Darling who remembers

Part 001

code 016, Hiro, had a pretty good memory, definetly above average. Sure, he would forget minor things from time to time, a few memories would scramble together from when he was younger. But there was one thing... One person he would never forget. no matter what anyone did.

code 002, 02/Zero Two.

He had been slightly suspicous of Ape and the adults prior to the event, but afterwards his suspicions had been confirmed.

He had originally found Zero Two after spying on a lab. Zero Two was strapped to a table, being subjected to torture. No matter how much she screamed, they did not stop.

So, later that night, he helped her escape. They ran, and ran. Eventually settling down to catch their breaths, and to read a book.

After reading the book, the two continued, but not before promising to always be there for eachother.

A little later, Zero Two tripped and fell, scrapping her knee on a tree's root. Hiro licked it, saying that he once read animals licked wounds to heal them. By doing so, he unknowingly started his mutation.

They didn't get much further before they were caught up with.

They had their memories of the event wiped. Although an oversight, or perhaps another cruel experiment, 016's saurification wasn't brought up. And the procedure, meant for humans, wasn't able to do anything.

...

"An aircraft?" Hiro absent-mindedly muttered. Said aircraft had brought him from his reminiscing. Hiro brought his hand up to the small bumps on his head, the filed down, skin colored horns. Hiro had a feeling that APE knew what had happened, they monitered too intensly to miss anything. But he could keep his friends, his squad, in the dark.

"Hiro!" Ichigo, his sqaud leader, shouted, "So this is where you've been. What's it like to run away from everything". "Not really worth it" Hiro muttered.

"So you don't intend to come to the briefing session? Tommorow's the welcoming ceremony" Ichigo's tone was more friendly, "Fix you're hair". And never mind. "N-No! I can do it myself" Hiro stepped back, fixing his hair so it wasn't sticking up. 'Too close' Hiro thought to himself.

"Are you seriously still wearing that eye-liner? I know that they allow a few small personal things in uniforms, but your's stands out so much" Ichigo asked incredulously, "It would be one thing if it was black, but it's such a rich blue". "Eh, I like it" Hiro said.

.

"I know that you and Naomi didn't pass, bur show some confidence and stay with us. Don't be so stubborn" Ichigo said. "Even if I stay here, I can't connect with anybody. I can't do anything useful" Hiro said, 'Not without her. I would be breaking our promise. But does she even remember'. "Sorry" Hiro said, before running off.

...

The Jian, also known as 'the bird that shares it's wings'. Zero Two and I read thw book about it all those years ago. It said that it can't even fly unless a male and a female support eachother. A pitiful existence. Unless it finds it's partner it must conceal itself among the trees... and dream of the day it can take flight into the skies above.

A small thud brought Hiro out of his thoughts. Hiro looked up to the sound, "Blood?". Hiro looked around, and found a small bird struggling on the ground. Hiro tried to reach out to the bird, but it struggled it's way down the hill.

If so... where does a bird that's incapable of flight... end up going?

Hiro, following the bloody trail the bird left, pushed his way through the shrubs, finding a spring of sorts. "I never knew a place like this existed in this plantation" Hiro muttered.