Ichigo was moving as fast as she could. She had to, she was running late after all. However, the heels of her pistil suit weren't really designed for running so she was forced to slow down to maintain her balance. Cursing at whoever designed the heels, she mentally apologized to Goro as she rushed to Garage #2.
She could still hear the reverberations that came from a loud microphone which gave her hope. As long as Papa was fond of his long drawn out speeches, he was indirectly helping Ichigo make it to the start-up ritual in time.
While she thanked Papa for many things throughout the day as standard parasite prayers during mealtimes, here she was doing a personal made up on-the-spot prayer regarding how Papa loved the sound of his own voice.
May his voice never tire.
She really should have been more careful with the time while she was having her conversation with Hiro about skipping the graduation parade. But as always, whenever Hiro got involved, Ichigo found herself unable to think rationally and simply desired to spend more time with the black haired boy.
Turning around the corner that led to the Plantation garages, she prayed with all her heart that she would make it in time before the launch of the start-up ritual. Calculating the remaining distance in her mind, she breathed a sigh of relief as it seemed like she would make it on time after all.
"Wow, this is too much, even for an elite like her. First by skipping the parade and making Goro look awkward standing there alone. Now she's nowhere to be found when we're right about to begin the start-up ritual."
Miku grumbled her complains while giving Goro a look of pity like he was a guy being stood up on his first date.
"At this point I'm just starting to feel bad for Goro for being stuck with a pistil like her. If it weren't for Delphinium, you would think she was Hiro's pistil instead."
Goro tried to settle Miku down with a wave of his hands.
"I'm sure she has a good reason for that, we can trust Ichigo. She's not a bad person."
But Goro felt like he was the only man bucketing water off a sinking ship when it came to easing the rift that currently existed between the double digits and the triple digits within the team.
To be fair, it wasn't all of them that caused conflict in the squad. Futoshi, Kokoro, Ikuno and Miku didn't get involved in the anti-elite echo chamber that Zorome and Mitsuru constantly bounced off each other. For some reason, Zorome in particular saw him as a fellow comrade , merely just placed in the wrong rank.
To this day, Goro wasn't sure if that was a compliment to his personality or an insult to his skills as a stamen. He just rolled his eyes and tried not to think too hard about it. He just chalked it up to Zorome Logic™.
"I bet the reason is called 'Hiro' as usual. Really, she should remember sometimes that she's still our team leader. She should be overseeing us all equally without favoritism."
Well OK, maybe Miku liked to grumble a little too much, but at least it was pretty obvious that she never meant any of it.
Unlike Zorome.
It also helped that she was far nicer and less caustic to get along with as compared to her stamen partner.
"Ichigo and neutrality? She might as well implement one rule book for Hiro and another for us mere mortals."
Annnd that was why no one really liked Mitsuru as well. Well, maybe except Futoshi. But he would get along with anyone in the world if he was provided bread as a reward for doing so. So Futoshi didn't count.
"Hey everyone, lets just stop, its a day of celebration! Let's all just have fun while we can, there's also plenty of sweet wine at the after party."
Maybe it was because of his good-natured personality, but not many could argue against Goro when he went into full "Team Dad" mode. Even Mitsuru made a noise and looked away without saying anything.
The loud clacking of heels on the hanger walkway announced her arrival. Goro turned his head to welcome his pistil who was closing the distance rapidly to Delphinium's cockpit where he was currently seated in the stamen's chair.
"I'm so sorry for being late! Goro, I'll be right there!"
Ichigo's voice panted out from the exertion of forcing so much physical activity on her body in such a short time span. Beads of sweat were already forming under her blue bangs. She hoped Goro wouldn't mind if his pistil was a little sweaty during the start-up rituals. She was still a girl after all, and she got self conscious about such things.
"Oh~? Our illustrious leader finally decides to come join the rest of us mere peasants. Truly, we're humbled by your presence. Say, how did your fan girl meeting go? Did you manage to get his autograph?"
Zorome's mocking voice heaps scorn on the new arrival.
'You're not better than any of us. I'll show everyone what a theater the entire STFG is.'
Was the single overriding motive that filled Zorome ever since his Plantation had welcomed the new additions to it's Franxx garrison squad.
It was classic crab in a bucket mentality. When Goro was the solo double digit parasite in their squad, he was but one pilot in a full Franxx squad made of ordinary parasites with triple digit codes. It was thus easier to look up to Goro, with his easy going nature, natural friendliness and down to earth personality along with his double digit piloting competency as an ideal for everyone to strive towards. Goro thus became something of a big brother to everyone and Zorome soon became fast friends with him.
