Darling in the Franxx: Alternate Core
Chapter 1: Not as alone as they believe...
Hello everyone, pretty sure you didn't expect me to write something like this soon. But after seeing the hype for the new Armored Core 6 game (boi, FINALLY!) I simply couldn't hold it anymore. As the description of the story says, this is my take on the 'Darling in the Franxx' anime with the main division from it being that in this AU, we have a secret faction apart from APE and the klaxosaurs. A faction whose focus is to restore humanities future while staying true to their authentic nature, one that the humans of APE have abandoned. This AU has elements of many franchises I love, specially Ace Combat, Super Mecha Champions and Armored Core. There are some notes to consider:
1 - I suck at descriptions, meaning that if there's something that has a picture or video about it that can give context, then I will use it and avoid me the trouble unless it is absolutely necessary.
2 - There will be some scene/time skips because it is something that plays exactly like in the anime and helps save time and words.
3 - It has been a while since I watched Darling in the Franxx, so I may get wrong a few details or modify some of them for the sake of this fic. Please read with a grain of salt.
With that out of the way, I'm glad to announce the pilot episode of this fic!
Remember, 'Darling in the Franxx' is not of my property neither the franchises associated to make this fic possible except my OC's and their lore.
Now on with real chapter 1!
(Edit 18/07/2023: reworked the intro to integrate the same mythical tone used in the anime pilot.)
He had that dream again: a lone pink-haired girl with red horns and skin was walking alone in the white snowy forest wearing only a black cape as her only cover against the cold winds. And again, he for some reason followed her as she seemed to speak...
"The Jian, also known as the bird that shares wings... because it only has one wing. Unless a male and female pair lean on each other, and act as one? They're incapable of flight. They're imperfect, incomplete creatures. However, one day? Their way of live... began to strike me as something profoundly beautiful."
That was when she turned around towards him, seemingly surprised to sense him...
"Surely you as a Raven understand that? Why the need to follow me? To strike me down? To seize and feast upon my corpse once I fail to find my partner and I'm at the mercy of the elements?"
Then he answered calmly...
"As a Raven, I'm supposed to be the bird that omens misfortune and death itself as its master. It is my duty to help those suffering poor souls to be released from their mortal coils and to recycle their vessels so that new life can emerge from where they fall... but there's also, a secret reason to why I follow you... tell me Jian... once you find your partner, you two will be able to fly... but how do you plan to do so?"
Just then, the snowy winds start to blow faster and stronger, covering everything in white, as the picture of a black Raven flying above is seen before his shadow transforms into a the Jian... and that is when the boy wakes up...
The wasteland, Earth, circa 2100, 12:30 am...
Only the sound of the desert wind could be heard all around the dead valley... that is until the sound of thruster engines invaded the serene peace of the night as two mechanical figures rolled through the sand. One of the two colossal figures had the frame of a white knight (search 'SMC arthur') while the other one looked more of a gunner, a heavily armed gunner (search 'White Glint'). Soon enough, voices were heard through the radio...
?: - Raven, Origin 1 here, did we really had to awaken this early in the morrow? -
Raven: - You said you wouldn't complain, remember? -
Origin 1: - Well, I wouldn't if it wasn't for the fact you used cold water to wake me up! -
Raven: - If you and Origin 2 had sleeped apart of each other for this mission then maybe I wouldn't have done that. -
Origin 2: - Ugh, don't listen to him Orion, he is just frustrated he can't get himself a girl unlike you. -
?: - Would you all cut the chatter now? You're about to enter the silent zone of the operation so one last rebriefing of your mission: intelligence has told us that the Doctor's special squadron will soon be combat ready. Their ceremony is tomorrow and you need to be in position to spy and shadow their movements. Once you get enough intel about the pilots and their Franxx, you will disengage and return to base. Make sure to stay out of sight and to avoid APE units to follow you at all cost! -
Orion: - Understood operator Crux. -
Raven: - Roger -
Origin 2: - Alright. -
Crux: - Good, and Sally, make sure that those 2 idiots don't get into trouble as they usually do. Set your communications to local, god speed Arthur and White Glint. -
After that, radio silence invaded both cockpits as both mechas slid into the cold night of the desert. Unknown to them, two troublesome creatures had picked up their trail...
