Mastermind in the FranXX

Episode 11



ARGENTEA

"We're coming over the target now! Multiple klaxosaur signatures!" the pilot called out.

Hachi walked to the back of the cabin, barking orders. "Check your gear! Look over your parachutes one final time and make sure the lines aren't tangled! Remember your training! In and out, the VTOL will pick you up after you secure the VIPs!"

He grabbed onto the handle bar near the closed ramp. The light turned red. The black-clad soldiers stood, forming two rows of six. They checked the chute lines of the man in front of them.

"Ten seconds!" The ramp opened. The loud roar of the transport intensified immediately. The wind whipped Hachi's uniform, but he didn't react.

The light turned green.

"Go! Go! Go!" Hachi bellowed. The soldiers streamed out of the craft, into the dark evening sky. On the dusty plains below them was Chrysanthemum, Plantation 26, surrounded by klaxosaurs.

It was burning.

Hachi glanced at the ground as the ramp closed, estimating their numbers. There were far more than usual. They had done these rescue operations before, but the situation always varied. The number of klaxosaurs assaulting the deactivated plantations usually scaled with the amount of magma energy left in the systems. Their contact had informed them that the first klaxosaurs had appeared a little over a week ago; they'd been under continuous assault ever since. The Franxx had run out of fuel two days ago and all remaining magma had been redirected to the plantation's automated weaponry. But even still, there were over twice as many klaxosaurs as they'd expected. Something was up.

He pulled out his communicator and opened a direct line to Nana, who was still at Plantation 13. "Nana, our estimates were off. Argentea won't be able to thin the outside force alone. We'll need reinforcements."

"Understood," was her cool reply. "However, we only have three Franxx-carrying transports currently stationed. We won't be able to muster the full squad. Someone will have to stay behind."

"Let the children decide amongst themselves, but make it fast. One mistake and Argentea will get overwhelmed."

"I expect the decision to be made relatively quickly. They know something is up - they've been looking for Zorome and Miku since dinner ended."

He closed the connection and sighed, his mind racing. APE was lenient when it came to the test squad, but they were not negligent. Chances were they'd notice the sudden deployment; it was something they had wanted to avoid. One Franxx activation could be written off as an impromptu, but well-meaning scouting mission. But four Franxx deploying without orders would raise eyebrows. Questions would be asked. They would have to file this as an emergency activation and perhaps fake some scanner readings. Two Gutenberg-classes ought to be enough.

Until the reinforcements arrived, Argentea would have to focus on hit-and-run tactics. They would need to prioritize the drone carriers and buy time for the troops. Hopefully the guns could stall the rest. The situation was dangerous but winnable. Like all the rescues they'd done before, the klaxosaurs would be focused on the plantation, which would give Argentea space for maneuvering and planning.

Nodding to himself, Hachi contacted the parasites.

This was kinda scary. Okay, not kinda, it was really damn scary! He'd never seen so many klaxosaurs in his life! Big ones, small ones, two legs and four legs, teeth and spines! So much blue and black! Holy shit! And the plantation was burning too! Were the 26ers still in there? Were they even still alive?

Miku grabbed his shaking hand, held it tight. He could hear her nervous swallow. They were sitting against the pistil terminal, watching the feed from the transport's external cameras.

"Y-You're scared too, huh?" he whispered, trying to laugh.

Her answer was a hesitant nod. "We d-don't even have the others, do we? It's... just us..."

"We can do this, Miku!" he encouraged, even as his stomach did backflips. "We have each other, right? A-And Argentea!"

She was silent for a long moment. "H-Hey... Zorome?"

"Huh?"

"What are we... gonna do after this?"

He turned his head to her, confused. "What do ya mean?"

"After all... whatever this is," she murmured, looking at the floor. "If... if we win, and save the planet, and defeat Papa... assuming any of it is t-true... what do we do? We don't know how to do anything other than... f-fight, you know?"

The question gave him pause. He'd never really thought that far ahead before. They'd been told that all of their needs would be taken care of once they gained entrance to the city. Food, clothing, shelter, entertainment... but now, all that was gone. He didn't know where they would go or what they would do. How would they clothe themselves? How was clothing made, anyway? Could they... like... build shelter? Buildings weren't a natural thing, were they? Where did food come from? How was it made?

His mind reeled. If none of that stuff was provided for them, it had to come from somewhere, didn't it? Could... could they do that?

Right as he was about to open his mouth to reply, a new window popped up on Argentea's cockpit display. Hachi's voice came through the audio connection, muffled by the dull roar of the transport.

"Zorome, Miku, we're sorry for asking this of you so soon after your previous deployment. Nana is getting in touch with your squad, but it will be some time before they're able to reinforce you."

They sighed in relief, the news calming them somewhat.

"Until they arrive, you are to prioritize your own safety over the destruction of the klaxosaurs. Their numbers are larger than our estimates predicted. Engage in surgical strikes and wait for openings. Move against your assigned targets only, do not get swarmed or surrounded."

"R-Right!" they replied in unison.

