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Rex charged with his BFS. Bobo and Holiday scattered so that Rex went in between them crashing into the equipment behind them.
Holiday spotted Six's blade on the floor near where she had ended up. She scooped it up.
"Six!" She yelled at him. She threw the magna blade.
When Holiday yelled Six's name, the shadow EVOs turned their heads. Six took advantage of their distraction to leap frog off one of the Shadow EVO's shoulders. As he flipped midair he caught his blade before landing on one knee with one hand to steady him, the other holding the sword. Without looking back he lifted the sword behind him to block one of the EVO's attack. Spinning around, he pushed the EVO back. Then in rapid succession he blocked, kicked and punched as each EVO in turn tried to attack him.
Rex recovered and was going after Holiday. Not having any weapons, all she could do was to try to dodge his BFS. Bobo jumped on his back to try to stop him but Rex rescinded his BFS and formed his Smack Hands. Grabbing Bobo by the scruff of his jacket, he threw him across the room. He hit the wall and slid behind the scanner machine. Looking at Holiday, he approached her reforming his BFS.
"Rex, if you can hear me… stop!" Holiday yelled. But he swung his sword and kept coming.
From the corner of her eye, she saw a fire extinguisher. She sprinted into a roll and grabbed it just as Rex lunged at her. She pulled the pin and discharged the content. Rex was pushed back by the cold stream of CO2. His build fell apart and he fell to his knees. Coughing and wiping his eyes, Rex got up. His eyes were normal again. He stumbled and Holiday was next to him in a second.
"Rex, are you okay?" She asked.
"Doc, what happened?" Rex sputtered.
"The fire extinguisher must have washed off the secretion from the Shadow EVOs." She said. "Rex, you can't let any more of that slime touch you. The slime somehow psychically links you to it. It makes you see your worst fear, so it can control you. I'm pretty sure Van Kleiss must have altered its nanites in order to affect yours."
"You mean the Van Kleiss is controlling the EVO?" Rex asked shocked.
"No, more likely Van Kleiss used his new powers to change the natural properties of the EVO's secretion so that it only interacts with your nanites. The EVO is just a pawn in his game." Holiday explained.
Rex's face twisted in anger. "Well, he's not going to get away with that!" He formed his Smack Hands.
"Wait Rex! We need to protect you." Holiday stopped him.
"How?" He asked.
She pulled him aside.
Meanwhile Six was keeping the EVOs at bay. Some managed to get in a hit or two. There were several deep cuts on Six's arm that was bleeding. His jacket was torn at the edges. One of the EVOs took a flying leap at him. Six rolled over onto his back and bounced it off. Then in one smooth motion got back up to block another's attack. Turning around he threw it over his shoulder. Jumping up into a split he caught the other two EVOs in the face as they rushed to attack him at once. Then the first EVO rammed him. Six flew back into some filing cabinets losing his sword in the process. As he fell, the cabinets tipped over trapping him. He struggled to get up. The four EVOs loomed over him triumphantly. They raised their sickles…
"Hey! Tall, dark, and ugly!" Rex yelled. The EVOs turned around. Rex was wearing a white hazmat suit. "I got something for ya!"
All four EVOs were knocked back by Rex's Punk Busters.
Holiday ran to help Six as Rex took over.
"Kid's back." Six stated.
"Yes, he is." Holiday said with a tinge of pride in her voice.
"So you think you can go around messing with my head now, do you?" Rex asked rhetorically. "Well, let's see how you like me messing up your body!" He formed his Smack Hands and struck the nearest one. It hit the computer console which sparked and electrocuted it. The EVO fell as smoke rose from its body. It dissolved. Rex saw that. "So you also don't like electricity, huh?"
He made his Blast Caster. "I was saving this for Van Kleiss for the next time we met but since he sent you guys, eat voltage!"
His whip wrapped around another Shadow EVO. The shocks also made it dissipate. The two remaining EVOs circled around Rex. Rex carefully kept his eye on them as they stood on either side of him. The one on the left moved and Rex turned to it but it was a fake out. The one on the right slashed the dynamo on his back.
"Augh!" Rex yelled as his pack sparked. He rescinded his build. Nursing his shoulder, he avoided the sickles on the EVOs. Rex quickly recovered. His Smack Hands sprouted. He struck each with each of his fist. They bounced back. The Smack Hands absorbed back while his Blast Caster reformed. He wrapped his whip around one of the fallen EVO. The EVO screeched as shocks went through its body before disappearing. Turning his attention to the last EVO, he smirked. "End of the road." He told the EVO.
The EVO seemed ready to attack. Then out of the blue it dove into the shadows.
"Hey, hey, hey! No fair! You can't do that!" Rex looked around frantically. "That's cheating!"
A bright light hit Rex in the face. It was Six with the flashlight. He swept the room with the beam.
"There." He pointed to the door. The EVO hissed before slipping under the door.
"It's getting away!" Rex formed his Rex Ride. With the squeal of tires, he went after it. Not waiting for the doors to slide open, he formed his battering ram and crashed through.
Six ran after him. Holiday at a slower pace followed.
"Hello? Can I get some help?" Bobo pulled himself up over the scanner. "Where did everyone go?"
The EVO glided down the hall at breakneck speed. Rex was catching up. He recalled his bike and his Punk Busters formed. In a single jump he got in front of the EVO. They collided. Rex and the EVO rolled around with Rex trying to pin the EVO to the floor. The EVO managed to get its legs under Rex and pushed him off. Rex slid on his backside but formed his Smack Hands to get himself back up. Taking a swing at the EVO, he caught it on the side of its head. It hit the wall and slid down, unmoving. Rex formed his BFS and was about to skewer it.
