Plantation 86 – Command Center

"Well, that's all I'm getting out of this Plantation," Umbra-01 narrates as he disconnects himself from the terminal. He then takes one more look around the command center, specifically the remains of APE's loyal staff lying scattered on the ground.

"Geez, what a mess," he continues, "Though I did offer them a chance to surrender. Isn't that right, council member Lemur?"

Lemur struggles to break free from Umbra-02 which is holding him by the collar about a meter off the ground. Meanwhile, two other units, one that looks like a samurai and the other like a medieval knight, guard the door.

"Alright, Meatbag," Umbra-01 states as he walks up to Lemur, "We can do this the easy way or the hard way. Your call." "You'll- argh, get nothing from me!" Lemur retorts, unable to break free from Umbra's grasp.

"Do you value your own life so little?" Umbra says in a calm tone, "I don't need you alive to get the information I'm after. In fact, one word from my Master and I will pull you apart, limb by useless limb."

In hindsight, I should have taken his mask off before threatening him to see his reaction. A miscalculation on my part.

Lemur remains silent, so Umbra speaks up again, "Either way, you're coming with me. Don't expect to live through this tho-"

A sudden earthquake interrupts Umbra mid-sentence. Unit-01 runs back to the terminal and checks the sensors, a single Klaxosaur is approaching at incredible speed.

It only takes a few seconds before a massive explosion could be heard, a look outside the window revealed that the Klaxosaur breached through the Plantation's outer walls and heads straight for the central tower. The Klaxosaur, resembling a cobra, slithers around the tower as its head comes to a halt and stares into the command center.

Umbra is completely unfazed by this and looks back to Lemur, "Allow me to correct my earlier statement: You won't live to see the next 5 minutes."

The mouth of the cobra opens to reveal none other than the Princess of the Klaxosaurs. She walks up to the window and smashes it with the appendages that extend from her back. She has an unsettlingly calm expression as she walks over with her black tendrils.

"H-Her voice is in my head!?" Lemur panics as he desperately tries to struggle free from Umbra but to no avail. The Princess takes Lemur from the Umbra unit and holds him in a chokehold with her tendrils.

Umbra sees that the Princess' horn begins to glow as Lemur screams in agony for nearly a minute before going limp. The Klaxosaur Princess' expression turns sour once her horn stops glowing and she tosses Lemur aside, smashing a screen, before turning to Umbra-01.

"Unfortunately, I can't hear voices in my head," Umbra blatantly states.

"I am convinced now of what the man you call 'Doctor Franxx' told me," she speaks, "Machine, our goals align. Thus, I am willing to work with you until the ones responsible for the crimes against this planet and my brethren are no more. I have to make preparations for what is to come; the Gran Crevasse is a lost cause."

With that, she turns around and walks back to the cobra that has been patiently waiting during this ordeal. Once she is seated within its mouth again, it closes and the Klaxosaur slithers out of the ruined Plantation.

Walking back to the window himself, Umbra gazes over the pile of discarded bodies down at the city, the result of Valhalla. Not long after, a couple of Moho-class Klaxosaurs enter the Plantation with the intention to drain its magma fuel.

Umbra looks back at the lifeless body of Lemur and sighs, "Could have at least told me what she got out of him. Oh well, guess I'll do it myself." Unit-02 grabs Lemur, throws him over his shoulder and marches with the rest of the units out of the command center.

XXXXXX

This is bad. This is really bad.

That is what you think as you're having a standoff with the Nines in the middle of nowhere right now. You can sense through your connection to Zero Two that she is less than enthused to see them, and that is putting it mildly. The rest of the squad is carefully assessing their situation by the looks of it and doesn't make any sudden moves.

Nine Ena brandishes his spear menacingly with the blade pointing at Strelizia as if to challenge her. "Papa's orders are to capture you alive," Alpha states, "However, if you resist and force our hand, we will have to kill you."

"Like hell, we're going back to APE!" you announce, drawing Strelizia's lance as Nine Ena assumes a fighting stance. Though you can't see facial expressions on the Nines Model, you're pretty sure that Alpha has been looking forward to this fight.

Strelizia and Ena end the stalemate and begin to speed towards each other. Once their weapons clash, the remainder of both squads follow their lead and engage their respective enemies.

