Chapter 9: First Blood.
It was her first orientation in school about mock missions as a Franxx pilot. Kokoro wondered if the two-week training was enough time for her to even join the others on her first sortie out in the field.
Mitsuru assured her that since he would be doing most of the controls, her main concern would be to maintain sync with him. Which shouldn't be too much problem...she hoped.
Now she stood in line at the school cafeteria, hoping to get a cup of black coffee for Mitsuru and hot chocolate for herself before they sold out. She didn't realize there were many rookies like her who've joined recently.
Mitsuru stood just outside the entrance to the cafeteria, her bright yellow and pink bag hitched up in his shoulder, waiting patiently.
"So that's her, huh?"
The feminine voice behind him almost made him jump, silently cursing himself for letting his guard down. His focus had been on Kokoro all the time, silently looking out for her.
But the voice sounded familiar. Mitsuru turned to see a girl standing a few feet away.
"Nanami?" Code 773. She was one of the few people who helped bring him back to the realm of sanity.
"Hey." She said with a smile but she didn't step closer, keeping her short distance from him. "I didn't mean to startle you."
"That's okay." He smiled, feeling quite at a loss.
"Listen I didn't mean to start anything. I just wanted to check on you that's all. Because...regardless of what happened, I really did care for you."
"I know." Mitsuru looked down, feeling awkward. Nanami was actually his last girlfriend, not Minako. And she was the closest he'd ever come to having a normal relationship in the past three years.
In his own way, he'd cared for Nanami too, but it just wasn't enough. The last straw had been when he accidentally called her Kokoro instead of her name. She had cried then and made him feel like utter scum. There was no one else after her, until Kokoro. He simply couldn't go on hurting girls and still live with himself.
"I'm with Kyou now." Nanami said with a smile. "So all's good with me."
"Glad to hear that." And he meant it. She deserved to be happy and find a decent guy who could give her all she needed.
"How is Kokoro?"
"She had her doubts about me, but she's amazing and beautiful and I'd do anything for her. She—" Abruptly Mitsuru stopped, realizing he'd talked too much.
"That's sweet. The way you talk about her...wow, it almost makes me feel jealous." Nanami teased. "And you didn't even notice that I've cut my hair."
Mitsuru glanced up with startled eyes, realizing that Nanami indeed doesn't have the long wavy hair she sported before when they were still dating.
"I..."
"I was only teasing." She said. "But I'm glad we had this little talk."
"Me too." Mitsuru sighed, smiling at her. "I'm happy for you."
"So am I." She whispered, then nodded her head in one final goodbye before turning and walked away.
"Who is she?" Kokoro asked as she walked to his side, carrying the black coffee he wanted.
"Someone from the past." Mitsuru murmured as he pulled her close to his side then kissed her cheek. "And no, we broke it off before things got to that point."
"Oh." Kokoro simply said, trying to make it sound casual but failing. Mitsuru could only smile.
-o-
"Are you sure about this?" Goro asked again, "I mean, you know her better than I do obviously, but you guys can just stay here and do basic drills."
"I can't baby her. Not on this." Mitsuru sighed. "Much as I want to protect her, there are some things she has to face."
"Did you talk to her?"
"Yeah. She seems okay." Mitsuru sighed as he and Goro stepped out of the changing room.
"Alright." Goro said with a smile. "Hiro said they'll scout the area first, just to make sure there won't be any nasty surprises."
"Speaking of Hiro...how are things between him and Juichi?"
"As civil as it could be, I guess." Goro shrugged his shoulders. "He scored 081, so a few raised their brows when he was partnered with Naomi. Not sure if he still harbors feelings for Zero Two, we'll just have to wait and see." Goro waved as the girls came into view.
Mitsuru looked ahead and smiled when he caught sight of his girl. She has twisted her long wavy hair into a single braid that now rests on her left shoulder. Being with the other girls in their Pistil suits gave her more confidence in wearing one.
He brushed his lips against her hair as their fingers entwined. "Are you okay, sweetheart?"
Kokoro released a small sigh then nodded. "You're here, I know it will be alright."
The quiet, unquestioning confidence in him both humbled and made him feel ten feet taller.
"Goro doesn't expect to encounter any trouble, and Strelitzia has gone ahead to make sure the area is safe but, we can't let our guards down."
