Well, this episode was kinda hard to adapt Asuna and Kirito in but I tried. Plus it's really difficult to determine which of the council is speaking so if I'm wrong then I don't care.

Nothing tis mine.

Underlined Italics are Hiro's thoughts

Chapter 7 Flap Flap

August 23rd

APE Central HQ Council

"Klaxosaur activity has increased lately, and large ones are reportedly showing up everywhere, which is unprecedented," announced Papa. Behind him played the recording of recent klaxosaur attacks.

"The Nines are dealing with them for now, but they still have other tasks to complete," comments Lemur.

"How long will we let Strelizia goof off?" questions Gorilla, crossing their arms. "Now that the special specimen's aptitude has been ascertained, we have no reason to leave it there any longer,"

"Indeed. It isn't wise to let her mix with tainted stamens any more," advised Marmoset.

"If we're recalling her, we'll have to ready a new stamen," noted Baboon.

The Vice-Chairman states "Not a problem. There are plenty of parasites who want to team up with her."

Boarding House Infirmary

Similarly to last night and practically every other hour, Mitsuru jolts awake by that exact nightmare. He gasps, taking heavy deep breaths as he massaged his neck before redirecting his right hand over his heart. He squeezed the fabric over his chest as the excruciating feeling of suffocation never seems to cease in his sleep. Heck, the longer his eyes stay shut, the more constricting the demon's bind becomes. Sunlight shines through a crack between the curtains as he began to shiver in the sheets.

"A demon..." quivered Mitsuru. He raised his arms onto his head, with his fingers digging into his olive, slick back hair. "She's a demon. You'd have to be insane to ride with her. She'll kill you."

Outside his concealed infirmary bed, Futoshi walked by the nightstand, retrieving the breakfast tray he had placed earlier. As for Kirito's tray, Asuna had done the same for him except, his tray was empty of food. As soon as Kirito had finished, he drifted back to sleep, taking a short nap before Nana and Hachi arrived for his testing. Futoshi paused to peek through the curtains, viewing Mitsuru in the same traumatized state as last time he'd seen him. Futoshi and Asuna walked out of the infirmary where Hiro, Ichigo, Kokoro, and Zorome lingered near, all rather concerned for their battered friend.

"How was he?" asked Ichigo.

Futoshi looked back towards Mitsuru with a sadden expression, "He hasn't touched his food at all." He looked down at the untouched meal, "Maybe I should eat it so it doesn't go to waste." Zorome leaned forward to peek into the room with his arms crossed behind his head.

"He's been like that ever since we got back," noted Zorome.

"You can't blame him though. Any near-death experience can be traumatizing, no matter how much time has passed," Asuna states. For the Zephilla pair, ever since they've first entered Aincrad, the sight of other players crystalize and vanish forever still haunts them. Moments, where they've almost become mere fragments of data, will eternally linger somewhere in the back of their minds. As she headed down the hall to return the empty tray, a certain black-haired stamen finally decides to march into the infirmary, pausing to block the sunlight from beaming through the curtain.

"Mitsuru...What happened with Zero Two?" Hiro's simple question instantly struck a nerve.

"What...happened?" He glared into Hiro's blue eyes before continuing with a quivering tone. "That girl tried to devour everything I have. My blood, my flesh, and my soul...All of it!" Hiro observed his internal breakdown in silence. "Everything was normal at first, but after a point, sh-she was out to kill me."

"Mitsuru..." Hiro tried to draw back the curtains, until suddenly Mitsuru lunged towards him, grabbing at his uniform collar.

"What's worse, she had a smile on her face!" Sweat dripped down Mitsuru's patched face. His traumatized hostile nature revived towards Hiro as that image of her sadistic grin refreshed into his mind. "She was smiling the entire time!" His outburst took a toll on his energy, making him hang his head low while his grip on Hiro loosens as he reverts back to a pitiful state.

"Mitsuru!" cried Kokoro from the hallway.

"Calm down, man!" Futoshi quickly handed the food tray to Zorome before rushing to aid his roommate.

"Ride with her again, and it'll happen to you." Mitsuru used his last bit of strength to look back up at Hiro, shouting "You'll end up like me, too. You're out of your mind if you think you're the sole exception!"

"Cut it out, Mitsuru!" cried Futoshi as he interferes, gently pulling Mitsuru away from Hiro. As expected, he gave out in his arms. "Look, just lie down." Those in the hall gathered around the infirmary, all concerned about his well being. Their blue-haired leader slowly approached a certain stamen. Not only was she concerned about Mitsuru.

"You okay?" asked Ichigo.

"Yeah," responds Hiro. He turns back towards Mitsuru with a distressed expression. Mitsuru, who just grabbed him moments ago was now lying helpless in his bed, gasping for air. Kirito reawakens from overhearing the commotion.

"What happened?" yawned Kirito, having short coughing fits afterward. He quickly sat up and grabbed the water from his nightstand before scanning the room, noticing everyone around Mitsuru's bed. Despite wanting to know, the curtain limited the view from his perspective. Kirito sighs until realizing Kokoro was standing at the end of his bed. He whispers, "Hey, Kokoro." She flinched upon hearing her name before turning her head towards Kirito who was waving her down to the chair beside his bed.

Understanding, she walked over and sat down, asking "Did you need something?"

"Not really, but what's wrong with Mitsuru?" wondered Kirito as he points at the closed curtain.

"He's still struggling again. Nothing changed from last night. He hasn't even touched his food either." informed Kokoro.

"Oh..." mumbled Kirito. He glances back and forth between the curtains and her dismayed expression before remembering something from last night. He placed his hand on her shoulder, "If it makes you feel better, he ate your soup last night."

Her expression lightens up, "Really?"

He smiles, "Yeah, he enjoyed it and maybe your cooking will make him feel better soon." After hearing his comment, Kokoro eased up completely, managing to crack a little smile.

"That's good to hear. Thanks, Kirito."

As she stood from her seat, Futoshi slid back the curtains and everyone began leaving the room, allowing Mitsuru to settle down back to sleep. Sadly, unknown to the rest, his never-ending mental torment resumed. Meanwhile, Ichigo noticed Kirito had woken up, eying him with a confused glance.

"Oh, Kirito. Shouldn't you get dressed already?" wondered Ichigo.

Kirito tilts his head, "Why? Aren't they just gonna test me here?"

"By tests, they mean analyzing you with scanners which aren't portable."

"Ah, I see then." Kirito threw the covers off, putting on his slippers. "Might as well get up then."

"You need any help?" asked Kokoro.

"T-Thanks, but I'm fine." stuttered Kirito. He followed everyone out of the infirmary and headed towards the stairwell. While slowly heading up, Zorome rushed down the steps, holding a ball over his head.

"I got the ball, let's head out!" yells Zorome. He jumped down, skipping steps, and somehow unacknowledged the fact that Kirito was in his path. Kirito looked up, realizing they were about to collide. Unexpectedly, he managed to evade Zorome by quickly positioning himself against the wall, almost hitting the clock beside him. "W-Woah!" gasped Zorome as he quickly lost his footing and his ball, falling back towards the rest of the stairs. Suddenly he heard a thud as someone had supported him from behind, preventing him from injuring himself. Zorome easily recovered back onto the stairs, turning back to see Asuna at the base of the steps.

"Looks like you're ok." sighed Asuna. Zorome stared speechless as she retrieved the ball.

"Good thing you're light," comments Kirito from behind.

Asuna walked up to Zorome with a smile as she handed over the item, "You should be careful next time."

"Oh ok." murmured Zorome, staring soundlessly at her as she retrieved a basket she had dropped before walking up the steps towards Kirito.

"So you're up. You know you could have called if you needed anything." reminded Asuna

"I know, but apparently I have to go somewhere for scanning," explained Kirito.

"Ah, so do you know where Goro is?"

"He probably in our room."

