Boom. Another chapter. I was determined to post this today, for, alas, I start college tomorrow. I am going to really work on my time-management this year, so as to survive in college. But I will include fanfiction in my plans, rest assured. Anyhoodles, I hope you enjoy thoroughly! :D (One more chapter to go!)

It is a terrible feeling when a close friend hurts you, whether physically or emotionally. So you can imagine how horrible Rex felt as he ran for his life from the girl with whom he had played video games the day before.

Moments ago, he had been suspended against the wall. When Kara-or Odiata as Shant called her-had turned on him and swung at his head, he had ducked and her punch had broken the frame. He had wiggled out as quickly as he could, his heart jumping into his throat. Whatever Kara had evolved into was absolutely terrifying, but more terrifying was his fear that he might not be able to change her back to the petite, smart-cookie of whom he had sort of, kind of, maybe grown fond.

Odiata roared. She was right on his heels now. The henchmen had eagerly watched her transformation, then laughed at his peril. But now that the chase was taking up the whole room, most had began running back through whatever door they could. Some still lingered, and Rex decided to use that to his advantage. He took a sharp right, heading toward Medusa Man, then another just before he ran into him. Odiata's momentum carried her forward, and as soon as her burning eyes fell on the tentacled EVO, a deep growl erupted from her throat. Before he had a chance to defend himself, Odiata's claws were around his neck. She threw him and he hit the opposite wall, crashing through the sheetrock. Now that she was distracted destroying the others in the room, Rex ran and slid behind the piles of metal that were once the frames he and Kara were suspended in. He hesitantly lifted his eyes above the mangled metal beams. He saw another person flailing and screaming midair. He dropped to his knees, his heart ready to explode. How was he going to get out of this? The stupid collar around his neck blocked his powers. Without his powers, he could not cure Kara.

He ran his fingers through his hair. Blast it all! Why had she not just told him that she was an EVO? He could have cured her on the spot and they would not be in this mess! Well, maybe. He did not know if she were curable. So what could he do now?

If only Holiday and Six-

Duh! He could call in reinforcements from Providence. He stuck his hand in his pocket and felt around for a phone that was not there. He frantically began slapping all his pockets. Nothing! They must have taken his phone while he was unconscious. He dropped low to the ground, beating his fists against the concrete.

Odiata screamed in rage, fear, and sorrow, the sound threatening to break Rex into pieces. His friend was a nightmare, trapped in a monster's body without any control of it. And there was not a honking thing he could do about it! Kara was probably in there screaming for him, telling him to do something!

In his mind he shouted back, What? What can I do?

Think, you idiot!

Before he had the chance to get mad over the insult Kara probably would have given him, his mind recollected the stomach-flipping scene of Odiata grabbing people by the throat and tossing them like dirty laundry.

"That's it!" he shouted in a whisper. He turned and peered again over the pile of rubble. Odiata was in the middle of the room now, grabbing metal (why was everything made of metal?) desks and filing cabinets and either smashing them into dust or chucking them at the scrambling henchman.

You're even more of an idiot now than when you weren't thinking at all, said Kara's voice in his head.

Thank you, he replied with a smile, then stopped for a moment and wondered if he was losing his mind, or if it was just the effect of an extremely stressful situation, such as being captured by a creeper gang leader, having a friend turn into a monster of epic proportions, and then having to sprint and hide to avoid becoming the next human projectile missile.

Taking a few quick breaths, he tucked and rolled (this was not really necessary, he just wanted to) until he was in the open floor. He stood and jumped up and down. "Hey, Kara, I never thought you were any good at Swift Shift, you loser!" he shouted.

Odiata turned, her blank cloak swirling like smoke, her dying-ember eyes focusing on him. She growled. Rex realized then the insult was probably unnecessary. He just needed her attention, not her wrath. Either way, too late.

She lurked toward him, her massive size requiring only a few steps to cross the room. It was everything Rex could do to keep from running. He took a breath. I'm coming for you, Kara. Don't worry. I can do this. Hey, and after we blow this joint, we can go for some burritos and have a good laugh about all this. I won't even mention what a scary boogywoman you make.

His knees threatened to buckle as her hand, white as death and tipped with a dragon's dark talons, wrapped around his throat like an anaconda. She lifted him from his feet and he had to grab her wrists and support his weight to keep from choking. Bringing him to her eye level, she gazed at him for a moment, and Rex, through his fear and cramping muscles, saw his friend locked inside the deep darkness of those eyes. Then the moment was gone.

Odiata tightened her grip, causing the metal collar to bite into his neck. He cried out, in fear as much as pain, but it only seemed to fuel the fire of her rage. Her hand closed further. He could feel her claws dragging across his nape. He pulled himself higher, but her force caused his throat to close. His head began to swim. Pain was exploding like firecrackers in his skull. He gasped, a horrible airless gasp, and he thought for a second it would be his last.

"Kara," he wheezed.

His vision darkened. One last jolt of pain, and he heard a snap. He felt the pressure around his neck decrease, and thought it meant he was slipping into unconsciousness, then realized he was not when his body dropped to the hard concrete.

