They were at the height of the power, yet it was the twilight of their civilization.
On the verge of evolution, two revealed themselves on opposite sides of the Earth.
The next step for their species.
They were stronger and smarter and faster than their brethren.
Their abilities made them the pinnacle of their civilization.
At their own corners of the Earth, their names became known.
When they met, they fell madly for one another.
They had a child before the invaders came, one whom they adored.
Her growth gave them great pride.
When the time came for them to pilot the machines, the two went together.
As they fused to the machine, they were intertwined with one another for the rest of eternity.
A state of bliss.
However, they had always wanted to have more children.
After all, they were the next step for their species.
The child they left behind watched over them.
But as she walked the wastes she wondered.
What happens when a species is denied both extinction and evolution?
What is the fate of an evolutionary aberration?
One that mother nature herself isn't strong enough to dispose of?
Do they stay in that purgatory?
Or do they break free?
Thirty years before the birth of Squad Thirteen.
He tried to scratch an itch on his face, only for his hand to be blocked by the bronze mask he was wearing.
Sometimes he hated that thing.
He would just have to bear it. It wouldn't do for one of the Seven Sages to take off his mask in the presence of others.
It wasn't a formal meeting, though.
In his mind, it was fairly useless.
Papa and another sage were on a transport down to Earth, so their circle was incomplete.
The only reason they were gathered was because of Werner's sudden message.
He found the phrasing strange.
To my human colleagues…
Why had he specified that?
His daze was broken by one of the other sages yawning across from him.
"You too, huh?" He joked.
"What does Franxx want, I wonder?" Replied the man.
"I don't know, but the message is strange enough for me to be curious."
"Well, there's nothing left to do but wait for the call."
After a few more minutes of waiting, the screens around them suddenly sprang to life.
"Ah, there you are, Werner," said one of the sages, "what did you want?"
The old man's voice resounded with a metallic hum as he responded.
"Hello, everyone. Before I begin, I just have one thing to say."
"What is it?"
"Virm."
The remaining five sages sat silent for a few moments.
"…Is that suppose to mean something to us, Werner?"
A woman's voice could be heard from off camera.
"There was no reaction. They are all human."
The sage thought that he recognized the voice.
But there's no way she would be there.
"Good," replied a visibly relieved Dr. Franxx, "that means that we have them gathered in the same transport."
The sages were getting more and more perplexed. Something about this whole situation seemed off to them.
A feeling began to raise in his gut, and looking around, he could tell the other five sages felt the same.
The feeling that something big was about to happen.
"W-Werner," stammered one of the sages, "what's that behind you?"
Werner stepped out of view, and the other sages saw what they meant.
The Plantations.
All of them.
And the Parasites.
All of them too.
The Magma cannons pointed upwards to the sky.
Legions of Franxx in battalions on the field surrounding them.
Every head was craned towards the cloudless expanse above.
"What is the meaning of this!?" Screamed one of the sages, "we didn't order this! Are you planning some sort of revolt, Werner!?"
The doctor let out a raspy laugh.
"In a way, I suppose so."
The remaining five sages were in an uproar.
"Franxx! Explain yourself!"
"Calm down, you clueless dictators. We're not trying to overthrow you."
"What does that mean!?"
The woman's voice resounded once again through the video.
"You humans are so terrified of losing your power, aren't you?"
Before she walked into the frame, the sage thought that he saw something mixed in with the legions of Franxx.
Black and blue beasts within the ranks of the human machines.
The Klaxosaur Princess soon looked into the camera.
A shiver ran down his spine.
It was like she was peering through him, despite her being several thousand kilometers away.
"Tell me, Princess, how have you manipulated the doctor?"
The Princess sneered.
"Unlike the one leading you, human, I was not given the gift of a silver tongue."
The sages were silent for a few moments.
"What are you playing at?" Inquired one of the sages, a voice dripping with disdain.
"You ignorant pricks can't even recognize the evil lying in wait for you. The humans you are meant to be leading and protecting are far more perceptive than you."
"Perceptive of what?"
"That this 'Papa' figure has purposefully weakened humanity to the brink of collapse."
"Humanity is stronger than ever before."
"Humanity is weak. You allowed the majority of yourselves to die, you suck the life out of the planet you live on and expect no consequences, and finally, you picked a fight with me."
One of the sages stood and began shouting.
"Quiet, you arrogant bitch! We've been steadily whittling you down, admit it!"
The Princess' sneer had turned into a scowl. She held up her chin, and looked down at the camera, her eyes glowing a bright blue.
"You have seen nothing yet. I do not want to hear of your 'victories' as you send small children to fight from your chairs in orbit. And I would go no further with your comments, as I am your last hope."
The sage was about to scream again until Franxx interrupted him.
"Calm down, she's right. We've been betrayed."
A more composed sage tried to continue the conversation.
"What do you mean, Werner? Explain it properly."
"Papa isn't human. Neither is that other one he spends so much time with."
The sages were shocked for a few moments.
"That claim is…substantial. What evidence do you have?"
"You will have your evidence in a few moments," stated the Princess sternly, "but before that, I suggest you evacuate your station. Some of your Parasites will arrive and escort you back to the Plantations."
"Why should we evacuate?"
"Because once we start this, those that lie in wait will pounce."
Silence prevailed.
"Werner…do you trust her?"
Dr. Franxx sighed.
"Look out at the fields, you old fools. Humanity has made its decision. That should be evidence enough for you."
"…Very well. We and the staff will take the emergency shuttles. It'll be a bumpy ride, but we can beat Papa to the surface if we take those."
The sages sat looking out of the window as they descended towards Earth.
Papa's ship appeared as a speck above the blue of Earth's atmosphere.
