Final chapter. Thank you everyone for reading and reviewing. Hope you liked how the story turned out. Thank you again to thereal13thfirewolf for allowing me to finish this story.
Six kicked the grate of the vent to the outside off its hinges. After deciding that their height was survivable, he jumped out. Landing on one knee, he got up and brushed himself off. Holding out his arms, he barely caught Rex who had hastily followed him from his perch.
"Yay! We got out!" Rex cheered.
"Well, we're out of the castle but we still need to get out of Dodge." Six corrected.
"Dodge what? I don't see anything." Rex looked around apprehensively.
"Nothing. It's just a figure of speech." Six said exasperated as he began walking away from the castle.
"I've never heard that before." Rex wrinkled his nose. He trailed behind the teen.
"It's from a long time ago." Six explained remembering One.
"Yeah, it must be… because you're old." Rex started skipping.
"If only." Six mused.
Their surrounding began crackling. Six stopped and gripped Rex's arm.
"Oww, you're hurting me." Rex whined.
Six loosened his grip but didn't let go. The braches of the seemingly barren dead trees were elongating.
"Come on!" Six ran dragging Rex behind him.
The braches began growing out, ripping at their clothes and scratching their exposed skin.
"Oww, oww, oww!" Rex howled as Six ran through the gauntlet. Six had one arm out shielding his face while the other held firmly to Rex.
The branches up ahead formed a thick wall. Six immediately turned aside to avoid hitting it. The braches merely followed.
Rex looked behind him to see the branches snaking their way towards them. Narrowing his eyes, he turned around and concentrated. Blue lines circumvented his body. Six was too busy trying to stay one step ahead of the branches to notice what Rex was doing. One minute he was running; the next he was bucked up and landed behind the boy.
"Hang on!" Rex called out gleefully.
Six gripped the back of the Rex Ride as Rex hit the gas. They quickly out paced the flowing boughs of the trees.
"Good thinking Rex." Six stated as he bounced uncomfortably through the rocky terrain.
Although he couldn't see him, Six could feel Rex's face light up.
They raced through the creepy forest until they reached the edge of Van Kleiss's domain.
"We're almost out!" Rex crowed excitedly. Just as they were reaching the border, both Rex and Six flew off the Rex Ride. Six rolled to a stop. Pushing himself up, he saw that Van Kleiss had Rex by the scruff of his jacket. The bike lay broken on the ground snagged by some vines.
"Never send peons to do real work." Van Kleiss said disdainfully.
"Let him go, Van Kleiss or I swear…" Six said in a low menacing tone.
"You'll what? Bite my ankles?" Van Kleiss sneered. "You're as threatening as a daisy."
Six knew he was right. Suddenly he wished he had told Holiday where he was going. He needed help.
Use your enemies' weakness against him. He heard his Master's voice.
What's Van Kleiss' weakness? Six wondered to himself.
"I grow weary of these games." He said haughtily. "Let's end this now." Vines jutted out and surrounded Six. Six pulled out his last remaining shuriken. He sliced at the creeping plants that threatened to strangle him.
"No! Six!" Rex struggled.
"Hold still Rex!" Van Kleiss shook the boy violently.
Where does his power come from? Six heard again. It came to him. Van Kleiss needed the nanite rich soil of Abysus to sustain him.
"Hey! You crazy wannabe edgelord! Come and catch me!" Six used the vines like steps. He leapt through the opening at the top to escape the encroaching vines.
Letting the last of his shuriken fly, it managed to hit the arm holding Rex. Startled, Van Kleiss dropped the boy. Rex immediately formed his Rex Ride. His back tire spun furiously kicking up mud in Van Kleiss's face. He then peeled away. Six jumped on as Rex sped by.
"Get back here!" Van Kleiss cried pulling the shuriken out. He raised his arms.
Vines shot through the ground like spikes trying to impale the bike. Rex swerved around each with Six hanging on precariously.
When Van Kleiss realized they were going to get away, the ground underneath him trembled. The ground propelled him forward. He flew through the air and landed in front of the bike. Rex swerved and tried to get around him but Van Kleiss's gauntlet extended and punctured the front tire. The bike veered uncontrollably before tipping over. The two fell off.
"You think you can escape me?" Van Kleiss asked walking triumphantly over to them. "I have the power of nature at my fingertips."
