(I own nothing. I just like popping out stories :P)
No one was watching.
Rex bounded down the darkest streets of the city, careful not to alert people on the sidewalks towards his direction. His stealth suit was on, camouflaging him almost seamlessly into the dull grey background as he turned various corners and maneuvered his way around scattered cars.
His breath ran cold as he entered areas that seemed to repel heat entirely, but luckily, he'd came prepared in warmer clothing beneath his suit. Fleece suited him just fine, providing protection against the icy temperatures he eventually immersed himself in.
The teen's heart pounded as he slipped past sparse pedestrians smoking at storefronts, forcing him to feel every beat of his heart throughout his agile body. The blood rushed to his ears, swathing his senses in a fresh coat of adrenaline, enhancing them even more than usual.
He wasn't supposed to be there.
At two in the morning, the boy was expected to be in bed, getting rest for the next day's training session and EVO attacks. But tonight was worth sacrificing some sleep over. Tonight was the night he would finally carry out a personal mission in secret, one that could change his fate for the better or worse entirely. It was a risky mission and he knew it, and in fact, it was only the first part of it.
But he couldn't wait any longer.
A few moments of later, the teen exited the streets and entered a small forest just behind a dingy apartment complex, disappearing into the trees. His feet became a blur beneath him, blending into the barely illuminated grass he sped through.
His best light was from his enhanced goggles and the stars, slowing him to avoid smashing into wayward branches and trees. He dodged shrubs and accidentally scratched his legs against wild thorns, but he was too caught up in the moment to care.
He was almost there.
As he ran further on, Rex checked his phone to see if anyone had texted him or found out about his disappearance. Even a missed call could potentially ruin the entire secret outing. The young EVO sighed gratefully as he saw that no one had tried to contact him, as they most likely thought he was asleep. Rather, they were probably asleep themselves. Holiday and Six had no doubt succumbed to fatigue, as well as Bobo and White Knight.
Moments later, the boy reached the center of the forest, nearly collapsing from exhaustion. He took a few minutes to get on his hands and knees to take deep breaths, then turned on the night vision installed into his goggles. The forest's details became clear, allowing Rex to stand up and continue what he'd set out to do. He made his way further into the woods, and eventually found what he'd been looking for.
His EVO.
It was at least eight feet long, and had sharp silver scales covering all seven of its legs. Seven was an unusual number, but it made sense when one saw that its head functioned doubly as the last leg. Razor sharp jaws protruded from its mouth, drooling mildly acidic slime onto the grass below. It hung in a giant net suspended from a tree, and appeared to be sleeping in its restraints. Having long been reduced to smaller-range movements, the deadly EVO had eventually given up and fell asleep.
Rex smirked. It was his best catch yet.
He recalled how it had taken him weeks to be able to capture an EVO of some significance without letting it escape. The first few were ones that hardly caused any damage at all, except for frightening passerby's, and were easily cured and returned to the streets.
The latter few, when the teen had become courageous enough to catch larger ones, had easily escaped the rough netting and had even injured him in the process. It was seemingly impossible to find a dangerous EVO that intimidated citizens with its looks, and could back it up with violent action.
Until he'd caught the one currently sleeping peacefully in the net.
The perfect weapon.
Rex used his Smackhands to quietly unhook the net from the tree it hung from, and kept the EVO in the air as he slowly turned back the way he came. Truth be told, Rex knew he would regret his future actions to some degree- after all, that's why his heart pounded so fiercely- but he also believed it to be the right thing. What he was planning was by no means completely innocent, but then again, neither was anyone else on the entire planet.
As soon as he reached the city streets again, he painstakingly made sure to only reveal himself to the urban setting when he was sure no pedestrians were around. At this early in the morning, it was an easy feat to achieve- the usually bustling nightlife had taken a dip when fatalities caused by EVOs strangely rose to higher levels within the past few months.
And it was a sad reality that Rex's intentions were about to cause even more.
Rex frowned as he moved the dangerous EVO out into the empty streets with him, once again running the consequences of his actions through his mind. He'd thought about his plan a million times before, and knew it was something he would think about for the rest of his life. His mission was morally reprehensible, yes, but that didn't mean it wasn't acceptable. In his eyes, in fact, it was rather necessary.
He was only human.
The teen finally placed the sleeping EVO onto the middle of an empty intersection, knowing full well that it was one of the busiest intersections throughout the day. The EVO he'd caught would no doubt wake up from the sounds of screaming people and car alarms and go on a rampage, possibly killing dozens. It would be quite the slaughter fest, really.
And Rex hated it. He hated what he was doing, even if it was the best decision in his mind. He didn't want to see innocent people killed off by an EVO they never expected to find sleeping on the streets. He didn't want to further instill paranoia into the minds of local citizens, causing them to replace their sense of normality with extreme caution. And he certainly didn't want to be the reason why the local graveyard expanded rapidly, forcing people to mourn many more dead relatives than usual.
But all of it was essential. And for the first time that night, Rex made peace with his actions.
This was only the beginning.