The next night, just before Zero Two was to go to bed, she went to release Ichigo from the girl's personal hell.

Huh, I bet the poor thing is half-dead by now. Maybe… I went a little far. Need to keep in mind her weak human physique has its limits.

She opened the door to Ichigo's room, where the miserable girl was still being tortured horribly, just like when Zero Two saw her hours earlier.

Ichigo's eyes moved feebly when she saw Zero Two enter her field of vision, but showed no emotion and was far too exhausted to turn her head.

Zero Two shut off the recording device and removed Ichigo's gag, expecting to rouse some life back into her victim, but Ichigo just hung there silently.

Shit, I did overdo it, didn't I, Zero Two thought to herself, hastily removing the nipple clamps and hoisting Ichigo up by the pulley.

Ichigo groaned huskily in pain as blood rushed to her damaged sensitive regions and squirmed a little, but she still didn't say anything.

"Hey, blue bitch," Zero Two taunted. "I didn't hurt you too bad, did I?"

"No, of course not, mistress," Ichigo monotoned in a flat, defeated voice. "It's what a bitch like me deserves."

This was so different from the Ichigo that Zero Two had tortured just this morning, that the dinosaur girl was taken aback, loosening her grip on the pulley. Ichigo fell crotch-first back onto the horse, and she gasped loudly at the sharp, stabbing pain to her already-terribly-sore private places, but otherwise didn't struggle or resist.

At first, Zero Two's first instinct thought that Ichigo might be feigning subservience to get the drop on her later. But her voice was so broken, her eyes looked so lifeless, that Zero Two had a hard time believing Ichigo was lying. It also didn't… smell like Ichigo's style.

Oh well, I just keep wary- I can easily overpower her anyway.

Zero Two quickly lifted Ichigo up again and set her down next to the wooden horse, before releasing her leg bonds. The blunette collapsed to the ground like a sack of potatoes.

Zero Two jerked the pulley rope harshly. "Hey, you can stand, can't you?"

"Yes, Mistress," Ichigo slowly and painfully got to her feet. Her knees were still bent inward from the painful, near-crippling torture inflicted on her genitals.

"If I'm the mistress, what does that make you?" Zero Two inquired haughtily, a dark part of her enjoying her control over the suddenly-submissive Ichigo.

"I'm just your useless slave," Ichigo's face hung in shame. "But please, I beg of you, no more torture!"

Zero Two glared into Ichigo's crestfallen eyes, but could find no deceit or defiance, only fear.

Crap, I've broken her, Zero Two thought uneasily. How the hell did this happen? She recalled Dr. Franxx's request for Ichigo not to be permanently injured by the punishment, for she was still a very valuable Parasite. Well, she's… physically... not permanently damaged, at least. Mentally… well, there's space for… creative interpretation…," Zero Two mused. Even if I don't care about blue-hair bitch here, Darling does… so… I should still get to the bottom of Ichigo's- of 015's… condition.

"So Ichigo, I just might take mercy on you if you obey my instructions. Oh, and go ahead and sit down. I know you can't stand well."

"Yes, of course, anything you ask, Mistress," Ichigo replied in a tremulous voice as she hastily sat her still-bound, naked form on the bed.

"Tell me, as best as you remember, everything that happened today since I put you on that wooden horse, and what you were thinking during that time.

"O- of course…" Zero Two ordered authoritatively.

As Ichigo began recounting her horrible, day, Zero Two's face slowly began to transform into a look of shock, then disbelief.

What is she saying? That… never happened!

Zero Two had only come in twice today- once to set Ichigo on the torture device, and now the second time to release her. Ichigo seemed to think that Zero Two had come and gone, appearing and disappearing throughout the day, claimed to recount Zero Two saying things Zero Two was sure she would never say, even conversing with Zero Two. Was there some sort of imposter? But who would- or could- do something like this…? Unless...

"Hey, Ichigo, did I ever remove your gag at all this day before my most recent arrival?"

"N- no, M-Mistress…"

"Then how the hell did you converse with me?"

"I-I don't know-" Ichigo blinked in confusion, looking genuinely puzzled.

Zero Two peered more closely into Ichigo's glassy, unfocused eyes. Don't tell me… I've driven her mad? Sounds like she was dreaming or hallucinating… does she even know what is real anymore? Some of her self-professed dialogue… was she feeling… a bit guilty deep down, for what she tried to do to me?

For the first time, Zero Two felt doubt about the revenge she had pulled and felt a twinge of… regret, even empathy for the broken girl in front of her. But the twinge passed as thoughts of new... opportunities surfaced in Zero Two's head. "Yes, I see… this can still be used… to my advantage…" She turned to Ichigo. "Fine, I won't punish anymore, or at least not the way I have been. It's time for a… reward… and some of my attention…"

"Y-Yes, Mistress?" Ichigo looked up apprehensively, fear still coloring her eyes.

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Irrelevant Historical Fact: Today in History

Seventeen years ago, on May 20, 2002, the corrupt, socialist regime of Indonesian President Megawati Sukarnoputri (daughter of former Indonesian pro-communist dictator Sukarno) and her Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle allowed the socialist separatist terrorist group FRETILIN (Revolutionary Front for an Independent East Timor) to set up their own state.

The separation of the new East Timor state created an even more impoverished, violence-ridden failed state, as the new socialist FRETILIN regime persecuted Indonesian loyalists, inspiring violent backlash from pro-Indonesian militias, leading to ethnic violence that required an expensive military intervention by Australia.

Today, while FRELITIN holds the presidency under President Francisco Guterres, its Parliament is dominated by a coalition of rivaling socialist parties, the Alliance for Change and Progress- composed of the socialist CNRT (National Congress for Timorese Reconstruction), People's Liberation Party, and KHUNTO. It remains extremely poor and corrupt, although the violence has died down somewhat, but deep discontent and unrest still brews below the surface.

For her role in this travesty, Indonesian President Megawati Sukarnoputri was ousted in the 2004 elections by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and the center-right Democratic Party of Indonesia.