A new window opened next to the audio channel, displaying an outline of a klaxosaur they'd never seen before. A quadruped, low to the ground, with a large, shell-like protrusion covering its back. A small circle blinked over its center mass, highlighting the probable location of its core. Several other lines and descriptions detailed various attributes and characteristics of the beast.

"Your targets are a number of Hive-class drone carriers spread amongst the klaxosaur forces. They are modified Moho designs, used exclusively for klaxosaur boarding actions. They launch automated, man-sized anti-personnel drones into facilities they wish to capture or subdue. These drones will make life difficult for our own soldiers. Hive-classes are usually protected by a number of Conrad guards, though we have detected numerous Moho signatures spread throughout the group, as well as three Gutenbergs."

Their nerves were back in full force now and Zorome tightened his grip on Miku's hand. They had to deal with all this? By themselves?

"I'll remind you again that your safety takes priority for this mission. You are a delaying force for the soldiers inside, and they can handle themselves. Do not take unnecessary risks. If you sense something wrong when taking an offensive action, back off and let the Hive-class through. Understood?"

"Understood!"

"Good luck, Argentea."

The connection terminated. They stood up and moved to their respective positions. Zorome took a deep breath as the controls extended.

"Miku?"

"Y-Yeah?"

"We're... we're gonna survive this, okay? We can do this! We'll be fine!"

Miku shifted, then nodded. "...Right!"

The connection was established and Argentea hummed to life. The cockpit activated just in time for Zorome to see the transport's door open, revealing the clouds of sandy dust billowing in the craft's wake. In the distance was a giant mass of blue and black, and a plantation under siege.

"Futoshi."

Where could he have gone? Were they alright? Why hadn't he responded to his communicator?! Were they in trouble?

"Futoshi..."

Damn it, Zorome! He couldn't just disappear for half a day and not expect people to get worried! Was Miku with him? Had they been separated? Was he protecting her? Were they locked up in the plantation somewhere? Had they been shipped off to parts unknown? Had they been... disposed of? No, no! They couldn't have! He'd bragged about how he and Miku were improving recently! Mitsuru and Ikuno were still the lowest scorers on the team and even they were above the average!

"Futoshi!"

His head shot towards the voice. Ikuno was glaring at him. "You're going to make a hole in the floor if you don't stop pacing," she seethed. "And that's the fourth loaf of bread you've eaten in the past ten minutes. It isn't healthy. Stop. Relax."

He shoved the half-eaten remainder in his mouth and chewed, frantic and panicked. "How... how can I relax when they're still missing?!"

Ichigo sighed from her position on the couch. Goro rubbed his neck. "All we can do is wait while Hiro and Zero Two... uh... sniff them out..." she reasoned.

That wasn't helping at all! He hated waiting!

He spent the next several minutes fidgeting and suffering under Ikuno's unscrupulous gaze. But at last, finally, the door to the house opened. He jumped to his feet, his heart racing.

"Well? Anything?!" he demanded of Strelizia's pilots. Zero Two swallowed as all eyes went to her and Hiro. She tightened her grip on his hand as the boy stepped forward and shook his head.

"Their scents led to two places. The fresher one brought us to the hangar. Argentea's gone."

Ichigo's leaned forward, alarmed. "Even Argentea? What the heck is going on? Why haven't we been told anything?"

Futoshi took a step forward. "And... and the second place?"

Hiro looked back at his partner, as if to double check, and sighed when she nodded. "The trail was a bit faded, but... the second one continued past the hangar, to the elevator. We searched around for a while and eventually realized it continued on the ground floor. It... it continued to the main doors, the ones that lead into the city. We could barely make out their scent beyond the entrance."

It took the rest of the squad a moment to process that information. Kokoro was the one who spoke up. "H-Hiro, are you saying they... went into the city? That they gained entrance?"

Both Hiro and Zero Two nodded. Futoshi's mind raced. Zorome got into the city?! But how did that make any sense? Both Strelizia and Delphinium had more klaxosaur kills! Why weren't they notified, too? Shouldn't a message have been sent to the squad? Why hadn't Papa told them? He tugged at his hair. This was so confusing!

"That doesn't make sense," Mitsuru noted, cupping his chin. Yes! Mitsuru could figure it out! He was smart! "Argentea is in third place overall, behind Strelizia in first and Delphinium in second. If Argentea hit the required number for adulthood, the other two pairs should have been notified quite a while ago. Furthermore, in Garden we were informed the rest of the squad would be told whenever a pair had met the prerequisite, and that message was never sent."

"You think this was something different?" Goro asked him.

Mitsuru nodded. "The situation is too strange. Add in Argentea's disappearance, and things don't add up." Then he looked up suddenly, an idea forming in his head. He stood up and began walking to the door.

Ichigo followed him with her eyes. "Mitsuru? Where are you going?"

He looked over his shoulder. "A while back, the doctor gave me access to his office, in case of emergencies. He's away on business currently, or so he told me. He has access to the plantation's security cameras, a number of which are placed in the city. I believe this situation qualifies as one such emergency."

Kokoro got to her feet and made to follow. "U-Um! I'll go with you! I can help and it's too dangerous to go alone!"

K-Kokoro?! He reached out to stop her, but paused.

