DISCLAIMER
I don't own the characters of Generator Rex. This fic was written for fun!
THE LOST QUEEN
By Airshadow
CHAPTER XIII
UNWANTED DESTINATION
"LET ME GO! I WANT TO GO HOME!"
Biowulf ignoring his captive's protests, held the little girl as he walked towards the throne room. Reggie was crying whilst she struggled to free herself. She never had been so afraid. In the dark and damp corridors, she could see a glimpse of other EVOs, but they didn't look like her or her hermanito, they didn't even look human. The little child sobbed loudly, she was scared more than ever. The Second of the Pack continued his stride through the damp passage, ignoring his surroundings. He together with his little prisoner arrived at the center of the decayed hall, but the Ruler of that Dark place seemed not to be there. The Wolf-Looking-EVO released the grip on his little prisoner. She quickly tried to scurry away.
"Leaving too soon?" said a male voice with a hint of sarcasm. Several roots emerged from the floor and caught her before she could leave the room; following a silent command, they raised her several feet from the floor. She squirmed and fought, trying to free herself, whereas the animated roots moved her in front of the Throne. A sinister figure emerged from the shadows. The little one was blanched with terror. Van Kleiss smirked evilly, adding "Well, well, well! Look what my trusted lieutenant just brought! It's none other than the little Reggie! You've grown so much since the last time I saw you ...!"
o0o – o0o – o0o
"NO!"
The Portal had closed seconds before Rex could reach it. He looked with despair where his baby sister and his enemy had disappeared, then he looked around him. The picture was bleak: The bathroom's door was in pieces with claw marks nearby; the furniture was overturned, the books and colored pencil were scattered on the floor; the fairy-shaped lamp, that his Sis loved so much, was shattered, as well as her bed frame leaving the wires exposed as the other security systems. The juvenile walked with disbelief; among the rubble what seemed to be a dirty piece of rag with a faint pink hue. The young EVO took it, he recognized what it was left of the rag bunny that she cherished so much... It was completely torn... Few inches away were the toy glasses that Six had gifted her, now broken. He felt distressed, in disbelief of what had just happened. He shook off his numbness when he felt a hand on one of his shoulders. The teen EVO turned his head and saw the expressionless face of his mentor. A wave of anger swept over him, with a quick movement, he swatted his hand.
"YOU SAID THAT SHE WOULD BE SAFE!" The minor screamed at his face. Holiday and Calan tried to interfere to defuse the situation, but the Second of Providence stopped them with a gesture. The former mercenary remained stoic and undaunted. He remained in silence while his pupil continued shouting at him "DO YOU HAVE THE SLIGHTEST IDEA WHAT MAY BE HAPPENING TO HER IN THIS EXACT MOMENT! SHE MUST BE VERY SCARED! I DON'T WANT TO GUESS WHAT VAN KLEISS MAY BE DOING TOO HER! OR WORSE! WHAT IF SHE IS IN BREACH'S DOLLHOUSE! DO YOU KNOW WHAT IS THERE, SIX!? EVOS! EVOS LIKE WE HAVE IN THE PETTING ZOO! WHAT CHANCE DOES SHE HAS IF...!"
"I'm worried about her too, Kid."
Rex blinked, he didn't expect that answer. His handler took his shoulders. The teen could get away if he wanted to, but he didn't move; it was one of those rare moments when Six showed emotions; in a way it was comforting. The Agent continued speaking with his characteristic cold tone "You have every right to be angry, I promised that she would be safe... And I failed."
The young man dropped his chin and his body relaxed a little. He turned his back, looking at the place still in disbelief. The Second of Providence took advantage that the teen has calmed a bit; he looked at the Monkey, the Third in Command and the Principal Scientist of the organization, he had some specific tasks for each one; it was a lot to do, as soon as they started better.
"Calan!" The alluded looked at his superior, then his Superior added "Prepare the smallest of the Scout ships, I need you to personally choose twenty-four pawns; I want for the mission those who have proven loyalty to us; don't worry about White's approval, I will handle it. I want twelve for the extraction, the rest to watch over the communications; every single signal that comes in or out, I wanted it traced and verified; if it's necessary, blocked." The Captain of Providence nodded, he quickly left the room. The former assassin looked at the young woman. She was pale and about to burst into tears; when he spoke, he softened his voice tone "Holiday, listen to me! We will find her, but I need your head in the game; I presume that every time Breach opens a portal, she may have left a trace. I need to find out where they are, it may give us an idea of where to start to look for the little one! If someone can do it, it's you! Meet us in the Scout ship."
The young scientist steeled herself filled among a new resolution, she left quickly to the aircraft. The man glanced at the minor and requested without further preamble "Kid! I need you to call Circe..."
Rex's jaw dropped, for a few seconds he didn't know what to say or if he had listened well; what his mentor asked him to do, it was totally off the manual… That he never bothered to read, but it was for sure. When he recovered a little from his surprise, he retorted "Did you forget that two weeks ago, you gave me a lecture about fraternizing alongside the enemy?"
"Have you ever listened to what I told you?" Responded the adult " Besides, if someone knows what is going on in Abysus, it's her!"
It made sense, looking further, she could babysit his little sibling while they found a way to take her out of that nightmarish place. Without any further word, The EVO teen moved away and started to mark a number with his cellphone. The Second of Providence looked at the chimpanzee and said seriously "Bobo?"
"Yes, Green Man?" replied the primate in an almost smug tone.
