Happy early (or on time, depending on your timezone) birthday, adamheyman.

"G-Goro! Lemme go! Lemme go!"

"Not until you tell me what's happening! What the hell is going on, Ichigo?!"

She struggled weakly against his grip, trying to wrench her wrist free. "I need... I need to talk to him! I need to, it's important!" She choked through her tears.

"The heck's gotten into her?" Zorome asked. He looked at the squad leader weirdly. His eyes were bugged out of his head comically.

"Should we... should we take her back to the medical facilities?" Kokoro questioned, obviously fearing for Ichigo's safety.

Ikuno nodded. "I think that would be for the best. Just in case." She shared a nod with Miku, and the two of them stood up to go assist Goro.

"I'm FINE!" Ichigo wailed. "I need to talk to Hiro! Let me go, Goro! It's urgent! It's the week! It has to do with the week!"

"What are you talking about, Ichigo?" he replied. Confusion and concern were written all over his face. In all of his years of knowing the girl, he'd never seen her act so emotionally, not even when it had to do with Hiro.

Ichigo collapsed to the ground, her strength drained. She looked to the ground and closed her eyes. The tears still ran freely. "She was there! I saw it! I know she was there! She had something to do with it, with his breakdown! I need to know!"

Goro knelt beside her and grabbed her shoulders gently but firmly. "You're still not making any sense! We were both in Garden when it happened, how could you know that? The doctors said he was just having an episode!"

"I SAW HIS-"

She was cut off as the door swung open. "Guys?"

All conversation stopped immediately. Hiro was standing in the doorway. From behind him, his eternal shadow poked her head over his shoulder. They both had lollipops in their mouths. Hiro trained his eye over the group, somewhat confused.

"Why are you all out here? Did something happen?"

"H-Hiro!" Ichigo whispered. Getting a sudden burst of strength, she finally yanked herself free of Goro's hold while he was distracted and stumbled over to him as fast as her stiff legs would take her.

"Hey, Ichigo!" Goro called after her. He got up to give chase.

"Hiro Hiro Hiro!" the girl yelled quickly. Zero Two narrowed her eyes and gave a low warning growl. She wrapped herself around Hiro's right arm and leaned against him, her intent clear. Hiro found her hand and gave it a squeeze of reassurance.

Ichigo tripped up the steps and would've fallen had Hiro not quickly leaned down and caught her with his body. His left arm quickly encircled the other girl and pulled her into his chest, but his right hand never let go of Zero Two's. He squeezed it tightly to prevent her from moving.

Ichigo's words were quick and rapid. "I need to talk to-"

"Ichigo," he said, in a voice that stopped any further discussion. He gently grabbed her shoulder and pulled her away, looking her in the eyes. She gave him a questioning, desperate look.

"I'm alright, honestly. I'm sorry about what happened. You look awful, please go and relax."

Her eyes widened. "E-Eh? But... but!"

"Goro!" Hiro called. The other boy had just made it up the stairs. "She looks exhausted, I think she needs rest. Could you take her to her room?"

"Y-Yeah, of course!" he replied, relieved that someone else had some common sense around here. "Come on, Ichigo. Your wounds are still healing."

"But... but, Hiro...!" she whimpered, trying but failing to fight back as Goro dragged her inside.

"I'll help too!" Ikuno called after them. She was already making her way towards the door.

If Zero Two had wrapped herself any tighter around his arm as he got back up, Hiro might've mistaken her for an incredibly cute and attractive snake. Eyes narrowed, she was watching Ichigo like a hawk as Goro led the pistil up the stairs. She was pouting and - and growling?

"Homewrecker," she whispered fiercely. "My darling. Mine."

He squeezed her hand again, tighter this time. "Your darling."

Her head snapped to him at lightning speeds, the annoyed expression on her face replaced by adorable surprise. Apparently she hadn't realized she'd said that out loud. He looked at her, grinning.

"It's alright," he replied, his voice equally as quiet.

She returned to peering hatefully at the steps, thinking and muttering to herself.

Hiro closed the door later that night and glanced at the empty bed on the other side of the room. He understood Goro's feelings quite well; he'd do the same thing if Zero Two had been injured in such a way. Even still, this was beginning to get a bit excessive. His roommate had only been in his room for one night since the incident almost a week prior.

Sighing, he got under the sheets and turned off the lamp. His thoughts turned to a certain horned girl. Zero Two had been in a foul mood since the incident with Ichigo earlier that afternoon. Hiro knew why, but he couldn't help but think she was overreacting. Yes, Ichigo had a crush on him. Yes, it had gotten a bit out of hand when she'd tried piloting with him. But it wasn't like he could even be attracted to anyone else. Zero Two should know that, right? She knew how he felt, he thought he'd made that plenty clear since they'd been reunited. But nevertheless, he saw her often shooting glances over to the foyer steps, the ones that went to the dorms, as if she was watching for any potential mishaps.