"Ok then let's go." Using her free hand, Asuna grabs Kirito's hand, heading towards the stamen wing together.

"Hey! You can't be on our side!" blurts Zorome, his face contorts with irritation as they left together hand in hand.

"It'll just be a little while," exclaimed Asuna.

Before another sound uttered out his mouth, Zorome oddly refrained from yelling another retort. Sure, he was bothered that a girl was trespassing their territory but, he couldn't help but wonder about their little gesture. For now, he shrugs off the thought, reverting back to his childish nature as he ran out into the courtyard.

Asuna lets go of Kirito to silently turn the knob, revealing Goro lounging around in his bed. His gaze was fixated at the window, observing Futoshi and Zorome kick around their ball while Futoshi somehow still held Mitsuru's breakfast tray. Asuna knocked on the open door, redirecting his attention.

"Hey, Asuna." waved Goro until he paused realizing Kirito trailing behind her, "Oh you're getting ready?"

"Yeah, don't mind me," states Kirito. He gently shut the door before proceeding to remove his shirt as Asuna sat down next to Goro with the picnic basket in her lap. From where she sat, she could faintly hear Zorome teasing Futoshi, calling him fat as usual, making her giggle at the irony.

"Umm, are you sure you should be here, Asuna?" questioned Goro, giving her a confused stare as Kirito continued to undress. Kirito and Asuna exchanged glances, unfazed by each other's presence. Goro snaps his fingers, "Oh wait, is it because of-"

"The Garden." finished Asuna."We shared a room so we're used to this." Somewhat understanding, Goro hesitantly nods as he looks back and forth between the pair. Once Kirito substituted his nightwear for the usual stamen uniform, he finally realized the familiar basket Asuna had.

He pondered in the desk chair, checking the page on the desk before asking, "So what's inside the basket?"

"Just something I made for him." smirks Asuna, removing 2 wrapped objects from the container. She handed one to Goro, "Though I'm surprised you wanted one this early."

"I'd rather have one now before we're sent on a mission like last time." stated Goro as he peels back the wrapper, revealing a familiar sandwich that made Kirito light up in anticipation. He bit down, chewing with a satisfied expression, "Not bad, Asuna." She smiled in response.

Kirito began to eagerly fidget in his chair, wondering, "So...can I have one?"

"Of course." Just before Kirito could grab his sandwich, Hiro bursts into the room.

"Hey, Kiri-" he paused, noticing Asuna in the room. "Oh, hi Asuna." he waves at her before continuing, "Anyways, Hachi and Nana are almost here."

Kirito tilts his head in confusion, "How do you know? I never got the alert yet." He double-checks the page in his hand.

"They sent it when I was outside." Hiro snatches the page from Kirito's grasp and exchanged it with the page from his pocket, explaining, "Sorry, I accidentally took your page instead of mine."

Kirito groans, "Aww, can't they wait a little while?" He pouts as heads towards the door, disappointed that he was unable to have one of Asuna's legendary sandwiches.

"Don't worry Kirito~kun, I'll save one for you when you get back," added Asuna. He grins in response before suddenly sneezing into his elbow. She continues, "Go already so you can rest and have one." He nods and marches off towards the main entrance. As Hiro was about to follow him out, Asuna rose from Goro's bed with one of the wrapped sandwiches in hand.

She placed her free hand on Hiro's shoulder, "Would you like one too?"

Hiro waves his hand away, "Thanks but no, I'm good. I have to go."

Asuna insists, "Are you sure? Besides I still have 3 more on hand."

"Yeah, go try one, Hiro." murmured Goro between his little bites.

Hiro sighs, "Ok, fine. Why not." He accepts the item, carelessly removing the wrapping before ripping a piece with his teeth. A few chews later and he reacted similarly to Goro. Hiro glances over at Asuna, wondering, "Aren't you gonna eat too?"

"Nah, I'll eat mine with Kirito." responds Asuna.

A few moments of enjoyment later, Goro finally realized something, "So where did you get the stuff for this?"

Asuna sighs, "I guess letting you two know would be fine." She looks away, softly mumbling to herself, "A couple of lies wouldn't hurt."

"Basically in our free time, Kirito and I explored around the house and all of Mistilteinn. However one night after dinner, we saw a caretaker walking away into the forest." She received perplexed stares from Hiro and Goro, for it was the first they've heard of a caretaker seen in Mistilteinn. "So we snuck back where she came from and found a secret room, but we couldn't find a way in until eventually, Kirito figured it out. Apparently it was a kitchen where all the food was and ever since we've been able to waltz in and sneak out with ingredients and make stuff like this," explained Asuna, gesturing with one of the sandwiches in her basket.

"Won't you get in trouble if you keep messing around in there?" wondered Goro, munching on the final scraps of his sandwich.

"Exactly. That's why I hid from Miku and Ichigo because knowing them, they're bound to tattle sometime soon." justified Asuna.

Hiro gulps the remains of his sandwich, "Your secrecy's paying off though." comments Hiro as he licks his fingers of sauce and crumbs. "It tastes like you've had a lot of time to experiment."

"T-Thanks, but it's not that hard. Just stacking some stuff together," states Asuna, scratching her cheek with a nervous chuckle.

"So only us three, plus Kirito, know about this?" questions Goro.

"Well, last night Kokoro accidentally found out when she saw me from outside. Luckily, she's fine with it and, I hope we limit this only within our little group." asserted Asuna.

"Of course. Technically we're even now," reassures Goro with a smile.

"Well, I'm gonna train now. Thanks for the food." said Hiro as he rose from his bed, returning to the door.

"Wait," Asuna stood up, stopping Hiro by placing her hand on his shoulder. "Would you like another for when you're done?" She pulls out another wrapped sandwich from her basket, noting "I could always make another."

Hiro waves in a refusing motion, "No thanks, I'll be back for lunch anyways."

"Ok then, see you later." waved Asuna.

As the younger black-haired stamen began his trek, his slightly older doppelganger had nearly arrived.

5 minutes later

Admin Building

Soon Kirito, Hachi, and Nana have reached the Admin Building. Although the walk there was stupendously serene, unfortunately for Kirito, he kept having the occasional irritating sneezing frenzies that would never come out. They entered the familiar structure, heading towards the elevator down the hall. Surprisingly, someone had taken the elevator before them, rising to their level. Kirito gazed curiously as Nana tapped her foot, expecting a troublesome newcomer and as the door slid open, her prediction was correct.

A lone pistil stood inside, gazing at the forest through the elevator glass. Once she turns around, she immediately sighs, "Here we go again."

"Zero Two..." mumbled Kirito.

"Stay there, you're going down with us." declared Nana.

Zero Two shrugs, appearing nonchalant as usual, "Too bad, guess I can't pay my darling a visit." She finally noticed her darling's double but soon immediately ignored his presence as the three joined her into the elevator. As the door slid shut, they began to descend. Zero Two distanced herself from the group, leaning on the railing. Kirito started wandering towards her but a few steps later, Nana paused him by placing her hand on his shoulder.

She whispered, "Stay behind us." He nods, abiding her order, and backed up to lean against the wall. Amber lights flashed by, briefly shining into the elevator and shortly, fully illuminated by the foreign city through the glass.

Zero Two views the lifeless Inner City as an attempt to ignore the repetitive warnings given by Hachi and Nana.

"Yes, klaxosaurs must be eliminated. But that doesn't mean you get free rein." reminded Hachi.

Nana points out, "You didn't need to use that much power to deal with those klaxosaurs. But because you did, we nearly lost one of our squad." She raised her right hand to her hip, "Are you listening to me?"

"I wanna leave. I feel like I'm gonna suffocate in here." murmured Zero Two, sounding bored as always.

"Why, you..." Before Nana could continue, Zero Two cuts her off.

