And, just like the first time, Hiro overestimated the tree branch's strength.

"Oh, shi-"

It snapped.

The crash was what brought everyone out of their gloom.

The majority of Squad 13, minus Miku, were sitting in silence in the dining hall, everyone lost in their own world. So of course it was rather a shock to hear the horrid sound of breaking glass.

"What the hell?" Goro murmured. Then he caught on, and he paled. "Oh, crap." Ichigo, by this point, had already sprung up from her chair and was sprinting to the stairwell, Goro, Zorome, and Futoshi following shortly. Ikuno gave a small sigh, placed her book on the table, and raced after the others.

Mitsuru and Kokoro glanced at each other, the stairwell, then each other again.

Then they shrugged in unison.

It wasn't their problem, after all.

Ichigo was the first to make it to the Partner Killer's room, slamming the door open. Had Goro not been right behind her ready to grab her, she might have fallen on the glass shards littered around the room. The curtains shifted slightly in front of the broken window, and the two partners rushed to it, peering out.

"Why did she choose now?" Ichigo growled. She had no doubt in her mind where she was going. She turned to leave in an attempt to catch her, then the sharp intake of Goro's breath redirected her back to the window.

Hiro was staring back at her.

The two sets of partners stared at each other in silence. Ichigo noted faintly that Hiro had taken the Partner Killer's hand in his, and also took note of the snapped tree branch besides them.

By that point, the rest of Squad 13 had joined the two, and only then did Hiro give them an apologetic smile.

"Sorry."

Then the two turned and ran.

She had never felt so free.

With her Darling besides her and their freedom in front of them, she felt as if she could a marathon around the entirety of the Plantation.

Come to think it, they might actually have to by the end of this.

The two hybrids managed to get to the elevator down to the rest of Cerasus when it began to open. Thinking quickly, Zero Two dragged her Darling behind a nearby try, letting out a breath of relief when Miku ran past them. To her curiosity, Darling had the look of a guilty conscience, but she waited until they were in the lift before asking. "Neh, Darling. Why the long face?"

Darling blinked, and looked at her. "Oh. It's just…" Then he turned back towards what had been their home. "I hate to leave them like this, but… What else can we do? I know they won't come willingly, and we don't have time to convince them of Papa's crimes."

Zero Two smiled inwardly. That's my Darling, always caring. "You did the best you could, I think." With that, they fell silent, quickly making their way into the elevator before it closed. "Where to, Darling?"

"The change-rooms, I think. We need the extra clothes."

Several minutes later, the two hybrids (or near-hybrid in Hiro's case) were rushing down the corridors that led to Plantation 13's change-rooms, and, by proxy, the FranXX cages. When they came to the two doors of the change-rooms, Hiro turned to Zero Two. "You take the girls, I take the boys?"

Zero Two nodded, and they split ways.

He didn't even get the chance to try and calm Ichigo down before she raced after the two escapees(?), and Goro could only try to keep up. As it was, all of Squad 13 was racing after the two, save Mitsuru and Kokoro, doing Papa-knows-what, in an attempt to stop them from doing… whatever they were planning on doing.

Goro had the feeling it wasn't good.

For those two or for Squad 13 as a whole, Goro didn't know yet.

The situation only worsened when they met up with Miku, who was also chasing Hiro as he had escaped her sight by knocking her near unconscious, something that greatly angered Zorome, to Miku's surprise and hidden pleasure. Of course, Ichigo hadn't been pleased in the slightest. "You let him get away?!"

"Wow, Ichigo, it's almost as if he didn't knock me unconscious!" Miku shot back angrily. "What was I supposed to do, shrug it off?!"

Goro had enough. "It doesn't matter who let him get out now, all that matters is that he obviously wants out! Why would he be this desperate- wait." Ichigo had visited Hiro earlier today, after their last meeting… "Ichigo, what did you tell Hiro?"

His partner was silent for a moment. "...I told him Zero Two was being transferred tomorrow. But I didn't think he'd..."

"How'd you fell if someone told you Goro was being transferred away from you?" Zorome interrupted gruffly, and immediately everyone could see the Stamen's point. There was an awkward silence for a moment, the Ichigo shook her head. "This is for Hiro's own good. If we don't get him away from her, he'll die. Do you guys want that?"