Was Zero Two... threatened?

It couldn't be, she knew better. He considered Ichigo a sister, but those feelings were purely platonic. He wasn't physically attracted to her and her personality, while kind and gentle, didn't light any fires in him either.

Zero Two was a decidedly different story. He couldn't even think about her without some part of him reacting. Everything from her body to her personality to her habits and goals and...

Yeah. Definitely a different story.

Groaning, Hiro rolled over onto his side and tried to get some shut-eye. Maybe he'd understand the situation better after sleeping on it.

A few hours later he awoke with a start. There was rustling in his room. Someone was facing away from him, undressing. Had Goro finally returned? No, he knew that form. That wasn't Goro at all, that was...

"Z-Zero Two?!" he whisper-shouted. Shoes and black stockings already removed, she was in the process of unbuttoning her uniform's top. She blinked and turned to him, beaming toothily - her headband was missing as well. Her smile shone in the speckled moonlight drifting through the curtain.

"Hi!" she whispered in return.

"Why're you...?"

She looked at him curiously. "I wanna sleep with darling!" she replied cheerfully, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. She undid the last button of the top and pulled it off without a care, leaving herself clothed in just her bra and panties.

Hiro swallowed and begged his blood to stop its mass migration, but nature wouldn't grant him that mercy. "How'd you get in here? The doors to the house lock automatically!"

She grinned, her eyes half-lidded. "Seeeecret!" She padded over to the bed, sitting down on its edge. "Scoot over!"

He had half a mind to protest - he'd never be able to sleep like this! - but the male part of his brain silenced any arguments before they could be voiced. Even if he objected, she'd just force her way into the bed. He could tell her mind was set on this. Sighing, he shuffled to one side of the mattress and pulled back the covers, making room.

But then he stopped.

She had turned away from him and parted her hair to one side, giving him a picturesque view of her pale back. She was unhooking her bra.

"Z-Zero Two?"

"Hm?" She looked at him over her shoulder coyly, knowingly.

"What... what are you..."

She followed his gaze and then smirked. "I didn't have enough time to grab my sleepwear," she replied, the lie plain as day. "Sleeping in a bra is uncomfortable, darling."

Unhooked, removed. She held it up by her thumb and index and let it drop to the floor. Her gaze never left him and her smirk never faded. Then she turned to him on her hands and knees and climbed into the bed. And this time, her hair wasn't wet.

The girl knew what she was doing.

Hiro knew then that she really was threatened by Ichigo. He didn't know whether to thank the blue haired girl or curse her. Zero Two had apparently decided that she needed to stake her claim and mark her territory in the best - and worst - way possible: showing what she had to offer.

She shuffed under the sheets and slid up to him. But then she saw the beads of nervous sweat glistening on his forehead in the moonlight.

"It's pretty warm tonight, isn't it darling? Here, lemme help."

The next thing he knew, his shirt was on the floor next to her bra. She moved to straddle his waist and then sat up. The sheets rolled down her back as she did so, pooling by his knees. Zero Two flipped her hair over her shoulder with her hand and straightened her back, letting her bangs frame her physicality. She raked her hands down his chest and licked her lips, eyes lidded. She was putting on a show for him, like a peacock spreading its feathers to impress a mate, and it was working. Hiro was fully at attention and most definitely impressed.

After giving him a moment to savor the view she leaned forward onto him, pressing her chest against his, gazing at him. He didn't know whether the racing heartbeat belonged to him, her or both. He groaned as she licked his neck... but then his logic broke through. He tried to get a handle on his lust. No, this was wrong. Not like this.

"Wait," he said softly. He grabbed her shoulders and moved into a sitting position with her still straddling his lap.

The heartbreak in her eyes gave him physical pain. She looked like she was about to cry. "Then... then I'm really notmfph!"

He wasn't going to let her finish that thought; he silenced her with his lips, kissing her with as much love as he possibly could. She returned it immediately. After a moment he broke contact and pulled her into a hug.

"That's not it. Ichigo got to you, didn't she?"

She whimpered into his neck. "She likes you too, darling! I need to impress you!"

He gently pulled her back so he could look at her. "No, you don't." If the desperate confusion marring her face was anything to go by, she didn't understand his words, so he clarified. "Zero Two, you don't have to prove anything to me. What others say or do or feel doesn't matter one bit. My love for you is unconditional. No one can change that. Ichigo can't change that. Nothing will ever change that."