"As long as I have my darling, I don't care about this place." She glares at Kirito, "And the rest are sure to die soon, anyway." Kirito shifted his gaze onto her, unexpectedly he brushes off her statement, smirking as he rolled his eyes.

"Zero Two," Nana noticed her glancing at Kirito. She briefly turned towards the stamen at her side and sighs before continuing with a stern tone. "Kirito, along with those other kids are your fellow FranXX pilots, even if you do belong to different units.

Zero Two scoffs, "Fellow pilots? Are you serious?" She rolls her eyes, redirecting her gaze back to the city. "Those weaklings are only a nuisance, no matter how many there are."

"Haven't heard that tone in awhile."

Everyone turned towards the black-haired stamen who was just chuckling softly in the corner, recalling memory fragments of the times he heard Asuna use that tone.

"Hmm?" grunts Zero Two.

Kirito pushes himself off the wall, commenting, "You know, if you sounded more cheerful, there's a chance that I would have thought you were Asuna."

She murmurs in confusion, "Asuna?"

He takes a couple of steps around Nana, stopping in front of Zero Two. "Like how Hiro is your darling," He placed his hand open on his chest, slyly stating "I'm Asuna's darling."

"Kirito..." warns Nana from behind.

Ignoring her call, he continues, "So you say that he only matters right?" Zero Two glared at him with a cold expression, opposing the small space between them. Respecting her personal bubble, he shrugs and turns away, treading back behind Nana, apologizing, "Sorry I spoke out of line,"

A few moments of confusion later, Hachi returned to the previous matter, "Anyways, they may be an irregular squad, but they're parasites who were carefully chosen for their high aptitude,"

Zero Two snapped out of her daze, commenting with hints of sarcasm, "Really? Those guys?"

"You only feel that way because you are special," noted Hachi.

Immediately his statement struck a nerve. Zero Two frowns, staring at Hachi with a hostile look, "Are you talking about how I'm not human?"

"I'm talking about your abilities and nothing else," claimed Hachi. He adds "Also, it's highly unlikely that 016 will be given permission to pilot Strelizia."

"What do you mean?" questioned Zero Two.

Nana informs "We received word from HQ earlier. You'll be returning to the front lines."

Zero Two briefly flinches in concern before returning to a frown. She averted her glare towards Kirito, expecting him to appear somewhat pleased of her upcoming departure. However, instead, he seemed rather distraught by this announcement, as if he wanted her to remain at the plantation. Some of his squadmates would prefer her gone but Kirito actually did want her to stay, mainly for Hiro's sake.

The elevator finally arrived at their designated floor. The door slid open, allowing everyone inside to exit but as expected, a stubborn pistil desired to stay within and Kirito has yet to exit the elevator himself.

"Let's go, Kirito," ordered Nana from outside the elevator. Before Kirito left, he unhesitantly approaches Zero Two once more, causing her to scowl and turns away.

"Although you think us as a nuisance," In a soft voice, he states, "some of us never once considered you as different."

Zero Two flinches as her frown softens with curiosity. She fixated her glare towards him, "Just who are you?"

"Apparently to them I'm Code 096 but I've always referred myself as Kirito." He shrugs as he turns away, "Consider me as an enemy all you want or," he whips his head back over his shoulder, "I could be your comrade." He smiles before facing forward and exits the elevator, retreating behind Hachi and Nana.

"Zero Two, you come out too," demanded Nana. Zero Two sighs before complying, "You're not permitted to wander around Mistilteinn. Don't make me say this again."

"Yeah, yeah," muttered Zero Two, immediately walking away down a random hall with her hands crossed behind her head, minding her own business.

"Why couldn't that girl be more obedient..." sighed Nana before adjusting her composure, "Let's go."

Nana, Hachi, and Kirito traveled through the ivory labyrinth before splitting up in opposite directions. Kirito was told to head down the hall towards a pair of doors where he would disrobe to his underwear before entering the scanner. He did as told then walked through a sliding door into an empty room.

"Stand in the center and close your eyes. We'll tell you when the process is completed," instructed Nana over the speaker. He approached and paused at the circle in the center as the neon-colored lasers activated.

Once the scan was complete, Kirito was then allowed to return to Mistilteinn. Hachi and Nana analyzed his data in the monitoring room, appearing both concerned and perplexed as they observed the holographic diagram.

"What is this?" questioned Hachi.

"How could have this entered his system?" wondered Nana with her stare fixated towards a discolored area in Kirito's bloodstream. She then reviewed the recordings from the magma plant. "He wasn't cut or injured during their first mission."

"Wait," Using the control panel, Hachi zooms into a certain region of the chart. "It appears that he was originally contaminated somewhere on his arm, but only recently it has circulated to his heart."

"If that's so, how was it transmitted?" queried Nana. She suddenly jolts, "Could his partner be the cause?"

Neither Hachi nor Nana knew much about Code 096 or Code 046, for they've only been informed of them by Dr. Franxx. According to him, they were a special pair of double-digits from an older group of parasites. From the database, they've found some files of Code 046 yet there was little to practically nothing of Code 096, almost as if he had never existed. Either way, both were technically blank slates to their knowledge.

"If so, then she must either have no problem to withstand it or soon will be contaminated herself," noted Hachi. He crosses his arms, "Until Code 096's state stabilizes, both shall be considered under this special category." Hachi drags their files around the holographic screen. Nana viewed the list where they were recently moved, pausing upon the one other file that was there before them. After glancing at the unfortunate stamen's data, she dismissed the holo panel.

Two Hours Later

Outside Plantation 13

Along the walkway next to the monorail, a mini yellow training bot jogged by. Within the bot was the only stamen who actually wanted to use them. Hiro had a firm grasp on the controls, as voices began to echo in his mind. First was their blue-haired leader.

Assuming the partner-killing rumor is true, you could die if you ride with her two more times.

Then the voice of the olive-haired stamen that grabbed him.

...but after a point, sh-she was out to kill me.

What's worse, she had a smile on her face!

She was smiling the entire time!

Their warnings only frustrated him, making him further question his thoughts. Instantly, memories of the first time he had entered Strelizia flooded his mind.

"Damn it!" Quickly his mild jog escalated to a full sprint where each metal stomp echoes out to the abyssal land.

Boarding House

Hours ago when Kirito resumed his previously interrupted nap, Asuna gathered their dishes and returned to the kitchen for more experimenting. She set down the items on the floor and pulled out her page, deactivating the camera before peeking inside but at the moment, it no longer mattered. The lights were already on and she could hear the faint sound of knifes hitting cutting boards which sadly meant there were caretakers occupying the premises to cook lunch. Rather than lounge around the hallway, Asuna decided to investigate where they had entered from and carefully inspected the entire first floor. Since none of their squad have ever seen the caretakers walk through the house, she assumed they must have some special passageway into the building. However, the chances of finding anything of the sort were very slim. After a mere half an hour, Asuna ceased her search in the restricted areas and began circling around into the main entrance. The first thing she inspected were the stairs, specifically the grandfather clock sitting in the center.

"Huh, you're right. Where is Hiro?"

Asuna paused from hearing a faint voice. She turned towards the direction it came from before looking once more at the clock, mumbling to herself, "I doubt I'll find anything soon." Finally, she realized the entrance could actually be in the kitchen so instead of continuing her pointless search, she crept up the stairs, heading straight to the living room.

"He's out training again." said another voice from inside but Asuna had easily recognized it was Goro's voice.

She peeked inside, except for Mitsuru and Kirito, the entire Squad 13 were lounging around the three circular sofas. Lately, whenever anyone talks about Hiro, the atmosphere instantly becomes tense. Instead of awkwardly barging in, she decides to remain in the hall, eavesdropping as she hugs her knees while sitting against the wall.

"Hiro's training by himself again?" murmured Zorome with his legs crossed as he lounged on the couch. "If you leave him alone, he runs forever."

