Author's Notes
This is the second chapter of DITF: Havoc. I just need to go over a few things before I start. For now on everything will be in third person, I apologize for any confusion that may have caused. To clarify the first person perspective from the last chapter was Code 011, this chapter will also include part of Code 011's backstory. More of his story will be told later on as this part is not the beginning of his story, or just before Squad 13's welcoming ceremony, it lies somewhere in the middle, but its an important piece. Know the rest of his story will be told eventually. Please continue with the criticism, I am actively trying to improve my writing style as the story progresses so expect improvement. Also, some of you may start to understand what's happening to Hiro, there is more of it in this chapter and in the next chapter as it gets explained.
—
When Hiro came too he was strapped to a bed in the medical wing, attached to various monitors. The last thing he remembered was flying towards the Klaxasaur, but after that, it goes dark. It hadn't taken them long to realize he was awake, especially with his shouting. Shortly Nana had walked in to tell him he had passed out after piloting Strelitzia and had been unconscious for a few hours. He was to report to Mistilteinn and await further instructions. She wouldn't tell him where Zero Two was, just that he would see her again soon.
Walking up the path to the house Hiro spots a blue haired girl sitting on the steps, playing with one of the cats that inhabit the woods. He can't help but smile, even after all this time, all these years, she was the same girl from the Garden. Thinking of the garden brings him back to his pink haired friend, he needed to find her, needed to remember.
"Ichigo, have you been waiting for me."
She stands and turns her head. "Yes! We were worried when you didn't come back after the welcoming ceremony."
"You really mustn't worry so much," he says with a shake of his head, "I'm fine."
"Hmph, well this is your home now, so you better get used to us bothering you. We're a squad."
That draws another smile from Hiro, he was going to get to grow up with them, and hopefully pilot with them, someday. Suddenly his thoughts go to a missing member, Naomi, he had seen her off, but he'd also seen what happened next. The way the transport had been crushed by the Klaxasaur, twisted metal mixed with dust.
Ichigo, having known Hiro his entire life, knew where his mind had gone, and her tone went soft, "I heard they found Naomi. She was badly hurt but she's alive."
That piece of information did little to ease his thoughts. He's still the reason she got it the transport, why she had been thrown away. And now he got to stay, he got to live. "Yeah."
Seeming satisfied with his response she moves on to more pressing matters, "was it really you in that Franxx?"
"Yes."
"Do you really plan on trying to pilot with her again?"
Looking into her eyes he answers her question, and breaks her heart, with one word, "yes."
"Well," clearly flustered, "I've heard that no pilot can make it more than three rides with her."
"So, what? If I can't fly I'm as good as dead anyway."
It was that moment the front door opens and out backs Goro, looking back at Hiro he says, "Hiro get in here, that strange girl is eating in our dining room."
Sure enough, upon entering his sights are treated to Zero Two sitting by herself, lathering her lunch in substantial amounts of honey. It wasn't until Goro nudges him that he realizes he hadn't moved since spotting her. As if knowingly she gives him a sideways glance as she licks some excess honey from her hands.
Not knowing what to do next Hiro walks to his seat, never taking his eyes off the horned girl. He was so enticed he didn't notice the conversation happening at the girl's table. "She's such a strange person, do you think she likes treats?" asks Genista's pistil Kokoro. "She's not a person. Not with those things on her head," responds Argentina's pistil Miku, making a gesture with her hands above her head like horns. "Stop it, she is our savior, show her some respect," interjects Ichigo.
Over at the boy's table the conversation is much more mundane. "She's nothing like the rumors," says Futoshi while grabbing several pieces of bread for later. "She's ruining her looks eating like that," says Goro with a grin, turning to Hiro he sees the stamen is completely captivated by the display the pink haired girl is putting on, "Hiro, what do you think?"
Taking a moment to compose himself, "I can't believe her wounds healed so fast," having seen her bloodied and bruised not three hours before.
Zorome, having grown tired of Zero Two's silence, approaches her table, "Hey there! It was a real treat to watch your skills in action. I, Zorome the Great, shall graciously ride with you. I'm sure I'd do much better than that wuss." Zero Two, having none of this, decides to clean her left hand with the fabric on his uniform instead of using her tongue. "Eeeek, what do you think you're doing? These are my Sunday best! What are you going to do about this?"