"You... you mean..." she whispered.

"I don't care about your reputation, I don't care about what the squad thinks. It doesn't matter what you look like," he said with a smile. He rested his forehead against hers. "Your body, your horns, your skin color, your teeth and beautiful eyes and hair, everything is just a bonus. I loved you when we were kids because you were Zero Two, and I love you now because you're Zero Two. I want to do this with you more than anything else in the world, but only when we're both ready. Never feel like you're forced to do anything-"

She jumped on him, their lips colliding, and together they collapsed into the sheets. She was on top of him, kissing him like her life depended on it. Their naked torsos mashed into each other and it wasn't until they were gasping for air that they separated. This was bad. His self control truly was being sorely tested, but he knew she wasn't ready and neither was he. He didn't want to make a mistake. Hiro's eyes shifted to the door. All it would take was Goro walking through and-

"I locked the door, dah-ling."

That smirk of hers! That damnable smirk! He loved her so much!

He raised his head and pecked her lips. "You're such a brat." He rolled them onto their sides, her head impacting her half of the pillow. She giggled the entire way. Once she was settled she scooted into him to close the distance as much as possible. Zero Two smiled happily and buried her face in the crook of his neck.

"And darling's a pervert! You wanna do it with me, hmm?"

He grinned as he pulled up the sheets. "Is that a bad thing?"

She snuggled in further and pushed herself against him. Then she glanced up and licked his chin lightly before resting her head against him. She sighed in contentment, a goofy grin on her face. "Nopenope!"

Slowly, they relaxed and unwound. As sleep began to claim them both, Hiro cracked open an eye to gaze down at the girl in his arms.

"Love you, Zero Two. Night," he murmured.

She nestled into his chest blissfully, the cozy warmth leaving her cheeks tinged and his steady heartbeat her metronome.

"Wanna snooze with darling forever," she whispered back, half asleep. "Love youuuu."

The sands overtook them both, and they were safe and content.

Why was the door locked?

Goro rummaged around blearily for the key he never used. It was just before dawn and his body really wanted him to sleep in his own bed for a change, at least for a few hours. He knew he was being a tad bit overprotective, but he couldn't help himself. When he saw Ichigo like that, it was like a flip had been switched somewhere deep inside him. He didn't understand it. He just knew he had to be there, watching over her. Protecting her.

He unlocked the door to the room he shared with Hiro and quietly opened it, knowing his roommate was fast asleep. He glanced at his friend's bed to make sure he hadn't disturbed him.

Goro was now wide awake.

There were two heads inside Hiro's sheets. One black... and one pink.

Confusion raced through him. That wasn't allowed, stamen and pistils were supposed to sleep in separate rooms! What was she doing? Was Zorome right? Was she trying to entrap him? Is this how she secured her prey, lured them into her clutches? Did she woo them, like some sort of demon? He tiptoed inside, his height allowing him to get a better look at their faces.

But... no. No, this was different. There wasn't any panic here, they were both breathing softly. He didn't feel any hostility. Hiro wasn't struggling and she wasn't controlling him. No ulterior motive. She was just a... girl. A girl in his friend's bed.

This was the infamous partner killer? The man-eating pistil who went through stamen by the supposed dozens?

Her head was nestled between the pillow and his neck, her arm draped over him. Both of them were smiling, deep in sleep's grasp. Goro genuinely felt like he was intruding. He was seeing something private, something that didn't belong to him.

A strange emotion welled within him. He couldn't describe it.

Carefully, he backed out of the room and locked the door.

Ichigo had said she needed to talk to Hiro. He'd thought she was just hallucinating, that it was a side effect from the trauma done to her body. But... had she actually, really seen something? Was that why? What did she learn? What did she want to ask? He needed to talk to her.

All Mistleteinn security systems were programmed to automatically send their feeds to the central APE mainframe at regular intervals. The parasites were meant to be closely watched and observed, to maximize efficiency and prevent any unseemly anomalies.

What Camera 13F had recorded would absolutely be regarded as an anomaly, and if the powers-that-were saw its contents, they would have certainly taken action to rectify the situation.

One of Werner's demands upon starting his experiment, therefore, was total access and control over Plantation 13's systems, including Mistleteinn's. When questioned by the council on why such a thing was necessary, the scientist had argued that the parasites needed to be observed manually, as they would be at a much higher risk of experiencing such "anomalies", and intervention would need to be swift and decisive. They couldn't wait for such things to be detected by the automated system. The experiment was too important. He would correct the issues as they appeared himself, using the power invested in him by the council as its top scientist.

