed in pursuit, falling silently into two separate columns.

Their monstrous guardian blazed a path through the facility as he ran, his steps confident and quick as he delved through old, abandoned tunnels slick with moisture and mold. In his wake, the children struggled to keep up, limited in their ability to do so simply due to their biology. Their legs were not so long as his, and although a couple amongst them possessed an inhuman constitution, none of them could hope to match the performance of his cyber-organic form. Within the first few minutes, Samael began to pull ahead of the group, though the growing distance between him and his charges was not due to any increase in speed on his part.

"Move your asses!" The brute demanded over his shoulder when he realized that they were collectively falling behind. "You think this is a walk in the park? Move it! Pump those little chicken legs!" He ordered with a shout, completely ignorant- or perhaps, consciously neglectful- of the fact that he barely had to put forth any real effort in order to outpace them. "Faster! Harder!"

"Easy for him to say," Miku muttered through clenched teeth, her voice loud enough for only those closest to her to hear. "Takes us three strides to cover every one of his!"

"Preaching... to the choir... over here," Zorome huffed between breaths, his respiratory system already aflame. The young stamen wasn't out of the race just yet, but there was no way he could maintain the pace for much longer. And he wasn't alone. Goro and Ichigo were just ahead of him, but they were also showing signs of fatigue. Goro's back was inching closer with every passing minute, and it wasn't because Zorome was speeding up. He wondered how his friend in the rear was holding up, but a quick glance behind him revealed all he needed to know.

---

Futoshi lagged nearly twenty paces behind the group. His rather robust physique hindered him greatly, and his standard issue cotton shirt was drenched in sweat already, the white fabric stained with his labors. His breathing came in heaving sobs, and his legs burned with anaerobic respiration; his lungs felt like they were on fire, and there was a knot of pain in his side that seemed to intensify with every footfall. But he dared not stop, less he embarrass his comrades in front of the giant.

It was a respectable goal, but it was, unfortunately, completely unattainable given his current physical condition.

Noticing the plight of her partner, Ikuno peeled back from the group and joined him at his side.

"Come on, Futoshi. Don't slow down. Keep up with the group," she said, doing all that was within her power to keep his spirits up, but it was obvious that anything she said was painfully redundant. Futoshi was already giving it his all. The problem lay in that he had not enough to give.

"I... I know... Iku... no... ah!" He gasped for air, his tongue already feeling impossibly dry and swollen within his mouth. "I'm... I'm try... trying... here!"

"And you're doing well," she replied, thinking quickly of anything she could use to keep him motivated. "But try harder. Keep your head up and your back straight. Focus on your breathing, not the pain. You'll make it, Futoshi. You're doing fine, just... just do it faster..." It felt weak even to her ears, but what else was she supposed to do? Let him drop dead from exhaustion? As his partner, she was obligated to see him succeed, or at the very least, prevent him from failing in a spectacular fashion. Ikuno had to stand by him no matter the situation. She only prayed that Samael did not notice his struggle, for that could only end in Futoshi's public humiliation given the giant's propensity for bullying.

Ikuno's unspoken worries must surely have jinxed it.

Their ragged company came to a sudden and unexpected halt as the giant at their head pulled up sharply. The first couple of parasites- Zero Tsu and her beloved darling- nearly ran headlong into his backside, and they surely would have had they actually been keeping pace with him. As it were, they barely avoided barreling into him at the last second as he turned on his heels and strode back through the column. All of the children made haste to extricate their persons from his path, avoiding him as if he bore a plague on his person. He ignored the fleeing children, advancing through them with an arrogant confidence until he came to a halt before Futoshi. His immense form loomed over the young stamen, who was bent double at the waist as he took the lull in activity to catch his breath.

"Get up front."

Futoshi turned his head upwards, a look of confusion on his pale, sweat-plastered face. "Wh-What?"

"Get. Up. Front," Samael repeated slowly, the frustration barely kept from his voice. "You cannot keep up with the group, so instead, you will set our pace."

Still unable to comprehend just exactly what the giant was telling him to do, Futoshi stared incomprehensibly. "What? W-What do you mean?"

His patience at its end and clearly irritated because of that, Samael threw all pretense of civility to the side. "Are you daft, too, boy? As slow in mind as you are in body?"

"Hey! Don't talk to him like that." The response came so quickly from Ikuno's mouth that it was nigh-automatic. It earned her the attention of the giant, and his head swiveled in her direction.

"Why not? Does it displease you?" Samael leaned forward, invading her personal space. "Does it irritate you? Does it hurt your feelings?" He did not wait for a response. "Too bad! I don't give a damn about your feelings. All I care about is your efficiency and ability to survive in a combat environment, and that means following my orders to the letter."

"Why you-."

"It's okay, Ikuno," Futoshi intruded quickly, stepping in between his partner and the giant. "I... I just needed a moment to catch my breath is all. We asked for this, didn't we?" He looked up at Samael, who seemed to seethe with barely restrained violence. "You wanted me in the front, right? I'll go now."

Samael studied the boy for a moment, but then stepped aside, his face assuming a mask of perfect tranquility. "Lead the way, Futoshi."

The boy did exactly that, hurrying through the throng of children until he was at their head. The giant joined him a moment later and they set out once more, albeit this time at a remarkably slower pace.

To everyone's amazement and pleasant surprise, Samael did not run Futoshi into the ground. He allowed the boy to set the pace exactly as he had promised, and the dead sprint they had been committed to before the stop transitioned into a light, almost enjoyable jog.

Almost.

By the time Samael held up a fist again and brought their little formation to a halt, their pace was little better than a brisk walk. But everyone had made it, and ultimately they had managed to remain together as a cohesive group, more or less.

Finding themselves in a cavernous expanse devoid of anything save walls of rock, the children fell out of their ragtag formation as soon as they could, dispersing in whatever direction they thought most interesting.

Futoshi was not as quick as his peers, however. He paused and bent over at the waist, planting his hands on his thighs and sucking in lungful's of air. His entire body burned, and he knew that he had pushed himself a bit too far for the run. But his pride had been too great, and he had hated being the weakest link in the chain.

He realized then that a shadow had been cast over him, and he turned his gaze upwards.

"Don't hunch over," Samael said sternly, hooking a finger under Futoshi's chin and pulling him up until his posture was straight. "It compresses your lungs. Makes it more difficult to breathe. Keep your head up."

The giant pounded a fist into his own stomach. The sound was like a sledgehammer against stone. "Focus on your core. Strong mind; strong body."

A moment passed as he allowed the young man to catch his breath. "You did well today, Futoshi."

It took five whole seconds for the stamen to realize that Samael had paid him a compliment- and it even sounded genuine. He blinked in incomprehension. "What?"

