Hello! Here is the second chapter. Let me say, Rabble really inspired me. What an awesome episode. But I digress. Anyway, I hope I get a bigger response with this chapter, but I am extremely appreciative of your reviews! Thank you, EnderMoon and Dragonscall! I really appreciated your reviews! They gave me a boost! :)
Anyway, enough of me. Please read, review, and enjoy!
Amici probantur rebus adversis
Rex shifted in his bed and groaned as his muscles ached with the smallest movement. His arms felt like they had been filled with lead and he tried to keep them as still as possible, not wanting to agitate the throbbing, heavy limbs any further. He groaned again as a small shift made prickles of pain shoot up his arms, and buried his face into his pillow, wanting to shout out his frustrations. It was early, way too early for him to be up, and it felt like he had been run over by a truck. Or a steamroller. Or a steamrolling truck shooting down from outer space…Rex grumbled in his head.
He rolled over so that he was facing up again, wincing when his muscles throbbed. He glared at the dark gray ceiling above his head, blowing out a sigh as Bobo's loud snores drifted over to him. He glanced at his simian companion as the monkey hung over his bed, hands nearly touching the floor. Bobo's hat wasn't far, the red fez sitting on the table where the two had been talking a few hours easier. Rex had been feeling fine then. After he ate, everything seemed all right. Maybe Bobo did something to the food? Rex shook his head. Nothing Bobo could do would make him feel this lousy.
Briefly he wondered why no one had called him down to one of the labs yet. Normally when he was feeling like crap they would come to take his vitals or something and make sure all his nanites were stable. Or…Holiday would.
"That's right." Rex said, unable to lift his arms so he could smack himself, "Holiday had to go off to that research facility. Ugh. Then who's in charge of me?" Or did they forget something that…I don't know, important?
Rex blinked and fought back a yawn, his eyelids growing heavy. He sighed as he welcomed the oncoming sleep, having wrestled to gain any form of rest for the past few hours. Rex shivered violently and he pulled his somewhat thin covers over himself, curling his knees toward his stomach to preserves his body heat. Just have to sleep it off Rex. Just sleep it off. Not that his body was really trying to help him in that regard.
Rex yawned, his eyes finally shutting. His muscles still ached and throbbed, he still felt like he had been plowed over by a steamrolling truck, from space, and he wanted nothing more than to let it all fall away. He'd ask Six about it tomorrow. Maybe. And that was only if it was still a problem. Which it won't be.
Rex nodded to himself before relaxing on his bed as best as he could. It wasn't going to be a problem. It wasn't going to be a problem.
It won't, he thought forcefully, even as he shivered again.
Rex sighed as he walked along the dull halls of Providence base, looking down at the Petting Zoo through the clear but reinforced windows. Several of the Evos were chasing after each other, scattering when one large winged Evo started to swoop down on them, trying to bite their heads off. Rex watched for a while, his eyes distant and body hunched over slightly. Rex pulled his jacket closer to him, blinking slowly as he tried to clear his head.
He had woken up feeling pretty much the same as he had this morning, only now with a pounding migraine so fierce he could have sworn that a jackhammer had joined the steamroller in its efforts to make his life a living hell. He was still freezing too, but Rex was sure that had more to do with the base than anything. White did seem like the type of guy to just like the cold. The man had the nerve to call some frozen wasteland Paradise after all.
However, Rex was not willing to go to Six just yet, no matter how bad he felt. For one, he was sure there was another doctor keeping tabs on his welfare. Providence wouldn't really leave him to his own devices, and if there was really something wrong with him and his nanites, they'd be on him in seconds. Then there was the whole Noah thing. Rex had been waiting for this visit for a while. He was going to take Noah through the Petting Zoo, this time without the fear of mortal death by the hands, fangs, and claws of the Evos. It'd be more fun, lack the shock factor of finding out your friend was working with White up to that point, and there was always the chance of discovering one of those cool rooms. Yes, this time, he would have fun at the darn Petting Zoo.
Yet another reason Rex had not yet gone to Six.
Rex stiffened and doubled over as his stomach gave a sudden, violent lurch, shaking him to his core. His stomach pressed and pressed, but Rex shut his mouth tight, willing the feeling away even as his throat tightened. "Must have been something I ate." Rex reasoned as he straightened himself back up, his world a strange blur. His stomach was still painfully tight, as if it was holding on to something. He didn't like what that meant…
"Hey Rex." Rex jumped and whipped around, smiling when he saw Noah walking down the hallway, Agent Six in tow. The green suited agent raised an eyebrow at Rex, taking note of Rex's paler skin and the way he stood slightly hunched. Rex was shivering as well, even though the base was at normal temperature. But Rex just shook his head at Six's gaze, looking away from the man.