"You don't have to protect her all the time. Stop trying to be her bodyguard. Let her think for herself."

Damn it! Damn it, damn it, damn iiiiit! His head hung and he slouched down. What the heck was happening?! Why was everything so confusing! He didn't understand these feelings or this situation at all! All he could do was watch and his partner left with Mitsuru. Shouldn't he stop her? She could get hurt! What if they disappeared too? Damn that Mitsuru! If that happened he'd never forgive her!

The rest of them sat there in silence for the longest time, trying to figure out what to do.

Ichigo spoke up again. "Alright, I suppose we can go check out-"

"That won't be necessary."

Everyone looked towards the door. Nana was standing in the entrance, hands on her hips.

"N-Nana!"

The administrator sighed. "I apologize for not contacting you kids sooner. The situation is tense. Argentea is currently on a special, volunteer mission. We had originally thought they'd be able to handle it by themselves, but the klaxosaurs were far more numerous than anticipated. They will need your assistance."

Ichigo stood up. "A... a mission? Why weren't we told?"

"The mission is classified, on a need-to-know basis only. We can't waste time. The briefing will be given while you are in transit." Her eyes scanned over the group. "Where are Kokoro and Mitsuru?"

"K-Kokoro is still recovering from the previous mission!" he heard himself say. "And so is Mitsuru! He was exhausted."

Nana nodded. "I see. Futoshi, Ikuno, will you be comfortable piloting together for this mission?"

Eh? Piloting... without Kokoro? But... but Kokoro was his...

"We will."

He whirled on Ikuno. She was staring daggers at him, as if daring him to refuse. He gulped, suddenly nervous.

"Y-Yeah... it'll be... fine..." he whimpered. For... for one mission! This was to help Zorome!

"Good. Let's get going."

"How are ya doin', Miku?!"

"I'm... I'm fine! Let's keep going!"

She was tired. Tired and covered in klaxosaur guts. But... but they could do this! They were partners, they had each other! As long as... he was with her! She clawed apart another Conrad as they pushed their way to the next Hive-class. They hadn't let one through yet, they were making good time! The klaxosaurs were focused on the plantation; the guns were struggling, but the indiscriminate fire was a good distraction and let them maneuver through the waves. There! Right up ahead!

"Zorome!"

"Right!"

83.

They launched themselves over a pair of screeching Conrads, twisted and then slammed the claws into the Hive's rear leg. With a lurching groan the beast's limb collapsed; Argentea spun underneath and pierced the center mass, extending the blades up into its gut. The core was pierced and a shower of blue filth announced their newest victory. Miku panted and gathered herself.

"Miku! Hang on!"

She braced herself as she was suddenly moved against her will. A massive tendril slammed into the ground, right where they'd been previously. She looked up. Wait! That was... that was a Gutenberg! Crap!

"Th-Thanks, Zorome! Let's go!"

"Yeah!"

They dashed off, weaving between a trio of Conrads and hacking apart a fourth. They slid underneath a Moho, back out into the open field, and twisted around to take stock of the situation. It was like they hadn't done anything at all. The klaxosaurs still swarmed around the battered and broken plantation. She took a moment to catch her breath, then lowered herself, leaned forward and primed the thrusters.

"Zorome, do you see the next one?"

"Yeah!" he replied. A marker popped up in the middle of the pack. "There!"

"Alright, let's go!"

87.

They rocketed into the mob, using the momentum to simply brute force the nearest Conrad-class. A Moho turned into them, charging an energy blast, but they swerved underneath it and avoided the damage. More Conrads! They leaped over one and stabbed into the other, shoving it into the third. Miku flipped upwards onto the stunned beasts and used them as a giant spring board. She jumped high into the air and sailed over a second Moho; on the other side was the Hive. Zorome angled her into the beast and she held out the claws in front of her body. He slammed on the thrusters, sending them dive-bombing straight through the beast, through the core and out its belly. She rolled and righted herself positioning to leave the-

Ow! Ow! Ow! Ow!

She was on the ground, wincing in pain. A third Moho was standing over her, tail raised ominously. She felt a dull throbbing in her gut.

"M-Miku!"

"I'm... I'm alright!" she wheezed. "Let's go!"

They rolled out of the way of the second tail slam and tried to dash off - but there were more Moho-classes blocking their path.

Over them loomed a second Gutenberg.

"Z-Zorome..."

His voice was nervous and slightly panicked. "This is... bad! Sorry Miku, I'm gonna have to get a bit rough!"

She clenched her teeth, bracing again as she gave him the controls.

93.

The Mohos opened their jaws and aimed at them; Zorome got her onto her feet and then dashed into them, ducking under the beams of energy. Heat seared her back and elbows. She winced as something sparked and smoked. In front of them was the Gutenberg, a gigantic quadruped. It opened its mouth; tendrils flew out to intercept them. Zorome cleaved apart the first two and twisted around the remainder, zooming through its legs. She gasped for breath as yet another group of Conrads appeared behind the massive beast. One down, another! This was exhausting! Pain tore through her as one of the klaxosaurs slammed into her leg. She tore into it with a claw. Blue blood sprayed all over her as the thing exploded. Another launched itself at her upper body. She ducked down underneath and stabbed into its belly, carving it in half as it sailed past. Her elbow popped and she bit back the tears.