"You did well," Samael reiterated. Before Futoshi could manage a reply, the giant was turning his attention to the other children, who had begun to wander about the cavernous expanse they had come to a stop within. "Hey!" He barked loudly, causing several of them to flinch. "Where in the bloodiest of hells are you lot going? We still have stretches to do. Circle up around me!"

A chorus of moans echoed from the throats of the children, revealing their thoughts on the matter, but Samael would have none of it. "Yes, yes, yes, woe is you and your suffering is limitless, but stretching should be done after any physical activity. Besides, it's an order."

Miku groaned the loudest of all the assembled parasites. "Ugh, but do we have to? I mean... it wasn't that difficult of a run."

"Is that so? Clearly, you all could benefit from more running, then..." his head swiveled back to Futoshi.

"Futoshi! Stay here," he barked. "The rest of you, fall back in! We have another twenty miles to run."

"Mother of Papa..."

"Oh, no..."

Realizing that Futoshi would be staying behind, and thus, they would be leaving the only thing behind that could curve Samael's sadistic sense of athleticism, Miku scrambled to divert their course. "Woah, woah, woah! Okay, no need to be so hasty. I mean... I like stretching. Stretching is awesome. Ain't that right?" She jabbed her partner in the arm, and he nodded vigorously, taking the not-so-subtle hint.

"Yup! Can't live without it. I love that stuff," Zorome concurred hastily, rubbing his side and casting a dirty look in his partner's direction.

"Hmm..." Samael nodded, accepting their explanations. Whether or not he actually believed their words was irrelevant. He had been bluffing about the twenty miles, of course, but the children would never know that... nor did would they ever find out that he had originally planned for forty miles.

"As you will it. Then, let's begin! First stretch of the day: push-ups! Drop and give me forty wide-grips!" The giant practically dived into the starting position, and the children followed with all due haste.

"Push-ups? But... that's not a stretch..." Zorome muttered. following the giant's lead.

"Shut. Up," Miku hissed as she dropped into position beside him. "Do you want another death run?"

The children did forty wide-hand push-ups to the tune of Samael's count. And then they transitioned to forty pyramid push-ups. And then minute-long planks. And then minute-long side planks. And then they switched it up to core exercises, and performed crunches, sit-ups, and other odd exercises that they had to be shown before they could do them. And then when they were all said and done with 'stretching', they did it again.

And then, just for good measure, Samael put them through the gauntlet a third time.

By the time Samael had finished his accursed and loathsome counts and called for them to recover, the children were unanimously exhausted and sore. It didn't matter how athletic they had been at the start of the morning, for their bodies screamed in agony after the torture they had endured. They had all been humbled by the giant- who seemed wholly unaffected by the exercises- and now they found themselves on equal footing with their peers.

Despite all the aches and pains his own body was experiencing, Futoshi was surprisingly pleased with his performance. Cardio may not have been his strong suit, but pushing and other muscle-focused movements were. In those areas, he had managed to outperform several of his peers, and that had brought a subtle smile to his sweat-streaked face.

"What are you smiling about, boy?" Samael had the telescopic eyes of a hawk.

"Oh, uhm, nothing... just a... happy to do a little exercise, I guess," he replied truthfully enough. Samael accepted this and gave another of his incredibly rare signs of approval: a nonverbal grunt.

His confidence soaring high with the addition of another genuine compliment from Samael, Futoshi felt emboldened enough to push the limits of his luck. "Where, uhm, where are we, by the way? I swear I recognize this place..."

"You should. You've all been here before."

"Hey, wait a minute..." Miku said, turning a full three-hundred and sixty degrees on the spot as she took in their surroundings. "This is the hanger!"

"Isn't this place part of a giant worm-type Klaxosaur?" Mitsuru pondered aloud.

"Both statements are factual," Samael confirmed as he began to descend the very same steps the children had taken when they had first arrived.

"If that's so, then where the hell are our Franxx units?" Ichigo inquired as she pursued the giant down the steps. "By Papa's sake, they're missing. What the hell did you do to them, Samael?" She spat his name out as if it pained her to even form it upon her tongue.

"Me? What makes you think I did anything to your glorified idols of Werner's vanity?"

"Of course it was you! Who else could it possibly be?!"

Samael snorted loudly, the sound echoing throughout the vast, empty cavern. "Though I'm flattered you think me strong enough to haul away not one but five Franxx units all by my lonesome, I am- most unfortunately- still enslaved to the laws of physics."

Perhaps realizing that the idea of a single man- even one so physically powerful as Samael- being responsible for displacing five, forty-meter tall mechs was positively absurd, Ichigo found herself momentarily stumped. "Then who was it, if not you?"

Samael paused at the base of the steps. "It was most likely the Klaxosaurs' doing."

"The Klaxosaurs?!" Ichigo exclaimed in alarm. "You mean your damned Lilith, don't you? Just what in the the hell has she done to our mechs?!"

"Most likely?" Ikuno repeated with dawning skepticism. "You mean, you don't know for sure?"

"No, I know nothing for sure," Samael admitted with a slow shake of his head as his mood darkened. He turned away from the children and gazed into the yawning abyss of the hanger. "Lilith and I are... out of contact at the moment." His somber tone unnerved the children, and they shared looks of confusion amongst themselves.

What could possibly unnerve Samael?

"Last we spoke, we discussed the necessity of getting your Franxx back into shape,' he explained matter-of-factly. "They're probably just undergoing repairs."

This news was generally well received by the gathered parasites, and it went far to assuage their doubts, but it did produce quite a few head scratches amongst them.

"How exactly are they being repaired?" Mitsuru asked inquisitively for all their benefit. "Are there, like, abandoned APE facilities around here or something?"

"Negative," Samael replied sharply, turning back to them and marching up the stairs. He was back to his professional, arrogant self. "But Lilith assured me that they could be repaired, so they'll be repaired."

"How do you take her for her word so easily?" Ichigo questioned Samael as he reached the children once more. The giant turned and glared down at her. "You're a human... sorta. But she's a damned Klaxosaur. How can you even trust a monstrosity like that? Don't you at least have some standards? She's probably just using you to further her own agenda."

"She is using me," Samael replied. "And I don't care, because if I had to choose between devoting my life to an ancient alien entity that is eons old or another pathetic, self-centered human bastard, I'd choose the former in a heartbeat. At least I know she won't spit upon me and cast me aside as soon as it's fitting for her. I cannot say the same for any man."

"Her species are butchers," Ichigo countered. "They have done nothing for the last century except unleash death and destruction upon us."

Samael chuckled without humor. "And you think that makes her kind exceptional? Oh, how naïve you are, sweet child... your ignorance would be humorous were the history of our kind not so tragic. The bloodshed you have seen so far in this war pales in comparison to those that came before, when man fought man. The casualties are but a drop in the ocean of blood spilled throughout history. The Klaxosaurs are nowhere near the greatest threat we have ever faced, nor will they ever be. They are a distraction at best," Samael said and made to ascend the stairs, but came to a stop as a pistil confronted him.