"He's surprisingly hardworking, isn't he? comments Futoshi as he took a bite into his ice cream bar, "That's not how I imagined he'd be."

"Wait, has he still not given up on riding with that girl?" remarked Miku.

"Well, that is presently the only way he can stay here." justified Goro, who was leaning up against the wall behind Miku, with his arms crossed. Miku turned towards him with an annoyed pout, wondering why Hiro would rather ride a demon like her.

"But doesn't that mean he'll have to leave if Zero Two does?" questioned Zorome.

Goro pauses before responding in a monotone voice, "That would be the natural assumption." The atmosphere grew dreary and everyone fell silent, all processing the possibility.

"Maybe he'd be better off going with her." softly comments Kokoro, "It'd be awful if he had to remain alone forever."

Miku started getting really ticked off from the whole idea, "Look, I don't know if you forgot or what," she looks straight into her friend's blue eyes, pointing towards her, "but she has klaxosaur blood. She's not human. Just look at what happened to Mitsuru."

"Hiro's well aware of that. He wants to ride with her anyway." The voice came from behind her, from their leader who leaned on the back of the couch.

"Ichigo?" murmured Goro.

She continued, "And he isn't the only one staring death in the face. If things don't change, we could find ourselves dead at any time, too." Ichigo's words silenced them once again. "Unless we can defeat klaxosaurs without Strelizia, we won't survive for long. We can't afford to mess up again." Everything she said was true, all of them were practically useless at the moment. After just trying to get one simple kill, they screwed up, powered off, and ran away.

"You messed up just as bad." quipped Miku.

"That's right. But it won't happen again." Ichigo turned around, planting her hands onto the back of the couch. "I need your help to ensure it doesn't. We're a team, aren't we?" Ichigo expected some kind of response but oddly everyone just froze.

Breaking the silence, Futoshi wondered out loud, "A team, huh?" He looked down at his popsicle stick before smiling, "Yeah, we are." The atmosphere immediately lightened up as everyone understood what she meant.

"Y-You don't have to tell me." stuttered Miku, trying to hide her flustered look despite obviously failing.

From behind, Goro smirks, "How very like a leader."

Zorome smirks from the confidence boost, affirming "Well, it's high time we showed Papa and them what we're made of."

"Yeah." nods Kokoro.

"And if we keep it up, we could make it big, too!" exclaimed Futoshi.

"Right on!" agreed Zorome. Amidst their exclaims, Ichigo approached Ikuno, startling her as she placed her hand on Ikuno's shoulder.

"We need you too, Ikuno. Mitsuru probably knows he can't mess up again, either. Back him up as his partner." reminded Ichigo with a smile, causing Ikuno to flinch as a light blush dusted on her cheeks.

She quietly nods, "Okay." As everyone reverted back to a bubbly nature, while her steps were muted by the overlapping conversations, Asuna finally decides to enter the room.

"Great job, Ichigo." The unexpected compliment came from behind. Ichigo immediately became defensive, for the voice alone startled her and reminded her of a certain horned devil. The blue-haired pistil quickly turns around, about to spit out a warning but instantly paused after realizing it was just Asuna.

Ichigo heavily sighs in relief, "Geez, Asuna. You scared me. I almost thought you were her."

Asuna laughs, "Sorry, I forgot everyone noticed that,"

"It's ok," Ichigo straightened her posture to face the older pistil, "and thanks." She suddenly jolts and pulls Asuna aside near the double doors, remembering something from their mission, "To be honest, you were more like a leader than me yesterday. Can you help me be a better leader?" Asuna flinched with confusion which made Ichigo rephrase, "There were a ton of klaxosaurs down there chasing us but despite that pressure, you were able to give orders like nothing serious was happening. So please tell me, how can you be that calm?"

Asuna sighs, "Well, Kirito and I already had some experience in battle before we came here, so we're familiar with these situations."

Ichigo tilts her head, "Aren't we the same age though? They wouldn't let anyone pilot till we're 14."

"Believe it or not, we're actually a couple of years older than this whole squad."

"Oh..." Ichigo mumbles before realizing a possible reason why they were assigned to their squad. Without thinking, she blurts "I'm sorry."

Puzzled by the abrupt apology, Asuna asks, "What do you need to be sorry for?"

"But," Ichigo hesitates before resuming, "Weren't you two part of another squad before?"

The way she spoke was soft however was somehow heard by everyone in the room, causing them to settle once more. Prior to Kirito and Asuna's arrival, everyone had known the basics of each other's childhood. Being born in the same year meant they were placed in the same section, plus raised in a uniform fashion greatly contributed to their familiarity so they never bothered to question each other's past.

Ichigo then apologizes again, "I shouldn't have brought it up, I-"

Asuna placed both her hands on Ichigo's shoulders, "No, it's ok. I'm fine with sharing." It took a bit for Asuna to understand what she meant but now, she decides its best to build more trust with the squad. She walked away to sit upon one of the circular couches, gaining everyone's attention. "In a way, we were." Her response immediately filled Ichigo with regret, noticing this, Asuna proceeds her lies with a more cheerful tone, "The adults decided to temporarily separate us so we can help our juniors."

"I didn't know the adults plan that," comments Futoshi.

Asuna stutters, "Y-Yeah, this is the first time they've done this."

Goro then sat down near Miku, pointing out "Do you know how long they mean by 'temporarily'?"

Her first thought was to say a year since that's what Kikuoka said, but she preferred to refrain, shaking her head, "No, I don't."

"But you two will leave us one day, won't you?" wondered Kokoro, feeling distraught by this new information.

Asuna's expression then shifts to one with sadness, "Someday, yes, but we enjoy being here with all of you. Especially since this squad is most like the one I was in not long ago."

"How so?" questioned Zorome.

Asuna delayed, Kirito and herself haven't prepared a cover story for the possibility of them being questioned about past squads. Then again, altered truths oftentimes work better than their planned lies. Suddenly a special small group she had bonded with not long ago popped up in her thoughts, without reasoning, they've become her so-called "previous squad".

"Like you guys, we never used our code numbers, they had their own names but self-named though." Asuna looks around the room as visions of her friends, from the Sleeping Knights, appear over most of the squad members, "Actually some of you remind me of them." She then points to some of her squadmates, "Goro is like Tecchi, Miku is like Nori, Futoshi is like Talken, Zorome is like Jun, Kokoro is like Siune-"

"Wait, wait," Miku interjects with confusion, "So they didn't use their codes either?"

"Nope, many of us didn't stick to our code number," Abruptly, all the memories of months ago resurfaced, specifically those with the Sleeping Knights' leader. "but my closest friend in that squad was practically bound to the code." Asuna puts on a sad smile as her eyes slowly began to water. "Yuuki was like a little sister to me."

"Was?" mumbled Ikuno.

Asuna's eyes widen from her slip up, quickly averting her gaze to her closed page. Although well-concealed, Ichigo managed to spot the lone tear trail down from her hazel eyes.

Immediately she attempts to change the subject, "I-"

"If your squad is like that, I wonder if Squad 26 are the same." Thankfully, Goro had already caught on to the touchy subject and beat her to it, urging another topic.

"You think so?" wondered Futoshi.

Zorome scoffs, "Either way, I bet they're no match for us." He stood up with his hand on his hips and joyfully crowed, "After all, they don't have an ace like me!"

"Yeah...what would we do without you?" Miku deadpanned, rolling her eyes before mumbling to herself, "God I hope their squad's boys are better than ours."

Thanks to Goro, a somewhat lively mood returned along with more endless remarks between the Argentea pair. After her dreary moment passed, Asuna slowly reverts to normal and softly giggles at the two, rubbing her eyes before subconsciously opening her page. Apparently, it was 50 minutes till lunch, causing her to recall her original intent. Without a word, she rose from her seat and headed towards the hall, yet her soundless retreat was still noticed by their leader. Wanting to ensure she was fine, Ichigo quickly caught up to her before the stairs.

