Generator Rex - Destiny: Chapter 1
Punch. Dodge jab. Counter. Avoid kick.
Dodge katana.
Catch follow up punch. Get feet swept out. Get thrown into observation window.
Rex sighed as his mentor stared down at him. For as laid-back as he seemed most of the time, the handler was surprisingly stubborn about when it came to earning permission to leave base.
"Alright, Rex, that's enough." Doctor Holiday called emerging from the elevator. "Time to call it a night."
"Eh?" Rex stared in disbelief at Holiday as he struggled back to his feet. Preoccupied, he missed Six's swift kick to his right leg.
Looking down, Holiday barely suppressed a snicker as she watched the boy reorient to his new favorite position, face down on the ground.
"Come on, Doc. One more try, I almost had him this time." Rex whined.
"Just like the last twelve tries?" Six asked.
"That may be so, Rex," Holiday said helping him up, "but it's getting late and I still need to talk with Six concerning a few...things."
Leaning against Six, she watched the characteristic droop of Rex's face as he tugged at giving up his pursuit. "I'm sure you can find time to go another round or two tomorrow," Holiday mentioned.
"Yeah, I guess I can, can't I?" Rex smiled as he gave the wall a playful slap. Standing up, Rex headed to the stairs. "I'll see you tomorrow then, Six." He waved and set off toward the dorms.
"Goodnight Rex," Six replied as he covertly wrapped an arm around Holiday.
Whistling absently, Rex wandered the building, still riding the adrenaline high from his sparring match with his handler in the gym. "Man, this place is really different at night." He thought.
The lights were mostly on 'fire-safe' setting, so that firefighters could see if they needed to navigate through the building. Even the Providence kitchen, which was usually lit and running through all hours, was dark. Puzzled, Rex couldn't help but feel as something was wrong. As he climbed the stairs and arrived on his floor, the faint sound of music floated on the air.
"Now where is that coming from?" Rex wondered aloud. He stopped, swiveling his head in an attempt to locate the source of the music. For many months his had been the only room on this level. Passing his room, he silently followed the sound down the dim hallway. Near the end of the hall, he saw a pool of light spilling from a doorway.
'Bingo!' thought Rex as he moved to the side of the doorway. 'Now who-'
"No, no, NO! That does not work," Kenwyn Jones growled, shaking her guitar and dropping it on a nearby desk. She grabbed the music in front of her and scribbled out her previous notes. She paused, before looking over the music again. She scratched a few new notes and brought her instrument back up.
"I thirst for water
I thirst for rain
Show me the brighter side
Of this terrible agony
Speak life into this body
Blind me in the light
Shine truth to shatter the night
From pain to bloodshed
The the heavens to the grave
If I never have to die
Am I even alive at all
What does it mean
To live the life I see"
Since when did Kenwyn play guitar? Much less sing? Granted, there was a lot that he didn't know about his off and on teammate, but still one would think he would have at least heard from someone that Kenwyn played an instrument! Leaning around the edge to confirm, Rex set his hands on the door frame, fingers resting slightly against the open door, and listened.
-
Thud!
Startled, Kenwyn turned to the door, pausing in the middle of her playing, and lifted the bow to silence her violin. Staring at the door, she tried to discern if anyone was there. "Hello?" she called softly. Catching a familiar glimpse of orange on the floor, which she figured as an arm, she tried again. "Rex?"
The arm twitched, before moving into full view, becoming part of a jacket riding on the slumping shoulders of Rex.
"Um, hi?" he offered, scratching his head. "Nice room you have here. They just move you up?"
A small 'eep' escaped Kenwyn as she hurriedly stashed the guitar under the bed and frantically covered the sheet music spread over the desktop. If she moved fast enough there was a small chance he hadn't heard anything and she could distract him. Rex was easy to distract. All she needed was...
"That was you playing, just now wasn't it?"
Kenwyn froze. That statement had crushed the faint glimmer of hope that she had held. She briefly considered denying it, but Rex wasn't likely to buy it. Not if he'd seen. Her shoulders slumped as she nodded.
"I didn't know you played guitar. It, uh, sounded really good." Rex said.
Kenwyn didn't say anything.
"Yeah..." Rex said, clearly trying to avoid the potential awkwardness that was surrounding the situation. "What's the song called?"
"My parents made me take lessons when I was younger," Kenwyn admitted. "It's been awhile since I actually played anything instead of just fiddling with it."
Rex nodded, "And the song?"
Kenwyn winced; she really wanted him to forget that part of the question. He wasn't supposed to know about this until it was finished.
"It's. . ." she paused, mentally scrambling for an excuse. "It's for a class. I'm taking it to help develop a new cover. Per Knight's orders." Blatant lie, but he didn't need to know that.
Rex nodded sadly, fully understanding finishing an assignment at the last hour.
"He's also the one who moved me up here. Said it'll be better for me to not be restricted." Kenwyn explained, trying to steer the conversation away from the song.
For once, Kenwyn's wish was granted. Rex apologized for intruding and claimed that his handler would be worried if he didn't return soon. He then beat a hasty retreat out of the room.
Kenwyn sighed. She had wanted him gone, but didn't want to say it in such conceivably mean terms. Getting up and locking the door this time, to avoid any more interruptions, she returned to the song that she was working on.
-
Bobo was lounging in his room watching television when Rex barged in smelling of slight perfume and sweat.
"Kid's got mail," Bobo grinned as he waved the envelope around. He paused dramatically, sitting up on the bed. "And it's from a girl."
Rex's initial confusion at Bobo's statement was quickly erased as the monkey moved his fingers to open the letter.
"Wait, give me that!" Lunging for Bobo, he grasped only thin air as the monkey ducked out of the way.
"Bye," he smirked, dropping the letter on Rex's head as he moved past, before taking off down the hallway.
"Stupid smart aleck monkeys, taking your mail," Rex grumbled as he opened the envelope to reveal a thank you card. Though it didn't come with a name, Rex was certain that it was indeed from a girl. The handwriting and perfume laden paper were proof enough of that. Writing it off as just another one of his countless fans, Rex threw the paper on his desk and went to bed.