The council agreed with Werner's logic and gave him the control and access he requested, on the condition that he would immediately inform them if he witnessed any malformities. Werner agreed to the condition without hesitation. Plantation 13 was disconnected from the automated system the next day.

Gullible fools.

Stroking his metal chin, Werner brought up a regal finger and casually deleted the contents of Camera 13F.

It was the first time they'd seen the girl at breakfast since the day after the klaxosaur attack. She was sitting in the same corner and the same chair, but this time Hiro was next to her instead of with the other stamen. Evidently he didn't care enough anymore to keep up appearances. To her great irritation and understanding, his priorities were plain as day. Ichigo noticed some changes in her behavior, though - while her food was still drenched in honey, her hands were not. Under Hiro's watchful gaze and occasional tutelage, she was cutting her slab of ham into bite-sized chunks before shoving them into her mouth. The way she held the utensils was awkward, almost toddler-like, but Ichigo thought she was managing surprisingly well. A quick learner, apparently.

Just another thing that made an odd amount of sense. Just another thing that bothered her to no end.

Was it because the honey was sweet?

Was it because the honey reminded the girl of candy?

Was it because the honey reminded the girl of Hiro?

"Ichigo, do you feel okay? You're not eating much," Ikuno noted.

"Huh? Y-Yeah, I'm fine. I'm fine," she replied quickly and quietly. She ate some vegetables to sell the act, but in truth she didn't have much of an appetite for food. An appetite for answers, though? Very much so. Questions that still weren't solved, information that still eluded her. And seeing all of Hiro's attention remain on the girl... she didn't know how to feel. She didn't understand the gnawing in her gut, the tightness or the trepidation.

She was looking over at Ichigo now. Once they made contact the horned girl's eyes narrowed. What was with that glare?! Ichigo watched her turn her nose up with a huff and then scoot her chair closer to Hiro's before resuming her breakfast.

Ichigo fumed silently. She was such a child! So petulant, so greedy! It made her sick! But then the memories dragged themselves to the surface yet again and she felt her rage lose all its steam. Yeah, that's right.

She had a reason to lack table manners and etiquette. She had a reason to be childish and greedy and obsessive. She had a reason to follow Hiro around like a lost puppy. He was all she had. Everything had been taken from her.

Up until recently, that included him.

She sighed and poked halfheartedly at her breakfast. Did Hiro know she'd seen his memories? Had he shown her all of that intentionally? Did he know what and how much she'd seen? Had she invaded his mind without his knowledge or approval? Was she just supposed to keep quiet about all of it? Why wouldn't he talk to her about it? Did he want her to talk to the partner ki - to Zero Two - instead?

She groaned. Why did everything have to be so complicated?!

He really hated these stupid physicals they were still putting him through. Why? What was the point? They wouldn't even tell him the results! He knew he wasn't sick, he felt fine, so what was going on? They were on orders from the doctor as well, which meant there had to be a reason. That old pervert always had a method behind his madness.

Sighing, Hiro walked down the hall to where Zero Two was waiting for him. She was sitting against the wall, napping; breakfast had exhausted her. He was proud of her for trying, though. It took a ton of effort to actively push past your anxiety and participate in such a social setting when all people did was give you grief and trauma. He'd offered her his room to sleep in, but she'd declined and insisted on accompanying him for his examinations. He understood her fear - she'd had bad experiences with "tests" in the past and was obviously concerned about any perceived invasiveness in his own checkups. He leaned over her and reached out to gently shake her awake.

Wait, huh?

Her horns...

They were dented, scuffed, cut up.

Was she...

Hiro frowned, an indescribable feeling welling up inside him. Was this why she always turned away when she saw him looking at them? Was she trying to hide this?

This wasn't okay. No, not at all. Absolutely not. He needed to deal with this immediately. This - this crossed a line. How dare the doctor not tell him! Why wasn't he told?!

"D-Darling?"

He was down at her eye level instantly. He cupped her cheeks softly and leaned in, giving her a light kiss.

"Mmm," she moaned pleasurably, still waking up.

"Zero Two, I love you."

"I love you, darliiiin'," she yawned. "Whazamatter?"

"Come with me. I want to show you something."

He extended his hand to her.

"Hm? 'Kay!"

She took it without hesitation.

They made a quick stop at the parasite house for two items before heading into the woods for some privacy. Hiro mentally thanked Naomi for the donation of her possessions. Within the aged briefcase were an assortment of items, but he'd grabbed two in particular: a nail file and a mirror.

Once they were at their usual tree, Hiro pulled her to the ground. She looked at him curiously.

"Darling, what's wrong? You're so quiet!"

He sighed, gathering his thoughts. He knew this was touchy subject for her, but it was important. He mentally encouraged himself: he was doing it because he cared.

