In the old world, as people aged, it was common for them to look back on their lives and try to judge their worth. Had they done enough? Had they accomplished everything they set out to do? Did they have regrets?

No, no, yes.

Werner Frank had many regrets.

He never got married. He screwed over the world in pursuit of his goals. He killed dozens upon dozens of people, including the woman willing to give someone like him a future and a legacy. An amoral bastard that had thrown caution to the wind in search of what? Progress?

Ha!

There was no progress!

Humanity was dead! Slaves hooked up to machines! Bodies and minds bound in servitude to people far crueler than he, as they sucked their birth world dry for no reason and planned to leave for who knows where. Civilization, ruined. Biodiversity, ruined. The history and culture of their species, burned and torched like the Library of Alexandria! The children knew nothing! The children were taught nothing!

Promises, constantly broken. He'd banished and harvested failure after failure, consigned them to oblivion, and then tortured a little girl, the only success. Karina's ghost haunted him. He saw that insufferable glare, that chiding frown wherever he went. He nurtured a boy into an experimental warrior-monk, and heard her disapproving sigh. The three of them haunted his dreams. He didn't need much sleep anymore. It was one of the more recent modifications he'd made within the last few years. Not out of preference, but necessity.

Every time he tried to sleep, he heard the screams of the children.

Hers and his.

Everything he'd ever done, wrong. His entire life was a mistake. Mistake, mistake, mistake. Wrong wrong and wrong.

The girl he raised, clothed and taught spent her life hating herself, blaming herself for something that was his fault and his alone. She did not know her origins or why she had horns. He tried to instill in her independence. Instead she self-harmed, mentally tortured herself and unhealthily obsessed over her lost friend, the boy who had escaped with her in the snow. He thought distance would ground them and prepare them. Instead he received a message from Hachi claiming the boy showed signs of suicidal ideation.

And now that they were together, they were making yet another mistake. The headband had been removed at the beach. They lingered in Strelizia's cockpit after missions, unaware of the machine's inherent instability. His saurification was progressing at a substantial pace. If they didn't stop, they risked attempted sexual intercourse. The action would not be safe; the last condom had been made half a century ago. In their lust, they would do the worst thing possible. He did not know if it would impact her ability to connect to Strelizia, given its differences from other Franxx. It mattered not. Eventually she would show, the truth would be discovered and everything would be ruined.

Once again, it would be all his fault.

Werner sighed, old and tired, watching as the mind meld was established and the Squad 13 units departed. The klaxosaur they were fighting against was an interesting one, a rare specimen. It could speed up their development.

It had to speed up their development.

Wearily, he rubbed at his eye. He was sick and tired. Of telling lies, of deceiving children, of watching his own actions kill the world, slowly but surely.

It was now or never. They deserved this.

"Are you two alright?"

"We're fine!" they replied in unison.

What number was that, darling?

Uhh, fifth time I think.

Yay! And the klaxosaur isn't even dead yet!

They swerved around the multi-headed klaxosaur, looking for an opening. Zero Two pushed her back into him and sighed in comfort. She didn't really enjoy fighting that much anymore; the only saving grace was how close she was able to get to him, how the delicious chill of his mind wrapped around and caressed her own. Being one with him was her motivation now. Dealing with the klaxosaurs was an afterthought.

She didn't know what to think of Strelizia, either. The strange behavior had come as a surprise to her especially, given how long she'd piloted the mech without any issues. In all that time, Strelizia had never acted without her orders. It was just a giant killer robot, same as every other stupid Franxx. They'd learned about it going rogue after they left the hospital. The doctor had made them sit down and watch the combat footage, but wouldn't explain anything.

He just told them to be careful.

She wasn't stupid - she knew it had to do with piloting with darling. Just another thing trying to get in between them. Ugh! They'd been on the lookout for weirdness in the sorties since then, but hadn't found anything. The controls were perfectly responsive, the body she inhabited was perfectly white - not that gross red color, ew! - and darling's ocean was perfectly perfect.

That didn't stop Ichigo from constantly checking on them, though. It had become a fun little game for them. Initially, one Ichigo check equaled one second of post-sortie kissing without the headband, but...

Uh.

Yeah, they bumped that up to ten seconds after the first battle! It was better that way, mhm! They usually averaged five checks, which clearly got rounded up to one minute! Yupyup!

The klaxosaur's rotund belly inflated comically. After a moment it reared up and spewed a thick, bluish substance over the Franxx. It was disgusting, with the consistency of vomit.

Ewewewew!

Gross. You alright, Zero Two?

She paused and looked at her hands.

Yeah, I'm fine. It doesn't hurt.

Strange. Let's get this over with quickly.

Right!

They sped over towards the beast again, but paused upon noticing they were alone. Strelizia turned back to check on the others. They'd been covered in the strange mixture as well; Chlorophytum seems a bit unstable but was still relatively fine. The other Franxx, however, were looking around in a confused manner, their movements stiff.

"Guys? What's up?" they asked together.

"Hey, Zorome! What're you doing in there?" Miku whacked the side of her head. The other pistils were asking similar questions.

"W-We'll guard the others!" Mitsuru told them. He seemed oddly... distracted? "You two deal with that klaxosaur!"

Looks like it's up to us, darling!

Guess so. Let's go!

They turned around, slammed on the thrusters and simply brute forced their way through the klaxosaur. The spear erupted from the other side, core pierced clean through. The beast exploded like a water balloon; more of the vomit-like substance rained down on Strelizia harmlessly.

Yay! Baddie dead! Time for the rewaaaaaard!

She felt him laugh in her ear and kiss her shoulder as they turned around to rejoin the squad. The stamen eventually responded. It almost sounded like...

Zero Two, are they...

I think your friends have a vomit fetish, darling. Gross!