"Shine once more!" Valkyrie's pilots shout as they engage Nine Dyo together with Genista while the rest take on Nine Tria and Tessera.

Strelizia takes the initiative and goes on the offensive against Alpha's Franxx, Ena. You make sure through your connection to that Zero Two doesn't get careless. Alpha isn't an enemy that can be beaten with brute force alone, and being reckless can turn fatal against an opponent like him.

Strelizia relentlessly thrusts her spear towards Ena over and over but each time he manages to block or deflect it. "I expected better than that, Iota!" Alpha taunts her, obviously trying to provoke her into giving into her anger.

Zero Two, I have an idea...

Strelizia lets out a battle cry as the swings and thrusts with her lance become wilder and more unsophisticated. Ena, seeing this, falls back a bit and begins to dodge instead of trying to block her blows. "Losing control again, Iota? How predictable!" Alpha shouts.

Activating her thrusters, Strelizia gives chase to Ena and quickly closes the gap between them. As she gets closer and closer, she draws her lance back to deliver a powerful strike using her momentum. Simultaneously, she decelerates because you are anticipating Alpha's next move. Just as Strelizia was about to land this almost inescapable hit on Ena, he does a somersault over her and lands gracefully behind her.

"It's over!" Alpha declares as Ena holds his spear with both hands above his head.

"Yes, it is," you add as Strelizia reverses her grip on her lance and reverses her thrusters, driving her lance into Ena's side. Alpha coughs up blood in the cockpit due to the feedback and Ena tumbles backward to the ground.

"Alpha!" Gamma shouts across the battlefield as Tria disengages from Delphinium and Gladiolus.

Meanwhile, Strelizia turns around and points her lance at Nine Ena's faceplate, who is holding one arm at his side over the wound. "It's over, surrender," you state. Suddenly, you hear a noise from the left and just as you turn around, Strelizia is tackled by Nine Tria.

Since Strelizia is being taken with Tria as they fly over the battlefield and so close to one another, it results to them exchanging blows with their hands as they eventually both hit the ground, get separated, and tumble in the dust.

Just as Alpha gets up to team up with Gamma, Delphinium and Gladiolus step in the way.

"Where do you think you're going?" Ichigo asks sarcastically.

"Damn, this guy!" Beta scoffs as Dyo struggles to defend against Valkyrie and Genista. Dyo barely manages to keep Valkyrie between him and Genista's line of fire while simultaneously fending off Valkyrie's sword. Additionally, he is unable to launch a counterattack due to her shield even if he found a momentary opening.

Nearby, Argentea and Chlorophytum are not faring very well against Nine Tessera. Epsilon and Delta are picking their defense apart piece by piece and Chlorophytum is starting to run out of ammo.

"Come on, entertain me!" Delta says enthusiastically as Tessera launches a flurry of jabs towards Argentea, which she is barely able to deflect. Then, Tessera crouches down all of a sudden and sweeps Argentea's legs. A moment later she hits the ground with a loud thud. Tessera raises her lance to deliver the finishing blow but halts when she sees that Chlorophytum charges towards her to stop her.

Delta smiles as she sees this and right before colliding with Chlorophytum, she ducks before jumping up and giving her a roundhouse kick. Chlorophytum tumbles several hundred meters away, raking up a lot of dust in the process.

"Now, where was I?" Delta smiles again, "Oh, right! Papa will be pleased when we get rid of you!"

Nine Tessera raises her spear over her head again to finish off the downed Argentea by aiming at the head. Just as the spear is about to connect with its intended target, Strelizia jumps in between, taking the hit and saving Argentea in the process.

"What?!" Delta gasps in surprise to this. "(Y/N)! Zero Two!" Ryoken shouts as Valkyrie sees this and jets towards Nine Tessera in rage, Nine Dyo uses this opportunity to break off as well and follow with a safe distance.

Nine Tessera, still in surprise by this selfless act of Strelizia, fails to see Valkyrie coming as she approaches them with incredible velocity and chops off its right arm with her sword. Epsilon screams in agony as a result.

"Delta! Epsilon!" Alpha and Gamma shout in response.

Strelizia shakes her head as she gets up from the ground after taking that hit from Nine Tessera. However, just as she raises her head, Nine Dyo is standing right in front of her and delivers a punch right into her faceplate, knocking her out.