"Here, come here," he said. He patted the ground next to him and then lifted his arm. She scooted into his shoulder immediately and rested her head against him, still curious about his unusual behavior. He grabbed the nail file from the ground with his free hand. They sat like that for a while before Hiro finally spoke up.

"Zero Two... what do you think about your horns?" he asked softly.

She bit her lip and didn't answer.

"You don't like them much, do you?" he continued, reading her mind. She shook her head. He squeezed her shoulder reassuringly. "I think they're beautiful."

"...They're ugly," she muttered after a pause.

Hiro looked down at her. She wouldn't meet his gaze. "You're pretty," he noted, as if he was describing a common fact of the universe. Her eyes widened minutely. "And they're your horns, so wouldn't that make them pretty as well?"

"N-No!" she argued, fighting away her blush. "I'm... not pretty. I'm ugly and gross and my horns are too."

"I don't think so. Do you want me to show you what I see when I look at your horns?"

She didn't respond for a moment, but at last, hesitantly, nodded her head silently.

He smiled and leaned down, kissing her cheek. "Take off your headband and close your eyes," he whispered.

She obeyed and shifted off of his shoulder before removing her headband. She watched him for a moment before closing her eyes. Hiro maneuvered so he could comfortably do his work.

He needed to focus, he told himself. This was important, among one of the most important things he'd ever done. He gently held her head in place with his free hand and carefully placed the file against the first of the many scuffs on her right horn. His goal was to keep the same general shape and perhaps make them a bit smaller, but above all else he wanted them to be spotless, shiny, perfect. The horns he saw in his dreams, the horns he thought she should be proud of. He began grinding, watching for any reaction from Zero Two.

"Does it hurt?" he asked quietly.

"N-No," she replied. "Darling, what're you..."

"Shhh," he said. "Relax, Zero Two, it's okay."

"Mmm."

The process was slow and methodical at first, but as he continued working his hands grew more skilled, faster. It was a strange feeling, he thought, almost as if he... knew what to do? He didn't understand it, but he didn't fight against the sensation either. If it helped him reveal her beauty, he'd take any help he could get. He brushed away any lingering chips and dust with his hand and inspected the horn closely. It was beautiful. Nodding to himself, he repositioned and quickly and restarted the process on her left horn.

A few minutes of work later and he was done. It didn't take him as long as he'd thought it would - her horns were surprisingly malleable. Their general size and shape hadn't changed all that much. For a first timer, Hiro thought he'd done quite well. The dents and scuffs had been buffered out, revealed a beautiful, crystal-like red, the color of purest ruby. They sparkled in the sunlight streaming down from the plantation's roof.

Proud of his work, Hiro put down the nail file and grabbed Naomi's mirror, the fallen pistil's most prized possession. He moved behind Zero Two and kneeled, leaning up against her back and resting his chin on her shoulder. He held the mirror in front of her, positioning it so they could both see the results.

"Open your eyes, Zero Two. Look."

She opened her eyes and looked into the mirror. Her horns were radiant.

"These are the horns I see, the horns of the girl I love," Hiro whispered into her ear. "You see that glow, that shine? That's how beautiful you are."

It took Zero Two a while to process his words, and for a time she simply stared wordlessly. Then, finally, she sniffed and wiped away the tears from her eyes.

She smiled, and her reflection smiled back.

"We've received sortie orders from HQ," Hachi said.

"H-Huh? We're going out to fight already?" Futoshi asked nervously.

"Don't get so nervous," Nana reassured. "You won't have to fight klaxosaurs like the one from before right off the bat."

"Thank goodness," Miku breathed in relief. Kokoro looked at her, smiling in agreement.

Nana continued, "We would've liked to ease you in, but we can't afford to, unfortunately."

As if by magic, an orange hologram appeared in the center of the briefing room. The centerpiece was a massive mineshaft extending into the depths below the surface.

"You'll be facing a Conrad-class klaxosaur," Hachi explained, his arms crossed. "It's a bit smaller than a Franxx. Klaxosaurs are attracted by magma energy reactions and appear in their vicinity."

The squad looked at the hologram with great attention and focus, obviously serious about their first official deployment. Ichigo, though, was looking at her feet. Goro glanced at her in concern. He knew she was feeling guilty about not being able to deploy and being sidelined despite her role as the squad's leader, but it really wasn't her fault. He looked around the room. They were in their normal uniforms as opposed to the pistil and stamen gear everyone else was in, including...

Goro stole a glance. The two of them were sitting at the far end of the semi-circular conference area. He was in his stamen suit and she was in her bright red pistil gear. She was sprawled out, her head in his lap, and she seemed more interested in tracing the palm of his hand than actually listening to the briefing.