100.

Something within her snarled and growled. Something foreign and primal.

"Central, Central, this is Alpha Lead. How copy? Over."

"Alpha Lead, Central copies 4 of 5. Over."

"Copy. Alpha has entered AO and is approaching Sierra-Two-Six signal, estimate one-zero minutes. Will radio for extract upon contact. Over."

"Central copies all. Good luck, Alpha. Out."

The communications were terminated and the soldier looked over his shoulder, nodding at the group. "You know the drill. Grab 'em and get out! Stay alert and watch for runners, we've got Hivers below."

"Roger!" the squad acknowledged. They advanced into the dark Mistleteinn forest, guns at the ready.

Mitsuru glanced around the corner and down the hallway. Empty. He turned back to Kokoro, who was eyeing him with her characteristic curiosity.

"This isn't just about Zorome and Miku, is it?"

He recoiled from her, startled. "I... don't know what you-"

A soft giggle leaked from her lips. "You don't have to hide from me, Mitsuru. I see you in the library all the time. You're always in the biology section, searching for something."

Had she been... spying on him? Stalking him? That was a bit... creepy.

The strange girl leaned in close, tilted her head. "You're worried about Hiro, aren't you, Mitsuru?"

He blinked at her, sweating a bit. After a moment's hesitation, he nodded. "Y-Yeah. I think there's something wrong. There are gaps in his medical record. The doctor knows what happened to him. There should be files in his office. After we check the cameras, I want to..."

Mitsuru trailed off. She'd backed off a bit and gave him his personal space. "I'll help you search!"

Why couldn't he read her? This was so weird. "Why are you helping me? Why are you so... curious?"

She grinned and shrugged. "I've always felt like they... never told us the whole story, you know? In Garden. That there were gaps missing." Her stare pierced his soul. "You know tons more than anyone else, Mitsuru. By hanging out with you, I feel like I can learn a bunch of stuff. And..." She turned away, thinking for a moment. "And you're a lot more interesting than Futoshi! He's boring and creepy. Too... forward and blunt. You're neither! You're... mysterious? Soft and thoughtful and kind. I like that."

Kokoro was strange. Very strange. But she was also smarter than people realized. Her curiosity was a tad weird, but... maybe they could help each other?

He sighed and scratched his cheek. "Alright. Let's try to be quick, I don't know when he'll be back."

His new partner beamed at him and they raced down the hallway to the doctor's office. He reached into his pocket for the key, but froze when the door slid open. It was unlocked?

"Why would he..." he muttered to himself. He shook his head. Now wasn't the time to ask questions! He beckoned Kokoro to follow and they entered the dimly lit but spacious office. First, to check the security cameras.

"I'll check the cameras," he told her. "Look for any suspicious files. Anything regarding genetics or horns or something."

She nodded and opened a drawer, rummaging through various folders. Mitsuru clicked on a minimized icon on the central monitor and began switching through the various feeds. What in the world? There were so many! And the parasite house, too! Had he bugged the entire plantation?! The room he shared with Goro, Futoshi and Zorome's, even the girls' rooms? A scowl marred his face. He was such a creep! The foyer, the dining area, the courtyard and library, hallways. Even the attic? Even the bathrooms? Even the bathing area? Had the doctor been watching everything? This was absurd! Was all of this sent to APE?! No, it looked like none of the files had been sent. But then why record at all?

Why had all of the attic files been deleted? That was Hiro and Zero Two's room. Was he that concerned with what those two were doing?

He clicked through various, irrelevant feeds taken from the rest of the plantation. Wait - the central elevator? They'd noticed Zorome and Miku's disappearances when they hadn't shown up for dinner an hour ago. So if he replayed the feed starting from early afternoon...

There they were! Hiro was right, they had been in the elevator! And they were going to... the ground floor?

"Why're you lookin' at me like that?"

"You're trying to get into the city again, aren't you?"

"Yeah! And what of it! Maybe we've managed to kill enough klaxosaurs this time! Ever consider that?"

The sensory advantages those two had were something else. They'd figured all that out just by sniffing for them and following the odors? What the hell?

Mitsuru continued searching through the feeds until he got to a camera mounted in the city, at an intersection - Camera C-09. Zorome was running in the street. He slowed down the playback and leaned in, watching. Why was he running? And where were all the adults, anyway? Something was wrong here.

A black, bulky figure dashed into the street from behind a building, intercepting Zorome and knocking him out with a decisive chop to the neck. It grabbed the boy and slung him over its shoulder. Several more of the figures emerged from the shadows, six in all, dressed the same way. One of them was holding... Miku! They departed quickly, but one stood behind and stared directly at the camera before following.

Mitsuru felt a shiver run down his spine. He paused the playback and stared at the blurry image.