"You okay? You don't look so good." Noah said, taking a few steps closer and trying to get a closer look at Rex. Rex took a half step back, shooting a glare at Six that told him to butt out before he turned back to Noah.
"Yeah, I'm fine. Just a little tired. Being awesome all the time can be exhausting after all." Rex said, puffing his chest out a little.
Noah rolled his eyes, "Yeah mister awesome. Loved how you freaked by the way. Thought you were gonna have a heart attack."
Rex scowled, "I did not jump that much. You're imagining things."
"Sure I am. And bunnies can't kick your-"
"I told you to never speak of it!" Rex cried, covering his ears. Noah laughed and started chanting about evil demon bunnies, and Six resisted the urge to roll his eyes.
"No Petting Zoo." Six said, talking over Rex's own chanting of, "It was an Evo! It was an Evo! And I totally beat it!"
"I have several people posted to make sure you don't get in. Or sneak out. Even with Holiday gone Rex, you're going to-"
"I know, I know. Relax Six." Rex paused, tilting his head to the side before smirking, "Scratch that I guess. I don't think you know how relax." Six really did roll his eyes this time, but it remained unseen behind his dark glasses. Six turned around and started heading down the hallway toward his own room, but changed his mind at the last minute. He took a turn right and started to head for Holiday's lab. Someone had to be there by now and he had a few questions for them.
"Wanna play a game of B-Ball?" Noah asked, looking down the hall, "Or do you want go catch some shows before-okay, what's up?" Rex was grinning and glancing down at the Petting Zoo, his earlier woes and pains seemingly forgotten.
"We're going down to the Petting Zoo." Noah gulped and looked down as well, wincing when one of the Evos managed to catch a smaller one, carrying it off into the distance of the large Evo containment area. Several large, blue, birdlike Evos flew by the windows, Noah jumping back and letting out a scream. Rex started laughing behind Noah, clutching his stomach.
"T-That was so-so girly!" Rex cried, wiping his eyes.
Noah glared, "And you got jumped by a bunny. Multiple times."
Rex's mouth fell open and he shook his head, "An Evo bunny! Evo! You saw that thing, it was a beast! A killer! I was lucky to have-"
"Why do you want to go to Petting Zoo so badly anyway?" Noah asked, looking down again. The Petting Zoo held no good memories for him, it being where he had almost lost his friendship with Rex. And was nearly killed by a giant spider…as well as anything else that moved in there.
"Actually, I heard there was a new Evo in there today. I want to check it out." Rex said, leaning closer to the window. "Unless you have anymore secrets you're not telling me about?" Noah shook his head and Rex laughed, clapping Noah on the shoulder before looking out at the Petting Zoo. The thick trees in the Petting Zoo concealed most of the Evos that were hiding within, some of the trees stretching toward the ceiling, their eyes blinking at everything around them. There were all forms of tall grass and tangled vines as well, and somewhere in there was a small swamp area too. Killer flowers hid themselves in the vines, waiting to strike at any time, and that wasn't counting the many mobile Evos within. The Petting Zoo was one large Evo trap.
Rex grinned, "It'll be fun."
"I don't know if I like your idea of fun. It sounds more like ways to get Noah killed. Besides, didn't Six say not to go into the Petting Zoo? Where all the Evos are? That maybe, oh, I don't know, enjoy eating blonds?" Noah asked, taking a step back. Rex rolled his eyes and swung his arm around Noah's shoulder, turning him around and leading them both down the hall.
"Noah, Noah. You should know by now that if it's forbidden here at Providence, it's tons of fun."
"Or tons of death." Noah sighed, giving Rex a weary look, "And just how are we getting in there?"
Rex's grin grew and his eyes brightened, "You leave that to me."
Six wandered around Holiday's lab, feeling very out of place without the doctor there to tell him to get Rex, often without even looking up from her papers. He almost missed her complaints of how unfairly Providence treated Rex before she would start to devise ways for Rex to have a chance at some 'normalcy'.
No need to be getting sentimental Six. The agent made his way to Holiday's desk, glancing at some of the papers that littered the top. Her computer was still on, giving a constant reading on Rex's body structure and nanite condition as always. What bothered Six was that it seemed untouched. Had no one been in there yet? It seemed unsafe to leave Rex unmonitored.
"Great." Six muttered. What was going on in Providence that they would miss making sure Rex had a proper doctor at all times? The kid looked out of it anyway. He had been shivering like crazy and looked ready to throw up. But I'm not worried, Six reasoned with himself, It's irresponsible to leave that kid on his own. He doesn't know when to quit. Like yesterday.