Her behavior truly was odd, Goro thought. Despite supposedly having gone through a countless number of stamen, she was downright obsessed with Hiro. He clearly wasn't just another battery to her - she practically worshipped the ground he walked on. What was the deal? Why were they so close, when they'd only known each other for days at most? Could he really have named her, like Mitsuru said? Was she really at Garden when they were? Yeah, she did look their age. But then, why had they never seen her?

He wasn't really afraid of her anymore, not after what he'd learned the previous day and what he'd seen that morning. She wasn't a threat, Hiro was obviously fine. And if she wasn't a threat, was she a... teammate?

An ally? A lost member of the squad?

He definitely needed to talk with Ichigo when they had a moment to themselves. Ichigo or Mitsuru, or maybe even Hiro himself.

"And lately, they've been showing up deep in a Level 8 mine on the outskirts and wreaking havoc. Even the automatic bulwark systems can't keep up with them."

"While normally it wouldn't be part of a mission like this, we will be keeping Strelizia on standby just in case, due to Delphinium's absense," Nana said. "We don't expect it will be needed, as the infestation is not that severe, but we'd rather be safe than sorry."

"Laaaaaaaame!" Zero Two called out from her place on Hiro's lap. Hiro chuckled softly at her disgruntled tone.

Nana continued, "Keep in mind, however, that if you can't eliminate this klaxosaur, you will not be able to handle any in the future. So focus on the task at hand. Mitsuru and Ikuno will have temporary field command for this mission."

"Roger," Mitsuru and Ikuno said in unison.

"That's all," Hachi toned. "All hands, prepare to board."

The operational pilots got up and began to make their way towards the hangar. Ichigo looked up suddenly.

"I-Ikuno!" she called. The other girl turned to look at her. "I'm sorry for putting this on you. Do your best, okay?"

Ikuno smiled brightly at her. "Of course, Ichigo! Leave it to me!"

Zero Two perked up suddenly and was at Hiro's ear in a flash, leaning against him and whispering conspiratorily.

"You think so? Really?" he asked just as quietly.

"Mhm! Mhm!" Zero Two nodded. They watched the parasites leave. Hiro grinned.

"That's sweet."

"What a big hole. How far down does it go?" Kokoro wondered.

"This is nuts!" Zorome exclaimed. "It's a monster pipe!"

"They probably use these to extract the magma reserves," Mitsuru noted. He was thankful for the lack of connection issues - apparently Ichigo's words had provided Ikuno with ample motivation.

"Head down to Level 8," Hachi ordered through the wireless communications. "As you're well aware already, in order to completely neutralize a klaxosaur, you must extract its core, which is essentially its heart, and shatter it using your customized magma energy weapons. Shatter the core and finish off the klaxosaur without fail. Got that?"

"Roger!" the pistils responded in unison.

They took up a slow trot upon reaching the designated level. "We're heading to the objective," Ikuno said.

"Argentea should take point, as it's the only one with close combat weaponry," Mitsuru suggested. "Genista and Chlorophytum will provide support."

"Alriiiiight!" Zorome cheered. "Let's go, Miku! Time to bump up our kill count!"

"H-Hey! Not so fast, Zorome!"

Ichigo glanced away from the monitor in the conference room. Nana and Goro were busy observing the mission's progress, but her attention had been drawn away by something else.

Hiro and the pistil ki - Zero Two had switched positions now, and their behavior was... distracting. Before it had been her head in his lap, something which had annoyed Ichigo to no end, for reasons that were beyond her. But now it was the opposite: his head was in her lap.

Ichigo wasn't sure which one bothered her more.

She was looking down at him and smiling softly, lost in her ministrations. Ichigo watched as the girl gently ran her hands through Hiro's hair, occasionally twisting his sideburns playfully or tenderly massaging his temples. Judging from the grin on his face, Hiro clearly approved of the treatment.

Honestly? If her stomach wasn't currently wound in the tightest of knots, Ichigo would've found it almost... cute? Adorable, even. Sappy. They just couldn't be separated from each other. They never seemed to tire of the other's presence.

It was... strange. She wanted to ask them about it, ask them what it was like. How could those few hours in the snow result in something so...

"We have visual on klaxosaur. Franxx spreading out. In position, commencing operation."

Her attention was drawn back to the monitoring hologram when Mitsuru's words came through. The squad had located the klaxosaur.

Ichigo watched as they dispatched the first without much issue - but then more dropped from above.

"This is bad," Nana spoke up. "They've attracted several klaxosaurs by releasing their magma energy."

