Darling in the FranXX: Insurrection

Chapter 38 - One Happy Family

We are back once again with yet another image provided by our editor. This time the adorable twins Asuna and Asada! Check out the link below to see the girls on a day off. 

Link: imgur.com/a/Efr8H9c

Alpha is accustomed to summons from Papa. In fact, they occur so frequently that hardly a week can go by before the poster child is called before him. Today was different, however. In the month since the Third Garden had fallen to the rebels, Papa had been quieter than usual. This is actually Alpha's first trip to the orbital station after the incident. Because of this fact, the lead Nine finds himself a bit on edge as he makes his way through Cosmos.

Alpha's unease is not shared by his party. Zeta walks beside him on the left as silent as the day he had met her. Her mask hides any facial expression she might have, but the usual attentiveness in her demeanor says she isn't concerned. Likewise Delta, who is on his right, is unbridled by her squad leader's mood. Her partner Epsilon had never been once to show emotion about anything, regardless of the situation. This left Alpha the sole nervous soul.

The group of four finally reach their destination, a large briefing room, after a short walk from the hangar. With Epsilon and Delta making small talk between themselves, the party steps through the automatic door and into the lavish space. Inside, they find something that floors them.

Seated at the table is a group of three parasites. It wasn't unheard of for parasites to be included in an operation with the Nines, but to allow them an audience with Papa and the Council of Sages would be simply unprecedented. Further inspection reveals that these parasites are not your run-of-the-mill variant. Each wears a sharp-looking uniform that could be mistaken for the ones worn by Nines.

Alpha stares intently at these imposters. As a matter of fact, the uniforms are the same, the exact same as the one he currently wears. From the epaulets to the medals and dress boots. There's even a patch denoting on their shoulders, one reserved only for the Nines.

The mood in the room immediately becomes tense. The three that had been seated at the table, a male and two females, fall silent. The girl in the middle, differentiated by her blue hair and unnecessarily large bust, studies them. After several seconds of appraisal she asks, "Who are you?"

Alpha scoffs at the gall of this imposter. "Who are we? Who are you, crashing our meeting with Papa and wearing our uniform? I shall see to it personally that you are punished accordingly for this transgression."

The blue-haired girl shoots to her feet and her chair tips over with a loud bang. Her voice sounds like the scratching of a chalkboard as she speaks. "Are you threatening me?" she grates, and the smile she offers is unnerving. "Because if you are, Papa will surely overlook my executing you."

"You know, Psi," the boy sitting beside her places his hand on her shoulder. He attempts to return her to the chair the second girl had righted. "Papa will be disappointed if we create a mess." At the same time, Zeta places herself between Alpha and the girl, bending at the knees and adopting a fighting stance.

"It would be a shame to have to paint the walls of this room with your blood," Delta returns the menacing smile of the taller girl with her own. "However, I can make an exception this once if you fall to your knees and beg for mercy."

"Delta," her partner chides her. The boy looks ready to continue his attempt in de-escalating the situation when Alpha speaks again. "You have exactly seven seconds to tell me who you are or we will have no choice but to treat you as hostile."

"You threaten me, then say we are hostile?!" the still-standing girl shrieks. The eyes of the shorter one beside her narrow. "Try," she grunts, ceasing her attempt to restrain this "Psi."