"Then why are they helping us?" Ikuno said whilst blocking his path. "You said it yourself: the Klaxosaurs barely consider mankind a threat. So why would they bother to aid us at all? What could they possibly gain from helping us hide from Papa? And why go to the length of repairing our Franxx?" Samael attempted to step around the girl, but she mirrored his movements bravely, preventing him from leaving. "To what end are the Klaxosaurs working towards? You owe us an explanation now."

Samael appeared as if he might rebuff her, but then he looked around, and noticed that he held the attention of every parasite. They waited in silence for his answer, and it was plain to see that they would expect nothing less than the truth. "It would seem that I do," he admitted with a sigh as he acquiesced to the girl's demands.

The giant turned suddenly and pointed, jabbing an elongated finger in Zero Tsu's direction. "They want her."

"Me?" Zero Tsu recoiled from the accusation. "Why me?"

"Is it not obvious? You're one of them. The blood of those vile creatures flows within your veins," Ichigo grumbled with undisguised hostility. Her eyes widened in shock as a sudden realization hit her. "That's why the soldiers came for you in Mistletein. You're the reason why Hachi was murdered."

"Now hold on, Ichigo," Hiro said quickly and sternly, stepping defensively to his partner's side. "Absolutely none of that was Zero Tsu's fault. Don't try and place the blame on her for something that was completely out of her control. She didn't ask for any of this."

"Ah, but the Bossy One speaks the truth, to an extent," Samael chimed in before Ichigo could retaliate. "The Klaxosaurs do want the Little One, and so does APE, but it's not as simple as you might be thinking. She isn't just one of their kind. Her genetic structure is... special. Unique. Royal. In their society, she would be considered a high-ranking member within their ruling caste."

"So? What the hell does that have to do with anything?" Ichigo questioned. "A Klaxosaur is the same as any other."

"Not quite." Samael displayed extraordinary patience in explaining the difference to the girl. "The Klaxians were masters of genetic engineering. So great was their ability to manipulate the genetic code of living beings that they were able to embed special cyphers within the building blocks of their own progeny, ensuring that later generations would be able to access the technology left behind by their predecessors. The portion of Zero Tsu's DNA that is true Klaxian happens to contain just enough of the signifiers of a ruling caste member to pass as one of them. She is, for all intents and purposes, the last Klaxian leader left alive, and therefore is the only being in this world that can gain access to their technology."

As one, the children turned to stare at Zero Tsu, who quickly grew extremely uncomfortable under so many eyes. Only her darling spared her from such inspection.

"So you just plan to use her to unlock their technology, is that it?" Hiro stepped forward, placing himself between her and the others, but it was Samael he confronted. "She's not your damned key."

The giant laughed. Actually laughed, the mirth spilling from his fanged maw. "Oh, Hiro, you are sorely mistaken. I am not going to use her for anything. But the Klaxians will. They haven't a choice in the matter, and neither does she. Not if she wants to save your life, that is."

Hiro's eyes narrowed. "What do you mean by that?"

"I've said too much already, and I really shouldn't say anymore. It's far too... ominous," Samael said before grinning. "But I will anyways, because you've caught me in a good mood, and I've never been one for subtlety."

"Go on, then," Hiro replied.

And Samael did.

"Are any of you actually aware of why you were sent to assault the Gran Crevasse in the first place?" The giant proposed the question to all those gathered about him.

"Because it's the last Klaxosaur stonghold within the northern hemisphere," Miku chimed in with confidence. "Taking it was necessary to further the war effort and turn the tide in humanity's favor."

"Technically... that istrue, but it is not the whole truth. The reality is that the Gran Crevasse isn't a fortress; it's a vault."

"A vault? You mean, like, to keep stuff locked away in? Why would Papa care about a vault?" Zorome asked.

"Because it holds a weapon within it. An ancient and powerful Klaxian weapon, to be exact. One that could unmake entire worlds at a whim. It was sealed away deep below the Gran Crevasse after its creation when the Klaxian's realized that they could not control it."

"Wait a minute. They made a super weapon with the capability to destroy planets... and then they shelved it when they realized that they couldn't even use it?" Miku huffed skeptically. "That's some poor planning right there..."

"I never said it could destroy planets. I said it could unmake entire worlds. Totally different scenarios," Samael pointed out. "Furthermore, the Klaxians had little choice in the matter. They had to lock it away, less they wanted to risk it falling into the wrong hands."

"Why didn't they just, you know, not build a doomsday weapon in the first place? Seems like a stupid idea if you ask me..."

"Again, they had no choice. It was intended as a last resort, only to be used because everything else had been tried and failed, but the Klaxian's were no fools. Upon the creation of their mighty weapon, they ensured that only one amongst their kind would ever be able to wield it in battle- their queen. It was just bad luck that their leader met her untimely fate before she could activate the weapon, and so the ability to defend their civilization was lost with her passing. Unable to put up a proper fight, the Klaxians were driven to extinction shortly thereafter, but not before locking away the weapon below the Gran Crevasse."

"Uhm, excuse me," Kokoro said, her curiosity overcoming her natural timidity. "W-What do you mean the Klaxosaurs were driven to extinction?"

"I mean they went extinct via unnatural means."

"You mean... they were destroyed by something?" The girl frowned. "What... could do something like that?"

Samael stared at her for several seconds, his face unmoving and his body eerily silent. "I suppose I should share with you all of what I know so far. Might as well, considering how much I've spilled already. But the Klaxians were destroyed by... something else," he answered cryptically. "Honestly, Lilith hasn't been as forthcoming on the details as I would wish. It feels almost as if she is afraid to speak of it- but don't tell her I said that!" Samael added forcefully, and the children exchanged puzzled glances.

But the giant continued before anyone could ask him for more elaboration.

"From what I understand of the matter, it's an entity from beyond the boundaries of this world. Perhaps, even this reality. It is older than our entire species, and it was powerful enough to cause the downfall of the Klaxian civilization at the height of their power. Humanity in its current state stands little chance of winning against it, let alone surviving its wrath. But with the weapon in our possession, we might stand a chance," he said as his head swiveled to fixate upon Zero Tsu. "That's why the Klaxians require your compliance. Only you can save our species from a similar fate."

The group went dead silent in the aftermath of the giant's explanation. The realization that they were embroiled in a much larger conflict spanning at least the past several eons weighed heavily on their minds.

A cough disturbed the silence as Mitsuru cleared his throat, gaining everyone's attention. "If... it all of that is actually true-,"

"It is."

"If it is true, then why don't we just... offer the weapon to APE?"

A split-second passed before everyone was speaking- shouting- at the same time.