They shared a look of mild disgust.

The ride home was uneventful. Zero Two made sure to give him a mental kiss as the connection shut down and, as always, took the time to commit the feeling of his ocean to memory, for later use.

Then she opened her eyes, and her survival instincts roared to life.

All she could see were cables. All she could feel were cables, wrapped around her arms and legs and waist. The claustrophobia was oppressing. She tried to twist her neck and felt resistance on her forehead - two smaller cables had attached to her horns. With a start she belatedly noticed a thick tube secured over her mouth and nose. Straps wrapped around her head. Her body commanded her to hold her breath; tentatively, she sniffed. She didn't smell anything. It was just... air? The mechanical bindings released her arms and legs after a moment and the tube detached from her face. The wires on her horns removed themselves soon after. She disconnected herself from Strelizia's system immediately as the cables unfurled around her and twisted rapidly to check on her darling.

"Darling!"

"Zero Two!"

They looked at each other, eyes wide. He had apparently been released at the same time.

"Are you okay?" she asked quickly, standing up and jumping over to him.

He nodded and extended his hand to her, his eyes sharp. "I'm fine, you?"

"Yeah!" She grabbed his hand quickly and they looked around.

The cockpit was nothing but cables, all originating from beneath the pistil terminal. The walls were completely obscured beneath the twisting ligaments. They layered on top of each other, sealing any cracks or openings. A smaller set of the cords were idly hovering over where the pistil connected to the system; they were what had obscured Zero Two's vision. They had wrapped around her like a bubble, and now they approached the pilots.

Zero Two growled and latched onto his arm protectively. The wires dipped low, to the floor, and then shot straight up vertically, right in front of them, almost like a barricade. Up above, on the ceiling, the cables uncoiled in a small circle.

Blue vomit, the same kind that had coated the exterior of the mech, poured down from the hole. It splashed onto the empty pistil terminal.

Hiro and Zero Two looked at each other strangely. Once the last of the blue substance had fallen from the ceiling, the barricading wires looped around and grabbed them securely, lifting them into the air.

"H-Hey! Zero Two!" he shouted.

"D-Darling!" she exclaimed.

They managed to hang onto each other's hand. To their surprise, the cables made no attempt at separating them. They were lifted clean over the vomit and carefully placed on the other side of the pistil terminal. The wires hesitated, circling around them for a few seconds. Then they retreated and the ligaments blocking the exit pulled away. The hatch opened with a hiss. The two parasites exited quickly.

Standing in front of them was Werner Frank, the doctor.

He gave them both a once over and then walked past them, peering into the cockpit. The cables twisted away from blue liquid splattered on the floor and rotated to "look" at him. They froze.

"Found you," he muttered.

But before he could do anything else, the mechanical tentacles rapidly retreated back underneath the terminal; how they all fit under there, or where they went, was an utter mystery. Strelizia was silent.

Werner grunted, obviously annoyed, and turned back to them. "I take it you're uninjured." It was a statement and not a question.

"What was that?" Hiro demanded.

"Nothing you need to concern yourselves with."

"Nothing we - we're Strelizia's pilots, damn it!" he shouted. "If anyone should know, it's us!"

"If my theory is correct, it won't hurt either of you," the doctor replied stiffly. He looked at them. "That's what you wanted to know, right? Now follow me, we have some things to discuss."

Their mirroring expressions told the story. More secrets, more beating around the bush, more non-answers. The lovebirds weren't ignorant - they knew they were the doctor's test subjects, they knew they were ultimately pieces on his mysterious chess board. But that didn't mean they liked it. Having spent the vast majority of their lives under his thumb, they were increasingly frustrated by sheer lack of control he gave them. Independence was a valuable thing; the doctor's rules were followed, his commands were ultimately obeyed, but the reward was held ever out of reach. All they wanted was answers. Whether the doctor was intentionally keeping that carrot from their grasping hands, they didn't know. But the looks they gave each other showed that whatever the motives, the results were the same. Frustration.

Nevertheless, they followed him, perhaps as he knew they would. Loud arguing from the floor of the hangar reached Zero Two's more sensitive ears and she looked over the railing curiously. With a gentle nudge, she alerted Hiro.

"Darling, look!" she whispered. He followed her gaze. It was their squadmates - they had separated along gender lines. The stamen were relaxed, if a bit sheepish, but the pistils were hunched over themselves, their postures the very definition of embarrassed and insulted anger. Hiro's still-improving vision let him make out the details; their pistil suits had been melted clean through, bits of pale skin visible through the blotched white and black. They didn't look injured, but their disgust spoke volumes. Hiro looked over his shoulder at Strelizia, still covered in the klaxosaur muck, and understood the situation with a roll of the eyes.

"That's why they couldn't move," he sighed.

Zero Two shot a deadpan glare at the old man's back. "You're a pervert, doctor."

The doctor didn't even bother looking at the results of his handiwork. He chuckled lightly. "Two birds, one stone."

Strelizia's pilots glanced at each other again, mystified. What the hell did that mean?

"They're so gross! Why are boys such creeps!" Miku snarled as she got dressed.

"They've always been like that. Disgusting," Ikuno drawled.

"Weren't they ogling us at the beach back then, too?" Kokoro asked, shivering. "Futoshi's staring made me so uncomfortable..."

They turned to her, waiting for her to speak up. She sighed, not sure of how she should react. Yeah, it was uncomfortable, but was there more to it than that? Her mind turned to the book. It was connected to this somehow, she knew it, but she just didn't know how! It almost felt as if...

"Why have you been so quiet, Ichigo?" Miku asked suspiciously. "You didn't say anything in the hangar, either. Don't tell me you actually liked those looks!"

"Of course not!" she replied quickly. "I just wanna think about it some more. I'm... curious about something."