Apparently, nothing as she seemingly has grown tired of her chair, and the conversation, and begins to make her way to Hiro, whose eyes are still locked on her. She, with no hesitation, makes herself comfortable on his lap, and begins to slather honey on his food. Hiro is absolutely captivated by her display and confidence. Who is this girl and where has she been hiding? He gets the sensation like he needs to give her something, share a sweet, but he has nothing to give.
"I think we should eat together."
"D-Did I actually manage to fly? I wasn't just along for the ride, right?"
"Of course, you were," she responds after sucking some stray honey from her finger, she traces that same appendage over his lower lip before continuing, "you were amazing. Darling."
"Darling?!" responds the room, and a clink is heard from the girls' table, and for the second time in 10 minutes Ichigo's chest feels like it was caved in, and she doesn't know what it means.
Another wave of pain and static rips itself through Hiro's mind, it feels like everything he ever was, and is, is being carved out of his head. Both of Hiro's hands are pressed hard against the sides of his head as he lets out a scream, a scream that starts low and can only grow.
The room, which was already captivated by the two, is now filled will concerned panic, even Mitsuru looks mildly concerned, having been trying his best to stay out of any conversations. Zero Two's cool expression changes as she looks at the pain her Darling is in. "Darling?!" she manages before quickly standing up. Goro is the first by his friend's side quickly followed by Ichigo.
"Hiro? Hiro?! What's wrong?" Ichigo asks, nearly yelling, "Hiro?!" but Hiro is no longer there, all he can see is static, it feels like holes are being drilled through his hands, as his brain tries to adapt to the new memories, memories that don't belong to him.
Goro's mind hadn't stopped racing since he saw his friend in a pained state, he can only watch helplessly as blood begins to drip down the sides of his head.
The doors burst open to reveal Nana, who had been waiting in the foyer for the right time to enter, and she quickly makes her way to the pained stamen's table. "Code 056, grab him and follow me." With some authority restored Goro springs into action, grabbing Hiro under his legs and back and quickly follows Nana out the door, Ichigo not far behind.
They leave behind a shocked room and a mumbling Zero Two, who eventually makes her way to follow them, still mumbling incoherently.
In the distance, a pained scream echoes through the bird's nest.
—
"This upcoming battle will be extremely difficult. We would have liked to avoid it, but it seems like we can't outrun them," says the commander, face emotionless he continues, "you will be facing two Gutenberg class and at least 200 Conrad class. We would have liked to continue to ease you into more difficult combat, due to your situation, but it seems like we have no choice. Code 087, this will be a chaotic battle, make sure to use Drokei to the best of your ability, we have full faith in you. Plantation 47 is in your hands"
"Yes sir," replies the seasoned stamen, he looks back at the rest of his squad, "let's go!"
After a quick uniform change everyone is making last minute checks to their Franxx. Most are standard models, making them less effective at taking on large hordes, but instead require coordination to isolate small groups of a larger pack. All are standard except one, the newcomer, after the loss of Code 496 a replacement stamen was needed, they got that, and a custom Franxx with Code 011. This Franxx, Drokei, much resembles Strelitzia in its design, though it predates Strelitzia's completion by a full year. The only major difference between Strelitzia and Drokei is Drokei's color scheme, still being the default shades.
"Hito!" calls out Fujii, the red-haired blue-eyed pistil, approaching the custom Franxx, "you think we're ready for this." With the custom Franxx came custom uniforms, the stamen's being jet black and the pistil's being dark red, it set them apart in the changing rooms and the hanger.
"I don't know Code 212, I've got a bad feeling about this," responds her Stamen, who stands at least a head taller than her with black hair and teal eyes.
"Please, when will you stop calling us by our code numbers. Especially me, I thought we moved past that."
"Maybe after this battle, it just hasn't felt right to call you all by anything else. Even after these past few months."
"Pfft. Alright, but when we get back we're gonna have a good meal and finally become a true family."
That manages to pull out the slightest of smiles on her black-haired partner, she always was thinking about the next meal.
"Whatever you say. Let's just focus on this battle, we can worry about what comes after when we get back to the hanger," back in business mode.
Within 10 minutes all Franxx units were accounted for, and stationed at the ready, the dust cloud from the approaching Klaxasaurs was rapidly drawing near.