"Have you gone mad?"

"The hell, Mitsuru?!"

"I won't let her go back to-!"

"Enough!" Samael exclaimed loudly before the situation could spiral out of control. Cowed by his presence, the children quieted quickly. "Let the boy speak," the giant commanded, gesturing for Mitsuru to continue.

"A-As I was saying, giving the weapon to APE might not be the worst idea. In fact, it might even be a good idea. I mean, APE's primary goal appears to be to promote human supremacy over the Earth, right?" The children briefly mulled it over before nodding in ascent. "Well then, if this vague threat Samael speaks of is credible, then logic dictates that it would be in APE's best interest to use the weapon to defend Earth. If we were to, perhaps, negotiate with APE, then maybe we could trade the weapon to them in exchange for our freedom. Our current conflict with Papa would be forgotten, and we could move on with our lives."

For the most part, the children nodded in acceptance with this idea. It seemed like a completely rational decision. But one amongst their number heavily dissented.

"Absolutely not," Zero Tsu said. "Papa is not a man to be trusted. The moment he has the weapon in his possession, he'd kill every last one of you- if he doesn't use you as hostages first. If Samael is telling the truth, then all he needs is me to activate the weapon. Everyone else is just a waste of space in that bastard's eyes."

Samael's voice rumbled in agreement. "Wise words, child. From what little I recall of Papa before I went to sleep, he is a psychopathic tyrant. People with no further use to him are cut-off, or outright terminated. In the early days of working for APE, I..." he allowed a moment of hesitation to slip in. "I took care of a number of those that had outlived their usefulness."

"You have some nerve calling someone else a psychopath, then," Ichigo muttered conspicuously loud. Samael shot her a glance, but did nothing more before continuing.

"I see no reason as to why he would've experienced a sweeping personality change in the past century. The weapon- or at least, the responsibility of its operation- stays with us. Besides, the Klaxians have no faith in humanity at all. They'd never agree to letting their greatest weapon fall into the hands of a species they consider to be... primitive."

"If that's the case, then why don't they do something about it? Why don't they go out and fight?" Miku said, receiving several nods from amongst her peers. "They nearly overran us at the Gran Crevasse- hell, they did the first time. Why can't they take it back on their own? Just... clump up and rush it? Surely, there's enough Klaxosaurs to do that?"

"It's a bit more... complicated than that. The Klaxians aren't willing to unleash their entire arsenal against a species they consider to be too primitive to withstand it. And the Klaxosaurs themselves are, well..." Samael thought for a moment. "You guys know what dogs are, right?"

"I've never seen one, but we've read about them," Hiro said.

"Wolves, too," Zorome added.

"Right, well, think of the Klaxosaurs like really big dogs. They're obviously smart and capable of obeying basic commands, but you wouldn't expect them to be capable of following a more complex request. Klaxosaurs were created with simple tasks in mind, and that's it. You can command one to lie in wait in a specific location for a few millennia, but you couldn't get one to do much more. Follow, go here, attack that, fall back, lift this- these are the limits of a Klaxosaur's mental capabilities. In order to have any hope of success, a mass assault against a fortified position such as the Gran Crevasse would require an integrated chain of command composed of leader-type individuals working together and directing the Klaxosaurs in a coordinated manner. The Klaxians don't really have the population numbers right now to do that, so... it's up to us to finish the fight."

"Damn," Miku cursed. "Just when I thought we'd finally caught a break. Why are we the ones that always have to do everything?"

Samael shrugged the plates of his shoulders. "Don't know, but this idle chit-chat has to come to an end. I'll answer more of your questions later, but we have to finish the run."

The children were aghast. "It's not over yet?!" Someone exclaimed, their voice trembling in abject despair.

"Not yet," Samael said, a sadistic smile splitting his horrifically scarred face. "We have to run back to your barracks for hygiene hour. Or do any of you really want to sit through morning academics covered in sweat and stinking like a high-school locker room?"

Despite the revelation that their morning exercise was only halfway through, Hiro couldn't keep an edge of excitement from his voice. "Wait... academics? Like... like you're going to teach us?"

Samael nodded. "Of course. Or did you think I would renege on my promise to educate you all?" A wave of chatter spread through the assembled parasites.

"What exactly are you going to teach us?" Hiro questioned as they fell back into their ragtag formation.

"War, boy. We're going to learn about war."

---

S047 unracked the burdensome barbell with ease, a motion she had perfected through years of repetition until the movement was smooth as silk. The great, weighted bar heaved up and down as her overdeveloped pectoral muscles bulged beneath the skin-tight top she wore. Her remarkable, gene-wrought strength made what should have been an onerous task appear borderline facile. "I mean, just who the hell does she think she is? Blaming me for Thirteen getting away?! It's ludicrous! I followed our orders to the letter- orders doled out by her mind you. But she still found the audacity to throw me under the Franxx even after saving her scrawny little ass! You should've been there, Seventy-Four. The whole thing was an absolute farce of an operation."

"So, I have heard," the pistil of Lupus responded offhandedly, standing awkwardly above and a little bit behind her comrade, doing her best to recall precisely how she had ended up in the gymnasium as a spotter for Forty-Seven. Well, that wasn't entirely true. She knew how she had gotten there; she just didn't know why she was there in the first place.

"You understand that in the event you fail to control the weight, I do not possess the muscle mass necessary to prevent it from collapsing upon your face, right?"

"What?" S047 appeared offended. "That's why you think you're here?! Puh-lease... I can handle this weight without any help from those sticks you call arms," she responded, heaving the tremendous weight like it was nothing, just to emphasize her point.

S174 held up her limbs in question, glancing at them as she flexed tentatively. Banded chords of muscle strained beneath her pale flesh, her vascular system stitching contour lines across her body. She was clearly fit, and very, very lean, but her companion was right: in comparison to the muscle-bound pilot of Orion, she was built like a spindly branch.

Which only made her presence there even more confusing.

"So, why am I here?" She inquired, her curiosity now fully ignited.

S047 let out a tired sigh as she finished her set and then re-racked the bar. "Because I wanted someone to talk to," she said as she sat up. "And I didn't want that person to talk back."

S174 felt a sudden compulsion to clarify for her fellow's sake. "But I do talk back to you. That is how a conversation progresses."

"Yes, I know that," S047 replied in a huff. "But you're not an insufferable ass of a person—most of the time—which is more than I can say for some of our squad mates."

"Oh," S174 muttered placidly. She briefly considered the others within their squad and found Forty-Seven's claim to have some credibility. In comparison to her own demeanor, the rest of their squad could, at times, be regarded as impolite at best, and downright hostile at worst.

"Plus," S047 continued, "you're fairly pleasant to be around, all things considered. I could certainly do worse for a lifting buddy."