First came a blinding blue beam, and a large explosion.
Then a purple star, and a voice echoing in their heads.
They were all struck silent for a few moments.
"…Sh-she was right…"
Dr. Franxx looked at the computer that was confirming his fears.
A lot of something had just entered the solar system. They would arrive soon.
"Do not lose your resolve, human," stated the Princess sternly, "I'm giving you this opportunity to redeem yourselves. It is time for your species to show its mettle."
In a few short moments, the purple ships had arrived.
The infantry made up of smaller Klaxosaurs and Franxx took cover as the larger beasts and Plantations traded fire with the armada in orbit.
"Will this work, Princess?"
"It is a crude strategy, to be sure, but it should at least assist the infantry."
The entire plantation rattled for a moment, nearly knocking the man off his feet.
He looked up in a panic.
One of the Virm capital ships was in flames as it screamed past, then exploded on the horizon.
"Is this not what you were expecting, human?" Joked the Princess.
"I…I will admit, this is more than I thought."
It wasn't long until the armada had entered the lower atmosphere.
The radios of the Franxx were received over the computer.
"W-what do we do?" Inquried a panicked parasite, "we're sitting ducks out here!"
"Quiet, child," answered the Princess, "use the Klaxosaurs as shields if you have to, but you need to stay until the ships are right on top of us."
"Y-yes ma'am!"
The exploding ships were getting frighteningly close, some of the Plantations being hit with the flaming debris.
"Do they not care about casualties?!" Inquired Franxx.
"Not at all," responded the Princess nonchalantly.
Franxx looked out the window and saw a Virm ship so close he felt he could touch it.
"P-princess…"
"Not yet."
The ship was beginning to scrape the side of the plantation.
"Princess!"
"Not yet."
A parasite blared over the speaker.
"We're about to be crushed here!"
"NOW!"
Klaxosaur ships flew at full speed out from under the Earth, catching the Virm ships unawares and decimating the center of their formation.
Purple figures were sucked into the atmosphere, falling onto the ground where the infantry was waiting for them.
Soon it was an all-out war.
He felt he would go deaf over all of the shouting and explosions.
The screams of humans and rending metal echoing over the speakers and through the plantation itself.
Purple and blue blood began to rain from the sky.
The Princess barked commands to the humans.
To say he felt out of place would be an understatement.
The battle ebbed and flowed for several hours until finally the two were revealed.
A purple star shone through the sky, finally revealed behind the armada above.
"Have you prepared the bomb, Princess?" Inquired Franxx, "I think it's finally time."
"That it is, human," responded the Princess.
She looked over to the computer and gave one last command.
"HUMANS! GET THE HELL OUT OF THERE!"
The responses were full of relieved cries.
When a large hole had formed in the formations on battlefield, they flew out of the Earth.
Every spaceworthy Klaxosaur protected the bomb in the center of the formation.
A suicide run through the heart of the Virm armada, straight to Papa.
The bomb detonated against his mask, and the Virm were no more.
The purple ships and figures slowly lost their vitality, any that showed any hints of life quickly dispatched despite already having lost all function.
Werner and the Princess looked out over the desolation.
"What now?" Asked Franxx.
"That, human, is up to you."
Thirty-five years later.
Nana and Hachi walked through the halls of The Garden.
Occasionally, they noticed confused glances thrown their way.
Nana understood why. Not many Parasites stayed in the military after their required years of service were over. Even with the promise of immortality for continued service, it was a rarity for the Parasites to forego a natural life at one of the Parasite colonies.
The day before would have been their last day.
Nana didn't particularly care about the benefits; she just didn't know what she would do with herself after she retired.
And Hachi was, well, Hachi. He was helpless without her.
She smirked as she walked past the abandoned room that had once housed all of the research pertaining to the advanced aging serum. When more people learned of Papa's practices, they had been horrified, and the remaining five sages tripped over themselves to make a Parasite's life worth living.
No one knew who had leaked the information on the serum.
Nana was still proud of herself for that one.
They continued through the silent hallways until they saw it.
The children's room.
All the self-consciousness that had plagued her throughout the day melted away as she fought back a grin.
"Nana," said Hachi, breaking her from her daze, "stop staring, you'll scare the children."
"I'm not staring," she snapped, "I'm just making sure they're not fighting."
"Sure."
"Shut it."
Hachi practically pushed her past the room.
"So, our assignment is to retrieve that girl, right?" Inquired Nana.
"Yeah. I thought it was only a rumor, but I guess not."
"Do you think the thing about the half-siblings is true as well?"
"We'll learn soon enough."
"I hope we don't have to separate them. I don't think I have the heart to do it."
"It'll only be for as long as the tests take."
"And how long will that be? A few hours? A few weeks?"
"Who knows how Franxx's mind works. I wouldn't doubt it taking a month, to be honest."
"I think I'll break his shiny metal nose if he takes that long."
"You still work for him, you know."
"Doesn't mean I won't beat the hell out of him."
"We're military. You'll get court marshalled for assaulting an important asset."
"…I take back what I said."
Hachi's stiff face showed as much of a smirk as it could.
After a few more minutes of walking, they arrived at the heavy metal door, containing the rumored child.
It swung open with a loud metal creak, revealing an unfurnished room illuminated only by the light flowing in from windows.
Inside was a girl with red skin and pink hair, two horns protruding sharply from her forehead. Her wide eyes revealed emerald irises and pupils that seemed to emit a faint red glow.
Nana could see her claws from how she held the picture book, and her fangs from when she raised her voice to grab the attention of those around her.
A series of human children a year or two younger than her with brightly colored hair, sitting in a semicircle as she showed them the pretty pages of the book.