"Stay together by the kid, don't allow him to do something stupid!" he requested.
"Are you sure?" answered back the monkey, who could barely keep from himself for laughing "Bad influence, remember?"
"I also remember that you appreciate the little one." retorted the ex-assassin; the grin erased in the simian's face, it was replaced by a concerned expression; the man noticed it, and added "Listen! You and I don't get along, that is understood, but we want the best for them, if Rex does something stupid, we may lose vital time; it's why I need to keep an eye on him."
"Count with me, Green Beam." assure the chimp whereas he squared.
The Agent didn't say a word, before heading to his next destination, he gave some instructions to a couple of Pawns that waited outside. They nodded and started to guard the entrance of the infant's room.
With a quick stride, he walked towards White's public office. The Chief of Providence was waiting for him; his expression was grimmer than usual. Six approached in silence and stopped just in front of his boss. Just the protective glass that insolated him in his nanite-free environment was between them. The door did a muffled sound when it slid, insulating it, leaving them alone inside.
"Can you explain to me how this happened?" the Leader of Providence growled.
"The mole has done a movement before being transferred." confirmed coldly his Second. "DNA testing confirmed my suspicions, the White Pawn that died some months ago was Walters, one of the few who has access to our restricted areas; someone has supplanted his identity. The traitor only had to switch badges to do it so and kept a low profile. It seems that he got his passcode too, allowing him to sabotage our Phase Scrambler System."
"No doubt it was carefully planned and executed, I believe it took some time to be crafted." snarled the albino man. "What matters now is locating the Minor, and bringing her back! If news about this incursion spreads, it would damage Providence's reputation."
"I'm working on that. We are attempting to pinpoint her current location, or track any residue left by Breach's portals to figure out where she is."
"As soon as you do it, I want the Mole in handcuffs and IN AN INTERROGATION ROOM AFTER THAT!"
"If I don't do it twenty-four hours after we rescue Reggie, I will present my demission." replied coldly the former mercenary.
Without any other further comment, the ex-assassin left; he headed toward the hangar with a calm stride. The harsh security measures implemented by Six and Calan were reflected in the increased number of guards in the corridors, and with strict access control to the key points of the base. The usual transportation of dangerous EVOs to the Petting Zoo was also temporarily suspended until the security was restored. Not to mention that personnel on duty had an unpleasant surprise; all permits were canceled and they had to be confined to the base until further notice. All of the HQ were on high alert. The second of Providence walked through the hangar, which showed the harsh measures implemented by who controlled the organization. The zone was heavily guarded. The departure gates were closed. The ships were locked, their entrances watched for at least two White Pawns. Just one has its hatch opened. In its entrance awaited Calan. He headed to this one; his friend steps aside, in order to allow him to enter the vehicle. After a few steps, both men saw Rex, Bobo, and Holiday were waiting for them nearby. The transports door closed, nobody else besides the ones present were in the corridor. The mood was somber.
"Something happened?" the agent inquired laconically.
"Rex got a text message; show him, boy." informed The Captain of Providence. The teen EVO offered his cellphone to his mentor, he took it and read what the text message said: 'She's in Abysus'. He noticed that it arrived thirty minutes after the Little One's kidnapping. It gives it a certain degree of credibility, but he wasn't convinced. The ex-assassin gave the device back to the minor, then he looked at the Captain of Providence, then he asked dryly "What is your opinion?"
"The number comes from a prepaid cell phone," observed the Capitan "I ran a quick check, it was bought in a town nearby to Abysus; no debit or credit cards, just cash. Nevertheless, the dialing code matches."
"So do you think the source is trustworthy?" He questioned coldly.
"We don't know who sent it; whoever did it, took great lengths to cover his or her tracks." Retorted his friend.
The Second of Providence nodded, he had an idea who sent it; he looked at Holiday waiting for her to give her report. She was very pale, the ex-mercenary noticed that her eyes were red, a clear signal that she had cried; with a trembling voice, she spoke "Our system registered an electromagnetic trace in Abysus seconds after Reggie disappeared. All the leads point that she is there."
"We don't know about it, what if it's a bluff?" intervened Calan.
"All the evidence points in that direction." He replied coldly "If she isn't there, It's the best place to start asking questions."
"As if Van Kleiss were willing to answer them." teased Bobo.
"I wasn't thinking about him." answered the former assassin, who added "Everyone to their posts, we are leaving in five minutes."
The group dispersed, except for Rex. The young EVO looked at him and whispered "Six?"
"Yes?"
"Tell me you put a tracer on my sister..."
"Her nanites turned it off, just like yours; sorry Kid."
"For once, I would have liked it to work..." The teenager commented with dismay.
The agent placed a hand on his pupil's shoulder with a comforting tone, he said "We will find her, and we will bring her back unharmed... keep trying to contact Circe."
o0o – o0o – o0o
Van Kleiss smiled with evil satisfaction as his little prey tugged before she writhed trying to get free of his roots. After many failed attempts, he finally caught her and he had something worthy with which he could negotiate with advantage; if he decided to do so. Oh! Just thinking about the other possibilities made him grin with satisfaction. What about overloading her nanites, turning her in an irrational EVO? Using her against his enemies sounded like a good plan. Hmmm? It was so hard to decide, it would be petty revenge, but for a sentimental brat like Rex, it would be a devastating blow. Knowing how obsessed he was to find and reconnect with his family, made that alternative even more appealing. He toyed with the idea; what about instead he used her as a weapon, to handle the Providence? Their Petting Zoo would have a nice addition; but at the same time her annoying brother would have a nervous breakdown. But considering, it may not be permanent, the move might not be good after all. Before making a decision, he wanted to make her sweat a bit.