"Curious? You saw the way Goro was looking at you, Ichigo!" Ikuno stressed. "It was so disturbing!"

"I-I know! But..." She bit her lip, trying to get a handle on her conflicting emotions. "But maybe they didn't really... mean anything by it? I - I don't think they meant to offend us."

Miku was looking at her like she'd grown a second head. Ichigo sighed, knowing her words weren't having any effect.

"Listen, guys, just let me check something first, okay? We're a squad! We shouldn't fight with the boys! Try not to overreact in the meantime. Please?"

Argentea's pistil stalked out of the changing room wordlessly and Ikuno followed her, glaring at nothing in particular. Kokoro bit her lip nervously and shuffled on her feet before eventually following the other two girls. Ichigo watched them go and then cupped her chin, considering her options. A single passage in that book had said this was supposed to happen, that this was... natural. But it was barebones and didn't have much detail, and she'd never seen any reading material in the library covering the topic. That alone was strange, but she could ponder it later. Before she came to conclusions, she should get a second opinion, right? She should think it through and get more information, like she did with the memories and the horns. And the only two people who clearly knew anything about this were-

She leaned against the locker and sighed in frustration. Oh, come on! That was so awkward!

The old man steepled his hands. "I know you've been taking off the headband, Zero Two."

If Hiro wasn't on guard already - and he was always on guard when he had to deal with the scientist - then he most certainly was now. His mind raced for potential explanations and solutions. How did he know? How had he figured it out? They'd made sure she wore it in public and around cameras! The only time she took it off was when Strelizia was offline after a sortie, or in their room! Neither place had cameras! So how had the doctor figured them out?

"Have not!" Zero Two grouched. She crossed her arms and twisted away in her seat, pouting.

"Don't lie to me, young lady!"

"I'm not lying!"

"You are! I have proof!"

"No you don't!"

Hiro watched the back-and-forth exchange blandly, not sure what to make of it. Did she really think that strategy would work?

The doctor sighed, staring at her. "It's not only APE that's tracking you, girl."

She turned back to face him, frowning but saying nothing.

"You can fool those old geezers on the council, but you can't fool the man who raised you," he continued. "I know your behaviors. The tracker is accurate, it's a motion detector. And you are always moving. The only time you're not doing something is when you're eating, sleeping or bathing."

That was... a tad bit creepy. They'd have to do something about that headband sooner or later. Hiro didn't like the idea of her every move being watched so closely. But as he mulled over the old man's words, his eyes widened. Of course - the beach! Ikuno had watched it and she hadn't moved that entire time! Shit!

"Your normal routines have changed. You took it off at the beach for quite a while and you've been lingering inside of Strelizia's cockpit after every mission since you two returned from that vacation."

Zero Two huffed and glared at him. The scientist's glare softened. "You've figured out its other function, haven't you?"

"It hides darling's scent and taste from me! It's so grooooss!" she complained loudly.

"Because without that suppression, you two are all over each other."

The two parasites gave him a very, very disturbed look. What the fuck?

He sighed. "No, I'm not watching. I have no interest in such explicit details. I can accurately infer such a thing due to the headband's purpose."

That was still so weird! He was such a fucking creep!

"Listen." His voice hardened as he entered what Hiro mentally described as his scientist mode. "The headband does not just suppress your sense of smell and taste. It suppresses all of your klaxosaur-related features, Zero Two. It slows your horn growth, helps manage the instincts and the urges. It also hides the pheromones you two naturally produce."

Hiro had heard about this before. He tried to think back to one of the biology books he'd been forced to read while in Garden. Pheromones were...

"Phero-what?" he heard her ask.

"Chemicals meant to trigger responses in members of the same species," Dr. Franxx explained. "Among those are sex pheromones."

Hiro blinked; he and Zero Two looked at each other, their eyes widening.

"...Oh," they said in unison.

"You two release these chemicals from the modified sweat and sebaceous glands spread across your body. The signals are interpreted by a pair of organs beneath your horns, linked to your senses of smell and taste. The horns themselves act as both receivers and protection for these organs, and collect the signals for processing and interpretation. Biologically, the two of you are at the age where you're looking for a mate. And your body-" The doctor pointed at Zero Two. "-has identified him-" The finger shifted to Hiro. "-as a perfect match."

Hiro's head was reeling, but he definitely caught that last bit of info right away. He had mixed feelings. On one hand, he definitely liked the idea of them being so compatible on an anatomical level. But it also seemed so... impersonal. Unemotional. Inhuman. What if there were other horned people out there? What if they had a better scent than he did? Would Zero Two be forced to search them out and...

"W-Wait!" she spoke up quickly, her voice and face panicked. "Can I... can I be forced away from darling?!"

"No, for several reasons."

They both visibly slouched in relief.

"When two of your kind find a mate they deem suitable, the first thing they do, after much consideration and preparation, is bond." He held up his index fingers vertically and then tipped them together. Hiro's eyes widened. That looked like...! "This is normally an important event, because it is for life and cannot be undone. A biological equivalent to marriage, which you've both read about. The receivers and organs become matched to each other. You can smell others and detect their scents, but their pheromones will stop affecting you. The horns are no longer able to detect the chemical signals of others - only the one to which they are bonded. This bond cannot be overwritten. The first time is the one that matters; every other time after that is purely symbolic. I assume you two, in your lust for each other, have already done this. Am I wrong?"

He gave them a knowing look. They looked at each other, blushing. Hiro felt his heart skip a beat at her bashful glance. That meant they were already...

The doctor cleared his throat and brought their attention back to him. "Thought so."

"And the other reason?" the stamen asked.

The doctor was silent for a long moment. At last, he sighed and gave them a hard look. "You are all that is left."

Wait, what?

"E-Eh?"

