8 Do you... want to run away with me?

Hiro did his scan and they found nothing wrong with him, which was a relief. Hachi even said that he was in very good shape. Hiro assumed he was better than the others because of the Impurity Cleanse.

He said bye to Hachi and went to train the the Solo-bot, while thinking about how to deal with the VIRM. He could slaughter Klaxosaurs with Zerotwo but the greatest enemy is the one from within, the one that hides a knife behind their smiles.

He didn't like having to look over his shoulder constantly, it was tedious and annoying. He said mentally "Open all mystery boxes and use Random Talent Upgrade."

Two chests appeared in front of his eyes and opened with multicolored light. Hiro continued to practice with the spear thing in his hand, controlling the mech to the best of his abilities. It wasn't too difficult.

[Congratulations! OmniVehicle Control has been upgraded! (Basic > Advanced)]

Suddenly, Hiro's movements got a lot smoother and less clunky. He smiled to himself, he assumed that even driving cars, plants, spaceships, etc. was included. After all it was OmniVehicle Control, not Franxx control.

He couldn't be too sure and there were no cars here, as far as he was aware. Everyone seemed to use Mechs for everything. I mean, why use a boring car when you could do the same in a giant robot? It's just a different feeling, heh. You just wouldn't understand.

[Congratulations! You've received Healing Potion (Intermediate)]

[Congratulations! You've received Cure for Cancer!]

Hiro's face turned black and he roared "What the fuck am I supposed to do with the cure for cancer!? Everybody here lives forever?! Cancer doesn't exist!" alas, there was nobody to respond to him. He grinded his teeth in anger and sent the miracle cure for cancer into the system space, forgetting about it.

He continued to practice but this time... Angrier.

A while later

With absolutely 0 progress in his OmniVehicle Control skill since it Upgraded to Advanced, Hiro left the training room and saw Zerotwo leaning against a pillar in a squatting position. He tiptoed over and reached out to touch her horns.

He was about to touch them when he heard "Pervert." Hiro froze and patted her hair saying "I knew there was something in your hair, ah there it's gone now." Zerotwo giggled and stood up patting the back of her skirt as she said "There was something in my hair, huh?"

Hiro coughed and said "Yes." he made a serious face and added "You don't want to have these things in your hair, trust me. I, your Darling, has taken them out for you, so there's nothing to be worried about anymore." he patted his chest and put on a righteous pose.

Zerotwo smiled and got in his face as she said "You can touch them if you want." Hiro looked at her eyes, her irises were red, her pupils were Aquamarine and there was a ring inside of them. The outer sides of her eyes had red skin, she was simply gorgeous.

He said softly "Can I really?" Zerotwo nodded gently and tilted her head down, he stretched out his hand and gently ran his fingers on her red horns. She moaned lightly and Hiro jumped, Zerotwo blushed and said softly "They're sensitive..."

Hiro gulped 'Amitabha lust is an original sin!' Zerotwo cleared her throat, cutely, and said "Anyway! Now that you're done with your training, come with me." before walking away. Hiro followed her asking her "Where are we going?"

Zerotwo skipped and spun around, skipping backwards, as she said with a sweet smile "It's a secret~" Hiro smiled at this beautiful, but somehow cute, girl and kept his mouth shut as he followed her through a hallway.

Hiro suddenly grabbed her hand saying "I can't go through here." Zerotwo spun him into her arms and said "We'll see about that." she pushed her hand forward, as if they were dancing, and moved through the light screen, together.

Hiro looked at her, it was completely different from watching it. He didn't know what to call it anymore. Her every action, movement, word, expression, he liked them all. He never felt like this in either of his lives.

He found himself just looking forward to talking with her, wanting to find out more about who she was. Not the information from a website, but the REAL Zerotwo. Not the 2D character that was used to entertain people, the woman in front of his eyes, who seemed to be the only light in this world.

The only thing that kept him from dissociating with reality and believing it to be a fake world with fake people, was her. He couldn't explain it, it was like she lived in a painting and was the only one that could move.