"Why so sad? Are you not happy to return home?" he gloated and he felt even more amused when the mini-brat failed by several inches at her childish attempt to kick him in his face. She was feisty, as her mother was. She and her sibling were much alike of that arrogant bitch that he hated so much, still couldn't forgive her and her insignificant husband that had stolen from him The Project Nanite One's leadership, less the fact they and their eldest son had tried to destroy it. Although they had been dead for many years, his hatred against Violeta and Rafael Salazar hadn't decreased. If they knew that he had her lovely daughter in his power, they would be wallowing their grave for sure... Alas! But taking in count they, together with Caesar, were beyond his grasp in the afterlife, he should settle for tormenting their two remaining members of their family.
"It's not my home! I want to go back to my Hermanito!" whimpered the child while she watched him with her little brown eyes full of fear.
"Maybe you were too young to remember, Reggie, but you were born here." Spoke the Master of Abysus whilst he slowly approached her, when he was close he whispered with an insidious tone near her ear "Do you really think that a spoiled teenager cares about you? Or Rynaler or Zabala were concerned about your well-being? If they had you at their side, it was because your presence was imposed. They didn't love you." Van Kleiss raised the girl's chin with the index finger of his metal gauntlet. He stared at her eyes and grinned in a devil way then he added whereas remarking his words "He doesn't love you."
"You're lying!" the child stuttered while her eyes started to fill with tears.
"Am I?" He chuckled "He won't come, little one. You know it."
"HE WILL COME! BOBO, TOO! BECKY, TOO! AND SIX TOO!"
"As if they care." Laughed quietly The Mad Scientist "The Doctor is a nullity, the monkey is a selfish good for nothing, what about the meddlesome Agent? As if he cares… He has done very bad things in the past, being the nanny of a brat like you isn't part of his priorities. He is not better than me."
"HE IS A MILLION TIMES BETTER PERSON THAN YOU! HE WILL COME!"
"Really?" taunted the Master of that Dark Land, who said with renewed malice "But, is that what you want, Reggie? Because, you don't want them to end up hurt, as the late Doctor Zabala, right? After all, it was your fault that it happened to her. If you had been, all this time in Abysus, nothing bad would have happened to her. Not to mention that it was your brother's fault that Doctor Rylander died..."
Bitter tears rolled down from the Little One's cheeks when she remembered what happened in the Devil's Garden. She never exactly knew how her dear Abuela Nat had passed away; but through Nanites, she knew about her passing, worsening the episode she suffered that time. Her Hermanito and Six explained to her later, that her adopted granny loved her and she wanted to protect her from the Bad Man. His tutor assured her something very important was: It wasn't her fault. But the doubt started to take root in her heart. Van Kleiss looked at the little girl with a cruel smirk on his face. One of the things he enjoyed doing was playing mind games with his enemies, he had used that strategy more than once.
The Little EVO started to sob loudly while she furiously struggled to break free. The Ruler of Abysus frowned, he always hated the whimpers of the nippers, which irritated him to no end. A muffled sound caught his attention, his lips drew a dry smile when he looked at a young teenager, her black hair had red highlights, she was dressed in a goth fashion. She looked at the child woefully, whereas she was almost hidden by one of the many columns that the hall had. The Ruler of that Desolated Land calmed and walked away.
"Circe!" He commanded.
The presents could hear the sweet notes of a hypnotic song; It slowly quieten the heartbreaking sobs of the little girl. Her terrified expression turned into a relaxed and absent. Her eyes narrowed and stared blankly without any trace of emotion. Her body turned lax, like a rag doll. The struggle stopped. The roots that were holding her, deposited her on the ground and slowly submerged. She remained standing still at the same point; without making any noise or attempt to run away while staring into the void. Van Kleiss slowly approached her, his metallic gauntlet lifted her chin. He sarcastically said "This is how children should be: quiet and still... After all, they should be seen and not heard. Now, it will be easy to deal with you, Little Reggie."
He released her chin, the little one lowered her head to her front. After that, she didn't move. The Mad Scientist walked calmly toward his throne, he knew his enemies wouldn't be idle for long; but by now, he had a lot to ponder, but first things first.
"Circe!" He ordered again, the aforementioned emerged from the shadows and stopped nearby the minor "Take the little brat to your room! You are now in charge of babysitting her. I guess the task won't be too hard or unpleasant for you, right? After all, she's the little sister of your Romeo; if we want to negotiate his entry into the Pack, we need her in the best health."
"I guess." mumbled ambiguously the Goth EVO. The teen took the little girl's hand. She didn't protest or resist, neither did she signal that she was aware of her surroundings; she started to walk in the company of her, heading towards the exit. Reggie followed her quietly and soon, they left.
Van Kleiss sat down on his ruined throne, he had a satisfied smile on his face, making his features even more sinister. Now he had the upper hand, he could manipulate Rex as he wanted; he was pondering all the possibilities; a quick glance was enough for him to notice the presence of The Second of the Pack. It wasn't a surprise, his faithful underling always remained close, at least till he ordered him to do otherwise. But he knew him enough to guess he wanted to tell him something, but as usual, he would wait to be allowed to speak.
