86 -Eighty Six- Ep. 12: Welcome

A processor codenamed Cyclops piloting a Juggernaut reports to Lena about reaching an old high speed rail terminal. Accompanied by many other Juggernauts, Cyclops says it’s going to be a rough fight for the new kids. Lena orders the main force to lure the Legion in so they can use their howitzers. Cyclops mentions they are fighting the Legion in front of their base and if they make it through there is nothing but minefields. Lena claims it’s the best location they have if they’re going to survive as Cyclops calls her “My Queen.” On December 2, 2148, a television broadcast reports the latest information about the war, continuing to claim Juggernaut victory over the Legion and that there were no human casualties. Various Alba go forth with their day-to-day lives such as shopping or seeing a magician while Lena walks to Military Headquarters. She has dyed part of her hair red. As she enters Military Headquarters, a trio of older male Alba officers who have been drinking taunt her, calling her the doll crushing princess. They mention her demotion as well as her latest victory, stained with the blood of pigs and refer to her as Bloody Regina. With the Legion to shut down in two years they think someone from a rich family like her could have simply done nothing and live life on easy street. Lena says good morning to Annette and says she will see her in a couple of hours. Lena reports to her commanding officer who references the numerous complaints about her such as unauthorized use of equipment, unscheduled supply drops and taking command of units not reporting to her. He doesn’t like all the extra work this causes, to which she counters that he should have given her permission in advance. Lena claims she’s the top-rated Handler and that his subordinates reflect his own career. He tells her to watch her mouth as she excuses herself. Lena walks down the hall and is spotted by her uncle Jerome. Several subordinates provide updates to Lena but stop when they notice that it’s starting to snow outside. Lena’s Para-RAID activates, and Cyclops tells her they’ve found an enemy unit on patrol and need her orders. Later, Lena heads to Annette’s lab. That night Lena sits in her room drinking tea as she communicates with Cyclops via the Para-RAID. Lena says they should work together and do their best, and Cyclops says the unit is counting on her. Cyclops tells Lena it’s okay to call her by her real name (Shiden Iida) and asks why she isn’t doing so as she asked for it previously. Lena answers that it’s because of her responsibility as a Handler. Lena continues to keep the box with drawings of the faces of deceased members of the Spearhead Squadron, but Shin and his four colleagues remain pinned on a board with her current subordinates. Cyclops claims the strongest guy she knows, Undertaker, finally got assigned on a special recon mission a while back and is probably dead now. Lena expects a large Legion offensive in the future. The next morning Lena puts on her uniform and thinks of how Shin and the others believed in her and told her to fight and survive. The Spearhead Squadron’s cat, whom she’s called Teppy, is seen nearby. Shin lays unconscious and has a vision of his younger self in Rei’s arms as he wears a knight costume. Rei lifts him up in the air and lets him down on the ground, a big smile on Shin’s face. Rei tells him this is as far as he can go, and Shin must go the rest of the way himself with his comrades. Rei’s clothes return to normal, and Shin is his current age. Rei tells him he’s really grown up, to not let him keep him in prison and that he can forget about him. Rei walks away but then admits he wants Shin to remember him occasionally. He tells him to live free and be happy. Shin runs towards him, shouting for his brother. Shin wakes up in bed, realizing he’s in some sort of medical room. A window shows several individuals in the hallway outside in biohazard suits. One of them comes in and asks Shin his name. and removes his biohazard suit, considering it rude. He is revealed to be a middle-aged glasses wearing man named Ernst. Ernst asks Shin for his name and welcomes him to the Federacy of Giad. He says they defeated the Giad Empire that created the Legion and have changed it to a Federal Republic. They are still fighting the Legion and found Shin captured by the Legion on the western front. Shin thinks to his colleagues and quickly sits up in pain. Saying he must be worried, Ernst clicks a switch revealing that Shin’s colleagues are all alive and in rooms next to him. He tells Shin and the others they are the Federacy’s first foreign visitors since its founding. They were too busy with the Legion to put together custom procedures. He tells him his full name, Ernst Zimmerman, and claims to be the provisional President. Later Ernst walks down a hall with his colleagues, some of whom are concerned about if Shin and the others are agents of San Magnolia, a carrier for a bioweapon or even a new form of Legion. They wonder if they should eliminate them. Ernst claims the tests and scans showed nothing irregular. We see that the defeated Dinosauria was also recovered. They talk about the Para-RAID devices found.