Hiro watched the scientist slouch in his chair. Why did he look so tired?

"It is time I told you about the klaxo sapiens."

"The klaxo..." Zero Two trailed off, furrowing her brow in thoughtful confusion.

"The creators of the klaxosaurs."

A wave of cold shock washed over him. All his hairs stood on end, gooseflesh rubbed against his uniform. He leaned forward in his chair, gripping his knees so hard his knuckles turned white. He was finally getting-

"I understand you've been wanting this for a while, Hiro," the doctor told him calmly. His gaze switched to Zero Two. "And that you've wanted to know as well."

Hiro spun to look at Zero Two. That's right! She thought she was a... a monster! She was rooted to her chair, pale and still as a statue. Pupils dilated, face nothing but shock, beads of sweat running down her forehead and cheeks. He wanted to hug her, to massage the tension from her shoulders.

"The klaxo sapiens themselves are extinct. The species is dead. The rogue biomachines they created, the klaxosaurs, are all that is left of their civilization. You two are not human, but not klaxo sapien, either. You are hybrids. Half and half. An... attempt to salvage what was lost."

She looked down at her shaking hands. "Darling and I... are..."

"The same."

Her head shot up, mint green orbs locking on the doctor. He returned the stare gently, hands held together on his desk.

"You and he are the same, Zero Two. The only two members of a brand new species, never before seen on this planet. You have both human and klaxo sapien characteristics. That headband you wear was designed to keep your klaxo sapien traits under control while your human side stabilized and developed. But it must be worn consistently, with a stable and set routine, or it will not function properly. That is why it was permanently attached at the beginning. If you continue to remove it, your klaxo sapien genes will begin to express themselves in greater force."

He turned to Hiro.

"You are the opposite. It is not your human side that is developing, but your klaxo sapien traits. Your physical chracteristics will continue to grow as time passes, as will various other things. I do not know when your development will be complete, but I suspect there is not enough time to create a headband or other similar suppression device. This has never happened before in the history of the world, I assure you. There is no precedent here to follow."

Hiro didn't know how long they sat there in silence. It could've been minutes, hours, days or years. His mind was a torrent of emotion and thought as it tried to process everything it had heard. Desperately he tried to file everything away, but then, in that overwhelming quiet, one more question was asked. A question that would turn his life upside down.

"Why... why am I not red anymore?"

It didn't make sense.

All the books he had read, everything he'd learned, it all told him that what had happened should not have happened. Eventually, yes. But not now. Not so soon. The internal changes had been completed by the time they'd left Garden for Mistleteinn, but given what he knew, physical characteristics should have appeared months after the triggering event, not weeks. That blood was the only thing he'd ingested! The amount was consistent! He knew that! The doctor had shown him the files! So what had happened? What was the variable? Where had it gone wrong? Think, think!

The only possible answer was-

"Mitsuru?"

He whirled around upon hearing the gentle voice, his thoughts disrupted. "Miss Kokoro?"

She giggled at his tense expression. "What are you doing in the greenhouse? You're usually in the library, are you not?"

"Even the library is not quiet enough anymore," he sighed. "Miku and Zorome won't stop shouting at each other. I can feel Ikuno's glare piercing my back whenever I enter the house."

"I'm trying to keep out of it myself," she replied with a smile. She watered a plant as she talked - a broom shrub, judging from the vibrant yellow petals. "Futoshi's staring after the mission made me... uncomfortable."

"I'm sorry," he said simply. He didn't really know what to say, something that struck him as oddly unusual.

Kokoro shook her head quickly. "No, no! It's not your fault. I was impressed with how well you stayed focused on the mission after the... the incident. And it was almost like Hiro and Zero Two didn't even notice!"

"Even if they did, it probably wouldn't have affected them," he noted, looking away. Hands in his pockets, he eyed the strelitzia flowers.

"Um... about that, Mitsuru..."

He regarded her with a suspicious glance from the corner of his eye, preparing to change the subject or stop the conversation. Her eyes were on the watering can, her posture nervous and uncertain.

"A-As we were changing, Ichigo told us that... the boys didn't mean to offend us. And Hiro and Zero Two are always so comfortable with each other, so..." She looked up at him, curious and wide-eyed. "You're smart! You probably know about this stuff, too! Is... is Ichigo right?"

Ichigo had told her that? Interesting. She had been fairly quiet in the hangar. He would need to talk with her later. Perhaps they could sort out this unbearable issue plaguing their squad.

"There are... levels of relationships above partnership," he explained carefully. He shouldn't share too much; it would only land them all in trouble. "Hiro and Zero Two have one such relationship."

Kokoro looked down, thinking intensely. "Back at the beach, I saw them looking at each other, sometimes. Futoshi's look reminded me of that. But they didn't seem uncomfortable with it." The girl realized something, and lifted her head with a jolt. "It was almost like... like they enjoyed it! Zero Two was smiling when he looked at her like that!"

She was smarter than anyone realized, he knew. Those eyes had always been observant, that mind always curious. But this was dangerous territory now; he'd need to shift the topic soon. He felt a bead of sweat edge its way down his cheek when she turned back to him.

"Is it because of their... um... relationship level, Mitsuru? That's why, isn't it?"

The sheer eagerness with which she asked the question gave him pause. He wasn't used to it.

"...Yes," he replied awkwardly. "The closer you are to someone, the, ah, more comfortable you tend to feel around them. Such looks aren't nearly as uncomfortable when they're..." He struggled to find the word. "...mutual, consenting."

She tilted her head and mulled over his reply. "I see. That makes sense," she spoke at last. She inclined her head to him quickly. "Thank you for your help, Mitsuru! You are very kind."

He swallowed, feeling strange. She was so... weird. "Think... nothing of it, Miss Kokoro."

Everything.