It was obviously a man, but his uniform and gear were foreign. Boots, trousers and a long-sleeved jacket covered by a bulky vest with a myriad pockets. A tube ran from his backpack up to some sort of breathing device, wedged against his face and completely covering the mouth and nose. The eyes were hidden behind a strange, goggle-like device, glowing an ominous red against the dark city. The rest of his head was obscured by an old, scratched helmet. In his gloved hands was a long weapon, of a make and model Mitsuru had never seen. Not a single speck of skin was visible. Had his posture not been decidedly human, Mitsuru might have mistaken him for some sort of robot.

These people were not part of APE.

"What in the world..."

"Mitsuru? I think I found something!"

He looked over at Kokoro, who had pulled a file from a drawer across the room. She was eyeing the cover, suspicious. The stamen was at her side in an instant and read the file's name as she put it on the desk.

"A.P.U.S.?"

Mitsuru opened the file and began reading the pages within. But the more he read, the paler he got.

This was...

"Subject 01-6 displaying physical and mental instability... multiple failures... backups incompatible..."

Kokoro's hands were over her mouth. Her head shook back and forth, eyes wide. "M-Mitsuru? I... I don't understand..."

Fingers shaking and mind reeling, he flipped past the grotesque images and scientific analysis to the last page. The top half of the page was taken up by a picture; it was a black and white frame, taken from a security camera feed. The date was listed as November 5, 2133 - the unlisted day from Hiro's medical file, three days after he broke Zero Two out of Garden.

"G-Get me... a p-piece of paper..." he wheezed. Kokoro grabbed a displaced file and tore off the corner. She handed it to him, along with a pencil. He noted the location listed under the image: Building AM-01. Then he closed the file and wretched. The image was seared into his mind.

A little boy, strapped to an operating table.

A vicious screech echoed in from their surroundings. The soldiers looked up as more pods crashed through the broken dome and slammed into the Mistleteinn forest. The biomechanical objects crashed through the trees, occasionally sparking against the dry, dying wood. The chances of a fire were rising exponentially.

"Runners! Runners!"

Lead swore under his breath. "Number 4, Number 9, you gotta find them soon! Hurry up!"

"Working on it!" Number 4 replied over the squad comms.

"Take positions! Here they come!"

The soldiers hunkered down in the courtyard and shouldered their rifles, aiming at the treeline. From beyond the forest sprinted the bipedal, man-sized klaxosaur drones, their sword-arms raised in ominous fashion.

"Engage!"

They opened up on the first wave, their aim steady. The drone receivers were located in the upper torso; it was from there that they received their commands. The hunter-killers were deadly but also fragile, and it was for that reason that they usually engaged in swarm tactics. Destroy the controller and the drone would cease all function. Like a normal klaxosaur, but on a smaller scale. The soldiers had been trained to establish kill-zones and lines of fire. One wrong move and the squad would be overwhelmed. Failure was not an option. They had come this far already; once contact was made they would retreat up the hill, break through the dome and escape.

It was during the second wave that the radio blared to life. A tech from Central was on the other end, his voice frantic.

"All units, this is Central. Magma signatures just spiked. Zero-three Golf-Bravos, one-zero-plus Mike-Hotels, one-zero-zero-plus Charlies. Inbound, inbound, inbound. I say again: zero-three Golf-Bravos, one-zero-plus Mike-Hotels, one-zero-zero-plus Charlies. Inbound, inbound, inbound."

"You hear that?" Number 5 called over the squad channel.

"The kids! They can't handle that!" urged Number 11.

"Clear comms!" Lead demanded over the gunfire. "Our time-table's gotten tighter! The sooner we get out, the sooner the kids can pull away and stop their delaying! It's all on us, get your shit in order and focus!"

"Roger!"

"Lower level is clear, bed and bathrooms are clear," Number 9 reported.

Number 4 nodded. "That leaves the attic, let's go."

They raced up the stairs, making sure to stay alert. There hadn't been any reported runners inside the house, but now wasn't the time to rely on old information. The soldiers kept their rifles at the ready. Number 4 knocked on the attic door.

"Cerasus! We're coming in!"

He tried the door and found it locked, but there was movement on the other side. Someone unlocked the door and peeked it open, looking through the crack. The eye widened and it swung open; on the other side were the ten parasites of Plantation 26.

The soldiers lowered their guns. Number 4 swept his gaze over the group, taking a head count. "26's parasites?"

One of the boys nodded and stood up. There was a bandage wrapped around his head. "We are. I am Code 090, the squad leader."

"Which one of you is Higosa, the contact?"

The girl seated next to him stood up. "I am."

The squad leader looked at her, confused. "C-Code 153?"

The girl smiled at him. "I'll explain later."

"Any injuries? Physical or mental?" Number 4 questioned.

"Code 090 has suffered some recent migraines, suppression related. No other injuries," Higosa informed.

"Are you with APE?" one of the other parasites asked. "Did they finally come to get us?"

Number 4 shook his head. "APE has abandoned you, left you to die. We were in the same position a while ago. We've come to get you out. We're friends."

Some of the parasites looked at each other, confused and wary. Number 9 pulled his finger away from his ear and spoke up.

"4, we've got to go, now. The situation's escalated. The kids are in trouble."