She nodded her head as they slowly walked down the stairs that would lead them to the cockpit.
Mitsuru sighed as they took their respective seats and her hood covered her head while the control handles from her hips rose up within easy reach.
Damn that old geezer. He silently cursed for a moment, unable to stop himself from admiring her curvy ass.
He almost reached to touch her but resisted the impulse. He must not lose focus.
As their Franxx stepped out from the hangar, they found the others waiting for them outside except Strelitzia who has gone on ahead.
"Futoshi still unable to pilot?" Mitsuru asked the others through the communicator. It's really too much to expect from someone who has just started training only two weeks ago.
"Yeah, he and Ikuno will stay here and just do basic drills. You two doing okay?" Ichigo asked.
Mitsuru did a quick check through their mental link but Kokoro replied before he did. "Yes, thanks Ichigo."
Since he was mainly the one responsible for the controls, Kokoro's training was more focused on maintaining the connection between her and the machine and through her, his link to the Franxx.
Mitsuru released a puff of breath, he had been forced to train at 15 years of age and he had resented being torn away from Kokoro, his family, and friends. But now, looks like he should thank his lucky stars for it instead. Which reminded him...
"Hey, how come Futoshi only got drafted now? His Parasite score was 214 right?"
"His parents were quite influential. Unfortunately when their wealth dried up so did their connections. And nothing could protect their boy any more, so here he is." Goro said as they led the other pairs to their destination.
"Shit happens." Mitsuru muttered beneath his breath. Misfortune does not discriminate. Perhaps Ikuno could whip him into shape, he seemed to need someone who won't coddle him.
As they traveled farther North from Mistilteinn, the terrain gradually changed, getting more and more desolate until they found themselves traversing through the desert.
Kokoro has heard about it, the effects of climate change, but this would be the first time she has actually seen the extent of the devastation.
"It's like the earth is dying." She whispered.
"Humans always find a way to survive. We will survive this too." Mitsuru quietly assured her.
"We're here." Goro said suddenly.
Here was an old excavation site, after the resources have been mined, APE moved on to the next site, leaving the old structures and...discarded Franxx scattered all over the sea of sand.
"Officially we're here to train, and familiarize ourselves with the layout of excavations sites—they all have the same structural designs. But we are also scavenging for parts," Mitsuru told her, "particularly any magma cores that may have been overlooked, and Franxx parts that are still useable. APE didn't bother to clean up after the mess."
"Why are there so many here?" Kokoro asked as she scanned the area.
"Klaxosaurs are drawn to magma energy excavation sites. These were the Franxx that fought them off."
"Don't think about it too much." He said in a low voice when Kokoro tensed. "Later, we can talk about it, but right now just focus on our task."
Kokoro released a long breath. "Okay." Mitsuru has spoken about their tasks before they set out. But nothing could prepare her for the ghastly sight of half-buried Franxx, some broken up in pieces, like felled soldiers left to rot.
They followed Goro and Ichigo who oriented them on the site layout. It was relatively intact despite the long disuse. Mitsuru pointed out the most vulnerable areas of the facility and the usual Franxx formation in defending the site.
Then they began scavenging for useable parts.
Their main goal was to acquire one of the unique Franx, hopefully, they could get Genista. But failing that, they have Plan B—which is to modify the ones they're using.
Hiro and Goro already have made contact with a few Franxx mechanics who could help. Now they'll just have to scout for an abandoned lab and get to work with the parts they've gathered.
Kokoro wasn't sure how she felt about repurposing the parts. After all, they once belonged to the Franxx of two pilots who probably perished in battle.
"Don't think about it right now, sweetheart." Mitsuru reminded her as they began to dig out sand from a fallen Franxx.
"Sorry." Kokoro gasped, then focused on their task. But she couldn't shake off the feeling of discomfort. It felt like they're digging up a body, the Franxx looked so much like a giant girl.
And all of them were missing their heads—where the cockpit was. Kokoro didn't want to stop and think what could have happened to them, not now.
"Bingo!" Goro said suddenly, startling all of them. Their Franxx waved a dusty looking spear with an intact harpoon. "The pair who collected the least spear will buy pizza for the rest."