"Should've sent uuuuuus!" Zero Two called out lazily, not looking away from Hiro. Ichigo frowned in frustration. If only she'd recovered faster! She should be out there with her squad!

And then an alarm went off. Movement had been detected beneath the surface, in the area surrounding the mine.

"Unknown signature!" one of the control officers announced over the plantation's intercom. "It appears to be a worm-class! Likely drawn by the magma energy emitted by both the Franxx and the mines!"

"Oh no," Nana whispered. "They aren't ready..."

"Send us out."

All eyes turned to Hiro. He hadn't even bothered to sit up from Zero Two's lap. He had merely turned his head towards Nana.

"Send us out," he repeated. "Zero Two and I will handle it."

"Hiro..." Ichigo whispered. Her concern was mirrored by Goro.

"But..." Nana whispered. The hologram blared to life, connected to an audio-only source. The transmission was being sent by the doctor, Franxx.

"Nana, Hachi," he said. "HQ has authorized Strelizia's deployment. They wish to observe the connection between 016 and 002."

Nana sighed, and then turned towards Strelizia's pilots. "You heard him," she said. "Get going."

Hiro and Zero Two looked at each other and grinned. But then Ichigo's eyes widened when the boy reached up and around the girl's head and pulled her down towards him. He lifted himself up with his free hand and intercepted her descent, connecting their lips together.

"Mmmmm!" the girl moaned. He released her after a long moment, still smirking slyly.

"Ready?" Hiro asked her.

"I am now!" she giggled.

Together they got up and dashed out the door, their hands intertwined.

Ichigo looked over to Goro, both of them equally shocked. "W-What was that? Goro, what was that?! What did they just do?!" she asked, frenzied.

He held his hands in a placating manner. "I-I have no clue! Really!"

She twisted towards the door in irritation, yet another question joining the myriad others.

Nervous butterflies twisted in her stomach as they ran into the hangar. Waitwaitwait why was she nervous? This wasn't any different thanofcourseitwasdifferentshewaspilotingwithdaaaaaarliiiiiiiiing!

Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

Holycrapholycrapholycrapholycrapokayokay breathebreathe it was happeningitwashappening she was so exciteeeeeeeed!

Okayokay.

Okay.

She tried to focus as they ran up the ramp to Strelizia's open cockpit. It was okay! Okayokay! They could do this theycoulddothis! She'd show him how good she was! Impress darling, impress darling!

They ran into Strelizia's cockpit. Trying to calm her nerves, she pulled him to her and gave him a quick peck on the lips, one he returned.

"Ready to ride me, darling?" she grinned at him flirtatiously, trying to get back into the zone. He reached up and cupped her cheeeeeeeksohgod she loveloveloved it when he did that!

"Can't wait," he whispered in reply, before leaning in and kissing her sooooooo sloooooooowlyyyyyymmmmnnnnnn...

Nnnn...

Okay!

That totally backfired!

Focus! Focusfocusfocus!

She attached herself to Strelizia's controls and willed the hatch shut to begin the preparation phase.

"Ready, Zero Two?" he called from behind her.

"Mhm! Go for it darling!"

She closed her eyes and waited, steeling herself. She tried to mentally picture how it always happened. She was firefirefire that neeeeever went out, rightright yupyup. Just one superduperbig inferno. All those poor fodder were sucked upupup and added to her own because shEwAsaMOnsTerMoNStnononodarlinghe'shere it's okayokay shhhh. But! Butbut. Darling was different, yupyup. He couldn't be consumed, darling would be a roaaaaaaaaaring inferno! A pillar of lava! A volcano that engulfed-

hooooooooooooooooolyshitHOlyshIThoLYsHItholyshit whatwAS it felt so goOoOOOod sogOOD submerged shewas bEIng submeeeERGed steamsteam melting meltingggg-

Zero Two.

whawha wha darlingDARLING he was herehere whatwas-

Shh. Breathe.

She breathed. Inhale, exhale. In and out. In and out.

Holyholyholyholyholy hoooooooooolycrap holycrap haa haa yesssssss

Shh. Good. Do it again. I'm here, it's okay.

She breathed again. Inhale, exhale. In and out. In and out.

Better?

Haaaaaaaaaaaaaa...

That's it, that's it! I'm proud of you, good job!

The chill wrapped around her. Pure, beautiful water. Beneath the ocean waves on a sweltering day. The air filled her lungs to capacity, fresh and cool.

D-Darling?

I'm here for you, Zero Two. Always. I love you.

A calm, crackling fireplace. A cooled and sharpened sword. No more fog, no more haze. Only crystal, pure and clear. Glass.

She was... so light. Lighter than air!

She was...

She was...!