But then the Special Tactical Fighter Training Group joined as well. Now, nearly one-quarter of their roster consisted of either double digits or the super elite Aggressors. Jealousy and resentment began to build within his chest. His green-eyed monster hidden deep within him whispered toxic thoughts to his heart where he realized from now on, no more credit will ever be passed on to the regular parasites of Plantation 13 Franxx squad. Every success would be accredited to the skill and competence of the elites. While every failure would be blamed on the triple digits who held them back.
And then the infamous activation incident occurred.
He saw with his own eyes how the cream of the crop of APE's regular Ground Forces failed to even boot up a mere mass production Franxx. His heart raged at the lies and false promises he now bore witness too. He recalled the legendary emblem the STFG carried. A pair of Valkyrie wings and a dagger splitting it down the middle. Who didn't have their breath taken away when they realized the parasite they were interacting with was carrying the legendary shoulder patch of the Aggressors? Was there even a single soul in the ground forces who didn't recognize it?
Even their own training manuals during the boring theoretical lectures that all parasites were forced to attend as part of their training process bore the symbol of the STFG.
Thus, the theory that the entire thing was a sham squadron that Papa merely used as a showpiece to boost morale and provide an ideal for the grunts like him in the regular ground forces to look up to was formed. From that day on, Zorome's nose would scrunch in disgust whenever he saw the wings and dagger carried on the shoulders of both of them. He had lost all possible respect for the sham squadron. And he didn't hide it.
As the cockpit door of Delphinium hissed shut, Zorome threw one last glare at the Franxx that contained only double digits like it was mocking him before Argentea's cockpit slammed shut as well.
That was when the voice of Papa which he idolized so dearly came alive on the comms and turned his attention elsewhere.
"Chosen ones! Guardians of Humanity! We will now begin the start-up ritual. With this, you kids will finally become official Parasites!"
Pride welled in Zorome's heart. He tapped Miku's shoulder to get her attention then grinned at her. She gave him the cheesiest of grins as well. Finally, all their hard work would be rewarded.
The rapid booms of firing munitions and the explosion that rocked the Garage felt like a bucket of iced water was dumped over Zorome's ambitions.
He looked towards the sound of tearing steel and noticed a giant blue eye glaring at all of the assembled Franxx in the Garage.
And it looked pissed.
"Damage Report!"
"Fire in Section 27! All automated turrets on the west side of the Plantation are destroyed!"
"How did we not notice it until it was right on top of us...?"
Hachi pondered as he looked at the floating 3D hologram of the Plantation displayed in the center of the briefing room. It had parts of it flickering red to signify the damaged sectors.
"They used the fog to fool our radar. Seems like they are getting smarter."
Doctor Franxx mused about this as another explosion rocked the Plantation and caused the entire briefing room to rattle. Papers were dropped from their terminals and coffee splashed out of their mugs.
"Find out where the Klaxosaur is. Can we get a visual on it?"
Hachi asked Nana who was operating the console that controlled the heads up display of the briefing room.
"Found it, the Klaxosaur just hit Garage #2. Displaying on the main feed now."
The gigantic main display of the briefing room showed a large black-blue craggy mass that was shaped like a quadruped dinosaur from the ancient days ramming its armored head into the reinforced walls of the garage.
"Ohhhhh... Is that a moho-class? It's big, strong and has a fine look. Amazing!"
"DOCTOR! Now isn't the time for casual commentary!"
Nana groaned. She couldn't believe the eccentricities of APE's top scientist sometimes. Her eye then caught a strange reading on the Plantation sensors.
"There's a unit moving to intercept! It's not registered on our roster! IFF marks it as a friendly!"
Hachi questioned Nana's update as the fast moving blip on the radar display moved to contact with the assaulting Klaxosaur.
"What...is that unit? It's not a Franxx..."
Hachi murmured.
"It's her then. What a savage look. Has she consumed her stamen again?"
Werner Franxx shot a slight look of disgust at the steel white wolf with red stripes running across it's body as it was brought up on the main screen.
Inside Delphinium, Ichigo gasped as she saw the glaring blue-black eye move away from the hole in the garage. The entire squad were still bolted to their launch bays and their Franxx weren't released from their clamps yet.
This is bad! That's a Moho-class! They weren't ready for that level of opponent yet! Not to mention we're all trapped here like animals in a pen waiting to be slaughtered. We need to do something!
Ichigo felt as if she was locked up in chains, awaiting her execution.