"You're on!" Zorome said with a smirk, then addressed Miku. "Hear that? We got to win this!"
"Yeah, yeah whatever." Miku scoffed, "Keep your eyes peeled."
"Well, I'll be damned." Mitsuru murmured in pleasant surprise as they uncovered the head of what could be an intact spear. "Beginner's luck, I guess."
Kokoro smiled, but as they tried to pull it off the sand, the arm of the broken Franxx rose up with it. The sight of the closed fist around the spear shaft as if unwilling to let go spooked her. It was like seeing a dead person's arm clutching their valued possession.
"Focus, sweetheart." Mitsuru murmured as their sync destabilized.
"Sorry..." Kokoro gasped and re-established her sync with him. They pried apart the Franxx's mechanical fingers from it until the spear came off loose.
"Who's keeping score?" Mitsuru asked their squad. "We got one."
"Me!" Goro said.
There was a spat of bickering from Miku and Zorome's Franxx, as the two argued where to search next.
"You two keep doing that and it will be sundown before you find your first spear." Goro said as he and Ichigo scanned the area. They saw Naomi's Franxx who was barely moving.
"Naomi, is everything okay over there?" Ichigo asked, already heading towards them.
"We're fine." Came her partner's curt reply.
Ichigo didn't like his tone, but decided against it. "Don't push yourself okay? We're not required to scavenge for parts."
"Thanks, Ichigo." Naomi said meekly.
Around noon, Mitsuru and Kokoro have collected three spears to Goro and Ichigo's five. Naomi hasn't found one, while Zorome and Miku fared a little better with a single spear.
"Let's take a break, guys." Ichigo announced through the comm. "We can disembark from there." Their Franxx pointed at an area within the facility.
They led the rest of the team to the dock area and alighted from their Franxx for lunch break. Miku wanted to explore the east side of the site on their Franxx. Juichi was clearly unhappy with what he said was 'incompetence', so he went against Naomi's wish and continued with their search.
Consequently, it was only the other two couples who took a break from scavenging magma fragments.
"Where is Hiro?" Mitsuru asked as they met on the platform below.
"He said they'll be patrolling the area, so shouldn't be too far from here." Goro replied, then a glint entered his eyes. "So...you brought them?"
Mitsuru walked to the side of his Franxx's left shoe where he had fashioned a small compartment inside the heel as a storage area. He grunted a little as he pulled a black duffel bag from it. It was quite heavy.
"Sure did."
"What's that?" Kokoro asked.
"Argh." Ichigo said, a bit disgusted. "Boys and their guns."
"Guns!" Kokoro gasped, then looked as Mitsuru and Goro knelt on the floor to take out what looked like small canons, not guns.
"Rocket launchers?" Ichigo now looked concerned. "Isn't that dangerous?"
"No explosive warheads, just practice rounds." Mitsuru explained. That didn't assure the two girls.
"Got to test this new one." Mitsuru said as he assembled the launcher. "The rounds won't explode, it will just break. Won't even leave any white marking powder."
"Stay on that side girls." Goro said, "the backblast can be quite nasty." He pulled out a pair of binoculars and put on his protective gear as he and Mitsuru walked to an area where they could fire the rounds safely.
"Come on, Kokoro." Ichigo said in a huff. "They can go hungry if they want to, we don't have to wait for them to finish playing with their toys."
Kokoro followed her and accepted the sandwich Ichigo handed her. She barely tasted the food as she took a bite, too worried to keep her eyes off the two boys who were now kneeling on the ground, the launcher balanced on someone's shoulder. They have walked quite far out in the open area and she didn't know who was firing and who was assisting.
Just then there was a loud blast of sound as they fired a round. Kokoro didn't know if they hit their target when the rocket smashed into one of the nearest rocky mountains, marking the impact with a mini explosion of dust and gravel. Their enthusiastic high fives soon after answered her.
"They will fire all the rounds before they'll stop." Ichigo said behind her. "Let's—" She stopped abruptly as her communicator pinged. It was Hiro.
"Ichigo? Where are you guys at?"
"At the excavation site as sched—"
He didn't let her finish. "Get out of there now!" Hiro ordered with utmost urgency. "A Moho class Klaxosaur is heading your way. Inform everyone to evacuate!"