Number 4 nodded and turned back to the group. "We'll explain later. This is about survival now. You can either stay here and die, or come with us and live. The choice is yours."

The argument was convincing. Squad 26 stood up and followed the soldiers out of the building. Fire was on the horizon; the dying forest had finally ignited. All around them were klaxosaur carcasses and soldiers aiming at the tree line. One of them looked over.

"Report!" he snapped.

"Sir. All heads accounted for. We're ready."

"Excellent." He tapped the side of his helmet. "Break, break!" There was a pause while he waited for the traffic to clear. "Central, this is Alpha Lead! We have Sierra-Two-Six. I say again: Sierra-Two-Six is secure! Alpha is en route to extraction point! Over."

"Alpha Lead, Central copies all. Bird will be there in one-zero minutes. How copy? Over."

"Central, Alpha lima charlies. Out." He looked to the group. "Form a perimeter around the parasites! 2, 6, 7, you have rear! Go!"

108.

Sweat soaked his stamen suit. He winced as a side panel sparked and smoked, but it was out of his mind as soon as it was noticed. Dodge. Claw. Jump. Twist. Attack. Run. Stab. Shit, the left wrist actuator! The claws wouldn't extend! Avoid, avoid! Moho! Use the Moho as cover! Damn it, it was so hot! He couldn't breathe! Two Conrads, from behind! Why were they being focused so much?!

"M-Miku... Miku!" he rasped, his voice dry and hoarse.

She coughed and wheezed, but didn't respond.

"MIKU!"

"I'm... I'm... o... kay!" his partner replied between pained gasps. "I... can... handle... it!"

111.

No, no, no, no, no! Not her! Not Miku! He didn't want to be all alone! Duck under the attack, they were going for the cockpit again! Avoid the swipe! He had to save her! She had to live! He could die, but she had to live!

115.

Another... another Gutenberg! Damn, damn, damn! He was so tired! But she was worse! He could handle it! He had to do better! Stab the Conrad, bait the Moho blast to clear the rest! Gutenberg tendrils! Cleave and dodge! No thrust on the left side?! Duck, duck! Where was the exit?! He couldn't see the exit! There were too many! They had to live! Both of them! They didn't need anyone else! It was just them! They had to live!

116.

He...

117.

...had to...

118.

...save...

119.

...Miku!

120.

The world went white.

Nana watched the communicator, horrified, as the klaxosaurs just kept coming, and coming, and coming. She didn't understand. Why were there so many? Why did they want the plantation so badly? Were they that stripped for magma energy? What was going on?

The magma signature kept rising. She sucked in a breath. "Pilot!" she called. "Can you fly faster?!"

"We're already overclocking the engines, ma'am! This is as fast as she's gonna get!"

Panic surged through her. They weren't going to make it.

"Miku!" she whispered. "Zorome!"

Miku! Where are you! Miku!

He looked around the stark white environment. Where was he? Where was Miku?! This was bad!

Zo... rome...

She was kneeling on the ground, coughing. Why was she naked?! No! That didn't matter!

Miku! I'm here!

L-Look...

His partner was looking over some sort of... animal? Lying on the ground. What was that? He'd never seen it before. It was furry, stocky... injured? It was in pain! It had so many... cuts and bruises...

Miku took a deep breath. So did the animal.

Miku?

I... I get it now.

H-Huh?

I-It's not my pain. It's not my exhaustion. I only... feel it. It belongs to...

Understanding hit him like a gut punch. He kneeled down next to her and grabbed her hand. She pet the animal gently.

You mean... that's...

She nodded.

She... she wants to move like Strelizia, but she can't! Something is wrong! She's so tired! She's been... doing this for too long!

The weak creature looked up at him, pain and exhaustion in its eyes. It took a wheezing, sick breath.

...We gotta help her, Miku. Gotta help her sleep.

Yeah.

She squeezed his hand. He squeezed hers.

Eyes flew open. He took a gasping breath. "M-Miku!"

"I'm... I'm here!" she called back. He looked in her direction; her pistil hood had retracted and she shook her head. Her real head.

"Did you see that? Are you okay?!"

Miku grit her teeth as the mech shuddered. "It doesn't hurt as much anymore! It feels like I've been... cut off a bit! But I can... I can feel her!"

A Conrad slammed against the side of the mech. Zorome felt - heard - something snarl. Was that...

"I can feel her too!" he groaned. "I can feel how tired she is!"

A coughing breath escaped Miku's lips as her body reset itself. She squeezed her eyes shut and focused. "Come on, Argentea!" she shouted. "One last time!"

"Let us help you!" Zorome called. "We can... we can free you!"

The mech groaned and twitched. The cockpit sparked. Its body smoked and flamed, even as it struggled forward. A faint whisper floated through them. Something tired and faint.

Free...

Argentea's output surged, faceplate fading to black and gray static. Its colors inverted, pink glowing a blinding white. Energy surged forth; actuators ignited, unable to contain the power. He and Miku shoved off more Conrads and tore their way out of the pack. A Moho was right in front of them. They felt Argentea lurch and crouch, extend its claws. It charged forward magma setting the weapons ablaze. It leaped, a predator after its prey, and raised its right arm up high.