"Zero Two!" you yelp as you get up from your seat to check on her since the cockpit has already gone dark. You sigh in relief when you find that she is only unconscious from the feedback and doesn't have any severe wounds to speak of. However, your relief is short-lived as Strelizia seems to be picked up by someone, and since you can't access the system without an operating pistil, you are blind.

Outside, Nine Dyo picks up Strelizia just as they get a transmission from APE.

"It appears that you are at a disadvantage in this fight," Papa says, "However, you captured Strelizia. Bring her back immediately! Reinforcements are already en route and will take it from there."

Beta wastes no time and diverts all his leftover energy into his thrusters as he tries to get away. Nine Tria follows swiftly behind him with Valkyrie hot on his heel. Nine Ena, though damaged, also does the same as his peers and sets his thrusters to full power.

In a last-ditch attempt, Nine Tessera jumps onto Valkyrie's back and tries to buy the rest of her team time. She manages to pin Valkyrie momentarily down before taking a shot in the back by Genista. Alpha, Beta, and Gamma shout after them, but Delta responds with, "Just go! Don't worry about us! Follow Papa's order!"

Reluctantly, the remaining Nines do as she says and don't turn around to help her.

Delphinium looks after the injured Chlorophytum and Argentea while Gladiolus tries to assist Valkyrie.

Meanwhile, you fear for the worst as you realize that Strelizia is being taken by the Nines back to APE.

No way in hell am I letting APE get a hold of Zero Two again.

You take out your communicator, activate its homing device and place it on the pistil platform. Then, you touch horns with Zero Two and give her a kiss on the forehead before scurrying back to the stamen's seat.

You activate the emergency escape sequence, which jettisons the pistil of a Franxx in an escape pod. This is what Goro used back when Delphinium got swallowed by a Gutenberg-class Klaxosaur.

Zero Two...forgive me...

With a trembling hand, you take one last look at Zero Two before pushing the red button. The pistil platform is enclosed in a white shell before being ejected from the Franxx.

Outside, amidst all this chaos and continued fire from Genista and Chlorophytum, the Nines don't notice the small egg-shaped escape pod being ejected out of Strelizia in their getaway.

In the end, despite protests from Ryoken, Squad 13 has no choice but to stop chasing the Nines. For one, they already had too much of a head start and no one in Squad 13 could keep up with their speed other than Valkyrie and if they would remain there any longer, more enemy Franxx would come to overwhelm them with their numbers.

Fortunately, Squad 13 found the jettisoned escape pod from Strelizia. Valkyrie held it on the way back to base while Delphinium and Gladiolus were support Argentea and Chlorophytum. Genista was carrying the deactivated Nine Tessera and with it their new prisoners, Nines Delta and Epsilon.

XXXXXX

You slowly open your eyes, still feeling a little groggy. Then, you recall the last thing that happened before you lost consciousness as you look down at your handcuffed hands.

Right... I got knocked out by Alpha during his fit of rage after they opened Strelizia's cockpit and found that I am the only one they managed to capture.

A quick look around tells you that you're in a cell, though where exactly and how long you've been here now is something you can't deduce. You get up from the corner you've apparently been tossed into and look around. A relatively small cell with white walls and no windows. The door looks to be of reinforced steel with a small viewing window in its upper half. A look through it lets you see another cell opposite to yours in this corridor. Other than that, there is not much to look at.

You sit back down against the wall and carefully try to twist your wrist around in the cuffs since there's nothing else to try. However, the moment you rattle at the cuffs a bit more violently, you are met with a painful electric shock that surges through your body. You grunt in pain and cease the futile attempt at breaking free from the cuffs.

At least Zero Two is safe...

Time goes by as you just sit there, thinking about what they might do to you for rebelling and how the others are faring right now. Suddenly, the door to your cell opens and you're fully expecting a bunch of guards or some creepy scientist to come in and take you to an interrogation room where they're going to torture you for hours. Instead, only a single person in a white uniform enters.

"Alpha?" you utter as you look at him in surprise.

Of all people to visit me in my cell, I didn't expect him. Looks like the hit he took earlier is already healing too, damn...