She cynically realized that the safety clamps that held the Franxx secured and upright in their garages were to be their doom.
So much for "safety".
Then the glaring blue-black eye was replaced with a gaping maw that started to glow with an eerie light that was increasing in intensity.
We need to get out of the line of fire!
She looked back at Goro who seemed to have frozen in place from the sheer fright at the unexpected situation he was thrust in.
We can't die here, not yet!
"Goro! We need to get moving! Break the clamps off Delphinium!"
Goro's wide eyes kept staring at the glowing light that was about to spill out from the gaping maw of the Moho-Class. His body frozen in place as if he was watching the blade of a guillotine fall in slow motion onto his neck. He didn't move an inch nor utter a sound.
It was not his fault he reacted that way. It was his first encounter with a Klaxosaur after all.
Even trained soldiers froze up in their first firefight back in the old world. Experiencing a true life or death situation left even the most well drilled trooper nervous at best. Goro was merely a cadet that had just graduated from his pilot school.
And it was about to kill all of them while he was locked inside an immobile coffin of steel and iron. It was to no surprise then that Goro mentally broke down in the face of an overpowering foe. The other members of his squad were frozen in fear just like him.
Ichigo recognized what was happening and despaired even though she was not surprised by Goro's reaction in the least.
To have his first contact be with a Moho-Class about to destroy him while being clamped down in an immobile coffin of steel. It would break anyone.
But she still had to try. The only other option was death.
"GORO! WE NEED TO GET OUT OF THE KILLZONE! WE NEED TO MOVE TO OPEN GROUND!"
Ichigo screamed out at her stamen in an attempt to snap him out of his funk.
It was no use, he and the other 4 Franxx in the garage had the same seizure of fear that ran across them. The toxic black hand of fear had gripped all of their hearts and forced them into inaction.
The glowing light in the Klaxosaur's mouth seemed to peak in intensity. Ichigo saw the air shimmer and shift around its maw from the heat it was outputting, she knew that was the telltale sign that the Moho-Class just reached the maximum charge for its upcoming attack.
Of course she knew.
It was her job to study how to beat the Klaxosaurs, after all. That was why she possessed the privilege of carrying wings on her shoulders, as compared to her other pilots.
That was the reason she bore the title of an Aggressor.
Ichigo felt a stab of fear pierce her heart and averted her gaze from the main cameras on Delphinium's display.
It's over.
"Hiro..."
She shut her eyes and prayed.
The tunnel of light never came. It seemed it wasn't her time to die just yet.
A loud impact pushed the Klaxosaur off the Plantation's walls. Ichigo opened her eyes and looked at their supposed savior. She was preparing to say a prayer in gratitude when her voice caught in her throat the moment she caught sight on the unit that had saved her life.
During her entire time spent in the Special Tactical Fighter Training Group, one of her main roles was to study on the technical aspects of every single Franxx in APE's arsenal in order to search for ways to fine tune them for better performance or handling. It was with a chill running through her spine that she realized she did not recognize the unit that saved her life.
That meant it wasn't even officially registered in the APE document archives.
That meant APE was hiding something from even their top pilot squadron.
Because Franxx were supposed to be humanoid shaped.
What saved their lives was shaped like a beast.
"That's not even a Franxx..."
Ichigo muttered to herself.
"So you're my new stamen huh?"
"...Yeah."
"I guess we're alike then."
"What do you mean?"
"We're both rejects."
"...Ah."
"But lets make the best out of a bad situation, I'm sure we can figure something out and start climbing our way out of the trenches."
"...We can try."
"Lets shake on it then. Partners?"
"Partners."
He shook her hand. He noticed it felt warm.
The hand he was holding felt exactly the same as he remembered it.
That was because it was the exact same hand from the exact same person. Only that it was severed at the wrist, with a chunk of white bone protruding out the flesh. The pure whiteness of the bone contrasting against the red meat that hung around it made for a disgustingly compelling sight that Hiro couldn't tear his eyes away from.
"Naomi..."
Hiro murmured deliriously as he cradled the severed hand close to his chest.
"That's no good you know... You aren't supposed to leave your belongings behind... It just causes trouble to the caretakers who have to clean up after you."
The sane part of Hiro's mind was currently buried under the ringing of his ears and the dull reddish mist of blood that permeated the air around the wrecked departure terminal.
"Don't worry... I'll hold on to it for you. So that I can return it to you the next time I see you. Strange... Why won't it fit into my pockets?"