"Hey, you ok?"

Asuna paused after walking down one step, "Yeah, I'm alright." She turns back to face Ichigo's olive-green eyes, reassuring her, "I'm just gonna take a walk outside."

From being one of the few to perceive discussion's unfortunate turn, Ichigo concludes its best to lay off for the sake of their morale. "Oh, see you later then." She simply waved at her with no other questions before returning to the living room.

FranXX Parking Dock

Alarms began to blare as an automated voice announces,

"To prepare for the kissing with Plantation 26, Plantation 13 will switch to mobile setup."

After hours of aimlessly wandering around the Plantation, a certain pistil pauses in front of the massive metal stands.

"I repeat: To prepare for the kissing with Plantation 26, Plantation 13 will switch to mobile setup."

Zero Two blankly examines her personalized FranXX, Strelizia. The red and white iron maiden stood lifeless next to the rest of Squad 13's FranXX with its magma spear mounted nearby. As she gazed above, faint steps echo nearby, belonging to the only stamen outside of the birdcage. Once Hiro noticed Zero Two's presence, he refrains from moving any further. The abrupt glimpse at her evoked thoughts of Mitsuru and the stamen that day of the ceremony. The memories of both of them, covered in their own blood gave him chills.

Suddenly, his fears made him instinctively step back and hastily hide by pressing himself against the wall. Unbeknownst to him, Zero Two glanced at his direction, appearing like she seemed to notice his presence. Rather than inspect, she simply walks away. As her steps grew softer, Hiro briefly peeked from his meager hiding place before returning into the shadows.

Why am I hiding from her?

Boarding House

Asuna swiftly headed outside, hiding behind a nearby array of shrubs before staring directly through the windows of the mess hall.

"Probably marking down their schedule would be better." She pulls out her page and opened her reminders, marking down the time the caretakers were in the kitchen earlier before beginning her little stakeout.

Luckily she had to blend with the vegetation for only 20 minutes. Half an hour before their scheduled lunch, caretakers entered from an unknown direction and began setting up the tables. Unfortunately, Asuna had hidden where she was unable to perceive where they've entered. The option of approach came to mind but because of the broad daylight along with her bright hair color, she would immediately be detected the moment she abandons the safety of the forest's leafy shadow. Before she knew it, the mess hall was vacant of the caretakers, leaving only the appetizing food in the room.

Asuna sighs, "I guess I'll have to try again before dinner." She rose from her hiding place, "At least I can get inside the kitchen now." She hurriedly entered through the front entrance, heading towards the restricted bedrooms where she stowed away the dishes from earlier. The moment she approached the double doors of the back hallway, Miku and Kokoro had just opened the courtyard door, evading from Zorome and Futoshi's game.

"I swear if that ball ever hits me, there's no doubt that I'm not gonna kick it straight back at his face," grumbled Miku. Kokoro could only listen to her friend's endless complaints until noticing Asuna's presence.

"Hi, Asuna, what are you doing?" wondered Kokoro.

"Oh, um I was just gonna find everyone since lunch is ready." nervously sputtered Asuna as she scratched behind her head.

"Finally, a reason for them to stop." sighed Miku. She turned around and opened the courtyard door, yelling, "Hey, you two!" Immediately she obtained Zorome's attention, causing him to refrain from juggling the ball with his feet.

"What is it? You gonna try to stop us?" sneered Zorome.

"If you wanna keep playing, fine. We'll have lunch without you," emphasized Miku as she strolled back inside.

"Huh? Wait for us!" groaned Futoshi who was followed by a frustrated Zorome.

The group trods towards the mess hall but unexpectedly were greeted by Hiro, who had just finished his morning training. Zorome briefly glares at the black-haired stamen, letting out a hmph before marching into the mess hall, followed by Futoshi and Miku, who was dragging Kokoro behind her. Asuna gave the group a disapproving stare before returning to Hiro, who was still contemplating his recent encounter with Zero Two.

Noticing his mood, she asked, "You doing ok?"

"Yeah, just tired..." mumbled Hiro, trying to force a weak smile. He turns away and sighs, knowing Asuna could easily see his remorseful expression. Before Asuna could utter a word, someone behind her interferes.

"Cheer up, Hiro." The reassuring voice belonged to Kirito who moved beside Hiro, patting him on the back. "I don't know what's going on but it shouldn't be something to lose your appetite over, so let's eat." Hiro just silently nods before retreating into the mess hall.

"Well someone looks better," comments Asuna.

"Yeah, my fever's starting to settle down, but then again their medication is better in this century so I'm not surprised," said Kirito.

"True," she then returns to their previous matter, "What do you think happened during his training session?" queried Asuna as Goro, Ichigo, and Ikuno stepped down the stairs.

Not wanting to alert a certain leader, Kirito whispers, "It's obviously something about Zero Two but I think he found out she was leaving soon."

Asuna gasps, "What?!" Her outburst gained Ichigo's attention, causing her to pause in her tracks.

She wonders "Oh Kirito, are you gonna join us for lunch, too?"

"Yeah, I'm gonna sit at the third table though," stated Kirito.

"Ok, but aren't you two coming inside?" questioned Ichigo as Goro opened the door.

Asuna smiles, "Yeah, in a bit but we'll be there." She waves them off before suddenly pulling Kirito aside, quietly asking "When did you find out?"

"Zero Two was in the elevator with us. Nana was scolding her but then said the higher-ups want Zero Two moved to the front lines," informed Kirito in a whispering tone. He waits until the trio enters the mess hall. Once the door closed shut, he continued in a normal tone, "Do you think Hiro might leave with her?"

"I doubt they'll allow him to," Asuna holds Kirito's hand as they walked towards the door, "Then again, who knows what Zero Two do."

After Lunch

Everyone began to clear out of the mess hall, resuming their activities from earlier. Wanting to clear his mind, Hiro decides to take an afternoon bath instead. He flips the sign to 'Boys' Bathing' before walking inside. He disrobes and throws his stamen uniform into the hamper then instantly found a set of newly washed clothes prepared for him in one of the lockers. After using the showerhead, the bath finished filling up, allowing him to ease into the water. On contact, he felt a slight sense of relief. A few minutes later, he fully submerged himself underwater, starting to think about the one thing that truly made him a parasite.

Two more times...

Hiro sits up and looked up at the ceiling.

"I..." His thought was interrupted by another voice.

"There you are." The speaker sounded feminine, causing him to curiously tilt his head back further to face the speaker, the red-horned pistil. It took him a brief moment to realize the situation.

"W-Wait, why are you here?" Hiro stuttered as he started to avoid her, yet he was currently limited to the bath. Unfortunately for him, his restriction didn't faze Zero Two. She forcefully trudged through the water, slamming her hand against the wall as she leaned towards her flustered darling.

His embarrassment visibly showed on his cheeks, "G-Give me some space here!" She ignored his plea and got closer, placing her hands on his shoulders with a mischievous look in her eye.

"Hey, darling. Run away with me." cooed Zero Two as she ran her finger along his bare skin before moving her hands up to cup his face. "Forget about those weaklings. As long as you're with me, nothing else matters. You're the only one who can be my partner.

She hangs her head down, allowing Hiro to fully see her ruby-colored horns. The sight elevated his heart rate from a profound sense of fear growing. He gulps from the unsettling tension, agitating the pistil in front of him.

"Or are you just like everyone else?" She raised her head to shoot a menacing glare straight into his blue eyes. "Do you think I'm a monster, too?"

Hiro gasps, about to say something but couldn't utter a word as an alarm, newly used, began to blare all over Mistilteinn.

"Klaxosaur?!"

Due to the energy emitted by the mobile kissing set up, a worm- type klaxosaur began violently slithering towards the plantation. As everyone began rushing towards the admin building, a certain stamen in the infirmary struggled to rise out of bed.