"Shit. Shit." Ichigo cursed as she called everyone while Kokoro urgently waved at the two boys.
Mitsuru was about to load another round on the launcher when her movements caught his attention from his peripheral vision. Seeing the urgency from her frantic waving, Goro and Mitsuru stopped their target practice and rushed back.
"We've got to get out of here, now!" Ichigo shouted as soon as they were within hearing distance and began to jog back the stairs. "Miku? Naomi? Do you read me? We have to leave immediately!"
Kokoro waited as Mitsuru shoved the bag back in the compartment of the Franxx's heel as Goro followed Ichigo.
"What's going on?" Mitsuru asked as they rushed out of the dock. They immediately saw Miku who quickly regrouped with them. But Naomi was nowhere to be found.
"Hiro said a Moho class is heading this way. We can't stay here." Ichigo replied. "Naomi? Naomi where are you? This is not a drill. We have to leave at once!"
"You guys go on ahead." Ichigo ordered the two pairs. "Goro and I will look for Naomi."
"We're coming with you." Miku said at once.
"No. This could be dangerous, go now. That's an order." Ichigo's voice brooked no argument.
Reluctantly the two Franxx headed out while Ichigo and Goro went on to look for Naomi.
"This doesn't feel right." Kokoro said as she and Mitsuru paused at a distance from the excavation site.
"I know sweetheart. But—" Mitsuru paused as his eyes caught something from the horizon. "Shit." He muttered, "That doesn't look good."
"What is it?" Kokoro asked, completely at a loss, but she sensed the urgency in his voice.
"What's that?" Miku suddenly gasped, pointing at the distance to her left.
"Goro...Ichigo." Mitsuru wanted to yell but controlled the urgency in his voice. "Something is heading your way, get out of there!"
"What the hell?" Zero Two's voice suddenly blared from the communicator. "Why are you people still there? Get the fuck out!"
"What's the situation?" Hiro asked.
"We can't find Naomi, Ichigo went to look for her." Mitsuru replied.
There was silence for a few seconds before Hiro spoke again. "We're tailing the Klaxosaur heading your way...we'll try to hold it off. Find Ichigo and Naomi, and get out!"
"Hiro." Fear left an acerbic taste on their tongues.
Suddenly Ichigo spoke. "I told you guys to leave! What are you waiting for?"
"Guys." Miku said, pointing at the cloud of dust that kept getting bigger.
"Conrad class." Mitsuru muttered, "A bunch of them." Conrad class Klaxosaurs usually appear in clusters of six or seven.
"Ichigo!" Kokoro and Miku cried out at the same time.
"Don't worry about us, we'll be fine. Leave at once!" Ichigo ordered through the communicator.
"We can't just leave them." Kokoro looked at Mitsuru.
He had his eyes closed, torn between the desire to keep her safe and his duty to their friends. But if they abandoned them now..there's no redemption. And Kokoro will never forgive him or herself.
"Zorome."
"Yes." The other boy simply said. No words were needed.
"We work in pairs. This shouldn't be too different from the simulation drills." Mitsuru said as they began to head towards the Klaxosaurs. "We will immobilize it, you guys destroy the core. This gets too dangerous, we withdraw. Is that clear?"
In normal circumstances, Zorome will not take kindly to such orders, but to his credit, he knew when to be quiet and cooperate.
"Just don't fall behind." He scoffed with a smirk.
Mitsuru grinned then his eyes hardened as they caught a clearer sight of the Klaxosaurs. "Focus, sweetheart." He whispered to Kokoro. "We'll be alright...Conrad class are usually harmless."
Kokoro felt her heart clench as she took her first look at a Klaxosaur. That didn't look harmless to her.
They looked like giant black spiders but with only four legs and they moved really fast. Though usually harmless when alone, they can get really dangerous at greater numbers and easily overwhelm a whole squad of Franxx.
"Zorome!" Mitsuru called out as the first one came within range.
"Bring it on!"
Mitsuru took aim with the spear and pressed the trigger. The single flue harpoon head hit the rounded surface but bounced off. Mitsuru cursed beneath his breath and aimed again, this time focusing on the circular concavity at its front that shimmered a neon bluish glow.