Unexpectedly, the knowledge that S047 held her in higher regards than her fellows brought a pleasing sensation to S174; a warmth that grew within her stomach.

How odd.

"Does this mean you perceive me as a... a friend?" She approached the subject with extreme wariness, choosing to venture cautiously into the bizarre and unpredictable world of human relationships. She had- much to her chagrin- always suffered from a serious deficit of empathy for her fellow human beings, and thus she had found it difficult, if outright impossible at times, to connect with them in a meaningful way. Even those within her own squad were enigmas in her mind. She had long ago realized that she required the subtle intricacies of social interactions to be laid out in as plain and simple manner as possible.

"By papa..," S047 muttered with a sad shake of her head. "Sometimes, I really have no idea how we're both from the same batch. But, yeah," she said with a nod, "I guess we're friends."

That warm feeling seemed to grow within her body, amplifying like a cancerous growth. "I've never had a true friend before."

S047 rolled her eyes. "No surprise there. You're about as dense as a collapsing star." Seventy-Four racked her brain for a moment, attempting to decide if the statement was intended as an insult, or was just the girl's curious way of displaying affection.

"But, hell, so am I," she wiped away S047's misgivings with a smile laden with mischievousness. "So I guess we'll make a good pair. Oh, and speaking of pairs, how's your partner? Will the pup pull through, or are we gonna have to pull a replacement out of our ass?"

Seventy-Four found herself adopting a more defensive tone as her partner unexpectedly became the focus of their conversation. "He'll pull through. He always does," she replied, her voice a bit colder than she had intended. "He'll be stable enough to transfer up here by the end of the week."

"That's good. That's really good. We won't have to uplift one of those dirt-born dullards to replace him, then," she replied as she stood up from the bench, twisting at her waist in either direction to stretch the muscles of her lower back. "Course, that might be the superior option for us in the long run, seeing as how they're at least semi-competent."

A twitch of Seventy-Four's eye went unseen by her companion, the only hint that she struggled to keep herself in check. "He's stronger than you give him credit for."

"Oh, I meant no disrespect to him. The boy is a survivor, that's for sure, but... come on, really? He doesn't exactly have top-of-the-line skills, nor is he particularly intelligent. He has no strengths, and only a slew of weaknesses. It's a wonder how he even made it through the S.T.A.R.R.S selection process, and you know it."

"But he did make it," Seventy-Four pointed out with all the warmth of the great void.

"Only because you practically hauled his ass across the finish line,"S047 pointed out. "He owes you big time for that one. I doubt Papa would've kept him around if you hadn't intervened."

That was, in a most literal sense, true. Were it not for her direct actions, her partner would've failed, and in all likelihood, he would have met the same fate as the other failed applicants. There was no doubt that she was the sole reason that he still drew breath.

And yet, he was just as much her savior as she was his.

"He doesn't owe me. Not anymore. On the surface, out on patrol, he saved me, just as I once saved him. He has proven his worth in my mind. Were it not for his quick and decisive actions, I could have been seriously injured."

Her new friend looked like she might argue the point for a moment, and Seventy-Four readied for another verbal clash, but the other girl's lips twisted amusingly. "You've got a soft spot for him, don't you?"

Seventy-Four's eyes narrowed. "What do you mean by that?"

"You fancy him, don't you?"

"You've gone mad. You are fully aware of how incapable I am of-"

"By Papa, you do!" S047 let out a peel of laughter, snorting loudly and preventing her companion from getting in another word. "Oh, Seventy-Four, this is rich. It's almost too good to be true. You're the most cold-hearted bitch I could possibly think of, and yet, here you are, going around and catching feelings for someone else. Hah!" She slapped a large hand upon her own stomach, seeming to find the whole idea absurdly hilarious.

"I do not have feelings for him," Seventy-Four replied coldly, though there was no chance she would silence her comrade now- even if she rammed the truth down her throat. "You know how impossible that is for me. I have loyalty to him- not affection."

"Ha!" S047 was still giggling madly, much to Seventy-Four's nerves. "What's the difference?!"

"It's stronger. It's real."

"Stronger, she says! Real, she says!" Finally, her humor seemed to exhaust itself, though a broad smile was still firmly plastered across her face. "Oh, Seventy-four, you're really just a sweet little teddy bear at your core, aren't you?"

"Take that back before I gut you," she replied venomously, only for S047 to shrug it off as a joke, wholly unperturbed that Seventy-Four was far from jesting.

"See? You're catching the gist of this whole 'friend' thing," S047 said smugly. They stood around awkwardly for a moment before the other parasite gestured to the bench. "You wanna work in a set... or maybe five? You could certainly use the training."

Still bristling in anger, Seventy-Four could hardly be bothered to spare a glance towards the bench before making her decision. "No. My body isn't built for weightlifting. I prefer calisthenics, anyways."

S047 shook her head sadly. "You sure are missing out, then. Nothing beats a good pump. You sure you don't want to at least try it?"

"No, I'm fine. I wouldn't even know the proper form." She quickly crafted an excuse. "It could be harmful, and I could be injured."

S047 produced a sound of disappointment. "You're just being paranoid. Come on, try a couple of reps. We'll drop the weight, and I'll spot you the whole time."

Her newfound friend's offer seemed genuine enough, and although Seventy-Four was mildly irked by her friend's earlier comments, she did not wish to push the other girl away without good cause. Forging a new friendship was almost impossible for her to do, and she had no desire to lose what little ground she had gained. "Are... are you sure?" She ventured, eyeing the taller woman.

"Of course. What, you think I don't know how to spot? Please... you know I used to spot for your brother, right?"

That caught her off-guard. "He... has never mentioned that to me."

"Yeah, well, I'm not surprised. Your brother can be... quite the piece of work," S047 said with a frown. "I mean, he's nowhere near as aggravating as S5337, but he can be quite the ass when he wants to be."

On that, they were in agreement.

"What do you mean that you 'used to' spot him? What changed?"

S047 shrugged the slabs of muscle that passed for her shoulders. "Don't know. Maybe he was intimidated that I was stronger, or maybe he just found something better to do with his time. It's impossible for me to know for sure. He doesn't talk to me anymore. You'll have to ask him if you want to find out." The response sounded almost automated, as if she had practiced it again and again before a mirror. Seventy-Four doubted this was so, but the theory lingered.

"Now, you in on this set, or not?"

S047 pivoted the topic so quickly that it threw Seventy-Four off guard once more. She had been under the impression that they would discuss her brother, but her friend suddenly seemed want to bury the subject- and then she realized that that was exactly what was happening.

Her brother had been S047's friend, and his sudden and unexplained absence had left a void within S047's heart. A void that could only be filled by a similar, almost identical being...

Her.