Then it swung downward. The energy surged forth from its claws, slicing the Moho in half. The mech spasmed in agony. Its pilots winced as the feedback hit them. The cockpit's external cameras flickered, failing and reactivating with headache-inducing frequency. But through the fluctuating feed they saw four Gutenbergs lurching their way to the plantation, apparently set on brute forcing their way inside.

"Z-Zorome!" she gasped. "We gotta..."

"You can do it, Argentea! One last time! Show them what you're made of!"

Argentea snarled. It charged its way through the army of klaxosaurs, ripping and tearing and shredding and murdering. Its body flamed and smoked, sputtered and wheezed. It brought its left arm up for another cleave, but the shoulder joint failed. A Conrad was in front of it and slammed into the arm; the conflicting velocities tore the limb from Argentea's body. Zorome and Miku grit their teeth as the dying mech convulsed. But it didn't stop. Growling in agony, Argentea clawed apart another klaxosaur and launched itself at the first of the Gutenbergs.

The fire billowed from its body. Its right arm twitched and screeched, but lifted into a ready position nevertheless.

The whisper was louder. It seared the minds of its pilots, powerful and ancient.

Freeee... DOOOOOOOOOOOM!

The claw flared to life and the beam mangled the gigantic beast as Argentea sailed past it. The core was struck and the Gutenberg detonated in a cloud of blue guts.

"Keep... going...!" the pilots wheezed. The mech twisted as it fell and the weapon ignited again, carving a line into the klaxosaurs between it and the second Gutenberg. Argentea slammed into the ground, legs sparking and giving out. Its damaged arm spasmed but held and the thrusters sputtered, giving just enough energy for another burst of speed. The flaming mech rocketed through the opening, towards the next target. Static from the failing communication systems pierced Zorome's ears.

"Z...me! We...t...lp!"

He couldn't make out the voice over the convoluted garble. Argentea jumped with one last burst of energy, raised its claw to repeat the process.

But the Gutenberg had already turned to the threat. Biomechanical tendrils erupted from the klaxosaur, flying out to attack the mech.

Time slowed down. Zorome's eyes widened, his thoughts moving at the speed of light. There wasn't enough time to hit the ejection switch. Miku would die if the tentacles hit. She wouldn't handle the feedback. He couldn't let her die. She couldn't die. She couldn't die.

Argentea's stamen launched himself onto his partner and yanked her off the pistil terminal, throwing her to the floor. Something slammed into the mech's waist. Mechanical screeching sent his head spinning. He tackled Miku.

Then a tendril pierced the cockpit and the world went black.

Strelizia and Squad 13 sped to the disastrous combat zone as fast as they were able. The plantation was burning. The guns were firing, to no effect. Klaxosaur corpses littered the area, of varying sizes and states.

In the middle of it all was Argentea, damaged and on fire, missing an arm and dashing through an opening in the mob, towards what appeared to be a Gutenberg, one of several. Miku's face was missing, replaced by black static; it was glowing a fierce white, the various colors on the mech having inverted themselves.

Darling! That looks like...

We gotta hurry, Zero Two! This is bad!

Right!

"Zorome!" Futoshi called, frenzied and panicked. "We're here to help!"

There was no response. Their missing squadmates launched their mech in the direction of the giant klaxosaur. Its right arm twitched and belched flame as it moved into a ready position. Squad 13 was too far away.

They watched, horrified, as a Gutenberg tendril bisected Argentea at the waist, cutting it in half.

Another one ran the cockpit through. Bits of blood and gore flew from the opening.

Argentea fell into the massive klaxosaur army, dead. The beasts paid it no mind, utterly focused on the burning plantation. One of APE's smaller VTOL troop transports hovered over the destroyed dome, lifting people on board.

"ZOROMEEEEEEEEE!"

"M-Miku... Zorome..." Ichigo sobbed. "No, no, no!"

He lunged forward and wrapped his arms around Zero Two. Their connection shuddered.

Look at me. Look at me. I'm here. I'm here.

Why does it... hurt so much? It feels so... different this time...

He grabbed her cheeks, tears streaming from his eyes.

We're alive. We're still alive, Zero Two. We're-

"Squad 13, fall back! I repeat, fall back! Do not engage the klaxosaurs!" Hachi's voice called over comms.

"Like hell!" Futoshi yelled. "We gotta-"

The ground itself began shaking.

DANGER

D-Darling?!

DANGER

Zero Two! Do you feel that?!

DANGER

I think it's scared!

DANGER

Strelizia is scared, darling!

DANGER

But why would it-

LEFT NOW

What was-

LEFT THRUST NOW

Hang on!

They slammed on the thrusters, breaking left just in time to avoid being skewered by an absolutely massive tentacle. It erupted from the ground, twice the height of the plantation. A piercing wail sent static through the auditory systems.

"Gaia-class! Gaia-class!" a tech's voice shouted over the noise.

"Squad 13!" Hachi bellowed. "Retreat to the rendezvous! That's an order! The mission is aborted!"

"But Miku and Zorome!" Futoshi screamed, his voice broken.