Later on that day, near the plantation 'Cerasus', approximately 12 hours into the mission...
Both pilots had arrived to their destination without trouble, now the hard part began, observing and resisting the boredom as their mechs layed prone on the sand looking directly at the plantation, their optical camo making sure they stayed invisible. It has been 2 hours since the ceremony in the plantation began but so far, no luck on seeing the Franxx...
Orion: - Damn, when are they going to reveal the hangar doors? -
Sally: - Patience Orion, we got a good view and the whole day to wait. -
Orion: - I don't know, I'm kind of getting hungry. -
Raven: - I find it funny considering you always have Sally for 'eating'. -
Orion: - Haha, very funny, f*** you man. -
Sally: - Boys, enough... has anyone seen the special unit of code '02'? -
Raven: - Negative, although the transport that came by earlier is the one that Intel said she would be at, so she must still be inside the plantation... -
Orion: - Hey, Raven, you holding good? -
Raven: - I am, why? -
Orion: - Its just that with your background with APE forces, I am concerned if you have an itch to... -
Raven: - I have it, but I won't scratch it... yet. -
Orion: - Good to know... -
Suddenly, the weather changed and a fog rolled in...
Sally: - Huh? The guys at the station said it was going to be sunny all day... -
Orion: - Heads up, motion trackers are picking up signals! -
The answer came in the form of a klaxosaur that started attacking the plantation's hangar from which a transport was leaving moments ago.
Raven: - A transport is down! Shall we intervene? -
Orion: - Negative, remember the mission, we only came to observe and shadow their movements... -
Just when it seemed the blue creature was going to break in, a white one suddenly rammed itself against it and send it away...
Orion: - Although it would seem somebody else is already doing the work for us. -
Sally: - Confirmed contact on Strelizia... huh, still in Stampede mode? It seems the partner killer got another one. -
Raven: - Those dumb bastards... -
There they stood as they saw how the white Franxx stopped for a few moments before going back into the fray, and this time they saw it transform from its beast mode into her humanoid mode before finishing the klaxosaur for good.
Orion: - Impressive, so that's Strelizia's true form. -
Raven: - Don't celebrate yet, whoever partnered with her still has 2 more rides to prove himself. -
Suddenly, the alarms inside both cockpits started to ring...
System voice: - Warning! Warning! -
Orion: - They're on our 6! Evade! -
Their mech Arthur managed to avoid the sudden attack as a round klaxosaur almost the same size as him (consider Arthur the same size of Strelizia IF you count her horn into the total height) came barreling through, missing him. However, a second one came following attacking White Glint to which Raven could only 'Tch' and prepare the mech's arms into an X form that activated a shield and braced himself for impact.
POV Dr. Werner Franxx.
Today has been a good day! Not only did he get the results he for so long wanted he also got it in one of the best ways possible! This opened a lot of options for his research now that he proved to the council that his method wasn't in vain. He was planning the next steps of his plan when the alarm blared again!
Dr: - What? What is going on?! -
Hachi, still at the command room soon read the alerts: - 4 signals have been detected! 2 of them are klaxosaurs, but the other 2 are unknown! -
Just when he was about to ask what that meant, everybody suddenly heard a loud metal CLANG! as a new franxx suddenly appeared out of nowhere!
Dr: - Hachi, what is going on?! -
Hachi: - I'm passing you some video feed doctor, you need to see this... -
At the same time, outside...