Her name.

Everything.

Her words.

Everything.

Her love of sweets.

Everything.

Her childhood.

Everything.

Her goals.

Everything.

Her happiness.

Everything.

Her future.

Everything.

Her skin.

Everything.

Her soul.

Everything.

Through tear-streaked and cloudy eyes, she looked over at the person who had saved her. The person who had made her Zero Two, who had given her the world and promised her a future. Crying himself, he was staring at the palm of his right hand in shock.

The hand she had bitten.

"Judging from your reactions, I assume you know how this exchange took place?" the doctor asked. He had turned away from the giant display on the back wall, where sections of their DNA codes were displayed prominently.

"...Yeah," darling wheezed.

"I don't know how it happened," he noted dryly. "It was only after you escaped that cameras were finally installed outside the facility. But I won't pry. You kids can go. Get some rest."

"Why... tell us all this now?" darling asked quietly. "Why tell us at all?"

It was a long moment before the doctor responded. "...I don't expect your forgiveness."

Her head shot up, the air left her lungs. He was looking at her with... guilt?

"But consider this my apology nonetheless. I've done some awful things in my life, to you two especially. The tests, the experiments, the... I kept you in the dark for too long. It was for your own safety, I assure you." He let out a long, haggard sigh, looking back at the screen. "But now, you kids are ready. I will not be able to protect you forever. I've told you what I can. Some things, you will need to figure out yourself."

He looked at her again. "Zero Two."

"Y-Yes?" she replied hoarsely.

"You were created in a test tube, born from a combination of DNA taken from two donors. The first donor was the last stable klaxo sapien genetic code I'd managed to save. The second came from my dead wife, Karina. She would have been... very proud of you."

His... wife? But... but that meant she...

She looked up to see a hand extended towards her. Her savior and her universe and her world was looking down at her, smiling that brilliant smile, tears staining his lovely cheeks. She took it, because he had given her everything.

Her darling had given her everything.

Without him, she had nothing, was nothing.

She stopped at the doorway, and he stopped with her, waiting like she knew he always would. She turned around, his hand held tightly.

If she had never been born, she would have never met him. And for that, because of that, she-

"Doctor?"

He turned away from the monitor, watching her with his lone eye.

She gave him a bright, tear-filled smile.

"I forgive you."

"I'm sorry about this, Ichigo. Really."

That was like the third time he'd apologized! Ugh! "I already told you Goro, it's fine. If you're truly sorry, then help me try and sort through this mess! I can still hear Miku's screaming echo in my brain!"

Goro scratched his cheek sheepishly as they looked over the book they'd scavenged from the abandoned building. She flipped through the pages, irritated. Half of this stuff wasn't even relevant! It just talked about... preparation, whatever the heck that meant! She didn't even know how accurate it was! And for some suspiciously strange reason, they really couldn't find anything on the topic in the house's library. It just didn't exist! It was so weird! This "reproduction" thing seemed kind of important, so why wouldn't the adults tell them anything about it in Garden? Was this how they'd been created? She felt like these "babies" were relevant to the squad's situation somehow, but she just didn't understand how it all fit into place. Honesty, why did things always have to be so complicated? When would Hiro and Zero Two get back from that meeting Nana had told her about? She could seriously use their help right about now!

These drawings of "babies" were super cute, though. Did they look like that in the real world? She'd never seen them before. Were their cheeks really that pudgy? It was so adorable!

"Oh. So that's why you've been so calm."

Freezing in place, she and Goro looked over to the voice. Mitsuru was staring at the book on the table. Ichigo felt like she was going to faint.

"Mi-Mi-Mi-Mitsuru!" she stammered. With a completely innocent and totally-not-panicked look on her face, she launched herself onto the table in an attempt to cover the book. "We were j-just... um...!"

"We were trying to figure out... ah... h-how to help the squad calm down!" Goro spoke quickly. Part of her was thankful Goro had rushed to her defense so quickly, but a separate section of her mind wished he hadn't. She didn't want him to get in trouble too! It had been her decision to take the book! She was the guilty one here!

Mitsuru sighed in exasperation. "Must you be so dramatic? I'm not going to report you."

"Y-You're... not...?" she stammered. Realizing her error, she tried to correct herself. "I-I mean! Of course not! There's nothing to report!" She laughed tensely, guiltily.

Mitsuru gave her an annoyed look. "Would you like for me to clarify that book's purpose?"

She paused for a moment, considering her options, and then slunk back into the couch cushion like a scolded child.

"That would be... helpful, yeah," she muttered.

"W-Wait! Ichigo!" Goro hissed. "Is this really okay?"

She nodded, sulking. "It's okay. He... knows about this stuff." She glanced at Mitsuru out of the corner of her eye. "Right?"

Mitsuru said nothing. He merely grabbed the book and sat down on the couch across them, flipping through its pages in short order. After taking a moment to collect his thoughts, he placed it on the table calmly and gave them a serious look.

"The first thing you should know is that this subject is banned under APE law. Speak nothing of this conversation to anyone."

Goro and Ichigo shared a nervous look. What had they gotten themselves into? She was so stupid! Damn her curiosity!

But at the same time, this was kind of... exciting?

"This book is about childbirth, the result of sexual reproduction between a man and a woman. It is how new humans are created and brought into the world."

...

Between a-

...

"Sexual reproduction is an instinctual activity. Humans of reproductive maturity, with functioning reproductive organs, will search for a suitable mate on impulse. Suitable mates tend to be members of the opposite sex. Suitability is governed by multiple variables, such as physical characteristics and appearance, personality traits and emotional or mental dispositions."

...

...

What the fuck?

"H-Hold... hold on..." Goro choked out. "Hold on Mitsuru, slow down. What's this... this 'sexual reproduction' thing?"