Six was pulled from his thoughts as Holiday's computer began to blare out an alarm, shining red and deafening the room. Six's eyes roved the flashing computer, watching as a small image of Rex, and what he assumed to be a reading on Rex's nanites, began to flash red. "Great." Six said. On the inside though he was running through names of doctors and scientists he knew, trying to remember someone who could help. But more than that he had to find Rex before he did something stupid or got hurt or-
Six stopped when alarms started above him as well, adding to the din. A voice sounding over the intercom, "There has been a breach in the Petting Zoo. Repeat, there has been a breach in the Petting Zoo. Believed to be Rex. Agent Six, please report to the Petting Zoo and apprehend Rex. Repeat, Agent Six please-" Six shook his head and ran down the halls.
The kid doesn't know when to quit.
"Six is going to kill us isn't he?" Noah asked as he looked around the Petting Zoo, waiting for an Evo to jump out of nowhere and try to take his head off. He was riding behind Rex in the 'Rex Ride', the two whipping past various trees and vines as they sped to-well- Noah had no idea where.
"He won't kill us." Rex said, rolling his eyes, "He'll just get all grumpy. Maybe some extra training. It's not the first time I've broken in here."
"Oh, I feel so much better." But Noah did relax. His blond hair whipped behind him, giving him a clear view of some of the nice, more elegant looking trees in the Petting Zoo. They looked almost normal, except when they blinked. Other trees were very gnarled and braches stuck out at odd angles. Wonder if they're Evos too?
Noah jumped when one of the branches swatted a fly and he pressed himself closer to Rex. Oh yeah, they're Evos. "So just how many ways in here do you have?" Noah asked, trying not to stare too long at the killer trees.
"How ever many I need. It's not like their doors can stop me, I just need to know which one to check out." Rex shrugged, "Bobo helped me find a lot of ways in though. He knows how to get around-ugh." Rex bowed his head and massaged his temple with his free hand, letting out a low moan.
"Rex?" Noah called, shaking his shoulder a little and jumping when they swerved, nearly hitting a tree. Rex jumped and veered away before they could hit the tree, narrowly missing being hit with one of the tree's wayward branches.
"Sorry. Just a weird feeling in my stomach, nothing big." Rex said, shrugging.
"Rex."
"I wonder where that new Evo is supposed to be?" Rex said, trying to talk over Noah even as his head bobbed again. Noah shook his head, shaking Rex's shoulder when Rex nearly hit a tree again. Noah tried to look in Rex's eyes, but the dark haired teen turned away.
"If you're not feeling good we should head back. I'm not exactly what you'd call useful when fighting Evos and it looks like you're about to pass out."
"I'm fine." Rex ground out. Rex snapped his mouth shut when his stomach gave another painful lurch and his chills returned full force. He started to slow down, blinking when all the trees started to blur together. "That can't be good." Rex mumbled, shuddering. When had the cold come back? Now he was feeling chilled to the bone!
"Rex? Rex! What isn't good?" Noah tried shaking Rex's shoulders again, panicking when Rex's head started to bob up and down, Rex nearly falling forward, "Rex come one, don't go passing out now. At least stop-" Noah shouted when he was suddenly jerked off, landing painfully on the ground. Rex's machines fell apart, little scraps skidding along the grass as Rex skidded along the ground. Noah groaned and pushed himself up, wincing as his side ached. He was covered in grass stains and a few scratches, but nothing he couldn't handle. Noah sighed and staggered up, looking toward Rex and gasping when he saw that Rex was still down for the count.
"Rex!" Noah ran towards his friend, skidding to his knees next to the dark haired Evo and turning him up on his back. Rex's eyes were closed and his breathing was coming out in short, shuddering gasps. Rex's mouth was open, desperately sucking in air, and his eyes slowly blinked open.
"What am I doing on the ground?" Rex asked, trying to sit up. Rex groaned only a second later and laid himself back down, clutching his stomach and curling in on himself. "What's going on?" he mumbled, more to himself than Noah.
"I don't know. I don't know." Noah mumbled to himself. He whipped his head around, looking for something, anything he could use to help Rex, call for Six, or something!
"Sorry bout this." Rex said, grimacing and arching up. Rex shuddered, feeling an odd heat creep up on him that was at odds with the cold that chilled his very bones. He tried to fight the heat as his world spun, the nausea overwhelming him. "I feel like crap." Rex said, throwing an arm over his forehead.
"Funny, you look it too." Noah quipped, not liking how red-faced Rex was.
"Good one." Rex chuckled, trying to turn away as Noah reached for him.