White Glint's shield managed to take most of the force of the attack, but whatever was left of it was enough to send the mech flying towards the plantation wall, barely evading Strelizia. However, rather than impacting flat on its back, Raven maneuvered it so that he used the left arm to basically grab the external plates and use the friction to stop his momentum, ripping some of them in the process! (take a look at the 'Armored Core For Answer Launch trailer' and you will get an idea at 2:40) And then, he spoke...
White Glint (same voice as in the trailer): - Alright, that does it. -
Just then, the 'face' was sealed with plates and a shockwave thundered out of him directed towards the klaxosaur. It managed to hit it, sending it flying towards Arthur whom had followed his wingman and, in a great show of coordination, slashed his sword against the blue creature, cutting off part of its legs. However it was still standing, and its friend was now mad and going for White Glint.
Arthur: - White Glint, that one is all yours, I got this one. -
White Glint: - Roger, engaging. -
The klaxosaur tried to charge at White Glint, only this time, the white mech activated its thrusters and surprised everyone with his speed, as he dashed to the side and pulled out on both arms the equivalent of assault rifles! The klaxosaur smashed into the plates of the Plantation, completely missing its target.
White Glint: - Gotcha. -
He started blasting at the creature at the same time the 'boxes' at his shoulders suddenly opened and revealed they were missile launchers as a barrage from both soon fired at the stunned klaxosaur.
Dr. Franxx: "That's ridiculous, conventional weaponry won't do any damage to the beast..."
He was soon proven wrong when the missiles and bullets impacted against the blue creature. He saw it briefly in the detonation but it was clear both weapons were NOT made of conventional ordenance nor magma sources.
Dr. Franxx: "Interesting..."
The results of the attack were clear to see as soon as the smoke dissipated, the blue creature was still standing but barely, many chunks of his blue-black skin and meat were torn off, with lots of blood pouring out of lots of holes. It gave a defiant roar but a weak one...
White Glint: - Still fighting? Very well... - The mechanical parts of the left shoulder suddenly grabbed the rifle he had on his left arm and folded it into the back before the hand transformed into a pile bunker weapon that inserted a cyan cilinder into the main chamber. Dr. Franxx eyes did not miss that detail: - Let me grant you mercy. -
He then rushed towards the klaxosaur who wasn't able to stop at all the pike-like hand from entering deep into its body. As soon as it connected to its core, the weapon activated. A detonation was heard and then the klaxosaur alongside its core was no more, only leftover pieces of its meat alongside a rain of blue blood, as the core cracked and its light died out, impaled by the white mech.
That was when Arthur spoke: - Dammit White Glint! Remember that we need those cores intact! -
Franxx: "Foldable and transformable weaponry, alongside high durability and mobility and possibly a different source of mysterious energy. Whoever designed these knew how to fight klaxosaurs. And what did the other meant about needing those cores?"
White Glint: - I simply went overdrive again... -
Arthur: - Agh, nevermind, you're nearby the crash of the transport, search for survivors while I finish here! -
The mech resembling a knight seemed to dominate his fight against the other wounded klaxosaur, and it was clear he was gonna come out on top. White Glint simply shrugged and went towards the spot where the transport crashed. It was covered by a lot of debris as his mech started to scan...
Raven: "No signal of any activity, it seems that nobody was lucky enough... wait there's one in there."
Carefully moving around the debris, he soon found the survivor, a teenager girl of brown wavy short hair, clunching her right arm and barely noticing the giant mech looking at her.
Raven: "Her arm is very badly injured but it is still salvageable. The rest of her physic is stable." He then saw an info tab appear on his HUD and his eyes went wide. "It... it can't be...code 703... Naomi... so you became a drop-out pilot. That means that returning you to APE won't be of use. Very well, it seems I will have to babyseat you for the rest of the mission... you will need it after you and I meet again..."
With gentle care, he grabbed her on his mech's right hand before pulling a cylinder filled with a serum fluid from the back of the mech using the left hand, he then leveled it, opened it, and then dropped the girl inside. He saw her try to swim to escape her fate before a mask appeared from the sealed entrance, attached itself to her face and put her into a necessary coma.