"No! Rex don't!" Holiday yelled.
"Why?" Rex asked through gritted teeth. "If I get rid of it…"
"Then you'd be no better than Van Kleiss." Six interrupted. "It's one thing to kill to defend yourself but it's been neutralized. Besides it's not really the EVO's fault. You'd be killing in cold-blood."
Rex's sword hovered over the creature whose eyes were open and seemed to be quivering. His eyes narrowed and he slammed down his blade…
Right by the side of the EVO's head. He pulled his BFS back into his body. Grabbing the EVO by the throat, he dragged him to Six and Holiday.
"So what are we going to do with this thing?" He asked disdainfully.
"We send it back to Van Kleiss…" Holiday said nonchalantly.
"What?" Six and Rex asked at the same time.
"Modified of course." Holiday smirked. "Time for Van Kleiss to get a taste of his own medicine, don't you think?"
Rex's frown dissolved into a smirk as well.
0o0
Van Kleiss walked through his dilapidated castle. His spy had stopped communicating with him. There was a possibility he got caught but hopefully his pet EVO had caused Rex to inflict enough damage on Providence that the whole organization would be compromised. Van Kleiss smiled to himself. He heard Rex had injured that meddlesome doctor. It would have been better if she had died but it was enough to demoralize Rex. Van Kleiss reached his throne room. Somehow it seemed… chillier than usual. He went to sit on his throne. As he placed his hand on the armrest, he quickly drew it back. There was some sort of slime on it. He gritted his teeth and tried to fling it off. Suddenly, the room started to swim. He shook his head. Then the shadows began moving.
"Who's there?" He demanded. A low chuckle made him spin around.
"What's wrong, Van Kleiss? Turnabout is fair play."
"Rex!" Van Kleiss growled. "How dare you invade my sanctuary!"
"No more sanctuary for you." A boy stepped from the shadows, his face still hidden. "It's time for you to learn what happens when you mess with the best!" He came into the light. His face was not Rex's. It looked closer to a demon. He grinned evilly before lunging for Van Kleiss.
Van Kleiss screamed as darkness enveloped him.
0o0
"So Rex is back to normal… or as normal as he would ever be?" White asked Six.
"Yes. The foreign nanites in his system has all been expunged. He is fine." Six answered.
"And the EVO?" White leaned back in his chair.
"It has been returned to sender." Six noted.
"You are certain that it will not be used against Providence again?" White asked.
"Holiday has altered the composition of its excretion so that it will only affect his particular active nanites. He will never be able to come in contact with the EVO again without… side effects." Six said grimly.
"Good. We caught Van Kleiss's spy. He was the one damaging the video cameras. We are going over our employee and containment protocols to make sure this doesn't happen again." White added before cutting off the feed.
It was the most that he would admit that he was wrong about Rex. But it was enough. Six walked out.
Walking down the hall, he reached Rex's room. He knocked on the door.
"Yeah?" Rex opened the door. "Oh, hey Six, what's up?"
"Just making sure you're well enough for training tomorrow." Six said.
Rex made a face. "Really? Training? Well, you know, I am feeling a little stiff and…" He coughed unconvincingly. "I think I'm coming down with a cold." He sniffled.
"I'll meet you at 6 in training room B." Six told him. Rex's shoulders slumped as he turned to go back into his room. "Oh, Rex." Six said as he walked away.
"What?" Rex sighed.
"Glad to have you back." He looked over his shoulder.
Rex paused a minute before a smile plastered his face. "Because I'm awesome." He declared before the door shut.
"You are." Six agreed softly. He turned the corner and reached Holiday's lab. Walking in, he found her at her desk. "How are you feeling?"
Holiday looked up at him. "I'm okay."
"You pulled your stitches in the fight." Six stated.
Holiday looked at him in surprise. "How did you know?"
"You're lab coat was stained with blood." He said. "You need to be resting."
Holiday waved away his concern. "I got new stitches and I'm not moving around. I should be fine."
"I don't want anything happening to you. I… we need you." Six said.
Holiday was too busy to notice his gaffe. "Nothing will happen to me. Statistically, you two are more in danger than I."
Six stood in his spot as Holiday continued working.
"Can I help you with something, Six?" Holiday finally looked at him.
Six seemed to be thinking through something. "Perhaps there is something you could help me with."
Holiday's look turned curious. "Yes?"
"Where can I get a good cup of coffee?" He asked.
Startled, Holiday's mouth dropped open. "What?"
"The coffee in the cafeteria hasn't been the same after the… renovations. And since you are a connoisseur, maybe you can recommend a place." Six pushed his glasses higher up his nose.
Holiday's incredulous look turned into a smirk. "Six, are you trying to get me to take a break?"
Six shrugged. "Just looking for good coffee."
"Fine, if you're buying, I know a place." She got up.
"Of course." Six agreed.
As they walked out together, Holiday shut off the lights.
Okay, done. Not really as much horror as I had intended but hope you liked it anyway. Can't help but add a little HOLIX at the end.
SirenSounds97: You need to stay out of my head, haha. You're right, it was Van Kleiss.
Guest: Thanks for the vote of confidence and hope you enjoyed the ride.
Thank you Smiley-Nami, Gashicalmy, Crystalmoon101, JediFlashDemigod, and everyone else for reading, reviewing, and favoring. I appreciate the support. Now onto my next project… I wonder what it will be… hmmm.
God bless!