"Shit..." cursed Mitsuru. He shuffled his legs off the mattress and grasps the metal frame for support, trying his best to stand. Kirito, Asuna, and Ikuno began heading towards the infirmary to check on Mitsuru. He faces his visitors with a pained expression, "I can...I can..." His grip on his shirt tightens as his legs give out.

"Can you move?" plainly asked Ikuno.

"I don't think you should pilot." Asuna insists while gesturing towards all of his bandages.

"This...is nothing." heaved Mitsuru who finally managed to take a step but immediately start to tremble.

"Grab on to me," said Ikuno. Kirito watched from behind her, ready to assist her whenever Mitsuru decides to accept their help.

"I don't need to." Mitsuru grumbled while he took a few steps towards the group but then lost his footing before he could touch the door. Ikuno catches his frail figure and supported his left side with Kirito joining her on his right.

"You're such an awkward boy." sighed Ikuno as she positioned his arm over her shoulders.

Asuna opened the front door, allowing the group to slowly follow the rest of their squad.

FranXX Parking Dock

"We haven't identified the klaxosaur's class. We've only detected one as of now but there may be more in hiding. Be careful." warned Hachi through an all unit voice panel.

"Roger that!"

Hachi commands, "All FranXX, commence connecting!"

Everyone was suited up and ready to power up their FranXX but oddly Kirito and Asuna were held back from entering Zephilla. They were forced to remain in the briefing room, only able to overlook the startup process from the upper railings through the window.

"Why are we excluded from the mission?" Kirito questioned their red-haired caretaker who just examined their squad's connection stats.

"This is just a safety precaution only for today," Nana informs as she opens a diagram of Kirito's bloodstream. Wanting to avoid a panic, Nana attempts to sugarcoat her statement, "Your sudden fever was caused by your tainted blood, but don't worry. After a day or two, your body will adapt and withstand it." She then mumbles under her breath, "Hopefully."

"Oh..." murmured Asuna. Untold to them, many other parasites have succumbed to the exact same infection. Though, unlike the rest, Kirito was never contaminated by the direct source. Nana glanced at Asuna who stood next to Kirito while holding his hand, before returning to the holographic screen.

"But compared to the rest, you two have shown great skill on your first mission." Nana praised, hoping to lighten the mood. "Your squad still needs to hone their individual skills, so they can keep up next time."

Meanwhile, in Chlorophytum, Mitsuru mutters, " I sure hope you can connect this time."

Ikuno looks back at him while the controls extend from her thighs, "I get it. I'll be fine now." She placed her hand on her shoulder as the helmet lowers over her forehead.

Mitsuru grabs the controls, powering up the lights to the helmet's monitor. The P-Factor and N-Factor stabilized in the median range, allowing the neon x's to clear and reveal Chlorophytum's singular teal eye.

Minutes later, Delphinium, Argentea, Genista, and Chlorophytum blasted themselves out of the plantation, immense dust trails forming behind as they headed towards the slithering klaxosaur.

"We'll hold it off here," states Ichigo. With thrusters near max power, the four units shortened the distance between them and the klaxosaur.

Back in the briefing room, Kirito and Asuna redirect their attention to the door, hearing it slide open with the sound of heels clacking after. Hiro and Zero Two rushed inside towards Nana, both prepared with their pilot suits on, waiting to be deployed.

"Is that the only enemy?" asked Hiro.

"For now, yes." responded Nana. She glances back at the current Strelizia pair, particularly regarding their wardrobe. "Changing into your suits won't help. We're not deploying Strelizia."

"Hey, I didn't say anything." Zero Two noted while casually crossing her arms behind her head. Hiro looks over his shoulder, finally noticing the Zephilla pair behind them.

"Why aren't you two with the others?" wondered Hiro.

Kirito plops himself onto the steps, informing, "Pretty much it's a safety precaution for us where I'm not allowed to pilot for a day."

"Oh." mumbled Hiro.

As the mission undergoes, a massive aircraft had just landed at the plantation with squadrons of armed troops marching down and lining up along the ramp. Most of them oversaw the other adults as they prepared their special cargo while the rest heads inside the inner complex, all tasked to retrieve and escort a troublesome pilot.

Outside the Plantation

The klaxosaur slithers out of the dust cloud and began to attack, specifically charging towards the leader unit. Delphinium quickly evades, gliding backward through the jagged, stone walls created when the razor head klaxosaur resurfaced. Once Delphinium passed by, Genista and Chlorophytum emerged from behind the walls, grabbing onto the klaxosaur's plated skin. From above, Argentea jumps down on top and used its momentum to pierce its magma claws inside, causing the klaxosaur to flail upward. Delphinium flew up and joins the group with its twin spears stabbed into an exposed area.

"One, two..."

At Ichigo's mark, all units attacked, injecting magma through the skin using their blades and bullets. Shortly, the klaxosaur briefly collapses, creating a thunderous boom as its massive body collides with the rocky ground.

"Did we get it?" wondered Ikuno as some of the dust clears.

"No, I don't think so. We probably missed the core." speculated Goro.

Miku adds, "We can't kill it unless we find its core. Let's get-" Abruptly from the mist behind, another klaxosaur snatched Argentea, lifting them high in the air.

"There was another one?" gasps Ikuno.

"We have to save them!" shouts Kokoro as Genista and Chlorophytum glides towards the new foe. Unexpectedly, the new klaxosaurs fired rounds of black crystals that unfolded on contact and pinned all units to the rocky surface.

"Damn..." muttered Ichigo. Luckily for Delphinium, the crystal was unable to stab itself into the ground and allowed the FranXX to easily push the item off before rushing to assist her comrades. "Just wait!" After a few steps, the ground soon acted like quicksand and the trio spiraled in the circular pit.

"From below?" Ikuno questioned as the first klaxosaur rose above the surface with the three FranXX caught on top.

Briefing Room

Nana along with the Streilizia and Zephilia pairs spectated their encounter on the holographic screen.

"See? We really should go too, don't you think?" playfully suggested Zero Two.

Nana reprimands, "Out of the question. I'd rather send Zephilia if I could."

Zero Two whips her head away, "Tch. Spoilsport." Her expression darkens once she glanced at a different panel. "By the way, who just landed in that transport plane?" Nana remained silent while on cue, her question was answered when the alarm went off by the door. A group of guards marched inside one by one and surrounded the red pistil with their guns lowered but ready to fire if necessary.

"Code 002. You're coming with us." Hiro scanned the room with confusion, unlike Kirito and Asuna who had expected their arrival hours ago.

Nana announces "You're escorts are here. Do as they say. Zero Two, you will return to the front lines. By yourself, obviously."

Hiro stammers, "Wait, what do you-"

"Hurry. We want to leave while the FranXX are keeping the klaxosaur occupied." One guard carelessly approached her, placing his hand on her shoulder.

"Don't touch me!" Zero Two scowled as she forcefully knocked the guard away, landing almost past the rails to the observation floor. Asuna jolts from her shocking feat of strength, never expecting a parasite to ever have the strength or even the thought of engaging with the guards.

"Hey!" The other guards instinctively hold the trigger, causing multiple laser prediction lines to mark her body.

"What's all this about, Zero Two?" questioned Hiro who was the odd one out in this situation.

"Darling, looks like time's up." admits Zero Two as she slowly approached Hiro while being followed by the red lasers. She raised her hand her to caress his face, "I felt like things could work out with you, too. I wanted to be with you. But this is goodbye." She lowers her head and slightly leans forwards, bumping her ruby horns over his eyes then backed away from him.

"Ow..." Hiro softly yelped, raising his hand to his forehead. "Zero Two?"

She faced him one last time, "Bye-bye." When they locked eyes, for once, he could see a glimpse of sorrow through her expressionless face.

"Come on." ordered one guard. Only the sound of Zero Two and her escorts' footsteps could be heard, leaving a moment of silence when they'd left the room.