She was his replacement. The one to fill the void. The mystery of why her presence had been requested was at last unraveled. Perhaps, if she were more like her brother and had possessed a monstrous ego, she might have taken offence, seeing as how she was literally serving as his replacement. But S047 didn't feel in any way inadequate. Instead, she saw it as a gain for her, and a loss for him.

And she'd be damned if she'd ever let such an opportunity slip away.

"Sure," she confirmed, allowing the merest hint of a smile to tug at her lips. "Why not?"

---

A familiar sensation touched upon my awareness, and I failed to suppress the involuntary shudder that followed her return.

"Lilith... you're back," I stated in my flesh voice with a bit of confusion, more than a little bewildered at her presence.

+ Of course. Don't tell me you thought my absence one of intended longevity?+

"I was... concerned that it may have been a bit of a permanent departure."

+ Oh, Samael, you needn't have worried yourself so. Have I not been explicit in my explanations? We are intrinsically tied together, you and I, bound as if we were one soul. You cannot be rid of me anymore than you could divest yourself of your own cerebrum.+ Her hololithic form materialized before me at last, reclining elegantly upon a shattered console. She met my gaze with the two bottomless pits of abyssal black that served as her eyes. Her voice was now synchronized to her lip movements, the sound appearing to come from her and not from the back of my skull. "What could possibly spawn such a worry within you?"

"I... could not feel your presence," I admitted, uncharacteristically ashamed at the confession. The pervasive feeling of guilt that had dogged me since our divorce had not sat right with me. It felt wholly unnatural, because I had long thought myself a creature of extraordinary independence. I didn't need anyone. But I simply could not deny that without her by my side, I felt... naked. Vulnerable. Weak.

"I could not feel you at all. I was... isolated."

"That is because you wished it so, did you not? You were very clear upon the matter. Did I, perchance, misinterpret your intent?" She tilted her head inquisitively in what might have passed for curiosity had her appearance not been so utterly alien that the expression came off as downright disturbing.

"No. No, you did not," I said, looking away from her, unable to meet that penetrating gaze she had affixed upon me. "But it was... a mistake to push you away like that," I admitted after a moment's hesitation. "My demeanor last night was brash and disrespectful towards you. I realize that now." I found it difficult to admit such a thing to her, for apologizing was not in my nature, and so it was quite the struggle, but I pushed on. "I... I should not have treated you in such a poor manner, Lilith. You're my partner, and you deserved better. I was in the wrong and I... I am sorry." And there it was: a bona fide apology delivered with all the sincerity I could muster. I only hoped that it didn't sound as awkward to her ears as it did to mine- but that was probably a foolish hope considering that we shared the same set of ears.

Lilith's form floated past me as if she were a specter, and I wondered briefly if she was, in fact, not a warrior as she so readily claimed, but a dramatist of sorts. Her movements were far too theatrical to be anything but choreographed ahead of time. "Apology accepted, Samael," she replied cordially.

"Really?"

"Of course," she tilted her head. "Did you think me petty enough to hold a grudge against you for a meager outburst of emotion?"

"Well, no... yes. Kinda," I admitted, suddenly ashamed by thinking so.

"Well, you're wrong. I am not so callous as to discard a partner simply because they experienced a momentary lapse in judgment. I'd be a hypocrite otherwise."

I couldn't bear to look her in the eyes. How could I after I had treated her so crassly? She had only wanted to help me, after all, and in my foolish arrogance, I had blindly lashed out at her. I felt ashamed at my earlier actions, and I knew that I did not deserve her forgiveness or respect.

"I'm sorry, Lilith."

"You're already forgiven, Samael. The matter is settled between us. I only ask that in the future, you learn to restrain your temper. I am not inclined to be dismissed in such a fashion ever again."

"I... cannot promise that, Lilith. I have... difficulty reigning in my anger."

"So I have noticed," she replied flatly. "But what warrior doesn't? At least you attempt to control it." She abruptly changed the subject. "I saw that you changed your mind on whether or not to train the children. You were tough on them, but also... fair, in your own way."

"Is that a... compliment? From you?" Quite frankly, I was astounded. After the previous night's events, I hadn't expected her to be so... warm. Well, warm in a Lilith sort of way.

"Do not allow it to inflate your already monstrous ego." Ah, there it was: the thorn on the rose. "I was simply observing that you possess the ability to control your anger, nothing more."

"Mhm," I said with a nod. "If you say so."

Her avatar folded her painfully skinny arms over her torso, and she leaned back as if she had a wall behind her. "But you did push them a bit harder than I would have liked. Perhaps, too hard."

"They needed to be pushed," I countered. "Iron must be tempered properly if it is ever to be fashioned into steel. Strength of mind and body is a necessity in this war to come- both against APE and your VIRM. Those children need to be broken down and rebuilt before they even have a hope at surviving."

"I know," she said, nodding along with my words. "Believe me, I know this. But perhaps, you were too... aggressive with them. You demand too much from those that have so little. They're just children, Samael."

"And that is why I push them. They'll never grow up if we coddle them now."

"I am not asking you to treat them like newborns. But we need to find a middle ground. After all, from what I know of your past, you were pushed until you became-," she gestured to my physical form, "-this. Do you really want the children to follow so closely in your footsteps?"

I let out a sigh. "No, I do not," I admitted with a sad shake of my head. "Then... what is it you are suggesting we do?"

"Dual parenthood," she responded.

I stared at her, wondering if she were joking, but then I remembered how Lilith's sense of humor was almost entirely nonexistent. "You mean... you? You want to... act as their mother?"

"Not just me. And it wouldn't be acting. For all intents and purposes, we would be their parents."

"You're not bloody joking, are you?"

"I would never joke about becoming a parent."

"You want me... me, an eight-and-a-half-foot tall immortal cyborg covered in spikes and packed with alien technology, to fill the role of a... of a father?"

"Who else but you?"

I snorted obnoxiously loud. "No offense, but that is a ridiculously bad idea..."

"Not so," she argued. "In fact, you're quite fitting for the role. More so than you even realize."

I rolled my eyes at her claim. Lilith had clearly gone quite mad. I decided to humor her nonetheless. "Is that what you think? Please, elaborate..."

"Allow me to clarify any misconceptions. I believe that given the environment the children developed in, you are the best option for a father figure relatively speaking. You're regimented and disciplined, but not an overbearing tyrant. You can be tough on them when it is required, but you're not unnecessarily malicious. You have a sense of fair play and justice; you believe in honesty no matter the consequences. In short, you are the ideal candidate."

I nodded along as she listed my many, many fine qualities, but she may as well have been attempting to convince me that the Earth was flat for all it did to sway me to her side. "That's all well and good, Lilith, but what if I don't want to be their father figure?"

"Why not?" She didn't seem to comprehend that fact at all.