"Do you want to tell me something, Biowulf?" said the Ruler of Abysus, boredly.
"As you noticed, Master, she is an EVO too. She defended herself when we tried to capture her, several organic extensions appeared from her, defending her." informed Wolf-like EVO, who added, "They also merged, when she tried to escape."
Now The Mad Scientist was interested "It seems that her nanites behave much like her annoying brother... I wonder if... I have to take a sample and analyze it."
"It also seems that Providence has done a good job to indoctrinate her, Master."
"Making her change her mind would be a little harder than writing a lesson on a blackboard. Her mother was quite stubborn; I wonder if she inherited that trait." replied The Ruler of Abysus. In dismissal he said, "One of the best vengeance I could do against Rex would be to turn his dear little sister against him... I don't know... The possibilities are infinite."
"Our enemies won't remain idle for long, My Liege." observed the Wolf-like EVO "Even as we spoke, they may have planned their next move."
"That's a certainty, Biowulf." retorted the Ruler of that Desolate Land. "It's why I want you to increase the patrols around the castle's perimeter and in the main corridors, especially those leading to the living quarters. We have some hours at least, maybe a few days... But as you said, they won't be idle for long."
"As you wish, Master." responded the Second of the Pack, with quick strides, he hurried to fulfill his leader's wishes. Van Kleiss leaned his back on his throne, it was time for him to think about what to do next.
o0o – o0o – o0o
Circe arrived at her bedroom alongside Reggie in tow. It was a small place but well organized. A couple of steps after the door, on the right, was another that led to a small bathroom. On the left was her wardrobe, where she kept her clothing and other stuff. Some feet away was a small bureau made of ebony wood; on it, neatly organized were some plushies, a gothic jewelry box, many gargoyles statues, a hand mirror with a dragon frame, some makeup and lipsticks. In front of it, was her bed, its headboard and frame were made with ebony too. On both sides of it was a night table, each one had a black iron lamp, with red lampshades. The sheets had a lilac color; nearby, in the right of it, was a full-body mirror. As well as all of all the furniture, its frame was made of ebony. The walls had a burgundy color that contrasted the dark hue of the furniture, a dark red carpet covered most of the floor. The scarce light that the habitation received came from a small window, it was between the bed and the mirror.
She gently took the minor and sat her in her bed, after that she sat at her side. The teen EVO stroked the little one's hair in a comforting way. She knew that the kiddie barely would notice it, but it helped her to cope with her own feelings of guilt. She could easily finish her trance, but making the child aware of the horrible place that surrounded her, would be to be even crueler than leave her as she was. One thing was to choose to be there by her own decision, and the other one being taken by force, from a spot you considered safe. Circe wanted to believe she was truly safe in Abysus, but she knew it was a lie.
Every day, the Goth EVO was a witness of all the horrors barely hidden behind a facade of a Paradise. Except for the Van Kleiss's inner circle, everyone lived in fear of incurring his wrath, because the consequences for all those unfortunate souls were always deadly, as the Mad scientist's infamous Garden attested; where each statue had been a living being... Before Van Kleiss extracted all their nanites. But she knew that neither their closest subordinates were safe; sooner or later, even they would be a target. Guys like him only feel loyalty to themselves; the Goth Girl often asked herself when would be her turn to fall from his grace, and more important: Would she have enough time to escape before finishing as a garden decoration? Sometimes she questioned her own decision to remain there, but she didn't have an alternative; still, she remembered the cold, hunger, and fear she had to face every day when she lived on the streets before joining the Pack. Always wondering when would be her next meal or where she would sleep when the nightfall.
The teen looked at the minor carefully and she noticed tiny clues of her life amid Providence: Her nails were neatly cut, she had a healthy appearance... The only thing that was out of place was her pajamas; it had some tears in the upper part, most likely it happened when Biowulf held her and she struggled to get free; luckily she wasn't hurt. Besides that, her clothes looked to be a high-quality piece. It seemed that she was properly cared for. Then Circe remembered Breach's ramblings minutes after their incursion, the Gothic EVO deduced that the little one had toys, books, moreover all the nice stuff that made a child happy. She smiled bitterly, Reggie most likely wouldn't have such distractions here... But she would be relatively safe, Providence wouldn't dictate what to do… She wouldn't have to hide her condition as EVO; not to mention that as long as she stayed away from Van Kleiss, she would be ok... Despite her own reasoning, her conscience didn't stop accusing her: What they had done was wrong on many levels, not only because they had taken an innocent little girl away from a relatively safe place, they also wanted to coerce Rex to join the Pack. Knowing him as she knew him, he would have plenty of occasions to run away from Providence, if he wanted... And his Baby Sister wasn't the reason to remain there, as well as she wasn't enough motivation to join the Pack. Not to mention, he also may consider her responsible for her kidnapping, for him, that would be the worst of all betrayals.
The teen sighed, she would have to do her best to care for his little sister in addition to find the way to put it right, she walked towards the door and locked it; what she was about to do would put her in serious danger, she headed towards her bureau and pulled one of the drawers. She was looking for something; after a short while, she took a plain wooden box. On one of its sides, it had a little handle. She pulled it, showing a disposable cell phone. Before she could touch it, she froze when she heard a knock.