The harpoon pierced through this time, sending the Klaxosaur tumbling to the ground and tangled with the line. An instant later, Zorome and Miku delivered the killing blow from the top, almost cleaving its body in two with their spear.
The Klaxosaur exploded in a rain of blue, viscous fluid. "Woohoo! First Blood!" Zorome yelled in jubilation.
Miku and Kokoro winced as they got splattered with it, but there was no time for revulsion. Miku chased after the Klaxosaurs while Kokoro and Mitsuru paused for a bit as their spear reeled in the harpoon head.
"We got two more shots before magma recharge." Mitsuru said through the communicator. "How good is your aim?"
"So..so." Zorome murmured, wishing he had paid more attention during practice, but he'd always been the hack and slash guy, long range just doesn't suit him.
"Alright, two more, then it's your turn."
They dispatched the two Klaxosaurs the same way, and then waited for Zorome's signal.
He managed to hit the Klaxosaur but the harpoon bounced off its armored body again. "Hey! What gives?"
"Aim for the eye, Zorome." Mitsuru instructed, "or any of the blue areas, the harpoon lacks enough strength to pierce through that shell."
"No shit!" Zorome cursed, "How am I supposed to do that? Those damn things run too fast!"
He tried again, aiming for the round blue thing on its head but missed, fortunately for them, the Klaxosaur got tangled with the line and stumbled to the ground, a moment later Mitsuru and Kokoro pierced through its core with one downward swoop of their spear.
Kokoro winced as the blue fluid gushed from the body of the Klaxosaur. Their first kill. Two more.
"How are you holding up, sweetheart?" Mitsuru asked, checking up on her.
Kokoro wanted to run away, but merely said. "I'm okay. Let's finish this."
"Can you guys just shoot those damn things?" Zorome asked, "I'm just wasting charges here."
"Alright." Mitsuru said, checking the gauge. "Ready to fire in 15 seconds."
The last two Klaxosaurs were taken care of without much incident, and with a small sigh of relief, the two Franxx took a break.
"I hope Ichigo and the others are okay." Kokoro said as they rested.
"She'll roast us alive for disobeying orders." Miku said, but her tone said she was unperturbed.
After a few more minutes, they located their friends some distance away to the north.
"Hey, there they are!" Zorome suddenly spoke. From up ahead, they saw Ichigo and Goro's Franxx standing beside Naomi's that was kneeling on the ground.
"You!" Ichigo was about to scold the other pairs, when the ground beneath them began to tremble violently and then without warning, a gigantic Klaxosaur burst out with a heavy shower of sand.
Everyone was too shocked to even scream, could only stare at the monster that easily dwarfed both Ichigo and Naomi's Franxx.
"What is that thing?!" Miku cried out.
"It looks like a giant scorpion tail." Zorome said looking at Mitsuru, waiting for their next move.
"Can you guys outrun that?" Mitsuru asked the two pairs on the other side.
"Naomi and Juichi can't establish their connection." Goro said, his voice calm despite the gravity of their situation. "We'll need help to carry them to saf—"
Everyone held their breath when the tail flared open into four barbed blades. "It's going to attack!" Miku cried out.
"Stay back!" Ichigo told them.
"Please save yourself." Naomi begged them. "It's my fault...I shouldn't have come."
"You shouldn't give up so easily, Naomi." Hiro suddenly spoke as he and Zero Two finally made an entrance, Strelitzia swung its huge lance and struck the tail with one downward swoop.
"About time you guys showed up!" Zorome nearly sagged in his seat.
"Sorry we're late, everyone." Hiro murmured with a smile. "Mitsuru, Zorome, please help Naomi."
"Leave it to us." Mitsuru said.
Recovering from the initial attack, the giant tail fired its barbs. Strelitzia whirled its lance like a shield, rendering the projectiles harmless as they fell to the ground. "Now!"
They quickly rushed to move Naomi's Franxx to safety as Hiro and Zero Two dealt with the giant tail.
"Eat this!" Zero Two said gleefully as they hurled the huge lance into its center. When the blades closed around it, Strelitzia grabbed the line and pulled it down to the ground and fired a huge pulse of magma energy. There was an implosion as the tail twitched free but ultimately didn't do much damage. They have to find the core.
But as unexpectedly as it appeared, the giant tail suddenly retreated back to the ground.