"The defensive line is set. You have been placed roughly 2 miles from the plantation. In the event your line is broken you will fall back and set up the secondary line, your Franxx are all more than capable at outpacing any Klaxasaurs you will be facing. Good luck Squad 47."
After the orders finished coming through Code 087 immediately took control. "Alright, Code 011, you will attempt to thin the herd the best you can. Try to draw their attention toward you so we have a better shot at isolating the edges of the herd. Everyone else, on me."
"Rodger!" replies the squad in unison.
Drokei immediately charges through the herd, using her boosters to get towards the center, and hacking at the Conrads. The 2 Gutenberg slowly closing in.
After roughly 30 minutes of continuous fighting the pack of the Conrad class begins to thin, and the Gutenbergs have nearly broken through the line.
"Alright, Squad 47 on me. We'll be attacking the rear Gutenberg, after it's dealt with we will fall back to the secondary line and hold out there."
Before the Franxx are in position to deal with the first Gutenberg the ground below Code 087 and Code 243 begins to break.
"What?" cries the panicked pistil, as a large tail ruptures the ground, grabbing the Franxx unit as it ascends. Before anyone can move the Klaxasaur quickly smashes the Franxx unit into the Earth, causing it to tear in two and part of the cockpit to cave in.
"A worm class has been detected, all Franxx fall back immediately!" is shouted over the comms from the plantation, panic evident in the commander's voice.
"Yatchi! Nagano!" cries out Fujii, looking towards the destroyed husk of her friends' Franxx.
"Run!" is screamed over the comms as the Gutenberg brings its fist down on another Franxx smashing it in a shower of magma and dust.
"Nooooo!"
"Alright, everyone follow me. We are getting out of here!" shouts Code 011, as they make a desperate attempt to escape the area. Before they can make it far another worm class, this time the head of one, shoots out of the ground and pile drives one of the 2 other standard Franxx through the ground, never slowing.
The battlefield is a mess of bodies as several more worm class midsections begin to break the ground, turning the only escape into a mess of moving mass and broken Earth.
Turning to look back, Code 011 is greeted to both Gutenbergs closing in, along with the rest of the Conrad horde, forward was being cut off by the worm classes, realizing escape was no longer an option he begins addressing his partner, "Fujii, I'm sorry. I couldn't protect you or the squad. It's been fun the time we've had, and I'm glad to have gotten to know you all." He finishes as the tears begin to fall.
Drokei's face appears on screen, also crying, to respond, "you have nothing to be sorry for. You did all you could. It has been fun, hasn't it? I'm glad we've had this time together; however short it was."
With the 2 Gutenberg closing in, and the worm classes fast approaching, the 2 Franxx stand, awaiting their fates. As the ground continued to rumble a tail pierces the Earth and swings towards Drokei.
With a gasp he wakes, covered in sweat, as he takes a moment to compose himself. He must have dozed off after the welcoming ceremony. It had been over 4 years since that battle took the lives of his squad. He had just managed to survive, the worm class had only managed to glance the cockpit, it had been enough to take the life of his partner. The force of the impact being more than enough to kill her. It had taken 5 days for him to gather enough strength to pilot Drokei out of the ruins, no longer needing a pistil to control a Franxx.
With a hand on his head Code 011 tries to figure out what his plan was, with 2 months since the last nightmare, this one had caught him off guard. To see his friends, die so quickly, and all because of him, had been hard to watch, and it didn't get better with time. What had she called it? The old world had a name for it, something like, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. With how little sleep he needed he thought the nightmares wouldn't be a large concern.
Squad 13 needed to be it. They needed to be ready soon.
He looks out towards Plantation 13, eyes no longer teal, instead they shine red in the afternoon sun.
—
For the second time that day Hiro wakes up in a hospital bed, though this time he's not strapped down.
Fighting the splitting headache, he sits up to see he's alone. Hiro tries to remember what had happened, looking down both of his hands have bandages wrapped around the palms.
It feels like someone had drilled holes through his hands. He had seen someone being tortured, a little red skinned girl with long horns, but he didn't just see it. He felt every second of it, the way the cold metal table had felt when her back arched against it. He felt the scream rip her vocal cords. He felt how alone she was, in a world full of monsters.
Alone, Hiro wept.