"Why not? Why not?! A multitude of reasons, Lilith. For one, I'm a relic of a bygone era. I'm ancient by their standards, and I haven't the slightest inkling of how to empathize with them. Two, in order to be a father figure to them, I'd have to be recognizably human. I'm a monster in their eyes, and I have more in common physically with the beasts they have been indoctrinated to fight their entire lives than with a human being. And for the the third and final reason- and arguably the most important- they're simply better off without my influence."

"Are you so sure? Without your direct intervention, they'd be imprisoned or worse at the moment. They know that, even if they refuse to acknowledge it openly. They owe you their lives, and that fact alone engenders within them a certain amount of respect towards you."

"Respect? Is that all you think there is to parenting? That they respect me?"

"No, of course not, but it is a start, Samael. Nothing more, and nothing less. You'll have much more to do in order to earn their trust, and it will be some time until they fully accept you, but I will be right by your side the entire time. Just as I promised. We can do this together."

I snorted obnoxiously loud. "Together, you say?

"Yes. Of course. We are partners, are we not? We have a duty not just to the mission, but to one another."

"Aye, this is true. And yet, you still find it necessary to deceive me. Why is that, I wonder?"

"Samael, I do not-,"

"Your form, Lilith, and do not pretend that you are ignorant of this deception. I can feel you obscuring the truth. Why? Why do you hide it from me? What is there to gain from continuing this subterfuge?"

Lilith stared at me, and although I could generally detect a hint of her emotions, I felt nothing this time. Perhaps, I had gone too far? Pushed her too much in an act of perfect irony? And then she spoke.

"It was never my intent to deceive you, and for that, I apologize," she replied. "I only wanted to appear as non-threatening as possible in the eyes of the children. I never imagined you would care so greatly as for it to become a point of contention between us. But if you wish to see my true form, then I shall indulge you."

Lilith's ghostly blue form winked out of existence for but a single moment, and when she returned, I beheld an adult Klaxian for the first time ever.

Her true form was much taller than I had anticipated, and it was a far cry from the dainty, slender thing she had been puppeteering around in up to that point. She was a full head shorter than I, but that did not include her horns, of which there were two towering structures atop her temple. Or rather, there had been two, for one had clearly been shorn off by an edged weapon, resulting in a jagged scar that ran down her otherwise flawless face, twisting her lips into a permanent sneer and leaving her left eye an empty pit of mangled flesh. Her other eye was undamaged, and a sapphire halo of an iris lay within a pool of black sclera. A fine mane of silver hair sprouted from her scalp and fell in perfectly straight wave down her backside. The rest of her true body was incredibly similar to mine, save for her fingers, which although they possessed the same claw-like structure, numbered only four.

She looked every bit the warrior she had so often claimed to be. Her body was muscled and well built with only a hint of sexual dimorphism to it. Even then, those minor differences in physique were difficult to discern thanks to the thick plates of organic armor covering her from the neck down.

Nonetheless, I found her to be... inexplicably beautiful. Not in a conventional sort of way- though I do believe that without the wound across her face, she would have possessed a pleasing symmetry- but she had an undeniable lethality to her that was akin to an apex predator.

"Why did you seek to hide this from me?" I asked her, more confused than irritated.

Lilith moved an arm across her torso, and rested her long, bladed fingers atop her opposite forearm. "I am under no illusions, Samael. I know that my appearance could be considered... intimidating. The children already faced one monster. I thought it wise to avoid risking further intimidation."

And then it clicked. "That's why you looked like Zero Tsu de-aged, right? To disarm them? To lull Hiro into a false sense of security?"

"No, not really. At least, that was not my intent when I chose such a form. Truth be told, the avatar's image belonged to my.. to my daughter. Or at least it did, when she still lived," she said before lapsing into silence.

We stared at each other for several seconds without uttering a single word.

"I see," I nodded, wondering if I had pushed her too far. I doubted it, but I felt like I had unintentionally re-opened an old wound.

"For what it's worth, Lilith, you look better like this- more warrior-like. It suits you," I made an attempt to lighten the mood a bit, seeing as how I was the one guilty for running it into the ground in the first place. It worked, because for the first time in a long while, Lilith actually smiled rather sweetly- though the razor-sharp incisors peeking out from behind her lips like shark's teeth quickly dispelled any notion of friendly warmth.

"Now that our... differences have been settled, will you accept my advice and step into the role set before you? Will you, Samael, be the father those children need right now?"

I shrugged. "At this point, do I really have a choice in the matter?"

"There's always a choice, Samael. It's up to you to make the right one, though."

I was a monster. I had butchered my way through the killing fields of Spain. Paved a scorching path of napalm and white phosphorus through the heart of France. Hounded the retreating forces of the Revivalists through the dead and decaying forests of the Ardennes. Butchered the last defenders at the battle of Berlin upon the very steps of the Reichstag. I was undeniably an abomination, incapable of remorse and willing to commit even the most heinous acts imaginable without blinking an eye, and yet, the notion of fulfilling a parental role was anathema to me.

But when I looked into her eyes, I felt... something well up within me. Something distinctly human. An ember of the man I had once been, rekindled by an alien being older than my mind could possibly comprehend.

And it made me... happy. Or at the very least, something close to it.

"I suppose I will."

Lilith nodded her head in approval. "It's settled, then. Together, we will shape those children into the finest young men and women we can."

"Whatever you say," I replied, indulging her enthusiasm, still not wholly convinced of my own ability to accomplish such a task. "How exactly do you plan on going about this, by the way?"

"Simple. You're going to show them unconditional love and emotional support."

I snorted loud enough to wake the dead.

"You've met me, right?"

"Indeed I have. I also know you on a deeper level than any human ever has," Lilith said, and I knew she was right. "And I know you are more empathetic than you let on, Samael. You are fully capable of doing this, I promise."

"I didn't take you for the naïve and hopeful kind."

"I'm neither. But I am confident. I'll be right beside you at all times, after all. You couldn't possible fail."

"Wanna bet?"

"No, but I do want you to begin a new curriculum tomorrow. You're going to teach them more than just battle tactics and war strategies."

I knew exactly what she was referring to without her having to elaborate any further. Immediately after finishing breakfast, I had ushered the children into a makeshift classroom, and then promptly spent the next three hours painstakingly breaking down the first few lessons of The Art of War. I knew it was a rather dry lesson- especially since frequent stops to explain different words or concepts to the children were often required- but a solid understanding of the basics was absolutely vital.

I guess she didn't approve.

"What's the alternative?"

"Literally anything relevant to humanity."

"War is supremely relevant to us," I argued.

"Something other than war, Samael. Surely, your kind have art of their own? Literature? History? A code of morals and ethics? Anything to give those children a sense of cultural identity would be an appropriate alternative."

I grumbled quietly in distaste, but I could see the logic in it. She wasn't wrong, I suppose. The children needed something worth fighting for, after all. Something to give them a sense of purpose for after the war.