"Hiro..." He turned towards Nana as she continued, "This was an order from Papa and the rest."

After a brief pause, Hiro asks, "Is it true that Zero Two is a partner killer?"

Nana grits her teeth, "She's a special pistil who must keep fighting on the front lines for them. That will also take its toll on the stamen who becomes her partner. Keep this in mind. She's not like you normal children."

"You mean she isn't human?" queried Hiro.

"Simply put, yes."

Is that how it is?

The moments he had with her flooded in his mind.

You weren't frightened by my horns.

The first time they met.

Do you think I'm a monster, too?

Earlier in the bath.

I wanted to be with you.

And now.

Bye-bye.

No! Zero Two is just like us!

Kirito and Asuna observed Hiro's behavior before facing each other again.

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" whispered Kirito.

Asuna sighs, "Yeah, besides we have to help our squad anyway that we can." She released Kirito's hand and stood from the steps, stating, "Nana, Zero Two's right, we need to be out there with everyone else." Hiro happily turned to Asuna, assuming she'll help him convince Nana and get him piloting.

Nana sighs, "For the last time, I'm not permitting Strelizia or Kirito to participate in this sortie."

"Then allow Hiro to pilot Zephilia with me." Her proposal shocked them both, leaving Hiro speechless and Nana debating in her thoughts. "You won't allow our partners to pilot and since we're available, it would make sense to create a temporary pair for today. Besides, we wouldn't want that klaxosaur to get any closer."

Nana cupped her chin as she faced the monitor, watching Squad 13's pitiful attempts at finding the core. She murmurs to herself, "If she is the source, one ride may harm him but then again, they might be compatible if she is." Nana sighs and turned to face the two parasites. "Very well, you've convinced me but you two will have to obtain a sustainable connection."

Asuna nods, "Of course." She then walked up to Hiro and held his hand, "Let's go, Hiro."

"B-But," sputtered Hiro.

Troubled by the situation, Hiro nervously looks over his shoulder toward Kirito, expecting some protest or sign of disapproval but instead was given a wink followed by a smirk. He turns back to Asuna who tugged his arm and gave a similar expression. Realizing they were up to something, Hiro silently complies and follows Asuna into the hallway. Once the door slid shut behind him, before he could question her intention, Asuna tightened her grip and began to sprint down the corridor. Hiro gasps, tripping on his feet until he eventually matched his speed with hers.

"So I'm guessing we're not going to Zephilia?" said Hiro.

"Yup," Asuna briefly glanced back at Hiro, "You don't want to lose her, right?" He didn't respond, instead, he let go of her hand and accelerated his pace.

Zero Two!

Zero Two paused and looked back from where she came, despite them being well behind, she felt as if heard his call.

"What is it?" questioned the guard behind her, raising his gun with his finger hovering over the trigger.

In a monotone voice, she plainly responds, "Nothing." Moments later, she had already passed a point where she knew parasites couldn't cross. Unknown to Hiro and Asuna, they were about to encounter this section as well.

"Zero Two!" Hiro yelled as he crashed against the access gate, causing it to flash red and change the text to 'No Entry'. He pounded his fists against the holo gate, blurring the warning as Asuna finally caught up to him. She examined the gate, realizing they're unable to pass with their authority level. He quickly scanned the area ahead, immediately spotting someone in bright red on an upper level, immediately recognizing them as Zero Two.

He pleads, "Wait up, Zero Two!" Frustrated that his banging is doing nothing, he hissed "Damn it!" He slammed his entire body against the gate, triggering an alarm with his excess force. He ceased his attempts and resorts to verbally expressing instead.

"Hear me out! I...I was afraid of riding with you. I'm probably still afraid of it. But that's not because you aren't human. It's because I lacked the resolve!" Her movement hasn't faltered even once yet. "When we first met, I couldn't take my eyes off you. You were confident, held your head high, and were ready to fight the klaxosaurs even when hurt! And I found that beautiful!"

Hiro clenched his fist and looked down as Zero Two was nearby out of his view, "I'd been moping around, but I felt like I could fly with you. I realized that I never really cared about riding the FranXX. I wanted to ride with you! So please don't go, Zero Two!" He practically screeched that last part, but luckily his words finally reached her, causing her grin and stop in her tracks.

Asuna had stayed silent during his whole confession, she was slightly surprised but proud of Hiro. She approached him, wanting to comfort him but paused after hearing the guard's pained groans. Hiro and Asuna watched as Zero Two jumped off of one guard with their gun in her hands. She lands on the escalator's walls, running down while firing rounds of bullets at the glass section above the access gate. The glass cracks and she threw away the gun before effortlessly leaping off the wall, performing a flip midair, and shattered through the cracked glass with her heels first. Asuna stumbles back away from the shards and Hiro raised their arms to protect himself while Zero Two stuck another perfect landing.

"Zero Two..." Hiro was cut off as Zero Two swiftly appeared in front of him.

With a small smile, Zero Two notes, "Nobody's ever said such embarrassing things to me before.

While exposing faint blush, Hiro sheepishly averts his gaze, "I-It's a first for me, too."

Zero Two leans closer and smirks, "You wanna ride me, huh?"

Hiro flinches before nodding, "I'll do it."

She raised her hand up to her ear, "Let me hear it one more time."

He briefly hesitates then shouts, "Let me...Let me ride in Strelizia again!" His voice echoed throughout the entire complex, making Zero Two burst with joy. She happily whips her head back to Asuna who stood speechless against the wall.

"Thank you," Zero Two's words were soft to hear but Asuna easily understood and silently nods with a smile in response. Zero Two repositions Hiro to mirror herself, "Now that's my darling!" Together they charged towards the gate, making it flash green and approve their entry. "Run for it!" Thanks to Zero Two's S-class ID, they easily charged through the following access gates while alerting all nearby guards.

Asuna slowly approached the access gate, watching the two fade from her view. She mumbled, "Together they can cross." She raised her hand to touch the holo gate, "I wonder where else a special parasite like her can go." Suddenly the gate's usual grayish color flashed green, allowing her hand to phase through.

"Wait, what?" Asuna pulls her arm back, hesitating before fully walking through the gate, making it flash green again. Perplexed, she tried grabbing her page to check her ID, but after realizing she left it in the locker room, she tried a different method. With her right hand, she swipes down in the air and mimicked the same motion for opening a menu window in other virtual worlds but of course, nothing happened. She then balled up her hand before opening it, apparently, that gesture caused a small orange ID window to flash from her wrist. Shockingly she hadn't realized her ID rank was oddly high for normal parasites.

"Since when was I an S-class?"

Meanwhile with Hiro and Zero Two

The two had arrived at the aircraft hangar where Strelizia was already packed inside by the adults. They stomped up the ramp, gaining the attention of all the guards yet they all froze where they stood when Zero Two jumped kicked one of them down.

Finally, they took action and chased them down, "Hold it!"

Unfortunately for them, the pair already had reached the top and entered the pod. Hiro sat upon the stamen's chair as Zero Two locked herself on the pistil platform. The moment the controls unfolds from her suit, a video call began with Nana's face appearing on a panel. After receiving reports and an explanation from Kirito, she finally understood their ruse.

"Both of you, get out of there now!" demanded Nana.

"I'm going out with my darling." protested Zero Two.

"You are not getting permis-" Zero Two pressed a button and dismissed the call before placing her hand back in the slot. She curiously looks over her shoulder at Hiro whose grasp on the controls had suddenly tightened.

She asks, "What's up, darling?"

"Will I really be able to pilot?" doubted Hiro.

"Of course you can do this." She smiles, "We can do this. Ready?"

After recollecting his thoughts, Hiro eased up and sighs, "Yeah."

It'll be all right.

If I'm with Zero Two, I can do this!