Mitsuru's face was emotionless steel. "Goro."

"Yes?"

"That thing between your legs. It stiffens sometimes, does it not?"

Goro was sweating, gaping like a fish. "Y-Yeah, b-but, what d-does that have to d-do with-"

Mitsuru's cold, dead eyes locked onto hers. "Ichigo."

What was going on?! She didn't understand! "Y-Y-Yes?"

"That area between your legs."

Wha-wha-wha-wha-wha-what was he saying?!

Mitsuru held up one hand. His index finger looped into his thumb, forming an open circle. He calmly raised his other index finger, and put it through the hole.

Ichigo could've sworn her face was melting from her bones. Twitching, shaking and utterly embarrassed, she looked over at Goro. His face was crimson and he wouldn't meet her eye.

Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat?!

"S-So... so when the guys were... looking at..."

Mitsuru nodded, utterly unperturbed. "It's because we are boys and they are girls. Humans are biologically programmed to enjoy this act and seek it out, preferably with someone they would enjoy doing it with."

WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT?!

"But," Mitsuru continued. "Reproduction cannot be forced. Both sides must consent to the act. The parties involved must be willing. The reverse is also true. Just as boys look at girls, girls also look at boys."

Ichigo tried to calm her racing heartbeat. This was so weird! SO WEIRD! But - but she was the squad leader! This was an important conversation, she needed to pay attention to this!

"One side expressing interest, even unintentionally, without reciprocation can lead to an uncomfortable situation for multiple parties."

Her embarrassment was forgotten instantly. It felt like she'd been struck by lightning. Just like... with her and Zero Two, back then! Zero Two and Hiro were almost certainly...

That was why the girl had glared at her! Hiro was only interested in Zero Two! That was why she'd acted so hostile! Until they'd made nice, until she'd shown the other girl she wasn't trying to take Hiro, Zero Two probably thought...

It was about trust! Trust that they wouldn't...! If what Mitsuru said was true, their bodies knew about this stuff even if they themselves didn't! So if they were exposed in such a way and didn't trust their partner...

"That's why they could move around so easily!" she whispered to herself.

Mitsuru looked at her for a moment, then nodded. "Hiro and Zero Two trust each other more than they trust their own selves. They are completely comfortable around each other. It would stand to reason, then, that they would remain focused."

The missing pieces of her newest puzzle snapped into place. She looked at Goro quickly, urgently.

"I trust you," she said. "I know you didn't mean anything by it."

Goro swallowed, nodding. "Y-Yeah. I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable, Ichigo."

Ichigo grinned at him, then turned back to Mitsuru. "Can you go gather the other boys for me? I'll round up the girls. I think I know how to deal with the problem now."

"You are like me, Zero Two. You have always been like me on the inside."

All along she'd...

"And now we're the same on the outside, too."

been...

"You and he are the same, Zero Two."

She looked down at that warm hand interlaced with her own. GrossickyAPEliars had told her that as she killed more klaxosaurs, she'd become more human. When... when she'd started changing, she'd been hopeful. Her skin whitened, her teeth changed a bit, she ground down her horns and chewed off her nails andand...

But she never went further than that. Eventually the changes stopped and she started panicking. She had to kill moremore klaxosaurs, she pushed Strelizia even harder and the stamen started dying quicker and quicker and quicker. Her horns still grew, she still had ugly fangs and that red around her eyes that always reminded her of what she... was...

Darling had transformed her.

It wasn't lyingevilAPE or the klaxosaurs or anything else.

It was darling.

A monster on the outside and she didn't want to be a monster on the outside! Not a monster at all! She wanted to be normal! Butbutbut! A human on the... on the inside. Darling said so himself! That was why he'd saved her! Half and half, on the inside... and... and she wanted to be like darling! When he was human, she could have never been like him! Because she'd always be a monster, no matter what! It had always been a lie. But! But he wanted to be like her! And they were the... the same now...

Andandand she really did kinda... like it...

No one else! Just her and her darling! No icky not-darlings! No other horned freaks! It was just them, together!

If... she thought that if sheshe could be the same as darling, she could be with him forever! And now they were, and he said he wanted to marry her! And live with her and have a family! C-Could she have a family? She'd thought... but maybe now that they were the same?

Darling had given her everything. If she had to... had to choose between being human and being the same as darling and being with him forever, every single time, she'd pick-

"Ah. There you are, Iota."

A bucket of frigid rage, scraping its way down her skin. Iota. Iota. Iota. Iota. Iota. Iota.

Nonononononono! Whywhywhy nononoooooobadBAD! She clutched darling's hand like her life depended on it becauseitDIDrightnooooow! He tensed, keenly aware of her reaction, and together they turned around to face the voice.

Her hair stood on end. Them.

"Running away again, I see," the blonde slimeball said. The creature's smile was utterly putrid.

"How did you..."

The way its eyes closed reminded her of a dead parasite shutting their eyelids for the last time.

"Please, Iota, don't be so naive. Papa gave us access to your tracker."

Those little creepy demons! "Why are you here?" she spat.

"Aw, don't be that way, Iota!" the green horror mocked. "Aren't you glad to see us?"

The insufferable blue one peered at her. "We're your teammates, after all. Why are you running around with the humans?"

She felt the seething rage burn her veins alive. The hallway was too cramped, the air too suffocating! Breathebreathebreathe darling's scent was here but nononono the headband! Shewastrappedtrappedtrapped! Feelhis touch it's okay it's okay he's here his hand his hand focusonthehaaaaaaand-

"Who are you people?" darling asked, stepping in front of her slightly. He didn't release her hand thankyouthankyou!

Blonde slimeball chuckled that horribly ear-straining and murder-filled chuckle. "Oh! That's right, how rude of me. You must be Code 016, are you not? Iota's newest... partner."

diditjustcallDARLINGaNUMBERdiditjustcallDARLINGaPARTNER?