Rex choked over the gasps of air his body was demanding, thinking he was going to choke to death after almost being choked to death. After his lungs were back into a rhythm, his vision returned a few seconds later. Odiata was no longer looming over him. He stood and looked around. The warehouse room was empty, save for the few unconscious gang members. He stood and reached up to feel the collar around his neck. Sure enough, just as he planned, the collar had broken. He yanked it off, and tore off one of his gloves to feel his skin. It was whelped almost all the way around, and in a few places trickled blood. Slipping the glove back on, he cocked out his hip and smiled. Another brilliant plan well executed, Rex. Huh, and I didn't even die. Kara will be so impressed once I tell her that. . .

His train of though crashed. That was only Phase One of the plan: remove hinderance so he could cure Kara. Phase Two involved finding Kara and actually curing her. Phase Three could be brag to her about how good he did.

He scrambled across the rubble and out the door, expecting to come out in the open warehouse, but found himself in a hallway instead. "Flying monkeys!"

Shant must have moved them to a different room than the one he and Kara had entered and been promptly tasered in. He looked both ways, and to his right noticed where the hallway turned to the left, the corner of the wall was a bit bashed in. He smirked. Bringing his wrist to his mouth as if he had a communicator there, he said, "Commence Phase Two." He then proceeded to hum the Mission Impossible theme as stalked down the hallway, following the trail of destruction.

Many twists and turns later, he finally come to a broken down door that led to a side alley. He stepped out and found himself in a sliver of space between two large cinderblock buildings. Night had fallen and billowing clouds rolled over the moon. The only light came from the streetlights, which cast an eerie orange glow across Rex's world. To his left was a high brick wall, so he darted to his right. The last thing he needed was for Odiata to create a panic in the city. He came to the sidewalk that bordered the busy street. Cars zoomed to and fro, leaving Rex to wonder if he had come the right way. Surely at least one person would stop the car to gape at a monster roaming the street.

He ran his fingers through his hair as he grunted, his head spinning from left to right. How was he supposed to-

The screech of tires followed by a panicked horn sounded from his right. He took off in a sprint, a few strides bringing him to a side street, where a car was stopped. The driver had thrown open his door and stepped out, hardly believing his eyes. Odiata loomed in front of the car, the bright headlights striking her shadowed body with no effect, as if she were made of darkness. Rex ran up to the driver, grabbing his shoulders and shaking him to snap him out of his shock. "Hey! Call Providence and tell them there's an EVO loose and Rex needs backup! Can you do that?"

The man nodded, his face showing he was still trying to comprehend what was happening. Rex did not have time to make sure the man did it; Odiata was already moving down the street. Rex bolted after her, hoping her attention was diverted by the noise and movement on the streets.

It must have been late at night; there were very few people on the streets. And those that saw Odiata coming made themselves scarce. Rex quickly closed in and expected her to hear his footsteps turn on him. But the monster continued on her way, seemingly oblivious to him. He slowed, shouting, "Hey, Kara!"

She turned, growling, and swung at him so quickly he barely avoided it, though he had anticipated it. He ducked and jumped, grabbing her shoulder with one arm and pressing his other hand against her chest. He grunted, willing his nanites to work as fast as possible. He was not fast enough, however, and Odiata's other hand snatched him and tossed him. He crashed into the bars covering a closed store window. He fell to the ground, gasping for the breath that had been knocked from his lungs, the metal bars still rattling loudly. He rose to his knees, still huffing for breath, and searched the streets. Odiata still made her way down the sidewalk, as if on a casual stroll. Rex shook his head as he struggled to stand. Glancing over his shoulder, he noticed the car was still stalled in the middle of the street and hoped it meant the driver was busy calling Providence. There was no way he could do this on his own; backup was necessary.

Whether he reinforcements came or not, he could not let Odiata roam the city, he needed to at least contain her somewhere. He ran in her wake, his legs beginning to feel like jelly. She took another right ahead, and once he caught up, he realized he had been on that street before. He slowed to a jog, trying to place it in his memory. This street was more heavily trafficked and therefore had more lights. Immediately someone saw Odiata and screamed. The people scattered like roaches, and Rex was glad. Less he had to worry about, as far as he was concerned. He ran past a grand building and took a side glance that jogged his memory. That was the hotel where Kara worked! She had already past it, so where was she going? Home? Her apartment was a few blocks down, if he was remembering correctly. Was Kara still in there somewhere, then? Or perhaps it was just instinct, like a lost animal returning to what was familiar.

Rex's mind was working furiously to devise a plan. Odiata was much too strong for him to try to subdue and cure her. He would have to outwit her. Perhaps if he had a distraction-

His thoughts were blasted away by the sound of a jet overhead. He stopped in his tracks, eyes up. The shimmering white Keep descended from the dark skies, hovering over the empty streets. The EVO sighting had caused the roads to clear, and the Keep had no problem landing.