"We will try and find them after! Go now!"

"They're dead, Futoshi!" Ikuno barked. "They wouldn't want us to die for no reason! Let's go!"

Futoshi wailed and sobbed over the comms, devastated.

Several more of the monstrous appendages burst through the ground around the besieged plantation. They slammed into its hull, splintering metal and fracturing steel. The ground swirled and churned like water. Chrysanthemum creaked and groaned - and was lifted into the air.

From within the whirlpool of sand emerged a behemoth, a titan, painted black and blue. A giant, biomechanical mouth, nearly equaling the plantation's diameter in size. The appendages tightened their grip.

"Kraken!"

With a roar that shook the heavens, Plantation 26 was snapped in half.

The transport was loud, but his heartbeat was louder. He closed his eye, begging the call to go through.

"It's me."

He couldn't sigh in relief just yet. "Did you just leave?"

"Fifteen minutes ago. We're still close."

"Your previous orders have been delayed. I'm giving you a detour, priority one."

"Where?"

"Coordinates will be relayed in thirty seconds."

"Prepped and ready."

"Thank you."

He ended the call and turned to the nearby tech, who nodded at him. "We have it, sir."

"Send it."

Massaging the bridge of his nose, he turned to take stock of the passengers. The soldiers were slouched over, tired. But the whole squad had made it, as had the 26ers.

He was tired of sacrifices.

"Thank you for your hard work, Higosa. You handled it admirably."

Her grin was exhausted. "Thank you, doctor."

His eye trailed to her partner, 090. "I assume you have some questions."

090 nodded, his eyes crystal clear. "More than you know."

They left the meld and he opened his eyes. But right when he stood up, a blur of pink and white tackled him to the floor. He winced at the roughness and sat up. Zero Two yanked off her headband and threw her arms around his torso, burying her head in his chest. She was sobbing.

Hiro felt his own eyes water. He'd never been particularly close to Zorome. The other boy had given him a lot of hassle over the years, but... but he was genuine. Despite all of his shortcomings, Argentea's stamen had been a good person. Miku had always treated him with kindness, too. They didn't deserve this. It was wrong.

"I hate this!" she cried into his suit. "I hate this I hate this I hate this!"

"We're still here," he tried to console. His voice cracked. "We're still alive."

She lifted her head and looked at him, angry tears streaming down her cheeks. "Why are we doing this, darling? There's no reason for it! They didn't have to die!"

She grabbed his shoulders, staring at him. "That... that could've been us! We could've been sent instead of them! And then we'd be the ones g-getting... getting impaled!"

He couldn't say anything. She was right.

"I've always thought that was me," she rambled. "That I would die on the battlefield before I found you and I'd always be suffering and always be a monster and always kill my stamen. But then... but then..."

Zero Two collapsed against him, whimpering. "I don't... wanna d-die..."

A part of him broke. Sniffing, he wrapped his arms around her lower back and leaned in close, hugging her.

"I wanna... m-m-marry youuuu..." she wheezed. "And... build a house and... have a familyyyy..."

Tears flowed. He rested his chin on her shoulder, held her tight. "We will."

"And... make a farm... and go fishing every day..."

He clenched his teeth, squeezed his eyes shut. It could've been them. "We will."

"I don't wanna... fight anymore, darling!"

This was wrong. It was all wrong. He pulled back, stared into her tearful visage. He cupped her cheeks.

If they didn't get out soon, it would be them.

"We won't."

"Why were they sent in alone?! Why weren't we told earlier?!" Futoshi screamed.

"The situation is complicated," Hachi repeated for the third time.

"Stop saying that! We're a squad, damn it! Squads are supposed to stick together! Why wasn't Squad 26 defending their own home?! Why were Zorome and Miku forced to fight for them?!"

"Because our Franxx were out of fuel."

All eyes went to the entrance, where 090 was standing, simmering.

"Your teammates are heroes," he whispered. "They saved our lives."

"Why did it have to be them!" Futoshi yelled through his tears.

"Because they were the only ones who knew the truth."

Futoshi whirled back to Hachi, his face scrunched into a glare.

"What do you mean?! What the hell is going on?!"

090 clenched his fist, staring at the floor. "APE... abandoned us. That operation we had a while back, it was to drain the magma energy from our plantation and deliver it to you. We had no idea. We were adrift, our plantation dead. Chrysanthemum was attacked over a week ago. Our Franxx ran out of fuel two days ago. The guns had no effect. We were defenseless until Code... until Zorome and Miku showed up."

Squad 13 stared at the boy in shock. Ichigo turned to Hachi. "Is... is that true?"

Hachi nodded. "Zorome and Miku were the only ones who knew the reality of the situation. They volunteered themselves. They were not ordered. We did not ask any of you to follow, because it was treason. But the situation escalated beyond what we expected, and we were forced to contact you."

Futoshi was shaking, his whole body tense. "It was all... for nothing..."

Hiro grabbed Zero Two's hand. They shared a look. Futoshi's gaze snapped up, hatred and rage burning in his eyes.

"They died for nothing! APE killed my best friend and his partner! I'll never forgive them!"