A child with yellow hair slept with his head on her lap.
The loud footsteps of Hachi and Nana stepping through the metal doorframe grabbed the attention of the children.
"Code zero-zero-two," stated Hachi, "we need you to come with us for a moment."
The expressions of the children surrounding her became fiercer; Nana could tell that even the three wearing masks were angry.
They stood up in a wall between the two adults and their older sister.
The blonde-haired child stood at the forefront, the scowl of an adult on his small face.
"K-kids," stammered Nana, "I understand this might be a little upsetting, but you have to understand that she'll be fine."
The children remained firm.
"Alright," snapped Hachi, "enough of this."
He took a step towards the girl and reached out his hand.
The blonde-haired child intercepted him, and kicked him full force in the shin.
Hachi jumped backwards and held his bruising leg.
"What the hell has Franxx done with these kids?!" He exclaimed.
A moment later, Hachi's face showed clear annoyance, and he raised his hand for a backhanded slap.
"You little sh- " he continued.
Nana cut him off.
"Hachi, if you so much as breath on that child, I'll kill you."
The expression on her face told him she was serious.
"…understood."
Nana slowly lowered down to be eye-to-eye with the children.
"I promise you, we won't let anyone hurt her. Do you understand?"
The children's unchanging expressions told her that they didn't.
Her eyes widened as she looked up towards Hachi.
"Do…do they not understand what we're saying?"
"I guess Franxx hasn't given them the time to learn."
"…Court marshal or not, I'm going to have more than a few 'words' with him."
While she was distracted, the blonde-haired child raised his fist to hit her, the other children closing in.
His fist was stopped by the soft clasp of a red hand.
He looked back to see the horned girl smiling softly.
"Afa," she said with a lisp, and shook her head.
Tears filled the boy's eyes as he embraced her for a moment, the rest of the children following suit.
After a few moments, the girl mustered her courage and approached the two adults.
Hachi reached his hand down to guide the child.
She slapped it away, her claws leaving five thin cuts along the palm of his hand.
The girl flashed her fangs and scowled as she side-eyed the man.
"I like her," said Nana with a smirk.
"What the hell did I do?"
"You tried to hit her brother, you jerk."
Hiro sat on the observation table, waiting for the nurse to finish looking over the documents on her desk.
"That's all, code zero-one-six," she said with a smile, "good job today."
Hiro smiled as she handed him some candy.
"Thank you, miss!" He exclaimed.
"Go along now. Oh, but tell me if there are any developments in that thing between zero-one-five and zero-five-six. The staff is curious."
Hiro's smile had turned to more of a mischievous grin.
"Don't worry, the other kids and I are doing everything we can to speed it along."
The nurse laughed before shooing the boy away.
Another nurse walked past as Hiro ran down the hall.
"Hey," said the nurse, "he just went down the wrong hall, is that ok?"
"I'm sure it's fine."
"…And are you guys really ok with encouraging their crush? I mean they're only five."
She smirked as she responded.
"Well, sometimes you never lose those butterflies in your stomach. Sometimes that special someone has always been there."
Her coworker rolled his eyes before speaking.
"You're all so sappy. If you have time to watch a childhood crush, then do your job instead."
"Hey, guess who does her job so well that she outranks you?"
"…You do…" grumbled the man.
"Damn straight."
The Princess walked the dark halls once again, mindlessly inspecting the Klaxosaur nests which littered the otherwise empty caves.
For the past few decades, she was unsure what to do with herself. She had existed simply to fight the Virm, but now what was she to do? The humans had reevaluated their relationship both to the environment and to themselves. Magma was harvested only in amounts that could be naturally replenished, the children they created were granted a free life after their service, and they lived in peace with the Klaxosaurs.
Now, the Klaxosaurs were the ones who were lost.
She had told them to rest and return to the Earth, hoping that she could spend the rest of her life quietly as she watched over the humans.
But for some reason, they weren't ready.
The Princess was surprised, as the Klaxosaurs hadn't shown much autonomy over the years. After a few weeks of contemplation, she had decided that the basic will to live had shown itself in the former bioweapons. It was something unexpected, but something that she wasn't concerned about.
What concerned her was that perhaps something had caused the Klaxosaurs to feel it.
All she could think of was the machine that had once housed her parents.
The only Klaxosaur that unnerved her.
Perhaps it was because it reminded her of the parents she had lost, but she suspected that wasn't the case.
The two of them were revered by the Klaxosaurs. When the time came for war, the machine they were given was unique.
She had only caught glimpses of it over the years, but for some reason she couldn't look at it for long.
From what she remembered; it had changed into something of an abomination.
Rather than the utilitarian design of the others, her parents' was designed with what resembled religious iconography. It walked on four humanoid legs, with the feet of animals rather than Klaxosaurs. The torso was that of a Klaxosaur's, yet it had an uneven number of arms.
Each time she saw it, the machine had seemingly gained another.
Finally was the head.
The face was the shape of her mother's, however it was featureless apart from the glowing circles too large and symmetrical to be counted as eyes.
Behind the head was a sort of halo, the inside lined with countless rows of razor-sharp fangs.
A decorative heart was emblazoned on the chest, now pouring out blue blood from when the machine had become alive.
As much as it hurt the Princess to avoid it, she couldn't bear to see the thing.
The beating blue heart of her long-dead parents.
Luckily, her occasional inspection of the Klaxosaurs didn't reveal the bioweapon. She wasn't particularly thorough, as the creatures were slow and benevolent.
This decade's was even less thorough, mainly her just checking the Klaxosaurs within her immediate vicinity.
She had planned to visit the facility the humans raised their parasites in, to meet the children and introduce herself. It was something she enjoyed; reading to and chatting with the children made her feel oddly hopeful. It was like the Earth had made a return to Eden.