Hiro frowned as he tried to fit the severed hand into his uniform pockets but couldn't seem to squeeze it in.
"Your hands are bigger than I expected, Naomi."
He murmured.
He looked towards the distance and squinted.
Strange, were birds supposed to move that fast? And why were they getting bigger?
He cocked his head as a giant mass crashed into the transport hub. The force of the impact sent his body floating through the air once more, where he lost his grip on the hand he was currently holding.
He watched as the severed hand flew ever further away from him.
"...Ah."
He let out a sound as he watched the last remnants of Naomi disintegrate in the flaming wreckage of the departure terminal.
The impact of his back hitting the hard pavement provided the necessary shock required to jerk Hiro awake from his daze.
Immediately, his eyes lit up as he realized the situation he was in. With rationality and full control of his mental processes coming back, the downsides of being sane once more quickly made itself known.
"Tsssk...! Oh that hurts..."
Hiro winced as he gingerly touched the back of his head and felt a sticky wet feeling.
Drawing his fingers back to check on them, he noticed a small amount of dark red blood staining his fingers. Not a large quantity by any means, nor was it enough to freak him out, but he noted that he had a cut on the back of his head that had started to burn.
He looked at the steel giant that landed beside him. It was colored white with sub colors of red streaked all over it's chassis. Hiro did not recognize such a design. In the first place, it wasn't even humanoid. It looked like a wolf of steel and blood.
He certainly never remembered seeing anything like it in the APE archives they had back at the STFG base.
Is it even a Franxx? Who's piloting it?
A hissing sound cut off his racing train of thoughts. What seemed like a cockpit near the head of the steel wolf was depressurizing itself and venting out hot air as a door opened.
Another familiar wet thump sounded on the ruined pavement close to his feet.
I'm getting too used to that sound.
He looked down at the bloody and broken body at his feet and gasped.
It was the crippled stamen he met at the lake! Except his chest wasn't even rising anymore. He was dead. Being in such close proximity to a still warm corpse gave Hiro a churning unease in his belly. The butterflies of fear were starting to flutter in his stomach.
He's dead.
"Forget about him. He's done for."
The pink haired girl he met at the lake earlier spoke as she rested against the cockpit door of Strelizia for support. It seemed she didn't escape unharmed as well. There was a streak of blood running down the left side of her face, although Hiro noted it barely did anything to diminish her beauty.
If anything, it gave her a feral look that suited her.
Wait a minute...
She was piloting it.
She was wearing a red pistil suit.
That meant she was a pistil.
He looked at the horns on her head.
The red horns that shone alluringly in the setting sun.
He tore his eyes away from the lovely sight and put them on the corpse of the sliver haired corpse of a stamen lying at his feet.
He was dead. He died piloting with her.
Red horns and a dead stamen.
He too had heard about the rumors during his time in the Special Tactical Fighter Training Group.
"...Partner Killer."
If anything, the churning in his belly became a body-wide tension that made all his muscle groups tighten as he put together the pieces of just who he was dealing with.
Zero Two's entire body jerked upright as she heard the words leave her darling's lips, her eyes widening at the curse he uttered towards her.
What.
How.
He knew.
Darling knew.
She felt her eyes water as tears threatened to leak out of them, the stinging sensation adding to the torrent of emotions surging forth within her.
This wasn't how I wanted him to remember me as.
A bestial roar in the distance brought Zero Two back to reality. The Moho-class was coming back for seconds, it seemed.
At the very least, I will protect my darling. If nothing else.
She blinked her tears away and started to stumble back into the cockpit of Strelizia that she now wished would serve as her steel coffin.
A warm grip on her wrist stopping her from proceeding further inside, his sharp green-blue orbs, the ones which she found herself lost in it's beauty, shone at her as he spoke.
"Are you going to pilot that thing alone?" He asked.
She tried to shake him off but his grip on her wrist never wavered.
Hold my hand, and never let go.
Darling is right here but...
I'm nothing more than the Partner Killer in his eyes.
A sorrowful look filled her face as she shook her head.
"I gotta go."
"You're injured and hurt. There's no way you can beat him. The odds are against you!" He pointed out.
"I'm used to it."
Her bitter reply betrayed her current feelings, of her wish that she could be buried in a steel coffin, under a trampling mob of klaxosaurs.
The grip on her wrist tightened, as his hard voice refuted her.
"This is insanity."
"In this crazy world, I can't tell the difference anymore."
Turning her face to lock gazes with him, her clear turquoise orbs pierced his green-blue eyes.