"Hold still." Noah said, pulling Rex's arms down so that he could get a better look at him. Rex groaned but put his arms down, sighing when he felt the cool grass. His body just couldn't decide of it wanted to be hot or cold, and it was really starting to tick him off. "You're burning up."
"Thank you Captain Obvious." Rex said, smirking. His smile turned to a scowl though when his shivers returned, "Funny though, I feel like I'm back at Paradise." Rex said, eyes blinking out of focus.
"Paradise?"
"Frozen wasteland of death." Rex said, letting out a small chuckle.
"Right." Noah shook his head and tried to lift Rex, eliciting a moan from the boy as Noah tried to sit him up. "I need to take your jacket off, it's soaked in sweat. We might have to take off your shirt too." Noah said, already stripping Rex of his jacket. Rex giggled, blinking slowly as his jacket was the thrown to the ground.
"Good! I want the world to see my sexiness." Rex said, wiggling slightly. Noah's eyes widened and he bit back a sigh.
"Rex, I think you're delirious."
Rex smiled again, letting out another chuckle, "I hope not. I don't have a cream for that." Rex continued to chuckle, moving his arms up and down his stomach before pointing down south, "I hope it doesn't go somewhere bad! What would you do Noah?" Rex laughed, pointing at Noah's red face, "You're all embarrassed! That's fine though, people don't usually want to stick their hands there. At least not when applying cream! Or do they?" Rex said in a singsong voice, giggling like mad.
"Great. Just great, you're nuts, we're stuck in the Petting Zoo, and I have no idea what to do." Noah said, running a hand through his hair. He tried looking around again, but all he saw were trees and the smallest rustling in the-
"Oh no." Noah ducked down on Rex, the delirious boy groaning as Noah's body hit his chest. A small Evo zipped by, a strange blue creature that looked like an eyeless snake that had sprouted wings. The thing's mouth opened, revealing several large and sharp fangs and it dived after Noah and Rex. "Darn it!" Noah cried, pressing Rex and himself toward the ground. Noah pushed himself up as the Evo veered for another attack, grabbing Rex under his armpits and dragging him into some of the bushes. The blue Evo flew at them and Noah pushed Rex aside as the Evo opened its mouth.
"Ow!" Noah shouted, grabbing his arm where the Evo had bitten him, feeling blood ooze between his fingers. Noah grabbed the snake creature by its tail before it flew away and slammed it into the ground, holding it by its neck when it began to snap up at him. The wings near its head began to beat feverishly as it tried to free itself, but Noah had turned his attention back to Rex.
"You all right?" Noah asked, glad when Rex looked at him with somewhat clearer eyes. Rex blinked and Noah tilted his head to the side, wondering what Rex was staring at.
"Your arm." Rex said with a hoarse voice, tying to push himself up. The dark haired teen groaned and laid back on the grass, some of his hair catching on the bush, "I'm sorry."
Noah shrugged, even though his arm throbbed painfully. There was only a little blood trickling down his arm, nothing that he couldn't handle. Considering it was Rex he was with, he could have gotten a lot worse.
"It's nothing big Rex. But how are you feeling?" Noah asked, not realizing that the Evo in his hands had gone unnaturally still. Rex closed his eyes and moaned.
"I feel like a batch of daisies Noah, don't worry." Noah rolled his eyes and shifted his legs so that he was looking over Rex instead of the Evo. Rex coughed, hands grasping at his stomach as another wave of nausea hit him in a bout of sickening heat. "A-Actually..." Rex said, choking slightly before he continued, "I-I think I'm gonna-" Rex didn't even get the words out before he was twisting over. He heaved into the bushes, his nonexistent breakfast spilling and clinging to the leaves. Rex's face lost even more color, leaving his skin looking gray and clammy with the exception of his feverish cheeks. Rex quickly moved away from the vomit before it made him throw up again, the pungent stench making his stomach turn.
"Rex." Noah said, voice strangely quiet.
"What?" Rex asked, his eyes still closed tight. All he wanted to do was lay in the grass. He had no idea what was wrong with him, but the grass was so cool and inviting. Strange...before he had felt so hot and now.
"Don't move." Rex's eyes snapped open and he held back a shout as he looked behind Noah. A hulking Evo stood behind Noah, the beast a dark maroon color, its hands trailing on the ground. It had large, hollow black eyes that took up most of its face, the beast's bottom fangs jutting out and covering the mouth. A shaggy mane of white gray fur trailed down its head to its back, and it stood on its hindquarters over Noah and Rex. "Just don't move..." Noah whispered, slowly releasing the blue Evo from before. The snake like beast fluttered slightly before trying to fly away, only to be caught in the great Evo's clutches. Rex winced when the new Evo chomped on the blue Evo, snapping off the head and chewing it with its bottom teeth.