The cave she was in could lead her either to the forest behind the facility, or the field in front. Approaching the front would be the easiest way, so she slowly meandered her way until she felt the temperature slowly growing colder and colder.
With a grin on her face, the Princess arrived at a fork in the path.
Her grin faded as something felt off.
She was approaching the wintry surface, so naturally the cave was getting colder.
For some reason, only one of the paths was cold.
A rushing warm air came from the other path.
Her eyes widened as she saw something on the ground.
A sort of slime, something that slowly spread across the ground and trailed further into the cave.
She made care not to step on it as she followed it deeper.
A rancid smell began to grow stronger as she followed the path.
Something sat on the ground. Something thin and fleshy.
She covered her nose and squinted to investigate it further.
An embryonic sac?
What the hell is that doing here?
A mixture of blue blood and embryonic fluid trailed even further along the path, as the temperature began to increase.
Something is wrong.
Something is really, really wrong.
She started as a metallic scream bellowed further in.
As she sat paralyzed, the scream died, and the unmistakable sound of rending flesh grew louder.
Heat and fear began to make the Princess sweat.
When the sounds had died completely, she sprinted towards where it had come from.
Upon seeing it, she dropped to her knees.
A Klaxosaur, with the inside of its head almost totally empty.
Thousands of vicious bites marred what little flesh was left.
Something else caught her attention.
This Klaxosaur had…reproductive organs?
She whistled, and her loyal snake appeared behind her.
She needed something. She needed something to help her feel safe.
Swallowing the lump in her throat, the Princess continued down the path.
As the air grew hotter, the sounds resumed both behind and in front of her.
When the path ended, she was on the top of a cliff, overlooking a massive cavern.
Inside were mountains of dead Klaxosaurs, their insides warping and wriggling with something inside.
She saw it.
Millions of them.
Horrid children of the Klaxosaurs.
Abominations of all shapes, far smaller than the Klaxosaurs yet more frightening than any she had seen before.
Twisted, knotting flesh lined with fangs in places they didn't belong.
Jagged bones made from the metal of their parents.
Most were eyeless, some had so many that they encompassed their entire body.
Most firm and defined, others amorphous and almost liquid.
Mouths too large for their body took massive chunks from the flesh of their parents.
Some had mouths that wrapped around their body, making them almost unravel to take bites.
In the center was the only Klaxosaur that was still alive.
A corrupted god of fertility.
Her parents had always wanted more children.
As she began to vomit onto the ground, the empty eyes of the machine looked up at her.
"Oh, our beloved daughter," it said, "how we have missed you."
The Princess was overcome by horror.
They can't speak. They're not supposed to be able to.
"M-mom?" She asked quietly.
"We've finally given you the siblings you always wanted," it replied with glee, "come down here and be with us!"
She covered her mouth and shook her head.
"If you're afraid of the height," it continued warmly, "don't worry, your brothers and sisters can come and carry you down."
The children turned their heads and looked at her, no longer interested in their meals.
I'm next.
They began to climb up the wall towards her.
As their twisted limbs began to crest the top of the cliff, she began to run.
Her loyal snake stayed behind, and she heard its screams as it was slowly torn apart.
She ran like hell.
The sound of ripping flesh came from ahead of her as well.
"Shit!" She shouted.
A small group was eyeing her, but she had to run past them to escape from the legions on her heels.
She screamed as she tried to run through.
Her legs carried her faster than ever before, and before she knew it, she was on the snow-covered surface.
A warmth spread down her side. As she looked down, she saw a bite that had ripped off a chunk from her waist.
I can't die yet.
I can see the human facility.
They're my only hope now.
Nana and Hachi were in the room with Franxx as they strapped the red-skinned girl to the table.
"Doctor," said Nana firmly, "after this, I would like to have a word."
He waved his hand dismissively as he responded.
"She'll be under anesthetic. Don't interfere."
"Fine. But she should still know how to talk. What's with giving her a book if she can't read? Is that supposed to be some sort of twisted joke? And the siblings; the way they act tell me you haven't been kind to them."
"I've always wanted to teach them, but I just…haven't had the time."
"But you have the time torture them."
"They don't feel or remember it. They just feel a little rotten afterwards."
"Then that's a problem!"
"That's a necessary sacrifice."
Nana fumed as the doctor checked the straps.
"I understand where you're coming from," continued Franxx, "but I assure you, I care for them in my own way. I don't want to hurt them."
"I'm going to break your jaw someday."
"…Maybe I deserve that."
"There's no 'maybe.'"
A nurse interrupted the conversation.
"Doctor," he said, "I've prepared the anesthetic."
"Very good," replied the doctor, "now you two get out."
Hachi practically dragged Nana out of the room.
The girl winced as the needle entered her arm.
Soon, her eyes grew heavy, and she was fast asleep.
Nana was shaking with rage as she stood watching through the observation window.
It went on for hours. Nana was scared to think what it would have been like if the child was awake.
She hated being strapped to that table. Sure she was asleep, but when she woke up she would feel cold, and nauseous as though she was sick. They kept bags by the door for when she would inevitably start vomiting from the drugs that were given to her, who's effects usually would last for the rest of the day.
Today was particularly bad.
She felt the anesthetic wearing off like normal. The slow process of being awake but unable to open her eyes, of being able to speak but her mind still being foggy.
As she struggled to open her eyes, she realized that she was still strapped to the table.
The straps were normally gone by the time she woke up.
Her thoughts were cut off by a loud squelch and agonizing pain coming from her hand.
She convulsed and began to scream, the sudden pain clearing the fog from her mind.