Raven: "The serum should be enough to fix her tissue and nerves of her arm alongside other injured areas. Doesn't mean she is out of the woods yet."
Just as he put the cylinder into the back part of the mech, the alarms ringed again, and he barely avoided an attack from Strelizia.
White Glint: - Hey! What's the deal? We just helped you! -
Strelizia: - Let her go! -
White Glint: - What? -
Strelizia: - I said let her go! Release Naomi! -
White Glint: "Code 02 doesn't usually care for names nor do the rest of the Parasites until re-indoctrinated which means... could it be it is him?"
A sudden memoir of a young dark-haired blue-eyed boy came to him, but he soon dismissed it as he had more urgent issues. Strelizia charge at him again, and in response White Glint dodged to the side and barraged her with his missiles. Seeing how effective they were, the Franxx made the sensible decision to dodge them. The window of opportunity was enough to get some space to pull back towards Arthur...
White Glint: - Hey Arthur, I need some support here! -
Arthur: - I'm busy! -
White Glint: - Now! She is coming at us! -
Seeing the white franxx dashing straight for them, Arthur said: - Alright! Ultra slash! -
He charged his sword then unleashed a HUGE vertical projectile blade that cut the klaxosaur he was fighting cleanly in half! Strelizia just barely managed to avoid the attack, but unfortunately her left hand wasn't lucky enough and got cut off her.
Strelizia: - AGH! -
Using the distraction, both Arthur and White Glint regrouped and prepared for lift off.
Arthur: - We're gonna have words about this! -
White Glint: - I know, I know! -
Just when the plantation's defenses aimed at the mechs, their thrusters were activated and soon went flying into the unknown sky...
Dr. Franxx POV:
How did everything went from good to bad!? He had it! He had Strelizia, the epitome of his career and research of the enemy! And just like that it was shown to him that it wasn't even enough! Just two random mechs appearing out of nowhere showed him that those had better firepower and endurance than his masterpiece! If it wasn't for the fact the years of cybernetics and believing himself no longer a human had dampened his emotions, he would be furiously stomping around in his office. Instead he simply sighed in arrogance and calmed his senses before reflecting about recent events. Yes, the intruders showed that their mechs were powerful, even more than his, but there was a lot of reasons to it. One, their pilots showed great coordination and skill that screamed of them as being experienced ones rather than lucky ones; two, the technology used on those mechs was of a different level than his, as they weren't detected until the two klaxosaurs that hunted them attacked; three, the weaponry they used was unique and of unexpected quality. A pile bunker wasn't a bad weapon against a klaxosaur but then again APE's franxx usually have blade-like magma weapons that had good penetration capabilities that rendered pile bunkers obsolete. Seeing how the white gunner mech, whom was called White Glint if he recalled, used it made him reconsider. And fourth, he was pretty sure that a conflict with them could have been avoided if it wasn't for code 016, whom surprisingly woke up inside Strelizia just in time to see the battle and code 703 being recovered and then kidnapped by the White Glint. Any reasonable person would have at least suggested for a parlay but instead code 016, in his hype of riding with code 02, impulsively attacked them and now both unknown were gone and probably won't be returning soon.
As for both pilots, they were both fine with only phantom pains on their wrists in the spot where Strelizia's hand was cut. They were all right now with their squadmates at the Bird's nest, obviously everyone asking questions about the unknown mechs. His masterpiece was being repaired in those moments after retrieving the lost hand alongside something else. That was when the doctor looked at the empty cannister ejected from the pile bunker. Even if it was just a residue, his preparatory analysis confirmed it had enough leftover energy to power a franxx.
"This opens a lot of new questions. Questions that I'm willing to search an answer for..."
Meanwhile, with our pilots, at a rocky formation in the middle of the desert...