She struggled for breath. She was going to kill it! The disgusting, heretical filth! How dare it! How DARE it!

"I am Nine-Alpha, leader of the Nines. APE special forces. We're Iota's squadmates," the thing continued.

Darling stared at it warily. He took a moment to collect his thoughts. "...I'm sorry, you seem to have mistaken me for someone else," he said at last. "I don't know, nor am I partnered with any 'Iota'. My copilot is Zero Two."

As soon as this was over she was going to kiss him sososoooooooo hard. She squeezed his hand even tighter. He squeezed back because he was darling and he was perfect mhm!

"'Zero Two'?" it parroted. Why was it always sososo condescending! Ugh! She shivered in hatred as its dead eyes swung to look at her. She glared back. "Is that a little pet name? My, my! You two have hit it off wonderfully!"

It looked back at darling. Don't look at darling you fucking creep! "She is Nine-Iota. It is the special codename Papa gave her himself. Very valuable, indeed. I would ask for you to use the proper nomenclature if you wish to stay her partner, Code 016."

The temperature in the hallway dropped ten degrees.

Darling turned back to her, smiling gently. Her heart did a backflip. His eyes were glowing a furious blue and his horns were... v-visible? Just barely, but they were! They were still hidden when they were talking with the doctor! When had that happened?! He let her hand go after squeezing it tightly and turned back to the blonde creep, approaching it with a few short steps.

Darling grabbed the collar of its uniform. It smiled at him, tutting.

"I'd suggest you release me if you know what's-"

With a single, smooth motion, darling tossed the creature into the wall.

The wall cratered.

It was, without a doubt, the single sexiest thing she had ever seen in her entire life.

The idiot with the red hair whistled. It looked over at blonde creepazoid's slumped form. The blue asshole gave darling a once-over, before focusing on his horns. Why were these things checking out her man?! They were such weirdos! Stop it, ugh!

"I get why you survived, now," it said. "You're not a human. What are you?"

"I am darling," he growled in that lovely, heavenly voice of his. She reallyreallyreally wanted to kiss him! "And you're all giant goddamn pricks. I don't know how long you've been harassing her, but this is where it stops."

The headband was coming off as soon as they got back to their room. Yupyup. She needed to smell him and lick him aaaaaaaaaall over and kiss him and love him and-

"Don't worry!" that creepy green one giggled. Ew! "That was a compliment! Humans are weaklings. Why are you in this plantation's squad? You'd be a better fit with us!"

Uuuum no he would not!

She saw his eyes narrow. "No thanks."

"Aww! But Iota keeping you all for herself is so rude! She should share!"

The seething rage burned a thousand times hotter. She was going to killmurderslaydestrooooooy that thing! Darlingcouldhelpmhm!

Red asshole grinned aggressively and took a step forward, rolling one of its scrawny, ickygross shoulders. Didn't hold a candle to darling's, nopenope. Who did that thing think it was impressing, anyway?

"You know? I think I agree with you, Delta." It squared off, fists raised. "He'd make a good fit. Let's see what you can do, buddy!"

Oh no. Oooooh nonononono nope notokay did that fucking thing juSTthreATeNherDARLING?

"One more step, and you lose an arm," she warned. She walked forward to stand next to darling, growling lowly. They wouldn't dare! These filthy creatures wouldn't touch a single perfect hair on his perfect gorgeous head! Nopenope nuh-uh!

"Oh? Really, Iota?" the disgusting red thing asked.

"Touch my darling and you die," she hissed violently.

Blue weirdo glanced at the damaged wall, then down to blonde creep, who coughed and winced in pain.

"There's no reason for this," the purple stalker said from the back of the group, quietly. "Papa's already transferred her. He has a plan. Let's get Alpha and go."

Plan? What plan?! lyingdisgustingAPEliars! Their plans didn't matter! She'd gut their plans and feed them to klaxosaurs!

Red darling-toucher frowned and slipped out of the stance. "Tch! I wanted to have some fun."

Blue asshole collected blonde asshole - they were all assholes! - and sent them a knowing and condescending glare. "Have fun with your toy, Iota. We'll keep in touch."

hewasnotaTOY! hewasDARLINGDARLINGDARLING!

Green homewrecker waved in a really creepy way as they walked away. "Bye Iota! Bye cutie!"

thatoneDIEDFIIIIIIIIIIRST

"Assholes!" she snarled at their retreating forms. But then he was licking her neeeeeeeeck... mmmmnnn...

"You're so damn hot," he whispered, grinning. The tension drained from her body. Why was he sooooososo beautiful? She turned to him and ran her hands up his chest, grabbing his shoulders.

"You're lucky I'm wearing this gross headband right now. The way you knocked that prick out was increeeeedible!"

"Miku, do you trust Zorome?"

The girl looked up from where she was sitting, teeth clenched and arms crossed.

"He's... he's just so... ugh! He's gross!" she whined.

Ichigo had taken her aside separately for a moment. They were in the dining area, door closed. The rest of the squad, minus Hiro and Zero Two, were sitting in the foyer. The atmosphere was still... tense.

"Why is he gross?" she asked the girl gently.

"He's so bossy! Always rushing in, always pushing when I'm not prepared or moving when I'm not ready! He never stops and thinks! And then I find him looking at me after this last mission! It's just so... UGH!"

She thought for a moment. Miscommunication, huh? And the answer to miscommunication was... "Have you tried talking about this with him?"

She glanced off to the side. "N-No..."

"Miku, would Zorome ever hurt you?"

Her head shot up quickly. "No! Of course not!"

Ichigo nodded. "I'm going to call him in, okay?"