For a fleeting moment that seemed to last an eternity. They remained in silence, eyes locked onto the other's.
Expressing feelings that would have took hours of conversation to come to the same understanding.
With a deep inhale, Hiro made his decision.
He released his grip on her wrist.
Enough is enough. I would rather burn out with the flame of my life than to slowly die a meek, whimpering death.
Blinking twice, Hiro nodded.
"Then I'm coming with you."
Her heart was hammering in her chest against her ribcage at his acceptance, Zero Two stumbled back into the cockpit of Strelizia until she tripped and landed onto the Stamen's seat. Her vision found itself tunneling on the raven-haired boy in front of her.
A slight ringing noise started to form in her ears as her mind struggled to keep up with her surging feelings.
Darling wanted to be with her? Even though he knew about her reputation? Darling would risk his life to be with her?
With a pitched breath, Zero Two shook her head, her voice steadily rising as she did so.
"Why would you go that far? You said it yourself, I'm the Partner Killer. You'll be risking your life if you piloted with me."
Please don't reject me.
Please don't look at me like how everyone else does.
Please be mine once more.
The clarity in his eyes never faltered as he spoke the words which served as her salvation.
"Because I think it's too sad if one has to be insane alone."
This was it. Her entire life was spent leading up to this moment.
Darling was going to be her partner
Zero Two sucked in a breath as she mentally prepared herself for the next step.
Rising from the stamen chair she was resting on, Zero Two spread her arms open invitingly towards Hiro, welcoming him into Strelizia.
With a quick shifting of his cheeks, Hiro noted to himself-
The gesture evoked an image of a harlot urging someone into their bedchambers.
As the Partner Killer beckoned him to plunge into the darkness with her, a line left her lips in a sultry tone,
"Come then, both your steed and your princess awaits you."
Hiro nodded as he proceeded to enter the cockpit of Strelizia and approached the pink haired girl in the red pistil suit.
Said the spider, to the fly.
He grimly noted.
His feet didn't stop when he crossed the border marking her private territory as he ventured deeper into the darkness just so he could put himself into her embrace. Her arms encased him into her trembling warmth. The musky scent of sweat and the heady tang of blood mixed into a haze that addled his mind. Easing his body, Hiro surrendered himself to be taken by the Femme Fatale.
She was taller than him, so she put her arms around his neck lovingly and pressed down on him so he would arc his back slightly.
He felt the bump of her horns, the alluring red horns that always stole his gaze whenever he set his eyes on her, press onto his forehead.
Her gaze was hungry and affectionate. To Hiro, he felt like she was literally devouring him with her sight alone.
Her touch was so soft and her feelings were so openly on display that even Hiro himself felt like he was melting in her embrace and returning her feelings. His eyes betrayed the anticipation and nervousness he was feeling at the moment.
And Zero Two found it so attractive
Her lips parted slightly.
Hiro found himself mirroring her action.
As she moved in to finish the fairy tale in that picture book, he closed his eyes and waited.
Mother used to say,
It was warm and wet in all the right places. The sparks flew as Hiro felt the flame of his life force surge. This was his comeback. The bright rays of sunshine blew apart the storm of black clouds that seemed to have clung to him for far too long.
He reclaimed his destiny.
He recalled his purpose.
He found himself remembering just who he was.
He was the ace pilot of APE's entire Ground Forces that countless parasites looked up to and admired. Rowdy, noisy rooms would hush the moment he entered them. Once packed corridors would part in reverence as he strode down Garden's hallways. Pistils would exhale watery sighs as they gave longing looks from a distance whenever he found himself returning to Garden to file his latest reports. Caretakers would sound nervous whenever they interacted with him, as if they were afraid of offending him.
Eyes would be drawn to the wings he carried on his shoulders whenever he conversed with someone. No, not carried.
The wings that he had earned.
And now here he was, in the embrace of the infamous Partner Killer. It was truly a sight to behold.
"You are so special."
If this was how his candle of life was going to burn out, then so be it.
If it was said that stars shone the brightest right before dying, then so be it.
If he had to give her every drop of blood he had until she sucked him dry, then so be it.
He would go out with a bang, not a whimper.
Hiro pressed his lips forward as Zero Two moaned into the kiss and surged forward to match him in intensity. Her needy and frantic grip locking him in place and allowing him no escape from their shared embrace. The tensing of her body and high pitched whimpering noises broadcasting her joy at his reciprocation.
"No one will shine as bright, my dear."
And the contract was made.
Between the widow and her mate.
[Strelizia - Activated]