Darling in the FranXX: Insurrection

Chapter 31 - Cloak and Dagger

Hello everyone! My apologies for the extra wait for this chapter but we did something a little different and it took more time than usual to iron everything out. Let us know what you think of it and, as always, enjoy!

"You never told me what you thought of my hair," Ichigo says from beside you. In order to look like the girl she was to impersonate, Code 626, Ichigo had dyed her hair a deep shade of purple very close to black. She'd asked your opinion on the change several times, and the truth is you don't really like it. But you can't tell her that.

You avoid eye contact and act as though you didn't hear the question, instead looking around Valkyra's cockpit from your jump seat. The two of you were being carried to this mission, sitting off to one side of the cockpit. The ride itself has been smooth so far, but that won't last much longer. The display reads only twenty miles to the transport hub, and once you arrived the battle would soon follow.

"(Y/N)," Ichigo pouts, "every time I ask you about my hair, you get quiet. It makes me feel like you don't like it."

You sigh, still avoiding eye contact. "...I don't hate it." "But you don't like it either," she mumbles while crossing her arms. "I didn't say that," you say pleadingly.

Now it's Ichigo's turn to look away. "Saying nothing is the same thing as saying you don't like it." You flush, barely. "Can we not do this in front of them?" you say with a bit of heat as you indicate both of Valkyra's pilots, who sit only five feet from the two of you.

"Don't mind me," Kyo chuckles. "I think you look nice, Ichigo," he adds, before refocusing on the task before him. "I heard that," Valkyra's voice echoes through the cockpit. "It was only a joke," the stamen shrugs. Valkyra's image rolls her eyes. "I'm sure it was."

Meanwhile, Kyo's joke has served to dig you into a deeper hole. "See, he thinks it looks nice," Ichigo prods you. "I didn't say you don't look nice," you repeat for what feels like the millionth time in the last 48 hours. "All I said was it was different." "Different means bad to a girl," Ichigo clarifies matter-of-factly.

"How about this," you offer, kissing the top of her head. "I love you regardless of your hair." Ichigo tries to wriggle out of your embrace. "Get off me!"

The two of you go back and forth until Freya intervenes. "(Y/N), Ichigo, it would be more productive if the two of you reconcile." The two of you instantly quiet into rueful silence at her tone. Each of you murmurs something unintelligible, but the AI seems satisfied. "Much better. Now, the transport carrying Naofumi and Lilo is on schedule. It will arrive at the transportation center in nine minutes and seven seconds at gate A-13. The shuttle they will be departing on leaves from gate D-26, which is on the opposite side of the facility."

As Freya speaks, a projection of the transport hub appears before you. A path is highlighted connecting the two gates. "This is the most likely path that they will travel." "How likely?" you ask. "My estimation puts it at 97.89% chance of being their route," the program answers.

Ichigo gazes intently at the diagram. "And if it isn't?" she asks. Freya has a response instantly. "I have access to APE's systems and will inform you of any deviation from the expected course," she assures her. Before you can ask, she also answers a different question. "You needn't worry, APE has no indication that I am present in their system and I will remove all traces when finished. Do try to keep 'me' safe, though. You won't be able to break the plantation's firewalls without it."

The "me" Freya refers to is a splinter of her code that is currently stored on a drive in your pocket. In order to keep her presence hidden, she would need to avoid using APE's network. So, a physical interface with the plantation's systems would be necessary. All that would be required of you and Ichigo was to give her that access and she would handle the rest. Though, it was only necessary because Dr. Franxx had forbid Freya from remotely breaching the network and taking the information. Finding Kokoro mattered more than your annoyance at the old man's ways, but you had known he was right to forbid it.