"You mean you had." Six said standing up unsteadily. "You're not on your turf anymore… You're on ours!"
Van Kleiss glanced around in shock. In his haste, he did not notice that he had slipped passed the boundaries of his Abysus. Six took his last weapon, the vine attached to a shuriken. He swung it over his head before letting it fly. The vine wrapped around Van Kleiss tight. Six gave a hard pull. Van Kleiss fell over.
The EVO looked up with hatred in his eyes but his power was waning without the Abysus's soil to sustain him.
A large shadow encompassed the area. Six looked up. He almost smiled.
"It's the Keep." He turned to Van Kleiss. "You're going away for a long time."
"I don't think so, agent." He said mockingly. He gave a low whistle. A swarmer came out of no where and snatched Van Kleiss. The vine snapped as they flew back into the Abysus.
"Is it over?" Rex asked as he came alongside Six.
"Almost." Six answered. He felt Rex slip his little hand into his. Instead of shoving him away, he gripped the hand tightly. "Let's see if that brother of yours has a cure yet."
0o0
"How are you feeling, Six?" Holiday shone a flashlight into his eyes.
"Like myself." An older Six now sat on the examining table. He was in his usual green suit. His shades were folded neatly next to him.
"Well, everything seems normal. Who would have guessed that the effect would just… wear off by itself?" Holiday said apologetically.
"At least it's over." Six put his shades on. "It's getting late. If we're finished…"
"Yes, for now. But I'm going to need another sample in a few days to see if there are any after effects." Holiday went back to her clipboard. She expected Six to leave, but when she looked up he was still there.
Six cleared his throat. Holiday looked at him expectantly.
"It's been… interesting." He began hesitantly.
Holiday merely nodded not knowing what to say.
"I… just want to thank you for… helping me… us cope with the situation." Six pushed his shades higher up his nose.
Holiday gave him a beatific smile. "You're very welcome."
"And I hope that you will have the good graces to never speak of this whole episode ever again." He hopped off the table and walked out.
Holiday wasn't sure if he meant being de-aged or his thanks. Either way she couldn't help bursting into laughter.
When the doors shut behind him, he could hear Holiday's laughter. Despite his embarrassment he smirked.
"Hey, Six!" Rex called him from down the hall. He jogged down to meet him.
"Yes, Rex?" Six's face arranged itself into his usual stoic look.
Rex was the first one to be examined by Holiday on the Keep. As they were flying home, Holiday discovered that they were slowly ageing back to their original ages. In a few hours they were back to normal. It was both a relief and somewhat of a disappointment. Caesar proposed that they be sprayed again so that they can study further the effects. Six proposed that he hang Caesar's intestine up like Christmas lights. Caesar withdrew his proposal.
Rex reached Six. "Doc finally done with you?"
"I think the fact that I'm out here means that is an affirmative." Six began walking away. Rex walked alongside him.
"Yeah, yeah, very funny Six." Rex grumbled. They strolled together in silence.
"Something I can help you with Rex?" Six spoke first.
Rex rubbed the back of his neck. "I don't remember much about what happened. Doc says it's because four year olds' memories haven't crystallized or something like that…" Rex stopped seemingly confused.
Six reached his room and faced Rex. "You want to know what you were like as a child?"
"Um, yeah, kinda." Rex almost seemed embarrassed.
Six was quiet for a second. "Rex, I can honestly say that you were definitely a pain."
"Oh," Rex looked crestfallen. "Well, I'll catch you later." He turned to leave.
A hand on his shoulder stopped him. Rex looked at the hand on his shoulder in surprise.
"But I was proud of you." Six continued seriously. From the corner of his eye, Six could see One looking on approvingly. "You showed resourcefulness, grit, and something I never had… a sense of fun."
"Well, yeah, because I'm awesome!" Rex's face was beaming and his confident smirk was plastered on his face. "Later Six." Rex practically floated away.
"Oh, Rex, I have something for you." Six tossed something at Rex.
Rex caught it. "What is it?"
"Nightlight. Good night, Rex." Six walked into his room.
Rex looked at the object in his hand. He glared at the door for a moment before he broke into a smile. Who said Six had no sense of humor?
A moment of silence for those who lost their lives on September 11.
God bless.