Darling in the FranXX: Insurrection

Chapter 36 - Blossoming

Three weeks after the fall of the Third Garden, you find yourself once again sitting at your desk hidden in the cliff below Haven. You had been working diligently until moments ago when a knock came at the door. A perky girl with hair as blue as the sky and green eyes the color of the sea had shown herself in, seating herself in the chair across from you.

"What can I do for you?" you ask the girl. This is the first time you've met her so you have no idea what to expect from her.

"I was told that I needed to talk to you and get your permission before any work could be done on my FranXX's retrofit," she chirps. You lean forward and lace your fingers together on the desk.

"Before we get to that, how about some introductions? I'm (Y/N), the commander of our little band of misfits." The girl eagerly shakes your hand and says, "I'm Code 067." She notices your confusion and explains further. "I was rescued from the Garden several weeks ago. My partner and I haven't gotten around to choosing our own names yet."

With the introductions complete, you guide the topic back to business. "Well then, 67, what is it about your FranXX's retrofit that I need to be consulted for?"

The girl chuckles nervously. "Well, when I talked to the maintenance crew they said my idea was 'impressive, but presented interesting design considerations that would push the bounds of our current supply'."

Translation: the retrofit is complicated and labor/resource intensive.

Now understanding what you are likely to be in for and what you will likely need to do, you continue. "Why don't you tell me more about it?"

Code 067's eyes light up. "Okay, so 059 and I, he's my partner, saw what Lieutenant Commander Kana did when she was fighting against the FranXX defending the Garden. It was so cool how she took us on several at a time but still managed to never get overwhelmed. Now that I get to modify my FranXX, I wanted to make it so I could fight like she did."

Still just as animated, she continues. "My idea was to add extra armor to the FranXX and give it some deployable spikes. That way no one would try to get close and if they did, they'd hurt themselves more than us. For a weapon, I was thinking of an axe. But not just a little axe, we want a greataxe. And then we could install a little button on the axe that lets you split it into two smaller ones that could be used in each hand. You know, like a berserker!"

While you can't fault the girl for her imagination, in reality, the design is equal parts thematic and functional. However, there is no doubt why Maintenance had sent her to you. Mitsuru or Zorome must have grown tired of her asking and being politely told no. Fabricating and integrating the upgrades would be nearly impossible without making a new unit from the ground up.

"That really is something," you admit after taking a moment to ponder the situation. "I think you're right that it would be really effective. But we don't have the ability to make something like that right now."

Clearly embarrassed that she has wasted your time, Code 067 bows her head.

"What if we scaled it back, hmm? Start with the greataxe and the extra plating. Then, when we have the ability, we can upgrade it as you said."

067 freezes for a second before she looks back up at you. Little tears glisten in her eyes. "Do you mean it, Commander? Can we really make our Terraria?"

You nod. "We sure can. Just remember that it won't be finished in a day and you'll still have to wait your turn for the next round of upgrades."

Code 067 shoots to her feet and sprints around the desk. Before you know it, she's wrapped you in a hug. "Thank you! Thank you so much, Commander!"