The doctors around her began to shout and wildly run around.
"The anesthetic's dosage was wrong!" Shouted the metal doctor, "give her some morphine!"
"We can't!" Exclaimed another, "her blood won't be able to handle any more human drugs!"
She couldn't understand what they were saying, leaving only the pain for her mind to focus on.
Her screaming continued as tears flowed from her eyes.
Nana started suddenly when the girl began to scream.
She sprinted towards the door, until Hachi grabbed her arm.
"Nana," he stated sternly, "don't do it."
"Don't touch me," she sneered as she slapped his hand away, "they're done for today. I'm taking that girl back to her siblings."
Her eyes widened as she looked back past Hachi.
Code zero-one-six was looking through the window with absolute horror.
When he saw Hachi and Nana, he ran away.
"…Oh, hell."
"Hachi, you go and explain the situation to the kid. I'll handle Franxx."
Hachi sighed before responding.
"Fine. Don't make me regret siding with you on this one."
Nana threw open the door before shouting.
"FRANXX YOU BASTARD!"
She grabbed the man by the collar.
"CALM DOWN!" He responded in equal volume, "SHE'LL BE FINE!"
"WHAT ABOUT THIS IS FINE!?"
Franxx pointed at the hand that had been injured.
It had already healed.
She slowly let go of his collar.
"…What?"
"That's what we're testing."
"B-but she's still just a kid!"
"A Klaxosaur kid. For her, this is the body's natural response to getting hurt."
"You didn't have to go this far!"
"We did. Her cuts heal immediately, but we need to see how more major trauma heals. We only wounded her in a place that we were confident we could help recover. If we don't do this now, we won't know what to do if she gets hurt later."
"…You were doing this to see how to help her in the future?"
"I said that I care for the children, didn't I?"
Nana was still angry, but no longer blindly enraged.
"Regardless, she's done for today. I'm taking her back to her siblings."
"For today, I agree."
Nana slowly walked over to the table and released the straps.
After wrapping the girl in a blanket, she gently lifted the girl into her arms.
The girl was still shaking from pain, but her screaming had subsided.
Her eyes were shut tight, and she was sweating profusely, a combination of a fever, pain, and nausea.
When Nana opened the door to the girl's room, her siblings eyed her with hatred.
Nana slowly laid the child onto the ground, still shaking, before slowly backing out of the room.
She locked the door tight so that the siblings wouldn't come after her.
Hachi had practically cornered the code zero-one-six.
"Now kid," he said, "I understand what it looks like."
The boy was looking at him in horror.
"Just…don't concern yourself with the girl," continued Hachi, "mind your own business, and everything will be fine. Alright?"
From Hachi's perspective, it looked as though the boy nodded.
"Good," he remarked, "it would be best if you didn't tell anyone about this. For your sake, and the girl's. Understand?"
Hiro's expression had turned from fear into defiance.
Hachi didn't notice.
"Alright, I'm going back now. Go back to the children's room."
As Hachi began to walk back to Nana, he heard the pattering of a child's footsteps grow further and further away.
Mission accomplished.
He met the somber Nana with a smug expression on his face.
"I told the kid not to worry," stated Hachi triumphantly, "so I think things should be fine. How was the girl?"
Nana let out a deep sigh.
"The combination of the drugs and the sudden shock left her in pretty bad shape. She'll be fine in a few hours, but for now she has something akin to a fever, as well as severe nausea."
"Poor girl. What about Franxx?"
"…I don't want to agree with his methods, but he's looking out for her. I don't know how else to do what he's trying to do, though. I guess I jumped to conclusions."
"I still think he should've taught those kids how to read."
"Yeah. That is something I still told him off for."
The two of them investigated the child's room through a small window in the steel door.
Her siblings surrounded the girl, covering her in what blankets they had, and trying to make her comfortable.
She threw her head to the side and proceeded to vomit out all her stomach's contents.
"Oh hell!" Started Hachi.
"We need to get them some towels, or at least some bags."
Nana reached for the door handle, only to be stopped by Hachi's hand.
"Those kids aren't normal. They can and will kill you, given the opportunity. Especially with code zero-zero-two in this condition."
Her face was conflicted for a few moments before she dropped her hand back to her side.
"What the hell's up with this situation…"
"Let's just monitor them from here for now. If anything really bad happens, we can rush in regardless."
Nana hesitantly nodded.
Hiro's mind was consumed with a defiant rage.
That girl was being tortured, and that adult told him to ignore it.
Like hell was he going to let that happen.
"Zero-one-six," stammered code zero-one-five, "where are you going?"
"I…" muttered Hiro, "I found someone who needed help. I'm going to go help them."
"Should zero-five-six and I go with you?"
"No. You two can stay here. This is something I'll do alone."
The girl hesitantly nodded.
"Just be safe. And be back in time for class if you can."
"I will be. Enjoy your time alone with zero-five-six, Ichigo."
Ichigo blushed as Hiro grabbed his coat and left the room.
He was in the snow for several hours before he found the window in a floor above.
A barren room he hadn't seen before, the only hints of color inside being the colorful hair of the younger children inside.
There she was, sitting cross-legged with a blank expression, staring at nothing in particular. The other children sat around her, rubbing her back or wiping away vomit from around her mouth.
No adults were inside. This was his chance.
He slowly climbed up the tree, the silence around him broken only by his heavy breathing and the snow crunching beneath his feet.
By the time he was at the top, he could hardly feel his fingers. The heavy pale he had brought seemed even heavier now than it was before.
Hiro closed his eyes and took a few deep breaths, letting the cold air sting his lungs as he tried to settle his racing heart.
When he opened them again, he noticed the smaller children looking at him with curiosity.