The lion roared. The world trembled.

Strelizia began to move.

77.

84.

96.

111.

130.

145.

156.

162.

170.

"What in the world..." Nana whispered.

"Ichigo... are you seeing..." Goro muttered.

"It's impossible," the girl replied, shaking her head in disbelief. "You can't go that high, it's impossible!"

180.

188.

193.

199.

The council watched the numbers continue to rise.

"This has never happened before, correct?"

"Werner tells me it hasn't."

"Interesting. Very interesting."

"Deploy an observation probe around Strelizia's designated combat zone," Papa ordered. "Depending on the results, we may allow Werner to continue his experiments unimpeded. If this turns out as we hope, we may be able to unlock the Grand Crevasse sooner than originally anticipated."

Breathe. In and out. In and out. Breathe.

Darling?

Yes, Zero Two?

What's... what's happening?

What do you mean?

I can... think so clearly! I can see, I can...!

Shh.

The ocean wrapped around her like a second skin. Soothing, wispy. It washed away the prickling at her mind, solidified the ideas, the forms and shapes.

Her back arched in pleasure.

It feels so good!

It feels great for me too, Zero Two.

The thrusters roared. Her limbs were always so heavy, so cumbersome and sluggish! But now! Now!

His hands! Those hands she loved, those hands that had saved her! They wrapped around her own! She felt his body against her back, his head on her shoulder. She leaned against him eagerly, greedily. More!

Could she? Could she? She could! He would catch her! She knew he would!

Darling! Darling, can I? Please?!

The wave enveloped her. She breathed. Clear. Crisp. Fresh.

Yeah. Go for it.

In an instant, Strelizia's output skyrocketed.

Werner leaned back in his chair heavily. He wiped his eye, looking at the monitor.

"Ah, Karina..."

Darling! Darling, there it is!

It's big. We should get it above the surface.

Yeah, yeah! Let's go!

The spear snapped into place on the mech's left wrist. It hummed loudly.

Ready, Zero Two?

Ready, darling!

The thrusters screamed with a burst of monumental power. The Franxx tumbled through the air, its course altered, and it aimed the weapon at the rapidly descending ground.

...Now, Zero Two.

Yeah!

The impact sent a shockwave across the ground; it crashed into the side of the mine, where the rest of Squad 13 was still battling the Conrad-classes. The worm screamed in agony as it surfaced.

Darling! It's so big, look at it!

Where do you think the core is?

Ummm! The center, I think! Center mass!

Alright.

The mech somersaulted as it impacted the dirt, like a gymnast. It had no right to be moving the way it was, given its size and the laws of physics - but it was. The thrusters roared to life again. The sand around them billowed skyward as Strelizia rapidly reversed direction.

Bring it to the ground. Let's try to stun it.

Right!

The spear slammed into the underside of the klaxosaur's massive head, impaled to the hilt. Its pained shrieks didn't even give the Franxx pause; Strelizia used its momentum to drag the worm through the air. Up and up they went, until the creature's tail was ripped from the depths as well. With another burst of power, Strelizia altered its course once more. The worm's head slammed into the ground; the spear's magma energy erupted and the impaled cranium was eviscerated in a massive explosion.

...I think we're too good at this, darling.

You're amazing, Zero Two. Let's try to get that core!

Yeah!

Strelizia backflipped away as the creature howled its death throes. The skirt billowed with power. They lifted the spear into position, charged it with magma energy, and entered the gaping wound.

Keep pushing, Zero Two! We'll charge right through!

Let's gooooooooo daaaaaarliiiiiiiiiing~!

On and on they charged, until finally the day's light proclaimed their exit. Impaled on the spear was a small orb, oozing yellow. Zero Two grinned and threw it to the ground before stomping on it, crushing it instantly beneath the mech's metal heel. The klaxosaur disintegrated in an explosion of blue.

The guts normally gave her a momentary, ephemeral sense of pleasure and satisfaction, but in the end they would do nothing to calm her nerves or drive away the chaos. The destruction of the beasts only fueled her desire to beat away her demons, to prove that she deserved him. On and on she'd go; she'd thought that maybe, just maybe, she'd die before she ever saw him again. So many stamen killed, so many klaxosaurs exterminated, and yet he was forever out of her reach, so close yet so far.

It was then that the calming hand tilted her chin upwards, draining the adrenaline away, down through her toes. Her eyes gazed past the raining blood, to the beautiful summer sky. She drifted through the ocean. Cool comfort wrapped around her, hugged her, massaged her. She leaned into his arms, feeling the wisps chill her scorched mind and relax her frenzied heart.

Shh...

And for the first time in her life, Zero Two was free.