After the medical officer leaves the room, Raiden tells Shin he was out for three days. Theo claims Kurena was bawling, which she denies. Anju says now is not a good time but to be ready for when he gets better, forming a fist with her hand. Theo says sorry but they all feel the same way. If he abandons them to take on all the fighting himself again, he will kick his ass. Shin says he didn’t mean to die, and Theo says even if he didn’t intend to, he knew it would happen fighting alone. Theo says they’ve all thought about it, but they can’t forgive it and consider it cheating. Shin apologizes. A month passes and the five of them are told by Ernst that they are now citizens. Theo asks if he’s sure he wants a bunch of strange kids kicked out of their country to be here and that it would be easier to kill them. Shin asks what benefit they get from saving them. Ernst claims a society that refuses to save children because there’s no benefit is a society that benefits no one. If humanity can’t survive except by killing children because they’re strange, humanity would be better off dead. He claims he’ll be their guardian for a while and to rest a bit, see the country and think about what they’ll do. On December 2nd, Shin and the others are brought to Sankt Glykine Base. Inside there is a debate going on about what to do with them and their Juggernauts. A blonde-haired woman, Grethe Wenzel, argues with the eye-patch wearing General Richard, claiming first dibs to them and that they’ll be perfect operators for her prototype units which she hopes to improve upon the Federacy’s current slower Vanagandr model. Ernst says they are free to talk to them, but he won’t let them be operators, as they’d be no different than the Republic. Grethe claims in their counseling sessions they’ve all claimed they want to go back to the battlefield, and he says that’s because it’s all they know. He thinks they should be rewarded and that after all their fighting they should be given peace. Shin and the others head inside, then later are driven around in a car with Ernst. Kurena is surprised to see the peaceful street outside. A rally is occurring nearby with a sign saying, “Save the Eighty Six.” Ernst tells them that the people here were happy when the five of them were saved because they learned there was a surviving country besides their own. They became overcome with the desire to save the Eighty Six and their comrades once they heard what was happening. They arrive at Ernst’s manor. A little girl peeks through the doorway and shuts it as they arrive at the doorstep. Upon heading inside the group sees the girl standing on top of a table. She tells them the Great Giad welcomes them with pity and compassion. They don’t expect any reward from low-borns from them beyond their thanks. When Shin looks the other way, saying he thought someone else may be here she gets upset, claiming this is the problem with low-borns from the Republic. Raiden asks an embarrassed Ernst if this is his daughter and says he should discipline her better. Ernst says the girl, named Frederica Rosenfort, is not his daughter and she takes insult to the possibility. He claims some things have happened and she’s staying here. Later Frederica scarfs down some cookies in the living room. Ernst says it’s annoying to explain, but on paper Frederica is his daughter. He’s officially adopted the five of them and since they’ll be living together, he’d appreciate it if they saw her as a little sister. He jokes about them calling him dad but none of them seems happy about it. Frederica asks about Shin’s neck and Ernst tells her not to go there, and he already told her about their situation. He says she has wounds she doesn’t want touched either. Frederica claims to be the cute little sister given to heal their wounds and to be nice to her. She cries out for the maid Theresa about how they’re being mean when Shin grabs her head. Theresa tells her everything that just happened is her own fault. Later the five of them go to their rooms and Frederica complains about being bored. Shin lays on his bed but Ernst knocks on the door, handing him a memento that was in his Juggernaut. Ernst heads to the dining room and mentions to Theresa using them as a replacement and she says they could never be that. Each person is their own irreplaceable individual. Frederica claims people try to bury the past in whatever way they can, and Ernst calls her Empress. She has been drawing Shin, herself and the other four in her sketch pad. As Shin looks at the memento in his room, Frederica says the name Kiri.