"Get back from the window!" He shouted, while waving them away.
Their eyes widened as they quickly stumbled backwards.
Sucking in a deep breath, he readied the heavy pail in his hand, and threw it through the glass.
The red-skinned girl started and stared at the shattered glass on the ground.
"Come on, everyone!" Called Hiro, "I'm getting you all out of here!"
A muted voice could be heard on the other side of the door.
"Hachi! Why's zero-one-six here!? We have to get in there!"
The blonde-haired child held himself against the door, pushing against the adults trying to open it. Soon, most of the other children were bracing themselves against the door as well.
Hachi's frustrated grunting could be heard every time the door budged, only to be slammed closed again.
The horned girl stood and went to help hold the door closed, only to be pushed away by her three masked siblings.
She lost her footing and fell as they practically dragged her to the broken window.
Hiro stretched out his hand for her to grab.
"We'll come back for the others!" He cried, "I promise you, we'll come back!"
The girl was hesitant to grab his hand, until her grey-haired siblings pushed her into it.
Looking back, tears began to well in her eyes.
"Theta…" she said with a lisp.
The three hugged her, then ushered her again out of the window.
More adults could be heard on the other side of the door, which opened more and more with each consecutive push.
"They can't hold the adults for long! We have to go now!"
She grabbed his hand tightly, and he pulled her onto the tree limb outside.
They both turned and looked back at the children holding the door back, the three masked sisters now helping.
Hiro gripped her hand harder, looked her in the eyes.
"I promise you; we won't stop until we get all of them."
The horned girl cocked her head, unable to understand what he was saying.
They both started when the tree branch trembled, then with a loud snap dropped them to the ground far below.
With a final push, Nana, Hachi, and several other adults threw open the door, scattering the children through the room.
The blonde child looked up at her with a mixture of arrogance and defiance.
Nana held her head in her hands as she tried to think.
"What the hell…" stated Hachi, "what happened to make zero-one-six do this?"
"What did you tell him earlier?" Inquired Nana.
"I told him to mind his own business. I said that he shouldn't tell anyone about it, for both his sake, and code zero-zero-two's."
Hachi was surprised to see Nana's face turning a shade of red he hadn't seen before.
"AND THAT WAS SUPPOSED TO CALM HIM DOWN?!" She shouted.
"W-well, yeah-"
"WHAT THE HELL DOES THAT EVEN MEAN?! 'FOR BOTH YOUR SAKE, AND THE GIRL'S?!' HE WAS WORRIED ABOUT HER AND YOU SAID SOMETHING LIKE THAT?! THE HELL DID YOU THINK WAS GOING TO HAPPEN, IDIOT?!"
"N-nana, I swear that- "
"IF YOU HAVE TIME TO COME UP WITH EXCUSES, COME UP WITH SOLUTIONS INSTEAD!"
"Y-yes ma'am."
Looking around, Nana noticed that the room had become silent. The other adults were standing shocked at the door, and the children now looked afraid of her.
Taking in a deep breath, she let the red drain from her face, and flashed a wide smile for the kids.
"We'll make sure your sister is safe," she said in a sweet and serene tone, "I promise you we'll protect her."
They still kept their distance.
Nana whipped her head around to look at the other adults.
"Send as many squads as you can spare to look for them," she stated sternly, "we need to find them before they freeze to death."
"You don't think they'll make it out there?" Inquired another adult.
"Could you?"
The adults quickly began filing out of the room.
The Princess could see the facility, just barely visible through the snow.
As she drew closer, her side hurt more and more. The wound was beginning to heal, but she was beginning to worry that her hand was all that kept her organs in place.
She looked behind her for a moment, making sure that none of the abominations were following her.
All she could see was snow and a dark trail of blue blood.
The sight of the blood began to make her feel lightheaded. Her legs seemed to grow heavier with each step, and the cold air began to sting her lungs far more than they had previously.
A single slip, and she fell onto the ground, blood splashing into the snow.
She tried to lift herself up but couldn't even find the strength to move her arms.
As her eyelids grew heavier and heavier, her eyes darted from place to place before they could close.
The Princess could see some of her intestines spilling into the snow, as well as the blood slowly dying more and more of the white around her.
"I…I can't die here," she sputtered with what little strength she had left, "not when I'm so close!"
She shakily reached forward with her hand, claws digging into the packed snow.
"Not when the children are in danger!" She started again, trying and failing to pull herself forward.
The muscles in her neck gave out, and her head dropped into the snow.
"Can't…die…"
Her eyes closed, and no matter how much she tried, they wouldn't open again.
"…don't…want…"
She heard an engine nearby.
"…to…die…"
Shouting and footsteps.
"…not…ready…"
Something warm enveloped her.
"…to…"
A sharp pain in her neck caused her eyes to shoot open. Suddenly, all her senses seemed to heighten to new levels.
She gasped and sputtered for air, new strength filling her lungs.
"Onto the stretcher, quickly!" Shouted a metallic voice, "clean and close the wound in the transport, we need her in the ICU!"
The Princess' befuddled senses were coming back to her, along with the pain from her side.
As she winced and gritted her teeth, she felt herself being lifted onto a soft and warm stretcher. Looking to her side, she saw the metal doctor.
"Wer…ner…" she muttered.
"Don't speak, Princess," he said with urgency, "you can tell us once you're stable."
"No…too…important…"
"You can't tell us if you're dead, you old fool."
The Princess smirked as she lost consciousness.
Nine Alpha watched with a smile as the panicking adults ran to find his big sister.
Some of them were covering the shattered window with a blanket, trying to keep the warmth inside. As far as he knew, they were doing it only so they wouldn't die. They weren't doing it out of kindness.