"I'm coming." She said trying to hold her fear and making a big effort to keep a calmed voice tone, if Van Kleiss or others members of the Pack found out about her little secret, she was dead for sure; The Mad Scientist forbade her to have or use a cellphone, and regularly checked her Room to be sure she hadn't any, he gave the excuse that she wouldn't pass information to his enemies. Obviously, she hadn't obeyed. She had many clever ways to conceal it. She quickly and in silence kept the box and closed the drawer. She did several deep breaths and calmly walked towards the room's entrance. To her relief, it was a friendly visitor.
"Hello, Charlie! Please, come in!" invited the Goth EVO with a smile. Charlotte 'Charlie' Newman was once a suburban home wife from Suffolk, England; whose normal life was destroyed three years after the Nanite Event. She lost everything: Her Family, friends, and her human form... She turned in ten feet humanoid, her arms were disproportionately long; her skin was now wet, also slimy, it's color and texture reminiscent of mud. Her head was merged into her body, limiting her peripheral gaze. The features of her face were practically non-existent, the only identifiable things were her mouth besides her eyes without pupil, which had a mustard color. She didn't have any visible ears, nor hair. Her mutation affected her speech too, made her only able to communicate through grunts and moans; Circe was one of the few Abysus's residents who could understand her, which made her close friends; not to mention that Charlie had a soft spot for the girl... She reminded her of the daughter she lost due to her condition. The massive EVO stepped inside, one of her hands had morphed on a tray, in which she had a bowl and a glass of water.
"Thanks, Charlie!" she uttered as she took a folding table then she put it near the little one, then she took the dish, it looked like it was full of carrots, cucumbers, as well as other veggies. Once the Teen EVO took the dish, her hand turned a little more normal. Charlie came in and closed the door carefully. As if she was afraid to break it. She looked at the little child and sat on the bed then moaned with concern. The goth EVO sighed then said "I know, but we don't know if Reggie had any allergies; by now, this it's the safest option." then the minor thought bitterly "If only Van Kleiss had bothered to find it out if she had any, it would have made things easier for everyone... As if he cares."
Circe felt a pang of guilt, not everyone would have it easy; Rex specifically. This moment he would be frenzied, to put it kindly. She wouldn't be surprised to see him storming inside the castle, tearing apart every stone looking for his baby sister. He may be angry at her and blame her for her kidnapping; it would be really unfair; she didn't take part in it...
"But you didn't do anything to prevent it..." whispered an insidious little voice in the back of her mind. The teen lowered her head with remorse. The humanoid creature groaned querying as she looked as she sat down close to the toddler and watched at her woefully.
"I can't avoid feeling guilty, Charlie." said sadly the Girl, then she looked at Reggie "She shouldn't be here, she should be with her brother."
Charlie did a strong groan with disapproval; as much as she disliked Van Kleiss's regime, the alternative for her plus others unlucky souls were worse with Providence, they would be caged if the so-called cure fails... Circe looked at her and replied "You know what happens here, nobody is secure. Do you know Van Kleiss hates her sibling? I wouldn't be surprised that he decides to use her to harm Rex. She is even in more danger than us."
The other EVO moaned concernedly, she put a hand on her and sighed "It's why I need your help, to keep her safe while she is here. Will you do it?"
Her friend groaned whereas she did an affirmative nod, both friends hugged each other, after a few seconds Charlie left. Her smile faded when she looked at the child. She used her abilities and sang another of her hypnotics' songs, it would allow Reggie certain levels of consciousness, but not to the point of fully knowing what was going on around her. Tears started to fall from her brown eyes, the Goth EVO cleaned them lovingly at the same time as murmured using a comforting tone "I'm sorry that you are here, I will do my best to protect you. Are you hungry? It's only veggies on the menu this time, I'll try to give you a better meal next time and may add some sweets if it's possible. I don't know if you need special food, it's why I'm serving only veggies this time... I'm sorry."
The little one mechanically ate her food and drank the glass of water, Circe thought she had to talk with her self-proclaimed Boss about finding out if she had any allergy, besides getting some essentials for her, to make more bearable her unwilling visit. She knew she had to be careful when she exposed the subject, she didn't want to end with a nanites overload... Or as a new decoration in the Castle's garden. The Little EVO finished her meal, then Circe continued attending to her, whilst the Goth teenager did that, she thought about the situation and hoped Rex would be on his way to save her. With Van Kleiss around, nobody was out of danger. The room's door slammed open, startling the teen, who quickly moved in front of the child willing to protect her. Heavy steps could be heard in the short corridor, the goth girl recognized the wolfish appearance of Biowulf.
"The master wants to speak with you." said the Second of the Pack without any preamble.
"I will go in a second." She replied, then added "Could you please call Charlie? It would be a good idea that Reggie wouldn't be alone."
The Biomechanical Being grunted then left the place. She gulped while hoping the only thing that Van Kleiss had in mind was a chat.
o0o – o0o – o0o
Rex was lying on a bunk, staring at the roof. The red ball he used to bounce to distract his mind when he was on a mission, remained forgotten close to him. His cellphone was in the bed nearby; he had lost the count of how many times he tried to contact Circe to ask the whereabouts of his dearest sis. He was inside of one of the few cabins that the vehicle had. Its decoration was even more Spartan than the ship that took them to Mexico some months ago. The Young EVO was brooding; his mind was lost in bleak thoughts. Since he knew where his little sister was, only destruction plus death had happened: The White Pawns fell in the battle, the Doc Nat's murder at Van Kleiss hands, not to mention his little sis almost died in the same day, and now her kidnapping... He started to wonder if it wouldn't have been better to leave her alone in the Devil's Garden, her dearest Abuela Nat would have been alive also he could watch from a distance looking at her enjoying a happy carefree life.