Orion: - So that's why they attacked you? They believed you were kidnapping the girl? -
Raven: - Yes, and I was lucky that Strelizia just had a rookie stamen. Otherwise a more experienced one would have gone faster and hit me. -
Orion: - The more reason the mission has to continue, we will need the information on them if things don't go according to the final plan. -
Raven: - That big are the stakes? -
Orion: - Is the ONLY shot we got to finish this war. But enough about it, Sally, how's the survivor doing? -
Sally: - The serum has repaired all of the lost tissue alongside the nerves. However, the bones are broken so I had injected her with calcium/iron nanocells to repair them. Still she will need to wear a cast for at least 2 weeks to make a complete recovery. -
Orion: - 2 weeks of babysitting her before we can send her back to the 'Oletros'. Raven, you know that she will be your responsability, right? -
Raven: - You make it sound like a bad thing, its not like we are in a secret bunker that has more than enough supplies for a month for a whole squad of 12 people alongside working AC, plumbering and an AI for medical services. -
Orion: - Sometimes I wonder if your sarcasm is either a blessing or a curse. -
Raven: - *snickers* I learned from the best... *frowns* listen Orion, there's something I need to tell you... -
Orion: - What is it? -
Raven: - It has to do with the new stamen... he called the survivor by a name rather than her code... and if you consider my background. -
Orion: - Wait, that means that... -
Sally: - Sorry to interrupt you guys but are you done chatting yet? Because our patient is finally waking up. -
Orion: - We will talk about it later... -
Raven: - Agreed. -
POV code 703 'Naomi'...
All that she remembered was pain on every part of her body as her transport was crushed, followed by intense pain on her right arm. It felt like an eternity for her before a bright blue light shined on her delirious body followed by the feeling of being lifted up by something metallic and cold. Then the last thing she remembered was falling into some sort of liquid place before blacking out. She honestly believed she died, at least until she turned her body and suddenly felt pain on her arm again. It was a lot less than before but it did confirm something: she was alive. The pain must have caused a reaction on her because she suddenly heard a feminine voice.
Sally: - Careful, that's the injured arm you just rolled into. -
The voice was unknown but somehow it calmed her and allowed her to open her eyes. It took her a while to adjust it to the white light of the room but once she did, she found herself confused. In front of her were 3 people and what looked to be a robot of some kind. The robot was colored entirely white with a green cross and it was a round spherical object with only one lens. (Think of it as a GlaDOS core) The lady of the group had green long hair tied into a long thick braid that reached her waist, purple eyes, and brownish skin (Dryad from Terraria/Dungeon Defenders 2). One of the two men had dark hair, grey eyes and fair skin (Wesley from SFH3) but it was the last one that truly surprised her: he had spiky grey hair, fair skin and yellow eyes (search 'White Glint' by Exerionz on DeviantArt) alongside a white tattoo that surrounded his left eye (white glint emblem). The female was wearing a grey uniform with blue highlites similar to those of the pistils with the exception that it didn't have the paracapacitator on her back and she had the emblem of a silver sword with lightning surrounding it. Her partner was the man with grey eyes wearing a black with blue highlights stamen uniform with a similar emblem on his chest. The last one was wearing a grey uniform with black highlights and his emblem was basically his white tattoo. All of them carried two more emblems: one was an upward triangle with the words 'SMC' (Search 'Super Mecha Champions logo') incrusted inside each side. The second one was a circle that had the words 'RF' incrusted in the center, with the outside being surrounded by green laurels. The man with the sword emblem soon spoke...
Orion: - Greetings young lady. Before we explain to you what happened let us introduce ourselves first. My name is... -
He was interrupted when she ignored him and went straight for Raven and said in shock: - C-code 045... Shijugo...? -
Raven: - Tch... my name is Raven... but yeah, that was me when we both lived on the Garden. *Grabs Naomi's hand* I lived Naomi... -
That's it for the first chapter! If you're intrigued let me know with a review! Have a wonderful December!
Edit 02/01/2022: added a picture reference for how Raven looks.