The adults thought otherwise, but for the child, they were the enemy. In his mind, they were incapable of even the most basic kindness.
His beloved big sister bravely went with them every time they came for her. When they brought her back to him, she was a shaking mess of pain and nausea. There would be no forgiveness.
As he thought more about his sister's escape, however, Alpha began to realize what was going to happen. She protected them by being experimented on; even he knew that. Without her, they had lost their test subject. Although he in no way regretted helping her escape, he realized that he would be the next one to be experimented on. It was his turn to protect his brothers and sisters.
Maybe if he could just endure it, that boy would come and save them too.
He would wait until all the others were saved, then he would seek out the black-haired boy.
As he was lost in thought, he heard Theta emit a rare shout.
She was crying as she held her bare foot, dripping with blood where some shattered glass had embedded itself.
Some of the adults tried to run and help, but the other siblings held them off as Alpha inspected the wound.
It was a long and jagged piece of glass, entering through the bottom and just barely poking through the skin on top.
Alpha hadn't a clue as to how he would take it out.
Theta kept crying as blood began to form a puddle around her foot.
He tried to push down on the glass exiting the foot, only to cut his own finger.
Tears welled in his eyes as he pushed harder to no avail.
A hand on his shoulder made him start suddenly, and he whipped around to face whoever had startled him.
The brown-haired woman was on her knees, holding both palms up for him to see. She wore a smile on her face, trying to appear as friendly as possible.
He recognized this one. She was the one who kept him from being beaten earlier.
As much as Alpha hated to admit it, he couldn't help Theta. Maybe this was the only way to help her.
He took a step back, eyeing the woman with an aggressive expression.
She could help Theta, but he would intervene at a moment's notice.
The woman began to poke and prod at Theta's foot, trying to gently move the glass outward. She furrowed her brow and prepared a strip of cloth to work as a bandage for the girl, quickly preparing to pull the glass out.
With one hand, she grabbed Theta's foot, with the other, the glass.
She tried to pull the glass out as quickly as possible with a quick motion of the arm.
A shard caught on the inside of Theta's foot, halting her progress and causing Theta to scream in pain.
Alpha wasted no time in punching Nana square in the nose, with strength uncharacteristic of a child his age.
She sputtered for a moment as she held her now broken nose, trying to stop the freely flowing blood with her uniform.
He was surprised when she turned back at him and smiled, blood trickling down her face and her eyes already beginning to bruise. Holding her hands up for him to see once again, she approached Theta.
Nana slowly pulled the glass from Theta's foot, trying to pull it out as a single large shard. She threw the bloody glass to the side and quickly tied a bandage around Theta's foot.
The siblings looked shellshocked at the woman. This was the first time they had seen someone show them such overt concern and kindness.
Alpha furrowed his brow as he came to a decision.
This one. This one he could trust.
The horned girl slowly carried her savior through the wintry snow, struggling with each step of her slowly numbing feet.
With a single slip they both fell into the snow, the cold making her face feel as though it were burning. For a few short moments, the weight of his body kept her pinned, until she threw him off and began to observe her surroundings.
A wintry forest of tall yet bare trees. The wildlife was dead silent, the only sounds she could hear being the rumbling of her empty stomach and the snowflakes landing on her hair and eyelashes.
Oddly enough, she found it soothing, despite her relatively dire situation.
A soft squeaking broke her from the stupor, and she whipped her head around to find the origin of the sound.
Several mice pattered through the snow, coming out of small holes that they had burrowed.
When she had been experimented on earlier, she had vomited out all the contents of her stomach. She was so hungry she felt desperate for food.
With a pounce, she began to swallow a mouse whole, before she felt a hand on her shoulder.
"No!" Cried the boy, "spit it out!"
He struggled in trying to get her to spit out the creature, until a sound made them both pause.
The mouse jumped out of her mouth as they both sat still trying to figure out if what they had just heard was the wind, or a scream.
"L-let's go," stammered the boy with a faltering smile, "let's find somewhere to hide before we go back to save the others!"
He confidently grabbed her hand, and they retreated further into the forest.
The Princess' eyes were heavy, and slow to open.
A voice that resonated with a dull metallic hum slowly broke her daze.
"…Werner?" She muttered in a near inaudible voice, "are you there?"
"I'm here, Princess," responded the doctor, "you're finally stable enough to speak, I see."
"Am I going to die?"
"Not yet. You still have a few eternities ahead of you, I think."
"Something's coming."
"I put that together. Did you lose control of the Klaxosaurs?"
"Not quite."
"Then what the hell did this to you? Where's the snake?"
"The snake's dead. The Klaxosaurs are gone."
"What!?" Inquired the doctor in a panicked tone, "what do you mean they're gone!?"
"They were forcibly mutated and made to reproduce; their children devoured them shortly afterwards."
The doctor's eyes widened as much as they could, and he slumped back into a chair.
"…Shit."
"The children are far different than the parents. They aren't former bioweapons; these are creatures made with what little fully biological material was inside. Aside from some metal fused to their skeletal structure, they're totally alive."
"A new species?"
"Yes."
"What caused the Klaxosaurs to mutate in the first place?"
"An advanced Klaxosaur. It was given to special members of the Klaxo-sapiens. Their consciousness seems to have deeply imprinted itself into the machine, and now their earlier desires have taken shape through it."
The doctor held the bridge of his nose and squinted as he spoke, what little flesh left on his face wrinkling into a sort of scowl.
"So, this is an apocalyptic event, isn't it?"
"As of the moment, yes."
"If they're organic, they should be able to feel pain, right? That, or we can just trap them and let them die of asphyxiation."
"These aren't normal creatures, Werner. They were born immortal. Their cells won't just die without us actively killing them."