"That wouldn't have changed nothing, Kid." It was the answer he got once he raised his concerns at his handler two hours ago. "According to the exchange of correspondence between Dr. Zabala and Dr. Rylander, Van Kleiss attacks have increased in the last months, it was a matter of time before he orchestrates a large-scale offensive to capture the Little One."
That reasoning didn't help to ease the Teen's mind. He had to bite his lips to hold his rage, his mood didn't improve with each passing time. Still, they had many hours of flight ahead before arriving at Abysus, hoping to find his baby sister there or at least answers.
"Remember Rex! You could have avoided this death and many others if you had joined me instead of Providence."
The Mad Scientist's taunts haunted his mind like an unwelcome ghost. For a second, the minor wondered if he was right; but those thoughts were dismissed almost immediately. Providence wasn't perfect, but so far they were way better than the Pack, especially because so far they still hadn't tried yet to extract his nanites, not to mention to turn him into human-size garden decoration. He snorted frustrated, he wanted to do something, anything. He was impatient to jump to action and bring her back to his safe home. A muffled sound broke his gloomy thoughts when he looked at its origins, he saw Bobo come into the cabin. A closer look revealed a significant detail: His face's expression was serious, something rare on him. He got up and sat on the bunk, then asked concerned "Is everything ok?"
"Chief, I'm worried." replied the Chimp while he sat close to his human friend.
"So am I, Bobo." answered the Teen EVO "Soon we will arrive at Abysus and can start to look for Reggie."
"Well I'm worried for her too." responded the monkey "But this time, it's your nanny in green that's worrying me."
The young EVO did an impish grin whereas he enquired "What did you do? Did you pick any locks in his room again?"
"I ain't so idiotic to do it without you or the Lil' lady around me. You two are my Life Insurance" retorted the ape.
Rex blinked. He didn't... Finally, his human friend asked, surprised "Did you spit in his breakfast?"
"Why didn't I think about it?" asked the primate for himself, then answered his friend "Guess again… But I'll save it for another time when I'm sure he won't kill me for that."
"What happened?" queried with curiosity the minor.
"The Green Bean received a call on his cellphone, the only thing he said was 'you know what to do' after that, hang it up." explained the chimp.
"Just that? Did you ask something?" he investigated.
"Nah. Taking in count his expression, my lifespan would dramatically shoot down just to do it." replied the monkey.
"Maybe it's something related to the security measures in the HQ." ventured Rex to guess.
"Maybe..." muttered the simian. Both friends fell in silence, Bobo looked at his human pal whilst putting one of his hands on his shoulder, then assured "Don't worry, Chief, we will bring our Lil' lady back home, also we will pull a good one on Van Looser that he would be steaming for days."
"I hope so, Bobo, I hope so..." whispered absently the Teen while he watched his cellphone.
o0o – o0o – o0o
"Sir, estimated arrival time at Abysus's border, ninety minutes." announced the White Pawn to his Superiors.
"Thank you, tell me when we are about to arrive." The Agent retorted laconically as he looked at the soldier, then he continued watching the computers without saying any further word. His mind wandered to the latest events. How could this have happened? Never mind, his mind has to be in the game, more than ever now that the stakes were high.
Calan was supervising the monitors and watching carefully every step. In an unprecedented move, every single member of Providence's troops had their balaclava removed after the Scout ship's hatch closed, just before departing. The Captain of Providence wanted to be sure the mole wasn't infiltrating it, or compromising the mission. Once the Troop's identities were confirmed, they proceeded to the rescue mission then departed. Six watched all the activity in silence while he pondered the best course of action. It was a long shot that Reggie was in Abysus, even though it was the most logical place to start looking for. Van Kleiss must be aware of their attempt to rescue the little one, so they didn't count on the surprise factor. Their only chance was to come in, find her, then get out there fast. It's why they needed Circe's help; but even though she wasn't very active in the Pack, she still was an unreliable ally. Even though she had some personal sympathy towards Rex, she had a strong dislike toward Providence, not even the Kid's charms were enough to make her switch sides. He had the strange ability to be a good judge of character, he decided to appeal to the girl's ethic. He noticed that in spite of residing in Abysus, she rarely was seen among the Pack. It was as if she shunned their treatment; his personal guess was she only sought their protection but didn't share their views. He bet sooner or later, the young one would leave them. He hoped the Kid was able to establish contact with her then confirm the location of the Little One.
The Second of Providence checked his watch, soon they would arrive at their destination. He wondered if he should verify Holiday and see if she was ok, she was very affected by all the events. Who could blame her? As Dr. Aldrich had told him weeks before, she was very attuned with her emotions, besides the sincere affection she felt for Rex also Reggie could cloud her judgment; it would be detrimental to the mission. But they couldn't have excluded her, because she was the only one who could activate the security protocol and avoid taking her full EVO form.