Zero Two wanted to chase after it, but Hiro said they have to get the others to safety first.
The group was quiet as they sped past terrain, Ichigo and Zero Two helped carry Naomi. They traveled for miles, not stopping until they have put a considerable distance from the excavation site. Then only did they feel safe enough to stop and rest.
"Come here, sweetheart." Mitsuru said softly as he held his arms towards her. "This seat is much more comfier than yours."
"Jeez, cut the comm." Zorome suddenly grumbled.
"Shut up Zorome." Mitsuru muttered but without heat. "Radio silence for 15 minutes. Kokoro needs some rest." He told Ichigo, "If something comes up just buzz me."
"Okay."
Her legs shook as Kokoro stood up, then almost clumsily climbed up his lap. "Does it hurt anywhere?" He asked as he supported her legs under his arm.
"No, I just feel shaky." She replied as she laid her cheek against his chest.
"Adrenaline rush. Try to get a short nap." Gently he positioned her across his lap until her legs settled over the armrest and supported her shoulders with his arm.
He brushed the hair from her face as Kokoro settled against him, adjusting her position until she was comfortable.
"You did well." Mitsuru whispered as he brushed his lips against her forehead. "You did really well."
"You did all the work." Kokoro replied, her voice barely a whisper. Her limbs still trembled. "I was so scared."
Mitsuru brushed his lips against her skin as he made small, soothing sounds, coaxing her to close her eyes and rest.
Outside, Miku and Zorome opened the hatch of their Franxx and sat on the edge as they rested. "I wish we didn't skip lunch. I'm so hungry." Miku mumbled.
"Heh, don't blame me, I wasn't the one grumbling how we were gonna lose..."
Just then Ichigo and Goro emerged from their Franxx and sat down at the edge of the open hatch as well.
"What was that thing?" Miku asked.
"Yeah." Zorome chimed in, "I nearly shit my pants when that thing showed up."
"Don't be gross Zorome." Miku grumbled. "Anyways, how's Naomi doing?"
"Hiro is talking to them." Ichigo replied then released a sigh. "Zero Two said that Klaxosaur is the worm type we're supposed to kill this Spring Break."
"Isn't it too soon? That thing is huge, if the pros can't handle it, what chance do noobs like us have?" Miku asked.
"Hiro is confident Strelitzia can kill it." Goro said, adjusting his eyeglasses as he sat beside Ichigo. "He said if we could pin it down and force its mouth open, Strelitzia can charge through inside to reach the core."
"Eww, that's like asking us to feed Strelitzia to that thing." Miku said, shivering slightly.
"How can we pin down something that big?" Zorome asked. "Most likely it would just swat our asses to kingdom come."
"We're still working on the strategy." Ichigo said. "The idea is to lure it between a narrow canyon, then somehow create a landslide to bury its body or at least immobilize it."
"The main concern right now is how to cause a landslide on time. Unlike Strelitzia, our spears do not fire a magma pulse to cause an explosion...hey, if Mitsuru could get explosive rockets, we could fire them using the launchers." Goro said.
"But those things are illegal, we could get in trouble if you guys fire those things." Ichigo said.
"We could try asking Hachi to equip us with APE sanctioned explosives." Hiro suddenly spoke, startling them. "Hey guys, you all okay?" He asked them.
"Yeah, all in one piece, thanks to you two!" Miku replied cheerfully. "Where were you earlier?"
"Patrolling the area, but we weren't able to detect that Klaxosaur until it came closer to the surface of the ground."
"How can we kill something that hides underground?" Zorome asked. "Seriously that one's probably the King of lame-o Klaxosaurs."
"There are larger ones than that." Zero Two suddenly spoke. "Not to scare you guys, but truth is, that thing we just saw earlier is a baby compared to other types."
"Holy crap!" Miku and Zorome exclaimed in unison. "You've gotta be kidding me!"
"Wish I was." Zero Two said.
A/N: I want to write smut grrr lol. But have to do the 'point A to point B' thingy chapter first. I swear, my muse is about to shrivel and die from writing a battle scene. Never been my strong point, but arghhh. Next time, I'll just stick to my PWP one-shots. ;'(
Esotericuz good to see a familiar name after all these years. Hope all is well with you. ;')