"How close are they?"
"They're in the caves underneath The Garden. They won't be able to burrow through the thick stone, so they'll have to escape through the entrance, either from the forest or far out in the fields."
"We'll start evacuating the children as soon as possible."
"Make sure you do. I'll assist in anything you need."
"Don't try it, you old- "
He was cut off by her tail throwing off the blanket, and pulling her off of the bed. The large bite taken out of her side had fully healed in the short time she was unconscious.
"I'm fine, Werner."
Franxx sighed as he looked up at the Princess.
"Good. You can help find code zero-zero-two. If those things are coming, then she and code zero-one-six will be the first in danger."
If you can't find them, then God rest their souls.
Nana, Hachi, the Princess, and several other adults sprinted into the forest.
The situation had gone from bad to worse with the arrival of the Princess.
Finding the children was at the forefront of everyone's minds now.
As they ran through, the sound of howling winds began to mix with the distant screams of the other search parties they had long since lost contact with.
Things hung in the trees that resembled mistletoe in the gentle snow, but the red streaking down the white dusted trunks revealed a darker truth.
Strung throughout the limbs of the trees were numerous other adults.
The human bodies seemed to have been unraveled, torsos stretched between stiff branches, arms and legs bent at odd angles.
In several, the bodies had been torn to shreds, and decorated the trees like tinsel. Upper halves were held only by the intestines wrapped in the trees, the legs acting as a counterweight. The beasts were playing with their food, in a way that made the humans almost puke.
"Don't lose focus!" Barked the Princess, "we can still find them!"
The continued to run as the last of the screams had faded away. Soon the only sound was that of their own quick footsteps and panting breaths.
The group grew pale when they heard something entirely foreign.
A voice in a language far more ancient than Nana had ever heard, and yet one she understood.
"Oh, dear daughter, we are so excited to meet her," it chimed in an angelic tone.
Nana noticed that the Princess had begun to scowl.
"Why haven't you told us about your child?" It asked.
Their pace quickened.
"We so desperately want to meet our precious first grandchild."
Hiro and the girl he had just named Zero Two sat underneath a massive tree as he wiped his mouth from licking clean a wound on her knee.
He giggled as he watched her rock back and forth, smiling to herself as she muttered something.
"Dah-lin…dah-lin…dah-lin…"
"You really like that word, don't you?" Inquired a rosy-cheeked Hiro.
She didn't know what he meant, but she flashed him a smile nonetheless.
He blushed as she continued on with her chanting. He knew that she was referring to him. What he hadn't expected was how it made him feel warm on the inside.
Hiro hadn't even realized he was simply staring at her until she suddenly stopped, and his daze was broken.
"Ah!" She grunted, pointing up at a shape in the tree above them.
"Oh, mistletoe!" Started Hiro with excitement, "I think I read somewhere that you're supposed to do something when you see it, but…"
He looked over at her and blushed.
"…I don't think I'm ready for that just yet…"
He was confused when she kept pointing.
"What is it, Zero Two?" He inquired.
Looking up, he thought that he saw it.
Something other than the clumped mistletoe in the limbs. Something mangled and foreign.
A drop of red blood hit him directly in the eye, causing him to clutch his face until the stinging subsided.
As he quickly blinked, he felt Zero Two clutch onto him tightly.
He whipped his head upward again and saw it slowly crawling down the tree.
Its skin was black, the only blue showing was the dark blood dripping from fangs poking out of places teeth shouldn't have been.
It had a head that nearly resembled a pyramid in shape, a single blue dot in the center acting as an eye. The skin that held the spine looked as though bone was about to poke through at any second, the stretched flesh catching and ripping out errant fangs.
Hiro gripped Zero Two's hand, hard, as he slowly backed them away from the curious beast.
The monster still eyed them, and slowly crawled closer and closer.
While only being the size of a small house, the creature seemed almost titanic to the children.
A sudden halt jolted its body forward slightly, until it arched its back and let loose a scream unlike any they had heard before.
The bones they had assumed were the spine poked through the flesh of the back, ripping and tearing thin tissue until a gaping maw lined with human-like teeth nearly split the creature in half.
It's previously beast-like appearance was cast off as it twisted, metal bones groaning under the strain of the unnatural posture.
Hiro put himself between the girl and the beast, just as it began to lunge.
The sudden flash of a black and blue tail gouged the single eye of the beast, causing it to claw at its own head.
"This way!" Shouted Nana.
Hiro didn't have time to ask any questions. He gripped Zero Two's hand even harder, and she squeezed his in return as they followed the adults.
As they approached the edge of the forest, he could see more and more flashes of dark beasts in the tree canopy and the ground below. A dull orange glow seemed to hold back the beasts, though, which caused him to run even harder towards it.
When they exited the forest, the two of them didn't stop.
Adults with Flamethrowers were burning the trees on the edge, keeping the beasts contained within.
Eventually, they would have their happy ending.
But, as the sound of howling wind mixed with the cries of abominations, and the hiss of burning trees, they had only one thing they could do.
For now, they could only run.
Author's Note:
So, I know it's a little rough around the edges, but cut me some slack. I wanted to try something with a horror vibe, and after writing 100k words of A Return to Eden, it feels a bit wrong. Tell me what you think in the comments, and thanks for reading.
Also, on an entirely unrelated note, does anyone remember Oreo straws? I mean, I swear no one else I talk to remembers them. Admittedly, it's not really a topic that comes up in conversation much, but it's been at least eight years since I last heard of them. They were so good, I was just surprised. Don't answer this in the comments, this is just something I felt like saying. Think of it as a self-reflection question. Reflecting on what, I don't know. Just don't dirty the comments with this.