Right now, he should be the last one to criticize her. Against his best judgment, he had permitted himself to have a soft spot for the Kid and the Little One. In normal circumstances, he would have repressed his feelings and wouldn't allow them to cloud his mind. But something has changed, it had started when he met him, it continued growing with his Little Sister. Somehow in a way he didn't fully understand, they changed him. When he left his old team, he was looking to help the only person that mattered to him back then. When he found the young EVO, he saw a child alone, confused and worse, without memory of his past. At first, he saw all the potential that he could become. He started to train him. He not only expected that he honed his skills, but he also wanted a cure for his former Mentor. When the time passed, he didn't want Rex's life to be a copy of his. He decided to shield him from some dark trues of Life, but it seemed The Kid has had his own bad experiences, but essentially he has a good heart. Then she appeared...
"It was until she came into your life, right? At first, it was the favor of one of the few friends you still had, but then it became something else. What you saw was a little girl, alone and scared in a situation that no one should be in..."
Six clenched his fist tightly as his own words came back to haunt him, ironies of life; he brushed his thoughts away, as he was told so many times to the Kid and Holiday: Their mind should be in the game. Perspectives weren't good. There were too many variables, too many things could go wrong; but they had to make it work with the information that they had; It's why he should remain focused. Speaking about them, he should go to check them to be sure that they are ok; both were very distressed with the little one's kidnapping, it was untestable. His mind wandered towards Reggie, however they felt she would have it even worse... She was alone and scared in a terrible place... defenseless. Her screams of terror that she did just calling her brother before disappearing for the portal were engraved in his mind.
"Hold on, Reggie." Thought the Second of Providence "We will find you and bring you back home soon..."
o0o – o0o – o0o
The door closed, some steps could be heard on the other side walking away down the corridor. Holiday looked around with her sight absent, she was wearing the black and white protective suit that she usually wears in dangerous missions. Her sight wandered around the room while her mind was lost in her own thoughts. Six had been kind enough to verify if she was ok. The recent events had been a shock for everyone; but he was right, she had to calm down plus had her mind focused.
The Chief Scientist of Providence was in the small infirmary of the Scout Ship; she found some solace among computers and medical instruments, she felt more in control. A couple of chairs with harnesses were bolted to the ground. A wheeled stretcher was attached to the wall, ready to be used. In one of the corners was a variant of a hyperbaric chamber, specially designed to attend to Rex's injuries. The Young Scientist smiled bitterly when she remembered when the prototype was approved also when the tests were successful, it would enhance his healing factor 50% by slightly stimulating his nanites. Would it work in the same way with Reggie? She believed it would be the case but truly hoped not to have to find it out. She had faith that Six and Rex would bring her back, hopefully without any scratches. The Former Mercenary had a plan to infiltrate Abysus, the only part that she didn't agree at all, was she had to remain behind.
"I need you ready to attend to Reggie as soon as we arrive. The Kid, the monkey, and I will infiltrate the Area. We will scout it, hoping to find any trace of the little one, or bring her back." It's what he had said shortly before to leave "Calan besides the Pawns will remain behind too, in case we need backup they will be ready to help, and keep the ship safe. The fewer people go inside this hostile territory, the better."
Dangerous missions were his specialty; she should trust in his judgment. If someone could bring her back home, those were Rex, Bobo, and Six. Even though the situation looked bleak, she refused to lose hope. She believed in them.
She continued to do a mental verification about the things that would be needed to do if... When she would come back. Her eyes laid on a small purple sport bag that was on the floor close to her and sadly smiled. Inside it were Reggie's second favorite pair of pajamas, a change of clothes, a few pairs of socks, a pair of tennis shoes, and other essentials for a day or two. Holiday always wanted to have it in hand, in case she was outside HQ and had to spend the night at Noah's house;something unthinkable for the Second of Providence or White, at least they wouldn't have to improvise in that aspect besides she would have something to wear. It was the first thing she grabbed when they had to board the vehicle. So far she noticed, the infirmary was ready to do a quick medical checkup on the minor as soon as she arrived at the vehicle. She finished inspecting the area and found every parameter satisfactory. The young scientist walked towards the door, her next inspection would be in the Recovery Room that was a few feet away; there, the patients once stabilized, could remain during the trip to the HQ's internal infirmary for a complete medical examination, as well as the application of the appropriate treatment. In order to be ready for whatever happens in this rescue mission.
o0o – o0o – o0o
Circe headed towards her accommodations with a quick stride, and she was furious; the talks with Van Kleiss usually were as enjoyable as paying a visit to the dentist when one was necessary to pull out a tooth. But this one surpassed all the levels of unpleasant chats. Without a doubt Van Jerk was an accomplished asshole, he not only didn't care that the little girl received minimal care, but he also showed a total disregard to offer her the slightest comfort. He owned her after taking her away by force from her big bro. It was so hard to find out if she had an allergy or something like that? She swore that in the first chance she would leave the Pack on her terms…If it was necessary she would take the kiddie with her; even if that meant to draw the Mad Scientist's vindictive wrath, she wasn't afraid of him. Most likely would happen that Rex would jump to the rescue first. She arrived at her room and came in, part of her anger evaporated; her friend, Charlie was there taking care of Reggie, she was standing nearby the child. The little one was still sitting down on the bed, looking at the void. Circe felt a pang of guilt again, she wasn't better than Van Kleiss; keeping her under that hypnotic status. Her friend groaned inquisitively.
"I'm not alright." replied woefully the Teen. "This is not right, we know it."
The Massive EVO moaned again and tried to cheer her up, she did a sad smile then added "Go to sleep, Charlie, tomorrow we will figure out what to do."