"Have you come to gloat or to beat information out of me?" you ask sarcastically. Alpha doesn't retort with his usual witty remark but looks rather serious for once, "Your traitorous squad better not do anything to Delta and Epsilon, lest they want to suffer for it."

That's unexpected, well not entirely. Despite the scumbag he is, he cares for the wellbeing of his team.

"Pff, Squad 13 will treat them better than how APE is doing to me right now," you comment nonchalantly, "More importantly, if they mean so much to you, why don't you go out and save them instead of wasting your time talking to me?"

Alpha slightly opens his mouth to respond but is unable to. It would appear that you caught him off guard, so you use the chance to continue.

"Or... could it be that Papa isn't allowing you to rescue them? Maybe he is discarding them now as he did with countless other Parasites," you add. "Shut up," Alpha retorts, "Unlike you, the Nines are Papa's favorites. It won't be long before he'll send us out to free Delta and Epsilon, just you watch from your little cell here."

"I don't think I need to tell you this because you probably know," you begin, "But long ago, my squad, Squad 42, was Papa's favorite. Until we were sent into a suicide mission and all but two of us died, including me."

"Your point?" Alpha questions.

"My point is, Alpha," you continue, "That despite what lies you are told to believe, you are not Papa's favorite. You may be now, yes, but for how long I wonder? How long do you think until he gets a new 'toy' that does everything better than the Nines? Do you think you'll still be his favorite then?"

Alpha's eye twitches and he hesitates for a second before responding, "That's just ridiculous! We Nines are the peak of all Parasites. There's no way that we could be replaced."

"Mark my words, Alpha," you say sternly, "Papa will replace you sooner or later, and if you don't start to make your own decisions, you'll never see it coming... until it is far too late. You have to wake up from that sad illusion you live in."

"This conversation is over," Alpha states as he turns on his heel and walks towards the door.

"A shame that none of you are like Zero Two," you call after him, "With her being your template and all..."

Alpha stops in the doorway, "What did you say?" "Oh, you didn't know?" you remark condescendingly, "You Nines are nothing more than clones of Zero Two. Yeah, you heard me. The person you treated like an animal and call a monster is the reason you even exist. What did you think was your origin? Did Papa tell you that he magically waved with his hands and created you out of thin air perhaps? Gimme a break."

Without another word, Alpha walks out of your cell and closes the door behind him with a loud bang. Once again, you are alone with endless spare time on your hands to do nothing...

XXXXXX

Alpha's POV

APE Central HQ Council – Lamarck Club

"... And that concludes our report, Papa," Alpha finishes.

The APE council, now down to 5 members, looks at a diagnostic report of your current condition, specifically the horns growing on your forehead.

"He'll make a fine test subject," Baboon comments. "Once we've made an example of the rebellious Squad 13, he's all yours," the Vice Chairman adds.

"Papa, if I may ask something," Alpha humbly inquires. "I shall allow it, speak," Papa replies.

"Am I correct in assuming that our next mission is to find and rescue Nine Delta and Nine Epsilon?" Alpha asks, "We are ready to move out immediately."

"No," Papa responds. "No?" Alpha repeats.

"The capture of Nine Delta and Nine Epsilon may be tragic," Papa elaborates, "But the cost and resources required to find and rescue them far outweigh their use. Thus, we will not be wasting time and effort searching for Parasites whose use to us has expired."

Their use... expired?

Beta and Gamma, standing next to Alpha, seem to tense up and glance at each other in a mix of worry and confusion.

Just before Alpha was going to say something, the elevator on the other side of the council chambers, which come directly from the docking bay, begins to ascend. This is indicated by the hatch sliding to the side to make way.

No way, we're the only ones that use that elevator. Who in the world could be coming up?

Alpha, Beta, and Gamma's eyes are fixated on the elevator as the platform arrives at its destination to reveal 10 figures, dressed in a black variant of the Nines' uniform. More importantly, the figure standing in front of this bunch looks exactly like Code 023 but with an empty expression.

"Hey, Alpha," Beta whispers, "Aren't those Valkyrie's pilots in the back?"

Alpha looks behind the copy of Code 023, and indeed, two of the people behind him look exactly like Valkyrie's pilots. Additionally, the tallest among them, though Alpha doesn't recognize him, has what looks to be a collar around his neck