Zorome had the grace to look chastised. "N-no…"

"Then-" there was a ding as the elevator door opened, "lets go save him."

The ride down was as silent as it was short. On a whim, they decided to check the locker rooms first, seeing as it made sense for Zero Two to drag Hiro there if she truly wished to get them away.

They were only a few moments away when they both exited their respective genders' room. Squad 13 froze, as did they for a moment, before making a break for the docking bay.

"HIRO, WAIT!" Ichigo's cry did nothing but cause Hiro to falter for a split second before he recovered and ran alongside his partner. They other Parasites sprinted as hard as they could, yet, even at full tilt, the two partners were steadily gaining ground between them. Finally, Squad 13 lost sight of them when the flashed by the bay doors and into the FranXX loading area.

By the time they got to the doors, they were panting, and Goro looked around, eyes dropping on one of the many confused adults around them, and pointed in Hiro's direction. "S-stop.. You need to stop-"

"Not to worry, Code 056."

The clanking of metal on the steel ramparts pulled Squad 13's attention away from the two Parasites who were currently boarding their FranXX.

Dr Werner Frank himself hobbled up to them, holding what appeared to be a remote in his hands. "They won't be going anywhere without my approval."

Goro noticed Ichigo let out a sigh of relief and shoot Goro a faint smile, and Goro couldn't help but do the same despite the fact that this felt oh so wrong.

The doctor walked past the recovering Parasites towards Strelitzia, pressing a button on said remote. Almost immediately after, the safety clamps clanged into place and Strelitzia thrashed and writhed in it's attempt to free itself. "Let's go ask them what they were thinking, yes?"

Nononon̵̟̉̕͜ò̶̢̪͊n̷̖̝̂o̶̦̅ń̸̨̻ȏ̶̘̟͎̔̊̚̚ň̴̹̗̤͔̚O̵̢̡̫̥͌̀̓̇ǹ̸̛̟̼̰̲̲͗͠͝Ō̵̙͎̥̋̋͠n̷̯̯͛̊̅Ŏ̴̹̬̙͈̤n̴̲̜̱͖̺̉͆̾O̴̼̲͉͚̗͌̚͝ń̴̤͕̹͂̐͛̂̂͝Ǫ̸̝̟̱̳̠̆̐̆͛̅̅͝n̸̨͔̬͊̄́͊̌͒̅̈́̚͝Ö̸̧̡̨̗̞̜̤́̀́̀̃͒̾ǹ̷͍̔̊̍̌̌̈́̇͘͠Ö̵̩̭̦̼̮́̃̾͐͒̒̎̀͘ͅn̷̘̗̭̑̀͐̀̓ͅͅO̴͚̪͒̊́̉́̈́͐̃̀̕͠n̶͕̔̑͂̀̿͠O̸͔̳̮͌͛̒͑̂̒̂͝n̷̢̹̫͉̩̬͔̝̑͗̍͑̄O̶̭̊͋͊͐̎̀̚ͅṇ̵̢̛̜̳̰͑͋̑O̵͎̠̲̣͇̅̋͂̉͊́̌̚

They couldn't move.

The cage door had never been more open than now, and it was right in front of them and they couldn't move wh̶ÿ̴̜́ c̵̙̄̑o̴̥͗͜u̷͚͐̈l̷̠̫͝d̸̺͉̆n̷̯̾̌t̸͍̋ ̶̬̮͗t̶̘̉̏h̶̞̊ê̴͎̣y̵͔̣͠ ̶̹͓̎m̷̡̒o̷͚͑v̷̤̬͝e̵̩̒̋

Everything had been going so well for them. They had managed to evade Darling's (former) squadmates, the Adults did nothing to stop them, and they had managed to reach Strelitzia before anyone could lock them out or capture them.

Then the doctor arrived, and with the click of a button, the cage closed in on them.

Hiro hit the arm of his Stamen-cockpit with an unbridled anger. Zero Two stewed in the Pistil terminal. Outside, Strelitzia thrashed, even as Plantation and A.P.E. guards surrounded the immobilized FranXX.

"002, 016. I expected better of you."