Soon that familiar sensation sparks again and Strelizia was reborn. Every adult fled from the hangar as the iron maiden broke from its restraints, causing smoke to puff out as it ripped down the aircraft walls before climbing out.

"Let's fly darling!" A constant flame erupts from the maiden's thrusters, allowing the duo to take flight through the air like a shooting star over the apocalyptic terrain.

Hiro gazed in awe at the blue skies, "I did it..." he mumbled then cries with joy, "I'm piloting a FranXX!"

On a panel to his right, Strelizia's face appeared, "That's right. This is what you're capable of."

His eyes sparkle as they soared through the clouds, "I feel myself going deeper inside you. I can't tell where I end and where you begin anymore. But I love it!"

"I'm feeling it, too. We're a perfect fit, huh? But there's more to come." In a flash, Hiro increased their power, allowing them to burst at full speed towards their squad.

Currently, within the dust clouds, Genista, Cholophytum, and Delphinium were still being constricted by the first klaxosaur.

"Shit!" Ichigo cursed as Delphinium continued its pointless attempts of freeing itself from its bind. Shortly, she redirects her attention as another trail of dust rapidly approached them. Blurs of red and white sped by and struck the klaxosaurs with full force, immediately making it release all four FranXX. Shocked, Ichigo gasps, "Strelizia?!" As Argentea tumbled out of its clutches, the other three cool-colored stared speechlessly at the new arrival.

"Is that Hiro?" wondered Goro.

"Are you serious?" said Futoshi as Strelizia protected Argentea from the second klaxosaur, maintaining its stance with its spear locked in the klaxosaur's mouth.

"Let me handle this," stated Hiro.

Ichigo protests, "NO! We can't afford to rely on Strelizia this time!"

"Even I'm...I'm part of the team, too." Everyone took a moment to process Hiro's words.

After her internal debate, Ichigo finally spoke, "All right, Hiro. You deal with that. We're going to focus on this one." As Squad 13 dealt with the razor head klaxosaur, the other klaxosaur fired multiple crystals at Strelizia.

Using its spear, they effortlessly blocked every single projectile before hurling the weapon at the klaxosaur's mouth. It snapped at the weapon but was instantly pulled to the ground and with just the press of a button, the spear injected magma into its throat, destroying its plated skin while causing blue blood to explode out in all directions but it didn't stop wriggling.

"That didn't feel right," muttered Zero Two.

"Where's the core?" questioned Hiro. The klaxosaur clasped its mouth and raised Strelizia into the air until the FranXX used a bit of its fuel to gyrate itself out. Rather than counter-attack, the klaxosaur then proceeds to retreat underground.

"Oh, no, you don't!" growled Zero Two as Strelizia accelerates and followed it beneath the surface. The ground rumbled, splitting open as the FranXX grabbed its blue skeleton, and with a battle cry, they slammed it on the rocky surface. As a result, while the klaxosaur's entire body was ripped from below, simultaneously the razor head klaxosaur recoils up in Strelizia's direction.

Dumbfounded, Hiro gasped, "What the..." They all inspected the klaxosaur's extensive size, realizing the two klaxosaurs

"No way...it was all part of one klaxosaur?" frets Zorome.

"If it's that long, it won't be easy to look for the core!" whined Futoshi.

"But we'll still have to find it!" Goro added as the klaxosaur began thrashed around repeatedly in a wave-like motion, knocking all four FranXX away.

"God! Somebody stop this thing!" shrieked Miku.

"I'll do it." decided Ichigo. Delphinium finally took action, switching its grasp on its twin spearhead swords before flipping on top of the klaxosaur's plated body. After a brief dash on top, Delphinium leaps high in the air and fully extends the sword from its handle before jamming the twin edges through the klaxosaur's entire body, causing blue blood to gush out as she pinned it to the ground. She urged the rest, "Come on, guys!"

All three FranXX nods, "Yeah."

With a battle cry, Argentea extends her wolverine claws then shoves into the klaxosaur, followed by Genista who did the same with her cannon's bayonet and Chlorophytum who just used her hands.

"Okay, we pinned it down, but now what?!" questioned Zorome.

Delphinium repositioned to the razor head end of the klaxosaur, holding one of its spearhead swords inside its mouth. Noticing her struggle, Chlorophytum shifts inside to assists her by supporting the weapon.

"Not on my watch!" Mitsuru affirmed but despite their efforts, none of them were free to attack.

Ichigo cries out, "H-Hiro! We need you!"

Strelizia was still struggling with the klaxosaur's snapping tail but looked back to find their squad waiting for them.

"Think we can do this, Zero Two?" Hiro wondered with a smile, already knowing her response.

Zero Two grins, "Easy!" They easily broke free and instantly bolted to the other side, flipping before landing.

"Hiro!" exulted Ichigo.

With its long spear aimed in front, Strelizia bursts forward as Delphinium and Chlorophytum back away but as if in slow motion, Ichigo swore she saw Strelizia smirking at her before they flew past. Hiro and Zero Two simultaneously roared a battle cry as they ripped through the klaxosaur's entire body, reaching the end with the core on the tip of its spear as the klaxosaur's entire body bursts blue like a firework. As the liquid rains down, everyone watched the red FranXX in awe, especially at the maiden's stamen who panted in exhaustion.

From the monitoring room, Hachi concludes the sortie, "Target neutralized. All units, return to base."

An audio call popped up from Nana, "I can't believe she ignored Papa's orders. Was she planning on this all along?" On her end, she whipped her head back at the Zephilla pair, "Were you two a part of this?"

From afar Hachi could hear Asuna say, "Nope, we didn't say anything about this at all." Her tone painfully matched the same one Zero Two had used earlier and further ticked off Nana. Soon Strelizia's paracapacity data appeared on another holo panel in front of Hachi.

He crosses his arms, informing in his usual monotone voice, "But this changes everything. The numbers conclusively prove Code 016's compatibility with Strelizia. How will Papa and the others react to this?"

Before Bed Time

Ever since that sudden sortie with the worm-like klaxosaur, everyone felt sluggish from their first intensive mission, especially Hiro from being today's ace pilot. For the moment, the time Squad 13 teamed with Strelizia was still fresh in everyone's minds but some had difficulty processing today's events. As for Zephilia's pistil, Asuna laid restlessly in her bed, currently wondering about Zero Two and herself. Earlier from Hiro, she had discovered Zero Two was also an S-class parasite, making her further question what else the two had in common.

Meanwhile, as Plantation 13 continued following its route to Plantation 26, Hiro shuffled in his mattress while reflecting his time as Strelizia's stamen.

I'd always dreamed of the day I could take flight to the skies above.

And for a while, I'd given up on it ever coming true.

But now, I may have finally found a pair of wings to call my own.

Moments later, his eyelids flutter closed. After a few short breaths, his eyes then widen from a sudden spike of pain in his chest. He peeks inside his shirt, examining an abnormal colored patch over his heart. Unlike last time when he checked, small veins began to pop out but rather than worry, he shrugs before tightly shutting his eyes. He shifted around to face the wall with his right hand clutching the fabric over his heart.

Even if they're double-edged wings that will slowly destroy me,

I'll be able to fly one more time.

To be honest I've always questioned where Futoshi got his ice cream bar like did all of them get ice cream or did Futoshi find it somewhere in the kitchen? That one scene confuses me so much. Also, most of the lines the characters from Darling in the FranXX say is literally what the subtitles say in the Japanese dub.

What is wrong with Kirito? Why is Asuna considered S-class?

Have a theory? Then why not go and leave a review.

I'm starting to find episode 6 a complete utter pain since its a difficult episode for originality. Battle episodes where Zero Two and Hiro are especially centered take longer to alter but I hoping to finish episodes 5 and 6 sometime between mid-September and early October. Speaking of which, on my profile, I'm still accepting votes for what events should I add as extras to the story. Or leave a review for any extra events you would want to happen, there's a good chance I'll add it to the plot somehow.