Odiata heard and turned to the sound. A roar ripping from her throat, she disappeared before Rex could blink. He only sighed and crossed his arms as he waited for the Keep's door to drop open. When it did, it revealed Agent Six, who had traded his tailored duds for a combat suit, and a handful of other Providence agents, all battle ready. They strode toward Rex, who tried to hide his relief with a casual expression. "How did you get here so fast?"

Six's brow did not flinch. "I tried to call you to check in hours ago. When you didn't answer I assumed you had ran into trouble."

Rex laughed a mirthless laugh. "Yeah, we ran straight into trouble. Literally."

Six scanned the streets. "What's the problem? Where's Kara?"

Rex brought a hand to his aching jaw. "Ah. That's where it gets interesting. Kara is the problem."

"What?" The agent's brows lowered behind his shades. "She betrayed us? To who? Van Kleiss?"

"No! She didn't betray us. Well, not voluntarily."

"Rex, what are you talking about?"

Rex closed his eyes and threw out his hands. "She's an EVO! Those bracelets she wore were some kind of stabilizers or something. The stupid gang leader broke them and she turned into a honking grim-reaping minotaur!"

Six barely understood the teenager, but he had the information that was relevant. Kara was an EVO.

"Rex, can you cure her?"

"I don't know! I can't get close enough without her whacking me!"

"Where did she go?"

Rex pointed in the direction. "I think she's heading back to her apartment."

Six waved his arm and directed the men to follow him. Rex joined him at the front of the pack. They took the first left, then were back on a side street.

"You were right. She lives on the street."

After a few blocks, they saw her, standing in front of an old garage, staring at the large glass doors. They were close enough now that the streetlight allowed them to see her clearly. Rex thought he heard Six gasp. They stopped before she noticed them, and Six turned to the men. "That EVO is actually Kara, so we want to take it easy. Surround her as quietly as you can. I'm going to distract her so Rex can get a hand on her. If her can't cure her, we'll have to call in backup to bring a containment unit."

He turned back around, and motioned with his fingers. The agents broke off in pairs and slinked into the shadows. Pretty soon Rex lost sight of most of them. Six put a hand on his shoulder. "You go on ahead opposite me. I'll distract her from this side."

Rex nodded and did as he was told, sneaking up the street, keeping an eye on Odiata's back. His stomach knotted further, and he wondered if he would be hungry, had he not been so stressed out. He bit his lip and prayed he could cure her.

Once he was in position, he saw Six step out into the street and draw his katanas, the streetlight glinting off their metal. Odiata must have heard them unsheathe, for she turned toward him suddenly. She began charging toward him, when one of the hidden agents fired a smoke pellet at her. It hit her chest then fell to the ground, spilling thick smoke into the still night air. Rex heard Odiata roar, and he bolted straight for the middle of the smoke cloud, gulping a lungful of air. He entered and his eyes began burning, but he managed to spy a dark form in front of him. Without hesitation, he swung up his arms and jumped, landing on Odiata's back. She stumbled forward in shock, and he wrapped his arms around her neck. She brought her arm back to grab him, but he slammed his hand on her shoulder and began to cure her. She screamed and her arm fell to her side. Rex could see her nanites responding to his touch, and, tightening his other arm around her neck, could only hope she did not reach for him with her free arm. Only a moment passed, but it seemed to Rex an eternity. She dropped to her knees, still screaming, clutching her arm as if in pain. Rex had never considered him curing an EVO could hurt it, but it appeared so with Odiata. Even so, he could count it as revenge for the beat down he had endured.

Odiata convulsed, almost throwing off Rex, but he dug in further, and noticed she had shrunk. Another second, and she was even smaller. Still, Rex dared not breathe. After what seemed like forever, just when Rex thought he might collapse from exhaustion, he felt his power stop, and his knees dropped to the asphalt. Ignoring the pain shooting up his legs, he released his hold and leaned back, unintentionally letting the body fall to the side. Cringing, he swatted away the smoke, and to his great relief, noticed it was the body of a teenage girl.

He sighed, then laughed, then laughed again. "Kara!" He leaned over, grabbed her shoulder, and rolled her on her back, still laughing. "Kara! Wake up!" Slowly, her eyes blinked open, and Rex swore then (but would never admit later) he had never seen prettier blue eyes.

Consciousness crashed on her at once, and she shot up, gasping. Rex took her shoulders and turned her toward him. "Kara, it's okay."

She looked at him, relief and gratitude flooding her face. "What happened?"

He grinned smugly. "I cured you."

Tears welling in her eyes, she lunged at him, and he embraced her. She buried her head in his shoulder, clinging to him desperately. Rex patted her back as soothingly as he knew how (which was not very soothing, but Kara did not care in the least).

All at once, a strong wind blew over the street, dispelling the smoke. Rex glanced at the approaching Providence agents, who lowered their weapons upon seeing Kara in human form. Six strode up to the teenagers, his version of a smile on his face. "So we're good?"

Kara released Rex once she heard Six, and she turned and tried to stand. Her knees buckled, but Six caught her arm and held her up. She smiled at him, tears still streaking down her face, then at Rex, who grinned back.

"We're good," he said.