Doctor Frank. He stood in front of them now, watching the ruby-red eyes of his creation flash in pure hatred for the man in front of them, but he shrugged. "Did you honestly think I would not catch wind of your escape attempt? You only got this far because I wished to see how far you would take this. I must say, you certainly proved your capabilities in keeping up with your fellow hybrid, 016."

Inside Strelitzia, bot Stamen and Pistil stiffened, and Zero Two cast a worried glance at her Darling.

How did he find-

"Of course, I suppose I'll figure it out after you're sent to reeducation," and Strelitzia stopped struggling for a moment.

Zero Two had heard the stories, hell, she had been sent to be reeducated several times herself some time after Darling had been taken from her. Those who went in left a blank slate, the perfect tool for Papa and his sycophants to mold to their whims.

Strelitzia glared down balefully at the doctor. "Darling is MINE! I WON'T LET YOU TAKE HIM!"

"He's not yours to take!" That was Ichigo, and Goro, and the rest of the parasites of Squad 13. "Give Hiro back. Now."

"Don't make us ask again," Goro all but growled. Ichigo was right; as much as it felt wrong, he wouldn't just stand there and let his friend ride to his death-

"Fuck off, Goro."

That stunned both Squad 13 and doctor Frank; that was Hiro's voice.

"Do you want to know something, doctor?" the voice of Hiro spat out. "I would rather die than go willingly with you. I will never serve you, or Papa, or the Council, not after what you've done to her. Ever!"

The doctor stared at the FranXX for a few moments longer, then shrugged again. "A pity. You truly were a prodigy, I had such high hopes for you." Then he turned to the various guards and technicians. "Pry them out." He began to walk away as the Adults converged on the FranXX, which now lay despondent silent. Frank waved to the other Parasites. "Come on, you'll see them soon enough, when 002 is shipped off tomorrow-"

All their musings were abruptly cut off by a flash of crimson behind them.

I'm sorry, Zero Two. I-I tried to get us out, I really-

I know. I'm sorry too, Darling.

I won't forget you this time. I promise. I'll come find you, no matter the distance.

That's if I don't find you first, Darling.

Zero Two, I-

Darling, I-

I

Love

You

The technicians stopped in confusion. The FranXX they had been tasked with opening had just frozen stock-still, unlike anything it had ever done before. And then, before their very, it's pale white hue began to change, shifting and fading away to allow for the new dominant hue to show.

Crimson.

And Strelitzia opened its eyes.

Doctor Frank stared at it, mouth agape. "That- That's-" The Pinnacle of my work! The Iron Maiden!

Neo Strelitzia Apus!

The Parasites stared as well, shock and fear showing clearly. "What in Papa's name is that?!" Miku gave a shocked cry. The others, however, didn't have an answer.

Strelitzia didn't wait for them to find one.

In one shrug of it's shoulders, the clamps that held it in place shattered, and it's arms were free. By now, the techies and guards were evacuating the ramparts, and for good reason.

For, as soon as the last had cleared from Strelitzia's sight, the FranXX burst forward, smashing right through the ramparts, and stopped in the middle of the docking bay, facing the massive doors that led outside.

For once, the Plantation was silent, Adults and children alike staring at the freed Jian. They briefly contemplated killing doctor Frank, but then shrugged, and let it go.

Then they themselves went, surging forward in a great boost from their thrusters, lance forward, and bashed the doors down.

For the first time, the Jian truly bathed in the setting sunlight.

It was unshackled.

It was free.

Hiro and Zero Two looked back for a moment, gazing at the Plantation that had been both their prison and their home, and least temporarily. The hybrid Stamen noticed someone trying to hail them over the comms, so he disconnected them. He didn't care if they were his friends, or orders to return. He had made his choice, and so had Zero Two, and they had no regrets when they turned towards the sun.

Where to, Zero Two?

Mmm… I've always wanted to see the ocean. Do you want to see it with me?

I'd love nothing more.

And so, the Bird of Paradise spread its wings to their full length for the first time since its creation, and it flew, leaving its cage behind, friends, enemies, and all.

They had naught but each other, and that was all they needed.

A/N: I should've updated this a long time ago, but, welp.

Don't expect this to be updated for a long while.