"Fine then. I suppose it is possible for me to work in a little science lesson tomorrow morning. Maybe some mathematics as well."

"Excellent. I know that it may seem like a small thing to ask, but I assure you that it is an important step.

"Speaking of asking each other for things, I need your help with something..."

"Oh?" She tilted her half-horned head to the side. "You're asking me for aid? How curious. What for?"

"I have a little... experiment that I plan to conduct. I could really use your technical expertise."

"As always, Samael, I will be right by your side."

---

Exhausted physically and mentally from their first true day of grueling combat training and instruction, the children piled into their makeshift dormitory and deposited themselves wherever there was room. A few had the strength to actually make it to their racks, but most simply slumped to the ground where they could. Unanimously, they began to nurse their aches and pains earned throughout the day.

Futoshi let loose a protracted wail of agony as he tried to stretch his back. "Owwwww... I got pain in places I didn't even know I had places!"

"Ah, you're telling me, man," Zorome replied as he slipped off his shoe. "Look at this thing? Just what the hell is this thing?!"

"That's called a blister," Miku answered dryly, perched atop her rack. "Haven't you ever had a blister before?"

"Not one this big! It's larger than my thumb for Papa's sake!" The boy winced as he prodded the afflicted tissue. "Does Samael really expect us to run again tomorrow? How the hell do I run on this thing? It's half the damn foot!"

"You're supposed to pop it, dummy."

Zorome looked up at his partner, his eyes wide with alarm. "Are you freaking serious?!"

The completely indifferent facial expression Miku held told the young lad all he needed to know.

"You're freaking crazy!"

"Oh, quite whining, you big baby," she countered. "Count yourself lucky you only got the one. I have three on my left foot alone!" And to prove her claim, she slipped her shoe off and exposed her foot.

"Oh, nasty!" Zorome exclaimed, shielding his eyes.

"What do you mean 'nasty'? They're not even close to the size of your blister!"

"I mean they're nasty. Look at them! They're pulsating."

Miku huffed. "You're pulsating!"

As Argentea's parasites fell into their old familiar routine, the rest of Squad 13 chose to nurse their respective injuries in solemn silence, with only the occasional hiss of pain or grunt of discomfort rising from their collective mouths.

Ikuno sat atop her rack, her legs stretched out before her as she settled back into a comfortable position. She pulled off her shoes and inspected her own feet, wincing as her fingers glided over the blistered flesh. Before she could even think of what to do about them, however, a polite touch fell upon her back. She twisted her neck to see who it was, and she was pleasantly surprised.

"Oh, Ichigo. What's up?"

"Do you have a minute?" Her leader asked, her expression giving away nothing.

"For you?" Ikuno smiled up at her friend. "Always."

"Not here," the girl replied with a glance towards the others. "Somewhere more... isolated."

Ikuno's smile fell away, but she understood her friend's desire for privacy. "Of course," she said with a nod. "Lead the way."

Ikuno rolled off her rack, slipped on a pair of slippers, and then followed her friend out of the room. They traveled a bit further than just the doorway, though, going all the way down the hall and turning into another room that shared an identical layout to their sleeping chambers. Unlike their current residence, however, the new chamber hadn't been cleaned in decades, and the indigenous population of roaches fled at the girls' approach.

Ichigo stopped in the center of the room and turned back to Ikuno. Their eyes met briefly as Ichigo took a deep breath, and then she shattered Ikuno's world.

"I'm going to resign as Squad 13's acting commander and relinquish control of the squad to you and Futoshi."

Ikuno blinked several times, dumbfounded. It took her five whole seconds to comprehend what her best friend had just said. "Wh-wait, what?" She felt like she had taken a sudden jab to the gut. "What did you just say?"

"I said that I am no longer fit for command, and so I plan to formally relinquish my position to you," Ichigo reiterated calmly, as if she had anticipated repeating herself.

"You... you can't be serious." Ikuno was nearly at a loss for words. But when her friend's facial expression remained unchanged, she realized that it wasn't some sort of ill-considered joke. "You are serious."

The former leader of Squad 13 clasped her hands before her. "Unfortunately, I am," she confirmed, and then allowed a moment for that to sink in. "I've given it a lot of thought over these past few days, and right now, Squad 13 needs someone capable in command, someone of sound mind and good judgment. That is not me. I cannot lead," she said, shaking her head. "Not as I am. Not now."

"Wh-what do you mean? Ichigo, you've always been our leader. We're not Squad 13 without you at our head!"

"Then it's time Squad 13 became something else," Ichigo replied calmly. "Besides, I was only the leader because Hiro couldn't pilot without Zero Tsu, and no one else really wanted it. It wasn't like I ever did anything to earn it."

"But... but you did earn it, Ichigo," Ikuno argued, grasping at anything that could prove her point. "You earned it when you dragged my powerless Franxx out of that blasted plantation; you earned it when you turned back to face the killing fields of the Gran Crevasse just to save the lives of people you had never even met before. You have proved time and time again that you are our leader. You're the only one I could ever see at the forefront of our squad."

Ichigo smiled sadly, and Ikuno saw the pain lurking behind those troubled eyes. "Truly, I do not deserve such kind words, my friend. You always know just what to say to bring me comfort... but in this matter, you are wrong. It's no secret that I've never been able to trust Zero Tsu. But lately, I find myself questioning Hiro's loyalty just as often, if not more. Even Goro isn't immune to my suspicions, and that is... regrettable. It pains me to have so little faith in my own partner. It's so wrong, and yet... I cannot stop mistreating them so. That is not how a leader should be. I should trust them all, but I just can't bring myself to do it. They should be able to trust me, but I know that they don't. And I don't blame them for that, because they shouldn't trust a failure like me. But we all trust you, Ikuno. That's why you have to take up the mantle of leadership."

"You've never failed us," Ikuno clarified, aghast that her friend could even perceive such a failure within her character.

Ichigo smiled so, so sadly. "Your faith in me warms my heart, Ikuno." Her expression fell sharply. "But it is misplaced. I am not the pistil I once was. I cannot lead them to the future they deserve." The girl took a step forward and approached Ikuno. She laid a hand on her friend's shoulder. "But you can. I know it's utterly selfish of me to ask this of you, my dearest friend, but would you... would you accept this burden from me? Please?"

Normally, Ichigo would never have dared to shunt her responsibility on someone else. She was simply too proud and stubborn to do so. But as Ikuno studied the woman for a long, careful moment, she realized that her beloved friend had experienced a subtle- but important- change in the past few weeks. Namely, Ichigo was now willing to acknowledge her own shortcomings, and accept the fact that help from a friend was no sign of weakness.

And that small amount of personal growth was more than enough for Ikuno.

"Okay," she said with a nod. "I'll take it from you. I'll lead Squad 13."