"Noah..." Rex mumbled, trying to make his arms work. He thought of his smack hands, of his 'Rex Ride, of anything that could help get Noah out of there or just help defend them before they wound up dead. But nothing was working! All he could feel was a small tingle, then nothing.
"Let's go." Noah said, slowly lifting himself away from Rex and rolling over on the grass. Noah's hand flew out and grabbed Rex by his arm, dragging him along the grass into another pair of bushes. Rex bit his lip, licking away the salty sweat that traveled down his temple to the corner of his lips. He held in his pained groans despite his chest's tight feeling, knowing that the slightest sound could distract the Evo from its current meal. Noah focused on getting to the next pair of bushes undetected, arm shaking slightly as he tried to pull Rex away with one arm, avoiding as much sound as possible.
Rex gulped as his chest tightened and stretched, his throat starting to tickle as he resisted the urge to cough. He arched his neck as if he were holding his breath, the tickling getting worse and worse until-
"Cough."
The beast turned to them, it's black, hollow eyes zeroing in on Rex as saliva and blood dripped down its mouth. Noah shouted and grabbed Rex with both arms, yanking the sick teen brutally to get him away from the Evo's wrath. The two boys fell into a heap in the bushes just as the Evo slammed its fist into the ground where Rex's head had been, cracking the ground. There was a heavy thud as the Evo managed to reach the steel ground, and both boys exchanged panicked glances.
"Not good, not good, not good, not good." Noah chanted, pulling on Rex again.
"Well what did you expect?" Rex said, although he was trying in vain to help Noah along. He closed his eyes and tried to call on his machines again, willing the smallest reaction from his nanites. Anything to help. Anything!
"Rex!" Rex's eyes snapped open but he was thrust to the ground before he could even think. His eyes widened as he heard Noah give a pained grunt before falling to the ground, clutching his stomach. Noah's eyes opened, creased in pain, and they locked with Rex's. Noah breathed out a long sigh, trying to catch his breath.
"Noah!" Rex narrowed his eyes and turned to the Evo that was aiming for another strike. Sweat was beading down his temples, every breath felt like a chore, but Rex would not stand by and let Noah be hurt. "Leave him alone!" Rex shouted, throat burning from the effort. Rex pushed his legs up, stumbling slightly as he stood, and raised his arms as if to defend himself. He glared at the Evo but smirked, even though his breaths were quick and shallow. "Hey ugly! Why don't you try messing with me?"
"Rex-don't be an idiot!" But Rex ignored Noah, instead dodging, or rather falling, to the side as the Evo aimed a punch at him. Rex skidded on the ground, but he pushed his shaking limbs into motion, heaving himself away as the Evo aimed another blow. The ground trembled under the hit, almost knocking Rex off his feet, but Rex continued to dodge, stepping backward with each move.
Have to…get him…away from Noah! Rex leaned back as the Evo aimed a punch at his face, but stumbled and landed painfully on the ground, head cracking on impact. Before he could even blink away the spots, the Evo was on Rex, aiming a punch in the gut before kicking him in the chest. Rex gasped for breath as searing, throbbing pain erupted in his chest and stomach, each breath straining his lungs. Rex tried to lift his arms, the limbs trembling violently at his sides, but they refused to listen. Rex started to curl in on himself, anything to stop the rain of blows that tore endlessly at his body.
"Fu-" Rex snapped his mouth shut when his jaw bounced on the ground and big, dark spots popped in his vision. His jaw throbbed, his chest ached, his stomach screamed, and every part of him seemed to be in pain. He breathed out his mouth, trying to gasp in oxygen that just wasn't coming, and everything was muddled and slow. Rex slowly, painfully, opened his eyes, a strange whiteness settling over his vision. He blinked, then blinked again, but it didn't go away, and eventually he just shrugged it off. He was too tired to think about it anyway. At least the pain had stopped...wait.
"It…st…ped?" Rex managed, trying to lift his head and see if the Evo was indeed gone, or if it was planning something worse. Instead his head just lolled on the ground, and no matter how hard Rex strained his eyes, he could not see the Evo. "Ugh…" Rex curled even more into himself, gingerly cupping his stomach and willing the pain away. Normally his nanites would do something to help, but they weren't even helping with his machines. Nothing was working. Nothing.
Rex thought he heard something screech in the background but the noise was dull…faraway. Rex sighed and settled against the cool grass, grateful that at least he was being hit anymore. Rex watched through half lidded eyes as something dark green came into his vision, and as Rex tried to look up, he thought he saw a pair of sunglasses.
Then nothing.