The humanoid creature nodded then slowly headed towards the door, leaving shortly after. The Goth EVO stood up and locked the door, she decided it was time that they should rest. She walked back to the little girl, then removed her bunny slippers. She put them on the floor nearby, after that she settled the little girl on the bed and tucked her with the blankets. She was restless and quietly sobbed without being able to wake up from her trance, but clearly fighting to break free. Circe's eyes soften while she caresses her hair.
"Don't worry I'll take care of you." Whispered the Goth teen whereas she tried to comfort her "You don't know how I hate you being in this situation, I'll do my best to keep you safe."
After those words, she sang again her hypnotic another song, and Reggie relaxed, her face softening. Falling into a deep sleep, but still, she was sobbing from time to time. Her heart sank just listening to her, she looked at her night table, she walked towards it then started to look for something. After several minutes, she got her cellphone; she hid it there and also had a disposable in an attempt to mislead Van Kleiss. But now it was time for a more straightforward approach; she hesitated, she was afraid about Rex's reaction regarding his sister's kidnapping. Her sober thoughts were interrupted when she felt a slight vibration on her hand. She quickly looked at her cell phone.
"Twenty missed calls? I wonder who it is. Well, there are only three answers: An admirer, a stalker, or a very angry big brother..." thought the teen who smiled without humor; she knew the answer, also she knew he wasn't happy. The device started to shake, announcing another call, the Goth chick took a deep breath then answered "hello?"
"WHERE IS SHE!?" a well-known voice boomed on the other side of the line.
"Hi, Rex! I was expecting your call." said Circe with a hint of her dry humor "Don't be afraid to scream louder, Van Kleiss still hasn't heard you..."
"DON'T PLAY WITH ME, CIRCE! WHERE IS REGGIE! YOU HAVE CROSSED A GREAT REDLINE! I SWEAR YOU, IF SOMETHING HAPPENS TO MY LITTLE SISTER, I DON'T WANT TO TALK WITH YOU FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE!" screamed Rex who wasn't in the mood to play along. The Goth Teen let out a few tears when she heard those harsh words, they broke her heart; the worst thing was in a way she felt that she deserved them.
On the other side of the line was Rex together with him, Six. They still were inside the cabin, whereas Bobo had left a while ago. At the same time that the teen was venting his frustration, the Second of Providence quietly walked some steps away, took his hand towards his ear-link communicator, then he whispered a command to Calan "The Kid is on a phone call, I want you to track where is the other end."
"Roger." answered the Captain by the same means.
"Well, Van Kleiss just promoted me to your sister's official nanny." she answered whilst hiding her pain "She's next to me, in my room and considering the circumstances, for the moment relatively safe."
"Prove it." spoke an emotionless voice from the background. It seemed that Rex had activated the speaker.
"Speaking about babysitters." She thought.
She put the call on hold, then reordered a video of Reggie in her bed using her cellphone, it showed the little girl soundly asleep, the video was one-minute long. As soon as she finished recording, she sent it to Rex. The Goth Teenager made a deep breath and returned to the call.
"CIIIIRCE! YOU USED YOUR HYPNOTIC POWERS WITH HER! HOW COULD YOU DARE!"
"Well, I know it's no excuse and believe me, I didn't like to have to do it," she replied, "but he had a mind games session with her, also she was very scared..."
"I don't know how you stand to live with someone like Van Mad Scientist around." snorted Rex.
"Taking into account my alternatives were abusive foster homes or living on the streets... This is an improvement." was Circe's gloom answer while she remembered that dark chapter of her life. "At least I don't have to worry about when the next beating or the next dinner will be."
"Listen to me." Six intervened "I offer you Providence's full protection, in exchange to help us to do a safe extraction of the Little One. If you prefer, you can formally join us and help us to neutralize menaces as Van Kleiss..."
"You are very kind, but no." retorted sharply Circe. "If I agree to help you, it's because the girl's and Rex's sake, also this is wrong on many levels. IF I ever leave the Pack, it would be under my terms and NO, I don't want to join your Boy Scouts club, so you can take your offer and shove it where the sun doesn't shine..." She added with feigned surprise "Ohhhhhh! Let me guess! You're keeping this chat long to trace my coordinates? What a lame trick!"
"I understand your distrust, and I won't insist." replied coldly the former Mercenary. "What surprises me is Van Kleiss's tolerance on your attitude; under normal circumstances, he would consider it, an insubordination besides punish it severely in accordance."
She hissed defiantly, "He doesn't scare me."
"You should be more cautious; sooner or later, your luck will end." warned dryly the agent. "Listen well, we will arrive shortly to pick up the Little One; knowing what's going on between you and the Kid, I will trust that you won't tell Van Kleiss about this little chat, I suggest you leave the place also stay away for the night; it's for your best interest to find someone, who could spend a while with, in order to have a solid alibi."
" I ain't a fool, neither do I have a suicide wish. Don't worry, I won't rat you out." retorted the Goth teen on the other side of the line, then her voice tone changed and softened "Rex, good luck. Hopefully, when I return here, my room will be empty, the only damage will be a broken door; your little sister will be on her way home besides best of all: Van Kleiss can't blame me for anything. If I were you, I would hurry. Thanks for calling, bye."
Silence fell on the habitation, but it didn't long last; a well-known voice spoke through the ship's internal speaker, and announced "Attention everyone! This is Captain Calan! We will reach Abysus in five minutes! Take your positions to land! Over and out!"
Rex and Six looked at each other, it was their signal.