"E-Eh? W-Wait, Ichigo-"

She'd already opened the door. "Zorome! You can come in!"

After a moment, Argentea's stamen walked through the door, his hands shoved into his pockets. He glanced at Miku quickly and then looked away, not making eye contact. Ichigo closed the door behind him and looked between them. When nothing was said, she cleared her throat.

"Zorome, would you ever hurt Miku?"

He looked at her like he was crazy. "H-Huh? What kinda question is that?! Hell no!"

"Miku, say to him what you said to me," she suggested gently.

The girl hesitated for a tense second and then looked at the wall, away from them. She was blushing slightly.

"You're... y-you're too rough, you idiot!"

Zorome stared at her, flabbergasted. "Too... rough?"

Miku nodded, still refusing to make eye contact. "Y-You move around... before I'm ready."

The boy scratched his cheek sheepishly and looked away. "S-Sorry, Miku. I just... get worried sometimes. That's all."

She looked up at him. "...Worried?"

He nodded, embarrassed. "I... don't want you to get hurt. So I... panic sometimes..."

Ichigo felt her heart warm. That was... surprisingly sweet. She didn't think Zorome cared that much. Judging from Miku's widening eyes, she didn't either.

"Oh. U-Um... you can trust me a bit more. S-So be gentler! Just... let me know if you're going to move suddenly, okay?"

The boy looked at her, swallowing stiffly. "Y-Yeah! I'll try."

Yes! It was working! Ichigo clapped, cheering softly. "I'm so proud of you guys! You can go!"

She opened the door for them and looked out into the foyer as they exited. "Futoshi!"

He walked in, rubbing the back of his head and grinning nervously. Ichigo smiled in understanding as she shut the door behind him.

"Mitsuru already talked to you, hasn't he?" she asked softly.

Futoshi nodded. "I've... been a little overbearing, haven't I?"

She found herself smiling in consolation. "Kokoro said you have been, yeah. It's alright. I know you care about her. Just... tone it down a bit? Try to give her some more space. She's strong, you know that."

Futoshi chuckled, self-conscious. "Yeah..."

Sudden noise from the foyer interrupted the conversation and they opened the doors, searching for the commotion. Hiro and Zero Two had finally returned. Ichigo was concerned - they looked downright awful. Dried tear stains marred their faces and she honestly didn't know the human face could display so many emotions at once. She couldn't even tell what they were feeling right now. Their hands were interlaced tightly, almost fused together. She walked into the room quickly, Futoshi following a bit behind.

"Sorry we're back so late," Hiro sighed. The poor boy looked exhausted.

"Is... everything alright?" she asked, worried. Hiro nodded.

"Yeah, just a long conversation." He looked at the assembled group. "What's up? Something wrong?"

"Just a team meeting!" she replied quickly. "It doesn't apply to you two, don't worry. You can go."

"Thanks, Ichigo." Hiro gave her a relieved, thankful look. She could barely see the tips of his horns poke out from his bangs. Had they... grown longer?

She bit her lip as they walked up the steps to the second floor, obviously heading to their room. Zero Two trailed behind him, completely zoned out. What the heck had happened?

"You're right. It's an ugly uniform."

She nodded against his collarbone as he squeezed her shoulder. It was only mid-afternoon, but they had already changed into their sleepwear. They didn't plan on leaving. For the first time ever, she didn't really... have an appetite, hnnn. Her Nines uniform had been thrown into the corner, where the ickybad thing belonged. As far as she was concerned, its only purpose now was as fuel for a fire. She really wanted clothing like darling's.

Normally she'd have taken the headband off too, but she was indecisive. In the heat of the moment she had told herself it was coming off, but...

Nnnnn!

Would he even like it if her horns grew? What if he thought they were ugly?! She could barely handle his scent as it was! She didn't want to make him uncomfortable! They were the same, yeah, but... butbut... she really wanted to...

"I realized something on the way back, after our run in with those guys," he whispered quietly.

"Hm?"

"You know those side effects the doctor was talking about? How your traits would come back?"

She separated so she could look at him. He turned to her, thoughtful, a small grin on his face. His horns were so... pretty...

"Y-Yeah..."

He grabbed her hand with his own and gave it a light squeeze. "All of it is manageable."

...Huh?

She... she didn't understand! What did he mean? His grin widened when he saw her confusion. Darliiiiiiiing!

"Look," he said. He leaned off the bed and grabbed something from the nightstand. It was the... nail file...

"You want to keep your horns short, right? You prefer them that way."

Wait. Waitwaitwait!

"You mean... we can...?" she asked, cautiously hopeful. He nodded at her.

"We don't need a headband for that, Zero Two. We can do it ourselves. Like the first time, remember? It'll just take a bit longer."

"And... and the scent?"

He returned the nail file to the nightstand and turned to face her fully. Those warm hands of his touched her own.

"The headband hides it, so when you take it off it comes back full force, right? If you just leave it off for longer periods, wouldn't you get used to it? The instincts we can manage, too! We can deal with it, as long as we have each other."

They were... the same. Her and darling. As long as... she had him, then...

Then maybe...

She swallowed. "Y-Your horns are gonna get bigger too, right? You're... gonna change too?"

He beamed at her. His canines were just a little bit longer. She... liked them. "That's what the doctor said. We'll go through it together."

She wanted to be the same as darling. If she was the same as darling, she could be with him forever. Darling could never be a monster. Darling had given her everything. So... soso if darling wasn't a monster... and he was the same as her, and she was the same as him, then...

Then just maybe...

Zero Two took a deep breath. Hands shaking, she reached up and removed the headband, and dropped it on the floor next to the bed.

"Th-They're... j-j-just horns... r-right?"

He leaned forward immediately and pulled her into a protective hug. His scent was beautiful.

"They're just horns. They're our horns."