He followed her, completely absent minded. Just looking at her in a daze, truthfully, this would be weird. After all, who just stares at someone without saying anything? Stalkers, that's who. Zerotwo smiled in his direction, he blinked and looked away, feeling embarrassed.

She smiled and held his hand as she said "What are you thinking about?" Hiro blurted out "You." Zerotwo wasn't expecting that response and her cheeks turned pink as she looked away saying "As expected, you really are a pervert."

He was stunned and said "I didn't mean it like th-" She giggled and he choked his words back before scrunching up his nose and saying "Actually, I was thinking like that. Very much so like that. So much, in fact, that I undressed you with my eyes!"

Zerotwo laughed and teased "Did you like it?" Hiro jumped and said "Like!" Zerotwo pursed her lips and led him to a balcony that over looked the extremely bright city.

Zerotwo suddenly changed moods and let go of his hand as she hopped the railing and walked out on a skinny out stretch that helped the balcony stay up. Hiro rested his elbows on the railing and watched her balance on the skinny walkway.

She suddenly said "What do you think of this city?" He sat on the fence and said "Very bright... on the outside at least. I've never been inside it before. This is probably the closest I've ever gotten to it."

Zerotwo said "Did you know, when we die, all we'll be in another statistic. It won't matter what we were called. Look at it... this lifeless city... There's no skies or oceans here. It's isolated. The end of a one way street to nowhere..."

Hiro said "Isolation makes people feel safe. There are no variables to threaten anyone in the city..." he looked down at the orange glow of the buildings and continued "The outside is bright, the buildings are strong, the citizens have nothing to fear, they can live out their endless lives in peace, doing what they would do everyday, over and over..."

He added with a melancholic expression "But I wonder how dark it is inside. How black are the alleyways? Without the light, how far can you see? What does it smell like on the streets? What do birds in a cage know about the world..."

She suddenly said "Darling?" he looked at her and she turned around, her hair blowing in the wind and a soft expression on her face as she said "Do you want to run away with me? I can get you out of here if you'd like..." he looked at her soft yet sad face and said softly "There's nothing I want more..."

Unfortunately a strong breeze carried his words off into the wind, she acrobatted her way back to the balcony and tilted her head saying "Just kidding..." Hiro looked away and said "We're you? We're you really?" Zerotwo sat next to him on the railing and looked out on the city silently.

He suddenly said "Zerotwo. If I could leave this place and go somewhere else, would you come with me?" she said "Where are you going?" still looking down at the city, her thoughts, undecipherable. Hiro looked at her and said "Far, far, away. Out of the Plantation, our of the country, out of the World, to a new one. With new people and new things. No Klaxosaurs, no isolation, places we can be free."

He gently reach out his hand and added softly "Would... Would you come with me? Leave everything behind and start a new life... Together?" Zerotwo jerked her head up and looked into his eyes as she whispered "Can you do it? Can you take me away? Can you... Can you save me?"

He looked at her with firm eyes, a flame bursting in his heart, burning with determination, as he said "I don't know." her eyes flashed with disappointment but he spoke again, drawing her back to his eyes as he said "But I do know that with you... Anything is possible. Even if it takes hundreds, thousands, millions of years, I will do it. I will save you."

Zerotwo looked into his eyes and her voice trembled a bit as she said "R-Really? J-Just for me? Why..." he replied "Because... You light up my dark world. I don't have to feel alone when I'm with you. B-Because I l-" she took his hand, intertwined her fingers with his, and sealed his lips shut with her own.

Two figures, sitting on a railing, the breeze blowing by them as they thirsted for each other's light. Each using the other to light up their own world.

Time seemed to be frozen as the two shared each other's warmth and taste.

When they separated, there was nothing left to say. Zerotwo leaned her head on his shoulder and looked at their intertwined hands before saying softly "I will go anywhere with you... Darling." he smiled and they sat in a soothing silence, looking out to the city which seemed to be somewhat dim in each other's presence.